Minho

They had finally made it to the building that Jorge claimed was Marcus's club. It was a long few days, sneaking from building to building, hiding in corners at night. Minho hadn't slept since he saw Alex falling. He heard her scream, and the crashing of the building every time he closed his eyes.

Newt, Jorge and Frypan had to hold him back. He had screamed until his voice was raw, and they dragged him away. Thomas and Brenda also didn't make it out of the building. Minho wasn't sure if he believed Jorge when he said Thomas and Brenda would make it to Marcus, he would force a smile and tell Minho that Alex would be there too.

Do I believe it? I want to. But reality...a shuck building fell on her. And falling from that height would kill anyone. No way she survived. I just need...need to get over it. Face reality.

He took a long shuddering breath.

Newt was snapping his fingers in his face. Newt also looked pale, his eyes were red, and he had dark bags under his eyes. His jaw had been clamped shut since they lost Alex. Aris and Teresa had to hold Newt, but he had sunk to the floor and just sat and stared. He hadn't said more than a handful of words.

"Min. Were you bloody listening?" Newt huffed

Minho just shook his head.

Jorge repeated, "I'll look for Marcus. You split into groups and find Thomas and Brenda-"

"-and Alex" Minho snapped.

"And Alex." Jorge nodded with a tight smile, "Don't drink anything. And don't-" He was interrupted by a girl running at them.

"HEY!" The girl screamed.

She scrambled up the steps of the club. She stopped in front of them huffing. She pointed, "Minho." And then turned and pointed at Newt. "And you're Newt." The girl stated.

"Who wants to know?" Minho snapped, crossing his arms, glaring down at the girl.

"How do you know our bloody names?" Newt asked, surprised, his eyes wide.

"Definitely Minho. She said you didn't smile much, and you have black spiky hair, tall and lots of muscle..the boy she likes." The girl rushed out, she turned to Newt, "You're Newt, the brother. Tall, blond shaggy blond hair. And says the word bloody. Just like Alex."

The name Alex made both boys freeze. They glanced at each other, then back at the girl.

"Explain. And fast!" Minho demanded, grabbing her shoulders.

"She found me in the Underneath, we were together. This morning some cranks kidnapped her, tied her up and dragged her here. Well through some back door. I followed and watched. I haven't seen her leave yet. But I saw the cranks who brought her here leave." The girl explained in a panic.

"Wait. You said brought her through the back door? What colour was the door?" Jorge demanded, cutting into the conversation, his face full of worry.

"Red." She answered without hesitation, "That's bad...isn't it? Well...more bad than being taken by cranks..."

Jorge's face paled and he swore. Minho let the girl go and spun around to Jorge.

"EXPLAIN! RIGHT NOW!" He snarled.

"No time. You two, take the girl with you and find Alex. NOW. Fry, Teresa and Aris, you find Thomas and Brenda. NOW!" Jorge yelled as he stormed up the steps, pushing people out of his way.

Newt looked confused, and anxious. He grabbed the girl's hand. She followed without question, the three ran into the club. Minho's adrenaline was pumping.

She's alive! How did she survive that fall? That girl has 9 shuckin lives! Just constantly defying everything! But why's Jorge panicking that much? Red door? How come they only took Alex, and not the girl? Also..where did this girl come from?

He glanced over his shoulder, the girl was clinging to Newt's hand, her eyes wide, but she was clutching a knife that Minho recognized as Alex's. He took in her appearance again. Backpack, dirty worn clothes, dark matted hair, and around her neck...

Minho froze and turned to face the girl. "How did you get that necklace?" Minho demanded.

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, "I didn't steal it, if that's what you're asking." She snapped.

The girl pulled it off and handed it to him. He held it tight in his hand for a second, then slipped it around his head. She continued in a calmer tone.

"When the cranks took her, they had a knife to her neck, it cut the cord, and it was left behind. I was going to give it back when I found her...She told me you gave it to her, it's really special to her."

Okay...this kid definitely has hung out with Alex. She's what, 9 and has her fire and attitude.

Minho started shoving people out of the way, as they pushed deeper into the club. One guy had stumbled into Minho and tried to pick a fight. Minho gave him one well placed punch and he dropped; the air knocked out of him.

"I can't bloody see anything!" Newt whined.

The group had walked past an area where a past gone crank was fighting against chains. Someone pulled a gun out and aimed it at the screaming crank. Newt pulled the girl closer and covered her face, just in time for the gun to go off. The crank collapsed in a pool of blood. The crowd separate and that's when Minho noticed another door frame. The door was long gone, but the frame had red peeling paint, and had a red curtain hanging.

"Newt. Red door." Minho said, pointing. His anxiety was climbing, all his muscles were tense, his chest felt like it was on fire. They shoved and elbowed their way over to the doorway. Some guy tried to block their way.

"You need to pay to go in there. After that, I don't care what you do."

Minho glanced at him, without a second thought he threw his fist up into the guy's chin, snapping his head up. He heard a high pitched shriek from behind him.

"NO! Wait! Come back!" Newt yelled.

Minho didn't see what happened because the guy's head came back down. Before he could regain his balance Minho threw a right hook. The guy crumpled to the floor and didn't get back up. Minho stepped over him and just about crumpled to the floor himself.

Chained to the wall, bloody and bruised was a girl with fiery red golden hair. A girl he never thought he would ever see again.

The little girl had run over and was kneeling beside her.

"ALEX!"

His scream came from deep within his broken soul. She didn't acknowledge him. That uprooted his feet, he ran to her, and fell to his knees, beside the girl- he never got her name. Minho moved Alex's hair out of her face, her eyes were closed, her one eye swollen, and bruised. She had a split lip, dried blood from her nose. She was hanging by her wrists. What little clothing she had on was disheveled, and ripped open. Minho's stomach twisted and bile rose in his throat, he had to turn around and throw up.

What did they do to you?

"NEWT! CHECK THAT SON OF A GRIEVER FOR A KEY!" Minho yelled over his shoulder.

He did his best to hold her, so her dead weight wasn't all on her wrists.

"ANYTIME MAN!" He yelled.

Newt finally limped over and undid the cuffs, and Alex collapsed. Minho caught her, pulling her into his chest. He finally let his damn break, and choked on a sob. He held her tight, rocking her slowly, her head flopped back. She didn't move, she was all dead weight. Newt had placed a hand on his shoulder. He was quiet, his eyes sad and broken as he looked at his little sister. Minho had tears running down his dirty face. Minho finally took in the rest of her. Anger erupted through him like white hot lava in his veins.

"The shuck did they do to her man?" He whispered, rage and disbelief on his face, he looked to his friend. Newt mirrored Minho's expression. Minho tried his best to fix her clothing, to cover her.

"I think we both bloody know what happened." He spat.

His face darkened. Newt dropped his bag and pulled off his jacket and placed it over her.

"We need to find Jorge, he said to meet upstairs- I saw some back there."

Minho slipped an arm under her knees and under her back he slowly stood up. Newt readjusted his jacket over Alex. With Alex now cradled in his strong arms, her head resting against his chest, he left the horrendous red room. Newt had grabbed Minho's bag and the little girl clung to Newt's hand. Minho had a few more tears leak out the corner of his eyes. He understood now why Alex punched walls. He felt angry enough to smash this place to the ground.

They made it up the stairs and down a hall. They heard some scuffling and heard Jorge's voice, they followed the noise.

Frypan, Teresa and Aris had found Thomas and Brenda. The latter two were laying on the couches. And Jorge had a guy tied to a chair, he had a bag over his head, his head was flopped forward, he wasn't moving.

"You found her?!" Jorge sounded relieved, "Place her down here, we just need to wait for the drugs to wear off. Those two will be fine." He nodded in the direction of the couch, where Brenda and Thomas were sleeping. "Alex...If you found her where I think, then.." He trailed off.

"In a room chained to a wall, beaten, bloody bruised, and half naked?" Minho snapped. Jorge nodded sadly.

"The red room. Where twisted sick ones, pay to do...things... to young girls." he said sadly.

Minho just about threw up again. He growled and held her closer.

"Min? Come put her down over here. I'll clean her up. Can you get me some warm water?" Teresa said gently.

She was sitting by the wall, beside a few cushions. He did as she asked. He went to the bathroom attached to the room and dug through the cupboards in the bathroom, found a first aid kit, a bowl and some towels, he filled the bowl and brought everything back. He knelt down beside Alex. When Teresa went to grab the cloth he pulled it away.

"I'll do it." He snapped. Teresa flinched, but nodded.

"Okay." She went to get up, but Minho grabbed her wrist, "No, Tes..I'm sorry. Shuck. I'm just...angry. Sorry for snapping. I know she's your friend too."

Teresa gave him a small smile, patted his shoulder.

"No, it's okay Min, I know you're feeling protective. You're a good guy, take care of your girl." She stood up and kissed the top of his head and went to sit beside the little girl.

Minho laid Alex's head in his lap and he gently cleaned the blood away.

The little girl was sitting against the wall, her knees up to her chest, eyes wide. Teresa reached over and gently rubbed the girls back. Newt slid down beside her. He patted her little knee,

"It's okay. She will be okay...well...she will heal. You did a good job. If you hadn't followed, and found us, we wouldn't have found her." He reassured the girl gently.

"We didn't even get your shuckin name!" Minho said over his shoulder.

Without taking her eyes off Alex, "You want my name? Why? Your names aren't good enough?"

She said it so dryly it took Minho a second. He then threw his head back and laughed. The girl looked at him amused.

"She's right. When you laugh, your eyes go all squinty and your face lights up. You look nicer when you laugh. Not so mean."

That made Minho laugh even harder, making Newt, Teresa and Frypan chuckle.

"You have hung out with Alex too long! That sarcasm was freaking epic! High five little shanket!" Minho held out a hand for a high five.

"Seriously though, what is your bloody name? You obviously knew ours." Newt chuckled.

"Chloe."

"So Chloe. While we wait...tell us your story." Teresa said gently, "I'm Teresa, by the way. That guy is Frypan."

Fry waved and gave her a big welcoming smile.

Chloe explained how her brother found Alex, they made an alliance in the underneath, saved her from the Rose crank, got her out of The Underneath, their night in the store, her making her hide and then followed the cranks here. She had pulled out a little thing from her pocket.

"Here. I know this little wood thing is very important to her. It was on the floor, where we slept last night." Chloe said quietly, she handed it to Newt. It was her statue from Chuck.

"Oh shuck!" Minho breathed. All heads turned in his direction. He had just unwrapped Alex's leg, revealing a big ugly raw bite mark.

"oh shuck shuck shuck!" Minho panicked, he ran a shaking hand through his hair. Jorge came and crouched beside them, Newt, Teresa and Frypan crawled over.

"No!" Teresa breathed, her eyes filling with tears.

"What do we do?" Newt asked, looking from the bite to Jorge.

"She can't be a crank...can she?" Frypan asked.

Jorge ran a hand down his face. "She's immune. She will...it should heal.. she will have symptoms, but she shouldn't...she won't turn fully."

"That doesn't sound very convincing." Minho replied, glaring at Jorge.

"What can I say Hermano? This disease has a mind of its own, and it affects everyone differently." He shrugged. "Keep it clean. And keep an eye on her. She's gone through some serious shit...the disease might affect her more than others for a little. It eats at the brain, the more traumatic events in one's life the faster it takes hold..."

"But...that Captain Ronin guy said she had some kind of super powered immune system from some kind of superhuman soldier serum stuff they were experimenting with... right Minho? That's what you told us.. she should be okay." Frypan asked, desperately.

"She'll be okay" Newt muttered to himself, as he sat back against the wall, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"I hope so, Hermano, but she's not going to be herself for a little. Short tempered, reckless, cranky, tired, I don't know...just keep an eye on her, be gentle. He patient. That was some awful shit she just went through."

Teresa hadn't moved, staring wide eyed at the raw flesh. Tears formed in her eyes. Minho saw her head jerk back, and then move stiffly away to a corner, where she sat stone still, eyes wide and unblinking.

Jorge helped Minho clean the bite as best they could and then wrapped it with clean bandages from the first aid. It must have stung really bad, but Alex didn't flinch. She was still out cold.

Jorge sighed, "she needs clothes."

"Ya think?" Minho rolled his eyes, "I thought these ripped rags were fine."

Jorge just looked at him sadly. He stood up and left the room. The room was quiet. Everyone was just waiting for something to happen. Minho was full of restless angry energy, even though he was exhausted.

Please wake up soon. I want to see your eyes. And hear your voice. Please wake up. You're scaring me.

He brushed some hair from her forehead, she didn't move, it was like she was dead, except that he could see her chest rising and falling.

Jorge came back a while later holding a small box, he put it down by the bathroom. "When she wakes up, there's some things in there, she can find some better clothes. Also the Club is now closed. No one is around."

There was a loud groan from the centre of the room. The man tied to the chair had tried to shake the bag loose. Jorge straightened up, moved in front of him and ripped the bag off his head.

"Hello Marcus." He stated.