Escape

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Seventeen

Nine

I wasn't sure how many Mogadorians I had turned to dust before I heard Sam and Six racing down the hallway towards us. Sam looked like a mad man as he picked up a fallen knife and began to hack his way through the horde of bastards, screaming bloody murder as he did. I lost sight of Six as she turned invisible, but as a few Mogs began to suddenly have their weapons stole and used against them, I had a feeling I knew where she was. Adam was using the butt of his gun to smash some skulls and deflect some shots. However, his old people seemed to be pointedly attacking him, so I was trying my best to stay close enough to him in case I needed to intervene.

Relief washed over me as we fought together, just like the Elders wanted. Every movement made was fluid and in sync, as if we had been training together our whole lives. I would snatch one of these monsters into the air, and Six would be right there behind him to plunge two swords into his back. Sam would run at a Mog and knock the blaster out of his hand just in time for Adam to catch it and put a shot in its temple. Looking back, the raging battle reminds me of a beautiful ballet - well, with blood, guts, tears, and balls-to-the-walls rage. 

Once we cleared the hallway, I could still hear the sirens going off below us. The sound of stomping feet and commotion echoed from deeper into the building, and despite my exhaustion, I braced myself to run head-first to kill them all. Six, now visible, caught my arm and tightly squeezed it. I turned quickly towards her.

"We have to go get the others," I started, just taking notice that I was gasping for breath and covered in sweat. "I'll hold them off-"

"John and Marina are downstairs trying to get Ella. Setrakus Ra took her and was running towards his ship."

"Why didn't you go to her?!" My heart skipped a beat. 

"There's nothing we could have done," she spoke softly. I knew she was trying to reason with me, but my mind was fighting against realism. "He had her before we could had reacted. They chased after them, but we came to find you."

Sam grinned. "Who else could cause this big of a fuss?"

I wasn't amused.

I reached up to push my hair back, but when I felt the short crop, I frustratedly tugged at it. "I gotta go-" Without bothering to finish my sentence, I began to march back towards the stairs that they had appeared from, but this time, it was Adam and Sam who rushed in front of me.

"Man, you need to stop." 

"You're hurt-"

"John and Marina can handle themselves-"

"Where's Madeleine, Nine?" Six's voice rose above them.

"She's hurt pretty bad," Adam answered for me as he pushed against my shoulders with his shaking palms. I saw how heavy he panted, and the sweat and blood that was collected on his pale skin. 

I glanced over at Sam, too, who looked scrawnier than usual. His hair was matted, and his eyes expressed an exhaustion that lead back for days. One glance at Six, and I could see that she had it, too. I stopped pressing against Adam and Sam and, with a deep frown, allowed myself to resign just for a moment. 

"Then what now?" I said with a bit more venom than intended. 

Six glanced around, still holding her stolen weapons. "We find John and Marina, then Madeleine, then we leave. All of us will need some healing and rest, just for a few days."

I nodded, and the other boys agreed that was the best (and only) plan we had. Quietly, Sam turned towards Adam, and I wasn't sure if his lip was quivering or not.

"My dad isn't waiting for us outside, is he."

Adam opened his mouth to speak before faltering. After a moment, he simply said, "I'm sorry, Sam. I tried."

The human nodded before turning away. "We need to go find John."

Six spoke up. "Adam, do you know how to get out of here?"

"Yes."

"Nine and Sam, go get Madeleine and wait fifteen minutes. If we're not back by then, go back to the car. Adam, you come with me to find John and Marina so that we can find our way out of here." She slipped her hand into Adam's, giving a soldierly nod as her body language steeled over. She wasn't about to shy away from the danger of going back the the bottom level. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her shy away from anything. 

She shielded Adam and herself using her invisibility legacy, and they left.

"Come on," I said, turning and jogging down the hallway towards the tiny office room where I left her, tucked under a desk where she was bleeding profusely. 

A swarm of thoughts ran through my head. What if she bled out? What if she died, scared and alone, because I didn't come back in time? What if they found her and took her somewhere? 

I picked up my pace ever so slightly to try to push those thoughts out of my mind. No, that didn't happen. She's alright. She's going to be okay.

When I turned into the office, there was an eerie quiet resting in the atmosphere. I stepped in, my boots sinking into the plush green carpet that didn't match the rest of the converted military testing facility. Sam stayed behind me with his knife raised. 

"Mads?" I called quietly. I made my way carefully to the back of the desk, and my heart broke. Her shield was still up, but it was flickering in and out. She was slumped over against the back paneling, her clothes soaked with her own blood. I instantly stooped down and slid her out into my arms, suddenly noticing a sharp twinge behind my bicep. 

"Madeleine, wake up," I gathered her up as I pushed her hair away from her face. "Marina's going to heal you as soon as she gets here, don't you worry..."

I bent over and kissed her forehead gently and away from her cut. Sam cleared his throat as he stood in the doorway with his back towards us, watching our six.

"The others - they're running towards us."

I lifted her into my arms and stood as my adrenaline pumped, carrying her out of the office and towards the front door. I heard Marina gasp as she saw her, but when I saw Marina, I froze.

"Are you okay?" I asked quickly, looking at her blood stained pants.

"Lady issues. She needs to be healed, stat."

"There's a small boat outside," Adam said. "We'll make do. Come on."

We all quickly followed him outside, and Johnny - scruffed up Johnny Boy - held the tiny boat still as we all climbed in. I held Madeleine in my lap as Marina immediately laid her hands on her leg to begin the healing process. John and Sam took hold of the oars and began to row us to the opposite shore.

I heard some Mogadorians inside, but we didn't stick around long enough to find out. We set off into the inky black waters towards the other side, without Ella, but regrouped and alive.


AN: Hey guys! Thanks for reading so far :) Feel free to comment, vote, and subscribe!!! 

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