Charmed -:- Labyrinth

Author's Note(s):

Super thanks as always to my reviewers! Adorereading, nope, I haven't read the Maze Runner, though now I may have to :P My main influence behind this fic is the fourth Percy Jackson book (called The Battle of the Labyrinth... hmmm...) CharmedOpal, glad you liked Olly's cameo lol, and thanks for the suggestion I've got ideas along those lines, and a bit of musophobia makes its way into this chap as well! And to lizardmomma - hope the journey stays interesting :P

Enjoy!

Chapter Five
-:-
BART

The new passageway that they found themselves in was circular in shape, like the inside of a straw that had been squished at the bottom to give them a thin, flat floor to walk on. It was significantly more modern than anything that they had seen before in the weird place; made up of dark grey bricks and lit by flickering florescent tube lights every few hundred yards. They sloshed through the shallow water that came to just above their ankles, the coolness welcome after so long in the desert heat.

"Is this feeling like a sewer to anyone else?" Ashleigh asked as she wrinkled her nose when Caleb accidently splashed the back of her legs, the water getting inside her boots and making her socks all squelchy.

"It doesn't smell like a sewer," Kirk shrugged from behind Caleb. The flat part of the tunnel was only just wide enough for them to walk in single file; Wyatt as always at the front with James and Hayden bringing up the rear.

"That's a small mercy," Ashleigh replied. She stumbled a little on the uneven ground, grabbing the back of Chris's shirt to keep herself upright. He turned slightly to check on her and she smiled apologetically at him. She still hadn't gotten round to thanking him for saving her from the wolves earlier, though after her hairspray stunt she figured that they were probably even by now.

"So…" Kirk began. "What do you reckon lives down here then? Rats? Snakes? Spiders? Giant mutant snake-rat-spider things…?"

"It better not be rats," Hayden shuddered. She lengthened her pace a little to make her closer to Kirk, though if he noticed the movement he didn't show it. "I don't like rats."

"Really?" Ashleigh asked. "I think they're cute."

Hayden shook her head vehemently even though the other girl couldn't see her. "Uh-uh. They're big and furry with sharp teeth and claws and they squeak and they have freaky tails and they smell funny. They're almost as bad as bats!"

"Oooh… bats…" Kirk chuckled. "I hadn't thought of those. Maybe they've got some of them down here too."

Hayden smacked him on the back. "Don't say that! I'm freaking out enough about the rats!"

"Don't worry, there aren't any rats down here," Chris said reassuringly. Wyatt recognised the slight sarcasm in his brother's tone and turned to give him a warning glare.

"How do you know?" Hayden asked tentatively.

Chris grinned. "Because they would have eaten us alive by now."

Hayden let out a small, frightened squeal that made Kirk pay attention. He smiled warmly at her in the low light and offered her his hand which she gladly took. Still walking behind him, she was thankful that he couldn't see the rosy colour her cheeks had surely gone. Wyatt cuffed his little brother round the head and rolled his eyes. "Don't be a wind-up, Chris. That's Jay's job."

James cocked his head at the mention of his name, but didn't comment. This made Wyatt furrow his brow as he craned his neck to get a look at his teammate at the back of the line. "Are you alright, Jay? You're strangely… quiet."

"Uh, yeah," James answered. "I'm okay."

Wyatt gave him a look that said that he clearly didn't believe him, but before he could question the issue further, the ground began to shake.

"What is it with this place and earthquakes?" Chris muttered, barely audible above the sound of the tremor. The rumbling was then followed by a mechanical rhythmic chugging and a horrible squealing sound. Up ahead the tunnel was broken by a T-junction, the circular opening suddenly lit up with the flashing of passing lights that made them all squint painfully. Once it had passed, Chris blinked away the echoes of light that stained his sight. "Was that a train?"

"I think it was…" Wyatt agreed, cautiously moving forward again, the rest of the group following behind. At the edge of the tunnel that bisected the other, he came to a stop, leaning out and looking both ways. When another train didn't immediately appear and take his head off, he stepped out and onto the track. "Careful."

The new tunnel was significantly bigger than the one they had vacated, wide enough to fit two trains side by side. The rails were about three metres apart, with a third rail in the middle of the two tracks that hummed a little. A cool breeze blew through from behind them, as if to shuffle them along in the right direction. By now the teens had learnt that there really was only one way to go, and so followed behind where the train had vanished earlier.

Once again the ground began to rumble, making the teens come to a panicked stop. Chris looked down at the tracks, noticing that it was the rails beside them that were vibrating. He pushed Ashleigh back, gesturing for the others to follow suit. "It's coming from the other way!"

The seven of them pressed against the wall as a bright headlights bathed them all in yellow. The grinding of the wheels and the screaming of the brakes was deafeningly loud this close to the passing train, forcing them to press their hands over their ears in a vain attempt to block it out. The force of the updraft created by the speed of the train buffeted them mercilessly.

"Holy crap…" Kirk muttered as he blinked grit from his eyes once the train had finally passed. He realised that his hands were shaking, even the one that was caught in Hayden's white-knuckled grip. "Let's not do that again…"

"Agreed," Ashleigh nodded. She then looked down to find that she was clinging to Chris's arm. He glanced down as well, and she immediately let go, trying to recover some of her aloof attitude. He looked a little disappointed, but Ashleigh turned away before he could say anything. "Let's find a way off the tracks."

Wyatt got them moving again, his pace a lot faster than before, all of them eager to avoid another meeting with a high speed train. Maybe five minutes later, the dull glow of the florescent lights was drowned by the overhead bulbs of an underground station. The teens practically ran the last fifty yards, clambering up the concrete ledge just as the ground began to shake again. They were all on the platform just as another train thundered by.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, the witches staggered to their feet. It had been such a long day – walking through endless tunnels, battling wolves, crossing deserts – it was a miracle they were still going. Kirk looked around the station until his hungry eyes settled on a neon vending machine. "Anyone got any change?"

"Sure," Hayden dug her purse out of her shoulder bag and handed it over. "Knock yourself out."

As she and Kirk investigated the goodies on offer, Chris and Wyatt scouted out the station. It was pretty average really. The floor was just a carpet of concrete, only interrupted by a smattering of black tiles along the platform edge that indicated where the train doors would be. Metal benches were spaced evenly along the length of the platform, looking inviting to their exhausted bodies. What caught Chris's attention though, was the massive painted letters on the wall the far side of the tunnel.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO

"Wy…" Chris said to get his brother's attention, and then gestured at the sign. "We're practically home."

Wyatt stared at the peeling white paint for nearly a whole minute, as if he couldn't trust his own eyes. Then he suddenly spun on his heel and marched down the passenger tunnel that led up and into the main station. He skidded to stop. "Damnnit!"

Chris followed close behind, feeling his brief hope vanish with his brother's. There was no exit. Where the archway should have been there was a solid brick wall, a spray-painted smiley face grinning down at them smugly. "This isn't the real station," Chris realised dejectedly. "It's just another part of this freaking maze."

Away from the others, Wyatt allowed himself to show his true exhaustion. "We can't keep going like this. How much more can this place throw at us? What's next, huh? We need a way out, and we needed it three weird dimensions ago."

Chris sighed and sank back against the wall, his hand absently rubbing at the gash on his arm. It had stopped bleeding in the desert, but he could feel the dirt caked in the wound. He knew it would get infected if he didn't take the time to clean it, but he was hoping they would be home free and Wyatt could heal him before it went septic. Though the way things were going, that didn't seem likely.

"When is this going to end?" Wyatt continued, letting out his frustration. "We don't even know who is behind this – if there even is anyone behind it! There's no one to fight or bargain with just these stupid puzzles!"

"We'll find a way out, Wy," Chris said reassuringly. It might have seemed weird that younger brother was the support for older, but ever since the brothers had been small they had settled into a dynamic that worked. Wyatt had always been under such pressure because of his title, and Chris had always just been there whenever things got tough. They relied on each other, maybe more so than they should. "We just got to stick together, and we'll get out of this."

"I love your confidence," Wyatt replied wryly. "Where can I get some?"

"I'm just naturally awesome." Chris grinned.

"Err… guys!" came Kirk's call from the platform. The two brothers shared a look, Wyatt automatically switching back into collected leader mode. The screech of a train's brakes reached them down the pedestrian tunnel. "You should come see this!"

They stepped back out onto the platform just as a train came to a stop at the station. It was old-looking, worn from decades of abuse. Several of its windows were cracked, some non-existent, and the outside of the carriages were coated in layers of graffiti. It creaked like an elderly person who had seen better days as it shuddered to a halt; doors opening with a reluctant squeal that made the teens wince.

All the lights were off, aside from the one carriage directly in front of them that flickered like a bug zapper.

"I am not getting on that thing," Ashleigh declared adamantly. The train made a despondent whining noise as if hurt by her words. She turned to Wyatt with an exasperated expression. "Tell me there's another way out."

Wyatt shook his head. "The exit's bricked up."

"I hate this place." Ashleigh rolled her eyes in irritation. She then shouted up at the ceiling, looking very much like Piper Halliwell when she yelled for one of her sons to come home when they were late. "So what's the alternative, huh? We don't get on the train and then what? The station floods? A plague of locusts? What?!"

Every single bulb above the platform exploded, showering them in glass. The only lights left on came from the train car.

"I think you pissed him off!" Kirk snapped as he squinted in the sudden darkness, looking around nervously for the inevitable monster that would start chasing them any second.

"Pissed who off?!" Ashleigh retorted, her patience clearly exhausted, before turning back to the ceiling. "Come on! Show yourself! Or you scared I'm gonna kick your ass?!"

A cold wind blasted them indignantly, followed briskly by the chattering of many, many tiny feet.

"I think we should get on the train now…" Caleb suggested as they backed up so that they huddled close together, surrounding Ashleigh who just crossed her arms defiantly.

"No!" she stubbornly refused. "I am not playing anymore stupid games!"

"Rats!" Hayden squeaked in fear as thousands of black fur balls flooded the platform. With the rodents nipping at her heels, she grabbed a hold of Kirk's arm and practically dragged him to the train. Once inside she climbed up onto a threadbare seat and clung onto a pole as Kirk dissuaded the rats from boarding with a fire extinguisher from beside the door.

"Go!" Wyatt instructed Caleb and James, who quickly ran to join Kirk in defending the train. That just left the brothers and Ashleigh, who was still refusing to move even as Chris kicked at the rats trying to climb up her boots. "Come on, Ash! We gotta go!"

"Then what?!" she yelled at him. "Another puzzle? More creatures? Maybe some more indie pop? What's the point?!"

The writhing carpet of rats just got thicker and louder as they seemed to pour from every hole and crevice as if a pied piper on steroids was calling them. Chris yelped as a particularly hungry rat sunk its teeth through his jeans, and he leaned down to swipe it off. "There's a way out, trust me! And if there's not, I'm sure there are better ways to go than being eaten alive by rats!"

Ashleigh gave him an unconvinced look. "You're saying we should go find a better way to die? That's a convincing argument!"

"I'm saying get on the damn train!" Chris ordered.

"Or what?!"

"This!" Wyatt answered as he picked Ashleigh up and threw her over his shoulder. She screamed at him to put her down, hammering at his back as he ran the few yards to the open train door and jumped the gap. Chris followed close on his heels, slamming the door release as he crossed the threshold.

Caleb and James shooed the handful of rodents that had made it into the car out of the closing gap as Wyatt dropped Ashleigh unceremoniously onto the seat next to where Hayden was huddling. The train pulled out of the station with a strained squeal, its destination anyone's guess. The blonde witch glared up at Wyatt and scowled.

"You're welcome," Wyatt retorted before turning to the others. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah," Kirk replied. He then looked up at Hayden who still hadn't relinquished her grip on the pole. "You can come down now, you know. The rats are all gone."

"Are you sure?" Hayden asked tentatively, her big brown eyes scouring the floor for more of the rodents. Kirk just smiled up at her and offered her a hand. With a deep breath, she took it, an apologetic expression on her face. "Sorry… that was a bit pathetic of me, wasn't it?"

Kirk shook his head. "Nah, it's alright. You did warn us that you didn't like rats."

"Nice work," Caleb said to James, the pair of them leaning against the back of the seats on opposite sides of the door. James looked up, confused. "With the rats… booting them off the train…?"

"Oh," James replied awkwardly. "Err… you too."

Caleb furrowed his brow as he studied the bulkier teen. "Okay, I know we don't always get along, what with you being a jerk and me being half-demon and all that, but is something wrong? You're being very… not you."

"Uh…"

Something thudded against the side of the train, nearly rocking it off the tracks and sending the teens inside flying. As the carriage pounded back down with an awful scream of rusted wheels, a dark shape passed by the windows.

"What the hell was that!?" Kirk asked from his place on the floor where he had become a soft landing for Hayden.

"Giant rat?" Ashleigh sarcastically suggested, still grumpy over her forced retreat. Wyatt gave her a warning look as he climbed to his feet and tried to see out the window, Caleb coming over to join him. The train, that hadn't been moving particularly fast before, slowed down to a sluggish crawl.

"Do you see anything?" the half-Manticore asked as he squinted into the darkness. His tongue flickered between his teeth, tasting the air. Whatever was out there was making his instincts scream out in warning, twisting his stomach in knots. It kinda felt like that one time when he had met a relative from his mother's side – an altercation that had not ended well…

Wyatt shook his head. "I think it's gone…"

Ashleigh snorted. "We should be so lucky."

"Ash…" Wyatt cautioned, turning away from the broken glass of the window pane. "I'm sorry I didn't let you get eaten by the rats, alright? Now can you please stop it with the attitude?"

Ashleigh harrumphed, but didn't promise anything.

The strip lights in the ceiling of the carriage wavered violently, going out for a few seconds before stuttering back to life. Caleb looked up at them, narrowing his eyes as he thought he caught a flicker of movement. He stepped away from the window, coming to stand underneath as he studied the lights. A long, thin shadow crawled along the cover of the fluorescent light, quickly joined by another. And another.

"Oh… crap…" Caleb murmured. "Snakes."

"What?" James asked, looking up at where Caleb pointed. "Oh crap."

The lights flickered again, followed by several crack sounds as the plastic screens broke. And then it was raining snakes.

"Oh yeah," Ashleigh said sardonically. "This is soooo much better."

Teehee, I am so evil to my characters :P I wonder how they'll get out of this one? (No really, I do… halfway through this chap my muse started deviating from the plot planning I had done – who knows what's gonna happen next chap!?)

A/N: I have never been to San Francisco, my knowledge of it comes completely from the establishing shots in the show and Wikipedia – as such I have never been to South San Francisco station and have no idea what it is like. My description is taken from my experience of the London Underground, which was the original setting before I decided to make it more familiar for the brothers. I apologise to any San Francisco locals who may be reading this fic and wondering what the frick I'm talking about!