Chapter 14, Shameful Attack

Wash

I sighed internally, standing in front of Mass's wooden apartment door with red roses in my hands. This was so incredibly stupid. She was my partner for god's sake. And not to mention I didn't know her. But I was skipping work for her and going against my better judgment to stay away. To be honest, I didn't know myself anymore. I couldn't even believe I was doing this consciously. And the me just a few weeks ago wouldn't either. But the me now knew what I was doing.

Ever since that one heated night in my apartment, I've dreamt about her every second I got in REM sleep, tossed and turned the rest of the time and been unfocused during my daily work. All merely because I couldn't stop thinking about her---wondering about her. She was a new mystery to solve. A new challenge to complete. But not only that, she'd seemed---if only for a second----to care about me. And that was more then I could ever want.

I knocked twice, trying to sound confident. But I was more nervous then I'd ever been. Even before we launched the E.M.P..

"Come in." Her voice was very welcoming, like she was talking to a family member. But there were no other sounds from what I could hear.

This could be a trick. A trap set by either her or someone else using her.

My heart pulsated loudly in my ears and heat rose up to my chest and face.

I pushed open the door to see her sitting on a window seat facing away from me, her long hair covering up her hands which were behind her. All the lights were off, shadowing everything. "Megan?" I started towards her, my footsteps loud against the wood floor. As I moved towards her, she started to turn around to face me.

It was too late by time she turned around. The flowers dropped out of my hand, clunking onto the ground.

Duct-tape was over her mouth, tears streaming down from her eyes and I saw the excess rope from her hands that were tied behind her back.

I panic, I started to back up towards the door at a steady gait.

Of course, it was too late and I hit something cold and hard as a rock. I turned around speedily to see Meta standing in his EVA armor, but no weapon. He stood at least four heads taller then me.

I stumbled back, hitting the floor by the roses. Dammit! How could I let myself fall for such an idiotic thing? I was smarter then this! I knew it!

Meta reached for my ankle, but I used that as he bent down to kick him in the visor. The glass cracked audibly and it sounded as if my foot did the same thing, making me scream in pain. It shot p from the beginning of my foot, all the way up my leg. Then the pain became throbbing.

Surprisingly enough, Maine passed me after that. I looked up at Mass to see him retrieving a knife from his belt and holding her face up to expos her neck. She was fighting him, but there was no use. "NO!" My voice echoed so loudly they both turned to me in what looked like astonishment, but it wasn't easy to tell under Maine's helmet.

"What do you want?" I demanded, pulling myself up on my hands

"You." Maine said, sounding hissing and menacing. Not only in pain from my broken foot, but in defeat, I slumped forward, my hand going in front of me as I twisted towards them. I started at the wood floor that was smoky dirty.

"Take me if you want me. Just don't hurt her." I could feel their shock from even this far away.

My eyes wandered up to Mass's eyes that were shaking and tear filled, but wide with surprise.

Why was I doing this?

Hatred

Director

If anything, I felt compelled to check up on Maine's status. Because of his mission and because of the fact I couldn't pull this off without him. As much as I wanted to deny it, Maine was a big help. Not to mention that he's going to willingly be my test subject. That's more then I can ask.

I started down the hall, jacket draped over my forearm, eyes careful to give nothing away. I passed a few people, who I waved to and smiled, some ignoring me, others waving and smiling back politely.

It wasn't exactly easy to tell if they saw something going on with me, but I tried to anyway.

Their expressions were either cheerful, angry or beeline. None of them gave away anything.

I opened the door to my car and got into the driver's seat, not bothering to look around in it. With a sigh, my expression fell and I turned to put my jacket next to me.

Boy was I surprised to see someone seated in the passenger's seat.

My heart jumped, my breathing gaining speed as I recoiled.

"Hello, Leonard." The Chairman greeted with a glare. His accent was dropped, surprising me by his fluent voice.

"What the hell?" I demanded, glaring at him too now. Who did he think he was? Breaking into someone's car was illegal whether you stole anything or not.

"I just needed to warn you." He leaned towards me, his expression ominous. Would he actually try something? It sure looked like he wanted to, if nothing else.

"You're warning me? Of what?"

"Of the consequences if you do anything I don't like." His face twisted into a sneer. "Director, I will kill you if you try anything. And I swear that I'll do it myself. With these two hands, nothing more. You won't have a chance to defend yourself. And might I also point out that it was your girlfriend who was in the military, not you?" I scowled, glowering now. No one talked about Allie, and even if they did, they would do it respectfully.

"I've got your warning, Chairman, you can leave now." He leaned away.

"Why am I getting the feeling you don't understand me? Or, that you won't take my seriously?" Though he was talking with his accent again, it sounded strange. Almost as if he was torn between threatening me again, and being my friend.

"I understand you. And, I'm taking your threat very seriously. But I can assure you, you have got nothing to worry about." I almost slipped, saying something I'd regret. To tell you the truth, I wanted to tell him, just so I could threaten him back, but that would have been extremely stupid.

"I sure hope so." He got out, shutting the door loudly behind him.

Instead of driving off like I probably should have, I watched him as he moved inside. He knew more then he was saying, making me even more nervous. What was he up to? And what was the meaning of his conversation with me? It seemed as if he was working in a much more direct way then usual. Either he already knew, or he was hot on my trail. But, how? I'd left hardly any traces through the phone, anything that wasn't personal, was bought on a different account entirely that used an alias. And I hadn't been doing anything anywhere…

I stopped mid thought, staring in after him with astonishment.

They had to have bugged my home. It was the only way they could have known what I was up to. Unless I left other clues that I just haven't quite found yet.

"Dammit!" I cursed, slamming my fist on my dashboard. How could I have let this happen?

Well, This is Great

Wash

My mind was so foggy, it felt like I was drowning, but it didn't feel like I was. Or, had I already? I couldn't remember, all I knew, was that my head hurt like hell and that my muscles were stretched out too far.

With a groan, I went to pull myself closer in, but I heard metal rattle instead, and the fight against me. It was really cold, the feeling of something on my wrists surprising.

What had I been doing? I'd gone to see Mass… oh, and Maine.

I flexed my hands, feeling the pain in my stiff joints.

My arms were behind my back like I was arrested, but it felt different in the sense that my legs had the same metal. It felt like handcuffs.

"David!" I heard Mass below and I opened my eyes to see metal ground that was blurred. Little holes were doubled, the second one simply a figment of my imagination.

"Where am I?" I sounded different, maybe as if I could hardly speak.

"I'm not sure. Maine brought us here after knocking us out." Finally, I left my head to look around.

The room was square, one doorway next to me, another straight across from that one. All metal and with floating shelves all around the room, with the exception of the wall me and Mass were leaning against.

A locker was right next to Megan, it partially opened.

Both of us had handcuffs on our ankles and wrists, but I was slumped forward and she wasn't.

"Are you okay?" I stared at her, searching for injures. Maine better hope I come up dry.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He did cut you though." I frowned and felt the stinging of a fresh cut across my brow.

"How bad?"

"Not too bad, but it did bleed." I sighed. Figures. At that moment, Maine started towards one of the shelves, his armor removed, magazine in one hand and a banana in the other.

"You cut me, prick!" I shouted as he made it halfway. Though he didn't stop, I noticed he scowled, probably listening.

"Stop it, Wash." Mass said cooingly.

"Let him complain. Freedom of speech." Maine said, sounding careless, but annoyed too. He took a seat on one of the shelves, not even looking up to us once.

"What the hell is going on?" He took a bite of his banana, almost as if to use his mouth full of food as an excuse not to answer. "Answer me." He stared at me now, surprised, but amused.

"Wash, relax.' She leaned towards me and I leaned away.

"Stop it. You're the one that got me captured in the first place." She turned away, giving puppy-dog eyes to the locker. How was I suppose to be mad at her? "I'm sorry. I'm just in a shitty mood, 'ya know?" This time, I leaned towards her. At first, as I leaned against her, she didn't move a muscle, as if she was frozen. Then she turned to me and stared with bewilderment.

"I didn't know she was your girlfriend." Maine said, tossing his banana peel into a trashcan. The bag inside crackled in response.

"Um… well, technically speaking, she isn't."

"But you still got yourself captured for her." I looked away. I had. But I still wasn't sure entirely why.

"We've got another shipment!" The voice that rang through the air, made me breathing stop as I turned in the direction. Could it really be? It sure seemed to be. How could this happen?

My commander. He'd been working for Meta all along. I wasn't sure if Meta was solo yet. There was a slim chance he had a partner. Or a boss. But I doubted he would do anything that would benefit someone else more then himself.

If he was working for somebody, I doubted he was really. It was probably just an act, a show. It was probably the Director.

Oh well, at any rate, he'll end up killing him and then I can stop him. Whatever they were planning probably wasn't that cunning anyway.

Though, it did worry me what their motives were.

"Just in time! Leonard's gonna be here soon and I'm sure he'll appreciate being able to do the copy today." Maine hopped down, leaving me to watch him leave.

Copy? What were they going to copy?

My eyes narrowed as I watched him disappear.

There was something going on I couldn't quite figure out just yet. Possibly something much worse then I'd first thought. Something that could result in death, or destruction.

Whatever it was, I knew I had a bad feeling about it.

(Hope you all liked!)

(PS: the next chapter is named, MIA)