Hours had passed, and Arnold had become lost several times in the sewers before he made his way out. He hadn’t worried about being lost on it’s own because if he didn’t even know where he was then the raptor would have trouble finding him as well.
He had hidden the ball next to the manhole cover where he had exited and then had hoped that the doctors had been right one year ago when they had said signals sent from these sewers were often garbeled or lost. He’d send a clockwork back for it when he could.
That had also been about an hour ago, it was now midnight and he was holding his breath as the sound of boots passed the abandoned brewery where he was hiding. They had stopped for a short time and he heard muffled voices on the other side talking. He calmed down again as they faded into the distance.
He waited ten minutes, his hunger and exhaustion both becoming more pronounced as he rested his head against the wall. When he was sure the streets were most likely to be clear he made his way out to find a trash can, he opened the door and jumped as he saw a young urchin across the street waving at him. “ello!”
Arnold gripped his heart for a moment, and took a calming breath. That must have been who the man had been talking to earlier. and then managed, “Hello.” Gil looked at him in concern, and if Arnold remembered correctly Lo had said that he was just trying to trick Dr. Dinosaur before. He had no idea if he was under his influence now, but at this point he was desperate for an ally… “Gil, I’m in trouble.”
Looking at his ruined attire and his state Gil frowned, and had to know he was on the run, “Did ye croak mister E?”
“…no.” Did they all still think he wanted Emerson dead?
“Err..need ta ‘ide from Tenk?”
“No, I need to hide from giant metal raptors patroling the city for me!”
“Oh…blimey, c’mon then!” Gil ran down the street and Arnold followed despite his fatigue. They soon came to an iron doorway, and behind it was an entrance to the sewers that Arnold had never seen before. He was surprised, but upset that he would have to return to the sewers in order to survive.
“It gets ocean wash tho so not as bad as uptown,” Gil tried to reassure him when he stared at it in dismay. “Anyways…ye all right?”
Arnold twitched, very softly this time, and followed him down beneath the ground. “I’m walking through a sewer and have experienced one of the worst weeks of my life…so no!”
“Sorry about yer bad week mister A.” Gil sighed, and Arnold joined him. “Ye may like this spot…dinna need ta crawl fru sewers, but it’s a mergency exit way…iffen yer ready ta go see it…tis where I usually sleep in fact…”
Arnold nodded and Gil lead him to his hiding spot. He tried to keep his feelings of disgust under control over the smells and sights they passed until they arrived in Gil’s hiding spot. When he shook off Arnold hired his friend, with his wet sewer covered money, to fetch some of his clothes and to give a message to Kane Qork about where he could find the device.
Doctor Dinosaur threw his popcorn at the Viewitorium “What? How could they lose him so easily! note to self, MAKE THE MECHARAPTORS SMARTER!”