Chapter Two:
The night was starting to close, the sky turning a deep and ravishing purple. Above the stars started to loose glow, giving way to lighter shades of blue sky, but Terra yawned anyways as she looked longingly towards the east, where she was hoping to see the sun rise. It would note her bed time, and she was tired from last nights patrol. She then frowned a little, watching the stars continue to fade. She rubbed her hand down her arm then up again as she shifted her glance back down. In the quietness like this, she often let her mind wander.
The T-com at her side fueled her thoughts most of the time. Dropping her hand from her arm she touched the communicator, letting her bare fingers dance along the edge of the sceen. She dazed out for a moment, wandering aimlessly in thought, but she sighed softly and brought her gaze back up soon afterward. Her lips grinned a little, as she easily let go of the Titan's from her mind.
Terra curled her fingers, her fingerless gloves feeling cold against her skin. Rubbing her eyes with her fists, she opened her mouth and took in a breath of cold air and yawned again, before looking over to X. Who stood a little ways from her in more shadows of the forest. He was looking at those chips, but Terra scoffed and shook her head.
"We got to give those back you know." Terra said... her face narrowed as he ignored her and continued handling one. "X!" She raised her brow at him, wrapping her arms around her stomach she leaned against the tree her back was too. "Your not listening... are you?" Her lips lifted lightly into a half grin.
"Not really." Red X flipped the chip he was handling over in his hand, looking over the back. The other two where still in the bag, by his feet. Terra had an idea that he was guarding them from her, which was annoying in itself.
Terra nodded towards the chip, even though he still wasn't paying much attention to her. "What's so interesting about that thing, anyways?"
"Nothing." Red X shrugged and stuffed the chip back into the bag. Terra shook her head, giving up as she shrugged her coat off, revealing her bare arms to the crisp night.
"Nothing?" She mocked. "Is that why you've been handling it for the past hour?"
"If I say yes, will it make you happy?" He glanced up at her, his white mask glowing slightly in the night.
"Probably not."
"Then yes."
"Fine, be stubborn." She muttered, patting the ground with her palms before throwing herself down. The earth almost seemed to welcome her. Grown power enabled her to feel the vibes more easily. For a second, she held her breath, feeling the energy of the earth run through her arms and into her body.
It took her a moment, but exhaling Terra calmed the power and found her voice. "I'm going to bed." She pointed towards the small streak of sun light that started to appear. She tugged her coat over her upper body like a blanket, then closed her eye lids and pretended to fall asleep. She listened as his light foot steps pattered on the ground as he ran off. He usually didn't leave this early, he waited until the sun was fully up. But she guessed he was annoyed with her, so didn't feel like hanging around.
This had become their routine, being together in broad daylight was dangerous, for both of them. Though allowed her to go, if the Government found out she was hanging out with an out law, then she was going to get in trouble all over again. But they where still trying to keep an eye on her, and if they found her they would find Red X, which was bad for him in obvious ways.
Terra couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that he never told her where he actually went during the day. He was so secretive, it was hard to know anything about him. Still she felt safe with Red X around, knowing at least someone was there for her.
As another yawn left her, Terra smacked her lips together and used her arms as a pillow before finally drifting to sleep, as the sun rose up into the sky.
--
--
Red X slid into the warehouse silently, he had staked this place out about a week ago and claimed it safe to rest. It just held supplies for some small buisness, and people rarely came back here. The fact that fresh dust still cluttered the floor, gave proof to that statement, and gave him security.
He came in through a small air window, being thin enough to fit through easily. Red X landed on his feet, moving to make sure he scruffed his boots across the floor to keep from any distinctive prints, the skull markings on his soles might give away who had broke in. The darkness of the warehouse brought him comfort, as the closed in spaces allowed him to control his surroundings. He looked around, but listened for other intruders more than watching for them. He tied the sack to his belt, making sure it was snug with a few tugs of it, once satisfied he continued. Detouring around boxes held together by plastic, he stopped next to a pile, lower than the rest and jumped ontop. Lightly with the skills of someone beyound his age, Red X then bounded up to another box, higher, then to the rafters.
Red X stopped there, gripping the over-sized rafter boards with his hands, before easing himself down to his stomach. From here, he could easily see anyone below, but the darkness of the top gave him a shroud of protection from them. The teenaged boy took in a rather rasped breath before reaching over and pulling his mask off and tied it to his belt as well. The darkness kept his face hidden, showing only his thin chin, and a couple locks of dark hair that touched his cheekbones.
He closed his eyes, wanting to fall into sleep, but dreading it all the same. He didn't like the vurnablity of sleep, and he hated even more the dreams that often came to mind. He had heard once that dreams where just things that where often on your mind, played back in different ways. If that where true, X figured he wasn't as good at blocking out his past as he thought.
Red X chuckled to himself, before taking in a deep breath and falling further towards sleep. Falling further into his secret world, the one that was hidden behind the suite, shielded from the outside. Though not protected from outside infection.
--
--
"OUCH!" Terra hissed, snapping awake. She had no idea what had happened, as she had been just dreaming one moment, next she knew, she felt something slap against her face roughly. Groaning, she closed her eyes to keep from seeing the world spin, as she wasn't awake. Things where blurry, and nothing processed fully in her brain, kind of like going into a fun house without your glasses. To be put in a more interesting way. Trying to put together her surrondings, Terra sat up, rubbing her face, it took her a full minute to even realize she was really awake. It was weird how disorented someones brain was when they where woken up.
"Supper time."
Terra peeked one eye open, seeing who it was, she just groaned again before throwing herself back down to the ground. "Go away." She flapped a lazy hand towards Red X, some part of her brain knew he wouldn't listen, but that part of her brain wasn't yet awake.
"Your food is going to get cold."
"I don't... yawn... care." Terra snugged her face further into her arms. She felt her eye lids accept the idea of sleep as they easily stayed in place, her breathing started to become regular that also helped with rest. But as she breathed in, she got the heavenly smell of a bacon cheese bagel... and a hashbrown. Her eyes snapped open.
Food.
Greasy, fast food.
Terra sat up and snatched the white and red paper bag up quickly and opened the sack, peering into it as her mouth gaped. "I think I'm starting to forgive you," she reached into the bag and pulled out the sandwich. At once getting the smell of the cheesy bagel. "Oh yeah, I forgive you."
"And I was in such pain."
"Shut up." Terra un-wrapped the wax paper to reveal the bacon and cheese bagel, from non other than Mcdonalds. "How'd you get this anyways?" She glanced around, noting that the sun was getting ready to set already.
"I got ways."
"Wow, that was informative." Terra sighed, rolling her eyes at him before tearing the bagel in half, and offering the other piece to him. "Well, come and get it."
"No thanks."
"C'mon X, you gotta be hungry." Terra slanted her brows at him, before waving the bagel in the air. "You know you want this cheesy, becony goodness all inside a hot fluffy and condiment splattered bagel in all its heavenly fattiness."
"So, this why you made it in T.ercials?"
Terra grunted, slapping the bagel down in the bag. "Fine, go hungry. See if I care." She took one bite of her half, sending X a side long look of annoyance. She knew why he never ate with her, him and that stupid mask. But know what? He could just be like that, and she wouldn't feel bad about eating in front of him. No way, if he was hungry he could take off that mask and eat something.
But she did start feeling bad. And soon Terra forced herself to drop the half eaten half-of-a-bagel to the ground on the wrapper before crossing her arms. "Your annoying." But of course he ignored her. She blew her hair out of her face impatiently, rolling her eyes before glancing back to Red X. She noticed he didn't have that sack with him, which could mean he didn't have those computer chips. Her face twisted in annoyance as she stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants.
"Do you have those chips?"
"Maybe."
"What are you going to do with them then?" She raised her brow, giving him a look that matched her irriatation. He stared at her for a moment, from thsoe slanted eyes in his mask. But he didn't intimadate her, instead Terra raised both brows as if to urge him to anser.
"I didn't say I did have them." Red X said casuaully, not lowering his look.
"Yes you did. In your own way."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!" Terra snapped.
"Mhm." Red X looked away, brushing her off completly he started walking off. The sun was drawing even further down, the darkness becoming a covering.
Terra grunted, turning around and pulling her coat back on as the chill remninded her it wasn't summer anymore. As she jammed her hands through the sleeves, the geomancer scattered the camp fire with her foot, tossing the dirt in all directions and kicking the rocks to the side. Of course, she could have used her powers, but she found more interest in trying to avoid using them. There was still a remote part of the blonde, that wished she didn't have them, there was still a little part of her mind and nature to want to be normal like other people.
But anyways. That wasn't going to happen.
Briefly, Terra's fingers brushed over her belt, making sure she felt the T-com there before pursueing after X. Un-zipped, her coat bounced along as she jogged after her companion, her dirty hair following the flow. Almost invisble to the dark, Red X was standing a little ways from the edge of a small hill. Just below was the city they had been hanging around for the past while. Rocborror, or something like that. It had proved a good place, remote enough to offer cover, but they had found enough indisturies to keep them busy.
Of course, the two teens both had different thoughts on 'amusement'. As Terra found herself trying to revert back to the Hero life, while Red X did well... what Red X did best most of the time. Though Terra didn't join him in his activities, she didn't stop him either, she knew it wouldn't do any good. He was the type of person who didn't listen. He still followed her though when she insisted on 'job hunting.'
"So, plans?" Terrra glanced a look to Red X, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight.
"I was going to selll you off for a couple bucks, then go get some supper. Since I didn't eat."
Terra twisted her face again, snorting in his direction her brows pointed towards her nose. "Your such an a-" But he had started moving off before she could finish. Probably better that way. Grumbling, Terra followed again, descending down the small slope easily. Her fingers touching the earth she slid down with the earth making sure she had safe passage.
Softly her feet landed below, the dist rising behind her, she glanced over her shoulder. Fearing it might cause attention somehow, and also from a habit of caution Terra raised her hand in the air. Her fingers tinging ever so lightly as she then slammed her hand down in the air to her side. The dust followed, falling immidently down to the ground again and swallowing up any tracks she had left. Satisfied, Terra grinned and then caught up with X again.
She had just caught site of him once more, barely, his outfit was so hard to make out in the poor light the shade of darkened woods gave. Another decend down and they would be in indisutiry streets. Terra walked up to his side, looking it over as he spoke suddenly in a low tone.
"We need to be more careful. Some people have started talking, and there are cops looking for us already." He said, almost carefree.
Terra glanced at him, frowning then looking back to Rocborror. "We should move out then."
But Red X shook his head. "I'm not done here yet."
Terra shot him a dirty look, scoffing quietly. "You better not get us both in trouble. What do you need?"
"Not sure." With that, he dashed down the ledge again. Giving a sqeal of annoyance, Terra followed the same way she had just moments ago, making sure their tracks stayed covered.
Becomming more cautious, she stayed now behind him, but eyed the back of his head carefully. "Does this have anything to do with those chips?" She hissed. Her curiosity was growing, what was so importaint about those things that it was causing Red X to be this careless? It was perplexing to her, since it was so out of his character. Red X was a lot of things, cocky, a little too egotiscical and reckless. But he wasn't careless, there was a difference.
But X was ignoring her, continuing on into an alley then cutting into another street. The gray hue of the city was depressing, but covering for them as they snuck around. Terra was becoming more agitated. She didn't like the fact she was following him blindly into the city, in fact, it made her nervous. Terra felt her hairs stick up on her arms, from emotion rather than the cold. She glanced over her shoulder frequently, almost afraid of finding someone. "What are we looking for?" She asked, her voice hissing into a whisper.
"We'll know if we see it."
"X, if you don't start making some sense." Terra threatened, stopping her crawl of a motion and stomping her feet into the pavement. He stopped as well and turned to her, lifting one of his eye pieces as if to question her sudden halt. "You of all people should know better than to be clumsy like this," she scorned.
"Think now is a good time for this?"
"Your being stupid," She stated, her arms crossing as her eyes stayed narrowed. Then, waving her hand out for a moment she shook her head with it. "There is something your not telling me, and while we run around this place like this, we are raising the chances of getting caught." Her hands crossed again. Red X just turned around and kept going. Jaw going wide for a moment, Terra gaped at his bravery before her arms flew back to her sides and she stormed after him.
"X! I'm trying to talk here."
"Keep it down-" He started hissing, before headlights suddenly flashed on them as a car pulled around the corner. Both froze on instinct, Terra blinked and looked into the car, watching as blue and red lights on top of the automoble started flashing. This wasn't good.