revivalproject | [Open] Yet Another Underground Maze

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[Open] Yet Another Underground Maze

WHO: Gladiolus Amicitia, Sephiroth
WHERE: Warrens Maze
WHAT: A Maze Route
WHEN: Mid November
WARNINGS: N/A Yet

In a way all of this is so much like Gladio's personal history that it's scary. An apocalypse caused by a disease that happens to at the same time darken the skies? Check. People having to withdraw to a few beacons of metaphorical light in the darkness, check. Those beacons failing and people pulling back further? Check. Hell, even throwing oneself into an open and attested underground artificial structure to get through it to win an end to the darkness? Yeah, it all checks out.

Perhaps that's why Gladio approached who he did when all of this started. Not one of the kids he was training, not one of the adults that had their own plans, not even someone he's got a lot of experience with.

No, the moment the news comes over the semi-functional network that a new path has been opened and they have options, Gladio goes looking for someone he had seen pass him by a few times in the mines. Someone that came in with people and would head back out. Someone who had proven quite quickly to have a take charge kind of personality.

He looks for the silver haired man.

"Hey," he greets as he approaches Sephiroth. "I have a proposition for you."

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"Not sure I'd want to stay here," Gladio says.

He's needed back home, and if he was here... he would remember. And grieve. As for his fiance... He would never have Noctis back again.

"Thanks, for talking. I'm not used to journeys being quie."

Sephiroth nods. "I hope each person will be allowed to choose where to live."

A smirk. "Thanks to Zack, I'm not either."

Although journeys have been far too quiet since ...

That would be a lofty thing to hope for. Could the Agrii manage it? Would people want to stay here when there could be so few people to support a society? Would they want to live with the Agrii?

"Tell me about this Zack?"

Gladio doesn't even notice they are, slowly, approaching a door in the distance. Soon his own test will begin.

Sephiroth can't imagine anyone really would, but perhaps if anyone else is in a situation like Gladio was, they would want to.

He notices the door, and stays focused on it as he speaks.

"Zack was ... very young. Full of dreams and hopes. No matter what horrible things he saw, he never lost his zest for life."

"I've known people like that," Gladio says thoughtfully. His mind turns specifically to Prompto.

Or perhaps he was wrong. There was... a change in their friend when he returned from being separated from them. Perhaps his sister was a better example.

Sephiroth smiles a bit. "I believe everyone should know someone like that."

Gladio... Smiles. And nods.

"They make life brighter."

"They do indeed," Sephiroth agrees.

But to lose them ... plunges the world into darkness.

Yes. It does. Gladio's trying not to be in that darkness still.

"I think I see a door ahead," Gladio notes, with it finally coming into his own vision.

"Yes, I've been seeing it for the last several minutes," Sephiroth acknowledges. "There's likely another trap beyond it."

Dammit. Gladio sighs and shakes his head. This was so damn frustrating.

"Couldn't hope for easy going, could I? Alright. You ready to fly again?"

Sephiroth nods. "I'm always ready." Although he's also ready for something to go wrong. As they approach the door, he moves to open it.

This time the door opens and Gladio doesn't feel... lessened. That's a relief. Just to test it he dismisses the shield, and with a flick of his wrist, summons it up again. Good. Still fully him. Then he cautiously looks through.

And groans.

"Looks like more turrets. Gun ones. Fuck, those are familiar. This place really doesn't like us. Doesn't look like they can pivot up, so you'll be safe heading through. But... I don't see any switches."

Sephiroth frowns, studying the scene. No doubt all the guns will start firing on them.

"There must be some other way to turn them off," he muses.

"Yeah. There must," Gladio agrees. He sighs and gets his shield in front of him to step forward just a bit. And of course the things start shooting at him. Which he just holds back with the shield.

"This might work for me."

Of course he won't know that Sephiroth will need his protection as well.

Sephiroth spreads his wings to fly but finds to his annoyance that he's grounded again. "There's something blocking my abilities in here," he says. He hates to be a burden when Gladio already has plenty to deal with, but he has to inform of the problem.

Gladio looks to the other man in something like shock. Really?

"Like I was last time. Dammit. This was deliberate. TO weaken us. How annoying. That means I've got to get you out of here safely."

Sephiroth nods, frowning. "I'll do what I can to deflect gunfire with my sword, but I unfortunately doubt I'll be much help in here." And would he even be able to do that much?

Damn. Gladio pauses to consider, stepping back to think about their possibilities.

"How tightly can you pull those wings in against your body?"

"Normally I can retract the lower two wings, but somehow I doubt that's going to be an option here," Sephiroth says. He tries, and fails. He hides them as best as he can under his coat, which isn't that much since they poke out from under it. He then presses the larger wing against his back. "This is the best I can do."

"It's something," Gladio says with a sigh. He wishes he had Noctis's ability to turn drinks into healing potions. But that wasn't going to happen.

"Stay close. I'll keep the fire off of you the best I can."

Sephiroth nods. "I will deflect what I can as well," he says, hoping he will be able to do that much to help protect them both.

"Okay," Gladio says with a nod. He looks around a bit longer to figure out the lines the things are likely to shoot on, and then he moves forward.

And of course immediately the shield is being pummeled by bullets. He doesn't seem pushed back by them though. One ponderous step forward after another, he starts moving.

"Keep close."

Sephiroth stays as close as he can, and to his relief, he is able to deflect a few attacks coming from other angles. He isn't as fast as he would be if his powers weren't cut off, however, and he's concerned he won't be able to catch everything.

It was mostly going to have to be about Gladio, and if this was something he hadn't done before he'd worry about it. But as it is, he's pretty decent at doing this, at keeping people safe. He alters the angle of his shield as he keeps going forward.

And then they move out of the direct line of fire of the first turret. And it just... turns off. Gladio almost stumbles over from the lack of pressure against the shield.

Of course a second later another turret starts on him.

"The hell is going on?"

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