With the echoes of the roar still ringing there was no more time for discussion. Everyone immediately turned for the other tunnel and started running. The tunnel they had entered curved gently back and forth. Luckily there weren't any sharp turns that would slow them down. Unluckily, that meant the same for whatever creatures were chasing them. Creatures. As in plural. After just a few minutes of running a cacophony of high pitched squeals had joined the bellow that sent them running.

Unfortunately for Shane, even when he had been in shape running had not been his thing. Just a few minutes after entering the tunnel he was already lagging behind the rest of the group. Nicholas, on the other hand, seemed to have plenty of energy to spare. Shane really couldn't help but envy his athletic abilities. Instead of just running all out like everyone else, he was keeping behind the rest so he could encourage them. Within no time at all he had managed to control the pace of the entire group, making sure that they conserved their energy while still moving as fast as possible. With a pat on the back here and a few kind words there he had everyone calmed as much as the situation allowed.

For some reason throughout all of this Nicholas was ignoring Shane entirely, letting him fall further and further behind. Being ignored didn't really bother Shane all that much, considering he wasn't the type to do better with a few encouraging words. Once more however, something about Nicholas just really put him off.

Could it be that he figured out I wouldn't appreciate it? Or is something else going on here? I know this is paranoid even for me, but something about him feels wrong to me. Ugh, I feel like some tsundere here . . . Leave me alone! Why are you leaving me alone?! Jokes aside, we've got bigger issues than this. You know, like the angry what-ever-they-are's chasing us? Maybe just focus on running.

A particularly loud screech that sounded far too close for comfort interrupted Shane's internal monologue. The proximity gave him the adrenaline boost he desperately needed to keep going. Picking up the pace Shane managed to match the rest. He wasn't closing the gap, which was about fifteen feet at this point, but at least he wasn't falling further behind.

This situation continued for about half an hour, with Shane lagging then getting another boost to keep pace every few minutes. His only saving grace was that the rest of the group was running out of steam as well. If it wasn't for the continued squeals and the occasional roar that could be heard behind them everyone would have collapsed by this point. After all, even if you're in excellent shape running for your life is far more exhausting than running for exercise.

Just another couple minutes later the hope they so desperately needed was provided. The tunnel widened slightly, and a gate could be seen at the end of the . . . antechamber? The gate was currently open, with a winch type system set up to lower the door into place. The door was entirely made of metal bars crisscrossing each other, sort of like a portcullis. Upon seeing this everyone's spirits soared.

"Keep moving everyone! Shane and I will shut the gate once everyone are through! Don't stop running! We want to be as far from here as possible before whatever's chasing us catches up, just in case they can get through the gate!"

Nicholas spurred everyone on while explaining the plan. Shane's eye twitched slightly at the mention of his name.

Remembers me now, huh? Regardless, what he says makes sense. We are the last two bringing up the rear.

Nicholas dropped his speed until he was running level with Shane. Over the course of the run Shane had lost further ground on the group and was now around twenty feet behind them. With the hope of salvation before them everyone put a bit more speed into their run and quickly passed through the gate. Within seconds due to the curve of the tunnels the main group was out of sight.

As soon as the others passed out of sight Nicholas' demeanor changed. With a sadistic smile on his face he shoved Shane into the wall. Shane had no time to react as he hadn't been expecting Nicholas to outright attack. As he smashed into the wall a jagged piece of rock cut into his shoulder a bit, drawing blood. By the time he had gotten himself upright again it was too late. Nicholas was already at the winch on the other side of the gate. Shane gave it one last desperate push to make it through the gate on time but fell short. The gate came crashing down right in front of him with a loud bang. A crisp mechanic click could be heard immediately afterwards as the gate locked itself.

For a moment the two young stared at each other through the grates. Finally, Shane had to ask.

"Why?"

Nicholas smirked at him; his eyes filled with nothing but disdain.

"This is a new start for us. The System messages the we received before are proof that in this place we can gain power. I will be the one who rules above all else! To do that I need to make sure that I'm surrounded by competent followers. You clearly don't fit that bill. You're fat and lazy, not to mention you lack the basic intelligence to pay attention to your betters."

His words were scathing, filled with a shocking amount of loathing. Shane was shocked for second, speechless at the insanity he just heard.

"Did you seriously just consign me to death because I zoned out during your little 'get to know each other' powwow?!"

Nicholas just laughed at him.

"Put it however you like. A loser like you that provides no benefits to those superior to you deserves death. I wonder how many Character Points I'll receive for ridding the world of useless trash like you? Be a good boy and die quietly for me here. You can at least be that useful for me."

Powerless, Shane could do nothing but watch as Nicholas disappeared around the corner. He knew it wouldn't work, but he had to try lifting the gate. After a moment of strained grunting he gave up. Even if the gate hadn't been locked it had to weigh several hundred pounds. There was no way he could lift it. There was also no mechanism on his side that would allow him to winch it up.

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After concluding that there really was no way for him to get through the gate, he once more found himself staring through the bars. Safety, as temporary as it may be, was so close yet impossible to grasp. Letting out a heavy sigh he turned back to the small room he was stuck in.

Well then. That was unexpected. A real-life freaking sociopath! And here I was worried about being too paranoid. No point in worrying about that now. Let's see if there is something else we can do about this situation.

The room was less a room and more just a slightly wider part of the tunnel. It could fit about three people abreast for most of the space, being a little wider right in front of the gate. As with the rest of the tunnel they'd seen so far there wasn't any loose rock or rubble of any kind on the floor. It seemed to be an odd mix of natural cave and manmade, as the floor was perfectly level. The walls on the other hand were rough, with odd protrusions and the occasional jagged edge, as evidenced by his still bleeding shoulder.

Looking around just confirmed his original assumptions.

There's nothing here I can use. Plus, whatever was chasing us is going to be here soon if the sound is anything to go off. Will I die here? Just like that? HELL NO! I may die, but it'll be on my terms. I'll make sure that Nicholas gets no satisfaction from me. That being said, how will I do it? I have no weapons and it's not like I've ever been trained to fight.

After another moment of consideration, he came up with the only possibility available to him.

"Guess I'll have to go all out. Full offence. Guess that temper may come in handy after all."

Lowering his head, he summoned all of the anger he felt at his situation. The scathing remarks, the arrogant attitude, the betrayal. He turned all of it into energy that he could use to fight. As the adrenaline flooded through his system it washed away the lingering aches from the run.

While Shane was psyching himself up shadows could be seen lurking around the closet curve in the tunnel. The shadows owners weren't making any effort to conceal themselves. Conversing amongst each other with a series of high-pitched squeals and surprisingly low grunts, they walked through the tunnels as though they owned them.

What came around the corner were creatures anyone familiar with the fantasy genre would know. Goblins. There was six of the vermin. They were small, with the tallest being around 3'6". Their oily green skin could only be considered clean next to their clothing. Dirty loincloths barely covered the creature's neather regions. Small, beady eyes shown with malevolence at the prey they'd managed to corner. Jagged teeth peeked out from behind their leering grins. They carried a collection of primitive stone spears and knives. The spears were around four feet in length, while the knives were just jagged pieces of sharp rocks.

The goblins conversation picked up in speed and intensity as they came closer to the lone boy in front of the gate. This turned out to be a massive mistake for the monsters. To Shane, who was still revving up his anger, the increased chatter sounded like they were laughing at him. Instantly his rage boiled over. His vision dyed in red, every muscle in his body clenched as he lifted his head and released a roar of his own.

"Ooouuuggghhh!"

Upon hearing the roar of what they thought to be prey, and seeing the flushed demonic look on his face, the goblins froze. A primal fear similar to that felt by the humans when they had heard the initial bellow that sent them running took over. Shane didn't let the chance go. While the goblins were still frozen, he rushed them.

The lead goblin only regained its senses when he was already before it. Moving stiffly, the goblin thrust its spear at the human that suddenly turned from prey to predator. The hesitation allowed Shane to grab the spear haft with his left hand before it impaled him. Jerking the spear to his left he pulled the goblin off balance. Shane quickly grabbed the goblins head with his right hand and smashed it into the wall.

Now, while it was true that Shane was out of shape, he had a couple things going for him in this fight. First off, Shane wasn't weak. Growing up on a farm meant he had been doing manual labor practically his entire life. So, while he was carrying some extra pounds, beneath the layer of fat was a solid core of muscle. Secondly, the goblins were weak. Goblins were some of the weakest monsters that could be found. Even a child could kill a goblin one on one. With all of this added up the goblin in his hands didn't stand a chance.

The goblins head was crushed immediately upon hitting the wall, painting it with blood and brain matter. As the goblin died it released the spear it had been hold. Pivoting on his right foot Shane spun around. Sweeping low with the spear in his left hand he impaled the second goblin which had jumped at him with a knife. Shane tossed the impaled goblin, spear and all, towards the back of the group. Crashing into two of its brethren they all went down in a tangled mess of limbs and squeals. Before he had thrown the goblin it managed to score a hit on Shane's upper arm. A long but shallow wound from his shoulder down was left.

Another goblin charged him from his right side immediately after he had thrown the other goblin away. This one carried one of the spears as well. Shane once again managed to catch the spear before it impaled him. However, this time he wasn't as lucky with his catch. He had no choice but to catch it by the jagged spearhead itself. This time he pushed up and back on the spear, knocking the goblin off balance. Rushing forward, Shane stomped on the creature's chest smashing it into the floor. The goblin coughed up blood as its ribcage was completely crushed underneath him.

It was at this point that Shane's good luck ran out. The worst part about fighting goblins had never been their individual strength. They instead overwhelmed their opponents with numbers. A piercing pain cut through the haze his adrenaline-fueled rage had created. While he had been busy with the goblin underfoot one of the others had snuck around him and stabbed him in the back with one of the stone knifes. Shane stiffened up for a second with the pain before he managed to convert it into more rage.

Quickly reaching behind him, he grabbed the goblin by the wrist and yanked. With the size and weight difference the goblin's feet left the floor. Keeping a firm grip on the goblin's wrist Shane started swinging it around using both hands. Using the goblin as a weapon he forced the remaining two goblins back while smashing it against the walls and floor. He could feel the goblin's bones snapping as he flung it around. With one last bash against the wall he flung it at the two goblins attempting to flank him, causing them to once more go down in a tangle.

As the goblins attempted to sort themselves out Shane charged towards them. He didn't have time to waste. His adrenaline wouldn't last for much longer and without it all of the pain he had been ignoring would hit like a ton of bricks. When that happened, he would be vulnerable. One on the goblins had just about fully gotten on its feet when Shane got to him. Shane immediately punted the little monster into the wall. The other goblin was still struggling to get out from underneath it's brethren. Moving as quickly as he could Shane stomped on its head, causing another splatter of blood and gore to color the floor.

Looking back the goblin he had punted was trying to stand, but it seemed to have taken some serious damage with his kick. Limping tiredly over to it Shane grabbed it behind the neck and smashed its face into the floor until it stopped moving.

Kneeling on the floor he desperately tried to catch his breath. The adrenaline and anger started leaving him, and pain took its place. He gasped at the intensity of the stab he'd taken to the back. On the verge of passing out Shane heard something that made his blood run cold. Heavy footsteps echoed through the tunnel. As he looked up, he could make out a massive shadow coming from around the corner. A single revelation filled him with despair.

Wait a minute. If the goblins were making the squealing noises, what was roaring . . .?