<div style="text-align: justify">A million thoughts swam through Mallory's head. She could've been dead. If not for Victor, though there was nothing to be happy about when it came to owning him, she would have been lying down here, on the cold, wet stone, with a dagger lodged between the vertebrae of her spine. The woman squeezed her lips into a thin line, letting her hands curl into fists at the same time. Anger overtook her, a low growl building in her lungs, chest, making its way up her throat and finally rolling between her white teeth.<br/>
<br/>
If there was any remorse for the girl's death at the hands of the Lavonne butcher, now it was gone entirely. Mallory began to walk between the people, who, on the other hand, seemed to orbit towards the platform like a single, uniform mass. It became harder and harder to change positions with every second, as the watchers started to demand blood, and justice. But Mallory knew better than to ignore a warning coming from someone as used to battle and these streets as Victor. She looked back, but the mountain of a man was nowhere to be seen. That alone was a good, and a bad sign.. No matter what side you were on.<br/>
<br/>
The loud noise took her by surprise - and absolutely startled everyone else in the crowd. Almost immediately, she received a sharp elbow in the side, causing the air to be pushed out of her lungs. Panic settled in quickly, as it usually was with situations like this, and Mallory could not help but feel resentment and disgust at the lowly population who just got terrified like a bunch of animals. Pushing and wailing became louder, though almost harmonic, as everyone tried to escape.<br/>
<br/>
"Poison gas!"<br/>
<br/>
Mallory's spine almost snapped when she turned her head around in an instant, ears picking up the high clank of metal bouncing against the cobblestone. A dangerous hiss of steam followed quickly, working as an additional panic factor for everyone around her. There was no choice to be made - her uniform meant little to the horrified cluster; the officer had to let the crowd move her, otherwise she'd risk being crushed. Clutching desperately to people's clothes and limbs, Mallory fought to keep herself on the surface. But some were not as lucky; she swore she could hear someone getting trampled underneath heavy boots of Dome's citizens.<br/>
<br/>
But no matter how her body moved, got pushed and pulled, Mallory's eyes locked on the area close to where the grenades fell. And, even though just for a brief moment, she saw one person who managed to run the exact opposite way. Slender and agile, the figure moved swiftly, almost as if swimming, dodging everyone on her way. The officer looked up the street, noticing that the buildings hugged each other close there, forming one of the unpopular alleys of Dome.<br/>
<br/>
No time could be spared. Locking her arms on some people, still taken further away from the platform with the human wave, Mallory kicked. She missed the first time, but finally, after around four tries, a satisfying crack of bones could be heard. The person close to her yelped in pain and fell down, clutching onto their damaged knee, and soon the groan of pain became a gurgle of terror. But one person on the ground brought more in her wake; not wasting a single look at the macabre, Mallory freed herself of the mindless mass and sprinted towards the alleys.<br/>
<br/>
She'd only managed to enter the first one, weirdly empty and quiet in comparison to the chaos near the platform, when a giant shadow emerged from one of the neighbouring alleys. Taking a step back, Mallory looked right into the eyes of Victor again, twice too many times than she'd ever wished to. There was blood on the man's face, and a grin - cruel, yet not fanatic; if anything, it was mischievious, like one you could see in a child who is about to joke around.<br/>
<br/>
He was dragging someone.<br/>
<br/>
Mallory did not think twice and sprinted around him, not wanting to lose her prey just as much as not wanting to stay anywhere close the man. There was no saying what Lavonne could do, and stories said he'd been known for mixing up his enemies and comrades way too often to call it a mistake. The young officer continued her chase, gaining enough speed to minimize the distance, but not enough to ensure a catch.<br/>
<br/>
But the moment her chest started to hurt and her ribs began to burn with a million of annoying pinches, Mallory knew she had to act. Taking her gun out would've worked, if not for the maze they've been in. By the time she would manage to secure her stance, the prey would've been gone for good. With a low growl, Mallory picked up her speed for one last time before pouncing onto the figure in front of her, desperately trying to catch onto the person's clothing, hair or body.<br/>
<br/>​</div>