Fanon:Escape

Escape is the fifth episode of the Revolution series by WikiBuilder1147. It depicts the adventures of a group of youngsters as they fight against the oppressive regime under which they live their lives in constant scrutiny and fear.

Previously on Revolution…
Ben Faulkner, having escaped from his captors, explored the prison in search of his friends Alex and Miami. Having found Alex, and a new companion, Private Harry Miller, Ben continued his search for Miami. Now they have found her…

Chapter 1
"Miami!" Ben cried. He ran to the door of her cell. He removed the stolen identification card from his pocket and scanned it on the door's control panel.

"Level 5 clearance is required to enter this cell," said an electronic voice.

"God damn it."

"Let's go kill some more guards, then," he said coldly. The trio stormed off, beginning a hunt for their prey. As they walked along the corridors of the prison, several guards materialised, stepping in front of them. Ben and Harry would raise their rifles and shoot every guard dead before they could react. Ben would then search each soldier for an ID card. Each time it was, at most, Level 3.

"Why are all these guards only Level 1, 2 or 3?" Ben said, flustered.

"Level 5 is the top brass," said Harry.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Ben snapped.

"I tried to tell you," Harry replied coolly.

Ben sighed. "Fine. Which way to the prison control room?"

"This way," Harry replied, turning left at a fork.

"How many forks are there?!" asked an exhausted Ben, who had been throughout the whole fiasco dragging Alex along with him.

"We have to reach an elevator," Harry said. "There are only a few in the whole complex, so the one we're going to is the nearest one."

"Oh boy," Ben groaned.

"Don't worry: We're here."

Before the trio stood an elevator door. Ben sighed with relief. Harry proceeded to the console and called for the elevator by pressing the 'up' button. Several seconds later, the door opened.

Machine gun fire filled the corridor. Harry instinctually leapt out of the way, drawing his rifle. Ben, in desperation, helped Alex limp away from the exchange. When he returned, he decided to put his grenades to use. He pulled one from his pocket and pulled the pin.

"Cover your eyes!" he shouted as the flashbang left his hand. It landed with a tinker at the feet of the soldier firing the machine gun. Ben could here a loud pop. After a few seconds, he uncovered his eyes and drew his rifle.

After dragging the body of the dead soldier off the elevator cab, Harry stepped inside, followed by Ben and Alex.

"Control room," Harry said. The cab doors closed and the trio were propelled upwards, accompanied by the machine gun.

When the doors opened again, Ben and Harry burst into the room, with Alex behind the machine gun.

"GOD DAMN YOU, GOVERNMENT SCUM!" Alex screamed as he opened fire. "GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"

Ben and Harry scurried about the room, searching bodies for high-level ID cards covered by Alex's machine-gun fire.

Ben kneeled down before the body of a man who appeared to be one of the higher officials running the prison.

Level 6.

"I found one!" Ben said.

Upon returning to Miami's cell, Ben, Alex and Harry stood before the locked door.

"Here we go," Ben said. He put the card under the scanner. It unlocked, and the door slid open with a soft hiss.

Miami was still sleeping. Ben, Alex and Harry approached the girl. Now that they were close to achieving their goal, Ben felt uncomfortable, almost afraid of going near his friend.

He silently stood before Miami's bed, watching her body rise and fall as she breathed. Then, he spoke.

"Miami?" he whispered, almost as if his voice had been stolen from him.

No response.

"Miami?" he tried again, with a bit more volume. The girl moved a little. She was roused. She slowly sat up to face the newcomers. She squinted at the sight of Ben.

"…Ben?" she said. He nodded.

"I've come to get you out of here," Ben whispered.

"You shouldn't be here," she said. "You'll get into trouble!"

Ben frowned at her change in character. Where there once was a rebellious and hateful attitude towards the Government, there was now an obedient, brainwashed mind devoid of defiant thoughts.

Reeducation was complete.

Chapter 2
"No…" Ben said. "They've changed you, haven't they?"

Miami cocked her head for several seconds. Then, as if she suddenly realised what Ben was trying to say to her, she straightened it again and smiled.

"You shouldn't be here," she said. "But I'm glad you are."

Ben smiled back. "Alright. Hang on, back in a moment." Ben beckoned Harry outside.

"We're getting her out of here," Ben whispered. "Don't trust her though. We don't know what the Government's done to her."

"Right," Harry replied.

Ben and Harry reentered the cell.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here," Ben said.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Harry screamed as a grenade soared into the air and exploded, sending several soldiers flying. Some were incinerated instantly, some landed on their bottom, relatively unharmed; others landed on the floor, their necks twisting in disturbing angles upon touchdown.

The four walked down the corridor, guns blazing. Guard after guard was cut down. Those who survived the initial firefight were carbonised by subsequent detonations of small explosives.

As they made their escape, Ben, Miami, Alex and Harry faced little resistance. With the utter collapse of the prison's security, Ben took the liberty of unlocking every single cell door they came across in an effort to further distract the guards. The mob of now-freed inmates swarmed the guards, shooting, beating and strangling soldiers to death. The four turned into a large garage, filled with wheeled vehicles.

"Wow," Ben said. "I've never seen one of those before."

"Those are cars. They were disused decades ago. Only the Army is allowed to use them."

"So you can drive one?"

"Sure can. Hop on."

After pressing a button on a nearby control panel that opened the large doors of the garage, Harry climbed into the driver's seat of a jeep. The jeep had a machine gun mounted at the back. Ben occupied the passenger seat. Alex went behind the machine gun, while Miami took her seat at the back.

"Hold on!" Harry shouted as the car sped out of the complex.

Turn them in before it's too late! screamed the voice. It was louder than ever before, almost painful. SURRENDER!

Ben groaned in pain and rested his forehead on his fingers. His breathing quickened.

"You alright, Ben?" Harry asked.

''SURRENDER! NOW!''

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ben replied. He sat up.

TURN ON THE TRACKING BEACON!

Ben's arm began to move towards a button on the jeep's console.

TURN IT ON! the voice shrieked. TURN IT ON!!!

Ben's finger was now resting on the button. Then, Harry slapped Ben's arm away from the button.

"Don't touch that!" Harry said. "It'll activate the tracking beacon and then the Government will know where we are!"

Ben took a deep breath. He had been a mere click away from oblivion.

Chapter 3
Several hours later, the sun started setting. After happening across a cave, the four had decided to stop and set up camp for the night. Harry and Alex had gone to look for firewood, leaving Ben and Miami alone.

Ben noticed that Miami was writing on a small notepad that he had never noticed before.

"What's that?" he asked.

Miami's eyes shifted up to look at Ben, then down again to continue writing.

"It's a journal," she said. "I've kept one ever since I was little. I've got a whole bunch of old notepads just like this at home."

Ben stood up and sat down again next to his friend. He read what she was writing.

''Today, Ben came to rescue me, accompanied by two other people. After all the pain I've gone through, it was a welcome surprise.''

That was all he saw until Miami closed the pad and stored it away in her pocket. She smiled.

"It's rude to look at people's journals, Ben," she reprimanded jokingly. The two friends burst into laughter.

"So, what are you kids up to?" Harry asked as he entered the cave with Alex, carrying pieces of wood.

"Nothing," Ben and Miami replied together. The other two set the wood down. Harry retrieved a bottle of fuel from the jeep and poured a little on the pile of wood. Then, Harry produced a lighter. He flicked it on and the wood combusted immediately.

"You smoke?!" Ben asked, nose screwing up in disgust.

"No, no," Harry replied. He closed his lighter and replaced it in his pocket. "The lighter's standard issue."

"Oh."

"I found some provisions in the jeep," Alex said, handing out packets of food.

"Thanks," Ben said as his packet was tossed to him. He read the label.

"Military Rations - Contains carbohydrates, proteins, and fibre."

"How appealing," Ben whispered to himself sarcastically as he opened the packet, pulling its accompanying plastic spoon loose. He started to eat.

For several minutes there was silence while the four ate. After Ben had finished, he spoke up.

"Right. Now that we're out of prison, we're wanted fugitives. What do we do now? We can't go home. We'll get arrested and possibly executed."

"I suggest we start another armed rebellion," Harry replied.

Another awkward silence followed.

"Why on earth would we want to do that?" Alex laughed. "We're four runaway prisoners against the whole Government and its army!"

"Don't forget," Harry said. "You're not the only children in the world."

In an apartment in Riverview, a family was silently having their dinner. The television programme was another Government-glorifying propaganda stunt. Suddenly, static interrupted the show. The adults were confused, and tried using the remote to change the channel to another programme. The same static was present on every channel. Then, an image appeared. A young man dressed in full military uniform standing behind a podium.

"Youths of the world! Young friends and fellow countrymen!" said Harry. "I am Harry Miller, commander of the Liberation Army. The Liberation Army aims to destroy the tyranny of the Federal Government! The acts of the corrupt and selfish Government must be stopped, and quickly!

"When the Government first came to power, they murdered those who had assisted them. Then they massacred the educated. Then they destroyed our independence. They destroyed our souls. But we can reverse this. We shall overcome!

"We shall regain and thereafter defend our liberty! We shall fight in the hills, the plains, and the valleys. We shall fight on the seas, in the forests and in the deserts. We shall fight for the freedom of every city, every family, every citizen; we shall not rest till the ungodly and hated institutions of the Government fall, burning, crashing to the ground! Join us, youngsters of the world! The revolution has begun!"

By the time the adults looked back at their table, their two children had disappeared.

To be continued…