The trio had reached the the lake by sunset. Nicholette crouched down by the water, and dipped her hands into the lake. Pietro stepped up beside her, taking in the view. The sun cast a golden glow onto the surface of the water, and onto Nicholette. The sun lighting up her hair into gold, her face was cast in the last rays of sunlight for the day. Looking at the cuts and dirt on her face, Pietro found himself thinking back to when he first met Nicki way back when. Back then, she wqas full of herself, a young girl who smiled because she had no idea what was happening due to being obliviated drunk. Now she was a fighter, covered in dirt and cuts, who couldn't smile because she had the world on her shoulders. And man, did she play both parts well. He looked down at her and smiled.
"So what are we looking for?" Clint inturrupted Pietro's thoughts.
"When I found the key, it was just sitting just under the surface. I grabbed it, then-" the blonde girl stood, her boots sinking into the sand. Clint scanned the treeline at her sudden movement. "There was someone ontop of the cliff up there." Nicholette pointed to the top of the overhang above the water. She looked at her nails and curled them in when she noticed her polish was almost gone, the top of her nail now jagged and uneven. She turned to Pietro, "Can you get me up there?".
"Of course." Pietro grabbed her hand, and gently picked her up before carefully setting her down moments later at the top of the cliff. Her hand lingered on Pietro's shoulder for a moment before she moved toward the edge of the cliff. "Hey, be careful."
"It's fine. This cliff hasn't moved in years." Nicholette smiled, her eyes darting around at their surrounding, from the water, to the trees, the ocean that was miles out, to her idot brother, who was putting on quite the show. His arms were waving in the air, before dropping to his hips. Nicholette chuckled at the drama. Pietro moved to her side, as she put her hands on her hips and slouched forward, staring into the water. The speedster would have thought this moment perfect, if they wern't on the hunt for a madman.
"So, see anything?" Pietro moved to peer over the edge of the cliff. She pointed towards the water,
"Do you see that?"
"There is suppose to be somthing there-" Pietro looked to where the blonde was pointing, cutting off when her sudenly dropped five feet. Pietro watched in slow motion as the ground left from underneath his feet, leaving him with nothing to move on, he began to fall. He watched as Nicholette's face moved from curiosity to terror, as her arms moved despartaly for somthing to grab onto. He heard Clint yell as he tried to grab Nicholette, but they fell at different angles, away from each other. It was all he could do to just fall, and wait to hit the water. Once he hit the sufrace and tumbled beneth it, he instanly began looking for Nicholette under the water. She was already swimming towards him, and grabbed his wrist. He looked around and paused, grabbing Nicholettes shoulder, spinning her around, pointing. Nicki's jaw dropped releasing the air the was in her lungs, quickly putting her hand over her mouth. Pietro tugged on her harness, pulling her toward to surface. When they broke the surface, they took giant gulps of air. Nicholette turned toward her yelling brother, who waded into the water.
"Are you okay? Nic, are you hurt?" Pierto helped Nicki swim over to the shore, where Clint pulled her out of the water, checking her over for any more damage.
"Guys, I'm fine." Nicholette turned to Pietro putting her hands on his shoulders, "Did you see that? Go look on the other side for another entrace." Pietro nodded and sped of in a blur of blue, the current pulling Nicholette's wet ponytail over her shoulder. She took a deep breath before turning to her brother.
"What did you see down there?" He asked, moving back to the edge of the water.
"There a cave. One that must run through the cliff, or you know into the cliff." She smiled frantically. "That must be where Silias is. It makes sense, I mean I have been everywhere on this island, the only place that would be new would be underground!"
"Nicki. This is crazy." Clint put his hand on her shoulder.
"No what's crazy, is being on the hunt for Asguardian chemicals, on an island with a murdering pyschopath!" Pietro reappeared at their sides.
"Get this, There is a hidden keyhole on the far side of the mountain, you would not see it unless it was looken for." Nicholette did a little fistpump.
"Okay, so we'll just go around the mountain and go through the door. Then we bust Silias."
"Uhm, Nic, we don't have the key." Clint scratched his head. Nicholette turned.
"No, you gave him a fake key right?" Nicholette tilited her head.
"We did not have a choice, he had shot you." Pietro defended his teammate.
"I'm aware he shot me, i'm the one with the bullet hole. Your telling me you gave him the real key?" Nicholette started to raise her voice. "And now our only way into the mountain is to go through the underwater caves?"She reached froward and smacked her brother's shoulder, only to wince at the pain that shot through her arm and shoulder. Clint reached into the backpack that he had brought,
"Then I guess its a good thing that I brought these." Clint held up three portable breathing devices.
"Clint, its not just the fact that I can't breathe underwater, it's a small space, we don't know how long it is, and its underwater!" Nicholette jaw tensed, as she let out a deep breath. Pietro came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder,
"We'll be fine. It can't be too far, besides your not going to be alone."
"Give me that damn breather." Nicki snached one, before inspecting it. "I hate you both." She placed the breather between her teeth, and began to wade back into the water.
"Wait, don't you want to make a plan?" Clint began to follow his sister into the water.
"I have a plan! I'm going to kick the shit out of Silias." Nicki mumbled through the breather. Before rolling her shoulders back and diving below the surface. Clint followed suit. Pietro smiled before putting the breather between his own teeth. Following the Bartons into a near certain disastar.