The Phoenix Society

Chapter 12

"Are you ready?" Banks asked from where he sat in the drivers seat of the black Porsche we drove into the city. I sat beside him with my hands clasped in my lap. They had begun to sweat more and more the farther away we got from the Estate. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous to find Rider. Maybe it was because I felt like I had to prove myself to Banks and his team. Or maybe it was because I was afraid of the answers we were going to get from him. Maybe I was afraid of something he might say when he finds out who I'm working with. All I knew for certain is, I just wanted to get this over with. I looked over at Banks.

"I would feel a lot better about it if you would let me have a blade." I told him. Despite the extensive effort I spent trying to convince Banks that I needed a weapon to take with me to Sector 4, he refused saying that I wasn't ready to wield that responsibility yet. Whatever that meant.

"A good assassin doesn't need a weapon to defend themselves." Banks responded.

"I'm not trying to be a good assassin." I shot back at him with as much sass as I could muster. I couldn't help but think that just for a second, I sounded like Lillian. It made me almost throw up. "All I'm saying is that if we are going into the lion's den, I should at least have something. At this point I'll even take a sharpened stick. Its like if Spider-Man went to fight Electro without his webs. It would be a disaster. The whole city would be in danger."

"And that is exactly the reason why I'm not giving you a pellucid blade." Banks countered.

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling waiting for Banks's lecture.    

"Your mindset right now is fighting. But we aren't going into Sector 4 to fight. We are going in to find answers. We are only to fight if provoked."  He reminded me.

"Okay, then what if we are 'provoked?'" I made sure to put extra emphasis on the word so that he knew just how stupid I thought that rule was. I sure as hell am not waiting for someone to hit me first if I have the opportunity to stop them.

Banks shot me a crooked smile before stepping out of the car. "Then get creative."

I frowned following him out of the car. I did not like the sound of that. Get creative with what?  I think it's a little hypocritical that Banks gets to carry his pellucid blade around with him, yet I don't get anything. What did they expect me to do? I hope they didn't expect me to fight the Phoenix Society with just my bare hands.

"Listen, if all things go according to plan, you don't even have to worry about that. Okay?" Banks said coming up beside me.

"Whatever you say. But if I end up dead because I don't have a way to defend myself," I look him directly in the eye. "I'm blaming you."

Banks rolled his eyes. I could tell by the thin line his brows created that he thought I was being dramatic, but I didn't care. There is a simple solution to this whole conversation, and he keeps choosing to overlook it. I followed Banks has he ran down the road. Our feet pounded on the wet pavement as we moved quickly. The sun was just beginning to set. While one would think this would make our job easier because we still had light to see what we are doing, Banks explained to me that it also meant unwanted attention from bystanders watching us work and questioning our presence.

Banks stopped abruptly, almost causing me to run right into him. I looked down. We were standing directly above a manhole cover. I watched as he bent down and gripped his fingers into the two, quarter sized openings in the top of the iron cover. Banks let out a small grunt as he lifted. The soft scraping sound of the cover being removed was nearly drowned out by the sounds of the city. A small burst of hot air shot out of the hole as the cover was removed, then disappeared. I peered into the hole but was disappointed by the lack of anything visible. There was not a lot to see. The hole was pitch-black with only the faint sound of water, or sewage, dripping in the background. I scrunched my nose as the foul smells of the sewer began filling the air. Banks coughed and turned his body away as the smell seemed to only get worse.