20: The Horror in the Sewers
Ava had actually wanted to stay at home this evening and do some tests with her living clothes in peace. Although she had already covered many of the combat aspects of her uniform with her friend Summer, she hadn't gotten around to trying out a few outfits with Greed. His shape-shifting abilities had so far been limited to her cheerleading uniform and, for fun, a superhero costume Summer had come up with. Ava was currently testing out a few outfits she had seen on the internet. A cute pink dress, a blouse with an elegant pencil skirt, out of curiosity a skin-tight latex suit with a mask that only left her eyes open and a sexy cocktail dress that she had fallen in love with. It was black, came down to Ava's thighs and had a window of sheer fabric that went from her neck to her belly button. It was expensive, not that she lacked money, but she had more important things to buy. It must have been fate that while she was wearing the dress, her friend Summer called and invited her to go out for cocktails with the others from the cheerleading squad. It would certainly have been a nice evening if Ava had taken Greed off, but the black dress had cast a spell over her. Now she was sitting alone at a table in the club. While her comrades raised their glasses and partied more and more, Ava remained sober, despite all the cocktails and shots she drank. Instead, she was regularly reminded that she was wearing Greed as he got drunk instead of her and kept trying to get at her crotch. Every time she felt a tentacle creeping up her thigh, she would give her dress a slap and the tentacle would hastily retreat.
"Greed, I said cut that shit out!" she hissed, smacking him again to make him behave.
"Why do you constantly hit yourself?"
Ava winced and turned to Summer's broadly grinning face. She was wearing a gold dress. Ava thought it was more like a scrap of fabric. It was so skimpy that any little gust of wind threatened to reveal her panties and one wrong move could cause her breasts to bounce out of it. Her entire back was exposed and it was only held in place by a thin gold ribbon around her neck. Summer had already looked deep into the glass and had a tray of more in her hand. The liquid in each of them was blood red and smelled like you could etch holes in the table with it.
"I… I'm wearing Greed," Ava whispered, covering her eyes in shame.
"You're serious?" Summer asked in surprise, setting down the dangerously swaying tray to take a closer look at Ava's dress. She lifted her index finger and guided it to Ava's dress. Just before she touched it, a small tentacle formed from the dress and embraced Summer's finger like an old friend.
"Hey Greed," Summer laughed and shook the tentacle. Ava immediately widened her eyes as she realized what they were doing and pushed Summer's hand aside.
"Stop that! Do you want everyone to know what I'm really wearing?" hissed Ava, causing Summer to laugh even harder.
"Why are you even wearing him?"
"I didn't have time to change," Ava lied, blushing.
"Sure you did," Summer said, calming down, but seeing that Ava looked worried.
"Is something wrong? Are you not in a celebratory mood?" she asked, putting an arm around Ava.
"No, no. I'm just… a little pissed off because Greed is drinking all my alcohol and acting like the greedy piece of shit he is. I'll be fine though. Go and enjoy yourself. I don't intend to ruin your evening."
"You're not," Summer whispered, hugging Ava to her, "The place is dead anyway and the others won't have any of my specialty cocktail. I was just about to refill it so I could have some later."
Frowning, Ava watched Summer sway as she decanted the glasses one by one into a thermos flask and stowed them in her handbag. There was a clink and Ava assumed it was Summer's keys banging against the jug.
"Now that that's done… maybe we should explore the town a bit? You don't get out of your palace that often, do you?" Summer asked, sticking her tongue out at Ava.
"Haha," Ava laughed sarcastically, but she was grateful for Summer's suggestion. They said goodbye to their teammates and walked out of the club. As they stepped out into the cold night air, the friends were surprised by Cass standing outside the club, staring at her cell phone. She quickly put it away as Summer ran up to hug her, beaming with joy. Ava was about to pull her back to spare the annoyed looking woman from Summer when at that moment Greed made another attack on Ava's crotch. Ava was so surprised by the attack that she didn't realize Cass had started talking to her.
"Greed you fucking bastard! Cut the shit! We're not…" Ava fell silent and looked up guiltily at Summer and Cass. Cass looked at her as if Ava had lost her mind, while Summer swayed menacingly and stuck her tongue out at Ava again.
"Are you all right, Ava? You've been out of it a lot lately?" Cass asked, running her eyes over Ava's dress and her trembling legs.
"Uh, yeah, everything's fine, I just got caught out by the cold," Ava lied.
"I see, I asked if you were taking Summer home. She doesn't look like she can find her own way."
At that moment, Summer staggered towards the street and was pulled back by Cass at the last second. Summer didn't even realize she'd almost been run over, giggling and hugging Cass.
"I'd do it myself, but I really need to get away. Besides, the streets are even more unsafe than usual right now. There have been jailbreaks again."
"Oh yeah, I was going to anyway. We were going to take a cab and…" Ava was about to explain, but Cass interrupted her.
"All the cabs at this very moment are working at Falenplaza. The subway's down or something and they're needed to get people home."
"Oh."
Cass rolled his eyes and didn't see the tentacle cradling Ava's thigh until Ava slapped him.
"Doesn't your family have a chauffeur? Can you ask him?"
"Uh no… he's off until New Year's," Ava replied.
"Or your secret boyfriend?" asked Cass desperately.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Ava said, confused and wondering where she'd gotten this bullshit from.
"Come on, you're always gossiping with Summer at practice about that Greg guy, or whatever his name is." Immediately, Ava understood that Cass probably meant Greed.
"I don't have a boyfriend," she said firmly and looked to Summer for help, who was checking the contents of her handbag and swaying threateningly.
"Fine by me," Cass said, growing increasingly impatient, glancing at her watch.
"I'll… I'll just walk Summer home."
"Walk?" Cass asked doubtfully, piercing Ava with her gaze as if to find out how drunk she was.
"I can do it, don't worry," Ava assured her, but she shook her head.
"Didn't you just listen to me? There were escapes and…"
"I can do this," Ava said confidently, and this time Cass seemed to believe her. Ava believed it too. Greed and she were a really good team now… when he wasn't drunk. She hoped that if things got serious, he wouldn't screw up.
"All right… Please don't make me regret this. Take good care of you both!" Cass said, waving at them and disappearing down the street towards Falenplaza. Ava watched her for a moment until she heard a honk and quickly pulled Summer back, who had almost run into the street again.
"Come on Summer, I'll walk you home," Ava said softly, hooking Summer's arm.
"I don't want to go home yet though," Summer mumbled in her ear and leaned against her.
"Oh, why not? Don't you want to go to your warm, cozy bed with Tea?"
"Naaaaa. Tea's on her way too… and I want to have some fun."
"Have fun?" Ava asked in surprise and immediately had a funny feeling about this statement. The pink-haired girl looked at Ava with a grin before disentangling herself from her arm and taking a few steps away.
"What are you up to?" asked Ava cautiously as Summer rummaged in her bag.
"Looking for my fun!" said Summer, her face brightening as she found something metallic in the depths of her bag.
"Summer no!" Ava shouted, but a moment later she had put on a pair of handcuffs. The clicking sound immediately drew everyone's attention and Ava blushed as passers-by began to whisper.
"Summer… where's the key?" Ava asked exhaustedly, walking quickly towards her.
"Mmmmmmh. At home? Are you… are you mad at me now?" Summer asked, looking truly depressed for the first time that evening. Ava rubbed her temples and finally shook her head. A soft smile played around her mouth. If Summer wanted to have a little more fun, who was she to deny her that?
"No, Sumsum. But now I really need to get my prisoner home quickly, don't I?"
"Yayyyyy," Summer exclaimed, allowing Ava to grab her, now bound, arms. She heard laughter from the bystanders and some grinned at her. It must have been a nice change for the people of Leon City to see a couple of young girls just having a bit of fun being tied up and not kidnapped for once.
As they walked through the streets of the big city, Ava had to agree with Summer. She really didn't get out of her palace very often and she had to admit that Leon City was really worth seeing in winter. The skyscrapers and stores were all stunningly beautiful with decorations and lights. The only thing missing was the snow. But this could only be found in and around the cursed forest. There was rarely any left on the streets. The only thing Ava complained about was that it was cold and windy. Fortunately, Greed protected her from both, even if his attacks on her crotch were becoming more frequent. Summer was accordingly lucky in misfortune, as she wasn't wearing Greed and only the thin golden dress.
"I'm cold," she whined.
"Didn't you have a jacket?"
"But it's… at the club?"
"Was that a question?" Ava looked back the way they had just walked and groaned.
"Um no, I… don't know… but I know where we can warm up!" Summer said and quickened her pace towards the park.
"Isn't the park a detour?" asked Ava.
"A bit, but it's warm!"
Ava blinked in confusion. She wondered how the park could be warmer than the streets?
"Summer, why don't we just go to a store and warm up there?" asked Ava, but her friend wouldn't budge.
"Don't be ridiculous! The park will warm us up better than these lame stores."
"But…" Ava was about to say when they reached the edge of the park and she immediately felt warmer. Summer heaved a sigh of relief and leaned on Ava's shoulder.
"Nice and warm," she mumbled as they walked along the path.
"What? How?" Ava asked in surprise and she caught another grin from Summer.
"You really need to get out of your palace more often," Summer muttered, giggling at Ava's annoyed face, "The park is always a bit warmer than the rest of the city in winter. That's because of the underground tunnels under Leon City. Most of them were sealed when the city was modernized, because of safety hazards, collapses or people getting lost in them. But some are now used for the subway and many near the park for water and heat."
"But isn't that too much? It feels like we're standing in the Jungle," Ava explained, wiping the sweat from her brow. She brushed the drops off Greed, whereupon he gave her a gentle hug of thanks. Summer nodded thoughtfully.
"Indeed there is. Maybe there's a leak?" pondered Summer, and Ava could see it rattling around in her head until she finally gave up.
"But there's another reason why the tunnels were sealed," Summer suddenly began in a gloomy voice.
"Which one?" asked Ava, but she could almost guess the answer.
"Alligators!" she breathed in her ear and Ava groaned in annoyance.
"That's such bullshit."
"I'm just saying. There are rumors… whispers. Yellow eyes in the darkness that haunt you," Summer whispered mysteriously.
"Yeah, from idiot teenagers who have too much fantasy," Ava replied, rolling her eyes. They were both so distracted by the conversation that they didn't notice the fog rising around them. It was only when Ava stepped onto damp grass that she noticed that her friends were no longer on the path. There was no sign of it.
"Um, Summer?" Ava asked anxiously, looking around. The fog had swallowed up all the light in the town. Ava could no longer see any trees or the lanterns that should have illuminated the path at regular intervals.
"Fog!" exclaimed Summer, beaming with joy, and tried to tear herself away from Ava, but she held her friend tightly.
"Summer, please believe that I intend not to lose you. Where did the fog come from so suddenly?"
Summer stared at Ava as if she was out of her wits.
"You know, if water…" she began, but Ava interrupted her.
"It's okay, it's okay. Um, let me see how we can get out of here."
Ava was about to pull out her cell phone when Summer strained to pull her own out of her pocket.
"I'll get it," she said, turning on her own axis to trick her purse, "Hold on, I'm almost there!"
Ava had to stifle a laugh as Summer looked like she was a dog chasing her own tail.
"Haha!" laughed Summer triumphantly, holding up her phone.
"Great Summer!" praised Ava, taking it from her and switching on the screen. It flickered briefly and went out. Ava had just enough time to check the battery level.
"1%…" she commented and let the phone slide back into Summer's handbag.
"Aww maaaan," Summer said, making a face.
"No problem, we'll just take mine," Ava said, pulling out her own phone.
"Oh, really?" Summer asked, bumping into Ava's arm. She dropped her phone in shock and it sank into the fog before they both heard it smash on the floor not a moment later.
"Awwww maaaaaaaan," Summer commented as Ava scraped the remains of her destroyed cell phone off the floor and dumped it into Summer's purse, shaking her head. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples to calm herself.
"Any other ideas we can break?" asked Ava.
Ava took Summer's silence as a no, and she had to come up with something herself.
Maybe Greed could help us out of here? Probably not. Just call for help? Probably not the best idea with the town's reputation and the recent outbreaks. She pondered.
"Maybe we can follow the light?"
"Light?" Ava inquired, following Summer's gaze. Ahead of them, they could make out purple and blue-red lights. They were barely visible through the fog, but it was all they could see.
"I don't know, Summer, that seems a bit…"
"The last one bites the dogs!" shouted Summer and ran off. Quite a feat in her gold high heels, bound arms and alcohol level.
"Hey, wait! SUMMER!" Ava called after her, but she didn't stop and from one moment to the next she was swallowed up by the fog. Ava stood there puzzled for a moment until her suit gave her a slap.
"OW! Fuck Greed. I'm going," she cursed and followed the lights and her friend. The fog gave her an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong with it, it was rising far too quickly and was too dense, Ava knew that.
"Maybe they're filming a movie here?" Ava wondered aloud and began to smile triumphantly when a few bushes appeared in front of her and she could see that someone had fought their way through them.
"Summer, come on, this is getting too much for me," Ava shouted but got no answer. Cursing, Ava tried to struggle after her when she suddenly couldn't take another step forward. At first, Ava thought she had gotten stuck in the bushes, but she quickly realized that Greed was holding her back.
"Greed not now! I have to find Summer before I lose her!" Ava whispered with suppressed anger, but she realized her mistake a moment later. Just beyond the bushes was a hole from which the lights shone, and if Ava hadn't been stopped by Greed, she would have slipped into it. Realizing this, her suit let go of her and stroked over her body.
"You can warn me differently next time," Ava murmured and immediately the stroking stopped. She didn't care though and moved closer to the hole. She waved the mist aside and could easily see the tracks Summer's shoes had left behind, as well as skid marks.
"Summer, can you hear me?" Ava called into the hole, but no one answered. Panic boiled up inside her and a lump formed in her throat.
"What… What do I do now? Maybe she's hurt! I have to call for help, I have to…"
Reaching for her cell phone proved to be another waste of time. Summer was carrying the remains. Ava stood up shakily, looked around, but the fog was as thick as before.
"I have to… I…"
Suddenly something shot up her neck and covered her nose, mouth and eyes. Greed washed over her face, forcing Ava to inhale her stale air again. Her panic shot to new heights and she scraped her fingers against the mask in vain, but he wouldn't release her.
Is this what he was waiting for? Ava thought and sank to her knees, gasping for air.
Was Greed waiting for Summer to be in danger and for me to be the only one who could save her? Ava faltered. All thoughts of air were forgotten and all Ava could think about was Summer. The mask instantly retracted, revealing her view of the pit. Ava had no time and Summer even less. She could do something now and wasn't as helpless as she had been a few months ago.
"I'm coming!" Ava whispered and jumped into the hole without hesitating. While still falling, Greed transformed into the superhero costume Summer had come up with. He grew up her neck and over her mouth and nose. This time not to cut off her air, but to preserve her identity. Ava's head was covered by a hood; it hid most of her brown hair and would keep her eyes in shadow. The cocktail dress changed color to a sinister purple and grew over Ava's arms and legs. Dark turquoise lines emerged on Greed, emphasizing her slender body. Ava could feel ribbons forming on her arms and weaving around her. They were Greed's tentacles and hopefully helpful in her mission. Finally, a cape grew from the hood, fluttering briefly behind Ava and slowing her fall the next moment. Nevertheless, she hit the soft sand in the pit hard. Fortunately, Greed protected the wearer from the impact. Ava looked up and narrowed her eyes to slits because of the darkness. The light that shone from the pit above was barely visible down here and seemed only meant to lure Summer into the trap. Where it came from was a mystery to Ava. She didn't see any headlights or a flashlight anywhere that could explain it.
"Where are you?" Ava whispered, examining the sand. She could easily make out Summer's footprints in it. Her shoes betrayed her and fortunately she seemed to be unharmed. Ava was about to follow them when she stumbled. She saw another set of tracks, a much heavier one that resembled a drag mark. The unfamiliar trail partially covered Summer's.
"She was followed," Ava muttered half to herself and half to Greed.
"And something was dragged behind?" Ava swallowed.
Maybe one of those prisoners Cass had mentioned and he had one of those steel balls on his feet? No, that's bullshit, they only do that in cartoons, right? And why would prisoners come down here? To hide, you idiot, and we found their hiding place, which they want to keep secret.
Ava went pale.
"Fuck."
She looked at the tracks, but they had disappeared entirely as the sand was replaced by bricks. There were two tunnels for her to choose from. Both lost the last bit of light and weren't exactly inviting. No matter which one Ava chose, she wouldn't be able to see anything in it.
"As good as any," Ava sighed, "Greed I hope for your sake you cover my back."
She expected a gentle squeeze, as he always did when he understood her, but nothing of the sort came.
"Greed!"
He gave Ava a quick squeeze, but it felt like: "If I have to."
"When we get out of here, we need to have a serious word," Ava said, entering the left tunnel.
Suddenly, Ava felt something pressing into her face, thin threads resisting her, and immediately her throat tightened. She could feel something falling onto her hood and all over her body, Ava felt something crawling over her skin and it wasn't Greed.
"HIIIIII," Ava cried out, slapping her hands in front of her face. Panicked and blind, Ava ran into the hallway, feeling more threads clinging to her body and more unwanted creatures crawling over her. Blind, she couldn't see where she was running and so she missed a stone sticking out of the ground. It brought her escape to an abrupt end and Ava fell to the ground unchecked. She hit the ground hard and skidded a few steps before rolling wildly on the ground as if she was on fire.
"Greed! So, do something!" Ava yelled at her suit and sure enough, the crawling disappeared from one moment to the next.
"Ho?" Ava asked in surprise and carefully opened her eyes. But Ava saw no sign of the spiders or their threads.
"Huh… couldn't you have done that earlier?" Ava asked shakily and stood up, swaying. No answer again, but Ava had other problems when another spider hung on a thread right in front of her eyes, just waiting to plunge its fangs into her nose.
"GREEEEEEEEED!" Ava screamed in horror and backed away. Her suit obeyed immediately and one of the tentacles carefully grabbed the spider and tossed it aside.
"Are you serious? How could you have missed it? You must have done that on purpose, you greedy piece of…" Ava started to rail against Greed, but suddenly he pushed himself into her mouth, silencing her. She was stunned for a second and stared down at her uniform. Greed had clearly gone too far. She reached for the mask to rip it off. Her fingers made it under Greed's skin with difficulty and Ava began to pull, but not a second later her gloves had melted into balls, rendering her hands useless. She scratched uselessly against the mask for another moment and stomped her foot angrily.
"Greeeeff! Mmmaaaf mmmh!" Ava screamed into the gag, but her suit stopped listening to her. Instead, the tentacles spread out like a fan and shot towards Ava's arms in the next moment. They bound her against her side and tightened tightly, leaving Ava breathless and dizzy for a moment. Her furious stamping was interrupted at the same moment when Greed gave the boots ballet heels and Ava threatened to topple over.
Are you serious? Ava thought and felt more tentacles wrap over her body, tying her thighs tightly together.
"Greeeeff!" Ava screamed into her gag again, but still got no response. Why does he have to go all offended on me now? I have to save Summer and I don't have time for this shit. Ava thought angrily and struggled against her restraints, but to no avail. However, Greed held her in an iron grip, eliminating any freedom Ava had.
"Greeef! MHHpff…" She interrupted her tantrum when she heard a loud hissing sound deeper in the tunnels, as if steam was escaping from a pipe. Startled, she opened her eyes and looked around for the first time after running blindly through the corridors. Only now did she realize that she was up to her neck in shit. Ava was standing in a dimly green-lit room. Many tunnels led out of it and she couldn't tell which one she had come from. Water dripped from the walls and flowed in small rivulets into a nearly stagnant channel beside her. Steam or gasses escaped from it. In the distance, Ava heard a roar and the squeaking of machines and rats. Ava swallowed. She was alone. Greed was holding her hostage, and if one of the prisoners found her now… Ava didn't want to imagine what they would do to her. Ava had to get out of here, she had to find Summer and a way out of this maze.
"Mmhpf!" she moaned into the gag, biting down hard on it to let Greed know her displeasure, but he simply enlarged the intruder and forced her jaws further apart. Her moans became whimpers and she had to push against the gag to suppress her gagging.
Why is he doing this to me? Ava thought and carefully took a step forward. She wobbled menacingly on the unfamiliar boots and the uneven ground, but Ava managed to move slowly. But it was exhausting. Her legs began to burn at lightning speed and her feet begged to be released.
"Mmpf"
Her heart began to race. If Greed doesn't let go of me soon, then…
Suddenly, Ava felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She sensed someone behind her, and that someone seemed to take pleasure in her predicament. She turned around cautiously, but before she could recognize anything, all her alarm bells started ringing. Every fiber of her body was screaming that she had to get out of here. Despite the pain and her restraints, Ava began to run as fast as she could. Her feet protested. But Ava could not, could not stop. She greedily drew in air, but the gag didn't make it easy for her and the lack of air affected her more and more. Her vision darkened and Ava finally lost her balance as she stepped into more sand. Head first, she fell to the ground and hit the ground the next moment. The last bit of air in her lungs was violently forced out of her body and Ava gasped into the gag in pain. Everything was spinning in front of her eyes, but she glanced backwards at her pursuer. But she saw no one.
Was it just my imagination? Ava thought and tried to sit up. Her legs sank a little in the sand, but this helped her to stand up despite her bondage and the boots. She closed her eyes to block out everything around her and refocus on her mission.
Calm down, Ava. You just imagined it. It's just you and Summer down here. She didn't notice that the sand beneath her flared purple for a moment.
Come what may! I can do this! Even if Greed acts like a piece of trash! Ava thought and wanted to keep walking, but her boots wouldn't budge. At first Ava wanted to shout at Greed again, but she noticed that the ceiling was suddenly much more distant than it had been a few seconds ago and was moving further and further away. Ava looked down and widened her eyes when she saw that she had already sunk into the sand up to her shins.
"MMMPPF!" Ava shrieked in horror and tried to pull her left leg out, but it was stuck and Ava only sank deeper into the quicksand with her other leg. Before she could make another attempt to escape, she felt another gaze resting on her body.
"Mmph! Mmmmh?" Ava called out and looked around, but whoever was watching her was still hidden in the shadows.
Come on, Ava, concentrate! You have to get out of here! Ava spurred herself on and looked up. Above her, she could make out metal pipes hanging from the ceiling; Greed might be able to pull them out if he wasn't rebelling.
"MMHPF! Mmmh! MMMOOOOPPPFF!" Ava screamed into her gag, but still got no response. In no time at all, she had lost her hips to the sand and sweat of fear slowly appeared on her forehead. She tried once again to push herself out of the sand with her legs, but by now they felt like they were stuck in concrete. Ava could feel sand everywhere, pulling her deeper and deeper.
Greed please. Ava thought and tears gathered in her eyes as her belly button disappeared into the sand. She wiggled her upper body, but this only seemed to hasten her fate and her breasts slipped beneath the surface of the sand, offering no resistance. Ava's heart was racing and the blood was pounding in her ears. There was nothing she could do. The sand was everywhere, pushing her further and further down from all sides. When her neck disappeared into the sand, Ava closed her eyes. She couldn't watch any more and she sobbed into the gag.
I'm sorry, Summer. Mom, Dad. My friends.
The sand grew over her mask, pressed against her eyes and engulfed her hair in the next moment. She could no longer breathe. The sand wouldn't let any air in and Ava's lungs began to scream. She began to wriggle and more sand pushed her down until she could no longer move. Her eyes went black, but suddenly she felt movement above her. Her head broke through the sand and she gasped greedily for air. Greed had wrapped one of his tentacles around one of the pipes and was pulling her up. He released Ava's bonds and threw her onto the rocks outside the sand pit. The rest of the sand rolled off Ava and she lay on all fours on the ground, coughing as she stripped off her mask.
"That… that was far too close! Greed, I could have been killed! What would have happened to Summer then, have you ever thought about that? I can't believe it! And for that I feed you, let you stay with me, train you? As soon as we're out of here, we'll…"
Ava fell silent as she felt her costume loosen and pull back. Greed's skin disappeared from her body and instead she felt a light breeze on her skin as she suddenly found herself standing naked in the sewers in a matter of seconds.
"Uh… Greed?" Ava asked, confused and increasingly red in the face. She scanned her body to see where he had gone and found that he had formed himself into a thin collar.
"Greed, what are you doing now? I can't go naked to Summer… naked to…" Ava fell silent and swallowed. She immediately realized that she was even worse off than before. How was she supposed to find Summer in this disease-ridden place, and what if these escaped ones found her?
"Greed please, I'm sorry, all right? I can't…"
She pulled at her collar, looking for help, but Greed didn't move. Ava looked up. The hall was suddenly much more frightening than before. Her breathing quickened and she crossed her arms protectively in front of her breasts and her crotch. She felt a thousand eyes on her skin. Every distant sound was like an arrow piercing her body. Ava heard the water around her as if it were right next to her ear. The cracking sound further away and something constantly dragging across the ground.
"I have to get out of here," she whispered to herself and looked around feverishly. She couldn't go back. She doubted Greed would help her through the quicksand again. So the only option was to run forward. She turned around and ran clumsily over the dirty, uneven rock. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away, had to cover as much ground as possible. There was a loud crack beside Ava and she started. She stumbled away from the sound and cried out as she stepped on something sharp. She wasn't hurt, but her emotions got the better of her and in her panic she closed her eyes. The next moment, Ava felt someone holding her by the arm. Full of blind panic, she swung at her attacker, but her hand was intercepted and twisted behind her back.
"No please, I'm just looking for…" Ava began, but her mouth was covered the next moment.
"Ava shut up, you're way too loud!" hissed Summer and Ava opened her eyes in surprise. Awkwardly, she looked over her shoulder and sure enough, it was Summer. She was standing in the shadow of a sealed archway, her eyes gliding across the floor. Her perpetual grin was gone and Ava saw sheer fear in her eyes. She let go of Ava's mouth, but motioned for Ava to be quiet.
"I've been looking for you. Are you alright? Summer, what happened?" Ava whispered, her voice quivering, but overjoyed to have found her friend.
"Shh. We… are not… alone here," Summer replied haltingly, pointing into the shadows behind Ava. She looked around cautiously and now Ava saw it. Yellow eyes flashed almost imperceptibly in the darkness, staring at her and Summer. Waiting, patient, like a hunter waiting for the right moment.
"That… that can't. Alligators? Here?" Ava asked, stunned, thinking for a moment that Summer was playing a trick on her. But when she saw her friend's pale face, she knew Summer was serious.
"It was chasing me and when you came, I thought you'd driven it away with Greed, but then suddenly you were gone again and now… naked and it's back. I… I don't know what to do, Ava," Summer stuttered. Her words tumbled out and Ava had difficulty following her.
I have to be strong for both of us now. I've messed up and I have to get Summer out of here, Ava thought and held Summer's hands tightly. She could clearly feel her friend trembling.
"Summer, I'll distract it. When it comes out of the shadows, run out of here as fast as you can and find a way out. Get… help, I'll hold it off that long."
"How? Without… without Greed?"
"I… can do it," Ava lied, lifting her hand to stroke her collar lightly. This was Greed's test. She just had to buy Summer a little time. Maybe she had a chance to escape afterward herself.
"If it comes out and attacks me, run as fast as you can," Ava repeated, scanning the ground and finding the pointy rock that had just dug into her foot.
"But."
"Don't talk back!" Ava hissed, cradling the stone in her hand. Summer winced, but nodded.
Maybe I can lure the alligator into the quicksand? Ava thought and turned to the yellow eyes. Her head was screaming at her to run, but she stifled the voices. She didn't know where to go anyway. The alligator would just keep chasing her until they couldn't go any further.
"I'm coming!" whispered Ava to herself, starting to run towards the eyes and screaming loudly, followed closely by Summer.
"Here I am, you scaly beast! Look! I'll do you all!" screamed Ava into the darkness, thinking she saw confusion in the monster's eyes for a brief moment.
"That's right, I'm not afraid of you, you disgusting…" Ava fell silent as the glittering eyes rose and suddenly seemed to hover above her head height. She came to a halt and Summer fell to the ground beside her. Ahead of them in the darkness, they now saw the dimly lit outline not of an alligator, but of a giant snake looking down at the two women. Its massive head hovered just below the ceiling and its body was as wide as a car tire. Ava couldn't see how long it was, but she estimated that there was at least another 15 paces of snake waiting for them in the darkness. The snake was green in color with brown spots, and here and there Ava could see purple smoke rising from its body as if it were on fire.
"What… what is that?" Ava stuttered and stumbled back a step. Beside her, Summer was unable to open her mouth. The stone in Ava's hand suddenly felt very heavy and useless. Nevertheless, she forced herself to lift it and hold it out threateningly. Her whole arm trembled. Sweat broke out on her forehead and rolled down her face.
"Summer, get up!" Ava forced herself to say and stepped in front of her friend. At that moment, the snake struck. Its head shot forward in a flash and, with its mouth wide open, it aimed for Ava's naked body. She dodged at the last moment and the snake bit into the ground. Stones splintered under its power and shot in all directions. Summer shrieked as she was flung away, but Ava held her ground and struck with her stone. It bounced uselessly off the reptile and it knocked her aside with its neck. Ava skittered across the ground and she felt a stinging sensation on her skin as the ancient stone bruised her skin. She gritted her teeth and jumped up, as she always did at cheerleading practice, with the intention of avoiding another attack from the snake. But to her horror, the snake had Summer in its sights. The monster's tongue twitched out of its mouth and came closer to Summer, who crawled further and further away. Ava immediately ran to her friend and the snake struck again. Its mouth wide open again, it tried to devour Summer all at once, but Ava jumped in between and was caught instead.
"AVA!"
"SUMMER AH! RUN!" Ava shouted through the pain, casting a quick glance at her shoulder. The snake's eyes scowled at her and her shoulder ached, but she saw no blood.
At least there was something.
She struck with her stone, but as before, the snake's scales protected her from harm. Instead, Ava was suddenly jerked around and spun on her own axis as the snake wrapped around her. Her arms were pressed against her sides and Ava felt the muscles beneath the snake's skin wrap around her body and squeeze. She gasped as the air was violently forced out of her body and the scales pressed into her skin. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe and the only thing she could see was the snake's green body wrapped tightly around her own.
Like wearing latex that's too tight. Ava thought as her eyes gradually went black. The snake let go of her shoulder and opened its mouth over Ava's head. Saliva dripped from it down onto Ava's face as she looked up. She saw a slimy pink mass leading into a black hole. The snake's mouth pressed over Ava's head and she was instantly covered in slime. Darkness surrounded her and she slid deeper and deeper into the pink hell. The slimy walls were so narrow that Ava couldn't move her arms and she was effortlessly pushed deeper and deeper.
I hope at least Summer can escape. Ava thought.
The last bit of air that the snake had swallowed with her was replaced by slimy walls. They pressed into Ava's face and seemed to massage her body.
"Greed… I'm sorry," Ava said without a sound escaping her lips. She felt liquid touch her skin and it began to tingle.
That was probably it. Or so Ava thought, suddenly she felt herself stop. The next, she heard a blood-curdling howl and felt the snake move wildly. Movement returned to Ava's world, but in the "good" direction. Her slime-stained feet suddenly felt the light breeze of the sewers again and from one moment to the next the snake spat out its prey and Ava landed heavily on the rough stones. The snake hissed angrily and wiggled its head as if it were on fire.
"What the…?" Ava asked, feeling hands helping her up. Summer knelt beside her and pulled her up.
"Why didn't you leave? What did you do?" Ava asked, surprised, but grateful that her friend had rescued her. Summer had now put on her usual smile again and grinned broadly at Ava.
"I didn't get the chance. The snake turned straight to me, but I still had a secret weapon!" she said, showing the bottle she had filled with booze in the club.
"You didn't do that?" Ava asked, stunned, and looked up at the snake, which was writhing like an ownerless water hose.
"Hehehe," Summer just laughed and tapped my collar, "Greed I know Ava hasn't been very kind to you today, but she's super sorry."
Summer gave Ava a nudge with her elbow and immediately Ava stuttered, "Yeah… Yeah, right! I… I'm sorry, Greed, I'm the worst. I was mean and ungrateful and I really need your help to get out of here with Summer," Ava whispered and lowered her head. At first nothing happened and Ava was about to give up, but then Greed unfolded to new splendor and gave Ava her superhero outfit again.
"Yes!" Summer cried out and Ava felt Greed squeeze her gently.
"Thank you… thank you," Ava whispered and a tear rolled down her face, which Greed caught and absorbed. He squeezed her again and Ava understood immediately.
"Let's finish this critter off!"
Ava sprinted at the snake, who was still struggling with Summer's cocktail. She leapt into the air towards its head, and the snake took a moment to lunge at Ava again, but Ava was prepared. Greed's tentacles clawed at the pipes in the ceiling, throwing her off course. The snake snapped next to it, exposing its neck. With a twist, Ava gathered momentum and even as she lunged towards the snake, Greed formed a spear with his tentacles over Ava's hand. She plunged it into the monster's neck and purple smoke billowed from the wound. Ava was flung away from him and the snake screamed. Greed caught Ava and she slithered across the floor as the snake became more and more obscured by smoke and finally disappeared inside it. The screams stopped and suddenly there was silence. Only Ava's heavy breathing could be heard as she waited spellbound for the smoke, afraid that the snake might still be lurking behind it.
"That was fantastic!" exclaimed Summer, running up to Ava and hugging her from behind, "You both did it! You're my heroes!"
"Haha," Ava laughed exhaustedly and lowered her head onto Summer's shoulder, "We couldn't have done it without each other. And now… we all need a shower."
Summer agreed and Greed gave Ava a gentle hug.
"Tell me, how did you get the handcuffs off?"
"Did you really think I didn't always have the key to these things with me?"
"You really are absolutely unbelievable."
"Thanks!"
The three of them made a wide arc around the quicksand as the smoke cleared and left the sewers. They failed to notice that the snake shrank and became a miniature of its species. As did the girl, who slipped out of the shadows and landed softly on the ground. She wore a black latex dress with a skirt that looked like it was made of blue fire and watched as the snake shrank to the size of her hand and slithered away into the darkness. The girl looked up and looked in the direction where Summer and Ava had disappeared.
"Really interesting. Seems like it's not going to be as one-sided as I first assumed," Kim murmured, starting to grin. She could sense that her mistress was pleased with her.
"We're going to have a lot more fun, my friends… Hahahahahaha."