Collaboration with Glorifiedscapegoat.

As the sun crept above the horizon, leaching through the gaps in the trees and kissing the ground with golden light, Shion thought, It's been eight days since I met Nezumi.

Eight days had never seemed like a long time to Shion before, but now it felt as if a lifetime had passed. So much had transpired since that fateful morning in his mother's bakery that Shion already felt he could fill an entire novel with his and Nezumi's adventures. Shion wasn't much of a writer, but once he and Nezumi had stopped Horizon Labs (he forced down the nasty thought in his mind that hissed, If you can, that is), he might try his hand at it.

The days were blending together. Shion and Nezumi had left the small town and, thankfully, Hawk and Mountain behind. After Shion tended to the wounds on Nezumi's face and hands, they'd walked through the night, no destination and no plan aside from "get the hell out of Dodge and live to fight another day." Shion was beginning to understand that this would become their norm. Living and fleeing and conserving their strength until the moment Nezumi deemed them ready to strike against Horizon Labs.

Shion and Nezumi had spent nearly four days camping out in the woods. At times they drifted close to roads, lingering just out of sight of the cars that zipped along. When a gas station popped up, Nezumi snuck inside and worked his charms on the men behind the counters, convincing them that the fistful of leaves he offered were paper bills in exchange for protein bars, bottles of water, and on one lucky occasion, a ham and cheese sandwich that was more filling than anything Shion had eaten in the past few days. It nearly brought him to tears.

They slept as little as possible. Just enough to get enough energy to keep moving forward. After the run-in with Hawk and Mountain, Shion and Nezumi slept in shifts. The nights were long and cold, but even a few hours to lie with his eyes closed and keep still meant the world to Shion.

Though the thought of someone watching him sleep should have unsettled him, Shion found that he felt safe knowing Nezumi was looking out for him. He curled on the ground, bundled in his coat with his backpack serving as a makeshift pillow, and dozed while Nezumi sat beside him against one of the trees and kept watch.

When it was Shion's turn to take watch, he couldn't help but pay attention to Nezumi. He was a light sleeper, and even when he drifted to sleep, his brow was furrowed and his lips pulled downward in a pensive frown.

Shion wished there was something he could do to smooth those lines out, to comfort Nezumi enough that he'd feel relaxed for once.

In his sleep, Nezumi tossed and turned. He never stayed still. His heavy black boot had struck Shion in the shin during one of his shifts, and it had taken all of Shion's restraint not to cry out, lest he wake Nezumi from whatever sleep he did manage to get. From then on, Shion made sure he was well beyond striking distance when it was Nezumi's turn to sleep.

Nezumi slept very little. A couple hours, at best. It was a familiar routine. Shion would take watch, Nezumi would curl on his side and close his eyes, and then he would toss and turn until he bolted up with a choked gasp or a thin scream.

The first time it happened, Shion had been so startled, he'd screamed, too. The sound made Nezumi look over at him with wild silver eyes, and Shion held his hands up to show Nezumi he wasn't armed, he wasn't a threat, and he wasn't there to hurt him.

Once he'd realized he wasn't in danger, Nezumi tucked his legs up against his chest, wrapped his arms around them, and pressed his face against his knees so all Shion could see was a curtain of dark hair.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shion asked, once Nezumi's breathing had evened out.

"No," Nezumi replied, his voice muffled.

"OK," Shion said, and when he realized it didn't sound as reassuring as he'd intended, he took a breath and repeated, "That's OK, Nezumi."

Nezumi hadn't said anything in response to that, but the way his shoulders relaxed made Shion think he'd understood, all the same.

Adrenaline had gotten them through the difficult hours of the night the few times they'd decided to travel under the cover of darkness, when the forest became so vast and only the stars and full moon illuminated their path.

Shion's hammering heart echoed in his ears, so loud he wondered if Nezumi could hear it. But Nezumi hadn't said anything. In fact, since he'd told Shion about his parents and his grudge against Horizon Labs, Nezumi had been stubbornly quiet about himself. Shion had attempted to ask him a few questions, but when Nezumi's replies became limited to a few half-hearted grunts and shrugs, Shion gave up on trying to play twenty questions and focused on moving forward.

He doesn't like to talk about himself much, Shion thought. That must have been difficult for him.

Though Shion hoped Nezumi opening up to him about his parents would mean he'd be a bit more eager to volunteer information about himself, he understood that all good things happened in time. He and Nezumi were travelling companions. Shion knew it would only be a matter of time before Nezumi felt comfortable enough to share something else with him aside from a few barbed comments and sarcastic remarks.

For now, Shion would appreciate what he'd been offered. Nezumi had crossed a threshold with him by opening up as much as he had about his family and their fate. That he trusted Shion enough to bare that part of his soul spoke volumes.

Shion's heart still ached from the knowledge that Nezumi's family had suffered at the hands of the Lab. Hunted down, cornered, and slaughtered like animals. But apologies wouldn't bring them back. The best Shion could do was make good on his word.

"I want to help you take down Horizon Labs."

Shion trusted Nezumi now. Completely. He wanted to help him. If it meant no other families would suffer the way Nezumi's family had, then Shion was willing to move mountains if it gave him the chance to stop Horizon Labs once and for all.

"Shion." The sound of Nezumi's melodic voice startled Shion from his musings. He looked up and saw Nezumi standing a few paces ahead.

At his back was the line of trees, and just beyond it, Shion could make out the brightness of an open field. A clearing. He and Nezumi had been walking for so long through the night that Shion had begun to wonder if the forests would ever end, or if he and Nezumi would continue walking through the darkness for all eternity.

"What is it?" Shion closed the distance between them until he came to Nezumi's side. "Is it a road?"

"Nope." Nezumi pointed through the line of trees and into the gentle morning sunlight. "Check it out."

Shion squinted out from the shade. He'd grown accustomed to the darkness of the night and the sunlight stung a bit, but once his eyes adjusted, he was greeted by the sight of a massive white structure in the middle of a broad, open field.

It was so large, he couldn't see it all at once. The sun had risen enough to illuminate it, and after a moment, Shion said, "A warehouse?"

"Bingo," Nezumi replied.

Shion's eyebrows shot up. "We walked all the way to another town?"

"Not exactly." Nezumi jerked his chin towards the left. "The town's about a mile and a half that way. See it?"

Shion craned his neck and saw that, if he looked hard enough, he could make out a few small houses in the distance. The warehouse sat on top of a large hill, rising above the town like a monstrous white beast.

"Are we heading down there?" Shion asked. The thought of spending another night in the comfort of a bed seemed nice, but the memories of the hotel came with the terror Hawk and Mountain's arrival had brought upon them. Shion wasn't eager for a repeat.

"Not right now," Nezumi said. "Eventually we'll need to go in for supplies. For now, we should lay low."

Shion turned to Nezumi, eyes wide, and said, "You want to stop?"

Nezumi's lips drew back into a smirk. "Keeps them off the trail. They expect us to keep moving. They think we're too afraid to stop somewhere, but doing that makes it hard for them to keep up."

Shion's brow furrowed, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

"There's a hundred directions we could have gone in," Nezumi said. "That forest is huge. It'll be awhile before they pass by here, but by then, we'll be long gone. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to stay stationary."

"I suppose…." Shion looked back at the warehouse. It was a long, two-story building with a mess of graffiti in an assortment of colors smeared along the chipped white bricks. Shion couldn't see the roof well, but he imagined, given the state of the building, that it was rusted and full of holes. "So, are we going to find a hotel again, or…?"

Nezumi gestured to the warehouse. "Do you want to check in now? It's a little early, but I think they'll make an exception."

"You want to sleep there?" Shion sputtered. "Nezumi, sleeping in the forest is one thing, but that's a major health hazard. Look at it!" Shion waved his hand to the boarded up windows and cracked glass. "It's ancient! It's probably not even up to code."

"Up to code." Nezumi's silver eyes flashed with mirth. "We'll have to ask for a discount then."

"I'm serious, Nezumi."

"Well, we can't stay at a hotel again. I doubt the town over there even has one." Nezumi put his hands on his hips and pretended to think. "Besides, the amount of leaves I'd need to pay for a hotel room for however long we're staying here would probably damage a few of these trees."

Shion exhaled, hard, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was starting to develop a headache.

"This is the less obvious option," Nezumi said. "I'm not willing to trade safety for luxury."

"I'm not asking you to," Shion said. He took a deep breath, taking in one last breath of the wonderful scents of trees and dirt surrounding him, and then looked Nezumi dead in the face. "If I fall through the floor, I'm taking you with me."

Nezumi barked out a laugh, and Shion couldn't help but smile.

"Wow," Shion said, peering through one of the windows. Three boards obscured his view, and he had to press his nose against them to peer inside the dark room. "It's even worse up close."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Nezumi said from behind him. "See anything?"

"Dark. Lots and lots of dark."

"All right, smartass, move it," Nezumi said, grasping the hood of Shion's jacket and relocating him just enough for Nezumi to step beside him and peer through the broken window. "Huh."

"I told you it was dark. You can't see anything in there."

"I can see everything in that room."

Shion glanced at him in his periphery. "No, you can't."

Nezumi snorted. "I can see just fine in the dark."

"Really?" Shion's lips quirked upward into a smile. "Then what's in there?"

"If you don't know," Nezumi said, "then I'm not going to tell you."

"Sure." Shion stepped back from the window. "All right, then, Mister Night Vision. Let's find a way inside. Maybe there's a broken window here they didn't board up."

The warehouse was much larger up close, so tall that Shion had to crane his neck to see the top windows. There were plenty of them, but Shion didn't see any that hadn't been crossed over with thick wooden boards. The few times he passed by a window with two slats set just far enough that he could peer through, he'd peek inside for a better look.

Inside the first floor of the warehouse was tall and mostly empty. The equipment must have been hauled off years ago before the warehouse fell into a state of disrepair. The wood blocked most of the sunlight, but Shion could make out the distinct shape of crates and metal barrels.

Shion walked around the building, with Nezumi following close behind. It was an interesting shift in their dynamic, Shion leading the way while Nezumi lingered at his back, and it made Shion almost giddy to know Nezumi trusted him to lead.

"There!" Shion pointed to one of the windows on the other side of the warehouse, the side facing the town in the distance. "That one. Look! The boards are missing."

"And the glass." Nezumi furrowed his brow. "Someone's been here."

Shion paused. He hadn't thought of that. "You don't think someone's in there now…do you?"

"It's possible." Nezumi shrugged at the alarmed look Shion shot at him. "Probably a homeless guy. Who else would be out here?"

"If there is someone here," Shion said, "you think you can…?" He made a gesture with his hand, pointing to his head and then flicking his finger forward to mimic something flying away.

Nezumi raised an eyebrow. "Probably. And if not, well," he smirked, "you can just hit him with a trash can."

Shion peered inside of the window. Farther down on the side of the building facing the town, he could see a large metal door covered in wooden boards. Some of the wood had been chipped away, as if someone had tried to pry the boards off before giving up. The stench of mold and dust wafted through the open window, and Shion's nose wrinkled.

Nezumi came to stand beside him and looked in through the window. "Most of the glass is gone." He put his hand on the wooden sill and pressed down. "Seems sturdy enough."

"Do you want me to help you―" Shion started, but Nezumi hoisted himself up, slid his leg in through the window, and then dropped down inside with a muted thump. "―get up," Shion finished. He exhaled and clapped his hands together. "All right, I can do this."

Shion pressed his hands against the window sill. The wood bit into the soft flesh of his palms. He paused to think, and then pulled his hands back. He yanked his sleeves down to cover them, and put them back on the window sill. Protected against splinters and other bits of unpleasantness that might have been lingering on the glass, Shion pressed all his weight into his hands and hoisted himself off the ground.

He shoved one of his legs through the opening and straddled the windowsill, half in the window and half out. He felt around the ground with his toe.

"I've got it," Shion said, just in case Nezumi wondered if he'd be able to get inside. He set his sneaker on the ground, and swung his other leg up. "Don't worry, I've got―"

His pant leg caught on the sill. Shion stumbled forward. He braced for impact, putting his arms out to catch himself before he struck his face against the hard floor. His wrist caught on the concrete, and Shion hissed through his teeth as his leg slipped in through the window. He landed in a heap on the ground, dust kicking up around him.

"Made it," Shion said, once the dust had cleared.

Nezumi's black boots came to rest in front of his nose. "That was the most elegant landing I've ever seen. Ten out of ten."

"I aim to please." Shion groaned and unfolded himself from the ground. His backpack shifted against his spine, the contents within rattling around. "Ow."

Nezumi held his hand out, and Shion's stomach tightened with surprise. It lasted for only a moment. He reached out, took Nezumi's hand, and allowed Nezumi to help him to his feet.

Shion dusted his knees off. He frowned at the rip in his jeans. It stretched across his left knee. The cut had been limited to the fabric, leaving his skin unscathed, but Shion knew, with the fast approach of colder weather, he'd need as many intact clothes as possible.

"Ugh, look at this," Nezumi said, already walking away. Shion looked up. Nezumi was wandering around the middle of the room. The sunlight shining in through the open window illuminated a large collection of rocks in an obvious circle, along with a few crates dragged up around it like a set of chairs.

"I can't believe people actually come here," Shion said.

"Worse places to hang out," Nezumi replied, wrinkling his nose. He nudged something beside the crates, and the tinkling of glass rang through the room as a beer bottle rolled to a stop. "Shit. These still have some liquid in them. That means they haven't been here long."

Shion's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So there are people here."

"Or there were," Nezumi answered. He walked around the circle―a fire pit, Shion saw as he came up and surveyed the damage himself. Between the circle of stones were the remnants of burnt wood and a few broken twigs. Shredded bits of newspapers peppered the charcoal, and if Shion squinted through the shadows, he could make out a few ripped magazines piled beside one of the crates.

"There's a mattress," Nezumi called.

Shion turned to look. "What?"

Nezumi walked to the back half of the warehouse room and nudged aside one of the crates. "Right there. Look."

Shoved in the corner was a twin-sized mattress. Even from far away, Shion could tell it had seen better days. The fabric was stained and threadbare, and a paper-thin blanket sat bunched up on the floor beside it.

"Do you think someone lives here?" Shion looked around the room. The walls kept most of the light and the draft out. The air outside was cool, but even with the broken windows, it was much warmer inside the warehouse than outside. Shion suspected it might be acceptably cool in the summer months.

"Either that, or it's teenagers." Nezumi slowly meandered around the mattress. Shion desperately hoped he wasn't considering sitting on it.

"You don't think―" Shion started.

"There're condoms here." Nezumi leaned over, squinting in the darkness, and announced, "And they're used. It's definitely teenagers."

A horrified shudder raced down Shion's spine. "People are having sex in here?"

"Yup." Nezumi walked back toward Shion. "A lot, if those condoms are any indication."

"That's disgusting!" Shion took a step back, his sneaker bumping against the crates and rattling a few of the beer bottles. "This place is filthy!"

Nezumi raised an eyebrow. "Pretty judgment of you, Shion. A warehouse is a hell of a lot better place to do it than, say, the woods. Think of all the ticks. Where's the weirdest place you've ever done it?"

Shion's face burned a million degrees. "That's none of your business!"

His voice cracked at the edges. Nezumi took one look at him, silver eyes wide, and then a laugh bubbled its way out of his throat. "You haven't, have you?"

"Shut up!" Shion's voice rose another octave, and the smirk on Nezumi's face just grew wider. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, man," Nezumi said, dragging his fingers through his hair and shoving his bangs aside. "Well, not to worry. We won't be camping out here. If there are condoms and booze here, then that means there are teenagers who come here to party."

Shion's body burned, embarrassment buzzing through his head like a furious bee. "So, what exactly are we supposed to do now?"

"Let's check out the upstairs. There's two floors here, remember? Perhaps there's a room those teens haven't christened yet."

"Oh, my god." Shion covered his face with his hands, and Nezumi's bemused laughter echoed through the empty warehouse.