𝚁𝚞𝚗𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢'𝚜 | 𝚂𝚘𝚕𝚋𝚢

| 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚞𝚗𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢'𝚜 |

As Colby and Brennen made their way through the forest, the sound of their feet crunching against the gravel path was accompanied by a chorus of low rumbles and mysterious noises emanating from the depths of the woods. Colby was keenly aware of his surroundings, never taking his eyes off Brennen or the foreboding forest for even a moment. He knew that he was in a precarious situation and did not want to take any unnecessary risks. In contrast, Brennen seemed completely unfazed by the eerie atmosphere, as if this were a routine occurrence for him.

After hours of walking, they found themselves on the brink of the forest. Colby's feet throbbed with each step, and the moon's dim light cast an eerie shadow on everything around them. A sense of foreboding crept up on Colby, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something sinister lurked behind him. He kept turning around, scanning the area for any signs of danger, unable to trust his safety.

Brennen noticed his distressed demeanor, seeing the endless amount of fear plastered on his face. "Kid, nothing's going to hurt you. Trust me for once." He promised, keeping his distance from the nervous brunette, not facing him but giving comforting words. Colby sighed, glancing at Brennen nervously before nodding.

He hesitated to reply, afraid of appearing weak. Memories flooded back of a time when he had acted in cowardice, leading to vulnerability and ultimately, unbearable pain. The scars of those experiences threatened to overwhelm him, but he refused to break down in this moment. Brennen's gaze was fixed on him, however, and he sensed that the young man saw past his facade, recognizing him as someone more than just a mere adult.

The dried blood on his head explained a lot.

Suddenly, Brennen's proud voice shouted happily, "We're here!" His excitement was obvious, a huge but goofy grin on his face when he looked at the dumb-founded brunette. Colby's brows furrowed, seeing nothing but trees and bushes around them. What was he talking about?

"I don't see anything..." Colby muttered, sending Brennen an annoyed look. Was Brennen joking with him? A low chuckle erupted from Brennen, his hand reaching to grab Colby's wrist. Colby winced, the burning pain becoming more prominent. Brennen led him past the bushes, Colby's blue orbs widening instantly.

Dark concrete bricks surrounded him, and a heavy metal door lurked in front of him. Gulping, Colby looked over to Brennen, sending mixed emotions as this place was overly intimidating. Brennen smirked, his hand grasping the rusty knob, twisting it which resulted in a small bell going off.  Suddenly, a loud, booming voice demanded a code.

"Code." The voice was deep, a small bit of rasp beneath it. Colby felt his heart sink, not knowing the code. 

Brennen smiled, appreciating the fact everyone was keeping their base safe. "Runaway," Brennen responded confidently, Colby's eyes widening. What was he getting himself into this time? Out of nowhere, a dark mist came out from beneath the door, the smell of alcohol and blood running throughout the dark building. Colby gulped as the door opened, his heart thumping aggressively against his chest as his palms sweat. Brennen glanced over at Colby, looking down at the brunette with a smirk. "What are you waiting for?"

Colby shook his head, looking at Brennen with hesitance and zero trust in his eyes. Brennen's smirk slowly faded into a dull smile, a sad one almost. "Seriously? Still don't trust me? Look, I have no intention of hurting you, kid." Brennen promised, seeming to be sincere. Colby sighed, nodding slowly.

"...Fine, I trust you," Colby muttered, looking back into the dark building. Brennen smiled brightly, taking Colby's wrist gently and guiding him into the base. Darkness invaded his vision, no light to be seen as the door slammed behind him. Colby's body jolted, a small squeak coming from his lip as his heart seemed to skip a beat. 

"Watch where you step, it's dark in here," Brennen stated, almost as if Colby didn't know that.

"Thanks for the information, Sherlock." Colby spat, rolling his eyes as if he wasn't aware of the darkness surrounding them. 

"Watch your mouth," Brennen growled, his piercing green eyes not being seen while he looked at Colby, the dark covering his features. "I literally have you in my base, I wouldn't be so cocky," Brennen said, leading Colby slowly. A groan escaped Brennen's plump lips, his eyes trying to adjust to the dark but no use. "Jake, Corey, Kat, Devyn, Elton, Sam, Anyone?! Can someone turn the fucking light on, I can't see shit!" Brennen called out, grumbling. Colby chuckled gently, finding his anger quite comedic. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," 

Suddenly, lights slowly flickered on, Colby's eyes squinting. A small gasp escaped Colby's lips, his eyes widening at the beautifully laid interior. There were posters of rock bands on the walls, sweaters with 'Runaways' plastered on the back, black couches, a large map and whiteboard, and much more. Brennen glanced down at Colby with a smirk, watching him stare at the hideout in awe. Colby stepped forward, more items revealing themselves as there were weapons scattered along the walls.

"Why do you have-"

Harshly, Colby was slammed against the wall, being pinned once again. A small whine came out of his mouth, pain shooting through his back. Colby's eyes were shut, opening slowly as his vision was blurry. A man with white hair, black fading at the tips, and dark brown eyes held him against the wall, a scowl on his lips. "Who are you?" He growled, an intimidating look on his face as he didn't seem pleased. Colby gulped, looking over at Brennen with wide eyes.

"Jake. Let him go." Brennen demanded as Colby learned this guy's name. With a huff, Colby's wrists were let go once again, having been in this situation before. Colby rubbed his wrists, his eyes glazing over the fingernail indents. "Sorry you had to meet him that way," Brennen spoke, glaring at Jake while Jake rubbed his neck nervously with a worried grin. "He's very protective of this base because of past experiences," Brennen stated, Colby's blue eyes looking at Brennen as he nodded.

"Sorry bout' that, not really used to newcomers." Jake apologized with a small smile.

"Hey, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Colby reassured him, understanding his harsh reactions. 

Their conversation continued from there slowly, questions entering Colby's mind at random. "So, what is this place?" Colby asked, not yet aware of what he was getting himself into. Jake grinned, ecstatic to tell everything. Colby was guided to one of the black leather couches, sitting down on it while the others sat on one as well. 

"Well, this is our base," Brennen stated, beating Jake to it before he said anything. Jake rolled his eyes with a grin on his face, wanting to get into detail. 

"Your what now?" Colby asked dumbfounded, confused as he didn't understand the meaning of the base. Jake chuckled at Colby's reaction, finding his curiosity pleasing.

"It's our base, you know, the things you see in movies? Yeah, well, they exist." Jake stated before continuing with excitement racing through his veins, so far liking Colby. "We're in a gang called the Runaways, which is why we have a base," Jake said, Colby's mind racing as his eyes widened.

"W-What? Hold on- You're in a gang?!" Colby shrieked with terror zipping through his emotions. "Are you setting me up? Are you going to kill me?!" Colby asked, basically demanding an answer as he wished to keep his life and not get killed by some gang. Brennen burst into laughter like a maniac, almost as if he was planning on killing him. Wiping a few tears from laughing, Brennen shook his head, a large smile plastered on his face.

"No, no, we're not going to kill you!" Brennen wheezed, still trying to contain his laughter. Colby stared at him blankly, not finding his outburst amusing. "We..." Brennen and Jake shared eye contact for a moment before turning to Colby.

"We want you to join."