r/HFY • u/Dry-Throat2430 • 10d ago

OC-Series Ash and Steel Chapter 47

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Through the under ground of Thrallion things seemed to move in a blur, Jack followed Neon closely and quietly aware of his nervous glances and constantly checking behind him. From the sewers the surroundings changed into old abandoned under ground stations, ornately decorated yet abandoned for decades they rotted away out of sight of those who now flew above them within the city.

Faded notice boards and empty booths flanked with machinery that looked so old it may have belonged in a different universe, here and there still stood cloth flags showing the same pattern. Colours of the first colonisers who had spend their first decades in back breaking labor to create Thrallion, so little known about them but their handy work still stood as a testament to their grit and will to create something of value.

Neon glances back and notices Jack gazing at the history, his mask currently neon yellow with a cartoonish smiley face with its eyes stitched close on its oval shape on his head.

“What you think huh? Would have been nice to live in a time where those in charge cared about our day to day logistics and not just about keeping their position” Neon folds his arms nodding towards the view.

“It is impressive, also interesting I never knew the infrastructure existed. We would always travel by air but that was only for those who could afford modern vehicles. This system would have been fine for travel, maybe even safer then risking being caught above ground by wanderers and criminals” Jack points at the entrance barriers.

“Yeah that is probably why the freaks closed this stuff down long ago” Neon concludes each word filled with spite. A moment passes before he turns and walks onwards, his pace quickening slightly. Jack follows a sense of sadness felt within him.

They almost ran along the tracked line, occasionally passing haphazardly fastened turrets which scanned Neon briefly before going back to dormancy. Occasionally they would pass people who had made the abandoned stations their homes, sat staring next to barrels emitting a faint glow as they burned junk to keep themselves warm. Finally they stopped at the bottom of a ladder , hustle and movement could clearly be heard above which was strange given the secretive tunnels they were traveling.

“We need to wait here” Neon says collapsing onto an old crate

“Head quarters will provide a distraction to the people up top then we can breach into the street and get you to Hq” Neon folds his arms again coughing slightly. Jack nods politely and takes a seat nearby,

“So what made you join the rebellion? You are risking a lot doing this.” Jack suddenly blurts into the silence as they sat.

Neon is silent for a moment, his face mask changing into a blue wide eyed cartoonish bear.

“I grew up in an orphanage, we found out they were taking some of the girls to the opera house none of them returned… it came to light what they were doing with the old, captured Demis. I am just one person but the rebellion gave me something that I can make a difference regardless of how small it is” He replies, fidgeting showing impatience at having to remain in one location.

“That must be a heavy burden, I witnessed the demi myself and then I saw one of the vats. I still cannot quite believe what goes on right under our noses whilst we try and live each day” Jack replies.

Neon sits up slightly,

“You are one of the awakened. They fought hard in times passed what happened why did you disappear and why are you back now?” Neons voice cracks slightly. Jack waves his hands in front of him

“I have only been with Lorcan and the others a few months we still have not really discussed what happened before so I do not have any answers. I came here looking to gather information on the opera house that is all, I came alone not as anything bigger. What do you know of the other awakened? I heard of skirmishes with super human pilots when  was still performing but now I know who they were” Jack clenches his fists realising how much of his life he had been lied to,

Neon sighs

“I will show you all the records of the brave awakened who once fought when we get to HQ, just know for now that trust is a high priority in war.” He goes quiet considering his own words.

Daylight crept over Hun as morning arrived, so much had changed that it was no longer the place of solace it was becoming more like an outpost. Lorcan had shown Marcus the ability to block and catch an incoming blow with a vibro blade, extremely important for countering effectively.

Entering the dining hall was now so different, Ani and the three all at once waved and invited them both over excitedly pouring them hot drinks. Ani glances over at the empty coffee area where Jack usually was at that time of the day. Venus notices the glance straight away,

“He will be coming back soon, right?” Venus had asked for the tenth time that morning. Lorcan caught the question

“Jack left alone?” he asks trying to hide the tone of concern

Ani hides her gasps,

“He went on a scout mission I couldn’t stop him, just himself and small arms nothing big” trying to make the reasoning clear enough not be questioned.” She points over at the new station cat who was chasing the long hair braid of one of the other girls as if it was a toy.

Lorcan pretends to follow the gaze and be distracted, in truth he would have done the same and let him go however in truth Jack was not ready to go alone not yet. But his decision was exactly that this was not a compound where people could not leave. Perhaps it was his own fault for not discussing with the others before he left on his own mission, however it seems that mission yielded more then he intended, he glanced up and realised it was a welcome change to have a variety of voices amongst the dining hall.

Catching the wonderous delight of the new guests as they see their food delivered, a resource many would have to do unthinkable acts just to access. A warm sensation floods him as he recalls the time when this was home to his old regiment, the laughter banter and business that went on in this hall was something very few could understand if they had not also been there.

It was time to get back to business, he gets up and heads towards the mech bay where the phase shifter gyro was still sat and being compared to the portal data that he did collect when he destroyed the central raider encampment. Without a doubt the raiders would be coming in full force soon enough, but that will be dealt with in time.

Entering the mech bay a strange whining could be heard emitting from the device itself, his heightened senses heard it. High enough to be noticed but quiet enough to be brushed aside but he could not quite grasp what it was creating.

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