The End of the tunnel is in sight but that light they are seeing isn't sunshine.

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"Tell me. It can't be worse that what we've already been through." Rhonda said. Then she thought, 'Famous last words'.

"I was thinking that you can't stay and dragging yourself by the arms would be needlessly hard on you so you should get a ride on someone's back," Rick replied.

"Well unless you meant Maria's I was wrong about it not being worse..." Rhonda started, "but my right leg is already going numb and if it was a tranquilizer dart I might just fall asleep in the water here so I agree. Better to do while I still have some feeling left." She sighed, "But please can I try to make it onto Maria's back?" She paused, "Assuming Maria agrees?"

"Sure, I don't see how it's going to save any modesty of yours though since you're going to have to crawl across Rick to get to me." Maria sounded both amused and annoyed. "Maybe you should let Bobby carry you? He's the strongest of us."

"He's also ... ," she was thinking 'the boy I kind of like' but said, "a pervert and a boy. I can trust you not to take advantage and I think I can make it past Rick to you and if he tries anything I'll still have working hands to slap him with. So I'm coming over there unless you say you won't help." Her right leg was almost entirely numb and she was crawling on three limbs already.

"I already said yes. You're welcome to a piggyback ride, bad English and all," Maria said.

Rick called a temporary halt to make it easier for her.

"Bad English?" Rhonda asked as they all stopped briefly.

"Yeah, you ended a sentence with 'with' which is bad English," Maria replied.

Rhonda giggled, "Maybe you can improve my grammar during the ride."

Rick felt Rhonda climbing up his legs, "Are both your legs numb now?"

"Yeah, I'm getting a little worried. Hey you, pervert! I thought you said the tunnel wouldn't kill us." Rhonda asked as she made it on to Rick's back. Her face was blushing as she thought of him feeling just about everything she had slide across his bare back.

"Oh the poison on the dart is not lethal," the voice replied, "At least it never killed anyone before. Not even Baselines, it just makes them sleep. If you are any sort of Exemplar you'll stay awake but you'll probably be numb from the neck down considering how fast it seems to be hitting you. In fact I'm tempted to turn the tunnel lights on just to get better footage of you sprawled like that on Rick's back with your thighs around his hips and your legs so wide open." He chuckled, "But the next few traps were designed by me so I hate for you to miss them. Maria would look so much sexier with a few piercings. Right boys?" He started laughing insanely then his voice was cut off with a click.

Rhonda attempted to move on past Rick but she could barely move her arms and couldn't move her hands at all, "I'm sorry Rick I think I'm stuck here."

"No problem Rhonda," Rick replied gently, "just enjoy the ride until you are feeling better." He replied as they started moving again.

"Oh I simply can't miss this naked piggyback ride! Man, I bet this one will make me so much money I don't even mind missing the chance to see Maria pierced!" The nameless pervert watching them sounded beside himself with joy.

Rick could feel Rhonda's blush hot against his back. "You pervert! Just remember after we get free we'll be looking for you and we'll repay every humiliation back tenfold! Do you understand me?" Rick knew he shouldn't bait the man. The mysterious watcher might make things a lot worse for them if he was annoyed but he just couldn't help himself. What a rat bastard!

Their eyes adjusted rapidly to the now lit tunnel and they could proceed faster and be sure of avoiding the pressure plates under the water. They just had to ignore the sounds from the overhead speakers. First was the sound of rivers, then waterfalls, then rain. After the rain it cycled through again but he threw in the sound of a toilet flushing at random intervals and he giggled. He sounded scarily insane when he did it and that sound chilled Rick more than his threats.

Shortly Maria reported seeing the end of the tunnel. "Before you start cheering though it's blocked by fire. It looks like a waterfall only made of fire instead."

"You absorbed electricity before do you think you might be able to absorb fire too?" Rick asked. He hated putting her on the spot but she was their best chance of getting through without harm. If she could absorb fire.

"I don't know. I've been experimenting a little as we moved. I managed to absorb a little of the light when it first came on and I pulled a little heat from the water so maybe I can." She sounded scared and Rick almost told her not to even try but if she didn't, then what?

"I want you to be very careful and stop the instant it doesn't feel right but when we get to fire try it. If you can do that then we'll have a way out. Can you see anything beyond the fire?"

"I can see enough to know it's a full sized room not more tunnel. I think I saw toilets even."

"Oh, thank god," Rhonda added. All the water sounds made her want to go badly. She was still atop Rick's back leaning on her forearms. She was getting feeling back but slowly and he'd ordered her not to get off until she could feel everything down to her toes. Somewhat to his surprise she didn't even question his order, she just acknowledged it. She was still mostly numb from the waist down but she had managed to close her legs. They were still dangling behind her like dead meat but at least they were together. It was a small thing but it helped.

Soon they could all see the fire that ended the tunnel. The hated watcher finally stopped the water sounds and in an amused voice spoke, "The good doctor pretends to a classical education and as such wanted an overarching theme to his "challenges". First was the challenges of water, then earth, and now you are entering the arena of fire challenge. Good luck not becoming charcoal! I've got enough footage to sell so I won't be helping you any more unless knowing what's coming will make things worse or at least more amusing. Everyone else evacuated when you entered the tunnel and I'm bored. I hate being left behind all the time."

"Almost as if they don't like you isn't it?" Bobby said. "As if they wished they could leave you behind like an unwanted pet." He hadn't said much but he was a rock of reliability. He soldiered on and never made anything harder than it had to be. If he was taunting the voice then it must be for a good reason. Rick smiled, probably psychological warfare now that he's said he won't be helping us.

"Maria, can you check to see if you can absorb the fire now?" Rick asked worriedly.

"Okay, here goes," Maria answered and slowly extended one finger forward towards the fire.