Episode Seven, Part 3:
The Great Escape

Ares reached the door Lyra had told him about, but his hand slipped on the handle, afraid to open it. The trust he had built for her over the last 17 years had gone, and whatever was behind the door wouldn't change it, even if it was his mum, or a way out.

As he let out a deep breath, Ares entered inside, refusing to let the others in until he was certain of what was in front of him. And when he saw, the weight in his stance dropped, and his knees almost gave in at the sight. Elara entered when she noticed that her brother had froze, and she pushed past him when she realised, and ran into the arms of her mother.

Martha lifted Elara off the ground, and they spun around a few times as laughter bellowed out of them. Her attention turned to Ares who stood there with eyes watering, finally feeling a relief from the courage that had been suffocating him ever since they were separated.

Martha embraced her son, and he leaned down, the emotion spilling from him as he rested his head on her shoulder. The gun dropped from his hand, and Fabian let go of Lyra. Spotted by the older women, Fabian was called over, pulled also into her embrace. Such a motherly touch - something he would never feel from his own parents again, completely unaware that his dad hadn't made it.

When Ares had steadied himself a little more, he turned to his mum, a relief that things were finally going to make sense again. That some things could go back to how they were before all this happened.

"We have to go. We can't be here long, it's not safe for us."

As Ares went to leave, Martha caught on his arm, pulling him backwards. There was something distant about the way she looked at her son, something in her that Ares didn't recognize. "What are you talking about? We're staying here - at Blood Riders. There's no other choice." She dismissed his words comically, unable to detect the seriousness of the situation.

Ares fell away from Martha, stepping backwards from her, a look of betrayal clouding his eyes. "What are you talking about, Mom? I came - we came - to get you, so we could leave. You have to come with us." Emotion wavered his voice, but he still managed to speak - hoping that Martha would understand the weight of his words.

"Ares," she began, stepping forward. When she saw that her son only retreated further back, she sighed and reached for Lyra's hand, beckoning her to stand beside her. Ares looked over to Elara, a defeated look on her face as she watched Lyra take her place in front of her mother.

"I won't let you leave... Why didn't you listen to Lyra when she explained the conditions of you staying here?"

He tried to ignore Lyra - pretend she wasn't even there, but she stared at him coldly, a part of her rejoicing in his failure. "Mom, she doesn't know what she's talking about," he sighed out of frustration, tugging at the roots of his hair. "Look, Wynn, Quill, the others - they're waiting for us at Basilisk - the people who entered out Bunker - and we need to get back to them."

"Wynn's dead, Ares." 

A sob emerged from Elara, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as Fabian steadied her behind them. Ares was more focused on the way his mother spoke, rather than what she said. He knew Wynn wasn't dead, but what concerned him was how nonchalantly their Mom had delivered the words - as if she wasn't changed by the presumed loss of her son. It was the same way Lyra had acted at the mention of her sister.

"Wynn's not dead, Mom. I was with him right before these psychos shot me and dragged me back here. Why would you even say that to us!?" 

Martha contemplated. "Maybe not yet, but he will be soon if we don't convince him to stay here."

"That's my brother! Your son! Does that mean anything to you anymore? I'm your son, okay? I'm right here, Mom. I'm asking you to come home with us."

Martha looked to Lyra, nodding as if to commence something. The younger girl slid a knife out from the side of her shoe, handing it over to Martha, meanwhile she hoisted up the gun which she had somehow managed to retrieve from Ares without his knowledge.

But Ares was just as quick - undoubtedly due to the adrenaline circling his body - and he managed to dip past Lyra and make his way to his Mom - his hand around her wrist, preventing her from harming him. Despite not knowing the other boy's intentions, Fabian lunged for Lyra, pinning her down against the ground, the gun caught between both of their holds.

As Elara stood helplessly in the corner of the room, Ares pleaded his last, desperate attempt to convince his mother to join them. "Mom, please come with us. I don't want to leave you behind, but I will if I have to. Look at Ell," he nodded over his shoulder, "this is no place for her; she needs to go home. She needs her mother."

There was a moment of longing. Martha's eyes meeting her daughter's, some apologetic half-smile on her lips, but it wasn't enough. In a movement, she had spun Ares around so that he was wrapped in her arms; the blade of the knife already piercing at his skin, it would only continue to tear through if he attempted escape.

"I know so much more about this world than you realise. You think we survived alone in that Bunker, but we didn't. And I know about Blood Riders - I know what they do seems harsh, but their people know how to survive, Ares. I chose them. In time, I hope you'll chose them too."

"What's gonna happen to us? You're gonna keep us locked up until we follow your sacred rules?" Fabian interrupted. From beneath him, Lyra spoke.

"If we have to."

Her words struck a fear in Elara - who up until now had remained frozen in her place. She stepped over towards Ares and Martha, her gaze flickering between the two. She looked unsure, but the desperate gaze of her brother trapped in his stance helped her heart figure out what she had to do.

"Mom, I don't like it here. I don't feel safe. Don't think I'm stupid enough to believe that everything could go back to how it was, but I know there's gotta be a place for us somewhere. Can't we figure that out together?"

"Elara, Hunny, you're too young to understand it all. You can't listen to what they say about these other Clans. They've got it wrong. The reason we got separated is because Blood Riders saved us from ending up at Basilisk. You stay here, and Riders will protect you from those people. That's all they're trying to do."

"Don't listen to her, Ell. Wynn and Quill are fine. I was there, I know what Basilisk is like, I-"

"Ares, it's okay," Elara hushed her brother, barely a step away from them. Ares' heart sank in his chest. He couldn't leave without her. He couldn't ever do that... For a moment, realization settled in - Ares trying to accept the consequences of staying here with her - what that would mean for Fabian, and everyone else outside.

But Elara interrupted his thoughts, a rattling sound breaking the tension in the room. She had pulled a set of keys from Martha's pocket - keys Ares knew would be needed in their escape. A quick glance to her brother, and they knew what needed to be done.

Ares ducked down from his hold suddenly, the blade ripping along his forearm, the abruptness of his action causing Martha to lose focus. With his good arm, Ares retrieved the knife before she could - fear that she would to the same to Ell if she thought it would stop her from leaving.

Lyra also seemed to have quick responses, shoving Fabian from on top of her, and standing to her feet. As the boy scrambled to pick himself up, Lyra regained control of the gun, aiming it towards Fabian.

With the knife in hand, Ares held it securely in front of him, mustering up the strength to pull Fabian behind him.

"Ares," Lyra began, "I'm serious. Please don't make me do this." But he didn't flinch, not even when her grip on the gun tightened, or the distress in her voice rang clear.

"You don't have it in you to shoot me." Ares declared. "Not even though you know it's the only way you could stop me."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Lyra challenged, her anxiety taking over as the trio slowly backstepped towards the door.

"Well now's your chance. So do it Lyra, prove me wrong. Shoot me, and you know that we won't leave. But I promise you that Wynnlow will never forgive you if you do. 

Seven // Part Three