The Boy from the Bunker

Episode Seven, Part 3:

Episode Seven, Part 3:
T h e G r e a t E s c a p e

Ares reached the door Lyra had told him about, but his hand slipped on the handle, afraid to open it. The trust he had built for her over the last 17 years had gone, and whatever was behind the door wouldn't change it, even if it was his mum, or a way out.

As he let out a deep breath, Ares entered inside, refusing to let the others in until he was certain of what was in front of him. And when he saw, the weight in his stance dropped, and his knees almost gave in at the sight. Elara entered when she noticed that her brother had froze, and she pushed past him when she realised, and ran into the arms of her mother.

Martha lifted Elara off the ground, and they spun around a few times as laughter bellowed out of them. Her attention turned to Ares who stood there with eyes watering, finally feeling a relief from the courage that had been suffocating him ever since they were separated.

Martha embraced her son, and he leaned down, the emotion spilling from him as he rested his head on her shoulder. The gun dropped from his hand, and Fabian let go of Lyra. Spotted by the older women, Fabian was called over, pulled also into her embrace. Such a motherly touch - something he would never feel from his own parents again, completely unaware that his dad hadn't made it.

When Ares had steadied himself a little more, he turned to his mum, a relief that things were finally going to make sense again. That some things could go back to how they were before all this happened.

"We have to go. We can't be here long, it's not safe for us."

As Ares went to leave, Martha caught on his arm, pulling him backwards. There was something distant about the way she looked at her son, something in her that Ares didn't recognize. "What are you talking about? We're staying here - at Blood Riders. There's no other choice." She dismissed his words comically, unable to detect the seriousness of the situation. 

Ares fell away from Martha, stepping backwards from her, a look of betrayal clouding his eyes. "What are you talking about, mum? I came - we came - to get you, so we could leave. You have to come with us." Emotion wavered his voice, but he still managed to speak - hoping that Martha would understand the weight of his words. 

"Ares," she began, stepping forward. When she saw that her son only retreated further back, she sighed and reached for Lyra's hand, beckoning her to stand beside her. Ares looked over to Elara, a defeated look on her face as she watched Lyra take her place in front of her mother. 

"I won't let you leave... Why didn't you listen to Lyra when she explained the conditions of you staying here?" 

He tried to ignore Lyra - pretend she wasn't even there, but she stared at him coldly, a part of her rejoicing in his failure. "Mum, she doesn't know what she's talking about." He sighed out of frustration, tugging at the roots of his hair. "Look, Wynnlow, Quill, the others - they're waiting for us at Basilisk - the people who entered out Bunker - and we need to get back to them." 

"Wynnlow's dead, Ares." A sob emerged from Elara, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as Fabian steadied her behind them. Ares was more focused on the way his mother spoke, rather than what she said. He knew Wynn wasn't dead, but what concerned him was how nonchalantly Martha had delivered the words - as if she wasn't changed by the presumed loss of her son. It was the same way Lyra had acted at the mention of her sister.