Disclaimer: For the last time, I don't own Victorious. Stop asking. Do I look like someone who owns Victorious? Would I be on here making FanFiction for a thing that I own? Probably.

Ugh.

You'd think, at some point, I'd actually be allowed to get some shut-eye.

But no. First I was woken up because we got lost, then I was woken up again because some people wanted to kidnap us in a screwed up town.

Now there's some sort of rattling. How rude can you get?

Wait…

Rattling?!

My eyes fly open and I'm momentarily blinded by the light shining into the pit, but soon I adjust and my fears are confirmed. Across from me is a long, coiled, and scaly creature staring at me. I can see the blur of its tail, signally its warning.

"Holy shit!" I cry out, shuffling back. The snake stares at me, and I'm suddenly locked in the strangest staring contest I've ever been in. I swallow hard, holding out my hand as if trying to send a signal of peace. "Um, whoa there, big guy. Sorry I kind of, uh, intruded on your home. Trust me, I don't want to be here, either."

Great, I'm talking to a snake. Heat stroke or some sort of desert madness must've taken affect.

The snake stays, staring, unblinking. How long do rattlesnakes keep up their warning until they finally strike? I hope they're patient.

"I, uh, I promise I won't hurt you, okay? Please don't bite me. That would make a really shitty day even shittier." I try to explain. The snake doesn't move, or acknowledge anything I said because it's a fucking snake.

This would be so much easier if I knew parseltongue.

I think if I just stay away from it, I'll be fine, right?

"Cat, please hurry." I mumble up to the sky. I'm hoping any moment she'll show up with the police. And maybe animal control.

And god, it's hot. I don't know how long I've been sleeping on the ground here. I wish I still had my phone so I could check how much time has passed, but they took it. Jerks.

I hope Cat's okay.

I start nursing the water bottle they gave me because have to keep my strength up. Meanwhile, I'm keeping my eye on that snake. I feel like I should name him at this point. Maraca sounds fitting, based on how much he loves shaking that tail.

Maybe I should train Maraca to do my bidding. If one of those guys come here before Cat does, I'll just make Maraca attack them. Perfect.

But I feel like that would take some positive reinforcement by form of dead mice, of which I have none. It's a harebrained plan, anyway.

I feel like I should be doing something. I take my eyes off Maraca for a moment to peer down the dark, spooky tunnel of the old mine. Maybe there is a way out through there. Plus, it's shaded so it's probably way cooler. I mean sure, there's a chance of a cave in but there's also a chance I was told that just so I wouldn't find a way to escape.

So my choices are: possible instant death by cave in and yet possible chance of escape, OR possible slow agonizing death by Maraca bite/heat stroke and no chance of escape.

Well, I need to test my ankle strength anyway. I start to push myself up and my ankle throbs in pain, but at least I can put weight on it. That's a good sign.

I start to turn to go into the tunnel, but Maraca gets a little clingy and starts rattling even louder. I immediately drop back to the ground. I'd have to go closer to Maraca to even get into the tunnel, so I guess so much for that plan.

"You know, you're really making this difficult for me." I sigh, pulling up my knees to me chest and resting my chin on top of them. I know I sound crazy for talking to a snake, but I feel like Cat would be proud of me for making a snake frenemy.

"Who're you talking to down there?" I hear a bark from above. I look up to see one of the men glaring down at me. Shit, I should've trained Maraca when I had the chance. "Are you talking to the snake? Hey, Max, she's talkin' to a snake!"

"Crazy bird." Max leans his head over the side as well, and I notice he's carrying something metal. He drops it the bottom, leaning it against the wall. A ladder. "C'mon, bird. The mayor wants to see ya."

I don't move, instead deciding to allow my frustrations to form into a snarky reply.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." I scoff. The other one snorts.

"So you're just going to stay down there an' waste away?" He asks.

"Sounds more fun than going with you guys." I retort. The man seems to turn red.

"Why you little…" He growls, but Max holds him back.

"I'd come up if I were you, bird." Max states. "Ya see, we recently acquired your little red bird friend… it'd certainly be a shame if something bad were to happen to her because you weren't bein' all cooperative."

I feel my heart stop for a moment.

"You have Cat?" I gape, my voice cracking a bit.

"Why don't you come up here and see." Max grins. I grit my teeth. I can't risk the possibility of them hurting Cat if they really do have her.

"Fine." I mutter. I'm able to push myself up and limp slowly to the ladder. Maraca gets louder again, as if to protest my leaving.

"That's a good bird." The other man sneers. "And don't try any funny business."

Before I even reach the top of the ladder, I'm lifted up and dragged away from the top of the pit. I never even had a chance to try anything funny.

Max continues to pull me away, and from behind me I hear a loud bang. This told me two things.

1 – they have guns.

2 – he just killed Maraca.

"Ah, Tori, how nice of you to join us." Lara gives a stiff smile. I'm thrown on the floor like before, but this time I have the strength to stand up and face her.

"Where's Cat?" I glower. Her smile tightens even more, and then gestures to the side of the room. The two other goons I recognize are there, holding Cat. She looks at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry." She croaks out. She looks defeated but unharmed, and that's all I care about.

"Alright, fine. You have both of us. Can you at least tell us what this is all about?" I interrogate. "You at least owe us that."

She smirks, sauntering over to me. "Of course, my darling pet. You never even gave me a chance." Lara coos, touching my cheek. I flinch away.

"Don't touch her." Cat growls. Lara gives a light laugh, looking in Cat's direction.

"You're quite protective, aren't you? It was so easy to spread a rumour that your girlfriend would be killed if you didn't turn yourself in. You took the bait as soon as you overheard it, didn't you?" Lara sneers, and Cat hangs her head. "So predictable. You two certainly are perfect for this."

So that's how they caught Cat. I can't blame her. They got me to climb out of the pit in the same way. I guess we are predictable.

"So is this the part where you sacrifice us to your cult god or something?" I spit, and Lara stares at me for a moment before throwing her head back in a horrendous laugh.

"A cult? Is that what you thought this was? You foolish girl. Lysium has no religion." She mutters, walking to the window. "I am a visionary. The world is such a troubled place. Society is simply an enormous malfunction across the map."

"Yeah, I think your town is a prime example." I seethe. Lara whips around, fury in her eyes, and then her face softens back to neutral.

"It's a work in progress." She states. "My aim is to make Lysium the definition of a perfectly functioning town. A utopia."

"How?" Cat asks.

"By bringing the best of the best here to lend their services." Lara explains. "We have five star chefs, some of the top doctors, the strongest for our police force…" She looks to her minions. "Several others. We're looking into finding some of the best construction workers to fix up the town a little bit. They have to drive through at some point. If not, we'll go out and find some ourselves."

That explains the amazing diner food, and the top of the line tech. Plus, Kayla was probably kept here as a waitress simply because of her good looks. She must be here against her will, too. Which begs the question…

"How does that even work? If these people are at the top of their fields, why would they want to stay in a slum like this?" I accuse. I expect Lara to glare at me again, but instead her smile widens.

"You'll find we can be very… persuasive." She purrs, walking over to Cat. I tense when Lara runs her fingers through Cat's hair. Cat gives Lara the bitterest scowl I've ever seen her give. "That's why it's so perfect that you have each other. Think of it as a form of leverage. Everyone here is complacent because we have something of theirs that they're not willing to lose. Whether that be money, possessions, secrets, or people."

"So you blackmail them." I observe.

"I've found it effective." Lara claims, looking proud. "It doesn't matter. Once this place reaches perfection, everyone will want to stay here anyway. Even without our… encouragement."

"That's fucked up." I mutter darkly. So this woman is basically trying to play The Sims, except in real life. And she makes sure no one escapes or is able to get help by blocking out outside communication, and then using something against them to threaten them into obeying her. She's psychotic. "You guys could take her on easily! Why don't you take a stand?" I shout at the men around me.

"She ain't got nothing on us." Johnny shrugs.

"Yeah, we just like our job here." Another agrees.

"A power trip." Cat concludes.

"Hey, it's better than any other job we could get." Max states. "Although I still wouldn't mind a pride parade…"

"Maxwell!" Lara snaps, and again Max shuts up. She turns back to me and Cat with a smile. "You should be excited. You were chosen to be a part of my perfect town."

"And what exactly do we have to offer?" Cat questions.

"I'm glad you asked." Lara beams. "We lack a lot of entertainment in Lysium so far. We have a movie theatre, but we need more. We also have a piano player – one that played with The New York Philharmonics! But we still need…"

"A singer." I finish, my glare fixed on her.

"Precisely." Lara confirms.

"And what if we refuse?" Cat asks.

"Were you not listening? Then something unfortunate may happen to something you care about." Lara states, and then strides over to me. She slaps me across the face, leaving me dazed for a moment. Wow, I have wanted to punch a lot of people in the face over the years… Jade, Barry, Moose… but his woman takes the cake.

"No! Don't!" Cat cries, tugging against the men holding her, but their grip is too strong. Probably a good thing for Lara. I'd hate to see anyone face Cat's full-on wrath.

"I'm glad you see it my way." Lara rubs her hand thoughtfully.

"Thanks… for the demonstration…" I sputter, holding my now-stinging cheek. "By the way, fuck you."

"Careful, Tori. You'll want to stay on my good side." Lara warns. "You see, I only need one of you to act as the lounge singer. The other will be the leverage."

"And what does the leverage do?" Cat asks, her voice trembling.

"We'll keep her away from you, somewhere safe. And she's only safe as long as you be a good little citizen and do your job." Lara smirks. "The problem is, you're both singers and research has shown that you're both quite good. We can't decide. So tomorrow we'll have you both sing for the town. The residents will pick who will be the town's singer."

"So you're having Cat and I compete against each other." I glare.

"You certainly are perceptive." Lara taps me on the nose, making me flinch again. "So I suggest you both rest up those vocal chords. You have a big day tomorrow."

"I won't compete against Tori." Cat declares. Lara scowls, and I'm afraid she's going to slap Cat for a moment.

"You'd better reconsider. After all, the winner will live as a citizen in the perfect town. The loser will live as our prisoner." Lara threatens. Both Cat and I glare daggers at this so-called perfect mayor.

"You won't get away with this." I promise, and Lara leans next to my ear.

"Watch me." She whispers, and then stands up straight. "Take these two to the broom closet here. Bring the ice and bandage from the clinic as well as some food and water. Lock them in and don't let them escape."

"Yes ma'am." The men all call back, and once again I'm being roughly dragged through the hallways. I hear someone behind me complain that Cat bit him.

We're tossed into the broom closet with a couple containers of food and some water, then Johnny stands at the entrance, tossing in the dressing bandage and a bag for ice.

"For your ankle, bird." Johnny grunts. "And if you two try to fuck in there before you're split up from each other forever, try to keep it down."

One of the other guys shoves Johnny aside, and the door slams shut. "That was inappropriate, man. Watch your mouth."

Their voices fade away and I slump against the back wall, holding my head in my hands.

"I can't believe this is happening." I breathe. The only bright side is Cat jumping on my lap, her arms tightly wrapping around my neck and her head burying into my shoulder.

"At least we're okay." She murmurs.

"Yeah. For now." I sigh. "This is some… dystopian shit. A woman trying to build her own town by kidnapping people to work here? Really?"

"She's deranged, clearly." Cat mumbles. "Can I just… be happy for a moment that I'm back in your arms? Please."

"Of course, love." I whisper, stroking through her hair. "I'm glad I'm with you, too."

She pulls back, gently touching my cheek. "Is your face okay? Your ankle? Your… everything?" She asks frantically. I smile to help placate her.

"Cat, I'm fine. Just a little sore in some places." I assure her. "Although my ankle feels swollen."

"Oh, gosh, of course. Let me use that stuff they gave us…" Cat jumps up, taking the ice and dressing. She slides under my leg and elevates my ankle up on her lap, then she starts carefully taking off my shoe and sock. She frowns when she sees it. Geez, it really is swollen. "Nice of them to give us stuff to help you get better for our escape."

"Our what?" I question, and she looks up at me.

"Well we're going to escape, right? We're going to get out and stop this madness." She looks at me with such resolve it's hard not to feel motivated. Even after being captured, being told we're going to be split up from each other, and looking so defeated, she's not ready to give up.

"Of course, Cat." I say in the softest voice. I don't know how we're going to do that, but we have to try. I'll try for Cat.

She smiles and turns back to my ankle, gently wrapping it up. "Good. Because that monster in a woman's body thought she found our weakness, or at least the weakness of the human condition. She thinks she can control us using each other."

"Didn't it work, though? I mean, she got both of us." I mutter, and Cat nods slowly.

"Yeah, but she doesn't see the strength we gain from that, too." Cat states, clipping the bandage into place. "Too tight?"

"No, it's good." I breathe, tilting my head to catch her eye. "What strength is that?"

She bites her lip and tears fill her eyes, but she looks anything but vulnerable. "There's no way I'm letting her use one of us as leverage while the other becomes a part of her own twisted dollhouse. There's no way in hell I'm ever letting her split us up." Her fingers trace up along my shin and up over my knee and down again as her other hand tenderly places the ice on my ankle. "Anyone who threatens my relationship with you messed with the wrong tiny red bird."

I can't help but beam and my heart nearly bursts with pride. That's right. That's what makes us so strong. That's what will make us fight tooth and nail to get through this situation. Lara is going to regret marking us as 'worthy'.

"Okay, so what do we do? I mean, I'm all in to fuck shit up here, don't get me wrong. But we're not actually action heroes. It's not like we have experience overthrowing governments. The worst we face these days is whether we should get Chipotle or Pizza Hut." I groan. Cat furrows her brow for a moment.

"Okay, first step to becoming action heroes: eat better." Cat declares.

"Got it." I chuckle.

"Second step… breaking out of here. And then…"

"And then sticking to the original plan? Finding tech guy?" I throw in.

"Yes, exactly." Cat grins, leaning down to kiss my leg. She rests her chin on my knee, giving an adorable pout. You'd think I'd be more nervous while being held hostage, but it's hard to feel so dire when Cat is busy being so cute. "Did your dad ever teach you to kick down doors?"

"Yes, actually. He felt it was an important life skill." I explain.

"I agree with your dad." Cat nods. "Can you kick down that door? Even with your ankle?"

"Probably." I narrow my eyes at the door. It doesn't look structurally sound enough to withstand a swift kick. "But my dad also taught me to check the doorknob first, just so I don't break a perfectly good door."

"You really think those guys would be stupid enough to leave it unlocked?" Cat asks, and I shrug.

"Not to slap them with the stereotype of 'all brawn and no brains', but you never know." I urge. Cat chews on her lip for a moment before carefully getting up and walking to the door. She jiggles the knob, but the door doesn't budge.

"Hey! Nice try, birdies." A deep voice from outside mutters gruffly. "I heard that. Don't be causing me too much trouble. I have ta miss $10 beer pitchers keeping watch over this here broom closet. Have some respect!"

Ah, so it's the alcohol-loving one. Can't say I still relate with him on that one.

"Damnit." Cat curses, slumping back down next to me.

"It was worth a shot." I sigh.

"No, but this means he's standing right out there. Even if you kick the door down, he'll just grab us. Or one of us, and I'd rather that not happen again." She frowns.

"We'll think of something." I try to keep up her level of optimism for her sake. "Maybe there's a secret passage to the library in here."

She looks at me with an endearing smirk. "Unfortunately, our life isn't like that Breakfast Club dream you once had back in high school."

"You had the same dream and you know it." I chuckle. She sighs, stretching out her arms.

"Maybe we should have some of the food they gave us. Keep our energy up for our great escape." Cat mumbles, but I grasp her arm.

"Wait," I start, "We've been trapped in a closet for a while now and you have yet to kiss me."

She grins with that glint in her eye, and she cups my face before pressing her lips to mine.

"We're not… going to… while he's… right outside…" She murmurs between kisses.

"Oh god no." I grunt, deepening the kiss even more. I swear I hear the guy curse.

We ended up, uh, making out for a long while. We had a lot of romantic tension to release. Some sexual tension too, but you know. Not the time. And the ground is a little hard.

The food was basically stale bread and canned veggies. I guess prisoners don't get the five star stuff. I wonder what the leverage people get. I'm definitely making sure that neither of us are subjected to that. And even if one of us were to win the 'singer' gig – no matter what, we're a prisoner.

Cat told me to sleep because I still seemed really tired, and she would brainstorm. She knows me so well. So right now I'm curled up in her arms, head against her chest, the rhythm of her breathing being the lullaby accompanying me as I fall into blissful unconsciousness…

So you see where this is going, right? Of course you do.

"Cat! Tori!"

"Five more minutes." I grumble, turning into Cat more.

"Tori…" Cat chuckles. "That sounded like Kayla."

"Why would she be here?" I mutter.

"I can hear you guys, you know. I'm here to break you out!" Kayla yells through the door. "But we don't have much time. Hurry!"

"Ugh! Fine!" I throw my hands up, leaning off of Cat. She helps me up and I limp to the door.

"Uh, did you guys not want to be rescued?" Kayla asks, and Cat gently nudges me.

"Ignore Tori. She's a little grumpy from lack of sleep." She explains, and I just grunt. "What about the guard?"

"I got rid of him, but he won't be gone long!" Kayla warns.

"Okay, great. Do you have a key?" Cat asks.

"No, I couldn't figure out a way to convince him to give me it." Kayla sighs. Cat looks over at me, and I sigh.

"Alright. Kayla, stand back!" I order, and then I rotate my shoulders and neck. A couple of satisfying pops erupt from my stiff limbs, and then I use all my force to drive my foot right underneath the doorknob. Something snaps, and the door flies open. I look at Cat's awed face and I feel a smug look appear on my own. Okay, being admired by my girlfriend was worth being woken up for.

"Not going to lie, I'm a little turned on right now." Cat gapes.

"Excuse me, can that wait until later?" Kayla huffs.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." Cat blushes, pulling me out of the closet.

"How'd you get rid of the guard anyway?" I question. Even though I'm 90% sure she's in the same position as we are, I still don't completely trust her.

"I told him there was free alcohol. And I used some… other methods to entice him." She gestures down to her unbuttoned blouse.

"Ah." I nod, and I feel Cat pinch me. I give her a sheepish grin. As if I'd be enticed by any other woman but her.

"The only good thing about a guy who thinks with his dick is that sometimes we can use that to our advantage." Kayla mutters. "But it's only a matter of time before he realizes I was lying. And god knows what'll happen if the mayor walks in right now."

"Okay, so tell us who the tech guy is. We want him to shut down all his gadgets so we can call for help." Cat explains, and Kayla smirks, again gesturing to herself.

"You're looking at her." She remarks. Both of our jaws drop.

"But I thought you were a waitress!" I exclaim.

"I'm a girl of many talents. I was also elected as a piece of eye candy beyond just what I can do with my brain." Kayla huffs. "Why are you so surprised?"

"Oh, well, not surprised. Of course not. Why wouldn't you be good with tech?" I laugh nervously. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I try to stay under the radar. If the residents knew I was the one keeping them from the outside world, they'd have my head on a pike." Kayla mutters, suddenly looking quite guilt ridden. She almost looks physically ill at the knowledge of what she's done.

"So lift the veil! Let us call for help!" Cat exclaims.

"It's not that easy!" Kayla groans.

"Why not?" Cat glowers, but a light bulb goes off in my head.

"Your leverage." I comment, and Kayla nods with tears filling her eyes.

"I drove through here six years ago. Same thing happened to me that happened to you. Car broke down, and suddenly we were stuck here waiting for a new part. The town was a lot more barren then." She bites her lip. "I was with my sister, Holly."

"She's your leverage." Cat notes, and a tear escapes Kayla's eye.

"I haven't seen her in six years. She's two years older than me. She'd be thirty, now…" She sniffs. "All I know is that as long as I keep blocking signals and controlling the data coming through, she's safe. I only get notes from her from time to time…" Kayla pinches the bridge of her nose, struggling to control her emotions.

"I understand. I know the lengths I'd go through to protect Tori." Cat says slowly, "But if you were in control of tech, couldn't you slip an SOS through?"

Kayla shakes her head, seeming to have taken hold of her feelings. "I wanted to, but the mayor monitors everything. I tried once, and the mayor blocked it before it left our network. Then she told me she hoped I heard my sister's screams that night." Her fists clench. "I didn't try that again. I just couldn't put her at risk. I knew that if I made the mayor's dystopia crumble, she'd take the person most important to me before she admitted defeat."

"So, I can guess why you rescued us." I state, and Kayla nods.

"I need you to rescue my sister. Get her away from them – to safety. Then I can bring everything down." Kayla claims.

"Of course we'll rescue her." Cat promise, and Kayla gives us a teary smile.

"Thank you." She breathes.

"Where are they keeping her?" I inquire.

"Well obviously they're not keeping everyone in a broom closet. Where else would the mayor keep all the human leverages isolated from the rest of the town?" Kayla questions, even though she already knows the answer. And with a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach, I do too.

"The abandoned mine." I groan.

"Exactly." Kayla confirms.

"I thought it was collapsing." I scoff.

"Sections of it are, but there's a part still fortified. I have a map to the entrance." Kayla unfolds a crumpled piece of paper. "If you blend in, you won't be noticed. Cover that red hair with a hat, or something. There might be a guard in the mines, though, so be careful. And please be quick. The mayor is going to figure out I helped you, and then-"

"Hey, we'll save your sister." I assure her. "We'll save this whole town."

She gives us a smile, and I swear I see something flash in her eyes – something missing from most of the residents here. Hope.

"Tor… are you sure this is safe?" Cat bites her lip as we gauge the dark entrance of the mine. The opening seems to be held up by wooden beams, but they look old and like they might snap at any moment. It gives off the vibe that going in might mean not coming out.

"I have no idea." I grimace. "I only experienced a small piece of these mines and I didn't like it very much."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. It must've been terrifying." Cat pouts.

"Oh, it wasn't all bad. I made friends with a rattlesnake. Named him Maraca." I recall.

"I am so proud of you." Cat remarks, and I laugh.

"I thought you might be." I grin, but my face falls. "Too bad he got shot."

Cat's face drains to a ghostly pale. "They have guns?"

"Yeah… we'll have to be careful." I frown. "It's not too late, you know. We could try to brave the desert, make it to the next town."

"You know we can't." Cat sighs. "We can't leave Kayla like that and whatever might happen to her sister – even if we do cross the desert and manage to get help."

"I knew you'd say that." I give her a small smile. "No turning back now."

"Got that right." She mumbles. I look over the horizon at the orange and pink sky. The sun is starting to set. I hope it won't be the last time I see the sun.

"Let's go." I nod, and she follows me inside. Luckily Kayla gave us a flashlight to work with. It's goddamn dark in here. "Stay close. I don't want one of those situations where a cave-in happens and we're separated."

"Ugh. I'd have such a panic attack if that happened." Cat shudders, and I feel her grab my arm tightly. "Or we could have one of those Scooby-Doo situations. You know, where they're walking through a dark area and they come out holding hands with the bad guy?"

"…Cat, you know I normally absolutely adore your imagination, but I'm already freaked out enough as it is."

"Sorry."

I shine the light around the dank tunnel. The walls seem damp, which is strange. I don't know where the water would be coming from. I guess I shouldn't spend too much time thinking about the geographical activity. I should be more worried there's a dude possibly with a gun in here.

"I hope there aren't any spiders." Cat mumbles.

"You're worried about spiders?" I question.

"They're even creepier when you can't see them." She comments.

"Well… you have a point there." I sigh, and then I stop when I notice we've hit a fork in the tunnels. "Damnit. Which way?"

"Tori Vega don't you dare make us split up." Cat hisses.

"And leave you for the spiders? Not a chance." I joke, but honestly I'm not too fond of the thought of walking around in here alone. At least it's not as bad as my fear of heights, but I don't particularly like the dark.

"Okay, so, any ideas?" Cat squeezes my arm tighter. I bite my lip and shine the light at the ground.

"The floor into the left side looks more disturbed." I observe.

"It's like you were born to do rescue missions in mines." Cat giggles.

"I'll remember that if my singing career fails." I mutter, walking down the left tunnel. "I just hope we don't have to go down one of those creepy mine elevators."

"…Hey, Tori…"

"Mhm?"

"If we die-"

"We're not going to die." I assure her.

"Just let me finish." Cat huffs, and I close my mouth. "If we die down here, I want you to know that I don't have any regrets anymore. Everything I went through – it brought me to you. And you've made me so happy. So, it'd suck if this mine collapsed on us and I couldn't enjoy more of life with you, but if it does then… at least I'd die with my heart full."

"Cat…" I sigh. "Again, we're not going to die. But yeah, I've been thinking about how this would all be much more horrible if you weren't by my side." I murmur. "And you're going to be by my side for a lot longer, right?"

"Right." Cat breathes, and she squeezes my arm tightly. "I think I see a light up ahead."

She's right. There's a soft glow flooding in from around the bend. I shut off my light and we both go into a crouch, sneaking around the side.

The light is coming from those typical lamps you usually see strung up in tunnels, and it illuminates a sort of hallway. The hallway is full of metal doors, almost like a prison.

"Jackpot." I whisper.

"I don't see one of those big guys." She whispers back.

"He might be nearby. C'mon, let's check the doors." I pull her up, and she stops me.

"Wait, I've been thinking." Cat bites her lip. "Look at this place. Whoever has been used as leverage, they've been trapped in here. For a long time. We know Holly has been in here for six years. That… That could really mess someone up. We need to be careful of that, too."

Again, she's right. I don't know if my sanity would last being locked up in a mine for years. At least in prison they let the prisoners go out to the yard, or whatever. This is worse than a prison. I guess you can't expect someone to treat others humanely when that someone thinks of others as simple pawns in their master plan.

"Okay. Yeah. Got it." I nod. I really hope Holly was able to hang on. If she didn't… poor Kayla.

"H-Hey… is there… is there someone out there?" A crackled voice comes from the nearest door. "I hear a woman's voice… is there a woman out there?"

"Oh god." I swallow hard. "Yeah. I'm here with someone else. Who's in there?" I question.

"Wait, you sound familiar…" The voice ponders. The voice sounds familiar to me too, actually. "Here, slide the little window open."

I view the door meticulously. It's large, metal – definitely something I couldn't kick down. It looks like something crafted perfectly for an insane asylum. I can't help but think it's because Lara captured the 'perfect' engineer and that they might've had to construct these doors to hold their loved ones in. It makes me sick.

I cautiously slide the slot open, and my eyes widen.

"You're the tow truck guy!" I exclaim, instantly recognizing the hat.

"And you're the two girls I took here!" He growls. "Were you in on it?"

"No! We're trying to stop this place!" I try to explain.

"Wow, Lara really doesn't cut corners when tying up loose ends." Cat gasps. "Tor, we have to get him out. It's technically our fault he's in here."

"Yes! Please get me out!" He pleads.

"Okay." I nod. "Do you know where the guard is?"

"He um… he sometimes walks through here. I don't know. I haven't been here long, and I'm behind a door!" He cries.

"Alright, alright." I hold up my hands. "Let's find Holly and then… hope the guard left the keys somewhere."

"Great." Cat blows out a breath.

"If you guys get me out of here, you'll get… free tow truck rides for life! I promise!" The tow truck guy exclaims.

"Oh. Thanks." I blink, taking Cat's hand. "Let's go."

I take a deep breath before sliding open the slot of the next door. It's dark inside, so I shine my flashlight in. There's a figure trembling in the corner, and I can make out some shallow breathing.

"Um, Holly?" I question. The figure doesn't react, so I try to have to flashlight at better angle. It shines in their face and they look up. Their eyes are hallow, almost lifeless. They look right past me. I step back with a frown and close the slot.

"Tori… what'd you see?" Cat asks. I bite my lip. My stomach churns uneasily. I feel like I've really seen the worst of humanity. It's not something I can un-see.

"Just that you were right about this place messing people up." I breathe, and she touches my shoulder.

"Was it Holly?" She questions gently, and I shake my head.

"No. Holly is supposed to be around thirty. That person in there… they're just a kid. Around eleven or twelve. Someone's daughter or something…" I mutter. Her hand squeezes my shoulder and I have to wipe my eyes.

"Are you okay to keep looking?" She murmurs, and I put on a brave face.

"Yeah. We have to get Holly out of here so I can throw that Charles Manson of a mayor off the tallest cliff I can find." I grit my teeth, going to the next door. I push open the slot, hoping to see something better. But I don't see anything.

"Tor, this doors unlocked." Cat notes, pushing it open. An empty cell. I blow out a long breath. I think I needed to see that. I needed to see that they didn't fill all the cells with innocent people.

Okay, next one.

My blood already runs cold when I hear frantic muttering inside the cell.

I open it and look in. Some man is crawling around, rambling lowly about being inside a giant snake, and how the venom consumes him. Not Holly either.

"I'm checking the next one for you." Cat states.

"No, it's okay." I shake my head.

"No it's not. You look like you're about to pass out. We'll take turns checking the cells." Cat demands, and opens the slot to the next door.

"Rrrrraaaaauuuuuughhhhhh!"

Cat shrieks and jumps back into my arms when some woman leaps right to the window, screaming her lungs out and banging against the door.

"Oh god. Please don't tell me that's Holly." Cat groans.

"Hey! Keep that racket down! Son of a-"

We all freeze when yet another big burly man strolls in from the other side of the hallway. He looks like Thor. Great.

"What are you doing down here?" He growls. "You're the two escapees aren't you? The mayor radioed me."

"And you must be the guard who stands around scratching his crotch while these human beings waste away!" I exclaim. He smirks, cracking his neck.

"Yeah, that's me." He confirms. "Man, it's been awhile since I roughed someone up. This'll be fun."

"Cat, run!" I yell.

But my ankle is still hurt. I can't run. He yanks my hair before I can even make a few steps and I'm flung back painfully, his arm locking around my neck and holding me in place. I feel my windpipe constrict. I can't breathe.

"Luckily for me, the mayor's orders were 'dead or alive'." He chuckles. "I'd probably get more praise for 'alive', but 'dead' seems just so much more satisfying."

"Don't – hurt – her!" Cat cries, and I feel him stumble as she jumps on his back. He releases me and I fall to the ground, choking, trying not to gag.

I look up to see Thor-man struggling as Cat scratches at his face. His features fill with a tinge of oozing red liquid. Good. That's my girl.

Unfortunately what Cat has in feistiness, he makes up for in strength alone. He reaches around and I can only watch in horror as he chucks her against the wall.

Before I can even react, he turns and I feel the impact of his boot – moments after seeing it flying at my face. My vision blurs and head pounds, and I can't get my bearings. But I can still hear.

"You bitch. You cut my face up."

"I'm called Cat for a reason." She groans, and she sounds in pain. My head starts to clear and my heart races in a panic when I see he's staring down at Cat, a gun in his hands. Nobody points a gun at my girl.

"Oh, it'll be so nice to see that hair of yours dyed in a different shade of red." He seethes, and I know he's not bluffing. I have to act now. I leap forward, grabbing his arm.

The gun goes off.

It went off in Cat's direction.

I want to scream, to check on her, to hold her in my arms, to feel that she's still alive, but I have to deal with this fucker first.

"That was a dumb move, broad." He grunts, grabbing onto me. I see him try to aim his gun again, this time at me. My first instinct is to slam my fist into his face, but I know from experience that that doesn't work out well. Luckily, I got my dad to teach me some self-defence since then.

You know how you're supposed to use their weight against them? Screw that.

I pinch him under his arms as hard as I can, and he cries out in pain. The gun clatters to the floor. Thank you, dad. Always looking out for me.

I clutch the gun in my hand, and it feels almost dirty to hold it, but at least now I have the advantage.

My hands are shaking, holding the gun up to him, finger floating over the trigger. He rubs under his tender arms.

"What a cheap trick." He grumbles.

"You're a cheap excuse for a human." I spit back. I want to check on Cat, but she's somewhere behind me, and I can't take my eyes off him. "Cat, you okay?"

It petrifies me that I don't get an answer.

A smirk grows on his face. "What's the problem? Somethin' happen to your girlfriend? You better go to her…" He entices, but I can see through his games.

"Fuck you." I take a menacing step towards him.

"You won't kill me. You're too 'good' for that kind of thing, aren't ya?" He goads.

"You're right." I glower. "But you shot at my girlfriend. You're sadistic. And I can leave a few holes in your legs without killing you."

His faces goes blank for a moment and I take the opportunity to snatch at the key around his waist. One single key. Must be a skeleton key for all the cells.

I gesture with my head to the open cell door. "Get in." I order. He glares at me, his face going red, but he obediently goes in. I slam the door behind him and lock it, and then stumble back with an emotional gasp. I did it. Somehow.

I turn towards Cat and the first thing I see is her staring, unblinking eyes. And then I see the red trailing down the side of her face, and my heart leaps into my throat.

I would've thought she were dead if she hadn't been kneeling with shallow breaths wracking her body.

"Cat? Cat." I kneel down beside her, grabbing her shoulders. "Cat. You're okay. It's over. I've got you. You're okay."

She blinks a bit, but she doesn't say anything. Shit. She hasn't disassociated for a long time. I can imagine being shot at would do that to a person.

I check the source of the blood. There's a streak right along her temple. I was that close to losing her. That close.

"Oh, Cat." I take her into my arms, crying slightly. I need to feel her breathe right now. "You're okay. You're okay."

I keep repeating that until she believes me, and she eventually shudders out a sobs. She cries into my shoulder, and I stroke her hair, waiting for her to say something.

"…You… are such a badass." She croaks out. I smile at that. She's back.

"Look who's talking. You jumped on his back." I mumble into her hair.

"I guess we make a good team. But, let's not make a habit of this? Too much excitement." She shudders, and I squeeze her tight, giving her mini kisses over her head.

"Deal." I sigh. She pushes back, nodding to signal she's okay.

"Oh, hun, your eyebrow is cut." She frowns, pushing back my bangs.

"And you have a gunshot wound. I'm pretty lucky, considering." I sigh, trying to wipe away some of the blood from her face. At least it looks like the scratch has clotted over already.

"Let's just finish all this so we can curl up and go to bed." She whines.

"That's the best idea I've ever heard." I state, pulling her up. She gives me an affectionate kiss, and then we make our way to the new prisoner. I open the slot.

"Your girlfriend is alive, huh? How nice for you." He mutters.

"Aw, having a bad day?" I mock-pout.

"Fuck off." He growls.

"Not until you tell us which cell Holly is in." I urge, even though it's probably the screaming woman. That'd be just our luck.

His face goes blank again, for a moment. "Holly...? Oh! You mean that one Mexican broad." He grins. "She died like two years ago."

Both Cat and I gape at him. "Died?" I question.

"Yeah. She was sick, or somethin'." He shrugs. I feel pale. Kayla's sister is dead. Her sister has been dead for two years, and yet they made her believe she was still alive and that her 'services' were protecting her.

"Oh god." I breathe.

"Now what do we do?" Cat questions. I grit my teeth.

"We tell Kayla and we shut this whole place down. And everyone goes to jail, I guess… although they deserve worse." I glare into the cell.

"Can't believe I was beaten by a couple of lesbians." He scoffs, and my glare intensifies.

"Excuse me. You were beaten by a bisexual and-" I point at Cat, but my mind goes blank. "Uh, Cat, how do you identify?"

She shrugs. "I've never really thought about it. I just love who I love." Cat explains. I blink at her.

"Why didn't I know this?" I question.

"It never really came up."

"Oh." I nod slowly, and turn back to the cell. "You were beaten by a bisexual and a girl who don't need no labels!" I affirm, and then slam the door slot closed. "Bitch."

We first go over to the tow-truck guy's cell. He's practically grovelling at our feet when we release him.

"Oh thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." He rushes out.

"You want to help us destroy this place?" I ask, and he gets up.

"Screw that! I'm running far away from here! Later!" He yells, sprinting down into the mine.

"Coward!" Cat calls after him, and she turns to me. "I guess it's just up to us."

"And Kayla." I agree. "Poor Kayla…"

"I know." Cat frowns. "What… what should we do with the others?"

"I'd hate to leave them all in there for longer, but I don't think it'd be a good idea to release them." I sigh. "When the proper authorities get here… they'll know what to do."

Cat bites her lip, and takes me hand. "Okay, let's finish this."

I put the gun in my back pocket (after putting the safety on), and she gives me a troubled look. "What?" I ask.

"You know I hate guns." She mutters.

"I know. I don't like them much, either. My dad made sure to drill that into my head." I sigh. "But they have guns, too. I'll only use it as a last resort."

"Okay, okay." Cat complies. "If we have to."

"I'm not risking you getting hit next time." I rest my forehead to hers. "Like you said, they'll regret messing with us."

We tried keeping a low profile as we made our way back to Kayla's, but news must've spread about our escape. The whole town was looking for people with our descriptions, probably with the offer of getting to visit their leverage if they caught us. A fake offer.

Needless to say, we were spotted pretty quickly.

"Whoa, okay. Hi." I address the converging crowd. "Don't forget, we're just like you. We're trapped here."

"Yeah, but if I bring you in, I'll get to visit my daughter!" A woman calls out. I knew it.

I feel my heart get heavy at the image of who was probably this woman's daughter. They don't even know.

"We get that. We do." Cat states, "But if you let us go, then all of this will be over."

"How can you two do anything?" A man shouts.

"We have a plan. We need to find Kayla." I explain.

"The diner girl? I saw the Big Bozos haul her off to the town hall." Another replies. Big Bozos, huh? I like that nickname.

"Great. Then you need to let us through!" Cat urges.

"Can you really help us?" A girl asks. She's about our age.

"Yes." I nod. The citizens look amongst each other, and clear a path.

"We're counting on you." The man from earlier mumbles. "Fuck this so called perfect town."

They all follow us to the town all, picking up others along the way. As we reach the building, it feels like there's an army behind us.

We make our way into the building, feeling determined. We stroll into Lara's office, not even blinking an eye. We're so done with this shit.

"Ah, Cat, Tori. So nice of you to turn yourselves in." Lara smiles, and the Big Bozos start to converge on us. "Wait. Clearly they've come to the realization that my town really is the utopia they've been hoping for."

"Fat chance." I mutter, and I look at Kayla, squatting beside the mayor. She looks a little bruised.

"We might want to fix that attitude." Lara glares. "This is what happens when you go against my wishes. Kayla was so loyal, too. But she thought I wouldn't notice that the surveillance went down in her house when she was housing you for that short time. I thought I'd let that slide, but letting you two escape? That deserved punishment."

Kayla looks up at us, a pleading look in her eyes. "H…Holly?"

I frown, taking a step forward. "Kayla, I'm so sorry. Holly's been dead for a while."

Lara's face pales and her mouth forms into a tight grimace. Meanwhile, Kayla stares at me with horror, and she finds the strength to stand. She turns to Lara.

"Is this… is this true?" Kayla gasps. Lara's face stonewalls and she seems to brush it off.

"Oh, that's right. She got sick, the poor dear. Well you can't blame me for that. Such an unfortunate-"

Lara is cut off when Kayla kicks her, hard, right in the shin. She doubles over and the Bozos run towards her, but I feel a weight lifted from my back pocket.

"Stop!" Cat shouts, holding the gun up. I gawk at Cat's actions, but the men just laugh.

"Do you even know how to use that, red bird?" Johnny chuckles.

"Not a clue." Cat mutters. "But doesn't that make me much more dangerous!?"

She starts waving it around, and in a panic, the guys all duck to the ground.

Kayla's crying, but she looks me right in the eye.

"In my apartment. There's a computer. Up on the screen is a prompt for a kill switch." Kayla tosses me an object, and I catch it. A phone. "Put in the code, and everything goes down. Then you can call. The password is-"

This time, Kayla's cut off. Lara hit her right in the head, and Kayla crumpled to the ground.

"I won't let you ruin my Elysium." Lara growls. "Grab them!"

But Cat is still holding up the gun at all of them, and they don't move. We start backing up out the door.

"Your reign of playing God is over." I state, and we both sprint from the room.

"After them!" We hear her yell. Now with Cat not holding the gun to them, they're sure to come after us. Possibly with their own guns. And I can't run very fast right now.

"I thought you hated guns!" I yell to Cat as we make it outside.

"I acted on instinct! I still hate this thing!" Cat holds the gun up.

"Please stop waving it around." I request, and Cat scowls, tossing it into the bushes.

"That was my other instinct." She states. We get down to the crowd of people, who are looking at us expectantly.

"Buy us time!" I shout, and they make a pathway for us. Perfect.

We hear the sounds of fighting and chaos behind us. The whole town must've gathered in front of the town hall, ready to fight for their freedom.

Eventually we make it to Kayla's house, and I once again have to kick a door down.

"You know, that never gets any less attractive." Cat comments, and I tap her on the nose.

"We'll explore those feelings later. There's the computer." I say, going over to it. Cat rests her head on my shoulder.

"The town can't keep those guys busy for long." She mutters.

"I know." I groan. "I wish we had gotten the password."

"Try Holly." Cat suggests, and I type it in.

Password Declined

"Damnit." I curse. "It could be anything. Anything personal. We don't even know Kayla that well."

"Maybe it's not personal." Cat muses. "She's smart, right? Maybe she saw this coming. Maybe it's something we can get."

I stare at her, trying to think. What's something we would know?

"…Lisa wifi." I gasp, and Cat's eyes widen.

"The only password she ever told us. No caps. No spaces." She grins.

I grin back, and type it in.

Password Accepted. Lysium network disabled.

"Hell yeah!" Cat cheers, and I pull out the phone.

You have no idea what sweet relief it was to hear someone pick up on the other end.

"Hi, dad? Dad, you need to send the closest authorities to Lysium, Arizona immediately. There's some messed up chiz happening here, and-"

Cat tugs on my sleeve. "Tori, I hear someone coming up the steps." She warns me. I swallow hard.

"And we're in danger!"

"Thanks, love." Cat coos as I place an iced tea in front of her. I sit next to her, kissing her cheek.

"How are you feeling after that nap?" I grin, and she cuddles into my side.

"So much better. Much needed." She sighs, closing her eyes. We're sitting in the balcony of our apartment we got for us in LA, since we come here so often. I have to say, balconies are amazing.

"I can't believe it's over. It feels like a bad dream." I mumble, putting my arm around her.

"But it really happened. God, I wouldn't believe it if it hadn't happened to us." Cat sighs.

It's been about 24 hours since we were rescued from the shit-hole called Lysium. They found us wandering the desert after we escaped from Kayla's – very dehydrated and tired. We collapsed in bed as soon as we got to LA.

"Thank god your dad is the police chief. He really came through. SWAT teams and everything." Cat sighs. "Everyone's safe. Lara and the goons are locked up, the people are free, and the leverages…" She bites her lip.

"They're going to do their best to rehabilitate them, Cat. It'll take some time, but… hopefully Lysium will just be a bad dream for everyone from now on." I ponder, taking a sip of my own iced tea.

"Yeah, and Kayla will make sure of that." Cat grins. We ran into Kayla after all the chaos. She was grief stricken over her sister, and had a headache from a concussion courtesy of Lara, but she said she plans to use her tech skills for good from now on. She aims to join the CIA to make sure nothing like this ever goes under the government's radar ever again.

"Thank god for that. I think we liberated enough towns to last a lifetime." I sigh.

"Yeah, but it's good publicity. Haven't your album sales skyrocketed since the news came out?" Cat chuckles.

"And you're a hero along with me. You just can't seem to stay out of the news, can you?" I laugh, nuzzling her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Cat murmurs. I stand up, leaning against the rail of the balcony as I look over the city. Heights still freak me out, don't get me wrong, but I think I'm a little numb to terror right now.

"For the record… we're flying from now on. No matter how much I hate it." I grimace. Cat appears at my side, lacing her arm with mine.

"Are you sure? Because there's just so many more adventures to have…" Cat relishes, and I chuckle.

"That's true." I nod.

"I want to see the world, Tori." She sighs.

"Will you be by my side?"

"Always."

"Then yeah, let's do it. Let's travel the world. Let's make more memories – good or bad." I state.

"Sounds like a life worth living." Cat agrees, leaning into me.

"And so our story continues." I philosophize.

"Mhm. But I'm betting it'll be a happy ending every time." She looks up at me. "As long as I'm with you.

"I'd bet my life on that." I kiss her gently.

We both intertwine our fingers and look out over the horizon. It's the end of another adventure for us. But sometimes an ending is just a new beginning.

So I'm looking forward to every ending we have.

Author's Notes: Sappy ending is sappy. Whatever. How could I not end it with Cori being all cute? It was fun to revisit these two - and maybe their story isn't over yet, in a way. Who knows.

I hope you enjoy this tiny story. I liked writing it. Now I have to get back to real life and trying to make a career out of this... Ugh. Adult things. UGH. But yeah, it was awesome seeing you guys still reviewing even after I disappeared for a while. I have the best readers. I love you all very very much. And remember, I'll still be around on Twitter/Tumblr/here.

Fun Fact: You're aaaaaall beautiful.