Chapter Text
Meet me in the courtyard underneath the full moon.
The words repeated over and over in Tyler's head. It didn't help that he had read the small piece of paper probably a million times by now. The paper had come wrapped around a yellow flower. A flower so bright and colorful that stood out against the dull, lifeless cement room he was stuck in. He had no doubts who the letter had come from considering this was only the second time he had seen that color in his life, but it didn't make him feel any less nervous about it.
Of course, he had heard stories of the Banditos before this point, but nothing could've prepared him for actually seeing them. Or for the handwritten note with the flower asking him to meet with them. They must've known that he was the one writing all of these letters. He'd never heard of anyone else receiving an invitation like this.
Was he going to escape? Would he follow them outside of Dema if they asked? He had a gut feeling to pack a bag just in case, though he honestly wasn't sure if he was brave enough to leave again yet. He also didn't even know much about the Banditos other than what the Bishops had said about them. Of course he knew better than to trust what they said but it still didn't help with the uncertainty. Were the Banditos wanting to help him or were they just as bad as the other side?
After grabbing a bag from underneath his bed, he stuffed some clothes into it and made sure to pack some warmer clothes too. He also made sure to pack his journal and pen, wrapping them up in some of the clothes so it'd be harder to find if anyone else came across his bag. He wanted it to look like it was a bag full of clothes, nothing else.
He looked around the room one last time, making sure he wasn't leaving anything essential behind before throwing on a jacket and stuffing the flower with the note into his pocket.
As he headed down the stairs of the structure he lived in, the nerves started to build back up again. Luckily, he knew the courtyard wasn't too far of a walk so if it came down to it, he could run back to his home, but the potential comfort of safety still didn't help how fast his heart was beating. Could he even call the building he came from home? Was he really just property of the Bishops and the city? He could see through their act now, but deep down he knew he wasn't any more free than anyone else who lived here was. He was a coward who had only escaped once and was too scared to take things any further.
Thankfully his thoughts were quickly interrupted when he turned the corner and faced a small group of people covered in tape and what he assumed was their leader holding a torch. Oh god, was this a mistake? Should he have stayed home? Then again, was this even actually happening or was it all in his head? His dreams had been weird ever since he escaped, something that he was almost certain was the Bishop's doing, and he wondered if this too was going to eventually morph into a nightmare.
"Clancy?" Tyler heard a voice ask. Hearing his pseudonym out loud almost made him freeze in his tracks or want to completely panic and run but he kept a straight face. He couldn't lose his composure. Not right now.
Could he reply to that question? Would he be stupid to trust them? What could the Banditos offer him that the Bishops didn't? He knew outside of the walls he could feel free, but was there food? Would he have guaranteed meals? Would he be safe from the outside elements like he was in the city? Would he, despite it being lifeless here, have his own space? What if this was a trick made up by the Bishops to see where his loyalty was? He had already gotten punished from his first escape, who knows what they would do if he got caught again this time around. Nico watched as they tossed the petals onto him before. Could they morph into something like this as a trap?
He must've taken too long to answer because the man pulled down the bandana covering his face in an attempt to make a truce out of their vulnerability. Tyler took in his features, continuing to stay silent as he admired the boy in front of him. He seemed too real to be a trap. He was warm. He was welcoming. He was something that Nico could never be, despite what the city said in their praises of him. Something about the color of tape he had never seen up until his escape made him feel like he could trust these people.
"My name's Tyler," he responded eventually, breaking his gaze to make sure there was nobody else around them. He knew that the city shut down completely at night, but the torches and bright yellow tape weren't exactly subtle. All it would take was for one firm believer to wake up, notice something out of the ordinary, and inform a Bishop of what was happening. "What do you know about Clancy?"
The man holding the torch lowered his hood as he took a couple steps closer to him. Tyler immediately took note of the tape that was crossed against his chest. It seemed oddly familiar. Was he one of the Banditos that had tossed petals onto him? The almost out of body experience had become a blur at this point. It was like he watched himself from afar but had no sort of control over his body once the Bishop had come up to him. Did he help break him out of that trance? Was he trying to help him escape further into Trench? If he was and he truly knew about Clancy, Tyler didn't think he could lie his way out of this, whether it was a trap or not.
"I know that you-," he paused to correct himself. "That Clancy knows more than most of the residents of Dema. He knows that the Bishops have malicious intentions. He knows that the compass lies and that worshipping Vialism is a death wish. I know that he wonders what's outside of the walls and has hope that it could be better than the fate that awaits him here," he continued, stopping yet again to prepare himself to potentially scare Tyler off. He knew he had to choose his next words carefully. "I know that he escaped and that I saw him get dragged back here."
"It was you," Tyler replied, no longer trying to hide who he actually was. Whether or not that was a mistake, he was unsure but he was certain now that the boy in front of him also believed in what he wrote in his letters. He was almost positive most of it was common knowledge to anyone who had been outside the walls for a longer period of time, but he knew that most people in his position would never question the Bishop's intentions. It was a strange feeling having someone actually believe what you believed. "You threw the petals. You saw me get dragged back here. You read my letters and saw how uncertain I was about Trench. Why did you come back for me? Why did you think I would want you to come here? Who are you?"
"My name's Josh," the boy with the torch answered, finally dropping his serious demeanor a bit by smiling at Tyler. "And I believe you have a gift. All of us think so. Your writings could inspire others inside of here and could help us turn this around. If we get others to see what you see, the city will die out and the Bishops will lose their strength. Vialism requires Vessels, and if they don't have any more Vessels then.."
"You don't know Dema like I do. Even if I did send my writing to others, they wouldn't believe me and I-... well... I could be killed for it," Tyler cut the stranger off. He needed to bring rationality to the situation, even if it was harsh. "These people have never even thought about what's outside the walls. They've never questioned a single word the Bishops have said. You don't think I've already tried talking to people about this? I have tried to tell my friends. I've tried getting them to question even the tiniest things here and do you want to know what happens? Somebody tells a Bishop and I get punished. You can't trust some of these people. They're content here and if you're asking me to risk my life for your cause, then the answer is no."
Josh froze for a moment, trying to think about his next approach. Clearly going in strong wasn't going to help him, but he knew he needed to get the boy to leave with him. The Bishops weren't stupid. If the Banditos were able to find his letters, then he was certain the Bishops could come across them too. It was only a matter of time before they connected the dots and the Banditos would lose their chance of having "Clancy" on their side.
"I used to be in here too," Josh finally spoke. "Have the scars and everything to prove it. I escaped, got dragged back a couple times, and escaped some more but now I've been out for a couple years. I do know what it's like in Dema because I also lived through it. I know you're scared, Tyler. I was too, but I promise we will protect you. You wouldn't be going through this alone like you are right now."
Tyler's collectedness started to break as he listened and he couldn't stop his eyes from welling up with tears as the stress of the situation got to him. Having both sides telling you things about the other wasn't easy to deal with, especially when manipulation came into play. He wondered if his life would be easier if he had just continued on with his routine and didn't start to question things. What if he never had started writing? He wouldn't have to make decisions that would alter his life or worry about one wrong step causing his demise.
Josh expression fell into one of sympathy as he saw the other lose his composure, handing off his torch to one of the others who had come with him and wrapped the boy in front of him up in a hug. Tyler couldn't help but be reminded of all the times Keons did the same. It had always been a manipulation tactic, but he couldn't help but crave the comfort that the others warmth brought. Hesitantly, he hugged back, and Josh took it as a sign to start rubbing his back gently in an attempt to comfort him.
"I know this isn't easy. I know it's hard to leave all you've ever known, but I can promise you that you'll be safe with us," Josh started, moving his head to rest his chin against one of Tyler's shoulders. "We don't have to make moves right away. Right now we just want to make sure you're safe and that the Bishops don't find the letters and trace them back to you. All of the Banditos know about your letters. You're basically a legend back at camp. I promise you're going to be so well protected against anyone who tries to hurt you."
"Plus, you have a bag packed," Josh noted with a soft laugh. "I think your subconscious knows that you want out of here."
Tyler let the words sink in as he melted into the hug. He had always had a soft spot for affection. Eventually though, he pulled back just enough to move his head to make eye contact with the other. "How do I know I can trust you? How do I know that you're not going to hurt me?"
Josh moved his hands up to Tyler's checks, using his thumbs to gently wipe away his tears. At first Tyler flinched away from the action but when nothing bad came out of it, he closed his eyes and relaxed into the touch. "I know. I know it's hard but you just have to try. I promise I'll show you that you can trust me, and I would never hurt you. I'll make sure to show you that, and if you don't like life outside of the city, you don't have to stay. I'm just begging you to at least try."
He didn't know the stranger, but he wanted to trust. There were so many questions that he desperately wanted answers to, and he was almost certain the other could help him.
Josh was warm. Josh was welcoming. Josh shone as brightly as the color of tape that the people in front of him were decorated with.
"Okay, I'll go with you."