Chapter Text
The young boy looked up wide eyed as a finger was brought to his lips, its owner making a shushing sound. The boy nodded at the man, placing both of his pudgy hands over his scarred lips and crooked nose. The two of them squeezed further behind the large computer they were hiding behind. He could feel the older man clench him closer to his armored chest. The chainmail was pressing coolly into the thin material of his oversized ripped sweater and as the man pressed his hand further into his chest to pull him closer; the boy wondered if he could feel how hard his heart was hammering in his chest. The boy could definitely feel the other’s racing heart.
“Is it over,” the boy whispered between his fingers.
The man shook his head and put a finger to his mouth this time, “Be quiet, kid.” The boy nodded and squeezed his hands tighter around his mouth.
The two waited behind the supercomputer, both listening for sound in the silence. The boy finally sagged against the chest behind him. It was dead quiet... then there were footsteps.
The boy sucked in a frightened gasp, but was cut short as the man behind him placed a thick hand over the boy’s own and dragged him further into the shadows. They both were tense as the steps grew closer, an unnatural blue light weeping quickly pass their faces from the other side of the computer. The boy whimpered from behind the hand as the light washed over them again and a tear fell as more of them wet his cheeks and the top of the man’s fingers.
The light quickly snapped away from them and the man pulled the boy closer to him so that the boy’s ear was near his lips. “It’s going to be ok,” the man whispered, almost breathed into his ear, “I’ll get you out of here. I promise.”
The boy nodded as his whimpering slowed, believing the man’s every word. He went to lean into the cold chainmail once more, to show the man that he trusted him, but as he leaned he found himself landing on the floor instead as the man behind him was snatched from behind the computer by his collar.
“NO,” the boy screamed, his hope shattering in front of him.