Song: Blitz
Artist: Digitalism
If this was a joke, the raven didn’t it funny at all.
It felt like something massive hit him in the chest as Calix eyed the firearm pointed at him. Taking another step back, his whole body went rigid as he felt the brick behind him. As the other man eased closer, hand outstretched, Cal flinched away as he watched the hammer get pulled back. The other’s gaze was far too cold to be that of the blonde the teen knew ten years ago. The older man’s expression was nearly a blank, not matching the warm smiles that usually adorned Ren’s face when he was younger.
This man looked way too serious.
“Ren, please?” It was all the younger male could think of. His voice was actually small, shaky. “What are you d-doing?” Cal questioned hardly over a whisper as his eyes shifted to stare at the other pair. They felt like they were trying to bore holes into his soul. “Evren, please, put that away,” he requested as he slowly grasp the chain hanging from his neck.
He was nervous, scared really.
Renyx wasn’t clear if Will knew it but the raven was starting to look…defeated and that look didn’t quite suit the man.
“Don’t,” Will warned softly, grabbing the edge of the redhead’s coat. “Don’t.”
“But-”
“Don’t,” she said again as she averted her eyes. “If you haven’t noticed, CL hasn’t looked over at us here for a reason.”
Looking back at the nineteen-year old, tawny-colored eyes watched as the raven kept his gaze low or averted in the opposite direction from where they stood. His head was even turned away, his sight far from the pair he had come with.
“Cal…” he breathed as he watched the man hold onto the necklace even tighter.
The teen’s shoulders seemed to hunch forward by a slight degree. His bangs hung down in his face, the natural spikes of his hair falling in the same defeated manner. The corners of his mouth pulled down into a frown while his free hand balled itself into a tight fist before going flat, hanging uselessly at his side.
He was caught, and by the very person he wanted to see after so long.
“You…” Lifting his dark eyes from the pavement, Cal almost shuddered under the intense gaze that had been studying him for the entire time. “Who else was with you?” Evren asked quietly as he raised the weapon to be at head level.
Averting his gaze again, the dark-haired man lowered his head. “No one.”
“Who was with you?”
“I said-” Feeling cold steel tilting his chin up, Calix clenched his jaw. “-no one.”
Dark brown eyes narrowed slightly at the man before darting away as he raised an eyebrow. Hearing something similar to a chuckle, the younger man looked back at the paler male to see a smirk tugging at the side of his mouth. It then started to stretch across his lips forming a small, saccharine smile. Staring at perfect teeth, Cal then focused on the man’s mismatched eyes, seeing something a bit softer there as he pulled his gun away. Popping the chamber open, the Evren revealed the empty compartment before stepping back as he watched the confusion paint itself along the once shocked and uneasy face.
“It was empty,” he said as his smile softened just a bit. “Had you going there for a moment there, huh?”
Calix merely stared at the man before giving a stiff nod. “Y-yeah…”
Watching as the man’s eyes closed due to his smile, Cal couldn’t help the bit of ease that had started to slink its way into him. He remembered that kind of smile perfectly. The once fair-haired boy always seemed to smile like that when he found something he thought the raven may have liked; whether it was something as simple as an apple to something more practically like clothes or a new hideaway.
However, all things come to an end sooner or later.
“So, what’s your name?”
That took the raven by surprise. “W-what?”
“I asked you for your name.”
“Y…you don’t remember?” Cal questioned.
“Nope, never seen you before in my life,” Evren replied with the same warm smile in place. “So, what’s your name?”
A sharp pain seemed to stab at his chest, making the younger man pull in a staggered breath. “C…Calix.”
“Well, Calix-” Jade and turquoise-colored eyes slid open, all warmth, any sense of friendliness gone and replace with something colder. “-if I ever see you again,” Evren replied loud enough for his ears alone, “I’ll make sure you never see the light of day.”
“W-what?”
“You broke into police department, vandalized property and assaulted officers.” He leaned in just a bit, his eyes like daggers as he studied the suddenly stunned man. “I saw you but I’m not on duty at the moment so you’re safe…for now.” Turning away, the man slid the gun into his pocket, giving a lazy wave good bye as he began on his way. “Oh, but if I do see your face around-” He looked over his shoulder, eyes cold yet voice light. “-I’ll throw you in jail.”748Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXYwWb9uuW
“Oh, but if I do see your face around, I’ll throw you in jail.”
A knock on the door had Calix bolting upright with a start. Looking around the dimly lit room, the man sat up, scrubbing a hand down his face before sliding out of bed. Grabbing a robe as he made his way across the room, he made sure the thing was secure before opening up the wooden barrier to see who it was.
“Cal, how are you feeling?” Malecai asked.
The teen gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Same as yesterday.”
“I see.” He had told the grey-eyed man he was sick a couple of days ago. “You should come down and eat.”
“’m not hungry.”
“You still need to eat to get better.”
“But ‘m not hungry,” Calix pressed.
“Get. Down. Stairs.”
Flinching slightly, Cal bowed his head before slinking out of room. ”Yes, sir.”
Walking down the small flight of stairs, the teen walked into the kitchen and took a seat, eyes downcast and lost in thoughts he wouldn’t share. He didn’t notice the man watching him nor did he notice the plate of food before him until he felt its warm steam hitting him in the face.
He loved the Mal’s cooking but he just didn’t feel like eating at the moment.
“Calix, you need to eat something.”
“’m not hungry,” he mumbled.
“Cal-”
“Mal, I’m not hungry, ok?”
“You’re not leaving this table until you’ve eaten something.”
Dark eyes finally lifted to stare at the plate of food given. Looking up at the man stationed across the table from him, Cal stared at the set line of the man’s jaw though his eyes betrayed him by showing worry.
Picking up his fork, Calix poked at the omelet before eating a bit of it. He knew the man was still watching him so he ate nearly half of it before moving onto the slices of bacon. Eating a slice of toast, he then drank half a cup of milk before spotting the bowl of fruit at the center of the table. Picking up a shiny red apple, he eyed it before setting it down with a bit of unnecessary force.
“Cal-”
Said person merely stared at the piece of fruit before rising from his seat. “Thanks for the breakfast,” he said as he went back upstairs and into his room.
“Cal-” Hearing the door close, Malecai straightened up the kitchen before heading upstairs himself. “Calix,” he called, knocking lightly on the door, “can I come in?”
“Yeah,” the teen called as he opened the door.
He had just finished putting on a loose pair of jeans followed by an even looser shirt. Why that style of clothes Mal would never understand though he couldn’t help but grimace as the raven grabbed his bag prior to skirting around him and out the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I need… some fresh air,” he replied as he walked down the stairs.
“Calix.” Aforementioned paused at the base of the stairwell. “Cal.” He looked up to stare at the man. “What’s wrong?” Malecai asked as he made his way down. His son said nothing, making him frown in response. “Cal-”
“I’m just not feeling well,” he replied after sometime. “I’m going to the park to get some fresh air.”
“Want me to drive you?” Mal asked as he followed him to the front door.
“I can walk,” Calix said before closing the door behind himself.748Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp0nvjmqn7
Coming to the edge of the modernized city, the raven stared out at the old, abandoned buildings that still stood quietly, defying to blend in with the shinier, up to date skyscrapers. His dark eyes raked over the cracks in the uneven pavement before he proceeded forward. His shoes echoed along the empty, dust-laden roads as he passed by the old ground vehicles that had yet to fully submit to the decay that time and neglect had brought about. The breeze kicked up the dust, the wind whistling faintly as it blew through the boards of sealed windows and broken glass.
Stopping by a vine-covered sedan, he dropped his bag and pulled off the loose fitting shirt. A better, black fitting shirt was present underneath though the outline of bandages along his shoulder was quite visible. Kicking off the ill-fitted pants, he stuffed them in his bag before checking over the long and dark blue shorts he had been wearing beneath them. His fingers curled along the hilt of his knife holstered at his side though he did not pull it out for routine inspection. The coat he had usually wore remained in his bag, along with his second holstered knife, his sunglasses, and his belt.
He did remove the gloves, however, and slipped them onto his hands before he looked up at the ancient yet somewhat sturdy buildings before him.
What he was about to do, he had done in the past.
It was nothing new, just a skill he had acquired.
Leaving his bag aside, he made his way over to the nearest alley and ran his hand over the wall. Finding it strong enough, he placed his foot on it before taking a step back. Running forward, he placed his foot back on the wall before kicking himself off and up to the adjacent wall to grab hold of a fence railing. Swinging himself up and over, he perched at the top, waiting for the thing to stop shaking before he set his sights on the old wire ahead of him.
It looked taut enough to hold him.
Counting off in his head, he leapt forward, almost coming up short as he felt a stitch in his side.
Hanging on with one hand, Cal rubbed his sore side before bringing his other hand up. With a few rocks to gain momentum, he swung himself over to a window’s ledge before pulling himself up onto the roof.
Dusting off his hands, dark eyes roamed the vacant roof before he took a seat at its edge.
“…I’m not on duty at the moment so you’re safe…for now.”
Running a hand through his dark hair, Calix stared out at the rundown sectors, a place he used to roam; a place that he had called home at one point. Sure, it wasn’t modern. The cars here still sat on the ground, the building walls sat untouched, unclean. They were old, dull in comparison to the sleek, high-stylized designs one would surely find in Polaris’ downtown sect.
Despite all that, it was still a place he walked with a certain blonde-haired boy a long time ago.
“Oh, but if I do see your face around, I’ll throw you in jail.”
“You didn’t mean that,” Calix said as he brought his hand down. “You were joking.”
“Had you going there for a moment there, huh?”
He pointed a gun at you- his thoughts reminded him.
“It was empty. He didn’t have any intention of firing it at me…”
What kind of person points a weapon at you with no intention of firing?
Rubbing the sides of his head, Calix sighed heavily as he felt the side of his head pulse.
He was giving himself a headache.
“He wouldn’t shoot me,” he told himself as he got to his feet.
Evren wasn’t like that. The smiling blonde would never grow up to be the very thing they ran from.
It wouldn’t have made any sense.
Crossing the rooftop, Cal brought a hand up to touch the chain around his neck before he reached the edge. Jumping onto the old fire escape, he climbed higher to get a better view of his surroundings before inhaling deeply.
Unlike the modern city he lived in, the raven felt freer when he was able to just stand there, away from all the traffic, the people, the laws.
To just get away from all that and stand right there was all he really needed from time to time.
It was nothing but open space.
Looking to the northeast end of the old region, he recalled the time he and Ren had gone swimming.
“Come on,” Evren had called as he stripped himself of his shirt. “It’ll be fun; I promise.”
“I don’t know,” Calix murmured from the shore as he watched the other splash about.
Mismatched eyes drifted his way before the older child held out his hand, a smile on his face. “You’ll be ok. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Brown eyes had lowered themselves, thoughts racing before the raven slowly tugged off his shirt. “Ok.” Walking over to the water’s edge, he stepped in, shivering at first before wading up to his waist. “Um, Ren?”
“Yes?” Calix looked down again as he played his with his hands. “What’s wrong?”
“I…I can’t…swim…”
The younger one had expected him to laugh.
“Ok.” Seeing the water ripple, the smaller boy looked up to see the other before him, his hand extended in an inviting manner. “Looks like I’ll just have to teach you.”
Of course it had been a learning experience for them both.
“It was fun though,” he said quietly as he looked towards the western half of the city.
That area was where the blonde had usual done his scavenging, what with it once being the region’s downtown shopping center. Evren had always come back with something when he did his rounds in that part of the city. Whether it had been clothes, tools, books, or just something interesting, it came back with him and he never hesitated in letting the younger one take a look; the exception being anything that would cause him harm.
Where he seemed to get the food was always a mystery though it wasn’t really something that should’ve been thought about.
The older child always came back like he promised.
Laughing quietly to himself, Calix crossed the upper half of the building he was on before stopping as he came across a splintered door. Humor dying away, the man ran his hand along the old wood before pushing it aside to let the light shine through. Descending the stairs carefully, he watched as the particles of dust danced about before noticing something glinting in the rays.
Stooping down to pick it, dark eyes picked up on the old reddish brown stain clinging to the bullet. Seeing the same color still trying to stand out against the old floor, Cal threw the metal slug aside before continuing on his way. On the highest level, he walked over to the railing and leaned over, looking down at the bottom level to see old boards and broken furniture littering the place. Footsteps, and not of his own, soon alerted him to another’s presence.
Seeing a shadow cross from below, Cal backed away slowly before stopping as he heard someone ascending the stairs. Looking around, he found an open room before hurrying inside. To his own dismay, he couldn’t close the door properly since it had appeared the thing’s handle had been kicked in.
Again, the sounds on the stairwell had him looking around, only pausing as he saw the rounded holes splintering the floor beneath his feet. Seeing an empty shell by his foot, another not too far away, Cal stepped around them as he felt another stitch in his side. His gaze then drifted over to the jagged shards of glass that littered the floor, another shell resting along the wall.
Dammit…
He knew this place, even after ten years and it was one of the last places he wished to see, let alone hide in.
Footsteps walking along the level he was on had him tensing before hurried over to the closet. Sliding the door aside, he got in and pressed himself against the wall, hiding in shadows as the other door opened with a faint creak. Breath held, dark eyes squeezed shut though his ears picked up on the sound of something similar to the sound of chains rattling. As they got closer to the closet, the raven slid his hand down to grasp the hilt of his knife. When they stopped in front of the door, Cal braced himself as he slid his weapon from out its sheath.
“Damn…”
Hearing the person step back, Calix eased forward carefully to keep himself hidden in the shadow. His eyes then widened slightly as he stared at the newest appointed member if the task force.
Shit, shit, shit- his mind chanted- he can’t be here. He’d throw you in jail!
Rolling his eyes mentally to ignore such pessimistic thoughts, the nineteen-year old stared at the white-haired man that was currently in the process of studying the holes in the floor. Watching as he lifted one, Calix leaned forward just a bit to see the other reaching in to pull out an old, forgotten bullet. Mismatched eyes blinked once, twice before Evren dropped the artifact in favor of cradling the side of his head. His other hand then rose to hold his shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut, breaths coming out shaky.
He sounded hurt; he looked as if he was in pain.
“Damn…” Evren muttered again as he remained knelt on the dusty floor.
As the unique-colored eyes slid open, lips parted as the man let out a slow breath, Cal looked down to touch the chain at his neck.
It just felt so unnerving to see the officer, the once blonde-haired boy, looking in pain.
“You…”
A tremor ran down the raven’s back before he found the nerve to look up. His eyes widened the moment he saw the white-haired man making his way over to him, his unnatural gaze hard as his fingers twitched momentarily.
Standing tall, Calix felt his own fingers tighten along the handle of his knife as the other took a step forward.
Run, run, run!
The man before him slowly lowered his hand to his side, his fingers brushing against something hardly visible without the sun’s light shining down on it. He was dressed in a dark blue, seemingly black, form-fitting suit. Holsters rest at each of his sides, each holding weapons, loaded no doubt while a smaller holster held a knife strapped to his calf. The boots upon his feet looked normal though the raven knew far too well to believe that anything on a task officer’s person was normal.
This man, Evren, was dressed for duty though it was quite rare to see any of the task force working in broad daylight.
Run!
As the paler male’s hand ghosted over the butt of his firearm, Cal darted forward, swinging his own knife. Slowing his arm just a bit, he uttered a quick apology prior to running out the door.
He wasn’t trying to strike the man per se.
He just couldn’t afford to stay there lest the other would attempt to apprehend him
Not wanting to waste any more time there, Calix jumped over the banister and down to the lower level, two floors below. His legs hurt upon impact though he rose quickly, taking staggered steps forward. Righting himself, he then ran out the front, hopping over the door that had been kicked in a decade ago.
Not hearing anyone behind him, the dark-haired man looked over his shoulder, not finding anyone standing in the doorway. Slowing himself down to a halt, he slipped his knife back into its holster before swiping his hand across his brow.
That was too close…just get your bag and go.
He’d just have to come back another time, a time when a certain officer wasn’t out and about.
After tingling in his legs vanished, Cal got ready to go though halted when he felt something ghost across the back of his neck. Feeling it along the front of his throat, he thought it best to leave now before he actually discovered what it was. Hearing a faint clink, like metal against metal, he ran forward, nearly choking himself in the process.
Run!
It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried that but he had to stop when he felt something cut into his skin. Warm liquid running down his neck had him reaching up to touch the thin stream of blood running down his throat. Bringing his hand up to his face, brown eyes studied the crimson drops before noticing a thin, almost transparent wire wrapping itself along his wrist. The thing would have went unnoticed if it wasn’t for the tiny hook, latching itself onto the cable with a soft clank.
A pull had his arm being yanked back before the wire around his neck had him backpedalling, unless he wished to be choked to death. Another pull had him using his free hand to pull at the wire at his neck though the thing wound up slicing into his fingers, causing rivulets to run down the long digits, but it was better than having it cut into his throat.
The third yank had him stumbling over his own feet and onto the ground, staining the dark, dust pavement went drops of bright red.
Lifting his gaze as he heard footsteps, Cal aimed to give a defiant glare to whoever was doing this to him before his gaze took on a more confused and tortured expression.
“What did I say would happen if I saw your face again?” Evren asked as his fingers pulled at the sharp cables cutting into the raven’s skin. “It seems criminals just don’t listen to warnings…”
ns 18.68.41.147da2
