Alex

I hate running, I absolutely hate it.

Like my body literally refuses to run faster even now that my life depends on it, seriously fuck my muscles when I have no use of them. Sweat is trickling down the sides of my face, the strands of my hair sticking to my forehead, an ache spreading throughout my body with each move that I make.

I've always known I'll either die in a zombie apocalypse or while running since over twenty years of living with my sister (including the time spent in the womb) and dangerous battles haven't killed me.

I stop myself from turning my head, not wanting to discourage myself with seeing how close they are to me. Seth's bitches from Vortex are after me, determined to capture me now that my sister is gone, probably wanting to use me as a bait. A shit ton of people is after me, I feel like a damn celebrity being chased by my fans.

I'm stuck on Vortex territory considering Seth's soldiers found me on the day of the battle, trying to capture me, but I was actually faster than them so I ran away and have been running ever since. I haven't had a proper sleep in days, I think my stomach is slowly starting to disintegrate from the lack of food and water, and I don't even want to talk about how or where did I go to do everything I should be doing in a toilet.

I miss my sister, she would've killed these bastards by now, I have no weapons nor skills to do so myself. Besides, it would include a lot of blood and I can't stand it. I try not to worry about Lenny too much, my twin senses have never failed me so far, I know she's alive and I bet she knows I am too.

"Ouch, ouch cramp- my leg, fuck it's cramping!" I whine as I feel a cramp in my thigh, wanting to stop running and just fall on the ground, but I can't. I thought running through the woods would help me, but the terrain is so hard to run on, only exhausting my already tortured body.

A few gunshots are heard behind me, bullets hitting the trees as I run, panting heavily. My eyes widen in horror at the sight of a vehicle moving on the road a few metres to the right, the urge to scream in frustration taking over me. "Oh come on, why can't I get a break, seriously just end my life now- actually don't since I like living no matter how much it sucks, life has its good moments- wow I'm so stupid, wasting my breath on talking to myself."

The vehicle turns sharply and stops abruptly in front of me, making me collide with it, strong pain coursing through me as I fall on my knees, my lungs working incredibly fast to provide my body with enough oxygen, feeling heat and sweat all over my skin, my clothes sticking to my body. Whoever is in the vehicle suddenly gets outside, starting to shoot, surprising me when I realise they're shooting at my attackers.

"Alex, the hell are you sitting there, get in the vehicle!" The familiar voice says once the gunshots stop, making me widen my eyes.

I use the vehicle for support and stand up on my weakened legs, turning around to face her. Short black hair, beautiful deep brown eyes, dark skin. A smile spreads over my lips at the sight of her, my arms opening wide as I hug her for deal life. "Oh my God, it's you! I know I'm all dirty and sweaty but it's been so long since I hugged anyone, I'm so happy!"

I feel her arms around my waist. "Don't worry, I'm just glad I came here on time. We really need to get inside, the rest will come for you, so let's go." She pulls away, her hand grabbing mine.

I glance around us and notice there's no danger yet, so I clasp her face between my palms and press my lips against hers, moving them softly. She responds instantly, gripping my waist, gliding her lips with mine more eagerly, making me smile. We keep kissing for a while, my heart beating faster for the entirely different reason now.

Once I pull away, I see a small smile on her face, a rare occurrence when it comes to Jess. Maybe that's why I like her so much, we're so different, me with my awkward yet cheerful personality, and her with her apparently cold yet affectionate one.

"Wait a minute. . . how are you even here? In Vortex uniform, in their vehicle- oh my God." I widen my eyes, looking at her in disbelief. "The traitor . . it was you all along!"

She sighs, looking away for a moment. "Alex, let's just get in the car first, then we'll talk all you want."

I nod and reluctantly turn around, opening the door and sitting on the front passenger's seat, crossing my arms over my chest as she sits beside me, starting the engine. "I was working for your uncle for years, giving him all the information he needed. It's not something I enjoyed doing, but I was in debt to him."

"Excuse you, say what." My jaw almost drops.

"You see, he raised me in a way. My parents were Vortex soldiers and they died in one of the battles when I was two. Isaac had been taking care of me from that day and I saw a father figure in him. You and your sister came to the base later, but he didn't give up on me. Out of all children he could've chosen, he'd chosen to train me for a special mission and send me to Hazard when I was seven. I accepted it since I was grateful for everything he'd done for me. He sent another kid with me, though."

"That's messed up." I frown as I process her words. "You had friends, family in Hazard yet you betrayed them."

"It's how I was raised, he manipulated me, filled my head with hate. Besides, I couldn't ignore the fact he took care of me. My parents belonged to Vortex and so did I. But I rebelled against it later and so did Zayn, Harry's brother. We refused to cooperate and be responsible for countless of deaths. When Isaac supposedly died, he found a way to reach out to me again, asking me to help him since he wanted to destroy Vortex. I accepted, not giving it much thought. I didn't know he is actually using the information I'm giving him to weaken Hazard and make them come to Wildfire to make a deal so he can get his base back."

"Whoa, what the fuck, I need a moment, wait." I pinch the bridge of my nose, organising my thoughts. "Zayn and you were sent to Hazard as kids so you can give information about them to Vortex. Later you decided "fuck it, I'm nobody's bitch", so you stopped doing it. Then my uncle faked his death and asked you to help him since he was playing for the good guys apparently and you accepted. But he was actually just using you to give that information to Seth somehow, so they can know about Hazard's every move. Of course, that's where Elena and I come along as Isaac's side hoes, helping him get Hazard on his side and using them to get Vortex back."

"Sounds about right," Jess confirms flatly.

"Fuck me. . ." I mumble, shocked with the story. I never knew Isaac was a damn evil genius, pretending to be on one side while trying to get his hands on Vortex again. We were all his puppets. "That bitch wanted Vortex and Hazard to stay in war for his benefit!"

"I know it's a lot to take in and I don't expect you to understand my reasoning, I was doing what I thought was the best thing. I'm not proud of what I did, but I fought for Hazard in the end, just like you and Elena did," Jess says honestly, her saddened eyes glancing at me as she drives.

I can't possibly judge her since, like she said, she was doing what she thought was the best, just like my sister and I. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, we can only learn to forgive ourselves for them and move on. After all, we were all just pawns in a much bigger game than any of us thought.

"Stop the car," I tell her after minutes of silence when we cross the border with Hazard where surprisingly no soldiers wait for us. Jess glances at me in confusion and does as I instructed, turning toward me. I immediately lean forward and leave a chaste kiss on her full lips, noticing surprise flickering over her features.

"I know what you did was wrong, but you had good intentions, and so did Elena and I when we came to Hazard in the first place. I won't blame you for it nor is it on me to give you forgiveness, it's on David or Harry or any of your friends in Hazard." I take her hand in mine. "That's why I want you to come with me."

Her eyes widen in surprise and she ponders my words, staying silent for awhile. I squeeze her hand reassuringly, silently letting her know I'm here for her. "Alex, I don't know. . . I'm the traitor here, willingly or not I did a lot of bad things. I can only be grateful I wasn't the one who snitched about children being taken away from Hazard when Alice died, Harry would never forgive me for it. It was one of the other spies they got rid off after you two left."

"Look, I know it's tough as hell and they'll be shocked and hurt by your revelation, but it's the right thing to do. You have to face your mistakes and ask for forgiveness in order to move on, that's what I did. It's up to them whether they accept it or not, I know I did all I could to fix the damage. You can't tell me you actually want to stay at Vortex. Why did you leave there in the first place?"

"I did it for you," she admits. "I've spent the past two days looking for you. Besides, I was planning to join them, I saw it as an opportunity to escape since I knew everyone would find out about me being the traitor soon. It sounds stupid perhaps, but I. . . I got scared, and I don't handle fear very well."

My palm presses against her soft cheek, my thumb brushing against the skin. "I'll be by your side. I don't know how much it means to you, but even though it might seem like you have nobody, you should know you have me. If they kick you out, I'll come with you." I smile. "Wooow, that was actually so romantic, damn I'm like another Shakespeare or something-"

Jess interrupts me when she pulls me in for a kiss, suddenly moving over the console and sitting on my lap, her knees pressed to the sides of my thighs.  My breathing picks up as my hands grip her waist, hunching her shirt up as our mouths meet, her tongue pushing past my lips, twirling against mine.  The pads of my thumbs draw circles over her hip bones, pulling her closer to me, her chest against mine, thick tension and heat radiating between us.

I pull away as I realise now is not the time, but Jess doesn't seem to share my opinion. "Look we should really- oh damn, that feels good, but we should- oh wow." I close my eyes as I take in the feeling of her moving her palm up and down against the front of my pants, a prominent bulge already formed there.

I try to ignore the little voice in my head yelling, "get it boy, get it!" and stop her hand, her eyes looking down at mine.

"Jess, we should really go. That is if you want to come with me-"

"Alex, I wouldn't jump on you if I wasn't planning to come with yo- well, actually I would do it either way, but yes, I'll go to Hazard with you," she says, making me grin widely.

She gives me one long and hard kiss before pulling away and sitting back on her seat, my body feeling cold at the loss of contact, my cheeks warm and flushed. "Do you want to sit back and take care of that or do you want to hear a disgusting story that would make it go away?" Jess asks amusedly, nodding toward my crotch.

I look down at my lap and I know if the big one down there could talk, he would curse the living shit out of me.

"Uh, I feel uncomfortable with either option, but I choose the latter. Let me mentally prepare myself-"

"Blood," Jess says flatly, looking me in the eyes. "Red liquid pouring out of a nasty wound, staining everything around it-"

"Okay ewww, soldier down," I interrupt her, adjusting my crotch. "Yep, that definitely killed him." Jess laughs and starts the engine, making me take her hand in mine and lace our fingers as we silently head toward Hazard.

. . . .

I play a badass song in my head as Jess and I get out of the vehicle after reaching the base, heading toward the entrance side by side, shoulders pushed back, heads high, legs moving in sync. When we approach the gates, the soldiers guarding it narrow their eyes at us, taking in our  brown uniforms.

I raise my hand before any of them can speak. "We're here to deliver ourselves to Harry and David, I assume they've been looking for us.  I'm dirty, I haven't showered, eaten and slept properly in days, I'm cranky beyond reason and I'm pretty sure my brain cells are dying one by one, so-" I flick my hand "-move and let us in. I'm Alex and the lovely lady next to me is Jess. "

It doesn't take us too long to convince them to let us in and give us information where to find Harry and David, especially when a few soldiers recognise us. Jess and I basically run inside, stopping in the centre of the patio. "I'll go talk to Harry and you go deal with David, okay?" I look at her, seeing an anxious expression on her face. "Don't worry. . ." I pause, thinking about what to tell her when I remember my sister's words. "It will be okay. You'll see."

Jess and I part ways, me going toward the infirmary, getting stares from other soldiers considering I'm wearing the brown uniform, but no one tries to stop me.  After wandering around the hallways and checking each room only to find them empty or Harry-less, I finally find the right one, seeing Harry lying on one of the beds,
bandages over his body, a few bruises littered over his face.  His green eyes look at me intently, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

I slowly enter inside and I'm immediately caught off guard when a wide smile spreads over his lips, making me look behind me to see if it's directed at me. That guy has never smiled at me in all these months I've known him.

"Hello, Alex here. But you know me, huh that was- that was totally unnecessary." I smile nervously, clearing my throat.

"Oh my God, you're okay!" Harry says excitedly, beckoning me with his hand. "I- I'm so glad to see you alive and well, I can't believe it." His grin widens as he looks behind me. "Is Elena with you?"

My heart clenches at the mention of my sister and I look down sadly. "I don't know where is she, but I know she's alive. It might sound ridiculous, but I feel it, it's a twin thing."

"Oh. . ." his face falls in disappointment. "Do you have any idea where should we look for her? She's my top priority at the moment, I let David deal with the war and everything else. I just. . . I just really want to find her. I got my brother back and I lost her, I guess I can never have everything I need in life at the same time."

"You know, I'm pretty sure she feels the same," I tell him. "You know what, move-" I clap, flipping the backs of my hands and shooing him "-I have a story to tell you. You probably don't need anything to make you feel worse than you already do, but you'll hear what I have to say and probably feel like an asshole, but that's okay, I'm sure it's nothing you didn't already know about yourself-"

"Alex, I may be glad to see you and I may be injured, but I'll punch you in the throat," Harry says flatly.

My hand immediately covers my throat and I pout. "So violent." He shifts toward the edge of the bed and I sit beside him. I clear my throat, wanting to make it deeper and dramatic like I'm one of those narrators in movies. "Once upon a time, there was-"

"Okay, can you skip to the point, my headache is killing me already, I don't need a long ass story to make it worse," Harry interrupts.

I roll my eyes and tell him everything. And when I say everything, I mean it. From the way Elena and I came to Vortex when we were six, her promise to our father, our lives in Vortex, her relationship with Seth, our escape, Elena's countless sacrifices she had made and everything she had been through during our last stay there. And when I'm done, Harry's face is covered with his palms, hiding his teary eyes.

I knew he would be disgusted with the story, but I didn't think it would affect him this much. I tentatively place my hand on his shoulder, afraid of his reaction. "There there. . ." I pat him, making him drop his hands down and look at me, his cheeks wet. I almost scream when he suddenly pulls me toward him and hugs me, making me hug him back instantly.

"I'm so sorry, I. . . it's my fault, you two shouldn't have been there in the first place, I'm sorry," he tells me in a weak tone, pulling away after a few moments. "I need to find her. I need to ask for her forgiveness and I need to tell her I love her. I need to thank her a billion times. Shit, I can't believe this." He wipes away his tears.

"Wow, you're making me emotional now- ugh come on, stuff like this gets me easily!" I stand up, taking deep breaths and fanning my face. "Don't think about kittens or anything cute, you know it makes you weak!" I tell myself.

My eyes widen when someone suddenly stops at the doorway, blue eyes meeting mine. "Alex?"

"Louis?"

"Alex!"

"Louis!"

"Liam!" Liam adds, appearing at the doorway, making us give him a look. "Oh. . . I just wanted to be a part of this. . ."

Louis runs toward me with his arms spread widely and I run toward him too, only to trip and face plant the floor, but quickly standing up and proceeding as if nothing happened, throwing my arms around him at the same time he hugs me.

"Awwww," Tori gushes as she appears behind Liam, palm pressed to her chest. "This makes me so happy, look at them, aww."

"Why is Harry crying, who made him cry?" Niall angrily asks, entering the room with Zayn trailing behind him. 

"Hiii," Zayn says and gives me a small wave, a smile tugging at his lips. "It's good to see you alive, we couldn't believe it when we heard- not that we thought you wouldn't make it, it's just that, uh-" he clears his throat. "Anyway, is Elena with you?" He seems to be excited at the possibility, light brown eyes looking at me hopefully.

"No, I have no idea where is she," I say and his shoulders slump, my gaze sliding to Harry, a pained expression flickering over his features. "But if it makes you feel better, I just know she's alive and well, you'll see. She'll find a way to reach out to us, I know her."

"Wait. . . how are you alive? I remember you whining over a little cut, how did you manage to survive that bloodshed on your own?" Louis asks.

"I'm a damn hero, that's how," I say dramatically, staring ahead of me as if I'm reminiscing something very touching. "You all better sit down, it's story time. Once upon a time-"

Everyone groans and Harry mutters, "Niall bring me two painkillers right now."

I laugh lightly as I tell them all about my misfortunes, listening to theirs right after.  I can't shake off the feeling of emptiness because Elena is gone, I feel as if a huge part of me is missing. But I know we'll see each other real soon and we'll have to get ready for what's ahead of us.  The real war and our final battle for survival is approaching and we'll be the ones starting it.

. . . .

a/n: btw this conversation with Alex happened before Lia came to visit him, that's why no one knows where is Elena :)