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[X] Take the workgloves. It might be useful.
[X] Custom

---

Grey quickly pockets the workgloves. He isn't sure about their usefulness, but the poster did mention something about them. Hopefully, he won't need to find replacements anytime soon. They can probably come in handy, sooner or later.

The locked box is pretty heavy. It will probably be difficult to haul around. He leaves it beside the pile of parts. He can probably come back for it once he finds something he can use to open it. One usually brings the key to the lock, not the lock to the key.

"Clank!"

Grey looks up. The movement and noises of the countless gears in the room are confusing, but he is sure that he heard something else. He carefully looks at his surroundings.

The cranks seem to be untouched. The lever is still at its original position. The exit is still open, just as he left it. The other door in the corner is closed. From what he can tell, nothing has changed. But what made that sound?

"Thunk!"

Grey stands up and readies a hand to draw his pistol. This time, he is sure that something else is in the room. He looks up at the hundreds of gears and tries to see if there is anything out of place. Someone, or something is in the room with him. It probably isn't very friendly.

"Sakuya?" he asks loudly. "Is that you?"

Suddenly, the room is filled with a high-pitched whirring. Something lands heavily on the ground. He turns his head to face the newcomer.

"Oh shit."

A strange mechanical abomination stands before him. It is over fifteen feet tall and double that in length. It seems to be made up of gears, springs, and other mechanical parts, not unlike those that fill up the room. However, the creature has a clearly defined shape - a large spider.

The creature opens and closes its steel mandibles several times, as if trying to speak. Somehow, he feels that the movements aren't random. The pauses between clicks vary from two deliberate lengths - long and short. It almost seems like a code of some sort.

Grey clears his throat. Perhaps he can talk to the creature.

"Good morning to you," he manages. "Do you live here?"

The clockwork spider takes a step forward. It clicks its mandibles loudly in response.

"I am from downstairs. I work as a butler to Lady Remilia. Pleased to meet you."

It takes another step. It clicks its mandibles faster.

"I don't suppose you'd like to talk over a couple of beers?"

It pauses, bending its legs. It stops clicking its mandibles with finality.

"W-why can't we be frie -"

The monstrosity launches itself from the ground toward Grey. He ducks down quickly on the ground. The cacophony that follows tells him that the creature crashed against some of the gears. He doesn't have much time to think.

Grey spots the metal grille beside him. The opening looks too small for the creature to enter. He quickly lifts it up and sets it aside. He takes one parting glance at the clockwork spider. The creature has tangled one of its legs against a set of gears. It clicks its mandibles angrily at him as it struggles to get free. By the looks of it, the creature will easily recover in a few minutes.

He jumps into the opening and carefully starts climbing down. Anywhere is better than here right now. As long as he doesn't slip, he should be fine.

"Can't get much worse," he mutters.

Without warning, the whole room rumbles.

Grey mutters several vulgarities as he loses his grip.

...

He opens his eyes. A glance tells him that he is inside some kind of storage room. Over a dozen shelves are lined up, each holding a different type of gear or sprocket. There are a few storage closets lying against the wall on the left. A few of them are open and empty. On the right, he can see several engineer tools hanging from a rack. He doesn't recognize their names, nor their use. Directly in front of him, there is a closed steel door. It doesn't seem locked.

"Thunk!"

Grey looks up. The sound seems to be coming from an open vent. By the looks of it, that is the same way he came in.

"..."

He gets up quickly, despite the pain.

[ ] Fire your pistol into the vent.
[ ] Hide in one of the closets.
[ ] Make a break for the door.
[ ] Custom