Author's notes:
Hey, a short preview here. I must inform you that the story is nearly finished, I'd expect maybe 2 - 3 chapters more.
I hope you'll end up liking it.
As always, thanks for everything, and see you the next time :D
Changelog:
2021-01-21: A preview posted.
2021-01-24: A whole chapter posted.
End of author's notes.
Irelia's POV (sometime later):
The pink-haired soldier woke up with a terrible headache. Before she was even able to open her eyes, she could feel the world around her spinning. The remnants of her last meal began to swirl up in her stomach, making her sick. She wanted to vomit, she really did.
As soon as her weary eyes opened, the bright light coming from unknown source blinded her. Her left hand was nearly immediately used to cover her sensitive pupils. She needed time to regain her balance, composure.
She was laying on top of some mattress. It would be difficult for the captain to say whether it was soft or not due to her headache. It felt as if it was about to explode. With a groan, Irelia tried to turn around. She did not know where was she, it was the highest priority to find out. So, with a bit of difficulty, she began looking around.
The room she was put into was small. Outside of the mattress, she was currently occupying, little to none other furniture could be seen there. The light that initially blinded her came from the pretty huge bulb that seemed to be at its finish. The wire located inside the glass container was glowing more and more with a reddish colour, giving a clear signal that it was about to burn out. As it was to be expected, just a couple of moments later, the bulb started to flicker. Then, it burned out, fading.
"I see that you finally woke up," Akali's voice could be heard from behind. "It seems that I hit you harder than I initially anticipated. You blacked out for a couple of yours," the feminine voice added, emotionlessly.
"Good morning to you too," Irelia groaned, turning around. "Why did you hit me at the very first place?!" she wanted to know the reason. In the soldier's voice, the accuse and hint of grief could be heard. "I've done everything that you asked me to. Why did you knock me out?"
"Do you ever find yourself out of questions?" the assassin asked, sighing. "I knocked you out because some of the cameras we still intact. If they spot you coming alongside me willingly, you would be considered as a threat just like me," she explained briefly, narrowing her eyes.
"Wouldn't it be more professional just to destroy the camera?!" the pink-haired officer asked, raising her tone. "My freaking head is still spinning, not to mention the terrible headache you caused!"
"Are you than soft?" Akali asked in a really low, cold tone. "If you are, then, I would suggest you giving up," the huntress hissed. "You are going to be on the prowl of the huntress who trained me," she added with special emphasise. "I can not deny that he is more experienced than me, possibly even stronger than me. Hunting him down will require a lot of effort. We will be taking damage fighting him, about that, I can assure you. So, if you find yourself not able to stand such a soft punch, you can go. Your kin will believe in you running away from me, somehow. However, it will mean that our agreement is broken, and I will hunt down every single member of your squad, just as I have promised! It is high time for you to make a decision and then, live with the consequences," the assassin stated calmly, emotionlessly even.
"I'll manage!" the officer hissed through clenched teeth. "Where are we?" she asked just a moment later.
"Slums, the very north part of it, actually," the white-haired woman replied, shrugging.
"Do we have any sort of a trail? Or… we're going blind?" Irelia asked, trying to control her emotions.
"The last report of my fellow hunters was sent more or less from this area," the butcher whispered. "Knowing Rengar, hmm… I would start the prowl in the darkest part of this pit hole," she provided some explanation.
"Ok, how many attack reports have been registered? Oh wait, you'd need to break into the empire's system to check it," the officer started to think aloud.
"I actually did it already," the huntress sighed. "There are at least 40 to 50 new reports since the last time I have checked," she added, averting her gaze off of the soldier to look at her portable computer.
"How many… confirmed dead?" Irelia asked with a slightly wavering voice.
"At least 200, maybe more," Akali replied nonchalantly. "Their demise might not be in vain, actually. The place where the bodies were found, forms a pattern, a trail that can lead us to Rengar's lair," the huntress stated a moment later.
"I want them to be avenged!" the pink-haired woman exclaimed. "No matter what happens, promise me, you'll kill that son of a bitch," she uttered in a low voice.
"My mission is to defeat him," the white-haired assassin replied. "But, he is not the type of fighter that gives up. The only way to defeat him is to kill him," the huntress added.
"Fantastic," the officer said slowly. "Let's get to work, then."
Without wasting a moment more, Irelia stood up, ignoring the still-present spinning of her head. The pink-haired captain was determined to achieve her goal, no matter the cost.
Irelia's POV (2 hours later):
The last place Rengar attacked was a small bar at the very end of a dark street. Or, at least that what was written in the Empire's documents. When the two women finally got there, all that stood before their eyes were the ashes. The construction seemed to be burnt to the ground. Between the greyish dust, the incinerated parts of humans could be easily spotted. The scenery as whole looked disgusting, gross. The stench of melted human fat was still filling the air, making it difficult to breathe.
"He is getting reckless," the white-haired huntress said, searching through the remnants of the building. "Never in my life would I have expected him to leave that many signs of his presence. His trail is fresh, he can not be that far from us," she added after a couple of moments.
"Wait a minute, did you called this action reckless?" Irelia asked, narrowing her eyes, feeling her rage slowly building inside of her. "It's a freaking butchery, he butchered every, then let the whole building be consumed by the flames. I don't even want to know whether he let some of these poor people wounded, but still alive before he caused the flames to erupt," the soldier said with disgust.
"You are trying to categorise him according to your standards," the assassin uttered in a cold tone, not even looking at the pink-haired woman. "He is far beyond your lexicon. To put it simply, the way, the 'predators' – we – work is far different from what you would expect," the red-eyed beauty explained. "Still, I called this act," she gestured all around her, "reckless because some parts are partially eaten. He got hungry, bored of the whole game, the farse he was put into. He came down here, killed as many people as he pleased, then fucked up, starting the fire that consumed the building. The deads can not talk, but their bodies can contain some useful information that we can use to our advantage," she finished her deduction.
"How in the damned world will it help us?!" the angry officer asked. "Tell me because it seems that I'm missing something!" she demanded.
"It seems that I will have to guide you as a small child by the hand," Akali sighed. "First of all, he killed those people and started to eat there. It implies that he found it not worthy of transporting them. As far as I know Rengar, he used to do this if he was close to his safehouse. So, if he did not change his habits, his hideout is relatively close to our current position. I would also remind you that we are near the place where you found the half-eaten bodies for the very first time."
"Ok, it makes sense, in some weird sort of way," Irelia replied, cupping her chin, thinking. "There's more, isn't it?" she asked.
"But, of course," the huntress replied, turning around to face the soldier. "There are many signs of claws on these walls," the white-haired woman stated, pointing out on the nearby stone structures. "They are leading north, they are leading to another sewers control point."
"Splendid! Another stinky place to go. Couldn't he just choose some nicer place to set his lair?" the pink-haired woman began nagging. "I mean, what's wrong with some kind of apartment that doesn't stench?!"
"Have you finished yet?" Akali asked, still not impressed by the outburst of her partner. "As you might already know, no one, and I mean it, no one would want to go to the sewers to seek a beast," she provided a bit of explanation after a heavy sigh. "Are you ready?" she asked.
"I want these people, all of these people to be avenged," Irelia uttered, her voice filled with passion. "You can count on me," she assured the huntress.
"I do not need your assurance, we had an agreement, it is all I care about," the assassin uttered emotionlessly. "Let's go."
Akali's POV (sometime later):
They were close, she could felt that. The huntress was tensed, a thrill of the near battle was pumping inside her veins. Just a couple of minutes more, and she would be so close to achieving her goal. The goal that she had to work so hard for. Still, one single problem remained: the strength test, the fight between her and Rengar. Akali was well aware that the hunt master had never been defeated before, crushing all who opposed him. Unintentionally, she started to sweat, to some extent, she was scared of that encounter. Even though she was once called the most talented Rengar's apprentice, she still feared her ex-mentor.
"Get your shit together, Akali!" the huntress hissed at herself, deep inside her mind.
She allowed herself to show some of the torment she was feeling inside. A nasty grimace appeared on her face, her jaw was clenched, hand put into fists. Alternatively, the white-haired woman was hissing, growling.
"What's wrong?" Irelia asked out of a sudden. "You seemed tensed, unsettled. If I didn't know better, I'd describe you as scared, currently," the pink-haired woman said.
It was the first time, the soldier uttered even a single word since they left the remnants of the burnt down building.
"Nothing," Akali replied sighing.
"Well, if you thought that with that attempt you'd convinced me, it was a fruitless endeavour," the captain replied. "I can clearly see that something is bothering you, upsetting you even," she continued to delve.
"Let's just say that the weight of the near events is finally taking its toll over me," the huntress whispered, trying not to look at the pink-haired woman. She did not need mercy, pitty, "I need to focus, or we are both dead," she added quickly, trying to sound confident.
"You know, I don't want to say that, but you failed in that attempt," the soldier whispered back. "Hey, if you want, you can talk to me. We have time. It'll be better for us if we face that monster with our minds clear. Aghhh… you know what I mean," the slightly frustrated captain added.
"I do, but I would not agree that we have time," the assassin responded. "We need to hurry, we are close."
"Oh," Irelia gasped loudly. "Lead the way, then," she said a moment later.
It was getting colder and colder with every single minute they spent seeking Rengar's lair. The sewer control point entrance was lighted by just two mediocre-sized bulbs that light began turning red. It was so evident that someone broke into the construction some time ago. The heavy metal doors were nearly ripped from the hinges. Even more, there were signs of punches thrown against the cold surface of the metal. There were areas where the rust could be easily spotted. By the look of things, no one from the upper city was sent to maintain the facility. Or, the duty was being ignored entirely.
Behind the nearly crushed doors, the darkness took a rule. Plaster and chipped paint floated in the light of Irelia's flashlight. Even at the very first segment of the construction, the cracks could be spotted on walls, in the ceiling. A mixture of mushrooms and mould was covering a decent part of the floor. Spider webs could be found in the corners of the room, but they were enormously large. As if, no one tried to get rid of them for a couple of months. The whole scenery seemed as if taken straight from the horror movie.
Akali could hear the beating of Irelia's heart. As soon as they entered the abandoned building, it started to pound faster. The breath of the pink-haired woman became heavier, shallow. She was afraid, scared, there was no point in denying it. Truth be told, there was no point in asking her about that either. The soldier would say that she had been fine.
The humidity in the facility was surprisingly high. Even though it was kind of cold outside, inside the damaged construction, the heat was irritating. The huntress could fell her body once again, beginning to sweat. At that point, she was unsure whether it was caused by her fears, or the humidity and high temperature. She did not need light for her to delve deeper into the facility. Still, she felt as if she was being watched all the time. As if someone or something was lurking in the shadows.
Akali opted not to trust her instincts. After all, it would not be possible for someone to hide in this corridor. There was just a straight path ahead of her. The white-haired woman hesitated for a couple of moments. The abandoned building with such thin corridors was just a perfect place for an ambush. And, if Rengar taught her anything, it was to expect traps all the time. With that very thought in mind, she pressed forward, delving into the darkness of the complex.
The sweet stench of rotting bodies hit her nostrils as soon as they reached the facility's next level. The dark, rusty metal stairs leading there were crackling with every single step they took. Somewhere there, the bodies of Rengar's victims were being stored, or precisely speaking left to rot. The entirety of the construction seemed to be divided into 5 levels with level 0 being the entrance. Each of them was going lower and lower. Still, there was something that seemed to be off with the whole concept of this facility. Why put so much investment into a simple sewer control centre? Why shaping it into such a complex structure? At least for now, Akali did not have answers for these questions, but she made a mental note to find out. Some mystery was hidden behind these walls, something that was not entirely documented inside the Empire's logs.
The heat started to get unbearable. It seemed that the temperature went at least a couple of degrees higher at the span of a few short moments. From time to time, Akali could swear that she heard something, some sound coming from the dark depths of the complex. Still, it was just an interim sensation. As soon as she heard something, it faded away. With a silent sigh under her breath, she opted to go forward, at least for a few moments more.
After some time, they reached the small room filled with consoles of some sorts. All of them inactive, some of the diodes broken, ripped out of their places. There were a lot of displays in that room. Akali spent at least a minute looking around, but she did not find any of them to be intact. It could be some kind of a control room, but if it was, why the hell would someone built 4 another levels? The huntress began thinking about whether she could restore the power in the complex.
The white-haired woman focused on that matter so hard that she nearly did not hear the footsteps behind her. Quicker than most people could spot, she spun around, drawing her blade. The loud gasp and the sound of someone falling onto the ground followed her action.
"What the fuck, Akali?!" Irelia asked, surprised, terrified.
"Sorry, I was thinking about something else," the masked woman apologised, nodding.
"Sure, whatever, what's wrong with this place?" the pink-haired wanted to know. "It doesn't look like any sort of sewer centre. Fuck it, it seems like some kind of a secret lab or something like that," she added.
"Yeah, I am not entirely sure about that either," the red-eyed beauty replied. "Be quiet!" she ordered a moment later.
She could swear that she heard something again - something like whines, groans coming from the lower levers. Sadly, it faded away as soon as the soldier stopped talking. What was wrong with this facility? Then, the sounds returned louder. It sounded like someone was crying, whining, groaning. Then, the sounds of bare feet walking on water came. The metal stairs began crackling once more as if dozens of people started to climb up.
"We are not alone here," the huntress whispered. "Let's find the power source, we need to get the power back as soon as possible."
"What's going on?" the scared officer asked.
"I do not know, but someone is walking a couple of levels below us," the white-haired assassin replied. "I heard the sound of water, the sound of metal trying to withstand the weight of someone. That someone or thing is climbing up. Sooner or later, it will find us. And, at least for you, it would be better to have a light system back online before it happens," she provided an extended explanation.
"I agree, the problem is that we don't know anything about this place," Irelia pointed out, her face was white pale. "How will we know where the power source is located?" she asked.
"Close the doors leading to this room," Akali ordered. "I'll plug into this piece of crap here, and transfer some energy to power it till I download everything I need," she added. "Try to stay as quiet as you can. We do not know what are we dealing with. And, Irelia, make haste."
Without wasting a moment more, Akali knelt, seeking the access point to the consoles. Before she could find it, the sounds of the solid metal doors being closed reached her ears. With a quiet sigh, she returned to the wires that were filling the insides of that crap.