I don't own Gears of War or its characters.

Thank you to nicole-envious ...omg I don't know what I would do with out your help and great ideas! And thank you Devi for the review.

Thanks to any one who read my story.

Read, Review, and enjoy!

~~~~A day at the Beach~~~~

-Stranded, Pirates, Razor hail oh my!-

Anya tried to pull her arm from Sands as her eyes focused on him. She was far from helpless, she was after all the late Helena Stroud's daughter. Stepping back as she felt the clamp like grip waiver, her free hand already released the side arm. She aimed the pistol at him.

"I advise you to release me, now." Sands laughed, he found amusement in her holding a gun at him.

"Lass, I would put the little pea shooter you have down while you still got the option."

Anya clicked off the safety, 'I can do this, I'm not a fragile woman. I'm a gear.' Her eyes steeled with anger and determination.

"I don't advise a second time." Sands nodded, his hand falling away from her. He held his hands up in defeat as he stepped back. Anya tracked him with the gun with each small movement back, her senses sharpened to her surroundings. 'I know you slimy bastards never travel alone. Where's your friends?'

A few shuffled steps caught Anya's attention, she shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. Readying herself to run at a moment's notice. As she tried to check from the corner of her eye, Sands made a subtle gesture with his up held hand; and two came rushing Anya from her left. They knocked the botlock pistol to the ground and pinned her arms behind her.

Sands chuckled as he walked closer to Anya, perching a finger under her chin as he inclined her head upwards. His face shifted from a grimace to a satisfied grin.

"Tsk tsk is this the best that the C.O.G. can do?" He mocked her then nodded to one of the group.

A man moved behind Anya with deliberate steps, he smelt of grease and fish; she couldn't see what they were doing, but a band of rope was tied around her wrists and everything went painfully black. Tugging back her sagged body, the man threw Anya up on his shoulder. He buckled under the weight of her armour, then shifted her carrying her away.

"Quickly, I do believe that our welcome will be worn out, and we need to set the bait in our trap."

The guy grunted, his sun kissed features strained. "And what is it exactly we need her for?'

Sands turned to his son, he had a darkly, amused look about him.

"How do you stop a wild dog from attacking you?" His men looked to him, confused, then to Anya.

"Cage his bitch." With an uproar of laughter and jeers, they then made their way carefully in a single filed line through the green brush, heading back to their temporary base.

Sands sneered as he walked behind his son, watching Anya's prone form bob. It wasn't hard to figure out who Marcus Fenix was attached too. His scouts watched him closely, the way he always leaned more to her, the consideration he gave her. He was a hard man to read, but once they had seen him around the older islander and the locust freak, he knew that Anya was the target to get. Sands gathered his resolve. His brother warned him C.O.G. was polluting the islands, trying to take over. There was no way that they were going to allow that. Tonight Marcus Fenix and his little helpers were going to learn who not to cross around here. Once the men were done away with, his men could rejoice with a little R & R with the three women.

~~~/~~~

Elaine smiled as two children ran up; her heart sank as she studied each child in turn. The first was small, covered in dirt, and had a mangy looking bob haircut. Even though she looked like she hadn't eaten a decent meal in a few days she had the brightest smile Elaine had ever seen. The other wasn't as fair skinned, sun kissed, and muck covered, though her eyes kept shifting from one way to another; almost as if she were scared. The pair held out their hands out as Baird looked up.

"Hey! Get out of here..." As the children ran away, he muttered. "Gawd damn stranded! Always looking for a hand out." When he looked at Elaine, his features changed as he realized what he said. 'Oh shit.'

Before Baird had time to explain his slip of tongue, Elaine's fist closed, flexing a few times. She hated that word. Stranded. It was degrading, spiteful, and hateful. Elaine rolled her head along the length of her shoulders as she tried not to fall back in to old habits of being on the defensive.

"Not stranded. Survivors." She looked right at him; she could see his gaze was remorseful.

"Stranded prey on others, expecting someone to do it for them. Survivors do it their own way." Then she stood up, casually striding over to the kids who hid around the corner from them. Giving them her ration of sun dried fruits, she walked back remaining silent.

Baird watched her then looked at Cole. "I just put my foot in my mouth didn't I?"

"All the way up to your knee."

Baird's shoulders slumped a bit, holding his hand between his hands. 'I must seem like a complete ass to Elaine.' His eyes shut then reopened looking at the ground. 'I used to think those who refused to think, the stranded mainland didn't want to help fight against the locusts but expected that everything should be given to them like that. Here though... Here they work hard at being self-reliant. Geez, how am I ever going to prove that I am not some empty Gear head.'

Elaine watched him for a moment then looked at the surroundings. Sighing as she hugged herself. 'I shouldn't give Baird or any of them such a hard time. They have enough to stress on. I really need to start just clamping down the old wounds before they fester out of control. '

After a few long silences, Marcus jogged up. "Have any of you seen Anya?"

Cole's broad shoulders lifted and fell quickly as he looked around. "Not since she went off for a walk... that was a while ago."

Bernie jogged up with Dom. "We haven't seen her."

Marcus grunted, "Damn it." Shaking his head, "Where could she go?"

Elaine got up; sensing the worry rolling off him,

"Let's go ask the locals. And Marcus don't grab them, they don't like it." She turned, shouldering her hammer burst and heading towards where the kids were.

Bernie nodded as she went with Dom trying to find out where Anya was, as Marcus followed slowly behind Elaine. Leaving Cole and Baird trying to ask any of the people arriving from the direction they were heading too. Everyone was on edge, worried about Anya.

Bending down to one of the children, Elaine smiled softly to them trying to appear friendlier.

"Have you seen a lady dressed in amour like mine?"

The smaller girl with the shifty eyes nodded, waggling a finger for El to come closer. As she did she looked around again sliding away from her older friend. She cupped her hands around mouth so that only Elaine could hear as she looked fearfully at Marcus.

"They took her."

Elaine's face went pale and blank as she blinked. She nodded, whispering back,

"Who took her? Did you see what he looked like?"

Marcus' brow shot up when he heard Elaine asked the girl. 'I swear if any one hurt you Anya, I will kill them. Where can you be? Why didn't I just talk to you when you were right there.'

The kids shook slightly like a solitary leaf in the wind, then they ran off together, Elaine stood up, sighing as she frowned looking to Marcus. "Fenix," She paused. "FENIX!"

He snapped back to reality from his thoughts of torturing anyone who hurt His Anya.

"Yah?"

Elaine stared at him, her mind working slowly as she caught the picture between Anya and Marcus.

"Stop that." She started walking again towards the line of houses noting some odd foot prints in the semi-dried ground.

Marcus ground his teeth, grunting. 'How did I end up with her?' His brow shot up giving her a stagnent look as his canted slowly, trying to focus on Anya. Finding her no matter what, after everything.

Elaine noted the heavy path leading down a row behind the houses between the forest. She bent down as she moved the large, fanned, dark green leaf back.

"Stop grinding your teeth, we'll find her." She nodded softly, standing back at her six foot height, and headed further down the alley.

"Marcus." Bernie came over the coms.

"Yah?" He put a finger in his ear walking slowly after.

"It seems that one of the locals saw Anya ambushed. We are investigating now."

He ground his teeth again. "How far away? And how long ago?"

Elaine looked up as she saw Bernie through the line of houses, but they didn't see her. "I'd say we are close by Fenix."

He looked. "Ah damn." He grunted again, shaking his head as Elaine kept moving along.

"Fenix, over here."

Bernie and Dom were waiting at the break in the houses, as was Elaine when Marcus approached, the trudging marks in to the soft ground were a tell a tale sign. He looked to the houses and then to the forest, he started to walk down the path as Elaine held out her hand, looking at him.

"Whoa big boy you gotta slow down." Grabbing a branch she tossed it towards the dip in the path, revealing a hidden trap.

He cringed as she was right, watching the improved metal jaws shut together with a clang. "We have to go get her."

Everyone nodded, then Dom spoke. "But running off in to the forest isn't going to get her back any quicker. You have to think this through."

Bernie nodded again, and sighed. "Marcus you go with Elaine. She knows the island and what to look for. The rest of us will take the road to meet up."

Elaine groaned inwardly, she didn't like the idea of being stuck in the forest with a pissed off Marcus; but Bernie was right. She knew the island better than most of the locals, as well as what to look for after having to disarm most traps around the settlement near the beach at the Northern tip.

"You should take the dirt road. If you go on the main high way then it could be a possibility you will miss it."

Marcus nodded, he didn't like the idea of Anya being in the clutches of unknowns, or having to trapeze through the jungles.

"Keep coms open." He then looked to Elaine,

"Let's move out."

She nodded looking to Bernie who handed off a knife to her.

"Thanks." Putting it in the sheath, and started out slowly, her eyes watched the impressions closely, making sure she followed the ones that were heavier set in the muck. She grabbed a branch from the bushes. Marcus glanced to Dom then followed afterwards, his eyes scouring for any signs of an ambush.

~~~/~~~

Anya awoke with an aching pain at the back of her head, shooting through her skull. She wriggled a bit, realizing the nightmare wasn't a dream; that her hands were bound behind her back. And her cheek pressed up against the ground.

"Uh..." She opened her eyes, the light causing the pain to course faster.

"Wh... where am I?"

It took several minutes for her eyesight to clear, when she realized that there wasn't a multitude of moveable houses, but rather a few metal looking outcrops and a warehouse looking building off in the middle of the field. The smell of fish and the emulsion fed boats mixed with the salt in the air. Using her forehead, Anya balanced herself as she moved her knees under herself. Looking around slowly for her kidnappers she huffed. 'Gee this is great. First confrontation and I get distracted. I should've known better.' She sighed as she wiggled her arms down her back slowly trying to get them over her butt and drag her legs through. Even though she was frustrated she kept trying; keeping an eye out for her captures.

Sands had Anya tucked back behind his men who were waiting for Delta to show up down the dirt road. It wasn't common knowledge where the stranded pirate brigand hideout was, and he felt that with Anya behind them, it would draw the C.O.G. out to where they were easily enough. 'I see my men lined up on the east side wall. I will have to remind Robbins that his scope is glinting again in the light. And I know my boy has set, and armed the traps. It will be easy pickings. Show the C.O.G. not to double cross us. We'll make them pay. Every last one.' With that thought he took a long, hungry look at Anya.

She felt eyes on her, glancing around as she saw him up on the metal construct that look like an observation tower. Growling, she swore under her breathe. She waited till he turned away, retrying to draw her arms over her butt again. 'I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of seeing me struggle out of these restraints. And when I finally get free, you're gonna see how much of a pea shooter I have.'

~~~/~~~

Elaine rubbed the back of her neck as they slowly walked across of the forest, it was humid and muggy. The path wasn't as muddy as it was at the beginning. The palms were bent down and broken within the tracks. Maneuvering carefully Elaine made sure her footing was careful and light. She stopped and cut the vine for a snare.

"Marcus stop grinding your teeth please. You are starting to sound like the mulchers."He looked at her with an unsettling glare. Moving behind her across a log.

"What do your tattoos mean?" He decided to go for the less likely of conversations that wouldn't anger her.

She looked over her shoulder, wiping the blade on the fabric of her sleeve.

"They are locust. You wouldn't understand the joke in them." Tucking the knife back, she slowed. Spotting a stranded pirate. She looked back to Marcus, placing a finger to her lips.

"Ssh" Grabbing a handful of vine, she watched her steps. She avoided the branches and rocks, making sure that she wouldn't trip or alarm the man. She wrapped the improvised garrote around the man's neck.

Marcus watched the bushes for anyone else, when the man's thrashing ceased. He looked at her.

"Try me."

She set the body under a bush, folding his arms up on his chest. Elaine searched the body, taking the ammo clips, and then looked up at Marcus, she arched her brow.

"It's a statement." Pushing herself up they continued on. She sighed, "You're not going to let it go are you?"

Marcus sighed. "Look, I need a distraction or I will end up running in guns a blazing. And we both know that it won't help, as well as possibly get everyone killed; including Anya."

Elaine stopped in her tracks looking at him in shock. Her jaw hung agape for a moment, and then she nodded. She emitted a sigh of defeat as she muttered.

"I am death."

He chuckled lightly until she looked back at him,

"Okay I bite. Why did Skorge give you that in particular?" As soon as the words flowed out, the realization hit. 'Skorge made it so she was his arm, even in entertainment he had control of the stranded in the Hollow.' Marcus nodded slowly.

"Sorry."

Elaine nodded and pointed ahead. "Fenix, I'm not looking for sympathy here." She shrugged. "I look at it as something they will come to regret when I get to shove my chain saws down their collective throats."

He nodded. "Well at least Skorge has been dealt with."

She nodded with a gruff noise. "Yah."

Marcus nodded with his finger in his ear. "Delta. We found the base of operations." As Marcus got a hold of the rest of Delta, Elaine took her time studying the lay out, noting that everyone was facing the road. Looking back she pointed it out to him.

"Delta be careful looks like they have all the fire power aimed your way."

"Wilco."

Taking a breath in, Marcus noticed Anya. His heart hammered in his chest, it was the same feeling when he saw her in the opposite king raven. From loss of hope to having it restored. Anya looked towards the brush and trees, a pair of shadows moved slowly along. It took several seconds to realize the blue lights. Her breathe caught as she prayed that Sands gets what he deserves.

~~~/~~~

Bernie slammed a fresh clip into her long shot sniper rifle, then hopped off the dill as they stopped. They had just received Marcus' warning. She found a good perch some ways back, a well hidden outcrop of rocks and fallen trees. She perched herself up, keeping hidden as she started to line up her sights.

"Gotta be careful boomer lady, I won't be able to help you." Cole nodded as he readied his lancer rifle.

She laughed and saluted. "Just get Anya safely out of there Cole."

He nodded, climbing up on the dill with his weapon at the ready. 'Time to go take the game to them and show those bitches what the Cole Train is all about.' He thought to himself, trying to pump himself up for the firefight.

Baird drove the dill forward. "Get ready looks like they put out the welcome mat."

Dom nodded to Cole as they both hopped down. Dom tossed out an ink grenade as he ran for cover behind a large tree trunk. Bernie was picking them off as she called out the sections of where the stranded pirates were hiding. Cole was blind firing as he ran, sliding to a stop on the other side of the dill. Baird rolled the dill back, then gunned it for the compound fence.

Baird kept the dill going, gripping the steering wheel tightly. 'For stranded they seem too well organized for this to be a random occurrence. Something smells fishy and it for once ain't the damn fish."

~~~/~~~

As the pirates faced Delta in front of the compound, Sands watched from the observation tower, a sneer crossed his lips. He was trying to spot Marcus, growling as he started barking out orders.

"Kill them! To your left! Watch out frag grenade. Give them all you got!" His hands gripped the rail tightly, his knuckles turning white; he watched his son side step from his cover, trying to fall back to a new position when the loud bang rang out. Within minutes his son was gone. Growling, he forgot about Anya, grabbing a gun and hurrying to the fray. 'I will avenge you boy. And when I do, I will make sure to torture each and every one of those sons of bitches slowly. They will pay for what they did.'

Anger seized Sands, his adrenaline was pumping with each step as he pushed any one standing out of his way. Images flashed thru his mind's eye of the various stages of his boys life. His George, the man who was suppose to take over in Sands' stead. He taught the boy to fight, and now he laid with his brains spread over the ground. Sands' face contorted in a sneering rage. His boots took down the steps two at time in his decent, till he felt like he was flying out of hell with kryll's wings. Ripping a lancer out of some one's hands as he roared out.

Elaine watched Sands run down the stairs.

"Fenix now." Grabbing the hammer burst she cocked it, and ran out from the brush, emptying a clip as Marcus ran behind her, he headed towards Anya as fast as he could. He made quick work of cutting the rope to free her hands, handing off a shotgun.

"But how?"

"How 'bout we settle that afterwards. Right now the rest of your squad is pinned down."

Anya nodded as the three started to shoot, moving in unison until they heard the loud crash at the front gates; then a crackle over the comm. Marcus heard the roar, his blood pumped again. He never felt more pissed off than he did now. He growled as he took down each pirate, only fueled his need to exact revenge. The blood lust was driving him, the thought of loosing Anya clinged to him. Even though now she was safe, it wasn't enough he wanted blood. He wanted Sands to pay for touching Anya.

"Ah damn, I think I busted their lock." Then Baird jumped out of the dill, shooting the closest of the pirate horde.

Marcus focused on Sands. He ran faster as his anger fueled him and it wasn't long before Sands caught sight of him loosing all rational thought as all he could think about his legacy and son laid dead in the dirt. "I'm going to kill you!" Sands yelled over the biting of the saws.

Marcus growled as he glared at Sands. Both of their features were shadowed by the fading light, the sparks of the metal roaring against each other.

The two were locked into a lancer saw battle, both pushing back and forth as metal on metal began to spark. Marcus was like a rabid dog, growling, seeing red as he tossed his weight in to it as Sands' strength started to waiver, the spraying of bone shards and blood as the pirate group leader fell to the ground in two halves.

"So much for that." He felt numb, he always felt numb. There was no sated feeling after feeding the blood lust.

It wasn't long before the fight was over, the remaining fighters were dragging off their dead. Dusk had fallen as Delta looked around.

"We will set up camp here tonight and make it to the fort again in the morning."

"Marcus." Dom nudged him towards Anya and then turned dealing with the fine details, letting them deal with what they needed to between them.

Marcus lead Anya a ways away so that they could speak together alone. They walked side by side 'til they were out of sight of the others. Marcus stood there for a moment. 'Either shit or get off the pot.' Dom's words echoed in his head. He ground his teeth, pulling Anya close. His arms encircled her tightly. 'Anya, I'm no good for you. I'm a soldier, a gear. I will always be just a gear. You could do so much better than me. But without you I couldn't live. I love you'

She hugged back, closing her eyes. She didn't dare say something in case he retreated. Breathing out steadily as his hand slide under her chin. Their eyes met. Then they leaned in to each other, kissing each other deeply and passionately. 'I love you too Marcus.'

Dom nodded and turned around looking at the rest of the group. Cole and Baird were doing a sweep of the observation tower and Bernie had started the fire up. He breathed out, the familiarities were there; nodding as he walked around the perimeter. Dom came across Elaine as she stood frozen in her tracks staring at the warehouse building, her eyes studied the outside facade a momment longer then turned to him. His questioned look went from her to the building, noticing the C.O.G. propaganda posters.

"The C.O.G. wants you to fight. Sera needs you to survive."

~~~/~~~

Jack whirred in front of Delta as Elaine stood back watching the static on the display screen clear. The face of a man appeared. She watched silently as Anya stood at attention and Marcus had a spiteful glint in his eyes.

"Delta. Good to see you arrived at your mark. We will be landing via King Raven in a day. A storm has hit our island. We are predicting it will hit landfall near you with in the next few hours."

Anya nodded. "Yes Sir."

There was a sound of rustling paper then Hoffman looked back up. "I don't think I have to tell you that the warehouse is off limits until the C.O.G. scientists show up unless there is a damn good reason to be in there. I trust you Delta to use digression." Looking to every face then stopped at Elaine's.

"Whose that behind you Delta? I thought that you weren't taking in strays." Baird growled as Marcus shot a silencing glance at him,

"This is Elaine. She's helped us with the stranded pirates. Sir."

Victor nodded as he went into thought. "Does she want to be a C.O.G. soldier? We can always use all the help we can get."

Bernie looked to Elaine as there was a tedious silence. 'Does Elaine want to be a gear? I never had asked her that. In the time we've had her hereshe's been considered a gear. Fierce, resourceful, well adept at combat. But has anyone asked her if she wanted this life? Do I want her to have this life? What if those breeding mills for viable females are true, would she be sent to one?'

Elaine looked up at Bernie with a slow smile, then to the screen, snapping to a voice that commanded attention. "We shall see, Sir."

Victor's brow shot up, giving her a slow regard through the screen.

"I see Delta has rubbed off on you." But that face, her face; it had some familiar qualities to it, ones he couldn't place off hand. He nodded softly.

"Hoffman out."

Elaine looked to the others, then pushed herself off, walking towards the warehouse. Dom looked up as she walked away. He quickly caught up to her.

"Hey, Elaine... we aren't supposed to go in there." She looked at him over her shoulder.

"I think he implied that C.O.G. shouldn't go in there." Hopping over the fence in the cracked parking lot and landing on her feet, she headed for the doors with determination.

Sighing, and hung his head while rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I wonder if Acts of Elaine are a good enough reason to go in there." Dom quickly followed after her.

The door creaked slowly as she threw it up, her hammer burst aimed as she did a quick visual sweep. Not wanting to be a bullet riddled corpse, she carefully, slowly moved forward with feline grace, her blue eyes steeled in the darkness. Turning the corner slowly, the murmur of light reflected off the metal storage shelves, debris littered the floor.

Dom kicked an empty can out of his way, listening to it bounce away as he followed behind Elaine. The grey walls were cracked up and peeling. Shaking his head.

"I think its empty Elaine."

She still had her focus down the sights. Pushing the door open with her boot, she looked inside. There was a long hall of doors with the light muted white at the end of the hall. Carefully walking down she paused at each doorway, checking each room. Then she stopped at the door,

"I rather not be shot when I am sleeping, just in case. You never know... I could be wrong."

Dom scratched at head as they both entered the room. A fixture hung down from the high ceiling, overhead a bank of computers. She spotted a desk with files littered over it, dust covering everything. It was as though a ghost still worked there late at night. Turning on his heel, he low whistled.

"Feels like the New Hope Research Facility."

Elaine caught him with a shiver, shaking her head as she set down the hammer burst on the desk top.

"New what?"

"New Hope. It was sort of a facility that did some weird experiments."

She nodded slowly as she tried to open a desk drawer. "Weird?" She stood up and looked at him. He stopped and looked at her.

"Oh yah. Sorry, I forgot. Um... they created something called Sires."

She inclined her head to the right, her brow arched up as her features went stoic. Then she turned, looking at the pictures of the directors and at the map.

"Well there's a mess hall." She pulled the map down and held it up. She traced her finger down the corridors, counting the times she went left then the times she went right. She folded it up carefully and grabbed her gun, nodding to Dom as she left the room. He stood there for a moment,

"Ah hell why me?" He turned to leave the room after her.

Elaine already was further into the facility. Her eyes keeping track of the doors she passed. Then she stopped, pulling out the map again as she looked around.

"Why do I feel like a mouse in the maze." Looking around, Elaine's head flopped backwards, running her hands thru her locks out of irratation then she to turned to face Dom who stopped behind her.

"Dead end?"

She nodded, as she pulled out the map again.

"There's supposed to be a mess here." Her hands moved along the chipped walls. Then she looked back to the map. Shaking her head.

"This isn't right." She sat down on the floor against the wall. Dom watched her with a chuckle.

"Have you ever thought that is the reason we weren't supposed to be in here?" She looked at him, clicking her tongue and letting out a few low sounding guttural growls. Dom doubled back. 'Did she just speak locust at me.'

Elaine pushed herself up and sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand. Food is food. You want to eat something other than those ration bars. I get it."

She shook her head as she tried the door. 'It's more than just food. Its feels like I've been here before. And I am going to find out if I have.' As the door creaked, she was looking down a set of stairs, looking to Dom then vanishing down in to the depths she chuckled.

"You ever eat Locust cuisine?"

"I seriously hate who ever taught her how to open the door." Shaking his head as he followed her down in the basement. 'What do Locust's eat anyways? Dirt? Rocks? Those weird glowing berries?' When he caught up to her, she was standing in front of a large metal vault door. He arched his brow,

"What the hell is this?" He already punched his finger into his ear when Elaine was touching the computer.

"Marcus you gotta see this."

Elaine could hear Dom talking to Marcus, but she focused on getting an image to appear on the screen. She poked the random key left in the board, then jumped back when the static cleared. There was a greenish tinge to the screens and Adam Fenix's face appeared.

"Oh shit." Her finger went to poke at the glass of the screen.

"Identification please."

"Elaine what did you do?" Dom grumbled.

"Nothing, I just..."

"Access granted."

They both looked at each other then back to the slow moving gears winding down the locks. The metal pistons groaned as they slowly slid back into the wall and the great door swayed slowly backwards, 'til there was a dull thud and a rush of dust kicked up when the door finished opening. Elaine grinned to Dom as she winked and went to take a step.

"Whoa slow down there girl." Dom grabbed her arm.

"We don't know exactly is going on here. And I don't want to find the same shit that we did at New Hope." She looked at him a bit disappointed. Nodding as she looked up to the screen.

"Can't be any worse than me Dom. Where's your sense of adventure?" Dom looked at her like she was an errant child.

"Yanno my sense of adventure went out the window when that computer allowed us access. How bout we wait till Hoffman shows up?" She stopped, looking over her shoulder with a flippant smirk.

"Like I said before, I ain't a gear. I swear I will be a good little girl when I do. 'Til then I am going to be as naughty as I can be." Dom arched a brow at her, giving his displeased fatherly face. Resisting the urge to lecture about no listening and the consquences of her actions.

"I'm not going down there with you."

She shrugged, already making her way down the long corridor. "Suit yourself." She turned a corner and disappeared.

~~~/~~~

Marcus grumbled as he and the rest of Delta moved towards the warehouse.

"Someone needs to put a leash on that girl." Bernie looked at Marcus then back to Baird; shaking her head.

"Dom? Dom."

"Yah." He crackled through the static.

"What's your status?" Marcus strode through the parking lot.

"You're not going to believe this. Elaine is in the vault. It's like deja vu all over again." Marcus raised a brow.

"What do you mean deja vu again?" They looked at each other as they could hear Dom walking around a bit.

"I mean I am standing in front of a door that leads to gawd who knows where. All I am waiting for is a psycho computer and sires." Marcus rolled his eyes and started towards the warehouse.

"It's going to be a long night." Cole looked wearily to the building.

"This ain't sitting right." He shuddered at the dark, empty building. The old posters clinging to buildings brick face. There were some abandoned cars left there and lightning rolling in the distance. Shaking his head, 'This isn't right. Feels like those old ghost stories. Bunch of kids go into the building and something gets them.'

As the group descended on where Dom waited for them, Elaine came to another bank of computers. She tilted her head to one side as she watched the screens with the asterix symbol flashing.

"Hmm..." She rocked on her feet for a moment longer, then turned to go down a hallway to another set of stairs, climbing them slowly as the sudden pang of familiarity hit her like a ton of bricks. Elaine's hand gripped the railing tightly as she fought the weighing down feeling she had.

As she reached the top step, a ghost of her past replayed over and over in front of her. The soft yellow lights reflected on the polished slate floors, the light green specks shone as her blue eyes stared down, she could feel the clamp like grips of the two men dragging her down the hall against her will. Her bare feet skidded, then found purchase, then lost their grip. "No. No. No." The voice haunted her, it was soft but full of fear. With each step she could see the injection marks. The yellowish lines in her arms leading up under the capped sleeves of the nightgown.

The men remained faceless to her as she fought to pull her head up. Looking at the end of the hall. Her struggles were sluggish still, but they started to gain momentum. The drugged haze was vanishing fast. Her feet started offering more resistance as they tried to drag her further on. The two soldiers were taken by surprise when she stopped both of them. Her body wasn't slack between them as she looked to both of them. A deceitful look stared through their pensive ones. She started to wrestle with them, when one lost his hold, she kicked the other; then ran from both of them.

Marcus and Dom hurried down the stairs as the rest of Delta did a sweep of the rooms. Marcus grunted as he looked at Dom.

"Someone is gonna have explain the chain o' command to her." As he went to turn at the bank of secondary computer screens, Adam Fenix's face appeared on them.

"What the hell?" Both gears stopped, watching the screen intently.

"The test subject shows a great resistance to emulsion and most sicknesses. Her strength and healing abilities are amazingly remarkable. It is hard to say if we can reproduce the same effects in another. We have yet to find a viable recreation from Elaine's parental genes. Most likely if subject reproduces her heirs will share commonalities."

Dom watched the screen and looked to Marcus whose jaw was clenched tight. 'I guess we just found out why Elaine is so messed up. Is this what was more important than his own son? Some experiments that were testing resistances to sicknesses and emulsion. Did Adam know the extent he was doing to either kid?'

Marcus sighed slowly,

"Jack get this facility up and running. I have a feeling we need some knowledge before we end up having to shoot it up." He turned and looked to Dom with a steeled look.

"Let's go find Elaine before she has a meltdown."

Dom nodded and followed Marcus up the second set of stairs. Elaine was just standing there, watching the shadows, looking pale and a million miles away. Marcus reached out grabbing her shoulder, when the hammer burst dropped from her hands, a scream echoing through the hallway. Her body shifted as a semi-closed fist flew through the air and connected to Marcus' jaw.

Elaine felt something solid as pain shot through her finger tips, to her knuckles, and on to her wrist. Her eyes cleared as she looked up at Marcus, they grew quickly to large saucers.

"Oh shit Fenix. I am so sorry." She covered her mouth with both hands as he grabbed his jaw. 'Well actually that's not correct. I am sorry that I couldn't savour it better.' She looked to both of them and cowered slightly, hanging her head in penace.

"Don't sneak up on me." Dom scoffed as Marcus cleared his throat. Using a diplomatic voice he usually used to diffuse situations.

"Elaine we have our orders. Why did you disobey them?"

She looked at him, her brow arched. 'Is he trying to make me feel guilty for coming in here. I am not even a gear yet and he thinks I am going to follow orders. I think not.' She moved further down the hall that Maria took her. Looking over her shoulder at them as she bent down to pick up the hammer burst,

"Look you have your orders. Me, I want to know exactly they did to me here."

"You heard the playback?" Dom asked as he shifted in his stance. She looked at him, blinking as rearing her head back as she stopped.

"What playback? And Fenix you and your orders can go screw yourselves with all due respect." She gave him a flippant tone, she was home. Her resolve was slowly fading and turning back she walked down the hall way.

"You can tell Hoffman when he arrives, its resident is long gone. After, I find out what exactly happened to me..." After slinging the hammer burst on her shoulder she hugged herself tightly as she travelled back to her past easily, with the same walls surrounding her again. Marcus watched her go off as he stood there.

"This just keeps getting better and better. Keep an eye on her Dom. I am going to find the rest of the squad." Shaking his head he headed back down the steps. 'What exactly happened here dad? Please don't be the monster in this.'

Dom nodded as he went after Elaine. Following at a safe distance as he looked around. "So not a place I want to be right now."

Elaine paused as she came to the first bank of rooms. Leaves and broken glass littered the desk and bed. Different items were discarded on the floor when the first clap of thunder hit, echoing in the building as it gave her shivers. The ominous feeling of Welcome Home. She turned to see Dom some ways away. Arching her brow,

"You're gonna have to shoot me to get me out of here." He stood next to her, looking in to the room.

"I'm not going to shoot you. I'm here to make sure that nothing else comes to life."

"Elaine." A creaky, disembodied voice echoed between the claps now. Elaine couldn't help but jump as the hairs on both of their necks stood on end.

"Elaine..." It drawled slowly out.

She looked at Dom, then turned facing the large room on the other side of the doctor's quarters. Elaine wasn't in the habit of being scared, but as circumstances stood, the voice called her name. She looked to the windows at the end of the hall, the lightning flashing, and then to Dom as she started to hear the smashing of glass.

"Please say you heard that voice?" Dom nodded.

"Yah I heard it. But I don't think I want to see where it's coming from."

Elaine nodded as she stood there, then started down the hallway the other direction. She started counting her steps as she did, stopping when she hit her old room. Pushing on the door, the darkness welcomed her as she strode in, her hand instantly reaching for the light switch. As soon as she flicked it on, the low hum started. Dom stood at the door as Elaine strode in. Settling the hammer burst down on the still made bed, she looked around the small box room. Computers and different medical machines lined the shelves, their wires hanging down along the wall.

She went stoic as she looked around, Maria's shawl lay at the end of the bed. Her hand pulled at it as she moved to the far corner. She could feel the cold slate under her boots, the hard walls behind her as she pulled the shawl close to her face, hugging it like she use to when it stormed. She breathed in slowly the smell of roses and dust.

Dom watched Elaine; she seemed like she wasn't there anymore, reliving the past. Sighing he moved next to her, sitting down on the floor as the thunder got louder. Sighing, he rested his head against the wall. 'I didn't realize how sterile her life was. No pictures. No toys. What kind of life is this for a kid to have? No wonder she's messed up.'

She straightened up and looked right at him. "You don't have to be here. I don't need a babysitter." Dom chuckled as he ran a hand over his face.

"I'm not here being your baby sitter. Just as a friend El." She looked at him then sat back closing her eyes. She was trying to recollect what was memory and what was thought. The line was slowly fizzling out as she took a deep breathe in.

~~~/~~~

It had been several hours after Jack started working at getting the facility up and running. The self-sustaining building lit up as Delta found rooms they could stay in for the night. The hum of lights and the sounds of the storm faded away.

Elaine drifted in to a dreamless sleep. She hadn't moved from the corner when Dom finally left. She was thankful that no one asked questions she didn't have answers to. She only awoke when Baird had picked her up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she looked at him as he set her down in the cleaned bed. She smiled at him.

"What time is it?"

He shrugged. "Don't know." He chuckled lightly, setting her onto the bed, as she grabbed his hand. He brushed the tendrils of hair aside from her cheeks. "You going to be okay?" Her head rested against the starched, hospital pillow.

"No. Yes. Hell I don't know. "

He nodded. He had heard the playback with Adam Fenix's voice. He couldn't and didn't want to believe that she was supposed to be the carrier for a cure against rust lung, among other things.

"Wanna talk about it?" She looked at him and shook her head.

"I'm living with faded memories. And ghosts, Damon." She sat up, tugging off the top part of her armour.

He ran an unsteady hand through his hair and nodded. "Yah."

She nodded, then turned over in the bed away from him. His hand curled around hers tightly as he relaxed, lying down beside her.

"What do you remember?"

"Needles. Wires. Tests. Endless tests. Maria. It's all broken memories."

Bernie passed by the door as she heard Elaine's clipped words. Frowning. 'Poor kid.'

There was silence again and Elaine didn't hear her name being called. Had she been imagining it, but why would have Dom heard it too?

~~~/~~~

Elaine awoke before the light of the outside world whirled to life, the chukka chukka chukka of the incoming king raven echoed around her. She left Baird to sleep. Her eyes were keenly focused on finding the voice that haunted her. It was strikingly familiar. She needed to know what was waiting for her. 'You can do this Elaine. You survived Skorge, the fights, the hollow, the tests. This is just another bump.'

She took the butt of the hammer burst to the knob where she thought the voice was coming from, pushing the door open as the haunting echo of someone walking with military precision was approaching where she was hidden. She stood in the doorway, the humming of the fluorescent overhead. Then she strode down the steps into a lab filled with glass tubes and paperwork littering the floor. Frowning, she bent down and picked up one of the pieces.

Dom stood at the door with Hoffman as they saw Elaine in a room with the various test experiments. Hoffman ground his teeth while giving a breif nod, stepping through the threshold.

"This isn't what the Chairman said was supposed to be here."

Elaine turned and looked at him, then to the tubes as something twitched inside. Walking slowly to it, the body inside it twitched again. She jumped back when looking straight at her was a locust/human hybrid. The body of the mutated form twitched, its hand touching the smooth glass as Elaine went to reach out. Her hand trembled as Hoffman walked further in the room. She swallowed hard, shaking her head as she turned away.

Dom frowned as he looked to the other tubes. Shaking his head before he found Elaine standing there in amidst.

"What the hell are they?"

"I don't know."

As the continued to look around the room, tubes stood out with the rusted metal slabs. The occupants of the tubes were horrid. Some were locusts, deformed with plastic tubes running out of their bodies. Others were lumps, mutated lumps with faces. Their greenish yellow water bubbling around them. As Elaine walked on with Hoffman and Dom on her heels, she stopped at the chart with her name. It was empty, the tube was shattered.

Shaking her head softly,

"What am I?" She turned and looked between both men. 'What were they trying to do? What were they making?'

As she looked back at the tubes she shook to her core. Her resolve was slowly fraying like the rope that was too old to last. Her grip on the butt of the hammer burst tightened as she turned to Hoffman.

"Is there any way I can find out?" He looked at her with a nod.

"I'll stall as long as I can." Looking up to the tubes.

"You have my word on that." His gaze steeled as he nodded still. 'Declassified my ass. I think the chairman knew about this place. What else is he hiding up his deceitful sleeves.'

Elaine nodded as she went to the office carrying her file and disappeared. Hoffman looked at Dom.

"Shit has hit the proverbial fan." Dom nodded at Hoffman's statement. Both walked up to one of the tubes. They watched the locust body twitch.

"Let's give her some space. I believe that we don't have much time 'til Prescott shows up here."