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Chapter 15 - The Few That Remain

Arnold runs down a block and turns to see an alley way. He runs in immediately as someone tries jumping at him, avoiding them. As he runs through it, the foul smell hits his nose, irritating him. He runs past a trash can, and suddenly a person jumps out from behind it to tackle him. He flips over the guy and lands on his feet. Noticing the emergency ladder, Arnold jumps up, grabs onto it and climbs up. He goes up the building and reaches the top.

Arnold: "I can wait up here for a-"

Sarah: "Nowhere left to run."

Arnold backs up slowly.

Arnold: "If your partner is getting a card, you don't really need this, right?"

Sarah: "I don't care what Marcus is getting. I can earn my own win."

Arnold comes to a stop as he turns to see the edge of the building.

Sarah: "Don't fall now, I don't know if that'll change me passing or not."

Arnold takes a deep breath. He falls back off the building.

Sarah: "Are you nuts?!"

Sarah runs to the edge. As she looks down, she sees a balcony. She jumps down onto it.

Sarah (in head): "So he's run inside..."

Arnold dashes down stairs.

Arnold (in head): "Just a bit longer."

In the Cleft, the man waiting holds his phone to his mouth.

Man: "Apparently nobody went to pick up the card at the Museum, so I guess there'll be less than ten. How's everything on your side? Have you prepared the accommodations?... That's good. And the... Ok, great. I'll be there later. Thanks."

He hangs up the phone. As he gets on his feet, he starts adjusting his outfit.

Man: "Just a little longer. Our winners will be here soon."

Arriving in the center of the city, Kassius and Bonnie get off the train and sprint at full speed.

Kassius: "We're going to make it!"

Bonnie: "Hurry, hurry!"

Inside the building, Arnold reaches a wide floor area that's completely empty.

Arnold (in head): "Can't stay here. It's too open. Need something to cover me."

Person 1: "He's upstairs, I heard him running!"

Arnold looks around and sees an open window hole. Two people reach Arnold's floor.

Person 1: "Check around. We'll search all the floors if we have to."

As they look around, they don't spot Arnold. One of them walks over to the window hole and looks down.

Person 1: "Did you find him?!"

Person 2: "Nope."

Person 1: "Well, look harder man!"

Person 2: "I am looking hard! Shit!"

They run to the stairs and leave the floor. Arnold, who was hanging overhead, flips back into the floor from the window. He quickly heads back towards the stairs.

Arnold (in head): "I have to get out of here. If I reach one of the lower floors..."

As he reaches the stairs, he looks up to two teams coming down the stairs.

Person 3: "Hey, there!"

Person 4: "Oh, shit!"

Arnold immediately runs down the stairs and reaches the second floor to a hall with a door.

Arnold: "Finally."

Arnold opens it and heads down a flight of stairs. He opens the door, and sees the ground of the outside.

Arnold (in head): "Finally out. Now I-"

Sarah kicks Arnold just as he steps out, sending him to the ground. She gets on him, restricting his movement.

Sarah: "Found you! And I'll be taki-"

"There! She's taking the card!"

Sarah looks to the side, as a group of people rush down the exit Arnold came from. Distracted, Arnold gets out of her grip and kicks her off, running away.

Sarah: "Fuck!"

Arnold starts running back towards the cleft. As he approaches the building, he sees Jinsoku, who spots him as well. Jinsoku lifts his card up.

Jinsoku: "I got it."

Jinsoku lifts the card up. Arnold throws his card away, into the distance and runs towards Jinsoku. One of the people manage to get to it.

Person 1: "Hey, I got it! I got it!"

Arnold reaches Jinsoku and stops running.

Jinsoku: "You ready?"

Arnold: "Yeah."

Jinsoku slides the card in the door slot and it opens. They both enter and the door shuts instantly. Over in the distance, Kassius and Bonnie spot The Cleft, gleaming with joy.

Kassius: "It's over there!"

They both reach the entrance. A group of other teams arrive and spot them.

Bonnie: "Slide it!"

Kassius: "I'm trying, I'm trying!"

As the groups close in, Kassius manages to slide the card and the door opens. They rush in and it shuts right behind them.

Bonnie: "Did we..."

Kassius: "Yes."

Bonnie: "Yes!"

Kassius: "There's an elevator up ahead."

Kassius and Bonnie walk up to the elevator and enter. Looking to the buttons, Kassius notices a note stuck beside it that reads 'Press this floor'. Kassius presses the button and the elevator closes and moves up.

Bonnie: "Where's it heading?"

Kassius: "Some top floor."

Eventually, the elevator stops. The doors open and up ahead see Jinsoku and Arnold, as well as the man.

Man: "The second team. Congratulations."

Kassius and Bonnie walk up to Arnold and Jinsoku.

Bonnie: "We've passed, right?"

Jinsoku: "Yes."

Bonnie: "Good."

Arnold: "Which one did you go for?"

Kassius: "The South one."

Arnold: "Nice."

Jinsoku: "Mhm."

The elevator rings as it rises back from the bottom floor.

Man: "The test time has ended. The last two teams should be arriving."

The elevator door opens. To the disappointment of the rest, Marcus and Sarah walk out of the elevator.

Sarah: "What the hell is this place?"

Marcus: "How'd I know?"

Man: "I could've sworn it notified four scans."

Marcus and Sarah lift both their cards.

Man: "Oh, haha. I didn't expect that. Well, looks like out of the two hundred, you are the few that remain. This year's test ends with six passes. Follow me."

They walk towards a door in the back of the room. When the man opens the door, the sun light shines through the room. They all walk out and onto a platform with a helicopter in front of them.

Kassius: "Whoa!"

Bonnie: "Are we on the roof?!"

Man: "Are you prepared to leave Vagis?"

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