Naomi teleported home to change into her QUILL uniform. However, she forgot one major snafu. Her sword was still on the tech floor with the newbie who she hopes didn't screw up her sword. Even though Xiao had been there for a while she called Xiao a newbie since he transferred to ther from the Chinese branch of QUILL. It was a light inside joke between the two. Xiao told Naomi, Zeno and Gunvolt about his comics often. Frequently bringing some to work and sharing them from time to time.
Naomi decided to call Jeremy and tell him she was going to S-FIT again. But it went straight to voicemail.
"Ay Einstein, it's me. Just wanted ya ta tell the others I'm goin' ta S-FIT. See ya."
After leaving the message, Naomi teleported to the roof of S-FIT.
Ugh, when I say the top floor that's not what I mean! Naomi fumed mentally.
After climbing down a tree nearby, Naomi landed on the ground and rounded the left side of the building to reach the front. Unfortunately, Naomi ran into a literal road block. there appeareaed to be a purple mandala blocking her way. Naomi knocked on it, nothing. Her other attempts all proved the exact same it, body-slamming it, kicking it, trying to go around it.
None if it provided satisfactory results.
That's weird, in all ma years of bein' here an I never saw anythin' like that. Maybe Asimov saw some, better ask. Naomi pondered as she dialed for Asimov on her watch and put on her headset.
"Did you find anything?" Asimov wondered.
"Very peculiar, yes. There's some weird purple thing actin' as a barrier an no matter what I do I just can't seem ta get past it." Naomi ranted.
"they didn't have those before. Have you tried tagging and flashing it?" Asimov answered.
"What do you mean try to tag and falsh it? Xiao still has my weapon an ma backup gun's at home!" Naomi huffed.
"What do you mean before? Asimov have you been there already?" Gunvolt interrogated.
Naomi went back home while listening to the conversation, grabbed her gun and teleported back to in front the barrier.
"It worked, why I didn't think of that before I have no idea. There was three small barriers an a big one but doin' the same thing worked. It looks like whatever they did was definitely inspired by the previous building except for those barriers. The outside and inside looks the exact same. Eh, either the construction crew turned inta the deconstruction crew or somethin' happened. They got a broken wall an some candles in here too where it looks like the wall was. Maybe it's ta pay homage to the previous S-FIT scientists that died in the accident?" Naomi rambled.
"How do you two know so much about S-FIT? Let alone the previous one?" Moniqa asked.
An icon showing communications went dark.
"Naomi isn't the age she should be." Asimov admitted.
"What do you mean?" Gunvolt queried.
"She was genetically tampered with. She's what's called a Primal Dragon, and after reaching 18, their body doesn't age further. The Sumeragi got ahold of her and experimented on her since she had multiple Septimas and was the original Muse. During a time when she wasn' being experimented on they decidd to try and implant the Azure Striker into me. The first time I met her she told me they experimented on her while she slept. Unfortunatelyy it was every night for some years. But one night she came up with a plan to bust us out. It worked and I decided o create QUILL to help other Adepts in similar situations. Unfortunately, the Sumeragi managed to recapture her. How she managed to escape them is beyond me." Asimov explained.
Gunvolt, Moniqa and Zeno were in absolute shock.
"Ya done explainin' yet 'cause I found a door that's lookin' like it's 'bout ta open but it won't frickin budge." Naomi remarked.
"When were ya'll gonna say anything!?" Zeno hollered.
"Preferably never." Naomi retorted.
"Something that serious? I'd get it if you wanted to keep quiet about a prank that went wrong or an accidental arrest but not that." Moniqa commented.
"It's not relevant." Nnaomi denied.
"Man ya need ta stop with the sarcastic comments for at least a second." Zeno seethed.
"I'm tryna actually get some work done so if you'll kindly but out." Naomi huffed.
"Hey GV I found a way to update our- Uh, what's going on here exactly?" Xiao queried as he heard Naomi and Zeno argue over the intercom.
"Naomi and Asimov were experimented on at the old Sumeragi future institute of technology." Gunvolt explained.
"Thank you for traumatizing poor Xiao. Speaking of, what do you know about Zonda and Eden?" Naomi added.
"I don't know anything about them except for what's on file." Xiao confessed.
"Naomi that's the wrong door. The door you're looking for is on the bottom. That door on the ledge at the top of the right side of the room is the wrong one." Moniqa corrected.
"Well I don't remember this bein' hard ta open. I think it's for the vents." Naomi responded.
After flashing the door, Naomi discovered that the hidden room contained the entrance to the ventilation system if someone needed to make repairs.
"The reason I knew that is because I tried ta escape through there once but the security guards near the entrance caught me in the act an returned me back inside." Naomi notified.
"How old were you when you tried that?" Gunvolt asked.
"'Bout four or five." Naomi replied.
"How many times did ya try an escape?" Zeno wondered.
"Enough that they hired more guards ta secure ma spots that helped me run or hide." Naomi laughed.
"Only one of the Sumeragi members was annoyed rather than angry." Asimov remembered.
"If that was it then Mytyl would be the favorite since she couldn't walk." Naomi rumpily mumbled.
"Maybe they made that vent cover tight so you couldn't escape again?" Zeno theorized.
"there's no way man. If that was it they would tried ta capture me 'gain. An they woulda brought me here." Naomi denied.
"Is that why the vent entrance is all the way up there?" Moniqa pondered.
"I say they shoulda put it outside if they were so worried." Naomi commented as she crawled through the vents.
"Are you seriously crawlin through the vents right now?" Zeno teased.
"Don't, remind me. Because, if you do, I'll remind you, of how painful it is, to lose, at video games." Naomi threatened.
Zeno shut up real quick after that. Naomi began to hear talking as she almost crossed the 5th vent cover. When she looked down, she saw a sight she hadn't seen in quite some time.