Finn.

Despite the way my spine locked and shoulders tensed, I was able to keep my breathing calm and my features blank as I turned fully to face him, blocking the dagger from his line of sight.

Compared to the person who had once appeared to be the embodiment of a faithful agent – the golden boy of Division 27 – it was startling to see the man standing in front of me looking severely worse for wear. His eyes, having previously gleamed with joy and a hint of mischief, now appeared to be dark pools of resentment. There were tight lines forming around his mouth, making it seem like he hadn't cracked a smile since he'd left, and his smooth complexion had been tarnished with bruises and fading cuts, presumably from the night he'd escaped.

"Well you don't look surprised," he all but snarled. "But then again," he clicked his tongue, "you're the one who forced me to leave, so why would you?"

He had the audacity to blame this all on me? I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You think this is my fault?"

"Call it a hunch, but considering I saw Beckett snooping around passed the tree line about a week ago, I think you just couldn't keep your mouth shut about that hideaway." A manic smirk pulled at his lips. "Not that there was anything left for you all to find."

"And you thought that would help your cover?" I asked, holding back a dry laugh at his disillusions. "Because newsflash, it just put the final nail in your coffin. Catherine, Joe, the other agents... everyone knows you're a traitor, and I highly doubt there's a chance of you getting out of here tonight scot-free."

"Oh? And who's going to stop me... you?"

Thinly veiled amusement flashed across his eyes, as if it was unthinkable for me – a woman trainee without a substantial amount of experience – to take on the likes of him. And while it may be a stretch, this wasn't all about strength. I had other methods at my disposal.

All I needed to do was keep him talking, prolonging his attempt at capturing the dagger.

Ignoring his previous comment, I quirked an eyebrow and crossed my arms across my chest, displaying a fabricated confidence. "Shouldn't it have been Damon down here, wanting the glory of stealing the dagger for himself?"

There was a brief moment where the twisted pleasure fell from his face, only to appear once again. His grin was wide and wicked. "He didn't want to miss out on all the fun to be had above ground," he replied. "More so, he wanted to deal with your mother... directly."

A lump formed in my throat, and I could feel the sinking feeling expanding deep within my chest, but I shook it off. I knew full well that Catherine could hold her own.

"So, he sent you to do the dirty work?" I asked, pushing him for some kind of information. "Are you just another one of his puppets then?"

In an instant, his eyes darkened and his fists clenched at his sides. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, trying to contain the anger that bubbled inside him.

"Don't I?" I challenged, pausing only for a moment before pressing on. "I know that someone managed to convince you to jump sides, and if it wasn't Damon, who was it?" His anger became more pronounced the longer I spoke. "I mean, after growing up in this Division, after hearing all the rumours and stories about the Gemini Clan, how did you ever think that joining them would end well?"

It was a valid question – one I wanted to hear his honest answer for, despite knowing this conversation was nothing more than a ploy to deter his mind from the real reason he was here.

"Everyone is so quick to believe that the Gemini Clan is the worst of the worst," he started, "but that's because they don't want to see the truth. S.I.C.O was formed to go beyond the capabilities of government run central intelligence agencies – to be ruthless and cunning when the situation called for it. They needed agents that would do anything to get the job done, and that's exactly what the Gemini Clan does."

"S.I.C.O was built to operate outside of the government, yes, but they still fight for justice. They still take precautions when it comes to getting the job done," I countered. "The Gemini Clan doesn't operate under that guise. They're reckless and have been overrun with greed. All they're after is power."

"And how could you possibly know this?" Finn scoffed. "You been here, what, two months? You don't even know a fraction of what's gone on through the years that S.I.C.O's been involved in. The Gemini Clan is no worse."

I was taken aback by his response. How could he say that? In just the short time I'd been here, I'd read the reports and heard stories all about what the Gemini Clan had done, both in the past and the present, and none of it had been good.

Yes, S.I.C.O and the Divisions beneath it had killed and imprisoned people – bad people. Criminals. Where the Gemini Clan was concerned however, the innocent could be used as a means to an end. They didn't care. And considering I'd almost been one of their chess pieces on the night of my birthday, I knew this first-hand.

My mouth opened, closed, and then opened again before the words I was searching for finally formed on my tongue. "They've killed innocent people, Finn!"

"And so has S.I.C.O!" he replied, his words echoing loudly off the stone walls. I felt the colour drain from my face. "What?" A sinister laugh left his lips. "Did you think S.I.C.O was above killing the innocent, or better yet, their own agents?"

It couldn't be true.

This Division. S.I.C.O. They'd helped protect me. They'd done so much over the years, all of which was documented, but even though I knew in my gut what he was saying held no weight, the possibility of his words being even the tiniest bit true placed a small drop of doubt in my mind.

"And where's your proof?" I asked, my voice remaining steady.

"Proof?" Finn clenched his teeth as he spat out the word. "You want proof? How about going back to the night my parents left on an assignment and never came back? My life was fine, my family was happy, and then the Division had to go and send both my parents out on a suicide mission. They were supposed to be investigating a known hangout for the masterminds behind an underground drug ring, but they barely made it through the door before they were blown to smithereens." I saw the flash of misery that crossed his features before he could mask it. "The Division thought they could cover up the truth about that night, but Damon made sure I knew how it really went down."

Sympathy flooded my mind as he spoke, right up until his last statement, and then it was replaced with pity as things slowly began to add up.

"My parents had overheard classified plans for another mission just days before – one they weren't a part of," Finn continued, equal parts frustrated, angry, and hurt. "A rogue agent that they'd previously partnered with had fallen deep into trouble playing by his own rules, and S.I.C.O was gearing up to bring him in. When they caught wind that my parents were also privy to this information, the Division got worried, and thinking that they'd betray them, sent them on a mission that was meant for their demise."

While I didn't doubt the fact that his parents had died that night when they been sent out on an assignment, it was highly unlikely that it had been set up as a death trap. His parents had known the risks and had accepted them, just as Finn did every time he was sent out.

"Finn..." I trailed softly, "why did you take Damon's word for it? He's the leader of the Gemini Clan. It's highly likely that he could spin together a few loose ends and lie – "

"He wasn't," he roared adamantly, causing me to flinch backwards. "He had proof... things lined up..."

I stared at him, watching as he went still and hoped with every fiber in my being that he was coming to see the light. Seeing that he'd been played. That Damon had found the perfect way to manipulate him – by twisting the truth and flipping the picture of the weakest link in Finn's past.

But as the seconds drew on, I realized he wasn't recognizing his wrongs at all, but staring right past me, his eyes locked on the dagger.

Without meaning to, I'd mistakenly shifted a step to the right, putting the dagger that rested behind me right into Finn's line of sight.

A moment passed, and then another before he spoke.

"It doesn't look like much, does it?" he asked, his tone much more subdued. He didn't glance at me once, his eyes unwavering from the steel. "Just a small dagger fit for a beginner in the field." He paused. "But that's what makes it so powerful."

I tore my gaze away from him for just a moment as I glanced over my shoulder at the dagger, noting that while the steel was carved beautifully – with lines that weaved their own pattern etched intricately onto the surface, he was right. It didn't appear to be worthy of these high levels of protection.

"When S.I.C.O was experimenting with new ways to gain a leg up on their enemies back in the day, they created this dagger," he said. "It's said that when the steel was forged, a poison was mixed into the molten metal – one that was all-consuming. Just one touch of the blade could cause your skin to burn, and if the blade was to pierce your skin, you'd be dead before you felt it."

My eyes widened at the information, part of me grateful that he'd stopped me from touching it. The rest however, was overrun with fear at what that type of power in the wrong hands – the hands of the Gemini Clan, could do.

Slowly, I watched as Finn began to creep closer, as though he was an animal stalking its prey – waiting for the right time to strike. Bracing myself for his next move, I eyed him cautiously, noting the entranced state he seemed to be in.

It was like something had taken complete control of his mind. Whether it was pure awe at the weapon before him or a side effect of slumming with cold-hearted killers over the past week, I couldn't be sure.

Pulling the stun gun from my belt, I gripped it tightly between my hands.

Finn's gaze shifted towards me, clicking his tongue. "You want to play the hero?" he asked, making the task at hand all the more daunting. "That could very easily get you killed."

"It's better than letting that dagger fall into the wrong hands."

With the barrel of the gun aimed at his chest, giving me the best possible chance, I kept my eyes locked on his. He took one step closer, and then another. With each movement, I told myself to pull the trigger, to end this, but every time I felt myself falter.

Then, suddenly, he was right in front of me. The gun was mere inches from his chest, and yet still, I hesitated.

"You may have the will to shoot me, Aspen, but you don't have the strength," he taunted, a knowing smirk hovering on his lips. "Am I right?"

"No – "

A scream cut off my words – my own, I realized, as I watched Finn crumple to the ground. I stumbled backwards until I hit the stone wall behind me, the gun still in my grip as my hands fell to my sides. But I hadn't squeezed the trigger. Whatever was happening, it wasn't because of me.

He wrestled against what appeared to be a ghost as he brought his hands up to his neck, gripping onto the air and struggled to move. It took a few seconds, but with a grunt and a push of momentum he managed to break free, immediately turning to face the invisible force that was fighting against him.

And then it clicked.

The invisibility cloak.

Finn fought blindly, his punches and kicks thrown wide, attempting to restrict her movements and keep her from skirting around him. When she made a move against him however – a carefully planned punch straight to the jaw, he barely acknowledged it. Instead, he immediately reached out to grab her, and in one swift movement had spun her around, trapped her against his chest with his arms around her neck, and yanked the invisibility cloak to the ground.

"You've been out of the field too long," he said, his grip on Kira becoming tighter. "You've lost your touch."

"Funny," Kira said, her voice a rough wheeze, "because I thought, for a second there, I caught you off guard."

"And now you're going to regret it."

I scrambled to reposition the gun in my hands as Finn reached into a small pocket in his belt and pulled out a small syringe. I couldn't shoot, knowing I'd hurt Kira in the process, so I dropped the gun. Rushing across the few meters that separated us, I skidded to a stop as I watched Finn plunge the needle into the side of her neck and released the hold he had on her.

The effects were instant as she collapsed to the floor unconscious, her eyes falling shut as she went.

I ground my teeth together as Finn turned to face me. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"Nothing that'll harm her long term," he replied, a twisted grin forming on his lips. "At least not yet."

Having dropped the now-empty syringe, he lifted his hand so that I could catch a glimpse at what was now in his possession. My eyes widened at the small device.

A bomb.

"All I have to do is activate it," Finn drawled. "Then there'll be only a few minutes before this place comes crumbling down, stone by stone. And by that time, me, and the dagger, will be long gone."

He thought it was that easy? That he'd just deal with me, make a grab for the dagger, and hightail it out of here without a scratch?

I didn't think so.

A switch flicked inside me as I pushed hard against his chest, causing him to waver only slightly in his stance. It was enough however, for me to catch him off guard as I ducked to the ground, swinging my leg around in a powerful kick that swept his legs out from underneath him.

With Finn on his back, I spun on my heel and dove for where I'd let the stun gun clatter to the ground, but this time I didn't hesitate. When it was once again within my grip, I turned my body so that I had a clear shot and pressed the trigger.

The blue-tinged blast that erupted out of the barrel was small, but powerful. He was down – completely immobilized. I breathed a quick sigh of relief as I scrambled up to my feet, but as a rhythmic ticking hit my ears, my blood ran cold.

The bomb was still nestled within the slackened grip of his left hand, but the timer had been set off, each tick signaling one less second I had to get out.

If I moved quickly, it was possible that I could make it up the stairs before it went off, but that still didn't guarantee me safety. This whole building was made of stone – or at least it appeared to be. If the explosion was strong enough to demolish the supports down here, then who knows what kind of damage would be done to the rest of the building.

But I couldn't think like that. I had to believe that I'd make it out of here. That everything would be okay.

The only problem I faced? Figuring out what to do next.

It was a quick decision to leave the dagger behind. I couldn't risk accidentally touching the blade, and perhaps if it was trapped beneath piles of stone, it'd be safer. After all, a lost weapon was harder to locate than a hidden one.

The tough part to swallow was knowing that I didn't have the strength to carry both Finn and Kira to safety. Even after everything he'd done, I knew Finn didn't deserve to be left behind, but if I couldn't save them both, I would do everything I could to save the one who'd had my back since this whole adventure began.

Moving to Kira's side, I brought my arms around her chest, lifting her so that she sat upright. Before she could slump back down to the floor, I threw one of her arms over my shoulders, holding it steady while I wrapped my other arm around her back and stood up, bringing her with me.

Supporting Kira's body with my own, I didn't glance back at Finn as I made my way to the exit, but I figured there was no more than a minute – two max – until the bomb went off.

Not enough time to escape, but long enough to get the two of us as far away from the explosion as possible.

The staircase was just wide enough for me to maneuver both of our bodies up the still slippery steps, and though every movement I made signaled a new pain in my muscles, I kept moving.

I couldn't give up.

Pushing forward, I felt my heart begin to race with adrenaline as I struggled to fight off the burning in my legs and the tremors in my arms. Each small step felt like a mile-high mountain, an impossible challenge that I was somehow mastering, and when the top of the staircase finally came into view I almost wept.

But then the stones began to rumble.

There was no time to process what was happening as the bomb went off. Walls around us began to cave in on themselves and I was thrown off balance, tilting sideways before I fell to the ground.

Pain rushed through me and the last bit of hope I had shattered, but through it all I didn't let go of Kira. Not when I felt the sharp scrape of a stone fall across the side of my face, not when the scream of piercing pain escaped my lungs, and not moments later, when I felt myself succumb to the horrors around me and let it all fade slowly away.