“Greetings!” Shakar said, entering the archive pod. He strolled over to the grumpy faced elderly woman in gray who was organizing a spread of documents on her front desk. Smiling, he tapped the side of the desk, “I have a question.”

  “Come back later,” The archive master said.

  “Is this not your job?” he asked.

  “Well I’m busy at the moment!” she snapped. “Can’t you see the mess I’m still trying to re organize? These papers are mixed up, wrinkled, stepped on, even a few tears!”

  “Why don’t you own copies?”

  The old woman eyed him, “Security reasons. That’s why I’m down here. Little ‘ole me to make sure none are missing and they’re all in place.”

  “Well that’s just terrible!” Shakar said. “Why haven’t you asked for more help yet? Another assistant perhaps?”

  “Oh because I wanted to take this job on alone,” She sighed, her face began to relax, “I’m not very trusting. I see all types of faces come in and out only to never see them again.” She put down a folder and sighed, “Maybe I should’ve had an assistant.”

  “Perhaps,” Shakar said. “Or it could be you’re lonely.”

  “Oh, that’s just silly!” the woman said.

  “Is it now? Your down here, alone as you said, wasting you valuable time on papers for these ‘strangers’ when you could be up and moving about. I’m sure the rest of Haven would love to see you come out more.”

  The archive master’s eyes lit up, “You really think so?”

  “Indeed I do.” Shakar nodded, “It’s not too late as a matter of fact. You still have some years left, not to mention you look absolutely stunning—”

  “Oh stop it!” she smiled, “You’re sounding just like those younger boys out there.”

  “My apologies, I didn’t mean to come off as cliché.” Shakar raised his arms. “But you are busy. I suppose I’ll be back later when you’re finished—”

  “Now, now wait a minute!” The woman quickly put the files to the side and adjusted her hair. “What was it you needed assistance with again?”

  Shakar smiled, “I was wondering if this place has any documents on Haven itself.”

  The woman almost laughed, “Now that’s a first! Let me see…” she left her desk and went to the back of the room. She flipped through the wall of files in the ‘H’ section. Shaking her head, she led Shakar up the stairs, going into the geographical section and moving to Empire City. She took out a booklet the size of a dictionary and flipped through it, running her finger until stopping near the middle. Pulling of a few documents, she handed them to him, “Here you go, young man.”

  Shakar nodded, accepting them and flipping through them himself. He pulled up the layout of Haven. His eyes scanned all the parts until seeing the top, “Excuse me miss,” he said. He tapped the top of the paper, “but this seems incomplete.”

  The woman checked what he was looking at, “Oh no, that section of the map was removed purposely.”

  “Removed? Why?”

  “It was a little incident a long time ago.” She said. “This place was one of the last Underground cities built, being completed in 1975, however there were always infrastructure problems near the top. Abbas decided to have it sealed off for safety reasons.”

  Shakar nodded, “Ah, I see. I suppose that overhead bumping in the night was just my imagination then.”

  “Allow me to rephrase that,” the archive master said, “Access is restricted to everyone for safety reasons except the Groundhogs. If anything, they’re probably making sure the infrastructure’s still safe and not at risk of collapse.”

  “Hmm,” Shakar said. “I don’t see that in this file.”

  “Well because it’s best kept hush, hush,” She looked at Shakar, “I do hope you understand that.”

  He smiled at the woman again, “I suppose, unless there’s an earthquake. In that case I may be running out in the middle of Zone 2 screaming about the sky falling, literally.”

  She laughed. “You are just too much, too much!”

  Shakar laughed along, “Well I must be going now. Thank you for the help and I do hope to run into to you again, hopefully at that neat bread stand below us.”

  The woman smiled and waved him off.

  ‘This doesn’t make any sense,’ Shakar thought, sitting atop one of the higher overhead walkways. ‘It’s quite obvious this ‘Zone 4’ exist, if only to the Groundhogs. If it’s due to infrastructure issues then why keep is so secretive in the first place? Ah that’s right; the ominous screaming will probably tell a different tale than what the Groundhogs are attempting to display.’

  Shakar stood up and looked above him, then, he glanced down. ‘The Groundhog’s forces seem to be split at the moment.’ he thought, getting up. ‘I suppose now’s as good a time as any.’

  “Hey-o!”

  His lips tightened at the voice. He turned back to see Snap cheerfully stride up to him waving.

  “Hey bud! Mind if I sit?”

  “Well that depends on if I can be trusted or not.”

  The younger man rubbed the back of his head, “Yeah uh, sorry about that.” he sat down on the ledge, “It wasn’t personal or anything, really. We just got a rough history with outsiders, y’know?”

  He nodded, “I can tell.”

  Snap seemed pleased, “You know, for a second back there I thought you couldn’t be trusted. But then I saw what you did, how you saved Trix and Salamander despite the place—y’know—goin’ boom.”

  “Which begs the question of why did you blow it up in the first place.”

  “T-that’s just protocol!” He said waving his hands, “I don’t wanna do it, I swear!”

  “I’m not judging you.”

  “Oh,” he said and sighed. “To be honest it’s been a while since we’ve had our backs to the wall that badly. ‘Think the only other time I can think of was with testine guy.”

  Shakar’s brow creased, “Come again?”

  Snap’s own face fell, “Testine guy you know……yeah, testine guy! He’s a friend of ours who likes to fight with us every now and then with these big noodles, yeah that!”

  He blinked, “All you had to say was you didn’t know.”

  He laughed, “Whoops!”

  Shakar scanned him, “So, how goes your training with Xole?”

  “Oh that,” he put his arms behind his head, thinking, “I mean honestly, we haven’t been doin’ too much. In fact I wasn’t even there during one of his sessions, haha!”

  Shakar stopped smiling.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Like we took him out to the streets, you were there, remember?”

  “Go on.”

  “Yeah, so…” his head nodded side to side, “His progress seems to be kinda slow based on what we know. For his own sake, we were probably gonna bench him next night out.”

  “Hmm. So you’ve given up on his tutelage then?”

  “Oh, no, not at all! It’s more…how do I put it? The guy has a lot of potential, but until he wants to take it for himself, he ain’t gonna go nowhere.”

  ‘Take it for himself?’ he thought. “What do you mean by that?”

  Snap grinned. “Use the abilities of the Spiritual Talent to their fullest extent!”

  “Even if that includes manipulation?”

  He shrugged, “Hey, it’s a dirty job but if he’s cut out for it. I see it as using their power against them.”

  “Them meaning a…cult of families?”

  Snap looked at him sideways. He grinned and nudged his shoulder, “I always knew you were weird! Kinda like me!”

  “…”

  “Anyways,” he replied getting up, “I’m glad we talked and smoothed things over. Say, maybe you can come along for one of Xole’s next training…” his voice tailed, noticing Shakar was no longer there.

  “Sessions?”

  ‘Well that was about ten minutes of my life I’ll never get back.’ Shakar thought, hurrying to the top walkway across from Prime Hill. He thought back hard to the route he’d used to follow the Groundhogs earlier, keeping that in the back of his head as he retraced his steps. Making it to the top, he spied the hallway hidden in the wall across and Prime hill to his right. ‘There it is,’

  He got low to the ground and started to crawl, however subtle movement in Prime Hill made him freeze.

  ‘No one should be in there,’ he thought, with a minor grimace, ‘Abbas and Spit-Take are on the surface, Snap is behind me—thank goodness—the doctor should be in his office…unless it’s the fire breather and the woman, but that’s not working for me…’

  He stuck his chin out, squinting. He noticed a taller male figure with crazy hair staggering about while flailing his arms. He then pumped his fists before leaping forth to fight the couch.

  Is that…Mr. Holdover?’

  Shaking his head, he continued on until he reached the wall. Climbing to his feet, he carefully went down the hall, spying the entrance the Groundhogs used up ahead. He placed his hand on it, feeling around.

  ‘Ok,’ he thought, ‘Now to get inside—‘

  “HA, HA, HAAA!” Salamander laughed, sliding the door open. “Ya shoulda seen da look on his face, Trixie! I’s thought he pissed himself again dis time!”

  “I’m pretty sure he did,” Trix said walking at his side out of the dark room. She stopped and looked around. “Salamander, do you feel anything?”

  “Uh, yeah.” The man grinned at her, “I feel GREAT! Ha, ha!”

  Smirking to herself, the woman shook her head. Then, she snapped her gaze at the ceiling, her eyes scraping very part of it.

  “Hey, ya wit me?” Salamander whispered to her ear, causing the woman to squeal.

  “Don’t do that!” she said, her voice returning to its happier pitch. “You know it makes me all tingly!”

  “Den I’m gonna do it again!” he laughed.

  Punching his shoulder, the two watched the door slam shut. They then walked out, laughing. Shakar turned around, “That would’ve been terrible…” his eyes adjusted to the dark room that was Zone 4, “…if I’d been a decisecond slower.”

  The room was nearly all black, save for the strangely shaped objects he could make out corralling the Zone. He placed his hands against the rocky wall, which was frigid and moist to the touch, and carefully walked along it until feeling his foot kick over a pile of rocks.

  “Koff…koff…”

  ‘A person,’ Shakar thought, ‘that has to be the source of the screaming.’

  “I’m taking a risk but, hello?” he called. “I hear coughing so I’ll assume you’re not okay.”

  “…Leave me…alone…” a voice whimpered.

  “Even if I wished to, I’m afraid my vision is a bit impaired at the moment.” He replied. “Perhaps we can speak under better light?”

  “Huh? You don’t…*KOFF!* *KOFF!* Sound like…them.” The voice said, “Power…to your right.”

  “My right…” Shakar repeated, continuing ahead, dragging his palm long the wall. The sounds of glass, gravel, and wood crunched under his feet. His hips bumped into a something metal, prompting him to ease himself over it—nearly slipping on the wet ground when he landed. He kept walking, pushing past wood structures and hitting his shin against what felt like pipes a few times for what felt like forever, until hearing the familiar cough near the place where he started, though now his hand felt that of an old metal box with a lever. His lips pressed together, “Excuse me sir?”

  “…Yes?”

  “For future reference, the light switch is on the left.”

  Shakar yanked the switch down and a massive overhead white light flickered on, blinding him for a moment. Blinking to re-adjust, he looked around the Zone again. Now he could see clearly. It was much smaller than the others and cluttered with half built vendors and rusted pipes everywhere. Three large red missiles sat propped on a pile of rocks with the word ‘SPRING’ sloppily painted. They lined the wall a few feet from the ground and a fourth under it—which would’ve gotten Shakar’s attention had he not seen what was before him first. In the center of the room sat clear cube, and sitting in the middle tied to a chair was a Red Collared man. His double breasted black blazer was torn and his Collar and buttons were lost in the blood caked all over him. He looked up at him and smiled through his morbidly swollen face.

  “Hello there…you came to save me?”

  Shakar’s eyes were wide with shock.

  “Hey…” he jerked his body, his chair sliding on a puddle of blood on the floor, shaking his messy blond hair. He jerked his body over and over, scooting himself to the glass wall, pressing his face against it. “I’ll make sure…your compensated…” his face then twisted, his blue eyes nearly budged through his head. “So please…PLEASE HELP ME!!”

  “…I—”

  “My name is Willsworth Whitherton!” he said, his breath coming faster. “They’ve held me here for months! I work for the government! Just say whatever you want and it’s yours, I promise—but you have to help me!” he slammed his face against the glass only to be repelled by a violent electrical shock, throwing him to the floor into his own blood. His face jolted back in Shakar’s direction. “I’M BEGGING YOU!!!”

  Shakar hadn’t noticed until now a massive brown bulletin board high on the wall behind him. It was covered with stained blue neck ties, from the lights at the bottom to the darks near the top and three reds at the very top. Awestruck, he moved in for a closer look.

  “Just…just give me a minute—”

  “WE DON’T HAVE TIME!” he yelled. “If you don’t get me now they’ll—”

  “I knew something was off.” Trix said. She stood in the open doorway with Salamander. Her eyes shot to them, then the board, “Michael…”

  “I know.” The smoker lit a cigar. “Dat cell got room for two?”

  “No,” Trix said, “it’s best we hold our positions until Abbas returns. I’ve alerted everyone else until then.”

  “Aight, good,” Salamander took a long puff, pointing in Shakar’s direction, “Ya’ know I’s heard what ya did back at da bank and was plannin’ on thankin’ ya.” He shook his head and snickered, “Boy would I have felt stupid!”

  “NOOOOOOO!” the Red Collar yelled. “This is all your fault, you hear me? YOU’RE FAULT! I could’ve—I could’ve been free…I could’ve been FREEEEEE!”

  “Shaddap would ya?!!”

  “AAAAAHHHH!”

  Shakar could only stand there in silence, his eyes at the ground while his ears where forced to endure the back and forth between the Groundhogs and the Red Collar.

  ‘Maybe,’ he thought, ‘Maybe I was wrong about this place…’

  …

  Pg. 7

  It appears the young one’s spirit trouble’s his Talent. From his failed attempt on the Blue Collar at the bank of (that night), it would be wise to put him at ease before going further

  Mr. Holdover stared at the unfished page. He blinked and then flipped back a page, hoping he was wrong:

  Pg. 6

  ‘When one’s body is unfamiliar with something, it cannot perform up to the same standard as a body that is familiar. This is common knowledge for material and—

  “It’s the same shit!” he exclaimed. He flipped back even further, the pages before detailed Xole’s fatigue when using his Talent, along with is Gi balance. He tried flipping ahead again, but the rest of the notebook was blank—yet to be written. Mr. Holdover blinked once more, taking pause before slamming the book to the ground. Growling, he hunched over and glared at the monitor

  ‘This guy,’ he thought, ‘he doesn’t know shit! Fat-ass is literally making this up as we go! Why the hell lie in the first place? Does he just want the boy?’ he scratched his head rapidly, ‘Damnit, are we actually being hustled here?!’

  ‘Thud’ ‘Thud’

  Mr. Holdover’s head snapped up, ‘Footsteps,’ he thought. ‘Shit I need to get this place back before they suspect D did something.’

  Hastily, Mr. Holdover began stuffing everything back in the couch, including the note book, ‘I’ll confront Tubby on this when he rolls back in,’ he thought bitterly shoving the cushions on the smelly couch. He sat it down but realized the hole was still there. He grabbed the other cushion and made a small rip in it as well.

  ‘It was the rats, just believe the rodents…’ he thought. His then fingers hit something on that cushion. Making a face, he felt around and pulled it out. Now he was shocked.

  A second notebook.

  “What the actual fuck…” he said.

  “Sammy!” Sunshine’s voice nearly sent Mr. Holdover’s head one hundred and eighty degrees back. “Sammy, is it five past the hour?”

  “Beats me. What time is it?”

  “For Christ sake—Johnny!”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright, let’s make sure it the watchtower’s still good.”

  ‘Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!’ his eyes shot around the room, desperate for an exit. He ran ahead, gazing out the window at the rest of Haven below. He peered down, ‘It’s gotta be at least a least three hundred foot drop! Wait a sec,’ he squinted further, noticing someone with a weird hat on the walkways across, ‘is that Kufi?’

  “Alright, now which key was it?” ‘Click!’

  ‘Aw fuck it!’

  Winding his arms back, Mr. Holdover forced the window open and stumbled out just as the door opened. Sunshine, Johnny, and Sammy entered, looking around. Sunshine sniffed.

  “Hey boys? You smell something?”

  “It’s foul,” Johnny said. His eyes shot to the couch, noticing the rips. He went over and carefully felt over them. Sunshine joined his side.

  “Was this thing always this banged up?” she asked.

  “Not sure,” he replied, “I’ve barley been inside.”

  “Yeah, same here,”

  Sammy yawned, “Unless Skinner decided to eat the couch.” he said, walking to the end of the room. He pointed to the open window, “Or we’ve got a new rat, one that can fly and break into reinforced bullet proof windows.”

  Sunshine ran over, glaring over the edge. “Boys, where’s Abbas?”

  “He’s on the way back.” Johnny replied, “I’ll handle the report.”

  “Oh no, we’ll give him a report alright.” the woman replied, staring at the hundreds of people below, “Keep D. tied up for now, his accomplices can’t be far.”