Help
JJ found himself falling. One second, the paving was there beneath his feet, the next it just wasn't. He didn't even have time to so much as yelp. Then he hit something a little like a trap door and the next moment, he'd landed, heavily, on the stone floor of some sort of cell.
"JJ?" Lexia's voice drifted down to him, disembodied and worried.
He looked up and realised he'd fallen further than he'd thought. He could just about make out Lexia's face as she peered in through the hole above him. "'M OK," he called back. "Bit bruised." He shifted and started to get to his feet, and winced. Make that very bruised.
"Can you see any way to get out?" Lexia asked.
JJ looked around, but wherever he was, it was dark. The only lighting came from the hole above -- and that barely did more than illuminate the spot he was standing on. "No -- can't see a thing."
Lexia's face withdrew. Then the muffled sounds of an argument drifted down to him. A moment later and James appeared beside him. JJ blinked.
"How'd you do that? I didn't see you jump."
"Magic." James snapped his fingers and a small light suddenly appeared, hovering half an inch or so above the point of the Leprechaun's hat. "How else did you think?"
JJ slowly shook his head. "Well if you can magic yourself down here, can you magic me back up there?"
James shook his head. "Nope -- sorry."
"So what are you doing down here?"
James cracked a grin. "I'd have thought that would be obvious. Even to you."
JJ bristled at that. "Lex?" he yelled...and got no response.
"She's continuing on," James explained. "We should be able to catch her up -- but first we need to get you out of this oubliette."
"So you're...what? Rescuing me?"
"See!" James' grin widened. "You do know what I'm doing!"
JJ clapped a hand across his eyes and groaned.
James ignored him and started to walk around the cell -- oubliette -- obviously looking for something. At certain points he stopped to knock on the stonewalls. JJ watched this performance for a few moments, then said,
"What're you doing?"
"Shsh!" James knocked at the section of wall again. Then a third time. "Got it!"
"Got what?"
"The way out."
JJ frowned. "That's solid wall."
James turned to face him. "That's what you think. Hmm." He frowned for a second then turned back to the wall. "Now if I were Mirracon where would I...Ah-hah!"
Increasingly mystified, JJ could only watch as James started to bounce up and down, clearly trying to reach something and failing dismally.
"You want some help?" JJ inquired.
James stopped bouncing and muttered something about 'no good, lousy tall people'. "Yes."
JJ waited. When it became clear James wasn't going to elaborate on what was needed, he asked, "OK -- so tell me what you want me to do."
James sighed. "You see the ledge there?" He waved a hand to a rock ledge about six feet off the floor. "There should be a knob -- like a door knob -- on it. I think."
JJ opened his mouth, intending to ask the obvious question. Then he closed his mouth and shook his head. He probably didn't want to know. Instead, he put his hand on the shelf and started to feel around for anything on it. Sure enough, he found a door knob-shaped object. Picking it up, he held it out to James.
"This it?"
James inspected it. "Perfect."
Before JJ could say a word, James took the knob and fitted it to the wall and then, to JJ's complete amazement, turned it and pulled as if he were opening a real door...
...and it opened, heralding a shower of janitorial supplies.
"Dang," muttered James. "Broom closet." He kicked the contents back into the closet and closed the door again before glancing over his shoulder at JJ. "Well, can't be right all the time."
"Er no," JJ replied shaking his head. "Guess not," he mumbled faintly.
James hummed to himself as he fitted the doorknob to the side of the 'door', twisting it, pulling and opening what now appeared to be a perfectly ordinary door. If you ignored the fact that it still looked like a section of rock face.
"Here we are," said James. "Follow me."
~*~
Not leaving the two gargoyles the chance to argue, John moved forwards, collecting a gargoyle with each arm.
"What are you doing?" yelped Left.
"You crazy idiot!" exclaimed Right. "Put me down."
"Put me down."
"Put us down this inst..." But their joint protests suddenly died as an almighty crash sounded from behind them.
John didn't need to look round to know the source. When he'd looked up he'd seen two complete cyclobots dropping towards him. The crash told him they'd now hit the path. Instead he looked up again, checking for more falling debris. There didn't seem to be any. He risked slowing down and releasing his hold on both gargoyles. They both staggered a step each and then collapsed.
"What was that?" Left finally managed ask.
John finally looked over his shoulder. "They were cyclobots."
"And now they're scrap metal," observed Right. "And we'd have been gravel."
There was a long, pregnant pause, then both gargoyles mumbled, "Thanks."
The word sounded more than somewhat strange coming from the haughty creatures. Strange enough that John found himself smiling. "You're welcome." He looked around and realised he was now standing at the entrance to a courtyard area. "So what is this place?"
"It's a maze," Right replied.
"Mirracon's maze," Left added.
John nodded slowly. "And how do I get outta here?"
~*~
Lexia knew James had been right.
Time was short and she did need to find Alice -- and Paul, if he was here -- so that they could all get out of here. She didn't know what Mirracon would do to her -- them -- if she failed, but she could work out it wasn't going to be something she enjoyed.
But, that knowledge didn't make her feel any less guilty for pushing on alone -- and for not doing more to help JJ. She smiled faintly as she rounded a corner. She had only known JJ for a short while but she now found herself missing his ready sense of humour. Walking through the maze alone was more than simply lonely. There was a very real sense that something might be preparing to leap out of the shadows and grab her.
A sense that was not improved by the final warning James had offered her as he'd vanished to rescue JJ: Watch out for the Werrat. Whatever the Werrat was.
~*~
Eric watched as Shawn fidgeted under the combined gaze of the entire Silver Guardians' senior staff. He was almost about to suggest they did this a different way when Shawn finally managed,
"This is Frax's backup plan." Not news, courtesy of Paul's arrival at the SGHQ but it was a start. "The mirrors are Mirracon's."
"Mirracon being...?" prompted Ben.
"Being a mutant whose primary skill is in illusion and magic," Jen answered. "Time Force arrested him and he was sent down for a bunch of felony charges. Either he's been let out early for good behaviour or Frax sprang him from jail before landing up here."
Shawn was nodding. "The former...I think...think I heard him and Frax...or someone joking about it."
"Which you would know because...?" inquired Wes.
Shawn's shoulders sagged and Eric put two and two together. "How long were you captive?" he asked gently.
Shawn looked surprised. "I...a week. Bit less. Only saw Frax the once, though."
"Another replicant?" Wes murmured.
"Probably," Eric answered, "otherwise we'd have known about this a heck of a lot sooner." To Shawn, he said, "Why didn't you say anything about this before?"
The question was still gentle, no hint of rebuke, but Shawn's head still ducked in embarrassment and shame. "They...he...did something to me. It...I don't know." Shawn hesitated for a few moments, then mumbled, "They made me forget...knew something had happened...didn't know what."
"But you know now?"
Shawn looked up again, still looking ashamed. "Sorta." He sighed and his shoulders drooped even more. "All this's brought it back. Bits of it."
"Enough that you know what's going on?" queried Jen, her voice also gentle. Shawn nodded. "What's Mirracon's plan?"
Looking more sure of himself for the subject shifting away from himself, Shawn replied, "He planned to trap people in his maze...hold them to ransom until someone took up his challenge."
"Someone?" echoed Wes. "He didn't have anyone particular in mind?"
"Not beyond it being a member of the SG high command," Shawn answered, shaking his head.
"I'm not paranoid but the man following me is," muttered Kimberly.
"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me," Jen shot back.
Eric ignored the comments. "So what do we do?"
"Nothing."
~*~
John's question hung on the air for several seconds. The two gargoyles shifted a little nervously.
"Um..." began Left.
"You can't," said Right.
"I can't?" John repeated. "You mean I'm stuck here?"
"Not exactly," Left answered.
"So...what, then?"
"You need to find the others," Right replied. "The woman and the man. They'll be able to get you out."
"If not...you will be stuck here," Left put in.
Panic bubbled up at the back of John's mind. He tried to force it back. "So how do I find Lexia?"
The two gargoyles exchanged looks.
"We don't know," Right admitted.
"They could be anywhere in this place," Left explained. "All we can tell you..."
"...is where they're heading for," Right finished.
"Better than nothing," John replied. "Where're they heading?"
"The centre of the maze -- they have a friend trapped here," said Right.
"Do you know the way there?" John asked.
Both gargoyles shook their heads. "Just that it's in that direction," said Left, jerking a thumb in the direction John had been travelling in.
~*~
JJ followed James along the passage.
"This is not the way!"
JJ's head snapped round at the words. His eyes fell on a face carved into the rock. He wanted to say it was ridiculous; that the words couldn't have possibly come from a carving...except the carving blinked at him.
"Uh, James...?"
"Oh, pay it no mind," James replied, unconcerned. "It's just a false alarm."
"Oh no I'm not!" objected the carving.
"Turn back before it is too late," insisted a second voice, drawing JJ's gaze to another carving.
Series of carvings he realised.
"Are they all...?" JJ began.
"Yep," said James. "This maze is full of them. Particularly if you're on the right track."
"This is not the way," quavered a third voice.
"Oh do shut up," James retorted, speaking to the carvings. "I live here. I know I'm on the right track."
"Sorry," huffed a close-at-hand carving. "We're just doing our jobs."
"Well you don't have to do it to us," James replied.
"Oh, please?" begged a small, child-like carving. "I haven't gotten to say it in such a long time."
James glanced up at JJ. "Up to you," said the Leprechaun.
"I don't even need you to react...I just wanna say it!" continued the carving.
JJ shrugged. When in the twilight zone, go with the flow. "Sure."
"Oh, thank you!" The carving -- in so far as it could -- grinned. Then it cleared its throat and declaimed, "The path you are on will lead to your certain destruction!"
"Cheerful guy," murmured JJ.
"But helpful," said James. He gestured to something attached to the wall not far from the carving, who'd now apparently gone to sleep again.
"A ladder?"
"Well how else do you suppose we're going to get outta here?" James wanted to know.
"Good point."
"So -- after you," said James.
~*~
Rick cringed at Shawn's answer. Any second now, either his parents or Eric and Kimberly would...
"What I mean," Shawn added hastily, "is that JJ and Lexia have already done it."
Rick noted that gave all four parents pause.
"Pardon?" said Kimberly. "Who's JJ?"
"The sixth member of this patrol," Eric replied. "What I'm not clear on," he continued, "is what it is he's done."
Shawn shot Taylor a quick glance before answering, "Lexia seemed to know what was going on...or at least, she knew this setup."
"She volunteered to go after Paul and Alice," Taylor put in. "JJ volunteered to go with her."
"And you let them?!" exclaimed Jen.
"Lexia was going to go whatever I said," Taylor replied, resignation in her tone. Rick noted that his mother wasn't mollified in the slightest.
"Post mortems later," interjected Eric. "Shawn -- if Lexia and JJ have taken up Mirracon's challenge...what happens to anyone else who gets pulled into that place?"
Shawn shook his head. "I don't know -- but it can't be good. Mirracon was counting on at least one other member of SG high command getting sucked in."
Bile hit the back of Rick's throat. So far, no-one had mentioned John. He knew that Eric had been expecting to find John already here. When it had become clear he wasn't, Rick had figured his friend had got sucked through the mirrors somehow, which was not something Rick had been happy about. Now, though, he was even more worried. And to judge from the looks Eric and Kimberly were now exchanging, they had drawn the same conclusion.
"So what do we do?" Wes asked.
"Shawn?" Taylor prodded. "Is there anything we can do to help Lexia and JJ?"
Shawn shook his head. "Not that I know of."
~*~
John jogged along the path, hoping that he was going in the right direction. Given the maze's propensity for changing as he travelled, he wasn't holding out too much hope of that, but he had to at least try.
I'm going to be in so much shit if I get out of this, he found himself thinking morosely. So much for rescuing Lexia -- looks like she's gotta rescue me. That was a humiliating realisation.
He reached a courtyard type area with four exits leading from it, three of them heading in more or less the direction he'd been travelling in so far. Which to take?
He stepped forwards, taking brief note of the presence of a tree in the centre of the courtyard, still debating the choice.
"Yehah!"
The strange whoop gave John pause. But before he could look for any signs of the noise maker, the world suddenly turned a cartwheel as he found himself being yanked off his feet and up into the air.
~*~
Lexia reached another courtyard and cautiously peered in. It seemed to be empty and there were no obvious signs of trapdoors. Of course, there had been no obvious signs of trapdoors or anyone else in either of the previous two courtyards -- and that had proved to be completely wrong. She sighed. Can't go round it, so I have to go through it.
She entered the courtyard.
"Hur-hur. Oi do be smelling fresh meat."
The voice was a sort of slow, rolling, guttural sound -- almost like an audible earthquake. It suggested either the speaker was very big -- and the voice was coming from the bottom of its chest -- or extremely unintelligent. Lexia wasn't sure which to hope for as she looked round to find the source.
Then her eyes fell on the source. True enough, the creature was huge. Barrel chested, it had long, powerful arms and stood on equally powerful legs. Its head was vaguely rodent-shaped; with a longish, blunt snout and small, beady eyes either side of it, but Lexia had never seen a rodent with teeth like the ones this creature was baring at her.
"Oi do be the Werrat," it announced. "And you do be tresparsing in my domain. Do you know what that do make you?" Convulsively, Lexia shook her head. "Hur-hur. It do make you lunch!"
Lexia found herself frozen to the spot by that pronouncement. She could only watch, petrified, as the Werrat bore down on her.
"Banzai!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
