The tunnel that Axle entered didn't lead straight to a parking lot as he thought it would, but rather cut to the right and then smoothly declined down and left in a continuous counter-clockwise spiral. Large, metal, sliding doors at regular intervals along the left wall indicated parking areas beyond, Unfortunately Axle could not gain entry through them without electricity, And it was unlikely that he could get power to them from the outside.
So onward Axle walked, deeper and deeper down the corkscrew-esque parking garage. The complex was much larger than he originally anticipated. Judging by how wide the curve actually was, it was safe for him to assume that each level was roughly 500 ft. in diameter and, according to the maximum clearance signs, 15 ft. tall. Axle had seen a lot of different and unique architectural designs in his scavenging trips, but he had not seen one like this.
The hotel takes up a whole city block, you have to be really careful with the ground beneath a structure that large and I doubt making it hollow was the best decision. Unless you are confident that you can support the weight.
His musings were interrupted by a throb from his wrist. The pain came in wave after agonizing wave. He wanted to get this over with, and too much of him was wanting to abandon rational thought and look elsewhere for pain meds.
As Axle passed the fifth door, he started to doubt whether or not he could get in this way. His patience was worn thin from the walk and thinner from the pain, He had passed the eighth door now, locked just like the others. It was by the eighth door that he lost his temper.
"aAAH!" His frustration induced yell was followed by his good hand colliding with the wall.
He did not have time for this. He needed to find a way inside before nightfall. Even if he gave up his search, He would still need to find his way back to the car, and his flashlight would become a beacon that would let every living thing know where he was. As Axle prepared to turn around and look elsewhere, his ears picked up a faint noise that had been previously drowned out by his boots.
Axle turned and approached the right wall, running his hand along the bottom of the wall revealed metal panels that had been disguised to match the concrete that they sat in. on the bottom edge of each panel was a slight protrusion that allowed his fingers to slip beneath the surface. With a slight tug the panel started to open of its own volition, it slowly swung upwards on hinges built inside the wall and stopped once it was a hand's-breadth away from being flush with the wall above it, small pistons on either side of the opening held the panel open.
It was what resided in the space beyond the opening that had piqued Axle's interest. It was an old pipe that ran through a small, electric pump. Beneath the thin layer of rust that had accumulated were large faded letters ,Though the paint had been severely eroded, Axle was able to decipher "DRAINAGE" from the indentations that had been stamped into the side of the pipe. The noise that caught his attention was, in fact, the pump, which was in full operation.
This place still has power?
With this new development, Axle stood up and started a light jog down the remainder of the tunnel, abandoning stealth for the moment to save time. He paused when he reached the twelfth door. The path ahead had five metal posts shooting up from the pavement, effectively blocking vehicles from descending further, the tunnel past the posts was painted with diagonal yellow stripes on the walls and ceiling, and a large angled sign sat beside the door.
"13th floor is reserved for staff and maintenance vehicles only, parking is prohibited."
Axle slipped in between the posts and continued at a slower pace for the last stretch. He turned his flashlight off, If there were any guards at all, they would be here. As he approached the very bottom, a yellowish light cut through the gloom. Slowing his pace further, Axle listened for anything that would indicate life. But as it turns out, the only thing that stood guard was a chain-link fence gate and a light fixture that hung from the ceiling. The lock was severely rusted, it took one singular hefty kick from Axle to force the hunk of rust to break.
The area on the other side of the fence was flat and held a 3-inch layer of water. To the left was the last entranceway, this one did not have a sliding door and was left open. He guessed that the thought process of the designer was something like "If there are no customers here, then it doesn't need to be pretty."
He stepped into the actual chamber that housed the parking spaces and was surprised to find it almost completely barren. No wrecks, No trash, Not even bones. The only thing inside was support pillars and a relatively large room in the center of the circle. Axle made his way to the chamber within the chamber, his footsteps plashing water and creating a fantastically unstealthy echo. Noticing the lack of a door on his side, he walked around to the otherside where it should be. Upon reaching the other side, there was in fact a door to use, but his attention was drawn to something else entirely.
In designated parking spots in front of the structure sat four industrial utility trucks loaded with different gear. Things like small lifts, jacks, tool boxes, etc. They were untouched. Mint condition.
How? They should've been converted to sluggers, or stripped for parts at least.
Axle opened up the driver's door and peeked inside. The interior was pristine, dusty, but pristine. The keys still hung from the ignition, even. Axle stood up on the side step and reached forward, He could use one of these if they started. With a turn of his hand, the relic that sat still and silent for a stretch of years that only it knows, came to life. The sound that the engine threw forth was unlike anything Axle had ever heard. He was expecting the slow, churning and thunderous drone that diesels often made, it was a continuous high-pitch note that crawled up his spine, almost like the whistle of a turbo, but without the engine. It reminded him of how the jets sounded from the old tapes that he used to watch, but it was still strangely different. It was not cylinder based, of that he was sure, but it also couldn't possibly be housing a jet engine.
To try and understand what the puzzling engine actually was, he went around the truck until he found the gas tank. The tank was placed behind the cab and not under the side steps like other trucks he had seen before. After undoing the cap, Axle placed his nose close to the opening and took a whiff. Now he was only more confused than before, whatever was inside the tank was in fact odorless, Axle did not know of any fuel that didn't have a defining 'stink'. To try and solve this mystery, He took his hand and stuck it into the tank to try and see what exactly was used to fuel this rig, but shockingly his hand never touched liquid. His fingertips struck something almost solid. He slid his hand across the surface of the substance and discovered that it was the consistency of flour. Axle took a scoop in his palm and brought it out into the light. Catching him off guard again was the color of the stuff. It was a bright, shimmering red, like it was made from crushed jewels.
It didn't make a whole lotta sense. What kind of motor didn't use liquid fuel? There were those experimental coal-dust diesels way back when, but they were wholly unsuccessful. He poured the contents in his hand back into the truck. If he had two working arms he would've wanted to look and see what kind of power plant was hiding under the hood. He might even take one to tow the charger, but right now he had to carry on with what he originally set out to do.
Axle turned the key back to its initial position and closed the door. Focusing back on the circular room, he saw a good size set of double doors (Metal, of course) in the wall, facing directly towards the trucks. To the right of the doors was a plaque that read "UTILITY ROOM". Axle grabbed the handle of the right door and gave it a turn, the handle didn't budge. He took a few steps backward and prepared for another kick, His target being right in between the door handles where the lock should be. As he was about to charge, Axle blinked once and walked towards the door again. This time he grabbed the left handle, This time it moved when Axle tried it, and the door swung open with a slight groan.
That would've been embarrassing. Should've tried the other door in the first place.
The room inside was dark, but there was obviously a large machine in operation. Axle ran his hand up the wall beside the door and found three switches, flipping them filled the interior with light. The light revealed the machine to be a large pump on the right that was dutifully draining the massive garage, sending the water into the beginning of the pipe system that wound its way up around the spiral. On the left side were dozens of lockers filled with hard hats and orange reflector vests. And in the center was a rather extravagant elevator, stainless steel with what appeared to be engraved bronze plates that created a mural on the doors, its decor looked out of place compared to the rest of the room.
Attached to the pump was a panel that caught Axle's eye, closer inspection of said panel unveiled the Hotel's source of power.
Solar. Awful fancy. I thought that Francis said they weren't able to refine and finish that tech before the fall. But here it is.
Axle began to Really wonder where he was. Rain, foliage, Strange animals, powder-fueled vehicles and now cutting edge technological advancements that were not supposed to exist yet. He just didn't understand what was going on here. That was when the words of the man with the eloquent speech echoed through his mind like a gust of wind, pelting Axle with grains of understanding.
"So this is my gift to you. I give you a new life, one where you will have the chance to live a life better than any that this world could've ever offered."
Axle's breath became unsteady, His hands had begun to sweat. He took a few steps back and stood, face as white as a ghost while caught in the grasp of utter disbelief.
Did- Did he really… No, that can't be true. It's not possible. That man, Griffa, was just a sorry soul who had lost his sanity in the wastes. He must've drugged me with something strong, I must be having some sort of hyper-realistic nightmare.
"If that's the case, then tell me how you can have a broken arm."
Axle did the fastest 180 he had ever pulled and swung his right arm with all his might, just to hit nothing. His voice was right here, wher-
"A fine attempt, but a needless one."
Axle spun back around, aiming to backhand the owner of the voice he had just heard. But before his hit landed, Axle was tripped up. Wincing as he landed on his broken wrist, Axle hastily flipped himself over and looked up to see the man who had caused this predicament. Griffa simply stood above Axle, seemingly unperturbed by the attacks that had been intended for him.
"I've heard your strife young warrior, you're confused and lost. I came here to relieve some of these stresses."
Axle drew his pistol and pulled the trigger, the firearm however did not respond. He started to crawl backwards in desperation. "Who- no, What are you?!."
Unaffected by the weapon, Griffa tried reassuring Axle "I have already told you, I am Griffa. Calm yourself, you need not fear me."
"Where the hell did you take me? Where am I?" Axle never thought he would be at the mercy of anyone, much less some unarmed old man. He needed to get up quick.
"As I promised, You are no longer in your old world, I brought you to a new one, where you can start anew." Griffa's voice was calm and controlled.
Axle was quick to retort "Don't lie to me! Tell me where I am!" Axle picked himself off the ground and was prepared to throw another punch.
Griffa began his slow circling of Axle, forcing him to lose his posture to follow him "And are you the one who decides what is reality, and what is fantasy? Do you believe that all of the universe and beyond applies to the exact same rules that your world's people created to explain the going-ons of nature? Maybe in your world, such things do not exist. But it does elsewhere. You'll find that everything is not as it is told by your 'Science', But rather, everything is the way everything wishes to be. Where we are, I cannot tell you, for you must learn it yourself. You must walk your own path here. Besides, it would spoil the fun." Griffa stopped his revolving pace around Axle and gave a smile as if he just made a joke that only he understood.
"GIVE ME A STRAIGHT ANSWER, DAMMIT!" Axle charged and threw another haymaker, determined to make it land. Before it did however, Griffa cupped his hands in front of his mouth and blew a powdery substance from his hands. But instead of knocking Axle out, it served to blind him. Even though the lack of sight wouldn't matter, as his punch was already flying towards its opponent, Axle was once again perplexed. His momentum carried him through the spot where Griffa had just been standing. The man didn't have time to move. Axle rubbed the substance from his eyes and searched the room with his gaze. Griffa had vanished.
Axle was starting to get fed up with that man. Even if it was his second encounter. His anger did draw him out of his mild panic attack. Now that the short fiasco was over, Axle's adrenaline started to fade, slowly being replaced by an agonizing ache emanating from his left arm. A particularly nasty spike forced him to clutch his wrist and clench his teeth. He needed to pull himself together. He tried his best to focus and went back to the instrument panel and looked for anything else that might help him.
His luck proved true when he saw the switch labeled 'Elevator Power'. Flipping it caused the lift to start making a dull hum, and the call button lit up with a ding. He also flipped the switch to send power to the garage as well. He had a gut feeling that it would be important. With even more care, Axle strode to the elevator door and pressed the button. Several seconds later the doors slid open to reveal an almost obnoxiously bright room that was covered with Gold plating so polished that it was mirrored, even with the slight accumulation of dust.
Though relieved the lift was in working order, Axle was dismayed by the intensity of the light coming from it. The rest of the hotel was dark, as it had no power (by Axle's choice as he could've turned it on), If he went up to the main building right now however, he would be given away immediately. Thankfully, a quick examination of the light source gave Axle the solution to his problem. Axle stepped inside and proceeded to smash each of the three light fixtures that adorned the walls. With his task completed, Axle turned his attention to the button panel inside. It was labeled G13-G1, B, K, L, then 2-18 in ascending order. Axle went to push the Lobby button, but with some insight pressed G1 instead. The lift door closed, sealing him in darkness with the exception of the white beam coming from the button itself, and then the lift lurched upward. Axle had to steady himself, He had never ridden one of these before and wasn't expecting the odd feeling of increased gravity.
After maybe two minutes, the lift made an abrupt halt at G1, forcing Axle to steady himself again. When the doors opened and his eyes readjusted to the light, Axle was again utterly shocked. The garage was packed full of cars and trucks, every space had to be filled by a different machine. Some were built for speed, some were for power, But they were all built for luxury. A few were antique, carrying design cues that Axle recognized as being 30s or 40s, But the vast majority were crazy and futuristic in nature. What really caught him off guard were all the colors. From bright, Fiery reds and oranges to dark, evil purples and blues. It was like these cars didn't know what rust was, they were in beautiful condition and all of them were flawless. His charger as it was couldn't compare, maybe if it was restored then it could sit next to these but until then, it wasn't even a competitor.
As much as Axle wanted to get lost in this holy grail, his pain reminded him of his mission. Looking ahead, Axle spotted the first door that had barred his way. He quickly strode to the small check-in booth on the right side of the door and made his way inside. The only things he found were a four foot lever that he presumed controlled the door, a cash register, a chair, and a sign that read 'VIP parking'. Axle pulled said lever to open the garage and then rammed it with his shoulder to snap it from its mount. As he turned to leave, Axle paused and turned back to the second item in the booth. Normally in the wasteland, cash was only good for starting fires, hence he didn't have a real need for it. But maybe he could find out where he was. Axle leaned the lever against the wall and worked to open the register. After some painstaking fiddling, the tray shot out and revealed its contents. Axles heart sank, the tray was packed full, every slot was filled to the brim with little white cards. Each corner on the front side was adorned with a capital 'L' with two horizontal lines running through it. The back was blank except for a black strip running the length of the card. Axle knew of no country that ever used a card based currency, nor one without the value listed. Axle took each stack out of the register and started loading them into several of his pockets. He wasn't sure if anyone even used currency, but he wanted some if they did.
Once he was finished, Axle retrieved the lever and made it back to the lift. Pressing the call button opened the doors immediately, but before stepping inside, Axle lodged the lever in the track for the floor's doors. They would now be stuck open, meaning he could make a quick getaway AND cover his tracks by sending the elevator to the bottom floor. The current residents would have to wait for it to come back up before using it. Axle was now prepared to enter the building. He took a minute to solidify himself mentally and pressed the button for floor two. He realized that he wouldn't want to be in the lobby in case there were people there, he didn't want to be trapped in a metal box if they opened fire. The doors closed once again and the lift sent him upwards to what was hopefully not a floor full of armed survivors.
If I die, at least they won't get my ride. _
- Inside the Hotel with team CFVY -
Searching for food was proving to be a fruitless adventure for the team. Coco decided that it would be best for the four of them to split and search a larger area, Professor Port didn't want us to be alone however, and said we could be paired up with someone else. So Coco and Fox were in the basement, Prof. Port was in the kitchen, and because of no other reasonable floors to search, Velvet and Yatsu were on the second floor.
They had spent the first part of their little quest looking for the stairs which happened to be located behind the front desk in the lobby. After everyone had gone their separate ways and Velvet and Yatsu had reached their floor, The Hotel's… abandoned-ness? Had become apparent. They had stepped through the stairwell door to be greeted by a pitch black hallway that extended forward and to either side of them in seemingly endless darkness. It was thanks to the pair's flashlights that the Dust and spider web filled corridor was revealed. Decades of sitting untouched had ruined the once exquisite interior. Through the grime that coated them, Velvet was able to make out the Beautiful blue walls that were adorned with gold and silver crown molding and large bronze sconces that, by the craftsmanship alone, could easily have been worth a thousand lien a piece. The walls were covered in a white flowers and vines pattern which contrasted the blue in a way that just demanded Velvet's attention. The floor was an exotic brown wood that she had taken for black at first glance, In contrast to the ceiling that looked like it was fashioned entirely from white marble tiles that melted into the half pillars that lined the walls at even intervals, each about seven feet apart from the next. In between every other set of pillars was a wood door with golden knobs that signified a room, the doors themselves matched the floor in color and were gorgeous. The most surprising thing was that each door looked the same at a glance but were actually different, each had their own unique carvings on them which meant that each door was handmade. That was extremely impressive to Velvet, especially considering the sheer number of them.
Yatsu started down the hallway in front of them and Velvet followed. Though the beauty that was once the hotel was obvious, it didn't change the fact that what was left disgusted Velvet. It was Hot and humid, which made wearing their heavy clothing quite hellish. The Dust was thick on every surface and had accumulated into a thin cloud that was consistent down the hallway, Making it hard to breathe. This wasn't helped by the acutely potent odor of mold brought by the extreme water damage present on the walls and floors. Further accentuating the attack on her lungs was the overwhelming stench of the thousands of rodent droppings and several carcasses that covered the floor. Some of said carcasses were wrapped up in spider web cocoons while others were simply rotting in the middle of the floor. And to top it all off, the sound of several hundred flies echoed throughout the space, the sheer volume of it could have been mistaken for a buzz saw.
Velvet was sick and ready to hurl, the only thing stopping her was the fear of passing out from the additional smell of puke. Looking at her partner, It was clear on his face how bad it was. The normally stoic Yatsu was Grimacing from the conditions, sweat pouring down his face as he did his best to ignore their surroundings. Velvet was just trying to steel herself by staring at the sword on yatsu's back, determined not to look anywhere else. This was a mistake however, because as they walked on, Velvet felt something on her left forearm. Her face pale, she turned to see what could possibly be there. Holding the flashlight in her right hand she slowly turned her arm over and was now staring into the large demonic face of a black and hairy spider that was easily the size of her hand. What froze first, her mind or her body, she could not tell. Her eyes were locked onto the spider's and all Velvet was aware of was the feeling of her pulse getting faster and faster. At the point where she was convinced that Coco's minigun couldn't match her heart's pace, she was finally able to do something. With her body currently thinking it was on fire AND drowning, it was only by a miracle cast down from the man upstairs himself that she was able to whisper one word.
"Yatsu…"
At the sound of his name being spoken (and noticing the tone of absolute dread it was spoken with), Yatsu turned around with a slightly puzzled expression "Is something Wro-..."
He was ground to a complete halt when he got a grasp of the situation. His face Turned to a shade of white only known as 'death' when he saw the spider that looked to be about the size of a bullhead to him. If it weren't for the fact that it didn't have red eyes, he would've been sure it was a Grimm. With more care and steadiness than he has ever had in his entire life, Yatsu drew his weapon and gripped it with both hands tightly. Thankfully Velvet wasn't looking at him because he knew that she would not approve of his plan. Focusing on his target and assured that his partner was NOT going to move at all, Yatsu raised his blade above him and drew in a large breath.
"AAAAHHHH!" With a battle cry that was truly uncharacteristic of the usually levelheaded warrior, Yatsu brought his sword around with a speed and ferocity that he had never seen before. Without having time to do literaly anything, the spider suffered a direct hit, and was almost cleaved in half. The corpse was now being dragged through the air by the massive weapon. Yatsu watched in what could only be described as slow motion in his mind as the remains of the spider was crushed between the concrete backed wall and the titanic force that was Yatsu's arms. The long time enigma of the unstoppable force versus the immovable object was also solved as it seems, because the sword did not stop at the wall. Yatsu's swing carried through all the way and the blade carved its path through the stone. Bits of debris were cast around the room, disturbing several dozen flies. When he finally finished his swing, Yatsu took his flashlight and shined it on the wall. What was left was a gouge about seven feet in length and was three quarters of his sword's length deep in the center.
The two halves of the absolutely obliterated remains were hanging from a portion that was wedged into the wall, the only recognizable piece being one leg that had now fallen off and onto the ground. Yatsu was unable to celebrate his victory as hundreds of baby spiders started forcing their way out of their mother's body. With a look of pure horror and a guaranteed mental scarring, Yatsu reacted quickly. He reached into one of his pouches and pulled out a handful of fire dust crystals. He grabbed the now completely startled Velvet and rushed them both down the hall a ways before turning around and chucking the crystals back. The resulting explosion was quick, but it was enough to set the collection of dust and spiderwebs alight. The flames quickly rushed down the hall towards them and Yatsu wrapped himself around his partner to shield her from the heat. When it hit them, their auras took the brunt of the damage.
Letting go of Velvet, Yatsu looked around and saw every square inch of space smoldering. Burnt webs fell from the ceiling in various locations, The floor was now covered in dead flies AND spiders as the added heat had killed them, and the only sound left was the faint hissing as the flames died against the wet peeling wall paper that was left as their only source of fuel. He realized that the only reason the flames didn't keep going was from the amount of water damage on the walls and floors. In retrospect, He probably should've thought about what he was doing before setting the entire level on fire, but at least those hellspawn were dead now.
Satisfied that he had actually improved their environment, Yatsu turned back to his partner who was still in shell shock. Velvet was staring at her arm in what seemed to be confusion. With concern evident in his voice, Yatsu tried to gain his partners attention. "Are you alright?"
Velvet jumped a bit when she Heard Yatsu's voice and then looked at him. Still confused, she blinked a couple of times and looked back at her arm. "Um yeah, I guess. Wasn't...Wasn't there a spider just here on my arm?"
When she asked her question, Yatsu looked at her in bewilderment. He took a moment before answering. "Um yeah, there was, but you don't have to worry about it anymore. Come on, If there's food up here, we're not gonna want any of it. Besides, the other's will probably want to know what the noise was."
He started walking back towards the stairwell and Velvet began to follow him. "Wait what noise? And what about the spider, What happened to it? And why is everything on fire!?"
"Not important, now let's get back."
"Not important!? Wait, I SAID WAIT!"
As Velvet chased Yatsu for answers, the pair didn't notice the figure hiding around the corner as they made their way into the Stairwell.
- Inside the Hotel with Axle -
Axle had made it to the second floor and was greeted with the stench of death and swarms of insects. Between the mold, filth, and feces, He had immediately concluded that the floor had not seen human foot traffic for quite some time, this revelation meant one of two things. A- The people in here didn't use floors 2 and up (which would be great for Axle), or THIS floor alone was blocked off for some reason or another (which is far more likely).
Axle hadn't made it far into the floor before spotting light coming from one of the hallways. He had instinctively pressed himself to the wall and held himself still. He couldn't hear footsteps but he wouldn't trust his hearing with the endless army of flies that could be covering up other sounds. After a few moments, the light went away and out of curiosity Axle peeked around the corner to see where it had gone. His efforts revealed two persons at about the midpoint of the hall who were both currently distracted. What was keeping their attention, he couldn't tell because the bigger of the two was blocking most of Axle's view. While 'Big Fella' was cloaked in shadows, the other individual was in the light. All Axle could tell is that it was a girl, who also had a taste for brown. She had long brown hair, was dressed in brown, and with what appeared to be brown… bunny ears? Axle shook his head, thinking that it must be a trick of his mind. The most notable feature of the girl was the look of absolute terror on her face.
Axle didn't have much time to ponder these two anymore as he watched 'Big Fella' start to slowly draw out a MASSIVE curved, two-handed sword and raise it above his head. Axle now knew why these two were up here. He was witnessing an execution. With anger rising from the depths of his being along with fear for the girl's life, Axle had come out of cover and was ready to start running when the man made his move. With inhuman strength, Axle watched as the easily 20 pound greatsword came around and hit its target and carried through the now visible concrete wall. The impact was easily felt through the soles of his boots, Axle was forced to stop as he was late yet again to save someone's life.
Axle's immediate reaction of mind numbing dread was swapped out with confusion when he saw the girl still standing. 'Big Fella' now was focusing on the wall which he had decided to demolish, staring at it as if it was about to come to life and kill him. Axle was lost at this point, he didn't know what was happening at all. He slid back behind the corner, only leaving his head out to keep an eye on the two strangers. This didn't last for long as 'Big Fella' was spooked for no apparent reason and grabbed the girl and ran in Axle's direction. They hadn't spotted him so Axle had just enough time to watch 'Big Fella' do a 180 and throw something back down the hall. He didn't have to wait long to find out what was thrown. The entire section was engulfed in flame and an explosion was travelling down the tunnel at an alarming speed without having anywhere else to go. Axle saw the duo get swallowed by the blast and had only the time to duck behind cover as the tail end reached the intersection he was in. The searing heat felt as if it bled through his clothing and charred his skin. Thankfully it only lasted for a moment. Unshielding his face, Axle only had one thought.
What level of dumbass do you have to be to throw an explosive in a cramped space.
Axle, sure that the two were fried to a crisp, looked back down the hall to see if he could spot two roughly human shaped corpses. But by some miracle, The two of them sat there completely unscathed. It was as if the fires didn't want to touch them in fear of contracting the man's stupidity. It didn't take very long for 'Big Fella' to figure out that they were still alive. He took a few moments to observe his work before exchanging words with the girl. He picked her off of the ground and started to make his way back from where they came. As they left, Axle pursued at a safe distance. Following them should lead him to the supplies he needs. The pair rounded the corner and Axle caught a piece of their current interaction, courtesy of the girl in brown.
"Not important!? Wait, I SAID WAIT!"
He didn't know what they were talking about, and frankly, he didn't need to. He just needed to know where they kept their stuff. So with great caution Axle followed them into the stairwell, making sure to catch the door before it closed. He descended the stairwell in sync with them, keeping his footsteps as light as possible.
They had gone down one floor before the pair he was tailing had changed course. The girl in brown was still questioning 'Big Fella' about the incident upstairs as they passed through the steel door that led to the lobby. Axle had caught the door again and slipped through before letting it shut. He now was crouched down and searching for a good place to conceal himself.
The lobby was rather spacious, It was a large square with each wall being somewhere around 60-ish feet. The architecture was designed to resemble a medieval castle With large stone brick arches lining the walls. In each arch was a rounded hollow that contained various things like couches, vending machines, gift shops, or were just entrances to a different part of the hotel. Axle swiftly made his way, undetected, to one of the gift shop counters and hid behind it. He turned and watched as the pair strode to the center of the room where they had lit a fire using various pieces of furniture. Around the fire were several bags filled with unknown contents and sleeping bags. He wasn't sure how many people were here, but now he had found what he was looking for. It was almost time for Axle to finish his current mission.
He just had to wait for his victims to fall asleep.
