Cyberchase: When Worlds Collide [On Hold]

A Fortress Long Forgotten

"We’re supposed to be searching for an old fortress in a place called the Farlands," Inez explained. "But we’re not really sure where that is."

"Well, that’s very helpful!" Sniper quipped sarcastically.

"Wait a second—did you say an old fortress?" Scout asked, his face lighting up with recognition.

"Where are you going with this, Scout?" Spy asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Think about it! There's an abandoned fortress not too far from here," Scout said eagerly. "It’s been left alone for years. Could it be the one you’re talking about?"

"Lad, there are hundreds of abandoned fortresses in this area!" Demoman exclaimed, clearly exasperated. "It could be any one of them!"

"Dah! The crystal could be in any one of them!" Heavy agreed. "What makes Scout so sure it’s in there?"

"Besides, they said it was hidden in a place called 'The Farlands.' I highly doubt it was referring to here." Spy added.

"Well, it’s worth a shot!" Matt chimed in, sounding hopeful. "You never know—maybe we’ll find something!"

"I highly doubt it," Engineer said firmly, shaking his head. "We’ve been there countless times before, and never once found anything out of the ordinary."

"Maybe you missed something," Matt pressed. "It’s a possibility."

"Hmmm... you might have a point," WordGirl said, her brow furrowing in thought.

"But Matt, we don’t have time to waste!" Inez argued. "Hacker could already have the crystal!"

"I get it," Matt replied, "But what if he doesn’t? What if the crystal’s there? Hacker doesn’t even know we’re here, so we might still have a chance to get it first."

After a moment of tense silence, Spy spoke. "Fine," he said, his voice calm but firm. "We’ll check zit out. But remember, boy, time is not on our side, and this detour could cost us significantly."

....

A few moments later, the group arrived at the fortress. The towering structure stood against the darkening sky, its walls weathered but still strong.

Despite being abandoned for years, it looked surprisingly well-kept, with only a few rust spots on the gates and some moss creeping up the sides.

"Alright, we’re here," Spy announced as he stepped out of the van, brushing off his suit. He scanned the area with a keen eye. "Now, where should we start?"

The others followed him, cautiously stepping onto the dusty path that led to the fortress. The air smelled of dry earth, and the wooden structures were covered in creeping vines and mold.

"I think the crystals might have a pattern," Inez said, adjusting her glasses as she looked over the fortress. "The first two were hidden underground or in hard-to-find places. We should look for something similar here."

"Are we looking for a secret tunnel or something?" Scout asked, his voice echoing in the vast area.

"I doubt it," Sniper replied softly, his sharp eyes scanning the dark interior. "We’ve been here before, and we’ve never found anything like that."

"Why do you guys come here so often, then?" Digit asked, his good wing fluttering curiously.

Sniper glanced over at her. "This place used to belong to the BLU Team. After we beat them, we took it over for ourselves."

"Really?" Digit asked.

"Yep," Engineer added with a proud grin. "We still come here sometimes to... well, blow off some steam."