"Found you," It was the same feminine voice from earlier that had yelled at the others for firing.

This is how it ends.

Atlas reached over to grab Hope's hand, knowing that he was powerless against the weapon.

-

Atlas squeezed his eyes shut and waited for their tragic fate. He could only hope that it was quick. He moved his body in a futile attempt to save Hope. He could already feel the pain and numbness settling over him in death. But that pain never came.

"We have to move. Now. They expect everyone to recon in sector B in 10 minutes."

Atlas peeked one of his eyes open in confusion. The woman's rifle was not pointed towards them as Atlas had imagined. It was held close to her chest as if she was shielding it from them. The woman had a stern face, but her eyes gave away her true emotions. She was relieved.

Relieved to turn them in.

Seeing the skeptical looks the two were giving her, she sighed and continued her explanation. "Look, you don't remember me, but I'm responsible for both of you. Right now you have no other options but to trust me."

She was right. If she had wanted to kill them she would have done it already, and even if they couldn't fully trust her, she was their only hope. This was either a trap or their only ticket out of this God-forsaken place. Atlas released Hope's hand. His own hand felt clammy and damp with sweat. Before he could accept the offer Hope spoke up.

"Okay," she said, "Let's be clear. I don't trust you. Not even a little bit, but you are our only hope for escape." Atlas watched as the air around her seemed to be commanded by her voice. She was strong, that much was clear. She was determined to get out of this place alive.

The pair slowly stood from their crouched positions. The woman bent down on one knee and offered her hands to hoist them up and out of the hole. Atlas and Hope scrambled to the top and William took this as his queue to follow. The boy stood and moved towards the guard with the blonde tight bun, but was halted. The barrel of her rifle was pointed directly at him. His glasses fogged around the rims from his sweaty heat.

"You're staying. I can't have you slowing them down. They are the top priority."

The woman looked apologetic, but her voice was unwavering. Atlas was furious. He had told the boy no initially, but he would never threaten him again. He watched through space and saw Hope's eyes flicker with anger. Her fists were clenched by her sides.

"Stand down!" Atlas commanded.

He glowered at the woman. Without any hesitation, she lowered her weapon and stood tall, throwing her shoulders back. "Yes, Admiral," she repeated in a heavy tone.

Admiral?

She looked up to him and stated her case. "I apologize, sir. I have to keep you safe. This boy would only slow you down." She tilted her chin to Will who had gone pale from his near-death experience. Poor kid.

"We have promised him that he could accompany us... I don't remember anything, but I know I would like to keep my promises." Atlas was still glaring at the woman. She gave him a curt nod.

"I see your integrity is still intact. Good. Let's move. Hurry up kid," she bent to her knee once more and waited for Will to move. He walked over timidly and let the woman lift him with ease. He quickly scrambled across the top to avoid the scary female's path. The mystery woman looked up to them through the opening. Atlas and Hope stretched their hands down to help her though. She jumped as high as she could and grabbed onto their outstretched hands, letting them help to pull her up. Her boots hit the metal top with a thud. She turned to the ladder without a second glance back.

Immediately after, they started their rapid ascent once more up the shaft as the woman explained. "I volunteered to search the left-wing because I knew that you would double back. You were always a fan of non-progressional tactics." As she whispered this, she looked down at Hope.

"You are lucky I know you so well." Her eyes softened and she stopped moving for a brief moment to look at Hope. Her face gave way to an awkward but loving smile. "Your mother would be proud."

At her comment, Atlas felt that ever familiar pain in his neck. She had triggered it with her words. Flashes of red swam past his vision as he winced in pain.

I have to protect her.

That one thought crossed his mind before his world was normal again.

"Are you okay?" Will whispered from below him. Atlas had stopped in his pain to recuperate and was impeding the flow of traffic. He nodded to the boy who was staring at him with large innocent brown eyes. Atlas gave the boy a smile to reassure him. His tousled hair fell in front of his eyes as he nodded to Atlas.

They moved fast, climbing to the top.

The tense woman looked down at them and spoke fast. "You will go through here and come into a hallway. Run to the end until you reach the room at the end. Nobody is scheduled to be committed today, so remain there for thirty minutes. That will give you time for everything to settle down. After your time is up, leave that room and go down the hallway to your right as you exit. You will find a stairwell on your right. Follow it to the top. You will find yourself on the roof. I have already sent a signal to the others. They are waiting for your arrival. Make sure you wait for the signal before running down the outer ladder and into the woods."

The rush of words sounded like a blur to Atlas. He wasn't sure if he would be able to recall the instructions, but he knew he would have to.

My life- OUR lives depend on it.

He glanced up to Hope to see her nodding intently to the woman's words. Without warning, the woman began firing through the shaft below them and shouting incoherently.

Atlas' eyes widened as he watched the madwoman. Nobody was below them. What was she doing?

The woman jumped to the side to let Hope move up and passed her. Before exiting through the maintenance hatch, Hope looked at her. "You're not coming with us?" she questioned frantically.

The woman shook her head and gave them a sad smile. "No. I will join you when the time is right. My place is here for now."

At her words, Atlas felt a pang in his heart as it constricted. He knew that this woman meant a lot to him. He could feel it in his very being. But he couldn't remember her. He looked to the woman and nodded his thanks as they passed by her form. A tear escaped her eye as she watched them leave. He looked down at her as the door shut between them and he heard guards running to the woman crying from below. Atlas felt emotions overwhelm him. He wanted to open the hatch again and beg her to come out. She would likely be caught in her lie. He knew this would not only endanger Hope, but it would be useless to try. The woman had been adamant.

Still, his thoughts were consumed with her bravery. She was distracting them. She could lose her life if she was caught helping them. Atlas might not remember her, but he trusted her. She was an ally. An ally on the inside.

Making their way into the hall, Atlas heard Hope gasp as she looked around. Atlas breathed out his concern. Whirling around, he observed the long hallway. It was filled with elevators. There must have been hundreds, no, thousands of doors.

Thousands of people trapped like us.

Atlas let his eyes follow something on the ceiling above him. It was a track. His eyes scanned the metal bars stretching from inside the elevators and into tunnels. He was horrified by what he saw there.

The thousands of elevators had been a terrifying thought, but his eyes were now looking at millions of cages. Some were grounded and others were hanging. Each one contained a person. They were crammed into the tiny bars and forced to sit, sickly and weak. The odor of rot and death reached his nose.

They were prisoners and they were dying.

We have to help them.

His first instinct was to run to them and set them all free. A voice of reason seemed to collect his thoughts as he ripped his gaze from the awful sight. Hope was looking at him with tears in her eyes. She yearned to free them as well, but alas, they had to run.

They had to live so that others would know.

They had to live so that, one day, they could burn this wretched place to the ground.

Atlas took Hope's hand and nodded to Will. Just like that, they were sprinting down the empty hall towards the door the guard had told them to wait inside. Their hearts were heavy with fear with regret and sadness as they opened it and hid inside. Atlas could feel tears coming to his eyes.

He immediately felt queasy as a familiar smell wafted to his nostrils. He scanned the room and was horrified by the source. Laying on a surgery table, was the boy. It was the dead boy they had found days prior.

The poor souls' gut was dissected and cropped open. A whiteboard sat a few feet away from him with several notes: starvation, dehydration, and poor performance.

Atlas was disgusted. These people had tortured him and tested him. This was some sort of experiment. Some sick joke to them.

They would pay for this.

Hope and Will noticed the gruesome sight shortly after. He heard Will gag at the putrid stench and he watched Hope clench her fist once more. She was just as angry as he was. With bated breath, they attempted to ignore the disgusting scenery and waited as the thirty agonizing minutes ticked by. It was time to leave.

Following the hallway to their right, they came across a stairwell, just as they were promised. They tiptoed up several flights. Atlas' legs felt like lead as he trudged up the last flight. They emerged onto a roof and they were greeted by a blinding light.

The sun was smiling down towards them. It must have been midday. But before their eyes even had time to adjust, they heard footsteps on the roof around them. Atlas left the door cracked open to see the outside world.

It was breathtaking.

A beautiful blue sky was interrupted when a guard slowly walked by the door. They held their breath as he passed. Atlas clenched his teeth together. The guard stepped across the roof, and they could finally release the tension in their lungs. Atlas took this chance to look around the roof. He counted 8 guards in total. They were all armed to the teeth with heavy menacing rifles thrown across their bodies.

Just out of the corner of his eye, Atlas saw a shimmering object. Something was in the woods. A light beckoned him as he flung open the door. Almost immediately after, an object came hurtling through the air at them. From its sides, smoke exploded in a brilliant puff of white.

Must be the signal.

The guards had seen the signal too. He heard shouting and gunshots as he grabbed Hope's hand and she grabbed Will's. They sprinted to the ladder that was opposite of them, legs working faster than they ever had before. Atlas flung Hope and Will towards it, heart in his throat, and followed down after. The smoke provided excellent cover as they traversed across and down the side.

It was an excellent cover, that is until it dissipated. Without warning, the guards had started firing at the ground around them. Atlas could see the shining object from the trees. They would have to make it another one hundred feet before the trees sheltered them from fire.

Almost halfway across the green grass, Atlas heard Will cry out. He had been leading them across the ground, but when he turned, he saw Hope running back to Will as he lay on the ground.

Adrenaline kicked in and Atlas doubled back to them.

I have to protect her. I promised!

Despite having no memory of such a promise, he was convinced that he had made it. He lifted Will's pale arm over his shoulder and Hope did the same. Blood was pouring from the wound in the weak boy's leg. His heart was racing and his legs were pumping hard as the bullets flew around them, kicking up dirt.

"Zigzag!" Hope screamed over the battle cries of the guards.

Atlas jerked to the right and then abruptly left right after. Their running patterns and speed were uneven enough to throw off the aim of the rifles.

50 feet.

Atlas' legs threatened to give out as they lifted up and down vigorously.

30 feet.

His teeth gritted with the weight on his shoulders. Will was small, but Atlas was tired. He had to keep going.

10 feet.

The last stretch was in sight as the trio dragged their friend's feet across the dirty floor.

0 feet.

Atlas was breathing hard as they dove behind a tree. The guns fired for another few seconds, but then they ceased. Atlas searched for the promised 'others' who would aid in their escape.

They had made it. They were free.

He was so caught up in the celebration that he didn't have any time to react as a force hit him from behind. He instantly fell onto a protruding tree root.

A hot searing pain engulfed his neck and traveled down his spine and to his skull. It was excruciating. Warm liquid spilled from what he could only assume was his neck.

He screamed at the intense pain. It was an agony he had never felt before. It felt like someone had ripped his nervous system out piece by piece.

As if from a distance he heard another scream followed by another.

Hope! Will!

He struggled against the hands pinning him down, but to no avail. It was useless. They had been caught, right when they had been so close. He willed his vocal cords to yell for his friends, but they wouldn't obey. They couldn't. He was losing consciousness fast and the only thing he saw before his world vanished was a heavy pair of black combat boots hitting the ground in front of him.