Born To Be A Hero

Chapter 9: Finding Alias

"And what is that?" She asked.

"Enough questions. I've done enough for you ust tell me where she is." I ordered.

The girl paused, before nodding.

"One final question. Why are you trying to find her?" She asked.

"She was my charge and my friend, but I failed to protect her. I need to know if she is okay." I answered truthfully.

The girl looked at the ground, her expression becoming sad.

"Follow me." She said.

"No. Enough delay. Where is she?" I said, taking a few menacing steps forward.

She gripped her spear a little tighter, "Do not think you could defeat us. We have faced worse than you. Alias is here. I will take you to her."

"Here?" I asked.

I have been waiting so long to find her. So long.

The girl nodded and turned around.

I followed at her side as we navigated through the tents.

"Who did you fail to protect Alias from?" She asked as we walked.

"A being far more powerful than any of us." I said simply.

She frowned but nodded, "She always was a little strange."

We stopped in front of a larger tent.

"She's in here?" I asked impatiently.

"Be careful. Alias will not be how you remember her." She said.

I rushed in, but then froze, taking in the sight in front of me.

Oh Alias.

The young girl was sleeping peacefully. A sleep that would have seemed normal if it hadn't been evening and the sun was shining brightly outside.

If Alias hadn't of been propped up on pillows and a long scar on her chin. If not for the discarded blanket on the ground that was brown with dried blood. If not for the bandages wrapped all around her body, each of them a little bloody and a little dirty.

If not for the sweat dripping down her face or the leather belts that connected her wrists and legs to the cot she was on. If not for the way she breathed, as if something was lodged her lunged.

But the most horrifying thing was her wings, spread out under her body, laying limply across the floor. They were torn and ripped and bent, plastered with energon that it looked like someone tried to wipe away before their hands started to burn from the toxicity.

"What happened to her?" I asked in horror.

"I thought you might know that." The girl said.

I turned around quickly, "You don't know!?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Alias stumbled into our camp like this, half dead. We're trying everything we can, but it seems she had more secrets than we thought. Our loyalty isn't diminished. But hospitals are out of the question. Not for us, terrorists, and definitely not for her, our known leader and especially since she now sports toxic wings made of iron."

Cybermetal. Not iron.

"I can get her help." I said, looking back at Alias.

"You won't take her away from us! What if you're working for the government and you're trying to capture her? We don't have any reason to trust you!" She whispered yelled.

I looked back at her, my eyes cold and angry.

"Does it look like Alias has a choice? How much longer do you think you can keep her alive like this?" I asked.

"Longer than someone who might want to kill her." She replied.

"So you'd rather have Alias die, sick and in pain, slowly, in the middle of a forest, without even giving her the smallest chance of living?" I asked angrily.

She paused, "No, but we-"

"You can't do anything for her. I can. Even a hospital wouldn't be able to save her, judging by the condition of her wings. They can't touch the energon. I can. Let me take Alias to my friends. They can save her." I pleaded.

The girl paused, looking torn. She looked at Alias sadly.

"I hate being in charge. Alias was always so good at it. I don't know how to keep everyone safe. Take her. Please don't hurt her, bring her back. We need her. I need her." She said as a single tear ran down her cheek.

I wiped the tear away and smiled at her softly, "Alias told me that the most important part of a team, is working together. If you don't know how to be in charge, work with everyone else. They are here to help you."

"Well now I know you definitely knew her." The girl said.

"What is your designation?" I asked.

"Rose."

"I'll remember to tell Alias about how well you interrogated me." I said as I walked over to the injured girl.

"Don't touch her- wings..." She trailed off as I gently grabbed Alias's wing, where energon was smeared on it.

"How are you touching it? It burned me." She said, looking down at her hand, where I hadn't noticed, but she had tight spandex gloves on.

"I'm different. Like Alias." I said as I lifted Alias up a little so I could comfortably fold them under her.

She cried out in her sleep and Rose scrambled over to help, but she was careful not to touch any energon.

"What are the restraints for?" I asked as Rose took them off.

"Alias keeps waking up from nightmares. She barely moves when she is awake, but her lurching always reopens her wounds, so..." Rose explained.

I nodded in understanding.

Whoever did this to Alias... they were going to pay.

"How long ago did she show up?" I asked.

"Just a week ago." Rose said.

I froze, "A week ago."

"Yeah... when was the last time you saw her?" Rose asked, worried.

"Five years."

"Five!?" Rose exclaimed. "Where has she been!?"

"I don't know, but when I find out who did this to her, I'm going to kill them." I said determined.

We finished preparing Alias to move and I carefully picked her up.

Rose held open the tent flap and everyone waiting outside stood up, spotting the three of us and looking at Alias painfully, and at me suspiciously.

"This man," she paused.

"Magnus."

"Magnus, is going to get Alias professional help and the charges against us have been dropped. Alias will live." She announced.

Everyone cheered.

"Shhhh!" I whisper yelled at them as Alias stirred.

They all immediately quieted down, looking embarrassed.

Rose smirked, "No doubts you knew her."

I didn't respond, only carried Alias to my alt mode.

I opened the door and turned around, looking at Rose.

"Thank you."

"No, thank you Magnus." She said.

I nodded and put Alias in the seat before turning myself back on and dissolving my holoform.

I finally found her.

But I was too late.

Word Count: 1706