Lyrics belong to NERD "Truth or dare"

: If you're in love beware
'Cause these people they don't care
All hands in the air
This is what we call truth or dare:

Lucy's POV

Apparently I wasn't paying as much attention when I left the factory with Asha as I thought I was. Okay mostly I was thinking about Amy when I left the factory so I guess even pretending I was watching where we were going was a lie. I got the Deb's a little lost on our way back there, and it was after one by the time we got there. It didn't help that traffic was being a complete bitch as well. Too many clubs and people drinking away their lives.

We parked a little away from the factory, off in an alley, taking a minute to regroup. I killed the engine, staring ahead to where I could see the factory; three rooms on the top floor were totally lit. Others in the building had low lights, or were completely in the dark. Max was the first to step out of the car, the rest of us following suit. We stood in front of the car taking in the surroundings.

"Bet we're going up there," Scud nodded looking around at the group; the rest of us nodded idly not taking our eyes from those windows. "Yep."

"Let's get this shit over with," Dominique dropped her cigarette to the ground grinding it beneath her heals and starting for the factory, pulling her gun up in front of her. Max waved and the rest of us followed, all with weapons at the ready. I grabbed Scud's arm, pulling him back a bit.

"Thanks for coming."

"I had a bit to do with this," he shrugged.

"No, this is all on me, and I'm sorry I tried to blame you at all," I explained earnestly.

"Don't do that," he pulled away, following the others. I jogged back up to him confused.

"Do what? Apologize?"

"Yeah, being all 'just so you know I'm not mad, I was the jerk'. That is a total we're gonna die thing to do."

"Sorry," I grin, and he returns a smile.

"Now come on, let's get your girl, and this is the last time we are doing this shit. You let her know that."

"Sure will," I agreed. We quieted then, getting closer to the factory, and knowing we were getting into dangerous territory. We quickly flattened ourselves on either side of the door, me and Scud on one side, the others on the other. Max made some military motion I interpreted to mean, 'open the door', and with a nod we all stood ready in front of the door as she rolled it open. We swung our weapons in every direction, ready for a fight. We got none, no one fired, no one was even in sight.

Again Max waved us forward, keeping her gun ready and her sight open. She pointed up to the lights, silently asking if I knew where the switch was. I shook my head no and we proceeded deeper into the darkness. All of a sudden the door slammed shut behind us, dropping us into pitch black. Instinctively we circled, protecting our backs. We heard shuffling in the darkness, but nothing we could shoot at.

The lights blazed to life overhead, flooding the room with white light. We were surrounded. Max went into action as soon as the lights were on, shooting with deadly accuracy. Three men went down. Gunfire echoed through the room, I ducked, and aimed, taking out another man, twisting and getting another. Max rolled over to me, knocking me down as a shot whizzed over my head, she returned fire, and the man jumped behind a pillar.

"Get Scud and get upstairs," Max ordered, shoving me up.

"Scud," I yelled, he saw me moving and followed quickly behind. I shoved through the door to the stairway, slamming the door open into a guard, the one behind him raised her gun, but I was faster, getting her knee and sending her down. I slammed the door open again, knocking the guy behind it out. "Come on," I started up the stairs two at a time, my heart pounding, knowing every second counted.

Amy's POV

"Here they come," Asha smiled, watching the monitor as the security camera showed Lucy and the others pulling back the door. "Red one circle and destroy."

"Copy," came a crackly mans voice over the intercom.

"Now the fun is starting," Katia leaned over Asha's shoulder; they switched views to the night vision camera's inside. I could see the others moving cautiously inside, and could also see the guards slowly getting into position.

When they shut the door we could barely see in the night vision screen, and Asha quickly shifted it to normal mode in expectation of the lights coming on. Almost as soon as she did the screen lit up, gunfire exploding downstairs and echoing up to us.

"They will wake Michal," Katia worried, scowling down at the screen. "Just kill the Deb's already."

"That room is more soundproof than this one," Asha assured her. "Plus that kid sleeps through anything. It'll be over soon." On screen Lucy had disappeared along with Scud.

"Where is Diamond?" Katia asked angrily.

"Fuck, where'd she go?" Asha brought up different cameras through out the building with no luck.

"Asha," Katia hissed. "This was supposed to be over."

"I'll find her! Just back off." I smiled watching her search the screens.

Lucy's POV

The second floor was wide, open, and empty. I peered around the door into it; ready to shoot anything that moves, but the pale white-blue light streaming in the wide windows showed only dust. I took another, longer look around and swung back into the stairway.

"Anything?" Scud whispered. I shook my head.

"Let's continue up." We climbed the next flight with the same stealth as before; I peered out, but quickly pulled my head back. We were in a long corridor, and right outside the door was a guard. Luckily he hadn't seen me. Scud started to speak but I put a quick finger to my lips, and he snapped his mouth shut.

I took a deep breath, slowly flipping my gun in my hands. In one quick motion I stepped into the hallway and slammed the butt of my gun into the guy's skull. He slumped to the ground without a sound.

"Help," Scud and I dragged the man into the stairwell. It wasn't much but it got him out of the way. "Come on."

We stepped into the hallway; we were at one end of the building, so at least we didn't have to decide which was to go. I moved quickly, ready to get this over with, Scud was behind me, I figured moving much more cautiously. I didn't see the open door, or the hand reaching out. A tall beefy man wrapped his hand around my neck, stepping into the hallway.

"Don't move," I don't know if he was talking to me or Scud, but he was too late. With a pop a bullet tore into his shoulder.

"Ahhh," he moaned with pain, letting me go. I elbowed him in the face, sending him down for the count.

"Let's pay a little more attention where we are going. Shall we?" Scud requested as we stepped over the body of the guard, the room he had come from was dark. Scud reached in flicking on the light and scanning the room. "Nothing."

"Moving on," half way down the hall, and no other incident. I didn't trust it, and I knew Asha better than that. But I also knew she may have been cocky enough to assume she'd take us out downstairs. I picked up the pace hoping to avoid any back up plan she had coming.

"Down," a woman stepped from another doorway, gun trained on us. Without thinking I shot her in the knee, she went down quick. I ran over, knocking her out with the butt of my gun.

"You're getting good at that," Scud noticed.

"It's a good macho move," I nodded.

The room she had stepped from had a light on, and we paused a moment, waiting to see if anyone else was going to come jumping out at us. When no one did I cautiously leaned around to peer in.

"Aw fuck," I lowered my gun stepping into the room. "Scud, it's the kid."

"Huh?" Scud stepped into the room and Michal, who had been looking terrified, broke into a wide smile.

"Scud!" He called, jumping off the cot and running to meet Scud. Scud caught him lifting him into his arms. "I heard a loud noise, and I don't know where momma is," Michal explained looking sad again.

"Scud's here to take you to her," I spoke quickly. Scud frowned at me. "You have to go with Scud okay Michal?"

"Okay," Michal nodded, laying his tired head on Scud's shoulder.

"Lucy," Scud protested.

"Get him out of here safe. He's our best bargaining tool," I explained quietly. Scud looked at me for another moment before nodding.

"Okay," we started out of the room; I checked both ways and nodded Scud to go ahead to the stairs. "Be careful," Scud said, backing away the way we had just come.

"You too, keep him safe." I stood watch until Scud had made it to the stairwell. Three more doors in the hall, and two of them not facing the right direction to be the rooms we saw from outside. And my gut was telling me they were in one of those rooms. I took another couple seconds to give Scud time to get away if anything happened to me.

With a deep breath I went to the first door, opening it quickly, dark. I fumbled for the light switch, gun still ready. The room flooded with light, and was nothing but an empty office. I shut the light back off and stepped into the hallway. After a moments thought I dropped to the floor, peering under the remaining doors. Only one had a light on.

I stood slowly, focusing; trying to get ready for whatever was next. With a deep breath I grasped the door handled, turning it slowly, and opening the door.