"Evren…that is you, right?" Mismatched eyes stared down at the raven blankly before the encased man slowly tilted his head to the side, studying the other carefully. His eyes then began to close, causing the other to rap his knuckles along the thick glass once more. "You can't go back to sleep!" Calix ordered, beating even harder. "Wake up! You have to wake up, Ren!"
"Shut up!" the redhead hissed as he clamped a hand over the smaller male's mouth. "You're gonna get us caught!"
Wrenching himself free, Cal stepped away from the man. "If you're that worried, you can leave!"
"Cal-"
"Ten years! He's been gone for ten fucking years!" he snapped. "If you want to go, then go! I'm not holding your hand, am I?!"
"Keep your voice down, you idgit!" Renyx snapped back. "Or have you fucking forgotten where we are?!" Calix simply turned his back on the man before he began knocking on the glass again. "CL-"
"Go home," he said as he stared at the one in the cylinder.
"Fine, but if you get shot or thrown in jail, don't think I'm coming to bust your stubborn ass!" Turning on his heels, the older man stormed back to the vent they had come from. Climbing up and in, he glared at the raven that was staring so fixatedly at the unconscious man before disappearing out of sight altogether. "Ungrateful bastard," Renyx muttered to himself as he maneuvered through the tight surroundings.
After several moments, he stopped to catch his breath as well as getting his bearings straight. Managing to get a hold of his sunglasses, he brought them up to his eyes to scan the rest of the winding passages. Finding what he was looking for proceeded on his way, ignoring the nagging feeling of him being in the wrong.
Calix would be fine.
He was man after all.
- † -
"Wake up," the dark-haired male murmured as he stared at the one behind glass. "Ren, you have to wake up." Frowning as the other didn't move, not even a minor shift, Calix pulled his knives from their holsters and went to work. "You owe me ten presents," he said with a faint laugh as he tried to pry open the canister, "but I guess I'd have to owe you ten too, huh?" Glancing up at him, Cal continued to frown at the unresponsive one prior to working once more. "You missed so much. I don't even know where to begin…"
Pulling the blade out from between the seams, dark eyes scanned the other male prior to looking at the remaining three canisters. He didn't know the three individuals that had been placed in them though he was certain nothing good could come of it.
He didn't know they're story either.
Perhaps they were taken, snatched off the street from some unknown city far from where they were now.
The raven didn't even want to think about that now.
He couldn't.
All that mattered was that Evren was right in front of him and that he needed to free his friend so they both could get the hell out of there.
If time allowed, he'd come with a bit of help to retrieve the others.
"There's so much I want show you once you're out of there," he said as he tried to pry the container open. "Oh, and you'd love Malecai. He's great…but I'm sure you already knew th-"
"You there!"
Stopping to look over his shoulder, dark eyes widened to a small degree as the teen stared down two of the armed patrollers. Taking a step back as he eyed the weapons holstered to their thighs then the longer weapon strapped over their shoulders, the raven slowly moved his hands to sheath the dual knives he had been carrying.
"Hands up!"
Watching as their own hands moved to the guns at their sides, Cal bit his tongue prior to holding up his hands.
"Step forward!" Glancing at the one behind the glass, Calix stood where he was. "I said to step forward!"
"Yeah, I heard you, but I can't do that."
"It wasn't a damn request, kid," one said prior to holding his weapon at low-ready. "Now, take a step forward and drop your weapons."
Chocolate-colored eyes glanced at the other patroller that was making a grab for their own holstered weapon. Weighing his options, he dropped the knives as he continued to stare at the guns. He then grudgingly took a step forward, not wanting to leave the container he was once by.
"Continue," the second ordered, keeping his weapon down as he watched the nineteen-year-old.
Cursing himself mentally, Calix continued forward. If he made it out of there, he was going to rip Renyx a new one for even leaving him.
But, in hindsight, it was probably best that they didn't get caught together.
"On your knees."
Tensing, the raven did as told, wishing the men would just go up in flames.
Hell, he'd burn the place down himself if he could.
"On your stomach."
Bowing his head, the man laid on his stomach, loathing the cold feeling seeping through his clothes. Hearing footsteps, he went rigid before having one of his hands wrenched behind his back. Having the other follow shortly after, Cal startled when he was suddenly yanked to his feet.
"This defeats the purpose of me getting on my stomach, you know?" he commented pointedly before feeling the other tightened his hold on his wrist. He then looked back at the one restraining him. "Could ya be a bit gentler? I bruise like a banana." Feeling hands pat him down, he sucked his teeth before hissing as the other patroller patted a bruised area. "Hey!"
Patting the spot again, and much harder than the first, both patrollers watched as the raven shudder, his breaths coming out just a bit harsher than before. Finding it amusing, the person frisking him repeated the action, only to receive a kick to the chest. Hearing a laugh as he stumbled back, the officer walked over and eyed the smug smile on the younger male's face. And when it didn't falter, Cal received the honor of feeling the man's fist colliding with his abdomen.
Doubling over from the pain inflicted from the bruising, more so than the actual punch, Calix muttered under his breath before standing upright, a lighter version of the same smile still on his face.
"You hit like a damn girl," he chuckled before receiving another punch.
Watching as he doubled over for a second time, the one restraining him released him, letting the teen fall to the cold floor. "Call in the others so we can have him escorted to a vacant cell."
"Aye," the other replied prior to feeling something bump into the heel of his boot. "What the hell is this?"
As he picked it up, Cal raised his head to see a small light, almost unnoticeable, blinking red. Scooting back, he came to a halt, hissing under his breath as he felt a boot rest on the bruised small of his back. Dragging his nails against the cold flooring, he lowered his head quickly to keep from saying anything.
How he hated the damn police.
A click then had him pulling his arms over his head though, when nothing happened, he peered out to see the place still standing. However, the grenade's casing slowly peeled back, releasing a pink, sweet smelling smoke. As it began to disperse, Calix caught a whiff of it before covering his nose. Tucking his head into his jacket, he kept his hands pressed to his nose as coughing ensued shortly after. Even as he heard something hit the floor, he remained in his spot. The pressure on his bruised back even subsided though he didn't dare to move until he felt a hand pull him onto his feet.
Startled at first, he sucked in some of the air before becoming lightheaded, almost tripping over himself.
Taking another step forward, he stumbled over his own feet, only to have a pair of hands pulling him up again. The teen then felt something being held up to his nose and over his mouth. Breathing in again, Calix stood on upright as he inhaled the cleaner air provided by a filter. Shifting his gaze to see the 'I told you so' look on the other's face, Cal pulled away to rub at his soon to be bruised stomach.
"Thanks," he muttered as he adjusted the mask on his face.
He was really going to have thank Will.
"Let's just get out of here," Renyx said as he glanced at the unconscious police. "That smoke bomb isn't going to keep them down long."
"I'm not leaving without Evren," the other stated as he collected the knives he had dropped. "Thanks, but I c-"
"Listen you little twit," the older man hissed, spinning the other around, "I didn't climb back down through a tight vent to save you, only to have you tell me you're staying again! We're leaving."
"I'm not leaving Ev-"
"I said that we're leaving."
"Let go of me, Renyx!" the raven hissed as he was dragged away from the containers and out the door. "Let go!"
"Shut. Up!"
Pulling the thing close, the redhead pulled his hand away quickly once he heard the lock click into place.
"You didn't!"
"I didn't think it would lock!"
"You asshole!" the younger of the pair snapped. "What do you mean you didn't think it would lock?!"
"Cal, I-"
"Why would you do that?!"
"I didn't think it would-"
"You there!" Both men looked down the corridor to see another armed patroller. "Hands up!"
"Like hell!" Calix spat more so at his friend than at the officer. A shot soon rang through the hall, making the raven look over his shoulder to see the hole in the door. "You're fucking dead when we get out of here!"
Sidestepping a shot, the younger male then sped down the hall, swinging out the extendable staff he had stored in his sleeve. Once he had closed enough of the distance between them, he swung the rod up, catching the man in the jaw. Turning to glare at the redhead, Cal then thrust the pole back, hitting the man square in the chest before elbowing him in the stomach. Hearing the radio go off on the man's shoulder, Cal turned, smashing the end of his weapon into the device prior to watching the officer fall onto the floor. Turning to face Renyx once more, the raven held the rod tighter as he looked at the gun pointed in his direction.
Taken aback at first, he steeled himself before flinching at the smell of gunpowder as a metal slug went whizzing past his ear.
Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the twitching body of another officer. Seeing the alleged bullet protruding from the metallic chest piece of his uniform, dark eyes then traced the thin, almost unseen wires as they travelled back to the redhead's firearm.
Stepping off as the cables retracted themselves; Cal turned the moment he heard more footsteps hurrying down the corridor. "Don't think that saved you," he said irritably before darting around the corner.
Casting his gaze elsewhere for a moment, Renyx ran down the hall to catch up with his angered associate as soon as he heard gunshots being fired. Fishing through his pockets for another grenade, he rounded the corner to see Calix standing in the middle of the hall, one man down at his feet. As the other tried to get up, making a grab at his pants leg, the raven jabbed his hand down with the metal rod before bringing the thing down and across the patroller's head.
The teen's gaze then focused on the man with gun as he allowed the pole to come to a rest on his grazed shoulder. Tensing subtly as the officer aimed at him, the raven took a step back. Feeling the handle of the gun hit the heel of his shoe, Cal lowered his rod in favor of sliding it into the arm strap. Raising the end of his weapon, dark eyes focused on the firearm swinging haphazardly from the end of his pole.
"Hold it!"
"Yeah…" Calix said slowly before adjusting the hold of the longer item. Catching the end of the gun, he aimed at the man then up at the lights. "…nah."
Several rounds were fired, making the redhead duck as glass rained down on the floor below. Adjusting the glasses on his face, he peered through the dark with ease before spotting his associate tossing aside the gun in favor of charging the officer.
His steps were light, quiet, even on the broken shards though the sound of something being struck then collapsing to the floor had Renyx hurrying out. He couldn't even stop his heart from racing as he saw the teen standing over the man, the blunt end of his weapon pointed squarely at the man's chest.
One would think someone that took out an armed officer, one of Polaris at any rate, would at least have a smile yet a frown marred the raven's face. That expression soon hardened into a scowl as the man raised the weapon over his head.
The metal pole was sturdy-concussion, otherwise contusion worthy if used the right way.
The opponent was down, unarmed.
Any other blow would be deemed unnecessary, cruel-on the level of a Polaris officer.
"CL!" Renyx shouted, rushing forward to stop the other before he did something stupid, regretful. "Wai-"Coming to an abrupt stop, the redhead stared down the bridge of his nose to see the staff directed at his throat. Looking up again, warm-colored stared back at the expressionless teen in the dark. "Cal-"
Said person merely lowered the staff as he went back to staring at the man on the ground. Raising his weapon again, he brought it down on the policeman's radio, crushing it to pieces before scanning the walls.
Finding a ceiling duct, he slammed the metal rod into the floor and pole-vaulted himself up high enough to dislodge the covering. Pulling himself in, he slid his finger along a small button located on his pole and allowed the thing to collapse in on itself prior to tucking it into his sleeve. Hearing hurried footsteps headed their way, the raven spared Renyx a glance in the dark before maneuvering himself through the vent.
- † -
"Cal, wait up!" Renyx called, pulling off his shades. The other made no attempts in halting his pace or sparing the man a glance for that matter. "Cal!" the redhead all but shouted as he grabbed hold of the younger man's shoulder, spinning him around soon after. "Listen to me!"
"No, you listen to me," he spat, shrugging off the man's touch. "It's been ten years, Renyx. Ten fucking years was the last time I saw him! Ten, and you went and ruined that in five seconds by closing a damn door!"
"Cal-"
"Leave me alone, Renyx!" Calix ordered as he turned to walk away.
"Cal-"
"I said to leave me-"
A hand clamped over his mouth soon after before he was pulled into an adjacent alleyway. Clenching his jaw, the teen tried pulling away from the older man though he realized the redhead could use force when he actually wanted. Slowly admitting defeat, just for time being, Cal stilled before catching the faint sound of turbines humming. Tilting his head back a bit as he was pulled into the darker half of the alley, brown eyes watched as a squad car sped by, its searchlight coming on soon after. Another and another went by within seconds, neither men moving for what felt like forever. But after what had to be ten to fifteen minutes, Renyx's hold loosened, allowing the captured male to wrench away to glare daggers once again.
"Cal-"
"I'm going home," said person interrupted as he headed out of the lane.
Jogging after him, the red-haired man came to a halt at the end of the alley as he watched the raven round a corner, disappearing from sight altogether. Taking that as his own cue to leave, Renyx pulled his shades back on and waited in the shadows as another hovering squad car went zipping by. He didn't have to fret about his associate; Cal was more than able to make back in one piece though that didn't mean the man wouldn't worry about him when they were apart.
Elsewhere, it was going on a quarter to four by the time Calix had hoisted himself up to his window's ledge. Looking around, he then slid the glass aside prior to slipping in without a sound. Locking the entry, he quickly to off his shoes, tucking them away in his closet before shedding his street clothes and hiding them. Next, he went over to his bathroom. Cutting on the light, he looked at the newer, bluish-black marks marring his abdomen. His gaze then drifted to stare at the older bruises before finally settling upon his grazed shoulder from where to bullet had clipped him.
"Dammit," he sighed to himself as he fished around for the antiseptic.
He knew he was going to be sore and, with school in only a few hours, he knew he was in for one hell of a long day.
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