Hello everyone! Thanks for waiting so patiently for me to get the third book in this series started (it took quite a bit longer than I thought, so much stuff going on IRL). And thank you for all the beautiful reviews on the final chapter of Neko last year, I hope you like Nekomata just as much!
So last year I left you all dangling from the cliffiest of cliffhangers….
It was dark when he woke up. So dark it didn't make any difference when he forced his eyelids open. For a moment his memory floundered, but the blackness that pulsed against his eyeballs helped him remember. He was in the tunnels. It could be any time at all above ground but down here, eternal night.
He leavered himself upright, bare back and shoulders peeling from the cheap leather of the bench seat with a low ripping sound as he sat with a grimace. The air in the old carriage was musty and still, a thin layer of greasy sweat irritated his skin and set his mood on edge. He propped his elbows on his knees and sank his head into his hands, pressing his palms against his eyes to make starbursts of colour where there were none. Then he raked his hands through his hair a few times in an attempt to wake himself up, fingers tangling in the long, sweaty strands that tugged at his scalp.
After a few moments the sleep fog cleared. He stilled, listened, then cursed softly. Even though he couldn't see he sensed that the bench across from him was empty. Again. He felt a muscle in his jaw twitch as he let out a rough sigh. How many times did he have to go through this? He dropped his head again, letting it hang between his shoulders for a second before urgency prodded his limbs into motion. He felt for his boots, shoved his feet into them and laced them quickly. His questing fingers found the t-shirt he'd left draped over the handrail, pulling it on as he made his way to the end of the carriage. Memory guided him out of the rear door and onto the subway tracks.
He stood for a moment, shrugging off the last of the cobwebs that lingered after what felt like less than an hours sleep and stretching his senses out into the black to get his bearings. These days all he needed to be able to see clearly was the faintest spark of light, but this far underground there was literally nothing to draw upon. So instead he concentrated on the slight gusts of air that came down the tracks from the surface, weak but discernible. Not for the first time he wished he could risk the use of a flashlight, but the danger of being spotted was far too real, even this deep beneath the city. Turning back to the carriage he reached in to grope for his backpack, shouldering it on then checking that the hunting knife he kept strapped to his thigh was still in its holster. With nothing left to linger over he set out in the direction of the faint breeze.
The thick soles of his boots crunched quietly over the grit and debris that littered the floor of the tunnel as he made his way cautiously, left arm searching for the tunnel wall then using it to guide him, fingertips trailing lightly over the roughened brick. Although he tried to move quietly he was hyper aware of each scuff and breath that echoed off the ceiling that curved overhead. Fear battled with caution as he held himself back from charging ahead.
A little time passed before the air around him began to lighten from midnight to dusk, morphing into a dark grey that allowed shapes to loom from the darkness. His hand dropped from the brick as the train tracks took form beneath his feet. As his eyesight was restored to him he found the urge to hustle harder to ignore, soon enough he was almost jogging, thumbs hooked into the straps of his pack to keep it from thumping against his lower back.
More minutes ticked by. The tunnels he traveled through lost their air of disuse as he drew closer to the surface. He was getting closer. Seeing a familiar dint in the wall ahead he veered to his left and ducked under a low hanging pipe, forced into a low, crouching shuffle as he made his way through the service tunnel which connected two major train lines. Not far now, he could only hope he wasn't too far behind.
A few feet from the end of his crouched journey he abruptly froze, holding his breath and straining his ears. This new layer of instinct that he'd learned not to ignore months ago pricked at him sharply. Danger was close. The hair on the back of his neck rippled and itched as he waited for whatever it was to reveal itself. At first there was nothing save the heavy pall of expectation. Then a series of mechanical buzzes sounded quickly followed by just one word…
"Scanning."
The muscles in his shoulders tightened to the point of pain at the proximity of that cold, metallic voice but he remained still, eyes glued to the end of the cramped corridor. A pink network of light flickered beyond his hiding place, he watched the delicate lines skim over the walls and floor of the larger tunnel beyond like a net being cast. The angle of the scanner sent its web of pink towards him and he watched it flicker over the tip of his boot, a bead of sweat trickled down his temple as he fought not to yank his foot away from the probe.
Abruptly the light winked out. "Negative. No life signs detected." There was another series of rapid beeps. He drew back against the wall slowly, trusting the shadows to hide him as his heart thumped a solid rhythm against his ribs. The robots marched past. He counted three, caught a glimpse of their bare metal limbs and the blasters they clasped low by their hips before they moved on. Belatedly he drew the knife from its sheath, gripping the handle hard while he listened to their clomping footsteps drift away. The tension that thrummed through him lessened little by little, fading along with the sounds of the robots. Finally his pent up breath eased past his lips as a shaky sigh. They were gone.
Despite his desire to hurry on he forced himself to wait a few more minutes before he finally shuffled free of the small tunnel, grimacing at the burn in his thighs as he straightened to his full height. He looked after the direction the aliens had gone, forcing his fingers from their cramped grip on the hunting knife so that he should slide it back into its sheath. His thumbs came up to hook into the straps of his backpack as he considered the likelihood that the same patrol had passed this way earlier. The thought caused a worried frown to pull at his brow and he shook his head just once before turning in his heel and setting out in the opposite direction. He needed to hurry.
Despite slowing to a more cautious pace he was still sweating by the time he reached the right manhole, his shirt sticking uncomfortably to his back in the muggy heat that pushed down from the surface and baked the air into dank soup. Above his head pink light filtered in around the tight rim of the cover like a halo, bright enough to make him squint as it illuminated the area around him into a rosy hue. He paused, one hand gripping a rung of the ladder bolted to the wall while his judged the strength of the filtered rays. He estimated that up there, just a few feet above his head, it was late afternoon. A spike of discomfort caused him to pause. It was plain stupid to be out in the open at this time of day. Reckless. But he also knew he didn't have a choice if he wanted to find her.
The metal disk above his head lifted smoothly as he pushed it upward then carefully maneuvered it to one side, bracing himself on the ladder by hooking his feet and knees around the middle bars while he worked. Pink mist curled downward, falling past him in thin streamers as he worked. He turned his head from it with a grimace, sucking in a few deep breaths of clean air before pulling himself up into the swirling cloud.
Crouching within it he peered around the small, sheltered ally then, satisfied he was alone, he closed off the manhole once more, returning the cover as noiselessly as possible. This particular spot was one one of the safest places in the city to emerge from the sewers thanks to the tall buildings that closed in around it to cast the narrow laneway in perpetually deep, misty shadows. At one end dead cars cluttered the mouth of the alley, at the other rubble from a partially collapsed building barred entry. In short there was plenty of cover and limited access from the street.
His lungs were straining by the time the manhole cover settled back into place, he straightened to his full height, torso and shoulders rising above the pink mist. He took a few gulps of fresh air, looking down to see that his legs were completely hidden from the hips down by the cloud of alien atmosphere. It was thick today. Last time he'd come through here the fog had barely swirled around his ankles. It danced around him as he moved toward the side of the building, stirred into eddies by his hurried passing. As he went he glanced toward the pile of cars - immediately catching the restless movements of the mutants on the street beyond - then pressed himself backwards into a shallow doorway, his backpack pushing its lumps and bumps into his ribs.
Pushing aside his anxiety he forced himself to still, closing his eyes and willing his heartbeat to slow. Reaching out with his senses he allowed the city to speak to him, listening closely as she told her story. Low moans and the shuffle of dozens different footsteps was clearly audible from both ends of the alley, the hordes of mutants that still roamed the streets were mostly harmless unless they got too close so he ignored them and focused his attention further out. It would be bad if another robot patrol was in the area, worse if one of the deadly stealth ships or giant mechanical pods was nearby. Keeping his eyes closed and breath even he pressed his fingertips against the sun warmed brick on either side of him and concentrating. Almost immediately he sensed the fine, rhythmic vibrations that ran through the building - one of the colossal walkers was in the area. Despite the slender appearance of its impossibly long legs, the machine's heavy tread produced a reverberation that could be detected from miles away if you knew how to listen. The faint vibrations he could feel right now running through the old bones of the building told him that the enormous machine was a good distance from where he stood, a few blocks at least, maybe more. He had some time...
He took a step away from the wall and craned his neck upward. The network of fire escapes that skittered up the side of the building offered to take him to the rooftops by the fastest path. His eyes lifted to the sky which was beginning to glow brightly with the oncoming sunset. It was still far too bright to make the climb without significant risk. His stepped back again, letting his head drop so that the back of his head thumped against the door behind him. Seemed as though a trip through the building was pretty much his only option. With a grimace he turned to face the door then reached for the handle.
As he stepped into the building his eyes were forced to adjust to yet another change in light, but that was a minor discomfort compared to the stench that assailed his nostrils. He brought his arm across his face as the door clicked shut behind him, burying his nose in the crook of his elbow in an attempt to block out the barrage of odors. Despite expecting it he was still momentarily stumped by the stink of old, moldering food that wafted along the corridor that was turned and made sharper by the lingering scent of fear and blood. The ravaged contents of each abandoned apartment combined until the entire building reeked in a way that turned his stomach.
The strengthening itch between his shoulder blades drove him across the short distance to the stairwell access. He yanked the door open then took the steps two at a time, boots thumped rhythmically against the concrete as he climbed upward. Ten flights later he was bursting out into the fresh air once more, remembering just in time to grip the door to prevent it from smashing noisily against the outside wall. His chest heaved as he sucked in great lungfuls of the evening breeze that waited for him. As it lifted the hair on his temples and cooled the sweat on his skin he closed his eyes briefly, almost able to imagine that he was in Central Park amongst the foliage rather than this concrete rooftop with the oily residue of alien fog and a dying building clinging to his clothes and the inside of his nostrils. Opening his eyes he drank in the sight of the sunset that peeked through the surrounding clutter of buildings and skyscrapers, the sky a fiery wash of red, yellow and orange. It had been an eternity since he'd been out in the open in full daylight like this. It was beautiful. It was dangerous.
That mental twinge of discomfort brought him back to his search and he pulled his attention away from the pretty sunset to scan the rooftop. He needed to make his way to the eastern side of the building where, hopefully, he would find her. What if she wasn't there this time? He pushed the thought away as he set out cautiously, keeping within cover as much as possible and staying alert for any sign of the robots. Foot patrols didn't leave street level but there was still plenty to be wary of. The itch between his shoulder blades returned, prompting him to continuously swivel his head about as he slunk along.
As he threaded his way around a large skylight then a string of silver air conditioning units that had turned bronze with the setting sun his heart began a heavy, anxious thud within his chest. And when she came into view, exactly where he'd found her each time before, the thud pooled down until it was a warm twist of relief in his belly. She was sitting on the edge of the rooftop, dark hair spilling down past her shoulders in tangled waves. The dress she wore was being molded to her frame by the light wind, clearly outlining the curve of her spine in a way that made him think of how light his backpacks supply of rations had become. His boots scuffed slightly as he moved forward and she turned her head just enough for him to see her profile, wordlessly acknowledging his presence with the small movement. He drank in the curve of her cheek and the stubborn tilt of her chin, backlit against the fading light. He'd found her. Now to get her back to safety.
He reached for her as he neared, determined to pull her away from the edge before she was spotted from above or below. She hunched away, curving her shoulders inward and twisting a little to avoid his grasp. "Sumi," the word was low and gravelly as it left his mouth, filled with a frustration that was left to rise to the surface now his worry at finding her missing was abated. He reached again and this time he was able to curl his fingers around her upper arm, the limb slender enough that his fingertips easily overlapped as he gripped her.
Before he could begin to pull her upright she spoke and her soft words ground him to a halt, "I can't find them." Her words were slow and slurred, her tongue heavy in her mouth. He hesitated, thrown by the rare sound of her voice. Uncertainty plagued him as he scanned the sky and neighbouring rooftops before leaning over and peering downward at the street below. Finding nothing imminently threatening he looked back at her. She sat docile, feet dangling limply over the lip of the roof as she stared vacantly ahead, no longer fighting his grip.
With a heavy sigh he allowed his hand to slip from her arm. Against his better judgment he lowered himself to sit on the raised edge of the ledge beside her, his boots coming to swing beside hers, looking monstrous next to her pale bare feet. He adjusted the straps on his backpack absently while he studied her profile once more. As minutes ticked by the evening breeze strengthened, picking up her hair teasingly and throwing strands of it across her face. He watched as she raised a hand to brush the errant locks back over her shoulder, the movement sluggish, her gaze fixed forward and mouth slightly parted.
After a while he gave up on waiting for her to say anything else and instead followed the path of her gaze. He felt his brow crinkle thoughtfully as he took in the building across from their perch. It was an apartment block identical to the one they currently sat upon. While their own building was relatively unscarred, its sister across the alley had suffered significant damage to its uppermost floor. From where they sat he could clearly follow the path of the gash that had rent its way through brick and mortar until it came to the place where it he completely stripped away the facade of the building to expose the remains of the rooms within. All around the gaping wound the brick was burned black and he knew that either a stealth ship or walker would have been responsible for that level of damage. Through the enormous hole in the wall he could make out the shattered inside of the top floor apartment, if anyone had been in there at the time it was unlikely that they had survived. His brow furrowed as he mulled over the same questions that plagued him whenever he was forced to come to this rooftop. Had Sumi known the people in that apartment? Is that why she continually slipped away to come here and stare at the ruins? Was this some kind of vigil for the fallen?
Without meaning to he let out a grunt at the dismal thoughts and a second later caught her shift of movement from the corner of his eye. He turned and immediately found himself trapped by the girl's intense gaze. Her right eye - the closest to him - was the colour of pure liquid amber, a rich swirl of colour that almost seemed to glow in the evening light. Her left however was an unnaturally dark sphere, the pupil completely blown out until only the thinnest rim of gold was left. She blinked slowly and his attention shifted, fixing on the ruined side of her head that had been exposed to him as she turned. The sight of her injury never failed to twist something deep inside him, an anger and helplessness that took him back to a recent time when his entire existence had been a never ending fight just to keep her alive. He almost dropped his gaze but at the last instant narrowed his eyes instead, facing her scars with a feeling of defiance.
A deep gash scored its way from her temple just above her ear to the back of her crown in a long, angry line of torn flesh. It was an ugly wound, fresh and raw looking even after the months that had passed. It appeared to have been caused by a long, blunt instrument and the blow had been hard enough to literally dent her skull as it split her skin open. Bizarrely it wasn't the only injury she'd sustained in that spot, the flesh on the side of her head had also been scorched somehow, the dark tresses on the left side of her skull burnt away to leave the flesh beneath pink and twisted. Like the building she was so fascinated with she too was burnt and torn, the contents of her mind ruined beyond repair by an attack that had almost taken her life. Perhaps the apartment block could be rebuilt with time, Sumi however was unlikely to ever be as she was. The girl he remembered from his dreams was gone before they'd had a chance to meet, taking any answers she'd had with her and leaving a depleted shell behind.
As if she could read his thoughts Sumi's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Her lower lip quivered as she searched his face with one amber orb, then she turned back to the skyline, gaze darting restlessly back and forth. "Where are they?"
Her slurred whisper was almost too low for his ears to catch. "I don't know," he replied simply, forcing the words past the tightness that squeezed his throat. He reached for her one last time, lifting her hand from where it lay on the concrete ledge beside her hip so he could tangle his fingers with hers. Instead of attempting to pull her away again he simply sat with her, watching over her while she took up her vigil once more. Watching and waiting for the ones who had left her behind.
Ahhhhhh! I'm so nervous! And I cannot even believe how long it took me to get this chapter to a point where I could post it, warts and all.
I really hope you all liked it and I also hope you now have even more questions than answers bwahahaha! I'm so evil :)
Please leave me a review and let me know what you think 3
ETA: I forgot to say thanks to TheRedScreech for helping me out along the way. You rock girl!