Suyin had never thought of Mana One as such a maze. Get the phone and get to the rafts; that was the plan. Since the central elevator was the likely route for Driscoll's men, they were taking the long way. Mac's office and bunk were on the same level as the observation deck, but at the opposite end. Not to mention the time DJ took to sever all camera feed so Jess couldn't track them when she woke up. But already they had ducked twice to avoid the mercenary team. Then, there was Jaxx who was losing strength- and color- with every minute.

"She needs medical attention." Suyin looked up at Mac from where Jaxx rested. They were currently in one of the cooling towers to resecure her tourniquet. Mac watched through the crack in the door. "Alright. I can meet you at the rafts once I get the phone."

"When is splitting up ever a good idea?" DJ blew out, twisting the strap of his pack. Mac motioned for him to open it. "You've got walkie talkies. We'll use-"

"The less she's moved the better." Suyin defended; though it felt more for herself then anything. Tending Jaxx was tangible and distracted her from other thoughts.

"The DSV's our best chance." Jaxx spoke over Mac and DJ. "We're open targets in the rafts. Plus... engines produce minimal vibration."

"But the launch can only be conducted manually." Mac was clearly reaching the end of patience. Suyin readjusted the tourniquet, Jaxx flinching from the pressure. "Mac, you get the phone. We can hole up-"

"No."

Everyone stopped, looking at Jaxx. Her body wavered, but her eyes didn't "Get to the DSV. Rewire the systems. It's the best option."

Mac caught on first. "We leave, we save the others."

"Or not." DJ shivered. "They're called 'guns' for hire."

"Driscoll's greedy, not stupid." Mac searched outside the door again, voice just above growling. "Everyone's holed up and as far as they know, the chopper's a rescue team."

"Beside the point," Suyin faced Jaxx, hands dropping from the tourniquet. "We cannot leave you here."

"You have to." Jaxx moved her leg to sit up straight. She spoke logically, that ever-present smirk on her face. "Who knows, I might sleep it off."

"Jaxx," Mac started, closing the door completely. "We can-"

"It's manual." Jaxx worked her jacket from her waist as she continued to force the plan on their ears. "And it's a different system for a reason. I barricade myself inside, launch, you make off with the phone."

Voices above halted any protests. Their visitors were coming down the corner stairs. The stairs they needed to get Jaxx to the auxiliary deck. Mac leaned on the door, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, it's my choice." Jaxx raised her chin in assurance. Mac forced his voice low, only to bang his fist to the frame. "This feels so avoidable!"

DJ, confused, shrugged. "We can't know everything-"

"Can't we?" Mac's words seemed to mount in his throat, eyeing them each in turn. "I wasn't thorough enough, signing with Driscoll. The red flags were there- I couldn't prove it, but I felt it. Overtime, I convinced myself I was wrong..."

He rested his gaze on Suyin. "Cuse we'd go broke without a backer, making the last twelve years for nothing."

No one responded. DJ just came to Jaxx's other side, helping her up. "You done?"

Mac straightened up, squaring his shoulders. "I guess. Just, wanted to say sorry."

"Was I blaming you?" Jaxx put to him. Mac blew out his breath, cracking the door open once more. They followed with Jaxx, Suyin abandoning the first-aid kit. Minus the scissors. They gave little comfort however, when a mercenary shouted from above. "Hold it!"

DJ straightened, zipping his glasses into his pack as they marched up from behind them. "Take her."

"Wh-" Suyin maneuvered her arm to brace Jaxx's weight. Uncertainty flooded Mac's face. "DJ, I don't think-"

DJ slid his pack off. "Man, you think all I got's a tazer?"

"Hands up!" a burly, bearded merc barked at them. DJ did- but then his backpack and legs were flying! Suyin blinked as both mercs cluttered the hall floor. One started back up, only for DJ's foot to kiss his face. DJ panted, shaking the bigger one down. "Quick, their guns!"

The 3 of them stared in disbelief. DJ passed a rifle to Mac. "You think I'mma risk my life out here AGAIN, and not protect myself!?"

"I know Jonas showed you a gym..." Mac specified absently. Jaxx coughed her own laugh. "How could we know? You never let anyone touch your fanny pack."

"Survival satchel." DJ took it back, securing the other mercenary's guns. "Mac, you get that phone. I'll cover this."

"I'll take the Glock." Suyin insisted, breaking the stunned moment. Mac readied the rifle, heading down the west hall. "10 minutes."

He'd barely disappeared, when more shots forced them to hunker as they fled. Suyin shielded Jaxx as DJ reached back into his pack. "Oh, you want some!"

Bullets dinged around them. Suyin's hand jumped at the near heat across her knuckles; still, she kept the gun close. She tried looking back, then at Jaxx. "Can you make the last step?"

Jaxx practically shoved her away, both hands gripping the rail. "Just- hurry."

Suyin turned the corner, sighted- and yelped as DJ was sent flying over the outer edge of Mana One!

}{}{}{}{

Meiying started at the wailing echo that came from above. Wind pushing hair out of her eyes, Meiying's jaw dropped as a body hit the water, a wild burst along its slated surface. She looked up at Rigas, confirming she'd seen it too. Unblinking, they watched the spot; until DJ's bald head popped back up, arms and legs pumping immediately to clear himself of the current against the columns.

"DJ?" Rigas questioned as Meiying rushed for the edge to help him. Her third step skidded however, stomach pinching into her windpipe.

"Swim!" Rigas yelled, and DJ increased his stroke, never looking back. He didn't stop to notice the three gigantic fins speeding toward the station.

}{}{}{}{

Suyin blasted the mercs back, gaining distance with Jaxx at the top of the stairs. On the auxiliary deck however, there no relief in sight. The door Jaxx needed rested 12 feet away. So did a crew member- or rather, the pieces of him. Limbs lay scattered, blood speckled over wall and ceiling... and a sea lizard happily chomping atop each one. The gray-scaled images from the cameras had seemed to crawl through, joining cruel reality.

Suyin fought her bile, whispering to Jaxx. "No sudden movements. We'll sneak past."

"They'll smell the blood." Jaxx gripped her leg. Suyin knew the idea was flimsy, but the door wasn't blocked. They had to try. Inching against the inner wall, the wind came sharp across their faces. The lizards gnawed their human snack, turning Jaxx green. Suyin helped her lift past a thick tail- webbed for balance in water as well as land?

This isn't the time! Suyin reached for the handle, feeling the blood- still wet- on the metal.

BRRRIIINNNGGG!

The handle might as well have electrocuted her! The red line blared again from inside, sending the lizard's heads up, abrasive and puzzled. Suyin and Jaxx heaved the door into the head of the first to leap. A fury of claws clicked to reach them, and Suyin dropped Jaxx to the floor inside. A scaly head snapped into the doorway, challenging her measly strength to get in. Suyin held fast, kicking furiously at the nose, the eye. Then there was Jaxx, brandishing the first aid scissors. It was enough to reel it back. Slamming the door shut, Suyin collapsed onto her back.

Time dazed as she became painfully aware of her shaking- and shortness of breath. When did it stop? When could she just curl in on herself and rock it all away? Why not now?

"Suyin!"

Jaxx jerked her back, shoving the receiver at her. "It's Meiying!"

Suyin's breath rushed, ripping the phone from Jaxx. "Meiying?"

"Mā!" her child answered in sweet relief. Suyin couldn't respond. She pressed her forehead to the cold floor, where all tension could melt away freely. "Where are you?"

"At the rafts. With Rigas and DJ."

He survived!? Jaxx laughed as Suyin's hope rose. "And... Uncle?"

"He and Jonas are looking for you." Meiying tempered. "Haiqi and two others have surfaced."

She didn't need to specify. Suyin closed her eyes, heart pounding till she might go dizzy. "Can you get to the DSV?"

"How can we launch it?" Meiying exclaimed. Suyin considered, watching Jaxx pull herself into the desk chair to boot the system awake.

"We're taking care of it." Suyin moved the receiver away, whispering. "The DSV won't take all of us."

Jaxx moved a few knobs, readying the launch sequence. "You'll figure it out."

Suyin stepped away. "Meiying, Mac is on his way. I'll be there soon. Have the rafts ready, understand?"

"Wǒyuànyì." Meiying swallowed thickly. "Wǒàinǐ."

"I love you too." Suyin smiled, reluctant to cut her connection. With no way to reach Jonas... Suyin finally turned from the phone, immediately taken by Jaxx's haggard breathing. Jaxx pointed at the 2 cameras covering the DSV. "Once everything's set, wave and close the door. DJ's got the other walkie talkie and we can't... risk comms."

"Jaxx."

"I'll give it 3 minutes, then launch." Jaxx reaffirmed. "3 minutes."

Suyin tried again, but Jaxx stopped her; still smirking. "They're alive. Let's keep it that way."

Suyin stole a hug, disheartened at the woman's cold sweat. "We're coming back for you."

Jaxx didn't answer right away. "I'll keep it elevated."

Suyin backed away before emotion broke her resolve to respect Jaxx's wishes. She put the Glock on the counter, taking up the scissors. Collecting thought and breath, she listened at the door. At silence, she creaked it open. She found the oozing, stripped limbs abandoned to stink up the corridor. Where had the beasts gone? Suyin kept her vigilance for any animal noises. She ducked away from the wind and toward the central elevator. They'd avoided it for obvious reasons- and she needed to jam it for those same ones. After using it to reunite with Meiying. She reached the panel and hit the button.

"Leaving?"

The accented voice preceded the hand to her throat. A large, soaked man drove her against the wall, looking her over with equally large and dark eyes. Suyin didn't think, only jabbed. The scissors sliced his side, yet he bore it with a chuckle. "Driscoll wants you alive... but I'll just say you resisted."

He began to drag her, Suyin running her fingers to catch anything to stop him. The deck's rail hit her back and Suyin could already sense the spray and cold- it would hit her the same as rocks pelting her body. She locked her knees, planted her heels, but knew she was being lifted.

"Montes!"

Like that she was dropped, clinging the bars to reassure the deck still beneath her. Pushing her hair back, she spotted 2 motions. Jonas splitting Montes' jaw and another merc taking aim at his back! She threw herself forward and plunged the scissors into his knee. He yelled, firing in a wide arc throughout the hall. Suyin lost the scissors as he fell and she searched for another weapon.

"Elevator!" Jonas cried out, but it cost him. Montes shouldered their fight toward the stairs. Suyin scrambled up, managing to pull the merc's sidearm for herself. He might've lunged for her, but his eyes had gone past and he froze. Suyin glanced, finding Montes and Jonas equally frozen. She heard the hungry hisses from down the stairs. Things turned ironic as she and the merc aimed simultaneously at the lizards. "Bottle 'em in the stairwell!"

"They're more agile than that!" Montes cursed as one warbled their way over, splitting the space between him and Jonas. This drove Montes farther down a service hallway- Suyin couldn't remember if it was a dead end. At the sight of a lizard making it past the barrage of bullets, Suyin found herself pushed ahead as the merc ran. Jonas caught her arm, reaching the button for the elevator. "C'mon, c'mon-"

"Where you going, Jonas?" Montes growled even as the lizards drove him farther away. Suyin remained focused on the 2 zeroed in on her and Jonas. "Who was that?"

"A sore loser." Jonas backed up with her, the elevator finally opening. Suyin slipped in and Jonas fired a last round as they closed, but one leapt as the door came down... sealing its front half in with them.