Chapter 3 Alliance

Alex was buried under a pile of snow and rocks, slowly he started to regain conciseness. The first thing he felt was the pain in his head but soon after the wound on his shoulder replaced it as the rest of his body woke up. He hesitated to open his eyes but was not very surprised to see snow all round him. He gathered some saliva in his mouth and spit, it came back down and hit him.

"Alright now I know the surface is above me," he mumbled to himself. He managed to get his right arm free and stated to dig a way out. After ten minutes he began to see light. He slammed his hand at the snow and it broke free to the surface. Alex climbed out with difficulty and looked around, rocks and snow were all around. He looked up and saw the cliff he had fallen down it was straight up and with his bad shoulder he couldn't climb it. Then he remembered that Asazi had fallen with him, he looked around frantically calling her name.

He looked over and saw what looked like her hand sticking out of the snow; he ran over there and started to dig. What are you doing this woman has tried to kill you, why are you helping her? A voice said in his mind. Let her die she would let you die in that snow casket. "No, I'm going to help her!" Alex cried out. He dug her out and dragged her into the open. He put his ear on her chest and was relived to hear her heart beating. She was still unconscious but was all right; Alex carefully took off his backpack and brought out his extra blanket. And covered her, his head was starting to really hurt again, he looked around and the surroundings started to mix together and every thing was going blurry.

He laid down next Asazi knowing that he was going to pass out again. He woke up about an hour later and he was covered with a thin layer of snow. He looked over and saw that Asazi was gone but the blanket was still there. Alex got up and was on his knees, he was about to stand up when a voice said behind him not to move, it was Asazi.

"Don't try any thing," she snapped, "put your hands up I want to make sure you have no weapons."

Alex did what he was told but he could not lift up his left hand the pain was to great. He was going to turn around but was knocked down by Asazi. She pushed him to the ground; he hit in hard with his face slamming into the hard frozen snow and ice. She had him pined down.

"Ahh!" he yelled out as he felt the metal piece slice further into his shoulder. He just laid there he was too weak to move. His teeth were clenched in pain and his breathing short and fast.

"Why are you not doing anything?" Asazi demanded.

"I'm wounded and unarmed, I really can't do much," he said sarcastically.

"You're wounded? Were?"

"My shoulder," Alex replied.

Asazi reached underneath him and touched his shoulder; she pulled her hand back and saw it was covered with blood. "Turn over," she yelled out. Alex did what he was told as he got up on his knees he saw a red spot on the ground, he looked over at his shoulder. His coat was covered in blood. He turned and faced Asazi who had a large stick in her hands for a weapon.

Asazi stared at him studying him over with caution in her eyes. He was hunched over and looked too weak to do any thing. She looked into his eyes and could not see their usual brightness, they were glazed over and the blue of his eyes looked washed out.

"Asazi I don't want to fight we are out in the wilds of Alaska we have to work together if we are going to survive," He held out his right hand, "Truce?"

Asazi cautiously walked over to him and took his hand, "Fine, but as soon as Dr. X finds me it's over."

"I don't think he will be coming for you in a while I did some damage to his blimp, I got the evidence to prove it," he said pointing to his shoulder.

"Well if we are going to work together I'll help you with that," she walked over to him and put down the stick she was holding. Asazi put her hand on his shoulder and looked the wound over. Alex flinched a little with pain.

"It went in deep, it will hurt like hell when I pull it out."

"I don't care just get it out," Alex said.

She walked over and broke off a branch of a tree, "Put this is you mouth," she said shoving it in his mouth. "Ready? One, Two Three," she pulled on the metal piece and it came out. Alex could fell it inside his shoulder he bit on the stick and clenched his fist and moaned in pain. He fell down and spit the stick out and yelled as the pain look his body. Asazi ran over to his back pack and found his first aid kit and ran to his side and opened his coat and his shirt and placed a bandage on his wound. After some time it started to stop bleeding and the pain started to go away.

"Thank you," Alex said zipping up his coat. It was starting to get cold as the night was starting to set in, "We need to find some place were we can set up the tent, it is a one man so it will be a little tight."

"Great," Asazi retorted.

Alex picked up his backpack and the blanket and gave it to Asazi to stay warm. He turned and looked at the thick woods that surrounded them like a prison he took a deep breath and started to walk towards the woods, he walked past Asazi and she did not follow for some time. He managed to find a sheltered area that was protected from the winds and the snow could not fall on them so easily. He set up the tent while Asazi watched him; she eventually came over and helped.

"Oh crap," he mumbled.

"What?" Asazi asked.

"We don't have any thing to cook with, I lost my stove when you fired on me," he sat down and put his head in his hands and just closed his eyes thinking of what to do next. Suddenly he realized that he could still contact some one with his watch. He took off his glove and looked at his wrist, it was gone! He got up and kicked a stone that was on the ground with frustration.

"I have a lighter, if we find some, sorta dry wood we can make a fire," Asazi said. They gathered wood and brushed the snow off and managed to make a fire. They melted snow in a pot and cooked some food; they had to ration the food so that it would last them. The air started to get very cold as the night took the land in its darkness. Alex and Asazi sat next to each other at the opening of the tent and did not speak the only sound was that of the wood crackling. Alex looked over at Asazi and saw her shivering. He took of one layer of his coat and offered it to her.

"Here take this it is getting cold out," he said with a small smile on his face.

Asazi looked over at him, "why are you helping me? I've tried to kill you."

"Think of this as repaying you for helping me with X's bug."

Asazi just shook her head and reluctantly took the coat. But her hands were still very cold and the fire did not give off any heat, she blew on them to keep warm. Alex saw this and took off his gloves and took her hands into his. She could feel the warmth of his hands melt away the bitter coldness of hers. He looked up at her and smiled, Asazi smiled back but stopped as soon as she realized what she had just done. He gave her his gloves and got another pair in his pack. That night they had to find a way to keep two people warm with only one sleeping bag. Alex unzipped the sleeping bag and put the blanket on the bottom and the sleeping bag on top.

"TA DA instant bed," he said.

"I see only one," Asazi said.

"Sorry but I don't have two sleeping bags I wasn't exactly ready to have another person with me. We are not really sleeping in the same bed if you think about it, we will be dressed in our coats and I'll stay on my side and you stay on yours, ok."

Asazi eventually agreed with him and they laid down but could not fall asleep. It was cold and the wind was starting to howl. They laid there being careful not to touch one another. Asazi nudged him in the side. "Move over, your too close" she said.

"I don't have cooties," Alex replied.

Asazi turned to him with a confused look on her face, "Cooties? What are you five?"

"Ah never mind," Alex turned over and faced the side of the tent and tried to fall asleep.

After a few hours of just lying they're thinking, sleep did come to them but it did not last long.