A/N And we're here! At the month's official halfway mark! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Though life's been tough on everyone, I hope you enjoy this!

R&R!

Chapter 15: Descend Into Darkness

"Come on! Before the police try and stop us from going!" Lily cheerfully rushed ahead as the tram doors opened up, allowing all four of them to move out.

Lincoln raised his head to the pillar of light. The last thing they needed was bureaucracy impeding the hunt.

*Ring!* Lincoln quickly picked up his phone. "Lori?"

"Hey Lincoln! What the heck are you guys doing?!" Her voice was panicked. "There're lights everywhere and it's like, no one knows what's going on!"

He let out a breath. "Just get back to the room, ok?" He shook his head. "And make sure Lisa's ready with whatever she did to save us last time. We haven't seen the collector or his goons but…" He gulped. "I don't have a doubt that he's following us."

"Got it," The young woman replied, hanging up the line, leaving Lincoln to take a breath and turn to the group. "All right, we've got work to do!"

"All right, so where do you want me to take you guys?" Miguel spoke up. "I think I know a way to the pillar of light, where we can actually skip the crowds again!"

Lincoln turned to the young boy, hesitating. Things were going to get hot, no doubt about it. Yet, none of them knew the way, and the last thing they needed was to get lost…

And so, he reluctantly nodded, before scooping up Lily, putting him on her back. "Hold on now."

The young girl nodded. "Got it!"

"Ready?" Lincoln turned to Jordan, who replied by raising her fists. "Always!"

With that, they began to make their way back through the run-down suburbs and back into the city. Though nightfall was upon them, there were still large crowds filling the surrounding streets. Thankfully though, Miguel was more than capable of finding a way through, allowing the four of them to reach their destination: A temple buried deep in the center of the city.

"And there we are!" Miguel cheerfully motioned towards the light source, a pillar of light breaching through the temple and into the sky above.

A crowd had already gathered outside, while the police began to set up a barricade to prevent people from swarming the building

"Jordan?" Lincoln glanced to the side.

She chuckled, and scanned the area, taking note of the wires that connected the temple to the outside world. "I have an idea," She turned and stepped over to a nearby clothesline and pulled a free hangar off. "Remember Home Alone?"

"Do you think that'll work?" Lincoln tilted his head. "A simple wire hanger isn't gonna be enough to hold us, ya know?" Lincoln rubbed his chin. "But… if we can get a bunch of them…"

Jordan tapped on Lincoln's shoulder. "Lincoln, turn around."

He complied, allowing the remains of a wire rack to come into view. "I say leave a twenty for them, they're cheap and maybe we'll be able to give them back?"

Lincoln nodded. "All right," he gulped, already feeling his wallet weigh him down ever so slightly, before he turned and pulled off a set, leaving payment tied to the pole. With that, he turned to Miguel. "Thanks for your help, really. We'll take the rest from here."

Miguel hesitated, before nodding along. "They're going into an ambush…" he opened his mouth to speak, yet no words would come out. Instead, he chose to raise his hand and wave them off. "All right then, good luck with that light thing! Thanks for the food!"

The food, that sweet food. But… the old man promised him a big payment, right? He could just wait and get whatever he needed! But… he only got paid a single US dollar before. Even if it were American money, a dollar doesn't go far even here…

"Come on!" Jordan shouted, before sliding down the rooftop wire, with Lincoln whispering. "Hold on now!"

Before he too jumped and took Lily along with him.

Miguel stood by, watching them go, his chest aching at the sight. "What should I do?"

"Wahoo!" Jordan cheered, before she let go of the wire and rolled, landing on her knees on a small platform inside the temple. A moment later, Lincoln and Lily came in too… albeit less gracefully.

"Oof!" Lincoln went, as he was sent tumbling off the wire and landed on his face.

"Let's go again!" Lily hopped from her brother's back, while Jordan helped him to his feet.

"I'm ok," He rubbed his face, before shaking his head. "No time to waste! We're in!"

Lily nodded. "So let's go find that seal thing! There should be a keyhole thing around here, right?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, somewhere…" He stepped over to the platform's ledge, before hopping the fence and climbing down a nearby ladder. "Come on, let's investigate before they have random people show up to stop us."

The duo nodded, before following Lincoln down. This temple was the largest of the four they had visited. With the same overhead platforms as the previous. As well as the same glowing crystal Miguel had showed them before. Donning the corners.

"Wow… well, whoever built this place had plenty of time on their hands," Lily began to tap the walls, listening for the sounds the stones made. "I wonder if there's a secret passage here!"

Lincoln dusted himself off. "Not a bad idea," He glanced around the room. "I more interested in the source of that light through…" He took a knee at the point where the beam broke through the ground "It's below us, but there isn't a stairway down…"

"So there's definitely a secret passage around here?" Lily's voice filled with excitement.

"Maybe?" Jordan walked over. "But then you'd have to wonder where they'd hide one?" She turned and leaned against the wall. "Lincoln… have you tried using your key thing? Maybe that'll open a door for us."

Lincoln shrugged. It couldn't hurt much, right? "Ok," before he pulled out the crystal key and eased it into the beam of light. In the next moment, the key began to float, before marking a circle around the beam.

A moment after that, stairway pushed down from the floor, leading down into the bowels of the temple.

"Soon, the trio found themselves making their way deep down. Further than the catacombs and that hidden study and further than any would expect something to be buried.

As they descended, the soft sunlight began to fade, giving way to the soft greens of luminescent crystal, as well as the soft sounds of flowing water.

When they finally reached the bottom, the temple opened up, giving way to a small hallway leading a large underground cavern.

"Whoa, what is this place?" Lily jumped from side to side, taking in the sights while Jordan went along. "Wow! It's like whoever built this place created a mine of sorts!"

"More than that," Lincoln stepped over to a batch of crystals, the pile flattened with old stone tools set aside. Slowly, he pulled out the key, allowing it to glow in response. The nearby crystals began to glow in turn, before releasing beads of glowing water from their peaks.

Jordan reached towards one. "What the-"

Only for Lincoln to slap it away. "No, bad Jordan!"

"Err, what?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Lily and I have spent enough time in Lisa's lab to know not to touch any glowing liquids!" He then glanced along. Though the cavern seemed to be carved out from a single stone, its walls contained the ruins of tile, with stalactites cut off near their tips.

Then, his eyes fell upon their goal: an ornate door with no handles, its decorations consisting of two large men, as well as a falling star. And above it read an inscription: "La llave fue forjada en los fuegos sol, luego enfriada por el hielo de la luna. Verano y invierno, las estrellas cierran este sello."

Lily whispered. "The key was forged in the fires of the sun, then cooled by the ice of the moon… Summer and winter, the stars lock this seal."

Lincoln and Jordan turned to her in surprise.

"What?" She shrugged. "Carlitos loves to teach me Spanish when I hang out with him!"

Slowly, Lincoln turned and stepped over to the center pillar, gazing upon the waiting keyhole. "You guys ready?"

Jordan let out a breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Lily meanwhile tilted her head. "Ready for what?"

Lincoln let out a breath. "Just… be ready to hurry, ok?"

The young girl nodded in reply

With that, Lincoln raised his hand and shoved the key into the pillar. The once bright pillar of light dissipated from behind them, before the two pools of water drained, before beginning to glow. Lines lead into them, as two spheres of light engulfed them.

Lincoln gulped, before placing his hand on the sphere, and phasing through, while Lily and Jordan did the same.

Meanwhile…

"One step at a time, this will begin," The Collector pushed open the gates to the temple, before slamming down his cane. "They've begun the ritual to open the second seal. I want teams at every exit, ready to apprehend them once the leave."

His goons nodded, before fanning out to fulfill the order. "Now, come along gentlemen, though we mustn't be too hasty, we cannot allow them to get passed us again." With that, he posted himself at the edge of the staircase, ready to greet them upon their return.

A few meters behind however, Miguel hesitated, waiting at the edge of the temple. "I have to get in there and warn them!" Yet, he froze. Unsure of what he was to do next. I can get in there… I just know I can! And when I do, they'll be safe! Right?"

He shook his head and began to sneak inside.

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A/N And here we go! First half done, only one more half remains! I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, feel free to drop ideas and PM me!

Review Replies (C14):

DreadedCandiru2: Yeah, but who knows, maybe Lincoln will break the trend again!