"Is he wrapped up?" Jamal was barely aware of his surroundings hearing this, as his senses were coming back together.
The last thing he remembered was falling from the sky, plummeting to the ground with little energy remaining. Pushing himself to give it his all was really taking a toll on not just his body, but likely all those working on the same level. His health couldn't continue to worsen like this, or he wouldn't be as effective, although that was the least of his concerns.
"I think so, nice and tight. No way he breaking out of this one." another voice muttered, with several more voices speaking about.
Opening his eyes, Jamal could now witness the multiple soldiers peering down at his fallen body, all with different emotions and expressions. Some of them were content and pleased with likely the greatest capture of their lifetimes, with a few in a state of despair or even anger. He was the most wanted man in the nation for a reason, and this was just another clear example of that truth.
"Well, good morning everyone." Jamal managed to croak out, while feeling how tight the ropes were, which he quickly confirmed was done quite well.
"Shut up, you monster. You've given our people enough problems already." a new Reserve Guard soldier came into view, pointing the barrel of his taboon into his face.
"That's a friendly introduction, but have you ever considered that I've done nothing wrong?" Jamal attempted to switch roles into an innocent civilian, lost near a battlefield.
"Yeah right, Jamal Wrint. We already know your little mind games won't work on us. No one who was even innocent would introduce themselves like that. You can't think we're that slow."
"It was a shot." the man managed to shrug his shoulders, before the closest soldiers forced him to stand up, "Dang, we're already moving like this? Can't even get situated?"
"Dose him in water." the lead soldier snapped his finger quickly, as two more people moved past him, holding iron buckets filled with the liquid.
"Hold o-", Jamal tried to back up a bit, before the cold contents of the container crashed onto him.
If he wasn't awake now, he was now, as Jamal yelped in shock from the temperature. It felt as if pieces of ice were surrounding him and there was little he could do, as another bucket was quick to land on top of him.
"That should do. Let's take him back, and quickly too. Don't need to wait for him to find a way to escape. March!"
These guys were not some low-ranking grunts or recruits from some rural area, but experienced enough to know what they were doing. If this is what they potentially had to go up against deeper within, would the battle become more intense and deadlier than it already was. Or it could have just been this contingent of well-trained forces, but Jamal had little time to analyze every detail. He could only focus on his way out of there.
The water was dripping off his dirty and bloody clothing, the power-enhancing outfit stretched with tears and seams coming loose. It was clear as day that the best he could do was start steaming himself dry, but that would only give them a reason to cover him in more water, which they already had a few more buckets worth. Even if Jamal managed to figure out a way to relight himself, it was already too late, as the soldiers had him seated in a camouflaged vehicle of sorts, which a closer look proved to be a carr.
"We're going straight to him?" Jamal could hear the men beginning to communicate with one another.
"We have no choice, he's a major threat to not only the city, but the entire nation. He must know of what we have in our possession."
"Who y'all talking about?"
"None of your concern, you will see soon enough." a soldier stared him down in disgust, as the group placed their enemy in the vehicle.
The trip was silent afterward, as the men didn't want to waste any more of their energy on this scum. Jamal already knew of that, as the cool winds kept him cold and damp, making it harder to focus on his sole objective: escape. He was tightly packed between two armed soldiers, with the rest of them either behind him, or the one soldier in shotgun, staring him down with a pistol aimed at him. Yeah, he wasn't escaping for sure, not unless he wanted to die.
The drive was much shorter than Jamal did anticipate however, as the clearing of the forests was quickly replaced with the darkened sky of a city engaged in battle. The thick smoke remained strong, as powerful explosions shuddered the ground every so slightly even from such a distance.
"Look at what you've done to our people. I hope you find pleasure for what's to come." a soldier behind him muttered.
"You mean my people too? The people of Saputa beforehand. Are y'all that brainwashed or desperate for some type of power or authority that you've resorted to accepting whatever Youden tells you to do?" Jamal was at a loss of words, to which no one answered back.
The drive through the empty streets didn't help with any plan for his escape either, as they were littered with the occasional Reserve Guard patrol or reinforcement near the frontlines. Armored vehicles of all sorts were pushing onward, ready to clash with their side, Jamal's side. His people were going to struggle and die without himself leading charge, and yet he couldn't do a thing.
"We're here. At long last!" Jamal was jolted to face towards a one-story metal building that was surrounded by larger brick buildings. "This will be the place where you will probably die, and your little tale comes to a sastifying ending!"