El Tigre: Evolution
"LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!"
-Mer
Chapter 18
After a long trek through the jungle, our heroes finally arrived at the temple of El Dios de las Arañas. One thing was for sure; the picture in the book did not do it justice. Manny and Frida stared up at it, wide-eyed. Mer whistled, awed.
Here we are," said Antonio. "The temple of the Spider God."
The temple was a towering pyramid-like structure made of obsidian. Arachnid gargoyles were perched at strategic points on the temple's corners and balconies. Two statues guarded the entrance. They were two men, but they had a full set of eight spidery legs emerging from their backs and wrapping around their bodies. Trina shivered as she looked at them.
"I'm getting bad vibes from this place," said Mer.
"Major creepage," Frida agreed.
Manny put his hands on his belt buckle. "I should go El Tigre, just in case." He spun the buckle…
…and nothing happened
"Que?" He spun it again. Still nothing. He looked at Trina. Trina nodded.
"PULSERA!" she cried, extending her bracelet arm. Nothing.
Mer tapped the caduceus." I'm still out of commission here, too."
Antonio frowned. "Your objects don't work here. That could be trouble."
Frida created a small blue flame at the tip of her finger. "It's not all bad!" she said. "I can still do stuff!"
"Our powers aren't affected. They aren't tied to an object." Antonio explained. "The only question is why?"
"Only one way to find out," said Manny, eyeing the dark entrance. He took the first step, and headed in. Frida followed, then Antonio and the others.
Surprisingly, the inside was not totally dark. An eerie light seemed to saturate the halls. The source of the light could not be seen. They entered some sort of grand hall. Another "spider-man" statue stood in the middle.
"This place is just so…BIG," said Frida, her voice echoing.
"Yeah," said Manny. "It'd be totally awesome if it didn't give me the heebie-jeebies."
"From the looks of it," Trina stated to the others, "there's a way to the left, and a way to the right."
"It's the beginning of El Laberinto de la Telaraña," Antonio said simply.
"Spiderweb Maze?" asked Manny. Antonio nodded.
"So…which way?" Mer questioned.
Antonio looked from side to side. "Honestly…I don't know."
Trina followed Antonio's gaze. "We may have to-"
"Oh no!" said Mer. "Don't even think about it!"
"Think about what?" asked Frida. "What is she thinking about?"
"She wants to pull a Scooby-Doo and split up." Mer groaned.
"What's the matter, Mer? Scared?" asked Trina.
"Heck yeah! We about to go into some sort of spider maze and you want to split up? We don't have any powers! And now you want to break into smaller groups?"
"It may be for the best," said Antonio. "We would cover more ground. And there is the chance that one way is a dead end, or worse…"
Mer groaned once more.
"Don't be such a baby," Trina scolded. "You go with Manny and Frida, make sure they don't get into trouble. I'll go with Antonio."
"But-"
"No buts. We'll take the left." Trina and Antonio took the left path.
Mer, Frida and Manny stood in the hall for a brief moment.
"Looks like you stuck with us," Manny said to Mer.
"Don't worry," said Frida. "I still got super cool demon powers!"
Manny grinned and puffed out his chest. "Yeah! And even without El Tigre, I'm a Rivera, and Rivera men are always super macho!"
"Fantastic," Mer mumbled.
"Go, my skeleton banditos!" Sartana of the Dead cackled as she stepped through the smoldering ruins of the gate to the Miracle City Mint. Her undead minions began ransacking the building, gathering its wealth. Sartana strolled along at her own leisurely pace. But something made her stop. There was a man in her path. A large man with black hair. She squinted to get a better look at him.
"…Papi?"
The man nodded. "Yes, Sartana. It's been a long time."
Sartana started fidgeting and looking around nervously. "What are you doing here? You can't see me like this! I was borrowing this money for a friend!"
Her father shook his head. "You don't have to lie to me, mija. I've been keeping track of you."
"Oh." Sartana slumped.
"I know you fought to avenge me. I am grateful, mija, but look what it's turned you into…"
Suddenly Sartana grew angry, the little girl inside of her surfacing, breaking through the centuries-old callus. "You said you wouldn't leave me! You promised you would come back!"
"El Santo Oscuro has taken many things from many people," Sartana's father said sadly. "I'm sorry. But I know there is good in you, Sartana. Just remember, sometimes the living need the guidance of the dead."
Sartana thought for a moment about what her father had said, but when she looked up to reply, he was gone.
"Nana Sartana!" Django's voice broke her out of her reverie. "The mint is secure!" When her saw the look on his abuela's face, he added, "Something wrong, Nana?"
"What? Oh, nothing's wrong, my little Djangy-wangy."
"Nana!"
Mer, Frida, and Manny went deeper into the maze, sweeping cobwebs out of their path. Manny and Frida were keeping themselves entertained by playing a game that consisted of them poking each other, while Mer just grumbled.
"Stupid Trina…let's split up…stupid cue ball guy…"
Frida smirked and leaned in closer to Manny. She whispered, but still made sure she was loud enough for Mer to hear. "I bet he's just upset he didn't get to go with Trina."
Manny grinned as he got what she was hinting at. "Yeah…'cause he likes her."
Mer stopped and turned slightly. "You know, I got nothing against beating kids, so I wouldn't-" Then he stopped.
"Wouldn't what?" asked Manny.
"Shh!" Mer said. "Listen!"
They listened. There was a crawly, skittering sound and it was getting louder…or closer…
The trio turned around and eyed the path behind them. Suddenly, hundreds of points little red lights appeared. They seemed to cover every surface; walls, ceiling, floor, and they were quickly closing the gap between them and our heroes.
"What are they?" asked Frida.
"What do you think?" Mer responded sharply.
"Spiders…big ones…" Manny said, disgusted.
"So…why are we still just standing here?" Frida questioned reasonably.
"Good point," said Mer. "RUN!"
They began sprinting down the hall, trying to escape the living wall of spiders. It wasn't long before the maze forked ahead.
Which way?" Manny cried.
"Just keep to the right!" Mer answered. He ran ahead and turned the corner. Just as Manny and Frida came up to the fork, Mer went barreling past them, going the other way.
"LEFT! LEFT! LEFT!"
The two teens immediately followed Mer's lead, and not a moment too soon, because another writhing wall of ravenous spiders came down the right fork and converged with the spiders following them. The arachnids swept into the remaining hall and pursued the three.
"Frida!" Manny called out. "We could use some fire-" He was cut off as the ground gave way beneath him. He fell into a dark hole.
"Manny!" Frida stopped and went back for her friend. She peered down the hole. Mer grabbed her.
"Are you crazy? There's nothing you can do now!"
"I've got wings! I could fly down and-"
"Do you even know how to use those things? Just keep running! He can take care of himself!"
Frida opened her mouth, but the spiders were dangerously close. She sighed, turned, and ran.