Chapter 81
Meanwhile inside HQ, Vil's group was wandering through the hallways.
"All these hallways look identical I can't even tell if we're going towards the control room." Vil complained.
"I've been leaving marks at every turn we've taken. We haven't passed the same place twice so we should be making progress in theory." Jamil piped up from the back.
"The real problem is there's a ton of doors that require ID cards. If it wasn't for that all the stupid anti-magic junk I'd just turn them to sand." Leona grumbled.
"I had the same idea but then remembered what Idia mentioned earlier. He said all these rooms double as shelters in case of an emergency so I doubt the doors would break easily." Riddle reminded them.
"I could use my signature spell as I did when I escaped my own room, but it would take time and I don't have unlimited reserves." Vil sighed.
"If only there were some staff around. We could wring their,... ah this is we could politely ask them to explain the situation and show us where to go." Azul remarked.
Suddenly a scream echoed down the hall followed by familiar robot sounds.
"What was that?" Vil asked as the group stared forward.
"Help me! Ek!" A young blonde staff member yelled, he was being followed by a Charon.
"Technomantic beam charged Target locked." The solo Charon stated as he raised his baton.
"Well, would you look at that? A staff member is getting attacked by a Charon." Azul said as the staff member continued to them.
"How convenient I say we save his butt then make him show us the way as repayment." Leona said as he raided his wooden staff at the Charon.
"Really now, that's not a very princely suggestion, that said I'm in agreement. Let's do this
battle." Vil said glaring at the Charon.
"Hmph, they're easy enough to handle once you know what you're dealing with." Riddle commented once they defeated the Charon.
"Quite, these Charon behave much simpler and more systematically then the ones on campus." Vil added as the group looked behind them to the shaking staff member.
"You're,.. you're those subjects." The staff member gasped.
"Subjects? I think you mean your saviors, you owe us, so how about taking us to your precious acting director." Leona demanded.
"Eek! Stay way from me you monsters." The staff member squeaked as he tried to move away from the group.
"Did you just call us monsters?" Riddle snapped.
"And here I just aided you in the spirit of benevolence what a thing to say." Azul grumbled as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
"No kidding, look we're just a group of poor lost little lambs who can't find our way. So take us lost kids to the control room already that's where the adults are right? Well?" Leona said as he squatted down in front of the guy.
"In what world would a lost child have such a sinister glint in their eyes? Or act so high handed?" Vil remarked.
"No! I don't wanna go anywhere neat the central block that's where Tartarus is. The Cerberus system's been hijacked Once the Phantoms start pouring out the island is finished." The guy howled as he tried to move away from Leona.
"Wait what do you mean hijacked?" Vil asked.
"I don't have time to stand around explaining things to you, step aside I've got to get to the escape terminal." The guy said finally standing up and trying to push pass the group.
"Good grief fine so be it." Jamil muttered then stepped up to the staff member. "Just calm down we know you want to escape but it wouldn't be wise to go by yourself, show us, to escort you."
"Really?" The guy asked sounding hopefully.
'Heh, there's that eye contact.' Jamil thought as he said. 'The one you behold is your master, when I ask you a question you will answer when I give you a command you will assent. Snake charmer"
"Yes." The guy mumbled as his eyes glazed over.
"You have an ID card I presume, open the door for us would you?" Jamil commanded the staff. He did as he was told.
"I have to hand it to you Jamil that was smoothly done." Azul complimented as they went through the first door.
"He said Cerberus system's been hijacked. Can you get him to tell us what's going on with that?" Vil asked as they followed the staff member.
"Snake Charmer simply allows control over a target's will it's not like Jade's signature spell. It would be difficult to extract very specific information from a target. If done a certain way I might be able to get a similar result but that's neither here nor there." Jamil informed them.
"Oh yeah? The Octavinelle vice housewarden has a signature spell that can do that? Scary stuff." Leona commented.
"Oh dear, I said something I shouldn't have, I;m fairly certain he wouldn't want me sharing that so please do keep that to yourself." Jamil replied trying to sound innocent.
"Don't worry Leona Jade's signature spell would hardly be a threat to a mage as capable as yourself." Azul assured him with his signature smile. "Tch, I was trying to keep that secret as my ace in the hole, you let it slip on purpose didn't you Jamil?" Azul whispered to him glaring.
"Why I have no idea what you're talking about." Jamil whispered back trying to suppress an evil grin.
"This isn't a school trip boys enough with the chitchat. With this staffers ID and guidance we'll be able to reach the control room without getting lost." Vil reminded them as they continue to follow the unwilling staff member.
"Right, and once we're there we can assess the situation." Riddle added.
Meanwhile in the Control Room was in complete chaos.
"All Charon power armors are active and on autopilot Ortho's got control of their admin rights. We've received reports of them attacking and capturing our own personnel several people have been injured. R&D what's the status of the weapons in the hangers?" A technician asked into a radio he had in his hand.
All weapons with Styx made technomantic circuity remains offline." An Engineer replied. "That's all of our weapons get them working even if you have to disassemble them to do it." The technician snapped back.
"We have no response to the distress signal we sent to the outside and we've lost communicate with staff who were heading to the power stations and emergency terminals." Other technician shouted out.
"Tartarus freezing system disengaged it'll be fully thawed in 6 hours and 16 minutes. It's going faster on the upper levels the thaw should reach sector 4 in another 3 hours. Tower 1 has already started to unfreeze all the way down to sector 12." A third called out.
"SECTOR 12 That's where the original phantoms are so it's only a matter of time before the Titans awaken." Everyone gasped.
More alarms began to go off accompanied with red flashing lights.
"Blot density is rising throughout HQ sounding the contamination alarm we're simply no match for Ortho's computing power. Is there nothing we can do?" A technician sobbed.
The group had entered the room half way through this mess.
"Come now don't tell me you're giving up that easily." Vil said as they walked up to the sobbing group of technicians.
"You're the subjects fro NRC. You were put in isolated cells how did you get here?" The head technician asked jumping back.
"Thank you for your help, you're free to go." Jamil said releasing the blonde staff member from his spell.
"Yes sir,... what why am I here? I thought I was on my way to an escape terminal." The staff member muttered as he looked around.
"Subject D used his signature spell to control a member of our staff." A technician gasped.
"How we got here doesn't matter where's the acting director?" Leona asked.
"Mr. Shroud is…" A technician member began but was cut off.
"If you're looking for my big brother he's with me." The voice stated.
"That voice Ortho?" Azul asked looking around.
Ortho appeared on the screens above the controls. He still looks like regular Ortho.
"You certainly are SSR epic trouble markers your cell doors were designed to not open from the inside." Ortho informed them.
"Oh yes, now that you mention it something about them didn't seem quiet right but we managed to get them open. Now what exactly is going on? I believe we deserve an explanation from the boss where are you right now?" Vil asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"Sorry, my brother's indisposed at the moment so you'll have to talk to me instead. We're currently in the lowest sector of Tartarus the Underworld. We're going to free all our friends trapped in here." Ortho answered.
"Your friends?" Vil asked raising an eyebrow.
"You told me something interesting Vil Schoenheit, it will always be 0% chance as along as you believe it impossible and refuse to act. I don't want to let 0 stay 0. So I'm taking action to claim the future we want." Ortho smiled.
"What do you mean by that?" Vil asked still looking confused.
"As long as Tartarus and the Underworld exist, we Watchman can't leave the Island of Woe, but if we destroy the current world and rebuild it into one where we coexist with Phantoms we'll be able to go anywhere, you see." Ortho explained excitedly.
"What?!" Everyone in the room gasped.
"Thank you for giving us a positive nudge in the right direction Vil Schoenheit." Ortho thanked him happily.
"So your plan is to release the Phantoms contained here and destroy the world?" Vil asked dropping his arms to his sides.
"This world has too much extraneous save data. It needs to reset before we can start a new game. We're going to do a clean boot, and opening Tartarus and the underworld is the first step." He explained.
"Unbelievable you two want to remake the whole world? That's…" Vil began but started to laugh. "That's gold consider me impressed." He said once he finally recovered.
"What?" Ortho gasped.
"It's a major step up from moping about change being impossible. I applaud your effort." Vil said giving a small few claps.
"Vil? What are you saying?" Riddle snapped.
"You do? Does that mean you'll join us?" Ortho asked.
"Not in the least." Vil chuckled.
"Huh?" Ortho questioned.
"Much like yourselves I have a dream, I'm not willing to yield. A dream to be the fairest one of all, and unfortunately for you I haven't gotten there yet your little reset would put a considerable damper on my plans. If I'd already achieved my dreams I'd be perfectly happy to try for it again in your new world, but here we are. Hence I'm going to crush your plan with everything I have." Vil announced.
Ortho just looked shocked.
"I'll grant you one thing, The world totally sucks as it is but I don't think your new world would be anymore to my taste. So I'm gonna stick with this one it's a less of a pain." Leona shrugged as he stepped closer to the screen.
"I know it must be awful to be trapped by family obligations, but the trouble is I can't stand getting jerked around by those is power." Jamil stated.
"Phantoms flooding the world would be terrible for the economy. I'm not about to let the fortune I've so painstakingly built go up in smoke." Azul said.
"Rules shouldn't be made with such a self righteous attitude I can't condone your actions," Riddle added.
"There you have it. We all oppose you." Vil said as he glanced around the group the back to the large scene.
"Oh that's too bad. I would've liked to play games with you all again, goodbye then." Ortho sighed then disappeared.
Alarms went off and red lights flashed again once it stopped the sound of Charon approaching filled the air. The soon appeared in the doorway.
"Target acquired Termination mode engaged." The head Charon stated as he raised a baton.
"It would seem Idia and Ortho are serious about taking us out." Azul said as he aimed his metal octopus staff at the Charon.
"How bold of them They're welcome to try." Vil gloated.
"Brace yourselves boys here they come." Leona growled.
Wow I can't believe we've made it to over 80 chapters! Thanks for sticking around. I hope your enjoyed the chapter. See ya next time.