The Underbelly (First Draft)

The Barracks

I heard a knock and I jerked back automatically. My father's eyes widened for a moment before settling into their customary confident expression. I turned to look at the person who had knocked and I could see that it was Chaz with his dark hooded eyes looking at me with open hostility. My father grunted and Chaz moved into the bar with the slow sure movements of a predator. I knew that after I handed his ass to him on a silver platter that I had injured his pride, if I was not careful I could make everyone my enemy with the amount of people I've knocked unconscious since I got here. The slow, graceful and purposeful walk was for him to remind me to watch my back. I took his warning seriously.He turned his attention to my father, "the Surface forces are patrolling again. Two of my boys have found traces of them not too far from the front gate." My father pursed his lips, "I see, well I want them found and if you do find them, I want them dealt with." Chaz nodded in agreement and my father turned his gaze onto me and I could see a hint of the man that he had to become to save me and my mother resurface, "you don't know anything about this Merissa now do you?" I shook my head resolutely, "of course not. I have nothing to do with the Surface security, I was working in an office for the last three years after school." This was a lie of course.

My father believed me though, "good. It would be nasty if you were caught up with that lot, not only are they the most corrupt I had ever had the misfortune of knowing but the people here do not take kindly to traitors and would have ripped you apart." I could feel the inside of my palm sweating and I was desperately hoping that my father was not reading my emotions at that moment in time.He did not seem particularly enraged however and he gestured to Chaz, "take Merissa to the barracks and get her kitted up. She can start her training immediately." Chaz's vein in his neck was clearly throbbing and his nostrils flared but he asked back in a level voice, "I'd recommend against this sir, she is an unknown and that will make people nervous, especially with the increased activity on the Surface." My father looked at him coldly, "I turned back on my family once, I will not do it again, do you hear me? Now do as I say or I'll make you live out your worst nightmares for the rest of your life. " My father clicked his fingers, "to ensure that Merissa gets the best training that she can get I'll assign you to be her tutor and I expect her to be among the best of them, you understand?" Chaz nodded stiffly and turned heel. Dad chuckled, "you'd best follow him Merissa, he's a little miffed at the moment and is none too pleased to be taken down a notch or two because of you."

Lovely.

I hurried after the stalking dark man. He was halfway across the athletics field by the time I caught up with him and I was breathing a little more heavily than I would have liked. He looked at me from the corner of his eyes appraising me, "you're out of breath." He didn't have to say anymore, I could hear the disdain in his voice and I felt my hackles rise, "well I was just in a fight with a group of lunatics not twenty minutes ago and used my gift to incapacitate all of them! So I'm sorry if I'm a little out of breath!" He looked at me again, a little taken back by my outburst, "I apologise I had not meant to sound so harsh but perhaps if your gift takes that much out of you then you should be more sparing with it. The best of your younger siblings have only started to show the first signs of their own gift. We have only had your father for guidance for how the gift and since he wasn't sure how his developed and it was decades ago, it's been a lot of hit and miss... So I have no idea how it works really."

He whirled around suddenly to face me fiercely, "most of these kids have no one to turn to outside of here and I would do anything to protect them and if you compromise their safety I will end you. The boss' daughter or not. Do you hear me?" I was actually afraid and I had to swallow past a lump before I could say, "I've been alone with my mother for a long time and I have no intention with endangering the rest of my family." I felt my own temper rising in response to his, "but if you make a habit of threatening me I will end you myself." I pushed past him and walked quickly ahead, fuming.

After a few moments I heard his soft footsteps follow me and I could quickly see him walking beside me and after a quiet moment I could hear his lo voice, "I am sorry for that. I am very protective of these kids. I've helped raise most of them." I looked at him in surprise, "you look hardly older than me! Are you thirty or something?" Chaz chuckled, "no I'm twenty six but I've been here since I was fifteen helping out and most of these kids only got here about six years ago." I stopped suddenly, "how can that be possible? Most of them are in their teens!" Confusion swept over Chaz's face. I knew that I would have to elaborate and so I spoke through gritted teeth, "you know, the illegitimate children? If they were only here for the last six years how come they are older than that?" Chaz laughed and I felt myself scowl and he quickly raised his hands, "sorry but it's pretty funny that you think that all of these are Mr Funto's children!" He grew more serious, "no most of them are the survivors of gifted families, chiefly the children of the men that were in the experiments with your father."

I could feel my morbid curiosity surfacing again but it would have to wait because we had arrived at one of the many doors that lined the walls of this amphitheatre. Chaz gestured for me to walk ahead with a sardonic grin, "ladies first." To which I replied with my sweetest smile, "age before beauty." He glowered and waited for me to walk ahead but I stayed where I was. He rolled his eyes and walked in ahead of me. Ha.

We walked into a smartly dressed room. It was all monochrome, silver and glass, a very distinct masculine feel. I looked around, trying to take in as much detail as possible. With the walls being pale silver I almost missed the cameras mounted on the walls but once I saw one I saw half a dozen more. I felt that the scrutiny was a little excessive...

Chaz led me down a corridor and we passed through white corridors and automatic doors gliding silently apart as we passed through. He stopped in front of a steel vault door and I almost rolled my eyes, of course there was another bank vault door. I wouldn't be surprised if my father was the only Underbelly boss who stole more bank vault doors than money in his bank robberies.

Chaz raised an eyebrow quizzically and I looked at him blankly. He sighed impatiently, "Common Merissa, these doors can only be opened by those of your bloodline." I felt my face go red with embarrassment, "oh right, I'll do that then." I pressed my palm against the cool steel and I felt my palm begin to warm the steel and I felt a sudden jab and almost hissed in surprise. I withdrew my hand sharply and massaged my bleeding hand and looked at Chaz reproachfully but he was maintaining an innocent expression. The door hissed open and I straightened my spine and walked through.

And stopped right in my tracks. This room was packed to the hilt with weapons. I could guess some of them, like the grenades and some of the automatic guns that I have seen on TV and a few of the small handguns but most of them I had never even dreamed of before much less seen them. I felt my jaw fall open. Chaz walked past me and lounged easily against a small armoury of deadly looking blades, "ok pick something to practice with so we can get this started." I gaped at him, "why on earth would I even think about touching one of these?" Chaz's eyes hardened, "for the war against the Surface of course."

Wait, what?

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