Red alert. Intruders detected, dispatching security to level two-elevator hall.

The tower's computer had been chiming this same message for the last few minutes. I had figured that most likely the other prisoners that had been running around downstairs were either being captured or killed off. I felt a strange feeling of remorse that was getting to be annoying; I also felt the sensation of pity for those poor souls, being freed just to be possibly killed.

"They'll be waiting for us at the door at the slow pace this thing is going, can't you do something about it?" Tik'al started

"I'll think of something before we get there." I said examining the elevator

There was a ladder on the wall that went up to a panel on the ceiling that seemed to lead outside to the top of the elevator.

'This is a maintenance door for the repair and servicing to the servos of the elevator winch'

"Alright I have a plan, first I need you to push the button for the top floor over there." I said pointing to a control panel on the wall

"This one?" she said pushing the top button

"Yeah, now we just climb out this door on the ceiling and on top of the elevator."

"Why? I just pushed the button, so aren't we going to the top of this place?"

"We would if they weren't going to stop the elevator on the second floor; you didn't think they were just going to let us waltz out the front door as if nothing was wrong did you?"

"I suppose not."

"Well alright then, let's climb out." I said reaching for the bars only to be stopped when Tik'al wrapped her arms around my neck tightly, "What are you doing?"

"Well you're going to carry me out of here; it's the gentlemanly thing to do."

"I guess," I said starting to climb up the ladder, "but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not a gentleman of any kind."

We, or should I say I, climbed onto the roof and looked around.

"Now where to?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead yet."

"I thought you said you had a plan."

"I don't remember saying it was a good plan."

"So much for you being useful."

"Just give me a minute will you?"

'I need a map of this shaft computer.'

'There's an air vent approximately thirty meters up that leads to a cooling plant in another sector above level two'

'Well that's better than nothing I suppose.'

"Alright I have a plan now."

"A good one this time?"

"I don't know, we'll just find out when that after it works wont we?"

"Why don't I find that reassuring?"

"You're just a pessimist, just have a little faith in my half thought out ideas."

I heard her sigh as I reached for the metal cables, still pulling up the elevator, and grabbed the end that was going up and started climbing.

"Why are you wasting time climbing? The thing is still going to keep going."

"Well once they see that we're not in the elevator they will let it continue on to the next level."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"No. If it continues up it will eventually get to a ceiling where it can't go any higher." I said pulling us higher up the cable

"So."

"Well if we are still on top of this thing when that happens, we'll be crushed to death against the ceiling above. Well at any rate you'll be crushed, I have a feeling that I could survive a slight bit of crushing but I can't say the same for you."

"Is that supposed to be funny or something?"

"Maybe, it all depends on your point of view." I said continuingly scanning the walls to find the access to the air vent

"Well from here it isn't very funny at all." She said over the grinding gears and the sound of the tower computer still blaring its klaxon alarm

As we continued climbing red beams of light from wall sensors filled the shaft, the computer has probably seen us by now.

"Hadn't counted on scanners inside of here."

"Your plan is already crumbing apart."

"Sure is, I'll just have to make a new one as I go."

I looked around as one of the sensors locked onto me and another alarm went off.

Intruders detected in supply elevator shaft, redirecting security teams to intercept

"Damn."

"Well don't just hang here, do something!" she yelled over the alarm

'I wish she would stop yelling in my ears.' I thought as I climbed up a bit more, the lights still following me

'Air shaft detected'

'I see it.' I thought looking at the wall where a small yellow light was flashing amongst the red cascade that surrounded us

"There's our escape route over there!" pointing with one of my hands and holding onto the cable with the other

"Let's get out of here then, all this noise is hurting my ears!"

'Hurting her ears? I'm the one getting yelled at here.' I thought as I jumped from the cable to the wall, digging my claws into the metal

"Could you warn me next time you're about to do something like that?"

"I'll make a mental note of that for next time." I said as I used one of my hands to pull the grate off of the pane. The air vent was unusually tall and wide I had noticed as we climbed into it leaving the blaring noise of the alarms behind us. I noticed Tik'al was short enough to walk upright easily though the vent; unfortunately for me I was a little too tall to do the same so I had to bend over somewhat to walk. I heard her laughing a bit from my awkward stance as I trudged unhappily down the vent.

"It's not that funny."

"It depends on your point of view." She said laughing at the fact that she turned my own comment from earlier against me

"I bet you feel very clever right now don't you?"

"Very much so."

"Well I hope that feeling keeps you happy when I tell you I haven't thought any farther than this point."

"It doesn't help much, but laughing at you makes it worth it."

"Hmm."

"That's all you have to say? No witty comment or something?"

"I'll make one after I've looked at this map again and figure out a new path to get to the garage on the second level."

We walked down the vent for several more minutes, turning here and there when necessary. There was little light most of the way, aside from the tiny cracks of light spilling out from the seams of the metal. I could hear the sound of a fan blowing somewhere nearby, the blades cutting through the air making a loud whooshing sound.

"Do you here that?" Tik'al said after a minute

"Yeah, it's a fan." I said smugly at the obviousness of the comment

"Not that, the other sound."

"I don't hear any other sounds."

"That small rapid clicking sound that keeps happening."

"Hmm, nope nothing."

"Well my hearing is better than yours I guess, because I definitely hear something moving."

I looked and saw her ears twitch, she was apparently right about the sound.

'Computer scan for movement.'

'Several small targets are approaching from above, unable to identify'

"Well you're right about something moving around in here, something in the vent leading straight up is coming down our way."

"Something? Something like what?"

"I don't know; it's unidentifiable supposedly. Perhaps we could just stand here talking about it while it comes down and attacks us."

"Maybe not."

We continued at a quicker pace and got to another grate. On the other side I could hear the sound of steam hissing and gears grinding. I punched the grate off and we climbed out into a very humid room. I stood strait up finally and felt my back popping from the awkward position I had been in for so long. A plume of steam blasted up from a pipe running along the base of a nearby wall, I felt the heat and condensation left on my right arm from the blast.

"Well we're somewhere." I said walking forward down a path between the massive cooling equipment that seemed to be keeping this base and it's functions from overheating

"Now what?" Tik'al said following me, "And what about those noises from earlier?"

"The answer to your first question is I don't know, and the answer to your next question is in the room with us already."

"What do you mean?"

'Multiple targets coming from all directions, suggested tactic is to gain a more strategic position for combat'

"Come on, we need to climb those stairs over there." I said pointing to a nearby stairway leading to a steel door marked exit

She started heading for the door when she turned and saw that I wasn't coming.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to fight, what does it look like?"

"Why? We should just run and get out of this horrible place."

"Well if we run whatever is following us is still going to follow us. And if I'm going to get you out of here then I have to protect you this way."

"Well then good luck, and try not to die or something stupid like that."

"Thanks for those inspiring words." I said sarcastically

The room was filled with noise that made it difficult to tell what was coming from where. I stood motionless for a moment, listening. I heard a slight clang of metal on metal coming from the ceiling and walls.

'Targets approaching from above'

No sooner than that was said three small metal spheres fell from the air and landed on the ground around me. They didn't bounce or roll like they should've, instead several small protrusions extended from all over them; they seemed to be legs of some kind. They all balanced themselves on their thin wiry legs; then a slot opened on the front of them and a probe stuck out.

'Targets identified as XS934 series security droids, primary weapon is an electrical probe used to subdue intruders'

This became apparent as the one behind me stabbed me with one of the probes. I could hear the crackle of the electricity as the rest of them began to charge their weapons; they all reared up like cobras ready to strike I jumped to the side and up onto one of the grinding machines, the rumbling under my feet.

'Warning, more targets approaching from the rear'

"Damn, not more of them."

I turned just in time to catch one of them out of the air as it jumped for my face, two more hit me in the chest and knocked me on my back and the rest swarmed over me. I could feel the sting of the shocks and smell my skin burning as they smothered me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, doing great. Should do this more often." I managed to muffle out

'Current tactic ineffective, attempting to devise new strategy'

'I have a strategy already.' I thought as I reached out and tore my claws through two of the robots and trying to shake off the others in vain

'This isn't working as well as I thought, okay computer come up with something already.'

'Energy buildup in progress.'

'What does that mean?'

'Discharging chaos energy'

I felt my body getting warm all over, and I seemed to be glowing. I could feel the energy from the chaos emerald inside of me getting stronger, and then there was a thunderous blast and the sound of the air itself tearing apart from the impact. The robots flew from me and their metal bodies seemed to melt away before they even hit the ground.

"That was effective." I said standing up and jumping down from the machinery

"Are you alright?" Tik'al asked walking up to me

"I'm fine, just a little scratched up." I said walking towards the door

"No you're not, look at those cuts and burns on your skin."

"They'll be gone later, I'm a fast healer."

"Well I guess, just don't do something stupid like that again."

"So you were worried about me or something? I'm touched."

"Well don't be, I just meant that you're supposed to be helping me out of here not getting killed."

"I see, well let's get going." I said opening the door to the exit revealing a set of stairs

We walked down a bit and came to another door marked garage.

"See? I told you I had a plan of some sort." I said pushing the door open

We looked in amazement at the hundreds of vehicles lined up inside and the massiveness of the room.

Intruders detected in base level garage, deploying troops to capture

"Again with this?" I said as a set of doors on the far side opened and a troop of machines poured out of it