Safe | ZACK FOSTER [ 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟐 ]

Chapter I - CHASE

"Open up, Y/N, " the voice you had longed to hear for ages soothed your ears, washed over by the fear instilled inside you.

Run.

Run.

Run.

Chrona signaled you to get off the bed quietly and follow her. Seeing as you had no IVs or laboratory cable equipment attached to you, you did so, trying to not make noise.

You heard footsteps unsynced with Chrona's and yours, and you gritted your teeth. "Don't ignore me. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞," Zack said, the sound of his scythe tearing down desks and glass getting closer.

Zack...?

Chrona took your hand, seeing as you were slowing down. "I know you want to see him, but he's not himself. Let's keep moving," she whispered.

"It's been so long, why bother hiding from me now?" Zack muttered. "𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮?"

Chrona fumbled through her keys, inserting a silver, rectangular, and slim key through a keyhole, opening an elevator. She dragged you inside, covering your mouth, releasing her hand once the doors shut.

"This isn't good, he's moving in much faster than what our calculations measured. Seems that liquid altered him far more than we anticipated..." she whispered.

"Can you tell me more about that liquid?" you asked. "How did Cathy get it?"

"You mean the sadomasochistic woman? She had dealings with Danny," Chrona replied. "What does that have to do?" you asked. 

"Danny often walked out to the 'real world', as he called it. He brought back unusual medicine every now and then to test on patients to see their effects, and he'd study them. The few times the floor masters met, those two tended to talk together," Chrona explained. 

"She asked him if he could get her two different random substances, one being safe, the other being potentially dangerous, and he did so, seeing no problem with it. That's how she got her hands on the drug."

"That doesn't explain how Danny got it, though," you pointed out. "Danny has his ways, that's all I'll say," Chrona replied, averting her eyes.

"Were you and Danny acquainted, if I may ask?" you stated. Chrona let out a heavy sigh, that which answered your question.

"He was a colleague of mine. He was quite passionate about his tasks and was ecstatic whenever we had to deal with eyes or even dissect them, though personally, those tasks were rather grotesque and disturbing," she said.

"I see.." you muttered. "In any case, be prepared. We're heading out. Your beloved is out there and we don't know where in this building he is. We must exercise caution," Chrona stated firmly.

You nodded nervously, hearing the ringing of the elevator. It was time to move again. You held Chrona's hand, afraid to fall behind.

The two of you walked a bit inside the floor, but Chrona stopped, looking aside.

"Don't move," she whispered, stopping you, and waiting to hear what was going on around this floor.

You looked toward the window, away from where Chrona was looking. Is she looking for Zack?

You saw at the corner of the glassed frame a fraction of Zack's face, his yellow eye staring deep at you.

What the-?

Seeing as you had spotted him, his lips curved into a smirk, as he ran off. The walls covering the room obviously didn't let you see his route, and you tensed.

That's...probably not good.

"You saw him, didn't you?" Chrona said. "Let's move. I know where he's headed." How did she even...?

"He's headed for the windows downstairs to break through them. The man's persistent. He has full intentions of taking you away," Chrona muttered.

"So where are we going?" you asked. "Away from windows, of course," Chrona replied. She took your hand and ran toward a secured door. She took a blue-ish key, unlocking it, as she dragged you inside, locking it again.

"Let's hurry. He's faster than ever, and we can only do so much by helping you inside here," Chrona said, running down the stairs, you following behind.

Come on, why can't I ever get a peaceful second in my life?!

"Below these stairs is an exit. I'm quite sure you should be able to get out through there," Chrona said. You nodded, as you kept running down.

You were determined to make it out. Still, you wished you could just go back and take the syringe instead of him. He could stop you if he wanted to, and it'd be way easier to refrain you from capturing him.

Chrona stopped abruptly at a red door, signaling you to stop too. She took out her keys from her pockets and handed them to you.

"Listen up, this is the way out. Chances are you'll have to go back here at some point, so take the keys. Be careful, alright?" she said.

You nodded as she opened the door. Chrona walked out, signaling you to follow. You did so, as the two of you cautiously walked down an alleyway with multiple roads. "This should be the way..." she muttered.

She stopped at a crossroad, her face stern and somewhat...nervous. "This is it," she whispered.

It was oddly...quiet. What was going on...?

 She faced you, her eyes widening. "Y/N!" she said. You tried to talk, but a cloth was forced on your mouth. Your muffled screams were muted by it, a bandaged hand accommodating it.

Zack...!

Chrona took out a cellular device, tapping it as if sending a signal and message. She then turned it off, as she observed the situation, gaining a mildly defensive stance.

Still being choked by the cloth, you stepped back away, coming in contact with a soft fabric. A soft fabric with an iron scent.

You sure as hell didn't want to look back at what you'd run into because you knew what was standing behind you.

You looked behind, and only to confirm what you thought was behind you, you were met with Zack's heterochromatic eyes, which stared at you intensely.

He smiled, your consciousness slowly slipping, almost as if you were falling asleep. He neared your ear, his breath tickling your neck, as he held your falling form tight.

"𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮."