So I just wrote this light chapter today and had no beta. Let me know what you all think!

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Chapter 7: Explanations

LJ brought them to a small encampment they made in the room that lead out of the bloody battlefield they were in. It was like the area they slept in before it turned into that horrendous area, but smaller with halls. There were two halls, one leading to a ladder that led up about 15 meters. The other hall led to a dead-end, where Veronica, LJ and Lycan were hanging out for the time being.

Michael lied on the floor, completely knocked out. Sara had his head on her comfortable lap. Her arms and hands swayed around his neck and shoulders. She covered him with his sleeping bag to keep him warm. She sat there, staring at Michael's expressionless face. He was completely wiped from the battle. She didn't know what was going on with Michael; why he couldn't see what he was doing. He was attacking his friends and he almost killed her. He had no control over himself in his berserk state and no one could get to him, except for her.

Lincoln walked over to check on Michael. He knew that he wasn't awake, but he had an endless amount of questions he wanted to ask about his friend. When he took a look at them, he saw that Michael was still out. It's been almost six hours and he knew that Paul probably reported what happened, which meant that they would soon be in crosshairs again. Lincoln turned around and went to check on LJ and Lycan.

He walked around the corner of the small room they were in and saw that Veronica was working on Lycan's wounds as he sat down, bent over so she could treat the long claw wounds on his back. He started shouting in pain as she touched the wounds with some medicinal herbs found in the healing kits they bought.

"Will you calm the hell down?" Veronica said frustratingly. "It's not helping if you don't shut up."

"I'm sorry, but- Ow!" He grunted. "This isn't exactly treating the two cuts on my arms."

"That's sad." LJ shook his head. "You can handle being cut, but you can't handle being treated. What happened to your threshold for pain?"

"It came and- Ow; went."

Veronica checked the wound again, but she could see that the herbs weren't working. The cut from Michael's claws were different and she was afraid that the wound would get infected if they kept traveling with it. He didn't exactly wear a shirt and the two belts that crossed his front and backside weren't going to protect him well if a monster were to simply touch it.

"So, how bad is it?" Lycan asked.

"The herbs aren't working. Your back is still bleeding and I have nothing to stop it. Covering it won't help." Veronica stated, standing up. She brushed the dirt off her pants and then looked at Lincoln.

"We need to get him to a professional." She said to him.

"We can't head back to HQ." Lincoln stated. He sighed and stared at Lycan, who, in his condition, was still able to smile and shrug off what could happen to him later if they continued moving forward. Then Sara walked by Lincoln. She sat on her knees behind Lycan, holding her hands out behind the wound. Her hand started to emit a fiery, white light. After a few moments, she stood up herself, everyone in awe at what she did.

"When did you learn how to do that?" LJ asked after he checked Lycan's wound. The cuts were smaller and the bleeding had stopped. Lycan's body was still warmer than usual, but he didn't look ill.

"I don't know. I just knew what to do. I don't know how and I don't know where. I just…" She then started to cough. The air around her, which everyone else had adapted to, sickened her. It hadn't bothered her much as they traveled through the warehouse, but now she knew it was getting bad.

"It's alright Sara." Veronica interrupted. She looked between the eyes of wonder of all of the men around her. "There's… one way of finding out why Sara is the person she is now."

"The Biological Corporation." Lincoln stated finally.

LJ shook his head. "What?"

"When we found Sara, our mission was to escort a package. The package was an oversized, iron capsule." He looked at Veronica who then nodded. "We were attacked by Veronica. But" he quickly said before LJ had the chance to open his mouth "she opened our eyes about one thing. The Colonel is up to something and he wants all of us dead." He looked at Sara. "There's something really special about you that the Colonel wants to hide, Sara. So we're going to do whatever it takes to get you to safety."

"You don't have to do that."

"But we're going to." Veronica said. "The Company has a safe headquarters. If we can just make it up there, we're guaranteed safety."

"So that's where we're heading?" LJ asked. "The Company headquarters? The people who wanted us Rangers-"

"We're not Rangers anymore, LJ." Lycan interrupted. He stood up, towering everyone in height. "As far as things go, we've been technically decommissioned and are now wanted fugitives. I say we give the Company a shot."

LJ nodded, but was still unsure about the whole idea of walking and asking help from the people they fought against.

"LJ, I have a question." Veronica looked at LJ, who turned his attention to her. "How did you master clones at such a high level? No mage, at least those that look like their fresh out of the academy, should be capable of such a technique."

"You're underestimating a Burrows." Lycan defended. "If you've seen how talented Linc here is and how well at strategizing he is, then you should understand why. They aren't the geniuses with the plan for a reason." He smiled while LJ and Lincoln chuckled. They shook their heads.

"Before this big buffoon-"

"Okay, I'm not a buffoon and-"

"Shut up so I can explain to her how I mastered the technique so early." LJ said brusquely. Lycan shrugged then backed off, letting him have the floor. "Anyways, bro, you know all those times I spent with Sofia?"

Lincoln nodded. "You and your girlfriend were… tangible at this point." Lycan snickered.

LJ ignored him. "Well, Sofia and I happened to stumble by a book that thought the technique."

"'Happen to stumble?'" Lycan smiled. He felt like getting under LJ's skin for the hell of it. "More like you two happened to 'stumble' your way into the back-back section of the library while I was getting a book on the top shelf for the librarian."

LJ slapped him hard in the back and he cringed. "Shut up damn it! Do you have to tell him every single detail truthfully?"

"Nope." He snidely smiled. "Your statement just proved that you did something bad and that your older brother here can chastise you for it later."

LJ glared at Lycan. He knew that he was right. He clearly just presented proof that to Lincoln that he did something bad. What he was hoping for was that Lycan wouldn't tell him of their little tale at the tavern. "ANYWAYS… we took the book and studied the technique. It didn't take us long to get it down, but what I did was that I tried to make the clones appear like real bodies. I experimented with using blood. So when Lycan told you all that I was 'making out with my girlfriend', I was working on the technique in secret."

"Ahh…" Veronica said. "Well, now I should expect the very best from a Burrows now, should I?"

Lycan just nodded and shrugged. "Well there are moments where you shouldn't expect the best from a Burrows. For example, like yesterday. LJ and I were-" LJ slapped him in the back again, causing Lycan to cringe in pain. He laughed out loud and then LJ couldn't resist but laugh along as well. Veronica and Sara joined in. Lincoln could only smile as he was busy thinking.

Lincoln could see that this wasn't a job for Lycan anymore. It was more than that. "Lycan, can you come with me for a moment."

"Yeah, sure." He said after calming down. Lincoln walked back to the end of the hallway from which he entered. Lycan followed and when he stopped, so did he.

"So what's up?" Lycan asked.

"You've been pushing yourself to protect LJ a lot in my absence. But when I'm around, that means you don't have to." He said in a straight, almost thankful tone. "I know that the slash in your back won't heal all the way. You're killing yourself to protect my brother. I told you just to watch over him, not sacrifice your life for him."

"That's just the way you interpreted the promise you made me swear." He defended and sighed. "To tell you the truth, all I really intended to do was just to watch over him and keep him out of trouble. But later on, I learned that LJ really valued his family membership with you. He doesn't want to lose you.

He looked Lincoln in the eyes. "And I saw how you cried over his fake, dead body. Watching that from the distance while LJ was busy concentrating on keeping the dead clones from dissolving into ice cubes made me think that I want to make sure you two can keep that family bond. It's what I wish I could've lived for. So I'm doing this for the two of you. You have to stay alive for each other. I will expend myself at any chance if it'll make sure you two make it out of any situation alive."

"You do know that LJ can't bare the idea of losing his best friend either. You know that right?" Lincoln added. "You have to stay alive for him." He half-smiled "And me as well."

"And that's going to be a hard promise to keep."

"Well you better try harder. I swear to you that I'll strangle your dead body if you don't." Lincoln half-heartedly threatened.

Lycan chuckled. "I'll give it a shot. I'm not guaranteeing a thing though."

"That's all I ask."

Lycan and Lincoln sealed the deal with a handshake and a quick man-hug. He was careful not to touch the wound. It felt weird to Lycan that he was hugging someone smaller than him when he wasn't as old as Lincoln was.

They heard a groan from the distance. It was one that Lincoln recognized. Michael had finally woken up. He called everyone letting them know that Michael was awake. Sara flew ahead and sat right behind Michael as he sat up.

When he opened his eyes, he looked around and saw that everyone was looking at him with curious, worried, and loving eyes. Well Sara's eyes were the only ones showing love.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"Michael, what are you exactly?" Veronica asked gruffly. "That power… no human should have such a power."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember anything?" Lincoln asked.

"Well I remembered that you two were dead, or supposed to be." He pointed to LJ and Lycan. "And then Paul stabbed me in the neck. But tell me what's are you guys getting at and what power are you all talking about Veronica?"

Everyone else looked at each other. "Want the short or long story?" LJ asked.

Michael asked for the long story so Lincoln started off with the rundown of the events after he was stabbed in the neck by Paul. Everyone else added their own take to the story, specifically with LJ and Lycan explaining how they managed to make everyone believe that they were dead. They went over what happened to Michael and what he did. Lycan regretted showing him the scars after LJ incidentally blurted it out, but had to when Michael demanded after telling them about the dream he was in when he suddenly remembered when LJ and Lycan mentioned the part about the ice dome. They avoided telling him that the scars were actually deeper before Sara healed it. He was already guilty about hurting Lycan and they all knew it.

"Could you possibly tap into that power again?" Veronica asked curiously. She believed that the power Michael had could end and bring the truth about Padman's under the table deals, trades, and the rest of the dastardly events he made and caused.

"I don't think I would want to tap into that power again. I mean I could've killed Sara. I nearly killed Lycan." Michael was afraid of himself and not confident about controlling a power that he doesn't know how to use. He went berserk and no one could stop him, except for Sara.

"It's okay Michael." Sara said as she rubbed his shoulders. He turned around and saw her smile. "You're still you. That's all that matters to me, to us right now." Michael, in his despair, could only smile.

I love you so much Sara. More than you realize. Michael thought to himself. Lycan could feel a sudden shift in Michael's feelings and couldn't help but smile for his friend. "So, where do we head from here?"

"The safest bet would be to head up this ladder here and then head right down the hallway. That should bring us to an elevator that'll bring us back to your HQ." Veronica stated. She saw everyone besides Sara look disgusted with the idea of going back through HQ. "I know you're all scared, but our path to the Biological Corporation lies through the HQ."

LJ sighed. "Walking through the Lion's Den is just going to be a bottle of fun!" He said sarcastically.

"Well there is a faster way if we take the path left after going up the ladder. We could reach HQ within a few hours if we head in that direction." Lincoln suggested instead, after remembering the map of the whole LowSector Area.

"But that path leads through a lot of monsters!" Veronica said angrily.

"Yeah and your path practically takes the whole day!"

"Would you rather face monsters and get there quicker or travel a safe route for a day? Look at Lycan! Do you think he would make it through all the monsters?" She rebutted furiously.

"May I not be included in this conversation?" Lycan asked sheepishly.

"STAY OUT OF IT!" They both yelled at him. Lycan put his hands up and walked backwards out of the group.

Everyone else decided to let them duke it out for a moment. Sara helped Michael stand up and LJ went to check on Lycan, who was busy keeping a watch out for incoming attacks. They weren't safe yet and the goal was to make it to the Company HQ. Lincoln and Veronica were oblivious that everyone wasn't around them as they endlessly started rebutting each other, eventually turning into an insult competition. LJ could only shake his head at his older brother, knowing that he probably liked her and they're just hiding their feelings. He even asked Lycan and he could confirm it.

Sara started to cough some more as they walked towards the hallway Lycan was resting at. Michael felt concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's just the air. It's filled with a lot of smog and other things. None of it is fresh. Doesn't it bother you?"

"No. It doesn't. Just smells regular to me."

Sara coughed. She flapped her wings with the faintest hope that she'll get fresh air. But it was a useless attempt. All it did was taint her wings slightly black. Michael finally understood it. Her lungs were not built for this world. He could still hear Lincoln and Veronica arguing. "Go to Lycan and LJ. I'm going to end this argument." Sara nodded and Michael passed her a handkerchief to cover her nose. He then walked towards the arguing "couple".

"HEY!" He yelled, grabbing both of their attention and shutting the two of them up. "We're going the short way." Before Veronica had the chance to say anything, Michael quickly added "we're going to see if there's a treatment for Sara. She can't handle the air down here and the faster we get to BioCorps, the sooner we can see what we can do for her."

Veronica could only nod, but she wondered if Lincoln was smirking about his victory. She took one look at his face and he saw that he wasn't. At least he's mature about things. Another reason to like him, I guess. She had a list of things that she liked about Lincoln and a list of what she didn't like about him. So far, the list of things that she liked about Lincoln outnumbered her other list.

Michael then asked Lincoln to take point and show them the way through.