Round 76

The water's already past her knees, rising fast as Silra struggles to maintain the failing blind spot shield. "Unless either of you geniuses has a better idea than drowning in this corporate sewer," Jeane snarls, dark wings rustling as she clutches Halie closer. The elf technomancer's teal eyes flash with irritation—"I don't like it! Maintaining this shield takes time we don't have, especially with those water pumps working overtime down below!"—as the magical field flickers again, nearly collapsing entirely before Silra pours more energy into it. The rising flood line laps at their hips now, swirling around their thighs as equipment drifts away in the rushing corporate-owned waters.

"Fuck," Jeane mutters under her breath, barely audible over the roar of liquid below. "Retreating empty-handed sucks, but charging forward into unknown numbers with our escape route flooding out feels like tactical suicide no matter how much firepower I bring." Her crimson gaze flicks between Silra and Halie—both women clinging to the catwalk railing as water swirls around their thighs. "Unless either of you geniuses has a better plan?"

Silra's eyes flash again despite her precarious position. "I don't like it—I don't like it one bit!" The magical field wavers like a dying ember while Jeane sends her tendrils forward like some kind of arcane bloodhound sniffing out trouble they can't see. "The system's already adapting to my countermeasures faster than expected—maintaining this shield while hacking through the next layer takes time we don't have, especially with those water pumps working overtime down below." She glares at the rapidly rising flood line lapping at her hips, watching as more equipment drifts away. "Besides," she adds sharply, " "

The blind spot flickers again, nearly collapsing entirely before Silra pours more energy into it—her fingers moving in complex patterns that leave glowing trails in the air. Jeane shifts her weight impatiently, dark wings rustling as she clutches Halie closer instinctively. The water is already past her knees now, rising fast—15 seconds left until that blind spot collapses and they're exposed to whatever horrors await at the end of this corridor.

"Fuck," Jeane mutters under her breath, barely audible over the roar of liquid below. "Retreating empty-handed sucks, but charging forward into unknown numbers with our escape route flooding out feels like tactical suicide no matter how much firepower I bring." Her crimson gaze flicks between Silra and Halie—both women clinging to the catwalk railing as water swirls around their thighs. "Unless either of you geniuses has a "

"Fuck," Jeane mutters under her breath, barely audible over the roar of liquid below. "Retreating empty-handed sucks, but charging forward into unknown numbers with our escape route flooding out feels like tactical suicide no matter how much firepower I bring." Her crimson gaze flicks between Silra and Halie—both women clinging to the catwalk railing as water swirls around their thighs. "Unless "

The blind spot flickers again, nearly collapsing entirely before Silra pours more energy into it—her fingers moving in complex patterns that leave glowing trails in the air. Jeane shifts her weight impatiently, dark wings rustling as she clutthttps://www.piqant.org/2023/04/18/jeane-halie-silra-flooded-corridor-round-2.