Chapter 6

Atlas decides to pursue a rumor of where a power crystal is.

"Sooo...whats a power crystal?"

May gives a skeptical look, "Well power crystals are an urban myth but once in a while we hear a rumor of where one is. They give you serious power."

"What kind of power?"

"I'm not sure, no one really knows. Assuming power crystals are real, those that know what they do, never reveal it. They are just urban myths....are you sure you want to go after it? It might be a waste."

He shrugs, "If it's important, you think the Syndicate will be there?"

"Mm...no, definitely not, but I'm positive you'll find bounty hunters investigating it...occasionally they have information about the Syndicate, so I suppose it's worth a shot. But it would be a small chance though."

"Good start for experience? Maybe I can recruit them?"

She smirks, "Good luck Atlas, you got the map, I got to go."

"Okay, good luck in the meeting May."

"See ya Atlas, get out there before the bounty hunters come and go."

Her cheeks turn a soft red as she turns and walks away.

He decides to take the light rail to the poor district. Atlas leans against the wall of the train and waits as they go past stop after stop until it reaches the end of the line.

He finds it interesting, May and Travis refer to the state as the city. Even though there are at least 6 big cities within the state.

He is now in Dayatop, a decent sized town in the poor district. He follows his map that takes him to Faio, one of the several abandoned towns in the poor district of the state.

He stops and rests his hand on his pistol. "No use killing each other yet, we haven't even found out if the rumors are true."

"Hahaha! That guy is awesome!"

Atlas turns and watches as two boys maybe seventeen walk out from behind a building. He shakes his head.

"You guys are young."

"Sorry we can't be old veterans buddy."

The brown haired boy slaps the blonde on the back of the head. "Sorry, he's an idiot, and clearly can't shut his mouth."

The blonde rubs the pain away and scolds his friend. "Hit me again Mike, we'll see who's laughing."

"You guys take this pretty serious." Atlas says,

"Yeah, sorry, look-"

"If the rumors are true, that power crystal is ours! Got it?!"

"Dude!"

"What?" the blonde asks,

"Just...shut up! Just shut up."

"I'm better at this than you are, you need me!"

"Actually, I believe it's the other way around smart one."

"Shut up."

"He's actually right. I knew you were there, but say I was guessing, you through your element of surprise away, which means your smart or dumb, then told me your friends name-"

"Alright! Alright! I get it!"

Mike snickers, "Sooo....we both are here for the same reason, we both know the other is here. Partners until we find it? Then we can settle it properly?"

Atlas shrugs, "It's not the reason I'm here. But if we do find it, yes, we can talk it over. Keep in mind if you try anything it will be very easy for me to take you down."

"Noted."

"Wait, so if you aren't here for the power crystal, why are you here?" the blonde boy asks,

"Let's see if we can find any clues first and I'll tell you." Atlas says,

"Okay, cool, not skeptical at all. Just bounty hunting with a guy in a weird suit."

"I'm Atlas. I'm not looking for enemies. Where do you think we should start?"

The two look at each other and both point their guns at Atlas. He stares back at them.

"Atlas, we need proof. It's not a doubt in my mind that you are strong and fast. We need proof that you aren't going to turn against us."

Atlas sighs, "One I'm not interested in killing kids, no offense."

"Shut up man! We are old enough to be bounty hunters! We aren't pushover either!-"

"I won't do it unless necessary. Two, what I'm after is you guys. I want to see what you're made of, really made of."

They look at each other and frown, then look back at Atlas. "You...what?"

"What I can tell you is I'm...looking to recruit. Show me some skills and I might tell you what for."

"Bull."

"Not likely. Wanna help or you want to stand there and let someone else find an urban myth that isn't so mythical?"

They look at each other again and back, then almost simultaneously they holster their guns.

"Alright fine. Then, we'll show you one of our talents, to start. What do you think Ilia?"

The blonde boy, Ilia nods, "Alright Atlas, don't talk."

Ilia sinks down to a knee and places both hands flat on the ground and closes his eyes.

Atlas studies him, what is he doing? Atlas turns his head to the other boy, asking Mike what he's doing.

Mike holds up a finger, telling Atlas to wait another moment. After half a minute passes Ilia stands again and looks at Mike.

"Alright, I found a hole."

"A hole?"

"Elaborate." Atlas says,

"I can sense the earth, I can't really describe it, but I can feel what's around me, there's a hole in the ground, I could only feel down as deep as 46 feet. But it's definitely deeper and man made."

Atlas smirks, "Not bad Ilia, I'm really impressed."

He smiles, "Thanks old man."

Atlas narrows his eyes at the comment but desires to let it go. However Atlas's mask's white eyes flow his eye movements. So Mike sees Atlas narrow his eyes and with a big grin on his face, slaps the back of Ilia's head.

Ilia groans and rubs his head. "Alright! Sorry!"

"Lead the way my guide."

"Yeah yeah." Ilia says,

He leads them further into the town they find an old well. "Good job Ilia. I'm proud of you, you found water."

"Shut up man! I-"

Atlas's hand flies through the air fast and covers Ilia's mouth. They both look at him.

Atlas slowly lowers his hand as he spins looking at rooftops and at corners of buildings. They follow him and look around them.

"Get in the well." Atlas whispers,

"Whoever it is, we can take them Atlas." Ilia whispers,

"I don't doubt that, but I'm not sure where they are. If they are up here, we are too exposed, they might already be down there."

Mike and Ilia look at him. "Alright, Ilia first."

"Why me?" he spits to Mike,

"Cause you're stronger than me, you can overpower better than me."

Ilia rolls his eyes, he jumps onto the stone wall of the well and grabs his shoulders, he then jumps and disappears into the well.

"Mike."

"Going."

He jumps up and drops in. Atlas looks around, he doesn't know how Ilia and Mike didn't hear that. Something big definitely shifted up here, cement block or a rock or something. Which means something had to have shifted it. Atlas steps up onto the well and drops in.

****

She waits for a minute before moving, then she phases off the building to the ground and hurries over to the well, she looks back at the corner of the building she was on.

"Stupid freaking idiot." she spits to the large possum that had been climbing on the pile of rocks that had once been part of a building.

She sighs again with relief. "I'm going dark, I'll explain later."

Before there is a response, she hangs over the edge of the well and waits and listens. The distant echoes of the voices.

She climbs down the rock wall as best as she can, but there aren't many places to grab on. She finally drops and sinks into the water, she tries to spear into the water as much as she can so to create less noise.

She slowly breaches the surface, silence. She prays she didn't catch their attention.

She prays that this guy thinks it's the agency that is following him. She silently swims to the concrete walkway. She slowly pulls herself onto it and searches, but she finds it almost instantly, their water trail.

She hurries after them, as quietly as she can. Soon she can see the flame of a torch, a torch, where the heck did they get a torch? Who cares.

She creeps to the corner and looks back down the empty hallway she came, to make sure she isn't being followed.

She looks again towards the light that shines from around the corner.

"So you got your power because of the crystal?"

"Tch-yeah! Cool huh? If you aren't after it like you say you are, we are hoping to let Mike here use it."

Atlas half tilts his head to the side, half nods, in agreement. "Smart. Become a better team."

She follows around the corner as they continue to move further in.

"Maybe, you could join us? I know you're the one recruiting and all but, we could use someone like you."

"Yeah I mean, you're okay enough."

Atlas snorts and looks at Ilia who gives a mischievous smirk. "Sorry guys, got to be the other way around."

"I can understand that."

The woman's eyes widen as they all come to a stop, she slowly moves back  from the giant, round, stone door and the three companion's and moves around another corner out of earshot.

"Tips?" she whispers,

"Tips do you copy? I think I just found Ashe." she whispers in an very shaky voice into her radio,

Her body shakes equally as hard, she can barely stand, "T-Tips?" she mutters,

She walks back to the corner and listens, "That is a big door."

"Yeah we know Ilia, you said that."

"We-look at it man! This things huge!"

She racks her brain, what does she do, what does she do!?