This is a super-long chapter to make up for my laziness in the past! I was gonna post this sooner but my computer started being weird and...(shrugs) I think I did an awesome job formating on this chapter, I spent extra time on it because sometimes my chapters in the past were a bit broken up funny and...yeah...
Enjoy! No flames! Review and I'll love you forever! :D:D:D
My grin widened as the sound of men shouting and swearing pierce through the silence of my cell. I could hear them quoting my phrases, demanding higher pay and respect. Being the thick-headed brutes they were, it wouldn't take long for things to get physical.
The perfect distraction.
I forced myself to wait for five more minutes, making sure Lex's employees were all preoccupied, before I began my escape attempt. I say attempt because that's what it was, if one thing went wrong, just one, the whole plan would be ruined. My eyes scanned the small room, searching. They locked onto the surveillance camera mounted in the corner, the last thing standing in my way. I knew Lex would have guards watching the monitors 24/7, if they saw me unlock the door they would automatically sound the alarm and I'd have a group of really ticked-off Lexcorp bozos after me. Not fun. I walked around the perimeter of the room once, twice. I was on my third circle when I hopped directly under the cam and hugged the wall. I was in its only blind spot. I reached up and pried off the cover that protecting the camera's circuits and started fiddling with them. If I was right, the camera-duty guys would be watching the chaos down the hall, not my cell. But all it would take is one guy glancing over his shoulder at the screen that displayed the feed from my cell and…
I shook my head to clear it. I couldn't worry about what might go wrong; I had to worry about getting out.
I scrunched up my face in concentration as I peered at the multicolored wires. Disconnect the red wire, or was it the brown one? Crisscross the blue and yellow wires put the orange wire where the green one used to be, and put the nacho-cheese-colored one right….over…there.
I stepped back, relieved. The video feed was now on a continuous loop. It would keep showing the last ten seconds of the camera's recordings over and over again. I highly doubted they would, but if Luthor's goons did notice the slight jump the video made when it reset, they'd probably blame it on an equipment malfunction. And by the time they figured it out…I smiled.
Well, I wouldn't be there when they did, now would I?
I moved to the door and knelt down until my eyes were level with the padlock. I slipped the key out of my pocket and pushed the key into the lock. I winced from the pain; my fingers were so not supposed to stretch that far, but I kept pushing and turning until the padlock slipped off the door and clattered to the ground with a way-too-frickin'-loud thud.
I pushed the door wide open and stood up. I took a few hesitant steps forward and nervously glanced down each hallway. Twice. After being cooped up in a dark, confined space for so long the wide-open hallway made me anxious. But not as anxious as I was to get out of there, so I braced myself and started sprinting down the hall to where they were supposedly keeping Max. I just hoped the goon knew how to count and Lex really was keeping Max three doors down, apposed to, I don't know, thirty-three. Frankly I wouldn't be surprised; I'd seen people do way dumber things. And if you're one of the people out there telling me that it's impossible and no one can do anything that stupid. Shut up. It's possible.
But no, I unlocked the door without a problem and saw poor, innocent little Maxie all huddled up on a cot just like the one they gave me. His face was streaked with tears and he looked worse then ever. When he first noticed me he cowered in fear, assuming I was a Lexcorp employee. I stepped into the room and held up my hands in a 'hey, it's just me' gesture.
"Maxie, it's me. We're getting out of here."
Max sat up and stared at me. His eyes seemed to get bigger, if that was even possible.
"They hurt you…" He whimpered.
I cringed; he was talking about the bruises… I shook my head. I didn't think about the bruises…
"Maxie, buddy, its okay. I fell against a door, is all. They didn't touch me." Okay, yeah, I knew it was a weak lie, but Maxie did something to me when he looked at me. I just…I couldn't lie to him, not about something that big.
He blinked at me with his great big eyes and scowled.
"Fibber! I heard you screaming, and you swore too! I'm telling Lily!"
I gaped at him. I'm telling Lily? We were in major trouble and all he could worry about was one little swear word? Heck, it wasn't even one of the worst ones I knew!
But he seemed so honest, so….angry, it was almost funny.
I picked Max up in my arms and smiled at him, he was such a sweet boy, he shouldn't have to put up with being kidnapped.
That's another strike against you, Lex.
"Sorry Maxie, I didn't mean to say a bad word, the man was being a jerk and my tongue slipped. Forgiven?" I tweaked his cute little nose.
"Okay…." He wrapped his arms around my neck. "Let's just get out of here…"
I couldn't agree more.
I ducked out of the room and looked around. Left led back to my cell and the fighting guards, right led…I had no clue. Luthor's office? A back exist?
I had no other choice, so I went right. I summoned up a mental picture of the layout of a typical Lexcorp building, because I'd been in them hundreds of times before. You think this was the only time I messed with Lex Luthor? Uh…no. I've been messing with this guy since I was like…eight. I guess the microchip was just the last straw or something. Eh, it didn't matter. The dude hated me, I hated him. He had people charge at me with guns, I stole from him regularly. We had fun. Well…maybe not so much him, but….I did! And all that really matters is the happiness of children.
I charged down the corridors, holding my side with one hand and gripping Max with the other. I could talk big all I wanted, but I was exhausted. I was in pain. There was no way I could run like that for much longer.
Maxie whimpered in my arms and I took the opportunity to stop and check on him/rest for a second.
"What is it, Maxie?" I asked, trying not to wheeze.
"Hurts…" He held his abdomen.
A cold wave of fear washed over me. No...no...
"Max…" I tried to keep my voice calm. "Maxie, buddy…Did they hit you?"
He seemed surprised by the question. "What?"
"Did. They. Hit. You." I repeated slowly. If they did, not only would I be furious as hell, but it might mean Max was in big trouble. If the hit him the wrong way, and his appendix burst…
Oh, fuck no… I bit my bottom lip.
"No…" He shook his head earnestly.
"Are you sure?" I demanded.
Max looked at me like I'd gone crazy. "Yeah, I'm sure. Why would they hit me?"
I smiled at him. He was too little to really understand what was going on, poor kid.
A bullet whizzed over my head, snapping me out of it.
"Brat!" Munroe thundered.
"Get the brat! Get her now!" He ordered, stomping his feet like a five-year-old.
At his command, two dozen guards started racing towards us brandishing MK-47s and M16s as well as regular security-guard firearms.
I want to say I stood my ground and fought, that I didn't back down and I beat everyone up and yeah Commando you're so awesome…!
The truth? I ran like hell. Wouldn't you?
I almost did a cartoon-style wipeout onto the marble flooring when I rounded a partially sharp corner, but some of the guards weren't so lucky. Over half of the guards tripped over the morons on the floor, and the rest started laughing and making fun of those who fell. The really funny part was Munroe. The jerk's face was beet-red from rage, but he wasn't about to chase after me himself.
That gave me a little time, but by then alarms were sounding all over the building. They'd all be looking for me, lackey revolution or not, the ones who weren't 'fighting for there right to a decent pay' would be searching. I stopped right in front of an elevator and jammed my thumb into the little up button. I know that up is not typically the way out of a building, but I suspected that I was in one of the underground storage areas. Almost no one went down there, ever. Besides, I was running out of options. I pressed the button again. It wouldn't go. There was something wrong… I slapped myself, of course! It was an executive elevator. To open it I'd need a…a…cardkey.
I dug the card from my pocket and swiped it with a grin, and who says crime doesn't pay?
The doors almost instantly glided open and I stepped inside.
I heard footsteps and screaming rushing towards me. "The elevator! She's in the elevator! Grab her! Grab her!" Munroe screeched.
In my panic, I punched the highest floor button instead of the ground floor like I was wanted to. I kept pushing it as if that would help, and I kept screaming "Shut! Shut! Shut!" Like the door would respond if I yelled at it. The doors gently closed just as the men reached them. They pounded against the doors, but we were soon too far away to hear them. Annoying 70's music twinkled out of the speakers, too soft to be heard correctly but to loud to be ignored.
"Uh, Mandy…" Max spoke up.
"Hmm?" I mumbled, only half-listening.
"Isn't outside….down?" He asked innocently.
"Yeah…" I cringed.
"But so is fifty or so peeved-off Lexcorp goons with semi-automatic weapons." I said bluntly.
"Oh…" Max nodded like he understood, but I could tell he was trying to figure out what 'semi-automatic' meant.
The doors opened again and I darted out, not even waiting to see what was around me. It seemed like I was in the 'higher-ups' department. Paintings adorned the walls, every where I looked I saw a potted plant. My thief's hands instinctively wanted to loot, but I managed to control myself.
I rounded a corner and paused beside a portrait of Lex to catch my breath.
I glared at the picture, wishing I had a black sharpie in my pocket…
"There she is! Get her!" Someone shouted from behind me.
"Ughgh! Here we go again!" I groaned and started running…again.
I whipped my head around, searching for another elevator, when I found something even better.
A fire escape. It was old and rickety, but it was a whole lot safer than inside the building so I really didn't care.
"Yes!" I pumped my fist into the air.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
"GET HER!"
I didn't see the men yet, but Munroe's shout sounded close. Too close. There was no way Max and I could get down the fire escape before they found us.
"No!" I gritted my teeth in frustration.
"No! No! No!"
I was so close to freedom, so close to safety, that the thought of being caught again made me want to curl up into a ball and cry.
And I could've too, I so could've. But I had Max to think about, and of course there was my pride…
"Max…" I sat the boy down in front of the opening.
"Go down the fire escape and hide, alright? I'll find a different way out and meet up with you."
"NO!" He wailed.
"I don't wanna move from this spot for as long as I live!"
I groaned in frustration. The kid was terrified, yeah, but so was I. I didn't have time to put up with his stubbornness.
I knelt down so that we where eye-to-eye.
"Listen to me. If you don't move the rest of your life is going to be about thirty seconds." I said softly, indicating the direction of the men's voices. At first, I had no idea why it was taking so long for them to find me. But then I hear one of the men shout "Higher pay!" and I knew that the revolution had moved to the upper floors.
He whimpered, but nodded in agreement.
I put on my best smile for him, but I wasn't sure how convincing I was.
"Okay, go on. Be a good boy and remember: don't move from your hiding spot until you see me." I gave him a hug and kissed the top of his head before I pushed him towards the fire escape.
I watched Max carefully shuffle down the escape for a few moments before Munroe's voice caught my attention.
"There she is!" A man, the one I had persuaded to lead a revolt, growled.
"Little brat tricked me! She's behind it all!"
"Oh, so you pick now to start using that walnut-on-a-stick you call a brain?" I rolled my eyes before scampering out of the line of fire. I had to get them away from Max. After all, I was the primary target. As long as I kept their attention he would be safe.
"Be careful where you shoot!" Munroe instructed.
We need her alive!"
Oh, goody.
I dashed down the halls, desperately searching for an exit.
That's when the bullet hit me.
It lodged itself deep into my shoulder and I staggered forward. I clutched my shoulder in agony and dropped to my knees.
The pain was intense; it felt like my whole arm was on fire.
I felt around for an exit wound and moaned. There was none. So I was right, the bullet was still inside me.
Not good, not good at all.
I started getting dizzy; my warm blood was rolled down by back in a slow trickle. If I didn't get help soon, I was going to bleed out.
Munroe's laugh made me look up.
The man was standing over me, arms crossed. He looked rather pleased with himself, like he had just won a gold medal in the Olympics.
"Who shot her?" He asked his men.
"I did, boss!" One of them odediently chirped.
"Good job…" He knelt beside me and roughly took my wounded shoulder in his hands.
"Huh, the bullet's still in there." He prodded my injury with his index finger.
I gasped in pain and tried to pull away from him.
He grabbed me again and chuckled.
"Eh, we can get that out before we take ya to Luthor."
My head snapped up.
Umm…what did he say?
Munroe waved to his men and a first-aid kit and a toolbox was laid at his feet.
My first thought: Where'd they get those from?
My second thought: Why the hell does he need a toolbox!
Munroe waved again and four of his men approached me.
"Hold her down while I dig out the shell." He examined a pair of pliers from his box.
I knew that he probably wasn't going to use that tool, it was too bulky, but I still freaked.
"Like hell you are!" I thrashed away from them.
Munroe slowly shook his head in fake exasperation. "It's never the easy way with you, is it Commando?"
Munroe's goons pushed me on my stomach and pinned my limbs to the floor.
Munroe rolled up my shirtsleeve and poked the wound again.
"Not too deep…" He mused.
"Lucky for you."
Yeah, that's what I am…I scowled. Lucky.
Munroe rifled through the box and removed something.
With my face flat on the marble, I couldn't see what it was.
A thin, sharp, blade pierced my flesh and started to carve out the slug.
It was a pocketknife; the cheap kind fishermen buy to scrape the guts out of their fish.
I screamed in pain and desperately tried to get away.
"I said hold her, damn it!" Munroe cursed, the knife dug deeper.
I felt the men press against me until I was completely immobile.
he pain was excruciating, it hurt about a hundred times worse than the actual shooting did.
"Ah…!Aaah…! Aaaaaaaaagh!" I shrieked and closed my eyes as Munroe made the final agonizing cut, removing the bullet.
Do not cry, you understand? Do not cry…I mentally berated myself to distract myself from the pain.
I glanced up and saw Munroe holding the bloody shell like it was a trophy.
My wound throbbed, the world started to fade…
Munroe's goon shook me in order to keep me awake.
Munroe took a bottle from the first-aid kit and carelessly dumped it all over my shoulder.
I gritted my teeth against the pain, it stung so bad I found myself missing the knife.
Munroe wrapped my shoulder tightly in thick white bandages—the stretchy kind you can get at any drug store.
The goons pulled me to my feet. I felt wobbly; my back was soaked in blood.
Munror reached over to handcuff my hands behind my back, and I made a split-second decision. I was doomed anyway, right?
I pulled back my left arm and made a fist.
CRACK!
Munroe's nose made a sharp snapping sound when my fist connected with his face, I knew I had broken it.
"Man that felt good!" I declared as one of the goons cuffed me and slammed the butt on his gun onto my skull as retribution for Munroe. I saw him clutching his nose and trying to stop his eyes from watering.
The men pushed me along, I felt like I was going to pass out every time I took a step.
The men weren't cutting me any slack, though. Every time I slowed, I'd get cracked in the legs again. It was just like when they first marched me to Luthor's office, although this time I doubted Lex would get drunk and send me back to my cell again.
I was going to die, I knew that. But for some reason I wasn't scared, at least, not for myself. I was hoping Max would get to safety when I didn't come, that the other kids—my Highwaykids—would be alright.
Besides that, I was completely calm.
I had spent so many hours worrying and being afraid of what might happen to me, that now that I knew what was going to happen I…I don't know. I guess it was like some sort of relief, even though I wouldn't be able to enjoy it for long.
A few seconds later, (or was it minutes? Man, my head hurt...) I found myself in front of a large, flat-screen TV with Lex's smiling face plastered on it. Munroe, Stucco, and the goons stood behind me. I was in the center of the room where everyone could see me, something was going to happen. Something big.
I turned my attention back to the screen, Lex was still smiling triumphantly as if he had won the lottery or something.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. That's wrong. I thought. Why was Lex on a screen?
It took a few moments before my brain could process all this new information, but when it did I was even more confused. Why did Lex leave? What was he up to?
On screen, Lex started to clap.
Congratulations, Commando, Congratulations. Just when I think you're down for the count, you pull a new trick out of your sleeve. You truly are incredible."
I shrugged nonchalantly and smirked. "I try."
Lex didn't seem too happy about my little comment, for some reason he was still expecting me to break down and start sobbing.
"Enough games, child. You are going to give me my activation codes, or else…." His voice trailed off, trying to intimidate me.
I shook my head in disbelief. Or else? Really? How many clichés can this man use.
"First of all, I DON'T HAVE THE FRICKIN' CODES!" I snapped.
"And second, even if I did have them, do you really think I'd give them to you?"
Lex narrowed his eyes menacingly. "Your life depends on it, girl."
I looked at Lex, looking so confident, so in-charge, I couldn't help it…I burst out laughing.
Everyone in the room looked at like I was crazy, even Lex seemed stunned for a moment.
"What's so funny, brat?" Stucco nudged my bad shoulder with her gun.
Ignoring the pain that shot up my arm, I giggled a few more times before I calmed down enough to talk.
"My life?" I asked him.
"Lex, I don't think you understand. As long as my friends are safe, I don't care what happens to me. I really don't." I shook my head, smiling.
"You want to die?" He asked me, arching an eyebrow.
"Oh, heck no! I'm not saying I want to die! I'm just saying: my own life means far less to me than the lives of others do. So when you said that my life depends on it, well, it was kind of funny." I shrugged.
"Max is safe, the Highwaykids are safe anything else is an…. acceptable loss."
Lex paused and considered my words carefully, he had clearly not met anyone that had told him they didn't care if the died or not.
"Your friends will think differently…" He was running out of cards to play, and he knew it.
"My friends will be just fine without me. I trained them well enough." I nodded proudly.
"They're tough kids, Lex. They're brave, a trait you do not possess, my friend." I laughed again.
"I was brave enough to kidnap you, Commando…" He seethed.
"Dude, you do know I'm only thirteen, right?" I rolled my eyes.
"That's not real impressive if you ask me…"
"I didn't…" Lex retorted, pulling a bottle of wine onto the table.
"Ah, there you go, proving my point." I nodded."What do you mean?"
"Lex, men like you keep half of their courage in a bottle, and the other half in a barrel…" I gestured toward Munroe with my head.
"Take him for example, take away his gun and he'll bawl like a baby, I guarantee it." Munroe's face went red, his crooked nose stook out prominetly on his face like a snowman's. I knew I should've stopped there but I couldn't. I was on a roll.
"Stucco, you're a very intelligant woman. But you're also a total bitch who won't be happy no matter what you do or where you are."
I looked at the goons, who had been snickering as I told off their bosses.
And you guys, well you're just idiots…"
I turned back to the screen,
"And you, Lex. You are probably the most pathetic, insignificant, schmuck I've ever met." I smiled.
I am worth millions!"
"Money can't buy happiness, Lex. It sure helps, I'll admit…" I shrugged.
"But come on, face it. With all your money, with all your influence, you are completely miserable…I pity you, Lex Luthor, I really do…"
Lex didn't know what to say, neither did anyone else.
"And in the end, this really isn't about the codes, is it? Oh sure, it started out that way, but by now you've stopped kidding yourself. You know I can't give you the codes; you just keep using that as an excuse. The real reason you hate me, Lex, the real reason you want to kill me is because...you're….scared of me!" I drew out the last sentence, smirking victoriously.
"Scared? Of a puny little street rat like y—"
"Yes, Lex. A 'puny little street rat' like me." I grinned wider.
"I don't back down from you, Lex. I don't show you fear. I'm just not afraid of you! And if you can't scare someone, or get them on your side, you're scared of them—simply because you can't control them. Grant it, I'd like some more control in my life, too. But not like you do, you crave it and when you can't have it…well, pick up that bottle and show us, Lex."
There, I said what I needed to say. Nothing mattered anymore, at least not to me it didn't.
Lex was caught somewhere between rage and shock, I could tell he was trying to figure out what to do, what to say…but, what can you say after that?
"Munroe…" He growled.
"Our young friend has outlived her usefulness. Kill her."
I felt the barrel of Munroe's gun nuzzle itself into my temple. He bent down so that he could whisper in my ear.
"D'you have any last words, Brat?"
I did, actually.
"Go fuck yourself, Munroe." I gave him a sideways glance.
He scowled. "Alright then…" His finger closed around the trigger.
BANG!
The gun went off, but it didn't hit me. Confused, I looked over and saw a familiar teenage boy with red hair holding Munroe by his collar. Two other boys I recognized from the news as Robin and Aqualad had detained the goons. A archer girl dressed in green, (what was her name, Artemis?) and her friend, who had green skin, where standing next to Stucco. A boy who looked an awful lot like Superman stood in the back, looking like he wanted to punch something.
Wait? Green skin? I did a double take and groaned. Could my life get any weirder?
"Commando?" Kid Flash caught my attention.
"Are you okay?"
My vision started to swim. No, I was not okay…
"It's alright; we're here to rescue you…" He said, trying to soothe me.
I shrugged and shook my head, I couldn't speak.
"Commando? Commando!" He let go of Munroe and shook my shoulders, Munroe slumped to the floor.
"I'm…fine." I managed.
"But I do have one question..." I looked up weakly.
"What's that?"
I forced a smirk.
"How's your head?"
And with those words, my legs collapsed underneath me and I tumbled to the floor. Or at least I would have, if Kid Flash hadn't caught me. The world faded to black, and as I fell unconscious I heard Munroe making some weird sounds.
the heroes must've disarmed him because he was sobbing, crying his eyes out like a giant toddler.
Just like I said he would.
Yea! She's safe! Kinda! Whoop!
Press the pretty review button! You know you want to! IT'S SO SHINY!
(I have had WAY to much sugar, in case you were wondering...)