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EquinoxSol x RangerKay

Opening his eyes once more as he felt himself being set on a table, he gingerly placed a hand upon the wound, blood seeping through the makeshift bandage. Pulling away his hand, it came away deep red, and he shuddered at the sight. "God...where am I?" he asked no one in particular, right before blackness overtook his eyes and he dropped into unconsciousness.
 
"Annabel, child...you have returned!" Mother Crow enveloped her in a hug as two of the young men set Nicko on the table.

Annabel smiled, pushing her away and moving to stand by his head, running fingers in his hair as her mothering instinct took over. "Mother Crow, please help him..."

Mother Crow stepped forward, ripping on the young man's shirt. She chuckled, "You have always had a way with stray animals, child." She poked and prodded at the wound, before grabbing some alcohol off the shelf and pouring it in his wound. "You did well to keep it wrapped..."
 
The alcohol hitting the wound brought him back to consciousness, tearing a scream from his lungs and causing him to arch his back, fresh tears spilling over his cheeks. Breathing heavily, he was suddenly thankful that dust and blood covered his clothing, not sure how companions of Annabel would react to a soldier. Soon, however, he knew that the truth would come out. Wincing as wave after wave of pain hit him, he looked up to see an unfamiliar face, holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Mom...?" he asked, looking up confusedly. Frowning in confusion, he looked down at his bloodied hands and clothes, grimacing at the sight.
 
Mother Crow chuckled and patted his cheek. "Not so, soldier. I am, however, called mom by almost everyone here." She shuffled back over to her shelf, pulling down herbs and bandages. She went back to him, making a poultice out of the herbs. "Annabel, sweet child, how did you come to bring him here...you who hates soldiers more than we." Mother Crow was not fooled by the dust or dirt. She had healed enough converted soldiers to know the difference between one of hers and one of them. The fact that he couldn't recognize her was also a clue.

The two young men acting as guardians growled and shuffled forward. "Stay where you are..." Annabel said, shooting daggers with her eyes as she continued to run fingers through Nicko's hair soothingly. Both young men immediately backed down, trusting this young woman who meant so much to the slums. "Mother Crow, he saved my life. Even though he was at risk...even though he put me there to begin with." She watched as the older woman put the poultice to his wound.

"It was destined, child..." Mother Crow stated simply in response.
 
Niko was silent through the whole thing, thinking of only one thing. The communications band on his left wrist. It had a tracking chip in it...Oh, God...Trying to push himself up into a seated position and finding it more difficult than he had thought, he lied back down, speaking quickly, "The band...it'll lead them straight to here...It's not safe..."
 
Annabel looked down at him in alarm. "Call a runner!" She yelled, tearing the band off his wrist and tossing it at the men by the door. One of them caught it, tucking it underneath their arm and running out the door. She moved back by Nicko's head, pulling up one of Mother Crow's stools and caressing his forehead. "Mother Crow, I don't believe it could be destined...the saints hold no power today."

Mother Crow wrapped Nicko's wound. Then, she walked up to Annabel, slapping her on the cheek. Annabel stared up at her in shock.
 
Niko looked up in shock, his expression mirroring Annabel's. Trying to sit up again, he looks between the two women, not understanding the situation.
 
Annabel put her hand up to her cheek.

Mother Crow reached out and grabbed her face gently. "The saints may not have power on this day, but that does not mean they don't exist." Annabel looked down and away from the woman. The older woman had already read what had been going through her mind. "Humans still have power, and you my dear are destined. I told you that once...I had hoped you still believed."

"I'm sorry Mother Crow..." Annabel jerked her head out of the woman's grasp, turning to look at Nicko. She put a hand on his chest, pushing him down on the table.

Mother Crow nodded, looking at Nicko. "This young man...hmm.....there is something about you boy that I can not place." She poked at his bandaged wound, making sure it was secure.
 
Niko looked up at them, frowning slightly, but wincing when the older woman poked the bandages, the disturbance sending shoots of pain through him. "H-how's that?" he asked her when she commented about him, a questioning look in his eyes. He didn't like that she was referring to him as 'boy' but didn't push it, knowing that at any moment they could just as easily send him onto the streets to take blame for the bombing.

God, he thinks. How many people died? He'd have to get to a television or newspaper soon, if he was to find out. Soon, he knew, it would become blindingly obvious that his and Annabel's bodies weren't in the building, and there would be a manhunt for the both of them.
 
Annabel grinned and ran hands over his forehead soothingly. "Shhhh....Shhh..." She treated him as if he were one of the injured children she helped look after.

Mother Crow frowned, staring at him closely. Then she looked at Annabel. "Child, you will need to leave soon...you know this right?"

Annabel nodded. "Don't worry, mother...I'll take care of him." She said, slipping back into her address of the woman from when she was a child. The older woman nodded, shuffling about her place and gathering items to shove in a bag.

"The slums will function without you, my sweet. You need to worry about you two getting out of town." Mother Crow had recognized the nervous smile that had appeared on Annabel's face.
 
"Wait..." Niko asked, pushing himself up to his elbows. "What is it? Why do you think I look familiar?" He frowns, his eyebrows pressing together in confusion. As a child, he had always lived in the better parts of the city, near the military districts, and was certain that even his father didn't hang around them. However, it had been so long since the two had talked, it was entirely possible that his father had visited the slums, for whatever reason. "Furthermore," he said, looking to Annabel, "where would we even go? The entire Republic will be looking for us soon...The only way out is through the mountains...to the US."
 
Mother Crow chuckled and Annabel stood. "No, she was trying to see your future and essence." She shook her head. "I have a few safe places out of town. We could hole up there until you are healed enough to continue." She grabbed his jaw in her hand. "Calm down. We'll figure this out..."

Mother Crow handed Annabel a backpack. "According to the honor laws, Annabel owes you her life now...she won't let anything happen to you two.." Annabel released his jaw, slinging the backpack over her shoulder. She looked down at the ground, too stubborn to admit that what the older woman said was true.
 
Niko nodded, pushing himself up to a sitting position, grimacing when the movement aggravated his injuries. Reaching up with one hand, he feels and pokes his ribs for a few moments, trying to feel any breaks. He found a couple, but nothing that would puncture an organ anytime soon. Just as long as they didn't have to do any running or heavy lifting. Hopefully, he would be able to get medical attention for those later.

Pushing himself off of the table, he wobbled for a second, trying not to keel over. Reaching up to his breast, he takes off the Velcro patch that showed his last name and rank. Adney, Officer 1, it said. Shoving it into his pocket, he brushed his hair back with a hand, wishing he had a change of clothes and somewhere to wash the blood off of him.
 
Annabel draped his arm over her shoulder, determination and stubbornness setting in. The male guard by the door exited, calling a crowd of people to cover their exit from town. Soon the street was filled with people from the slums.

Mother Crow pat both of them on the cheeks. "You have my blessing." She said cryptically, her eyes glazing over.

"Ready?" Annabel turned her head to him and asked. She nodded at the older woman, taking her words as easily as one who was accustomed to her could. "Just lean on me, we will be okay."
 
"I hope so," Niko answered, grinning lopsidedly. Leaning on her heavily, he walks with her through the crowd, trying not to let his imagination go wild with the thoughts of people from the slums. Each step sent another zing of pain through him, but he pushed onwards, not wanting to get caught in a police raid or something which could hinder their movements.
 
As they walked through the street, a small bubble of protectors formed around them, helping them to get safely out of town. Annabel put her arm around Nicko's back, her hand resting on his good side. She was trying not to stumble between his weight and the one from the backpack. "Almost there...." She muttered as she recognized a secret passage to the outskirts. "Hang on..." She increased the pace slightly, word coming down quickly that the first section of the slums was experiencing a thorough search. The guards around her increased their pace, opening the door to the secret passage and ushering them in.

"Good luck." Each took their turn telling her before they went to assist in delaying the search.
 
Niko was shaking with exhaustion by the time they finally reached the secret passage. "Please," he said, "can we wait for a few moments...?" Though it hadn't been a particularly long walk, his body had been screaming for rest when he had been pulled to consciousness earlier, and now it felt like he was dying. Leaning against a wall, he closes his eyes, trying to build up the strength to keep going.
 
Annabel let go of him, breathing heavily as she allowed him a few moments to rest. "Take the time you need, they won't find us as soon as we hit the tunnel." She pointed at the entrance to a long tunnel right beside her. It tunneled under the main road and exited a few miles outside of town, heading through the woods.
 
He nodded, taking deep breaths. After several minutes, he pushed himself off of the wall, and said, "Okay. I'm ready." Leaning on her again, he braced himself for another bout of walking, wishing they were where they needed to be at that moment.
 
Annabel supported him again, her face flushed from the exertion. She led him through the tunnel, the door closing behind them and small lights popping on along the walls. "Don't worry, I have a safe house in the forest...not too much longer." She pulled him a little closer to her as the tunnel tightened up. She continued to walk, slightly increasing the pace. "We need to get you where I can double-check that injury."
 
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