Blaguarro Town Abandoned District

[MintyMimix]

Ghaspius more than gladly handed off the vials of jasmine to Andre, Wes, and any other interested parties. "Just uncork, take a nice big whiff, and cork again. Should relax the body a bit," he said in a gentler voice than usual, as though he were trying to comfort a patient. "Be careful not to spill it on yourself though. Nothing harmful, but it will sting your nostrils a bit."

He observed the light offered with a lidded, cautious gaze. His eyes darted to Isidora, recalling how she had acted once before when offered Radiance. And yet, seeing her more certain, grounded made him smile. If she could handle it at that potency, then perhaps he could, too.

As reached out, an unwavering sense of ease washed over him as his sway slowed. "Everything's gonna be groovy," he couldn't help but mumble aloud as his soft smile turned into a wide grin. Everything was gonna be fiiiiine. They'd figure out a way through the maze of a terminal, stop whatever bad dudes were down there, and everyone was gonna be a-okay and no one would be meaningfully harmed. And if they did, he'd find a way to heal it off, no problem.

The Mismagius's usual sway returned as his nerves washed away in the puddle of light that thankfully only mildly plugged his ears as he moved forward to match Bellatrix's pace.

 

[Sinderella]

Odette had mostly hung toward the back of the train, having wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a while. She was second-guessing her decision to not blow every ounce of coin she had on that new rifle, and was regretting listening to Betel about not going out on a scouting mission on her own. What if they were riding right into a fucking ambush? Things like that could be avoided if she'd just taken one for the team. Sure, maybe she'd be hurt but one hurt vs. thirty or more was a fair trade.

She knew it was stupid, and could practically hear the likes of say, Kimiko, or Koa, or Wes, or even Steven Bellatrix telling her so. But still.

When the train stopped and she shuffled off, she still elected to hang to the back and watch the other Wayfarers get their crack at Radiance first. She'd already felt it, and she was in no rush to have it permanently imbued in her, even if it felt necessary. It gave her more time to consider her own game plan. Although planning in this situation felt futile, that wasn't going to stop her.

Odette could hear the hum before it even neared her, and she felt the knot in her chest start to undo itself before she turned to see who it was. She wasn't sure if that was something metang could just do, or if Steven's presence just permanently had that affect on her now. Of course, it also came with a stampeding heartbeat that she wasn't sure she liked or not.

She didn't miss his gaze falling, and she instinctively brought her gloved hand up to rub at it, suddenly feeling the ghost of gauze laying against her recently-healed skin. "What can I say? Blaguarro just can't get enough of me," she said in jest, despite the storm of deep, pensive thought brewing just below the surface of her tone.

Dragging her eyes back to his, she felt a warmth coalescing in her chest that didn't do anything for her stupid heartbeat. But that was the least of her concerns right now. "I'll live. Lets get this light."

When she saw a part in the crowd, she took that as her opportunity to snake up to Luz, trying her best to mind the other bodies. She wordlessly regarded Luz with a reserved yet polite nod (not that it mattered anyway), and grasped her hand without a moment's hesitation.

Then sensation of Radiance entering her body again felt as it had with Akela. Like a hit off of a bong--sudden, perhaps a little painful at first, followed by the sensation of deep thoughts vacating her skull only to be replaced by a euphoric weightlessness. She had to ground herself in the sight of Terminal Two's overbearing threshold, but that didn't stop the light from illuminating her blood. Sending a brief yet racing train of thought to the core of her mind.

Pay attention. Everything in there is info. Let nothing slip.

Control. Control. CONTROL.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE CONTROL.

Her grasp on Luz's hand tightened for the briefest of moments before she let it drop back to her side. The only drop of surprise that played on her face was the way her eyes blinked. Not exactly dazed, more just perplexed. Trying to decipher information she'd just gotten.

"Thanks for doing this," she said. "It won't be in vain."

There was another pause before she turned. “And I owe you a drink.”

 

[canisaries]

After sniffing the jasmine like a coke addict - it didn't help - and passing it back to Ghaspius with a thanks, Andre waited impatiently for his turn to receive the light. He felt quite nervous approaching the Saint, as if he would somehow end up offending her and ruining everything for everyone again, but that all seemed to disappear when he touched the light and got over the initial shock of its burning heat. Huh? What was I so worried about? Everything's alright. Everything's...

No, everything's not alright. It's only the Radiance making me ignore my worries. In reality, there's plenty to be nervous about. But I suppose it's also good not to dwell on it...

He blinked forcefully to return himself back to the present, thanked the Zeraora and moved over to let the next one in line get their share of this... complicated power.

 

[Hap]

It felt strange to be back in Blaguarro.

Last time he'd been here, Ridley had known almost nothing about shadow pokemon. Even after his disastrous first encounter with the shadow charmeleon - Owen - he'd come to Blaguarro because he'd wanted to learn more. It had always been that fascination with the unknown which motivated him, which drove Ridley to follow his curiosity well past the point of reason.

See where that had gotten him.

Ridley watched as, one by one, his companions reached out to touch the tiny sun, and tried to find the courage to reach out his own hand.
Before Powehi, it wouldn't even have occurred to Ridley to hesitate. He'd have been one of the first to reach out, not hanging back half-paralyzed by terror. Was it even safe for Ridley to invite this new power into his body, as saturated with shadow energy as he was?

"Fuck it," Ridley muttered to himself. He reached out and thrust his hand into the light before he could psyche himself into flinching.

It didn't hurt. Ridley wasn't sure why he'd expected it to. Stepping into Powehi's ocean hadn't hurt either, not in any mundane sense of the word pain. For a moment it just felt like sunlight on your skin, a little too warm to be comfortable - and then the rush hit.

It was as though a weight had been lifted, a pressure that Ridley hadn't even noticed until it was gone. He felt lighter suddenly, his body effervescing as something new bubbled up inside him: like the thrill of learning something new, like the thrum of adrenaline in his veins, like the buzz of alcohol first starting to hit.

What had he been so worried about? Ridley felt a giddy urge to laugh, and... well, why shouldn't he? He felt like laughing, so he laughed.

Ridley wanted to linger and enjoy the sensation, but he forced himself to draw his hand back. He'd been half-afraid that the crushing weight of the shadows would return as soon as he lost contact with the light, but he still felt fine. Better than fine, actually.

"That feels fantastic," Ridley breathed.

 

[Magyk]

Grace clenched her paws as she flew after the ones already going ahead. It wasn't the time to explore Radiance, especially when they didn't have time to practice. She wished they'd gotten it much earlier before the raid!

"I'm ready. You can count on me for support this time," Grace said firmly as she caught up to Ghaspius. "Let's do our best, and then better than that."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Wes followed the group forward, but he was barely aware of himself putting one paw in front of the other, still reeling from the Radiance.

It had stung, alright. That was the understatement of the damn century. It bit and burned like fire, shredding its way down to his core like a shard of burning ember. But pain and discomfort was nothing new, nothing Wes wasn’t equipped to handle. It was the other sensations that threw him for a loop.

He felt a rush of exhilaration, like when he flew across the desert at top speeds on his motorcycle, and with it, a storm of emotions—euphoria, confidence, and gleeful, reckless abandon. He was an unstoppable force. Nobody could get in his way. Any plan he set in motion was bound to succeed no matter what, because he was just that good—and then, as quickly as it came, it faded, leaving him quietly gasping and trembling.

Wrong. Wrong. That had felt wrong on so many levels.

That degree of unbridled confidence, that boldness, was foreign and alien and flat-out wrong. Wes was never sure of himself even on a good day, and to suddenly have it magnified a thousand times and shoved inside of him was…unnatural. Grotesque. Violating.

He’d take Shadows any damn day over that. At least the Shadows were familiar. At least he understood them, even if a little too well. Wes forced himself onward, taking deep breaths and trying to get rid of the tingling under his skin.

And then, silently, he swore to himself he would never touch Radiance. Ever. Never again.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven watched Odette move to the front of the group to accept the Wandering Light's offer. He wanted to see what was happening, but was jolted by the sound of crumpling metal and splintering wood. A massive Aggron was admiring her handiwork before stomping inside the building, a very flustered Dodrio hot on her heels.

A small smile crossed Steven's features. Definitely something an Aggron he knew would do. A little of his nervousness fell away at the thought of his partner, some comfort in the familiarity of the moment. Stealth be damned. No more waiting, no more uncertainty; it was time to take action.

He almost followed after Anite out of habit, but first it was his turn to accept the Wandering Light's gift. He floated up to the silver Spirit with a deferential bow. He reached out towards the light with his left claw before catching sight of his bracer and hesitating...

He hadn't used Shadow since then, but he still remembered what happened during his evolution, the mark that remained hidden beneath the leather. His claws curled inward, like the light was something he shouldn't touch. Did the Wandering Light know? Would it matter?

More and more of their group were filing into the warehouse. There wasn't time to hesitate. In a snap decision he thrust his other arm forward, claws outstretched to accept the light.

The burst of heat was instant, so intense it left the steel of his palm glowing. It traveled up his arm like wildfire, bright, sharp, tingling, like every nerve was alight, warming him from the inside as if there was suddenly a beating heart of magma inside his shell of steel. The fire continued to spread, coiling in his chest like a snake, ready to strike and all he had to do was say the word. Lift one finger, and the light would jump at his command to rend his foes in two, to crumble obstacles to dust. A sensation so familiarly easy, the feeling of power that he'd missed.

The Shadows were an afterthought, melted away in the presence of light. It was something he'd never wielded before, but somehow it felt right.

The light from the Spirit faded out, and Steven closed his claws around the lingering warmth. "Thank you for your gift," he said to her, tucking his arm into a bow. "And your trust."

What had Aurelia told him during his time at Sunward? The Wardens did not wield the Sun's light unless it was absolutely necessary. But as he looked at the gaping entrance that held the untold depths of Terminal Two, he knew-- here and now-- it would be. That list tucked away in his pocket meant it would.

Gaze set with determination, Steven followed the rest of the group down into the darkness below.

 

[Butterfree]

It was happening. One by one the Wayfarers stepped up to Luz and touched the orb of light. Even Ridley, who'd cheerfully walked into the Shadow ocean, apparently thrilled with his new power.

Not like it'd help anyone if every other questionable Wayfarer got the power and he abstained, though. It was supposed to help in the fight. Better just get it over with.

He stepped up to Luz, eyes fixed on her faded eyeballs. Lifted a paw towards hers.

The sensation was familiar now, of course. The light stinging buzz, the sense of clarity - saving the prisoners, dismantling whatever technology Cipher was using to do this. The sudden cloying temptation to think everything'd just be fine, nothing to worry about. He shut his eyes and concentrated until it faded, until everything felt normal again. Until the phantom pain in his shoulder had returned, the sensation of burning fangs slicing through skin.

They would win this or they'd go home. Attack the base of a bunch of dangerous lunatics with a bunch of inexperienced naifs who fancied themselves to have superpowers. Jean'd be fucking proud.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

Like many of the others, Kimiko kept to herself during the trip to Blaguarro. This was her first visit back since the watchtower incident, and she wasn't terribly excited to be back here because of it. There were too many thoughts going through her mind, but now wasn't the time to be trying to deal with them. A lot of 'mon were counting on them, on her. If she failed... well, there would be worse consequences than those prisoners becoming fully shadowed. She (and likely the rest of the team) would among them.

She used the time to pretend to be asleep, instead. A poor substitute for a good night's rest, but it gave her an excuse to equally ignore all the thoughts warring for her attention.

She exited the train near the back of the group and kept some distance as she quietly followed, until an unfamiliar 'mon approached. This must be the Wandering Light, she figured, and was quickly proven correct. Luz had gone on about the dangers of Radiance, but Kimiko figured she handled Shadow just fine for her first try in battle against the Escarpa, so why would this be any different?

Likewise, she was one of the last to take her turn; most of the party had started towards the entrance by now. She wondered how this would affect them, affect Bee. Shadow had been a taint, a corruption, spreading to the rest of the team like a virus through Betel's telepathic network. But here, they were all willingly accepting this new power, and individually at that. If anything, she figured that would make it even easier to wield and control.

Guts, heart, and a clear mind, Luz had said. Well, as the song goes, two outta three ain't bad. Kimiko tried to focus on the task at hand; she was with the party going to free any prisoners down below. Those 'mon were counting on her. That was her task. She pulled that to the forefront of her mind. Nothing else mattered today. She reached out.

Luz had warned of a sting; Kimiko barely felt it. If she'd flinched, it was purely subconscious. The ball of fire was warm to the touch, and her body warmed also as it seeped into her. She closed her eyes, and she could see the warmth spreading.

It wasn't at all like she expected. It wasn't fire. I was lightning. Lightning she could harness. She knew far too well, better than most, how dangerous it could be if disrespected. But now, it could be her tool, her weapon, too. Her heart rate had begun to increase at a steady pace, only to return to normal as she became used to the tingling warmth now inside her. She stood up a little straighter, nodded at Luz in thanks, and turned to follow the tail end of the large party into the depths, with far lighter steps.

This was it, then. They had a job to do. Kimiko found it easier to focus now, that lightning striking down any stray thoughts trying to intrude on the immediate goal: rescue those kidnapped 'mon at all costs, and get everyone out safely. Everyone, including the team. Nothing else mattered. They could do it. They would do it.

Just as Alex and her team protected her, just as Lucy had once rescued her from captivity, so too would she free those trapped in that lab. She would make sure no one got left behind.

 

[Weazel]

As Archie made his way after his assigned group, he kept looking down at his paw. He wasn’t really sure how he felt, about the light of the miniature sun he’d accepted into himself. He’d expected some kind of warmth, when he’d grabbed it, maybe something stirring in his chest? Some part of him had hoped that maybe the light would have burned away the cloying shadows that clung to him even now. That hadn’t been the case. Part of him wondered if Luz could tell he was tainted.

He was glad to see that Koa and Wes were part of his group. This was unfamiliar territory for him- this first time in Blaguarro. Adding to that, the Oshawott had only worked in passing with Bellatrix, Ghaspius, and Mhynt, and knew nothing about their last party member to speak of. Having someone familiar present would help ground him. They were doing important work here, capturing Cipher’s leadership, and they could not afford to fail. But, if things went poorly, if the mission went bad and his thoughts started to wander in the direction of despair, he could focus on his friends, on keeping them safe.

He had to steel his resolve, and not dwell on such possibilities. He reminded himself not to isolate himself, or give in to his fear. Those would only make him easy pickings for Alex, if the Zweilous was here. It would make him a liability, and worse than that, it’d make him a danger to the others. It wouldn’t go down that way. He’d make sure of that. Whatever it took, this mission had to be a success. He pushed back all his worries, set them aside and locked them away. If there was one thing he was good at, it was compartmentalizing. Another deep breath, then he stood up straighter, did his best to project confidence.

“Whatever it takes,” he muttered to himself. He was as ready as he’d ever be.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Luz listened to each Wayfarer take their share of light – volatile, highly-reactive aura; her soul's energy – with concern and faint hope in her gleaming-gold eyes. (Had she lost her sight to age, or to her use of Radiance?) She'd known that there was no time to spare for training; she'd known that not every Wayfarer would take to the energy with surety and control. She'd done this anyway – a leap of faith.

"Good luck," she said, softly, as more and more of them took the power.

The next paw to reach for the Radiance was red-furred and dark-clawed, and it shuddered at the touch of the light – its owner held it there for several seconds with the look of a 'mon holding his paw over an open flame.

Seth's eyes flickered red and gold as the Radiance met with the Shadow in his veins.

"Showtime," he whispered, one corner of his mouth curving into a cocky smirk.

"Bet on it, partner," drawled Sonora, snatching her own measure of Radiance, drinking it up like solar light. She stretched, rolled her head, and shook out her limbs with a satisfied purr. "That stuff's got a kick to it," she remarked.

Luz' brow went up.

"That a Forlasan accent I hear?" she asked, not sounding like she had any doubt about the answer.

Sonora's face assumed a sanguine, beaming smile. "No idea what you mean, ma'am," lied the Floragato thief.

The two followed after the Wayfarers proper without looking back, and Luz listened to them go with a grim expression as she closed her fist on the sphere of light in her palm, quenching it with a soft hiss.

"You never can see what's to come," she whispered to herself. "Only what's in front of you..."

The raid had begun.

 

[Inkedust]

Mav had quickly overtaken Anite at front of the group, leading everyone through the piles upon piles of blindfolds and other pieces of scrap towards the intake - the furthest any Wayfarer had gotten up until this point. With little hesitation Mav jumped right in, the metal clanging against his body.

"Clear, Clear, Clear!" called all three of Mav's heads after a moment of silence. "No patrol heard in either direction!"

Bellatrix looked back at the others, waiting to see if anyone else wanted to go first. When no one did, Bellatrix let out a sigh muttering a small, "oh alright then" before climbing on through herself.

Anite and Tala hung back to watch everyone filter in, more than happy to "help" anyone who was hesitating in; "help" in this context meaning throwing anyone who stalled for too long down the intake. Based on their size, they would be coming in through last as they would be a bit of a tight squeeze.

---​

On the other side of the intake was a massive labyrinth of tunnels that sprawled and winded in all directions. No light came through so Mav had a lit lantern hanging off the base of A's neck. They had apparently left it there in preparation of the raid - A didn't want to carry it around everywhere, it was heavy. The tunnels themselves looked to be a mix of old and new. What was old was very old, were narrow and seemed to have been made with its own defined paths in mind. The new, however appeared much more random, like they had been dug out on a whim. They were also far wider than the older tunnels, about right for an onix according to any rock-type experts in the group.

"Left, we start left," said M. "To the right is a dungeon and we'll for sure get lost in there." His other two heads would be in charge of any small talk that came their way as M focused recalling the first third of the route. "Follow close or find your own light, this ol' thing can only carry so far. Come on!"

The dodrio had gone on the move and it was up to everyone to keep up with them. Bellatrix had decided to remain in the middle of the group, lighting her own Will-O-Wisp to act as another lights source while Tala and Anite remained at the back to give anyone who wanted to attack from behind second thoughts. "Just like old times, eh?" Tala said to Anite, the aggron smirking in response.

 

[MintyMimix]

Ghaspius trailed quietly in the middle as the Radiance sunk into his body and cleared his senses just a smidgen. His gems hummed with an dim, eerie red glow, but that wasn't the only source of light he had on hand.

Sifting through his bag, he pulled out a vial containing what appeared to be a sea green liquid before igniting it with a Will-o-Wisp. Some would recognize it as the chemiluminescence used with Little Scriven's glowsticks during the Equinox festival. Though why he didn't just use his Will-o-Wisp as a light instead was simply because he thought it looked neater that way.

"So we just follow left, then all mon-made ones, right?" Ghaspius whispered aloud. "Still, ya think they'd make this accessible to just their own agents, wouldn't they? Don't that mean there might be like security or a passcode or somethin'?"

 

[Tetra]

Koa steeled himself, and pressed ahead. Normally he enjoyed a nice cave or tunnel. Cramped spaces didn't bother him too much either, and he'd been in his share of tunnels or mountains. This tunnel set his fur on end, and he kept sniffing the air and glancing around. The striations appeared Onix made, but somehow that didn't make it any less unsettling.

He wished Odette were here, but in some strange way he was glad too that someone he trusted would be venturing into the labs. Better her than him... He hoped they'd all be okay. Steven and Aige, and Leaf, Jade. Setting aside his fears, he shifted to walk a little closer towards the front, reflexively moving to be near Archie.

"We've got this," he said softly to Archie. "I've got your back." Knowing they carried the power of Radiance made it easier to believe the words. Even now he felt more confident, knowing they had something to counter the darkness.

Something to help destroy Cipher.

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt took point, scouting ahead while clutching her enchanted scarf for enhanced stealth. She muted her Teleports with skill and blipped ahead, checking around corners without making a sound. This would at least help them avoid immediate, unexpected encounters.

 

[Weazel]

Once in the tunnels, Archie was quick to grab his scalchop. An enemy could pop out from around any corner, and the Oshawott wanted to be prepared! With Mhynt scouting ahead, and Bellatrix and Ghaspius both electing to stay towards the center of their group, he took it upon himself to take point, sticking to the front with their Dodrio guide, ready to act as the first line of defense. He was focused, in his element, ready for action…

So it was actually a little surprising when Koa materialized out of the dark beside him! He’d been so focused on the darkness ahead of him, that the fact that there were people behind him too had actually completely slipped the Oshawott’s mind. He shot the Electrike his best reassuring smile, and nodded.

“Right, Cipher won’t know what hit them!” he whispered back, before adding, with a more naturally friendly grin, “I’m counting on your support!”

 

[RJr3:2]

Aige had no words to describe radiance, so she didn't. Whatever it was, whatever it made her feel, it was irrelevant and could wait until later. Trailing near the end of the group, she was a little curious as to what they would find, but not much else. The Roggenrola found she had little apprehension to speak of- the enemy would be much more concerned with her teammates, many of whom towered over her in their evolved forms.

'Everyone's here, huh,' she thought to herself. Thinking about the rangers and Escarpa patrolling the streets, she hummed. 'Everyone? Seems like we're putting all our eggs in one basket. Oh well, If Cipher goes down like this, then they had it coming for not being prepared.'

"So um, assuming we beat them up and whatnot, who is going to take custody of the prisoners?" she asked, trying to be a little quiet to match the others. "We'd have to drag them all up first too..."

'Maybe it would be easier if we killed a few of them'

"I guess we'll figure it out when we get to it," she added lightly.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Jade tried to keep her fur from standing up as the group passed through the intake and into the tunnels. Her eyes scanned the surroundings automatically, playing out how an escape would go as had become instinct.

It really was a big group… That wasn’t always a good thing, as her time on the Rebellion had taught her. But they’d be splitting into squads at some point, so Jade found herself sticking close to Laura so they wouldn’t risk losing each other in the crowd.

With this last calm before the storm, she tried taking stock of everyone nearby, the moves they knew, what she could call upon in an ambush. The occasional flicker of light danced off the walls as Mhynt blipped ahead (would Jade be able to call on that Teleport, if she needed?)

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova was using his taller stature to eye the ceiling and tops of the walls. If this group had a portal machine and the means to shadow pokémon, he wouldn't be surprised if there was surveillance equipment hiding somewhere.

Perhaps his Metal Sound could disrupt any equipment that was around...

 

[Jackie Cat]

Those keeping an eye out for surveillance equipment did catch sight of cameras – CCTV apparatus, unlikely to have been manufactured locally on Forlas – here and there. Fewer than might be expected – though it would certainly be hard to cover an ever-changing maze like this – and when examined up close, many of them were already neutralised by having had their cables severed by what was most likely a large, burrowing creature. Nova disabled the rest. That Shadow onix... Was it an uncontained liability, or the primary defence system for Cipher's base?

"I can't feel any burrowing nearby," muttered Laura. "There must be times when it has to rest, right?"

Yes... That is true. Hello, heroic spirits.

In truth, the whole of you here in force, empowered by Radiance, gives me a measure of influence over the Blaguarro spacetime rift – the mystery dungeon known as Black Water Depths. Cipher's facilities are built in its shallows, and these tunnels connect to the inner dungeon. I am ensuring that the Shadow onix does not interfere with your mission, but that is all I can do for now...
​

Laura nodded, steeled herself, and pressed on.

"Can't believe I thought I could retrace my steps," muttered Seth, who'd pushed towards the front of the group. At least Mav knew the way.

"Do y'all have a plan for getting through the front door when we get there?" asked Sonora, her eyes alive with adrenaline – and Radiance.

"Actually, we do," replied Laura, hefting the woven sack she'd brought in addition to her usual kit. "Those blasting charges the Escarpa planned to use on the rail bridge? They gave those to us. If we can't trick or sneak or puzzle our way through, that's our skeleton key. A big enough explosion to force our way in, proofing or no proofing."

"That's my MO," joked Seth, with mock offence.

Excited chattering between Mav's heads indicated the party were nearly there. The hydra-bird ran ahead, and after a short minute, they called back to the Wayfarers with pride that they'd found Cipher's front door.

The 'door' was a daunting steel edifice, a gunmetal grey bulkhead set into the rock. A small, sturdy-looking terminal to one side of it provided a likely means of accessing entry, and what looked like a camera mounted above the gateway would certainly identify the Wayfarers if anyone was watching the feed. A brief investigation by Seth and Anite revealed that the metal was elementally proofed, and extended past the door in every direction. The facility's steel walls were a firm defence against infiltration by burrowing, if the Shadow onix didn't bury any would-be invaders first.

Seth cracked his knuckled and grinned nastily. "Time for the bombs, then?"

Laura pawed her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe. But if we can get in without resorting to that, we'll be better off for it."

They'd save resources, keep the base intact for their own use, and maybe even regain some element of surprise, if Cipher was expecting them to make their way through with brute force.

"Any ideas?"

They couldn't afford to wait long. Every minute spent standing around meant worse odds of getting the jump on Cipher...