Ever since the first report on Dom's rebellion in the South, Noah had always known he had a crazy side—a side that made him stand up to his country's government and earn his defiant reputation. But this… this was beyond crazy.
"You're insane," Noah muttered, shaking his head as he stood. "You're fucking insane if you think that will work."
Dom's smirk remained unshaken. "Think about it." He said, gesturing for emphasis. "Compared to me, you're free to move around this place. And after all the years you've spent here, not only would no one suspect you, you should know this place really well now."
Noah exhaled, watching Dom's confidence. "Even if it were possible, are you really going to blab your escape plan to them?" He pointed at the device in the corner.
Dom's eyes flicked to the device, noticing the lens twist and pivot. "Oh… the surveillance camera thing you told me about," He muttered in recognition.
"Everything we do and say here is being monitored. That's how they've stopped rebellions in the past." Noah said, his tone flat.
Dom crossed his arms, frowning as he considered his words. "Then… this won't work," He grumbled.
Noah sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Now you get it," He said, "… it doesn't matter what you do, it won't—"
"Oh yeah," Dom interrupted, a sudden grin spreading across his face. "I never asked."
Noah's brow furrowed. "What?"
Dom leaned forward slightly, his blue eyes sharp. "What type of girls do you like?" He asked.
Noah blinked, startled by the sudden blunt question. "Where… where did that come from?"
Dom's eyes narrowed, and the faint seriousness in his gaze made Noah stiffen. "Come on. It's not a hard question," Dom said, lowering his arms and subtly angling his hand.
Noah's attention followed, noticing Dom's finger extended in a deliberate, pointed gesture towards his lap.
"What type of girls do you like?" Dom repeated, this time slower, carefully emphasizing certain syllables. At the same time, he tapped his lap with an irregular rhythm, almost like a code.
Noah stared at the finger for a moment, trying to process it. Then realization hit—his eyes widened as he finally understood.
Meanwhile, in the main security office, a fat guard with headphones around his neck chewed loudly on donuts as he focused his attention on a single monitor among the numerous monitors displaying other trapped subjects.
"Something wrong, Tom?" A slimmer guard asked, noticing how much the fat guard was focused on the screen showing Dom and Noah in real-time.
"Nothing new," Tom replied, before biting on another unhealthy doughnut. "Just that new guy saying he'll escape."
"Hey, isn't that the same guy who threw your fat ass across Sector D's lounge?" A third guard chuckled from his station, drawing some laughter from the few other guards present.
Tom sighed heavily, rubbing his still aching back. "Can we please not talk about that?" He grumbled.
"Don't mind that loser. He just so happened to forget that he got tased in the nuts with his own weapon by some new rat some years ago." The slimmer guard commented.
"She said she wanted to show me something sexy. I swear." The guard shot back, and the guards laughed at his flustered expression.
As Tom laughed as well, the slim guard patted his shoulder gently. "Everyone here has embarrassing stories about the new rats. It's part of a process. Don't let it get to you." He said, earning him a smile from Tom just as he unplugged the fat guard's headphones and turned up the volume. "Wait… I thought he was talking about escaping?"
"He was…" Tom said, gulping down a chilled drink and letting out a loud belch. "But after that nerd-guy started explaining how he was about to spill his great escape plan… he changed the subject."
The slim guard narrowed his eyes at the screen, sensing something was off about their conversation but unable to pinpoint it. "Keep an eye on him," He said. "He might be young, but that's a rat that the Doc himself ordered a Level five lock on. We can't afford mistakes with him."
"Relax," Tom replied, smirking as he continued recording. "If they do anything suspicious, we'll know."
The slim guard nodded, and both turned their attention to the monitors as Dom and Noah began talking about… their taste in women.
Unknown to the guards, the conversation was entirely coded. They had copied it from their favorite detective comic series, a method the protagonist and his partner would use to pass codes during dangerous missions.
Their spoken sentences were a ruse; the true meaning was embedded in finger taps, pauses, and the subtle emphasis on certain words.
Though to an outsider it looked like they were debating the merits of tall girls versus short ones, every syllable, every tap carried a hidden instruction, a carefully crafted signal only the two of them could interpret.
The messages were broken, incomplete words once directly translated--but their gestures, eye movements, and intentions conveyed the full sentence like an average conversation.
"Even if we can hide your plan like this, it still won't work," Noah said, sinking back onto the floor across from Dom.
Dom smirked. "It will. Have a little faith."
Noah scoffed, glancing at the camera which watched them tirelessly. "This place is crawling with guards and scientists, not to mention surveillance in practically every room and hallway. Even one person can't escape—let alone tw—"
"No," Dom interrupted, his expression serious. "When I say we, I don't just mean us. I mean all the trapped subjects."
Noah froze, then laughed—louder this time. "Okay. Now I know you're joking." He shook his head. "I told you, there are over fifty subjects here."
Dom's gaze softened. "I know you grew up here a little, but I bet even you've thought about escaping at least once."
Noah rubbed the back of his head, conflicted. "Of course I have. Who hasn't? But I couldn't do it."
Dom's smirk returned. "Because you didn't have me." He said, pointing at his chest boldly.
Noah narrowed his eyes.
"Let me guess," Dom said, tilting his head, "… the only reason you couldn't do it is that you were scared of what would happen if things went wrong."
Noah flinched, and Dom's smile widened.
"All you need to do is find a way for us to escape. I'll take care of the fighting." He added.
Even with the sound logic, Noah gave Dom a stern look. "It won't work." He said, "Everyone who's ever tried all failed. I've seen it happen over and over for years now. Even you have been failing for days."
Dom shook his head. "That's because I haven't actually tried yet." He said calmly.
Noah blinked in confusion.
Dom raised a brow. "Seriously?" He asked, his tone now serious. "I'm in a strange lab, in a strange country, and I'm powerless. Did you think I was just fighting back and hoping for the best? I'm not that crazy."
Noah flinched, stunned briefly, then narrowed his eyes. "Then… what was the point?"
Dom glanced at the surveillance camera. "Information."
Noah's eyes widened.
"The layout, their numbers, their defenses. I even saw where they kept some of the others. Where they hide our keys. I need all the pieces so I can come up with a real plan." Dom said, even though to the outside world, he was explaining why large butts are better than big boobs.
Noah stared at Dom, both impressed and shocked by his calm, level-headed explanation.
"Even so," Noah said, his tone still doubtful, "… you've only seen Sector D. There are four other sectors you've never even been to yet."
Dom let out a tired laugh. "You're right." He said, looking up at the ceiling. "I only know my way around a few cells and labs. Even though I had no proof, I had a feeling this place would be bigger."
"And even if you do figure it out, not only would you need to avoid every single camera or guard, but you'll still need the keys--for both the cells and cuffs. Those are kept in the Main Control Room," Noah added, glancing at the camera. "And I'm sure they dumped them in some locked-up drawer. They never release subjects, even if they complete their testing."
"That's fucked up." Dom scoffed, gaze hardened, then he smirked. "But that's where you come in."
Noah shook his head, sadly. "I can't do anything."
"Yeah, you can," Dom replied, staring directly at Noah. "You're the only subject who's allowed to move freely. With your experience here, you should know the layout better than anyone or at least be able to learn it."
He glanced at the camera again.
"And you're smart enough to figure a way to get us out without raising any suspicion. You're literally the best person for this job."
Noah scratched his head in frustration, understanding Dom's logic but also realizing the weight that comes with that responsibility. "This is insane." He said, "I spent years building a good reputation here. If I mess up, they'll lock me up too, and we'll be back to square one."
Dom's smile widened as Noah finally used the word 'we'. "Then you just need to be careful," Dom said, folding his arms while his finger tapped his elbow to continue. "Besides, you're a genius, right? You can figure it out."
Noah stared at him, unsure, doubtful of not Dom anymore but himself. "Why?" He asked, his voice low, his mind too rattled to even attempt their coding. "… why do you have so much faith in me? We barely know each other."
Dom's smile faded, replaced by a conflicted look as he noticed the dark look in Noah's eyes.
"Because you're the only one I can rely on now." He replied bluntly.
Noah's eyes softened at the rare vulnerability in Dom's expression.
"It's already been a week, and I've heard nothing from them," Dom continued, brow furrowed as he continued with their coding. "Don't get me wrong-I'm sure they did all they could. But if what that prick said about this place is true, I can't count on them now."
"Still… I'm not a better option. Even if it's forced, I'm still a worker for the North," Noah admitted.
Dom nodded sadly. "I get that. I do. But…" He locked eyes with Noah, sharp and unflinching. "But the North only sees us as experiments, not humans. Hell, my own country literally sold me out like an animal."
"Then why would you want to go back?" Noah scoffed.
"So I can get back at them," Dom answered with a threatening smirk.
Noah frowned.
"Look," Dom continued, "I'm not going to force you. I literally can't." He gestured to his cuffs. "All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to at least offer you all something that was taken from you---a choice."
Noah flinched under the intensity of Dom's stare.
"If you all follow me, I have a powerful friend in the South who will protect you. And if you want to stay in the North--or go anywhere else--I won't stop you either. But the point is, I want to give you all that choice."
Noah remained still; his gaze drifted as his mind was lost in conflicting thoughts.
When Dom gripped the bar, pulling himself closer and locking eyes with him, Noah flinched again.
"Even though I've only known you a week, I can tell you're a good guy, Noah. And I know you're not okay with how things are here."
Noah lowered his gaze, remembering the misery of other subjects he'd seen… including himself.
"I can't. I'm going to mess it up," Noah said, completely forgetting to use the code this time.
Dom frowned at Noah's defeated expression--but then a small smile returned.
"You said you wanted to be recognized nationwide," Dom said, also without the code. Noah looked up, catching the confident curve of his smile. "Doing this would make one hell of a debut."
Noah's eyes widened, mouth opening but words failing him. Unlike anyone else in his life, Dom was the first to truly believe in him--beyond his mind, beyond his inventions.
After a long silence, Noah got up and walked toward the exit.
"Noah," Dom called, gripping the bars tightly just as the door slid open.
Noah froze, then walked out silently, the door sliding shut behind him.
Dom stared at the closed door for a moment before banging his forehead against the bars, teeth gritted. Now what? He thought, frustrated at himself for pushing away his one ticket to freedom.
Just when hope seemed gone, the door opened again, and Noah returned, eyes fixed on the floor.
Dom's face lit up--then quickly darkened as Noah silently began picking up leftover snack trash from the floor.
Dom frowned.
This was unusual; Noah usually left the mess for the cleaners, a way to spite them by Dom's request. But as Noah worked quietly, he subtly shifted two empty chip packets in front of him.
Dom's gaze narrowed on them, drawn in as Noah picked every other piece of trash except them.
One had a picture of a tree; the other was torn in half, leaving the letters GA.
Tree… ga?… Trigger.
Dom's eyes widened as he realized Noah's hidden message, a faint smile appearing on the young man's face.
"I'll show you those new comics later. Just give me time to find them," Noah said, waving before finally leaving.
Time to find them. Dom's lips curved into a wide grin as the meaning sank in, another reference from their favorite comic. The moment Noah finds a way out, he'll be the trigger. Then… He punched his palm, cracking his knuckles. I'll take it from there. Counting on you, Noah.
Dom chuckled at the thought of the mischief he would unleash. The plans, the chaos, the escape—it all made his chest tighten with anticipation. And then a sharp, musky whiff of his own dried sweat hit him, grounding him back in the present and making him wince once he sniffed his armpit.