Where Secrets Lie

Kara's heart skipped a beat at the announcement. She rounded the corner and ran into a gate enclosing the final room.

"Alyssa!" Kara yelled, half relieved, half terrified.

"Kara?" Alyssa had tears streaming down her face as she reached for her sister through the bars.

"I'm so proud of you. Where did you learn to fight?" asked Kara with tears in her eyes.

"My big sister," Alyssa responded and they both let out strained chuckles through their sobbing.

"Why is the gate not opening?" Kara looked around anxiously.

"Because I am her opponent," Kate said as she stepped out from the shadows. "You took away the person who meant the most to me, and I am going to return the favor!" Kate screamed as she pulled Alyssa off of the gate. Alyssa backhanded Kate across the face, making her stumble.

"Alyssa, no!" yelled Kara. She noticed a small emergency latch on the gate. She tried to open the latch while the two girls on the other side exchanged blows. Alyssa knocked Kate to the ground, only to get pulled down herself a moment later. The two girls rolled around in the dirt while Kara worked frantically in the background, trying to unlatch the gate.

Kate managed to get to her feet and pulled out a gun, grinning. Alyssa slowly stood up and raised her hands in defeat. "How did you get that? Guns are forbidden in The Gauntlet."

Logan and Michael watched in the monitor room. They both looked at Hannah, and she smirked back at them. "What? Don't look at me like that. Rules are made to be broken remember?"

Kara called out to Kate but it was too late. A bullet sped through the air and met its mark in Alyssa's chest. Kara shook the gate in anger and grief. Kate stood there victorious, staring at her real last opponent, Kara.

"Uncle, you have to end it. Even with your twisted perspective, you have to see that this is wrong. Kate did not win the battle fairly!" Michael shouted.

Logan protested as well. "Yes, this is… " He was interrupted by a big booming sound. They all looked at the monitors.

Kara had kicked in the gate. Kate dodged out of the way and started firing rounds. The first bullet hit Kara in her left shoulder; however, it left her unfazed. Kate fired again and again. Her fear causing her aim to become frantic. She fired twice more. Suddenly, Kara appeared in front of Kate. She grabbed the gun and threw it against the wall, shattering it. She grabbed Kate by her throat and raised her into the air. The Armenian girl looked deep into Kara's eyes as they turned from a dark ocean blue into a glowing ice blue.

Kate gasped for air as she spoke. "Please, don't… " Her plea cut short as Kara snapped her neck.

Elijah opened the door for Michael. "It seems that more than one rule was broken tonight, that girl is obviously not human." He seemed more amused than angry.

Michael made it to the main room. Kara was holding Alyssa close to her chest. Kate's lifeless body was curled up beside them.

"Save her," Kara said, looking up at Michael with pitiful eyes. They had turned back to their original color.

Michael bent down, closing the space between them. There was too much blood and Alyssa's heart wasn't beating "I can't … " Michael shook his head.

Kara's eyes were like rivers. She held onto Alyssa tightly while rocking back and forth. Her cries echoed throughout the empty labyrinth.

"I'm sorry." Michael could not bear to see her in such a way. He walked outside of the room, listening to the woman he loved in pain. He propped himself on the rock wall then slid down, his head in his hands.

On the other side of the wall, Kara eventually passed out from losing so much blood. Michael took her to his room. It was dark now and when Kara woke up her head was pounding.

"How did I get here?" She said in a daze of confusion.

Kara started to tear up. It all came flooding back. "Where is she?" her voice cracking.

"They are prepping her to get buried," said Michael, squeezing her shoulders in comfort.

"Bodies, Buried? There are those words again," Kara thought. She had promised herself that she wouldn't let it happen to Alyssa. She was a failure, and death followed her. She slid out of Michael's hands and fell to her knees on the floor, sobbing. "I tried so hard and I still lost her in the end!"