Erik and Declan were the first to leave. Tivon followed a few minutes afterward after hugging Cathleen goodbye.

“Remember to lockup after Ava and her friend leave. Okay, sweetie?” Tivon said, almost a purr as he nuzzled his daughter’s head.

“Okay, daddy,” she said so sweetly that Marcellus could almost feel it defrost his cold demeanor just a bit.

Tivon stood, took a look at Ava and Marcellus, nodding to them both. They returned the gesture. He slung the case that held his rifle across his body and tightened it to the point of have no slack. Slipping on a ratty looking hat he walked out of the bunker, hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like just another bystander living in the under-city.

Ava turned to Marcellus. “Well, here we go again. Have you ever been to the upper levels of Urbium before?”

“A few times. Every now and then we were allowed some R and R and we could roam about off duty, but never often since for all intents and purposes we still weren’t upper-level residents.” Marcellus looked at Ava with a quizzically cocked eyebrow. “Why?”

“What’s it like up there?” Ava asked.

“Haven’t you been?”

“I have but always on recon missions. What’s it like to actually be up there and enjoy it?”

Marcellus stood there thinking for a moment. “Sterile. Flat. Gilded.”

Ava’s left ear dropped down in a nearly comical expression of confusion.

The wolf shrugged. “It’s as though everything is fake – a show within a show. Every smile, every laugh, everything. On the surface it all looks great and welcoming but it’s as though you can tell everything is just an act. If the people up there don’t know the darkness behind Caelum then on some deeper level they sense it.”

Ava looked away, lost in thought for a moment. “That’s quite the insight.”

The wolf shrugged. Pulling back his sleeve, Marcellus looked at his watch. “Time for us to go.”

“Yes, let’s go,” Ava responded.

There was something in her eyes he could not quite place but now was not the time to dwell on it.

They made their way out into the night. Activity in the under-city was dying down a bit. People were making their last minute errands and heading off to whatever domicile they happened to call home. The perfume of cook fires perfused the air. It did not completely cover the smell of refuse that was ever prevalent here but it was a great help.

Their way to the rail station was a roundabout one, taking them past the yard that they used as a meet up point outside of base. Marcellus saw the three children they had seen yesterday. One of the felines was asleep. The other was lying in the canine’s lap, coughing. It was a deep and painful sound. Marcellus was not one to get sentimental easily but this sight wrenched at him.

Ava walked over to the children. The only one to notice was the canine. His – for apparently it was a he – ears dropped down. He seemed pleading as well as defensive.

“Stay away,” the pup said, shakily. His voice did not sound too good as well.

“I won’t bite,” Ava said soothingly as she knelt down, her voice dropping almost to a whispered drawl. “What’s the matter, hon?”

“She’s sick. She’s sick real bad,” he said, almost in a whimper.

“Well, we can’t have that,” Ava said as she reached into one of her pockets. The child curled around his friend anticipating something bad. She pulled out a vial that contained a viscous red liquid. “Give this to her. Half should do. Do you know where the Hole in the Wall is?”

The canine’s ears bobbed as he nodded in affirmation.

“Head there when you’re all ready. It’ll be locked but a little girl by the name of Cathleen will answer the door. Tell her Ava sent you and that it was okay to rest there. If your friend isn’t better after a few hours give her the other half of the vial. Help yourselves a nice meal while you’re at it.”

The dog boy’s eyes lit up after hearing all this. Something told Marcellus that these children have seen little to no kindness for quite some time.