The entrance door was unlocked and swung open with a small push, something that hinted to the situation being far too easy, but there was nothing they could do but go inside. The corridor was empty, the sound of their feet against the floor echoing throughout the space.
Luke didn't mean for it to happen, but he quickly found his eyes wandering towards the wall to his right. Flashes of memories near blinded him, his mind overwhelmed with the picture of Michael collapsing into his arms.
Another time he'd let him down.
"Do you know where he might be?" Jack whispered, placing one foot in front of the other as silently as was possible. "Where exactly?"
"The place where we were kept, maybe?" Luke shrugged.
Ben grabbed Luke's arm, slamming his back into the wall behind them. The younger blond hissed in pain but managed to resist crying out, trying to calm himself down and not react when his brother placed a finger to his lips.
He was right to have forced them into silence, as the next bang could be heard by all five of them. Luke shoved Ben away, peering around the corner in an attempt to find where the sound was coming from.
Then another bang, identical to the last, echoed through the corridor. They were all grateful to have found a small area where the wall caved in for them to hide, although the noise didn't sound like guards.
When the bangs grew dramatically louder and become closer together, Luke stepped out and began to run. Naturally, his brothers followed - and so did Ashton and Calum as they had little other choice.
"What are you doing?" Jack yelled, trying to keep his voice down but far more concerned about Luke than getting caught.
"Listen to it!" Luke sighed, slowing down to face them. "It sounds like someone is banging on a door. They obviously want to get out if they're that frantic, and everyone is here by choice exc-"
"Except for Michael," Jack finished for him, rubbing his eyes and nodding. "Let's go."
Luke nodded also, and eventually so did the others. They checked every door they passed, some wooden and some steel, but every room behind them was silent. If Michael was locked somewhere, it wasn't as close as the banging suggested.
Then, everything fell silent.
"Over here," Ashton called, pointing towards what appeared to be a vault. It was somehow kept shut by a large circular lock that occupied the entire width, one that needed to be opened.
Jack laughed, placing two hands on the door and looking at the floor. "Any of you know how to unlock something like this?"
He didn't receive a response, however, as the bang suddenly started again.
Luke placed his ear against the metal door, able to make out a faint whimpering amongst all the noise. "Michael? Is that you?"
"L-Luke?"
"It's going to be okay," Luke exhaled with relief, "we're going to get you out. I swear to god I'll help you, I promised I would never leave, didn't I?"
Michael didn't verbally respond from the other side but simply sniffled, and from that point it became apparent that he was crying. None of them were surprised that he was distressed, given the circumstances.
"Do I just turn it?" Luke asked, gripping onto two of the rods. He tried to push it around but it didn't budge, as on his own he just didn't have the physical strength to achieve the result he so desperately wanted.
The others all stepped forward, each grabbing separate rods with the intention of pulling together. "Three, two, one, go!"
Even with all of their combined strength, it took a while for anything to start happening. Then, it started to gradually move, and the others gave Luke some space for him to finish opening it by himself.
The very last thing they wanted was for him to feel as though he couldn't do things by himself. Luke had always been stubborn like that, he hated feeling incapable and weak, so if they could do anything for him then it was this.
The door clanged open and everyone but Luke took a small step backwards. None of them knew Michael quite the way that the blond had come to, having spent a substantial period of time with him whilst they were last there, and they didn't know that Michael was anything but a murderer.
Luke couldn't convince them of this without difficulty, however, as he was the only one who had seen Michael fighting against his own mind to ensure no one was hurt. They didn't know how manipulative the doctor had been, and how he had somehow managed to twist Michael's nature and turn him into a monster.
And Michael wasn't a monster.
Luke pushed gently on the door, repeatedly whispering Michael's name and promising that they weren't going to hurt him. It broke his heart, having to speak those words, but if it kept everyone calm then it was worth the pain.
"Michael," Luke mumbled, as soon as he caught a glance of the boy now slumped against the wall. He ran immediately over, cradling him and running fingers through his hair.
"I-I'm so s-sorry," Michael choked into Luke's chest, refusing to let the blond withdraw himself. He needed him close, he needed to know everything would be okay. "I d-didn't-"
Luke smiled, reaching for Michael's hands and squeezing them reassuringly. "None of this is your fault, it never was. I'm going to make sure that nothing ever happens to you again, I'm going to put an end to this."
"How are you going to do that?" Calum asked, stepping hesitantly into the vault so that he could see what was going on. The others did this also, fixing their attention on the two boys on the floor.
"I don't know," Luke sighed. "But I will. No one else gets hurt."
Jack nodded. "He's right, it's the only way. If we all work together, look out for each other, we just might get that happy every after. All of us."
"Sounds good to me," Ashton smiled, the expression that now consumed his face entirely genuine. He had began to lose hope that it was even possible, yet here he was.
Luke nodded, climbing shakily to his feet and pulling Michael up with him. The boy leant on him for support, not only lacking physical strength but also the mentality they all needed if they were going to pull through.
But Luke had come for him. Knowing that lit up the darkness just enough for him to see where he was going, and to make out a light at the end of the tunnel.
It wasn't the easiest for Michael, to have hope when it had been ripped from him so many times before. Now, he had Luke and a chance at being okay, and he'd never been more hopeful.
~~~~~~~
A/n: I'm going to ignore the fact that this chapter isn't great, but I already have a lot of next chapter written and it's not quite as terrible so that'll hopefully be up soon ;)
Thaaaaaanks for reading xx
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control - muke
Fanfiction"We need to get out of here, if we stay we'll be dead in a week." --- Where Luke is captured and thrown in with a boy who isn't quite what he seems.
