Injustice Dies In Daylight: The Complete Saga

Suffer with Me

Jonas and George stood horrified by what had just happened.
Major Birch didn't utter a word as Michael and the others managed to get away in time,taking Banshee's limp body with them as the made their escape.
George was an inconsolable mess,and Jonas was completely catatonic as they slowly made their way back to the entrance. Both were in grief and anger. Hatred grew within Jonas and he wanted nothing more than to hang Major Birch. Leon Birch,on the other hand,seemed to feel no remorse. He kept repeating what a tragedy this was and what a terrible accident. Inside,he was ecstatic to see what he considered a dishonorable and dangerous soldier put down like a rabid dog.

Michael,Imani,Shae,and Austin sat silent in the back of a army jeep. With the minimal room,Roxanne was laid across Imani and Austin's legs in the backseat. Imani was checking her pulse constantly and trying her best to find where the bullet had went in.
Austin was hyperventilating at the sight and smell of the blood.
Shae drove with Michael in the passenger seat, mindlessly giving directions to their next base of operations.
"We've still got another few miles. Imani,how much longer can she survive?"
"I'm trying to keep the blood flow a minimum,but it's bad. At max we have four hours before she dies from the blood loss."
Michael glared at Shae.
"Step on it,no cops hang out on these forest roads."
Shae gassed it through the wooded one way road.
Internally Michael was panicking.
Don't die,don't die,please don't die. Not yet.
Please don't leave me.

Roxanne was unaware of the problem. She was out cold from the pain and shock. She was instead dealing with a totally different nightmare.
There seemed to be no end the dark hallway she now found herself in. She felt her hairs stand on end as she began to walk down it,then she began to jog,then run. The floor began to collapse from beneath and she fell through a dark void. She stopped falling when she was suddenly impaled from the back,sending egregious pain and distress through her mind and body.
"Help..."
Was the only thing she could muster out before everything went black again. Now she found herself in front of a house of mirrors.
Cautiously,she entered.
Every mirror seemed to show something different.
She stopped at one that appeared to show nothing at all.
She slowly but surely approached it...
Nothing.
She got within two inches of it,when a bloodied palm slammed against the glass.
She jumped back,sweat pouring down her face as she saw herself.
Dead.
Though it moved and breathed,the figure in the glass had no life.
Its eyes were glassy,face of decomposed skin.
Blood coming out it's eyes and mouth.
She bolted from it,not wanted to see anything else but was stopped by the biggest mirror of all,she didn't want to see what it contained. Curiosity got the better of her,and she slowly began to turn her eyes to the mirror.
She was again greeted by an alternative version of herself.
This one,however,looked normal. The difference was that she was older,and lacked all the scars and torment she once carried.
"It's me."
Her heart began to shatter the longer she looked.
"Why can't I look like that?"
"Why did it all have to be this way?"
The mirror once again began to change,showing the study where Luther had ended it all.
Tears began to flow,faster and faster as she began to feel the hurt return.
"Dad...Dad..why did you do this to me? Why did you leave? I needed you and you ABANDONED ME."
She collapsed onto her knees,and screamed her lungs out.
One by one the mirrors began to shatter and she was left with the large mirror in front of her.
The image of herself returned,as it slowly faded into a simple reflection.
Slowly,words began to appear over her reflected figure.
She stared,waiting to see them fully.
"Where one life ended,another has begun."
The mirror began showing her images.
Her memories.
She saw her mother and brother first,waving and smiling at her.
George was reflected as she saw his massive smile done the day they met.
Veronica appeared holding a clipboard from the medical office smiling and saying something inaudible.
Aaron,sitting with her on the rainforest floor.
Jonas,sparring with her as he gave advice.
Robert,as the day he joined the military academy.
Tom,Helen,Heather,we're also shown.
Finally she saw Michael,holding her hand inside the airplane the day he came back for her.
The dream began to disappear as light began to pierce her eyes again.

"How much longer before you can get the bullet out?" Michael demanded an answer from Imani as she worked on Roxanne.
"Not much longer,and please leave,I told you before she doesn't have any kind of shirt on right now so get out."
She responded promptly kicking him out before he could get too close.
"Grouch."

The lights of what appeared to be a surgical ward woke Roxanne up.
Am I back at base? This doesn't look like the medical ward.
"Jason? Veronica?"
A form came into view,slightly blocking the lights for a moment.
"No,not exactly."
Roxanne tried to sit up but promptly fell back as pain seared her right side.
A hand held her shoulder down.
"Imani? Is that you?"
"Yes,you're still with us."
"What on earth happened."
She hesitated for a long time.
"There was a sniper above us,he shot you in the ribs."
She winced in pain as she laid there in shock.
"I was shot? By my own side?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
A tear fell down her face.
"It's just my luck isn't it?"
"It wasn't t your fau-"
"I've had nothing but bad luck ever since I left home. Tortured,brainwashed,beaten,bruised,
and to top it all off,I've been betrayed by the people I've devoted my life to."
They both remained silent for a long time.
"Michael will be in here to see you once you're dressed."
"Yeah. Hey wait a minute where ARE my clothes?"
She laughed and pointed to the side table.
"I got Austin to sneak onto the island and into your barrack to grab some. It wasn't easy."
"How long have I been out?"
"If you count when you were first shot,about six days."
Her mouth fell open,realizing what that probably meant.
"Guess I won't be going back any time soon."
"No,as far as I know they've declared you KIA."
She clenched her jaw in anger. They gave up that fast?
"They figured since your body couldn't be recovered they'd just declare you dead. We have our sources out on the island,I guess the sniper lied and said he shot you in the head,not the ribs."
"No wonder they gave up."
Imani's phone buzzed,and she swiftly left the room with a rushed goodbye.
Roxanne jumped off the table,immediately regretting it as pain hit her side again.
She pulled one of the stolen shirts on and grabbed her unharmed leather jacket.
She strode across the room towards the door,and grabbed the handle.
Only for the door to fly open and smack her in the face,knocking her to the floor.
Shae looked down at her,unaware what he had just done.
"Why are you sitting on the floor."
"Oh because I wanted to,it's comfy...YOU HIT ME WITH THE DOOR!"
"Oh whoops. Anyways if you're done whining Michael's waiting,he asked me to come find you."
"Once I'm done bleeding,sure." She responded p,wiping the blood from her nose.
She got up and followed him through the winding halls,which didn't look too different from the last location.
He pointed to a door then left. She walked through and saw Michael sitting at a couch,watching the news.
"Sit down." He said,without even looking towards where she was.
She sat in an armchair diagonal from where he sat. She watched the television newscaster with him.
"-in other news the government has announced that multiple international threats have been eliminated."
She snorted at the screen,maybe they did manage to get the others but they still failed to get them all.
Michael turned off the tv,and they both sat in silence for a little bit.
"What will you do now?"
She stared at him,knowing what he meant.
"I guess I just have to live out in hiding. If Birch has it out to kill me,I can't go back yet."
He didn't say anything.
"Stay here."
"What?"
"Stay here,with me and the others,you'll be a lot safer than out on the streets."
She debated for a long time.
On one hand,she's be risking her entire job and possibly end up in jail for associating with them.
On the other,living wasn't even an option should she get caught.
"I'm not helping you guys steal stuff."
He rolled his eyes.
"We'll we will ask you to help us some stuff,if you're going to be here,you have to pull your weight."
"You drive a hard bargain."
"Does that mean we have a deal?"
She stared at him.
"Yes."