Chased (Private-Colt and Cat)

[Catherine 'Cat' Williams]

Before she could speed up any more, Cat heard the pronounced bang of a door being forced open. She leapt down the stairs two at a time, reaching the door a level below her. It looked as though it had been recently forced open. She slammed it open, emerging with her gun out and pointing at absolutely nothing.

She peered around, looking for any sign of the Runner - there. A flash of red amidst a crowd of civilians. At first, she wondered why the Runner had not chosen to find a way back onto a rooftop, but at that moment, spotted the large group of police cars assembled not far away.

Obviously her radio call had made its way up the grapevine of orders a lot faster than Cat had expected. She shoved the pistol into its holster and made her way through the crowd, letting out a sharp whistle. A few of the cops turned to her, immediately noting the lack of a Runner trailing her.

One of them came up. "Where is she?" Appropriately, Cat shrugged.

"No idea."

It was somewhat true. After a moment, she added, "You stay here. I'm going to check the square." The other cop looked somewhat disappointed, but still followed her orders. It was one of the few good things about being such a well-known figure at the precinct. Cat shoved her way back through the crowd.

The Runner would probably have questions. Cat was ready to give up a few of those answers.

[Misha "Colt" Hayden]

After finding cover in a nearby alleyway, Colt watched the policewoman converse shortly with her allies, before turning and entering the crowd of civilians. The runner narrowed her eyes, before leaning back against the wall, eyeing as the woman made her way through the ongoing train of citizens. Colt met her gaze and discreetly beckoned the female cop over, her eyes watching the other policemen warily, hoping they wouldn't spot her from their vantage point, although the shadows should be enough of a disguise.

Colt wanted to know about this policewoman, much to her surprise. If anything, the cop's actions back in the mall made her think. Why would a cop, working for the most damned government, let a Runner escape from her grasps, when she could've gotten a boost for her rep? Hell, the woman probably would've gotten a meeting from Blaire, in person, along with his praise.

The red leader frowned, crossing her arms as she stared at the ground in thought, thinking over what happened in the mall, until the policewoman approached her.

[Catherine 'Cat' Williams]

Cat quickly scanned the groups of civilians, her eyes passing quickly over an alley, only to quickly snap back to the shadows within that alley. The Runner was beckoning her over as discreetly as she could. After a moment, Cat murmured into her radio, "Checking the alleys. No one follow, I don't want this one getting spooked if she's here." She shoved the radio back into her belt and moved towards the alley.

As she reached the shadows, she very slowly lifted her hands away from her weapons, giving the Runner a fairly wary but still somewhat friendly nod.

"I'm guessing you're wondering why I didn't cuff you and have done with it," Cat decided, leaning against the wall opposite her, luckily at a position where her 'allies' wouldn't be able to see her or the Runner. She adjusted her position a bit to take a quick glance out at the other officers. A few looked a bit nervous, but otherwise didn't seem to realize what she had done - yet.

Cat turned back to the Runner. "Well?"

[Misha "Colt" Hayden]

"I'm guessing you're wondering why I didn't cuff you and have done with it," the policewoman said, positioning herself with her back against the wall, facing Colt. The cop glanced out the alley for a moment, before turning back to the red leader, asking, "Well?"

Colt shrugged. "Well, you're right about that...but before you give me an answer," she drawled, looking at the woman facing her. "How about a name?" She figured she had the right to know the cop's name, considering what they just did earlier. Actually...working together, if that was the best way to describe it. It made Colt flinch. If word had gotten out that she worked with a cop, Prize would have her head, and most likely turn the reds against her in fear of betrayal.

[Catherine 'Cat' Williams]

Cat let out a dry chuckle. It wasn't exactly hostile, but nor was it one of 'let's be friends' type. She looked at the Runner for a moment before commenting, "You must think I'm stupid. There's no way in hell I'm giving you my name, and I'm fine if you don't give me yours." After all, it was an incentive to keep the Runner from prying into any of Cat's personal business, so to speak.

She glanced at the direction of the officers. They weren't going to wait there for long; sooner or later one or two would get curious and start ambling their way over to the alley. Deciding to get this fairly dangerous and gutsy meeting over with, Cat began an explanation that could or could not be seen as real by the Runner. "... I'm a good cop. Hell, better than most. However, that's because I have a few ounces of free will, and enough courage for ten officers."

Cat paused to wait for the Runner's reaction, then continued. "Besides, I didn't join the force to catch Runners. I joined to save lives... and if that means taking on a few government restrictions, so be it." Cat grinned, showing her teeth. It was the smile of a maniac; it was the expression of one who dealt out justice and had, for the moment, placed herself a few inches above it.

For a moment, she wondered if it was adrenaline, but shook the feeling off and eyed the Runner, waiting for a reaction of some sort.

[Misha "Colt" Hayden]

The policewoman had laughed. "You must think I'm stupid. There's no way in hell I'm giving you my name, and I'm fine if you don't give me yours."

Colt would've retorted, but she went against the idea. She didn't want to piss off the cop, especially if she could simply call her friends over and arrest her. The red leader settled for a small frown, shifting her position slightly.

After a sideways glance, the blue finally said, "I'm a good cop. Hell, better than most. However, that's because I have a few ounces of free will, and enough courage for ten officers." Colt raised an eyebrow skeptically, but now that she thought back to when the policewoman had helped her save that man's life, she could believe it. Slightly.

"Besides, I didn't join the force to catch Runners. I joined to save lives... and if that means taking on a few government restrictions, so be it." The woman gave a wicked grin, and Colt smirked a bit, amused at the cop's words, but the expression soon disappeared. Colt pushed herself off of the wall, standing up straight.

"I think I can believe that," she replied, balancing on the balls of her feet, a common warm up before she started running. She had to leave. Runners go in and out of this district. If they saw her talking to a cop...

Colt risked a quick glimpse at the cops stationed near the square. "After everything you've done today, it's kinda hard not to." She turned back to the policewoman, walking past her and making her way down the alley, away from the plaza. "Your friends aren't gonna wait long, and I don't want to be seen talking to you, so I think it's safe to say we're done here."

The red leader paused, and added sarcastically, "A pleasure chatting with you, officer."

[Catherine 'Cat' Williams]

"A pleasure chatting with you, officer," the Runner finished, not concealing any hints of sarcasm. Cat crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Same here, Runner. Watch your back."

It was the best advice she could give, considering the situation. Her radio buzzed with static and a voice filtered through. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Cat paused, then took a deep breath. "Yeah. Everything's fine, but I lost her."

She did not even have to glance behind her to figure out that the Runner was most likely gone. She smiled a bit and made her way out of the alley, to face whatever came next. It would probably mean a bit of berating from her higher-ups, but that would be the extend of it. She was too much of a valuable and popular asset to the force to be fired.

It was what she was counting on, anyway.

Cat shaded her eyes and emerged into the sunlight of the plaza, walking back towards the other officers.

She did not flinch at their confused looks, but instead grinned at them and gestured for them to move out.

It had been a spectacularly good day.

(( I'm guessing you should post, then we finish this thread up? ))

[Misha "Colt" Hayden]

As she walked down the alley, Colt heard the policewoman reply, "Same here, Runner. Watch your back."

Colt was surprised that the cop had even given her advice, but she simply shook her head and ran, looking for the closest route to the roofs. She spotted a ladder, and when she approached it, she grabbed onto the rungs. She began climbing.

She took a big risk by talking to that policewoman, that much she knew. She simply hoped she could forget today's events, should it be a distraction for her work.

She feared it might change the way she thought of the blues, lest she reminded herself of the policewoman's words.

"I'm a good cop. Hell, better than most. However, that's because I have a few ounces of free will, and enough courage for ten officers."

Colt paused when she reached the roof, scanning for any signs of other runners. She sighed in relief when she spotted none, and began running in the direction of the reds' headquarters.

They were losing runners. She needed to find more people, runners, hackers, those with potential.

The red leader tried to keep her meeting with the policewoman from plaguing her mind, but she made little progress, much to her disappointment.

((Yep, and it's finished. Interesting thread!))