"Are you shitting me!?" Red paled a bit- which was pretty noticeable given his tanned skin. "Th-those psychos...that's Chess and Domino...Kayen's henchmen and bodyguards! You mean they have Luda's DNA in them- are you serious!?"

"I have no reason to not be," Q replied.

"Q...this is bad...this is really bad." Red shook his head. "Not to mention, if Luda wants you dead and Kayen's running around your DNA and those whack-jobs have Luda's..."

"DNA does not make choices," Q informed. "If either of them wish to kill me, it is of their own free will."

He was silent for a moment, before he frowned.

"Why would they want to kill me?"

"You probably don't have to worry, they'd want to kill Kayen at that rate." Red reasoned. "...Then again, they'll want to kill you just because Kayen will want you dead."

"Why would Kayen want me dead?" Q inquired. "I've never met him before. It isn't logical."

"You're a Silver, he'll want you dead and want you strung out on display for the other ones to see you." Red replied. "This kid is nuts Q, N - U - T - S, nuts. He's super-powerful and completely desensitized- everyone's afraid of him."

Q wasn't really sure what to say, so he just sat in silence and watched the rest of the Silvers around them going about their business.

--

"Adam!"

Someone grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly.

"Wake up, Adam!"

"Ngh?" A tall man with blonde hair blinked his eyes open and looked around.

It was hard to have them adjust to the tinted lenses of his sunglasses, but he couldn't afford to take them off.

"Adam!"

The person above him was someone who he knew to be an older gentlemen - almost fifty - yet he had the appearance of someone in their twenties. He had long, curled black hair and dark brown eyes.

"Adam, Kayen escaped!" He breathed.

The man- Adam -bolted upright.

"Escaped!?" He repeated with a frown- breaking his usually calm demeanor. "How!?"

"He sent out a pulse that knocked out all of the power," The other explained. "Then he and a good bunch of other children rallied against the guards. Most of them were captured in the jungle... but Kayen, Domino, Chess, and a few others escaped..."

Adam was quiet a moment and fell into deep contemplation before he snapped his fingers.

"They'll make for one of two things." He reasoned. "A nearby human city or a settlement of Silvers. Lets hope they make for a city."

"There's something more," The dark-haired man breathed. "A few of the children... escaped with Q."

"...How is that even possible?" Adam frowned. "Where was security?"

"Getting blown... literally to pieces but Luda," The dark-haired man whispered, looking a bit ill.

"Oh Lord, he's out too isn't he...has be been detained?" Adam asked gravely. "Where's Voskov?"

"In... the same state as the guards," The other whispered, lowering his head. "He helped Quarrel to escape..."

"Damn that fool." Adam sighed. "...Okay, get ready to move."

Adam got off his cot and moved to get his coat and gear.

"There's a city close enough by to check." He stated.

With a nod, the other moved over to the closet and grabbed his own coat, pulling off his lab coat and replacing it with the indigo colored one.

"Oh," He breathed, turning to eye the other. "I'm... not sure how much this matters, but... one of the ones that escaped with Quarrel was Molybdenum."

"It matters." Adam sighed. "Shotaro...I don't know if I can bring Kayen back."

"Why not?" Shotaro breathed, frowning deeply as he turned toward the other completely.

"To this, I mean." Adam sighed- waving his hand. "Kayen always wanted to leave this place. But he's just a boy, he can't be on his own."

Shotaro let out a slow breath and turned away. "I understand."

"...We may not come back here." Adam said as softly as he could manage.

"I understand," Shotaro repeated, clinging to his coat.

Adam was silent a moment before he nodded and headed for the door.

"Lets go." He said. "The sooner we find him the better...I hope the all that's above that we don't have to follow a trail of carnage leading up to him."

--

Kayen jolted awake, sitting up with a gasp and looking around himself in alarm.

"Relax, we're still indoors." Domino assured as he tossed another Bible into the fire to keep it going. "You're just hearing the sirens outside again."

Slowly calming his breath, Kayen closed his eyes and laid back down, tossing an arm over his sweaty forehead.

Domino watched the boy lying on the pews a moment before tossing another book into the fire and then getting up to move over to Kayen. They taken refuge in a small church not long after entering town. Chess had led them to a graveyard of all places and while he had opted for the mausoleum, Kayen and Domino had taken up residence in the chapel. It seemed that the place had been abandoned or maybe everyone else was just out for the day, but no-one was certainly here now.

"Scoot over." Domino told Kayen quietly.

Mumbling something incoherent in response, Kayen shifted over and made room for Domino.

They'd pushed two pews together to make a place wide enough for both of them to lay. There had been some old clothes in the back and they'd thrown them down for some make-shift padding, but the entire thing was extremely uncomfortable.

Domino set himself down beside Kayen.

"I'd like to hold you for a little bit." Domino said.

Giving a small nod, Kayen slowly curled up against Domino, snuggling into the other as he was wrapped in his arms.

"I feel safe here," He admitted, quietly.

"In the church?" Domino asked as he held Kayen with his long sleeves.

"In your arms," The smaller boy whispered, his cheeks pink.

Domino stared at Kayen blankly before his moved his face closer and laid his cheek over Kayen's blushing one. Kayen's skin was so warm and soft the Domino ached for a little more, but knew better than to even suggest. He would be content with just the limited contact they had...it meant more to him that anyone else could realize.

Kayen's cheeks lit up even more at the touch and slowly he turned in, nuzzling Domino's cheek with his own.

There were no bad thoughts... no flash backs of being held down like there usually were when skin touched his own. No... there was just a sense of peace and a warmth that spread through his body.

At the notice of Kayen's nuzzling, Domino immediately nuzzled back. They're skin rubbed and pressed against each other. Domino was feeling that warm, tingling sensation spread throughout his body as he continued the contact between them- even if it was only limited to this nuzzling. It was more than he had ever hoped for in such a short time.

After a few moments, Kayen pulled away. But to Domino's surprise, instead of pulling back in fear, the white-haired boy actually pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss.