Heroes and Villains

19 - Sewer Sweet Sewer

With the help of Monkey Paw, I manage to take down most of the robots assaulting the city while more explosions echo around us.

It is when I see more robots running our way that I realize I can’t waste any more time with this. I have to get the mutants out of downtown fast.

So, I bolt and leave Monkey Paw behind to deal with the remaining robots. I run as fast as I can towards the entrance to the sewers, flames engulfing everything around me. This is terrible. I can’t believe Hamato Industries are capable of doing something like this.

Yumi be damned. I am going to give her grandma a piece of my mind after I am through with this.

Hearing someone running after me, I quickly look behind to check if it is a robot. Surprisingly, it’s Monkey Paw.

“Were you really just going to leave me behind like that?” He asks me, managing to catch up and smirk at me.

I look away and focus on the path ahead of me.

“It’s not like I owe you anything” I tell him. “Much the opposite”

“Aw, you break my heart, kitty” He says while we run. “And here I was wanting to help you”

“Help me?” I question. “You?”

“You are trying to save the mutants, right?” He asks. “That’s what I’m here for too”

“Since when do you care about the mutants?!” I shout and lose my balance when an explosion nearby blows me out of my feet.

Monkey Paw jumps and manages to catch me midair.

“Because that’s what we’ve always wanted, kitty” He tells me, smirking now that he is holding me in his arms.

“You’re not making any sense” I say, pushing him away and standing on my own. “I don’t have time for this”

“Fine” He says, shrugging with his smug look. “I’m still going to help you save them”

“Do whatever the hell you want” I say. “Just stay out of my way”

I take off running again not wanting to prolong that conversation. Truth is, I am confused by what he just said. They always wanted to save the mutants? What the hell? They are the ones attacking the mutants in the first place! None of this makes any sense.

At long last, we reach the manhole and I jump right in, not caring if Monkey Paw finds out where the mutants live anymore. It’s not like they will be able to stay here anyway. I am still unsure if I can trust him but right now I am only worried about getting the mutants out of here safely.

As it is to be expected, the tunnels of the sewer are already caving in and it is hard and extremely dangerous to walk around.

“Jensen!” I call out, hoping he will hear me. “Cleo! Felix! Gideon!”

While I push through the nearly destroyed tunnels of the sewers, Monkey Paw follows me silently. We are nearly at the lair’s secret entrance when we come across the last people I was expecting to see.

“Yumi?” I mumble as I see her trying to remove the rocks blocking the entrance to the lair.

A brown-haired man is with her, helping her remove the rocks. Yumi doesn’t waste much time acknowledging my presence. I suppose she expected me to come here eventually.

“Danny?” Monkey Paw asks, getting closer to them. “What are you doing here? This is my mission”

“I figured you could use some help” He simply says. “Help me with these rocks”

I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on. What is this? A main character gathering?

Confused, I still watch them as they ignore me and continue removing the rocks blocking the secret door. A steady pounding behind the thick metal wall brings me back and I shake myself from my stupor.

I don’t need to know what is going on. I just need to get the mutants to safety.

Rushing in, I help them remove the rocks, and soon enough, we manage to unblock the only way out of the lair. Almost immediately, the door opens with a loud screech and all the mutants dirty and scared faces greet us on the other side.

The lair must be about to cave in. We have to hurry.

“Kat!” Jensen’s voice reaches me.

“We’re gonna get you out!” I shout back at him.

“Come on, dudes!” Monkey Paw shouts at them. “We have just the place for you to be safe”

The mutants look unsure about what to do. They are afraid to trust this strange mutant but know they can’t stay there either.

“It’s alright” I try to appease them. “You can trust them”

Jensen still looks unsure but as another blast breaks down part of the ceiling behind them, the mutants rush to get out.

Yumi and who I suppose is Daniel Yoshiro help the kids go first and start leading the way. To where, I have no idea, but anywhere is better than down here.

“They probably don’t know the exact location of the lair” Daniel says as he picks a crying Maxie up in his arms. “We still have some time to get them out of here safely”

“And how do YOU know the lair’s location?” I pointedly ask Monkey Paw and his supposed brother.

He just smirks at me teasingly. “Do you really want the answer right now or do you want to help the mutants get out of this hell hole?”

That shuts me up and I turn my attention back to Jensen as he makes sure everyone manages to get out of the lair safely. He grabs my arm when I am about to look into the lair to see if anyone got left behind.

“Gideon” He starts. “He refused to leave his room when the explosions started. We had no time to convince him”

“Oh no!” I say. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him out”

Not waiting to hear his response, I rush into the broken lair and run towards Gideon’s room. I stop in my tracks to look around, the place I once called my home completely destroyed around me.

Stepping forward, my foot pauses atop one of the many drawings filling the lair’s walls. Now, there are barely any walls left. This isn’t fair. These are innocent people; people who have been pursued their entire lives. Just when they thought they had found a place where they could be safe… Everything comes crumbling down again.

Repressing my tears, I gulp and manage to get to Gideon’s room which is surprisingly still intact.

“Gideon!” I shout, spotting him seated in his room as he usually is. “We have to leave”

“I am not going, Kat…” He solemnly states, not looking at me.

“You have to come!” I shout, touching his shoulder and forcing him to look at me. “If you stay here, you’ll-”

“I am well aware of what will happen, Kat” He says, standing up. “But this is my home. The place I found to protect my kind. The place where so many generations grew and prospered… The place where I will meet my end”

“Gideon…” I still try to call him to reason but know it is futile. Whenever he started talking like this, everyone knew there was no changing his mind.

Tears start rushing down my cheeks uncontrollably.

“You can’t stay here, Gideon” I plead. “Please, we need you”

“No” He says, looking me in the eyes. “They need you. You are the only one who can save them now”

I want to say something more, but the words don’t come out. I feel as if a rock has formed in my throat, keeping any sound from coming out.

Sobbing, I hug Gideon tightly, knowing this is the last time I will have a chance to do so. He hugs me back and pats my back like he always did whenever I started feeling doubtful about myself when I was younger.

“You have to go now, my child” He says, letting go. “Go, before it is too late”

I watch him as he stands in front of me, my vision blurred because of the tears. I know there is nothing I can do to save him. He has chosen his fate. The least I can do is respect him for it.

Trying to control my sobbing, I bow to him as Jack taught me to do, showing him my deepest respect. He smiles at me and before I start crying again, I run out and avoid the falling rocks from the ceiling.

A massive explosion echoes just above us and I have to jump to avoid getting crushed by a massive boulder. I still look behind me to access the damage, only to see Gideon’s room has been completely squashed by another giant boulder.

Refraining more tears, I run out of the lair and find a manhole to climb out of the sewers. I have no idea where the others took the mutants to but I have to find them quickly.

I shall keep my promise, Gideon. I will make sure everyone is safe. I will save them if it is the last thing I do.