'You can't even do that right!' Aiden's voice snarled through my thoughts and smacked me back into the moment. 'I told you to let go, not fling your head against the wall.'

Aiden gently pulled me away from the hole which led down to the basement and began yanking at my hands, head and hair.

'You're bleeding.' Even though the vents were dark, I could just about see Aiden rolling his eyes to the back of his skull. 'Ray'll clean you up when we get back. For now, we have to move on. Try not to hurt yourself again.'

I reached up to feel at the top of my forehead and sure enough it was damp, sticky and throbbed the second my finger touched it. The second I saw a trickle of blood on my fingers, nausea hit me and I had to grab at my stomach and press my head onto the cold vent just to stop myself from bringing up the large amount of food I'd eaten today.

I nodded my head, suddenly feeling very sorry for myself but followed after Aiden as he turned and made his way down the vent. The two of us crawled for a few minutes before Aiden stopped. I immediately halted behind him then leaned over to see what had caused him to pause.

Aiden said nothing as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his gun. Then he slowly slithered down from all fours down to his belly. I climbed over him instantly till I was sat on his back in the tiny vent and looked over him. In front of him was a vent leading down into a room, the light shined in lighting up Aiden's face beneath me.

Aiden held a finger to his lips for a second before aiming up a shot and looking down. It wasn't until then that I listened carefully and heard voices coming from inside the room.

'And why, Mister Jones, would I ever consider that?' An unfamiliar voice barked. I could tell by the voice that it was a woman, the voice was high pitched and shrill and was followed by a fairly loud thump.

'Because, Miss Gardner, you'll soon find that you have no choice. And it's Doctor Jones, if you please.' Another voice snarled back, with just as much venom as the voice before, if not more. 'Take my offer to your superior. I'm sure he'll understand what I'm talking about.'

'Nathaniel, get this man out of my office immediately.' The female yelled louder this time.

'You'll regret this, Charlotte. This information is priceless.'

'If it was priceless, Jones. Then I would already know about it. Get out of my sight.'

Two bodies crossed beneath the vent, one was a young male in a dark suit who was holding his arm behind another man. The other man was older, taller and wider. His hair was grey and from the few seconds I caught of him, he was packing some pistols against his body.

I looked to Aiden who was frowning in confusion, still aiming his gun down through the vent.

I flicked on his head so he'd look up at me, then motioned for the two of us to move on. We didn't have time for this, if he shot at Charlotte Gardner there would be a massive uproar and ctOS would know we were here. That means initiating code red.

Code red could mean go dark and take out anyone with information or that could mean kill anyone and everyone on the list and all others who are even rumoured to be involved in their downfall.

Aiden let out a tiny growl and I immediately slammed my fist down onto his head, his face smacked against the vent and he snarled in pain. Immediately, I started moving, sliding my legs against the vents rather than banging to reduce my noise as I heard the ruffle of Aiden behind me.

I moved as quickly as I could but I felt… odd. My vision, although it was dark, was fuzzy and I could see almost like a haze when I looked ahead of me. My head was pounding the more and more I moved and my legs were beginning to feel like jelly. Was this because of my injury? I turned back to Aiden who was frowning at me hard but looked just as in pain as I was. I saw blood dripping from his nose (my fault, granted.)

'Where next?' I gulped. The headache came next and the nausea wasn't getting any better. Only now my head was beginning to sway and a wave of dizziness struck me.

'Keep going straight, Clark.' I heard Melina suddenly in my ear again. 'You're almost at a T junction. When you get there, take the left and go about fifteen metres. There should be another drop down which will lead you into the basement. Then work your way through the basement and up to a staircase at the end, follow it and then you're home free. Got it?'

'Mostly.' I frowned back as I continued crawling but my head was getting worse. What was happening? 'Mel-Melina. Can you-Can you check something f-for me? Are the vents being pumped with much oxygen?'

I heard Mel growl on the other end before the quiet tapping of keys on her computer. '...The vents should have access to the outside meaning constant supply of oxygen, why? Are you and Aiden showing symptoms of deprivation?'

Suddenly, Aiden slumped down and I turned to see him face flat down in the vent.

'You could say that.' I growled, I leaned back and grabbed Aiden by the collar, forcing him up right. I slapped him around a bit to try and wake him but it was no good.

'You need to hurry then, Clark.' Mel suddenly yelled down my ear. 'The building will be up and running again in twenty minutes, if you're still there then I don't know what we can do from out here. Plus, if you really are deprived then you might faint then you're really in trouble because-'

'I know...' I gasped for breath trying to get as much oxygen in as possible. '... what hypoxia… is, Mel.'

I slapped Aiden again for good measure but he was out like a light. I didn't know what I could do for him other than just pull him. I crawled backwards at a slow pace, interchanging between crawling two steps back then pulling Aiden along with me. Before too long my feet hit a wall and I reached the intersection.

'Shit… Mel, did you… say left or… right?' Breathing was getting harder and harder. Having to try and pull Aiden along with me was not helping. I felt my body beginning to get warm and my dizziness was getting worse.

'Mel… I'm going to… faint!' I tried to cry out but my voice was ragged and sharp.

'Just hold on a little longer, Clark.' Her voice was so quiet. 'Go left!'

I did as she told me and careful pulled Aiden around the bend. His body was so heavy and the big ass coat he wore didn't help. I'd have to slap him about when we finally got ourselves out of here.

I continued my pattern of moving and pulling until I felt my leg fall through a hole. I let out a little whimper as I quickly pulled it back up and gasped.

'Mel… We've reached the… gap. What do... we do?'

'Just drop down, it's not a big drop, 2.5 metres maybe. Just get Aiden to go down fi-'

'Aiden passed out… ages ago.' I tried to steady my breathing as I crawled over the whole in the vent and leaned to pull Aiden towards it.

I punched him a couple of times to try and wake him but again there was no response from him. I sighed as I pulled him closer to me so that his head was on my lap and butt was falling down the hole.

'I'm just going to... have to drop him... down, feet first.' I sighed. 'I've tried... waking him.'

Melina whimpered back. 'Okay, but hurry. You've got ten minutes till everything's back online. Ray will meet you on Elmers Road in fifteen. Be there.'

'... Done.' I whispered, I pulled Aiden closer to me till his feet suddenly sank into the hole and he became a lot more heavier. '... Don't hate me… for this… Aiden.'

I slowly pushed Aiden into the hole then just as my strength left me, I dropped him down. I heard a bang then an oomf then a groan from beneath me. My vision began to darken and seconds later I was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Move Clark. Everything will be fine when you drop down. Move.

I tried to wiggle forward but my body wouldn't move. The only thing moving was the vents, they swayed back and forth, shifting from black to white to grey all in a matter of seconds. I felt my body crash down and the coldness of the vent spread across my belly.

I was going to die here. Without the oxygen, my brain would slowly starve and I would die. It would be just like falling asleep, I wouldn't be able to feel it. Soon I'd be unconscious and then I would slowly die.

Was I really okay with that? Was I giving up so easily that I just accepted my fate? It sounded like me. I wasn't a big believer in things being fated to happen but I always thought that whatever happens, happens and I can't change shit. Sure, I'd be missing out on so much. My future with Melina, watching her grow old and become the person she thought was impossible to be. Meet someone who I could love and cherish. Was Jordi that person? Was I leaving him after only just finding him?

There was so many things I wanted to do. No way did I want to be a hacker forever, that's much too dangerous. I wanted to settle down one day. Have children. Lots of them. As a teen, my dream number was always seven. Preferably six boys and one girl but that wasn't too important. I'd raise them on the outskirts of a chicago or maybe even in Pawnee… Or perhaps I'd head home to dear old England.

England… My family were still there. Sure, they'd probably forgotten about me long ago especially when I cut myself out of all their lives. My mother. My sisters. My old friends.

I tried to remember their faces but nothing came, I blamed the lack of oxygen running through me.

Perhaps I was ready. Perhaps, it was my time. I wasn't afraid, in fact, I welcomed it. I wouldn't be afraid anymore. Only sad that I was leaving so many behind, but they'd get over it. As would I someday.

I was going to be- Suddenly, there was feeling in my wrists and I was moving. I slid forward slowly then felt the feeling of nothingness as I crashed down the hole in the vent. My head smashed against the side and what was a minute ago numbness was now pain.

I crashed down to earth, more pain, but was suddenly scooped up from the ground and thrown over something. I peeled my eyes open for a second to see Aiden Pearce across the ground, his arm twisted at an odd angle but he was moving. He was becoming more and more further away.

I tried to call out to him but no sound came out. I breathed in deeply and was met with dizziness once again.

'I got you.' A voice suddenly whispered very quietly at the back of my head. 'Do you hear me, Percilla? I got you.'