Re: Why so serious?

[Guest]

Of course, the minute that some vague skeleton of a plan had been laid, Alfred was up and raring to go, demanding that they rush down to Yekaterina's car and head over to the newspaper to see if they could find any more clues there. And of course, Yekaterina was the voice of reason, pointing out that it was just about dinner time anyway, and that the building wouldn't even be open for that much longer, if it was even still open at all. After all, Arthur was the one with the keys.

So it was a very resigned Alfred who situated himself in front of Yekaterina's laptop as she called up the nearest pizza parlor for a delivery. The thought of the pizza, usually a sure thing to cheer up even his most sour of moods, did nothing to lift the heaviness in his heart this time. He fiddled with the touchpad of the laptop, not really paying attention to what he was doing, until suddenly the screen changed color and caught his gaze.

There, bold against the dark desktop, was a photograph of his brother and Yekaterina, their arms wrapped around one another, both smiling, cheeks pink from the cold. It was so personal, so intimate, that Alfred immediately felt guilty for having seen it. He glanced back over his shoulder at Yekaterina, who didn't seem to have noticed, and closed the window with a faint click.

***

Francis heaved a sigh at Arthur's maintained silence. "Is that really your choice, then? To starve until I need to send someone to force feed you?" He scoffed. "That doesn't seem to measure up with the self-proclaimed gentleman I used to know. Didn't you always want to be self-sufficient? Back then, you would have cursed me out for even suggesting that you wouldn't be able to feed yourself."

Then again, things had changed since then. Francis was very little like the young man Arthur had once known, having grown up and lost that shimmering veil that protected him from the harshness of the world. He had developed new priorities, new opinions, a new way of looking at the people and places around him, and as far as he was concerned, it was all for the better. Perhaps Arthur had changed as well, though it seemed he had only gone downhill.

"So?" Francis prompted, gesturing at the food-laden table behind him. "What do you say, Arthur?"

[Damsey]

Natalia didn't know where to look but she figured that it would be best to start looking at Kirkland's office. There were bound to be clues there, right? Right.

She disguised herself as a janitress and went inside the building. This way, she wouldn't be questioned if she goes into the different rooms. And, if someone ever catches her, she could just say that she got lost and she would be off the hook.

It wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. There was this Japanese guy who kept watching her every move. It was as if he knew what she was doing. It took all of her will power not to kill him right there and then. But, it was all worth it. She found them. At long last, she found the documents that Ivan wanted.

She slowly made her way out of the building. The second that she got out of the building, she ran. Now, all she needs to do is to get to her dear brother safely and give these to him.

Everything would be fine.

**

Arthur's eyes widened. Francis was right. He used to be someone who everybody feared. But now, he was just a weak and pathetic man. What was happening to him?

Arthur opened his mouth to say something but he immediately closed his mouth shut. There was nothing that he could say. It was all true.

[Guest]

The pizza came, the pizza man went, and Alfred and Yekaterina sat and ate in silence. Now that they had nothing to really say to one another, the awkwardness that came with the sudden realization that neither knew the other very well began to settle in. After all, their real connection was through Matthew, and with him gone... Well, now they were working together on this situation, but for different reasons, and only the same goal in mind.

Yekaterina slept on the bed, and Alfred slept on the floor. It was an uncomfortable night for them both- the awkwardness still hung over them, and the worry of what the next day might bring only worsened their spirits.

***

"Very well, then." Francis stood from his chair, and with a sweep of his arm, he knocked several of the platters and their assorted foods onto the floor. "Don't clean it up," he snapped at the guards who started to move forwards to do just that. "Our guest will be staying in here tonight. If he wants any of this dinner, he'll eat it off the floor like a dog."

He turned away, heading towards the door to his bedroom, but not before casting Arthur one more furious, disgusted look. "You disappoint me, Arthur. Look at what you've become." And then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

Outside, the moon cast glimmering reflections down over the gentle waves, and the stars glittered high above. For anyone else, it might have been a peaceful night, but not for those aboard Francis' man-made island.

[Damsey]

Natalia stopped right in front of the factory. He knew that there was a secret passage here somewhere but it would take her too much time to find where that is. Ivan never really told her where it was. She never really told her anything. But, that doesn't matter right now. All that matters now is for her to find the entrance to that maze.

She looked high and low, left to right, over and under until she finally found what she was looking for. She smiled contentedly to herself as she went entered the door to the maze. Natalia's eyes widened at how huge this maze was, then she remembered that her dear brother's creatures were lingering somewhere deep inside this maze. She can't take care of them alone. She needed someone to go with her. But, who?

Yekaterina.

That's right! She could try to trick her sister into coming with her and let her fight off the enemies while she runs away to see Ivan! It might be a cruel thing to do but that's what a traitor like her deserves. Natalia immediately went out of the factory and brought out her cellphone. It was a good thing that she hadn't decided to erase her sister's number yet.

"Hello, big sister? We need to talk. It's about big brother."

**

As soon as he was left alone by the Francis and the guards, tears fell from his Arthur's face. He hated being looked down upon. He doesn't mind being being beaten up, he doesn't mind not being fed for days and he doesn't mind that everyone there gave him disgusted glares. That's not what bothers him. What bothers him is that he actually needs to eat Francis' leftover food that was scattered all over the ground.

He knew that he had the choice whether to eat them or not but still, being put in this kind of situation hurt his pride so much and there wasn't anything that he could do about it. He let out a frustrated cry. He had never been so humiliated in his entire life.

He curled up on the floor, ignoring his stomach and forced himself to go to sleep.

[Guest]

Riiiiinnnggg.

Yekaterina grumbled lightly and pulled the covers up closer around herself. It was still the middle of the night, her mind told her. Someone would shut that stupid noise off in a minute or two and she could go back to sleep.

Riiiiinnnggg.

Oh, no, wait. She rolled over and blinked at the nightstand, where her bleary eyes could just make out a small, vaguely rectangular object that seemed to be the source of the sound. It took her brain a moment to connect the dots, but when it did she groped sleepily for the cellphone and brought it to her ear, glancing down at where Alfred was still fast asleep in his makeshift bed of blankets on the floor. "Hello?" she asked, voice slightly hoarse.

"Hello, big sister? We need to talk. It's about big brother."

And then Yekaterina was suddenly very awake indeed, pressing the phone closer against her ear. "Natalia? It's the middle of the night. What's this about Ivan? Did something happen?"


((Damsey, I just want to let you know that this was a BRILLIANT way of joining everything together! Utterly brilliant.))

[Damsey]

"Big Sister, I don't really want to talk to you but I really have no other choice." Natalia sighed. "You see, I found the documents that big brother needs.I don't think I could go all the way through the factory all alone..." Natalia took in a deep breath. It wasn't exactly easy for her to ask help from her older sister. She was a traitor! She betrayed both her and Ivan! It was unforgivable!

But, right now, she needs her help. If she wants to be reunited with Ivan, she needs Yekaterina's help. She couldn't possible fight all of those monsters all by herself. "Th-that's why I need your help..." After that, when she is finally reunited with her beloved big brother, Natalia could go and help get rid of her once and for all.

"Anyway, your efforts won't be in vain. I know that you wanted to go and save Big brother from his evil ways, right? So, this could be your chance." Natalia knew that Yekaterina couldn't refuse this offer.But, just to make sure... "You could bring a few people if you'd like, but keep it to a small number. Bringing too many in would be troublesome." If Yekaterina ever did bring people with her, she could use them as bait for the monsters. This way, her safety was guaranteed.

"So, what do you say?"


((Do you really think so, Spidey? Oh, I'm so glad that you approve of it! ;u;))

[Guest]

At Natalia's next words, Yekaterina couldn't hold back the slight chuckle that escaped her lips. Of course Natalia would still be angry with her. It only made sense. But then, as her sister continued speaking, Yekaterina's wry humor fell away, replaced only with sharp curiosity and a vague sense of foreboding.

So Natalia had found what Ivan was looking for after all. Yekaterina had no idea how she had done it- though knowing her sister, it could have been anything- but somehow, the... documents were in Natalia's hands. Those documents could have contained anything, anything at all, and Yekaterina knew that she couldn't allow Natalia to bring them all the way to Ivan. If this was the basis of the whole plot, something had to be done.

But at that moment, Yekaterina was at a disadvantage, and a major one at that. She had no idea where Natalia was, other than that at some point she would have to return to the factory, or what else she had on her. Straight up demanding to know her plans would only result in losing this chance. So for the moment, as much as she hated doing so, Yekaterina pushed her suspicions aside and nodded, though she knew she couldn't be seen through the phone. She just hoped Alfred would agree that this was the way to go when he woke up.

"Alright," she said firmly. "I'll do it. Where am I going to meet you, and when?"

[Damsey]

Natalia smirked. She knew that her sister wouldn't refuse! "I guess, I'd like to do it as soon as possible." Natalia would rather do it now than to wait later. She needed to be with her big brother! She knew that her big brother would be missing her too! After all, they've been apart for a lot of days already! "Now. I'll wait for you outside the factory where Kirkland was captured."

But, what if she doesn't show up? What is Yekaterina was just playing with her? There was a possibility! "I'll wait for you only for an hour! If you're late, forget it! I'll go there by myself!" Or I'll find someone else to go with me. If Yekaterina doesn't come, then Natalia would just come in with other people and use them as sacrifices just to be able to get through the maze. She just hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

"So, hurry up!" Natalia hung up and walked over to the entrance of the factory, hugging the documents closer to her. She really hoped that her sister would come.

[Guest]

The factory? Only an hour? That wasn't much time at all. "Wait, Natalia-!" But the line was already dead. Yekaterina sighed and dropped her phone back onto the nightstand, swinging herself out of the hotel bed and moving over to where Alfred was still asleep on the floor. "Alfred!" she called. When he didn't wake up immediately, she tried again, a little louder. "Alfred!"

A subtle shuffling motion and a faint yawn was all the indication that Alfred had awoken, before a head of sleep-tussled hair and two bleary eyes emerged to peer up at her, obviously confused. "Yekaterina? What time is it?"

"Time to get up," she replied firmly. "Natalia called. I know there's probably some kind of catch, but she is giving us a chance to reach Ivan, wherever he might have gone. She gave us one hour. We can't afford to pass this opportunity- we might not get another one."

Almost before she was done speaking, Alfred had leaped out of his makeshift bed and was running like a madman towards the bathroom, his suit in hand. "I'll be out in two minutes! Two seconds! Let's go!"

And though it was decidedly more than two seconds, or even minutes, later that they actually began their wild drive towards the old factory. Yekaterina kept the pedal to the metal, and though there was one brief, nearly disastrous chase from a police car, they managed to get to the factory in what felt like no time at all.

[Damsey]

Natalia wondered if Yekaterina would really come. She knows that her sister wasn't stupid enough to actually fall for this kind of trap. Natalia shrugged and looked at the time. It had only been fifteen minutes since she had called. It would probably take at least another thirty minutes to actually get here... That is, if they were going to come at all.

Natalia snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Yekaterina's car right in front of her. Well, that was fast. But the sooner the better, right? Right. She saw that she brought a man with her. He looks a whole lot like Matthew but there was something different about him. She concluded that he must be her new boyfriend. But, she doesn't care about her sister's love life. All she wants to do now is to go to her brother.

Natalia walked over to the entrance of the factory and motioned for Yekaterina to follow her. "This way."

She stopped for a while and turned towards the two of them. "I told you that there was going to be a really long maze here... And there are a whole lot of monsters inside..." Natalia thought it would be best to give them a final warning before they go inside. She wanted to make sure that they weren't just going to leave her behind once they're attacked by monsters.

"So, be prepared."

[Guest]

Yekaterina and Alfred had a brief argument in the confines of the car before actually getting out, with Alfred insisting that they should just take Natalia down and force her to tell them exactly what was going on, and Yekaterina trying to logically explain why they couldn't do that without putting themselves at a major disadvantage. Needless to say, Yekaterina won, and so it was a quiet, though still highly energetic, Alfred that stepped out of the passenger side.

As expected, Natalia didn't waste any time on greetings. She gestured towards the factory and Alfred and Yekaterina followed. But what they both noticed was the small packet Natalia was clutching to her chest- that must have been what Braginsky, or whoever he was working for, had needed Arthur to find. Alfred refused to focus on what could possibly happen once they had no need for Arthur anymore.

Once they were inside, Natalia stopped and recounted what she had said earlier. Monsters, mazes... Exactly the kind of thing that a villain like Braginsky would find useful. Who knew what kind of monsters would live down there? Horrific mutants like the ones Braginsky had created, or something worse, something old and dark from the very bowels of the earth?

They had no choice to turn back now, though. To walk away from this would be to walk away from any chance to see Arthur alive again, and for Yekaterina to save her brother. Alfred drew in a deep breath and thought back to that night- it felt so long ago- when he and Arthur had been sitting together on the roof, with only the stars to watch as they got closer to one another, and how warm he'd felt with Arthur right beside him, and how wonderful the world had seemed right then. That was what he was fighting for. That was what he refused to give up.

"We're ready," he told Natalia firmly. Yekaterina nodded beside him.

[Damsey]

"Good. Now, follow me."

Natalia sighed. This wasn't going to be easy, she knew it, but at least she didn't have to face it all alone. She walked over to the entrance of the maze and went in. It was just as she remembered. Hopefully, she could recognize the different paths that she needed to take. She didn't want to take too long in that creepy maze.

Not long after, they already found the staircase. Natalia saw blood on the floor. It looked like it had been here for quite some time now. But there was no one who knew about this place... Could it be Ivan's? Natalia paled. No, that can't be... Her big brother has complete control over these mutants so it must not be her brother's! But still, she must make sure. She has to hurry.

"Come on! We need to hurry." Natalia walked faster down the stairs. She couldn't risk running as she might fall down. It was too dangerous. As much as she wanted to see her brother, she still needed to be of use to him and she can't be useful if she was injured. She just hoped that the other two follows her.

After going down from the staircase, Natalia saw more blood from the ground. She didn't know if she should follow it or not. It could just be blood from someone else. But, that was all that she's got right now. She turned to Yekaterina. "Big sister, I have no idea where to go. I have a feeling that if we follow these, we'd be able to find big brother..."

"What do you think..?"

[Guest]

After exchanging wary glances, Alfred and Yekaterina followed Natalia into the darkness, and soon enough to the top of a very long flight of stairs. It was Alfred who noticed the stains on the floor first. He choked back a gasp, pressing a hand to his lips to silence the sound. That blood... It could have belonged to Braginsky, it could have belonged to the mutant, it could belonged to anyone... But it also could have belonged to Arthur, and the very idea was enough to make him sick to his stomach.

Yekaterina shot him a concerned look but said nothing. Obviously she had seen the stains as well, and understood what they could potentially mean. Still, there was a steely quality behind her gaze, something that insisted silently that he needed to maintain his composure. He knew she was right. This was their one and only chance to resolve this mess, and they couldn't risk it now.

So they proceeded down the darkened staircase, always a step or two behind Natalia but never too far back out of fear of losing sight of her. Finally, they reached the bottom. Alfred's eye caught on a discolored trail on the ground, and against his better judgement, he glanced down at it.

More blood.

Alfred bit back his noise before it could escape this time, clamping his lips shut around it and refusing to stare too long at those horrible marks on the ground. Maybe if he didn't look at it, it would just disappear...? The logic was foolish and immature, but it was all he had.

Casting another worried glance over at Alfred, Yekaterina nodded slightly in response to her sister's question. "That's probably our best bet at the moment, yes. I don't know what else we could do."

[Damsey]

Natalia nodded. "Alright then." She moved further into the maze and followed the drops of blood on the ground. It was no good. It was getting lesser and lesser. They might not be able to finish this maze by just following the trail of blood after all.

Luckily, there were still no monsters around. But, she should not let her guard down. They could jump in on them at any time from any direction. They need to be really careful.

Natalia was starting to get worried. She could no longer see any blood on the ground. She looked up to see that there were two ways that they could go to. They could either go left or right. It was a scary. What if they made the wrong decision? Natalia didn't even want to think about it.

She turned to Yekaterina. "Which way should we go..?" She didn't want to be responsible for anything that might happen. So, whatever Yekaterina's decision would be.. that's what they would follow. If everything went wrong, she wouldn't be the one to blame... Or she could just go and run while they fight off the monsters.

"Choose wisely..."

[Guest]

"Which way...?" The question had obviously taken Yekaterina by surprise. She wasn't stupid, though- she knew what Natalia was trying to do. Leaving the blame on her and her alone would set Natalia free to do whatever she wanted in retribution if they went the wrong way. Still, she couldn't force her sister to choose, and making Alfred decide would only have the same possible outcomes. This choice was up to her.

She stepped forward, peering down one dark pathway in the hopes that she might be able to see something, then moved over to the other and did the same. But there were no clues, nothing to help guide her down the right path. She frowned, glancing down at the ground, only to see that there was no longer any blood trail to follow, either. It would have to be a guess, and she had a fifty percent chance of being wrong.

"Well," Yekaterina began slowly, looking down both pathways again, "I suppose we should go-"

"Wait!" Startled, she turned to look at Alfred, who was gesturing towards the path on the left. "I think it's that way," he said, a note of certainty in his voice. "The air smells cleaner down that way, and kind of salty, like the ocean. I think that's the way out."

Though Yekaterina had to admit she was still somewhat hesitant about choosing on such limited information, it was honestly better than nothing. She nodded, and they started down the left-hand way.

[Damsey]

Natalia didn't know whether she could trust that blonde. To go left, because it smells cleaner? What is he? Some kind of dog? Natalia shrugged. That's not important right now. If he was wrong, she'd still go with that plan where she runs away and leaves the both of them to die.

"All right then, let's go." Natalia started to walk left. She felt a bit scared. She really didn't want to go meet any of those monsters right now. She never got to do this all by herself. Usually, she had her big brother with him. But, that's why she was here right? For her big brother.

She walked faster when she saw a some sort of light by the end of the maze. "Is that the exit?" Natalia really hoped that it was. She didn't want to stay there any longer.

When they finally reached the exit, they saw a stream. They made it! They were finally out of that maze! But, how were they going to get across? She looked around for something, anything, that they could use to get across the stream. But, there was nothing. What now?

"I don't think we could go any further..." She sighed. And they've worked so hard to get this far too. "What now? Should we head back?"

[Guest]

Alfred had been right. He breathed out a long sigh of relief, rubbing at his forehead with the back of his hand. If he had chosen the wrong way, gotten them lost deep within the bowels of the labyrinth... He didn't know what he would have done, what he would have been able to do.

But now, of course, they were presented with yet another problem. The stream didn't seem like something random, so it must have been built there with a purpose in mind, but there didn't seem to be any way to get across it. Though actually... Now that Alfred looked closer, he was not sure they were supposed to cross the stream at all. The other side seemed to be nothing but darkness, with no torches to light any other pathways. And that would mean...

Alfred hummed lightly, narrowing his eyes as he turned to look not across the stream, but down it. Sure enough, far, far down in the darkness, there seemed to be a very faint light. "I think we need to keep going," he said after a moment. "There's no bridge, so we must not need to cross, but I don't see any boats, either." He peered down into the water. In the shifting glow of the torch nearby, he couldn't quite tell how deep the stream was.

He turned back to look at Natalia and Yekaterina. "I think we need go down that way. I just don't know how."

[Damsey]

“Um, A-All right then, we shall go that way.” Natalia blinked. Just who is this guy, exactly? How does he know so much about these kinds of places? She chuckled. It was a good thing that she asked her sister for help. If she didn’t, she might not have gotten this far. She blushed a little as she caught herself staring at this new guy. She immediately looked away and shook her head.

It's not as if she's checking the guy out! It was just that she reminded him of someone... Like she’s seen it somewhere before but just can’t remember where…

Natalia’s eyes widened as realization hit her. Wait a minute… Isn’t that guy the same guy that she knocked out that one time when she captured Arthur Kirkland? What was he doing here? Does he know her? No, that's impossible… She knocked him out cold before he could see her face…Did he come here to save his boss? No, that can’t be! Could it? She looked over at the blonde with a serious face.

“Who are you?” She asked. “Did you come here to save your boss?” She knew that they would still have a long way to go for them to be able to get to their destination so she thought that she could at least chat with one of them. She still refused to talk to her sister about anything that isn’t related to getting out of here so she chose the new guy. “I think it’s really pathetic that you would try and save a person like him. I mean, risking your life to go over to such a dangerous place just to save your boss? I’m sure you could’ve gotten a better job with a better salary if you looked hard enough.”

[Guest]

How odd. It seemed that Yekaterina's sister recognized Alfred from somewhere. Frowning, he sorted back through his memories, trying to find somewhere that he might have seen her face in a crowd, or through a window, or maybe briefly on the street, but he couldn't seem to come up with anything. He was sure he would have remembered someone as distinctive as her.

Alfred was just opening his mouth to tell her who he was- not really who he was, of course, but some kind of fake name- when suddenly, she wasn't talking about him, but about Arthur. Cold anger settled in his stomach at the words, and his nerves, already so wound up by Arthur's kidnap and his own helplessness and the blood on the floor, snapped. Before any of them could so much as blink an eye, he was pinning Natalia to the wall, his fingers clenched in the front of her blouse and dangerously close to the soft skin of her unprotected neck.

"It is not pathetic," he snarled into her face. "You have no idea what's going on. I would walk into a hundred, a thousand, a million dangers like this to save him! I would risk everything. I would- I would-" The sheer fury boiling inside of him stoppered up the words he wanted to say, but his gaze burned with them, spilling and crackling around his pupils.

"Alfred." A hand settled on one of his arms, and he nearly lashed out at its owner before meeting Yekaterina's stern eyes. "Let her go, Alfred." There was not even a hint of pleading behind the words, merely firm command. After a moment of hesitation, Alfred obeyed, his shoulders slumping as he stepped away from Natalia. He didn't apologize.

[Damsey]

Natalia gasped as she was was pinned to the wall. She moved her hands to remove his hands on her but she failed. This guy was too strong! "L-let me go!" She glared at him but got scared by the look that he was giving her.

Why was he so angry? It was true though! It was stupid to go all the way over here to such a dangerous place to save his boss! She thought that he would tell her that his boss could die for all he cares because he was there for Yekaterina!

Luckily, Yekaterina was there to stop him. She fell to the ground as he let go of her. She couldn't believe that he would do a thing like that to a girl! Well, she wasn't really a normal girl... And she did knock him out but she still was a girl!

She stood up and glared at the blonde man. "Well you know what? I'm pretty sure that he's dead now anyway! And if he isn't, I wish he is experiencing a whole lot of pain that would make him wish that he was!" She looked away and started walking back down the road.

[Guest]

Alfred immediately regretted releasing Natalia as she began to speak again. His fingers clenched into fists by his sides at her words. Arthur, dead? In pain? If she kept going, not even Yekaterina would have been able to stop him from forcefully shutting her up. He almost felt guilty about that, because she was a woman, and he was supposed to protect, not to harm, but that wouldn't stop him from defending Arthur until the end.

"You're going the wrong way," he sneered at her instead, pointing down the edge of the stream in the opposite direction. There seemed to be just enough space for them to shuffle down without falling into the water. "But if you want to go and get eaten by those monsters or whatever, fine by me!"

Yekaterina frowned at him. "Alfred", she began sternly, "you can't just-"

"I don't care." He brushed past her, making his way to the edge of the stream and pressing his back against the wall. It was slightly damp, and he didn't want to think about what that wetness might have been. "If she's going to be a bitch about this, I don't care what happens to her. I'm going to find Arthur and I'm going to save him, and if you would rather follow her around all day and get hopelessly lost, fine by me." That said, he began the slow process of making his way alongside the river towards that very, very faint light at the far end.

[Damsey]

The wrong way? Natalia looked back and glared at him. "Oh yeah? I'll show you! I'll get to them sooner than you would!" Natalia huffed and walked towards the opposite direction to where that man was going to. She would show him. She would get to her big brother first and when she does, she is going to beat Kirkland up just for the fun of it!

"That's right, I don't need them! I don't need anyone! I only need my big brother!" It was true. You can never trust anyone. Everyone would just be there to hurt you in the end. Just like their parents, her relatives and her sister. There was nobody who cared for her other than her big brother. And that's why, no matter what happens, she must get back to her big brother's arms again. "Yes, that's all I need!"

But, as she walked she noticed that something was missing. Wasn't she holding something before? THE FILES. SHE LOST THE FILES. Natalia panicked. Where did she put them? She couldn't have dropped it!

She screamed. Everything was against her now. She can't go back to her brother without them. All she can do now is cry.

***

Some time later, Arthur had started to wake up. He opened his eyes to see that he was still in the same room where Francis had left him, not even bothering to put him back in his own prisoner cell. His body felt so cold. Just how long had he been there? But, he wasn't just supposed to be lying down there. Nobody was watching him which means that he could go and try to find a way to escape.

Arthur desperately crawled over to the wall to help him stand up. Due to his broken bones, he couldn't stand up by himself. After three times, he finally got up. Now, all he had to do was look for a way out.

But still, after searching most of the areas in the room, there was still no way out. "Bollocks." Arthur cursed. Maybe, it was all hopeless after all? Arthur fell on his knees. "Why?! Why must this happen to me?!" He felt tears running forming around his eyes. "J-just when I found something that made me want to continue on living. Just when I finally had a reason to be happy..!" He hit the ground with his fists as tears made their way down his face.

"...Alfred..."

Then, he heard something move from the ground. He looked down to see that he had hit a switch or something on the floor. He looked closer and discovered it to be a secret passage of some sort! Arthur's eyes lit up. It could be the exit that he was looking for!

Arthur, once again, used the walls to help him stand up and immediately went in the secret passage. He didn't know where it might lead to. It could either bring him out this place or it could bring him to where the monsters are kept. But, he had no choice. He had to do something! He couldn't just let Francis kill him!

"Well, here goes nothing.." So, with a determined look on his face, he moved forward.

[Guest]

"Natalia!" Yekaterina said sharply. "Calm yourself. You're acting like a fool." But as she stared over at her younger sister, her gaze softened, and she sighed. In one deft movement, she flipped out her hand to reveal the files that Natalia was panicking over. "I have your papers, sister. I took them a minute ago when you were arguing with Alfred, and for now at least, I'm going to keep them."

Further down the tunnel-cave, Alfred stopped where he'd been determinedly shuffling along and looked back at Yekaterina, surprise clear on his face. He hadn't noticed her taking the files, either. Their eyes met, and they shared a brief nod, before Yekaterina turned back towards Natalia again.

"If you want to see Ivan and get these files back, you'll have to come with us." Her voice was firm, but her eyes were still gentle. "I'll be keeping them safe for the time being."

**

When Francis stepped out from his bedroom, he had to admit that he expected to see a weary Arthur still laying limply across his floor. The lack of that Arthur was vaguely surprising, to say the least, but then his eyes fell on the small, dark passageway that had appeared in one wall, and his lips quirked up into a wry smile. He sat down at his table, perfectly relaxed, and waved for some breakfast to be brought to him. "As obstinate as ever, aren't you, Arthur?" he murmured to himself.

"Sir?" A bodyguard stepped up beside him. "What are your orders? Should we go after him?"

"Yes," said Francis as he began to delicately cut up the fried eggs that had been placed before him, "but don't stop him. Don't let him know you're there. Just follow him and see what happens. I want to know what he'll do next." He only hoped that Arthur wouldn't disappoint him again.

[Damsey]

Natalia looked up at her sister. She really did have the files with her. But, how is it that she hadn't even noticed that she took them away from her? "Give them back! I need them!" Natalia was about to attack her but she realized that she was at a disadvantage. He sister was twice as skilled as her and she had him with her. Instead, she tried to calm down because it would be the wise thing to do, no matter how much it hurt her pride.

"Do you mean it..?" She said in a low voice. "If I come with you, would you give them back to me..?" She didn't really know if she could trust them but if she went with them to her brother, maybe, she'd get those files back with some help from him! Yes, that seemed like a good plan.

"I'll go.."

***

Arthur continued to walk on the seemingly never-ending pathway. He knew that he had to hurry up, Francis would know that he was missing and he would ask others to look for him immediately. He tried to quicken his pace up but he couldn't help but trip on his own two feet so he just stayed at his normal pace. He knew that Francis would soon be able to catch him, but this was better than doing nothing! He didn't want to die without doing anything. He wanted his death to at least mean something, even if it's just a little bit! He just wished that he had realized it sooner.

After walking for what seemed like hours, he finally saw a way out. Oh, how he wanted to see what was out there! He took a deep breath and continued walking towards the light. Just a few more steps... A little more!

And he finally got out.

[Guest]

"Good." Yekaterina nodded at Alfred again and moved over to the wall where he was continuing to shuffle along. Tucking the files in between her breasts- they were useful at times like this- she quickly joined him and began to edge her way down towards the light as well. She didn't look back to see if Natalia would actually follow. She didn't have to- she knew her sister far too well.

Up ahead, Alfred was making steady progress. With each step, the light was growing brighter, and the faintest sound of waves was beginning to rush into his ears. That confused him, however. He knew the warehouse was somewhat close to the harbor, but there was no way they could already be at the ocean. The maze must have been longer and more confusing than he'd thought.

Now, it seemed, they would have to deal with their next problem. Where would they find a boat willing to venture all around the islands?

**

The bodyguard grumbled silently to himself as he did his best to keep quiet and follow after Kirkland. Mr. Bonnefoy had insisted that he not be seen, but he was a guard, not a spy! His personal method of dealing with problems involved guns and fists, not twinkle-toes. He wasn't made for these kind of jobs!

But he was getting paid, and paid well, so he kept at it, making sure to tread very, very carefully and not trip over anything that got in his way. Mr. Bonnefoy would have his head if he messed this up. It was hard, though, especially considering that he had never seen this passageway before, and so had no idea how long it was or just how far he'd gotten into it. He didn't even know where it was leading.

Just then, he finally caught sight of Kirkland... and was that an exit? He couldn't be sure. The room it lead to looked like nothing he'd seen aboard this ship. Mr. Bonnefoy hadn't seemed alarmed, though, so he must have had some idea of what it was. Moving carefully but quickly forward, he tried to keep Kirkland in sight and figure out just where he was at the same time.

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