Downgrade

“This is unjust. How can they possibly know our current locations?” A thirtyish woman said, clenching her fist over the wooden circular blue painted table. “They got their targets locked. Even Loshiana and Miguel are being monitored. We can’t take another careless act that will lead our members to their pits.” A man uttered, standing beside her while rubbing his chin. Both of them are inside a spacious dark underground room below the main street. Vibrations are heard from above, making the lights flicker all of a sudden. “I hate those trucks. Can they even try to bring goods, not in a loaded way?” A young guy in his mid 20’s muttered in an irritating way. He passed by the two who’re currently in a slight misunderstanding and went through the dirty kitchen to grab some water bottles. “Guilbert can you cut it off. This place is totally hiding. We can deal with the trucks later.” The woman said and took a sigh. “Where’s Vixen? She should be here at this moment.” She added. “She said, she’ll take a little break from this unbearable place.” The man chuckled. “Damn, woman. I’ll totally give her a head-butt when she comes back.” She said wistfully. ___ “She's probably looking for me right now, while blabbering things on how she’ll punish me and try to get me killed by her own hands.” A young lady smilingly said, sitting over a log with dried leaves around it and green moss. She looked above them and see the current levels of people. Some were laughing, enjoying their morning meals, having their daily walks, but most of them are looking down, sniggering and nagging off their slanderous faces. “When will they stop doing those shitty faces?” Cody said and munched his caramel coated chocolate biscuits that are on their expiry date. “When we take great damage to their levels. That would remind them how cruelty governs us down here and how they are in delusions of their current lives. They will manage somehow when that time comes. Maybe. Maybe, they should also act according to how we live.” Vixen said and stood up from her seat. She stretched her hands up high and tucked her shirt properly. “We’re going back. Kinzel is waiting for us for sure. Better have your speech plastered on your mouth. She’ll probably ask those same questions.” She added and started to walk. The wind was blowing hard enough for them to feel the cold breeze together with the specks of dust. The sunsets itself slowly. “Wait for me. Yeah, I got one here. She’ll manage to believe my story on how our day went.” Cody said and smirked. The city is making its way for the night. The birds are whirling at the center, above, from the different levels. People started to come home and make their dinners. Slowly, the moon took the sun’s place together with the stars. The night is clearly bright. The gates slowly closed from above, separating each level. Cody and Vixen went ahead straight to the base. Entering the security code, besides the door, the two are able to enter and face the grumping expression plastered on Kinzel’s face. “Where have you been?!” The woman shouted and pinched their ears. “Ahhhh! T-that hurts!” Both of them said in chorus, trying to pull Kinzel’s fingers from pinching. “W-we went to the field and g-got some wool.” Cody said and excitedly pulled off the soft, fluffy wool from his string bag. The woman’s eyes suddenly glimmered and was able to pull off her hands. Of course, Cody would have prepared a little story to amuse Kinzel and to avoid themselves from being punished just like before – being locked in the sewers for ten minutes. That’s totally wrenched and insane. Just before they could get to their base, they took a shortcut and went for a while in an open field where sheep are roaming around. They took a fine amount of wool and went directly before six in the evening. Of course, to hide the real story where they went to the Long Range Fountain, the center of the city. Kinzel immediately took the wool and placed it on the box. Clasping her hand, she patted the two. “Well, I didn’t ask you to go there, but thank you.” She smiled. “Your dinner is already at the table. Help yourselves. I still have papers to do, call me if you need anything.” She added and went directly to her office, leaving both Vixen and Cody looking at each other. As soon as Kinzel left the room, the two vigorously laughed and sighed. “That was closed. Whew. I should try harder next time. Maybe you should do it too. It’s hard making some ways to revert our real deal outside, Vix.” Cody wiped his sweat on his forehead. Vixen sat on the chair and grabbed some ceramic bowls filled with fried fish and rice. The young lad snatched some plates and utensils from the drawer and sat beside her. “Did you find a way to talk to them again, Cody?” Vixen worriedly asked, putting enough rice on her plate. “Not yet. But I know a way for us to get there and have them back here.” “Do you think they’re still waiting for us? I mean, both Loshiana and Miguel are being monitored in their place.” “That’s the point. They are currently at their place. They can do their jobs and execute the plan properly. This is our chance to pass through their barrier.” Cody clapped his hands and felt the excitement. “I put a tracking device on their earrings. It will help us locate where they are right now. Here, look. This is the device I made a week ago.” Cody grabbed a cube-shaped gadget from his pocket and put it above the table. The thing is beeping, flickering with the two immense green lights displayed on it. “Look, those green lights are them, Loshiana and Miguel. Currently, they are in the third level where the Royals are located. More preferably, in exact points, the eastern side of the level, the Prison.” He added. The lights are moving slowly beyond the maze-like map of the third level of the city. The two of their members are moving away from the place where they’re held captive and being monitored for days. “Where are they going?” Vixen asked. “T-this isn’t good. I think they’re taking them… at the Fountain. Are they going to initiate an elimination? We have to tell Kinzel, immediately or else they’ll lose their ranks.” Cody panicky went directly to Kinzel’s office, opening swiftly the door and witnessed madness over Kinzel’s face. Her brows met at the center, making her age ten years older. She is looking intently at those papers being piled up beside her on the table. It’s been three days of keeping herself filled with paperwork regarding the group. The room is a total mess, crumpled papers are scattered in every corner, the whiteboard at the side was filled with notes and a figure of the City’s structure. She started to search and recruit possible new members, especially those who got some powers. “Will you mind knocking on the door, sometimes?” Kinzel said and eventually arranged the papers in front of her. “Come on, what’s with that weird-looking face of yours again? I will knock if I want to.” Cody rolled his eyes. “I got information about Loshiana and Miguel. We can get there before their elimination.” He immediately added. Kinzel looked intently to the young lad and stood up. “They’re having their elimination?! But it's night already.” Vixen opened the door a little bigger and entered the room. “They’re taking them at the Fountain. I think they’re planning to eliminate them at this time.” “We have to hurry and take them, before it will happen. Gather some of us. We’re going there.” Kinzel ordered the two and do what they’re told. Both of them called four of their acquaintances, including Guilbert, who’s the younger brother of Kinzel, still rubbing his eyes from sleep and some drools over his mouth. He’s gruesome sometimes and couldn’t handle himself. Also, Quinten was there to assist them. All of them went to Kinzel, who is currently, with patience, waiting for them at the other entrance by the hole, at the side of the main street, where dried leaves are being piled up, helping them to be unnoticed by the ones passing by. Slowly, they climbed from above, wearing with them their usual symbol of black scarves, covering their face excluding their eyes. Of course, they wouldn’t want the Royals, including the other Lowies to notice their faces. They indeed, still, moving under the shadows, unrecognizable somehow. Cody took the lead, holding the tracker with him while the others are following from behind. It’s eight in the evening, everyone was quite asleep - enough for them to move freely in the dark, yet it’s also the perfect time to move for those who wanted to do illegal and vengeful actions towards the Royals and some are for the Elites. It isn’t only the Era who took the role of being the villains of the city, but mostly those who live in the Lowies. Everyone has the hunger to stop the divisions. Yet, only a few have the guts to do it. “We’re here.” All of them looked up high, terrified. The fountain is bursting the water from above, and they’re able to grasp their first meet with the Royals.