Lock and Key

Clean Break

Grace was finished. She wasn't sure how long she'd been kept here but it had felt like years. In reality it couldn't have been more than a month, based on the number of meals she'd had. Either way Grace was done. "I'm getting out of here." Grace had decided at some indeterminate hour of what she thought was the night. Though, she had no way to be sure. Moreover she had no plan of escape. After all if it had been easy she would have done it a long time ago. Still, Grace was getting out of here. Tonight. She scanned the room for anything that could loosen her restraints but found nothing.

She tried hard to conjure up anything that would be useful to her in this situation. Her hands were bound by handcuffs which themselves were bound to a pole behind her head with a well knotted rope. Her legs were in a similar situation. Her parents had always been really worried about her being kidnapped and ransomed for money so she remembered having classes dedicated to teaching her how to escape a kidnapping. Unfortunately, Grace had blocked out everything taught to her in those classes.

"Okay what did they tell me about escaping handcuffs?" she asked herself, racking her brain. Then it came to her. She'd need to make a key. Contorting her hands the best she could, Grace managed to reach toward her head and grabbed a bobby pin that rested safely in her hair. Pulling it out she did the best she could to recreate the shape that had been shown to her as the handcuff key. "Now the hard part." Grace thought as she did her best to navigate the key to the hole while being in the dark and completely unaware of where it was.

Eventually she did manage to find the hole and when she did she desperately twisted the key inside hoping to hear that click she knew would coincide with her freedom. Then she heard it. The cuffs popped open and Grace freed her hands taking time to examine the indents that the restraints had left on them. After freeing her legs Grace took a moment to assess the next part of her plan.

"How am i going to get out of here?" she asked herself. She didn't know the time so there was a fifty fifty chance she was either going to walk into a crowd of children or into an empty car. But it was better to take her chance now before she lost it. She tried the door only to realize it was locked. Of course it was. Picking the bobby pin back up she picked the doors lock and peaked out. The car seemed empty, and quiet. It was likely night, the children were asleep. This was her chance. Cautiously Grace crept through the car towards the exit, she was close, so close. The exit was in sight all she had to do was reach-. Grace's internal monologue was caught off by the words of another person.

"Going somewhere, Void?" Simon asked. Grace spun around. There was no way Simon was letting her leave without a fight and being tied up for so long had put Grace out of practice. But still, she could take Simon, probably. Grace took a swing at him which Simon dodged. Grace was counting on that as she kneed him in the stomach. Simon staggered back. "Alright Void, you asked for this." he said with that shit-eating grin Grace hated. He took a swing at Grace which grazed her face only to follow up with a punch from the other direction which connected with her cheek. Grace held the side of her face before knocking Simon's legs from under him causing him to fall onto his back. She put a foot on his chest.

"Still got it Grace." she told herself as she looked down at him. "I'm leaving." she said seriously. Simon simply shook his head.

"Apex, capture the Void!" he yelled. Seemingly from nowhere the Apex children descended upon her capturing her once again as they'd done when she first arrived. What awful déjà vu. Simon smirked at her now.

"Do you feel good about your escape attempt Void? Do you feel like that went well?" He asked. Grace rolled her eyes and gave back an equally snarky retort.

"Not really. But I do feel good that even at my weakest point you couldn't beat me without the help of some kids." she shot back. Simon glared at her.