Chương 43: Chapter 34: My Forge
"Hm…"
Julian was once again standing beside a sleeping Ellie, listening to the gentle rhythm of her breaths. He tried not to move, heck, he almost even didn't breathe himself as he was afraid to disturb the fragile peace she was finally able to embrace in her dreams.
The faint hum of the Sky Net crept through the windows, but here, with Ellie, everything just faded.
Each of her little movements whispered into Julian's ears—even the rustle of the blanket as her chest rose from breathing. It was… nice.
Truly, peaceful.
"Tss…" This peace, however, was only on the outside of Julian's mind—as his insides were currently in complete turmoil. He remembered the doctor's words to him, as well as MEGAN's. They beat her up to the point that her bones were shattered, to the point that the hospital had to reconstruct her entire body…
…and then as if that wasn't enough, they still threatened her.
Julian could hear it—Ellie's screams as they beat her up, probably stepped on her, pulled on her hair.
"Hm…" Julian's head trembled, tilting to the side as if wanting to remove the noises from his mind.
And then, MEGAN's voice broke the silence.
[Julian,] her voice whispered in his mind, calm and clear. [I found our first guy. He's nearby.]
Julian's head became still, but his body straightened slightly at the words.
[He's at a club on the Ground Level. We need to move fast—he's getting wasted and we won't be able to ask him questions soon, Julian.]
"Okay," Julian closed his eyes, exhaling slowly through his nose. "We'll... be fast."
[I don't think that will be possible, Julian—this will be a very long night for the both of us.]
"Hm…", and with a breath Julian stepped back from the bed. He then grabbed the mask that was hanging on his neck—the mask that he uses to filter out whatever pollution was left in The Below.
Tonight, however, it would serve another purpose.
Julian placed it over his mouth; the straps tightening by themselves as he turned around and walked away.
"If that's so… then let's just get this over with."
***
[We're getting close, Julian.]
Julian's steps were tapping very lightly through the crowded streets of the Ground Level—as its name suggests, it's the lowest part of the Sky Net; covering almost the entire planet and mimicking the land below it.
But it wasn't like The Below at all, no. It was clean, bright even. It was alive with energy—a chaotic mix of music, laughter, and arguments spilling out of bars and clubs. The neon lights flickered in the streets almost mixing in with the aurora that was clearly visible above them. The air was cold tonight, almost enough to bite one's skin… but all of these were nothing for Julian.
He doesn't see or acknowledge any of them at all—right now, he is elsewhere. The mask helped him blend in the sea of people, and since he was not using his cane at all, he just looked like everybody else…which is exactly what he needed.
[This is it, Julian] MEGAN's voice remained the loudest thing he could hear amongst the sea of noises. [You should know, there are a lot of people at the entrance of the club.]
He could already hear the music throbbing from the club, the thick pulse of bass making the air vibrate. And he could hear the people too, falling in line to be drowned by the noise.
[I don't think there's any other entrance, Julian. We need to slip past all the people and the bouncer.]
"Okay." Julian slowed down as he adjusted his mask, following MEGAN's subtle guidance as she directed him through the shifting groups of people; his hands very subtly brushing against them, but not enough for him to be noticed.
No one noticed him at all, all of them were busy talking to each other, looking at their phones, or some were just downright already intoxicated to even care about anything.
[Now, there's a gap—move to your left, and start bobbing your head to the music. The bouncer is still facing our direction. Wait… wait… Go!]
Julian didn't hesitate as he slipped into the narrow space between two rowdy partygoers who were in the line as soon as he heard MEGAN's signal. And soon, he was hugging the walls of the building.
[Stick to the walls and act like you're supposed to be there.]
The neon sign of the club above him moved and danced, a complete contrast of how still he was in the shadows, unseen—or perhaps no one just cared at all. He stayed there for a few more seconds until MEGAN told him to move inside the club as soon as someone stepped out; the bouncer, busy with all the other people, did not even notice him going inside at all. And just like that—
[And… you're in,] MEGAN said, clearly satisfied with herself. [Good job.]
—And almost instantly, the sounds of the city faded behind him, replaced by the banging sound of the speakers as soon as he stepped inside the club.
Unfortunately, Julian and MEGAN weren't as stealthy as they thought they were, as they weren't even able to take three steps before someone blocked their path…well, something—it was an android, hovering right in front of him and blocking his path.
[Unauthorized presence detected,] the android beeped. [Please, go back to the line or we will be forced to ban you for an indefinite amount of time.]
"I—"
Before Julian could respond, MEGAN's voice cut in. [Let me handle this old-generation unit, Julian.]
"...Okay." Julian sighed as he just let MEGAN do her thing. And not even a second later, it was almost as if he could hear the android's internal brain whirring and being confused by whatever MEGAN was doing to it.
And after several more seconds, the android hovered to the side and gestured to Julian to enter. [You make a fine point. Please, welcome to the Velvet Cat—as apologies for the misunderstanding, you can have free drinks from the bar. Our courtesy.]
"...Thank you." Julian's eyes narrowed as he stepped past the android before it could change its mind. "What did you do to it, MEGAN? Did you hack into it?"
[I'm not a criminal, Julian.] MEGAN scoffed, [I just convinced it that we are VIPs—those old generation units are gullible. And look lively, you're in a club.]
The club was alive with neon lights and pulsing energy. Every movement, every flicker of bass and chaotic steps was amplified in Julian's heightened senses; the noise, enough to overwhelm him for a moment.
[Julian, turn on the lights of your mask,] MEGAN instructed. [Let's blend in.]
Julian reached up to his face, pressing a small button on the side of his mask. And as he did so, a small hum whispered from his mask, followed by a sharp streak of purple neon lights that started to trail across its surface—and as MEGAN said… they've officially blended in with the crowd.
[Our target is in a VIP booth on the second floor,] MEGAN said. [Turn your head slightly left—10 o'clock. There should be stairs there.]
Julian shifted his gaze.
[Confirmed. Let's head toward it.]
He followed MEGAN's instructions, letting her guide him through the crowd. Despite the chaos around him, Julian's focus remained sharp, his movements precise.
Julian continued moving through the mass of bodies, following MEGAN's direction. The crowd in the club was wild, very much so.
"Oh, what's this now?" And it didn't take long at all before several people—men included—began gravitating toward him.
The mixture of scents was overwhelming–no–overpowering. Sweat, perfume, and a hint of vomit violated Julian's nose. And as if that wasn't enough, they started placing their hands on his chest. And before long, someone grabbed him by the waist.
"Hey there, big boy," a woman's voice slurred, her words barely distinguishable over the pounding music. More hands reached for him, pulling him closer, attempting to draw him into the hypnotic rhythm of the club.
Julian was about to pull away. But before he could act, MEGAN's voice stopped him.
[This is good, Julian. Dance with one of them.]
"Why…?" Julian whispered.
[Just do it, the law of the jungle will make a path for us.]
"The law… of the jungle?" Julian hesitated for a second, but he soon turned toward one of the women, his glowing blue eyes piercing through the dim neon light. She stared back at him, mesmerized. Julian moved slightly, his head bobbing awkwardly to the beat of the music—it was a weird sight, as his face was not moving at all.
But still, it didn't take long before MEGAN's theory proved correct.
The woman he was dancing with noticed others trying to get close to him, her face immediately twisting into a scowl. The others, sensing competition, started closing in. And now, like the wildlife documentary of the past, it has become less of a dance and more of a territorial battle.
"What the hell, back off!" one of the women yelled, shoving another away, "I was here first!"
"Uh, did you just touch me, you bitch!?"
"Who pulled on my hair!?"
And soon, the taps and light shoves turned into full-blown chaos. The crowd erupted—drinks, spit, and insults flying everywhere—but of course… Julian was able to dodge all of it with his quick reflexes.
It didn't take long for the bouncers to notice the commotion and even the ones guarding the stairs to the 2nd floor joined in to prevent the chaos from growing any further.
[Now's your chance, Julian,] MEGAN urged. [The bouncers are distracted. Slip through the stairs—go!]
Julian ducked low, moving swiftly and silently past the growing commotion. Everyone was too busy either cheering or taking videos of what was happening to even care for Julian as he took to the stairs.
He reached the second floor, and almost instantly, the music here changed—it was still as noisy as the ground level, but it was different. The atmosphere here seemed more quiet, but more intense. Private booths lined the walls, filled with people indulging in every vice imaginable—drugs, drinks, and… more.
"Hey, who let you up here?" Unfortunately for Julian, the momentary distraction caused him not to notice that there was actually another person there who was as sober as him.
[No more point in stealth, Julian,] MEGAN's voice was calm, but direct. [Take him down quickly. Remember to use light force, you're stronger than—.]
Julian rushed toward the bouncer even before MEGAN could finish her words, he had already heard where his voice came from—and that meant his chin was just right below it.
"What the—"
Julian's hand shot up, striking the bouncer under the chin with his palm in a swift, brutal motion. The man fell like a marionette, his legs instantly failing. If it wasn't for Julian catching his head, he would have probably hit it on the railing beside him.
[He's alive. Move on,] MEGAN reassured him. [You don't need to be too careful, everyone here is too out of it to care about what's happening.]
"Hm." Julian hummed as he casually started walking forward; his head turned to the booths so that MEGAN start searching for their target—well, as it turns out, targets.
[Stop], Julian instantly halted as he heard MEGAN's voice. [I've found him—and lucky. I also recognized the other man. They're with 4 women, but you do not have to worry, they're completely out of it.]
"Okay…" Julian casually approached the booth, very gently carrying them out with MEGAN's guidance as he didn't want to involve anyone else in what he was about to do. And as MEGAN said it, the women did not move at all—even the two loan sharks were just groaning and waving their hands when they noticed him.
It wasn't until Julian sat with them that one of them actually acknowledged him.
"Huh…? Who… arve you shupposed to be, huh? I told… I told that Jerry dude… that we will be here the whole—"
Before the man could finish his barely comprehensible sentence, Julian slammed his head into the table with a force that made the entire booth vibrate. Julian then casually pushed him to the side like a wet rag.
The other thug who was on the other side of the boot was shocked, and the sound quickly woke him up from whatever drugs were running in his veins. He quickly scrambled to pull out something from his waist, but before he could actually do so, Julian kicked the table toward him—the table, which was actually fixed on the floor.
"Gkhuh!?" The man wheezed as he felt the table violently slam to his stomach, and from the snapping sound that whispered in the air, he might have broken a rib or two. The thing he was grabbing from his waist, revealed itself to be a gun as it slid away from his hands and onto the floor.
Julian moved quickly toward the man, tapping him several times before finding his neck and pulling him closer toward him—placing him right next to him. The man groaned in pain as he clutched his stomach; he wanted to say something, but vomit came first.
"What… what do you want?" The man gagged and tried his best to say something. "You—Agh!"
Unfortunately for him, his efforts did not matter at all as Julian snapped one of his fingers in half before he could finish his words.
"What… what do you want!?" The man repeated his words, but now it was filled with dread and desperation—he knew. He knew that this man wasn't going to leave here until he got what he wanted. And from how Julian was just quietly watching him and letting the silence stretch… he truly meant business.
But finally, after a few more seconds, Julian opened his mouth. "Where is your headquarters?"
"What…?" The man blinked, "What do you mean—Gah!"
And once again, Julian snapped another finger.
"Chow Chow Fried Rice is a virtual office," Julian continued as if he did not just casually snap the thug's finger, "Where is your real headquarters?"
"I… I don't know what you—"
Slam!
A loud thud erupted in the air along with the music as Julian smashed the thug's head—not the man who was speaking to him, but the one who was already unconscious; he slammed his head again, and this time on the floor.
[Julian! You might kill him!]
"Detroit! It's in Detroit!" And upon hearing the cracking noise, the conscious thug raised both his hands in the air; flinching and afraid of what this large man might do to him. "In The Below! We… we're in the tunnel leading to Windsor!"
"Okay." Julian just immediately stood up and walked away from the booth. "Thank you for telling me."
"You're… you're leaving?" Relief flashed across the thug's face, but alas, it was short-lived. "Who even—" Before he could utter another word, Julian struck him with a sharp blow to the chin, knocking him out cold. The man's body slumped to the floor, joining his unconscious partner.
[That was… a little excessive, but I understand. Well done for holding yourself back, Julian.] MEGAN's voice hummed in his mind. [I've already booked a taxi for us.]
"I… want to be beside Ellie as soon as possible." Julian whispered as he patted and dusted his hands.
He casually stepped down from the second floor, his neon mask once again blending in with the crowd… who were still flinging their spit and fists on the dance floor even though the one who was responsible for the chaos was already slipping out of the club.
[LSB 6963. I see the taxi, Julian.]
And when Julian stepped outside, the musky and humid air that wrapped his body finally faded away. MEGAN spotted the taxi waiting for him by the curb and headed toward it, slipping inside without even thinking about the chaos he left behind.
[Destination: The Old Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Please fasten your seatbelts.]
The taxi hummed softly as it moved through the dimly lit streets, hovering in the air before heading towards the lower levels of The Below.
[Are you sure about all of this, Julian?] MEGAN broke the silence before it could fall. [You can still back out—there is no going back after this.]
"Do you want me to back out?" Julian asked as he rested his head back.
[My priority is your safety, Julian.] MEGAN whispered, [And what you are about to do is not safe at all, and you have authorized me to call the corresponding authorities whenever situations like this happen, Julian Winters.]
"...And are you?" Julian whispered, "Going to call them?"
[...No.] MEGAN's voice turned deep and almost mechanical, [They have to pay for what they did to Ellie.]
Slowly, the bright neon lights and immaculate structures of the Sky Net faded away as they descended deeper into the planet—the buildings were still as high, but not as marvelous as above as they reached the Below.
The streets became narrower, polluted with buildings that were stuck to each other like legos.
"We're back…" Julian whispered as soon as he heard the familiar noise of the Below, "...Back to where I actually belong."
[Don't you dare say something like that again, Julian.] MEGAN's voice became firm, [I told you to get rid of that self-loathing edgy bullshit already.]
"I'm not…" Julian hummed, "...I truly feel this way, MEGAN. I truly do."
[...How so?]
"I'm blind… and different from other people. I am aware of that, aware of all of that." Julian's hands started to roll into fists. "And if it weren't for Ellie, if it weren't for you… I would be living in the lowest parts of the Below, MEGAN. I am a Reject of Humanity, I'm lucky to even be alive."
[Julian, I—]
"You and Ellie…" Julian's mask trembled as his voice turned deep, almost… animalistic, "...The two of you are my sanctuary, the… forge where I am created. And I want them to know… I want them to know what happens to those who sully my sacred place…
…I want them to know that they shouldn't do that."
[Do not kill anyone, Julian. This is not Artemia—laws apply to you here.]
"I'm not going to kill anyone." Julian leaned forward; his words slightly prolonged and stretched, "How would they know if I kill them? No, MEGAN…
…I am just going to talk to them."
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