It's only just begun...
The time was upon us, Magda Klein of The Fulgurators had to be stopped. Only one person could convince Magda of her wrongs, Shiny Nick and so it was that Shiny Nick found himself in Magda’s plush offices. “Just give me five minutes, Magda.”, implored Nick. Magda tilted her head to the side, smiled and surreptitiously pressed a button under her table.
Nick noticed this but carried on regardless, “It’s in both our interests to have a conversation, people are homeless, people are dying, is this really what you wanted Magda?!” Nick was about to continue when the doors burst open and two uniformed guards marched towards Nick. Nick continued to plead his case, “I’ve known you since I was a kid, I sat on your knee. You can’t want this, surely? Just a couple of minutes, that’s all!”
Magda sighed and raised a hand towards the guards. She looked back at Nick, “Sometimes things happen for no reason Nick, but, for old times’ sake, go on… five minutes.”
Many feet below the offices, Keys, Lex and Vennis were walking towards the security gates of The Archive. “I hope it works or we’re fish in a barrel.”, griped Keys. Vennis, hissed at Keys, “It’ll work.” Then she whispered to herself, “I hope.”
Vennis thought back to the conversation with Peta Merrin. Peta worked in salvaging, mainly taking crap out of The Archive and trying to find a use for it, she’d pressed Peta for help, she wanted cards to get her and a few friends into The Archive.
“Peta, here’s the deal. I’m going into The Archive, with some friends, we have something to do that will make a big difference to people’s lives, but I promise, I’ll also be looking for Alt. We all know your brother is somewhere in there looking for The Shifted, the bastard Mortal God Church have their hooks in him, they’re not gonna rest until Alt’s taken down any Shifted he can find, or dies in the attempt.”
Vennis paused for breath, Alt had stopped moving a bundle of wires and transformers and was head bowed, face red as he listened. Suddenly, he swung around, pointing a dirty finger at Vennis, “You’re trouble! We all know it, you cause trouble wherever you go, why should I trust you?”
Vennis paused, she started helping move some of the boxes, Peta just grunted. After they’d finished Vennis, drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, leaned against the wall, pulled out two bottles of beer, and handed one to Peta. Peta looked up at her, took it and said, “Okay, I’ll get the passes, but you promise to look for Alt and… I’ve got another favour I need.” Vennis grinned back at Peta.
Back in the present, a red light had gone off as Keys swiped the card, she shot a glance of annoyance at Vennis and tried again, a buzzer sounded. Vennis pushed past Keys and Lex and aimed a heavy boot at the gate, a siren sounded and there was a cry from a guard, “Wot’s going on over there!?” Lex puts a hand on Vennis’ shoulder and turned to face the guards, “Nothing. It’s just these bloody gates are defective, always have been, and probably always will be. Who’s responsible for ‘em? Is it you?”
The two guards look at each other, and then one addresses Lex, “Pass.” Lex stars patting his pockets, smiling inanely back at the guards. Lex then hears a voice, “They’re throwing us out, say we can’t come in, but we’ve got a right to be here, just like everyone else!!” Vennis is in the middle of the floor, grabbing people, imploring them to help, pointing out the guards, who already have batons ready. A few of the workers have stopped, they know Vennis. Vennis shouts out, “The guards, hit me, it’s not right, they broke my wrist.” Vennis is cradling her arm, fake tears running down her cheeks, she’s in her twenties but looks a lot younger. There are a few rumbles from the crowd, “What the fuck!”, “Monsters!!”, “Pickin’ on kids, what’s wrong with yer?”
The guards are surrounded by angry Archive workers, they are pointing back at Lex and Keys, trying to explain, that they’re just doing their job, but as they are pointing with batons and their faces are covered by an armoured faceplate, it’s not going down well. Lex has climbed onto a nearby rubbish skip, “You’ll be next! Don’t let the bastards grind you down! Fight! Fight for your lives!!”
A fist is thrown and whistles are blown as more guards run towards the melee. Keys, Lex and Vennis take the opportunity to push through the security gate and into The Archive, they hear a plaintive, “Oi! Come back!” from a guard, but they are off and running.
Lex and Keys know the way, they grab a service lift and it rattles as they descend into the depths of The Archive.
In Magda’s office, Nick has finished his speech, his face flushed, tears in his eyes, “Magda…”, he whispers. Magda looks at him, tapping a pencil against her teeth, she points it at him, “You almost had me you old goat. Sentimentality is the preserve of those with no responsibility or hope. I’ve got a job to do and unpleasant and nasty though it may be, I intend to complete it. Take him away!”
Nick screams at Magda as he’s dragged down the corridor by his feet, “You’ll regret it, you’ll fucking regret it, you had a chance, you idiot! I was trying to help!” Halfway down the corridor there is a distant boom, the building rumbles and the guards fall to the floor, Nick looks back as dust billows out of Magda’s office.
Down in the Archive Lex places a makeshift bomb next to a corner of the building, this placement should send Magda and the Fulgarator offices down into The Archive, the rubble cutting off any hope of access to The Shifted area. Although the bomb is what is best described as hastily constructed, there is a timer on it, but it keeps shifting from one minute to one second to ten minutes. Lex gently taps it, each tap getting stronger, until he feels Keys’ hand on his… “Stop hitting it. Just set it and let’s go.” Lex sighs, “It’s a bit temperamental.”
A few minutes later, they admire Lex’s handiwork, nod and turn to go… they hear an automated countdown from the bomb, “5… 4…” “Run!”, screams Lex. The three of them run out of the room, and down the corridor, until a blast from behind them lifts them off their feet and throws them ten feet forward. Silence falls.
As Vennis, Keys and Lex stir, a familiar face looks down at them, it’s Shiny Nick, “Oh my days, I thought you were all dead!” Nick helps them up and they walk back down the corridor, the entrance into the deeper levels has collapsed, blocking any way forward. On top of a large pile of rubble sits a desk and behind the desk, covered in brick dust is a pale and bloodied Magda, blonde wig askew.
Magda’s eyes flick open, bright blue, full of icy fire, she glares at them, “YOU!” As she says this a knife bursts through the centre of the desk, cutting a circular hole. As the circle is complete, up pops the head of Sam, grinning and licking his lips as he eyes Magda, who screams and pushes back from the table, tumbling down the heap and landing at the feet of Lex.
Keys whispers to Lex, “Get her out of here, take her to the Pawn Shop.” Lex nods, “Good luck!” Shiny Nick puts an arm around Magda, helping her along with Lex, back down the corridor.
Keys looks at Vennis, “Go!”. Vennis shakes her head and thumps the iron pipe into her palm. As they look on Sam bursts through Magda’s office table, destroying it in a flurry of knife attacks. As the dust settles, Sam looks up, seeing Keys. “Hi Sam. Long time.”, Keys's voice almost breaks. Sam hisses at her, showing row upon row of razor-sharp teeth and steps forward.
The heap of rubble starts to pitch forward, Sam loses his footing, buried in an avalanche of masonry, Keys and Vennis exchange glances and dive for the tunnel. They hit the floor, roll and come to their feet, looking behind them. Debris blocks the room from floor to ceiling. Vennis claps her hands free of dust, “Job done! Let’s go!”
Back at Shawson-Crewitt Pawnbrokers, Magda is looking crestfallen, her power suit torn, stained and covered in brick dust and blood, her arm is bandaged up and in a sling. Lex, Keys, Shiny Nick and Vennis, consider the situation. Finally, Nick looks Magda in the eye, “It’s over.” Magda starts manically laughing, “Oh no Nick, it’s only just begun!”