Bronny was not having a fun time. The ambush had put a damper on everyone’s mood.

They had many friends die in the convoy and no closure. To make it worse, they were unsure if the people they knew were even identifiable as humans, let alone the people they once were. That was already horrible. It only got worse as his unconscious body slumped over into the hole, fell twenty feet to the cold cement ground and took several people along with him.

He had awoken to being given a piggy back ride like a toddler. His head throbbed with pain and his body was sore all over. Nothing about the situation was what he was hoping for.

They paused as he hopped off one of the men’s backs and stretched a few of the many injured body parts. Shouts of relief and joy were marked by arms in slings and shit covered body armor.

“What happened while I was out?”

They retold the story of fishing a few of their people out of the sewer and rendering first aid to the members who had taken the full brunt of his weight. Now they were just walking.

“There were a few manholes but something was always wrong with them. Tons of scratches that made it impossible to lift because they were so warped or the ladder rungs were just completely missing. Literally ten covers we couldn’t even reach. It’s been hell.”

The second in command spoke up from where he was leaning against a wall.

“Stinks like shit too.”

They all sang in a chorus of agreement.

“Radio?”

He turned to one of their specialists who only shook his head in denial.

“Alright, alright. Any idea what block we were on when we were ambushed? I was talking to those inmates when it happened so I wasn't looking at the road.”

None remembered exactly where they were but they described the things they could see under the streetlights and waited for Bronny to comb through his memory in hopes of placing them.

“Any idea which direction we went?”

They shrugged.

“Fuck.”

He brought his hand to mouth to bite at his nails only to flinch away as the stench of shit choked him.

“Ugh…well, I think we might have wandered into the experimental zone.” The squad members broke into a stream of whispers.

“Calm down, calm down. If you haven’t seen them yet, then maybe this section has already been cleaned out.”

The second in command interrupted.

“The scratches were fresh. Less than a week old if that.” The meaning behind his words didn’t need to be explained.

A sewer culling happened bi-yearly by the Union’s top heroes. The last one was almost three months ago.

“Okay then. We just need to turn the way we came, and we will make it out of their range.”

He flung his hands to the ground in a bid to free himself of the thick layer of muck that stuck to them and led his group the way they came. They crossed one of the many ancient metal grates that acted as walkways between different block’s sewage lines.

Bronny swallowed a wad of spit as he saw the long nail rakes into the concrete around the ladder. The bacteria that stained the subterranean world was nowhere to be seen on the exposed stone.

‘That….is very bad.’

He checked out his squad mates and felt his heart still. Of the eight of them, half were injured and two more were support specialists for communication and transportation.

That left him and one other person that he knew were able to fight at maximum capacity. The other was his second in command. He had a small machine gun hanging from his chest while the rest were left with only their sidearm or boot knife. Not the ideal monster hunting setup, but that didn't matter when it was all you had to work with. The ear-piercing sound of raking nails on rock froze then in place.

“Is that new?” Bronny turned to his squad with just a hint of hope only for it to be dashed into the shitty sewer waters the next instant.

“Very new.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

They all had their weapons unholstered and ready to go as they progressed forward at a snails pace.

The noises came in waves. Scratching erupted from the dark far down the tunnel only for more noise to erupt behind them with the same harsh sounds.

“That is very bad.” The transportation specialist spoke up as the others remained completely silent.

They carried on, hoping that the creatures wouldn’t make themselves further known. The sound of heavy traffic overhead stole their attention away. A sign of human life that wasn’t covered in shit gave them more hope than he would have thought.

The flowing sewer to their side was tinged a dark brown under the old safety lights that lined the tunnel. The air was stale and rancid. It was the picture of inhospitable when only a few dozen meters above them, normal human life was playing out in its mundane state.

They stopped as they reached another intersection. One way went down while the others paths fed their filth straight to the drop. The ladder was in the same state of disrepair as the last.

A cacophony of noise interrupted their brief rest. The click of claws on rock drew their eyes forward. The safety lights in the distance barely illuminated the beast they had been hearing for hours now.

Its skin was a sickly brown. The hands and feet were similar to insect limbs covered in baggy flesh. Not a single eye was visible on its figure as it opened its mouth far too wide to be a natural creature. Yellow teeth that were far too long to fit slowly revealed themselves as its lips slid open. Its chest expanded with a deep breath before blowing it out.

Far faster than they could react, it skittered back into the darkness.

“Do…do we keep pushing forward.” One of his injured men turned to him for guidance.

He held his breath. He didn’t know what the right decision was, but he didn't have the liberty of asking someone else. As their leader, it was up to him to get them out of this situation.

If turning meant they could get away, then that was exactly what he was going to do. There was going to be no point in dying when his men would soon go with him and he still had so many debts to take care of.

They turned to the left and took a few steps forward when more noises erupted down the sewer. The entire group stopped in their tracks. Death was the only thing that would welcome them if continued on.

“Backwards it is th-”

They halted in place as they came to a sudden realization. They were surrounded on all but one of the sides. They turned to look down the slope that led them deeper underground.

“Bronny, I really don’t want to go down there.” The second in command voiced his concerns as he stared into the abyss.

“Do you want to fight those monstrosities in the darkness, or do you want to at least try getting away?” He waited for any of his squadmates to respond.

They were far too skittish to make the hard call. It was all up to him.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Let's head down. Watch our backs and we will make it out of this.”

With their weapons at the ready and the tension climbing with each step they took, they journeyed into the depths of the city’s underground bowels. The concrete had groves to provide traction on the steep gradient, but their footing still felt uneven.

The journey only lasted a few hundred feet till it evened out once again. The lights were much more spread out with bouts of darkness between the junctions. Their pace slowed to a crawl as they fought through the stench.

“I think they’re following us.” The communication specialist looked around the blackness that surrounded them like he could peer through it.

"Don’t talk like that,” Bronny said as he felt the stonework to his side.

A splash to the side froze them instantaneously. One of the squad members turned on their flashlight attachment and moved it towards the water. The cracked lens illuminated a single log of human shit floating down the water-way, fully intact. They tracked it with the light for a few moments before they began laughing at the whole situation.

“Scared by shit. That's a new one.” Suddenly the light froze as the wielder saw something in the water.

“Is that a person’s face?” They stared into the murk, squinting to get a better look.

It was hard to see through the water with all of the glare and filth, but they were able to make out what looked like a fully intact human.

“Holy shit.”

“Do you think… was it the monsters?” There was a nervous tone in the man's voice as he turned to his mates.

“Take your light off the damn thing.” Bronny said with a stern voice before continuing ahead.

The short burst of entertainment was so thoroughly crushed that all they could do was act like they hadn’t just seen a corpse.

“Weapons at the ready. Fire if you see something even think about moving.” The tunnels went on for what felt like miles. The smell fell to the background as they adjusted and their eyes shied away from the stray lights that struggled to survive the neglect they were forced through.

The rusty railings and leaking concrete showed obvious signs of neglect. The last time someone had been down there for maintenance would have been decades ago.

They brushed past another intersection when one of their members shouted for help. They whipped around to see their transportation expert being dragged into the darkness. The flashlight flew up and caught the creatures kidnapping him. One of the monsters from earlier grabbed him by the back of his body armor and was rapidly running away.

They dashed after him with their weapons ready to unload on the creature. The man in its grasp flailed for his life, grasping any object nearby, much to the beasts distaste.

As it rounded a corner, one of the men took a shot, slamming into its side with the full force of a forty-five.

A spray of blue blood squirted out like a fountain, but the creature didn’t falter. It took another minute of chasing before they caught up to the man.

Bronny dived for his legs, slowing the creature down as it retreated onto a small slope. He reached his gun around and felt the recoil throw his gun to the ceiling. A horrendous scratching sound filled the tunnel as it screamed from the new wound. Bronny pulled the man down, opening the beast up to attacks from the rest of the squad.

A flurry of bullets filled the creature, soaking the pair in its sticky blood. The beast fell back with dozens of holes pocketing its flesh, unmoving as life poured from all around it. Bronny began dragging the man back up the ramp and to safety while he struggled to stand up.

“Holy fuck! I almost died!” Bronny lifted him to his feet.

“That’s twice today. Seems like we are pretty good at staying alive, eh?” He turned to look at his squad in a bid to inspire some confidence in them.

They all looked far more deflated than earlier. The full brunt of the situation finally settling in for them.

“We killed one. What’s a few more?” He cocked his pistol, catching the ejected bullet with practiced ease. They perked up slightly.

He turned to look at the body once more, swiveling the flashlight to look at it closer. His mind blanked as he saw the blood covered floor, devoid of the nightmarish creature. The light quickly flicked away and pointed down the way they came.

“Let’s get moving on. Catch be much further before we find a way out.”

The few who saw it stayed silent while the others remained perky under the faux victory. The journey was interrupted by a few more monsters that managed to silently sneak up on them while they were focused on the path ahead only for the creatures to get riddled with bullets. The frequency of clashes only seemed to grow as they traveled.

“We should have risked it up above. Now we are lost in a shit tube, running out of bullets, and getting hunted by some freaks of nature!” The second in command slowly raised his voice to the point of shouting only for several of the other men to rush him with their disgusting gloves in a bid to silence him.

“Get away! Don’t you dare fucking touch me.” He went straight to throwing fists with the other men before the more sane members could rush to break them apart.

It was clear to Bronny that all of them were on edge after the constant clashes. He couldn’t do anything to stop the little skirmish and merely waited for them to push it too far or tire themselves out.

“Stop!” The communications expert froze and turned to the darkness.

The fight instantly went quiet. They turned to the direction and looked into the abyss.

Slowly, one of the flashlights turned towards the darkness. A pale brown wall of flesh froze them all in place. Bronny’s blood ran cold as the light quickly fell from the spectacle.

“Everyone… Be quiet.” The bundle of people quickly untangled their limbs, standing up with their full attention focused down the hall.

“Back away from here slowly.”

The nightmare only a few dozen feet away in the darkness would be a sure way to end their lives. The second in command raised a machine gun in the monster's direction only for every single person to turn and give him the death stare.

The weapon's muzzle slowly fell. The entire group slowly backed away, the flashlight guiding their path. A sudden splash in the canal made their hearts drop,

A tense few seconds later and there were no signs of the beasts waking. Bronny felt the weight of the world fall from him as he turned around and the group went to follow. Their feet pounded against the slick concrete as they retreated from the mass of bodies.

In their blind dash to safety, the second in command slipped, flinging his weapon to the ground. The entire group held their breath as it clattered to the ground, only stopping at the edge of the water.

The man slowly walked over with increasingly ginger footsteps, leaning down to grab the equipment only to slip on the slimy ground as he shifted his balance. The gun crashed into the slow stream, kicking up water onto the ground around them and covering him in sludge. They watched as he took one deep breath and stood back up, letting the weapon disappear into the darkness.

“We won’t need it anyway. We are so close to finding the exit.” Bronny turned from the scene.

A single ‘fuck’ slipped from the weaponless man’s mouth followed by a loud slam. He turned around to see the rusted metal railing slowly lean towards the water as the weakened supports that held it in place fell away. A chill ran up his spine as dozens of feet of heavily corroded steel fell into the water, echoing through the tunnel several times before finally silencing. Moments ticked by. The horde only a hundred feet away remained positively silent.

Tension slowly fell from them when a series of plops hit the water from one of the side tubes. A bundle of wet wipes and massive logs of feces bobbed in the water with all of the men staring at it like it had just killed their mothers.

Screeches and moans filled the air. A strange clicking noise soon dominated the air. The sound of nails on concrete

"Oh shit."

“Run. Everyone run!”

He flashed the light backwards as he waited for his squad to pass him while he took up the rear. The wall of flesh had turned into a tide of monstrosities, hellbent on finding the cause of the noise. He took off after his men, following in their footsteps as they raced around the sewers. The sound of the monsters slowly grew louder and louder as they gained on them.

“Over there.” The transportation specialist shouted as a set of ladder rungs were illuminated by a dim bulb in the distance.

The group rushed for the first sign of safety that hadn’t been destroyed beyond use.

Bronny followed behind them with his head on a swivel. The fear of him and all of his close friends dying nearly overcoming the hope that this ladder would be the one that takes them to safety.

“The light! Hand it to me.”

He flashed it down the empty hallway one last time before handing it over.

“It looks like a manhole cover. Probably more than a hundred feet up.” He sounded slightly unsure but it didn’t matter when certain death was approaching.

“Head up. I'll be last.” He commanded them, sending the men up in fast order.

His hand went to his weapon, unholstering it and checking how many rounds he had left under the dim light. Seven bullets for a tide of monsters. Not nearly enough to make a difference in the tunnel, but maybe just barely enough to matter going up the manhole if used well.

His turn finally came as the men rushed to safety. The iron steps were small and slick with moisture, but it didn’t matter. They needed to make it work or their lives were forfeit. He rushed upwards, the first signs of hope creeping into him beyond just positive words.

‘We might make it.’ His thoughts halted as the clicking of nails on stone sent his attention down the hole.

“Flashlight!” He shouted up.

The next second, their only source of light tumbled through the air and onto the ground a dozen feet below.

He held back his swears as the light began flickering before disappearing entirely as the pale bodies of the monsters swarmed into the tight hole. He could hear their vicious claws and gnashing teeth as they climbed on top of each other in a bid to taste his flesh.

Bronny aimed his weapon down, firing it blindly in hopes of hitting one of them. The muzzle flash showed him the gruesome picture of one monster clawing another to pieces as it made its way closer to the prize.

“Only fifteen more feet.” The shout from about revitalized all their effort. Seconds more and they would at least have a chance against the horde.

Another muzzle flash and he saw they were only a few feet away. The heavy noises of traffic drew their attention upwards. The last barrage of rounds came out in a series of deafening bangs in a bid to slow the horrifying tide’s approach down to a point they could actually make it out. A sharp pain caught Bronny’s attention as one of the mongrels slashed his feet. The weapons tore through his boot with ease.

A blinding light from above illuminated the flood rising up the manhole. Bronny resorted to slamming his heavy boots into the monsters to buy them just a little more time as they rushed up the ladder to safety.

“Come on! Get up there!” He shouted as the flood grew closer and closer. A set of razor sharp teeth sunk into his foot as he slammed it down into them one final time. He jerked downwards as he felt the monstrosity pull him with its prize tightly gripped in his jaws.

He grunted as he yanked his appendage free, slicing his skin to pieces in the process. A large pair of hands reached down into the hole to free him from the tight confines. He was momentarily blinded by the bright morning light.

“Close it! Close it!” A familiar voice shouted while pulling him to safety with ease.