Hi everyone!

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love to hear what you think about the story and your feedback so thank you all so much!

Answers to reviews:

- I actually wasn't fully aware that John had practiced two of Marina's legacies when I was writing (it went over my head). But although he has her healing, it's not as strong as hers. Also he practiced her ice legacy just then he won't actually use it in the future – it was just a way for him to use Ximic but it won't happen in the future.

Please read on and enjoy!


Chapter 49 – Catacombs

Marina

The catacombs are different from how I imagined them to be. When we'd first dropped down into the small, damp tunnel I'd thought the rest of the tunnels were going to be that way. Our footsteps had rattled loudly on the metal flooring whilst the squeaking of rats racing across the floor had echoed eerily in the small shafts. Water had dropped down onto us from pipes running along the ceiling and walls, and the temperature had been bitterly cold. It had been especially eerie when Amir had flashed her torch around, the beam touching on suspicious objects before they disappeared into the darkness again. Occasionally we'd reached a crossroads with more tunnels adjoining and creating a network of complicated tunnels. Adam had said it would be different once we reached the main catacombs with its train lines running all over the city but I hadn't fully believed him.

I was wrong.

I had noticed the difference when the walls around us had started to widen more, and light from a source other than the torch had stated to enter the paths. I had seen even more clearly; the pipes along the ceiling, faint markings in white on the walls and the rats racing over our boots and into hidden holes in the pipes. But even the signs hadn't prepared me for the sudden end to our journey. The tunnel ended abruptly in a large hole with a single ladder leading down into the main catacombs.

The catacombs are ten times larger than the earlier tunnel. The walls and ceiling are tiled in a bright red, white and orange pattern, whilst spotlights shine down from the ceiling, lighting up the room with an almost welcome glow. After the safety of the dark, damp tunnel the catacombs are bright, open and far too airy for my liking. Sleek train tracks set into the tiled floor run right through the tunnel in both directions, as the tunnel curves away into the distance. I can't hear anything but the faint whisper of the train tracks' buzzing with electricity and our boots on the tiles.

We continue walking down the catacombs, the buzzing of the tracks fading into the background as I get accustomed to it. I still hate the way our boots echo in the tiled surroundings and the way the bright lights don't allow any shadows where we can hide. There aren't many exits either and if a train were to come along, we would be in plain sight. I have my gun out in preparation, just in case, and yet despite the many threats, this is the safest I've felt in a long time. No more pods for some time and even if mogs do come along, we've faced them before. We took a whole base down. Not seeing the destroyed streets and buildings above and hearing the dreaded beeping of the Holo makes me feel less terrified and more at ease. I can tell the others feel more reassured too; John and Maren walk on ahead, having a quiet conversation but occasionally their whispers echo back to me even though I can't make out what they're saying. Joseph and Nine are chatting too and I hear Joseph laugh briefly from time to time. Amir, Blake and Cleo are the only ones completely unsettled as they prowl in front, eyes and ears open for anything.

Nearby Adam walks with his hands in his pockets. He seems completely at ease in this maze of tunnels and had consistently managed to find a clear path through the tunnels that led to this place now. I don't know how he managed to navigate the way through the darkness so accurately and without hesitating. Even now, he knows where he's going, directing Amir in the right direction when we occasionally come across some crossroads. None of this seems unnatural to him; it's almost instinctual and it creeps me out a little. I sometimes forget just how much he knows about his race and how recent his development to Loric ally is. But I know that I can trust him and that his knowledge of the mogs is an asset. If not for Adam, we'd all probably be dead.

"Everything all right?" I ask him, catching up to him. He looks up, startled, but then relaxes when he notices it's just me.

"Yeah," he shrugs. "Just…kind of weird being back. Thought I'd forgotten it all but it's like I was only here yesterday," he says ruefully.

"So you had been down here before?" I ask curiously.

"A few times," he admits. "Tours with schools to show the mog kids about the Mogadorian way and progress. It was an empire we were all set to inherit and they believed we should know everything that was involved," he says, his voice taking on a bitter edge but I don't remark on it.

"I'm surprised they let citizens down here at all," I muse. "Seems dangerous,"

"The trips had to be authorised of course," he replies. "It's not safe to have mogs randomly wandering the tunnels but if you were important enough you had access to it," he explains. The way he says it and the little information I know about his past makes me guess that he and his family were important enough to access this place.

"Surely you can't know this whole place from one or two school trips," I say lightly. He smiles, looking down at his shoes.

"I memorised the maps," he admits, a small blush on his cheeks. "When I was…well, when I was still one of them for real, I was really into the whole idea of Mogadorian progress and an empire. I was never good in combat, my skills were always in the mind, so I used that to my advantage. I learnt everything I could about the mogs and our ways, including our catacombs," he says. I can see he's embarrassed by that, even after everything he's done for us.

"It's good," I try to reassure him. "If we'd had any other mog on our side, we'd probably be lost down here," I pause. "In fact, they'd probably have forgotten about this place," I say with a laugh.

"Probably," he smiles briefly but he's distracted. "My brother, Ivan…he was never a fan of things like this. He loved the tours of arenas from the Games and the fighting pits, but never places like this," he gestures around. "Thought they were for the mogs of a lower class and no combat skills," He seems almost nervous when he mentions his brother, as if talking about his past is going to make me angry. Instead I just find that I feel incredibly sorry for him.

"Do you miss him?" I ask softly. Adam looks a little startled, even looking around a bit as if to make sure that no one is listening.

"A little," he finally admits. He looks even more embarrassed. "I miss my friend, the one that I could trust. Not the part of him that would murder people in cold blood," he says softly. I get the feeling that he's not going to say much else about his brother and I decide not to push it. It doesn't feel like the right place or the right time. We continue walking for a few moments, our boots echoing on the tiled floor. Not knowing what time of day it is and how long we've been down here unnerves me.

"So are the catacombs just trains?" I ask curiously, wanting to distract myself. "Or more?" Adam raises his eyebrow, almost looking amused.

"More?" He questions with a small smirk.

"You know, experiment rooms and training rooms," I say. "Seems odd to have a secret, subterranean world just for trains," I push. It's not just to find out what we might have to face but I'm genuinely interested. The mogs might be my enemy but I still find some things they do eerily fascinating.

"I think there were original plans for underground training facilities within the catacombs amongst other features," Adam says. "But they decided to scrap the plans. These tunnels are easy enough to get to, even for Loric, and the mogs wanted to protect all training rooms and science labs. The catacombs are just a train route now, nothing more than that," He pauses briefly, as if wondering whether to go on.

"Some buildings, like the Training Centre have underground rooms but there is no access by train to those," he adds thoughtfully. "Anything underground is considered to be so important there must only be one way in and out," he explains.

"Like the Justice Centre?" I ask, thinking of that awful prison they kept me in for weeks, maybe even months. His eyes flicker across to me briefly and then he nods sternly.

"The prisons are underground there," he says softly. "But you would have been brought down from the landing pad on the roof, especially as you came from an arena. You were a high-target captive," His words are blunt but he looks at me gently, almost sadly.

"When I was there, they used this drug on me," I say after a while. I've never really spoken about it with anyone. Thinking back on what I had said, calling for a ceasefire, embarrassed me and I don't want to bring it up. But Adam seems like the right person.

"The mogs have a lot of drugs," Adam says gently, as if sensing my hesitation.

"It made me do things I didn't want to," I say. "Say things that I didn't agree with. It was like they had control of my mind," I say slowly.

"That's a popular drug," Adam explains. "At the start of the Occupation the mogs would seize Loric, Garde specifically. They would measure brain activity whilst these Loric used their legacies so they could study the reaction inside the brain when Garde used legacies," he says. "They wanted drugs that would mimic the brain activity," I listen in, fascinated, despite myself.

"Mind control was one of the easiest drugs for them as it directly involved the mind," Adam continues. "That drug was developed in huge quantities. It would have been invaluable for them to use on you," I flinch, trying not to show him how much that affects me.

"It won't have…it won't have had a permanent effect, will it?" I ask nervously. "On my legacies? I had a few doses," Adam shakes his head at once, looking at me in pity.

"Not at all," he reassures me. "The drugs aren't strong enough to do permanent damage," I sigh in relief. It had always been an irritating thought that that had bothered me whenever I think about my time in the Justice Building.

"It was horrible," I admit. "It wasn't the headaches or the shaking that came after the drug wore off. It was just knowing that I had worked against you all," I whisper. "I knew that I was damaging everything you were all working for,"

"Once you showed up with bruises people started to realise what was going on," he says bluntly. "A prisoner who looks drugged and beaten is hardly a credible spokesperson," he adds.

"Thanks," I say ruefully. Adam blushes, as if realising how blunt he just was.

"Sorry. I'm not great with words," he admits. "Look, there's no point worrying about what you did when you were drugged. Just be proud that you made out there alive," he says kindly. I nod in agreement, not sure how I feel after the conversation. He's right, I should let it go. I shouldn't worry about what I did in those times. Things have changed so much that there's no point. But that doesn't mean it's easy for me to simply forget.

Adam looks up ahead and I can see we're approaching a crossroads; there are quite a few down here on account of the many routes the trains take. The train tracks wind along in one line next to us until they reach the crossroad consisting of a thick wall jutting out and forcing the train lines to separate into two different directions. I wonder where the two different lines go to.

"Look, I better go and help Amir," Adam says. He touches my arm gently. "Don't worry, it's over now. The Justice Building will be a shell of what it used to be when we get there," he promises me. "You won't be a prisoner again," I nod, forcing a smile onto my face.

"And don't you worry about Ella and what you had to do," I say and his face darkens slightly. I bet it's been bothering him all afternoon. "I know she wouldn't care," I add. He shrugs, stuffing his hands awkwardly in his pockets.

"Hopefully," he mumbles. Before I have time to further reassure him, Amir calls his name and he turns to go.

"Sorry, got to go," he says hastily, and jogs off lightly to help Amir with the directions.

I sigh, wrapping my arms around myself. I need to stop thinking about the past and my time as a prisoner here but the more we move into the Capital, the more I remember the drugs, the beatings, Hector…All the memories come rushing back. I'm not the only one affected by this city. Gradually Adam's mood has darkened too; I bet he lingers on memories of when he was growing up here and when he was on a completely different side. Being here is reminding him of a time he doesn't want to remember, a time he's ashamed of and a time he wants to forget even if it's made him who he is today. It's partly the same for me. I'm not ashamed of my past like Adam is, but that doesn't mean I want to remember it. Even though I know that if we are ever captured we'll never be prisoners, rather killed on the spot, the overwhelming thought of being a captive in this place unsettles me.

I look away to distract myself, up ahead to where Adam is consulting some sign on the wall written in Mogadorian. He seems confused and Amir flicks on the Holo, looking frustrated. Blake, carrying Ella over his shoulder, joins with Cleo and I watch as the four of them have a conversation, looking confused and concerned. We seem to have taken an unofficial break by the crossroads; Maren and John have been joined by Nine and they're laughing away as they stand, waiting. For some reason, I don't want to join them. Maybe it's the conversation with Adam or maybe it's just my mood.

"Everything ok?"

I jump to see Joseph suddenly next to me, a smile still on his face. I don't want to worry him, not when he finally seems happy so I force a smile onto my face.

"I'm good," I lie. I don't know why I bother. He knows me far too well to be misled by my lies.

"Come on, what's wrong?" he says gently. I don't know what to say to him so I stay silent, struggling with my words.

"Marina?" Joseph pushes. "Come on, you know I'm not going to let it go,"

"I don't want you to worry," I reply.

"Ok, now that makes me worry," he says ruefully. He takes me in carefully and I can see his smile fading. "You're thinking of the last time you were here, aren't you?" he accuses me, but his voice is gentle.

"You got me," I reply. He smiles sadly, holding his arms out.

"Come here," he says gently and I willingly go into his arms, wrapping my arms around him too. Sometimes I forget just how safe I feel in his arms and how easy it is to forget everything going on when he's here with me. I shut my eyes, resting my head in the crook of his neck. Being with someone so familiar sends the earlier claustrophobic feeling away and I can feel myself relaxing already.

"Still feeling worried?" he asks, his voice mumbled slightly. I shake my head and my hair must tickle his cheek because he chuckles, his body shaking against mine.

"It's being in this place," I sigh. "Knowing what we have to do, knowing what they did…it's unsettling," He nods, kissing my hair gently. "I just don't like being reminded of what happened here before," I admit.

"I know, I understand," he says. If someone else had said that it might have annoyed me but I know he's just trying to reassure me. "But that was a different time. That'll never happen again," he reassures me, rubbing my back gently.

"I know," I agree. "It's not even a logical worry, it's just…it's there. It's like it's instinctual," I sigh again. "I'll be all right, I just, I don't like being here. It'll pass, it always does," I say truthfully. I just need a distraction of some kind; constant walking gives me far too much time to think.

"Besides, even if things go wrong, I don't think anyone will be taken prisoner anymore," I add. "Far too risky. We escape all the time," Joseph laughs softly, kissing my forehead before pulling back to take me in properly.

"That's true," he nods, but his face turns serious as he takes me in. "Look, I know you say you're all right and I know that you're stronger than you give yourself credit for," he says and I blush. "But I want you to know that it's ok to be worried and upset about things that happened to you. You had an incredibly hard time when you were here,"

"Thanks," I whisper and he smiles.

"And I promise that I will never let anything like that happen to you again," he vows, gripping my shoulders tightly. "As long as I have something to do about it, I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," he says and I smile more genuinely.

"I know you won't," I smile softly. "And the same goes for you. I'll make sure you're safe too," I add clumsily. He grins easily, and I can genuinely feel myself not worrying like before. It's probably a temporary thing but I decide to enjoy it while I can.

"So, I-" Joseph begins but then there's a shout from above. I look away from Joseph to see Adam gesturing frantically for us.

"Train coming!" he yells. "Hide!"

At first I don't hear it. But then when I focus in I can hear the train trucks buzzing more than they did before and there's a high-pitched squealing, very faint to the ear, and barely audible. But it's there. I look at the tracks to see them shaking slightly, almost vibrating with the distant velocity of the train. Before I can react, Joseph grips my hand tightly and teleports us over to Adam and Amir. The others join us almost immediately as we hide behind one side of the thick wall that juts out between the two crossroads. I look at the rail lines on our side but they don't seem to be moving like the others did; the train must be on the other side.

"If it's coming in our direction they'll see us," Adam says, his voice low. Amir doesn't reply but I see her cast a desperate look around for any exit points.

There aren't any.

I hear the train. It's not even that loud but I hear the whooshing sound of a vehicle moving through the air at high speed. The tracks start to make a shriller sound and I watch as one or two parts of the line sparks with the electricity buzzing through it. I can hear the rattling of carriages and then the squealing of brakes as the train slows down to turn the corner.

It races by us so suddenly that I jump. It came from the opposite direction and it races away from us, down the tunnel where we just came from. I take in the black, armoured carriages with darkened windows that don't allow me to peer in and see what the cargo is. There are signs in Mogadorian painted in red on the black walls but the train moves too quickly for me to make out the words. It rattles as it races past, and the wind from its high speed plays with my hair. I smell rust, metal and something sulphuric and then the train passes us, speeding off into the distance. Sparks dance on the rails as it goes. The squealing and buzzing sound from the tracks dies down gradually as the train disappears from sight. Soon I can't hear anything.

"We were lucky,' Adam is the first to speak. "It appeared to be a cargo train, heading outside the Capital and in the opposite direction,"

"Where would it be going to?" Amir asks sternly.

"Maybe it has citizens wanting to escape the city," Adam says softly. "Who knows? But a train we want to miss, will be heading into the Capital with reinforcements, not out of it,"

"Come on," Maren says softly, standing up. "Let's go then before that train comes along,"

I get to my feet and I realise that I was holding my position so tightly during the train's passing that my arms actually tremble slightly from the tension. I wipe my face, my hands clammy with cold sweat, and I share a troubled look with Joseph. He looks paler than normal and as shaky as I feel. We were lucky to be close to a crossroads where we could hide. We were lucky that the train wasn't coming in our direction, otherwise the driver would have seen us and our cover would have been blown. We might not be so lucky next time.

"We need to take more cover," Amir straightens up, thinking the same thing as me. "We're not safe here anymore. I say we return above ground," she says. I don't particularly want to go above ground with its pods and mog regiments but if it means avoiding trains filled with weapons and mog soldiers, I'll take it.

"Or we could go further down," Adam says slowly.

"Further down?" John asks, looking curious. Amir shakes her head stiffly.

"I don't like it," she says. Adam clenches his jaw, looking almost annoyed at her resistance. Every time he's offered something, she rejects it.

"It's the best bet and safest," Adam argues.

"Further down?" Nine presses, his tone hard. Adam nods, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"The sewers," he says. "The lowest tunnel system in the Capital,"

"Oh man," Nine groans. "I'm not wading in mog shit," he complains. Maren purses her lips, looking unhappy, and even John wrinkles his nose up in disgust.

"There definitely won't be pods," Adam says. "The mogs will never imagine that we would know about the place or even want to go down there! There won't be trains or mog soldiers and we can get to the Capital in a day, maybe even less!" he presses. "We won't be seen. We won't be interrupted! We'll be so quick they won't see us coming!"

"If it's so perfect, why didn't you suggest it before now?" Maren asks suspiciously. Adam raises an eyebrow, looking sceptical.

"If I said a few days ago that our best choice would be to wade through Mogadorians waste, you would have hit me," he points out. Maren pauses and then nods in agreement.

"That and we didn't know how dangerous things were," he adds as an afterthought.

I bite my lip, absolutely sure I want to wade through sewage works. But if Adam's right, and he has been so far, then it could be our best bet to get to the Inner Circle as soon as possible. And we need to get there as soon as we can. If it means we're undetected and don't have to contend with pods, then maybe it's a sacrifice we have to make. Our dignity for vital time? It seems worth it.

"If we did go," I say slowly. "How do we know which way to go?" Adam blushes, looking embarrassed.

"Oh dude," Nine groans. "Please tell me you do not know the sewer system," he looks almost hopeless.

"I do," Adam says slowly, almost ashamed. Maren shuts her eyes and Nine shakes his head, almost ashamed for Adam. I frown in confusion, not sure why he would know that.

"Dude, you are such a nerd," Nine mutters and Adam's cheeks become even brighter.

He clears his throat. "When mogs turn 10, they have to start doing practical work experience every summer once school has broken up," Adam explains, his cheeks red. "To help build the Mogadorian Empire and show the importance of hard work and how it maintains an empire," he pauses, as if finding the words to explain it in the least embarrassing way.

"Depending on combat grades during the year, you get to choose where you go," he continues. "Unfortunately, it was the one time where academic grades were completely discounted," he confesses.

"You were never good at combat," John says softly and Adam nods.

"Terrible," he admits. "My father…he thought it would be fitting if I spent one summer working with the builders on the sewage works to improve the facilities…" he trails off.

"And?" Nine raises an eyebrow.

"I was bored," Adam sighs. "I…helped design a new branch. And I…I memorised the older system," he admits.

"Dude, you are hopeless," Nine groans, rubbing his face. But I don't think he's horrified. Just amused. And slightly bemused too.

"You could lead us?" Amir demands, looking around the area, as if a train is going to appear any moment. "You know a nearby entrance?" she asks. Adam nods confidently, not even needing to look at the Holo.

"Of course," he says. "I saw a sign a while back that I recognised. And entrances to the sewers are only down here. There's an entry about five minutes away," he adds. Amir sighs, looking around at us all. I think she's unsure of what to do. This mission has taken a turn that she never expected.

"It's up to you," she finally says. I simply shrug and despite his protests, Nine nods unwillingly. I can see that Joseph and Maren think it's not the worst idea either, despite how gross it will be. But we have to do it.

"Let's go," John decides. "We might as well try it,"

Adam leads us away from the wall at once, confidently heading down the track where the train just came from. I look around nervously, almost expecting to hear the whistling sound of a train but there's nothing, only the pounding of our boots on the ground. Amir scouts around, the torch on her rifle bouncing around the already-lit up tunnel, but I think it reassures her to be armed and prepared. Adam scours along the walls, occasionally letting us know that we're on the right track and we're almost there. I zone him out, focusing on my pounding heart and the thunderous sounds of our boots on the tiles. At one horrendous point, I think I hear another whistling sound in the distance but when I turn around, the tracks are silent and still. It's just my paranoia.

"Here!" Adam pants at last, after a few tense minutes of running.

He runs over to a small side door set in the tiles. It's metal and non-descript; it just appears to be a door leading to a storage room. There are three bolts on the door and Adam draws them back, gritting his teeth. It makes a shrieking noise and it sticks lightly from not being used that often. Nine moves forward at once, easily pulling back the locks and unlocking the door. He shoves it open, heaving against it as it slowly opens. It groans, and as he slowly manages to ease it open, I'm able to see it cut through a thick cover of dust on the ground.

"Not many people use this entrance," I remark to Adam, who's red-faced and panting.

"It's not the most accessible," he replies between breaths.

That's when I hear it. Another buzzing sound. At first I think it's just my mind playing tricks on me but when I look at the tracks I see them vibrating ever so slightly and sparking with electricity. There's a faint whistling in the distance. A train. A train's coming.

"Come on!" Amir snaps frantically, arming her gun in the shooting position. She aims in the distance as if her one gun is going to be able to take down an entire train. Joseph moves forward at once, and together both he and Nine manage to shove the door open enough for one person to slip through at a time.

"Through, now!" Amir snaps. Joseph and Nine go through at once, followed by Blake with Ella, Adam, Maren then me. Amir and Cleo follow almost immediately, but it's still slow. I can hear the train approaching, the whistling growing shriller and the whooshing sound getting louder.

"Close it now!" Adam says frantically. "Or they'll notice!" Nine and Joseph move forward and with a heave of effort, they shove against the door. For a horrible moment, I think it's stuck and won't shut but then with another heave of effort, the door flies forward, slamming shut.

I hear the train rush by a few seconds later.

"We're clear," Adam says calmly. The guys pant, leaning against the door as the train rushes by, just a few metres away. We were so close.

Thanks to my legacy of night vision, I can see perfectly. We're on a small metal platform with railings and a ladder is attached to the end of the platform, leading down to the sewers. It smells damp and gross and I wrinkle my nose up in disgust as I approach the ladder. It's cold down here and I tremble from the chill, glad that no one else can see me; they might think it's fear after all. I can hear the sloshing of water and drops of liquid hitting the puddles below but I can't hear people or pods.

"I can go first again," I whisper. "There's a ladder here," Behind me I see a light go on, Amir's torch, as I make my way to the ladder.

"Go for it," John says.

I swing down onto the ladder, almost slipping from the wet metal surface, before moving down the rungs to the sewers. The smell gets worse and I try not to gag as I continue to climb my way down. It gets colder as well but I focus on what I can see, needing to remain focused. Metal walls surround me, coated with droplets rolling down the rusty surface. It's in a curved shape, like the tunnels above us. Pipes run over my head and I wince when I hear the water sloshing and swirling in them. I can't hear the pipes emptying nearby so I continue climbing down the long ladder.

I suddenly reach down for the next rung when my foot hits water and I recoil automatically. I have to bite back a cry from shock, not wanting to alarm the others. I take a deep breath and slowly ease myself into the water, wincing at the cold temperature. There are two more rungs and then when I reach for the next one my foot hits the metal bottom of the tunnel. I drop both feet down on the ground, trying to fight back my disgust at the cold water lapping around my lower waist, as I look around in both directions. There aren't any lights down here; nothing but pipes and water and the tunnel stretching out into the distance. The ceiling of the tunnel isn't too far above me and I try to fight back the suffocating claustrophobia threatening to smother me. I just hope Adam knows what he's doing.

"Marina?" Maren calls down. "Everything ok?" she calls.

"It's clear!" I answer, my voice echoing eerily around me. "Be careful, the ladder's wet. I'll let you know when you reach the water," I hear Nine grumbling at that but I ignore it, moving away from the ladder. It's not easy moving down here with water around my waist, but it's better than a pod.

"Gross, it stinks!" I hear Nine grumble above as he's the next to descend the ladder. I block him out, peering out into the darkness, trying to make out any enemies. But no one would be down here. There certainly won't be pods down here.

It takes a while but soon everyone is down here, Adam and Amir at the front with torches. I volunteered to go last with Cleo and Blake, as I could see in the dark, which Amir agreed to. Better for our enemies to attack us at the back, instead of at the front where we're prepared. Nine has Ella but he must be careful when he holds her, making sure her head is never submerged. I feel sorry for her; imagine waking up to be in a place like this. I just hope, somehow, she knows what's happening, or at the very least doesn't freak out too much when she wakes up.

"Let's go," Amir calls, starting to wade through the water. Nine grumbles and I can hear Maren muttering in disgust as the water sloshes around us, sometimes splashing us when someone moves too quickly. It stinks.

"This is going to be a long walk," Joseph mutters ahead of me.

I couldn't agree more.

Xxx

To my relief, not all the sewers are filled with the rank-smelling water and Adam manages to take us on a route with the water receding until its around our ankles. I hate my clothes sticking to me and stinking as we continue to walk down the metal tunnels but it's better than the suspiciously dark water sloshing around our waist. The worst part of the sewers are the tunnels and how low they are; even I have to bend down at some point to avoid banging my head on the ceiling and Nine soon has to resort to crawling because he's so tall. Sometimes the tunnels are narrow too and we have to squeeze through them, and I get a sickening feeling in my stomach as I squash through a particularly tight tunnel. At one point I don't think Nine is going to make it until he practically forces himself through with a grunt of anger.

After that point, Adam takes us on a more open route, where it's easier for us to move. I feel more relaxed, even with the water splashing around our feet and rats racing over our boots, as we move easily down the larger tunnels. Despite the smell, despite the constant darkness, it does feel safer than the streets and catacombs; no one is down here and neither are pods and for good reason. If these tunnels are blown up or destroyed, it could be dangerous for the catacombs above. According to Adam, those train routes are too important to be purposely damaged by an explosion below.

"We can stop for a break soon!" Amir calls back at some point. "We're flagging. We need a rest,"

I welcome the chance to sit down. It feels like it's been days since we last slept. I try to think of our last resting point, far above us in the streets, before we were attacked by krauls, chased down by mogs, hiding from trains and finally marching through the sewers. I'm suddenly aware of my aching feet and legs, the pounding in my head and the crushing weariness coursing through me. The chance to sit down sounds wonderful.

"Where?" Nine demands.

"There's a small place ahead," Adam replies shortly. He seems calm, despite the huge pressure on his shoulders. After all, he has to lead us through this underground maze without a map and without a Holo. I'd be freaking out from the stress but he seems as calm as ever. Really, he seems in his element.

We continue walking through the tunnel for a few moments, Amir's torching flashing around the tunnel. I notice that it's gradually widening and then it stops suddenly, branching off in many different directions. We've reached places like this before and like those times, Adam doesn't seem concerned. He takes the tunnel furthest to the left, taking a few steps down into the darkness.

Then lights come on.

"Relax, it's fine!" Adam snaps sharply before we can react. Without even realising it, I'd reached for my bow, thinking we were under attack or something. "It's our camping spot," he adds.

I look around the small dead-end in the tunnel. It's slightly elevated, as if to stop water from running down the other tunnels into this one. Up a small ladder there's an elevated platform, large enough for us to sit down on. A few lanterns hang down from the ceiling, with a switch near Adam. I can even see a door by the platform but it's reassuringly locked from the inside so no one can get to us from outside.

"A small resting place for workers down here," Adam explains briefly. "Make yourself comfortable," Adam says with a smirk. He climbs the ladder first, Amir behind as she checks out the platform, as if to make sure there aren't any hidden bombs.

"Not gonna lie," Nine mutters. "That kid knows what he's doing," he admits as he swings up onto the ladder too. Nearby Adam acts as if he didn't overhear Nine but I can see the smile on his face. Maybe he feels accepted at last.

The rest of us climb up to the platform. It's cramped and there's not nearly enough space for everyone but pressed up close to Joseph warms me up enough for me to stop shivering. I pull my equipment from my back, placing it onto my lap as I prepare for a long night of barely moving and being cramped.

"Right, Blake and I will take first watch," Amir decides, as Blake gently lies Ella down nearby. She's sit out of her, with dark shadows under her eyes. Her moving chest is the only sign that she's still alive and I watch her in concern, not sure what we can do for her. I almost wish she was far away from here, in the military camp, where it's safer.

"John and Cleo, you two can take second shift," Amir continues. "Marina and Joseph will take the last shift and wake everyone," she finishes. I nod in agreement, trying to make myself comfortable on the metal grate of the platform. It's not easy but it's nice to sit down at least.

"We'll leave the lights on," Amir adds at last. "For security,"

After hours of darkness, no one disagrees.

"Get some sleep," Amir continues. "If we continue progress like this we should hit the Inner Circle tomorrow afternoon," With the warning ringing in my ears, I shut my eyes and force myself to relax so I can sleep. I need to sleep.

I'll need it for tomorrow.

Xxx

Something wakes me up in the dead of night. My heart hammers in my chest and there's a buzzing in my mind, like a radio searching for signal and I know that this noise is what woke me up. It's a warning. I sit up at once, panting as I try to figure out the reason that my body is filled with terror and my body is preparing to flee. It's all I can do to stay put with the others, instead of racing away into the tunnels. Every second counts and I feel as if we're wasting precious time. I don't even have time to understand my feelings because my need to run is too great.

"Your shift doesn't start for a while," Cleo tells me kindly, keeping watch with her gun on her lap. John watches me curiously, his head tipped to the side.

"Nightmare?" he asks gently.

"We have to go!" I sit up at once, frantic. "We have to go right now!" There's still a buzzing in my mind, but it's not threatening. I get this weird sense as if it's Ella, as if she's trying to break into my mind, but when I stare at her, she's still fast asleep.

"Marina, calm down," John says seriously, his smile fading. "There's nothing out there. We haven't heard anything. Apart from a mouse," he and Cleo share a grin, clearing having laughed about something earlier. I don't smile. My body is filled with terror.

"We have to go!" I shout and my voice echoes in the tunnels. Nearby Amir wakes up at once and I watch as Maren wakes up, rolling over as she blearily takes us in.

"Soldier, what's going on?" Amir demands, reaching for her gun instinctively. I suddenly feel self-conscious, even embarrassed as everyone stares at me in confusion.

"We have to go," I say meekly. Maren stares at me, startled and bemused, as I scrabble about for my things. Even Joseph, the deepest sleeper I know, has started to wake up next to me.

"Marina, stop, you need to-" John says calmly but firmly when there's a hissing sound.

I think my heart stops for a moment.

"What's that?" Maren sits upright at once, reaching for her sword.

The hissing grows louder and closer, and I stare around in growing horror. The lights stay on above us but then they flicker, cutting out for a few horrible seconds. Someone cries out and then the lights are on again. My heart pounds in my chest and adrenalin races through me, so strong it's almost sickening. I feel like throwing up. Joseph clutches at my hand and his is clammy and cold with fear.

The hissing picks up. It's louder. Longer. Harsher.

"It's El!" Nine suddenly rears away from Ella.

In the low light I take her in, horrified. She's hunched over but I can see that her hands are curled up like claws. She digs her hands into her arms, drawing blood and then Nine reaches out, gripping her hands in his to stop her hurting herself. She thrashes about suddenly and I realise the hissing is coming from her gritted teeth. Her eyes are wide open but she's still unconscious.

"They're coming," The hisses are long and drawn-out, barely distinguishable. "They're….coming…they're coming… they're coming,"

"Wake her up!" Maren shouts. I stare at Ella in horror.

Then her eyes snap open and she sits up so suddenly that she head-butts Nine and he falls back with a yell. She stares around wildly, her hair messed up around her face. Her skin is pale and her eyes are wide and frantic. She gasps for breath, her hands clawing at the grating beneath us.

"Run, we need to run!" She's moving then, so quickly that none of us can react. "We need to go! They're coming!" She's up on her feet, throwing Nine's bag at him and grabbing her own belongings. I want to snap into action too but I can only stare at her, horrified.

"Didn't you hear me?" Ella demands, staring around at us all frantically. "Move!" She snaps. Maren lunges forward, grabbing Ella's wrist.

"Who's coming?" Maren demands. "Who?"

Ella opens her mouth to answer and then I hear the hiss. It doesn't come from Ella. It doesn't come from any of us. The hissing comes from the tunnels, and then the hissing is echoed, overlapping, coming from more than one mouth as it travels down the tunnels. I hear the splash of water far off.

They're coming.

I hear a name in the hissing. Just one name, repeated over and over and over. It's enough to send chills down my spine. The hissing is enough to drive me mad. All I can hear is the name as the mutts draw closer, sent by Setrakus. The one name of the one person he wants to destroy. One of us.

Pittacus.


Hope you all enjoyed! Next up is a big fight!

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