An upbeat melodic tune echoes loudly throughout the underground chambers of the terminal. A soft humming mimicking the song lyrics playing from the radio can be heard deeper in the tunnels. A bright earthy green light fills the tunnel, on the wall lies the silhouette of a man with enormous wings pointing his hand forward and firing a spherical object downward. A short squeak rings out before being immediately silenced, and the foul toxic smell of concentrated ammonia fills the tunnels. The easiest job ever, now to get to the behemoth good ol Sharpton mentioned Zeno said with a muffled voice as he wore a respirator gas mask.

A trail of dead burnt rats covers the floor of the underground network like carpet, leading to the tunnel system where Zeno stood. Several ventilation ducts were open to help mitigate the smell, but the sheer number of carcasses proved this ineffective. Most humans would perish in mere moments in such a volatile environment due to inhaling the toxins. The mask in combination with a magical barrier made from his fire-infused nature magic helped eliminate a lot of the toxins, granting him the freedom to roam the tunnels. The next stop on his job was the second tunnel that led to the abandoned train yard.

Hours before, Zeno headed into the underground terminal… So what is your answer, Mr. Sharpton? Make your calls and get your decision because once I leave, I'm gone. I have another interview coming up in Joya. They made quite a big offer for my assistance ahead of time, you know… Zeno closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders as he forced an ultimatum onto the terminal manager. Sharpton felt his blood begin to boil from the sheer frustration of the conversation taking place. He started pacing back and forth, then stopped to cover his eyes with his hands, using the tip of his index finger and thumb to squeeze against the temple on his head as a reflex to release the pent-up tension. After taking a long deep sigh and recalling the huge bonus he signed off on if he could exterminate the rats before the new construction plan gets finalized, he decided to agree with Zeno. There was much more to lose in this scenario if he failed to win over Zeno and not get the rats exterminated. These risks affected the livelihood of his family and his job status. With his contracted bonus in mind, this put him at ease and a carefree smile formed on his face. He walked over to Zeno and put his hand out gesturing to agree to the terms happily.

Wise choice my friend, just to make sure the deal is secure please call your bosses over the phone and fill them in on everything. He called up the head boss and put it on speakerphone, so Zeno could explain the details of the deal. Afterward, the head boss asked Zeno how much he wanted for the job. After taking a look at Sharpton, Zeno replied with a serious voice Give me good ol Sharpton's salary for the year At that moment the smile that was on Sharpton's face from earlier completely vanished, instead it was replaced with a grimacing stare as he bit his lower lip to the point of bleeding and scrunching up his fist in, so tightly his nails dug into his palms. Done, let's get started, shall we? The finalization of the construction got approved, and they want to get started in the coming weeks. The head boss replied swiftly. Before you continue Mr. Boss man, I will need you to give me a written contract agreement to all this. I will tell my manager to contact you immediately…say about now… Right then somebody knocks on the boss’s door and slips a contract underneath.

After a brief pause, the boss returns to the phone. What form of trickery is this?...hmmm everything we are discussing is on here…h-how in the… Never mind. This rat problem isn't your normal kind of pest. We wasted several thousand on exterminators, traps, and more, but the problem persists. Do what you must to rid us of this problem Scribbles can be heard followed by the slamming of an object on the table. It is signed Cutting the boss off Sharpton screamed in a fit of rage. T-t-this is ridiculously unprofessional and against the law! You let this nobody of a street beggar have MY SALARY!...

Zeno stood and walked away softly laughing, tuning out Mr Sharpton and his boss's argument. He knocked on the beaten doors as he walked by them while making his way down the corridor. A fairy stepped out of one of the rooms with the beaten-down door and handed Zeno the signed contract. Let's get started then, shall we…by the way, Mr. Sharpton, I recommend you leave the tunnel and evacuate the terminal unless you want casualties Zeno raised his hand to wave farewell before putting on a mask he had underneath his jacket and fading into the darkness of the tunnel system.

WC 894