Author's Note: Last chapter's non-BttF MJF reference was another one that no one got, but it was Marty's line about every cloud having a zinc lining. In the episode of Family Ties called "Hotline Fever," Alex P. Keaton (played by Michael J. Fox) is working the suicide hotline and they talk about every cloud having a silver lining. Alex's reply is "No, silver's down this week. Say every cloud has a zinc lining."

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Chapter Six – Escape

Saturday, April 6th, 1985
Unknown location, California
3:58 AM

Marty sighed in relief as he finally heard Second Man's snores. First Man had gone to sleep several hours before, as close as he could tell, and finally they were both asleep…

…and more importantly, he knew he wasn't being watched.

The teenager awkwardly fished for the button pin in his back pocket, and finally managed to pull it out. He quickly pushed the sharp point out from under the clasp, and grasped it tightly in one hand while he quickly ran his fingers over the edge of the handcuffs. The chains rattled slightly and he froze as Second Man shifted slightly. He held his breath until the snores resumed, and then continued searching the metal bands.

There you are, he thought triumphantly as he felt the tiny indentation of a keyhole. Moving carefully lest he wake up his captors or poke himself, he maneuvered the pin into the locking mechanism and began to pick the lock.

Several nerve-wracking minutes later, he finally heard a tiny click and immediately pulled at the cuff. To his great relief, it slipped loose. The empty cuff made a muffled thud as it hit the floorboards, rattling the chain. Marty quickly rendered the pin harmless and shoved it in his pocket as he heard Second Man's snoring stop again. He kept absolutely still, acting as though he were still handcuffed to the post.

Second Man grumbled in an unfamiliar language, and there was the noise of rustling cloth as he settled back down again. Marty waited in silence for a sign, any sign that the man was asleep again, but there was nothing.

Is he still here? Marty wondered nervously. Does he know? God, I hope not…

After nearly five minutes without a sound, Marty finally gathered up his nerve and slowly reached up to untie the blindfold. His shoulders made faint cracking noises as they moved for the first time in days, and he squinted as he finally saw light once more.

It took his eyes several moments to adjust to even the low-level light, but he smiled faintly when he saw that Second Man – who seemed to be rather Arabic – was indeed asleep again, slumped in a wooden chair of some sort. His smile vanished quickly when he saw the machine gun in the man's lap. Shit. Okay, McFly, just be very very quiet…

Marty hauled himself up off the floor, his weakened body protesting the move. He appeared to be in some sort of log cabin, and judging by the layers of dust, it had abandoned long before his captors decided to make it theirs. The room had no windows and only one door, so he limped towards it.

The door creaked open, and Marty cursed profusely at the noise that seemed loud as a gunshot in his ears. Second Man began to move again, and Marty hurried through the doorway…only to trip right over the sleeping form of First Man.

First Man shouted in surprise, and then furious black eyes met Marty's startled blue ones. "YOU!" he roared, snatching up an Uzi from the floor next to him.

Marty bolted, throwing open the next door he saw and fleeing. Deafening gunshots echoed through the building, sending splinters flying through the air. The teenager ran for all he was worth and flung open the front door, escaping into a dark forest that was only lit by the full moon.

Branches tore at his face and arms as he ran through the woods, bullets flying all around him. The noise of the gun doubled as Second Man joined in, and Marty cried out as he felt something burn through his side. Similar pains erupted in his leg, chest, and shoulder, but he didn't dare slow down until he was as far away from his captors as possible.

He collapsed in a heap next to a large tree, breathing heavily and feeling terribly weak. Marty glanced down at himself and felt a horrifying chill as he saw dark red stains on his jacket. Shit, I've been shot! he gasped, and darkness grew at the edge of his vision. Oh man, this is too real…

No, stay awake, otherwise you're a dead McFly, he scolded himself, even though he knew it was hopeless. I'm going to die out here…I don't want to die…I don't want to die…

He wasn't sure how long he'd been saying it out loud, but suddenly there was a hand on his chest. "There, there, take it easy," a soft voice said soothingly.

Marty nearly screamed in surprise, and a face moved into his vision. It was a young woman with long red hair and the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. "Who…who are you?" he stammered. "Where did you come from?"

'I'm a friend," she assured him quietly. "I was passing through the woods and heard you. Just stay still, let me look at your wounds."

Marty couldn't help but whimper as she eased his jacket and T-shirt off him. She gave him a sympathetic look as she carefully examined the damage. "Bullets passed all the way through," she muttered to herself, then looked at him. "You need help right away."

"Can you take me to a hospital?" Marty choked out around the pain.

"No, there isn't one nearby," she replied thoughtfully. "There is one thing I could do for you…what's your name, child?"

"Marty McFly." He was beginning to feel lightheaded now, like he was floating in an ever-increasing black void.

"McFly! Well, that's a surprise," she commented. "Quickly, tell me, Marty. Would you rather die now, or live forever?"

"Rather live, but I'm not immortal," Marty whispered. "You said…you'd help me?"

"Yes, and I will." Marty couldn't see what she was doing anymore, but he cried out as she pressed hard against his uninjured shoulder. "Shh, just relax," she crooned. "Don't fight the change, just go to sleep. When you wake up, I promise you'll feel much better."

Marty closed his eyes as the darkness took over. Distantly, he felt himself being lifted off the ground, and there was a sound of leathery wings unfolding.

Then he knew no more.

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A/N: There's yet another non-BttF MJF reference in here, though it may be incredibly subtle this time. Also, I apologize for this chapter being so short, but hopefully the drama makes up for it.