A/N: I've been wanting to post this for a long time. I've been stopping myself from posting because the shortness of this chapter will not satisfy, and wanted to add more. I've been keeping this chapter in my documents for ages. I've been not writing more. I've been thinking I should just get this chpt posted and done with. So I have.
I woke to the sound of Total's excited yapping.
"Oh great, oh great, oh greatgreatgreat! This is the best thing ever!"
"I'm glad you think so," Quory said. His voice was layered with pain, I could hear.
I sat up tiredly. "Wha's hap'nin'?" I asked, words slurred from sleep. I was about five o'clock in the morning.
"We're gonna escape! Like, today!" Total howled shrilly. I winced, all sleepiness gone, and glanced around furtively.
"One, shut up, just in case any unwanted ears are listening, and, two, how do you know we're escaping today?"
Total pouted, as much as a dog can pout. "When Quory predicts things, he doesn't know exactly when it happens, but when what he predicts is about to happen soon, he gets bad headaches."
"Very bad ones," Quory croaked.
I bit my lip, feeling sorry for Quory, but I also felt a bubble of hope and joy inside me. I'd only been in this sector for a couple of days, but the way we were treated was disgusting. Despicable. I couldn't wait to get out of here. And the device...
I felt my pants pocket, just to make sure it was still there. I'd kept Jeb's promise, not telling anyone about it, but soon, I'd have to use it. With Chai's help. And, to do that, I'd of course have to see Chai.
I wondered where the rest of the band was. Yes, Total and Quory were... interesting company, to say the least, but I missed my friends. Funny Tav, goofy Chai, and even Avery and Brooke, who annoyed the hell out of anyone.
Hours passed, and I began to get drowsy, wondering when breakfast would come. If we'd get breakfast at all today. Sometimes the keeper would "forget, " and wouldn't feed the experiments for a whole day. My head dropped lower and lower and lower...
GRRR-RR-R-IIT!
I sat up. The glass wall had started sliding open. And behind it were six figures, standing still, gazing at the rows of cages.
Mutants.
Just like us.
I gasped.
"Sare, they've come to free us!" Total hissed. Were they really? Or was this some odd hallucination? I laughed weakly.
A young girl walked toward my direction, and stopped at Total's cage. "Hi doggie," she said. "Hi little doggie. You look like Toto. From The Wizard of Oz?" I suppressed a snort. If Quory or I said anything like that to Total, he'd be threatening to bite our ears off. But toward this girl, he simply wagged his tail. If I were in his place, I would, too.
"Start popping latches," I heard someone whisper.
So it was true.
We were really going to escape.
Another girl, older than the other one, soon came up to my cage, unlocking it. She looked like the leader of the group.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I whispered.
Her reply? "Kids don't belong in cages." I could've hugged her right then and there, with tears of joy trickling down my cheeks. In a louder voice, the girl announced, "Okay everybody. Let's blow this joint."
The mutants led a large group of experiments toward the exit, on the other side of the glass wall. I'd never been here before, and so I wasn't sure of the route we were taking.
"This way!" another girl encouraged. "Don't be afraid."
Behind her, a taller mutant grimly said, "I hear voices. Be very afraid." What great encouragement.
We went through a door into a dark, dank, tunnel. "Where are we?" I asked the leader.
"Sewer system, under a big city," she said shortly. New York, I thought. "On our way out to fresh air and sunlight."
Suddenly, a gravelly voice growled behind us. "But not just yet. First we need to chat, Maximum. You and I. For old times' sake."
An Eraser.
I went still. My mind started panicking. In this cramped tunnel, he'd be sure to get us...
The girl handed me a small experiment that she'd been holding in her arms, and turned to face the Eraser. "Back again? What are you doing here? I thought Dad was keeping you on a short leash." As she spoke, she made 'run!' motions with her hand. I took the hint and ran.
As I left, I could hear sounds of fighting. I followed the other mutants through a whole network of tunnels. Finally, we reached the exit. We were inside a subway tunnel, the ones I had read about so often, with Jeb. Then, a faraway, booming voice coming from behind. "He was my son!"
I couldn't help it. I froze. Could that be... Jeb? It certainly sounded like it. I half-turned, ready to run back in. There were so many questions I wanted to ask. I wanted to go back in, hug Jeb. Maybe he would take the band and I back to his office. We'd play games, talk, laugh...
I was snapped out of my reverie with a hard poke on my shoulder, I turned and looked up impatiently. "Listen, Rey, it's– "
"Come on, hurry up." I squinted towards the man. In the bad lighting, he looked just like Rey, but it wasn't. It was one of the mutants that had come to free us, Fang, I think he was called.
"Sorry," I muttered. Casting one last glance toward the mouth of the tunnel, I walked away.
A/N: Eurgh, sucky, Iknow. See rambling above and let's not pay attention to my updating... or lack of. Hehe D Well, all I can say is, I've been busy, quite. Sorry.
Oh, btw: check out my other story, Conversation! Er, it'll give you a good laugh... I hope... Plus, I update it quicker cuz it's easier to xD
