Crimson felt something soft poking her cheek repetitively. Annoyed, she scrunched up her emerald eyes before opening them, taking in the sight before her. She was staring at a dingy ceiling covered in moss. Part of it had caved in slightly, soaking wet and dripping water to the floor.
The room smelt musty, but not horrible. It was like a cave, where you think it smells horrible but it really smells like nothing. She was very confused, not knowing where she was. She didn't remember this being a place in Gregorax. She turned her head, staring at the lasers that looked like bars.
Her white shirt, embellished with the logo of the Aviators clung onto her skin. The moisture made dew drops appear on her skin. Her beige pants were scuffed from the fall. The air outside should've been cool, but being stuck inside a small room made the air suffocating. She looked around, and couldn't spot her bag.
She closed her eyes again, letting out a soft sigh. 'This place is horrible.' She watched the slow dripping off the water, a frown slowly made its way to her lips. She really wished she hadn't went and stolen that space ship. Again, she cursed her inability to think before she acted.
"Oh, you're awake," a soft and light voice spoke. It came from a boy around her age, maybe a few months older than her. He had curly sand coloured hair and pale sandy skin, his full brown eyes watching her. His clothes, a white shirt and army coloured pants were wrinkle and dirty. He was also wearing a denim jacket, paired with leather boots. "I hope you're not hurt. They don't give us medical treatment here." The boy leaned back against the wall, staring at the soggy part of the ceiling.
Crimson's body was aching, and she felt like she couldn't move but she replied that she was fine without thinking. She slowly sat up, pain coursing through her with every movement. "Ouch," she hissed, gritting her teeth. "Where are we? I thought I was in Gregorax?" The boy stared at her funny, like she was dumb as a Firlits, little glowing circles in the air that let themselves be eaten. Luckily, they breed very quickly, so they never die out.
"We are on Gregorax," his voice cut off Crimson's line of thought. When she stared at him, a puzzled look on her face, he lifted an eyebrow. "Didn't you know? The Doom Clock is setting off soon, so the Equilibri are kidnapping others and using their energy to feed the forcefield they're making. They hope the force field will save their planet but they're dumb," his voice turned into a growl at the end, but he kept himself composed. "My planet was invaded and we were all captured. But, why are you here?"
Crimson felt her face flush red when he asked that question. She couldn't tell him she crashlanded here when she stole a spaceship! "I..... Also got captured?" she peeped, but the boy didn't buy it. She knew she was horrible at lying, so why did she try? "Fine. I stole a spaceship and went to Hyperspace. But then the engine died and I crash landed into your planet. But I don't know how I got into this cell. I blacked out before then."
The boy nodded, not replying to her. Crimson stared at him before realizing she didn't know his name. "My name is Crimson. Crimson Roth- and, what's yours? And do you think we can escape this dingy cell?" Crimson finally took some time to look around the place, other than the ceiling. It seemed the only light came from the lazers, which the boy advised not to touch.
"My names Jake Whallscon. And I've only been here for a bit, but I don't think anyone escapes. Then again, I think they're just scared to be put into the hands of the Intergalactic Security. We can go and try if you want to risk it. I don't really mind anyway, the few months here have been horrible, so being in another confined place won't be that different," he muttered.
Crimson grinned, her cream lips settling into its usual mischievous grin. Her body was still aching, but she reckoned a good few stretches would fix it into working condition. Besides, adrenaline was already flowing through her. "Well then, how'd you want to execute our escape?"
•••
After an hour of discussing what they should do, they had a plan. It wasn't the best, but it was at least a plan. Jake hoisted Crimson onto his shoulders, gripping her feet tight to make sure she doesn't fall. Crimson, not missing a beat, punched the soggy part of the wall. Water poured out of it, drenching Crimson's ginger hair. She rolled her eyes before clambering up. The thin ceiling creaked under her weight, making her look like a bulge. Hopefully it would hold. She reached down and helped Jake clamber up.
Both their weight made the ceiling protest even more. They both grimaced, not thinking the wall was really this thin. "You think it can hold?" Crimson asked, before being shushed by Jake. She closed her mouth and followed through with the plan.
They shuffled their way from room to room, using little holes in the ceiling to look down at the other cells. In some places they saw scaled creatures, with saliva dripping from their fangs. In others there were blobs. Well, blobs that turned into horrific demons of course. The two carried on, trying to make the least amount of sound possible, though it was still a little of sound.
Finally, Jake stopped in his tracks and pointed down. Crimson peeled from a little hole and saw many lockers. "What are those?" she asked, as Jake punched the ceiling. "They just look like a bunch of lockers to me." Jake nodded, not really paying attention to me.
He finally made a hole and jumped down from that. "Wait," he told Crimson as he walked towards a locker. He jammed it open, finding a rope inside. Quickly, he tossed it to Crimson. She tied it around a pipe before using the rope to slide down. It was a pretty slow decent.
Jake told Crimson to keep jamming the lockers open until they could find something of use. So they spent the next few minutes opening lockers. Finally, they found their own stuff. Crimson took her revolver out if her bag before slinging her bag on. Jake grabbed his belt, which held a blaster.
Crimson went up first, grabbing the ripe and climbing up. Jake followed behind her, clambering onto the ceiling. Untying the rope, she stuffed it into her bag before making their way again.
The two escapees were carrying on when the growl of Equilibri laughter from below them made them freeze. Both their eyes widened in surprise and fright. They had to be extra careful now. They knew they both looked like bulges in the ceiling, inching their way across. It was bound to raise suspicion.
And it was exactly that time that the world chose to play a dirty trick. The ceiling under them cracked, unable to withstand their weight anymore. The crack grew and grew, until they were both free falling before hitting the ground. They froze again but luckily for them, the Equilibri were drunk, their bellies bouncing up and down as they laughed. The air here held a festive feeling, unlike the lonesome air of the cells before.
"Come on," Jake hissed, already slithering his way across alien bodies passed out on the floor. Crimson grimaced, but followed suit. They were crouching, making sure no one would see them. When the aliens turned, they would freeze, but so far they haven't been spotted. That is, until Crimson accidentally tripped over a passed out Equilibri's hand and smacks into one that was awake.
The Equilibri turned, anger flaring up in its eyes, it's pupils narrowing to slits. It didn't like when someone bumped into it, so that someone was gonna have a bad time. Equilibris were big, muscly, cyclops like creatures, with normally purple blue skin. They fight for sport, always doing something physical every day. The Equilibri let out a growl, narrowing it's eyes that were fixed upon a smaller figure.
Crimson, from behind the moderate safety of an overturned chair, quickly scuttled away from the fight between two Equilibris that was about to happen. Sweat dotted her forehead, dripping towards her eyes, but she couldn't stop and wipe it away. She darted here and there, slipping past bully bodies of aliens before coming up to Jake's side. Luckily for them, everyone was focused on the fight, so they just had to find out how to get out of the heavy door.
It was made out of Glitenium, that sparkles in the dim light. Most spaceships were made out of Glitenium because it had a few important properties. It could withstand hight heat, freezing temperatures and high pressure. But, it was pretty heavy, and the door seemed really thick.
"We could shoot it down," Crimson muttered, grabbing her revolver. Then shepaused, frowning. "But it would be loud. Plus, it's bullet proof." Crimson stared at the door, despair clouding her eyes. 'We can't stop here. We've gone too far...' Jake's tap broke her from her thoughts.
"I have a blaster. If we concentrate it, we could make a little hole," he grinned, warming up to this adventure. "Come on, the fights going to start soon and they won't notice us," he assured, already grabbing his blaster. "You keep a look out, ok? We wouldn't want anyone spoiling our escape."
Crimson was shocked for a bit before nodding. "You can count on me. I want to escape just as much as you do," she grinned, hope filling her eyes once again. She turned around, gripping her revolver. If anyone would come close, she was prepared to shoot them. Behind her, she could hear the high pitched buzzing that came from the revolver as it started to cut through the Glitenium door.
The Equilibri were smashing each other onto the floor, not paying attention to the two little human escapees that were escaping right in their midst. The high pitched drone of the blaster being used stopped and silently, the two humans pushed against the loose piece of Glitenium. It wobbled and made a low grinding sound that no one noticed.
It fell towards the other side, letting the cold air come in. Jake slithered out first before grabbing Crimson's bag. Then Crimson wiggled her way through the hole. The two lifted the heavy door piece and pushed it back in. It was slightly wonky and there was a bit of a gap but it was the best the two could do.
They turned around, watching the other aliens minding their own business. Two pairs of green and brown eyes fixed upon a short line of 3 feathered aliens being dragged by a massive Equilibri. They screamed and let out a piercing wail before being thrown in a little box. Unable to watch anymore, Jake and Crimson looked elsewhere. "Let's find my spaceship, fix it and go home," Crimson started but was stopped by Jake, who held her risk.
"No. We have to stop the Doomsday Clock. In a few more days, they're setting it off millenniums early. If we can stop it now, every universe can live centuries more," he spoke firmly, dedication in his eyes. "I know all you wanted was to go back home, but we have a chance right now to make sure we don't see the end of the world."
Crimson hesitated, looking a little lost. She could die if she tried to save the universes. Sure, she was ready to die as an Aviator, but that was because she was confident in her abilities to survive space. The adventure they were going to have now would also have a certainty of death. A cruel, energy draining death.
"I-" Crimson hesitated. She could be a hero if she followed Jake. She could be praised and loved. And she could help others be happier, for centuries more. She might die, but she'd die too if she didn't stop the end if the universes. She took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll help. But first, let's go to my spaceship to look for information."