I counted all of our footsteps as we treaded along the building of the Paradise Office. This was the place Theo brought me to get my ID. I wonder what happened to that little slip of plastic? Did I give it to Theo last? I think I did. See, this is why people shouldn't trust me with unimportant stuff. I loose it.

"Lena!" Theo called quietly. I looked over to see him half inside of a second story window. He waved me over.

I quickly slid in the little window, landing on the wooden floor with a red rug. I couldn't see the others when I was inside. I turned around to ask Theo, but he wasn't there either.

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. I debated between calling on them, but figured that would call too much attention. Letting out a growl like sound, I ran off in the planned direction, figuring that they got ahead of me while I was slipping in.

I took the path that I'd walked a little over a week ago. As I got further don the never ending hall, I could make out the metallic scent of blood. I rubbed my nose, trying to get rid of it. I turned again, looking at the new details of the usually tan walls that caught my eyes.

A red liquid was splattered across the walls. Did the others kill someone on the way here? I felt a bit of pride swelling in me. My eyes followed a trail as the blood got thicker. Down, on the ground, was a motionless red headed body.

Levi.

He laid on the ground, his body unmoving.

"Levi!" I whispered softly, shaking his shoulder.

At my pull, he rolled over, revealing his disembodied organs, laying in a pile on the ground. Worst of all his eyes, cut out of his face, laying by his hands. I could feel the bile rising in my throat and the tears filling my eyes.

No time, I reminded myself, trying to distract myself. No time. No time. No time. No time.

I turned around, catching sight of another body. This time, it sat upright, both of its hands held onto the wall with daggers protruding from its hands. She didn't die quickly, she sat here and bled out, in a pool of her own blood.

"Mila," I whispered.

No time. No time. No time. No time.

I turned away from the body and was met with yet another. This one was maimed, cut in hundreds of places. It's cheeks were cut to forever resemble a frown. The body was missing several fingers and toes, all set in a pile besides his sitting figure.

"Bryce," I mumbled, tears streaming down my cheeks.

No time. No time. No time.

I was afraid to turn, but I was afraid to look any longer. I had something to do, someone to kill. I had someone I had to hand on a wall, maim, and disembody. I had people to find.

I had no time.

I turned. And there was no body. Standing up, forgetting when I'd even gotten on my knees, I started running the familiar path again.

No time, I repeated. No time. No time. No time. No time. No time. No time.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of running, I was met with a wooden door. In front of the door, I was met with yet another horrifying sight.

Mercy, seven year old Mercy, was laying in a ball against the door, blood streaming from an injury on the right side of her head.

"Mercy!" I screamed now, running over and cradling her small body in my arms.

"Lena," she mumbled. "I'm so glad...you're okay." She gave me a bloody smile. Bleeding from the mouth...that means...means...longue injury!

I gently lifted up her shirt. A on the left side of her chest, blood was seeping from a small whole.

"Hold on, Mercy," I mumbled, taking a dagger from my belt and cutting my sleeve. "I'm here. I got you."

She shook her head.

"Nuh-uh." I looked down at her. She was back to her seventeen year old self. "You know it's too late for me. You have something else to do."

"But Mercy," I said, "you'll-you'll be fine. I promise. I got you. I-I'll save you this time. You'll be fine. I promise you'll-"

"No. Please, Lena. There's something much worse at stake here. Please. You don't have time for this."

Her hand weakly came up and wiped away a tear from my cheek. Not that it did much. They just kept on coming.

I set her down as she smiled weakly at me, and did something that absolutely killed me inside. I stepped over my best friend, my little sister's dying body.

My shaking hands gripped the handle.

No time.

The door opened to reveal the Kaiser's familiar room. The glass floor, the little library, the wooden desk and chair. Taking a closer look, I could see the shape of a body taking up the chair. I charged over, daggers at the ready, and turned the chair around. In it sat Theo.

His hands were tied to the chair. When he looked at me, his chocolate eyes lit up.

"Lena," he mumbled, pain in his voice. "Don't-"

"Theo!" I yelled. "Are-are you okay? What did they- You look-"

"Lena. You shouldn't be here it's...too late."

"What?"

"Lena...I have to tell you something."

"No, Theo, Love, now is not the time for something like this. You can tell me whatever you want when we-when we-"

"Lena...I...you."

My hands stopped cutting the ropes, only for a second.

No time. No time. No time.

"Lena. Lena...I lo-"

Bang.

I looked up. A little bullet whole made it's way through his forehead where blood seeped out.

Turning back, I could make out the Kaiser's figure. In his hand, he held a gun. A grin was very clearly plastered along his lips.

I turned back to Theo, his dead, lifeless body. His mouth hung open, trying to finish a sentence that already ended. One that would never be finished.

And I cried. I screamed and cried like all hell just broke loose in my head. My vision blurred with tears and-

---

"Shadow!" A familiar voice yelled. "Shadow," it said softer. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

Theo? I looked up and saw Levi. He was looking down at me with big worried eyes. One of his hands was gently caressing my head while the other held the small of my back.

I hated myself, but I couldn't control it. I started crying again, holding onto his dark green shirt. He tensed for a second before holding onto me.

"It's okay, Angel. Everything's okay now." His fingers played with my hair while he continued to whisper to me. "Everything's okay, Angel. I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay."

I heard the opening of a door. I caught a glance of honey colored hair.

"Levi," Theo's warm, calming voice said, "why don't you-"

"Yeah," Levi said, letting go of me. I wrapped my arms around myself missing the warmth. "I got it."

I looked at him before he left. When he caught my glance, he gave me a sad smile before softly closing the door. Looking down, I made out sheets and covers. I was in a bed that I recognized. This was where Ravi put me when he first met me.

"Theo," I mumbled.

"I'm here," he replied.

He came and sat on the bed. I had no choice but to lean a little when his weight shifted the bed.

When he was close, I looked up at him. His smooth features, soft eyes, lips... Getting off track here. Most importantly, his forehead. Clear, smooth, no blood.

"Are you o-"

I clung to him. My arms wrapped around his back, burying myself in his warm chest.

"Shadow?" Worry knit in his voice, his arms wrapped around me, rubbing my back.

I shook my head.

"What?"

"You don't have to call me that," sniff, "anymore."

"Okay. What do you want me to call you?"

I mumbled into his chest.

"Hmm?"

"I want you to be the first one to say it. To...really say it."

He pulled me closer, smothering me comfortably in his chest.

"Alright then. Are you okay, Lena?"

I shook my head.

"What did I do wrong this time?"

I shook my head again. "I'm not okay. I'm not okay, Theo."

"Lena?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm gonna loose you, all of you. I'm scared that Mercy's gonna hate me. But I'm scared that I'm gonna loose you. I'm scared that you'll all hate me and I don't know wh-what to do anymore and I just- I'm so scared."

Sighing, he scooted over a little, moving me along with him. After a little shuffling, he was laying down, me pulled carefully into his chest. One of his arms acted as my pillow while the other held my lower back, like he did.

"Lena," he said softly. "You know you taught us how to really fight, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"That's right, we were taught by the amazing, all powerful Shadow. She's an amazing fighter, you know. We're pretty good now, thanks to her. Thanks to you. Not to mention, if anyone wanted to hurt us, they'd have to get through you and, personally, I think I'd rather fight a bear. Or ten, for that matter."

I laughed a little.

He took a breath. "Lena. Nothing's going to happen to us. To any of us. All because you taught us how to fight, how to win a fight, we're amazing. We're a little army all by ourselves. Besides, even if we go down, it won't be without a fight. How many people do you think I can take out before-"

"Not helping."

"Right, sorry."

Smiling at the Theo who could be clumsy with words, but could make an amazing speech on the spot, I buried myself deeper in his chest. I don't think we could get any closer. There was no air between us. My head and body was pressed into his own, our arms were tangled in the mess, and our legs were twisted around each others.

"Theo," I finally said, "how'd you know I was coming back to the room? Back when we were in the Paradise branch."

"Well, I guess it was something like intuition. Just in case, I had Mercy trail you."

"Intuition? Am I really that predictable?"

"Not at all. I just...knew."

I liked the idea of him just knowing. It made me feel warm inside.

"Theo," I said, again, wanting to say his name, "do you think the others'll hate me? Especially Mercy. I mean, I wouldn't blame her if she did. I lied to her face and then just told her the truth. She trusted me and I betrayed it. I really wouldn't blame her if she hated me."

"Stop doing that to yourself. It's not helping you any. If you want my opinion, I don't think she will. Right after you passed out, she had this little smile on her face, right before she left the room to go gods know where. I think she's overjoyed, but doesn't know how to react. From what I've picked up, she spent a lot of time looking for you, right after the incident. You know, if you really want to know how she feels, just go ask her."

We laid in silence for a second before he spoke again.

"I never did ask, but how are you feeling?"

"Better. The drugs really did something good to me. I can barely feel it."

"Good enough to finish explaining the situation to the others."

"Just a few more minutes like this. We have time, don't we?"

"All the time you need."

---

Minutes turned into an hour. By now, Theo was sleeping peacefully. I'd crawled up a little so we were face to face, and his forehead was pressed against my own. My free arm rested on his stomach and I paid close attention to how his stomach rise and fell with his breathing.

He startled awake, making me jump. He seemed worried for a second, before he caught sight of me.

"Morning, Love," I mumbled.

"Morning. Ready to start explaining," he said through a yawn.

"Yeah, but only if you go get the others."

"Fair enough."