Crossover Escape: Gotta be more than Lucky to survive

2.42 Threats in the Open Air

All the Harpies in the area were on the ground or near to it so going under wasn’t viable. Luca looked around and then determined that he could only risk going over. He hadn’t seen any of them flying above the roofs of the buildings so with any luck he’d be able to sneak across the tops to get to where he needed to go.

Luca slipped onto the roof and kept low and close to any shadows he could find. He moved quickly with a careful eye on the sky prepared to freeze in place at the slightest sign of movement. He wished he could steal Ghosts skills for this as he felt naked and exposed as he edged across the empty roofs. It was funny because he likely wouldn’t have felt any such concern were it not for the fact that the primary occupants of the place were flighted creatures.

Now it was just a matter of doing what he could to up his stealth bonuses. He wanted all the bonuses. Then the pink panther theme started playing in his head. Stop that brain it is not helping. A black flicker out of the corner of his eye had Luca stopping in place pressed against the roof top ledge wall. While moving as little as possible Luca looked to see what was in the air. He now had an answer as to why the Harpies didn’t fly above the buildings. As well as why the paths between the buildings were relatively narrow. It also answered why no one paid any attention to the little butterflies.

The giant butterfly in the air was, if Luca judged the distance correctly, about the size of a minivan. Luca was then given a firsthand close-up view of the fact that it wasn’t on the same diet as the butterflies that he knew.

One of the soldier Harpies had flown above the building roofs to check something and from behind him the butterfly swooped down like silent death. It wrapped its legs around the Harpy and then swooped higher into the sky. Luca couldn’t see clearly but the Harpies horrified shriek cut off abruptly as the butterfly banked. Luca took a deep breath and then started sprinting across the roofs. He forwent stealth from the Harpies in favour of getting out of the prey range of the butterflies. He really felt for the natives of this place. At least back home it was a hell of humanity’s own making for him. Here it was just straight up hell as there was always something further up the food chain.

Though that twinge of sympathy in no way let him condone their choices. They could have tried a diplomatic round versus s*******r and enslavement. Luca came to the last building before the colosseum and pulled out one blade and then dove straight into the opening window. Luca came to his feet blade at the ready just as a shadow swooped past the window behind him. The hallway Luca had entered was empty. Luca eased to his feet and moved along the corridor cautiously. Until he reached a metal hitch for a torch. With a quick step and swing Luca jumped up into the exposed rafters of the building.

Luca took a moment to slow his breathing and pounding heart. That sort of close call between being spotted by one the Harpies and being butterfly food was enough to get all sorts of chemicals pumping through the veins. Luca felt practically wired. With a gentle pat to the rafters Luca recentred himself and started to look for an idea that could help delay the ‘show’.

[Lucky: I really like rafters. All other people’s places should have them.]

[Ghost: You’re here?]

[Lucky: Yeah, looking to cause trouble. Got any ideas?]

[Ghost: Is militaristic place no loose ends.] Luca frowned making troubles in a military bases was a real trouble. They just didn’t leave the sort of easy openings that could be found in a more civilian setting. Still a military place, and this sort of combat place had its own options. Step one weapons.

[Lucky: Have you found the armoury?]

[Ghost: South side, dark wood door. Two guards. Arena weapons near centre, bared door no guards.] Luca appreciated that Ghost realised what thought process Luca was having. He’d take a quick look around the main armoury to see if there was a way to bypass the guards before he went and just removed the armaments for the arena. While that couldn’t outright stop the fight it would give the people a fighting chance at avoiding death. While Luca couldn’t undo what they would have already experienced but he could try to alleviate further damage.

As Luca moved around to the south, he passed three distinct groups of soldiers in Red, White and Green. When the Red and the Green groups met there was palpable hostility between them. Well now this looks like an opportunity. Nothing through an organised group into chaos quite like in fighting. Now the main question was what was a good way to set off the hostility between the groups?

His answer arose in the way of barracks. Three of them together with flags on their doors. It was the middle of the day, so the odds were good that said barracks were empty. However the was the potential issue of them not being empty in which case opening the door would instantly alert anyone inside. Which meant he would need to check them first. The only ways he could think to do that was to either send a butterfly or to go outside and look in the window. Sending a butterfly would be safer for looking in but would leave his vision impaired while in a rather precarious position. After all someone would only need to look up to be able to notice him. If he went out, he might not be as easily spotted by the Harpies because they would have no reason to look at the exterior walls of the colosseum.

As Luca thought a Red Soldier moved down the hallway. It was a rather ungainly thing watching the Harpies walk. Luca would have loved to know the logic behind that choice, it would have been more logical to make open aired rooms for them to move in. still Luca figured the logic was that if they could fly easily so could other things.

Not that Luca was complaining it made his life infinitely easier. Moving around in secret in a bunch of auditoriums would have been an absolute nightmare. While Luca contemplated a young Harpy women exited from the Green Barracks. She stepped out without a backwards glance focus clearly on where she intended to go.

As soon as the Red spotted the Green he sneered and lunged forward. The Green didn’t have time to react before she was slammed against the wall. She coughed as the air was knocked out of her. “Filthy low life you lot abandoned your betters for your own gain. Its your fault she’d dead.” With a disgusted sneer the Red brushed past and headed for the Red barracks.

The Green gasped in a breath before she responded, “she got herself killed, but no one would try hard to save a monster. Be careful or you’ll be next.” The Green pushed herself up and straightened her clothes inadvertently revealing a rather unique style of dagger she carried. It resembled a mini trident.

“As if any of you could take me.” With his parting remark the Red entered his barracks and slammed the door. The Green stared hatefully at the closed door before she limped down the corridor.