Underground

k4 slides across the wooden flooring has The man fires the gun; the combustion inside activates, and the bullet from its magazine starts to spring upwards in a split second. The bullet twists itself in ways to point at the jumper, and the bullet starts to rapidly shoot out of the barrel.

It was a direct hit to the heart; the bullet ricochets straight out of her body, and the old man raises his brows and his face widens at this revelation.

"You... are a robot, aren't you?" His mouth left echoes of fear and anger within them.

K4 stares down at her "heart". Her gaze analysing if any damage was done with the bullet to her hard surface, she ignores the man's question completely uninterested in him whatsoever.

"Jumper, are you alright?" Her body twists back to the jumper; his wide, awed face was filled with relief and the sacrifice K4 provided.

He instantly reaches out to touch K4's heart. "I'm okay... but are you?" His hand immediately feels a pressure forming around his wrist.

"I may be a robot... But don't touch me, understood?" He feels a glare penetrate his demeanour; he instantly cowers back into the safety of the wooden platform away from her.

K4, having dealt with her minor inconvenience, turns to the old man, "I will spare your life today if you let us pass through." She had a light-hearted atmosphere around her.

The old man watches over K4's body; he considers the consequences of a robot entering the underground; he catches a glimpse of a metallic barrel poking out of her right hand's trench coat; it was well hidden, but the sheer length couldn't be contained.

"I can allow this dear robot, this kid and our traitor, but you must stay; the panic would be too much and would cause the Shilo law enforcement to investigate." His offer was reasonable.

K4 takes a quick glance at Hino, who has his bow on standby due to the man's actions. "Hino, you go without me; find information about the lab's location." Her demands weren't hollow but a testament to her dedication to saving humanity.

His head presses down slightly; his boots cause a shake around the wooden platform while approaching the man on the boat. Without saying a word, the man moves further back, allowing space for Hino to sit.

As Jumpers mind awakens again, he realises he should get on; he follows Hinos lead shortly onto the boat of the man.

K4 studies them down; they both are now passengers of the boat. "Jumper, for saving your life once again, you owe Hino, a person who knows the geographic layout of the entire underground of Shilo." Without arguing back, he nods back at her sharply in a fast manner.

Her gaze then turns to the old man. "If the kid isn't back exactly in two hours, then I will decimate your entire town." K4 takes off her right hand. trenchcoat slightly; that powerful futuristic weapon beyond human comprehension stares into the man's soul; he didn't know what it was or what it could do, but he knew it was dangerous.

He gives a fearful smile, his brows closing in and his stance getting more defensive. "Understood. Don't you worry, alright?" The jumper reaches out to the wooden platform, being furthest ahead, giving it a grand push away from the wooden platform.

K4 takes a seat on the wooden platform, watching as they begin their journey to the city; the greyish lake surrounded them from all sides for at least over a hundred meters until the city's vicinity.

Hino, in the middle of the boat crew, doesn't have the best visibility but enough to catch the approaching city. 'This city looks just as dirty as the lake itself; at least saving Jumper doesn't seem like the worst idea after all; he might provide some use.'

The city starts to become bigger; its size is pretty impressive for an underground hideout. The dieselpunk style was becoming more apparent, with the metal twists and the scraps and machinery from ancient times scattered around the floors and streets.

The boat crosses the lake onto the wooden port landing, and they all step off onto the creaking wood platform.

"Thank you." Hino sends a note of appreciation as he starts to walk off, jumper quickly following close behind. The grand entrance of the city contrasts the basic port, but it was expected.

Hino, walking into the city, walks through the streets looking for a sign or anything to help his mission. Jumper quickly suggests, "Maybe we should go to an informative place."

"What do you think I'm trying to find?" Hino's tone was higher and more aggressive; he didn't want to be questioned right now.

jumper gives a slight shrug "I mean the cities are... You really think they have info places around here, huh?" he gives subtle reminders of the dire situation of the city.

He lets Jumper take the lead forward, giving a close walk behind with his bow at standby, obviously not trusting the sketchy environment. The streets were dirty, and the people were broke and broken; it was a nightmare in reality.

There wasn't a benefit to anything here; at this point, Jumper leaving would be reasonable to Hino.

'Does he even know what he's doing... This guy can barely do anything; after all, his body quickens its pacing like a predator feeling the urge to jump at its prey.

Jumpers moves were calculated; they were too perfect with sharp turns and accurate pathfinding. Maybe he was somewhat reliable.

Passing various streets with no change in situation, it was all depressing. On the bright side of their walk, they found a brick building, one of its first in the distance, with a huge sign calling it "tiro; tavern". This was the correct spot.

As they approached the bar, it was a bit more cosy than the other metal-sheeted houses filled with dirt outside; it was made of brick painted a nice shade of red in a light and darker pattern. The bar had no windows and only a mere door near the left corner; the spruce door was neatly kept, which was surprising.

'This place might actually be up to standards with a real bar...' His eyes dart around the building taking in, without having any other choice, he looks over at Jumper.

"Let's go and talk to that barkeeper. We first ask about the lab, then your family." The order of importance was clearly laid out; Hino didn't have as much time compared to Jumper to mess around and solely focused on the mission.

Jumper and Hino talk to the barkeeper; he seemed to be a mixed human with robotic limbs attached for extra efficiency, and his clothes were very ancient, and he had a weird small hat on his head.

Taking their seats on the stools, they both wait to be served. The barkeeper, occupied with cleaning some glass cups, notices the two new clients in his establishment; he scurries over to the both of them with a grand smile.

"How may I help?" His eyes watch the customers next to him: a homeless-looking person with torn clothing and slight paint on his face and a teenage kid that seemed to be a bit on the duller side.

The jumper instantly strikes up a conversation: "Ah, old friend, I bet you couldn't recognise me!" His speech pattern pissed off Hino, who was expecting a direct question; his communication skills weren't really the finest.

"Nobody here is your friend anymore. Ever since you all left to work outside the underground and left us all behind, it was rather bold, wasn't it?" He didn't have an ounce of anger or hatred towards Jumper; his emotions were clearly in control and curious about the whole ordeal.

Hino cuts in, "I don't have time for stories." He broke their conversation flow, turning all the attention to himself.

The barkeeper takes a good look at Hino and lets out a slight chuckle. "What may I help with? I can serve to the best of my ability; you are too young to drink yet, after all." Now this was what Hino wanted.

'I should ask him about all the locations first and build from there.'

Hino returns the chuckle, "Do you know about all the hidden and the visible locations in the undergrounds?" His question left no room for rebuke in a normal case.

"I might not know about them all, but I have visited every place in the last couple of years ever since the beginning."

His brows go up and his eyes focus down. "I want a laboratory location, more specifically, one that was top secret, with many files and data I need." His description was vague; he had no idea what it looked like, who it was part of, or who made it. All he knew was it was down here.

The barkeeper laughs. "What's the price?"