The Archway, Part 20 (Patreon)

This one ended up being longer and darker than I had expected. I had to split it into two chapters. Something lighter and more fun soon, I promise!

Cynthia Matthews

Even knowing where it was from the map, the nearest access hatch took a little searching to locate. Felicity remembered seeing some of them, so she at least knew what to look for. From above, it just looked like a large steel plate embedded in the pavement. It sat in an alleyway between a cafe and a greenhouse, along with an air-conditioning system and a few dumpsters. It was fairly large, about five feet square, but if I had seen it yesterday, I would probably have assumed that it was a temporary covering for a pothole or something.

I glanced around, checking for more Biters. They were pretty thin in this area, but Felicity had said that they would launch another attack here soon. Sara knelt down and traced a set of fine scratches in the surface with her finger. I noted that the marks were spaced apart with a familiar pattern. It is hard to miss a pattern when it has been carved into your arm.

“Looks like some of your old gang tried to get in.” observed Sara. I mentally winced. I didn't want to rebuke Sara, because I knew it would only make the tension within our group worse. Still, I wished she wouldn't rub at such a tender area.

Felicity nodded sadly. “Yeah...” she looked away for a moment, then changed the subject. “That isn't actually steel. I'm not sure what it is. Something a Bright cooked up would be my guess. Our claws barely did anything to it.” She glanced at her fingernails, which were now immaculately manicured and utterly incapable of slicing through solid steel.

Josh knelt beside Sara and rapped on the shiny metal with his knuckles. I couldn't hear any sound. “Sounds thick. How do we get in?” He asked.

Sara looked up at me. “If there's any kind of gap, I can probably slip in. Might take a little while if it's really small, though.”

I considered it. “Not just yet. Whoever's down there is probably terrified right now. We're here to help. We don't want to seem like more attackers. Let's try knocking.”

“What do you think I just did?” asked Josh, clearly unhappy at having his contribution overlooked.

“I can knock louder.” I pointed out. He stood aside and gave me an annoyed 'Sure, go ahead.' gesture. Poor Josh. He was feeling overshadowed in this crew, and who could blame him? His special power could be replicated by any decent fog machine.

I punched the metal surface with enough force to shatter tempered glass. The sound was barely audible. Whatever this material was, it distributed force extremely efficiently. I struck again, harder this time. If it had been steel, it would have had a sizable dent in it by now.

“Halt. Identify yourselves.”

The voice was controlled and level, but obviously strained. Although it came through a speaker, it didn't sound like a recording or a computer. It came from a small panel that had just opened at the corner of the plate. It was only open a small crack, as though a tiny person were cautiously peaking out from under it. Everyone looked at me. It took me a second to remember that as the one nominally in charge, I would be expected to speak on behalf of the group. I took a deep breath and composed myself.

“Er...hello. My name is Cynthia Matthews. Miranda Hubble sent us. We were told you had wounded?”

“Miranda Hubble.” the voice repeated slowly, as though checking the name for booby traps. There was a long pause, and the sound of muttering in the background. Whoever was down there seemed to be consulting someone else. “We don't recognize that name. Did the Queen send you?”

Darn it. Miranda told me that she had received a distress call, and that she had sent a transmission back assuring them that help was on the way. No answer had followed, so she had no idea whether they had received her message. Evidently they hadn't. That complicated things.

“Er...not quite. We did send a message that we were on the way, but it doesn't seem like it reached you. Is your transceiver down?”

There was no reply for several seconds. Josh was pacing nervously. Everyone was hoping we hadn't come all this way just to be told to get lost.

“Our transceiver is down.” admitted the voice. “Who is Miranda Hubble, and why has she sent you here?”

I pursed my lips. I didn't want to lie, but I worried that if they knew that Miranda was effectively an enemy of Queen Beatrice and basically had us all under mind control, they might decide they were safer just leaving us out here.

“You sent out a distress call. You said you were under attack and that you had wounded. Miranda sent us to help you.” I said, carefully outlining the most essential facts of the situation.

Another pause. “You are Specials?” asked the voice.

Another hard one. If I told them that we were mostly Oddballs, they would know exactly where we came from, and would probably assume that we're up to no good. I again tried to maneuver around the worst of the truth without actually lying.

“Yes. Two of us are Knights, and one is a Sweet.”

“That's three of you. There are five.”

Dammit! Why didn't I guess there would be cameras around? It was such an obvious security measure. I cursed myself for not just flat out lying. They were already suspicious, and that evasive answer hadn't fooled them one bit.

“Look, I'm very sorry, but our situation is complicated. The important thing is that we're here to help you. Laura's monsters are regathering for an attack, and we need to get in there before they come back!”

Another pause. “That isn't good enough. If you can't tell me who you are and who sent you, I have to assume that you're working with Laura. Sorry.”

“I've told you who we are! We're...” I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Felicity cocking an eyebrow at me.

I sighed, and did a passable imitation of Josh's “All yours” gesture.

“Hi. This is Felicity Winters speaking. These guys just rescued me from Laura's control. They're from Special Containment. They were all prisoners held at that facility. Miranda Hubble is the one who took over that place from Cross, I don't know if you heard about that. I was one of the monsters who attacked this place. I hurt people, and I might have killed some. I'm sorry, but Laura didn't give me a choice. Miranda has powers a lot like Laura, but these guys didn't take my free will from me when they had the chance, even though they're basically under her control themselves.”

Well, there it was. Felicity had let all our cats out of the bag. Still, I couldn't fault her blunt approach. The voice on the speaker was silent, which gave me some hope that someone was listening to us at least.

“I know you're frightened right now, and I know that we're not the cavalry you were hoping for. But we're what you've got. We have Knights who can help protect you, and one us is a healer who might be able to save some of the people I helped to hurt. Let us in, and we'll do everything we can to make sure you keep your life, and your free will. I promise you, if you knew what was coming, you'd be willing to accept help from anyone, no matter how weird. What do you say?”

I had fully expected Felicity to lie her butt off, and I had to think carefully about every sentence to make sure that I too hadn't just fallen victim to the powers of a Sweet. As far as I could tell, she was being completely honest, not even bothering to hide anything or be evasive. I waited while the voice on the other end contemplated her words.

“...how can we be certain that anything you've said is true? We know you are a Sweet, and that there are Knaves with mind-control abilities active in this area. You might try to persuade us of anything.”

I nodded. I was impressed by our hidden interrogator's mental resilience. Some people would have been cowed into abject submission with just a few words from Felicity.

“Come on! If I wanted to trick you, why tell you anything as crazy as the stuff that's actually happening? I could have just said (her voice dropped into an exaggerated but still convincing squeal of fright) 'Oh please let me in! I barely got away from those awful monsters! I've been hiding in a basement for hours! Oh, they're coming! Please, open the door!' What would you have said then?”

Even I felt sorry for having doubted her, and I hadn't even doubted her. Must be nice having people believe you and take you seriously all the time. I wonder if Miranda could make me a Sweet if I asked her?

The steel panel began to lift up from the ground. Josh and I had to jump back to avoid it as it came up. The steel cube that rose into view opened along barely-visible gaps in its protective plating. Thick doors swung open.  An empty elevator carriage came into view.

The same level voice came in from a speaker in the ceiling. “You may enter, but be warned. Do not make any sudden movements, and do not attempt to activate any devices or abilities. We will know if you try anything, and we are well-armed.”

I wondered if the voice was bluffing. It didn't seem very likely that they would let a circus like this through the door unless they were in fairly dire straits. With much trepidation, I stepped into the elevator and motioned for my team to follow me. The doors snapped shut behind us, and the carriage began its short journey downward. A display of buttons beside the door indicated that we had dropped three floors, to the bottom level of whatever complex we were entering.

Josh began humming to himself as we descended. Sara lightly slapped him.

The doors swung open again, showing us a long corridor with a cement floor and cinder-block walls. A collection of thick pipes and cables ran along the ceiling. The welcome committee consisted of six armed guards. They were all wearing street clothes, most of which were torn and dirty. None of them looked like they had gotten much sleep recently. They didn't even chuckle at Jiang-Mi and I with our colorful fleece pajamas and obviously padded rears. The weapons they were carrying looked Bright-made, all chrome finish and blinking lights, and I could guess that my newfound resistance to bullets was not gonna cut much ice around here.

“Hi.” I said, raising my hands above my head. My companions followed my lead.

“Drop your weapon.” ordered a shorter woman with her dark hair in a pony-tail. Josh gently laid the pacifier ray down on the floor of the elevator. I decided it would be best not to mention our remaining Boom-Booms, two of which were tucked into the back pocket of my coat. Even if someone noticed them, they matched my outfit well enough to not seem suspicious.

“Slide it over here.” she continued. I could only assume that she was in charge here. I nodded at Josh, but he had already fulfilled her order. It slid to a halt at her feet. She looked at it suspiciously.

“What does this do?” She asked.

“That's what they used to turn me back into me.” supplied Felicity. I noted that this was perfectly honest answer, but not to the question that had been asked. Our captor stood frowning at it for a little while, then nodded. One of her entourage gingerly picked the weapon up and held it like it was a live kobra.

“Which one of you is the healer?” she demanded.

“That would be me.” I said, as though it weren't obvious. I was wearing my white doctor's coat, stethoscope, and head-mirror, wasn't I?

“Alright, you come with me. The rest of you can wait here.” I noted that she hadn't asked for proof of my healing abilities. Probably because a Sweet had told her that I had them. People often didn't think to question things that Sweets told them.

I sighed. “Is that really necessary? We still have supplies and equipment above ground, and the enemy is going to be here soon.”

“Don't test me. I would have already shot you freaks if our situation wasn't so desperate. You come with me. Your pals can wait. Now move.”

“Can I at least bring Jiang-Mi?” I persisted. “I brought her along specifically to help with the healing.”

A bright flash filled my vision. My entire body went numb. I had to catch myself to avoid falling over. It took second for my vision to clear and my ears to stop ringing.

“That was 10% power. No more discussion. Move.”

Great. Guess it's up to me to be the diplomatic one here. “Wait here guys. I'll be back soon.”

The surly woman directed me forward, then followed me at a distance. Her shiny weapon was raised in readiness, trained on my back. I understood perfectly why she would be wary of me, but it still made me feel like a prisoner, and walking though an underground labyrinth of concrete corridors did not help that feeling.

I marched forward through several long tunnels with occasional steel doors leading off. Closed access panels, pipes, and odd electronic devices I couldn't recognize were all around me. A roaring sound was coming from up ahead, as though there were huge waterfall nearby. I was surprised by how long the walk was. The town above wasn't that big. How much underground infrastructure could it possibly need?

“How much further?” I asked.

“Shut up.”

Okay then. We continued until the tunnel suddenly opened up into a much larger chamber. It was filled with what I could only guess was the water-treatment facility. It was all giant pipes and huge cisterns. It was clear now where that roaring noise was coming from. The machinery was so loud, I couldn't even hear whatever impolite comments my guard was making. We progressed along a series of catwalks that passed over the machinery, branching off frequently to allow maintenance staff to reach it all. Above us, I could see people on the upper floors looking down from higher catwalks. I guessed that most of them were Normals who had managed to reach shelter here before Laura's monsters could catch them. What must they think of me, stomping into their tense survival scenario in my fuzzy green footie pajamas?

I had to keep turning around to see where the guard wanted me to go next, which was very awkward. At length, we passed through the facility and into another narrow corridor.

“How much water do you process here? And why?” I asked.

“I've had about enough of your questions. You're healer, not an inspector. The hospital is on the left up ahead.”

I reached for a door handle. I received another painful shock from her raygun for my efforts.

“The next left.” she growled. I muttered under my breath as I tried again. This door was actually labeled “Medical”, but how was I supposed to see that in the dim light? Seriously, some people act like anyone who sets foot in an area that they are familiar with must be equally familiar.

Inside, I had to take a moment to come to terms with what I was seeing. The medical bay had a total of thirty-two beds laid out in an eight-by-four grid. It was clear that Brights had been involved in the construction of this place. Several automated trays were moving among the rows, conducting scans and administering injections. The beds looked very advanced. If the number of blinking, colored lights was any indication, the occupants looked to be in good hands. Unfortunately, the occupants themselves told a different story. Some of them looked like mummies. Much of the skin that wasn't covered in bandages was purple or even black with bruises, and many of the less severe wounds looked like they hadn't been treated at all. In many places I saw blood soaking through bandages in a now-familiar pattern. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

“Where are your medical staff! This place is deserted!” I whispered fiercely. I didn't think any of the patients were conscious, but I didn't want to alarm them if they were.

“We only had a few doctors in town to start with, and the monsters got most of them before they could return here.” said my guard. It sounded like she still wasn't completely convinced that I wasn't one of the enemy. “Can you help them or not? If you can, I suggest you get started...right...now.”

The last two words were drawn out, and the implied threat in her voice was clear. I looked through the patients, searching for the one whose condition was most serious. It was a heavily-contested position, but I quickly focused on a man whose bed was making a particularly urgent beeping noise.

I swear, I only hesitated for a moment before laying my hands on him. I braced myself for the pain.

It was far from being an enjoyable experience, but it wasn't as bad as it once was. As soon his pain became mine, a sweet, soothing feeling of relief followed it, so I only had to endure an instant of what this poor guy had been suffering through for hours. Healing actually feels a lot like being healed. I tried to inhale and exhale through my nose as I felt bones meld and muscle tissue knit together. In a moment, I was gasping for breath, but I was standing over a fully restored patient.

He groaned and rose to his elbows. He looked tired and stressed, but it was clear from the way he was moving that he was no longer in any pain. His eye settled on me. He pulled the bandage off his other eye to get a better look.

“Uhhh. What...are you for real?” he asked. His eye was glancing downward.

I shook my head to get the cobwebs out. “Yeah, you're good. Next patient.” I said turning my attention to one of the other ominously-beeping beds. He had taken a lot of my energy to heal, but I was ready for round two and then some.

“Hold it right there!” ordered the guard. I sighed and raised my arms again.

“Carol, what's wrong?” asked the now-healed man. He stopped removing his blood-soaked cast when he realized that he was in the middle of a hostage situation.

“You too, Eric. Everyone stays where they are until I've confirmed a few things. First of all, are you sure you are completely healed?”

He stood, and began checking his joints and wiggling his fingers and toes. “Yeah! I'm good as new! That is some kinda power, Ma'am. Are you an Esper? I didn't think they could do stuff like this.”

“They can't.” I politely informed him, although I gave 'Carol' an angry look as I spoke. “I think I'm technically an Oddball.”

He sat down on the bed again and continued disentangling himself from the bandages. Judging by how easily he tore through them, I guessed he was a Knight. Most of the patients here probably were, I reflected. All the Normals would have turned into Biters when the Sirens caught them.“Technically? I thought Oddballs just had garbage powers.” he said.

I thought briefly about Megan, who had been known to eat chunks of styrofoam for lunch until recently, and who now happily subsisted on used diapers.

“I'm gonna tell Josh you said that. He'll be very hurt.” I said, to the amusement of no one other than myself. “Now, can I please get back to work? I think I can manage most of these injuries, but I'll need Jiang-Mi to recharge me before too long.”

Carol's eyes narrowed. I suspected that she might need glasses.

“Eric, how are you feeling right now?” she asked, rather repetitively.

“I'm having a pretty shitty day, since you asked.” he replied, seemingly put off by her expression. “I got ripped a new one by evil knife-finger ladies, and a lot of good people have been turned into monsters. Can't this all wait until Carl and Phyllis are healed? Why are you holding the magic lady up?”

“I want to know if she did something to your mind! She escaped from Special Containment! She's been brainwashed by some kind of super-Oddball into...that!”

She indicated my outfit. Why do people have to be so preoccupied with how I dress? This is my favorite outfit! If I'm not supposed to walk around in diapers with a lab coat and head-mirror, then why would Miranda have put me in them?