"This food is amazing, Liali. What restaurant did you order from?" Greg asked, shoveling the food into his mouth. He was clearly enjoying the takeout food that Liali had ordered for them while they finished up the changes being made to the next test.

"I got this from a Chinese place that opened up recently. I wanted to try it so I decided we may as well experiment tonight since we were getting takeout anyway."

Arianna grinned. "This is definitely the kind of experiment I love. And it gave me a great idea too..."

Liali rolled her eyes. "Another one? Don't you get tired of them, Ari?"

"Come on, the reactions are absolutely hilarious. How could I not keep doing it?"

Elliot's eyes darted between the two scientists. "Doing what, exactly?"

"It doesn't matter," Arianna said.

Greg, having finished the last of his food, leaned back on the plush white sofa he was sitting on, placing his hands behind his head. "No, I like where this is going. What are you two talking about?" he said, taking Elliot's side.

Liali grinned. "You have to tell them now, Ari. They'll keep your secret, won't you guys?"

"Well we can't keep it if she doesn't tell us what it even is," Greg pointed out.

Elliot nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Arianna, spill."

"Fine!" Arianna held up her hands. "But not a word to the other workers or you'll spoil the fun."

"We won't tell," Greg and Elliot assured her at the same time.

"Well... you remember the British ambassador that come over... we went out to lunch together to discuss my research?" Arianna started.

Greg's eyes narrowed. "The man who became completely convinced that you'd been served pickled dinosaur eggs at the fancy restaurant you guys went to?" he asked suspiciously.

"That was me. I told him they were a rare delicacy and offered him one. It was just a normal hard boiled egg, but once I told him it was a pickled dinosaur egg he refused to touch it. If he had eaten some the whole joke would have been ruined."

"Did you do all of the other pranks too?" Elliot asked. "Like the time the air vents somehow managed to leak helium and everyone was speaking in really high pitched squeals for the whole day?"

"That was me. Liali helped out with that one. But you can't tell anyone! If they found out the pranks were mine it would ruin the serious reputation I have."

Elliot was about to reply when one of the women who was working with the volunteers came in. "They're ready, Ms. Storm."

~~~

This task is pretty much your basic mutt task. You will start out in a large wooden cube with a dirt floor and a small pool of water in one corner. In this cube is another smaller cube, this one made out of metal. Inside the cube is a key which unlocks the door out of your small cage. Once outside of the cage you will enter a room with all of the other volunteers. You will each go to a station and there face a Sphinx which will give you three riddles. If you don't answer them correctly then you will be eaten. If you do, you will be able to leave the testing area.

To open the metal cube: The cube can be opened any way you want so long as you use your powers to do it. This can be accomplished by melting the lock inside of the cube with fire, crushing it with earth, pressuring it with air and so on, but you can't open it unless it's with your elemental power. Each cube is designed differently so that you can only open it with the specific element that you wield. 

To defeat the Sphinx: This isn't a simple task. You can look up riddles to use for this or make them up, but they have to be difficult and challenging for your character. The Sphinx is a smart creature and they love riddles, so their riddles won't be obvious or clique. Let your mind get creative with the riddles and try to branch out a little farther than just the old "what walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening" riddle. 

In regards to killing this task: You can kill this task, but not directly. For this task the only killing you do will be witnessed only. You can see the other volunteers as they face the Sphinx, so you would be able to see if any of them failed and were eaten. You can use this to your advantage.

In this round, five people will go up for voting and one will survive.

~~~

Kills: 2

Ballots: 3

Word Count: 3500

Due Date:

~~~

Awards:

The Sphinx: The person who gets this award did the best job of describing and portraying the Sphinx according to what myth actually says about them. (two points)

Unique: The person who gets this award had the most unique and difficult riddles in their entry. (two points)

Unlocked: This award is for the person who had the coolest method of unlocking their cube. (two points)

The Scientists: This is for if you include the scientists in this entry and portray them correctly according to what the judges have created them to be like. (three points)

~~~