If there’s one thing Emily hadn’t forgotten from six years ago, it was how big this particular undercity was. While getting there involved navigating the claustrophobic twists and turns of the tunnel, the city itself had no such problem. It had been established in a massive atrium created by the convergence of the largest tunnels of the old sewer system.

She remembered how high the ceiling was, barely visible to the naked eye and acting almost as a false sky to the denizens of the city. She also remembered the sprawling simple grandeur of the city that stretched under the ceiling, each building having been made of the same drab brick; though Emily had no idea where they’d gotten it all. She had gotten an enduring sense of wonder the first time that she stepped into that city and beheld an odd sort of proud majesty in the drab place.

The city that she stepped into now instilled no such feelings. The buildings that had once prospered and been so numerous, were now smoldering piles of rubble. The road leading from the entrance where they stood was pockmarked with craters and scorch marks, and what few figures she immediately laid eyes on sat crouched, hunched over by an invisible weight that pressed down on them.

“What happened?!” Zach exclaimed as he surveyed the sight, straining to find anything that seemed remotely familiar. As he searched his eyes fell on the form of a portly man approaching them. In spite of their surroundings, he was donned in a magnificent looking suit and hat that gave him the appearance of an old-time mafioso. Clutched in one hand was a cane that he favored heavily as he came towards them.

“I thought I told the two of you to get lost.” He berated them as he came within arms reach of them.

Emily recognized it as the voice of the porter who had so rudely shut them out, though she found it difficult to reconcile his gruff voice with his extremely rotund appearance.

“Jeremy. What happened?” Zach reiterated. He wore a serious expression as he asked, one that Emily had only ever seen a few times before when things were really bad.

Jeremy hardly seemed to notice it. He, for his part, just let out a long sigh and leaned heavily on his cane.

“Wright made a mistake.” He breathed, his voice barely audible. “He picked a fight with the overcity.”

“He did what?!” Zach spat incredulously.

Jeremy held up his hands quickly, stopping Zach who looked like he was about to go off on a tirade about the stupidity of fighting the city above them.

“It’s not like you think.” He shot out as fast as he could. “Wright wasn’t stupid, he didn’t fight the governor or anything like that, though that may have been his ultimate goal, the city’s weak right now. Still, I can’t say. It’s not like I can ask him now. It’s also not the point.”

“Cut to the chase, Jeremy. You’re rambling.” Zach cut in quickly, a pointed look on his face.

“Sorry.” Jeremy responded, licking his lips nervously. “It’s just that we’re in a really bad spot right now. Wright wasn’t happy with us being stuck down here, confined to the underground. All of the leaders of the undercities hate it, but Wright was the most ambitious. He started making deals with dangerous people. They gave him money and weapons. Then, they stabbed him in the back and destroyed everything we had. We never saw it coming, and they were so powerful.”

“Who was he dealing with? What did he trade for?” Zach inquired. His voice wasn’t harsh, but there was an edge to it that they gave a deadly impression.

Emily didn’t know if Jeremy knew what Zach could do, though she wouldn’t be surprised. It seemed those two had at least somewhat of a history. This was all the more confirmed when Jeremy swiftly threw up his hands, rapidly belting out an answer to Zach’s simply asked questions.

“I-I don’t know.” He stammered so pathetically that Emily wondered what had happened to his previous gruff attitude. Perhaps it had just been bluster. It would explain why it had fled without Zach even having to make a single actual threat. Emily found that idea entertaining, and she couldn’t help but smile a little bit at the thought; an action that was evidently noticed by Jeremy. The poor man began to splutter even more fervently than before.

“N-no one knows exactly what Wright was doing except Wright. He had a tendency to keep his plans secret from everyone.”

Zach sighed exasperatedly and placed a firm hand on Jeremy’s shoulder, who jumped at the touch.

“Come on Jeremy, you and I both know that’s not true.” Zach assured him. “Where is he?”

“W-where is who?” Jeremy stuttered, not meeting Zach’s eye. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Of course you do. I’m just looking for the guy who’s running the show now that Wright’s gone. That’s who.”

Zach gave Jeremy’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as he spoke, and Emily would’ve thought that Jeremy’s eyes would’ve popped out of their sockets. There was no indication that Zach had actually caused him any pain, but it seemed the fear of it was enough.

“Princip’s in the old courthouse.” Jeremy jabbered out, his face covered in a sheen of sweat and his entire body tensed. “It’s one of the few buildings that survived completely intact. You may have to do some work to actually see him, though. He’s not Wright, he doesn’t just take visitors.”

“I’m sure even Princip needs a pair of good strong hands to help out. You’re a good guy Jeremy, but you’re a terrible door guard. If I’d wanted to I could’ve easily just busted down that door and killed you, and it doesn’t look like there’s anything anyone around could’ve done about it. It seems to me like you guys could desperately use my help, whether you, or Princip, like it or not.”

He smiled as he said that, patting Jeremy gently on the shoulder before turning away and directing himself down a ruined street. Casually, he motioned for Emily to follow before glancing back at Jeremy, who just stood there dumbfounded as they sauntered away.

They strolled through the ruined streets of the undercity, Zach guiding the way. Every-so-often Emily would chance a wary glance at their surroundings. The whole place seemed alarmingly barren, and what few figures she could make out seemed more like specters than actual people. They lurked on the corners of the streets and the edges of alleyways, dark silhouettes of gray and black cloth melding with the dark cement of their surroundings. It gave the whole place a menacing edge, even more so than when they’d previously been there, and Emily found it very unnerving.

Zach, on the other hand, hardly seemed to notice any of that as he strode nonchalantly toward the courthouse. His own coat, a thick gray jacket, making him seem more like a local as he drifted down the street. He didn’t say anything as he walked, and Emily couldn’t make out his facial expression as he strode ahead of her.

She doubted it was as grim as her own. He always seemed to be so unflappable no matter the situation, a trait which she personally envied. She could face down opponents far more dangerous than she was, but he could do the same without even so much as a twinge of fear on his face. One of these days she would learn how he did it, though she doubted now was the time.

“Here we are.” Zach said at last, rupturing the heavy silence that had fallen between them. “This is where the important things happen here, and where if something’s going to go wrong, it’s all going to happen.”

They were standing in front of a building that looked as though it used to be tall, but was now barely anything more than a derelict ruin. The whole building was made of the same drab cement as everything else, with crumbling stone columns lining the front of the building, and several entryways having apparently collapsed.

To Emily, it looked like every other destroyed building they’d already passed, just slightly larger and more grand. She doubted, if she had to find this place again she’d be able to. It just seemed like another strand of the ruined tapestry that was the undercity, nothing worth taking note of outside the whole.

Zach didn’t take time to examine the splendor of the building, moving ahead to the sole remaining entrance that gaped open between two collapsed pillars and forcing Emily to rush to catch up.

The inside of the building was surprisingly barren, lacking the mounds of rubble one might expect for a structure as dilapidated as this one. There were also no adornments to speak of, not paintings on the walls or chairs to sit in and wait. It was completely empty, and that was highlighted no better than by the utter lack of people.

Zach and Emily weren’t sure where they’d find the mysterious Princip, though they had a pretty good idea where he’d be. Still, that didn’t stop them from exploring a little before focusing on their ultimate destination. To their astonishment, every hall and every chamber they entered was completely barren. Everywhere they went there wasn’t a soul to be found.

“What happened to this place?” Emily finally whispered as they entered their fifth room.

“The same thing that happened to everywhere else in this place.” Zach chipped back. He gave the room a once over, examining the edges of the walls and the door frame.

“And what’s that?” Emily inquired as he worked.

“I don’t know. Let’s find out.” He responded as he stepped sharply out of the room.

Emily stepped out hurriedly after him and followed him back to the entrance of the courthouse. There, embedded in the wall, sat a lone placard with an arrow and the word “courtroom” engraved on it. Following it, they found themselves in front of a pair of ornate wooden doors, a rare commodity in the undercity. Each one was intricately carved with delicate figures of incredible detail, with a frame that was equally ornate.

Zach, not stopping to examine the splendor of the sight before them, grasped the handle of each door, casting them open with no small amount of force. They banged with a thunderous echo as they both slammed against the wall, quite unceremoniously heralding Zach and Emily’s entry into the room beyond.

Unlike the rest of the courthouse this room wasn’t empty, at least not in terms of objects. The whole place looked much like a normal courtroom would look, with wide benches and a large raised lectern for the judge. There was even a small box for the jury. It was all normal, which to Zach and Emily made it all seem very out-of-place. Nothing so far in this city had seemed to even remotely resemble its normal counterpart. Everything was destroyed and abandoned, but for some reason this room had remained untouched. It gave everything an eerie air, especially as the echoes of their entrance faded and a deafening hush fell on the room.

Neither Zach or Emily spoke as they gazed around them, seemingly bound by the solemn mood that had descended on the room. Instead, they began to slowly drift around examining every surface carefully.

It was Emily who found herself wandering toward the tall lectern at the front of the room. She didn’t know why. Perhaps she was just curious, she couldn’t understand why this place seemed so utterly untouched and yet still there was no one to be found anywhere.

Before she could reach it, though, she heard a sudden sound that sundered the thick silence and made her jump in surprise. Before she knew what she was doing, she drew her knife; readying a battle stance.

“There will be no need for that.” Declared a man who had made the noise, raising a hand to calm her. He was tall and slender, dressed in a well-tailored suit. Emily had no idea where he’d gotten it. Suits were hard to find for all but the most wealthy. It made her instantly distrust him. No one who dressed well could do anything good for her.

“I think I’ll decide that.” She spat at the man. “Who are you?”

“You are the intruder here, not me. So I’ll be asking the questions.” The man returned. He wore a flatly stoic expression as he spoke to her, managing to sound neither imperious nor frightened. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“We’re looking for Princip.” Zach said, as he approached them. Gently he held out a hand to Emily, signaling for her to relax. They didn’t need any violence, at least not yet.

“Princip is busy.” The man in the suit replied. “So unless I decide you have a good reason to see him, you may as well just leave.”

Zach smiled.

“I see.” He said thoughtfully. “How’s this for a good enough reason.”

Like a bolt of lightning his hand lashed out, grabbing the man by his starched collar. Swiftly Zach hoisted the man up, holding him aloft. Zach expected the man to struggle in his grip, kicking and thrashing and maybe begging for him to let him go. Instead, the man maintained his calm, stalwart attitude.

“What is this supposed to accomplish?” He chimed, almost boredly. “Are you trying to intimidate me?” Faintly Zach and Emily could hear a crackling noise, like the sound of a power station charging up. They quickly realized that it was coming from the palms of the man’s hands, that had started to glow softly, but was rapidly intensifying.

“It doesn’t hurt to try.” Zach quipped, undeterred. “I do have the leverage now after all. If I wanted to, I could throw you through a wall and then go find Princip.”

“And if I wanted to, I could stop your heart. I’m not intimidated by strongmen, nor am I intimidated by little girls with knives. I would, however, prefer not to resort to violence if I can help it, so would you kindly please put me back down and tell me why you’d like an audience with Princip. If I find your reasoning suitable, then I may grant it.”

Sighing, Zach slowly eased the man back to the ground.

“I was hoping to do this the easy way, with just some gentle persuasion.” He muttered as the man’s shoes clicked softly on the hard cement floor. He paused for a moment as the man reoriented himself, smoothing the newly made wrinkles on his suit.

“I’m looking for work.” He said at last, when the man had finally finished composing himself.

“And do most people go straight to the leader of a city in order to simply find work? You must be very proud of your skillset.” The man retorted immediately. There was a slight gleam in his eyes that could’ve been mistaken for annoyance as he said it, though his voice was still as flat as ever.

“How do you know we’re going straight to Princip? For all you know, we’ve been scrounging for work for days and haven’t been able to find any.” Zach snorted back, unable to conceal the impatience in his tone, which Emily found odd. He was usually much better at maintaining an air of placid understanding regardless of the situation, even if things weren’t going quite his way.

“The entire city’s been turned to rubble, and you’re telling me that a man with your physical strength hasn’t been able to find work. I find that difficult to believe.” The man responded, a flicker of annoyance flashing across his face. “So, I’d appreciate it if you’d please stop wasting my time and tell me why you’re actually here. Coordinating the repair of a city like this is no small feat and requires my fullest attention.”

Zach sighed and then paused for a moment, as though taking a moment to decide how much he wanted to reveal to this stranger. At last he shook his head and spoke in a strong matter-of-fact tone.

“My niece and I have found ourselves in a…difficult situation topside. We’re looking for shelter, and since I did previous work for Wright before his demise I figured I’d be able to lend my services to this Princip guy as well.”

“I see.” The man mused, soaking the words in. “What sort of work did you do for Wright?”

Zach glanced quickly over at Emily, who didn’t meet his gaze. He had never told her what he’d had to do to secure their shelter the last time they were on the run, but she had ideas; none of them were good.

“I’d rather not discuss details, at least not before I know what your verdict is. Let’s just say, they were the sort of services that a man of my talents is well suited to.” Zach spat hastily, as though he was trying to get through the subject as quickly as possible.

If the man had noticed, he didn’t give any indication of that fact. Instead, he merely nodded.

“I suppose I can give you an audience with Princip. Though not now. He’s very busy at the moment. Come back in a few hours. Then, he can decide whether or not to take you into his employ.”

Zach gently nodded his understanding and, motioning for Emily to follow him, headed toward the entrance of the courtroom.

“Thank you very much, Mr…?”

“Smith.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Smith.” Zach chimed as he and Emily stalked out of the room.