Lightning Bringer: (Lighting Seeker Book 2)

The Underground

Everything was sunlight. Bright constellations erupted across the surface of the world, and fire burned past skin and bone. Gravity was nonexistent. Cold was a myth and loneliness was a mere theory. 

But just as quickly as the sun arrived, washing away all evidence of scars, pain, hurt, and fear, it was snuffed out as the ship landed on uneven ground, sending Sky and Vale toppling to the ground of the observation room. 

They were a mess of limbs, their breaths rapid, heartbeats wild from Vale's kiss which had been eagerly returned. And in a moment of shock and surprise, Vale burst into laughter that rang through the room, Sky laughing silently with her, his smile lighting up her world. 

"Well... I guess we are here?" She asked as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, only to be yanked back down. "Hey what—?"

Sky kissed her again and then let her go. Offering her an innocent smile he shrugged. I wasn't done. Then he hopped to his feet and led her out of the room. 

With his book tucked under his arm, Sky moved out of the ship onto an abandoned parking lot that sat next to a scrapyard. Vale squinted into the dark, confused at his choice of adventure. The looks are purposefully deceiving. Sky beamed, excited by a secret he was about to share. 

They scrambled over several loose cement blocks, avoiding large wild weeds fighting their way through the asphalt, and moved past unorganized piles of old cars that were abandoned for hovercars once they were on the scene. No one wanted weels on the ground when they could avoid potholes and pedestrians. 

As they reached the far edge of the junkyard, they squeezed under a rusty chain fence and arrived at a large broken-down box with a faded poster of a can of soda slapped across the front. 

Leaning down, Sky punched several buttons and the box groaned, shuttering in protest as the front half moved to the side, revealing an opening under the broken down cars behind it. Sky disappeared inside, leaving Vale to follow without a clue of what she had gotten herself into. 

...

They walked down a cramped set of stairs, the walls made of thick cement that pressed in on them from either side. Vale felt trapped in the small space, tempted to flee as panic set in. A pair of warm fingers weaved into hers, grounding her. Breathe, Sky traced into her palm. Vale nodded and they continued down the stairs. 

They reached a large steel door one hundred feet below. An erratic beat shook the door, swirls of neon could be seen squeezing into the hall, offering an eerie glow. Sky rapped on the door in a rhythmic pattern and waited. 

A small slit in the door opened to a pair of dark eyes sporting a pair of bright pink glowing glasses. "What are ya doin' here Devinus boy?" A voice growled. 

Sky stepped aside and motioned to Vale. The eyes stared at Vale and then flickered with recognition. "Blasted! The girl from the bridge." The slit was slammed shut and Vale's vision was suddenly bombarded with bright color. A girl with strong thick arms and an impressive six-foot-five height, stood in the doorway, a silhouette with pink glowing specs. 

"I'd never dreamed...." She reached forward, two of her five fingers were made up of exposed wires and thin metal grates. "It's an honor to meetcha in person." 

Vale took her hand and shook it, confused. "Hi," she replied lamely. 

The girl laughed, humming with excitement as she ushered them past the metal door and slammed it shut behind them. "Of all the underground shops to visit! We've seen the news! The dreadful things they've been having you do! Why I can't believe you've gone along without tearing that crazed leader a new one! But what am I saying!?!" the girl shouted breathlessly, her black hair with purple highlights hanging in her face as she grinned widely, showing off her glistening white teeth. 

"Your Lightnin'! Of course, you'd give him a run for his money!" She laughed, assessing Vale with wide eyes. "You are much shorter than I'd thought you'd be." The girl had finally taken a breath, long enough to wave her hand towards the rest of the space, talking loudly over the music that shook Vale's bones with each beat. 

"Welcome to the Underground Neon Shop!"

The floor of the large space was a swirl of neon screens. Each footstep leaving a trail of rippling color in its wake on the ground. The walls pulsed, spiking in a fray of lines with each beat. A large sound system sat at the center of the room. 

A girl dressed in all black sat on top of one of the large speakers wearing a pair of oversized headphones. She looked to be about twelve years old. Two bright green pigtails poked out from beneath the headphones, waving with the loud beats. She held a small screen, adjusting the lighting and music as she sat there, looking bored.

 "Teaching rooms are behind the left wall. Games back wall. And books right wall. If ya need help finding something, I'll be here all day." The girl shouted over the music, still beaming at Vale. "Call me Bay." 

Vale smiled, confused, amused, and curious as to what Sky was planning. "Thanks, Bay!" she shouted. Sky signed her a thanks, and when she switched to sign herself, Vale understood one of the reasons for their visit. It's too loud to talk in here. He must get to be his normal self here. 

Don't make me regret letting you in here, she warned Sky with a raised brow. 

He held up his hands in defeat. 

The girl turned to Vale. Have fun! Sky grabbed Vale's hand and tugged her to the back wall, a bright grin on his face. A boy covered in tattoos leaned against the wall, watching their approach with wariness. But after getting a closer look at Vale, he suddenly stood up straight and opened a panel behind him, letting them inside, his eyes glued to Vale in shock. 

After the panel closed behind them, the noise died to a dull rhythm. Vale turned to look at Sky in disbelief. "What was all that about? Why are they all looking at me like—?"

"What the... is that Lightning?!?" Someone across the room shouted. Vale's spun around, taking in the room. Retro games filled the room. Not virtual games, but classic sticky controllers with tangled wires and small flickering screens with pixilated graphics filled the walls in a sort of organized chaos. Each game was a two-player game. Each station had players trash-talking, laughing, and discussing their tactics as they went.  

But the room had gone silent in the last ten seconds as a single voice rang out in shock. All heads had turned to stare at Vale upon her sudden arrival. Vale stared back, caught between terror and confusion. They didn't seem threatening, in fact, their faces were bright with awe directed towards her. 

"Holy crap!" Someone shouted. "It's the girl! The one who's been kicking AI ass!" 

"She's the one from the Devinus castle!" another added. "The one playing the game!"