The run to the Alcove was going smoothly… Until it wasn't.
With what was left of the scouters being spearheaded by Aaroon, who was taking the lead, leading everyone to the Alcove, with the three overseers present following them, followed then by every other Meadowers behind them, all with some kind of weapon to defend themselves, supply bags with food and water incase something happened to ruin the scheduling of their plan of escape, Austin decided to make up the rear and keep eyes on both Scarleteye and Terrora, Austin couldn't help but to hope things go smoothly for once.
In hindsight, he should have known nothing in this godforsaken place would ever come so easily.
"Have you ever killed someone? Directly, I mean," Austin abruptly asked Scarleteye as they jogged to their destination. He wanted to pass time and calm his nerves and the fact that he wanted to learn a little bit more about the girl who was supposed to be his sister seemed to surprise the girl, despite it only being natural to want to ask her questions about her life, even despite how much of it she really remembers. "I mean, you don't have to answer𑁋 It's just a question," Austin said quickly, hands up defensively, after the death glare her hazel grey eyes gave him made him backtrack and think if the question was appropriate or not to ask aloud.
She seemed genuinely surprised by Austin's sudden question, though; he could see the surprise in her eyes, hidden by her murderous stare. That, and was obviously kinda annoyed at Austin for asking about it in the first place. But she did answer with "I have, a few times."
It was a plain and simple answer - one Austin hadn't expected. Sure, he knew she had blood on her hands. Anyone with eyes and instincts could figure that out. And, honestly, Austin just assumed Scarleteye have killed more than just a few times, but, considering that she had no reason to lie to him and that Austin didn't sense a lie coming from her lips, he was compelled to believe her on this.
Maybe it was the vibe he'd gotten off her that first night he spent in the Labyrinth, days ago, when he had been trying to save his friends. Or maybe it was the fact that she had aligned herself with cannibalistic people far too primal and vicious to be entirely human and the set of homicidal sibling youths who led said cannibals in an attack against Austin's friends. And though she did answer his question, it did not escape his notice at how vague and subject-specific her answer was 𑁋 'I have, a few times.' No specifics, whatsoever.
Though Austin kinda got it. He doubted they were the most pleasant of memories to have. Even if you're good at it, he doubts killing someone wouldn't leave you wanting to forget.
And, of course, he didn't have the time to ask for a less specific answer as a sudden chaos erupted amongst the ranks of his fellow Meadowers 𑁋 A scream erupted from somewhere ahead of him, and, before anyone could react, an invisible force began yanking - no, abducting - at their group of adolescents
Austin knew even before he jogged forward that an Annihilator was at fault there - to be precise, 2 Annihilators, actually - but they had managed to surprise the group of Meadowers with their ambush by sliding down the walls on either side of them, where they seemed to have been waiting to ambush them. By the time they managed to kill their ambushers, they had lost the lives of two more Meadowers.
In the chaos, it took a few minutes to calm everyone down. Even some of the scouts were shaken from this encounter, and, though they hid it well, Austin could see right through them. He, too, was weary of moving forward, considering what had just happened.
To plan and carry out an ambush? Although no one said it, they were all thinking it. These monsters were getting smarter…
"Okay, everyone, listen up!" Reya yelled as the dread of what just happened helped silence everyone. When she got everyone's attention, she continued. "The Alcove is beyond this subsector passage corridor to the right. Those two Annihilators were only scouts or stragglers or something. I feel like they were sent to test us, see who they can take out before we reach the main group. I think it's safe to say, we'll need to fight our way into, and, possibly, beyond the Alcove, to escape this place. Just be ready."
As the group's morale went from sour to super sour, Aaroon stepped forward. "We'll succeed. We've gotta and so we will. For those we ain't got with us up until now - for all that we have lost - how about we don't let their lives be lost for nothin'. We owe to them to succeed today, to escape this place. I won't tolerate failure — neither with their ghosts. So let's blow this popsicle stand and finally get our asses outta here!"
"We have to stay close 𑁋 we have to stay together 𑁋 to survive," Reya spoke again. "So long as we watch each other's backs, we should be fine, no matter how many enemies we face. In war it only takes 1 strong group to breach the enemy fortress. It's time we be that group. Our target is the Alcove, and whatever lays beyond it. Are you with me?!"
As the crowd cheered and the moral air around him hyped up excitedly, Austin heard Reya's voice inside his head after stealing a glance to the girl: 'Are you ready?' He couldn't have been sure if it was the girl's actual voice or just the projection of his damaged psyche, but he chose to answer it anyway with a nod.
'I'm as ready as I'll ever be,' he thought back, as he stepped forward with Scarlet and Terrora following, and Aaroon said "This was your find, newbie; it's your mission to take the lead in. Take Cleo and Terrora in there, get to the console, and enter the code in the computer. We'll buy you whatever time you need."
"Bring us home, Newbie," Austin heard Zackery comment, and turned to the boy with a nod, acknowledging his statement of encouragement.
"What about Scarleteye?" Austin said to Reya, eyeing the girl in question.
"I'll keep my eyes on her while you and those two go in there," Reya spoke, glaring at Scarleteye, who seemed immensely unfazed by the death stare the dark haired girl was giving her. "Besides, I feel much safer if you only had to deal with one of the Bane Brothers."
Austin didn't comment on that last statement. He knew Scarleteye never really saw herself as a Bane Brother — an observation he picked up as of late. But whatever Reya had against the girl was slightly hindering her reason when it came to the girl in question. Not wanting to get into whatever was going on between these two at the moment, he just nodded.
"The access code to the console should be the sequence order of the Labyrinth's sectors and subsectors, so remember what you've learned from trainin', Austin," Aaroon said to Austin, who didn't comment on how the 'training' only lasted barely half a day, but was tempted to.
"Yeah, I do," Austin answered instead, and, with a final exchange of a nod, Austin, Reya, and Aaroon turned back to their friend. "It's time to take back our freedom! Attack!"
And, when they took the first step into the Alcove, they were presented with sight of at least two dozen Scavengers and half as many Annihilators waiting for them. But they didn't even pause in the slightest𑁋 Instead, they charged forward, and, together, they fought the battle for their freedom.