<i>Perfect? She thinks the law is perfect?</i>Jane could only shake her head and sigh at that notion. She knew the militia members were wrapped up in their own doctrine, willing to do anything it took to subdue and oppress the public, to force them into compliance - but until that point, she had only thought that the law was a tool they used as an excuse to justify their cruelty. It had never occurred to her that they actually<i>believed</i>their laws were righteous. How that was possible was a question far beyond Jane's comprehension.<i>Isn't it basic human decency to treat people as equals?</i><br/><br/>Jane could only scoff again at being called a 'rabid dog', and she raised an eyebrow.<i>Look who's talking.</i>The group of rebels to which Jane belonged was far from perfect - and there was more than enough evidence from today to remind Jane of that fact - but they weren't a pack of wild dogs. Not to Jane; to Jane, the other rebels were like her family members. Her parents were gone, her siblings had their own lives, and romance was out of the question - the rebels were all she had. It was true that they were a nameless, faceless organization, without a symbol, a uniform, or even a formal headquarters, but in the shadows, alleys, and basements where they gathered, those were the places Jane called 'Home." In Jane's eyes, the militia more accurately resembled stray dogs, especially now that she had witnessed them turn on one another.<br/><br/>There, as an undercurrent to the moment shared between the two, was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, and although Jane was to wrapped up in her own firm ideology to see it for what it was, she was beginning to feel the slightest inkling that something was out of place. Was it the officer standing in front of her? Or was it the young rebel herself? Once again, Jane brushed the thought aside before it had the chance to start bothering her.<br/><br/>Jane's attention was drawn back to reality as the officer's face went suddenly dark. If a single look could kill, Jane would have been six feet under already. Jane had gone too far, and it was clear she had struck a nerve. The anger and tension in her captor's features alone were an effective reminder that she wasn't the one in control. Handcuffs or not, Jane was a prisoner. She broke eye contact and suddenly became interested in the scarf around her wrists. She swallowed. For a second, Jane's lips parted, as if she were going to speak, but for the first time that day, she decided against it and closed them, halting her tongue behind her teeth. She surprised herself; seldom did she stop herself from speaking her mind, only analyzing what she had said after the fact. This time, she could've sworn she was about to apologize.<br/><br/>As she was led to the door, Jane could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't confidently say whether or not this woman was crazy enough to leave the room. Time seemed to slow as she watched the other woman's fingers curl around the doorknob, and just like that...they were outside again. Her initial reaction was relief upon realizing that Victor was nowhere to be seen. That didn't exactly mean they were safe, but it was better than nothing.<br/><br/>She walked behind the other woman, but stopped for a moment as she noticed the corpse, battered and bloodied beyond recognition. Her breath hitched in her chest for a moment, and she was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, there was one less militia officer to harass the weak...but at the same time, no one deserved to die in such a brutal manner. She'd seen plenty of horrific things in her lifetime, but<i>that</i>was pretty bad. Jane let out a long sigh, taking care not to step on the lifeless body. She could do without a reminder of the scene on the bottom of her boots.<br/><br/><i>"Move."</i><br/><br/>And she did, wanting to get away from the dead officer as badly as she wanted to get out of the alleyways. Jane was almost looking forward to making it to whatever destination her captor had in mind, so long as the threat of being flayed alive by Victor was gone. Jane followed with tired legs, walking as carefully as the officer was. She heard no sign of anyone nearby, but she knew that alleys were perfect for sneaking. People had a way of creeping up on you back there, regardless of their size. She swallowed again, unable to hide her nerves, even though she recognized the curves and turns they took as they walked.<br/><br/>Despite knowing that the taller woman was beyond annoyed with her, Jane had to break the silence. It was just too tense for her to keep calm. "Where are you takin-,"<br/><br/><i>"J?!"</i><br/><br/>Jane stopped her question midway upon hearing her name. She recognized that voice. The two of them had just stepped into the intersection between two narrow paths and into the view of a group of three rebels to their left. Her head spun in their direction quickly, as if she'd just spotted treasure, and she was relieved beyond measure. There, leading the group, was Connor; the rescue had been successful. To his right was Thomas, sporting a rather nasty looking black eye, and behind the two was Levi, whom she recognized as a newer, younger member of the group. "Come help me!" she shouted, gesturing with her tied wrists.<br/><br/>Alone, she wouldn't dare try anything with this officer, but with three other people backing her up, that was a different story. Without skipping a beat, Jane suddenly threw her body into the officer's, not with enough force to knock her over, but enough to disrupt her balance for a moment and create an opening for her companions. The three men wasted no time, either; Jane clumsily backpedaled away from her captor as she watched Connor and Levi rush forward. Thomas pushed her out of the way and stood in front of her.<br/><br/>Connor had always been a force to be reckoned with; most rebels had their origins in lowly, pathetic places, and were scrawny or lanky, built for sneaking and running away, rather than fighting. Connor, on the other hand, was one of the few who had lowered himself from a higher level of Dome to fight for freedom and equality, and his healthier background showed on his body. He was tall and covered in lean muscle, broad-shouldered and square-jawed - he was an essential member of their team, and Jane admired him. However, as he ran past Jane, she noticed a sort of wild look in his bloodshot eyes. No doubt it was in part due to the beating and near-death experience he had endured, which showed in the red rope marks around his neck and on his tattered clothing, but his expression was violent and furious, filled with hatred. Jane had never seen him look like that before, and something about it disturbed her.<br/><br/>Jane was starting to lose focus - there were too many unsettling occurrences happening at once - and she hardly noticed that Thomas was untying her. "Hey, are you hurt? J?<i>Jane?</i>"<br/><br/>She blinked several times, her attention snapping back to the blue eyes of her companion. "No..." Was she hurt? "I mean, not too badly, not really. What happened after the distraction? And where'd you come from?" She had several questions, but Thomas's attention was elsewhere, anyway, as Connor began to speak again.<br/><br/>"Grab her arms!" Connor shouted to Levi. "Let's teach this one a lesson."