Chapter 12 - Friends For Now : Part 2

Look, it was not supposed to be like this.

Axel was just running away from his house after talking with 'Kiaran'. He got to admit, he was a little scared that he might be actually talking to a ghost that pretended to be his brother.

He needed to think straight, so he chose to get out. The night was a dangerous time to get out of the house, he knew it better than anyone. So Axel chose to wear his usual gear and uniform when he was on a mission.

He jumped from building to building, letting the wind blow him away. Preparing his legs, Axel pushed off. He did not even give a single glance at the gap between the roofs.

His eyes glinted as he watched the moon while flipping on the air. He fixed his white cap and lowered it to his eyes, hiding the ocean blue pupils. He landed gracefully on the next building.

And then he saw a familiar person. The dirty blond hair was achingly familiar. It was the one and only Aster on the street just below the building he was on. What a coincidence.

Axel instinctively took a step back, trying to hide in the shadow. He watched as Aster kicked some rocks angrily. His classmate really needed an anger management issue. He meant it.

He was about to move along and ignore the boy until he saw a woman storm out of a building in distress.

Axel tilted his head slightly, faint brooding blue eyes hidden under his cap. He stepped to the edge of the rooftop and crouched, watching the scene happening on the street.

The woman started to twitch around on the ground. Her hospital gown had gotten dirty from the asphalt.

But then, some black roots started to spread on her body. Axel's caught his breath and widened his eyes. He just noticed how the woman's eyes were in some unusual color. It was red.

This was- this was the same project that he just read earlier. The project DM-2. It was real, all of them were real. The government was still doing it and she was the fallen victim too.

Axel snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Aster was struggling on the ground. The boy was gasping out air while the woman was choking him.

He quickly climbed down the stairs on the side of the building with the adrenaline coursing through his system. Before he reached the ground, he somersaulted from the stairs to the woman and kicked her right on the stomach, making her thrown away.

It did not even take a second for the woman to get up again and storm her way to him. Axel quickly ducked and slid down between the woman's legs. He made sure to kick her feet, making her fall hard to the ground.

The woman crawled on the ground, making a screeching sound. She clawed and tried to grab Axel's feet.

Axel swiftly got up and jumped high, flipping in the air. The wind rushed through his ears while doing so.

As if the time was slowing down, his hand moved to his pocket and took out a gun. The mute murderer aimed at the woman's forehead and pulled the trigger. The bullet went right through her brain and he finished on his feet.

The woman stayed on the ground after that, not moving anymore. He stared at her, examining the black roots. Something clearly was wrong here and Axel was finding that something one by one without even trying.

It was as if he was meant to find out either for his own good or for his downfall.

Something clicked in his brain. He just remembered a certain classmate that he just saved.

Axel moved his head to Aster who was still laying on the ground, terrified. His classmate was staring at him wildly. Oh no, did he find out it was him? Did he find out who he was?

Axel carefully moved closer to Aster, trying to calm his panic. He should act normal, maybe Aster still did not know who he was. Axel offered his white-gloved hand to the boy and waited for him to take it.

Aster hesitantly took the hand and got up. He was clearly scared of Axel, maybe he really did not know. The mute murderer sighed in relief.

And then everything happened so fast.

Just when Aster was about to turn around, Axel saw them. The people with full armors with black suits, which was kind of lame if he was being honest- aimed his gun at Aster.

Why Aster? Why not him? He was the murderer, why did they aim at his classmate instead of him?

This sudden scene startled Axel, he was not used to working alone. Usually, Kiaran would command him and he would be his obedient murderer. But this time he was alone- what would Kiaran do? What would Kiaran do?!

And then he decided to do something stupid. He grabbed Aster's hand and pulled him to his grasp. He stood in front of him, facing his face, and shielded the boy away from the bullet.

At one second he was protecting Aster.

At the other second, everything turned black.

✵✵✵✵✵✵

Everything was quiet.

Axel tried to open his eyes slowly, grimacing when the light shot through his eyes. He tried to get up slowly from the hard ground. His body felt sour- like he did not have energy at all.

Axel finally looked around just to see that he was stuck in some kind of prison cell. The walls were all white and oddly looked clean. He could see some guards over the iron bars that locked him.

And then he noticed a certain blond-haired boy in the same room as him.

"What's up, dude?" Aster raised his hand awkwardly, trying to look brave enough in front of the mute murderer.

Axel quickly brushed over his face, panicking. He sighed in relief when he found his mask was still intact with him.

"Don't worry, no one opened your mask, including me. I make sure of it." Aster stated as he watched Axel panicking. "They took the cap though." He added and pointed at Axel's black fluffy hair.

Axel just stared at him, calculating. His eyes were full of doubts as he took Aster's words.

"What? You don't believe me?" Aster ventured, he leaned against the white wall and pointed at himself. "Do I look like an untrustful person?" He continued.

Axel raised his eyebrows. Blue eyes deadpanned as they met the green one.

Aster gaped at the mute murderer. "Seriously?"

Aster closed his eyes and raised both of his hands in surrender. "Alright, maybe I am, but I really did not peek nor let someone do at all."

"Because," Aster lowered his hands down and pointed his finger at Axel. "If I did see your face, I will die." He darted and moved his hand to point at the guards outside.

"And if I let them open your mask, I will see your face-" He made a gesture of slicing down his neck. "-and die."

"I don't want any of those bullshits and let myself get killed, so I threatened them when they wanted to open your mask," Aster said as he crossed his hands on his chest.

"How you may ask? Well, it's simple," Aster spoke again and shrugged. "I am the asset of this kidnapping scenario, my brother fucked up so they kidnapped me to threaten my brother."

Axel blinked his eyes, trying to process everything that was happening. He slowly leaned back to the wall behind him, facing the usual bully that was talking to him like some kind of friend.

"-so I threaten to kill myself if they open your mask, the end." He finished his sentence and smirked awkwardly. "I mean, either way, I'm dead. If I have you on my side I might have a chance, you know."

Aster made an expressive gesture with his hand. "You see, I have a high surviving skill, I'm taking the chances dude."

Axel rolled his eyes and sighed. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his mind. What should he do now? What would Kiaran do? Think, he should think. If in this situation, Kiaran would-

"Not going to lie, you kinda look familiar, man." Said Aster while gawking at Axel. The mute murderer sighed and still closed his eyes, trying to think how to escape this nightmare scenario he was in.

"I'm not going to think so much about it though, if I do recognize you on the streets when we suddenly meet, I will pretend to be blind, don't worry," Aster added, ending his words.

And finally, silence.

Okay, he should search for ventilation to go through and make his way to-

No, no. Aster would not be able to go through. Maybe a distraction? He did not have his weapons right now though, they took it all. Or he should-

"My brother is a police, he'll save us," Aster spoke again and this time Axel opened his eyes to glare at him. He just could not shut up, could he?

"Well, I mean, he'll save me, but I'll distract him so you can run." Aster gave him a half-shrug which was concerning for the idea he was having.

"Consider it as a thank from me and a beg to not kill me in the future if we ever see each other again." Aster continued and wiggled his eyebrows to Axel.

Axel still patiently glared at his classmate who was oblivious to the fact that the mute murderer was his own classmate. He got up from the ground and Aster instinctively took a step back.

He walked slowly to Aster and the bully kept backing slowly. The quiet sound of his steps rang in the room as he got closer to Aster.

Axel crouched beside Aster as blue eyes met with the trembling green one. "H-hey. You're not going to kill me, right?" Aster stuttered yet somehow still managed to put a confident face.

Axel made a motion to turn around at Aster, facing the wall. Aster frowned at him, making the mute murderer sigh deeply. He grabbed Aster's shoulders and made him face the wall.

"Ah, you want me to face the wall." Aster chuckled awkwardly as he breathed in relief. He turned his head slowly to see Axel but was quickly forced to face the wall again with the mute murderer's hand.

"Alright, I won't watch whatever the thing you will do. Do what you must." He muttered and closed his eyes.

Axel made sure Aster did not turn around once again and went for the blind spot of the CCTV that was in the corner of the room. He lifted his mask slowly, still gawking at Aster who was still unmoving.

He put his gloved hand inside his mouth and took a tiny lockpick that he hid inside. He moved down his mask again and went for the iron bars. He looked around and found the guards who wore all black did not watch the prison at all.

Axel looked back at the CCTV and at Aster. He checked the CCTV outside and found one that was facing the corridor. Axel made his way back to Aster and put his hand on his shoulder, making the latter startled a little.

"Oh, you're done?" Aster asked as he turned around to face to face with the mute murderer.

Axel stayed quiet as he crouched down and messed with Aster's shoes. Aster froze at tilted his head at Axel. "What the hell, man?" Spat the owner of the shoe.

Axel ripped one of the shoelaces and took it in his hand, tinkering with both lockpick and shoelace. Aster stared at him dumbfounded, unable to take the situation.

"Just for your information, this shoe is branded and expensive, it's a limited edition," Aster uttered while watching Axel doing his own thing.

Axel completely ignored the presence of the other guy while taking off another shoelace and intertwined them with the lockpick. Aster looked at him in amazement and disbelief.

The mute murderer tied the shoelace with a lockpick at the edge of it on his wrist. He made sure for the second time that it was already intact with his wrist and went for Aster's shoes again.

Axel took off both of his shoes and brought them with him, walking back to the iron bars, leaving Aster shoeless.

"You're fucking kidding me," Aster mumbled as he followed Axel's footsteps.

Axel looked back at the CCTV once more and the other one outside. He took a step back with both shoes in his hand. Aster raised his eyebrows, watching in interest.

Suddenly, Axel threw both of the shoes at each camera and cracked them both, making a loud crack noise. Aster jumped at the sudden intrusion and gaped at the mute murderer.

Axel swiftly went for the keyhole and lockpicked it in a second. His wrist was still tied with the shoelace that intertwined with the lockpick as doing so. Aster was about to take the shoe in the back but quickly cut off when Axel pulled his wrist outside the iron bars.

Aster went wide-eyed at the three guards that were surrounding them. Axel quickly kicked one of the guards inside the prison and slammed the door when he was about to lunge onto him.

He pulled the lockpick that was still intact with the keyhole with his wrist and punched the other guard. The lockpick went straight into the guy's right eye and he pulled it right back.

He noticed a 'DM' sign on his clothing as the guy dropped down on the ground. Axel quickly diverted his gaze as the other guard came up to him and punched him with his tied lockpick hand. This time it went to the guard's left neck and killed him.

Axel's chest heaved up and down as he looked back at Aster. The classmate wore one of the shoes that he managed to save while Axel was fighting and blinked at him.

Axel offered his white-gloved hand that was covered with blood. Aster looked at the hand and took it shakingly. He pulled Aster with him and made their move.

They ran past rooms and searched for the exits. Aster ran with one of his shoes, trying to catch up with the mute murderer. "This is humiliating, this is so humiliating." Grumbled Aster breathless.

Axel heard some footsteps from behind and quickly pulled Aster to an open room and closed it. He put his ear on the door while Aster was just staring at him. He listened closely as the footsteps passed through and waited.

He then heard another footstep coming back, seemed like they were patrolling the area. He focused more and heard them yelling at each other to search for them.

"I'm Aster by the way." His focus got ruined by the sudden voice and he found himself glaring at Aster again.

Aster nodded in understatement. "Right, you can't tell me your name. I'm going to call you murder boy then. Since you're-" Aster looked at him up and down. "-well, a murderer." He continued.

Axel sighed again for the many times today and ignored him. The footsteps were beginning to fade away, he tried to focus again and-

"Murder boy sounds catchy don't you think? It's like mmph-" Axel slapped Aster's mouth and let his gloved hand stay there. Aster struggled for a moment before completely giving up.

Axel was finally at peace and listened to the outside again. The footsteps were still there, he waited for them to be completely gone.

Then, something raised from the bed behind them. It went unnoticed by the two boys. The person walked slowly, step by step, getting closer to them.

Aster was the first one to notice, he caught the glimpse of the person in the corner of his eye. His green eyes went wide. He tried to move the hand on his mouth, trying to alert the mute murderer.

He bit the hand and Axel automatically pulled his hand back. Axel almost accidentally yelled 'what' at Aster and bit his tongue.

"First, your glove is bloody as hell." Protested Aster while wiping his mouth before looking up at Axel again. "Second, there is someone in the room." Aster continued and hid behind Axel.

Axel snapped his head toward the dark room and quickly met face to face with red eyes. The man launched himself to Axel and pinned him on the ground. Axel struggled while trying to free himself.

Aster took a nearby chair and hit the man with it, trying to help Axel. The chair broke into pieces and the man groaned in pain.

Axel took this opportunity to punch the man with his hand that had a lockpick but the man quickly grabbed his hand before he managed to do so. Axel did not have the time to react when the man threw him into a big mirror-

-and went straight through it.

Axel groaned when he hit the ground. He opened his eyes to realize he was in a different area but oddly similar to the room he was in before. This room was more old school compared with the other one.

He had not managed to react and thought about what just happened when Aster suddenly went running from the mirror in front of him.

Aster looked at him and pulled out Axel's shoe and threw it onto the man's head that almost got through the mirror. The man bounced back a little before Axel took the same-looking chair that clearly was broken before and threw it to him.

The man vanished from the mirror and both of them froze in place in silence.

"Hey, look." Aster pointed at both of their feet that only wore one shoe.. "At least we both have one shoe."