by Danny
Danny Hearn:
"This is seriously messed up, right here," I say softly.
"You're trying really hard not to say 'fucked up,' aren't you?" Hal replies.
"Apparently people don't like swear words in this time period. They get offended."
"Feh. It's 2002. People are just old-fashioned."
I was back in the underground river that ran alongside the underground village, with my head poking ever so slightly out of the water.
Before me, illuminated by the light of at least a half-dozen large campfires, is the main cavern that I had seen the last time I swam down here. Only this time, there's quite a difference.
The team is here. My team. And the villagers are gathered around them. Except... they aren't attacking them. They don't seem hostile at all. It almost seems like they're worshiping something... someone...
They're all huddled around... Naecken? This is almost funny. They're worshiping the big black guy as if he was some sort of god.
And Mick, Shirley, Sonja, Velo, and Lance are gathered behind Naecken, hoping that their associating with the object of worship will protect them from the villagers' wrath.
But what's really worrying me is what's going in the nearby cave.
I swim downstream a little, only a few meters. Here, separated from the main cavern by a few meters of rock (but probably connected by a tunnel or two) is a second chamber. This one's smaller, about the size of your average living room. And in the middle of this chamber is a two-pronged stake.
Gathered before the stake is a group of villagers, preparing torches to light. And tied to the stakes... Sam and Pete. Shit. Crap. Damn it.
"That's a problem, right there," Hal says.
"Do you state the obvious just to piss me off?" I reply softly.
"Pretty much."
Okay. Assess the situation. In the main cavern, most of the team is gathered and apparently being treated rather civilly by the villagers due to their association with Naecken. In the small cavern, Sam and Pete are about to be charbroiled. And here I am, in the river. The villagers don't know I'm here.
Shit. What the hell am I supposed to do in these situations? I'm not the hero. I'm the whiny guy from the future who just mopes all the time. I can't deal with these high-pressure situations, 'cause I've never been a metahero, and I can't be a metahero.
Okay, Danny. Calm down. Breathe. So what do I do?
I go and make sure that the tribe mean no harm to the rest of the team. Hopefully their worshipping of Naecken will hold out for a while.
If I can be sure it's safe there, then I'll tell the guys about Sam and Pete. Then hopefully our big demon friend can pull some strings and get them set free. If it's not safe in there, then I stay hidden and figure out a way to free Sam and Pete. Seems like a sound plan.
What remains to be seen, however, is whether I can pull it off without getting killed... or eaten... or both. Probably both.
I start swimming back toward the main cavern.