Entanglement

55 - Departure

Techno POV

Everything feels like it's moving way too fast. These ideas that've been popping out of their heads for the past few weeks have all been spontaneous, none of them panning out, and driving to Chicago feels like just another "plan" that's bound to blow up in their face.There's no moving slower, though. Sure, this is all fast, but what's the alternative? Nervously waiting? Crouching in stress-filled panic? 

So, it's not moving too fast. Techno just doesn't want to move at all.

Maybe this is denial again. His therapist was always on about how he was in denial when Ewan died. It felt kind of like this... he thinks. He doesn't know, actually. All he remembers is waking up a year after it all and feeling kind of okay for the first time since. 

"Hey, you doing alright?" Techno's only brought back to reality by Y/N's hand touching the elbow he had resting on the arm rail of the stairs. He forgot he was waiting for her at the base with most of the stuff she had brought up on the floor next to his feet.

He has to mentally shake the thoughts out of his head before he can vaguely respond with a "yeah, sorry."

She just smiles at him for a nice, quick moment before shifting. "Are you, uh, gonna be driving again? Cause-"

Dream was a few feet behind her and cuts her off as he shuffles past the two of them, head pointed unwaveringly forward "Yeah, he is."

She turns to look at him as he wastes no time getting what he's carrying to the car before looking back at Techno. "...Okay," she chuckles. "We ready to go?"

"I think so." Techno bends to pick up the bag at his feet but before he's able to stand all the way back up again there's a loud boom sound from across the parking lot. He sees the shock on Y/N's face before looking out himself.

Dream's on the floor, looks like he's been knocked back and facing the car that is... no longer a car. Well, it's a car, it's just a non-functional, on fire car now. 

"Holy shit!" She takes a few moments to take in what she just saw before running up and stopping right behind Dream, taking a few seconds before dropping to her knees. "Are you okay?" He can barely hear her ask.

Only the driver's side of the car actually experienced an explosion, Techno can tell from back here. That was on purpose. 

He walks up to the two of them, wide-eyed at the fire, and picks up the things Dream dropped fighting the urge to say something stupid like "I guess I'm not driving."

Y/N's checking his hands and arms and back and legs before eventually sitting back and taking a breath. "What the fuck?!"

"We need to get out of here," Dream hurriedly tries to get himself up off of the floor, shaky and obviously hurt from the fall. 

"What was that?" Y/N's already started her stream of questions. 

"It was Schlatt's car."

She whips her head around. "But-"

"We need to get out of here," he repeats, more to himself this time. 

"There's that woman Kilo mentioned," YN stands up and looks between Dream and Techno

Dream's eyes clench as he looks up, sighing. Eventually, he looks at Techno "Do you know this woman?" The redness of his face is suddenly very apparent.

Techno hates that he can say yes. "Rose. She's a-uh parental figure around town. Everyone's heard of her."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Dream snaps. Techno watches expectantly as Dream's eyes soften after too long a pause. He purses his lips and takes a step back.