A/N

Alright, new record: A whole month. Sorry, everyone, my new excuses are as follows: Wisdom teeth removed and christmas shoping, along with finals. I'm trying to get myself back into things, and it's so hard. But I won't give up! I will get this thing done (there's only a few chapters left, anyway) though it may take me a half year to do so.


Hurrying through the tunnels, I found myself aware of my surrounding to a degree I hadn't noticed before. Being on edge was sharpening my skills.

And making me paranoid. My mind was still on something we'd left a good bit behind now.

One can never be too careful with glowing monsters on hindsight.

I also had to keep an eye out for anything else. Who knew when we'd reach the end of its territory and we found ourselves up against a new and different threat. Best to keep on my toes.

And it had not truly escaped me that my friends and I are going into a heavily guarded area with no plan. Hopefully Mr. McCoy and the other thinkers of our group would have one.

I landed on all fours from a small leap off an overhanging rock. I quick glance around confirmed there was no other way down, and I told the others so.

This was a new cave system, one of about three we had to pass through. There was an easier way into this one than jumping down four feet after a winding tunnel, but hindsight tended to come back into play.

"Be careful not to make too much noise." Jean warned as Kitty phased down through the rock to land noiselessly on the ground.

"Got it." She whispered back.

The others made a slightly less graceful descent, but it was hurried and, overall, quiet.

There was a bright flicker of light from behind me and I turned to glance back at Jubilee, who had a sparkler like energy in her hand.

"Needed a little light." She squeaked. I nodded and she visibly relaxed. Light had been easy to come by in the caves mostly, but this new cave system was far darker than the last.

I stopped and touched the cave wall to recheck my course, then started off again. I felt like I could walk these caves blindfolded, but decided not to in favor of making sure my friend's didn't lose confidence in me.

Yeah, that would probably be the best.

"Is it much farther?" Kitty asked. She and Rahne were walking with me ahead of the others, they only a few steps behind me. Oddly enough, Kitty seemed to be excited, Rahne determined.

I didn't comment on it. I was feeling sick myself.


Hours later, I could breathe out easily. We were actually in the third system, almost underneath the point of exit, and we were taking a rest while I was giving the layout to Mr. McCoy.

"What exactly is the plan?" Ray asked.

"Well…" Jean looked a little uncomfortable. "Since we have nothing of importance to barter, we were going to do the only thing we can do."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Which is?" Rogue asked.

"We're going to make him send us home by causing so much trouble for him it would be to his benefit."

"….That's your plan?"

"For lack of a better one, yes."

"We are so screwed."

"Quiet." She snapped. "Look, we have the firepower to take out a small army. And, AND! We have an edge. We have a girl that can tell us the layout of our attack." She looked to me.

I didn't answer straight away. Piecing something intelligible from the animals I could get things from (a few brave bugs, some other creatures that escaped detection, and the moving patterns of the voices of Alistair's pets) was a task in itself, and I had to be careful not to make a mistake.

"There's four towers, each one needs to be taken out quickly, that's where most of the danger signals come from. I can't be sure though. The main building is housing most of Alistair's creatures-take out that and you take out what I estimate is half the fighting force."

"Sounds like a lot of guesses." Rogue put in. I nodded.

"I don't have the necessary eyes required to give you an exact figure, but it'll be close."

"We'll have to live with that. Where's our target? This 'Soul King?'" Scott asked. He had managed to start gaining a little authority. He may have been blind, but obviously still had the guts to lead.

"There's something large happening on the south tower. I'm getting weird vibes, even Alistair's pets are wary of it. I would suggest heading there."

"Right. We have to stay in groups. Ororo, you had better take some and I will take some. I will take Sam, Rogue, Scott, Crepuscule if he doesn't mind, and Jean. We'll attack the fighting force and try to knock down some of the towers. You'd better take Ray, Rahne, Kitty, Jubilee, and Danny. Head for Danny's trouble spot and we'll meet you there."

Ms. Monroe agreed. She knew out groups, with the exception of Ray, had the least power. We were also the fastest and quickest to infiltrate.

We stepped out with a new sort of determination, and soon the cave system sloped upwards.

We were probably about to do something so incredibly stupid that the world would never be the same, or our perception of it. We'd probably make mistakes. But it was too late to worry now.

A scent hit my nose, barely there, yet it sent warning bells off in my head. It smelled like…

CRUNCH!!

I looked back to see Kitty turning as white as sheet. I followed her gaze as she looked down to see what she stepped on.

A skull.

A very familiar looking skull. A very human-like skull.

Kitty opened her mouth. I tried to yell to her to stop.

The words never made it out of my mouth. She screamed, and it echoed of the walls of the caves like a high pitched thunder.

Damn it. Now we had trouble. Even worse than they realized. Parts of the caves were groaning.

She clapped her hands over her mouth, but the damage was done. And in my mind I felt…an awareness. A very calculated mind, slowly processing with as little words as possible.

Scream.

Creatures.

Food.

"We have to go. Right now!" I yelled, leaving caution to the wind. "Move! Encroth is awake and he's coming!"

The others heard the urgency and charged for the exit of the cave, somehow managing to get into the groups. Behind me I could almost hear his legs clicking over rocks as he moved over the rocks with ease, drawing closer every second. He was fast. Much too fast. We had to get out.

I squinted my eyes against the light of the exit and charged through, scattering dirt and following Rahne closely. The guards that had been standing at the entrance didn't have a chance before we took them out.

"Everyone go! We only have one chance!" Jean yelled as she flew through the air.

Encroth behind, Soul King's forces ahead…we were in a fix to say the least. But it's too late now.

Far too late.


Anongirl88: I updated, and I know it took me forever, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Asteria: Yeah, but apparently half the time she attracts the very annoying. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

PrincessofWildfire: Yeah, I like the Dahk complex. It seems to be making her more independent. I'm glad you liked Dex's line and everything, and I hope you find something in this chapter noteworthy as well.

Herman shall take the reviews!