Heart of the Jungle - Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Sixteen: The Last Level is Always the Hardest

There it was, the jaguar statue. Night had fallen, and now it stood looming, a dark shadow in the distance. Thunder rumbled in the distance, followed closely by strikes of lightning.

"The final level," Spencer declared. "The last level is always the hardest."

Putting Fridge's plan into action, the five split up to lure away 'the defenders', real, alive jaguars protecting the statue, and trying to avoid the men on motorcycles who had arrived in pursuit of them.

The plan went relatively smoothly - that was, until they reached the base of the statue.

Spencer, Martha, and Alex looked in horror at the sight ahead of them: Van Pelt had caught Bethany and was now holding his silver gun to her head, a pack of jaguars surrounding them.

"Beth!" cried Martha. "Oh no-"

"Let her go," Spencer tried.

"The jewel, now," Van Pelt demanded. "Or your friend dies." They just stared back at him. Bethany felt the cold press of his gun against the side of her head.

"Bethany, no!" cried Alex. "Take me instead!" He gestured to himself.

There was a moment of tense silence that was broken moments later by the sound of a crash, followed by a wail. This was followed by more crashing and cries. The group turned to look back at where the motorcycle men had surrounded them, but one by one, they were all being taken down by some seemingly invisible force-

Martha and Spencer exchanged a glance. It's her, her gaze said. He nodded, a smile appearing on his face.

Now, despite having a gun pressed firmly to her head, Bethany smiled too. "Oh boy, you have a storm coming!" she told Van Pelt. "Your ex-girlfriend is here, and she's pissed! And trust me, there's nothing worse than a pissed off ex-girlfriend!"

And she was right. With the next crack of thunder and flash of lightning, the group saw her silhouette from where she stood above them on a little cliff side, leg up on a rock, just like when they had first met her. She had changed her appearance some, now with a leather jacket over her tank top and not her blue shirt, and also different pants and boots, and a helmet over her head hiding her face, having disguised herself as one of the mercenaries.

Vera removed her long riding gloves and then whipped off her helmet, her yellow hair now down and flowing around her face. She grinned at Van Pelt. "Hey Love," she mocked.

Van Pelt just responded by pressing the gun more firmly to Bethany's head, as though his ex-girlfriend and work partner hadn't just shown up meaning business. "Five..." He began to countdown. Nothing. "Four..." Still nothing. "Three..."

"Spencer!" hissed Martha.

"I can't give you the jewel," Spencer said.

"Spencer!" cried Alex this time.