Dusty trails

The group kept following the tunnels Tony lead them down despite the many paths with Sofie blowing of steam by collapsing tunnels as they went, he seemed to know exactly which one to choose until the tunnel started to get wider again.

Suddenly they rounded the corner and could make out the lights of an ATV in the distance. Hitched to the back was a long hooded cart with seats on each side.

"There y'all are, bn sitting here all day. These the new recruits? Been a time since we got some new powered folk. y'all can call me Dusty" Rapidly rambled a strange man wearing a filthy trench coat with shorts and a bright red bandana "there's seven of ya this time so I reckon I could fit all of ya and one. speakin O-which where leny at n don't be tellin me he hooked up wit a thing in town eh haha."

They loaded the supplies from the trunk into the wagon before hoping aboard with solemn expressions on their faces.

Leave it to be said.. (which Dusty did profusely while driving for the first hour) Dusty was sad and sorry after hearing about Lenard's sacrifice. "Taken da red pill is serious bizniz damn what a shame. Bet he's tearing them a new one right now! Doing GREAT bAttle with that Major firedick.. .. ya think he could do it before the end?"

"What? You actually think he stands a chance against Major "Great Flame" Tomson with a small army? Isn't he just a casual?" exclaimed Gara with Tral nodding his head in obvious agreement but not Arc as he explains "I strongly doubt his ability to beat the Major mostly because if I'm correct he is with a priest as that would explain how they found us so fast but the soldiers will take a beating before they even get out of their vehicle." Arc Analyzed while pushing up his glasses before continuing "This red pill.. I've heard about people taking it and stopping a bus with their body and still fighting after death.. rumor has it they don't stop till the nervous system is destroyed or the body breaks down!"

"Arc! There's a child here and too soon." Gara reprimanded.

"changing the subject, I'd like to know how exactly you plan on hiding from god and his flock of flying snitchs" Tral interjected obviously not interested and finding his own point to change the subject. "I know the angels look down from above to relay information to their priests on the surface but how are you going to keep them from following our trail if all they have to do is map out this tunnel?"

Tony glad for a different topic quickly answered "well for one, we are already cloaked for now by good ol Dusty's patented invisibility. Anything within thirty feet of Dusty he can make invisible from the ouside, used to only be able to do five feet but he's had a lot of practice over the years smuggling people all over the place."

"I assume there is more such powered at this secret base then." Tral assuredly guessed.

"kinda but mostly no jerk face" Sofie interjected making a face at Tral.

"what do you mean no you little brat?" Tral replied starting to act all childish back.

"I mean we don't need to waste a powered's time and energy sitting around all day hiding us when we got an illusion crystal big enough to cover the whole compound and more" Sofie boasted while holding her arms out as if to show how great the compound was.

As Sofie and Tral continue bickering, Gara turns to Lisa and immediately starts to gossip "so0Oo how'd you two meet? Darick didn't stop a bus to save you to get you so attached eh?"

Lisa blushed "no nothing like all that, just ran into him at the gym and felt he wanted to help people being oppressed by authority and figured he could use a little reward for having such decent desire then we ran into these three who were wanting to help people live free and here we are."

"you what?" basically everyone including Darick said almost at the same time.

"I thought we just bumped into each other and had a connection" Darick exclaimed "and how would you know what I'm about, sure I stopped those jerks picking on you but that had very little to do with authority?"

Lisa laughed with a shake of her hair before informing them "I actually have a power as well, which involves seeing peoples current greatest desire and I'll probably don't have to tell you but a lot of them are pretty messed up, although I like your messed up desire right now Darick" she claims while tracing her finger down his chest.

"oh oh, do me do me!" Tral exclaimed excitedly waving his hands in the air. To which Lisa responded with a blush and pretended to be shocked "I have Darick's arm over my shoulder and you're asking me to do you?"

"that's not what I meant or my greatest desire!" Tral defended himself in a hurry under the angry gaze of his sister who's face went momentarily demonic with her mood.

"haha I'm just kidding, you guys are easy and funny. Let's see.. Tral wants people to stop only wanting to use him, Gara wants Tral to stop causing her trouble and .. hehe that's so0Oo cute but I'm not telling what Arc wants so there, your greatest desires." Lisa declared

"and how do we know if you're telling the truth anyone could have guessed that?" Sofie asked full of sudden suspicion.

"well then let's see what Arc says" Lisa responds and leans over to whispered into Arcs ear to which he almost immediately blushes to respond confirming Lisa is right. "Ya she is very accurate but can we get back to talking about the Resistance?"

"what's your greatest desire Arc? Come on we are best buds I'm sure I can guess it." Tral gets all worked up putting Arc in a headlock.

"It's nothing ok, just a thing from my childhood" Arc looks really embarrassed trying to no avail to get Tral to stop poking him.

"It's secrets is it? Should have used something better than your childhood we came from the same orphanage. I know just as much as you do about your parents... unless that's it! You want a real family right?" Tral guessed full of confidence at being right.

"ya you got me Tral I want to have parents and a regular family even though the church hates those" Arc replied followed by Gara flickering her brother on the ear. "It's ok to want family Arc, ignore this idiot" Gara tries to make Arc feel better.

"I'm fine Gara.. You're all the family I need anyway" Arc says with resolve.

"come here bro it's nuggy time" Tral yells before applying his knuckle to Arcs head.

"settle down back there! Almost at the compound n I dn't need y'all fallin off the back of us on the way." Dusty hollered from the ATV up front.

After a couple more hours the party came to a stop and they were able to leave the covered cart.

What greeted them when they left the wagon was the inside of a huge cavern with a large step pyramid looking to be hundreds of years old, that was so tall it seemed to hold the roof up despite it being over a hundred meters above their heads.

"Now that's impressive, where are we exactly" Lisa exclaimed with shock while Tral casually started to walk up towards the pyramid "I could do better.. maybe not the crystal thing but the pyramid definitely cause this one looks real run down"

Dusty laughed "Well I never seen someone scoff at this here secret underground pyramid but If ya got a better ancient pyramid deep under a secret compound why don't ya just stay in that one eh?"

Tral looked to his left and right then up and down to the right of the pyramid, the cavern being quite grand in size.

"Ok then." is all he said scrunching his face a bit before a massive upside-down pyramid made out of what looks like solid perfectly smooth obsidian appeared next to the ancient stone pyramid.

As Dusty was shocked speechless (a very rare thing) Tral casually walks up to the new pyramid's front gate which automatically opens when he nears "awe that fresh new pyramid smell" he states before entering casually.

"So tis true there be a powered that can make whatever e wants" Dusty said with awe. "I tot it was but a rumor, but hot dang if I have ever been more wrong"

"Don't encourage him more please but it is a good Idea to get some rest after a long day of travel. Can you show us around tomorrow when we have more energy" Gara requests of Sofie while Arc and Darick go to enter the new pyramid like this happens everyday.. which to them is pretty accurate.

"is… is it all right if I stay in there with you guys?" Lisa asks hopefully looking at Darick with puppy dog eyes.

"yeah you can sleep with me" Darick immediately proposes only to be shot an angry glare from Gara the likes of which would scare most monsters. "We can stay together tonight and my brother better have made enough decent rooms for you to have one of your own" Gara offered "And if anyone of you boys even thinks of coming into a girls room without explicate permission!" Gara's fingers started to grow longer and sharper until she had what looked like ten swords coming out of oversized hands hanging over the boys heads menacingly causing a few gulps.