A Friend

Chapter 10: Breaking through

Tap tap tap was the only thing Velica heard as she raced down the stairs making her way to where the Head was. The plan had gone to Hel and Martyr folked off somewhere on the first subfloor while telling her to head straight down the first stairway she saw till she hit the lowest sublevel where the captives are possible at. But the worst part was it was quiet and the pistol she had taken from her coat was getting heavier and heavier as she traveled alone ever downward. Hopefully she'd run into the others and if they were particularly lucky they'd be all relatively in one piece.

But it was odd, as after all this time Velica had not encountered one person, nor body, blood stain, or even attempted barricade. It was almost as if someone had paved the way for her and made sure it was spotless as well, although it really didn't matter much anymore as she was still caked in blood from earlier; leaving an increasingly faint trail behind her. Settling on just burning her clothes as soon as everything was said and done she let out a sigh as she enjoyed the brief respite.

The tranquility was not to last as upon coming to the bottom of the seemingly bottomless stairway she was met with utter darkness. Fixing her gaze forward she stared down the unlit hallway daring her forward. Scrambling Velica quickly began to check her coat pockets for her maintenance light, hoping sorely that she didn't lose it over the last few weeks of clashes, and thankfully she found it tucked away in one of her many pockets that lined the interior of her coat. Giving it a once over looking the metal frame for any damages and checking to make sure the red gemstone that sat prominently in the center of a alchemical array was still viable and un-cracked, which it was, much to her satisfaction as she hooked metal clasp on the back of the light to her shirt collar.

Reaching a tentative hand towards the gem to turn it on, Velica froze as she heard the sounds of distant foot falls coming her way from somewhere above her. Quickly she reached up, turned the gem slightly but didn't pull her fingers away as the gem's surface began to heat up before winking to life to bathe the corridor in front of her in dim red light, revealing it to be empty. Which worked to her advantage as she quickly turned to gem again turning off the light as she quietly stalked into the corridor till she was safely far enough to not be easily seen, nor far enough in as to fall in an unseen trap.

Which I've possibly have already fallen for, she thought idly as the footsteps drew ever nearer as whomever descended the stairs, worse yet it's not like she could just open a communication channel to see if their friendlies either. As it would practically tell anyone who's listening, which at this point the others most certainly were, where she was and whoever responses location as well. But there was the fact that there is too much electricity in the building for her communicator to work anyways, unlike the RF's forces who are able to communicate as they primarily use blood magic, which isn't as severely handicapped by electricity. To say she'd gladly kill for one of those rigs right now was an understatement.

Carefully Velica brought her pistol to bear on the stairs while keeping her hand on the gem as she waited for whomever was dissenting towards her to reach the last landing down so she could see them, however instead of Greny steel plated boots see saw the standard Vilet mocs, which was a one piece jumper that would serve as protection for the wearer against; electrocution, acids, sharp objects, some blunt force trauma, and even the vacuum of space, for a time. And given the fact the 'normal' looking clothing was reserved for clan members that dealt with outside matters due to their scarcity and the general census that such opulence was not generally needed unless its for a distinguished individual, resulting in most clan members strutting around in just their mocs.

Seeing this Velica quickly flickered her light in a brief rhythmic pattern while bringing her pistol back down and waited for the expected response. Even though she could see them they couldn't see her and most certainly would still shoot her if they thought she was a hostile, but thankfully they saw the flickering light, coming to a halt before they continued downward. The person in the led flickered their light in a different pattern, lighting up the floor momentarily. Announcing the person in the lead turned out to be Rigit as she noticed the silly blue and gold bottle cap pin that he always wore cementing the fact as he countied downwards. Turning on her light completely illuminating her compatrates she waved at them as they did likewise.