To attack this nation

The sewer tunnel with the metallic pipes hinged on the wall seems neverending. There's a rancid, sulphuric, and pungent odour in the air that inflicts a certain heavy and salty taste in her mouth. She opens her beaks open, gasping for breath. The darkness in the tunnel is making her giddy. Her talons hurt from running for nearly an hour.

"It's not that far." No Shi Won turns his head toward her. His forked tongue wiggles out of his mouth as his yellow eyes gleam at her. "I would carry you if I could, but you are heavier than I am."

For some reason, Chang Seol doesn't like this serpent.

"I don't understand…" The snake pauses and shakes his head. "Tch! Why would you marry a human? I guess that he doesn't know about your shapeshifting ability yet."

"..." That marriage isn't real. But it's the least important problem right now. She can't run anymore.

Chang Seol sits down on the tunnel's floor.

"Goodness!" No Shi Won glares at her. "Imagine a random human finding you here and winning the award of finding a rare and exotic mutant in the sewage tunnel of the city."

"You said that I would turn back." Chang Seol yells at him, "When will I turn back?"

"I don't know either." No Shi Won sighs. "Listen, this is not a place to do this. I will explain everything to you once we get to a safe place."

"Come on." Chang Seol rolls her eyes. "Who would come to this tunnel?"

***

"Why" --Sin Jeong-Hyuk wipes his sweat --"is this tunnel not ending?"

And why does he keep finding feathers here and there? Is there a crow nest here? He's been running for a while. His knees hurt. He puts his hand on the wall and takes a few long breaths.

There's been no call from Chicken yet. She wouldn't leave her bag in a restroom stall. Someone might have kidnapped her. "Chicken!!!"

He's not going to give up. He will find his chicken even if this tunnel ends in another country.

***

All the feathers stand up on her skin when she hears that echoing scream.

"That is…" Trembling, Chang Seol looks back in the darkness of the tunnel. "Why is he here?"

"Who?" No Shi Won narrows his eyes, moving his forked tongue right and left. "Is it someone you know? Why is he screaming chicken?"

Sound of footsteps is nearing her. Chang Seol croaks in panic, "We need to run."

"I thought that you were tired." No Shi Won gives her a dark look. Chang Seol doesn't give a fudge and starts running ahead of him. Seeing that, No Shi Won follows her, barely catching up with the bird who is flapping her wings to propel herself further.

Sound of running grows higher. No Shi Won peeks back at the darkness. What kind of human can run as fast as the shapeshifters?

"CHICKEN! I AM COMING TO SAVE YOU!"

The furious roar sends a chilling shiver in No Shi Won's and Chang Seol's body. The basilisk and the cockatrice race toward the end of the tunnel.

"Who is that guy?" No Shi Wo hisses at Chang Seol. "Why is he chasing us?"

"He's someone I live with," Chang Seol replies with a rushed tone. "If he finds out that I am…"

"He's someone you live with?" No Shi Won slithers faster to reach her side. "Your husband?"

"CHICKEN! I CAN HEAR YOU."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Chang Seol clucks louder. What did he hear? They aren't speaking human language.

***

Sin Jeong-Hyuk dashes in the darkness as fast as he can. Adrenaline is rushing in his body, fueling him to run toward his chicken. In fact, he has heard some sound earlier. He's sure that there are people ahead of him. They are all trying to run away from him. Why would they run if they have nothing to hide? Chicken must be getting abducted by terrorists.

Yes, terrorists. Who could break the wall of the restroom? It must be a bomb.

There are terrorists in the country. They have abducted Chicken after she found out about their plans. She must have come across them when she was in the restroom. That's why she asked him not to bring the police. Chicken must have been scared because the terrorists must have threatened her. That's why… That's why…

Chicken is abducted because she found out the terrorists' secrets.

Sin Jeong-Hyuk has many good guesses why there was a hole in the wall and his chicken's bag was lying in the bathroom stall. The closest and most logical guess is that the terrorists took Chicken away.

"HOLD ON!" He bellows. "I WILL SAVE YOU, CHICKEN!"

"CLUCKCLUCKCLUCKCLUCK!" He hears the loud sound of chicken's clucking. "HISSHISSHISSHISS."

And the sound of a snake's hissings.

Are there snakes and real chickens in this tunnel? Sin Jeong-Hyuk increases his running pace. The snakes! The terrorists must have planned to release the snakes and chickens in the subway station. The snakes are enough to scare the people though. Why chickens? Maybe chickens are snakes' food!

"CHICKEN, DON'T BE SCARED. I WILL KILL ALL THE SNAKES."

"HISSSSSSSSSS!"

"CLUUUUUUUUUUCK~"

"BASTARDS!"

Sin Jeong-Hyuk sees the backs of two large animals running ahead of him. One is a dark green serpent and the other one is…

"What the hell is that thing?" He blinks his eyes. It looks like a giant bird with a chicken's head. The logical side of him screams, "Snakes and chickens can't be that big."

The bird turns its head and looks at him once. Sin Jeong-Hyuk realizes that the chicken is completely black. It has two large wings, a long pointy tail, and scales covering its body with sharp spikes on its back.

"Mutant." He widens his eyes, slowing down as the shock grips his legs.

Terrorists brought a mutant animal to attack this nation.

"Cluck!" The bird pauses for a moment, looking at him with confusion. It cocks its head, blinking its black round eyes that reminds him of a certain someone. "Cluck?"

"YOU!" Sin Jeong-Hyuk points at the mutant bird gasps when he realizes it, horrified. "YOU ATE MY CHICKEN, DIDN'T YOU? I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"CLUCK!" The mutant bird screams as it starts running again.