Taking Route East, Not Calling "Home" • Twenty One Pilots

TRENCH: 1.6: chapter sixteen

a/n: The great escape part two! I went to a big city today, it was very fun and it didn't remind me of Dema. Dema is a totally different story... Trench's one in fact.

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Josh ran out first, Tyler following him with the rest of the banditos. Vultures started flying and trying to swoop in on them. Trying to take them. Tyler looked up at them, Josh tugging him along a sudden cliffside into a cavern without looking behind. Tyler witnessed Paige being turned over on her stomach, her eyes pierced open staring lifelessly as they passed, the only thing that kept Tyler's legs going was Josh, who was pulling him along the middle part between the cliffs and the walls of the city, somehow untouched by the vultures that were trying to take the banditos who were dancing in the cavern. They were distracting the birds, five of them. The rest, running to secrecy.

"Tyler! Come on!" Josh yelled, looking back to Tyler with urgency to run.

Tyler looked from his dead friend, to Josh, who was pulling him. Tyler huffed, suddenly becoming side by side with him rather then behind. They ran to the right, flying their own way out of the cavern, Josh dropping into a ditch beside a cliff, an overhang of ground above them, shielding them from the sky. The two were breathless, hearing vultures above them, footsteps stopping and becoming airborne. The boys saw feet dangling as vultures flew away with the body. Josh almost screamed out for the bandito, but didn't, looking to Tyler with tears in his eyes.

Tyler opened his arms, wrapping them around Josh's strong frame. It was a role reversal that was necessary in the moment. They made it to safety, but witnessing the death of a bandito who died for the sake of Josh and Tyler's safety.

"It's okay. We're okay." Tyler whispered. Josh nodded, his hood up and down against Tyler's chest.

Tyler rubbed Josh's back, holding him tight with his knees lightly propped up and Josh's to his chest. The two's breathing had gone to a staggering high, but calmed as the minutes fled by. Accepting that the vultures couldn't fly this low to them, they were safe. Tyler subconsciously started counting down three hours to midnight. Ready to flee to the camp. The celebrations of Dema would be happening and they would be safe at the camp with other banditos.

"T-th-three. Th-" "I know, I'm counting." Tyler stated. Josh looked up to his friend.

"We made it." Josh said. Tyler shook his head.

"Not yet. We're almost there. But not yet." Tyler said, Josh nodded. Their breaths calmed, total silence occurred for a few moments. Just before a pair of wings flew into the ditch.

Vultures. Three of them.

Josh stood up, Tyler searching and finding his hand as he lead Josh out of the ditch, starting to run. Josh was catching up to Tyler, neither looking at the vultures, Tyler wanting to.

"Don't look!" Josh yelled, Tyler looked. A swarm of twelve vultures from the outer wall following them. He turned back, running faster than before.

Josh running with him. Josh was running straight to what would be the camp, far in the distance. Tyler followed, the two of them running for their lives to Trench, where Clifford was waiting, perched on Jenna's arm ready to fight with The banditos' torches to burn the birds if they came forward. Josh faked a right, tricking the vultures to all go that way, while they headed straight to the now visible campgrounds.

Tyler and Josh were at the base of the plateau. They were climbing it hoarsely, vultures far behind them, searching the cliffs for them in the split between lands. Banditos had their hands held out for them, pushing their torches into other people's second hands. Josh grabbed onto someone's hand, falling into their body. Tyler grabbed onto a heavily tattooed hand, looking up and falling into the short man, who he noticed was Frank.