You're the one-- who always talks about having a plan.
[ Yuri's voice is hoarse and his breath is coming hard and raspy and he can't let himself look at those Sleepers for very long because they can't stop. They're going to become like them if they don't do something, and he sure has hell isn't going to let Flynn die again, especially not like that. They can find a way out, regroup, and find a way to rescue them. They have to try.
He takes a hard left and finds himself running toward a larger room, with doors and an alter in the middle and he doesn't want to know what that means, except that when they reach it, he looks around at the doors, trying to parse out which way to go.
But he doesn't have long to think, because one opens and more of those robed guys step out, and their conversation stops when they see Yuri and Flynn. ]
[ Flynn draws himself up and passes his wrench over to Yuri. He'll make better use of it. Flynn, at least, can cast more artes, although it'll be much harder without a focus or his blastia. Their captors are approaching, already spreading out into something like a practiced attack formation. ]
Watch your back. They're fast. We can't show any weakness.
[ The ground beneath Flynn's feet, familiarly, lights up as he presses his hands together. ]
[ Fighting together, at least, is familiar. They know how to do it, they're good at it. There's no one Yuri would rather had at his back than Flynn, even when the odds are terrible, like they are now.
He takes a breath, and when one of the zealots runs at him, he's able to whack them away with the wrench, before diving into the fray, taking on two of them at once. Others stay further back, seemingly casting spells like Flynn is. Yuri would want to take them out, first, but he can't, not like this. He's stuck handling the ones in front of him, hoping for some sort of luck to help them out of this ]
[ Flynn has to watch his energy, and that's very difficult in here. He seems to have more power, more endurance, in Trench than he would at home—light sears through the group of their attackers for a moment, following Flynn's shout, knocking away one that was trying to get a dagger into Yuri's side—but it's still exhausting, and he isn't Rita. Flynn is good at magic, but not that good.
Still. He pushes through, grits his teeth against his own exhaustion and bites down on his tongue to let warm blood flow, hating the way it energizes him. It's worth it, though, to keep Yuri safe, to cast as many spells as he has to. He aims the next one, a searing lance of light, at the caster in the back trying to slam fire into Yuri, and the one after that at a half-robed figure coated in blood who keeps popping out of nowhere, forcing Yuri to dodge. ]
[ There are so many of them. So many, but somehow, between him and Flynn, they're keeping them back. Maybe it's adrenalin, maybe it's the blood in the air, but Yuri feels stronger, too. Strong enough that the wrench sears with flames as he brings it down on one of the zealots before whipping it at another one, taking them down one by one.
Finally, panting and sweating, he stands in the middle of crumpled, robed bodies, looking around for any hint of movement. There is none.
They did it.
He sags a little searching for Flynn to give him a triumphant smile ]
[ There is a fierceness to Flynn in battle, an angry, hardened edge he lets out only then. This is not a fight to enjoy himself in with the stakes so high and life and death on the line, but Flynn is alive with the thrill of the fight all the same. He catches Yuri's eye and nods, already moving to shift over to him, summoning up the last of his energy to cast— ]
Divine light—First Aid!
[ Just to knit up the worst of his wounds. If they're going to fight more of these things, Yuri needs to be well.
The spell doesn't stop Flynn hurrying to his side anyway, lifting a hand for him. ]
Flynn-- [ He needs to save his strength, but Yuri can't stop him before the spell washes over him, knitting up the cuts and bruises from the right. It feels good, but concern curls in his gut.
But it isn't the time right now. He sighs, gripping Flynn's wrist to pull himself upright as they start to walk out of this strange room. ]
What do you think, up?
[ There are those stairs, that the zealots came from, which seems like the way out, but also the way danger lies. He's not sure how much more Flynn can take. He looks pale and worn out from casting all that magic ]
[ Flynn keeps their hands sealed together even though it's probably better for them to walk separately in case they get attacked again. Adrenaline is dulling his exhaustion, keeping him alert, letting him ignore the cuts and bruises he's managed to accumulate.
There's blood just... everywhere. There aren't any more bodies in sight, but the floors, the walls, everything, seems to be coated in a fine mist. It smells awful, and it looks worse, and Flynn makes himself take it in and scan for details. ]
I think it's our only option. At the very least, we need to find a way outside to get a sense of what this place even is, and it seems more likely we'll find a way to do that near the top.
[ Something clanks ominously, followed by a thud that rattles metallic walls. Flynn grips Yuri's hand a little tighter and veers toward that staircase, stepping over a large puddle of blood dripping from a crack in the ceiling above. ]
[ It's really all he can say. He doesn't pull away from Flynn, keeping their hands together because it does help, it makes him feel safer, and he's not paying enough attention to think about what that means.
They traipse up the stairs in silence, the blood in the air making him want to gag, but he stays quiet, not wanting to set off anything else, not to alert anyone else to their presence.
Of course, nothing ever goes to plan, here. As soon as they're up the stairs, they come face to face with another group of robed people, who turn to them as soon as they're visible ]
Sleepers.
[ One of them hisses it in an inhuman voice, and Yuri pulls away from Flynn, raising the wrench, ready to defend him ]
Back the fuck down. You don't want to mess with us.
[ They seem unconcerned by Yuri's threat, stepping toward him like he didn't say anything at all. One of them pulls a knife from their robe, holding it up with a thin hand, and Yuri shifts closer in front of Flynn ]
[ The blood in the air has given him some of his strength back but not nearly enough for a whole fight. Flynn has to swallow around a familiar, cold spike of fear, his eyes flicking over the group.
If this is going to happen on every floor... ]
Yuri.
[ Flynn's voice is barely above a breath. It stings to admit it, to back down, but tactically speaking— ]
We need to retreat. We can't keep winning these.
[ Especially since one of the robed figures is already advancing with a long, thin, blood-coated blade in hand. ]
[ If Flynn is suggesting a retreat, then things are bad. He doesn't think they're going to make it out of this one. Yuri doesn't know how much luck he thinks they'll have in running away, but at least it might give them a chance to find a way out or to regroup and think of a plan to help themselves and the other Sleepers they've found. He takes a step back, then another one, and then grabs Flynn's hand and pulls him back down the stairs.
At least, it seems like they aren't being followed, but as soon as they reach the bottom of the stairs, Yuri understands why. There are more of them there, picking up the bodies of the ones Yuri and Flynn just knocked out ]
Shit.
[ He pulls Flynn hard to the left, trying to run as quickly as he can before they catch on that they're there ]
They're trapped like they were in Hypionia, with enemies on all sides. Back then, an odd sort of peace had settled over Flynn, grim and resigned: he hadn't wanted to die, but it seemed inevitable, and so he'd known down in the core himself that at least he would die fighting, and give his knights and the civilians a chance to get away. At least Yuri might remember him.
If they here, they'll come back, but Flynn cannot imagine those robed figures, stringing people up for the blood and Goddess knows what else, will give them a gentle rebirth. Perhaps that's what they want: death, and rebirth, forever and ever, a constant source of the blood they're clearly collecting.
A grim thought, but a likely one.
This time there is no peace and no resignation. He can't let either of them die here, especially not Yuri, and they're stuck between two groups of people who want to kill them or at least cut them apart.
Flynn grits his teeth as they skid to a halt in another bloody hallway, this one strung up with more Sleepers and coated in an awful mix of blood slippery beneath their still-bare feet. He huddles close to Yuri, his heart and his mind racing as one. What do they need? They need a moment to think, they need better weapons. They need an idea of where they are and temporary safety from being hunted.
Mostly they need a moment to formulate a plan.
Flynn can do that. He tugs Yuri's head close and pulls him to the side, next to the pale body of a Sleeper long-gone. It's horrifying and it smells so much like blood and bile and it's leaking onto Flynn, but it shelters them for a bare moment. ]
Yuri. Listen to me. I think—I can slow them down, and buy us some time, but I'll need you to support me for a moment. Can you?
[ Yuri skids after him, ducking away from the robed guys, trying to keep as low a profile as he can, but he knows that they're following them anyway. They're following and Yuri just needs to get them out of this, somehow. Or, Flynn can.
The thing is: Yuri trusts Flynn with his life. He trusts Flynn more than he trusts anyone else, despite their disagreements. In a situation like this, he'll listen to Flynn before anyone else. He grips Flynn's arm. ]
Yeah. What do you need me to do?
[ Simple as that. Flynn will get them out of this. He trusts Flynn. Either Flynn will get them out of this, or they'll die together, and a morbid romantic part of him really always thought it would end that way, anyway. ]
[ Flynn spares a moment to be absurdly grateful for the existence of Yuri Lowell and everything that comes with him. He couldn't do this without Yuri, and this is a terrifying thing full of blood and the possibility of death, again. ]
One of us needs to stay alive to get the other one out of here, at the very least. If we come back in here—
[ Flynn isn't going to go there. Instead, he tugs Yuri close, listening to the footsteps get closer and closer, and kisses him quick and firm and fierce. When he draws back he's smiling. ]
Hold me up when I collapse? I'll come back to myself in a moment.
[ He doesn't give Yuri a chance to protest, because they're getting closer. He knows Yuri won't leave him behind to die, will do his best to get them both out of here, and that means he can put everything he has into this spell. The ground beneath him lights up as he presses his hands together, drawing up all the remaining energy in his body, biting his tongue again to make blood flow. They're getting closer, and Flynn has to time this right to hit as many of them as he can. ]
Cover me—
[ He bites out as they get closer still, all hissing voices and echoing footsteps. Blood drips from somewhere else beside Flynn, and the circle flares brighter. ]
Power from beyond the veil—banish them!
[ Flynn doesn't even need to say the actual name of the spell before light fills the area, blinding and sharp and white, blasting through the zealots just as they round the corner toward Flynn and Yuri's bloody hiding place. ]
[ Yuri doesn't like this. He doesn't like any of it, but he does trust Flynn but one of us needs to stay alive grates at him. He doesn't have a chance to argue, though, because Flynn is kissing him and Flynn is making the hard choice, the choice that he shouldn't have to make because that's Yuri's job. Yuri does those things so Flynn can have a better life, not the other way around. ]
Flynn, don't--
[ But he's casting the spell, and Yuri catches on enough to close his eyes, ducking down next to Flynn just as the light bursts out around them, the zealots dropping, some turning and running, but others are still there when the spell dissipates. Yuri grabs onto Flynn, holding him close as his body goes limp, but he knows he has to protect him. Flynn did what he can, and Yuri carefully lowers him to the ground, promising quietly: ]
I'll get us out of this.
[ Before he steps out of their hiding place with his wrench held high and summons up the power in him to swing the wrench ]
Azure!
[ A blast of blue light takes out two of them. He swings the wrench again, hitting another one, then another, but it's taking a lot out of him, too. It's taking a lot out of him, but he's going to fight until he can't anymore so Flynn can get the hell out of here ]
[ Blue light flares behind Flynn's eyelids. That was stupid, probably using all his energy, but they needed time and space and they weren't going to get it unless Flynn did something stupid and drastic—
More blue light, and Yuri's voice, sharp-edged and desperate, the thud of bodies as they hit the ground and the groans of pain as magic connects and shreds. Flynn pushes himself up to his elbow, shaky, depleted far beyond just magic. Casting a spell shouldn't do that to him, but Flynn gets the idea that his magic is tied to something else now, to his blood, and that he's tapped himself out for the time.
It'll come back. It has to, because he can't leave Yuri to fight alone, no matter how much he can handle it. He has a wrench in place of a sword and no armor, no blastia, no allies: even Yuri will get overwhelmed eventually, and Flynn can't let that happen.
He's just reaching up with one arm, pulling his sleeve back to drag his skin over an exposed metal edge, when the air fills with a quiet light.
The zealots hiss, and a few cry out in strange voices with a mix of fear and awe, and Flynn can't even see what they're looking at but if these things are afraid then it can't be anything good— ]
Yuri!
[ It's the only thing he manages to get out before the glowing light takes over his entire vision and there is a tug on his belly, like he's about to be dragged into the flow of those lamps— ]
No!
[ Without Yuri, but there's nothing Flynn can do: his stomach lurches, and he is yanked spinning through space in the span of seconds, thinking helplessly about Estelle for some reason.
He blinks into awareness with cold, half-frozen mud seeping into the thin fabric of his jumpsuit and his fingers jammed between the roots of familiar plants. Dizzy, with his mind full of static and his limbs weak and blood-soaked, Flynn half-stumbles up in their frozen backyard, his head swinging wildly around for Yuri, but—
[ Yuri hears his name, glad that Flynn has come to, and he spares a glance behind him to check on Flynn, only to see him disappear. He sees a flash of blue eyes, an outstretched hand, and then he's gone. Gone.
Flynn is gone. Yuri is alone.
The zealots can't have done that. Can they? He has no idea what they're capable of. He has no idea what they can do, but a yell rumbles through him and he throws himself further into the fight.
He isn't going to make it, probably. He isn't going to make it, but he has to try. He has to try, he has to find Flynn and make sure he's okay because there's no way in hell he's going to let Flynn die again.
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no subject
[ Yuri's voice is hoarse and his breath is coming hard and raspy and he can't let himself look at those Sleepers for very long because they can't stop. They're going to become like them if they don't do something, and he sure has hell isn't going to let Flynn die again, especially not like that. They can find a way out, regroup, and find a way to rescue them. They have to try.
He takes a hard left and finds himself running toward a larger room, with doors and an alter in the middle and he doesn't want to know what that means, except that when they reach it, he looks around at the doors, trying to parse out which way to go.
But he doesn't have long to think, because one opens and more of those robed guys step out, and their conversation stops when they see Yuri and Flynn. ]
Alright. Fine. So we take them.
no subject
[ Flynn draws himself up and passes his wrench over to Yuri. He'll make better use of it. Flynn, at least, can cast more artes, although it'll be much harder without a focus or his blastia. Their captors are approaching, already spreading out into something like a practiced attack formation. ]
Watch your back. They're fast. We can't show any weakness.
[ The ground beneath Flynn's feet, familiarly, lights up as he presses his hands together. ]
no subject
[ Fighting together, at least, is familiar. They know how to do it, they're good at it. There's no one Yuri would rather had at his back than Flynn, even when the odds are terrible, like they are now.
He takes a breath, and when one of the zealots runs at him, he's able to whack them away with the wrench, before diving into the fray, taking on two of them at once. Others stay further back, seemingly casting spells like Flynn is. Yuri would want to take them out, first, but he can't, not like this. He's stuck handling the ones in front of him, hoping for some sort of luck to help them out of this ]
no subject
Still. He pushes through, grits his teeth against his own exhaustion and bites down on his tongue to let warm blood flow, hating the way it energizes him. It's worth it, though, to keep Yuri safe, to cast as many spells as he has to. He aims the next one, a searing lance of light, at the caster in the back trying to slam fire into Yuri, and the one after that at a half-robed figure coated in blood who keeps popping out of nowhere, forcing Yuri to dodge. ]
no subject
Finally, panting and sweating, he stands in the middle of crumpled, robed bodies, looking around for any hint of movement. There is none.
They did it.
He sags a little searching for Flynn to give him a triumphant smile ]
Didn't know who they were dealing with.
no subject
Divine light—First Aid!
[ Just to knit up the worst of his wounds. If they're going to fight more of these things, Yuri needs to be well.
The spell doesn't stop Flynn hurrying to his side anyway, lifting a hand for him. ]
Well-fought. Let's get out of here.
no subject
But it isn't the time right now. He sighs, gripping Flynn's wrist to pull himself upright as they start to walk out of this strange room. ]
What do you think, up?
[ There are those stairs, that the zealots came from, which seems like the way out, but also the way danger lies. He's not sure how much more Flynn can take. He looks pale and worn out from casting all that magic ]
no subject
There's blood just... everywhere. There aren't any more bodies in sight, but the floors, the walls, everything, seems to be coated in a fine mist. It smells awful, and it looks worse, and Flynn makes himself take it in and scan for details. ]
I think it's our only option. At the very least, we need to find a way outside to get a sense of what this place even is, and it seems more likely we'll find a way to do that near the top.
[ Something clanks ominously, followed by a thud that rattles metallic walls. Flynn grips Yuri's hand a little tighter and veers toward that staircase, stepping over a large puddle of blood dripping from a crack in the ceiling above. ]
This way.
no subject
[ It's really all he can say. He doesn't pull away from Flynn, keeping their hands together because it does help, it makes him feel safer, and he's not paying enough attention to think about what that means.
They traipse up the stairs in silence, the blood in the air making him want to gag, but he stays quiet, not wanting to set off anything else, not to alert anyone else to their presence.
Of course, nothing ever goes to plan, here. As soon as they're up the stairs, they come face to face with another group of robed people, who turn to them as soon as they're visible ]
Sleepers.
[ One of them hisses it in an inhuman voice, and Yuri pulls away from Flynn, raising the wrench, ready to defend him ]
Back the fuck down. You don't want to mess with us.
[ They seem unconcerned by Yuri's threat, stepping toward him like he didn't say anything at all. One of them pulls a knife from their robe, holding it up with a thin hand, and Yuri shifts closer in front of Flynn ]
no subject
If this is going to happen on every floor... ]
Yuri.
[ Flynn's voice is barely above a breath. It stings to admit it, to back down, but tactically speaking— ]
We need to retreat. We can't keep winning these.
[ Especially since one of the robed figures is already advancing with a long, thin, blood-coated blade in hand. ]
no subject
At least, it seems like they aren't being followed, but as soon as they reach the bottom of the stairs, Yuri understands why. There are more of them there, picking up the bodies of the ones Yuri and Flynn just knocked out ]
Shit.
[ He pulls Flynn hard to the left, trying to run as quickly as he can before they catch on that they're there ]
no subject
They're trapped like they were in Hypionia, with enemies on all sides. Back then, an odd sort of peace had settled over Flynn, grim and resigned: he hadn't wanted to die, but it seemed inevitable, and so he'd known down in the core himself that at least he would die fighting, and give his knights and the civilians a chance to get away. At least Yuri might remember him.
If they here, they'll come back, but Flynn cannot imagine those robed figures, stringing people up for the blood and Goddess knows what else, will give them a gentle rebirth. Perhaps that's what they want: death, and rebirth, forever and ever, a constant source of the blood they're clearly collecting.
A grim thought, but a likely one.
This time there is no peace and no resignation. He can't let either of them die here, especially not Yuri, and they're stuck between two groups of people who want to kill them or at least cut them apart.
Flynn grits his teeth as they skid to a halt in another bloody hallway, this one strung up with more Sleepers and coated in an awful mix of blood slippery beneath their still-bare feet. He huddles close to Yuri, his heart and his mind racing as one. What do they need? They need a moment to think, they need better weapons. They need an idea of where they are and temporary safety from being hunted.
Mostly they need a moment to formulate a plan.
Flynn can do that. He tugs Yuri's head close and pulls him to the side, next to the pale body of a Sleeper long-gone. It's horrifying and it smells so much like blood and bile and it's leaking onto Flynn, but it shelters them for a bare moment. ]
Yuri. Listen to me. I think—I can slow them down, and buy us some time, but I'll need you to support me for a moment. Can you?
no subject
The thing is: Yuri trusts Flynn with his life. He trusts Flynn more than he trusts anyone else, despite their disagreements. In a situation like this, he'll listen to Flynn before anyone else. He grips Flynn's arm. ]
Yeah. What do you need me to do?
[ Simple as that. Flynn will get them out of this. He trusts Flynn. Either Flynn will get them out of this, or they'll die together, and a morbid romantic part of him really always thought it would end that way, anyway. ]
no subject
One of us needs to stay alive to get the other one out of here, at the very least. If we come back in here—
[ Flynn isn't going to go there. Instead, he tugs Yuri close, listening to the footsteps get closer and closer, and kisses him quick and firm and fierce. When he draws back he's smiling. ]
Hold me up when I collapse? I'll come back to myself in a moment.
[ He doesn't give Yuri a chance to protest, because they're getting closer. He knows Yuri won't leave him behind to die, will do his best to get them both out of here, and that means he can put everything he has into this spell. The ground beneath him lights up as he presses his hands together, drawing up all the remaining energy in his body, biting his tongue again to make blood flow. They're getting closer, and Flynn has to time this right to hit as many of them as he can. ]
Cover me—
[ He bites out as they get closer still, all hissing voices and echoing footsteps. Blood drips from somewhere else beside Flynn, and the circle flares brighter. ]
Power from beyond the veil—banish them!
[ Flynn doesn't even need to say the actual name of the spell before light fills the area, blinding and sharp and white, blasting through the zealots just as they round the corner toward Flynn and Yuri's bloody hiding place. ]
no subject
Flynn, don't--
[ But he's casting the spell, and Yuri catches on enough to close his eyes, ducking down next to Flynn just as the light bursts out around them, the zealots dropping, some turning and running, but others are still there when the spell dissipates. Yuri grabs onto Flynn, holding him close as his body goes limp, but he knows he has to protect him. Flynn did what he can, and Yuri carefully lowers him to the ground, promising quietly: ]
I'll get us out of this.
[ Before he steps out of their hiding place with his wrench held high and summons up the power in him to swing the wrench ]
Azure!
[ A blast of blue light takes out two of them. He swings the wrench again, hitting another one, then another, but it's taking a lot out of him, too. It's taking a lot out of him, but he's going to fight until he can't anymore so Flynn can get the hell out of here ]
no subject
More blue light, and Yuri's voice, sharp-edged and desperate, the thud of bodies as they hit the ground and the groans of pain as magic connects and shreds. Flynn pushes himself up to his elbow, shaky, depleted far beyond just magic. Casting a spell shouldn't do that to him, but Flynn gets the idea that his magic is tied to something else now, to his blood, and that he's tapped himself out for the time.
It'll come back. It has to, because he can't leave Yuri to fight alone, no matter how much he can handle it. He has a wrench in place of a sword and no armor, no blastia, no allies: even Yuri will get overwhelmed eventually, and Flynn can't let that happen.
He's just reaching up with one arm, pulling his sleeve back to drag his skin over an exposed metal edge, when the air fills with a quiet light.
The zealots hiss, and a few cry out in strange voices with a mix of fear and awe, and Flynn can't even see what they're looking at but if these things are afraid then it can't be anything good— ]
Yuri!
[ It's the only thing he manages to get out before the glowing light takes over his entire vision and there is a tug on his belly, like he's about to be dragged into the flow of those lamps— ]
No!
[ Without Yuri, but there's nothing Flynn can do: his stomach lurches, and he is yanked spinning through space in the span of seconds, thinking helplessly about Estelle for some reason.
He blinks into awareness with cold, half-frozen mud seeping into the thin fabric of his jumpsuit and his fingers jammed between the roots of familiar plants. Dizzy, with his mind full of static and his limbs weak and blood-soaked, Flynn half-stumbles up in their frozen backyard, his head swinging wildly around for Yuri, but—
He's alone. ]
no subject
Flynn is gone. Yuri is alone.
The zealots can't have done that. Can they? He has no idea what they're capable of. He has no idea what they can do, but a yell rumbles through him and he throws himself further into the fight.
He isn't going to make it, probably. He isn't going to make it, but he has to try. He has to try, he has to find Flynn and make sure he's okay because there's no way in hell he's going to let Flynn die again.
He'll make it out of this, for Flynn. ]