Jacen ran until his lungs felt like they would burst from his chest. He found that Zack was circling away from where Zane and Syl had been heading trying to lead Jacen away. He still didn't get that they didn't interest Jacen. His breath was coming out in ragged gasps as he closed in on Zack who was starting to slow down significantly. At just the right distance Jacen let out a howl and leapt forward, crashing into Zack's legs. They both slammed into the ground and drew themselves up slowly as they panted and wiped sweat from their eyes.

Their eyes locked as they caught their breath and at that moment they both knew that this was where it would be finished. They slowly started to circle each other and size the other up as if for the first time. Jacen's muscles tensed under his skin and were ready to spring him into any direction. Zack had the same determined look on his face that he always had but his eyes betrayed his fear at Jacen's raw anger. Finally they stopped and stood there staring for what seemed like minutes.

Finally Zack spoke, "Here we are."

Jacen didn't smile at the thought of finally achieving his goal but was emotionless as ever as his dead eyes watched for movement, "It ends here."

Zack nodded like he was laid back but they both knew differently, "I know."

"Enough talk," Jacen stated and he literally flung himself at Zack. The two clashed into each other and for a moment all that could be seen was the blurred motion of a thousand kicks and a thousand punches finding or missing their marks. Jacen had already taken a hard hit above his eyes and he could feel either blood or sweat pouring down his nose and dripping to the ground. Either way he didn't care as he fought on savagely.

Zack knew that he didn't possess the heart that Jacen had but out of desperation he fought as he never had before. The two were unforgiving as they slammed their fists, elbows, knees, and anything they could into the body of their opponent. After several minutes they found themselves circling again and breathing heavily. Jacen's shoulders rose and dropped with each breath as he licked his teeth and tasted blood from a deep cut on the inside of his cheek.

A shudder went through Zack when Jacen smiled and he could see blood climbing the cracks of his teeth. This time Zack was the first to strike as he brought a punishing blow into Jacen's stomach. He quickly backed up and saw that Jacen had doubled over as the air had been pushed out of him. With a brutal kick into the underside of Jacen's face, Zack watched as Jacen flipped onto his back and collapsed in a heap.

His breath escaped in an audible sigh as Zack looked around for anything to use to make sure Jacen didn't get back up. He quickly found a large rock and as he turned to smash it into Jacen's skull he found that Jacen had disappeared. Quickly spinning around he was met with the sight of four knuckles slamming into his right eye. The blow sent him stumbling back but Jacen didn't waste anytime in following him. Jacen wasn't even thinking anymore as he let out a primal cry of pain and pleasure as he repeatedly pummeled Zack but continued to keep him on his feet to savor the moment.

Zack was groggily wavering back and forth on his feet and Jacen rushed forward with his arm outstretched and caught him in a heavy clothesline knocking Zack clear off his feet. Zack struck the ground hard with his head and upper back first. Visions of Manticore and the X-5 flashed in front of him and he knew that his life was flashing before his eyes. Jacen stood above him and continued to kick into Zack's side with a demonic look of twisted pleasure on his face like he planned to draw out Zack's death for as long as possible.

His eyes were nearly closed slits from the intense beating he was receiving from Jacen when suddenly he heard a cry of pain causing him to instantly sit up. He clutched his side and wiped the blood from his eyes as he looked around to find Jacen rubbing the side of his skull and Max standing over him. Max quickly turned around and helped Zack up. She almost didn't recognize Zack who looked like an autopsy had already been performed on him.

She rushed in the direction of the federal check point in hope to find some sort of vehicle to escape with. Zack was trying his best to push himself along and kept trying to push Max away to walk on his own but Max persisted. They had only gotten a few hundred yards when a cry pierced the night from behind them. It was a shriek out of something that Max couldn't even have nightmares of. It seemed to follow them as it persisted into the night for what seemed like minutes. She pushed herself harder as she saw flashlights off to the right of her letting her know that she was near the complex. It didn't surprise her that Manticore Special Ops were still combing the edge of the forest.

She saw the entrance that led down underground to connect with the cell room and morgue. Zack was almost moving on his own as he slammed his shoulder into the door and they both ran down the stairs. Max knew her only hope was to get through the building and up the stairs on the other side to the barracks. On the other side she knew she would be able to find a military Hummer for her to steal. They reached the stairs to the barracks when she heard the door from above slam shut and the ethereal war cry came echoing down the stairs.

Max turned to Zack and started pushing him up the stairs, "Get out of here. Go get one of the Hummers. I'll stop him."

Zack shook his head violently but several pushes from Max sent him running as fast as he could up the stairs. Max pressed herself to the wall next to the staircase hoping to surprise Jacen as he ran down the stairs and across the metal grating. It was then that Max noticed the door to the stairway down to the morgue was slowly opening.

Jacen came rushing blindly down the stairs as blood started to obstruct his vision. He was just reaching the bottom of the second set of stairs when he saw the door to the morgue open and Jacen could barely make out the figure of a man standing there. Jacen ran straight towards him screaming Zack's name and dove into him causing them both to go rolling down the stairs. Max just barely saw Seth open the door when Jacen came barreling into the control room. He rushed past the cells and dove straight into Seth causing them both to crash and tumble down the stairs.

She quickly rushed down after them and found Jacen laying on his stomach and struggling to crawl onto his knees. Seth rubbed his head ruefully after it struck a metal ladder leading upwards. Max quickly slammed the door at the bottom of the stairs and made sure it was locked before rushing back up. She knew that Lydecker would bring them back to Manticore and Max hoped deep down that Jacen would get another chance to escape but she also feared that he would never stop his pursuit of Zack.

Max was at the top of the stairs and started to close the top door when she felt a presence behind her. She quickly spun around nearly shouting, "Zack get out of here!" Her breath was knocked out of her as a fist sunk into her stomach and she watched as the edge of a palm struck her in the throat. Max stumbled backwards struggling to breathe after the wind had been knocked out of her. Her hands instantly came to her throat to clear her trachea and she let out a gasp as she inhaled air.

She turned and focused in on Wren who stood in a fighting stance just three feet away.