Dylan's P.O.V.

Officer Useless had just gathered some more of his men so that I could take them to where that nut case was hopefully still lying unconscious, while Gemma snuck in and went to find Archer.

As much as I hated the guy, I did hope that she found him in time. I wasn't that messed up in the head that I'd wish death on him.

About ten minutes had passed with me nearly putting a hole in the ground with my pacing when Officer Useless finally came back with five other men.

Noticing that we were obviously one person short, he frowned and looked around.

"Where's your friend?"

I shrugged.

"Am I her babysitter?"

Officer Useless narrowed his eyes at my remark.

"Listen kid-"

"Sorry, but we really don't have time for this. The more time we spend here talking the more time that psycho has to wake back up. So let's go."

I had just taken a step toward the van, prepared to completely ignore anything else Officer Useless had to say, when what sounded like a fucking volcanic explosion erupted behind me and I was instantly knocked off my feet from the blast.

I landed flat on my stomach, the air knocked completely out of me and the air leaving my lungs in one breath.

Wheezing and ears ringing, I rolled over on my back in time to watch the remaining pieces of glass from the hotel's first floor windows hit the ground and smoke and flames rise from the openings.

Somewhere in the background I heard screaming and shouting, officers yelling orders, but I could barely concentrate on any of it. All that was on my mind as I watched the smoke become thicker and the flames larger and brighter, was that the bomb had went off.

The bomb had went off and neither Gemma nor Archer were anywhere to be seen.

I quickly scrambled to my feet, ignoring the stinging from my hands and knees after the fall, and rushed forward. I wasn't exactly sure what my intent was because I wasn't the human torch but I was stopped before I even made it halfway.

Officer Useless was looking at me like I was crazy.

"Kid are you crazy?!" He yelled down into my face, confirming my thoughts.

"The whole damn building just exploded! You need to stay back."

I shook my head and tried to step around him but he didn't budge.

"My friends are in there. I have to-"

"You don't have to do anything but stay back and let us do our jobs." Officer Useless firmly stated.

"Now you stay here. Understand?"

I exhaled heavily, and nodded once.

Officer Useless looked at me for a few more seconds, scanning my face suspiciously before he turned around and quickly headed toward the wreckage.

That was his mistake.

Like hell I was about to just sit here and watch. I knew what putting all your faith and waiting on the police led to.

Checking to make sure no one was paying me any attention, I snuck off to the side of the building in the same direction Gemma had went.

As I made my way along the side of the building I came to an emergency exit but any small hope I had of making it into the building were smashed as I saw smoke bellowing up from the door which was slightly ajar.

I cursed under my breath trying to think of another way to try and get into the building when I suddenly spotted a white van speeding down the back road behind the hotel.

A sudden feeling of dread over took me as I watched the van speed away.

I took a step forward, not exactly sure what I intended to do when I was on foot.

Could Gemma-

"We've got survivors!"

I whipped around as I heard the voice of a police officer shout from the front.

Survivors.

Maybe they had made it out okay.

I rushed back towards the front of the hotel and quickly scanned the crowd when I spotted a larger group of policemen crowded around in a circle.

I shoved my way through and quickly scanned the faces in front of me.

There was some blonde chick staring daggers at a boy with dark hair who had another blonde clinging to his arm who was crying hysterically.

There was another guy who had his hand placed on the first girl's shoulder. It looked like it was there to keep her from pouncing if the look in her eyes was anything to go by.

Standing a little off to the side was another set of girls. One with dark brown hair who looked like she was a few seconds away from bursting into tears herself and another with auburn colored hair who looked like she was trying to put up a strong front but I could tell just how scared shitless she was from the tremors in her hands that were balled into fists at her side.

I knew that tremor all too well.

I scanned over the faces, one, two, three, and after the fourth time I was certain.

There were two faces that weren't here.

Gemma's P.O.V.

I wanted to die.

Death would be a blessing at this point.

If I thought that Sheep Mask was sick before, he was slowly showing me what a real monster he could be now.

Each time he came back to the room I was being held in he left with more of my blood on his hands.

I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

I would pass out after each time he beat me and prayed I'd never wake back up, but was sadly brought back to my nightmarish reality every time my eyes opened again and he was standing over me.

I wasn't sure how long I had been out this time but I had just opened my eyes again when I heard the telltale sound of the door creaking open meaning Sheep Mask was about to enter.

Just like every other time he entered the room my heart raced in fear and my body was drenched in a cold sweat.

There were slow footsteps and suddenly he was in my face.

"Well look who's finally awake. I thought I might have actually killed you this time."

He reached out and roughly grabbed my chin and tilted my face towards him.

"How's my Sleeping Beauty feeling hm?"

I use what little energy I had left to simply glare up at him. I had lost the energy to speak hours ago. Or maybe it was days. I didn't know how long I had been here.

Sheep Mask made a clicking sound with his tongue.

"Not talking are we?" He cocked his head to the side.

"That's alright. I'll get you screaming again soon enough."

As his physical abuse repeated yet again, I found myself receding into my own mind. Somewhere I could recognize and feel the pain that he was inflicting and hear myself screaming but I wanted to ignore it.

I wanted to stay in this dark place I was slowly sinking into.

I was almost completely submerged in the darkness, completely willing to let it engulf me if it meant I could escape this hell that had become my reality when I heard a voice.

"Don't."

Confusion quickly followed the voice. That wasn't my voice.

Was I really starting to lose it?

"Don't."

There it was again.

That voice.

It was something familiar about it but the darkness was making me feel numb and it was becoming harder and harder to think, let alone concentrate. If I could just let it take me I-

"Don't!"

The voice once again seemed to bounce around inside my head. It was more insistent now.

"Don't you dare give up on me."

Who-

"You're stronger than this. You keep fighting."

That voice, it couldn't be-

"You fight until I get to you. You understand? You hold on until I get to you."

Archer!

That's who's voice it was.

"Promise me. Promise me you'll keep fighting."

The darkness that I had been so adamant on letting myself drown in a few seconds ago was now suddenly my enemy.

I'd keep fighting.

I had to.

At least until he got to me.

Somewhere in my hazy fragile state, I heard another voice.

"I promise."

MY voice.