(Disclaimer: I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. It was the holidays and all. Not to mention I have three new games, the first three .HACK games, so I've been occupied. I might be getting a job soon, too. )

Chapter 31

Amelia awoke when she heard the clashing of thunder. She sat straight up in a bed when the light from the storm poured into her room. She looked around and could hardly make out anything because the lights were turned off.

This bed was much more softer than the cots of the Alpha STARS bunkers, so where was she?

Everything smelled clean and sterilized. Was she back in the hospital? Though the room was dark, a small light at her side, opposite the window, was radiating a small glow. The bed to the right of her had someone lying in it. In the faint light, she recognized Hannah's face, but something was strange about the way she was positioned.

Her arms were stretched above her head, her bare feet kicked out from underneath the white sheets, and restraining her wrists and ankles, leather straps held her down. Was she wrestling the monster and someone had to tie her down?

Wait, she thought, that monster wouldn't have brought us to the hospital. Why are we here?

After thinking this, Hannah began to squirm violently in her sleep, and appeared to be in severe pain. She seemed almost on the verge of tears, and then Amelia remembered:

("He has me! He poisoned me with Umbrella's chemicals, and I will be doomed to damnation in Hell! I will kill you all!")

"Umbrella?" she whispered. Now it was all starting to finally make sense.

("I've never seen a company with the trademark of an umbrella before..")

Umbrella was the company that owned the truck that crashed into me, she thought. I remember getting myself out of a collision. I was in the accident, not my parents, which means that they're still somewhere.

The woman I remembered had to have been my mother. Now that I recall, I know I attended my father's funeral seven years ago. The whole car accident was just a lie. Alice was saying how bad Umbrella was, and how they've started using brainwashing technology, which means..

I am who they truely claim I am! I'm an experiment for Umbrella's advantage!

Hannah began to cough forcefully and hacking. Amelia was concerned and jumped from her bed and to her side. Hannah finally woke up.

"Amelia? You're still here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"You're.. not going to correct me?"

Amelia smiled. "I have no need. I am who you say I am."

Hannah began to smile, but instead, returned to coughing. Amelia felt her forehead.

"You're so cold! What did they do to you?"

"It's nothing they've done.. directly."

"What do you mean?"

Hannah spoke in between the hacking. "Amelia, stay away from me. It's for the best."

Amelia was observing Hannah's restraints. "Why do they have you tied up?"

"That's what I mean!" she shouted. "Just get away from me before you get hurt!"

Confused, Amelia backed away from her, and climbed back under her sheets to avoid confrontation with any of the Umbrella personnel. "Hannah," she said, "I remember everything." She looked over to her. "We can't just stay here and let them get away with what they have done!"

Hannah finally ceased to coughing. "I agree with you," she replied, "but what can we do? If Alice were here, that would do some good. I think Alice is the brawn and you're the brains, or at least the senses. For a sixteen year old girl, you can't fight too well."

Outside, the storm only worsened. In the pouring rain, Amelia looked out the window and saw two headlights speeding to the hospital.

"That's not them, is it?"

"Not so sure," Hannah said. "I'm tied down."

Amelia hopped down and went to Hannah, untying the restraints.

"What are you doing?! Tie them back!"

The door hit the wall with a loud "clank" when kicked in, and they recognized Alice's face in the dim lighting. "No time. We gotta get outta here. Carlos and Jill came back."

Without having time to respond, Hannah was being dragged away by Amelia, and followed quickly after Alice. Most of the employees weren't on the late shift, so security wasn't a problem. Some doctors had pursued them to the doors when they were turned away by Dr. Steven.

"They have the infected girl with them. Let them deal with that problem themselves."

They wanted no arguement, and returned to their positions. When Alice met Carlos and Jill outside, she parted from them, and boarded the Mission helicopter. Bothering to not ask questions, they all boarded.

"Hope you know how to fly one of these," Jill said, climbing onboard.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Carlos mumbled.

Amelia, who had been in the rear, finally caught up to them. When reunited, she quickly ran to Rodney's side, and embraced him. Surprised, he returned the favor.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

She looked to him and smiled. "No, but don't you ever call me Alice again."

Rodney smiled, and climbed onboard, pulling her up and out of the rain. Within a few minutes, they were in the sky. Hannah felt it was finally safe to ask.

"Why did we take the helicopter?"

"We're going to reunite Amelia and Jon, remember?" Alice said.

"Who?" Amelia asked, confused.

Rodney winced. "You have a twin brother."

"Oy," Amelia whispered. "I'm never gonna figure out the right story."