forum two losers wind up as the world's most wanted simply by existing (o/o) (closed!)

Started October 20, 2020 by Deleted user

tune

Edit topic

Lucas' eyes nearly popped out of his skull the moment he saw the water freeze when it hit the others hand. That… that's not… Unless they were like each other. Both had abilities they couldn't quite explain that they were now being hunted down for. Apparently too dangerous to be left alone in the normal world. With the way that Lucas was described in the paper, not many people would want to give him a place to stay or work. There was no chance of a normal life now, anyway.

He winnowed from his roof to the strangers. The shadows warped and constricted around him in one place only to spit him out on the other rooftop, standing a meter or so away from the other male. He swayed a little, however since the jump wasn't too far he didn't fall over.. this time.

"How did…?" He shook his head, lowering his hood and mask before he looked up at the other male, "You're like me. Well, not exactly, but still," He was still in disbelief. It shouldn't be possible yet it was, "Were you looking for me?"

Paike's heart skipped a beat as the fellow disappeared into a mass of shadows only to reappear right by him. He was in as much shock as the other appeared to be in, taking a cautious step back as he studied the features of the boy before him. Pale skin, brown hair, blue eyes. Just like the description, save for the extra in those blue eyes that made them a lot more interesting to look at. Paike rubbed his own eyes, in complete disbelief of the sight before him.

"Yeah, yeah, I was.. the paper," he managed, the awe gripping his hold on words. "I read about you in the paper, it said that you were… you had some funky powers, too. I thought I'd try my luck, see if I could find you…"

His voice faltered and he became lost in wonder before realizing a few seconds later that he was staring. He cleared his throat quickly, sticking out a hand in greeting.

"The name's Paike. It's… it's really nice to meet you. And don't worry; I'm not gonna freeze your hand," he added with soft laughter. "It'd take too much energy."

Lucas huffed a laugh, joining his hand with Paike's in the hand shake before promptly putting it back in his pocket, "Well thanks for not, you know, freezing my hand. I'm Lucas."

It was so strange. He never thought he would ever meet someone like him, someone who could do strange things like he could. It was weird, but in an almost comforting way. The smaller male glanced around them on the rooftop, almost out of habit to make sure there was no one around to see them.

"Good thing you found me tonight," He said, scratching at the back of his neck, "After the whole newspaper thing I was gonna leave. You might not have found me after tonight."

Paike nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "I was a bit worried I was too late — your name in the local paper is too dangerous, indeed. I had a run-in with the Ivory Syndicate earlier today; they might've been looking for you, now that I think about it. Seeing me seemed to take them by surprise. I managed to shake them off my trail for now, but I don't think that means they've stopped looking," he added with a humorless, bitter cackle.

"Anywho, where were you headed? Mind if I tag along?" he asked. "I was looking for you originally to see if you wanted to stick together. Maybe having each other's backs might make things safer, yknow?"

"The Syndicate never stop looking," Lucas mumbled, exhaling sharply through his nose, "Unfortunate for us." He paused for a moment, thinking. Should he let Paike tag along? Either it would double his chances of getting caught or double his chances of making a safe escape if they were to run into the Syndicate. And… maybe it would be nice to have some company…

"I didn't really have that solid of a plan if I'm being honest," He admitted, "Didn't really have much time to plan where I was gonna go, just out. Probably head North, or East."

Paike nodded, "I'll be honest with you, I don't really know this place. I ran out of my hometown a long time ago and that's the only city I'll ever bother remembering. I trust you have the reigns tighter on this area, so I'll follow you."

He adjusted his satchel and took a gander at the ground beneath him. Things were so peaceful during the night, it sometimes made him forget he was being hunted down.

And then things would happen, like the brief flickers of light and of movement just a few blocks away, that reminded him again.

He froze, eyes locked on where he'd seen the group of people, and grit his teeth.

"Or, at least, I'm hoping you've got a grasp on this area," he added, voice dropped to a near-silent whisper. "I think I saw the Syndicate nearby. We have to go."

It was in moments like these where Lucas wished he didn't have powers. Running all the time was just so tiring. They could never catch a break because someone was always after them.

Sighing, Lucas encompassed both himself and Paike in a veil of darkness identical to the one he was wearing earlier, "Stick close. If you go to far I won't be able to cover you as well." Night was his time. It made everything easier for him then it did when the sun was up.

They could move along the rooftops for a couple blocks then jump down into the back alleys and side streets to the end of the town and out into the surrounding forests. Easy cover out there.

Paike nodded, casting a glance at Lucas then back at where he saw the movement behind him. His heart was pounding right out of his chest, so loud that he was afraid the Syndicate would hear. He wasn't powerless during the night, but his vastly different and more close-range moveset made an encounter with them particularly dangerous; he didn't stand as good of a chance as he might during the day. But Lucas, he noticed, seemed to work quite well in this environment. He didn't exactly feel comfortable putting all his trust into him like this, but telling himself that it was a little necessary given the circumstances helped him suck it up, at least.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he whispered. "If they find us, that little trick you saw earlier is about the most I've learned to do. I'm, uh.. I work better in the day."

So that was a second destination. Either make it out of the city, or make it until dawn, however long they had left until then.

The current objective? Survive.

(Sorry for disappearing! Was very sick and then went right back to work)

"You're lucky I work better during the night." Lucas mumbled before he shut up. The more they talked, the more likely chance they would get caught.

Luckily the rooftops were close enough together for them to hop from building to building. It wasn't hard, maybe because he'd been doing it for a while or maybe because it just was that easy. And the grip on his boots made it all the easier. He led them across the city for a few blocks until he could just make out the outline of the forest against the black of the night. He stopped, turning to Paike.

"I'm gonna drop the cover," He said, "Get to the ground as quick as you can."

(no worries! being sick sucks, i hope you're feeling better!)

Paike nodded, glancing back at the city that now stood mostly behind them and taking a deep breath. Stray flashlight beams nearby and the echoed static of walkies-talkies informed him of the Syndicate's presence, but the initial shock of it had died down, and now it all felt like the same routine he'd grown accustomed to. But now he'd found what he hoped would be a friend, and with that knowledge, he realized the usual subtle churn of unease in his stomach was nonexistent.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he recalled their current pressing issue, and sighed.

Time to go. Again.

As Lucas' cover faded, he took a gander at the ground beneath. Then he dropped down, carelessly sliding down the roof and dropping to the ground, breaking the force of the impact with a roll. He stood and dusted himself off, wincing as the movement in his arms strained his shoulders. His shoulders were a bit bad to begin with, but having to roll like that only made the ache worse. He pursed his lips as he fought through the sharp pang that shot through his upper back, releasing the tension in his body as the pain subsided. Curse the limitations of the human body, he thought bitterly.

Lucas was quick to follow, luckily he still had the cover of shadow to hide him a little more so he didn't have to rush as much to get to the ground. He used the pipes running along the outside of the building to help guide him to the floor, dropping down and landing softly when he could. The lights overhead were getting closer and the small male could feel his heart speed up.

If they got caught…

He was quick to move again, motioning for Paike to stick close so he could cover them again. The back alleys were small, cramped and dirty beyond belief but they had a lower chance of getting caught back here. Higher chance of escape. The trees got closer and Lucas' walk sped up.

Paike's gaze lingered on Lucas's descent for a few seconds before he turned his attention to the scene around him, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He was, admittedly, a bit nervous being so shrouded in the shadows; after all, if he could hide in them, so could a more unwelcome party, hence why he preferred the open environment of rooftops. He fidgeted with his satchel to try and distract himself.

The soft sound of Lucas's shoes hitting the ground startled him. He clutched a hand with his chest and held his breath, nodding quickly as Lucas motioned for him to stay close.

Between Lucas's hastening pace and his difficulty making out his cramped surroundings, his nerves were starting to get the better of him. He ridiculed the irrational prioritizing of his worries, arguing with himself that the Syndicate was something much more worth fearing than the dark, of all things — but while so absorbed in his thoughts, he neglected properly observing his surroundings. He stumbled over a heap of garbage, letting out a panicked cry and scrambling away on his back, breath quickened and eyes wide.

A faint "Someone's out there!" could be heard a short distance away. Paike shakily returned to his feet, cupping a hand over his mouth and glancing at Lucas, patting him urgently on the back of his shoulder in a nonverbal let's get out of here please oh my god as a number of footsteps could be heard approaching where the Syndicate thought the sound had come from.

Lucas cursed silently. Everything was going so well. There wasn't anytime to dwell on what happened, to waste anytime telling Paike off for making such a stupid mistake when their lives were at stake. If he jumped with the both of them now Lucas knew he wouldn't be able to run very far when they got to the forest. He had to wait, just a little further and he could get them both out of here with no problems. Well, minimal problems. He'd definitely need some painkillers and a rest when they got far enough away.

He grabbed Paike's hand, practically dragging him down the back alley and swerving around other bins and boxes so they could get out, get close enough that he could jump them to safety.

The end of the street drew closer, the sound of the Syndicate, too, felt like it was too close. They were right behind them, searching and if they got over they were done for. For good.

When Lucas knew he could jump, he gaze the others hand a squeeze in a silent, hold on tight, before suddenly they were shrouded in darkness. A constricting feeling as they warped from one shadow to the next, then the next until they were placed in the shadow of a large tree.

Paike kept his hand over his mouth, attempting to keep up with Lucas as best he could and constantly casting glances behind the two. He was such an idiot, such an absolute fool that he almost felt like laughing. The dark can't hurt you, he chastised himself. You've got someone with you who, for crying out loud, can manipulate the shadows, and you're freaking out? Priorities, Paike; your life isn't the only one in danger anymore.

He felt Lucas squeeze his hand and he tightened his grip in return, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut as they were enveloped in darkness and transported elsewhere. Part of him thought it was really cool, part of him was absolutely mortified, but he didn't spend too much time dwelling on it. A quick glance at his surroundings told him that Lucas had found a hiding spot, so he closed his eyes again and kept still a hand on his mouth, not wanting to risk giving away their position again. It wasn't like he could do anything helpful shrouded in darkness, anyhow, so the most he could do was just refrain from doing anything hindering.

Where he had tripped, the Syndicate was all over. It was a group of what looked like seven, their representative number, geared up for a hunt. They examined the scene, making note of the disturbed trash bags and shining flashlights all over the surrounding area. One pulled over a more higher-ranking looking officer and pointed to something on the ground, to which the other pulled out some cotton swabs and dabbed one on the specified location. The red swab was stored in a plastic bag, and the officer was approached by another member who shook their head. The officer looked disgruntled, waving a hand and signaling the party to move on with the search, taking a left and moving away from where the two runaways were hiding.

As the adrenaline began to wear off, Paike felt an acute sting on his knee. He winced, opening his eyes and taking his hand away from his mouth, delicately touching where it hurt to find that blood was spotting where he had scraped his knee in the fall. He hadn't seen them gather the evidence.

Paike's gaze turned towards Lucas, unable to tell if the coast was clear.

Lucas kept the two of them covered while they could still see the syndicate. One wrong move again and it was done for. He knew that Paike hadn't tripped on purpose, but he could tell the other had been on the run for a while and small mistakes like that could cost them their lives. It was one of the reasons why sometimes he liked being alone. It was easier to not get caught. Gosh it's gonna be hard to adjust.

The trees provided enough cover that Lucas pulled their cover away. He sighed, slightly exhausted, and leaned against a tree nearby. Even without him making cover they didn't need it here. The syndicate was gone now anyway, thank God, so there weren't as many things to worry about.

Lucas turned to Paike, removed the hood from his head and his face mask, "How's your knee?" he asked quietly, nodding to the other. He could see well enough, and saw Paike touch his knee. It probably wasn't a life threatening injury, but the less hurt they were the better.

Paike brushed the blood from his hand, smudging it onto his shorts, before shuffling through his satchel to retrieve a few small band-aids. "It's just a scratch," he replied dismissively. "It'll heal on its own, no problem."

He sat down, back resting on the base of a tree, cleaning the scrape with water from his bottle and applying the band-aids. A smile crossed his face as he tended to his wound, but the guilt in his eyes told a different story.

"Guess I deserved it, huh?" he chuckled. "Listen, I… that probably didn't make for too good a first impression, tripping up like that. Nearly got us killed. I promise I'm not usually that incompetent, I just…"

When he finished, he stuffed the band-aid wrappers back in his bag, leaning against the tree and letting a soft sigh escape him, grateful for a moment's respite. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking again.

"You're used to the dark, so you probably wouldn't understand. I'm, like, the opposite of you, in a sense. I need the light, else I'm not much more than a regular person. I work so much better during the day — but during the night, all I've got going for me is the moon, and I haven't really figured out everything I can do with the moon yet," he continued, breaking off into a bit of laughter. Laughing eased his nerves. "But, basically, as long as I can see, I can do stuff. And, well, I can't see in the dark. You see the dilemma?"

His features softened slightly as he listened. He understood, only for him it was the exact opposite, "No I, I understand." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, "My powers don't work as well in the day. Too much light, not enough shadow. It's harder to stay hidden and protected when you can't use the one thing that's keeping you safe from the rest of the world."

He glanced back to the city, to the occasional light from someone's window or street lamp before he looked back to Paike, "You didn't meant to trip, you're not an idiot. At least I hope you're not an idiot. I know we only just met but…" He shrugged, "You've gotta trust me. As I'll have to trust you during the day."

Trust was a very delicate thing. They'd only just met and nearly got caught within five minutes of them meeting and now they had to trust each other with their lives. It was a crazy and ridiculous concept but one that Lucas knew he had to accept if they were to stay together.

Paike nodded attentively as he listened to Lucas, the humor returning to his smile.

Trust. He had a complicated relationship with that.

But Lucas had a point. If they wanted to make it out there, they had to trust each other — compensate for each other's weaknesses. However Paike felt about that, he had to realize that if he was going to go this far to find Lucas in the first place, he had to get used to the teamwork part. Things were going to change, and he had to change with it.

Change. That was something he understood.

He stood, casting a passing glance at the quiet scenery around them before his gaze returned to Lucas.

"Well, then I ought to start now. Looks like we're off the Syndicate's trail for the time being, you have a place you want to hit?"

Lucas shrugged, raising his arms a little with it before they slapped down at his sides again, "Not really, no. Got no family to visit andddd everywhere we go they'll be someone looking for us."

He scratched at the back of his neck. He'd never really thought about what he was going to do when he actually go out of the city. His plan was to just wander and home he made it somewhere safe to stay for the night and not a cold, damp alleyway that smelt of garbage.

Lucas sighed, "I never really thought I'd get this far." A morbid thought but the truth, "You got anywhere you want to go?"

Paike shook his head. He, too, was a bit surprised they managed to evade the Syndicate as closely as they did, and now that he gave it some thought, he was a bit stumped on what to do next.

Well… he was a bit hungry, and he'd skipped breakfast today. He shuffled through his satchel, counting how much money he'd scavenged throughout the day.

"Maybe we could grab a bite to eat?" he suggested casually. "I pro'lly got enough to pay for the both of us, assuming you wanna get something legally. If not," he added, glancing up at Lucas with a cheeky grin, "I'm down for some good ol' fashioned thievery."

He put the money back in his pocket and adjusted, rolling his shoulders and shifting around a bit. "Of course, of course, only if you're up for it. Considering what happened just short of a few seconds ago, I get it if your stomach isn't in the mood, or if you just wanna call it a day."

The small male rubbed at the back of his neck. If they sat and ate in at one of those 24 hour diner places the chances of them getting caught were high. Lucas knew that now his face was plastered all over the paper people would be looking for him, keeping watch, trying to be careful.

But the thought didn't stop his stomach from grumbling, loudly. He wrapped an arm around his stomach with a small, sheepish smile.

"Food seems like a great option."

He hadn't had a proper meal for days. He'd resorted to saving the little money he did have, just in case he needed it for a life and death situation.

"We could go to one of those cheap diner places? Or anywhere else you wanna go. I mean… we could steal, but I dunno where we would steal from."

Paike shrugged, mulling over his options, his foot beginning to tap a steady rhythm.

"Well, if I'm just picking up a snack, I usually hit a grocery store or a supermarket," he explained. "Bigger crowd, easier to take something and go as long as you mind the cameras. But I've been out on the run for, hmm.. three, four years, now? The excitement about me has died down a bit."

He folded his arms across his chest, clicking his tongue on the roof of his mouth as he sized up his companion.

"But you?" he continued with a raise of an eyebrow. "With you in the paper, you're fresh, which means people will be looking, so… hmm, yeah, you're right. Might wanna keep off the cameras. Maybe a diner is the best option. I'd suggest fast food, but I think something healthier would be better given the circumstances."

He poked through his satchel and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on before taking his hair out of a bun and letting it fall to his shoulders. Wasn't the most intricate disguise, but it covered what it needed to.

"You know of any diners in the area?"

Lucas scratched at the back of his neck, "Uh there's one in the next town over. It's maybe an hours walk from here? There's a track through the forest we can follow, done it before and perfectly safe. It's healthier than a fast food place but not great."

He shrugged. There wasn't anywhere else they could go that was cheap, open twenty four hours and somewhat healthy.

"There's also a small cabin on the way, I have spare clothes that won't make me look so… suspicious."

The all black worked when he was on the run, trying to hide. But Lucas knew the second he stepped into a public place looking like this they would be done for immediately. He even had makeup to hide his scars.

Paike grinned, humored by the thought, "Oooh, yeah, might not wanna look like you're gonna rob the place. They'll remember that quicker than they would you being something right out of a comic. People get feisty over business."

He nodded as Lucas continued, seemingly reassured by the mention of a cabin. He didn't think Lucas was lying when he said the path was safe; he just liked having the safety net of a place to go in the event things went south, even if they couldn't stay for long. Maybe it could even be a place to hit the hay for the night, depending on how secluded it was.

"Well! That's that, then," he decided, rubbing his hands together excitedly. Now that he'd acknowledged his hunger, it was becoming more prominent, and he felt the familiar yet uneasy churn of emptiness in his stomach. "If everything's five by five, we've got an hour of walking ahead of us. I'll follow you."

Lucas nodded. He returned Paike's grin with a small smile of his own before he started down the path, "If we speed walk we could make it in forty five."

When things had been calm, normal, he used to walk these trails. Had done since he was a kid. Lucas had always enjoyed them and had often spent hours in the cabin, reading, relaxing, getting away from it all. It was also the place he'd ran to the night he found out about his powers. Probably the only place where he felt safe.

"So… how long have you been on the run for?" He asked, wanting to get to know his companion a little better.