Triste felt relief flooding her chest when she saw the crane splash down into the water above them, its metallic arms looking like the most welcome thing she'd seen in a while. Speeding up, she angled the sub so it fitted evenly into the cradle and felt the thump as the prongs connected, holding the craft tightly.
"I'd say you look like just the right amount of hell to be useful," she muttered over her shoulder, still scanning the monitors for any sign of the creature - but the only thing around them was the clear sea. There was a tug, the crane's machinery working to lift them free. As they started to rise, Triste thought back to what Vergil has said just before they'd been attacked. Headquarters had been attacked? That's... that's impossible! How could... Triste opened her mouth, starting to speak to Vergil - when something drew her attention. Movement in one of the monitors. Her eyes widened at what the image revealed.
From below, a huge shape was emerging from the darkness. Huge mouth, grotesque face, ruptured eye... the creature was making straight for them. "Shit..." Triste snarled. She jumped off her chair, raced across to Vergil and yanked him up from where he was sprawling back in his seat. The top of the sub had cleared the water, just about reaching the walkway... but the rest of the sub was still in the sea and the crane was pulling them up far, far too slowly. The creature's mouth started to gape open, baring its crooked teeth as it drew closer. Pulling Vergil towards the ladder leading up, she tried to ignore the steadily growing rumble as the huge mass bore up on them.
Suddenly, there was an almighty crash, the screaming of metal, and Triste was thrown off her feet as, just by where they'd been sitting moments before, huge yellow teeth tore through the walls of the sub. Water started to spray into the vehicle through the gaps where the teeth had punctured the metal, and as the screaming intensified Triste realised with growing horror that the creature was trying to tear them free and pull them back into the depths.
Scrambling to her feet, she pulled Vergil up and started to force him up the ladder. "Go! Move it!" she yelled as she started to climb up after him, the sub starting to tilt and the walls buckling alarmingly. The hatch was thrown open, and as they scrambled up onto the roof, Triste could see the joints of the crane straining and starting to buckle. They only had moments. Wrapping her arms around Vergil, she roughly threw his weakened body up onto the walkway leading to the station, and jumped up after him. Just as her feet left the vehicle, there was a final, deafening screech and the cradle was torn free from the rest of the structure. With a great splash, the sub was pulled back into the sea, and disappeared into the darkness.
For several moments, Triste could only lay on her back next to Vergil, exhausted, staring up at the ceiling as she listened to the hissing of the settling water. Finally, she rolled over and staggered up, offering a hand down to the gecko. "We almost... almost had the map! We were so close!" she panted. She turned to the dumbfounded guard who was staring at them from the other end of the walkway and nodded. "We haven't been able to solve... the problem," she groaned as she heaved Vergil to his feet. "But we've found the source. We'll need time to prepare."
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Axel could see Lily making to touch the guard. "Has anyone told you what a beautiful horn you have?" he said, smiling sweetly as he stepped forward and placed his hands over her own - repulsed, the guard didn't notice Lily reaching out. With a shudder, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and the tablet slipped from her fingers. Before she could fall to the floor and hurt herself, Axel caught her unconscious body around the waist, pulling her radio from her pocket and tossing it across to Soren. "Nice job," he said, grinning shakily at Lily as he dragged the mare to the laundry room door and tossed her in, slamming the door after her.
Turning back to the others, he blinked at Soren, Marita and the other girls. "We need to get out of here now... these guys don't mess around. Thanks for, ah... you know. Coming to help us." As he buttoned up his trousers again, he sniffed the air and flattened his ears as he caught the smell of catfish sandwiches. "Have... have you guys been snacking?"
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"You went out with her for six months and you only banged her twice?" Rio looked back at Nairda. "That's pretty weak, dude."
Turning, he scanned the horizon around them as the bird soared through the air. Squinting, Rio could just about make out something far in the distance, although this far away it was impossible to tell what it was. "Land ahoy!" he cried out, remembering a line from those pirate movies he'd seen through the dirty shop window.
