“Remind me again why we’re headed to your office old man?” Unable to see past the adjoining hall, I couldn’t give the okay for Zod to run across and meet me. I removed my gloves and pressed the palms of my hand against the cold floor, tuning into the vibrations I could listen intently to confirm whether someone was approaching. There were guards all over the place.

“They’re evacuating just as I thought” he gave out.

I gave the signal that the coast was clear and he, in the blink of an eye, scurried across to join me on the other side. We started making our way down to section B where Zod’s office was.

‘Hey, old man,” I whispered loudly, “You still haven’t told me why we’re risking our lives to get even farther away from the exit…” I could no longer withhold my disheveled visage as it slowly manifested into a frown.

“Okay, remember last week when you snuck into my office?”

“Well, yeah. I got in through the vents.” I replied.

“Exactly…“He rejoined. “I was up all night trying to figure out an escape plan, and I found it by studying the blueprints of the building and the vents connected to my room.”

Damn it!

We had to make an abrupt stop because standing and waiting at large, was a posted guard just outside of Zod’s office. “I think it’s safe to say that they may just suspect you?”

He looked at me with a ridiculed expression. “I think that’s a safe assumption.”

I looked at the gun in my hand and thought how easy it would be to pull the trigger.

They are trying to kill me after all.

But instead, I snuck up behind him, knocked him over with a pistol whip and hid his body in the room next door. We quickly got inside and shut the door behind us.

“Okay, if I’m right, we have less than ten minutes before they get here.”

As Zod started to look through his stuff I could hear voices from the other side of the door.

Wait, that voice… it sounds familiar.

*Distant shouting*  “Hands in the air…”

I opened the peephole and could not believe my eyes.

Professor Cage?

“It’s Professor Cage and his Kid!” I startled him.

Zod rushed over and took control of the peephole. “Oh no… they’ve already evacuated this floor.”

“So what… What does that mean?” I probed anxiously from his starling posture and body tone.

“Ryun, you don’t get it. You’re a matter of national security. If the Government has any reason to believe that a single civilian is aware of your existence, they will not be spared.”

No! Sora…

“And they’re already here!”

No!

“We must leave, now!”

He’s off the radio.

“Sorry kid…”

“We can’t let her die…”

In one swift motion, I viciously flew the door open and took him out with a headshot

“Get down!” I shouted.

Professor Cage hauled Sora to the floor, and I tossed Zod out of the way and to the ground in his office. 

They began decorating the walls with bullets as I glimpse back and forth the hall towards them. By using speed to my advantage and dodging the shots fired, I was able to sneak up behind them and put a bullet behind the second guard’s ear. The other grabbed me by the arm knocking the gun from my hand and began to strangle me up against the wall.

He’s too big!

He gripped my neck and threw me to the floor this time using his upper body strength to pin me down and then slowly started to choke me to death. I thought to myself why he's not using his gun and found the answer when I struggled to reach for it and pulled the trigger to his side only to find it empty.

Oh shit, this dude is really trying to kill me!

My vision began to blur as signs of insufficient oxygen to the brain became evident. I found myself weakening and saw the exterior of the professor attempting to get him off me. But he was persistent and oh so strong. He must have gotten a shot of an enhancement drug of some sort.

POW! POW!

The smell of smoke filled my nostrils, and the sounds of shells falling to the floor rang loudly in my ear. Two shots to the chest finally put him down saving my life. Professor Cage was finally able to load his gun, and Zod instantly took it and made the shot. Zod bent over and gripped my underarm to help me up from the floor.

*Cough* Cough* I gave a sigh of relief after choking for air then eventually had my breathing stabilize. 

Sora, who was in absolute shock, could not avert her gaze from me. She was momentarily mentally paralyzed. Professor Cage snapped her out of it by shaking her gently yet forcibly. 

Zod and I managed to creep towards the office door as I slowly regained  consciousness. He then turned to the Professor and Sora...

“Get in!”