#but you can rip aces tiger suit from my cold dead hands

[doxxed0367]

…so hows the new chapter going for everyone else-

[ladyseaheart1668]

Endless Summer Fan Novel (Book 1, Chapter 11)

In the lobby of The Celestial, my friends stand in a circle. No one moves. No one speaks. They stand slack-jawed, eyes glued on the blue image of a woman shimmering before them.

“Error.” Iris speaks in her pleasant, modulated voice. “Visual input is registering as frozen.”

“No, Iris,” I answer in a voice dull with exhaustion. “They're just...staring at you.”

“So...” Quinn finally says, “this is the observatory's A.I.?”

“Not exactly. She's a backup copy Alodia and Zahra restored. But she doesn't know what happened on the island.”

“It remembers nothing?” Aleister groans.

“No,” Iris confirms. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

On the couch nearby, Michelle is wrapping Craig's sprained wrist in an ace bandage. She snorts.

“Sounds more like convenient to me.”

“Ouch!” Craig yelps as she tugs hard on the bandage. “Easy, doc!”

“Pipe down, you big baby. You know ripping that pipe out of the wall didn't help this sprain.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, I thought you were the toughest guy in school.”

Craig grins. “You really think that, Meech?”

“Shut up. I'm just saying. How do we know if she's telling the truth?” She nods at Iris.

“You do not,” Iris replies. “I was not programmed to have any facial tics to signal deception.”

“Thanks for making my point.” She secures the bandage on Craig's wrist. “By the way, I'm shocked we didn't all get killed out there.”

“We're fine, Michelle,” Sean says. “We handled ourselves well.”

I sigh, sinking into a chair and putting my head in my hands.

“We were lucky, Sean,” I murmur. “This island's getting crazier by the minute. There was a good chance a lot of us wouldn't be coming back. We can't keep pushing our luck like this.”

“Thank you!” Michelle says. “At least Alodia gets it!”

“Really, Alodia?” Sean sounds disappointed. “Sure, we had some close calls, but look what we accomplished...”

Diego puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it protectively. “...I think you've had more than a few close calls,” he murmurs in Spanish.

“Don't worry about it just now,” I say softly back in the same. I glance up and notice two pairs of eyes sliding over to us. Jake and Estela are watching us. I sigh. ...Obviously, the Columbian and the man who has lived the last few years in Costa Rica both speak Spanish. I'll have to remember that. Diego and I can't expect to be able to have private exchanges in public just by switching languages.  

Estela turns her attention back to Iris. “What's important is that Michelle has a point. The machine can't be trusted. We should destroy it. Now.”

Iris' lips curve into a frown, her holographic brow wrinkling. “Please refrain.”

“No way, dude!” Raj cries. He leaps in front of Iris as Estela moves towards her.

“Get out of the way, Raj!” Estela growls.

“No!”

“Raj is right!” I say sharply. “Take it easy, Estela. It wasn't that long ago that none of us trusted you, either.”

“Exactly!” Raj says, shooting me a grateful look.

Estela glares at me. “That was a massive gamble on your part.”

“One that paid off,” I answer firmly. “We wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you, right?”

“...Don't be too sure that it paid off just yet.” Still, she backs down.

“Thank you, Alodia,” Iris chimes.

“You can thank me by proving me right, Iris.”

“Affirmative.”

“You know,” Zahra says, “If I could just get my hands on that golden snitch thing, I could get a look at what makes Iris tick.”

She makes a grab for the projector drone, but it evades her fingers.

“I would prefer if you did not,” says Iris.

Zahra makes another grab for it, and it evades her again. “Just! Get! Over! Here!”

“Alodia...” Quinn says. “Those voices on the radio...are you sure that's what they were saying?”

“My god, it's...it's erupting...the volcano's erupting...”

We all stop dead, looking at Iris. Her holographic lips are moving, but her voice is that of a panicked man. The same we heard at the observatory.

“Uh...what is she doing?” Diego asks.

“That's what we heard,” Grace replies grimly. “She must've recorded it.”

“This is unbelieveable...” Iris continues, this time in a woman's voice. “The La Huerta volcano is erupting, but...it's not like anything I've ever seen...” And then, in the terrified whisper of an old man, “...God help us all...”

Diego shivers. “...That's not creepy. That's not creepy at all...”

“No, it's stupid!” Craig snaps. “It makes no sense! The volcano hasn't erupted!”

“Yet...” Grace murmurs. We all look at her. “...We might be hearing broadcasts that haven't happened yet.”

“Grace...what are you saying?”

“We gotta face facts. Sabertooth tigers? Giant mutant crabs? A fox that breathes ice? Now this?”

Murphy tips his head questioningly, trilling. I look over at Jake, who meets my gaze. Somehow, I can tell he's thinking the same thing I am, remembering those strange atmospheric lights we saw from the airstrip control tower...

“Everyone's thinking it,” Grace continues. “I know it's scary, and we want to keep telling ourselves everything's okay, but we can't afford to do that anymore. So let's just say it out loud, okay? ...Time travel.”

Everyone starts talking at once.

“That's just silly!” Lila shrieks.

“This isn't your fanfiction, Grace!” Michelle cries.

“Yeah, and I must have skipped the part in my evolution textbook about ice-breathing foxes!” Craig adds.

“I didn't say we were traveling in the past,” Grace sighs. “Just like the broadcasts, maybe somethings just haven't happened yet.” She gestures pointedly to Murphy.

“Okay, I mean, let's say sure, it's got something to do with time. I admit it's the only explanation that accounts for everything we've seen, but...” Sean shakes his head. “What matters is, what do we do about it? I think the observatory proved one thing, and that's that no help is coming for us.”

“...It's up to us, then,” I murmur.

“Alodia's right,” Grace says. “It's just a problem, and every problem has a solution. We just have to find it.”

“Yeah,” Jake grumbles. “Sure thing, Mulder. Good thing we've got a crack team of geniuses here to deal with the situation.”

“You can't think that way,” Quinn says insistantly. “I know what it's like to want to throw in the towel, but we're all counting on each other.”

“Uh, guys...?” Raj speaks up. “There is one thing we found here at the resort while you were gone.”

He reaches behind the bar and pulls out a photograph of a picturesque marina, filled with docked yachts and sailboats. I immediately recognize it. It's the one they found when I found myself as a passenger in Raj's mind while I slept.

“...This is...here...”

“It's only a couple miles south,” Raj confirms.

“It's Mr. Rourke's private marina,” Lila says. “Reserved for only the resort's most illustrious guests. Many kept their prized yachts there.”

“And if there are any left...”

“We know what we have to do,” Sean finishes for Michelle. “Everyone get your things. We're getting off this rock.”

“Oh, yes, certainly!” Aleister sneers, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “After only narrowly surviving our little jaunts to the shelter and the observatory, why not wander off again?!”

“Aleister!” Sean cries. “You can't seriously be suggesting we stay here after what we just talked about!”

“I am simply asking for a little more pattern recognition. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have survived this long.”

“And we'll keep surviving!”

Aleister meets Sean's gaze steadily, his expression grim. “So you insist. But keep tempting fate, and we may face something we cannot survive so easily.”

For a moment, a wave of cold dread crashes over me. From somewhere deep within me, I feel it rising to the top of my brain: the knowledge that Aleister is absolutely correct.

* * *

Whether or not we're walking to certain death, the fact remains that the marina is our best hope of escaping La Huerta. In my suite, I gather my belongings into my duffle. For a moment, I consider bringing the dossiers that I have hidden under my mattress, but I decide against it. If there is a usable vessel at the marina, and if it can get us off the island, I don't see much point in bringing them. I would rather have them hidden.

A knock at the door interrupts me. I open it to find Quinn standing outside. She smiles shyly.

“Hey...”

“Hey. Come on in.”

She accepts my invitation. “I'm um...really, really glad you're back. With the rest of us, I mean. I've been thinking about you.”

“That so?”

“Yeah. I was actually pretty worried about you.”

“Didn't think I could handle myself?”

“Oh, I have no doubt you could handle quite a bit.” She moves to the window and gazes out over the island. “...I can't believe we're leaving. I know it's only been four days, but...”

The sunlight casts her reflection against the glass window. She looks like a ghost, floating over the island peaks. I watch her raise a hand to touch the glass, her expression solemn.

“...But...?”

“...I feel as if I've known you forever.” She turns to face me. “Do you think we'll still talk? When we get back home, I mean?”

“Of course we'll still talk. I didn't know any of you except Diego before we got here, and no matter what happens, I feel like I made friends for life.”

“Let's just hope that 'for life' is a long time.”

“Amen to that.”

She shifts awkwardly, rockinig on her heels for a moment. For the first time, I realize that she is carrying a small department store bag.

“There...is another reason I stopped by. I found these really nice clothes in a suitcase a guest left behind in my suite. They must've been here for some mountain climbing. They'd be useful if things get dangerous out there. Besides that, I thought they would look really good on you.”

She holds out the bag, and I accept it, carrying it over to the bed. I pull out a pale blue tank top, a pair of sturdy jeans, and some solid hiking boots. Underneath that, there is a pair of fingerless hiking gloves, and a bandolier-style utility belt, complete with a knife sheathed at the shoulder.

“Woah!”

Quinn comes to sit beside me on the bed. “See, you'd have all these tools, like the knife and such. So no matter what happens, you'd be prepared. ...What do you think?”

I hug her. “It looks awesome, Quinn! You're the best!”

“Really? You like it?”

“I'll put it on right now.”

“Okay. I'll turn around.”

“Oh, don't bother. I don't have much modesty left. Constant costume changes at dance team shows tend to knock the shyness out of you pretty quick.”

I peel off my burgandy tank top and cuttoff jean shorts. I am not blind to the fact that Quinn is biting her lip as her eyes trail over my barely-clad body. I grin.

“You okay there?”

“I'm fine. I just...kinda don't want you to put it on now.”

“If things go well, maybe you can take it off me later. ...Finish what we started in the kitchen.”

“Careful,” she says softly. “Don't make a girl promises you can't keep.”

Something in her tone dries up any impulse to flirt. Perhaps it is because I am not sure I want to finish what was started in the kitchen. I clear my throat and pull on the climbing gear. She helps me tighten the straps on the belt.

...God, what the hell is wrong with me? I've kissed a gorgeous woman and a heart-stoppingly beautiful man, but I can't imagine crawling into bed with either of them? Well...no...that's not exactly true. I can see visions of lying with Quinn in my arms, holding her close, and stroking her hair...visions so beautiful they make my eyes moist. And those visions are overpowering any visions of kissing her naked flesh or tasting the valley between her legs. Meanwhile, the thought of Sean holding me in his arms post-coitus just makes me feel...hollow. Everything I envision before that makes my blood rise, but I think of lying in the afterglow, being tenderly held against his broad chest and caressed by his gentle hands, and I want to pop that dream bubble and run away from it...

“...How does it feel?” Quinn asks, bringing me back to the present.

I gaze at my reflection in the mirror, admiring the way it fits. “As a matter of fact, it feels amazing.”

“It looks amazing, too.” She meets my gaze in the mirror. “...Are you ready to go home?”

“...Ready as I'll ever be. ...Let's go.”

* * *

We take the path along the shoreline to the marina, leaving a wide trail of footprints in the sand. It will take longer than the path through the rainforest, but it's also safer. I look back over my shoulder, watching The Celestial's tower disappear behind the trees. I glance back and notice Zahra trailing her eyes up and down my body.

“...See something you like?”

“Just digging the new look. That's a pretty nice knife you got there.”

“Thanks.”

Zahra flashes her own knife, a switchblade that she unsheathes with a practiced flick of her wrist. It glints in the sun.

“...Mine's bigger.”

At the head of the group, Jake looks out over the horizon. Iris floats beside him.

“Got a weather report for us, Princess Leia?”

In the ensuing silence, Diego clears his throat. “I think he's talking to you, Iris.”

“My designation is not Princess Leia.”

“It's 'cause you're a hologram, and she was a hologram in that one scene and...” Jake rubs a hand over his face. “Dammit, if you don't remember any references, nicknames are gonna be friggin' impossible.”

“...Alias accepted. Princess Leia, now accessing weather scanners. High of: Nintey-one degrees. Precipitation: zero percent. Humidity: Seventy percent. Barometer: 30.1 inches mercury. Visibility: 6.2 miles.”

Jake blinks in surprise, then smiles. “Perfect weather for the trip.”

“So, where exactly are we sailing once we get a boat?” I ask.

“Northeast. Santo Domingo's about 250 miles from here. Those big yachts in the marina definitely have the range to get us there.”

“Hey, Jake,” Diego says. “So, you were in the military, right? What exactly is gonna happen to us when we get there? I mean, if this time travel crap is real, are we about to get quarantined?”

“Or thrown in the loony bin,” Zahra adds.

“What if we go back to like, World War II times, and we have to kill Hitler?” Craig suggests. “I always wanted to kill Hitler!”

“Relax,” Jake says. “Most likely, it'll just be the local coast guard. They'll either let us go...or they'll throw us in jail for the rest of our lives.”

Diego looks at me nervously. “He's kidding. Right, Allie? Tell me he's kidding.”

“He's just kidding, Diego.”

“...Heh...I knew that.”

I glare at Jake, who is shaking his head. “Why are you always trying to scare people?” I hiss.

“Only when they should be scared,” he retorts. “You don't think every military on the planet is gonna wanna know what we saw? What we found? We gotta get our asses outta here, but that doesn't mean the danger's over.”

I don't respond. Suddenly, I am very glad I chose to leave those dossiers in my room. We all walk on in comfortable silence for awhile, occassionally making small talk.

Then, just behind me, Aleister starts muttering to himself.

“How could I have been so stupid?”

“What are you talking about?” Grace asks.

“I never should have come here!” he snaps. “Why did I do this to myself? Why did I think my life would somehow be better after coming here? What did I expect? I should have simply accepted things as they were...”

“Easier said than done, bro,” Craig sighs.

“Maybe,” Quinn says. “But it's worth it the effort to find peace with yourself.”

“I guess I kinda felt the same way,” Grace says. “I wanted something else for myself, but I should've known not to rock the boat.”

“Better to know your limits,” Zahra agrees. “Taking risks just gets you on the F.B.I. Watchlist.”

“I just want to get back home and have everything exactly the way it was,” Michelle adds.

“Come on, guys,” Sean protests. “Look where we are! Look what we've faced! You telling me you haven't felt like you've grown in the last four days?”

“I've grown sick of the pep talks, Cap,” Jake mutters.

“I've had too many close calls in the past four days to feel much other than scared,” I admit. “I'll never roll over and accept death, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna get any thrills out of fighting it off. ”

“Come on, Alodia. You're an athlete. Isn't it worth pushing your limits to achieve new heights? What's living worth if you don't strive to be more than you are?”

“Yeah, on the balance beam or the tumbling floor or at the barre. But what's happening on this island isn't living, Sean. It's surviving.”

“Maybe you're right. But for my part, I still think trying to affect change is worth the risk. Coach always told me, whether it's an engineering class or a 260-pound linebacker, you've gotta look each and every challenge square in the eye and face it head on.”

“Was your coach around three feet tall and a motivational poster?” Jake quips.

“Hilarious, coming from a guy who takes his advice from Jose Cuervo,” Sean shoots back.

“Speaking of Jose, if any of you kids find yourself in Costa Rica, look me up. First round's on...” he trails off suddenly as we round the bend at the end of the shoreline, his face falling. When we see what he's looking at, we all stop short, staring dumbly.

...Smoke coils slowly in the air like black snakes. The crystal blue water of the marina laps against the charred wood and metal of the ships' shattered hulls. ...They've been destroyed. Every yacht. Every boat. Millions of dollars worth of exquisite luxury vessels. They are all in charred, smoking pieces, floating in the marina, their shivers strewn over the docks. As if they were blown apart by bombs...

“...Lila?” Raj says weakly. “This...doesn't look like the photo.”

Sean steps forward, his expression slack. He drops to his knees. “...How...?” he whispers. “...Why...?”

“First my plane, now this?” Jake mutters.

“Someone is trying awfully hard to keep us here,” Estela says grimly.

“See?” Aleister cries. “This is what I'm talking about! This is what we get for trying!”

Grace whimpers, tears forming in her eyes. Michelle puts an arm around her.

“Will you shut up, Aleister?! You're scaring Grace!”

Seeing Grace's tears, Aleister suddenly looks stricken. He looks away contritely, murmuring an apology. I look back at Sean, slumped on his knees, gazing out at the devestation. Suddenly, I feel my temper flare. All his pep talks, all his attitude, all his acting like the team captain, the leader, the hero, and suddenly it's too much? Suddenly, even he is ready to roll over and accept defeat? Rage bubbles up in me, and I can't swallow it.

“Get the hell up, Sean!” I snarl.

He looks back at me. “...Alodia...”

“I'm not accepting defeat!” I scream. “Are you?!”

Jake puts a hand on my shoulder. “Maybe you should...”

I shrug him off. “No! I told you I am not going to roll over and accept death! I am decidedly not having fun anymore, but that does not mean this island gets to keep me! I'll fight until it kills me! Are you gonna do any less than that, Sean Gayle?! Are you gonna be any less than that?!”

Almost to my surprise, he actually seems to be considering my words. To my further surprise, he sets his jaw and climbs to his feet.

“No. I'm not.” He looks back at me. “...Thank you. I needed that.”

Surprise drains the anger right out of me. “...Um...you're welcome.”

“Great talk and all,” Michelle says, “but what exactly are we supposed to do now?”

“I don't know,” Sean admits. “But I know what we won't do, and that's give up. There are answers here. We've just gotta find them. Something will tell us what we're up against.”

“You heard the man!” Craig says. “Split up!”

One by one, we start splitting off to search the marina. Murphy twines around my ankles like a cat, trilling a question at me. I pick him up.

“Where do you think we should start, fella?” Murphy yips. “Let's go help out our old buddy Diego, huh?”

“Your old buddy Diego who is literally five feet away from you,” Diego quips, grinning at me. “But I could use a hand. I think I found something already.”

I kneel beside him on the dock and see that he's fiddling with a hefty, waterproof case covered in seaweed.

“A case?”

“I guess. It was floating in the water. Can't get it open, though. The latch is stuck.” He shakes his head. “Every fiber of my being is telling me not to open the creepy box. That's like, Movies 101.”

“Well, someone's gotta open it. Why don't we open it together? That way, we're both Pandora.”

“I'm crossing my fingers that whatever's in here is not all the evils of the world.”

I take the knife from my shoulder sheath and use it to pry the latch open. Then, on the count of three, Diego and I lift the lid together. We both recoil immediately.

...Inside the case is another set of file folders, just like the ones I found in Rourke's office, and at the observatory. Pinned to the top of the folder is a picture of Quinn.

“...Uh...why is there a picture of Quinn in here?” Diego asks. “...Were they tracking us? I seriously doubt The Celestial runs background checks on every guest.”

I don't answer immediately. I open the files. Quinn is on top, followed by Craig and Michelle. Diego reads over my shoulder.

Target Analysis

Clearance: Epsilon

Surname: Kelly

First: Quinn

Middle: Erin

D.O.B: 1996 July 20

Birthplace: Boulder, CO

Background: Spent her whole childhood in a hospital battling Rotterdam's Syndrome (rare autoimmune disease.) Costs bankrupted her parents, leading to their divorce.

Psychological Profile: Constant near-death experiences give her unabashed craving of experiences, marked by socialization and intimacy issues.

Threat Assessment: 0 (strong-willed survivor, but not a threat)

Target Analysis

Clearance: Epsilon

Surname: Hsiao

First: Kuan-yu

Middle: Craig

D.O.B: 1995 Nov 17

Birthplace: Saginaw, MI

Background: Shy nerd turned big man on campus. Unlikely to be drafted into the pros. His star is fading fast, so he hangs onto the glory days. A grueling life has left him tough enough for any encounter.

Psychological Profile: Not very bright, but intense loyalty (particularly to his QB, Sean Gayle) prevents him from being manipulated.

Threat Assessment: 3

Target Analysis

Clearance: Epsilon

Surname: Nguyen

First: Michelle

Middle: Thuy

D.O.B: 1995 Dec 31

Birthplace: Bellevue, WA

Background: Raised by a single mother, taught to work hard for what she wants, and she wants it all. Top of her class, will have her pick of med schools. Stud QB boyfriend is just the cherry on top.

Psychological Profile: As motivated and hardworking as they come. Hard to tell if she enjoys her status, or if it's all a means to an end.

Threat Assessment: 5

Quinn's profile is stamped with the sigil of a dolphin. Craig's is a pawprint that I think is supposed to be a bear. Michelle's is what appears to be a stylized peacock.

“This is insane!” Diego whispers. “What's the point of all this? And what do those weird symbols mean? They all look like animals.”

“I'm not sure. But it all has to add up to something.” I am quiet a moment. Then, after checking to see that there is no one around who could understand me, I whisper in Spanish, “There are more of them. I found more at the observatory, and some in Rourke's office. I've been hiding them under the  mattress in my suite. ...Someone is tracking us, Diego.”

“Shit! Allie, why didn't you tell me?!”

“I was scared. And distracted. And I don't want to trust anyone else with the information just yet.”

“I won't say anything. ...Who have you found?”

“...You. And Sean, Jake, Estela, Raj, Zahra, and Grace.”

“...Dare I ask what it said about me?”

Impulsively, I throw my arms around him. “...Nothing I didn't already know. Nothing you don't know I know. But please...don't ask me to repeat it.”

He holds me back. “...Okay. Okay, Allie. I won't. ...But you'll let me read it, won't you?”

“Yeah. When we get back to The Celestial. I assume we will go back by the evening...”

“Probably.” He pats my back. “...Don't go to pieces on me now, Allie. You're supposed to be the brave one, remember?”

“...You're brave, too.” I pull back. “Will you find someplace safe for those? I'm gonna look around a little more.”

“Can do.”

I leave him to it, wandering over to Craig, who is at the far end of the dock.

“Hey, Craig, any luck?”

“Actually, yeah. Check it.” He gestures me over, and points out a jet ski tethered to the dock, completely intact.

“Oh, wow! Good find!”

“Yeah...but it's almost out of gas. Nowhere near enough to get to the coast.” He sighs and looks around at the smoke rising from the destroyed ships. “Guess we're still stuck here.”

His words make sense, but his tone is easy. Nonchalant. ...Almost cheerful.

“Craig...you still don't want to leave, do you? Even with all the monsters and the time travel, you want to stay.”

“...Yeah,” he admits. “Guess I do. Maybe I like it here.”

I am quiet a moment. The details of his dossier are still fresh in my mind. Of his, and Diego's...I wonder what the people tracking us would have to say about me.

“...I have nothing to go home to, either,” I confess softly.

Craig freezes. “...Really...?”

“Yeah. ...Nothing I'd really miss, anyway. ...The most important person in my life is already here.”

I look over at Diego. A memory comes to me unbidden...of the last time either he or I had any real family outside of each other. ...The last time either of us had someone in our lives outside of each other who we trusted so completely.  I remember the moment it all changed, that winter break when he turned up on my doorstep in tears, a hastily packed suitcase in hand...

“In some ways, this place feels like a fresh start,” I continue. “Maybe it's dangerous, maybe it's weird, but here I feel...important somehow, ya know?”

“...Yeah. Actually, I do.”

“...Just remember you're not alone, okay?”

I lay a hand on his arm. He nods, trying to look nonchalant.

“...Yeah. I know. ...Thanks, dude.”

“Comin' through!” Jake bounces past us, leaping from the pier to a splintered sailboat. He deftly maintains his balance on the slick deck.

“Careful there, Top Gun!”

He smirks at me. “I ain't never been careful in my life.” He rummages through the sailboat's storage compartment, taking out maps and bits of paper. Then he gives a triumphant shout. “Ha! Come to papa! Hey, Princess! Catch!”

He tosses me something small and orange. I manage to catch it.

“Hey, a flare gun! Nice!” I consider firing it, but then think better of it. “...No point in firing it now, when we don't know if anyone's around to see it.”

“That's using some sense. We oughta wait until we see a plane or a ship in the distance.”

He hops back onto the pier. I look past him and see Lila on the deck of a massive yacht. The bow is mostly intact, but the ship is snapped in half, with the stern portion mostly submerged. I pass the flare gun to Jake, and cross the gangway to join her.

“Lila! Find anything over here?”

She shakes her head, frowning. Her forehead is creased with concern. “...Not yet. It's just...weird...”

“What is?”

“I feel like I recognize this yacht.”

She heads to the middle of the ship, where the deck ends in twisted, splintered steel. A cracked staircase leads down to the partly submerged deck below.

“Wait, you're not going down there, are you? It's flooded...”

“I have to check something.”

“I'm coming with you, then.”

“Really? Well...let's go then!”

We head down into the dark compartment. Lukewarm seawater rises quickly around us, lapping at my knees, then my thighs, then my hips as we wade further in.

“This must've been a storage compartment,” Lila murmurs.

I duck under a hanging cargo net and find several cracked wooden boxes that have tumbled from their shelves.

“Be careful, okay? I've got a bad feeling this ship is gonna go completely under any minute now. What are you looking for, anyway?”

“Proof. Help me with this?” She gestures to a wooden crate, and I help her lift it out of the water. Lila wipes the brine off the label. “...There it is. This vessel's name.”

“...Daedalus?”

“I was right,” Lila says softly. “We're on Mr. Rourke's yacht.”

“What does that mean? Why would he leave it here?” Lila doesn't respond. Tears gather in her dark eyes. I put a hand on her shoulder. “Lila, I'm sure he's okay somewhere.”

“Thank you, Alodia. But I'm not so sure about that.”

Before I can respond, a sudden crack shakes the floor beneath my feet. Lila screams.

“The yacht! It's going under the--”

The water rushes in and closes over my head, cutting me off. The stern of the ship breaks off from the bow and slips beneath the surface. And it's taking me and Lila with it. I swim desperately for an exit, but my path is blocked by the thick ropes of the cargo net. Fast as I can manage moving through saltwater, I rip the knife at my shoulder from its sheath and saw through the ropes of the cargo net. When I've broken through, I grab Lila's hand and pull her after me as I rush for the surface.

We breach the surface and greedily gulp the air, reaching to grasp the edge of the pier as the others come running up to us.

“Holy hell!” Jake grabs my arms and pulls me onto the safety of the pier. “You guys okay?”

I nod weakly, coughing up a little bit of seawater. Diego kneels beside me, rubbing my back.

“How'd you even make it out of there?” Sean asks.

“It's was Alodia's quick thinking,” Lila manages to gasp. “...I'd be dead now if it weren't for you.”

“It's Quinn you should thank,” I say with a weak smile. “She gave me the knife.”

“I'm glad you're all right, Alodia,” Sean says. “Way to keep your wits about you.”

“Gotta admit, I'm impressed,” Jake remarks. “I thought you were a goner for sure.”

I snort, poking him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

There's a shout from the other side of the marina that catches our attention.

“Everybody!” Grace yells. “Come here quick!”

We pick ourselves off the ground and hurry over to the pier where Grace is standing by something tied to the dock beneath a large tarp.

“What've you got for us?”

Grace yanks away the tarp, revealing a speedboat, completely intact.

“A high-performance runabout,” Iris chimes. “Visual analysis indicates a Neptune-class model 2850.”

“It almost looks brand new,” Grace observes. “Not sure why this one's okay when everything else is destroyed, but...”

“Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Short Stuff,” Jake chides.

“Pretty sure the Trojans would feel differently about that,” Diego mutters.

“Does it have keys?” Sean asks. Grace shakes her head. Sean looks hopefully at Zahra, who raises an eyebrow.

“Are you telling me to hotwire it?”

“Noooo, I'm not telling you anything. You do exactly as you please.”

“You're goddamn right.” She flicks out her knife and hops into the boat. After a couple minutes of tinkering, the engine revs to life.

“Hell yeah! Nice work!” Jake gives her a hand out of the boat. “What's the range, Blue Girl Group? Can it get to the Dominican Republic?”

“That's you again, Iris,” Diego says when the hologram doesn't respond.

“I see. Range is sufficient to reach the Dominican Republic on a full tank of gas.”

Jake checks the gas gauge and winces. “It's got gas, but it's not completely full. A little over three quarters of a tank. She might make it. But she also might stall out in the middle of the Caribbean and we die.”

“Who's 'we' in this situation?” Diego asks. “Because to fit everyone, we're gonna need a bigger boat.”

“You're right,” I concede. “It's way too small. A couple of us should go and bring back help. But who? It's a gamble that it would even reach safe haven.”

Everyone looks around uncertainly, until Sean strips off his shirt and hops in. “I'll go. I can be back with help before you know it.”

“Easy, Magellan. You'd get lost within a mile.” Jake strips off his shirt and hops in beside him. “I know the Caribbean. I'll play navigator.”

“We've got room for a third. Anyone else wanna come?”

“...Allie should go,” Diego declares.

“...I should?”

He sighs. “Maybe I worry too much, but you've gotten clawed up and knocked around more than I'm comfortable with in the past few days. And no offense to your skills, Michelle, but I'll feel better knowing Allie's on her way to civilization and a fully-trained doctor.”

“I agree with Diego,” Quinn says.

“As do I,” Estela chimes in. “You have seemed to take the brunt of the abuse this island is keen to heap on us.”

“Whaddya say, Princess? Fancy a speedboat ride with me and Steve Rogers here?”

“Sure. I'll tag along. But for the record, Diego totally worries too much.”

Diego chuckles, hugging me. “I know, I know. But you indulge me and I love you for it.”

Sean and Jake each offer me a hand and help me into the boat.

“Welp,” Zahra says. “It was nice knowing ya.”

“Zahra!” Lila chides, and turns to us. “Here, take some extra water with you. We've got enough to spare.”

“You two look after my friend here,” Diego says, then smiles at me. “And Allie, you look after these two dummies.”

I snort. “Can do. We'll be back soon. Promise.”

Sean takes the throttle and guides the speed boat out into the open ocean. He increases speed a bit and the island begins to recede behind us, our friends on the shore shrinking down to pinpricks. I suddenly feel nervous, especially leaving Diego behind.

“...I hope they'll be okay until we get back,” I murmur.

“They'll be fine.” Jake lies down on a seat and stretches out in the sunshine. “Sit back and relax awhile, Princess. We've got about three hours of nothing but flat ocean ahead. ...I've got some sunscreen in my bag if you want it. You look like you burn easy.”

I snort. “Yeah, yeah, I'm as white as a Victorian aristocrat. Pass it over.”

I slip off my tank top and jeans to apply the sunscreen, spreading it over my arms, legs, belly and face.

“Need any help with that?” Jake asks.

“I could get your back for you,” Sean offers quickly.

I grin as a deliciously wicked thought crosses my mind. “...Why don't you both help?” I am delighted to see them both look startled.

“...Both of us?” Sean asks.

“...At the same time?”

“Yeah.” I smirk at them. “I wanna make sure I'm tooooootally covered.”

The men share a weird look.

“Well...uh...I guess we could stop for a second,” Sean relents, and slows the boat to an idle.

I part my hair at my neck and lie down on my stomach, still grinning wickedly. Sean and Jake line up on either side of me and begin spreading out the sunscreen. I can't help drawing in a deep breath. Jake's touch is rough, firm, and forceful, like a deep massage. Meanwhile, Sean's is soft, gentle, caressing. Under their combined touch, I feel myself melting.

“You're doing it all wrong!” Jake hisses. “You're not even getting it into the skin!”

“You're the one missing spots!” Sean snaps back.

“I think you're both doing great,” I mumble appreciatively.

“Does that feel all right?” Sean asks, rubbing a spot on my shoulder.

“You have no idea...”

Jake works a spot on my lower back. “How's that?”

“Absolutely perfect.”

Way too soon for my liking, they finish up, and Sean revs up the engine again. Jake's hand lingers on my back a moment longer. I realize his fingers are just touching the edge of the bandage on my ribs.

“...I just changed it before we left. Should be good for at least three hours.”

“How do they look underneath? They still hurt?”

“Yeah, a little. But they aren't bleeding, and they don't look infected.”

“How about that bite Estela mentioned?”

I sit up and show him the site, where all that remains is a small puncture wound. “No swelling, see? And I haven't had a fever or anything that would indicate any reaction to the antivenom.”

After a moment, he nods.

“...I think Petey was right to send you along with us, at any rate. You're probably fine, but it'll also be a lot safer if you're checked out by professionals as soon as possible.”

I pull my clothes back on. “I'm sure you're right. But, since all that poking and prodding is about three hours away...” I stretch out on the deck, yawning. “I'm gonna get comfy.”

He chuckles. “Atta girl.”

I close my eyes, savoring the warmth of the sunlight on my face and the smell of saltwater. Suddenly, I feel a chill pass over me. The view from behind my eyelids, red a moment ago from the sunlight shining through the blood vessels, suddenly turns dark. I open my eyes and find the sun has slipped behind a cloud. ...A huge, bruise-colored cloud, pregnant with rain. And there are more tumbling in fast behind it.

“Storm's rolling in fast,” Jake observes, his voice low and grim. “Surf's kicking up quick.”

Almost to punctuate his words, a wave slams into the side of the boat, causing it to lurch sharply. I grip the guardrails. Chilly winds whip past me, tugging my hair away from my face and spraying me with raindrops.

“See that?” Sean says loudly above the noise of the wind. He is pointing towards the sky. In the clouds overhead, I can make out the sparkle of orange lightning.

“I see it,” Jake says. “Just like what we saw from the plane.”

“Guys!” I shriek. “Look out!”

Dead ahead of us, a massive crater has opened up in the ocean. Deep, dark water swirls at unbelieveable speeds.

“Whirlpool!” Jake cries.

“There's something coming out of it!” I cry.

All we can do is watch in horror as a massive creature breaches the surface and rises at least ten stories above us. It is serpentine, almost draconic. It towers over our little boat, the orange lightning reflecting off its blue-scaled body. The tops of leathery blue wings rest just above the water's surface. It has no eyes that I can see, only two curling horns where its eyes ought to be. But its open mouth reveals rows upon rows of sword-like teeth. Lightning crackles between the jagged dentata, leaping from tooth to tooth like they were clouds.

“...Sweet mother of God,” Sean whispers.

The creature lets out a howl that echoes across the marina. My heart wedges in my throat. We haven't gotten at all far from La Huerta. And our friends are still standing on the shore.