It had been a long, tiring trip back.

Honestly, Guy still felt apprehensive about the fact that they had decided to give up the relative freedom that they'd found in Farwell to come right back into the institute, but this device that the rebels had trusted them with was important. If the only way to stop Landel was by taking him down from the inside, then that's what they would do.

That didn't make Guy feel any better as he stepped off of the train tracks and onto the dirt ground that eventually led out of the tunnels and into the underground lake. He'd been hoping they would never have to come back here, but he'd known it would eventually be necessary, seeing how they needed to collect Luke and all of their other friends.

Having trusted Claude to hold onto the device, Guy glanced over his shoulder at him as he reached the mouth of the tunnel. At least they were all in one piece. That was what he had to keep telling himself. Of course, now that they were back in the institute, that was bound to change.

"Guess we'd better call for that ferryman."

[From here.]

They appeared in the same area as they always did when they transported, but a different part of it. As Guy found his feet unsteadily settle on the other bank of the shore, where the ferryman had taken them the night before, he almost stumbled right into the lapping water of the lake. He stopped himself up, sucking in a breath as he came face-to-face with one of those drowned ghouls.

Guy regained his balance, backed away, and then glanced at the torches that only sort of lit the way into the tunnel where they would be heading next. It was just as dark and mysterious as it had been last night, but they couldn't let some apprehension stop them now.

"Well, at least that ferryman kept his word," Guy said. "No toll, no crossing the river, we're just... here." Which meant that they probably shouldn't waste any time seeing where the tunnel led.

[From here.]

... Though it was a nice feeling, really. Walking through here with a flashlight again.

It had only taken a single night for Zero to detest how dependent he was on a simple light source. As a Reploid, darkness wasn't that big of a deal; his systems were good at adapting to his surroundings, including the absence or presence of light. But with this terrible human vision, he couldn't hope to navigate this place even half as decently without a bright flashlight to guide him. Then again, it was only one of the many, many complaints he had about being in a human body...

How did Ciel, Neige, and those other humans do it, honestly? Living like this was so...

...inconvenient.

[To here.]

As soon as he was dressed in his normal clothes, the last button on his red jacket buttoned up, Lloyd strapped on the utility belt he'd bought in Doyleton that afternoon. One pocket on the side that was probably meant for a screw driver fit his knife and sheath pretty nicely, and his lock picks fit neatly inside another pocket, with plenty of room for his map and the small radio he'd been given at the toy shop. He still hadn't quite figured out how to use it to talk to other people, like the clerk had said it could do, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to bring it along anyway.

Claude still hadn't woken up. As much as Lloyd hadn't been looking forward to telling the story about what happened to him the night before, he would have preferred that over this. The blond didn't even stir when Lloyd tried to shake him. Dammit, he hoped nothing was wrong. But there wasn't anything he could do for him, so Lloyd had continued getting ready.

On his table, his dinner sat only half eaten, but he just hadn't felt hungry enough to finish it. Probably the late snack he'd had in Doyleton was to blame for that. Either way, he was out of time. The doors were open and he was ready. A scowl of determination settled onto his face as he took off.

He wasn't about to give up and do nothing just because Landel said he knew what they were doing.

[To here.]

After exchanging radio numbers, Uryuu picked at the salad in relative silence. Once sure he really couldn't be bothered with another bite, he set about arranging his things for the night. The sound of the intercom stirred his attention, and he looked up, waiting for the static. As ever, a nice addition to the atmosphere. He could still appreciate that, despite himself.

Grateful, indeed. Nook or cranny probably referred to the newly found passage in the library, which stirred Uryuu's curiosity further. Tomorrow, perhaps, unless Kratos-san did the unexpected and really did call. The very thought had his mouth curling with dry amusement, which failed to reach his eyes, narrowing with irritation. The doctor's spiel was the usual, and yet...

"Someday," he groused, "I'm going to put an arrow in that man's throat."

Uryuu said it, but did not swear -- not to his pride as a Quincy, not to anything. Not because he doubted he could, but because it wouldn't be practical in the moment. Much as he would aim to maim, not kill, to make speaking impossible, that would be a problem. They would want him to speak, after all.

As gratifying as imagining that future was, it only wasted time in the moment. The door unlocked, and almost simultaneously, Uryuu felt the pressure of the spirit particles filling the air. He reached, seeking Inoue-san, and felt nothing like. Pressing his teeth together, he nodded to Tsurugi-kun (expecting him off) and stood, to set about changing into the uniform. It was an obnoxious thing to have to choose, but unfortunately, better than the sweater and ill-fitting pants he'd be forced to wear during the day. Placing the toy radio in his pocket alongside the key ring and two pens, he lifted his pillowcase turned bag(with its two sweatshirts, journal, and his room radio) and slid it over his shoulder.

Wasteful as it was, he left the bat in the closet. Vantas-kun seemed to have disappeared as well, and it had never properly gotten to Inoue-san. Tonight it would just get in the way. Ready, he started into and down the hall, clutching his flashlight switched off.

[ to here ]

[From here.]

Guy had to admit he felt kind of ridiculous, walking down the hallway the way he was outfitted right now.

His clothing was fine -- it was just his normal outfit from home -- but along with the sword that he had hanging from his hip, he had a pillow case full of food draped over his shoulder, which bumped against his back each time that he took a step. He'd shoved his radio in there too, since they might be cut off without it, along with the note he'd written Luke, and in his other hand was his flashlight.

It wasn't ideal, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to move with any kind of agility unless he dropped his supplies, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Maybe Claude and Anise would show up a bit more prepared.

Speaking of Claude, Guy halted when he reached the middle of the hallway, prepared to wait for his friend like always. He remembered how Claude had mentioned that Lloyd had been taken from his room the night before, and wondered what information he'd have about that this time around, if any.

[For Claude.]

[From here.]

It was quiet -- so quiet that Castiel slowed his pace slightly, keeping a careful eye on the dark hallway that stretched out in front of him. With the help of his flashlight he was able to spot the stairs that would have taken him up to the second floor, if that was where he wanted to go. Instead, access to the third floor was supposedly found here on the ground level. That was the exact sort of confusion that he would expect from the Head Doctor, however.

As empty as the area was, there didn't seem to be any sign of monsters or ghosts, either. He was alone, and while that might have been frightening to a human, Castiel saw it as liberating. He squared his shoulders and kept moving toward the meeting place he and Kratos had decided on.

[To here.]

[From here.]

Thankfully, Castiel had reached a point in the healing process where he was no longer being slowed down by it. There was still some tenderness in his middle, and he planned to keep his abdomen well guarded if he ended up in fight with some kind of creature, but he was no longer limping or dragging his feet as he moved down the hall.

It was a refreshing feeling, and for the first time in a long time he could tell that he was one of the first patients to make it out into the halls. If anything, realizing that only spurred him on. He reached the block's exit and carefully creaked the door open before stepping out into the next hallway.

[To here.]

[From here.]

Guy landed awkwardly in the sandy area, his ankle almost twisting as a result, though he managed to regain his balance before he hurt himself or fell over. It was still disorienting, though, especially since it had been a while, and so he took a few moments to orient himself.

It looked like Anise and Claude had made it safely, and the underground cave itself was just as he remembered it. Good to see that not much changed when they weren't around, then. Then again, there wasn't much at Landel's that changed. The entrance of the military had been the largest change, and even that had turned out to be temporary.

"By the way, Claude," Guy spoke up once he'd recovered, "Anise and I worked out that I'm the one who'll be giving the toll this time." It was better if he just got that out of the way now so they didn't have to get into a discussion about it when they approached the ferryman.

[from here]

Lloyd's room was a little further down the hall, but Kratos could hardly notice the distance as he kept his eyes on the numbers passing by. Very soon, he was standing in front of M44, seconds away from the start of doing something - he did not want to say together because it made the task seem more pleasant and sentimental than it really was, but it had been some time since he and Lloyd had teamed up in some capacity or another, and Kratos had been feeling apprehensive about it the whole night. It was not that he didn't want to have his son's assistance. On the contrary, he would be pleased enough with whatever time he could have with him regardless of the occasion, even if they were meant to be enemies in the midst of a tentative truce. No, it was more a matter of him recognizing that this would not be "like old times": he no longer had the power to keep Lloyd mostly out of harm's way or to successfully save him, if need be, and that was a frightening thought, that he could really fail at his life's goal of simply keeping his son alive and well.

Unfortunately, he'd already come all this way, and it was too late to back out now, lest he have to come up with some far-fetched excuse as to why he'd been otherwise detained; certainly, he could not tell the truth. It would not do for Lloyd to suddenly wonder why he, Lloyd's enemy, was now in the business of caring about his well-being.

With a sigh, Kratos reached up and knocked crisply three times on the door.

[for Claude]

[From here]

Scar cautiously opened the door into the northern section of the hallway, remaining sure to keep Alphonse close. He had been up this way before. Frank's room had been down here.

Perhaps it was out of some misplaced sentiment that he kept an look out for him.

[From here.]

As much as Guy tried to ignore what the Head Doctor said, he couldn't do that this time around. Was it true that someone had really found a way to the third floor? If so, Guy certainly hadn't heard of it, and he was curious to learn more about it. But the more bothersome aspect of Landel's announcement was the implication that all of the other patients were simply wasting their time.

It wasn't that he hadn't considered the possibility that the caverns were just a huge waste of time, but this almost seemed to confirm that. Landel could just be trying to unsettle them and steer them astray, of course, but Guy had to admit that he felt shaken by the possibility that they were on some wild goose chase after all.

He could discuss it with Anise and Claude when he met up with them. Speaking of which, he was already at his normal meeting spot with Claude, and it was as Guy leaned up against the wall like he always did that he remembered that Claude was going to bring him some kind of gift tonight.

Even if it was supposedly nothing special, Guy was still eager to find out what it was. Luckily, he wouldn't have to wait for very long to have that particular question answered.

[From here]

Just as last night, Link stood and waited along the wall of the main hallway. Nobody else was out, yet. Good. He had made good time. One never truly knew, here.

He didn't expect to wait long. They all seemed to be very competent people, perhaps with the slight exception of the Once-ler. Though Link could not complain. He had been a bumbling fool the first time he had faced a true monster.

[The Green Team!]

[From here]

The same tedious route as always. It was so frustrating for Link to have to reset his progress night after night. It would be so much quicker if he could simply blow through this place in one run.

But this place was different than any temple of dungeon he had ever faced before. It was the same, yes, in many ways. But it was still much more tedious in its own little ways. And much more deadly.

[To here]

After shift change, Ed was hauled outside alone even though he really would have preferred to stay with his brother. But the nurse insisted and he didn't feel like putting up enough of a fuss to get sedated.

After scanning the immediate area, Ed walked along the path and looked around to inspect his surroundings. When he reached the further wall that was covered in vines, he paused to look at it and try to decide how likely he'd be able to escape by climbing over it at night.

[Free!]

Scar wasn't fond of being forced to shower with everyone else. Bathing had been a rare luxury during his recent time in Lior, (Had it really only been just over a week ago?) so he was thankful at least for the chance to wash. Just as long as he could spend the whole time facing the wall.

He washed himself quickly and quietly, taking no time to savor the warm water and steam that made him drowsy.

[To here]

Link was feeling overall good as he was escorted outside after breakfast. The food had been good, and the weather was nice. It wasn't so cold anymore, but still comfortable. He much preferred coming outside to being cooped up in that stuffy, dull building. The Hylian was trying to remain positive. They had the cure now, did they not? People were getting better.

The death toll was impossible to ignore, though.

He sighed, hands in his pockets as he shuffled through the grass and settled himself on the lawn. This was nice. At least, it was as nice as things could get around here. Link's mind drifted back home, back to Ordon and Hyrule and Midna and Zelda. Everything was okay there, now. And he couldn't even see it for himself.

[Free!]

[From here.]

The whole process of walking through a portal was not something Guy could get used to so easily, but he still did his best to grit his teeth and bear the unpleasant disorientation.

In this case, though, the change was so jarring that he ended up stumbling right into a counter. He grabbed onto it to keep his balance, and it was only then that he was able to take in the area around him. At first he wasn't even able to recognize the room, but the rows of shelves and the counter he was slumped against made it clear it was Doyleton.

Guy clicked on his flashlight and then aimed it at one of the shelves, where he saw a number of kitchen supplies hanging. So that's where they were...

After letting out a breath, Guy turned to the rest of the group. "So you really can get out this far." Come to think of it, wasn't there a chance that some of those zombies could be shambling around? If that was the case, then they probably shouldn't spend much time here. "We'd better be careful." For all he knew, one of those undead things was in the store with them.

((From here.))

The moment he passed through the door, Claude was once again assaulted with a wave of dizziness, and the feeling that his stomach had jumped straight into his throat. His feet stumbled against what he realized was blue and white tile. After he regained his balance, Claude looked up to find the familiar sight of the men's bathrooms -- more specifically, the one they used when getting ready for a shower.

"Oh, come on," he huffed. "A bathroom? Really?"

Then again, what else should he have expected? It wasn't like Landel was going to let them walk out of that last room without any troubles.

[From here.]

While Guy had been on guard even while exiting out into the greenhouse yard, there was no way he could have prepared for what came next. For a split second it felt like he was falling straight down, and in the next moment he got hit with a wave of dizziness that caused him to sway in place. Why did this feel... strangely familiar?

When he opened his eyes and saw a plain, indoor room around him instead of what he'd expected, Guy had to stare at the surroundings in confusion for a few seconds. This looked like some kind of lounge or therapy room, maybe even one he'd been to before. It was so unremarkable that it was hard to remember. The only things that stood out were a few pictures on the walls and a water cooler.

Wherever they were, this made no sense. How had they ended up here?

Guy placed a hand to his head to try and dispel the dizziness, and then turned to the rest of his friends. "What just happened?"