Far beneath the great moving city, in the thundering heart of the engine-centre, Yu Xuan toiled under the watchful eyes of armed sentries. Heavy chains bound his wrists, and a shock-collar gleamed coldly against his throat , punishment, they claimed, for nothing more than trespass.
"All this because of trespassing? Ridiculous," he muttered, voice dripping with scorn.
A sudden alarm split the air, bathing the vast chamber in a pulsing red light. Sirens wailed, echoing off iron walls.
"Code black!" barked a guard as several soldiers sprinted toward the upper lifts.
Yu Xuan straightened, eyes narrowing. "What now?"
A few remaining guards shifted uneasily. One of them stepped forward, baton raised. "You stay put. Watch the inmates," their superior ordered before following the others into the crimson haze.
The number of sentries dwindled to a handful. Yu Xuan saw his chance.
"What's happening?" he demanded, taking a step toward the nearest guard.
"Shut up and get back to your cell," the man snapped, shoving him.
In one swift motion Yu Xuan caught the soldier's wrist, twisted hard, and wrenched the ring of keys free. Before the guard could react, Yu Xuan slammed the door of the cell and turned the key with a satisfying click.
"Hey!" the guard shouted, rattling the bars.
Yu Xuan gave a low chuckle, dangling the keys in mock salute. "Thanks for the gift."
With a flick of his wrists he stripped off the chains, unclipped the collar, and vanished into the labyrinth of the engine-centre, the crimson lights painting his escape in blood-red shadow.
Yu Xuan sprinted through the dim corridor, the alarm's crimson glow throwing wild shadows across the steel walls. "Harriet! Harriet!" his voice echoed over the wail of sirens.
From behind a heavily reinforced cell door came a muffled reply. "Yu? Yu, over here!"
He followed the sound and stopped short. Harriet sat chained in a double layered restraint, heavy cuffs glinting in the red light. As a wielder of gravity force, she was classified a high-level threat.
"Harriet!" Yu Xuan hissed, rushing to the bars. "I've got the keys."
He worked quickly, unlocking the cell and snapping open her restraints.
"What's happening? Where are the guards? How did you-"
"No time," Yu Xuan cut her off. "We need to move. Let's find Lucius and Nai before the whole place goes up."
Harriet nodded, rising to her feet as her power surged back through her veins. The air around her seemed to tighten, a subtle shift of pressure.
"Can you use your force to break us out?" Yu Xuan asked.
"Watch me." Harriet strode to the wall where she, Lucius, and Nai had once plotted an escape. With a sharp gesture the gravity around the steel warped and shrieked, metal twisting like paper until a jagged opening yawned wide.
The sirens climbed to a fever pitch an ominous signal that carried through the depths of the moving city. Somewhere above, the Blind General turned his head, sensing the disturbance.