Taking the same elevator the two ascend floors at a rapid rate, the glass windows letting in rays of sunlight. Upon exiting the elevator the two are met by a familiar examiner, waiting for them with an arrogant smirk.
"What an unlikely pair the cocky brat from before and a Phoebe no less." Draconic eyes find their way to the pair as they enter the facility. Pupils sharpen into spearheads.
"Surprised you had some bark to your bite boy especially with no power backing you." Atlas scoffs, reflecting on the memory of Blake's speech.
"Lets hope you win this one Blake or you'll be bringing someone else down with you." Atlas's scales perk up as his mouth forms into a grin.
"Number 14 just like before boy seems to be your lucky number, let's hope it's just as lucky for you Phoebe." Atlas verbally jabs at Morgan, sending the two off to their sim room.
"Blake you should already know that the environment is randomized." Morgan his pace quickening trying to brush off the irritating interaction.
"What even is a Sim room? The desert I was in was endless." Blakes confusion finally begins seeking answers.
"I'm not surprised you don't know it's a pretty buried secret. Originally the simulation room was created through the help of a power user." Morgan explains, digging up his old curiosity of the subject.
"He could manipulate dimensions. Even making pocket dimensions. After they enlisted him, the rest was history. They cracked the process and made a piece of technology that could replicate the effects." Morgan explains, rubbing his fingertips across the freshly dried walls.
"That very same technology is at work here. When you step through that barrier it's like walking into a pocket dimension. One that can be altered as they see fit." Morgan continues, rubbing the tips of his fingers together as he recounts.
"That's why you can't hit the walls because they don't exist in that space. You would be surprised how much digging this took on the Planetary Net." Morgan shudders recounting the hours upon hours scouring through webpages and forums for any scraps of information.
"How did you do it then?" Blake asks, wonder just how many rabbit holes Morgan had to go down to find that out.
"I have my ways Blakey." Morgan's smiles putting his index finger to his nose.
"Enough 20 questions we have a match to win don't we?" Morgan asks, shifting his gaze through a curtain of blonde hair sending a smirk Blakes way.
"If you could make it this far, then you should be able to hold your own. Don't disappoint me now." Morgan brushes strands of hair out of his vision, sending a hand to Blakes back pushing him through the film of the Sim Room.
Immediately the space begins to shift as if someone threw a stone into the pond of space before the two. Tripping over and landing on his chin Blakes green eyes spin in disorientation.
Walls of stone fill their whole view forming into wet caves. A wide dark array of tunnels lay out before the two seemingly endless. The sound of water drips rhythmically throughout the cave.
"Get ready Blake." Morgan warns, his blue eyes wide and alert analyzing every nook and cranny of the space around them.
"Considering you smoke, you're bound to have a light right?" Morgan pleads, barely able to make out what's a meter in front of him.
"Don't tell me this is the day of all days you forget your lighter?" Morgan sighs, weak in the knees worry filling his tone, the thought of fighting in the dark forms knots in his stomach.
"For emergencies like this I installed it into my arm." Blake grins wide, opening the palm of his prosthetic letting out a stable current of green around the micro tesla coil.
"How convenient. I shouldn't expect any less of a smoker." Morgan jokes rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah keep your remarks to yourself I get enough off my sister." Blake scowl is illuminated by the green of the arc. The way in front of them becoming clearer through a dim glow of green cutting through the all consuming darkness.
"Any reason it's green?" Morgan asks, curious over the odd choice.
"Preference I guess?" Blake lies, trying not to be obvious.
"You guess?" Morgan prods, trying to get more information.
"Let's worry about the match, not the color I use for my lighter." Blake laughs nervously rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Okay, whatever you say Blakey." He says not letting the topic drop easily
The two walk guided by erratic green light for what feels like ages. The sparks occasionally bounce off his prosthetic hitting the cave walls.
After a while they stumble through one of the passageways in the cave walking into a massive expanse, the walls line with crystals and an assortment of bioluminescent fungi, lighting the entire expanse.
"I think this is it, Blakey!" Morgan calls out, extending his arm in front of Blakes chest stopping him from moving any further.
"I see the duo not far from us, their planning to strike as soon as we go through that entrance." Morgan whispers, holding his slender index finger to his lips.
"Great now what? If we go out there now we would be playing right into their hands." Blake whispers back, stumped at the situation the two of them have been thrust into.
"Can you trust me?" Morgan asks with his finger curled over his upper lip, a concrete strategy starts to form in his mind.
"Is that even a question? You already saved my ass today. I'll follow your lead, i trust you were friends right?" Blake says, sending a wide smile Morgan's way.
"Yeah we are..." An odd wash of unfamiliar comradery floods through him.
*Snap* The last thing Blake hears is the sound of fingers snapping together. As Morgan's power activates time starts to slow to a crawl, ripples leaving his fingers into the open air until everything stops.
'I wont mess this up for us.' He vows to himself, the still space around him tinted in a twilight blue. Grabbing a hold of Blakes shoulder he starts to drag him along while scouting for an opening. His eyes flick around the cave searching for advantageous spot to spring on the enemy until they finally settle upon a small overhang above the other duo.
"Perfect. Hopefully he keeps his mouth shut when I start time again." Morgan sighs, hauling Blake along to the overhang, preparing his hand he places it firmly over Blakes mouth. Preparing another snap of his fingers.
*Snap* The same ripples from before return back to his fingertips getting faster the closer they get. Until finally time resumes.
"WH--." Blake attempts to scream out only managing muffled gibberish. His green eyes flick around trying to figure out what's going on only to relax seeing Morgan.
In a near instant the sensation of shattering glass is felt through his entire skeleton causing him to let out a wince. The drawback of his power gnawing at this bones.
"Please keep your mouth shut it took a lot for me to get us behind them." Morgan whispers gritting his teeth through the pain. His hand firmly covering Blakes mouth stifling any noise trying to leak out
"What the hell did you do?" Blake whispers, moving Morgan's hand from his mouth.
"I stopped time, now shut up." Morgan says bluntly, not wanting to fuel Blakes curiosity any further in their current situation.
"You stopped time, that's possible?" Blakes eyes drift to his lap, shock and awe paralyzing him in place at the realization.
"So that's how you saved me." He says, slamming his fist in his palm connecting all the pieces of the morning's events
"Blakey, I won't say it again, can it!" Morgan thuds the side of his fist into the top of Blakes head. His smile crumbling into a menacing expression nailing his point home.
"Look in front of us, that's what we're worrying about now, not my powers." Morgan whispers, pointing his finger over at the other duo multiple times over.
"I got us this far, you got any ideas? We can catch them off guard but then what." Morgan asks pinching the bridge of his petite nose, frustrated at the position their in.
"Hmmm. You know what not many are willing, but screw it I'm not many." Blake laughs, revving up his motivation, punching the palm of his prostethic into his hand.
"I'll be bait, I'll try to take one of them with me. Your job will be to take care of the other one." Blake smiles using his prosthetic to crack each one of his knuckles, his resolve holds firm.
"You want to do what!?" Morgan asks nearly breaking his whisper from the shock of the idea.