Archon Quest: Custom Night [FNAF/Genshin]

Chapter 19: Tartaglia's Letters to Home

"Alright, if we want to get into Snezhnaya, we're going to have to be very organized about it. The people you'll meet in Snezhnaya can be some of the most conniving people out there. If we aren't perfect in our approach, they'll surely see right through us. Even if we are perfect, it's only a matter of time until they find us out. Does everyone remember the escape plan if they do?"

"Run to the nearest waypoint and get the hell out of there," Michael answered.

Smirking, Childe look up at him from where he was leaning over the table, "Exactly. Everyone, gather around. Let's take a look at the map."

The rest of the group complied, joining Childe where he was standing. Evan stood directly next to the man, and Childe put his arm around him instinctively.

"There's exactly five entrances to Snezhnaya, each one guarded by low ranking members of the Fatui. While I'm not welcome into Snezhnaya, luckily for us, my old friend Viktor is. With my old Fatui uniform, I'll sneak us in by saying I'm Viktor. Because of business in Mondstadt, he shouldn't be coming back to Snezhnaya for a long time. You guys, on the other hand, will be my prisoners. I'll say that I found you while in Mond, and I took you back right away due to the information you have about Tartaglia—that being me. It's not the greatest plan in the world, but hopefully, it'll be good enough."

"Sounds like it'll work to me," Elizabeth chirped.

"Remember, we can't have any slip-ups," Childe opposed her positivity, "When we get to Snezhnaya, don't speak out of turn. If you're going to say something, make sure you're struggling so that our story is believable. I'll bind your wrists together in rope to make you all look more like prisoners. Before we enter, we can spread some dirt and cherry juice on your bodies to make you look battered."

Nodding, Michael furrowed his eyebrows, "Alright, so we get in. What do we do after that?"

"After that, we go to my family's residence. There, we can regroup and prepare for the caves. Our biggest worry in Snezhnaya is the entrance; once we get in, there are only very specific areas that are guarded, such as the Zapolyarny caves. We'll take a different approach to the guard's there, though."

"And what about you?" Kaeya interjected, "Once we've gotten in, how will you continue to stay hidden? Will you keep the uniform donned?"

"I suppose I'll have to," Childe put a hand on his chin, "I'm lucky that I look a lot like my brothers, but still, there are noticeable differences. It's either I keep the uniform on, or I switch to a coat and a face mask instead. It's not unheard of to wear that in the Snezhnayan cold, but we'll just have to see which option fits our occasion best when we arrive."

Eager, Elizabeth asked, "Is that everything, then? Can we start heading over?"

"Remember, let's keep the optimism to a minimum," the man stressed, "But, yeah. Let's head to the waypoint. Kaeya, would you mind putting the map back in my bag?"

With that, Childe scanned the apartment one more time, making sure there was nothing he had forgotten. The children checked their rooms as well, but none of them found anything worth bringing along. For Evan, the stuffed toy that Zhongli bought him many moons ago caught his eye, but he rejected bringing it along. He wanted to face the challenge as a grown up, not as a little boy.

The group reconvened at the apartment's front door, Childe having changed into his old uniform while Kaeya rushed the kids along. When they stepped onto the street, they took advantage of the dim light the Liyue sunset brought. The shadows shrouded them to the outside world, and they stayed close to the corners of every turn. The walk to the waypoint was short, and when they arrived, Childe pulled the children close to the wall of a building.