Raven's Will

32. Watch This City Burn

These weren't the sewers. They were more of a water drainage system to prevent the city from flooding whenever there was excess rainfall, but that didn't matter. To Jett's poor nose, it was a sewer.

He stumbled after Moxie's slender form as she led the way through the narrow round tunnels, one hand holding the neck of his shirt pulled up over his nose. Behind him came Raven; the Talon flyer's movement remained as silent as ever despite the fact he had to hunch over in the small passage.

Their flashlights cut through the darkness around them, illuminating smooth concrete walls curving around them gently. A small trickle of water flowed past their feet; thankfully it was small enough that they could step to the side of it without having to get their feet wet.

Jett played his light across the water. It looked crystal clear. Yet he had his doubts. These tunnels stunk to high heaven. No way that was clean water.

Their footsteps echoed back at them, loud in the oppressive silence. It didn't take long before Jett started to feel like the walls were closing in on him, his breathing quickening as anxiety started to build.

These tunnels supposedly carried on for miles in an intricate web beneath the city, with many branches and dead-ends that could easily misdirect anyone foolish enough to tread them. If Moxie got them lost and they died down here, would it be years before anyone discovered their bodies?

Even worse, maybe they wouldn't get lost. Maybe they'd get trapped. Jett still remembered Shann Tei like it was yesterday. The machines had come, flattening buildings, tearing a swath of destruction through populated areas. Their passage also damaged the underground tunnel systems of Shann Tei, causing many of them to collapse. However, unlike Mianka, where the underground systems were largely forgotten and unused, some of the gangs had taken to using those of Shann Tei. So the damage then had been so much worse – people had been crushed beneath the collapses. Or trapped.

Jett shivered and rubbed his arms. He glanced back over a shoulder, wondering if maybe they should have taken another route. What if the machine came and stomped all over the tunnel they were in, collapsing it?

Raven lifted his eyebrows. "What, you getting tired?" Surprisingly, there was no lighthearted amusement to his tone. It seemed like Raven was actually being serious.

The concern took Jett by surprise, and he hastily turned his head back, offering a muttered "No."

That was a lie. He felt exhausted and achy and in general, not great. How much of that was just from lying in a bed for awhile and how much of it was his poor condition, he wasn't sure. He wasn't about to admit it, though. The Kairg were stomping about above ground, and Raven and Moxie were leading an escape. The last thing they needed was him slowing them down.

"Turn left here," Moxie called out. Jett looked up to see the tunnel branching off into two. Moxie darted into the left one, her feet splashing into shallow water. Following, Jett was horrified to find this new tunnel had several more inches of water. If he wanted to keep his feet dry, he'd have to straddle the trickle of water and waddle awkwardly. Or, he could just not bother and do as Moxie did.

Jett bothered. Very much. Gingerly, he stepped to the side, careful to not get his shoes wet. Who knew what bugs lived in that water? It smells like pee anyway. He managed to get two steps, before Raven chuckled behind him.

"Don't waste your time, princess." The amused words came with a firm shove, one that sent Jett stumbling into ankle deep water. He hissed – it was freezing!

Another shove had him staggering forwards, each step splashing in ice-cold water. Not only his shoes, but soon the lower half of his pants were soaked. Jett gritted his teeth. If he had his flyer suit on, he wouldn't even feel the temperature. Nor the damp. And there'd be a proper barrier between pee-water and his skin!