Her jitters didn't calm even as they sat in the car on their way. Her hands twitched and her legs bounced in nervousness.

This was it.

They were over half way there and by the time the sun crested in the sky they would be attacking. They had planned for weeks and though Jana wasn't aware of everything she knew her part well enough, whatever little bit she had been give. Her and Ju-long had already planned to routes in the system and Blake had thought of ways to infiltrate the camp.

There was lot to do in the few hours they had, guns had to be loaded and everyone needed rest.

One of the moving vehicles had half prepared explosives and the other had weapons, though most of the warriors had opted to go wolf form. The 10 vehicles were not enough to contain the whole squad but it worked out best because the majority wanted to run, the close confinement would only drive them over the edge. Especially at this time.

Simeon had opted to run in his shifted from but Ju-long hadn't. His thick hand rested over her knee as he tapped her bouncing limb.

"Stop bouncing" he grunted, gripping her knee a little tighter when she didn't stop.

"Sorry but I'm nervous" she snapped, her nails scraping along the back of his hand as she tried to pry his hands off.

"Your nerves will only make you an easy target. Be calm, you have nothing to worry about" he patted her knee one last time before he pulled away from her, his hands dropping into his lap.

It was easy for him to say she had nothing to worry about but she knew better. Her mind was ticking and she felt a huge wave of regret.

Regret that she had left Zosia, that she had put her need to prove herself before the little angel. Regret that she hadn't made amends with her siblings and regret that her and Simeon were at this point.

The hope she had for them was gone, not that there had been much in the first place. They had been over before they had ever been together and it was hard for her to acknowledge that the bond wasn't for everyone. Sometimes the gods got it wrong.

It had worked out for all of her sisters but for her, it just wasn't meant to be and though it was her choice it still hurt her that Simeon had seemed so blasé about it. He hadn't cared one bit, hadn't even apologised for clawing at her shoulders though she hadn't apologised for slapping him across his face.

The scratch lines of her nails began to fade along his face but her shoulders were still raw and her neck bruised. Was this her life now.

"Do you know what my name means" Jana shook her heard, clearing the morbid thoughts from her mind.

"It means powerful dragon, which is funny really considering I am not like one at all. My sister yes but me no and yet she gets the name that means flower or something"

Her leg stopped tapping as she turned to him in interest at this turn in conversation, "In what language"

"It's of Chinese decent" he smiled his white teeth at her.

"You're Chinese?" She sputtered, her eyes wide as she looked at him in a completely different light.

Ju-long had dark skin that typically wasn't associated with people of East Asian regions. He had full lips and almond shaped dark eyes, a flat nose and long lashes. His hair was jet black and plaited to the back of his head, he was tall and had quite broad shoulders but his aura was not threatening but soothing.

"Well something like that, my mother is from East Asia but she isn't sure where due to, well the state of the world and my father is of African decent. He can trace his roots back to old world Nigeria and even further than that."

"Oh, that's an interesting mix. Chinese huh, do you speak it?" He had her complete attention, her body twisting further in the cramped back seat as she turned to face him fully. Quietly apologising to the guy she bumped next to her.

"I speak 3 languages other than English." His lips tilted up in a grin at Jana's shocked face. Most people spoke one language and that was universal english, most other languages had long become extinct with only a small minority of people being bi-lingual but Ju-long surpassed that.

"I speak Mandarin, Housa and Arabic..." he let that sink in. The languages he spoke were so vastly different and some of the most complicated languages to learn and yet Ju-long was fluent in them.

"Did you know your name means heaven in Arabic. It's pronounced a bit differently but it's very similar" he was impossibly handsome when he smiled, his cheeks dimpled in his smooth skin.

"Oh wow," she was in awe. Never mind that he knew what her name meant because her aunty Manal had already told her that, but the fact that he spoke these languages fluently, well that was something special.

"Will you look at that, we are here and I have managed to get rid of your nerves. Your welcome Jennah" he murmured, tongue rolling over her name and making it seem so foreign.

He nodded his head at her before he climbed out the car and pulled it open for her. She reluctantly climbed out, her finger twitching at her side as she braced herself for the chaos that would ensue.

They were here.

//--//

There was no uplifting speech. No declaration, no heart warming thundering speech. No, there had been no speech just silence.

Silence as the sun made its presence known, flickers of purple and orange crackling across the sky as boots crashed down on twigs and Jana fell into step. Their crunching feet were like a cacophony, a drum beat that thudded and thudded as they stepped closer and closer to the pried open gates.

There was a buzz in the air, an excited thrum at the possibility of what this day would bring. Optimism, though Jana did not share the sentiment. Her nails bit into her skin as she stood by the drain, breath wheezing from her throat as she waited for the smaller warriors to climb down.

They had backpacks full of bombs in order to blow the drains on the other side and guns forbwhen the coma the truly began.

"Remember, light on your feet and cover each other's backs" Simeon nodded solemnly to each man and woman as they began climbing down, small comns devices and flash lights in their hands as they disappeared into the ground.

She jerked mid step as his hand wrapped around her pulling her into a solid chest "when this is over I would like to talk Jana"

He looked worse for wear, his hair was disheveled and he looked a little restless as if he hadn't slept properly. She couldn't help but sigh as she stared at his sullen face. This was all his doing.

"There is nothing left to say Simeon, we have made our choices," though he hadn't agreed outright with her words, lhe hadn't denied them.

"There is so much to say Jana, so much I need to say and though now is not the time I want you to remember that because I can't let you go. Not like this" his warmth radiated against her, his rough hands stroking along her cheek. Pulling down to her lip as he memorised the contours of her face, her soft warm skin.

"So you make it out today if only so you can rip me a new one. You make sure you make it back to me" his words fervent as he gripped her shoulders, his thumb stroking over the same places he had hurt her as if his soft touch could erase the harsh one.

His touch was soft, almost loving. He touched her as if she was some revered being. As if she were his life force, something he needed to survive.

As if he had never hurt her a day in his life.

Wasn't this how women stayed in these abusive relationships. A man could out right hit you but the moment he showed remorse, a little love, those horrific bruises were forced to the back of the mind. Purple fading into a warm pink until his hands fisted again and her head spun at the force.

The apologetic words sobbed along her bosom would turn into furious insults that rained down on her body with heavy fists. She couldn't turn a blind eye because if she did the cycle would only repeat itself until she found herself too deep to scamper her way out.

Her loose hair scraped across her face as she shook her head no, pulling from his arms as she stood back.

"I'll make it out alive Simeon but it won't be for you" her back turned to him and then she was disappearing into the tunnel, hot on Ju-long's tail.

Dank water slapped against her ankles as her boots splashed into a puddle, her knees bent as she gained her balance and then she was off.

They traveled in dim light for quite sometime but when they reached a fork in the tunnel system they split up. She followed ju-long but couldn't help but look back and watch as blonde locks disappeared around the corner. A strong back being swallowed by the dark walls of this tunnel.

"Stay with me" hushed Ju-long as he motioned for her to keep up. They sped up into a light jog, Jana somewhere near the back of the group but not all the way at the back.

Lights flashed erratically as a distant voice shouted, "The fuck is that" and then a gun shot sounded off. The squeaking noise stopping abruptly.

"Just a rat" she mumbled under her breath as she stepped over the dead and bleeding rodent. It's teeth protruding over its lips and it's body at least the size of a new born baby.

A hush settled over them as orange light shone through the gaps of the gutter gate, warmth tingling along her ski as they neared the gates. As soon as the first person reached it they clambered down and got to business. Bags dropped to the damp floor and prices of metal and wire were pulled out.

Jana stood for split second before she too dropped to her knees, pulling out the green liquid from her bag. Holding it tightly she made her way to the front, clasping it securely to her chest.

"Alright, give it here" murmured Keith, his words muffled by the black mask around his mouth. His muscled hand stretch out palm up as he waited for her to give him the final piece. Jana carefully moved the green liquid within the clear bottle from her chest and placed it gently in his hands.

She moved back a few steps, Ju-long pushing her further behind him as everyone moved away from the gutter gate. Only a few people stood by and they had long black tubes in their hands, prepared for whatever Keith was about to do.

Keith pulled out a small black tube, he flipped the clasp and then placed the green tube inside. Closing the black tube, he flicked on a switch that had a small fire lighting. Her breath wheezed out as she waited for the moment. When Keith deemed the liquid hot enough, he shook the black tube and then placed it by the drain pipe. Running to where they stood as a sharp snap filled the tunnel.

There was a loud clap and then a grey smokey fog filled the air, the smoke bubbling along the gate as it all but disintegrated into ash and then the smoke was coming their way.

Screeching as the smoke sizzled and popped, the air sweltering as the walls of the tunnel began to disintegrate.

Burn them. Sizzling crackling screams as they choked on the whooshing steam. Smoke licking at their feet and filling their lungs, everything was so hazy.

A clear liquid squirted from the black tubes, splattering onto the coiling smoke and taming the havoc it created. The smoke recoiled at the wet touch and then it all but dissapeared with a harsh scream, dissolving into the sewage floor as what was left of the gate shattered to the floor.

She stood in awe, her eyes wide in shock. They were all in shock, not believing that something so small had the capability of causing so much destruction, just a few heated atoms and it had caused so much destruction.

"Right, mind out so I can disable the system" grumbled Ju-long as he pushed his way through the crowd and then squatted down by the disintegrated gate and crumbled walls. He began tapping at his comms device, his fingers flying over the device and his head rising every few minutes to watch the flickering dish above the tall building.

It continuously flickered green, twinkling like a night star and then it went black. The satellite swooping low as their system was disabled.

"Okay, move" he shouted pushing the warriors through the gate but pulling Jana back by her arms. "Not you" he growled which only earned him a hard shove on his chest.

His eyes budged open as he staggered back, his hands still gripping hers as they tumbled through the gates and down the rocky ditch. Dust rising around their faces as rock bit at their skin and ripped at their clothes.

The world twirled around her as she heard shouts and the sound of gunfire marking the beginning of the fight. They tumbled for what felt like ages until her head smacked against something hard and Ju-long toppled above her, his body laying flat against hers. There was cool drip drip from the back of her head and the world was till moving. Spinning.

Dust raked in her face as angry feet skidded to a halt beside them, "Get up" growled Simeon pushing Ju-long off of Jana before he gripped her arm and pulled her along. His face red in anger as she all but jogged behind him, her feet slightly unsteady as it took her a while to get he bearings.

"Follow me" he spat, dodging an explosive that flew by their heads causing her to thud into his back.

He gripped her hand tighter and then began running towards the tall building at the centre of the crater. Air whooshed through her lips as she ran after him, her brain disorientated as she caught glimpses of bodies flying and people being shot down.

She could feel Ju-long hot on her tail as they sprinted to the cover of the tall building.

The Ridge was in a warzone, bullets were flying and bombs were being dropped, people were out right fighting and ripping each other to shred and Jana wasn't prepared for it. She was not mentally ready for this type of carnage.

Her body ground to a slow halt as a limb flew by her head and thudded to the floor, flesh and blood splattering as the decapitated head rolled along the floor.

She could hear angry thudding, the continuous Bang bang bang of bullets meeting flesh. The screeching cries of burning flesh as fire met skin and burnt through them until they were nothing but ash.

Fingers clicked in her face jolting her from her stupour, "Pull yourself together" gritted Ju-long as he tugged her behind him, leading her towards the skyscraper where Simeon was viciously working on the door.

His boot thudded and thudded against the barricaded doors until glass shattered into metal. His hand poked through the window as he tanked at the metal chains in the inside, the glass ripping into his skin and splashing crimson.

His jaw clenched as he tugged and tugged until the metal finally gave way and the doors gushed open. He pushed Jana and Ju-long inside before quickly closing it again, a bullet barely skimming past his head as the doors crashed shut.

The building was old, almost derelict. Painted signs scattered across the side of the stairs which was bizarre because the building had been built after the final war and had always belonged to the Resentiam, well as far as they knew.

Jana flickered on her light as she walked through the abandoned building, the floor creaking as she moved. Her heart thudded in her ears as a thick hand wrapped around her mouth and nose. Dragging her body bawards as she struggled to breathe, black crawling at the fringes of her mind as she scratched at the fingers.

Half lided eyes swooped low as she stood completely still, warm air tickling along her neck as she watched people scurrying around. Shoes thudding as they rushed to and frow, oblivious to their bystanders.

As soon as the last body turned around the corner, her mouth was released and she sagged back against the hard chest.

"You're okay, now lets go" he grunted, forcing her to move forwards.

They headed down the corridor where they had seen the people coming from. Turning and turning down the winding corridors until they reached winding staircase that lead down to big black doors. Ju-long nodded his encouragement, this was where they needed to be and so they climbed down the stairs, Simeon leading the way with a gun cocked in his hand.

He spun around the corner of the door and his mouth dropped wide, a deep growl tumbling causing a screeching and scattering in the room.

Jana's nose burnt as she dropped to the floor retching, tears gushing down her face as she crawled towards the desecrated corpses. Limbs were missing as blood pooled around their legs, it was sticky meaning that this was fresh.

Their naked bodies were shackled to each other as lash marks streaked across their bodies and human excrement lined their skin. Children were shackled alongside their parents, their little bodies curled even as blood dried along their skin.

Black beady eyes glared back at her as a thick body swished and snarled, preparing to ounce as white teeth seemed to sharpen. The resounding gunshot stopped the rat in its track, its body falling limply to the ground as its dark fur was covered in red.

Her damp eyes shot up to Simeon but she only met his back as he stormed around the corridor and back the way they came.

She sat there for a second, mourning the loss of those poor lives and the disgusting way they had been taken before she was up and charging after Simeon and Ju-long.

Fury clouding her mind and sizzling through her veins as images of those innocent souls flashed through her brain.