Page 15 of Shadow's Chosen

"Power Squad," Amy said bitterly.

"Why the fuck did we get saddled with this while the rest are all wearing one color?" Bruce said, eyeing the drogin.

"Probably so we stood out for them to see," Adrien answered. "It's not a big deal. They seem...sturdy enough."

They all looked unconvinced, but before they could comment more about it, the drogin officials were calling everyone over to a dais set up by the tracks. As Elise and her team made their way over, Elise spotted a group not far ahead of them wearing silvery-black armor. The hunters. Their armor looked a hundred times cooler and more versatile. The lead hunter turned his head, and Elise immediately looked away with a scowl.

"All right everyone, you know your place in this. Let's have a smooth ride," Qorey said, gazing around at them. "Everyone is equipped with their new Ulink which are each connected to a map and local tracker. You will also be able to contact anyone from this mission through it." He lifted up his own, an oval shaped device similar to if a bit smaller than the ISpads or smartphones back home, and pressed down on his, making it light up. "If you press and hold on each of yours, they will be activated."

The drogin soldiers did as told and unlatched their Ulinks from the clip on their arm or at their waist. Elise had hers on her upper arm. She held it down and watched it light. As she happened to look over, she noticed the team of hunters didn't move to activate theirs. In fact, they didn't seem to have one at all. Instead, Elise saw a thick band on each of their wrists equipped with a small screen. She eyed them suspiciously when the tram came into the dock.

Everyone shuffled around and lined up as the tram halted and the doors slid open. There was soft ping as lights lit up the edges of the dock. Elise followed her team inside, huddling close as they packed the tram to its limit. The section they stood inside smelled like a fresh pair of shoes as air blew down on their heads. Once everyone was inside, the doors shut, and the lights dimmed. Elise took hold of a bar along the roof to steady herself, but as the tram shot away from the dock, she was pleased to find that, as fast as it moved, it did not jostle her in any way. And boy, did it move. The scene from the windows turned into an unrecognizable blur of light and color. Few spoke around them save in soft whispers and occasional growls that the drogin made. Elise looked around and caught Adrien staring at her. He winked and nodded, his way of saying everything was going to work out, something he always did right before a mission started. Elise smiled and nodded back at him in return, her way of saying she was ready.

The tram slowed to a stop, and the doors opened. The drogin spilled out, leaving Elise and her team last to exit. Beyond the green-lit station lay a road, its lines glowing yellow across the pavement. Parked along it were large tank-like vehicles with tires nearly as tall as Elise and an exterior covered in blue-gray steel. Their backsides were encased in a sort of metal cage with thick glass windows that had small circular openings, enough to put a gun through. Drogin were already piling inside as drivers opened up the doors.

"Earth team, follow me," shouted a drogin officer. They did as ordered. Elise stretched her head up to the massive buildings above and couldn't see the end. The shadow of these titan skyscrapers cast over them, dimming the sunlight, bathing the area in a chill gray. A light mist had fallen, and Elise wondered if it came from actual clouds or was just the dew falling off the tops of the towers above.

They came to their vehicle and hopped into the back, taking seats on either side. From the windows, Elise could see out every angle, even to the front when standing. There, she could see, some distance away, the gate—a wall cutting off another section of the city with a large tunnel leading down into the dark. Elise eyed it with growing anticipation as she felt a tap on her hip.

"You good, Stirling?" Jerico said, smiling up at her from where he sat, his gun resting on his lap.

Elise nodded quietly then took her seat next to him. The drogin took theirs, and all was silent save for the hiss of air blowing out from the vents at their feet. Elise's heart began to thump noticeably in her chest. She told herself it was just excitement or adrenaline. She watched from the window as drogin emptied the street save for those guarding the station and seeing them off. She saw Qorey outside talking with the other officials, their eyes aiming down to the tunnel. Some moved away from the group to talk to the drivers, others spoke low to each other, making gestures to the street and the cars. Qorey’s gaze fell on their car, and as he and Elise locked eyes, she bowed her head to him. He did not move, only seemed to stare at her as if she were a stranger. He walked off with the other officers back to the station without another glance, and Elise thought maybe he hadn't seen her through the misted glass.

The vehicles roared to life, and the lights along the floor flickered. Elise was jostled slightly as the tank-car jerked forward and began to roll its way toward the tunnel. Elise gazed above, past the buildings to the misty sky above, until the mouth of the tunnel came into view, swallowing them.

Dimmed lights bathed the tunnel from every side, washing them in a sickly orange glow. The car slowed as it made its descent. Elise noticed several open doorways along the tunnelway, what she gathered to be stairways or passages in and out of the tunnel by foot. The tunnel began to open up the farther down they went until they came to a midpoint where a heavy metal door stood ahead of them and a stationway sat to the left side. The vehicle stopped, and Elise looked out to see several cars ahead, one of the drogin officers getting out to talk to the guards. There seemed to be an argument taking place, but of course, Elise couldn't hear it.

"Looks like they forgot we were coming," Jerico said then laughed. Amy cursed under her breath as the others watched with interest. Another pair of drogin came out from one of the vehicles, as did another guard. The team waited, watching and fidgeting in their seats.

"What's taking them so long?" Reese said, craning his neck around.

"Must just be a miscommunication," Adrien said. "Just give it a minute. Settle down. Bruce, sit down."

As soon as Bruce sat back, the metal door ahead began to open, and their vehicle moved. The first car ahead started forward, passing through the door. As it drove on to the other side, it simultaneously lit up in a flash of red, bursting into flames and sending a torrent of smoke billowing down the tunnelway.

The car shook, as did the tunnel, and the roar hit Elise with a deafening blast. Elise covered her face from the heat and blinding light and heard through the ringing in her ears the screams and shouts of those around her. Drogin scrambled out of their cars, and Elise heard the pops and zaps and saw the bright bursts of gunfire. One drogin dropped to his knees before he could even raise his weapon, blood gushing from his head onto the pavement.

It happened so quickly, but Elise didn't hesitate. She leapt up, trying to steady herself. Adrien shouted at them, and Elise saw the others moving. She shook her head clear, unholstered her gun, and went to follow them out of the car. Reese and Bruce jumped out first, but as Tom went to drop down, the car suddenly jerked forward, sending him tumbling out to hit his face on the concrete. Adrien jumped after him followed by Helen and Amy. Elise jumped then rolled, landing on her knees. Something whooshed past her ear, and she immediately pushed herself up and ran for the others. They dragged Tom to his feet and hurried behind one of the now unmoving vehicles as bullets pelleted the metal and rang against the tunnel walls, bursting in sparks of light.

"Where are they coming from?" Reese shouted.

Jerico went around the back of the car as Helen placed Tom against the tire to better examine his face. Elise followed Jerico to the back, and there, they crouched down and saw by the stationway a narrow passage where masked men spilled out. Back along the tunnelway where they had come from, flames licked the walls and shots of lightning struck cars and people.

"They are trapping us in," Elise said. The smoke was beginning to grow worse, making it hard to see, hard to make out who was friend or foe.

"Let's just light this place up!" Bruce shouted.

Adrien peeked around then pointed to the stationway. "There!"

They took aim and fired toward the station where several masked assailants in heavy black gear shot at them. Bullets flew. Some caught, others didn't. Their armor took a few of the hits, but Elise knew they wouldn't last with such heavy and relentless firepower.

The masked men backed off when a flash of silvery-black armor dropped down over them and started taking each of them out one by one, their barks of pain echoing, their guns firing chaotically all around. Elise couldn't identify which of the hunters it was, but they distracted the men long enough for her to look around for an exit. Unfortunately, all the passageways she could make out were blocked by the masked men or encased in flames. She coughed then crouched over Adrien, who huddled by the front tire.

"We need to get out of this. The fire..."

Adrien nodded, looking around for any way out. A few of the drogin had joined them behind the car, one badly wounded with a missing ear. "Hey! Can one of you drive this?" He pointed up at the car.

One of the drogin looked at him and then the car. "I can, but I don't know if we can get past the door."

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