Runa would boost sideways, trying to get out before the gap closes 6 left, and would shoot at both men with a flurry of laser blasts, aim being sacrificed for number.
“Uh…” Iosif looked at the ice cream soup, trying to determine if he should just drink it or if he was supposed to use his fork, completely oblivious to the spoon. “Solnechnogorsk.”
His hand flew to his mouth and frightened eyes glanced up at Charlie. He had just… Said that. Not even paused to consider if or if not. Why did his awareness slip so greatly that he would mention that without the slightest hesitation? What made him feel even remotely safe here? Was it even safety he was feeling, or was this some elaborate plot to crack him?
His hand slowly slid back down to the table and retracted further into his sleeve, subconsciously trying to hide the bolt in his wrist while his guilty eyes fixated on the plate again. “I… I escaped.”
1 Like
The two throw up their arms in front of their faces to protect themselves, the blasts scoring their skin but not going much further than that. The nearest to Runa runs at him and tries to grab at his legs, “Stop moving ya little rat!”
Charlie’s eyes suddenly widened in understanding. She gazed back at the frightened boy sympathetically.
“You’re an experiment, aren’t you?” She murmured, reaching out to try and take his hand without really thinking, “I-I’m so sorry…”
The strange behavior, the ignorance of basic biology, it all added up. Had he spent his entire childhood in a lab? She shuddered at the thought.
2 Likes
Runa would aim his not caught foot right at the man’s face, and boost again5 left, trying to use the propulsion byproduct to harm and/or temporarily blind the man and make him let go. “That would make it too easy for you, Goliath.”
Iosif didn’t recognize her hand touching his. He was too busy looking through the reflection on his plate and into the blinding past. The word experiment hit his ears, but he did not know what it meant.
“First survivor past f-fifteen months.” He was starting to shake. “The ones who came after me were the t-testers… I saw one fall apart, H-He peeled inside out and they stuck his arms on another…” Iosif bit down hard to avoid recalling the shock from seeing Tom. “…Создание. They used that word over and over again, like they were justif-fying it to me. I got to the point where I didn’t hurt. They got very m-m-mad.”
The muscles in his shoulders were tightening to a physically unsafe degree, so much so that he couldn’t pat himself on the back for knowing what ‘justifying’ meant. “I got out and I ran forever. I saw a place- Solnechnog-gorsk- I practiced that m-many times. I thought i-if I could r-run far enough, I…”
Out of his peripheral vision he noticed her hand. He snapped his head towards it and looked up at Charlie in confusion, a tear which had been in the process of rolling down his cheek finishing its travel. Why was she holding his hand? Why was her hand shaking? Did she need help?
1 Like
The man yelled in pain and cursed Runa’s mother, father, and any pets he may have once or currently owned, dropping him and clawing at his eyes as more of the pumped-up thugs began to round the corner into the alleyway. The other two began to close in on him with wicked grins, emboldened by their backup. “You can’t run forever, robot-boy!” One of them cackled as he cracked his knuckles.
Charlie listened wordlessly as Iosif carried on speaking, unable to believe her ears. The fact that anyone had had to live through all of that was sickening, but at his age? She forced her best attempt at a kind smile as he looked back up at her, trying to put on a brave face.
“Well you don’t have to run anymore.” She finally said, her voice just subtly wavering, “You’re safe here. They won’t find you now, I promise.” She nodded, as if to confirm it to herself, squeezing his hand softly for comfort.
“…I was an experiment too.” The boy made of mud murmured quietly, “S-some crazy scientist who w-wanted to make an army of Clayfaces. Daybreak f-found us and put him away.”
“See?” Charlie whispered, “You’re not alone anymore Iosif. W-we understand…”
3 Likes
“And neither can you.” Runa answers, doing a quick glance and scan around the area as he took a few steps backwards. Specifically: How structurally sound the upper halves of the two buildings beside them were. “After all, you’re only human.”
1 Like
Iosif looked back and forth between Charlie and the mud kid, a wild mix of emotions playing in his eyes as they continued to water. Was experiment the name for what he was? Were these other children telling the truth? It was so hard to tell… His head was beginning to swim. Too much concern over what he had said, what he never would have said if he hadn’t first been arrested…
Was this all an elaborate trap? They all used words he had never heard before, like clayface, scientist… Daybreak he had heard before, but had no idea what it meant. There wasn’t any reason to believe they weren’t lying; here, trapped, likely willing to cut each others throats out for more food, just like he had seen so many times before.
And yet… She had chosen to hold his hand. It wasn’t a casual touch, not someone shaking hands or brushing you aside. It wasn’t the violent touch, the impact of a fist or the twisting of an arm like Iosif was so familiar with. It was an empathetic touch, full of compassion and care. It made the promise of safety feel so much more real, and right then anything she said would’ve been the truth.
Iosif could feel more tears welling up in his eyes as he squeezed her hand back, looking down at it. His throat locked up as he tried with all his might not to bawl. Right now, all the months of near frostbite and eating whatever he could digest seemed so difficult to recall… All that mattered was the fact that someone, somewhere actually cared.
“…Th…Thank y-you.”
1 Like
The building that the gangsters were continuing to emerge from like a clown car had no major faults to speak of. It was rough around the edges, but it had been chosen as a hideout for a reason it seemed. The building beside it, however, left something to be desired, subtle fault lines crisscrossing its structure from years of abandonment and disuse.
There were at least a dozen of them at the mouth of the alleyway now, and it was difficult to tell if more were coming as they began to enter. “Gonna take us all on?” The other of the two near Runa smirks, as the man he had blinded blinked rapidly, his hands reaching out for the far wall and sitting down against it as he tries to recover.
“Anytime.” Charlie smiled weakly.
1 Like
“I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try to fulfill all your deathwishes today.” Runa replies, shooting a few laser blasts up at the top quarter of the less stable building, trying to get a decent amount to collapse into the alleyway, preferably onto some of the gangsters.
Iosif responded with the universe’s weakest attempt at a smile before his lip began quivering, and he shoved his face into the bend of his elbow as tears began streaming out of his eyes and his shoulders shuddered violently. His other hand dropped the ice cream container in order to cover his mouth to prevent any anticipated sobs from escaping, the result being his high-pitched wails ending up as a muffled singular note, effectively smothered by both his palm and the puffy coat he was still wearing.
The hand in Charlie’s grip squeezed her fingers and shook in unison with his shoulders, the bolt on his wrist now fully exposed. One of the wire-like scars could be seen running from it further up his arm, ending suddenly under the uniform designed to withstand his soul bomb.
1 Like
As Geosh got back up, he realized that it was going to be nearly impossible to get out of this situation without fighting. Geosh let go of his shield, and replaced it with the spear; he put his back to a wall, and prepared for one heck of a fight.
A few heads began to turn at the display, before quickly and politely tearing their eyes away again. The mud boy leaned over and added his hand to Charlie’s, as Charlie herself gingerly puts her other arm around him, trying to soothe him a little, “It’s okay, just let it out…” She murmurs softly as she strokes his back. The others at the table fidget uncomfortably, the rubbery boy looking even more like he wanted to move.
Large cracks appear around the upper levels, before chunks of the roof between to groan disconcertingly and dislodge, tumbling down to the alley below. The thugs holler in alarm and cover their heads as the chunks of concrete rain down on them, shattering further on impact and knocking some to the ground as others begin to try and back away from the splash zone, trapped in by the guys behind them.
To the right of him, the top of the building he’s flattened against begins to crumble further towards the mouth of the alley, while to the left of him, the first thug to come out has gotten to his feet and is running at him.
2 Likes
Seeing that he’s very outnumbered, Runa uses this confusion to try to sneak around to the other side of the building through the alleys, and tries to find another way in. All this defense has only heightened his curiosity.
Selene stiffens at the sudden noise, and hurries out the door, one hand clenching the earbuds tightly. Her gaze is locked straight ahead, all the way back to her room, where she sits on the single bed and stares at the wall with a similar blank expression.
1 Like
Unfortunately for Runa, his path out in the other direction is blocked by the goon currently charging for Geosh, who turns and notices him as he’s running by. “Hey!” He yells, changing course and running for him instead.
Iosif stopped making a ruckus after a moment and sat in silence for a minute or so, mostly too worried to look up and find out why he was feeling warm mud alongside Charlie’s hand. Finally figuring it would be somehow even more awkward if he waited any longer, he grew the courage to slowly and shakily lift his head.
Oh. Oh thank goodness.
“Thank you.” He gulped, trying to sound like he had some amount of confidence in his own currently very feeble voice as he looked towards the mud kid. Looking back down at his tray, he noticed he still had all of his fries which he never touched… And honestly still didn’t want.
He nudged it forward. “Anyone want one?” It was still almost a whisper, and it informed him how much his chest hurt.
1 Like
Runa whips around and shoots a few lasers towards the pursuer’s feet and legs, before turning back around and running more.
After that awkward silence, Iosif’s spontaneous offer forced Charlie to stifle a giggle, but she couldn’t help herself, and suddenly burst out laughing. The mud boy quickly joined in, and even the other two kids on the table, relieved to have the tension in the air eased.
The man cries out and is knocked to the ground, skidding a couple of inches before crashing into the opposing wall. If Geosh was quick, he would be able to get away too. (@Nogus101)
2 Likes
Once he was sufficiently away, Runa extended his wings and quickly flew up to the top of the building, hiding there for a moment to catch his breath and rethink a new plan, since his last one was so rudely interrupted.