Dox walked back and forth in the small confined space of the train car, switching the gun from his right hand, to his left, and then back again.

I wondered what he was doing exactly. If he was here to blow people's heads off then why wasn't he? I mean I wasn't looking forward to it or asking him to, but I hated waiting like this, not knowing what he was thinking or what would happen next. Things would be a whole lot easier for everyone if we all knew what we were up against.

As if he could sense my impatience with him, Dox spun around and glared at me through his mask. Or at least I thought he was glaring at me, but I couldn't really tell with the mask on.

"You." Dox said pointing the gun at me.

I froze and clenched my hands into tight fists as I stared wide eyed, not at Dox, but at the barrel of the gun.

"What's your name?" Dox asked.

I wasn't sure what telling him my name would do but I wasn't about to question the guy who had a gun pointed at my head.

"Gemma." I said quietly.

"Gemma..." Dox rolled my name off his tongue as if he were testing it and I gave an involuntary shudder. I didn't like the way he said my name, and I didn't want him saying it.

Ever.

"Why don't you go ahead and stand up Gemma." Dox said kindly, but I knew he was anything but.

I was about to force myself to stand, even if it was against my better judgment, when I felt Archer grip my left hand, keeping me in my seat.

I glanced at Archer and gave him a questioning look.

When the maniac with the gun told you to stand up, guess what you did?

You stood up!

Archer didn't bother looking at me. Instead he had his eyes fixed on Dox.

"Why do you want her to stand?" Archer asked while narrowing his eyes.

I wanted to slap my hand over Archer's big mouth. Was he trying to get us killed, because that's the only thing he'd accomplish if he kept mouthing off at the man who was currently holding everybody at gunpoint!

Dox made a tsk tsk sound before turning his head toward Archer.

"I thought we already went through this. You don't speak... Unless. You're. Spoken. To." Dox ground out the last words slowly, and I doubted he would remind Archer again.

"Archer please..." I begged quietly. If all I had to do was stand up, even though I highly doubted it, then there was no reason to make things harder than they needed to be.

Archer glanced at me then back at Dox. I could see his jaw clench before he slowly let go of my hand and I stood slowly.

"Obviously your girlfriend has more sense than you." Dox said while tilting his head to the side.

I almost opened my mouth to tell him that Archer was not my boyfriend anymore than I was his girlfriend, but I kept it shut. Obviously there were bigger things to worry about right now.

Now wasn't the time, and there was no need to entertain this sicko.

I slowly walked up to Dox and stood there, waiting.

And then I waited, and waited, and then waited some more.

It felt like I was in line at Disney.

He said nothing, did nothing, just stood there staring at me.

Did he want me to stand up so we could have a freaking staring contest?

I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore. He was making me anxious and when I became anxious I also got a really bad case of word vomit.

"Are we just going to stand here and stare at each other?"

As soon as the words left my mouth I instantly wished I could take them back.

Me and my big mouth.

My eyes instantly darted down to Dox's clenched fists and before I could look back at his masked face, I felt his hand connect with my jaw, hard.

The force of his punch made me bite down on my tongue as I stumbled back from the impact, my hand covering my jaw. The train car seemed like it was suddenly bathed in bright white lights, and I reached my free hand out to try and find something to steady myself. I could taste something metallic and salty which I knew had to be my own blood.

"What the hell was that?!"

He almost punched my lights out that's what it was.

I turned my head slightly to the left and saw Archer standing by my side, fuming.

I don't remember him moving.

"I stand corrected. Maybe you do need to do a better job of teaching her some respect." Dox stated before he took another step towards me. "Or I could do it for you."

Archer moved in front of me, stopping Dox from coming any closer.

Dox stopped a few inches from Archer and stared straight at him through the eye holes of his mask.

"Move out of the way boy." Dox said, his voice deadly calm.

Archer seemed to straighten and he squared his shoulders.

"No."

"I'm going to tell you one more time. If you don't move I'll put a bullet through your head, then hers." Dox said, gesturing to me.

I heard Archer take in a deep breath before letting it out slowly and then,

"No."

I saw Dox's fist fly forward and at first I thought it was for me again and I flinched and took a few steps back. That was until I saw Archer's head snap to the right and a bright red spot blossom on his left cheek.

I thought that was it. That he'd only punch him once, but when he began to bring his fist forward again and again and again I knew he had a lot more in store and Archer just stood there and took the blows, blood now sliding down the corner of his mouth. He gave the occasional grunt but other than that he kept quiet as he took the punches.

For me.

I could hear people gasp sharply or whimper but no one dared to scream, afraid that they'd be the next people to feel Dox's wrath, and then as I heard the sickening sound of Dox's fist connecting with Archer's flesh yet again, I couldn't stand it anymore.

I did that stupid heroic thing they do in movies and flung myself forward with my arms raised intending to take the brunt of the impact in my arms and hands instead of my face and received the next blow intended for Archer. The impact knocked me backwards and into his hard chest. I had the same painful dizzying feeling and bright white and black dots flashed in my sight as my arms and hands did little to stop his fist from clipping the side of my face again, only this time it felt ten times worse.

Archer had better keep his mouth shut from now on because two punches was all I could take today. More blood filled my mouth and I groaned in pain. I felt Archer put his hands on my arms to steady me.

"Don't." He said through gritted teeth.

I was about to protest. I wanted to tell him that I didn't want him getting hurt trying to protect me but I didn't get the chance.

Dox lifted his gun and pointed it at me.

"Well aren't you two sweet? Trying to protect each other like that." Dox gave a dark chuckle before he jerked his head to the door leading into the next car.

"Move it, both of you. Now." He ordered.

Still clutching the left side of my face I stumbled my way toward the door with Archer right behind me, one hand on my lower back and the other on my arm, whether it was to keep me from falling flat on my face or just there to comfort me, I didn't know. All I was focused on was the pain which seemed to be everywhere in my face.

As Dox pushed us forward I wondered exactly what we'd gotten ourselves into.