I run invisible to the early morning eyes, into the underground. There are Tringers lined up with massive guns and other weapons, we'll need our backup to beat this. I have to find Alex, she must be scared shitless.
I run down the hallway of the rocky cave, past the corner I got trapped in. There's a doorway where the cave comes to an end, I need a key card to enter. I have to wait for a Tringer to come through, I wonder how long it'll take. I sit down on the moist floor of the underground.
I hope Teagan doesn't worry too much about me, and I sure as hell hope she didn't try to follow me. She knows when I'm around, even when she can't see me.
Dong, the door opens and a smaller, smarter looking Tringer hobbles out, I take my chance and slip in as the Tringer comes out. The room I enter is all modern and science looking. It looks like something out of a really bad two-thousands sci-fi film. It's a massive room set up similar to a mall, except the shops are bunks, labs, and stuff like that.
I have to find the cells, I think that's where I'll find Alex. I tiptoe down the hall, I have to dodge about four dozen Tringers. I slip through some unlocked doors into a thin, empty, hallway. I wonder if this will take me to the cells, or somewhere important.
I hear crying coming from further down, it sounds like Alex. "Alex" I whisper. The sound of crying stops. "Ry- Rylee," Alex stutters. I appear in front of her cell, I make myself visible for only a second.
I pry the bars open with my strength rec. I take Alex by her hand and she vanishes. "Did you see anything while you were here?" I whisper. "Yeah I know where the brain is," Alex whispers back. "Are we going there?" Alex asks. "No not yet, now be silent," I whisper.
I lead us out of the small hallway, and back into the massive lobby. There are even more Tringers than before, I stop walking, Alex stops with me. I lift Alex into my arms and cradle her, this is the easiest way not to bump any Tringers.
I slowly try to slip through the thick crowd of Tringers. I bumped into a massive Tringer with a shaved head, he swings around to punch me, he becomes confused when he can't spot me. I back away from him and try to weave through another way before we get caught. I promised Teagan that I'd get us back safely, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
I get us to the door back to the cave, we must wait for it to open. I wait twenty minutes while holding Alex in my arms, the Tringer that we bumped comes along and opens the doorway. I slip us through right before it closed.
"Be quiet through here," I whisper. I put Alex on the floor of the cave and we walk, I hold her hand to keep her invisible. We leave the cave, the line of Tringer soldiers at the entrance has grown.
We walk back to the camp, nobody knows we're here until I let go of Alex and turn visible. Teagan limps over to me and jumps into my arms. Alex hugs me, her eyes are red from crying, she has bruises everywhere, and a large cut down her cheek and her arm. "Thank you," Alex cries.
I set Teagan back onto the ground, and I wrap Alex in a much needed hug. Alex sobs into me. Teagan, Cannon, Brynn, and even Travis, join the hug.
"We have to wait for backup, it's worse than we thought it was," I speak up. I look down at Alex, she seems so small now. She seems like the kid that she's supposed to be, not the warrior that she must become in order to survive.
"I know where the brain is," Alex sniffles. Teagan glances at me, and then back at Alex. "Where?" Teagan questions. "I'm going to show all of you, but be aware that this is my memory, and it happened to me and nothing's going to happen to you," Alex warns. "Do it," Teagan insists. Alex takes a deep breath.
I am back in the cave, two Tringers are dragging me down the hall by my feet, and my hands are tied behind my back. A rock slices my arm while I'm being dragged, it doesn't hurt. The Tringers drag me into a room, I see the brain and another Tringer.
The third Tringer starts to beat me, he has a large pointy, metal ring on his hand. It slices my cheek as his continues to beat me. I pass out from my face being smashed in and awake in Alex's cell. Next thing I know, I see myself.
Alex pulls us out of the memory and back to reality. "Holy shit," Teagan mutters. Cannon puts his left hand on Alex's shoulder. "I'm proud of you Boss," He speaks. Alex shrugs Cannon off and walks off to the side, she must have been petrified.
Teagan hobbles over to me and squeezes my hand, I can only imagine what's going through her head. "Lets go for a walk," I suggest to Teagan. Teagan nods her head in response. "We're going for a walk," I announce to everyone. Nobody really pays attention, they're all talking either to, or about Alex.
Teagan and I walk hand in hand further into the woods. "What's wrong Teag?" I ask. "I didn't know when, or if you would come back," Teagan replied. "I will always come back to you," I speak. "You don't know that," Teagan counters. I know that she's right and she knows it, but I will always do anything I can possibly do in order to get back to Teagan.
"I miss Kacey," Teagan whispers. I look up at Teagan, she's pretending like she doesn't notice me looking at her. "Kacey will always be watching over us Teag," I comfort. Teagan squeezes my hand in response. I think Teagan is in major pain, not just physical pain but emotional pain as well. I think we're all in pain.
We walk further into the woods, there's a couple of medium sized rocks. "I need to take a break," Teagan reports. We sit down on the rocks, Teagan fidgets with her metal leg.
"Where did the Tringers shoot you again?" Teagan asks. I forgot I was shot in the midst of the chaos last night. "The chest," I respond. "Okay" Teagan speaks.
There's something off about Teagan, she's really not okay. "Teagan show me your stomach please," I insist. Teagan has a scared look in her eyes. I reach over and lift her shirt, she has a large fresh burn. "Give me whatever it is that you used," I order. Teagan reaches into her pocket revealing a white crayon, she hands it to me. I throw the crayon far away into the woods.
I stand up and walk over to Teagan, I wrap her in a hug. "Please stop hurting yourself," I whisper. Teagan just cries into me. "Nothing feels real anymore, except you and the pain," Teagan whimpers. I run my hands through her hair. "We'll do reality checks from here on out," I state. "What do you mean?" Teagan sniffles.
"We will make sure that we're okay, and that this shit is real, and we are going to talk about everything, even the pain," I explain. "Are we real?" Teagan asks. "Yes we are real," I whisper.
I kiss Teagan, she kisses me back. I need Teagan, but right now she needs me more than I need her.
