*le gasp* ATMO's being hacked? What happens? Let's find out, shall we?

Chapter 2: Hacking at ATMO

Rogue stormed into the office, receiving quick salutes from agents who scurried off once done. Rogue turned to Galatia and nodded to her as they both occupied two stalls of computers.

"I once worked with Gary when Herbert hacked into our mainframe." Galatia said while typing in some few codes, "Why he wants to hack ATMO is beyond me."

"Mhm." Rogue said as she tapped in a code, "There. The encryption I placed in should allow us to know who our mystery hacker is."

"It's obviously Herbert." Galatia scoffed, then noticed Rogue's intense glare at her, "What? You think it's…"

"We have to entertain the possibility." Rogue said before hearing her computer beep, "25 Altitude Street."

"Altitude?" Galatia asked, "Isn't that where you live?"

"Yeah, but my house is 16 Alti..." Rogue stopped as she realized.

No one lives in 25 Altitude Street.

25 Altitude Street is an abandoned house where a murder was said to have taken place.

Rogue stood up, spilling a cup of hot chocolate she didn't notice was there. She didn't care if her uniform was burned with the scalding hot beverage. She quickly ran out of the room with Galatia following her close.

"Maximum backup at Altitude Street, now!" Rogue yelled as she ran to the parking lot.

Galatia and Rogue screeched to a halt at bottom of Altitude Street, Rogue jumping out of her Jeep. Galatia tagged along, running quickly down the street.

"Where is 25 Altitude Street?" Galatia yelled at Rogue, who was far ahead.

Rogue turned completely, doing a jog backwards and talking to her, "25 Altitude Street is at the end of Altitude Street, and the end of said street is up this hill!"

Galatia looked at the ascending hill Rogue was already running up.

"How the hell do you run in heels?!" Galatia yelled at her.

"Just do it!" Rogue yelled.

A team of agents along with Rogue and Galatia were already at the gate of the huge, mansion like house. Rogue got the machete she got from her house (Galatia, meanwhile, pondered on why the General had one in the first place) and hacked at the chains. Rogue groaned as the chain didn't give in.

"Cutters, coming through!" an agent yelled, revealed to be the other agent with Galatia a while ago, running to the gate with a pair of bolt cutters in his hands. He quickly cuts the chain, it giving in. Rogue and a bunch of agents (Galatia included) made a run towards the house.

"Are we Runners from Maze Runner now?" Galatia asked.

"No time to make a book reference now!" Rogue said.

Rogue noticed the police tape still on the door, ripped it off, and kicked down the door. Lights from their flashlights illuminated the lonely house, casting eerie shadows all about.

Galatia shivered slightly at the cold and odd feeling she felt about the place. She nearly squeaked when she stepped on a creaky floorboard.

"Someone was here before." Rogue said, observing the banana peelings on the ground.

"I got something!" one agent cried at the living room.

There was a thunder of footsteps before most, if not all, of the agents appeared in the living room. There was a screen there, connected to a wire that they have yet to trace. As if on command, a video played on the screen.

"Hello, agents." Joshua's face illuminated the screen, "Did you like the chase?"

"Where are you?" Rogue asked quickly.

There was a laugh from Joshua, and Rogue felt a slight headache begin at the back of her head.

"Ooh, did I hurt the sweet little Tvarkov?" Joshua asked, half-cooing.

"Shut up." Rogue growled, "Again, where are you?"

Joshua rolled his eyes, "Like I'd tell."

"We have agents who can track you." Rogue said, "Save us of the trouble by telling us as to where are you."

He grinned, "You really think I'd tell you?"

"That's what most people would do." Rogue said.

"Then again, I'm not most people."

"Oh, so you're calling yourself least?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes again, "Word play."

"Amusing, isn't it?" Rogue smirked.

"Anyways, this is what I'd love to tell you." He smirked, "Your little European homeland will be getting a little… present soon."

"It's not Christmas anymore…" Galatia said.

"Nor is it Russia's independence day…" Rogue said.

"Can you two please quit it in sassing me?" Joshua snapped.

"Like we'd do that." They both said, rolling their eyes.

He growled slightly before continuing, "As I was so greatly saying, it's not just that. See that box?"

Galatia walked to the box, taking out a knife and cutting it open. She screeched when a huge spider crawled out as dust exploded from the box.

"I hear ticking." Rogue said after coughing several times due to the dust.

"I admire your senses, Ms. Tvarkov." Joshua smirked, "Can you deduce as to what it is?"

Rogue didn't need to be instructed.

"You…" Rogue stuttered, "You trapped us in this mansion just to be blown up?"

"You know the saying, Tvarkov." He said, "History repeats itself. If a murder happened here, let's kick it up a notch. How about we make a massacre happen? That'll be fun!"

"You idiot!" She screamed as she lunged for the screen, "Insolent little bas-"

Before anything further could be said, the screen burst into flames. Rogue and nearby agents jumped back as it was reduced to ash.

"Rogue." Galatia said as she looked up from the box, "We got 20 minutes."

Rogue groaned as she kneeled before the box, she inspected the bomb at all angles.

"Is there an off switch?" Rogue asked.

"I can't find any." Galatia said.

"There should be an off switch."

"Wow. Genius deduction."

"Thanks."

"I was being sarcastic."

"So was I."

Galatia glared at Rogue, "We need to diffuse this."

"Did you two ever try the door?" an agent asked.

Rogue looked at him, "You're the agent who had the cutters, right?"

"Yup." He said, "Agent Calhoun. At your service."

"You're a tech specialist." Rogue said and pointed at the bomb, "Diffuse."

Calhoun looked at the bomb, "My God… this is a bit… harder…"

"What makes you say that?" Galatia said.

"It's counting down, but that timer is not connected to the bomb at all." Calhoun said, "This is a button bomb."

"You mean…" Rogue asked.

"… someone has a remote?"

Silence ensued as the information weighed on their hearts.

"Break the door down." Galatia said quickly, "Let's get out of here."

"He has to be within visual range." Calhoun said, "He can press a button and boom, there goes 23 agents."

"Within visual range?" Rogue asked as she walked towards a huge window.

She looked around, observing the EPF cars stationed at the far right of the window.

"There are no houses within visual range." Rogue said, "It's either he has a motion sensors on the doors, or he has listening bugs around this room."

"I'm guessing on the listening bugs." Calhoun said.

"I second that." Galatia said.

By then, some agents were already scouring around for a listening bug.

"I found one." An agent said, holding up a listening device.

"I got something here as well." Another said.

Rogue looked around and sighed as she spotted one, "I also found one."

Galatia quickly got on Rogue's shoulders to grab the listening device on the ceiling, "I should use your shoulders more often. They're like, made of steel and maybe, just maybe, if I smash a block of concrete against it, I'll-"

"Concentrate on cutting the wires, Dandia." Rogue deadpanned.

"I told you to call me Galatia."

"Do I look like someone who'd to that?"

"You call the other Generals by their-"

"That's not the point."

"Why do you… two sass each other?" Calhoun asked, pointing at the two agents.

Rogue looked at him as Galatia hopped off her shoulders, "We have err… history."

"If you can call it that." Galatia snorted, receiving an elbowing from Rogue.

"Now how do we get out…" Rogue muttered.

"I don't know, use your Tvarkov mojo." Galatia said, rolling her eyes.

"Wait…" Rogue paused, "Mojo."

"Yeah." Galatia said, "Mojo? Never heard the word?"

"Mojo!" Rogue smirked, "Galatia, you are an angel!"

"No, I'm a sorceress." Galatia said, lowering her voice at the last word.

Rogue rolled her eyes as she whipped out a screwdriver from her pocket. She began to work with the hinges, unscrewing them and putting them aside. Soon, all of it was gone. Rogue moved the door to get them out.

"How on earth did the word 'mojo' remind you that you have a screwdriver?" Galatia frowned.

"Funny story." Rogue said, smiling a bit.

Just as they were about to walk out of the room, a loud explosion occurred.

Gary threw his headphones down as a loud noise burst his eardrums. Many after him cursed as they followed his actions, covering their ears and trying to stop the dull ringing noise.

"What just happened?" Gary groaned as he grabbed for the microphone on his desk.

There followed several reports.

"The thing just blew up!"

"No one's gotten out yet!"

"Somebody do something!"

Gary's eyes widened as he slammed his hand on one of the buttons on his keyboard.

The dull ringing noise was replaced with loud sirens and red lights.

Calhoun groaned as he got up, running a hand through his now disheveled hair.

There goes that nice look option for his date later.

He looked around. The place wasn't on fire, yet gray smoke filled the room. He coughed as he used his coat sleeve to shield him from the possibly toxic air as he searched for anyone alive.

Fortunately, everyone was.

He looked to his right, where Galatia and Rogue laid side-by-side, face down on the marble floor. He crawled to them, and rolled them over, Galatia first then Rogue. Both were unconscious, chest heaving slightly.

He looked around once more as he noticed another colleague of his get up slowly. He was Agent Richwell, one of the Tactical agents.

"A little help here would be nice." He coughed.

Richwell was about to stand when someone broke into the front door, not far away. The stream of light came in, blinding the two conscious agents. Dark figures swarmed in as their vision faltered. They both got down as they noticed the all too familiar insignia of their agency.

"Is anyone awake?" one yelled, Heather.

"Over here." Calhoun croaked as he set his head down on the cool floor. He felt himself inch away as his last thoughts were:

I hope Cynthia will understand.

Galatia groaned before sitting up. Pain shot up her back as she groaned and fell down on her bed. She looked to her left to see Rogue, fast asleep. There was a tube running from her oxygen tank to her nose.

That's when she noticed her own tube.

"What happened…" she muttered as she took them off, "I look like Hazel Grace."

"Major Dandia." A voice next to her made her turn, "Hello. I am Doctor Kelly, and I'm your doctor. How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She said, shrugging, "What happened?"

"Do you remember the explosion?" Kelly asked, holding her clipboard in one hand and her pen in the other.

"Of course I do." Galatia said, "Why don't I feel like I've been burned to the crisp?"

"That's because you weren't." Kelly smiled a bit as she took something down on her clipboard, "The bomb that went off released a gas that killed oxygen around you and placed in a deadly poison. If you remained there a little longer, you wouldn't be alive. We found all of you half-dead."

"Really?" Galatia frowned, "No wonder the headache."

Kelly smiled, "Don't worry, Major Dandia. Just get some rest, and I'll check on you in a few hours."

Kelly pressed some buttons next to her, and Galatia instantly felt relief as she closed her eyes.

Her head felt like cotton was stuffed into it and her ears felt heavy as she opened her eyes. Something tickled her nose as she rolled over slightly. She winced at the bright light and shut her eyes closed once more.

"Rogue." Her head was swimming. It took her more time than necessary to connect the word with memories.

"Rogue." Another thought. She finally opened her eyes to realize that there was someone next to her. She turned her head a bit and winced at the pain that shot up her head. She opened her eyes to look at a man, who was gripping her hand.

"Jason?" she frowned as she realized what was going on, "What… on Earth are you doing to my hand?"

He flushed and immediately released it as Rogue felt the blood course through it once more. She looked around and groaned as she realized where she was.

"What happened?" she frowned.

"Air was contaminated with something that kills off oxygen." He said as he carded his fingers through her hair, "Do you feel alright?"

She groaned and closed her eyes, "I have a concussion."

"Yeah. How did you know?"

She opened her eyes to glare at him, "I've had enough to know."

He nodded and shifted in his seat, "It's 10 pm, if you're wondering."

She nodded and looked at him, eyeing his dark brown orbs with a hint of curiosity. She only noticed now that there were black specks in them, and must she say she loved it.

"I thought you were headed to Montana after the conference for an operation." She said.

"I came back as soon as you were confirmed to be stable." He said and shrugged as she noticed that he was still in his tactical uniform. "You've been out for almost a week."

She nodded and closed her eyes briefly. This boy – man, she corrected herself – was always looking out for her. They were their own team with each other, and one of the best ones too.

"I should let you sleep." He said as he stood to exit the room.

"Hey." He paused and turned to look at her, and raised an eyebrow as she squirmed a bit at his intense glare. She groaned at herself mentally for acting childish.

"Yes?" he said.

"Could you… stay?" now both of his eyebrows were raised. He nodded slowly before walking to the bed and slipping in next to her. Thanks to her rather lean body, they were able to fit in the small bed. She didn't care if he still smelled of gunpowder or he had a bit of stubble, he was here now and that changes nothing.

She felt a hand card through her hair again as she was close to unconsciousness. A small smile tugged on her lips as she knew that she was safe.

These two are adorable. Very. Very. Adorable.

Well, sorry for keeping y'all waiting! How're you?