Ten.

Lucian pulled himself up again, raising his head high above the doorframe. How long had he been here now? Four, five years? It's hard to keep track of the days when there are no windows in your cell. All he had to go by were the guards calling lights out each day.

Eleven.

There was nothing for them to do. There was nothing to keep them occupied or sane in this blasted place. All they had were bars around them and a view outside at other cells. There were no windows, no doors to the outside that even allowed them a peek at the world when the guards switched. They were buried, levels underground in a damn bunker, probably for the rest of their lives. Just to be used as lab rats for these son's of bitches.

Twelve.

"Lucian," a voice came over the speaker in his cell. He groaned as he released his grip on the doorframe and dropped heavily to his feet. "No workouts. You know that. You're gonna break the doorframe, again." The speaker shut off and Lucian grumbled to himself as he gave his hands a small shake. Yeah, yeah. Don't go breaking the cell Lucian. Can't have you getting out of here, Lucian. He looked up at the speaker that was flush with the ceiling of his cell, a frown planted firmly on his face. What else was he supposed to do?

He ran his fingers through his white as snow hair, pushing it back out of his face. He dropped himself on the ground and slammed his back against the wall with such force, his cell rattled harshly and dust fluttered from the ceiling. He banged the back of his head against the wall, once, twice, a third time until the speaker crackled back to life. "Lucian," it said.

"Yeah, whatever!" He called out in anger before pulling his legs up in front of him. He rested his arms on the top of his knees and stared out ahead at the opposite wall. Once again he found himself thinking about how he ended up in this mess. Yeah, he wasn't any angel but hell, did they have to snatch him off the street like some clueless, hopeless child. He was walking home. He had imagined they had done their research. He had been living alone for awhile by that point and he just recently had a huge fight with his family, again. Jesus, his family. They probably thought he was dead. Yeah they weren't perfect but at least it was something. Now he was here, in this cursed place, with no one. His family probably thought he was dead, buried off in a shallow grave or decomposing in a ditch somewhere even though he had been clean for 3 months by the time these jackasses had snatched him up. He wondered if his friends in NA had called around after awhile when he didn't show up again to any of the meetings. Probably not. People dropped out of those programs left, right, and center.

Well he was sober now. Had been for the whole stay at this place. They weren't going to give him any narcotics. He was one of their success stories. They didn't want to ruin that and so now he sat, back against the wall, rage boiling in his chest. He needed to get out of here, the sooner the better.

Fifteen.

Her eyes are closed and her head is tipped upward, limbs sprawled along the floor. There's an itch beneath her skin, an ache along her gums that's slowly driving her mad and yet no one seems to care.

Sixteen.

There's a low grumbling sound that tumbles from her lips, fingers pressing against the hard stone beneath her. She wonders if madness has a physical form, or if it's only a mental state of mind one achieves when pushed over the edge. Another low sound fills the silence of her cell, fingers pressing even harder agaisnt the stone.

"Aneira." Comes a flat voice from a speaker above the door, a tiny thing she's destroyed more times then they've fixed it. She doesn't reply verbally but the creature inside her head does, snarling and snapping at the voice. She supposes she should be grateful they even considered her for this program at all, a workaholic with a drinking problem and nothing to her name. She wonders distantly if anyone looked for her, is still looking for her despite the years she thinks have passed.

She's a success they'd told her, and yet she's still here and locked in a cell.

Seventeen.

"Aneira, we'll sedate you again." Comes that same voice again, a drawl of words with no intonation at all. It's a threat as much as a promise, she's learned that they don't care if they harm anyone so long as they have control. And yet she's rising to her feet and half turning to aim a fist at the metalic wall they'd encased her cell with after a loss of temper a few weeks ago, the metal and plaster foundation giving way like wet paper. She doesn't even remember how they'd gotten her, whether it had been after that last fist fight or stumbling home at whatever time it had been.

Footsteps immediately pound from down the hall, several heartbeats drawing closer with the acidic smell of gun powder encircling them. Pulling her hand free and inspecting it with heavy eyes, she's not at all surprised or startled to find no damage at all. She turns to the door as her ears catch several guns of some sort being loaded, tasers being turned on and nervously shuffling feet.

This time the growl that echos in her head is one she mirrors, body crouching and lips pulling back. Her heart beats like drum in her chest, adrenaline surging through her veins like fire. She's not fully sure what she's been turned into, but she wants out. Now.

Eighteen.

The metal door slams open with several voices shouting out at once, weapons aimed and stances low. Aneira feels the beast within her head that never seems to stop pacing freeze almost immediately, and then it's lunging forward with canines visible. She's lunging forward with a howl, form extending and expanding in a series of snapping bones and twisting tendons.

She slams into the first line of guards with a slash of claws, and a larger form that has them shouting even louder.

Lucian was used to the sounds of the guards running around the place at all times, but their organized stampede caused him to turn and look to see what all the mess was. A small army were making their way down his hallway. That could only mean one thing. Lucian looked to the cell across the way, his emerald green eyes locking on the girl there. Aneira, his cell mate. Well, not quite cellmate. Prison mate is more like it. Something was going on with her and it seemed like the people didn't like it one bit.

Swiftly, Lucian stood up on his feet, his hands grabbing the cell door and giving it a small shake. He knew it was locked. He knew there would be no way that it would just open for him but he felt he had to at least try. Aneira was going to cause some trouble and the guards are never gentle with their weapons.

"Aneira, calm down. You don't want them to tranq you again, do you?" It was then that the first guard arrived and opened up the cell and all hell broke loose. A small army of weapons were now pointed at his friend and they were all screaming at her to get down and stay down. That was until Aneira attacked. A giant form of fur and claws slammed into the men and the weapons began to fire. "Aneira!" Lucian called out as she began to really pull on the cell door. His whole area shaking from the effort. "Don't hurt her! Leave her alone!" He called out, driving his shoulder into the door. At that moment, her heard a soft voice come over the intercom, one he could barley hear over the screaming and guns.

"Go," it whispered and then he fell forward as his door flew open. He crashed into a guard directly in front of him, the guard turning the gun on him. Lucian sneered, grabbed the barrel of the weapon and ripped it out of the guard's hands before grabbing the man by the throat. He barely had to flex as he picked the guard up and turned to throw the man into his cell. The man released a surprised yell as he flew before slamming into the wall on the other side of the cell and collapsed on the ground. Lucian than turned his eyes on the mess at hand, rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and smiling. "Show time." He said before a pair of giant white wings sprouted from his back. He could feel angelic markings burning themselves along his flesh up his sides and across his chest and arms and when he opened his eyes, they were a crystal blue instead of the green they were moments ago. Even his hair seemed to have grown as well from the short crop to just below his shoulders.

As Aneira kept the guards in the front busy and focused on her, Lucian began to work on the guards in the back. One by one, he knocked out and threw them into his cell. The bodies kept piling up in there but he didn't care. His main goal was to get to Aneira and keep her from hurting herself. By the time they got to the last guard, Lucian ripped him out from in front of Aneira and threw him to the ground, keeping his hand firmly planted on the man's back. He knelt on one knee in front of the wolf, his crystal blue eyes glinting with determination as he locked his eyes on hers. "Aneira, now is the time for us to run but we can't do that if you're in this frenzied state. You need to gain control of yourself." The guard under his grip squirmed but Lucian just moved his hand to the back of the man's head, lifted his head then slammed it harshly down on the ground again, all the while keeping his eyes locked onto Aneira. He was sure he heard the crack of bones but he didn't really care right then. This was their chance to escape. All they need was a window, a door, anything to the outside and he could fly them away. They just needed to get going.

Freedom

The impact of her body against the first few guards sends them back, her new form dwarfing them in size and strength. The metal rod that's slammed into her head has her lips pulling back, snarl vibrating up from her chest as pain radishes from the area.

The world narrows down to the bodies in front of her, pointed ears twitching atop her head. Pain doesn't register even as she pushes forward, not even when tasers touch her or guns fire rounds before she pushes them away. She's not kind as she let's her canines sink into skin, as she uses her larger body to send one flying into a wall.

Distantly she's aware that someone else joins them, that this person feels familiar even if she doesn't really know who it is. The new heartbeat remains steady despite the entire ordeal, while Aneira's own heart pounds in her ears. There's blood in her mouth and on her, but she still keeps fighting. There's no sympathy as she attacks, only a single-minded focus to get out and to defend herself.

She only paused when the newcomer took the last guard, flanks quivering as she meets crystal-blue eyes. The wolf in her head is silent and yet she can hear sounds coming from somewhere, the words that are spoken to her don't fully register. There's still a heartbeat echoing out that means threat, until it's silenced and for the moment it's just them.

Clarity returns within one blink and the next, eyes focusing on Lucian who looks different then he usually does. But so does she, she realizes with a glance down to where her feet should be. While they aren't close by any means, they are two of the few who have so far made it to this final stage. His words slowly trickle through her brain, ears twitching as she shifts on her paws. She feels clumsy and too large, senses extended outward so much so that she can hear the next group of guards running down the hall.

Shaking herself once, she glances at the man before her for a second before nodding as best she can. She still feels the need to run and fight, but it's tampered down by Lucian's presence somehow. She eyes the wings along his back as she moves forward the door, movements stiff and disjointed. Grumbling out a low sound she doesn't hesitate to take off, tail rigid as she moves down the hall.

It seemed her sense came back to her and Lucian could see the moment the frenzied state left the girl's eyes. He gave a small smile and reached out to rest a hand right between her ears. "There you are. Time to go." He stood up, keeping his hand lightly on her head as he looked around. It had been a long time since he had been outside of his cell. He, honestly, couldn't remember the way out of this place but it didn't matter too much. All they needed to find was a window, a door, any kind of opening to the outside and he could fly them away without a problem. Wings were not the only thing he got from these experiments. His strength was far stronger than he ever thought it would be. He proved that by throwing those guards behind him like toys he was throwing out of a toy chest. Even if Aneira was heavier in this state, he wouldn't have any trouble carrying her.

Lucian could heard the next group of guards approaching and frowned to himself. How many more guards is it going to take for them to finally find a way out of this accursed place?

As Aneira moved down the hall, Lucian stood up, to his feet and finally releasing the man he had in his grip. He pulled his wings in close so they wouldn't get caught on anything before he quickly turned to follow behind her. As they came to the locked door that separated their hall from the rest of the building, Lucian threw himself out in a flying kick, planting both feet firmly on the door. It didn't stand a chance. The door came crashing down with him on top of it, a surprised guard caught under it's weight. Lucian rode it down before he pushed off and threw himself at the next available guard. There was no way he was going to allow them to get a draw on him with their weapons. He wasn't sure if accelerated healing was part of his power bank but he wasn't willing to get hurt to find out. Just keep moving, and just keep hitting. Eventually they're run out of men.

The army of guards this time was larger, both in force and weaponry. Aneira's muzzle parted to show her canines, body shifting to lunge forward as Lucian took the lead.

Her ears worked to determine sounds far off, body moving on its own and sending two men standing behind a riot shield flying back. Their cells were kept separate from the others, and yet she can hear so many other heartbeats that it makes her head spin. A yelp of pain escapes her when something sharp pierces her side, head snapping towards the pain and teeth sinking in. The pain fades in seconds but there's something else, something warm left in it's wake that has Aneira locking her jaw and pulling agaisnt the arm she holds hostage.

The hand is tossed aside and then she's pinning the man with her frame, senses still working even as she bites deeply into his neck. There's a buzzing sound teasing along the edges of her mind, the faint smell of food coming from somewhere far off. When she lunges forward again she can feel weakness beginning along her side, a cold sensation that has her faltering for a second before continuing. The remaining guards stumble back with pale faces and shaking hands, Aneira barks once to grab Lucian's attention and then rushes forward. Nose tilted up in hopes of catching a whiff of something not inside the confines of the building, something that spoke of freedom.

As Lucian jumped off the door, her arms wrapped around the neck of the next guard in range of his grip and he coiled it tight. He pulled the guard tight against his chest and clenched his grip as tightly as he could until he heard a pop. He then released the guard, who dropped down to the ground in a heap, before whirling on his feet and slamming his fist into another guard's nose. A loud crunch sounded and the man was thrown, flying back into the guards behind him from the force of the hit. There were so many guards, Lucian couldn't even pause for a moment to recognize that he most likely just killed that guard he had in a head lock. He was running on pure instinct alone. Strike, dodge, flow, move. It was like a constant dance as he glided from one guard to the next. His elbow struck a guard in the sternum. A kick sending another crashing into the wall. Step over, side step, twist to miss a jab of a cattle prod. This was getting bothersome. When the hell do they run out of guards.

When a bark sounded, Lucian peered up for only a moment to see Aneira with her nose in the air. He allowed an eyebrow to raise. He wasn't quite sure what she was trying to tell him but he figure he would let her lead him through this mess. He kicked a guard out of the way and quickly tried to make his way to her as fast as the cluster of fearful humans would allow him. He dropped down and threw himself forward, grabbing one of the guards between them at the abdomen and then stood quickly, throwing the man over his shoulder and into the guards behind. Now he finally stood next to Aneira, keeping her in the corner of his eye as he braced to fight more guards.

"Lead the way," he said, getting into a fighting stance.

She didn't fully understand her new abilities, but something in her head was whispering that freedom wasn't too far away. Now with less guards and no more drawing closer yet, Aneira focused her eyes on the small cluster before them. An acidic scent came from a few as she shifted where she stood, lips curling back to show her teeth.

One twitched and then moved forward, a cattle prod sparking to life. Aneira dodged it and let her teeth dug into his arm, ignoring his screams and yanking him forward. Another moves forward and Aneira shifts with her jaw never realessjng, the men hit one another and the arm she holds comes free. Shaking her head as she drops it, she lunges forward with a foreleg raised and claws extended.

Her nose twitches when the scent of something resembling moist earth and sometimes spicy. Ears swiveling forward then back, Aneira uses her body to slam into the last row of guards. Barking twice at Lucian even as she dodges another cattle prob, Aneira focuses on that distant scent that has her stomach squirming. Spinning on her paws and kicking up with her hind legs up, she sends a man flying with enough force she hears bones snapping when he hits the far wall. Drawing closer to Lucian she carefully nudges her head against his hip, tail wagging once as she tries to guide him away and towards what smells like freedom.

When Aneira nudged Lucian's hip, he looked down at her with a fierce frown on his face. What could this woman want from him? He couldn't tell where the exit was. All he saw were more and more guards. He released a roar of annoyance as he crushed another guard's nose. "What?!" He called out, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't know what you want, Aneira. If you want me to follow you somewhere," He grabbed a guard and used him to slam another guard into the wall next to them, "Then move. your. fucking. feet!" He reached down and grabbed Aneira by the scruff of her neck and heaved. He picked the wolf up off her feet, took aim over the guards and gave a mighty yell as he threw her as far as he could over the guards. He could fly. He had wings that he could use to follow behind her but he couldn't just keep throwing guards left and right and hope they cleared them enough for her to show the way before another group of guards found their way into this stupid, tiny, little hallways. He was growing claustrophobic and angry.

When the wolf was out of his grip, he quickly dropped his weight and charged forward, sidestepping the first guard then shoulders the second guard out of the way. They needed to get out of this place. He could feel his heart beat really starting to race. He was losing his cool. Normally, it wouldn't take long for him to lose that cool but he held it under lock and key, at least until this point. Now he hands were bloody, his muscles hurt, and he was sure someone had poked him a time or two with a cattle prod in the middle of battle that he was now feeling. He needed them to get out of this mess and fast because he wouldn't last much longer like this.

Lucian was quick behind her and had just pushed his way through the last of the guards when a shot rang out, the sound so loud it reverberated off the walls of the hall. He felt a prick of pain in his back but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle at the time. He ignored it and kept running after Aneira, determined to get out of that place as soon as possible, his breath suddenly coming in harsh gasps at the prospect of finally being away from this place.

He threw me!

Aneira thought irritably as she was thrown like she weighted nothing, soaring over the platoon of guards until she was clear of them. Her landing was anything but graceful, limbs flying every which way. His words rang in her ears as they took off, ignoring a loud shot that followed them that had her ears aching painfully afterwards.

If she could talk she would, but as it was she wasn't even sure if she could change back into her usual self. Nose tipped up and flanks heaving, she focused on guiding them towards that teasing scent without pause.

The small hallways opened up the further they moved, small windows that let light in such an off sight to see. Turning a corner sharply just as distant footsteps caught her ears, Aneira skid to a halt at the massive wall of windows that decorated one half of the large room. Tables with chairs filled the space and the lingering smell of food meant that this was the cafeteria, she realized her heart pounding in her chest hard enough that it hurt.

Freedom

Lucian was really feeling the strain of this stupid fight by now. Normally, a street fight would be done and over after about ten minutes, tops. But this fight had been going on for far longer and his body was really showing the strain now. His heart was pounding in his ears and he was having a hard time catching his breath as he kept a full sprint behind the wolf. Damn that girl could move. Four legs really did make up a huge difference than his two and soon he was starting to fall behind her, something slick causing his feet to slide just a bit under him. He couldn't pay attention to that now though. He would just have to deal with the wet floor as he followed behind the wolf. It's not like him slipping would give him a suing chance at this moment. Hey I slipped on your floor. I'm suing you. They would laugh the whole way back to his cell while throwing him back in. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. He had to keep moving.

When the wolf came to a sudden halt in front of her, Lucian slid harshly. Damn this floor was slick! He caught himself on a table and kept from sliding too far before his eyes locked on the glass windows. His heart skipped a beat for only a moment before he moved. Freedom indeed. Freedom he wasn't willing to pass up. He ran up and wrapped his arms around the wolf's midsection and took off in a sprint, heading straight for the nearest window. "Hold on! We're breaking out of here!"

He tightened his grip on the wolf, dropped her head away from the sight as he lowered his shoulder. A loud crash sounded as they went barreling through the window. Without even a moment to recognized that there were people staring at them in horror, he spread his wings and gave a might flap. They launched off the ground like a shot, firing in the sky as fast as his wings would take them. He was pretty sure birds couldn't fly this fast. Perhaps his angelic abilities was also super fast flight. He couldn't think too hard on it at the moment. He needed to do what he swore he would. Aneira got them there, now it's his turn to get them out.

Higher and higher they flew, his wings flapping harder and harder as he tried to put as much distance between them and the building. He knew they had a tiny window. He wasn't going to let those bastards get a hold of them again. He refused. They were finally free and he was going to keep it that way. He was going to fly as long as his wings could carry them.

Eventually he came to settle on an elevation that didn't feel too thin to him, he tried a few different heights. Some seem too high and his already heavy breathing made it impossible for him to even get a full breath but he didn't want to be too low that people would notice them too easily. An angel carrying a wolf and flying around the city was bound to get the news interested. Best they hide where most people don't look, up.

His heart was still in his ears and his breath was coming in harsh ragged breaths. He had put a nice little distance between them and their cells but he felt they needed more. His palms were clammy and his skin pale. He vision began to blur and he blinked fiercely, trying to get them to focus. "Damnit," he muttered to himself as he felt Aneira slowly slipping from his grasp. He clenched tighter and pulled her closer to his chest, no way he was going to let this girl fall out of his grip, especially not this high up. He felt a harsh pain in his chest when he pulled her close to him and looked down to see that the whole front of his shirt was soaked red with blood. He blinked a few times at the sight of it. Surely that wasn't his blood but he couldn't seem to make his mind focus long enough to remember if the blood was there before they left the building or not.

He gave a mighty flap of his wings and his back lit on fire from pain. He released a pained gasp as he tried to think. Why was thinking getting so hard? He looked around for a place for them to land, his eyes spotting the roof of an apartment building not far off. His shifted their trajectory to aim for the roof, feeling them droop more and more in the sky as his vision got blurrier and blurrier. As they soared just over the edge of the roof of the building, Lucian slowly let Aneira slip from his grip and let her gently fall down to the ground as best he could in his current condition before he, himself, came crashing down on the roof in a harsh crash of feathers and blood.

He sprawled on his back, his heartbeat trying to push the little blood he had left in his system around. His breath was fast and ragged as his body tried to get oxygen to his cells, to his brain. Ironic. They did all that work for him to just end up like this. He gave a small laugh before he allowed his eyes to close. Ironic indeed.

Adrenaline: a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, especially in conditions of stress, increasing rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and preparing muscles for exertion

Her brain whispered as they took off, wind rushing past as powerful white wings flapped. She caught a glimpse of the city, dark clouds covering the sky in what she hoped was rain. Tall buildings and streets filled with cars and people, before all she could see was nothing but the sky.

Lucian guided them with his wings working along his spine, grip around her midsection tight but not unbearable. Her own body though buzzing still, settled as he guided them through different heights before settling on one that seemed to be alright. Slowly her heart began to slow and with it, pain began to register along her body. Time seemed infinite as they flew high above, hidden by thick clouds and a the scent of approaching rain thick in her nose.

Alarm bells blared in her head as the metallic scent of blood reached her senses, head snapping up just as Lucian pulled her closer to his chest. His heart sounded like a besting drum, his lips parting in a gasp as he tried to flap his wings once more. She wasn't sure where they were but slowly they began to droop, lower and lower in a way that had panic sparking in her chest. The roof he was aiming for wasn't too far away, a yelp left her as his grip released and she was let go of. She landed on her paws and turned immediately to follow his form, running towards him when he came to a harsh stop.

Leaning over him with her eyes scanning him from head to toe, Aneira felt fear Nd panic trying to choke her with their strength. He was pale and clammy in a way that had her pacing, the blood darkening his shirt had a whine leaving her throat. She could still hear his heart pounding, he's breathing far too ragged and harsh to being comfort. Nervously pacing around him with her ears lowered to her head, Aneira wondered if there was a way to help him. To keep him alive.

She needed hands, a voice to possibly ask someone from the apartments below for first aid supplies. There was no way in hell she could ask someone to call for help, she didn't even know where they were or where they'd come from. Whining softly and gently touching her nose to his clammy cheek, Aneira let her eyes closed as she listened to his heartbeat.

Without conscious thought, her nose moved along his cheek and down along the side of his neck, hovering just above the wound hidden beneath his shirt. Aside from the metallic scent of blood she couldn't smell anything foreign, and how she would know that she has no clue. There's something in her head whispering that she can help, that she can heal him even if temporarily.

Gently taking his shift between her teeth, she tugs and watches as the material rip and tear with little effort. The skin beneath is pale and strained crimson, glistening with perspiration and quivering. Nostrils flaring Aneira let's that whispering voice -presence or instinct- guide her into her next movement, tongue slowly licking the wound in slow passes. It should be gross, and on some level it is but she can't bring herself to stop.

And slowly, the wound begins to close and heal.

Thunder rumbles not far away, followed seconds later by lightning that lights the sky with color. Pulling away when the wound is barely more then a slight cut, Aneira closes her eyes and tips her head back as a cool breeze teases her face.

Lucian got them to this point, now while he rests she needs to do her own part to help him in turn. Which would be easier if she had hands. Between one blink and the next she's no long sitting on her haunches but crouched with her knees bent. Another breeze teases her but this time it has her hunching into herself for a moment, bare skin quivering at the unfamiliar sensation. Then she's moving away from Lucian and towards the opposite side of the roof, waist-length hair acting as a shield as she moves. Making a mental note about needing to grab clothes for them both, Aneira glances down a fire escape with slightly narrowed eyes.

Now it's her turn to help.

When Lucian came to a crashing stop on the roof, he was exhausted in ever sense of the word. His body, mind, very soul wanted to sleep. Hie whole body felt like it weighted a thousand pounds and he didn't even have enough strength to even lift his arm. The world around him soun slowly as if he was stuck in a whirlpool, being pulled deeper and deeper into the abyss. He didn't even have the willpower to keep his head above the water as it lapped at his head. He closed his eyes and began to sink, deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Lucian dreamed that he was flying through the clouds, not a care in the world. There were no buildings, no people, nothing but the calmn forest and rivers below him and blue sky above. His body didn't hurt and he wasn't worried about being caught by the people who had them before. He was finally free from all the worry. a smile was across his face as his eyes closed against the wind when suddenly he heard a loud crash of thunder off in the distance.

He opened his eyes, the sky suddenly too dark to tell what color it was originally. He slowly brought his flight to an end, hovering in mid air as he looked around, another crash of thunder rumbling him down to his bones. He looked up at the sky, just as a lightening bolt struck him square in the chest.

Lucian slowly opened his eyes. His body was still very weak and he still felt like he was made out of stone. He slowly reached up to the gunshot wound in his chest and felt there. It still wasn't full healed but it wasn't a hole in his chest anymore. He let him arm drop back on the roof. He was alive, somehow.

Finding a smashed window wasn't unexpected, slipping inside and finding the apartment building was actually clean and in pristine condition was. Bare feet silent on the linoleum floor, Aneira let her senses expand outward cautiously. She was on the fourth floor and alone, her ears catching only a few heartbeats within distance. Standing slowly and letting herslef move down the hall, she sniffs the air subtly in search of an apartment that held no human scent.

The door read 408 and smelled of cleaning supplies and nothing else, fingers curling around the door handle she let's out a slow breath. It opens easily and with little force, revealing a small entryway that's dividing by wooden floor and grey carpet. Nostrils flaring outward as a door not too far away opens, Aneira slips inside and shuts the door just as soft footfalls echo down the hall.

"Sure, feel free to come over. I'm just gonna get this last load of laundry done and then I'm free." A women's voice echos her footsteps, heartbeat slow and steady. She doesn't focus enough to listen to the conversation, curious as to where she was headed. Thunder outside had her jumping slightly, head snapping around to lock eyes on a balcony window that showed a dark sky.

Licking her lips and slowly opening the door, Aneira inhales slowly as she slips out and begins to follow the women. She's careful to keep her distance and body crouched, ears focused on the heartbeat that had passed her and everything else in an almost muted way. "He's a sweetheart, the property manager of this apartment building. If you're really interested I can send you his number, Mr. Solomon would love new tenants." Aneira catches seconds before the laundry room door opens, revealing a young woman with long brown hair and dressed in jeans and a black sleeveless shirt.

She doesn't move until the woman turns the corner, taking off on silent feet with her destination in mind. The room when she enters is actually larger then jt appears, holding five washers and dryers respectively as well as a small counter meant for folding clothes. She isn't picky with what she chooses, focusing instinctively on finding which are clean and picking ones that are well-worn enough to hopefully not be missed.

She returns to Lucian's side just as the rain begins to follow, bundle of clothes tucked under an arm and an empty broken into apartment waiting for them. She should feel guilty she tells herself as she gently lifts the other up to his feet, but she can't muster up the energy to and instead settles into her current objective. Helping them both by getting them inside and out of the storm, everything else can wait.

As the storm overhead began to release it's rain down upon him, Lucian couldn't help but give a small laugh. He felt sticky to the touch. He wasn't sure how much of his own blood he had lost trying to get him and Aneira away from that lockup prison but judging by how absolutely delirious he was at this point, he figured it was probably way more than he ever should have. He imagined the only reason he was still alive right now was because that wound had closed almost completely and his heart was actually able to move his blood around properly. He still felt a fierce ache in his chest each time he took a deep breath, so he was afraid maybe something internal was still damaged. He really hoped it wasn't a lung but judging by the wheeze he heard each time he inhaled, he figured he probably wasn't far off. His skin was still very pale and though his heart rate had dropped from what it was, it was still pumping hard to get the little blood moving in his veins. If he had a damaged or collapsed lung, man that was going mean healing up was going to suck.

He allowed his head to loll to the side when Aneira appeared once more on the roof, too tired to actually make his head move like he would want it to. He best he had was letting gravity pull it in the direction he wanted to look. "Glad you're okay." He said in a breathy tone as the rain started to fall just a bit harder. It was about to really storm here in a moment. His clothes, or at least the pants he had on, were already wet and his chest was drenched from laying directly under the rain's path.

When she pulled him to his feet, he released a low groan of pain but didn't say anything more about it. He allowed his full body weight to crush down on her shoulder, barely finding the strength to even stand completely. "Sorry," he said was a small laugh before releasing a long spurt of coughs that rocked his body hard. "Shit, that hurt." he groaned as he let his head rest idly on the top of hers. He was just so exhausted. He wasn't sure where she was taking him or how he was going to get there with her but he let himself get dragged along, trying his best to keep his feet on the ground and provide at least some support.

Lucian was not a small guy. He wasn't small before the people snatched him up, experimented on him, and changed his life forever, but now he was even larger than before. The experiments took his chunky 6'2 frame and converted it to a lean 6'5 frame of pure muscle, even changing is dark brown hair to a stark white. With his wings out, he could easily come close to 300 pounds and now, not only were his wings out but he was drenched from head to toe. He was easily pushing 300 at that moment.

Knowing he had to be heavy, he stumbled but kept his feet under him in the process. He hoped he wouldn't be like this for too long. They still had some running to do.

"I'm sorry you're not." She replies quietly, crouched in front of him with a pensive from on her lips. There was an ache along her side that flared when she reached for him, but the pain wasn't important right now. Being careful as she tugged him first upright and then until he was standing, Aneira felt her muscles flex and then adjust to his weight.

When she began to move with an arm around his waist, the other holding his other arm around her shoulders she didn't except much of a reaction. He was still pale in a way that had her biting her lip, his soft groan confirmation that he was at least still conscious. When his head fell to rest against hers ad well as his full weight, she found it easy to adjust her hold and continue forward without pause.

She felt tiny compared to Lucian beside her, and she wasn't even that small before they'd grabbed her. She stood at 5'6 before with a lean frame, now she stood at 5'8 with muscles and a more slender build.

When she reached the window she'd slipped into before, she apologized quietly as she helped guide him inside. Her ears were focused on the wheeze that accompanied each breath, senses instinctively extending outward as she slipped inside. Then she began guiding him down the hall, a low rumbling sound vibrating up from her chest.

They needed to rest for a bit. Eat. And then they could find keep running until they find a place to be safe. Hopefully.

AS they slowly moved down the fire escape, Lucian came to stare at the broken window with dread. His wings had to accommodate his large form and so they were very large and he couldn't imagine there was any way he was going to get them through that window without retracting them back into his body and reverting back to his human form.

He slowly pulled himself away from Aneira and grabbed a hold of the railing next to him for support. "One sec." He said as he concentrated. He wasn't completely sure how he would be able to do this. He imagined his body as it was before he had the huge wingspan and markings that crawled up along his chest and arms. He felt a burning in his back as his wings began to dissolve and the feathers fell down to the ground below him, each one disintegrating into wispy white smoke. The angelic markings that decorated his arms and chest crept along his form, condensing down to three little spots, one in the middle of his chest just above his sternum and two on each palm, before those marks disappeared completely as well. Even a length of his hair fell off and dissolved into the same wispy smoke until it was at the short level it was before he took on his angelic form.

He released a low sigh or relief before he allowed himself to be guiding through the window and into the apartment complex. He followed her lead down the hall, listening intently as he tried to keep as quiet as possible. He wasn't quite sure where they were or how on earth she found a place they could stay in an occupied apartment complex but he wasn't going to let a good thing go bad but they needed to go quickly, or as quickly as his weakened form would allow them. He was half nude, barefoot, with only pants on soaking wet and Aneira was stark nude and almost just as wet. They were quite the sight to see for anyone who might peak into the hallway.

As they approached door 408, Lucian reached for the door handle, just as he heard someone else's door open down the hall. Before he knew what he was doing, he had grabbed Aneira and ripped the door open. He shoved her in, none too gracefully and pulled the door closed before anyone could see a totally nude woman standing next to him. He whirled around and braced himself on the door frame and crossed his arms over the nastiest looking part of his chest. He gave a small nod to the man that eyed him as he walked pass. He waited until the man walked out of sight before he slowly slipped into the apartment, almost collapsing down on the ground just in the door.

"Close one."

She should feel embarrassed she thought as they made their way down the hallway, she was still nude and Lucian was just about in the same state. And yet all she could feel was hunger underlying the exhaustion that felt like a weight along her shoulders, a different sort of weight then Lucian's that was.

When she was shaved into the apartment as footsteps drew closer, Aneira almost went toppling over as her feet tangled with one another. The only thing that dated her was a hand shooting out and pressing into the wall, body bowing slightly as she regained her momentum. As the heartbeat moved past the door and Lucian joined her, Aneira released a soft sigh before shaking her head.

She'd left the clothes she'd taken folded atop the within the kitchen, moving forward she says nothing more. The storm continues outside as she grabs the two sets of clothes, padding back to hand one to Lucian. She slips into her own set which consists of a black tank top and gray sweatpants, her waist-lemgth brown hair sways as she straightens upright. Her eyes scan the open Floorplan as the small entryway opens up into a living room on the left and the kitchen on the right with a wall dividing them.

The window that leads out into a balcony shows the storm outside, trees below being whipped around this way and that by strong winds. She hasn't checked the rest of the apartment out yet and she knows she has to, but they both need food and rest.

Her first issue arises as she glances at the other man, eyeing him as he slowly dresses. They don't have money to get any groceries or to buy take-out. Biting her lip she moves closer to Lucian, crouching down but keeping her eyes level with his face.

"We need food, but we don't have money." She states softly, damp hair slowly sleeping into her shirt.

Lucian accepted the clothes from Aneira with a sad smile. “Sorry,” he said quietly. “I know I've been kind of man-handling you a lot as of late. I'm kind of running on instincts right now.” He set the clothes on the ground next to him, leaned his head back against the wall and let his eyes close. This was really the first moment of rest he was able to get for a while and he found himself struggling to even keep his eyes open, let alone move his body enough to really get dressed properly.

Eventually, he groaned and sat up enough to tug the shirt on at least. It took much longer than he liked and he hissed loudly when he raised his arms too high to put them through the sleeves, resorting to sliding them in one at a time at shoulder height. The shirt clung to his wet form and was hard for him to pull all the way down but he eventually managed it before collapsing back against the wall, letting his eyes close again. Man, he hurt everywhere.

When she spoke about food, he gave a small laugh. He wasn't hungry at all. He was just exhausted, absolutely exhausted but she was right. They needed some kind of help. They needed someone. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. “I may know someone who can help. But we need a phone.” He had made a lot of strong connections in his NA group and a lot of those people have seen some really rough days, especially his closest friend, Jessie. She told him time and time again that if he ever needed her, just to call her and she would be there, no questions asked. It also worked out that she was a nurse too. If they could get their hands on any kind of phone, they could give her a call and get some kind of help.

He groaned lightly which resulted in him releasing a bout of loud coughs before he settled against the wall again. “We're screwed aren't we?” He locked his eyes on hers, a sincere smile on his face. “At least we got out.”

"We did, yes." She replied after a moment, fingers curled slightly into her Pam's where they rested against her bent knees. The mention of them needing a phone had Aneira turning her eyes away, senses instinctively extending outward as if to find a phone.

"Come on Beth, don't be like- dammit." A male voice caught her attention, head slightly tilting to the side as she zoned in completely. Coins rattling made her nose wrinkle, before he began to dial a number. "Listen alright, nothing happened but you're gonna do me a favor. Come get your stuff in the next ten minutes or I'm tossing it all out in the rain. If you want to act like a child and not talk this out, then I'm done trying to explain." He hung the phone up with a huff, Aneira blinked as she focused her eyes on Lucian once more.

"I think I found one, but it's a payphone....let me see if I can find someone to lend me there phone, do you know the number?" She rose to her feet with a wince, hand lowering to the right side of her ribs at the flare of pain she felt there. The skin felt far too warm even through her shirt, fingers dropping to her side she shook her head once to clear the fog of exhaustion that clung to her.

"And we're both running on instinct so don't worry about it. I am going to ask that you try to rest while I get that phone." She adds with an arched brow, hand reaching out and poking a finger carefully against his forehead. She doesn't relish the fact that she'll have to bring the phone back to him, but she doesn't have many connections that are trustworthy and right now she's trusting him to seek them help.