Quinn shoots me a confused look at my statement. "What's what?" she asks.
"He doesn't want Brittany," I explain, my voice dazed. "He just wants the serum."
Mike's stance falters for a second as he registers my words. He shakes his head, outstretching his hand once again. "And the only way to give that to him is through Brittany. Let's go." He steps forward, but Quinn puts her hand on his chest, stopping him again.
"Mike," she warns.
"There's got to be another way," I mutter, shaking my head. There's no way this is how it has to end. There has to be a way to extract the serum from her neck.
"There is," Nick says, stepping forward. I forgot he was here.
We all snap our attention over to him, everyone except Mike - who still keeps looking longingly at Brittany.
"Well…not really…" he counters, narrowing his eyes at the ground. "The serum will dilute itself on its own…as long as no other doses are administered."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"If no more is injected into her system, it'll work its way out," Quinn states, a small smile on her face. "I remember that…it takes multiple doses before it starts taking effect. That's why his Warblers have to be in those chambers constantly…they're administered new doses every other day to keep their power strong. And they're kept sedated but alive so they don't feel the side effects."
I glance behind me at Brittany's neck, seeing the familiar bruised area slightly smaller than it was before.
"How long?" I ask, not taking my attention off the injection sight. I gently brush her hair out of the way, seeing that the blue veins that were once branching out in every direction are now duller and shorter than they were last night.
"I'd say about another day or so now," Nick guesses. "I don't know all the details about the serum…just the basics," he reiterates.
"We just have to keep her away from him until then," I say.
Mike slams his foot hard to the ground, causing a loud thud to reverberate off the room walls, startling me. "No!" he yells. "We're not going to sit around and wait until the serum disappears! He's not going to let Tina go if he doesn't get it!"
The vein in his forehead is protruding now, his face turning red at his anger. Brittany stiffens behind me at seeing this new side of Mike, and Mercedes stands to walk over to her friend slowly.
She gently touches his arm, trying to calm him down. He takes a deep breath, Mercedes's presence helping the anger seep out of him. After a moment, his anger is replaced with helplessness.
"I-I have to get her back…" he says quietly, his voice wavering.
"You will," Mercedes reassures.
"Mike, you're not the only one worried about Tina," Kurt pipes up from across the room. "We all want her back safe."
He glances over to his friend, taking a shaky breath as he nods and sits heavily on a chair near him. He leans forward, placing his head in his hands as Mercedes rubs his back softly.
I keep staring at Mike's fragile figure, hating seeing him so broken. None of us want Tina to be hurt…I can't stand even thinking about the possibility…but he seems the most troubled.
"We're just going to have to distract him until it's gone," I say, determined.
"Santana…" Quinn says, turning to me. "No."
"What other option do we have, Quinn?" I throw my arms out to the side. "He didn't give Mike a time limit…I say we just run out the clock until the serum's gone."
"That doesn't solve getting Tina back, though," Kurt says.
I pinch my brows together, willing myself to think of an idea to solve that problem. I look over to Quinn, seeing her just as deep in thought.
"We bait him," Nick says, nodding his head.
"Bait him?" Quinn asks, looking up at him, confused.
Nick nods again, stepping closer to the small crowd near the room entrance. "He wants Brittany, right? We bring him Brittany," he smirks.
I scoff in shock, quick to shut down that idea right then and there. No way in hell are we using Brittany as bait…
I can hear Brittany's breath hitch behind me at the same time her grip tightens around my hand.
Quinn interrupts me, snapping her fingers with a bright smile on her face. "That could work!"
I widen my eyes at her statement, unbelieving that she would willingly sacrifice my girlfriend like that.
"So, here's what I'm thinking." Nick claps his hands together and rubs them back and forth, conspiring a plan with an enthusiastic smile.
"Uh, no!" I yell. "No way are you baiting a deranged psychopath with Britt! Don't you think you should at least consult with her before throwing her into a dangerous situation like that? I mean, not that there's a chance in hell that I'd let that happen, but still-"
"Santana." Quinn folds her hands in front of her politely, an amused smirk on her face. "We're not using Brittany."
I furrow my brows in confusion, looking back and forth between Nick and Quinn. They both have amused smirks on their face that I want to smack right off.
"You just said…" I trail off, completely lost.
Quinn looks over at Nick, flourishing her hand toward him. In the span of a second, Nick turns into a bright light before transforming into a woman identical to Brittany.
I take a step back in shock, and I hear Brittany whisper "woah" behind me. She steps from around me, moving closer to the figure that was once Nick, her hand reaching up to brush the side of his face.
"You look just like me," she says, astonished. I focus on Nick/Brittany and blink my eyes quickly, wondering if I'm hallucinating.
My attention is brought to Kurt as he throws his hands over his forehead and plops back in his chair. "I need to sit down," he mutters.
When I look back at Nick, Brittany's brushing her fingers through his long, blonde hair, mesmerized at the sight of herself before her. She starts twiddling it between her fingers, moving her hand down to brush along his arms.
"Ahem," I clear my throat, not entirely amused with her fondness over him.
Quinn brings her hand up to cover her mouth as she tries to hold in a laugh, obviously getting a kick out of my jealousy.
When I catch Brittany's attention, she quickly snaps her hands back to her sides and gives me a sweet smile. When she walks back over to me, she wraps me in a tight, enthusiastic hug and kisses my cheek sloppily.
"Calm down, Santana," Quinn says, eyes crinkled in amusement. "What? Scared she's gonna leave you," she sputters, "for herself?" She breaks down laughing at the last part of her sentence, her amusement loud and obnoxious.
"Awww," Brittany coos. "Don't worry…I'm not leaving you for Brittany 2.0. That's weird," she whispers, causing a small smile to grace my lips.
When Quinn calms down, she pats Nick on the shoulder, giving him a quiet "thank you."
"How the hell'd you do that anyway?" I ask, making sure to sound more agitated and less impressed.
"He can shapeshift," Quinn explains, saying it like it's obvious.
"That's how I was able to disguise myself as Mike," he continues.
I nod my head as realization sets in. That makes sense. I figured he was just wearing one of those technologically advanced face masks that some people here use to disguise themselves when needed.
"Noted."
Nick nods, rocking back and forth on his feet, seeming uncomfortable at the new attention.
"Well…I say we get this party started." Quinn claps her hands together and pushes past us, walking out of the room with determined steps, Nick following closely behind.
I look over to Mike to see a relieved look on his face, even though worry still creases his brows. I turn and look at Brittany, who now seems to be increasingly nervous by the second.
"I'll be back soon, Britt," I reassure, hugging her.
"You better," she replies, trying to laugh, but her voice is laced with concern. I lean up to give her a quick kiss goodbye, followed by a hug, before walking out of the room without another word.
/
After a quick stop in the weapons room to grab anything we needed, we found ourselves all loaded up in Mike's black SUV, driving to my apartment. We left the headquarters about twenty minutes ago, and Mike's been wordless in the front seat ever since.
Part of me was nervous to leave Brittany, Kurt, and Mercedes there all alone, but then I remembered that they were in a building literally filled with supers. They're safer there than anywhere else.
As we turn down the street to my apartment building, I feel nerves make their way up my neck, leaving a slight tingle. I ran back over the plan we set, ensuring there was nothing we didn't cover.
Mike was going to go in with "Brittany" while Quinn and I stayed in the car, staying low to keep our cover. Mike would bring Tina back to the car and drive them back to the headquarters. Quinn and I would call for backup from a few other supers before rushing in to capture Rory.
There were many gray areas in this plan, things we couldn't plan for because we didn't know all the possibilities. That was what worried me the most. Rory's one of the most unpredictable beings on this earth, so there's no way to know what he has up his sleeve until he pulls it out.
When the car comes to a stop, Quinn and I duck low in the backseat as Mike and Nick climb out of the car. Neither looks back at us, not willing to blow our cover in case Rory's watching.
As they enter the building, Quinn and I look around for any sign of Rory's squad lingering around. We waited a few moments after Nick and Mike disappeared, making sure the coast was clear, before quietly and carefully exiting the car. Quinn closes the door gently, and we sprint to the nearest shadow.
"Whew," Quinn exhales. "I forgot how stressful these can be."
I nod in agreement as we stay hidden as close to the wall as possible. About ten minutes later, Mike comes out of the building with Tina's hand clutched in his. I let out a breath of relief at seeing her safe, watching as they get in the car and drive away.
Just like we planned, Quinn calls for backup, sending our approximate location to The Shadow League. After she puts her card back in her pocket, we hear a loud bang coming from a few stores above us. The wall behind our backs slightly shakes, and we look up to see Nick's body dangling out of a window, Rory's grip tight around his throat.
He's yelling something, but we're too far down to hear what he's saying. Quinn nods to me, telling me it's go-time, as she takes her gun out of its holster and aims it up at Rory. She starts firing a second later, which does nothing but chase him back inside the window.
She keeps her gun held out but nods to the side, telling me to move to her opposite side. I oblige, moving further into the shadows, my hand planted firmly on the handle of my own gun.
"You know…if you'd have let me bring the bazooka, we could've had him in one shot," I whisper, surveying our surroundings as she stays focused on the window.
"You would've killed Nick," she says simply.
I open my mouth to respond with another smart comment, but I suddenly go flying backward, something tight around my throat.
"Santana!" I hear Quinn yell as she takes off running after me. Her body starts to get blurrier and blurrier as panicked tears begin to flood my vision, both from fear and the lack of oxygen able to enter my lungs.
My back comes into contact with something hard, knocking the wind out of me. I gasp for air, looking up at the new figure blocking my vision. As his face comes into view, my pain doubles as aggravation fills my body.
"Are you really that stupid?" Sebastian mocks. "You really thought it'd be that easy?" His head tilts, and an evil smile crosses his features.
I roll my eyes and grunt as I try to sit up straighter despite the pain in my back, screaming for me to stay still.
"I do want to say thank you, though." He pats my knee affectionately. "Your stupidity gave me a promotion." He gestures his hands out to the side in celebration. "Yep…God, you led me right to you. And you brought Nick, too? Stellar, Santana…just stellar."
"Fuck off," I grit.
"Gladly," he says with a smile. "We're leaving for The Shadow League headquarters in a few minutes, so I'll be out of your hair."
I stiffen at his revelation. Just as I'm about to say something more, I hear gunshots fired in our direction. I hear Quinn yelling my name in between shots.
"Well, that's my cue." Sebastian points his finger over his shoulder before standing and quickly disappearing into the shadows.
"Santana!" Quinn yells again.
Knowing she can't see me in the dark, I respond with a meek "over here!" Footsteps get louder, and a dim light shines in my direction as Quinn gets nearer.
"Are you okay?" she asks, squatting down to my eye level.
"Yep…feeling great," I rely, sarcasm in my tone.
"Here, stay still." She holds out her hands, keeping me in a sitting position, as she surveys the extent of my injuries. "We can rest here for a little while. Rory hasn't moved in the past few minutes, so I think we can pause for a second."
"They're heading to the headquarters," I say, swatting her hands out of the way so I can stand. "That's why there's been no movement."
Even in the dark, I can see her eyes widen before she stands abruptly, pulling out her card. I stand and brace myself against the wall, still feeling the ache in my back from crashing into it, but beginning to feel it fade.
"I'm canceling backup…call Mike," she orders, and I waste no time doing what she says.
A few minutes later, Quinn and I are back on the street, having called headquarters to let them know Rory's on his way. Mike ensured he'd get everyone down to the basement before he got there, but the worry was still heavy in my body. Quinn and I were currently searching the streets for the best way to get back to headquarters.
We couldn't take a cab…since no one can know where the headquarters are located…and there wasn't an available vehicle to drive, since Quinn shot down my idea of hotwiring a parked car.
I'm bouncing my phone against the center of my palm, allowing the irrational thoughts about what's happening back at headquarters to take over. Quinn was moving back and forth, sticking her neck out in different directions like some mode of transportation would just magically appear.
Suddenly, a gush of strong wind whooshed through the air, almost knocking me off balance. Quinn's hand reaches out to steady me as she yells, "He's here!" over the loud sound of the wind. She points up, and I move my gaze to look in the direction she's pointing.
I see The Shadow League's jet slowly descending, the entry ramp coming down as the plane gets closer and closer. When it's within reach, Quinn and I run up the ramp and into the cab of the jet, seeing Artie sitting in the pilot seat with a proud smile on his face.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she yells, running up to Artie and giving him a big kiss on the lips. I quickly turn my attention back to the closing ramp, surprised at the sudden show of affection.
"Seriously?" I ask, waving my arms to the side, still not looking in their direction.
"Oh, shut up, Santana. I've had to deal with you and Brittany for months."
"Not that." I point my finger toward her. "We'll talk about that in a minute… But you couldn't have told me you sent Artie to come get us?"
Quinn laughs as she comes up and pats my shoulder. "Nah, it was more fun this way."
"I was this close to stealing a car, Quinn," I say, turning to face her again once I knew she was away from Artie. Quinn shrugs in response before sitting down, and I look past her toward Artie. "Are they there yet?"
"Not yet." He shakes his head. "But I was getting jammed radio signals on my way here, so they could be there any minute."
"Lovely," I mutter, pacing around the plane.
Quinn lets out an annoyed sigh. "Can you sit down, please? You're making me dizzy…"
"How can you be so calm?" I snap. "Rory's on the way to headquarters…you don't know what he's planning. He could just bomb the place to shreds."
"That's why Mike's moved everyone to the bomb shelter beneath the building," Arties pipes up.
I put my hands on my hip and glared at him. Not that it was having the desired effect…I was staring at the back of his head.
"He's right…everything's fine." Quinn stands, walking closer to me. "We all know how this is going to end anyway…Rory's gonna lose, we're gonna win."
"But at what cost?" I ask tentatively, scared of the answer.
Quinn shrugs, giving me a sad smile. "Comes with the job."
The plane goes quiet as we hear a shift in the engine. It's quieter now; we don't seem to be moving as fast. Artie flips a switch up front and turns to face us.
"We're here…and Rory's not. So I suggest you two get inside." He presses the button that turns his seat into a wheelchair before opening the ramp to exit.
Quinn follows his gaze until he enters the building before looking at me reassuringly. "It'll be fine, Santana."
I nod, but we both know I don't believe her. She grabs my hand and ushers me out of the plane before stopping abruptly just outside the door granting us entrance into the building. She points up to the sky again, and we see a flock of planes approaching us in the distance. She takes a deep breath before pulling my arm, telling me to hurry and get inside.
Once we enter the building, we're greeted with dozens of supers buzzing about, preparing for the battle ahead. I look around, hoping I don't see anyone I know - but simultaneously wishing I did.
"You wanna see them?" Quinn asks, seeming to read my mind. I nod, and she starts walking again, leading me to where all our friends are hiding.
It takes a few minutes to get there, which is reassuring, knowing they're far from harm's way. She reaches forward to press her hand against the gate key, waiting for it to light up green to grant us entrance.
Once the system recognizes Quinn's handprint, multiple metal doors open, one after the other. There are about seven doors to go through, but once they all open, we're met with a small room furnished with two couches and a small table in the corner.
As soon as we enter the room, everyone's eyes shoot over to us before they stand to their feet and rush over. Brittany's the first person to wrap her arms around me, with Tina being the second. Soon enough, everyone's wrapped in a group hug, and I've never felt so complete yet conflicted.
Once we break apart, Tina rubs my back, and I see unshed tears in her eyes. She nods and steps back, moving to speak with Quinn for a moment. I guess she's not as upset anymore.
Everyone gets a chance to see us one-on-one, the unspoken possibility hanging heavy in the air.
When Brittany finally steps up to see me, I almost break down at the utter fear etched on her face that's shiny with tears and red from crying. She wraps her arms tightly around my neck, alone this time, and sobs into my hair for a moment.
I glance over her shoulder to see Quinn in the same position with Artie.
"Don't go," she chokes out. "Just hand me over…please." Her voice cracks on the last word.
"Britt, I'm not gonna do that," I whisper before pulling back to hold her at arm's length. "I'm not letting him take you."
"But why?" she argues. "Why would you risk hundreds of lives just to save one? Especially if yours is in danger."
I smile affectionately at her, sort of glad to be the one giving reassurance now. She's been that person for me constantly, and now I get to be that person for her.
"Because it's not just one life…" I say quietly, moving my hands up to cup her face, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks. "It's yours." At that, I lean forward and kiss her deeply, not caring that we have an audience.
When we break apart, I wrap my arms around her waist, bringing her as close to me as I possibly can. Her arms go around my neck, squeezing me just as tight. We're both clinging to each other as if this is the last time we'll ever get the chance to.
I don't want to think about the possibility that it might.
"At least let me come," she whispers.
I shake my head. "Britt, that's crazy. You have to stay here."
"What if I just stayed out of the way? I don't even need to fight…I just want to make sure you're okay. I don't want you to leave and then not know what's happening."
I feel a lump form in my throat at her request, loving the sacrifice she's willing to make, but knowing there's no way I'm ever going to let that happen.
"Britt…I love you more than anything in this entire world," I say, pulling back once again. "Which is why you have to stay here."
She looks down, not making eye contact, as more tears run down her cheeks. She nods as if knowing that would be the answer, but willing to ask anyway.
I feel a slight pat on my back and turn to find Quinn standing by the door, moving her head to the side. It was time to go. I lean in to kiss Brittany one last time before wrapping her into yet another hug, squeezing to try and ease some of her nerves. I know it didn't do as I intended…
"I love you," she whispers in my ear, kissing the shell of it before giving me one final squeeze.
"I love you, too." I pull back, brushing her hair behind one of her ears before stepping back. I give a small wave and smile to the rest of my friends in the room, earning watery ones back.
I turn around to see Quinn, as stoic as ever, standing by the door. I know she's holding in her sobs. There's no way she wouldn't be. Even the most heartless person would get a kick out of this…and she's not that bad.
She puts her hand on the scanner as I approach, watching the doors open one by one again for our exit. As we step through the threshold, I glance back at everyone in the room one last time, seeing all the distraught and worried looks on their faces.
Part of me wishes I hadn't turned around…it made this even harder.
Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention back forward and walk through the open doors with Quinn by my side. I hear the first door close as soon as we pass the threshold, separating us from our family inside.
With a new determination, I keep my gaze locked ahead, promising to do whatever it takes to get out of this on top and alive…and promising to make sure Quinn's right there beside me in the end.