Coincidentally, five teenagers were making their way through the barricades. Like salmons swimming upriver they fought the stream of people moving the opposite direction. They darted in and out of alleys and large streets. Cars sat abandoned and stuck in traffic, some still with the engine running. Houses were empty, not a soul remaining indoors within the danger zone. The emergency forces had dragged everyone out of their residences for their own safety. Monsters sometimes grew in size, smashing buildings with ease. Where battle tactics remained static, evacuation measures changed and adapted.
The five zigzagged past the stationary traffic, running quickly with great haste. All were in sync, anticipating and responding to each other’s movements. While they hadn’t know each other for that long, the five of them had gone through a lot together. Being in tune with one another turned out to be a vital necessity for great teamwork. Now they did not get in each other’s way anymore, able to complement the others rather than hindering them.
Up front, the dark-skinned girl held out a hand, then crouched and hid behind one of the abandoned cars. Not even a second later, the other four responded by imitating the actions, all hiding behind nearby cover. Just ahead the barrier had been set up. Large concrete barriers blocked any traffic and forced pedestrians and bicyclists alike through a bottleneck where soldiers with automatic weapons stood at attention.
“Shit, there’s more of them here,” a girl to the left of the dark-skinned girl cussed, pushing strands of strawberry blonde hair behind pointed ears. She carefully poked her head out of her hiding spot to do a quick count. “Seven on my side. Spread out, covering different angles.”
“Eight over here,” a boy with wild black hair and a roguish face piped up. “Similar placement from what I can tell.”
“There’s a couple standing guard beyond the barrier too,” the dark-skinned girl added. “I don’t see any patrols on this side, but getting through here’s gonna be tough.”
“I told you guys we should’ve risked it, but you all thought it was--” the roguish boy bent his fingers into air quotes “—‘too risky’.”
“Shut up, Bran,” the blonde Biqaj snapped, “It WAS too risky. There’s no way all of us could’ve made it through, and you know it!”
“At least we had a chance there, unlike here.”
“No we didn’t! Maybe you did, but not everyone’s a creepy stalker like you! And you’re not even nearly as good as you think you are!”
Bran looked flattered and offended at the same time. “Wow, I run into you thrice in the same day once and you never stop nagging about it.” He rolled his eyes. “I told you it was a coincidence! Just let it go!”
“You were filming me, dickhead!”
Another eyeroll. “Yeah, ‘cuz you were embarrassing yourself. Couldn’t let that opportunity slip, now could I? It’s not every day you see someone--”
“Knock it off you two!” the ebony girl hissed, nodding in the direction of the blockade. One of the soldiers was glancing in their direction, frowning.
“Sorry Lili,” Bran said. It didn’t sound like he meant it.
The Biqaj, Pyrrah, didn’t say anything. She crossed her arms and glanced away. Not before shooting the other girl an apologetic look though.
“We’re gonna have a talk about this after we’ve dealt with this shit, okay? Stay out of each other’s hair until then.”
“Yes Lili.”
“Sure.”
A sigh. “Good. Now focus up.” She looked over to where an Eídisi with indigo skin pressed herself against a large trash container. “Anyce, what do you think? Should we try to find another place to cross?”
The Eídisi took a moment to stare at her wristwatch, brow furrowed. “Well, we have tried several places already. I do think continuing will maybe make us lose too much time. I feel we should hurry to minimize casualties and damage as much as possible,” she said thoughtfully.
Her four companions reacted affirmatively in various ways. Some vocal, others simply nodding. Unanimous.
“Right,” Lili said, “then I fear we have no other choice.”
Bran crinkled his nose, sighed, and resigned himself to what was coming.
“Oh no. Please no.” Pyrrah wasn’t thrilled either. “You mean—"
Lili simply nodded.
“The sewers,” Anyce confirmed.
Burying her face in her hands, the Biqaj groaned and cursed like a sailor. It took her only a moment or two to steel herself, though her expression did not mask her disgust and anxiety.
“We’re not going to stay in there for long, right?” Bran asked. “Hop in, get past the barricade, and back out?” Both Lili and Anyce nodded. “You hear that, Py? You’ll be fine.”
The girl in question didn’t reply. She was too busy practicing breathing techniques to center herself. One of her hands formed a thumbs-up, trembling a little.
“Okay. Where’s the nearest manhole?” Lili glanced around, spotting it close to the opening in the barricade, and cussed softly. There wasn’t a lot of cover, and with it being near the soldiers, it was likely they’d be heard too.
“Lilianne,” someone tapped her shoulder gently. She turned, face to face with the last member of their small group. Large and bulky, with grey skin as rough as sandpaper. He pointed to the right a ways down the street, parallel to the blockade.
“Over there?”
He nodded, slinking away more nimbly than expected of someone his size, gesturing for the others to follow. They did, though Pyrrah hesitated for a moment. Bran noticed, urging her quietly to get a move on. She nodded, breathed, and forced herself into motion.
“You okay?”
She shook her head. “No. But they’re right, we don’t have time. I can’t slow the group down now.”
“No-one’s going to blame you for--”
“They’re waiting, let’s go,” she interjected, pushing past him.
Brandon watched her for a moment, the glanced back to the soldiers. They had all returned to their posts, scanning the area for stragglers on one side and invaders on the other. Maybe if there’d been less of them… Fuck, the group really should have taken the risk and crossed at the previous junction. Releasing his clenched fists, he hurried after the others.
Meanwhile, the Ellune had already reached the hole, and was in the process of removing the heavy cover. His muscles bulged and chest heaved as he tried to quietly and slowly slide it aside.
“Thanks Yasrun,” said Lilianne, then turning to the Eídisi. “You still remember the maps, right?”
Anyce was watching the other two catch up, concern showing on her face. “Huh? Oh, yes. I do. I’ll need you to lead the way though.” She paused. “Do you think she will be okay?”
“I hope so. We shouldn’t be in there for long. Five, ten minutes maybe?” A grimace spread over Lilianne’s lips. “Still an eternity for her though. At least she’s not going in alone, that might help a little?”
The boy and girl caught up not much later, all five of them gathered around the opened manhole. All eyes were on Pyrrah for a moment, but she assured them she’d be alright. Lili was the first to enter, as she could see in the dark. Anyce, having studied maps of the sewer system would serve as the navigator right behind her. Pyrrah was next, thinking she’d feel safer in the middle rather than the front or back. Brandon after her, and Yasrun entered last, as he had the brawn to close the manhole.
So, as Yasrun pulled the cover back over the hole, the group descended the creaky ladder into the sewers. Their noses filling with stink of sludge and waste and goop. Slowly their eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to make out the rough shapes of the walkways and walls, and each other.
Lilianne led the way, expertly guiding the group through the dark using the directions Anyce provided. Pyrrah clung to the Eídisi, both hands on the girl’s shoulders. Her palms were clammy and her whole body excreted cold sweat. She trembled and was breathing heavily, but she didn’t say a word. They mostly moved in silence, safe for their footsteps and Anyce’s occasional directions. Sometimes something scurried as they approached, squeaking and chittering, and Pyrrah’s fingertips would dig into Anyce’s flesh momentarily, but the Eídisi did not seem to mind.
After maybe ten minutes of navigating the tunnels, they reached a ladder. Yasrun clambered up, opening the cover to let the light in. Pyrrah was right on his heels, racing up the rungs with desperate speed. Bran and Anyce exited after them. Pyrrah inhaled lungfuls of fresh, clean air with gusto, clearly glad to be out of the sewers. Most of the group were breathing similarly, cleaning the persistent stink out of their noses. Lilianne squinted against the light as she left the manhole, her eyes needing some time to adapt to the brightness of the suns. On her signal Yasrun dragged the cover back over the opening, then the five were off again, heading for the epicenter of the monster attack.
They’d run only two blocks before the group found its quarry. A monstrous high-pitched scream sounded from in front of them, and a large number of ugly creatures rushed out of the surrounding buildings, encircling the five teenagers.
A little taller than the average human, they stood hunched over, with large heads connected directly to the torso. Their legs were short and their arms elongated, fingers boney and clawed with too many joints. The torso was covered by a leotard-like garment, sleeveless and legless. A thick belt with a big buckle sat around their waist. Pauldrons protected their shoulders, and attached to the body through a harness that wrapped around the chest. A lot of orange-brown skin was left exposed, which was absolutely covered in swollen growths and warts.
“Petroblins!” Lilianne yelled, somewhat redundantly. She and her companions formed a tight circle, standing back to back, ready to defend themselves.
“Civilians!” the one of the Petroblins cackled, revealing the many rows of sharp little teeth inside its wide vertical mouth. The rows of eyes on both sides of the slit rolled wildly in anticipation. “Get them!”
With a cacophony of roars and cackles and high-pitched battle cries, the horde of Petroblins charged, flailing wildly in unhidden excitement.
“Let’s do this, guys!” Lilianne yelled as she fished an ancient copper Nel out of her back pocket and held up in front of her. The others mimicked the motion not a second later, having done it dozens of times before. Brows furrowed momentarily in concentration, the coins began to emit a bright glow.
“It’s Oberansformation time!” they cried simultaneously.
