Azure City,Hidden Quadcell Dungeon
Interactions - Collaberation
It was clear that movement had accelerated. Milo’s absence had been noted, and guards were jogging down the corridors, looking for him and Maksim. Indeed, both of their escape had been recognized, and the familiar voice of armed soldiers moving about reached Milo’s ears.
"Look..," the agent spoke, as he turned to Maks.
"If you get the chance to escape, take it." The boys quickly moved behind a mass of debris, large rocks which had once been part of the wall now leaving a patch of dirt beyond the stone. Indeed, Milo had been conditioned since his inception to believe that the boy’s existence was not on par with another’s. He was just a resource, just a lab rat.
With his gun prepared for an enemy encounter, Milo attempted to maintain a calm and steadfast disposition. If nothing else, for Maksim. The boy was likely panicking, unable to grasp the situation or why he was even there.
"This is Quadcell. They will stop at nothing to catch us. If they can’t, they will kill us. Keep your head up."________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Something about how the boy told Maks to run, to escape if he was given the chance... it didn't sit well with the young boy.
Maks frowned heavily. He was told to keep his head up, but he wanted to make it clear to Milo, he wasn't okay with being told to run and leave Milo behind.
"I won't leave you here." Maks would make it clear by his facial expression that he wasn't going to let anyone change his mind.
In the back of his head, Maksim wasn’t bothered by the fact that if he couldn’t get away, Quadcell would kill him. He would fight and fight, help this other boy as much as he could, but if it came down to it, he had nothing to lose. If he was going to go out, he’d go out fighting.
”I'll help, as much as I can.” he said, knowing in the back of his head that if it came to it, Maks would let his powers take over. If it meant helping his ‘friend' get out as well.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The notion was endearing, seeing how this boy was willing to put Milo on the same level as himself. It was an oddity to be sure, one the artificial mutant was unused to, indeed. Meeting those brimming, blue eyes with his own obsidian orbs, Replicant paused for a moment, following a soft breath escaping his lips.
"Then, if you will equal me to your own worth.., my name is Milo." He finished, turning to look across the corridor from their hiding spot.
It was getting chilly, for sure, making his way across cold, unforgiving stone, dressed in nothing but underwear. Equally so, the cuts on his body were taking their toll. Milo needed medical attention, and they could not linger.
"Guards are gathering in that direction. It must be the exit."__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Maks smiled faintly as Milo told him his name. Would this be considered friendship? Or was the situation just a good reason for Milo to help Maks? Was this trust?
"I'm Maksim.., but you can call me Maks." the younger boy said, looking up at Milo momentarily.
As the older boy explained what he saw, Maks also peeked out to see what he meant. He looked in the direction Milo mentioned before pulling looking back at the other boy. If the guards were gathering near the exit, how would they get past them all? This thought turned itself into words after another moment.
"How can we get past them? What if there's too many?"__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Maksim, quite a stunning name. It would take a fool to deny the fact, and as Milo met the smaller boy’s gaze with his own, a sense of determination washed over him. He could not let a young mutant, a child like this, die at the hands of Quadcell. Death, as he knew, was the preferable outcome, in regards to capture.
"Okay, Maks," Milo began, placing both hands on his pistol. Making their route out of the underground dungeon without violence was preferable, but highly unlikely.
"Come, we just need to keep quiet." The agent finished, making his way down the now empty, stone corridor.
The passing of minutes would eventually land them, as predicted, close to the exit. There was a large set of stairs leading toward the surface, with countless boxes and shelves drawing this a storehouse. Few had the patience, or the will, to carry these heavy materials further into the dungeon, before their designated use.
Hiding behind a large gathering of boxes and shelves, the boys were allowed a moment’s rest.
"Seven guards," Milo whispered,
"Maksim, look..," the boy turned his attention toward the wolf touched child.
"This is your one chance at making an exit. I will distract the guards, and you can run up those stairs." Milo commented,
"or, you can make sneak closer to the guards, and attack them from behind, after I begin shooting." Though combat wasn’t preferred, the boys were lacking in options.
"It’s up to you. I just want you to get out of here, alive." __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Maksim shook his head immediately after Milo gave him options.
”I’m not leaving without you,” the young boy said, indicating he wasn’t just going to run up the stairs, leaving Milo down there with the guards.
”I.., I’ll try to get the guards.” he finished, feeling quite unsure of himself. Maks had never intentionally hurt someone, it wasn’t in the young boy's heart to do it. But he also partially understood the situation they were in, and what needed to be done so that he and Milo could get away.
Maks didn’t wait for much longer before he turned away from Milo and slowly started making his way closer to the guards. He watched each one closely, paying attention to any patterns they might’ve shown while patrolling or looking around.
Two years of living on the streets of Azure City had taught the boy much. Needing to steal to survive meant Maks had to learn to blend in when it was necessary. Should he need to run, the young boy always had an escape plan. But in this prison, he needed to rely on quick wits and the ability to improvise.
Once he got into position, he’d wait for Milo's signal. The young Lycanthrope's eyes blazed a vibrant blue as he waited, his powers on the very edge of control.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bracing himself, Milo rested his arms against the surface of a box, his aim maintaining a straight line toward those who would harm the boys. He could not deny pain which was still piercing his body, those wounds stinging and unforgiving. Replicant managed a deep breath, sounds and motion greeting his senses in a most focused manner. The marksman counted, one, two, three and four, before his finger pulled back on the trigger and the loud echo of a gunshot spread its way throughout the damp, dungeon air.
Blood splattered against the wall as Milo’s shot connected with a guard, the hole in his neck leaking a sanguine liquid so precious. This immediately sparked attention, every single guard shifting their focus toward the line of fire. Milo released another bullet from the darkness where he hid, tearing through the flesh, bone and muscle of another guard. Five now remaining. However, the muzzle flash had given away his position, and the slew of bullets striking at his cover pinned him down behind boxes and shelves. It was Maksim’s turn, a chance now offered.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It would be a lie to say Milo's first gunshot didn't alarm Maksim. The young boy flinched as the second shot went off, then a hail of bullets followed and Maks knew it was his turn to help. The young boy closed his eyes, imagining his targets, imagining what he wanted to accomplish. It would be another lie to say the boy was afraid to let his powers go, but he had to, to help Milo.
It would be a few short moments after the hail of bullets before Maks ran out from his hiding spot. He was a lot closer to the guards, giving him the advantage of surprise, and not having to run through their hail of bullets.
If Milo had been given a chance to peek at the boy, he would immediately notice the long claws on the young Lycanthrope's hands. His eyes seemed to radiate a fantastic blue, even more than they had done before. One other noticeable thing was that some locks of Mak's hair had turned a pure white.
The young boy moved fast, his reflexes and senses enhanced as he went for the closest guard. Sharp claws found their mark on the hamstrings of one guard, the man immediately collapsing. Maks caught that man's head, leaving a deep claw mark up the side of it.
He moved to the next guard, who had just started to turn his attention and his weapon to Maks. The young boy moved quickly, bounding from side to side as he closed the gap between his next target. He launched forward quickly, severing the front of the next man's neck in an instant.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was as Milo had expected. This boy, Maksim, was not a mere child. Not ordinary, in the slightest, but rather, a mutant. Had this not been the case, the agent could very well have sent this young teenager to his death, an outcome he would never be able to shake. Taking the moment of chaos for what it was worth, Milo shot up from cover and unleashed another three bullets, eventually emptying the magazine. In a fluid motion, a replica manifested itself in his hand, before the agent slid the bullets into his gun, effectively reloading, and fired two more projectiles.
Rapid movement echoed within the darkness of the dungeon complex. More enemies were coming.
"Maksim, this way," Milo raised his hand, motioning for the wolf to follow him up the stairs. They could handle a few guards, but several would be a hassle. Maksim was but a child and Milo was wounded, not to mention left bare with equipment. This was not a battle they would prolong.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Underneath the form his mutant powers had given, Maksim could hear Milo calling. He could also hear the movement coming from within the complex, but the ability to comprehend what Milo was saying, and to make his own decisions wasn't something he could do while enraged.
Although, given the enhanced abilities through his powers, and due to lack of guidance and discipline while growing up, Maks also didn't have the ability to maintain his powers and couldn't break away whenever he wanted.
The last of the guards had been dispatched, Maksim made sure of it, despite many of them laying on the ground already unresponsive.
Suddenly, Milo would see the young boy slow down immensely, the white in his hair diminishing and replaced by black locks again, the claws receding and the boys hands returning to normal. Covered in the blood of the guards, Maksim dropped to his hands and knees, breathing heavily and doing everything he could not to fall completely.
"Milo..," came a desperate but quiet call from the young boy,
"I can't."__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Stay with me, Maksim," Milo responded, leaving the stairs and lowered himself to a knee in front of the boy, before placing a hand on the smaller teenager’s cheek. Those dark, obsidian orbs barely visible in the darkness gazed into Maksim’s blue, celestial sapphires as he spoke.
"We’re almost out, you can do it." Cut off from the attempt at comfort, Milo heard a gunshot travel past him and dug into the stone wall. Clenching his teeth, the agent spun around, and swiped his hand across the floor where he armed himself with an assault rifle left by a guard, now cold, and dead.
Slender fingers wrapped their way around the magazine of the assault rifle, a soft, blue hue washing over it once Milo managed to imprint with the item.
"Maksim, you can do it, move with me." The agent spoke, bracing the weapon against his shoulder and released a consistent line of bullets into the corridor, hitting an unmarked target before moving on to the next. He was in no way attempting to manage accuracy, but rather, suppressive fire, as one magazine was replaced by the other.
Slowly helping Maksim toward the stairs amidst the shooting, Milo felt a bullet grazing his arm, before prompting him to drop the rifle, with a wince. Through a reflexive manner, the boy raised the pistol he had previously acquired, aiming with his wounded arm before firing several bullets into the darkness, returning fire.
Aiding Maksim while moving up the stairs was not a simple task, one arm attempting to stabilize his partner while the other fired back at those who would kill them. After an excruciating exchange, the boys found themselves at the top of the stairs, where they could step out and find themselves in an old, abandoned warehouse.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"I'll try..." the young boy said quietly, taking hold of Milo and following with him as best he could. He kept his head low as a spray of bullets came their way, hitting everything around them.
Maksim flinched as Milo dropped the rifle. Was he hit? What happened if he fell? Maks had little confidence in himself due to his current situation. He had to rely on Milo. If the other boy hadn't helped, Maks knew he would probably be dead already.
Ascending the stairs proved difficult, and the young Lycanthrope knew it was because of him. Milo had to use one arm to keep him steady while using the other to shoot back. Maksim kept one arm tightly around Milo, using the other to brace his hand against stairs and help push off of them, helping himself move better.
He could feel exhaustion throughout his entire body, but he had never felt as weak as he was now. It had been a few days since that ration bar Milo had given him, no doubt the lack of nourishment was playing a role in the young boys fatigue.
Finally, they had made it to the top of the stairs into an old, abandoned warehouse. Nearly empty shelves, piles of wooden boxes, some metal barrels, broken windows, Maks wondered what it had been used for.
Their moment of rest of was broken quickly, as Maks could hear shouting not far from the bottom of the stairs. If it came to it, the younger boy knew he had to let his powers take over again, if at all, but he wasn't sure what would happen after, or even how long he could last.
"I'm sorry.., I tried to help." the young boy winced as his head pounded, eyes blinking slowly as he looked up at the older mutant. Maks knew, if he had been able to maintain his strength, they couldn've been far from here by now. But here he and Milo were, tailed by those who wanted to kill them, and with little options.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"You did," Milo offered, the newfound light offering a better view of his pale features, a soft, tender smile managing to reach his ally. Taking Maksim’s hand, Milo continued to gently lead the wolf touched boy through the warehouse, guards cutting at their heels as if zealots hunting heathens. Reloading his pistol, Milo turned his attention to the guards now filling the warehouse through the underground passage. He heard several shots echoing through the building, before he returned the favor, making sure to keep his head low and moving behind as much cover as they could possibly find.
Though Maks was under the impression that he was a hindrance, had it not been for the young mutant, they would both have found an untimely end. For Milo, it would have been a horribly slow, and agonizing death, indeed.
"This is our chance," Milo stated, turning his attention to a shattered window, impressively large, to allow the sun’s light to bathe a once profitable production. Helping Maksim along, Milo pushed the window, its rusted hinges creaking as it gave way. It was a short distance down to the ground, one the boys could manage as they slid out of the warehouse and to the dirt beneath.
"Look, the town’s right there," Milo pointed forward, as he helped his friend through the rustic vegetation. Police sirens could be heard clearly, the gunshots having earned their attention.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Much of what Milo said and did started to blend together as the young boy's exhaustion grew. The young boy stayed with Milo as best he could as the two made their way through the warehouse, avoiding flying bullets and hiding behind cover when they could.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was really only a couple minutes, Milo was helping Maks through an old, rusty window and into thick, overgrown vegetation outside of the warehouse.
The wolf boy constantly felt his hold on Milo weakening, but reminded himself that he had to stick with the older boy, otherwise he could falter and both of them would die.
Panic surged through Maks as he heard the polic sirens.
"We can't let them get us. They're gonna catch us..." the younger boy mumbled, sounding almost desperate. Though Maks wasn't even sure who he was talking about anymore. The guards from the dungeon or the police sirens that seemed to grow louder, the closer they got.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Milo did not require the power of mind reading to imagine Maksim’s fear of the police. He was a street dweller. It only made sense, that his run-ins with the police were of a less pleasant nature.
"Maksim, just stay with me, I’ll do the talking. They won’t touch you." Moving through the vegetation, Milo pushed himself, and inadvertently Maksim, as far as the two could possibly go, on their way across the factory district. Eventually, the sirens grew louder, and Milo noted how their pursuers were thinning out.
Falling to his knees, with Maksim still held tightly, Milo dropped his gun as several police cars were starting to crowd the area. There was no place to run, not anymore. “Hold it!” Came a voice, as officers started leaving their cars, guns raised and aimed at the boys.
"Agent M - Eleven Zero, of the MSU," Milo began, lifting a tired head as he spoke to the police,
"we need to contact the MSU urgently." Without any identification to give, one could forgive the agent for this transgression, considering the state of him.
"Maksim is under my jurisdiction," he finished, motioning towards the boy beside him.
"He’ll be coming with me." “What the hell happened to you?” An officer returned, raising a brow at the boys, noting Milo’s wounds.
"There is a Quadcell prison under that factory, we were held captive." The agent finished, before police officers yielded to obligation, and contacted the MSU, as per protocol.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The need to run was strong, the fear that presented itself while he and Milo sat in front of the cluster of police officers and cop cars was hard to deny. Everything he had learned from two years of living on the streets in Azure City told him to run, to not trust any of these people around him. But the ordeal that he had just endured with Milo forced the young wolf boy to look at something he hadn't considered before; having someone he knew he could trust.
So Maksim sat there on his knees, slouched a little as he kept a tight hold on Milo so as not to fall. He rested his head against the older mutant, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths so as to calm himself.
He had to trust Milo; trust he was right, that things would be better now that they had escaped a living nightmare.
"Thank you.., Milo."__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MSU took care of their own, as the saying went. Once they arrived, Milo was tasked to answer several questions, and with their help, he was able to properly identify himself to the police who let him, and Maksim, go. Informing his superiors of the situation, giving them his full report, Milo was allowed to maintain a constant presence at Maksim’s side, with reason of efficiency. If they were seperated, the boy would understandably make the situation more difficult.
Once they were able to enter an MSU vehicle, Milo held onto Maks as he leaned back on the seat, letting the smaller boy indulge in the long awaited moment of rest. They were taken to the MSU headquarters, haste being a first priority due to the wounds one of their agents had suffered. They were both taken to the infirmary, where Maksim was offered nourishment, and Milo was treated for his injuries. “Since when was it your job to bring stray mutants into the MSU?” Came a question, along with a slight chuckle, the doctor working on Milo’s wounds while Maksim was allowed presence, if he so desired.
"According to protocol, he is my responsibility. He also saved my life, for what it’s worth." The agent returned, as the doctor bandaged now stitched cuts across his body.
“And what will the Commander say about this?” Came a response from the medical worker.
"She congratulated me on locating a Quadcell prison. She didn’t seem to care for the prisoner I brought with me." Milo offered, lowering his gaze, for a moment where he sat, on the hospital bed.
“Yeah, sure sounds like her.” The doctor finished, “you are going to need some rest. I am putting you on temporary leave, while you heal. Yes, even you get that privilege.” She stated, the doctor who had overlooked Milo’s health since his creation. “Make sure the kid doesn’t do anything stupid or it will be on your head, agent. Considering his lack of paperwork.., well..,” she sighed, crossing her arms. “It will be easier to just look the other way, we have enough to deal with, especially with Quadcell involved.”
"What will happen to Maksim?" Milo slipped off the bed, careful, not to reopen his wounds.
“Up to you, as long as he doesn’t make any noise.” The doctor finished, taking off her gloves. “Welcome back, agent,” came her farewell, before leaving.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After Milo had answered what needed answers, and was allowed into the MSU vehicle, Maks dozed off almost instantly. The rest wasn't long though as they soon arrived at the MSU. The young boy stuck to Milo everywhere he went, protesting even if they were on the opposite sides of the room from one another.
The dirt, grime and blood he had picked up during his ordeal with Milo was cleaned, and the boy was given clothes to replace the ones he wore. A simple white t-shirt, blue jeans, socks and slippers. After everything had been cleaned, he was given nourishment in the form of a light meal, bread and broth to start out with, along with plenty of water and even vitamins to give his weakened body a boost. The nurse gave him a granola bar as a special treat before leaving him to be with Milo.
Also given to the boy were instructions for his parent or gaurdian to follow, in order to treat the concussion he had sustained while in his prison. Aspirin, rest, and careful attention when doing any sort of physical activity were highly advised.
While the older mutant was getting patched up, Maks sat close to Milo and the doctor in a small padded chair. However it didn't take long for the young boy to doze off, eyes closed and head rested against the wall behind the chair and half a granola bar held in one hand in his lap.
Things seemed better for the moment, as the young boy quietly slept and dreamt of blue skies and fun times with Milo.
Member
