Chapter Text
It has been 5 years since he last had a hallucination.
5 years since he’d seen any sign of Ivan. The sight of his eyes behind that guard mask was simply a memory now. It was all holding him back.
A memory, a taunting one at that. Those words would ring in his ear. Calling him things like “a child who is nothing but a burden”.
That fateful day 5 years, when till had been shot in the ear and when he was taunted he let go. Of the memories and the man who he lost 7 years ago.
The resistance didn’t experience many casualties at least compared to 7 years ago. The city around them growing, changing. Billboards talking about the return of alien stage, the missing witch, wanted humans.
Till grew too, he cut his hair and didn’t leave the base much. He didn’t need to stay in the med bay because of breakdowns.
In the time he did go out he had somehow ended up becoming heavily wanted. He had learned how to avoid the guards. He sometimes went with Isaac and Dewey on supply runs but nothing he wouldn’t feel prepared for.
He never stopped searching for mizi. Not that he still had those childish feelings towards her but rather he wanted someone he could call family.
He had friends here in the resistance but he would never stop searching for his family.
He still had a pile of sketchbooks under his bed filled with drawings of flowers, the city, and occasionally people. A girl with long pink hair sitting in a garden. A boy with short black hair with the most piercing eyes.A version of them always stayed close to his heart.
Static always played on the radio but sometimes he could swear he hears something warning him or rather informing him?
“You have 5 hours. Get him.”
Those are the first words Till hears upon waking up. He could barely process the words as he stood up.
Isaac opened the door just as Till was processing the words. “We’re heading for a morning supply run, want to come? We have news that there won’t be any guards near there till noon”
“…” Till stood there for a moment “sure.” He stretched as he stood up. He thought about those words, he had no context. Naturally he ignored it.
Till looked at the clock before turning back to Isaac “how long of a drive?”
After confirming the distance Till agreed to join the supply run. Not like he had anything better to do besides drawing so.
He put on his shoes and went with Isaac to the garage. Putting on his helmet and joining the crew. There were about four other people in the group. Isaac, Dewey and 2 girls he had seen around the Base but never talked to.
The group of 5 went out on motorcycles trying to avoid making too much noise and attracting Attention. They normally only did supply runs at night to avoid being found by guards but recently guards have been out at night and they couldn’t find supplies.
The old supply store they found was huge but had many rooms so the 5 would need to split up to gather supplies.
Till stood outside for a moment smiling at the red and yellow flowers growing on a rusty fence outside of the supply store.
He soon followed the 4 insides silently joining to gather.
After about 30 mins of gathering Dewey pops up on the radio “did anyone open the back door? I thought it was closed when we came in.”
Everyone individually responded no. “Stay there I’ll head over to back you up.” Isaac chimed in.
A few mins passed before the radio buzzed on again “guard down here. Get down here!” Dewey spoke with urgency.
By the time everyone was down Isaac had pinned the guard down. He then opened a side compartment on the mask to view the chip in its brain. It struggled under his grip.
Till pulled out his gun pointing it at the guard, Who froze at the sight.
“Can’t i just blow its brains out? Till muttered to Isaac.
“I think they might be in control of themself.” Isaac replied.
The girl beside Till sighed in relief. “If it still has the chip in it can be tracked. Kill it” Till interrupted.
Hearing Tills worries he brings a knife to the chip in the guards brain and cuts it out. Isaac ponders for a moment “seems like the chip was about to fry his brain anyway”.
Isaac calls one of the girls over and tells her to check the guard for injuries. He stands up before stating “grab as much supplies as you can, we have to head out soon they might send us more guards. As for him” he says referring to the guard “if he’s injured we’ll take him back. Till he’ll ride on ur bike”
Till sigh before packing supplies and putting them in the back of the motorcycle. As they were about to leave the girl comes up to Till while holding the guard over her shoulder.
“He is injured and has to ride on your bike” she says calmly.
Till pauses “is he even awake? How will he stay on?”
“He’s barely awake. Should be enough. We don’t have any other way to take him.”
Till sighed before getting on his motorcycle as the girl put the guard behind him.
As the now group of 6 drove off just before noon, Till feels the guard move his masked head onto till’s shoulder. Till tensed.
“Till.” The guard said like he was calling out to him.
He almost let go of the wheel in shock. “How.. how do you know my name?”
The guards voice was oddly familiar but he couldn’t be sure. the voice sounded strained probably because of the guards injuries.
Neither him nor the guard said anything the rest of the ride but Till could feel the guard resting on him. For a second he could have sworn he saw short black hair under that mask.