My breathing was fast as my legs moved swiftly through the dark hallways. A thin layer of cold sweat began to form across my forehead as fatigue and exhaustion started to kick in. I knew I couldn't stop running though. There was no time to stop because every minute—every second—was important. Every time I felt myself becoming too tired to continue running, I kept reminding myself that we were almost out. I was so close to finally escaping the Horror Order once again.

I glanced over my shoulder quickly to make sure that Bree was still running behind me. We were still in those matching leather uniforms that Silas had provided us with. Neither of us bothered to pack anything or even stop back at our room. We just left the dining hall and began to make our way to the roof that we had used as an escape route the last time we had attempted to leave the compound together.

"We're almost out," I shouted over my shoulder. "Just two more hallways!" Although Bree was still close behind me, she wasn't looking too good. Her conditioning and training were above average, but not anything close to my own skill level. I had to encourage her to keep running every once and awhile just to make sure she wouldn't give up. I doubt she would quit either way. Bree was a fighter at heart.

She nodded slightly and looked up. Her eyes widened as she pointed ahead of me and shouted, "Guards!"

"They must have seen us on the security cameras," I reasoned. It seemed that our escape plan had been compromised. Like Silas said, he had eyes everyone and was always watching.

I reached for Bree's hand behind me and phased us through the guards. When they turned around after noticing I had used my powers, Bree created a shield to block them from us.

One guard spoke up angrily as the three of them pulled out their pistols. "Don't move!" He warned. "We are ordered to open fire!"

Bree and I remained still for a moment. Both of us were mentally debating on what to do, but before we finally came to a final decision, shots started to ring throughout the hall as the guards fired their bullets at us. Their attacks  bounced off of Bree's shield, but were beginning to penetrate through the manipulated air particles.

Once her shield had dropped, I grabbed her hand again and phased the two of through the wall and into the hallway beside us. Bree and I were gasping for air. We were slowly losing energy every time we used our powers, which was starting to affect us physically.

"There's no time to stop," Bree said as she began running ahead. I nodded in agreement and followed her as we continued running down the hallway. In the distance, I could see a staircase that led to the top floor of the compound.

"This is it!" I shouted excitedly. "The stairs are right ahead!"

We moved quickly down the hallway but before we could reach the stairs, we heard the echoing footsteps of guards approaching from behind us. The groups of men were starting to increase with every step we took towards freedom.

Bree stopped dead in her tracks. I turned on my heel and sent her a confused expression. "What're you doing?" She didn't answer me. "C'mon, Bree, we've got to go!"

"I'm staying behind," Bree announced. My face dropped and I immediately shook my head in disagreement. I reached for her hand but she took a step back. "I'll hold them off for you."

"You don't need to do that," I told her.

"Yes, I do," Bree said. "If my presence is putting your future at risk, then I want to do everything I can to save you." She was talking about the question that I had asked her after Eleanor's disappearance. I couldn't believe that she was making this decision now though, especially after we've come so far and are so close to escaping. I guess she had already made up her mind back in the dining hall.

"Please don't do this," I begged her. "We can both make it out of here alive!" A single tear fell down from Bree's soft eyes. She knew that there wasn't much truth to my statement. Time had a way of managing everyone's fate and there was no stopping destiny. "I don't want to leave you again."

"I know," Bree sighed. "But you're not even supposed to be here right now. You need to get back to the right timeline."

I sighed solemnly, knowing that she was right. My arms wrapped around her shoulders to pull her in for one last hug. "I'm going to come back for," I whispered into her ear.

When the two of us pulled away, she sent me a small smile. "I'll be waiting."

I hesitantly turned around and began to make my way over to the staircase agin. I glanced over my shoulder to see Bree running off down the hallway towards the guards. This moment was a thousand times worse than the first time I had left her here.

I wiped my teary eyes as I ran up the stairs. I could feel my heart breaking for my friend. I felt awful for letting her sacrifice herself for me, but there was nothing I could do to change her mind. She was already set on saving me and I would be forever grateful for that.

Once I had made it onto the roof of the compound, I was able to see the miles of trees that surrounded the vicinity, along with the night sky. The stars sparkled while the moon shined down upon the me. I took a moment to stare up at the sky as I caught my breath. My legs moved swiftly across the roof, which was ground level with the rest of the Earth. I was about to take my first steps of freedom, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey, Blondie."

I turned around slowly and came face to face with Leo. It really felt like the world was throwing every obstacle my way. "Did Silas send you?" I asked.

Leo nodded. "He wants you.. dead or alive."

"Don't bother stopping me," I warned him.

The blonde boy put his hands up in surrender. "I didn't follow you all the way up here to fight." I nearly laughed, 'that's the first.' "I just wanted to stay goodbye."

"What?" I said in confusion.

"I didn't want you to leave, thinking that I was still a complete dickhead," Leo joked. I didn't laugh though. "Look, all I'm saying is that I'm sorry about how things went down in the end."

"This doesn't have to be the end though," I told him. "You can run away with me."

Leo smiled slightly. "I'm staying here," he replied. "Someone's gotta be the leader of our group.. Now that you'll be gone."

"You know you'll get in trouble for letting me go, right?" I asked him.

"I know," he sighed. "But some friends are worth it." I was rendered speechless. That was the first time he had ever called me his friend. "Cya around, Alexa." Leo sent me a curt nod as a goodbye, which I returned happily. That was also the first time he had ever called me Alexa.

After taking one last fleet in look at Leo and the Horror Order's compound, I figured that it was finally time to leave. Without looking back again, I spun on my heels and ran off through and into the woods.

★・・・★・・・★

My boots stepped into a puddle as I carelessly walked through the middle of the street. Street lamps towered above me and created a direct path down the road, where I could see Griddy's Doughnuts in the distance. The yellow sign was hung on top of the small building and shined down onto me in all of its glory.

I was so excited and anxious at the same time that I didn't even bother pulling open the door. Instead, I just phased right through the glass. I took a seat at the stool I had sat in the first time I came here. The place was still in good condition compared to the damage that Five and I had caused in here in the previous timeline.

Suddenly, the bell above the front door chimed. I perked up in my seat and spun around in my stool in hopes of seeing Five. My expression dropped almost immediately when I saw an older woman with oddly white hair stroll in casually. She wore a bright-colored dress that had pink, blue, and yellow floral patterns on it. Her coat was solid red and oversized. It matched with her red pumps.

The woman's heels clicked as she slowly walked forward, stopping right in front of me. "Hello," she greeted me with a small. Her lips were painted a bright shade of red as well. I assumed that must've been her favorite color. "You must be Alexa. I've heard many things about you, dear."

My blonde brows furrowed in confusion. "You know me?" I asked the older woman.

She nodded her head. Her white curls bounced up and down. "How could I not?" She said as if the answer was obvious. "You've been on my radar for quite some time now. If I'm being completely honest, you've been a real pain in the arse!" The woman with the white hair let out an obnoxious laugh.

"Sorry.. I'm not following," I said honestly. I had no idea who this strange woman was or how she knew who I am.

"I work for a very important company that specializes in time," the woman began to explain. Her emphasis on that singular word made me think of something Five had mentioned before. The woman must've noticed my half realization of what she was talking about. "Ah, you must be familiar with what I'm talking about."

"The Commission," I spoke up.

"Correct," the woman exclaimed. She clapped her manicured hands together. "Well, you see, dear, at the Commission, we focus on protecting the timeline by helping events move along without interruptions. It appears that when you and your little band of misfits—the Hargreeves—attempted to jump back in time, Number Five miscalculated and sent you each to different times periods." I wasn't too surprised. I knew that Five must have done something wrong, considering I was sent back to my own past. I wondered where the others had gone and what they were doing. After all, it had been a very long time since I've seen them. "Normally, we have our employees fix the timeline, but in cases like this, we send field agents to eliminate the threat."

My eyes widened. "You're the one who sent Hazel and Cha-Cha after Five," I pointed out. I jumped off the stool and phased through the woman, so her back was towards me. If it was a fight she wants, then it's a fight she'll get. There's no way that I'm giving up now, especially after almost all of my friends died for because of me.

The woman spun around to face me with a kind smile. I could see past the facade though. She placed the bulky suitcase that she was holding onto the tiled ground and put her hands in up surrender. "Yes, I will admit that I've sent those two morons after you, but I am not here now to kill you. I'm afraid I would be no match compared to your skills."

"Then, what do you want?" I questioned her. I dropped my fists but still kept my guard up. There was something off about this woman that I didn't trust.

"I want to return you to the correct timeline," she replied simply. "You're a strange case at the Commission, I must admit. Typically, when people travel to times they've already lived through, you meet the original version of yourself. It seems that when you were sent back to your own past, you were the only version of yourself. It's odd, really. You're completely nonexistent in various timelines because there is only one true version of you."

"What does that mean?" I asked. I couldn't even comprehend what she was talking about. Time and space stuff really confused me.

"It means you're a glitch in our systems," the woman answered. My face dropped slightly. I wasn't exactly sure how I should be taking that. "Don't take that in a negative way, dear, it solely means that you hold value and are of much importance."

"Thanks.. I think," I said quietly. "What's in this for you though?"

The woman chuckled softly. "I want nothing more than to return you to where you're meant to be. Plus, I would like Number Five to know that I successful in finding you in the timeline before he did." I quirked a brow. "A little competition never killed anyone!"

I shrugged. "I guess." I was still weary about whether or not I should even be talking to this woman. "How do I know you won't just drop me off in whatever timeline you choose?"

The woman's red lips perked up. "You won't," she responded. "But if you decide to stay here, Number Five will walk through that door in a few moments and you will relive everything all over again. Then, once he attempts to take you all back in time, you will be sent back to your past.. Forever stuck in an endless loop." My lips parted but I did not speak. I wasn't exactly sure what to say, but I knew that that was not what I wanted. "The choice is yours, Alexa, but just know that I will not be coming back for you the second time around."

"Alright," I said. I glanced up and met her blue eyes. "I'm in."

The woman's lips pulled upward into another grin. She leaned over and picked up her briefcase again. "Hold onto the suitcase, dear." I did as I was told and walked over to stand beside her. My hand laid on top of the large suitcase as I waited for something to happen.

Blue energy—similar to what I saw last time when I time traveled—began to circle around us in sparkling swirls of light. I closed my eyes and saw visions of each of my friends and our memories from our time spent in the Horror Order. One by by, I saw their happy faces fade away into dust, almost like a mirage in the desert.. Almost like a hallucination.