Aki- So, this is the next chapter. It is kinda short. Kinda crappy. Kinda not that interesting...well, its okay in places. Anyway, Tenshi betaed this although she admits that she hadn't done it as well as she has the last few chapters, so any mistakes you can blame on her, lol. I am updating from my college dorm room...I'm so old. I've been at my orientation the last few days. It's fun and scary and exciting and nerve-wraking (sp?) all in one. I am majoring in Creative Writing and I am, by request, in the smallest Freshman dorm on campus which is considered the quietest and also has a lot of writing majors in it. Part of that might be because the writing offices are in our basement. Anyway, S.U. represent! Ah, I'm such a poser.
Chapter 18: Too Quiet
"An abandoned military facility, could they be any more unoriginal?"
"What about an abandoned factory or…oh, oh, an abandoned warehouse!"
"Apparently they could," Alex replied to Kaden's excited exclamations.
At this point in their conversation Halle rolled her eyes and Cyborg shushed them. They were on the outskirts of the city, hiding behind a conveniently placed boulder, surveying the only known entrance to the abandoned military facility that research had shown was built during the Cold War, and spread in extravagant tunnels under the northern edge of the city. The most they had seen was a pair of people entering the facility from the west about a half an hour ago, and a solitary guard who was nodding off next to the door.
"Alex, do you think you could get those doors open?"
Alex touched the handheld computer tucked into a pocket on his belt. "You bet."
" Halle, Kaden, you need to take out that guard, quickly - and quietly. This is not a time to go in guns blazing. This is a time for finesse."
Kaden tried to resist the urge to giggle at the word 'finesse.' One, because it was a funny word and, two, because Cyborg - an over six-foot-tall half-robot with a cannon for an arm - was talking about finesse.
"What are you gonna do?" asked Halle .
"Cover. Now, Titans Go!"
Kaden, Halle , and Alex stared at Cyborg blankly.
"Um, I mean, let's get to…it…."
They continued to stare.
"What are you trying to say?" said Kaden, his eyes narrowed.
"I mean, let's do the respective things that we were all just assigned," stated Cyborg.
"You could have said that to begin with," Alex shot back.
"Let's just go, already."
The three teens nodded. Halle joined Kaden on a floating disk of soul-self and they zoomed off towards the guard. Alex leaped over the rock and took a running start off to the control panel at the side of the door. The guard was out with a few select moves from Halle and didn't make a sound due to Kaden's telekenesis bubble. Cyborg turned and surveyed the area behind their hiding place before joining the rest of the team across the field.
Alex was already plugged in and well on his way to completing his task.
"What's taking so long?" asked Kaden in impatience.
"Opening the door is a snap, but I want to block it from the main computer, so no one comes to check out why it opened. Plus, I'm downloading the schematics of the building, y'know, so we know where to go, and don't just wander around aimlessly - which apparently was your idea of a plan," Alex rattled off without ever taking his eyes away from the screen of his mini computer.
"It was just a question," Kaden retorted defensively.
A second later the front door slid open and the team of four slipped silently inside.
"Good job, team," said Cyborg, arm transformed into a sonic cannon in preparation for any enemy attack. "Al, where are we going from here?"
Alex flicked through the facility's plans. "Well, we're here," he said, pointing a finger at what must have been where they just entered. "Some of these tunnels and rooms aren't even being used and a lot are damaged or cut off due to erosion and floods and the changing infrastructure in the city over the last few decades."
"So…?"
"The center of activity is located deep in the southwest area of the facility…a little bit of a walk."
"Then let's start walkin'."
Alex took the forefront of the group, Kaden and Halle stood shoulder to shoulder in the middle, their breaths sounding loud in the dark, echo-y tunnel. Cyborg stood last, like a big, protective bodyguard shadowing them.
A few winding turns later, the group paused and listened, and heard voices - not any of theirs. They were coming from the tunnel curve up ahead. They all paused in horror, waiting for their cover to be blown.
"Back up," said Halle in a loud whisper. "Back up!"
The all followed her command, backpedaling, trying to be both quick and silent.
"In here," said Halle , leading them into a side tunnel, half blocked by a fallen roof. Sufficiently hidden, ducked behind the rubble or backs pressed against the wall, they waited, trying to stifle their labored breathing. Two men walked by, apparently oblivious to the intruders.
"And I was like, 'That's what she said.'"
The two broke out in rough laughter and passed by the foursome's hiding place and disappeared around the bend. They four stayed silent and hidden for minutes after the men's disappearance, their heartbeats slowly returning to normal. Halle's hands were shaking.
"Your fast thinking saved our butts," said Cyborg. "Good work, Hal."
She nodded. "We could have taken them, but, y'know, finesse."
"Let's hope that was a one time thing," said Alex, observing his computer, sounding exasperated.
"Why, what's wrong?" asked Kaden, looking over Alex's shoulder.
"There is a stretch right before the center room that is completely straight, with no break off tunnels, not even collapsed ones."
"And you were going to tell us that when?" demanded Kaden.
"I hoped it wasn't going to become relevant."
"Well, it did."
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious."
"You're welcome."
For all the times that Kaden and Alex were terse with each other, their friendship never seemed to come out worse for the wear.
"So what do we do?" asked Halle.
"Hope it's clear and cross our fingers for luck."
"Nice plan."
"Shut up, Kaden."
"If we come up against anyone, we'll just have to fight," said Cyborg.
"Let's go…"
After waiting for a moment, straining their ears to make sure that no one else was coming down the tunnel, they slinked out of their hiding place and continued their light-footed journey.
Strangely, the hallway - despite being the only path to and from the main room - was lacking all foot traffic. The group of four was able to make their way unhindered to the forthcoming entrance.
"It's really quiet in here," said Halle in a light whisper that seemed to travel in echoes down the enclosed hall.
"Yeah," agreed Kaden, "Too quiet."
"I didn't expect getting this far would be so easy," added Cyborg.
"Yeah," agreed Kaden, "Too easy."
"Will you cut that out!" Alex growled through his teeth and Kaden just gave him a wide-eyed, 'I-have-no-idea-what-you-are-talking-about-I-am-completely-innocent' look.
The steel door which they all could safely assume lead the main room came into clear sight as they went around the final twist of the tunnel. They stopped before it.
"We're here," said Halle.
"Oh, really," snapped Alex.
She just glared him down and said, "Can you open it?"
Unable to come up with a snarky response Alex just replied with as much ire as possible, "…Yes."
Halle waved a hand at the door as if to say, do what you must. Alex approached the control panel and began his work.
"Get ready," said Cyborg, clicking a few buttons on the controls on his arm. "It's near impossible that this room will be empty, too."
Halle was bouncing on the balls of her feet as if warming up and shaking out her nerves for an athletic contest. Kaden was repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists.
Alex looked up from his hand-held computer screen. "Ready."
None dared to speak, they just nodded. Alex released his final command and the door slide open to reveal complete darkness.
They superhero group entered tentatively, eyes peeled. Once all were in, not going past the outline of light left by the opening, the door slammed shut, showering them in total darkness. Cyborg's flashlight in his shoulder came on, but in a few seconds it was futile as the lights in the room came on so intensely that all four had to shield their eyes.
A crackly voice reverberated around the room, joined by deep snickers and sneers.
"Honestly," said a heavily accented woman's tone, "You would sink none of ou had h'rd of a trap before."