Night 75: Live Cultures Server Room.

[his_legacy]

[From here]

Just as Link had hoped, the key card did the trick. This wasn't a room he could remember passing entirely through, and a warp panel sat in the corner.

"All set, Sora?"

Comments

[lighthearted]

This was the room they'd stopped in last time. Well, technically Sora had gotten onto the warp pad in the corner and was on his way to the next room when night had ended.

But according to Landel's, that didn't count in this instance. At least they hadn't ended up any further back.

At Link's question, Sora glanced over and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready." He wished that he could summon his Keyblade ahead of time, but he already know there was no point in dwelling on that.

He stepped onto the pad, bracing himself for the dizziness that came along with it.

[To here.]

[freewill]

[From here.]

They were one room away from a possible danger now, but this area wasn't all that noteworthy. Not to Castiel, at least. It might mean something to someone else, but the machines that were humming away didn't offer him any insights.

There was a warp pad, though, which would be their next step in this labyrinth. He nodded toward it. "There."

[redcladidealist]

Lloyd's eyes swept the room for any sign of danger, but the room wasn't that large and held little for anything to hide behind. What it did have, though, was a warp pad at the other end. Lloyd nodded back, stepping after Castiel, fully intent on making a beeline for it.

Before he'd made it two steps, though, the Institute suddenly changed. The ceiling shimmered, then the walls, like nothing Lloyd had ever seen. The teen stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. "Castiel, what-?"

He didn't finish his sentence before a blaring, lifeless voice cut in.

SECURITY SYSTEM SHUTDOWN. RED ALERT. RED ALERT.

INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS.

[freewill]

As soon as Castiel saw the walls around them shift and distort, he tensed and spun in a quick circle, already anticipating an attack. It would be sooner than expected, but he knew better than to make any assumptions in this place.

When the voice made its announcement and the sirens started, Castiel realized that Ryuuzaki and Lana must have been successful after all. That meant one requirement had already been achieved, but how were they going to stop Landel?

Castiel himself didn't feel any different, so their powers were still locked, but "emergency protocols" probably meant they would have guards of some kind on them soon enough.

"We need to keep moving," he told Lloyd, but before he could take any steps toward that, a voice suddenly came from his radio. Castiel almost missed it, given that the sirens were still going, but he quickly responded to Ryuuzaki's question.

[redcladidealist]

Lloyd catches the sound of Ryuuzaki's voice, too, and edges closer to hear the conversation better. His heart feels like a trip hammer with each second the alarms keep going, but that doesn't stop him from responding when Ryuuzaki asks about him.

Despite the situation, though, he can't help but feel some relief. Ryuuzaki's call has laid at least one worry to rest with the confirmation that he and Lana are still alive.

[freewill]

It did seem to be a good idea for them to coalesce into one larger group. Castiel didn't take Ryuuzaki or Lana to be practiced fighters, though that might be even more reason to find them. He didn't know either of them well, but at this point they all fought together -- and enough people had already lost their lives, or their minds.

A minor injury for Lana, and the possibility of a fight ahead. It was nothing Castiel couldn't handle, and Lloyd seemed to be holding his own as well, despite the fact that they'd lost his father.

"Brace yourself. We may be attacked in the next room," Castiel warned Lloyd before he stepped onto the next warp pad.

[To here.]