(A/N: I wondered what would have happened if Elisa's escape with the Asset hadn't been successful. How would the movie have ended.. This fic will contain some dark themes. The novelization touches more on Strickland's depraved fascination with Elisa than what's shown in the movie, so I highly recommend giving it a read if you want to follow up with this fic!)

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Chapter one

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Strickland jerks the gear shift with a snarl, pulling his wrecked Cadillac to a still. The laundry van he'd plugged full of holes is parked down a few feet from the canal by the sea; The old man from the surveillance camera stands not far to the side. At the water's edge, he spots the Asset and the mute woman and leaps out of the driver's seat in a fit of rage.

Red coats his vision in the seconds it takes to reach them. With one swing of his good hand he clears the old man out of his path. He uses the other to remove his gun from his belt and aims it at Elisa and the creature; The last things standing between him and his ticket out of this shithole town. He'd put a bullet in the mute and the monster, and be on to bigger and better things once this was all over with. He licks his lips, and his finger taunts the trigger. Something makes him hesitate shooting the woman. He won't do it now. He's not finished with her. Not yet.

The weapon suddenly fires off, once, then again. Pop, pop. The bullets miss Elisa's head by a hair. Two holes appear in the Asset's chest. The creature wobbles and crumbles to his knees. A scream bubbles in Elisa's throat as she drops down beside him. Her vocal chords strain to cooperate, but all that is heard is a raspy, strangled cry. Like the sound of newborn kitten calling for it's mother.

That makes Strickland laugh. So she does squawk.

He paces around the two of them, circling them in a predatory manner.
"Sure don't look nothin' like a god now." He goads, crushing the weight of his shoe onto the Asset's ribs. From the corner of his eye, he sees Elisa smacking one hand onto her palm as she sobs. Stop! Stop it!

For an instant, Strickland seems to convey the meaning of her gesture. Elisa inhales unsteadily as he lifts his foot from the asset and takes a step back. It's only a farce. He turns on his heels, delivering a devastating kick to the creature's back and he goes over the edge. A faint splash is heard from below, clarifying that he'd indeed fallen into the sea. Almost Immediately, Elisa is scrambling on her knees to follow after him.
But Strickland is one step ahead of her, capturing her in a choke hold from behind. The cold metal of his pistol digging against her temple is enough stop her struggles.

"You caused a whole lotta people a world of trouble. Now we thought we were tracking down a fully organized strike team. Who'da thought it was a nigger, a fruitcake, and a mute."

Strickland snorts. "You do know what this means for you, right? You stole from a government laboratory, they ain't just gonna sit you down and give you a slap on the wrist."

Elisa shivers as his expression changes from slightly amused, to simply unreadable.

The cops would be showing up any moment now. The only way anybody would know the truth about what happened here was if he wanted them to. He could hand over the criminals to General Hoyt. Get a pat on the back and be his golden boy, a thought, that quite frankly, repulsed him. Couldn't he be done taking orders from that son-of-a-bitch already?

He imagines himself driving his Cadillac. All fixed up, gleaming under the Maryland sun with a fresh coat of wax, Baltimore shrinking in rear view. In the seat beside him, Elisa sways to the radio, her hair swirling behind her with the windows down.

Something suddenly seems to snap in him at that moment and Elisa finds herself being slung over his shoulder. Strickland is grateful she's even lighter than she looks. He reaches the trunk of his car swiftly and makes quick work with the lock. With a pop, it opens and he hurls her inside. Elisa's head is spinning as shock, fear, and adrenaline wash over her. He's going to turn her in for helping the Asset escape the lab. Undoubtedly she'd be interrogated, tortured and killed.

The sound of a crunch pulls her from her thoughts. The pistol in Strickland's hand is replaced with the black cattle prod. Her blood runs cold, as he leisurely twirls the Howdy-do, popping another green candy into his mouth.

"Relax, we're just goin' for a little spin."

She has nowhere to run, and no time to react to his assault. Her body jerks and twists- her muscles seizing as the electricity pulses through her torso. The light casts a blueish glow on his expressionless face. It's the last thing she sees before she passes out.

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Giles is jolted conscious by the sound of screeching tires. He rolls onto his back in a hazy state. What in Christ's name was he doing outside in the pouring rain? Without looking, he feels for his tortoiseshell glasses on the pavement. They're cracked, and wet, but they'll have to do.

Realization hits him like a bus, and he jumps to his feet.

"Elisa! Elisa!"

Would shouting do him much good? She very well couldn't shout back.

Giles sucked in a worrisome breath looking at the traces of blood that the rain hadn't washed away. He followed them to the water's edge. A shadow was rising from below and bubbles rose to the sea's surface.

Something exploded from the depths of the water, leaving an enormous splash in it's wake . Giles, wiped his glasses with the back of his hand. The Asset stood before him, his scales illuminating the dark pier like he'd seen before back in the apartment.

"Elisa! Did you see what happened to her?"

The creature let out a low, sorrowful sound. "Without me," He signs.

Giles hangs his head. "I screwed up. I couldn't protect my friend, and now she's missing."

The Asset purrs sympathetically, and creeps closer to him. He moved to place his hand over the bruise on his cheekbone where Strickland had struck him, but something else catches his attention. Just a few feet ahead, fresh tire tracks are carved into the mud. There is one thing that stands out against the darkness of the wet city streets. The creature kneels down to inspect it closer. Giles looks on over head, nearly jumping out of his own skin when it suddenly hisses.

"What is it? What did you find?" Giles asks, placing a hand over his racing heart. "Can you try to warn me next time if you're going to do that?"

The asset holds up a small object between his claws. It wasn't the sort of clue he was expecting, a bullet casing, a wallet, or Elisa's shoe. It was small and round. Most of the colour had dissolved in the rain, but it held a faint shade of green in some spots. Giles seems perplexed. What was so significant about a piece of hard candy?

The sounds of police sirens fill the air, the blue and red flashing lights reflect in the puddles on a neighboring road.

Giles has to consider his options, and he had to do it fast. He desperately wants to talk to the cops. They could help him find Elisa, but the asset absolutely could not be seen by anyone. Reluctantly, the only choice left to him was to get away without being spotted. Giles waves his hand for the creature to follow.

"We have to go. Back home. Now!"

The asset tilts his head.

"The language barrier, right.." Giles takes a minute to remember the right way to do it. He brings his fingers and thumb together, touching his cheek at the side of his mouth, His hand moves uo toward his ear, then back to his cheek.

"Home!" He repeats, urgently.

The creature seems to understand, following Giles down a lonely back street. They would get back to the apartment and figure out their next move.