ESCAPE

"That should do the trick," Beca said after connecting the wires of her bomb on the door. "They try to get in and it'll blow up."

"Are you sure that this will work?" Benji asked, skeptical.

"Guess we'll find out later," Beca replied and stood by her armor. She looked at it for a moment and felt nervous that it won't work. But she was fifty percent sure that it will.

"Ready?" Benji asked. He was holding one of the pieces and waited for a response from the genius brunette.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "Let's do this. Time to go home." Benji immediately wrapped the piece that goes around Beca's neck. Next, Beca let herself in the upper armor. She slipped her arms inside and it did fit perfectly.

"Remember forty steps straight ahead, fork right, thirty-three steps turn right," Beca said and Benji nodded in response while he fixed the locks of the suit.

"Is it too heavy? Can you move your arms?" Benji asked, making sure there was nothing wrong.

"I'm fine, Benji. Continue putting on the rest," Beca said as she let herself feel comfortable in the armor. Benji did as he was told. He assembled the armor for her legs and attached them. Beca did a quick test by bending her legs. It was a bit hard to walk around but it'll do. Then Benji placed Beca's helmet, lifting up the face mask as she gave him instructions but he stopped when they heard footsteps.

"They're coming," Benji said, frightened.

"Relax. Just tighten up the bolts. We can do this."

"We need more time," He gritted his teeth and started to tighten up the bolts.

"Just focus and-" Beca was cut off by a loud thud on the door. Benji widened his eyes in horror and started taking deep breaths. They heard a man on the other side of the door but he was speaking a different language.

"What did he say?" Beca asked as she watched Benji who was panicking.

"He's speaking Hungarian. I only know a few words," Benji said with a shaky voice as he continued what he was doing.

"Calm down. Just say anything," Beca said calmly. Benji replied but he wasn't sure if they understood. The knocking on the door stopped though. "Get the laptop and listen carefully." Benji quickly took the laptop and rolled up his sleeves.

"Initialize the power sequence." Benji typed in a code and another set of codes came out of the screen.

"Press Function eleven on the keyboard. Now, tell me when you see a progress bar."

"Uh…."

"It should be up right now!"

"Y-Yeah. Yeah," Benji stammered.

"Now Press Control + I. Then come over here and button me up," Beca told her and Benji finished tightening up the bolts. The thud on the door grew even louder. They heard two men screaming and loading their guns. "Benji! Get down!"

BOOOM!

Benji was able to take cover from the explosion. Once the dust was cleared, he peered by the opening and saw two men lying unconscious on the ground. He then turned to Beca, "Your bomb worked."

"I told you it will. What's the status on the power sequence?"

Benji ran to the laptop and saw the progress bar was only at forty-nine percent. His heart sank knowing that their plan might fail. "I thought we had more time." He stood in front of Beca and looked at her intently. "I should make a distraction. It's at forty-nine percent. I'm going to buy you some more time."

"Stick to the plan! Benji!"

"I have to do this," Benji said and ran out of their cave. He took a machine gun before taking off. He started shooting randomly upwards and ran around the narrow passages of the cave like a maniac. Two guards were on their way but Benji was able to scare them away. He saw a light and was ready to go out of the dark cave but stopped when he saw a dozen of guns pointed at him. He turned to look at Raza who was glaring at him. Benji clenched his jaw, lifted his gun and was ready to shoot them but that's when he realized…he ran out of bullets.

Meanwhile, Beca waited for the progress bar and it's already at ninety-eight percent. She was just hoping that Benji made it out alive. Once the progress bar reached to one hundred percent, the lights in the cave went off and there was only her arc reactor glowing in the dark. She pulled down the mask of her helmet and started to walk but then she heard footsteps. She stood still and waited for them to come in. Just as she had predicted, about two men came in and scanned the wreckage. Their guns were pointed up, ready to shoot anything that moved in the darkness.

The man with a shaggy beard put down his gun and noticed the glowing light behind him. He took a closer look at the light and that's when Beca punched him, knocking him down. The other man started shooting her but the bullets just bounced back on her titanium armor then hit the shooter. Three men were waiting by the door and continued shooting Beca as she walked towards them. One man was able to run away and the other two followed him.

Beca walked the passage way and followed those men. She heard a metal door shut and a man hitting on it.

"Open it!" The man screamed as hit the door for his life. Beca came in and hit his head against the door. The man was unconscious now and then with the strong metal around her arm; she used it to punch the door open. After three punches, the door flew open hitting two men.

More terrorists came and shot at her but she was able to knock most of them down and the others ran for their lives. One brave soul tried to hit her with a metal rod but she hit him with her arm but her arm got stuck on the concrete wall during the process. She was struggling to pull it out when she heard a clank from her helmet. She turned her head and saw one of Raza's men on the ground with a bullet in his head. When she was able to free her arm and searched for the exit.

She was right with her estimation and had spotted Benji lying on the ground. He was badly injured.

"Watch out!" Benji shouted weakly just when Beca saw Raza with a bazooka aimed at her. She raised her arm and fired a small missile at him. Before Raza could run, he was hit by the explosion.

Beca walked over to Benji. He was shot a few times and Beca's heart broke at the sight. She lifted her face mask, "Come on, Benji. Let's go." She tried to pull him up but Benji hesitated.

"No, it's okay," Benji said with a weak voice.

"I'm not leaving you! Let's get you home. You're going to see your family."

"My family's dead, Beca. They killed them. And I'm going to see them now."

Beca tried her best not to cry and Benji gave her a small smile. He lifted his arm and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't waste your life. Don't waste it," He said faintly and had let out his last breath. Beca pursed her lips and clenched her jaw. She covered her face and prepared herself to go outside.

About two dozen men were waiting for her. Huge loaded guns were pointed at the entrance of the cave. Their legs were shivering in fear as they heard loud metal footsteps walking. They gripped their weapons and froze in their position. They finally had the clear view of the armored person.

"FIRE!" One of the men shouted and bullets were shot at Beca in an instant. Beca braced herself and just let the bullets hit her since she was wearing a bulletproof armor. After what seemed like five minutes, the men stopped shooting and waited for Beca's next move.

"My turn," Beca said and showed off the flamethrowers of her armor. Blazing fire came out of her arms and the men ran for their lives but they were too late. The packages filled with missiles and other flammable weapons caused multiple explosions in the area. Beca was surrounded by fire and figured this would be the time to finally escape that dreadful place. She was setting up the flight mode of the suit while bullets were being shot at her. She was able to push the button and she blasted off like a rocket. She tried to control her flight but then something went wrong and had lost power. All she couldn't make out what's coming her way but all she could feel right now is falling. And falling. She doesn't even know if she'll be able to survive the impact. After that five hundred meter drop, she was on the ground. She was glad she landed in one piece but she had fractured her arm during the impact.

Beca lied down for a bit and winced at the pain of her body. She saw smoke from the mountains where she came from. She was so far and slightly smiled to herself. Of course the military would notice what had blasted off from that mountain. Now she just had to wait in a hot desert. She took her jacket off and used it as a sling for her arm. She ran off to search for water. The heat was killing her. She knelt down and took deep breaths then heard a helicopter flying above her.

"HEY!" She raised her arm and waved at the helicopter. She watched as the helicopter landed a few kilometers away from her. Everything was blurry but she saw four soldiers running towards her.

"How was the Fun-vee?" Aubrey asked. Beca chuckled in response. She was so glad that her bestfriend was the one who came for her.

"Good to see you too, Aubrey."

The lieutenant hugged her bestfriend and ordered the medical team to help her out. They evacuated the area immediately.

"She needed a few stitches and has a fractured arm. Other than that, she's going to be fine," The doctor explained to Aubrey who was listening intently.

"What about the thing on her chest?"

The doctor shrugged, "She wouldn't want me to take a look at it."

Aubrey nodded in response. She thanked the doctor before entering the room where Beca stayed. She saw her bestfriend looking out the window. She had a bandage on her forehead and a sling for her arm.

"You look clean," Aubrey said with a smile and walked further inside the room.

Beca smirked and turned her head to look at the blonde, "I'm serious about the plaid shirt request though. Any color will do."

Aubrey chuckled and sat on Beca's bed, "Do you mind if I ask what's that glowing thing on your chest?"

Beca looked down and tapped a rhythm before playing with the hem of her shirt. "This little circle of light is what's keeping me alive."

"How did you escape that cave?"

Beca looked away from her and let out a sharp sigh, "I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand," Aubrey said softly. They were silent for a moment.

"I just want to go home," Beca said. Aubrey smiled and gave her leg a gentle squeeze.

The next day, Beca went back to California with Aubrey. They rode one of the military planes and Beca kept complaining why they had to bring a wheel chair. Well, Aubrey had insisted. When they landed and waited for the loading door to open. Beca stood up from the wheel chair and Aubrey helped her.

The loading door was now fully open and Beca smiled when she saw Chloe standing beside Jesse with the car behind them. Jesse gave her a small wave and started the car. Beca stood in front of her and narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

"Your eyes are red. Did you miss your long lost boss?"

Chloe sniffled and rolled her eyes with a smile on her face, "I'm just glad you're here. I hate job hunting."

Beca let out a light laugh and wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm glad I'm here too. Well, vacation's over."

Aubrey approached them and gave Beca a pat on the back, "I'll see you around, Beca." She walked away and Beca bid her goodbye.

They made their way to the car and got in. Beca let out a breath and relaxed on the chair. Jesse looked at her and asked, "Where to, boss?"

"Take us to the hospital, Jesse." Chloe told him but Beca made a face.

"No," Beca said and Chloe frowned, "I have been in captivity for three months. There are two things I would like to do. First, I want a taco. And second, I want to call for a press conference."

Chloe sighed and looked at her in disbelief, "No. Beca, you need to rest and you want to call for a press conference? You need to go to the hospital-"

"Swanson, drive. Taco Bell first," Beca said, ignoring Chloe's words.

A/N: I apologize for the very late update (again). And I apologize in advance for the late updates you'll be getting in the future. Since it's like my last year of college, I need to focus more on that. I'll try my best to continue writing and update this story whenever I can. Please bear with me. I'm happy with the good responses. Thank you so much for the support! :)