Welcome To Trench

Chapter Twenty Five | Trouble Lurks Around Every Corner

^^ That's my hug to all of you for being so patient and supportive with me while I was away for like,,, five fricken months iM SO SORrYY

I came back to sO MANYY notifications and lemme just say yOU GUYS ARE SO GOSH DARN ADORABLE LIKE OMFG SJFJkfDSLD i love you all sm :(

anyway. thank you for 9.4k reads. It means the world to me. I never expected this silly story to get so much attention (i know it's not even that much but shh and let me be happy) and i adore every second of it. It's all thanks to you guys i have the motivation to write up another chapter (hopefully it turns out okay <3)

again, sorry for the long wait. i'm here now and i'll do my best to stay :)

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Peering around the corner of a tall building, Tyler scanned the area with brown eyes full of deep caution. Tired bags rested beneath his alarmed gaze as he eyed every citizen that populated the awake city. Even with it being so early in the afternoon, no one appeared to look lively whatsoever. Everyone just seemed so empty and stripped of life. It frightened Tyler that he had looked the same way only years ago when he too was trapped in this prison of a community.

The brunet moved on, dry palms brushing over cracked cement walls as he turned around, walking lightly on his heels as he crept behind the shops that occupied the area. If he had to guess where Clancy was being held captive, he would assume the Bishops would have the poor boy tucked away in the Tower of Silence, and that was a long ways away. Yet selfless determination still intoxicated Tyler's veins.

He knew it was stupid, idiotic even to come here alone without any way to really defend himself. Hell, Tyler hadn't even come up with a proper plan before stepping foot into DEMA. Part of him wondered if Josh, Y/N, or any of the group was angry with him. Part of him wondered if he'd ever make it to find out. That didn't matter to him very much, however. He ventured out by himself for a reason. To keep everyone safe. Everyone, aside from his own self.

Suddenly, Tyler found himself abruptly bumping into the body of another being. He stared ahead, eyes widening as he pulled himself away from his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." The males voice trailed off as the situation finally settled into his mind, realizing he had blown his cover. Shit. The stranger stared right back at him, their puzzled gaze trailing up and down Tyler's appearance as if he were a whole other species. He couldn't tell if the person recognized him or not, but either way, he was sure they could tell Tyler wasn't one of them. Not anymore, at least.

He stood, frozen and petrified. Tyler couldn't conjure up whether he should turn and run the other way, or if it would be best for him to keep going. Other citizens seemed to notice the stranger's odd stares, and they too gave Tyler weird looks, muttering quietly amongst one another. Tyler could no longer think straight and the sound of his rapid heart rate pulsed in his ears. It was deafening to say the least.

It was then Tyler noticed them. Tall, ominous men with hoods thrown over their heads to disguise their aged faces. He didn't need to meet the men's cold eyes in order to feel chills run up his stiffened spine. He knew it was already too late. He couldn't run the other way, nor could he keep going. He was trapped and it was all his fault.

The men dispersed, some moving behind Tyler while one remained a few feet in front of him, watching. The others stepped closer and practically forced Tyler to slowly move forward as they closed in on him.

"It's been some time, hasn't it, child?" The one man who stood ahead, their leader, spoke, his voice like dry gravel. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard in Tyler's ears, and it made him want to strike a fist through the nearest wall. "Not much of a talker I suppose?" The man hummed in a tone that made Tyler feel sick to his stomach. "You never were to begin with, really."