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AJ and Nick stayed in their pose for a few minutes. AJ holding his hand cupped over Nick's mouth While Nick looked at the door waiting for it to fly open any minute. "We have to hide" J whispered to Nick shaking him so he would break his gaze at the door. All Nick could do was nod. AJ took his hand away from the teens mouth slowly and began to look around the bathroom. There were no windows because of how it was situated. It was at the very end of the hall. There were four stalls on the inside plus two urinals that were never used. AJ pulled Nick into the handicapped stall as he heard a commotion approaching them. He motioned for Nick to stand on the toilet as he did the same. Both balancing themselves on opposite ends of the rim on the toilet.

AJ leaning against the wall and Nick standing with his arms out to his sides, like he was about to fly an airplane, they just stood there waiting. If only this were a game, but as those two men barged into the restroom kicking the door open and making all the stall doors shake, AJ realized it was No game. "Is anybody in here?" One of the men called. He sounded mean. They stood as motionless as possible, possibly the only time in Nick's life, he had stayed this still and quiet. Footsteps of two men were walking around the bathroom going from stall to stall. Both Nick and AJ praying to any God that would listen for them not to kick in the door to the stall they were occupying. "Hello? You need to come out now!" A man said from right behind the door. It began to creak open as AJ was ready to kick it closed again and hope for the best. "Chris come on there's nobody here let's move on!"

Both boys breathed a sigh of relief when the door creaked closed again and footsteps of the one called Chris turned and left the room. They stayed in that position for awhile just in case, Chris was about to pop back in, they listened as running and screaming was heard right outside the restroom door. Finally feeling safe, AJ jumped from his position, motioning for Nick to do the same, he looked at Nick and saw a pale and scared shitless kid staring back at him. He was shaking like a leaf, shaking and ready to cry. AJ pulled him close looking him in the eyes, "Hey buddy, you can't lose it right now okay?"

"What about the guys? Do you think their okay?" AJ had tried his hardest not to think about that. He was well aware that the rest of the group was out there, but he had to assume that all was well. "I'm sure they are okay Nick. We need to just worry about ourselves. We need to get out of here!"

"But we just can't leave them AJ we.."

"We aren't Nick, we are gonna try and get help for them! We aren't leaving them, You need to be strong Nick okay? I'm scared to death too but let's do this together alright?"

They embraced for a minute, AJ thrown by how much his younger friend was shaking. He hugged him tighter.

Nick was concentrating more on his environment then on the hug and when he saw a possible way out, he pulled away from AJ. "J.Look" He said pointing up to a vent. AJ immediately went over to the vent to get a closer look, "I bet we could get in there and try to find a way out of here. Nick went over to join him. "How do we get up there?" He asked J while looking for a way to climb up to the vent. "The sink, Nick do you think you would be able to reach it from the sink?"

"I don't know but I'll try" AJ nodded and in one quick jump, Nick was on top of the sink, using the wall to steady himself, He stretched for the vent getting his fingertips on it but failing to reach it well enough to pry it lose. He looked down at AJ "I bet I can reach it if you can find something for me to use like a pole or something." AJ fished around trying to be very quiet, looking for anything that might help. He found a toilet paper dispenser and took it off the wall, holding it up to Nick he asked, "Do you think this would work?"

Nick took it and tried once again, he was able to hit the vent with it but it didn't do much good. He needed to get his hands on it. Then he remembered in his jacket he had his keychain, he never carried any keys, didn't have a reason too anymore but he had always kept his keychain, a present from his Dad right in his pocket. When he was blue or homesick he would stick his hand in the pocket and rub on it, it made him feel better, like he was giving his Father a warm hug. He took it out of his pocket and uncurled it, making it act as a hook and again he leaned over holding one hand on the ceiling, tippy toes on the sink. AJ looked on hoping he wouldn"t fall and attract attention to himself.

He got a good grip on it, and in one swift tug, brought it sailing down towards the floor. AJ caught it seconds before hitting. "Nice work Kaos!" AJ said smiling up at his friend. "Now, how do we get in there?" Nick jumped down, and placed his hands in a cup, "You get up there and tell me if there's enough room for the two of us" AJ agreed and placed his foot in the step Nick created and jumped up into the hole grabbing the sides and pulling himself up.

"Well, what do you see?" NIck asked from the floor. J looked around and saw a vent filled with wires and tunnels, he had seen then dozens of times in movies and TV shows but never really thought they would look exactly how they did in those scenerios, but then again, he never thought he would ever find himself having to hide in one either.

"It's gonna be fine Nick, there's more than enough room in here for the both of us"

"How do I get up there?" Nick asked panicked when he realized he couldn't fly. "Relax, I'll come down and help you and then you can give me a hnad from up there okay?" Before he could answer AJ's legs were dangling down, Nick grabbed him and guided him to the floor. J then cupped his hands and helped Nick jump up there.

Once Nick was up he stuck his head all the way out of the hole leaning as far as he could without falling and held his hand out for AJ to grab. Commotion in the hallway made AJ turn towards the door. He heard two men coming towards the bathroom, he knew he wouldn't make it up there in time so he motionted for Nick to put his hand back in the vent. "No J what are you doing?"

"Nick shut up and listen to me.."

"No J" Nick had a panicked look on his face. AJ again looked at the door, they were very close now maybe two doors away, "Nick you have got to stay hidden okay? Don't say a word and try to get help. Promise me that you won't do anything dumb"

"AJ no, please I can help you come up here"

"No Nick it's too late, just hide now!" AJ grabbed the vent cover and threw it in the fourth stall out of the way just as the two gunmen came crashing through the door. As they entered AJ saw his life flash before his face. He held his arms up in the air hoping they wouldn't shoot him. No shooting him and no looking up, that's all he was asking for.

"Don't move!" One of the men screamed at him grabbing him forcefully by the arm and dragging him away, "Where's the other one?" He asked J. "He's gone" Was all he said. One of the guys threw AJ against the wall, making Nick gasp and quickly cover his mouth. "What do you mean he's gone?"

"I mean he left, it is only me in here" While one of the men held AJ in place the other kicked open every bathroom stall, Nick could only watch from his perch high above the men, not able to control his shaking, but trying his hardest to stay focused. "The kid's right, there is nobody in here, he forcefully grabbed AJ by the collar of his jacket, "Let's go!" He said. As they were leaving AJ non chalantly looked up to Nick winking at him, hoping that he would be safe.

When the men were gone Nick just sat with his head in his hands and rocked back and forth scared and unsure of what to do next...