The Runaways

Chapter 1: The Runways

Baxter looked out the car window as the setting sun beamed down at him. His red, fluffy tail flicked with anxiety. His mother peered at him "don't worry, sweetie. By summer's end you won't have that sinful homosexuality!" Hearing her say that made him hiss under his breath. When summer ended he would kill Russet for outing him to his mom. When suddenly, just when the conversions camp came within view from just beyond the horizon the car came to a sudden hault with a sickening screech. If he wasn't wearing his seatbelt he certainly would have gone flying through the windshield! He readjusted his seatbelt. Groaning at the slight pain in where his seatbelt dug into his shoulders and chest. His mother checked the rearview mirror and snarled "WHAT!?" Her voice boomed causing Baxter to flinch and wince. He peered over as well to see a bear-trap! Someone just set that thing up in the middle of the road!? Baxters mom hissed. Her claws slightly tearing into the leather of the steering wheel. She got out of the car and slammed the door shut making Baxter flinch and rush to cover his ears. He sighed and curled up into a ball. Thinking about the horrors that awaited him just up ahead. He had heard horror stories of children DYING in camps like these. And those were the lucky ones... It got to the point he was shaking. He grabbed his phone and started using it to calm himself down. He managed to calm himself down for a while by watching YouTube when suddenly he realized hours had passed. Where's máma...? He hopped out of the car and looked around. Only to see she was gone without a trace. The bear-trap was still in the tire on the spare tire on the back of their car was just sitting their. Baxter gulped and called out "máma...!?" No response. He was about to reach for his phone to call the police when he felt something grab his arm and start dragging him. He immediately started hopelessly failing, sobbing and screaming. He didn't even turn around to see the figure dragging him. When suddenly he snapped back to reality when he realized he was inside of some sort of warn down building. His sobbing and screaming ceased and he just started shaking and silently sobbing. When suddenly he heard a voice growling in a husky voice "GODDAMN IT SHADOW!" He flinched at the voice. There was no response besides a low growl from the supposed "Shadow" "You know your supposed to get them to come willingly if possible you fucking dunce!" The creature pushed Shadow into the ground. Baxter immediately stood up and darted out. But he accidentally ran straight into a wall. He held his injury when he saw a calico cat walking towards him. But half her face appeared to be gone. They crouched infront of him "Hey. Don't worry. We're here to help...!" Baxter ushered back closer to his corner when he watched 2 other cats drag 2 cats in. The 2 cats being dragged in were a blue cat and a gray cat with a half black, half ginger faced cat with random spolches of ginger and black on their body. They had a white muzzle and muzzle-bridge and white dots above their amber eyes. The multicolored one hissed "HEY HANDS OFF!" When suddenly they all heard a voice "Well well well! Lookie at this!" Everyone looked up at the direction of the voice in shock. The black cat stood up and flipped a switch causing a series of lights to go off. Leading to a large staircase with a paw just peeking out of the darkness. With 2 crystal blue eyes gleaming out "So these are the ones saved from the conversion camp?" Shadow nodded "Good job everyone! And to you... Welcome!" The multicolored cat hissed "Aye what's the big idea!? Why did you bring us here!?" The voice smiled "Feisty... I like it! Now let me explain..." Everyone went silent "We are The Runaways! We were escapees from a similar position you were in. And we've dedicated our life to saving people like you! Now. The three of you. Step forward so I can see you." The half faced cat gestured for Baxter to follow them. Baxter, slightly shaking followed the half faced cat to the bottom of the staircase where they sat down. Shadow and a brown cat with a hairpin around their ear led the other 2 to sit besides Baxter. The voice in the darkness stepped a little closer. Making it so their face could barely be seen. All Baxter could see were scars all over their face "Ah... That's much better! Now you, Blue one. Tell me your name." He looked over at a dark blue tabby cat. With blue eyes. "... Raspberry..." Baxter could hear the cat smile "That's a gorgeous name dea-" before he could finish the feisty cat hissed "Hey! She's MY girlfriend!" "I'm not interested in girls." The feisty cat's tail flicked as they looked away. Obviously regretting their hasty words. But Baxter heard a low chuckle "Don't worry... I like you bud, your pretty feisty! You'll be a great member. But more on that later, what's your name?" Baxter hated the sound of that. "M'names Flare." "Fits your hothead personality! I like it! And you?" Baxter flinched when the looked over at him "U... Uhm... B... Baxter..." The voice smiled "That's a very fitting name. Now. Let me introduce you to everyone!" They pointed at the pure black cat with snow white eyes "Thats shadow! Our local triple A Battery!" There was a pause "Gettit...? Cause... They're Aro/Ace and Agende- Nevermind." They sighed and pointed at a brown cat with a red bowtie and green eyes, claw marks across their face and claw marks over their side "That's Bear! He's our biggest member" Bear struck a little pose of pride. The Voice pointed at a gorgeous brown cat with a white belly and a pastel orange red petal behind their ear and an almost magenta shade of eyes. "That's Petal! He's our fluffy member! But don't touch her fur without his permission!" They pointed at half faced Calico who had one gray eye and one blind eye "And that's Snap! What she lacks in depth perception they make up for in raw bravery." Raspberry giggled at the joke The Voice had made. The Voice cleared their throat "Now, Listen closely you three. We are giving you a choice here. You can join The Runaways or you can leave. We weren't force you to stay here, but we do recommend it. If you leave you will most likely be taken into custody and made to go to that conversion camp. But The Runaways protect each other here. We fight side by side, protect side by side and die side by side. I can't promise guaranteed safety but I can promise you this: you won't be treated as slaves. You'll be treated as equals." Baxter paused. He didn't know what to say before Flare spoke "I'll join." Raspberry looked over at them "W... What...!? B... But Flar-" "Would you rather be beaten for loving me and being yourself?" There was a pause before Raspberry realized the gravity of the situation. "I'll join as well." Baxter gulped. Slightly pulling out a picture of him and his mom from when he was younger out of his purse before sighing "Sorry máma..." He nodded "I'll join." The Voice smiled "Welcome to the family. Now step forward to receive your new names." Raspberry flinched "We have to change our names...!?" "Letting the leader change your name is a sign of heavy, raw loyalty. Don't worry. If you don't like it just say so! I have plenty of name ideas for all of you!" Flare was the first to walk forward to the third step before stopping and laying their front paws down in a bowing motion "Hey! I didn't even have to tell you to bow! Good job! Now..." The Voice stepped out of the darkness to reveal a cat, covered in battle scars with 2 half masked gray face, torso, arms and top tail, the gray littered in light gray, tiny spolches. Their belly, undertail, paws and the rest of their face a nice, soft cream color. As well as a crystal blue bandana. The shade of blue as their eyes. They walked out of the darkness and touched their nose with Flares forehead "From this day onward. Flare... your name gifted to you from The Runaways will be... Birch!" The other cats cheered for Birch. The Cat gestured for Raspberry to come sit up with them. Raspberry walked up and bowed before The Cat. The Cat touched their nose with Raspberry s Forehead "From this day onward... Raspberry... Your name gifted to you from The Runaways will be... Raindrop!" The cats cheered Raindrop name. The Cat smiled and gestured for Baxter to come join them. Baxter, with shaky legs walked up to the top of the staircase and bowed before The Cat. The Cat touched their nose with Baxters forehead. Baxter flinched at the sudden touch of their cold, wet nose "From this day Onward... Baxter... Your name gifted to you by The Runaways will be... Spark!" The cats cheered Sparks name. It felt strangely warm and fuzzy. Birch cleared their throat "So... What's your name by the way...?" The cat paused before realizing what Birch had said "Oh! Golly my apologies! Gosh how rude of me...! My name is Mouse!" Mouse gave them a warm smile "Now I know this must be scary. Your whole lives changed today. So we're just going to show you to your rooms and we'll start with everything else tomorrow! Shadow!" The black cat peered up. "Can you show our new friends to their room?" Shadow nodded and gestured for them to follow. And so the three did. Eventually they made it to a room with a warn down door. Shadow spoke in a raspy, hushed voice "It's not much. But we aren't exactly rich. Make yourselves at home." As they walked away. Raindrop sighed before opening the door to reveal a relatively. Small, but cozy room. It had a bunk-bed with another bed off to the side. A window with a window sill and poorly set up blinds, 2 small dressers (One by the bunk-bed and one by the other bed) and a relatively big closet and a shelf. Raindrop pounced up on the top bunk of the bunk-bed "I call top bunk!" Birch sighed and walked over to the dresser by the bunk bed. Placing some stuff from their backpack on the dresser as well as a few things on the shelf. Raindrop did the shame. Sparks tail flicked before walking over to their bed and sitting down on it. It was pretty comfy considering it didn't have sheets. There was only a pillow and a scratchy blanket. They reached into their purse and pulled out the picture of him and their mom. Setting it down on the dresser. Also grabbing some small Squishies, their phone, phone charger and A comfort plush they had stitched white patches onto a few years back to look like their childhood pet. They peeked over at Raindrop and Birch to see them spray painting a trans flag and a pride flag on the wall! Sheesh.... They must not fear God if that planned on bringing that to a conversion camp huh? Spark flipped onto the bed and sighed. Curling up in the blanket they had. When suddenly they heard a gentle voice "Hey...?" "Hm...?" Spark looked over at Raindrop "Is that... All you brought?" Sparks tail flicked a little. Not mad at Raindrop but at the realization his mom didn't care to send him with anything else. "Yep..." Raindrops ears drooped. She reached into her bag and pulled out 4 fluffy something's in an airtight bag "Here!" Sparks tail swooshed with slight excitement. He hadn't received a gift in a while as his mom didn't have money to give him a gift since his 10th birthday. He sat up and took the bag from Raindrop. Slowly opening it. Every now and again looking at Raindrop who had an overly cheery smile considering the situation. He opened the bag to see a pair of reddish orange, fluffy leg and arm warmers. He stared at them for a moment in complete silence before silently putting them on. They were warm and soft. Spark couldn't help and smile and purr a little from the comforting feeling before remembering Raindrop was Infront of him. He looked over at her to see her smiling "You like them...!?" Sparks drooped as they came down from their happy high "I love them... Thank you, Raindrop." Raindrop smiled "No problem! If you need anything feel free to ask!" The strutted back to their bed and started conversing with Birch. Spark rested his head on his arm. His cheek slightly nuzzling the arm warmer. A purr under his breath as he started to drift off to sleep.