Why Won't They Tell Me?

It's Showtime!

Five was the first to tread into the unknown grounds, seeing nothing other than heavy clouds and darkness surrounding them, but it was much calmer than the storm outside, not unlike the eye of a hurricane.

"I think we're clear." She whispered to the others outside.

Sixteen waited as Fifteen and Twenty-eight slipped through before heading in herself.

However, the quadruple lucky felt a bit weird, a sensation tugging at her entire body to move to the left.

She obeyed, not even thinking about what could lie ahead, but she stopped when she tripped over what felt like a rock.

"Twenty-eight? Where are you going?"

"Guys? I think I found Seven.."

The pattern pioneer slowly dipped her hands into the solid ground, which rippled like water when she touched it.

She paid no attention to this and started feeling around, the cold liquid-like ground curling around her arms in a weak attempt to drag her down into the murky depths. It was so bone-chilling that she almost recoiled.

She only stopped when she felt an arm, a tiny amount of warmth still left in it.

"I-it's him! Help me pull him out!"

Five twirled around and rushed to her friend, almost falling backwards at the sight, she hurriedly recovered from her mini-daze, and thrusted her hand downwards as well.

All her hand met was the freezing rock hard ground. 

"I can't!" She responded.

"How come?" Twenty-eight took Five's arm and tried to guide it to where hers was, but she met the same outcome, "What?"

"For some reason you were able to breach the surface of solid rock as if it were liquid.." Fifteen wondered.

Twenty-eight was attempting to yank him upwards, but she wasn't strong enough and slowly started sinking in herself.

As Five started to panic and tried to dig, Fifteen started attempting to pulling Twenty-eight out.

Sixteen snorted, seemingly amused by the whole thing, "No need to do that," She nudged Fifteen away and got a grip on the quickly sinking pioneer, "Just hang on tight."

"W-what do you mean by-"

The indigo colored square jerked Twenty-eight backwards, which ended up pulling Seven out.

"...next time, warn me."

"Okie dokie."

Seven coughed and heaved, before eventually opening his eyes.

"..What now?.."

"Us now, Seven, we need to go, there's no time to be laying around like this." Fifteen prompted, "How do you feel?"

"Like Big Tum swallowed a hundred fluffies and then sat on me... just peachy."

The step-squad, oblivious to the blatant sarcasm, smiled and replied, "Good, because you're gonna need your energy."

Twenty-eight shook her head, somewhat disappointed, "He doesn't have any."

"How do you know?" Fifteen's eyes flitted to her empty ones.

"I.. can just feel it. His glow....it's not there anymore."

"She's right." Seven coughed once more, trying to get any kind of air in his system, ".. just... lemme catch my breath..."

Sixteen felt bad for her poor friend and started patting his back, hoping that could help soothe him in any way possible, while Twenty-eight still only stared blankly forwards, preparing herself to deliver the bad news.