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An explosion.
In mere seconds, the sky shifted from a soothing shade of blue to a blood-curdling green. A sudden gust of wind struck with such violence that poor birds were swept off course; some were slammed against tree trunks, their lives instantly extinguished. Every living soul scrambled for cover in burrows or wooded areas, trying to avoid being snatched away by the gale.
Except for them.
"Get down!"
Emerging from the underground tunnel, they might have seemed suicidal. Pressed against the ground to weather the fiercest blast, they gazed deep into each other's eyes, pondering a question that weighed heavily on their minds.
Was it even worth it?
Would escape truly bring the freedom they longed for, or merely plunge them into a whirlwind of new troubles?
Yet, even without voicing the answer aloud, they knew it.
Even if they didn't win, the mere fact that they had tried was a victory in itself.
The fact they tried together.
After all, two heads are better than one, and there’s strength in numbers—right?
On this island, nothing awaited them but needless suffering; believing things would get better would have been nothing but naive. It had long since ceased to be home - there was no one left there who felt like family. Friendships and family ties alike had been lost to schemes and betrayals.
"The worst is over... we have to keep running!"
Multi pulled a gas mask from his bag - the last one he had left. Nacho had the other one, and he would wear it for the rest of his short life. "Put it on. I’ve taken my meds, so I don’t need it." He handed it to Quackity, who didn’t protest. Now they had to rely on each other, there was no room for bickering.
"Do you think it’ll work? I mean... this escape..."
The scientist turned and shifted the bag higher onto his shoulder. "You said it yourself, there are other islands. We’ll settle somewhere." He reached out and gently adjusted the boy’s hat. "That was the plan."
"And it still is."
No turning back, no dwelling on the past - eyes fixed only on what lay ahead. It was a perfect idea in theory, but how would it play out in practice? No one knew - not even them. Yet, the avian held Multi’s hand and led him on a run through the wheat field, straight toward a new future.
Their future.
Every now and then, Federation helicopters could be spotted in the sky, heading toward the blast site. It was naive of them to think they could still make a difference. The nuclear bomb dropped by the two fugitives had caused so much devastation that death was the only thing awaiting the island's inhabitants.
Even though they remained in a high-risk zone, the bomb having landed not far from where they had managed to flee, the world around them felt quiet. The wind blew from behind, urging them forward.
Multi paid particular attention to Quackity's wings - already scarred by time, bearing the scars and wounds of all the suffering he had endured on this island. As a scientist and somewhat of a doctor, he knew they needed time to regenerate, and at the thought of him finally being safe and able to do so, he smiled and squeezed the hand that was leading him.
‧₊˚🧪⋅♡:🪽:༘⋆
Quackity had disappeared again.
Multi had already discussed previous incidents with him several times; they even had a plan involving a tracking chip. In fact, he already had a prototype ready.
But none of that mattered, since he hadn't been in time to use it.
What use was it now when the avian was already gone? All that was left was to search for him.
Together with Nacho, he checked all the places Quackity might normally be—his home, his room in the North, Schlatt’s island... There wasn't a trace of him at any of them.
He sent a short message asking where he was, naively hoping for a reply. To his surprise, he actually received a response.
However, it was nothing but gibberish; he tried to make sense of it at first but quickly gave up.
He continued the search, sending messages periodically, though he never received another reply. The turning point came during a conversation with Jeremy, who revealed a crucial fact.
Quackity hadn't just disappeared - he had been kidnapped.
And Multi felt terribly guilty about it.
The search took on a much more serious scale, and the frequency of his messages increased.
Exhausted, he sat down at the entrance to the reactor; looking at Nacho with weary eyes, he told him to go to his room.
“We will find Quackity one way or another. Go rest.”
The child, who would never defy his father, obeyed, leaving him alone within the cold walls of the corridor.
For the last time that day, he pulled out his communication device and typed a message.
‘Needyourblood: I will nuke everyone if you won’t answer.'
‧₊˚🧪⋅♡:🪽:༘⋆
The day was drawing to a close. The Federation’s rescue operations were still underway, though the frequency of helicopters appearing in the sky had dropped significantly. Perhaps they were finally realizing just how futile their efforts were in the face of such a massive crisis. Or perhaps the helicopters were simply suffering mechanical failures over the exploded reactor, plummeting to the ground and taking their passengers down with them.
They had stopped running a while ago, preferring to focus on scanning their surroundings for a temporary place to spend the night. After all, they couldn't just keep walking - they would collapse from exhaustion before they could make their escape.
Multi paused for a moment to pull a flashlight from his bag. Oh, how he regretted not taking it out sooner.
"Kurwa."
"What is it?"
"I didn't pack it." He ran a hand through his face. "I'll find an alternative, we can't sit in the dark. It’s dangerous."
Quackity was about to reply when a sudden gust of wind cut him off; he quickly pressed his gas mask to his face. Toxic fumes from the explosion still lingered in the air, and the wind was carrying them effectively.
"There’s a cave," he said, pointing behind him with his right hand. "We can spend the night there and light a torch. We won't be visible from the sky."
With no other alternative, they had to settle for that kind of shelter. The cave entrance was indeed littered with sticks carried in by the wind - and likely by local animals - but once they ventured deeper, one might even go so far as to say it felt… cozy.
They quickly divided up the tasks: Multi gathered natural tinder, while Quackity arranged a sleeping area using blankets brought from their former homes. Finally, they partially blocked the cave entrance to cut down on the wind and protect themselves against any predators that might be prowling the area.
After fashioning a few makeshift torches for later and lighting a fire, they sat beside it, gazing at the dancing flames.
It was an incredibly soothing moment. They were fugitives now; if discovered, they would likely face trial and pay for their actions with torture or their lives.
Yet, they felt so free that, given the choice again, they would do exactly the same thing - even if it were destined to last only a brief moment.
For the truth was, they didn't know how it would all end. Would they flee to other islands and remain fugitives for the rest of their lives? Or perhaps find their place in the world and settle into a small community they could call family?
In any case, the knowledge that they had tried - even if they failed - was better than idly waiting to see what fate had in store for them on this island.
They didn't speak or look at each other; they simply sat side by side, occasionally brushing shoulders or legs, and sometimes - quite by accident - their fingers would intertwine for a moment before letting go.
When this happened a fifth time and the contact lingered suspiciously long, they finally looked at each other. They said nothing aloud, but their eyes - oh yes, their gazes spoke volumes, revealing things even they themselves hadn't realized.
"I think I… I-" Multi began to mumble quietly...
...But Quackity jumped up abruptly, cutting him off.
"Yeah, time to sleep. We need to be up at dawn." He walked across the blankets, lay down on one, and tapped the other, signaling the scientist to follow suit.
Multi didn't protest; he just made sure the campfire was truly dying down.
Once he had laid down, they both stared up at the cave’s ceiling for a while, lying on their backs.
"Save those confessions for when we’ve definitely made our escape," the avian whispered, turning onto his side toward the other and wrapping his wing around them both. "It’s going to get cold soon. Sleep."
Neither of them spoke again that night, keeping their thoughts and words to themselves.
‧₊˚🧪⋅♡:🪽:༘⋆
"Have you ever thought of escaping? Have you ever thought of just getting out of here?"
They were now in the reactor's operating room when the question suddenly came from Quackity. He was leaning against a nearby desk; he was very tired, but there were things he couldn't leave for later.
"You've got time, you've got the intelligence, you've got the resources..." He pushed himself heavily off the desk using his injured hands, causing a slight grunt to escape his lips. "...You might be the first person to actually make it out."
He took a few steps toward Multi, who was standing so lost in thought that if Quackity hadn't already known him so well, he might have thought he wasn't listening.
"Maximus told me that there are other islands... which means that we are not in an enclosed space, which means... there could be an escape."
Silence fell between them, one still pondering, the other waiting for an answer. The atmosphere was bright and tense, but the conversation was inescapable.
"I don't know... I've never thought about it," Multi finally replied, but no one expected such a hesitant answer from him. "Maybe..."
When silence fell between them again, and the avian was about to go back to persuading him to escape...
"...I'm afraid of one thing. That they will find me...and you, probably..."
Not him, but them.
At that moment, Quackity realized that an idea had indeed been born in Multi's head.
Except that the plan involved both of them escaping, not him alone.
And he was really starting to like this idea of escape.
‧₊˚🧪⋅♡:🪽:༘⋆
Just as planned, by dawn, there was no trace of them left in the cave.
Their journey continued; according to the map, they were very close to the boat that was to carry them across the sea - beyond which they hoped to find other islands.
Of course, they couldn't be certain they weren't walking straight to their deaths. Yet, the many old books and materials they had studied gave them hope that this was the path they had to take.
A few days before the "final day", Multi had gone to the seaside to prepare everything they would need: food, clothing, and - above all - two boats.
So, when he spotted the destination they had been heading toward for two days, he couldn't help but run ahead, calling out for Quackity to hurry up.
"It’s right-!" He stopped abruptly just before stepping onto the dock. "It’s supposed to be right here… Fuck, where is the other one!?"
Everything had definitely been going too smoothly.
"What do you mean 'other one'?"
"There should be another boat! We can't use just one, it'll be too heavy!"
Multi sat down on the ground in resignation and buried his face in his hands. A sudden wave of doubt and despair washed over him; after all, it was obvious they wouldn't be able to escape...
At least, not together.
"You should take that boat and escape," he muttered. Naturally, this met with an immediate reaction from Quackity, who insisted he wouldn't leave alone. "Listen, you will find another island and... come back for me? Okay?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa - we came all this way just for me to go it alone?! No thanks."
"Yeah, exactly. We’ve come all this way, so you have to go. It’s not like there’s a way back."
A silence fell, taking them back to the moment they first discussed escaping while in the reactor. Back then, they hadn't been sure what to do - just as they were now.
Yet, despite everything, they had decided to take the risk.
So perhaps Quackity should take the risk now, too.
"Fine. But promise me you’ll wait here."
It was as if the weather itself were sharing in their heavy emotions; the wind picked up sharply once more. Avian stood looking down at the seated scientist, waiting for a clear answer; even the slightest hesitation in his voice would have made him abandon all hope and desire to escape, leading him to settle right here - even if it meant staying in the cave where they’d spent the night.
"I promise."
So, it was decided. But a sudden change of plans didn't necessarily mean failure... right? At least, that was what they hoped.
Quackity was about to turn toward the dock, but at the last moment, he glanced back at Multi and took off his beanie.
"This is to prove I’m coming back. You can give it back to me then."
"I’ll take good care of it."
They smiled at each other one last time before parting, hoping the separation wouldn't last long.
He could feel the weight of every step he took.
He could feel it quite literally, too, because the dock wasn't in as good a condition as they had thought.
Unmaintained wood deteriorates quickly in these conditions, and under that kind of weight, it wouldn't take much for it to snap.
"Watch out!"
Darkness.
All-encompassing darkness.
A sensation of all senses being dulled, save for hearing.
Beep.
Beep.
Bee-
"Cucurucho, Subject 001 has woken up from the simulation."
"Good."