Silent City

30. The Delicate Flower

    The Pale King shuts the rotating stone wall behind them, hiding the entrance to Hallownest. Surprisingly, there's no one waiting for the three of them in the basement portion of the garage, but Hornet knew there would be once they ascended the elevator shaft.

"You have a plan?" He asks Hornet, looking down at the flower cradled in his hand.

"Pray." She mutters, walking over to the elevator and glancing upward into it. She hears the Pale King let out a short chuckle

"To whom?" he choffs. "The God of light?"

Hornet glares at him out of the corner of her eye. "Ghost can stick with you once we walk out, and I can try to talk them out of shooting at us. Chances are it isn't going to work, so I want Ghost with you to protect you. Not saying you're helpless, but with the flower, I don't want to take risks."

"Sounds fair."

Hornet looks over at Ghost, and they nod in silent understanding. She looks back up at the elevator, and climbs up and out of the doors above.

As soon as the three of them are all above the ground in the Garage, lights from every opening in the garage beam into the building, illuminating the three of them in the middle of the garage.

"We have the premises surrounded." Someone announces to them on a megaphone. "Walk out of the building with your hands behind your head and you will come to no harm."

Hornet and PK glance at each other.

"We need to get back to the Godseeker by 5 PM." He whispers. "Otherwise, the vessel will be automatically teleported back to Godhome to prepare them for the Pantheon, and we'll be too late."

"So we don't have time to give ourselves up?" Hornet infers. PK looks at the watch on his wrist, but it says the time is midnight. Being in Hallownest messed up the watch.

"Probably not." He says anyway. "We nee--"

"Walk out of the building now or we will be forced to enter." The voice repeats. Hornet sighs, and motions for her dad to follow her out of the garage. Hornet's eyes dilate to adjust to the sun beaming down on them as she walks out onto the street. She has her hands behind her head, per their request, but it was just to keep them from immediately firing on her.

The entrance to the building is surrounded by officers. Not a single one is unarmed, and each of them are pointing their guns at them with their fingers poised over the trigger.

"Before you do anything," Hornet starts, her eyes darting around the street. The infection had spread while they were down there-- and it wasn't a subtle change. The infection had spread for as far as Hornet could see. "I'd like to speak to you."

Some of the police officers near the edge broke away from the group and moved behind Hornet, grabbing her wrists and cuffing them behind her. Her eyes darted over to Ghost and PK, who were also getting their hands cuffed, and she pushed down the boiling urge to run over and shove them away from her sibling. The flower was still in PK's front pocket.

"What in god's great name could you have to say that would interest us?" The officer at the front of the pack said. He was the only one without a gun pointed at their heads, and instead held a megaphone in his fist. Hornet couldn't make out who he was, since they were all wearing PPE and SWAT gear.

"The Radiance." She starts. "We're here to stop her. If you let us go, we'll be able to get her out of your business. We're the only people in the world who can stop her."

She could almost sense his eye roll. "Nobody has come close to overwhelming her. I very much doubt you have a better chance."

"If you don't want to let us all go, then just take me." Hornet proposes, looking over at the Pale King. His eyes widen and he draws in a deep breath.