“It’s the Tongue. He’s finally decided to pay attention to you.”
The section of sewer had been backed up by debris and hat stopped the flow of water from continuing past that point. This was causing it to spill out more in less than health code standard locations in different less inhabited areas of New Hawkhood. All this was done to create a dry series of catacombs out of the sewers for him, the criminal mastermind of the relatively weak criminal underworld of New Hawkhood, to operate out of as a headquarters and elaborate storehouse. Should anything go wrong the floodgates could easily be opened and drown any intruders in muck and waste.
However the aforementioned mastermind was less than pleased to hear the news. A thin, papery set of metal shards shot out from the shadows, nearly stabbing the emissary in the neck. He jumped up against the opposite wall in shock.
“And his words were?” He hissed.
“None.” The crook responded, pulling himself together but eyeing the blades carefully. “All I know is that he’s decided to be aware.”
“Then send him this,” The large figure said, creeping out of the shadows as he spoke. “Stick a written message in the waistcoat of the one agent who’s been attempting to open the south dam. ‘Your presence in this city is equally noticed. My offer is still the same. Step down and let this city fall, or I pull the rug out from under you.’ Place the corpse on the first step this time, 3 A.M.”
“The, uh… The agent’s corpse?”
“YES!” Switchblade shot his face right into the terrified man’s. “NOW GET TO IT!!”
A young boy looked nervously about the dark room, his heel digging slightly into the floor.
Across the floor were five men, professional burglars, armed to the teeth, contorted on the floor in a dazed state, some foaming at the mouth, others twitching involuntarily. He slowly walked forward, his bright eyes glancing about nervously at the situation, eventually fixing on one fellow with a black eye who appeared to be in a pot of pain.
“Iosif.”
The boy stiffened violently. “Sir.”
“Here.”
Iosif slowly stalked towards a very large figure in the shadow of the wall. Suddenly the figure spun around, drew out a massive hand, grabbed Iosif by the head, and dragged him towards his stomach, hunching over him. There was a dreadful silence followed by a shuffling noise across the street and a gunshot so loud it almost broke Iosif’s eardrums. It came from the large man currently hunched above him.
“They’ll come soon when they hear that.” Iosif said after the figure finally released his grip. “Who, um… Who was he?”
The man said nothing, hunching over a metal box. After a moment he produced a string of pearls and a bag of diamond rings. “No identification. Bring them home to break.”
Iosif gingerly took the items presented to him and stuffed them in his coat pocket, zipping it shut. The man walked over to the window.
“We’re floating to the water.”
A resounding groan came from Iosif as he zipped his other coat pocket. “Please tell me we’re not going under again, Elias.”
“Buoy.” Fever spoke, walking to a window and ripping it out of its proper space, them placing one leg out of it. “On.”
Iosif climbed on, and Fever slipped out of the window. Iosif shut his eyes and concentrated hard. As Fever leapt off the building, he could hear sirens in the distance, but they would never catch him as he floated gracefully through the air, descending at just the right speed to land at the water’s edge.
“I treat you tonight.” He said, his mouth muffled by the heavy scarf he wore. “We walk tonight.”
Iosif did not respond. After a moment Fever stepped onto the water’s surface, and the pair began the trek around the shore to their place of residence.