Roger releases you, a glowing smile filling his face as he inhales sharply, turning to face the army, all of which is staring at him.
"Our lives have been stolen from us, recycled and used to their benefit. Today, we'll take our lives back from them!" He shouts, initiating another rally of yells and celebration. At the other side of the room, you see the door open. Roger notices too, and for a second, you two panic, but then Jean's face pops through the door, his eyes searching, presumably for you. His eye catches you two and he rushes to you.
"Your earpieces aren't working down here, but security has already noticed. They're calling the authorities, the building will be surrounded in about ten minutes."
He turns to Roger.
"This is your war, but I don't think you should fight today. You won't make it out alive if you don't leave now."
Roger's face fills with conflict. The realization of his actions hit him and he, as it seems for a split second, almost regrets what he's done, but the regret quickly dissipates as he straightens his posture and stiffens.
"What leader abandons his people? I'm staying."
Jean looks at you, almost expectantly as he nods his head to the door.
"What about you? I can snipe for a few shots, but I've entered into this building and gotten my face on camera, so I can't stay long. If you stay here, you'll put yourself at risk, but if you come with me, I can ensure your safety."
"can someone make the decision for me lol? anubis?"
kaiholo walks in "that's literally what im tryna achieve bitch"
I glance at Roger with the face of I-am-so-sorry-but-I-can't-shoot-a-gun. "Roger, I really want to help you, but I think I'd just get in the way because I have literally no skills whatsoever and I am scared. But, if you're going to stay, I wish you the best of luck." I quickly pull Roger into a hug and turn back to Jean.
"Let's go." I realized my legs were shaking hard.
there are real tears but ok
Roger returns the hug, a little taken back, not expecting it, but gingerly wrapping his arms around you. For a moment, things are quiet. The people around Roger and you are slightly muffled, and Roger lets out a gentle smile. As you turn to Jean, he nods at you with an unreadable expression before turning to the exit.
"We can't take the front exits, those have been shut down by authorities, but there's a back door through an above-ground warehouse that we can slip through. With the attention brought to the uproar downstairs, there won't be too much trouble there."
"Sounds good," I say through hurried breaths. Jean and I rush towards the back door he spoke of. A small regret weighs on my chest as I leave Roger, but I know it's for the better. I hope I'll see him again.
Jean steps quietly, but once you two are in front of people he slows to a casual walk. As the two of you approach a heavy door, Jean turns and glances at you before leaning into the door, pushing on the bar handle and turning the door open. As you walked in, shelves upon shelves lined up the large room, most of the lights off, but a master light giving a dim brightness around the area. The realization hits Jean and he grabs the door before it slams itself shut, slowly and gently allowing it to close, the echo not leaving the two of you.
"We have to line the walls, else the motion lights will activate and give away our position." He whispers.
I press myself against the cool wall immediately, my feet taking me around the border by themselves. Each step is taken carefully and slowly, like water waiting to drip from the roof. The lights are statues threatening to come alive. I take a breath.
Jean is behind me, but I only know because I looked. He walks with the stealth of a cat, and I wonder how that could've possible. My footsteps aren't loud. They're still definitely there. I get to the edge of the wall before realizing the shelf blocked the way forward. I send a worried glance to Jean. What do we do? I mouth.
Jean scans the area, desperate for a plan as his eyes catch on a coat rack holding three white coats, similar to lab coats. How did he not notice them before? He turns back to you, the idea clearly evident in his eyes as he sidesteps towards them, grabbing two and handing one to you.
"I would tell you to try to not look suspicious, but that wouldn't help." He uttered as he throws on the lab coat, the white contrasting with his black hair. He grins and sticks his hands in the pockets of the coat as he shrugs his shoulders.
"Whoever's watching the cameras wouldn't be paying much attention to us anyway. If we run, they might give us a second glance, so we'll just speed walk."
AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"You telling me not to think about acting suspicious is just as counterproductive, Jean," I sigh, rolling my eyes as I shrug on the jacket. We rush out of the warehouse into the daylight again, Anubis's voice slowly cutting through now.
"Christ, Anubis, calm down, we're out." Jean hisses under his breath, shrugging at you as he nods toward the parking lot of the building across the street.
"Jenny and I are on our way now. Where's Kaiholo?"
There's a moment of silence before Anubis responds, "I thought he was with you?"
Jean sighs, beginning to rush out of the parking lot of the warehouse as frustration builds in his breath.
"Just kidding, he told me he had some things to take care of. He's fine." Anubis retorts, but Jean doesn't respond, probably tired of what he believes to be Anubis's inability to take the matter seriously.
A rush of panic spirals through my body until Anubis reassures us he had made a god-awful joke. I reach up and turn the earpiece off, feeling like the outside world is my safety. Plus Jean has his on still. Nudging Jean, I say, "Relax. I know he sucks but I feel like you have never actually relaxed since I met you."
Jean shrugged, crossing the road and reaching the van.
"I'm fine, I just need a smoke."
As much as Jean wanted to linger around and smoke outside rather than in the car, he knew the three of you had to exit the premises before the police reached the back of the building and closed off the street. Anubis was already pulling out of the parking lot by the time you and Jean got in, and as he drove down the street, a few police cars zoomed by with their sirens on.
Jean sighed heavily.
"Don't suppose Robocop will be paying us for our help, will he?"
"Jean!" Anubis snapped.
"I just need a smoke," I mock under my breath. We hurry into the car. Nearby, the police sirens blare, sending nerves through me. And the lights blind my eyes - why do they have to be so bright? What about people with epilepsy?
"Don't suppose Robocop will be paying us for our help, will he?" Jean mutters.
"Jean!"
I roll my eyes, giggling slightly. "He'll be fine. He's got about a billion cyborgs to help him. Cyborgs that I'm sure are equipped with a fuck ton of skills and weapons."
Jean rolled his eyes as Anubis turned onto a street, taking a quick turn into the parking lot of a run-down, but homely gas station. Anubis put the car and park and unbuckled, exiting the car and shuffling inside the station.
Jean steps out of the car himself, but only steps a few feet away before pulling out a cigarette and lights it.
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Kaiholo peaking around the corner of the building, but returns behind the wall as Anubis walks past.
I look out at Jean, knowing hell I didn't want to be around him as he smokes. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom," I say as I head to the gas station. Sending a glance behind me to make sure he wasn't watching, I slip around the corner to see Kai staring straight ahead.
"Hey, Kai!" I exclaim. "Are you following us, lmao?"
"Wh-following you?" Kaiholo shakes his head quickly, lifting a defensive hand. "No, I don't…I was just checking up on you, making sure you're safe. Tyler helped me locate you and bring me to you. Although something's…new about him."
Kaiholo paused, exhaling with a hint of exhaustion.
"I'm sorry, I was worried about you."
I rub the back of my neck. "I know you were. I'm okay," I reassure Kai, holding back a joke. "Now what are you talking about with Tyler? And you got to hurry, I only take like three minutes to pee."
"It's nothing, he's just reminiscent…" Kaiholo trailed off, shaking off the thoughts as he straightens up. "Anyway, I have to tell you something."
As Kaiholo starts his next sentence, Jean and Anubis's voices ring out from around the corner, discussing loudly about something stupid probably, but at some point you hear Anubis ask where you are, to which Jean casually responds, "She's in the bathroom."
I frown at the information over Tyler. I wonder what he could possibly be reminiscent of. Jean and Anubis begin talking outside, causing a slight panic within my system. I whip my head in their direction, then turn back to Kai. "Hurry. I'll tell them I was shitting or looking at memes or something."
Kaiholo hesitates, fidgeting with his fingers yet again. He inhaled and prepared himself to speak.
"I have to go. There's some things I need to do back in the other universe, and…" He pauses, shifting his weight on his feet. "I don't think I'll be back for awhile."
Before he let you react, he continued.
"You could come with me, though. There's so much more I'd like to show you."
He tilts his head downward as he exhales. "Maybe, recreate those memories we lost?"
Time was ticking, and you could hear Jean and Anubis trying to find things to discuss to pass the time. Kaiholo hadn't stopped fidgeting since he started talking to you, and another swirl of police cars whizzed past the gas station to the building Roger was at.
