Hey everyone! I'm finally back with a new chapter! This is chapter 18, and it's still shocking to me to see how far this story has come. I mean, I was thinking only about ten chapters at first but now it has nearly double that amount! Also, I doubted this story would ever get over 5 follows or favourites, but now we're not even done and it's got 8 favourites and 9 follows. I love you guys, you're all amazing, and thank you all again for showing your support for my story. Also, since I'm going through a rough spot at the moment, knowing that people appreciate my work is really good. So thank you all. I love you guys, gals and non-binary pals!

Anyway, we're now onto chapter 18.

Replies to reviews:

Dyphen: I'm glad you enjoyed that PIXAL part lmao. And yeah, honestly, I'd be getting pretty mad at Claire too. Heck, who wouldn't be at this rate? XD Anyway, yes, I'll see you in this new chapter. And thanks again for all the reviews lol.

Chapter 18

The ninja and their team arrive in the area in ten minutes while PIXAL drops from the air, slowly landing on the pavement. Skylor jumps out of the Earth Driller and follows Zane as he and PIXAL lead the rest of the team towards the area they had seen Steven enter the secret hideout of 'the Traitors', as they have been dubbed since the ninja first heard the prophecy a while back. As they approach the wall at the end of the alleyway, Kai falls into step with Skylor and takes her hand in his, hoping and praying with every part of his being that this wouldn't be the last time that he could do so. Skylor grips his hand tightly as they reach the wall. They all scan the walls nearby for the numpad, finding it and its screen after a few minutes. Skylor steps forward and types in the four-digit code, 5824. The ground shakes slightly as a small circular hole opens in the ground. Skylor stands at the mouth of the hole before gently lowering herself in. Kai tries to protest, but Skylor hushes him and descends into the gap in the ground. Kai, Zane, PIXAL, Lloyd, Cole, Nya and a terrified Jay soon follow her lead, climbing down the ladder in the hole as the ground closes behind them. Jay nearly screams as the team is plunged into darkness, and even Nya's soothing words aren't enough to calm him down at first. Skylor's foot taps against the bottom of the hole, and she uses Kai's power to light up her hand, giving them all some light. Kai soon mimics her, and even Lloyd sparks up a green flame on his hand, bathing the ground and walls in an eerie lime glow.

"So this is where your younger, adopted, evil sister hangs out with her friends." Kai says in a low tone to Skylor, who nods in response. "Not really what I would expect at first."

"Yeah," Skylor replies, still peering intensely at the thick shadows ahead, trying her hardest to make out any walls, doors or other obstacles in their path. "but then you remember who my father was and it's not so much of a shock." Skylor hears a few chuckles being stifled, and Jay has to have Nya slap her hand against his mouth to stop his laughter from echoing down the underground passage. Skylor holds her breath as they approach a large opening in the passageway, and she tiptoes through it to find herself looking down at a giant, bright room in the ground. She extinguishes the fire on her hand and creeps around the rim of the colossal pit. There is a ladder near the entrance, and Lloyd leads the team down. They try to remain in the shadows of the room. The ninja and team examine the room and those in it, though no faces can be recognised.

The room is carved unevenly into the floor and is rather round in shape. The floor is bumpy, rising and falling in random places. The walls are about 50 feet high, stretching up towards the ceiling, which resembles a large earthen dome above their heads. The sheer height of the room gives Skylor chills, and she can hear Jay start to breathe heavily behind her. She also hears Nya's quiet voice, trying to calm him down from his anxiety high. Unsure about whether she is successful or not, Skylor continues around the circumference of the large hole in the ground, still scanning the faces of the many people.

There are men, women and even a few kids in the hole, moving about hastily, keeping their heads down or their gazes straight ahead. No one looks to the side, allowing the ninja and team to creep past undetected. The ninja team reach the other side of the pit-room, and stare in shock at other rooms inside the walls. The rooms vary in size, and are piled on top of each other randomly, stretching up for miles towards the lip of the underground crater. There are square holes in each of the mud rooms, allowing what light there is into them. Children can be seen in the rooms of the lower floors, sitting in the dirt, holding small clumps of shaped mud that are moulded to resemble people, bricks, animals and buildings. Each person who inhabits the pit is alone when the ninja team see them, leaving the air empty, silent and cold. Skylor feels a shiver down her spine, and realises just how truly cold the pit is. She looks over her shoulder to see Kai signal to her to step into one of the dirt hallways connecting the rooms. She nods and slips into one as she approaches it. Each member of the team slides in to stop beside her, and they all face Lloyd or Skylor, unsure of who to follow in this situation - Lloyd is the normal leader for the ninja and their team, and has had lots of experience in being so, while Skylor knows the people behind the place they are in now, and quite possibly knows how their minds work. Eventually, Lloyd gestures to Skylor to lead the group, and she nods. She motions to everyone to huddle closer together.

"Okay," she whispers, addressing the entire group at once as she grabs a random stick in the dirt, "we're here." She starts to sketch out a rough plan of their surroundings, and explains the plan to them. Within ten minutes, everyone knows what they're doing and how to do it. Each person nods their agreement to the plan and they split into their pairs. Skylor and Kai remain in the tunnel as the rest of their team leaves. Jay and Nya turn left and head into another of the several tunnels connecting the rooms, disappearing from sight within seconds. Meanwhile, Lloyd and Cole leave to the right, heading for more of the mud rooms. They too vanish quickly. Zane and PIXAL leave the tunnel and head back into the main body of the pit before skirting around the edge of it, aiming for the ladder back up to the top. From there, they will scout out any danger, provide cover in case the team is discovered, or alert everyone else to Steven's presence should they see him.

Everyone else is in place. Now let's go.

Skylor turns and leads Kai deeper into the passageway, hardly daring to breathe. Their footsteps echo off the walls. Time to find Steven and put an end to this madness.

A/N: well, here it is at last. Everyone, I am so sincerely sorry for the long time between this chapter and the previous one. I've had massive writer's block for this story recently, and I've been worrying about whether I'd be able to actually get this story where I want it to go. Not to mention I'm going back into school on Wednesday, and I'm busy tomorrow, so it looks like I'm not getting any sleep before my first day back /

Anyway, I will try my best to get this story out again, not to mention We Aren't Heroes and a new chaptered story I've started writing. That story will, surprise surprise, also be about Skylor, and will be called Security Footage if this site lets me have that. Either way, it'll be on my account soon, I hope, so keep an eye out for that if you like my work so far.

Honestly, this story has come so far, and I just want to thank you all for that. You are all incredible, and I love you all so much for all your support of my stuff so far. So thank you all again so much. I realise that all I seem to do now is thank you all and apologise for late updates XD

Oh well, see you all soon (hopefully). Well, all of you except Sleep. I probably won't be seeing that for a while... hey ho.

See you all later, guys, gals and non-binary pals, peace out!

-LunaPikazard.