Not much to report. There may be something triggering in here? Oh, and there's an OC. Just a warning, to be safe. Here's the next chapter!

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Marsden © XxBandersnatchxX

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Matched?

Chapter Six: Leo

Three days in an aberration camp, and Leo was already starting to wonder if the plastic knives in the mess hall would have a chance at slitting his throat—he looked down at the object in mind and doubted it. The camp was dirty, the people were strange, and the work was tough. He'd already had to have his hands bandaged twice where they'd split open do to overuse.

If he had overheard some of the older slaves—no, aberrations—correctly, today was Sunday, a visiting day. He wondered if Elliot was coming, or if his match even knew he'd been arrested. He doubted it. Or maybe his mother would come, if she was alive. The thought of loosing his mother made his heart clench.

A buzzing noise sounded, and a bright red light over two large, metal doors—locked, of course—started to blink. Leo wondered if someone had tried fleeing and if there was going to be a lockdown of some sort. Trying to ignore the eyes of some of the more peculiar inmates on him, he continued to watch the doors. When they opened, Leo couldn't help but hold his breath.

At first, nothing happened. His fellow law breakers stood though, so he did as well. An Official walked into the room, closely followed by ten of twelve men and women, visitors. The doors closed behind the people, and aberrations gravitated towards there loved ones. Leo was so surprised to see so many people crying and hugging around him, he hardly noticed Elliot moving towards him. Suddenly, Elliot's arms were around his waist and his face was in Leo's shoulder. With a startled, muffled yelp, Leo wrapped his arms around Elliot's neck and closed his eyes. The blonde pulled away and released him. Leo searched Elliot's face and for a quick second wondered if his match was going to start yelling at him.

"Leo." Said Elliot, his calmness sounding forced. "We need to talk." His eyes flickered around the room.

The raven nodded and took Elliot's wrist. He then led the other boy to a door at the back of the room. Opening the door, Leo ushered his match inside. It was a poorly lit corridor, with alcoves branching off in random spots that led to bedrooms. Leo planned on bringing Elliot to his room so they could talk; he'd seen each of his room mates with a loved one. Leo turned to go into the branch that led to his room, but Elliot snagged him back and pressed him against the wall. Leo peeked around the corner to see why Elliot had stopped him. The door was open, and two boys around the age of twelve were standing a little ways away from the doorway. The Baskerville recognized them; they shared his room and they were the only ones Leo had met who seemed… normal. The boys, who Leo remembered as Marsden and Phillipe, were arguing.

"I said no, Phillipe."

"But—"

"No!"

"Shh!" Phillipe hissed at his friend. "One of the Officials might hear you. Mars, come on! It's a good idea."

"It's a suicide mission."

"Suicide or not, it's better than being here, being an aberration. Don't you want to go back, Marsie?"

"Don't call me that." Marsden said through clenched teeth. "Of course I do! But I'd rather not go back in a body bag, thank you very much!"

"Stop being so dramatic," Mars growled something incoherent, "and come with me! The rebels will take us back, you know they will! We're only children. Children make mistakes and learn from the."

Elliot met Leo's eyes. The rebels? Both boys knew exactly what the younger two were talking about. Marsden and Phillipe had started bickering again. Elliot stepped into the doorway, and the bickering stopped. The twelve year olds looked panicked, and the boy with dark hair and brown eyes started stuttering, trying to take back what they'd said. Leo stood behind Elliot, to the side, so he was in view to.

"We heard every word, Marsden, there's no point in taking it back." Leo said. Marsden shut his mouth and averted his brown eyes.

Elliot turned to Phillipe. "The rebels? You mean the group Cassia Reyes started, yes?" He paused, and Phillipe nodded slowly, much to Mars's horror. "And you're planning on going there, today," the boy nodded again. Elliot studied the little boy with his ice blue eyes and chewed the inside of his lip. "We want in."

~line~

"Are you sure the Officials won't check the closet when they notice he's gone?" Leo said to no one in particular. He was standing with his back to Mars and Phillipe, facing Elliot, who was currently backed into the small closet.

"Yep!" Phillipe chirped from his place on the top bunk.

"No," Marsden said. "We never said that. But even if they do, if he stands behind that, there," he pointed over Leo's shoulder at where a blanket hung on a hanger to dry, "they won't see him. And to be honest, Officials aren't smart enough to look behind things."

Elliot smirked down at his match; thinking that it was cute Leo was worrying like this. He bent down and briefly connected their lips, ignoring Mars when he coughed awkwardly, and pulled away. "I'll be fine, alright?" Leo was blushing, and Elliot wanted to kiss him again. For the sake of the children in the room, he didn't.

~line~

"Phillipe… you're incredible." Leo said, staring down at the gun in his hands. The three of them each had one.

Phillipe's chest swelled with pride. Mars only shrugged. "It's not that hard, really. We've broke into the armory at least a thousand times before." He tucked the gun in the front of his pants and pulled his shirt down. He smiled up at Leo. "We usually take the funs and bury them outside at night. Really, I don't think escaping will be all that diffic—" An abrupt knocking on the door had Marsden's mouth practically sewn shut.

Leo jumped, dropped the gun on his bed, threw a blanket over it and lay on his stomach on top of it. He didn't see what Phillipe had done with his, and didn't have time to check when the door opened and two Officials walked in, a male and a female.

"Leo Baskerville," the female said.

"Yes?" He tried to sneer, but his voice wavered.

"You wouldn't have an idea of where Mr. Elliot Nightray has gone, would you?"

Leo put on a shocked mask. "What? You don't know where he his? Family members and friends went home at least an hour ago, and you've only just realized he's missing?" The woman had he eyes on the raven, but the man's eyes were scanning the room, even the ceiling. Leo forced his eyes to stay on the female and not flick to the closet where Elliot was currently not daring to breath.

Even as the man opened the closet door, Leo held her gaze. After and agonizingly long moment, the closet door was shut. He walked around the room, lifting up bed skirts and oddly placed blankets, and obviously found nothing. He left without a word, and soon, so did the woman.

~line~

Leo, Marsden, Phillipe and two other men were laying in their assigned beds. Phillipe had checked if the other roommates were asleep a good five minutes ago, and they were, but they were being very careful. Leo heard Marsden's blankets stir, heard his feet on the wooden ladder as he went to the floor, heard his feet that were already dressed in shoes against the floor, and finally heard the closet door slowly open. He quietly sat up, as did Phillipe. The door closed behind Elliot, and the four boys stood, looking at each other, each clutching a gun and holding their breath. Mars gestured to the one window in the room with his gun. The window, already open, had no screen, and each boy fit easily through it.

Weapons raised, they slowly looked around. There was no movement to indicate a patrolling Official. It was pitch black, the light from the moon did close to nothing. Elliot was fairly sure he wouldn't see his own hand if it were centimeters from his face. Elliot squinted into the darkness ahead, and together, the four boys started moving onward.

So far, things were going great. Not that they'd accomplished much. Marsden and Phillipe were walking faster than the older boys, and Leo hoped their feet weren't making too much noise against the loose dirt and gravel underfoot. He sidestepped, so his shoulder was against Elliot's upper arm, and he was relieved to find a bit of comfort in the small touch. Ahead, Leo heard a scuffing noise, along with a sour curse from Phillipe. At the exact same time, light flooding the area. Leo knew it wasn't sun, and when his rapidly blinking eyes adjusted, he turned back to the camp to see large, fluorescent lights pointed directly at them. In front of the lights were the silhouettes of a dozen Officials, all who were racing towards them.

Marsden screeched, Elliot let off a string of colorful curses, and Leo spun completely around to face the Officials and slammed his finger down on the trigger. Nothing happened. He pounded his finger against the trigger. Nothing. He dropped the gun. "Damn it, Mars! Didn't you think to check the amo?!" He heard the drop of two more weapons; Marsden and Elliot had abandoned their weapons. Elliot took hold of his match's wrist and started to run, Marsden a step ahead of him.

They ran past Phillipe, and Leo turned his head so fast his neck twinged. He screamed for Phillipe to drop the gun and run, but his cry fell on deaf ears. They were at least three hundred feet from the boy now, and as the first Official slammed Phillipe to the ground, his wail of pain and a gunshot pierced the night.

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