27.

Dan.

I spat blood out of my mouth and groaned. My head pounded as I sat up, the floor had been chafing against my cheek, the fine layer of dust slowly choking me.

I blinked stars out of my eyes and searched the room. Pitch black. I switched on the Unit. Three mottled and worn down skeletons stared back at me. I swore and leaped backwards, only going a meter before my back slapped against something cold. The skeletons had rats weaving through their empty eye sockets, their old white lab coats riddled with holes and barely touching the colour.

"Funny, ain't it?" a voice said behind me, accompanied with a pungent cologne.

I jumped forward again and spun, it was the boy from the hallway. The boy with the red arm and those empty black eyes. What was his name again? Jin, I think.

He leaned against the bars separating us, brought out a red cigarette cylinder, switched it on, and blew the stream of red smoke into my face. "What? Angry, Stray? Thought you should have a little reunion with Doctor Pam, Anders and Irwin to calm you down."

Huh? "What? What the hell's going on?" I gingerly touched the side of my head, there was nothing there, but I still felt Tohka's boot coming down. And the look on her face. Fuck for sake, Dan. All you do is hurt people. With or without the Unit.

"What's going on?" he repeated, smirking like it was an amusing question. "What's happening is that you're getting what you deserve."

I deserve a lot of things, so he'd have to specify. "What do you mean?"

He flicked the cylinder at me and brought out another. "Just relax, Stray. Soon enough, you're going to be doing what you do best," he blew out, "killing and disappointing your friends." He turned his back to me. "And then I'd get to kill you. That's what I'm looking forward to the most."

"Stop speaking in freaking riddles," I snapped. The whole cloak and dagger act was draining, and my head was still pounding; keeping up was hard enough without the mental gymnastics. "Where am I? Who the hell are those people," I pointed at the skeletons, "And why do you want to kill me?"

He didn't turn around. He brought the cylinder to his lips, blew out, and leaned his head against the bars in front of my face. "Young Haven. The first three doctors I watched you kill." He glanced at me, his long black hair swaying in front of his face. "I want to kill you because you're disgusting. A monster. An animal. Too much of a danger."

My shoulders sagged and I took a slow step back. "Because of the Unit?"

"No." He shook his head. "Because you're Daniel Fallow. A mistake. A terrorist. A mass murderer. That's why." He jabbed his finger between the bars and hit my chest. "You don't even remember anything about me, do you?" he hissed.

I sighed, not an aggravated sigh, an exhausted sigh. Everyone seemed to know more about me than I do. Every time I meet someone new they have some sort of information about me that I can't even begin to grasp. I was the reason my best friend got killed. I was the reason Mei died. I hurt Tohka, and I can't fix that with my usual smile and apology. No. I hadn't been causing trouble just because of the Unit, I was causing problems because of who I am. It just keeps going on and on.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, "I don't."

"God," he spat, "You're fucking pathetic."

I know.

I slumped against the rough wall of the prison cell and slid to the floor. "Can I ask you a question?"

"No."

"What did I do to…them? The doctors."

He chuckled; low, silent, and empty. "Snapped their spines."

"Why?"

"Why?" He laughed, this time it was loud and full. Full of malice and something else, something deep and disgusted. "How the hell should I know, Stray? You're the murderer between us."

Right. Yeah. Stupid question. Smarter one now: "Were you friends with Kira and the others?"

He flexed his jaw but didn't answer. He just examined me, like a hunter watching a deer. He was sharp: sharp cheek bones, sharp jaw, sharp eyes. But there was something else to him. A tiredness under his eyes. A droop to his mouth. His eyes were dark, but they were glossy as well, like he was holding in something. I knew that look. I had that look. We were different through and through, but we shared something. More than just the Unit.

"Were we friends?"

He spat next to my bare foot and turned round.

Hunter was probably going to be angry at me. I'd loosely agreed to fight for Tick. I feel terrible about lying to him now. Now I'm the disgusting one. It's hard to fight for someone you can't remember, and I hate myself for coming to that conclusion. I hadn't remembered anyone else, either. But the difference was that they were alive, and he wasn't. But I hadn't lied through and through. Mei was still by my side in the small cell. Humming and drawing a slim finger across my forearm.

I hadn't known her either, but she was there. She was the first one I saw. She was the first one who hugged me and smiled, even though I was different from what she remembered. Even though I wasn't the same Dan, she still smiled and hugged me. She died knowing I was back, that's why she smiled. She smiled because her…friend was back. I can't just take what's happening lying down then. Hera had told me I'd fought for Tick two years ago. This time, I was going to fight for Mei.

Fuck jumping into the river and letting it take me away. Respectfully, fuck everyone who told me to off myself. I'd messed up, colossally at that, but I was going to own up for it. No more hiding behind excuses. No more feeling shitty for myself.

For all the mistakes I've made, for all the heartache, for all the spilled blood and tears. That's what I'd keep fighting for. And if I go out with a bullet in my head, then so be it, but only after I'd fought for my friends and made up for what I'd done to them. Grace was going to be the first wrong I'd right.

I am Daniel Adams Fallow. I am the Unit. And I am not going to go down without a fight.

Jin chuckled. "Stopped crying, huh?"

I stood up and Mei steadied me when I swayed. "Jin. Don't you want to go back to everyone? All of your friends?"

"Patronizing me now?"

I took a few steps towards the metal bars, his back was still turned to me, and he was focused on the bullet hole covered ceiling. "You have the Unit as well. Let's work-"

"No. I'd never work with you again," he muttered. "I'd made that mistake before, and look at where we are Stray. Following you is a death wish."

It may be, but hell, isn't it fun? "Fine. Then…when you finally kill me, tell Kira and the others that I'm sorry." Another few steps forward, a meter between us now, my hand a few centimeters away from the old lock mechanism.

"Like hell I would."

Less than a meter, my hand on the mechanism, and the Unit showing me everything I need to do. For all the crap I give it, we worked well as a team. But I can't jump the gun yet, Jin was here for a reason – to keep me here. Waiting for something. Someone. Grace was either here or on her way. But if I could get out of here, leave the rest of the escape route to get planned out by the Unit, then I could get back to the others.

I'd have to incapacitate Jin first, though.

I just have to keep him talking. "You know, ever since I went into the Gray for the first time…and…and that night happened, I can't stop hearing Mei." My hand closed around the lock. "Not talking. Did she used to sing a lot? Or hum?"

She hummed louder.

Jin didn't respond. He just kept staring up at the ceiling with the cylinder hanging from his lips. His eyes were glossier now. He sighed and folded his arms.

Perfect.

I crushed the lock in my hand and heaved away the sliding metal bars. Jin stumbled forward and I slammed into him, shoving him against the opposite wall. I brought my arm up to cut down at his neck, but the Unit froze for a split second. And then the static. It exploded in my head and I screamed, backpedalled, and hit the dust filled corridor floor. Jin also hit the floor, cradled his neck, and yelled in pain.

Shit. This wasn't going to work. If I switch off the Unit, then he'd keep his on and that would be that. But if I didn't, then I'd be wasting time and then Grace would get her hands on me easily. Screw it! I'll take my chance, my gut has a good feeling about this.

I switched off the Unit.

Jin didn't pounce on me. He switched off his as well, a stalemate, even better. My gut was right.

I sucked in air and brushed sweat out of my face. I lunged at Jin, still low to the floor, and punched him square in the jaw. I clambered on top of him and punched him again. He rolled with it, grabbed my arms, and slammed his forehead against mine. Stars exploded in my eyes as I tumbled off of him. The world was still a little hazy when he got up and grabbed a fist full of my hair. He drove his knee into my face. Blood exploded from my nose and iron filled my mouth. No. I still wasn't going out like this.

I kicked out at his shin, meeting the bone with my heel. He howled and dropped to one knee. This time, I was the one who brought my knee to his face. His head snapped back as he stumbled onto his feet.

I clambered onto mine as well.

He spat out a wad of blood.

I did as well.

We both brought up our fists.

I charged at him, and he did as well. A punch that he blocked, another to his body that he didn't. He kicked my side, the impact felt like a battering ram slamming into my ribs. I took a step back and wheezed, he pressed and threw a punch. I ducked before it could hit the side of my head, grabbed his forearm, got underneath it and flipped him. His back smacked onto the corridor floor, but if he was dazed, he didn't show it. He swung his legs round and tripped me. I landed hard on my palms and he clambered onto my back, wrapping an arm underneath my jaw and pressing into my neck.

"I was planning on killing you later," he hissed right into my ear. "But Grace wouldn't mind me killing you right now."

"I…" Jeez, this whole breathing thing is really taken for granted. "I'm not…going to…lose to you."

"Lose?" He roared a laugh. "You're not just going to lose. You're going to die."

"Not…right…now." I swung my elbow back and slammed it into his jaw.

He didn't let go, but his grip weakened. Finally, something Hunter taught me how to deal with was going to come in handy. I wriggled my arm between his and forced my way out of his chokehold. I rolled forward and spun round, he darted forward and kicked me in the gut.

I'd have vomited right there if I'd eaten anything.

I kept my balance and blinked away tears. He grabbed either side of my head and brought it to his knee. My head whacked against it and the world flickered. Come on, Dan. I'm not going to go out this easy. Hunter was somewhere out there still fighting, and so would I.

I grabbed his leg and swung out at his other one with a kick, tripping him and slamming him onto his back. I rained down punches. Blocked. Hit. Dodged. A fist to the floor. My head buzzed with adrenaline, my heart thumped with a deep down heat. Not going out here – that's my goal.

Blood splattered the corridor next to his face, but he was throwing a few of his own as well. He caught me with a jab straight down to my nose and my limbs numbed. Crap. He shoved me off of him and he rolled onto his hands and knees. With everything I had left in me, I rolled onto mine, and then onto my feet.

He swayed onto his. Blood flowed from his nose, his lip was split, and one eyes swollen shut. I wasn't faring any better. Each breath was sending hot pain down my side, I was breathing through my mouth; my nose bent to one side and beyond numb. Both of our fists were covered in blood.

I swallowed a goblet of saliva and blood, it was painful and thick, but it tore down my throat eventually. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you, but I'm going to right them."

He spat out blood and saliva. "Fuck you, Stray. You don't get that luxury."

"And you don't get the luxury of killing me." At least, easily.

He stepped forward and punched me, hard and to the side of my head. I stumbled, shook my head, and punched him. He threw an uppercut, weaker than his last few punches, but still a dazing shot. I faked a lunge and snapped his nose to the right with a jab. He kicked me. I kicked him. He threw me against the wall and threw a right hook. I head butted him and shoved him against the opposite wall, throwing a hook of my own.

He exhaustedly shoved me away, I stumbled over a piece of debris from a wall, and came to a stop. We were both breathing heavy, but his hands were still up. So I raised mine as well. Whatever it took to make it up to my friends.

The lights snapped on above us, blinding, harsh, and dizzying. Grace stood with her arms crossed, a smile on her full lips, her fingers tapping against her arms. "Wow. Look at the both of you." He heels clicked as she walked between us. "Jin, you'd certainly be a Fallow in another life." She turned to me. "You, on the other hand, continue to amaze me. Like a cockroach I just can't keep down no matter how many times I step on it."

I threw a punch, but it was lazy. It wouldn't have mattered if it had anything behind it, anyway. She stepped back, slipped a small silver disk out of her pocket, and pressed a button. Everything in my body shut down. My legs weren't underneath me. My arms weren't there to stop my face from smacking against the floor.

But it was the same for Jin. His eyes wide and raging as he hit the ground. "What the hell is going on?" he roared. "You said I wasn't going to be part of this!"

She sat down on a chunk of rubble and folded her legs. "I did, didn't I? Shame that I'm not some sort of child clinging onto promises." She smiled even wider, from giddiness to derange. "But how else was I supposed to get you on board? I mean, do you know how hard it is to make sure the Unit doesn't kill the patient? Of course I was going to use you. You two are the only ones who have it, frustrating, but that's how things are sometimes."

"Hunter is going to kill you," I said, glaring at her. "He'll butcher you."

"I'm looking forward to it dear cousin." She stood and snapped her fingers. Two burly guards in white plucked me and Jin off of the floor. "So, Daniel, Jin, how about we get started?" She walked towards me and slid her cool fingernail down the scar over my eye. "My two little murderous puppets. I simply can't wait." She leaned in and whispered, "Time to finish Grandfather's work, Daniel. The stronger branch of the Fallow is finally going to get back its hold on the world," she winked, "with you at the helm, clearing the way for me and me alone."

I spat in her face.

She smiled and pressed the silver disk again. The world snapped into darkness, the final glimmer of an image I saw was Jin's angered face. His lips mouthing something. Brother. That's what he was mouthing. He was calling me his brother.