What Lies Beneath Chapter 21: The Dramatic Rescue, a don't starve fanfic

Chapter 21, everybody! How will our intrepid heroes get out of this one? Good question….

Loli-otaku, thanks for the review! Ooh, snark—I may have to review these upcoming chapters and make sure there's some in there (because snark is very fun to write). I am too—hopefully the ending pleases. :)

"Say, pal, you don't look so good."

"You took your time getting here, didn't you?" the Shadow Man asked, appraising Maxwell through half-lidded eyes.

Maxwell just lit another cigar. There was something very important he had learned throughout his career as a street magician: never let them know what you're thinking. It was the main reason he kept up his smoking habit, even though Charlie disapproved—it gave him a moment to compose himself.

Now here was hoping the yutz scientist didn't screw his part of the plan up….

The Shadow Man, true to form, took his silence as a cue to continue talking. "I have good news for you—your services are no longer required."

That did make Maxwell react, although he was quick to catch it. "This is news," he said evenly.

"Well, now that the master cable is back, I don't need you to bring anyone else here," the Shadow Man said. "Oh yes," it added, as though something occurred to it. "That means I don't have to honor our agreement anymore either."

With that statement, it snapped its fingers.

A Terrorbeak dragged a struggling Charlie out.

"Well well! I've finally cracked that composure of yours!" The Shadow Man crowed. "Ah, before I forget, we have a few more guests to this party."

The horrid screech told him just what the Shadow Man had planned for Charlie. A gesture from the Shadow Man alerted him to where DC was standing, holding Willow over the precipice.

"You have one chance," the Shadow Man said. "You can tell me where that miscreant is now, or you can try to save either your wife or your adoptive niece. You don't have time to save both."

There was Charlie held near the edge of a pit that most obviously housed the Screecher. And there was Willow, being held over a fatal fall. And both were silently begging for him to save them, but simultaneously looking guilty for wanting him to pick them.

There was one thing that Maxwell hated, and that was being in a situation beyond his control. The only thing he could hope for was Wilson being poised to save who he didn't. But he couldn't look to see if he was—that would give the whole thing away. He had to do something he wasn't used to doing: trusting someone else.

So he made his decision. He hoped he could live with it later.

He dashed for Charlie, the Terrorbeak shoved her in, she screamed, the Screecher shrieked—

But then Maxwell was there too, catching Charlie and spinning so he'd hit first—

And when he hit the ground, he used his shadow travel.

"We're fine, we're fine," he soothed, patting Charlie on the head and holding her close to still her shaking sobs.

He just hoped that Willow was the same.

Wilson stood poised for a dramatic rescue.

He sincerely hoped this swiftly concocted scheme would work.

Maxwell cleared the Shadow Man in his dash for Charlie, and Wilson launched himself in the air.

As he swung for Willow, it took quite a bit of self-control not to let out a Tarzan yell.

He snatched the screaming Willow out of the air, managed to get a glimpse into the pit that Maxwell and Charlie had fallen into—

Willow was sobbing. "No! No! They're fine!" Wilson exclaimed.

And then they were spinning, and he saw that DC had grabbed the rope—

And then they were flat on their backs, wind knocked out of them.

"That could have gone better," Wilson gasped.

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

Wilson looked up to see himself looking down at him, arms crossed. It took a few moments for what he was seeing to register.

"Oh dear," he managed, before the Shadow Man hauled him to his feet.