Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age.

AN: And big thanks to IceAge Mutant for reviewing! I don't know if this chapter will be a letdown - I'm not very good at details and I usually build up and then let it down (in my opinion)! Enjoy!

Chapter 3:
Manny got soaked within a few seconds of running outside. He was following Diego blindly in the darkness, but he had complete faith in the boy's ability to navigate around. "You've been here before?!" he shouted over the thunder.

Diego shouted back in affirmation before moving onwards. Ellie was close behind him, followed by Manny and Sid. Puddles sloshed around their feet, quickly soaking their shoes as well. Eventually, they reached a construction site.

"You do realise this says "Danger", right?" Sid called to the front of the line. He got no reply.

Diego scrambled over the fence with no problem. "They're not around here. They must be inside." With help, all three got over the fence. Manny was slightly worried that the fence was electric, but considering that Diego had gotten over easily, it must've malfunctioned when the rain began or not have been electric at all.

They moved inside, where they squinted to find the twins in the darkness. "Eddie? Crash?!" Ellie called out. She got no reply except for her echo.

"Here!" Diego called out. They followed the glowing pair of green eyes where he was kneeling next to an open manhole. "Only place they could be."

Diego grabbed a pebble nearby. He dropped it into the manhole and counted. "1. 2. 3. 4. 5." A splash from the water. "We gotta jump. Only way in."

"What about the ladder?" Ellie asked.

"It's slippery. And probably rusted on a normal day. Not gonna risk it on a rainy day." He stood up and then leapt into the manhole. There was a grunt, and Manny knew that he had reached the bottom. He turned to Ellie, who looked worried but nodded and then jumped in. They heard Diego shouting at her. "Bend your knees! Bend your knees!"

A splash, and Manny turned to Sid. Sid was looking petrified, and Manny cursed his heart as he put Sid on his back before leaping down. It was dark and smelled rancid, but Manny ignored it as they landed with a splash. There was a tunnel leading out, though water was sloshing at their ankles now, steadily rising higher.

"Let's go!" Diego beckoned to them. They followed him as he lead them through a series of dizzying tunnels. Ellie didn't stop calling for her brothers. They moved around quickly as the water rose to their knees. They weren't deterred - they were already soaked anyway.

"Have you been here before?!" Manny shouted at Diego as he realised that they didn't exactly have a solid destination.

"No!" Diego shouted back. "I didn't get the opportunity to!"

Suddenly, Ellie grimaced and her hand grabbed onto Manny's shoulder, nearly pulling him down with her. "Whoa!"

Diego turned around at the exclamation, growling. "Out of all times."

"What's wrong with her?!" Manny demanded.

"Brief thing. Photographic memory. She'll be like this for another five minutes."

"Uh…" Sid looked up. "I don't think we have five minutes."

Diego sighed. "Sloth, let's go. We'll try and find the twins and come back here. Don't move or I won't be able to find you again."

"Got it." Manny nodded, and knelt down next to Ellie, ignoring the water that was now rising higher than his knees.

"Let's go!" Diego shouted at Sid, who ambled after him, looking hesitant but determined. They continued calling for the twins, before they finally heard a reply shout.

"Who's there?!"

"It's us, you idiots!" Diego scowled as they made their way to the voices. "Hurry up and get over here! There's gonna be a flood!" As if on cue, the ceiling creaked as water leaked downwards. Diego's eyes widened as he realised what was happening. "Hurry!"

The twins sprinted forward, nearly knocking the two over. Sid stumbled, but was grasped with an iron grip as Diego ran back the way they had come. "Don't split up, and keep up at all times!"

No reply, but Diego sprinted onwards until he tripped over something.

Manny looked at Ellie, careful not to touch her unless she touched him. "You ok?" Stupid, Manny. Great question. She's not great.

"Do you like me?" Ellie looked up, bright green eyes inquisitive.

"What?" Manny choked. That was the last thing he had expected her to ask. Though, considering her rather blunt nature and the fact that she wore her heart on her sleeve, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise.

"Do you like me?" Ellie asked, more slowly.

"Why-why would you ask that?"

Ellie looked at him more closely. "Because I think I might like you."

Manny spluttered. "You-you-you do?"

"Yes." Ellie decided. "So what's holding you back?"

Manny hesitated. "I don't want to suffer if someone else I love goes."

"So you love me?" Ellie looked down. "Isn't this too fast? We've barely known each other for a week."

Manny shrugged. "When you're in an asylum, you don't exactly have the luxury of time."

Ellie smiled and held his hand. "That's nice."

Ellie's previous question sounded eerily similar to something someone he knew said. "Wait a minute. Have you been talking to Diego?"

Ellie merely grinned. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not."

"Di?" Manny's voice sounded.

Diego turned to the voices. "Hurry up. The tunnel's collapsing!"

Upon hearing that, both of them quickly took the rear of the group. For a long time, Manny felt nothing but the cold of the water that was now up to his waist. Ellie was carrying the twins on her back, but she looked like she was slowing down. Sighing, Manny took over Eddie, allowing Ellie to move over quicker. Sid was stumbling in the water, but Diego didn't seem deterred even though he was shortest out of them (besides the twins).

Eventually, they reached the tunnel leading up. Without hesitation, Diego shoved Sid up. "Hurry up!" The twins clung on to Manny and Ellie as the two scaled the ladder, closely followed by Diego, who looked down every so often and felt panic as the water continued to rise. "Hurry up!"

Diego slipped on the last rung, but Manny instantly turned around at the yelp and pulled him up. They collapsed on the floor, painting as the sun started to show and the clouds disappeared.

"That was fast." Sid noted with pleasure.

As they stood up, Diego turned to Manny. "And Manny?"

"Hm?" Manny asked, distracted.

"Call me Di again and I will castrate you so painfully you'll be begging for death."

Manny froze and nodded slowly, knowing that the boy would actually find some way to do it. Diego smiled. "Good." Then he turned and started to lead them out.

Sid stumbled beside Diego. "Wait. Didn't Soto call you Di?"

Diego didn't turn around as he replied. "He had his reasons. And I've decided not to kill you now. Don't push your luck." They reached the asylum to find the asylum empty.

"Oh wait!" Sid suddenly piped. "I found something in the basement. More than a something. More like somethings."

Manny sighed but followed the boy anyway. The others followed behind him. They went down the stairs, only to find it empty. "What?" Sid frowned looking around. "I swear, there was stuff here before. There was this coffin that I opened, and the corpse blinked and stuff-"

"Look, Sid, you could've been sleepwalking-"

"No." Diego interrupted Manny. "There was something here before. I saw it. It's all gone."

There was heavy silence before Eddie spoke up. "Then where's it gone?"

"The guards wouldn't have time to clear it out." Diego frowned as he straightened up and looked around. The water was receding from the basement. He looked at the trapdoor. It was firmly closed. The silence was deafening. The darkness made it seem as though the walls were closing in on them. "Someone else has been here."

"But why would they be trying to get all of the coffins or what it was out?" Ellie frowned.

Diego rocked back on his heels, his eyes narrowed. "Because it was something that someone didn't want destroyed or found." Diego said. He looked around. "Well," he grinned manically. "Let's find out."

"But what do we do now?" Crash asked. "We're stuck here with no transport."

Diego shrugged. "Get some food from the pantry. The flood wouldn't have affected the freezers too badly, the oven should be working, and we've only been gone a few hours. See if there's any water around, and then we'll try to get back."

"Why can't we call someone?" Ellie asked. "I saw a phone somewhere."

"No." Diego shook his head. "It'd get discovered. Someone's willing to go through great lengths to keep the coffins away before anyone but Sid to find it, and that was completely by accident. The police wouldn't believe us." He headed back up the stairs, and Sid scurried after him, not willing to be left behind as the others followed - although they were few, Manny and Ellie were pretty strong. And Diego had plotted the murder of someone without hesitation.

Diego turned around. "We're pawns in someone's game. We just need to find out what game it is."