[center][h1][color=lightsteelblue]P E R C Y[/color][/h1][img]http://66.media.tumblr.com/51fc61ac770a524e9468f174afa94d7f/tumblr_inline_n1xc79Kcic1rb3m8r.png[/img][/center]
[b][center]Corridors, New Anchorage CC
[color=gray][[ Around 0230 Hours (2:30 AM) ]][/color][/center][/b]

[color=lightsteelblue][i]What. The [b]fuck[/b]. Was I thinking?[/i][/color]

The group hadn’t even stepped out of the hallway and Percy could already feel his heart rate go up exponentially. There was an awfully pressing knowledge that he could very well [i]die[/i] right now, or any time within the minutes it would take to get to the elevator shaft. There was a knowledge weighing down on him that he could very well die and leave Ana all alone in this crazy world. There was also a knowledge that if he did die, she might very well end up in his mech. She can sync, so it’s only a matter of time before they shove [i]her[/i] in the pilot’s seat due to [i]his[/i] fuck-ups.

Percy thought [i]maybe[/i] he’d be able to cope better than this, but... [i]obviously[/i] not. He glanced back at the two engineers behind him, as well as the two soldiers accompanying them down the corridor. Percy tried to smile to ease the tension he felt in the air, but judging by the looks on their faces, it didn’t do [i]much[/i], if anything. He quickly turned back to the seemingly never-ending void in front of him, squinting to try to look for movement before he flicked the datatool’s screen on, wincing as the light momentarily blinded him. Of [i]course[/i] it was jacked up to max, because why would it be at a [i]reasonable[/i] setting? 

With another short glance to the four behind him, who were beginning to look impatient - maybe even doubtful - he swiftly opened the marked blueprints. It really was [i]not[/i] that far, but, with a second look forward, it felt like the hallway before them was an [i]infinitely[/i] expanding darkness that could; and would; trap the five of them inside. He took a moment to breathe, then he turned the brightness down as low as he could before silently gesturing for the group to follow. 

Percy walked slow and kept his body lowered as he led to what he prayed wouldn’t be their combined death. It was a straight shot as long as they didn’t have to do any maneuvering around any enemy soldiers. 

Another scream echoed through the corridors as the sound of gunfire became the “soundtrack” to the morning and the tension eased back into each person’s relative concern that their last footsteps around the next corner could be their last. There were only five of them clustered together as they made their way towards the lifts, armed with some degree of firearm; the soldiers held assault rifles, though their clips had seen some depletion, and Percy as well as the two other engineers had handguns at the ready. With every single step the pilot took, he became more and more aware of just how [i]insane[/i] he must be to not have left. He had every ability to do so, and he hadn’t. He couldn’t really leave now, of course; partially because he had no idea if there were people waiting outside, and partially because he had a self-given mission that he couldn’t leave unfinished.

Despite the fact Percy had felt like he had no [i]real[/i] attachments or friendly relations with anyone; however, in actuality, he would clearly know that he [i]did[/i]. Eli, Jingo, Vera, Orry.. Hell, even Stein and Agatha, in a [i]very[/i] minor, purely “they’re my squad-mates” way. He couldn’t live with knowing he ditched them and, in this case, [i]literally[/i] left them in the dark. It was something that took him back, and while it was a bit silly to think like he did - given the situation he lived in every day now - he felt that once you turned the light on, all of the scary “monsters” would become secondhand news.

However, he realized it wouldn’t be so simple to do so when the sound of gunfire echoed closer to the group. A sound that couldn’t have been more than a corridor away from them. Another scream followed it before it was silenced— just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.

[color=lightsteelblue][i]Just keep going. Don’t listen to it. Don’t even think about it.[/i][/color]

Funny enough, telling himself to [i]not[/i] listen or think about it just made him listen harder and think even more about it. He barely kept his thoughts focused and breathing steady as he guided the group through an intersecting hallway. Percy thought to check the map briefly, but realized just as quickly it wouldn’t be a smart idea - someone might be able to see the light, even if it was barely there.

The Chief Engineer put his hand on Percy’s shoulder before he let out a hushed mutter, [color=edb25b]“Forward a few. Let’s go.”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“Didn’t plan on [i]stopping,[/i]”[/color] Percy mumbled back with a brief smile as he continued to lead.

It was hard to tell if it took ages or mere seconds before they finally got to their destination, but Percy didn’t care either way. They made it with absolutely zero unwanted interruptions from the enemy. The pilot was tempted to laugh from the relief he felt, but he knew they weren’t done. They had to get down there, now.

[color=lightsteelblue]“Anyone have a grappling hook?”[/color] Percy asked sarcastically, glancing to the four. 

[color=ac00e6]“I have my whole toolkit, actually,”[/color] Katarina mentioned in reply as she began to tinker with her utility belt; thus giving the thought to wonder if the woman [i]slept[/i] with her base equipment? Well, at least that was one useful thing about their precarious situation as the closed doors of the lifts looked as foreboding in the near-darkness of the corridors. They needed to get the manual release open and pry the steel doors apart before they could worry about descending several floors down. Based on the little he knew, Percy understood that the manual release wouldn’t be too different than the others in every room in the base. 

It didn’t take long at all for him to get the grating off, it took even less time to do the simple pull and twist, and it didn’t take but a moment to actually get the doors open. He curiously glanced down the shaft only to regret it - that is a long, long, [i]long[/i] way down. Or maybe it only looks that way because it’s so dark. For all he knew, it was one level down, or a hundred levels down. Both would cause agonizing pain, if not immediate death. 

[color=lightsteelblue]“In all seriousness,”[/color] Percy turned to look at Kat, [color=lightsteelblue]“do you have anything that could help us get down there without, y’know, [i]dying?[/i][/color]


[color=ac00e6]“There’s a grapple line I can clip that we can use as a makeshift rope, actually.”[/color]

Percy opened his prosthetic hand for Kat to give it to him. 

Kat smirked as she retrieved a device from her belt and placed it at the base of the doorway leading into the elevator shaft rather than ‘hand’ it over to Percy, a wry smile on her lips as she did such before pressing a button that dropped a synthetic mesh rope of sorts. [color=ac00e6]“We’re only going down to the bottom, since power is the absolute last floor.”[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]“I’m well aware of that,”[/color] Percy said as he crouched down to give the rope a firm tug, just to make sure it wouldn’t come off. 

[color=ac00e6]“Anyway, don’t let go; would be [i]kind of[/i] a bad fall if you did. This device can hold up to one half ton of weight, so we’re probably good. Hold on tight.”[/color]

Percy allowed himself a moment to breathe before he made his way down.