Note: At last, after many, many years, I've finally reached the series finale. Well, there's an epilogue that'll follow next week, but this chapter marks the end of the game, and is the first chapter to have never been posted online before. It's fair to say that I may have gone overboard with this. It's by far the longest chapter, and I strongly advise not trying to read it all in one go, since this is basically the length of three average chapters strung together. Without giving too much away, the following might be good points to pause:
The wager.
"Ready or not, here I come!"
When a character taps another on the lips and says something unexpected.

This chapter is also, in all honesty, far too messy, but I couldn't bring myself to edit it down too much. After all, this is basically the culmination of 17 chapters of build-up. I recommend pausing any time the mess gets too exhausting. Part of me wanted to delay and try to improve it, but there's a danger that I'd end up tinkering with it forever. Thanks to all those who've been following this series, I really hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter 18: Showdown

Gunge lay everywhere. Lisa bobbed chest-deep in the stuff, her every motion triggering ponderous ripples that rebounded from the crater's edge to splash oozing tidemarks up her torso. Her first instinct was to scramble out, but how? The blob monster's melted remains had pooled here, at the base of the funnel-shaped crater from which it had ascended. More gunk coated the cone's sides, flowing in great, slow-moving torrents that spilled from the room above or dripped from the bulbous nodes that dotted the ceiling like barnacles.

Up at ground level her vanquishers chatted excitedly. Jen and Sarah, the last two contestants, had battled their way across the arena to make it here - and here, had things gone to plan, would've been where their luck ran out. Instead it was Lisa down in the gunge. It shouldn't have been possible, everyone knew the game was rigged so that nobody ever won, yet now all the pair had to do was walk the short connecting tunnel from the living quarters to the escape pod and that would be it, they'd be free.

Lisa thought back to when she and her friends had filmed the prologue to this surreal event. She'd come within a whisker of escaping then, but in the end things hadn't quite gone her way. I suppose I should be glad someone's finally going to beat this place. Not that it does me much good...

There was a slurp as she wrenched her arms from the pool. Momentarily spellbound, she watched translucent threads trail from her fingers. Colours waltzed a soothing vortex around her, sinking and sliding in a ceaseless bid for supremacy. Scooping up another handful, she watched honeyed gloop slide from her outstretched palm. Things were different now, she mused. Being slimed had been a whirlwind of shock and adrenaline, but now, wallowing in the stuff... it was rather relaxing.

It took a conscious effort to snap out of it. Enough, time to go.

The pool wasn't cold, yet Lisa shivered as it slid around her bikini-clad body. Moving in this stuff wasn't easy. The myriad textures were starting to settle, the gunge lapping milkshake-smooth against her chest while jellied ooze wrapped about her shins, leaving her struggling to the edge in a style that was half wading, half breaststroke. Time and again she pitched forward, chin lifting in a futile effort to keep her face out of the muck.

Just then a series of sloshing glugs began - close yet muted, as though hailing from the bottom of the pool. Lisa's lips pursed, about to ask the organisers what was going on, when she noticed the pool's level dropping. Instead of sloshing through her cleavage, now only stray splashes tickled the underside of her top. Seconds later and even that had stopped, the slime sinking down past her navel. By the time she turned a full circuit, staring in confusion, it was down past her hips, then her knees, until at last the glugging stopped.

Barely dressed and coated in slime, she felt suddenly self-conscious. Arms crossing diagonally over her front, she peeked over her shoulder, unsure what to do. Just then a familiar voice sounded directly ahead.

"Looking good, Lisa. See, that wasn't so bad."

Lisa froze. Her. Wet pendulums of hair swung beside her face as she faced the sound, trying her best to suppress a smirk. A large porthole had opened on the cone's southern side, and there in the opening, dark eyes glinting with merriment, stood Kirsty. The slender brunette wore a strappy white vest paired with black shorts scarcely larger than a belt.

Arms lowering, Lisa pretended to pout. "Yeah-yeah, you got me. Can I please get out now?"

"Course. What, you think I'd come all this way just to gloat?"

"You totally did though."

"I did, yeah. But still, as I'm here..." Gripping the hatch's edge, Kirsty leaned forward and offered her other hand. Seeing Lisa's caution, she tried and failed to look innocent. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

Was the mischief in Kirsty's eyes satisfaction at seeing her gunged, or was something else in store? Realising her distinct lack of options, Lisa sighed. Well it's not like I can get any messier. Trying her utmost not to slip, she shuffled over, toes wiggling in ankle-deep mulch, and took the outstretched hand. "Alright, but this better not be a trick."

All innocence, Kirsty batted her eyelashes. "C'mon, you know me."

*****

What was going on? Wiping uselessly at the slime still slithering down her body, Jen watched with mounting consternation as Sarah strode to the western doorway. Part of her longed for the bulkhead to close at the last second, for some sudden downpour or eruption of ooze, but none came. Practically skipping in glee, Sarah disappeared into the passage.

Lips tightening into an almost-frown, Jen followed. A cylindrical passage stretched ahead. Once white, it too was now mottled with the same purple corruption as the living quarters, but none of that mattered now. There it is.

Dead ahead, the passage ended in a windowless black slab bordered with black and yellow hazard lines. The escape pod. Sarah was already halfway there.

"This isn't right."

Sarah glanced back. "Say what?"

"It's not right. We're not meant to win. No-one wins."

Sarah's head tilted. She looked at Jen as though she were mad. "Huh?"

"I've been trying to tell you all day. We were never supposed to win, just look silly and get splattered. That's why people sponsored us."

It was more than that, though she dared not say it. Jen had played the game assuming everyone was doomed to elimination sooner or later. Indeed, she'd been counting on it.

The idea of not striving to win seemed difficult for Sarah to process. Instead she shrugged. "Whatevs, we can't help being awesome. Besides, I think I've taken my share of splattering today." Green eyes glinted. "And I know you have."

Jen couldn't help but giggle. She'd gotten ridiculously messy today, practically all of it at Sarah's hands in one way or another. That in itself wasn't a problem, but she'd counted on Sarah getting her comeuppance in the end. The thought of her getting away with it....

Clicks crackled through the passage. Both women froze, and suddenly Jen noticed dozens of nozzles lining the walls. As Sarah whirled to face her, wet hair fluttering, eyes wide with fright, Jen lifted her arms in expectation.

"Hah, I knew it! They always get us in the end!"

*****

What was Lisa playing at? Kirsty had fully expected to be messy by now, even wearing her cossie beneath her clothes in anticipation, but no, nothing. It seemed wrong somehow. It wasn't like she hadn't given her enough chances. She'd thought helping to haul Lisa from the crater would be a sure-fire ticket to being pulled in, or at least wrapped in a gooey hug immediately after, but the redhead had been too shell-shocked to think of it.

Propped against the side of a service tunnel, one of many that riddled the arena, Kirsty tapped one foot against the smooth wall while listening to Lisa wash herself down in a nearby shower cubicle. The lack of retribution was troubling. She, Mel and Lisa had engaged in more than a few prank wars in their time, some of which had gotten ever-so-slightly out of hand.

Best if she gets her revenge now. No-one wants a repeat of the Noodle Incident.

The intercom crackled. "Kirsty, you hear me?"

Kirsty pushed herself off the wall. The voice belonged to Belle, the chief technician, and she sounded rattled. "Yeah, I hear you. What's up?"

"It's, uh, the reinforcements."

It took a second for Kirsty to comprehend. With the Gunge Ghouls having been virtually wiped out, most of the eliminated contestants had donned ghoul suits and headed out to hunt down their former teammates. "What about 'em?"

"You should head to the pumping room. We've got a sort-of situation over there."

Kirsty frowned. "What kind of situation?"

"It's hard to explain, but you'd better hurry."

As the intercom clicked off, Lisa emerged from the shower. Falling droplets sparkled like fairy dust as she moved, adjusting the white triangles of her bikini as she went. Facing Kirsty, she stopped to wring out her flowing red hair. "What was that about?" she enquired.

"New plan," chirped Kirsty. "Looks like we're needed."

"You realise you don't actually work here, right?"

Kirsty shrugged. "Could've fooled me. Come on, let's go."

*****

Exhilaration and outrage flooded Sarah's mind. She hunched, teeth clenched, eyes squeezing shut. It wasn't fair. She couldn't fail now. Not after all this. Not when she was so close.

Pipes thudded and rattled. A thrum of building pressure permeated the air. Sarah's mouth opened, ready to vent her frustration, but somehow a laughing squeak was all that emerged. Wait, did I do that?

With a hiss of releasing pressure, the nozzles fired. Squirted from all sides, Sarah jolted and jerked... but then paused. This isn't slime.

A quick peek confirmed it - the nozzles fired only water. As warm jets hosed her clean, it became her turn to throw up her arms and cheer. "Yay! We're okay! We've really done it!"

Hips wiggling in an impromptu victory dance, she began scrubbing herself down. She wanted to emerge from the Splatter Dome looking her best. Soon her hair shone like burnished gold, and slowly her bathing suit re-emerged from the layered gunk, the smudged triangles growing steadily paler until they shone white as pearls, their scatter of silvery pink dots glinting in the light. All the while, though, Sarah was thinking of her recent outburst. I thought I was being eliminated, and all I did was laugh. What's wrong with me? This was serious. Her control was in danger of slipping. All day, through all the slime and silliness, she'd just about managed to keep her wits about her... aside from a few little lapses, but she'd already determined that those didn't count, for reasons she'd yet to decide upon.

This place was dangerous. There was a power to it, a pervasive silliness that had steadily undermined her defences. Sarah consciously steeled herself. She wouldn't allow the mask to crack, no matter how much a certain someone wanted it to.

Jen. The devil in a pink bikini. It was Jen who'd talked her into coming here, conveniently not mentioning the slime until she was already off the bus. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed. Jen was far too good-natured to do anything out of malice. Sarah watched as her friend stood on tiptoe, head lifting into the spray as she swept long, chestnut-brown hair behind her shoulders and then demurely plucked the strings of her top, letting water sweep through.

Focus, Sarah. Win first, payback later.

Something occurred to her. After all she'd been subjected to, Jen must've showered at least half a dozen times today. Her hair ought to have been a frizzled mess by now, yet it shone dark and sleek as though freshly conditioned. Sarah touched a lock of her own hair and realised the same was true of her. Come to think of it, her skin felt incredible. How was that possible?

There had to be something in the slime, she realised, some ingredient that was doing this. Sarah very nearly groaned. The irony beggared belief; after all this time trying to avoid it, in a different setting she may well have paid good money for a minute tub of this stuff. So would most of her friends. In fact, with the proper marketing....

Abruptly the water stopped. Clean but dripping wet, the pair shared an expectant glance as, from the ceiling, a loud click heralded the intercom. Deep, calm and bearing a worrying hint of amusement, the man in black's voice emanated from the speakers.

"Best not dawdle, ladies. I'd say that place is becoming rather... unstable. I'm sure you remember Liz's warning?"

Sarah's brow furrowed as she turned to Jen. "What's that about? What did Liz say?"

A faint smile played at the corners of Jen's mouth. "Uh, wasn't there something about this whole place being a slime tank?"

Suddenly Sarah remembered. The countless pipes threading through the research station all connected to the vast silo outside, the one crudely modified to resemble some eldritch abomination. They'd mocked the bargain basement design, but Sarah was under no illusions. That thing was filled with slime - lots and lots of slime - and this whole place was rigged to blow.

There was another noise now, barely noticeable unless you listened for it. The surge and glug of coursing ooze. It was everywhere, thrumming through the floor, the walls, the ceiling. One look at Jen showed she'd heard it, too, though if anything the brunette looked even more cheerful. The girl's mad.

"Tick-tock," drawled the intercom.

"Oh no." Sarah's voice dripped sarcasm as she strutted along the short corridor. "However will we escape in time? It simply can't be d- oh look, I'm safe."

Coming to a neat halt at the final bulkhead, she beamed with pride. This was it, her moment of glory. Twelve contestants had entered the Splatter Dome, and one by one had been eliminated in insanely gooey ways. Not her though. She'd made it to the end. Of course, Jen had made it too, despite Sarah's best efforts. Part of her still yearned to see justice served on her companion, but right now victory was more important. She'd just have to share the glory.

Chuckling at her success, Sarah stood up straight, arranged her hair - there might be photographers outside, after all - and pressed the release button.

Nothing happened. Sarah felt her expression freeze. Must be a mistake. They wouldn't do this again. Not now. Again she jabbed the button. Still nothing. Huffing with irritation, she stepped back and folded her arms.

"What the hell? This is ridiculous. We've done everything they wanted!"

Jen shrugged. "Guess we missed something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something."

Indignant, Sarah planted her fists on her hips and stared upward, seeking the cameras while gearing up to give the organisers a serious talking to.

That was when she saw it.

*****

Down in the arena's substructure, Kirsty and Lisa halted at yet another fork in the tunnel. Vast and intricate, the network of passages and tunnels connected to innumerable secret doors on the surface that would let them pop up virtually anywhere in the arena... provided they could find their way.

"I'm telling you, they should've given us a map," said Lisa. "Okay, you're the expert, which way?"

Kirsty opened her mouth, but then paused. Each tunnel looked pretty much identical. Right, the way to the egg chamber was back there, and that was in the eastern half, so the pumping room would be... "This way," she said, striding off down the right hand turning. "We're almost there. Come on, keep up."

Lisa scampered to catch up, then settled into step beside her. "So, the others joining the ghouls - that was your idea?"

"Sure was."

"Are they any good?"

"Seem to be. They got Lena."

"Yeah? How'd they manage that?

"Caught her by surprise over by that pump thing."

"But isn't that where we're going now?"

Kirsty hesitated. "Erm, yeah."

"So they haven't moved?"

"Uh... guess not." Picking up her pace, Kirsty moved toward the no-longer-secret door. The pumping room was just ahead. "I'm sure it's nothing major. They're probably just lost, or.... Oh, you have to be kidding me."

*****

Moving past her teammate, Jen studied the hatch. There were no other obvious controls, and running her palms over the smooth black surface yielded nothing. "I don't get it," she muttered. "Hmm, you think we should..."

But Sarah was backing away, wide-eyed, hands rising to cover her mouth.

"What is it?" asked Jen. "What's wrong?"

Sarah was halfway down the passage now, her steps trembling and uncertain. Jen had never seen her like this. Fighting a sudden pang of nerves, she looked back to the door. Nothing seemed to have changed.

At last Sarah stopped retreating. Fraught and fidgeting, she stood framed at the passage's end, first hugging herself, then sweeping her arms up behind her head. Her mouth opened as though to speak, but no sound emerged. Baffled, Jen fumbled for something soothing to say. Then she noticed - not once had Sarah's gaze left the hatch.

No, not the hatch... something else... something higher. Following her friend's gaze, Jen faced the escape pod. Now she saw it. A pair of bulbs had come on, pale and flickering like candlelight, but enough to reveal words etched above the hazard lines where the hatch met the ceiling.

A sign. At first it was too dim to make out. As Jen's vision adjusted, though, so the inscription became clearer.

Chills shivered down her spine.

Maximum Occupants: One.

Everything clicked into place. The escape pod wouldn't open until only one contestant remained. Which means...

Jen took a moment to conceal her grin before turning slowly, hands lifting in a conciliatory gesture. "Okay... it's all good, I won't..."

Sarah bolted.

"Wait! Sarah, it's okay!"

There was no response. Now alone in the passage, Jen's spirits fell. She'd thought Sarah had finally started to relax, and had even begun to hope that... well, it didn't matter now.

Following her teammate, she stepped back into the living quarters. Once clinically white and spotless, now all was noise and motion and vibrant colour. Everywhere tubes and vines throbbed as though on the point of bursting. Dark green slime seeped from cracks that now cobwebbed the walls, while on the floor layers of multi-coloured mess crawled steadily toward the cone-shaped crater that had devoured the room's whole southern half.

Unable to resist, Jen shuffled to the edge and, keeping her weight on her back foot, peeked into the caldera. Shifting slime coated the crater's sloping sides, which descended a dozen feet or so to feed into a rippling pool of gelatinous sludge. Though shallower than before, the pool was gradually refilling. Lisa had gone, a circular indentation on the reverse slope indicating the hatch she must've left by. The ground beneath Jen's feet trembled slightly, prompting a hasty step back.

The pit. It's growing.

There was still no sign of Sarah. Jen had assumed she would've fled outside, but the exterior doors were still sealed.

"Hey Sarah!" she called. "You don't have to hide - I'm not going to do anything!"

Still no answer. Is she really that frightened? The door to the pumping station remained blocked, although there was no more sign of prowling ghouls on the other side. Would she risk going in there? Jen shook her head. Not likely. That left only one option.

Slowly she stepped through the short passage to the comms room. Banks of imitation gizmos whirred and clicked, while the few LEDs not made of bottle caps flickered like fireflies. Moving slowly, she checked between the cardboard machines, half expecting to find Sarah cowering in a corner. Still nothing.

At a loss, Jen tucked her hair behind her ears and turned on the spot, seeking inspiration. She smiled on noticing a mirrored panel above the rows of monitors surmounting the control terminal. Those panels usually concealed backstage cameras.

Of course, I'll just ask for directions.

"So?" she called. "Where is she?"

One of the monitors blinked on, though the screen showed only static. At Jen's approach, though, it flashed black, and a heartbeat later a green arrow appeared, pointing left... to where a manhole-sized gap breached the floor. Wait, that wasn't there last time. This was getting confusing. Moving closer, she realised the hole was actually the top of a spiral staircase. Thick padded steps descended into darkness.

Suppressing a nervy laugh, she span back to the camera and pointed accusingly. "This is so a trick."

A sinister chuckle emerged from the speakers. Nibbling her lip, Jen looked down at the steps. What am I getting myself into? Taking a deep breath, she began her descent.

*****

Feet jittering, head bobbing about, it was all Lucy could do not to scream in nervous excitement. She, Holly and Ellie were in an absurd Mexican standoff. All three were in ghoul suits, and each held the ripcord of the woman next to them. One false move would set them all off. What was more, the pumping room's layout didn't exactly leave much room for manoeuvre. The pump itself covered one entire wall, and from it a semi-circular pool of blue and green gunge extended across most of the floor.

Lucy tried to restore a little order. "Okay, wait. Nobody move. Argh! That means you, Ellie."

Ellie stifled a yelp. "It's not me! Holly moved, I thought she was about to-"

"Lucy, quick! Ellie's about to try something!"

With a yelp of alarm, Lucy very nearly dodged away - which of course would've set off the chain reaction, but at the last second realised it had been Nikki who'd spoken. She shot the American a look of playful reproach. "You're not helping, you know."

Nikki returned the grin, teeth dazzling white against her slime-coated face. She and the other contestants-turned-ghouls had stripped off their wetsuits to enter the pool around the pump. Utterly slimed, Tasha and Nikki bobbed in a sitting position with only their heads and shoulders above the gunk. Louise, by contrast, was only lightly spattered, the mess lapping around her thighs, and stood watching the standoff with a look of amused puzzlement.

Lucy could see where this was going. Everyone's voices had gone up a few octaves. There was constant fidgeting as they each tried instinctively to reduce the slack on their own cords, which in turn tightened the cord of the next woman, who moved to compensate, and so it continued. They'd already rotated a full circle from where they'd started, chattering jokey accusations and periodically squeaking with false alarms. If this kept up, it could end only one way: mutually assured messiness.

"Alright," said Lucy, "here's the plan. On count of three, we all let go together. Okay?"

"Okay," said Holly, sounding a touch relieved. "Ellie, you in?"

Ellie's bright blue eyes darted side to side. "No tricks?"

"No tricks," replied Holly.

The note of laughter in Holly's voice probably wasn't helping, but there was nothing else for it. Lucy took a deep breath. "Right. Three, two, one, go."

All three stayed exactly as they were.

"You didn't do it!" cried Ellie.

"Neither did you," Holly retorted. Flicking locks of blonde hair from the side of her face, she looked back at Lucy. "Or you. What happened to the plan?"

"I, er..." Feeling her cheeks start to flush, Lucy stared at her toes. Clearly no-one was willing to let go until they knew they were safe. She began mumbling an excuse, but then a new voice rang out.

"Oh you have to be kidding me!"

Kirsty had appeared at the door leading backstage, and no sooner had she appeared than a cacophony of voices rose to explain how this was all someone else's fault. After a look back at Lisa, who'd appeared behind her, Kirsty just stood there staring. At last, grasping the situation, she sighed.

"Right. Okay. Normally I'd say fine, good on ya, slime away. But Sarah and Jen are literally about to win. You're the only ones who can stop them."

The three deadlocked women eyed each other. Sensing that her words were getting through, Kirsty moved closer. "Think about this. You saw what happened this morning. Remember how Sarah got out of every game totally spotless? Now's your chance to even things up, and instead you're-"

Lucy spotted something. Lisa's attention had shifted on the pool, where she looked to be gesturing to someone. She saw the danger a fraction too late. In the pool, Nikki and Tasha peeked sideways at each other, nodded, and then sprang up. Slimy arms wrapped around Louise's waist, giving her barely time to shriek before being dragged down into the goo. As she sprawled backwards, mess rushing in around her, so her long legs shot up, flicking slime across the chamber.

Oh no.

Blobs spattering the base of Ellie's neck sent her jolting sideways before the cries of "No, wait!" had chance to register. There was a flurry of motion, everyone trying desperately to compensate for Ellie's sudden movement, but it was no good. A second later and all three were staring at each other, hands at their sides, not daring to move. Lucy barely dared breathe. She'd felt a tug on her ripcord, but had it been enough to set it off? Holly and Ellie were plainly thinking the same. Even Kirsty was tensed, hands beside her face as though expecting a firework to go off.

Seconds passed. Lucy exhaled in relief. "Phew. I think we got away with it," she whispered. Wait, why am I whispering? She cleared her throat. "And hey, we all let go! I'd say that went pretty w-"

A flow of tangerine liquid sprang from the collar of Holly's wetsuit. The blonde gasped, too startled to move, as the thin trickle meandered down her bosom. Lucy gawked as more drips appeared at her teammate's wrists, then ankles. A sound of mirthful resignation escaped Holly's lips; she knew what was coming.

Ellie grinned. Shifting her weight onto one hip, she gave a gloating chuckle - which devolved to a plaintive moan as ponderous pink drops began spilling from her neckline.

Lucy bounced with glee. "Haha, guess I'm the last girl standing!" Stepping back, she lifted her arms in triumph... and then felt a wet tickle between her shoulder blades. Again the three girls looked at each other.

"Oh no."

Ticklish screams rang out. Holly and Ellie jolted, arms flapping as their bodies jerked and danced, assailed by hidden bursts of slime. Lucy grimaced in sympathy on seeing rippling bulges course beneath their wetsuits, culminating in messy geysers that spurted from their wrists and ankles, coating their bare feet and leaving them skating about in ever-expanding puddles.

Almost immediately Holly's screams became tinged with bewildered laughter. She was squirming on the spot, arms wrapped tight about her hourglass figure as the gunge did its work. Tangerine torrents squirted up into her hair, turning her flaxen locks to swaying rattails.

Opposite, Ellie fell to her knees, clawing hysterically at her costume even as pale pink ooze spilled slurping tides down her chest. The stuff pouring from her sleeves left her hands slick and slippery as they fumbled with the zip that ran from her collar to beneath her arm. She was trying to get the ghoul suit off. Lucy knew it was already too late.

The American's high cheekbones and platinum blonde hair were streaked pink by the time she at last loosened the zip. Murmuring, Ellie yanked open the top of her wetsuit and freed one arm. Seeing it prompted a quavering sound, somewhere between a wail and a laugh. Her entire arm was sheathed in ooze, which trailed down in swaying pink tassels even as more spurted out from the opening in her costume. Pressing on regardless, Ellie began peeling off the wetsuit. One look down, though, and she knew the damage was done. The left triangle of her bikini top had come into view - or would have, had her entire torso not been a seething mass of slime.

As flame-shaped splashes slowly painted her face, Ellie gave a giggled sigh and rested back on her haunches. There would be no escape, and she knew it.

Lucy gulped. Everything that befell these two was destined to happen to her. Already the trickles down her back were multiplying. Her costume was laden with lime-green gunk, and she'd soon be wearing all of it. Sucking on her lower lip, she eased her arms out to her sides and readied herself, the anticipation terrifying yet delicious.

Her nose crinkled as the first real squirts began. They came at her flanks, where pressurised foam started spewing forth, startlingly cold on her bare skin. The ghoul suit bulged as the twin surges met across her middle. Instinctively Lucy wrapped her arms across her midriff, and a split second later realised her mistake. Pressing against the costume sent foam squirming up between her breasts and up from her collar, the gooey green explosion seething up beneath her jaw and past her temples, sending strands of hair fluttering.

"Eww! Haha, oh my God!"

More gunge arrived, this time from her back - sluicing from chambers secreted behind her shoulders and sliding down the furrow of her spine. Back arching, Lucy reached for the slime's source, but no sooner could she react to one squirt than another began. With a squeak she clutched at the seat of her wetsuit, where gunge pouring down her back had begun collecting around her bikini bottoms. The action sent a pulse of slime slithering down her legs.

Assailed by a cavalcade of sensations, Lucy was barely aware of the beams of gunk now lancing from Holly and Ellie's costumes until they began splashing her. The next phase had begun. Patches of each ghoul suit were designed to tear once the wearer was vanquished, and now slime fountained forth, each woman hosing her companions.

Before Lucy knew it, all three were down on their knees, writhing and screaming with thunderstruck mirth as mess sprayed all around. From her neck to her ankles a layer of liquid churned between her wetsuit and skin. It felt almost like swimming. Green slime poured in waves down her front and back; her coppery brown hair was saturated as far as her ears, damp strands clinging to her cheeks. Each fresh eruption made her jolt, yet she'd long since stopped trying to protect herself. She knelt now with fingers latticed behind her head, shaking with glee while watching her companions flail and squirm.

Suddenly Kirsty sprawled in amongst them. Landing on all fours in the space between the kneeling ghouls, the brunette yelped and thrashed in a forlorn attempt to get up. Almost instantly welters of green, pink and tangerine gloop engulfed her, saturating her clothes and streaming over her bronzed skin. Pulling up her vest top to try and wring out the ooze - an action that succeeded only in getting her stomach drenched in slime - Kirsty at last struggled onto her knees and looked up at Lisa, who had quite obviously pushed her. Seeing the redhead's smirk, Kirsty groaned and - accepting her fate - lifted her arms. Lucy, Ellie and Holly wasted no time in making her the epicentre of an absurdly messy group hug.

The eruptions were coming to an end, the sprays gradually ebbing as the suits emptied, yet Lisa still had to raise her voice to be heard above the splattering.

"Oh Kirsty? Now we're even."

Calm descended. Quivering with silent giggles, Lucy leaned onto all fours, began unzipping her ghoul suit, and laughed as a great deluge of green goo flooded onto the floor below her. Green-tinged locks trailed in front of her face as she peered at her companions. Ellie knelt, panting, blobs dripping from her dishevelled hair and shock plastered across her slime-covered features. She'd managed to get her ghoul costume down to her waist, but it hadn't helped her. Pale pink slime coated her entirely, patterned on the front by splashes from her fellow ghouls. Holly was in a similar state - grinning dreamily, as though still not quite comprehending what had just happened, she knelt with her arms still wrapped around herself, a few last burbling rushes of gunk still spilling down her chest.

Gunge slid from Kirsty's slender frame as she sat up, surveyed the devastation, and sighed. Her vaunted reinforcements had managed to wipe themselves out.

*****

What was I thinking? Sarah would never come this way, whatever 'this way' is. Running her hands along smooth, resinous walls, Jen inched her way through near darkness. She didn't know whether to laugh or scream. The walls practically throbbed with pent-up pressure, and all that slime wouldn't stay contained for long. Any second and it could burst all over her. Nowhere was safe.

Everything about this situation felt surreal. Nothing made sense anymore. Real life seemed so distant as to be almost irrelevant. She was delving into dark tunnels, gallons of goo poised to drench her, and was acutely aware that she wore practically nothing. And yet, for all that, she knew too that everything about her predicament, including the lack of clothing, was entirely her own choice. It was an odd sensation - a kind of playful vulnerability that left her tingling with anticipation.

There was a dim light ahead, and below it what looked to be a door. Jen approached slowly, tiptoeing through the murk - only to stagger to a halt, heart sinking. It was indeed a door - a fire escape.

It was over. Sarah had fled the game altogether.

Shoulders drooping, Jen sighed. So I guess that's it. Ugh. What does it matter, anyway? She was never going to...

She paused. The door was alarmed. Sarah couldn't have gone through without activating it. Brow knitting in confusion, she peered about and noticed a darker section on the wall to her left. No, not a wall at all - another passage.

Becoming more and more uncertain, she ventured a few yards into the newly revealed corridor. By now there was barely any light at all, though faint puffs of air, cool against her wet skin, suggested another chamber somewhere up ahead. Am I even supposed to be down here? She halted. No, this can't be right. Sarah's not here, I should go ba-

Neon light shredded the darkness. Jen reeled back, shielding her face with one hand, only to flush in embarrassment. It was only a sign. 'Restricted Zone,' it read, 'Protective attire must we worn beyond this point.' An arrow pointed right, where the sign's glow revealed another opening.

What the...?

A small antechamber jutted from the main passage. Fluorescent strip-lights activated at Jen's approach, bathing sterile light over a cube-shaped space coloured entirely white, save for burgundy curtains that screened a few booths on the far wall. Three stainless steel clothes racks split the chamber into neat, precisely measured aisles.

A changing room? Curious, Jen edged inside. All was still and silent. It was actually becoming rather unnerving. Again she called to Sarah, but again there was no answer. Guess I was right the first time, she'd never come this way.

She turned to leave, but then froze. A discarded towel lay dumped at the room's edge. Crouching beside it, Jen lifted it by a corner and blinked in surprise as something tumbled out. It was a bikini. It was Sarah's bikini. Suddenly alert, she studied the room again. Sure enough, a curtain stood slightly askew, and a couple of empty hangers dangled from a nearby rail. She was here.

Hope flickered, but Jen kept herself in check. If she's close, why won't she answer? Is she really that scared? Either way, she decided, she couldn't possibly turn back now, and going on meant getting changed. Smoothing back her damp hair, she examined the clothing on offer. Everything was pristine white, though as usual each rack held a different type. Swimwear to the left, boiler suits to the right, and in the centre a mix of shorts, tops and lab coats. Given the number of empty hangers, it seemed Sarah had opted for this middle section. That meant she'd covered up. Despite having gradually loosened up as the game went on, it seemed this last surprise had been a step too far. Shame.

Jen glanced at the lab coats. Would it help put Sarah at ease if she dressed sensibly? She considered asking the man in black for advice, but stopped herself. Who am I kidding? Everyone knows what I'm going to wear. Having faced everything the Splatter Dome could throw at her in nothing but a bathing suit, to play safe now would feel like cowardice.

Beaming at the absurdity of it all, Jen grabbed a towel, skipped to the leftmost aisle, and began reviewing her options. A lifelong love of the beach had given her a good eye for swimwear - a bi-keen-eye, as she liked to call it, half-hoping the phrase would catch on. Even so, white was a tricky colour. Too thin and there'd be a danger of transparency once it got wet. As it happened, though, she was in luck. Her favourite turned out to be the exact same design as one she'd bought for herself only a few weeks past. That was easy.

Her choice made, she stepped into a booth, found it equipped with a hairdryer and beauty supplies, and a few minutes later stood facing her reflection. Chestnut hair flowed down her back, soft and silky against bare shoulders. Despite her petite frame, nature had gifted her a figure by turns slim and curvaceous at all the best moments, a fact her outfit made sure to emphasise. Purest white and skimpily cut, the triangle bikini highlighted her skin's golden glow.

Not bad, even if I say so myself.

It was strange, even though she knew genetics had been more than kind to her, and even though this was an outfit she actively wanted to wear, she still felt pangs of nerves at the thought of being filmed wearing so little. It was hardly a new experience. Being an actor involved plenty of potentially embarrassing situations, and for Jen these had included more than a few tiny outfits. She'd soon learned that the best way to wear such things was to own them. Tensing up and staring at the floor simply made her more self-conscious. Shoulders back, head high - that was the way to go.

A deep breath helped settle her jitters. This was it. Endgame. Whatever the game's creators had been holding back for last, she was about to get it. Hands on hips, she grinned at her reflection.

"Time to get messy."

Feeling invigorated, she swept back the curtain, strode to the main passage and resumed her advance. She was walking to elimination; she knew that much. Her mind blurred with the thought of it, of that final shower of green gunk... the booming announcement. She could almost hear Sarah laughing.

The passage ended in a ring of dim, electric-blue lights, all of them angled toward her to obscure what lay ahead. Beyond lay a portal of purest darkness. Lips pursing with anticipation, Jen inched to the brink.

Playing with a strand of hair, she looked up at the cameras. "This is where you get me, isn't it?"

The void seemed to swallow her words. Already she was on the verge of nervous laughter. Lifting one hand to her mouth, she tilted her head and stared into the dark. Illogical though it was, to Jen the blackness had an almost mirror-like quality, the slate so blank she could almost see things within, her mind racing to fill the vacuum. More than anything, she felt that it was watching her.

Arms falling to her sides, she smiled into the shadow. "Okay then. Let's see what you've got."

With that she stepped into the unknown.

When her foot met the ground, it was almost a shock. She'd half expected to be pitched into a hidden vat. Instead she staggered a few awkward paces before regaining her balance.

Smooth.

Fiddling with the knot at her back, she peered around. What was this place? A few faint glimmers from high above told her she was in a wide, high chamber, rounded like a beehive, but every other feature lay shrouded in gloom. Just then a grinding sound from overhead heralded a focused beam of silver daylight that lanced from the room's apex. Almost immediately the beam struck a huge - and doubtlessly fake - crystal, which was suspended between four black marble pillars that rose in a square formation from the chamber's centre and merged into its vaulted, slate-grey ceiling. The crystal scattered light outward, and then, as though by magic, mirrors set into the walls began to angle, catching each beam and bouncing it to another mirror, which reflected it on again, the light spreading and multiplying.

It was like standing in the nave of some ancient cathedral. Spellbound, Jen watched illumination spread top-down through the room. There were pipes up there, she saw, masses of them, covering every scrap of wall and ceiling. No prizes for guessing what's in those. Lower down it was as though each section of the room had its own theme. Opposite Jen, the north side disappeared behind dingy, mist-wreathed cloisters, while elsewhere the floor was pitted into overlapping craters and odd, misshapen mounds.

Still the room brightened, each new detail fuelling Jen's excitement. Strange machines dotted the chamber's edge, all levers and capsules and pipe-veined vats. Hydrants and nozzles jutted from every surface. Tangled pipes knotted in mid-air, chutes pointing dangerously downward. One area seemed infested with what looked like insectoid eggs the size of space-hoppers, each filled to bursting with iridescent gloop.

Slime. It's potential lay everywhere. As Jen's widening eyes took in the last details, she realised the extent of what awaited her. She turned on the spot, not quite believing what she was seeing. Everything here could gunge her. The mounds she'd seen earlier were split like pinecones into myriad slime-filled sconces, and all around the walls wide bays had been carved, each brimming with trifles and flans and goo-filled bowls. Haphazard vines twisted and coiled, laden with clusters of pomegranate-sized balloons near-bursting with ooze.

"Th-this is all for me?"

As she completed her turn, Jen at last noticed the space between the pillars. Here every surface shone white, a stark monochrome around the obsidian pillars, with the floor dropping down in tiered circuits to a circular space at the bottom. On each tier, stacks of cream pies lay interspersed with yet more buckets and bowls. It was here that the beam of light was focussed.

And there, facing her across that miniature amphitheatre, stood Sarah.

*****

In the control room, Belle triple-checked the technical readouts. Satisfied that everything was fully operational, she nudged the man beside her.

"Don't get any ideas."

The man in black tore his gaze from the screens. "Hmm, what?"

"You're thinking of letting someone win. I can tell."

"I, ahem, it had crossed my mind, I'll admit."

Belle folded her arms. She'd personally designed virtually all the arena's gunge dispensing systems, and took no small pride in the fact that no contestant had ever escaped them. "We've discussed this," she said sternly. "No 'letting them win' just for the publicity."

"Agreed. But still, what if they actually make it?"

As her companion looked back to the screens, Belle frowned. He's going soft, she decided. Nobody beats the dome. Nobody. I'll see to that.

*****

At first Jen could only stare. Sarah looked almost angelic, bathed as she was in waterfalls of white light. Flowing tresses shone like gold, framing a fey, oval-shaped face before tumbling forward across her shoulders, which were covered by a pristine white shirt that looked almost man-sized, so on Sarah it was practically a tunic. Seeing the look on Jen's face, Sarah's lips curled into an enigmatic half-smile.

The slightest of nods directed Jen to where breaks in the rings of pies created a series of steps. Still dumbfounded, she obeyed, tiptoeing down between heaps of whipped cream and lurid yellow custard. Not once did her gaze leave Sarah. Shoulders loose, elbows angled back to rest on the arena's first tier, the blonde looked almost relaxed. Almost. It was the details that gave it away - the arms slightly too rigid, the toes trying to burrow into the rubbery floor. She was nervous, and was doing her utmost to hide it.

Arriving at the arena's base, Jen at last found her voice. "What's going on?"

Sarah affected a shrug. Small though it was, the gesture made Jen blink in surprise. Sarah's shirt was unbuttoned, and for a half-second had fallen open. Only a fraction, but enough to reveal a white string bikini underneath.

Hah, maybe she's not so scared after all! No sooner had Jen taken a half pace forward, though, than Sarah visibly tensed. Oh. Okay, maybe she is.

Just then she realised something; she'd assumed that she'd be expected to sit back and let herself be eliminated, but then why would Sarah be nervous? Unless... Jen didn't want to even think it for fear of jinxing herself. Unless she doesn't expect me to go down without a fight.

Doing her level best to appear calm and unthreatening, Jen took another step forward. Sarah's jaw clenched tighter, but her nerve held. They stood opposite now, barely two yards apart. Tiered shelves rose head-high all around them, their payload of pies glistening white and yellow and bubble-gum pink. With so much mess at her fingertips, it took every ounce of Jen's self-control to keep from splatting a pie in Sarah's pretty face right there and then. No, she decided, she couldn't risk it, not unless she was sure Sarah was ready. It needed to be Sarah who made the first move.

Looking her friend in the eye, Jen tried to keep her voice deadpan. "Nice place you found here."

Sarah remained statue-still. "Why thanks," she replied, lips barely moving.

Jen made a point of gesturing to the mess. "Hmm. Not so sure about the décor, though. You know - not to be all alarmist or anything - but if something went wrong, things could get kinda gooey down here."

"Maybe."

Sarah's voice was ice, but Jen could've sworn there was an undercurrent of mirth. Or am I just hearing what I want to hear? One wrong move could ruin everything. She hesitated, giving Sarah chance to act, but her companion seemed rooted in place.

In the distance an automated voice spoke over the intercom. "Danger. Safety systems unresponsive. Overload imminent. Danger."

Jen tucked a lock of hair behind one ear. "You could've run, you know. You could've got out."

"Perhaps."

She advanced a step. "But here you are."

Sarah's eyes glimmered. "And here I am," she replied, her voice low and teasing.

Jen darted forward. The suddenness of it sent Sarah shrinking back, but there was nowhere to go. She opened her mouth to yell - but at the last moment Jen stopped in front her, reached past, and nudged a pie away from the shelf's edge.

"Oops. Your sleeve almost went in the cream. Lucky I was here. Didn't startle you, did I?"

Still trying desperately to appear stoic, Sarah stifled a giggle and shook her head. "I, I didn't..."

"Ahem." Feigning offence, Jen motioned to her companion's hands. "And what's that about?"

The sudden advance had made Sarah reach for the nearest pies. Now, realising what she'd done, she mumbled an apology and withdrew her hands, but already Jen was beaming in triumph. "My God," she exclaimed as though shocked, "you want to pie me, don't you?"

"No. I just thought..."

"Haha, you so do!"

Though close to laughter, Sarah still shook her head. "It's not... I mean, I just..."

Jen's voice dropped to a teasing whisper. "You can if you want to."

Sarah froze, but Jen almost sang with joy. She'd seen the flash of glee in those beautiful green eyes. This could really happen.

Clearly unsure, Sarah's mouth opened a few seconds before she actually spoke. "You mean...?"

Jen let her arms fall parallel to her sides, palms open in a 'here I am' gesture. "Splat me if you want," she said, leaving a devilish little pause before adding, "But when you do, I'm gonna splat back."

Sarah shifted, blinking rapidly, but Jen saw the way her eyes darted about, scanning the mess. She wants to. She tried to think of some teasing little jibe that would spur Sarah into action, but almost instantly the blonde's composure returned.

"Did you see that thing over there?" Sarah nodded to her left, to the chamber's eastern edge. "What do you suppose it is?"

Jen sighed. Had the moment passed? Looking over, it was plain what Sarah was referring to. Set into the wall was an indentation the size of a telephone box, surrounded by danger symbols and flanked by barrel-shaped cisterns. It was clear that anyone who ended up in there was getting eliminated.

"Looks like a slime tank to me," Jen said breezily. "I guess one of us-"

A finger tapped on her left thigh. With a start she looked down - to find a coin-sized splodge of custard glistening wet and oily on her skin. As her confusion cleared, she fixed Sarah with a playful glare. "Hey, was that you?"

"What, that? No way."

Sarah's doe-eyed innocence could almost have been convincing had she not been wiping a hand on the shelf behind her. Smirking, Jen waggled a finger. "I meant what I said, you know."

"Sure you did." Again Sarah gestured to the chamber's edge. "So, you know what that thing does, or what?"

The pair exchanged another look, each daring the other not to laugh. Eyebrows lifting, Jen folded her arms in a 'do you think I'm stupid?' pose, but in truth they both knew what would happen. Anything to make her more confident. Keeping her eyes on Sarah until the last possible moment, she peeked again at the booth, and almost instantly squeaked as a spot of slimy wetness materialised on her arm.

"Oops." Sarah's voice was all mock concern. "Looks like you've done it again."

Craning to look at the creamy pink splodge above her left elbow, Jen realised she was being tested. Keeping eye contact with Sarah, she reach sideways and collected a particularly frothy cream pie.

"Looks like. Guess I'm kind of clumsy today."

With that she dropped the pie, flicking it so that it splatted down beside Sarah's feet. Suddenly wary, Sarah sprang a half-step back, hands fidgeting as though about to shield herself. The thought of gunging Sarah was almost too tempting to resist, but still Jen contained herself. She's nervous. She might still back out.

An idea came. Rolling her shoulders, she said in an exaggeratedly clear tone, "Guess I'd better take a good look around."

Hands on hips, Jen swivelled her upper body left and right, making a show of not looking at Sarah while pretending to scan the chamber.

Come on, take the bait. Okay, that should be long enough. Here goes. Three, two, one-

Suddenly she faced front again, already scowling in mock accusation, and at that precise moment felt a spot of goo blossom high on her torso, where the bulging left triangle of her bikini top merged with the string that tied behind her neck. Aha! Perfect timing! Sarah had frozen in place - leant forward, one arm extended, with a custard-tipped finger still touching Jen's skin. Green eyes widened as she realised what this meant.

"Caught you!"

Suddenly meek, Sarah withdrew, one hand rising to her mouth while the other wiped the remaining custard on the nearest shelf in a futile bid to erase the evidence. Jen advanced, exultant. "Hee-hee, yes! This time I've got you."

Sarah retreated, mumbling excuses, but then stopped abruptly and slowly straightened. Alarm spread across her features. She'd reached the pit's edge. There could be no more running.

Seeing that Sarah's hands had alighted on a pair of pies, Jen practically tingled with excitement. She gasped as though affronted. "You're really going to slime me, aren't you?"

Sarah shook her head furiously. It was almost convincing. "No. I, uh-"

"Haha, you're so gonna do it!"

Unable to face her gaze, Sarah fidgeted, struggling not to chuckle. "I-I'm not. I just-"

Jen inched closer still. "Who do you think you're kidding? You love getting me messy."

Sarah bit her lip and for an instant made eye contact. Jen beamed. "Ooh, I know that look. Admit it, you want to."

"You're wrong." There was an odd quality to Sarah's voice, as though it wasn't Jen she was trying to convince.

Still Jen advanced, a few inches at a time, wearing a smile designed to both reassure and tease. "Neither of us is getting out of here clean. You know that, right?"

"Ugh, don't say that!"

Rolling back on her heels, Jen smoothed her hair before letting her arms fall to her sides. Defenceless, and intentionally so. Everything - her voice, her stance, her every movement - was designed to make her a more appealing target. "And here's me, all clean and spotless, in a teensy little bikini, and you with, like, a hundred pies all around. You know you can't resist."

She took a final step forward. Now with only inches separating them, Sarah squeaked in alarm and gripped the pies still tighter.

"No closer! I'll do it, I swear!" The blonde's defences were crumbling now - she was openly grinning, her body shaking with barely-suppressed laughter.

Could this be it? Jen made her expression one of coquettish innocence. "What, not even a little closer?" Sarah's eyes shone like emeralds. "Not even if I put, like, one toe forward? Maybe... like... this-"

Pies exploded over her body. Whipped cream slathered Jen's right side, the pie gliding to the cup of her bikini before disintegrating in a melting mass that oozed back toward her hip. There wasn't even time for her to gasp before pink goo splashed cold and slick atop her left shoulder, blobs scattering into her hair and spilling down her arm.

For a second both women stood in stunned silence. Horrified excitement spread across Sarah's face as it dawned on her what she'd done.

Jen paused, savouring the moment... then flashed a dazzling smile.

"I was so hoping you'd do that."

As one they sprang back from each other, hair swishing, arms reaching for more mess. There was no going back now. Jen wanted to sing with joy - she'd waited so long for this. Grabbing the first pie she saw - a mass of custard drizzled with raspberry sauce - she threw wildly. The pit was barely ten feet wide, yet somehow Sarah sprang nimbly aside, the pie sailing harmlessly past. Now off-balance, however, the blonde botched the counterattack, her overhand throw sweeping a diagonal splash across the floor, with only stray globs speckling Jen's shins. Straightaway Jen launched another volley, yet Sarah was still too quick, evading every drop with nothing but a graceful sidestep.

"Missed me."

Not the greatest start. Sarah was sounding increasingly cocky, but even so, nothing could dampen Jen's mood. She can't stay lucky forever. Maybe I'll aim next time. Bouncing back to the shelves, she scooped up a wok-sized bowl... but then realised Sarah had been holding a pie in readiness. Hold up, was she waiting for me to-

Pink pudding burst across the rear of her bikini bottoms, prompting a shrill yelp. Impressed, she looked back to find Sarah openly smirking. "Hah, very sneaky."

She waited until Sarah was about to reply before making her move. Slow and stealthy, she'd been readying the bowl as she spoke, and in a flash twirled and tossed the contents directly at Sarah's face.

"Dodge this! Oh."

Sarah had indeed dodged that. Goo arced past her shoulder as, with balletic grace, she came spinning in a semicircle toward her, collecting a pie as she went. Jen spluttered in shock as whipped cream engulfed the left half of her head. Eyes closing, she wiggled her toes as melting puffs of cream slid deliciously down her neck. When her eyes opened she found Sarah right in front of her, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

"H-how are you doing this?" Dodging in such a confined space ought to have been impossible, yet Sarah seemed to anticipate her every move. In answer, Sarah merely fluttered her eyelashes and massaged the pie in a circular motion, leaving Jen groaning with mirth as spurting cream tickled the side of her nose - which crinkled with laughter as great wobbling dollops spattered down into her cleavage.

"You know, Jen, you were right, this is kind of fun." Sarah was practically preening with satisfaction. Taking a step back, she stood with hands on hips, admiring her handiwork. "You sure you don't want to just give up now? It'd probably work out cleaner for you."

For a moment Jen just peered down at herself, shaking with jittery laughter. Sarah's tone had been jokey, but was there some truth there? Maybe she's right. Maybe I really don't stand a chance.... Then she noticed the words Sarah had used. Instantly she snapped to attention.

"Oh Sarah..."

"What?"

"I think I'm going to win."

Sarah's expression flickered, momentarily uncertain. Motion erupted. Grabbing a pie in each hand, Jen launched them with all her strength. Time seemed to slow. Sarah leapt back, face lit with excitement, and turned sideways in mid-air. Somehow she'd done it again - the pies flew past, mere centimetres from her front and back.

This time, though, Jen gave her no time to react. Without even looking she reached for the nearest shelf, felt cool-whip daub her arm, and swept a blizzard of white globs toward Sarah - who squealed but with cat-like reflexes sprang back from the spray. How does she do it?

Still, her opponent was rattled, and that at least was progress. Jen advanced, keeping up the pressure, fumbling for more mess as she went. Sarah's eyes widened. Sensing she was losing control, she turned and bounded away, dextrously using the tiered shelves as steps.

"Oh no you don't."

Jen lunged, grabbing at Sarah's ankle. One little tug would've sent Sarah flopping front-first into a mass of creamy gunk, but yet again she was too quick. Even worse, such a wild lunge meant it was Jen who sprawled into the shelves. They were soft, made of the same rubbery material as most of the other scenery, but Jen let out a tittered sigh as her forearms disappeared into a row of especially sloppy pies, the resulting eruption scattering wet snowdrops up her neck and face even as locks of her hair tumbled forward into the muck.

"Wow, Jen. How are you so bad at this?"

Blowing motes of foam from her lips, Jen found that Sarah had bounded out of the sunken arena and was peering down at her from floor level. "You just wait, Sarah. I'm coming for you."

"Really. Uh-huh, sure you are."

*****

Lucy and the others had cleaned up and made it back to the operations room just in time to watch the fun begin. Everyone was here now, lounging on couches or pod-like chairs as they chattered happily and cheered at the screens. Live feeds from the game-zone covered the entirety of one wall, capturing the contest from a dozen different angles. Belle, Jo and the dark-clad man sat nearby, monitoring technical readouts from a row of computer workstations.

Most of the other girls had changed back into their own clothes, but Lucy had opted for a simple white top and denim shorts from the changing room. She was, in truth, a little embarrassed by the baggy clothes she'd shown up in. Today had been a liberating day for her. For so long the prospect of wearing anything remotely revealing had been a source of gut-knotting anxiety, but after today she couldn't understand what she'd been so afraid of. Exposure therapy was rarely quite so literal.

Perched at one end of a couch, she watched raptly as the pies began to fly. She'd been hoping for a proper Jen versus Sarah showdown, but from the looks of things it was going to be a distinctly one-sided affair. Shame.

Ellie seemed confused. "What the hell? Is Sarah secretly like, I don't know, 'world champion bikini slime fighter' or something? Where'd she learn all this stuff?"

"Well," began Liz. Sitting tall and serene on one of the pod chairs, the statuesque blonde gestured as though about to deliver a royal decree. "You see, it's all a matter of attitude. Jen's sweet enough, but she lacks Sarah's killer instinct."

Annabelle chimed into the conversation. "Ahem, and exactly how much of a killer instinct do you need to throw custard pies?"

Liz's mouth pursed sourly. "Well yes, alright, I could've worded it better, but you know what I mean. It's the mind-set. Take it from me - after today I'm practically a veteran."

Lena and Lucy exchanged amused glances. While it was true that Liz was two-for-two when it came to gunge fights, they knew full well that it wasn't through any great skill on her part. Lucy had only lost because she'd been laughing too much to fight back, while Liz had been completely at Lena's mercy before a pack of ghouls intervened.

Lena spoke for them both. "Hmm, I don't know. Maybe it's Jen with the right attitude?"

"How do you mean?" Liz looked slightly put-out at being challenged.

"I mean, look at her," Lena continued, "she's been waiting for this. She's going to go all-out. Besides, take a look at all that." The feeds showed chaos spreading throughout the facility. Up at ground level slime now oozed from cracked walls and spilled from ruptures in the ceiling, and all the while the pit in the living quarters slowly expanded, gradually swallowing the room. "See? Just look at all that. Sarah's fine while she's calm, but how long do you reckon that'll last?"

By now the whole group were listening in. "That's if it goes on that long," Ellie countered. "I'm with Liz. Sarah looks pretty untouchable right now."

More opinions sprang up, each overlapping the last, but then a single soft voice silenced everyone.

"Perhaps we should make this interesting."

Lucy stifled a giggle. Uh-oh. Slowly the contestants looked over to find Joanna watching them, neon reflections glimmering on her spectacles. Softly spoken, dressed in office clothes and with her fair hair tied back in a bun, she looked nothing like her alter-ego. Lucy wasn't fooled though; she had vivid memories of both gunging and being gunged by this woman. As commander of the Gunge Ghouls, Jo had been Lucy's affable nemesis throughout her time in the dome.

Louise swallowed. "How do you mean 'interesting'?"

Joanna stood straight, hands clasped behind her back. "A wager. Each of you picks a side, and at the end we'll see who's right."

Ellie sat forward. "Is there a prize?"

"The prize is the satisfaction of not losing."

Seeing where this was going, Ellie grimaced. "So what happens if we lose?"

Joanna glanced to the man in black, who nodded a fraction, then looked back to the contestants. "Oh, I'm sure we'll think of something," she said.

Murmuring began. Ellie tried to point out that there was no logical reason for them to bet at all, but Lucy wasn't listening. Looking to Lena for guidance, she mouthed, "Should we?"

Lena seemed about to reply, but then grinned and pointed at something over Lucy's shoulder. Lucy turned to find a certain someone standing over her, arms folded in mock severity.

"Oh hi there, Lucy," said Kelly. "How do I look?"

With tawny brown hair cascading halfway down her back and a low-cut summer dress snug on her voluptuous figure, Kelly exuded effortless glamour. "Oh, erm, hey," Lucy replied. "You look great."

Kelly's eyes twinkled. "Thanks. It took a while to get cleaned up. Y'know, after you fed me to that giant blob monster. Hey, Jo! Put me down for team Jen."

Joanna nodded. "That's one for Jen. Any more takers?"

Annabelle sat forward, the pint-sized brunette looking even more mischievous than usual. "Whoever Liz goes for, put me down for the opposite!" Seeing the look on Liz's face, she winked. "C'mon, Liz, you were so sure before. Don't you want to see me get gunked?"

The ruse worked - Liz's look of confused indignation soon faded, no doubt as she pictured Annabelle taking the forfeit.

Almost instantly Lena and Nikki pointed to each other, issuing challenges between bursts of tittering. The chatter returned, at a higher pitch this time. One by one the bets came in, some loud and public, some whispered into Joanna's ear. Mind whirring, Lucy watched with mounting amusement. It was clear that Kelly wanted to gunge her. The two had quickly become friends, Kelly having done her utmost to get Lucy talking. Their jokey bet on which of them would get messiest had been short-lived, what with Kelly being the first girl eliminated. Maybe this is our chance to do it properly....

Perching herself on the couch's arm, Kelly placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Sooo, what do you say? Willing to risk it?"

Seeing Lena nodding approval, Lucy laughed. "Okay, you're on!"

****

Jen's ascent proved somewhat less graceful than Sarah's. Adopting the tried and tested 'flail and wiggle' approach, she half-crawled, half-clambered up, pouting with mirthful embarrassment as she demolished the carefully arrayed mess in her path. Upturned bowls tipped pink gunk over her hands, pies squelched beneath her knees, cold custard skimmed the front of her chest, yet she pressed on.

Hearing her opponent openly sniggering, Jen pointed up at her. "You know I'm gonna get you, Sarah. Any second now. Eww, ha-ha. Any second." Looking up, she found Sarah smiling down at her, bouncing a custard pie in one hand.

Sarah spoke with exaggerated peppiness. "So, Jen, what's your favourite Bond movie? Me, I'd have to say Piefall."

Jen giggled as the pie splatted atop her head, creamy yellow muck surging through her hair and spraying all down her back. No sooner had she shook the base loose than another arrived.

"Of course, Goldenpie is a close second."

Jen groaned and redoubled her efforts. "Ugh! I deserve to get you for those puns alone. Just you wait."

Plainly enjoying watching her struggle, Sarah gestured theatrically. "It's over, Jennikin! I have the pie ground!"

"That's not even the same franchise!"

With a flick of one shapely leg, Sarah kicked a pie off the uppermost circuit. Jen watched it arc downwards, slow and ponderous, sprinkling thick amber gloop in its wake, and then suddenly remembered to duck just as it struck home, plastering the back of her head. Mmm, smells like peaches. For a moment she remained in place, head shaking while gelid mess oozed through her hair. This really isn't going to plan.

Bouncing happily, Sarah punched the air. "She shoots, she scores!"

At last Jen reached the top. Shaking pie fragments from her hair, she fought back another giggling fit, drew up her legs, and stood. Sarah had skipped away in readiness, retreating to a shadowy, mist-wreathed cloister where she'd propped herself against a tree-like pillar, plucked a goo-filled balloon from a nearby vine, and now stood watching her, half-smiling, the balloon slowly rolling back and forth on her palm.

"Funny, isn't it?" mused Sarah, her tone calm and calculating. "You come halfway around the world to mess me up, then I spend the entire day obliterating you. Maybe karma does exist?"

This time Jen approached with caution. "Maybe. Or maybe now's the time to even things up."

Mustn't just rush in again. I need to think about this.

Shaded by the pillar, mist whirling behind her, and with a hazy glow casting a gilded highlight the length of her side, Sarah looked every inch the femme fatale. Eyes gleaming, she began bouncing the balloon up and down. "Aww. You really think you have a chance, don't you?"

All the jumping about had slung Sarah's shirt back on her shoulders, leaving her bikini-clad figure in full view. Slender yet feminine, Sarah was also easily the more athletic of the two. If it comes down to agility, I don't have a hope. I need to close her down... corner her somehow.

The man in black's baritone reverberated over the intercom. "Sorry to interrupt. Thought you'd like to know that your teammates have taken to placing bets on you both."

Sarah pulled her shirt closed. "Oh really? Not much of a bet. I'm guessing everyone's gone for yours truly?"

"It's actually been an even split, so far."

"What?" Sarah sounded downright appalled. "Are you watching a different fight up there?"

"There were some concerns about your staying power." The man's voice held a note of wry amusement. "The term 'glass cannon' was mentioned." There was background chatter, it seemed the other contestants were all gathered in the same room. "Anyway," the man went on, "don't let me keep you. Carry on."

A few rushed cries of "Go Jen!" and "Come on, Sarah!" carried across the intercom just before it went silent. The combatants smirked at each other.

"Seems we have fans," Jen noted.

"Seems so." Sarah seemed distracted. "Although, no offence or anything, but why the hell is anyone betting on you? Do they know something I don't?"

"Perhaps." Jen inched forward, ready to pounce, but straightaway Sarah's stance shifted. Damn, she saw. So much for surprise.

Green eyes narrowed. "And what did you mean before - about thinking you can beat me?"

Jen winked. "I know your weakness."

Sarah sniffed dismissively. "Oh you do? Care to enlighten me?"

"Maybe later."

Now. Seizing on Sarah's distraction, Jen charged, seizing a bowl from a nearby sconce as she went. No more throwing and hoping for the best, this time I'm gonna tip this right over her head. Caught off-guard, Sarah tossed the balloon, but it plopped weakly beside Jen's ankle in a desultory spray of lilac muck. With Jen almost upon her, Sarah panicked and fled, darting behind a pillar.

"Haha - I'm coming to get you!"

Hidden by the tangled pillars, Sarah suddenly called out, "Wait, stop!"

Confused, Jen halted. "Huh? What, what's wrong?"

Suddenly Sarah sprang back into view. Jen squeaked as a pastel green pie splatted across her stomach with such force that cream flew out in a star-shape, blobs pattering onto the floor behind her.

As Jen stared, open mouthed, Sarah flashed a smile. "Live and let pie," she purred, and then with a carefree giggle went scurrying back into the maze of pillars.

"Oh you're kidding! I am so getting you for this." Laughing, Jen pursued.

Accelerating, she sprinted around the column - and stopped, hair fluttering, mouth falling open in shock, as pale blue cream splurged across her chest, blobs like liquid bluebells radiating outward. Sarah had been waiting just out of sight, a huge pie held in readiness. Jen had run right into it.

Before Jen knew it, peach-coloured gunk sloshed thick and smooth over her feet. In her surprise she'd dropped the bowl she'd been carrying. Damn I'm an idiot. Groaning at her own foolishness, she wiped at the blue ichor now streaming past her waist.

"Ugh. Maybe you're right. Guess I really am terrible at this."

Sarah simply smirked and pressed the pie in. Practically wriggling on the spot, Jen threw back her shoulders and lifted her face to the ceiling, squeaking with ticklish laughter as slippery mess engulfed her bosom. Sarah grinned wickedly and rotated the pie like a steering wheel, the cool gloop splurging over Jen's breasts and pouring in slick rivers down her midriff. By the time she thought of grabbing handfuls of it to use against Sarah, the blonde had already danced away.

Gasping, Jen flicked away the pie's base, grinned at the glistening ooze seeping over her chest, and pursued, trying to wipe herself down as she went. It doesn't matter if I lose, but no way is Sarah staying clean. Undaunted, she came bounding past the next pillar, already braced for another surprise pie, but instead skidded to a stop. Where'd she go?

The light here held a hazy, dreamlike quality, shining as it did through languid mist that wafted through orchards of gnarled grey pillars. Everywhere gently-swaying vines dangled from the ceiling or strung in webs between the columns, but of Sarah there was no sign.

Slime flew from the darkness. It came from the right, a sprinkle of orange blobs that cast melting squiggles through Jen's hair. Jolting in surprise, she span around but saw only whirls in the mist where her attacker had been. Immediately she dashed in pursuit.

"Like that, is it? Hah! You can't hide forever."

A farcical chase ensued. Jen charged recklessly onward, cheering and whooping, but Sarah was constantly one step ahead, always flitting around the next pillar or skulking in ambush, ready to catapult mess into Jen's flank as she rushed past, only to then vanish into the fog. Still cheering even as more and more gunk splattered her, Jen blundered on. Sparse spotlights lit the fog, casting it in shades of blue and red and amber that shifted every few seconds, leaving her so disoriented that she could easily have been going in circles. Sarah's laughter echoed through the pillars, a lilting siren call that drew Jen ever onward.

Pausing at a spot she could've sworn she'd passed twice before, Jen blinked as custard flicked across her face. This time, though, Sarah stopped to mock her - blowing a kiss before flitting back into the fog.

"Aha, now I've got you!"

She was gaining now. Sarah was plainly visible under the ever-shifting spotlights. The blonde was facing her, mouthing taunts and tossing little blobs of cream as she danced backwards, beckoning Jen on as she did so - before suddenly leaping sideways, disappearing down a narrow passage lined with purple vines.

"Oh no you don't."

Feet sliding on the rubbery floor, Jen raced on. Sarah had accelerated the second she was out of sight, but not enough - Jen spied her disappearing down another shadowy aisle. This is it, I've finally got her! She took the corner at full sprint and yelled exultantly at what she saw. Ahead, the root-like pillars widened into a broader clearing, vaguely circular and lit by a few meagre spotlights. The mist had settled here, swirling at knee height, and on the opposite side a few wide, slate-grey steps led up to what must be the chamber's edge, bordered as it was by a row of padded pillars. Sarah was at the topmost step, but here she'd halted, grunting impatiently as she tried to pry two of the columns apart, seeking to force a way through. Hah, she doesn't know it's a dead end.

"Hey there, Sarah. Miss me?"

The words froze Sarah where she stood. There was nowhere left to run. "Oh no," she whispered.

Elation flooded Jen's mind. Payback at last. With a victorious cheer she pounced forward - and went sliding onto her knees, fuchsia sludge splashing up into her lap.

"What the-?"

The mist had been concealing a broad dip in the floor, shallow but brimming with gunge. Having lured her in, Sarah dropped the charade and span to face her, looking justifiably smug.

"Seriously, Jen, is there anything you won't fall for?"

Dazed, Jen tried to stand but slipped sideways, legs shooting out from under her. With a soft moan she slid into a reclining position, gunk slurping around her hips. This stuff was extra slippery.

"Ugh. Seems not."

A wicked smile spread across Sarah's face as she descended the steps, her movements slow and assured. She knew she was in control. In this light her beauty held an almost menacing quality: grey-blue gloom shrouded one half of her while a slanting spotlight illuminated the other, shining through her hair and gleaming like fire in her eyes.

As she moved to collect more mess, Sarah's voice took on a soft, measured and dangerously innocent tone. "So, Jen, I'm curious. After all this time waiting to take me on, is this how you pictured it going?"

With a gulp Jen realised she was a sitting target. Cavorting like the world's worst break-dancer, she tried again to rise, but it was no good. The puddle was just too slippery, and each failed attempt left more of it adorning her skin.

With a mocking laugh Sarah lifted her head to address the cameras. "Whoever bet on Jen, I hope you're watching. Take a good look at your champion."

Haha, what must I look like? At last Jen struggled onto all fours, wobbling precariously and making an extended "Whoa..." sound as her hands and shins skated about. Slime-streaked hair bracketed her vision, some of it dipping into the puddle.

Realising she was about to flop flat on her face, she shifted her knees forward and knelt up. Feeling giddy, she wiped absently at her midriff, where her curves had channelled a glacier of blue cream down the middle of her stomach. Her touch did little beside smear it around while adding purple streaks - the gunk from the puddle having sheathed her hands like ragged gloves.

"Haha, my God, what have you done to- eww."

The words trailed off as gunge poured into her hair. Sarah was tipping an entire bucket over her, but was taking her time, luxuriating in her victory while tipping the bucket a fraction at a time.

"Oh, sorry Jen, could you say that again? I can't hear over the sound of me winning."

There was no escape. Any attempt to get away would only end in her face-planting into the puddle. Having landed just behind the crown of her head, the muck streamed the length of her back, soaking her bikini bottoms and tickling the soles of her upturned feet. Wonder what colour it is? Scents of banana cream reached her just as sunflower-yellow rivulets began dripping past her brow. Guess that answers that question. Oddly exhilarated, Jen arched her back a fraction, only to murmur as creamy gunk came snaking forward from her shoulders to spill over her breasts.

"I, haha, I said, what have you-"

"Oh, what's that you say? More slime? Coming right up."

A mirthful whimper escaped Jen's lips as the flow twitched forward, the last of the custard dribbling down her face. No sooner had she wiped her eyes than Sarah was back, this time holding two smaller bowls - one of amethyst gunk, the other emerald. With a defeated groan Jen rotated to face her. Sarah was kneeling now, leaning forward to position the bowls a few inches above her prey's ears. Their faces were only a couple of feet apart, though naturally Sarah made sure to keep herself out of the mess.

"So, like I was saying," purred Sarah, tilting the bowls until slime sloshed to their brims, "you gotta see the funny side. I mean, you spend the entire day trying to get me into a slime fight, and when it finally happens I just annihilate you. Kinda funny, when you think about it."

"Wow. You're really getting into this whole 'bad guy' thing, aren't you?"

Sarah snorted. "What, me? You're the bad guy!"

"How'd you figure that?"

"You... I mean, you've wanted to slime me from the start."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And how many times have you splatted me today?"

"I, haha, but that-"

Jen lifted an eyebrow. "Or used me as bait?"

"Only a few times!"

"Or when you pushed me into that blob thing to buy yourself time?"

"I... okay, in my defence, that was pretty funny." Suppressing a smirk, Sarah sat back a fraction and blinked a few times, seemingly mulling something over. Whatever it was, she dispelled the thought with a shake of her head. "Anyway - less talk, more slime."

Jen squealed as the bowls tipped.

*****

Turning in her seat, Lucy caught Kelly's eye and winked knowingly. Kelly tittered, blushing, and buried her face in her hands. Elsewhere, Jen's other supporters were having similar reactions.

"What's she doing?" Annabelle lamented. "She's not even fighting back."

Ellie tapped Annabelle's shoulder in a not entirely sincere there-there gesture. "If it helps," she drawled, "it looks like she's having a blast out there."

It was true. Despite being absolutely trounced, Jen still seemed to be having a great time. Skimming about, the brunette smiled dreamily, twiddling a strand of hair and bantering with Sarah even as gunge slathered her. And then there was Sarah, spotlessly clean and seemingly in full-on pantomime villain mode, practically cavorting with glee as she dished out mess.

Ellie draped an arm around Annabelle. "So, in retrospect, would you still say blindly betting the opposite way to Liz was a good idea?"

With a melodramatic groan, Annabelle rested her head on Ellie's shoulder. "I'm going to get gunged, aren't I?"

"Looks like."

An impish grin curled the corners of Annabelle's mouth. "Just so you know, if you're anywhere near me when it happens, you're getting splashed."

Deciding that a bit of friendly ribbing was in order, Lucy turned back to Kelly - only to find her companion inexplicably confident. Perplexed, she looked back to the screens. Nothing appeared to have changed. Sarah remained clean. Jen grew steadily messier. Then she saw - Jen was trying to slide her way out of the puddle. It took a moment for her to realise what this meant.

She hasn't given up.

*****

Eww, I should probably just give up.

The next pie took Jen full in the face. Runny yoghurt the colour of ripe peaches spurted through her hair as she slumped into a reclining position, the pie's base wobbling as her entire body quivered with mirth. Much as she yearned for payback, she always loved it when Sarah slimed her. The devilish delight her friend took in messing her up made the whole experience funnier.

With Sarah's rapturous laughter reverberating in her ears, Jen at last flicked away the pie base, blew a hole through the peachy swamp masking her face, then carved out furrows to see through.

Hearing Jen chuckling to herself, Sarah folded her arms, feigning annoyance. "And what's so funny?"

"You really want to know?"

Sarah cocked her head, golden hair flowing around her face. "Uh, yeah."

Blobs dripped from Jen's chin as she sat up, the gooey mask splitting to reveal pearly teeth. "The funny thing is... I'm still gonna beat you."

Momentarily wary, Sarah glanced left and right. Satisfied she was still in control, the smile returned, though her eyes had narrowed. "And what could possibly make you say that?"

"I'll let you work it out. But first I should thank you...."

"Thank me? For what?"

Scooping up heaped handfuls from the puddle, Jen let slime trail through her fingers. "Why, for all the ammo, of course."

With great satisfaction Jen watched the cockiness drain from her opponent's face. The two made eye contact. Jen bobbed her eyebrows.

They moved at the exact same instant. Sarah sprang back, yelping in alarm as Jen whisked her arms through the mire, kicking up gooey welters that hurtled across the clearing. Impossibly, Sarah avoided it, but Jen didn't stop. Backing away, Sarah squeaked and dodged again, the splashing following wherever she went.

Jen trilled with glee. She still hadn't scored a hit, but could see the change in Sarah's body language. Normally so calm and controlled, it was always a joy to see Sarah become all giggly. Nibbling her lower lip, the blonde frolicked and scampered, eyes agleam. Glistening slop soon covered great swathes of the floor, leaving her less and less room to manoeuvre if she wanted to keep her feet dry, until at last she leapt for the clearing's edge, back to the thicket of vine-shrouded pillars.

"Going so soon?"

Sarah turned at the opening's entrance, no doubt to issue some parting jibe, only to squeal girlishly and just barely duck the whipped cream snowball Jen hurled at her. With a smile that was one part relief, one part excitement, she stuck out her tongue before disappearing back into the cloisters.

Seeing little point in trying to stay clean given the state she was in, Jen propelled herself through the puddle as though it were a slip'n'slide. It felt like skimming across a pool of shower gel, the cool mess squelching deliciously beneath her. The plan worked - her momentum sent her sliding out the far side, where at last she rose shakily to her feet. Gooey sensations assailed her senses - she was an absolute mess, glistening multi-coloured gunk sheathing almost her entire body, yet she beamed as though having won a great victory. Sarah might still be clean, but Jen had managed to get her into a playful mood. The hard work was done. Hastily wiping the worst of the muck from her feet, she tried to pursue.

Where's she gone now?

Tottering comically about, often having to grab hold of pillars or vines to avoid slipping, Jen stumbled through the cloisters, wringing out her hair and clearing collected gunge from her bikini as she went.

"Hey, Sarah, don't you want to finish me?"

The mist had largely cleared now, revealing the cloisters as not actually all that extensive. Peering at the slimy trails on the ground, Jen paused, lips pursing thoughtfully. Wait, wouldn't that mean... ugh. The whole time she'd been chasing Sarah she had, in fact, been repeatedly led around the same figure of eight formation, with Sarah gunging her with impunity the entire time.

Maybe she's right. What chance do I have against her?

"Looking for me?"

Jen span round to find Sarah framed between two pillars. A thick web of vines lay between them, leaving the blonde obscured by tiger-stripe shadows even as beaming light gilded her hair from behind. Seeing Jen already clutching another pie, she scoffed.

"You still don't get it, do you? I always win, Jenny. Always."

Jen brandished the pie, ready to throw. The feel of slime crawling over her skin made it difficult to focus. "That so?" she managed.

Hmm, not the greatest comeback.

Wait...

Sarah sniffed in derision, then nodded to the vines separating them. "Don't know why you're waving that around. It won't make it through."

Jen's voice dropped to a lyrical whisper. "Who says it needs to?"

Their eyes met. At the last moment Sarah realised the danger. Face contorting with horror, she turned to scramble away.

Jen threw with all her strength.

The pie splatted into the vines, just as Sarah said it would... but its contents splurged on through the gaps. Jen stood poised, fists balled, then threw up her arms, cheering wildly, as custard burst across Sarah's back.

Sarah stopped, stunned, and looked over her shoulder at her now-bespattered shirt. "Th-that's not supposed to happen."

Almost giddy with joy, Jen skipped around the pillars after her, a bucket of green slime already cradled in her arms. With Sarah still reeling, she risked launching it while still several yards distant. It seemed to hang in the air, all shimmering blobs and serpentine contortions. Sarah dodged, but this time wasn't quite fast enough. Most of the liquid still splashed harmlessly across the floor, but a few splodges caught her left sleeve. Sarah stared, aghast.

Jen whooped exultantly. "Hah! Not so invincible after all!"

*****

In the control room, the spectators grew ever more animated. In amongst them, Lucy whooped and cheered, practically bouncing in her seat. The betting had added a new dynamic. Now each of their fates rested on the outcome. Still, she found herself oddly conflicted. At heart she was rooting for Jen. Much as she liked Sarah, she was far too good at staying clean, while at the same time getting everyone around her messy. Justice needed to be done.

When custard finally splashed across Sarah's back, Lucy cheered as loud as anyone. Kelly looked at her askance. "Uh, you realise who you bet on, yeah?"

Blushing, Lucy grinned. "Well... yeah, but that's only because you bet on Jen. Wouldn't be much of a game otherwise."

Seeing the look Lucy directed at them, Nikki and Lena cringed in unison. Having made such a show of challenging each other, they'd ended up betting on the same person and so, one way or the other, would share the same fate. So would Tasha, who as usual hadn't really been paying attention and had simply bet the same way as Nikki.

More cheers rang out. Looking back to the screens, Lucy chuckled nervously. Jen was making a comeback. The two Americans danced around each other, flapping pennants of slime flying between them, but now Sarah's movements were ever so slightly less graceful, her reactions fractionally slower. She was still able to dodge most of whatever came at her, but here and there vibrant splodges blossomed on her shirt. Each hit, tiny though it was, left her sputtering with disbelief.

Jen, by contrast, was plainly having tremendous fun. Vibrant colours dripped and slithered over her gorgeous figure, yet she bounced gleefully about, hurling mess with such vigour that a good portion spilled onto herself.

Lucy jolted on feeling a nudge at the top of her arm. "Feeling nervous yet?" purred Kelly.

"Hmmm, maybe a little."

"Good, 'cos I've already picked your outfit for when you get gunged."

Lucy half smiled, half grimaced. Kelly wasn't exactly the shy sort; whatever she'd picked was sure to be seriously skimpy.

"Don't write Sarah off just yet," Lucy replied. "She has a habit of coming out on top."

In the arena, the combatants now faced each other from opposite sides of the chamber, each laden with as many balloons as they could carry. Sarah looked to have regained some composure - her breathing was measured, her hands steady.

Still elated at finally scoring a hit, Jen swished slime-soaked hair behind her shoulders. "This is it, Sarah. This is where I finally get you."

Sarah wasn't about to let that pass. "Pah, as if! Like you could-"

Just then a crackling sound interrupted her. Purple ooze had begun bubbling from fissures on the southern wall. Sarah's expression said it all.

Time's running out.

"What's wrong?" Jen trilled. "I mean, you always win. You said so yourself."

For a long moment both women stood motionless, Sarah studying her foe with hawk-like intensity, Jen just smirking as slime dripped and slithered over her contours.

Slow and wary, Sarah stalked forward. Jen waved, goading her on. An attack was coming, everyone could sense it. Sarah held one slimy orb ready to throw, with a half dozen more cradled in her other arm. She was studying Jen, searching for weaknesses. Jen, meanwhile, stood humming to herself. She was doing absolutely nothing to protect herself... and making sure Sarah knew it.

Lucy sat forward. "This isn't right."

Sarah seemed to have the same idea. She stopped, watching intently.

"What's the matter?" called Jen. "Come get me!"

Calculated, precise, and delivered with snake-like speed, Sarah's strike came from nowhere. In a flash the balloon shot forth, not at Jen's face, but at the stack of balloons held gathered against her waist. The impact popped them all, leaving Jen writhing on the spot, screaming with laughter, as purple and orange geysers detonated everywhere, erupting up her midriff and splashing off her bikini top. Oily mess seethed over the arm that had held the balloons, the slick tide gushing on down her hips and coiling down her legs.

Merciless, Sarah closed for the kill, hurling her remaining balloons as she went. Struck by one after another, Jen could only squirm, head bowing. Deflected blobs radiated behind her, creating wing-shaped splashes upon the ground, as with a final flourish Sarah sprang diagonally forward, tossing the last balloon backhand as she did so. It broke against Jen's temple in a splash of nectar-like ooze.

Eyes closing, Jen shook her head in disbelief as the gunk slid down the side of her face. Amid embarrassed titters, she licked the corner of her mouth. "Mmmn, not bad. Tastes like apricot."

In the control room, Lucy glanced back at Kelly and bobbed her eyebrows. "See? Jen's fun, but Sarah knows how to win."

Kelly's smirk hadn't wavered. "Keep watching."

Sarah's diagonal leap had carried her past Jen. Seeing her prey suitably gunged, she indulged a satisfied smirk - only to cringe as pink slime splatted against her shirt.

Lucy gasped - Jen had been feigning weakness, and had lashed out the second Sarah's guard dropped. She hadn't even opened her eyes. Wait, was she luring Sarah in the whole time? Already Jen was skipping away to find more mess, humming jauntily as she did so. Sarah, by contrast, stood blinking in shock, as though not quite believing this was happening.

Now between two of the pinecone-like slime pods, Jen shimmied on the spot, shifting from one hip to the other while waving to Sarah with both hands.

"Over here!"

Though by far the cleaner of the two, Sarah's pride had been wounded. Immediately she pounced. At last Lucy realised what was happening: Jen was using her own body as bait.

Holly had realised it, too. "No!" she cried. "Don't get in close!"

It was no use, of course. The contestants couldn't hear them. As cheering built around her, Lucy craned forward, hands clasped over her mouth in anticipation. Sarah rushed in, arms arcing wide to bring two pies crashing together like cymbals, and a second later Jen's head disappeared beneath blasts of whipped cream. Instead of wiping herself off, though, Jen scooped lime-hued slop from the nearby pods and daubed it up her attacker's flanks. Sarah's cry of triumph devolved to a sputtered moan.

Kelly placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "So, what was that about Sarah coming out on top?"

"I, haha, I mean, you can't underestim... oh."

Even with whipped cream still smeared around her head, Jen attacked blindly. The flurry of spinning globs sent Sarah staggering back in revulsion, and as she did so Jen shook gunk away from her eyes, gathered two pies of her own, and pounced. Seeing cream-filled discs about to sandwich her head, Sarah let out a plaintive whimper - but at the last second Jen tipped them so that they splatted atop the blonde's shoulders, sky-blue pudding spraying down her chest while the bases remained intact, perched like absurd epaulettes. A fair portion dappled Jen's stomach, too, not that she seemed to mind.

Hang on, is she aiming for the shirt on purpose?

Growing visibly frustrated, Sarah issued a defiant yell and sprang back into the attack. Laughing, Jen rushed to counter. The cheering in the control room intensified, everyone screaming support or clapping wildly. All became a blur, frenzied motion punctuated by bursts of colour. Dancing and twirling, gloop shooting back and forth, both women were getting splattered. The difference was in how they took it. For Jen getting messy was all part of the fun, while Sarah seemed to take every hit as a personal failure.

At last Sarah could take no more. She scrambled away, her usual grace entirely forgotten as she slipped and stumbled, wet shirt flapping.

Casually Jen plucked a balloon. "Hey Sarah, think fast!" she called, before hurling it as though pitching a baseball.

Lilac slime burst between Sarah's shoulder blades. Caught off-balance, she went crashing to her knees. There she remained, utterly bewildered, staring blankly at the mess-strewn floor.

In the control room, Lucy looked back to Kelly. "Er, this outfit you've picked for me? I should probably give it a look."

*****

From her workstation Belle watched with interest as the three Australian girls huddled together, debating their options. They wanted to join the wager, that much was obvious, but had only just reached a point where nobody owed anyone else payback for an earlier sliming. To avoid sparking any more feuds, they'd agreed to all vote the same way - if they could ever settle on a candidate. Finally Kirsty stood, nodded to the others, and stepped over to Joanna to make their bet.

This was what Belle had been waiting for. Seizing her chance, she turned to her colleague. "So what about you?" she demanded, arms folded.

The man in black glanced up from his screen. "What about me?"

Belle lifted her voice. She stood a better chance if the others exerted a little friendly pressure. "Look at all these girls. They've been running round being gunged in bikinis all day, while you've been sat here all safe and comfy. Isn't it time you put yourself in the firing line?"

It was working. Support swelled from the contestants, murmured at first, yet growing more vocal. The man betrayed not a hint of emotion. "You want me to bet, is that right?" he drawled.

"I think you owe us that much."

"Alright."

Belle hesitated. She hadn't expected such easy acceptance. Eyes narrowing, she pushed further. "And, seeing as the girls have been doing it in next to nothing, if you lose then you should wear your swimming stuff. Fair's fair."

The black-clad man just gazed levelly at her. Was that amusement in his eyes? "Agreed."

Hmm. That was worryingly easy.

As the spectators voiced their approval, the man's grey eyes fixed on Belle. "And I assume you'll be taking the same risk?"

"I... wait, no, hold on, I've already been gunged today." Again Belle looked around for support, but this time the mob was siding against her.

"Come on, Belle," Lena called out, "if you dish it out you've gotta be willing to take it."

Trying and failing to not look flustered, Belle faced her co-worker. Was it worth the risk? "Deal," she said through gritted teeth. "Now, who're you betting on? And why are you looking so smug?"

"Ladies first. Whoever you pick, I'll bet on the other one."

Now decidedly uncertain, Belle studied the screens. The contest was evenly balanced. Sarah had skill; Jen had spirit. Who do I choose?

Her companion remained infuriatingly calm. "Take your time," he said. "But I suggest you choose wisely. You haven't seen what Jo's planned."

Belle shuddered. This may have been a mistake.

*****

This wasn't meant to happen. Close to the chamber's western wall, Sarah remained on her knees, chest heaving, as she peered, mystified, at her mess-streaked form. The soaked shirt hung lank and dripping at her back, the sodden material clinging to her shoulders. How was Jen doing this? In her heart she'd known that staying totally clean wasn't exactly realistic, but she'd still expected an easy win - quick, simple and with minimal mess. Things weren't quite going to plan.

She knew she had only herself to blame. Seeing the sign at the bulkhead had triggered a vortex of emotions. Fury at having her rightful victory denied yet again, trepidation at the prospect of Jen turning on her, but above all a sense of soaring exhilaration. Drama was in her blood. The prospect of one final showdown with her nemesis seemed so exquisitely right that she'd found herself relishing the prospect.

After all, every good heroine needs a villain to vanquish.

Straightaway she'd remembered this place, having stumbled upon it while fleeing the blob. One look and she'd known - the final contest needed to be here. Not only that, she'd resisted the urge to change into overalls. True, she'd worn a shirt over her bathing suit, but that was more insurance than anything. She remembered how she'd felt taking position in the arena, nerves jangling as she waited for Jen. She'd focused intently, controlling her breathing, conquering her nerves. From the moment she'd set foot in the pie pit she'd known she was doomed to at least a little gunge, but the feeling of power as she'd watched Jen stumble closer, oblivious to her presence, had been simply exquisite. How had it come to this?

"Oh Sarah. You really wanna know why you'll lose?"

Water had begun spilling from a vent high on one of the central pillars. Strutting over to it, Jen stepped beneath the cascade and began cleaning her face. Without waiting for a response, she tipped her head out of the spray and continued, "It's actually kinda simple. You're fast, but that's not enough."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Jen scrubbed her hair as she spoke. "You saw it yourself. That booth on the wall? Those other things, too," she added, pointing to the various machines lurking at the chamber's edge. "That's how we get got. You can slime me all you want, but it won't matter if you can't get me into one of those things."

Oh no, she's right. Having simply assumed Jen would submit when faced with her obvious superiority, she hadn't really considered how one contestant could eliminate another.

Now clean again, Jen stepped out from the spray. Shimmering reflections playing over her wet skin, she squeezed water from her top, placed one hand on her hip, and then lifted her other arm, falling droplets sparkling with the motion, as she gestured to where intruding slime had begun pooling at the base of the walls.

"You see all that? That's only going to get worse." As if to emphasise her words, spatters of mustard-coloured muck began leaking from a nearby pipe. "See. If you want to get out of here, you'd better beat me quick. And if you want to beat me, you're going to have to get close. And if you get close..." Jen's eyes twinkled, "then things are gonna get gooey."

With that she turned and sashayed away. Sarah fumbled for a reply, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. "Wait," she called at last. "Who's to say I have to come to you? If time runs out, you'll be eliminated!"

Jen smiled back over her shoulder. "True... but I'd take you with me."

"But..."

At last Sarah saw her error. All her tactics assumed Jen would react sensibly. That was her mistake. Jen wasn't sensible - she was loving every moment of this and would do absolutely anything, take any amount of slime, walk willingly into any forfeit, for the chance to get her even a little messy. Sarah shivered. How could she face that?

Seeing her opponent still walking, she knelt higher. "Where are you going?"

"You'll see. Come get me - if you dare." Jen looked back, eyes gleaming. "Oh, and Sarah... I think that shirt's suffered enough."

Where's she headed? What... oh no. Around the eliminator lay a circular depression, much like a wide paddling pool, bordered on the far side by a crescent array of vats the size of beer kegs, all pastel pinks and blues and yellows, punctuated at the centre by the elimination booth. Even worse, at least a dozen chutes and nozzles lurked overhead, fed by a knotted network of pipes. Without a hint of hesitation Jen skipped into the ring, flicked her hair behind her shoulders, and knelt down, the inflatable floor bobbing beneath her.

Groaning, Sarah sat back. Noticing her wet shirt draping against her thighs, she peeked down at it. Overlapping splats left only a few forlorn patches the only proof that it had once been white. Weighted with slime, it had become more a burden than anything. Sarah blinked. Should I?

Her eyes flicked to Jen. Seeing the brunette's amused smirk made her instantly look away, cheeks reddening. Have to stay serious...

Oh, to hell with it.

Biting her lip, she shrugged the shirt back off her shoulders. It slid easily down her arms, the saturated material tickling her upturned feet. Taking a deep breath, she tossed it away and swept her hands up into her hair, shaking it loose. The action felt rather freeing. Slowly she stood. Oddly, all the slime had hit the shirt, meaning she was now practically clean. Had Jen been trying to coax it off her? Regardless, from the moment she'd put it on she'd had a horrible feeling she'd end up in just a bikini again.

She told herself it was the sensible decision. I mean, it'd just slow me down. I'm faster this way. Yeah, that's it. It's the logical thing to do. This is tactical. This is a tactical bikini.... She sighed. Ugh, what I have been reduced to? Again her lips curled into a smile, and again she fought it back, head shaking in an effort to clear her thoughts.

In the ring, beneath all those nozzles, with vats of gunk ready to deluge her, Jen waved happily. "Hey Sarah, here I am! Look, I saved you a spot."

The invitation was clear - Jen had put herself within shoving distance of the eliminator, offering Sarah the chance to finish this once and for all... if she was willing to step under the slime chutes. Fidgeting, she adjusted the tiny white triangles that would be her only protection against the slime. Do I go through with it? There's still the fire escape. It's not too late... Sarah gritted her teeth. She was no coward, and victory was still hers for the taking.

Her thoughts returned to what Jen had said back at the bulkhead, when - with total sincerity - she'd offered to let Sarah eliminate her. The thought prompted a wave of heartfelt affection. After all I've done to her, she was willing to let me win. Sarah steadied herself. She knew what she had to do.

Jen deserves this.

She began to walk. Ahead, Jen performed her rituals - smoothing her hair, adjusting her top, tapping fingers atop her thighs, grinning at the array of gloop poised to drench her. She had really picked her spot - stepping into the ring would mean getting absolutely covered.

I'm going to get messy... Sarah hesitated. Again she looked at herself, so clean and spotless. In her mind's eye she pictured rainbows of gunge splattering her curves... the feel of it on her skin... of crawling and wriggling while Jen pelted her. An embarrassed grin spread across her face. A small voice in her head still bleated about the indignity of it all, but one look at Jen drowned it out. Knelt beneath the spouts, eyes twinkling with excitement, the brunette looked indescribably beautiful. The urge to splatter her was irresistible.

"So how about it, Sarah? You ready?"

Hah, I'm going to get messy! Taking a deep breath, Sarah straightened. Her senses had heightened somehow. She felt cool air waft against her skin, felt the tingle of goose-bumps rising on her arms. Her muscles felt looser, her mind clearer. This is going to happen.

"Oh Jen..."

Catching Sarah's tone, Jen instantly knelt up straight. "What?" she said, practically singing with eagerness.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Sarah charged. She felt somehow weightless, each skip snowflake-soft. Golden hair trailed like a windblown pennant behind her. Air danced over her bare skin. Her heart hammered, adrenaline surging in her veins. A world of slime awaited.

Her destination, the dip around the eliminator, was basically a big sunken paddling pool, an array of mess ringing its circumference. Awaiting her, Jen joyfully swept back her wet hair, adjusted her daring little bikini, and beckoned Sarah on. Behind the brunette loomed the eliminator, and on each side cylindrical vats shuddered and groaned, their nozzles straining with barely contained pressure. Overload was imminent.

For a second Sarah faltered. The thought of subjecting herself to this, of wriggling about in a bathing suit getting sprayed with goo... the indignity of it all. It was too much. But then the speakers clicked, and suddenly the chamber resounded with cheers and laughter. It was her teammates, and they were urging her on. Despite herself, Sarah struggled to contain a smirk. Whether they'd bet on her or not, it was clear everyone wanted her to get messy.

Some of the spectators began to chant. "Sa-rah! Sa-rah! Sa-rah!"

Feeling barely in control of her actions, she realised she was accelerating. Exhilaration clouded her mind. Everything seemed suffused with a dreamlike haze, distances distorted, some colours muted, others popping with cartoon vibrancy. Half her mind still willed her to stop, to scream at the madness of it all, yet on she rushed. It was as though Jen had snared her in some spell. Passing one of the mess-stacked pods, she snatched up a custard pie without even slowing. As the cheering grew louder, Sarah's jaw set into a determined grin. Jen was going to pay.

She was almost there now. This is it. No going back. Doubt still gnawed at her, but it was too late. She was committed. Summoning her courage, she took one final bound - and leapt.

The things we do for our friends.

Time seemed to crawl. She felt hair billow behind her, felt her body cut through the languid air. She hurled the pie mid-leap. There was no real force behind it, and it spun like a discus the moment it left her fingers, but it served its purpose. Lemon-hued globs spattered Jen's lap, prompting a startled yelp - and rendering her suitably distracted.

It was as though time juddered back to normal speed the instant Sarah landed. The bouncy floor dipped unexpectedly, leaving her sprawling onto all-fours, a mini-shockwave radiating around her. Not the entrance she'd hoped for. To have any chance she had to take control - to keep the initiative, keep Jen reeling, yet already the gorgeous brunette was straightening, a pie in hand, raring to splatter her.

Have to act fast.

Head bowed, expecting at any moment to feel whipped cream splurging through her hair, Sarah reached forward, planted her palms on Jen's thighs, and pushed. The force sent her kneeling opponent sliding a foot or so closer to the eliminator. Sarah had learned her lesson - fun though it was, splattering Jen wouldn't be enough, she had to get her into the gunge tank.

Wild-eyed, Sarah knelt up and reached backwards for more mess. Need to keep up the pressure. Ominous gurgling began emanating from the cylinders. Oh no.

Jen reared up, eyes shining with glee, ready to slam her pie atop Sarah's head - when suddenly a brief spurt of pink slime issued from one of the surrounding cylinders and splashed beneath her armpit in a shower of lurid blobs. The shock made Jen fumble her throw, the pie splurging across the ground between the two women.

Despite her turmoil, Sarah spared her friend one of her looks. "Seriously, Jen? You seriously missed me from there?"

Wiping pink gloop from her arm - though the action mostly smeared it around - Jen gave a self-deprecating grin and gestured to the muck-filled cylinders. "Yeah, did you see what just happened? It's not like - agh!" Jen reeled back, laughing, as small blobs of pink gunge splashed across her stomach courtesy of Sarah, who'd flicked a paper bowlful at her. "Ooh that's it," trilled Jen. "You're getting it now!"

There was a flurry of motion, both women rushing to rearm from the array of pies and bowls encircling the dip. Sarah felt her heart hammer. Her hands shook, but still she reacted fastest, catching the back of Jen's shoulder with a well-flung pie just before her friend turned, smirked, and threw with all her might.

Sarah's eyes squeezed shut. This is it. This is... uh, what? A puff of air brushed the top of her head as the pie flew harmlessly past and out of the alcove altogether, landing with a wet splat at least ten feet away.

"What the hell, Jen?"

"Oops. Okay, let's try that again."

Seeing Jen swivel, reaching for more mess, Sarah did likewise. It was maddening. She was doomed. She knew she was doomed. There was no possible way she was getting out of this clean. Each near-miss seemed to mock her, teasing her with the inevitability of what was to come. There was a wildness to her motions now, her wordless cries infused with an anxious thrill. Any second and her luck would run out. Still she spun and threw, not even bothering to aim, just tossing anything she could in Jen's general direction.

Another pie missed Sarah's leg by millimetres. Breathless, she swept back her hair and stared, wide-eyed, at her tormentor. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Haha, no! You don't think I wanna see you sli-" A pie in the face silenced Jen, sending her rolling back on her haunches as its remains slipped down into her cleavage.

Hope stirred. Hah, look at her. Maybe I really can do it? Imagine the looks on everyone's faces when I walk out totally spotless! They'll....

Another cylinder discharged. Again Jen groaned as a jet of pink slime splashed milkshake-smooth upon the small of her back before sloshing over her white bikini bottoms and flooding her upturned feet. Grinning exultantly, Sarah was about to seize the advantage when she noticed the way Jen wriggled, back arching, shoulders swaying. The pink spout was rising. Jen tossed her head, nose crinkling with mirth as the gunge rose, soaking her back, lifting toward her shoulder, and then....

Oh no.

Slime burst past Jen's left shoulder, a welter of shimmering pink globs that shot onward. Kneeling opposite, Sarah could do nothing but watch, powerless. It was coming right at her. Again time crawled. It was as though the background faded to a dreamlike haze, all sound muted. The slime though - the slime she saw and heard with crystal clarity as it came surging toward her, each blob spinning, merging and separating in a chaotic cavalcade. The weakest dollops began landing just in front of her right knee. A strange sense of terrified exhilaration overcame her. She knew it was coming. At the last instant she looked down at herself. So clean, so spotless, and with only a string bikini for protection. Her luck had at last run out.

Her hands lifted, seeking to shield herself, but it was far too late. Sarah practically hissed as the first blobs struck, first on her knee, then spreading overlapping splodges up her thigh. Her head began to shake in disbelief, the motion making her hair sway even as the sensation of spattering slime rose up the right half of her abdomen, then her breast, then up into her hair, locks flying madly. Time seemed to snap back to normal speed as she recoiled, the last of the goo splashing across her cheek and above her eye.

Opposite, Jen knelt bolt upright and threw her arms in the air. "Haha, yes! I knew I'd get you."

Still trying to collect herself, Sarah held up a finger. "Ugh. Hold up, you didn't get me, it was that thing over -argh!"

The custard pie took Sarah completely unawares. With her head angled to the right in reaction to the slime spray, the pie planted cold and wet on the left half of her face. It wasn't an especially powerful hit - the pie didn't even break apart, instead sticking where it landed. Nevertheless, Jen cheered as though she'd won outright. With her unobscured eye Sarah gave her a pretend-scowl, and was about to upbraid her foe when the pie fell free. It clung to the long hair beside her face, smearing custard on its descent, before plopping down atop her shoulder and oozing backwards. Seeing Jen's mirth, Sarah found herself struggling not to giggle. For a moment the two women looked at each other, eyes shining, each knowing how ludicrous this all was.

Sarah spoke, her voice laden with playful menace. "Oh it's on now."

Laughing, the pair rushed to arm themselves.

*****

It was finally happening. Jen could almost scream for joy. At long last she was taking on Sarah in a full-on slime war. In unison the two women sprang to their feet. Clearly they'd both had the same idea. Besides the assortment of pies that ringed the alcove, the curved shelves beneath each bank of cylinders held a veritable arsenal of bowls, buckets and yet more pies. Bouncing on the inflatable surface, Jen went to the northern shelf, Sarah to the southern, and in moments a messy snowstorm enveloped the space around the eliminator. Creamy snowballs sailed back and forth, pattering against the looming cylinders and bursting over the girls with a series of delicious splats. Jen laughed rapturously as she watched her friend squirm, slime skittering over her graceful form. Sarah, however, was giving as good as she got, and already Jen felt thick gloop drooling over her. Gooey teardrops trailed from her bikini top, dripping languidly down her stomach and legs as she moved.

She turned to throw a bowlful of gunk, only to yelp in surprise and step back, blinking, as sunflower spatters blossomed on her face and wove through her hair. Sarah was squealing with excitement as she span and threw, span and threw, slender arcs of slime caressing her even as she rained gunge on Jen.

Neither was even particularly messy - yet - but Jen was already struggling to focus. There was something special about sliming Sarah, who seemed to exude a curious blend of furious determination and innocent delight. Turning sideways to rearm, Jen noticed something in the corner of her eye. Pipes led from beneath each set of cylinders to congregate into something that looked like a drinks dispenser from a fast-food restaurant, a large button at its centre. There was one on Jen's side and another on Sarah's. Below each stood a shallow empty container the size of a pasta bowl. Curious, she pressed the button, and sure enough a stream of yellow slime gushed forth, steadily filling the container.

"Haha, take that!" yelled Sarah.

Jen jumped on feeling an especially sloppy pie burst against the rear of her bikini bottoms. Grinning, she grabbed the now-full bowl. "Get ready, Sarah, you're about to get messy!"

Sarah's look of triumph faded when Jen turned to face her, the goo-filled bowl clasped in both hands. "Wait, no, that's cheating!" she squealed, moving her arms up defensively even as vivid yellow goo came flying at her, the smooth concoction draping itself over her left shoulder and shooting through her hair.

As her friend reeled, wiping at herself, Jen lowered the now-empty bowl. "How exactly does throwing slime in a slime fight count as cheating?"

"It does when it's directed at me!"

Tittering happily, Jen turned to refill her container. This time it was pink gunk that issued forth - clearly the contraption cycled between cylinders each time. She watched eagerly as, with a series of satisfying slurps, the bowl filled to the brim. Sarah, you are going down this time! She didn't bother to aim, instead spinning back and throwing the instant the container filled. As the mess sailed through the air it met a yellow spray coming from the opposite direction. Sarah had copied her idea.

Realising she was about to get extremely gooey, Jen had time to guffaw as the streams met at the centre of the ring, colliding in an explosion of pink and yellow globs that dappled them both. The bulk of it crashed down in the middle of the ring, painting elaborate swirls upon the already smeared floor.

For a moment both women stood motionless, surveying the messy carnage, until their gazes flicked up to observe the other. Sarah was breathing rapidly, from adrenaline rather than exhaustion, and although still cleaner than Jen, her body was adorned with dozens of small spatters interspersed by a few larger splotches. The splash of custard from Jen's first throw had begun oozing downward, curling down Sarah's flank and charting slimy streams over the left triangle of her bikini. Not a bad start. Across the ring, Sarah seemed equally satisfied. For an instant their eyes met, and as though at some unspoken signal they spun back to the dispensers and began refilling.

A frenetic splashing war ensued, both girls chucking bowls of coloured gunge as fast as they were able. Slime draped thick and slippery over their bodies as they cavorted about, squealing and laughing amid the hurtling mess. Facing her dispenser as it refilled, Jen cringed on feeling another sloppy salvo scatter across her back. Urging the machine to speed up, she caught sight of her reflection in one of the camera-concealing mirrors and groaned with self-deprecating glee.

After a flurry of splashes, they found themselves facing each other, each brandishing bowls brimming with slime. Beaming, they swung the buckets back to build momentum, observing the other all the while and revelling in watching their opponent squirm. At last they let fly... or at least Jen did. Sarah, as ever, had done something unexpected. After feinting with the bucket she dodged left. The move was only partially successful, and Jen cheered as pale blue gunk painted Sarah's right arm and sprinkled the side of her chest. Sarah blinked and grimaced, but then paced toward Jen with renewed purpose, her toes squelching in the slimy puddle that carpeted the ground.

Jen's cheer faded. She had no chance of refilling in time, while Sarah still held a full bowl and was advancing to point blank range. Quickly she dipped her hands into the mess lining the shelf, splashing wildly in Sarah's direction, but it was no use - the determined blonde came on regardless. Jen giggled and cowered, expecting Sarah to tip the bowl over her head, but instead the blonde tilted it and reached a hand inside.

"You know what?" Sarah mused, a gleefully wicked smile playing on her lips. "I think pink's your colour." With that she began to flick the gunge over Jen, slowly, a little at a time, like an artist with her canvas.

Hands planted on the shelf behind her, Jen tossed her head, writhing with carefree laughter amid the bombardment. The gunge arrived in long, narrow splashes that spread like slithering pink webs through her hair and over her front. It had a strangely silky feel, leaving Jen grinning goofily, hips wiggling, as lotion-smooth rivers went sliding between her breasts and spilling down her, eventually pooling in an expanding puddle around her toes. Remorseless, Sarah stepped closer. There was no point trying to deflect it, Jen reasoned, it was going to land on her whatever happened. Instead she smiled sweetly and allowed Sarah her moment.

"Okay, okay," she said as the splattering finally eased off, "so you outsmarted me that time, but next time it'll be different."

"I somehow doubt that."

Having finally exhausted her gunge supply, Sarah cheerfully slung the last dregs over Jen before returning to her side of the alcove. Seizing her chance, Jen wiped muck from her brow and quickly lobbed a custard pie between Sarah's shoulders. For a moment Sarah froze, shivering as cool gloop slid down her back, before snapping out of it with a shake of her head and beginning to refill her bowl.

Hang on, shouldn't I be doing that too? Twirling back to the gadget, Jen hammered the button. This time pea-green slime spewed out - only to deflect off the shelf and spray across her bikini bottoms. With a shrill squeak she jumped back, only to giggle on realising what she'd done. It'd probably help if I put the bowl back first. The slick container slid about in her grasp as she pushed it into the falling gunk. The mess was nearing the brim when she heard Sarah yelp in surprise. Looking back, she saw Sarah recoil, swiping at her hips. It was then that Jen felt liquid spill over her wrists. The bowl was overflowing - this time the flow of gunge had slowed but not fully stopped. Already it was trickling down the alcove's side and pooling around Jen's toes. She simply shrugged.

Cool, more to throw at Sarah. Speaking of which...

Still wiping at herself, Sarah let out a high-pitched gasp as Jen's next throw hit her in the back, a green deluge that soaked much of her long golden hair. Slowly she swivelled toward Jen, bowl at the ready, her feet sliding about in the creamy bilge. The blonde's expression was a curious one - her eyes full of determination yet her lips curled into a dazed smile. Jen gave her no chance to regain her composure. Adopting Sarah's own tactics, she commenced splashing her a little at a time, giggling as the blonde shimmied on the spot, green gunge splattering over her even as she flailed in a futile attempt to deflect it.

Then Sarah's stance changed. Her bowl had refilled. Now instead of recoiling or dodging, she began flinging mess back at Jen. Giggling as rich blue slime arrived in creamy zigzags over her face and chest, Jen kept up her own bombardment. By the time their containers were empty both girls were shaking with glee, tassels of ooze dribbling from their hands and sliding, smooth and glistening, down their bodies. For long seconds they could do nothing but stand there, Sarah supporting herself against the barrier with one elbow, with each attempt at speech degenerating into helpless giggles.

*****

The control room reverberated with cheers, chants and good-natured teasing. The former contestants craned forward in their seats, watching Jen and Sarah battle it out on the bank of monitors that covered one wall. Amid the crowd, Lucy whooped in approval as the combatants grew ever messier. Beside her was an empty seat, Kelly having wandered off to the changing rooms.

Sitting back, she swept her hands through her hair. "That looks like so much fun," she mused aloud.

Amid the murmurs of agreement she was surprised to see Louise, who'd been so nervous earlier in the day, look back and nod in agreement. That set her to daydreaming. Already she was picturing herself in that arena, hurling gunge and getting just as splattered in return, taking on Louise, or Kelly, or Joanna, or Lena, or Sarah, or Liz, or... It occurred to her that she'd quite happily take on any of the people here, at which point she began conjuring up different combinations. Me and Kelly versus Lena and Liz, or me and Annabelle against Ellie and Holly, or everyone versus everyone, or.... Just then she was distracted by movement to her left.

"I'm back!" trilled Kelly as she slid back down into her chair.

Lucy arched an eyebrow on noticing that Kelly was hiding something behind her back. "Oh no, is that what I think it is?"

Kelly's eyes glimmered with playful mischief. "You bet it is! Your uniform for when you lose the bet!"

Blushing pre-emptively, Lucy shook her head. She had a growing suspicion that she was going to end up getting one last gunging before this was done. "Ugh. Alright then, let's see it."

"Want to take a guess first?"

Propping an elbow on the armrest, Lucy leaned toward Kelly and smirked. "It's another bikini, isn't it?"

"Well duh, course it is. I mean what colour?"

"Oh. Umm..." Lucy glanced back to the screens, where Jen and Sarah's once-pristine outfits were disappearing beneath riots of colour. "White?"

Eyes flicking upward, Kelly angled her head from side to side as though trying to decide whether to accept that answer. "Close. So I was thinking, you looked gorgeous in gold, right? So what's the next best thing? Ta-daa!" With a flourish she waved a shiny silver two-piece in front of Lucy's face.

While Lucy cringed in giggling embarrassment, Annabelle glanced over at the commotion and almost immediately grinned in understanding. "Hah! So that's what you'll be wearing then, Lucy? Good for you. At least you'll be looking great when the gunge starts. You should probably get changed now - Jen's got this. You hear that, Liz?" she added teasingly, nudging the tall blonde beside her.

Liz huffed, folded her arms, but said nothing.

"Now wait a sec," Lucy countered. "We don't know that for definite! Sarah might still pull this off." Looking back and forth between Kelly and Annabelle, she waggled a finger at both of them. "And then it'll be you in the gunge."

From the knowing glances they exchanged, Lucy found herself wondering whether Kelly and Annabelle were just supremely confident, or whether they simply relished the chaos that would ensue once half the team found out they were going to be slimed - regardless of which group they ended up in. Nibbling her lip in anticipation, she looked back to the screens. She still had no idea who would emerge victorious. It might boil down to pure luck. When it came to mess, Lucy was something of an egalitarian: she wanted to see everyone gunged, including herself. No matter who ended up winning, she wanted it to be close.

*****

Even as she laughed, a voice in Sarah's head bellowed for her to get a hold of herself. This wasn't meant to happen. Despite having steeled herself to the fact that staying clean wasn't exactly feasible, and even making peace with the idea of letting Jen get a couple of hits in by way of payback, Sarah had still expected an easy victory - quick, simple and with minimal mess. Things weren't turning out that way. Her opponent was matching her pie for pie, slime for slime. The feel of goo splashing and dripping over her skin was almost constant. Where was Jen getting this energy?

The slime dispenser glugged away. As the custard reached the bowl's brim, Sarah's mind leapt back to the present. Here we go. Clasping it tight in her slimy hands, she swivelled toward Jen. The brunette was turning, too, but in her rush almost skidded on a puddle, accidentally tipped half the gunge into her cleavage, and then paused to look down and laugh at herself. An easy target.

With an exultant yell Sarah went to work. Green splodges brocaded Jen's left side and painted half her face, but it wasn't long before she began splashing muck in response. Sarah's mouth dropped open as oily green slime splashed diagonally, appearing as a ragged sash that daubed her from right hip to left ear. She hadn't anticipated such single-mindedness from Jen, who seemed willing to endure any kind of messy punishment if it meant a chance to get one more drop on Sarah.

Despite it all, Sarah couldn't shake one overriding thought, guilty and delightful, that spread through her mind, drowning out all notion of strategy or guile. There was no denying it, there was something exquisitely satisfying about throwing mess at someone so beautiful - seeing that quiver of shock, the vivid spray of colour, the sounds of spattering goo and sighing mirth... the sensation of the exact same befalling her. It was all so innocently improper, so viscerally harmless.... it was intoxicating. She'd been fighting the feeling of gleeful abandon, keeping it at bay for so long, but at last it had a hold of her.

Almost hopping with joy, Sarah laughed rapturously as slime exploded over Jen, who was laughing in turn as mess soaked the side of Sarah's face and spilled in sweeping crescents down her torso.

Their containers were soon exhausted in the breathless flurry. Instantly they dashed back for more. There was no need to press the button anymore, the dispensers now emitted slime in constant torrents that switched colours every ten seconds or so. A shallow puddle had formed in the circular dip in which they fought, creamy slush tickling Sarah's feet.

While waiting for her container to fill, a thought arrived. Come on, Sarah, where's your time management? Why stand here waiting when there's all these pies sitting around? With a wicked smile she seized a pair of them and danced over to Jen, who was busy refilling, her back to Sarah. The first she knew was when Sarah's hand curled around her waist to rub a custard pie over her stomach. The brunette gaped in shock and peered down, only to find herself staring into the second pie, which Sarah promptly splatted into her face.

Nodding with satisfaction, Sarah left Jen writhing and pawing at the puffs of cream which tumbled from her like melting snowballs, and sashayed back to her now-full bucket. Jen had just managed to recover and was rushing at Sarah, beaming happily, pie in hand, only to walk into a shower of custard. Creasing up with giggles as the flurry enveloped her, Jen began backing away but slipped, landing on her bottom with a squelching splash. Peering up at Sarah, she could only murmur plaintively as the rest of the custard was emptied over her. Translucent yellow sludge pooled atop Jen's head before oozing down through her hair. Wet ribbons of the stuff slid downward, collecting in her lap before flowing out over her thighs. Sarah hummed cheerily to herself as she poured, her victim looking up at her through locks of slime-slick hair.

As the flow finally slackened, Jen pointed to her. "Admit it, Sarah. You're enjoying this."

Sarah took a second to stifle a laugh. "I guess I enjoy winning, if that's what you mean."

"You're not fooling anybody. You're loving this."

Biting her lip to hide a smirk, Sarah tipped the last dregs over her friend's legs before strutting back to her dispenser, while listening with amusement to Jen's clumsy attempts at getting up. A few slimy specks flew up around Sarah's navel as she inserted the bowl beneath the glugging torrent, but by now she was so slick with goo that she barely noticed. It was amazing how quickly these games could turn. Suddenly it was Jen who was looking by far the worse for wear. Now all I need to do is...

A huge welter of slime burst upon her back, the creamy mess sliding down over her bikini bottoms and dribbling down the backs of her legs. Custard shot past her face, sending locks of hair fluttering, and drummed against the cylinders in front of her. More draped over her shoulders, golden serpents slithering down her flanks.

There was no time to react. Instinctively Sarah grabbed hold of her almost-full bowl, intending to retaliate, but then there was movement behind her. A giggle from Jen, and then the world went dark. Slippery wetness plastered the top of her head, thick ooze saturating her hair. Her snort of surprise sounded strangely tinny. At last she realised what had happened - Jen had planted her bowl over her head. Wasting no time, Jen pressed up behind her, her wet bikini top squeezing against Sarah's back, and murmured excitedly as her arms reached past Sarah's sides to grasp her wrists. Suddenly the bowl in her hands seemed lighter.

In a flash Sarah realised what was coming. Jen was guiding Sarah's arms, tilting the bowl inward....

"Oh no," she moaned.

"Oh yes," purred Jen.

She could have wriggled free. She could have seized control of the bowl and tipped it over her shoulder and onto Jen. She could even have flipped it the other way, so that it dropped harmlessly onto the floor. All these thoughts rebounded in her head, but she remained rooted to the spot. Without quite knowing why, she let Jen tip the slime down her chest. Creamy pink gloop swept downward, engulfing her flimsy little bikini top and pooling on the insides of her elbows, where it diverted to descend in spattering sheets that painted her legs. Toes wiggling in the falling mess, she found herself frozen, overwhelmed by sensation. Custard still dripped from the bowl atop her head, languid yellow globs slapping gently upon her torso to form cloudlike patterns on the glistening pink layer. Sarah glanced down at herself, felt the bowl shift position on her head, and was about to remove it when Jen began ushering her to the left.

"This way, Sarah, that's it. Just a couple of steps."

With a sudden gasp Sarah's wits returned. She was being led to the eliminator. Frantic, she twisted around and tried to slip past Jen, but the brunette's arms were wrapped around her waist. The motion sent the bowl flopping back on Sarah's head, where it perched like a ludicrous hat, still seeping goo into her hair - though at least now she could see properly.

Finding herself face to face with a smiling and slime-spattered Jen, Sarah found herself babbling even as her friend nudged her another step back.

"Wait, this isn't supposed to happen. I can't..."

Again she tried to squeeze past, but Jen was inexorable. The pair were practically embracing, gloop smearing from one to the other as Sarah pressed into her friend as though trying to phase through her, her chin resting on the brunette's shoulder. Feet slid in the creamy quagmire, allowing Jen to nudge her another half-step towards the waiting tank. Squirming about, Sarah at least managed to dislodge the bowl from her head, hearing it land behind her with a thick splash.

Jen's voice was all mock concern. "Hey, Sarah, you look tired. Want to sit down?"

"N-no! Nonono!"

"Relax," Jen said breezily. "It's not like we can get much messier."

Loud snicks sounded around them. Still embracing, the startled pair stared around at the waiting cylinders, where rattling hisses began to build. Sarah shot an accusing look at her companion.

"Nice going, Jen."

Evidently realising that she'd just said precisely the wrong thing, Jen grimaced before offering Sarah an apologetic smile. "My bad."

A chorus of "Ewwws!" rang out as streams of multicoloured gunge painted them. Each of the cylinders had fired a simultaneous blast that then persisted as thin sprays that skittered and twitched over the entwined pair. They huddled tighter, each bowing their forehead against the other's shoulder for protection.

Muttering and gasping in the slime-storm, Sarah struggled to concentrate. After all her efforts to get this far, she stood on the brink of defeat. If the cylinders hadn't activated when they did, Jen might well have got her into the eliminator. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but instead pictured herself submitting to the madness and stepping backwards into the slime tank, watching the look of joy on Jen's face as the gunk began to fall... Blinking, she banished such treasonous ideas. No, I don't lose! Think, Sarah! Do something. Seize the initiative.

Try as she might, the showering gunk eroded her thoughts, leaving her swaying dreamily in the slippery embrace. With a giggling splash they slipped to their knees. In her defence, Sarah mused, being hosed with mess in nothing but a slime-soaked bikini wasn't exactly conducive to intellectual activity. She needed space - a moment's respite. Most of all, she had to get away from the eliminator.

Yet still she remained there, hugging her opponent. She didn't dare admit it, but she was starting to understand what Jen saw in all this. Ridiculous though it was, being pressed up against Jen with slime slipping all over them felt oddly pleasant - silly, playful, gloopily tactile. It wasn't until Jen's hands moved to the front of Sarah's shoulders that she snapped out of it.

Realising she was about to be pushed backward, she reacted on instinct, tipping Jen sideways and then scrambling to her feet. As the tittering brunette began sitting back up, Sarah went to push her into the eliminator, but in a flash Jen had twisted round and grabbed Sarah's hands.

"Oh no you don't!" sang Jen, teeth shining white on her gunk-spattered face.

With that she tugged on Sarah's hands, trying to pull her down. With a squeak of alarm Sarah resisted, and for a few seconds they jostled back and forth, Jen sitting and Sarah standing, with glistening sprays still squirting them from all angles. Amid the farcical struggle, Sarah bit her lip in embarrassment on noticing how much her bikini top was bouncing around. Energised, she wrenched her arms from Jen's grasp, tottered for a moment, arms wind-milling in an effort to keep her balance, and then with a cry of triumph turned to escape the cylinders.

She made it only a few steps before lurching sideways with a strange clattering sound. Glancing down, she muttered in frustration on finding that she'd managed to lodge her left foot in the discarded bowl.

"Oh for the love of..."

With Jen laughing behind her, Sarah hobbled to the alcove's western edge, propped herself against the furthest cylinder, and leaned down to yank the bothersome container off her foot. It came free with a squelch at almost the same time as the cylinder disgorged a gout of purple slime against her armpit, the amethyst slop painting the side of her breast and gushing on downward. With a hiss of frustration, Sarah staggered back into the main arena.

Breathing a sigh of relief to at last be free of the splattering, Sarah began wiping herself down and wringed out her hair. Phew. Thank God. At last I can...

Her thoughts trailed off once she saw what was happening. Purple goo had begun creeping down the walls, emerging from rents and gaps that hadn't been there before. Here and there slime dripped from the ceiling or issued in brief, geyser-like bursts from the scenery. The lighting, too, had shifted - the main lights growing dimmer while secondary spotlights flashed and spun, yellow and blue beams dancing over the alien architecture to cast crazed, pulsing shadows on the walls.

The disintegration had begun. Time was running out.

Panic gripped icy talons across Sarah's mind. She struggled to regain control, to plan, to think, but it was as though her brain was in open rebellion. Things were beginning to spiral. Already the shadowy, cloister-like area on the arena's far side seemed to be raining thick blue and green slime, the fruit-like balloons popping randomly. Wide eyed, she stared up at the ceiling, then at the other strange machines on the arena's north and north-westers sides that she assumed were different types of eliminator.

"Hey Sarah, look!"

Barely aware of what she was doing, Sarah turned toward Jen - and took a custard pie full in the face. Reeling back, Jen's laughter ringing accusingly in her ears, she gasped and swiped at the oozing morass, angry at herself for falling for such an obvious trick.

I need to get away - I need to think.

With none of her usual grace, Sarah tottered toward the arena's southern side, near the entrance, where the gnarled pillars that rose amid the waist-high pinecone structures seemed to offer some kind of shelter.

Still wiping pie from around her eyes, she stopped on reaching the pillars, her mouth twisting in distaste on feeling sudden wetness beneath her toes. She lifted her foot, only to find that gelatinous strings still linked it to the floor. Ugh. The sconces that ringed those strange grey structures had begun to overflow, spreading puddles of orange and blue muck between the pillars.

Struggling to think, Sarah looked around for a better safe haven, but then heard the rush of approaching footsteps. Turning, she just had time to make out Jen dashing at her, the beautiful brunette bright-eyed and covered in slime, before being bundled off her feet and into the puddle.

Sprawling backward with Jen on top of her, Sarah landed on her back with a skidding slurp. Above her, hair trailing down on one side as though to caress Sarah's cheek, Jen grinned rapturously and gently pressed in, trying to pin her down. Struggling to free herself, Sarah felt her hair becoming heavier as it became snared in the puddle. The sight of Jen's triumphant smile, however, was enough to jolt her into action. She actually thinks she can beat me.

In a flash Sarah switched from evasion to attack. Wrapping her arms around Jen's waist, she twisted, sending her shocked opponent spinning onto her back. She wasted no time in springing on top of her. Now the situation was reversed. Her plan thwarted, Jen simply giggled as Sarah pressed in close, pinning her down.

Panting, Sarah felt herself start to relax. Lifting a hand, she tapped her index finger on Jen's nose. "Got you."

For a few moments she just lay there atop Jen, peering about at her surroundings while keeping her prey fixed in position - and also waiting to see if she was about to try anything. Instead Jen wiggled about to get comfortable, tucked her hair back, and then propped herself on her elbows, brown eyes gleaming with anticipation. She knew what was coming.

A wicked grin lit Sarah's features. All around them a huge array of pies, gunge, and slime-filled balloons lay in easy reach. This is too perfect.

Wrapping her knees around Jen's hips, Sarah slowly sat up, straddling her opponent. Unable to escape, Jen offered no resistance and simply watched raptly, her hands weaving through the ooze that spread across the floor.

Sarah flexed her back and adjusted her hair, letting Jen stew. This was a moment she wanted to savour. While Jen watched, she set about wiping herself down as best she could. A few blobs dripped lazily from her bikini top, pattering onto Jen's lower stomach. At last she spoke, her voice low and laced with mischief.

"You know what, Jen? I think I've figured something out. Wanna know what it is?"

Jen smiled, though her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Okaaay."

Feeling a rush of glee at being back in control, Sarah tilted her head and idly traced patterns in the slime between Jen's collarbones. "See, in contests like this, the first part - well, it's just chaos. Slime everywhere. We have fun. We get messy. But then..." She moved her finger to Jen's forehead, doodling her name in the goo. "Then, one girl slips. She gets pinned down. What do you suppose happens then?"

Playing along, Jen meekly shook her head, her eyes glimmering with excitement.

With an impish smirk, Sarah leaned forward to whisper into her prey's ear. "Why... she gets absolutely annihilated."

With an excited shiver, Jen tossed back her head and laughed.

Reaching out, Sarah collected a goo-filled bucket. "Of course," she continued in a mock-innocent tone, "if you want to just surrender, maybe I'll go easy on you?" Jen's smile was all the answer she needed.

Milking the moment for all it was worth, Sarah paused with the gunge teetering at the bowl's brim. "Last chance: surrender or slime?"

Jen looked Sarah in the eye and smiled sweetly. "Slime."

"You know, I was kinda hoping you'd say that."

Jen yelped as the first bucket poured over her, tangerine gloop slopping over her face and down her chest. Casting the empty pail contemptuously aside, Sarah laughed rapturously and seized another, then another. Colours splurged over Jen's body, dizzying processions of green and pink and orange and purple - all sliding and overlapping as they mapped her contours. Still propped on her elbows, Jen was helpless before the onslaught. Swaying strands drooled from her back, saturated locks of hair trailed down into the ever expanding puddle beneath her, but she took everything Sarah threw at her.

Overcome by an almost savage glee, Sarah gunged her friend without mercy or remorse. Bucket after bucket emptied over Jen, sometimes sudden torrents, other times slow, teasing trickles where Sarah intentionally avoided Jen's face until the very end, leaving the brunette to peer down at herself as zigzagging spouts drizzled over her chest. There was a laughing squeak as Jen's elbows slid out from under her, sending her flopping onto her back with a splash.

Pausing, Sarah leaned forward, placed her hands on her hips, and in a deadpan voice declared, "Just so you know, you're looking a little messy."

Jen affected a shocked gasp. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. I hope you realise, none of this'd be necessary if you just gave up. It gives me no pleasure doing this to you," she lied.

Jen giggled. "Yeah, you're the real victim here."

"I know, right? Anyway, I guess you need more convincing."

Deploying her best evil laugh, Sarah resumed the barrage. Jen was getting obliterated. With a fun-filled scream, the brunette lifted her arms in a feeble effort to deflect a sky-blue cascade. Instead all she managed to do was transform the flow into a multitude of glutinous splashes which slithered through her fingers and splattered her anyway. Sarah tossed the empty bowl away and grinned down at her victim. With her eyes closed but her pearly teeth still visible, Jen lay quivering with mirth, her upturned palms slathered in blue gloop.

"Don't know why you're trying to protect yourself," Sarah observed while gathering another bowl. "There's no escape. Squirm all you want, it's all going over you."

Jen murmured in surprise as pink sludge coated her midriff, completely bypassing her flimsy defences. Sarah felt stray splashes deflect over her inner thighs and bikini bottoms, but decided it was a small price to pay. Wiping her eyes, Jen glanced down at herself, grinned, and then gaped in astonishment as Sarah emptied a bucket of buttercup-yellow gunge over her cleavage. Pouring smooth and thick, the mess radiated out over her collarbones and down across her belly before slipping sideways to add to the puddle congregating beneath her. As the flow began to subside Sarah moved it up so that the last of it dribbled onto Jen's face.

"So Jen, remind me - what colour was your bathing suit?"

Still shivering with giggles, Jen peeked down at her once-white top to find it totally obscured, buried by layers of seeping opaque slime that left only the faintest of outlines still visible. As she watched, though, two pies suddenly splatted against her - one on her stomach, the other beneath her neck.

"It could all be over," Sarah went on, her voice soft as she leaned in and smeared the pies in circles. "I'm a reasonable woman. One quick trip to the eliminator and it'll be done. Two words - 'I surrender' - that's all it takes."

Looking up from the mounds of cream sliding over her front, Jen narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Explain again how you aren't the bad guy?"

The question caught Sarah off guard. Struggling for a response, she sat back up. "I... uh.... I'm just, like, getting a little justified payback, that's all. Besides, don't pretend you're not loving this." For a moment she paused, blinking. "Whatever, we've discussed this - you're obviously the villain." Seeing the matter as settled, she peeked quickly around before returning her hands to her hips and flashing a dazzling smile. "So anyway, I think this calls for a celebratory pie, don't you?"

On seeing Sarah rooting for something behind her, Jen sighed. "Oh no."

"Well look what I've found!" declared Sarah, bringing forth a sloppy custard pie. "This should do it. Let's hope I can keep hold of it. Whoa!"

With that she pretended to almost lose her grip, letting the pie wobble back and forth above Jen, who squealed playfully. Catching her friend's eye, Sarah winked. She could sense that Jen knew exactly where this was going. Again she let the pie bounce precariously, only to then steady it.

"Phew, that was close. For a second I thought I might..."

With Jen tittering and smoothing back her hair in expectation, Sarah paused a moment to bite back a laugh before launching back into the joke. Again she juddered about, holding the pie over Jen while pretending to struggle to control it.

"Oh no, it's happening again! Watch out!"

She couldn't suppress a titter as she wobbled the pie's base, sending huge dollops of whipped cream and thick custard slopping over its sides and down onto Jen, who wriggled around in fits of laughter as splat after splat blossomed over her figure.

"This is terrible," Sarah continued, trying desperately to keep a straight face even as she shook the pie even more. "Look, it just keeps happening!"

At last, after some more clownish swaying, Sarah lurched forward as though falling and dropped what remained of the pie on Jen's face. Still chuckling, Jen slowly fished the paper-plate base off her head and wiped the worst of it away from her eyes.

Sarah wrung her hands in mock-sympathy. "Aww, I'm sorry. What a terrible and totally unforeseeable accident. I don't know what happened."

"Sure you don't." Jen moved her hands over her torso in an effort to wipe off some of the accumulated muck, only to create an oil slick effect where her fingers disturbed overlapping layers of gunge. "Don't worry, you did everything you could."

The faint sound of a klaxon emanated from the research facility above them. Time was ticking away.

Keeping her expression innocent, Sarah raised a finger as though an idea had come to her. "You know, the only place safe from pies is probably that eliminator over there."

"Really? What a coincidence."

"So what'll it be?" said Sarah, her tone slightly too perky. "Ready to give in, or do I have to mess you up some more?"

Jen wiped her face, planted her gooey hands on Sarah's knees, and smiled up at her. "Mess me up!"

Sarah sighed in mock disappointment. "Ah, Jen. Guess you still don't know when you're beaten."

Having virtually exhausted the mess within arms' reach, Sarah looked around for more ammunition, absently scooping up a few handfuls of gunk from the puddle and drizzling it over Jen as she did so. Then she saw it.

"Oooh yes!" Bouncing with delight, she pointed at Jen. "You're gonna love this."

Jutting out from a niche on one of the grey pod-things sat a truly colossal pie. Wider than a dinner plate, heaped with custard, topped with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and strawberry sauce, it was big enough to slather Jen's entire head and most of her upper body. She was dimly aware of Jen following her eye-line, and smiled on hearing a sharp intake of breath. The urge to smear it over her opponent was simply irresistible. It had to be done.

There was just one problem, it was barely within reach. Undeterred, she gave Jen an impish look, bobbed her eyebrows, and then reached for the pie. Jen groaned and wiggled her hips in nervous excitement. Humming to herself, Sarah leaned to her left, stretching her lithe form until her fingertips brushed the pie's base. Just a little further. Careful to avoid letting Jen slip away, she lifted her right knee a fraction off the ground, and with the extra reach grabbed the pie's edge. Shimmying it deftly onto her palm, she edged it delicately forward until she could bring her other hand across to stabilise it. Jen's eyes widened as a saucer-shaped shadow eclipsed her.

"Oh heeey, look what I've found! Having second thoughts?" crowed Sarah.

Shivering with silent giggles, Jen shook her head. "You're going to splat me whatever I say, aren't you?"

"Yep."

Seeing Jen squirm as the uber-pie loomed above her, Sarah laughed - and was startled at how wicked it sounded. An odd realisation struck her, making her pause with sudden uncertainty, but she quickly banished it to the back of her mind.

As the pie tilted forward for its final descent, Jen suddenly fidgeted. "Wait, wait!" she said, her voice surprisingly serious.

Sarah halted instantly. "What's wrong?"

"Can you check my bathing suit? I think one of the knots is loose." She gestured down to her hips. "On the left."

Sarah cocked her head to look past her own outstretched arm. Jen's stomach was awash with gunge, but the outline of her once-white bikini bottoms was just about visible. Sarah's eyes traced the slender band around Jen's hip. "No, it's okay. I think you're good."

"Okay, that's a relief."

Jen was smiling again, but this time the expression made Sarah pause. It was different somehow. Rather than the goofy 'don't I look silly' grin from before, this one was edged with mischief. Just then something occurred to her: Jen's bikini bottoms didn't fasten with knots to begin with.

So why'd she try to stall me? Her mouth dropped open in sudden realisation. I couldn't see her hips before, she must've wriggled up a little... If I can see her hips, that means she isn't pinned down... which means...

Still grinning, Jen sat up, pushing the pie towards Sarah as she did so. Sarah had time to whimper as the onrushing disc filled her vision, and then it engulfed her. The pie seemed to keep on coming, Sarah could feel her face pushing through the layers, syrupy cream giving way to cool custard, then thick green slime, until finally the wafer base brushed against her nose. Gloop cascaded down her front. She could hear Jen's roars of laughter, could feel Jen's chest pressing against her own. Icebergs of whipped cream tumbled down her back as she moved her face from side to side, but everywhere she turned seemed to contain yet more pie.

Not knowing what else to do, she brought up her hands and began crunching the base into pieces. As she'd hoped, the pie began falling apart, creamy detritus tumbling onto Jen as well as herself. Light began to pierce through, and then their faces met through melting gloop, the pie's remains falling away around them. With the dissolving mass slurping down into their cleavage, Jen giggled and hugged her even tighter. Sarah gasped, tiny puffs of cream billowing from her lips like froth, and began wiping her eyes. Jen's face was right in front of her own, and was looking immensely pleased with herself. Creamy slop was oozing down their midriffs now, squirting and squelching before gathering at their laps. Sarah glared at Jen, trying her best to look annoyed, and then burst out laughing.

"Ugh. I kinda had that coming, didn't I?"

Jen delicately flicked a blob of cream from the tip of Sarah's nose. "You really, really did."

*****

In the control room, Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Kelly, and she seemed uncharacteristically uncertain.

"Uh, Lucy," she said quietly. "Just so you know, you don't have to wear the bikini if you don't want to."

Slightly confused, Lucy chuckled. "It's okay, I don't mind."

Kelly seemed relieved. "You're sure? I had a thought that, like, maybe I pressured you into wearing one this morning when you didn't want to. Sorry if that's what happened."

Turning in her seat, Lucy patted Kelly's shoulder reassuringly. "Hah, don't worry about it. Yeah, I was a bit nervous, but I'm glad you convinced me. If I really, really didn't want to, I would've said."

"Phew." With her mischievous grin returning, Kelly pointed to the silver bikini. "Good, 'cos I can't wait to see you get gunged in that!"

"Oh yeah?" Lucy nudged Kelly's arm. "Well how about this? If you win the bet, I'll wear it, but if I win, you wear it. Deal?"

Kelly beamed. "Deal!"

*****

Everything was faster now. Sarah had scrambled away, trailing huge globs of pie, and now a frantic running battle had developed. Jen squealed with laughter. This was what she'd been longing for. Now there was no more dodging or defending, no caution, no holding back, she and Sarah simply danced around the chamber hurling slime as fast as they could.

Jen couldn't stop smiling. It was hard to believe just how gloriously messy this was becoming. They both knew that only the eliminators could end the battle, but right now they didn't care, they just wanted to gunge each other.

The distance between them opened and closed. One minute they were bouncing around amid the pods, flinging mucky balloons at each other, the next they were close-up, practically embracing as they pummelled each other with pies and slime. They were so messy that half the time they'd slip and sprawl out, laughing, on the slime-covered floor, or try to throw buckets of gunge only to spill half of it over themselves.

Amid all the madness, Jen found herself thankful to be battling against someone she knew so well. Much as she liked the other contestants, a bout against any of them would've been a more cautious affair. With Sarah, though, she could happily scramble around wearing virtually nothing.

As if to illustrate the point, Sarah, who was half-blinded by a pie on her face, accidentally smeared a handful of gloop directly onto Jen's breasts. Unbothered, Jen simply chuckled.

"Hey, Sarah, at least buy me dinner first."

Clearing her vision, Sarah realised what she'd done. Had it happened to a near-stranger she would've apologised, but with Jen she simply grinned, grabbed more pies and intentionally hurled a succession of them straight at Jen's bosom. The ticklish impacts sent Jen staggering back, squeaking with laughter.

Giving as good as she got, she waited for Sarah to turn and rearm, at which point she threw a pie at her backside and then immediately rushed in. As Sarah jumped, mouth opening in a gasp, Jen brought a second pie splatting onto her forehead.

"Haha, that's what you get!"

The play-fight continued, but Jen could feel the scales tipping in her favour. Sarah was disoriented now, and was reeling back to try and give herself enough space to get her head together. Jen wasn't about to make that mistake again.

Advancing, Jen kept up the pressure, whisking mess in Sarah's general direction. Accuracy wasn't important, she just needed to keep Sarah off balance.

Her momentum was building. Mystified, Sarah staggered back, step by step. Jen allowed her friend not a moment's respite, advancing steadily as her foe withdrew, keeping up the bombardment. By now Sarah was too overwhelmed to fight back.

Every so often Jen would spring to the left or right, splattering Sarah from a different angle. She was trying to make it appear random, but it was anything but. Sarah was being shepherded toward the eliminator. It wasn't that Jen even cared all that much about winning, she just wanted to see Sarah in the slime tank. She skipped left and right, trying to keep close to a source of gunge. She's not getting away this time. A pink splash sent locks of Sarah's hair flapping back like pennants as she spun around, trying to shake the gloop away.

Suddenly Sarah tensed. She'd noticed the ring of cylinders around her, and no doubt knew the eliminator was perilously close.

Eyes agleam, Sarah tried to make a stand, managing to swish a few blobs of blue gunk in Jen's direction. Jen tittered at the feel of it spattering diagonally across her face, but kept up the bombardment all the same. Sarah was shaking with astonished laughter, her petite frame slathered in gunge. Her hands sank to her sides as the barrage continued. Rainbow rivers coursed over her once-white bikini. A sudden blast of custard coated her face, prompting a yelp that morphed into an oddly tranquil smile. It was all Jen could do not to dissolve into hysterics on seeing Sarah stagger back. The eliminator was only a few paces behind her. Realising this, Sarah yelped and turned beseechingly to Jen.

"Come on, we can talk about this..."

"Sure we can," cooed Jen, pointing towards the low seat in the slime tank. "How about you sit down first?" She made sure to be readying another pail as she spoke. She's trying to stall me. I'm not falling for it this time.

And then Sarah wasn't there anymore.

Custard splattered over the top of Jen's left arm, viscid globules flying out to speckle her hair and the side of her breast. Spinning, she found Sarah to her left. How did she do that? Clumsily, she drew back the bucket and threw, but Sarah was too quick. With astonishing speed and precision she blonde snatched up another pie and deposited it on top of Jen's head. A pulse of slime swept down her face, obscuring her vision for a few precious seconds.

More gunge hit her as she flailed around. Sarah was impossibly fast. Staying close, she danced and dodged with an almost supernatural grace and poise. Twirling circles around Jen, she splashed her almost at will.

"Oh my God, you played me! You could've done that any time!"

Sarah's triumphant laughter rang accusingly in Jen's ears. With a gulp she realised that it had been her, not Sarah, who'd been lured to the eliminator. Standing there, amber gloop coating her arm and tracing the curve of her top, two things occurred to Jen. One, she really liked that colour. Two, she was almost certainly going to lose. Her jaw clenched in determination.

If I'm going down, I'm going down fighting!

Twisting on the spot, she lunged toward Sarah, but her opponent was simply too quick. Chuckling smugly, her nimble feet somehow finding purchase on the slime-soaked ground, the blonde danced and whirled, barely two feet away yet always tantalisingly out of reach.

Realising that she needed to negate Sarah's speed, Jen stretched out her arms and tried to hug her. If she could just keep her in one place the tables could still turn. This, it turned out, was exactly what Sarah had been waiting for. Seizing Jen's wrist, she swung her around, using Jen's own momentum against her. Jen murmured wordlessly as the room seemed to spin giddily around her. Feet skidding in the sludge, Sarah released her like a human slingshot. Arms flapping, Jen staggered backwards. Walls appeared to left and right, and before she knew it she was sinking down onto a seat. She was in the eliminator.

Okay, not one of my better plans.

A pipe gurgled overhead. Jen had time for a quick upward glance before peering at Sarah, who waved mockingly. Jen was laughing even before the slime hit her, a colossal pillar of custard that flowered off the crown of her head, briefly cocooning her before the buttercup-yellow curtains closed in like a folding umbrella, depositing waves of slippery gloop all over her. Squealing, she braced her palms against the walls of the booth as the gunge washed down her body, coating her utterly. She was shivering with delight by the time the flow abated. Swiping seeping ooze away from her eyes, she grinned at Sarah, but before she could say a word a second deluge arrived. Caught unawares, her eyes squeezed shut, her head bowing slightly from the weight of it. Blinking as she moved her face out of the torrent, she found herself amid a waterfall of deep-blue slime, flowing curtains of which formed an arch around her peripheral vision. If anything it was even thicker than the custard, oozing cool and creamy against her skin. She watched breathlessly as the pulsing waves engulfed her chest, streaming over her bikini top and sweeping down her midriff. More of the stuff was pouring directly onto her thighs, turning her lap into a seething battleground as the flows tumbling down her front warred with the gloop slurping towards her hips. Sarah's laughter was muffled but omnipresent. Jen imagined what she must look like through Sarah's eyes. The thought made her giggle, and she couldn't resist peeking up to try and get a glimpse of her friend. The gunge immediately drenched her face, obscuring her vision, but the downpour was fading now and so, mirage-like, Sarah materialised as though through a slimy veil.

"So how do you feel?" asked Sarah, with a satisfied smirk.

Jen wriggled as the last of the blue gunge slithered down her, then gasped as yet another downpour splashed against the back of her head and radiated out like a starburst.

"Gooey," she giggled, as pink slime began to wash over her face.

Watery and translucent, the pink stuff quickly saturated her hair and went coursing down her back. More came splashing off the tank's walls, creating a whirlwind of splattering goo. Jen peeked up through the waterfall, seeing Sarah as an ethereal silhouette on the other side. Sarah's hands had moved to her hips, and even through the slimy barrier it was clear that her shoulders were shaking with mirth.

Spurting gunge caressed Jen's sides, shooting from nodes on the walls even as the pink downpour faded. Screaming with surprise, Jen raised her hands into the air and stared down at the vivid tiger-stripe pattern now spreading over her, blue from the left and yellow from the right, the colours layering atop each other as though duelling. Some of it spurted as far as her temples, while more coated her arms and licked against the sides of her breasts. Mesmerised by the sensation of gunge pouring all over her, it dimly occurred to her that she could easily spring out of the chair and ambush Sarah. She immediately discounted the thought - she had lost fair and square.

"Look what you've done!" she cried, brown eyes gleaming with exhilaration.

Sarah's laughter rose an octave. The sprays emanating from the walls were slowly subsiding, leaving Jen spluttering with glee in the booth, the walls and floor of which were now awash with an artistic swirl of yellows, blues and pinks. Hurriedly, she moved a hand to her slime-soaked bikini top, making sure it was still where it needed to be.

"Ohhh Jen - I wouldn't relax just yet."

Jen looked up warily. What else could possibly be in store for her?

Sarah waved a finger as though reprimanding a student. "Have you forgotten? What colour do they always finish on?"

Realisation dawned. "I'm about to get green slimed, aren't I?"

Sarah nodded happily, a wicked grin spreading across her elfin features as she heard the gurgle emanating from on high. Jen kept her gaze on Sarah as lime-green gunge began to fall. Groaning happily, she moved her hands up into the falling column of paint-like liquid, diverting it into countless smaller streams as it splattered her. Her hair was already soaked, so the emerald flow seemed to slide over it, channelling down the centre of her back and splashing against the rear of the seat, where it washed forward around her hips and thighs. Closing her eyes, she pawed at the slimy concoction coating her front, giggling uncontrollably as she did so. Still the slime fell, pulsing down her back and rolling over her shoulders, pouring wave after wave over her battered bikini top. Squirming in the slimy deluge, Jen whooped with joy and raised her arms bolt upright, letting the stuff wash over her. She murmured wordlessly on hearing the speakers crackle.

End of the line.

A click sounded from the intercom. Jen nodded to herself. The elimination announcement was coming.

No sooner had the automated announcement begun when it was cut off. Hands wrapped around Jen's wrists, yanking her upright and out of the gunge tank. Bewildered, she wiped mess away from her eyes. Slimy dregs pattered onto the empty seat behind her. Blinking, she found herself face to face with Sarah, who was staring at her nervously, as though suddenly unsure of herself.

Jen couldn't disguise her confusion. "I... uh, I don't understand. You had me. What? Why?"

The certainty had returned to Sarah's expression. "Why? Why did I save you? Simple really." She shrugged, as though she barely recalled having done anything. Dripping torrents of sludge, Jen was about to press her when suddenly those big green eyes were boring into her, almost hypnotic in their beauty. "It's just... I guess I realised something not so long ago."

Now Jen was even more confused. "What?"

Sarah swallowed before continuing. "You were right. It's me, isn't it? I'm the villain."

Jen chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't say villain. I mean, it's not like this is serious."

Sarah flashed a smile. "Relax, I love playing villains." She sidled closer. "But, thing is, you know the most important part about playing the bad guy?"

"What?"

"They have to get their comeuppance in the end."

It took a moment for Sarah's words to sink in. Jen lowered her voice, as though speaking too loud might break the spell. "You mean?"

Sarah took a deep breath, as though summoning her courage. "I mean," she said, flicking back a stray lock of hair, "I'm gonna let you do what you've been wanting to do all day." With that she lowered her arms to her sides, leaving herself defenceless.

Flummoxed, Jen couldn't suppress the look of gleeful eagerness spreading across her features, nor her eyes from darting around the chamber, scouting out the closest sources of mess. The temptation was overwhelming... yet her conscience gnawed at her.

"No, I shouldn't," she began, her voice laden with uncertainty. "You beat me, it should be me who..."

Sarah put a finger to Jen's mouth, hushing her. Then, eyes twinkling, she leaned in to speak, tapping a finger on Jen's lips to punctuate each word.

"Cover. Me. In. Slime."

In a flash Jen's reservations vanished. "Well if you say so."

*****

Pandemonium erupted in the control room. The expected winner had switched in a matter of moments, catching some of the contestants in mid-brag. Now all was a tumult of motion and noise. Some women sprang to their feet, others buried their faces in their hands. Overlapping voices clamoured to be heard - teasing, bargaining, objecting or commiserating. A few sat motionless, hands over their mouths.

Lucy joined in the objections, but in truth was already fighting back giggles as, beside her, an exultant Kelly wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"This doesn't count!" Ellie called to the man in black. There was a note of desperation in her voice. A few seconds ago she'd thought she was safe, now she was heading for the gunge. Seeing his impassive response, she jabbed a finger towards the bank of monitors. "You saw! Sarah would've won, she let Jen win! The bet doesn't count."

The man nodded slowly, pinched the bridge of his nose, and eventually made to reply. No sooner had he opened his mouth, though, than Belle appeared in front of him to speak on his behalf. She was looking extremely pleased with herself.

"I'm afraid the bets didn't specify how a contestant won," she said, trying to sound official even as her eyes twinkled. "All bets stand." She turned to the man in black and leaned closer, tapping a finger on his chest. "You hear me? The bet stands."

Crestfallen, Ellie lowered her head and fussed with her hair, only to suddenly reanimate as a thought arrived. "Wait, maybe we're worrying about nothing. We don't actually know what the forfeit is, right? It might not be messy at all. It could just be..."

Joanna cleared her throat to interrupt. "Just to make everyone aware," she declared to the group, "we can confirm that the forfeit will, indeed, be extremely messy."

Nearby, Annabelle patted Liz's hand in mock-sympathy. "You're very quiet, Liz. You okay? Or are you just thinking about what's going to happen to you?"

It was true, Liz had been uncharacteristically silent for much of the duel. Now, though, regal as ever, she slowly turned her head toward Annabelle. "Why would anything happen to me?" she asked, her voice oddly soft.

Annabelle paused. "Well... I mean, the bet. You saw what just happened, right? Jen's going to win."

Liz's face brightened. "Wonderful."

Now Annabelle was confused. "But... you realise you bet on Sarah, yeah? You're going to get gunged."

There was a devilish gleam in Liz's piercing blue eyes. "There must be some mistake. You see, you're surprisingly persuasive. After what you said before, I decided to bet on Jen."

Annabelle's mouth dropped open. She looked over at Joanna, who nodded.

"And as I recall," Liz continued while examining her nails, "you decided to bet the opposite way to me, didn't you?"

Eyes widening in understanding, Annabelle groaned. "I did. Oh wow, I'm going to get... Hold on, you mean I've been cheering for the wrong person the whole time?"

While Annabelle buried her face in her hands, laughing at herself, Lucy felt a squeeze on her shoulder. Turning, she found Kelly beaming at her. "Now Lucy," she said, "I'm not a gloater, but I think you're going to be needing this."

With that she handed Lucy the silver bikini. Holding the meagre garment in her hands, Lucy gave a cheerful sigh before looking up at Kelly and nodding. "So... whereabouts are the changing rooms?"

*****

Still scarcely able to believe this was happening, Jen took Sarah by the hand and led her down the tiered steps to where their duel had begun. Sarah followed willingly, though seemed surprised - she had probably expected to be fed straight into the eliminator. Jen was half expecting another ruse, but no, Sarah stood steadfast, hands on hips, watching with a wary smirk as Jen collected a gooey pink pie.

"You're really going to let me do this to you?" asked Jen.

Sarah gave a faint whimper but nodded. Her hands were fidgeting in front of her stomach, but as Jen approached she forced them down to her sides - though her fingers tapped nervously against her thighs.

Slowly, as though a sudden movement might shatter the illusion, Jen stepped closer. Sarah's eyes were fixed on the approaching pie. Biting her lip, she shook her head in disbelief.

With a kittenish smile, Jen slowly lifted the pie. She knew they were against the clock, but couldn't resist the chance to see Sarah squirm for a change. Remembering what her friend had done to her when she'd been pinned down, she wasn't going to pass up the chance for a little payback. Instead of hurling the mess, she was going to walk right up to Sarah and slowly daub it over her.

Realising what Jen was about to do, Sarah shifted a little but remained where she was. She was breathing faster, green eyes peering at Jen with a mix of horror and anticipation. She shook with silent giggles as a puff of pink cream engulfed half of her head.

Jen could scarcely believe it. "Wow, you let me do it."

Straightaway she scooped up another pie and splatted it into the middle of Sarah's stomach. The blonde squeaked, but kept her nerve. She's really going to do this.

Jen bounced for joy. "Oh my God. Oh my God! Sarah, we're gonna have some fun!"

Sarah emitted a plaintive wail that was only half-joking as Jen cut loose. Pie after pie splattered over her, sometimes two at a time, each one lovingly smushed in for maximum gloopiness. Each impact sent a mucky avalanche spilling down Sarah's body, heaped cream falling from her chest like a calving glacier. Jen skipped and laughed, revelling in each pie that burst onto her friend's glistening form.

Though it plainly took every ounce of her self-control, Sarah kept true to her word. Her fists bunched, her jaw tightened, but she made no attempt to defend or retaliate. Pies sandwiching her head sent her staggering back in astonishment, only to then gasp in mock outrage as a bucket of purple slime emptied over her, but still she didn't strike back.

Everything was becoming faster now. Once she'd finished slathering Sarah with pies, Jen took the tottering blonde by the hand and led her back up to the main arena, where she scampered over to the device she'd spotted on the north wall.

The machine looked like something akin to a tanning bed melded with a medieval rack. It consisted of two parts - a pink inflatable bed that was attached to the floor, and above it another rectangular shape of the same size, only this one was made of black plastic and was studded with downward facing nozzles. At one end of the bed section was a grey device bearing a pressure dial and a large spoked wheel.

Sarah struggled to keep up, her feet skidding in the sludge, her vision impaired by the mess still streaming down her face. Her hand tightened around Jen's once their destination became clear.

"That's an eliminator, isn't it?" asked Sarah, her eyes wide.

Jen grinned. "I'm guessing so, but we won't know until we test it." She pointed to the air mattress. "You know what to do."

With a giggled groan, Sarah increased her pace and hopped onto the inflatable. Lying on her back, she gazed up at the array of nozzles poised ominously above her, suppressed a shudder, and looked expectantly to Jen, who had moved to the control panel.

"Now Sarah," she said while merrily turning the wheel, "it goes without saying that I have no idea what this thing does or how it works."

"Well that's certainly comforting."

The chutes spluttered and hummed, giving Sarah a second or two to squirm before syrupy slime came gushing down in a series of vivid pink and yellow downpours that spared only her head and neck. Hooting with laughter, Jen kept on turning the wheel, watching as the flow intensified with each squeaking lurch. Stray splotches were dappling her side, but that was a small price to pay to watch Sarah writhing in the slime machine.

"Come on, Sarah, don't be a scaredy-cat," Jen said as she briefly released the wheel, planted her hands on Sarah's shoulders, and pushed.

With a laughing "No!" Sarah's head disappeared beneath the sprays. Still slime poured, huge torrents overflowing from the machine and spilling out across the floor.

Now getting completely covered, Sarah wriggled onto her front and slithered up through the goo. Jen was pleased to see her getting into the spirit of things, screaming with laughter and flailing theatrically. Soon a teasing game developed, Sarah scrambling up towards Jen in an effort to get her head out of the downpours, only for Jen to send her sliding back into the gunge-storm, sometimes adding a pie in the face for good measure. Playing along, Sarah rolled and wriggled, slithering around in the goo while bands of pink and yellow mess spilled over her.

At last, utterly drenched, Sarah flipped onto her back and gasped on seeing some of the chutes switch over to emerald-green gunk. "Jen, look! The green stuff. This is it."

Struggling to keep in position on the shifting ooze in which she lay, Sarah lifted her arms, ready for elimination, and was startled when Jen suddenly released the wheel, grabbed her hand - gunk squelching as her fingers pressed through layers of muck - and pulled her out. No sooner had she done so than a deluge of green muck poured onto the now-empty inflatable.

Dazed and coated in gloop, chest heaving with exhilarated gasps, Sarah stared at her. "I don't understand..." she began.

Jen was already leading her back across the arena. "Yeah, Sarah, that was pretty messy. But ask yourself this - was it messy enough?"

Sarah was aghast. "You can't be serious. Messier than that?"

"Relax, everything's under control."

Just then a rumble juddered through the walls. Slime began erupting from the ceiling on the arena's western side, while elsewhere the random squirts exuding from the scenery began growing stronger and more frequent. Columns of billowing foam began descending from vents near the entrance. Jen still had no idea how much time remained before they were both doomed, but the station looked to be approaching overload.

The two women looked at each other, both clearly thinking the same thing.

"Oh Sa-rah."

Catching her friend's tone, Sarah shuddered. "What?"

"I think it's time to eliminate you now."

Amid Sarah's jokey protests, they picked their way across the crumbling chamber. Skirting the sunken mini-arena to their right, they returned to the alcove surrounded by squirting cylinders, beyond which sat the slime tank. A thread of goo still trickled lazily onto the low seat from Jen's stint in the booth. Her arms fidgeting, Sarah let out a nervous murmur as they approached the cylinders' splash zone... only to then mumble in surprise as Jen suddenly veered right.

"Uh, but... what? Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

Billowing foam caressed them as they arrived back at the exit, then on into the winding tunnel, where Jen was surprised to find her feet ploughing through a veritable swamp, and even more surprised to feel occasional gobbets of thick liquid dripping onto her as they shuffled along. The entire outpost was disintegrating, or at least that was the intended effect. Either way, she needed to work fast. This was easier said than done, though. Twice the giggling pair slid to their knees in the sucking mire, which glistened in the dim light and clung thickly to their shins and ankles. Pressing their slimy bodies against one another for purchase and sharing a smile at the ridiculousness of it all, they shimmied upright and stumbled on up the spiralling stairs.

Once they were back in the comms room, Jen's voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "Why use the boring old eliminator, when there's a big old slime pit sat going to waste?"

Even in the gloom, she saw the whites of Sarah's eyes flash. She looked to Jen pleadingly. "No, no, you wouldn't?"

"You know I would." Jen had taken the lead now, and although Sarah made a show of pouting and dragging her feet, she followed nonetheless.

They rounded the corner, being greeted by what remained of the living quarters. Both girls stopped. This place had deteriorated rapidly since their last visit. It was though a layer had liquefied and fallen away from the ceiling and walls, turning the floor into a seething, ankle-deep quagmire - predominantly lilac in colour, patterned with swirls of green and yellow. The latticework of piping that infiltrated every section of wall frothed and fizzed, emitting spurts and sputters seemingly at random. Gunge flicked across the chamber, arcing wall to wall like solar flares or erupting without warning in viscid columns. The caldera that the defeated blob had sunken into now occupied close to half the original floor space, while what floor remained was now tilting and buckling at strange angles. Glancing right, Jen noticed the passage to the escape pod still accessible, albeit barely, mounds of gooey pink foam looming like snowdrifts around the entrance.

Gaping at the scene before her, Sarah shook her head. "Has the world gone mad?"

The dissolution was gaining momentum. There wasn't much time left.

"Come on," said Jen, "no time to lose."

Nudging Sarah into the chamber, they approached the pit. Sarah took her time, edging back and protesting feebly, slowing their pace to a crawl. Every surface was a swirling psychedelic tapestry. Striking colours assailed Jen's vision, the vibrant hues forever shifting, sinking and overlapping one another. Stray ribbons of slime swept around them. More tumbled from above like a neon meteor shower.

Sarah shrieked as a sky-blue squirt licked her left side, sweeping up the graceful inbound curve of her flank before slanting across her collarbones and daubing her cheek. Some flew past onto Jen, beading in her hair, the impact brushing it back as though caught in a gust of wind. The pit, its sides plastered with slime, loomed ever closer. Imagining Sarah sliding into the churning pool at its base, Jen smiled dreamily.

Adjusting her top as discreetly as she could, Sarah obligingly took her place, sitting at the lip of the slope with her legs hanging over the brink. Her protestations faded to expectant silence as Jen crouched behind her. She had already resolved to buy Sarah a gift when this was all over for being such a great sport.

"So," announced Jen, cradling the back of Sarah's head against her chest and edging her to the precipice. "Here we are. End of the line. Did you enjoy it?"

Jen felt strands of Sarah's hair sticking to her wet chest as her companion's head tilted upward, eyes boring into Jen's. Alarm rushed through her as she witnessed the barely suppressed rage on Sarah's face, but in an instant the scowling mask lifted, morphing into a teasing smile. Sarah nodded.

Phew, I almost thought she was serious there. She looked down at her slime-soaked opponent, "Ready?"

"No!" sang Sarah. "But you're going to do it anyway."

There was a note of hysteria in Sarah's voice. Somehow she was reining in her competitive instinct to let Jen have her fun. Heels skating around on the slick slope, Sarah's gaze dipped to what waited below - the promise of a supremely messy descent followed by a gargantuan slime bath.

Placing her hands at the base of Sarah's back, Jen inched her forward - slowly, deliberately - drinking in every drop of anticipation as the blonde whimpered and preened, compulsively wiping herself down and arranging her hair. Sarah knew she was being toyed with. Jen felt her tense as she teetered on the very edge, her hands instinctively clasping Jen's wrists for purchase. Sarah's back arched as she took her weight onto her arms, her legs dangling over the side. Feeling herself begin to slip, Sarah tilted her head up and gasped. Trying her best to contain her glee, Jen began to wriggle Sarah's hands free, hearing her friend's excited murmurs as her grip loosened. A column of mauve slime splashed down onto them, making them shiver, the concoction pouring down Sarah's back and splurging over Jen's front.

Laughing, Jen rested her chin on Sarah's shoulder. "Sarah, thanks, I really mean it. I've had so much fun today."

Sarah managed a few words through excited gasps. "Hah, you owe be big-time for this! Come on, hurry up and finish me before I change my mind."

"Happy to."

Sarah screamed as Jen let go. Arms raised skyward, her hips slid forward over the edge, leaving a neat furrow in the mire. The scream was cut short, however, as Jen suddenly wrapped her arms around Sarah's waist, halting the nascent descent and hauling her back to the top. The look Sarah gave her was full of bewilderment... and perhaps a hint of disappointment.

"Jen, what the hell? What are you doing? This is what you wanted. You had me! You'd won!"

Lifting her hands, Jen smiled. "You still don't get it, do you? I don't want to win because you let me, I want you squealing and wriggling while I feed you into the slime. Or I want to squeal and wriggle while you feed me into the slime. I'd prefer the first, but either's good."

Sarah's look was one of baffled incomprehension. "So what now?"

Jen shrugged, a light spray of custard dappling her right side as she did so. She hadn't actually thought that far ahead. "Okay, how about this? One last round: you versus me. First to get dunked in the pool loses. No surrenders, no backing out. You in?"

Sarah hesitated, wiping gunk from her cheek as her eyes flitted this way and that. A sly grin spread slowly across her features.

"Ooh, bad mistake, Jenny."

Sarah pounced. Caught off guard, Jen went sliding onto her back, her foe lunging on top of her. Laughing, they rolled in the multicoloured mire, rubbing handfuls of gunk over one another until, as though by an unspoken agreement, they sat up onto their knees in a slimy pink puddle, double hi-fived each other, and then set about covering each other in goo.

Gunge splashed back and forth, a gooey whirlwind that enveloped both girls. Jen wanted to scream with joy. She was drenched in slime, but more importantly so was Sarah. Together they yelped and murmured, hurling gunge even as slime skittered and sprayed all over them. Jen was in hysterics, gloop gushing down her in torrents. Gelid sludge caressed her skin, at once both soothing and invigorating. Never in her life had she felt so silly, nor so free.

A sudden welter of custard splattered Jen's chest. Arms lifting skyward, she whooped playfully - and then squeaked in shock as Sarah lunged forward, tackling her and trying to slide her towards the pit. The effort devolved into a giggling hug a few feet from the crater's edge. For a moment they paused, grinning at each other, and then the duel resumed.

Gunk sprayed everywhere, faster and faster, it's touch like drooling nectar or unset jelly. The sight of Sarah shivering in shock, colours bursting and dribbling over her bikini-clad body, was enough to reduce Jen to fits of giggles, but desperately she tried to keep her wits about her. Sarah, too, was struggling to hold her nerve. The splashing grew ever faster. Both combatants could sense that this was the end.

This is it. Okay, Jen, think. What would Catwoman do? Something illegal, probably. Bad example. Alright, what would Sarah do?

Aha...

The splashing grew to a crescendo. Shaking her head, Sarah yelled, trying desperately to keep her nerve as gunk splattered her remorselessly. Jen saw her chance.

With a laughing battle-cry, Jen surged forward, wrapping Sarah in a hug. The blonde squeaked in alarm as she was bowled over. Sliding on the slippery ground, they rolled one atop the other, noses almost touching. Grinning exultantly, Jen opened her mouth to speak - and then they were both squealing, arms wrapping around the other, as they went sliding over the edge and into the pit.

Down they went. The slime plastering the crater was thick as yoghurt. Flailing and writhing, they slithered down through the goo, still pawing handfuls onto the other as the glistening pool rose to meet them.

Once again Sarah's reflexes proved faster; sludge sprayed as she pressed herself into the incline, the friction bringing her skidding to a halt, though she made sure to give Jen a final shove to send her on her way.

"Ohhhh daaammmnn iit!"

Jen rolled and flapped, creamy gunge coating every inch of her. The pool grew larger, a glistening vortex of pink, yellow and green. At last the cloying mounds of gunk slowed her momentum. Panting, she came to rest with one toe hovering barely an inch above the pool. Steadying herself, she watched ripples reverberate across the turgid liquid as muck dislodged by her descent surged into it. Somehow it looked rather inviting. Jen was sorely tempted to simply give in and slide into its messy embrace, but then she pictured the same happening to Sarah. A grunt from above caught her attention.

Sarah was climbing, her bottom wiggling as she shimmied back up the slippery slope. Again she grunted softly, scrabbling for purchase. Fresh determination rose within Jen.

"Haha! You are going down, Sarah!"

Rolling onto her front, Jen began the pursuit. Cool slime squelched against her front as she crawled through, pressing into the slope for purchase and squirming, worm-like, up the incline. For all her enthusiasm, though, it seemed Sarah had too much of a head start. Clinging on with implacable ferocity, Sarah ascended hand over hand, pausing every now and then to grin evilly and sweep an arm through the slush, summoning messy avalanches which tumbled down to engulf Jen. Ducking her head as a pinkish-green wave almost dislodged her, Jen dug deep and hung on. Trembling with laughter, she pursued doggedly.

A supposedly random cascade of rich blue slime came to her aid, falling as it did directly in front of Sarah. Moaning and gasping as the gloop gushed through her cleavage and on down her front, it was all Sarah could do to keep from being swept away. Her legs kicked desperately, seeking something, anything, to brace against. The gunge flowed on, charting a cerulean river down the slope and polluting the pool below. Inadvertently placing her knee in it, Jen very nearly lost her grip - the blue stuff was astonishingly slippery. Incredibly, seemingly through sheer willpower alone, Sarah stayed in place. The delay, however, let Jen close the gap.

They were close now, but Sarah was almost at the top and was redoubling her efforts, scrambling frantically through the viscous goo. This haste made her clumsy, and a tiny slip cost a couple of inches. It was all Jen needed. Seizing Sarah's ankle, she yanked hard, and with a shocked squeak Sarah came free. For the briefest of moments Jen caught a glimpse of the amused reproach in her friend's eyes, and then Sarah was sliding past, howling. Jen had time for a triumphant whoop, but then felt fingers around her ankle. Sarah was a fast learner.

In an instant she was pulled downward, once again sliding through the muck. Passing Sarah, she watched the blonde grin wickedly while trying to brace herself against the side as she'd done before. Jen was having none of it. Clasping the startled blonde in a slimy embrace, they tumbled and rolled helter-skelter around the inverted cone. Over and over they went, until Jen began to lose all sense of direction. Sensations came in cycles, the warm press of Sarah's body against her own, her friend's breath against her cheek, then a flash of white light as they separated and tumbled over again. And always there was the gunge, sliding and oozing and squelching deliciously with every cycle. The pool had to be close, but Jen wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop in time.

The seemingly endless succession of rolls were finally coming to an end. Oily gloop engulfed Jen's back, and suddenly the pair slid directly downward for a yard or so before rolling on. They had come full circle, having just gone through the ribbon of extra-slippery blue gunk, and were almost at the caldera's base, the churning pool only a few feet below. The two quivering women beamed as they flopped one over the other, slower and slower each time.

Through the barrage of sensations, a thought emerged. Whoever ends up on top wins. This is it. Timing is everything...

Sarah landed on her back with a slick splash. Jen's triumphant smirk was short lived, however, as the momentum sent her tumbling over into the slush. With a triumphant squeak Sarah rolled on top of her. Feeling her back settling into the thick sludge and her toes grazing the surface of the pool, Jen summoned one final nudge. Sarah groaned contentedly as she splashed onto her back, warm orange gunge oozing forward through her hair and over her shoulders as Jen pressed against her. At last they came to a halt, propped at an angle above the rippling slime... with Jen pinning Sarah down.

Oh my God, I've done it! I've actually done it!

She saw the sudden understanding on the blonde's slime-covered face. They both remembered what Sarah had done to her when the situation was reversed. Blinking, Sarah gulped.

"Hee-hee, that's right," purred Jen, gently smoothing back a lock of Sarah's hair. "You're mine now."

Digging her knees into the sludge, Jen rose up a few inches to give her room to slather Sarah properly. She had to be careful not to slide down into the waiting vat. With deliberate slowness she collected a handful of gunk and held it above her squirming foe, allowing glistening threads to trickle through her fingers and onto Sarah's stomach.

Breathing deeply, Sarah managed a nervous giggle. "Come on! Surely I'm messed up enough already? I mean, look at me."

Grinning, Jen shook her head. Defeated, Sarah sighed... and then did the last thing Jen would have expected. Reaching out to the river of oily blue gunge, she grabbed a handful and began daubing it over herself.

Jen peered at her quizzically. "Um, Sarah? That's my job."

Ignoring her, Sarah continued smearing the blue gunk over her stomach and breasts, before reaching down to daub some onto her thighs. "Well okay then," Jen continued, perplexed, "if you're that eager to get the slime..."

Sarah wiggled, smiling, as Jen deposited the handful of mess over her, the green and yellow bursting over the left side of her bikini top and washing over her flank, a few tendrils rolling on down towards her navel.

"Ooh, not bad," said Sarah, "looks like you've really got me this time."

Jen froze. She knew that suspiciously innocent tone. Without warning Sarah released her grip on the slope and wrapped her arms around Jen, sending them both sliding downward. Jen squealed, her feet disappearing into the churning pool before Sarah stopped herself again, releasing Jen from the hug and digging her elbows into the sludge-coated slope. The pair came to a shuddering halt.

Fumbling for purchase, Jen peered down at Sarah. Her smirk returned. Sarah's final ruse had failed. "Ha! Well, that was fun." Jen shook back her hair and settled on top of Sarah, making sure she was pinned down. "Whatever you thought you were trying to do there, I guess it didn't work."

"Didn't it?"

Sarah's tone made Jen pause, brows knitting in confusion. Only then did she notice her ankles slipping into the vat. Slowly, inexorably, she was sliding down into the gunge. With a wavering murmur she wriggled into Sarah, goo squelching where their bodies pressed together, but found herself slithering over her companion. Glancing down, she realised that both their fronts were now awash in the blue slime. She gasped - suddenly realising Sarah's plan. Each desperate wriggle simply smeared more of the blue ooze from Sarah to herself, making her ever more slippery.

"Looks like you're having some trouble there," cooed Sarah, "You should be sliming me. Here, let me give you a hand."

"No!" laughed Jen, but Sarah was already drizzling more of the blue slime down between them. Groaning with laughter, Jen flailed desperately, but Sarah was so slimy that it was impossible to gain any purchase. The pool was foaming around her knees now, and her chin was ploughing a tiny furrow through the slime on Sarah's chest. Sarah beamed down at her.

Realising what was about to happen, she murmured an apology and politely looked away as her face sank past Sarah's cleavage. Sarah didn't seem to mind, and Jen felt the mirth quivering through her friend's body. Again she counted herself grateful that she got to play this game with someone she'd known for years. Doing this with a near-stranger would've been awkward.

Sarah's confidence returned with each passing moment. "You know what this means, right?" she teased.

Jen gave a pretend whimper as her legs sank into the pool. She peeked back at the waiting gunge. "I'm going in no-matter what, aren't I?"

Sarah's eyes glinted. "You sure are!"

Jen affected a sigh. "Then I guess there's only one more thing to do."

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I'm taking you with me!"

With a laughing yell Jen sprang back up, clinging to Sarah for dear life and trying desperately to drag her down with her. Laughter swept through her in uncontrollable gusts as she realised, after so many false alarms, that elimination was certain now. Scrabbling at Sarah, splattering the blonde with every globule of slime she could lay hands on, she writhed and wriggled in the gloopy embrace. She knew she couldn't cling on for long - she had to dislodge Sarah quickly.

Sarah closed her eyes and squirmed, trying to keep herself in place while sliming Jen at the same time. The pair slid over each other, locked in their last dance. Gunge sprayed everywhere, flying in flurries and descending from above in liquid pillars. Jen's hair hung in sodden rattails. She could barely see past the mess that slid like veils down her face. Gunge deluged her back and thundered into the pool behind her. Seeping tendrils slid forward from her shoulders, rolling down onto her bosom before drizzling onto Sarah.

Feeling herself beginning to slide, Jen wrapped her arms behind her opponent's shoulders in a final bid to prise her away from the slope. Straightening her back, she tried to tip backward, to bring the pair of them splashing into the waiting gunk, but Sarah was simply too slippery. With a wavering squeak, she lost her grip.

For a split second she was falling. A heartbeat later and she came to a lurching halt. Beneath her was only air. She was angled back, suspended over the goo. Confused, she looked up to find that Sarah had grasped hold of her wrist - and that this was the only thing keeping her from toppling backwards into the gunge. The swirling pool lapped around her toes, which were perched right at its edge.

An immaculate smile graced Sarah's features. Jen was at her mercy. Taking a moment to regain her composure, she smiled in triumph. "You know what, Jen? I'll give you this much - you almost had me."

"Almost," giggled Jen. "Don't suppose you'll offer to let me win again, will you?"

Still smiling, Sarah shook her head. "Not this time."

"Figures." She peeked down. The gunge was mostly green, with large quantities of pink and yellow mixed in for good measure. She wondered how deep it was.

"Sooo," Sarah continued, her brows arching. "Any final requests?"

"Come in with me?"

Sarah paused.

"Nah."

Jen squealed as Sarah dropped her. Time seemed to slow. Already laughing, she toppled backward in a flailing swan-dive, the slime-soaked visage of her vanquisher receding above her. The gunge seemed to erupt like a volcano as she plunged in. Glorious mess engulfed her. She felt it sweep in across her front, slick and creamy, and then closed her eyes as her head went under. For a moment all was silent darkness, before her head burst above the surface, greeted by a cacophony of sound and colour. Shaking her head to clear her vision, she writhed with helpless laughter in the vast tub, sludge slithering around her like ocean currents. Sarah whooped her approval as Jen struggled to stand, the gunge sucking and slurping as it released her.

Laughing, Jen finally regained her footing, the slime clinging to her torso and dripping from her bikini top as it lifted free of the pool. Slime danced tempestuously around her, miniature waves lapping at her waist. Hearing clicks, she lifted her arms and yelled as dozens of sprayers activated, catching her in an immense crossfire. Vibrant mess swept in, pink from the left, yellow from the right, painting their respective halves and battling for supremacy across Jen's front and back. She remained in place, her pose frozen, fountains of slime playing all over her. Creamy custard and gelatinous goo warred as though competing for her affections.

I really hope my bathing suit's still on.

Stray squirts were spattering Sarah too, much to Jen's approval, but before she could gloat, one final downpour arrived from high on the ceiling, turning the world green. Her feet slipped forward, sending her crashing back into the pool with a carefree whoop, the mess rushing in around her neck.

The intercom clicked. "Jen has been eliminated."

Still laughing, partly at herself, partly at the sight of Sarah, who was applauding so raucously she almost fell in, Jen sat up and beamed proudly. Ponderous ripples washed around her collarbones as the pool began to settle.

Undeterred by her near-miss, Sarah was trying to do a little victory jig, not easy given her precarious position. "I did it!" she trilled, elated. "I won. I actually won!" Her gaze returned to Jen. "You okay in there?"

Jen wiped her eyes and lips before speaking. "Never better."

Sarah was gearing up for a proper gloat when crashing splashes reverberated from up above. Stray chunks of dissolved scenery were beginning to splash down into the pit, rolling down the slopes like tumbleweeds and splatting into the pool.

Again the mechanical voice sounded. "Evacuate. Evacuate. Hull breach imminent. One minute and counting."

Suddenly concerned, Sarah twisted around and began squirming back up the slope. Resisting the urge to pull her back down, Jen gave her a parting splash for good measure. Sarah peeked back, pretending to be outraged, before flashing her dazzling smile.

"Jen, what can I say? It's been emotional. Have fun in there when this place erupts on top of you. Ciao!" With that she resumed her ascent, wriggling up through the goo with newfound energy.

Letting out a long, slow exhalation, Jen settled back into the mess, wallowing happily.

*****

Cheers and groans swept the control room like a gale. A host of bets and predictions had been vindicated or cast down, and a number of its occupants now knew they were doomed to one final gunging.

Lucy surveyed the group, drinking in all the jovial energy and good-natured banter. Ahead of her, Lena and Nikki - who had ended up betting on the same person - turned excitedly to each other, pointed, and cried out in unison "You're getting messy!" before laughing and hugging each other.

Elsewhere, there was some controversy among the three Aussies, who, after carefully arranging to vote the same way so as not to begin a new front in their endless prank war, had unwisely allowed Kirsty to go up and report their bet. Kirsty, it turned out, had decided to instead bet on, quote, 'whoever loses' - a fact that Lisa and Mel were just now discovering.

Turning to her left, she giggled on finding Kelly looking suitably embarrassed. Taking the silver bikini she'd recently been presented with, she pressed it gently against Kelly's chest.

"There you go, Kelly. I think you'll be needing this."

Eyes gleaming, Kelly smiled and nodded. "One condition - when I get gunged, I want it to be you who pulls the lever. Deal?"

"Haha, deal!"

In the row ahead, Liz spun around to face them. The blonde seemed surprisingly calm given her recent reversal of fortune. "What was that, do we get to decide who does the gunging?"

"Uh, well I don't know for sure, we just..."

Liz hadn't waited for an answer, and was eagerly tapping Annabelle on the shoulder. "Annabelle, did you hear that? Would you like to be the one who gunges me?"

A look of absolute delight spread across Annabelle's face. "Liz, that has to be the easiest question I've ever been asked."

Relaxing in her seat, Lucy glanced around at the others. Win or lose, everyone was being a good sport about it. With one possible exception, that was.

"It doesn't count," said Belle, pouting. "There must've been three or four times when we could've eliminated either one of them. It's all a sham, the bets don't count."

"What was that before, about all bets standing?" the man in black said quietly, while carefully focusing on the monitors to avoid Belle's glare.

"That's different!"

"How?"

"It just is."

"Come on, Belle," said Holly. "Fair's fair. If you'd won, you'd have expected him to go through with it. Not to exaggerate or anything, but womankind's honour is now at stake. You won't let us down, will you?"

Lucy nodded approvingly on seeing Belle's expression soften. She glanced to the man in black, and Lucy thought she saw a flicker of a smile pass between them.

Belle sighed. "Alright. Let's say I'm considering it. What's actually going to happen to us?"

"Glad you asked," said Joanna. She raised her voice to address the group. "It's going to involve all of you, though some of you will be more involved than others." There were chuckles from the winners, groans from the losers. "It'll depend on one more thing, though."

"On what?" asked Annabelle.

Joanna gestured back to the screens. "On whether Sarah makes it out in time."

*****

Sarah ascended. Crawling and slithering, dollops from the disintegrating ceiling sprinkling her back, she made her way back up the crater. It was an appallingly messy business, but Sarah no longer cared. Nothing could stop her now.

I did it! Me! The first ever winner!

"Evacuate. Evacuate. Hull breach imminent. Thirty seconds and counting."

With a final grunt of exertion, Sarah hauled herself up and over the edge. A messy maelstrom lay before her; the living quarters' dissolution was almost complete. Ooze drooled from the ceiling in slow, steady spouts, while sprayers on the walls lanced gunge in sudden, irregular blasts. Here and there yoghurt-like sludge tumbled from the liquefying ceiling as spears of sunlight pierced through, revealing the glimpses of the low-budget abomination attached to the station's hull.

Gunge spattered Sarah's already-soaked body as she rose to her knees. It was unbelievable - even in victory she was still getting messy. Sudden alarm gripped her. She'd totally lost her bearings. Where was the escape pod? At last she found the opening, almost totally obscured by foam snowdrifts that seemed to have billowed from the flanking walls.

Again the intercom spoke. "Twenty seconds and counting."

"No you don't," Sarah muttered to the room in general. Soles skidding in the mire, she stood. "I've won, you hear! You can't stop me now."

After a final wave back at Jen, she made for the exit. Though the padded floor was buckling, collected slime had left much of the surface deceptively smooth. Wobbling and staggering, buffeted by gooey blizzards, Sarah pressed on. Never in her life had she felt so ridiculous.

There it was. The door to the escape pod lay open, golden light blazing within. This is it - I'm going to do it!

In her excitement Sarah found herself bouncing drunkenly from one wall to another, slipping and stumbling through mounds of pink foam.

"Ten seconds. Nine. Eight."

The bulkhead was beginning to close. With a desperate yell Sarah struggled on. I can't fail now. Not after all this.

"Seven. Six."

Sarah's feet skidded. For a few precious moments she tottered on the spot, frantically trying to keep her footing. Only a few yards away, the door was still closing.

Leaning forward, Sarah gritted her teeth and battled on, swirls of pink foam billowing around her.

"Five. Four."

Almost snarling in determination, she surged forward. Gripping the doorframe, she pulled herself through just as the bulkhead - which was of course a flimsy imitation rather than solid steel - closed behind her. She had done it.

A lilting chime emanated from the intercom. "Escape pod activated."

Shielding her eyes against dazzling light, Sarah gasped at what she saw. Small and oblong, with white enamelled walls and a ceiling capped by a gleaming skylight, the room was featureless save for one thing - a gleaming silver throne upon a wheeled dais. Guess that's the escape pod. The wheels were set on tracks, and the tracks ran to a striking metal door leading northwest, the portal bordered by hazard lines.

As muffled rumbles and a cacophony of falling liquid sounded from the disintegrating station behind her, Sarah grinned proudly and stepped toward the silver throne.

"I...I've done it. I've actually done it!"

The last two ghouls came from left and right, sandwiching her.

*****

With the messy pool lapping around her waist, Jen turned excitedly as chaos unfolded around her. The countdown was almost over. Whatever the imminent meltdown involved, she was going to experience it.

Hearing a glugging noise from on high, she paused, took a deep breath, and with a dreamy smile peered upward.

Directly above the pool, a strange mass was inflating across the ceiling. By turns spongey and blubbery, riddled with chutes and nozzles, it expanded with startling speed, dipping down as though about to rupture.

Jen gasped. Weird though it was, she recognised this thing. Back in the palace, something very similar had formed the upper part of the purifier. She had vivid memories of what had befallen the girls who'd gone into that thing.

The countdown was entering its final phase. "Five."

Jen felt her heart beat faster. Quickly she fiddled with her bikini top. It was difficult to believe it had been pure white not so long ago.

"Four."

She stood straighter, the pool sloshing around her hips, and swept back her hair in readiness.

"Three."

Tipping her head to look up at the ever-expanding mass about to douse her, she lifted her arms above her head.

"Two."

Plastic squeaks emerged from the looming shape, a sound like balloons filled to bursting.

"What are you waiting for? Come get me!" Jen called.

"One. Hull breached. Hull breached."

Klaxons blared. Time crawled. Jen whooped joyfully, and then it was as though a liquid rainbow detonated above her. Gunge surged forth from a dozen spouts, vibrant blasts that fell in a roiling cavalcade that filled Jen's vision. Mesmerised, she watched it descend on her.

She closed her eyes at the last possible moment, and then the slime was all over her, pouring in endless multicoloured torrents. Around her the vat roiled amidst the bombardment, oozing tidemarks splashing up her stomach only to almost immediately be obscured by the onrushing goo from above. An ever-shifting medley of competing textures and consistencies danced upon her skin. She found herself hoping that the cameras could still make her out amidst such a downpour. Besides wanting to watch the footage herself, she wanted Sarah to watch it, too.

Sheer weight of slime sent her sprawling backwards into the mess, her head briefly dipping back under the surface. When her face re-emerged, mess sloshing around her neck, the downpour was at last beginning to ebb. Beaming, she clambered back up, watching with fascination as her slime-sheathed body emerged wet and dripping from the ooze. As far as Jen was concerned, today had been a spectacular success. Not only had she got to take on the Splatter Dome, she'd made it right to the end, had covered Sarah in slime, and had gotten eliminated in a suitably gooey fashion. It was everything she'd wanted.

Still with a goofy grin plastered across her face, she scooped up handfuls of slime, watched as the stuff trailed through her fingers, and wondered whether Sarah would actually be allowed to win.

*****

Despite being new at the job, Kate felt that she was at last getting the hang of this 'Gunge Ghoul' business. She and Amy were the last ghouls standing, having barely escaped the living quarters after their previous attack had ended with Sarah's sudden transformation into a turbo-powered monster slayer. Now was payback time, and revenge felt sweet indeed.

Caught in a deliriously messy hug, Sarah could only squirm while they slathered her with gunge, pink from the left, yellow from the right. Glutinous tassels trailed from Sarah's arm as it reached forlornly for the escape pod.

"It's not fair," Sarah sputtered, "I was so close."

Kate gave her victim a commiserating pat on the shoulder, but couldn't quite keep the triumph from her voice. "Did no-one tell you? We always win in the end."

Scattered green drops began falling from the ceiling into Sarah's hair. Kate felt the contestant's body tense. They all knew what was coming.

"Wait... wait!" Emerald streaks were spilling down Sarah's face now, spreading and multiplying. "We can do a deal. We can-"

The flow of green gloop intensified. Head bowing, Sarah groaned. Kate felt a pang of sympathy; she'd been gunged before, but never as completely as this, and she couldn't even imagine what it must be like to face all that in nothing but a bikini. Even so, she and Amy kept up the splattering, hugging in close as their hands glided up and down Sarah's torso, smearing in creamy handfuls of gunk.

Kate grinned. She could feel Sarah relaxing, defences lowering as she surrendered to the inevitable. Soon she was quivering with ticklish laughter. Blinking away streams of goo, she peered at each ghoul in turn.

"I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

Blue eyes gleaming, Amy twiddled a strand of Sarah's hair. "Afraid not," she purred.

Still grinning even as the green spout intensified, Sarah sighed. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to do."

Amy tilted her head a fraction. "And that is?"

Slowly Sarah turned toward the flaxen haired ghoul. As she did, Kate felt her brow start to furrow. There had been something about Sarah's tone...

In a flash Sarah and Amy were sprawled on the floor. Wobbling, Kate very nearly slipped, too. Instinctively she stepped back a few paces, but a stray blob of custard sent her stumbling to her knees with a laughing squeak.

A keening wail drew her attention. It was Amy, who now lay on her back, a scatter of green dollops patterning her front. Kate's eyes narrowed in confusion. What's with her? It's just a bit of gunge. She's had worse. Just then she noticed yellow trickles seeping from Amy's costume. Oh no.

Feeling a sudden pang of nerves, Kate scrambled up. Sarah's fall had been deliberate, she realised. She'd dragged Amy with her and tugged her ripcord in the confusion. Her companion raised her arms and screamed just as her costume detonated, custard flying in every direction. Now it's just me.

Head jerking, she looked for Sarah. The green waterfall was weakening now, gaps between streams growing ever wider, and there on the other side stood Sarah, motionless, reflections glistening on her slime-covered form. She was staring directly at her.

*****

Belle tapped her workstation in frustration on seeing one of the ghouls taken out. "Do it!" she hissed. "Give the word."

"Wait," the man in black slowly intoned, his grey eyes fixed on the screen.

She was poised with her finger above the button that would eliminate Sarah. "What are you waiting for? She's more than messy enough."

"But she still has a chance, agreed?" the man countered.

Tapping her teeth together, Belle watched with mounting anxiety. "Are you really going to let someone win? Contestants don't win, that's half the point."

"Then why do we have a winners crown sat in the storeroom?"

"But it's not meant to happen!"

The man glanced over at her. "Belle, I don't want to speak out of turn, but is there a chance that you're letting our recent wager influence your thinking?"

"What, no..." Belle paused. "Alright, maybe a little."

"Belle, relax. I'm not going to go easy on her, but I'm not going to cheat her either. If Kate gets her on the ropes, I'll eliminate her, but if she wins, she wins."

Tossing back her hair, Belle relented. "Ugh, fine."

*****

A wicked smile spread slowly across Sarah's face. "What's your name?" she whispered.

"K-Kate." They don't win. They never win.

Sarah peered at her hand, watching gunk ooze between her fingers. "Well, Kate, isn't it strange? All this time we've been running from you guys, but why? You're cannon fodder. No offence. Anyone can beat you. All it takes is the will."

With that Sarah walked calmly towards her. Madness. Brandishing her sprayers, Kate fired. Jets of pink gunge burst over Sarah's torso, spraying out like liquid fireworks. Sarah walked on. Astonished, Kate twitched her hands, letting the spouts dance and skitter over Sarah's body, but still she came on, making no attempt to shield herself. She was inexorable. Kate realised she was backing away, but then felt the wall against her back.

"Wait, this can't happen," Kate protested. "We're the hunters! You should be running!"

It was no good. With a giggling wail Kate cowered into the wall as Sarah embraced her. Gunge exploded, coursing down the contestant's front, spraying her face and spurting sideways across her flanks. Writhing, Kate found herself laughing at the absurdity of it all. Now virtually nose to nose with Sarah, she leaned in until their foreheads touched.

"Don't suppose we can do a deal?" said Kate, half-joking, knowing exactly what the answer would be.

"I think it's a little late for that."

Feeling nimble fingers close around her ripcord, Kate closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Sarah. If she was going to be gunged, at least Sarah would share in the mess.

*****

As Kate slumped against the wall, Sarah strode up to the escape pod and called up to the watching cameras. "Hey, whoever's in charge up there, do I at least get a clean-up?"

Something clicked in the ceiling. Sarah grinned and waved a finger. "No tricks!"

Warm water poured down, drops flashing like sapphires where they caught the spotlights. Sarah sighed contentedly and washed herself off, creating a murky puddle that spread across the floor.

Sarah watched the hair hanging beside her face revert slowly to its original colour. Diluted muck streamed over her as glowing skin and snow-white swimwear gradually re-emerged. She swept her hair back with a flourish, a swish of golden locks accompanied by a galaxy of shining droplets, and with a satisfied smile she turned to the wheeled platform.

"I think it's time to make my exit," she declared. On reaching the pod, however, she paused, staring at the thing, before glancing back at Kate. "So, uh, how do you work it?"

The shell-shocked ghoul took a moment to register the question. "Erm, I think you just perch on the little seat thing, the control room does the rest. To be honest, you're the first person to ever use it in a real game."

"Cool, thanks."

Beaming at her triumph, Sarah stepped onto the platform and delicately perched herself on the seat. Nestling her arms into the rests and planting her feet neatly on the pod's base, she looked up expectantly.

"Come on. I don't have all day."

A trumpeting fanfare blared from the intercom, followed by a second of bristling static that heralded the now-familiar mechanical voice. "Evacuation protocols enabled. Mission accomplished."

The gates rumbled and shuddered, then began to open. Dry ice swirled into the room. Glowing with pride at her achievement, Sarah looked straight ahead, to where a trail of lights illuminated a long passage that ended in a disc of glorious daylight.

"Escape procedure underway. Please remain in the escape pod for the duration of your journey."

The tension melting out of her, Sarah whooped as the platform slid smoothly into motion, seeming to glide forward like a fairground ride accompanied by a barely audible hum. Smoothing back her hair, chuckling at her own cleverness, Sarah disappeared into the tunnel and rolled on to receive her long-awaited reward.

To Be Continued?