ASOUE: The Riveting Romance

The Not-So Grim Grotto - Kladora

"Hector, how are we gonna find the Baudelaires now?" asked Isadora worriedly as they began to fall down towards the sea below them. Hector turned his head to look at them and smiled. "Don't worry, kids. Shortly before the eagles showed up, I sent out a Volunteer Factual Dispatch to any nearby vessels to meet us so they could take you back to the city to find the Baudelaires." he said calmly as he fought the urge to vomit as he got seasick easily.

Duncan smiled. "That's cool. Did any vessels respond?" he asked curiously, hoping that was the case so he, Isadora and Hector wouldn't be stranded at sea, just waiting around to be rescued. Hector nodded vigorously. "Yeah, actually. A submarine called the Queequeg---" he began to say before a large gust of wind tore his parachute open and blew him away.

"Hector!!!" yelled the Quagmires desperately as they watched the handyman float away. "It'll be okay, you guys!!! Go!! Find your friends!!! I'll come find you!!!" he yelled back at them before another large gust of wind blew him away.

That was the last time the Quagmires ever saw Hector and I do not know if he survived and managed to land somewhere, despite my best efforts to find him if he is alive today since I have recently heard reports of a man with a large, colorful cape of sorts landing on the balcony of the former office of Dr. Georgina Orwell in Paltryville.

"Hey, Duncan, is it just me or does that mysterious, question-mark shaped blob look like a sea monster to you?" asked Isadora worriedly as they watched a dark blob swim around directly beneath them before they heard a loud, almost elephantine-like shriek come from the water below, which scared them both.

"Nope, it's not just you. But hopefully, that submarine Hector mentioned is nearby so we don't end up becoming fish food." he quipped nervously, trying to relieve some of the tension in the air, a phrase which here means "a situation or condition of hostility, suspense or uneasiness."

"Making stupid quips, are you now, Duncan? I thought that was Quigley's job?" asked Isadora, clearly just as nervous as her brother was. Duncan just chuckled humorlessly as they got closer and closer to the edge of the water. "Don't worry, Izzie. If we're lucky, that submarine will show up any second now. And hey, who knows? Maybe the Baudelaires are even closer than we think." he said hopefully as they watched the mysterious object swim away before they finally landed in the sea but much to their confusion, instead of feeling water getting into their shoes, they felt like they were standing on something cold and metal.

"Um, Izzie. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we're in the middle of the freaking ocean, then why do I feel like I'm standing on something cold and metal?" asked Duncan in confusion as he stomped around on the metal surface, making a few Clang! noises.

Isadora shrugged. "Beats me. I mean, we're obviously not standing on a shipwreck of any sorts, and that sea monster is thankfully long gone, so the only other explanation would have to be---"

"---A submarine!!!" they realized at the same time before they felt a large object rise out from the water and a periscope rose up and turned to face them. "Aye! Who goes there?!" asked an accented voice that neither triplet recognized. Duncan quickly stood up to look at the periscope more clearly. "Please help us. We're the Quagmire triplets and we just survived a long fall off a Self-Sustaining Hot Air Mobile Home that was attacked by eagles and---" he said quickly before he was cut off.

"Quagmires?!" asked Violet in disbelief.

"Duncan? Isadora? Is that really you?!" asked Klaus, blushing a little as he said Isadora's name.

The two triplets could barely contain their shock as they turned to look at each other. "Violet? Klaus?" they asked excitedly as they smiled brightly for the first time in what felt like an eternity before the hatch opened up and they quickly hurried into the submarine and began to run towards where the Baudelaires' voices were coming from before they ran smack headfirst into Klaus.