Ground Floor

The third floor was worse than the other two floors combined. The Ground had been eaten away by red moss and purple mold, as well as the walls. Thick vibrant and alien vegetation covered the corridors, and openings in the walls were spread out. The out side was fully visible.

"I thought we were underground, given the fact that there were no windows. And... aren't we pretty high up?" Robert leaned out the window and looked down. Connor joined him and scanned the area. Crumbled buildings and thick jungles spread as far as the eye could see. Connor looked at the crumbled wall. It was over three feet thick with concrete and steel, with barrier technology.

"Hmm? This building was certainly built during the beginning of the Century of Phenomena... but why was it built so sturdy?" Connor mused, now entering his 'Deducting' mode. Above them a pillar of fire suddenly burst through and the three, (Connor Ivory and Robert), looked up.

"Somebody followed us." Connor instantly stated.

"Oh yeah, and how do you propose we out run them? That fire looked awful hot." Robert shot back just as red hot molten concrete and steel dropped down behind him, it didn't touch him, but he still jumped forward away from the heat.

"Find some rope?" Connor shrugged.

"How about cables?" Mina suggested after hearing 'Rope'. Connor and Robert looked over at her holding a very thick cord, one end encased in a broken chunk of concrete the size of a desk. Connor went and grabbed the chunk, lifted it, and tossed it out. It hit the side of the building with a clunk, the cord went taught, but didn't go very far.

"Well, there goes that idea." Robert scoffed. Mina glanced at him in irritation, reached behind her and gave a giant tug. The cord broke free of whatever was holding it and quickly began to fall out the opening. Connor could hear the cord ripping out of the walls then watched as it tore past on the opposite wall. The group ducked as the cord went taught when it got caught once again and slammed against the side of the broken walls of the opening.

Connor stood back up and looked out and down. The Concrete chunk was almost on the ground.

"You were saying?" Connor looked at Robert.

"Luck. Sheer luck." Robert stated. Mina laughed and tested the strength if the cable. It was solid.

"Ill be seein you chumps at the ground floor!" Mina stated as she jumped out while holding the cord and slid down swiftly.

"God, that girl has some serious guts." Robert whistled, impressed.

"Yep." Connor agreed. Robert chuckled and followed after Mina. Connor grabbed on and prepared to go down. But then he heard steps coming down the stairs.

"Fuck, now or never." Connor turned around and free dived out. He shot passed both Robert and Mina within seconds. The ground approaching fast.

"IVORY!" Connor shouted. Ivory scrambled to Connors legs, reached out with one hand and gripped Connors right leg with the other. She snatched the cord and effectively stopped Connors fall, just before the chunk.

"Hah, good girl." Connor sighed. He reached out and grabbed the cord and Ivory let go of hid leg so he could properly swing down. Ivory scrambled back down and dropped onto Connors back, were she clung like a koala. The ground was about twenty feet below him, a fallable height for the two above. He figured he could survive the fall from thirty stories, but wasn't too sure about Ivory.

Connor dropped to the ground, and waited for the other two. They dropped down momentarily after.

"What the fuck was that for?" Mina punched Connors chest rather hard.

"They reached the third floor, so I dove out before I was spotted. Each time one of us jumped out with the cord in hand, it slightly moved. Besides, since I think I know who they are, finding the right floor with the right information, will be easier." Connor explained.

"Yeah, but now we may have to go up, and there aren't any entrances to this building! Look at it!" Robert pointed. Connor looked up. It was indeed out of place from the rest of the decrepit building around it. It was solid concrete from the ground up. What was interesting was the openings.

"That looks like a hand print... claw print?" Connor pondered aloud. Mina rapidly pointed on Connors back. Connor looked at her, who was looking away and up in pure terror. Connor followed her eyes and stared at the giant head of a black lizard like creature. It was looking around, it's paw on a building.

'Where the fuck did that come from?'

"Hide! Quickly!" Robert whispered violently as he hid behind a tree. Connor grabbed a frozen Mina and jumped into some thick vegetation. He watched the creature from his hiding spot.

The thing opened its maw and roared deafeningly. Rows of long sharp teeth lined withing the mouth of the beast. A pair of wings spread from behind it and in one powerful flap, that sent torrents of wind and debris crashing through the area the group was hiding in, nearly sending them away with the gusts, it took to the sky and flew away towards the south. The roar had caused a strange pang in Connors chest, as if his heart had reacted to the roar.

The group waited for a few minutes before emerging from their hiding spots.

"That was an actual Void Dragon. I can't believe I lived after seeing one!" Robert breathed.

"Yeah, and lucky us, it opened a way into the building for us." Connor pointed at a now gaping hole made by a flying chunk of building. Though the actual hole size that was open to them was relatively smaller than what the chunk of building took up. Connor held his chest for a moment, pondering the strange occurrence.

"Its better than staying out here, waiting for that thing." Robert ran up to the opening and crawled on all fours into the building. Mina followed quickly after, shaking horribly. Connor approached the opening and allowed Ivory to crawl in first. Then Connor attempted to squeeze through, but the chunk shifted and he got stuck half way in.

"Damn it, hold on." Connor grunted.

"I got ya." Robert grabbed under Connors arms and pulled with all his might. Ivory joined in and finally Mina. With the combined might of all three they successfully pulled Connor through.

"Thanks, but uh... that building piece was weak enough to break with a good punch." Connor pointed out after dusting himself off.

"Connor... why would we want to leave a way in for whatever other creepy and strong monsters there are out there?" Robert replied logically.

"That building piece is weak enough to break with a good punch." Connor reiterated.

"He is right. If they want in, they'll get in." A voice that didn't belong to anybody in the group stated from behind them. They all slowly turned around and looked at the source. A young man with bone white skin and hair that was as long if not longer than Ivory's, the same piercingly Yellow eyes and a gentle smile, was standing behind them.