The pit, of what seemed like lava, flared on ardently. Looking down from the edge, Raphael was listless. Inside his mind, he was analyzing frantically. His only way out was cut off from him. There was only one direction open to him he knew as he looked over his shoulder, to the long hall behind. And there was the girl, his date, whom he now had to rescue. He would have to take her right through with him. If this was the welcome mat, what exactly was coming next.

All the supplies he had in hand were the sai, a dagger in his boot, pack of matches, and a credit card. He had fought with less. But had never gone on a mission without at least the essentials. Or with a passenger.

"This is…" The girl looked around. "…too much for words." Raphael knelt by the floors' edge and began feeling for any bars or sensors that would have begun there. "It's insane."

"Hmph." He felt up the walls. "No big surpsise though."

"Why's that?"

"This guy's already certifiable." Nothing unusual about the walls. Not to say that there wasn't something there that he couldn't feel.

"Well that's great." She rubbed her face. "What are we supposed to do now? There's only that one way open."

"Yeah." Raphael stood and looked again down the hall. There were lighted sconce lanterns along the walls, which cut off as the path turned a hundred or so meters on. He examined the one closest to him, removing the black top. The light was electric, some day-light deceiving halogen that was ever popular. The place had been visited at least once in the past year. Unless the bulbs were bought on special order. Then who knows how long it had been since another living soul had walked these floors. Or had been incinerated before they even could. He set the top back on. "Just stay close to me."

"I appreciate the offer." She gave her jacket two big swats, sending off the remaining dust. "Let's get moving. I have a feeling this place is just as dangerous as what's ahead."

"You're right about that." A tall blast of flame flew up behind, vanishing again into air. They started down the hall, inflating delicate rings of dust around their feet. The heat from the fire died out as they rounded the corners of the corridor. Drawing the jackets around themselves, they found how cold it was underground. That at least indicated a source of fresh air.

Raphael walked a little faster. Being cold-blooded, he knew if he became too chilled his senses would be at a distinct disadvantage. And if it became too cold, he may even go into involuntary hibernation. The girl jogged to catch up with him, and began walking briskly in step. Humans never had to worry about those kinds of things. They could go cruising around the Artic all they liked. Or skiing. Fortunately then, it looked like it wasn't going to get any colder down there.

"Look at that." He pointed down the hall, which had straightened out for a period. Tiny flames leapt and puffed at the end. Another fire. He was silently relieved, and unconsiously rubbed his arms. "Finally."

"Fuck'n-stupid." He heard her mutter agitatedly. She was rubbing her face again with her fist. Her eye actually, and he turned his head to see.

"What."

"I think I got a piece of dust in my eye." She drew the side of her hand along her eye, drawing out a few tears. He wiped his hands off on his shirt.

"Let me see." She moved her hand away, and he leaned in for a closer look. The eye was definitely pink. He tentatively put his hand on her face, pulling the eye open. She blinked back.

"You're freezing!" He smirked.

"Yeah, being a reptile does that." He tilted her head back to see. The tiny veins in her eye were hot and irritated. A bottle of water would have been handy.

"Oh." He rotated her chin around until he could find the pinkest spot.

"There it is." He said softly. Her cheek softened and he brought his other hand up for a better look. "Hold on." Turning his head just so, he blew gently. She squinted and blinked a few times.

"Ack." The eye closed over. He waited frozen, unsure if he had freed the particle or not. "Mmm. Aren't you supposed to do that in my ear?" The eye carefully opened.

"You want me to?" She smirked. She smelled good too. He ran his finger tips along her cheek, in the guise of removing his hand. Humans had such soft skin. He bet she was soft all over too. Blow in her ear… Well, this was kind of date-like. Her eyes opened noticabely wider. He must of fixxed everything.

"Get down!" He barely felt the grab on his jacket lapels. With a whisk he was yanked down, turning on his boot with a twist. He hit the floor with a slam, although it seemed like the floor hit him with a slam. A groan burst out, hitting the ground so ungracefully. The girl landing ontop of him added injury to insult. Another cloud of dust rose up over them. Again, it suspended in air. He waited as they drifted downward, watching vacantly through the shield of blond hair. The pain in his shell echoed up through his spine.

The veil carefully lifted, arms propping themselves up beside his chest. The long body was pressed all along him. He was definitely feeling warmer. Licking his lips, he raised his eyeridge at the girl. She looked around over him, the lacking lights cutting off most of her face in shadows.

A swift whistle cut the air. A brief sheen of silver caught the light and enveloped itself into the wall. Raphael lifted himself up on his elbows. A moment later it returned, a fat blade hung by heavy rope and chain swung through the hall. It disapeared into a crack in the wall. While his eyes still trained on the wall, peripheral vision picked up another glistened on the other side of the hall. As the first blade swung back, a second giant axe swung forward, just a yard back.

In timed sequentiality, suspended blades began dropping. Until finally the entire corridor before them with a sea of swinging metal. It cut nothing yet, but the clouds of dust which had been drawn on the updraft. The weighty chains creaked and cracked with age as they arched from wall to wall.

The girl climbed off Raphael to the side. They crawled back from beneath the blades until they could both sit up. Raph watched the glaives swing. He could see his despondant reflection in each subsequent blade, and looked away to rub his eyes.

"Fuckin' dust."