Red considered what he knew he had to do. There was no way he could allow the little one to go through what he knew was coming. Drakkon was violent and sadistic; he was starting to remember the awful, frightening, and painful games the tyrant loved to play. Even in his current state, Red found Drakkon's behavior rough and aggressive and uncomfortable.

He'd learned how to cope over time, sure. But Drakkon was going to tear the little one up. Red carefully rolled the little Red Omega on his side as his nose and mouth still oozed blood. He tenderly ran a hand over the dark hair as he perched on the bedside next to him.

Jason looked so innocent. And young.

As he sat thinking, he noticed the picture on the nightstand for the first time. Reaching out, he picked it up and inspected it more closely. He was sure he recognized those faces smiling at the camera.

It was the same group of teens in the picture he'd seen at the palace.

One gloved finger stroked the glass as he forced himself to think back, to remember the time before Drakkon. His brow knitted in frustration as something tilted at the edge of his memory. He closed his eyes and tried to focus, feeling a familiar nudge. He felt it was important that he remember; something in his heart tugged as he looked at one face in particular.

"Easy, ok? I'm not here to hurt you."

"Just talk to me!"

"Jason, please wake up! I miss you!"

Big brown eyes full of tears as she held up her hands defensively.

"Jason, please! You can't be dead! I need you!"

"Kim," he whispered in surprise. "I remember Kimberly."

The woman who kept approaching him at the palace, the one he would always rail on, trying to rip her to shreds in his feral anger. He never could understand why she would attempt to approach him over and over, despite his venomous tongue and aggressive attacks.

"Little sis," he murmured, his eyes starting to water. "She kept trying to reach me. All that time. No matter how badly I reacted. Kim wouldn't give up."

Red sniffed back tears as he wiped a hand over his face. His lips trembled as pain settled in his chest, in his heart.

"She must have really loved me," he whispered.

Then frowned.

No, she loved Jason. He was her big brother. Not Red.

"But I'm not 'Jason' anymore. I can't go back to who I was. There's nothing there, no connection anymore. I don't know how to be 'Jason'."

He looked down at the unresponsive Red Omega sadly.

"I can't be you again, kiddo. I'm no one now. No one but a human pet, a dog. A beast. And batshit crazy."

He carefully returned the frame to its place on the wooden nightstand.

"I wouldn't know how to survive or get along in this world. I have no social skills, no coping mechanisms, no education. He's shattered me so deep inside, I don't know how to be a normal person. Drakkon's fucked me up for the rest of my life," he whispered to the Omega.

"I can't always control my rages. My Red Rages, I guess," he snorted. "If I hurt or killed someone because I lost control, because I slipped back into a frenzy…."

Red sighed, resignedly.

"He always said we were meant to be together forever."

Standing, he opened the small nightstand drawer and found what he was looking for: a notebook of lined paper and a pen. Taking the items, he moved to sit on the bed, flipping the notebook open to the first blank page. He owed them this much.

He clicked the pen and frowned as he struggled to remember how to orient it in his hand. Red hadn't written anything in…. years? Just more evidence that he could never be a part of this life anyone.

After several failed attempts and muttered curses, Red managed to start the difficult letter. They had suffered Jason's death once before only to believe that he had come back to them. But that just wasn't the case. He couldn't let them believe all their efforts to connect with him meant nothing.

Guys,

I love you all so much. You never gave up on me. Never forgot me. Even when I was a danger to you. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. But I must hurt you one more time. Drakkon is going to hell and I'm going to drag him there. Know that I am better off. I'll be free.

Love,

Jason

Red bit his lip as he signed the letter. That's the name they needed to see after all. 'Jason' was the person they loved and knew, not him. Not anymore.

He folded the letter and turned back to the Omega.

"Come on, kid. You're going home now. This isn't a party you're going to want to attend," he whispered as he scooped Jason up.

He held the younger Ranger's head close to his chest as he cradled him. Remembering Drakkon's crude comments in the palace, he growled as he grappled with the knowledge that this perverted psychopath had had sex with a way too young Red Omega. He couldn't recall exactly how old he and Drakkon were, but it was way too old for this shit.

"And I hope to God you smarten up. Stop being so damn foolish," he scolded, walking through the door into the corridor.

He knew they had passed the hall he was looking for when they left the security hold.

Finding it, Red turned and picked up his pace. He had to hurry before Drakkon decided to come back and play with them. Thankfully, this part of the ship had power. Shit was really going to hit the fan once he completed this task. There was no going back now.

The older stopped at the first pod he came to. He leaned the little Omega against the wall as he opened the small door. On the wall, a red warning light blinked rapidly. The deployment machinery was jammed.

Goddammit, he didn't have time for this!

Huffing, Red pried the panel off the wall and worked furiously to straighten and free the proper gears. His hands bled as he quickly grabbed sharp edges and broken pieces. Straining with all his strength, he pushed down and reconnected the dismantled launch chains. All the way, his ears were listening intently for the sound of boot clicks.

The blinking red light turned a soft, happy green with a small beep.

Oh, thank God!

Pulling his bloody and torn hands, he grabbed the kiddo and hoisted him up. He secured him in the seat with the harness restraint as best he could given the manacles locking Jason's arms behind his back. Then he keyed in the location they had just departed from in the pod's navigation system.

"Here," he said, breathlessly. "I know you'll make sure this gets where it needs to go."

Red tucked the letter into the Omega's gold belt and smiled sadly.

"Once you're out of here, its go time. But I'm ready. Take care of them for me, kiddo," he added.

Stepping back, Red secured the door and activated the launch sequence. Luckily, everything went off without a hitch and the small pod was sucked back and out a smooth, fluid motion.

He stared out into the darkness as the departing shuttle became smaller and smaller. He let out a strained sigh of relief, knowing that this younger version of himself was going to be safe and returned to his friends. That made what was coming next much easier.

Releasing the pod would alert the control room. Once he'd pressed that button and the pod shot out into the void, Drakkon would have been alerted. Spinning on his heel, Red dashed down the corridor toward where the dragon waited.

No hesitation, no indecision.

It's time Drakkon was on the receiving end of one of his Red Rages; he could feel the intense emotion and wrath starting to swirl across his vision. He was ready to let go and unleash on that motherfucker.

Reaching up under his chin as he raced toward his destiny, he released the black cloak from his shoulders. It flew backwards down the corridor like a bird set free from a cage.

His breath echoed in his ears and he felt his teeth baring in a feral snarl. He was going to tear that fucker limb from limb!