[ Flynn had forgotten, somehow, how nice it was to fall into step with Yuri, to be able to bounce things off him, to not be alone in his own head. He'd discussed things with Sodia and Witcher, of course, but there's something about the way Yuri thinks–about his single-minded dedication, his way of simplifying a problem into its constiuent parts—that keeps Flynn from spiralling into what-ifs.

He shoots Yuri a soft, grateful sort of look and heads for the stairs. Something bangs, like conduits do when they're full of air, and Flynn pauses on the first few steps, waiting for it to fade. Only when the sound is gone again does he start to move, slow and cautious, keeping his voice low. ]

Perhaps it's like Heracles, and they're guarding whatever all these tools are for. I just can't see why they'd go through the trouble of locking us up so tightly if they were just...

[ His words desert him as they reach the top. In fact, his breath and his voice catch hard in his throat, combining into a tiny horrified sound, because here on the second floor are—

Are— ]