The HVI pt.2

Vas didn’t answer. There wasn’t time. He acted, well as best as he could, he nearly trip scrambling to his feet but he scooped the girl up and and ran like his ass was on fire. He had no plan! Who the hell would plan for this! His mind raced as fast as his feet to the carport. Vas didn’t know who he could trust, so the safest bet was get Serena off base. Get her away as fast as humanly possible.

Serena held tight around his neck, watching as the downed Hellhound slowly started to rouse. “Why! He said HVI! He said HVI! You said that’s bad - that’s bad!” She asked. Other Hellhounds headed towards the building to help contain the blaze, it seemed that the entire base was now converging by the gym.

Vas couldn't answer. He didn’t know and at the moment there were more pressing issues at hand. He raced to the carport quickly eating the distance, normally he was much more paced and controlled but the idea of his and his own … doing this … to their charges. The fact he just sucker-punched an older brother! Yeah, there was a lot of panic at the moment! So there wasn’t a lot of clear thinking going on.

Like how he should have disarmed the elder Hound when he had the chance. Vas felt it before he heard it, a blazing hot, sharp pain that lanced through the meat of his leg. Thank god for carbon bones because he was positive the bullet might have nicked it as it passed through. Had it been normal bone it might have, cracked or splintered not bounced off. The crack of gunfire followed after and Vas stumbled almost dropping Serena, he gripped the kid awkwardly but there was no way he could carry her now. His leg failed him and he nearly fell letting out a sharp cry as it all caught up.

“Puppy!” Serena called, trying to hold him up. She slung his arm over her shoulder. “C’mon, please!” She called. “We have to go.”

Vas leaned heavily on Serena for a moment, the ache in his leg was damn near all consuming. Getting shot. Sucked. “Keep moving.” Vas said his voice horse and pained. “Keep going.” He urged trying to muster the will to keep moving. The pain alone was making him sweaty and nauseous.

“Just a little further, hurry! They’re coming!” She warned him.

Even with impending death chasing them down Vas could only push himself so much. He felt this hard stop from going faster or pushing himself harder. His face was twisted in pain as he limped along as fast as he could, hell it was an effort to stay upright! By the time they finally got to the carport the agony was starting to really get to him. His pants leg was soaked in blue blood. He slammed the door to the car port leaning against it. “Keys …” He breathed. “... We need keys.”

“It’s already open,” Serena told him touching the door, and the unmistakable sound of a vehicle unlocking was heard. .

“That's all fine and good but we still need keys to start the car …” Vas reminded touching the dull ache in his side. He looked down at his hand stained dark blue, grimacing. Vas had hoped it was just a really bad stitch but no such luck. Part of him thought he should count himself lucky he only had two holes in him and not more.

Serena looked at him, then at the car, and helped him into the driver's seat. “I got it,” she told him, trying to help shove him into the seat.

Vas hobbled teeth gritted and more or less hauled himself into the driver seat, with Serena helping shove him. The whole ordeal left him pail and panting. “Hurry …” He said between deep breaths. “... We don’t get a lot of time.” Vas urged.

Serena pressed the ignition button, and the car started, the same as if the fob was with them. “Can you drive?” She squeaked.

Vas nodded taking a deep painful breath and he white-knuckled the steering wheel, the SVU peeled out and they sped recklessly toward the exit.

The electronic gate easily slid open long before they got to it, just as the Hounds had reached the garage, clamoring into other SUV’s or on the sleek-looking motorcycles. Serena closed her eyes tightly, concentrating while digging her fingers into the door handle as she hung on.

Vas was in to much pain and was focused hard on the task at hand to even notice. Even with nanometers the gunshot wounds were in bad spots he could feel the deep itch and ache. He was sure the bullets had nicked a few important things they prioritized mending first which explained why he was still bleeding profusely. “Seat belt Rabbit. Safety first and all that.” Vas said speeding onto the main road tires screeching as he turned. He didn’t want to lose speed. Not with the Hounds chasing them.

Serena belted in, and looked nervously behind them, before she felt a familiar snapping sensation in her head. “The gates open, they’ll be coming now,” she warned.

Vas was too foggy to ask how she would know that and just pressed the petal down further speeding down the road to gain as much distance as he could. He knew they couldn’t outrun them forever, at some point they would catch up and Vas wasn’t healing fast enough to be useful beyond a chauffeur who was ruing the upholstery at the moment. He had to figure out something before they called in a chopper if they called in a chopper. The point was once they called one in it was over … so he needed to stash Serena before that happened. As long as they thought she was with him they would be none the wiser till it was too late. He took a long calming breath to try to think, the pain and itch were making it hard but this was exactly what he trained for. He needed to get Serena out.

“Why would they do that?” she asked in a small voice. “What’s going on? Why am I an HVI?” Her questions were being fired off rapidly, whatever entered her mind. “I’m scared, what are we gonna do?”

“I dunno.” Vas said the steering wheel creaking as his grip tightened. “I dunno … but the mission … “ He stopped a moment feeling a flash of pain. “... the mission still stands. I told you I had you back. I still do. We gotta get you hid …and fast.”

“Us.” She corrected. “We gotta get us hid, so they don’t find us.”

“No Rabbit. I can’t walk and I can barely breathe and so long as they think you're with me? They’ll keep after me giving so you can get gone before they wise up.” Vas explained. It was to dire to sugarcoat the situation, even for Serena.

“What? No? No, Puppy! I can’t, I need you! You need me, I gotta have your back too!” She exclaimed, her voice cracking with panic. “We can’t split up, we can’t.”

“Either we both get caught or only one of us gets caught. It sucks. I know. But this is what I was made for and we gotta make hard choices and I will not fail my mission. You understand? And you won’t fail yours.” He said firmly. “Are you a Hellhound or not?”

Serena nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat thicker than a dozen marshmallows. “I’m a Hellhound,” she said tearfully.

“Damn right. Your orders are to survive. Because the rabbit that lives isn’t the strongest or fastest… the one that lives is the smart one. You are smart and clever. You can do this.” Vas said keeping his eyes locked on the road not letting up off the pedal. “You get yourself to the city, like we did before, and you find a burrow of your own and survive. Clear?”

“Clear... but, you’ll come when you can?” She asked in a small voice.

“Duh.” Vas said with a strained smile. “I’m unkillable remember? Just don’t wait for me okay? Keeping you breathing is the priority.” He stressed.

“Cause that’s what Hellhounds do?” Serena asked, holding tight to her seatbelt.

“They fight and they survive.” Vas stated. “And you will too.”