Chaos: 3-page chapter. w00t. Glad people are still liking this...
Flower: What's up with you?
Chaos: I've been on this computer for the last two hours...MY EYES HURT. Not to mention the angsty stories...(sweatdrop) Yes. Anyway...
Kirbs - Effect. S'all about effect. I like to finish on big cliffies, and because they come up often, the chapters are short. (shrug)
NM - Yay for Tails! I like him. He should be in this story more. (ponders)
Spawn - Well, I hope you've got some sleep now otherwise...you'd probably be dead. (sweatdrop) And watch out with that wiffle bat!
Kurama - Aaw, I didn't mean to upset you...oh, ok, maybe I did, but Knux doesn't need to be mean about it! (throws wiffle bat at Knux)
Mitsuka - (thumbs-up) Continuing! Except until we get to the Writer's Block in about ten chapters! (shudder)
Tarem - Yep, yep, I think you mentioned that before. But, go on, say it again! I like to hear it. (grin)
el - Well, this one's longer. Hope s'not too confuzzling.
Tag - I don't know why you think that! I crave reviews! Gimmegimmegimme! If everybody thought that then I wouldn't get any reviews and I'd stop updating...(puppy eyes)...review away!
Kemious - Harry Potter fan? Anyway, hi! (grin) Glad you like this story so much!
Espina - w00t, two reviews!! (squeal) I'm glad you have no critisism. I must be doing something right. (dances)
SD - No, go ahead, I'd like to see it. As for quality over quantity...are you saying my chapters are two short as well? Maybe I SHOULD make them longer...(ponders)
tailslover666 - Yes, I feel bad about that...but luckily I realised in time and Tails' part has a big increase, don'cha worry! In about...ah, god knows...3 chapters? Optimistically. (wink)
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Vector surfaced hurriedly from the depths, and scrambled for the rickety platform, shaking droplets of water everywhere in his hurry. Charmy caught his agitation and shot over to help him, and soon Vector was leaning heavily against the wall, panting.
"Woah, Vec. What's eating you?"
"Fish. Literally. Or they tried to, anyway. They were huge, Charmy! I dunno how they got in here but..." he whistled quietly, "Whatever's in that water's made them REALLY big. They were like sea dragons, all scaly and snaky and huge teeth...ugh!"
Charmy looked at the deceptive water with wide eyes. Hardly a ripple broke the surface. He hovered from side to side nervously, and said, "Let's get back above. This place is starting to give me the creeps."
Vector was glad Charmy had said it and not him. Silently they ran for the upper level.
They had barely reached it when a great clang resounded around the room. Vector jumped so much that he nearly fell, and grabbed the railing in shock. Charmy did a flip in mid-air at the sound.
It was closely followed by shouts. Vector looked over the edge hesitantly and saw a hole where the air-vent had been. Espio and Cream had tumbled straight onto the grille platform in a heap.
They managed to untangle themselves and Cream dusted herself off neatly. Then she looked around, fur on the back of her neck prickling uncomfortably. "What IS this place?" she asked, voice becoming a little higher in her anxiety.
Espio shook some dust from his horn, and muttered, "Trust you to be scared of the dark." Cream folded her arms, hugging herself, and said quietly,
"Well, it was all dark and dusty…and you got us lost."
"I did not!"
"Yes, you did!" Cream had small tears in her eyes, and Espio realised just how scared she must have been…maybe she was claustrophobic? He started to feel guilty; he was used to undercover work…he had expected too much.
Then shouts from above distracted him. He peered upward to see Charmy and Vector peering at them. "Hi guys!" he yelled, waving. They were both motioning, almost frantically. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn they were frightened.
Then their shouts drifted down.
"Esp, watch out!"
"Move it, now!"
Espio exchanged confused looks with Cream. Then something…instinct, maybe, attracted his attention to the surface of the water. It was black and opaque; he could not see more than a hand span into the depths.
Suddenly something swept by beneath the surface, and for a second white sightless eyes were glaring at him balefully, and the tip of a spike of bone swept the surface, creating a small wake.
"Woah!" he cried out, grabbing Cream's arm and pushing her towards the stairs.
"What? What is it?" she cried in panic, not understanding. Then a fish leaped out of the water toward them and Cream screamed. It was long and sleek, scales like chain armour.
Several fingers of bone ran along its back, connected by a thin membrane, giving it a large frill - and its fins were much the same, but the bone fingers joined together into a hard knob on its side. It was dark navy on top, turning lighter to white beneath and on its frills.
As it leaped towards them its mouth opened wide, revealing razor-sharp teeth that were as long as Cream's hand, at least. The overall fish was bigger than Vector. Espio grabbed Cream and threw her at the steps, and she scrambled to safety.
Espio drew out his last shuriken, the others embedded deep in the wiring of the robotizer, and brandished it at the monster. The fish turned in mid-air from the flash of metal, and the shuriken scraped its side, making a long scratch.
The fish let out a chilling screech of pain, and crashed onto the metal walkway, which collapsed under the weight with a squeal of twisting metal. Espio barely had time to draw in a breath before he was sucked under the black surface.
Vector shot down the steps, fear forgotten, and froze on the last step. The entire bottom walkway was dangling underwater from one pole, which had miraculously held, wrenched almost in half.
The water started bubbling madly; almost foaming, and then Espio broke the surface with a gasp, scales bright white with fear. Vector dropped onto his stomach on the last step and grabbed the chameleon's arm, pulling him to safety.
When they reached the top walkway, Espio released his death-grip on Vector's neck and calmed down enough to speak. "It was all dark and cold, and that horrible fish was all twisting round me," he related, breath coming in short gasps, "But then it stopped trying to swallow me and started fighting something else."
"Turns out those fish are cannibals. You know, like sharks. They must've smelt blood on that one, and anyway, they were all trying to tear each other apart, from what I could see. And I couldn't see much. I was caught in the middle of it, and it was…disgusting. I started changing into luminous colours, and it must've scared them a bit, what with it being dark down there...so, they parted and I swam out as fast as I could."
The others listened in horror, and then Charmy said, "Looks like one of them did get you." And pointed to his side, where a large bite had cracked the scales. Espio nodded unheedingly,
"You should've seen the others, Charmy. That one that attacked was TINY!" Vector shuddered uncomfortably, and muttered,
"Let's get outta here. This place gives me the creeps." On the way out, Charmy grinned suddenly and said,
"Heh…looks like Mighty's missing out again. You remember the look on his face when he found out he missed the entire adventure against Metal Sonic, because he volunteered to look after the Master Emerald for a while?" The others laughed at the memory, but the atmosphere wasn't truly relaxed until they were out in the corridor again.
Behind them, Cream dragged her feet. "I wish Cheese was here." She mumbled, thinking of her chao in the house at home, probably wondering where she'd gone.