...

Labyrinth mazes, abnormally gigantic puzzles, wall-climbing, you name it. The cooperation games weren't very arcade-like, though Rena was somehow able to stimulate it all in one of the back rooms of the entertainment center. Each one of them had its own challenge, though with the advantages and disadvantages of the individuals, both boys were able to successfully complete the challenges with their growing sense of teamwork together. Undoubtedly, there were many arguments and conflicts in between, but it was to be expected.

"That... was hell." Add complained, as he was about to leave the stimulation room with Chung.

Prince Seiker chuckled. "Well, it wasn't too bad... apart from you throwing me off the climbing wall."

"It was going to be difficult to drag you down from the other side with me."

"I could've jumped down myself..."

Ignoring his final statement, Add reached for the doorknob, when suddenly, the PA system sounded through the space.

"Not so fast, boys! Don't forget about your final activity! The fight against Exotic!" Rena sounded fairly excited to see the 2v1 action.

"Oh, great." the Esper glowered.

Add had attempted to look up information regarding the Nemesis Code via his screens, though it was an utter failure after being able to find absolutely nothing. The pair had no clue how powerful she actually was.

The stimulation capacity was dead silent for the next several minutes. Add and Chung were alone, locked up inside the white, majestic walls as they waited for Exotic to make her entrance.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

~

The environment of the chamber was slowly beginning to change. Pixel by pixel, they were no longer in a plain white room. The following atmosphere was dark, and quite eerie. They stood outside in a dense forest, arrays of trees in the pitch black night. There was no light from the stars and moon to be seen from where they were, the bushy leaves of the oaks blocked all signals of illumination. There was nothing that could guide their way, except their instincts, senses, and each other.

As much as he refused to admit it, Add was terrified of ghosts, and would be 200% horrified if they were to encounter some while wandering about, as they probably had to find a way to escape somehow.

The Diabolic Esper attempted to control his dynamos to create a spark of light, however, it was futile.

"This is bullshit, we never agreed to playing Hide and Seek with Exotic... You fucking Nasod, come out already!" he shouted into the empty space.

Chung had abruptly held onto his hand, causing Add to flinch. "Ah, don't worry, Mr. Add. It's just me. It appears that we have to stick together, so I apologize for making contact with you in advance."

"Whatever." he mumbled, attempting to keep his cool while being afraid deep inside.

It was a good thing that Chung had willingly grabbed on, it did alleviate his petrified sensation to help him feel better.

The Deadly Chaser went on and stepped forward while being vigilant of his surroundings, feeling the earthy dirt on the ground with his shoes. He took a few more steps as Add followed along, there seemed to be a straight path, leading up to some place. It was a better alternative than staying in the void.

A gust of wind rushed by, almost causing the Nasod researcher to jump up in fear. His breathing sped up, and he was beginning to sweat. Almost anything was able to unnerve him at this point.

The Prince had noticed his ally's unusual behavior. "Hey, Mr. Add. Try to calm down, there's no need to be scared, alright? Because... I'll be here, by your side. It sounds cheesy, but I think my opinion of you changed, just from hanging around you the entire day, along with all the bonding activities Rena had set up for us earlier. I learned a lot about you in the few hours we spent."

He couldn't respond. His mouth felt incapable of producing any sound. Was Chung worthy of being called a friend? A comrade? He wasn't too sure. It didn't seem right to befriend a rival for Eve. But, because of the comfort, he went along with it temporarily.

They soon reached a clearing, away from the density of the woodland that was left behind. The stars were now visible, as they glimmered from their permanent positions in the night sky. What was now perfectly laid out in front of them was an old mansion; a seemingly haunted house.

...