Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~TWENTY NINE~

~amelie~

Our journey takes just over half an hour. Thomas' portals take us instantaneously from one place to the next, but his range is limited and we can't jump that far at a time. But, for the first time in a while, I find myself enjoying the ride. Thomas talks about his friends and family, and his powers, and the time we take doesn't seem to last as long in his company. All too soon, we're approaching the camp, with guard towers and huge gates stretching up into the sky. Uniformed soldiers patrol every inch of the fortress, and our only cover - the only cover for a mile - is a small hill. That's all that's concealing us from countless, armed, guards. I swallow. This is bigger, and more secure, than any compound I've been to yet.

Thomas notices. "You alright?"
"Yeah," I say, biting my lip. "It's going to be tricky to get in, though. I'm pretty sure I'll have a huge fight on my hands, and..." I might not be able to win. I don't say that, though.
He smiles at me and points to a small patch of grass near our feet. I frown. "We came here once before, to try and get some information - it didn't work, of course. We weren't prepared enough. But we found a secret exit, one that most people probably don't even know about."

He reaches down, and I stare as he grabs hold of an innocent-looking tuft of green and tugs. Instead of the grass ripping out of the ground, though, there's a slight clunking noise, and with a grunt Thomas heaves the ground up and reveals a hole leading into darkness. A small ladder clings to the side, rusty and weak-looking. I raise an eyebrow, and he shrugs.

"It'll do. Probably."
"How did you find it?" I ask.
"Long story. Fireworks, echolocation, rocket launchers... you know, standard stuff."
"...Right."
His eyes twinkle as he says, "I'll wait out here for you if you want, and get you away after your super-secret mission."
"Thanks."
"Go on then," he replies, gesturing to the hole, with a huge grin plastered on his face.

I give him a glare as I enter the shaft and slowly clamber down the ladder rungs, each one creaking under my weight. Rust flakes fall and spiral down into blackness as I go, and I grimace. But I carry on, trusting Thomas, and gradually I descend into the darkness. My feet suddenly touch hard ground and I stumble, disoriented. Thomas' voice floats down to me.

"Are you down?"
"Yeah," I say softly, not quite sure if I can be heard from the camp. "Where now?"
"Turn around and walk until you hit a wall, and then search for a hole above you. Pull yourself in - it's a tunnel," he explains. "Just crawl along until you reach the end. It drops into a storage room."
"Okay," I reply, but I'm suddenly doubtful. How have the guards not found this secret entrance? It's the most secure camp in the country. I don't know how this vulnerability hasn't been detected yet. But I need to carry on, and find the list. So I say, "Thank you."
"No problem," he replies. "Make sure you come back out, okay?"
"Okay. Come find me if I'm not out in an hour."
"You got it."

My nerves eased slightly, I take a deep breath and turn. I hold my hand in front of me, not wanting to smack my face into the wall, and I begin to walk. After about thirty paces, a rough surface hits my hand. I reach out with my other arm, searching above me, and suddenly my hand catches a ledge. I dig my fingers into the unforgiving rock wall, and with a grunt I heave myself up and into the hole and the tunnel beyond. Immediately, my back scrapes against the uneven ceiling, and I wince, lowering myself down to my stomach. Thankfully, the tunnel's floor is relatively flat and smooth, so I'm able to pull myself along on my belly with little pain or risk. It's only then, travelling slowly through the cramped tunnel, that I truly grasp just how pitch black it is. I've never  been in such overwhelming darkness, and I feel slightly panicked as the journey starts dragging on endlessly. But I tamp down my unease as best I can, knowing it will only hinder my progress.

Eventually, a soft glow brightens the tunnel. I squint to see the end of it, and the pinprick of light there grows slowly into a coin, then a disc, and then I'm blinking in the light of the camp and looking around. There's a grey slab in front of me, blocking the way out, so I carefully slip out of the tunnel and edge around it. Suddenly, I'm in a small room, packed with equipment. I can see spare guns, boxes of tranquillisers, handcuffs, and, most importantly, a thick metal ring with several keys hanging off it. Thomas wasn't mistaken - I've reached the storage room. I turn, and see a tall grey cabinet. The cabinet that must have been in front of the tunnel. I make a mental note to come back here when I have the list.

There's a sturdy-looking door on the opposite wall, silver handle beckoning to me. Quickly, I cross the room and grab the keys, slipping out of the door quietly. I scan the corridors stretching out either side of me, which are thankfully free of guards. I tap my left forearm, and watch the green lines spread across my suit. I can see the way to the prison hub, and I have to go left. So I start walking, creeping along, sticking to walls and checking before every turn I make. On my fifth turn, I spot a guard patrolling in the corridor. I try to retreat, as quietly as I can, limiting my speed. Then, he turns.

The guard sees me and his eyes widen in anger, and he launches himself at me, fist outstretched. It catches me in the stomach as I return the blow, but all I do is make him stagger, and he lashes out with a heavy kick. My legs buckle and I fight to stay upright, enlarging and swinging my fists wildly. He jams his elbow into my throat without warning and I retch, falling to the ground, my neck sending shooting pain all over my body. I can't breathe. But as the guard bends over me, preparing for the finishing blow, I have enough energy to lash out as hard as possible at the vulnerable spot. The guard makes a wheezing noise and collapses just like me, and as I start taking horribly empty, quick breaths, I smash my own elbow against the side of his head. He crumples and collapses, and I stay on the floor for a few minutes. Once my breathing returns to normal, although my throat still feels painful and constricted, I bend down to touch the crumpled body of the unconscious guard, and while my suit ripples to recreate his uniform my body changes too. We're exact duplicates. I quickly look around for somewhere to hide the body, but the corridor is bare apart from a collection of cell doors. The jail across from me has a slightly opened door, and I realise someone must have been taken from it recently. It hasn't been locked again yet. So I check my surroundings and drag the guard across the ground, reaching the cell quickly. It takes no time at all to shove him inside and slam the door closed, and it gives me a sense of grim satisfaction. I rub my neck, the pain fading slightly, and carry on.

The hallways are empty apart from the many patrolling guards I pass. I ignore them and they blank me, and for once I'm glad this system requires the prison guards to appear emotionless. Every few turnings, I give my left forearm a subtle tap and the map scrawls across my arm, all lit up in neon green, then fades. I'm only three corners away from the prison hub, from my destination, when I notice it. The absolute lack of any people. They're not everywhere all the time, but I've been seeing guards at regular intervals since I entered the compound. Now, the hallways are eerie, silent, and empty. The only life is huddled in the cells lining the walls, desperate and helpless. Regret fills me that I can't do anything for them.

My steps immediately slow and my body kicks into stealth mode. I creep the last few corridors without seeing anyone else, before I reach the last turning. I touch my map and it lights up, confirming my suspicions - the prison hub is directly to my right. I can't hear anything, which intensifies my worries. This is usually the biggest part of the compound, and it should be the noisiest - not even from talking, but just from simple movement. I risk a peek round the corner, and I'm greeted with a small pile of guards lying in a heap on the floor. Horror rises in me, and for a moment I think they've been murdered, but then I notice their steadily rising chests. Unconscious, then. I try to look a little further, but then I catch sight of a person dressed all in combat black typing on a massive, wall-spanning screen.

Whatever's happening, it can't be good.