"I think I know where he went! Follow me!" Cassie shouted, waving her diamond axe in the air and running to the opposite direction of where Lukas was.

She smirked as she ran, PAMA's minions following her like a predator drawn toward prey.

She ran and ran, footsteps clattering on the iron, until she reached the far corner of the dome and a dead end.

Cassie turned, and then immediately froze. There were definitely less guards then how many were in the room. So that meant-

"Ah crap, Lukas." She murmured, and then pushed herself past the captives.
Cassie ran back to the room, to find four people...and Winslow!

Her cat rushed into her arms as she smiled with delight.

"Oh Winslow!"" She said, hugging the cat as it purred.

"Well, it seems as if your plan worked." PAMA said, grinning. "Lukas escaped, you won't."

Cassie set Winslow down, nodding her head as if they were communicating with their minds. Relief flooded her, knowing that Lukas had gotten away.
She turned back to PAMA and raised her axe.

"I wasn't planning to,"

Cassie charged.

*****************

Winslow jumped on top of the captives' heads, distracting them as Cassie whammed then with her axe, causing them to stumble and fall. She aimed for the chips on the back of their heads, not killing them, but making it harder for PAMA to control them.

"You mess with the rose, you get the thorns!" She shouted, continuing to fight as they reached for her.

The fight was going good, and she was actually winning, until one of the captives grabbed Winslow by the tail. The calico cat shrieked and fell to the ground.

"Winslow!" Cassie cried, distracted.

One of them punched her in the face, and the rest tackled her tot he ground, her axe falling out of her hand.

"Here we are," PAMA smirked, watching as they hauled Cassie to her knees. "You actually were winning, and you would have if you were not distracted by your dumb cat."

Cassie growled, purple growing on her cheek from the punch.

"Don't insult my cat!"

PAMA laughed.

"Why do you care? It's just a stupid animal."

PAMA kicked Winslow across the floor, the cat mewing in pain.

"Stop!" Cassie shouted, on the verge of tears now. "Stop it!"

"You're weaker than I thought." It said, a chip in its hand. "Perhaps your thorns aren't as sharp anymore."

PAMA plugged the chip to her head.

"A fallen rose, time to rise."