Scaling the Iron Treads

I set my boots upon the towering ribbed ascent of the dead escalator. The grooved metal steps rose like a stepped cliff toward the surface street. Advancing step by step, my mechanical joints absorbed the steep incline, my double-bladed weapon held level against the downdraft. Halfway up the ascent, an obstacle obstructed the ribbed tread: a heavy brass padlock without a key, abandoned near the rubberized handrail seam. Planting my boots deep into the metal grooves, I drove the central hilt of my weapon beneath the curved shackle. With deliberate force, I rolled the dense lock against the riser until it jammed firmly into the tread corner. My foothold holds secure as darkness thickens above.