I woke up in the blue room when sunlight came streaming through the window above my head. I sat up slowly, shocked to find my hands free of the weighty burden of chains. I crawled out of bed and checked the door handle, finding it locked.

"Predictable" I muttered. A little hand written note sat on the dresser.

Don't kill yourself, please

-Mina

"Fair enough" I sighed. I had forgotten that old plan, I wanted answers. I had my day to mope and wine, now it was time to be productive.

I took a scalding hot bath that burned my skin, but felt good all the same. A few hours later, Mina came in to, I assume, wake me up because she looked shocked to find me sitting on the bed.

"Can I get all my personal items?" I asked, standing up.

'Of course' Mina signed. She turned to leave but I quickly ran up to her to stop her.

'Can I go with you?' I signed.

She slowly nodded and we left my room, going through the living room. Instead of going down the hallway to Brock's room, we went down the left hallway which led to the kitchen/dining room. Curling around the kitchen, we found ourselves at an elevator. Getting in and going down one floor, I realized we had been on the tenth floor of The Penthouse the whole time. On the ninth floor, we exited the elevator into a huge common room. There, in the middle of the room were all of my personal effects, sitting in box. I walked over to the container and began packing eveything into my backpack, grateful when I found my sketch book still in my secret pocket.

"I don't remember going to my room last night" I said, looking towards Mina.

'Gerry carried you back after you fell asleep' Mina said, looking down trodden.

I sighed, standing up slowly. Signing, I said 'Mina, it must have looked bad, but I was feeling... frustrated and Gerry said something to me that made me feel worse and better at the same time. I feel like he's a... brother, also watching out for me'.

'You must know how he feels?'

'He mentioned it. But it's not like that. I think he's actually starting to take an interest in you' I said, concerned that Mina was going to cry.

'Well I am not the only one who thinks there is something there' Mina signed cryptically.

'What?'

'Boss was very... calm... when he came across you two. But it was a false calm. Sinister almost. He watched as Gerry took you to your room, then escorted him out, as well as myself'

'Don't get confused, he's always sinister like that' I said, grabbing my things, 'And trust me, it's not me Gerry is interested in'.

___________________

"I'm surprised he's letting you venture freely" Gerry said as he and I took the elevator downward. We passed the first floor and proceeded down three more floors before we stopped.

"Well well, The Penthouse has secrets of it's own, doesn't it" I muttered as the doors opened. We were in a bright white room with a cage in it. Inside the cage was Ares, who did not look the least bit happy.

"Ares!" I yelled, happily making my way to the cage. When I placed my hand between the slotted bars, Ares promptly bit the living crap out of my hand.

"Shit yes I know I am sorry" I gritted out, watching my hand heal quickly.

He growled at me and began pacing, staring Gerry down like a hawk.

"Why do you keep him around if he's such a grouchy ass?" Gerry whispered, at which Ares bared his fangs at him.

"I swear it's like he understands english!" Gerry yelled.

"He does" I answered with a laugh.

"That's not weird as hell or anything" he mumbled. I laughed again and began petting Ares in an effort to calm him.

"Hey ummm" Gerry continued after a few minutes, "can you teach me sign language?"

I turned around and looked at him with a smile, loving the awkward way he was standing and his subtle blush.

"Definitely" I chuckled.

"Thanks... is there any way you can get him to stop giving me predatory eyes?"

"Not really. I wonder why he hates you so much, you are the one who saved his life" I said pensively.

"Me? Weelllllll... No not really. I was sort of all for shooting him. But that was when he was trying to kill me in your kitchen!"

"Well then he has all the reasons in the world to hate you. But... if you didn't give the 'no kill' order, who did?"

"Well, Boss of course" Gerry said, "Who, by the way, is mad at me I think. I don't know, it's hard to tell with him" he added the last bit questioningly.

"Brock? But-" at that moment, the elevator opened and a young man in uniform came in.

"Sir, we found... er... her... pod" he said, shifting his eyes nervously to me. I'm glad I encited fear into some people around here.

"Great" I sighed, standing up. Ares rubbed his face roughly against my hand, nipping it, letting me know he didn't want me to leave. "It's alright, I'll be back" I said, rubbing both sides of his face, feeling the familiar line  that marred the right side of his face.

Gerry took me back upstairs to the main lobby where ten men stood around my pod in the foyer. Brock stood off to the right, arms crossed, legs braced apart.

"We found it right where you said it would be sir" dragoon number two said to Gerry.

"Right where you said it would be? Goodness, what are you, the Katherine Expert now?"

"Well I mean..."

"Besides, I think my sewer sytem was a great place to hide out. Obvious yet confusing" I muttered, sidling to the pod, determined not to look at Brock.

"Sewer? You mean the hidden tunnel in the cavern?"

"What?! No, I mean... Is that where you found this?" I said, turning to the dragoon squad. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brock slowly unfold his arms.

"Y-Yes ma'am" the poor guy stuttered.

I walked slowly to the pod and hit the power button. I had assumed that the dirt and dust on it was from transporting it over here, but up close I could see the truth. As the screen powered on, I felt my stomach drop out of shock.

"This isn't my pod" I said, my anger spiking.

"Whose is it?" Gerry asked over my shoulder.

I slammed my fist on the blue cover of the pod, screaming out loudly.

On the LCD screen showed the words

LUNKFIELD, RODNEY