A Call To Scavenge With ICYSTORM

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Icy's Slave

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There shouldn't have been a need to rush. No need to push his way through the early morning crowd. After all, the city system is the way of the future. The new world order designed to maximize world efficiency. However, in a world that values efficiency, it has no tolerance for those who bring nothing to the table. This is the point that had him running through the morning crowd. The last of his supplies were ready for his longest excursion outside the wall yet. A dangerous plan but at this point desperation was too high for him to consider the risk. He simply could not afford to fail. As he pushed his way through the shop's door, a familiar voice called him. "Simon, good to see you again. Your gear is all packed up in the bag you left us." He walked over grabbing the bag and dropping his cash on the counter. "I'm already late. The gate closes soon. Thanks for the quick work!" Was all he could shout as he bolted out the door, the store keep muttered good look as the man made his exit. A young man, far too young for his profession but some must choose a life of danger before they are old enough to truly know what is at stake.
 
Morning light crept through the cracks of a badly boarded up window on the second floor of an abandoned house. The few rays that shone through were enough to gain a picture of the room itself. Dust covered the floor, cobwebs lined the ceiling, and the only piece of furniture in the room was an old beaten up couch. On that couch lay a man in his early twenties. Black hair covered his head with one side of his bangs longer than the other. The longer bangs blended into blonde at the tips. His body was well-built, because even though he came off to be lazy most of the time, he made sure to stay in shape since that is what both he and the ladies preferred.

Footsteps downstairs caused the man groaned and blink open his eyes, revealing dark blue irises. Again? This was the second time this week that the wardens have broken in. They suspected someone was here, but he had never been caught and for good reason. Getting up, he hopped up onto the couch and jumped, his hand hitting the low ceiling enough to push part of the ceiling out of the way. With another jump he grabbed onto the edge and began pulling himself up, but before he could make it up the wood he was holding onto broke. Falling back, he hit the edge of the couch and dropped to the floor.

Pushing himself to his feet, he shook off the daze the fall created and looked around. The one window was boarded up, so the only way out was the door, and the people below were bound to have heard him fall. Shit. One little mistake was all it took for everything to go downhill, and this might be that mistake. The conversation with his friend from the night before ran through his mind.

"Ye can't keep this up, Seth. They know ye are here, and ye will end up caught one of these days. What are ye gonna do then? It is either execution or banishment, which is pretty well the same damn thing as execution. Whatever ye may thing these are no' yer streets. Just find something simple ta do."

"I'd rather not take orders from someone else. This is my life, and I will live it however I please. I have been living on these streets for over ten years and have not been caught. I'd say these very well are my streets. I know what I am doing, Drustan. Do you really think I am going to get caught?"

"Aye. Just because it has not happened yet does no' mean it won't. And we both know that ye are no' exactly pleased at the way yer life has been so far. Doona do this. I donna wanna to lose my best friend, so just think about it. Alright?"

Seth had thought about it, but he hadn't changed his mind, and now here he was about to get caught. He could always agree to become a better citizen, but no way in hell was he going to allow someone to tell him how to live his life. He wasn't going to allow himself to get caught without a fight either, though.

When a shadow appeared he raced towards the door, but before he could make it to the opening one of the wardens turn the corner, and the next thing he knew he was face to face with the barrel of a shotgun. He glared defiance at the warden over the shotgun barrel as another came and walked behind him. Hands on his arms caused him to start struggling, but with a grunt he quit when a hand beat him across the head hard enough to cause his vision to blur.

"Dreary fuckers aren't you? Sort of like myself maybe." While the wardens were clad in gray armor face shields, Seth wore a tattered black shirt and faded jeans. The comment earned the cuffs that had just been put on his wrists to be tightened, and he held back a sound of pain. He stayed silent as he was led out of the place that he had come to call his home, but once they were out of the house he reared back in hopes of catching the warden behind him off guard enough for the grip the guy had on him to loosen enough for him to get away. Instead of catching the guy off guard, something struck the back of his head and he slumped to the ground. In a now semi-conscious state he felt his body being dragged along the ground to whatever fate awaited him.
 
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It wasn't that long to reach the sleepiest gate to the outside world. Only an hour jog from the store to southern edge of town. On the northern edge was the main gate that was large enough for multiple vehicles to pass in an out at the same time but was always jammed down with security. It was the same gate that his mentor had taught him to use. Of course the Wardens recognized him, use a gate long enough and often enough and patterns will emerge, with a subtle nod as they strolled out of range of the surveillance equipment. "How is life treating you, Simon?" The Sergeant who had complete control of the gate and that was the way he liked it. But it wasn't all bad. Simon simply smiled as he placed his bag on the table and pulled out his weapons. "My Parents had to retire. I was able to move them in with me to cut costs but I still have to pay the extra taxes." A small sigh was the only sign that this troubled him. The Sergeant had already removed his helmet after they got to the table. His brow furrowed as the concern crossed his face. "I can speak to the Commandant, he could grant you an extension." Simon nodded as he said. "Thank you but I have already tried. Between my parents and my son, I owe too much to let this slide as well." He sighed but a slight smile formed as he pulled out a package bound in leather and string. "You said your youngest was fascinated with pre-war trains. I managed to rummage up a few things for him." The old warden smiled as he opened the package to reveal a pre-war book and model train. "You never forget to bring a gift do you?". Simon smiled as he pulled out a small bag of coins for the rest of the Wardens. The Sergeant smiled as he tapped a few commands on his data pad while scanning Simons wrist ID. "You've done good by us. The Commandant said it would be alright to give you this. As for your fee through the gate, I'll cover it." Simon looked up and cocked his head to the side. "Thank you but you don't have to do that." He said as a large handgun was dropped into his hands. "Its an old .45 pistol. We raided a bandit warehouse when we found it. I hope that it keeps you safe." The sergeant said as he dropped a pouch of magazines on the table. Simon managed to hold back some tears as he nodded a thank you. "I'll be back in 2 weeks." Simon said as he strapped on the new sidearm. The Sergeant nodded gravely. That was twice as long as most had done but risks had to be taken.
 
It felt like hours, but was probably only minutes, until Seth was able to open his eyes, and it took a minute after that for his vision to clear enough to see. The ground passed beneath him as one of the wardens continued to drag him, the other no doubt following behind. That blow had hurt. If it had not broken the skin, then there would at least be a bump for quite awhile. Just what he wanted, a physical reminder of his failure.

His eyes moved up to look at the back of the man who had a hold on his arms, which were starting to feel sore. It would have been more fun if he was being drug by his hair. At least then he would have had endless quips to piss them off with. The man did not seem to be paying much attention to him, so if only he could get his body to move. His head tilted a bit and his fingers twitched, but it was taking awhile for the rest of his body to come to it's senses. Tackling the guy was out of the question, so he could do nothing but wait and see where they were taking him.

It was another few minutes until the came to a stop, and looking around Seth noticed a third person. The new guy reminded him of the wardens, but with a higher status. The commandant.

"We caught the one that has been hiding in the abandoned house over on Luckdey Street. Now it can finally be tore down."

What? Anger sparked Seth's features. "That's my home." They couldn't tear it down. There were times when he had to avoid the place, but for the most part he had stayed there since running away. He couldn't imagine sleeping on anything but that beaten up old couch. He had grown attached to the run-down building. He looked up at the guy who decided to speak again.

"That place should have been tore down long ago, but it kept getting pushed aside for other projects. Then when we realized someone was hiding there we decided to catch whoever it was first. It is easier to catch someone when you already know where they are. I don't think you should be worrying about a hunk of wood. It would be much wiser to worry what will happen to you."

"That is the problem with society. Always telling people what they should and should not do." Seth grit his teeth when a hand gripped his hair and pulled back. He forced the corners of his lips up to give a cocky grin. "My hair is the fastest way to turn me on, so if that is your goal you are doing a pretty good job of it." The grip tightened and the hand jerked back, causing him to let out a soun of pain, almost a scream. When the hand released him he hung his head.

"After that, you are lucky I am giving you a choice in what happens to you. Don't push your luck. Would you rather be executed or banished?"

Seth looked up at the commandant, his eyes hard. "Execution would be too quick of a death, don't you think?" His voice was borderline monotonous. He watched the commandment give a nod, and one again he was taken away, this time with the wardens on either side of his with a hold on his arms. He stayed silent, and for the most part kept his head down, but something caused him to look up. Scanning the area, he spotted Drustan, and it felt like his heart was breaking. He wouldn't let a stupid wall keep him away. He would be back. He told Drustan this with his eyes, and didn't look away until his friend was out of sight. Once again he put his head down, this time not looking up until they reached the gate.

The warden on his left side gripped his arm and held it out to one of the guards at the gate. It was as if the guard new exactly what was going on by reading the expression on the warden. The guard held a device over his arm, and he felt a small stab of pain as the chip in his arm was fried. With that task complete, the guards opened the gate and the next thing Seth knew was that he was tossed out, the gate closing shut behind him.

Standing up, Seth didn't bother brushing himself off before he threw himself at the gate with a loud roar. He had to get back inside. His fists beat against the gate, and sounds of anger continued to escape him. These actions would not help him get back inside, but it was helping to release some of his anger, although that anger was quickly replaced by a pain in his chest.
 
Simon had only been walking for a half the day as the winds began to pick up. It was a soon a whirling windstorm that simply pulled at his clothes while he crossed the grasslands. It was the scorched lands that turned into whirling storms of dust and sand. This area was several mile wide and so many miles long that most stopped trying to map it. He didn't have to traverse the whole barren waste. Just cover a decent half. His goal was his scavenger stash. His last stash left on the outside of the wall. Most of his gear had already been raided by bandits or less reputable scavengers. He pulled up his scarf and tightened it down as he put on an old pair of shades. His mind shifted as the winds lulled long enough to hear the roar of a poorly kept engines. The only word that filled was blurted out with a curse "Bandits." He spat the word as he picked up his pace. His feet gouged into the sand and loose grit that formed the soil beneath his feet. His target was an old machine shop that was in the industrial district. He pulled himself through a small window. The light barely entered the sunken building. His boots thudded as he landed on the grate flooring. He followed a usual path through the building and into the generator room. It was stripped bare except for a small generator, a can of gas, and two chests of decent size.

This is the time when he dropped his walking gear and picked up his work kit. He dropped his heavy pack and pulled the key out to unlock the chests. His wasn't the largest man on the planet. He was a lightweight who valued his speed and agility. He pulled a light vest and small pack of water out. His usual was a pair of worn cargo pants and a button up long sleeve shirt to protect himself from the wind and carry all that he needs. He pulled on the vest and checked that his ammo was still in place. Large rifle rounds that had helped him drop some of the heavier bandits. He also reached in and grabbed out a very short bolt action rifle. He picked a magazine and insert before raking the bolt and loading a round. It was scout rifle. Short light and accurate and had enough punch to make most things think twice. He also pulled out a gas mask and a pack of spare filters that he lashed onto his belt. The last thing that he pulled from was a massive fire axe that he slipped into a custom holder that allowed for quick retrieval but kept it with him. The last thing he did was pull out the pistol and make sure it was loaded and a round chambered. This is when he eased back into the corner by the door. Lights off, chests locked, one way in, one way out. He eased into a nap as he waited for night to fall. The winds faded as his hands cradled his rifle. Rest came easy but not without weariness.
 
Seth attacked the gate until his limbs were sore and his voice hoarse. Nothing had changed since he was thrown out, and nothing would change if he continued to do what he was doing. He could always wait for the gate to open again, but then there was the chance of meeting someone coming into the city, or else if someone was coming out there was a big chance he would be shot on sight. The odds were against him, so it was best to leave this area, at least for now.

Giving the gate one last look, he turned to barren wasteland in front of him. He could see nothing of use in the area in front of him, but it was likely that the terrain was the same around all the city. He would only waste time wandering around the wall, so his best bet was to go forward. With no items to his name. No food, no water, no weapons, not that he really needed a weapon, but a knife would have at least been nice. Compared to the lack of food and water, the weapon was the least of his concerns. Without those two essentials he would not last long. He could only hope that there was something ahead that was out of sight.

He took a step away from the gate, and after that first step it became easier. All he knew and all he wanted was on the other side of the wall, so he would be back. There had to be a way to get back inside, and he would find it. For now he needed to find people, because where there was people there was food and water. He had been stealing all his life so hopefully those skills would come in handy and help him survive. If not, well, then he would be at the mercy of whoever caught him.

His feet continued to lead him straight ahead, or at least he thought. After awhile everything started to look the same so it was hard to tell what direction he was now going in. The blowing of the wind was harsh, and he had no way to keep the sand out of his eyes and mouth, and soon his mouth became dry more from the sand than the heat. He had no idea how long he had been walking, but he was about to turn back and hope his tracks would lead him all the way back to the city when he saw a building. It did not look very promising human wise, but at least it was shelter, and that is something he needed as much as food and water, especially with the darkening sky.

Heading towards the building, he walked around it some, but it looked like the only way in was through a window, so he crawled in. The place seemed to be stripped bare, but maybe he would get lucky and there would be something to sleep on in one of the rooms. He began his search, but it was not looking hopeful on his part. There seemed to be nothing here. That meant he would have to hope he could find his way back to the city and then find some way to get supplies.

With a feeling of hopelessness surrounding him, he continued his search and soon came along a dark room. He waited a few moments for her eyes to adjust enough to see an outline of his hand in front of him and then began to feel around for anything useful in the room. After a few seconds of searching his hand touched something and he started to feel hopeful again. It felt like a chest, but when he tried to open it, it was locked. He began to fiddle with it to feel what kind of lock it had. If he could find something small enough then he should be able to pick it, but first he decided to check the rest of the room. If there was one chest, then maybe there was more in this room. Turning, he began to feel around for more.
 
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His ears perked as the door opened. His eyes were adjusted to the darkness and the movement zeroed him in on what had entered. Or more accurately, who had entered. When the shadow moved towards his chests, his stomach dropped. He wasn't about to be robbed while he sat there and watched it. He slowly eased his right hand out of its pocket while his left thumb cocked the hammer on the pistol. It echoed across the room but the second sound drowned it out. He struck the top of the flare and it hissed to life, blinding the room as he tossed it beneath the feet of the intruder. "Mister." He said quietly. His voice smooth and easy. "I don't know about you, but I'd be real careful about moving fast or take another step towards another man's gear." His eyes glowed slightly with bright red glow as well as the tip of the pistol.
 
Seth closed his eyes to the sudden light. That second of blinding brightness had hurt, but the way the man spoke, or more that he had spoke, told him he was not in immediate danger, so he took a few moments for his eyes to recover. If the man in the room had not spoken, or had spoken as if he was going to attack without a thought, then Seth would have pushed past the pain of the light and jumped into action without a care of whatever weapons the other might have.

His eyes slowly opened and he soon became used to the light and was able to look at who had spoken. He was looking at a man who seemed to be in his mid to late 20's. A little older than himself. Age did not matter, though. What mattered was what weapons the man had and how willing he was to use them. Seth had no problem using knives or guns, but his weapon of choice were his fists, because he found using weapons in most fights was cowardly.

The pistol in the man's hand caught his attention, and he looked to the man with raised eyebrows. Was he suppose to be frightened of that? The right side of Seth's mouth curled up and he tried to laugh, but the sound came out as more of a harsh rasp and pain shot through his throat. The half smile dropped and he forced back the pain. He didn't need this guy to know how he felt, although once he spoke the man would no doubt guess.

Seth's dark blue eyes locking onto the man's own eyes. "You plan on shooting me if I do either of those things?" His voice was just as harsh as the sound that had came out of his seconds earlier. Walking through the wasteland without water was a big cause, but having shouted earlier until his voice was hoarse hadn't helped.
 
"You might feel differently about having to shoot someone if people were not just expecting you o come home but needed you to." He said it quietly as he holstered his weapon. The kid barely looked able to stand let alone hold up in a fight. The look of him told him that he was likely a fresh exile. He sighed quietly as he pulled a canteen from his belt and took a small drink. " Don't assume that just because I will kill, that I am only killer." He said as he screwed the cap back on tight and slid it over to him.
 
Seth looked down at the canteen, surprised yet thankful. There was no use saying anything more until his throat was better, so he sat down, picked up the canteen, and scooted back so he rest against the nearest wall. Unscrewing the cap, he drank only what he needed to make his throat feel like it wasn't full of sand. His body told him to down the rest of it, but he put the cap back on and slid it back over to the man.

"I don't know what it is like to be needed, and I don't want your supplies. You gave me the only thing I was after." That drink of water wasn't a lot, but hopefully it would be enough to get him back to the city, and this guy should be able to point him in the direction to go, in case his tracks were gone, which would most likely be the case.

He took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the wall. "If you give me a few minutes to rest and point me in the direction of the city then I will leave you alone." Not feeling the guy would try and harm him, he allowed his eyes to close. He was wore out, but if the guy did decide to try anything, he would not hesitate to fight.
 
Simon just nodded as the man leaned against the wall. It was foolish to go back to the wall without bringing something with to try and bribe his way back in. Not that it would work in any case, he sighed again. This was obviously not the brightest individual to get thrown out. But it wasn't really his place to judge a man for that. He eased back, he needed his rest as well. The road flare finished up after 30 minutes. His eyes snapped open though when he realized that it hadn't finished up fast enough. The approaching drone of several motors terrified him. His hands slowly moved to pop the scope off its rails and slide it into a hardened case on the side of his bag. He slowly stood and shouldered his rifle. He glided soft and quietly towards his unnamed guest. He bopped the guys foot while holding a finger towards his lips. It was time to go and quietly. The chests were his next stop as he opened both and grabbed two duffle's of his gear that he could not leave behind. "If you would be so kind as to carry one of these." He whispered as he held to sealed on to the young man. The second bag had a piece of black steel poking out through the top.

He slung his bag and moved out the door and went to go deeper before footsteps made him turn around. Two quick steps brought him to the corner as the bandit rounded. It was the axe that did the trick. A quick and bone shattering chop to the mans chest but, a twitchy finger left loud notice of what had happened. Several shots followed after that as fellow bandits looked for vengeance. "Run!" He shouted as he sheathed the axe and shouldered the rifle once more. A single snap shot around the corner caused a cry of pain and a slower advance. The bolt cycled as he sprinted after the younger man. His hands shook slightly but that was something he could control when he needed to. His last exit was a half buried door but it was the only way with the bandits following close behind. With a hard yank the door popped loose and flooded the hall with loose grit and sand. But you could fit and that was all they need to escape
 
Seth's eyes slowly opened to look up at the man who was motioning for him to be silent. He didn't like taking orders from anyone, but he kept quiet as he stretched out his muscles, curious as to what was going on. He had only meant to rest up a few minutes and then leave, but now it looked like he would be leaving with this man. That was fine. As soon as they were out he could get pointed in the direction of the city. And after that..well..he would go with the flow. There had to be a way back in and he would find it or die trying.

When the bag was held out for him, he stared at it for a few seconds before taking it. The man had been polite in his request, so he saw no reason not to help out. He was younger, yet in this short time the man had treated him as an equal. That was respectable, and he was all about respect. It was one of those things that was earned and never given freely.

Standing up, he slung the bag over his shoulder and followed the man out. When the man to the axe to another, Seth realized why they were leaving, and excitement coursed through him at the prospect of a fight. When the man told him to run he did. By the sound of it, there were too many with guns to take down. That was too bad, but as soon as the man opened the door he crawled out and turned to stare to see a man next to the outer wall pointing a gun.

Seth gave a half smile that quickly turned serious. Instead of running in another direction, he threw the guy off guard by running towards him, dropping the bag and ignoring the bullet that grazed his shoulder. His movements were fluid and deadly, like that of a big cat. He ducked to avoid the gun being swung at his head. His elbow met the guy's stomach, and he reached up to grab the guy's head and slammed it into the wall, watching with satisfaction as the guy dropped to the ground.

He took a second to make sure the guy was unconscious and then picked up the bag and turned to his 'companion', his blue eyes shining and full of life. If the man wanted to get going, then they better go now.
 
It was a stuggle to get the bag up and through the door without ditching the unwieldy bag. But he made in time to see his companion drop a bandit. Good for him but it wasn't enough to win the fight. It was oddly quiet with of lack of shooting. He knew that it meant that they were regrouping but it was too late to stop them. "Run." He said with a nod as he began to sprint. He wasn't just any old lightweight scavenger, he still held the title of fastest sprinter in many of the scavenging circles and few dared to challenge his claim but, he couldn't out run a truck and, after a few hundred yards, he could hear one gaining on them. Sprinting wouldn't be enough. He dug his heels in and turned. His hands already had the rifle raised and he fired. The truck veered wildly as the driver lost control. He wouldn't live long enough to figure out what had been hit as the bolt of the rifle cycled again. The man on the gun could barely aim, with the vehicle losing all sense of control with no driver and steering, but he held down the trigger regardless. The third round silenced his efforts. Turning back towards the abandoned city, Simon sprinted after his companion. His hands would shake later but he would still refuse to feel guilt but doubts rarely ever die.

He sped up until he overtook him. It was time to run for his life. The outer edge of the city had a heavy barrier of sand that took effort to cross over but once through. It was almost pristine for a ruined city. Rubble littered the landscape and the buildings were moderately intact. It was the standard large city. Sky scrapers packed together tightly and the streets wormed their way through everything. His destination however was far from above ground. A stairway lead down to the subway and this was where he wished to be. In the utter darkness, a small click lead to sudden flare of light that showed the tunnel was in worse shape than the surface. He slowly turned and looked upon the entrance. Something warned him that his companion had already turned to run back to the real City. His light panned over the entrance unsure of what he would see.
 
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Seth did as the man said and ran. He continued to run even when the other stopped. Whatever the man was doing he would leave him to it, but he could hear the truck and even he was not stupid enough to believe he could take that on with just fists. It seemed the other guy had a plan, though, because he heard gunfire, and soon the man overtook him. At least this way he could follow since he had no idea where he was going.

Thanks to all of the practice from jumping into the ceiling of the old house, getting over the sand barrier was a bit easier. His eyes scanned the city as he continued to follow the stranger. This was his type of place, with all these run down building, although they were all lacking in the couch he had come to enjoy, the one that would probably not be there, along with the house, if he ever made it back past those walls.

He frowned when the other guy went down into the subway, but he went down the stairs since he still had the man's bag and needed directions back to the city he had come from. He blinked in annoyance when the flashlight was turned his way, being blinded for a moment. "The hell? If you don't mind shining the light in a different direction, I'd rather not become blind." He didn't mind most pain, but he did mind this.
 
His Eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect him to follow. He slowly lowered his light before turning and continuing down the shaft. He hopped upon the tracks and continued walking. "Sorry about that. I have another stash further down the tracks. We can drop the heavier gear and move on further through the city. I still have to fill my quota." He paused. His senses told him his new companion was not as willing to continue into wastes as himself. He turned his head and looked back. His eyes flashed a bit in the light. "I do think I remember you saying that you wished to return home. However," He turned his body as well and stood facing him. "You know as well as I do that they will not let you back without something they want." His eyes tightened as he looked deep into the soul of him. "I'm sure you know this as well as I do. You can run back to that knowing you will never get what you want or," He turned and continued walking. "Or you can walk into long dark with me and maybe find something to earn your way back in."
 
Seth huffed when the light was lowered and the man spoke. Further down the tracks? He didn't want to be down here. He wanted to be up in the city with all the buildings. Up there he could survive, but down here..he knew nothing of being in a subway. Not that he had much choice, though, since he still needed information from this man, and he wasn't going to take this man's bag with him. He would go at least until the bag was dropped off. Although he had no clue what the man meant by fill his quota. What was a quota?

He stopped when the man did, giving a questioning look when the guy turned to him. And then the man spoke and he knew going back to the city right away was hopeless. He wanted to go home, but he had nothing that those fuckers might want. Hell, he had nothing in general. He ran his hand through his hair but then narrowed his eyes, not liking the way the man was looking at him, as if to see inside of him. Yeah, keep looking, buddy. You probably won't like what you find.

"Yeah. I know that, but I wouldn't continue to assume I know stuff. Most of the time I know shit." He followed the guy as he continued walking. He preferred not knowing much. It was easier that way. Knowing how to survive on the streets was enough for him, so now all he had to do was get back to those streets. "I guess I don't have much choice but to walk into this hell with you and find something to earn my way back in, whatever that may be. Although the way you said that, walk into the dark with you, gives me the chills. Don't get any funny ideas, because you are not my type."
 
The tunnel darkened rapidly with each step until only the flashlight lit the surroundings. His mind groaned a bit at his tag-alongs comment. "I wouldn't worry about that." He said, almost shaking his head but unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing that he could get to him. " I am quite satisfied in my life however, if you are so insecure that you have reached the projection point, maybe we should raid the local sex shop for you." a slight grin crossed his lips as he made a hard right and vanished down a side passage. The sound of rain and thunder started to sound off loud enough so that it was heard underground. "I should warn you now, its going to get very wet soon." His pace quickened as he moved in the dark.

The tunnel was not very long and ended with a heavy steel door. It was poorly light with pipes and duct work covering the ceiling. The floor was lined with reflective strips, despite the continuous wear and tear without maintenance, that still shined both a good ways in front and behind the light. The door swung slowly with a muted after the key was turned. The ceiling changed as now there were nets all long the roof with a wide variety of gear hung just above the lip of the door. Simon slowly lifted his bag and tossed it up through an opening, holding his hand out for the second bag and throwing it up as well. The sound of water dripping caught his attention as he turned with his light facing towards the door. It was starting to pool up on the floor in the low spots. Nothing more than a centimeter or two of water. "It won't take long now." He said as he moved out again. Waving for his companion to follow and shutting the door behind him. He pulled out a very large can from his pack and began to spray the edges of the door with thick foam. "It should keep it somewhat dry." He said before turning and heading back down the tunnel. In less than ten minutes, The water would be pooling at the top of his foot.
 
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Seth narrowed his eyes. He understood 'insecure', but the rest was doing nothing but confusing him, that was until he heard 'sex shop'. The insult the man threw at him was lost on him, and he cocked his head, becoming more lively. "Is there one?" His sudden want for that kind of distraction made him forget that they were in a run down city. All he could think about now was finding that shop and a lucky lady to spend some time with. It was not until they reached the end of the tunnel that he realized the man had been toying with him. He had gotten excited for nothing. Through narrowed eyes, he glared at the man and muttered under his breath. "Bastard."

Whatever. He didn't need a sex shop. He could please woman just fine, and he would try to do just that once he found one. He stayed silent as he passed the guy the other bag. He had no idea what the man meant by 'it won't take long now'. What wouldn't take long? He shrugged it off, not feeling the need to stress himself after he had already been fooled and disappointed. He knew he wasn't the brightest, and he had even told the man that, yet now he was starting to feel a bit insecure about his lack of knowledge.

He ran his hands through his hair and waited for the guy to get done doing whatever it was he was doing. When the man began to walk back down the tunnel, Seth followed, listening to the sound his feet made against the slightly wet floor. The thought that it might flood never crossed his mind. "What is your name, anyway?" Or could he just nickname him whatever he liked, because he could have some fun with that.

~~~~~~~~

Drustan knocked on the door, hating that he had to bring bad news to people Seth had refused to go back to. It would only hurt them more. When a woman answered the door, he recognized her as Seth's mother. "I have news of your son. Can I come in?" It took a minute, but she finally let him in and led him to the living room where they sat down and he started to tell her what had happened and a few extras about what he knew about her son and how they knew each other. While he was speaking, neither he nor she noticed the extra set of ears listening in.

Adrian was hiding at the top of the stairs, listening in to the conversation. Normally he would not do this, but he was curious as to who this stranger was, and he felt by not spying he would be missing out on something important. And that instinct was right. He had no idea he had an older brother, although that explained a lot. When the Scottish lad got done speaking, Adrian went back to his room to think all of this through.
 
"Simon." He said as quietly as he could in the underground and still be heard. His eyes narrowed as he listened. The water was rushing around the walls and slipping through the cracks. "And yours?" He asked as he quickened his pace keeping an even jog going as he kept up his pace. He even slung his rifle. Now was not the time to get in a fight. Down below his path the tracks couldn't be seen as the water flowed through the tunnels. It was flowing down them towards the lower lying stations. Damn. He thought. "I hope you can swim!" He said as he could hear it rushing around a few bends ahead. He reached into his pocked and pulled on wrap around sunglasses and pulled up his face mask. It would only help so much as the wall of water rushed hard and fast upon them. His last moment of consciousness was shouting a name he wouldn't remember as he grabbed his companion to protect him from the flood. His last act sparing the exile but leaving him unconscious as he smashed into the wall.
 
Simon? His younger self would have had fun tearing that name apart. The nicknames and cruel sayings he could have come up with for a name like that would have been brutal, and it would have become his mission to send a kid with that name home crying. Or else beat him down if words were not effective. Now he had lost that devilish instinct and gave a nod and then a huff upon realizing his companion probably wouldn't see the nod.

"Name's Seth." A suitable name. The Egyptian God of chaos. As rebellious as he was, it made sense for chaos to follow, and on the inside he was a chaotic mess of emotions. He would have to do something about that if he ever made it back into the city. Go and make things right between himself and his family and apologize for his actions.

At the question, he gave Simon a questioning look, and then his frown grew as he heard the sound of rushing water. "Why the hell did you-" bring us down here if there was a chance of it flooding? He never got the chance to say the last bit as he was grabbed and then surrounded by water. He surged up and managed to get a breath of air and see that the other man was unconscious before the water pulled him back under. All he could do was hope and pray, and soon enough the water slowed, and he was able to take another breath of air. Looking around, he spotted Simon and made his way over to him, picking him up and bringing him to an area that was more dry. Not that it was easy to do, as battered and bruised as he felt.

Setting the man down, he first made sure the guy was still breathing, and then laid him on his side so if Simon coughed up anything he wouldn't choke in it. Lastly he pulled down the face mask. As he waited for Simon to come back to consciousness, Seth removed his shirt and began to wring the water out of it, leaning against the wall while he did.

~~~~~~

Adrian picked up his recently packed bag and hopped out his window. He hoped he had not forgotten anything, because he wouldn't be able to come back here without his parents catching him and locking him down. He walked across the roof, and once he found an easy enough spot, he climbed down and raced away from the house. He had a destination in mind, it was just if the person was there or not.

After close to a half an hour, he came upon a building and climbed through the window to the basement. He landed with a soft thud and waited for his eyes to adjust. Once they did, he left the room he was in and walked a ways to the center of the building. It was there, in a room in the center, where an older boy sat staring at a computer screen, flashing lights coming from random equipment around him. The older boy turned around and fixed his grey eyes on Adrian.

"Oh. It's just you."

Adrian nodded. "Hi, Jasper. I need your help. I need you to get me scavenger status."

Jasper, who had turned back to his computer, turned quickly back to Adrian with a sharp laugh. "We may be friends, but we are not that good of friends. Give me one good reason I should risk my ass like that to help you."

Adrian told him what he learned about having a brother and that said brother getting kicked out of the city. He had to go and find him since there might be no other way to meet him. "I now understand why you are always trying to find your parents. Please help me. If you do, I will help you out in any way possible if you find where your parents are." He waited for whatever answer would be given.

"Fine. But if anyone finds out about this your life will become a living hell. And while you are out there, asked around for me. Now sit down, because this won't be easy and may take some time." He turned to his computer and got to work.
 
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