ATTENTION: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! THE RUBY CIRCLE TOO! I know a big part of the fandom hasn't read it yet, so please, mind the spoilers. Just saying.

So, after reading The Ruby Circle I got, like, majorly inspired for a Marly (Marcus/Carly) story. I had to write it. Here's what came out. I will, however, continue with my other story (if you don't know about it you are more than welcome to check it out). And there will be switching POVs. We're starting with Marcus.

Anyhow, as always, I own nothing, the wonderful Vampire Academy and Bloodlines author Richelle Mead does. I'm sorry for mistakes I probably made. English isn't my first language. And please, don't forget to review, follow, favorite, let me know what you think. Your opinion, even if it's not so good or not good at all, is really important to me.

Thank you and enjoy.

Marcus's POV
It was the worst thing I could imagine. No, it used to be. Thinking back at Carly now... I never thought I could love someone so much, and the thought something could happen to her was choking me more than the croud of bloodthirsty Alchemists behind me.
Right... Carly! She was waiting for me! How would I tell her about this? Most of the time I was a person to think when it happened. I had plans, more of them than anyone could think, and they kept driving the Alchemists out of their twisted evil masterminds. But now I drained all of those plans out. I had to think right now.
Most likely it was too late for me. I could run fast, very fast. I was running fast right now. And, visiting Carly for so many times, I knew the town well. That was the only advantage I had in front of them. But they outnumbered me in a second. And they had cars. Loads of them. My closest emergency car was, well, 30 miles away. Although, if I wasn't overrating myself, I technically COULD run that far (Carly got me all gym worked up), they could run too. And they'd catch me in that time. It was very likely I was doomed. Now I needed a plan to get out of it.
But it was hard to think and run at the same time, and at the moment, running was more crucial. Unfortunatelly, I didn't think of anything. The only thing I did know was that foot by foot, inch by inch, my chasers were getting closer. It wasn't long until I almost felt them breathing behind my neck. I dodged the last second by turning into a traffic corridor, got lost in the croud for a second and turned into a deserted street. Funny, I recognised it. I once hired a studio there. Although, where hadn't I hired a studio, I thought, smiling despite myself. Maybe my feet drove me here automatically, still remembering the way.
I stopped for a second and wiped away the sweat leaking into my eyes. I needed a while to catch my breath. After running for so long, I felt a burn in my lungs, making me want to cough them out. But if I did that, I'd attract too much attention. And, I'd have no lungs.
Okay. Think, Marcus, think. They never got me before, they couldn't get me now. If I recalled corectly, the building by the end of the street was empty and always unlocked. I could hide there and rest until they'd be on to me again. I was thinking more and more I wouldn't be able to sneak away this time. But I had to try.
If it was too late for me, however, I couldn't leave my boys and girls behind. And they were in my phone. So many contacts. I knew usually the Alchemists destroyed everything a person came with to re-education. But I was Marcus Finch. And I had no proof that's where they were taking me. I only knew they'd go through my contacts 100%. So, yeah. I had to get rid of my phone.
Two eyes burned on my back. Someone was watching me. Over the years I developed the kind of sixth sense. I turned around and faced a short, pudgy guy in his fifties. He was the one watching me. And boy, he was watching me like he literally saw me fall of the moon.
"Can I help you?" I asked, trying not to look too weirded out.
"I was asking myself the same question," he said and laughed annoyingly, wrinkling his bushy black moustache. I was about to shake my head, but then an idea hit me.
"Actually, you can."
The guy looked at me all weird again and I pulled him over the street into that building behind me. He, like in a ridiculous cartoon, tripped on a banana peel that was somehow there and almost fell on me. We both almost tripped and lost more time than I had. I pulled him again and finally got him inside.
"Whoa, whoa, little boy! Don't rape me, I'm straight!" he exclaimed and laughed that same way again. Maybe that was just his laugh. He sounded like a baboon choking.
"I'm not gonna rape you. I need your help," I muttered, uncharacteristically not in the mood for jokes. I handed him my phone and wallet over.
"Take this to ASU, Downtown Phoenix campus, 555 N. Central Ave., that dorm building, room five in the third floor."
That was Carly's adress. But the guy looked at me like an idiot.
"Why would I do that?" he asked with a mean glitter in his small, pig-like eyes. I sighed. It looked like a lousy messenger was just another thing on the list of things that went wrong today. I took my wallet back and gave him 50 bucks.
"That's why," I said. The guy's eyes shined as he looked at the money, checking if it was real. In the mean time I hid the rest of the money where I knew he wouldn't find it. I couldn't let this greedy idiot get it. Carly should.
"But is that enough?" the guy asked with a sly look.
Now, I wasn't a violent person. Except when life made me. I slammed the guy into the wall. The house echoed the clash like it's about to fall apart into dust.
"You'll do it if you like it or not," I said trough gritted teeth. He nodded, suddenly terrified. I gave him an ironicly kind smile.
"I reccomend a cab. It's not that close."
"Riiight..." the guy said, clearly losing trust that this would end well for him. "Are you on the run or something?" he asked me. "None of your bussiness," I replied unkindly. "Oh, and by the way, if anyone asks you, you did not see me. Forget me - and the girl that will open up."
He nodded stroking his moustache. It made him look like one of those stereotip Italian guys (or maybe Spanish? It's not like I actually knew). What a jerk.
I was about to let him go, but there was one more thing.
"Oh, and here's what you need to tell the girl that will open up: 'Bout to get caught. Call-'"
I paused for a second. I almost said SKS. The girl got married!
"'Call SKI.' And this message and stuff are from Dave." It was an alias I always used.
The guy nodded. "So, I give her the wallet and phone from Dave. To ASU, Downtown Phoenix campus, 555 N. Central Ave., that dorm building, room five in the third floor. The message is bout to get caught, call SKI," he repeated.
"Well done. Thanks," I said and let him go. He dissappeared in a blink of an eye. I wondered if he'd do it. Or would he just take the money and run?
Jeez. I got Carly and my people safe (or so I hoped), now I had to take care of myself. I knew the Alchemists were still after me and weren't giving up. They'd catch me sooner or later. I had enough time to catch my breath, so I should probably run again. Or hide better. But I didn't want to run straight into an ambush, and my feet left dusty footprints on the filthy floor. They'd find me. I knew I'd have to run away again once they found me, but I didn't know where. What if they came from multiple sides?
So what I did was hide in a room with a broken window. Also, it was in the middle of a hallcross, so if there weren't four groups of Alchemists who'd know where to go (which wasn't completely impossible), I had a slight chance to get away. I'd have nowhere to run if I hid in the basement or upstairs.
I waited for a while, barely daring to breathe. With every slightest noise I heard, chills went down my spine. Cold sweat was running down my back, and I trembled the whole time. I wasn't cold or hot, although I felt like both. In all those years, they've never come so close to me. I wasn't afraid of what they'd do to me, I was afraid that all I, and everyone else, had worked so hard for, every try, every trouble, every risk, everything we gave up, was for nothing. I knew it'd happen someday. Today?
There was one more thing that scared the heck out of me. Ever since I started resisting, I was as free as a bird. No one could close me down. Now... A fear was arising inside me, that they'd lock me between four walls, that they'd trap me behind those prison bars, that they'd close me in a cage. My wild spirit couldn't take it.
It seemed like a lifetime, and a blink of an eye at the same time, until I heard fast, decisive steps of multiple feet hitting the floor of the old house. Silent talking was echoing from every corner of the building. They've found me.
I stood up, as quietly as possible, my feet steady, every nerve in my body awake. I was ready to run for my life, for my own freedom. On my knees, I crawled to the other side of the room, towards the window. The steps were comming closer. I looked down carefully, watching out for anyone hiding somewhere close. The room I picked out was far from all of the three entrances. No one was waiting for me down there.
I winced and turned around as the door opened up jerkily. Three Alchemists in black clothes with their lilies reflecting the sun comming from the window were staring at me. I gasped and froze as their cold gazes met mine. But just for a second. The women of them yelled with a piercing voice: "We found him!"
That was all it took. Everything was hanging on a cliff. But I got back up. With no hesitation, I jumped trough the window. It was a second floor room, and I fell into a bush, so it didn't hurt much. It wasn't a graceful landing, but I knew I was hidden for a second. The Alchemists were almost certinately looking trough the window, looking where I'd dissappeared. They couldn't get to the window in time to see me fall into the bush.
I counted to 500, thinking they must've left the window by then, and hoping there was still enough time to run until they got there. Just in case, I crawled out towards the wall and slid next to it, in the opposit direction from the nearest door. When I reached a corner, I ran. I ran trough a dried meadow, hoping they wouldn't notice me, even though I had no cover whatsoever in the middle of nowhere and anyone could hear me from far away because of the dehydrated grass creaking under my feet.
I ran for a while, catching my breath, with my T-shirt looking like I showered in it. I'd be cold the moment I'd stop, even with the hot Arizona sun burning my sweaty back. Although, I wouldn't stop for a while. That is, if I wanted to live. My body was exhausted, barely still moving, but my brain was still working and it wouldn't let me stop.
I reached the other side of the meadow, which I didn't know if it was good or bad. I'd have a cover, being back in the city now. But there was loads of them in the city too.
I had no idea what to do or where to hide. I had no idea where I was or where the next safe spot was. But I wasn't giving up. I couldn't. I couldn't let them close me up in some kind of a dark dungeon, or whatever it was that Sydney'd told me. Oh, yeah, Sydney. I could use some of her abracadabra right now. Or any kind of magic. A miricale, at its best.
I realized I'd stopped. I mean, what else could I do? I'd run if they were here. But they weren't.
And then I heard a blunt bang behind me. They had guns. And they were closing up again. I ran again, into the first street I saw. But it was a blind one. I only noticed after I ran past a number of houses that there was one in the end.
"Oh, fuck," I muttered. Every moment mattered. And I was losing plenty right now.
In the end I turned to the backyard of that last house and ran like the wind. Man, I wished I didn't wear jeans today. Although... No, Carly told me the other day I looked smoking hot in them. Let them be jeans. I'd just have to try more. Just another challenge. It's not like some life or death excercise would hurt me.
I crossed a slide and a few swings. A table with a few chairs wasn't a problem. What I didn't expect was a wired fence.
"What a plot twist," I growled, considering what to do. I went back to the street, intending to to try the backyard thing with some other house. It was a family neighbourhood. But I was still hoping not every one of those parents was that paranoied to have a fence.
Yet, I didn't have a chance to find out.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my left thig, just below my fabulous butt. Whoever was shooting was either gay or a girl. There go my smoking hot jeans, I thought.
Still, I refused to give up. I dragged my left leg behind me, going as fast as I could, but it didn't exactly obey me anymore. The pain was going numb, and so was my whole body. The soporific was reaching every drop of my blood. And it was hard to run with an arrow in my butt.
"Seriously, a tranqualizer gun?" I exclaimed, putting the last strenght I had into those words, then collapsed into a ditch by the edge of the road, seeing nothing but white all around me.
After all those years, a tranqualizer gun took me down.

That would be it for now. There's going to be at least one more chapter, actually I already have one writen. But I want to se what you think first before I update. So please, don't forget to review!