[Democratic Republic Of Eiria]

Refurbished ASI Base, outside Tlālacuetztla
June 24th

Adrian Frank sat on the bunk of his cell, fidgeting anxiously. He ran the plastic spoon between his fingers, watching the bowl on the floor to try to seem normal. Siena had told him that she would let him out so they could escape after he was locked up in the new cell in Xiomera, but it had been almost an hour(for what he could tell). He sighed. I don't know what I was expecting. She probably just did it to get my hopes up. Damn it.

He was just lying down when the door to the interrogation room outside the cell swung open and quietly shut. A sweating Siena rushed to the cell door, unlocked it, and tossed a uniform on the bed, as well as a black backpack. Adiran sat up and took a look at the outfit, surprised."You came".

Siena raised an eyebrow. "Surprised?". She pointed to the uniform. "Put these on, now. We haven't much time. I don't know how long the distraction will last". Adrian gestured to Siena. "Well....can you at least turn around?".

She let out an emphasized sigh. "Now is not the time to be a prude!". She complied, turning around and studying the locked door while Adrian put on the guard uniform. After he was done, he rifled through the backpack, surprised to find wads of quetzals and Lunens, along with some sets of clothes. "Wow. Impressive. Also pretty heavy. You could use it as a siege weapon!".

She grabbed his arm. "Well, you're going to have to put up with it. We're getting the hell out of here. We're heading to Manauia Island, to meet with the Teyatia. They may be our only chance to hide from the Emperor's goons and Midgard's agents".

The pair left the interrogation room, Adrian trailing behind Siena at a reasonable distance, to seem that he's assigned to guard her. The base was in chaos, guard with fire extinguishers running both ways, and agents peeking out of their offices to check what was causing all the commotion. "What's going on?". He whispered, adjusting the cap of his uniform.

She smiled slightly. "Well, back in training, I was a bit of a pyromaniac. I tried to integrate fire into the solution of any problem or test. And a lot of the agents, even though it's not recommended, smoke cheap Eirian cigarettes. So, a lot of rooms just had a few 'Smoking Mishaps'. That's why I was late to let you out. I also placed magnets on the surveillance computers and as many cameras as I could".

He tried to hide his amused smile from the Midgard workers passing by. "It probably would have been good to know the person who's breaking me out is a crazy pyromaniac". He dodged a cart full of pistols pushed by a burly agent who looks like he could bend the guns and use them as shurikens. "You guys certainly don't mess around".

Siena went distant. "They don't, no. Most of them were children of leaders or officials of Darrin's regime, or part of it themselves. It's kind of sad, to look at it after cutting yourself free". She pointed to the door up ahead. "That's the rear exit. According to the fire plan, no guards should be able to stop us". She slid the door open, and held the door for Adiran.

"Siena!".

A voice rang out among the chaos, authoritative and sharp. Adrian froze, and Siena spun on her heel. Odin was watching them from down the hall, accompanied by a guard. Siena shoved Adrian out the door. "Go! Follow the Plan!". She slammed the door and put her back to it, blocking it. Sealing Adrian out and Odin in.

The leader of Midgard glared at her, sneering. "You would betray your cause, your life, for some rebel bastard? We are the only family you have left. Your father made me promise to take care of you! You're my Goddaughter. Why would you betray your family?!".

She donned an equally angry sneer. "You are no more my family than my bloody elementary teachers were. At least they cared, instead of using me and lying to me for their own benefit".

He looked genuinely insulted by that, though she could see through the well-constructed façade. "I loved you. You are throwing everything away! You were like my daughter! Why would you do something like this, and betray your family and friends?".

"I'm betraying you like you betrayed my mother. I've seen the records. She didn't die in an auto wreck. She was executed on a unanimous decision of the Politburo, which you held a position on. Only you didn't have the name Odin then. Steven Reisinger, Minister of Internal Intelligence. Gloryfied propoganda pusher".

Odin's expression darkened. "Liar". He gestured to his guard and pointed at Siena. "Escourt her to the cells. My niece is clearly unwell. Take her with dignity, though". The guard walked down the hall and tried to put a hand on her shoulder.

She acted on a combination of instinct and ruthless training, grabbing his arm and pulling him closer while thrusting her other hand, now armed with a dagger, into the guard's chest. The dagger punctured his heart and ran cleanly through skin and muscle. The guard choked and coughed, his enormous bulk falling on her.

She used his body as a temporary shield, trying to maneuver out of his weight. She laid him down on the floor, his blood staining the tile, and turned back to her Godfather. He was holding his ornate pistol up at eye level, pointing at Siena. "I didn't want to have to do this. I don't want to break this promise to your father, but I'm afraid I must". He pulled the trigger.

A sharp pain shot through her gut, causing her to double over in shock. She put a hand out, falling to her knees, tears running from pain. Odin walked up to her, careful to stay outside striking distance, and looked down at her. "You left me no choice. You chose this one for yourself. At least you will be reunited with your bitch of a mother soon enough". He turned to leave, boots leaving a slightly bloody impression on the floor.

Get up. She told herself, clutching her stomach. She knew she didn't have much time. I have to something, to save Adrian, to avenge my mother, to make my life right. Her breathing was shaky, and time seemed to slow. She could hear her heartbeat slowing with each beat. She watched Odin walking away in slow motion,

Get Up! GET UP!

She tried to put a leg up, but slipped on a po of blood from the guard, bumping into the hilt of her dagger lying on the tile. That's it. This is what I have to do. She grabbed it and placed a shaky foot up, then another, clutching her stomach with a bloody hand. She was filled with one last burst of strength and anger, and was determined to make it last. She watched him talking to a group of guards, no doubt telling them about Adrian. She screamed with a rough, fierce tone, one that she didn't know she was capable of.

"BASTARD!".

He turned, curious to see how she was standing. She saw her opening, and threw the dagger, reverting to the days of throwing knives at targets, the only place she excelled without much practice. His eyes widened when he figured out what she was doing, but it was too late.

Chink.

He grasped the hilt of the dagger protruding from his stomach, stumbling backwards. The guards stared at the dagger wound for a moment, then raised their guns and started firing at Siena, hitting her once in the chest and once in the arm. Her legs gave out, spent, and she fell backwards onto the tile.

And as she was falling, for the first time in her life, she felt truly content with what she had done. If she faced hell for her actions, she would go gladly, knowing that her last act was to take vengeance for her mother, and knowing that she would, sooner or later, see Odin in hell with her.