Identity [Gerard Way] *Completed*

Chapter Twenty One

Gerard and I are slowing down from our fast sprint, sure that we've lost the police for now. Trees are all around us, the cold breeze picking up. I shudder. This forest looks a lot different from the one we found the hideaway in- this one's darker and scarier, the leaves from the trees brown and dead.

Gerard's walking rapidly in front of me, listening cautiously to something. I stare at the back of his head. It's no surprise Gerard's hearing something that I'm not again. He's got this really sharp hearing, and I swear it feels like he can hear my own heart beating. He stops walking for a short moment, just to listen, and then starts up again.

"What're you listening so closely to?" I ask, walking quicker to catch up with him.

"I hear something." He answers, looking around.

I look behind me. "Yeah, I know, but what is it-"

"I don't know."

I glance over at him. I'm able to catch his eyes for a brief second. He's nervous. I can tell in the way his eyes glimmer as they shift, darting from one surrounding to another. The way he wrings his hands together, playing with the jacket sleeves that have to be worn out by now.

An odd thought appears in my mind- what if he notices small details like this about me, too?

I shake my head, more to myself, and notice that Gerard's staring at something. He backs up a couple steps, as if preparing for-

Two people suddenly come bursting out from nearby plants, causing Gerard and I to stumble back. Gerard grabs hold of me as the people shove past us, I barely being able to get a good glance at them. My heart leaps in my chest as I abruptly grab Gerard's hand, the action an instinct. Like I've said and done countless times before- I don't mean to.

I pull him behind two rocks and tell him to be quiet using nothing but my eyes. Gerard looks frantically at me, a bit confused. I look over my shoulder, then turn to him.

"Sorry," I apologize, palms clammy as I release Gerard's hand. "I, uh, thought I saw police chasing those people."

Gerard frowns. "That's impossible."

"I know," I agree. "But I know what I saw."

He sighs, studying his hands. "So what do you think it means." He doesn't sound like he's questioning me there. It's more like a dull statement.

I can tell by his tired expression that he already knows what it means. "People survived the attack at that shelter."

"Yeah," Gerard nods, voice subtle. "I knew it."

"You okay?" I ask, noticing he's not as energetic as usual.

"Yeah." He swallows.