Heavy duty lights flickered on as Lloyd turned the switch, illuminating a corridor of steps that led down into darkness. I closed my gaping jaw as I sent Lloyd a hesitant look, who was grinning at my slightly off-put expression in amusement. The steps didn't stop for a long time, and I couldn't even see the bottom.
"Aw, come on, Y/n," Lloyd said goofily as he grabbed my hand and pulled me down the steps. "You trust me, don't you?"
I sent him a scrutinising glare as I reluctantly followed him. "Is this a trick question?" I asked. His goofy grin turned amused.
"You'll love it, I promise," he assured as the doors behind us automatically shut. I flinched at the loud clanging, finalising sound they made. Lloyd sent me a reassuring squeeze of his hand, leading me deeper underground.
It's not that I was terrified of the dark. It's just the eerie vibe the lights and shadows gave off made me instantly go on edge. It felt as if I was in a horror movie and I was doing the one thing that everybody in the audience yelled at me for - investigating the dark, spooky basement.
The only thing not making me turn tail and racing for the surface was Lloyd, who must've sensed my growing agitation or something because he then let go of my hand and held his own hands in front of his chest. I stared at him in the shrouded shadows, confused at the concentration on his face, until a blast of light made me violently blink. When I had regained my vision I spotted a glowing, green orb of literal energy floating in between Lloyd's palms. My jaw dropped, while halting with one foot on a higher step as I gawked at the display of Lloyd's power.
"Whoa," I mumbled as the green light emitting from the orb chased away the shadows and washed everything in a green hue. "That's... whoa."
Lloyd rolled his emerald eyes modestly as we continued down the steps, amazingly more illuminated from just the basketball-sized sphere of energy.
"What happens if I touch it?" I asked as we descended deeper underground. Lloyd gave a feeble shrug.
"Dunno," he said. "I wouldn't recommend-"
I stuck a finger inside the orb.
"-i-i-t-t..." Lloyd drawled before he sighed.
I blinked at the odd sensation the tendrils of energy lapping over my finger left. It didn't shock me, didn't sting, didn't make my finger flare in heat. Instead, "it kind of... tickles."
Lloyd had been watching me intently, as if waiting for a negative side effect to awaken. He blinked in surprise at my spoken observation before sending me a confused smile.
"Tickles?"
I nodded in confirmation, submerging my hand in the energy ball and twisting my fingers. I was fascinated by the way the tendrils of energy would twirl between my fingers, making me grin at the soothing feeling they left behind on my skin.
"It tickles."
"Huh."
"Yeah."
"We're almost there."
I retreated my hand from the ball of energy as I glanced up at Lloyd's comment. True to his word, the end of the steep staircase was in sight, a warm glowing washing over the last few steps. I felt a weight lift from my shoulders at the extra light. My pace quickened, causing Lloyd to scurry after me as I neared our destination.
We exited the staircase, entering a huge bunker/warehouse/cave hybrid. No wonder the stairs were so long, this place was huge.
"Whoa," I drawled as my eyes widened at the sight. Every mech and bike and jet the ninja had ever used (and survived, considering a lot of their mechs and bikes and jets get smashed while in battle) was stored to the side, categorised by which belongs to who. They took up the majority of the base while over to the other side was a couch, a tv and PS4 with six personalised controllers. Pushed against the wall were various old-timey arcade games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and a pinball machine.
"This is so cool," I breathed as I began slowly making my way down an isle of mechs. I made sure to not touch anything in case I ruined something. That'd be the end of me.
Lloyd trailed behind me, not saying a word as I stared open-mouthed at the various mechs and machines. We soon entered the next isle, this time jets greeted us.
"I've died and gone to mechanic heaven," I mumbled as I stopped in front of what must've been one of Jay's fighter jets. It was a deep blue with a lighter shade in the shape of lightening strikes making its way up the side. I shook my head in disbelief. "These are insanely awesome."
There was a soft chuckle as Lloyd stopped behind me. He grabbed my hand before tugging me towards the arcade games.
"C'mon, let's play!" he said with a giddy grin as he turned on the Pac-Man machine. I blinked as the old-timey intro popped up just as I pressed start before a smirk made its way onto my face.
