Night 64: Basement, Grand Ballroom

[firewhichrefines]

[[from here]]

The same nausea and the same sick pulling sensation, and then Sasuke was breathing in the cool, slightly dank air of underground. The faint empty echo when he dropped Aidou's arm and took a step forward suggested a large space -- the large room at the bottom of the stairs to the basement, then. Not the arena where ...

That hadn't been his blood, of course.

Sasuke tilted his head back to the other two, waiting. If there was something new as a consequence of what they'd supposedly won, it couldn't be heard: Aidou would have to be the one to find it, as infuriating as that fact was.

Comments

[idolism]

… if not for the limits Landel keeps on me.

The vampire had to make an effort not to show the affect talking about their repressed strength had on him. The stronger the creature, the more such a schism between power and identity hurt; he didn’t hesitate to count himself amongst those of great ability. He knew the feeling of being without something that should have rightfully been his and the fury that followed--fury enough to cloud one’s judgement. He understood Aigis’ companion, in that sense.

But they were weak again. Back to struggling for answers again. Bringing the Institute to its knees was once more a distant goal dependant upon perseverance.

Aidou moved closer to the door, stopping short of its rough surface. Mapping out whatever lay in the Institute’s depths was a part of that perseverance, even when it led straight into a trap as it had with the Coliseum. Right now, razing the place to the ground was out of the question--continuing the search, though, that was within reach. It was why combining efforts with Aigis and Sasuke wasn’t so objectionable that he would cast the girl away. She was, as evident through her tone, in agreement with the two of them that finding a means to undermine the Institute was paramount.

When she wasn’t threatening suicide, anyway.

He made a noise, a hummed noted, before looking behind him at the others. There was a cold smile on his lips that had the quality of ice to it--remorseless underneath the elegance. “I was beginning to wonder about you,” he said to Aigis, returning to the conversation. “I’m glad to see you have that resoluteness. But you mean to say your abilities disappeared again when you reached the basement? That’s interesting. Like the room itself has restrictions. Probably a quality of challenging those who come down this way. Like this door for example--” With that, he rapped the back of his hand against the stone before touching his fingertips to its face. Faintly, he picked up the hint of hinges shuddering to life. “This door probably leads to a ludicrous test of ability.”

[no_dont_go]

"Certainly. I was created with the cutting-edge technology of the Kirijo Group. Along with Athena, my power surpasses that of a standard battle tank." Aigis spoke with the frankness of someone confident but modest about their abilities. She spoke the truth; no more, no less.

She turned and followed the two boys across the floor to a specific door. She had never been beyond any of the door down here, so she couldn't possibly imagine what could follow.

"I am nothing if not driven," Aigis said, unsure if Aidou was meaning to incite anger in her or if he was just being his same, purposefully rude self. She let it slide with that meager comment, though. She was used to his rough verbal treatment.

"A test..." Aigis glared into the dark wood of the door. Landel was just going to toy with them again. But if this was the next step, then Aigis was prepared to deal with it.

[firewhichrefines]

Created with technology: had she been bred, then, or hybridized with something? Sasuke's curiosity piqued -- what was a battle tank? He filed the term away to ask about later, at some time when they weren't facing down a door that Aidou identified, likely correctly, as the portal to yet another test. Another like the last one?

No: Landel liked to mix his challenges, if nothing else. Probably the man got bored of watching patients scurrying around the Institute day in and day out; possibly he devised ridiculous trials over dinner before practicing his cackle into the intercom at nightfall. It was difficult not to be reminded of Kabuto, who had had a scientist's genuine pleasure in the experiments conducted, more so than Orochimaru's utilitarian interest.

"We've faced tests before," he said finally, putting aside the question of what Aigis was and where her strength derived for more immediate matters. "The Institute always gives what it deems necessary to face it with a fighting chance."

Because the goal wasn't to kill them all: it would have been infinitely easier and quicker had that been the purpose of the Institute all along.

"We'll move forward."

[idolism]

“Yes, driven like a machine,” Aidou agreed absently, more interested in the double doors than Aigis’ account of her abilities. That night, superfluous details could wait. That night, he wanted what Aigis and Sasuke both probably wanted--a sign of progress.

He’d stepped closer, head tipped back to take in the crude texture, when Sasuke made his observation regarding the Institute’s idea of necessity. He resisted the urge to snort, because it wouldn’t do any good. For Sasuke, who had been forced to fight in the Coliseum with seemingly no other option but to kill another person, it would only be insulting. The boy was close enough to the truth that the point was moot.

Landel did veil his trials under the guise of giving the prisoners choices, and Aidou was sure this next room would be no different.

“I’ll lead, then. Allow me.”

Despite having been physically weakened, Aidou needed no help to push open the doors themselves. They didn’t resist his touch, which told him they were welcome beyond the ballroom--whether that was indeed a good or bad thing.

_{[to here]}