Blood and Water: An 'Into the Badlands' Fanfiction (ON HOLD)

Chapter 7: The Great Escape

Chapter 7: The Great Escape

"You fascinated me
Cloaked in shadows and secrecy
The beauty of a broken angel"

― Beth Crowley, "Warrior"

Antigone hardly had any time to process what was going on.

M.K. reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist, eliciting a very innocent gasp from her as he pulled her down the hallway.

She looked behind her, not daring to speak until Minerva was completely out of sight. When Minerva was finally gone, Antigone turned her head and spoke. "What's going on?" She jammed her heels into the ground, forcing M.K. to stop in time with her.

He stopped and looked at her, still smiling, but it wasn't a smile like before. It was a smile that was a cry for help. "Nothing is going on," he said. "I just wanted to be the one to show you the ropes, that's all."

She raised her eyebrow, trying to squirm out of his grip. "I don't buy it. How about you tell me the truth instead?"

"I am telling you the truth," he insisted.

"Not the whole truth," she retorted, still trying to escape from his grasp. Finally, she grew frustrated at his firm grip. "Let go of me!" she demanded through gritted teeth, practically spitting the words out at him as she jerked her hand around to escape from his hold.

His smile dropped and he immediately released her from his grip. "Sorry," he said quietly, lowering his gaze like he was a kicked puppy. "I didn't mean-".

"It's fine," she said, interrupting him, her patience wearing thin as she rubbed her wrist. "Can we actually have a real conversation instead of you giving me mysterious looks from afar and dragging your blood across my face like a weirdo?"

His head shot up and his eyes grew wide when they met hers. "Shh!" he hissed, looking around to see if anyone was watching.

She looked around as well and then turned to face him again. "No one is around. Now seriously. I want answers."

He sighed and looked around again. It took him a few moments before he looked at her again. "I can't give you the answers you want," he said, his voice hushed and low. "Not right now."

She leaned in closer, so close that she could see the pupils of his bloodshot eyes dilate when she neared his face. "Is it because of Minerva?" she asked, speaking in the same hushed and low tone of voice that he was speaking in.

His breath hitched when she said the name and she noticed her breath fan his eyelashes. His eyes fluttered closed. She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down while he gulped.

He had a very tiny, barely noticeable Adam's apple.

He blinked open his eyes moments later. They were now shining with tears. "Antigone," he whispered. "I can't give you the answers that you want right now."

She felt his breath fan across her face as he spoke. It was shaky. He was afraid. She recognized the sincerity in his voice and demeanor, so she decided to drop the subject.

"Fine," she said. "Then...I need you to clue me in on other things."

"Like what?"

"Like you. How do I know that I can trust you?"

His eyes softened. He backed away, leaving a polite and deliberate distance between them, but his eyes did not once leave hers. "You don't," he said. "I haven't given you any reason to trust me. I just don't wanna see you end up like me."

Now she was getting somewhere. "What do you mean, M.K.?" she asked. "How did you end up? What's happening to you right now?"

His eyes softened again. It looked like the tears that were crystallizing in his eyes were threatening to spill. He looked away from her, casting his eyes down to the floor. "Let's just say that if I had a choice, I would be anywhere but here," he whispered.