[PurpleBox]

Ian winced as he walked into Aren’s apartment, his face a little flushed from the fever he was definitely running now. “Leg got cut… I’m fine…” it was clear he would be stubborn about admitting his was hurt or sick. “I can read…. Just not well…” He muttered...while he could recognize street names now and thing like that… reading a book would be a nightmare for him.

“So is your new room mate the one on the couch?” Ian asked leaning against Aren’s counter, taking some weight off his injured leg, that was still wrapped with spare cloth around his pant leg where it had torn into his skin.

It wasn't long till the sun hit Tristan’s face and like a switch had been flipped his blue eyes blinked open… the sounds of his brothers voice tickled hsi mind… wait.. His brother!” Shooting up Tritan scrambled to get off the bed, letting his blanket fall off his shoulders and the book form Aren flopped onto the soft material as Tristan bolted out of the bedroom and all but tackled Ian against the counter. The ginger man letting out a ‘oof’ sound as he wrapped his arms around his brother.

Tristan didn’t notice the wince of pain on his brothers face when weight was put on Ian’t injured leg and the ginger man pressed himself more against the counter he had been leaning again. “H-Hey t-there Pup….ah...good sleep?” Only if someone was listening closely they would hear the pain in Ian’s voice. The ginger man was rarely injured or sick… other then the fevers from a few spores… but by now everyone's had at least one fever from the spores.

Tristan didn’t answer, just hugged Ian tighter, a freckled hand stroked blonde curls to try and sooth his baby brother. While Tristan rarely talked about them, sometimes he had nightmares about being abandoned by Ian...being left alone in the outside world with no food, cloths or shelter…. Or being dropped off at a military ‘school’.... Separated from his only living family.

Careful of his leg, Ian wrapped his arm fully around his little brother and hugged the boy tightly. “It’s ok Tris… I’m here… I won’t leave you….I’m still alive.” the words where familiar and warm, words he had repeated to Tristan many a times to sooth the young boy when he had to go out daily.

[sylvanSpider]

Aren looked down and saw immediately which leg it was. White cloth wrapped around the wounded area, Aren thought he could see blood seeping through, but it could have been the morning's rays playing tricks on his eyes. “Well, if you want lessons, I'm happy to teach you. It's the least I could do after...well, risking your life for me. But, you want me to be honest? I don't think you should go out for a bit, not until that shit's healed.”

Aren looked back at the sofa where Taka was trying to wake up, “Yeah, that's her. Her name's Taka. I don't know very much about her, but apparently life in District 3 was fuckin' rough.” The last part was no longer a whisper and Taka got to her feet walking to the redhead and held out her hand.

“As Aren said. Name's Taka.” Her grip was firm, strong. One that shouldn't belong to a girl her size. She had to look up to maintain eye contact, but once she had it, she kept her gaze firm as well. She was one that would have made Serj proud had he known her. He always appreciated strength – the strength that Aren always lacked.

The reunion was beautiful, and one would have thought that their separation was much longer than just one night. The love was real, and that was the important part. If the pain in his voice went unnoticed by everyone else, it didn't go over Aren's head and he resolved in his mind that he should have a look at it later. In his earlier studies, he'd read some A&P books, and he knew that cuts often got infected. It needed to be looked at immediately.

Taka stood there, taking in the moment when her gaze fell on the white cloth. The man was wounded. If he had a job in the city that kind of wound wouldn't have happened. He'd gone outside. She swallowed, looking from the rag to his freckled face. Would he be willing to take her along next time he went? If not, she'd simply follow. She had to have ways to get out. Besides, there was nothing left for her in this city. The city was a hellhole and her gang had betrayed her. Almost got her killed, and if they knew she was still alive, she certainly would be. Once she found a way out, she could start preparing to leave again.

[PurpleBox]

Ian tensed at the mention of District 3. “Ian.” He shook her hand and while he had to glance down to make eye contact it was clear he wasn’t ‘looking down’ on her. Ian was pretty tall… so he was used to having to look down yet to never put others beneath him.

“It’s Mavrik’s territory so of course it was a shit life unless you where part of his crew… and even then…. Never trust that man.” Ian said, his voice spoke volumes of experience with the hated man as he stroked his brothers hair. Tristan didn't’ question his brothers words about his previous partner.

“Oh I don’t plan on going out for a while...need to plan.” was all Ian said, he didn't get that shifty feeling from Taka so he felt ok talking about his real job a bit even if it wasnt with full confirmation. Give it a week and the other tenets of the building will have told her all about Ian and his ability to get things from the outside.

‘Breakfast’ was had in Aren’s apartment that day, Tristan going to get food for himself and Ian after he noticed the makeshift bandage on his brothers leg, the already pale boy going whiter as he pushed his brother towards the touch.

“Let one of them play doctor… lord known you don’t play it on yourself enough.” Tristan said… he had no clue who this lord was… but he’d heard the saying a few times… so he used it. Ian sighed and carefully sat himself down and winced, it was now clear that the wound had opened again and blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage he had used.

“Might as well get this over with.” Ian said with a pained grin as he carefully pried the cloth away form his leg. “Tris is right when he said i don’t doctor myself enough…” The red head was at least smart enough to admit his shortcomings in things. The wound was weeping blood, and looked puffy and raw, some signs if early infection were clear to anyone who had read any medical books or things like that.

Ian’s freckled face was pale and flush at the same time, sweat gathering quickly against his brow even though he wore a sleeveless and loose shirt.

[sylvanSpider]

Taka decided right then that she didn't hate Ian. Whether she liked him or not was still to be determined, but just by looking at him she could tell that he was one who had seen much and said little; he was a man of action, and one not likely to look down on those different from him. She could see that based on his friends that he chose to keep.

“I learned that the hard way,” she uttered, shifting her weight once more. Introductions were never her forte, and it seemed that this man had some sort of negative relationship with her now arch enemy. In that, it seemed, they already agreed. “I take it you've seen what it was like, then? It's different now. A lot of is gone now; burnt to the ground.”

Aren put his hands in his pockets, squinting up at Ian as if he wasn't totally satisfied that Ian was telling the truth. Ian seemed to want to get out of the city as much as possible, and Aren knew this from experience. He was willing to take a near total stranger out, and while he was grateful, this was the second time in as many days that he'd gone out. When he came to the conclusion that he was telling the truth, he added a simple, “And heal. Plan and heal.”

Breakfast, as the troupe was already accustomed to, was modest. They were lucky that the city on formation started with agriculture – even if it was only minor. Chickens were raised for their eggs, and there were even cows and pigs that were reserved generally for the best of citizens. As it was, eggs were involved in their rations for the day and Aren cooked those with some of the allotted power that had been given them, serving them up scrambled. It was enough to get them through lunch at least.

Taka swallowed some spit that had gathered at the back of her throat and looked down at Ian's leg, “I don't know shit about first aid...”

Aren raised his hand, “Well, I know a bit. Read a bit about it before I found my niche. I can help, but uh, do you have shorts or anything that would make it easier for me to get to it?”

[PurpleBox]

“It was the first District me and Tristan where in years ago...a… crew I used to run with where strong there...thought they’d care about more than the bottom line… got out fast when that wasn’t the case… I stick to my District and they to theirs…. So far that’s worked but I don’t hold my breath if i see then at… work.” Ian was clearly good at telling the truth while also leaving out details that could get him killed, like going outside the walls without a permit.

“Yeah… heal…” Ian winced as a shot of pain flared up his leg. The scrambled eggs brought back a fuzzy memory… their mum had made them scrambled eggs before… when they’d managed to find a chicken and her eggs….

Ian shook his head. “No shorts….don’t like having exposed skin out there.” HIs face was flushed strongly now, sweat clearly dripping down his temples. Ian just carefully used his hunting knife to cut off the jeans above the cut after managing to get the makeshift bandage off, the gash looked worse than he remembered. Not that he’d had good light to see it.

“This is gonna hurt isn't it?” he asked, freckled hands gripping the arm of the couch. The signs of the fever where similar to the ones that most people experience when their bodies fought off small amounts of spores. This wasn’t that simple, Ian needed some form of treatment or the leg could go septic in a few days… whatever had been on the metal he had gotten cut with was nasty, more than rust definitely.

While the red head was always wanting out of the city he always made sure to never do two jobs so close together… at least until last night when the little boy had come to his door… everyone else would need to find another scavenger to get things for them for a while… and that turned Ian’s stomach a bit...if his presence wasn’t strong, then another could move in and take his place as unofficial scavenger for the District… or worse, Mavrik could send goons in to take over as scavengers and charge people….

Cool hands brushed his ginger strands away and Ian was looking into Tristan’s worried blue eyes.

If Taka asked him Ian would tell her how to get out... heck he would probably even teach her the signs he'd learnt for the area around the District's exit... and about the smuggler and scavenger cache's that where sprinkled around.

[sylvanSpider]

“Yeah well, I know about that crew. Talking about Mavrick? Tried to get out, and he tried to kill me. Got the rest of my family instead,” Taka said, shaking her head. Her fists, unbeknownst to her, had clenched and she was trembling with anger and sadness just thinking about it. Her family that Mavrick's goonies killed weren't technically her family, at least, by blood. They'd been divided into groups, and she lived with them. They had it good there for a while. Constant access to the outside, extra rations, actual blankets without holes in them. But then they saw too much and had to be eliminated. Taka survived, barely saved by District 1 officials who believed the fire to be an accident. “Now I'm here, and I don't know if the fuck is gonna hunt me down or not. So, if you see me being a dick to any of you guys, it's because I want onlookers to think I don't like you. Capiche?”

Aren nodded, “Capiche. I've heard the tales. Shit, man, that's gotta be hard.” The tales he'd heard were only recently relayed by Ian when they were out, but he internalized them, and now there was a second confirmation.

“Yeah. Work,” Taka said with obvious doubt in her voice, “Look man, you don't gotta hide. I'm not gonna say shit. I know you got that outside the walls. I've been there. Many times. I don't know how to get out here, but back in District 3, I knew all the routes, both official and off the books. I get it. Really. But you're safe with me.”

Aren breathed a sigh of relief. His new roommate was quick, he had to hand that to her, but she was on their side and therefore good. “I wasn't talking about out there, I was more asking for here, but cutting your jeans off is probably the best way anyway.” When the leg of Ian's pants was removed, Aren crinkled his nose. The stench was atrocious – a telltale sign that the wound was infected.

“Hey, Tris? Would you do me a solid and wet a rag with cool water and bring it here?” Aren asked, not looking away from the wound. He set up his first aid kit and set to work cleaning up around the wound. “Ian, what did you cut yourself on? This isn't from a Runner. Cut's too clean. Erm, well, it would have been clean if it wasn't this infected...We might need to get you a tetanus shot....meaning a couple of us would have to go out by ourselves – unless we can come up with a reason you might have wound up with a cut like this...”

[PurpleBox]

“Guess I was lucky to get out before he started to do that… or not…we were once close… the bastard…” Ian was babbling a bit as he felt over headed. “I’m used to people being dicks to me… thanks for the heads up though Taka.” Ian smiled blurry at the Asian girl before wincing a bit.

“Only three exits in this District… the military one and the one that people like us use…. I guess I could show you my main one after I stop feeling like shit.” Ian said his nose scrunching up at the scent that followed the removal of his bandage.

Tristan nodded and went to get the rag in question, letting it before bring it over to Aren, the young boy winced seeing the cut...He moved to sit beside his brother and take the older mans hand in his own to comfort his brother.

Ian’s face was still scrunched up when eh answered. “I think… it was a sheet of metal from something that fell… it was a narrow space i had to run it… I was just focused on getting the hell away from the runner…..spent half the night up one of those old power line poles….If it had been from a runner I’d have kept myself outside the walls till the time passed to shoot myself or it not taking….scratches from runners don’t turn people often… not enough spores under their nails yet…. And this guy was a fresh turn… looked like a crazy ass man….” Ian was panting and rambling, gently squeezing Tristan’s hand.

He never bothered to hid what he knew about the outside form Tristan...even if he wanted the blond boy to grow up relatively safe from the infected outside the walls. He wanted Tristan to be prepared and strong… for the day that Ian might pass...or if they got separated outside the city walls. The ginger man planned to do all in his power to make sure that didn’t happen.

When the cloth was applied to clean the wound Ian let out a hiss, biting into his lip to keep quiet… wouldn't do to have a snoop investigate the noise he was making.

[sylvanSpider]

Taka looked down, her eyes betraying the bitterness she felt towards the man. “Things started out okay under Mavrick. He was supposed to be a man for the people, but he's only the man for himself. Anyone that gets in his way is disposable, and anyone that doesn't is also disposable. I can only imagine being close to him back in the day.” She shook her head, clenching her fists, “Important thing is is that we're both out now. But...I worry that he might try to extend past District 3. I think he's aiming to take control of the whole city.”

Aren took the rag and nodded thanks to Tristan, turning back to Ian. Ian was hot to the touch and Aren folded the rag neatly, pressing it gently on his forehead, “Leave that there for a little bit. I'll change it out once it warms up. Shit, man, you got hit hard.” Aren then turned attention back to Ian's leg, cleaning up the excess spillage. For sure, we're going to need a tetanus shot. That, or your leg is going to have to go, and there are some major arteries there that I'd rather not sever.”

Taka could see the concerned look on her roommate's face. His brow was furrowed in concentration, lips pressed into a thin line. She was silent for a moment, watching Aren work, seeing Tristan sitting by, an equally worried expression on his own face. Something had to be done. After some uncomfortable silence, she finally spoke up, “I can get it for you. I know where the old hospital is, and the shots don't have any street value. There's bound to be some left.”

Aren blinked. Was this girl for real? Then, she'd worked for Mavrick before. She knew the outside world well. If anyone stood a chance, it was her. She was like another Ian. But then, she didn't know the way out. “Ian, would you be alright if I showed Taka the path you took us on? Taka, are you sure this is something you can handle?”

Taka nodded, “I can handle it. I've been out by myself more times than I've been with others. I know the parts of the city that weren't repurposed, and I even know the hotspots for infected populations and Mav's goonies to avoid. I can get it. I just...I just need a path out.”

[PurpleBox]

“It always starts out ok… sweet words and sweet nothings whispered in the dead of night...he makes you feel important when you’re really just another pawn…” Ian panted out, not fully releasing he’d let slip that there was more going on between him and the bastard then partnership. Tristan’s blue eyes where a bit wide as his brother spoke, but the young boy stayed quiet, he knew that Ian and Mavrik had been close… he’d seen the hickies on his brothers neck a few times… he may be only 11 but he knew about sex… how babies were made.

Ian chuckled mirthlessly when Taka said that Mavrik might be wanting to expand past District 3. “I wouldn’t put it past him… we had this gran idea that we’d run the city one day… better and safer than the military twats cos we’d been outside the walls… spent months outside fighting off infected things….”Ian shivered when the cool cloth was pressed to his forehead and the ginger haired man tiled his head back to better balance the cloth.

Both brothers tensed when the option to cut the leg off came up… it was clear that was a no go. “The path we….ugh.” the freckled man clenched his eyes tight when pain shot up his leg as Aren cleaned it, the toes on the injured leg curling in pain, causing the leg to tense up and bleed more, a bad circle.

“Polly is supposed to me escorting a family out tomorrow… if you leave early tomorrow…. Or even tonight….there is a safe house above a old coffee store a few blocks from the exit… ah… ok… Aren…. You can show her… shit this hurts….” Ian panted more gritting his teeth as he raised a hand to keep the cool cloth pressed to his sweaty forehead. His freckled cheeks were flushed with color and it would be a rough night for the older McLocke brother, that was for sure.

While the adults were talking Tristan rummaged through his brothers bag to pull out the map that Ian used to get his bearings, landmarks and little symbols littled the map, Ian had remade the map in a way he could understand it. There was a quirky little coffee cup drawn where the coffee shop was. The young blond unrolled the map to show Taka, even though he didn’t speak, Tristan’s blue eyes were a well of emotion, pleading with the asian girl to help save his brother, his family.
-----------
As the say went on Tristan had to be the one to stealthily let the residents of the apartment know that his brother would be out of commission for a while. It wasn’t a good idea to move Ian with his leg like it was, so Tristan had run back to their own apartment and grabbed his brothers grubby pillow and a change of clothes for himself and his brother.

“Sorry for just barging in like this….but walking up those stairs would be bad…. I’m surprised he didn’t fall on his way down…” The young blond said rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke to Aren, Ian was currently passed out on the couch, a new cool cloth pressed to his flushed face. It was jarring for Tristan to see his normally strong brother to be this torn down.
---------------
Down in the tunnels leaning out of the the District was the bloodstained area that Ian had fallen asleep in, it was a wonder how he hadn't bleed out during the night. The ginger man was one stubborn son of a gun.

[sylvanSpider]

“Told me I was like a little sister to him,” Taka muttered, excluding the fact that he was well aware of her blood family that had died at the hands of some infected. “We were all pawns to him. Shit, some still are.” Taka stood where she was, unsure of what she should do. The wounded she'd come across, well, it was already too late for them. She'd never had a chance to actually try mending one who had a chance. “Well, that idea's not dead to him, and he'll do anything to do it. Anything. Except now? His motives aren't pure.”

Aren pressed his hand against Ian's heated cheek and shook his head, “The fever isn't breaking. We need...we need to fix this.” The man had never had a chance to actually put what he read to use, and it had been years since he tore through the medical text books. He retained little of it, but he knew a fever as high as the one Ian was sporting could potentially be deadly.

“We can't wait until tonight. I need to get there and back as soon as possible. I know the outer routes the guards take around the entirety of the populated city, and I know the schedule. I'll avoid those areas. I know the ropes. If we get caught looking at the door, Aren, you were just showing your new roommate around the complex or the district. Technically, I'm new here,” Taka protested.

Aren's lips pressed into a thin line and he glanced back at his roommate, then back to Ian, “Well, he's not in a spot to stop you, and what you do after I show you the route out is up to you.” He sighed. They were in the worst of situations, but Taka was right. Ian was going to die if he didn't get the medical supplies he needed, and fast. Her face was resolute, like one who couldn't be stopped and Aren nodded slowly. “Under my bed are canned supplies. I've been skipping meals so I have food when I go out for my studies. Take what you need for a day's journey. Do you have a gun?”

“Of course I have a gun,” Taka responded, lifting up her hoodie to reveal that she did indeed have one on her person. “You don't survive in District 3, or outside the walls, without one.” She disappeared into Aren's bed room and came back with her backpack noticeably heavier.

Aren stood up, brow creasing in worry, “Tristan, don't worry about staying here. I'd rather have the company anyway. I won't be gone long, but while I am, change the rags as necessary. Don't let them get warm. Keep them cool. We need to combat the fever as best we can.”

With that, Aren lead the way to the storage closet Ian showed him not that long ago.

[PurpleBox]

“I don’t think they ever were pure….” Ian trailed off closing his eyes, he felt to hot, like he wanted to pull his skin off to to feel a small piece of relief from the burning heat. He didn’t pass out till the duo of Taka and Aren were preparing to leave, just after Tristan had changed the cloth out for a fresh cold one. Ian had let out a soft choked off laugh at Taka’s exclamation about not surviving without a gun in District 3.

The young boy had pressed Ian’s walkie talkie into Aren’s hands. “Let me know when you get to this hospital...so I ah… so i have a idea of when you’ll get back… or of something happens…” Tristan had a embarrassed flush on his face before the pair left. Tristan grabbing his books and comics and curling up in front of the couch his brother had passed out on, ignoring the smell that was coming from the re-bandaged wound… he’d smelt worse… way worse….

Yet it did nothing to calm the young blonds nerves when he changed the cold cloth, many times to keep them cool, Ian still looked flushed and feverish… he'd woken briefly in terror that was only calmed by seeing Tristan in the small kitchen area heating up some soup.

“You need to eat something… even if it’s a few mouths full big brother.” Tristan pleaded and even when his stomach recoiled at the thought of eating anything the older male did eat some of the soup, and water, getting fluids into his body was important…. Soon enough Ian was back to being passed out on the couch as Tristan changed the cold cloth out again. He hadn’t seen his brothers skin this flushed since Ian got a sunburn by giving the last of their sunscreen to Tristan when they’d been traveling between cities… but this wasn’t a burn...it was worse than a burn…

Part of Tristan was terrified of being alone… of his brother dying or leaving him… either way if it was known that a young boy was on his own the military would swoop in to ‘save’ him and put him in their school….where Tristan was sure he’d feel more alone surrounded by people who he didn’t know. Being forced to accept the views of the soldiers…. To hate… with no real reason to hate.

“Please be ok Ian….don’t leave me…. Please….” The young boy’s voice was trembling as he brushed his brothers sweaty ginger locks out of the older males face, Ian’s face was pinched in a fevered pain. Tristan hoped that the others radioed him soon...

[sylvanSpider]

Ian was looking worse for the wear, Taka was packed and ready to go and Aren was close behind after making sure he was leaving Ian in the best possible condition for his brother. As she waited, she mulled over the map, recognizing a lot of the markers that they'd marked. She'd been there as well. It was comforting to know that at least when Ian went out, he had an idea of what he was doing.

Aren took the walky talky in his hands and nodded, “I will let you know the moment we reach a spot I can message you at.” He glanced back at his microscope thinking that he could just leave it there on their way, but time was of the essence and he didn't want to carry it around until they made it back to the safe house. He needed to be limber. “Alright. Alright. We're ready. Time to go show my new roommate around, yeah?”

The pair left, Aren leading the way to the door. They made sure to be talking so as not to draw suspicion. They ran into one person, Aren's neighbor, on their way out. He explained the made up story, leaving out the pieces that said that she was essentially of their own ilk. She was one to go out of the city, one to hate Mavrick, and one to become a friend. The person looked at Taka with an air of distrust – outsiders always received those looks, even if she was only from a different section of the city.

Looking down the hallway both ways and seeing the coast as clear, Aren lead the way into the storage closet. “It's right through here,” he whispered, “The night guard won't be in this area for another few hours. Thankfully, Ian got to us early. We have almost a day to make it back to the safe house, but if we can help it, I want to be back in as soon as possible. You said you know the schedules of the patrols, right?”

“Yeah, and Mav's men too,” Taka said, nodding, and changing to the front position. She glanced down at the map again, looking around at the buildings that were no longer kept as part of the city. Nature already began her advances, and the buildings looked almost green, covered in plant life. The place was alive, not as dreary despite the steady drizzle of rain that was coming down just then.

“We're in luck,” Aren said softly, “If they send dogs after us, their scent will be messed up.”

“Well, there's that at least,” Taka said with a dry laugh. “C'mon. Let's go.”

[PurpleBox]

As it began to rain it continued, heavy rain set in and Tristan was curled up with his ratty blanket against the couch as a flash of lighting lit up the sky above the city. It made the young boy flinch...he’d never been fond of the bright and sharp strikes of light from the sky… the booming sounds that followed had never bothered him… Ian had once explained to him that it was the light that was dangerous… the booming wasn’t dangerous… but more of a warning, even though it came after the scary lighting.

The young blonde did his best to change his brother’s cold cloths, and he kept a eye on the bandage. So far it wasn’t leaking red after Aren had changed it, before he’d gone with Taka. Tristan pushed himself closer to the couch and pulled his blanket closer around him as another flash shone across the darkening sky, and then the thunderous boom that followed. It was so loud that Tristan could swear that the sound itself shook the apartment.

The pinched expression on Ian’s face was still there… and the young blond knew that his brother was having a nightmare… he’d seen that look on his brother’s face before… many nights with little sleep after they’d booked it out of District 3 all those years ago...Ian had continually woken up bolt right from the bed sweating and a look of terror on his face… Tristan had asked him what he dreamed about…

Ian had just brushed it off and hugged the small blond boy to him on those nights, and over time the nightmares vanished. Now Tristan was sure that his brother was having those things again… all because of a cut on his leg? Tris was smart but he didn’t understand what a infection really was...other then what the fungus did to people...where there other things that could turn his brother a mindless husk and take him away? That thought made Tristan pull in on himself tighter and stifle a sound of denial… Ian would BE ok… he had to be.

Tristan was tempted to use the talkie to try and contact the duo outside the walls… but knew that it was best if they contacted him first… even if he was starting to feel like he’d lose his only family… even if they got back in time with the medicine…

Little did any of them know that it wasn’t just Ian’s own immune system fighting against the infection in his leg… over the years Ian and many others had breathed in many spores… and had the fevers that every human got from even breathing in a small amount…. Yet they never succumbed to the spored and turned into Runners….

[sylvanSpider]

The explosion of senses that greeted Aren the last time he was out of the city – the smell of plants growing unfettered by human hands, the varying shades of green as they took over man-made structures to systematically break them down, the buzzing of insects – were all dulled by thundering rain and flashing lighting. Scarcely out of the city, the medical retrieval pair looked up unable to even see the tops of the trees. It was still midafternoon, but the sun was carefully hidden behind all-consuming clouds.

“Well. This is...something,” Taka muttered, shifting the pack on her shoulders.

“It'll be harder for city officials or Mav's men to find us,” Aren responded, desperate to find the sun behind the clouds.

“It'll be harder for us to detect runners,” Taka added, ever the logical voice in his ear.

“And for them to smell us. C'mon, let's get going. We don't have long before they begin their evening patrol. Using the map is going to be hard, do you remember what it said?”

“Yep, and I know the area fairly well anyway, the map was just a refresher. We're gonna head down this way. If we can skirt the alleys, avoid buildings, and avoid the routes, we'll make it and could theoretically be back by maybe midnight? We can't afford to stay the night out here if we don't want to come home to a corpse and a grieving brother,” again, Taka with her painful realism.

Aren sighed, then nodded, “Aight. Lead the way. You're better at this sort of thing than I am. I only been out of the city one other time since I was a kid.”

Taka did exactly what was asked of her and with the game plan drawn, the pair left the shelter of the city's walls. No time needed to pass before they both were completely soaked down to their bones and they knew that the day was going to be arduous, cold, and dangerous. Regardless, the pair pressed on and began their journey.

[[Okay, so from here, I'm trying to decide if they should run into any troubles or not. Should we include Mav troubles? If so, who should play him? Me or you?]]

[PurpleBox]

With all the chaos that the fire in District 3 had caused it was easy for people who were not supposed to be in the ‘nicer’ districts to slip in with no problems form the soldiers. It also helped that the soldiers were starting their nightly sweep of the wall perimeter to look for stragglers who had gotten outside.

Two of Mavrik’s gang looked sideways at each other, then down at the paper with a apartment address and number scribbled on it. “So the Boss wants us to do what exactly with this punk?” A short and chunky man with greasy black hair, plastered more on his chubby face by the rain that had opened up in the sky as it fell on the city. His partner, a tall muscular man with thinning hair hidden under a ragged baseball cap shrugged.

“Boss wants us to look around… find out where the Punk has his fingers and toes… cause a little trouble for him if we can… find the blond kid that’s always with him and ‘pick him up’ for the Boss…. Say’s that the ginger rat would do anything to protect the little blond punk.” The man rolled his shoulder as the pair of them moved.

In Aren’s apartment Tristan had fallen into a light doze leaning back against the couch when the sound of heavily booted feet sounded in the hall outside of the front door. Since he had not been fully asleep Tristan jumped at the sound, wide blue eyes looked towards the door. It didn’t sound like soldier boots…. To clunkly… was someone lost?

Tristan heard gruff voices outside the door.

“This isn’t the right floor… the letters don’t match…. Come on… there can’t be that many floors….” A voice that sounded like it was dipped in grease said to another. It made Tristan’s skin crawl.

“Well not all of us even know what these damned squiggles mean Henrik.” A deeper, muscular sounding voice growled back to the greasy voice before the booted feet echoed down the hall… a few minutes later Tristan could hear muted footsteps in the apartment above him. Or at least the floor above. His and Ian’s apartment was the ones under the roof, so the top floor, it was odd to heard footsteps above him…

With what he had learnt about Mavrik, Tristan suspected that the voices form the hall where working for his brother’s old partner...what where his goons doing in District 1? This couldn't be good.
---------------
Outside the city a few men in ragged gear and worm and rare night vision goggles were moving cargo… more dead bodies… of those who betrayed the gang and those who their boss had killed once he was bored with them...poor souls. They’d also been told to keep their eyes peeled for the bitch Taka who had escaped the fire meant to kill her… Mavrik wanted the asian bitch dead. She was no longer useful to them according to their boss… mostly because she wasn't one who agreed with the plan to overtake the other districts….

The rain made it hard to see even with their night vision goggles, most slid them down around their necks, old pros by now about moving around these streets at night. “Heard Clancy got a fake job…. The one that Boss gives to all those not worth the bullets in his gun… sent him to ‘guard’ some fake stash…. Heard he got into it with the ginger rat that used to run with Boss… the rat was escorting someone… no clue who… well as long as the rat stays in his District i personally don’t give a crap.” One of the group said as they all muttered similar things.

The bodies were heavy but they were all built to handle it.

[sylvanSpider]

[indent]Taka and Aren were shivering, rain soaking through their jackets and shirts, their skin protesting the clinging materials with a push back of goosebumps. Aren's hair was like a sponge and the knot that once sat on the crown of his head now sagged absorbing the weight of what felt like several bucketfuls of water. They passed the buildings by, regardless of the shelter they promised, knowing that in each of them a runner would have the benefit of hearing them first and they'd be trapped. The path was arduous, despite only being about a mile south of the city gates, and the rain helped them hide but little else.

Both trudged on, their arms crossed tightly across their chests and Taka abandoned the hood that offered shelter from the rain for all of about two seconds. Neither said much, both lost in their own worlds of thought. Taka on her dead family, and Aren on his newfound friend and his current predicament. Finally, Taka stopped under the shelter of an overhang that was somehow (miraculously) intact and unwrapped the map from the plastic she was now glad she thought to bring. She couldn't read, so the illustrations helped immensely and she nodded, now remembering where they were. “Everything good?” Aren asked, peering over her shoulder. He took Taka's silence as a sign that she knew what she was doing and her nod proved him correct.

“The safehouse is just this way, and the hospital only a bit further up. We should probably stop soon to update the kid; he's probably fuckin' worried sick. We're not exactly making good time,” Taka said, folding the map up once more and returning it to it's protective plastic casing.

“Well, at least we know where we are. And no Runners yet. I s'pose we have that to be grateful for. Shit, man. I just met the guy. I don't want him to die already. It's too soon, even in this world,” Aren murmured, finally giving voice to what he'd been thinking about the entire time.

Taka looked down at the rain pelting into one of the larger puddles, not blinking when there a crash of thunder above their heads, “At a certain point though? You start to get used to it. It's the price you pay by liking people. You lose them. Speaking of which, you gonna tell him after save his life or what?”

“Tell him?” Aren asked, cocking an eyebrow, “Tell him what?”

“Boy, don't try to play me. I saw the way you looked at him when he first stepped through the door. How you jumped up to save his life at the risk of your own with no thought...It's obvious. You're in love with the guy,” Taka said with a shrug.

“You jumped to save his life too, you know,” Aren muttered, his cheeks turning crimson.

“I jumped to see a way out of the fuckin' city. Saving his life is just a benefit of that. I know it sounds fucked up, but saving Ian was just an extra bonus,” Taka said, “I'm sure I'll be glad that I did once I get to know the guy a little better, but shit, I don't even know --” her voice trailed off and she placed her finger to her lips, creeping closer to one of the buildings, ducking between them. Aren followed suit.

Voices that Taka immediately recognized were muffled through the rain but were distinguishable. So that was the story behind the man they met.