What's this an update? Whaaat? yeah, I'd make up some excuse but life and writers block got in the way, anyway this is the penultimate chapter all thats to come is the epilogue.
Artemis's POV
After Icing Don's elbow and checking his collar bone wasn't broken we told the team the plan.
The whole team and the Adornovicans seemed unanimous that it was a good idea to get the Martians to go through the Falcons minds to search for any kind of residual mind link, the only problem was there was an argument on where the Martians would check to follow the link, it was split fifty/fifty on whether it should be done on the watchtower or in Adornovica. The Adornovicans wanted on their turf in case anything went wrong also because it would be easier to get her location if she was closer, and Milagro, Lian, Olive, Gio agreed so that was 7 against was both sets of twins; Will &Dianne and Dawn &Don, Taika, Artie and Wally thought they should stay on Watchtower, it would be safer less interference.
It appeared I had the deciding vote. I agreed with the Adornovicans, if anything went wrong I think the falcons would have felt safer and plus they have round the clock healers. It was their minds so it should be wherever they feel comfortable having their brains pawed though.
"Lets go to Adornovica." I say.
"What?" Wally says indignantly, the team take this as their cue to leave, they head off to find the Martians and ask them to help.
"Wally, it's their minds, they should be somewhere they know and where they feel safe when it happens."
"But-"
"Wally, I'm not fighting with you about this. It would take too much time and I just want my daughter back." I tell him bluntly.
"She's my daughter too. I want her back just as much as you do." His voice is slowly rising with every syllable.
"Do you? Because if you do you wouldn't be here fighting with me, we'd be on our way doing something about it, instead of arguing like children." I hiss
"WE'RE NOT-We're not arguing like children, I just think that we should be showing a united front as an example to everyone. Look I'm sorry for starting to shout. It's just frustrating, because we just kind of started to talk to each other and then this happens and she goes crazy." He says getting quieter.
I look at him in his endless green eyes that remind me of summer grass, I used to get lost in those eyes, I used to be able to read every emotion that crossed them, but I haven't seen this one, it's this weird torn mixture, of confsion, sadness, anger and fear. This was taking more of a toll on him than I thought, for him this was his kid that he'd only known for a few minutes being ripped away, but I'd been stupid to think that for some reason they hadn't bonded. He was hurting just as much as me if not more.
Blair's POV
I was going slowly insane. I'm fine with small spaces I just don't do cooped Especially when the guy I'm in love with, who I thought was dead is sitting across from me in pain and I can't do anything about it. I look around the room, weighing out my options, there's a small window, I don't know where it leads and I doubt Nik could get up there in the state he's in. There's the door, but the lock is crappy and there's no scheduled time to bring food, they just bring it as and when they feel like it, there are these weird electric rope things that Nik and I are attached to meaning they spent all of their money on the ropes and not very much on the locks . I suppose waiting for the cavalry is out, I went awol, oh crap, if I get back to base I'm going to have like a year of punishment duty. I move slightly, trying to get into a more comfortable position, I feel a hum of electricity through my body whenever I move slightly, the smaller the movement the less electricity. Maybe I could slowly move toward the door, small shocks are manageable, they don't hurt it's like touching an electric fence that we use to split up fields. So if I move a centimetre at a time I have a chance at getting free.
"Nik!" I hiss
He groans slightly, moving only his head.
"Nik!"
"What?" he mumbles.
"(Are you wearing your mission shoes?)"
"(We're trapped in a dungeon and you want to know about my footwear? Come on at least ask about my underwear or tell me about yours.)"
"(We aren't doing this now. I have a plan so tell me about your shoes.)"
"(Oh god, you've gone insane.)"
I give him a withering look.
"(I'm not sure…)" he relents
"(What kind of spy are you?)" I ask
"(The kind that doesn't usually get caught.)"
"(Funny. Sarcasm isn't going to get us out of this one though.)"
I sigh. "(Are your boots black and shiny or are they those stupid brown ones with the fluff inside?)"
"(My brown boots aren't stupid.)" He says
"(Yes they are, they have no grip, nor do they have proper foot support or the escape kit that all mission boots are equipped with.)"
"(Oh so you're allowed those sexy black heels that could kill a man.)" He mutters
After a moment of silence, "(They're the black ones.)"
I laugh in relief, "(Thank god for your lack of interest in clothing. And those shoes are designed for that.)"
"(Why are you questioning my shoes?)"
"(Because it means you only have two pairs of shoes and you nearly always wear your mission shoes unless you are going somewhere you feel is necessary for those stupid brown ones and you wouldn't be doing that unless you were going out.)"
"(Your plan was dependent on my shoes.)" He sounds incredulous
"(Yeah. Alright move slowly towards your shoes and twist the heel of the right one, I'll move closer to you.)"
This plan was going to take a while, but it would work. It had to work.
Artemis's POV
When we got into Adornovica we landed in the middle of a storm, the falcons were out helping people be safe and one of the power lines had fallen. There's always something going on here.
"We can use one of the labs." Kate says, leading our big group like some kind of ninja tour guide.
M'gann floats behind me following the 3 Adornovicans through the winding corridors the majority of the facility, the team were silent looking at the names littering the hallway, they hadn't needed to be told what they'd been for, the brave people who had lost their life fighting for their families, friends and their home.
Kate makes a right turn into a large lab, everything was sparkling the clean chrome on the workbenches glistened and the walls were so white it was blinding.
"We can work in here, everyone's out because of the storm, so we shouldn't be interrupted."
"Okay where do you want us M'gann?"
"I'm going to try and find the links between you guys and Blair, then I'll try and get a lock on her location, if you've all been linked psychically frequently you should have a residual link that I can walk through and trace to each person. I know it was long time ago but do you guys remember who was the last person to speak with her?"
"Um… Kate I think." Tate says carefully like every word is a struggle
"You mind? Not at all."
M'gann stares at Kate her vision clouding over and eventually becoming a glowing white, whilst her hair raises up in a halo of red around her head. She sits like this for what seems like hours and Artemis keeps flicking back and forth between the clock for the length of the most painful five minutes of her life.
"Got it." she says.
"Let's go M'gann, you drive."
We pile into the bioship, M'gann takes the helm, it feels like we're going slowly but I know the bioship is going at top speed.
We hover over a small grey concrete building in the alps. Right as it explodes.
There's a scream, it takes a moment to register it as mine. Oh my God Blair. There's no way she survived that.
(Nah, I'm just playing with you guys. It's cool I feel like you guys kind of deserve this if you are still reading this book.)
Blair's POV
It took a while but we're out of the chain. Now we are waiting for the next food drop. Together Nik and I could take anyone. The door swings open, it's one of the guards, I smirk at him as Nik knocks him out. We don't kill if we can help it.
Nik grabs my arm. Towing me along beside him. We work our way through the corridors moving in perfect synchronisation.
We turn blindly through corridors confidently with the knowledge that we are two of the world's best fighters, we just keep running and punching until. Snow. We're outside the compound, there's not much its more slush than snow and the air is unbelievably bitter. The building is boringly grey, dull, looks like some kind of off the beaten track power plant.
"(We need to go back in. We need to blow it up.)"
"(What?)" Nik asks.
"They incapacitated both of us. They wanted us out of the way, I want to go back in."
"(Like hell you are!)" He growls
"(Nik.)" I say gently.
"No." he says eyes wide, "(I cannot let you go in there and get yourself killed.)"
"(Niklaus! Where's your faith in me? You've never actually said that.)"
"When I was in there, Amara came at my mind, attacked every weakness. She made me watch you die, over and over again. Blair, you don't know what that was like.)"
"(Yeah, because it's not like I've spent the last few weeks going nuts trying to find you, because everyone else thought you were dead. It's not like I lived through that. Nik, I may not have had to watch fake scenarios were you were dead, I had to live it, I lived with it and had a hallucination of one of my best friend's replaying different ways you died in my head, so don't you dare do that!)" I argue back. Somewhere in all the words we'd moved closer, I was right next to his face, if I wasn't so damn furious with him for trying to keep me from doing my duty to my country, to my friends, to my family, I would have definitely kissed him.
He leans in anyway because it's been weeks since we saw each other last weeks since we even made real contact with each other.
"Babe, we need to go back in."
"(I know.)"
"(I could use my super speed, and you could get clear.)" I suggest.
"(I'm not letting you in there alone.)
"(Nik, you need to let me do my job. You need to get clear and find somewhere to make contact with General Harris.)"
"Blair."
"(I love you, but you know this is the right thing to do)."
"(I can't lose you.)"
"(You won't.)"
"(Stay safe.)"
I nod and turn to run into the building. Nik grabs my arm, and presses a searing kiss to my mouth, it feels like a goodbye.
I run past a holding cell, my best friend is locked inside, What on earth.
"Alaric?"
"Blair!"
"(What are you doing here?)"
"(I was looking for you and I got attacked.)"
"(For christs sake. Hold on I'll let you out.)"
"(Thank you.)"
I find a metal thing to lever the door open.
"(Run out that door, Niklaus won't be too far away, keep running and don't look back.)"
"(B. What are you planning to do?)"
"(I'm blowing this place, I'm planning on coming out alive, I said to Nik I would but, if I don't… I love you, you are my little brother, get married, live your life, have beautiful babies, and tell Nik to move on.)"
"(I love you too.)"
"(Go!)"
He turns, sprinting away, at least he's safe. I keep running through, all the other cells are empty, I find a weapons cache, I scatter C4 throughout the compound, linking it one fuse by the entrance, I tap into the intercom, making it play throughout the building.
"If you value your lives, exit the compound within the next two minutes." I light the fuse and start running up through the compound, there will be casualties, but I don't plan to be one. I hear the first batch of c4 start to blow, I press harder, I'm low on juice, I clearly haven't eaten in days. One thought rings through my head:
Survive.
I am flying through the doorway, catching the tail end of the explosion.
Artemis POV
I helplessly stare down at the flaming wreckage, scanning for any sign of life. Oh my god. Where the hell is she. There's movement on a path about three miles from the building.
It's Nik.
"M'gann take us down." I say coldly, trying to control my emotions.
She does as instructed, we hover over them, I drop through the hole. I land in the snow.
"Where is she?" I shout, running up to him.
He backs away.
"Where is she?" I ask again, pushing him into a boulder
He opens his mouth to respond, when Blair come up over the top of the hill, his gaze goes to her, she's covered in soot, and cuts, she looks exhausted, close enough to being dead on her feet.
"Blair!" Nik breathes, running past me to her. He wraps and arm around her so she can lean on him, and she does for a few steps before her knee collapses from under her, he catches her before she hits the ground.
"My hero." She mutters.
"Stay awake." He tells her.
She nods, but her eyes are closing.
"We need to make sure you aren't concussed."
She ignores him, focusing on me, "How long am I grounded for?" She asks.
"We'll talk later."
"A long time then."
"It doesn't matter right now, let's get you home." I say brushing some soot off her forehead.
"mmm, 'kay."