6 A Feathered Friend

A favor? The proposition was unexpected. Favors were often more binding than simple transactions and not to mention he said that Adam would "Owe" him a favor, owing something to someone in this world doesn't exactly bring peace to his heart. John suffered from this with his Markers, and that didn't turn out so great for him.

Maybe he needed his help, after all it's not like he has better options, or maybe he should just backtrack and walk away…. But the thought of fresh air, a warm place to rest, and a chance to decipher the cryptic messages on his interface was too tempting to resist.

Fear gnawing at his gut. John Wick never hesitated, but Adam wasn't John Wick. He was just a guy, an errand runner who got caught in the crossfire. Yet, a spark of defiance ignited within him. He wouldn't go down without a fight.

Taking a deep breath, Adam met the unseen gaze. "Alright," he said, his voice hoarse. 

"What's the favor?" A moment of tense silence followed. Then, a gruff chuckle echoed down from the hole. The pigeon shifted, its beady eyes glinting with a strange intelligence.

"Patience, friend," the voice rasped. "First, we get you out of this rat's nest. Then, we talk about business."

A grin, feral and sharp, stretched across Adam's face. Though he couldn't see the man, the voice sent a shiver down his spine. This wasn't some ordinary guard. It seems this stranger knew more than he let on… or was willing to go against whoever they work for to find out more about them… or maybe he was just luring him into a trap, making him think he's being friendly but will ultimately stab him in the back for extra credit on his capture.

The thought was fleeting, replaced by a steely determination. He may have stumbled upon something far bigger than a simple retrieval job. This might be his way in, or it might be his demise… 

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained…" - was the fleeting thought of Adam as he recalled just how John Wick, forced back into the world he thought he left behind, Adam found himself drawn into a dangerous game. The price of escape was a debt, a favor to a man who seemed to wield power in the shadows. But unlike Wick, Adam was a novice, a pawn thrust onto a chessboard filled with unseen players. 

"Alright," Adam repeated, his voice firmer this time. "Get me out of here. But let me be clear, I'm not making any promises until I know what this favor entails."

A low chuckle rumbled from above. "Fair enough. You've got some guts, I'll give you that." The pigeon hopped closer to the hole, its head cocked to one side. "Just hold still." Footsteps could be lowly heard from above almost as if the stranger walked away but the bird still perched next to the hole made him believe otherwise…It seems too smart to simply stay when his supposed owner would just leave.

"Catch!" - The stranger screamed as he threw a small black object down the hole giving Adam not but a mere second to register the command and intercept the falling item. 

"Consider this a, let's say, guarantee that we are to properly work together. Use it and go back through the hole you came from, take a left and keep walking straight, you should see an interception of ventilation tunnels up ahead. There's an arrow painted on the left wall, follow the arrows and once you're out, we'll discuss the favor." 

Frowning, Adam inspected the device thrown by the man, realization dawning in his eyes as he understood what it was. A simple flashlight, looking like it has seen better days with all the rust and paint falling into his hands as he simply handled it. Doubting it would actually work, he pressed the button on the side and lo and behold light did in fact shine albeit little as it was.

"Come on now! Don't keep me waiting." - *Chuckle* - "Oh! And one more thing… I'll be wanting that back, so take good care of it for me, will ya?"

With those words of "motivation", Adam set forth on his way out, crawling through the same hole of yesterday, wondering how did the stranger even knew about the hole… It's not hidden per say but it also wasn't exactly in clear view, especially from up top… 

Deciding to trust the man for now, mind cleared of all these new questions, Adam followed his instructions and after a couple of minutes of walking in said direction using only the little light of the flashlight he found the interception. Recalling the man's words, there on the left side, on the wall was a very small and faint arrow pointing to the left fork on his path where a small gust of wind could be felt.

"Must be the right way then… If push comes to shove I guess I'll just have to run, in case he doesn't turn out to be who I think he is."

A few minutes later…

The tunnel stretched on, its walls a monotonous gray canvas punctuated only by the occasional glint of moisture. The air seemed to grow thinner with each step, adding to the growing sense of urgency gnawing at Adam. His flashlight beam danced ahead, revealing a seemingly endless pathway of crumbling stone.

Minutes blurred into what felt like hours. Doubt, like a persistent weed, began to sprout again. Had he misinterpreted the instructions? Was this a dead end? He stopped, the silence deafening. He strained his ears, hoping for any clue, any sound that might indicate his path. A faint, rhythmic dripping echoed faintly in the distance. Was it water? Could it be leading somewhere?

A flicker of hope ignited within him. He aimed the flashlight beam in the direction of the sound, but the darkness remained stubbornly unyielding. Hesitantly, he began following the sound, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation. The tunnel began to incline slightly, the dripping becoming more pronounced.

Suddenly, the beam of his flashlight caught a glint of metal in the distance. He quickened his pace, his breath coming in short gasps. As he drew closer, the glint resolved itself into a heavy metal door, its surface pitted with rust. Relief washed over him, a wave so powerful it nearly brought him to his knees. An exit. Could this be it?

Carefully, he approached the door. There was no handle, no visible mechanism to open it. He ran his hand along the cold, rough surface, searching for any hidden latch or switch. His fingers brushed against a small, circular indentation. Was this it? With a racing heart, he pressed his thumb into the indentation. A satisfying click echoed through the tunnel, followed by a low rumble. A faint light seeped around the edges of the metal door, growing brighter as an unseen mechanism whirred to life.

Adam held his breath as the door groaned open, revealing a narrow passage bathed in a warm, golden light. Beyond it, he saw a sliver of blue sky and a glimpse of trees bathed in the late afternoon sun. He had made it. He had found the exit.

 "Well done. You've made it." The man emerged from the side slowly petting the bird cradled in his hands, his face still obscured by darkness from the hood he was wearing. Adam hesitated, his hand tightening around the flashlight, waiting, looking for any sudden movement , ready to strike or run if needs must .

"Let's go, we can talk and rest at my place..and talk about that favor." 

Edited by: @Krigh_Ehl