Trace

Eleven

Gradually, Trace released Max from her grip, finally accepting that he was alive and standing in front of her- not dead or a slave or waiting to die in a stadium. She looked at him properly, taking in his chiseled face, sparkling eyes and mussed up hair. A scar ran along his left cheek, thin and red against his skin. She smirked. It made him look 'tough' and 'rugged'- or rather, half-dead and tired.

"Ahem." A cough from behind snapped Trace out of it and immediately she turned to her friends.

"Guys, I know this is gonna be hard to believe but, this is my brother-"

"Splinter." He said and shook Lion and M's hands, hugged Glint and Ellie. "And this here is Serpent."

The snake-boy grinned, revealing pointed teeth and a forked tongue. Sebastian smiled as well, his snake face splitting in an evil way. Serpent whispered something to him and Sebastian slithered into the shadows, disappearing from view.

"Charmed." Glint said, eyeing Serpent off warily.

A set of beeps sounded in sync, breaking a layer of tension that lay heavier than a woolen blanket. Splinter glanced at his wrist just as Serpent did too and exchanged glances.

"Sorry too break up this reuniting, everyone. It's all very touching and all but we've gotta get our butts in gear. I'm pretty sure the army is still ticked off at us about that other base and us killing them two there will probably have alerted them too our being here. So, too rephrase, we gotta move!" Serpent said.

Splinter nodded and grabbed his helmet, placing it on his hip and starting to trudge towards the surrounding forest of blackened trees. Serpent followed after him, glancing back to make sure they were following. They weren't but Trace figured that, if what they were saying was true, it was either that or stay around when the army arrived.

They began following but Lion froze and started screaming. M rolled his eyes, muttering "I've got this." but Trace placed a hand on his chest and moved in front of him first. The sudden movement made Lion calm down a little but not entirely. Trace could still see his chest heaving up and down and tears falling from his eyes.

"Lion, Ellie, listen too me." Two pairs of eyes gazed up at her, a trusting blue pair and a scared brown pair. She took a deep breath.

"I need you to promise to run. Run as far and as fast as you can. Don't stop until you can't run anymore. Find shelter, a kind elderly couple, anything but never, ever go back to a slave home. You never have to work for anyone again. Ever. Stay together, stay calm, stay smart and stay alive."

Ellie nodded her head, her curls bouncing around her head, as she said, "I promise."

Without another word, she grabbed Lion's hand and sprinted away, slowly traveling further away in the opposite direction to the group.