Operation: Down Below

Act 2: Getting through Phase One

"Hey, Ben – if zhat is your real name – get up! Allant!"

"Five more minutes..." Ben mumbles, refusing to open his eyes despite being shaken like a maraca.

"You 'ave to go on in ten minutes!"

Ben's eyes pop open and he jolts up into a sitting position, knocking away Raphael – the one who was shaking him. He soon stands up and asks in a rather panicked voice. "What do I do to get ready? Am I fine like this? Do I have to-?"

"S-slow down your speech, please! You're not being clear..." Raphael replies, trying not to stress Ben out more.

Ben takes one big breath and lets it out after a pause. "Do I need to prepare myself for this?"

"Oh, is zhat it? Non, you don't. All you 'ave to do is show up on time. Come wizh me." Raphael then holds out his hand, waiting for Ben to grab a hold of it.

Ben freezes for a split second before grabbing it, bracing himself for a sprint.

Raphael in turn grips on tight to Ben's hand and runs toward the door that leads to the hallway. Pulling it open then reveals a rather bland hallway, almost akin to a hotel hallway, except a little bit wider. The doors are labelled with two numbers and a letter, such as 13-15b. If Raphael's earlier statement is anything to go by, it means the ages contained within the room, and the letter likely representing that it's for boys.

But Raphael gives no time to sightsee, he makes a sharp left from where they stand and he sprints right down the hall.

"Could you slow down? My legs are gonna fall off!" Ben cries out, hoping Raphael will listen to him.

Raphael does not listen and continues to run.

There is a split path at the end of the hall, and Raphael takes the right, heading downstairs. Once at the bottom of the stairs is an open dirt arena with a white circle to mark in and out. Lights are on so everyone can see clearly.

"Yeah...just be mindful of zhe hard landing you'll get if you get knocked down." Is all Raphael can bring himself to say about the Arena. He lets go of Ben's hand afterwards.

With a gulp, Ben grabs onto his left wrist and starts to squeeze it as he walks into the Arena.

"Ben, you made it on time." A deep eerie voice from hidden speakers sound, making Ben jump a little. "Since this is your first time in a fight, you get to pick anyone else in the building to fight against. I'm certain Raphael would have filled you in on each opponent..."

Ben just nods. "Yes he did...and I have chosen Melody."

"Easy target for a reward. Just don't try to kill her, alright?" The voice then stops speaking.

Ben looks up and around, a little confused. "So, when is Melody going to get here?" He asks upon laying his eyes on Raphael whom stands behind him.

"She's on zhe ozher side of the building, zhat's where all zhe girls are." Raphael answers, pointing to an open doorway on the other side of the Arena.

The two boys glue their eyes to the doorway, waiting for a young girl to run through.

After an entire minute of waiting, a very small girl with long, wavy, blonde hair comes running with her arms out as if she's a plane. She has to wear the same orange jumpsuit but in a size that fits her, and the matching orange pants are instead replaced with a grey skirt and long orange socks, and she also gets to wear rather pretty brown shoes compared to the short black boots that Raphael and Ben have to wear.

"I am here to destroy you, mister!" The girl squeaks with a British accent while she points at Ben.

Ben stands there, rather baffled at her entrance. Before he can say anything, Raphael pushes Ben forward so he knows he can't back down. "Don't mess this up. This is our only shot." He whispers as quietly as possible but still at a loud enough volume for Ben to hear him, Raphael then backs away from the area that marks out the arena.