Disclaimer: I only own the stuff I made up. The rest belongs to the rightful owners.
Author's Note: These fanfiction one-shots are short stories, but are confirmed canon to the Cassie and Derek stories. They serve as either prequels or sequels.
Cassie Drake: The Daughter of Nathan Drake, seventeen, inexperienced, and a college student with a dry sense of humor.
Derek Lowell: Cassie's best friend, observant sidekick, and male equivalent.
Prof. Harvey: Cassie and Derek's college professor who takes them on a trip to Easter Island.
Peyton Piers: A sociopathic student at Cassie's college and bully.
Extended summary
Cassie Drake, the daughter of Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher, finally graduates high school and enters college. Her field trip to Easter Island takes a disastrous turn when she finds evidence that Hawaiki, the lost Polynesian city, may be real and someone in her class is looking to see it out for their own means. Cassie has been on adventures before but this is the first time where her life is on the line and strangely, she's excited about it.
Chapter 1: First Taste of Danger
It's not what you find, it's what you find out.
David Hurst Thomas
June 2029
Maui, Hawaii
Cassandra Drake ran as fast as she could. She looked back not once. She was happy she was in good shape. She was going to beat her best friend in a race. But she lost by several inches. Cassie looked at her fifteen-year-old best friend as she was catching her breath. His name was Derek Williamson Lowell, standing at five-eleven, one-sixty pounds, curly brown hair, hazel-brown eyes, fair skin, and a ripped athletic build and he was Cassandra 'Cassie' Drake's best friend.
"Good job Derek. I will get you next time though." She shook Derek's hand. She cringed when she realized that her hand was sweating but he wasn't. Damn, he has more stamina than me.
"We'll see about that Daughter of Nathan Drake," Derek said with a laugh. He stared at her hazel-green eyes (through her contacts) and wavy dirty blonde hair that reached her neck.
"Daughter of Nathan Drake, how many times do I have to be called that in my lifetime?" She pants. "So, before we have to head down, you want to go exploring?" Cassie asked.
"Why not? The jungle is right over there," he pointed. The two began running into the jungle. Cassie looked at her watch and decided that they would go adventuring for ten minutes before turning home.
It was still early and it was the perfect temperature, especially in this environment. Not too hot and not too cold and if they were sweating, it was because they were pushing themselves and going the extra mile to keep up their stature. Cassie's beach house where she discovered the skeletons in her father's closest, literally, was only two miles back and there was still more to explain. They had been racing from a nearby Starbucks to a path on the beach and when they settled, they decided to go into the jungle to their left.
When they stepped foot in the forest, they did not realize how thick the vines and leaves were considering that the jungle was fogging up some and Cassie couldn't see her shadows hidden in the dark.
"Ooh, so spooky in here," Cassie laughed, "fog always knows the best time to come up and attack us. Fog has always been on our side because it likes blinding us."
"You're already blind," Derek snarked, "after all, you're the one with contacts."
Cassie rubbed her eyes. "I like my glasses but they're impractical sometimes. I mean, yeah, I forget my contacts are in my eyeballs sometimes but it shouldn't be too bad."
Derek laughed. "Cassie, if someone as smart as you keep forgetting they have contacts in their eyes, then it'll only motivate me to make sure I never go blind. After all, an artist such as myself needs to have 20/20 vision."
"Well, you could always go for the blind painter route if you want."
Derek closed his eyes reached out and blindly touched a tree. "Yeah, tried it for like three seconds and already don't like it." He opens his eyes and laughs.
Cassie rolls her eyes. "Since I'm so blind as you so politely tell me, that means I have better senses than you. After all, when one loses one sense, the other senses become heightened."
"I know; I've seen Daredevil."
Cassie closed her eyes and listened in. "Man, Derek, your heart is beating fast. Are you sure that last run didn't make you feel winded?"
Derek tilted his head. "Hey, who has consistently ranked first place in track this year in school? Huh?"
"Yeah yeah, keep on bragging about your track record, I've heard it a bajillion times."
When they approached a rock wall going up about thirty feet, Cassie sighed heavily. She cracked her knuckles and spread her arms out dramatically. "I have finally found my calling. My calling... of climbing like a monkey."
She leaps up the wall and grabs a handhold. She glued her feet to the wall and pushed herself up. She pulls herself up, hand over hand with each handhold and when one handhold is out of reach, she leaps up with all her might to grab the next handhold. She was about to grab another handhold when she stopped.
That handhold looks more brightly colored than the others so I'd rather not grab it.
In her experience, if a handhold looks brighter than the previous handholds, then it usually means it's much looser. She finds another handhold and uses that to climb up. When she made it to the top, she stretched dramatically before looking down. "Take that, wall!"
"Like a pro," Derek exclaims from the bottom. "I think I'll take the long way up; I can't climb."
"Come on," she playfully whines, "monkey on up here, D-Man. Would it make you feel better if I tossed you a banana?"
Derek put a hand on his heart. "Damn, Cassie-Blanca, you are as calloused as your hands are."
"Thank you, thank you very much. That is literally the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
"Uhh, in that case, I think you have the prettiest climbing form of any monkey I've seen before."
This time, Cassie puts a hand on her heart. "How dare you, that is the cruelest thing anyone has ever said to me."
The two teenagers laugh hysterically, their laughing session lasting for about thirty seconds before Derek shrugs and decides to climb up the rock wall. He decided to take things nice and slow and very carefully grab handholds he was only positive were strong enough to support his weight. He was taller than Cassie so he had a much longer reach so no jumping on his end was required.
Once they reached the very top of the rock wall, Derek bowed before his female companion.
"Nice one." Cassie claps her hands.
"Now then, if we can translate your climbing skills to track team, you and I could be the best, Cassie-Blanca."
"Nah, I'd rather have a good track record than running track."
"In that case, I will run track in your name."
"Thank you, thank you so so much, D-Man."
They turned around and saw a small cave for them to explore. They had their phones with them and they used their flashlights to light up a path. There wasn't much to note about the cave and sadly, it was cut short when there was another rock wall for them to climb down. Cassie climbed down with much more speed compared to Derek and this time, Derek was panting while Cassie was the one who barely broke a sweat.
They come out of the cave on the other side and turn off the flashlights. They pocketed their flashlights and were about to go into a conversation spree when something caught their ears. Just fifty feet away directly ahead of them, hidden behind two big trees with the slightly thick fog clearing up, came the sound of metal hitting the ground.
An all too familiar sound.
They noticed someone digging with a pick and closed in on them, deciding to play it quiet. They got a closer look at the man, who was dressed in clothes that had been through some wear-and-tear and looked to be somewhat small on him. He had unkempt hair and a five o'clock. He dug something out of the ground and hauled it onto his lap.
Cassie and Derek hid behind the tree and got a look at this object the man dug up. A large table that could barely fit into a grown man's hand with writing that Cassie couldn't comprehend from this distance.
"A tablet of unknown origins," the man said softly, wiping it clean of the dirt. "How much would people pay for this?" He began examining the tablet. "Handcrafted looks to be as old as the ancient Polynesians. Interesting." He holds the table it in one hand before pulling out his phone. He dialed someone up and put the ear to his phone. "Hello, my fellow employer. I just wanted to let you know that I found something we could sell." He pauses. "Very old. Very old indeed. Hey, the older it is, the more likely people will pay for it. I may need an expert to look at it but I can tell that it is definitely handcrafted by Polynesians. Even so, even if it is fake, we can just tell our clients it's real and say a whole bunch of long and large vocabulary words to make it sound authentic. After all, who doesn't love big and classy words?"
He puts the tablet down behind him before hanging up. He begins digging into the ground once more.
Holy crap, Cassie mentally gasps, is that ancient Polynesian? Oh my god, I have to have it. She reached out to grab the tablet while his back was still turned but paused. Wait... should I... No, I should. I mean, this guy is going to sell this thing, and if this thing is the real thing... I could...
She snatches the tablet.
The graverobber turned around and saw Cassie and Derek running off with his tablet. He drops the tablet and sprints for them.
Cassie looks behind her. "Oh crap."
They sprinted for it, leaping over logs and fallen branches to get away from him but the the graverobber refused to give up so easily. When Cassie nearly hit her head on a branch, she gasped slightly but managed to maintain her foot.
Don't look back, just keep looking forward.
Derek was ahead of Cassie by about five feet but when he saw how far behind Cassie was, he slowed down slightly so they were running side-by-side.
The graverobber was ready to pounce on them before they turned at the very last second, diverging before they collided with a tree. The graverobber stopped just short of three inches from hitting the tree and went around it, resuming his chase.
Cassie's sweat broke out around her forehead and her chest, which drenched the front of her shirt. She swallows a ball of saliva in her mouth heavily before looking over her shoulder. The graverobber was still on their tail, refusing to give up and it seemed her breath was running out with each passing step. Not only that but because the graverobber was seven years their senior, he had something of a physically imposing presence on his figure that made it seem like he was already on their tail.
That may be why when both kids tripped on a log and fell on the ground they felt like the graverobber was a hulking giant.
They scrambled to get up while the graverobber was still standing above them, only for them to nearly launch themselves into a rock wall dead end with no handholds this time.
"Give up," the graverobber threatened. He grabs Derek by the collar and Cassie by the shoulder and hauls them up. "Nice try you, stupid kids. Trying to steal my treasure."
"Get the hell off me!" Cassie told him while struggling. She tried breaking out of his grip but speaking in combat terms, she was unable to. Derek was barely holding his own. The graverobber was surprisingly strong enough to restrain both teenagers and make it look easy.
"I will let you both go if you give me the tablet," the graverobber ordered firmly. Cassie knew better and gave him the tablet, deciding that it wasn't worth her fifteen-year-old life. The graverobber smiled at the table and let them both go as a result. He looked at the language before looking at Cassie. "Are you super smart in history, kid?" the graverobber asked both Cassie and Derek. "I only need a third party to authenticate if this thing really is Polynesian."
"I guess we are," Cassie answered.
Wait a second, why did I say that? Damn it, I should've kept my mouth shut. But... maybe he won't hurt us if we give him what we want. Dad always said that when you're dealing with someone like this, just comply; whatever they're mugging you for is not worth your life over.
Even if they were going to die, why not just go out with a bang and read something historic? They were freed and had every opportunity to run but they both chose not to. Derek stood by Cassie's side, shielding her from the man while Cassie kept her eyes trained on the tablet.
"You look familiar," the graverobber squinted at Cassie. "Yeah, I have seen you before but where?" He cocks his head. "Nah, not worth it." He looks down at the tablet. "How about this, you tell me everything you know about this tablet and maybe I'll give you kids something in exchange for your troubles in trying to steal it in the first place? Like, a percentage of the money I'll get after I have my employer?"
I should say no but... She looks at the tablet once more. If that thing really was handcrafted by an ancient civilization then I would LOVE to be the first to read it. But... this guy might sell it. Then again, that is what my father tried to do because he destroyed his lost cities and artifacts.
Yeah, it's not worth fighting over, not if I want to be a famous archaeologist one day.
"You think you can compensate us by just letting us go, graverobber?"
The graverobber recognized her and went wide-eyed. "Now I recognize you. You're Cassie Drake, The Daughter of Nathan Drake." A smile broke out on his face. "I am a huge fan of his work. His work in finding the ruins of the lost city underwater, I have the newspaper framed in my home. And that trip to Egypt was amazing. And that dig in South America, I have read that article countless times. Man, it must be so amazing to be able to find all those lost cities and mythical artifacts." He looks down at the tablet and sighs. "Cassie, do you know the kind of life your parents used to run before you were born?"
She flinches. How the hell does this guy know about my parents' past life? Then again, he is a graverobber. "Yes," she answered; her parents told her everything.
"I am fully aware of their lives too," Derek also admitted.
The graverobber gave a long sigh before he regarded Cassie. "Y'know what, Cassie? Take this tablet. It belongs to someone like you. I can already see you turning into your father." He hands her the tablet and she accepts it graciously like a fan being given something by their idol. "And when you make your name part of history, I will remember this day. The day I helped Cassie Drake become a legend and I will frame this date on my calendar on my wall."
Cassie tilted her head and looked down at the table. "What? You're giving it to us, just like that?"
"Uhh, in case you hadn't noticed, treasure hunters are my idols but I am smart enough to know I'm too dumb to be able to follow in your father's footsteps so... helping someone who can follow in his footsteps will have to do."
Cassie laughed. "Uhh, thank you. And... what's your name?"
"Rick."
"Nice to meet you, Rick."
Rick waves off. "By the way, you need to work on your pickpocketing skills, Cassie, I mean, because if there's one thing I know about Nathan Drake's past life, it's his history of adversaries. You need to level up."
She salutes him. "Duly noted."
"And, I'm sorry if I harmed you guys in any way. But to be fair, you did steal my property." Huh, I guess you're more alike with your father than you think, Cassie, but try and be better.
Rick walks off and once he was far enough away, Cassie looked down at the tablet once more and narrowed her eyes.
Well, that was an interesting experience.
"Are you okay, Cassie?" Derek pants.
"I'm fine," she nods with a smile. "Thank you though. Although, I will admit: I have never felt so alive."
If this is what treasure hunting life has to offer than... wow... I got something to look forward to.
Chapter 2: Love Story
Two Years Later
March 2031
Maui, Hawaii
"I'm so excited for you, Cassie," Elena said with cheer in her voice, "My daughter's first prom."
"I'm gonna guess you never went to prom, right?" Cassie snarked.
Elena pulled her daughter into a tight hug, her face landing in her mother's neck.
"That's why I want you to enjoy the night as much as you can. Have the night I never had."
"I bet Dad didn't have prom night either." She pried herself away from her loving mother's arms and adjusted her glasses.
"That's why we're going to make this night special." She turns to her husband. "Right, Nate?"
Nathan Drake, the legend himself, was sitting on the couch, watching TV, paying no attention.
"Yeah," he said nonchalantly, "I'll do the dishes tonight."
Elena scolded him. "Did you hear what I said?"
"Of course." He faced the two with an awkward expression on his face. "Could you say it one more time?"
Cassie mentally groaned.
"I'm kidding," he chuckled, "Our daughter's first prom." He got up from the couch and pulled her into a hug.
"Only prom." Once Cassie was free from her hug, she checked the time on her watch. "Prom starts in three hours; I want to get ready now."
"I'll help you," Elena said, "It takes at least two people to put on that dress you picked."
It would be awkward if it took only one person to get it off, Cassie thought. I mean, why would it require two people to put it on and only one person to take it off? Where's the consistency in that?
Cassie and Elena spent the next two hours getting ready. Cassie took a shower, put on makeup, brushed her teeth, put on deodorant, put on perfume, and was assisted by her mother in putting on a red dress.
This red dress was a nice and elegant red dress that covered her entire body, except her shoulders. The dress was off the shoulders anyway. Her high heels, although slightly uncomfortable, were shiny and very red. She wore her glasses and had her hair tied in a ponytail. She actually hates having her hair tied into a ponytail but was willing to make an exception since it was prom. Her cheeks were pink with blush and her lips were rosy red like an apple.
Once the dress was applied, all that was left was the final touch: Her corsage, which should be here soon.
The doorbell was rung and Nate went to answer it.
"How do you look, dear?" Elena asked. "I say you look beautiful."
Cassie looked at herself in the mirror, a gasp escaping from her mouth. She studied herself hard in the mirror looking over every detail of her body, looking for any flaws, if any, looking for an answer.
"Wow," she gasped, "I look so beautiful."
I'm not going to forget prom night, she thought, This is a night for me to remember, a night for me to cherish. The last dance I will be having before I'm off in the world, becoming the next future treasure hunter.
Elena kissed the back of her head, not wanting to ruin the makeup on her cheeks.
Nate answered the door and found a familiar.
"Derek Lowell," he said, "the man of the hour."
Derek Lowell, the seventeen-year-old boy, curly brown hair trimmed with a recent five o'clock shadow shaved off, stood there before Nate wearing a tuxedo with a corsage in his hand.
"Hi," Derek said confidant, "Hi, Mr. Drake."
"Please," Nate said, "Mr. Drake is my father. Well, not really. Call me Nate."
"Okay, Nate."
Nate gestured for him to come in. "You're Cassie's date, right?"
"Friends," Derek said, feeling the heat all of a sudden.
"I didn't doubt you on that part; the two of you have known each other since fourth grade."
"We're just going as friends, nothing else." Derek gulps slightly.
"That's good; I'm not exactly ready for my daughter to be dating." When Derek was inside the house, Nate closed the door and stood before the boy. He tried to intimidate him but that was a somewhat difficult task considering that Nate was five-eleven while Derek was six-foot-one. "I trust you not to do anything that makes my daughter uncomfortable, right?"
Derek quickly nodded, "Yes, sir, I would never dream of it."
Derek was taller but Nate's intimidation was working.
"And you promise to be a gentleman to my daughter?"
Derek started breaking down in blush. "Mr. Drake," he said nervously, "We've known each other for seven years; Me and Cassie are good with each other."
"But a lot can happen in seven years. I know how teenage boys are. Especially ones who have been best friends with girls for seven years."
Derek rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to ruin his neatly combed hair.
"Mr. Drake-" he stuttered.
"I'm kidding," Nate laughed. He pulled Derek into a hug and felt the boy's heartbeat fast against his chest.
Guess I really scared him, he thought.
"Nate," Elena called after coming into the living room, "Leave the poor boy alone."
"Yeah, leave the poor boy alone." Derek looked at Elena and felt less comfortable. "Hi, Mrs. Drake."
"Hey, Derek." She looked at the corsage in his hand. "You brought Cassie's corsage." She ran up to it and claimed it from him.
"Yeah," Derek nodded, finding his confidence once more, "Told you I'd bring a corsage."
"I'm going to go put it on Cassie. Wait here."
Elena disappeared from the room, leaving Derek to wait in the living room with Nate.
Deciding to tease the boy again, he went into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. "You want something to drink, Derek? Maybe some beer?"
Derek nervously chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck once again. "I've seen this trick before, Mr. Drake. I just turned seventeen two months ago; I'm not of age to drink."
"Smart man," Nate said as he popped open a can of beer for himself. "Seriously, make sure that you have fun tonight. Make sure that Cassie has fun tonight."
"Yes," Derek said, finding his confidence once more.
"But not too much fun if you know what I mean."
And Derek was back to square one.
"Wow," a voice said, "You look handsome, Derek."
Derek looked down the hall and gasped under his breath.
Oh my god, she is so beautiful.
The corsage that he got her was pinned to her left waist and the white flower contrasted perfectly against her red dress.
I never noticed how handsome Derek is in a tux, she thought, And we're going as friends only.
"Hey, Cassie," he said in a soft voice, his nervousness suddenly leaving him and being replaced with a warm feeling in his chest. "Wow, you look good."
"I look 'good'? Are you saying you're going to eat me?"
Derek shook his head, "No, I'm not a cannibal, I just think that you look very pretty."
"Takes a pretty person to know a pretty person."
Derek smiled softly. "Thanks."
Cassie averted her eyes slightly but couldn't resist having them land on how manly and buff his arms looked in that suit. "So, how's life been?"
"Good," Derek chokes slightly. "I... uh... how did your driving test go?"
She shrugs. "Well, I got my license but my driving instructor said, and I quote, 'someone like you should never be allowed to drive'."
After a few minutes of awkward talk, Cassie and Derek got together in front of a green screen set up in the garage and they snapped a few pictures. One of the poses involved bunny ears done unknowingly to the other but when they found out, they laughed and patted each other on the back. They did this for maybe ten minutes before it was time to leave.
Nate and Elena both drove them to prom; Nate in the driver's seat with Elena riding shotgun.
Cassie sat behind her father while Derek sat behind her friend's mother, each person looking out their respective windows and trying and think of ways to prepare themselves for this night.
Prom night, Cassie thought, a night not to forget. She looked down at her corsage. And I can't believe how perfect this corsage is on my dress.
After they made it to the school, Nate found a parking spot in the back of the school where the kids were ordered to go in. They had their school IDs on them as they jumped out of the car. Cassie knocked on her father's window and when he rolled it down, he hugged her.
"Have fun," Nate said, "We'll pick you up at ten."
"Bye," Cassie waved as they drove off.
When Cassie turned around, she saw Derek holding his left elbow out.
"I will walk you in," he said.
Cassie wrapped her arm around his elbow and escorted her into the building, showing the IDs to the guards before heading into the gym.
The gym was as glamorous as described in the flyers. A dashing and dazzling crystal ball spinning like there was no end in sight, a buffet table full of rich and tasty fruits, a bowl of punch, a bowl of freshly squeezed lemonade, a fountain of chocolate, and last but not least, a D playing live music.
The gym was full of people just like Cassie and Derek: Teenagers who just wanted to spend one last dance together before it was the end of their youth. This was a time to live their teenage life to the fullest. Kiss, make out, make love, have a good time with their boyfriend, girlfriend, best friends, no limit.
They were going to be graduating in a few months and those who weren't were having friends graduating in a few months and that was the start of their adult life. It goes without saying that prom was the time for everybody to have a good time at their last dance in school. A night to remember. Not a winter dance or charity event, but an event made for love.
The current music that was playing was jazz, not a bad choice considering that prom officially started five minutes ago and it could be considered welcoming music.
The dancefloor wasn't full yet and people were still coming in. Since they were the one of the first to arrive, they immediately went to the buffet table to grab themselves something to drink.
Derek, being the gentlemen he was, poured a cup of punch for her.
"You're such a gentleman," Cassie said as she took a sip, leaving a lipstick mark on the cup. "Tastes bad."
"Well, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't pour my beloved some sinkwater punch."
She chuckles. "The best kind of gentleman to ever exist."
"Thank you. Does this mean I deserve a treat?" Derek grabbed a strawberry and dipped it in the chocolate fountain. "Self-portrait idea: Derek Lowell going the way of the Greeks and enjoying himself some fresh strawberries covered in chocolate."
"It'll be a groundbreaking painting for you one day, D-Man and I promise to be the first one to get your autograph."
Minutes passed to an hour and more people began flooding the building. More than enough people were in the room for the DJ to change the beat to the music that was picked for this prom. He played upbeat romance music, rock music, classical music, and his favorite, clean rap music.
Cassie and Derek weren't joined to the hip all night; they went off and did their own thing but managed to secure their table and put their vote for Prom King and Prom Queen into the box.
Neither teen told the other who they were voting for prom king and queen since it should be a surprise. When Derek was looking away, however, Cassie slipped an additional index card into the ballot.
Cassie was by herself and eating some fruit at her table when her group of gal friends approached her.
"Hey, girlfriend," Trisha exclaimed as she walked over.
Cassie got up and greeted Trisha and her two companions.
"Nice to see you guys," she said, "Where are your prom dates?"
"My boyfriend's spending some time with his bros. You're looking nice today."
Cassie smiled and looked away for a brief second. "Thanks. I could say the same for you guys." She nodded to their blue dresses. "Blue really brings out the color of your eyes."
"Aww and red really brings out the color of your blush." She looks away. "How's Derek?"
Cassie tried putting her hands in her pocket before realizing she lacked them. "He's doing fine. Fine and dandy. Dandy Derek."
"Is he your prom date?"
"We're just going as friends."
"Cassie," Trish exclaimed, "'Friends'? That's all you're going as? You and Derek have been friends since fourth grade and you're going to prom only as friends?"
She narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at, Trish?"
"I ship you and Derek together. Cassie x Derek."
Cassie blushed but her makeup hid it well. "We don't see each other like that; we're just friends. Nothing more."
"You say that now but how would you feel if he was dancing with another woman?"
"I know that he is in a somewhat relationship with a girl named Angie."
"And you're not moved by it?"
"No, I'm happy for him that he is in a relationship."
"But what about you? Aren't you sad that you're not in a relationship?"
Cassie chuckled. "I just got out of a relationship with Simon; the big guy from the swim team."
"Who broke up first?"
"It was mutual. And... there's no need to rush things, Trish."
"Trish!"
The young girl turned around to see a tall man standing before her. He was wearing a blue suit and his hair was combed to the side. He doesn't waste a second before diving in to kiss her, pulling her waist against his.
Lee broke away from the kiss to put his forehead to hers. "How's my gal been?"
"Dazzling up the room," Trish said with heated cheeks.
"Speaking of which, next song, we're break dancing."
"I can't breakdance," she yelled, "And I'm wearing a dress!"
"I don't mind seeing your dress fly up your leg."
The boy standing behind Lee looked over his friend's shoulder and gazed upon Cassie's beauty. His eyes widened and breath was stolen from him.
Wow, she has pretty blonde hair, he thought, she's a senior and I'm a junior; I have to tell her or I won't get this chance with her next year.
"Hi," the junior called to Cassie, "your hair tied in a ponytail makes you look different from the other girls." He looked away as he felt his face heat up. "You have pretty blonde hair."
Cassie put a hand on her heart and smiled. "Thank you. And I like that tie of yours."
Cassie decided it was time to leave.
The boy's eyes followed Cassie as she walked away.
"Cameron," Lee called, "That's Cassie Drake."
Cameron gasped. "That's Derek's girlfriend? Wow, lucky guy."
"They're not boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Which sucks because they're so cute together," Trish said. She looked over at the voting ballots for the king and queen of prom and hatched an idea.
Cassie returned to Derek's table, chatting with some of his bros before they went off and did their own thing.
"Hey Cassie," Derek said with a smile, "How are things going for you? Prom good?"
"Everything is going great and I don't want this night to end." She sat down in the chair next to him. "I know this may seem weird and whatnot but do you want to dance with me?"
He hesitated before shrugging.
"Lee wants to breakdance with Trish."
"But she's wearing a dress."
She confirmed his suspicion by nodding. "And he wants to study music and dancing in college." That reminded her of something. "You said you want to study archaeology in college?"
"And art history."
"Is archaeology something you're truly passionate about?"
"Of course it is, Cassie. I love going on digs with you and would be more than happy to."
She chuckled before jokingly punching him in the shoulder. "Don't make me regret telling you my parents are the legendary Nathan and Elena Drake."
"We could be the next generation of Nathan and Elena Drake."
As soon as he said those words, he hid his flustered face behind his forearms.
She laughed and patted the top of his head like a dog. "I didn't realize you saw us as THAT, Derek! Already thinking of taking on the Drake last name, are ya?"
The music suddenly going quiet set everyone on high alert. They looked up towards the stage to see a teacher standing in front of a mic next to the DJ.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is time to announce the prom king and the prom queen."
Trish, Lee, and Cameron look at Cassie and Derek while blindly clapping their hands together.
The teacher holds up two envelopes, a pink and blue one. Before she proceeds further, she reminds the students, "After the big reveal, the Prom King and Queen are required to do a slow dance, made-up law by the school and everything."
She opens up the blue letter for prom king.
"And the Prom King is…."
The DJ did a drum roll on his sound machine.
"Derek Lowell!"
Derek's head snapped up with a gasp as the crowd clapped. Trish, Lee, and Cameron, however, cheered.
"And the Prom Queen…"
DJ drum roll.
"Cassie Drake."
Cassie's breath escaped her mouth like a fish. Instead of hiding, she cried in joy.
Trish, Lee, and Cameron cheered as loud as they could as a spotlight shined on the two.
"What do you know, Derek, we're the rulers of this prom! How does it feel?!"
"Unexpected," he whispers sheepishly.
Cassie looks at Trish, Lee, and Cameron.
Trish said that she ships me and Derek. No doubt she and her friends set this up.
"Dance with me, Derek."
Derek reluctantly grabbed Cassie's hand and was led to the middle of the dance floor.
Even though Derek was the talker one of the two, he was the submissive one in the dance. He was very hesitant as to where he should put his hands. There were eyes on him in all directions and he didn't want to look like a pervert.
"Stop being shy," she said before grabbing his hands and putting them on her hips, "Just do what you think feels good."
Derek hesitantly obeyed and rested his chin against her forehead.
The DJ played a slow song and activated the fog machine he brought with him. He turned down the lights so the crystal ball was having red lights dance slowly off the walls.
It all felt right. After a few minutes of slow dancing, it all felt right.
There were people watching but it didn't matter. There was music playing but it didn't matter. They were not boyfriend and girlfriend but it didn't matter.
All that mattered was this moment.
The moment when Cassie and Derek slow danced for the first time in their lives. Cassie didn't want it to be anybody else. Derek was there since they were ten, been best friends forever, dreamed together, and wanted to go off into the world together. When Cassie told her parents she wanted to be a treasure hunter - the risk-taking kind - they tried to talk her out of it. But Derek was there and he told her to pursue her dream, no matter what her parents said. He wasn't just saying this to be supportive absentmindedly; he was saying this because he knew it would make her happy.
As all these thoughts flooded through Cassie's mind, she knew that she wasn't going to take this moment for granted. She was going to cherish dancing with Derek Lowell for the first and (potentially) only time before she started her career as a treasure hunter.
Derek.
Chapter 3: New Life
June 2031
"Alex Sierra Anderson!" The principal called and everyone cheered. Alex got up and went to receive her diploma.
Cassie smiled at the gown she wore. She was graduating from high school at seventeen along with Derek. She now stood at five-foot-eight and had slightly longer hair but still retained her waviness and dirty blonde color. Derek was now six-foot-one and a little more muscular. She switched to contacts permanently this time.
Cassie stared into the audience. Her mother, father, grandfather, uncle, aunt, and three cousins (including her newborn one) watched as she was about to receive her diploma at this very moment.
"Robert Gerald Bowman," the principal called out. Robert went to collect his diploma. The principal began calling out more names and they all received their diplomas. "Marcus Jackson Cleveland. Anthony Gray Daniels. Paul Mitchell Dorrance."
Cassie's eyes went wide as she expected to hear her name being called. "Cassandra Morgan Drake." Nate, Elena, Sam, Magna, Andy, Nancy, and Sully cheered as loud as they could as they saw Cassie receive her diploma.
She joined the group who were already called and waited for Derek to be called up. "Derek Williamson Lowell." Cassie cheered for her friend and so did Derek's parents in the crowd. Derek got his diploma and walked towards the crowd of people.
Cassie and Derek stood at different distances from each other and watched as the others received their diplomas.
"Simon Garfield Vincent."
After everyone got their diplomas, the principal said a few words into the mic. She gave a very inspirational speech about how everyone who graduated had earned their place in society and they deserve to get their diplomas. At least 97% of over four hundred and fifty seniors were going to college. After the principal gave her inspirational speech, everyone cheered and clapped.
Like every tradition that followed, all seniors threw their caps into the air and the crowd went wild.
"Seniors, enjoy the rest of your lives," the principal says one last time into the mic.
While every senior was cheering, Cassie and Derek reunited and hugged each other tightly. When they were done, Cassie and Derek looked each other in the eye with a smile on each other's faces. "Well, D-Man, how does it feel now that we are free of school?!" she shouted through the loud crowd.
"It feels good, Cassie!" Derek answered delightfully. He stared at her for a very brief moment and all of a sudden, his heart dropped to his stomach. He dropped his smile. When he looked into Cassie's eyes, he didn't see a girl who had been his friend since they were ten, he saw someone who he liked. Someone who he suddenly fell in love with. Cassie and Derek first met each other on the first day of fourth grade and became instant best friends. They have been best friends for a very long time, but now, Derek is starting to develop feelings for Cassie.
He leans in to kiss her, but something interrupts them. Nate and Elena were calling out to Cassie. Derek waved goodbye and went to regroup with his parents.
"Hey Cassie, we can't tell you how proud we are of you," Elena said.
"You graduating as a senior at seventeen, you got my intelligence from me," Nate spoke next.
Her uncle and grandfather hugged Cassie tightly. Her uncle asked the question, "So now that you are free from school, now what?"
She already had an answer and with a smile, she said, "Well, I already filled out an application for several colleges and I was accepted by one. Derek and I have been accepted into the University of Hawaii in Maui. As of 2029, it's the best school for archeology in the country."
"Man, I love that college. It's the best for what field she wants," her mother supposed.
"It's close, at least," her father interjected.
"And your parents didn't have to pay for it," her grandfather went in with a laugh.
XXXX
Two weeks later
"It has been barely two weeks since the school's over and you are already going to college," Cassie's mother almost cried.
"I know. I'm moving my stuff there. I won't live there until August," Cassie clarified.
"It feels like only yesterday that you were wearing diapers." Her mother began crying. "You kids grow up so fast." She hugs Cassie tightly.
"Mom, I am still gonna be here. If it makes you happy, I will visit every holiday."
"You come every day after school. I always want to make sure my baby girl is okay." Her mother released Cassie from her hug.
Cassie's father came into Cassie's room and hugged Cassie tightly. Saying no words, Cassie knew she didn't need to say anything. Neither did her father.
Her parents personally drove Casie to the University of Hawaii in Maui. This place was beautiful and bright with its school colors across the walls, and most of all, it was free.
"This place is magnificent," Mother said in awe.
"And it's free," Father said.
"Whatever you say, cheapskate," Mother countered.
"I ain't cheap."
Cassie ignored them, picked up a few stacked boxes, and took them to her dorm. Mother and Father following.
"This is officially going to be your place for the next several years until you get your Ph.D. in eight years. You'll be twenty-five by then," Father pointed out.
"Well, I will be twenty-four when I get my Master's Degree and twenty-six when I get my Ph.D. in archaeology. So nine years, technically," Cassie corrected. "Derek is also minoring in Art history."
"Well, the most important thing to remember when you are in college is to study hard and have fun," Mother said.
Derek and his parents came into the room. Derek's mother - Erica - and his father - Richard - said hello to Cassie's parents.
"Hey, Cassie. You move your stuff here?"
"Yeah, college starts in August." Cassie laughed at Derek.
Derek felt his heartbeat increase.
"So, how have you been D-Man?"
"Good, been looking up some archeological sites around the world that we could visit during our time off. There is one currently on Easter Island."
"Easter Island, I have always wanted to go there."
"Me too. I heard a rumor from one of the professors that we may go to Easter Island and learn about the Moai statues."
Cassie smiled before sighing. "I hope that rumor is true."
Cassie set her stuff down on the bed and helped Derek out. "So D-Man, you are my roommate for the next nine years."
Derek paused and felt like passing out. He felt like he was being implied that he and Cassie might start a relationship. "Yes."
"Good. I wonder if we could join a frat."
XXX
Two months later
Cassie now slept in her dorm room with Derek on the other side of the room. In six hours, the first day of college was going to start. She was very nervous. Her mother gave her some advice about college and it calmed her down a bit. When she felt like she couldn't sleep, she watched the 1993 Cliffhanger movie starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Rooker on her phone.
Eventually, Cassie fell asleep. She was awoken by her alarm clock. She got out of bed and saw Derek waking up in the other bed. "What a night," She muttered to herself. "I dreamt of falling off a mountain, yet I survived somehow."
She looked at the time. The class started in exactly one hour. Plenty of time to take a ten-minute shower. She quickly gathers her clothes and goes into the bathroom to take a shower.
Derek was too impatient to wait to take a shower and decided to take one in the men's room. However, someone put up a men's room sign over the women's room sign and Derek walked right into the ladies locker room.
He realized too late that he was in the ladies' room. No woman saw him as all their backs were turned. Derek immediately ran out as fast as he could and decided to wait for Cassie to finish showering. He hoped no girl saw him in the ladies' room because from what he heard in college, rumors spread like wildfire ten times faster than any rumor in high school.
"Hey Derek," Cassie called upon noticing Derek's return. "Where ya been?" Derek was too embarrassed to talk. He just went into the shower. Cassie gathered her books and went out into the hallway. There was a herd of people walking all across campus.
She waited for Derek to come out and walk her to class. Derek came out, wearing nice clothes and he escorted her to her first class which was Anthropology.
Cassie sat in the front row seat and Derek sat beside her. Since the class was getting ready to start in two minutes, Cassie took out her book about the First Crusade and read it. The First Crusade started in 1095 and ended in 1099. A long time to wait.
The bell rang, time to learn. A young middle-aged man came into the room wearing square glasses and a red and blue striped tie. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Professor Denzel Harvey and I hope you have a taste for ancient civilizations because our topic for the entire will semester will be Anthropology."
Cassie and Derek listened to every single word that he said. Until they overheard some girls talking about some guy who came running out of the ladies' locker room while they were showering. Derek said nothing but kept a good and straight poker face that was enough to throw Cassie's suspicions off of him.
"Now, in today's lesson, we are going to talk about a lost civilization on Easter Island. Any of you guys who have gone to Easter Island have probably seen the Moai statues. Well, several archaeologists at Easter Island have just found out that the ancient Polynesians had a massive and almost advanced civilization there. We have several tablets to prove it. All of the tablets are written in an ancient language that nobody has been able to translate so far."
Harvey draws the Polynesian tablet. Cassie and Derek immediately recognized it as the one that Rick tried to steal two years ago but gave it to Cassie.
She smiles with a cocky expression. "I can read the Polynesian language," She says to herself proudly.
She raises her hand and Harvey calls on her. She was called up to the board and was writing the language on the board and reading it. "It translates that the Polynesians built the Moai Statues not only with their bare hands but a supernatural force from a lost city underground called Hawaiki. The tablet says that the Polynesians made seven other tablets that act as maps to find Hawaiki. This tablet says whoever possesses the power in Hawaiki, has the potential to be invincible, invulnerable to any physical attack, and build empires in a single day. That power is unstable though."
A young student in the crowd smiled at this idea. The idea of being unkillable sounded like a sweet idea to him that he shook in his sneakers. He now set himself a goal. He was going to find Hawaiki and grant himself the power of Hawaiki. He had nothing to show for himself and he had been wronged too many times in his life and it was time to even the score.
Chapter 4: Field Trip
October 2031
Ahu Tongariki, Easter Island
Two months later, Harvey took Cassie, Derek, and twenty-three other students to Easter Island for research on the moai statues. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to join us on our research lab tour of Easter Island," the lead scientist said.
The twenty-five students were inside a big research facility that looked like something right out of a science fiction movie. There was advanced laboratory equipment and all kinds of unidentified insects. Right now, the lead scientist, a thinning young ginger-haired woman, who was showing everyone the science lab and in the science lab, research about the mysterious tablets were everywhere.
Cassie was taking huge interests in this little field trip. She and Derek did a little digging around, hoping that they were about to unearth a miniature moai statue, only to discover that it was just a shovel. Other than that, everything was perfect. Until someone shoved her. She was able to maintain her balance and turned around to see who it was. It was none other than Peyton Piers, a six-foot-tall, red-haired, blue-eyed, tan-skinned, Oahu native, an eighteen-year-old jerky college kid who frequently physically and verbally bullied Cassie, but not Derek. But his friends Andrew Lorentz - who was seventeen, African-American and stood at five-foot-ten, had wavy brown hair and eyes - and William Valentine - a sixteen-year-old Maui native with straight black hair, brown eyes, and heavy weighted - did, however.
"Leave me alone, Peyton," Cassie demanded as she faced him.
Peyton did nothing but laugh with a hint of sadism in his voice. "Or what... Cassie Drake?"
"Or I will talk you to death."
"Yeah right, I dare you to." Peyton laughed with his friends.
"Hey Peyton, how about we beat up both of them after tonight?" William suggested aloud and cracked his knuckles. "Andrew and I can take turns punching Derek while you can beat the shit out of Cassie. Then we can throw their bodies over the edge."
Harvey appeared behind Cassie seemingly out of nowhere. "What is going on over here?"
Peyton and his friends said nothing, but Cassie and Derek were about to talk and deny until Harvey was called back.
"Peyton, Andrew, William, I am warning you. Leave us alone or things will get dicey," Cassie threatened.
"Looks like the bitch is threatening us," Peyton told his friends. "Watch your back, bitch, or we'll show you dicey." They laugh before walking off.
Derek pats Cassie on the back. "We came here to learn, not to fight. Let's get back on schedule."
Cassie and Derek caught up with the other students.
"Now ladies and gentlemen, what you are seeing on the projector is a picture of all of the Moai statues on the island. If you notice, the tablets bear a striking resemblance to the moai statues, especially with the ancient Polynesian language. It's spectacular. According to one of your students, you said that Hawaiki may be here on Easter Island. Well, with the tablet translated, we can most certainly find out. Well, we may not find the lost city but the journey is always more important than the destination."
Cassie liked what the lead scientist said. It made her feel like she made something or was going to make something in this find. She remembered a quote that David Hurst Thomas said. It's not about what you find, it's about what you find out. She was going to make her quotes one of these days.
"By the way, what was the name of that student who translated the Polynesian language on the tablet?"
Cassie raised her hand. The lead scientist asked how she knew ancient Polynesians. "My dad taught me, just like he taught me Latin. I have one of the tablets back home in Maui."
"You think you could ask someone to bring it, we may need it in our search for Hawaiki?" The lead scientist asked politely.
"I think I can." She took out her phone and called the two people she trusted besides Derek. Her friend halted her, saying before they left, he acquired the tablet for her because it would make sense to bring it with them on the trip. "Derek, you beautiful son of a bitch."
Derek smiles. "Beautiful, yeah, I like it."
About an hour later, Cassie and Derek were eating at a restaurant with the other twenty-three students and their college professor. When nobody was looking, Peyton, who was sitting beside Cassie, poured apple juice into her hair. She flips out and punches him hard in the face. He fell off the table and landed on his hard on his back on the ground.
He puts a finger to his lips and growls when he realizes that he is bleeding. Everybody saw this little incident happening but nobody did anything, just resumed eating. It was like this happened daily, and it ironically happens regularly back in Maui.
"Thanks for the punch to the mouth Cassie. I think I'll be leaving now," Peyton groaned in a somewhat sad voice. When she wasn't looking, he smiled. "Nice haymaker, Cassie."
Cassie glared at him. "Thanks, been sparring on the mat for a few weeks; sure comes in handy."
"Wait, Peyton don't go. Cassie, you assaulted Peyton," Andrew berated.
"Me? He shoved me earlier, which is considered assault, and he wanted to punch me. I just returned the favor."
"That is correct, Cassie, Peyton, if you mess with Cassie again, then I will personally make sure you fail my class," Harvey threatened.
"Fine." Peyton sat back in his seat next to William and Andrew.
Cassie and Derek finished their bowl of soup and ordered dessert off the menu. "Hey Cassie, you should try the gumbo pie, it's amazing," Derek said.
"Okay, I trust you," Cassie asked the waitress for two of the gumbo pies.
After they finished, Derek was waiting for Cassie to answer. "I gotta say, Derek, the French sure know how to make a pie."
"Actually, it's not only pie, but it's also a dish and even a drink," he said.
"I would love to see France." She turns to him. "Isn't weird that we haven't been to France? I think I've been to France when I was little but I don't remember. I better start working on my French though."
"Oui," Derek nods.
"So, is everyone satisfied with their meal?" Harvey asked. He looked at everyone, especially at Peyton and his two troublemakers.
Everyone nodded.
Cassie, Derek, Harvey, and the twenty-three students got up after paying the check and they left the restaurant.
"Hey Cassie, you think you can take the tablet with us when we go to the moai statues again?" Harvey asked.
"Sure."
"Okay." Harvey began escorting them to their hotel.
Cassie and Derek slept in the same room with several other students. Derek slept on the couch while the others slept in the other beds.
Cassie woke up a few hours later and it was still nighttime. She went to the kitchen to get a midnight snack. She pulls out a turkey sandwich and consumes it. When she turned around, she saw the silhouette of a human figure.
"Is that you Derek?" The figure says nothing. She tried to make out his face but the total darkness in the room hid his face. Cassie moved forward toward a nearby table lamp and attempted to turn it on. As soon as her hands found the lever, the figure slapped her hand away and slapped Cassie across the cheek, knocking her to the floor.
"I hope you enjoyed your meal. It's the last meal you'll ever eat." The figure's voice boomed. It was so well disguised, that she could not recognize it.
Cassie tried to get up but was stunned to see that Derek was still sleeping on the couch.
"You are probably wondering who we are." The figure said 'We' instead of 'I'.
Cassie was grabbed behind by another figure. The first figure began punching her hard in the stomach. "Cassie, we are not done yet. You better be ready for us next time."
Then, Cassie heard a yell and the first figure being tackled to the ground. "You never punch a girl!" a familiar voice shouted.
"Derek." She recognized the voice.
While still being grabbed from behind, the second figure throws her to the side and begins assaulting her with some kind of object. She was stuck in the head and immediately lost consciousness.
Chapter 5: Mishaps
Cassie woke up in a groggy state, slowly peeling her eyes open. Above her was light. She was in the hospital. Beside her was none other than Derek, who had his lips bruised and bloody and a black eye.
"D-Man, what happened?" She squirms uncomfortably in her bed worriedly.
"Well, you sustained head trauma with a metal rod to the forehead, you have a black eye, a stitched cheek after you were whacked in your right cheek and you have a broken index finger on your right hand," he told as if he had rehearsed it.
"No, what happened to you?" Cassie corrected before she thanked him for his concern. "But thanks for telling me about my damage."
"No problem. I sustained a minor head injury, a black eye, a busted lip, and bruising broken ribs. Other than that, I have received a wound to my shoulder after the first attacker stabbed me with a pencil."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm good. You've been out for six hours. Doctors said you are lucky to have survived. The police are currently trying to figure out who the would-be assailants are."
"I got a pretty good idea." Cassie was thinking of Peyton, Andrew, and William. "I'm thinking of Peyton, Andrew, and William."
"I can see why, but the Prof. says that he was with the three all night and only fell asleep after the assault happened."
"Our teacher must be in on it. Peyton must have paid him off, or worse." Cassie thought of the worst. She looked around the hospital room and the instruments that were in her arms. "How long do I have to be here?"
"The doctor recommends that you stay in bed for at least a week."
She has a sudden flashback. The first assailant told Cassie that they weren't done with her and they would be back. "The first attacker said 'we' which means more than one. There are at least two. He also called me by my first name so that adds more to the theory that it's Peyton and his cohorts."
"Did you recognize the voice?"
"No, it was so well disguised, maybe they used a voice modifier. Or they had laryngitis; I hope that's the case."
"Okay, let's look at the clues here." Derek gave a long sigh. "These people know who you are, are masters of disguise, and they were aware of the room you were in. I was half asleep and not once did I hear the door open."
"So, they must have either snuck into our room when we were gone or a secret passageway. They were dressed in all black. Why would they want to attack me? What have I done to them?"
Derek's eyes widened at the idea but it was more out of sarcasm though. "Back to your Peyton idea, I was thinking...
"But you said Harvey was up all night and did not see them leave the room."
"No, before you woke up, Harvey was talking in a very slurred voice as if he was drunk. At the restaurant, he did not drink at all. I vaguely remember before going to bed that he drank water. Maybe the water was filled with some kind of drug. We were making a pretty big ruckus so someone should've woken up, especially when Professor Harey was in the next room."
"That's a good theory. We need to investigate. Until then D-Man, let's keep this between us."
"Sure thing." He adjusts her bed. "Let's get you out of this bed. You can sleep with me tonight in my room at this other hotel."
Cassie chuckled at him and patted him on the back, "Don't get the wrong idea buddy boy."
"I wasn't thinking of that until now that you have said it."
Several hours later, Cassie, who had ejected herself out of the hospital, had settled in Derek's room in the hotel he mentioned. After they settled down and made sure that Cassie's finger was wrapped tight in a cast, Derek went on to solve crimes like some kind of 1940s detective.
Derek went back into the hotel that Prof. Harvey rented them in and went into the room where Harvey, Peyton, Andrew, and Williams slept. Nothing had been touched since Cassie went to the hospital. Derek put on latex gloves to avoid disturbing the police evidence and began investigating.
He picked up the glass of water that Harvey drank. There was still a little water in and so was some kind of substance at the bottom. Derek pours some of the water onto a paper plate. He removes one of his latex gloves and dips his finger in the substance. It felt very slimy. He sniffed it and it smelled like wet dog hair. It was most certainly a drug, but what kind of drug? One to temporarily blind Harvey. He pulls out his phone to look up some information before pocketing his phone.
Superdetective Derek goes back to his room at his hotel to tell Cassie about his investigations. When he opens the door, he is confused at what he sees, Cassie is being approached by someone and this person has a few dollars in his hands.
"Thank you," the man told Cassie, "I'll be sure to make good use of this money when I visit the United States.
"No problem," Cassie shrugs, "nothing to visit though."
"I'll be the judge of that, American."
Derek blinked rapidly before moving out of the way and let the guy exit the room.
"Hey, Cassie," he waved at her. She gave a blank expression at him. "So, I finally found the drug in Professor Harvey's drink. It's some kind of sticky substance when it comes into contact with your fingers. I was able to look up some hallucinogenic drugs just a few minutes ago. One of the hallucination drugs I found was a brand called 'Hawk-Eyed' which means that people who have been drugged only see what they want to see. And Peyton's stepfather is a pharmacist."
Cassie leaned forward. "So, but why would Peyton want to hurt me?" Cassie wondered. "Other than the fact that he is a douchebag."
Derek remembered a few months back. "You know, when you translated the tablet on the board two months ago, when you mentioned that whoever possesses Hawaiki is invincible, I saw in the corner of my eye, Peyton smiling."
It didn't take long for Cassie to deduce, "So Peyton and his two buds after Hawaiki. Why attack me?"
"Maybe they are trying to force you to find the lost city for them," he suggested. "But... what's the point of attacking you only to leave you alive? Why not kidnap you and force you to find you the lost city."
"I'm not sure why. But, if they want the lost cities, they need tablets, which act like maps. Most likely." Her eyes widened. "Derek, where did you put the tablet that we found two years ago? If Peyton finds it, he might get what he wants. We got to figure out that puzzle before he does." She jumps up from her bed. "Peyton may be an asshole, but when he sets his mind on something, he has to be dead to give up."
"It's safe in my bag which has been unopened." His mind leaves for another matter. "By the way, what was the deal with that guy in the room?" he asked rather quickly.
"That was Fidel, hotel housekeeping. He gave me a couple of painkillers for my injuries in exchange for a few American dollars for his next trip to the US of A. Nice guy, somewhat."
"Okay," he said slowly, "good to know."
Cassie narrowed her eyes. "Where is your bag?"
"It's in a locker at the airport at the beach," he answered.
"Okay then, let's go get it."
XXXX
With Peyton
Peyton sighed deeply as he stood over the cliff and watched the waves crash against the ocean. He inhales deeply before spreading his arms like an eagle. He put his hands down removed his wallet and pulled out a family photo of him, his two little sisters, and his parents. He focused on his father in the picture and closed his eyes to remember a time when his father was alive and still working with a passion for life.
The man, a well-respected journalist, fought tooth and nail to get the story of whatever adventure he went on. The last conversation Peyton had with his father, he could remember in verbatim.
"Peyton, I am going on the adventure of a lifetime. A conspiracy lying deep within the US government is ahead and I intend to find out about it. It'll be an adventure. When I get back from Washington D.C., you will be the first to hear my story."
"Thanks, Daddy, I promise not to tell."
One week later, he was declared dead from a car accident. A hit-and-run car accident.
I'm not stupid, I know exactly what happened. Dad, you shouldn't have gone poking where it didn't belong but you were a journalist, just doing your job. It is not your fault. It's the government's fault for wasting you, and whacking you. I wanted you to be here to see me attend college, to make it to my sixteen-year-old sister's wedding where I was the best man. You should've been here to see me get on the path to becoming a doctor. I didn't want to take those archaeology classes but I needed the credits.
And now, I'm glad, because I have the Daughter of Nathan Drake here to help me. I promise, Dad, I will avenge you. I will root out the destruction and free everyone from this tyranny.
Chapter 6: Cliffside
Unfortunately, William had already gotten to Derek's bag first. He had to break through several lockers at the airport but his lockpicking skills sure came in handy.
When Professor Harvey showed up to claim some items, he spotted William walking away with Derek's bag.
"What the hell?!" Harvey eyes William up and down. "What are you doing?"
"Forgot my bag."
Harvey glares. "That's not yours."
William looked around and saw that the airport was crowded with a number of civilians. He shoots a glare at his professor before he walks off.
"Come back here," Harvey follows after him.
Harvey followed him about one-quarter of a mile away from the airport with Harvey gaining speed with each second. Out of sight from the civilians, William smiled. When Harvey grabbed him, William turned and held a knife to the professor's throat.
"So, Prof. Harvey, why did you have to follow me?" William asked curiously. He pushes Harvey to move forward and escorts them to a cliff.
"I was getting a little concerned for my students, duh," Harvey deadpanned. "You attacked my students?" He looks at Derek's bag. "And I'm assuming the Polynesian tablet is in there, right?"
William said nothing.
"All this over a tablet?"
"An ancient Polynesian tablet!"
Harvey rolls his eyes. "Whatever."
"That was found in Hawaii," the villain continued. The professor noticed how William's eyes went bright with anticipation.
"So, how are the moai statues connected? Please, tell me how." Harvey asked. "I've been to Easter Island several years ago, before Cassie, and saw nothing but statues. Beautiful statues."
Suddenly, William kicked Harvey in the groin area and caused the professor to fold over with a pained groan. He puts the knife to his throat and demands, "Jump, and I will not kill you in the most painful way I can think of."
Professor Harvey raised his hands slowly above his head but stayed on the ground.
"Why William? Why would you do this?" he asked, his voice dry.
"It's simple. Cassie translated the language on the tablets and revealed that whoever rules Hawaiki is paid handsomely with invincibility and invulnerability. This is my good friend's dream. I don't believe in these myths, but I owe my friend a favor and he is calling in the favor." William answered. "Now jump over the cliff. Don't make me force you."
"Please?" Harvey begged.
"Now!" William forced.
Harvey very slowly got up. He turned around slowly and just as he was turning, he quickly punched William. He punched William hard in the jaw and almost sent him flying off the edge. William hits Harvey in the stomach with the hilt of the knife.
Harvey hit William in the face with a rock and distorted him. William strikes him in the face, knocking him to the ground. Now with Harvey on the ground, William tosses the knife to the side and pulls out a pistol to aim at Harvey.
"You had a gun and chose to use a knife instead and now you're using a gun?" Harvey shook his head. "What is wrong with you?"
"I'm not getting anywhere near you, not after what you did." He stands up. "Now you are in for it." William loaded a magazine into the pistol. "Goodbye." He makes sure the safety is off. He fires. The bullet misses Harvey's head by inches. Cassie tackled William to the ground, the gun sliding away. With Cassie on top, William flips her over so she lands on her back. William recovers faster and stomps on Cassie. William was then grappled from behind by Derek. William uses all his strength to hit Derek with his head and disorient him
William breaks free and punches him in the ribs painfully before bodyslamming him.
William looked over and saw Cassie hanging from a handhold, over the cliff. She was losing her grip pretty quickly.
"Cassie, now you are really in for it." William stomps hard on Cassie's right hand, making her lose her grip. She was now hanging by one hand. She looks below her and sees the beach ground fifty-two feet below her. "It is time to die, Cassie. Although I wish I could keep you alive. I would treat you right." He puts his foot on Cassie's left hand and puts all his weight on it. "I hope you enjoy the fall."
A gunshot went off. Blood seeped from William's left shoulder and dripped on Cassie's forehead. William winced in agony. Willaim turned and saw Harvey with the pistol with smoke emitting from the barrel. He roars and charges at Harvey. He tackles the professor to the ground which causes the gun to go flying ahead. Once Willaim tackled Harvey to the ground, the gun bounced off the ground and unintentionally discharged a bullet that went right into William's skull.
Cassie climbed back up and saw William's frozen corpse being pushed back by Harvey. She was too terrified to look at the villain's corpse and looked away.
Harvey crawled away from the corpse while Derek planted himself in front of Cassie to shield her vision from the corpse.
The only thing that Cassie could say was: "That was nothing like the movies."
XXXX
A few days have passed since William died. Harvey had wanted to cancel the trip early but severe thunderstorms made flights back to the US impossible and Petyon had vanished. Cassie was still in her recovering room with Derek in there with her.
"So, since our little encounter with William, the students have been distant from us," Derek announced.
"They believe we killed William in cold blood," Cassie told her friend. William's death had been his fault.
"It was either him or you Cassie, and I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."
Cassie smiled at what he said. It made her feel loved, a lot. "Thanks, D-Man."
"He killed himself," he reminded her, "don't worry, no blood is on any of our hands."
"If we don't stay away from the students and the professor, then Peyton and Andrew might come after them, probably cause collateral damage." She grips her hair hard. So, this is what my parents felt like on their adventures. "Whatever Peyton and Andrew are planning… we gotta do something."
"We've already called the police but they don't seem to be doing anything. Andrew is rich so… I wouldn't be surprised if he paid them off." Derek shows her the tablet. "So, this is the thing that Peyton and Andrew are after?" He observed the tablet thoroughly.
"Well, from the one thing I read, but not aloud to the class, it says that two other tablets are required and it shows a map of the tablets' locations," she answered. Derek hands her the tablet and she begins reading it. "The first tablet is located at Ahu Tahai. The second is located on Hanga Piko." She stands up. "Okay then. Now we know where to go."
"What about Peyton and Andrew, what if they sneak in, as you said, beat you up, take the tablet, and force you to translate it?" he asked. "What I am saying is they might follow us. We should find the other tablets and destroy them so no one can possess Hawaiki."
"Destroy Hawaiki, when we could study the place?"
He tilted his head. "Cassie, let me ask you something."
"Go on."
"Put yourself into the shoes of a psycho."
"Okay," Cassie complied hesitantly.
"If you found a place like Hawaiki, and the legend says whoever possesses Hawaiki, possesses the power to be invincible, what would you do?"
Cassie thought for a second. "Well, since I'm picturing myself a psychopath, I would use it for power."
"This is exactly what Peyton and Andrew are planning to do."
"I get what you're saying, D-Man. If they possess Hawaiki, then who knows how many innocents they could kill. We should destroy the lost city. In our parents' experience, some lost cities are better off destroyed. But there is still a part of me that feels that if we just destroy everything, then… we're villains. We're destroying history. All we have to do is stop them, not destroy the lost city.
"If we could find a lost city, we could become legends. People will talk about us and we will never be known as the daughter of our legendary parents."
Derek tilted his head to the other side.
"Our parents destroyed cities so maybe, we can preserve them."
Derek sighs for a brief second then considers her thoughts. He nods. "Okay, so we find Hawaiki, explore it, and document it. Okay then." Derek patted her on the shoulder in support. "Okay, so do we start in Ahu Tahai or Hanga Piko?"
Cassie pulled out her phone and looked at the map. "Ahu Tahai is closer. So the two of us should go to Ahu Tahai."
Derek helped Cassie out of bed. "Okay, we should leave as soon as possible."
"Before we go, Cassie, how are we to get there?"
"Fidel. Pay him in American dollars."
I have been horrible in this adventure so far. I have… been beaten in a fight twice and… oh my god.
She grips her hair once more.
Oh my god, William, he died. Shit, he died right in front of me. I saw a hole in his forehead and… his eyes were dilated. Oh my god, is that what a dead body looks like? It's… oh my god.
No, I will NOT be like my parents. I… no. I've been on adventures before but they've always been safe… harmless… and there were no stakes involved. But now… it's the complete opposite. My life is on the line.
I am an absolute piece of shit for thinking this but strangely I am… slightly, only SLIGHTLY, excited.
Chapter 7: Cabin
Ahu Tahai was very scenic. Thanks to a picture of an old house in the middle of nowhere on the tablet, they knew exactly where to go in Ahu Tahai. Derek had rented a 4x4 jeep and drove Cassie there.
The two climbed out and gazed at the old and rotting cabin-like house. "Wow, that looks old and very rotten," Cassie comments. You just stated the obvious, she thought to herself.
"So, the tablet is somewhere in the house?" Derek asked.
"Probably, maybe in a secret passageway. People have come and gone before and since people believe this place to be sacred to ancient Polynesian natives, they refused to excavate or tear down the house," she said.
"How noble of them," he replied sarcastically. "So, where do we start?"
"My money's on either in the attic, the basement, or, like I said, a secret passageway."
"Let's go."
Cassie began leading the way. They opened the front door and walked in. No such furniture existed in this place at all. Cassie then thought to herself, they refuse to excavate but they take the furniture?
"Wow, this place is empty. But it will save us the trouble and digging through places that have been blocked by furniture," Derek said optimistically.
The two began searching everywhere. Derek was beginning to have doubts. "You know, maybe people did excavate."
"No, they didn't. This place is covered in cobwebs, not a single footprint in sight other than ours," Cassie stated firmly. "Perhaps the Polynesians didn't put in furniture." She finds a hole in the wall. She looks through it and sees nothing but darkness.
Cassie and Derek look at the ground. There was something covered in cobwebs. Cassie crouches down to move away the cobwebs. There was something carved into the floor. Cassie blows away the dust and finds a trapdoor. "D-Man, look at this. Go get the crowbar." He nodded and ran off to the jeep. He returns with a crowbar. "Derek, a trapdoor that has been hidden by cobwebs. Old but nearly unnoticeable."
Derek uses the crowbar to pry open the trapdoor. Dust filled the air around them.
"Dusk to Dawn," she jokes but Derek shakes his head no.
"Not a good one Cassie. Dust this trapdoor get unlocked?"
"Okay, now you're making puns." Cassie and Derek laugh at their bickering.
Cassie and Derek yank open the door. They both gazed down into the abyss of darkness. "Well well well, a trapdoor inside a house. Never seen before y' know," Cassie smirked. "Who's going first?"
"Ladies first," said Derek.
"So that includes you, Derek."
"Haha, very funny. If I am a girl, then what are you, Cassie Drake?"
"A woman."
"Don't you have to be older than twelve to be a woman?"
"I'm seventeen."
"I know." Derek smiles.
"Okay, enough with this stalling. Still, ladies first."
After both of them descended into the hole, Cassie and Derek turned on their flashlights. They were in some kind of cave. This cave was decorated with a Polynesian culture like paintings of warriors on the wall but nothing out of the ordinary yet.
"You know, one thing that questions me is, how does one possess Hawaiki? It is the original homeland of the Polynesians." Cassie waited for Derek's input.
"Got me. Maybe it's some kind of weapon hidden there. Or maybe some kind of substance," he suggested.
Cassie gave a sour face. "Maybe it means something else."
"Maybe Hawaiki is a weapon," he shrugged.
"Whatever Hawaiki is, we can't let Peyton or Andrew claim it." The two began walking down the cave. This place looked to be thousands of years old by either of their estimations. Derek was softly caressing the paintings. This was because aside from archaeology, he was an avid artist, mostly a painter. His grandfather told him at four years old, that he met Pablo Picasso in 1970 before he died. Ever since then, Derek has become a lover of arts and painting. He is an amazing painter, almost as good as Pablo Picasso himself.
"You know, when I become a full-time archeologist, I will become a part-time artist. A painter by day, an archaeologist by night."
"Derek, when you make an amazing painting, I will personally visit it in the Art Gallery."
"Really?"
"That is a promise."
At the end of the cave, there was something hidden between these two rocks. Cassie moved forward cautiously and gazed at the object. It was silver. There was only one thing it could be. The second tablet. "Lookie lookie." She grabs the tablet with extreme caution. She shows it to her friend. "The second tablet." It was just as beautiful as the first one. She begins murmuring to herself, reading. The Polynesian deity, also known as Makemake lies at the base of the statues. He will need to move forward. He must take upon a new form. We used to call him Hawaiki and now, he is in danger of being trapped in the statues. We must find a new form for him. If all three tablets were combined, then we can finally free Makemake.
"Oh god." She was scared. In Rapa Nui mythology, Makemake was the creator of humanity and the god of fertility. She reads it to Derek. "Hawaiki is just another name for Makemake. Whoever finds and combines the three tablets free Makemake. And listen to this."
The one who frees Makemake is promised to be invincible.
"Shit, now we know why Peyton and Andrew want Hawaiki," Cassie groans.
"No, they think Hawaiki is an underworld, we hold the knowledge of the fact that Hawaiki is Makemake." Derek puts the tablet back on the rock. Just as he puts it back, he hears a familiar sound. It was the sound of a gun being loaded.
First time being held at gunpoint, Cassie thought.
She raises her hands above her head and turns around slowly. They were both held at gunpoint by both Peyton and Andrew.
"So, Cassie Drake, you just revealed to us that Hawaiki is Makemake and whoever frees him is invincible," Peyton says with a huge smile. "Thank you very much." He aims right between Cassie's eyes, showing more of his sociopathic side before he hesitates.
Wait a second, what if there is more to be revealed? Maybe I should spare her in case the last tablet has something interesting inscribed on it, Peyton thought.
"And by the way, do you guys know what happened to William, we haven't seen him in a few days," Andrew asked
"So, you followed us huh? I know what happened to William. He's getting a suntan at the beach," Cassie tries to mask the deception in her voice but Peyton sees right through.
"So you killed him. Oh well. Give me the tablet, or I will shoot Derek in the temple and I will trap you in here with his corpse. After all, you were the one who deciphered the tablet, not him so he's useless compared to you."
"Where did you get the guns?"
"Fidel loves American dollas. He really loves them."
Cassie clenched her fists.
Cassie does not hesitate and throws Peyton the tablet, he catches it mid-air. They began backing away and towards the way they came. "Oh yeah, and the first tablet that you left in your hotel room, thank you for leaving it there for us to pick up." Peyton waves goodbye.
I hid it, Cassie thought, they must be bluffing. Either that… or they managed to find the false bottom in the drawer.
Peyton and Andrew had completely barricaded the entrance from the outside and the two were trapped inside. It was their plan for them to trap them. They knew they would escape somehow and would be given the impression that he and Andrew still thought they were trapped. Then they would lead them straight to the third tablet. It was a foolproof plan.
"We are trapped like goddamn rats!" Derek shouts.
"We got to find a way out!" Cassie says in a frightful voice. "Look through the walls." Cassie found a hole in the wall. She crawls through after flashing her light through the hole that was barely big enough for her to fit through.
Cassie crawled as fast as she could. There was no air in the place, she had to get out as soon as possible. Derek crawled through right after her.
"This cave goes on forever." She sees sunlight and chuckles in triumph. "Derek, I can see daylight. We're going to be alright!"
She crawled forward a few more feet, she felt like a fish wagging its tail. She crawled forward a few more feet and went tumbling down. She fell into a puddle of mud. Her back was covered in mud and a little bit on her nape and the back of her hair.
She moved out of the way in time just as her friend came tumbling down. Once the pain in her back subsided, she got up. They got out and were now outside the cabin. Peyton and Andrew were nowhere in sight though.
"What a field trip," Cassie jokes. She helps her friend with his feet.
Are you okay?" Derek asked with concern.
"Define 'okay'."
"Not dead, not hurt, still breathing."
"In that case, yeah, we are both okay," Cassie remembered the villains. "Yeah, we are alive, and so are Peyton and Andrew. We got to do something to stop them."
"We gotta get to Hanga Piko and fast. But where do we start?" Derek asked.
Cassie was trying so very hard to remember what the second picture on the tablet was. It was an old pine tree. "The oldest pine tree in Hanga Piko."
"Wow, very vague, but okay. Hanga Piko is small, but at least we know what we are looking for."
"Yeah. We have to get to Hanga Piko immediately. Peyton and Andrew are probably already on their way."
The two of them raced by to the 4x4 jeep. Derek hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Okay, so what are the chances of Peyton and Andrew finding the other tablet?" Derek asked.
"Well, like you and I, Derek, they are archaeologists. But they don't have our experience and do miss the little things."
"Well, they drugged our teacher, so I wouldn't call them dumb or missing the little things. Unintelligent maybe. But they are somewhat smart."
"Okay then. We got to get the other tablet quickly."
Derek engaged the keys and shifted the car into drive.
"So how long till we get to Hanga Piko?" Cassie asked, hopping into the passenger seat with Derek.
"Twenty-five minutes tops." They drove off.
Chapter 8: Resolve
Twenty-two minutes later, Derek had driven to Hanga Piko. The two of them parked in the forest and somehow, the rain from the predicted severe thunderstorms that delayed their plane trip had begun.
"I am glad we brought jackets with us," Cassie appreciated. She put on her raincoat and passed Derek's. "I like the rain. It reminds me of the shower. And drinking hot chocolate… curling up next to a fireplace, reading a book, and enjoying myself a Halloween's worth of M&Ms from a bowl.
Derek tried his best to not remember the shower room incident at the college. "Yeah," he whispered to himself. "I love things that remind me of the shower. I just wish it was warmer."
"Okay, now it is time for us to find that pine tree."
Just behind them and out of sight, two people were hiding in the trees Peyton and Andrew, smiling as they felt the anticipation of knowing that they were about to get the third tablet.
Cassie and Derek were looking for every single pine tree in the forest. "Man, this is like trying to find a small needle in a big pile of haystacks," she grumbled in frustration.
"More like a huge needle in a gigantic pile of little haystack pieces," Derek retorted. "Or a needle in a stack of needles."
"Let's hope that-" Cassie began but was interrupted.
"Found it!" Derek called out.
Cassie followed the sound of Derek's voice and found him at a small pine tree that was about seven feet in height. The decayed bark of the three indicated that it was the oldest tree in the area at least. "Cassie, we found the tree that the third tablet lays dormant inside."
"But how do we get it?" They searched everywhere for a hole in the tree. They found nothing so Cassie leaned against the small tree and it fell forward, taking Cassie with it. Hidden underneath the trunk of the tree was the third and final tablet.
"Cool, we found it," Derek exclaimed. He picks up the tablet and examines it like an eager child.
"Beautiful." Cassie groaned as she got up. She looked at Derek who then handed her the table and began deciphering the third and final tablet.
Hawaiki is more than a deity, it is still an underground world, but invisible to our naked eyes. If someone were to combine all three stone tablets at the statues, then they will go to the underworld. Where Hawaiki is trapped.
Cassie read to her friend. As if on cue, Peyton and Andrew appeared, this time with four other people with guns all aimed at the four.
"Cassie Drake," Peyton laughed once more, "you make everything too easy. Man, is there anything you can do right? Or, in this case, wrong for us and right for you?"
Cassie glares at him. I'm so stupid; I should've kept my guard up. If I made it here before my enemies, then chances are, they'll have set up an ambush. If I survive this, I will NEVER forget to anticipate an ambush.
"Oh, you know me, always ready to hand out answers, whether it be to math questions or whatever else." She clutched the tablet. "Can you stomach killing me, Peyton?"
Peyton looked at her. "Can you, Cassie Drake?" He took out a gun and tossed it to her. She caught it. "Let's see if you can."
Cassie looked down at the pistol and her eyes went wide. She looked up at Peyton and felt her heart race. "What the hell?"
"Can you kill me, Cassie Drake? Come on, show me the answer instead of saying it to me. Put one right here, in my heart."
Cassie clutched the pistol tight in her hands and winced. "No," she shook her head, "I'm not going to shoot you."
Peyton laughed. "Of course. I figured as much. And if we're being honest, Cassie, as much as I hate you and love tormenting you, I don't think I have the stomach to actually take a life. That's why Fidel gave me these gunmen. They have the resolve to kill people. But… if you toss over the tablet, I'll spare your life. I promise."
Cassie tosses him the tablet.
"And the gun?"
Cassie held onto the gun but kept her lips pressed together.
"If you don't hand the gun over, I'll have my employees take a shot at Derek."
Derek glares at Peyton.
Cassie immediately threw the gun at Peyton, who caught it with one hand.
Interesting, Peyton noted, I unloaded the gun before handing it to her yet, she didn't pull the trigger. I guess she really doesn't have the guts to kill someone.
"Cassie, once again, we would like to thank you for all three tablets and for giving us the location of where we free Makemake and gain invincibility," Peyton said in a melodramatic voice.
"Well, it's our pleasure to help out villains," Cassie shrugged nonchalantly. "Once you are invincible Peyton, Andrew, then what? What are your motives for wanting to gain invincibility?"
Peyton answers, "When I was seven, my father went on a business trip to do an expose on some shady conspiracy government deal and he got killed in a hit-and-run and the driver was never identified and things were made to look like my father was in the wrong. The older I got, the more I came to understand that the government is not the kind of restriction that America needs. For far too long, those I ever loved, I lost because of the US government and they did not receive their punishment. I don't need to expose the government because I already know the villains that they are. I'm going to even the score. I will build my empire and I will destroy the government and free America from tyranny and restriction that has been inflicted upon them." He was shedding a tiny tear, indicating that he still does have a glimpse of humanity within him and even Cassie couldn't bring herself to not feel sorry for him. Peyton was a villain, but he was a victim of other people's plots.
Don't forget, she's holding you at gunpoint, she told herself.
"Please," Cassie begged. "I'm sorry, but please don't kill us."
"You guys will be dead anyway." Peyton wiped the tear away. "I want you guys to come with me, so you will be the first to witness my glory." He looks up at the sky and laughs. "It will be biblical!"
Cassie waited for one of the gunmen to walk up to her. When he is in range, she punches him in the face, disarms him, and uses him as a human shield. "Back off or I'll kill him," she threatened.
Please let this bluff work.
Peyton eyes her. "Lower your weapons." We have the tablets so there is no need to kill them or cause any more inconvinence. We just need to get to the statues and intitiate the ceremony.
The other three gunmen put down their guns and let the two walk over to the jeep. Derek climbed in and started the car.
"Peyton, give me all three stone tablets," Cassie demanded. In a very shocking event, Peyton did nothing but shrug and smile. One of the gunmen aims his gun and fires at the hostage Cassie is holding. He collapses to the ground dead and Cassie jumps onto the jeep. Derek speeds off with Cassie on the hood of the jeep.
"Road rage!" she shouts out in terror as she hangs on to the grille tight. Derek drove as fast as he could while Cassie tried to maintain a tight grip. It was hard because it was still raining and her grip was slipping and her right index finger was starting to hurt again. She uses what strength she has to climb inside the jeep. She shimmies her way to the back while Derek keeps driving as fast as he can.
Derek hit a bump and Cassie almost fell out of the jeep that was going sixty miles per hour. She grabbed her seatbelt in time and pulled herself back in.
"What a relief," she sighs deeply as her chest pounds against her heart. Once Derek had driven them to safety at a nearby pier, he put the jeep in park and they climbed out.
"You all right, Cass?" Derek asked, leaning against the car. He checked her to make sure there were no injuries on her.
"Yeah," Cassie chuckled. I'll live." She leans next to Derek subconsciously.
"What the hell was that?" Derek asked abruptly. "I have never seen a villain execute his henchman. So, what are we going to do now? Peyton and Andrew have all three stones and now know where to go. They could become invincible."
"Well, looks like we are going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. And that is where we stop Peyton and Andrew before they get to the moai statues. Like our parents did back in the old days, right?" She affectionately punches Derek softly on the shoulder.
"Exactly like that, but it's us instead of them."
We are becoming more and more like our parents, she thought, I'm scared and excited at the same time.
Cassie was far more excited because this was her very first adventure and she wanted to get everything right so she could be a legend to remember. Derek jumps into the car. "Anybody getting in, or am I going to have to stop Peyton and Andrew myself?"
Cassie gets into the passenger seat. "Once we get to the moai statues before the two psychos, then what do we do?" Derek asked.
She pulls out her pocket-sized journal and looks over the drawings she made ever since she arrived on Easter Island. A complete list of every student on the trip along with Peyton, Andrew, and William. She crossed William's name off because he was dead and she looked over the translations of the tablets that she wrote. She shuts the journal and turns to Derek to answer his question.
"We destroy it," she pants, "I really… really don't want this to happen. But… we have to save the world." She leans back in her seat. "Save the world."
Chapter 9: Underground
The two drove up to the moai statues after Cassie's laughter broke down. Somehow, Peyton and Andrew made it to the statues first. The statues that they saw were still standing, but the odd thing was Prof. Harvey and the students were all sitting crisscrossed on the ground with their heads down and hands behind their backs, and the three gunmen were holding them at gunpoint.
In the center of all the people sitting crisscrossed, there stood Peyton and Andrew, chanting in a fanatical religious-like way.
"Makemake, hear us, Makemake, answer us, Makemake, listen to us," Peyton and Andrew chanted to the statues with their backs turned to Cassie and Derek. "We have come to free you and to gaze upon this underworld you call Hawaiki, named after you. We brought you the three stone tablets and we plan to free you. As we free you, make us invincible. Make us gods, make us humanity's worst nightmare."
Just barely in front of the moai statues was a huge bonfire whose flames seemed to reach dozens of feet in the air while the smoke reached hundreds of feet into the air. It was like the fire was being called by some kind of god.
"Make our enemies fear us. Make our enemies want to serve us. Make our enemies want to die a merciful death."
It was a very disturbing sight to the two young adventurers. They just silently watched behind a log they ducked down behind. They had to think of a way to defeat them before they summoned Makemake.
Peyton held two of the tablets while Andrew held the other one, indicating that they were about to combine them. Cassie couldn't let it happen. She picks up a rock and throws it at Peyton's head. It bounced off his head, causing him to grunt in discomfort and distracting him to the point he was frozen as if he was in an iceberg.
He slowly turns his head to a gunman and snaps to him, "Check it out." The gunman does as he asks and checks out the direction the rock was thrown. This was their only chance to interrupt their ritual. Derek jumped up from behind the log, took the gun, and knicked the gunman unconscious with it. He aims at the other gunman and holds them at gunpoint before they can even raise their guns at them but they keep their pistols aimed at the students until Derek yells at them to toss them away.
Cassie jumped out and joined Derek beside him "Peyton, Andrew, don't do this." She begged with her hands in front of her. "Think about this decision very carefully." The students were speechless as they watched the ordeal between Cassie, Derek, Peyton, and Andrew.
"Or what, you will kill us?" Andrew taunted. "Once we combine these tablets, we will be invincible."
"No, Peyton, think if this is what your father would've wanted."
Peyton snapped at Cassie, "My father was stolen from me; you and your father could never understand. Why was I dealt this hand in life, suffering the worst fate? I was a good human being and I loved my father but I had to lose him? The government and their conspiracies, why do they get to have what they want and not be punished for it? The US is getting what they deserve and I'm here to deliver! You'd rather live in a world where the evil people get what they want? Is that it?!"
They were about to combine them, and Cassie knew that they had to do something immediately. Derek fires off the trigger reluctantly, but the gun jams on him. He throws it at one of the gunmen before quickly punching the second one out cold. Andrew drops the tablet and fights back and the outcome of the short fistfight ends with Derek kicking Andrew in the chest after getting a three-second headstart. The kick was so powerful, that Andrew fell backward, and right into the bonfire, where his skin burned to a roast until burned to death.
Peyton pulled out a pistol from his belt and aimed it at Derek, who was still on the ground and looking over at his very first kill in history. Peyton was distracted by Cassie, who charged and tackled Peyton to the ground. The tablets and pistol slid out of his reach.
Peyton kicks Cassie off of him and charges at her, almost tackling her into a bonfire but missing by an inch. Derek snapped out of his trauma and hit Peyton in the back of the head with a rock and he began feeling dizzy.
"I was destined for this," Peyton manages to slur while staggering back towards the bonfire. He feels the heat already burning his leggings and he uses all of his strength in his will to stop. He moves forward and charges at the two adventurers. He was much more furious this time and not even the help of Derek could stop him from pouncing on Cassie.
Peyton began punching Cassie excessively until she started bleeding. When Derek put a hand on his shoulder, he punched him in the groin and shoved him away. "I'm okay with losing both Andrew and William, I'm okay with my hired guns being put in their place, but I am not okay with you foiling my plans." He punches her one more time before he lunges for the tablets. Despite Cassie pulling him by his legs, he manages to combine them.
At the drop of a hat, Cassie, Derek, and Peyton were traveling through some kind of portal with purple flashes across their vision. Although, what Cassie was seeing was a vision of her on some snowy mountain in a country she had never been to before. Before she could get a better picture of this vision, she was snapped back into reality. She fell forward and landed on a rock on her back. When they stopped falling, they were in some kind of rocky environment with no sun visible in sight and no rain dropping from the sky.
"Where the hell are we?" Derek asked while struggling to get up. He hears the bone in his knee pop and he groans in pain before popping it again to wear off the pain.
"There is only one place that I can think of," Cassie answered. "Hawaiki itself. We are officially underground." She looked around. The students weren't there, but for some reason, Derek and Peyton were. Peyton landed on a column coughed up some blood and tried getting up but Cassie was quicker and went on to kick him in the gut.
"So, how do we get out?" Derek was more concerned about escaping than knocking out Peyton.
"Maybe we climb it," Peyton suggested sarcastically, which seemed uncharacteristic of him but he had a big smile on his face, which could only mean that he was happy to be in a lost city that had never been found before. Cassie and Derek were just as equally thrilled despite the circumstances
In the center of all three of their eyes, there stood a rocky figure in the shape of a human lying against the wall upon a throne. The three approached them with caution and when his face wasn't obscured by darkness, they cringed at the sight of his face.
Makemake was a rocky figure and looked to be about eight feet tall. Cassie was very reluctant to talk to him because he was the very first being that Cassie encountered that wasn't a regular human, but something supernatural. "Hello there," she hesitated. She guessed his name correctly, "Makemake, I am Cassie Drake."
"I know who you are," Makemake said in a deep and booming voice.
"What are you exactly? Are you actually a supernatural being?"
Makemake shrugs. "Who knows? Maybe… Makemake is not one person but an identity that humans take on to rule the underworld of Hawaiki. This rocky appearance could very well be a costume and the portal that got you guys here was really an illusion. Perhaps you guys fell through a door that opened in the ground and you saw a portal due to some kind of hallucinogen in the air?"
Cassie rubs her eyes. "What?"
"I know what it is you desire. Two of you want to free and one wants to free me. Isn't that right, Peyton Piers?"
Peyton nodded quickly with a sadistic laugh. "I do, I want to free you."
Makemake sighed loudly and leaned forward towards Peyton specifically. His voice booms again as he says, "Why would I want to be free? I am free to do whatever I want in this world. I have total freedom. I am not going back to the outer world." His booming tone sounded more sarcastic than serious.
Peyton gave a disappointed look right after he gasped. His worst fear came to life when he realized that all of this had been for nothing and this wasn't his destiny. "I need to have your power."
"Why, to be invincible? Life is precious. Why live forever?" Makemake asked.
"I want to destroy the American system for my dad. I want to make him proud. You have not seen how the world has treated people like me and it's time I show the government that life is precious."
"If you have to do something like destroying a world to make a father figure proud, then he is not worthy of being your father. A real father would want you to do the right thing."
Cassie looked at Peyton and saw a face of grief. Was he having a change of heart? Any sign of him having a change of heart was completely and permanently shattered when he asked the next question to Makemake.
"Then I guess I made a mistake and I have every intention of killing that mistake as soon as I get to the surface." He glares at Cassie and Derek, growling at them with an accusatory look.
Makemake growled back at him. "I can easily send the three of you back to the place where you came from if that is what you want. Nobody is destined to be invincible; It's a living hell to be invincible. I can't die, and I can't see my family on the other side. And for invincibility to work, you are required to stay in Hawaiki, as leaving it will result in becoming mortal again. As much as I want to cross that threshold, I am bound not to."
Peyton growled in anger. He clenched his fits, grinding his teeth about ready to kill Cassie and Derek. "All this trouble for nothing?!"
"I'm afraid so," Makemake answered with no hint of sorrow in his voice. "So, all three of you have to make a decision. Do you want to stay here or go back to the surface? If you choose to stay, then you will stay here permanently, but if you leave, you will be forbidden from entering Hawaiki again."
Cassie did not hesitate to answer. "I vote to go back to the surface."
Derek nodded. "Ditto."
The two looked at Peyton. They were going to see what he was going to answer. Peyton knew that if he stayed here, then he would be invincible, but could never fulfill his dream. If he goes to the surface, he can release his anger on the duo of treasure hunters. He made his decision. "I chose to go to the surface."
Makemake leaned back against the wall. "Okay, now it is time to go back."
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Cassie inwardly cheered, I stepped foot in the legendary Hawaiki! Man, this is so awesome.
Chapter 10: Good For It
The three were thrown through the portal and they landed back into the real world. They landed near the moai statues. The students were still tied up and it was still raining, the bonfire was still burning and Andrew's body was still roasting. Peyton had recovered more quickly than the others and attacked.
The students watched Peyton fight their two friends and each one desperately worked on freeing the other.
Peyton punched as hard as he could. He hit Derek in the temple and knocked him to the ground. He throws a kick to Cassie's jaw and knocks her to the ground as well. He focuses all his energy on Cassie and Derek, picking up a rock, and swinging it at Cassie's face, who jerks her head back in time. She uppercuts him and pushes him toward the bonfire. When she lunged, he moved out of the way and she almost went flying into the flames. She stopped herself and was met with a shoe to the jaw when her head turned around. She fell right next to the bonfire. Derek charges from behind and hits Peyton hard in the nape with his fist.
Peyton elbows Derek in the nose and kicks him in the groin. He then returns his attention to Cassie. "This time Cassie, I will make sure you die." He has completely lost his humanity and sanity at this point and there was no redemption for him now.
When Peyton charges, Cassie flips him over her body using his momentum. He almost landed in the bonfire. He gets up quickly and hits Cassie in the head with the rock. He proceeded to climb on top of her and began punching her with the rock. But not in the head, but in the chest and stomach.
She begins coughing up blood from the brutal blows but she tries her hardest to ignore the pain. She was about to blackout from the weight on her chest, however. Peyton punched her with his fist before he raised his hand with the rock in it. He is about to hit her in the face with the rock when Derek comes lunging and shoves Peyton off of her. He turns the tables on Peyton and begins punching him profusely. Peyton kicks Derek back but both treasure hunters come punching at him. They both throw matching strikes. If Cassie threw a punch at his jaw, Derek would throw a punch to his stomach. If Cassie kicked him in the groin, then Derek would kick the man in the neck.
Peyton had had enough and he still stood to his full height; his pain receptors were practically disabled. He hits Derek with a brutal punch and shoves Cassie away. He kicks Derek in the stomach and causes him to fold over. He turns his attention to Cassie, whom he manages to subdue, and throws her to the ground.
When he was towering above her, he raised his foot, placed it on Cassie's neck, and began to choke her to death. Cassie's eyes turned red and they felt like they were going to pop out of her skull. Blindly searching around her for anything she could use as a weapon, she did find one thing hidden in the grass and unnoticed by Peyton, the pistol he dropped. Cassie grips the handle and fires in Peyton's direction. Peyton was hit in the chest and stumbled backward, taking his foot off of Cassie's throat, and allowing her to breathe again.
The three gunmen had regained consciousness and they stood back up, only for the group of students to attack them from all directions led by Prof. Harvey.
Standing up, Cassie aims the gun at Peyton and fires. He was hit in the kneecap but was still alive and refused to scream in pain. Cassie pulled the trigger one more time and found no more bullets in the gun. She charges at Peyton and begins punching him in the face. Then, almost as if God himself was there, a bolt of lightning struck a moai statue beside them. The head of the moai statue began falling backward, and right onto Cassie and Peyton.
"See you in hell, asshole!" Cassie shouts at Peyton in triumph. She launches both feet at Peyton's chest and knocks him into the path of the falling statue.
CRASH!
She snatched her knees back at the very last second but the thunderous boom of the statue falling down echoed in her ears. She was still sitting on her backside when things finally started to calm down but her heart pounded in her chest, making her feel like it was on the verge of getting ready to burst.
Cassie brought her knees up to her chest as she crawled to another moai statue. With her knees to her chest, she grabs them and hugs them tightly like a little girl does a teddy bear, the last few seconds rapidly flashing through her mind.
I just killed Peyton. I kicked him backward and he was crushed to death by the moai statue.
Her hand was shaking involuntarily.
XXXX
One Week Later
It has been one week since the deadly confrontation with Peyton. Everybody was traumatized from witnessing the deaths of both Andrew being burnt to death and Peyton being crushed to death.
Now that all three tablets were in Cassie's possession, she placed them in a briefcase and walked off with Derek, Harvey, and the students.
Experiments were conducted to see if Hawaiki could be summoned again but the tablets were no more active than a rock. It looked like the doorway to Hawaiki had been sealed permanently.
Derek stops her as they walk over a bridge down at the pier. "Hey, Cassie, how are you feeling?"
Cassie gazes at him and gives a half-shrug. "Better. It's been a week since you killed Andrew and I killed Peyton, but I will survive."
"Y'know Cassie, we made a very revolutionary discovery. This is the first time you and I found an actual lost city, albeit a mythical being as well. We had our very first dose of the supernatural and man, those killer moves we were both throwing at Peyton, what an assault. How does it feel?"
Cassie was about to say hurt, traumatized, scared, frightened, but she was an optimist who went with, "It feels amazing." Two seconds later, she caved to the adrenaline rush and hugged Derek tightly.
Derek wraps his hands around her in response, one hand moving through her hair, and smiles. His heart was warming up in delight. He was hugging the girl that he was in love with. He had flashbacks of their senior prom. That beautiful red dress that Cassie wore, and the slow dance they shared, was not a moment he took for granted. Of course, he had nothing more than a small crush on her and his feelings for her didn't develop until after they graduated high school.
In that instant, Cassie felt a certain feeling tingly inside her. Her heart was racing not because of her traumatic experience, but because of Derek. Her heart felt warm and tender. She got this feeling she never felt around Derek, she had been his best friend since fourth grade, but she felt a never-before feeling. She smiled when the realization came to her. She was in love with Derek. I remember that slow dance we had at prom.
Cassie felt his skin warm and so did he. They were both in each other's arms where they could kiss. In that instant, Cassie wanted nothing more in life than to be with Derek. When they looked at each other, they leaned in, their lips very close to each other. But, they were interrupted. Their first kiss together was interrupted.
It was Harvey, "Hey there, Ms. Drake, Mr. Lowell." He pulls out something from his back pocket. He hands two papers to Cassie and Derek. They open it. Their eyes widened.
"Are you for real?" Cassie asked her professor in shock and disbelief.
"Yes. After everything you have done, I called the dean and she wants you and Derek to graduate with your Ph.D. in seven years. So that means when you will be called up to get your Master's degree, you will also receive your Ph.D., both of you," Harvey explained. "This trip just shaved two years off your college experience. You already found a lost city so… you skipped a two-year course."
"Thank you so much, Prof. Harvey," Cassie thanked, hugging him. Derek did the same when she was done with his hug. When he finished his hugs, he returned to the boat with the students.
The two amateur archaeologists decided to stay back, however.
Cassie remembered how Derek saved her life from Peyton and never got to thank him."Derek, I never got to thank you for saving my life."
Derek patted her back support. "Anytime. You don't owe me anything so don't worry about paying me back."
Cassie remembered a quote she heard from her father and what a tale this would be to tell. She quoted her father, "I'm good for it."
The End of Chapter 1
