She was - safe. I didn’t know what the hell the spores that she kept emitting were, but they were in the air around us, and I had them caught up in small eddies of wind. She’d released them when that damn scientist had ordered her to kill me - so I was not taking any chances with breathing them in. But - I had wind magic, wind control, and that meant that this? This worked nicely. They would be an unhappy surprise for whatever fucker got too close to us, because I could give them a dose of what they’d tried to make her do to me.

“Alright, Esther, my star. I - can feel fresh air coming, so I think I can get us out of here. Then - then there’s a whole world that I need to show you. It’s - deep sands, I can show you things, not just tell you about them.” I was trying to distract her, to reassure her. I was also straining my ears, turning down corridors to avoid ones where I could hear the sounds of running feet. I didn’t know what the hell these fuckers would have planned for ‘Rogue Experiments’ but I didn’t want to find out unless necessary. It helped, though, that when I had gotten to Esther’s cell, I had been working with Ventus, so they had no idea which Experiment I was. I paused and turned back around a corner, pressing Esther up against the wall and holding my breath. A moment later, three figures ran by, sprinting down the corridor that I had almost turned into. Fuck - they were moving quickly. I looked down after them, to make sure that they weren’t turning around - no, they were running on. Good.

I took off, moving down the hallway that they had come from. I hadn’t been lying to Esther - I could, faintly, smell desert air, the dry, dusty smell of sand and heat baking off of it. It might take some time -

Fuck. There was a man, staring at me. His eyes went wide and he started to shout - and he received a dose of Esther’s spores right down his mouth. He let out an odd, gurgling noise and his body crumpled to the floor. His chest still rose and fell. He was alive, and his body was twitching. HIs eyes wide and staring at us as he gave a silent scream. I strode over to him and planted one foot on his chest - and ripped his falchion from his belt holster.

’He is stunned. Paralysed. It will wear off in approximately 5-10 minutes’. I paused, and tilted my head back to indicate to Esther that I was listening to her.

“Right. Well. Can’t have him giving away where we are by shouting for help. My star - please, cover your eyes.” I waited until I felt her move, then I slid the blade into the man’s neck. His dark skin parted with ease, and his eyes, which had been wide and staring at me with terror, went blank, then lifeless. I knelt down and closed his eyes, then stood up. “Alright. We have until they find his body for them to know which way that we went. Hold on, Esther.” I doubted she had much strength to hold on to me with, but it was more to give her warning that I was going to be moving again.

She tightened her grip on me. ’I am used to hearing screams when I kill.’ Her words were so nonplussed.

“Does it bother you he died silently?” I was moving again, walking swiftly, following the scent of fresh air. It was - an odd statement, and an odd question. It made sense that they’d have made her kill. I hated the thought - my star shouldn’t have to be sullied with blood - but at the same time. What had he called her? One of the few successful participants? Of course they’d use that. They hadn’t used me yet, because I was still resisting their indoctrination. But - almost the entire time I had heard Esther’s voice, she had been here, I think. And that - that had been over a decade, now. My arm under her tightened against her legs for a moment.

’No. Target is dead. It does not matter how.’ I felt her press her lips into my neck and inhale. ’You’re efficient Ron.’ I shivered at her kiss. Oh. Her dry, chapped lips, chafing against my skin as she breathed in. I - that was a new sensation. I shook my head sharply.

“I - thank you, Esther. Try not to kiss me right now, dear, it’s a bit distracting.” I doubted she knew what a kiss was - but… She had been in my head for years. I told her everything that happened to me. Finding out she was real - that my oldest, closest friend, was actually real? And now, pressing against my back, the only thing between us the tattered clothes we were both wearing? Her smooth skin against my scarred skin, her stomach against the thick scar on my back as I saved her from the hell we’d both been in for years? I was pretty sure that once I sorted out my feelings from the shock and disbelief, and the terror - that I would need to figure out where I stood with her. She’d been in my head for a long, long time, knew me better than anyone out there ever could hope. I paused as I saw two men arguing. Both were scientists. Right. Emotional revelations later - getting my star out of here, now.

’It felt right. You smell and taste nice.’

I shivered. That - sounded very intimate in my head. I slid Esther off of my back, and pressed my lips to her nose. I had almost kissed her forehead - but I had seen the wound there, where they had been working on her. I wanted, desperately, to kiss her directly. But - not yet. As much as I might want to, I shouldn’t. I would wait to get out of this hell to give her the affection she deserved, what I wanted to show her.

“I need to go deal with the scientists, my star. They’re in our way.” Her head tilted up towards the touch, and it looked like she had wanted me to kiss her. Damn.

'If you show them images of their loved ones dying, they scream louder.’ I let out a soft, soft laugh and shook my head. I ran one hand along the edge of the blade I had acquired.

“I’ll leave that to you, Esther. I’m - more physical. And wind, I can do that well.” Actually - that was a better idea than trying to kill both of them with the falchion. I closed my eyes - and the air around me chilled as I took control. Then - with a flash of a smile at Esther - I took off, charging down the corridor. The scientists, lost in their argument, started to turn towards me as it became clear that I was running towards them, the sound of my bare feet thumping against the floor finally breaking their concentration. Too late - for them. I sprang forward, twisting my body around in a tight arc. The falchion slid through their necks with ease. Kill shots, on unprotected, unsuspecting targets. Neutralize their ability to scream for help. They hit the ground, their hands clutching at their throats - until I plunged the stolen sword all the way through the neck wound, ending their lives.

I wiped the falchion clean of blood on one of the coats of the man, then hurried back to Esther. She had her arms held out towards me - reaching up for me almost like a small child. I set the blade down and picked her up, cradling her in a hug for a moment before I shifted her onto my back again. I kicked the blade up into the air and caught it with my left hand - my right now serving as a support for my star to sit on against my back. “We should press on. We’re getting closer to the exit.”