Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds
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They all eased into the next room, completely aware that next to them, their team mates were doing exactly the same processes as them. When they got far enough in, the door slammed shut and mechanically locked, they were all plunged into darkness, until without human intervention the lights flickered on.
There they stood in an almost empty room, on the far side opposite was two shelving units, situated either side of a new door. Again there was still the unremitting drip of water, but confusion and sheer terror played its part well in making the drip less noticeable. The shelves were stocked to the heavens with multiple objects. Hanging from the middle of the room's ceiling was a chain, latched on the end was a new note, some diagrams and instructions.
After plucking the courage each person was now aware of what was wanted of them to get through to the next room.
Well here you are situated in Room 1, now I have instructions for what your next steps are. These should be followed, I will know if they are not and consequences will be served if I feel they are not complied to. I also included the blue print designs of this building, just to give you an ounce of idea to what to expect of the rest of your stay. All I'll say now is one room down, another 6 to go. Happy Playing!
One last thing...hope you have good balance...
They all moved on and looked at the laminated instructions, one of the pairs read aloud to the other.
* You may choose a total of 6 items from all shelves. 3 per person, 3 per shelving unit. A shelving unit per person.
* You can mix and match until the lights go out. This means you can change your mind as much as you want until darkness occurs. Once this happens you have to grab anything. You MUST leave the room with 3 items each. This is my one major help to you.
* These items can come with you until the very end.
* There are no limits to how you wish to use these items.
* You have free choice. It is ultimately your choice.
* You are not allowed to decide as a pair, it is individual choices. Only after can you share the decisions made.
* Now you know this, step on the crosses and assess the shelves. The lights will flicker when you can pick your 3 items.
Pick wisely.
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Row one
Derek sensed Kevin hesitate when he finished the note. He looked at him and saw he was thinking everything through. He, also, saw that Kevin did not trust him in the slightest. All Derek could think was how he was going to strive to get back to Penelope, and Kevin needed to do that with Jane. He needed to make her his focus.
'Lynch?' Kevin just looked at him. 'Think of Jane yeah?'
'Yeah.' He said in a monotone, somewhat unbelievable that he was willing to get out.
'Lynch we are each other's ticket out of here, I know that seems selfish but you have a lovely lady waiting for you, who will need you more than ever once we get to that seventh room.'
'Oh it's okay for you, you have the high life.'
'Excuse me?' Derek said a little taken back. 'What are you talking about?'
'It doesn't matter... let's....let's just do this and get to our girls.' He said as he finally approached the cross on the left hand side of the room.
Derek approached and both of them stood on the cross, they waited until the lights flickered and drew in a breath before siphoning through the shelves. The urge to ask what was on the other side was menacingly present but they both knew they had to keep to themselves, for their lives now evidently demanded it.
By the time the lights shut off, both men were on their crosses again, both awaiting the door to open. As it did, light flooded in, they entered and stood considering what was ahead of them.
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Row two
'I really don't like this.' Jane moaned again. There was an instant dislike to this woman, Penelope had found, however much she tried it never happened. She couldn't find a reason to like the woman and right now a glaringly obvious trait was her negativity.
'What and you think I do?' Penelope quipped back trying her best to stay calm, she had panicked the moment she saw Derek's name on the top of the list and that only escalated as she read down the list.
'Sorry, I just...never mind.' She stopped when she saw Penelope's face.
'Right take a cross, decide efficiently, helpful things, we don't know what we are facing.'
'I don't know if I can.'
'Jane, you are going to just need to decide, don't be rash, be thoughtful but at the end of the day I can't help you. We have to think alike but think differently at the same time.'
'Okay... I can do this.'
'Wahey...positive thinking.' Penelope said a little too sarcastic, she just couldn't help herself. 'Ready?' Jane nodded and both women stepped on their crosses, Penelope left and Jane right. They stood and waited for the flicker, it occurred and they rushed to the shelves. Penelope could tell Jane was panicking, whereas Penelope was trying to think like Hotch or Derek or even Reid.
Luckily no rash in the dark decisions were necessary both women were happy with their decisions by the time the lights shut off. While they stood all that could be heard was breathing, panicked filled breathing.
They both shuffled through towards the light as soon as the door opened but froze at the sight that was laid before them.
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Row three
'We have to decide alone, but try and make it a joint decision?' Strauss asked slightly confused at what was being asked of them.
'Well yes... we have to take one side, no conferring just do it step back and wait and then we can show and tell.'
'Oh this cannot go to plan.'
'Strauss, just think logical.' Hotch said, all the time in his head asking himself why the hell this woman was above him when she was positively batty when faced with decisions that would shape what would happen. She should be able to assess and present her decisions clear, confident and coherently but here she was at her weakest. 'You can do it.'
'What happens if we make the wrong decisions.'
'Well look at it like this... the rooms are no sabotaged with traps, their too easy for us to walk in, plus he is helping us if only slightly. From the sounds it each new room is a new game...'
'...So his testing us?'
'I'm guessing so.'
'But what for?'
'That I think we will find out in the last room.' Hotch then motioned to the crosses when he sensed that Strauss had psyched herself into readiness. They waited for what seemed ages, then the light dimmed and brightened again, one last look at each other and they stepped forward and began the rapid search for things that seemed logical to grab. Hotch was first back and he watched Strauss decide just as the lights went out. Although he couldn't see anything, he sensed her move back to where she thought her cross was.
He then realised she had guessed right as the next thing happening was him and Strauss standing on a ledge with a massive fright in front of them. They heard the door close and lock and then began their assessment of goods.
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Row four
'So the only test here is getting ourselves 6 items...hardly seems worth it.' Elle commented after reading the letter to herself. Emily was looking over the blueprints; they were all basically in long tunnels. Separated by simple walls, that made small rooms in-between two large rooms either side.
'Biding time maybe?' Emily said, her inner profiler working double time.
'For what though?' Elle questioned. It had been a long since she had had to profile things.
'Well his obviously trying to make us go crazy with what to expect... I mean there are loads of different things on the shelves, so we look at them and we suss out what could be next.'
'So like red herrings?'
'Exactly.' Emily turned away from her evaluation of shelving units and looked at Elle. 'Rational...is the only thing I can think of being at the moment.'
Elle nodded. 'Let's do this then.'
Both of them cautiously stepped towards the cross, both looking at one another for the reassurance they knew they could not give. When the lights wavered slightly they both approached the shelves warily. The search began and when they were adamantly sure of their choices they stepped back and wait for the darkness to come. When it did they anticipated what to do next, it was made perfectly clear when the door unlocked and opened to reveal a new room.
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Row five
'See sticking to calm is paying off.'
'Only because I know that at the end I can have my husband.'
'Yeah.' JJ said somewhat deflated.
'JJ, Henry I know his fine. I don't know how but I know he is.' JJ went to speak. 'Let me finish.' JJ nodded in response. 'You're he's mother, you would know if something terrible had happened, you would just know.' Austin finished her declaration with such a stern truth that JJ could tell she wasn't going to win if she fought back with questionable thoughts of the what if's and maybes.
'Thank you.' JJ said feeling a lot better about the whole terrible predicament. Austin was right, she would just know if something was wrong with Henry.
'Any day... now let's do this, let's get one step closer to our family.'
JJ smiled, and walked to the cross opposite to the one that Austin had taken. They nodded that whatever happened they would help one another as much as possible. The light glinted and alerted them to start, they resisted the urge to talk, to ask what was on the other side. They both pursed their lips shut and worked silently and quickly.
Stepping back they both released their breath and caught a smile off one another as the lights turned off completely. The blinding light that came as the door between the shelves alerted them to proceed onto the next test.
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Row six
'Austin's going to be fine you now that right Reid?' Will had watched Reid go from pale to stone white as he read the list and he was sure that Reid might have passed out as he read out Austin's name as it followed JJ's.
'She doesn't need the stress when she's pregnant though.'
'I know and if I know JJ, who's been there, she will be doing everything to keep Austin calm, for both their sakes.' He saw Reid's mind as it worked over facts and statistics. 'Reid leave those thoughts, that knowledge at the door, you do not need to occupy your mind with that stuff.'
'How can I not?'
'Simple... one track mind.'
'One track mind?'
'Once you step on that cross I want you to one track you mind...to Austin and your baby. Mines one tracked to getting to JJ and Henry.'
Reid nodded strongly and headed for one of the crosses. He took Will's advice, as soon as his feet settled on the cross, he focused on Austin and getting to her. Will step on his cross and repeated a silent mantra for his wife and son. The wait for the lights to do their thing did not take long at all and as soon as it occurred both men leapt into action, grabbing things that seemed to have the mass of importance to them. Several minutes they stepped back on their crosses, Reid shot Will a thankful smile, now they wanted for their entrance to the next room to happen and the moment it occurred they both went for it. One task down the next one ahead.
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Row seven
'So what's the B.A.U. like now?' Gideon asked as they approached the crosses on the floor.
Rossi laughed slightly. 'Completely and utterly brilliant.'
'How do you mean?'
'Everyone has someone... we've had our troubles... but we've all pulled through.'
'Troubles?'
'Garcia got shot.' He saw Gideon look completely gob smacked. He nodded sincerely. 'Morgan almost got blown up, Prentiss and Reid got kidnapped by some religious cult.'
'I can't believe Garcia got shot, her of all people...' Rossi confirmed again. 'So thy're the bad times what about the good times?'
'Well... Hotch and Prentiss are married, as are Morgan and Garcia. Reid's married to a lovely little brunette called Austin, she's pregnant which I'm sure is causing him to panic and JJ's got a little boy with another cop.'
'All I can say is finally.' Both mean chuckled, and didn't miss the lights intensity dip, they then proceeded to get their items. Both men being older, more experienced, new essentials when they saw it but not know what to expect posed the problem even with immense experience and knowledge.
They both breathed deeply praying what they had would aid them to the end. Not even a flinch occurred from either of them as the lights went and one huge shadow was casted. Then the door in front of them swung open to reveal the revelations of room 2.
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a/n: So chapter 3 is done! What do you think?