The electricity flowed through her body like rushing water, making her muscles seize up. Oracle felt like she couldn't breath, couldn't move, couldn't fight. The pain was like nothing she and ever felt before, intense and blinding. The pain the shock caused finally got to a point where she cried out in pain.

The Peacekeeper watched her struggle, and then let her fall to the ground. Oracle collapsed, too weak to stand. She couldn't move, her muscles were  clenched painfully from the shock.

Come on Oracle. She told herself as she struggled to get her arms underneath her.

You are not going to get captured. She thought, trying to will her fingers to move.

They did, slowly, one after the other. The Peacekeeper came over to her and she could hear him telling Reclaimer he had her, and where she was. Just then Mirage's voice filled her helmet.

"Oracle where are you. You didn't come back with Moonshine and Phoenix. We're all at the ship."

Oracle tried to will herself to speak, but couldn't.

Come on. Oracle got her arm to move, got it underneath her and was able to slowly reach towards the pistol holstered on her leg. It was a painfully slow process.

The Peacekeeper had finished talking to Reclaimer and turned back to her, placing his foot on her chest.

"No escaping." He said, lowering the staff again.

Almost... there...

Just as the Peacekeeper was about to use the staff again she reached her pistol. Oracle tugged it out of its holster and pointed it at the Peacekeeper. She aimed it at the soldier and shot twice, the first bouncing off his armor, the second hitting home.

He jerked away from her, stumbling backwards, the staff falling from his hand to clatter to the ground next to her.

The people inside backed further away, and Oracle could tell that some of them were talking to each other, muttering to themselves and gasping in horror.

"Oracle?" Asked Mirage, his voice worried now.

"I'm here." She said, her words sounding strained.

She heaved herself to her feet, her whole body aching and stiff. The spot where the wood was still wedged into her shoulder stung badly, blood and gel beginning to seep from the wound.

"Where are you?" Mirage asked.

"The cruise ship on the river. On the deck by the front of the ship." She said.

"How did you end up there?" Asked Mirage.

"A story for another time. Right now Reclaimer knows where I am. You need to be quick."

Oracle looked at the lightning-lit sky, wondering just how long she had until Reclaimer arrived. She was in no condition to fight, Reclaimer would capture her easily.

Oracle took off her helmet, letting it dangle from her hand. She took in several deep breaths, breathing in the fresh air.

It burned on the way down, but it helped her muscles to relax, and the pain slowly subsided. Her head cleared and all she felt now was the pain from her already injured shoulder and her now injured arm.

Oracle looked up when a ship passed by overhead, but quickly realized that it wasn't Crimson Shadows. It was Reclaimer's ship, The Revenant. The sleek black Silence-Class Cruiser hovered above the ship, slowly lowering itself so that men could be put onto the ship to find her.

Oracle quickly looked for any way to hide, and found the lower decks of the ship. She slipped her helmet back on and ran towards the back of the ship, carefully climbing over the side of the ship. She slid down to the lower deck, landing hard on the wood below.

White doors lined the deck, and Oracle guessed that there were citizens inside, hiding.

I hope none of them decide to tell him where I am. Thought Oracle.

If they're threatened they will.

Oracle waited a few seconds, listening for voices or footsteps. Hearing nothing Oracle knelt and dug around in her pouch. She found a roll of bandages. They were a little wet but they would have to do.

Oracle looked at the wood stuck in her shoulder and wrapped one hand around it. She took in a deep breath and then pulled, gritting her teeth and trying not to cry out. After thirty seconds of struggling she got it out and threw it, the splinter smearing blood across the deck.

Blood welled from the now open wound and Oracle wrapped it tightly in bandages to stop the bleeding. It was about that time that she heard voices above her.

"Let me hear their conversation." Said Oracle.

Static filled her helmet, and then the soldier's voices filtered through the speakers.

"Spread out, search the ship, every deck. Search the inside as well. Leave no space unchecked." Said their Captain.

She heard a chorus of voices chant "Yes, sir!" and heard them move to do their job.

Reclaimer is going to go after the passengers to draw me out. He knows me too well.

Oracle silently cursed herself and moved, looking for a way inside. She found a door and opened it, drawing her sidearm as she did.

Oracle checked the hallway. It was clear. All the passengers safely in their rooms. She quietly made her way down the hallway, the carpet softening her footsteps.

Oracle heard doors open and close, and harsh voices up ahead. She ducked into a cleaning supply room and came face to face with a passenger.

Oracle put a finger up to her visor, telling the frightened woman to stay quiet. Oracle looked looked out into the hallway and saw the soldiers. She ducked back into the room and went over her options.

She would most likely have to kill them, as they would most likely check in the closet. Oracle didn't want the woman to get injured or killed, so killing them was the only option she had. She would get seen anyway.

Oracle opened the door and brought out her sidearm. She aimed at the three soldiers and shot, two bullets for each man.  She then reloaded, and looked out again, checking for anymore men.

When she was done she turned back to the woman and told her that it was safe. Oracle emerged first and then her, and she made sure she found a safe place to hide from the soldiers.

When Oracle reached the end of the hallway she heard the voice she dreaded.

"You betrayed me Oracle. You killed my men, freed a prisoner, and then proceeded to kill my Peacekeeper. Now you hide from me like a frightened child." Came Reclaimer's voice.

Oracle's heart pounded, as she looked for a way out. Oracle could hear the cold rage in his voice, the way it had turned into a low growl.

"I should think you would be able to fight my men, considering that you've already met two of them." He said.

Shit.

He had found the two dead soldiers.

Oracle looked around and spotted the elevator that led up to the top floors. She ran towards it and entered it, thinking about some of the scenes from movies her parents watched. She had snuck peeks at the holoscreen during nights when she was supposed to be asleep.

There had been one where the main character had been in an elevator and was frantically pressing the button as the camera showed the monster.

Oracle had thought the scene amusing at the time, how the character seemed to be so afraid of something that didn't actually exist, but now that she was living it she was feeling what that character had felt. Panic and fear. There was a very real monster chasing her now, and he was getting closer and closer by the second.

The doors to the elevator closed as Oracle saw soldiers come around the corner, and tensed. Her heart pounded in her ears, adrenaline coursing through her body like a raging river.

That was way to close. She thought.

The doors opened to reveal another hallway, this time on the top floor where she had been before. The only problem was that Reclaimer had posted guards outside the door.

Oracle reacted quickly, drawing her pistol and shooting the guards, but knew that the shots had been heard. She quickly glanced at the bandages wrapping her arm. They were stained bright red, the blood starting to soak through the snow white material.

She checked the mag in her pistol and decided to reload, just so that she had a full mag. Oracle quietly made her way down the hallway, careful to keep away from the windows.

She heard soldiers and prepared to fire, killing the soldier as he came around the corner. Another one came up behind her and took her by surprise, knocking the pistol from her grip. He wrapped his arms around her throat and she fought with him, stumbling and almost losing her balance.

She fought with him, trying to get him to let go of her. Oracle rammed him up against the wall, breaking his grip. She spun around and unsheathed her combat blade, but another soldier came up and rushed at her from behind.

She was slammed into a door, and it broke under the impact. The two of them crashed to the ground and Oracle cried out as she landed hard on her injured arm.

Oracle heard people start to shuffle backwards, and realized that they were in the dining hall.

Great. Thought Oracle.

More people to get in the way.

Oracle got up and slashed the combat blade across the soldier's face, making him cry out. The second one came rushing at her, ducked his punch and stabbed him the side.

Once the two soldiers were taken care of she turned to the people gathered in the large room. Everyone was clustered on one side of the room now, chairs knocked over and food strewn on the floor in their hurry to get away.

Through the large window she saw where the Peacekeeper lay up against the window. Where she needed to get to.

"What a pleasant surprise." Came a voice from across the room.

Oracle turned her attention from the window to the door at the other end of the room. The wound form the wood throbbed, and blood now soaked the bandages and her armor.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you this early." Said Reclaimer.

Oracle looked back to the window when he heard the familiar sound of Crimson Shadow's engines.

Now that I'm in a tough situation you show up. Just my luck.

"We're here, where are you?" Asked Mirage.

Busy.

"Hold on. I'm in a tight spot." Said Oracle.

"I see that your team has come to rescue you, but I got here first. You won't see them again once I have you." Growled Reclaimer, walking forward.

The people around Reclaimer hurried to get out of his way as soldiers shoved passed them, and Oracle made a split second decision. That glass would break if she ran at it.

Her weight with her armor on, and with a running start, would be enough to break it. She would be risking getting glass stuck in her arms like the wood, or letting it cut into her bodysuit.

Screw it, it's my only option. Thought Oracle, tensing.

She took a deep breath and sprinted at the glass, picking up speed. She heard Reclaimer order his soldiers after her, but she had a head start. Oracle braced herself as she neared the glass, jumping off of a table to give herself extra momentum.

Then she crashed through the window and hit the deck hard. She rolled to her feet and looked at where Crimson Shadows was.

It was hovering by the ship deck, ramp down. Mirage stood at the edge, and when he spotted her he waved for her to hurry up.

Oracle ran across the length of the ship, not letting the soldiers or Reclaimer catch up to her. When she got to the edge she leapt off the railing and landed on the ramp, grabbing Mirage's hand.

He helped her up and Oracle turned to where Reclaimer stood on the deck of the ship. She stared directly at him as they lifted off, and even dared to wave goodbye before retreating inside the ship.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Again, very fun chapter to write. Reclaimer in this one was fun to write. What was your favorite part of the chapter? Let me know in the comments!

~~Nightfury107