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Chapter IV

DECEPTION

Ex

I jumped face first onto my bed and groaned. If I had to pick any day of my life that I wish never existed, I would hands down have to pick this day just because of how bad it was.

Everything ranging from my aching muscles, to my sore feet, to my worn out wings, and brain-dead mind didn't feel like working for the next few hours, or days really. I wanted to just lay here and relax for the remainder of the night and try to forget about all the problems I encountered today. Today had to be the worst day of my life now. I shifted until I lay on my side, facing my living area and let out a pained sigh, trying to move my worn out wing with little response, barely even a feather vibrated upon command. That was a sure good sign I was utterly wiped for the day.

Blake and Alexander pushed me to my absolute limits in the past few hours working on my strength, speed, and endurance. Just remembering how much weight I supported made my muscles cry out in pain once more. How much had I lifted today? Was it three hundred or three fifty? My brain was so tired I could barely remember, so I just went with which put more strain on me. Once I was done lifting weights, I had to endure the pain of flying with added counterweights to my body, and the professors would add more and more weights until I was unable to even hover about the ground. That trial was supposed to make my wings stronger so I could jump higher into the air and go faster than I could before, not to mention have me go on flying for longer periods of time, but I didn't feel like flying at all right now, which came as a surprise to even me since I adored the thought of flying every day. Finally, to end the pain for the day, I had to run miles upon miles to test the extent of my weakened muscles, and I felt like I could pass out from exhaustion by the tenth mile. I barely had the strength to cross the line that would allow me to reach the eleventh mile, and I couldn't go on any longer and fell to my knees from utter pain.

Those scientists watched me with utter fascination and didn't bat an eye my way once I grew more and more tired throughout the day. At least they would be gone once the night was over, so that gave me some breathing room. I could only hope that the Director would let me have a day off after the workout he put me through, yet I held high doubts. He was never a man to slow down on progress, and I was more of a reason not to.

I turned back until I was on my stomach again. I grabbed the ice pack from my night stand and placed it on my back between the cleavage of my wings, hissing as I felt the icy touch of the cold water and ice cubes but sighed from relief once I felt the area begin to grow less strained. I could move my wings to an extent now, but they still felt stiff and sore beyond my comprehension.

"Urgh, talk about tearing someone a new one," I groaned into my pillow. "Thank god its all over now."

Despite feeling completely terrible, I was hungry. The worst part was that I couldn't move so much as a muscle to go and make some food. I wasn't completely paralyzed, but I was in too much pain to lift a finger. With a heavy sigh, I decided against moving for the next few hours, for I could tell the more I moved the more I would suffer.

With that, I closed my eyes and let the wonderful realm of sleep overtake me.

. . .

Alexander

The day was done and it took an excruciatingly long time for that matter. If the day had gone any slower, things would've felt like dial-up and the internet in its earliest stages of public use. Just remembering days like those had my skin crawling, and not in a good way.

Ex was finished with his daily duties, leaving the rest of the night to the professors overseeing him to chart the data collected while he was examined and evaluated. His results were truly staggering! He lasted a good twenty minutes with one-hundred pound weights attached to his body, lifted a good three-hundred and fifty pounds--honestly a surprise considering his smaller body--and the miles he ran after all of that. Of course, we had to help him onto his feet after the ordeal was over, but he managed to get to his room unharmed for the most part, so I called that a win.

A day like this would've been a good day had it not been for the men and women who came here for research. I knew all about Director Kindle's little scheme keeping some data from them, for I was one of the men who cataloged the data we kept for safeguards and sent the information they wanted, including information that was sometimes false. I suppose Kindle's plan sort of backfired now considering the President had to send his top men and women to see Ex for themselves and go home with as much data as possible. Figures he wouldn't trust us after all these years.

Still, in a few short hours, they would be gone and with them, the stress they brought. I felt a major burden lift from my shoulders, not as much as Ex but still considerably large, once Ex left and was resting on his bed. I truly felt for the kid. He had to grow up as an abnormal person not used to the opinions of the outside world, and I could only imagine the emotions he had to keep bottled up not just for the day but for the past seventeen years.

I cleaned my glasses and rubbed my eyes. "Wish I could help him."

Blake chuckled a few feet away from me, munching on a bag of snacks. "Talking to yourself again, Alex? That's a bit unhealthy, you know."

I huffed and turned to face him. "Actually, its perfectly healthy to talk to one's self. It's only unhealthy when we start to answer ourselves after asking ourselves."

He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Please, try not to talk much. Today's given me the biggest headache of my life, and I'd rather not make it worse."

Chuckling, I stepped over to him. "Such is the life of a Division scientist."

"Tell me about it," he returned, finishing off his bag of snacks before gulping down a vitamin and water. "So, is Ex asleep?"

I nodded. "Out cold."

Blake nodded. "Can't blame him. I'd want to pass out too after what we had to put him through. If there's any way I can describe him in one word, I'd have to call him resilient above all else. Kid doesn't know his limits, and I'm proud of him for it."

He made me chuckle. "You never were one to go easy on him. At least give him a break every now and then. He may be genetically engineered but that doesn't mean he has no limit. Everyone does, including you and I."

The wolf stood up and sighed, tapping a few buttons on his computer before looking to me. "Eh, you're right about that. Today had to wear him out, and I'd rather not be him right now."

We both agreed on that. Though we did care for Ex's safety, neither one of us wanted to take part in what he had to go through on a day to day basis, and that included being treated unjustly by the men who worked here who viewed him as a creature created by nature. I had no clue how someone like him could handle the biased attitude every day of the week of every year, but I gave him credit enough for standing up for himself.

He did stand up for himself during his lunch break today, though. That moment made me proud. We tasked him to act on his best behavior while those government officials were here, but even I would snap, if I were him, and lash out against him. Perhaps not in the same fashion as him, but I would still speak my mind despite being aware of the consequences. We monitored him once we saw him defend himself against the man trying to get close to him, but we remained neutral despite his outburst, and I'd hardly call it that. He was only defending himself, and I could still tell he was holding back the emotion to tear each one of them apart.

If he did that, he would no doubt receive the death sentence. All these years of research would then be turned into sand and be blown into the wind, completely forgotten. Just thinking about losing him made my heart ache. He was like the son I never had.

I clutched my chest. My heart ached remembering that day. No, I wouldn't let that day interfere with my research now. I couldn't let my emotions take over now, but I wanted them to after all these years of keeping them confined within the recesses of my soul. For the first time in twelve long years, I wanted to cry my heart out for as long as I could. I couldn't, though. There were still things to be done and no time of that could be spent crying like a tiny child.

Biting my tongue, I looked back up to Blake, who had been trying to get my attention for the past few minutes. Seems I lost myself in deep thought, again. If I told him, he would understand, but I didn't want to. Though he was my friend, I didn't want to bring up the past. I wasn't ready to face it again. The wounds felt fresh again, and I could tell it would take more than twelve years for these aching wounds to heal.

For the time being, I bided my sadness and let out a long sigh. Today wasn't the say to let stress go to my head. I had to keep myself from going off-track, so I would have to put those past feelings behind me, painfully, and move on for the time being. Ex needed Blake and me right now, and I was willing to put my life on hold to make sure his didn't get screwed up.

Blake shook me. "You okay, man? You kinda zoned out there."

It took me a second, but I nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just, you know, thinking about today and all. Nothing to worry about, I promise."

"Alright, if you say so," he smiled, gesturing out the door. "The mess hall should still be open. You wanna grab a quick bite to eat before we head onto bed?"

My stomach growled at the idea. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until he mentioned food. "I think food is a good idea. Last time I ate was lunch, and I ate such a small meal I'm surprised I got through the day."

He patted my stomach. "You should put more weight on, man. You're getting too skinny on me."

"Coming from you, Captain Muscle-Tone?" I chuckled, patting his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go and get some food. I'm starved."

"Can't say no to that," he smiled, following me out the door.

We were light-hearted right now, which came as a shock to me. It had been a while since we managed to be this friendly to each other. It almost felt alien in a sense, but I remembered all the good times we shared together, and they warmed my heart back into its positive self. The man always knew how to make me feel so much better, and I couldn't thank him enough. He had always been there for me when I needed it, as I had been there for him when he needed me more than anything else in the world.

Shame I couldn't tell him everything about how I felt towards him. What could I do besides keep it a secret? He wasn't one to just push me aside for no reason, but would my feelings towards him give him a reason to after all these years working together? I didn't want to chance it, though. He deserved to know, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him. I couldn't even tell Ex, which felt pretty embarrassing to be honest. Neither of them knew the deep truth about me, and I preferred to keep it that way. Though Blake made every moment in my life as of right now the best I could ever hope for, and I hoped we could live the rest of these years closer and closer, but I couldn't find the strength within me to tell him how I felt. I wasn't ready to be rejected by him or Ex and, if things came to that, I would be completely alone. I couldn't let that happen.

I had to keep my attention focused solely on Ex and bringing him up the right way. He was such a nice kid, and his birthday was in under a month. Maybe I should have something special planned for him when the day comes. In the meantime while I could brainstorm ideas on that, I walked with Blake towards the mess hall.

Up ahead we could hear some voices. At first they sounded much like the many scientists who worked here chatting about the day's events, or about how much longer they would have this position. Upon getting closer, we found that was not the case. Blake stopped me before we rounded the corner, leaning close to the wall to remain secret.

"I can't allow you to do this!" the first voice exclaimed.

It was Director Kindle. Though we didn't have a reason to hide from him, his tone didn't exactly make us feel good about whatever situation he was in. I took point ahead of Blake, keeping close to the wall while taking slow, careful steps to make sure we were silent. I looked over the corner enough to catch a quick look of the Director and the scientists who had been evaluating Ex all day. Why were they still here? It was past ten, which meant they were supposed to have left a few minutes ago, but they were standing there ahead of us.

Dartha, the woman of the group, stepped forward. "This isn't your decision to make, Director. We have the final say in matters like this."

"But we have practically three decades worth of research here! You just want to throw it all away just because you think Ex is some sort of threat? I will not stand for this injustice!" He shot back, his tongue growing more and more furious.

What was going on? Never had Blake or I seen Kindle this furious. He had been man plenty of times but this was a new level of anger we hadn't seen from him ever since the last Project died. This had to be something important enough to get under his fur and skin.

I heard him mention Ex, which really caught my attention. Did they think Ex was a threat? He wasn't a threat at all! He was only a teenager trying to figure out where he belonged for Christ's sake! What reason did they have to believe that Ex was just a threat? Wanting to know more about the situation, I listened close in hopes of catching new information. I had to know for certain why they were discussing this and for what purpose.

I heard Dartha sigh. "Listen, Director, whether you like it or not, we have explicit orders to order you to kill Ex. This had nothing to do with his personality or what information you have gathered. The President fears that Ex has become too powerful, thanks to the information you allowed us to acquire and send back to him."

Kindle snarled. "You relayed the information to him? How dare you double-cross me you two-faced--"

"Oh, calm yourself," a new voice joined the fray. This one was also familiar, and I recognized it as Zang's. "You must've known this would happen."

"You were sent here to evaluate him without being one-sided," Kindle snapped back. "Had I known you would come here to play executioner, I would've shot you down in the desert and sent you back to your superiors. Believe me, I was very tempted."

There was silence until Zang spoke again. "Believe me, I don't want to kill Ex as much as they do, but we have our orders. Either you kill him or we will order our men to, and they were given the orders to pull the trigger once we gave them the green light."

They were going to kill Ex? What harm had he done to them? We monitored him all day long and found no signs of aggression, besides the time he lashed out against Zang. We were for certain he was on his best behavior while they were here, so I couldn't fathom why they wanted to kill him. I thought they were here to study him and that was it.

"You traitorous vermin!" Kindle snarled and charged at them, only to miss and have them step aside.

Dartha brushed some dust off her jacket. "Director, we would rather study Ex for the remainder of his life and figure out how to make the next Project ten times better, but we must abide by our leader's orders, and I will tell you, it is an executive order."

"And I am telling you, if you so much as touch him, I will send you out of this facility in body bags," Kindle growled menacingly. This was a new side of him no one had ever seen and it was starting to send chills up my spine.

Zang stepped in front of Dartha and spoke. "Must we really explain our reasons again? We are not stupid, Director. We've noticed the faulty information you've given us through a set of moles in the system, and they have notified us of your own treachery." He stopped Kindle before he could protest. "Need I remind you that what you're doing is an act of treason against the government?"

"You never bothered to even touch the research until Ex was ten," the Director countered. "So why are you interested in it now?"

"Simple," he replied. "Now that we know, by your calculations, how long Ex should live, we can now use the information you've hand-delivered to us and begin our own development."

Dartha entered once again. "All we need are the files for the past two years and we can be sure our Projects will be in tip-top shape."

"You used us," Kindle hissed.

She laughed. "You could say that. Once we have what we came for, and once Ex is dead, we can take over the Delta Division and begin creating our own line of Projects. Not just here, but with the new facilities we are building, we can create twice as many in only a few short years."

"You don't know what you're doing," the director said. "You're playing with a toy you don't understand yet. We've had almost thirty years to understand it, and that is the sole reason we are the only ones tasked to do it. You're playing with fire, and you will be burned, Dartha."

They all bellowed with laughter. "We'll see about that, won't we?"

"You will pay for this," Kindle threatened, quickly being restrained by two of the soldiers who were with the pair.

Even as he struggled, they placed a piece of cloth against his mouth and silenced him, forcing him into a quick sleep. Blake cupped my mouth before I could shout, turning me around and gesturing to leave the area. Though I couldn't feel well leaving Kindle behind for the sharks, I knew we were outnumbered and too powerless to do anything about it.

Once we were far enough away, we stayed ducked behind the room we departed from locking it quickly.

"They're going to kill Ex!" I shouted in a hushed voice.

Blake nodded and paced. "I know, I know. I heard them talking as well."

"We have to do something! We can't just let them kill Ex! He doesn't deserve to die!" I exclaimed, Blake reminding me to keep a hushed tone.

"What can we do? If we do anything then we'll be going against the very fabric of the government, Alex! Do you want to be tried for treason and be sent to jail, or worse, be killed with Ex?"

I was about to rebuke him, but I had to admit, he did have a point. What could two measly scientists do against three soldiers and a triplet of scientists who knew this base very well now? If we were caught, then we could be sent to jail or possible get killed or, if things were just plainly terrible, we could go to jail and die in there. Though I doubted that was highly impossible, at least one of the other two options was bound to happen if we were caught.

"Wait, that's it!" I exclaimed, quickly making my way to the nearest computer.

Blake followed me. "What? What's 'it'?"

Taking a seat, I immediately went to work delving into the different systems which controlled the facility. My hands worked quickly over the keyboard, dashing through the different firewalls we had placed throughout each system, eventually finding the one I needed to enter. With my mind focused completely on trying to hack into the security mainframe, Blake tried to shake me to get my attention.

"What are you doing?" he asked me.

"I'm trying to get into the security mainframe and shut it all down," I replied.

"Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed. "Don't you realize the consequences of pulling a stunt like that?"

He placed a hand on mine, keeping my fingers hovering over the keyboard before I could issue the security shutdown. At first, I did think about it. If we were caught, we could be tried for treason and spend the rest of our lives behind a holding cell or six-feet under. I couldn't even imagine the Director's reaction if he found out it was us, but I couldn't just leave out there for the wolves to tear apart just because they were ordered to. He had done nothing wrong to them, so I still couldn't understand why they wanted him dead.

No, he was not going to die. I supervised that boy for years and watched him grow up to be the strong, independent, freedom-seeking boy he is today. He was too young to die, and I would be damned if I let some random scientists take him from me. I was going to make this right whether it killed me or not, and I was hoping for the latter.

Looking at Blake with completely serious eyes, I said to him "If this was your son, wouldn't you do the same?"

It took him a few minutes to respond, his face littered with shock. "He...He isn't my son, Alex."

"He's not my son either," I turned my attention back to the computer. "But he's the closest I've had to one in over a decade. I won't let them take him without a fight."

Blake hesitated in taking his hand off mine but sighed in the end. "Why is it that I always have to go down with your plans?"

I chuckled, finishing the bypass code. "They haven't gotten us killed."

Almost as if on instinct, we looked at each other and said "Yet."

He chuckled, patting my back. "Well, if I'm going to die one of these days, I'd rather die with you."

I entered the code and smiled as the lights slowly began to dim. "That's the nicest thing I've heard you say in weeks."

Once the lights were out, Blake fumbled through his desk and produced a flashlight and gun. If we were going to encounter problems, we needed to defend ourselves in a pinch. Besides, he was a better shot with the gun than me, so I stayed behind him with the flashlight as we left the room.

The entire facility was in pitch black darkness, save for the only light source we could muster. We still had to be cautious while walking around, for there were still men around these parts who were trained in dark conditions. At least they wouldn't shoot at us, but I couldn't say the same for the men who weren't a part of our number. Whether we were friendly or not, I didn't want to take the chance and run into them. They were already tasked with killing Ex, so who's to say they weren't here to kill anyone else who stood in their way? We couldn't go out and take a chance like that, so we cautiously stepped around the base.

We knew this base like the back of our hands. There was a turn to the left up ahead, so I directed the light in the direction Blake needed to follow so we didn't end up getting lost, which I highly doubted we could. Our steps were careful and light so we didn't attract anyone's attention, but I figured since we had the only light inside the base, we would be noticed whether or not we were quiet. If anyone did notice us, we could just turn off the light and hide somewhere until they quit looking.

He stayed close to the wall, using it as a point of reference so we could know where to turn. Even with our own keen sight, it took a great deal of squinting and observing so we didn't get ourselves going in circles. We passed another turn and headed down the next hall. There was no telling how close those soldiers were to Ex, so we couldn't get sidetracked right now and risk them taking him from us. For all we knew, they could already be outside his room ready to burst through the door and execute him while he slept, and we were still basically trying to linger our way to his chambers.

It was like walking through a mine field. Though we never walked through a mine field, I could only imagine that this was what it was like. We were as quiet as we could be. There were faint noises we could hear from away, so we didn't bother waiting and listening to them. If anything, those could be the men looking for Ex's room and were fumbling through the dense darkness, hopefully giving us a chance to get the jump on them before they did the same to us.

Ever so slowly, I turned the light against the wall. We were now in the westernmost wing of the facility, and Ex's room was a straight shot down the hallway form where we were. Blake turned to me and nodded, picking up his pace just enough so we were slowly jogging to Ex's room.

The door was still shut once we made it, telling us they weren't here or were inside and ready to kill him. Blake took the flashlight while I fiddled with the keypad, using the tools I kept close at hand to allow some energy to surge through the door, lighting up the pad long enough for me to punch in the numbers and see it open.

Standing in front of the door was Ex, who looked half-asleep once Blake shined the flashlight on him. It surprised me he had the strength to stand, but he had two hours of sleep for his muscles to heal, so I figured he would have enough strength to stand. No doubt he was wondering about the entire facility shutting down.

"Alexander? Blake?" he asked in a sort of annoyed tone. "What're you guys doing here this late?"

I pushed him aside and hastily made myself into his room. Taking the flashlight from Blake, I made my way to his dresser and began pulling out plenty of clothes, deciding what was necessary and what wasn't, soon ending up with four pairs of shirts, four pairs of jeans, and a good amount of boxers.

"Alexander? Hello? You didn't answer me," he yawned, taking some steps towards me.

While I moved onto his more hygiene related items, Blake clued him in. "Look, I'm going to put it like this Ex--those scientists want to kill you regardless of how you behaved today."

If I could see him, I was almost sure he was in shock and wide awake. "W-What? B-B-But...I thought they were going to let me go f-free if I did everything right." He sounded heartbroken, and I could understand that. Even we hated the fact that we had been double-crossed.

While I moved onto the things I could fit into his backpack, Blake continued. "We had to shut the power down to stop them from getting close to you, but we doubt the system will stay down for much longer."

I added my voice in, quickly speaking. "And that's why we have to get you out of here as soon as possible."

"You sure they're trying to kill me?" Ex asked with worry.

Suddenly, we heard loud bangs against the door. Damn! That had to be them. There was no doubt in my mind about it. The banging continued to get gradually louder and louder until we heard loud pops outside. We saw three new dents on our side but on the other side, all three of us could bet that there were three bullets imbedded in the metal.

"Shit!" Blake cursed, gripping his pistol. The gun was fully loaded and Blake was an excellent shot, even in the pitch blackness that surrounded us.

No sooner had he muttered those words, the door burst open and the two men who followed the scientists around stepped in, looking very mad I might add. Blake didn't hesitate and fired as many shots as he could at the pair, and Ex and I watched as they gasped and took the full force of the shots, soon doubling over bleeding a considerable amount of blood. It was a good thing Blake missed the chest entirely, for I saw one bullet penetrate the head of one, hitting his shoulders and legs, and then going through the neck of the other, and he soon finished off the second one with careful accuracy.

Ex stepped closer towards me as he was forced to witness the display. He had always been trained to fight another person in combat and had to eliminate practice dummies for us, but he had never witnessed any real death in front of his eyes before. The things that he had to wonder about right now...I couldn't even fathom them within my mind. He held onto my arm while staring at the scene in pure stunned silence, staying close while Blake pushed the bloody bodies aside, soon turning to us. It had been a long time since I had seen him so reluctant to shoot and kill these men, which had me worried that he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I put it aside and tried to focus. If they were here, then we were running out of time.

Without wasting more time, I grabbed the last of what I thought Ex would need and crammed them into his bag. It didn't feel heavy but still had plenty of heft to it. I handed him the bag and sighed, knowing that he was still trying to process what had just happened, and I couldn't blame him for being quiet about it. Death was never an easy pill to swallow, but Blake and I were well over it. We did have to deal with nine failed Projects and a few deaths along the way.

I grabbed his shoulder. "C'mon, its time to go."

That finally grabbed his attention. "B-But...where am I g-going?" He sounded so unsure of himself, not to mention scared with his tone.

Blake pulled him up, more forcefully. "We're getting you out of here, Ex."

"I thought I couldn't leave," I softly murmured.

With a heavy sigh, I said to him "That doesn't matter now. There are men coming here to kill you, and I'll be damned if I let them take you from me." I sighed again, shaking my head. "Ex, listen. I'm sorry for what just happened, but we need you to keep calm and carry on, alright?"

We led him out of the room and saw him look back at the unmoving bodies behind. "But they're..." He trailed off.

"I know," I replied. "It was either you or them, and I'd rather it be them rather than you."

Blake grunted, taking point a few paces ahead. "The point is that you need to leave this base once you're outside the wall, understood?" There was no reply, which only prompted his frustration, garnering amore firm tone. "Ex, I need you to listen to me, and I'm not going to repeat myself. Once we get you out of the wall, we need you to forget about this place, and us, and fly as far away as you can and never come back. We'll be fine."

"B-B-But..." Ex started but Blake cut him off.

"No 'buts' about it," he was strict. "Your existence matters more than ours, and I'm not about to let so much research go to waste because some people don't trust you."

I could feel the boy trembling, only causing me to try and be as calming to him as I could. Even with my gentler of a touch, he still felt tense and scared. He wasn't used to any of this, but who would exactly? Unless this boy went to war, in which I hoped he never did, he could never understand the seriousness of what was going on.

I had to keep him from falling behind while we twisted through the dimly lit base. The lights were slowly turning back on. That wasn't good. If what I was thinking was correct, the generators were slowly turning back on and were providing a very limited power to the base. If we didn't get Ex out of this place as soon as possible, they were going to spot us and apprehend us where we stood and probably execute Ex with us. Who knows what they would do with our bodies afterwards? Toss them aside? Burn them and leave no trace? I shuddered just thinking about the various possibilities.

While Blake covered the front, I slowed my pace to keep with Ex, tugging him enough so we could keep up with the armed wolf. He didn't meet my eyes, only disappointing me even more. I couldn't figure him out in a state like this. He was just too out of it to even bother talking to me about it. I wanted to talk to him about it, but I remembered we didn't have much time to help him cope with the situation. For the time being, he was going to have to figure things out the hard way.

Though I did hate that philosophy, I was getting way too soft for him sake. I remembered a part of me needed to remain firm and strong for moments like this, but Blake was already gripping that position as if his life depended on it--in which it did, and ours as well.

We quickly walked through the base perimeter until we passed by the same security office we used before. Blake used this as a reference point, telling us that we weren't that far from this front. We accepted his advice to stay as silent as possible and hide if we heard voices. Ex was already quiet enough, so we didn't have to worry about him talking. With that, he turned down the next hallway and gave us the green light to follow.

Our steps were slow and careful. We had to still remain as quiet as possible even though the lights slowly began to illuminate the hallways. It was rare we saw a scientist around, in which they didn't even see is walk by. Either they just didn't notice us or they didn't care we were up this late and paid us no mind. Blake stumble forward and nearly fell, but I caught him just before he hit the ground. Though he was tough, thick-skulled, and too strict for his own good, I had to make sure he didn't make a fool of himself while playing leader.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"No problem," I replied in a very hushed tone.

No other words were exchanged then. He continued to lead the way closer to the main lobby. It seems the closer we got to the lobby, the darker it got as well. That worked in our favor at least. We could use the shadows to our advantage as much as we could without notice, until the power came back on that is. In the event of that happening, we made sure to make haste for the exit.

Blake stopped us just at the front door, allowing us to look outside towards the courtyard where we found dozens of men all scattered around the field, each conversing with each other. They had to be talking about the power going out, but we couldn't tell if that was the whole story.

"Dammit," I cursed, almost pounding on the door. "We can't get to the back entrance in time before the systems are up."

Blake groaned. "I think things are worse than they look."

Both Ex and I looked at him and said "How?"

He pointed near the center of the group where we saw a person, wearing on of those expensive suits. It was Dartha and her two associates standing near a large group of men. If she was out there talking to the men, we could only guess that she was pulling some tricky shit. Even as we pressed our ears against the door, we couldn't make out a word of what she was saying through the conflicting voices of the crowd around her.

Only a select few within the group actually had guns and were watching the courtyard with intent, sharp eyes. Getting out was near impossible now considering Dartha was probably swaying them against Ex with her opinion. Unless Ex could just camouflage himself to blend in with the environment or just activate his transparent ability and walk by undetected then we were home free, but Blake and I doubted that without meeting each other's eyes. He had to still be weak from the trials only a few hours prior to this, and we figured his didn't have the strength or energy to pull off such a feat currently.

Camouflage and transparency were both out of the question. The only option we had left was to just walk out and send Ex out the door the hard way. Problem was we had an army of highly trained men who could kill a man easily with their bare hands in seconds. Though Ex could fly, he couldn't dodge speedy bullets aimed directly at him, and I didn't care how fast he could go. One shot anywhere, especially on the wing, would cripple him, and we couldn't afford to test that theory.

I slammed my forehead against the door. "We're trapped." We needed nothing short of a miracle now.

Blake gasped and turned to us. "I have a plan, but I'm afraid its risky."

We turned to him but Ex spoke. "How risky is it?"

He turned to the Project. "Two of us are going to take a bullet while you escape."

"Excuse me?" I chimed in. "Do I have a say in this?"

He looked at me and chuckled. "Nope." He looked at the both of us. "Here's how its gonna go down."