This was possibly the worst team-up ever in the history of team-ups and Jake was tired of looking over his shoulder to check whether Wolfie was trying to him kill or not. They'd been following her route through the facility, ducking into darkened rooms every time a shadow moved. Part of him knew that she had no idea what she was doing. That made two of them. In the end however, he kept his mouth shut. Somehow, she hadn't betrayed him yet and he didn't fancy speeding up that process. Heavy footsteps echoed from down one of the halls. Jake flattened himself against the wall, more out of habit than anything else. A moment later, Wolfe joined him. She was grinning like a circus performer but hadn't spoken a word for the past ten minutes. It was starting to get a bit a creepy. Once the footsteps had circulated back across the hall, Jake let himself release the breath he'd no idea he'd been holding. Feeling light-headed, he leant on the wall. Wolfie kept smiling.

"Ok, what is your problem?" he exploded at last. The silence had been killing him.

"I'm not the one dying if that's what you mean," she said. It was a low blow, and he wasn't quite sure why she'd even brought it up. To hurt him? Or to help him? You could never tell with Wolfie. Another corner. He kept on walking, uncaring of whether or not she followed. Neither of them had any idea what they were doing. It reminded him faintly of being in Biology Class.

"What are we going to do then? You said I could trust you. Well, vaguely stated I could trust you. So, what are we supposed to be doing?" He failed to mention that they'd passed this stairwell twice already.

"Waiting," she said, as if hanging out in top-secret psycho facilities was her normal Friday night. Upon reflection, it probably was.

"Waiting for what?" he asked. She kept her mouth shut. He decided that was the best thing she could've done. In his head, thirty seconds ticked by. His pulse raced and he easily grew tired of standing around. His life was limited, now. Time couldn't be wasted. Was this what having cancer felt like? Knowing your life had an expiration date?

Not necessarily, the voice intervened.

Yes, necessarily. I'm not becoming one of them.

Don't you see? You've always been one of them. Soon after its ever-helpful interlude, the voice faded, leaving only silence.

"Well, I'm done waiting. I want some answers," he said.

"More answers?" she cried. "You're just full of surprises aren't yer' Jakey boy?" Maybe it was the hysteria talking, but he was starting to like the nickname.

"Where's my mum?" That seemed like a good one to start with. He was even more shocked when she answered.

"With James". If he'd been hoping for a more specific response – and he hadn't – he didn't get one. The silence threatened to continue.

"That's it," he exclaimed. "I'm going to find Alexa by myself".

"Let me know how that works out for yer' dearie," she called after him. Jake shook his head, trying not to listen as her laughter licked the air at his back. He headed down the first stairwell. On the left was what looked like an alarm system, but he'd seen enough Bond films to know not to push any big red buttons. Cautiously, he carried on, reaching the lower level without running into anyone. The first room he saw had a strange symbol on the front, with a sign that was written in another language. He'd never know if he didn't try. With care, Jake pushed against the door and, to his shock, it swung open. There was no one inside. Instead, there were several TV screens plastered to the wall showing tapes from the security cameras— There were security cameras? Bile rose in his throat, making his legs weaken at the knees. Someone must have seen them, someone must have. Wolfie. What if they'd got to her after he'd left. He hated her, sure, but that didn't mean he wanted to be alone. Not here, not now.

Not dying.

Jake scanned the TV screens. Wolfie was the on second one in the middle, waving at the camera like a model on the red carpet. Her smirk was that of legend.

"Hello dearie, miss me?" she mouthed. Thanks to all those silent arguments at school, he'd gotten pretty good at lip-reading.

"You won't find Lexie on Channel 4 in here you know," she carried on. Well, he knew that now and he suspected that she'd known all along. Who was he kidding, of course she'd known! She knew so much more that she let on. But why keep it to herself? Didn't she want to bring James down? Or was she playing both sides against each other? He came to conclusion that it was better not knowing. From outside the door, boots clomped. Heavy military boots. Not waiting for the chance to be shot, Jake threw himself behind the door, just as it was yanked open. The metal pressed against his nose, and he held his breath. Held. Held. The sound of shuffling, though he couldn't see through the door. Realising that it wasn't long before his cover was blown, he fought the urge to scream. But he couldn't risk moving either. He couldn't. He had to. The footsteps paused, and the scribble of pen to paper could be heard. So, he took the risk. He flew out from behind the door, turned around, and ran. The boots started to pound after him, but he'd already made it to the stairs. Jake moulded himself into the wall, waiting for the threat to pass. It didn't even come anywhere near him and the footsteps fazed out of the existence. Only then did he let himself breathe again. Okay, that didn't work.

You think? The voice's smugness made him want to punch something. Preferably Wolfie. Manoeuvring back up to the second flight, he ducked into another doorway. A woman in military gear stomped past. From the paleness of her skin, and those orange flames in her eyes, he pegged her as a Vaskel. He'd never seen a female version up until this point. The door he'd been leaning on suddenly gave way, opening to reveal—

"Hello love".

"Jesus!" he choked, doing his best to keep the volume to a minimum.

"Better: me". Wolfie shut the door and turned on the light. They were standing in a sparse white room, with a huge stack of manuscripts sitting against the wall like a literary tower of Pisa. The paper was yellowed, much too yellowed to belong in a place like this.

"What are those?" he said quietly.

"Vaskelian texts. Bloody hard to translate, I tell you". She reached for one and flicked through the pages.

"Why do you have them?"

"Stole them".

"What for?"

"For the sake of stealing".

"You're really not very good at this me-asking-questions-and-you-answering-them thing are you?" She stuck two thumbs up.

"Would someone give this kid a gold star?"

"Okay, how about I ask one question, and you answer. An honest exchange. Then you can ask me one. Like a trade. If we're going to be waiting as you say we might as well pass the time". It was better than waiting in silence surrounded by a room of dusty old psycho-bibles.

"I like your style Jakey boy," she said crisply. Whether she was serious or being sarcastic was unclear.

"How old are you exactly?" he began.

"Old," she answered. When he gave her a look, she said,

"What? I was being honest".

"Fine. You ask me a question".

"There's nothing that I'd want to know". Her words stung – just a little – but they stung. His shoulders slumped. This was pointless. Until, out of the blue,

"I'm three-hundred and fifteen years old. I lost my memory and I'm trying to figure out what I am. There, happy?" Not by a long shot, but it was a start. He honed his breath.

"I'm fifteen years old. I...I'm scared of dying and I don't want to be...I don't want to be a Half-life". Their eyes locked together. He suddenly wished he hadn't told her that. But, for some strange reason, he felt as if he could tell her anything. Even though she herself hadn't given away very much, she'd still trusted him. A lot more than Alexa ever had.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"What for? You're the one dying after all". When she spoke, her voice was solemn. The words he recognised, but the tone was foreign. She'd never said anything with such sincerity before.

"Are you scared of dying?" He wanted to know that he wasn't alone in his fear.

"Oh, Jakey," she said bitterly. "You say that as if I have something to live for". There were icebergs in her eye, and he could see flashes of renaissance, revolution and war. She was a different kind of immortal. She'd lived through it. In a manner of speaking at least. Eventually, Wolfie moved forward to open the door. After giving him the signal, they both stepped out into the hallway. His tongue had gone dry and it felt like sandpaper in his mouth or a nail file. He was starving too. He probably hadn't eaten in days. That was one perk of being a Half-life, he supposed. If he'd been fully human, he would've been dead by now. It was hard to feel grateful when he was going to die anyway. In front of him, Wolfie stopped. Closing her eye, he saw her fingers twitch and the eyeball swivel up into her head. Four days ago, that would've seemed odd. Now? Not so much. It made his mind scream to imagine that all of this had happened in about four days. Wolfie started to run, blasting to the nearest staircase in a few short strides. Without a word, he followed. Without so much as a warning, she came to a halt. Eye swivelling, fingers twitching. She turned around and headed back in the direction they'd come from.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to find lil' Lexie. Bear with me though chucky egg, this telepathy thing is hard to do when you're mentally unstable. Gotta have good mind control," she said.

"I'm guessing you're not very good at that". He smiled lightly.

"Well, you see, I don't have a mind to control. I lost it in 1759. Best year of my life". She stopped again and threw her arms up in the air.

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to find you if you're working yourself into a mess?" she cried.

"Why? What's going on?" This was what he'd missed with Alexa. Stuff, weird supernatural stuff happened, and he hadn't understood a word. He hadn't needed to. Now, he knew too much, and it was eating him alive. He pulled his thoughts away.

"It's Lexie. Somethin' bad is happenin,'" she slurred. He noticed that when she was annoyed, her accent became thicker. What that accent was however, still remained a mystery. All he knew was that Alexa was in danger.

"We've got to find her".

"I know! I know! Tone down the Lexie bulletin-board per-lease. Ding! Ding! Lexie newsflash!" Her pupil shrunk to the size of a fly and that madness returned to her face again. The madness he'd seen on the roof. Seconds later, it had softened. It hadn't gone – it would never go – but it wasn't as prominent as before.

"It doesn't matter. We still have to wait," she said calmly.

"We're done waiting! Alexa's in danger!"

"I thought you didn't care about her".

"I don't. I do. It's complicated".

"Complicated?" She snorted a laugh. "Dearie, you don't know the meaning of the word". Her arm lashed out, gripping onto the wall so hard it broke in twelve places. She hadn't even put that much pressure on it. Finally, she faced the stairs.

"You're right. We're done waiting". He watched as she vanished around another corner. A muffled voice sounded a few minutes later and he reluctantly followed her until they were both facing the latest in a series of white corridors. However, this one was different - somehow. It felt different. Like there was a tang in the air that he couldn't recognise. Wolfie was standing with her back to him, just standing. Waiting. After a few moments, she began to walk. She walked the length of the one side of the corridor, then changed direction and waited for him to catch up. This was the way they were meant to go, he could feel it. His mind spoke in tsunamis and his bones clenched. This was the way to Alexa. They could find her, and he could forgive her. That was how they turned the corner and ran straight into Richard East.

It was better to be numb. As she sat there, with those memories closing in, she just... switched it off. Her humanity, her hopes, her thoughts. Everything. Alexa let her power thrive. That's what her parents had been so afraid of back then. Not betrayal, not her brother. Not the Vaskels or the Weres or the humans. Their own daughter. Her. Alexa tried one last time to remember that night. To see through James's Alteration and find the truth. But she couldn't. Her mind was so warped, all she could see were flashes of what her parents really thought of her.

Monster. Abomination. Abnormal. Monster. Monster. Monster.

Fine. She'd be the monster. If that's what they really thought. She was done trying to be something else, something better. Jake hated her, and Wolfie... She didn't know who or what Wolfie was. She wanted to, though. Needed to. It was as if a tether bound them to each other and however much she tried to ignore it, it was always there. It would always be there. Alexa swam deeper into her own mind, the white room that surrounded her suddenly dissipating. However, she barely noticed. Her body mapped out into the darkness, merging with the compound lines in the air that connected the particles together. She found herself back in the manor again, arguing with her parents again.

"You did this," her mother croaked. "You killed us".

"You provoked our son. You're the monster," said her father. Their words ground into her, because they were true. She had provoked her brother, in a way. She was the monster.

"This is your fault. You killed that boy like you killed us". Her parents had started to morph into one. But who was that boy? She was sure he had a name of some sort. Jack? John? Who was he? She couldn't remember. All she knew was that she'd broken him. Alexa's vision blackened and everything rose into the air. Ash surged, making it even harder to see. And so, it began. And so, everything, every part of her, every thread of her essence, changed. It reshaped. Until only the monster was left.

Jake's instincts told him to run. His modern ones were telling him to use a feint attack from Assassins Creed, but he had a feeling that wouldn't help him very much. Wolfie, on the other hand, didn't look at all surprised. She yawned nonchalantly, making East's face turn the colour of beetroot. The two Vaskels behind him looked equally unpleasant. There was blood running down each of their necks from where Wolfie had knocked them unconscious and boy, did they look upset.

"You're going to have a lot to explain to your brother," East growled. He grabbed what looked like a Taser from his belt and held it aloft. Jake doubted he'd be able to do much with that. Not to Wolfie anyway.

"What about my insanity defence?" she said innocently. East swung, the Vaskels not far behind. Jake threw his arms out in front to defend himself, before realising that the fight hadn't even reached him. Wolfie, with seemingly no effort, stretched her arm, applying pressure to an area above East's radial nerve. Her claw-like nails pierced through the military gear and the Taser went flying from his hand. Her leg came up, kneed him in the groin and while he was coughing up his lungs, she turned and head-butted the nearest Vaskel. Even from the side-lines it was the obvious that she was going easy on them. That this was nowhere near the extent of her power. Watching her told him something else as well. He wanted to join in. A small, powerful voice inside him begged him to get involved. A primal voice. He beat it down. The second Vaskel lunged, but Wolfie arched her back, kicking him into the wall. He made a satisfying whoomp sound as he slid onto the floor. Richard East recovered. He parried Wolfie's first two attacks – if you could really call them that – but wasn't prepared as she scissored him from the shoulders down and spun his body onto the floor. She checked her nails. Somehow, Jake fought to keep his laughter in check. In an instant, the first Vaskel stormed up to him. It was fight of flight. The nerves in his body tingled, but not with fear. With excitement, he let his Halfblood-self take control. Suddenly, his perception shifted, slowing everything down. It was like he was living in a different world. The Vaskel was still in front of him, but he was moving at a much slower rate. Jake felt his eyes flash and he lashed out, swinging a punch to the ribcage. A bone snapped beneath the force. Without blinking, he swung away, following up Wolfie's side kick with one of his own. More bones broke.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side Jakey boy," he heard her chuckle, but it all sounded so far away. The first Vaskel stumbled and – before he could right himself – fell victim to Jake's... What was he doing? He wasn't anywhere near the Vaskel, and yet... A flare of dark green crossed his vision, and the world turned black and white. He could feel the particles between his fingers and took hold. He was powerful. He was a Halfblood. Adrenaline pulsed, flowing through his brain like a river. Nothing mattered except this feeling, nothing. It was just him and his power. No more Alexa, no more Mum, no more Wolfie, no more James. Just him. Just his power. Sparks flashed and a huge lightning strike of electric green shimmied across the corridor. Lines scored deep into the floor, but missed the Vaskel by centimetres. Jake felt himself falling. He would've knocked himself unconscious if Wolfie hadn't caught him in time. His hands felt tingly, while his legs refused to feel anything at all. It was like he'd had injections in his muscles to make them go numb.

"So high maintenance," he heard her grumble as she sat him down by the wall. Everything was blurred and he couldn't even warn her as East came storming back. As it turned out, she didn't need much warning. When East swatted at her, she stomped back on the pressure point in his foot. He doubled over and she swung around his neck, kicking her feet against the ceiling so that they both went under. Jumping away, she swung her hands in a wide arc and he could just about make out the lines in the air combing around her fingers. Whiteness appeared, sparking in the atmosphere like rogue volts. She flung them at East, pinning him to the wall. Jake watched her as she laughed. She laughed for quite a while. So much that she didn't notice the other two Vaskels advancing from behind.

"Where is she?" she snarled. East was butter in her hands, but he didn't answer.

"As much as I love playing games, Muffin, there's no time for that today. Where is Alexa?" East just smiled. The Vaskels moved closer. Jake waited, fighting for every breath. His vision eventually began to adjust and as he looked down, he could see green protons flashing in his hands. The Vaskels took another step— He shot up from the floor – slightly unbalanced – and let his power go. It tangled around the first Vaskel, burning its skin like acid. Jake watched in shock as the humanoid creature disintegrated before his eyes. Wolfie turned her head, smiling. Impressed wasn't the right word for how she looked. More...amused. He didn't care. They still had one more Vaskel to take care of. They both turned at the same time, white light coupled with acidic green. It burnt out the Vaskel's insides until all that was left was dust. The power instantly vanished, being replaced with what he assumed was the feeling of being hit by a train. He wobbled, nearly fell, but steadied himself at the last minute. Wolfie turned back to face East.

"Sorry about the interruption," she said sweetly. Jake had to laugh, though his insides told him that wasn't the best idea.

"I think I'm gonna sit down for a bit". He slumped back onto the floor. She reached forward and trailed her hand across East's throat.

"Now then, are you ready to do a little show and tell?" His Adam's apple bobbed.

"I swore loyalty to your brother"—

"So did I. Well, not in so many words, and nothing says 'loyalty' more than trying to sabotage his plans. But come on? Really? Turning little Jakey boy into a Vaskel? That's low even for you".

"Why do you care?" he said sharply.

"I don't care. I just have standards. If anyone's gonna kill him, it's gonna be me," she grinned and threw a wink in Jake's general direction. Luckily, he was too fatigued to notice. All he could see were blurry shapes fumbling around in his line of vision. Wolfie faced East again, her smile one to rival The Mona Lisa's.

"So, what do you say Ricky, or can I call you Rick? I feel we've bonded over these past few seconds of interrogation and assault. Are you gonna give me what I want, or do I have to take it? Ooh, which option sounds more of a lark? What do you think Jakey?" Jake, lying face down on the floor, mumbled something he hoped she could hear.

"Right. Dying. Got it," he heard her reply. Shortly after,

"What's it to be Rick? Deal or no deal? Pinkie or Perky? I warn you I'm in a very rotten mood tonight darlin'". She moved her knee up to his groin.

"You'll never find her. I won't tell you where she is," he spat. Jake blanched as spittle landed on her cheek. He blanched even more when she licked it off. Whatever she did next, he mustn't have heard, because when he regained his senses, East was lying in a disgruntled heap on the floor.

"Did you kill him?" he asked. It was one thing to kill a Vaskel, but a human? It didn't seem right.

"Does it matter if I did?" Wolfie flicked a knife out from her boot and twizzled it around her index finger.

"Not really no".

"Good. Let's crack on then". She waited for him to follow.

"What's the hold-up kiddo?" Jake pretended to think for a moment.

"Maybe, oh I don't know, everything that just happened. I killed someone. He wasn't human, but he must have had a family or something right? You've killed people, hell knows how many"—

"Hell does know," she interjected. He shut her up.

"I can't be this, this thing Wolfie. I can't be one of you. I am going to fight this. I'm going to be human," he said. She looked him up and down and sighed.

"If you keep holding onto that humanity, Jakey, things won't end well. If you keep resisting, death will only come sooner".

"Then I'll let it," he snapped.

"You don't know what you're saying kid". She was right. He didn't. All he knew was that he wanted to be normal, he wanted to live a normal life. He growled.

"We have to save Alexa," he said at last and, ignoring the possibly dead body at his feet, followed Wolfie into the heart of the facility.

Alexa. I'm coming. I am coming to save you. I'll never let you go again.