The caves were swarming with collectors. The humanoid spider robots, their three red eyes greedily searching for materials leaving a barren wasteland in their wake. It was dark, the faint flowering lights were barely visible in the mist and the echoes of wildlife in panic made Lyner's spy cup dangerous to use.

A fleeing mole rat ran under Add's legs causing them to trip, Lyner was quick to catch them.

"Thanks." Add signed, more moles, rats and centipedes skittering over their boots.

Lyner nodded firmly with a pained grimace. Add could tell they were shaken from all the noise. The hunter's usual stride and maticulius demeanor had become erratic, checking behind every corner for the iron ghost.

Add had barely gotten a glimpse of the cyborg during their encounter, they only remembered a flash of chrome muscles and cascading bronze locks. It was clear enough that the collectors were pursuing the cyborg for their materials, but how they had found Lyner remained a mystery.

A raptor and a pigmy ant-bear raced side by side up the tunnel, the hunter and prey completely blind to each other in their panicked flight. Add jumped to the side to not get trampled, the archivist pressing themself against the ragged rocks. In its frenzy the ant-bear plummeted over a ledge hidden by the thick fog, hitting the ground with a thud and a whimper. The raptor slowed down and followed the ledge into the darkness of the cave.

Add’s heart was pounding. The tunnel opened up to a stadium sized cave with a dividing drop through the middle. It was down that clif, through a porous collection of fractured caves and then there were several openings leading out into the chasm. From behind them they could hear the clattering of machines coming at them like speeding cars.

Add ran up to the chasm, Lyner right at their back. They did not have time to find a safe place to climb so without a word Lyner bent down facing the wall, got out their climbing picks and with a cock of their head had Add clamber onto their back. They slid down and Lyner slammed in their climbing picks.

Above them they could hear three high pitched beeps as the collector scanned the area, a red laser lighting up on the thick fog screen. The biomechanical limbs gently clicked. The humanoid spider let out an ear bleeding baritone note and rushed towards the drop. Lyner moved their hip, Add, with their legs locked around Lyner and stumped arm secured across their chest, fished out Lyner’s resonance blade. The collector peered its three red lenses charging with deadly energy over the ledge and stretched out its spindly arms, the hands greedily grabbing towards them. The moment its shadow fell across Add’s face the young archivist shot up and sliced through the collector’s head. The death ray went wild and cut a line in the ground as its head exploded.

Add felt their fingers scorching, the force sending them backwards, the blade flying wild out of their grip. The collector still flailed with its arms and pounced. Add braced for impact ready to fall and smash their head in when they were flung around and hit the wall. Lyner had let go of one their picks and turned, holding both of them up with one arm and fired their hookshot backwards from their hip.

The collector smashed into the ground and scrambled up again in a second, running around like a rabid dog but could not do much without its main sensors. It did not stop it from finding the resonance blade. The collector picked up the knife, opened its ribcage and began processing it in one smooth whip like motion.

Add slumped over and let out a silent cry into Lyner’s neck. Their glove had charred around the edges and fell off as Add tapped each finger over Lyner’s vest, the hand still there and feeling.

With some effort they made it all the way down and around the collector. As Add snuck into the embrace of lush greenery they could hear more collectors pooling into the chamber, scattering like spiders as they rushed to respond to their comrades distress call. Lyner took the lead as they did not hesitate for a moment. With a militaristic phase they were heading towards the chasm.

The shadow of a single collector stood in the opening leading out, framed by fog and glistening with condensation. Lyner spotted it turning a corner and immediately turned back to sign to Add.

Thinking quick Add took off their hard hat and chucked it down another path. The collector immediately responded, humanoid limbs spinning like wheels as it followed the hat like possessed. With no way of fighting the pair took the opening and with synched heartbeats, Add clambered onto Lyner’s back as the hunter once again took out their picks, shot their hookshot, and started climbing. Add could barely hold themselves back from crying out in celebration but was sure Lyner could feel their silent laugh from the back of their head.

Now they only needed to find an opening leading to an unconnected part of the labyrinth before the collectors came around to eat the ruined remains of Add’s home scattered across the chasm.

“The sinkhole better lead the collectors down or we are so screwed,” Add thought with a nervous gulp.