Underdogs

TWO

"Well, it's good news nonetheless," Johan granted, frowning at her apathetic expression as he spoke. "Why didn't she come with you?"

Sending him a look, Galene shook her head. "She's living her life; I'm living mine — it's as simple as that. Plus, you know I can't afford having a soft spot; not with those assholes after my ass. If word goes out that I took someone under my wing, they will use her against me. And I can't let Isabel go through that hell."

His blue eyes observed her closely as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it; she could feel his worry, his care — all unnecessary, in her opinion. But she didn't comment on it; instead, she offered him a cigarette.

Johan waved a hand in the air, not taking the deathly item from her, and stood. "Who knows? Some new allies may be what you need — what we need." She responded with an exagerated roll of eyes, which made him shrug. "Or you can keep ignoring my advice."

"Allies aren't easy to find down here," she started, only to frown. She took a long drag of her cigarette and clicked her tongue, looking away from the quiet man. "You make a deal with someone, and the next second that someone is selling you out. Before you can react, you're six feet under. Sadly, that's the fucked-up world we live in."

There was a long pause as her words drew an irked expression on her face; seconds ticked by, seemingly dragging in forever.

"Well, I'm glad I'm an exception to that rule," Johan commented eventually. "Even if I'm the only one."

Galene scoffed. "We go way back, idiot." Upon seeing the smile growing on his face, she lifted a hand. "No chick-flick moments, J. Now, I'm sure you didn't come all the way from your room to talk about this shit."

Sighing, the young man crossed his arms over his chest. "Someone wants to hire you."

His words made her raise an eyebrow.

"What's the job?"

But Johan shrugged in response. "He just mentioned it was urgent. He's some rich man looking for someone to avoid getting his hands dirty."

"Sounds like the typical pig," she commented with a roll of her eyes before putting the remains of her cigarette away and putting her worn-out shoes back on. "I need to find an empty place; do you know of one?"

Taken aback by the sudden change of topic, Johan mulled over before replying, "There's an old house with a broken ceiling some streets to the right. Heard the old man who lived there died from starvation not long ago, so it should still be empty. Why?"

Her lips crooked into a smirk as she pointed towards her new equipment, and Johan whistled. "I'm impressed, G. Wait, did you really steal it from Levi's gang?"

"No way. They just left it there for me to take. Pretty sure that Levi dude was cleaning it when I sneaked inside," she explained.

Giving him a playful slap on the upper arm, she picked up the device and walked out — into the rocky hallway.

"Are you going to meet that man?" Johan was curious; she could hear it in his voice as he followed her out. "He said you wouldn't find a better recompense, if you accepted the job."

Galene paused for a second of hesitation, before her form disappeared from sight.

—

Her footsteps were silent as she walked towards the long staircase made of stone that led up and away. Two guards, dressed in clothes no soul in the Underground City could ever dream of owning, stood before the rocky steps. Narrowing her brown eyes upon their stoic features, Galene huffed and waited in the languid shadow of a broken lamppost. She pulled her black, shredded cloak close to her body and made sure to hide her identity under its thin hood.