Chapter 1: The Labyrinth Beckons
Chapter Text
The morning sun cast long shadows over the bustling courtyard of Miridia High School. Excitement buzzed in the air like a live wire, as students gathered eagerly, their voices a harmonious blend of animated chatter and laughter. It was a day of adventure, a field trip awaited, and the very atmosphere seemed to crackle with anticipation.
Adrien stood with an air of quiet contemplation near the grand entrance of the school, his short figure casting a small shadow amidst the youthful exuberance. His deep, dark eyes scanned the crowd, taking note of each face, each voice that contributed to the symphony of excitement around him. He adjusted his tie with a sigh, his reluctance to join the festivities evident in the way his shoulders slumped. A field trip – the mere notion sent a subtle shiver down his spine, a haunting reminder of a past encounter.
"I still can't believe you agreed to chaperone, Adrien," Lucas chuckled as he strolled up, his wavy hair dancing in rhythm with the breeze.
Adrien's lips twitched into a half-hearted grin, before dramatically clearing his throat.
"
Few minds will come to this.
The poet’s only bliss
Is in cold certitude—
Laurel, archaic, rude.
"
Lucas stared blankly before erupting into laughter, the sound carrying genuine warmth as his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Well, at least they'll have your imposing presence to keep them in check."
Amidst the chatter and laughter, a group of students huddled together, their voices carrying a curious rumor on the wind. Adrien's ears perked up like a vigilant sentinel, jumping out of his commodity as he caught fragmented snippets of their conversation. Nazi-based camps? Intricate conspiracy theories? His brow furrowed, and he leaned in, his curiosity piqued.
Lucas, noting Adrien's intrigue, leaned closer, a quizzical glint in his eyes. "What's got you all serious and Sherlock-like now?"
Adrien offered a noncommittal shake of his head, his attention still fixated on the huddled group of students. "Just... seems to be some unfounded tales making the rounds." he bit his lip nervously.
Lucas followed his gaze and then shrugged, a playful smirk playing on his lips. He then bestowed a hefty pat on the smaller man's arm, pitching the man forward "Ah, well, you know how kids are these days. Always spinning wild yarns."
As the school buses pulled up, their engines roaring to life, the cacophony of conversations was momentarily drowned out. Adrien watched with an air of detachment as the students formed orderly lines, their eagerness tangible. With a determined sigh, Adrien fell in line, his steps eventually leading him onto one of the buses.
The journey commenced, the bus rolling along the picturesque countryside. Adrien occupied a seat near the front, his gaze wandering out the window like a restless spirit. Memories of past field trips stirred within him, stirring a potent mixture of nostalgia and unease. A sigh slips past his lips. If only he could fit Data-7 in his side bag. Instead, he focused on Lucas talking to him from the other seat.
Hours flowed by like a river's current, the bus finally arriving at its enigmatic destination – a historical site shrouded in the allure of mystery and intrigue. Adrien disembarked, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed the sprawling panorama of ancient ruins that lay before him. The air hung heavy with a palpable sense of history, both alluring and disquieting against the growing chatter from their students.
Lucas expertly herded his excited kids together, their voices bubbling with unrestrained enthusiasm. Adrien joined his group, his commanding presence causing the students to instinctively hush. Among them was Lori, one of Adrien's students, who offered him fluttery eyelashes and a flirty kiss blown his way. Adrien acknowledged her gesture with a subtle groan and followed Lucas who was busy charming the tour guide. Meanwhile, his thoughts momentarily veer toward the hidden perils that might lurk within the ancient relics.
As the tour guide began to weave tales of the past, Adrien's thoughts wandered like a lone wanderer in a forgotten forest. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was amiss, that an intangible danger lurked just beyond the veil of sight. His fingers twitched involuntarily, a lingering residue of anxiety coursing through his veins. Sustenance Withdrawal? A Survivors paranoia?
CRACK
Panic went through the crowd. The ground quaked, and before anyone could react, the earth seemed to yawn open, a gaping maw that swallowed them whole. Screams pierced the air as students and teachers alike plummeted into the abyss, tumbling and screeching. Adrien flipped and readied himself to Navigate the Human/ground Confetti mix when He notice 3 things in quick succession. One, a big, big shadow. Two, a force against the back of his head that was strong enough to completely obliterate a normal person's skull. Three, the world was getting really dark, really fast.
Adrien's heart pounded like a drum in his chest as he landed amidst a chaotic tangle of limbs and bewildered voices. His hazy eyes darted around like a bat out of hell, his mind racing to make sense of the surreal situation, but his body was having none of it. Amid the disarray, panic surged like a torrent, its currents sweeping everyone into a frenzied state of confusion. Students were either sobbing hysterically, yelling at a very stressed-looking Lucas, or doing their best impression of a Terracotta Warrior Statue. Slowly he stood up, placing one hand on his head and using the other to get himself off the ground.
"Everyone, stay calm!" Adrien's voice boomed like a rallying cry, his authoritative tone slicing through the cacophony of fear (and ignoring what is probably going to be a hell of a migraine later). "We must regroup and devise a plan of action."
“Oh my god you're not dead” Lori whispered quietly as she broke out of whatever panic trance, she was in. Lucas immediately rushes over to him.
“Oh lord oh lord, you’re ok thank GOD almighty.”
“Lucas, you're not religious.”
“Don’t care, let me see.”
“What! I'm fine, don-OW! What's that for?”
“No offense, but after the last field trip, the last person I’m trusting with your health is you.”
“Wait, are you cryin-OWCH Stop that!”
“Then move your head better!”
Grumbling quietly about using correct grammar under pressure, Adrien let Lucas manhandle him into whatever position the man thought he needed for whatever reason he believed would magically cure him of all ailments. The good news is that most of the mass hysteria was sopped up like a sponge by whatever the hell the two teachers were trying to accomplish. That being said, the peanut gallery made no move to intercept, so Adrien was left at Lucas's whims until he was pronounced not dead by the literal biology teacher.
As the dust of chaos began to settle, Adrien's gaze locked on the honest to God labyrinth splayed out in front of them. It stretched before them like an intricate tapestry of shadows, a twisting maze of corridors and passages that beckoned like whispered secrets.
“Well,” Lucas said after a while of everyone staring into the void ahead of them after a brief glance at where they fell from.” only one way to go." And so, with unwavering determination, they ventured forth, their fates intertwined like threads in the tapestry of destiny, each step propelling them deeper into the enigma that awaited within the labyrinth's embrace.
No one noticed behind them when the blurred form of the tour guide busted into glowing green light, leaving behind a similarly colored vile.
Chapter Text
The underground labyrinth exhaled an eerie stillness, its corridors winding like the coils of a serpentine beast. Adrien's stern expression remained resolute as he led his group through the dimly lit passages. Their footsteps echoed, a haunting rhythm that reverberated off the cold stone walls.
Lucas's group followed closely behind; their voices hushed as they navigated the labyrinth's labyrinthine pathways. His students cast nervous glances at the foreboding shadows that seemed to stretch and dance with a life of their own. Despite the unease, Lucas wore a determined expression, his resolve unshaken. If anyone noticed the shake in his hand as he held the flashlight, then they spoke not of it.
Amidst the whispers and shuffling of feet, Lucas's voice broke the silence. "Keep moving, everyone. Stay together and stay alert."
The air grew thick with tension, the darkness around them seemingly endless. Adrien's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, his senses attuned to any signs of danger. His mind raced, analyzing every potential threat, every hidden trap. Dark corners are all that greeted his paranoia.
A faint breeze whispered through the labyrinth, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and long-forgotten secrets. Suddenly, Adrien's ears caught the sound of distant footsteps, a rhythmic tapping that seemed to draw closer.
tap tap tap
He held out his arm, slowing the group behind him. Lori was the next to notice.
"...Professor, Did’ja hear that?" Lori's voice trembled as she clutched Adrien's arm. The crowd behind him started chittering quietly, only to be stopped by Lucas’s gentle reassurances. Adrien made a sweep of the room, not noticing anything present except for the gaggle of kids covered in dust and debris before hearing it again.
Tap tap tap tap
His grip on his flashlight tightened, his gaze narrowing. "Stay close, everyone. We're not alone down here."
The tapping grew louder, an ominous echo that seemed to emanate from all directions. Shadows danced and flickered, giving life to the ancient stone walls. Adrien's heart pounded in his chest, his instincts on high alert. He and Lucas herded the kids faster.
The group turned a corner and came across a sprawling intersection of metal and wire. The paths seem all dark except for one, illuminated by a single hang light. In front of them, a series of crude tripwires crisscrossed the path ahead, each one strung with a sinister intention. Adrien's eyes widened as jerked back, before walking straight into a wire, grabbing the people behind them to stop their momentum.
"Careful," he warned, his voice low and steady and letting go. "Watch your step. We need to get through this without triggering any of these traps."
Lori, her gaze fixed on the taut wires, whispered, "But what if we can't?"
Tap tap tap tap tap
Adrien's lips pressed into a thin line as he pondered their options. The labyrinth seemed to tighten its grip, its walls closing in with an almost sentient malevolence. He glanced at Lucas, who shared a determined look, silently acknowledging the gravity of their situation.
"Lucas," Adrien called, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "We need to find a way around this. We can't afford to be caught in these traps."
Lucas nodded; his brow furrowed in concentration. “Let's split in to two groups. We need to move fast.”
“Agreed. Let's meet back here in twenty.”
Lucas nodded and gestured for his students to follow as he veered off the main path, his keen eyes scanning for an alternate route. Adrien's group followed suit, breaking off to one of the darker hallways with his kids.
As they maneuvered through the labyrinth's labyrinthine corridors, the tapping sound grew louder, reverberating like a heartbeat. Adrien's grip on his flashlight tightened as he led the way, his steps measured and deliberate.
Tap tap tap tap tap
The labyrinth seemed to shift and change, its very essence alive with a malevolent energy. Adrien's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of a puzzle that was slowly unraveling before them. His heart hammered in his chest, a sense of foreboding settling over him.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the tapping ceased. The air grew still, the tension hanging thick like a shroud. Adrien halted his group, his senses on high alert as the kids started to simmer in panic. The labyrinth seemed to hold its breath as if awaiting their next move.
“It stopped,” Adrien whispered under his breath.
“That's good right,” Darik, a slip brunet said back with a slight tremor.
“Why did it stop?”
Lori tugged on his coat “Professor, we're safe, right? Lets hightail it out-”
A low growl reverberated through the darkness, sending a shiver down Adrien's spine. He swung his flashlight back towards the source of the sound, revealing a pair of glowing eyes that glistened like orbs of liquid fire. The creature's body emerged from the shadows, its cybernetically enhanced form an unsettling amalgamation of steel and sinew.
A guttural snarl escaped the creature's lips, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Adrien's heart raced as he instinctively stepped forward, placing himself between the mutant monstrosity and his students.
His flashlight's beam illuminated the creature's features - a grotesque fusion of flesh and machine. Lori gasped, her hands trembling as she clung to her classmates as they echoed her sentiment.
Adrien's voice cut through the tension, his words a steady, reassuring anchor. "Stay behind me. We're going to back away slowly. Don’t drag your feet and if I say run, then you need to run."
As the group retreated, the creature's gaze followed their movements, its mechanical limbs flexing with an eerie grace.
Tap tap
Adrien's mind raced, calculating their chances of escape.
Shit
“RUN, NOW!” He yelled.
Behind him, His kids broke into a sprint down the Hallway. He threw his flashlight at the dog strong enough to make a cracking noise on contact before following his kids.
“Find a Door!”
“I see something ahead! Keep going!”
TAP TAP TAP
There was a growl before he felt metal dig into his shoulder blades causing him to yelp in pain. He only had time to duck as the monster's hydraulic jaw snapped on the air above his head. Using the momentum, he vered to the right rolling and slamming the hybrid into the wall. Listening to his kid's footsteps get quieter, he grabbed the dog's head from over his shoulder and pulled forward, removing his claws from his back and digging the pads of his thumbs into his eye socket. The wolf kicked blindly launching them both from the wall with momentum.
“PROFESSOR THIS WAY!
Ahead of him, a portion of the hallway had a giant metal segregator that Was being held by a chain hooked to the ground. He broke into a sprint before the wolf could get his bearings, moving faster than should be possible for him towards the giant divider (If anyone asks later, then he can always blame it on the adrenaline.)
TAP TAP TAP
He throws himself towards the kids and hears them disconnect the chain.
SLAM!
TAP TA-
BANG
Adrien lies Inches from the closed door inside listening as the creature makes pitiful attempts to get through the door, all of the kids waiting in anticipation. Eventually, the sound stops, followed by a tapping growing quiet in the distance. Ignoring the pain in his back, he sits up and starts counting kids before he knows he has everyone. He slumps back dawn on the floor, sending a quick prayer to any deities he can think of be for he starts to calm down his group.
Behind them, unnoticed, lies a loose trip wire, pulled by one of the kids during their escape.
“Boss, a tripwire had been triggered within one of the abandoned laboratories. Local scans show live genetic material associated with... the cybers? I thought we got them all?”
A small figure sat in an ordinated chair covered in shadows. A malicious grin stretched across his face as he reviewed the data in his hand, his mind already concocting a sinister plan. A high cackle is the only thing that can be heard for miles.
Ananí Elias (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 29 Aug 2023 05:35PM UTC
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