Chapter 2 Death city: Necropolis. Act 2 of 5.

Act 2 Shack of mysteries.

Pov Marco Diaz.

Woah. . . That was all I was able to say. as I felt like I was, in summer camp again. inside a log cabin. Is this the pawn shop? I asked Mike and he gave me a nod.

The lights switched on their own, as we entered. It was a square room, with a high ceiling. The floor was tiled with stone plates. The counters were made of wood with glass panes in the front to see different kinds of things I can't afford. Oh maybe I can buy that monstermon card, then I looked at the price. How much?!

Mike gave a short laugh. Ha ha. You can have it, if you want. that's a limited edition shiny Charcozard, platinum plated, with a gold stump by Satoshi Richard. The maker of monstermon.

Alright wow, I understood half of that. Thank you? He smiled at me, and then jumped over one of the counters. In front of shelves filled with katanas, European swords, and other old weapons, and older guns.

He turned back at us. Alright guys, half of the stuff here are replicas, or very old and unrestored, except maybe the flintlocks. . . My uncles were very much world war I nerds. 

I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. Then I had a thought. Wait, everyone don't touch anything! I yelled and everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me.

There might be an alarm, when we take things out of the cases. I said as I pointed at a camera-like lens on one of the counters. Jane pulled her hand off the glass pane, she was touching and everyone else walked back away from the displays except Mike.

It's alright guys, the sensors only activate if the doors are closed and locked and they're silent alarms that would call the cops rather than ring out like those in the movies.

Oh. . . sorry for yelling. I looked down feeling embarrassed for overreacting. Jackson spoke, his voice was measured. It's alright kid, it was the right move, if this store doesn't have a silent alarm we would have been overrunned in minutes.

Sandra was close to me and gave me a hard pat on my back. And then smiled at me. You did good kid, now let's get you something better than a fireax. 

Thank you sis. And then I took the glass box that had the rare card Mike told me I can have. And then placed it on the counter, I think I'll take it later.

I then picked up a beautiful katana. Its sword sleeve was wooden ebony, with intricate floral carvings. Layered with silk strings and gold plating. The handle was even more decorated than the sleeve. 

Huh, it's lighter than I thought? Beautiful sword you got there, Marco. Jackson told me as he tried to pull back an old looking rifle's firing mechanism.

Yeah! And it's super light. I unsheathed it, and saw not a cold steel blade, but a wooden stick. . . Hahaha that's one of the world war 2 confiscation katanas.

During the American occupation, some soldiers brought those back as souvenirs, the real swords were confiscated and probably still in japan. But those, they took, those are heirlooms most were taken back by the Japanese government, but many weren't because some doesn't have anyone able to claim them.

Mike told me as he was checking a spear if it's sharp or not, with a Dollyen bill. It was cutting the bill but roughly it's dull, but it looks like a proper weapon.

I sighed and placed the unsheathed wooden katana on the counter. I looked at my digital watch and it was already 3 in the afternoon. Taking the firescape route was definitely safer but it took us a long time moving through gaps.

I moved closer to Sandra. Tapped her on her shoulder to get her attention and spoke. Hey sis Sana, can we spend our night here? It's already 3 and I don't think, will find someplace as safe as this one at the plaza.

She looked at her own watch. It was gold plated and mechanical. Alright, we do need our rest, especially you. She smiled at me, looking at the blood stains on my white gi and tired stance.

I'm fine sis Sana, I can still fight. Ouch. I felt her chop to my head. But can you walk? Everyones already hurt, Jane has the worst of it, and you have that. She looked at my bandaged side, a piece of rock or something hit me there when we were fighting those raiders yesterday.

We already pushed ourselves hard enough for today, so stop acting tough or I'll be the one cooking tonight. She winked at me at the end, patting my shoulder and turning around, opening a wooden chest.

0 0 0 0 0 

Pov Jane Kunstler

I was looking at a really cool looking guitar, with the signature jonny guitar. when I heard little Marco and Sandra talking about staying the night which made me sighed in relief.

It was getting hard keeping up with the group. The painkillers I took may have dulled the pain, but it was still there, when I was moving, hurting like someone was squeezing my legs. Of course I could have used a stronger dose, but that would have made me an easy meal or or get someone killed, trying to save me.

I didn't want to eavesdrop, so I moved away from the two, and looked at two old timey revolver pistols mounted on the wall. Over a silver looking shield you see medieval knights used in movies.

I unmounted them, it was easy, they weren't glued, or clasped in place, just hanged, with two hooks each. Their handle and receiver were made of decorated wood, with the name Davina Sylvia near an intricate symbol, in both pistols.

The tube was large, cylindric and then tapering off, into a cone shape, and simple in design. but it also had that intricate symbol, and when I looked inside, they had rifling. but weren't flintlocks like this one, supposed to have smooth bores? 

I didn't think much of it and placed them on the counter where I spread out a towel. And then I saw a small intricate box with a windup below the counter. It looked really pretty so I took it.

And then wind it up on the counter, then it opens up. I laughed a little when I saw what was inside it was a bear wearing a cowboy hat playing a piano. The music box played a sonata that I don't recognize, but it sounded wonderful.

Oh? Cool you found Piano Jack! I love that guy, it's odd no one bought him yet. Mike told me as he swung around a really big hammer with a really small head for its size, I think he was testing it to see if he could use it or not.

Then I thought. Hey Mike can you look at this, I held up one of the pistols. Mike stopped swinging the hammer, then moved towards me picking up the other pistol.

He was inspecting it and then called for Jackson. Who was trying to wear some kind of cotton armor, with a lot of clasps and belts. I think he was wearing it backwards.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at Mike where he was waving the gun to him, Jackson scurried over wearing the armor. You know you're wearing that gambeson, backwards right? So that's what this was called. It's pretty hot, like a winter jacket and Why does it smell like Mints?

The smell, is probably the pest control my uncles used, to stop rats from living inside the armor sets. I think I need to look at the armors too, I thought as I looked around, looking for something that would fit me.

So what do you think about this gun? I know its blunderbuss, revolver and from the markings it's a Victorian weapon but. . . you're not sure if it can shoot? Jackson finished and then picked up the one Mike was holding and started to play with the trigger and bullet chambers. And then he shrugged.

No idea, sorry Jane, but we need to test fire it to be sure. and I'm not sure we can trust any of the guns here, to not blow up on our faces. 

Then we really need to go to the basements. Mike said then we heard Sandra speak. People! We're resting here for the night. It's getting late, and I'm not sure if we will find somewhere safe in the plaza, we'll go there in the early morning. So rest up and keep looking for things we can use.

Hey Mike. Yeah? Where's the toilet room? Oh! Ahh, there, just go through that door and you'll see a men and women comfort room, signs on doors. I followed his instructions.

0 0 0 0 0

Pov Mike Yun.

I was with Sandra and Jackson as we were moving past office rooms and utility closets. I stopped as we reached a closed hatch. Marco and Jane went to the shop breakroom. I know there was a kitchen there.

I was holding the warhammer I found, Jackson was holding his collapsible nightstick. but he was wearing leather greaved gauntlets, I think that's for archery. Sandra was holding a silver buckler, and a one handed mace without any wings.

I'm not sure what's down there, but from what Uncle Christopher told me last time I was here. During their expansion they broke through an old part of the sewers, they made a report to the city and it took a long time before they sent investigators and inspectors.

The two readied and I opened the entrance by putting in the password in the electrical lock. It opened sideways, and light came to life inside. And we entered.

It was a small rectangular room, filled with plastic boxes and crates marked with what was inside them. At the far end there was a hole, it was only big enough for someone to crawl inside or outside.

I didn't see any signs of Zs but I didn't want to risk it. Hey Jack, want to carry what we need up? I don't like how that hole looks, and we still don't know where most of Zs go during the day.

Come on man you're sounding like Marco, why don't we just Barricade it? Push one of the bigger crates on it? Yeah alright, that should be fine. But I want atleast one of us to stay on watch.

I looked at Sandra. Alright you boys, look inside the create and I'll watch. I nodded. And then after barricading the hole, by pushing a crate with squeaky wheels, in front of it. We started looking through the other boxes.

I saw one which has the word, Old gun ammo. Uncle Greg probably wrote this. I opened it and it was filled with bags marked with dates and types of rounds. I picked one up which says flintlock pistol 16th century.

I opened it and saw metal balls, wrapped in a paper cartridge, and packs of what I think is smokeless gun powder. You really can't use regular gunpowder in the firing range because the owners don't like the smoke.

Hey Mike look at this! I looked over to Jackson, and saw he was holding a modern hunting crossbow. With packs of bolts, inside the box he pulled the crossbow from. I found ammo for the guns upstairs.

We kept looking, and after we checked all the boxes down here, I saw their order forms. Which is normal, my uncles only trade the things down here to their high bidders, and some aren't that legal without the right licenses.

Jackson probably noticed this, and it's odd he isn't asking me about it. Alright let's take those we ne. . . Bang! Bang, Bang! My heart tightened at the sound. Sandra stopped as we heard banging from the barricade we placed, no voice so it wasn't human. 

No one spoke, but we all looked at each other, and nodded. Sandra stood near the banging. While me and Jackson quietly carried a box with an old cannon towards the barricade adding weight to it. My heart started to pound less as we kept working.

I calmed down, by the time the barricade wasn't shaking every other thump. And after a while it stopped. Sandra motioned Me and Jackson up. Alright no talking when we're down there. And Let's give it an hour before we go back to work.

I nodded. Sounds good to me, Mike can you close the basement? I'll be more relaxed if it's close, while we're resting. Yeah I was thinking the same thing.