They left early in the morning. Aside from their weapons and those documents, they didn't really have any luggage. First, they had find their way through the Lower District. Shono claimed that he knew a somewhat safe route to the Upper one. Steeling their resolve, the team started climbing down the mountain. Karabell knew all too well how risky that move was. But it was a risk they'd been forced to take.
Een stared at the few clouds staining the sky. He hadn't been able to sleep properly. He didn't just feel uneasy... He was afraid. For a fighter of his caliber, it was most shameful to think that way. Though no one could punish him for it. Alice, Shono, the Captain... They were all exceptional. He was by far the weakest. But just keeping Alice safe was enough for him. Een felt pathetic, faltering after he'd urged the Captain to accept Shono's offer the night before. The last time they'd spent the night down in the city... Memories of it still lingered in his mind. Not knowing where the next attack would come from, maybe not even knowing where his teammates were. He was afraid of being left alone. He lacked the strength and skill to fight by himself. Him and Shono were the shields, while Alice and the Captain were the spears. It had always been that way. The Aberrations didn't scare him. That was a lie he'd told himself over and over. But repeating the same lie didn't make it true.
At last, they entered the city. They'd been awfully quiet on the way down. As heavy as the atmosphere was, travelling together like that felt refreshing. Normally, they'd split into two teams at that point, tasked with mapping different areas. But this time, they were together. Karabell checked his watch. It was almost 9 a.m. They'd left at sunrise, so it had taken them a little over three hours to get there. He wanted to arrive at one of the spots they'd determined to be safe before eight in the evening. The closest one was the rooftop of a large building. They'd marked it on their maps a long time before, so he didn't know exactly how long it would take them to reach it. Would they even manage to find it again?
"Don't you guys feel like it's way too calm around here?" Alice suddenly asked, a shiver running down her spine.
"We did kill three Aberrations not too far away from here yesterday. We shouldn't run into any more for a while," Shono responded a bit too quickly. He was tense. After all, he'd take it upon himself to show them the way. He couldn't afford to mess up. In that respect, Shono was the one they needed to defend the most. While they were still at the Agency, they'd met many captains who'd lost entire teams to those beasts. They'd just assemble another one and continue doing their job. But Karabell hadn't witnessed another being getting eaten alive by the Aberrations. Just the thought of it made him nauseous. Those three were his friends, his squad. He'd sworn to protect them at any cost. Those three persons...
"Hey guys... I think we forgot something," the Captain spoke in a grave voice.
"Nope, we didn't. I already took care of it. I left him enough food to last a few days... if he doesn't eat too much at a time. We'll come back for Gun afterwards," Een said, as if he'd read his mind.
"Are you crazy? No, wait, he's the crazy one. How do we know he'll even last that long? What if the Aberrations find him? And how much food did you exactly give him?" Alice snapped at her brother, swinging her arms aroung in a fruitless attempt to slap him.
"He'll be fine. Did you want to take him with us? He'd have ended up as Aberration food in no time. Judging by the state he's in, he would run straight at them and ask them for directions. The man's insane. We were all fond of him before, I know. But he's not the Gun we knew anymore. We'll have to think of a way to help him later."
Karabell understood what where Een was coming from. He wanted to agree with Alice, but bringing Gun with them would've meant certain death. Both for him and for them. That trip was challenging enough without having to take care of a lunatic. It didn't take long for her to calm down. Shono still hadn't said a word. Out of a sudden, he stopped. The man had heard a familiar sound. One that meant bad news.
"Captain, I want to see where those noises are coming from. May I scout ahead?"
"Suit yourself. But be careful. We'll follow close behind."
Shono nodded, starting towards the Gargling. It wasn't far. As he got closer and closer, his movements became sluggish. He couldn't afford to make any noise. The fact that the Aberration could smell him was already putting him at a disadvantage. As he peeked out from behind one of the buildings, a look of shock crossed his face. He barely managed to refrain from gasping.
The soldier returned to his team as fast as he could. They had to change route. Immediately. Shono needed to catch his breath before any words could leave his throat.
"It's bad. We're dealing with one Gargling and four normal ones. We could take them on, but..."
"It's a scouting team, exactly like us," Karabell interrupted him. "Meaning that there's still one Superior out there, at the very least. Even if we defeat those, it won't make much of a difference. We need to find that one..."
They'd encountered a colossal problem. And those creatures were in their way. Maybe if they had more experience... But Karabell'd only been exploring the city for around six months. Only three in Alice and Een's case. They had no choice but to rely on Shono's knowledge again.
"It will take longer, but we can avoid conflict. I never imagined there would still be a Superior alive. Just how many attacked the base?"
"Lead the way. We'll find that thing, don't worry. We'll get to the Upper District's AAD, and then we'll find whoever is behind all this," Karabell said, putting a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder.