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The elevator was coasting higher and higher. In the darkness, Sailor Taranis could see where the metal cables went into a pulley and then traveled back down. s**t -- that was the top. They were almost to the top of the shaft, which could be just as dangerous as the frog youma.

With Sailor Dylan dancing with Taranis's former frog pal, the Senshi of Sand saw a final opportunity to do some damage. He watched the scaling cables moving, metal squeaking against metal. It was the only way.

Jumping forward, Taranis locked one hand around the cable and planted his boot hard into the lower portion. He scaled upward faster than he expected, shooting up like an action hero escaping sudden death. Indiana Taranis and the Elevator of Doom! Dylan could be his side-kick?

There was no time to waste. "Taranis Sand Blast!" It was still awkward to balance the globe of sand while airborne, but Taranis had learned enough from his last misstep to not repeat it. Dylan was close to the youma, too close probably, but there was no time to worry about it. Besides, he stabbed Taranis with an apathy arrow. He pretty much had this coming.

The sand ball rocketed outward, striking the youma between its two bulbous eyes. On impact, the ball burst, coating Dylan in sand and youma dust. Sailor Taranis couldn't see his success very well, but he could certainly hear it.

"s**t, the ceiling! We gotta go. Get back into the hatch -- and watch out." There was a sound of metal clanging, and then two heavy brown boots fell into view, followed quickly by the rest of Sailor Taranis. He landed on the elevator car with a thud and stumbled backwards.

There was one floor to go before Sailor Dylan and Sailor Taranis joined forces forever as a senshi pancake.

Sailor Taranis more or less cartwheeled into the elevator car, but he wasn't complaining. Dylan had successfully prevented both of them from getting pancaked. There would be no bitching from his side of the peanut gallery. Climbing to his feet, he looked at Sailor Dylan with the amused expression of a teenage boy finding out that a friend had just gotten laid for the first time. Granted, Taranis actually had no idea what that particular face looked like, but he imagined it was something similar to the s**t-eating grin that had plastered itself across his face.

Adrenaline could do that.

The elevator reached the top floor with a tinny ding! The doors slid open to reveal Parker and Dylan, two average Hillworth students who just happened to look like they'd been sand wrestling before coming to the group meeting. Parker exited first, his gooey pant leg clinging to his calf. He shot Dylan a bemused grin. "Guess we'll discuss this later," he said.

Dylan opened the door to the designated room, and they both walked in side by side, action heroes to the end.