Incognito: Chapter IV (//invited only)

[Char Aznable]

Nika was out of breath as she cut around a corner, finally breaking sight to the pursuing officers. She vanished into a small hut hanging on the side of the St. Pauli Tower, dangerously cracking under its own weight. The slums near the ground were never a good place to stay, crashing and falling houses were a daily sight. She wouldn't have much time anyway, since the police would find her hiding spot very quickly.

A quick leap brought her to the portable terminal that she had set up in the corner. One press of a button and the pre-formulated message to Freya was sent. Aware that she wouldn't have enough time to take the terminal with her, she disintegrated the hard drive and electronic parts with a few precisely placed bolts. The Kanzler was on Hamburg. She'd have to be quick. Tomorrow she would strike.
Turning around, she searched for the keys to the hoverbike the Kerzen had promised her, and cursed the inability of their mothers to give birth to intelligent children as she didn't find it. Into the slums then. Deeper down. Closer to the surface, try to get the police to leave the chase be. After all, the Unioners would probably declare themselves responsible for it. After this, she'd have a talk with Rorken. A serious one. Involving a gun.

A quick leap brought her in the next alleyway. A dark, unlit hover on the side of it, flickering lights and a group of people gathered around a burning barrel, drinking the probably worst schnaps she'd ever seen. She could smell the biting odour here, on the other side of the alley... But that was exactly the place where she'd find a hiding place.

"Oy! Where d'ye think y're goin', missy?"

The tallest figure around the barrel had turned around to her. A bull of a guy, musculous, but untrained. One-on-one, she'd probably able to take him on. With his friends however that was far more unlikely. Especially not in a jumpsuit that crackled with every move. Fire and leather really did not get along well... So she'd have to be nice. A shootout would only draw attention here, and those people were about to see her face anyway. And she'd have to stay undercover at least one more night...

"Nowhere...", she replied, forcing a grin on her face. "Just looking for a warm place to stay for a few moments. After that big bang everything's going to shit a few levels up. "

She sincerely hoped those people were drunk enough to mistake her for an actual citizen of the Tower - after all the chaos caused by the explosion had really affected everyone here, even the lower levels.