"Eugh, it stinks in here," Ilia complained as she continued down the darkened tunnel. The faunus pinched her nose with her free hand, keeping her other hand firmly clasped around Emerald's. "I think this connects to the sewers beneath Mantle…"
"Politicians having an underground connection to literal shit?" Emerald replied. "Who would have guessed…"
"Tell me about it," Ilia agreed as she paused at a T-junction. The faunus looked in both directions before tugging her companion along to the left. "Stonework this way. If it isn't a sewer, it's some kind of basement or underground facility. That's our best bet of getting topside."
"How can you see anything down here?" Emerald asked as she stumbled along, keeping one of her guns at the ready. "I know faunus can see in the dark or whatever, but how does that whole thing work?"
"Our eyes have more… cones," Ilia said, unsure of herself. "Or rods. Or… something. I don't know, I barely remember science class. Dropped out of school early on at my primary academy."
"You and me both," Emerald replied as the pair made their way onto a walkway of bleached concrete. Several ceiling lights illuminated the tunnel outside of the unnatural hole that the women emerged through, revealing a proper sewer channel with raised walkways. "Looks like you were right."
"I know my shit," Ilia joked as she let her hand fall away from her nose. Despite the ample lighting, she let the other one linger in Emerald's with no intent to pull it away. "No escaping that stench now. Come on, look for a ladder. Maybe an elevator, since it's Mantle. Even the 'poor' city is fucking ridiculous, here."
"…Watts had some maps of the sewers in the apartment," Emerald said slowly. "We used them to sneak into Mantle in the first place, but I never understood why he kept them out afterward. This might explain why…"
"You think Watts is in bed with Robyn?" Ilia asked as she gave the other girl an uncertain look. "Literally or otherwise."
"I think it's possible," Emerald said with a nod. "She's clearly just as corrupt as Jacques. If he is, though… that means grimm might be down here. We saw some on the way in."
"Amazing," Ilia deadpanned with a roll of her eyes as she drew her weapon. "We don't want to draw attention either way. I'm sure there are cameras down here, and we don't know our exits. Let me take point, and if I blend myself in… get ready to use your semblance."
"Sure," Emerald agreed as Ilia's hand slipped from her own. She used the opportunity to draw her other gun and do a visual sweep of the stretch of tunnel behind Ilia. "Hopefully the way out is close. Manholes usually aren't that far apart."
"From their balls, maybe," Ilia said flippantly as the two began to walk. A good thirty seconds of silence passed before she shook her head, feeling both stupid and rather grateful that Emerald couldn't see her embarrassed blush. "Sorry, I'm just… on edge. And stupid."
"Don't worry about it," Emerald replied dismissively. "I put up with Mercury's shitty jokes for years. At least that one was… kinda clever?"
"Don't flatter me for something that low effort. I'm a big girl. I can handle the truth," Ilia reassured.
"…that was awful. I almost felt physical pain."
"There we go," Ilia agreed with a grin. "Plenty more stupid jokes where that came from. Just a matter of time."
"It's like he never left," Emerald muttered as they came around a curve in the walkway.
"…so, you and this Mercury guy…" Ilia began, only for Emerald to shake her head before the statement was finished.
"I'm telling you, it's not like that," Emerald said quickly. "We… fooled around once or twice, but it wasn't anything serious. I'm sure you've had friends like that."
"Not really, no," Ilia admitted. "I've never really… hold up."
The faunus came to a sudden stop, prompting Emerald to turn around and freeze in place. Ilia suddenly backed into the wall, her flesh and outfit warping to take on the texture and color of the concrete as she pressed herself to the surface. Emerald crouched low, peering through the railing along the side of the walkway and down into the water as a trail of ripples moved through the canal beneath them.
A warped, bony spike crested the water, cutting a trail of lines through the murky liquid. Just as the protrusion went back down and out of view, a black tail thicker than a human body and twice as long covered in smaller, similarly twisted protrusions arched above the surface before diving back down. A sudden flash beneath the water as the spines illuminated with blinding sparks gave a brief view of some sort of reptilian monstrosity making its way down the river of muck before the creature was wreathed in darkness once again.
"What… the fuck was that?" Ilia hissed in a near whisper as she squinted to try to see the creature through the greywater as it retreated down the canal. "That thing's huge…"
"I have no idea," Emerald said softly. "Definitely grimm, but I've never seen anything like that one. Looked like the size of a small bus…"
"Not good," Ilia muttered as she separated from the wall and lowered herself into a crouch-walk. "Gods, this entire situation is getting worse and worse. We need to get topside before I have a fucking panic attack."
"Well, if you piss yourself, at least we're in a sewer," Emerald said lightly. "Just squat over the edge."
Ilia paused to stare at Emerald for a moment.
"…wow. That was worse than my joke."
"What can I say?" Emerald replied with a shrug. "If I'm going to be part of the team, I'm going to commit. Shitty humor and all."
"Another sewer pun. Nice," Ilia praised as she hurriedly made her way down the walkway.
"That wasn't intentional."
"Totally was."
"Shut up."
"Ladder," Ilia pointed out as she located a recessed portion of the wall with a series of iron rungs fused into the concrete. "Thank the gods. This way."
"Thank the engineers," Emerald spat. "Hopefully this puts us somewhere familiar."
"I don't know Mantle that well," Ilia warned as she began to climb. "I can get us a transport, either way. Last chance to run. I won't even blame you. I could say I lost you in the sewers."
"Why even offer to cover my ass?" Emerald asked as she followed Ilia up the ladder, getting a face full of the faunus' backside in tight leather as she maneuvered up the ladder. "We've been on opposite sides until tonight…"
For a moment, the only sounds were those of boots clanking against the rungs of the ladder as the women climbed.
"…I don't think we're all that different. I see a lot of myself in you," Ilia said as she neared the manhole cover. "And you're cute."
"…excuse me?"
"Can't hear, working," Ilia replied as she raised an arm and began to shove at the manhole cover. "Thing's… fucking heavy…"
Ilia let out a grunt of effort as she managed to upset the manhole and shove it to the side. The diminutive girl pulled herself up and onto the pavement before scooting her legs around to the side and leaning forward to offer Emerald a hand. With a roll of her eyes, Emerald accepted the offer and climbed up onto the darkened road before shoving the heavy cover back in place.
"Anything… familiar?" Emerald asked as she let out a grunt of effort.
"One or two things, yeah," Ilia answered as she looked over the three figures jogging down the pavement toward them. She was quick to stand and wave, feeling rather relieved at the sight. "Corsac!"
"Ilia," the man replied as he reached the pair along with Clover and Pax. "You are unharmed… and accompanied by one of our targets."
"Yeah, hi, Emerald Sustrai," the woman said as she got to her feet and dusted off her pants. "I'm with the good guys, now, but I don't know your stupid handshakes yet. Go team," she added as she lazily pumped a fist into the air in a mocking gesture.
"We'll teach you our campfire songs once the situation in Mantle is under control," Clover reassured. "For now, though… hands behind your back, Miss Sustrai. General Ironwood's orders."
"Of course they are," Emerald said in a defeated tone as she turned around and crossed her wrists. "I had no illusions that this would be easy…"
"Hey," Ilia said as she touched a hand to Emerald's shoulder while the woman was placed into a pair of binding cuffs. "I've got your back, and we'll take care of you. I was a terrorist not that long ago, and so was Corsac. Corsac was way worse."
"…pardon me?" the fox-tailed man asked.
"Just go with it," Ilia replied with a dismissive wave. "I'm not going to let anything unreasonable happen."
"That's not much reassurance," Emerald admitted. "'Reasonable' could easily include throwing me in a cell, and I wouldn't have much of an argument to prevent it."
"Take it from me," Clover chimed in as he finished securing Emerald's bindings. "Ilia and Corsac should probably be behind bars. They've said it themselves to the General's face. Look where they are now. If you want to help us fight… I'm sure you'll be given the opportunity."
"Tough bitches like us don't just fold," Ilia added as she gave Emerald a punch on the shoulder before withdrawing her hand. "Don't give up so easily. It sounds to me like giving up is what led you to Salem to begin with. Time to try something new. I know it's scary and a little heavy on the improv, but… trust me. It's worth it."
"…I do," Emerald replied as she gave Ilia a puzzled look. "And that's the part that scares me, for reasons I don't expect you to understand."
"Clover."
Everyone but Corsac jumped at the sound of Dr. Polendina's voice coming from a speaker somewhere on Pax. Clover was quick to head over to the android, who stood motionless as she stared straight ahead.
"Doctor?" Clover asked as Ilia and Corsac gathered around.
"Penny's back online. The process worked to liberate her from Watts' control, but… we've got a whole other problem, now. I think you should bring your crew back to the lab, as quickly as possible. We should talk before Sun gets back and we all head to Ironwood."
"What kind of problem are we talking about, here?" Clover asked. "I can't imagine things getting much worse tonight."
"You just had to say it, didn't you?" Ilia asked.
"Raven Branwen just opened a portal into my lab and brought four other people I don't recognize through," the doctor explained. "They're currently arguing with Yang."
"…Penny and Raven…" Emerald said hesitantly. "Yeah, so, if you want to just toss me in a cell instead of bringing me there, I'm totally fine with that…"
"Four others?" Ilia asked as she moved closer to Pax, her face going pale. "That wasn't the plan. She should have way more than that with her. Is Blake with them? Faunus with long dark hair and cat ears? Neptune? Tan guy with blue hair? Looks like a total douche?"
"No one here fits those descriptions," Dr. Polendina confirmed. "My apologies…"
"…fuck," Ilia swore as her breathing quickened. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! What's going on? Clover, we need to get back there now!"
"Calm yourself," Corsac instructed as he gave Ilia a stern look. "Panicking now will not s-"
"Shut up," Ilia snapped. "Those are my friends, and the plan was for Ruby to find Raven and bring them here! If that didn't happen, that could mean any number of things, and none of them are good! Let's get moving!"
"Please do," Dr. Polendina requested. "Something fairly expensive just got thrown, and I'd like to restore Pax's autonomy in the lab if at all possible. The quicker you get here, the better!"
"The transport is this way," Corsac offered as he made a beckoning motion with his arm and broke into a run. "We'll make it through this night, one way or another. We've all survived worse."
"I wish I had your confidence," Ilia replied as she hooked her arm around Emerald's and began to run after her companion while Clover brought up the rear. "I just can't shake the feeling that we're at a crossroads, and none of the paths ahead take us anywhere near where I want to be…"
Author's Note:
200 is fast approaching.
So is Salem.
-RD