The squad saw infront of them, a glow of electric incandescent lighting filled the underbelly of Firmamente City with a neon glow of a variety of colors. Signs, structures and buildings were sprawling across the entire area, unbeknownst to the authorities above.
"What the hell is this place?" Kurt asked.
As they climbed down the rough ladder into the darkness, the squad saw in front of them, a glow of electric incandescent lighting filled the underbelly of Firmamente City with a neon glow of a variety of colors.
Signs, structures and buildings were sprawling across the entire area, unbeknownst to the authorities above.
"What the hell is this place?" Kurt asked, his voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space.
"Probably filled with criminals," Klein stated, his gaze sweeping over the bizarre, hidden city.
"You can't come to that conclusion immediately when we just got here, dude," Gabi said, a hint of disbelief in his voice as he took in the sprawling, vibrant, secret city beneath the city.
They walked through the narrow, winding passages that served as streets.
"How hasn't this place been found yet? Are the law enforcement here dumb? What about the plumbers or some sewer or construction workers? How has no one stumbled upon this place?" Mark said with a dissapointed voice.
"The most likely explanation is that they are using some sort of illusion or sight or light manipulation to make it look like the entrance to this place doesnt exist.
They can also be secretly bribing or controlling the people in charge of the sewers or the underground to not rat them out. In any case, we will find out soon." Klein answered.
They stood out immediately. Their clothes, while civilian, were clearly not from this place. Their posture, their weapons hidden beneath their coats, their wary eyes scanning everything – their appearance screamed "outsiders."
Faces turned as they passed, eyes lingering a moment too long before looking away. Whispers followed them like the damp air.
"Alright," Klein said, stopping at a junction where the path split three ways. "We need to cover ground, but we can't stick together like this. We're attracting too much attention."
He looked at Kurt. "Kurt, you're with me. We'll take this path," he pointed down a narrow, less-lit passage, "See if we can find any signs of recent activity, maybe someone who saw our targets pass through."
He then looked at Gabi, Aiko, and Mark. "Astrea, Aiko, Mark. You three stick together. Stay on the main paths for now, try to blend in as much as possible.
Don't engage anyone unless you absolutely have to. Gabi, you keep those eyes open. Aiko, you watch our backs. Mark, you're the muscle if things go south. Klein's gaze was pointed, "Remember the mission. Intel. Nothing more."
Gabi nodded, understanding the unspoken concern. He was still recovering, and his unpredictable power was a wildcard. Keeping him with Aiko and Mark, two of the more capable fighters, was a pragmatic move.
Klein and Kurt melted away into the shadows of the narrower passage. Gabi, Aiko, and Mark exchanged a look, a silent acknowledgment of the task ahead.
They were a strange trio the recovering Null with the strange eyes, the quiet woman with the unsettling power, and the stoic, powerful Synapse user.
They began walking down one of the main, neon-lit thoroughfares. The buildings here were closer together, some built directly into the rock walls of the cavern, others standing structures of salvaged materials.
The glow from the signs cast long, distorted shadows. Figures moved in the periphery some hurried, some lounged in doorways, all watching.
They hadn't gone far when they felt it – the shift in the air, the subtle change in the surrounding noise. They were being followed.
Three figures emerged from a side alley, blocking their path. They were rough-looking, armed with crude knives and guns, their eyes fixed on the outsiders.
"Well, well," one of them sneered, his voice rough. "Look what the sewer dragged in."
"They look like they got expensive gear," another added, licking his lips.
Gabi, Aiko, and Mark stopped, their hands subtly moving towards their hidden weapons. This wasn't just a warning; it was an ambush.
"We don't want any trouble," Gabi said, trying to keep his voice even, his eyes already scanning the thieves, reading their intentions – greed, aggression, confidence.
"Too late for that, pretty boy," the first thief growled, taking a step forward, his knife glinting in the neon light. "Hand over your stuff, and maybe we leave you with most of your teeth."
The thieves lunged.
Mark moved first, a blur of controlled power. His fist connected with the jaw of the lead thief, sending him sprawling with a sickening crack. Mark's movements were efficient, brutal, incapacitating without unnecessary flair.
Aiko reacted next. As a second thief swung a club at her head, she raised her hand. The club, made of reinforced metal, didn't just stop; it fizzed and crumbled into dust before it reached her, leaving the thief staring in shock at the empty space where his weapon had been.
The third thief lunged at Gabi, knife aimed at his chest. Gabi dodged, his movements still slightly stiff from his injuries, but fueled by a cold, familiar surge of instinct. He drew his sidearm.
The thief hesitated for a split second, surprised by the weapon. It was all Gabi needed.
BANG!
The gunshot was deafening in the enclosed space of the underbelly. The thief dropped, a dark stain spreading across his chest. There was no hesitation in Gabi's action, no flicker of doubt. The memory of his family, of Klein being shot, had overridden any lingering reluctance to take a life.
Aiko, facing the disarmed thief whose club had turned to dust, saw the look of pure terror in his eyes. He fumbled for a knife. She could disarm him again. She could incapacitate him.
But the first thief was down, the third was dead by Gabi's hand, and this one was still a threat, still reaching for a weapon. Her hands trembled slightly.
Shhhk.
She extended her hand, not touching him, but focusing her power. The thief's knife turned to dust in his hand. Then, with a visible effort, her focus shifted to his body.
She grabbed the man by the neck with immense force. It took longer, the shimmering air around him more intense. He screamed, a horrible, gurgling sound, as patches of his skin, then muscle, began to crumble into grey dust.
Aiko watched, her face pale, her eyes wide with a mixture of horror and grim necessity. She didn't stop until he was gone, a small pile of dust beside the fallen first thief.
"Why didn't you just use your gun?" Gabi asked.
"Oh."
Mark finished securing the first thief, tying his hands with a strip of salvaged cloth. He looked at the piles of dust, then at Aiko's trembling hands, then at Gabi, who was standing over the third thief, his expression hard, gun still in hand.
The silence that followed the gunshots and the screams was thick with tension. It didn't last long.
The sound of footsteps, many footsteps, echoed from multiple directions. Shouts followed, authoritative voices demanding to know what was happening. The ruckus had attracted attention.
Figures began to emerge from the shadows – larger, better-armed individuals, their clothes less ragged than the thieves, their demeanor radiating authority.
These were the leaders, the enforcers, the ones who ran this hidden city. They had heard the gunshots. They had heard the screams. And they were not happy.
Gabi looked at the approaching figures, then back at his team. They were outnumbered, exposed, and had just made a very loud, very messy entrance into a place where they were supposed to be invisible. Klein and Kurt were gone. They were on their own.
How do they get out of this? They couldn't fight their way out of an entire underground city. They needed help. They needed backup from the surface.
Backup... from the surface...
His mind raced, sifting through everything he knew about Overwatch protocol, about standard issue gear. Their mission kit. What did they bring? Comms... weapons... medical supplies... and...
Flares. Standard issue signal flares. Designed for emergencies. Designed to alert the surface.
He reached inside his coat, his fingers fumbling for the small, cylindrical object in his kit. It was a long shot. Would anyone on the surface even see it from down here? Would they investigate? But it was their only chance.
The leaders of the underbelly city advanced, their faces grim, weapons raised. Gabi pulled the flare from his kit, his eyes meeting the cold, hard stares of the figures who ruled this hidden world.
The burning flare projectile penetrate the dirt and stone that cover up the city, reaching the sky, for everyone to see.
"The hell? Is that flare made out of titanium or something??" Mark exclaimed.
The squad prepared their stances.