This Is Not The End.

Chapter 36

I stared at the hole for a moment, and then rolled up my sleeves.

"If he's gone," I sat on the edge of the warm hole, dangling my legs into the bunker, "I'm gone,"

"Skye-!" Beck grasped for my arm, but I was too quick. I let myself drop into the hole and landed sooner than I was expecting in the dim bunker. Kai was there to help keep me upright, and we allowed a relieving smile. "Are you okay? I'm coming down!"

I rolled my eyes, "It's not that far down, jump in!"

Kai raised an eyebrow at me, "So, I've been down here five minutes, but the second you drop Mr Prettier-Than-You is leaping into the unknown to check on you,"

I patted him once on the chest, "What can I say, I'm a catch."

He pointed his finger into his mouth to emphasise his throwing up and I rolled my eyes.

"Send Cara down!" I called up, "I'm sure you two will be fine on your own!"

"Yeah, okay," Beck shouted for Cara and yelled again when she failed to appear, then gave her a mini-lecture for scaring them.

I saw Cara's feet dangle into the bunker, and I tapped her leg to let her know I was there.

"I don't need your help!" she snapped at Beck and Jack, before telling me to watch out. I caught her just before she hit the floor and she dropped the last few inches without any accidents. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she grinned at me, "Let's get this party started!"

I let myself smirk, "That's the spirit,"

"Uh, is it?" Kai muttered. I hit his arm.

"Incoming!" Jack and Beck dropped down in term, landing with sizable thuds and both grinning like idiots. We were close. We were there.

"Alright, then," I tugged down my sleeves and let the adrenaline course through my body. This was it, and we were ready. Kai bounced on the balls of his feet and Jack turned a sickly shade of green, Cara pulled at the hem of her skirt to give her hands something to do, and Beck... Beck just looked at me and smiled.

We were ready.

"Let's get this party started," I grinned at Cara. She nodded, and I knew that was all I was going to get from her.

"Lead the way, fireboy,"

"You do not get to call me 'fireboy'," Jack glared at Beck but started fumbling around in the minimal light for the door. When his fingers sank around the handle, he struggled for a moment before forcing it open with his shoulder. White light flooded the room and we were faced with a thin, pristine hallway with LED lights lining the floor. I nudged Jack, "You're the leader,"

"Says who?"

"Raise your hand if Jack's the leader," I turned around and Cara was oblivious, but Beck nudged her, and she joined in. "Go on, pretty boy,"

"Less of the dumb nicknames please,"

Still, he pushed on. Our heels clicked against the white tiles and sent an echo down the hallway, I felt my hand close gently around the knife tucked into my belt, but I didn't draw it, not just yet. We trusted Jack to tell us where we were going, this was his area after all, but even he seemed on edge. His fingers drummed against his black jeans and I thought I saw him leave a bit of sooty residue, but it blended in if he had. My mind flicked back to when he'd burnt through the steel, and how Beck had reacted.

Was it a thing for Flames to burn? I'd never seen any other than Jack, and apparently, he was a poor example. His hands and arms showed no signs of burns, a few faded scars lined his veins. I recognised those with a sinking heart. It didn't matter, we'd changed since those days and for the better.