I was once weak, now look at me

Chapter 15: A Light in the Darkness

Nibel Region, Nibelheim, Under Shinra Manor

The group kept falling until they ended up in a cell far below where they were originally. All of them were moaning from the landing and landing in some awkward positions. Barret especially, having landed upside down on a pile of rubble.

"Don't walk into the light, Barret!" Cait Sith exclaimed while waving his hands over Barret's head. Barret rubbed his head as he opened his eyes, glaring at the chute.

"That shithead is gonna get it." he said, referring to the AI Hojo as he rose to his feet, leaving Jaune as the only one incapacitated. Jaune lay face down on the ground, barely stirring after inhaling the knockout gas. Barret, Caith, and Aerith did their best to rouse him, but he remained deep in slumber, as if completely disconnected from reality.

"Alright, we're down a man but we have gotten out of worse before." Barret said as he hoisted Jaune over his shoulder. Looking for a way to get out, the only exit they had was through a prison cell door that looked tight. They seemed to be trapped until Caith Sith saw an air duct that was just big enough for him to slip through.

"That duck, however might just fit a cat. Sit tight, I'll have you out in a jiffy!" Caith Sith rolled through the duct and emerged on the other side. With the help of his moogle, he unlocked the cell door and freed the others inside. The party of four pressed on, searching for a way back to where they first fell. Caith proved invaluable, using his moogle to unlock more doors and move heavy objects, while Barret and Aerith defended their little robot ally by fending off the attacking monsters. Eventually, they came across a console running low on power. To get it operational and unlock the door, they had to administer some accelerants.

"Nnngh..." Jaune groaned as he started to wake up, the knockout gas finally wearing off.

"About time you woke up sleeping beauty." Barret said as he gently lowered Jaune and leaned him up against the wall. Aerith kneeled next to him to make sure that he was alright.

"The next time I see Hojo, I'm gonna feed him his own black heart." Jaune growled. With the help of Aerith, he got back to his feet.

[New Quest Available!]

Escape Shinra Manor!

Rewards: 95000 EXP + 127000 Gold

Failure: You and the others will remain trapped!

Jaune surveyed his new surroundings, realizing they were in a laboratory beneath the Shinra manor. He watched as Caith Sith struggled to pilot his moogle, attempting to toss cubes of Mako into a spinning device but missing each time. Shaking his head, Jaune turned his attention to the blocked doorway. He approached it and, using his vectors, skillfully hacked the bars apart, clearing the way forward.

"Let's go." Jaune said, prompting the others to follow him. They took a lift to the main ventilation room of the laboratory. Caith Sith confidently maneuvered through the vents, climbing until he reached the control panel, allowing the rest of the group to follow. After a few minutes of waiting, they finally caught up with Caith Sith, who had just defeated an unusual enemy.

"You okay?" Aerith asked as she rushed over to him. Caith Sith got back to his feet and dusted his hands off like it was no big deal.

"Och, all the better for a wee lie down! So then, onwards and upwards?" He led the group onto another lift. When they stepped off, they entered a room with a large, safe-like door blocking their path. Caith Sith rolled over to the terminal beside it, typing in commands to unlock the door, but it remained firmly shut.