Leave The City - A Trench Story (tøp)

Nico And The Niners

I woke up in the eerily familiar room once more. The one I had been confined to before the submarine incident. This time the screen was taken off of the wall, leaving an empty space where the source of both my hopes and fears once was. I couldn't recollect how I got here. I tried to work from the submarine. After we were brought back into DEMA, Josh, Tyler and I were shown a film showcasing the backstory of DEMA, I couldn't quite remember everything that it talked about, but I knew that Tyler and I had gotten into a fight about it. A bishop came in, Keons. He led us to the sanctuary. Everything was fuzzy from there. I remember neon blue blurs and muffled voices. Then, black. Cold. And now here. What had happened? And where were Josh and Tyler? I sat there with my questions for what seemed like an eternity before the door to the cell opened.

It was the bishop that I recognized. "Hello." He greeted as he stepped inside. "Keons?" I asked. He nodded before closing the door behind him. "What's going on?" I asked. "Why am I back here?" He only smiled. "You had quite the episode with the neon the other day." He said softly. "The other day? How long has it been?" I asked. "Oh, not too long." He answered. "I wouldn't worry about it." He added. I only became for suspicious. "Where are Josh and Tyler?" I asked. "Yes that's what I came to talk to you about." My heart began to race. "The council has decided to pardon you for your previous affiliations with the rebel group known as The Banditos and let you live here in DEMA as a citizen once more, provided you turn over any information about the group, as well as your old friends." He explained. I took a breath. "Why me? I don't know anymore than the others." I tried to deflect. "Josh is the one who was friends with the whole group of them." I silently scolded myself for trying to shift the punishment by betraying Josh. "Yes, that would normally be more productive, however, both Tyler and Josh have refused to give us any information as to the whereabouts and activities of the group, and are now scheduled for termination within the hour." A wave of anxiety ran through my body, stinging my toes on its way out and leaving my legs sore. "What? Termination? But Keons..." I tried to protest, but I didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry young one, but they have both previously acquired an FPE badge and doubled with their consistent disobedience and refusal to cooperate, they have more than earned their punishment." He said. "But what about me? I did everything they did." My voice shook. "Ah, but I, along with the other eight bishops see great loyalty and devotion in you in particular. Your love of vialism and commitment to the neon is very impressive at your age, especially considering all of your past offences. Perhaps this is a story of a prodigal come home." He gave a small smile. "The choice is yours." He added. He stood up to leave. "But be warned, should you make the same mistake as your friends, termination will be imminent." He opened the door and began to walk out. "You have half an hour." He said before shutting the door behind him.

Half an hour was up, and Keons still had not come back. My heart thumped painfully as I agonized over whether Tyler and Josh were still alive. Finally, a door opened, only it wasn't Keons. He was dressed in the same bishops' attire, but his face was stone cold. The black paint on the bottom half of his face hid his features, but I still knew who he was. He grabbed my arm without a word, and I shivered under his touch. He pulled me out of the room, slamming the door shut behind us, and led me down a hallway. We arrived at a dark room illuminated by neon torches. I was led inside to a raised sitting area. Below us were two bodies bound to chairs. I gasped when I realized who they were. All nine bishops sat in their seats facing a side wall, and I was made to sit in what seemed to be an interrogation chair facing them. "Nico, why have you brought this other escapee?" One of the bishops asked. "For a last chance to testify and be spared." He sneered. I helplessly looked over to Tyler and Josh down below. They both looked sad, and yet brave. I felt ashamed to not be down there with them. I was the reason that all of this had happened. If I hadn't been so scared of the outside than perhaps we could have escaped again. It wasn't fair that they were the ones paying for it. Keons took over. "Well then, please tell us, first of all, how many of these Banditos are there?" I started to get nervous, I wasn't sure if this would really affect their safety, but I didn't want to jeopardize what might be left of them. At that moment, I saw something that I never once expected to see again. Yellow. A small group of people covered in yellow entered the room, sneaking through the door when the bishops were focused on me. They made their way over to Tyler and Josh and began untying them. I decided to play along, "Not too many, nothing to cause great concern, just a few." I tried to say. "Numbers! Give us numbers!" Nico demanded. It was hard to think as Josh and Tyler were just about to be freed, but I needed to keep the bishops' attention on me. "Um... I'm actually not exactly sure. If I could ask someone who was in this room" I tried to hint to Josh and Tyler to stay put for just a few minutes more so that I could join them. I glanced over and saw that they were now staying still. "Josh and Tyler would know, if I was able to ask them." I tried to suggest. "They wouldn't give us any information." One of the bishops said. "No, but, perhaps they would tell me. After all, I was their friend." I explained, hearing my own voice drop with shame as I spoke. They murmured amongst themselves for a moment before nodding and then turning to me. Nico arose from his seat and grabbed me once more, escorting me down to where Tyler and Josh were seated. They scrambled to do their best to look tied up, and the people dressed in yellow hid behind the chairs out of precaution. I walked over to them, subtly breaking free from Nico's grip. I walked around their chairs as if I were going to interrogate them. I recognized the red-haired girl from before standing behind Josh's chair. I nodded at her and she quickly removed on of her yellow tape strips and placed it on my arm. I was given another, and she took one into her hand as well. Nico began to walk around to the back of the chairs for me, and we quickly ran around to the front of Tyler and Josh, each stuck a piece of the tape on their shoulder, and ran for it.