Saira SwitzJefferson:

"So what's the plan,Sherlock?We just waltz out of this prison hole,with my chains and cuffs while you protect me with your supposed charm and merit?"

Even though Ethan's in front of me, waiting for the Red Ravens to pass by so that we can sneak out,I can still imagine his eyes rolling upwards and not a moment later,he says,

"You missed out the obvious dashing looks I inherited from my parents."

I open my mouth to say something about how even Narcissus of Thespiae had a sticky end because of how much he valued his good looks when the iron door thumped open, slightly creaking as a huge Raven appears(a real one this time) towering over both Ethan and I.

I immediately shrink and droop my head down,acting like a lamb getting ready to be put on a platter.

Even though I am crouching,I see Ethan's demeanor shifting,he stands taller,his back firm and it's eery to see how easily he switched from a easygoing laidback guy to a Raven.

Stone hearted and just another puppet of Lavinco.

The towering Raven points at me with one accusing black glove and his voice booms as he says,
"This girl is not supposed to be here."

A smooth lie comes out of Ethan's mouth.

"Lieutenant Rudy wanted to personally interview the prisoner."

Simple and precise.

Please fall for it.Don't hold us up anymore.We are already in a tight fix.

Eyeing his figure,I think,
And I really don't want to knock you unconscious because I am afraid that will wake up a dozen more Ravens.

The Raven tilts his head,the two black holes in his mask looking like it wants nothing bettee than to suck us in when he nods.
I let out a small exhale of relief when he says,"I was on my way to Lieutenant Rudy for the monthly report."

But then he adds,"Let's go together."

Ethan's posture stiffens even more than before and panic rises in me.

How am I going to deactivate the security system and reach out to Zoe if this big oaf follows us?

___________________________________________

We walk down the dimmed hallway,my shackled chains making a rhythmic noise to fill in the silence that is surrounding us.
Ethan walks behind me as the Raven strides in front of me.
I stay in the middle,the shackles' heavy weight making me limp.
My gaze strays behind,after seeing the Raven still in front of me,his body moving forward,not looking back.

Ethan slowly points a gloved finger inside his cloak and then gestures five fingers to me.
Five fingers.

Five minutes.

I look front again as soon as I feel the gaze of the Raven.
Looking up at the Raven,I muster a dazed smile,my voice shivering,
"So cold.The hallway."

The Raven with it's mask covering his face says nothing but looks front again.

He must be thinking they mistakenly brought a clueless weak cub in the place of the criminal prodigy Rhea Masochistic.

Behind me,I hear the sound of a button being removed and intuition tells me to move slightly to the left as the whooshing sound of a dart passes by me and latches itself into the thinly capped knee of the mighty Raven.

I look around to see no Ravens nearby as the Raven in front of us falls to the ground but Ethan hurries and catches him with a heavy grunt.

I can't even move properly because of these heavy shackles!

Before anyone catches this absurd sight and sends us back to the windowless cell,I go as quietly as I can to Ethan as he drags the Raven,leans him against the wall and pulls out a key and throws it at me.
"The door to your left,Saira."

I quickly turn the key in that door,noting it has the logo of the Security/Surveillance and open it.

Ethan really planned out the whole thing.
No one's in this hallway except us.

And as I help Ethan in jamming the Raven into the room,huffing due to the extra effort taken to pull at every step and the extremely inconvenient prison shackles,the sounds of footsteps reach us,very light but to my horror,it seems as if it's coming this way.

Ethan meets my horrified look and I pull my hands away from holding the weight of this unconscious Raven and bang the door shut,making sure to lock it down as noiselessly as possible.

We hold our breaths as the footsteps inch closer and louder but passes by until it's far gone.

I let out a heavy sigh.
Somehow,my body feels exhausted.

But looking at Ethan slowly,carefully putting the Raven into the floor,as if to make sure not a sound slips by,I have the ridiculous urge to laugh.

Of course,my laughter dies down when I look at the room filled with wires and computers and technological gadgets.

Zoe must be waiting for the signal.
I need to connect the link fast.

Ethan finally leaves the poor unconscious Raven and comes up to me.

He takes off his mask and I don't want to admit it but a surge of relief passes through me at seeing his face and the ruffled hair.
He indicates a hand at the knocked down Raven and explains,
"The dart was dipped in the incapacitated drug so he should be sleeping peacefully for the next few hours.You know what to do.Finish connecting through it and discard the-"

A siren blares out,it's noise growing rapidly and one look at Ethan tells me he is thinking exactly what I am thinking.

They know I have escaped.

Ethan's eyes shift from me to the door but before he gets a word out,I take the mask from his hands and place it on his face carefully.
"Go and finish what you set out to do so many years ago.I will take care of it."

I try to move past him to the computers when he grabs my wrist and says,
"I will find you.Stay aware."

A smirk forms in my face and I face him,cocking my head to the left.
"What was that?Did I just hear concern from the notorious trillionaire?For me?"

He chuckles, shaking his head and finally lets go of my arm, heading for the door when he looks back at me and says,
"You have no idea."

And then he is gone.

Only when I lock the door and check it twice do I realize there is a metallic pressure coming from my right hand.

Looking down,I uncurl my fist to see a small iron key and glance at the shackles and cuffs.
And,unknowingly,a small smile forms in my face.

I can see how he managed to survive all these years in the Underworld.

Glancing back at the computers and wires,I brace myself.

"Alright, it's time."
___________________________________________

Ethan Desmond Moretz:

With the mask covering up my identity,I walk beside the other Ravens in the long hall,my feet marching like a soldier's.

The sound of boots slapping the floor is a synchronized beat and it's creepy how the Ravens rarely converse but one command from their master and they wouldn't hesitate to blow a hole through you,no matter who you are or how close you are to them.

This is what Lavinco had done to them.
He had taken science into his own hands and mixed it with what was a myth, something that couldn't actually happen.

They are all drugged.
Everyone of the Ravens.

I didn't know what I felt more.
Pity or disgust.

But as I move stoically towards another corridor,march forward and finally, finally knock the door of the ever high,ever glorious Lieutenant Rudy,I wonder how much blood would be on my hands.

A slow,slimy voice speaks through that door.

"Enter."

Taking a deep breath,I twist the knob and let myself into another monster's space.

I haven't visited Rudy's den for a while.

As the door shuts behind me,I see the rotating chair tilting until it faces me.

And when Rudy looks at me with an expectant look,clearly waiting to see what has brought a Raven out of his duty into a first Lieutenant's den,I don't see the room draped in black curtains and that gleaming white desk or notice that the lights in here are dimmed too.

I only see the face of a murderer.

Big Dawn's killer.

"Well?",inquires Rudy,impatience slowly seeping into his voice.

I thump one foot hard down the black tiles with a soldier's stance and raise my arm in a firm salute.

"I wanted to meet you,sir."

A flash of curiosity across his face.

Ravens don't talk like this.
They are intoxicated,hard wired to obey whatever orders.
They do not have wants.

And I know that he knows.
He knows that in front of him is someone who cannot be trusted.

So before Rudy can press that button to call for backup,I take off my mask.

Slowly.

And I take it all in.
His reaction as it changes from surprise to building anger.As he rises from behind the ivory desk to his full height,I think of how teenage me would have pissed his pants if he encountered this giant of a man.

But teenage me would have fought too.

For Big Dawn.

So I clap my hands,the sound echoing slightly in this dark room.

"It's time we have a little chat,Rudy."

He doesn't speak,only monitors my movements as I drag a chair from the side and make myself seated in front of his desk.

And as I leisurely take off the gloves,I notice the sheen of sweat in his forehead.

Perhaps I look just as mad as Lavinco Ruth.

He sits down too,quite aggressively,I might add and demands angrily,
"What is the matter?Why are you in Ravens' clothing?And a prisoner is missing.The very prisoner you brought in the Cube."

With a cool disinterested face,I answer,
"And why exactly do you think she's missing?"

My eyes bore into his faded grey eyes as realization dawns upon him.
I watch as his bewilderment turns into betrayal real quick.
But if I expected a violent reaction,I was about to be disappointed.

He seems to be muttering to himself,
"I should have known."

Cocking my head,I ask him the question I have been wanting to ask for so long.
"Don't you remember me?"

Hearing my question,the right hand of Lavinco scoffs with an arrogant tone,
"Of course,I remember you.The Moretz son born with a golden spoon,fed up of all the riches handed to him," now he leans closer,his elbows placed on the table as his hissing voice drops to a whisper,
"So he decided,for better or worse,to find trouble.Spice up his mundane life.
And what better way to do that then diving into the Underworld,eh?"

Looking into his smug face,it crashed on me that this man,this merciless killer didn't know me.
He didn't recognize that boy who shouted and yelled for someone to save Big Dawn,his mentor.
He didn't recognize the boy who had to be held by two security guards until he was forced to watch his mentor take his last breath as he stood there helplessly.

He didn't know.

He really thought I was just one of those richboys who entered the Underworld to quench their curiosity and time.

Rubbish.

But since he was having trouble remembering,I would do the honour of enlightening him.

Placing my elbows in the smooth desk,I leaned in and whispered,
"Do you not remember the Eagles' Arena?What you did there?"

He had backed away when I leaned closer and I could swear he saw the raging fire in my eyes.
It was boiling up and I knew it was reaching the peak.

And Rudy wasn't of any help either.
"I don't know any Eagles' Arena boy.You are asking the wrong man."

"Then why are you sweating so much?
As far as I can see and feel,the air conditioner is on and the weather is not even that warm."

His eyes darted from one side to the other,looking for an escape when I pushed again.
"Fine. Let's make it easier for the blind fox. Big Dawn. A mentor and gang leader. Foul play.Just another nameless murder for you,I am sure."

Rudy's skin has turned a sickly shade but his mouth is set into a hard line as he spits out,
"There was money in the game.I did what was needed to be done."

"Oh?"

I did what was needed to be done.

Looking at his remorseless grey eyes,the color of used and hardened cement,I wondered how many more Big Dawns had passed away by his filthy hands.

And as I tried to put my chilling anger under a leash,my hand looked around in my cloak for the gun.

Enough.

One more question and I will be gone.

"Are you satisfied with being just another puppet whose string is pulled in all corners by Lavinco?Why stop in murdering men and looting their money when you could take the madman's place?"

He shakes his head dispassionately at me.
"You wouldn't understand boy.Being the supposed madman's right hand,the Lieutenant of Red Raven has it perks.And you are stupid enough to..."

His voice fades away in a trail as I stand up,my right arm shielded by the heavy cloak and I can hear my footsteps as I move behind the desk,in front of Rudy as he tilts his chair in my direction.

And Rudy,the Lieutenant of Red Ravens,right hand of Lavinco Ruth widens his eyes as I take out my arm and point the gun at him.

With my heart beating furiously and the image of Big Dawn sprawled on the Arena's ground,beaten bloody,flashes across my mind,my finger tightens in the trigger.

"Every men has to face their sins,Rudy.No one gets a a pardon."

As the sound of both the gunshot and Rudy's body crumples to the smooth dark floor,making a cluster of noises,my eyes scan the surroundings to note down that the walls are made soundproof.

Thank God.

And I move away from the body,Rudy's stunned and equally frightened expression still fresh in my mind.

I look back once to see the pool of blood growing and his eyes rolled up as he lays there.
Good.
Never will he ever get to abuse his power and rob away decent men of their dreams.

The madman's right hand had not expected me,not a billionaire lazy boy to fashion a place into the Underworld,nor carve a seat beside his master,nor that he would really pull the trigger.

Well,I can't really say I am sorry for what I have done.

___________________________________________

Saira SwitzJefferson:

"Zoe,can you hear me?",I ask,uncertainty and doubt lingering in.

After Ethan left,I decided to make myself useful in the control room and deactivate the security system and inject a virus so that they will think the computers are malfunctioning.

Yeah,being best friends with a cyber geek means eventually you learn how to hack into the very advanced system, deactivate it while plaguing in a virus.

Kidding.

I actually had to be schooled by Zoe for long hours but being around her for let's say,my entire life did help.

But here's the needle in the haystack though.

I need to find the Red Chip or else there's going to be more people dying from our side than the Ravens.

And I need to find it quick because already the siren has started and I am sure the Ravens are getting rounded up to search for escaped prisonsers,aka me.

Shuffling the mouse,I swear under my breath while placing my ear closer to the audio connector.

"Really,Zoe you had one job.Even here, you just have to be a late,annoying bi-"

"Aight,that's enough talking shit about me,Sairs."

My eyes widened and quickly looked back to the door.
"Are you telling me you intentionally listened to me complaining about you and didn't bother to respond?You sick woman."I say,a hint of incredulity in my voice.

Her voice comes out from the connector again.Clear and loud.
"No,there was a shut down so I had to rewind it again.Just happened to reach the Ravens' tech wire when you were talking shi-"

"That's enough."I silenced her firmly.

We could spent all day bickering until we both lost our heads and senses.

"Break into their account and see the traces of the chip.I need to know the location urgently."

And as an afterthought,I said,
"Lower your voice,McDazzle."

I could hear the tsk tsk and knew my best friend was rolling her eyes.

But as the sound of her typing rigorously came and she briefed me in about the important datas,I realized that we have been working together for so long,that it didn't matter she was undergrounds and I was in the Cube.

We could understand each other just fine.
And not for the first time,a thought came to me,small and grateful.

She's always been there for me.

And she's talking in hushed tones too.

But it's when she reads out the location of the Red Chip is when my complete focus pans on her voice and my eyes are squinted,a frown on my face as it seems getting the golden ticket would be way harder than it seemed.

I take it all in, letting Zoe ramble on about the Red Chip and how to effectively shut it off when a hard knock reaches my ears from the locked door.

I freeze and impulsively,my fingers tap the locked button as the screen glitches and goes completely pitch black.

Zoe's voice cuts off as the connector's green light dims off.

The sounds get louder and I am sure the Ravens are wondering why the door is locked and why the Raven in charge of the control room is not responding to their barking orders to open the door.

And just like that,I can hear the sounds of heaving bodies pushing at the door, trying to rattle it open.

Well,I ain't going anywhere without a fight.
Standing up,I take out the knife tucked under my sleeve and turn around.

The door shakes even more,giving in to the efforts of the Red Ravens and I look down under the gap of the door.

It seems like they brought a whole battalion to get this door open.

Lavinco must be losing his touch if he needs this many people to disarm one girl.

Finally,the door breaks open and it's shoved aside as masked Ravens wearing red cloaks enter and swarm the room.

And I stand there, twirling my knife in one hand as I count one,two,five,seven Ravens.
Seven Ravens.

My eyes widen in mock horror as I stop twirling the knife and point it chidingly at the Ravens,

"Oh dear.All these trouble for silly me?"

__________________________________________

A/N:
My dear readers.
Happy 2021.
Well, let's make this year as happy and healthy as we can,shall we?
Take care of yourselves.
And definitely social distance,masks,and try to stay home as possible,if you can.

Andd,well another chapter.
I have got my A levels in four months and the nerves are creeping in.
Your prayers,are always,welcome.

So well what do you think's gonna happen?
Saira definitely doesn't lack in the courage department,does she?

And of course.
If you enjoyed,do
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Until next time.

Stay safe.