The Trials

The Abandoned Station // Chapter 12

Not even 10 minutes after I got settled into our room, there was a knock on our door. Like honestly, can we get a break at some point? 

"I'll get it" Avalon said as he got up from the chair in the corner of the room and went towards the front door and opened it. Surprisingly, Reyna and Arin were on the other side. 

"Hey, don't mind us" Arin said as she pushed her way passed Avalon and into our room. Our room was a decent size, with 2 beds, 2 desks, and 2 closets as well, already full of our own clothing. A bathroom was attached on one side of the room, fitted with one big sink and a nice shower as well. 

"Arin and I were thinking, and thought maybe we should go exploring" Reyna said, as she closed the door behind her as she walked into the room. "I mean, yeah we're all exhausted but don't you want to get a better idea of where we're living?" 

"I mean, I guess so" Avalon started. "You make a good point. It might be best to get our surroundings and make sure we're in a place we want to be" 

At first I thought it would be a good idea, but wouldn't Cameo be upset? I don't know if he would appreciate us wandering around the facilities. But Avalon makes a good point, I want to make sure that we're actually here for training, and we're not here for some other reason. 

"Sure, let's go. But one problem, what about Zoe?" I ask the group. And on cue, I hear a familiar buzzing noise and look up to see Zoe flying through an air vent. She pops out and hovers in front of me. 

"You called?" She says in her robotic voice. 

"Uhh we didn't call for you" Arin says and Zoe turns and hovers in front of her. 

"Orion said my name, and I appeared. How can I help?" She asks, and spun around waiting for a response. I had a few questions about Zoe, and thought now would be an appropriate time to ask those. 

"Hey Zoe, how much information do you pass between us and Clint and Cameo. For example, if we decided to go exploring tonight, would you go tell Cameo on us?" I ask her. Better to know now then never. 

"Nope!' Zoe spit out and flew around my head and hovered in front of me again. "I'm your assistant. If you tell me to not tell Cameo and Clint, I won't! There are a few exceptions between that rule, however I'll even take you on a quick tour if you want" She offered and awaited a response.

"That would be perfect" Avalon told Zoe and she hummed a small noise. Probably a response for approval. "Well then, let's go" We all stand up with Avalon's cue and head towards the door. 

We quietly left our room, as to not wake the others. We though the 4 of us should explore first. A smaller crowd is less suspicious. Zoe leads us back to the 1st floor, and shows us a few other rooms. Cafeteria, common room, some server room, and store that still has clothes on racks. We follow her as she brings us down the hallway passed the central staircase. 

We arrive at an underground subway platform, which is slightly eerie. There's some graffiti on the walls, and the staircase heading back up towards the upper levels is blocked off. There's a few TV monitors, but they are either broken or off. I walk towards the end of the platform and look both left and right, to see empty black tunnels. This place really is abandoned. 

"So, what's this place?" Reyna asks Zoe, and she hovers in front of us. 

"This used to be an operating subway place before New Chicago" She starts to explain. "It just was starting to be used less and less, and when Corp 4 took over the entirety of this underground station and mall, they cut all access to this place" Zoe told us and left me thinking. 

"What are the access ways into Corp 4's base?" I ask Zoe and she flies towards me. 

"The only way to get into Corp 4 are the main entrance which we came into. At least that's all I know from my registered database" She tells me and flies away towards the others who are gathering back up to head back to our rooms. Why would a subway station just randomly close down? There's got to be some reason, but I decide to head back and meet the others. 

We begin to walk back towards our rooms, and Avalon asks the girls a question. "Hey, what are your guys' element and weapon? I don't think we've really talked about that, and I'm curious."

"I bonded with fire, and dual daggers" Reyna tells us and I realize she was the one during the first Trial, the first one to bond with fire. "Nothing too crazy" She chuckles. 

"I've got a cutlass, and I've bonded with water" Arin tells us. "I'm a little upset, I wanted something more crazy like electricity or something" She chuckles. "What about you two?" She asks as we reach the staircase heading back up to our rooms. We stop at the bottom and continue our conversation. 

"Electricity...." Avalon begins. "That, and bow and arrow" He said and dug his foot into the ground. Arin punched his arm playfully and let off a laugh. 

"Of course you got the one I wanted" She said and turned her attention towards me. "What about you?" 

"Ice, and a rapier" I tell her confidently. I can see Reyna smile and she begins to talk. 

"That's oddly fitting for you" She tells me and I smile back. 

Zoe escorts us back to our rooms, and we say goodnight and go into our respective rooms. Avalon falls onto his bed on his back and looks up at the ceiling. 

"Honestly, this all still feels like a dream. All in one day, we passed 3 Trials, got accepted into an organization, and now we're stationed in an underground, abandoned may I add, mall and subway station." Avalon says and I agree 100 percent. 

"I couldn't agree with you more" I tell him and we both chuckle. "Well, I'm going to get some rest. I'm so exhausted" I tell him and he sits up to untie his boots. 

"Yeah, me too. Goodnight Frosty" He says with a chuckle as walks towards the bathroom door. I make sure that he sees me roll my eyes at him before he shuts the bathroom door. I change into some pajamas, and lay in the bed assigned to me. It's oddly comfortable and I pull the blanket towards me. Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow, but before I can think about tomorrow,  I drift off to a well needed sleep.