The Third Power: TTS AU

Chapter Twenty-Five

"The back?" Rapunzel questioned. "How is that our best option?" She looked at Eugene and then at the other three who all had satisfied expressions on their faces.

"Blondie," Eugene started with a grin. "the back of a wall will always have the lowest number of guards or defences in general; It's the back!"

"Everyone knows that no one ever cares enough about the back of a wall to add any real defences," Lance stated.

Keira and Catalina nodded to their statements.

"Ok, but how can we be sure?" the princess asked. She knew she should trust their judgment but this was a super important mission. They couldn't make any mistakes.

"Princess, all of your friends are former criminals and you're wondering if we're right or not?" Keira said, almost bewildered by the lack of faith.

Rapunzel exhaled and tried to smile. She played with a loose strand of hair, twisting it around her index finger. "I know I know. I'm sorry," she told them. She unravelled the strand of hair and looked down at the rough layout of the plan that Eugene had drawn. It was simple drawings and a few notes but there was enough detail to know what everything meant. Rapunzel found, however, that she wished it was more specific. She wished there were directions to just get them straight to Varian without the complications of 50ft walls and merfolk and whatever else. She wished there was just a straight line to the goal. She wished they were all just back home in the castle, messing around and...

"I kinda wish Cass was here."

The words had come before she'd even realised they'd been forming on her tongue. She glanced up at the others to see faces of surprise and discomfort.

"Yeah well... she's not," Eugene tried, being very careful with his phrasing and keeping his eyes on the parchment, fixing little lines in the drawings.

"You've got us, though!" Catalina offered with a soft smile.

Rapunzel returned it. "And I'm grateful for that," she said. "but Cassandra is such a good fighter and it would've been nice to have her in case things got rough."

"Yeah," Lance muttered sadly. He then immediately gave his head a quick shake and straightened his back and did his best to look angry. "But she made her choice! We can do this without her."

Rapunzel's smile grew. "Of course. Anyway what have we got in terms of a plan in case we need to fight, oh wonderful strategist?" she asked as she turned her attention back to Eugene.

Eugene looked back up, evidently relieved for the change of topic. "Not much," he said with a grimace. He chewed the end of the pencil as he tried to wrack his brain for something. "Could you use you hair as a bubble to keep water out?"

"Maybe," the princess said. "but I wouldn't be able to see."

"Right."

"You think V equipped this thing with any weapons?" Keira wondered and started looking around from where she sat.

Rapunzel got up and checked the controls by the wheel. There were only a few buttons - none of which looked like they would trigger any sort of weapon mechanism. She turned back to the others, shaking her head with a frown.

"Then that leaves us with only one option." Eugene sighed heavily and pushed back a lock of hair. "We'll have to reason our way into the city."

While he and the other three former criminals looked disappointed at the prospect, Rapunzel's face lit up. Her eyes sparkled with hope. "This is good," she said. "Reasoning is a great idea! A non-confrontational talk is perfect and should immediately get us on good terms with the merfolk."

"Or they see us as weak and drive us off," Keira objected bitterly.

"And they'll definitely be mad about us trying trespassing before trying talking," Catalina added anxiously.

"Well we really, sadly, don't have another option." Lance rested his face is his palms. "As nice as that would be."

Rapunzel tried to feel sympathy, or even pity, for her friends' feelings about the situation, but she couldn't over the excitement and anticipation that was building up in her chest. They had it. They had a clear plan to follow and she was certain it could work. She was certain that they could smooth talk the merfolk into being merciful and kind even after she and her party were breaking into their territory. This would work.

CRUNCH!
SMASH!
REEEEEEEEEE!

...

"What was that?" asked Lance, his voice rising in pitch as anxiety clutched at his throat.

For a moment everyone was still. Then Catalina edged her way over to a window and cautioned a look to the ocean beyond the glass. For a brief moment her heart stopped and a chill scratched its way down her spine, paralysing her for a few terrifying milliseconds before releasing her again and allowing her to scream one word:

"SQUID!"

Everyone immediately sprung into action. Rapunzel dashed to the wheel and started up the engine, accelerating as much as she could. Eugene, Lance, Kiera and Catalina all huddled together protectively, each of them resting their hands on daggers and swords that were resting at their hips.

The submarine lurched forward as the engine kicked in and it was freed from the remains of the rock tent. It began to speed through the dark water and away from the pursuing cephalopod - or, at least, trying to. The dull thud of thick, heavy tentacles could be heard bashing into the sandy ocean floor only inches from the vehicle and the party trapped inside of it.

"What are we gonna do?" Catalina called out in a panicked cry.

Rapunzel offered no answer. Her attention was solely on putting as much distance between them and the squid as possible.

"We'll get out of this," Lance offered in his best attempt of a comforting tone when no one else spoke. "We'll er... we just need to get to Atlantis! We were going there anyway. Surely the merfolk will help us."

"We don't have time to think of something better, so sure," Rapunzel muttered. She swerved the submarine as a tentacle almost smashed into the front window. She could feel nervous sweat on the back of her neck. One wrong move and they would all be dead.

Tense minute after tense minute and the squid still refused to give up the chase.

"Blondie?" Eugene said. "Say, how much fuel does this thing have left?" A nervous grin spread across his face.

Rapunzel's breath caught in her throat and her heart plummeted into her stomach at the question. She hadn't thought about how much fuel they must be using going so fast for so long. Her heart sank even further as she looked at the indicator to realise, with unending horror, that the fuel tank was nearing empty. "Oh, er, we should still have enough to reach Atlantis," she near-yelled over her shoulder. Was it the right thing to say? No. Would it keep the others from panicking about it? Yes. If the princess needed one thing right now it was minimal panic from her friends.

There it was! In the distance stood the city, a shining white pearl amidst the darkness. They were so close, so tantalisingly close.

A dreadful creak and lurching sound was the only warning they were given before the submarine began to plummet into the sandy floor.