Chapter 89
"Above us! Everyone ready yourselves!" Rook stated as they turned behind them to see a smaller Phantom had been following them now chasing them.
Odette got shuffled to the back of the group and handed the Spear again. They organized another triple attack and destroyed the Phantom.
"I thought that was Grim, but it was just a Phantom with a passing resemblance." Vil muttered.
"I was so sure it was him." Epel sighed.
"Likewise, I normally never mistake one animal for another. I suppose it just goes to show how fatigued we are." Rook lamented.
"A nice chocolate bar would perk you up, want one" Odette asked pulled one out of her massive sleeve.
"That's very considerate of you Odette thank you." Rook thanked as he could it from her.
"We can't let ourselves get psyched out now." Epel said as he did pulled out a bar too.
"Our focus is waning now that we're tired. We must stay calm and remain cautious. Even if we don't find Grim on our way down. Once we smack some sense into Idia and Ortho and make them turn the Cerberus system back on we should locate him in no time. You of all people should know how brazen and stubborn Grim is Odette. Those entrusted with running a dorm must have faith in their fellow students. So let's have a little faith in him." Vil said as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Yeah." Odette sighed nodding.
"Ah look we're coming up in the next containment facility." Epel pointed out after he finished his chocolate bar.
"According to the map, The Underworld is just on the other side of this one." Vil announced as he pulled the map back out and showed it to them.
"Which means it holds the most dangerous Phantoms of all. Make sure you stay on our toes." Rook remained them as they reached the door.
On the other side of the door the containment facility looks just like all the others but it is very quiet, there's absolutely no noise.
"Well what's he got his sleeve this time?" Vil asked as he looked around.
"Nothing's happening." Odette whispered as she did the same.
"Perhaps he's no longer in a position to play games with us." Epel hoped.
"It's possible this silence is most unsettling the Phantoms in the cages are showing no signs of activity either." Rook remarked.
"What if we just blasted through the door with the Thunder Spear." Epel suggested.
"We could but the Thunder Spear is our trump card as long as there's a chance we could face the Titan again we don't want to play it prematurely plus there's only one path here if we don't lock up the facility when we leave the Phantoms are likely to break out of their cages and attacks us from behind." Vil remained him.
"Oh yeah good point." Epel sighed.
"The researchers gave us an emergency manual with our map and according to the manual there's an emergency key card stored in a security box within the facility assuming Ortho hasn't rigged thus place with one of his pranks it could still be here." Vil explained as he began to look for the box.
"Then let us check for it, where could that security box be ah! Vil look." Rook announced from over in a corner.
"The box is destroyed and it's contents have been removed." Vil sighed.
"Maybe Ortho got here first after all, then again it looks like some giant beast just smashed it and there are gashes on the box with blot all around them." Epel pointed out.
"So did a Phantom steal the key?" Odette wondered.
"We've encountered one smart enough to disguise itself as a human to try and deceive us perhaps this one wants to use the key and get out of this room." Rook theorized.
"I don't see a Phantom though." Odette whispered as she looked around the room again.
"Wait, do you think it's hiding and watching us?" Epel gasped.
"Possibly it could be waiting to catch is unawares and take us down before it escapes." Vil said as his eyes darted around the room too.
"I fear our only options is to check the cages one by one." Rook sighed.
"We're at a clear disadvantage considering we're the ones out in the open. Odette, Epel stay behind me." Vil ordered.
"Yes sir, we've got your back." Epel doing as he was told.
No sooner had Epel gotten behind Vil when the Phantom appeared, jumping down from high up. This one looked like a giant panther, it was twice the size of Vil and Rook and took up the entire width of the walk way.
After several blasts they finally defeated it but no sooner had they catch their breath when loud banging on the door they had come through began.
"It's the Titan." Odette gasped.
"I'll activate the Thunder Spear." Vil announced as everyone took the same spots as before and braced themselves as Vil activated the Spear.
"User confirmed all technomantic circuits and safety locks released activating targeting support mode." The Navi announced.
The Titan continued to bang on the door, the door began to fold inward.
"The door's about to go!" Epel shouted.
"The Titan took a direct hit from the Thunder Spear yet it appears right as rain what incredible power." Rook remarked.
"They're been stuck in a freezer for over a thousand years their thirst for destruction must be overwhelming." Vil remained them as the banging continued.
The Titan finally crashed the through the door. It growled at them as it tried to enter the room.
"It's breached the door!" Epel exclaimed.
The Titan screeched at them again trying to reach them as it angled itself through the doorway.
"Come if it's destruction you want then I'll give it to you." Vil snapped as the Thunder Spear powered up, the lighting it gave off sparked dangerously close to them in the confided space. "One more push! Give it all you've got!" Vil ordered as Rook aimed the Spear squarely at the Titan's unguarded chest.
"Hrah!" Everyone yelled Thunder Spear shot a bolt at the Titan.
"Grah! Curse you, curse you Jupiter!" The Titan screamed as he knocked back and out of the room and down to the pit of the Underworld.
Everyone was huffing and the Navi system stated. "Thunder Spear battery low 10% charge remaining Please place in charging station."
"We must've gotten it this time right?" Odette wheezed still holding onto the Spear.
"Whew, I' m drained both physically and magically I can't move another step." Vil breathed out as he wiped his brow.
"I never thought I'd hear Vil complain bout exercising then again I ain't any better off." Epel panted as he tried to control his breathing.
"We just need to stick it out a little longer. The map says there's a hanger with a charging station nearby Vil, can you stand? Do you require a shoulder to lean on?" Rook asked.
"Hmph! Not from someone who's injured." Vil answered as he pointed at the cuts and burns on Rook's arms.
"Yeah we gotta get Rook patched up too, let's hustle to the hanger." Epel said as he began to lead the door to now busted door behind them.
The made their way to the hanger, it looked just the same as the last and Vil put the Thunder Spear in the charging station as Epel looked around the hanger for a first aid kit.
"I'd like to believe that blast finished the Titan off but we should charge the Thunder Spear just to be safe. We don't have time to wait for it to fully charge though we'll leave when it's about half done." Vil said as he sat at the table.
"Oh there's a first aid potion set here. Lemme see your arm Rook." Epel called out as he finally found one and brought to Rook who was also sitting at the table.
"Thank you Monsieur Pommette, though I should point out that you, Vil and Odette are banged up as well." Rook pointed out.
They all had cuts and burns from using the Thunder Spear in such a tight space.
"I'm fine, it's just superficial and the potion made help restore your magic too so please someone else use it." Odette said shaking her head.
"Ugh, I'm absolutely filthy, my outfit's all ripped and my hair's gone frizzy. I just want to get out of here and have a nice hot soak with my favorite bath salts, and once I'm done, I'll slather myself with all those products you brought me doing such things was normal for me until a matter of days ago. Now it all feels like a dream. You know this thing with Idia and Ortho maybe they just want a normal life like ours. One where they can have friends over to play video games and talk about their future aspirations while gazing at the stars. A modest ordinary life." Vil sighed.
Everyone just looked at him and remained silent, completely understanding what he meant.
"But reality is never so kind to any of us, I'm going to crush their little dream for my own sake. And by the same token they can fight their hardest to destroy ours. In the shadows of one person's happy ending another cries. But no matter whose tears are shed it's never personal." Vil continued but soon dozed off.
"Vil nodded off." Epel whispered.
"Let him sleep, he could use it after all the fighting. Epel you and Odette should rest as well. We'll be in the Underworld soon and facing our battle against Idia and Ortho we must recover what little energy we can." Rook insisted quietly.
"Thank you." Odette said as she laid her head over her crossed arms on the table. 'I just want to return to the Ramshackle with Grim and get back to our own normal lives.' She thought as she closed her eyes but didn't sleep.
"Yes sir." Epel yawned and quickly nodded off.
Odette kept quiet and let Rook think only he was standing guard figuring this would be the only time she would be able to trick him due to his lack of sleep as well.
"Normal huh?" Rook mumbled.
An hour later there was a loud crashing causing everyone to jump and wake up.
'That's not good.' Odette thought as she looked around at her companions.
"What was that? "Vil exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair.
"I don't know we should go find out." Rook said as the group went over to the charging station.
"How charged is the Thunder Spear?" Vil asked.
"Battery 30% charged." The Navi system announced.
"Oh no, it's not even halfway done." Epel complained.
"It is what it is. Not the ideal scenario but we'll take what we can get. Now let's move." Vil replied as he picked it up off the charging station and headed for the door.
'This really isn't good.' Odette thought as she gulped and hoped no one heard.
Thanks for reading and sticking around. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya next time.