Hey guys! So, welcome to the final chapter of The Job. Just so you know, this chapter is EXTREMELY LONG. Like, over 3,000 words. Just warning y'all.

Fear is something I was trained not to feel. Same goes for happiness, suspicion, anger, love, hate, etc, etc, etc. All the training I've ever had made me the perfect warrior: incapable of feeling, only a master of my own thoughts, unable to fight the restrains the Institute had bound me in. Except I was not the perfect warrior. I was scared - terrified, even. I knew the trap I was walking into. I knew there wouldn't be mercy if I was caught.

I wasn't perfect. This was the job I had been made for and yet I hadn't been able to handle it. I'd gotten angry, I'd become suspicious, I'd fallen in love with a boy who now wanted me dead. I'd found friends and cared about them. I found my family among strangers. 

"Three more miles Eris," Damian muttered to me as we hiked up a particularly grueling hill. He panted beside me, still clinging to my hand as I scaled the rocks easily.  I paused and scanned the terrain around us.

We were in a small group of hills that stretched on for several more miles ahead of us. I squinted in the fading light, but I thought I saw a glint of something in the distance.  We were close.

Of course, we didn't really know how close we were. Damian had decided we should start from the other side of the Institute, opposite where they'd dropped Peter, Melanie, and I before.

"No, five more," I argued. Damian groaned. "Well sorry, but you could have flown us a little closer!"

"Are you kidding? You were yelling at me to land the helicopter five minutes after we took off."

I sighed. I couldn't exactly argue against the facts.

"We'll get there by ten thirty," I promised.

"That's an hour away," he whined.

"You'll survive. Hurry up." I squeezed his hand tighter and pulled myself onto the next ledge.

"Are you sure there isn't an easier way?" He complained, his feet scrabbling at the rocks.

"Trust me."

"How can I possibly trust you?" He snapped. I froze and glanced down at him. Hurt was clear on my face. Damian sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that and you know it." 

"But it's true, isn't it?  There's no way I can ever convince you to fully trust me. I'm always going to be from the Institute and that'll never change. I was trained to lie and betray. You can never trust me." I said the words as matter of factly as possible, but my voice shook. I grabbed the next ledge and started to position my feet to drag myself up.

"Eris wait."

"For what?  You know you can't."

"But we both can try," he said earnestly.

"Never," I whispered, but so softly he didn't hear. We continued on.

Just like I'd said, we reached the fence around the Institute at ten thirty on the dot. The fence glinted silver in the moonlight. I grabbed it in my hand and shook it slightly. It stayed fast in place, and barely moved as I threw myself against it. The top was barbed wire and it was old and rusted.

Without a word, Damian and I opened our packs and fished out our gloves. Carefully, delicately, we climbed over. My shirt snagged on the wire, and I ripped it free before jumping down beside Damian.

We were in.

Another half hour later, we crouched on the edge of the forest. From where I hugged the ground, I could just see where Gabe and I had arrived three or four months before.

How terrified I'd been then. I'd thought I was going to loose Gabe, be forced to kill someone, or dumped from the Institute entirely.

I chuckled bitterly to myself. I used to be so naïve.

"There," Damian breathed in my ear, nodding ever so slightly toward one of the old buildings. It wasn't labeled, but I could guess from my knowledge of my old Institute and the camera feeds that this was the place where they kept Atticus, Ryhan, Peter, and Melanie.

"Cameras?" I hissed.

"I'll get them." Damian moved from a crouch to standing upright. He fingered a few knives, judged the distance, pulled back his arm, and threw. The first camera exploded into shards of glass and metal instantly under impact. The next was the same. So was the third.

"Go," he muttered, dropping back to the ground. I nodded and took off down the slope. I reached the first door and scanned my thumb. It opened. I smiled. I glanced back at Damian and nodded once before disappearing inside.

The air was cold. That's the first thing I noticed. Second was that the lights weren't that bright. They shone dimly, like they were about to blink into blackness. Third, I could hear my own heartbeat, soft but fast, like footsteps fleeting into silence.

"Move," I whispered into the dimness. Finally my legs worked again and I trudged slowly down the hall. I was wary, of course, that a door might open any second, but I also reasoned that if I acted like I belonged, I probably wouldn't be questioned.

"Where are you?" I muttered. I knew I was in the right building, I had to be.  But the doors were not marked and I couldn't be sure where my friends were being kept.

I took a breath, hesitated, and opened a door.

Beds lined the wall. A few dozen sleeping figures stirred slightly. I closed the door quietly. Wrong room.

I tried three more doors, all with the same result. But, finally, I opened one that produced bunk beds, the same ones that the Institute used for newbies.

I slipped inside, then realized I might get locked in and shoved one of my shoes between the door and wall to hold it open.  Glancing up, I gazed around the room. Four of the beds were filled with bodies. I squinted at the one closest to me. A mop of curly red hair rested on the pillow. Ryhan.

"Wake up," I hissed. No one moved. I cleared my throat.  "Peter, Melanie, Ryhan, Atticus...wake up!"

Someone from the top bunk groaned in protest. I grabbed the nearest bed and shook it as hard as I could.

"What the hell?" Someone snapped, sitting up in bed.

"Get up," I ordered.  "I'm getting all of you out of here."

"Eris?" Peter asked, scrambling out of bed and jumping to the floor. He stopped in front of me, disbelief clear on his face. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"We're leaving now," I insisted. "Get Melanie." Peter nodded and shook a figure to his left awake.

"Eris!" Ryhan gasped, bolting upright in the other bed and throwing herself at me. I hugged my friend tight. 

"I'm here to get you out," I promised. Suddenly, Ryhan was wrenched from my grasp.

"Get away from her," Atticus snarled.

"At," I began impatiently. "We need to go."

"We can't trust her," he muttered, pushing Ryhan behind him. 

"Atticus, I'm sorry, but whatever happened to you, whatever they did, it's not my fault."

"Aria is dead, Eris," Atticus snapped. "Did you know that? Did you kill her yourself?"

His words made me freeze and I stared into his brown eyes, hurt. My hands unconsciously curled slightly into fists.

"Eris," Peter warned, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"We need to leave," I repeated, breaking my gaze.

"So you can bring us somewhere else to be tortured? Are you going to kill me next? Maybe Ryhan? What about these so-called friends?" Atticus snapped.

"Stop it," I said breathlessly. Guilt and fear started to crash down around me, and my hands shook with anger.

"We can talk about this later. Right now we need to get to safety. Eris, where are we going?" Melanie asked.

"Down the hall, out the doors, to the trees on your left. Damian is waiting to take you away. Don't wait for me," I commanded, then pushed past them, opened the door, grabbed my shoe, and took off in the other direction.

Hushed voices called after me, but I ignored them and darted up a flight of stairs.  To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was looking for. Maybe coordinates to the main Institute? Gabe? Or my dad? But I was searching anyway.

I turned down another hall. Then stopped. Voices muttered together somewhere in the darkness.  I crouched low to the ground and closed my eyes.

A soft thump came from my right.  Then another inaudible whisper. Someone stepped on my hand. My eyes flew open and I bit down on my lip to stop a gasp of pain. The foot moved on but still I didn't dare breathe. My heart pounded in the same rhythm as a hundred feet running.

Everything became silent except my beating heart. Slowly, I let out the breath I'd been holding in and gently massaged my wounded hand. Blood dripped down into my mouth from biting my lip so hard.

Then I stood and crept down the hall again.

Then the lights snapped on and I heard voices coming my way again and I panicked and threw open the first door I saw. Breathlessly, I darted in, slammed the door shut, and pressed my hands against the cool steel. 

"Why." A voice behind me groaned. "Just why." I turned and my face broke into a smile.

"Gabe!" I almost cried with relief. He was sitting in a bed that was too small for him, dressed only in pajama pants with his chest bare.

"I thought I told you to run. You weren't supposed to come back.  Why are you here Eris?" He asked sharply, climbing out of bed.

"I wasn't going to leave my friends behind. That includes you too."

"This is where I belong Eris. The Institute is my home."

"We never belonged here Gabe. But if you come with me, I can show you the world outside the Institute, like you've always dreamed of seeing. I can introduce you to your brother, and we can get away and never have to come back. Please Gabe, I can't leave my best friend behind," I begged. He stared at me for a while, his gaze hard. Then those blue eyes softened.

"Give me two minutes."

It was one minute and thirty-seven seconds later when we both charged out of his room and into the hallway. We both had our packs slung over one shoulder, and we both were on constant guard.

"What's the plan Sweetheart?" he muttered. I had to smile when he called me by my old nickname. It'd been too long since I'd heard it.

"No plan. Just get out of the building. My team is waiting in the trees outside. Hopefully, they haven't been detected yet."

"You never were good at plans," he sighed. "Because this seems like a suicide mission. What's your idea if we get caught? What about getting away after we're done?"

"Stop asking questions and start moving! Get going!" I ordered, giving him a push.

"Wait, you're not coming with me?" He asked, confused.

"What did I just say?" I sighed.

"Right, fine, I'm going." He turned and followed where I pointed down the hall.

I watched him a moment, and my chest physically ached. But I continued in the opposite direction.

The lights still blazed above my head, and somewhere I heard an alarm blaring.  So I quietly crept down the hall, using my small size and my youngish face to pass as a small seven year old. No one glanced twice at me.

Well, there was one person who simply locked their eyes on mine and didn't glance away. I groaned softly, hoping they'd let me pass without blowing my cover, but no, of course she wouldn't.

"ERISTINA SAMANTHA COYLE!" Alison screamed as loud as she could. A few of the other students and guards glanced my way as she glared at me, but everyone was in a hurry to their lockdown positions (we had them at my old Institute too).

"Commander," I greeted her weakly as she grabbed my arm.

"Eris...I don't even know what to say to you! Where have you been?  I thought Gabe...never mind."

"Killed me?" I finished, raising an eyebrow. "You thought Gabe killed me?"

She stared at me a moment, and her forehead furrowed slightly as she contemplated what to do with me. Alison's lips pressed together in thought.

"Come on Eris," she finally muttered, her grip tightening on my arm.

"Are you going to finish the job? Are you going to try and kill me too?" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists. My heart was racing as I stared into her green eyes.  Those green that actually looked a lot like mine.

"No Eris," she decided. "I'm not going to kill you."

But she pulled me along anyway, against the stream of people. I struggled against her grip, but her fingernails dug into my arm so hard I winced and followed her more willingly.

Finally she dragged me into a room, shoved me toward a chair, and left without a word. I took in my surroundings and twisted on the chair, since it was one of the nice desk chairs that turn and turn. There were a few more comfortable chairs too, and all of them were around a circular table.

The door opened. A man stepped inside, and his whole presence seemed to fill the room. Every part of my body sprang into position, just like every bit of training I'd ever done had taught me to.

The Commander was here. 

"Eristina," the man said. His voice seemed deeper and more rumbly then the last time I'd spoken with him. Actually, the last time I'd spoken with him, he'd had me drugged and tossed on a train. 

"Commander, Sir," I responded.

"Rest," he allowed, and I tucked my hands behind my back, but still kept my feet apart, head up, and posture straight.

He regarded me cooly, his eyes squinting slightly. Green eyes.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked.

"You're my Commander, Sir," I answered instantly. He motioned for me to continue. I hesitated, then murmured, "You're my uncle."

"What's that, girl?" He questioned, raising a hand to his ear.

"You're my uncle, Sir," I said, louder.

"Smart girl." 

"And Commander Alison is my cousin, right, Sir?" I asked. The man nodded.  "Perfect. More unwanted family members," I mumbled under my breath.

"And how did you figure all this out, my dear girl?" The man asked.

"I met my mother, your sister," I explained.

"What do you know of your father?"

"He created this organization. He's dead now. You killed him." I glared at my Commander, and I started to curl my fists. He stared back at me, unperturbed. "And now you're going to kill me," I whispered. He nodded. "But why? Why go to all the trouble of helping me and giving me a personal trainer and all that?"

"Because you were the Trojan Horse."

With that, he turned and left, leaving me speechless as I considered his statement. Trojan Horse? Then who was "Troy"? Who did I destroy?

Suddenly I knew. Damian's organization. The whole fight against the Institute. Everything and everyone I'd been working with to bring the Institute down. It all was going up in flames, quite literally.

The Institute had used me. They knew about everything. They knew about Damian and my mother, our base and people. They had given me away to be the bomb in the key.

The awful, horrible realization crushed me. I put my head in my hands.  All of this, every bit, was my fault. And now my new home, my home with Damian, was being destroyed. And I was helpless to do anything.

Damian and Gabe and all my friends were probably dead now. After all, they must've found them.

I was alone.
Surrounded by enemies.
Not a hope. 

I allowed myself to cry. After all, I'm not a perfect solider. I don't have to be strong anymore.  I'd been strong for too long, and now that I'd let down everyone I was being strong for, it was my turn to be weak.

"Eris," a soft voice whispered. I glanced up with blurring eyes to see Damian crouched beside me. As he scooped me up in his arms, the others fidgeted behind him. Gabe was down right uncomfortable.

"You're dead," I said flatly.

"Gee, thanks Kiddo. C'mon Eris, we're taking you away."

"Wait, that means I'm dead too." I gasped. Damian sighed and Peter and Melanie laughed. 

"Sure Sweetheart." Gabe reached to take me from Damian, but Dan stepped back and clutched me a little tighter. The two glared at each other until we heard footsteps outside the door and everyone froze.

"Window," Melanie instructed. We rushed to the window and Gabe opened  it. He hesitated, then jumped out. 

"Go," Damian ordered, nodding to the others.

"It's two stories up!" Atticus protested. 

"If you would like to see tomorrow morning, jump," Damian snapped. Atticus jumped.  Then Peter, Melanie, and Ryhan followed. 

"Give me Eris!" Gabe hissed from below. 

"No!"

"Damian," I muttered. He sighed and gently handed me down to Gabe, who cradled me slightly in his arms. Then Dan slipped out too.

I blacked out during our escape.  I have no idea what happened. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the helicopter, propped up against the door. Melanie was beside me, cleaning a gash on my arm. Atticus and Ryhan huddled together on the seats across the helicopter. Peter was sitting in the cockpit, fiddling with darkened controls. And Gabe and Damian...

"They're killing her and you know it," Gabe snapped, waving an arm at me.  "There's obviously something inside her or on her or maybe she was poisoned."

"You're the Institute expert! Figure it out!" Damian shouted back. 

"But you're the one with all the fancy tools and this special 'base' that's so much better then the Institute," Gabe retorted. 

"Guys," I murmured weakly.

"Will you all shut up? She's awake," Atticus called from across the helicopter. Gabe and Damian glanced at their shoes, guilty.

"Eris," Melanie began. "There's something wrong with you."

"I know."

"Your vitals are dropping, your heart beat is slow, your blood pressure low, and I think you may have been given an overdose of some drug. That's why you blacked out and probably felt a little loopy earlier. I'm trying to stitch up this wound here so it won't get infected. Now that you're awake you may feel some discomfort." Melanie patted my knee. I forced myself to look at Damian, despite how much effort it cost.

"Told you she'd be helpful," I said with a sigh. He tried to crack a smile, despite the worry in his yes.

"Rest now," Gabe instructed. I closed my eyes and slept.

~~~~

I woke with my head on Gabe's lap. The helicopter was in the air, and he was holding onto me as we hit patches of turbulence. Damian was on the bench across from me, watching carefully for any signs that I was awake. I smiled at him.

Peter and Melanie were at the controls, but despite what you might think, I wasn't worried. Atticus was beside me, and on his other side was Ryhan.

"Hey Eris." Damian cleared his throat. "I've got some news."

"Home," I rasped. "What's happened at base?" Damian hesitated, his mouth opened slightly as he bit his lip.

"There is no more base," he whispered. I closed my eyes tightly and let the tears leak through.

There is no perfect soldier.

The End