A/N-Hey guys! I'm back with the 8th chapter of The Hunt! Don't worry, if you guys think this story is wrapping up…this is just the beginning! I can't believe I'm ALMOST up to 100 REVIEWS! That's incredible! Thank you to everybody who've been reading this story, or any story of mine! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you! So, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter…let's see if they find their clue, and if Kim makes it out of there alive! O.o

Enjoy the chapter! :)

KIM

Am I alive?

Am I dead?

I think I'm dead.

Wait, then how can I hear myself?

Wait…

I struggled to lift my eyelids open, the sting from the pain of my arms and legs slowly escalating higher and higher. My right hand started stinging drastically, as if an elephant just stepped on it. For a few seconds, it was like the gears in my mind had stopped, like my eyes had lost sight, like my ears had lost its hearing ability. Flashes of visions flew past my eyes, so quickly I couldn't keep track. My head throbbed painfully and it felt as if the ground was rocking underneath my feet. In other words, I was pretty much predicted to be a vegetable lying there lifelessly. I could feel myself lying on something sticky and gruesome, as if it was mud. I lifted my battered arms to my face, feeling something adhesive covered on it. I took deep, sharp breaths still unsure whether I was dead or not.

Slowly, the gears in my mind slowly started to whir back to life, the visions slowly started regulating, and my ears started to regain its normal hearing ability. I sighed in relief, and when looking around, it was like I was in some sort of concealed chamber. I could see a downcast light lazily shining from above, creating a subdued effect to the room. My eyes caught their attention to the passive light.

Please tell me the light isn't what I think it is.

And that's where I heard the frantic screams faintly calling my name.

"Kim! Kim! Are you there? Please, please don't be dead!" I heard a familiar, somewhat deep voice whom I assumed was hopefully a boy. Fear and anxiety flooded through his words, with a slight shake as if he was close to breaking down and crying. I knew that voice. With the components malfunctioning in my head, it was hard to decipher who the voice was.

"She has to be dead! It's been ten minutes!" I heard another familiar voice, which seemed to have a heavy foreign accent. Something in my mind was telling me that I was supposed to despise this guy.

"Come on, please let me get in the hole and get her! She has to be down there, I need to save her!" The first frantic voice said once more. I think his name starts with a J—

"Shut up, Eric! She's not dead! And I simply cannot let you go down there! That would be risking your life too. The hole's awfully deep!" Rudy said.

"I don't care if that damn trap is even bottomless, I need—"

Wait!

Rudy! I recognized his voice! I remember him!

He's my sensei.

Then the first guy was…

"JACK? I'm here!" I screamed in a high pitch. Suddenly, the gears in my head suddenly whirred back to life, the visions of my life blurring into a huge swirling mass.

Now I remember everything.

"Kim?" I heard Jack's relieved voice. "Kim! You're okay! She's alive!" I jerked my head up, now being able to see distinct figures of Jack, Rudy and Eric. I could hear them faintly cheering, and I started to smile a bit.

"You have NO idea how worried we've been!" I heard Rudy scream. I looked around, my vision fully clear…

"Girl…turn around…something big awaits…"

I heard a ghostly voice creeping from behind me.

What was that?

How can I hear Hawaiian ghosts?

That's damn creepy.

With a slight gasp, I hastily darted my head to the far end of the underground cell, my mouth slightly agape at what I saw from a distance.

A box.

And a scroll.

Sitting longingly on a large wooden table.

I tentatively walked towards the wooden table, picking up the ancient-looking rolled-up papyrus. I unraveled the flimsy paper in bewilderment, wondering what this scroll was, and read the words that were so richly engraved.

And when reading it, a wide, excited smile curved upon my face.

"Now you've endured the curses Hawaii gives

With spirits lurking and haunting you as you live

With landing in our trap, you have found the one-of-a-kind entity

That will help you unravel this ambiguous mystery.

Luckily, we've provided you with a slightly easier destination

With it requires skill, intelligence, and determination

To find the 4th clue, you must look in a place

Where the wonders of the world awaits

You could paint this place, or admire the art

That's stored in this monument, built with a lot of heart

I know this is vague so I will give you a hint

It's out of the country, a place where love sprints."

While I had no clue what it all meant, I started jumping up and down excitedly…of course, I had a limit as my whole body was still aching in pain, yet the happiness masked it all.

We finally found the 4th clue.

After the entire struggle.

The clue was here all along.

So this was no trap.

This meant that the…thing who was talking to me was right.

It was right here.

"GUYS!" I screamed, looking up at the hole. Their muffled conversations stopped and I could see them staring down at me. "I FOUND IT!"

"What? What did you find?" I heard Rudy ask curiously. "Perhaps something to drink?"

"Did you find something to get you out of the hole?" Jack called down to me.

"Did you find some food?" Eric asked. "I'm famished."

"No, no and…not unless you won't decomposed bones for lunch." I said, smirking. I could catch Eric rolling his eyes. "I FOUND THE CLUE!"

A chorused cheer erupted from above, with the slapping of palms, and the stomping of feet. I laughed as I held the ancient, frail paper in my hand. I grabbed the box in the other, with the great desire to open it and see what object lies inside.

But I know I couldn't.

Not yet, anyway.

What if it was fragile? What if I were to drop it? Or worse, leave it here? I remembered Bobby mentioning how if we were to collect objects as part of the scavenger hunt, that it would be one and only one.

I can't risk it.

With that, I tucked the little scroll into the box, not even glancing at what was stored in it.

How I wish I could've seen what was in it.

"And there's something else that goes with it!" I said gleefully, holding out the box so they could see it. "This must be an object that can help us find the sword!"

"Nice work, Kim!" Jack screamed.

"I wish I could've caught your expression when you first found that it was the clue…it would've been priceless!" Eric stomped his foot. I rolled my eyes, still looking up at them.

"If only we had a rope to drag you up or something." Jack said sadly.

"Or maybe even a big, extremely tall man." Eric said.

"Wait!" I heard Rudy exasperate, as if a light bulb just appeared in his head. My neck started to cramp as I kept looking up at the guys. "We do!"

"Uh Rudy, we love you and all, but…you're not tall." Jack admitted giving him a sympathetic look.

"You're the opposite!" Eric said, cracking up a bit.

"No, not that!" Rudy said. I could make out that he was pulling something out of his pocket…something thin, and extremely long…

"I totally forgot I packed a rope!" Rudy screamed. Jack and Eric's jaw dropped, as well as mine.

"RUDY!" We all screamed at him.

"Sorry! I forgot!" Rudy said helplessly. I rolled my eyes.

"Just toss the rope down! I hate being down here, it STINKS!" I screamed cringing my nose in disgust. Finally putting his camera down for once, Eric dropped the rope down with Jack and Rudy holding it tightly behind him. The rope dropped in front of my face, causing me to give an anxious gasp.

Let me tell you something about myself.

I suck at rope climbing.

"You guys know I can't climb ropes!" I whined, calling out to them. "And plus, my hand's not doing so well. It hurts really badly."

"You don't have to, we'll pull you up!" Jack screamed down. "But we need to get you out of here now. I think I heard someone coming."

I climbed onto the thin, coarse, prickly rope, with the box tightly wrapped around my fingers. I could feel myself lifting up, slowly drifting away from the muddy ground that caused me to get all dirty.

"God Kim, what have you been eating?" Eric complained in between deep and heavy breaths, as he struggled to lift me up back to the cave.

"Hey!" I said, taken aback.

"Eric!" Jack countered.

"Quit your complaining! We almost got her." Rudy said. I could see their faces clearer, battered with anxiety and dirt. I held onto the rope tighter, and before I knew it, I finally made my way up. As soon as I reached to the floor of the cave, I leapt into Jack and Rudy's arms in utter relief and pain, finally away from that dreadful rope. I never thought I would say this, but it felt good to be back in the cave, instead of an underground tomb.

"Boy am I glad to see you again. You had me worried sick!" Rudy said. I smiled half-heartedly. Jack grabbed me to his chest, squeezing me tightly. I wrapped my arms around his as tight as I could, my smile slightly growing with more meaning.

"Oh god, Kim Are you okay? Oh, I was so worried." Jack panted. "I was literally about to holistically break down."

"No…my whole body hurts." I complained. Jack pulled away and looked at me in slight sympathy. "Especially my hand. I think something hit it."

"Must have been the rocks." Eric said patting my back. "There were a few rocks toppling down when you fell."

"Haha…it's funny when he says 'toppling' in a British accent." Rudy said, chuckling to himself. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyway, even with my battered hands and legs, I managed to get this." I held out the box here, and Rudy grabbed it from my hands, with that giddy smile plastered on his face.

"You found it!" Rudy said. "I'd high-five you, but your hand is messed up."

"Nice work, Kim!" Jack said, smiling at me. Rudy was about to flip open the decorative lid of the metallic box when I grabbed his hand.

"No don't!" I said, struggling to get back up. "We'll do it with the rest of the guys. At the hotel. We at least need to give them that much. They already couldn't go with us." I took the box from his hand, when a sudden pain erupted in mine. I placed the box on the floor, dropping to the ground, wincing as I clutched my arm in pain. Jack crouched down, examining my hand closely.

"Oh no, it's swelling up. That can't be good." Jack said, looking at it. I looked up, staring at his concentrated eyes as he scanned my hand. Sometimes, I wonder how this kid is so…perfect all the time. With his kind heart, his strong determination, his loyalty, his skill, his smartness, and his sense of humor…he's got it all.

How?

This question I may never get the answer to.

"We need to treat it right away. I say we get out of here now, find the guys, and get back to our hotel, and maybe try and solve the clue." Rudy said. With that, we started gathering our things and started to turn our heads towards the entrance…

"Not if we have something to do with it."

When we saw what was awaiting us in the narrow hallway of the cave.

Four boys took a step closer towards us…however there was one boy that we knew more than anyone. That perfect blond hair cascaded over his head, with a villainous glare and sneer to match. His sea blue eyes twinkled voraciously, with a hint of red playing here and there. I shoved the box slowly behind my back, giving him a cold-stone glare. All he did was remain in that evil, playful smirk.

"Ah, the little Jose Wasabi Warriors. Congrats on finding the secret tunnel, Kim. Even when it almost did cost your life." Drake said laughing.

"What do you want Drake?" Jack stepped in harshly.

"Just to express my congratulations to you guys." He said with sarcasm playing in his voice. "Don't worry, we've found the copy of our clue as well. We're on the same page as you guys on that."

Rudy gave him a perplexed look. "Then why are you—"

"It's just the case that we start to lose eachother." Drake said smirking. "So, I think you should just hand over the case to us."

"Okay first, we don't need your 'congratulations'." I said icily. "And second, you're not getting this chest as long as we live. And third…you know I'm not afraid of you, right?"

"Yeah, probably not." He chortled, and took a step closer towards me. Jack grabbed my hand and pushed me back. "But once we're done with all of you…well, the box discovery would just be a total waste of happiness."

"Like I said…" I tried to mask on the most confident smile I could. "I've seen clowns scarier-looking than you."

Drake's frown turned vicious by the second. "Say goodnight, Kimmy." He held out a hand, rapidly swinging at my face.

When Jack caught the fist.

"Nice try." Jack said, and with that swung his hand around, and kicked his stomach. Both the groups erupted in fights, with Jack and Rudy pushing me back, battling the fights on their own, throwing the best punches and kicks they possibly could. And with their advanced skills, they seemed to be doing fine with just taking down the first two guys. However, this caused my blood to boil…even Eric used his freaking camera to defend me.

Me.

Kim Crawford.

I'm here to defend.

Not to be defended by someone else.

I spun my head around, now coming face-to-face with the one and only Drake Evans. With a foul snarl, he spun a kick, and I ducked, throwing a feeble, but firm fist into his stomach. While he clutched his stomach in pain, I used the opportunity to aim a kick.

That's when I discovered it was all a trick.

With a vicious sneer, he caught my leg, and used it to push me hastily to the ground. I winced in pain, with angry, pained tears sprinkling down my eyes. I managed to aim my legs at him once again, but the kick came out so weak, a baby could have done it. I saw his spiteful face, and realized a dreadful fact.

I, Kim Crawford, had been defeated.

"You really thought you could beat me?" The boy said. "The Drake Evans? Please…you only defeated me once. No need to gain the overconfidence, sweetie. You may think you have your tough image…but in reality, all you are is a girl. A girl that holds a lot of secrets and fears." Drake's malevolent smile grew wider, and was about to aim his fist right to my stomach. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't fight back. The pain in my body grew unbearable. I thought I was done for.

I thought my tough girl image was done for.

When I see someone step in front of me.

Jack.

Of course.

Jack kicked Drake to the ground, and with his advanced karate skills, flew in the air, kicking the two guys that charged for him at a time. Drake struggled to get back up, and attempted to aim a punch at the boy's face. He caught it, and with the immense strength he had, flipped him over harshly. I quickly attempted to rise back up to see four boys on the floor, unconscious. Jack faced me, wide-eyed and frantic, as he saw the expression on my face that was filled with pain. He crouched down close to me, and tried bringing me to his arms.

"You okay?" Jack asked me.

"I had that, you know." I replied, a bit harsher than expected. The glint of anger arose in his eyes.

"Kim, you don't always have to prove yourself the tough blonde. You're injured for crying out loud! Why would you do such a stupid thing?"

"Because she is stupid." Rudy huffed, with a slight tease in his voice. I glared at him, giving him an annoyed frown.

"Look who's talking, Mr. Indiana Jones." I retorted, gesturing to his adventure get-up. He stomped his foot.

"Need I remind you it saved your life?" Eric exasperated, his camera lens zooming in on us. I rolled my eyes.

"You just made your situation worse." Jack said, gesturing to my immensely swollen hand.

The feeling of undefeat wasn't very fun.

"I'm sorry, but I just…I just felt bad for not being able to do anything. In case you don't know me, I don't like playing the role of damsel of distress." I said.

"We can talk about your redundant actions later. For now, let's get you back safely." Rudy and Eric gathered everything, beginning to walk out the hallway. Jack brought my feeble arms to his, as if he was pulling me into a hug, when really; he lifted me off the ground, and carried me. As embarrassed as I felt, I didn't argue with anything, because it was the truth… I'm injured. Both my arms grew numb, and my feet felt like jelly. After my attempt at a heroic deed, even with the slightest movement, the pain stings severely. So I decided to allow Jack to carry my limp, inert body all the way back to the hotel.

Although I couldn't help but turn into a furious shade of red.

I looked around, seeing the four malicious boys, eyes closed, their bodies resting on the ground, wincing a little in pain. Before you ask, no we didn't kill them…they're still remained breathing, yet KO'd for the fact that they had attempted to attack us yet again.

This time, even though they are the ones that lost, I felt like they had won.

For the first time, I, Kim Crawford couldn't defend myself.

I lost.

Rudy picked up the box and tucked it in his backpack. He sighed, brushing his hands off, as if he just completed a large hands-on task. Eric giddily stared at the priceless footage he captured, while I remained caught in Jack's arms like a lifeless vegetable.

I hate this.

"Let's get the guys and get Kim back to the hotel as fast as possible." Jack said. "She's been banged up pretty bad. We'll get a doctor or something over there."

I sighed in anxiety. With my hands loosely wrapped around his neck for support, I looked up at him.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

I rested my head on his chest.

"Thanks. For everything."

"Anytime." I heard him mumble. Laughing a bit, I took a last glance at the San Francisco dojo members, as we started walking away—or in my case, carried away—from the audacious, daring Kaumana Cave. While we left these guys unconscious I saw something.

Something that coated ever so subtly on Drake's face.

A smile.

But not just any smile.

A villainous smile.

JACK

"Is Kim going to be okay?" Milton asked.

"She should be!" Jerry said. "Otherwise it was a waste of money!"

"Are we still cursed?" Eddie asked.

I never understand their conversations.

I paced back and forth in concern, right outside Ailani's Spa, in the nocturnal sky. The place was deserted, with all the people sleeping in bed, while we wait outside in the Hawaiian breeze, where we could see a pool next to us. It was me, Milton, Jerry and Eddie, waiting anxiously for Kim when she finishes with her therapy. Apparently, Ailani's giving her a…Lomilomi massage? According to Milton and Ailani, it's supposed to help heal her bones. As the clock ticked by, the apprehension started building more inside of me, worried about Kim. Is anything broken? Is she alright? Did the cave rocks cause permanent damage? My head throbbed painfully from all these frightening outcomes.

"Wait, I'm confused." Jerry started. "Why can't we go in?"

This caused me to turn into a furious shade of red.

"Uh, Jerry…" Milton said awkwardly. "We can't see Kim when she's in the middle of therapy."

"Yeah when Ailani's massaging her arms and legs and…" Eddie said his voice trailing off.

"I still don't get it." Jerry said, with that bemused look. I rolled my eyes.

"You can't see girls when they're in the middle of therapy, okay?" I burst out. "It's not…appropriate."

"But wait—"

"She's freaking naked, you idiot!" Milton screamed at Jerry. As soon as he said that, we all blushed into a deep red, especially me.

"Oh." Jerry said awkwardly. "Well…um…okay. Never mind."

"Do you guys think she's going to be alright?" I asked, deciding to change the subject as soon as possible. "It's almost been an hour. Rudy said if she's not out by eleven, we need to go back to our rooms."

"We still have ten minutes." Milton said, patting my arm reassuringly. "Relax, Jack. I'm sure she'll be fine. The Lomilomi massage was used in ancient times to help citizens with their injuries. It helps strengthen their bones, which is why I wanted to do it so desperately. Then of course, these clowns stir me into more trouble." He glared at Jerry and Eddie furiously.

"Hey, if you really want, you could always do it tomorrow…god!" Eddie exasperated.

"We're leaving tomorrow!" Milton countered.

"Aw…tough nubs." Jerry said. Milton rolled his eyes.

"So, how was the tour?" I asked them.

"God, that Kahili dude was rude yo!" Jerry said. "He wouldn't even let us have a bathroom break! He just wanted to finish the tour, which I didn't pay any attention to."

"Yeah, when you guys were more than a half-hour late, we were about to tell Kahili, but we knew it would be pointless." Eddie said. "That guy's scared of spiders." I laughed a bit.

"I loved the tour, because I paid attention." Milton said triumphantly. "You'll never believe what he told me, Jack! He said that long ago—"

"Jack?" I heard a female voice. Almost relieved Milton was cut off from an hour-rambling story, I spun my head around, seeing Ailani with a serene look on her face. Her dark brown orbs were glimmering in relief, and a smile spread across her thin lips. God, she was pretty. Of course, I didn't show any sign of affection…not with Jerry hopelessly in love with her.

"Ailani!' I said, relieved to see her gorgeous face. "How is she? Is she okay?"

"Did you fix her?" Eddie asked.

"Can we go in?" Milton asked.

"She's all dressed, right?" Jerry asked, once again erupting in a sea of red.

"I am happy to say Kim responded very well to the treatment. Her hand is all fixed, but luckily there were not any broken bones to start with."

"But, then why was her hand all swollen up?" I asked.

"It was a really bad sprain, which is why the Lomilomi was able to treat it. If it was broken, she would have had to go to the hospital." Ailani said. "Anyway, she is all good now, so all she needs is a little more time in bed, and she will be good to go when you leave tomorrow evening."

I sighed in pure utter relief. "Thank you so much, Ailani. It really means a lot."

"No problem. Glad to help. At least she was not carrying any cursed rocks." She eyed Milton, Jerry, and Eddie laughing in a teasing way. "I'm just going to run to my manager's office, he needs me for a moment. You guys may go in and see Kim now, if you wish. She's in the first room to your right."

"Thanks once again!" Milton, Jerry and Eddie called out as she left.

"Ah, gorgeous, smart, funny and a lifesaver…she's got it all." Jerry said, seeming to have been love-struck. I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief as we walked into the spa. We entered into the room, seeing a tired looking Kim, lying in bed, fiddling with her cellphone. When we all walked in, she jerked her head up giving us a weary, relieved smile. The dirt had been washed away from her face, her clean, honey blonde hair, falling majestically over her shoulders. She seemed a lot fresher than when we were at the cave.

"Hi guys." She said, smiling at us.

"You feel any better?" Milton asked. "We were all worried sick."

"It was mostly Jack that was freaking out." Jerry said, laughing in a teasing way. I blushed.

"We all were." I defended. "I'm glad to see you're okay." She smiled.

"Well, I do feel a lot better after the treatment. Back at the cave, it was like my whole body was replaced with jelly." She laughed.

"It's good you're feeling all better. Now we can finally take a look at that clue! I've been dying to know what it is!" Eddie said impatiently.

"You promise you didn't look at it already?" Jerry asked.

"Yes, I promise!" Kim said a bit impatiently. "We knew how upset you guys were about not joining us, so we decided that we all look in the chest together. I read the clue, but…I have no idea what it means. It's even harder than the last one."

"Is that even possible?" Jerry asked, looking a bit worried.

"Yes Jerry that's possible…although for your sake, I hope it's not." Milton said, smiling. Kim looked at me.

"Wait…did you wait for an entire hour just to see me?" She asked.

"Well yeah…I'd never leave you alone." I said, smiling back at her.

"Thanks. It means a lot you'd wait a whole hour just for me." She said smiling. We caught each other's eyes, unable to untangle from that, no matter how hard we tried.

"Well…boy is it getting late!" Jerry exasperated, stretching his arms melodramatically. "We better get to our hotel room and hit the sack unless we want Rudy to throw a hissy fit."

"Yeah… it's already past my bedtime, so if I don't sleep sooner, I'm gonna go bonkers!" Milton said, also theatrically.

"So, we're just gonna…you know…leave you two alone." Eddie said, giving Kim and me comical smiles. With that, they scurried off, leaving Kim and I alone. Taking no notice at their obvious hint to get me to make my 'move' on Kim (which isn't going to happen, by the way) I took a seat on the massage bed, and she just smiled, staring at her phone.

"Those guys are idiots." Kim said, laughing.

"You just realized?" I asked. She laughed.

"Hey, I just wanted to say I'm sorry…for you know, trying to prove myself tougher than usual, and fight those guys. Truth is I didn't have that fight at all."

"No really?" I teased, smiling.

"Shut up." She smiled. "I guess sometimes I'm just going to have accept the fact that it's okay to not fight my own fights, and to let you guys do the dirty work. Even if you do it terribly."

"Excuse me?" I said, raising a teasing eyebrow.

"Hey, I can fight better than you babies." She laughed. I shook my head in disbelief, as we both laughed together. A long pause broke out, as Kim continued to stare at her phone. She let out an anxious sigh.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, Travis just called a couple of times. He heard what happened. And so did Grace." She said.

Travis. Ugh. I think I'm going to puke.

"Did you…answer?" I asked.

"No…I couldn't. Too busy in the massage." She said. For some reason a sense of relief flooded inside of me. "The funny thing is my parents never called."

"They probably just didn't know about it."

"Not just about this…I mean, throughout the entire trip. From when we left a week and a half ago." Kim said, looking down sadly. I couldn't believe it's already been a week and a half. "They never called, or texted…not once. I only get calls from my little sister Keeley, saying that she misses me."

"Your sister is too cute." I said, smiling, recollecting her 7-year-old sister. She resembled Kim, with that same honey-blonde hair, those shimmering eyes, and that beautiful, adorable smile. "And maybe they just haven't the time." I attempted, patting her shoulder comfortingly. She looked up with sad eyes.

"Um, I think she should make time for their daughter, and talk to me at least once. All they've been worried about is their work. They don't even make to for Keeley. She's always stuck with my nanny. And all she does is make the poor little thing watch educational television." She cringed in disgust. "Plus my nanny's really creepy."

"Kim, I know it hurts but it's okay…you got us." I said. She continued to look down sadly at her phone, almost waiting for her parents call. Yet the phone remains silent. The kind silence that instead of being peaceful and soothing, was loud and hurtful. I inched a bit closer to her.

"I miss them." She said, almost coming out as a whimper. "I miss my little sister…and even though my parents don't care…I miss them."

"Hey…don't worry. You'll see your family soon." I said.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even signed up for this thing." Kim said, facing me.

"Come on don't say—"

"Look at me!" Her voice escalated a bit higher. "I'm in a massage bed! I just finished therapy! I went into a slimy cave, and fell into an underground cell, and got hit with rocks. We now have an archnemisis besides the Black Dragons. May I remind you I. Almost. Died." She stated.

"And yet, you're still having The Best Summer Ever, aren't you?" I asked her. She slumped in her pillow and sighed.

"I guess." She said. "But do you think it's been, and I quote 'The Best Summer Ever'? I mean, come on, we haven't had the best of luck lately."

"Yes it actually has been The Best Summer Ever." I stated firmly, even closer to her face than before. "Because it's an experience I've never been through before. I get to travel around the world, and look for clues, ultimately finding a priceless artifact. While being on a reality show that's being broadcasted. Those are opportunities that are once-in-a-lifetime." She slumped further in her bed.

"Well, that's true, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"But more importantly," I added. "I have all my friends with me this summer. I have…I have… you." Our faces grew inches apart, once again. Her eyes were a calm bed of a rich brown. Her worried, pained expression deprived, and I could make out of a hint of a smile appear at the corner of her lips.

"I need to tell you something." She breathed.

"Yeah?" Her foreheads were close to touching.

"I—"

"KIM!"

We both jerked our heads up, now facing a panicked Rudy, whose red-as-tomato face calmed, his eyes regulating and his forehead no longer creating those worried lines.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?" He asked innocently.

Yes.

I took a step away from Kim. "No!" We both screamed defensively.

Yes.

"I just came to check on you Kim! Ailani told me everything! I'm so glad you're okay!" He rushed over to Kim, and squeezed his arms around her. She smiled.

"Thanks for checking on me Rudy." She said. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I was just watching the latest taping of the reality show." Rudy said. "Bobby forced me to. But I had to say, it was amazing! The show garnered over 1 million views! How insane is that?"

"Wow, really?" I said stunned. "So, we're famous now?"

"Looks like it!" Rudy said giddily. "Finally, my acting career takes off!"

"That's pretty cool. Did you get any calls yet Rudy?" She said teasingly.

"No not yet. But I will. I know I will." Rudy said. "And you know what's so weird? Our dojo has been the most favorite! Eric's getting a bonus, since our dojo's the most popular. Everyone's shipping you both star-crossed lovers now. Isn't that funny?"

We both blushed a furious shade of red.

"Yeah." I murmured. "Hilarious."

But it wasn't hilarious it all.

It was awkward.

"Um, I'm just going to go run to the bathroom real quick." Kim said, seeming stunned. She started hastily walking out the door, leaving me and Rudy alone. Rudy gave me a ludicrous smile, as I stared at Kim walking away, with her golden locks flying over her shoulders…

"What?" I demanded, as he gave me a goofy stare-down.

"You like her, don't you?" Rudy asked in a teasing way.

"No I don't!" I said defensively. "We're just friends. Emphasis on the 'just' and the 'friends'. So, in other words…emphasis on the entire sentence!"

"Okay, whatever you say." Rudy laughed. I rolled my eyes. Hopefully he'll believe me.

Yet I felt like I was lying to Rudy.

Deep down.

Way, way deep down.

I think I'm falling for her.

I think…

I think I like Kim Crawford.

KIM

Star-crossed lovers?

Who are we…Katniss and Peeta?

I ran out into the lobby, panting heavily. The thought that Jack and I have now become a 'pairing', that people actually 'ship' us was frightening. As a matter of fact, the idea that over a million people have watched on us TV was scary. I looked around, and luckily there weren't any Milton, Jerry or Eddie lurking by, so thankfully no one knew about it but Jack, Rudy and I.

Except the other million viewers who watched us and love us.

I started recollecting the entire humiliating scene. Jack's sweet words…the fact that he was willing to stand outside for an hour just to me…the staring contest moment…the interruption…and lastly the news. Don't get me wrong, I was happy for Eric and his bonus…as much as I despised him for capturing forged footage of Jack and me, I felt he kind of deserved it for his hard work. I was about to trail off to the girl's bathroom, maybe even stay there for a while in utter embarrassment.

When I heard indistinct whispering echoing from outside the spa.

I tentatively inched closer to the quietness of the hotel campus, peering my head out the door. My heart raced, and my mind went crazy, wondering who it could be.

Who was that?

Silently shutting the door behind me, I tip-toed to the direction of where the muffled voice where coming from outside. Soon, they turned into audible speaking. I hid behind a corner, peering my head to see who it was. And when my eyes could finally make out who the people were, they enlarged madly.

Four boys. Battered and bruised. Yet, still managing to veil on an evil glare.

And the one that stood out of all of them.

Drake.

They stood beside Ailani's Spa, all scrunched in pain and defeat. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Drake's killer stare. Being as silent as possible, I continued to remain in the same position, my head scrutinizing around a corner, where they hopefully couldn't see me.

Hopefully.

"Alright guys listen up," I heard Drake's husky voice. "Now those idiots have the chest. We've been defeated once again."

"They're probably going to hide it so well, we'll never see it ever again." Another guy with auburn hair said.

"But what they don't know is the where the clue is hidden. We may not have that box, whatever it holds, but if we finish finding everything faster than those other losers, we'll win that ultimate prize, and we'll be known as the best dojo in all of America."

"But what if that chest holds something important?" A different boy with brunette hair asked.

"Oh, now not to worry…those brats haven't seen the last of us." Drake responded. "We can worry about the chest later…but since there's not another gathering until the fourth clue, we're good to go on our own will. But according to Bobby, five more groups got disqualified."

"Five?" The rest screamed in unison.

"Yeah, so it's just ten more groups now. But we're going to eliminate the San Jose dojo once and for all, when we go to Paris…more importantly the Eiffel Tower."

"Wait so the next clue is hidden in—"

"Yep. Paris, France. The Wonders of the World…The Eiffel Tower." Drake said evilly.

Whoa.

"We leave first thing tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"

"Yes boss." A chorused group of boys said blandly.

Boss?

"What if those stupid Jose losers beat us to it?" Another guy asked.

"They won't. Trust me. Their little girl especially gets on my nerves." Drake said. His eyes suddenly met mine, still smiling. I quickly tore my head away, resting it on the wall, panting a bit heavily.

Did he know I was there?

No, no I'm probably hallucinating.

If he knew I was there, he would've murdered me.

"Let's go pack-up for our flight tomorrow." I heard Drake's voice. "We have to tell our useless, no-good sensei." And with that, I heard footsteps slowly fading away. I took deep, heavy breaths in anxiety, relief and a bit of happiness.

A place where love sprints.

Wonders of the world.

Work of Art.

The Eiffel Tower.

Paris, France.

Paris, France.

The destination didn't stop repeating in my head.

I just eavesdropped.

And I just found out where the fourth clue is hidden.

I sighed excitedly, sprinting back to the Spa with a smile spread across my face.

Looks like we're going out of the country.

And not just for the clue.

For another thing.

Something I can't believe I'll be seeking for.

Love.

A/N- Whoa! There you go! Hope you all liked the chapter! So, let's talk. Thankfully, Kim's alive, but did get into a bit of a rough start with her injuries and what not. And they have yet another encounter with Drake…except Kim can't fight! Yet she still tries, being the overconfident person she is. Oh Kimmy. Anyway, so as for the clue, yes it's in Paris! A couple of you guys voted for the poll on my profile page for where the fourth clue should be, but I got a lot of PM's saying to do it in Paris. And I figured it would be a good idea, with all the Kick and stuff. Spoiler alert: Special surprise to appear in Paris!

And yeah, as for the whole massage thing…don't take it in a perverted way, alright? Just for the comedy. And did you guys catch my Hunger Games reference? Loll, well the movie is out this weekend, and I'm DEFINETELY going to go see it! I'm a huge fan of the books! Looks like Jack and Kim might be star-crossed lovers after all. Kim is as tough as Katniss, and Peeta's as sweet and genuine as Jack…the perfect connection! Haha, so I think that's all I got. Oh, one more thing, the clue! They found an object as well this time! When the rest of the groups find out, they're going to be on the 'Hunt' for it (no pun intended). Will the Wasabi Warriors be able to guard it well? What's in that box anyway? Leave your thoughts by clicking the button below to REVIEW my lovelies! Thanks for reading! Let's see if we can get this story to 100 reviews!

Peace and love,

Taylor :)