Cypher carried Jericho, navigating through the labyrinth-like sewers with Etsy and Tsuki following close behind them.
The gunky water rippled with every crashing step of whatever beast was trotting above them. It reminded them to make haste and continue forward until they reached their destination.
No words were spoken, with the only sounds being those of water splashing and the ground above them shaking.
Tension made the air feel thick and heavy. Every breath Etsy took felt like an anchor weighing down her heart.
She could only look at Cypher for a few seconds before looking away. Her mouth hesitantly opened, preparing for speech, but was halted by Cypher's commanding voice, breaking the silence.
"We're here."
His voice cut through the thick air and pulled Etsy out of her thoughts.
Cypher had stopped in front of a corner of one of the turns within the sewers. At first glance, it looked identical to the other walls surrounding it, but encrusted within the wall was a tiny hole at its base — the hole was around the size of a pinky finger, one you'd overlook even if you thoroughly examined it.
Jericho was roughly released from Cypher's grip and onto the wet cement near his feet. Cypher rummaged through a satchel hidden within his cloak and pulled out a small metal rod around the same size as the hole.
He dropped to his knees and stuck the rod through the hole. He shook it around, seemingly struggling to find whatever he was looking for.
Etsy stood behind him with a smirk plastered onto her face, amused by the Boss's struggle— she had shoved her concerns and feelings into the back of her mind. She seemed to do this a lot.
"Chop, Chop, for time is of the essence."
She spat while she put her index finger into the air, mocking how Cypher spoke.
Cypher ignored Etsy, and he continued to shake and poke the rod around until a click was heard.
A mechanism was heard starting up as the gunk-covered wall would split apart and slowly open revealing a pathway that lead to a cave.
Cypher lead the way through the pathway, shortly after they had reached the cave.
Inside was a dingy, dimly lit cave with beds lined up along the walls, a single torch on top of a desk in the corner, with a pinboard with various pictures of people and places. In the back of the cave were two doors, one was open, revealing a shower, toilet and sink--- it was obviously the bathroom.
The other was locked shut.
There was a moist, partially solid liquid throughout the floors of the cave, and every step they took was met with the sound of slush being kicked around.
"Home sweet home!"
Etsy let out a giant yawn before leaping onto the abnormally large bed, almost snapping it in half. Tsuki was quick to follow her, not knowing what else to do or where to go. Etsy looked over at her bruised and dirtied face.
"Let's get ya' all cleaned up."
She held out her hand for Tsuki to take. Tsuki hesitantly took it and followed her to the bathroom.
The only two left in the main room of the cave were Cypher and Jericho. Jericho lay unconscious on the wet floors of the cave with Cypher standing close by watching him, waiting for him to get up.
Jericho's body was crudely dropped onto the wet rocky ground, and all of his wounds had healed.
After dropping Jericho, Cypher made his way to the locked room. He pulled out a key from the satchel in his cloak and unlocked the door.
He disappeared into the darkness of the room for a few seconds. All that was heard were the sounds of chains and clicks until he came from the room with a handkerchief in hand that carried a liquid.
Cypher grabbed Jericho by his head and put the handkerchief to his nose--- with a few sniffs, Jericho squealed before his eyes abruptly shot open.
Dazed and confused, Jericho looked in front of him, he was surmised by the mysterious cloaked man in front of him. His instincts commanded him to thrust his feet straight towards the 'foe' in front of him.
As both of his feet connected with Cyphers chin he used the momentum to launch himself away from the mystery man sending both him and Cypher flying.
Jericho's eyes frantically shifted around where ever he was, he scanned every part of the dimly lit cave.
"What the hell! Where the fuck am I! Who are you! What are you!"
He spoke fast as if he were on cocaine.
Cypher was laid out on the floor, his pupils were rolled back, and his mouth was wide open--He was definitely unconscious.
Hearing the commotion, Etsy barged out of the bathroom with her hair drenched and half naked, the only thing that covered her were two small towels wrapped around her breasts and bosom—the towels seemed to struggle to contain her.
Tsuki was in the back, on top of the sink, swinging her legs back and forth—the left half of her hair was in a long, unfinished braid.
Etsy looked at Jericho, then averted her gaze to an unconscious Cypher.
"Etsy? What the hell is happening? Where are your clothes?"
A little bit of blood trickled down from Jericho's nose as both of the corners of his mouth curled up seemingly forgetting about the predicament he was in— he was truly a pervert.
Etsy massaged her temple with her index and middle fingers. She stood silently for a few moments before bursting out in laughter.
"Ya' knocked out the freakin' boss!"
She lunged towards Jericho, the towels were fighting for their lives to stay attached to her.
Jericho didn't even try to evade or protect himself from the ensuing storm. He sat there staring at Etsy's beautiful figure being manipulated by gravity and physics as she darted through the air like a bullet.
He examined and appreciated every last detail; it was as if everything was moving in slow motion. A few jiggles here, a few jiggles there.
'Heh'
Jericho smirked before realizing what this meant.
'Wait, everything is moving in slow motion, am I about to die?'
His mood was killed for but a second before a second realization hit him.
'This was the best way to die'
It seemed he forgot he was immortal.
As Etsy grew closer, she threw her arms out as if she was going to embrace Jericho.
'Wait, huh?'
She crashed atop Jericho, causing them both to fling into a wall from the force of Etsy's lunge.
A scaled hand gripped the top of Jericho's head; his hair was repeatedly shaken. His body was slowly being crushed by Etsy's strong grip and her muscular arm wrapped around him.
"Why ain't ya' tell me that you were this strong! You're really who they say you are!"
Jericho tried to respond, but his voice was muffled as if something was blocking his mouth.
Etsy looked down at Jericho and pulled his head out of her cleavage.
"Oh my bad."
Tears streamed down Jericho's face; for but a moment he was in heaven.
"Thanks, but I'm not all that strong."
Etsy tilted her head in confusion.
"But you and the boss just sparred, right?"
An embarrassed expression washed over Jericho's face.
"Oh, that's your boss?"
His eyes avoided Etsy.
"What?"
Etsy's demeanor changed.
"I didn't know who he was, so I dropkicked him as soon as I woke up."
Once again, silence filled the room. Jericho glanced over at Esty to see what fate was in store—back to being half of a head.
To his surprise, Etsy's eyes were filled with tears. She gripped him harder, pulling him closer before looking down at him into his eyes.
"We really got a chance."
Jericho just stared at Etsy in confusion. What did she mean by a chance? A chance at what?
"What do you mean by a chance?"
"Cypher will explain it all when he's up."
Confused, as ever Jericho just sat there with Etsy still on top of him.
Tsuki popped her head outside of the bathroom door.
Etsy turned around and noticed Tsuki. Wiping her tears and hopping off the much smaller man she'd readjust the hanging towels that were barely wrapped around her and went back to finish Tsuki's hair.
Jericho sighed in relief after the crushing weight of a 6'10 crododillian woman was released from off of him.
His nose began to bleed as his dreamt of how it felt to be in the cushions of such beauty— he was truly perverted.
Dreams of a dominant scaled beauty caressing him were swept away by the groans of a man recovering from a concussion forcing his attention else where.
It was cypher, he'd had regained consciousness from the surprise drop kick to his chin.
Jericho thought about going ever there to help him up but remembered what happened the last time somone tried waking another dazed person up.
Instead he just spoke from a distance.
"Hey."
Cypher shook his head while he pulled himself off of the floor. He slowly gained back his sight.
His eyes locked onto Jericho.
"Hey, come here."
Jericho didn't comply, he back up even further away from Cypher.
"How childish, I'm not going to try and get back at you. I need you to come here so I can examine you."
A perplexed look appeared on Jericho's face.
"Examine me? For what?"
Cypher's expression remained dull and dark.
"You sure do ask a lot of questions."
He spoke stern.
"Well I don't have a lot of reasons to trust you."
Jericho shot back at him in retaliation.
Cypher sighed and then turned away from Jericho.
He pulled down his cowl revealing a huge scar on the back of his neck. It ran from the top of his neck to the tip of his spine.
"I'll examine you later, for now just come with me. There's much we need to talk about."
Cypher walked towards the locked room next to the bathroom and pulled out the key in his satchel to unlock it.
Jericho hesitated to follow him but he had no other choice. It was either comply or try and escape into the city— where he knew he wouldn't get far.
Taking a deep breath and not letting down his guard Jericho entered the room passing by Cypher who was at the entrance of the room.
The room was extremely dark Jericho could barely make out anything in the room.
The door closed behind Jericho and a clock was heard. Cypher had locked the door it was only them two in the dark room.
Suddenly Cypher click a button next to the door causing a screen to descend from the ceiling.
On it was a map of the Omnibus with markings on all of the different quadrants.
Cypher walked to the side of the screen and pointed out a chair in front of him.
"Sit, this is going to be a long talk."