Thomas and Alex watched crouched from behind the boxes as WICKED soldiers lined everyone up. Right arm members at the back and kids at the front.
"I don't see Chloe...or Dr Prior!" Alex whispered.
"Maybe they are hiding?" Thomas whispered back.
"I shucken hope so! Dr Prior is a full on traitor, if they find him...he's as good as dead!"
"Line them up right here! On their knees!" Yelled a voice that instantly grated on her nerves. They turned back to listen and watch what was happening.
"There's our favorite slimy sewer rat!" Alex whispered.
"Put some eyes up on that ridge." A deep voice rumbled.
"I recognize that voice!" Thomas whispered.
"Ya..that's Captain Ronin." Alex said through clenched teeth, pointing. His big bulky frame was hard to miss, even when all the WICKED soldiers were dressed the same. They watched as Captain Ronin came around behind each kid, pushing their heads down, and scanning their necks. Like Brenda did back in the warehouse.
"B-4." Captain Ronin called. someone behind him made a note on their hand held computer screen.
"How many did we get?" Jansen asked
"All of them. Give or take." The Captain replied, scanning another neck.
"Give or take what?" Janson snapped, his arms crossed, scanning the faces of the kids in front of him.
"Well, they lost a few." The captain snapped back.
"A-4."
"A-6."
"B-3."
"Where's Thomas? And Alexandra?" Jansen asked suspiciously , he had finished scanning the front row.
"There's my cue. Remember. Blow shit up." Alex whispered. She stood up and came into view.
"Right here. You slimy ugly sewer rat!" Alex yelled. She plastered a smirk on her face, lifted her head and squared her shoulders, sauntering closer. "I'm right here." she spat wrinkling her nose as she looked at Janson.
"Didn't you die in the explosion of the building." Janson sounded surprised to see her.
"Sorry to disappoint you. No wait, I'm not sorry." She paused, and then shrugged with a smirk, "Went to hell, didn't like it, decided to come back just to piss you off." She sassed as she slowly walked closer.
"Freeze!" Yelled a soldier, pointing his gun at her.
"You gonna shoot an unarmed girl when she's clearly surrendering?" She raised am eyebrow at the solider who was now holding is gun at her back.
"Go! Move forward!" He yelled.
"Alex!? What are you doing?" Minho yelled.
"Alex! No!" She heard Newt cry.
She looked over her shoulder to meet the soldier in the eye, "Well which is it? Freeze or move? Make up your mind!" She sassed, her body frozen like she was mid run, mocking him. Alex could see the frustration on his face. And she smirked even more, holding back a laugh.
"Jansen, your soldiers are as smart as you! Which means... not at all!" She called to him. The soldier shoved her forwards, pushing her until she was standing in front of the kids on their knees, facing Jansen.
"Alexandra." He sneered.
"It's actually just Alex."
"Where is Thomas?" He asked.
"Shuck if I know! You started blasting things apart. What if you killed him? That would be a disappointment, now wouldn't it? Not very smart of you. You sorry excuse of a human." Alex mouthed back.
She could see the anger in his face. And she smiled, her plan was working, it was actually really fun getting under his skin with her smart mouth. She was verbally punching him in the face. He clenched his jaw. She saw his fists clenching and unclenching. She glanced down at them, then back up to his beady little eyes.
"Janson...Would you like to hit me? You irritating twat waffle."
His first made contact with her jaw, snapping her head sideways, she stumbled a little. She heard an instant commotion behind her. Alex could feel blood fill her mouth. She slowly straightened up, looked Jansen in the eyes, and spit the blood all over him.
"Dude you hit like a girl. No wait, that's an insult to females, sorry ladies. Yo hit like a wet blanket. Do you feel better? Hitting a girl? An unarmed girl? Do you feel like a man now? Huh? You disgusting intolerable klunk pastry."
Captain Ronin had walked up beside her. She only gave him a side glance, when she heard a rumble and a clearing of his throat.
Was that a covered up laugh?
She nodded in his direction. Unsure where his loyalties lay right now. But figured it was better to treat him like all the other soldiers until she knew for sure.
"Well well well. We meet again Captain Marshmallow. Long time no see." She wiped some blood off her chin. And flung it in Janson's direction. The Captain clamped a hand on her shoulder and turned her around
"Get her in line." Janson's nasally voice whined.
The captain forced her into her knees beside Minho.
Jansen had turned his back on the crowd, "Okay. Bring her in." He ordered into a walkie talkie.
"Why didn't you run?" Minho asked.
Alex spit blood from her mouth again, "I'm tired of running. And besides, Tommy and I have a plan."
"Alex ...you could have escaped!" Newt chided.
She narrowed her eyes at him, "You should know me better than that! That actually hurts a little, Newt. I don't leave my family behind." Alex growled.
A Berg had landed and the door slowly opened, out walked a pristine Dr Ava Paige, in a crisp white dress, bright red lips that looked bright as fresh blood.
Huh, fitting. How much blood is on her hands?
"Oh goodie. The highness graces us with her presence, does she? The mighty Ava Paige." Alex called, mockingly. Newt groaned.
"What's your plan exactly?" Minho whispered to raising an eyebrow.
She smiled deviously, "Piss off Rat Man, Thomas blows shit up. We escape" She whispered back.
"I like it. Simple. Elegant. Efficient." Minho nodded in approval, "I think I'll join in on that."
"Is this all of them?" Ava asked Jansen, coming to a stop beside Janson, She was scanning the faces of the kids in front of her.
"Most of them. It'll be enough." He said it with such malevolence Alex physically shuddered.
"Start loading them in." Ava said lazily, with a flick of her wrist.
"Yes, ma'am." Jasen coed. He turned to the group, his twitchy mouth twisted into what was supposed to be a smile. "Okay, you heard. Let's go!" He barked.
"Hello, Alexandra." Ava said, stepping in front of her, "I'm glad you're safe."
"Eww. Gross." Alex scrunched her face up, leaning away from Ava.
"What the shuck?" Minho blanched, Teresa had walked up behind Ava, standing beside Jansen.
"Teresa?" Newt asked, the hurt in his voice.
"Wait, what's going on?" Frypan called
"She's with them." Someone yelled.
"What? Since when?" Minho asked, his forehead creased in confusion.
Alex could see the terror and silent plea for help in Teresa's face. Jansen sauntered over and laid a hand on Teresa's shoulder. Teresa's face visibly flinch, but her body was stone still.
"Teresa always had an evolved appreciation of the greater good. Once we restored her memories, it was only a matter of time." He sneered at them.
Alex couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, "Ya..okay! 'Director Jansen'...whatever helps you sleep at night!" She mocked. "You Coward." She added, "I wouldn't exactly call using a microchip in her brain and forcing her to do your dirty work, an appreciation. You're using her as a puppet!" Alex yelled at him, and then added "Jackass."
"Let's go, let's go." Jansen called to the soldiers who were trying to hull kids up the berg ramp. His face twisting into anger again.
Teresa jerked forward, all her muscles in her neck and face were straining. "I'M SORRY! I had...no choice." Her head jerked to the side, and then back to the front, when she opened her eyes, they were void and distant.
"We have to find a cure." A robotic voice leaving her body, void of all emotion.
"Minho, Newt." Alex called, so everyone around her could hear. "You think their puppet master controlling Tes is in the Berg or back safe in their compound?"
Janson growled at her. Minho nodded at Alex, he called out too, "Yeah, manipulating children to 'work' for you is bad enough...using human children as science experiments...now you use them as a robotic piece of machinery. You guys are more shucked up than I first thought."
"She's right." Ava Page said, place her hand on Teresa's shoulder too. Ava looked down at Teresa who was still twitching, and then at Alex, with something like sorrow in her eyes. Alex narrowed her eyes, and clenched her jaw.
"This is all just a means to an end. You used to understand that, Alex." Ava tried to reason.
"Eww. I was a SHUCKEN CHILD! YOU SHOT MY MOM AND DAD! AND STOLE ME! And you honestly want us to believe you have our best interests in mind? I can see you CONTROLLING a friend, with a microchip you placed in each of our brains WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN! And you want me to skip over to you? Go shuck yourself." Alex spat. Her body was shaking with hatred.
"No matter what you think of me... I am not a monster. I'm a doctor." Ava sighed. She took a step forwards, desperately trying to have them understand her side of things.
"I've met doctors and I've met monsters. You are no shucken doctor." Alex seethed.
"True dat!" Minho agreed beside her. The rest of the kids and Right arm all murmured in agreement. Alex could see Ava's cool demeanor crumbling.
"I swore an oath to find a cure! No matter the cost." She cried to the crowd.
"Ya OBVIOUSLY no matter the cost! How many kids did you kill in maze A alone?" Minho growled.
"Answer me that 'Doctor Ave Page" Alex asked, exaggerating the word doctor, her words dripping in venom and sarcasm.
"I just need more time!"
"More blood, you mean!"
Mary had pushed her way to the front of the crowd, her face pulled into one of disgust, like she had stepped in Griever klunk.
"Hello, Mary. I hoped we'd meet again.' Ava said, "I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances." She sighed, like she was bored of the conversation.
"I'm sorry about a lot of things, too. But not this. At least my conscience is clear." Mary replied.
"So is mine." Ava said flatly.
There was a bang. Alex flinched. Mary stumbled back. Bright red blossoming from her abdomen. She collapsed to her knees.
"Mary? Mary?" Vince shouted, pushing soldiers out of the way to get to her.
"Mary!" Alex screamed, she scrambled over to her side. She tried to put pressure on the wound. But there was so much blood already. Vince collapsed beside Mary, holding her. Alex could see Janson pocket his gun.
"Mary! Mary!" He sobbed, "Mary? Mary?" He called, shaking her, "No! Mary! Wake up!"
"Come on, Janson. Load them up. Let's go. All those other people? Get rid of them." Ava ordered, with another lazy flick of her hand. She had the stone cold look on her face again, she had turned her back on everyone.
"Let's go. Let's go!" Janson yelled, waving a hand in a circle above his head. He looked at Alex and smiled, his eyes glinting with evil. They looked like black pits. It shook Alex to the core, they looked like...she has seen black pitiless eyes before! Someone grabbed Alex by the hair and pulled her up.
"Let go of me!" She screamed, clawing at the hands. Her heart was racing now.
Where the SHUCK IS TOMMY!
"Sonya!" Newt yelled, trying to fight off his own soldier. Sonya was being pulled up the ramp of the Berg. Alex started struggling harder. Her sister was NOT going back with them!
"GET BACK!"
Thomas came sprinting out of his hiding place, holding the explosive high above his head.
"Everyone, stand back!" Thomas screamed again. Swinging the explosive around.
"Stand back!"
Soldiers panicked, guns were flailing, everyone was yelling, it was chaos, but no one wanted to pull a trigger, in case it set off the explosive Thomas was flailing around.
"Is this the plan?" Minho yelled, throwing off the guard holding him.
"Well...we came up with a plan, we executed the plan. Expect the plan to go off the rails...throw away the plan. I think we're in-between off the rails and throw it away!" Alex yelled back, she swung her elbow back into the soldier holding her, he finally backed up, holding his bloody nose.
Minho rolled his eyes, "ya sounds about right."
"Hold your fire!" Janson called.
"Everyone, stand back!" Thomas screamed, creeping closer to Alex, and the guys at the front.
"Hold your fire!" Janson called again, trying getting his men under control. Alex noticed Captain Ronin was standing back, not doing anything, his gun hung loosely in his hands. He wasn't yelling orders either.
"Stand back. Let 'em go." Thomas yelled.
"Thomas, put it down!" Ava called desperately. She had spun back around when Thomas came screaming and sprinting.
"Let 'em all go!" Thomas bellowed, his body coiled and tense.
"Tommy!" Alex yelled, "When I said blow shit up, I didn't mean us!" Alex screamed, throwing her hands up in the air, exasperated.
"You know I can't do that, I can't let them go!" Ava yelled, panicking.
"Thomas. Please. Stop." Teresa called, her body didn't move, her eyes staring straight ahead, it was very unsettling. "I made a deal with them. They promised we'd be safe. All of us." She continued in a monitored robotic voice.
"It's true. It was her only condition." Ava added, trying to reason.
"SHUT UP!" Alex yelled, "you have no right! How is she supposed to make a deal when you can shucken control her!"
"How are we supposed to be safe when you shoot people in cold blood?" Newt yelled at Ava.
"Everything can go back to the way it was. Thomas..." Ava tried a different tactic, she tried the gentle gas lighting approach. Thomas was still holding the explosive out in one hand and his thumb over the trigger.
"Do you really want all of them to die?" Ava nodded to all the kids lined up, some being held by soldiers, some were slowly inching away from WICKED soldiers.
"Think about what you're doing." Ava had taken another step forward trying the guilt trip on him. It seemed to work for a moment, because Thomas hesitated. He quickly glanced at the kids around him. Alex met Minho's eyes. In a silent conversation, they agreed.
"We're with you, Thomas." Minho called, his eyes never leaving Alex's determined ones. He laced his fingers with her and they stepped over to stand beside Thomas. They turned to face Ava and Janson. The rest of the soldiers slowly backed up, they didn't feel like getting blown up. Newt and Frypan also moved over towards Thomas.
"No." Ava whispered, "Don't!"
"Do it, Thomas!" Alex encouraged gently, "I'd rather be blown to pieces then go back with them!"
"We're ready!" Newt said grimly.
"We're not going back there." Thomas said, desperately. His resolve coming back.
"Thomas?" Teresa's face broke from the void of emotionless staring, she looked in pain, her head twitching, "Alex? Do...it!" She let out a choked sob. "Please!"
"It's the only way!" Sonya agreed. She had pushed her way over too, her soldier let go of her when Thomas showed up with a bomb. When Sonya came forward, Aris and Harriet also stepped up. The other kids behind them also came forward.
"Looks like being blown apart is a better option to us than going back with you! What does that tell you?" Alex asked a panicked Ava, "Doctor" she mocked again.
Minho squeezed her hand. She felt calm all of a sudden. Dying...it wasn't all bad. No more pain. No more suffering, or running. No more fighting for survival, she would see Chuck again, and Matt and Alby and Bark. Minho was with her, her anchor, the person who knew her best, who loved her for her. Newt was beside her too, her glue, her big brother. Her twin sister held her other hand, she finally found her, and they would take a final stand together. Her Tommy, her clueless loveable leader. Frypan, her favorite Glad gossip, her big squishy teddy bear friend. Her family. There was no one she would rather die beside. She looked up at Minho with a sad but determined smile. He looked down at her.
He mouthed "I love you Sunshine."
"I love you too Shuck Face." She kissed him quickly, "see ya in hell." And winked at him, he smirked back at her.
"Thomas!" Janson yelled.
Thomas's thumb hovered over the detonator. Alex squeezed Sonya and Minho's hands. They were ready. A loud engine roared to life, the horn blared. One of the big Right Arm trucks came speeding down the hill towards them. It picked up speed as the horn kept blaring. Jorge poked his head out the window and yelled a long drawn out battle cry. He jumped out the door and rolled as the truck launched over some boxes and slammed into a helicopter, sending it flying. The truck and helicopter exploded. Chopper blades cut into the earth, metal exploded everywhere. Alex was pushed to the ground, a body fell over her. She felt warm breath on her neck.
"At least buy me dinner first before you climb on top!"
Despite their horrible situation, again, Minho laughed.
"You know I do what I want." He sassed back.
They scrambled to their feet.
"THAT'S MORE OF 'THE BLOW SHIT UP', I HAD IN MIND, THOMAS!" Alex yelled as she helped Newt up and pushed him away from the explosion.
"Come on. COME ON!" Thomas yelled as he rolled his eyes at her, pushing Frypan forward.
"You good?" Minho asked her, grabbing her hand and pulling her. She nodded.
"Freeze! Drop it, kid!" A soldier yelled. They all froze and turned. The soldier pointing a gun at them was none other than Captain Ronin himself. His face was free of a mask, but he had that stone cold look. Behind him was a group of other soldiers, pointing guns at them. His eyes made contact with Alex, he looked at the explosive in Thomas's hand then back to Alex, then back to the explosive. When he looked back at Alex he nodded his head ever so slightly.
"Do it kid!" He yelled.
To everyone around it sounded like he was demanding they drop it and back off. But Alex knew better. She understood what he wanted. Without over thinking, she lunged forwards, grabbed the explosive from Thomas's hands, as she ran towards the danger she screamed, "NOW TOMMY!"
Thomas pressed the button. She chucked it behind the Captain.
"Run! Get down!" Captain Ronin called.
Alex and the Caption were too close, when it exploded. Throwing Alex and the Caption into the air. They landed hard on the ground. Alex smacked her head hard. The captain landed beside her. He didn't move. Alex, disoriented, her head spinning, still scrambled to his side, he was breathing.
Thank the heavens! Shuck sakes. Where did everyone go?
Alex got up onto her knees, looking around. A pain shot threw her head again. She landed on her stomach, she felt something warm and wet at the back of her head. She rolled over onto her back. Jason had pistol whipped her, splitting her head open. He stood over her, his gun cocked and loaded. He pointed it at her face.
If I die now...
"I'll save you a seat in hell, you Slimy ugly disease ridden sewer rat!" Alex smiled at him.
"Such a waste." He hissed.
There was a gunshot. Janson stumbled forward. Captain Ronin had woken up, and pulled his gun from his belt, and shot Janson in the shoulder. Janson spun around, only to have another shot fired at him from somewhere up high. Another shot at him made him scramble away, leaving Alex behind. The Captain struggled to his feet, he was very unsteady. Alex grabbed onto his huge arm and pulled him, trying to get away from the explosions, gun fire and WICKED soldiers.
"KEEP GOING! I GOT YA!"
Alex heard a female voice yell. Alex looked up to see Brenda crouched behind a box, a rifle in hand, snipping the soldiers.
"DEAL!" She yelled back.
Alex saw her swivel and take out a soldier while Thomas ran. Alex followed Thomas, or tried to. Having to duck and dive to the ground a few times. It was a challenge trying to make sure The Captain didn't get shot, he was a big guy, hard to hide and about as easy to move as a brick wall. Alex had to hit the ground again when she heard screaming. She heard constant screaming and gunfire and struggle, but this voice, this scream made Alex turn towards it. There was something familiar, and it made her panic. She spun in her heel, scrambling as fast as she could towards her sister.
A soldier had her in their clutches, pulling her towards the Berg. Sonya was fighting as hard as she could.
"SONYA!" Alex screamed. Sonya's head jerked towards Alex.
"NOOO! SONYA! NO!"
Alex kept falling, gunfire whizzing past her, bright blue electricity firing at her. Adrenaline flowing like liquid fire in her veins. A blue ball of electricity hit her. Right in the chest. She stumbled backwards. Alex had to drop to her knee, her breath caught in her chest. She shook her head trying to dislodge the fuzzy feeling. Alex felt her heart speed up. With a loud scream of defiance, she forced herself up onto her feet, and continued forward.
I can do this all shucken day! I will NOT stay down!
Blue electricity jumped over her body. Alex looked down at herself.
Huh. Legit superhero. Electric power. Cool. Too bad I can't call it down from the sky or shoot it from my hands.
"SIR! NON LETHAL SHOTS DO NOTHING! SHE WON'T DROP!"
Alex saw Janson turn, a look of horror in his face flashed, before he screamed, "THEN JUST SHOOT HER!"
"JANSON! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She screamed at him. And like the sewer rat he is, he scrambled back into the safety of the Berg.
"SONYA!" Alex screamed, lunging forward, body pumping with electricity and adrenaline.
Minho POV
He saw Captain Ronin make eye contact with Alex and then go back and forth between the explosive and Alex, and then he nodded. Alex also nodded.
Shuck. This can't be good!
"DO IT KID!" Captain Ronin holloed.
He saw Alex lunge forward, grab the explosive from Thomas's hand and run forwards towards the Captain.
"NOW TOMMY!" she screamed, as she threw it.
It exploded behind the Captain. The force of it throwing everyone back. Minho landed on his side, he scrambled to his feet, grabbing Thomas and Newt.
"Get outta here! Go! Go!" He yelled, pushing them towards Vince, who had got back to the truck with the gun.
"WHERE'S ALEX?" He yelled.
"WITH CAPTAIN!" Frypan yelled back, pointing.
Minho saw Alex scrambling to her feet.
She's okay...she's okay. She'll follow.
He helped Newt forwards. They had to run and duck a few times, diving to the ground. The guys made it to Harriet and a few other Right Arms members, Harriet threw him a gun. He spun around and started shooting, covering his friends, his brothers. He hadn't seen Alex behind them.
Where the shuck is she?
He heard a scream.
"ALEX!" Minho screamed, desperately searching the wreckage for her. He swore that was her scream! Thomas had also stopped and turned around when he heard the scream.
"COME ON, THOMAS! GET OUTTA HERE!" Minho yelled at him. He had to shoot another WICKED guard, his blue electric bullets whizzing passed them.
"Get out of here! Go!"
"Minho, let's go!" Thomas called as he ran past.
No way I'm leaving Alex.
He did another quick sweep of the hill. He saw another volley of blue electricity hit someone. His mouth dropped as he recognized the fiery hair. She dropped to her knee, head down.
"NOOOO! ALEX NO!" He screamed. Minho jumped forwards, but stopped when she stood back up. She lifted her hands to face height, twisting them, watching the electricity jump all over her body. The soldiers stopped and took a step backwards, shocked, he could see their mouths open, eyes wide. These things knock ANYONE out, even Captain Ronin...but not Alex. It seemed to fuel her. She screamed and lunged forward. Minho ran after her down the hill.
"JANSON! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" he heard her scream with vengeance.
He saw her take one guy out with a solidly placed kick to the face, he dropped with blue electricity jumping over him now.
"USE LETHAL! YOU IDIOT!" Janson screamed.
Alex had to dive out of the way when the guns went off. He finally caught up to her, it wasn't far to go, but having to dodge bullets and fire slowed him down. He reached her as she scrambled back to her feet, only for Minho to tackle her back to the ground. The electracy had disappeared.
"Get down!" He shouted at her. Covering her with his body. Minho finally saw what Alex was going for. Sonya was being hauled up the Berg walk.
"GO! I'LL GET HER!" He pushed her away.
"SHUCK NO!" Alex protested. Minho pushed her again.
"GET HER OUTTA HERE!"
Captain Ronin was right behind her, Minho shoved her roughly towards him. Ronin wrapped her up kicking and screaming.
A blue ball of electricity hit him as he turned. But unlike Alex, he couldn't absorb it. Pain seared through his body. It was like being struck by lightning again. He could feel his body collapse, he had zero control over his limbs. They jerked and twitched. He let out a cry of pain.
"Minho!" He heard his name being screamed.
With all the effort he could muster, he lifted his head and made eye contact with big beautiful hazel ones, shining with fear and tears.
"MINHO!" Alex screamed again. The scream ripped through him. Ripping his heart apart. He could hear the storming of boots behind him. But he couldn't get up, he couldn't move. Hands grabbed him, picking him up, his head wouldn't work, but his eyes remained open. He could see Alex screaming his name, fighting to be released. She reached her hands towards him, with a heart wrenching sob.
Alex POV
Alex was shoved backwards into a solid body, instantly she was picked up around the waist.
"Come back!" Alex screamed.
"THOMAS! Get back!"
Someone had pushed Thomas backwards. Alex didn't care. She had just seen Minho drop to the ground shaking and convulsing, blue electricity jumping over him.
"No! Thomas, no!"
"MINHO!" Alex was sobbing, fighting the arms that clamped around her.
"LET ME SHUCKEN GO SLINT HEAD! LET ME GO!"
"Thomas!"
"SONYA! NO! SONYA!"
"PLEASE MINHO! PLEASE!"
WICKED soldiers had picked him up and were dragging him towards the Berg, where she had seen Sonya dragged to. Alex's eyes meet his coffee brown eyes and with the last of her strength she crossed her heart with her finger. Minho's head dropped, the guards had pulled him up into the Berg. The arms around her didn't let go. The fight left her tiered body. She couldn't get to him. She couldn't save him. Or Sonya. She saw Ava Page marching a struggling Teresa up the Berg ramp. Alex saw Teresa drop to her knees, and lifted Minho's head holding his head in her lap. Her head swiveled around. Alex's tear filled hazel eyes made contact with electric blue ones, shining with tears, rimmed red. The Berg door shut and it lifted into the sky. Taking her twin sister, her other half and her best friend with them. The berg flew away taking Minho with it, her anchor, her love. Her body sagged and she let out the most agonizing sob. The arms around her pulled her close into a hug. Her legs buckled, if the arms weren't holding her she would have collapsed. She was set on the ground, and another hand grabbed her, she lifted her head and was met with chocolate brown eyes and shaggy golden blond hair. Alex threw herself into Newt's arms. They both let out a sob. They sat in the middle of the wreckage, in the middle of the devastation and cried.
"They took him, Newt! They took him!"
"I know Alex...I know."
"I want him back. They took him!"
"I know."
"Newt...they have Sonya! They took her too!"
"I saw...I know."
She buried her face into his chest and sobbed harder, a heart wrenching anguished sob. She actually felt her heart break, shattering into tiny pieces that will never be able to glue back together. They were so close. So close to freedom and safety. So close to not having to run and fight. But like everything in her life it was ripped from her. Happiness didn't exist in the same world as WICKED. WICKED made sure of that. She knew now, it's better to not believe, or have hope. Hope was for the foolish. She could never believe in something like freedom or safety. Not anymore. They took her happiness. They took her peace. They ripped her belief in anything good away from her. Again. She wouldn't let them do it again. She pulled away from Newt, stood up and walked away without a word.
"Alex?" He questioned.
She didn't say anything, or stop. She just kept walking. She walked out of the destroyed camp. She followed the path up the mountain. She came to a stop on the ledge where she last felt truly happy. She stepped right up to the edge. She watched the sun rise. She stood still, arms wrapped around herself, letting the tears fall. She let them fall one last time. She wouldn't cry again, she promised herself. Tears and crying did nothing but waste time. Crying also meant she felt something...she didn't want to feel anymore. She was tired of feeling. The sun had risen, sending happy bright sunshine beams into the world, mocking her pain and heartbreak.
He used to call her sunshine.
One more tear slid down her cheek. No more sunsets. No more sunrises. She wiped her tears, sniffling. She turned to leave, something white caught her eye. She picked it up. Uncrumpling it, it was the paper Minho wrote his song on. A cry caught in her throat. She held the paper in her hand, staring at it, blinking her tears away. The last piece of him. She had her necklace and his song.
"Hey..." a quiet voice spoke.
"Hey Tommy." Her voice was raspy and quiet.
"I'm going to go get him back."
Alex's head snapped up, her eyes searching his face.
"And before you ask, yes. I came here to tell you, knowing you would come with me." Thomas said.
Alex set her jaw, and nodded her head, wiped the last of her tears.
"What's that?" He asked, pointing at the paper.
Alex smiled sadly. Without looking at him, memorizing the paper and his handwriting.
"My last good memory."
"Hmm." He didn't press. "Come on, Alex, time to rally the troops."
Harriet, Brenda, Newt and Frypan were helping Vince and Jorge pick through some wreckage, trying to find anything useful. Dr. Prior was taking a look at Captain Ronin's head injury. And Chloe was sitting beside them, holding her bunny. She apparently was hiding with Dr Prior. Frypan had shoved her to the doctor and told them to hide. Alex owed Frypan for keeping her safe.
"What do we do now?" Newt asked no one in particular.
Thomas and Alex came back down the path.
"Well, we pick up what's left of us. We stick to the plan. We get you kids to the safe haven..." he said, picking up another piece of twisted metal and tossed it into a pile, "Then we start over, I guess." Vince sighed
"I'm not going with you." Thomas declared, he looked at Alex who nodded and stepped up beside him.
"Me either."
"What?" Newt gasped. His face betrayed his shock.
"I won't leave him behind." Thomas stated.
"I have to go after him. I made a promise to Minho." Alex growled, her face set.
"Hey, kid, look around you. Alright? WICKED just kicked our ass. You think about where you're headed!" Vince tried to talk them out of it.
Alex crossed her arms and glared at Vince. "We're not asking anyone to come with us."
"Thomas. Alex..listen to me. I've known Minho for...Well, as long as I can remember." Newt started, "So, if there was any way that we could help him...trust me, I would be up there standing next to you."
"Then get your shuck bloody butt up here." Alex snapped, "it's not just Minho! They have Sonya. And Tes. and Aris..."
"This, what you're talking about...it's impossible. More like suicide." Vince said skeptically.
"Maybe." Thomas shrugged. "But I know what I'm supposed to do now."-
"What WE are supposed to do" Alex injected.
Thomas nodded, "It's not just about Minho or Sonya...or Tes. It's about all of us. It's about everyone WICKED's ever taken, everyone they will take."
"They'll never stop. They'll never stop, so I'm gonna stop them. I'm going to take them down, brick by brick, person by person. I'm gonna kill Ava Paige. And Janson." Alex concluded. Her voice was growling now. It was a vow. A promise. She would take them down or die trying. She caught Captain Ronin's gaze, and gave her a nod.
"I have to admit...I'd like some revenge." Harriet called from the back of the group, as she cocked her shotgun.
"Well, that's a good speech, kids. So, what's your plan?" Vince asked, crossing his arms.
Alex looked at Thomas, and they both smiled deviously.