[b][u]Part Two[/u][/b]
Everyone is standing around the table. Skye steps up before them and holds out a hand. From it appears a pale blue, glowing orb. It floats up above the table to illuminate a yellowed piece of paper in the center of its surface. It is a hand-drawn map of the laboratory, where Errol is expected to be found. Skye crosses her arms self-consciously. It is quite easy to see how nervous she is. Whether it is because of the situation at hand, or not being used to having a group watching her, or a bit of both, it is difficult to tell. Her eyes drop to her feet as she clears her throat and opens her mouth to speak.
“W-well, I just want to… you know, it’s really… I mean…”
She pauses to give a steady sigh. Then she rests her hands on the table, and lifts her gaze, a more confident air about her.
“I want to begin by saying thank you for being so willing to come here. Most of you offered to help before I could even ask, and none of you… none of you hesitated. I’m genuinely honored to know you. I don’t think I could have asked for a better company.
“Now, I’m pretty sure that everyone knows this, but just to clarify, the goal is to disarm Errol and capture him, not to kill him. I… have a better understanding of what to say, and I want to talk to him at least one last time. This is a map of the laboratory he and I drew out a long time ago.” She gestures to the paper in front of her. “I’m going to be honest, I don’t know exactly what to expect from him, or what kind of improvements he’s made to his Atoms. He has worked on his Atoms here…” she points to the room marked with question marks “…and that could be a place to start. But there’s still a possibility he’s somewhere else, so we will have to be on guard.” Her finger glides up to the largest room on the map with a circle in its center. “We have to be careful to avoid the… eh… really-big-core-that-could-explode-room. We have to be careful regardless, but the core in that room is what powers everything there, and as far as we know it’s never been turned off, so it’ll be unstable.
“Chiara has a tool that could help us disable the Atoms and leave Errol open.” She nods to the named one. “The rest of us will have to make sure she has the chance to use her Nanotech until we have the opportunity to get close. But other than that, we are basically flying by the seat of our pants.
“It’s a six mile walk up to the mountain, so there will be plenty of time to ask questions on the way if you have any. If everyone is ready, we should get moving as soon as possible.”
The archer tucks her helmet beneath her arm, hooks her bow over her shoulder, and waits for one last signal from each of her allies to show that they are prepared.
English
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[quote] “Now, I’m pretty sure that everyone knows this, but just to clarify, the goal is to disarm Errol and capture him, not to kill him. I… have a better understanding of what to say, and I want to talk to him at least one last time.[/quote]
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[spoiler]crap, I forgot this was happening, I got caught up in stuff[/spoiler]
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[spoiler]Don’t worry about it, I completely understand! You’re still perfectly welcome to join, the group’s just arrived at the mountain.[/spoiler]
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Ring travels alongside the others, keeping an eye on the wilderness as they move onward. He wears studded leather armor over a coat of mail, over all of which is a cloak. He rests his longbow on his shoulder, ready to use it when needed. "Been awhile since I've travelled anywhere on foot in a group."
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Skye turns to Ring, and a smile grows on her face. “Ring, there you are! Oh!” She immediately flips open a pouch on her belt. Inside is a small leather book, and a folded sheet of paper. She takes out the paper, and hands it to Ring. “Here’s the map you wanted. I’m sorry I couldn’t get it to you earlier.”
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"Thank you! Now is fine, the present is always the right time. So this island was your home then. I like it." He looks around at the countryside as they go along.
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The group soon breaks out of the trees, and are met by a vast open field of hills and vibrant green grass in front of the grey, rugged mountain that is their destination. Dally remains at the head, and everyone else isn’t far behind. The air is fresh and clean, bearing the faint scent of rain as clouds begin to form in the heavens ahead. Skye takes a deep breath, and her grin brightens in spite of the matter at hand. “Thank you. Offtopic really does have its beautiful landscapes, but I missed this. This is one of the things I saw when I would dream of home.”
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Ring pauses briefly as they clear the trees, soaking in the landscape before them. He looks up at the clouds and squints into the sky. "I love the smell of rain. It might not be the most comfortable if it starts raining, but it will conceal any sound of our approach if we're cautious. Giving him little time to prepare for a fight could help immensely."
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“I do as well. And I don’t mind a wee bit of rain as long as I’m prepared for it.” She also takes a moment to admire the sight before them. “Well, the lab where I’m certain Errol will be is actually inside the mountain. If it rains by the time we get there, it might helps us entering, but I don’t know how much help it’ll be as go in deeper”
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"Probably not much then, but that is alright." He looks at the map of the land for a while before rolling it up. "I was thinking, how narrow are the passageways of the cave he is likely to be in?"
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Skye thinks for a moment. “It partly depends on where you are in the lab, but the halls are generally about eight feet wide. I’ve also brought the map of the lab, as well, if you would like to see it. Do you have an idea?”
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"Eight feet, that's good. No plans yet, but it's good they're no smaller, otherwise he could use the corridors as a choke point. We may be able to surround him in wider sections." He says in response to the question. Later, he finds himself at the entrance to the mountain along with the others.
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“You’re right! We’ll have to keep an eye out for spaces like that.” When everyone is inside the dark tunnel leading into the laboratory, Skye slips on her helmet and begins to follow Dally deeper. She is followed by her four glowing orbs to provide light. The tunnel opens up to a large chamber filled with old machinery and equipment. Skye looks back at Ring, a clearly worried expression in her eyes framed by her helmet. “There’s no reason the lights shouldn’t be on,” she says in barely a whisper. “He knew we were coming.”
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"Blast...we may not have surprise, but we can still do this. The good news is he's more likely to not run this way, he would have let us believe he was here if he planned to escape."
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“That’s true... but that also means he’s deeper inside. With all of these rooms and no light, he could be anywhere. We’ll have to be cautious.” Skye, Dally, and Dain weave their way towards a hallway on the far left side.
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Ring follows them, slowly drawing his sword in case of ambush.
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Blaze’s voice echoes back where you came from. “Guys! Smells like he’s this way!”
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Raising his eyebrow, Ring rushes in that direction.
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He makes his way to another hall. Behind him, the sound of two loud explosions fill the room. However, in the darkness ahead, he can faintly see the silhouettes of two men in combat. One speaks, and while words cannot be deciphered from that distance, he bears the familiar voice of Skye’s brother.
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Ring heads to where he heard the sound of voices.
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Edited by Gingiebread: 8/23/2020 12:15:04 AMAs he nears the pair, one of the figures turns towards Ring. From his hand shines the faint glint of a sword’s blade. His stance shifts, as though prepared to run.
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He tilts his sword's tip towards the figure. He begins taking long, cautious steps towards them. "Who are you? Name yourself!"
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He dodges a strike made by Blaze before the familiar voice of Errol responds. “Take a guess.”
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"So we meet again, Errol. You are a smart man, you must realize these odds are not in your favor. Stand down....for your own sake."
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“I admit that... there are more of you than I anticipated. But I can’t give this up when I am so close to ending it. Why can’t any of you understand that?” He takes a slow step back.