Runners Chronicles
Prologue
Kiss it all goodbye All Time Low
-
"Hey, Brendon, look."
Spencer pointed across the town square, to the small road that lead into Battery City. From where they were sitting on their porch steps, Brendon could see the white gates that kept everyone in Practice safe from the Zones. Those white gates were pulling up, and behind them stood twenty or so Dracs. The masked men marched into the town, and then scattered in pairs.
Brendon looked at Spencer, and gulped. "Sacrifice Search."
Spencer just put his lips in a hard line, and placed a calming hand in Brendon's. "It'll be alright. I promise."
Brendon visibly relaxed after that. Spencer wouldn't lie; Spencer was there to protect Brendon. He looked after Brendon. And Spencer was always right, so if he said it was going to be alright it was going to be alright.
"Should we go find Ryan?" Brendon asked, looking at Spencer. Spencer always gave the directions. He was a good leader, never letting Brendon and Ryan down.
Spencer hesitated, before he replied, "He's inside the house. But, no. If it looks like we're trying to hide, the Dracs will pull their guns on us."
Brendon just nodded, because Spencer was right. Avoiding the Dracs was against the law, and punishable by death. Even turning subtly during a Sacrifice Search was deadly. Cash turned to his friend to give the kid a heads up last time the Dracs were in town, and Cash's head blew up not a minute later. Brendon shuddered at the memory of the blood. The dark patch on the ground was still there, just reminding Brendon how important it was to follow BLI’s rules, to listen to Spencer.
Brendon tore his eyes from the ground when Spencer's grip on Brendon's hand tightened. He looked up and saw two Dracs approaching them.
"Spencer," Brendon whispered, frightened. It never occurred to him that in his perfect world Spencer, Ryan, or himself would ever get picked for Sacrifice Search. He never even thought of it.
"Just keep calm," Spencer advised. "It'll be okay. They probably just need to ask us where someone is."
Brendon leaned into Spencer's side as the BLI workers drew near. Spencer would never lie. Spencer is never wrong he kept repeating to himself. Spencer would never lie. Spencer is never-
"Spencer Smith?" one of the Dracs asked in its robotic voice.
"Yes," Spencer answered, slipping his hand out of Brendon's.
"No," Brendon gasped.
"You're the sacrifice. You need to come with us," the Drac said.
Before Brendon could blink, the two Dracs were pulling at Spencer. Spencer seemed resistant at first, and he turned to Brendon with wide eyes.
Brendon shook his head no. He wouldn't accept it. This was a joke. Spencer said everything would be fine, and it's not. Brendon's hands were trembling.
"Take care of him, Brendon." The Dracs were pulling Spencer away, so he added louder, "you need each other, B. Take care of each other."
Brendon's eyes were blurring with tears, and he screamed, "No! Spencer!" before leaping off the stairs. By then they were already at the gate. Spencer turned and gave Brendon one last weak smile before the gate shut on the town.
Brendon still ran over. He banged on the gate, screaming and crying, and repeating in his head Spencer would never lie. Spencer is always right.
-
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Brendon asked, eyes scanning the backpack Ryan was filling.
Ryan looked up at him, eyes still red and wet. “We can’t let them hurt Spencer, Bren.”
“It’s against the rules,” Brendon reasoned, while Ryan went back to packing.
“Fuck the rules,” Ryan spat.
“Ryan,” Brendon gasped. “You’ll get yourself killed saying things like that.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “We either get killed here, saying things and hiding in this sheltered town, or we make a show of it and get killed in search of Spencer.”
Brendon bit his lip. “We’ll stick together, right? You won’t…you won’t leave me behind?”
Ryan looked up from the supplies he was shoving in his backpack, and stared hard at Brendon. “I won’t leave you behind. I promise.”
“Okay,” Brendon whispered, and grabbed the backpack Ryan threw at him. “What should I pack?”
-
"Hey, Brendon, look."
Spencer pointed across the town square, to the small road that lead into Battery City. From where they were sitting on their porch steps, Brendon could see the white gates that kept everyone in Practice safe from the Zones. Those white gates were pulling up, and behind them stood twenty or so Dracs. The masked men marched into the town, and then scattered in pairs.
Brendon looked at Spencer, and gulped. "Sacrifice Search."
Spencer just put his lips in a hard line, and placed a calming hand in Brendon's. "It'll be alright. I promise."
Brendon visibly relaxed after that. Spencer wouldn't lie; Spencer was there to protect Brendon. He looked after Brendon. And Spencer was always right, so if he said it was going to be alright it was going to be alright.
"Should we go find Ryan?" Brendon asked, looking at Spencer. Spencer always gave the directions. He was a good leader, never letting Brendon and Ryan down.
Spencer hesitated, before he replied, "He's inside the house. But, no. If it looks like we're trying to hide, the Dracs will pull their guns on us."
Brendon just nodded, because Spencer was right. Avoiding the Dracs was against the law, and punishable by death. Even turning subtly during a Sacrifice Search was deadly. Cash turned to his friend to give the kid a heads up last time the Dracs were in town, and Cash's head blew up not a minute later. Brendon shuddered at the memory of the blood. The dark patch on the ground was still there, just reminding Brendon how important it was to follow BLI’s rules, to listen to Spencer.
Brendon tore his eyes from the ground when Spencer's grip on Brendon's hand tightened. He looked up and saw two Dracs approaching them.
"Spencer," Brendon whispered, frightened. It never occurred to him that in his perfect world Spencer, Ryan, or himself would ever get picked for Sacrifice Search. He never even thought of it.
"Just keep calm," Spencer advised. "It'll be okay. They probably just need to ask us where someone is."
Brendon leaned into Spencer's side as the BLI workers drew near. Spencer would never lie. Spencer is never wrong he kept repeating to himself. Spencer would never lie. Spencer is never-
"Spencer Smith?" one of the Dracs asked in its robotic voice.
"Yes," Spencer answered, slipping his hand out of Brendon's.
"No," Brendon gasped.
"You're the sacrifice. You need to come with us," the Drac said.
Before Brendon could blink, the two Dracs were pulling at Spencer. Spencer seemed resistant at first, and he turned to Brendon with wide eyes.
Brendon shook his head no. He wouldn't accept it. This was a joke. Spencer said everything would be fine, and it's not. Brendon's hands were trembling.
"Take care of him, Brendon." The Dracs were pulling Spencer away, so he added louder, "you need each other, B. Take care of each other."
Brendon's eyes were blurring with tears, and he screamed, "No! Spencer!" before leaping off the stairs. By then they were already at the gate. Spencer turned and gave Brendon one last weak smile before the gate shut on the town.
Brendon still ran over. He banged on the gate, screaming and crying, and repeating in his head Spencer would never lie. Spencer is always right.
-
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Brendon asked, eyes scanning the backpack Ryan was filling.
Ryan looked up at him, eyes still red and wet. “We can’t let them hurt Spencer, Bren.”
“It’s against the rules,” Brendon reasoned, while Ryan went back to packing.
“Fuck the rules,” Ryan spat.
“Ryan,” Brendon gasped. “You’ll get yourself killed saying things like that.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “We either get killed here, saying things and hiding in this sheltered town, or we make a show of it and get killed in search of Spencer.”
Brendon bit his lip. “We’ll stick together, right? You won’t…you won’t leave me behind?”
Ryan looked up from the supplies he was shoving in his backpack, and stared hard at Brendon. “I won’t leave you behind. I promise.”
“Okay,” Brendon whispered, and grabbed the backpack Ryan threw at him. “What should I pack?”