“You ready? Follow me and run from the beginning. Just like this, you and me run. Don’t let go of this hand.” -EXO, "Run"

 The man sighed and rolled his eyes before taking a step forward and leaning in close to Tao’s ear. “Tell me cub,” he wrapped his fingers around Tao’s tie and looked him in the eye, “why should I tell you who I am?” Although this person was shorter than him and Tao couldn't picture him hurting a fly, the man was just as intimidating as some of the guards back in the the Pit, and Tao stuttered, not knowing how to reply.

"What? You don't remember me, cub?"

"I-"

"Someone looks scared, oh, is the panda scared of me?" The man scoffed at Tao and released the hold on his tie. "No worries kid, I'm not here to hurt you." The man stepped back and sat on the window sill again, covering himself with a cape of shadow weaved by the darkness of the night. Tao backed up and sat on the bed, glaring at the stranger that had decided to provoke him.

"So are you going to tell me who you are."

"Now, why should I tell an idiot like you?"

"But you said-"

"No, I said I wouldn't hurt you, I didn't say I was here to identify myself." Zitao grumbled to himself and ruffled his hair in frustration, wondering why the man would help him. Zitao didn't need help and even if he did he wouldn't willing accept it from this douche of a person. "Now follow me," the man said as he stood straight again and started for the door. "I said I was here to help you."

"And tell me, stranger, what do I need help with?"

"You'll know when we get there." He replied through gritted teeth. "Now hurry up."

"Why would I follow you? I don't even know you."

"Look," suddenly the man was beside him gripping his wrist hard enough for it to hurt and Tao winced, "I know what you're up to, and by the looks of it, you could use some help before you get caught." The man glared back at Tao and the two let their frustration show in their gazes. "So, Zitao, I suggest you follow me before we both get in trouble." The man pulled Tao off the bed and dragged him out of his room before Tao had time to react and pull away.

"Y-yah! Who do you think you are? What are you talking about, us “both” getting in trouble; for what?" Tao yelled at the man as he was forced further down the corridor. His voice was louder than it probably should be considering it was past midnight, but Zitao didn't care.

"Let me go you-"

"Would you shut up already?!" A sharp pain was sent through Tao's jaw and for a second his life flashed before his eyes as he remembered what it was like in the Commons. All the guards snapping at them, hitting them, punching them when they didn't do something "right".

Tao gulped as a shiver crawled up his spine and apologized before shutting up and giving up on trying to get out of the man's grip. He didn't pay much attention after that, keeping his lips sewed shut and his eyes on his feet which dragged through the hallways. His instincts from being a Worker had come back and all he could do was obey.

The stranger wasted no time in getting where he wanted to be. It didn't take him long to come to a halt and let go of Zitao's wrist as he turned to face him again. "So cub, I have some rules before we do anything else." Tao's gaze flickered up to meet his eyes before nodding solemnly. "Firstly, I expect you to stay quiet, it's almost morning and some people will be waking so it's best not to wake them any earlier. Number two, don't be stupid, I won't take it if I get blamed for something you do. And lastly," the man leaned in and pulled Tao closer by the collar of his shirt. "If you tell anyone that I helped you with this stupid situation,  I will make sure to return the favor." The stranger's eyes seemed to glow as he pulled back and Tao followed him as they entered a door and were lead down by steep stairs. He didn't know where they were, having not paid any attention when they were rushing through the corridors.

"Where are we?" The stranger grumbled something about him not needing to know and Tao sighed. "Then where are we going?" The man kept ahead of him not glancing behind  him to look at Tao when he answered. He could've snapped the stranger's neck when he replied with another vague answer, telling him he'd see when they got there. Silence erupted around them and eventually the stairs stopped their downward descent and opened up to a tunnel.

The walls were made of old dirtied stones and the occasional wooden planks that were attached to the walls had begun to decay in the hands of time. The floor was simple earth, the dirt blowing up around them every step they took and making the air thick. It was dark, nearly pitch black but he just followed the silhouette of the stranger as he was darker than the shadows down here. He could hear the others breath and stayed in step with the other so he wouldn't get lost in the darkness. Something about this place was suspicious. Tao felt as if he shouldn't be here, that know one should be here, yet he didn't know why he felt this way. He felt like at any moment lights would flood the place and guards would come flying at them, punishing him for being somewhere he wasn't supposed to be.

"Are we allowed to be down here?" Zitao's voice broke the silence and he heard the stranger sigh.

"No," he replied and Tao was surprised he had actually decided to answer him, "a long time ago maybe but not anymore. There's a reason these tunnels are so dark and there isn't anyone down here."

"Why?" Tao pushed the other innocently for more answers. After several moments of silence he figured the other wasn't going to answer. "Nevermi-"

"Long before you came here, probably long before I was here either, these tunnels used to be occupied nonstop. It's a giant system beneath the ground. The Riders used to use them to get from place to place easier, there weren't any obstacles besides the fact that they could get lost, so most Riders chose to use these tunnels rather than the paths above ground.

After a while though, some Folk found out about this, and being the power hungry people they were, they decided to secretly use the tunnels to their advantage. I doubt anyone outside of the Halo and the tunnels never knew about this but Folk began to commit crimes.
The Dancers had been dying, suspiciously one by one. At first everyone thought that there might be a virus going around. They hadn't died violently, there wasn't blood everywhere and they didn't have any broken bones, so we all assumed it was just some sickness causing them to die. But one day we figured out why they had all been passing away.

The Folk had always been jealous of the Dancers, thinking that they didn't do anything but lay around all day toying with their Angels. Of course, the Folk, being researchers, diplomats, and the people beneath everything thought that they should be higher than the Dancers. So every other moon they would infiltrate the tunnels and find their way in the Halo. Sneaking drugs into their food and drinks, sometimes giving them something when they were sleeping.

Luckily someone caught them. A Dancer that had the luck of being a light sleeper woke while he was being poisoned.
Since then, these tunnels have been closed to everyone, even the Dancers. Which is why if you dare to say anything about being down here to anyone I will make sure you go through hell."

Ignoring the that last comment Zitao thought about what he had just learned. "So, these tunnels used to be secret right? Before everything took place?" Now walking right next to the stranger and his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw him nod a yes in answer. "So how did the Folk find out about it in the first place?"

"Nobody really knows. It was sudden, the Dancers didn't know about it until they realized they were being killed off. After that one night, they backtracked everything and that's how we know what we know about the situation." Tao's mind was filled with questions about all of it and he resisted the urge to force the other to answer every single one that he had; he knew the other was already annoyed having talked so much, but after a while all the thoughts racing around in his mind was too much and he accidentally let one escape. "So how do you know that that was all? Are you guys sure that they Folk didn't try anything else? Or that no one else infiltrated the tunnels as well?"

He sighed but answered Zitao none the less. "We don't.  And obviously no one comes down here anymore so it doesn't matter now." Tao wanted to disagree; he wanted to object because they were down here, so maybe others came down here too sometimes. And it was wrong of him, but he wished that the Dancers had never figured out that it wasn't a virus killing them all off. A part of him wished that those rebels were still alive. Because then maybe there would still be a chance for him to get out of this place. To escape to that place

Tao's eyes widened as he looked around. It was still dark, but the air wasn't as thick and he could see the sky now, no longer underground, greying, beginning to get lighter, as morning began to wake. He realized where he was. Dirt beneath his feet and dust lingering in the air.

"W-why..?" He asked, wondering why the stranger had taken him here, why he had taken him back to the place he was most afraid of.

"Because I know what you've been doing, cub." The man gave him a sarcastic look that said really, you think I don't know? "I know you remember,  I saw it in your eyes, the moment you realized I was standing by your window." The man smirked and made shooing motions with his hands. "You have ten minutes, go do what you do." Tao nearly stuttered, but instead nodded his head and went away to find his brother. He would get answers, but it was obvious that there was no time right now.

He knew where he was, but what was sad was the fact that he never realized it was there. Perhaps it was because it was in one of the guard stations, he'd been in the stations a couple of times but not long enough to know about the tunnels.

It wasn't a room that he was in, rather it was an open expanse of dirt where the guards would be stationed when they weren't watching the Workers. The only standing thing was the tall stone wall that broke the station apart from the Commons and the Pit. He'd had to come back to this specific station after he fought the guard those years ago to defend Luhan for more punishment. The place give hm chills so he snuck through the gates as quickly as he could.

The only thing that ran through his mind was Luhan, Luhan, Luhan and for a second he worried that he wouldn't have time to meet him and make sure he was okay. He'd seen him just last night,but he couldn't help but worry.
But then he found himself wondering if he even had a reason to worry about him anymore. From what he'd seen, Luhan didn't need him anymore, and that's when I clicked. Luhan doesn't need me anymore, he thought, but I need him.

Still, he found the boy, his little brother,tower of strength. And the closer Tao looked at Luhan, the more he realized just how much of a family member he was to him. Luhan of course had other people from the Commons, but Tao only grew up with Luhan, he was the only one he had been truly close too, and he hated to say it but he still didn't exactly "know" Mimi, Taera, or Rin. So the only person he had left was Luhan.

Tao didn't want to wake him so he just sat there and quietly wished him luck before leaving, he decided next time he came, he would visit earlier in the night so that he had more time. He took one last glance, trying to ignore that he was back to back with that new idiot before rushing away, with his head down, back to meet the stranger. The sky was already getting lighter and Tao knew that if he tried to stay any longer the Guards would catch him and who knew what would happen then.

Sullenly, he looked up at the sky and wondered what kind of person that naïve idiot really was. When he first heard the name Wu Yifan he found himself wondering what kind of person he would turn out to be, and when Luhan told him that the new Worker could take him to this place, but what made Zitao sure that he was just an idiot was the first things he heard come out of that idiot's mouth. He was naïve, ignorant, and usually Zitao wasn't one to judge quickly, but Yifan had been one of his first exceptions.

He wanted to think differently, to have not heard those words that he spoke, so that he could have hope of escaping the encampment. He wanted to leave, but where was he supposed to go, how was he supposed to get there? Zitao wasn't-

 "You're back early."

"Yeah," Tao sighed, "he was sleeping, I didn't want to wake him only to leave two minutes later."

"Well lets go then."

The tunnels didn't seem as dark this time. Maybe it was because his eyes were already used to it, Tao didn't know, but he didn't pay it much attention either way.

The stranger began to hum after a few minutes of them walking in silence and Tao scoffed inwardly. "So am I ever going to figure out who you are? Or are you just going to keep acting like-"

"Look cub, I don't know if you've noticed or not but I'm really not the most sociable person, so could you please shut up?"

"No. I won't. Not until I know who the you are and why you seem to know so much about me." It was brave of him, for all he knew this could've been some trap layed by a Dancer, but Tao didn't care he just wanted to know who this annoying stranger was.

The man only scoffed, "Some other time cub. Not now; not so soon." Heat lit up Zitao's body but he supressed the emotion of anger and quietly trailed behind again. There was something in the other's voice that let Zitao know that he shouldn't pester the other any longer, he was so... calm, so stoic, and it was unusual when you could see the agitation in his figure, how his fingers curled and sped up his walking, while he still acted somewhat stoic.

During the walk back to his room Tao payed a lot more attention, he memorized the walls and the ines and the doors that he passed because he knew he would be using the tunnels a lot. It didn't seem like as long of a walk when he was actually paying attention and it didn't take long for him to reach his room once again.

The stranger didn't say anything but simply nodded to him before leaving and disappearing down the corridor as if he had never seen Tao in the first place.

a/n: this was shorter than I wanted it to be, but to make up for lost time, I wanted to update soon^^

See you guys soon, for part three^^

Sorry for any mistakes, as of this moment, this chapter is unedited...... as well as every other chapter, I don't like editing and I'm lazy.. so.. yeah

Have a good day^^ (or night, or afternoon, or evening)

byeee