Octagon Project 1: Melody Halloway

~-22-~

"Care to tell us what's going on?!" Roy shouted as they dashed through the trees towards the car, firing behind them at the agents that were chasing them.

"The building is going to blow!" Mel cried. "Give it-" She couldn't finish her sentence as the massive boom of an explosion sounded behind them, shaking the ground and lighting up the night around them.

"Shit!" Mel cursed, instinctively drawing her hand to her arm as a piercing pain shot through her shoulder.

"Vanessa, bring the car around!" Roy shouted. "Now!" Zack was the next one to curse before he fell and hit the ground, his eyes shutting on him as his spine and legs went suddenly numb. Mel stopped and turned back towards him, rage and fury boiling so deep in her veins it became a part of her right then and there. Standing over Zack's fallen body, she fired bullet after bullet and watched each of the guards fall in turn as blinding headlights came up from behind her. When she ran out of ammo, she grabbed Zack's gun off the ground and continued to fire until Roy was by her side again and grabbed Zack's limp body while Mel covered him with gunfire. Pushing the laptop away, Roy quickly lay Zack in the back seat as Vanessa crawled back over before he took over the steering wheel and Mel jumped into the passenger's seat, clutching her left arm with the gun still in her hand.

They tore away from the scene and took several winding back roads until they were perfectly positive that no one was following and then began the journey to the headquarters. Roy took a single glance at Mel that was sucking air sharply through her teeth as she dropped the gun in her lap and clutched her arm tighter.

"You doing okay?" He asked her worriedly, trying to fight the urge to let go of the steering wheel and check on her. Mel attempted a nod, sweat that was beaded on her hair-line starting to drip down her face.

"Yeah, I'm perfect." She groaned quietly, clenching her teeth again shortly after.

"Now's not the time to be sarcastic Mel." Roy snapped.

"Don't you think," Mel began before her jaw tightened and she shifted in her seat, a small whimper escaping her throat. "That I'd say something if I knew." She finished, her voice tight and compressed, her breathing short and uneven. Roy's concern took a higher level as he looked back at Vanessa for a moment, Zack's head resting on her lap.

"How's he doing?" He asked, feeling pressured with everything that was going on. Losing Mel and Zack would probably be the most difficult thing to happen to the Division. Hell, to the Agency as a whole.

"He's losing a lot of blood..." Vanessa said quickly, trying not to sound panicked. The last thing Roy needed was to worry about her inexperience to these kinds of things and how she would react.

"Can you find out where he's bleeding from?" Roy asked, his own breath starting to shorten. Vanessa moved around, trying to see where Zack was injured but found that he was heavier than he looked.

"No..." She muttered, then jumped as Roy slammed his hands on the steering wheel.

"Damn it!" He shouted, then looked back over at Mel who was starting to fade. "Mel." He slapped her cheek a few times and the only reaction he got out of her was her eyelids flutter with a small hum. "Melody, C'mon!" Roy shouted. "I'm not gonna lose both of you!"

"Roy!" Vanessa shouted just in time for Roy to quickly pull back into the right lane and dodge a car. Roy mumbled under his breath the rest of the way to the headquarters and slammed his door shut before grabbing Mel and hauling her out.

"Zack..." Mel mumbled, trying to stand straight. Her sudden voice shocked him and he quickly leaned her against the car, holding her face in his hands to make her look at him through her half closed eyes.