Metanoia

City: Chapter 12

"Hello. Can you recommend the most profitable job out there?" The raven haired boy smiled kindly at a girl and her little sister, about the age of three. "I've decided to take some ideas because I'm really stumped."
    As Renjun had planned, Jeno was tasked to go around the floors he was assigned to try and find out some sort of information regarding where they were. He, ironically being pretty used to shops and such, had been nervously roaming around the large array of shops- not knowing who to ask. At this moment in time, the athlete had gotten only weird looks or plain ignorance as he helplessly was turned down in his attempts for aid. There was a thought in the back of his mind that told him to probably bail on this floor before getting escorted out of there by security. However he couldn't help but ask at least one more person just in case.
The teen and her sister exchanged a glance, probably a bit suspicious of his behaviour.
Fiddling with his hands a bit, he felt the repeating nerves rise and goosebumps come about on his skin. Perhaps this encounter would be better than the last few. He was inwardly hoping that there would be no raising voices or rude declines that made him go red with embarrassment.
However it looked as if it would be the same in this meeting and Jeno could feel the dread creeping up on him. But in taking second glances at the boy whose face was extremely irresistible- the two lowered their guard.
    And apparently thinking that trusting this teen was the cue to talk, little girl pulled at her older sister's sleeve, clearly wanting to answer. Her sister's lips turned down as there was still a skeptical look glazed across her eyes. She seemed poised to pull the younger girl back to safety in case he tried anything weird. Yet before she could even respond open her mouth to say anything, her little sister decided to respond.
"Prince!" Giggling, she waddled over to him and looked up into his eyes with innocence.
Jeno blushed red in response and his smile grew wider. That certainly wasn't the answer he was expecting. He crouched down to her level. A sentence restating his meaning in the question rested at the tip of his tongue, but in simply staring at her round, adorable face- he couldn't bring himself to ruin it for her.
    "Ah... thank you..." He paused in thought. Thinking about a compliment to give back to the sweet child. Then he patted her shoulder lightly. "And if you ever want a job. I say you be a princess."
The little girl went pink herself and squished her cheeks with her small hands in a bashful manner. Spinning a bit from side to side she was slowly starting to hide her face, clearly flustered at the fact that the pretty boy complimented her as well.
"What do you say to the kind boy Megan?" Her sister said, eyes soft as she watched the adorable encounter. Her own guard appeared to have lowered at the raven haired boy's kind intentions. Which Jeno was relieved to see.
"Thank you!" The three year old chirped, immediately beaming. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
The athlete felt his heart melt and he nodded before standing up to hear the older girl's answer. However it didn't seem to be in her intention because she was already walking over to another article of clothing. As the little girl, named Megan, waddled away to follow her sister. She looked back and waved bye to him before continuing on.
'Well that was a waste of time....' Jeno turned around to exit through the stairs and frowned. It wasn't long until it transformed into a caring smile. 'But that little girl kind of made it a great waste of time....' He started to climb up the stairs. His mind was too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice a door slamming open from farther up.
    He checked his walkie talkie, looking to see if the Renjun was intending to call him at all. Alas, no one seemed to be wanting to contact him at the moment. So with a small sigh he rolled his shoulders back and opened the door to the next floor. 'I wonder what Renjun is doing right now.' He pouted a bit as he made his way to the front desk of what looked to be an eye doctor. 'I bet he's doing something fun or entertaining.....'

    "EXCUSE ME THIS IS A PLACE FOR STUDYING. NOT ROUGH HOUSING. SIR. SIR."
    "CAN'T TALK RIGHT NOW WOMAN I'M KIND OF OCCUPIED." Renjun snapped a the teacher as he leaped onto one of the desks. Happening to be occupied by papers, pencils and books of all kinds, he used that to his disposal. The door, once again like the multiple times before, crashed open. His heart dropped again. Why couldn't he lose them for once?
    His feet acted on their own and started kicking around. Papers started to fly. Books were being launched. Utensils were scattering around. The children around him started to get out of their seats. Figures were starting to move around in a panic.
    The air blew through his blond hair. The runaway started leaping from desk to desk. His feet stomped harshly on the materials on the top. He would rip them up as he moved to another table. A student appeared to be running towards him. The surface beneath disappeared.
    Than he saw a large red dart fly straight into their forehead. He had to hold back his gagging and continue.
    He dropped to the ground and started to pick up random things. Turning backwards everything seemed to go in reverse. Like he did in throwing the stick in the forest- he started launching books. Most didn't land. Most hit the random citizens running around in a craze. Renjun felt a hard surface on his back. He couldn't care. And instead pushed forward even further. The body seemed to drift away. So he kept throwing.
    Every so often his gaze went back. Surroundings going blurry as he whipped his head back and forth to try and see where he was heading. In turning back a single dot was fast approaching. A dart. Straight to his neck. He stretched his arm to reach for another book. But all he got was a flat surface. Mouth open in a silent call for help, his knees buckled underneath him. The needle barley grazed the tips of his hair.
    In ducking, he found one of the dark suits on the ground clutching his nose. There was no time in checking if the reason was because of Renjun. He scrambled on all fours and crawled at an extremely quick pace. Taking refuge under the rest of the desks. Throwing as much chairs as he could. In no time he standing up. Grasping the handle. And blowing that popsicle stand.
    'One was done, four are left.' His mind was abuzz with calculations whilst he swiftly went down the stairs to the next floor. 'I can do this. I can do this.'
    He kicked the door open. He drove his heel into the ground and started sprinting in. More yells came about the room. Renjun was more occupied in finding the door however. It appeared to be no where in the area. All that surrounded him was countless. He felt his blood run could and his face go pale. Camera's. And they were all turned towards him now. Eyebrows knitting together, he tucked his head in and rushed on. This time, no bodies were seen on the ground. Hardly any screams of terror.
    Instead more obstacles were getting in his way. Desk. Jump. Lamp. Duck. Person. Dodge. Camera. Throw. More yelling. More people trying to get into his way. He was too desperate to let any of them get away with his. Taking something out of his back pocket he flipped it open. Now there was screaming. Now his path was getting clearer.
    "GET DOWN."
    That was the first yell he's heard this whole time.
    "DROP THE KNIFE."
    He could see the other end of the room.
    "SURRENDER OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES."
    His nightmare were suddenly brought up in his mind and his whole body went rigid. He started to trip. Something soft hit his blade. It was tearing. There was a ringing in his ears. But it was too late to check on what was happening beside him. Something else caught his eye. Something large. Something movable. Something similar to a door.
    Ripping his hand from the soft surface he thrust his switch blade forward to clear the way. No one seemed to come close to him anymore. Multiple pops started going off again. He spun and threw the knife in a horrible attempt to get them to dodge. A piece of one's black suit got a dash of silver, and a splatter of red. Everything was too blurry to distinguish properly. Feeling wood behind him, Renjun traveled to the next floor once again.
    The bile he once held back was pushing through. No matter how much he insisted on it to stay down. Another door. Another room. But all he saw was a blob of dark floating towards him. In the moment his eyes widened. They were catching onto him. That blob was a security guard of some sort. Head twitching from side to side he saw something next to him. There was no telling what it was. Because his hands were already gripping onto it.
    'I want to live.' It was a single sentence pumping through his brain. There was the image of someone he knew passing into his mind. His heart started to palpitate. A heavy grip enclosed on to his neck. He spun around. The weight of the item was heavy. But he had to do it. And he did, the force of gravity was letting him. In seconds he witnessed a face become crumpled. The grip was gone. The body fell backwards. A sickening crack sounded.
    Renjun was already back out the door. Another guard was already poised above him. There was no chance of going down normally without getting shot. Another figure was getting out of the floor from below him. A flash of raven hair.
    He hopped onto the railing of the spiralling stairs. And pushed off. He started to slide down the railing. Everything was going too fast. The blond couldn't register anything that was going on. All that was happening was fading in and out of his memory. But he remembered something. Widened dark brown eyes. Soon enough he flew off the edge. His back hit the wall and he let out a scream. Finding himself not winded at all. Renjun glanced up. No one.
    'They're going to meet me at the ground floor most likely.' Exhaustion was catching up to him. His clean movements were turning slow and sloppy. He could hardly open the exit. No one looked to be bothered much in the lobby. Save the few that were murmuring. Most likely about the probable screams and yells they were starting to hear. He could make it. In an attempt to act normal. He started to awkwardly speed walk over. His weight was horribly distributed. The runaway must've been limping.
Than. Once the glass doors were so close to his reach. There was a sharp pain in his back. Gasps were rising around him. His vision was getting blurry. Unconsciously, Renjun turned around to check what the hell had just happened. A body. Similar to the man he saw before the chase started. It was falling. In his daze, the blond tilted his head in curiosity as the figure continued to spiral downwards. He heard some muffled ringing all around him. Someone started to drag him away.
Suddenly there was a scratch against his arm. A hook struck the frame above him. The figure started to reel in a swooping motion upward. The body was getting larger. However it wasn't long until a sheen of glass shrouded it. And he saw the world turn on it's head. A black tar was spilling into the everything. A sweet phrase tickled in his ear.
"Don't worry Renjun. Let's go home."