VII

When we ran inside the Labyrinth, there was a sheet of paper clipped to a bush. I picked it up and read it.

To help you, I suggest you find a COM. They will help you communicate, unless you feel like you'd do better by yourself.

-Yemma.

I rolled my eyes and searched around if there were any. No luck. I folded the paper and put it inside the bush. Running, I found myself in a dead end, or I thought. I took a step closer to the bush and found something inside. I quickly put arm in and felt my finger brush against a box. Pushing my arm deeper into the bush, I finally had hold of the item and pulled it out.

"Yes!" I whispered as I opened the case and pulled out a COM. I fixed it on my ear right, and hit a button. It was static at first, but a voice came in.

"Hello?" I asked singing the "o".

"Iris. You catch on fast. I'm glad you're on my team- are you at the center yet?" I scanned around and saw engravings in the dirt. I gasped and ran into the leaves in front of it. The bush opened up, leading me to another path.

"I'm good! No, we just started."

"And? You said you were good. Now I'm disappointed." Orsyko pouted in my ear. Grunting, I headed into the next path.

"So you got a COM, the next thing is an obstacle I'm assuming." Still running, I looked to my right and left, making sure I didn't miss anything.

"Why would you assume that? Couldn't they put it in any order they'd want? How big was that leak you were talking about?" I heard muffled voices of other Mobians entering our chat.

"You're a bat! Fly your way around the mud, Kathie." I heard a Mobian complain.

"I'm not going to be hearing all of this am I?" I asked Orsyko, at least I was aiming my question toward him. I came to a stop when I saw a trip wire. I slumped my shoulders. Are they even trying? I stepped over the string and continued running. Springs pushed out of the bushes near my head, and I had to duck to miss being hit in the face. I kept ducking until I got to a four corner. I decided to take a right, because choosing a favorite could always be helpful. It was a longer patch, but the floor was muddy. The mud then turned clean, and soon I was walking through water. The water came up to my waist, but it only slowed me down a bit because I had been trained to do stuff like this. I took a left and found myself at a dam. It wasn't too big because I'm in a Labyrinth. I climbed over the edge and found myself back on the grass. After that, I took so many turns and went through so many obstacles I couldn't remember how many there were. I wonder when the plain floor turned to grass in the first place…

You okay? Malkom asked in my head.

Yeah, I'm good. That's right, I only told Orsyko that I'm amazing at this.

Labyrinths? Who knew? You have a COM?

YES.

Just making sure! I hate those, so many Mobians talking at the same time.

More like complaining. I ran up and found myself at a door about eight feet tall.

Hey, what happens when I get to a tall door? I asked him.

You're already at a door?

Yes… I knelt down and traced my finger against some incarnations.

You weren't kidding when you said you're good. You're at the center. I mentally cheered for myself.

I thought it'd be harder. I only had to go through water and other things like the bushes tried to decapitate me.

The hardest bit is when you get in, and leave. That's how teams normally loose.

Ah… Okay, shut up, I'm working on the door.

Ha, ha, ok, good luck!

"Orsyko, I'm at the center door. I'm assuming this is the puzzle?"

"Wait, you're already at the center?" I rolled my head around in frustration, "Answer me."

"Yes." I scanned over the incarnations one more time. They look like…

"I understand it!" The pictures carved where Roman Numerals. I've never worked with Roman Numerals before, but sense today in math we work with them I'm a beginner. What did the "V" with the "I" stand for again? I think I have to put them in order… There were about six spheres implanted into the door, and I guessed you'd put something in them. I looked at the Roman Numerals again. There were ten, counting. I placed my gloved hand onto one and it shifted to my weight. Smirking, I pushed with more force and the pebble disappeared into the door. I waited for a second before the same stone came out of one of the spheres. I pulled it out and held it in my palm. I'm still wondering if I need to put them in order. I accidently dropped the rock and it crumbled into about three more pieces. I picked a chunk up and it was marked the Roman numeral "C". Oh no… That means there are a hundred of these. I frowned at my mistake. Ugh! I wish I could be like an elephant so I could just break down the door!

Be an elephant.

Shut up, me… Wait, what if I could be an elephant? Ha! How stupid does that sound? Frustrated, I threw all the pieces of rocks on the door, and the door surprisingly crumbled into bits. I dropped my jaw as I saw the way to the center.

Malkom, are you there? I desperately thought.

Yes.

I broke the puzzle door.

How? He asked me, sounding amused.

It's a long story. I was frustrated that I couldn't open the door because of the stupid "C" Roman Numeral sign and all the other ones, and I sort of wished I was an elephant. But then I thought that was stupid and I shrugged it off, and then I threw all the pieces at the door, and it broke.

I don't know what to say with that.

What? I cried, but I got no response. I stuck my bottom lip out as I started to run inside. I walked up to a pedestal with a glass box that held a small thumb drive in it. How modern, right? Hesitantly, I poked the box with my gloved hand. The drive started to glow vigorously then got sucked into the pedestal leaving me wondering what was next. I felt the floor around me rumble, my bones shaking violently with the rhythm. The bushes that separated everyone slowly decayed and left an open floor. Many Mobians looked confused until the glass box shone and a giant boulder fell from thin-air. Fidgety, I looked around and found Orsyko running toward me.

"Run." He pulled on my arm and jerked me away from the giant rock that was about to flatten us.

"What do I need to get to show that we win?" I asked over the roars of screams.

"I'm not sure. What did you see in there?"

"A drive, and a-a glass box." We jumped over a large puddle of mud.

"Did you get the drive?" I shook my head, aware he still had grip of my arm. "No time, even if I did, I wouldn't be able to get the drive without breaking the glass box and being crushed." The grass floor cracked beneath me and I yelped. I snaked my arm free from his grip and ran past him.

"What do you think we should do?" I squeaked, the boulder closer now. "Not sure, but I think we're going to run out of space." I grunted at his reply.

"Take a left!" Mesoku screamed across the room. I turned around and saw what she meant. The rock had sped up and was about to take impact. I stopped. Orsyko slowed down eventually after he noticed I wasn't following.

"What are you doing? We need to go." I ignored him and watched as the grass stuck to the stone.

"The stone isn't going to stop itself. I know I'm new, but I'm not stupid." Mesoku came up and clutched my arms, "What are you going to do about it? That things ten times your size and we just became friends!" She stuck out her bottom lip.

"I really don't know what I'm going to do, honest, but I think I'll come up with something! It won't really crush me… Right?" As we heard the boulder's roar get louder, they both shook their head in disagreement.

"Fine! But dear, if you die don't say I didn't say so." Then, they both ran off but kept their eyes on me.

Panicking, I watched, as the boulder was seconds away. What do I do? What am I supposed to do? I felt something bubble in my stomach, then through my chest to my head and I felt dizzy. Gaining my balance the best I could, I stood still as many mobians gave me questioned looks as they passed me.

This feels weird; this feels really weird, I thought to myself. Something clicked in my head and the second before the boulder crashed into me; everything went black as I fell to the floor.