"I don't like this." Ashley said as she and I walked the hallways of the hospital to meet my mother.

After Thor explained the plan, he told us that my mom needed to see us in the contaminated section of the hospital while he needed Steve to put up some finishing details of the fortress. It was probably something about my dad or she may be giving me a checkup to make sure that I don't go rabid on them when we're executing the plan. Which Ashley does not like, as she previously stated.

"Using you as bait..." Ashley shook her head, "It's in humane."

"I'll be fine, love." I tried to reassure her, "Thor isn't going to let anything bad happen to me. You heard him."

That caused her to scoff, "He's tying you up in the middle of the street."

Only slightly. He was going to make it appear like I was tied up in the middle of the street, so that Nathan and his bros wouldn't be afraid to come near me. That way, the snipers on the roofs can surround them.

"It's going to be alright, babe." I smiled at her, trying my best to comfort her. Of course I was a little nervous myself. So many things could go wrong, but as least we know that Nathan won't kill me. He wouldn't. I'm too valuable to them.

You are the only test subject that had success.

There was a tingle in the back of my head. When I was in a coma, Grimes kept speaking of me as if I was some miracle of science. Another one of his creations. If that were true, then why? Why am I the only test subject that has succeeded? It doesn't add up to me. Why am I so special?

Ashley and I turned the corner to see my mom standing outside the containment room, where I previously was held. She had her eyes on my father, who still laid motionless in the bed as a nurse was taking his blood. The only sign of life was his heart monitor keeping a steady rise and fall.

My mom looked up as we stood by her, "Ah, good, I caught you two before shit went down."

"What's up, Mom?" I asked.

She took something out of her coat pocket and held it out to me. It was leather and had a belt latch in the middle. Both of the ends were brass and were rough as if it had been broken off.

It had been broken. I  broke it.

My eyes went to the empty bed that I used to occupy. On the arms rests were small sections of brass, one with an unlatched wrist holder and the other had a chunk of metal missing from the middle.

"Did I really do that?" I breathed out, going over my escape in my head. My wrists were being held by those. I broke one of them and undid the other. I thought I broke the leather, not the fucking metal.

"We checked the cameras." Mom nodded, "When you told me that you broke free, I didn't expect to see this. You ripped this piece off of the armrest. Even if you were somehow really strong, you would have broken the leather. This, however, is not humanly possible."

Not humanly possible.

"And when I jumped off the roof to the hotel." I said, my thumb going over the leather, "That was a big ass gap."

"Those other things can't do that." Mom told me, "They are strong, but not as strong as you. You're not one of them. You're different."

She said those words as if she was trying to hype me up or something. I did say I was one of them in the hotel room and I can't blame myself if I really believed it.

"And you're telling me this, why?" I asked her.

Mom cautiously looked around the hallway, her eyes staying on the cameras. She looked back to me, "I wish I could explain everything right now, but I can't. We don't have enough time. I'll tell you after the fiasco today, just..." she stepped forward and put her hands on my shoulders, "Just be careful. Please."

Sighing slightly, I nodded. She pulled me into a hug. Putting her cheek on mine, she whispered faintly, "Trust your instincts. Don't underestimate."

With that, she pulled back with a smile on her face as if nothing was the matter. Her eyes went behind us and I heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Thor was approaching us with a slight smile on his face.

"Howdy folks!" He chirped, "Knew I would find you here."

"I assume you're here for Max." Mom said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes ma'am." Thor said, "Came here for a prewar screening." Thor held his hand out. His other hand went to his jacket pocket and he produced a syringe. "Lemme see your arm."

My eyes stayed on the needle before I took a step back, "Why? What is that?"

"It's a tracker." He answered, still with his hand out, "Just in case."

"In case of what?" I asked, "Do you not trust me?"

That made him sigh, dropping his hand, "I'm trying to. Really, I am. However, there is still a chance that you could go rogue or they could capture you. We need this tracker just in case something goes wrong."

"It's for precautions, sweetheart." Mom said softly.

I looked from her to Ashley. They both looked at me as if this was necessary.

Just in case. 

I guess I couldn't really argue with that. Who knows what Nathan and his people will do when they see me. What if they have a way to control me? What if they easily overpower us? We can't really take a chance.

Taking off my jacket, I rolled up the sleeve on my right arm and held it out to him, "Fine, chip me."

He put his hand under my elbow and injected the microchip into my arm. It didn't feel like anything. Usually, I would flinch and cry out like a little bitch from a shot, but I didn't. There was nothing.

"I wish I had a sucker to give you." Thor said as he disposed of the syringe, "Now, that chip will stay in your system until all of this is other then it can be removed. That will be more painful."

"Oh joy." I said while shrugging my jacket back on. Ashley put her hand on my arm and slid it down to grip my hand. I looked over and she only stared at the ground.

"Five hours." Thor said, looking at his watch, "I want you down in two hours. Understood?"

I gave him a two finger salute, "Aye aye captain."

He walked off and my mom gave me a forehead kiss before walking into the containment room to help with Dad. That left Ashley and I standing out in the hallway by ourselves. She still had her eyes to the ground.

"Let's find someplace to sit." I said before walking down the hallway. She let me lead her to a waiting room of sorts. I sat us down on a couch and just sat with her as she put her head on my shoulder and gripped my hand tightly.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I could only hear voices in the hallway and Ashley's light breathing. She was thinking, I could tell. Only time she's this quiet is when she's thinking intensely.

"What's up, Ash?" I asked softly.

Ashley sat up, but kept her eyes down at our connected hands, "I know we've talked about this earlier, but I just can't help worrying for you. I just got you back. I can't lose you again."

"I know, Ash." I put my other hand on her cheek to make her look up at me, "But it's going to be a-okay, babe. Trust me?"

Ashley nodded slightly and leaned up to kiss me. I held her chin and kissed her back. It almost felt like a goodbye kiss, but I couldn't think like that. We couldn't afford to think like that. This was a good plan. Maybe they think we will fight back, but they're too cocky to believe that we will try anything like this. They will come busting up onto our turf, ready to rumble like some gang in some musical. I half expect them to come towards us, snapping and whistling a slightly aggressive tune.

Pulling away, Ashley put her forehead against mine and we stayed like that for a while. Our breathes melted together as I let my hand trace her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm under my fingertips. She shifted slightly and lifted her face to give me another soft kiss.

"Can we please sit like this until we have to leave?" Ashley asked quietly.

With a soft chuckle, I nodded, "Yes. We can."

And so we did.