[WolfEx]

The chilling wind of this vicious towering mountain peak was unforgiving. The staircase known as the "Seven Thousand Steps" leading all the way up the peak were not in good condition containing many cracks and chips along their stone architecture. The location in which the questionable source of dark energy was emanating from seemed not far passed the Monastery some more ways up the mountain side proving for a grueling journey to even reach it halfway.

Most warriors can make the trek with a vehicle or transport of some sort that can traverse rough terrain or fly. But the last few miles of the peak needed some footwork done to reach the place Wolf and the particular SOS Signal described. Without at least some form of mechanical transportation or support, the trek would be nearly impossible.

As the group reaches the location, they will be well passed the Seven Thousand Steps and find themselves along a frosty ridge protruding out as a rocky cliffside from the mountain peak. It's a large stone slab with mostly flat ground aside from some jutting boulders every few feet or so. The landscape is caked in snow and can be quite slippery without the proper attire. One slip, and anyone can take a nasty fall they may not come back from.

There is a dark haze in the sky that this peculiar black beam of energy is shooting straight up through and snow clouds rumbling violently high above a rather large and very wide base of sorts embedded into the mountains foundation. There are lights on inside this construct and various sounds can be heard from within such as mechanical noises and distant screaming. The occasional omen of a screech can be heard also distantly within the confines of this base.

The building seems to be the source of the black energy as it is shooting straight through its rooftops from deep within the shelter. The style of this construct is military esque with notes of charred markings slathered on its outer walls. Holes from various forms of ammunition riddle and curse the outside of the building with marks of war and conflict. Some indents of plasma burns or remnants of an explosion can be analyzed along this structure's outer shell as well.

If one were to gaze high upon the skyline of the 'base' they would not only notice that the black energy funnel never seems to end and continues to outstretch high into the sky, but they would also notice an attached upper sector of this massive bunker in the form of a rectangular shaped tower which would take some time to reach and could only be accessed accordingly from inside the location and working one's way up via the bottom level.

The outside of this ancient facility was reinforced with incredibly strong concrete and then an interior layer of steel after that. Despite the battle scars along its surface, it was pretty well sealed; however, if the group were to look closer there seems to be footprints in the snow from what appeared to be combat boots or large hiking soles going around the back of the bunker and vanishing near a large oval shaped chained up manhole cover.

To the right of that were two giant rusted steel doors which also had chains along its handles. To the left of both of those entry points there was a badly bolted on rusty ladder dripping wet from the snow leading to a flimsy iron balcony which if researched further from the ground, lead to a door that didn't seem to be chained up at all. Whether it had a lock on the inside or not was yet to be determined. There are some choices in to how to enter this base, but, the decision, would be up to the group. Take different routes, or go together. Either way, there is certain to be danger waiting.

MISSION START! HERE WE GO, CODE XELOT!

___________________________________________________

Threat Code Xelot: Breeding Evil - Wolf O'Donnell - FS: Hungry Like The Wolf - Highest Stat: DEX

What could Wolf have done on his own with this phenomenon this far away from the Life Sphere. Nothing. That was the answer to his troubles. Always to stay low. Be a nothing in everyone and everything's minds so he can get away with temptation.

Whether that be stealing goods, nabbing a prized possession, being the first to locate an ancient treasure, withholding information for himself and not sharing it with others, or even murder. He always tried to fly below the radar and be a nothing so he can have something.

Ever since finding out Star Fox saved his life after crashing onto Li, Wolf has had a change of heart. Typically no, he wasn't the hero by any means and he didn't care as much as he does now.

Various individuals of the Life Sphere have shown Wolf mercy and support in ways he could never fathom or pay back, and now, he had to do his due diligence somehow and at least try to be the good guy, this time anyway.

He was going to be a vital part of preventing a major problem and somehow, some way, give back to Life Sphere's compassion to him by seeing to it that whatever was going on at The Throat of The World, he was going to end it and end it quickly before it became a prodding pain to all.

He sent out a message to those willing to help him, and once he got word that he had a decent group to look into this mystery beam at the peak, he promised himself he would be the first to arrive. He wasted no time to get into his Landmaster and head to the source.

He was able to make it about three quarters up the peak with his vehicle before it became too steep to traverse further. So he found a small spot behind a large rocky scant to park the tank and used his jet boots to dart up the mountain from there digging his claws and spiked boots into various chunks of the mountain leaping back and forth up its brutal spine to make it to the structure that was creating this odd energy tunnel in the sky. Luckily it wasn't hard to find because the energy beam was massive and easy to target.

After some time climbing and thrusting himself upwards to the designated location he finally arrives at the very bunker he created this mission to investigate. He takes a moment to catch his breath from the climbing and using the scanner attached to his face he analyzes the area and detects various heat patterns and movement inside the towering confine.


"Great...this doesn't look too good." The cold weather causes his breath to puff out clouds of vapor, and after all that cardio he just did, he wanted to find an entrance inside fast and warm up, particularly an entry point that was less likely to lead immediately to a fight with whatever might lurk inside.

He looked down and noticed foot prints in the snow. He contemplates following them but he decided it would be best to wait for the rest of the group first. However, if they took too long, he would have to track a way inside before freezing to death.

He waited practicing every ounce of discipline he had using both his training as a trained mercenary and former fugitive on the run surviving in all sorts of hazardous climates to not let the cold overcome his body. "Ok guys...timer starts now. Any day you wanna show up you go right ahead." He looks around eagerly awaiting his group so he can hurry and find a way in tightly holding on to the thought of wishing to get this mission over with quickly before the threat becomes too grave.

[Sunnivale]

When Yumiko heard that the threat would be located somewhere in Icicle Peaks, she wasted no time in preparing herself for this trip, as it was going to be somewhere high in that area, where the cold weather and possible lack of oxygen will make the mission difficult depending on how it goes. So she needed to dress for the occasion by putting on a winter coat to brace herself from the harsh weather on the Mountain.

After getting what she needed, Yumiko started her trek up to where the facility was located and where everyone in the group was likely at. Once she got to the part of the mountain where it would be hard for her to trek through, she gulped, but thanks to getting this far with the little transport that she had gotten, all she had to do was walk through this trek and she would reach the facility.

Yumiko kept herself balanced during the walk and tried her best not to slip. After some near slips or nearly getting hit by some rocks, she had soon made it to the area to her relief. "Thank goodness, for a minute there I thought I was going to slip again." She then saw a familiar figure and was relieved to see that it was someone from her group.

Oh, it was Wolf, who she helped save Fox Mccloud from General Scales once, and then everyone he knew when it became clear that Fox wasn't the only person that Scales had captured. Yumiko quickly walked up towards Wolf, happy to see another friend of hers again.

"Oh Wolf, I'm happy to see you again after hearing that SOS signal. I'm glad to see that you're doing well." She wasn't going to ask how Wolf was doing however, seeing as how the mission was more important and he appeared to be doing well anyway. As she greeted Wolf, Yumiko looked down, noticing the footprints in the snow.

"Hmm." And grew suspicious as to their origins.

"I take it these aren't yours?" No, they were going to the back of the Facility while Wolf was standing here, they had to belong to someone else, likely from someone that worked here.

And who might be the source of those distant screams which Yumiko heard just now, likely a victim of that Black Energy that was coming out from the roof.

"Those screams just now. You don't think there's people still in there that haven't turned into what you saw?" Yumiko mentioned, feeling sorry for whoever was the victim of the monsters that were in this building but was also curious as to why they were still in that Facility in the first place. Yumiko briefly lit up her hand to prepare for the worst that this place had to offer as well as keep herself a little bit warm from this harsh weather, before looking towards the wet ladder and thought about how she and the rest of the group can use it to get to the door above it.

It was likely going to be one of the ways to get into this place. However, since the ladder was wet, there was the likely chance that whoever tries to use that ladder could slip and fall.

[cynda1]

Shadow never said he was immune to the cold. He’s said he didn’t need sleep, and that he didn’t need food, but the elements were something Shadow never claimed to be immune to. That was because, well… he never really was. He had a bit of resistance to it, and the climate couldn’t really make him sick, but… that was about it. But with that being said, the hedgehog did have an advantage against the cold elements that, perhaps, not many people had: his speed. The hedgehog was capable of moving at the speed of sound for long periods of time (in fact he wasn’t even sure how long he could run at that speed for) and naturally that helped keep the climate down in most cases.

However, even his innate speed wouldn’t be enough once the trek became quite a bit more treacherous. Without his powers, Shadow had to climb up the steep, slippery mountain with his own physical strength. Shadow was strong in his own right, but he didn’t really utilize that strength nearly enough for it to be considered quite as potent of a threat as his speed could be.

By the time he reached where Wolf and Yumiko was, if it wasn’t obvious already, Shadow really missed Chaos Control. This mountain wouldn’t be such a hassle if he had his powers right at that very moment. Still, the hedgehog managed to meet up with those that had made it before him without being scathed very much. The hedgehog wasn’t really wearing anything to fend off the cold (Could you blame him? He didn’t have anything, and even if he did, how was he supposed to know his speed wouldn’t be enough to pass the hurdle?) the hedgehog was rather cold, but did quite a good job hiding that fact.

The hedgehog didn’t really announce his presence with a greeting or the like, and mostly let Yumiko do most of the talking. That being said, Shadow had heard some screams even in the midst of his travel upward. Were they those who managed to survive as Yumiko had questioned, or was it an omen of something more sinister that was to come? Either way, when Shadow heard the screams more clearly upon meeting up with the group, a chill ran up his spine. That could’ve been from the cold climate, but the Ultimate Life Form seriously doubted.

Shadow brought his attention to the one who sent out the courtesy call of sorts: Wolf. The hedgehog didn’t remember ever meeting the leader of Star Wolf before then, but… there seemed to be something quite formidable about him. Shadow couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something about Wolf that made him feel a bit uneasy about the mission they were about to take on. The hedgehog wasn’t one to judge purely based on the superficial, so the hedgehog would brush those feelings aside until he could see for himself just what Wolf was capable of.

“There’s something eerie about this place,” Shadow finally commented. “I think you had the right idea to call for backup. This isn’t a place to travel alone… and there’s definitely something sinister afoot.” Shadow actually meant this in the least insulting way he possibly could. Even as a loner himself, Shadow didn’t think he’d be able to do this mission on his own, if only for the fact that he didn’t have his powers.

The fact that he didn’t know what kind of threat they’d be dealing with made the hedgehog feel quite a bit uneasy, too.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

Sailing well above and beyond the rough terrain of the landscape below, a hefty cubic block of pure metal and machinery soared. One might see it as an airship of some sort, but it lacked any defining structure aside from the rear mounted thrusters that kept it airborne. No, it looked more like a compressed mech suit, slightly reformatted to be vaguely aerodynamic. Space pirates far and wide grew to fear the sight of it and the roar of its engine.

As the vehicle encroached upon the summit of the infamous Seven Thousand Steps, it paused. From afar, it was difficult to tell what the mechanical structure was doing. A few bits were moving and then a small chunk of it broke off. That small chunk suddenly became much larger as it plummeted to the ground, crashing into the snow like a metallic meteor. A shroud of snow formed around the crash site, hiding all within the area except the glow of what seemed to be three rows of amber eyes.

The whirr of Ghor’s legs signaled his steps forth, finally revealing himself. He walked casually, his arm out in front of him as though he was checking his watch. A light-based display screen erupted from his forearm, one that he simply clicked a few keys on before returning his attention to the terrain in front of him. Without so much as looking at it, Ghor’s aircraft turned about and flew off in the opposite direction of where he was headed. Until the situation was deemed necessary, he wouldn’t need the extra firepower that his suit provided. Might as well keep it out of airspace until it was needed though.

The remaining terrain he had to check did prove to be quite challenging since Ghor’s feet lacked the width necessary to traverse a wintery trail, but far be it from him to let the setbacks of his own physical form to stop him from completing his mission. After all, he’d have never left Wotan VII if that were the case. Then again, most of him didn’t.

As Ghor arrived at the rendezvous point, he quickly took note of the current party members. None of them seemed to be on the shortlist of people involved with the destruction of the Gunship Absolution (as far as he was aware anyways), so perhaps this encounter wouldn’t have to involve an awkward introduction or explanation. That said, being a known fugitive of the Life Sphere was probably all anyone needed to know to turn their weapons on him. Given the present company though, it was in all likelihood that nobody was interested in talking about past transgressions, no matter how heinous they might be.

“Salutations” the cyborg rasped, standing tall and with his arms neatly tucked behind his back. He spoke to no one in particular, preferably, he was merely announcing his presence.

Ghor’s eyes performed a brief scan of the base that lied before them. From what little knowledge that Wolf provided him, Ghor had the idea that they were dealing with some sort of cutting-edge science facility, but based on the outer appear of the factory before him, it was not only in ruins, but ancient. Not exactly the preferred environment for someone who specialized in hacking and other such tech infiltrating. “It appears my role will be reduced to hired gun” he mused to himself. “How fun” he added drolly.

If there was something that Ghor couldn’t have mistaken, it was the screams coming from the building. If there was one thing his line of work was never short of, it was the screams of the innocents. Despite his current lack of a physical heart, it ached like a phantom limb. His head turned to the school girl as she too mentioned the screams. “All that we can hope is that those screams belong to the very creatures he saw. Though perhaps the person behind all this needs to hope harder” Ghor spoke ominously, a tinge of vengeance in the back of his throat.

[heirtothemonado]

In the sky above the Throat of the World, an aircraft that might be familiar to a few of the others flew towards the peak. While the cold wasn't bothering Krystal right at this moment (though that would change once she landed), she was still pushing her Cloud Runner to it's limits to make it to the rendezvous point Wolf had set for them.

Speaking of Wolf...it had been some time since Krystal had even heard from Star Wolf, much less seen any of its members. So seeing a posting from Wolf O'Donnel really had caught her off guard. Half the reason she signed up for this mission was to touch base with him again, if only to make sure he wasn't up to anything. Last time Krystal had seen Wolf, he'd begrudgingly had been on their side against the Aperoids. Whether that change of heart had stuck to Wolf...well that remained to be seen. In any case, the Cloud Runner was nearing the rendezvous point, so Krystal needed to suit up properly for the cold

As the Cloud Runner touched to the mountain briefly, Krystal hopped out of the cockpit and landed on the ground, before the Cloud Runner took off again under autopilot. Gripping her staff, the blue vixen walked toward the rest of the group before locking eyes with Wolf in particular (though she did notice Shadow in the group. That did make her a little more relaxed)

"Wolf. A...pleasure to see you again" Krystal greeted, albeit a little forced. She didn't want any kind of bad blood between them before the mission even started. Leaving her greeting at that, she looked up to the beam of black energy shooting into the sky. She didn't need telepathy to figure out that Wolf was in over his head, so the fact that he called for help was a good thing.

Choosing to fade into the background for now, Krystal decided to follow the lead of everyone else here. If Wolf, Shadow, or any of the others here were in need of help, then she'd give it. But for now, it'd probably be best to let Wolf take care of things. He was always a better leader anyway, much as she didn't like to admit it.

---

Krystal

Health 145/145

Shield: 45/45

Status: On Guard

[WolfEx]

The winter wind was growing ever stronger as the last of the group arrived to the scene. Notes of snowflakes could be felt slowly caressing the skin and shells of each individual. However, if they paid closer attention, they would notice the snowflakes were actually....black? They also started to gradually pick up speed and lace the mountain's once blinding white landscape to a foul black color. The cloud above the tower started growing larger as well and the beam's aggressive energy field seemed to slightly widen. Whatever was happening inside with the beam was going on at a rapid pace effecting the outer cliffs and making the mission all the more dire to complete as soon as possible.



In the distance higher up the building, a clanging sound can be heard. Several figures though farther away and higher up along the outer rim of the facility, can be seen briefly scaling the walls scraping the metal shell of the structure and creating slamming sounds with their limbs and only revealing themselves as silhouettes at that distance making it difficult to deliberate what creatures or 'things' they were climbing all around the base. But if the group looked, they would at least notice some movement and hear noises filling their thoughts with caution.

Elsewhere, a small head too far to notice or be seen by the group for now, peaks up from behind an outstretched pine tree that seems to match at least half the base's height powdered with the newly formed black snow and littered with large bushy branches providing a perfect hiding place for any individual to get a bird's eye view of the entire mountain. This lone figure hiding among this tree also appears to be wearing a hooded garb hiding its face well. It thinks to itself analyzing the group's presence.



Not smart being here. Not right now. Best turn back while you can. Why...why are you here and what do you possibly think you can do to help? I don't need you right now to mess this all up. It lets its thoughts race as it starts to feel anxious seeing potential intruders making themselves known to ruin something this being might already have in the works. From within their garment the individual pulls out what appears to be binoculars and zooms in on the group's coordinates from where he stands. He continues to think to himself. There's a good number of them. Hmm...well....consider yourselves now part of the plan. Welcome. With that, the hooded figure takes out a small pistol with a hook attached to it and shoots at the taller branches of the tree and is immediately zip lined up and vanishes in the shadows of the pine. Leaving nothing behind at the trunk of the tree except the scent of pine sap and a trail of fallen pine needles.

Back to the foot of the base where the group is located, more echoes of screams and a few hisses can be heard pinging around inside escaping only through tiny cracks of the facility's well sealed military grade barrack windows. A few of the silhouetted beings that were crawling around the building earlier outside the walls of the upper part of the base are now staying completely still. They stop their manic movement high above the team's location and are hunched over staying in place refraining from even the tiniest twitch. If the group had a better look at them and the distance wasn't such an issue, they would notice themselves being watched. It seems someone knows they're here. The choice now must be made which path to take, and if splitting up is the way to go or not.

___________________________________________________

Threat Code Xelot: Breeding Evil - Wolf O'Donnell - FS: Hungry Like The Wolf - Highest Stat: DEX

One by one the team for this mission begins to show up. With each body arriving to the scene, more nerves start to loosen from Wolf's muscles. He didn't have to do this alone and that thought in itself was at least somewhat relieving. He didn't get stood up. He looked around him and noticed the snow starting to change color. He noted this in his mind and his eyebrows rose. But he didn't have time to figure this oddity out at the moment. His team began to appear. The first to show was Yumiko, whom Wolf did an extensive mission with after helping Star Fox some time ago in The Walled City. He was glad to see her. "Hello Yumiko, glad to have you with me again." he listens to her about the footprints and shakes his head. "Nah, those tracks ain't mine darlin. They appear to have been placed here when I arrived. I suppose we could follow them to that manhole there." Wolf points to the manhole cover all chained up where the tracks stopped.

"But ofcourse we'd have to bust that thing open. I spose it wouldn't be too hard." He then changes topic to address the screams Yumiko mentioned. "As for the screaming. I have no doubt those screams aren't human. Nor are they the screams of anyone I've connected with back at the Life Sphere. It's something...else..." He emphasized the 'else' part because in that he was sure whatever was making those awful screeches was not anything he has ever encountered.

After the brief chat with Yumiko another of the group, a black hedgehog, whom seemed to be a hybrid of animal like Wolf himself, spoke up. Wolf nodded agreeing with his comment. "Shadow...right? I heard about you. You've been with the Life Shere for quite some time. I think in fact you even helped with the first big invasion from a crazed Andross no? Pleasure to meet you." Wolf taps a talon to his forehead and then motions the claw to Shadow giving a quick greeted salute.

"Ain't no way in hell am I going alone here. I don't normally reach out like I did for major backup, I usually join other missions that interest me, but this one, was too critical not to request the assistance. And I'll fill you and everyone else in on what I think is up in just a moment." He needed to finish the introductions first so he knew who he was dealing with on the mission today. So far he had a strong team. Next a robotic sentient being introduced itself to him. Wolf gave a small chuckle and smirked at the term hired gun that the robot mentioned and replied to him.

"Hired gun eh? Well then metal man, I think we're gonna get along just fine you and I. Since we both have experience in that department. Unless you were just programmed to say that." Wolf walks around the robot inspecting him a bit closer somewhat baffled at the tech it was made of. "My my, who made you? I bet you'd be worth a fortune on the Black Market. Even for parts. Never seen nothin like your makings before." He was thoroughly impressed with its creation. He stops circling the bot trying not to freak it out and crosses his arms with a nod of his head. "Nice to have you aboard. Since you're not made of flesh, I'm sure we can use you for the more dangerous tasks that might come up in there." He throws a thumb at the base's direction already methodically thinking of how each team member could present its strengths in whatever they're about to face in there.

Finally after greeting nearly everyone, Wolf had one more to address that arrived last to the scene. He knew that blazing blue skin tone and tribal look from anywhere. It was Krystal. At first he didn't know what to say and froze at the sight of her with his face turning a sort of pale color. His jaw went slightly agape, but he quickly composed himself. He was glad to see she wasn't hostile with him and gave her back the same kindness. "Krystal...it's been a millennia since I've seen you hasn't it? It's good to see you. I recently ran into Star Fox as well...and let's just say...I've been humbled. I hope we can all reconvene one day and maybe have a drink. He's been through about just as much hell as any of us." He reassures her he means no harm and gives her a gentleman's bow.

Now that everyone is present and the team seems to be in order, Wolf gives them a briefing. "Ok...here's what I know is going on from a bit of reconnaissance previously. That beam up there..." He points a claw to the black energy source. "It's not any accident. There is an evil force at work here that is experimenting within this base and creating a weapon...or I think maybe...weapons....to use against the Life Sphere. And not just with Shadowbugs or the Starvia...but with another toxic chemical or alternate evil making tool. Trust me it scares me just as much as it scares any of you." Wolf sighs going on with the account of what he experienced the last time he ventured here.

"When I came here alone prior after investigating a report of this happening from the Black Market gossip, I expected it to be false information. It surely wasn't. I made it as high as where we are all standing at this moment. And I was chased off by a horde of some form of altered beast or alien specimen. I really don't know how to describe it as I have never seen them before but..." Wolf tries his best to think back on what they looked like.


"They had multiple arms some of them, others had flesh like whips creep out of their backs, and some were gigantic sizes with razor sharp teeth and poisonous saliva dripping from their gums. It felt like I was in some sort of lab test gone wrong. There were too many of them and I had to turn back. Luckily they didn't follow me to the Life Sphere but they nearly trailed me all the way down the mountain before climbing back up." Wolf gestures to the black beam again. "They seem to be heavily drawn to that energy beam and very protective over it. Even now if you look higher up the structure you should see shadows of them watching us intensely." He flicks a nose at a few hunching figures way up the walls of the base and dug into the building's shell watching over the group without movement.

"After scanning around this place I noticed a few entry points. A manhole cover that is chained up where some tracks lead." He motions a finger to the tracks and follows the trail with his hand over to the chained manhole cover. "The obvious one...those barred up double doors to the back of the place." He points to the rusty double doors on the hind side of the building. "And finally, there's a risky fire escape up above us that may have an easier to access door, but it might fall apart if we try to force our way up it." He then darts a claw at the somewhat disheveled fire escape above them and the door it leads to with the ladder nearly falling off its hinges.

"Honestly I think we should try for the manhole cover. Maybe half of us try to bust it open for an underground approach, and the other half make way to the fire escape from a higher approach. But...I ain't nobody's boss. Ya'll can choose where you'd prefer to go. But I'm gonna try to break this first." Wolf juts out his claws and stands over the manhole ready to break the chains. "Feel free to help if you wish." He sees if the group would like to assist and in what ways.

((Please make your choices accordingly. A STR Roll of 12 or more is required to break the chains on the manhole. A DEX Roll of 14 or more is required to successfully brave the fire escape without falling. The door may or may not be locked up there. Lastly a STR Roll of 15 or more is required to bust down the two rusty double doors which is the most obvious path from behind the building.))

[cynda1]

The black hedgehog glanced upward with a hum as the chunk of metal from Ghor's ship landed on the dirt like a hunk of stone. The striped hedgehog didn't make his way toward the robotic creature, but he did make sure to get a good look at him as he squinted his eyes a bit. Though the hedgehog had been fighting Mephiles during the Absolution invasion, Ghor wasn't someone he seemed to recognize at all. It'd probably be best to get a good look at the people he was working with since he wasn't sure who or what was waiting up ahead. If it was anything like what Starvia sounded like, it was imperative to be able to differentiate friend from foe.

One such friend that Shadow was much more familiar with jumped out of the vehicle she'd driven in. The moment Krystal made her presence known, Shadow made sure to keep in her general area. Shadow was okay with working alone, but in any situation, especially ones like this, it wasn't bad for him to be with someone he knew. "Hope you're ready to work hard." Shadow said with a bit of a smirk, mostly to try and lower the tension a bit. Shadow could feel the rough atmosphere, so he could probably assume that Krystal could sense it too.

The black hedgehog's attention was taken away as he... felt an urge to look toward what otherwise seemed like a random direction. He tilted his head a bit, feeling as if someone had been watching them from there, but before he could think on it for too long, Wolf started speaking to him. Shadow nodded upon being asked if his name was Shadow. "Yes. Shadow the Hedgehog. And you're Wolf O'Donnel?" The moment Wolf said he'd heard about him, Shadow felt a bit of unease before he mentioned... something about Andross? The hedgehog tilted his head a bit... no, Andross certainly didn't ring any bells. Mephiles, Dharkon, Porky, and Absolution, all yes, but no Andross.

Shadow had paused for a bit too long, and Wolf was already on to the next topic before Shadow could correct Wolf on his... possible mistake. It didn't rightly matter, though, Wolf seemed like someone to trust. At least for now. Krystal seemed to be a bit uneasy around him, which caused Shadow to wonder why... for now he would trust Wolf enough, but keep things a bit cautious.

Wolf explained the basics of what was happening, beams, monsters, all the like, but Shadow kept extra interest on the idea of a poison being made. So there was another plague in the making... they didn't even stop Starvia yet, this one needed to be stopped before it even started! The former leader of Star Wolf pointed out the various entrances the places seemed to have and, naturally, being one of the smallest, if not the smallest in the group, Shadow gravitated toward using the fire escape. More importantly... "I'll go through here then. I'm fast enough, I can make it." Yes, speed was the real key, wasn't it? Dashing through the fire exit before the path could break? A simple Spin Dash wouldn't hurt.

Shadow glanced over at Krystal before making his way toward the opening of the fire escape. The hedgehog would've liked to stick with Krystal, but she could probably help with some of the other entrances better than he could. "I'll try to meet up with you soon," Shadow tried to reassure Krystal, assuming, but hoping otherwise, that she was feeling just as uncertain about this mission as he was. "Watch your back, okay?" The hedgehog placed his hands on the ground as he readied himself before dashing forward at full speed.

Perhaps it was the pressure, or perhaps it was just that fragile, but the hedgehog managed to barely get all the way through before he could fall through. Shadow let out a relieved sigh. The first step of his mission was made, now he needed to see how the others would fair.

m3mFtJuEp_1d20+4 (Shadow's attempt to go through the fire escape... Success!)1d20+4

[Sunnivale]

Yumiko listened to Wolf, who revealed that the tracks on the snow weren't his. "So, someone likely came before us, or after you left the first time, to investigate what's going on. Let's hope that they're not apart of those screams now." It seems as though that they briefly checked out the Man Hole before they left, but before she could investigate any further, the other three members of the group have arrived to help out.

Two of whom, Shadow and Krystal, appeared to have some history with Wolf too, mainly Krystal. Finally, the third member, Ghor was someone that Yumiko hasn't heard or seen before, was he a new member of the Life Sphere? Either way, he seemed to be alright despite being a "hired gun" Yumiko just had to wait and see as to what he will do once the group have found themselves inside the building.

"It's a pleasure to meet the three of you, I would put more effort in my introduction but given the situation, it's best to make it brief. Let's hope we can stop whatever is in there, and get rid of that dark beam above us." Yumiko gave off a small smile to Krystal, Shadow and Ghor before turning back towards Wolf to listen to what he had seen on his first visit and the information he has about what's going on. It seems a malicious force was behind the beam, and whatever had created those creatures inside the building.

What's worse, it seems that whatever was behind it was making something that was going to be worse then the Starvia. "Another virus or a chemical weapon to use against the Life Sphere? We're already dealing with the Starvia as is." Yumiko would hate to see whatever was in there get out into Li. Another virus would make things worse and maybe make some areas more like the Extraction Point as from what she heard from that place, it sounded like a real version of Hell.

"Do you think that this could be related to those absloutionists? They might want to take revenge against the Life Sphere with what happened to that ship by trying to prove that this planet is uninhabitable for us?" Yumiko theorised the reason behind the incident in the facility.

Yumiko then noticed the figures that were watching the group, making her slightly uncomfortable, as well as the snow flakes that had turned black, some of which landed on her shoulder before she wiped them away. It was likely that the beam, which was slightly bigger now had changed their colours, but with everyone here, they can now start with getting into the Building.

She looked up towards the Ladder and how worn out it was. It seems as though Shadow was going to try it. "It's a risk, so be careful. We don't know what could be hidden underneath this snow so you might fall on something if that ladder breaks." Yumiko warned to Shadow, but he quickly managed to get up to the top of the ladder with ease and reach the door there, albeit by himself, and with what they heard about what was in the building, Yumiko was weary about splitting up for this mission.

But seeing as how it was too late to tell Shadow not to climb up, the group were already starting to separate. "Stay safe until we can meet up again!" Yumiko called out to Shadow. If there was another more safer ladder, then she would of likely followed Shadow up there so he doesn't go into the building alone, but since there isn't she walked over to the manhole that was chained up, so she can try and help Wolf open it.

She crouched down, looking at the chain and frost that was covering the manhole, before looking up to the others. "I'll give it a try, although I'm not good in the strength department." And it would of likely caused more issue if Yumiko simply tried to blast open the man hole, such as creating noise and luring the creatures outside.

Yumiko leaned down and tried to pull off the manhole as hard as she could.

iSCfm_tPp_1d20-4(Nope.)

p_1d20-4(But she succeeded on her second try!)

After a bad start with pulling the chain off, Yumiko took a deep breath and tried again, pulling as hard as she could before she heard a snap which almost caused her to fall over, but she had managed to get the chain off as she threw it aside, she smiled again. "I think we can be able to open it without any problems now." Yumiko said as she tried to pull the manhole open so the group can enter.

If the frost doesn't prevent her from doing so that is.1d20-4·1d20-4

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The falling black snow was quite perplexing, but not exactly a prevalent matter on Ghor’s mind. The fact that they were being watched wasn’t concerning either, but the loss of that element of surprise was disheartening. After all, they still had a small army at their disposal, one more impressive in size than most parties he’d gone on previous adventures with. Despite their size and animalistic appearances, they seemed formidable enough to take on a horde of whatever it was they were up against.

He found it a bit odd that Wolf circled him like a literal wolf, but Ghor supposed that those instincts were built in, like a loose bit of code in his DNA. He remained still though, stood in the proper manner, following the canine with his eyes. “Well, I suppose my parents would be the ones responsible for creating me” the metallic bounty hunter quipped with a finger to his nonexistent chin. “Though, I suppose you’re more interested in who constructed me, to which I owe the rebel alliance of Wotan VII for their generosity.” Ghor then waved a hand of refusal. “I can assure you though, nothing’s programmed. I’m machine everywhere except where it matters most” he added, poking at the cranial compartment on his head.

Listening intently to Wolf’s rundown of the situation, Ghor’s eyes scanned the outer walls of the building, plotting a way in as the briefing was underway. By the sound of it, it seemed that someone new was in the business of creating an infectious plague. With how many times the Life Sphere had been threatened by such a concept in the past, Ghor mused to himself that perhaps it would be a worthwhile pursuit to just strengthen the immune systems of the Life Sphere citizens, half of the threats to their existences would vanish in the instant that they were impervious to disease.

At the suggestion that Yumiko made about the culprits being Absolutionists, Ghor was near enough to answering that concern that his little mouth flaps were agape. He retracted his statement though, realizing that his insight might lead back to the fact that he constructed the very ship that nearly blew up the planet, which was certainly not the first impression he wanted to give off. He figured that the Absolutionists were a bit too scattered to do something of this scale, not to mention that he probably would have gotten a call to see if he was interested. It didn’t rule them out, but it made them an unlikely candidate.

It seemed that with or without his insight on the matter, it was decided that the group would split up. Shadow zipped his way over to fire escape, showcasing speed that Ghor had only previously seen from the hedgehog he’d once served. As fast as he was, it would be unwise for him to venture off on his own, especially if they had no form of long-range communication. That said, Ghor didn’t have the speed to keep up with him, so unless the vixen was able to match Shadow’s speed, he might be on his own.

Ghor had a simple solution for the chains that bound the manhole, though as he cocked his arm and allowed his plasma rifle to unfold, two of his allies were already huddled over it, making a clean slice from his plasma beam impossible unless he was so reckless as to cut or singe his allies while they were in the way. It seemed he was forced to aid them in rattling the chains until they sprung loose or broke off.

[Strength Check: _QNxPWTRp_1d20-2] <1>
[Strength Check: p_1d20-2] <0>

Kneeling down next to his teammates, Ghor gripped the chains with his frail little hands and spindly toothpick arms, though couldn’t manage to do much of anything aside from jingling them like seasonal sleighbells. This was precisely why he had a beefy mech suit, heavy lifting wasn’t what his base form was designed for.

Carefully, he glanced over at his allies, more specifically where their hands were, and decided to utilize the tool he initially thought right for the job. With surgical precision, Ghor aimed his plasma rifle at his section of the chain and released a steady stream of hot plasma to melt the metal.

[Ghor’s Plasma Beam: p_1d20+4] <22>1d20-2·1d20-2·1d20+4

[heirtothemonado]

Krystal barely had time to comprehend Wolf's greeting before he dropped one heck of a bomb on her. Fox was here?! Why hadn't she seen him? Where has he been all this time? Surely if he knew she was here he'd come see her, right? Right...? These thoughts raced through her head as Wolf explained why they were here in the first place, to the point where she almost missed their main mission objective. She managed to pull herself together though, and glanced around the area they were meeting in, taking specific note of the entrances that Wolf pointed out. Of those three, the fire escape seemed like a promising option...if she could get up there. Shadow, on one hand, had gotten up there easy, dismissing her as if they were going to go their separate ways. "Heh. Like I'm gonna let you go off on your own after what happened last time." She said with a bit of a smirk on her face. Shadow would know exactly what she was talking about. Taking a running start, Krystal leapt toward the ladder leading up to the fire escape, trying to grab it and pull herself up so she could climb it.

L9G_Q6ZEp_1d20+2 (Krystal's DEX Check: Failure)

p_1d20+2 (But she saves herself at the last minute!)

Initially, Krystal's grip slipped off the rungs as she was climbing up, but just before she plummeted to the ground, she managed to grab onto the last rung and pull herself up quickly. "Phew...nailed it." she mumbled to herself, if only in an effort to calm herself down a little bit. Turning to Shadow, she headed toward the door into the building. "Come on, let's see if we can't get in here"

---

Krystal

Health: 145/145

Shield: 45/45

Status: A bit shaken

1d20+2·1d20+2

[WolfEx]

Shadow/Krystal

Upon both Shadow and Krystal making it successfully onto the sketchy fire escape, without even touching the door awaiting atop it, it simply opens by itself in front of them. It could have been perhaps the chilly wind blowing open the doors, or, perhaps moreso, someone may have been expecting them and decided to let them in. Whether good intentions or bad, they were now free to look inside. As the respective team members enter the premises, they will see a dark and eerily empty metal framed room with nothing but a bulky oversized engine or generator of sorts placed square in the middle of this room and an awful lot of cobwebs. Maybe some run down electronic modules that in the past could have sparked some life into the massive mechanical unit they see before them.



No doubt however there are memories here from hard working laborers, scientists, and engineers alike that have graced the floors in this room. Pouring their blood and sweat into making this space work wonders in the past, powering up numerous machines or other sources of industrial havens. For what, though, is a mystery that may have died with their graves. If Shadow and Krystal were to descend down the rusted metal stairway into this room and inspect the space further, they would find hand prints made of old grease and grime, some made of dust and dirt, other prints made of....dried blood?

All mementos of a story previously told here. It could be time to put on some investigating hats and find more pieces of this story and dig into the dark history that occurred in this metallic undertow. There is a corner with some dust ridden files and papers as well as a picture or two of perhaps the workers that have walked this space on the opposite left point of the room. To the opposite right most point there is an inoperable furnace sealed tightly shut that likely held coal or fuel to help pump the machine to being. It is filled with heavy cobwebs all around its crooked handle and belly of its once scorching stokes.

The right most corner closest to the door Shadow and Krystal had just entered from was another door. Closed tight and locked shut. No light or color flooding from underneath its crevice, but if one would lean an ear into its chilling frame closely, they may hear a noise that is not common to most ears. There is also a very cold frost coming from its hinges and some air is felt escaping its foundation.

To the left most corner closest to the door of Shadow and Krystal was a large wooden crate that appeared somewhat already pried open. It wouldn't take much to rip the rest of its decaying splintered wood away if one so chooses to feed curiosity to its contents; that is, if there were contents. The answer would lie within the action. With a closer look, there is a symbol on the right side of this container, one that hasn't been seen or recognized in ages, maybe not to most anyway. Could be worth a peak to those that may know its historical context. And to the left of this crate hidden in the shadows of the convexed stairwell the duo just traversed would sit a used tool box. Sticky with grime and oil, and closed with a basic lock. Whether it had something useful in it would be hard to say.

Ofcourse, there is the elephant in the room as well so to speak, being the gigantic power supply in the middle of the area caked in mysterious looking hand prints and lined with small pools of dried crimson liquid...which would likely be blood. There could be other things worth looking into along this ancient mechanical wonder too of course, if the right eyes were to ponder. And finally, at the very middle opposite end of the room that appears to turn and arch to the left around a rusted wall there is a flickering warm yellow light that seemed both inviting and alluring that could be checked into. It's hard to say what exactly may be waiting along the warmth of that dancing hue, but there's only one way to find out.

With so much to explore and research in such a small space, the two would need to look very carefully for any clues as to where to go next and what this place might actually be. With smart thinking, they may find more than what they bargained for. And not all of it bad. Or any at all, or, well, they just have to be surprised.

((INT Roll of 13 or more required to find INFORMATION regarding this base and some secrets to a few rooms or doors as well as hints of history that will really help later along the mission In the OPPOSITE LEFT CORNER of the room where the paperwork is. ONLY 2 CHANCES GIVEN TO ROLL ACCURATELY.

STR Roll of 15 or more required to bust open the furnace door to find USABLE RESOURCES that can be used along the mission in both battle and otherwise and help shed more light on the mysteries of this place. 2 CHANCES GIVEN TO ROLL ACCURATELY.

STR Roll of 18 or more to knock down the frost covered door with the frozen hinges to just the right of the group's entrance. 2 CHANCES TO ROLL ACCURATELY.

STR Roll of 9 or more to pry open the crate lid to just the left of the group's entrance. STR Roll of 16 or more to bust open the lock of the toolbox next to it. And WIS Roll of 12 or more required to understand the symbol on the crate's shell. 2 CHANCES EACH ROLL.))

Wolf/Ghor/Yumiko



With the combined efforts of all three party members, not only did the manhole cover chains get completely ripped apart, but additionally the manhole cover itself was scorched to bits thanks to Ghor's plasma beams and mangled every which way with everyone's combined efforts. This was a decent example of overdone. But it did the job! The manhole cover was removed with no issue and a sturdy ladder made of clad iron lead the group downwards into a tunnel system. Once they decide to climb the path down they would see it wasn't just any tunnel system, it was a sewer tunnel system. It smelled of rotting flesh and ripe fish. The sounds of rushing water filled the system pipes and only faint miniature dome lights lined the roof of the tunnel. Every other one or so was inoperable or the bulbs were broken, so most of the underground network was completely covered in darkness. May be smart to use something on the group's person to guide their way a bit better.

Aside from the rushing water, sounds of either bats or rodents, or both, filled the annals of the ever turning and twisting infrastructure. The logic of such plumbing is always head towards the sound of where the water flows the most, there is likely almost always an exit there. As for finding a way into the base above them, that may take a while...or some spot on hunting prowess. There were so many ways to go in this hectic world below and so easy to get lost. As for the immediate direction for everyone, there is one direction left of them after climbing down into this system's maw and one direction right of them. There is no way in front of them however, or behind them, nothing except the walls holding the pipework together made of brick and cement with the occasional graffiti that is hard to make out on them and some cracks that caused some water droplets to leak down into the stream beneath the team's feet at a fast dripping pace.

From both directions the team can go from here, there is snarling and growling that can be heard. The sounds of a beast or agitated creature. it was slowly getting louder and more vicious as well as if the sounds were coming towards them. Their presence must be known by the nature of this looming place. Perhaps it was due to the sound levels of opening the man hole, or a sense of smell that the team gave off. Surely they all must have bathed not to protrude any body odor or alarming scent, the soap or shampoo they used was off...maybe? Causing some senses of the inhabitants here to stir and object. The three 'intruders' were not wanted here assuredly either way. They would find a clever way to escape the forthcoming danger headed their way, or face it head on.

With only two directions to go, there wasn't many choices of escape other than the manhole access point from which they came which would only have them go back out into the bitter cold. There was though, one crack inside the pipework wall in front of them that seemed bigger than the other small leaking holes. It could maybe be broken with enough strength; one good whack would do the trick. However, whomever breaks it would need to be mindful of any water gushing out as a result. Caution is key. If one is lucky, perhaps nothing dire at all would come of a little destruction, but it definitely above all else, would cause those growling lingerers to come alot quicker. Everything is in the prep work. Fight or flight.

((STR Roll of 17 or more required to demolish the wall in front of the group where the bigger leak is or face a battle. 1 CHANCE EACH.))
___________________________________________________

Threat Code Xelot: Breeding Evil - Wolf O'Donnell - FS: Hungry Like The Wolf - Highest Stat: DEX

With a valiant effort by both Yumiko and Ghor, Wolf didn't even have to bother slashing away at the chains. In fact, he didn't. The manhole cover was removed easily which allowed the three of them to descend down into the shadowy abyss below. Wolf went down to his knees and etched his body beneath the surface of the snowy climate to research the area before his way down. He kept a firm grip on the edge of the manhole entryway as he gaged his surroundings and clicked his scanner attached to his eye to observe any threats. He didn't see any immediate enemies but his canine hearing did seem to pick up noises of other creatures below; and they weren't happy.

He did notice the entire area was a sewer system with very few places to see and lots of dark spots that could prove problematic. He pulls himself back up once he was satisfied with his check and advises the team. "It's a sewer system. And there's something down there. Maybe multiple things. Very likely not friendly." Staying knelt, he gives his utility straps and on hand items a look over ensuring everything is secure and ready for whatever is to come and continues his chat. 

"Looks like there's maybe two viable ways to go once we're down there." He pauses wishing he had more options to share. But he sees a bright side. "Honestly utilizing this tunnel pipeline is going to be the best bet to strike any hostile targets in that base." Wolf points downward. "If we can get in from underground maybe we can go further into the barracks and have the element of surprise than if we simply entered from above ground." He remembers Krystal and Shadow going another way and shrugs.

"Then again I could be wrong and this could simply just lead us to a shit show. But I hope I'm right. Find out with me, or let me know where we can reconvene along the way. But I'm headed down." Wolf climbs down the ladder carefully descending the dark and immediately takes out his blaster which had an attach flashlight and laser scope using it for better visuals. He continues to hear the growling from earlier but getting louder now. He winces his eyes on alert. "Sure sounds like whatever is down here growlin away is pickin up speed guys." He looks to his left and right at the only two directions to go with the unwelcoming snarls drawing near each way.

He then looks up above him and beneath him for any other signs of a path or better direction to go. A hidden door or possible access hatch. He then darts an eye in front of him and the hairs on his snout slightly raise in surprise. He notices a sizable hole leaking water and hugs his face to the wall popping an eye as close to the hole as he can avoiding the water gushing his sockets and sees a long chamber that stretches ahead. A path lit faintly. He was sure of it. He gestures the group to come down.

"If we can get someone to bust this thing open this may be our way without being chow for whatever is down here." He makes an expression of thought upon his face and then figures he'd try to break the wall down himself. "Here goes somethin." He outstretches the claws on his paws and tries slashing into the wall with strong scoops to see if he can make any leighway into it.

STR Roll for busting open wall (STR Roll = v|kadcfMp_1d20 + 1)

BOOM! By sheer luck and great precision, Wolf was able to pound his way through the wall and cause it to crumble into pieces after an all out digging effort. He smiles and beckons the team again arching a head a few feet behind him to call them down from above. "Looks like we're in! Let's head through here and hope we can avoid being kibble." He starts on ahead at a slow pace so the others can follow if they wish.

1d20 + 1

[Sunnivale]

After Yumiko's effort to pull the metal off of the man hole. She watched as Ghor quickly shot it open instead. Either way, both of their efforts had managed to get the manhole to open. "That's, also another way to open it." She was happy that Ghor helped her though and now they had some sort of a way into the facility, even if it might take awhile to properly get into the building itself. They at least have some sort of shelter from this harsh cold.

Yumiko looked back behind her to see that Krystal had climbed up the fire escape. She cringed a little when she slipped but she managed to reach Shadow and so Yumiko was relieved that the Hedgehog wasn't going to go into the building alone.

She wished she was able to wish Krystal luck like she did with Shadow, but she was already at the manhole and hopefully the trio wouldn't be separated from Krystal and Shadow for long.

Because those two are likely going to face whatever is in their before her, Wolf and Ghor. Speaking of Wolf, Yumiko climbed into the manhole after him to help him explore the sewer system and once she reached the bottom where Wolf was. She lit up a little bit of fire from her palm to help light the way and turned it into a fireball, but it was only small enough so there was light around her, Wolf and maybe Ghor if he decided to go into the manhole with the two or find another way into the building.

Wolf then realised that they might be alone down here. "Yeah, I doubt that some of those creatures that you saw in that facility had managed to stay up there. If they managed to get outside then they might of made it into a place like these Sewers." Yumiko was surprised that there was even a sewer system down here, one that was implied to be used judging by the graffiti as Yumiko continued to follow Wolf.

"Strange, who was even down here in a place like this to make graffiti?" She then listened to Wolf once they made it to two pathways that they can take and he explained how they could get up to the building. Even if it's a risk of running into the creatures that he mentioned earlier.

"Either way, it's a way to get up there. We're likely to run into those monsters anyway, so it's going to be dangerous anyway. It's just a matter of whether they're strong enough for us to defeat and stop this from further spreading out of this area." If they were similar to the sorts of creatures Yumiko sees everyday outside of the Life Sphere, then it can be like any other battle that she's fought in.

But seeing as how she hasn't heard of these creatures before, they might act differently and they might be stronger then common starvia infected.

And that was when she heard the growling. "Huh?" Yumiko turned, wondering where it was coming from as she held the small fireball she was using as a light source wearily. It was starting to pick up speed from what Wolf said.

"It's likely something from the Facility that might have escaped, Or something that lives here like some sort of Alligator or something more dangerous. It must of heard us when we entered through the manhole." Yumiko said as she turned back towards Wolf, who had managed to find a wall that they can break through in order to escape. Yumiko wasn't sure that she was able to take down a wall with her fists unlike before when she pulled the chain off of the manhole.

Luckily, Wolf had managed to take it down anyway. "That was impressive." Yumiko said to Wolf before following him through the wall. Hopefully they will manage to find something to escape whatever was making those strange sounds and make it to the facility.

Yumiko hummed as she was still holding the small fireball that was floating from her hand.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

Given the weakened state of the metal, perhaps it was a bit overkill for Ghor to use his plasma beam to melt its integrity. Then again, far be it from him to not contribute whatsoever. With their combined efforts, the manhole came off cleanly. He let out a raspy laugh at Yumiko’s commentary and turned to her, cocking his weapon offline. “Efficient, no?”

Once the path before them was open, Ghor backed up a bit, allowing the other two to investigate the hole before them. With his superior height, he could easily crane over them regardless. As much as he wanted to analyze their point of entrance, his optics remained on the duo that were climbing their way into the factory proper. “May our paths not be separate for long” he spoke in a hushed voice, almost like a prayer. Considering the issues that Wolf had going up against the hordes of monsters before, a team of two would probably not fair much better. They were field operatives though, he had to respect their abilities enough to know that they could hold their own.

Ghor’s attention returned to the manhole as Wolf identified its status, most probably from its smell alone. It was a sewer. “Lovely” he dryly remarked upon hearing the news. As the other two plunged forth, Ghor pressed against the side of his temple. “Computer, reduce olfactory senses by fifty percent.” At the sound of a low beep, he breathed in with satisfaction. “Ah, much better.”

With the other two securely inside, Ghor grabbed the mangled manhole cover and followed behind. He placed the metal disk securely in place once he was inside and ignited his plasma rifle’s wielding tip once more. Knowing that they were being watched from above, Ghor wanted to ensure that would end as soon as they reached the sewers. He melted the seems between the manhole and its resting place, combining them into one.

When that task was complete, he hopped off the latter and landed his peg-like legs in the murky waters below. Ghor felt a bit let out without his own source of light, so he twiddled his fingers along the side of his opposite arm until his virtual wrist device lit up with a flashlight of sorts. The first wall he flashed it against showed signs of graffiti, raising similar concerns to what Yumiko was wondering. With the snarls of some unknown animal arising from behind them, they didn’t exactly have enough time to stop and ponder about it. It could still be an important clue, so Ghor took a snapshot of it with his device and hastily followed Wolf at the sound of his command.

As Wolf was scoping out the wall for weak points, Ghor remained ever vigilant, readying his arm mounted plasma rifle and scanning the darkness for any sign of their assailant. The echoes of the crumbling wall were a symphony of destruction to his audio receptors, a pleasant chord that alarmed him to hobble backward in a hurried fashion. He dared not to avert his eyes from the tunnel behind them, lest either he or his teammates get a surprise swipe from whatever creature lurked these catacombs.

As Ghor crossed the threshold into the new room that Yumiko and Wolf had broken themselves into, he aimed his weapon at the ceiling of the wall they busted through, blasting it with a few charged power beams so that it would collapse behind them, sealing off the tunnel and ensuring that the creature wouldn’t follow. He turned his head to Wolf then. “Probably for the best. I imagine I wouldn’t make for good kibble.”

[cynda1]

xasDHtzmp_1d20 (Shadow's INT roll was successful! Shadow was able to find some information from this room.)

p_1d20+1 (Shadow first STR roll failed...)
p_1d20+1 (But the second one didn't! Now they have access to helpful resources!)

Shadow hadn’t noticed just how worried some of the others had been running off on his own until he’d already made it to the top. Well, there wasn’t really any going back anyway, so there wasn’t any point to pay too much heed to them. Yumiko had made her concerns known verbally when he’d made it to the top, and the hedgehog nodded at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” he tried to assure her. “Just stay focused, alright?”

He did notice Krystal following him up the fire exit, which wasn’t something the hedgehog had been expecting. The hedgehog’s head bobbed down a bit, pretty much in unison with Yumiko’s flinching, when she almost slipped, but she managed to recover, and the hedgehog tried to keep his sigh of relief as silent as possible. “I’m not a baby, y’know,” and of course a sarcastic quip just for good measure. “I can take care of myself… but since you’re up here anyway, we might as well go.”

Right Shadow… right...

But the hedgehog did feel a huge weight off his shoulder knowing Krystal was at least in eye sight even if no one else was… though he would’ve appreciated it if she left… certain things unmentioned. Perhaps it didn’t really matter that much, honestly. It’s not like anyone else had an inkling on what she was talking about, so he decided to let it go.

“Alright,” Shadow sighed out. “Let’s-” Before Shadow could even begin his thought, the door suddenly just… blew open. Unprovoked and out of the blue, instantly causing Shadow’s hair to stand on end as he stood in front of Krystal, cautiously glaring into the entrance, but… well, after a moment or two of glaring at… well, nothing, Shadow soon realized there wasn’t anyone in there. Perhaps it would’ve been wiser to ask Krystal to use her telepathy to see if there was another presence there, the hedgehog wasn’t best known for taking the safest routes, especially during dire missions like this one.

The hedgehog took one cautious step after another, tentatively sticking his face into the building and making extra sure to peer behind the door that had… seemed to just open on its own. The hedgehog sighed again. No matter which way he looked, there didn’t seem to be anyone there, so the hedgehog turned to face Krystal and waved in the direction he was in. The coast was clear.

Shadow entered the room and… was surprised to see that the path forward wasn’t going to be as simple as he originally thought. There didn’t seem to be a way forward yet, but that didn’t much matter at the moment. Whatever this place was… it held a lot of secrets, the hedgehog could tell. There was something… eerie about this place. The hedgehog felt as if eyes were peering in every direction, like a fly on the wall, watching his every move.

The hedgehog shook his head, allowing these feelings of unease to wane enough for him to focus on the matter at hand. If Shadow and Krystal took a bit of time to look around, maybe they could’ve gotten a better idea on what was happening. The hedgehog looked over at Krystal before finally breaking a rather unnerving silence. “...Seems like there’s a lot to unpack here.” The hedgehog said before bringing his attention to the opposite left corner of the room. “...I’ll take a look over here first. Do what you think you should.” Shadow made his way toward his destination, his attention narrowing as he made a bee line right for the paperwork. The hedgehog started scanning through the papers, trying to see if there was anything of significance in these papers.

Perhaps it could be of some use to them later…

After some time of going through the entire stack of papers, Shadow brought his attention to the furnace door on the opposite side of the room. Shadow’s eyes squinted a bit at the door before dashing over there in almost an instant. Waving some of the cobwebs off, Shadow tried the handle before finally forcing the door open and allowing a slight grin to form on his face. Shadow turned toward where Krystal may have been and called out to her quietly. “Krystal,” he whispered out, before remembering her telepathy ability.

Shadow tried to get her attention with his thoughts rather than trying to shout across the room. Krystal, he said, hoping it was enough to get her attention. I think I found some information and stuff that could be pretty useful over here. See what else you can find.

---

Note: I'll roll more next round if I need to. I just felt like I should condense it a bit so I don't over do it with the writing all at once, and to give Krystal a chance at some of these.1d20·1d20+1·1d20+1

[heirtothemonado]

Krystal smirked a bit when Shadow's back was turned, knowing full well how he really felt regarding her coming with him. She went to follow Shadow into the building when...the door just burst open on its own. Looking over Shadow and into the darkness of the open doorway, Krystal pulled her staff out and gripped it in both hands. She didn't like the look of this place, but...well, she couldn't back down now, could she? Onward!

As the pair entered the room, Krystal looked around curiously, lighting the tip of her staff up to get a bit more light in the room. And that light showed....something very peculiar. The giant generator in the middle of the room was definitely something strange, especially considering that it looked like it was covered in....blood? That alone made a chill go down Krystal's spine, but the rest of the room made everything worse. Looks like they needed to do some digging before they were going to make any kind of headway here.

"Alright" Krystal replied to Shadow as he made his way to the other end of the room. "Be careful. Something about this place....doesn't feel right." she warned, before turning her attention to the partially opened crate. Well, this definitely looked useful! If only she could get it open...

hqNjeSHlp_1d20+2 (Krystal's attempt to get the crate open: Success!)

The wood was sturdier then Krystal had thought, but a bit of elbow grease was all she needed to crack the top off the crate. Before she took a look inside, her eyes fell to the toolbox hiding in the shadows. That looked like an interesting find too. If the crate had something useful then maybe the toolbox had something as well? It was worth a try at least, but it looked like it had a sturdy lock on it. Krystal would need to really push herself if she wanted to break it

p_1d20+2 (Krystal's CRIT lock-busting: Success!)

With a burst of strength, Krystal broke the lock on the toolbox too! Time to see what was inside....hey, what was this symbol on the box? Krystal took a glance at it. Maybe she could figure out where she's seen it before?

p_1d20+2 (Krystal recognition: Failure)

p_1d20+2 (Second try: Success! I'm gonna leave it up to Wolfex to say what Krystal saw though)

Something was nagging Krystal at the back of her mind about this symbol. She had a feeling she knew what it was, but..maybe she could talk to Shadow first? Speaking of, it sounded like Shadow found out some stuff too. ("Shadow") she answered the dark hedgehog's mental calls. ("I think I found something too. There's a crate and toolbox on this end of the room with some kind of symbol on it. I....think I recognize it, but I'm not sure.")

---

Krystal

Health: 145/145

Shield: 45/45

Status: Curious

1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2·1d20+2