Not even an hour after fishing Sky from the tunnel, Reaper and Mathiss found themselves within the dark, dank tunnels of the sewer. It was an unwelcome sight all too soon for the both of them. But for Vera, she had practically lived in the sewers for so long the stech didn't faze ehr this time. The Imp had taken to staying in the sewers for most of its time, so naturally she followed it down there. It wasn't as stupid as one would think. Vera started walking through the tunnel. The water level reached her waist, as it had just days ago.

"Had to be the sewer." Mathiss muttered with disgust.

"Sorry your highness, next time I'll hide them in some place more obvious." Vera replied. Mathiss had simply rubbed her the wrong way since the atrium. The broad reminded her far too much like the tramps back in her hometown, always claiming to be better than the others. Always hinting they knew more about the world than others. Didn't keep them from going six feet under. "Like up your ass."

"Stow it, both of you." Reaper snapped. Whatever was going on between them, now was not the time to let them fight it out. "Mathiss, cover the exit. Vera, lead on."

Vera continued through the tunnel, carrying only one of her pistols, while Reaper still held onto the other. He could hear Mathiss mutter as they ventured deeper, but he ignored her rant. They had less than ten minutes to retrieve the data an serum before the ARC was back online. Once their ride home was back, things would get a whole lot messier

And speaking of ride. Reaper felt it was time to learn the truth. "How'd you survive?"

Vera gave him a sideways glance but didn't answer.

Reaper decided to push her. Tradition told that it usually worked on her. "The explosion that destroyed your transport took out four people. One of them was said to be you. There was no chance of surviving it, much less coming out without an injury."

Vera snorted humorlessly. "I've never made it out of mission without an injury, John. Transport wasn't any different."

"You're still here." Reaper stated.

"Not for lack of trying on Taylor's behalf." she replied bitterly. "Before the transport started moving, I realized that Taylor was trying to ghost me. Everyone on the transport was already dead. The steering was rigged remotely to drive it off base. Bastard sealed every chance of escape."

"So how did you?" he asked.

Vera swallowed hard. Living through the nightmare once had taken more out of her than she ever wanted to admit. She didn't want to this about what it would take from her to relive it. But she also knew that John deserved to know the truth. "I managed to pry open one of the floor panels of the transport. Protected me from most of the blast, but I didn't go unscathed. Despite what you think."

Reaper shook his head. "I haven't seen anything to the contrary."

Vera came to a stop and turned to face him. "Then you haven't looked hard enough."

For a moment, Reaper expected her to keep walking, only Vera remained rooted. It was then he recognized the tunnel. They stood on opposite edges of the divot in the tunnel. the one where Portman and dove into. "Here?"

"Here." she answered. Vera holstered her pistol and pulled her crop top lower down her waist.

"This how you infected your lacerations?" Reaper asked.

Vera didn't reply, but her eyes glared back. She took a deep breath and plunged beneath the surface. Reaper waited, watching the surrounding walls for any sign of the Imp. The longest seconds of Reaper's life ticked by while he waited for Vera to rise. His eyes scanned the water around them, for any signs of a swimming Imp, or anything. Reaper turned just as Vera rose to the surface. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with-not exactly fresh-air. Reaper caught a strange sound coming from her lungs while she inhaled. He frowned in confusion, but his thoughts were sideswiped when Vera held up a small black tactical pack.

"Tada." she said. She opened the pack and lowered it into his gun lights range. "Data disks and every vial of C24 Carmack created."

Reaper let his eyes scan between the disks and the vials. The five neon green disk were clustered together alongside the vials of C24. Reaper frowned and reached into the pack. He pulled out one of the vials and held it beneath the light. He recalled the vial Sam had held onto was filled with clear liquid. The vial in his hand, in the pack, labeled C24, was not clear. In fact, it was a cloudy, murky, grey color.

"You tampered with them." It wasn't a question. He lifted his gaze toward Vera, who hardly seemed ashamed of her actions.

"Thought I'd put the PHD to use up here." Vera stated. "Do you have any idea what this'll do?" Reaper demanded. Vera jerked the vial from Reaper's hand and shoved it back into the pack. "Yes I did a complete human testing regiment."

"You don't know." he stated.

"Well they won't be superhuman even with the right genes." she replied. Vera slung the pack over her back and pulled her pistol from the holster. "Let's get back to your unit medic before that stick climbs any further up her ass."

Reaper shook his head. "Wouldn't hurt to pull yours out either."

"Play dead for a few days and see if you don't have a stick up your ass, mudak." She muttered bitterly. With her pistol tightly held in her hands, Vera plunged through the tunnel toward the entrance.

Reaper sighed to himself. Three hours ago he was certain the hallucinations would be the only way to see Vera again. But now she stood in front of him, very much alive, and just as angry as before. The only difference between those three hours and now, was the fact that nothing seemed right anymore. Vera's survival, the data, Taylor's intentions. Reaper didn't know who to trust, or even if he should trust anyone. He knew from experience that Vera had a knack for surviving the worst of injuries. But even she couldn't escape an explosion without a scratch ,which he saw nothing of. Nor could she have healed so quickly from a broken wrist or those lacerations. But here she was, wielding a gun with ease, and baring sealed-if not infected-scars. Vera was good, but she wasn't that good.

"You coming Reaper?" Vera called over his shoulder.

Reaper sighed again and took a step toward her.

Suddenly a scream filled the tunnel, instantly triggering their training. Both of them sprinted toward the entrance. The water surged around heir legs, slowing their sprint, but Reaper managed to pull ahead of Vera. Several shots echoed ahead of them, urging them faster. He could hear the Imp growling ahead. He could hear Mathiss backing away from it. She wouldn't stand a chance. He heard her weapon fall into the water, heard her body slam against the wall. Reaper came around the corner just as the Imp's claws sliced through Mathiss' throat. Mathiss slumped into the water with nothing more than a look of pure terror on her face.

"No!" Reaper yelled. He lifted his weapon and opened fire. His cry had alerted the Imp, making him miss his shots before the Imp plunged into the darkness. Reaper raced to Mathiss' body. She was slumped against the wall, blood pouring down the front of her uniform. Her gun lay several feet from her, the gun light shining through the water. Behind him, Vera campy sloshing through the water breathlessly.

"Shit. Where is it?" Reaper turned toward the tunnel. He jerked his head toward the tunnel. He tightened his grip on his weapon and stepped toward the tunnel. Vera followed close behind him. Her pistol was no match for an Imp, but it was better than nothing. They moved slowly through the tunnel, searching for the creature.

Vera caught the sound was shifting water and spun around. Nothing moved around them, but she remained facing the rear. She moved with Reaper, step for step, until she bumped into him. They stood in the tunnel, back to back, waiting for the Imp to strike. Vera closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Memories of their first Imp encounter flooded through her mind. Fear boiled within her body, threatening to fracture her already unstable composure. Her hands shook around her pistol.

"Back!" Reaper ordered.

Vera's eyes burst open, but it was too late. The Imp burst up from the water just feet from her. Vera lifted her pistol, only to have the Imp swipe it from her hands, raking its claws over her right arm. With its second arm, it flung Vera into the tunnel walls. Her back collided with the wall, knocking the air of her well battered lungs. Vera slid down deep into the water. The unfortunate attack, was the opening that gave Reaper his opportunity. He opened fire, sending three bullets into the Imp's head and chest. The Imp flung back from the force and collapsed into the water. Reaper quickly turned his attention back to Vera.

"Vera?" He called.

"Still alive." Vera groaned and rose out of the water. "But not for lack of trying."

Reaper's eyes dropped to her lacerated arm. He reached out for the limb, only to have Vera retract her arm protectively.

"I'll survive." she replied. "Mathiss wasn't so lucky. You take her and stop worrying about me." Without another word or glance, Vera walked around him, back toward the ladder. As she walked by him, Reaper caught the faint sound of her breathing. Raspy, barely enough oxygen to sustain her.

Reaper clenched his hand into a tight fist. He could smell her blood in the air and water. Hell he heard those claws rip through her flesh and Vera was pushing him away. Ever since he discovered her, every attempt on her side had been to push him further and further away, just as she had after Russia. Something had happened beyond the transport explosion and she was keeping it from him. How in the hell had he been so slow? How could he have just written off as dead so quickly? More importantly, how could he fix it before Vera got herself killed-for real.

STILL ALIVE! Sorry for the gaps between updates, got a lot of other fics going on, but know I haven't forgotten this one. let me know what you think! Next chapter should be up soon. I'm almost done with it I promise, plus it also explains some things about Vera that haven't been addressed yet.