“Where are we going?” Emily whispered as they skulked through the shadowy streets. The nights always seemed long in the city, as the densely packed highrises and tenements blocked the sun's view when it would normally show elsewhere. The whole place was a claustrophobic nightmare. Everyone lived so close to one another, but few could trust each other. It was no wonder there were so many tightly knit gangs that always roamed the streets, jockeying for territory.

Not that it mattered in the end. Gang membership usually ended with as quick an end as a casual mugging. No one cared.

“Far away from the apartment.” Zach replied sternly.

“So you don’t know?”

Zach shook his head. “No, I’ve got a few ideas. You might not believe it but there are still a few good people left in this city. Though, I’m just not sure if they’ll be able to help.”

“What do you mean?” Emily responded, and then held her breath as a gang of silhouetted figures strolled past. They didn’t seem to notice Zach or Emily, lurking in the shadows of an alleyway, so they passed by with little more than the usual aggravated muttering.

“We’ll talk about it when we find somewhere temporary to stay.” Zach murmured. “Not that I know what that’s going to be yet.”

He said that last part under his breath, hoping that Emily didn’t hear. If she did, she didn’t let on. Her face didn’t change from the creased frown that she’d worn since she found out they would have to leave.

This wasn’t the first time they’d had to move on the fly. Before, though, it had usually been because a new gang had moved into the area and was trying to extort them. Zach had a policy against supporting gangs, and had always warned Emily against associating with them as much as possible.

“Unless you want to end up an addict or dead, stay away from them Emily. Especially since you don’t have powers.” He had told her, when he saw her looking out the window at a gang gathered in the street down below their apartment one time. It was filled with freaks, and rough-looking men covered in tattoos. They weren’t the sort of people that most decent people would consider joining. Still, there was a certain allure there for Emily, a chance at kinship.

She could barely remember her parents, and the only person she grew up with as family was Zach. The very idea of growing that family and being able to trust in someone else, was thrilling to Emily; even if she was far too young at the time for any gang to be willing to take her.

Those ideals were short lived, however, as that very gang attempted to shake down every dweller in the tenement. The whole ordeal left several members of the gang dead, and Zach and Emily fleeing out of the gang’s turf.

At the time Emily had wondered why Zach didn’t just kill them all, so they could stay. It had been a nice apartment, and they’d lived there for a lot longer than they had any of the others before. She asked him about it not long after they’d settled into a new, temporary home under a bridge that night.

He’d just smiled and ruffled her hair.

“I’m strong.” He’d retorted. “But I’m not stupid.”

She hadn’t known what he’d meant by that at the time. She’d seen him break bones and smash through walls with his bare hands, and shrug off hits that would bring most people to their knees. Now, she thought she understood. Zach wasn’t impervious, and he knew his limits. If he didn’t, someone else would learn them and exploit them. There was an old saying that they used to use back in the old world; discretion is the better part of valor. Emily guessed that Zach, in his own upfront way, was always discreet.

The two of them ducked and darted still further through the streets, careful not to alert anyone or trip over the occasional addict strung out in the various alleyways. At last, they came to an innocuous looking manhole cover in the middle of one of the streets. Emily raised her eyebrows.

“We’re not going down there are we?” She asked. “Things never go well for us down there.”

She was right, Zach knew it, but he couldn’t think of any other options. There were many ways to disappear, but the sewers were one of the best. Many of the old sewers were no longer in use, and instead had been cleaned out by many of the city’s outcasts. It was dangerous down there, but in the winding corridors and twisting passages there was no better way to vanish.

“It’s not going to be permanent.” Zach said with a grimace. “It’s just going to be until we figure out what’s going on and can come up with something better. Wright will give us a hand as long as I’m willing to work for him.”

“Fine.” Emily sighed as Zach lifted the manhole cover.

She dropped nimbly through it, landing in a crouch on the hard cement of the sewers below. Zach was quick to follow, hitting the ground with a surprising amount of grace for someone of his size.

It had been six years since they last resorted to hiding in the tunnels of one of the undercities, neither Zach nor Emily could forget the dim glow of the subterranean lanterns that illuminated the drab gray of the cement walls. Saying that the tunnels had been cleaned out, was a loose way of putting the state of these tunnels. Everything was covered in a thick layer of muck and filth, and a foul stench hung perpetually in the air.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Not pausing to enjoy his surroundings, Zach turned hurrying down a passage of the tunnel. There were numerous like it, zigzagging throughout the underbelly of the city, and they all looked very much the same. Somehow Zach seemed as though he knew exactly where he was going, though, as he turned corner after corner with an obvious air of purpose.

Emily tried to keep track of what left and right turns they took in case she ever needed to make her way back the way they came, but she soon found herself completely losing track of their course. She was lost in the winding maze.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” She soon asked Zach, after mentally throwing her hands up from trying to keep track of it all. “Everything looks exactly the same.”

“It’s been longer since you’ve been here than me. I still keep contacts down here, just in case.” Zach chuckled with a shake of his head. “I’ve done enough work for people down here, I could guide us with my eyes closed.”

They continued on in silence for a time, leaving Emily to stare at the dark murk of the walls. Slowly, it dawned on her they were a little less murky than the walls where they started. As they continued, she noticed the walls continue to change, becoming a lighter and lighter shade of gray.

“Hey, do you smell that?” Emily remarked suddenly. “The stench isn’t as bad as it was just a few minutes ago.”

“It’s because you’re not as close to me.” Zach laughed, grinning widely. “But really, it’s not as bad. Which tells us we’re on the right path.”

True to his word, it didn’t take long before the thick murk of the surrounding walls and ceiling began to give way, eventually being replaced by an almost surgical cleanness. Everything gleamed white to the point that it was almost blinding. This newfound change in scenery was accompanied by a change in sound. Before, all that could be heard was the low echoing of each footstep they took, rebounding throughout the labyrinth. Now, there was a low murmuring that grew incrementally louder with each step they took.

It crescendoed as they went, growing to almost a raucous pitch, though it stayed muted and the pair very quickly discovered why. After coming to a t-shaped junction in the tunnels, Zach motioned for them both to take a right. At the end of the tunnelway they both saw a small, metal door.

As they approached Emily noticed that it was old, covered in rust and peeling paint. There was a metal strip on the front that someone on the other side could presumably pull away, likely so they could get a view of any potential interlopers hanging around outside. Scrawled across it in dripped red spray paint read the simple words, “go away.”

“Well, this seems like a charming place.” Emily remarked, as she stared momentarily at the paint. “And you’re sure this is where we need to go?”

Zach shook his head as he forced a frown across his face.

“No, I took us to the first obvious sign of civilization since we’ve been down because I didn’t think it would take us where we were trying to go.”

He then wrapped his knuckles firmly on the rusted door, the banging of his fist making a tinny noise that echoed throughout the empty tunnels.

It had an eerie effect.

As the sound drifted away down the halls, the two of them stood awaiting a response. Emily wrung her hands nervously, unsure of what to do or what to expect. Zach, on the other hand, leaned casually against the wall, a wide grin glued to his face.

“Who are you?” Came a sudden, gruff sounding voice. It sounded almost like a normal middle-aged man’s voice, but there was a slight pitch to it that neither Zach nor Emily could quite place.

Zach stepped forward, leveling his eyes with the slit in the door and peering through. He couldn’t make out anything but a blurry shape on the other side.

“Two refugees, looking for shelter. Can you accommodate us?”

“The city’s closed. Get lost.” The man grunted, beginning to close his peephole.

“Oh, don’t be like that Jeremy.” Zach interjected before he could finish. “Just tell Wright that Zach’s here looking for work.”

“Wright’s dead.” The gruff voice responded, slamming the small panel shut and leaving the pair standing alone in the hallway once again.

“Well, what now?” Emily interjected suddenly with a sigh, her hands on her hips as she stared at Zach.

“You got your picks on you?” He replied, a look halfway between disappointment and mostly concealed rage on his face.

Emily nodded, and took off her backpack. She rummaged through it for a moment before withdrawing a small black leather pouch. From it she removed two instruments resembling the kind of tools a dentist would use, and then casually approached the door.

It was locked with a large, sturdy lock. Like the tunnels around them had become, it was clean and well-kempt. That was good. If it had been rusty or damaged, it would be almost impossible to pick.

Emily went to work on the lock with gusto, gently placing the picks into the lock and maneuvering them expertly as she worked. Zach had been keen to teach Emily skills like self-defense and lockpicking as soon as he’d gained guardianship over her.

“You don’t need powers to survive in this world.” He’d told her as he first placed a set of picks in her hand. “But you do need skills and a good head on your shoulders. I can give you one, but you’re going to need to work on the other.”

He’d laughed as he said that last part, though Emily hadn’t found it nearly as funny.

Emily smiled as she worked on the lock. Zach could unlock it himself, she appreciated that he let her do it. It made her feel useful, something she almost never felt. It was so easy to get swept away in feeling inferior, having no special abilities. It was nice to be able to do something that actually had an impact. Zach might be able to smash through a building, but Emily could have tact and finesse, even if it was taught to her by someone who usually didn’t.

Emily’s smile widened to a grin as the lock opened with a satisfying click. Zach gave her an approving pat on the shoulder, as she stood up and grasped the door handle firmly. He motioned for her to do the honors. Still grinning, she swung the door open, letting out a sharp gasp of surprise as she stepped through.