Part of me didn’t want to explore these tunnels again because they were so last season of the show. Same old, same old. Literally. Every tunnel looked identical to the next one, and the audience might get tired of the reused setting from several episodes back. But the new cast of characters could bring much-needed spice to the show. I, myself, was excited for what was to come.
For now, unfortunately, it was a boring darkness for us. We ran through the tunnels with Dario in the lead, several yards ahead of us.
Not sure why he was so far away. It couldn’t be to scout ahead; Deen would be perfect for that. Dario knew the way, but that also wasn’t an explanation for keeping distance from us. Would be easier to navigate if he stuck with us.
Was he concerned that the traitor of the group would backstab him in the darkness? Perhaps Dario already suspected that there was more than one traitor.
Johann stayed with the van, driving it away in case Pino or other Adumbrae came along. Dario had left a tiny sensor by the basement door and another at the bottom of the hole to alert him if someone came in after us. He supposedly had a different escape route we could use if Adumbrae blocked the house—a bunker nearby guarded by a couple of cops.
“Why didn’t we use that way instead of having me dig?” Myra had asked when Dario was explaining it to us. “I don’t think a sleepy cop or two could stop us. And, no, Ambriel, we’re not going to hurt them.”
“Even if we incapacitate the police officers without them raising an alarm,” said Dario, “we can’t be too sure that there are no sensors or cameras in the bunker. Furthermore, there could be other people inside.”
“But if we’re using it as an exit,” Reo said, “we don’t really care if the BID gets alerted to us.”
“I don’t know, man,” said Everett. “I’d rather the BID not know we passed by.”
“The alternative exit is a last resort,” said Dario.
Our asshole leader looked very cool in night vision goggles. He couldn’t procure googles for the rest of us, so we followed him with only a tiny flashlight held by Myra to illuminate our path.
Maybe he just didn’t want us to look as cool as he did.
Can I buy night vision goggles online? Everything was sold on the internet, right?
The ghost-hunting equipment we bought when we were experimenting with Deen’s Guardian Angel had night vision mode. But that was a camera. I needed googles to wear on my head and pretend that I was a special operative or something. No need for the military type of stuff. The regular ones would probably cost like a hundred bucks.
My Blanchette form could see super-duper well in the dark, but I wanted that greenish view when using night vision goggles. I really liked those movie scenes. Made everything appear tense and scary, as if something was waiting in the darkness to be revealed, be it enemy or monster.
“I’ll buy them for you,” Deen quietly said, barely audible over the pitter-patter of our running feet.
“Wha-what?” I asked.
Deen ran closer to me, our shoulders bumping. “You’re thinking of Dario’s night vision googles, aren’t you? I think I sense it through our connection.” She patted her chest.
“No, I’m not. Though they look pretty cool.” I replied, my heartbeat quickening.
It must be a lucky guess—Deen had gotten used to my way of thinking since we were best friends. No way our Cores were actually connected. I felt nothing from her.
Deen elbowed me. “Don’t lie. I know the look you had when Dario put the googles on. You definitely wanted to try them out.”
There it was. She was observing me. Such a huge sigh of relief that I almost did sigh. I didn’t know what I’d do if Deen suddenly had the ability to read my mind. Still, I should be careful because my best friend was becoming adept at reading me. This was another reason I preferred my faces to be introverted. Yep, I was really an introvert, but I could very well pretend to be an extrovert and surround myself with friends. But that came with the risk of people becoming close with me enough to uncover my true self.
“Fine… Let’s buy night vision goggles after our mission. Perfect for our night strolls through the park.”
“You said you wanted that to be our date. Didn’t you like it?”
“Keep quiet, Obe,” Myra hissed. “Oh, it’s Ambriel and Croissant talking. My bad.”
“Don’t call me Croissant,” I muttered, my thoughts shifting to food. Was there any bakery open at this hour? I wanted a midnight snack after this whole thing was over.
“I wasn’t talking at all!” Reo protested. “How can you mistake me for them? They don’t sound like a—oof.” He fell a few steps behind us.
“Oof?” Everett repeated. “What’s an ‘oof’? Hey, what happened to you?”
“Dammit, I tripped on some crack. Godawful lighting here.”
“Aren’t you used to the darkness?” Myra asked. “It’s your natural habitat.”
“And what are you supposed to be, Little Miss Sunshine of positivity?” Reo shot back.
“Quiet,” Dario said. His voice wasn’t loud, but he spoke with firmness. We didn’t notice that he had waited for us to catch up to him. “No unnecessary noise. We’re around five minutes from the target location. Pick up the pace. We have to finish this before Pino shows up.”
Dario sprinted forward again with no hesitation. Apparently, he had memorized Auron’s map and could find his way in the greenery of the night vision goggles.
Five minutes later, we reached a fork in the path.
The way to the right led deeper into the tunnel system and onto bunkers. BID agents could be there, doing some late-night investigations. Or maybe they were having a Valentine’s Day date in the dark, a bit more than an hour before the day rolled into the next.
Taking the left path, one would eventually reach a dead end. Busting through that wall, we’d reach the PCM-made tunnel leading to the secret base. Auron mentioned that we’d enter the middle portion of their tunnel; not that much digging was required because it was the front half that would be packed with dirt.
It was time to divide our group.
Reo, Myra, and Dario went left to do the digging, all according to my prediction. Dario had to be with them to hack the computers. Whatever it was that the Professor tasked him to do. The danger to us was that our data—mine, Deen’s, and the Fletcher sisters—could be in the system. Moreover, I didn’t want the Professor to get the PCM files. I was excited to see our plan against that unfold.
Actually, the Four Bs could’ve done this on our own. The ending would be an uneasy truce with the PCM, as Auron had proposed, with both groups our separate ways until it was time to fight again. However, I wanted Dario to join in for several reasons.
For one, our mission would be way safer with Dario and the rest of the hero wannabes around, especially if the PCM had set up a trap. We didn’t have these sensors and stuff that Dario had.
Another thing was that we managed to get Dario to give us pills—Deen and Myra were saving theirs for me. Though I wasn’t so sure now of taking them.
Lastly, Professor was now aware of this group supposedly making a Purple Bloom. Would be very funny to pit the PCM against the Professor’s organization. What would the outcome be? I had no idea, and that was the fun part. One thing was certain: it was going to be a huge mess. I’d come in and rummage around for something to my advantage. That was my specialty because my plans rarely get followed.
Everett, Deen, and I went the other way, posting ourselves further ahead at the next intersection.
Our goal was to keep our alternative exit route open because we obviously couldn’t return to the house if Adumbrae came from there—the sensors got that way covered. The possible obstacle to our escape was BID agents, though the odds of them wandering nearby were lower than my height, given the vastness of the tunnel network. And most of the agents were either asleep at this time or at the side of the fresh Adumbrae attack.
Kind of convenient for the attack to happen, wasn’t it? Too convenient.
Did Dario and the Professor have something to do with it? Quite possible that their organization was keeping a few Adumbrae for experimentation. Just release one in the city as a distraction. If not them, then it was probably the 2Ms—we know that they had a way of turning people into monsters.
One last guess… the PCM.
It was weird that the sites of the Adumbrae were the territories of the gangsters.
Kelp, the lumberjack-looking, bearded ginger, distributed drugs at the beach bars on the western side of the city. While Dulce Maria sold her Chinese-sourced pills that supposedly countered seeding—probably just snake oil stuff—to stressed young professionals at the business district. The PCM pushed Kelp and Dulce Maria out for a time, selling their own brand of pills that they said also reduced the chances of seeding.
Were the PCM telling the truth about their pills? Probably not. Or they didn’t know the actual effects. The PCM’s pills might have something to do with the Adumbrae attacks, like encouraging seeding instead of preventing it.
People really shouldn’t take pills from strangers—I should listen to my own advice. Some of the gangsters were wary of trying the PCM pills we found at Overdrive’s castle.
Not sure if Overdrive already found a scientist or something to study the PCM pills. He probably didn’t have the time to do so, given the craziness of what had happened last week.
The gangsters… I had searched on the internet about the PCM base in the forest that the BID attacked.
Nothing. That was expected.
But some of the gangsters probably got caught because I did find a news article about the police searching Marsh Row for traces of Adumbrae. I expected this to happen for a long time anyway, even without that fiasco in the woods last Friday. It was impossible for Overdrive and the other leaders to stop their minions from blabbing about Red Hood hanging out with them.
Had Overdrive and the others been arrested? At least, some of them were probably interrogated. They didn’t have anything that could lead the BID to me, as far as I was aware.
“Any word from your Guardian Angel?” Everett asked. “I’m man enough to admit that I’m scared of exploring these tunnels.”
“I’ll tell you when Gabe says something,” Deen answered in a tensed tone. If she had a nickel each time someone had asked her that question, she’d have many nickels. She also wouldn’t care for those nickels, given how rich she was.
“There’s probably no one here,” I said. “The real problem is Pino. I hope the others reach the PCM base fast. I-I don’t want to meet any Adumbrae. And I… I really, really don’t want to fight.”
“Oh, yeah. You haven’t fought before,” Everett said. “Keep in mind that you’re far, far stronger than when you were a regular gal. Also, you’ll survive most injuries. The pain? It’s still there, but you’ll be able to take it.”
“I’ll detect any danger,” said Deen. “Don’t worry about it, Croissant. She really likes croissants,” she added, explaining to Everett.
“Don’t call me that,” I said. “How I wish I already had my powers so I could decide on my codename.”
“You'd better have those crystals on your hand checked by the Professor,” said Everett. “I get that it sounds painful, but it won’t be as bad as you think. Maybe the Professor can help figure out your power. I’m just suggesting, okay? No one’s forcing you to do it.”
“I’ll think about it,” I tersely said. Make them think that I was a scaredy-cat. No manipulators around here. “Is that the intersection over there?” I asked, pretending to sound like I wanted the topic changed.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Everett unzipped a small pouch.
Inside were several sensors. We were supposed to go inside each of the three branching paths, drop a couple of sensors somewhere up ahead, and rush back to the intersection. The sensors, coupled with Deen’s boosted Guardian Angel, would keep us aware of incoming people who shouldn’t be here.
Technically, we were the ones who shouldn’t be here. But I was the main character. So, everybody else was in the wrong.
According to Dario, the sensors would self-destruct and melt themselves after a couple of hours. Nifty gadget. And if someone did come along, Everett would turn up the heat inside that tunnel. Maybe a police officer or a BID agent would think there was a gas leak causing a fire somewhere. Point was, they were going to turn back. Only someone insane would continue into a concrete kiln.
And I was here for moral support.
It’s actually a smart plan, I thought while watching Everett press each metallic button to activate the sensors. I really wanted to have lots of gadgets too.
“Let’s start with this one?” Everett pointed to the leftmost path. Dario told us to move as a group so that Deen’s power would protect all of us.
“It’s much faster if we separate,” said Deen, turning her own flashlight. “Croissant and I will go this way.” She pointed at the middle path.
“But Dario said—”
“After we drop our sensors,” Deen continued, “we’ll meet back here and jointly go right. We’ll waste time if we don’t divide the task. It’ll be even quicker if Croissant handles the last path, but she’s too afraid to be on her own.”
“Hey, I’m not that scared,” I mumbled, hiding a smirk in the darkness. No way Everett would argue against Deen.
“Give me half of the sensors,” Deen said, tugging at the pouch. Everett let it go. Deen took a handful of sensors and tossed the pouch back to Everett. “Good luck there.”
“Will you be alright?” Everett asked.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Nothing’s going to happen to us…”
(Author’s Notes: Core connection or best friend instinct? That did spook Erind a bit. Now, everyone’s plans are in motion. We’ll have to see the mess that’ll be made. Thank you for your support!)