‘BOOM!’

  The courtyard’s surface exploded again, sending Patchwork ducking for cover as his manic accomplices leaned closer as if they were watching TV. Snap ran over to the destroyed part of the ground, feeling around.

  “Hey, Skinner!” he said, “Is this the place.”

  “Uhh, don’t think so.” He replied, caressing a rat in his hand, “But we can try it again.”

  “That ain’t how this works!” he snapped, “You find what’s in the ground, I blow up the ground!”

  “Oh, well why didn’t you say anything before then, bro?” Skinner said. He dropped the rat and dashed to the left of the yard. He then ran to the next corner, and the one after as more rats joined it from the shadows. Patchwork grimaced.

  “Please tell me that’s the place.”

  He ran back to the center, “Yup,” he replied stomping his foot a few feet ahead of them, “but if it’s not we’re outta luck.”

  Snap hopped to the space, lining the ground with rolls of dynamite. He jumped back, “Here comes the—!”

  Patchwork began to stumble back, “Wait, wait, WAIT—”

  ‘BOOM!’

  Dirt erupted from the ground, spraying everywhere and leaving a metal shine where hole was. The three poked their head over it, looking into a dim stairway.

  “Bingo!” Snap cheered.

  “I’ll be sure to prescribe you some melatonin later,” the doctor grumbled, leading the other two in with a small flashlight. It was a shot walk, with the three already turning to a dark room on their left. The lights automatically turned on, greeting the three to the sight of four clear cells, filled to the brim with homeless. They were piled atop each other like laundry. Bruised and bloodied limbs stuck out. The glass was fogged with shallow breathing.

  “Shit!” Patchwork said, “Someone get these door open!”

  “I got it!” Snap said. He applied a thin wire to each door and connected it to a small stick of dynamite. The doctor looked on worryingly, but the younger man lit a spark anyways, making a small explosion on each door’s handle. One of the inmates looked up at the three in disbelief. He slowly crawled over the others in the cell, making his way to the door and pushing it open and toppling out. Patchwork ran over and turned him to his back, whipping out a massive role of bandages. Snap began to help move everyone out of the cells, throwing his head to Skinner, who was looking for something.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  “Looking for my cell,” he replied.

  “What—just help us move these people!”

  “Oh, right!” he nodded. He held his arms out, rats overflowed from his sleeves, turning the floor to a moving carpet of black. The rodents all scurried into the cells, coming back out with people on their backs, dispersing and going back inside to repeat. Snap shuddered, he never did like the way his rats moved. Just then his Green Pass began beeping. He picked it up and held it to his mouth.

  “Abbas? What’s going on?”

  “There’s been a change of plans,” he said, “I’m expecting a hefty amount of reinforcements from neighboring precincts so I sent the others to the top to clear the rest of this place out while I stay below and hold their attention.”

  “You want me to blow it up before we split?”

  “Yes, but after we’ve secured a vehicle to transport the so-called inmates. Speaking of which, how many are we dealing with.”

  “You’re gonna like this,” Snap said, “There are four blocks in here and they’re the same as the one we got in Zone 4, but they stuffed at least a several dozen people into these ones.”

  “That seems excessive for a four-by-four room.”

  “Well, it’s our advantage!” Snap said, “Honestly I’m glad they even still alive, these conditions are anything but humane—not to mention they all look like they’ve been through hell.”

  “Because they have,” Abbas replied. “Tell me, do you see anyone with any specific Talents?”

  “Uh, lemme ask Patch. HEY PATCHWOR RIVERS!”

  “I’m a foot from you…”

  “Whoops didn’t see ya! Anyways, Abbas needs to know the Talent we’re dealing with here.”

  The doctor groaned, rubbing his ear. “What we’re dealing with is nothing but Materially Talented.” He said, “I’ve told you before, it’s quite rare for someone of this status—wait, what’s this?”

  “What’s what?” Snap and Abbas asked.

  “You three,” Patchwork said, pointing at three men in the back. Two of them looked identical besides their blond and black hair while the third was a larger built, bald man with no visible eyebrows. They stirred to the doctor’s words.

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  “What’s that around your necks?”

  ‘…Huh?’ Right thought. He touched his ear, ‘I think I heard something…’

  His eyes focused on the doctor outside his cell—rough looking despite his appearance. He noticed the others nearby, a young man and lanky looking red head, also with a rough dirty look. His gaze beneath his glasses narrowed.

  ‘Oh, they aren’t friends alright…’ He felt his lips begin to smirk, as if an audience was cheering for him in the background. ‘But they don’t know that.’

  Eyes widening to the blue neck tie still on his dirtied suit, he quickly tore it off and stuffed it behind him. “Just my C-Collar, that’s all!” he replied quickly, throwing a glance to Bob and Left to do the same. He smiled at the doctor, chuckling as best he could. “You know, it’s so, so very bloody and—”

  “I didn’t think they had Blue Collar workers down here too.” Snap said

  “I’m a Red you punk—!” Bob said, shooting to his feet only to be knocked back down via a smash in the head by Right.

  “T-this guy took a severe—and I mean very bad—beating not too long ago!” Right continued laughing nervously, “He’s clearly had the Geneva Conventions beaten right out of him! And it was at the behest of those—ooh—God-awful cops!” he shot a glance to his left, “RIGHT?!”

  Left looked puzzled, “Yeah, what is it?”

  “No I mean you understand what I’m saying, right?”

  “Yes, what but are you saying?”

  “What happened to our friend, REMEMBER?!?” he tried to wink, but his eye ended up twitching rapidly instead.

  Left stared, then nodded quickly, “Oh, oh yeah, yeah!”

  “PERCISLEY!!” Right screeched, “So please, HELP US!”

  Patchwork and Snap looked at each other. Skinner was in the corner, whispering to one of his rats. Abbas’s voice crackled from the Green Pass again.

  “Tell me, how will you assist us in taking down the Heptagon?”

  ‘He knows about the Heptagon?!’ Right thought. He shook his head, “I-I’m not sure what you mea—”

  “Good. Starting today, you’re official role will be our janitors as our original one quit not long ago. You will be in charge of preparing our meals, sleeping arrangements, waste management, picking up litter, watching over the stray animals—”

  “What?” Right said. “This isn’t—”

  “—and assisting our team with training as you are a low priority. Now I believe you’re quite familiar with our gray haired ally as he gave yourself quite the ‘beating’ when you two butted heads at that massage parlor—”

  “LOW PRIORITY?!” Right shot to his feet, he jabbed a finger at the communication device, “It was his illegal friend in the dumb hat! He caught me off guard and—!”

  “…”

  ‘Crap!’ Right’s mind raced for a response, “H-how do you know so much anyways?!”

  Abbas chuckled, “I could ask you the same thing…Collar.”

  “R-Right,” Left whimpered, “He knew.”

  “I KNOW HE KNEW!”

  “I was already aware of your allegiance, thanks in no part to your loud friend here, but to be frank I wished to hear you tell me yourself. Snap, leave them. Patchwork, don’t even waste the recourses. And be sure to lock the doors on your way out.”

  “YOU WOULDN’T DARE—!” Right screamed running for the doors, but Snap had already slammed them in front of him, shocking the man and knocking him back to the cell floor in pain. He snickered.

  “Stings, doesn’t it? Hey Skinner! Can you tip this cell over real quick?”

  “Uh, okay.”

  Right watched in horror as a mass of black disgusting rodents surrounded their cell, rocking it forward and back. He tried to grab the door but Bob jumped in the way.

  “BOB!” he screamed.

  “But the rats!!” his voice cracked.

  Left screamed as the cell leaned to its front—all the way until hitting the floor.

  ‘WHOOM!’

  Snap turned and left with Patchwork, who made their way to the front along with the other homeless. He opened the door and gestured for them to leave but for some reason none of the moved.

  “C’mon, get going!” he said waving his arms. “What’re you waiting for?”

  A few murmurs came from the crowd, but nothing audible. Then someone stepped to the front, an older woman in a red scarf with a few bruises on her cheek. “What we’re waiting for is our turn.”

  “Yeah,” Someone pipped up from the back, “Those cops got to beat the hell out of us, now it’s our turn to beat the hell out of them!”

  The room began to roar in agreement, all nodding and cheering to the idea of revenge. Snap looked around, rubbing the back of his head, “Uh, Abbas, you still there?”

  “Yes. Send them over, Snap.”

  “Wait really?!”

  “...Yes, they have the spirit.” He replied, “There should be an armory near you. Gear them up and return to my location. I believe I can see oncoming lights in the distance.”

  Snap grinned, “Roger that!” he put his Green Pass away and turned to the group, rubbing his hand together, “Looks like it’s y’all’s lucky day! Everyone, to the armory, time to show these Collars what we’re made of!”

  The crowd cheered, marching out of the unit with Snap leading the way. Patchwork watched. Shaking his head, he sighed and began putting his materials away to follow, ‘Why is it,’ he thought, ‘that every time we could choose the worst option, we always do?’

  Closing his briefcase, he went for the door. “Skinner, please try not to get left behind…again.”

  The man looked up, rat’s on his head, shoulder, and one in his mouth, “Wha…?”

  Patchwork’s face grimaced, “Step outside right now.”

  Skinner gave two thumbs up and hurried out, followed by the doctor. The doors slammed shut, leaving the room in darkness.

  “Right?” Left asked, “What are we going to do now?”

  Bob scoffed, “Like it matters! He’ll probably blow our cover again anyways.”

  Right’s body was weak, his mind delirious, his senses scrambled, and his missing hand still ached. Yet despite all of that, he found the inner strength to stand up and attack Bob again.

  Abbas put his Green Pass away, sitting on a piece of rubble, hands folded over his cane and looking off to oncoming lights. Endless rows of red and blue lights covering the ground and skies grew closer to him, as if he were watching an oncoming storm. However, it wasn’t the reinforcements that worried him; it was the lack of proper reinforcements.

  ‘It’s odd,’ he thought, ‘Empire City’s law enforcement is on the verge of being toppled and not a single Red Collar to be seen. Is it they’re planning a sneak attack? But why allow us to take the main building? Perhaps they’re unaware and we are on borrowed time?’ His eyes closed briefly, the sight of the tall wall coming into view again, yet he could still not see the top. ‘Regardless of the circumstances, we must be grateful for any spare minutes we are given, as they could be gone just as fast as you were…’

  The man’s eyes opened. Now he could clearly see what appeared to be hundreds of police cars and dozens of helicopters already circling the building at a distance, flashing their spotlights. The man simply stood up and put his cane away, airing out his collar.

  “In any case,” he said, “What stands before me is but a mere stone on our path. I’m afraid I cannot yet join the unshackled in heavenly bliss, but I can show you my hellish wrath on behalf of their departed souls!” He took a deep squat and splayed his open hands up, one over the other.

  “Now, come!”