[h2]Part I[/h2]

[b]Location: ???[/b]
[i]Cameron[/i]

Cameron might be more naïve than most of his peers, but he wasn’t entirely oblivious. The further Joux led him away from the blow out shell of his former school building the more worried Cams became. He was certain that most instructors would be searching for survivors or helping to evacuate as many students as possible, but Joux was doing just the opposite. And, to make things even more suspicious, his instructor seemed to know exactly where he was headed. Cams frowned, as his mind offered several possibilities: a) Joux was retreating from some impending disaster, b) Joux was investigating how the creature appeared or c) Joux knew who created that monster and he intended to confront that person.

Since the instructors would generally sacrifice themselves before allowing the students to be harmed, Cams felt it was reasonable to eliminate (a) from the list. And since he lacked any evidence to prove either (b) or (c), the boy felt he should continue trailing Joux so as to gather more evidence. He certainly didn’t want to make any false accusations against a man who was greatly admired and respected by most of the staff. 

Still, though, the very thought of carrying out his self-assigned mission left Cams feeling very uneasy, because he knew he’d never stand a chance against Joux if this escalated into a one-on-one confrontation. No, he reminded himself. He’d still have to go through with this no matter what. The monster had killed so many people and injured even more people, so if Mr. Vulair was responsible, he’d want to take him down. With his mind made up, Cams moved even faster, as his eyes burned with a new found determination. 

Eventually,Joux came to a stop at a steep cliff where Ben attempted suicide earlier. However, unlike the student who had been turned into a Vile, the man didn’t have any desire to throw himself head first over the edge. Instead, he accessed a hidden elevator. Cameron felt his curiosity peak again and not in a good way. [color=khaki][i]Prison overseer?[/i][/color] His eyes widened a little. [color=khaki][i]There was a prison here?![/i][/color] He panicked for a bit at the thought of potentially dangerous criminals being held captive beneath his very feet. Again, the opportunity to run away presented itself and Cams rejected it. [color=khaki][i]No, he still didn’t have any conclusive evidence about Joux’s innocence or guilt. In fact, it was also very possible that Joux had hurried here to make sure that the prisoners remained locked away despite the havoc happening above ground.[/i][/color]

Silently cursing his curiosity, Cams took two steps back and ran towards the descending lift. He braced himself and aimed for the roof. The boy felt the wind pushed out of his lungs as his entire body slammed down on the cool metallic surface. Realizing that this might be dangerous, Cams flattened himself as much as possible against the roof and prayed hard that he didn’t end up a bloody patch or an electrocuted corpse.  

The slow descend proved to be uneventful. It was a small boon for the timid boy, who continued lying on top of the lift long after it stopped. Panic, blind panic, was welling up inside his small body, as reality set in. [color=khaki][i]He was here all alone in a dark almost airless space. He was ….[/i][/color] Cams scrunched his eyes and gripped his head tightly between his hands. [color=khaki][i]Dark space, not small. Just dark[/i][/color], he kept chanting inside his head, as he fought hard to prevent his claustrophobia incapacitate him. He, if he let it take over, all that effort would go to waste. It would be no different if he ran away when he had the chance. [color=khaki][i]Inhale, exhale, inhale.[/i][/color]  

Time seemed to tick on indefinitely before the boy’s eyes snapped open. Although he wasn’t completely in control yet, Cams felt confident enough to try and cast. He was distinctively aware that the drive wasn’t stable at the moment, but this was a risk he had to take. He needed to check on Joux; he needed to learn the truth. Taking one final deep breath, the boy moved his lips to mouth the words from the Szymborska poem he used earlier. It was the only poem he knew that captured the essence of the very cast he was attempting – phasing. A pleasing warmth cloaked him and the heat seeped deeper under his skin with each repetition of the chosen stanza. The unyielding metal plate began feeling like a soft mattress he could sink in and, before long, Cams found himself sitting on the floor of the elevator. Safe, whole and very sore. The teen struggled to get to his feet then hobbled out of the lift.

He stood there with mouth gaping as his innocent eyes got used to the menacing red light that bathed the entire area that could easily pass as Lucifer’s domain. Standing here right now at the very center of the paths that ran in the four main cardinal directions, Cameron felt weak at the knees. Whoever was here was terrible enough for AMRO to hush their very existence. The teen began backing away slowly. He wanted to dart into the lift and return to the surface. Forget everything here. He was but one step away from his new haven, when a voice echoed throughout the area. 

[b]"This world has no idea what is about to be unleashed upon it. The time of Asylums.....of A.M.R.O is over."[/b]

Cams eeped loudly, as he slipped and landed firmly on his bum. His eyes wide with horror as he stared at Joux and the figure behind. He gulped. His eyes met his instructor’s and he knew there was no use pretending anymore. Shakily, Cameron stood up. He hesitated at the first, but he grew a little more confident with each step he took. He walked about a quarter of the way towards Joux, when he finally built up enough courage to stop. To defy the unspoken command to come forward. [color=khaki]“Mr. Vulair,”[/color] the student asked in a trembling voice. [color=khaki]“What’s happening?”[/color]  


----------------------------------------

[h2]Part II[/h2]

[b]Collab by [@Grif of Hearts]. [@Kirra] and [@Ryver et Rhine][/b]

[b]Location: Aquarium - aka Fish Tank Area in the Armory[/b]
[i]Omari, Alistair, Vail and AJ[/i] 

Vail's consciousness was fleeting. She heard screaming and saw flashes of light, only for her senses to fade and return moments later. Hands grabbed and tugged at her numb body, dragging her up from the ground, but every touch was a dagger that set her skin alight with pain. She wanted to open her mouth to scream and clench her fists to fight, but she could hardly move. Vail struggled against whatever bound her, but as her vision returned and she looked down, nothing held her... but her limbs were sprawled out, skin and flesh torn and burned, almost unrecognisable as the last remnants of alchemy that pumped through her system kept her awake. She slowly fought against the pain and frailty to raise both of her hands, gauntets still wrapped tightly around them. The metal was twisted and broken, a soft trail of steam from her burned skin seeping from between the gaps. They had shredded her hands, digging deep through muscle and bone, and her hands were missing fingers and soaked with blood.

Over the sounds of screaming and chaos Vail heard one voice close to her ear. It was soft, unusually calm. "[COLOR=f6989d]It is okay, sweetheart,[/COLOR]" it said. A shape appeared above her, shadowed and indistinct. It looked at her and she looked back at it. It opened its mouth and spoke with the same voice. "[COLOR=f6989d]Just look at me. You are going to be fine. Just stay calm, dear, and we will get you to safety, I promise.[/COLOR]"

The woman flailed weakly in response. She felt her body carried further, until it was placed all too roughly on a cold floor. "[COLOR=f6989d]We need to remove the metal from her hands, or the healing process will not be clean.[/COLOR]"

Vail pulled her head up again, blurred vision focusing on the feeling of hands around her wrists. The figure, along with another, grabs at her hands until they too felt like they were on fire. She saw them tug at her gauntlets, wrenching metal from her tender flesh with a mixture of alchemy and brute force. She wanted to scream as her skin was torn, the pain almost unbearable. Some of the metal could not be removed so easily, the heat of the Vile's blast so hot that it had melted her gauntlets, welding itself to her skin, but the strangers still worked on her hands mercilessly, cutting away at the molten metal even if it meant cutting through skin and muscle. It was pure agony, and there was nothing she could do.

Forcing a limb body into the (lovingly nicknamed) fish tank was harder than it had been with the stiff dummy that most alchemists had trained first aid on. Vail was a tall girl, all muscle and curves, and even then weighed far more than she looked. Thankfully between three of them, Omar, AJ, and Alistair, they managed to fit her into the glass tube. Once her skin came into contact with inner walls, the door sealed with loud pneumonic hiss. Her body spasmed in pain as her skin touched the sponge-like surface of the walls, but settled down soon after.

The woman only saw a few glimpses of the world around her as the doors sealed, locking her within some kind of dark contraption. A thick, viscous liquid began to pool at her limb feet, slowly climbing up her body. It stung, but that pain was quickly replaced by a blissful numbness that spread up her body. She found it more difficult to stay awake, especially as the liquid came up to her chest, and she limply brought a hand up to the glass of the chamber.

A hand on the other side met hers, and the two held still for a moment. Vail opened her mouth to speak, but the liquid flood into her lungs, and she began to cough violently. Over her coughing she could hear the figure speak. The voice was familiar and comforting.

"[COLOR=f6989d]Rest easy, Vail, my dear. Rest and you will heal, I promise,[/COLOR]" the voice said. It paused, and perhaps for the first time she heard a tremble in its voice as it spoke again. "[COLOR=f6989d]I lo-[/COLOR]"

Vail's mind left her before she heard the figure finish.

Alistair sighed, his hand leaving the surface of the tank and clenching into a fist, which he quickly slipped into his trouser pocket. A timer lit up on the outside of the tank and, almost painfully slowly, the numbers ticked towards zero. Omar tilted his head as he looked at it, somewhat surprised by the readings. 

[color=cyan]“Twenty… Twenty minutes?”[/color] He asked out loud. That wasn’t very long considering how battered the female Asylum looked. He shrugged. [color=cyan]“I guess you and her can catch up pretty soon.”[/color]

"[COLOR=f6989d]She is strong,[/COLOR]" Alistair replied. "[COLOR=f6989d]She is skilled at using alchemy to accelerate her healing, even without a conscious effort. Her wounds were probably knitting themselves back together even before we placed her in the tank.[/COLOR]"

His voice was calm and collected once more, although he was still clearly uneased. No signature smile nor spring in his step. The sight of Vail had sickened him to the core... she probably had no idea what a sight she was in, but the burns and injuries were severe. Alistair hardly recognised her. She had come so close to death... The man rested a hand on his stomach to settle himself, but the front of his blazer was soaked in blood. As were most of his clothes, in fact. He sighed and wiped his hands on the scarlet red handkerchief in his breast pocket, stuffed it back in unneatly, and stepped forwards.

"[COLOR=f6989d]You should move quickly though, children, lest the Vile decide to make us its next prey. I will wait here with Vail until she has recovered. As quickly as you can now, and only take what you require.[/COLOR]"

[color=thistle]"Okay."[/color] AJ said with a slight nod and turned towards Omar. [color=thistle]“Are you coming or what?”[/color]

"[COLOR=f6989d]I will stay behind and wait for Miss Hyson to return to full health. We shall be fine here, but you must go, quickly.[/COLOR]"

There was no offer for him and AJ to stay behind and wait. The rest have gone and Omar didn’t want to be left behind, because that meant he’d be left alone with the images branded into his mind. Even now, whenever he closed his dry eyes to moisten them, the boy could still see the bodies scattered among the twisted beams and broken slabs of concrete. He recognized some of them – friends, classmates, teachers and even people staying in the same dorm. All of them dead. A sense of melancholy filled him briefly, but Omar stubbornly shunted it to one side when he heard AJ speak. [color=cyan]"Go? Without weapons? No way!"[/color] 

Still shaking his head at the impatience AJ showed, the older student walked over to a tall rack and pulled down a rifle that looked manageable enough for the kid. He wafted it about then tossed it towards AJ. [color=cyan]“Catch! Now wait a bit. It's my turn.”[/color]

Another rifle was pulled from the rack. Alistair held it somewhat awkwardly, not comfortable with such a large weapon, but held it tightly regardles. "[COLOR=f6989d]Hmm, perhaps giving you something to defend yourself would be wise. But please, be quick. I refuse to let anything happen to you two while you are under my watch.[/COLOR]"

A small smile crept onto AJ’s face as his eyes pored over the weapons in the room. If the threat of the Vile wasn’t present the boy would have loved to spend hours in that room to go through every single piece of equipment and learning the ins and outs of each but listening to Alistair’s suggestion, AJ searched for more items to add to his arsenal.

[color=thistle]“Oh wow, what a beauty.”[/color] AJ mumbled as he picked up a grenade launcher. The gun was modified to be compact and more closely resembled a handgun than a rifle but the boy knew it would still give quite the recoil given his size but it would get the job done to compensate for his size and how far he would be able to throw a grenade. As an afterthought, the boy grabbed a dagger that fit snuggly on his belt. He didn’t see himself getting close enough to the Vile to actually use it but it was better to be safe than sorry with a familiar and favored piece of equipment

Omar studied the rest of the weapons, considering the weight and the length of each carefully, before he choose what he assumed to be a "plasma" rifle given that it had this weird adjustable knob at the side. How it worked didn't matter as much, because what he liked about this beauty was that it was a comfortable length and size for him. Every small advantage was a huge bonus right now, considering that the Chrono was barely keeping toe to toe with the Vile. He was about to walk off, when his eyes fell on pair of futuristic-looking black gloves that had tiny circles and lines running from finger tip to wrist. [color=cyan]"Check this out!"[/color] He exclaimed loudly, holding up the said curiosity for Alistair and AJ to see. [color=cyan]"I don't care whose it is. I found it and I'm keeping it,"[/color] he declared with childish glee. 

He rubbed the smooth velvety material between his fingers before slipping the gloves on as gently as possible. However, when both sides were worn, Omar felt the cloth shrinking round the cuffs and stretching slightly over his knuckles, as if the cloth was moulding to fit his hands. He twitched his fingers experimentally, marveling at how the slightly oversized gloves were now a perfect. Lifting one hand up, the boy flexed his fingers and a small current passed through his skin, earning a sharp gasp from him. Omar shook began flapping the hand towards himself in a violent fanning motion and his actions caused a black metallic boomerang to leap into his hand. [color=cyan]"What the ....?"[/color] He gasped, as he stared at it. 

Gradually, his eyes lit up as he realized something. He was positive the weapon leaped into his hand earlier when he was moving his hands about wildly. [color=cyan][i]So was this boomerang thing controlled by the gloves?[/i][/color] His response to that thought was to toss the curved weapon as far as he could and then twitched his fingers to beckoned it towards him. The v-shaped metal plate switched direction mid flight and returned into Omar's hands. [i]Yup, this was definitely a keeper along with that badass looking rifle he found earlier.[/i] Still not entirely satisfied with his stash, the student walked about from shelf to shelf grabbing random objects which he returned soon after.

The two novices wasted a lot more time than anticipated. A simple weapon restock that took a good ten minutes for an Asylum two years in the field took AJ and Omar close to thirty minutes even with Alistair's help, although he perhaps spent less time helping and more time telling them that they needed to hurry. Omar, in particular, oscillated between several guns, picking and replacing each one in turn before deciding his plasma gun and boomerang were enough. Needless to say by the time they were ready to leave, Alistair was standing by the door, missing their group was their fourth and final member who in a liquid stasis.

Alistair brought his hand up to the glass screen, wiping away the condensation that shielded his view of the inhabitant, who he could only see as a vague silhouette. As he brought his hand across the tank hissed as liquid began to seep from the sides, draining the internal chamber. He stepped back and the doors pulled open, and the figure inside fell to the ground. Alistair swepped in to catch her, but she caught herself, landing on her hands and knees on the rubble-covered floor, coughing and spluttering, desperate for breath.

The woman was soaked through, her clothes sticking to her skin with the strange, thick healing liquid that filled the tank and now soaked the floor. Alistair hesitantly brought a hand to her back, patting her as she coughed up the remnants of the fluid and took in a deep breath of air, the first she had had in nearly half an hour.

He looked her over and smiled. Her skin, where it was exposed from her torn and burned clothes, had healed. Thin, white scars lined her body where wounds had once been, and while her more serious injuries had yet to heal fully, they were clearly near to full repair. Her bones had forced themselves back into her body and realligned. Her hands still looked particularly mangled, still missing a finger on her right hand and now covered in endless pale scars, but she was alive.. and judging by how violent she coughed, stronger than Alistair could have expected her to be so soon.

"[COLOR=f6989d]That's it, pet. Catch your breath,[/COLOR]" he said, rubbing her back softly. He brougth his hands up to his jacket and, although it was still frayed and lined with blood, would have to do. He pulled it off of himself and gently wrapped it around Vail. "[COLOR=f6989d]I hate to rush you but we haven't much time. We need to move.[/COLOR]"

The woman pushed herself upwards, resting just on her knees and falling back, putting all of her weight on her legs. She struggled to focus her vision and every motion made her entire body feel sore... but she was alive. She remembered feeling angry, then scared, but her mind was foggy. "[COLOR=ed145b]W-what happened?[/COLOR]" Vail asked, looking up slowly to Alistair who fell down onto his knees to meet her at eye level.

He pressed a kiss on her forehead. "[COLOR=f6989d]You were hurt, but you are fine now, I promise. Now please, we need to leave.[/COLOR]"


----------------------------------------

[b]Location: Cliffside[/b]
[i]Omari, Alistair, Vail and AJ[/i]
Allies: Kiara and Maeve 

The four sprinted out the building and urged themselves to run even faster now that they were outside. Vail supported herself on Alistair who helped move her forwards as she struggled under her own weight, but they were moving swiftly.

Seconds ago they had felt the island tremble. The older Asylums had explained it was likely the Chrono and they left it at that. Amongst the rubble and the wreckage in the distance they could hardly see what was happening, but Chronos were strong, and Pendulum knew that they would have a response ready for such a dangerous monster. The pace they were forcing the boys to run at meant only one thing though; the Chronos were not winning, and the continued shakes of the ground beneath they feet only lended credibility to the theory. Gradually, the densely packed trees thinned around them and, after they broke through bush, they spotted Maeve and Kiara up ahead. The red haired woman held two knives in her hands clearly waiting for the opportunity to dive in. Kiara, on the other hand, wasted no time in firing an explosive round. Shadowy tendrils sprung up shortly after and they nudging the shot to keep it on a steady course towards the intended target. 

The two younger Asylums stared unsure how to follow up. Things had seemed much simpler during their field simulationcir. Way too simple compared to their current enemy. Omar swallowed a bit then nudged AJ gently. "What you waiting for?" He teased, hoping the cheeriness would ease their tension somewhat. "We can't stand here and do nothing."

"[COLOR=f6989d]And we will not stand here doing nothing,[/COLOR]" Alistair replied. "Vail, my dear, how well can you hold this gun?" he asked, handing her the rifle gently.

Vail smiled. "[COLOR=ed145b]Just give me something to lean against and tell me when to shoot.[/COLOR]"

The two propped the woman against a large tree. She winced as she leaned against it, hissing under her breath, but she was steady and stable. She brought the rifle up, pointing it towards the Vile who had now come into line of sight.

Alistair's smile now mimicked hers. "[COLOR=f6989d]Now, children, come closer. I am going to focus my alchemy to assist you three, but I am leaving the responsibility of protecting the others to you. I have faith in you, and I promise that we will leave her fully in tact."[/color]

He did his best to comfort the younger, soon to be Asylums. He honestly had no idea what their success rate was like. He was hardly an expert on Viles, and only knew that they were exceptionally powerful, capable of standing toe to toe with a Chrono and having no qualms with delving completely into the power that came from full madness... but seeing other Asylums doing their best to bring it down, there was no way he could leave them. He brought his hands up and focused on the minds of AJ, Omar, and Vail. Vail came swiftly and she accepted the influence, having felt it before, but for Omar and AJ it would be an alien and unusual presence. It was not forced on them, but the ethereal voice of Alistair echoed through their minds.

"[COLOR=f6989d]Follow your instincts. My alchemy will guide your hand, I promise.[/COLOR]"

Alistair turned to face the Vile, his eyes glistening with faint alchemy. He could see the world differently now as alchemy took over his senses. He saw vectors and trajectories. He saw actions before they happened, how each action would result, and what might be the best cause of action. Vail, AJ, and Omari would now see it too, how each action had a reaction, and how best to play with the system and use it to their advantage. Time seemed to slow, as if decisions they had to make in moments could now be made in minutes, and the fierce, fast paced battlefield could be seen with a bit more clarity.

Vail pulled the trigger of her plasma rifle, and a stream of cracking purple energy shot towards the Vile with supernatural accuracy.

[color=cyan]"Woah that ... it's weird."[/color] was Omar's first raction to the boost they received from Alistair. [color=cyan]"Like cool weird."[/color] He added after as he watched the bullets leave wispy trails behind as they flew towards the Vile in slow mo. Even the slightest movement by his allies left a translucent trace of themselves that gradually fade away. He flexed his fingers experimentally, summoning his boomerang towards him, and the same thing happened. He could see the ghostly traces left by his fingers and the boomerang as they moved around. [color=cyan]"But thanks! I could get use to this."[/color]

Out of pure instinct the younger student recoiled away from the Asylum's influence as he made his presence known to them. However as his thoughts and rationale caught up to him and the boy recognized that the man wasn't being intrusive, AJ slowly started to ease up on barring Alistair away. The hesitation the boy held lingered but slowly started to melt away as the boy became more intrigued on what exactly the man was doing. Lifting up his rifle, AJ shot off three quick rounds in succession to test out this new aid he was given and watched as all three shots hit the target. 

“[color=thistle]This will work out nicely.[/color]” Although the monotonous nature returned ever since the group dropped Vail off in the tank, there was a hint of approval in the boy's voice as he took aim again. Instead of focusing on the Vile, the boy saw something else a tad bit more perplexing as he watched a boat sail through the air and collided with the Vile. “[color=thistle]Well I guess that is one way to made a grand enterance. [/color]” AJ muttered after watching the boat explode. 

Omar was slighter in front of AJ at the time Mischief Maven was about to make their debut. He was about to take a shot at the Vile, when he noticed a shift in wind speed and gravity. The numbers were accelerating and, while it was tempting to remain where he was and take that clean shot, his brain yelled for him to retreat. And fast! So that's what he did, sprinting and leaping backwards, as he tried to look for that "thing" closing in on them. Finally, he pulled to a stop when he was two steps behind AJ. [color=cyan]"Who in world!"[/color] He shouted in shock as a speed boat burst through the trees.

[i]Who indeed?[/i] The boy wondered, as he watched an extremely tall black man drive the both on a kamikaze course towards the thing. With Alistair's "help" still in effect, Omar managed to enjoy the whole action sequence in fine detail. Everything so well choreographed that it felt like a watching a professional stunt man at work. That's why Omar gave a loud, boisterous whoop to show how much he approved of the "entrance" before trying to get AJ to sound less detached. [color=cyan]"Grand entrance? AJ, that was practically Hollywood. Like BOOM!"[/color] He gestered excitedly with his arms going round and round. [color=cyan]"It's cool in the flesh. Whoever he is, he's just COOOOL!"[/color]