He held a warning hand as he turned. The children were still in their cages. Peering through the gilded bars with somber eyes. Silent. Unmoving.
Vigil gestured to them. "It's okay. You can come out now. No one is going to hurt you."
Not one of them moved. The nearest edged back, cowering at the sound of his voice.
He dropped to one knee, assuming the least threatening posture possible. "You're free to go. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Still not a movement. The woman erupted in peals of mocking laughter.
"You see? These children feel safe here. We took them off the streets. Gave them hot baths and warm meals. Gifted them with a sense of family. A sense of belonging. You think you can do better for them? Their own parents threw them away like trash. We saved them. We—"
Vigil silenced her with a k-dart to the neck. She dropped to sleep in mid-sentence, slumping forward to fall face-first on the carpeted floor. Turning to the children, he deactivated his face-shield. The sections folded back, revealing his face to them.
"Everything is all right now. No one will hurt you again while I'm around."
One of the boys started to cry. Pushing open the door of his golden cage, he staggered forward, arms held outward. As if on signal, a stream of children followed. They surrounded Vigil, touching his armor, his face as if trying to affirm he was real. Some of them sobbed like the first child, but most of them were silent as if their tears had been spent a long time ago.
Vigil's jaw trembled. He scooped the first child up, letting the boy cry on his shoulder as he stood. A young girl took his hand, pointing at where a door was cunningly hidden in the wall.
"There's more," she whispered.
The door opened with a piteous squeal on its rusty hinges. The stench of urine and unwashed bodies wafted from the darkened interior. Vigil entered a room thick with the humidity of sweat and tears. The sound of quiet weeping slid down the walls like condensation.
The cages inside weren't gilded in gold. They were cruel steel enclosures so confining that the children inside only had room to crouch. They were half-starved, listlessly staring as Vigil drew nearer. He felt his muscles quiver from the rage that coursed through his veins.
"I should have killed them."
His helmet buzzed. He engaged the visor again, the panels sliding over his face. A window opened up inside, morphing into a ghostly image of Incognito.
"This is… terrible, Vigil."
Vigil's fists clenched. He turned to the freed children, who gazed at him as if awaiting orders. "Get them out of these cages."
They rushed to comply, freeing the latches and helping the imprisoned children escape. Vigil strode from one cage to the next, furiously ripping the doors from their hinges.
Incognito's visage continued. "You shouldn't have exposed yourself. Concealing your identity is the most important part of what you do."
"They wouldn't have trusted me otherwise. Are you watching everything?"
"I have visual access through your visor, yes. It's a safety precaution."
"It's invasive. You're able to track the suit's signal. That should be enough."
Incognito sighed. "You can change the settings with Proto if you want. For now, you have to consider the implications of this attack. I can't believe your first mission results in the infiltration of an op ran by Denizens. I can't overstate how dangerous your situation is, Vigil. This isn't what you need to be taking on at this point."
"Really? Tell that to these kids, Incognito. This is war. Understand? I don't care who these people are. They're going down. Brick by brick if that's what it takes."
"We'll discuss this later. Get the children out, then vanish before more heat arrives. A floater will be positioned topside for you." Incognito's image fizzled out.
Vigil paused after tearing another cage door off. His breath hissed through his teeth as he reached and scooped up the girl inside. Her face was badly bruised, but he recognized her.
He gently shook her shoulder. "Mira."
Her eyes blinked open, widening when they focused on him. She snarled, swatting his hands away. "Get away from me!"
He realized she couldn't recognize him with the visor on. For a split second, he considered removing it again. But he considered Incognito's warning.
"I'm… a friend. Jett sent me."
She stared at him, then around as recognition dawned. All around were children. Some supported others barely strong enough to stand on their own. The cages were emptied, the children crowding around Vigil with eyes glistening with tears and hope.
Mira leaped out of the cage, frantically searching the mass of faces. "Zoe?"
One of the girls from the golden room screamed. "Mira!"
"Zoe!" The children made way as she ran into the arms of her sister. The two clutched each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
Vigil swallowed the lump in his throat. "Okay. Everyone take someone's hand. No one gets left behind. I'm getting you out of here."
Chapter 15
Agent Ronnie Banks arrived at the site of another disaster. She groaned. The sheer amount of flashing lights and gawking crowds meant nothing but trouble. Landing her spinner a few yards from the scene, she surveyed the area. The crowds seemed unusually excited, some shaking their fists and yelling. Had to be something serious for so many to have removed their holovisors. The screens glowed like decorative lights, bobbing to and fro among the shifting masses. The collective illumination made the sector brighter than the average night, where only a few lonely streetlights cut through the heavy shadows.
She froze at the sight of a familiar face. Just for a second, Jett Wolfe was visible in the milling crowd. His thick jacket was of much better quality than the one he wore when he came to the precinct. Somehow he stood out, alone despite the chaos around him. His eyes were sharp, his stance alert as if he expected to have to run or fight any second.
What's he doing here?
He was quickly swallowed by the shifting bodies. Ronnie activated the floater's doors, exiting the vehicle as they slid upward.
Then again, why wouldn't he be? Looks like everyone in the area showed up.
A holograph materialized in front of her in the form of news reporter Cam Danvers from NYN Studios. She thrust a microphone in Ronnie's face.
"What can you tell the public about the situation here, Agent Banks?"
Ronnie kept walking. "No comment."
Cam kept pace, unconcerned when a passerby walked right through her digital image. "They say the Underground is nearly shut down out of concern for an attack deep within. They say a war erupted. There's talk of a man in a mask with a vendetta against gang members."
"Practically everyone in the city wears a mask, Cam. Find someone else to shake down."
"How long will the RCE have no answers for the citizens of this city, Agent Banks? How long until they've had enough?"
Ronnie walked past a No Press barricade, where Cam's signal would cut off if crossed. The reporter remained behind, shouting her network's anthem. "The public has a right to know!"
A group of rookie officers stood around, looking stiff in their uniforms. Their sergeant turned to greet her as she approached. "Agent Banks. Ready for a real snafu?"
"What's going on, Mack?"
"Gotta see it to believe. Not gonna like it, though." He glanced around. "Where's your partner?"
"On his way. You can say his name, Mack. You guys went to the Academy together, for God's sake."
"I went to the Academy with a man, Ronnie. Not whatever he is now. It ain't right. Not what happened to him. And not what they did with what was left of him."