[Luxious Amaris]
Focus Titian:
"What the-
Those damned idiots!
Why did they trigger the main alarm!?
Is there actually something going on!?
Why wasn't I informed immediately beforehand???
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!!
I'll be back, Shin.
Be patient while I go out and check what is happening."
Zeris, furious and troubled by the alarm, placed down the bloody blade she was about to press into Shin. She advanced to the door, leaving it open as she left to wherever she was off to in a hurry. Rushing down the hall, the sounds of her scurrying tentacles soon faded out.
Aizza didn't take even a moment more to express her joy that her far-fetched plan had worked, tapping each
Shin was freed but fell to the floor like a rag doll face-first as his wrist bindings were removed.
"Shin!"
Letting out a hoarse call, she ran over to him. Her long, frayed, and tangled hair swayed with the effort.
"D-Don't touch me! L-Leave me alone! Please, please, please, please, please…"
Shin moaned back, weak and exhausted from the days without rest. His mind was already on the verge of breaking.
"Shin! We need to get out of here!"
Aizza was trying to lift him up off the floor.
*A cruel prank for my own mind to play.
This is how going crazy is, huh?
I-I never thought I'd still feel as s-sane as I do… I guess that's how all the crazies are…*
"Get up Shin, I need you to focus!
You're not on the table anymore. I need your help so we can both get away from here! Wake up!"
Shin kept his eyes on the floor, not willing to look up and feed his imagination.
*The floor feels so real.
Even her hands feel warm.
This must be how those psychos I've seen view the world. The way every sense points towards reality while knowing it's all fake... would definitely drive anyone to insanity.
I thought I would've lasted longer, but who knew I would go koo-koo in just two days. Or has it been longer than that?
I guess it just means Zeris is as heinous as she is good at what she does.*
"SHIN, I am sorry for this-"
-Slap!-
Aizza slapped his listless face, which finally seemed to get a reaction out of him.
Almost as if his sight was set past her, he glanced in her direction.
"How cruel. Why would I imagine you naked?
Wait what? I'm not a sick bastard!
Am I!?"
Revulsed at his own 'delusion,' he was shaken back to reality. He lifted a hand to his pale, aching face. Why did his face hurt?
Aizza stood there flushed. She almost wanted to hit him again for being rude, but she withheld her hand. She knew what he went through had deeply scarred him, and hitting him again wouldn't be fair after all he's been through.
"I couldn't help it!
They aren't handing out clothes here!
Hurry and get up already! I don't know when she'll come back!"
*Wait? Is this real?
No, there's no way it is. If it were, she'd be chained up too, right beside me. There's no way a little girl like Aizza could have-*
"Shinnnnnnn! You stupid head! L-I-S-T-E-N-T-O-M-E! Get up now!"
She placed her hands on his face, forcing him to look into her eyes as she firmly roped him back into the world.
"I-Is that really you, Aizza?"
Shin started to doubt that this was all a delusion and that this was really real.
"Yes, you idiot!
I set off an alarm to distract Zeris, and I need you to help, or else this was all pointless!
Come on and get up already! Unless you'd rather stay here!"
She tugged at his despondent arm, trying to get Shin off the cold ground and aware of the situation. The threat of being strapped back to that operating table for days was enough to shock Shin into taking his chances.
*Holy-
This, this is really happening?
I need to book it out of here!
Aizza hid for two days from their search!? And she came for me instead of escaping? How in the world did she do that?
How moronic!
…
I will make sure we both get out.*
"O-Okay, I'm getting up-"
He flailed about with the attempt. His body was low on energy and weak to the core. Factor in that he hadn't moved for days and withstood constant operations, he reasonably had a tricky time.
He tried a few more times, ignoring the hand Aizza offered him for support. If he took the crutch, it would only hinder them later on. He needed to be able to do that much alone.
Finally regaining enough control, he stood.
"What's the plan, Aizza?"
*What are we supposed to do now? I have no idea about anything outside this hellish room...*
"We need to reach the elevator, b-but they require a fingerprint to work…"
*Of course there's a catch! No wonder why she didn't just leave!
We're doomed. Where the hell do we get a willing soul to help us? Everyone here is an enemy willing to torture children! Neither of us could appeal to the 'good in their hearts!'*
Aizza watched Shin's face contort with annoyance, magnifying the effect with his thick black eyebrows.
She went on, giving her thoughts on the matter she came up with while waiting.
"But! We do have sharp tools here.
We could…"
*Ah, we could just force open the elevator! However, something like acid may work better.*
We could, k-kill one of them…"
*Haaaa?
This girl? How did she think up such a cruel idea?*
"That seems a bit extreme, don't you thin-"
Cut off, Aizza barked back with an abrupt and intimidating fury Shin had not expected to come from her.
"Breaking in wouldn't mean anything! We have to go up for a really long time, and I don't think the elevator will start if we try to force it open!
I was here the whole time! Shin.
I watched what she did to you...
I watched that evil woman. I saw the pain you went through! I saw your stomach ripped apart! The terrible things she did to you...
No one here deserves to live!"
Tears of anguish leaked from her fiery eyes, but she remained steadfast in her stance.
"They've killed off countless others!
P-Probably being used like you were. I imagine them crying and all alone, like how you were. They were going to do the same to me Shin! But I was able to get out.
I feel, really angry!
This place is evil. These people are evil!"
She finished off her sentiments of the claustrophobic lab that settled miles beneath the surface. With Shin stunned by the sorrows she faced, he questioned himself on why he didn't feel the same right away. Everything she said was, beyond a doubt, correct.
Aizza went on, cementing her position on the subject.
"I-I'll do it, I'm not afraid.
B-But I need you to help too.
I can't do it by myself."
*This girl…
She watched me that whole time. Somehow secretly, and waiting for a moment to get me free? And she wants to kill them, not that I really care about their lives. It's just…
She's only nine. She shouldn't be thinking such things.
...
No, this girl risked herself to save you, Shin.
What are you doing going on and judging others? You were tortured for days, and anyone else here would be no less involved than Zeris.
We need to leave, and that's that. No matter what we must do.*
"Thank you, Aizza. I guess that's the best option we have.
Let's do that then.
Do you know where Zeris went?"
Aizza was not expecting to be thanked, but she was just happy that Shin was back to his old self. Their escape attempt from the foul place would now begin.
"Ah, please put this on-"
Shin had already taken off his bloodied and ripped shirt. His chest still had a visible slash from the previous session, still healing the remaining scar. He was skinny, more so than when he had been captured; his ribs began to barely poke through his skin from his malnourishment.
Now shirtless, he handed the oversized topwear to Aizza to clothe herself. Covering it were hardened blood stains and marks of fluid Zeris had spilled. Along with the rips and tears, she didn't want to touch the gross-looking thing.
"But it's-"
She remembered her already-forgotten nudity, weighing her feelings against each other as she took the shirt.
*Why am I even thinking about such stupid things! I was already covered in trash before anyway. It's just a little... ah... It's just blood Aizza, just blood, nothing else...*
"Ah, thank you…"
She wore the messy, tattered, and torn shirt, letting it fall just above her knees. She shivered, trying not to overthink.
Now entirely back to the real world, he began spitting orders to prepare.
"Alright, we need to grab a few things. You take one of the large scalpels, and I'll do the same.
But I am going to grab some acid as well. And be quick, we don't know how long Mom-..."
Letting his tongue slip, he bit it in frustration. He wanted that woman dead. He would make sure of it one day.
"-Zeris, will be gone."
Shin lowered his head in shame. His own mind had already gotten used to calling Zeris' Mother' in hopes of reducing the suffering he would be dealt, even if just a little.
Reaching the blood-soaked metal tray, he clutched one of the longer scalpels still coated with remains of his own tissues. He had no time to think further about how disgusting the tool felt to wield. The one used to cut him hundreds of times over without break.
He wondered if Zeris's insanity would seep into him by mere contact with the blade, but he pushed the silly idea away. He was tough. His mind would heal.
The blade was comparable to half his forearm in length and a quarter as thick as a pocket knife. It was razor sharp but would dull if operated with too much force only after one or two uses. It was flimsy, but it was all they had.
Aizza, grossed out, hesitantly lifted one of the wet, sticky blades, resentful that it was Shin's darkened blood that was coating it.
Shin hustled to the cabinet to the left of his table, where he had seen Zeris visit multiple times, and grabbed a yellow-stained vile in a rack filled with dozens of others.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
Aizza was keen to leave the wretched place, and she was sure Shin was even more desperate to be as far away as possible. Her fear of what was to come was offset by the fear of being captured alongside Shin, being mutilated day in and day out, giving her more than enough reason to not falter.
She followed closely behind Shin, a reminiscent and comforting feeling for her. It felt natural and right. It gave her the strength to continue.
Shin peaked outside into the still-blaring hallway shaded red as before when Aizza escaped her room. He quickly brought his head back in, turning to Aizza.
"Get ready.
Two people, a stubby man and a tall woman, are heading our way quickly.
You sure you can do this?
I can do it alone. I'm sure the surprise will allow me to get both of them before they know what's coming."
Aizza shook her head.
"No, I will help."
Shin sighed. He had never killed a person before, directly or indirectly, yet he didn't feel any apprehension towards what he was about to do.
However, what he was about to let a nine-year-old do was a whole different story.
"Alright, go for the necks. Make it as quick as possible. We will only get one chance. They are well-fed adults, while we are beaten, tired, cold, and hungry kids.
Surprise is our best tool against these demons in white.
I will go for the tall woman further away. You go for the dwarf."
Aizza nodded again; an eerie feeling washed over her as she steeled herself.
Shin held up his hand, counting down from 5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
Shin launched ahead with great force, surprising Aizza with the herculean strength he displayed despite being in such a sorry state.
Without delay, she pounced in pursuit with little room between them, reading her aim toward her target.
Shin wrenched his body, competently moving like someone with basic combat skills. He faced the woman who had almost tripped after being started and had let out a surprised squeal. Before the third second came to an end, he committed to the motion. Shin slashed his blade at the woman a foot taller than him, cleanly slicing deep into her throat, making use of the entire razor edge. A shot of blood splattered the wall, arching off from the force of Shin's knife.
The woman was unaware of what had happened until her final moments. Her eyes were stupefied as she grasped at her neck. She strangely felt no pain, only the pressure applied by her hands.
At the same span, Aizza was in sync with Shin, although she swiped her blade with a flimsy precision that merely scratched the dwarf's chin and shaved off a few hairs. They hadn't accounted for the overbearingly voluminous beard offering a decent defense for his neck. The short surgical tool carried only the weight of Aizza's swing. It wasn't enough.
Aizza tried to regain her footing while the dwarf's eyes were glued to the woman beside him.
"D-Der-W-Win-?-"
Shardea guttered incomplete words while her thick blood gushed out from her neck, tipping to the floor like a falling tower that had lost its foundation. Her eyes quickly dimmed as Derwin rushed to her side in a panic.
Her last sight was filled with the tearing dwarf she dearly loved. Her mind could only sort through the countless regrets in her life as her mind faded to obscurity. Her body relaxed as the blood flow dwindled.
"S-Shardea!"
But she was already dead. The cut was too deep.
Derwin held his hands to her neck as if blocking the outflow would bring her back. His only accomplishment was having his hands coated with the receding warmth of his coworker.
"AIZZA, GET HIM!"
Too far to get to the dwarf himself and out of strength from overstressing his body, he could only pray Aizza wouldn't fail the second swing.
The reunion with the two scientists dazed her. She almost felt guilty at the sight of the dying yet already dead woman. Before Aizza could finish her second, hesitant swing, she was knocked back by a firm impact.
"SHARDEAAAAAAAAA!"
Derwin was distressed and infuriated. As a doctor, accepting her death came easy. There was nothing he could do at this point, and in a few heartbeats, her life would be snuffed.
Yet that didn't dull his wrath.
His eyes became shadowed, almost entirely black in the sanguineous lighting.
The sirens rang on.
"Stone."
He turned towards the two as the flooring was mystically torn apart and started to cover the man in rocky armor.
Before he could finish whatever he was doing, Aizza made for a third shot, leaping from her unbalanced standing to try and pierce the blade through the dwarf's eye.
The dwarf's fists were quickly gathering the now black rocky exterior as he deftly caught the blade from Shin's hidden attempt and slapped Aizza to the floor with the force of a titan at the same time. He then released his fist into Shin's gut, launching him into the wall as he released the stolen blade.
*A fucking Lux user!?*
Aizza crawled up from the floor as she watched Shin slump to the floor.
"SHIN!!!"
Aizza yelled, trying to stand back up.
"She accepted my confession yesterday, y'know.
We were going to start a life together.
I waited years, so many years.
You brats will pay.
I will force Zeris to let me watch what she does to you two. I know whatever I could imagine would pale to what she'll do!
Yet I will at least ensure you are ripped a new one before I hand you over, boy! You're durable enough for it."
Aizza swept into action, having recovered from her cluttered consciousness after being swatted to the ground. Only a few feet from the dwarf, she carried out her last thrust at his bearded neck, looking to stab rather than slice to bypass his innate defense.
Her slash was too slow.
It was predictable for the trained short man. He effortlessly caught her equipped left arm mid-swing with his right. The firm grip proved it would be impossible to slip out of.
"You'll be receiving the same punishment, girly. Though I'll leave it all to Zeris."
He let out his gruffed voice, wanting the two to suffer worse than he had. And with any luck, they certainly will. He raised his left stone-clad hand. The rocks followed the will of his fingers, forming from the balled fist into a flat board. He let loose the edged stone, hitting her on the center of her forearm before she even had the chance to try and struggle.
-Snap!-
Aizza's forearm bent at an impossible angle. It was a shock her arm didn't split completely or that her skin didn't tear from the extreme impact.
Aizza screamed louder than she thought possible, but before she faltered to the worst pain she'd ever felt, she let it fuel her anger and give her strength. The world became impossibly clear for that brief moment. She let her broken arm bend further into its break, giving her the leeway to get close enough. To get enough speed. To get enough force.
Not expecting the little girl to have the will to sacrifice her arm, he was not prepared to defend against the sudden leap. Aizza dipped her head down, still screaming, and lunged her horns through his large beard and let one of them plunge into his throat.
She swirled her head a few times to cause as much damage as she could until she lost herself to the pain. Her horn cleanly slid out as she stumbled back. The dwarf had since lost the grip on her arm, bringing his armored fist to his neck.
Aizza wobbled back, screaming as she moved her arm back to a regular shape, refusing to fall in case she needed to continue.
Derwin's brown eyes went wide as he let out stifled gurgles, and then his face bled to a scowl of outrage, gazing directly into Aizza's.
Those kids had just taken away his greatest joy in life. His contempt was unmatched, yet he could do no more in this life. He settled down as he coughed in and out globs of blood.
With his remaining strength quickly fading, he dropped next to the tall woman. Lying down, he released the rocks around his hands as they turned to gravel. He brought his left hand and intertwined it into Shardea's lifeless right.
And with a final breath,
"Shar…d…."
His heart had stopped.
The world was silent; even the sirens had seemed to quiet down in remorse for the two fallen researchers.
While trying to calm down the waves of pain in her broken arm, she shunned herself for even feeling a little bit guilty for their deaths. They were a knowing part of their situation, enemies without a doubt. They hurt Shin. They hurt her.
Yet she still felt sorrow.
Shin had already gotten back on his feet. His left arm held his chest in pain to support the broken ribs, threatening to further mess up his insides. The site of the punch was bruised a deathly black, fading to a deep purple on its edges.
"A-Aizza, are you oka-
Holy s-shit, your arm!"
Streaming tears due to the pain and regret for failing to do her part correctly, she could only apologize for what she saw as a failure that almost caused her and Shin everything.
"I-I'm sorry Shin!
I couldn't do it!
Even t-though I promised..."
*What the hell's she sorry for?!*
"It doesn't matter Aizza. It's over with. You did it, and that's all that matters. We're alive.
Are you okay though?
Can you continue?
We… we still need to get out of here."
With the adrenaline still coursing through her from the fight, the pain wasn't enough cause to warrant a break. She knew if she stopped, she'd collapse on the spot.
"Y-Yes, l-let's go."
Trying to stifle the aches, she sniffled whenever she wanted to yell instead. She left her limp arm hanging. Every motion she made stabbed at her and trying to wiggle even a finger caused her whole broken arm to swing a bit. It took a dedicated focus to not instinctively flex her them.
Shin nodded. He rushed over to Shardea's corpse, picking his fallen blade off the floor and cutting off the index finger of her unoccupied hand.
Aizza flinched at the wretched fleshy sounds of cuts and incisions, looking away from the sight. She was glad she had nothing in her stomach.
Shin now possessed a limp finger, opting to pocket it to have one arm free to hold his chest while his other donned the knife.
"No more wasting time, where's the elevator?"
Aizza seemed to know her way around to an extent, so he asked her before leading them in a random direction. She pointed to the side with her good arm, which sent them down the hallway where the two they had killed had come from as fast as they could manage.
Their minds were reeling, but they held off thinking too hard about the events, knowing there'd be time to sort out everything once they were far from the laboratory.
Shin stumbled while jogging down the hallway a few times, his ribs occasionally stabbing into his lungs. With his used-up energy from the days of grisly tests, any healing was delayed thrice-fold. Something Zeris had made well clear to him with her detailed reports. No signs showed he'd be in the clear soon, which meant no time for any sort of first aid.
Not that he needed it the most.
*I have no clue how Aizza's still holding up.
It was stupid of me to think she'd be able to kill someone…
At least she pulled through, but look at her arm!
Get it together, Shin. You promised yourself you'd take care of this girl, yet she ended up saving you instead!
I wanted to change myself and now's my chance. I will prove I can think more of than just me.*
It was a relatively short trek to the elevator, only made longer by the slowdowns inflected by their respective rooms.
"W-hh…
W-What n-now. Aizza…"
The pain from her arm was starting to catch up with her tolerance as she gasped for breaths.
"Ahhh…
Hesshhhh,
Y-You got-t… To put the… F-Finger to the scr-screen…Haaaaaa…"
She was panting hard. Sweat dotted her face from waves of pain rather than from the sprint down the hall.
Taking the finger in his hand, Shin pressed the graying fingertip to the screen beside the elevator door.
"Print Recognized, Shardea Mard. Elevator Requested. No Current Calls. Arrival Time, 55 Seconds."
The robotic speaker ushered the elevator's wait time.
Aizza and Shin stood anxiously, silently waiting while the loud sirens flooded the halls with their incessant blaring.
"W-We are on floor o-one.
Huahhhhh…
I came from a-above onnn…
Floor thre-three…
You n-need to say, 'Requ-questing Floor" and th-then the number once we... get in-inside…
I d-don't know what the t-top floor i-is…
I'm s-sorry Sh-Shin…"
"Don't be, I'd be better off dead without you rescuing me heroically. We can try guessing what the exit floor is.
Let's just get out of here.
I'll handle anyone after us, so stay safe behind me.
"Y-Yes."
As their conversation ended, the sound of the elevator arriving could be heard with a thump behind the doors.
"Elevator Arrived"
"Come on-"
The doors slid open, and a chilling voice suffocated the air Shin and Aizza breathed.
The worst possible situation happened.
"Ohohoho~?"
All was lost.
"Why, if it isn't the famous Aizza, who mysteriously hid undetected for two full days in a locked-down facility with thirty others night and day looking for you!"
Zeris stood at the front of the opened elevator with three sword weilding guards behind her. The three prominent men were human, all built like towering walls, and held serrated swords.
"And she even managed to set the whole facility into a main lockdown to free her dear brother!
What a shock I had when I was informed the main lockdown was issued from the very room I had supposedly been in alone for two solitary days!"
She smiled with a smile filled with countless promises.
"What rebellious kids I have acquired~
We'll be heading back now though, Shin dearest~
Little Aizza here as wel-AHHHHHHHHH!"
Shin had shoved his hand into his right pocket, pulling out the yellow vial of purplish acid. He pulled the rubber cork holding the fluid in and swung the opening at Zeris's face. The action only took a second, catching her off guard.
Shin couldn't help but find that the purple acidic mixture melting her flesh matched her flowery lips and hair well.
He skipped over the satisfaction of the act, not wanting to waste the opening he created.
"Run Aizza, fucking run!"
They bolted to the other end of the hallway in a last-ditch effort to escape.
"Are you alright, Miss Zer-"
"Go after them immediately, you dullards!"
Unsure of what to do for a few seconds, they all decided disobeying her order would lead to a worse outcome than trying to help her now.
"Y-Yes!"
The three brutes swerved around the flailing Zeris, her tentacles swatting her face in all directions, trying to remove the sticky residue burning her as chunks of her flesh sizzled off.
The guards went after the two hurt children who were in a mad dash, running quicker than anyone could believe two children in such a state could.
*Just our luck! Again and again, given false hope!
This world sucks!
There needs to be something at the other end here, or else we are screwed.*
Shin took in as much air as his lungs would allow. He felt his ribs stab into them each time, but he didn't dare slow his pace. He was astonished that the short-legged Aizza was able to barely keep up with him, but then again, she didn't have an injury that affected her core.
They passed each door they had already gone by once, counting back up the assigned numbers of each one. They swiftly came upon door 17, where Shin was brutally tortured for days. They didn't stop to reminisce, though. They continued down the rest of the hallway, not giving their pursuers a chance to gain any ground.
Moving down the loud hallway past the room labeled '80,' they were met with a flat wall, where, surprisingly, there seemed to be another elevator door.
"H-Holy heaaaaaaaa...
Th-There's, haaa-haaaa, another!"
Shin was already pulling out the finger he had kept in case, pressing against the scanner.
"Print Recognized, Shardea Mard. Elevator Available."
The speaker spoke while a ding resounded amongst the blares, and the door slid open immediately.
*Our lucky break! Hell yeah!*
Not needing to explain, the two both hopped into the elevator. Shin desperately shouted, repeating the pattern Aizza had explained to him.
"Requesting Floor 10…
Requesting Floor 8…
Requesting Floor 6…
Requesting Main Floor…
Requesting Lobby?...
|
Requesting Floor -"
Another ding echoed as the door closed, shutting out the alarming sounds and red rays just as the army of steps was upon them.
The world was now silent apart from the elevator's humming machinery and the two's distressed gasps. Shin and Aizza were free to briefly rest while they could do nothing but wait.
The elevator began its ascent.
"Lobby, No Current Calls, Arrival 8 minutes, 7 seconds."
*The hell? Zeris wasn't fucking lying about how deep we were!
Anyway, I have a weapon and a 'key.' We got this, we can do this.
Thank you for this chance, Aizza.*
They didn't dare sit down as they slowly gathered themselves to stabilize their breathing back to normal. Their hearts still pumped ferociously. Aizza had started letting out moans of pain she had restrained until then, her eyes watered from the devastation of her arm. She would have to spend weeks recovering, unlike Shin, who would be better half a day at most. It would be hard to continue to the city's outskirts while she was in such a condition, but Shin had already made up his mind to not leave her. He could only wish he wouldn't have to resort to carrying her.
They waited as they swiftly ascended, and every minute or so, the speaker chimed as they had reached a new floor.
To their fortune, the elevator made no extra unexpected stops at each passing floor. The two stood in silence as the voice mentioned the passing of the fifth floor with a minute remaining on the estimated wait.
Both Shin and Aizza understood the next moments would decide their futures. They would arrive at the lobby and, from there, have to make their way to an exit, or get caught trying.
While their escape wouldn't end -really, it would only be the beginning- getting out of the lab would widen their options. Shin tried to not dwell on his broken ribs or Aizza's dangling arm as factors. There was already too much to consider and no guarantees, they would have to make due with whatever was thrown at them.
Shin spoke as he faced Aizza, who was becoming a sickly gray. Her once pearly white skin looked cold to the touch. Large dark sags hung beneath her orange eyes, which had lost their vibrancy. He was, at the very least, thankful she wasn't suffering from blood loss too. Otherwise, she would not have made it so far.
"Stay close to me. I know you are tired. Please bear with it a little longer."
He had no proof whether what he claimed was true or not, but he felt the end was nearing, one way or another. Aizza didn't reply, but she stiffened her tired shoulders. She would be ready for the final push.
The elevator made its last stop, letting out an airy ding as it freed them. Raring to leap at anyone standing in the way with his stained blade, Shin was glad that no one was waiting for them. He cautiously dipped his head out and saw the tremendous room filled to the brim with thousands of racks.
Each metal-barred shelf held dozens of boxes and plastic-wrapped supplies. Some shelves were weighed down with countless differently shaped glass bottles and vials, presumably for lab use. Others had plastic bins filled with capped needles, bandages, and all sorts of supplies. All were stacked high to the ceiling.
*The lobby is a whole warehouse!? Just how big of an operation is Zeris a part of!?
She mentioned a 'High Lord,' which I thought just referred to some thug leader, but it's gotta be someone more than important with all this!
How many countless fortunes could such a place cost!?
No time for useless curiosities. Gotta stay ahead.*
Shin almost grabbed Aizza's broken arm but managed to stop himself before he did. He instead gave her a tap on the shoulder, making sure she was still focused and would follow him.
Shin began, guessing their ticket out would be at the opposite end of the supposed lobby. He noticed no piercing alarms or faint red lights in the room, which meant the lobby wasn't included in the 'main lockdown' or the emergency state had been lifted. Either scenario changed nothing for them, but he was glad that his analytical mind was still at work, making use of the environmental clues.
Before reaching the beginning of the maze of the countless frames that stood dozens of feet high, his attention was brought to the sudden movement to his side. The other far-off elevator was opening, which could only mean his pursuers had caught up.
*Damnit, if we had any more luck, we'd only now be found missing!
No use wishing for what will never happen. Hopefully they won't see us through all this equipment and lead themselves in a meaningless chase.*
Picking up the pace, Shin weaved through the shelves of laboratory items, taking inconvenient corner turns whenever he was forced to. Each of the endless shelves was stocked with copious amounts of materials Shin simply couldn't recognize. He had hoped to find more acidic vials, or at least something that'd obviously prove handy, but had no success.
Shin couldn't help but wonder what possible use all this could be for and if he'd ever be able to get the answer. The scale of things was just too much. There was enough equipment down here that he wouldn't be surprised if anyone claimed it would last for centuries, if not longer!
Never giving in to any of the stabbing throbs in his chest, he kept moving forward. He was troubled that he could already hear boots marching behind him, still a fair distance away. The men were also weaving through the unaligned shelves of materials they had passed, either hot on their trail or rushing to the same end goal. Why search a maze when you can just block the exit?
*Shit, they've already caught up!
I guess I should be happy we haven't run into anyone else yet.
And it seems like we a-*
"-COUGH-"
-Thump-
With a loud sound behind him, Shin spun around as Aizza fell to the floor face-first.
She let out a shrill. Her bad arm hit the floor along with her, causing quite a shock to her.
*Shit!*
"Aizza, get up, we can't stop!"
"-over there!-"
Deep voices were audible from a distance. The hounding men were getting closer.
"Aizza, please get up!"
Aizza was labouriously heaving breaths, letting out congested coughs as she forced herself to return to a shaky stand. Her motivation to continue was dimming, and her will was wavering. While the pain was a good margin less than what Shin felt, he had countless years of suffering, as well as the fact he was way older.
Shin took off again, matching his pace to hers after noticing Aizza could no longer keep up with the already delayed jog.
She was running on fumes, but it was better than having to drag her.
They continued onward, finally passing a shelf of glasses filled with brown fluid that marked the end of the maze, leading to an open space.
Shin searched the wall before them, seeing an all-too-familiar metal door a distance away. He sprang towards it with the whimpering Aizza in tow, hoping their captors would get stuck in the maze of racks and shelves as they merrily went their way.
Reaching the door the door, it had another scanner similar to the elevator's access panel.
Shin brought the detached finger to the scanner, which replied with a short welcome to the woman it belonged to. The door glided open, and Shin started climbing up the set of stone stairs that appeared.
Just before his fourth step, the sound of the men now reaching the same clearing they had made twenty seconds prior was sickeningly clear. He ushered Aizza forward while he went back to close the door, hopeful it would save them even a second more.
A second more meant everything.
Aizza was already one-quarter the way up the long stretch of stairs. The flight rose well above the storage room's height as it led up to what Shin assumed was the ground level. Shin was reassured this was the correct way out as he caught up to the sluggish Aizza. Her now blood-stained white hair dragged on each previous step, making it difficult for Shin not to accidentally step on it.
The stairs had thin cracks from the years they had been in use. It was apparent the place wasn't built anytime recently.
*Halfway there, we are almost out!*
As if to knock him down a peg for having dared harbor hope, the door at the floor of the stairs started booming from the men slamming the door with their fists.
Shin tensed up, but it soon dawned on him they couldn't open the door! They must have lacked access, likely because they were guards and not 'researchers.' Why give door access to brutes who only follow orders?
Shin was overjoyed at their unexpected break. Had the ones they killed not been the two lovers but some patrolling guards, even though he and Aizza were gravely injured as a result of the dwarvish man, their attempt to flee would have ended at the first elevator.
Reaching the peak of the stairs, Shin noticed the banging below had since stopped. The sound of the door sliding open froze Shin's heart. Bullets of sweat beaded Shin's head as he listened to the accursed voice.
"Out of the way you useless fools!"
Shin turned around in horror as he squeezed by Aizza, getting a glimpse at the enraged Zeris covered with chemical burns where she was splashed in the face. She was beaming up the stairs at an outrageous speed thanks to her dozen or so tentacles.
"SHIN! You get back here now before I truly do something I may regret!"
Shin had already glued himself tightly against the door as if the close contact would force it to open any faster. He used the decapitated finger on the touch panel, begging for it to open faster.
He shoved Aizza through the slit that was barely wide enough for her, uncaring for her injured arm, swung himself in and around after it opened enough for him to fit, and then slammed the finger into the panel on the other side, shutting the door behind him before it could fully open.
He faced the room, desperately scouring the new space for the next step. He was correct, this was the very same room he had spent around seven years being tested upon.
*That means the exit is just right there!*
"Aizza!"
Shin pointed at the exit, already sprinting towards it himself while shoving Aizza along in front of him. He passed the more humanely cushioned seat he had been willingly strapped to and experimented just days prior, all for enough VAL to make it another week or two. He already had associated this place with hell, and after today, it only cemented within his mind that it was no exaggeration.
He almost collided with the door, having raced with a momentum he didn't know himself capable of, at least with internal bleeding and broken ribs. He pressed the panel he had countless times before to open the door.
"Access Denied."
Shooken for a second, he realized it only made sense his own finger must have been removed from the system, so he brought up the severed finger, now utterly drained of blood, and firmly put it against the scanner.
"Access Denied. Lockdown Procedures In Place, Shardea Mard. Report To Local Charge ASAP."
"SHIT!
…Shit!
What are we supposed to do!"
Shin had an idea. Frantically looking around, he barely had enough brain power to think of a last-ditch effort.
"Aizza, help me look for a yellow glass bottle, a vial, with a blue label!"
Not questioning his command, Aizza did as she was asked. Her body lagged behind her will, and she looked as if she'd pass out any second. Being treated as a rag doll did no favors, yet she raised no complaint.
Shin went to the other side of the room in a panic, searching for the bottle of acid he had just described. He had reasoned that he could manually pry the door open for their escape using the acid where the door lock had latched.
Each second that passed was a second Zeris got closer to the top, and Shin's mind was overloaded trying the small bottle he knew was there. It had to be.
Searching the following table, he saw Aizza wobbling toward the bottle they sought. The stand the vials laid on was too close to the door leading to the stairs Zeris was rushing up through.
Shin's heart dropped.
"Shin, this... this one?"
"A-Aizza, get away! Get away from the door now!"
Just as she reached over and lifted the bottle, the metal door began to slide before a slew of tentacles forced their way into the wedge and pushed it all the way open in but a moment, the mechanics of the door crunching and grating under the pressure. A tentacle then shot out and wrapped around Aizza's throat in a swift, unerring motion.
Constricting her breathing, the tentacle pulled Aizza towards Zeris. The mad woman wore a crazed look while entering imposingly through the door frame. She ducked and took her sweet time slithering into the room now that she had bait.
Shin lifted his weapon, but he knew it was all over.
Aizza was caught. His ribs were still stabbing deeper and deeper into his body. It was only a matter of time before his lungs were punctured and he couldn't breathe any longer. There was no way to break through the fortified door. There was no other exit he could reach. There was no way to finish off Zeris or the bodyguards, who were still on their way up the stairs.
And, of course, he would not leave Aizza.
"Lower the blade, Shin, or I snap her neck! Right now mister!"
Aizza had already passed out, being dangled by her throat as if a hunter was carrying their game.
"You know I am not bluffing, Shin. Want her to end up like the two you executed?
You've taken your rebellion a step too far and must be firmly disciplined. There will be no rest for the wicked for a long while."
*Haaaaa.
Why can nothing ever go right...
Just…
Why…*
Shin shivered with defeat. He dropped the scalpel, letting it fall to the smooth, tiled floor. The metal blade bounced a few times before coming to a stop. The room seemed to echo the blade's chimes before only his ragged breathing remained.
"Good boy.
You've caused a lot of trouble. You even managed to murder not only two of my favorite, hard-working researchers but also one who used to travel the layers as a fighter!
How you contrived to pull that off, I'm quite curious, but nonetheless~
You never had a chance out of here."
Her voice dropped an octave at the end.
He had failed. He had been caught.
Even if he forsook Aizza, nothing would allow him to open the door in time. He wished it were all over. he was tired of the struggle. Tired of the fight.
He thought about taking the easy way out, but doing so at the cost of Aizza being left alone...
He just couldn't bring himself to do it.
He resigned to his fate, which seemed to have desperately nothing more than for him to live out a life of suffering. And as sickening as it sounded in his mind, at least he wouldn't be alone.
"I am very, very unhappy. They both had their purposes, and now I must find suitable replacements. I was already shorthanded!
No more games, Shin.
You'll obey me if you wish your sister here to, at the very least, not end up in the same condition you'll be in here soon."
The three men finally hit the top of the stairs, wrapping around and in front of Zeris.
"Restrain him."
She commanded the three, but Shin didn't offer any resistance. He would allow them to take him without struggle.
*Maybe it'll help Aizza…*
He knew it was a wistful desire, but every little bit would hopefully count. He would abandon any pride and dignification if it meant Aizza wouldn't suffer as much.
The three men had just made it to Shin, aware that he intended to go down easy and make their jobs simple. Getting ready to tie the disparaging shirtless boy up, a few polite knocks sounded from the entrance door.