Free & Flightless (Trench)

Chapter 15-Tyler

Tyler ran as fast as his unfit and noodle-like legs could carry him. This could not be happening, no..he had been safe there, at the Bandito Camp! Josh had been safe! Until Tyler came and screwed it all up..
"Where are you running off to, you pathetic squirt?" A rude and somewhat breathless voice behind him snarled. Tyler attempted to pick up speed, in fear it was a Bishop, but a hot-to-the-touch hand snatched his wrist and yanked him backwards in a jerky movement that would have caused Tyler to fall, if the hands weren't so shockingly strong. Tyler shakingly met the eyes of the figure. It was Brendon from earlier. He had anger in fear shining in his eyes, and it unsettled Tyler in every way. What kind of look was that?
"D-don't call me squirt!" Tyler protested shakily. The stammer only made him appear more squirt-like, and Brendon scoffed, a hot grasp still on Tyler's arm. Tyler gave up on attempting to yank himself away: after all, Brendon was a Bandito. He would never purposefully hurt Tyler.
"Where's Josh?" Tyler asked Brendon. Brendon appeared to stiff instantly at the sound of Josh's name. Tyler perked up, concern now coursing through his anxious veins.
"He is busy. He told me you should stay here. The Bishops are taken care of." Brendon spoke rather hurriedly, and his eyes were darting quite a bit. Tyler was uncertain, but he felt a tug at his brain telling him that Brendon was lying to him. And Tyler did not like liars.
"But he told me to run. And I trust Josh." Tyler said rather daringly. Brendon's look shot daggers at Tyler, and Tyler stiffened once again in Brendon's unwavering grasp, which only seemed to tighten in time. Tyler could feel his arm going numb.
"Let go, I am not going anywhere." Tyler growled his teeth, practically snarling at Brendon, who rushed to drop Tyler's wrist like he was a disease. Tyler felt like one: unwanted. Brendon and Tyler stood in momentary silence. Tyler was waiting for Brendon to do somethng, since he was clearly formulating some sort of plan in his mind. Tyler was beginning to wonder what kind of plan when a look of a wish of death fell over Brendon's eyes like a mask.
And then a voice broke through the large Bandito camp and even larger Trench. From farther off, in a distant and wonderous way. A warmful voice.
"TYLER!" It was Josh. He sounded scared. Furious. A collage of green-orange-purple. Tyler never liked those colors together. And now that he had enough energy gathered up, he decided to instinctively sprint. He ran, and ran, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the source of the voice.
He arrived, and saw Josh standing alone. His hair was flopped over his mocha eyes from his head being tilted to the side. The tanness of his skin reflected well from the gloominess of the Trench weather. Tyler stared in momentary wonder of the odd beauty of the scene. So, naturally, Tyler ran up to Josh, planning to teasingly collide with him as if they had known each other for years.
Instead, he walked right through him. Tyler whipped around, furious and utterly confused. Was he going insane? Josh had been standing right there, in all his Joshua Dun glory, and he was just nothing but mist...
"I've always loved playing games with you, Classified," Nico's voice rang all around Tyler and he couldn't help but cover up his ears. No, no, no...
"What did you do to Josh?" Tyler asked, terrified but masking it with a false sort of bravery that Nico would almost certainly see through. Nico appeared behind Tyler and trailed an ice cold hand over the side of Tyler's neck, right at the pulse.
"Answer me!" Tyler shouted, shoving the red-cloaked man he once called a father figure away. Oh, the mistakes, the mistakes, dammit!
"He is being treated for his...affliction." Nico said calmly. Choosing his words carefully, as if he knew that words with Tyler was always a rocky path, which it was. Tyler liked colors and art. Words were good, but hard. Easily offensive. Art was artistic and unique and wonderful, and colors were unjudgable. Words were everything good and bad at once. Nico knew Tyler's thoughts of this.
"You--you....NO!" Tyler suddenly roared. His words bouncing off of the Trench mountain walls. Treating the "affliction" was never good. No, no, no. Tyler had to go through it. The marks still trailed across his back and legs and chest. Bruises were still faintly there, and so was the shock. It couldn't happen to Josh. No..
"Yes. You must believe in the good of Dema, otherwise there is clearly something wrong in your mind. Like you once before, Classified. And once again...well, it would appear treatment must become more vigorous. We will have to test that theory on Joshua first, it would appear." Nico said thoughtfully. Tyler stiffened.
"Me." he said.
"Not him." his voice was a mere whisper now. Hot hands grabbed him and restrained him. The world became muted to Tyler, as if he was numb. Josh was in mortal danger, and now Tyler was too. Everything was falling, falling, falling. Brendon was tugging Tyler along for a while at a fast pace, yanking Tyler coldly along. So Brendon was bad after all...not too surprising, Tyler thought.
"Tyler." Brendon whisper-hissed into Tyler's ear when they were out of the Bishops' earshot. Tyler perked up a bit at the mention of the name Josh had, in a way, given him. His heart yearned for his only friend. Tyler let out a hmm sound in response.
"Josh is in danger. I...Josh had saved me from a dark hole of d-drugs I was falling into.." Brendon began. Tyler's glare towards Brendon softened a bit into sympathetic eyes as he looked at Brendon and he continued his small story.
"he got me out of the hole. And look how I have responded....I am a shit person. But...you can save him. Nico is going to teleport or something to Dema with you, and you can find Josh in Room 3A. They will put you in 3B. If you slip out, you can save Josh. Tell him I am sorry," Brendon almost seemed to choke up at the end, and Tyler stared at him.
"Brendon, teleporting time." a Bishop called. Brendon looked directly into Tyler's eyes. Said two simple words.
"Stay alive."
As a Bishop shoved Tyler into the red portal, his mind connected dots.
They were in the endgame now.

**sorry for any grammar errors this was typed in my laptop soooo..**

a/n- three things.

first, i have been looping three songs lately. Leave the City (top of course), Heaven (Troye Sivan), and Love it if We Made It (the 1975). I recommend.

second, I am sorry this took so long to update. I hope it was worth the wait..I have been very insecure with my work lately and school has been insane. agh.

third, you may have noticed I unpublished two stories. Numbered (phan) and b l u r r f a c e. they will most likely be put up again in time, i just feel like there were too many stories on here from me? I'm just full of ideas and writing saves me...thoughts please :). i have many ideas!

thank you for everything.