Ward had very little time to react. He dove to the side and missed the alligator, but hit the wall and landed on the floor next to it. He glanced at the others. Fitz was trying to tell him something, but he didn't have the time to process it. The alligator flew at him again and Ward used his fist to hit it in the head with the back of his gloved hand. There was a ripple of blue light and a familiar zapping and cracking sound as the glove Ward was wearing electrocuted the alligator, causing it to collapse in a heap. As Ward scrambled away from it May took the opportunity to shoot it before it came to its senses.
Ward jumped over the river using the first alligator as a stepping stone and joined the others.
They turned their attention to the door. It was a large door, made of solid oak, with a large iron lock and handle. Coulson tried to turn it, but of course it was locked.
"What the hell is that thing?" Fitz asked holding Ward's gloved hand up by the wrist and examining it, while May was working on the locked door.
"Spider bite. It's Nat's. I borrowed them a little while ago. What were you trying to tell me?" he asked Fitz.
"The watch. I was telling you to pull the pin on the watch. It would have done the same thing as this spider bite thing."
"That means you can give Nat her spider bites back." Coulson told him, knowing when Ward said he had 'borrowed' the bites he really meant that Romanov didn't know he had them.
"She's gonna kill me." Ward repeated.
"Why?"
"I made one into 'gator bait."
They door swung open. May quickly got hold of it and closed it again. The smell from the next room was horrendous.
"Sulphur" Simmons said, holding her hand up to her nose.
"Is it safe?"
"It's safe if you.." Fitz started.
"Before you go all sciency Fitz, make it in English." Ward interrupted.
"It's safe, but we will have to cover out noses and mouths with fabric. It would help to wet the fabric too." Simmons advised and before anyone could stop her she had stuck her hand into the river.
When she brought it out again she smelt it.
"The water's safe. It's fresh water, a bit like you find in a lake." She said
"You didn't need to stick your hand in it to find out though did you?" Coulson shouted at her, while Hollie was stood looking horrified. They were definatley crazy.
"We knew it was safe when the alligator came out of it" Fitz told them.
"Right, fabric." May said, changing the conversation back on topic.
Ward and May pulled out their knives and started slicing large enough strips of fabric off everyone's clothing. They then dunked the strips into the river and placed it over their noses and mouths.
"Everyone ready?" Ward asked, with one hand on the door.
"As ready as we'll ever be."
Ward opened the door and set off across the room, surveying it as he went. There were two green swamp pits bubbling away either side of a stone pathway. The pathway was about a human foot width across and resembled a gymnastic beam. The sulphur was clearly coming from the pits. About halfway across Ward started coughing. Skye saw he was in trouble and guided him across the rest of the beam. Fitz, Simmons and Skye were trying to help Ward on the other side while Coulson worked on the next door. When he had it open he dragged Ward into the fresher air of the next room. Ward soon stopped coughing but there was a definite wheeze to his breathing.
Hollie crouched down before him and checked his pulse.
"It's ok. I'm an M.D." She told him as she looked at his eyes.
"Why only Ward?" Kain asked, noticing everyone else was alright.
"Clearly he isn't as fit as we thought. There must be residual lung scarring from that allergic reaction last week and it must have been aggravated by the sulphur." Simmons said, just running ideas as to why Ward was now sitting propped up against a wall, trying to regain his breathing.
"We should have realised. We are so sorry Ward." Fitz told him.
"It's fine. I'm fine. Let's keep moving." He replied, hauling himself to his feet.
"May, can you spot the way out?" Coulson asked.
"Yeah, but getting to it is going to be an issue."
"Why?"
Coulson followed May's hand when she pointed to the exit. It was three stories above their head and there was no ladder. Water started pouring in at their feet. Ward turned the Spider bite off. The last thing they needed was for him to electrocute everyone. Before they knew it the water was at their knees. It was cold, very cold.
"Here's the plan. We let the water carry us up to the exit. I'm not going to lie, it's gonna hurt. And then we enter the tunnel. May, you take the lead, Skye next, then Simmons, Hollie, Ward, Kain, Amber, Fitz and then myself."
They didn't argue. The icy water was now swirling around their waists (on some of the shorter people it was at their breast line) and it was starting to take their breath away.
"Don't fight the cold" Ward told them.
He had fought his way through water as cold as this before. He knew that the best practice was to embrace the cold, that way your body will get used to it quicker.
"That's easier said than done." Fitz shouted. The last time he had been surrounded by a mass of icy cold water was when he and Simmons had plummeted into the sea in that capsule.
"This is salt water. It should help us float a little." Simmons informed them as the water reached their neckline.
Amber was already off her feet treading water. It's a good job they all have to stay fit for their jobs. Before long they were all off their feet treading water. Suddenly Ward's head dipped below the surface, making Skye scream. Coulson saw it too and dove under to retrieve him. They broke the surface and Ward started coughing again. He was weak from the Sulphur and struggling to keep up. Hollie was also struggling to keep afloat. She wasn't as fit as the agents.
Between them they kept Hollie and Ward afloat. The water had risen to the level of the exit and Coulson realised, it wasn't going to stop.
"Hurry. We don't have much time!" He shouted at the group. May darted into the tunnel which to her surprise rose in a sharp incline, followed by Skye, followed by Simmons. The three of them dragged Hollie in and while May dragged her away from the opening Skye and Simmons were doing the same to Ward. By the time Coulson was due to enter the tunnel he had to dive to find the opening. They all climbed the steep incline, Ward supported by Kain, glad to find that they had beaten what was clearly a water trap. They kept climbing and eventually they were greeted with an icy air blast. Remembering this happening on the ghost train they prepared themselves for the blistering heat, but none came. Then they realised there was a salty grit to the air that was starting to make their dehydrated lips crack.
They turned the last corner and came face to face with a dead end.