Jayden's foot tapping was beginning to build momentum. Hiss heartrate accelerated and his forehead was beaded with sweat. He watched as the woman beside the examination table he was lying on inserted the chip inside the implanting device. 

Jayden flinched as a cold hand clamped down heavily onto his shoulder. "This is a big responsibility. This kill switch chip can only be activated if you die, so..." He patted the young man's shoulder. 

"Try not to die." Jayden took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Uncle." Marcus smiles and squeezed his nephew's shoulder rather harshly. It seemed more of a threat. More of an 'or else', than a comforting gesture. He nodded towards the woman and stood back. "Carry on."

Jayden closed his eyes and lay back, attempting to get comfortable. If that was even possible. As the needle closed in on the side of Jayden's neck, Marcus grinned to himself. 'Nothing can stop me now.'

As soon as his missiles were launched, nothing, not even Lily and her heroic mother and uncle could interfere with his glorious victory. Marcus left the lab and strode to the tech room, where countless agents typed and clicked endlessly at their computers. "Prep the missiles for ejection and await my command." He demanded. 

"Yes, sir." The agents echoed and rushed to fulfill his bidding. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The four undercover agents pressed on. Alex fell to the back of the group, while the hopefull Scott led the pack around the compound, searching each room they came across. Alexis let out an exasperated sigh. She didn't know how to break the bad news to him. But the bright red mark on the file told no lie. 

'Unless of course, they are playing with us.' She thought. 'Trying to throw us off track.' The more she thought about it, the crazier it sounded. Scott kicked open the 12th door and let out a frustrated grunt. 

"Amber!" He shouted out desperately. Mark grabbed his shoulder. "Are you out of your mind?!" He hissed. "You want all our hard work to go down the drain?!" Scott glared into the other boy's eyes. "And what if she's wounded badly? I've seen what Viper has done to captives and hostages!" Mark's lip curled. 

"You mean what you've done to prisoners." Scott's eyes narrowed into a hateful glare. "God knows what they are putting her through right now, and you're still making this about me?!" Jack pulled the two boys apart. "Keep shouting like that, and we

'll all be discovered and possibly killed." They stopped the bickering, but their glares hollered a thousand unspeakable words. All of sudden, a muffled scream echoed throughout the hall. It took only a moment before Scott took off down the hall, banging on every door. 

"Amber?! Where are you?" the others dashed after him. "Quiet down!" Mark urged. "Lower your voice." Alex cautioned. Ration did nothing to ease Scott's frantic shouts of new hope. 

Amber Kelt sat tied to the metal chair. The wet cloth gagging her and preventing her from shouting....warning. Nonetheless, she screamed through her inconvenience as best she could, trying to warn them of the danger that awaited them on her side of the door. 

Right next to her, propped up on a tripod was a rifle. Rigged to go off as soon as the door opened. The barrel aimed mercilessly at the door. Ready to blow the brains out of the first unsuspecting intruder who walked through. 

Tears stung Amber's eyes and stung the cuts on her face. the looked from the gun to the entrance. The voices were getting closer. "Hang on, Amber!" She heard Scott shout. "I'm coming for you, baby!" Amber jerked the chair, ever so slightly inching closer to the rifle's barrel. 

Amber's eyes caught sight of the door handle turning. She closed her eyes and focused on the last few moments she'd spent with her brother, Jay. Then the last moments she spent with Scott, the love of her life. 

As the door cracked open, she threw all her weight to the side, closing her eyes as pain enveloped her body. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The relief in Scott's eyes soon turned to horror as the gunshot rang out and the girl he loved lay there, an ever-expanding circle of red forming on her chest. "Amber!" He cried out, running to her side as fast as his wobbling legs would carry him. The others exchanged shocked and sorrowful glances. 

Scott hurridly removed the gag as Mark untied her. Alex disarmed the gun and tossed it to the side. "Apply pressure!" Jack directed as calmly as he could. Though his voice trembled. Jack pulled off his stolen Jacket. "Amber, stay with me, baby." Scott practically snatched Jack's jacket from him and bundled it up. "You'll be ok." He pressed the jacket firmly to Amber's still worsening wound.

Amber reached out a trembling hand to his cheek. "Hey, you have to face facts, Scott." She managed a painful smile. Painfull for both her and Scott. His heart splintered at the evident pain in her eyes. 

"What about our plans? Our future?" He urged desperately, his hold on her shaking with each sob that escaped. She coughed weakly. A thin trail of blood flowing from her lips. "Plans change, Scott...Life moves on. With or without you." 

A tear escaped the stereotypically emotionless man's eye. His hands shook as he held his lover close, his hand still attempting to stop the waterfall of blood. "I don't want to think that everything's changed. That I have to move on and start over..." Amber dropped her hand from his face. She noticed the bright red smear it left.

A loud bang was heard. Scott didn't turn his head to see Jack, Alex, and Mark trying to barricade the door while Viper agents tried to get inside. 

"You have to let me go." Amber whispered. "I know you're scared of change, but-" "Change? Is that what you think I'm scared of? You wanna know what I'm scared of? I'm scared of everything, I'm scared to move! I'm scared to breathe! I'm scared to touch you!" His tears began to fall freely.

"You made me love you, you made me let you in, and now you freaking die in my arms! I can't lose you." His voice crackled with emotion. "I won't survive. And that's your fault." Amber took his trembling hand and brought it to her lips. "I love you, Scott. But like it or not you have to let me go." Her eyes began to close and her grip on his hand faltered.

"No...no, no, no, no, no....!" Scott mumbled. Amber managed a weak smile before her fluttering breaths slowed to a deafening stop. "Amber..!" Scott became overwhelmed with emotion and he began to weep. Just as the door was broken in.

Scott's senses blurred and he seemed oblivious to the events unfolding behind him. He didn't notice the Viper agents storming in. Nor his friends trying their best to hold them off. He didn't notice as each of them fell. He didn't notice. 

Not until an iron-like grip closed around his arm and wrenched him to his feet and dragged him from Amber's lifeless body. He kicked and screamed like a child. A sharp pain erupted in the side of his neck. Scott collapsed next to his already fallen comrades. 

Tears flowed like a waterfall as he stretched out his trembling hand towards the now blurry body in the distance. He didn't have the strength to keep his watering eyes open as darkness surrounded him like an old friend. 

I know, I know.....it's been a while.....BUT HERE I AM!!!!! And I got my G2 licence today!!! HOOORRAAYYYY!!!!! Achem....anyways......THANKS FOR READING MY STORY! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

~Keziah