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It's time pt 2

Max tried to fight against the men holding her but they were just too strong.

As she struggled and she watched El being carried away, she found a modicum of comfort in the knowledge that all hope wasn't lost; El remembered her, or at least remembered enough to still feel the connection that they both have. As she heard El scream she couldn't fight her instinct to struggle, to fight, to try whatever she could to break free and go to her, but it was to no avail, they were too strong. As she fought, she pissed off the guards too much and received a strike to her face, knocking her sideways into the wall. "We'll deal with you later" said one of the interchangeable grunts as they left the room, being sure to lock it behind them. Sliding down the wall, she refused to let the tears fall from her eyes.

A couple of minutes later she heard a noise, the door at the end of the corridor had opened, she knew the sound well enough by now. She'd spent the last 2 minutes with her thoughts flitting between the knowledge that El was ok and worrying what was being done to her. It was like her own personal hell. Bracing herself for whatever the guards were going to do to her she watched as her door swung slowly open, watched as her hell apparently became infinitely worse.

"Billy" she managed to say, her stomach feeling as though it was going to betray her by emptying its contents everywhere.

"Max" he replied, an odd look on his face, "get up" he commanded her, an urgency in his voice she couldn't help but recognize even though she shook her head 'no' in response.

"Please Max, get up, we have to go!"

She shook her head again, whatever this sick attempt at manipulation was she wanted no part of it, they'd have to drag her out kicking and screaming.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed before exiting the room.

Max just sat there, completely paralyzed in shock at the situation. What she didn't expect was for him to reappear less than a minute later, what was even more unexpected was that he was holding an unconscious El carefully in his arms.

Max scrambled to her feet in order to examine her. "She's ok, Max, she just took out some guards and then collapsed" Billy explained, "we have to go, we have to go now while they're distracted...we're running out of time" he tried to explain, the panic in his voice evident.

She looked at him and nodded wordlessly, in utter shock at what was happening.

"Follow me" he told her, before slipping out of the room carrying El easily in his arms. When they reached the first set of doors he instructed her to hold it open for him but let him go first, just in case anyone was still wandering around. They followed the same pattern all the way, only needing to hide a couple of times, aided by the doors being unlocked by the current situation. As they reached what he said was the final set of doors, the exit to the outside, El started to stir in his arms. They crouched in a nearby room letting her reach full consciousness.

El awoke to find the girl and a strange guy staring at her. "Wha..." she started, before the girl put her finger to her lips and made a shhhhh sound. El nodded her understanding and then listened as Max said that they were escaping and that everything would be explained after they did so. Max looked at her expectantly. El realized that despite everything she trusted this girl more than anything, she couldn't explain it or reason it through, but she knew she could trust her.

"We have to stick together, ok?" Billy said seriously, "we're heading for the south-west corner, there's a small creek you can use to get out and Hopper will be waiting for you" he informed Max knowing that El wouldn't understand.

"You...you're not coming with us?" Max asked, against all prior instinct finding herself worried for his safety.

He shook his head reluctantly, "I'm not the only one who wanted to get you out and if I disappear they'll know who helped you, and..." he trailed off, the worry evident on his face.

Max nodded and took a deep breath, "ok, lets do this" she said, "ready?" she asked El.

El felt hopelessly lost but nodded, willing to follow this girl anywhere.

As they opened the door and exited to the grassy area outside they all heard the alarms cease, "fuck" Billy mumbled, "let's go."

They made their way silently to the south-west, constantly vigilant to the sound of pursuit but none came. "Here" said Billy, pointing at the small body of water flowing past the fence, a clear gap visible beneath. "Follow it, Hopper will be there" he reassured them.

Max paused, she didn't know what to do. She knew Billy had known their whereabouts since the beginning, but now he was helping them escape, so she did what felt right and wrapped her arms around him, her gratitude overwriting any past indiscretions.

"Go" he whispered with a clearly wavering voice, "I have to get back." Without further words, he turned his back and ran back towards the building, hoping to pop up in the middle of the confusion, nobody none the wiser as to his previous activities.

Max watched him for only a few seconds before turning to El, "come on, this is our only chance" she said as she jumped into the water. It was cold, but a means to an end and thus well worth it. El followed without question as they ducked under the fence and followed the creek as it meandered through a particularly dense section of Mirkwood.

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