Third Person POV

The survivors gathered around the edge of the cavern. Sweet lit a single candle in a helmet which he gently placed into the water. Everyone watched the candle drift away in mournful silence, remembering those who had lost their lives against the Leviathan.

Commander Rourke, who was standing with his hat against his chest out of respect, gave a commemorative speech. "Seven hours ago we started this expedition with two hundred of the finest men and women I've ever known. We're all that's left. I won't sugarcoat it, gentlemen. We have a crisis on our hands. But we've been up this particular creek before and we've always come through, paddle or no paddle. I see no reason to change that policy now. From here on in, everyone pulls double duty. Everyone drives. Everyone works. Looks like all our chances for survival rest with you, Mr Thatch. You and that little book."

"I-" Milo began to speak when a noise nearby caught everyone's attention. A tiny group of four more crew members emerged from the shadows with cuts and bruises. "Milo?" a small voice called out his name.

Without hesitation, Milo ran over and scooped Madeleine into his arms, holding her ever so tightly. She winced a little, not that it was his intention to hurt her. "I'm so so sorry," he whispered.

"It's not your fault. Our pod crashed into the rocks," his sister spoke quietly, looking over the damage to her body. The injuries, whilst non life-threatening, were definitely visible and painful. Milo cradled her face in his hands.

"Thank goodness you're alive. I don't know what I'd do without you," he brushed a few stray hairs away, getting a good look into her eyes before kissing her on the forehead. "Me too," she whispered.

Madeleine's POV

I then handed him his bag with an anxious chuckle. "I think it wasn't the smartest decision to retrieve our belongings but...I figured you'd appreciate the gesture."

"So that's where you were. I was so worried that you had-" Milo couldn't finish his sentence. We held each other tight and I buried my face into his chest for what seemed like forever.

"We're all gonna die," Mrs. Packard flicked her cigarette away dryly, thinking about how her bestie Marge was still waiting for her call.

Okay, people. Saddle up.
Lieutenant, I want this convoy moving five minutes ago," Rourke stated. The crew spread out, taking over vehicles and packing the rest of their items.

"Molière, you're on point. No Vinny, Audrey's taking the oiler. You know the rules, I want you 50 yards behind that truck at all times and Packard, put out that cigarette!" Helga commanded.

Milo led me over to a driverless truck and started honking the horn, prompting an annoyed Rourke to march over. The commander broke the horn off the car with ease and dropped it on the ground.

"Are you sure you're checked out on this class of vehicle?"

"Uh-"

"Can you drive a truck?" the leader demanded to know.

Milo chuckled, "Pftt, heh, of course, I can drive a truck," we climbed inside even though I knew he was lying. Milo was (bless him) the worst driver I know. "I mean sure, you've got your steering and your gas and your brake and this metal-looking thing." his voice trailed off sheepishly.

Rourke caught onto Milo's bluff with an unamused face. "Okay so it was a bumper car at Coney Island but it's the same basic principle," He insisted.

Rourke looked at me. "Can you drive?" he asked. I shook my head. Sighing heavily, he trusted Milo with the duty of driving but of course, this didn't work out. Milo kept braking every few seconds which caused a traffic build-up of raging drivers.

"What's the hold-up?" One yelled.

"Come on, move it!" Another raged.

"Come on, civilian!" A third spat.

"Sorry about- sorry about that," Milo apologized.

Rourke, who was fed up with the time-wasting, tied the truck by a rope to Mole's drill tank so neither Milo nor me had to drive.  "This blows," he spun the steering wheel with his finger.

"So neither of us can drive but that's okay. We can read dead languages, old maps, and you're a splendid plumber. That part's better than I could ever do," I emphasized. Milo smiled, at least I made him feel better instead of feeling useless.

We advanced further into the cavern. The vehicles drove slowly over the rocky, unstable ground as the unit could not afford to lose additional cargo. Time ceased to exist but Milo and I were more than delighted in each other's presence.

If we weren't reminiscing past memories or planning the future, we were  sleeping with our heads tilting together and our hands holding. (Milo has warm hands, by the way.) The voyage was no straight path. At some point, the road cut off and we had to secure and lower their vehicles into the dark depths of the cavern.

Once on flat ground and driving up further, they approached a skull cave that had been inscribed with ancient markings. The trail split into two and the procession came to a sharp halt.

Reading through the Shepherd's Journal, we pointed to the left path. Mole led the procession but as he was about to enter, a tremendous beetle-looking creature emerged from the dark with a roar, forcing us to reverse frantically.

Realizing we had read the book the wrong way around, Milo's eyes widened and he chuckled anxiously, pointing to the right path. This earned him unimpressed glares from the whole group.

"They really don't like me," Milo told me as he drummed his fingers against the book. I patted his knee. "Don't you worry, Milo. I really like you if that makes you feel any better," He smiled at me and then focused on the waterfall we were passing, oblivious to the growling figures in the distance that were following.

Third Person POV

When a soldier's car tire slashed open, everyone decided on taking a quick pit stop. Milo drank every last drop of water from a canteen he found in the back of the truck and wiped his mouth in contentment.

"You didn't just drink that, did you?"
Vinny asked him. "Mmm hmm,"
Milo nodded. "That's not good.
That's nitroglycerin," Vinny stepped back. Alarmed, Milo gagged and held his breath, stiffening his body
like a statue.

"Don't move. Eh, don't breathe.
Don't do anything except pray, maybe," said Vinny as Milo ever so slowly placed the empty canteen down.

"BOOM!" Mole jumped up from behind, scaring the pants out of Milo. Vinny and Mole walked away thunderously laughing. Milo frowned, 100% certain that wasn't going to be the last prank that he would have to endure on the trip. Climbing back into the truck, he didn't dare tell Madeleine simply to prevent her from ripping their heads off.

The group continued on and some parts were specifically by foot.
Having to climb over a large rock, Sweet helped Vinny, then Mole, then Audrey and then Madeleine.

Milo reached his hand out but Sweet and all the others had walked away, except for Madeleine who wasn't shying away from showing her disapproval.

"Mindless fools. They ought to be ashamed," she scolded. Laying flat on her front, she held her arm out and helped to pull Milo up.

The linguist dusted himself off.
Although he was smiling at her, she could spot the sadness in his eyes from miles away. "Hey," she said softly "just remember, we would never have made it this far without you Milo," she hugged her brother tightly.

Milo relaxed in her embrace until they were yelled at by Helga to hurry along.

With every mini pit stop the crew took, Milo and Madeleine were always separated in their own little lantern-lit nook surrounded by books away from the others who were seated around the campfire.

In her neat handwriting, Madeleine would document every detail of the tedious journey while her brother read every inch of the Shepherd's Journal, determined to find new clues.

On top of a mountainous hilltop, the crew stopped in front of an archaic pillar. Milo jumped out of the truck and Madeleine followed. Seeing his little sister was too short to see the pillar, the linguist put her on his shoulders (Maddy is very light btw.).

"Good night! Will you look at the size of this?" Milo exclaimed. It's gotta be half a mile high, at least. It-it must have taken hundred, no pfft, thousands of years to carve this thing,"

Vinny dragged Milo by the collar (Making Madeleine fall.) of his coat and then proceeded to blow the pillar up, letting it fall down over a chasm. "Hey look, I made a bridge. It only took me like what, ten seconds, eleven tops," Vinny gloated as Milo and Madeleine stood there in utter disbelief.

"I wish I could unsee that." Madeleine muttered to her brother.

With no time to waste, the group continued on over the now pillared bridge. The figures from before followed, with one of them stopping to observe the expedition group.

The group came prepared for all types of weather. Eventually reaching the snowy part of the cavern, they changed into their thick fur coats, ski goggles, hats and gloves. Milo shivered as he read the Shepherd's Journal and then pointed the correct way.

"Boy oh boy I can't wait to get outta here," his teeth chattered. His sister giggled. Even when the snow disappeared, the obstacles did not stop. The pathway they were driving on was barricaded by a wall. "Looks like we have a little roadblock. Vinny, what do you think?" said Rourke as the group stood in front.

"I could un-roadblock that if I had about 200 of these" Vinny pointed to the stick of TNT in his hand
"problem is, I only got about ten" he counted on his fingers, "plus you know, five of my own" he pulled out a small bag "and a couple of cherry bombs" he pulled out a flare "a road flare. Hey, too bad we don't have some nitroglycerin, eh Milo?"

Milo glared at Vinny while Mole burst out laughing. "Looks like we're gonna have to dig," Rourke turned to Mole. Mole gasped in delight.

"It will be my pleasure," the geologist started the driller's engine but as the vehicle hit the wall, the machine busted and smoked, breaking down much to Mole's dismay. "Oh stupid!" he coughed and banged his head against the steering wheel which made the horn beep.

"I don't understand it. I just tuned this thing up this morning," Audrey climbed into the back of the vehicle and threw out random pieces of bolts and pipes, almost hitting Milo in the head.

"Um..."

"It looks like the rotor's shot! I'm going to have to pull a spare from one of the trucks." she climbed out.

"Can we-" Madeleine began.

"No toques nada! I'll be right back," she pointed at him and walked away.

Going against her orders, Milo twisted the valves which hissed and Madeleine hit it with a wrench. The engine suddenly started again, blowing out white smoke.

"She lives!" Mole cried out gleefully.

"Hey, what'd you do?" Audrey asked.

"Well, you know, the boiler in this baby is a Humac model P-54/813.
Now, we got the 814 back at the museum. The heating cores on the whole Humac line have always been a little, you know, temperamental." Milo explained. "So sometimes you gotta, boom, persuade 'em a little."

"Yeah yeah, thank you very much.
Shut up."

Audrey closed the compartment and spun around to face Milo, her hand clenched in a fist to punch him. Milo flinched. "Two for flinching," she punched Milo twice in his arm. Milo rubbed the spot as she walked away and Mole laughed gleefully in the background.

With his digger working again, the drill tank dug a hole through the rock, finally clearing a path for the rest of the crew.

Madeleine has something to say!

Merry Christmas everyone! ☺️