Chapter 38 - The Underground Town

The door to the passage closed behind them. A beam of light was coming around the corner of the passage. Violet led the team towards the light. As they took the turn at the corner of the passage, a large opening led to a town under the city.

"Whoa!" Rachel exclaimed.

"It's a secret town. You'll only find players here. They protect the secret of this town. I heard Icicle came down here once," Violet said.

"A long time back," Vicky replied.

"But you saved a lot of people here. We're all fugitives down here," Violet said.

"Does Raina Corps know about this place?" Miles asked.

"No. It's just players that we trust that knows about this place. Not even Manic and his team does," Violet replied, as they walked through the town. It looked a little like the plaza, but the lighting was not as good, and the shop keepers were not NPCs.

"Why haven't we been here before?" Mia asked, as she sipped on her drink.

"Because you've never had a reason to be down here before," Violet replied.

"And Icicle did?" Mia asked. Violet stopped walking and turned to the group.

"I think our leader would like to meet you guys," Violet replied.

"Who's your leader?" Rachel asked.

"You'll see," Violet replied. She led them to the center of the town. There was a small crowd gathered.

"Violet, welcome back," another player said, walking towards Violet, and continued "Do you want me to set up the tents for our guests?"

"Are you staying?" Violet asked turning to the group.

"No," Vicky, and the captain replied in synch with each other.

"You have your answer," Violet said turning to the other player. The other player nodded her head, and took the group to a large tent.

Violet walked to the table in the tent, which had a map of the city laid out.

"You're the leader here aren't you?" the captain asked.

"I am," Violet replied.

"What do you want?" Mia asked, still sipping on her drink.

"To be partners. There seems to be a large war coming. I heard you guys are fugitives too now. So why not work together to protect each other," Violet replied.

"We've already got a mission to complete," the captain said.

"Captain. I don't think you have a say in this. You kept hunting the players, that I protect," Violet said. She turned into violet smoke, and appeared in front of the captain, with her unsheathed blade, pointed at the captain's throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Vicky said holding her karambit to Violet's neck. The other player in the tent pointed his gun at Vicky. The captain seemed unbothered by his surroundings. Miles pointed his gun at Violet too.

"You hurt me, my friend will kill all of you," Violet said, looking at the other player.

"I don't think so," Vicky said, taking the karambit closer to Violet's neck.

"You really think he won't kill you?" Violet asked.

"Try me," Vicky replied.

"This is getting interesting," Mia said, sipping her drink.

"Drop the knife," Violet said. Vicky looked at the captain, who nodded at Vicky. Vicky took her knife away from Violet's neck, and Violet sheathed her blade. Miles, and Violet's friend unarmed themselves too.

"Ugh… This is over," Mia said looking at her empty glass.

"Now that that's over. Partners?" Violet asked stretching her hand to Vicky.

"I'm partners with no one… but we can be friends," Vicky replied.

"If it works with you, then friends it is," Violets said, her hand was still outstretched towards Vicky. Vicky looked at her hand, and shook hands with her.

"Can we go back to the club now?" Mia asked.

"Is she always like this?" Violet asked. Vicky looked at Mia.

"Only when someone's wasting our time," Mia replied. Violet smiled.

"I promise you, I'm not wasting your time," Violet said.

"We'll see about that," Mia replied.

"How about a mission?" Violet asked.

"Not now. We can't stay," the captain said.

"You don't get a say here," Violet replied, in a harsh tone.

"As far as I'm considered, he has a say," Vicky replied, and continued "If he says we have to go, that means we have to go."

"I don't see why you trust him. He killed Leo," Violet said.

"Looks like you know nothing," Vicky said turning around to leave.

"He'll hate seeing you working with his killer," Violet said. Vicky turned towards Violet, and threw her karambit at the pillar next to Violet's head. Vicky walked towards Violet.

"Next time… it won't miss," Vicky said pulling out the karambit, and walked out the tent, with the group.

"What was that?" the captain asked Vicky, as they left the tent.

"Not now," Vicky said. They walked back up to the club, and left the club. The group went to Vicky's safe house, and logged out.

The captain and Vicky were the only ones left in the game.

"Want to talk about what happened back there?" the captain asked. Vicky sat at on the coffee table, and looked at the captain.

"That's me, marking the line with Violet," Vicky replied.

"There's other ways of 'marking the line'," the captain replied.

"Sure there is," Vicky replied with a smirk.

"What's going on here?" the captain asked, walking next to Vicky.

"Nothing," Vicky replied, looking at her hands.

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me," the captain said.

"How do you do it?" Vicky asked.

"Do what?" the captain asked.

"Know when something's not right with me. When I'm not happy? No one else can tell if I'm not fine besides Mia… plus that's not always either," Vicky replied.

"Experience, noting things that don't seem in place with you," the captain replied.

"You're pretty cool. You know that, right?" Vicky said.

"I doubt that," the captain replied. Vicky stared at the ground, and looked up at the captain.

"Why'd you let me stay at your house? You barely know me," Vicky asked.

"Maybe I see myself in you," the captain replied. Vicky looked at the captain.

"I think we should logout, before grandma steals all your stuff," Vicky said.

"Why didn't you tell me that before I brought her into my house?" the captain asked.

"Let me recall what happened. I told you to drive off, but someone was like, 'No. You can't leave an old lady outside', and proceeded to open the door into the house for her," Vicky said standing up, and walking passed the captain. She turned to the captain and opened her gauntlet. The captain smiled, and looked at Vicky.

"That's enough sassiness for one day. Go to bed," the captain said.

"Oh I'm going," Vicky said, and logged out of the game. The captain looked at where Vicky was standing and smiled.

"You're a lot more like her than I thought," the captain said to himself smiling, and then logged out of the game.

Vicky got out of the pod, and went out of her room. The captain walked out of the basement, and met Vicky in front of her room.

"Why does it smell like someone's cooking?" Vicky asked looking at the captain. The captain looked and Vicky and walked passed her to kitchen. Vicky followed the captain.

Vicky's grandmother was cooking in the kitchen.

"Oh. There you two are. I made you dinner," Vicky's grandmother said handing two bowls of food to the captain and Vicky.

"What are you doing?" Vicky asked, as she stared at her grandmother. The captain took the bowl of food, but Vicky did not.

"Can't I make you dinner?" Vicky's grandmother asked, keeping the bowl on the dinner table.

"Where did you even get the food and pans from?" Vicky asked.

"The cupboards over there. I searched through and found the ingredients and utensils," Vicky's grandmother replied. The captain sat at the dining table, watching the altercation between the two.

"Why are you searching through cupboards here?" Vicky asked.

"I'm an adult. I can do what I want. You can't tell me what to do, because you don't own this house," Vicky's grandmother said, looking at Vicky.

"Neither do you," Vicky replied. The captain was staring back and forth, and opened his mouth, to take in some food. Vicky looked at the captain and nodded her head sideways. The captain put the spoon back into the bowl, and got up from the chair.

"It's my house. And for the record, stop searching through things in the house," the captain said walking up to Vicky, and her grandmother.

"Okay. I guess I'll go to my room now," Vicky's grandmother said. She then smiled and went up the stairs.

"What was that?" the captain asked looking at Vicky.

"Don't trust her. She can be making us food, and poison us," Vicky replied, and continued "Send her out of the house. Why are you so nice to her?"

"She's an old lady. You should respect her," the captain replied.

"I'll respect people who respect me back," Vicky said, leaving the kitchen. The captain sighed, and looked at the staircase.