The Time from Before

Underground

"That was... a complete disaster." Allen coughed, clearing his lungs from dust.

"Tell me about it." Marina's voice crackled through the radio.

The events that transpired to lead here were rather interesting. Or, maybe dangerous would be a better word.

After dumping sixty-something rounds into that crowd of Octarians, the Agents managed to get out of there using the chaos to their advantage. With the Octarians running to and fro, their escape was incredibly easy. The hard part was trying to get the Agents anywhere near the main building.

It took three hours for Allen to secure a safe path for the Agents. Most of the time was spent fighting, realizing that the path was too saturated with Octarians, and going back to the drawing board. When Allen said there were hundreds, he wasn't kidding. They swarmed the compound like ants.

Eventually, Allen found a weapons cache filled to the brim with decaying explosives. He didn't trust anything in that room, but he had an idea. First, he placed anything explosive near the doorways into the main building. Setting them off, he blocked any access to the building from any of the doors.

The building itself actually managed to hold still, but it certainly felt as if it was on the verge of collapse.

Then, making a makeshift rope using the equipment from that Octoling team, he helped the three Agents up and into a second-story window. And apparently, according to Marina, Callie was an Agent. Agent 1, to be exact.

He's not going to call her that.

However, when the four of them entered that room with the storage elevator, the building immediately collapsed, prompting Allen to quickly release the friction pads keeping the elevator in place.

The elevator was basically a metal platform that used friction to stay up or go down. It didn't have any mechanical parts or computers, which made it easier to maintain and repair. It also made it faster and more efficient than conventional elevators.

But it also made it more dangerous. Much more.

The elevator started to fall rapidly, as if it was in free fall. Allen tried to use the console in the dark to slow it down or stop it, but it didn't respond. He cursed under his breath, bracing himself for impact.

The elevator slammed into the ground with a loud clang, making everyone lose consciousness for a moment.

Allen woke up first, feeling a sharp pain in his head and chest. He looked around and saw that they were in a dark and dusty room. The elevator was smashed beyond repair, but at least it had saved their lives, somewhat.

He picked up the other three Agents, who had transformed into their tiny squid forms for some reason. Maybe it was a reflex or a survival instinct. He didn't have the time nor the brain power to think about it.

He carried them out of the elevator shaft, looking for a way out. He found a door and pushed through it, and the rest was a blur.

Allen was out for half an hour, before waking up, leading us to the present. He was only up for a minute before he heard Marina calling out for him. A few words exchanged later, and now here we are.

"How are the others?" She asked.

"Still passed out." Allen replied.

"Uh-huh... So, are you guys close to the Alterna site?" Marina asked, sounding eager.

"I sure hope so." Allen said.

"If you are, you have to let me know what it looks like." She said. "I'm dying of curiosity here."