Usual disclaimers – we don't own anything except the exceptions stated in earlier chapters.

The Whirlpool

When they emerged from the other side of the fire, they were amazed by what they saw. Water covered the ground area. There were, like before, two passages.

"Guess we'll be splitting up already," said Alex, and there was a considerable amount of relief in his voice.

"Oh, what a shame," muttered Lightning under her breath. Unfortunately for her, Val heard.

"What, you want us to stay together?" he said

"Shut up Val," she hissed.

Val looked insulted, "I was only asking."

"Asking about what?" Endlaithwen said only catching the end of the conversation, "Fit guys?"

"Wha-?" Val began but a glare from everyone else stopped him.

"Alex is right," Powell said, "We'll take the right one, you can take the other."

"Why can't we take the right?" asked Lightning suspiciously. Sadly it was too late. Vorsie, Legolas and Rebs had all started making their way down the right passage. "Fine, we'll take the right."

Powell smiled at his victory. "Good, see you 'round then," he said, quite chirpily.

Lightning sighed. She had wanted to call Vorsie back, but she was too far away. Lara was also slightly angry with her.

"Well," said Lara quietly. "Get ready." Lightning smiled.

"I think that we shouldn't have brought Vorsie, look at all the bad luck she has given us!"

"I told you that! You didn't believe me!" said Lara, watching Powell walking off into the distance.

"He sent us down the wrong passage, you must realize." Lara nodded.

"Come on you lot." It was Vorsie. After she had trotted off without the rest, she had realized that they weren't following her. Everyone ignored her.

"We should send someone after them, as a spy, almost." Suggested James.

"Fine, off you go then," said Phoenix.

"No, not James. We need someone who could get away quickly." Rebs offered to do this.

"NO, I think that Nightcrawler would be the best at it." Said Lightning. Like she had expected, he wasn't listening, occupying himself with James' watch for the 50th time.

"NIGHTCRAWLER!" shouted Lightning to get his attention. He leapt up about 10ft in to the air, fell back down and dropped James' watch on the floor, which promptly blew up as Nightcrawler had triggered the explode mechanism.

"Well, there goes that one," said James with a sigh.

"Nightcrawler, we would like you to go an errand for us," said Lara.

"Oh, great, here it comes," muttered Nightcrawler.

"We want you to go and spy on Powell and his group."

"Why send me? Send Bond, he's an MI6 agent," argued Nightcrawler.

"We need someone who can get away within the blink of an eye," said Lightning.

"Erm, Storm?" Asked Nightcrawler hopefully.

"I'm not in the mood Nighty," said Lightning.

"Okay, okay, I get the picture." He said, walking off sulkily.

"Good, we've got rid of one nuisance," said Lara.

"Mmm, but look at how many we've still got left!" pointed out Lightning.

"Who?" asked Vorsie. Lightning didn't answer, instead she started making her way down the other tunnel, keeping to the areas where the water was shallowest. The others followed, keeping to the path she chose. At the end of the tunnel, they turned left, and walked on. The next turn was also a left, then another left, and another left, and another, and another, and another…

Eventually Vorsie spoke out. "I think we're walking round in circles."

"No, we're not," replied Lara. "If you had used your eyes properly, you should be able to see that each time we turn, the path gets shorter."

"So we walk round for ages, only to find that we've reached a dead end," said Vorsie. "Why didn't we go with Powell instead of wandering off into this one?"

"Because you wandered off in this direction before anyone could stop you, so we had to go this way so that you didn't get yourself into trouble." They walked on for another half hour before Vorsie spoke again.

"Lighty, I've lost my twin daggers." The entire company groaned. They all knew that Vorsie would not go anywhere unless they were found.

"Okay, lets start searching the floor," Lightning sighed. Slowly the group started searching the ground. Suddenly Rebs felt something on the floor, a door handle. She pulled it, and disappeared through the hole that suddenly appeared. The group stared at the place where she had been. Legolas lent down and felt the floor, but there was nothing there.

"Nothing there," he said. "I think we've lost Rebs!" Suddenly Vorsie appeared.

"Found them!" she giggled. "They were in my rucksack! I forgot I put them in there!" She looked around. "Hey, where's Rebs?" The others pointed at the floor. "Ah, oh well, we'll catch up with her later!"

Lara nodded. "She's right. Rebs probably just dropped into a different level. Lets go."

About 2 hours later

About 2 hours later, the group reached a dead end.

"Told you!" sang Vorsie, waving her twin daggers around carelessly, accidentally loping off one of Val's long strands of hair.

"Vorsie!" cried Val exasperated, and leapt onto her, charging her into the wall. Vorsie retaliated by nearly drowning him underwater. The two continued to squabble while anyone who was sensible tried to figure out how to get onto the next level. Correction, Lightning and Lara were trying to figure out how to get onto the next level, ignoring everyone else around them who were either watching the fight or were participating in the fight.

"We should have found out how Rebs got through that trap door," Lightning said quietly.

"Yup, but it would have taken Vorsie too long telling her what to do," added Lara.

"Maybe we should search for a trap door here," added James for the third time.

"No. Shut up." Came the simultaneous answer. James pretty soon gave up, and looked at the two squabbling people on the floor.

"I think it's a lever," said Lightning. "I mean, look around us, there are plenty of nooks for them to be in."

"Yeah, your right, but it will take us ages for us to find the right one."

"Erm…guys?" said Cyclops.

"Not now Cyki, we're trying to figure it out." Came Lara's reply.

"Yes, but…"

"Yes but what?" Lightning spun around, only to see what he was talking at. There, in the middle of the floor, the water was disappearing down a giant hole, in much the same way that water goes down a plughole. Beside it was a bent lever. It seemed that Vorsie and Val weren't so useless after all.

The erm… remainder of the group (which consisted of Lara, Lightning and Cyclops, the rest having fallen in when Vorsie rolled over the lever) climbed slowly into the hole in the ground.

1 1/2 hours ago

Powell's group reached the end of their short walk. It was a dead end. Powell looked sharply at Alex.

"Well Mr West, you're the Tomb Raider, you figure this out."

Worriedly, like a schoolboy who had done something wrong, Alex looked up from the map.

"Shit," he stuttered nervously.

"Shit what?" queried Powell.

"We took the wrong path."

TBC…

R&R

A/N (Vorsie): In order to completely get the joke about Vorsie cutting off Val's hair, you'll have to read the joint fic (Harry Potter & the Aurora Sphere (sci-fi/action/humour)) by Vorserkeien & Valkyrie4, in which the same happens to Elentari but caused by Silver-Raven.