Dystopia

Chapter 3

"So let me get this straight. These tunnels have been here around twenty years. The founders of Sector 18 built them when they rebelled and built the city any way, but they needed a way to travel back and forth unseen. So they built the underground tunnels."

"Yes, Elijah, that is the base of it."

"Because all of this is completely normal."

"This is Dystopia. It is about as normal as it goes around. So snap out if it and walk faster."

They had only been in the Tunnels for about thirty minutes and they were bickering like siblings. They only had about an hour and half to go thanks to the tunnels. Not that Elijah knew that. She couldn't shake off the feeling of knowing him, but she tried to it. "So," she began, "where did you grow up?"

"I grew up in the same sector you did believe it or not. My dad was from a sector farther south. I got his tan skin and dark features."

"That explains how you lived so far north and stayed so tan."

He smirked at her and wiggled his eye brows under his long bangs making Alex laugh. "What about your family? How did you end up in the prison," she paused listening. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That flapping sound. Coming from there," she pointed down a branch in the tunnel.

Elijah listened intently before the fear showed in his eyes. Alex pulled out two knives. They were long frightening looking blades. The blade itself was as long as her forearm not even counting the hilt. Except for the long bright blue stripe down the middle the entire knife was black. They were lethal weapons and she was well practiced with them.

"We need to go now, Alex. Please. I know this sound. This was the last sound I heard before I was taken from my home."

"What are they?"

Elijah hesitated before saying, "They are the Fallen. They claimed I was supposed to lead Dystopia to safety. But that I was missing the other half of my soul or something, and they said because I was missing the other half I did not know everything I needed to know."

"The Fallen? What does that mean?"

"I don't know. They want something though."

"We should talk to them. It seems they know we are here anyway."

Elijah looked pained and frightened by the idea of facing his old captors. He looked around before saying, "Okay. If you're sure about this being a good idea. Are you any good with those things," he pointed to the knives.

Alex looked extremely offended and said, "Yes. I am good with them."

Elijah smirked at the reaction he got from Alex. Then he remembered what was going on. Who was coming.

"We'll be okay, Elijah. You said you trust me. This is what I was trained for."

Elijah looked at her, studying her face, searching for hesitation or doubt, and upon finding none, he jerked his head in a nod. Alex passed a gun to him. Suddenly the flapping, that had been growing steadily closer to them, stopped. Alex focused on one tunnel. Directly across from them. She turned and got in a position to fight who ever came out. The figure that stepped, who was obviously in charge, was nothing like she expected.

He had large wings that reached almost to ceiling and brushed along the floor. He had broad shoulders and he was well muscled. He had dark hair but pale skin. His face was young, but he looked like he had seen a lot. Alex lowered her weapons slowly because this winged-man did not look like he was going to attack.

"Elijah," began the winged-man, "you came back. And you have found the other half of your soul. Now you must be trained. Both of you."

"Excuse me," questioned Alex. "I am not going any where until someone tells me what's going on."

"Alex, this is Abaddon. He leads the Fallen."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alex."

"I'm pleased to meet you as well, Abaddon. At least, at the moment I am pleased to meet you. I would like to have answers though. I want to know what is going on, and why you need Elijah and myself."

Abaddon dipped his head in a nod. "Come with me, please."

They followed the man with the wings through the twists and turns of the tunnels. They walked for hours. Then Abaddon stopped and turned to face Alex and Elijah. "We have been waiting for you. We need you to restore the country. To restore Dystopia. This is not how Dystopia was meant to be when it was created. Much like myself and the others."

Alex looked at Abanddon and saw the sincerity and honesty of what he said in his eyes. "Tell me what this is about. I want to know what has happened, and what my part is in this."

"I understand, Alex. But I warn you, this is not going to be easy to understand. Elijah, you don't know everything either."

"Okay, Angel," said Elijah, in a tight voice.

"Elijah. I am not an angel."

Alex looked towards Elijah and saw the look on his face. He has never heard any of this, she realized. She gave a sharp nod. I am the negotiator for Elijah and myself now; I will get us out of this, she promised herself; and then she took the first step, following the angel through the doors.