[elevator] [cerberus]

[guillotineroom]

[ When you open your eyes again the first thing that you, and your teammates, may notice is that you are confined within an iron cage, rectangle in shape. Further inspection will reveal that outside of the cage is a large structure of sorts, reaching far above you. It kind of looks like an unfinished clock tower, really... there are spots that look finished and bolted tightly, and others that look like they had been left once and the work never thought of again.

Also, it's pretty chilly. You might get to notice that.

It's foggy and windy—the kind of wind that howls and roars, jostling your cage against the tall shaft, and every so often you feel as though you might have had the ghost of a raindrop on you. The tower-like build creaks horribly ominously in the wind, and you can see the rusted metals swaying slightly. But if you decide to look around...

Flapping above you (and not helping with the wind) is a harpy-like creature, iron chains wrapped around their talons. Though, maybe it's more like a lion? The chains are bolted to the top of your cage. There are also little indicators on the structure, the same distance apart, that seem to be declaring different levels or heights. They look horribly unhappy to be here, but they're also impressive at ignoring any call you might have for them.

There's a door to the cage, but it won't open, even if it's just a simple-looking locking mechanism. If you peer out, it's too foggy on the ground to make out very much, but you can make out nine other, tower-like structures with similarly flapping harpies. Each one, including your own, has an emblazoned emblem of every team's patron monster, so that you can see where everyone is—it's just difficult to make out exactly who may be in each one. Even more difficult to try and communicate like this.

Attached to the door is an aged metal panel with a screen and four buttons; two to choose between the team names that appear on the dark green and black screen, and two to choose whether you wish for that team to go up or down.

After a moment, a little speaker in the corner starts playing an incredibly bad quality version of this.]

Comments

[messianic]

It's okay if you don't. I know for sure.

[ tiny shrug! ]

... We just have to get through this round, I think. After that... well. It'll still be complicated, but hopefully we'll have more information to work off of. Right?

[cultfavorite]

We at least won't be guessing entirely blind . . . it'll be complicated in a different way. But it's no use thinking about it until we see the results of this round. We could end up in any situation.

[messianic]

Right... one thing at a time. We can only handle the problem in front of us first.

[ ... he threads his fingers together in front of himself, absent and thoughtful. ]

Mmm... I hope... we can do it this time. I hope we can save as many people as possible.

[cultfavorite]

. . . I'm confident that all of us will do our best. That means every team. There's no team I think wouldn't want that, and will aim for it. The very worst I'd expect of anyone is complete self-centered protection, and that isn't a bad thing at all either. I want to protect Cerberus too. If we come anywhere near the top—I know what my vote will be.

[messianic]

[ poor Saturn... dealing with a self-sacrificial team like Cerberus. Minato doesn't want anything to happen to Cerberus either, but...

So all he can say, quietly is: ]

For now... I think we'll be okay.

[cultfavorite]

I know you'll fight me if it comes to it.

[But he says this with a smile. And honestly, what if the worst case scenario happened? What if it came down to outright having to choose between Cerberus and Bugbear? Or Kraken? Saturn can't say for certain what he'd do. He'd have a lot of thinking to do.]

[messianic]

Ah, that's not--

[ Minato hesitates at that, a complicated expression crossing his face. Saturn may be smiling about it, but... ]

... Please don't misunderstand. Your lives are all so, so important to me.

[ If it was only his life... it'd be a lot easier to decide. But all of Cerberus'? That's too precious to throw away. ]

[cultfavorite]

. . . I never doubted it. Don't worry about that. Though I wish you felt the same way about your own life.

[He puts a hand on Minato's shoulder to squeeze it.]