Chapter 21: Breaking Point

A/N: Must apologize for the late update, but it is not my fault that every night I am bombarded with homework and tests to study for. Despite that though, this chapter is my longest ever, and I hope you are as pleased as I am. Inspired slightly by the movie "Red Tails" coming soon. (You should all go watch it)

Also, where Blue is talking to the audience in this chapter I paraphrased a lot from the Sucker Punch cut scene "Love is the Drug" clip, and took a direct quote from it when Blue says "I want you all to sit back, enjoy the service, the sc-sc-sc scenery; but most of all, enjoy the show." There is also some German in here, which is followed immediately by English sub.

Oo0oO

I stood quietly in front on the dressing room mirror, brushing my light blond hair into its familiar pigtails. It was just a few minutes before the start of the show, and by now most of the other dancers had gathered behind the curtains. Only a few girls besides me still lingered in the dressing room area, all of them avoiding me; though out of sympathy or fear I did not know.

Of course, when I was brought to the dressing room the ripple of shock that passed through the faces of the other girls was clearly visible, especially when it was instructed that (by Blue's orders) I was to have the lead dance role, and after an introduction dance by the other girls, the stage was all mine. However no one questioned their instructions, most of the girls had seen firsthand what Blue was capable of, and didn't dare defy him.

So once the men left, the seamstress (whose name I would never learn) hesitantly went to work on me, fitting me into a revealing, figure-hugging show outfit. My outfit was a short, white sailor-top with black collar, low cut and with the top buttons undone. I also wore tight tan shorts, black fish nets, and sparkly black heels. I was no longer crying, and the layers of makeup she applied upon me hid any trace that I ever had been. Looking at myself in the mirror I looked…well….like a baby doll; just an innocent toy for others to play with. If our plan didn't work how we had hoped… that was all I would ever be.

"Five minutes til' showtime," Madame Gorski's substitute performance director chirped, peering her dark head around the corner at the last few girls in the dressing room. They quickly put the finishing touches on their outfits, hurrying backstage for the opening number. Turning to the vanity in front of me, I slid on the last price of my outfit, a simple black hair band.

I have to do this, I thought, willing myself to stand. If I don't, then SweetPea-

I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought. I could not let Blue take the life of another one of my friends, especially one with whom I'd gone through so much with. I could not let Blue win by seeing me suffer, I could not let Tyler and SweetPea die because of me. This is not my story, despite what SweetPea insists. It's hers, and I will fight and die for her happy ending.

Oo0oO

A roar of applause erupted as the curtains closed after the first performance; the crowd whooping and hollering with delight. As the applause began to recede, Blue stepped out from behind the curtain, and another roar of applause burst from the crowd. In response, Blue held up his hands modestly, smiling at the mass of people.

"Thank you, thank you," he spoke confidently into the microphone. "Good evening gentlemen. Now, we have a very special evening in store for you all tonight. And that," he pointed to the curtains behind him, "that was just a taste of what's to come." Here the crowd broke again into applause, much to Blue's delight. SweetPea scowled through her sadness. He was playing it so cool, acting like he had the whole world in his hands. And despite what she wanted to be true, she knew that he truly did. This was his stage, his crowd, his operation, and they were loving every minute of this.

"You're too kind, really. But I say I do see a whole lot of faces out there, some familiar, some not so. So, I won't drone on too much more expect to say I want you all to sit back, enjoy the service, the sc-sc-sc scenery; but most of all, enjoy the show."

Now the curtains pulled open, revealing a dark stage. A single spotlight shone down, blazing through the darkness and illuminating a lone figure. Baby did not wince as the light touched her, even stayed perfectly calm as a few whistles and exclamations arose from the audience.

By this time, Blue had joined the guards and SweetPea in the back of the room, drawing his gun and pressing its cold metal to her head. SweetPea saw Baby's eyes scan the crowd until they fell on her, at which point she locked gazes with SweetPea. Meanwhile, SweetPea drew a shaky breath, trying to maintain composure as she felt Blue's fingers tense around the trigger.

Baby turned back towards the audience, listening as the music began to start up. She swayed slowly from side to side, and SweetPea prayed she kept everyone distracted, at least until Tyler showed up with the cops. She closed her eyes.

Oo0oO

I don't know what I was expecting when I opened my eyes, maybe a snow-covered temple reduced to ruins, or an orc castle burning in the sunset. What I was not expecting was to find myself looking at open sky, or feeling the slap of cold wind across my face. Panicked, I whipped my head about me, before a voice in front of me snapped some sense into me.

"Baby! Clam down!" screeched Tyler over the sound of a now obvious deafening roar.

I blinked, observing my surroundings with now clear eyes. We were seated on a military two-seater fighter plane, Tyler piloting us through the intense wind. All around us, cloudy gray skies stretched as far as the eye could see, the sun or stars nowhere in sight. A frothy black sea churned far below us.

"It's good to see you again," announced a familiar voice beside me. I turned to my right, surprised to see the wise man piloting a similar plane beside us.

"You say that like you knew you'd see her again," Tyler replied, managing to sound annoyed even while yelling.

I ignored his comment. "What are you doing here? I thought you said the last dance was the final one I needed to escape!"

"The first time, it was the final leg of your first escape," he replied knowingly. "Now, look down there," he steered his plane off to the side, revealing an ocean cruise liner treading the sea below. "Down there, a highly respected and infamous war general and his troops are holding a hostage, one of ours."

SweetPea. The name flashed in my mind, though I remained silent.

"The hostage is incredibly important to our victory. If they get to the coast with the hostage or kill her, all will be lost," here he looked just at me. "Your job will be to infiltrate the ship and get the hostage out of enemy hands. Tyler will do his best to cover you from the air, but in the end it's all up to you." He locked his eyes with mine. "Are you ready?"

I swallowed, glancing down at the ship below. Somewhere down there was my friend, with whom I'd gone through so much with. We'd fought together through the death of so many others, including her sister. We'd fought through the good times and bad, fought for a freedom that we so long yearned for. And it was up to me to make sure that she got hers.

"Let's go," I said, and in a second Tyler had us in a spiraling descent down towards the ship. I held tightly to the pit's sides, bracing myself against the battering gales. As we came closer to the massive naval vessel, I was able to get a better feel for the ship. From far away, it looked like any old ocean liner, nothing to be concerned with. But up close, it was clear that it was not just any ship. Large guns covered its sides, and sturdy steel exterior coated it like armor. A strange flag flew from its highest tower.

That must be where SweetPea is, I told myself, remembering the destination in my mind. Looking back at the sides of the ship, a platform at its back opened up, and dozens of enemy fighter jets were released into the night.

"Damn it!" Tyler cursed, pulling up to avoid their bullets. My ears buzzed as they raced past, and I suddenly wished I had a cap like Tyler's. Meanwhile, he rapidly pressed buttons on the dashboard, lighting it up with a vast array of colored lights. Behind us, the jets had made a U-turn, and were now coming up fast on our tail.

"We've got company!" I yelled to Tyler, gripping the plane harder as he swerved to dodge their attacks.

"I know!" he replied angrily, punching the engine and shooting us off towards the ship. "I can't fight them while you're still in here, but I also can't afford to completely stop to drop you off. You'll have to jump when we get close." He noticed my fearful expression. "You'll be fine. Now, on my mark."

I tensed my muscles, still desperately trying to hold on as he inched closer and closer to the ship. But the jets seemed to pick up at we were doing, and tried to force us into the ship's side by boxing us from all directions but forwards. Tyler struggled desperately to break ranks, but the bigger planes kept forcing him in as the ship's side approached at nauseating speed.

This can't be how it ends, I said to myself, anger and fear bubbling inside me. I had fought too hard for too long to die by crashing into the side of a ship, helpless to do anything as Blue's forces lead up to our death. I would not let SweetPea's story end this way, nor would I allow mine. Screeching angrily, I unbuckled myself and jumped onto the nearest enemy plane, surprising the driver and tossing him out of the cockpit. Seizing control of the jet, I banked the plane away from Tyler.

"Tyler now!" I called to him, alerting him of the opening. Quick as lightening he steered our out of the trap, and the other jets (distracted by our stunt) crashed in a fiery explosion against the ship's exterior.

"Woo-hoo!" he hollered in celebration, flying beside me. "You gonna be able to get yourself on the ship in that thing?"

"Just cover me and I'll be fine." I said, sounding more confident then I actually felt.

He nodded, steering his plane higher into the air to distract the new wave of jets that had just emerged from the ship. Turning to my own plane controls, I yanked the wheel to the left, rising along the ship's hull until I was level with the deck. Surprisingly, it was empty besides a few turrets, which I quickly took out with my ship's guns.

I opened the cockpit door, preparing myself for the leap. Here goes nothing. I thought to myself, and with a heave I launched myself out of the plane.

I hit the deck hard, rolling across the barren floor. Unmanned, my ship spiraled out of control, landing with a crash in the sea below. I stood up from the deck, brushing off my skirt and grabbing a gun that I'd slung over my shoulder. After throwing in a fresh magazine, I headed for the door that lead to the top tower. It was locked, to be expected, but with a swift kick it swung inwards. Revealing about 30 armed men with their guns trained at me.

My finger exploded on the trigger, tearing through my clip and the men as well. But their numbers overwhelmed me, and soon they were on top of me, pinning me to the ground and tossing my weapons aside. Then, everything went black.

Oo0oO

When I woke up, I knew immediately I was in the highest tower, mostly because I was facing a window that overlooked everything else on the ship. My hands were bound, and I quickly rose to my feet to assess the situation.

"Gut, du bist endlich wach," (Good, you're finally awake) a voice from behind me spoke, making me turn. Standing there was Blue, or at least my mind's form of Blue, a strange green goblin thing covered in warts and hairs. In his hands was SweetPea, unconscious and heavily bruised.

"What did you do to her? Let her go!" I screeched, lunging for him before two guards grabbed me.

"Tsk tsk tsk, nicht unkooperativ Mädchen zu sein. Oder dein Freund und du wirst ide an diesem Schiff sterben." (Tsk tsk tsk, do not be uncooperative girl. Or else your friend and you will die on this very ship.) He chastised, aiming a gun at her head.

"What do you want," I said, trying to sound strong though I felt my own power dwindling.

"Was ich will? Alles, was ich will, ist, diesen Kampf zu gewinnen, zu beobachten, Sie und Ihre Kameraden fallen durch meine Hände." (What I want? All I want is to win this battle, to watch you and your comrades fall by my hands.) Here he broke into laughter, and then aimed the gun at my head. "Beginnend mit Ihnen." (Starting with you.)

Again he laughed, but his laughter was cut off by the roar of a plane coming closer and closer to the window. And it was not just any plane; Tyler was behind the wheel, cursing mockingly at the general as his plane flew closer. With one final screech from Blue, the vision cut short.

Oo0oO

"Alright, nobody move!" screeched several loud voices. At once I was woken from my dream dance, and suddenly I was panting back up on the stage, over-looking a frightened crowd. The police had arrived, drawing their guns and commanding people to stay still. Of course this inspired the opposite, and many of the men watching me dance were now screeching and fleeing from the cops. I looked towards the doorway, relief and happiness pouring from me as I saw Tyler and Madame Gorski there.

However, before I could register true joy, I was distracted by the shouts of protest coming from one man in particular.

"No! You can't fucking do this! This is my institute and I'll run it however the hell I want to!" Blue screeched as he watched his staff submit to or be cuffed by the police. "All of you, how did you-" He stopped, looking up at me on the stage. "You? You did this? You, You!" With another screech, he pulled out his gun again. My heart stopped as he aimed it for me. Could I dodge a bullet from that far away? Would it even reach me? Before I could answer my own questions he loaded it and fired. But not at me. Not at the police. But at the shocked, surprised girl who had been dropped on the floor.

Oo0oO