FSE

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Jenny couldn't help her excitement growing as she and her team moved towards the final sector of the game. Whatever was going to happen here, it was likely to be so much bigger than anything that had gone before. And what they had been through already had been beyond anything she could have possibly imagined.

It was that excitement that was easily letting her keep up with Lena as she led them on, her legs carrying her forward through door after door, and along corridor after corridor. Until they reached the another, bringing them all up short as this one didn't open immediately. And when it did, it opened with a slow grinding of gears, most likely for dramatic effect rather than anything else since the door seemed pretty well maintained. The room beyond it, she couldn't make out anything of it. Not since it was pure black, not a single light anywhere. Not one. At least not for the start.

They had all taken advantage of the break to shower and get a clean set of clothes. Jenny had been both surprised and relived to be shown to another locker and shower room, instead of going straight towards the Arena. While it was good to get cleaned up, Jenny did find the wait just a little bit frustrating. A feeling that was only exacerbated by the fact that she was all clean, the gunge washed out of her hair and fur and her ruined clothes replaced by a clean set. Except for her swimsuit. All that took was a quick wash and dry off and she was ready to go. The excitement had only been growing, in the others, not just her. All of them knew they were unlikely to stay clean for long but for Jenny at least the idea of getting gunged afresh felt extra exciting, like it was her first time all over again. She guessed that Cara and Amy felt the same way. As for Geri, she only had to look at her to know that she was fervently hoping to stay clean.

Giving her a reassuring smile, Jenny turned her attention back to her surroundings just as a long line of lights flickered to life, then another, two matched streams running down either side of the room. Not giving much illumination but enough to let them make their way across the room. Which is just what Jenny made the move to do. She took the first step, making to lead the others. Yes, she was cutting across Geri as team leader, but she had a feeling she wouldn't mind her doing this. As soon as they had started out for what they all knew would be the finish, her earlier nerves seemed to have returned. Not just her. Cara too. One look at the Gerbil made it obvious she was a worried as Geri even if for different reasons.

Amy on the other hand, seemed as calm and collected as she always seemed. Which meant she was pretty much a bundle of energy. Jenny could see that from the first look at her. It was even more obvious as Amy skipped up beside her, every inch the bundle of excited energy, clearly wanting to get to the door ahead as quickly as possible. The only problem was that she never got there. She took one, two, three quick steps then vanished from sight, her surprised shriek echoing back up from the trap door that had opened under her feet. One second she was there, the next she was gone. It was that fast.

Almost as fast as how quickly the others ran up to the hole, peering down into the darkness below, headless of the fact that there could be other traps present. Even Geri had followed suit, the shock seeming to have cut through her nerves. A look was all she got. It took her a long second to work out what happened. One second she was there and then she was gone. It was only when she replayed it in her head that she actually worked out what had happened. Actually worked out that Amy must have been standing on a trap door. She got proof of that as soon as the other three ran up to where she had been, just in time to see it close. But not any sign of their teammate.

'What did you do to her?' Jenny snapped, not surprised to see Cobalt behind her, the Pika grinning at her with her usual smug smile.

'Oh she's fine. If she stays that way is up to you. If one of you is willing to try and save her.' Cobalt smirked, the expression obvious in her tone of voice.

'I guess that's me.' Jenny volunteered before the others could even speak. She had a feeling that was what Cobalt would have wanted anyway. And she was proved right. Not that the lithe Pika said anything. She didn't have too, just languidly even casually extended her paw to direct her towards the far side of the room. Directing her towards the door that until just now had been hidden deep in the shadows, shadows the growing lights had driven away.

It was through that door that Jenny stepped quickly, finding a much smaller room on the other side. Barely on the other side. Given the size of the room she found herself in, she couldn't help thinking she was in a lift. The design of the room also made her think that, with the circular design, the lights along the sides, the buttons and screen across from her. Which raised the question about if this was actually a lift or just a very clever mock-up of one. Given the set, it could go either way.

Which way it actually went came to Jenny in a quick second. The doors shut and her stomach lurched. Which must have been what Amy felt. Only worse. Jenny quickly found her feet again as the lift continued to drop, for much longer than she expected. But then it started to slow, juddered to a halt, the doors opening with the same shaky movement. To reveal another darkened room. Which she should have expected.

The room didn't stay dark for long, the wide expanse lit by four large circles of light, three that were moving around the room. But it was the static one that attracted Jenny's attention. Given that it had fallen on Amy seated in a low Perspex tank. But not one seated below a gunge tank, seated above one. She wasn't sure that Amy could see it but from where she stood Jenny couldn't help noticing the raised platform over the transparent vat full of something very pink and from the look of it very sticky.

Jenny didn't have any time to get to grips with this game before Cobalt's voice cut across her burgeoning thoughts.

'Rescuing your friend is easy enough. The switch to release her from her cell is sitting right in front of it. All you have to do is reach it, without touching any of the spotlights. Do that three times and you trigger the drop mechanism on the cell, dumping her into all of that sticky gunk.'

'Fine.' Jenny said, mostly to herself, already planning her first move. Luckily her earlier pause had given her an insight into how to do that. Without really seeming too, Jenny had been watching the movements of the three circles of light as they glided along the floor. Focusing on the first one. Waiting for the right moment to slip past it, watching as it got closer and closer to the door, then quickly moved to the right just as she had hoped.

She couldn't waste time resting on her success, she had to move. And move she did, stepping out of the lift with bold purpose. Now things became a bit more tricky, since she not only had to avoid the light behind her but avoid the one ahead as well, that was even as she spoke moving down the narrow walkway towards her.

Jenny only had one option really, just as the last minute seeing the other walkway branching off to the right at 90 degrees. It was close but with one last burst of speed she was just able to make it, almost sure her tail has brushed the light. But that didn't seem to be enough to count as a touch.

Counting her blessings at her good luck, Jenny pressed on, this long walkway dotted with more side turnings, three of them equally spaced out ahead on her and alternating each side. All three of which had a light moving along them, passing over the centre within seconds of each other. Avoiding the first would be easy enough, but she ran the risk of getting caught by the other two. Still, that was a risk she was going to have to take.

Her feet not even tottering in the slightest on the narrow walkway, Jenny advanced quickly, slowing just before she reached the first light, waiting the long wait until it passed then hurrying forward. Hurrying too fast as she stepped right into the path of the next circle of light. And too late to do anything about it. The light flashed under her feet, as if she needed to be told she had been caught out. But Jenny didn't let that slow her down. Far from it. Without showing in knock in her confidence she raced easily past the third light.

Now she had time to pause, the quick glance around her showing that not only was she over halfway across this maze, but that only a scant few metres lay between her and Amy, if she took the direct route. Direct, but not that easy. Still, Jenny decided to go for it.

She tried not to let the weaving pattern of lights dancing over the small platforms distract her, pausing with deliberate intent on the edge of the walkway, watching them move. Maybe it was that distracted way of watching that did it, but as she looked on, she couldn't help seeing a pattern. And a way across. It would be tricky, there was no doubt about that. But Jenny felt sure she could do it. Not letting that confidence fade, Jenny bent her legs, waiting for the right moment to move.

'One..two..THREE.' On that last word, Jenny leapt, her legs powering her into a running jump that continued the second after she landed. Another two quick strides and she leapt again, sailing clear across to the second platform. Then again, turning to let her leap to the side. Only this time she leapt too far, her landing awkward, sending her stumbling. While that mistake wasn't enough to send her falling off the platform, she lost precious seconds in leaping again, her next jump carrying her square onto the ledge and into the circle of light.

'Damn.' Jenny swore as she made her second mistake, knowing she couldn't afford to make another. Luckily she was very close to the other side. Timing her first jump very carefully, Jenny was able to skip past the next two lights, her fist pumping the air triumphantly.

'Care to get me out of here?' Amy asked, Jenny not sure if she was seeing a little disappointment in her eyes.

But she wasn't sure she could ask that either. 'Oh, yeah. Sure.' Jenny shook off her confusion, moving to press the switch, which had exactly the effect she had hoped it would. A soft click reached her ears and the door to the cell swung open a bare second later, followed quickly by Amy who stepped out to join her teammate.

'Now, how do we get out of here?' Amy asked.

Jenny was about to explain that they would probably have to make it back the way she had come when with a hiss of machinery, a door opened behind them, revealing a lift identical to the one that had brought her down here. 'In that.' Jenny replied.

It didn't take both girls long at all to enter, the doors whooshing shut behind them, followed by the judder as the lift started to climb.

'I'm amazed she let us go.'Amy said as she leaned back against the wall.

'Yeah, I was..' Jenny's answer died in her throat as the lift lurched to a halt, the jolt strong enough to knock them off their feet. And it would have done if Jenny hadn't grabbed to Amy's shoulders to balance herself, pulling the tigress closer to her as a result. It was in that pose they both lingered, suddenly frozen. Frozen by the strobing red light that filled the enclosed lift.

'Uh oh.' Jenny said, hearing Amy mimic her words. Not that she was sure why she said them. She shouldn't have been nervous. Not if she was right about what was going to happen. But it was there, that little flutter of nerves deep in her stomach, bubbling together with her rising excitement.

'Uh oh, indeed.' Cobalt's voice came as no surprise to her here. 'Seems you've been doing too well for my liking little bunny. So I've decided to take matters into my own hands. I don't think you will be getting out of this one.'

Honestly, Jenny didn't think so either. This had to have been planned, it had to have been. Probably the reason they were brought down here in the first place. The whole game a trap that lead up to this.

'Do your worst.' Jenny said defiantly.

'Oh, I will.' Cobalt said, leaving them in silence.

As well as leaving them both to anticipate what was coming. Jenny was now hyper aware of her surroundings as much as her fate. And of Amy next to her, the tigress squirming in obvious excitement.

'I don't think I can take the waiting.' Amy sighed. 'I wish she would just get on with it.'

'Why?' Jenny tried to play down her excitement, to not think about the cute tigress about to be gunged with her, trying not to imagine the feeling of her gunged slicked body against hers. 'It's nothing you haven't felt before.

'But..I haven't been gunged with you before.' Amy whispered, suddenly sounding shy.

'Are you saying you've wanted to?' Jenny was taken aback and just hoped she sounded surprised rather than offended. Because that was exactly what she was feeling right now.

'Since we met.' Amy grinned. 'Seeing you gunged, feeling it myself, those were good. But this is what I wanted. To share it with you. Tell me you haven't been feeling the same.'

'Well, maybe a little.' Jenny muttered, trying not to be distracted by the heat in her cheeks.

'I thought so.' Amy grinned again, beaming like a cheshire cat.

Jenny tried to search her eyes for some clue as to what that meant, but then she ran out of time. She actually felt the gunge before she saw it, her focus on Amy having distracted her. But now she couldn't ignore the gunge that was being dumped on them both from the wide hole that had opened above them, pouring the thick blue gunk right over them both. Not wide enough to cover them completely, but enough to ensure that they got pretty well splashed by what Jenny figured was just likely to be the start.

That gunge might not have covered them both if Amy hadn't pulled Jenny closer, moving them from standing so the gunge poured between them to splattering right over thier heads. Jenny felt it squirming down over her shoulders and front equally and knew that Amy was getting the same. The gunge kept pouring for longer then she expected, the tank emptying with a relentless slowness that left both girls not just slimed, but standing almost thigh deep in the clinging goo.

Before Jenny could even think about it rising higher, the next tank was released over them both. Not from above, but all sides, this gunge more sprayed then dropped, the creamy, sticky white gunk catching them from all sides, leaving them with no way they could turn to protect themselves from it, laying more and more onto what was left of their clean hair and clothes, pasting them both with pure white. While they were being turned into pure white blobs, the increasingly pale blue gunge had been rising higher and higher, not just brushing their hips but starting to consume them both.

Just as both girls couldn't ignore the fact they would both be standing waist deep in goo very soon. Despite herself, Jenny was up on tip toes, trying to prolong that moment, or that was what she told herself, honestly, she was scared what would happen if it came higher, her body already on the verge of a reaction she feared she couldn't control.

'Do you think I could...? Ahh, what the heck.' Amy's voice cut across her thoughts, building a question that she was on the cusp of asking before another one drove it from her mind.

'What are you doing?' Jenny could see what Amy was doing, she just couldn't believe it. Yet she couldn't deny the evidence of her own eyes as the tigress plunged her paw into the goo, clearly fumbling for the button of her shorts.

'Come on. When are we going to get this chance again?' Amy flicked her a quick smile. 'I want to do this right.'

Jenny had no chance to reply as Amy didn't just unbutton her shorts but actually slipped them off, gliding them down her legs to most likely be kicked off in the swirling gunge too. Like her, Amy was standing with her hips not quite in the gunge, stretching up to remove her shirt too, sending it down to join her shorts. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, her eyes following the tigresses lithe body in only her swimsuit, her breasts nestled in the snug top that was, she couldn't help noticing, pushing them into a sweet cleavage.

'Your turn.'

'What, no. Don't you dare,' Jenny half whined. But her body failed to react with the protest of her mouth. Her only response being a repressed shudder as Amy popped her shorts open languidly, almost teasing her as she ran the zipper down. Jenny wasn't sure if she was resisting or not. Then that moment was over. Amy had shimmed her gunge soaked shorts down her thighs, and then instinct took over. She didn't even think as she kicked them off as Amy had done, not caring where they went. Just like she didn't resist when she took her top off.

Jenny was trying not to think about how near to being naked she was. Not that nudity was such a thing to furries. It wouldn't be the first time a tv show had broadcast unclothed furs. And with the gunge coating them already, it was very hard to tell they were wearing much. Or it soon would t be as Jenny hoped, some part of her sure there was more to come.

'Here we go.' Amy proved her right.

Jenny could now hear what Amy could and she clung to her, her head spinning. The next drop caught them both by surprise. And a drop it was. All Jenny heard was a clunk then her head was swamped, the deluge growing to cover all of them both, the thick splurge leaving no part of her untouched. The pressure of it made her head drop. And that wasn't the only reaction. She didn't hear any sound from Amy but she felt it as she pulled her closer. Maybe Amy didn't mean it but her leg rested between her thighs. She was too far gone now. She just went with it with a grunt. Crossed the line she had been resisting.

She felt her body lurch forward, tugging Amy close to her. Anything else she felt was washed away by the strength of her orgasm, her hips rubbing her needy sex over Amy's leg, the brief barrier of her swimsuit not blocking the feeling of her fur teasing her lips. Around all of that came the still pouring gunge. She couldn't feel more than that.

Now both girls were standing waist deep in the swirled gunk, the level still relentlessly climbing higher and higher. And still the ever thickening stream of black and blue gunk didn't stop pouring, clinging to every inch of their near naked bodies, hugging their curves very tightly. Just as tightly as Jenny was hugging Amy, still clinging to her as the gunge finally trailed off, the stream running down slowly to a tiny tickle, dripping the last dregs over them both.

Jenny just stood, unsure what to do here, not moving from where she stood next to Amy. She wasn't sure who started it but suddenly they kissed, their lips meeting in a soft, passionate touch. The touch was electric to Jenny, her surprise quickly fading, letting her relax and sink into it, running her fingers softly through her hair. Not wanting this moment to end.

It all ended too soon, the lift lurching back to life, the gunge draining away from around them. Prompting Jenny to pull back, searching Amy's eyes for some clue how she took that. She could be see any sign that it had bothered her but before she could even think about asking her. Quickly she fumbled around for her clothes, slipping them on hastily, feeling the gunge pooling out of them and running down her body. the door behind them slid open. Not seeing a reason to stay in here any longer, both girls trooped out to rejoin the others. The looks they got were interesting. She could only imagine how they looked. Even though a lot of the gunge had slid off them while the lift rose, both girls were still dripping as they padded over to the others. Cara looked the most openly shocked with Geri coming a close second on that. But they had no time to reassure them before Lena drew their attention back to her.

'So, we are very close to the end now. Just once more challenge remains. I don't think we need to waste any more time. Let's get..Into the Arena.'

Now Jenny's eyes along with those of her team were pulled back to the large doors they had seen before the little detour. Doors that started to inch open very slowly, lit by the intermittent flashes of neon yellow light. As it continued to open, Cobalt cut in quickly.

Now they are going to be given the chance to change, and talk about it. Briefly. Saying she wanted it too and she didn't take advantage. She leads her back out.

'This is very much your last challenge. Where all you have done will count towards how well you do.' She paused, maybe for dramatic effect. 'Your efforts have earned you ten minutes to make your way to the centre of the Nexus where every second will count.'

That seemed to be all they were going to get and since the door had finished opening, Jenny saw no reason to stay outside. Not when their scant time might already be counting down. As soon as she was inside Jenny's eyes took stock of what she saw, both shocked and impressed. It wasn't hard for her to divine the purpose of the room. One way to describe it would have been a huge obstacle course. And that was what she couldn't help thinking it was. One that lead through many routes to the large clear dome that dominated the centre.

'So, I guess we have to get over there, huh?' Geri said, her thoughts mirroring her own.

'Looks like it.' Jenny nodded. 'Lets split up. Geri, you and Cara try off that way. This can't be as simple as just reaching the door. Maybe you two can get there more quickly and work out what we have to do. Let's go.'

On her words, Cara and Geri sprinted off the way she had pointed, heading to what she hoped would be the easier route. From what she saw, the path of small platforms shouldn't be that hard to transverse. Leaving the narrow walk beams ahead for her and Amy. Something they should be able to cross easily.

Seems she had been right. With her usual Feline grace even still coated in gunge, Amy made her way across in a series of quick steps, not even using her arms for balance. Her tail easily serving that purpose.

Jenny couldn't rely upon that but she had her own ideas. Without giving herself time to really think or over focus on what she was going to do, Jenny broke into a sprint. What happened next was a blur, somehow her feet perfectly timing her strides to cross the first beam and carrying her onto the second.

She and Amy had now caught up, both women moving almost perfectly in step, their natural grace carrying them from one beam to the next, nothing but a short hop preventing them from crossing from one to another. An obstacle they cleared easily.

Jenny's route was just that little bit shorter and it was because of that happenstance that she arrived at the end of the beams a bare second before Amy, that short time as she landed on the thankfully wide platform giving her time to survey the next challenge. One that wasn't going to be so easy.

What stood before them wasn't so much beams as rollers, the shiny silver metal surface spinning slowly, obviously powered by some external force. What would happen when they stepped upon them was any bodies guess. But it was there that they must go.

'Lets just go for it.' Jenny said as much to herself as Amy, hoping to repeat her previous success. With only a little hesitation she raced onto the cylindrical path. It wasn't as bad as she had feared. Moving quickly had been the way to go, her feet never in contact with the rolling surface long enough for the movement to cause her any problems. It still felt weird but nothing she couldn't handle.

Even so, this time she was more grateful to be back on solid ground, again taking stock of her surroundings. And for the first time since she entered this maze did her thoughts turn to Geri and Cara. At quite a fortuitous time as well. Before she could even think their names, the serval and the hamster joined them on the platform, making the short leap from the last jump that had bridged the gap between them.

Jenny had been thinking to make them split up again, but it wasn't a problem now. A moot point even. Since only one way to go lay before them, the wide cargo net stretching all the way across the length of the platform, connected to another high above. Not vertically thank fully, only a gentle slope.

Jenny had to admit she was a little worried about Cara here, but it seems the hamster shared no such concerns. Not giving the way she through herself into the net, deftly and handily climbing up the taut ropes. Moving steadily and carefully. A pace the others matched, all of them deciding that speed not haste was needed here. Something that was hard for Jenny. She couldn't help being aware that time was ticking down, made worse by not knowing how long they had taken. It felt both like minutes and seconds at the same time. So she had to force herself to slowly, just put one paw in front of the other and keep moving. A plan that seemed to work because in no time at all they had reached the top. Bringing the door within easy reach, now barely a stones throw away.

The onto thing that stood between them and it a drop too great to jump and too deep to climb out the other side. Which only left them with one way to go really. This time it was Amy that went first, grabbing one of the hanging ropes and swinging for it. Her technique was perfect, getting a long swing and leaping to the next. Something Jenny tried to mimic.

She was a bit ambitious on her second but recovered. Cara was taking it more gingerly, not swinging the ropes as much, just swinging from rope to rope, her steady pace bringing her to the other side as the same time as Geri.

'Is that it?' The serval asked.

As if in answer to that question, the tunnel leading into the sphere slid open, providing them with a narrow entryway that they all had to duck a little to get into. Jenny was all too aware that once they were inside they would have no way to avoid the gunge. Just because she couldn't see it, she was sure it was around here somewhere. What she could see was the circular recession in the floor in the centre, a pit that seemed to be filled with grey foam beads like packing peanuts.

'So, you made good time getting here. But that is not enough. Now you have to best my score. In the five minutes you have left, you have to collect as many of the balls in the pit before you and drop them in the hoppers around the edges. Black gives you 100 points, grey 20 and white ten. So, get hunting.'

As if Cobalt's last word was a starters pistol, the team scrambled into action. Jenny dives in first, getting up to her shoulders in the black plastic peanuts, making it very hard. It's impossible to see what they are, so she doesn't bother, grabbing as many as she can and dropping them into the hopper. The others are trying a similar strategy.

It was hard to feel what they were doing, relying on the merest brush on their paws of a different texture, not being able to see even if the lights had been a full strength. Jenny had a feeling even if she held one of the balls right before her eyes, she wouldn't be able to pick out the colour. Which was no doubt the point.

At least none of them were letting it get them down, all focused on the job at hand. Cara seemed the most flustered, only grabbing a couple at a time but at least she was getting back quickly.

Jenny had three and decided that was the best she was going to get. As quickly as she could she dropped them off, stumbling a little as she reached the edge of the pit, passing Geri very closely, nearly bumping into her. Luckily she didn't,

Jenny was starting to worry if there was anything else in here, having to go deeper to see what she could find. It didn't hell not knowing how many where in here. They couldn't be meant to find them all of course. She managed to grab four and struggling carried them to the chute, dropping them in as a mass, not wasting any time before she raced back.

Amy and Geri were still in the pit but Cara had left, and Jenny thought she saw a flash of black in her paw. But she couldn't stop and focus on that. Rushing right to the centre, she joined in the frantic search. All three girls were moving in the same way.

It was almost impossible to pick out who was who, the three girls moving so fast, scrabbling around in the pool, up to their necks in the tiny bits of plastic. The strobing lights didn't help. Truth to tell, none of the girls had any idea how they were doing. It was all pure guess work.

Jenny couldn't help feeling time was running out, hearing the ticking of the clock, not daring to look at it. She started with a rush of panic as she heard the countdown start, the monotonous voice counting down from ten.

Something that did nothing to relax her. She grabbed what she could and ran, dumping them in as quickly as she could as Geri stepped back. She cleared the way for Amy who approached with another handful. But too late. The hopper closed and the lights came up.

The camera panned away as soon as the lights came back up. When it panned down again, it was to show the group clustered together, standing it had to be said very nervously. The reason for which could be seen as the camera pulled back, giving a good view of the team waiting inside the close chamber they had entered from. And to Cobalt standing outside, her arms crossed over her chest.

'So, you all think you have done very well. And maybe you did. But how well?' Cobalt smirked, knowingly and purposefully asking the question that had been on all their lips. '1000 points was the score you needed to beat. So, let's see how you did.'

Cobalt didn't speak the answer, that would have been too easy. Now all attention turned to the screen behind her, the once blank screen now showing a number, the bright red tally quickly climbing.

As it did, the camera flicked from one team member to another, rapidly moving along the line. All their faces were a study in anticipation or anxiety or both, none of them able to stay perfectly still.

And up and up the number climbed. Passing 500 hundred and showing no sign of slowing. Until it reached 700. Then probably by something more designed to raise the suspense of the moment. Each number it ticked higher was a number that could have spelled the end of it.

A thought that each one of the team thought, now sharing more eager or nervous glances between each other. The ticks of the screen sounded louder now, almost filling the air. Up to 800 now. Surely it couldn't go much higher. Each tick was like an age,

It froze with one last flicker at 840, the number now set, unchangeable. Now unavoidable. They only had a bare moment to take that it, the whole group staring at the number, knowing what it meant. That didn't stop Cobalt elaborating on it anyway.

'So close, such a good effort. Almost worthy in fact. But almost doesn't cut it here I'm afraid.'

The meaning of those words was suddenly, unmistakably clear. Only one second of thought passed between them and then it was too late. There was no warning, no build up here. No long pause between klaxon and the event it heralded. Not this time. One short whoop and that was it. The rush of the tanks opening could be heard over even that loud noise, at least from the inside. Any other sound that may have been heard was drowned out as quickly as the assembled girls were.

The moment was spectacular. This was no slow drop. Not one stream, but three, mixing to the perfect angle catch them in a gunge crossfire, flinging gunge is all directions. But mostly over the hapless girls, the volume of the gunge so great that the traditional umbrella couldn't be sustained. Not for long anyway. The effect lasted only a second, the initial release slowed enough to allow the gunge to pour more than splash. Not that it mattered, with the girls standing so close, the falling gunge was bound to hit someone.

And it did, wrapping and rebounding from each only to hit another. All the girls were laughing now, splashed and splattered in the ever growing and falling mess, mixing and flowing around them. Like a heavy veil that nothing could penetrate, clinging to hair and over shoulders, except for when it parted just for a second. The transition from one tank to another was that quick, that sudden. It didn't take much longer for one colour to start to drown out another, not being allowed the time to mix, the last layer being drowned out. All four girls were little more than a blob now, completely covered in the clinging liquid. Barely twenty seconds later, all four girls were soaked and dripping in the near orange gunge, the relentless gunge continuing to spare none of them in the confined space. While the streams were nowhere near as thick as when they started, there was still enough gunge to cover them perfectly.

It was that image that was the last that was seen of them, the camera cutting away from thier fate and back to Cobalt, her satisfied grin having grown even wider. But now it was clear she was not speaking to herself or the team, but straight to the camera and beyond it. Reaching her words out from it.

'Do you think you have what it takes to challenge me?' Cobalt's words might have been soft. But the challenge in them could not be missed. 'To see if you can beat my game? Then by all means, please try. I will be waiting. Until next time we meet.'

---

'Well, that wasn't that bad.' Geri's voice cut across the running showers, her voice easily reaching the girls in the cubicles on either side of her. It was the only sound in the room, the close walls already filled with clouds of warm steam.

'Mostly because of you guys.' Cara said, all traces of her shyness washed away like the last traces of gunge she washed out of her hair. 'I don't think I would have gotten this far without you.'

'Don't put yourself down.' Geri soothed. 'You did as well as the rest of us. And I don't think I would have done this without you. You should be proud of that.'

'I am.' Cara said, 'I'm just sorry it has to end like this.'

All three of the girls heard the sadness in her voice but it was Geri that spoke for all of them. 'Who says it has to end here? I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to lose contact after today. Not after all we went through.'

'Really?' Cara replied, not just sounding relieved and surprised. Which she did. But she sounded overjoyed as well. 'You mean that?'

'I do. And I bet Jenny and Amy do too.' Geri rapped on the screen. 'If you guys want to join in and stop making out.'

'We aren't making out.' Amy laughed, even if her cheeks were burning as much as Jenny's from the kiss they had hastily broken. They had been making no secret of the fact they both felt something. So it hadn't been hard for Geri to work it out. Despite having been caught, they hadn't moved away from each other though, still pressed together in a tender embrace, both their bodies layered in suds despite the gunge having long since been washed away.

'Right.' Geri teased, her voice filled with laughter.

Amy ignored that, raising her voice to call out to Cara. 'Speaking for us, I certainly do mean that. And I don't know about you guys, but if you have no need to rush of somewhere, we could go and grab something to eat.'

'Sounds good to me.' Geri nodded, rinsing out her hair. 'I know a great Chinese place around here.'

'Sounds good to me too.' Jenny joined in. 'Has to be a pretty good way to end the day.'

'Oh, I wasn't thinking that would end the day.' Amy lowered her voice to a whisper. 'I was thinking you could come back to my place and see how it goes.'

Jenny blushed a little more as Amy's fingers brushed her hips, her stomach fluttering. 'I like the sound of that.'

END