Home sick and not sure where home is.
My steps are silent, fluorescent lights flickering ominously above me as I count twenty-two doors, stopping at the twenty third and enter the code in the keypad, entering the room quickly and shutting the door softly behind me.
The room still has some of our stuff in it from our teenage years. Posters hanging along the wall, empty gun cases stacked beside Lilac's bed.
I take a seat on her mattress and reach under the bed for the box I slipped under a few weeks ago.
My finger quickly lift the lid, leafing through the papers and making sure they're all still there.
They are.
I retrieve the vial and piece of glass from my pocket, nestling them inside with the rest of the stuff.
I breathe out a sigh, and close the box, my grip tightening around it as I look around Lilac and my old dorm.
It's not safe here, not near him.
I run my hands through my hair and push myself from the bed, holding the box under my arm.
A mark on the wall catches my attention and I stop, lifting a hand to trace the letters.
H + L against every other fucker, always.
"You know this room holds so many memories for us. I can't believe we just have to leave it." Lilac says as she carves the letter 'H' into the wall with a small pocket knife, her lips pursed in concentration.
She stops, huffing and moves a piece of brown hair from her face, moving to the next symbol.
"That's where you broke my nose when we first met." She reminds me, pointing to the doorway, eyes dragging from her masterpiece to meet my eyes.
I think back on that day, we'd both gotten in trouble by Director and were forced to do everything together from then on as punishment.
But we became inseparable and formed a bond, he hated it, and we loved that power.
"And that's where I broke Justin's nose when he kissed you without permission. Then told everyone you guys slept together." She continues, carving in the 'L'.
"This is where I cried when Justin convinced Adrian to break up with me." she continues as she points to her bed. "And it's also where you told me to get over myself." Lilac says laughing. "Do you think we'll make it out there?"
I know what she's referring to. Out there as in the real world. Will we survive?
"Of course, we will. We'll be the best thing this world has ever seen." I reply as I stuff the last remaining item in my duffel bag. "Or the worst." I amend as I think better of it giving her a conspirator's grin.
"Do you ever wonder what might happen to us?"
I pause in zipping up my bag and face her, seeing her face passive but curious. I walk towards her and take a seat.
"Nothing's going to happen to you. We look after each other, remember?"
"Yeah, because who else is going to do it."
I ignore her muttered words, pointing a finger to the array of weapons she hasn't packed away.
"What are you doing with those?"
"They're yours."
My brows lift and I walk to the case, lifting it open, a smile staining my face when I see the twin daggers nestled in a velvet bed, one inscribed with the word lefty, and the other righty.
"So, you never forget." Lilac says, grinning cheekily.
I shake my head, smiling back at her, "You're an idiot."
"You love me that way." She finishes her masterpiece with a flourish, stabbing the knife into the wall and turns to me with a grin.
"You haven't packed your other weapons though." I remind her, lifting a brow at the case left behind next to my gift.
Lilac only grins, and steps up onto her bed, lifting to her tip toes and pushes the vent above it out of the way.
She looks back at me with those mischievous eyes, "Hand me the case."
I do, lifting the case up to her and watching as she pushes it into the opening above her bed, moving the vent back in place.
She grins down at me. "Just in case."
I shake my head at her, rolling my eyes.
"Now let's get out of here Agent Eleven." She says cheekily as she drops from her bed and grabs her suitcase and saunters out of the room we have shared for the last six years. I quickly grab my duffel and walk after her, shutting the door on that part of our lives and embarking on a new one.
"We'll always have each other." I say to my little sister, pulling at a brown curl. "Now, let's go."
I blink back the tears lining my eyes, tracing the 'L.'
August seventh used to be yours and now it's just another day.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there." I swallow and turn away.
I shut the door, reset the lock, and turn to the face of her murderer staring right at me, those familiar dark eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Director asks, shocked.
"I lived here." I slowly lower my hand that holds the box, trying in vain to keep it away from his attention.
His eyes flicker to it anyway.
"You haven't lived here for years." His eyes come back up to meet mine, curiosity staining those cold dark irises.
I blink back at him. "I just wanted to visit, today has been hard."
It's then his eyes flicker away from mine, settling on the door I exited, "Lilac's birthday."
I nod, refraining from saying anything to lengthen the conversation.
He looks back to me, fake sympathy smoothing over his features. "You know I miss her too right?"
I glance away, trying and failing to bite my tongue as the words spill forth. "Only when it suited you."
"She was my daughter, of course I loved her. Her birthday is hard on me too."
"Your love was conditional, don't pretend like you care now. You already have your golden child, and you threw us away so don't expect sympathy from me."
"Ho-"
"Don't." I cut him off, walking past him and down the hallway, the lights flickering above.
I hear his sigh, the sound of it nipping at my heels as I stalk away, heart in my throat.
I push through the door, steps eating up the distance to the exit, cold night air sweeping over my heated skin.
I stop at the man staring back at me, leaning on my bike with crossed arms. The door slams behind me, déjà vu haunting me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask Archer.
"I followed you." He pushes off my bike, taking a few hesitant steps forward.
I don't move from where I stand, fist tightening on the box. "Why?"
Archer doesn't answer, his eyes sweeping over me as if searching for answers to the question he won't voice.
His gaze snags on the box, brow furrowing. "Is that the box from the Doctors house?"
I step forward, walking past him towards my bike. "What are you doing here, Archer?"
"You've been avoiding me."
I stop at my bike, dropping the box on the seat, my back to him. "I haven't."
I can hear the disbelief in his scoff, hands landing on my shoulders to twist me around. "Don't lie to me."
I shrug, throwing his hands off my shoulders. "What do you want from me, Archer?"
His face is stricken, "I want you to tell me the truth." He says roughly.
I blink back at him, feeling moisture behind my eyes and I twist from him, grabbing the box and walking away from him, leaving my bike behind me.
"Eleven." His voice wrenching through my heart. "Why are you pretending like there is nothing between us?" I hear the slight crack in his voice, my back tensing.
I stop beside, turning to face him. "Because there is nothing between us."
"I told you to stop lying to me." He says, talking forward, steps eating up the distance between us quickly.
He stops in front of me, his eyes roaming over my features. "I can see your emotions clear on your face. Just admit to yourself that there's something here."
I stay silent and he scoffs. His hand wraps around my arms, spinning me and pushing me against the side of his car, head bent down to stare through me. "What are you so afraid of?"
"It was a lie." I mutter, swallowing.
Archer blinks, a flash of emotion entering his eyes before quickly disappearing. "What?"
I shove his hands off me.
"I said, it was a lie."
"Stop lying." He whispers.
I give him a small, closed mouth smile, "I'm not. Everything was a lie. My capture, getting close to you, getting close to all of you." My voice cracks on the last word and I breathe out slowly to push the emotion away. "You were a means to an end, your use has expired."
I step away from the car and he stumbles back, avoiding my touch, the action stinging but I swallow it down.
His hazel eyes watch me, but he keep silent, letting me walk away. So, I do.
"You drive me fucking crazy." I hear him say as I walk closer to my bike again.
I spin back to him, "Archer-"
"You don't get it." He says roughly. "Ever since you crashed into my life, you've taken over my thoughts like they're yours. I can't get you out of my head."
I open my mouth to reply but he holds up a hand, "It may have started as a lie, but now it's anything but." His hazel eyes stay glued to mine, "I'm not going to let you run away from it."
I shake my head, "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Prove it." He mutters, "Walk away right now, and I'll believe you."
My eyes linger between his before I turn, taking that last step towards my bike.
I hear his door open, my throat tight but he says nothing, his silence loud enough.
I breathe out slowly, fingers curling around the handle bar of my bike, refusing to stare back at him.
The sound of a bullet slices through the tension, a brutal cry of pain echoing in the night. I drop to a crouch, twisting to stare back at Archer.
His hazel eyes find mine, hand grasping to his shoulder, a river of blood flowing through the crevices.
"Archer." My voice is rough, and I rush over to him, eyes tracking the surroundings for the shooter.
His dark hazel eyes flash to mine, the pain and anger in them unmistakable and I'm not entirely sure it's all from the bullet wound.
"Eleven, get in the car." He grinds out, pushing himself up, completely bypassing the hand I hold out to help.
I let the limb drop, watching him shove himself into the driver's seat, keys already in hand.
His eyes flash back to mine, emotionless. "Get in the fucking car, now!"
I don't argue, rushing around the side and jumping in the passenger seat, letting the strained silence linger between us, I pull the door shut just as Archer puts his foot to the ignition, racing away from headquarters.
"HQ will be on lockdown from the gunshot, their security measures have gone up since the body was found." Archer explains to my silence, his voice tight.
"I know." I say softly, staring backwards to see any pursuers. I twist to look in the backseat, throwing the box I've somehow kept a hold on the seat and grabbing the gun sitting there, checking the magazine, and counting the bullets.
Ten, I can work with that. I click the magazine back in place, forming my hand comfortably to the handle and wind the window down, turning to face a car racing after us.
"They're behind us," I kneel backwards on the seat, resting my elbow on the door frame, aiming the gun back at the pursuers, my eyes slightly widening when I see the two bikes joining the car.
Archer's eyes snap to the window, eyes blazing.
He swears as the back-window shatters, car swerving slightly.
I focus my sight, finger caressing the trigger before I fire at the vehicle closest to us.
A tyre pops and the bike swerves and rolls, crashing into a parked car.
I scan the roads behind the now smoking rider and can only see the others motorbike rider tailing us. Their gun is aimed at our car, the glock bouncing as he pulls the trigger. The mirror beside me explodes in a rain of glass and metal and I duck back inside the car, breathing out.
Another bullet pierces through the front window, the glass crumbling on top of us. Archer's hands leave the steering wheel momentarily to block the shards as they rain down on us. His body taking the full brunt of the hit as he covers mine subconsciously.
I duck and curl in as glass cuts my back, the shards clinging to my clothes.
"Fuck." Archer hisses as he takes control of the wheel again and speeds up.
I point my gun once again out the window, aiming at the motorbike behind us. Squeezing the trigger, the bullet pierces through one of the side mirrors. The biker swerves but rights themselves. Speeding up.
"Shit." I hiss, tightening my grip on the gun.
The car swerves and I crash into the door. The gun falling from my hand and onto the road, bouncing away from our moving car.
"Really!?" I turn and glare at the driver, and then back at the spot the gun had fallen, now only a speck.
"We have company." Is his only response.
The missing car has finally appeared.
I spin and open the glove compartment in front of me. Rummaging through the contents but not finding anything.
I slam it shut in frustration and spin in my seat as the vehicle follows us.
"What are you looking for?!" Archer screams at me as he swerves the car to the left suddenly.
"A gun! Anything!" I answer annoyed.
My hands reach under my seat but come up empty.
"Take the wheel!"
"What?!"
"Jesus! Take the fucking wheel!" He spits and I grab the steering wheel as his hands release from it. They travel under his seat and two seconds later a gun is resting in my lap.
"Thanks." I say offhandedly as I aim it out the window again. The car speeds up and the passenger holds a gun out of the window, much like me.
Copycat.
The gun bounces in my grip as I shoot, the passenger disappearing back into the vehicle.
We turn a corner, and my grip tightens on the gun, my hand stabilising myself against the seat.
My head twists, eyes widening when I spot where we are.
"Move over," I shout to Archer, grateful when he does so without question.
Jumping over the inner console I grab the steering wheel and take over.
"Accelerate when I say."
"Okay."
I pull the wheel down sharply, the car skidding and almost tilting as we turn sharply. The tyres squeal against the asphalt, the car jumping as we mount the curb.
"Now." I yell for Archer to press down on the accelerator.
The car speeds up and sparks fly as the metal of the car scrapes against the brick walls of the alleyway. The screeching sound filling the night.
"Can you see them?"
"No, but don't stop."
I twist the wheel when we exit the alley, Archer pushes hard on the accelerator, the tires squealing slightly as I drive us further from our pursuers, heart beating double time.
I glance in the rear-view mirror, breathing out when I see no sign of our pursuers.
"Elle!" Archer yells and my head snaps to the front again, eyes widening at a different car driving fast towards us.
I twist the wheel in my hand, turning the car to the side, wheels skidding as the second car makes impact, clipping the back of ours, causing up to spin out.
I feel Archer's hands curl around my body as the car twists before coming to a complete stop, my head thrown forward and colliding with the window, blackness creeping in.