The fuse had hissed to it's ignition point, and everything exploded. Before there was any room for explanations, or hesitation, Alaric had shoved Rhys with the full force a creature of the night such as he was capable of.

Alice barely intercepted in time. She leaped forward, putting herself in between the wall and Rhys, sending them both slamming into the solid rock surface that crumbled to meet them.

"Alaric, what the fuck!?" Lily screeched at the hissing Vampire.

Storming across the small distance, she stood as a 5'2'', red-headed barrier between Alaric and them. Blustering with all the rage she could manage in to a look so reprimanding, it could shake the very Gods to their core. The thoughts of Alaric's deal completely consumed her mind in this instant, and she had no idea if she could stop it. Lily had never attempted to stop a deals effects before, she'd never had the time, they were usually instant. But this time, she was determined to find a way, and if that meant sacrificing herself to a Vampires wrath, than so be it.

Marshal hurried over to Alice and Rhys, pushing aside the few rocks that had tumbled upon them, and rolling them to the floor before gripping Rhys by the hand and forearm, and heaving him to his feet with a groan of protest.

"Are you alright? Alice?" He called out, guiding Rhys to the side before offering his had to her. Alice refused. Pushing herself up with strength, she clicked her back and stretched the muscles that were beginning to burn with the few grazes that marred the skin of her shoulders. Werewolves couldn't heal as fast as Vampires, but they were accustomed to pain in a manner like no one else, and this was nothing.

With her eyes burning like small orbs of fire, she hopped the debris and stormed over to the scowling Lily, and the infuriatingly, apathetic Alaric. She couldn't help but feel a slight pang of spite at him. He had gone from an emotional break through, straight back to his cold self at the drop of her hat. And she was tired of his games.

Alaric locked eyes with her. He was no fool of course, despite what he felt like as of late, and he was shocked when he discovered that at this moment: he was sizing each of his friends by how much of a threat they were. Alice, came out on top by a large margin.

"He could've gotten us all killed." Alaric said coolly. He had failed to protect them, the one thing he thought was his purpose in life. Now justice would have to suffice. Vengeance.

"But we're not dead, are we?" Alice growled, her speech somewhat effected by the fangs that had previously been teeth, taking up more room in her mouth that would normally allow for proper enunciation.

"For now. We've no way out, and neither you nor I are capable of moving rocks that large. Or have you forgotten, we're trapped inside a fucking cave thanks to him?"

"And how exactly is what he did, any better than what you've done? What you've promised to do?" Alice spat in retort, immediately calling a hush to the steadily increasing frustration of the atmosphere. She wasn't sure what Rhys had done to put them all in fatal danger like this. But what she was willing to bet her life on, was that it wasn't done with any malice or malcontent. An accident at most.

"Are we really doing this? This cliché? Two children of the night, A Vampire and a Werewolf, are going to fight?" Alaric countered. She had caught him on the back foot with that comment about what he'd done. He really was no better than Rhys, and he knew it. But he took a small comfort in justifying that it would only be one of them who died. Not all of them if it was his sin against Rhys'.

"If you so much as look at him with the intent to kill, then I guess we have to. We're not doing this. Not now. The only way we're going to get out, is by working together." She replied, beginning to relax the tension her body held, while still keeping her stance strong. Just so he knew she meant business.

"No. He's right." Rhys began, stepping from where Marshal had been holding him strong and shaking the fogginess of being launched into a stone wall from his head. "I fucked up. Really fucked up. Now because of me, we're all going to die. You should let him kill me. It's what he wants after all right?" He was shooting in the dark about Alaric's promise. To that: he still had no idea. What was clear was that he needed to be punished, and Alaric, as always, seemed up to the task of doing what needed to be done.

"Guys—" Marshal tried to cut in, as he peered into the large indentation that had been made in the wall by Alice and Rhys' impact. Something had caught his eye.

"Oh for the love of- Would you stop being so dramatic. We're alive you idiot." Lily said, swatting at his arm with the flat of her hand, probably with a bit too much force as her fingers stung after.

"Uh... Guys?" Marshal called again, as upon closer inspection, the indent had a rather large crack in the back of it. Allowing the slightest whisper of a breeze to seep passed the rock.

"I didn't mean for it to happen. I was drunk at the party and it just slipped out. But it happened, and I shouldn't go without something to make it up to you. As payment." Rhys argued as he folded his arms across his chest.

"If I got money for everything that 'slipped out' while drunk: I'd be a millionaire right now and none of us would be in this situation because we'd all be living in my mansion. So quit it with the self pity" Lily snapped, before turning to Alaric and pointing a finger "Quit it with the brooding child of the night, bull crap." She then turned to Alice, who raised an eyebrow in response. "And you! Well, actually you're perfect and doing great, sweetie."

"Guys!" Marshal roared, which immediately grabbed everyone's attention. Causing them all to turn and look at him. Marshal suddenly felt very shy, and very nervous, being under such a spotlight. So much so that he pointed to the large crack in the rock in a sheepish manner and simply said: "I think I found a way out."

"Well why didn't you say so!" Lily announced, as they all moved over to get a better look.

"I tried, but you were all so busy in a lovers quarrel I couldn't get a word in edge ways."

"Ha, You've no idea how close to the mark that is-" Lily was cut short by the sound of cracking rock being sundered.

There was just enough room for two to walk shoulder to shoulder, and between Alaric and Alice; they manage to push and break enough of the rocks to make an opening.

What hit them first was the sudden rush of air, cool, and thick with moisture. Next was the sight of long abandoned stairs carved in to the rock, that descended in a gentle curve to the right. There was the hint of old iron, now jaggedly buried beneath the stone that had been pushed aside.

"It looks like an old access tunnel of some kind." Alice noted, crouching to pick up a rusted piece of metal that looked like a very old hinge. If there was a door here, it was long and buried now.

"Or a secret escape." Alaric mentioned in response. His nostrils flaring as they caught the scent of dust and water.

"The earthquake, or whatever it was Micah did, must've knocked it loose. Or opened it up or something." Lily said, a quiver of excitement sparkling with her eyes as curiosity lit the flame of adventure. Circumstances aside, she couldn't help but feel this was really cool.

"An escape from where?" Marshal questioned. Despite having lived here for the majority of his life, compared to the rest of them, he was still the newbie in town and couldn't think of a single place that would need a secret escape. He knew the town was very old, but bit his tongue when the thought of Santana Manor came to the forefront. If it did lead to there, Alaric didn't need that on his mind until it was time.

"There's only one way to find out. I'll go first." Alaric said plainly, stepping over the few rocks that had tumbled into the entrance and slowly beginning to make his way down. Alice followed, then Marshal, then Rhys, and finally: Lily. Who looked back at the crumbling remains of the Den with a poignant sadness that warred with the giddy excitement of the adventure ahead. Memories turned to dust, and crushed by the weight of the world above it. She couldn't help but worry if this was the same fate that awaited their friendship once this was all said and done.

After ten minutes of silent travel, it began to occur to them that they were heading in a general downward direction. The turn they were on was just gradual enough that it barely felt like a turn at all, and made trying to figure out where they were with respect to the town above almost impossible. Even with Alice's freakish memory.

Despite the rock and stairs having a general air of centuries of disuse, the workmanship began to change after awhile. Things were more cut. More stylised. Instead of a tunnel carved through the rock, it began to look more and more like a distinct passage way. The walls became smooth and rounded. When they eventually stopped their descent, the floor felt more like a path than a cobbled hack job of solid stone.

It changed further when everything seemed to taper downward, into a singular pool of surprisingly clear water. Shimmering from the lantern light they had brought with them, it immediately caused a lump to form in Marshal's throat. It would've been worse had Rhys and Lily not instantly grabbed him by each hand in a sign of comfort.

Alaric crouched low, dipping a finger through the cool surface and tasting it.

"It's fresh water. Must've dug deep enough for an underground lake or something." He mentioned before kicking off his shoes and socks. The dirt and rock was a pleasing texture beneath his feet, but he wasn't too enthusiastic about the thought of getting cold and wet. "I don't need to breathe. I'll check it out, see how far it goes."

"Wait." Alice questioned "What if there's something down there?"

"Like what? Alligators in the sewer?" Lily snorted, although immediately regretted it by the slickness of her hands from a very sweaty Marshal.

"Maybe." She responded

"So? It's not like anything can do serious damage. And if there is, you'll smell the blood and know not to come down."

"I still think it's a bad idea. You're not exactly... Agile in the water."

"I was captain of the school swim team before I got bored of it." Alaric mentioned non-chalantly, although noting it fell on deaf ears, as he followed the eyes of everyone in the group who now looked upon a very horrified Marshal.

Silent at first was the collective "you can do this", and they all waited as realisation hit Marshal very violently that they all expected him to be the one to go into the water. He who had survived off of very thorough sponge baths all his life, and had done his best to not go anywhere near a body of water. He who broke down into a sweating ball of fear when caught out in the rain without an umbrella or shelter.

"I can't I-" Marshal began, firmly being cut short as he felt his gaze torn away from the water and into the eyes of his best friend. Rhys held him with hands on either side of his face, making it impossible for Rhys to look anywhere else.

"You can do this, Marshal." His words were so sure that had it been in any other context: Marshal swore he could've inspired troops to battle.

And before he knew it, Marshal was at the side of the water. Giving a small sudden jump of fright, as he recoiled sharply at the realisation. Rhys caught him before he could go too far.

"Please don't make me do this. I can't do this. Please don't make me. Please." Marshal found himself beginning to beg, he imagined he should have shut down by now. But Rhys held him strong. A brief glance to the rest of his friends, the love coupled with worry that beamed in their eyes was enough for him to plead for their help. Lean on their sympathetic side. Anything to get him as far away from this water as possible.

Gone from his mind that this was the only possible way out and he would have to do it eventually. They could still be found. Someone would come searching eventually. Lily's mother. His dad. Alice's family. Someone must've heard what happened or wonder where they were and come looking. Surely the workers at the quarry would spot something had happened. They just had to wait out the weekend. He could be hungry for a few days if it meant not getting in the water.

"You have to." Rhys said quietly. It was blunt enough to shake Marshal from whatever panic held him. The sincerity of his voice rung volumes of apology, and the unspoken wish that he didn't want to ask Marshal to do this.

Slowly, calmly, resignation crept over Marshal's shoulders. He looked to the water. He looked to Rhys. He looked to his friends. It exhaled in shaky breaths from his core. His palms had begun to ache where they had been held in fists for so long, and tiredness swept over his arms and legs as the adrenaline began to subside, but his body knew what was to come.

Without saying a word, although with Rhys' grounding presence at his side, Marshal removed his shirt, revealing the lean musculature of a swimmer. As if he hadn't missed a single day at the pool. He removed his jeans, and shoes. Deliberately taking the time to fold them and place them neatly on the ground as he took all the time he needed.

He knew his friends wouldn't rush him. The fear was rattling against his rib cage as he dipped his feet into the cold water, immediately causing his chest to seize. He stared at the surface, like he was facing down an old family member he had long managed to avoid. It was familiar. A sense of nostalgia scarred by an uncomfortable awkwardness.

Marshals fingers and toes clicked together, parting shortly after to reveal a thin membrane had surfaced between them like webbing, and he could feel the pencil-thin marks on his neck expand into gills.

He had to do this. For his friends.

With a final breath of air, Marshal summoned all of his strength and pushed himself into the water.

The cold embraced him immediately and he pulled himself into a ball as he clutched his knees to his chest and clamped his eyes, now somewhat blackened by his third eyelid, shut.

He floated there for what felt like hours, as his heart pounded furiously in his ears.

But curiously. Nothing happened. The water was calm, almost unmoving, save for the slight tug of an almost relaxing current. The longer he waited; the more aware he began to feel of his gills pulling in oxygen and pushing out water.

Marshal dared to open his eyes. Nothing. He was still here. Almost weightless as the gentle pull of the current cradled him softly in this place. Even the darkness that swallowed him didn't seem to bare any hold upon him, and if he looked up, he could still see the silver of the lantern light. Shimmering through the ripples of the surface, like the memory of the full moon at sea he had once experienced as a child.

He ventured further into his courage. Allowing himself to stretch outwards to his full length, kicking his legs softly to keep him in place. He'd wondered for the longest time on whether he had forgotten how to swim. But with each pump of his legs, he found himself smiling gently as the confidence grew.

With a flex of his calf muscles, fins stretched out of either side of his lower legs, and he shuddered at the long forgotten sensation. Having been hidden as strange scars or birthmarks for so long, it was another thing he didn't know he had missed.

His smile grew and he challenged himself to push a little harder with his legs. Finding himself propelled with surprising ease through the water, he then began to wonder why had he been so afraid? This was his home after all. This is what he is.

A/N: One day, I'll stop apologising for late uploads and simply just upload on time. Either way, sorry it took so long.

What's up my lovelies? I hope this chapter was okay and as always

Thank you for reading