[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 599 (+1 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 5/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - The Maw[/color][/center]
The duo's steady work was coming to a close. All climbing, jumping, cutting, lifting and moving certainly made for an intense workout. Maybe a little too much for the children, though the Cadet was handling it a little better than Nadia. She seemed completely exhausted, but a tremendous noise startled the both of them and signaled the end of their distraction-making. It was the heavy creaking and churning of an old machine coming to life, and it quickly began draining the water beneath them. That meant the diving team had been successful!

Moreau tried a last ditch effort to get at the kids up on the catwalk, but due to the lower water level he fell way short of his target. [color=salmon]"Not even close!"[/color] The Cadet hollered over the railing, watching the monster crash back into the water with a splash. Things were looking up, weren't they?

[color=salmon]"Hellblade yeah they did it!"[/color] the redhead said, matching Ms. Fortune's enthusiasm. If he thought any in the command center or in the submarine would have been able to hear him, he would have shouted out praises for them. That would have to wait until they all regrouped. He waited, watching the continual drain of the water with Nadia until it stopped completely. Now that it was visible, the lower level looked pretty much the same as the upper ones. It was dank and full of random machine parts. Rusted and water log pieces of metal were all over the ground. The only things that moved were fish, or fish-like creatures anyway. There was also... Moreau.

The creature was down there, but it wasn't stranded - it was walking around! What the Cadet had thought were huge fins turned out to be sturdy legs that it dragged it's hulking body around with, and it was moving about the bottom level wailing in anger. Of course it just had to be amphibious, if that could label even apply to the mutation. Ace Cadet glanced at Nadia, intending to respond to her with an affirmative, but his stomach growled fiercely. 

[color=salmon]"Ugh... why'd you have to mention fishsticks."[/color] The magically induced hunger was really at odd with unappetizing scenery around them, but man what the boy wouldn't do for some food right then. [color=salmon]"Let's go. That thing doesn't seem like the brightest Jaggi in the pack, we can probably make it without getting caught."[/color]

The Seekers' destination was still one level above it, so as long as the monster didn't have any means to reach them, they'd be alright to make their way to the lift. With mission "lower the water level" accomplished, those in the command center would be free to just come back out to this area and they they'd find a way across. While that was true for most of them, Bowser - through his loud conversation with Kamek - pointed out that his son was on the lowest level. [i]Duh, the sub![/i] The Cadet smacked a palm to his forehead. Of course the submarine and it's pilot would be stuck down there, no water meant no maneuvering it. This revelation, which seemed pretty obvious in hindsight, had Link going to use himself as bait again to drawn Moreau's attention away from the young koopa prince. Though Link was clever and capable, it had the potential to go poorly. The quicker the Cadet and Nadia got down, the quicker they'd be able to jump in if they needed to. 

The hunter sped up his movement over the catwalks, looking over the side at the situation below every couple of seconds. [color=salmon]"What's the fastest way down?"[/color]