Julia waited a few minutes before dialing Lauren's number.

"Hey Lauren, it's Jules, did you guys find anything yet?" Julia chatted easily, "No? Too bad. Listen, Clark just called me a few minutes ago. He needs me to help him load some things up for the tour, Meredith and Dyl are with me. When you find the next clue, just let us know where you guys are going next and we'll meet you there as quickly as we can... Thanks Lo, see you in a few!" She smirked and hung up her cell. "That was easier than I thought."

"When it comes to lying," Dylan chuckled, "You could even give Brian a run for his money." The trio arrived at the arts center shortly after and all of them stood in the lobby.

"Darren said, "Back to the place where our story begins," Julia contemplated, "Which means Studio One." Breaking into a run, they all sprinted down the hall and burst through the door. Standing in the center of the room was a boy with dark, curly hair and was wearing a huge grin.

"Hey guys," Darren greeted them warmly, "What's up?"

"DARREN?" they all exclaimed, attacking him in a hug, "You're the surprise?"

"Well, um," he said sheepishly, "Yeah, I am. They gave me some time off before we started filming again. I thought I should come see you guys off on your tour! I hope you guys aren't disappointed that it's just me, not a puppy or something like that..."

"Don't be ridiculous Darren!" Meredith scolded him affectionately, "You're the best present we could ask for!"

"Not that I'm not happy to see you guys," Darren asked, "But where are the others?"

"Oh," Julia grinned, "About that... Would you be interested in helping us play a little trick on them?"

"Always," Darren giggled, his eyes dancing with laughter. The group hatched a plan, and scrambled to hide in the janitor's closet

"Lo, just remembered that DC and I used to hang out at table six all the time, try looking there." Julia texted Lauren quickly.

"FOUND IT, thanks Jules! Meet us Studio One." Lauren replied a few moments later.

"K," Julia responded. She then turned to her friends and warned them they had about five minutes before the other Starkids arrived.

"Just remember though," Meredith warned, "Jaime is mine, I've got a bone to pick with her. Nobody sits on me and gets away with it!"

"Only if you leave Joey to me," Dylan chuckled evilly, "He'll be sorry he ever tried to mess with me..."

"Now, to throw of Lauren." Julia muttered, dialing her roommate's cell, "Hey Lo, it's me. Yeah, we're on our way, but traffic is backed up pretty badly. It might be a while before we can get there...Uh huh, see you then." She hung up promptly, then broke into a fit of giggles.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" Darren hissed, "I think I hear someone coming." Sure enough, they heard the other group loudly burst through the door and stampede down the hall to Studio One. Julia paused for a few seconds, then turned on the microphone she was holding and began to speak.

"Missing something?" she cackled in an unrecognizable voice, "You're too late, Dikrats, we've stolen your treasure and are holding it captive in a secret location. Turn yourselves in! Meet us in Studio Six within fifteen minutes, or you'll never see it again!" Julia gave one last cackle, turned off the microphone with a smirk, and pulled out her cell phone. "It's lucky that I still have Nick's key, or else we wouldn't have been able to get our hands on this sound equipment..."

"Damn, Jules," Darren said shakily, "You scared the shit out of me, and I was sitting right next to you."

"It's a gift," she shrugged, "Now, we wait."

After Brian, Jaime, Lauren, Joey, and Walker had entered the building, they headed straight for Studio One. Upon entering the room, they saw nothing out of the ordinary. Not ten seconds after they began to scour the room, a wicked laugh filled the room, causing all of them to jump.

"Missing something?" the mysterious voice laughed maniacally, "You're too late, Dikrats, we've stolen your treasure and are holding it captive in a secret location. Turn yourselves in! Meet us in Studio Six within ten minutes or you'll never see it again!"

"Wh-what was that?" Joey trembled.

"That voice," Jaime remarked with a puzzled look on her face, "It kind of sounded like Julia."

"It can't be." Lauren laughed, "She called me before we came in, she said that traffic was backed up and it would be a few minutes before she and the others could get here. It must be someone else because let's be honest, Jules is the worst liar." Everyone giggled at this and heartily agreed.

"I guess the only way to find out who this mysterious voice is," Brian reasoned, "Is to turn ourselves in. I have to admit, I'm curious to see what this treasure is..."

"I hope it's a puppy," Joey giggled.

"Joey, you always hope everything's a puppy," Walker rolled his eyes.

"So?" Joey pouted, following Brian out the door and up the staircase to the second floor. Nine minutes passed as Julia, Darren, Dylan and Meredith patiently waited in the dim closet. Dylan examined his watch and nodded at the three of them. It was time. The four Starkids crept up the staircase and stopped right outside the doorway of Studio Six.

"If there really is someone here," they heard Joe complain from within the room, "They're late."

"I don't even have a snack," Joey whined.

"Shut up Joey!" Jaime hissed, "I thought I heard something out-"

"ATTTTAAAAACKK!" Julia screamed, barreling through the door with her Super Soaker in hand. Meredith and Dylan followed the suit and they all sent streams of water straight into their opponents. Dylan squirted Joey square in the chest, along with Brian and Joe who were frantically trying to dodge.

"Good thing I remembered where Matt kept his secret stash of water guns," Dylan shouted over the commotion, "Isn't that right Joey?" He sent another jet stream of ice water towards the cowering boy. Meredith cornered Jaime and nailed her in the back of the neck with her water gun.

"THAT IS FUCKING FREEZING!" Jaime shrieked.

"You know what they say Jaime, revenge is a dish best served cold," Meredith taunted gleefully, sending another shot of ice cold water down her front. As predicted, Julia's main target was Lauren, who was still in complete and utter shock.

"I'm the worst liar huh?" Julia smirked evilly, backing her friend further and further into a corner. Lauren gave an uncharacteristically pitiful whimper as Julia sent a frigid blast into the small girl's face. Within the next minute, every unarmed Starkid was soaking wet and holding their arms up in surrender.

"Well, Jules," Lauren said with as much dignity as she could muster, "It seems that I've underestimated you in the past, well done. Come on guys, let's show them that now we're even." She nodded to Brian, Jaime, Joey, and Walker, cocking her head towards Meredith, Dylan, and Julia. Getting the message, they grinned and attacked their friends in sopping wet hugs. Not bothering to dodge, Meredith, Dylan, and Julia welcomed their damp friends with open arms. Once they were through, they were just as wet as everyone else.

"So where did you guys hide our treasure anyway?" Brian asked jokingly.

"Did somebody say Darren Criss?" the aforementioned Starkid strolled in casually, pretending to be taken aback by their appearance, "Aw, come on guys! I leave you alone for a few months and come back to find all of you looking like drowned rats?"

"Get used to it," Dylan grinned, "You'll be looking like that to in 3, 2," Before he had reached one, the entire group had engulfed Darren in the warmest, freezing cold hug he had ever known. He was finally home.