Authors: Matt Stephens
"Oh, that?" Vincent drawled. "I punched Owen."
She giggled. "Did you?"
"I knocked him on his butt with one punch." Vincent said, very pleased with himself.
Yasi found that hilarious.
~oo00oo~
There were twenty or so reporters, mostly from newspapers, a few from news blogs; none from television. Still more than enough to get a good look at the evidence, and spread the story far enough that there would be no denying it. Gill had used an authority in the City Planner's Office that he didn't really have to get them all there. Drew, Benji and Tony had sneaked in to join the conference; eager to see how the story ended.
Gill had two statements, one to make if there had been no word from Vincent, and one for cover if the plan worked. Gill had all the evidence hidden on his person, as well as a few rolled up maps of the hidden entrances to the Labyrinth hidden behind the podium. He would tell them everything, about the Lostkind, the Underside, and lead them to the nearest way in.
Gill strolled his way to the podium, and the noise dropped instantly. "Good morning." He said to them all. "I have a statement to read, and then I'll be taking a few questions." He cleared his throat, and tried not to gulp. Public speaking wasn't his strongest talent under the very best of circumstances.
"This is a matter of grave importance, and a story that has gone untold for far too... long..." Gill had looked up, and noticed Connie at the back of the room, waving her arms frantically. Their eyes met, and she nodded her head up and down dramatically, giving him two thumbs up; a huge smile on her tear-stained face.
Gill smothered his relieved smile, cleared his throat, and pulled a second set of cards out of his jacket pocket, giving a very different statement. "This week marks the fourth time in two years, that Earth First, a pro-environmental group has come before our fair city, with a perfectly reasonable plan to improve living conditions, as well as the condition of our planet. New York was the first, and is still the greatest of Earth's Mega-Cities, and yet the future of our planet has gone deliberately unchecked by both our city fathers, and the state government." He said, as Drew, Benji and Tony all noticed Connie themselves. "We have a responsibility to act with-"
"YES-S-S-S! YEAH-AH-HA-HA!" Benji screamed ecstatically, exploding up out of his seat; throwing his arms up in the air.
The room came to a complete, screeching silence at his outburst; as twenty reporters spun around to look at Benji in disbelief.
"He's... very green." Tony offered as Drew tried to wrestle Benji back into his seat. "Down with pollution!"
~oo00oo~
Connie's image flared to life again, casting a quick glow in the room. "Vincent? I did it." She called, exultant. "We called it off in time. Gill got the message."
"Good." Vincent called back. "I... I'll see you soon?"
"I hope so." Connie answered. "Be safe."
"You too." He said back softly, as the image died. He switched off the projector, not turning to face the stunned Ninja at his back.
"What does that mean?" Yasi asked from behind him. Her voice was suddenly soft and stunned, like she didn't understand what she was hearing. "Vincent?"
He said nothing; refusing to look at her.
"Vincent?" She pressed weakly. "What does that... What did Connie mean? What did she call off?"
Vincent finally looked up at her. "Yasi... Vandark already had the run of the city. It was only a matter of time before he moved up from robbing restaurants to robbing banks and..."
He could see the exact moment the light-bulb went off over her head. "Oh my god." Yasi whispered. "It wasn't a bluff. You weren't bluffing; you were actually going to announce it. You were really going to reveal this place..."
Vincent looked at her, eyes pleading with her to understand. "Yasi, Vandark was threatening my world too. I was the reason he could do it; and we were the only ones who even knew he existed..."
Yasi looked at him sickly. "We were still fighting down here! You could have given us time!"
"I didn't even know if you were alive or dead." Vincent shot back.
He could see the two thoughts at war behind her eyes. Half of her was pleased that he'd done it; but the other half was almost obsessively uncompromising; upholding the law that he had broken. "Vincent, we have rules down here, carved in stone; I mean
literally,
carved in stone. You know what those rules say about people who try to expose the Underside? Do you know what happens to people who do that?"
"Like a cop named Grey? I think I can guess." Vincent acknowledged; his eyes flicking to her sword.
"The First Duty of the Shinobi..." Yasi started to recite from rote, before she broke off and stared at him, stricken. "I have to... I mean I have to... I have to go." She said finally. She turned and stalked out of the Round Table Room; before freezing at the door and whirling back on him viciously. "Why the hell am I leaving? This is
my
Secret City.
You
go! Get lost!"
Vincent fled the room.
~oo00oo~
The City was still giving its victory cheer. He could see smaller faces poking out of hiding in the corners; the adults were still milling about; looking for friends; trying to find the people they had lost in the rush of battle.
Here and there were wounded; with the patch-work Gatherers huddled around the fallen enemies; laying claim to salvage or trade. The Shinobi; what few there were on the Twelfth Level, were holding court; telling their War Stories.
Each and every one of the Shinobi made a point to meet Vincent's eyes; the closest to a salute they could give him at the moment. They all knew the risk he had taken; and they all knew that the gamble had paid off.
Nevertheless; he was still from another world; and none of them knew for sure how much of the tale would be told.
Vincent enjoyed the energy of the place; getting carried along in the sheer relief of the people. Someone had started playing music again. The first music heard since the Invasion began. He heard the penny whistle tune and stood straighter; the smile on his face settling; becoming more real and relaxed. Already the signs of healing were starting to show.
He made it all the way to the entrance to the Labyrinth before someone stopped him. As he approached the large ornate Entrance; the boundary of this little Lost World; a trio of Borrowers were coming out of the Labyrinth, carrying a familiar body between them. Vincent smirked at Owen; still unconscious, as they rushed him back toward the city. He didn't envy the spy his next stop.
"McCall." A voice called powerfully from the shadows; and he turned to see Dorcan materialize out of the darkness. He had a new slice across his face; and a light sheen of sweat from the battle. He looked dangerous, and victorious.
"Dorcan." Vincent nodded to him with a smile. "I would think you have more important things to do than check up on little old me."
"Oh, you caused quite a stir." Dorcan admitted. "We've got a bunch of Wildmen looking for someone to accept their surrender. The rest of the place is frozen, trying to decide who's in charge now, or if they should keep looking for bad guys to fight; the Borrowers don't know if the Labyrinth is sealed or open since the Riverfolk guards are scarce; about a hundred Watchers want to know if they should start evacuating before someone comes down here, and the Whisper Gallery is half-trashed, so getting the word out won't be easy..." He took a breath. "So. You're leaving?"
"I broke a lot of rules." Vincent offered. "Yasi... Nobody knows quite what to do with me so I figured I'd get while the getting was good until someone figures it out."
Dorcan let out a disgusted sigh. "We all saw her getting closer to you. We didn't realize it at the time; but Yasi's so single-minded she wouldn't recognize a good thing if it showed up and saved the whole city." He gave Vincent a crooked smirk, extending a hand. "Which you have. For what it's worth; we never would have been able to take back the Underside if the Riverfolk hadn't run away; and they never would have run away if not for you. I don't know what Yasi will settle on; but I intend to make it clear: You've got at least one brother in the City by Night."
Vincent smiled and shook his hand, grateful for the kind word.
Dorcan gestured at the Entrance. "You need someone to lead you back?"
"Don't worry about me." Vincent gave a crooked smile and pulled up the hood of his cloak past the ruby red goggles. "I know my way home." He said ironically; and strode into the labyrinth.
TWENTY: "Who Are They, Vincent?"
The third story on the news that night was that various medieval weapons, expertly stolen from across the city; had been recovered. It was officially chalked up to enthusiasts committing criminal mischief, as the weapons had apparently been used for fighting with each other.
A few people thought it was strange that such expert thieves would use them for such juvenile purposes, but since the goods had been recovered, the police were off the hook. The security companies blamed the owners, the owners blamed their security; and everyone quickly forgot the whole matter.
The fourth story on the news that night was that a member of the City Planners Office had spoken out against the anti-environment action. The press were not kind to Gill, annoyed that he had brought them out on a day's notice for such a non-story; when they were expecting something bigger.
Davidson was stunned that Gill had reacted that strongly to a Green-Group being overlooked again; when nobody thought he cared that much. Davidson shook Gill's hand and told him what a pleasant surprise it was to see him caring so much about such a worthy cause. Then he told Gill to clear out his desk immediately, as he'd just been fired.
Below the surface; it wasn't quite so easy.
Yasi was the only one of the original ruling council still alive and visible; and the one least familiar with leadership over the Lostkind. Part of her was more comfortable as a prisoner than a leader; but she knew damage control, and organization. The clean up from the invasion had just been completed when the Shinobi struck back, and the repairs had to start over.
The matter that disturbed Keeper and Yasi the most, was how easily the Lostkind had slipped into living under Vandark's Rule, and how things had changed. The Healers had refused to release Keeper from her convalescence; and she'd had to share her worries with Yasi, who grudgingly admitted that Vandark had been very active in looking after his conquered subjects. The standard of living had raised significantly in the week that Vandark had been in charge; and going back to the way they were was going to be difficult at best; but keeping things as Vandark made them would require a dramatic change in how the Lostkind operated.
For better or worse, the Underside would never be the same again.
The Riverfolk had retreated back to the River, and were not seen again. Owen was collected from the Labyrinth, and woke up in the Oubliette, once again.
It had taken longer than usual for word to get around with the Whisper Gallery damaged, and the Shinobi survivors had to go across the Underside, telling the story of what happened; and who it was that saved them.
Yasi's injuries were light; as were Dorcan's. One or two Shinobi were hurt seriously, but Dorcan had ordered them to keep the Wildmen away from Vincent; and so they hadn't been taking any chances in their final battle. The last of Vandark's loyalist supporters had surrendered to the last man; and each of them had an opportunity to see their Captain's body; leaving no doubt that he was dead.
Dorcan had made some offhand remark that the fight would go down in the history books of the Lostkind; and Yasi had shaken her head; telling him that the Archivists were the ones that kept the history; and the Underside didn't have one at the moment.
Above the surface, Vincent's friends gathered around the projector, to get the story from Vincent; and found only Yasi's projection; growling out a warning to dismantle their transmitter at once. Davidson had tried to call Vincent and tell him what had happened, but his cell phone was switched off, and his home phone went unanswered.
Connie told her brother the whole story over again as they took the equipment apart; leaving nothing behind once they were done. Drew believed; blown away by how much bigger the world was than he had known.
Connie went home as soon as they would let her, but Tecca wasn't there. She knew the truth about what he'd done; and cared not at all. She had wanted to give him a home and had little to no investment in the Underside. If he needed somewhere to go; so much the better. She waited for him until late the next morning; but he didn't show.
~oo00oo~
"Martha Cameron?" A voice called through the door.
Martha opened the door a little, but only as far as the chain would allow. "Yes?"
"We were never officially introduced. My name is Connie Harnell?" The woman outside her door introduced herself. "I work at the Free Clinic on Lilac street?"
"Oh, yes." Recognition flooded Martha's face. "Is there something wrong?"