Nathan was running so hard his lungs were burning and all he could taste in his parched, dry mouth was the aggressive iron of his own blood. Pounding down the abandoned street he saw two big wooden doors hanging loosely on the side wall. Without looking back he dove in. This room was dark, almost damp, though water was such a scarcity. The windows were covered in mildew and dust so Nathan lay below them, hoping to see the shadows of his pursuers as they passed. Those shadows came, but slower than he hoped. And the noises. Footsteps, sure, of the guards who had seen him and raised the alarm, but also the mechanical clanking of robotic legs. Fuck, Nathan thought, they had a Guard unit.
Subconsciously he moved his hand down to his bag, as if that would protect the contents he had just stolen. But they needed the food so badly, and the water so much more than that. He's gone, spat one of the men in anguish. Then let's... began the other, before there was a crackle and the Guards comms unit came online. "In pursuit of the female", came a voice from the radio, "move to intercept in the factory district". Shit, they're still on Ivy's tail, thought Nathan. Rolling onto his stomach he raised his head to peak over the sill. The men and the Guard were moving back down the road. He thought of Ivy... he needed to do something. Grasping his bag he rose and dashed out of the far end of the room... hoping to beat them to her.
Ivy was breathing heavily, her jeans torn, knee bloodied when she dove under a low rolling door that was nearly closed. She lays on her back a moment, staring up at the dark, dripping ceiling above her. She runs a hand through her hair, her mind drifting. 'How is this my life' she wonders silently. But a drip of water that splashes onto her face - gods, she hopes it's water - and the dull murmur of guards outside have her on her feet once more, wincing slightly. She stands, silent, gauging where the sounds outside are coming from. And then she starts to move slightly back, deeper into the abandoned factory, away from the metallic clanks and static-y radios.
Nathan looked up at the huge factory building. Long in disrepair with the remnants of cranes and machines, stripped for their parts, likening to a mechanical graveyard. God he hoped she was still ok. They'd only met a few days prior, and to be fair the relationship had been prickly and un-trusting, but just the thought of being alone again made a hollow pit of his stomach. He heard some shouting from within the building and he started running again until he had reached the outer wall. Just as he flattened against it there was a clash of glass from above him and he turned to see Ivy manoeuvring her legs over the broken window. There were more cries and shouts from further within. Ivy was reaching for a drainpipe next to the window, but it was barely scratched by her finger nails. Moving quickly Nathan tried a nearby door, it was locked. Taking a few steps back he ran and rammed his shoulder hard against it. The impact shattered the long rusted bolts and he fell in, his arm numb and lifeless. Rushing to the nearest staircase, Nathan ran up until he was on the same floor as Ivy. A guard, barely ten feet away turned in surprise and raised a crowbar, Nathan hit him at full speed, driving the wind from his lungs and crumpling him to the floor. Ivy jump! he cried.
The panic had started to set in; Ivy had developed an immunity to that over these few, terrible years...or so she'd thought. But out on that ledge, unable to reach the pipe, and with the guard closing in, she thought this might be the end. Then, suddenly, a blur comes out of seemingly nowhere and she sees Nathan slam into the guard, knocking him out cold. Ivy gapes for a moment before she regathers her wits and, turning, jumps down. Remembering to tuck and roll as she lands, she still grunts with a bit of pain at the impact. Still, she's able to get to her feet almost immediately, and her eyes climb the wall to look in the window. "Nathan!" she calls out in a muted voice, so as to not alert others to their position. "Nathan come on!" She'll admit, these days they'd spent together weren't altogether unpleasant, even if too many hard lessons had taught her not to trust people, get close to them. But something about Nathan...she shook her head, wiping away those thoughts.
Aiming one good kick and the guards stomach to ensure he wouldn't pursue them, Nathan turned and moved towards the window. Suddenly a colossal bang whited out his vision and left a ringing in his ears, collapsing back against the door frame Nathan shook his head to try and get his wits about him. As the picture began to reform he looked out and back down the corridor. A Guard, the same machine he'd seen back down the street was slowly and relentless plodding towards him, its bright torch fixed on the doorway. Noticing him, the light swooped down until Nathan was blinded. Rolling sideways and into the room he was showered in brick and mortar as the robot destroyed the doorway with another shot. Getting up as quickly as he could, Nathan ran at the window. Grabbing the window frame he threw his legs out and pivoted to the left, his feet clattering into the drainpipe that Ivy had been reaching for. Grabbing at it he slid down and took her hand. For a second they looked at each other, so much to communicate and process but absolutely no time. 'What a fucked up way to meet someone', Nathan thought. Holding her hand tight, they sprinted back towards the town, the torchlight of the mechanised beast barely missing their heels as it surveyed the ground from the window ledge.
They sprint, nearly nonstop, the adrenaline fuelling their escape until they reach the outskirts of the nearby town. It's only then Ivy realizes she's still holding Nathan's hand, which she drops, an almost embarrassed look on her face. Her eyes dart away from him, her fingers running roughly through her hair again. Panting, she gasps out, "Almost to safety," and takes off in the direction of their hideout, the basement of a nearby house. She uncovers the hidden entrance to the shelter and waves Nathan in, her eyes darting around to look for danger. Satisfied they're going unwatched, she ducks in after Nathan and covers up the entrance before closing it. She nearly collapses onto the ground, her body spent from the intensity of the day.
"I remember", Nathan began as he dropped the bag in exhaustion and slowly stepped over the bucket of water in the corner "a Christmas, maybe 8 years back, when getting a turkey was almost as frantic as that". He scooped up some water and splashed at his face, ensuring every last drop fell back into the bucket, such was it's importance to them. He turned to regard Ivy. Sat against the wall, his gaze slowly made its way up from her loose fitting boots, up the jeans that were so ripped he could almost see more of her dark, rich skin than denim, and beyond that up to her firm, round... Nathan blinked and removed his leather jacket. He saw her arm, blood running thick and red from shoulder to elbow. Grabbing the bottom of his t-shirt, he ripped away a strip and moved over to her. 'Here' he said, crouching down next to her. He took her arm and looked at the wound. The cut was deep, but seemed clean, so he wrapped the fragment of fabric around her arm, noticing despite himself the feel of her soft cool flesh against his hands. Her scent rose to his nostrils and among the dust and sweat he could pick out a sweetness that was near intoxicating. He looked at her and their eyes locked.
Ivy held Nathan's gaze for a long time...'Too long' something screamed in her mind and she jerked her head away. "Thanks" she mumbled, stumbling away from him. She moved over to a nearby chair, planting herself in it. Ivy began to inspect the scrape on her knee, wincing as she poked at it. She dug through her nearby pack, grabbing some of that healing gel that had become so popular right before things...went bad. She tried to spread it but her jeans kept getting in the way. Not wanting to waste it, she looked up slightly bashfully at Nathan. "Ummm...turn away," she mumbled once more before she slid her jeans off to properly apply the gel. She sighed as she felt it begin to mend the broken skin of her leg.
"Sure thing". Nathan turned away as he always did, silently lamenting the lack of mirrors in their room. He took off his dusty, bloody t-shirt and let it fall to the floor. He undid his belt and began to lower his jeans. As he pulled the last leg off he heard Ivy sigh, so he turned. "You alright Ivy..." he began and then stopped as his breath caught in his mouth. Her legs were so long, their smooth curves so different to everything that was so harsh and dirty these days. He could see the undulation of her upper thigh as it met her underwear and just the sight of it seemed to slow time. She was so beautiful. Quickly spinning back around Nathan muttered his apologies. "I thought you were in pain, sorry" he said. But the thoughts weren't going away and he grabbed at a new pair of trousers to better conceal the effects of them.
Ivy's eyes snap open at his words - she missed seeing his unintentional peek. But from the way he's turned - and the embarrassment of his posture - she can guess what happened. Still....she can't find it in herself to be upset about it. "It's okay Nathan. I mean...you really can't have too many worries nowadays, you know?" Almost as if reinforcing the point to herself, Ivy finds her eyes roaming over the young man's nearly naked body, covered only by his briefs. She feels her mouth get a little dry at the sight of his muscled back and shoulders. Blinking rapidly, she stands up and walks over to him, her jeans left behind at the chair. "It's okay, seriously," she says, resting a hand on his shoulder.
