[Center][img]https://i.imgur.com/KeuFREa.png[/img]
[color=DEBA42]LOCATION:[/color]The Maw - The Depths
[color=DEBA42]WORD COUNT:[/color] 1,031(+2 EXP)
[color=DEBA42]MENTIONS:[/color] 

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Mirage squinted his eyes, looking back down at Cadet for a moment as he joined Sakura in pointing out the flaw of his 'positive' outlook on their situation. That was great for people who could fly, or grapple, yes. And though it had been a bit jarring at first, even Mirage himself was missing that abyssal Spirit. [color=DEBA42]"I guess you guys are right. Just wouldn't change much for me!"[/color] He added his own laugh to go with Cadet's, but really, it sorta made him feel a bit insecure and pathetic in that moment. But they were used to this kind of crap, it seemed, and were much more prepared. He'd need to find that readiness too, if he wanted to survive all of this.

And as the others began jumping along, he realized he needed to get going, as well. Offering a two-finger salute to those who were staying behind, Mirage began to try and make his way across the daunting platform section with the resources he had. To cheat a little, he'd fire his darts in a straight line, one onto another, to extend the platforms and make them easier to jump across. Anyone who decided to follow him could take part in this method with him being patient and willing to help, though he kept a fairly steady pace as he didn't want to stand in one place for too long after seeing the Bowsers creak the platforms with their weight.

Speaking of creaking, some of these bridges seemed to not only be broken, but also rusty. A misstep caused Mirage to nearly plummet to his doom, foot breaking through a piece of rusty footing and only forcing his weight back to fall onto his backside was enough to keep him from getting scratched up. [color=DEBA42]"This place can't stop being a death trap for five minutes,"[/color] He complained as he brought himself to his feet, patching the hole with a dart before walking across and continuing his journey forward. 

Which fortunately didn't last much longer, as he arrived at the end to find... A ladder. Grumbling a complaint about having to do more climbing, he was already tired to begin with and this had just made it worse. Plopping up top, he laid there for a moment before pulling himself together and standing, to go through the half-open doorway and inspect what was on the other side... Which was a bit strange, but also welcoming. A machine, something relatable compared to all the water, and trash, and weird floating fist monsters.

But it was speaking, which wasn't abnormal in Mirage's time, but what it said as they approached unnerved him. He stood behind Peach and Nadia, silently taking in the conversation and watching how 'Carl' moved. Also the strange material on him, and the wall, that seemed to be... Taking shape into something more human like. He'd say organs but he only knew the basics of how a few were supposed to look, so he wasn't going to think too hard on it. Whatever it was seemed to be keeping him functioning, or at least keeping him connected to the power. The strange material seemed to amass more from him, as it thinned out more towards the wires. Was it connecting him to keep him alive purposefully? Was it something he himself did? 

He said he was human. Which again, wasn't surprising to Mirage, at least the concept of it. There were machines in his time, people who lived on for centuries through the use of their brains being preserved. Billions of dollars went into transferring data between brain and the new mechanical body, and he knew of at least one who thought he was human, and another who was programmed to think he still was. Which Carl was, Mirage wasn't sure, but he was willing to believe that at one point, the machine was flesh just like them. Well, minus Blazermate, of course.

[color=DEBA42]"We'll try and get you some help, mister."[/color] Mirage said, reaffirming Carl to his humanity. He wasn't a shrink, but he was pretty sure telling a robot who thought he was human otherwise was a bad idea. He turned to address the others on the situation, starting with stating the obvious: [color=DEBA42]"I think all the power is being diverted to some [i]some other machine,[/i]"[/color] His eyes darted to the side, signaling at Carl. Thankfully with Mirage's back turned, this wasn't easy for the robot to spot. [color=DEBA42]"If we want to get that door open, we'd have to redirect the power. Which would probably cause damage to any machine connected, 'cause of the sudden power drain."[/color] He really was sugar-coating this to not make it sound like a potential life was in danger, but that was the key to not triggering this guy. Not to mention this was all coming out of what appeared to be basically a toddler, so, you know. It probably wasn't too hard to slip things past him.

[color=DEBA42]"So that's an option, but we could look for another route. Maybe there's another way if we peek around enough. And if you're curious about [i]that machine[/i]... I think I know a thing or two. But I gotta get to lookin', and that workshop is calling to me. So you can come along, if ya want."[/color] With that, he began to walk off to look for a secondary entrance to the Command Center. It wasn't hard to spot controls to what (he assumed) was the power close by, but he wasn't going to pull anything until he knew for sure he had to. As a precaution, he pulled out his sling and put it onto the lever as to mark it as a 'no zone' for the moment. Not that it'd actually stop anyone from pulling it, but he liked to think they could solve this without hurting this guy. That being said, considering his state... Maybe putting him out of his misery wasn't a bad idea. This place was a damn nightmare after all, but despite that, he wasn't comfortable with it. Machine or not, there was potentially a human mind connected to that body. And he deserved a chance if they could somehow give it to him.