***
I am getting a little antsy about the raid. The prep work is taking too long, and there are people in the cages - that need saving. Which I do vaguely care about. I think? I mean if I really cared, I would have roped in Maria and we would have blown up the den days ago. So maybe I don't.
Some of the antsy-ness is because a certain someone is driving me to distraction, and then not following through. I know I'm into some kink shit, but neglect play is not my jam!
We ran through the raid a few more times in the dream last night. I think we are ready.
I skipped class for the day. Sorcery isn't exactly my strongest class anyway. Sophia covers for me, while I take the Gestalt rat and head down to near where the Den is.
We are looking for the exit side of the escape tunnel. The crawl is cramped at the best of times. Scrambling around under and in between the crawl is even tighter. There were numerous times that I was hanging on to scaffolding above open Aether.
It takes us most of the morning, but the Gestalt rat and I find what we are looking for.
I pulled up the group chat.
I should probably feel the same. It feels like that was how I used to think back on Earth. Maybe my otherness started when I got here?
Well then. I still had a few hours to kill before raid time, and I knew just what to do.
***
I borrowed the rune cutter from Cid and brought it back to my room. I finally knew what to do with Chekhov. I could add a barrier-breaking enchantment, but I feel like that would be a waste. I'm not going to be fighting against many mages and Rift Walkers. Well, at least not yet. No, I need something to help me against the average underworld goon. I'm far from invincible.
I drew up the plans on a clay tablet and confirmed it worked. The spell itself was fairly simple. It removed noise. Not silenced, not suppressed. Removed.
Due to it being a rune-cut spell, and as much as I love Chekhov, it's not the most expensive gun in the world. It was a little bit mana-intensive, but I believe I could get ten rounds out of the Sol Ring.
I tested it, just cracked a window and fired out into the Aether. We are very high up at the Academy. So I wasn't worried about hitting anyone. It's honestly pretty strange. I feed the mana into the gun, and the spell triggers when fired. It almost feels like the reverse of what should happen. The noise in a small radius around the barrel just doesn't happen. It's super weird.
With that, there is nothing left to prepare.
But I just realized something. I'm alone, in my room. Sophia won't be back for at least another two hours.
'Gestalt pretend I don't exist for the next two hours!'
[That long?]
'Absolutely. I'm going for a full session.'
[Will your body be able to take it? It's not used to that type of abuse anymore.]
'We are about to find out!'
And I did. Vigorously. For two full hours.
It was glorious, and I think I chafed my clit.
***
Sophia and I are hanging about near the exit of the escape tunnel.
"Are you ready?" I asked her.
She simply nodded, her eyes resolute.
We crawl our way inside, slowly so as to not make any noise. It's painful work; the tunnel is the size of an air vent in movies. We are crawling our way through on our hands and knees. I got Shiv's delivery mechanism, and Sophia has the canister of gas.
Once we are near a trapdoor, Shiv, on the other side of the building, releases the Gestalt rat, which scurries its way to the necromancer's office. Using its eyes, I make sure the coast is clear. I can see the necromancers sitting at his desk. I thread the thin tubes of the mechanism through the cracks in the trapdoor, and release the gas.
The trap door is just behind and below the necromancer's desk. The ideal situation is that he doesn't even notice the gas. Just passes out and dies before he can set off any alarms.
I feel like I'm forgetting something. A niggling feeling in the back of my mind.
'Gestalt, have we forgotten anything?'
[Not that we can think of.]
'Huh. I have a weird feeling.'
There is a thump from above us. I switch my vision to the Gestalt rat to see the Necromancer slumped across his desk. I pull Chekhov from my domain, feed it some mana stored in my sol ring, to activate the silence enchantment, and blow a hole through the lock of the trap door.
Sophia activates her barrier over the both of us. Handy thing with barriers, they can filter all sorts of things - including gas. The both of us scramble though the trap door.
I feed Chekhov some more mana and then put two bullets through the Necromancer's skull, just to make sure. Sophia winced at that.
I pulled up the group chat.
Oh.
[Oh no.]
'It's fucking Truday! Why didn't you say anything!'
[We live in a dark basement. The days mean little to us!]
"Shall we look into the safe?" I asked Sophia.
"The cages first, Tangerine." said my good two shoes.
"Fine, fine. You wait here, keep an eye on that Necromancer." I said.
I quietly tiptoed across the corridor, careful to avoid triggering the zombie trap in the walls, until I crept into the cage room. Good, it's only missing one or two faces from the last time I saw them in here.
I feel pretty good that we saved most of them. The people do look pretty wrecked though, wasting away in iron bars.
I placed my finger upon my lips. "Shhhhhh." I said quietly, when some of the cage occupants noticed me. "We are here to rescue you. Keep quiet."
Who needs lock picks when you have a gun that can eat sound? I make short work of the locks, although it takes another five bullets..
I have three silent shots left from the sol ring, before I have to start cycling mana - which is noticeable if someone is looking for it.
"Change of plans, you lot. We gotta hustle," I semi-whispered. I guided the lot of them back towards the office. One of the smaller kids needed to be carried, which I didn't struggle with too badly. The gym sessions are actually starting to pay off.
Sophia guides them towards the trapdoor, towards freedom. I start looking at the safe.
Now you are probably thinking, 'How am I going to get into this safe?'
[No we weren't, we were the ones who saw the safe code written on the underside of the desk.]
Well, yeah, I guess. If you're going to ruin the drama of it all.
I quickly turn the dial-y knob thing. Twisting in the code. The safe door swings open with a clunk.
Sweet minted mother. It's full.
"Sophia, I need the bags," I said.
Sophia tosses me the bags, and I start shoveling scraps into them as fast as I can.
One bag full, I lob it into the escape tunnel. I start filling the second when,
Fuck. Alright the cage slaves have escaped for the most part. Just the kid who is too weak to walk left. We could just run now, but honestly I don't like my chances - fighting a vampire in a tight tunnel.
We need to set off the zombie trap. That will buy us a bit of time. I find the trap trigger in the Necromancer's desk, and feed a little bit of mana into it. There are sounds of ripping and crashing as a number of zombies buried into the walls of the corridor suddenly wake up.
"Sophia, grab the kid and get him out of here." I said.
"What about you?"
"There's more fracs. I'll be right behind okay."
Sophia gave me a look, like we were going to have a conversation about priorities later. But she did what I asked. She grabbed the child and dragged him down into the escape tunnel.
I scramble back to the safe, and keep shoveling cash into the second bag.
Desperate times.
Two seconds later the entire building shakes as there are a number of explosions upstairs.
I finish filling the bag with fracs and drag the now heavy bag towards the escape hatch.
More explosions, dust from the ceiling rains down on me, as I slide down into the escape hole.
Just as I think I'm free, a hand closes around the back of my neck. And pulls me back into the office.
I'm slammed against the desk. I raise Chekhov to put holes into my assailant, but it's battered away with ease, sent skittering across the floor.
Oh fuck.
I look into the eyes of the Vampire who has me pinned down against the desk..
"Oh, so you're here for pickup too?" I tried.
***
***
To be continued, dun dun duurrrrrrrr!