[b]Welcome to Class[/b] Ether spews from the Fallen Vandal as its body collapses onto the overgrown steps into the Ishtar Academy. A light breeze sways the blades of grass gently as it blows by. The red waters of Venus' nearby sea eats away at the nearby glade forming sharp cliffs into its bottomless waters. The large stone statue of an angel overlooks the blood like ocean, like a beacon of hope to humanity's last stand. Rusted cars line the nearby cracked street and destroyed shanks litter the ground. The echoing howls from nearby Fallen troops send shivers down one's spine. The team stands before a large dark hole in the ground. Creaking sounds billow out from the hole along with the sound of water drops splashing into pools of water. Sharp pieces of rebar protrude from the broken chunks of concrete. The hole is narrow, only one person will be able to enter at a time. "So, who's going in first?" Shay asks, "It looks awfully dark in there. Edison?" "Seeing as I have no combat experience, I don't think it should be me." Edison-12 replies. "Oh right, because a Fallen Vandal as lying in wait." Tesla-18 comments. "Yea, maybe, or one of those Hive beasts looking to suck the Light out of me! If you're so brave, why don't you go in?" Edison argues. "He makes a valid point." Tesla's Ghost chimes in. "Oh be quiet you. I'm not going in because I wasn't asked to go first." She retorts. Chiharu rolls her eyes and pushes through the team to the entrance of the hole. She sends in her Ghost to ask as a flashlight and follows it in. A loud alien screech blasts from the entrance followed by the sounds of a pulse rifle firing off. The muzzle flash pierces the darkness like lightning in the night sky. Shay quickly runs in to find a Fallen Vandal dead on the ground and Chiharu unscathed. The rest of the team stands behind him, probably with shocked expressions behind their visors. "You were right again Edison, there was a Vandal lying in wait." She replies in an almost monotone. One by one the rest of the fireteam entered the cracked surface. The ground was moist, their boots sinking into the mud with each step. Vines and moss burst through the sheet metal walls and low hanging ventilation shafts. Support pillars are damaged and cracked, pieces of rebar protrude from the concrete like material. Small pools of water have formed from the water seeping through the cracks in the ceiling, the water slowly eats away at the buildings foundation. The tunnel makes a sharp right and leads up to an opening. Small streams of light dance and flicker in the large room that the tunnel exits in to. A powdering of dust covers every surface, the room is still and silent. The only way the room could feel more surreal is if the sound of Earth sound birds chirped pleasantly in the distance. Shelves and shelves of books line the walls, all of them oddly in practically perfect condition. Wooden desks and chairs are scattered every few feet, the desks are still littered with pens, papers, and even desk lamps. A small set of stairs crawls elegantly across the room and a large angelic statue stands in the middle. Above them are two more levels and an overlooking balcony with even more books. Tesla-18 and Edison-12 can't help but walk around with their jaws dropped. The amount of information possibly stored here is more than what an Exo could possibly imagine. Chiharu moves over to a nearby wooden desk and wipes a layer of dust off its surface and set down her gun. She reaches around her helmet and disengages the lock. The click echoes in the quiet room, and she sets it on the desk, and takes a deep breath. "This is possible the cleanest air I've breathed in, in a long time." She says with a slight tone of amazement. The rest of the team follows her lead and removes their helmets, all of them taking a nice deep breath of fresh air. "It's strange, don't you think?" Tesla's Ghost asks aloud. "What is?" Tesla replies back. "It almost feels like this place was frozen in time." It answers.