Escape In The East [07]
1in_perfection: It takes a long time for the elevator to reach the bottom of...Wherever the three students are heading. The tunnel goes by in a blur of blue walls and metallic bits of machinery and supports. When it finally stops, it's easy to see that they're a long ways underground...And utterly alone, so far.
for_my_father: Yukari crosses her arms, feeling colder and colder the lower they get. She's understandably nervous about all this; down seems like the last direction they should be going, but it's really the only way forward, so she'll have to deal. "...you still have the Evoker, right Mary?"
intothering: After all the frantic running the group just did, Akihiko should be glad for a rest. Instead he finds himself growing antsy in the corner he's staked out for himself. If he had more room, he might even pace. Instead he's the first one off as soon as they reach the bottom, trying to take in as much of their surroundings as he can.
1in_perfection: "...Mitsuru." She says in response to Takeba. "I'd appreciate it if you called me that, and left the other name behind." But as she says that, she also hoists the bag and draws the Evoker out from it. "And I do, along with one crude weapon in the form of a medical scalpel. So at least we aren't completely outmatched with...Wherever it is that we're going." She looks over at Akihiko after saying that. "Anything noteworthy?"
for_my_father: "Right." Yukari shakes her head, running a hand through her hair as she takes in the area "It feels...big," is all she can say conclusively. "Akihiko-senpai?"
intothering: Akihiko shrugs in response. "Tunnels, metal, and more tunnels. I don't see any cameras or alarms, but it's not like they'd keep them in plain sight. We'll have to figure it out as we go."
1in_perfection: "Which leaves us with only going one direction." Mitsuru says as she steps off the lift. "Further down. However...I don't like the idea of going blindly. One of us should take point, before we start going any further." Her eyes flick between the other two. "...Akihiko? How are your legs holding up? I think it would be best to trust Takeba with the back, as usual." And a little stability would be welcome, at this point.
for_my_father: "Got it," Yukari answers, conflicted at how easy it comes to her to listen and take direction from Mitsuru. "I wish I had my bow..."
intothering: "I can take point," he responds immediately. "Whatever they did to my legs seems to have cleared up, long as I don't think about being Alan too much." After hearing Yukari's complaint, he holds up his fists. "I'm also the one who's got his favorite weapon." He'd rather have something on to protect his hands, but he knows it isn't necessary.
1in_perfection: "...As long as you don't cut your knuckles open." Mitsuru says, before giving Akihiko one of those nods that translates into, 'go on ahead, then.' She looks back at Yukari, and digs through the bag before handing the Evoker over to the Junior. "It's better then nothing at all. Just be ready to pass it between us, if things become complicated." And with that, she draws the scalpel out of the bag as well, and follows Akihiko.
for_my_father: Yukari nods, secretly thankful that she's the one who gets to keep the Evoker, however brief a time. At least she's feeling mostly mentally recovered from the fight up on the streets. Their echoing footsteps unnerve her, though. "What are we looking for, exactly? What are we trying to do here?"
intothering: As soon as he gets the nod, Akihiko's out in front. Maybe it's the remnants of that rage-fueled attack, or maybe it's from spending so long (how long was it anyway?) in that wheelchair, but he's got energy pounding through him. ...No chance to use it yet, though, as the tunnels they pass through seem utterly deserted. "Where else could we go? At least down here things aren't falling apart. And maybe there'll be a way out."
1in_perfection: "That's all I'm pinning my hopes on as well." Mitsuru says, following fairly close behind Akihiko. Just now, the idea of any of them going off alone doesn't seem very good. "And perhaps, some answers on just why this all is happening..." She trails off as she looks down at the book bag, and then against her better judgment, reaches in and pulls out the pills. "At the very least, I'd like to know how...Or why I was given these." Just as quickly, she puts them back in the bag. Looking at them is...Unnerving.
for_my_father: Yukari's breath catches in her throat when she sees Mitsuru pull out the pills. She sighs (as silently as possible) when her senpai redeposits the pills in the bag. "I'll be fine as long as we can get out before this all falls apart," Yukari comments. "I'm willing to chalk all this down to the Nexus."
intothering: Akihiko glances back at the others. "Don't know what it would be, other than the- Shi-" he remembers just in time to cut off the swear. "Those damn men were in the Nexus." He turns back toward the front. Screw answers, Akihiko's going to punch first.
1in_perfection: When she hears Akihiko, Mitsuru finds herself walking a bit faster. "...Akihiko. I know that this might not be the best time for this, but it might help us understand things better. Do you remember anything they might have said?" Ah, and it looks like the tunnel is beginning to take a steeper slant downwards as well.
for_my_father: Yukari rushes to catch up with them, holding the Evoker in both hands. "Men? What men? Akihiko-senpai!"
intothering: "The men!" Akihiko repeats, frustration clear in his voice as he tries to remember. "The men in the black coats. They asked a question. Something about making sacrifices and what would be acceptable." He shakes his head, angry at himself. "I didn't realize... Give me a moment to think!"
1in_perfection: "Alright...But please try to think quickly. Here," Mitsuru moves past Akihiko as she speaks, taking his place in the front. "If you focus on remembering, then I'll focus on scanning ahead." She doesn't call on Penthesilea yet, but Mitsuru keeps her eyes locked ahead, trying to look as far as possible before making any turns or taking any blind corners as they keep moving down.
for_my_father: Yukari pulls up next to Akihiko. "Don't worry about it, Akihiko-senpai. We'll have plenty of time to think all this over when we get out of here. Don't worry yourself too much over it."
intothering: Akihiko spares a glance and an attempt at a smile for Yukari, but shakes his head. Information can only help them at this point...and he nearly swears again as that jars his memory. "Information. What sacrifices you would make for information. Those bastards, they asked me about my physical limits." Once some of the initial anger burns off, he adds, slightly more doubtfully, "...And I don't think they're human."
1in_perfection: "That supports what we saw at the library." Mitsuru still forces her eyes to stay straight ahead, and not look back at Akihiko. Even though what he says makes a lump form in her throat, and chokes her voice a little when she speaks again. "So it's likely that they saw you...And the rest of us...As some source of information to study." Her hand tightens around the handle of the bag as she says that, and she murmurs a tight "...Oh, dieu." to herself. Part of that the conversation suggests, but also because the passageway is starting to broaden out a bit more. And echoing off it, she can hear that familiar chittering noise.
for_my_father: "Lab rats?" Yukari feels the need to translate that into layman's terms, though she isn't sure why since Junpei's nowhere to be found. The other two are spared a hissy fit on her part when she hears the chittering noise herself. The Evoker immediately goes to her head, Yukari's hand shaking slightly in fatigue. "Oh god, is it one of those things?"
intothering: "If it is, I'm going to kill it," Akihiko says, moving back up near the front. Remembering pissed him off, but he doesn't miss his teammates' reaction, which only add to his fury. But the idea that those men weren't actually human makes them easier to fight. Especially if they're standing between them and their way home.
1in_perfection: "Stay steady...Rushing ahead hasn't helped us much in the past." And Mitsuru is determined to think only on that; their days in S.E.E.S., hunting Shadows, going to school...If she focuses on what's happened recently, she knows that her anger will be as bad as Akihiko's, and just as hard to control. "We need a good look, first." And with that she creeps forward, towards that curve in the tunnel up ahead. The noise only gets louder as she does so...And then when she looks just past the turn, Mitsuru sees that the tunnel ends, and a giant room begins. Which is filled with a LOT of Strangers, all focused on something that isn't them.
for_my_father: Yukari hangs back a little, trusting in Mitsuru's reconnaissance skills. They've never failed them before. "What is it?" she whispers, the Evoker lowered. "Is there a way out? A portal or something?"
intothering: Despite Mitsuru's advice, Akihiko follows after her, though he falls back after a very quick glance. Sheer numbers dampen his temper like nothing else could. He's still angry, but he'll be the first one to agree that they can't rush in. "Just saw a whole bunch of those guys. Mitsuru? You get anything more?"
1in_perfection: "I...Nothing more at a glance." Mitsuru says, still peaking out from their hiding corner at the assemblage below. "They don't know we're here, at least. They're focus seems to be on..." She trails off as she looks up, at the giant, spherical, machine that is fixed -no, it's *floating*- above them all. "...Whatever that thing is."
for_my_father: Yukari leans out to see what they're referring to and blanches. "Oh god. Um. We need...we need them scattered." Having some kind of plan to focus on always help Yukari resist panic. "I could Magaru?"
intothering: Akihiko closes his eyes, trying to think. "If we attack, we'll have to go all out while we have surprise. But I can't see any way to sneak around them." He grimaces, wishing they had more than one Evoker between them. "We'll have to stay close to each other."
1in_perfection: "Agreed. But first..." Mitsuru trails off again, looking down below. "A group that large should have a leader, so I think it would be best if we- There." She points with the scalpel to a tall looking man, down near the head of the group. Like all the others, his focus is on the machine. "As soon as we get close, then focus on him." She looks back at Yukari, and nods. "Alright then Takeba, you lead the attack."
for_my_father: Yukari takes a deep breath. "Alrighty then." She steps a little further out, centering herself to give an even spray. "Magaru!" she calls, and after the gunshot, a powerful wind flows past her, though it barely ruffles Yukari's hair.
intothering: Without the Evoker, Akihiko only has one option. So he charges down the tunnel as wind blasts through the men, throwing some across the room and knocking others down. He slams a fist into a guy half sheltered by the entrance to the tunnel, helping him the rest of the way down. But he goes no further than that. It'll keep them close to the others, and hopefully he can keep too many men from slipping past him.
---
1in_perfection: That scalpel suddenly feels very pitiful and small when the Stranger's knives all flash out. Mitsuru only takes a little bit of solace in that they haven't ALL turned to face the trio; some of them are still focused on the machine, either ignoring or indifferent to the attack. And Yukari's wind spell is helping to send them flying...And keep them flying, she realizes with a sickening jolt, as she realizes that the Strangers are floating under their own power. "AKIHIKO!" She raises her voice, hoping to alert in him in time. "Above you!"
for_my_father: Yukari snaps out of her summoning trance, Evoker still at her head. "Akihiko-senpai, no! MAGARU!" The Evoker goes off again, and Yukari's caught up once more in the trance. Io appears, chains clinking loudly in the wind, and the unnatural gusts get even more intense. I won't let them get hurt, Yukari thinks. No matter what! "Again, Io! MAGARU!" Tinging Yukari's thoughts of protecting her senpai is a disturbingly strong emotion. Revenge. Revenge for doing this to me, for doing this to them...for taking him away from me again!
intothering: Akihiko pivots and slams his fist into another man, then has to go on the defensive to dodge a knife. He's paying too much attention to the knives to think about looking up, and by the time Mitsuru's voice gets through to him, a man is already upon him. No time or breath to curse as he feels his feet leave the floor. He can feel Yukari's Magaru rush past him, pushing the men on the floor back and rattling the one holding him. But it's the second blast that knocks the man's grasp loose, sending Akihiko falling into the middle of the group. He lands hard and struggles to his feet, trying to figure out where the tunnel entrance is.
1in_perfection: "!!" Only the most deep seated and drilled (and recently remembered) Kirijo discipline keeps Mitsuru from cursing out loud when she sees Akihiko fall into the mass of Strangers. Suddenly, her priorities change from finding a way out to just getting to Akihiko, and stopping him before-
A knife flashes in the corner of Mitsuru's eye, and she dodges to the side just in time. She lashes out with her own knife, and is rewarded with a surprised, chocking noise as her attacker drops the weapon. Without really thinking about it, she leaves the scalpel embedded in his arm and picks up the bigger, more ornate knife. "Takeba!" She shouts above the wind. "Hurry over to me; we need to get him out of there, quickly!" And as she says that, Mitsuru also holds her hand out for the Evoker; after seeing Takeba summon so many times, she figures its time for her to take a turn at it.
for_my_father: Yukari half-stumbles over to Mitsuru, holding the Evoker out for her to take. "The wind will die down soon!" she calls over the gale. "We have to--ah!" The Stranger that Mitsuru attacked tackles Yukari, it's deceptive weight too much for her to resist. She struggles against him as much as she can, and is more or less successful in crawling out form under him, but only because of the scalpel still sticking out from his arm. "Kirijo-senpai, hurry!"
intothering: Men close in around him, sensing their advantage. And Akihiko knows there's no way he can actually fight them, and panic wars with that blinding rage in his head. 'Just head into the wind,' he figures, and he starts going that way, feeling a knife score across his back as he turns. "Get out of my way!" he yells, trying to slam a man to clear a path, and hoping maybe his voice would help the other two know where he is. He'd rather not get caught in an attack.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru doesn't pause once her hand close around the Evoker. She pushes the knife into Takeba's hands in exchange, and then brings the gun up next to her head. Before she pulls the trigger, Mitsuru turns to where she heard Akihiko...But it's not good. She can't see him with all the Strangers milling about, and if she waits for much longer she and Takeba will also end up getting mobbed.
"Come, then." She whispers, and pulls back on the trigger. The *BANG* feels like it rattles all the thoughts out of her head...But not the emotions. The worry for Akihiko and Takeba is still in there, and so is the anger at what they've been put through. All of that seems to swamp her concentration, but instead of causing the spell to behave erratically, actually makes it stronger. Almost too much so.
The only warning is a high, squealing noise as the floor starts to break apart. That only lasts a second, before a near wave of ice erupts around Mitsuru, pushing through the ground and into the mass of Strangers. That's when the chittering noise turns into high pitched, almost painful to hear screams.
for_my_father: Yukari cries out as she struggles with the Stranger, lashing out with the knife. The wind is dying down, but now with the crackling of the ice and the screams, she's on full sensory overload. "Get off of me!" she screams as she brings the knife down on him in a high arc. "Get off get off get off!"
Yukari pulls herself out from under the Stranger's body hastily, eyes beginning to water. Oh my God, it's stuck, the knife is stuck... She needs a weapon, though, and desperate times call for desperate measures. With a great yank, Yukari pulls the knife from the Stranger's still-twitching body. "Keep it up," she calls to Mitsuru, turning toward the mass of Strangers, knuckles white around the knife's handle. "I'll go get him!"
And in she goes.
intothering: Akihiko is setting a personal record for the amount of times he wants to curse in a day. The screeching noise makes him hesitate, which thankfully keeps him just out of the blast of ice, and he bites off another swear as his escape route is cut off. It does thin the crowd, though, and he turns his back on the ice, figuring that nobody can sneak up on him through that.
The cold on his open cut makes his head spin, but at least it starts to numb some of the pain. He's suddenly aware that he's screaming at the men. "That's why," he hears himself shout as a punch sends a man skidding backwards, "you should never have brought her into this!" 'I just need time to figure a way out.'
1in_perfection: 'Keep talking, Akihiko.' Mitsuru mentally urges as she follows Takeba through the gap in their enemies. That ice attack has left them disorganized, enough that they can follow his voice without much difficulty. Another ice attack helps to thin the crowd even further, and Mitsuru is able to keep her feet after summoning, still following Takeba. "Any sign of him?"
for_my_father: Yukari looks relieved to see Mitsuru follow her. "Oh, thank--ah!" She stops short, one of the Stranger's knives landing where her feet would have been a moment later. "I see him!" And she does, when she looks up from the knife in the ground. She's about to make a comment about how well he seems to be holding his own when she sees the blood. "Oh no, he's hurt!" Yukari jerks her head in indicated for Mitsuru to keep following her, shoving an off-kilter Stranger aside with her shoulder as they come upon Akihiko.
"What now?" she asks as more and more Strangers recover from the ice spell.
intothering: At first Akihiko only registers people moving up on his side, and he turns with fists raised to meet the new threat of- his teammates. He doesn't completely drop his stance, not when they're surrounded, but he does lower his guard slightly. "Haven't seen a way out," he tells them, his voice slightly hoarse. "But I was pretty busy trying to get back, so I might've missed something."
As soon as he determines that the other two look mostly alright, he turns back to the growing press of men. "If anyone has a better plan than trying to push through, I'd love to hear it."
1in_perfection: "I think that all we can really do at this point is-"
"Go back." A hollow, cutting voice interrupts Mitsuru, and she looks up to see that tall man from before; the one who was standing at the head of the group, but is now in the thick of things, and standing right in front of them.
"Mister Night..." One of the other Strangers says, in something that sounds oddly like respect.
Her hand tightens around the trigger again, but before she can move it, the newly named Mister Night makes a gesture and suddenly her fingers spasm from pain, and her arm snaps back. Mitsuru doesn't hear any bones breaking, but she can't feel the press of the Evoker any longer. Only a second later hears the gun clatter when it hits the floor, as Mister Night speaks.
"You are trespassing, and have been quite disobedient, yes? But your difficulties needn't be so much, if you turn back now, and leave us to finish our work."
for_my_father: "Kirijo-senpai!" Yukari grips the knife tightly, shaking with anger. "F-finish your work? It's all falling apart! You are finished! Now you'd better let us go before this whole place collapses, or you'll be sorry!"
intothering: "Mitsuru!" Seeing her arm snap back makes his chest tighten and his rage increase. But he nods when Yukari finishes. "You got your damn information from us, right? We're done here, and you'll be damn lucky if we don't tear this place apart like the rest of it." He steps forward, and then gets pushed back by another gesture from the man.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru can't help but massage her hand a bit as people talk; it helps that they are at a standstill, at least for a moment. But she dearly wants to be able to feel her fingers again, and grab a knife or a gun (or just swing her school bag double handed) when that stand off ends.
"...They're both right. Your...Experiment," she spits the word out, reminded of her grandfather. "Is finished. You'd be making the smart choice if you just let us leave, with no more trouble." She meets Mister Night right in the eye as his narrow, and a low chattering sound comes deep in his throat.
"We still have use for you." He says. "We can still do a great deal with your memories. Try different combinations with your siblings, your parents, whether real or made-" That's as far as he gets before Mitsuru also lunges at him, swinging the bag. It's a rash move, she knows...And she swiftly regrets it when her arm freezes in the air, and she feels her feet leave the ground. She hangs in the air, and feels her throat begin to tighten.
for_my_father: Yukari lunges forward a millisecond after Mitsuru does, brandishing her knife. She also, unfortunately, ends up in the same situation, unable to move, and soon, unable to breath. Struggle as she might against the invisible bonds, she can't break free. But that doesn't mean she stops trying.
intothering: When Akihiko's skid ends, he's a couple of steps behind the other two. He's too far to make an attack on this Mister Night, but he lunges sideways when the other two move - towards the Evoker. He has to drop to his knees in order to pick it up, but he ducks his head, hoping to be able to summon and blast the man with Zio before the Evoker gets ripped from his hand or another man takes advantage of the easy target he presents.
1in_perfection: 'Don't panic, don't panic...' Which is hard to do when she's floating several feet off the ground, and is gradually losing all the air in her lungs. But Mitsuru got herself into this situation with rashness, and she's determined to get out of it with level headed thinking instead. So when she hears a scrabbling sound, she forces herself to look to the side, and sees Akihiko diving for the Evoker...And Mister Night getting ready to stop him.
She doesn't let that happen. One of the advantages of being held up in the air is that she's able to kick a lot higher. And so she lashes out with her foot, and feels it connect with Mister Night's jaw with a hard crunch.
And then Mitsuru feels her stomach drop, then the ground suddenly slam into her side, and she realizes she can breath again. She takes a ragged breath, and then forces a few words out.
"Akihiko, go!"
for_my_father: Yukari lands harshly, knees buckling as her head starts to feel light from lack of oxygen. She cries out as her ankle twists painfully, but she doesn't drop the knife. "Kirijo-senpai, take it!" she yells, throwing the knife to the other girl hilt-first. Yukari's not going to be getting up for a little bit. Goddammit, you bastards! "Kill them all!"
intothering: Akihiko has never been more relieved to feel the metal Evoker press against his head or the trigger depress under his finger. The cold behind him seems to amplify as Polydeuces appears, dulling the rage and fear that flood his mind. He can feel the lightning gathering at the top of the room, and once again he realizes that they're surrounded by metal.
But unlike the train, unlike the monster at the hospital, this time Akihiko can feel the different strands and control them. Lightning tears out of the ceiling, lashing Mister Night and the men standing behind them.
A couple of strands still escape his control, drawn without fail to the giant metal machine that several men are still concentrating on. They cry out as sparks crawl over the metal and the machine groans. And distantly, somewhere below where the arms are turning, Akihiko can see something start to open.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru pulls herself to her feet, coughing, as she looks around. Mister Night is on his knees, either dead or dying; she isn't certain which. And the machine...
Mitsuru looks up, and feels the blood drain out of her face when she sees the machine. The thing is spitting sparks, starting to crumble apart, and the same is happening to the ceiling above them. She thinks that she can see a building starting fall through from above; slowly, but unstoppably. And now that she takes a closer look, she can also see other things starting to fall through. Streetlights, cars-
And bricks, one of which hits the floor right next to her with a heavy SMACK. That gets Mitsuru moving, and she tries to pull Takeba to her feet as she runs towards Akihiko.
"We need to move out, NOW."
for_my_father: "Ah!" Yukari gasps in pain as she accidentally uses her injured ankle to climb to her feet with Mitsuru's help. She looks up at their impending doom, jaw set. She'll face this with dignity. "There's no way out," she says. "There's no where to go."
intothering: Akihiko jumps to his feet as the others approach. "No, there's something past these guys. I saw it!" He jams the Evoker back to his head, casting a Dia on Yukari as soon as he hears her cry out. He can hear something very big crash off to one side as he straightens back out. "Sorry, but I think we'd better run for it!"
1in_perfection: "Agreed." Is all Mitsuru says. Akihiko has a tight grip on the Evoker, Yukari is able to walk, and her bag-
Mitsuru stops, and looks around. Her bag is still laying on the floor, just a short distance away from the fried remains of Mister Night. She pauses for a moment, wondering...And then something large crashes through a section of the floor close by, causing the entire platform they're on to tilt. The bag starts to slide to the side, and with a half frustrated, half terrified noise, Mitsuru goes after it.
She CAN'T afford to lose something like that. Even if she isn't Mary any longer, she needs to know what went into those pills if she plans on getting back off them. At least the Strangers don't slow her down as she runs for the bag; they're too busy with clutching at their heads, or crumbling to the ground. At least they were right that eliminating the boss of the group would help them.
for_my_father: "Kirijo-senpai, no!" Yukari looks at Akihiko for a moment before dashing off after the Kirijo heiress. It's tricky, what with the platform tilting and the Strangers in her way and, yes, the lack of heels, but their assured death if she fails spurs her on. She makes a grab for Mitsuru's shoulder, right as she stumbles over a Stranger's prone body, causing her to miss.
intothering: "Mitsuru! Yukari!" Akihiko calls after them as he sees first one and then the other sprint away. His anger is less justifiable as he's about to take off after them when the ground shifts and tilts under his feet, and he has to jump back to avoid another pit that opens up. He runs to the side, summoning Polydeuces to punch a large piece of debris out of the way to make a new path back. "Get back here!" He glances at the portal and then turns his eyes back to make sure the other two don't have any more trouble, muttering under his breath, "stay open, stay open, stay open."
1in_perfection: "I can't go back without knowing how to fix this!" The bag slides closer and closer to the edge as she says that, and at the last second, Mitsuru makes a dive for the bag before it falls away. Her body is half over the edge of the platform, just hanging onto the railing as she pulls the bag back, and she can't help but look over.
'...That's a very long way down.' Is all she can think for a moment. Then the platform gives another groan, and lists a bit further to the side. Then, she's throwing herself backwards, and trying to move back towards the portal that is now forming back where Akihiko is. She fixes her eyes on that, hoping that the way out will still be there when she gets back.
for_my_father: Yukari scrambles back to her feet quickly, but falls down again as the platform lurches. "Kirijo-senpai--you were never on drugs! What does it matter?!" She turns around, though, crawling back to where Akihiko stands. A mailbox falls nearby, but she doesn't seem to notice.
intothering: It's agonizing, watching the other two make their way toward him. Akihiko's just about ready to pick them up and throw them through the portal, and before he can even finish that thought he's moving forward, stretching his hand out for someone to grab. There's no way they're going to die, not when they're this close. And he can't walk through the portal, not without knowing that they're walking next to him.
1in_perfection: "I took some several times while I was here; they gave me memories of doing the same, so who can say that they didn't already give-" Mitsuru closes her mouth and focuses on running back. This isn't the time for arguing; this is more of a time for trying to dodge falling bits of city, and trying to get to their way out. She can hear the machine still spitting sparks overhead, and the portal seems to quiver and flux in time to those.
The fact that Takeba rushed forward and ignored her orders makes her angry, and that anger puts her straight back in being irrational; the adrenaline doesn't help matters either. She grabs Yukari by the arm with her free hand, and forces them both to move faster through that path Akihiko made. All the while the floor keeps sagging...And then lurching as whatever supports the floor starts to give out, and slowly begins to sink downwards. Mitsuru grits her teeth, and forces her legs to move faster, stretching her other arm, the one holding the bag, out to Akihiko.
'Keep together for a moment longer, just keep one more moment...'
for_my_father: Yukari feels herself pulled and, annoyed as it makes her, lets it happen. This isn't the time to quibble about the exact nature of their escape.
As they reach Akihiko and the entire platform begins to drop, Yukari double-times her legs, her ankle pulling slightly. Heedless, she jumps into the portal, sure that Akihiko and Mitsuru are both right behind her.
intothering: Akihiko grimaces when he feels the platform begin to fall, but he stays put and grabs Mitsuru's wrist, pulling her towards him. His temper sparks when he sees the bag and realizes just why she rushed off, but then Yukari's through the portal. He keeps his hold on Mitsuru as he follows Yukari, and at least for now they're alive.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru takes one deep breath as she lets go of Yukari and watches her go through the portal, and then both pulls, and lets herself get pulled by, Akihiko as the machine above gives one last groan-
And then she thinks she hears it explode, but by then they're both falling through the portal. Something seems to rip through them and the space they're in as they fall, and it feels like everything shudders for a moment. For a second, she's worried they're just going to be trapped between worlds...But then solid ground gets slammed into her side for a second time, and Mitsuru looks up. They aren't underground any longer, the world isn't falling apart...And that obnoxiously lit and tacky Nexus sign has never been more welcome.
"We...We made it through." She breathes out.
for_my_father: Yukari sits nearby, breathing heavily, both hands on the floor in front of her. "Oh my god. I have never been so happy to see this place."
intothering: Akihiko lands on his back, which does not feel pleasant at all. The Evoker (whose is it anyway? as if that mattered) is still thankfully in his other hand, and he summons for what is hopefully the last time to close up the knife cut on his back.
"Yay," he winces as he sits up. It feels like relief has drained all other emotion or energy from him.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru takes her hands off Akihiko to let the summon and heal spell work...Although she feels that nagging lump form back in her throat as she does that. She forces it back down, and lets annoyance take it's place; right now, the only thing she SHOULD be feeling is relief. Not...Whatever emotion she's trying to smother in regards to her classmate.
"I've been asking this a lot lately." She says as she climbs to her feet. "But is everyone alright?" And as she says that, Mitsuru casts around the Nexus, to try and see just where they landed.
"...I know this area. The portal to the dorm shouldn't be too far from here. I'd welcome being back there right now."
for_my_father: "I'm okay, yeah." Shaken, clearly, but not bad off at all, considering. "Lead the way. I'm...falling asleep."
intothering: "Yeah," Akihiko echoes, pulling himself to his feet. "Let's go home."
for_my_father: Yukari crosses her arms, feeling colder and colder the lower they get. She's understandably nervous about all this; down seems like the last direction they should be going, but it's really the only way forward, so she'll have to deal. "...you still have the Evoker, right Mary?"
intothering: After all the frantic running the group just did, Akihiko should be glad for a rest. Instead he finds himself growing antsy in the corner he's staked out for himself. If he had more room, he might even pace. Instead he's the first one off as soon as they reach the bottom, trying to take in as much of their surroundings as he can.
1in_perfection: "...Mitsuru." She says in response to Takeba. "I'd appreciate it if you called me that, and left the other name behind." But as she says that, she also hoists the bag and draws the Evoker out from it. "And I do, along with one crude weapon in the form of a medical scalpel. So at least we aren't completely outmatched with...Wherever it is that we're going." She looks over at Akihiko after saying that. "Anything noteworthy?"
for_my_father: "Right." Yukari shakes her head, running a hand through her hair as she takes in the area "It feels...big," is all she can say conclusively. "Akihiko-senpai?"
intothering: Akihiko shrugs in response. "Tunnels, metal, and more tunnels. I don't see any cameras or alarms, but it's not like they'd keep them in plain sight. We'll have to figure it out as we go."
1in_perfection: "Which leaves us with only going one direction." Mitsuru says as she steps off the lift. "Further down. However...I don't like the idea of going blindly. One of us should take point, before we start going any further." Her eyes flick between the other two. "...Akihiko? How are your legs holding up? I think it would be best to trust Takeba with the back, as usual." And a little stability would be welcome, at this point.
for_my_father: "Got it," Yukari answers, conflicted at how easy it comes to her to listen and take direction from Mitsuru. "I wish I had my bow..."
intothering: "I can take point," he responds immediately. "Whatever they did to my legs seems to have cleared up, long as I don't think about being Alan too much." After hearing Yukari's complaint, he holds up his fists. "I'm also the one who's got his favorite weapon." He'd rather have something on to protect his hands, but he knows it isn't necessary.
1in_perfection: "...As long as you don't cut your knuckles open." Mitsuru says, before giving Akihiko one of those nods that translates into, 'go on ahead, then.' She looks back at Yukari, and digs through the bag before handing the Evoker over to the Junior. "It's better then nothing at all. Just be ready to pass it between us, if things become complicated." And with that, she draws the scalpel out of the bag as well, and follows Akihiko.
for_my_father: Yukari nods, secretly thankful that she's the one who gets to keep the Evoker, however brief a time. At least she's feeling mostly mentally recovered from the fight up on the streets. Their echoing footsteps unnerve her, though. "What are we looking for, exactly? What are we trying to do here?"
intothering: As soon as he gets the nod, Akihiko's out in front. Maybe it's the remnants of that rage-fueled attack, or maybe it's from spending so long (how long was it anyway?) in that wheelchair, but he's got energy pounding through him. ...No chance to use it yet, though, as the tunnels they pass through seem utterly deserted. "Where else could we go? At least down here things aren't falling apart. And maybe there'll be a way out."
1in_perfection: "That's all I'm pinning my hopes on as well." Mitsuru says, following fairly close behind Akihiko. Just now, the idea of any of them going off alone doesn't seem very good. "And perhaps, some answers on just why this all is happening..." She trails off as she looks down at the book bag, and then against her better judgment, reaches in and pulls out the pills. "At the very least, I'd like to know how...Or why I was given these." Just as quickly, she puts them back in the bag. Looking at them is...Unnerving.
for_my_father: Yukari's breath catches in her throat when she sees Mitsuru pull out the pills. She sighs (as silently as possible) when her senpai redeposits the pills in the bag. "I'll be fine as long as we can get out before this all falls apart," Yukari comments. "I'm willing to chalk all this down to the Nexus."
intothering: Akihiko glances back at the others. "Don't know what it would be, other than the- Shi-" he remembers just in time to cut off the swear. "Those damn men were in the Nexus." He turns back toward the front. Screw answers, Akihiko's going to punch first.
1in_perfection: When she hears Akihiko, Mitsuru finds herself walking a bit faster. "...Akihiko. I know that this might not be the best time for this, but it might help us understand things better. Do you remember anything they might have said?" Ah, and it looks like the tunnel is beginning to take a steeper slant downwards as well.
for_my_father: Yukari rushes to catch up with them, holding the Evoker in both hands. "Men? What men? Akihiko-senpai!"
intothering: "The men!" Akihiko repeats, frustration clear in his voice as he tries to remember. "The men in the black coats. They asked a question. Something about making sacrifices and what would be acceptable." He shakes his head, angry at himself. "I didn't realize... Give me a moment to think!"
1in_perfection: "Alright...But please try to think quickly. Here," Mitsuru moves past Akihiko as she speaks, taking his place in the front. "If you focus on remembering, then I'll focus on scanning ahead." She doesn't call on Penthesilea yet, but Mitsuru keeps her eyes locked ahead, trying to look as far as possible before making any turns or taking any blind corners as they keep moving down.
for_my_father: Yukari pulls up next to Akihiko. "Don't worry about it, Akihiko-senpai. We'll have plenty of time to think all this over when we get out of here. Don't worry yourself too much over it."
intothering: Akihiko spares a glance and an attempt at a smile for Yukari, but shakes his head. Information can only help them at this point...and he nearly swears again as that jars his memory. "Information. What sacrifices you would make for information. Those bastards, they asked me about my physical limits." Once some of the initial anger burns off, he adds, slightly more doubtfully, "...And I don't think they're human."
1in_perfection: "That supports what we saw at the library." Mitsuru still forces her eyes to stay straight ahead, and not look back at Akihiko. Even though what he says makes a lump form in her throat, and chokes her voice a little when she speaks again. "So it's likely that they saw you...And the rest of us...As some source of information to study." Her hand tightens around the handle of the bag as she says that, and she murmurs a tight "...Oh, dieu." to herself. Part of that the conversation suggests, but also because the passageway is starting to broaden out a bit more. And echoing off it, she can hear that familiar chittering noise.
for_my_father: "Lab rats?" Yukari feels the need to translate that into layman's terms, though she isn't sure why since Junpei's nowhere to be found. The other two are spared a hissy fit on her part when she hears the chittering noise herself. The Evoker immediately goes to her head, Yukari's hand shaking slightly in fatigue. "Oh god, is it one of those things?"
intothering: "If it is, I'm going to kill it," Akihiko says, moving back up near the front. Remembering pissed him off, but he doesn't miss his teammates' reaction, which only add to his fury. But the idea that those men weren't actually human makes them easier to fight. Especially if they're standing between them and their way home.
1in_perfection: "Stay steady...Rushing ahead hasn't helped us much in the past." And Mitsuru is determined to think only on that; their days in S.E.E.S., hunting Shadows, going to school...If she focuses on what's happened recently, she knows that her anger will be as bad as Akihiko's, and just as hard to control. "We need a good look, first." And with that she creeps forward, towards that curve in the tunnel up ahead. The noise only gets louder as she does so...And then when she looks just past the turn, Mitsuru sees that the tunnel ends, and a giant room begins. Which is filled with a LOT of Strangers, all focused on something that isn't them.
for_my_father: Yukari hangs back a little, trusting in Mitsuru's reconnaissance skills. They've never failed them before. "What is it?" she whispers, the Evoker lowered. "Is there a way out? A portal or something?"
intothering: Despite Mitsuru's advice, Akihiko follows after her, though he falls back after a very quick glance. Sheer numbers dampen his temper like nothing else could. He's still angry, but he'll be the first one to agree that they can't rush in. "Just saw a whole bunch of those guys. Mitsuru? You get anything more?"
1in_perfection: "I...Nothing more at a glance." Mitsuru says, still peaking out from their hiding corner at the assemblage below. "They don't know we're here, at least. They're focus seems to be on..." She trails off as she looks up, at the giant, spherical, machine that is fixed -no, it's *floating*- above them all. "...Whatever that thing is."
for_my_father: Yukari leans out to see what they're referring to and blanches. "Oh god. Um. We need...we need them scattered." Having some kind of plan to focus on always help Yukari resist panic. "I could Magaru?"
intothering: Akihiko closes his eyes, trying to think. "If we attack, we'll have to go all out while we have surprise. But I can't see any way to sneak around them." He grimaces, wishing they had more than one Evoker between them. "We'll have to stay close to each other."
1in_perfection: "Agreed. But first..." Mitsuru trails off again, looking down below. "A group that large should have a leader, so I think it would be best if we- There." She points with the scalpel to a tall looking man, down near the head of the group. Like all the others, his focus is on the machine. "As soon as we get close, then focus on him." She looks back at Yukari, and nods. "Alright then Takeba, you lead the attack."
for_my_father: Yukari takes a deep breath. "Alrighty then." She steps a little further out, centering herself to give an even spray. "Magaru!" she calls, and after the gunshot, a powerful wind flows past her, though it barely ruffles Yukari's hair.
intothering: Without the Evoker, Akihiko only has one option. So he charges down the tunnel as wind blasts through the men, throwing some across the room and knocking others down. He slams a fist into a guy half sheltered by the entrance to the tunnel, helping him the rest of the way down. But he goes no further than that. It'll keep them close to the others, and hopefully he can keep too many men from slipping past him.
---
1in_perfection: That scalpel suddenly feels very pitiful and small when the Stranger's knives all flash out. Mitsuru only takes a little bit of solace in that they haven't ALL turned to face the trio; some of them are still focused on the machine, either ignoring or indifferent to the attack. And Yukari's wind spell is helping to send them flying...And keep them flying, she realizes with a sickening jolt, as she realizes that the Strangers are floating under their own power. "AKIHIKO!" She raises her voice, hoping to alert in him in time. "Above you!"
for_my_father: Yukari snaps out of her summoning trance, Evoker still at her head. "Akihiko-senpai, no! MAGARU!" The Evoker goes off again, and Yukari's caught up once more in the trance. Io appears, chains clinking loudly in the wind, and the unnatural gusts get even more intense. I won't let them get hurt, Yukari thinks. No matter what! "Again, Io! MAGARU!" Tinging Yukari's thoughts of protecting her senpai is a disturbingly strong emotion. Revenge. Revenge for doing this to me, for doing this to them...for taking him away from me again!
intothering: Akihiko pivots and slams his fist into another man, then has to go on the defensive to dodge a knife. He's paying too much attention to the knives to think about looking up, and by the time Mitsuru's voice gets through to him, a man is already upon him. No time or breath to curse as he feels his feet leave the floor. He can feel Yukari's Magaru rush past him, pushing the men on the floor back and rattling the one holding him. But it's the second blast that knocks the man's grasp loose, sending Akihiko falling into the middle of the group. He lands hard and struggles to his feet, trying to figure out where the tunnel entrance is.
1in_perfection: "!!" Only the most deep seated and drilled (and recently remembered) Kirijo discipline keeps Mitsuru from cursing out loud when she sees Akihiko fall into the mass of Strangers. Suddenly, her priorities change from finding a way out to just getting to Akihiko, and stopping him before-
A knife flashes in the corner of Mitsuru's eye, and she dodges to the side just in time. She lashes out with her own knife, and is rewarded with a surprised, chocking noise as her attacker drops the weapon. Without really thinking about it, she leaves the scalpel embedded in his arm and picks up the bigger, more ornate knife. "Takeba!" She shouts above the wind. "Hurry over to me; we need to get him out of there, quickly!" And as she says that, Mitsuru also holds her hand out for the Evoker; after seeing Takeba summon so many times, she figures its time for her to take a turn at it.
for_my_father: Yukari half-stumbles over to Mitsuru, holding the Evoker out for her to take. "The wind will die down soon!" she calls over the gale. "We have to--ah!" The Stranger that Mitsuru attacked tackles Yukari, it's deceptive weight too much for her to resist. She struggles against him as much as she can, and is more or less successful in crawling out form under him, but only because of the scalpel still sticking out from his arm. "Kirijo-senpai, hurry!"
intothering: Men close in around him, sensing their advantage. And Akihiko knows there's no way he can actually fight them, and panic wars with that blinding rage in his head. 'Just head into the wind,' he figures, and he starts going that way, feeling a knife score across his back as he turns. "Get out of my way!" he yells, trying to slam a man to clear a path, and hoping maybe his voice would help the other two know where he is. He'd rather not get caught in an attack.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru doesn't pause once her hand close around the Evoker. She pushes the knife into Takeba's hands in exchange, and then brings the gun up next to her head. Before she pulls the trigger, Mitsuru turns to where she heard Akihiko...But it's not good. She can't see him with all the Strangers milling about, and if she waits for much longer she and Takeba will also end up getting mobbed.
"Come, then." She whispers, and pulls back on the trigger. The *BANG* feels like it rattles all the thoughts out of her head...But not the emotions. The worry for Akihiko and Takeba is still in there, and so is the anger at what they've been put through. All of that seems to swamp her concentration, but instead of causing the spell to behave erratically, actually makes it stronger. Almost too much so.
The only warning is a high, squealing noise as the floor starts to break apart. That only lasts a second, before a near wave of ice erupts around Mitsuru, pushing through the ground and into the mass of Strangers. That's when the chittering noise turns into high pitched, almost painful to hear screams.
for_my_father: Yukari cries out as she struggles with the Stranger, lashing out with the knife. The wind is dying down, but now with the crackling of the ice and the screams, she's on full sensory overload. "Get off of me!" she screams as she brings the knife down on him in a high arc. "Get off get off get off!"
Yukari pulls herself out from under the Stranger's body hastily, eyes beginning to water. Oh my God, it's stuck, the knife is stuck... She needs a weapon, though, and desperate times call for desperate measures. With a great yank, Yukari pulls the knife from the Stranger's still-twitching body. "Keep it up," she calls to Mitsuru, turning toward the mass of Strangers, knuckles white around the knife's handle. "I'll go get him!"
And in she goes.
intothering: Akihiko is setting a personal record for the amount of times he wants to curse in a day. The screeching noise makes him hesitate, which thankfully keeps him just out of the blast of ice, and he bites off another swear as his escape route is cut off. It does thin the crowd, though, and he turns his back on the ice, figuring that nobody can sneak up on him through that.
The cold on his open cut makes his head spin, but at least it starts to numb some of the pain. He's suddenly aware that he's screaming at the men. "That's why," he hears himself shout as a punch sends a man skidding backwards, "you should never have brought her into this!" 'I just need time to figure a way out.'
1in_perfection: 'Keep talking, Akihiko.' Mitsuru mentally urges as she follows Takeba through the gap in their enemies. That ice attack has left them disorganized, enough that they can follow his voice without much difficulty. Another ice attack helps to thin the crowd even further, and Mitsuru is able to keep her feet after summoning, still following Takeba. "Any sign of him?"
for_my_father: Yukari looks relieved to see Mitsuru follow her. "Oh, thank--ah!" She stops short, one of the Stranger's knives landing where her feet would have been a moment later. "I see him!" And she does, when she looks up from the knife in the ground. She's about to make a comment about how well he seems to be holding his own when she sees the blood. "Oh no, he's hurt!" Yukari jerks her head in indicated for Mitsuru to keep following her, shoving an off-kilter Stranger aside with her shoulder as they come upon Akihiko.
"What now?" she asks as more and more Strangers recover from the ice spell.
intothering: At first Akihiko only registers people moving up on his side, and he turns with fists raised to meet the new threat of- his teammates. He doesn't completely drop his stance, not when they're surrounded, but he does lower his guard slightly. "Haven't seen a way out," he tells them, his voice slightly hoarse. "But I was pretty busy trying to get back, so I might've missed something."
As soon as he determines that the other two look mostly alright, he turns back to the growing press of men. "If anyone has a better plan than trying to push through, I'd love to hear it."
1in_perfection: "I think that all we can really do at this point is-"
"Go back." A hollow, cutting voice interrupts Mitsuru, and she looks up to see that tall man from before; the one who was standing at the head of the group, but is now in the thick of things, and standing right in front of them.
"Mister Night..." One of the other Strangers says, in something that sounds oddly like respect.
Her hand tightens around the trigger again, but before she can move it, the newly named Mister Night makes a gesture and suddenly her fingers spasm from pain, and her arm snaps back. Mitsuru doesn't hear any bones breaking, but she can't feel the press of the Evoker any longer. Only a second later hears the gun clatter when it hits the floor, as Mister Night speaks.
"You are trespassing, and have been quite disobedient, yes? But your difficulties needn't be so much, if you turn back now, and leave us to finish our work."
for_my_father: "Kirijo-senpai!" Yukari grips the knife tightly, shaking with anger. "F-finish your work? It's all falling apart! You are finished! Now you'd better let us go before this whole place collapses, or you'll be sorry!"
intothering: "Mitsuru!" Seeing her arm snap back makes his chest tighten and his rage increase. But he nods when Yukari finishes. "You got your damn information from us, right? We're done here, and you'll be damn lucky if we don't tear this place apart like the rest of it." He steps forward, and then gets pushed back by another gesture from the man.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru can't help but massage her hand a bit as people talk; it helps that they are at a standstill, at least for a moment. But she dearly wants to be able to feel her fingers again, and grab a knife or a gun (or just swing her school bag double handed) when that stand off ends.
"...They're both right. Your...Experiment," she spits the word out, reminded of her grandfather. "Is finished. You'd be making the smart choice if you just let us leave, with no more trouble." She meets Mister Night right in the eye as his narrow, and a low chattering sound comes deep in his throat.
"We still have use for you." He says. "We can still do a great deal with your memories. Try different combinations with your siblings, your parents, whether real or made-" That's as far as he gets before Mitsuru also lunges at him, swinging the bag. It's a rash move, she knows...And she swiftly regrets it when her arm freezes in the air, and she feels her feet leave the ground. She hangs in the air, and feels her throat begin to tighten.
for_my_father: Yukari lunges forward a millisecond after Mitsuru does, brandishing her knife. She also, unfortunately, ends up in the same situation, unable to move, and soon, unable to breath. Struggle as she might against the invisible bonds, she can't break free. But that doesn't mean she stops trying.
intothering: When Akihiko's skid ends, he's a couple of steps behind the other two. He's too far to make an attack on this Mister Night, but he lunges sideways when the other two move - towards the Evoker. He has to drop to his knees in order to pick it up, but he ducks his head, hoping to be able to summon and blast the man with Zio before the Evoker gets ripped from his hand or another man takes advantage of the easy target he presents.
1in_perfection: 'Don't panic, don't panic...' Which is hard to do when she's floating several feet off the ground, and is gradually losing all the air in her lungs. But Mitsuru got herself into this situation with rashness, and she's determined to get out of it with level headed thinking instead. So when she hears a scrabbling sound, she forces herself to look to the side, and sees Akihiko diving for the Evoker...And Mister Night getting ready to stop him.
She doesn't let that happen. One of the advantages of being held up in the air is that she's able to kick a lot higher. And so she lashes out with her foot, and feels it connect with Mister Night's jaw with a hard crunch.
And then Mitsuru feels her stomach drop, then the ground suddenly slam into her side, and she realizes she can breath again. She takes a ragged breath, and then forces a few words out.
"Akihiko, go!"
for_my_father: Yukari lands harshly, knees buckling as her head starts to feel light from lack of oxygen. She cries out as her ankle twists painfully, but she doesn't drop the knife. "Kirijo-senpai, take it!" she yells, throwing the knife to the other girl hilt-first. Yukari's not going to be getting up for a little bit. Goddammit, you bastards! "Kill them all!"
intothering: Akihiko has never been more relieved to feel the metal Evoker press against his head or the trigger depress under his finger. The cold behind him seems to amplify as Polydeuces appears, dulling the rage and fear that flood his mind. He can feel the lightning gathering at the top of the room, and once again he realizes that they're surrounded by metal.
But unlike the train, unlike the monster at the hospital, this time Akihiko can feel the different strands and control them. Lightning tears out of the ceiling, lashing Mister Night and the men standing behind them.
A couple of strands still escape his control, drawn without fail to the giant metal machine that several men are still concentrating on. They cry out as sparks crawl over the metal and the machine groans. And distantly, somewhere below where the arms are turning, Akihiko can see something start to open.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru pulls herself to her feet, coughing, as she looks around. Mister Night is on his knees, either dead or dying; she isn't certain which. And the machine...
Mitsuru looks up, and feels the blood drain out of her face when she sees the machine. The thing is spitting sparks, starting to crumble apart, and the same is happening to the ceiling above them. She thinks that she can see a building starting fall through from above; slowly, but unstoppably. And now that she takes a closer look, she can also see other things starting to fall through. Streetlights, cars-
And bricks, one of which hits the floor right next to her with a heavy SMACK. That gets Mitsuru moving, and she tries to pull Takeba to her feet as she runs towards Akihiko.
"We need to move out, NOW."
for_my_father: "Ah!" Yukari gasps in pain as she accidentally uses her injured ankle to climb to her feet with Mitsuru's help. She looks up at their impending doom, jaw set. She'll face this with dignity. "There's no way out," she says. "There's no where to go."
intothering: Akihiko jumps to his feet as the others approach. "No, there's something past these guys. I saw it!" He jams the Evoker back to his head, casting a Dia on Yukari as soon as he hears her cry out. He can hear something very big crash off to one side as he straightens back out. "Sorry, but I think we'd better run for it!"
1in_perfection: "Agreed." Is all Mitsuru says. Akihiko has a tight grip on the Evoker, Yukari is able to walk, and her bag-
Mitsuru stops, and looks around. Her bag is still laying on the floor, just a short distance away from the fried remains of Mister Night. She pauses for a moment, wondering...And then something large crashes through a section of the floor close by, causing the entire platform they're on to tilt. The bag starts to slide to the side, and with a half frustrated, half terrified noise, Mitsuru goes after it.
She CAN'T afford to lose something like that. Even if she isn't Mary any longer, she needs to know what went into those pills if she plans on getting back off them. At least the Strangers don't slow her down as she runs for the bag; they're too busy with clutching at their heads, or crumbling to the ground. At least they were right that eliminating the boss of the group would help them.
for_my_father: "Kirijo-senpai, no!" Yukari looks at Akihiko for a moment before dashing off after the Kirijo heiress. It's tricky, what with the platform tilting and the Strangers in her way and, yes, the lack of heels, but their assured death if she fails spurs her on. She makes a grab for Mitsuru's shoulder, right as she stumbles over a Stranger's prone body, causing her to miss.
intothering: "Mitsuru! Yukari!" Akihiko calls after them as he sees first one and then the other sprint away. His anger is less justifiable as he's about to take off after them when the ground shifts and tilts under his feet, and he has to jump back to avoid another pit that opens up. He runs to the side, summoning Polydeuces to punch a large piece of debris out of the way to make a new path back. "Get back here!" He glances at the portal and then turns his eyes back to make sure the other two don't have any more trouble, muttering under his breath, "stay open, stay open, stay open."
1in_perfection: "I can't go back without knowing how to fix this!" The bag slides closer and closer to the edge as she says that, and at the last second, Mitsuru makes a dive for the bag before it falls away. Her body is half over the edge of the platform, just hanging onto the railing as she pulls the bag back, and she can't help but look over.
'...That's a very long way down.' Is all she can think for a moment. Then the platform gives another groan, and lists a bit further to the side. Then, she's throwing herself backwards, and trying to move back towards the portal that is now forming back where Akihiko is. She fixes her eyes on that, hoping that the way out will still be there when she gets back.
for_my_father: Yukari scrambles back to her feet quickly, but falls down again as the platform lurches. "Kirijo-senpai--you were never on drugs! What does it matter?!" She turns around, though, crawling back to where Akihiko stands. A mailbox falls nearby, but she doesn't seem to notice.
intothering: It's agonizing, watching the other two make their way toward him. Akihiko's just about ready to pick them up and throw them through the portal, and before he can even finish that thought he's moving forward, stretching his hand out for someone to grab. There's no way they're going to die, not when they're this close. And he can't walk through the portal, not without knowing that they're walking next to him.
1in_perfection: "I took some several times while I was here; they gave me memories of doing the same, so who can say that they didn't already give-" Mitsuru closes her mouth and focuses on running back. This isn't the time for arguing; this is more of a time for trying to dodge falling bits of city, and trying to get to their way out. She can hear the machine still spitting sparks overhead, and the portal seems to quiver and flux in time to those.
The fact that Takeba rushed forward and ignored her orders makes her angry, and that anger puts her straight back in being irrational; the adrenaline doesn't help matters either. She grabs Yukari by the arm with her free hand, and forces them both to move faster through that path Akihiko made. All the while the floor keeps sagging...And then lurching as whatever supports the floor starts to give out, and slowly begins to sink downwards. Mitsuru grits her teeth, and forces her legs to move faster, stretching her other arm, the one holding the bag, out to Akihiko.
'Keep together for a moment longer, just keep one more moment...'
for_my_father: Yukari feels herself pulled and, annoyed as it makes her, lets it happen. This isn't the time to quibble about the exact nature of their escape.
As they reach Akihiko and the entire platform begins to drop, Yukari double-times her legs, her ankle pulling slightly. Heedless, she jumps into the portal, sure that Akihiko and Mitsuru are both right behind her.
intothering: Akihiko grimaces when he feels the platform begin to fall, but he stays put and grabs Mitsuru's wrist, pulling her towards him. His temper sparks when he sees the bag and realizes just why she rushed off, but then Yukari's through the portal. He keeps his hold on Mitsuru as he follows Yukari, and at least for now they're alive.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru takes one deep breath as she lets go of Yukari and watches her go through the portal, and then both pulls, and lets herself get pulled by, Akihiko as the machine above gives one last groan-
And then she thinks she hears it explode, but by then they're both falling through the portal. Something seems to rip through them and the space they're in as they fall, and it feels like everything shudders for a moment. For a second, she's worried they're just going to be trapped between worlds...But then solid ground gets slammed into her side for a second time, and Mitsuru looks up. They aren't underground any longer, the world isn't falling apart...And that obnoxiously lit and tacky Nexus sign has never been more welcome.
"We...We made it through." She breathes out.
for_my_father: Yukari sits nearby, breathing heavily, both hands on the floor in front of her. "Oh my god. I have never been so happy to see this place."
intothering: Akihiko lands on his back, which does not feel pleasant at all. The Evoker (whose is it anyway? as if that mattered) is still thankfully in his other hand, and he summons for what is hopefully the last time to close up the knife cut on his back.
"Yay," he winces as he sits up. It feels like relief has drained all other emotion or energy from him.
1in_perfection: Mitsuru takes her hands off Akihiko to let the summon and heal spell work...Although she feels that nagging lump form back in her throat as she does that. She forces it back down, and lets annoyance take it's place; right now, the only thing she SHOULD be feeling is relief. Not...Whatever emotion she's trying to smother in regards to her classmate.
"I've been asking this a lot lately." She says as she climbs to her feet. "But is everyone alright?" And as she says that, Mitsuru casts around the Nexus, to try and see just where they landed.
"...I know this area. The portal to the dorm shouldn't be too far from here. I'd welcome being back there right now."
for_my_father: "I'm okay, yeah." Shaken, clearly, but not bad off at all, considering. "Lead the way. I'm...falling asleep."
intothering: "Yeah," Akihiko echoes, pulling himself to his feet. "Let's go home."