return • theo raeken [2]

twenty. genotype

"Was that necessary?" Mason asks before stepping towards Luna. She flips the bat around so she's handing the bat to him with the handle extended to him. He takes it with appreciation. Theo turns towards them.

"Okay, so you're the smart one. Why are we down here?" Theo asks. Mason starts to lead the group down the hall. Luna follows closely behind him in case something dangerous was down here with them. "Shouldn't we be looking around the school, or somewhere with better lighting?"

To prove his point, the three walk through a part of the hallway that didn't have any lighting at all. Luna chuckles under her breath. Theo's hand brushes hers, and he interlaces their fingers. A small smile sits on her lips as they continue walking. Though she was smiling, there was something pulling at her. The same feeling she felt when she uncovered the manhole was present all around her. She could feel it in her bones.

Mason says, "Aaron hasn't been in class in days. The last sighing of the Faceless was in the tunnels. Parrish burned the body, but, you know, none of us have ever been back down here to check."

Luna can feel Theo continuously checking behind them, and she squeezes his hand to comfort him.

Theo looks forward again, squeezes her hand back, and asks Mason, "Why not?"

Mason stops walking and looks down at the bat in his hands. "Because we're scared. We're all scared to come ack down here. You feel it, right? It's like it doesn't want us here."

Theo stares at the back of Mason's head before pulling Luna ahead as he walks around the boy.

"That makes two of us," Theo says as he stops to look both ways down a split hallway. His hand squeezes Luna's hand tighter.

Mason states, "You're afraid." The boy steps forward to stand next to Luna. "That's the exact reason why we should be looking down here. I feel it, too."

"Well, let's hope I don't Beast out down here," Luna states as the three of them start walking again.

Mason sighs. "Please, don't joke about that."

Luna laughs and pats Mason on his shoulder. As they keep walking, they come face to face with two hallways to turn down. Mason and Luna sigh together.

Mason points down one tunnel and says, "Okay. Nice and bright."

"Or dark and spooky," Luna finishes, pointing down the other tunnel. Mason starts to walk down the nice and bright tunnel, but Theo reaches across Luna to grab his shoulder and stop him.

"You're right," Theo says. Luna makes a noise of surprise but bites her tongue. "We need to follow our fear." Theo let go of Luna's hand as he heads into the dark and spooky tunnel. When he doesn't hear the two of them following, he turns around with his arms open wide. "Hey, it was your idea."

Luna doesn't hesitate any longer and plunges forward into the tunnel. She pats Theo on the chest as she walks past him. She hears his footsteps follow her before Mason sighs and takes up the rear. As they're walking forward, Theo glances behind him and sees Mason is a step or two behind.

He looks forward again and asks Luna in a low tone, "So, what's wrong?"

Luna glances at Theo and says, "What are you talking about?"

"I can tell something's up." Luna looks around the tunnel, only seeing pipes among pipes.

"Oh, you can, can you?" Luna says more than asks in a tone that's a little more harsh than she intended. She sighs and glances at Theo again. His eyebrows are raised, waiting for her to speak. "It's probably not a good idea to talk about it right now."