Charmed -:- Labyrinth

Author's Note(s):

Thanks to CharmedOpal, Guest and Xander for leaving a comment last chap! I apologise for the update delay compared to the previous chapters - I just got really busy and then when I could find the time to write, this chapter refused point blank to be written! And then today when I sat down, worried this fic was dead, it all just flowed really easy - its funny how it goes like that :P

After the U-turn my muse took last chapter I have had to rework quite a big chunk of the plot, which has actually turned out to be a good thing. Now I've got the opportunity to give my characters a chance to shine, particularly Caleb and Hayden, the quiet ones (not so quiet anymore you'll find...). The brothers get the entire rest of the fic, starting next chap, to be their usual awesome selves so don't worry about that!

But I'm really gonna stop rambling now. Enjoy!

Chapter Six
-:-
Snakes on a Train

The train picked up speed as it hit a downhill section of track, the carriage rattling and shaking as it dispensed snakes from the ceiling. They were only small, but they were numerous, hissing and spitting as they landed on the teens. The broken lights flickered in and out of life like nightclub strobe lights, making the whole thing even more disorientating.

"Holy shit!" James yelled as he frantically brushed the reptiles off himself and danced out from under the main torrent of snakes that poured from the light fittings. A particularly sly one disappeared under his shirt, its scales tickling his skin as he tried to get rid of it.

The others weren't fairing much better as they pressed back against the walls and gripped the poles to keep them steady as the rickety train sped along. Eventually the snake waterfall finally slowed and ceased, though now the floor of the carriage was a writhing mass of brightly coloured serpents. Hayden jumped back up onto her seat, kicking the snakes that were trying to claim it as their own onto the floor with the others. She shivered as she double checked that none of them had hitchhiked in her clothes or hair.

"Are they poisonous?!" Kirk asked as he backed up and climbed onto a bench as well. One of the snakes curled up in an s-shape, hissing as it rose and bared its fangs. The witch barely dodged its strike as he swung his legs up and into a crouch on the threadbare fabric seat.

"I really hope not," Chris replied through clenched teeth from his own perch, a hand clamped around his shin where blood was oozing through his jeans. The train suddenly took a tight turn a little too fast, the carriage veering dangerously, trying it's best to upend the teens into the snake pit. At Wyatt's worried look, Chris tried to make his pained grimace look a little more reassuring. "I'm alright, I think."

Caleb nodded. "Most of them aren't. They're mainly corn and grass snakes. Harmless, really."

"I find the fact that you said 'most of them' very disconcerting," Kirk retorted, edging further and further away from the edge of his seat. The train shook violently, throwing him back into the cracked window pane. "Ow."

"Can you get to the door?" Chris asked Ashleigh who was the closest to the next carriage.

A loud hiss and the angry sound of a rattle answered for her. "Erm… There's kind of a really pissed off rattler between me and the door. So I'm gonna say no."

"Great," Kirk deadpanned. "Now what?"

The train rocked fiercely, the large black shape once again smashing into the side of the speeding train. The impact threw Caleb from his place of relative safety right into the middle of the snakes. Instantly they all converged on him, hissing joyously.

"Caleb!" Ashleigh yelled, leaning forward to help but knowing she was too far away. The rattle snake launched itself at her but it got nothing but a mouthful of stuffing as it fell short and sank its fangs into the seat. She climbed onto her feet, grabbing a hold of an overhead pole for support, and booted the rattler back into the mass. "Caleb!"

Caleb climbed onto his hands and knees as he tried to avoid as many of the snakes as he could. He yelped as he felt several sets of fangs sink into his skin. And then he was being hauled up by his jacket and dragged back onto high ground. He shook from the adrenaline and fear as he turned to give his rescuer a grateful look. James just shrugged. "That makes us even."

Thud.

The train veered again, the overhead lights finally giving up and plunging them into darkness. The squealing of the train as it thundered along the tracks at full speed was drowned out by the pained creaking of metal under pressure. The faint glow of the emergency lights cast everything in an eerie green, making the snake carpet even creepier looking.

The creaking got louder and louder as if something was getting closer until finally it was right on top of them. As if the train was as malleable as an aluminium can, the roof buckled from the weight of the dark shape that had chased their runaway train through the tunnels. The floor to ceiling poles bent like toothpicks, making Hayden scream as she staggered back, nearly losing her balance and falling into the snake pit.

The snakes hissed eagerly as their prey got closer.

And then came a slightly different hissing sound. Kirk looked up curiously, squinting in the low light as he tried to make out the source of the fizzing noise. A dark line etched along the disfigured ceiling from the left of the car to the right, the metal bubbling as if it were melting. A single drip fell onto the metal bar between the seats on which he and Hayden were taking shelter, the metal sizzling on contact.

"Hayden!" Kirk yelled as the drops got more frequent, raining down dangerously close to them. With an ungraceful shove, he pushed her off of her seat just as the acid began pouring down where she was sitting. He wasn't quick enough to save himself though, the caustic liquid splashing on the back of his hand and forearm. "AAGHHHH!"

"Kirk?!" Hayden yelped as she hit the next seat over and swivelled round at his pain-filled yell. She caught sight of smoking red skin as the smell of burned flesh filled her nostrils. "Oh god! KIRK!"

James leapt from his side of the train to Kirk's, grabbing the smaller teen under the arms and pulling him back and away from cascading acid. Kirk continued to groan, his face scrunched up as he could focus on nothing other than the pain. Hayden leaned forward, every instinct telling her to go to his side, but there was no way past. Ashleigh clambered over a few seats and hooked her arms around her, hugging her and keeping her from doing anything stupid.

"Is he alright?" Wyatt shouted to be heard over the racket of the disintegrating train.

Before anyone could answer however, the acid sliced through the carriage like a hot knife through butter, the two halves pulling apart and dispelling some of the snakes onto the exposed tracks and under the wheels. Above them the dark shadow slithered over the gap and disappeared from sight.

James, the only one left that was completely mobile in that half of the carriage, propped Kirk on the bench closest to the door, and then scrambled over the seats like a game of leap frog, heading towards Caleb who was perilously close to the edge. He had just reached the half-demon, hanging over the back of his seat and grabbing his jacket, when their half of the train came to abrupt halt.

Brakes screamed like snails on a barbecue, the force of the sudden stop nearly throwing the two teens onto the tracks. The metal bar dug into James ribs as he braced himself and held onto Caleb, but it was better than the alternative. The snakes were not so lucky. The majority of them were thrown overboard in a chorus of indignant hissing, the remaining few slithering to safety.

James and Caleb watched as the other half of the train, carrying their friends, continued at high speed until it vanished from sight.

Then their half jolted sluggishly, reluctant wheels turning and carrying them even further away in the wrong direction.

Back on the runaway train, Hayden slouched back against Ashleigh and sobbed. Hopelessness built in her chest as she realised she may never see her best friend again, the tears falling without her even realising. She and Kirk had always been together, her father always used to joke that they were joined at the hip – inseparable. And now he was gone, injured having saved her life. She wholly agreed with the blonde witch that was trying to soothe her. "I hate this place."

In the silence that followed as the four of them watched the others disappear, it was easy to think that things couldn't possibly get worse. But if there was one thing that this maze strove to teach them, it was that things can always get worse.

The dark shadow that had been catching a ride on the roof of the subway car chose that moment to get off, the weight of it knocking the damaged car completely off the rails. Metal sparked as the wheels grinded along the wrong side of the tracks, the friction and speed of the train separating the wheels from their axels. The floor suddenly sloped, turning the carriage into a slide that evicted all the snakes in one fell swoop. The burned edges of the severed car scraped along the ground with a horrific squealing noise.

"AAAAAAAGGHHH!" Hayden and Ashleigh screamed in sync as they struggled to hold on while the train did its best to spill them onto the tracks.

"Get the door!" Wyatt yelled at Chris as he climbed over to where the girls were clinging on. Chris did as he was told, ignoring the bite that was still bleeding as he used the seat backs to pull him higher into the car. Once there he yanked on the emergency handle, the door begrudgingly opening with a sigh.

Wyatt reached the girls, grabbing each of them by the arm and bracing himself with his legs as he dragged them away from the edge. Between them all they just about managed the hike up to the back of the car where Chris holding the door open.

"Go! Go!" Wyatt instructed as he shoved Ashleigh and Hayden through the door and into the small compartment between the carriages. They wrenched open the next door and stumbled into the subsequent darkened car. Before Chris and Wyatt could follow however, both doors closed with a snap, trapping the brothers in the dilapidated car. "Damnnit!"

Chris tried the emergency handle again, but this time the door refused point blank to budge. Wyatt joined in, but they both realised that it wasn't going to work. They could do nothing but watch as their carriage was decoupled from the train, the girls banging frantically on their window as they tried to reach them.

Now free of its coupling, their carriage no longer sloped. Now it shook uncontrollably, rocking dangerously on its remaining wheels that jumped the tracks. The rest of the train departed down the rails that veered to the left as the remains of their battered car careened aimlessly down the right hand tunnel.

The carriage hit something that freed it completely from the tracks and sent it skittering sideways, the half-length car small enough to roll widthways down the tunnel like a barrel over Niagara. Inside the boys held on for dear life as they were thrown into a free fall, the floor and ceiling switching places so often that there was no point trying to figure out which way was up.

"Wo-agh!" Chris yelled as his grip was torn from the pole and he found himself airborne. He flailed as he tried to save himself, but he didn't stand a chance.

"Gah!" Wyatt grunted as he grabbed a hold of Chris's arm, his other arm hooked around the metal bar along the top of a seat. He felt his shoulder pop from his socket, the pain made worse by his brother stretching his arm, but he refused to let go. Anchored, Chris was able to better brace himself with his legs on seat backs, but the two of them kept their grip on each other like lifelines.

After what seemed like an eternity, the carriage seemed to be beginning to slow. But it didn't get a chance to stop of its own accord. The tunnel curved tighter than the carriage could, the walls providing the ultimate brakes.

Chris heard the smashing of glass and the creaking of twisting metal. And then everything went dark.

"Are you alright?"

Caleb opened one eye to look up at James who was sitting opposite him. He had been bitten by about six snakes, at least two of which he knew to have been poisonous, Kirk had serious burns all up one arm, and they were completely separated from the others, trapped on a train that they had no idea of where it was going. He wanted to ask what part of that was 'alright', but instead he just sighed. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"What about the snake bites?" James asked, sounding to the half-demon that he might actually be the slightest bit concerned about him. It was amazing what a series of near death experiences could do to a person. "Were any of them poisonous?"

Caleb nodded, and then shrugged at James shocked expression. "Don't worry, my demon half is good for something." He pushed up the sleeve of his jacket to show James one of the bites. A thin layer of scales covered the wound, the snake venom oozing out of the two swollen holes. "Manticores are immune to most natural poisons. We just reject it."

"Huh," James grunted. "Didn't know that."

"Yeah, well," Caleb shrugged. "I don't exactly like to flaunt my demon side. Especially not to you."

James averted his gaze at that, suddenly finding the snake-free floor of the half-length carriage fascinating.

"How comes that works?" Kirk asked, his voice quiet and strained as if he were trying very hard not to scream. He cradled his burnt arm to his chest as he curled up in the corner where James had left him, not able to bring himself to move. "That's a power… right? Our powers don't work here."

"Maybe because it's a passive power?" Caleb guessed. Truthfully, he had no idea, but he was just glad it did. "Or maybe because it's a genetic trait rather than an actual ability? Who knows? When we find the Big Bad maybe I'll ask him."

Kirk smirked at that, but the gesture quickly turned into a wince as he groaned through clenched teeth. He looked ghostly pale in the green glow of the emergency lights, and every now and again he would shiver violently. "Freaking hell this hurts."

Caleb climbed to his feet, ignoring the vertigo brought on from the sudden movement. While he was immune to the venom, his body still required rest as it recuperated. But he also knew he wasn't the worst injured there, so he staggered over to Kirk and dropped into the seat next to him. "Let me have a look."

Kirk looked up at him apprehensively, the way he hugged his arm making him look like a petulant toddler that didn't want to share his teddy bear.

"You ever heard of the Field Medicine class at school?" Caleb asked. Both Kirk and James shook their heads. "That's because most witches get Whitelighters so they don't need to know basic medicine. But half-demons? We don't get them. So Wy's dad came up with a new class just for me and a couple others that aren't on the Elder's list. Basically, I know what I'm doing. Now show me your arm."

"You have a wonderful bedside manner," Kirk deadpanned. He then very reluctantly withdrew his arm from his chest and held it out for inspection. He was very thankful that Caleb didn't feel the need to actually touch the wound; it hurt enough as it was without being poked and prodded.

After a few moments, Caleb frowned. "It needs cleaning. Like ten minutes ago. Anyone got any water?"

James shook his head. "We drank it all in the desert."

"Great," Caleb sighed. "Let's hope this train is going somewhere with a tap."

As if in response to his request, the train began to slow down, the brakes screeching loudly in the open air car. They rolled casually into the station, the strip lights blindingly bright after so long in near darkness. James helped Kirk to his feet, hunching slightly so that the smaller teen could get his arm across his shoulders. Caleb manhandled the doors open, not wanting to try and jump from the wrecked back end onto the platform.

The new station looked almost exactly like the one before, except it had a slightly shorter platform and the words SAN BRUNO were painted on the tunnel wall.

They stumbled onto the concrete, the ground feeling reassuringly solid after the rollercoaster ride on the train. James half-dragged Kirk over to one of the benches and set him down before turning to Caleb. "There's bottled water in that vending machine. Will that work?"

"Yeah," Caleb nodded as he fed his lunch money into the machine. He bought several bottles that dispensed with a series of loud thuds that echoed in the cavernous space. He then joined the others and knelt down in front of the bench. "I'm not gonna lie. This is gonna hurt."

Kirk nodded, trying to look stoic as he practically hyperventilated in anticipation of what was to come. James braced his injured arm and gripped his shoulder to stop him from thrashing. As Caleb unscrewed a couple of the bottle caps, Kirk muttered through his gritted teeth. "This is so surreal."

"Well, duh. We're in a weird dimension where woods sprout from nowhere, Ancient Egyptians sing indie pop and trains are populated by snakes," Caleb pointed out as he looked through his bag for the first aid kit he'd taken to carrying around with him. "What's not surreal about that?"

Kirk shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I mean this. You, James, helping me. It's weird."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caleb asked. "You expected us to just leave you?"

"No," Kirk shuddered as he eyed up the bottle of water Caleb was holding at the ready. "It's just that… well, you're the Twice Blessed's best friend, and you're the pure embodiment of a high school jock. We're not even meant to talk beyond sarcasm and general insults. It's… AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!"

As the water touched the scorched skin his whole arm stung like a swarm of angry wasps had decided to take out their vengeance on him. After the initial shock, Kirk tried valiantly to bite off his scream, dissolving into low mumbled groan deep in his throat.

"You were saying?" Caleb asked innocently once he was done.

"Son. Of. A. Bitch," Kirk growled out. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Thanks for the warning."

Caleb grinned. "You're welcome."

As they let Kirk recover, the three of them lapsed into silence for a while. They all sat in a row on the bench like a group of old ladies waiting for a bus. The train they arrived on stood idle at the platform still, though now it was completely silent as if it had just given up the ghost and died. They clearly weren't leaving that way.

James eventually broke the silence. "So, what comes next, do you reckon?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Hayden asked after a moment, refusing to look up from her knees that were drawn to her chest. She sat curled on the chair to the left of the door that used to lead to the damaged carriage. Opposite her, Ashleigh sat with her head leant back against the window as she stared up at the dead ceiling lights, her blonde hair green in the low light.

Ashleigh sighed despondently. "For back at the train station, when I lost it. Maybe if I hadn't of yelled, if I had just done as we were told, maybe it wouldn't have happened this way."

Hayden just stared at her kneecaps, blinking the last of the tears from her eyelashes.

"I just broke, I'm so sorry," Ashleigh repeated. "It's just the way I am. Stubborn, reckless, serious problems with authority figures. Being made to jump through all those hoops without knowing why, or even who for? It just got to me. I know it was immature, and stupid, but I couldn't help it. I'm really sorry, Hayden."

"Why are you apologising to me?" Hayden wondered as she finally looked up. "Because I'm the last one left? Because I cried? Because you think I'm just going to forgive you?"

Ashleigh blinked at the outburst, and then shook her head. "Because of Kirk, Hayden."

Hayden glared over her crossed arms at the older girl who was giving her that knowing look. "You don't know anything about Kirk. You don't know anything about me either. We don't talk. We don't hang out. Hell, you probably didn't even know my name before today, so don't you dare speak to me like we're best friends, alright?"

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that!" Hayden snapped. She then looked away and took a deep breath, reigning her temper back in. Emotions were running high in the carriage, and if it really was just the two of them now it wouldn't do for them to fall out in the first five minutes.

"Kirk's going to be okay, you know," Ashleigh tried again after a minute or so of tense silence. Hayden gave her a warning look. "I know that I don't know him, okay? But I do know Caleb and James. They'll look after him until we meet back up again."

Hayden snorted. "All James has ever done is make Kirk's life miserable. But hey, at least he's actually spoken to us these last seven years we've been in the same school."

"Don't you think it's strange that this place chose us?" Ashleigh asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

Hayden rolled her eyes. "Nice avoidance tactic."

"No, I mean it," Ashleigh persisted. "You and Kirk were in a completely different part of the museum from us. We got drawn to one door, you to another, and we all end up in this place? That's more than just a coincidence, surely?"

"Maybe it was just filling up the numbers," Hayden shrugged. "That's usually why we eventually get picked for teams."

Ashleigh furrowed her brow. "Numbers… there's seven of us…."

"You're a genius."

"There were seven digits in the combination in the first room. And seven fires around the clearing in the woods. And seven statues in the courtyard in the desert. What was the number on the train?"

Hayden shrugged. "Can't say I looked. I saw rats, you dawdled. It all went to hell."

"We're slowing down," Ashleigh stated as she climbed to her feet and tried to get a look out the window. Beneath their feet the rhythm of the train slowed to a gentle chugging accentuated by the pained squeal of unoiled brakes. They came to a complete a gradual stop, still none the wiser as to where they had ended up.

"Fantastic," Hayden huffed. "Let's see what else this place has got to throw at us."

Ashleigh threw a look over her shoulder. "You're really sarcastic, you know that? And that's a compliment by the way. I used to think that I was the master, but now I bow down before you."

Hayden just rolled her eyes again and marched over to the doors, manually pulling them open with Ashleigh's help. They then had to jump down to the ground as there was no platform. In fact, there wasn't a station either. The train tracks simply stopped, depositing them in the middle of a massive cavern. The whole place glowed in a soft purple light that seemed to emanate from the stones themselves.

The two girls stopped side-by-side in awe.

"Holy…"

So, the train crashed – in three parts (I mean, why do things by halves?) – our fave brothers are trapped in the wreckage, and who knows what dastardly injuries I shall give them? Our three boys are waiting for a bus and our two cat-fighting girls have discovered something fantastic…

Tune in next time to find out where the heck I am taking this fic!