CHAPTER 79

RESCUING ALEX

December 11, 2010

10:55pm

Carthis, Scotland

The New Centre

Peter and Bane waited outside of Peter's room for Ajax, Achilles, Ares, Airell and Merlin to arrive. At five minutes to eleven the five Centre projects arrived. They, like Peter and Bane, were dressed in black from head to toe.

No one save Peter -who carried a 9mm Smith and Wesson- was armed. Merlin and Airell had refused a gun, both had seen far to many people they knew fallen by a single bullet. As for Bane and the other members of project Midas, they required no weapon.

"Everyone ready?" Peter asked the group. He received nods all around. "Good, let's go."

Peter led the way to the elevator to where the group descended to Sl-15. The elevator dinged alerting the group that their desired floor had been reached. They exited the elevator and quietly made their way down the dim corridor. The corridor was empty but that did not stop Peter and the others from being careful.

It was easy to spot the room where Alex was being kept. It was the only door that had four posted guards. Peter studied the guards trying to figure out the best strategy to take care of them. As the young boy pondered he felt a light touch on his shoulder. Peter looked up to see that it was Ajax. Ajax inclined his head towards the guards and then to Achilles, Ares and Bane.

It was obvious to Peter that Ajax was asking permission for he, his brothers, and Bane to take care of the four guards.

Peter gave a quick nod. Ajax looked back at his brothers and Bane, and pointed to the guards. Quieter that Peter thought a person could move, Bane and the three brothers stepped up to the four guards.

The guards never saw the four assassins until, Bane, Ajax, Achilles, and Ares were upon them. Their had their hands placed over the guards mouths and noses, Bane and the others spun the guards around until the guards backs were against the teens chests. The guards thrashed about kicking their legs out as they found their air supply cut off. But it was to no avail. The fight soon died out of them, as the guards stopped breathing.

Bane and the three brothers dropped the dead weight not bothering to check for a pulse, they had killed enough men to know exactly how long it took to kill a man by suffocation. If the demonstration of violence displayed by Bane, Ares, Ajax, and Achilles bothered Peter, Airell, or Merlin it did not show on their faces as they approached the fallen sweepers.

Unconsciously Peter steeped over the bodies of the sweepers and walked up to the door that stood between him and his sister. There was a pin pad device on the lock of the door. Peter had been unable to learn the key code to open Alex's door but that was why he had brought Merlin.

"You can open it correct?" Peter asked Merlin.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" Merlin retorted as he steeped next to Peter. Merlin placed his hand over the lock, closing his eyes in concentration. Seconds later the lock disengaged. Merlin stepped back allowing Peter to be the first to enter the room.

Peter went to push the door open but paused. He looked over his shoulder at Airell.

"Can you sense anyone in there?" Peter questioned Airell. Focusing her abilities on the room behind the door Airell stretched her senses to see how many people were in the room.

"Your sister is the only one there, Peter" Airell informed the boy. Peter closed his eyes in relief, taking a deep breath. He then pushed the door open casting light into the dark room.

There curled into a fetal position on a cot against the back wall, naked as the day she was born laid Alex. Her hand was heavily bandaged and her pale skin was covered with wounds and bruises that were just beginning to darken.

"Turn around for a second boys and Bane give me you're jacket," Airell ordered the males in the group, she and Peter the first to notice that Alex was not clothed. They all turned around, Bane handing Airell his jacket. Without waiting for any one to say anything Ajax left the room and returned seconds later -as Airell draped the jacket over Alex's body- with clothing for the girl. Airell quickly -but very carefully, aware of Alex's bruises- dressed the younger girl.

"You boys can look now," She whispered not wanting to wake Alex. Airell had used her telepathy to make sure that Alex would not wake while Airell placed clothes on her.

Peter turned to look at his sister. Though she was now dressed, the red marks on her face marred her beautiful features, and the cuts on her arms were still visible as well. Behind Peter, Bane let out a straggled moan as his eyes fell upon Alex's battered form. Peter was unaware of Bane's pain, the only thing going through Peter's head was the though that it was his fault that Alex had been placed in such a predicament.

'Go to her Tiger. She doesn't blame you,' a voice whispered in Peter's head. It took the boy a moment to realize that the voice he had heard was Airell's and not one his mother's or one of the other voices that made up his inner sense.

Hesitantly Peter approached his sister's beaten and battered form. He knelt before Alex and with a shaking hand he brushed her hair -dyed red, not even two weeks ago- back from her face revealing even more bruising.

Alex stirred slightly and her blue eyes slowly opened. Fear flicked though her eyes but disappeared when she realized who knelt before her.

"Hi," she whispered hoarsely bringing tears to Peter's eyes. There was no way the battered form in front of him could be his sister. The Alex he knew, had beautiful, long dark brown curly hair, bright blue eyes that sparkled with mirth, and a face like a porcelain doll. And though her features always seemed so delicate Alex was a person you never wanted to cross.

"Hey it's okay," Alex said seeing the pain in her brother's eyes. "I'm okay."

"No. No you aren't," Peter whispered reaching out for Alex's uninjured hand. "They hurt you bad Katie." Peter was shocked when Alex smiled at his words.

"You remember. You remember who you are," Alex said reaching out to place her uninjured hand against Peter's cheek. Peter leaned into her touch as he brought his right hand up to Alex's.

"Yeah Katie I remembered. Thanks to you...and bit of prompting from my inner sense."

"I'm glad you're back Tiger. I've missed you like hell,' Alex admitted.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you look like hell," Peter said sadly.

"I'm going to have to teach you how to complement a lady, Tiger. You never tell the girl you love that she looks like hell," Alex teased. It lightened Peter's heart to see a bit of playfulness was still left in Alex.

"Hey, you're still beautiful to me," Peter told her. "I miss your hair though. You cut it all off and dyed it."

"You should see Adam," Alex told her and chuckled at the image of the now red headed Adam. Alex's chuckled turned into a cough and Peter frowned.

"We need to get you out of here so that Spires can patch you up." Peter said concern lacing his voice. "Bane you're going to need to carry her," Peter called over his shoulder. Out of respect for the brother and sister Bane had hung back with the others.

Bane quickly covered the distance between him and Alex. Alex who had been unaware of Bane's presence was pleasantly surprised by his appearance.

"Hey you," She said as Bane carefully lifted her into his arms.

"Hey," Bane said. "You had me scared you know."

"Sorry about that. But it's one of the down sides of dating me. I'm reckless and constantly put myself in danger," Alex apologized.

"Yeah, well no more being reckless until you're fully healed. Okay?" Bane instructed.

"Okay," Alex replied and Bane kissed her.

"No kissing my sister when I'm around." Peter told Bane. "It's gross."

"Get used to it Tiger. I think I'm going to hold on to this one,"Alex yawned as she rested her head against Bane's chest.

"Get some rest Alex. Peter, and I will take care of everything," Bane promised as exhaustion crept over Alex.

The group reached the floor that Peter had, Derek and his team seal off. Dr. Spires had been collected and was awaiting the groups arrival so that he could tend to Alex's injuries. Alex had been lucky in the fact that no serious damage had been done to her hand, and that with rest and a bit of physical therapy her hand would be back to normal.

Her stitches in her abdomen and shoulder had to be redone, thanks to the beatings Alex had received. Then there were of course the various lacerations that needed to be tended to. Peter took care of those personally. And though she would protest to it later Alex was hooked up to a morphine drip to ensure that she would sleep peacefully. Alex was then placed in Peter's bed.

Shifts were then determined, to decided who would take which watch and when. Sleeping arrangements were also made. There were several bedrooms on the floor. Peter, Alex and Bane all stayed in Peter's room. Airell and Merlin decided to share a room. Ajax and his brother's stayed in the room next to Peter's. Minna and Inara bunked together. Derek took a room for himself, and Jiro and Akio shared one of the larger rooms.

Derek and Peter took first watch keeping guard over the floor, while Bane kept watch over Alex. He refused to leave her side. Not after what happened the last time he left.

December 12, 2010

3:13am

Carthis, Scotland

The New Centre

"How do you like that morphine drip?" Bane asked Alex as he found her blue eyes staring up at him.

"If it weren't for the fact that it feels nice not to be in so much damn pain, I'd be pissed at you and Pete," Alex told Bane.

"I'm glad you're not in any pain," Bane replied brushing Alex's hair from her face.

"What happened to your knuckles?" Alex asked noticing the bandages around Bane's hands.

"Got angry at a wall," Bane said moving his hands out Alex's sight line.

"I knew you and Pete would come for me, Midas," Alex said suddenly. Bane smiled down at her. "What?" Alex asked curious to Bane's amused look.

"How is it, that after everything you've been through, you still have so much faith and remain so strong?" Bane asked awe in his voice. He was shocked to see Alex's eyes well with tears.

"Hey, tell me what's wrong." Bane pleaded cupping her chin.

"It's just...I spent the better part of the day being told that I was weak. That I needed to have everyone else defend me," Alex whispered.

"Don't tell me you believe that crap. I won't pretend to know you as well as your brothers or the rest of your family, Alex. But I know that is there is one thing you are not that is weak," Bane told her.

"Thank you," Alex smiled up at him.

"You're welcome," Bane replied. "Now why don't you get some more rest."

"First tell me what's going on. I'm pretty sure I saw a few people with you and Pete," Alex said.

"You need your rest," Bane admonished.

"No Midas, I need to know what is going on," Alex said evenly leaving no room for argument. The couple held a staring contest neither willing to back down. In the end it was Alex who won the contest as Bane looked away sighing.

"I'm never going to win with you am I?" Bane asked. Alex carefully shook her head cautious of her wounds, a smirk on her face.

"Tell you what, I'll let you win every now and then. Just tell me what has happened since Cox and Raines took me," Alex compromised.

"Fine, fine," Bane said giving in there was no reason to try and win against Alex. "I went to go and check on Peter like you asked me to. I told him basically everything I knew. I think that he recognized it for the truth and it frightened him. He told me to leave and that I would be removed from the task of being your sweeper."

"I left to tell you what had transpired but...you were gone and your room was in shambles," Bane said softly looking away from Alex.

"It not your fault, you know," Alex said using her uninjured right hand to squeeze Bane's left hand.

"I was-,"

"Don't," Alex cut him off. "I hate it when my brothers pull the 'I was suppose to protect you' card. Now keep with what happened since I've been gone."

"Well, Peter walked in sometime during the period I was taking my frustration out on the wall. He stopped me and it was then I realized he was no longer John. He realized that you had been taken by Raines and Cox. Everything I hadn't told him I told him, including your brother Jack, being sick, and the truth of Kaine and Benny. Peter was livid to say the least and went to confront the chairman. The chairman admitted to having Kaine pose as Peter and to Cox engineering a drug to make Jack sick," Bane told her.

"Did he say if there was a cure?" Alex asked.

"He said that Jason was the key to the cure. We -Peter and I- nor Parker, have any idea what that means," Bane replied apologetically.

"Guess we're just going to have to beat it out of Cox then," Alex said.

"There is no 'we' in this. You are to stay confined to that bed," Came Peter's voice. He had just entered the room to hear Alex's and Bane's last few words.

"Peter, when have I ever done anything I was told to do?" Alex questioned her younger brother as Peter approached her bedside.

"That is beside the point. If we are going to make it out of here then you need you rest," Peter snapped. "Besides I don't want for you to get hurt again because of me," he added in a softer tone.

Alex patted the empty spot on the bed next to her an Peter carefully slid next to her sister.

"None of this is your fault okay. I don't blame you for this. I love you Tiger, never forget that," Alex told her brother. Peter looked at Alex doubtfully but did not reply. Alex saw the doubt in her brother's eyes and cupped his chin in her hand. "Do you remember that time you accidently broke Alley's glass sculpture that Jeff gave her. The one with the two phoenixes intertwined?"

"Yeah I hid in your bed for a week. Afraid Alley was going to kill me," Peter remembered . He smiled at the memory not because of what had occurred at the time, but because he actually remembered.

"And what did I tell you?" Alex prompted.

"That Alley wasn't mad at me, and that all I had to do was go and apologize and everything would be fine," Peter replied.

"And I was right. She wasn't mad at you. In fact she had been more worried about the fact that you had cut yourself on the glass when you tried to clean it up," Alex said.

"So what's your point to this trip down memory lane?" Peter asked.

"Don't tell me you don't see it Peter. Even I do and I've only known your sister for a few days. You've known her nearly your whole life," Bane groaned knowing Alex's point.

"Okay I don't get it," Peter said tossing his hands up in the air.

"Well let's look at the story, I was right about Alley not being mad at you. And I am telling you now that none of this is your fault, and of course I am correct about that as well. Thus little brother, the point, is that I am always right and never wrong," Alex said triumphantly.

Up Next: The kids are breaking Bobby out.