Mayhemb; We're glad to bring you Chapter 4
Me; And we hope to be making more!
Mayhemb; Hope you have a bunch of fun!
Me; As Maya and Eugene are on a bit of a run
What could have really been expected from the Newspapers so soon after they had escaped?
BIO-TERRORISTS ON THE LOOSE
REWARD FOR ANY BIO-TERRORIST INFORMATION
D.U.P.'S 7 YEAR STREAK ENDS
Maya sighed though her parted lips as the headlines that laid across the news papers she had scooped up just an hour earlier. She had gotten almost all of them in the nearby vicinity so she and Eugene would be safe a bit longer.
Her teeth gnawed the inside of her cheek as her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, her companion beside her.
"...They probably kept us a secret for as long as they could, yet something must have given them a tip off..."
The blonde nodded his head before glancing at the television... "There could be a broadcast..."
"Turn on the magical picture box then." The male walked over to the electronic device and turned it on, showing a large road block it seemed.
"Want me to turn up the vol-"
"Yes please White Rabbit."
The remote was pressed and soon they heard what the reporter was saying.
"-The D.U.P. are said to have theorized that the escaped Bio-Terrorists will be coming to our fair city to cause the most damage. Already they are making efforts to prevent them from entering. Here they are making road blocks in an attempt to distract them long enough so they can be captured-"
"Glad they have such confidence in our intelligence." Hazel eyes rolled in their sockets as the Ink Conduit leaned against the couch, standing behind the sitting Eugene.
"Mmhm.."
"-Starting later today there will also be an all-out search for any of the Bio-Terrorists who could have already gotten into the city. The D.U.P. will be going around all facilities and vacant areas to search for the Terrorists. Already thousands of brave D.U.P. officers are being entered into city limits to aid in the defense."
Maya quickly walked away from the area and to her room, tearing out the bottom bed sheets. After listening to the television for a few more moments the other Conduit in the establishment came to her door.
"What are you doing...?"
"Making a bag to keep our stuff in. We'll need water, food, and paper so we can make money...Along with the credit cards."
"How about..We first figure out where we're going..."
The Ink Conduit paused for a second...Before turning to her companion. "M'kay, where do you think we should run to?"
"Well...It needs to be out of normal sight, and needs to be connected to electricity...S-So we can track the D.U.P."
...
"Then it needs to be a bit close to..Ya know, resources."
"Alright...So, what do you want me to do?"
"Maybe you could..I don't know...Look and see where a place like this could be...?"
"And what will you do?"
Eugene bit his lip, as if embarrassed to give a real answer... "Uh...W-Well..."
...
..
.
"Here, wait a sec." The male left the doorway and went to his room, only to return in a few moments with a small device. "Here, I can keep you updated with this."
"What is it?"
"It's sorta like...An electronic communicator." The device was placed into her hand...Maya turned her head upwards and gave Eugene a dead-panned expression.
"...Dear...I know what a phone is."
"O-Oh, sorry.."
"It's okay, I like the phrase electronic communicator..I'll be sure to credit you on it if I ever use it." The Ink User tapped the blue device's screen, watching as it came to life it seemed.
"I made a safe line for us, and I'll work on trying to make an app for you to listen in on the D.U.P.."
"Sweet..!"...A problem arose in her mind though. "But...Eugene...I'm a liquid, I can't...I can't keep this stuff on me twenty-four seven.."
A frown crossed the male's features..He had looked happy to have been able to help out a bit. "Oh...Right.."
"...How about this, I put it in like a plastic bag or something, and make it seem in and bring it out when I need it. Okay?"
Once again the smile filtered onto his lips, it's ghost appearance made her happy. "'Kay."
"So, where are you sending me Captain Ahab?"
"Right uh...Well, could you just scope around and see if there is a place we could easily hide in? I think that would be best."
"Aye-Aye Cap'in!" After a mock salute Maya grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and a plastic bag from the cup boards, before going out. "I'll be back soon!"
Okay...
So..
Perhaps "soon" wasn't the best phrase to have used.
It was getting closer and closer to the first search of the D.U.P. and the Ink Conduit still hadn't found anything on foot. Which meant that she had to go Ink.
Once the female had snuck into a hidden alley she slipped her new electronic devise in it's safe plastic baggie. When the zipper lock was secure she put it down on the ground before quickly melting down into Ink. The liquid surrounded the bag, creating a sort of ball inside of her for it, before going camouflage mode and sliding against the side of buildings for an open entryway. Even a little crack would be useful right now.
It needed to be close to recourses, easy electronic support, and...Well, a place where they could hide out.
It took a while to find a inconspicuous location, but she finally found it. It was a nice little underground place that was beneath a metal door, near a few TVs and a few streets from some stores. Seeping through the cracks and wiggling the phone through the small opening.
She slinked around the area, checking for anyone else that was already there...But it looked deserted.
Liquid became limbs and cloth in a matter of moments, not including the few seconds of popping her shoulders and knees. Honestly, being a liquid for so long made you tighten up in the oddest ways. Her hand stayed the same though as she returned to the cement steps, seeping the ink through the door and into the lock. Whistling a happy tune the Conduit female stepped back out into the streets with a smile.
The plastic baggie was unzipped and fiddled with slowly. The familiar "turning on" chime came to her ears and soon it was pressed to her ear. "Captain Ahab? I think I've found us a pleasing vessel..."
The two escapees scoured their new home, machines and odd boxes littered the place in Maya's eyes. Broken cords and wires limply hung from the walls in a lifeless display.
"What is this place of refuge, Ahab?"
The male seemed to be holding back his excitement as each cloth was pulled off to reveal what treasure it hid. "I-It looks like an old Arcade...!"
The Blake girl bit her tongue. The only reason she faintly remembered what a phone was, was because of a book she read. They hadn't gotten to the 'arcade' chapter yet...If there even was one.
But the colors, oh sweet tones, which these implements were painted with. So bright, so smooth, even though they were past their refurbishing date.
"Such lovely hues, 'ay Captain?"
"Yeah..." His eyes were trained on a particular game, before he glanced over to her. "Hey, come here, please."
Slowly her sneakers made their way beside him. "Hm?"
"Have you ever played?"
... "Uhm...I-I don't know...Maybe...?"
..
...
"D...Do you want to?"
"Uh...Sure...!"
Then something amazing happened it seemed. From his hands Eugene erupted a blue spark which traveled into the machine before him, and in a matter of moments the rectangular electric box came to life.
Her ears were mute to the sound of the game as her eyes stared at his fingers.
"..Maya...?"
"...Do it again."
"Hm?"
"Do it again." Her hands grasped his, glancing from the digits up to his face. "Again, make it spark."
His blush returned like the night before and quickly he took his hands back. "I-I don't uh-"
"Please Starbuck?"
"...Why?"
"..It was beautiful..!" Maya gave a guilty grin as she presented her own hands to Eugene. "All my hands can do is...Well..."
As if to prove a point her elbow to her fingertips became the black liquid, falling and splashing onto the floor. Just as quickly as they fell they ran up her shoes and the ink re-entered her from her ankles. Once again the ink set itself in place before slowly re-coloring to her natural pigment.
"I-It isn't a...Favorable sight...I have a stronger affinity towards your's though..! The blues and whites are so wonderfully placed together in a sort of mosaic pattern."
...Eugene gave a small awkward smile. "Y-You know all that, but you don't know if you have ever played an arcade game before...Huh..?"
Upon registering that he had ACTUALLY made a small joke, her fist lightly nudged his shoulder. Yet this didn't stop her ear-to-ear grin from growing. "Oh shoosh you!"
From his lips came the smallest attempt at a chuckle, making the Ink Conduit's heart swell in delight. But the moment had to put on hold, after all, they were trying to find a hide-away.
"So...I'm going to start bringing over a few of our things...Are you going to be safe here alone, my Conduit Droog?"
Reluctantly he nodded his head it seemed. "Just uh..Call me, so I know if I can open the door and help you out."
"Very well my liege." Once her action of doing a curtsy was done Maya slipped her phone into her pants pocket and left. After all, people would have to see her exit if she tried to come back in, right?
Perhaps going visible wasn't for the best.
Already at the apartment there were several of the yellow and grey cloaked officers of Augustine roaming around. After making sure her red roots weren't showing, just the faux curly black ones, Maya calmly and confidently sauntered across the room. If she kept up this charade then maybe-
"Excuse me, Miss?" Crap, the building owner was calling her out... "Can you come here for a moment?"
Did she really have much of a choice?
Turning her feet she began making long strides towards the man standing beside two D.U.P. officers. "What seems to be the trouble, sir?"
"You checked in a few days ago...Where were you living before that?"
Oooooh~ Backstory-making time! That was always her favorite thing to do in her free time, making the wonderful assortment of words that would either make or break the character.
"I came here from this little town in Kansas, I've always wanted to see the Space Needle. I just got out of High School and all so I thought, eh, what the heck? I have only a little bit of time left before I go to college and all, so best see the sights while I can."
"I.D. M'am."
A surge of fear rushed through her veins at the gun-carrying man's declaration, yet just as he asked the piece of "plastic" was put into his hands. After checking to see if it was a fake I.D., but finding no problems in the ink, they decided to begin the questions.
"What's your name."
"Anne Bronté." They didn't have much time to figure out a good name for her, but they managed. Thank you Charlotte for having an easy-to-remember named sister.
"Where where you born."
"Wichita, Kansas."
"Date of Birth."
"March 26, 1997." Oh dear Robert Frost, though not the same year, your Birth still protects and gives me solace.
This continued with her eyes and hair, yet the men were a bit wise as to not ask about weight and height...
"Will that be all gents?"
After glancing at each other the I.D. was returned. "Yeah, but don't leave the city..."
"Very well Officers."
Maya was smarter this time, and left through the back doors of the edifice. She had fashioned a good-sized bag that carried the majority of their things, leaving her arms to carry some groceries. It took a while to find their hideout due to the large number of odd buildings and their sizes, yet when she did the tip of her shoe tapped against the door.
Her hands were too full to get her phone.
A rustling sound came from inside before the door was opened, showing a relieved looking Eugene. "Oh thank god it's just you..."
"...Well..."
"W-Wait, no, that wasn't supposed to offend you or anything..!" Her teasing giggle made him shut up and give her the smallest of glares.
"Don't worry Cap'in, your words are but stickers against my hind." With that she made her way down the steps, the Sims male locked and bolted the metal door before following her.
As the two started to separate and sort their items Eugene asked the million dollar question of the hour. "So did uh...Anything happen?"
"The D.U.P. were already at our place asking questions."
"What...?!"
The Ink Conduit nodded her head slowly. "Yeah it uh...It was kinda sudden...But don't worry, I made sure they didn't follow me or anything. They just asked me some questions."
"Questions...?"
"Yeah, ya know, the regular yada-yada-ho-humm-diddly-dee."
"...What."
"They asked where I was from, a bit of background info, eye color, hair color, and so on."
This seemed to calm down her companion a bit. "O..Oh...So...What did you tell them?"
"A story about me being from a small town in Kansas and coming here to see the Space Needle."
For a moment the two sat silent, allowing the hidden gravity of what had happened to Maya sink in...
They were getting closer...
...
"Hey...You never told me.."
"Told you..?"
"Your background story." Her legs curled up against her chest, arms wrapping around them with her chin resting atop the knees. "What was life like for Starbuck before our mighty voyage?"
"...Well...It wasn't the greatest.." Thus began the somber and morose tale of Eugene's. From being bullied and finding comfort in Heaven's Hellfire, to snapping under having just too much pressure...
Then Augustine coming in.
"-She said she would take me to a School with people like me...People who were different..."
...
Slowly Maya reached out a hand, laying it softly atop his. "Being different isn't too bad...Many of the most beautiful and amazing things are classified as 'different'."
"Yeah, well, beautiful and amazing things aren't hunted down by the government."
"...Then what about PETA?"
Eugene gave a small chuckle at this joke and the sound earned him a small close-lipped smile from her.
"Besides, they can't get us right now...We're safe here, and we can always escape again and again."
"...And when they catch us?"
"If they catch us, you mean."
"Fine...If they..Catch us...Then what?"
"Then we just keep escaping."
...
...
"So..What's yours?" Upon her confused expression he elaborated. "Your..Back story..."
"Oh, that...I don't really remember." Maya slowly retracted her hand back. "I mean..I'm guessing a part of my mind does remember...But that part isn't the one that's dominant."
"..Oh...Uh..I'm sorry about that."
The Ink Conduit gave a small shrug. "I...Got used to it after some time. I remember that I had a family, a sister and two parents to be exact...I think she was younger."
The male just stayed silent at this, not really knowing how to respond.
"Anyway, enough of this hub-bub." She slowly stood up, stretching her legs. "I'm going to find a place to sleep, if that's okay.."
"Sure..."
"'Kay." She put all the contents of her pockets out on the table, which was just some fake money, her I.D., the phone, and the apartment key. Once that was done she went over to a small corner in the room, climbed atop a metal shelving unit, and laid on the cold metal top.
Using a small pool of ink as a sort of warm liquid mattress solved the temperature problem, earning a soft yawn from the Ink Conduit. "Hey Starbuck?"
Eugene had went beck to using his laptop again, yet darted his eyes towards the vague region of darkness she slept him. "Yeah?"
"...Thanks."
"For what...?"
"..For sticking with me...I know i'm not the easiest person to handle or keep up with...So it means a lot."
"...You're welcome...And..Thanks, also, for the uh..Same thing..."
Maya was silent for a few moments...Before slowly saying her next sentence. "..I won't let...What happened to you...Happen again. I promise."
"...Thanks Maya."
"Welcome White Rabbit." With that the black liquid formed a sort of dome from her feet to above her mouth, so just in case she could see anything if need be. All the while the cavity would silence her, rather obnoxious, snores.
Stupid people in the City, telling her to shut up even though she was unconscious...
After all, a little bit of noise never did anyone wrong...Right?
Me; So that is it for Chapter five
Mayhemb; With Eugene and Maya running for their lives
Me; Yet in their future more strifes will appear
Mayhemb; So stick around, there's more story to hear!
Me and Mayhemb; Rate, review, and favorite! Bye~