S a l e t é I I

XXII - Cerveau - Huit

Sleeves accompanied the others as they left the factory, Captain opening the way when he saw the group of six approaching, the usual metal scraping practically serving as a bell for the door. Cassia winced slightly as she heard such a thing, as she always did, and there wasn't exactly much they could have done about it.

"Stay safe." Captain said as they walked by, his tenacious posture unchanged despite the considerate nature of such a comment. 

Cassia made sure to give him a gentle smile as they went.

The voices of those perusing the old street were audible as they crossed the courtyard, Spears quickly taking up his position as the one to lead the way, the darkness that permeated the ceiling of the underground now looming above, forming an impenetrable cloud that the lights of the district could do little to pierce. She could catch glimpses of those beyond the perimeter walls, the gate between the road and the yard - still laden with thick chains - essentially a rusted window, several stalls already running on the other side.

In the time it took for Cassia to look through the bars, Spears had already darted up to the top of the wall, where he was no waiting for the others to catch up. Sleeves watched from below as the others followed, Spears dropping down the other side as Chief climbed up, pausing only to offer a hand to the girl in the red dress who followed close behind.

"Will you come back when you're done?" Sleeves asked as Cassie took her turn to ascend the makeshift stairway, looking back to acknowledge her expectant friend. 

"I think so, yep. We can play then."

Sleeves was relieved to hear this, and Cassie felt better about leaving her for the time being, giving her one last smile as she followed the rest of the outgoing party over the wall.

Instead of taking the route into the housing district that they would normally use during trips to places like the scrapyard, Spears led them directly into the zone via one of the nearest alleys between the many clustered homes, the boy no doubt possessing considerable knowledge when it came to back roads, shortcuts and the like. The paths were often cramped, either because of the close nature of the buildings or because of discarded things like rubbish or unneeded materials piling up partway down them, but there was always enough space for them to move through in single file.

Cassia moved up when she had the chance, deciding that it was her job to stick with Spears after he'd chosen her, even skipping ahead in order to stay at his side whenever he scouted the areas that were coming up. It was a little unnerving to be at the front, though also quite exciting, the latter feeling winning out on this occasion due to the presence of the boy calming her.

The path he'd selected for them led through several less desirable corners of the housing district. Whilst none of what Cassia had seen up to then had been anywhere near affluent, many of the wider roads and paths had been clean, and she'd witnessed residents making numerous efforts to keep things clear and tidy, a sort of community spirit making up for some of the shortages on other fronts. Here, in the darker, smaller lanes and tight spaces, there had been far less attention to detail.

The metal used in the construction that now surrounded them was often rusted, or bent out of shape in places, repair work of a lower standard across the board. Wood appeared damp in places, brickwork was basic and stone was marked by wear, tear and graffiti. It felt as if the areas she'd seen before had come first and gotten the better pickings as a result, whilst these spaces had cropped up in the weeks, months or even years afterwards, making the most of a poor setup.

Residents here didn't seem so cheerful either. Under one flimsy corrugated roof, a teenage girl was huddled under both a tatty blanket and a hooded coat, her face almost entirely obscured. Further ahead, an older man was struggling to clean away some unsightly black stain from one of the walls of his shelter. Beyond him, a younger fellow was staring into a fire he had prepared, embers reflected in his eyes, his mind evidently far, far away.

Spears would always take a second or two to check each corner or turn before he continued to lead the way, ensuring that the way forward was safe, such measures always concluding just before the others caught up. Cassie did her best to help, remaining mindful of her environment as she inspected each dim path, her hearing tuning in to even the smallest of sounds from anywhere unfamiliar.

Chief and Monet had been talking along the way, openly sharing their thoughts about the destination they were now working towards, both Shipshape and Uliana joining in on occasion. Cassia didn't have much time to listen due to her focus on her duty as a lookout, but she noted that they didn't sound particularly worried, possibly because of the safety in numbers approach that Chief himself had put together. 

As level headed as Monet was, Cassie was sure that even she appreciated backup. 

Seeing as she was now with him, Cassia decided that she might as well have struck up her own conversation with her teammate.

"Spears?"

"What's up, Cass?"

Cass. That was a new one.

He'd replied quickly, his attention remaining mostly on the way before them. 

She would have liked to know his name, only she wasn't sure about how to ask for it, or even if it was wise to do so. 

Seeing as all of the factory children had their nicknames, they obviously held importance amongst their group, their real names suddenly seeming more like insider knowledge. 

Alex, Flo... Come to think of it, she really didn't know many of their actual names, did she? And she'd only heard Flo's name because Zisel had let it slip.

"Do you think we'll find something good at this new place?" She asked, concluding that it was best to stick to the task at hand for now.

"Not a clue. I've been back a few times during my runs, it seems like a decent place, but I wouldn't trust a joint until I'd seen more of it for myself. There's been areas like it in the past that weren't so great."

"In the past...?"

"Yeah. Well, not exactly like it. Nothing kinda industrial, I mean, but there have been all these folks saying they've got great gear, or honest work or whatever, only to cock things up later, or come out as weird. Seen it myself."

She still couldn't really envision any particular examples of what he was referring to. At the same time, she wasn't really sure if she wanted to be able to. She understood his point of view, and it seemed to line up with Monet's, more or less. Common sense suggested caution - she just didn't want that caution to undermine any hopes they might have had.

Eventually, they worked their way out of the cramped corner that he'd led them into, his escort providing what was ultimately a fairly quick passage, and Cassia was met with something that very nearly caused her to freeze, simply because of how unexpected it had been. There, as they left the last narrow lane, the lingering darkness that the underground so often harboured still present above and around them, she'd heard... 

Music...? 

She'd practically forgotten that it had even existed. Actual music? Instruments, songs...? It was hardly something world changing, but being reminded of it was a pleasant surprise that she hadn't anticipated at all, especially after the dingy route that was now behind them.

It seemed to be coming from somewhere further ahead, perhaps across another four or five roads or so, and so it wasn't possible to actually pinpoint its location. It sounded like some kind of dance-oriented number, something electronic, something pulsing, and her second thought - after the initial surprise - was in regards to just how out of place it sounded.

Wasn't the Red District further off that way? It wouldn't have been out of place then, would it?

The others didn't seem to pay it any notice, and so she quickly collected her thoughts, making sure to follow Spears closely again after she adjusted her backpack for the remainder of their trip. They must have been getting close, her anticipation quickly rising as her focus was sharpened, Monet and Chief continuing their quiet discussion behind her.