(A/N) I've got nothing to say right now, so I guess it's just straight to the disclaimer.
Disclaimer - This story was written with AI Dungeon just for fun, meaning that some stuff was written by me and others were written by the AI. This results in OOC moments, especially in James' case, and chaotic energy in general. It's also why my writing style is different since this is mostly AI generated.
I also do not own these franchises or their characters. Silent Hill belongs to KONAMI, Resident Evil belongs to CAPCOM, and Final Fantasy IX and NieR:Automata belong to SQUARE ENIX.
Chapter 8: Underground Storage
James, Zidane, and 9S moved down the hall, with the latter two flanking the former. They quickly found a large ladder, and went up it. Once at the top, they found a hole in the wall. James stared out the hole, but could only see darkness.
James turned to the others.
"I'm going to go out there and make sure nothing's waiting to ambush us," James said.
"James, we're going in there to rescue Piers from a bunch of tendrils, of course we're gonna get ambushed," Zidane told him. "So the three of use might as well go in together."
James didn't like the idea, but he supposed he could see the logic in it. He stepped through the hole, and into the darkness. 9S turned on his flashlight to illuminate the area in front of them. The room was small, with only a table and some chairs. A single, small tentacle curled up on the table.
"No," James said.
James moved towards the tentacle, intent on destroying it. As soon as his foot made contact with the tentacle, it shot towards him, wrapping around his ankle. James fell backward, desperately trying to get his footing. He looked up, and saw a pair of eyes gleaming in the light.
"Come on," a deep voice said.
James spun, as 9S' flashlight beam illuminated the area, revealing the figure standing behind James. The figure was tall, with a pair of dark eyes and a wide, grinning mouth.
"It's time to play," the creature said.
James tried to run, but the tentacles constricted around him, lifting him off his feet.
Immediately, 9S sprung into action by slicing the tentacle in half. James yelped as he was dropped and Zidane dragged him away from the tentacle. The mysterious voice yowled in pain and the tentacle spilled a yellow liquid. 9S kept his flashlight and sword aimed at the mystery figure.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The creature gave a chuckle. "Everyone's so busy focusing on me, they've forgotten that the real threat is right under their noses."
James screamed in panic, looking back towards the hole.
"Not so fast," the creature said. "I don't think you're in any condition to fend me off."
"Get out of here!" James exclaimed.
"I live here!" the creatures yelled. "You're gonna need more than a sword to kill me."
James watched as the figure took a deep breath, and James could see a wet, blackened leather lung expand.
"Ew..." Zidane grimaced.
"I guess I should've asked what you were..." 9S stated.
The creature gave a dry, rasping laugh. "I'm whatever you say I am."
James screamed, as the creature's hand wrapped around his wrist.
"We're looking for a friend," 9S told the creature. "Where have you taken him?"
"The Lost Realm," the creature said. "Though it seems you found your way in, which is more than I can say for most."
James and the others looked at each other.
"What? We're only underground, you don't have to make it dramatic," 9S sighed. "Tell us where you took him, or I'll blow you up."
The creature's eyes widened. "You would blow me up?" it asked incredulously. "Why on Earth would you do that?"
"You're in our way for starters," 9S shrugged. "And two, you're a threat that needs to be neutralised. Have you seen what your tendrils have done to the city? The people you've killed?"
James grimaced. "Not to mention, you're a monster and I don't like monsters," James finished.
The creature's eyes narrowed. "You still think you can intimidate me?" it asked. "Watch this."
James watched as a burst of flames erupted from the figure's chest. It screamed, and turned to ash before James could do anything. He fell back, slamming into the table and sliding it up. It slammed into the wall, and James ran forward, knocking it aside. He looked up, and saw Zidane pointing his dagger at the figure.
James shot a look at Zidane. "Are you sure?"
"I'm not the one with a burning corpse on his hands," Zidane replied.
9S sighed and walked into the shadows. James followed him.
"You aren't going to...?" James asked.
9S shook his head. "It would be too obvious. Look, the thing's dead. There's no way of knowing what other surprises it might have. Best we just get Piers back, and get out of here."
James nodded. "Let's go find him."
James, Zidane, and 9S took a deep breath, and stepped out towards the darkness. The tunnel ahead was a black abyss, with no signs of light. James shivered, and stepped forward.
"We're right behind you," Zidane said.
James nodded.
They advanced into the tunnel, treading carefully. James' foot kicked a piece of glass, and he yelped.
"Are you okay?" Zidane asked.
James nodded. "Just a little nervous."
"Me too," Zidane replied.
After a few minutes of stumbling, the group arrived at a fork in the tunnel. James stopped, and listened carefully. There was no sound to be heard.
"What's wrong?" Zidane asked.
James looked around. "I don't know. It just... feels dangerous."
"I'm not picking up any hostile signals," 9S said. "Let's go. We can't predict how long Piers can hold out for."
James led the group forward. It continued walking through the tunnel in the darkness.
"Do you have a light?" James asked, glancing around.
"No," Zidane replied.
"I've had my flashlight on the entire time," 9S stated. "The issue is the light not reaching far enough for some reason."
James looked around again.
"The only thing that's different is this tunnel," James said.
James pointed at a crack in the wall. "Do you see that?"
"Yes," Zidane said.
James shrugged, walking forward and running his hand along the wall.
It was made of a hard, wooden substance, and as James touched it, the crack widened. James jumped back, staring at a gaping hole in the wall. It was big enough for a man to walk through.
James glanced over at Zidane.
"You think it's a good idea to..." James began.
"We don't have to go through it," Zidane said. "We can turn back."
"And leave Piers here?" 9S asked incredulously. "Leaving someone behind goes against your character."
James rolled his eyes. "Zidane, we need to think of a way to get Piers out of there. What do you think?"
Zidane rubbed his chin. "I... I don't know. It's a big risk," he said.
James shrugged. "He's in as much danger as we are, and we can't predict how long he can last down here."
"Your minds change like the weather," 9S sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There's no other option, we have to see where this hole leads."
James nodded. "Okay."
James moved forward and stepped through the hole. Zidane followed him, with 9S right behind. James grabbed Zidane's arm, stopping him from stepping forward. There was a hiss, and a smell of rotten eggs. James glanced around, seeing a large number of cages along the area. He saw a slimy, red goo filling the bottom of each one.
"What are they?" James asked.
"I don't know," Zidane said. "But I don't like the look of them."
James frowned, as the group stepped into the room. The opening into the cage area was in the far corner, in the darkest part of the room. James moved to the opening, and looked inside. At the bottom of the cage, a man sat, his hands on his knees, his eyes closed. James looked down at him, and saw a long strand of slimy red goo hanging from the man's lips. It dripped between his fingers to the floor.
James moved to the man's side. There was a snoring noise, and James glanced around. There was a second hole in the wall, about two feet away from the first. James glanced down into the second hole, and saw a second man. The man appeared to be sleeping, sitting with his legs sprawled out.
James reached down, and scooped the goo off of the first man's lap. He winced, but James quickly moved to the second man, and did the same. James stood up, and looked around. There were five separate cages, each containing a man. The goo in the center of each one matched that of the first man.
"What the hell is going on here?" James asked.
Yeah, the AI tried to create a mystery or something. Since I'm going to be posting the next few chapters in bulk, I'll just skip straight to closing notes.
Improvements are appreciated, please tell me what I did right, wrong and how I can improve. If you would like, you could also favourite and follow this fic, as well as suggest areas of improvement, which I guess is the same as the first sentence. R&R and thanks for reading!
