Somewhere To Run To || Lunch Club AU

we're gonna find out (intermission)

With the last of his strength, he staggered through the empty city streets.

He didn't want to think about the thing that had torn apart his hometown, his life. After that, he hadn't been able to think of anywhere else to go except here. There was nothing else to keep him going except for the vague hope of seeing a familiar face, which had carried him across the country in strangers' cars and hours of hiking in the freezing cold. Maybe even this was a dead end. Maybe they were already gone. He didn't know what he'd do if they were.

Exhaustion and hunger and thirst finally overtook him, and he slumped against the side of a building. A ray of sunshine peeked through the clouds. A calm breeze blew across his face. This was... nice.

He had made it to the city now. Even if he couldn't find what he came here for, he could start looking for food, supplies, water... all he needed to do was get up. He just needed to get up. He just needed to get up...

The strength wouldn't come. With shaking hands, he reached for his water bottle, tipping the last drops into his mouth. God, he was thirsty.

Maybe this was enough. He'd reached his goal, right? He'd made it without being killed by one of those monsters. He was in the city, he'd survived.

If only it wasn't so cold.

He raised his hand in front of him, palm facing upwards. It took a moment, but a small flame finally flickered to life on his hand, bathing his face in the warmth.

It didn't last long though. The fire faded with the last dregs of his strength, leaving his limbs aching even more than they already had. The cold settled into his bones again, the last of the warmth gone just like that. It was deathly quiet.

He just wished he wasn't so alone.

Wait.

No.

He couldn't quite make it out through the dirty lenses of his glasses, but he thought he saw what looked like a human shape moving into the street ahead of him. Too fast and too small to be an elemental. There was something strange in the way they moved, but he was too tired to care. With effort, he raised his hand in a weak wave and tried his best to raise his voice. "Hey!"

After a moment, the stranger paused, turning around to look at him.

"Hey. Would you happen to have any water with you? I ran out." His words felt sluggish and tired, his tongue like sandpaper.

The stranger didn't react, simply standing there and staring in his direction. He could sense their wariness. He'd be wary, too, if he wasn't so exhausted. If his mind wasn't too muddled to worry about scavengers or elementals, if he wasn't so desperate for just a drop of water.

"Don't worry," he continued, "I'm just passing through. I just need some supplies and I'll be out of your way." He paused, thinking for a moment, thoughts moving so much slower than usual. "Actually, I'm kind of looking for someone, do you know if there's anyone else left in this city?"

The stranger finally moved, taking a small step towards him. He thought they said something, but he couldn't quite make out the words.

"Sorry? I didn't catch that."

The stranger picked something off the ground, then took a tentative step forward, then another, and another. "Carson?"

What? How does he...

As the person kept moving towards him, Carson began to make out details. A jolt ran through his spine as he caught a flash of scraggly blonde hair -