Carmen didn't stop to rest when she arrived back in her cell. As soon as she could feel her own feet beneath her, the thief slammed her scarred back into the heavy metal door, relieving when it swing open easily. Obviously no one had bothered to lock it. They might've not cared, or maybe they just didn't think that she'd try anything.

They were wrong.

She knew what she had to do.

Carmen slowly made her way through the maze of windowless hallways until she fund the room with the white medical table-the one she had woken up strapped to that first day. She shuddered at the painful memories and moved to the smaller table beside it. It still held the many sharp tools, which were now dusty due to lack of use. Glancing over them for a second, Carmen picked up an impressive looking dagger and held it over her bandaged arm.

"Just do it," she whispered, but her right arm only shook and refused to do anything more. She sighed and lowered the knife, her head aching. Outside. She'd have to do it then. She couldn't rick anyone hearing her and coming to investigate.

Carmen nodded to herself and walked back into the hall, glancing around for any operatives. She was sure that there were cameras watching her, but hopefully no one would would know or suspect what she was doing until she had exited the building. She just needed to act like she was making another attempt, without a plan. "Ok," she muttered, tucking the knife into a position were it couldn't hurt her as she ran. "Here we go."

Sucking in a deep and breath and only wincing slightly, Carmen took off in the general direction in which she knew the doors were. Her most recent teleport had somehow numbed most of her body, and the ache in the muscles of her stomach had dulled significantly. It no longer was a priority, and she could only imagine the giant glass panels that would lead her outside. Just beyond them was her freedom. Her family. They weren't dead. That was just another lie from VILE to prove how evil they were.

More deception.

Carmen could feel her blood pounding as she rounded a corner, puffing heavily. She hadn't let herself think about them -Zack and Ivy- because of how painful it was to know that they couldn't come. Wouldn't come, hopefully.

And yet, they had. They were just outside, missing her, wanting to save her, to bring her home.

Hope flared in her chest -something she could barely remember- as she spotted the tall glass doors. It sputtered at the sight of Dr. Bellum standing near them, but Carmen only sped up. Bellum saw her and frowned, sighing with annoyance.

"Why have you not given this up, Black Sheep? Attempting to escape is pointless."

For half of a second, Carmen was tempted to take her dagger and make quick work of Bellum, but she shook her head and instead ignored the scientist as she ran past her. The doors were suddenly right before her. They towered high, moonlight spilling through the glass. It didn't seem fair or even appropriate to Carmen, for any beauty to be found in this place. The real beauty was beyond the doors, crouching in the bushes and waiting for her.

She just needed to get out, and then... then she'd do it.

Pushing out into the night -ignoring Bellum's yells as she noticed the knife- Carmen started to count down in her head. 30 seconds wasn't a lot. She would need to be quick.

Taking a few steps further into the darkness, she sucked in a deep breath and brandished the dagger over her arm again.

26 seconds.

Another breath.

23 seconds now.