They moved through the Maze as fast as they dared.

  Every step had intent. Every corner was checked. Every few minutes they stopped, listened, held their breath.

  So far—no footsteps. No pursuers.

  They all knew this run was without compromise.

  Either the monks would find them and take their revenge…

  or the big man would tear them in half.

  Or help them.

  Leo still believed hiding was the better option. But his friends thought it was worth the risk, so he went along.

  They turned a corner.

  Bert opened his mouth. “Sa—”

  There was a sharp crack.

  Bert was headbutted straight in the face and sent sprawling to the floor.

  Leo and Harlada spun around, weapons raised, hearts racing.

  Behind them stretched a long, straight corridor.

  No cover.

  No hiding.

  ***

  “Rungguh dunguh,” one of the unibrow trio said, kneeling beside Bert.

  He gently rubbed Bert’s head.

  “Boom,” he added.

  “Yes. Boom,” Bert said weakly, pushing himself upright.

  One of the unibrows shoved a fist into Bert’s mouth.

  “Hmmpff!”

  Bert’s eyes went wide.

  Leo and Harlada tensed, weapons half-raised—

  “Oh. Thank you,” Bert said suddenly, as the pain in his skull vanished.

  The unibrow pulled his hand back, satisfied.

  “Told you—friendly folk!” Bert said cheerfully. He sat down beside them and handed over a snack from his pack.

  The unibrow accepted it, studied it, then smeared the chocolate across her face.

  “That one doesn’t look like me at all,” Harlada said, smiling despite herself.

  The tension bled out of the room.

  All six of them breathed again.

  Bert, mildly offended at the waste of a perfectly good snack, took a bite from the remaining bar and rubbed his stomach. “Mmm.”

  The unibrow Harlada stared with her only available expression.

  Soon the other two were licking the chocolate off her face.

  “We go to the silver-haired man,” Leo said loudly.

  “They’re not deaf,” Bert said, offended. “Just vocally impaired.”

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  Harlada began to mime.

  Three figures walking.

  A big stop.

  A puzzled look.

  Then she mimed a monkey.

  The unibrows nodded vigorously.

  Unibrow-Leo joined in.

  Three figures.

  Walking.

  Stairs.

  “They’re good at this game,” Bert said. “I got it immediately.”

  “This is the only communication they’re capable of,” Leo said, scribbling in his notebook.

  “Don’t ruin the compliment,” Harlada said, winking.

  “So… good luck,” Bert said, shaking each of their hands.

  Harlada followed. “Stay safe,” she added, wagging a finger.

  The unibrows nodded solemnly.

  “We’re just letting them progress?” Leo asked.

  “Yes,” Harlada said. “The monks will head our way—we know that.”

  “And we go talk to the big one,” Bert added. “Because we think he’s friendly.”

  “And the floating ones?” Leo asked. “They looked capable.”

  “So they have one opponent instead of four,” Harlada said patiently. “Good odds.”

  The unibrows mimed something else.

  Floating.

  Ape.

  Finger.

  Fists slamming together.

  They didn’t understand.

  They nodded anyway.

  ***

  “I really hope they make it,” Bert said quietly as they moved on.

  Leo tapped his shoulder. “I’m sure they figured it out.” He looked back down the corridor. “Maybe they’re more capable than we think.”

  The puzzle room loomed ahead.

  Harlada turned to Bert and whispered, “If you say sneak mode and give us away, I will shock you with everything I have.”

  Bert smirked.

  “In a place you really don’t want it,” Harlada added.

  The smirk vanished.

  They peeked into the room.

  “The monks,” Leo whispered, pointing.

  “They have the best…” Bert said sirking at Harlada.

  Harlada rolled her eyes. Lightning crackled faintly along her staff.

  “Whisper walk,” Bert murmured.

  “Should we warn them?” Leo asked. “That would be… friendly.”

  “No need,” Bert said, pointing.

  One of the monks punched the smaller man straight in the face.

  He crumpled.

  “That would knock us out to,” Harlada said flatly. “So no superheroes.”

  ***

  The large man straightened.

  “Finally,” he said.

  He cracked his knuckles and swung his sword at one of the monks.

  The monk stepped aside effortlessly and struck his knee.

  He didn’t react.

  “One superhero?” Bert asked hopefully.

  The woman monk began to murmur.

  White light gathered.

  Bert stepped forward. “We have to help—”

  The big man hurled his sword.

  It struck the monk square between the eyes.

  She dropped like a sack of potatoes. One peeled and sliced.

  The trio stared from a safe distance, mouths open.

  “Killed her in one strike,” Harlada whispered.

  “Wait,” Leo said. “Two more.”

  Another monk struck the man’s knee again.

  This time, the man fell.

  Bert took two steps into the room—

  A black, writhing hole launched itself at the monk.

  Seconds later, a bleeding heap of flesh lay on the floor.

  “Meow?” echoed softly.

  “Good kitty,” the man said.

  He stood, seized the last monk by the head, and tore one ear clean off.

  The monk looked surprised.

  Briefly.

  The man lifted him with both hands like a professional wrestler and slammed him headfirst into the floor.

  Crack.

  Silence.

  Three people stood at a safe distance, not knowing what to say.

  “He tore through them,” Harlada said faintly, after the silence started to hurt. “Like they were paper.”