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- You realize that everyone is staring at us, right?

- Yeah, we'd better stop.

They looked around in the room, Charles with a big smile on his face, which was still covered with blood from their fight, yet he seemed to be happy and welcoming.

Jack's intense black eyes and his messed up hair, painted red by blood, gave the crowd the warning that the show was over and they should leave them alone.

Both of them gave off opposite signals and thus while no one knew what to do, the fake Harm captured the attention of the room by talking into the microphone and gave another short speech about how impressive the fight was and some other fabricated stuff to get the tension out of the room.

It seemed to have worked because after a minute the whole room was filled with conversations and the focus shifted away from Jack and Charles.

The brothers had begun a pleasant talk about how they improved since the last time they had a fight like this. Jack began mocking Charles that he was even rustier than he was himself, when he stopped mid-sentence, seeing a raging Elisabeth approaching them with tears in her eyes.

- Oh shi-

- WHAT. DID. YOU. DO.

- Look honey I know it was not sm-

- Shut up. If you say one more word I'll make sure the next time you drink it will be something that will cause permanent damage, mixed together by me personally.

There was burning aura emitting from Elisabeth and her words seemed to be sincere. She was so angry that she even threatened with murder. She was seriously pissed. Jack decided to stay silent during Charles lecture. However he couldn't help but notice his brother's face that was filled with fear and regret. He giggled silently, however Elisabeth, still in an ongoing rage heard it. Not even Jack himself was able to hear his laugh, which was going under because of Elisabeth's loud voice and the whole room's volume.

She gave him a death glare.

- What?

- N-No, I just realized who is wearing the trousers in your relationship.

Charles made the gesture of a cross signalizing Jack that he messed up. Jack gulped down his dry saliva, getting himself ready for the impact of Elisabeth's verbal abuse.

Melody's thoughts were all over the place, it was as if a nuke of information had hit her. Because of Elisabeth's training, she was able to get access to the Harm Incorporated main server fairly easily. However while searching through it for information that could be useful to them, she stumbled upon a folder that had her name on it.

- This is... No, I have no time, I need to get to Jack… Yes, Jack will help me. I need him... Jack...

She ran down the hallway, with no idea what was going on with her friends, after all the last. She had the USB-stick with all the important data clinched in her fists while navigating through the labyrinth, back to Jack and the others.

- Mel, can you hear me?

It was Elisabeth's voice that was reaching her through the speakers of the device build by her friend.

That's right, I need to inform the others about what I learned... They don't know what happened, after all I didn't answer them...

- ...Yes, I can hear you.

- Thank god. Are you alright?

- I got shot, but I'll manage. I am on my way back to you.

- Mel? It's me. Don't bother coming back, leave right away, we'll meet outside.

Jack's voice was soothing Melody and she felt calm once again. All her previous thoughts were put to the side and she thought about how to do just what Jack ordered her to do. She did knew how to get back to the party, but how she would manage to find an exit was another question.

- I don't know where an exit is though, shouldn't I get back to you?

- No, it is better to find an exit right away. You need to get to the ground floor. There you will find an exit door one way or another. In such a huge building there are lots of them, it shouldn't be a problem escaping. Can you find a way down?

- Eh, I think so... Yeah, I can do that.

- Good. See you soon Mel.

- Y-Yes, see you soon...

In truth, even though she said she would manage to find a way to get down, she wasn't sure if she could manage avoiding security. Because of her wound time was ticking, so waiting the enemies out wasn't an option this time.

Running down the hallways Melody's thought were once again drifting to the information she gathered. She needed to focus on avoiding any guards as best as she could, however the pain that was being inflicted by her wound, didn't help in any way and thus things happened just the way it was forsaken to happen. While running around a corner, pressing onto her bandage soaked in blood, she bumped into a woman and both of them fell to the ground.

- Ouch! What the- Hey wait, who are you?!

Damn it, I need some excuse... She's a guard, come on Melody, think quickly!

- Ah, I am sorry, I am a guest of Mister Harm, however I fell and landed in a shard of glass from my wine glass. So I was being lead to a first aid kit.

- And where is your guide?

The lady wasn't buying a word of Melody's fabricated story.

- Ah, he must be around somewhere... We'll anyway, I'll better get going, bye.

- I need you to wait while I ask for your story to be confirmed. Who are you exactly?

- Well... I am here as the accompaniment of Jack Dream.

The woman looked even more sceptical than she was before. She looked at Melody, closely inspecting her from head to toe, when she saw in what shape her dress was.

- Hey wait, why did you use your dress to patch the wound up?

- Ah... Ha-ha, silly me, I was too quick to act, now my pretty dress is ruined. But its fine, I will just buy a new one. I just need to find an exit so I can enter a store.

- No, I have seen you somewhere before.

- No, really just let me go, you don't know me...

Melody forced herself to smile and tried to escape, however the guard grabbed her shoulder to stop her tracks.

- You are the daughter of Harm! I knew I had seen you somewhere before! Hey, what are you doing here, Mister Harm said that we should capture you as soon as we see you!

She grabbed her walkie-talkie and began informing everyone about who she had just found and that Melody came here with Jack Dream. Melody's pain was getting worse by the second, making it difficult for her to act on anything, let alone think of an escape plan.

I-I need... some... plan... to... get out... argh...

She was about to break down when her instincts took over, sending a kick right into the face of the woman holding her. Surprised by Melody's sudden actions, she couldn't react in time and her head was send flying right into the wall next to them. She let go of Melody while unconsciously sinking to the ground, however the damage was already done. They knew about Melody being in the building and that she was here with Jack.

- J-Jack... T-They know about... Arghh... You and me... You need to leave now...

- Already done, we are currently

BANG!

- On our way out. We needed to use some violence, but we'll be fine.4

BANG! BANG!

- HEY! I am trying to talk to Mel, so keep it down Charles!

They are fine, that is good news... I need to make it out...

- Melody, are you fine? You don't sound good... Do I need to come and get you?

- No... I'll be fine, don't worry about me...

Melody wasn't fine one bit, however she didn't want to worry Jack any more. She was sure that she could pull through without relying on his help, at least this one time she wanted to accomplish something on her own.

- If you say so... Well then, see you in a bit!

The Hallway was once again silent, except for Melody's heavy panting. She was leaning against the wall, pressing on her wound to stop the blood from flowing out. She clenched her teeth and began walking toward the stairs right in front of her. That would be the last hurdle before being able to exit the building and meeting up with Jack, Elisabeth and Charles once again.

She stumbled down the stairs, while her vision became blurry.

- Come on Melody, you can do it... Get yourself together...

When she finally found an exit door, she had left behind a blood trail and it was hard for her to see anything clearly. She stopped for a second to catch her breath.

- I am pathetic, I can't even exit a building alone... Hmm? Who's that? Oh... That's Jack... Why does he look so worried... You need to look behind you, there are people following you... Don't look at me that way... I don't know how to respond to-

Melody fell to the floor and stopped moving. Her consciousness was drifting away, while Jack ran towards her.

- Will she make it?

- Don't worry, the container should be around here, she'll make it just fine...

Elisabeth answered Jack with confidence in her voice, but her face was the opposite of reassuring. They had fled to the docks, because Elisabeth had a container rented where she apparently built up a substitute laboratory for emergencies. She told Jack that with the equipment stored in there she could help Melody through this crisis.

Charles was staying behind, making sure they wouldn't be able to follow them, while Elisabeth carried Melody and Jack was making sure none of Harm's killers slipped through Charles' hands.

After running through a labyrinth of containers, Elisabeth finally stopped in front of a yellow container. She carefully handed Jack Melody's unconscious body, fiddled in her purse for the key and opened the door to the container.

The inside was just how Elisabeth said a laboratory. Filled to the brim with devices and machines. The room was flooded by harsh light blue light, you would only find in operating rooms.

- Lay her on the table.

She was pointing toward the middle of the small room. Jack did just as Elisabeth told him to and expectantly stared at her to wait for his next task. Elisabeth in the meantime was occupied by rummaging through drawers and grabbing items to operate on Melody.

Jack had seen lots of wounded people, corpses and crippled people. That was normal in his job, however never had he been part of an operation, where he himself wasn't the patient.

Jack had no idea how much time had passed when Elisabeth finally gave him a sign that they were trough, but it must have been at least an hour. However Elisabeth told him that removing a bullet would normally be done way faster. But the lack of equipment combined with neither of them being a real medical doctor and Melody having lost lots of blood, lead to them needing this much more time than what was usually necessary.

- She should wake up soon, so you better have some reward ready by then. After all she risked her life because of your stupid plan.

- Yes, she really does deserve a reward... Although I don't think I have anything ready that would be enough for what she has done...

While saying those words Jack seemed awfully tired. He had been in a fight in which he broke multiple bones, he fled through a huge labyrinth, ran down countless stairs and after all that he carried Melody all on his own and helped remove the bullet stuck inside Melody's arm. Elisabeth began to worry about him and if he would be able to continue fleeing to their hideout, but Jack gave her a faint smile that told her that he was going to be fine.

- When she first asked me to do this, I only accepted because of status. My first plan of action was getting rid of her, however she had me wrapped around her finger the whole time. I was just about to give in and accept her request when she started crying...

- She did what?! We went through the whole conversation so you would definitely agree, and when it worked she cried?? Seriously this girl is unrivalled in her ineptitude...

- Yes, that's what I thought too... She let down her guard in an instant, she even told me that I could just forget everything she just said, because she didn't want to force me to do anything... But that's Melody for you, too kind for her own good...

Jack began gently stroking Melody's hair, while she was still sound asleep on the improvised operation table.

- Elisabeth, I really love her... I don't know what love is, but I know that it is the truth. I would do anything just to see her happy...

- So why are you leaving her?

- ...You know?

- I am good at reading people. You should know by now.

- If I destroy organized crime in its current form, we can be free. The only way to do that would be from the inside out. And I could never expose her to such danger. Hell, I don't even know if I will be able to pull through...

- Then don't do it!

- It's not that simple, my decision is final. But thank you for trying...

- Well I already knew that I couldn't change your mind. However I am interested in what your girlfriend has to say to the whole situation.

Jack's face was filled with confusion, but then he realized that Melody's eyes were gazing directly into his. Had she been awake the whole time? Jack panicked a bit, but forced himself to stay calm and collected.

- You want to leave me?

Jack remained silent he just looked at her with a sad expression.

- Everyone is leaving me... Everyone has been lying to me, even you Jack...

A tear ran down her chin while her expression became blank, she seemed to be in shock. Jack Hugged her and held her close while whispering that everyone would be alright, though whether that was directed at Melody or himself wasn't clear.

- It's okay Jack... We can talk about this later...

Melody seemed to have regained her composure and began to look around in the room. She understood the situation in an instant and told Jack and Elisabeth that all of their problems should be put away for the moment so they could focus on moving onto their meeting point.

- You are right Mel. Can you walk or do you need my help?

- No, I am fine... I am just feeling a little bit dizzy but I'll manage.

- If you say so...

Elisabeth clapped her hands together to get their attention and smiled at the two of them.

- So, let's go to this abandoned storage hall you were talking about Jack!