"Please! Kaiya, you have to help! Blakks stuck down in Deep Caverns and he needs our help to get him out!"
Nicole was staring at Kaiya, who shifted uncomfortably on the couch. They were staying in Kaiyas apartment.
"I said no! I'm not helping him, I've got a week off! Well, three more days."
Nicole stepped back, hands on her hips.
She glanced between Kaiya and Twist, who was leaning against a wall, completely ignoring the conversation.
"What is wrong with you two? You've been avoiding each other ever since Kaiya got her week off! Can't someone explain something?" Nicole was at her wits edge. Her friends were being impossible!
Gathering up what she could, she decided she was going alone, "Fine! If neither of you will help, I'll go get Blakk myself!"
Kaiya and Twist both looked at Nicole surprised.
"You can't go, Nicole. It's dangerous." Twist said, approaching her.
"She can go alone if she wants, I'm not coming." Kaiya muttered bitterly.
Nicole looked hopefully at Twist, "Can't you persuade her to do something?"
Twist shook his head, hiding his embarrassment before Nicole grabbed him and dragged him out.
Once the were outside she grabbed his shoulder but he shook her hand off.
"Okay. What happened?" Nicole demanded, crossing her arms.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Twist lied.
"Oh, please. I can tell your lying, Twist. I'm Blakks fiancée, remember."
"If only Kaiya could tell." Twist muttered.
"What do you mean? Did you lie to h- no she wouldn't take that seriously."
"This she did."
"What did you say to her? Nothing you'd ever say would make her this moody."
Twist stayed silent.
"Spill!"
Nothing.
"I asked if he liked me but he said no." Kaiyas voice rang out from the doorway.
Nicole and Twist froze, "You could hear us?"
"Still can." Came the reply.
Nicole groaned. This was more complicated than she thought.
She glared at Twist who just shrugged with a bemused expression on his face.
Dragging Twist in after her, she sat down next to Kaiya, who had drawn her knees up to her face.
"Kaiya, you do know Twist was lying when he said that right?" Nicole asked gently.
The answer surprised her.
"Yes, I did."
Twist and Nicole looked at her questioningly.
"What? Once you like a guy you get to know them. Really well."
"Then why were you so upset?"
"I wasn't upset! I was…annoyed. I'd thought that since me and him are friends we'd be able to trust each other in important moments. Obviously I was wrong with him."
"Well, what did you expect? Blakk hired me because I'm good at that sort of thing." Twist said.
Kaiya glared at him and Nicole remembered what they had been discussing in the first place.
"Guys, guys. Please! Twist just say that you like her and lets get back to rescuing Blakk!"
Kaiya rolled her eyes but got up off the couch and headed for the fridge in her kitchen.
Nicole shot a glare at Twist who put his hands up in defense, "Okay, Okay! I will! Jeez.." before following Kaiya into the kitchen.
Nicole stood still, listening to some hushed words and then listened for the familiar thump and groan from Twist who normally got punched round about now.
But it never came.
Kaiya walked out with a two bottles of lemonade and handed one to Nicole.
Twist followed suit, biting into an apple.
Despite the unpredictability, Nicole got straight to the point.
Outlining a plan in-front of the three.
"You are aware I'm not helping with the actual rescue mission." Kaiya pointed out.
"Why not?" Nicole asked.
"No way I'm going down into the Deep Caverns. Besides, the back-up portal you built will need someone to look after it, just incase some idiot comes round and does something.
"What's the matter? Scared?" Twist teased.
"Watch it, blondie. You're on thin ice right now. Besides, I looked at your blueprints. The amount of energy needed to teleport three people through would blow the thing apart, and that's only after one person returns. And I think it would help if you and Twist rescued Blakk, not me. "
"Fine. But can we at least take Skies?" Nicole asked.
Kaiya nodded.
"Good, then lets go!"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kaiya asked, brown eyes scanning the dark cavern.
"It's the closest place there is too the Deep Caverns. The portal should work well here."
Nicole busied herself with a final checkup on the portal.
"There, that should hold for at least an hour. Kaiya, send us a message when the hour is nearly up."
Kaiya nodded again, before handing out some leather bracelets.
"Here, tie these around your wrists. There's a small knife stuck in them, just incase you need an escape route. I've also programmed Skies to follow your orders for up to an hour. Use him carefully. I just got the flaw sealed and a new wax coat."
She rubbed the mechas side fondly, then helped Nicole up.
Stepping back she folded her arms, "Come back, okay?"
Twist came over and gave her a hug before Skies flipped him up, "Don't worry. We always will." He smiled.
Kaiya just frowned but activated the portal.
The machine hummed into life, the lights flashing and humming.
"Good luck!" She called as they jumped in.
With a flash of light they disappeared into a stream of burning red and orange.
A few seconds later they appeared in a large cavern, surrounding by an angry red light.
The rocks around them had hairline cracks that glowed magma orange.
The air was warm and stuffy.
Turning to look behind them, they saw a large flat rock with a rippling surface.
"Must be the portal." Twist said.
Nicole carefully maneuvered Skies left paw up, then brought it down hard, scarring a nearby rock with deep gouges.
"To remember where it is." She said with a smile.
"This place is awful." Nicole muttered, easing Skies into a trot.
"Yeah, how'd Blakk end up dealing with things that would live here?" Twist hissed but got distracted as a small red light began flashing on Skies radar.
"Must be the tracker Kaiya has in his shoe. Let's head in that direction but keep an eye out. This is Dark Bane and Night Clan territory." Nicole whispered.
"Night Clan?" Twist asked.
"You don't wanna know."
The pair continued onward in silence.
Blakk was chained from his wrists to two large metal pegs, stuck deep in the ground.
"Let me go, you stupid creatures! I'm telling you it was the blasted Shane!" He was yanking the chains continually, trying to break them but they held tight.
The Dark Bain guards weren't listening either, they were busy standing guard, wickedly tipped spears grasped in their hands.
"Blakks really not helping us." Twist said, looking through a pair of binoculars Nicole had brought, "But the place is lightly guarded. Obviously Brimstone wasn't expecting guests. But then, who'd go down to the Deep Caverns, after the biggest threat to Slugterra, to try and save him?"
"Us. We'll need a distraction to draw away the guards."
"Loki, do your thing." Twist loaded his Illusiolet ghoul and fired.
Once reaching velocity, Loki transformed, sending out a perfectly detailed horde of Shadowclan racing towards the main gate.
"Perfect." Nicole grinned before gunning Skies, nearly making Twist fall off.
"So how do we get in? I mean, we're up here and he's down the-." Twist broke off as Nicole raced towards the edge of the cliff then leapt Skies off.
"You're crazy!" Twist yelled over the roaring wind as the plummeted diagonally down.
"Kaiya, don't fail me now." Nicole muttered as she pressed a bright blue button.
The engine hummed even louder and the thrusters power increased ten fold.
Skies automatically tucked in his legs and then unfolded a huge pair of glider wings, that steadied his descent.
Nicole was grinning like crazy as they skimmed over the surface.
Loki took this chance to join Twist again.
Extending Skies forelegs, she carefully aimed the claws for the chains that held Blakk.
Just as the seemed to crash into him, she pulled up and the claws snapped the chains, pulling Blakk up with them.
As Nicole steadied them into a smooth flight, Twist pulled Blakk up to sit with them then radioed Kaiya in.
"Kaiya? Mission is complete! We did it!" He crowed.
"I take it the prototype is working good?"
Twist glanced at Nicole who gave the thumbs up.
"Yep, we're in the air."
"Be careful, there are aerial Deep Cavern creatures too. Watch out, they can camouflage. You'll need to rely on the radar to see them."
"Roger that."
Twist hung up. "Everythings good, we're good to leave!"
Blakk growled as Twist started picking the locks on his manacles, "Good, the sooner I get outta here, the better."
Suddenly Nicole yanked Skies to the side as a shimmer passed next to them.
"We're being followed!" She yelled as the shimmer came back, revealing itself to be a giant stingray-like creature with tentacles.
Twist and Blakk could only watch in horror as the creature followed them from behind.
"Hold on!" Nicole yelled as she squeezed the accelerator.
Skies rocketed forward, heading directly for the portal rock.
"Kaiya, move! We're coming through!" Twist managed to yell into the earpiece before the dove right into the portal.
Kaiya dived aside as soon as she got the message. Two seconds later the group burst out, the portal exploding behind them and Skies thrusters glowing red and smoking.
As the group shakily dismounted, Nicole rushed forward and enveloped Blakk in a big hug.
Twist and Kaiya watched on with blank faces.
"Hoooookaaay.." Kaiya said before turning her attention to Skies, giving him a full inspection.
"Not bad, but the wings pivotal bearings are a bit damaged. What did ya do? Nearly hit a stalactite?"
Nicole just grinned to herself.
Kaiya stood back up, "Well, I guess everythings good to go. Lets go give Shane Gang the shock of their lives!"