Sigma/Star: Aftermath

Chapter 146: The Capture

Frigid winds rocked the outside of the building. The walls would shudder in response, and the cold would pass through, giving the halls within the fortress a harsh chill. Temperature controls did their best to fight against it, but the occupants had already succumbed, wrapping themselves in jackets to protect their skin.

A spare jacket had been tossed to Porter when they had arrived, and another doled out to Ardwen. Sigma had passed, constantly watching every action the captors were taking. It was a strange hostage situation; one Porter was learning about as he followed along. He wasn't used to having so much power at his command in these situations. He and Sigma had been travelling around for some time together, but they had not yet encountered a major conflict like the mansion siege. Willingly going along with a capture you could escape from at any moment was a unique experience.

"Keep it moving," one of the soldiers barked. He went to shove Porter along but his arm was stopped by Sigma's grasp. The pair exchanged a look before the man recoiled. Porter smiled to himself. They had been stuffed onto a tight ship and shuttled to this building in the mountains, somewhere in the north of Dalarcya. The soldiers had done everything possible to try and hide the path they were taking and keep things secret, but Porter was well aware Sigma was tracking every motion. It was a waste of time to enter into this secrecy.

"You better hope you know what you're doing." Ardwen kept pace with Porter as they navigated the halls, trudging along behind a lead. "Sigma's powerful but he can't take down a military outpost at once."

"I don't think it's military," Porter replied, eyeing the different pathways. This was some ways out there, but it lacked any of the symbolism of Dalarcya. Porter already knew his pursuers didn't belong to a country, at least not one he recognized, and the facility didn't have the feel of an army base. The deeper they went, the more corporate it became, as guards turned into people in suits running around and workers in jumpsuits covered in mechanical grime. "Maybe like a weapons factory."

Sigma shook his head but didn't give any other answers. He would keep his knowledge hidden as much as he could from those around them. If they were going out of their way to hide who they were, they probably didn't entirely know what Sigma was capable of.

"Well it's some sort of factory. They make something here." Porter glanced into an enormous room containing a vast array of conveyor belts and robotic arms assembling something. "Maybe they make a lot of things. Don't know."

"Then why are they kidnapping us?" Ardwen asked. "Why did they have to kill all those people in the mansion?" His eyes hardened with his final statement, his face setting into a grimace. Porter had watched him carefully during the flight, seen his face go through stages of conflict and torment as he processed the losses back in the mansion. It wasn't how Porter planned on getting his friend back, but the issue of debt and repayment was now a distant memory compared to the deaths Ardwen had witnessed.

"That's a very good question," Porter replied. They pivoted down another hallway and stopped in front of an elevator. The lead soldier punched a code into a panel and the door slid open. Everyone did their best to pack in to the small space. "I feel like I've made enough enemies to just merit being attacked. But a factory seems like a weird group to hate me."

"What did you do since the...it...since...things...?"

"You mean if I pissed off anyone since the Breach?" Porter tossed his head back as the elevator continued to climb. He stared up at the mirrored ceiling, looking himself in the eye. His face was streaked with dirt and black marks. His hair was a mess. His appearance was rather terrible, though he wasn't feeling it. Not yet at least. "I don't think we crossed paths with anyone big enough, right?" Porter turned his head towards Sigma, directing his question at his brother.