Immediately, there was a deafening sound of gunfire. But somehow, miraculously, none of the bullets hit us. We ran down the hall, Peter clutching Soulstrike, Whisper holding Hannah, and I holding Project Erlösung to my chest. We bolted through the halls, the agents running after us, shooting wildly at us. I saw Peter turn, shoot Soulstrike into the mob, then turn around, not breaking pace. There was a slight glimmer as the arrow returned to the shaft, and Peter turned to fire again.

I ran like the devil was after me, and in a way, he was. The Corrupt may have realized that humans were monsters, but they didn't try to change that in themselves. I growled low. We can't let them get Project Erlösung, I thought. We have to get it back to that hall.

Glancing at Hannah, I called, "Hannah! Can you guide us?" The little girl lifted up her head, then gave a slight nod. She pointed towards a hall, and we pivoted and ran down that hall. We twisted and turned so many times that I lost count, but eventually we reached the hall that was blissfully empty of Corrupt agents. But not for long.

With a lot of panting, the agents that had been chasing us entered the hall, Dean at the front of them. He locked eyes with me, and shook his head tiredly. "Anne..." he said, breathing heavily. I shook my head and backed away from him. "Anne..." he started again. "Please, Anne, don't try to be the hero. Give me Project Erlösung. Be my girlfriend again. I can keep you safe!" he said desperately.

Peter and Whisper stepped in front of me, brandishing their weapons. Hannah sat in a chair by the table, resting her head on her arms like a little child that had fallen asleep in school. Whisper turned towards me, then nodded at the slot in the wall. I nodded back, then started walking carefully towards the slot.

Dean snarled and raised Grimbane. "Why can't you just listen, Anne!" he growled, lunging towards me. Whisper brought Wolfslayer up and caught his shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain from him as he crashed back to the ground. Peter drew back Soulstrike's shaft, then let it loose, striking down a Corrupt agent. Then, all at once, the agents and Dean rushed towards us, screaming.

I bolted towards the slot, but an agent that had gotten past Whisper and Peter blocked me. They grabbed towards the box, but I drew Void Reaper and stabbed them through the stomach. They gasped, then collapsed. I pulled my blade free and continued towards the box. I reached the slot, then slammed it in.

At the same time, from behind me, Dean came out of nowhere and slashed Grimbane down towards Project Erlösung. I managed to get the box into the slot, but not before Dean tore a deep gash into it.

"NO!" I screamed.

For two seconds, everything was still. My friends and the Corrupt agents froze. Dean was a statue. I couldn't breathe. Hannah snored softly from the table.

Then alarms started blaring, and a thick black smoke poured from the box and the wall. The Corrupt agents started backing slowly away, as did me and Dean. We had gotten ten steps away before the wall exploded, sending a wave of heat and smoke across the hall. Everything dissolved into a thick, blind chaos.

I screamed, and I felt someone grab my arm. I fought to get away, but they yelled in my ear, "It's me, Anne! It's Peter!" I stopped struggling at let him lead me through the smoke out into the hall. Whisper was there, holding Hannah who was somehow, impossibly, still sleeping. Peter spun me around and grabbed my shoulders, his brown eyes boring into my green ones.

"What happened? You put the box in the slot. Why didn't Project Erlösung work?" he said fiercely. I pulled away, rubbing my shoulders where his fingers had dug into them. "Dean... he... he slashed the box when I put it in. It started smoking, then blew up," I said shakily. Whisper growled from behind him, and Hannah stirred in her sleep.

I pointed at Hannah. "How is she asleep?" I said curiously. Whisper tapped the Crystal in her forehead. "Drains her energy. When she fought Dean, exhausted her," she said. I shook my head. How did I not know this? I thought sadly. I felt tears form in my eyes. There was so much I didn't know. I was so useless. I felt a tear trickle down my face. I had failed.

But unexpectedly, I felt Peter come close to me. He hugged me gently, then whispered, "I'm just glad that you're safe." I felt my face grow warm, but I buried my head in his chest. I felt the comforting beat of his heart. I sighed, despite the fact that smoke and screams were pouring out of the room behind us. I was content to stay like that for hours, but Whisper cleared her throat significantly.

Peter pulled away from me, his face flushed, then pointed at a piece of paper on the wall of the hall. I realized that it was a map of the Headquarters. Funny, I thought. I hadn't noticed the map there before. He traced a pathway through the printed corridors, then pulled the map off of the wall and started jogging down the hall. I looked at Whisper, who followed him without hesitating.

"Peter...?" I asked. He looked at me, his face covered in soot. I realized that I must look just as filthy. "We have to get out of here, Anne. Can you feel it?" he asked, gesturing to the walls. I pressed my hand to the wall, but quickly pulled it away. "It's hot!" I cried. Peter nodded. "Looks like the Corrupt forgot to fireproof their base. We have to go before this place goes up in flames!"