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"promise"

Panting, Gauche turned a corner and swore quietly when he came to another locked door. Behind him, Lag was trembling, little legs having a difficult time keeping up with their harried pace. Muttering, the man tugged at the boy's hand and headed down another hallway.

The BeeHive was alight with chaos, sounds of footsteps pounding on the linoleum and voices echoing off of the walls. They didn't have much time to make their escape. They'd find the unconscious doctors soon.

"G-Gauche..." Lag called, stumbling as they hurried along. "W-Where are we going...?"

Glancing over his shoulder, the man did his best to sound confident. "We're looking for a stair well. You remember the one, where they let us go to the garden?"

The boy nodded, worrying his lip. Gauche smiled, or tried to. "That's where we're heading."

Or they would be, if every door they'd come across hadn't been locked or guarded. A couple of unsuspecting doctors was one thing, but there was no way they could get past armed guards. As it was, Lag was a wreck from their initial escape attempt.

It hadn't taken more than a few well placed hits to take down the two doctors who'd come to his side of the cell, but saving Lag had been...rough. His hands still ached from holding the chain so tight around the man's neck.

Shaking his head, he reminded himself to be vigilant. Keeping to the wall, Gauche glanced around a corner. The door was unguarded, a small miracle. It should, if he remembered right, lead to the examination floor and there should be an employee only stairwell that lead out and to the back of the building.

Sucking in a breath, he glanced at Lag. The boy was worse for wear. Not physically, because he'd made sure that the boy was unharmed before they fled, but mentally he wasn't doing well. If they had to run or hide, or Empress forbid, be separated, he feared that Lag wouldn't make it.

Still, what could he do?

Making his way towards the door, Gauche pressed an ear to the cool metal. Hearing nothing, he fished for the ring of keys in his pocket. Somewhere a few rooms down, he heard a shout. Swallowing, he jammed the key in the door, opened it and yanked Lag after him as he hastily closed it behind them.

Not much time at all, apparently.

Gauche barely remembered most of their exodus from the building. He knew that Lag had been spectacularly cooperative for such a tiny crybaby, but from that stairwell to the cool night air of the garden, he didn't remember much at all.

It was exhilarating to be out of the stifling building. The stones beneath his bare feet were cool and grounding in what felt more like a dream than reality. A breeze rustled the trees gently, the only sound in the silent night.

Lag's little hand tightened around his own. Glancing down, Gauche felt something well in his chest as the boy looked around anxiously, as if at any moment someone might jump out at them. His wide sepia eye was dazed, cheeks tracked with tears and snot.

Kids shouldn't look that scared, he thought as he dug in his pajama pants for a handkerchief. Kneeling down, the man scrubbed gently at Lag's face. The boy whined but allowed the cleaning.

"We're almost out..." Gauche said quietly.

Lag snuffled pathetically, worrying his lip. "W-Where are we gonna go...?"

Gauche paused, frowning. The only place he could think to go was to Blue Notes Blues. It was the only other place he could remember before the hospital. Still, the fear in his heart reminded him that that place had nothing good to return to.

"C-Can...can we find momma?"

Blinking, the man glanced up. Lag shuffled a bit, watching him with a hopeful expression. What could he say to that? Definitely not no, not to that face.

Sighing, Gauche felt a tired smile tug at his lips. "Sure. But lets get out of this place, first."

Lag's face positively lit up, a wide smile splitting his dirty face. He nodded fast. "Y-Yeah!"

It was hard not to catch the excitement as the man tugged the boy after him. Climbing the fence, the two vanished into the shadows around the building.

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