Polo and Dreameh's fanfic RP... ;D Jimmy/Kougu [Probably mature]

This time, Kougu had no difficulty recognizing Jimmy's sarcasm, and it stung. This wasn't his fault, but it certainly wasn't the time to feel indignant, either. They'd have to work together if they wanted to get out alive. He felt Jimmy wriggle behind him, then heard him swear. That answered his question, then.
“You have a plan, right?” The other man whispered, his head pressing gently against Kougu's as he relaxed, “Like... I mean... This isn't it, is it?”
"This isn't it." Kougu assured him automatically, letting his head rest against Jimmy's as he stared up at what he thought was the ceiling. "I'm still working on  the plan," He tested his cuffs again, but still, there was no give. Jimmy's hands were below his, so even if he could stretch his fingers, he wouldn't be able to reach very far. Tsking his tongue irritably, Kougu gave it one last try, but no matter how he struggled, the cuffs were too tight. There was no way of wriggling out of them.
"Jimmy?" He tilted his head slightly sideways, imagining that he could see his friend's face as he spoke, "See if you can reach into my pocket, there should be a hairpin there. If you can get it to me..." He shuffled his hands in the cuffs again, checking his range of movement, and nodded, "If you can get it to me, I should be able to pick the lock on your handcuffs."
Although he couldn't see, he looked towards the door, comforted by the illusion of keeping watch. If Jimmy could reach the pin, then he had a plan. If not, well... Plan B hadn't quite come to him yet, but it would. He had got out of stickier situations before, and he would find a way out of this one, too. It would just take time, and perhaps a little more patience than either of them had.
"Can you reach?" Kougu asked, his head tilting back towards Jimmy.
Come on, hand me the pin. I can do this.

“This isn't it.” Kougu responded with barely a heartbeat's hesitation. The heavy weight of his head on Jimmy's was oddly comforting in such a difficult time. “I'm still working on the plan,” He added honestly, and Jimmy leant forward to give him as much room to struggle as he could. The soft clank of the handcuffs below went on for a few seconds then ceased, soon to be engulfed in darkness again.
Jimmy scrunched his eyes closed. It took al he had to keep himself together.
“Jimmy?” Kougu asked, turning his head to the side. “See if you can reach into my pocket, there should be a hairpin there. If you can get it to me...” He paused, and jingled the handcuffs again. “If you can get it to me, I should be able to pick the lock on your handcuffs.”
Jimmy nodded, feeling his hopes rise. It was going to be painful to wait, but it was the best they had, and if Kougu carried a hair pin with him all the time he'd obviously done this before.
“Alright.” Jimmy whispered, leaning awkwardly to get his hands to shuffle around Kougu's jeans. It was difficult, the rope around his shoulders was restricting his arm movement.
“Can you reach?”
“Hang on...” Jimmy murmured, biting his lip in concentration. His fingers reached out carefully, scratching around for a slot on the denim where a pocket might be. After only a few minutes of feeling around, and surprisingly not a lot of twisting involved, he managed to hook his fingers into the top of a pocket.
“I think I've got it.” He whispered, arching his back to try and reach into the pocket. It was oddly shaped, and it felt suspiciously like a back pocket, but Jimmy kept feeling it anyway.
“Is it down here?” He asked quietly, then slipped his fingers up for the smaller pocket within, when his fingers looped around and behind what felt like a belt. Seconds later he realised he was touching skin, way too close to Kougu's butt crack.
“Ugh, sorry.” He blushed, quickly removing his fingers. “Yeah, turn around a bit if you can, your side pocket is a bit far away...” Biting his tongue in deep concentration he strained his bound hands around Kougu's side to his pocket, but the crumpled material had it closed tightly. Swearing, Jimmy let his hands slip back to their position behind his back, pausing for a rest.
“Dammit.”

“Hang on...” Jimmy answered, and Kougu sat obediently still, keeping quiet to help Jimmy concentrate. He felt a pair of fingers fumbling clumsily around his belt, near the waistband of his pants. “I think I've got it.” The other man whispered, but it was not a pocket that he reached into. Cold fingers hooked under his belt, and Kougu grunted in surprise, his spine stiffening as Jimmy's fingernails scraped over  his skin, uncomfortably close to his bum.
“Is it down here?”
"No." He answered quickly, "No, it's not."
“Ugh, sorry.” Jimmy removed his fingers quickly, and Kougu's tense muscles slowly relaxed again. He shook his head, suddenly feeling his fringe tickling his forehead for the first time. He desperately wanted to push it back. Feeling his fingers twitch, he blew the hair away from his face with a quick breath, then sat back again, satisfied. 
“Yeah," Jimmy said behind him, pulling his attention back to the problem at hand, "Turn around a bit if you can, your side pocket is a bit far away...”
"Right..." Rolling his shoulders, Kougu leaned back against Jimmy, swiveling his hips awkwardly sideways in an attempt to bring his pocket within reach. Jimmy's fingers scrabbled at his belt, and he twisted further, but the way he was sitting had the material scrunched tightly against him, and no matter how Jimmy pried, he couldn't reach in to get the pin.
“Dammit.” He cursed breathlessly, letting his hands drop back behind him. Kougu remained silent, frowning into the darkness as he thought over the predicament again, then he tilted his head back, feeling his hair brush briefly against Jimmy's.
"Brace your back against mine," He said, "If we stand up, maybe you can reach." Grinding his teeth in concentration, he slowly untangled his legs, and stretched one out in front of him. If he and Jimmy both leaned back with equal pressure, then they'd be able to stand up with no problem, but in the pitch dark with hands bound together, that was easier said than done. Still, they had to try. In fact, they had to succeed. There was no other option.
"Right," Kougu muttered, taking a deep breath. "On three, are you ready?"
He braced his shoulders back against Jimmy's, and tested the traction of his shoe on the floor.
"One," He bent one knee, shifting his weight onto his left foot.
"Two... Three!"

After a moment's silence Kougu came up with another idea. “Brace your back against mine,” he instructed, bracing against Jimmy as he spoke. “If we stand up, maybe you can reach.”
Jimmy wasn't sure how this would help, but he agreed that it was worth a try. Nodding into the darkness he shifted awkwardly, slipping a foot below him in a half-squat, then bent a leg in front of his chest. It was in an attempt to give him support and balance, but it ended up being little help to him. However, he kept trying. They'd have to stand up at some point, anyway.
Jimmy felt Kougu trying to shuffle around behind him. He braced himself against his bent toes, and the pressure caused the crease in his skin to burn with the pressure.
“Right. On three, are you ready? ”
“I think so.” Jimmy replied, glancing blindly into the darkness to the opposite wall. I just hope they're not watching this on the CCTV and laughing at us.
At three Jimmy braced back against Kougu and pushed himself to his feet with all the strength he could muster. Then there were a few moments of awkward rocking and trying to stay stood, instead of face-first on the cement floor.
“Easy...” Jimmy gasped, steadying his feet beneath him. “Easy.”
Thankfully they didn't fall, and now he wasn't quite so restricted with his movement – Kougu had been right, after all – he could stretch his hands around without so much struggle.
“Right,” Jimmy bit his lip, then pressed against Kougu's side to reach around to his side pocket, which was now easier to access, and strained his arms to slip a hand right in. ((>_<)) He swore a few times as his shoulder began to cramp, but he kept trying, and eventually a small, sharp hair pin trickled onto his fingertips.
“Goddit.” He confirmed, slowly sliding it back out and bringing his hands back behind his back. Kougu's hands were much easier to reach. Their fingers brushed together as he dropped the pin into Kougu's grip. “Have you?”

On three, Kougu threw his weight back, and luckily Jimmy countered with equal force, boosting the pair to their feet in one rocky motion. Kougu stumbled and staggered sideways, then braced his legs apart, anchoring himself to the ground to steady Jimmy until they'd both caught their balance. A few more seconds of uncertain rocking later, they were standing solidly, and Kougu felt his lips twitch in relief.
"Well," He chuckled under his breath, "There's one success." At last.
He felt Jimmy's hands move behind him, and nodded automatically, even though the man couldn't see. "Try again."
“Right,”
Once again, Jimmy's fingers fumbled around near his pocket, and Kougu stood still, staring into the darkness, and trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling. A few awkward moments later, Jimmy's fingers closed below his hip, and he confirmed what Kougu had already guessed. “Goddit.”
"Great." He opened out his hand, breathing out softly in relief. He was glad that was over. Jimmy's fingers brushed his, and when he felt the cool metal of the hairpin, he caught it in a dead man's grip.
“Have you?”
"Mmhm." He rolled the pin in his fingers, "Be quiet a moment. I'll have to think about this."
Slowly, he drew in a breath, quietening his mind, and scrunched his eyes closed. He let his fingers glide over the pin, rolling it back and forth, and feeling a picture of it into his mind. Then, with his hands twisted awkwardly behind him, he starter to bend it. Once he was happy with the shape, he twisted his wrist painfully to find the keyhole on Jimmy's handcuffs. "Move your hands down a little," He murmured softly, rolling his shoulders to give himself a little more movement, "Hold still, please."
Biting his tongue in concentration, he shifted his arm awkwardly around, and gently inserted the pin into the keyhole, then started twisting it carefully left and right, listening for the soft clicking sounds of the lock coming open. It took a good few minutes, and the pressure of the concentration brought sweat to Kougu's brow, glueing his fringe to his skin. He was so enthralled in his task, he didn't even notice.
Then, at last, a tiny click echoed through the cell, so damn satisfying that it sent a shiver up Kougu's spine.
"Got it." He said, grinning into the darkness. After a moment, he caught himself, and his face fell straight once more. "Can you move-?"
He broke off, head jerking up as he heard the muffled sound of approaching footsteps.
"Don't-" He hissed, pausing a moment to listen. The floorboards overhead creaked, and he heard muffled voices, then the sound of a doorhandle turning.
"Keep the cuffs on." He muttered under his breath, "Pretend they're still locked, and you can't move. Quick, sit down." He nudged Jimmy's foot, then sank slowly back to the ground, supporting Jimmy carefully until they were both sitting as they had been, silent prisoners in the darkness.

Jimmy's heart fluttered softly in excitement as he felt Kougu's fingers wrap around the pin, brushing his in the process. If Kougu could unpick the lock then they'd both be free in no time!
It took everything he had to keep from bouncing excitedly up and down as Kougu picked at the lock on his cuffs,and he stared at the blackness of the room with wide, crazy eyes. He'd do anything to be free of this burden. Anything. He'd even eat another can of cold beans to get out of this.
“Move your hands down a little,” Kougu instructed as he struggled to pick at the lock. Nodding, Jimmy did as he was told.
“Hold still, please.”
This was far more difficult. He was filled with excitement, eager to be let out into the fresh air again without having those goons on his back. And all he had to do was wait a few more-
Just then a click rattled through the cold, dark air, and the clasps around Jimmy's wrist became loose.
“Got it.” Jimmy could hear the grin in his friend's voice, and he could agree with it. He was smiling too. “Can you move-”
But Kougu didn't get the chance to finish before the unwelcome sound of footsteps down the stairs to their room echoed through his ears, and Jimmy shot a worried glance in the general direction of the door. All hope he had brought up quickly plummeted to his feet. We're not going to escape just yet.
Kougu was telling him the obvious, that he needed to pretend to be bound, and not to let them know that he was practically free. Releasing a rather fed-up sigh, Jimmy sunk to his knees, bowing his head with despair. Just when he thought they were going to get away, as well. And nw what were they going to do?
“What d'you think they're here for?” Jimmy whispered worriedly in Kougu's direction. The reason couldn't be good anyhow. “I mean... If they're here to interrogate us then we need a back story.”

“What d'you think they're here for?” Jimmy whispered worriedly, but Kougu's eyes were locked on the silhouette in the doorway. “I mean... If they're here to interrogate us then we need a back story.”
"Sssh."  He hushed his friend. There was no time to talk, to discuss... It was too late, they could already be overheard. They'd just have to wing it, but before that, he had a plan.
A flash of light blinded him, and Kougu winced painfully, turning his head to shield his eyes as it flickered once, twice, then buzzed into light. Slowly, with footsteps like gunshots, the guard descended the stairs, heading toward the cage with a key in hand.
"Come on, then." He grunted. His mustache was so big that Kougu couldn't see his lips move, and his hair was the exact same shade of mousy brown. His hands were large and weathered, though his face couldn't have been over forty. Silently, Kougu sized him up.
Then a hand grabbed him by the collar, and he flinched automatically, turning his gaze away.
"You stay here." The man said to Jimmy as he quickly untied the rope around them, tossing it aside and pulling Kougu to his feet with the hand on his collar. He coughed painfully when it cut into his windpipe, and staggered obediently to the guard's side.
"Don't even think of trying anything." he sneered, still talking to Jimmy. He pulled Kougu through the doorway, where he hesitated a moment. At first glance it seemed he was just looking back at Jimmy, but in the space of a heartbeat, he lodged the hairpin into the lock, then stumbled away as the guard yanked on his collar. The man slammed the cage shut, and as he locked it, Kougu heard a faint grinding sound with the usual click. One kick, and it would come loose. He shot Jimmy a look, hoping that he would realize what he had to do, then allowed himself to be shoved unceremoniously up the stairs, and into the storage unit above. As they reached the top, the guard shut off the light, and closed the door behind them.
"Your little friend won't be coming to save you," He growled, "If I were you, son, I'd think you should tell my colleagues what you know. Things ain't gonna end pretty, otherwise."
"I've already told you everything." Kougu said, turning wide, innocent eyes up at the guard. He looked every inch a frightened civilian, though inwardly he felt not a hint of fear. His mind was too focused for emotion, the cogs of his brain whirring as he thought up a dozen possible escape plans, and wondered if Jimmy was likely to catch on. Somehow, they would make it out alive. It was all a matter of playing the game... And so far, they were in the lead.

Jimmy quickly clamped his own mouth shut at the urgency in Kougu's hissing order. He understood now, it was too late to discuss their back story when their captors were just outside the door.
His heart sank. Now if he got his foot in it, he'd never get it out.
Soon enough a torchlight was beaming in front of their faces, and Jimmy squinted at it with one eye, just as the lights of the room flickered on. They were shockingly bright, just like the torchlight, and when Jimmy's eyes had adjusted he realised he was looking right up at a guard with a huge moustache. 'Hairy biker' were the first two words that came to Jimmy's mind.
The guard untied the rope around them, and Jimmy let out a long sigh of relief. It was nice to be able to move his chest a little more now. He was careful to keep his hands tightly behind his back, though.
“You stay here.” The guard grunted at Jimmy. “Don't even think of trying anything.”
Jimmy just shrugged innocently at him, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.
The guard grabbed Kougu's collar and yanked him to his feet, causing Jimmy to hiss in a breath. If that guy kept handling Kougu the way he was he probably wouldn't last the walk to the door. There was a faint click as Kougu was let out the cage – although he nearly fell into it at one point – and the guard locked the door cruelly behind him. Jimmy watched him leave, still, always waiting for his cue. There was no plan, but he'd think one out. Or he'd improvise. He was good at that.
Then there it was: the look. It might have just looked like any old look to someone else, but Jimmy could tell it meant something. What exactly, he didn't know. But he knew he had to get out of that stupid cage.
Just then, the guard switched the lights off as he exited the room, and Jimmy was engulfed in darkness once again.

He knelt there for a long time, staring at the neverending shadow he presumed was the floor, wondering what on Earth he was supposed to do. He was out of his handcuffs, yes, but he was also in a locked cage... How would he get out?
But the look Kougu had given him, it meant something. He must have done something when he stood.
Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Jimmy released himself from his handcuffs and yanked out his cheap Nokia phone. He could use the screen as a temporary torch to navigate around the room. It was a poor light source, but it was good enough. Better than walking blindly with his arms out, anyway. Carefully, he crept right to the door of the cage, grabbed a bar and rattled it as quietly as he could. It rattled more than it had done before. In fact it felt a bit... Loose.
Kougu, what did you do?
Jimmy experiented a few times, pushing against it with one hand, then two, then a shoulder... But no matter how much the cage door rattled at the pressure, it refused to budge.
Jimmy took a step back, closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He'd have to kick it down. But that would make a hell of a racket. Still... He had no choice.
Swallowing, he jogged towards the door and pushed it with his foot. It shifted. He tried again.
Success!
But the noise had echoed throughout the room. He certainly couldn't have been careful with such a noisy task. He stood silently, still in the cage, and waited for the guards to come at him. But.. Nothing.
Grinning, he used his phone to find the entrance. That was unlocked. Idiots.
Silently he opened the door to find the back of a guard facing him. He grinned to himself. There was no need to even hit this man. That would cause more of a racket. But he could knock him out without a sound.
He reached from behind, clamped his hand over the guard's mouth and pinched his nose. After a few seconds of struggle, the guard went limp in his arms. Jimmy dragged the body into the dark room and closed the door behind him.
I'm coming for you, Kougu. Just keep your sanity a little longer, mate.

Unimpressed by his answer, the guard grunted and tugged Kougu over to a chair in the middle of the room, then shoved him down into it. Kougu tripped over his own feet, and fell hard onto the wooden chair, wincing as his shoulder twisted awkwardly with the motion. The guard produced a length of rope, and quickly bound him to the chair, then stepped back. 
"He's all yours now, Slick." He said, turning his back and walking away, Kougu frowned after him, then heard a voice reply from the shadows, "Excellent." The man spoke with a snakelike hiss, and as he stepped into the light with his tongue running over his lips, Kougu was actually surprised that it wasn't forked. His eyes were a poisonous green, and they narrowed as they locked on Kougu's pale face. Slowly, his lips curved into a smile, and Kougu had to repress a shudder. This 'Slick' was a nasty piece of work, he could tell. He had the look of a predator, and when he raised a hand to show an ugly leather bull whip, Kougu felt a weight drop into his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.
"So..." Slick stepped forward, now moving fully into the circle of yellow light from the hanging lamp overhead, "I hear you've got a story to tell me?"
Kougu remained firmly silent.
"No? Well, then... How about I see if I can't loosen that tongue of yours, huh?"
He raised the whip, and Kougu winced automatically. "I've told you everything I know!" He snapped, "We were at the club, then we left, and that's it." He glared defiantly up at Slick, ignoring the whip looming threateningly above him.
"You've got no right to keep us here, or to interrogate us. Who do you think you are, anyway?"
"Oi!" With a vicious snarl, Slick lashed out with the whip, and it caught Kougu sharply across the cheek, striking him with such force that the chair toppled over. "I'm asking the questions here, not you. Now shut up, and f*cking answer me!"
Kougu shuddered, then spat out a mouthful of blood into the floor. His face stung horribly, and he could feel blood dripping from his cheek, and running toward his eye. He tried to move, but cuffed and tied down as he was, there was nothing for it but to lie on the floor, still stuck degradingly to the chair.
"What do you want from me?" He coughed hoarsely, still playing his role, "I've told you the truth. You want me to sit here and lie until you hear what you want to hear?"
"F*ck, you're stubborn." Slick rolled his eyes, "I don't have time for this. Hey, Stubbs, come hold him for me."
A weary sigh followed from the darkness, somewhere beyond Kougu's range of vision, and he heard the voice of the moustached guard reply, "Fine, but if you hit me again, I swear to God I'll sock you."

Next thing he knew, the ropes grew slack around him, and the man called Stubbs pulled him to his feet. "Stand up." He grunted, "And hold still. Any funny business, and Slick'll shoot you. Got it?" Kougu nodded mutely, and stood obediently still as Stubbs unzipped his jacket, then spun him around and yanked it down his back, leaving it hanging, hooked on his arms. He shivered as the cold air stuck his thin shirt, then stiffened again as Stubbs grabbed his collar. With one firm tug that nearly choked him, the man had ripped his shirt down the back, and Kougu felt his muscles tense as he figured out what they were planning.
"You can't do this." He muttered quietly, "You don't have the authority."
"Oh yes we do!" Slick raged angrily, cracking the whip against Kougu's back. It hooked on the cuffs, and he yanked at it with a vengeance, "We're President Noah's-"
"Shut it, you moron!" Stubbs barked from beside him, but it was too late. Slick had confirmed what Kougu already knew. These men were his father's secret guard. One wrong move, and it would be game over. This whole interrogation was just a big ploy to find an excuse to arrest them, and throw them into the electric chair. Kougu knew that he couldn't give them anything.
A string of curses and violent tugging later, Slick managed to jerk the whip free. Then he readied himself to strike again.

It was probably only a matter of minutes, but to Kougu, it felt as if he was pinned to that wall for hours, the whip tearing his flesh savagely away from bone with each lash. The pain was excruciating, but he gritted his teeth and tolerated it until the bitter end, refusing to say anything but what he swore was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He counted each fiery lash, and as he reached thirteen and his vision flickered from the pain, he found himself wondering desperately what on earth was taking Jimmy so long. At that moment, he heard a clatter from below, and cried out for the first time as the whip snapped across his torn skin again.
"Did you hear something?" Stubbs asked, lifting up his head, and releasing Kougu's collar. Knees buckling instantly, Kougu let himself slide down to the ground, hunching his shoulders defensively as sweat trickled down his neck, stinging the painful welts on his back.
"Nah," Slick pulled back the whip again, "We've almost got him. Go on, lift him back up."
Shrugging, Stubbs grabbed Kougu by the arm to obey, only to freeze again as a soft click echoed from the corner of the room. "Hear that?" He released Kougu, and the two men turned as one to squint into the darkness. Kougu staggered to his feet behind them, twitching painfully as his back throbbed with blinding, pulsing pain. His mind had turned hazy, but it cleared as he blinked and shook his head, struggling to balance on shaky, rubbery knees.
Jimmy, please, don't do anything stupid...

After looting the guard's uniform for weapons, Jimmy was glad to find a small handgun and a taser and pocketed them safely. His previous weapons had been taken from him, so this was all he had. However, when Jimmy turned round he realised with slight horror that he was outside, stood on an iron make-shift corridor that led to the next room. The stupid coppers had chosen a building that wasn't even big enough to fit more than two or three rooms in.
The icy wind hit his skin quickly, and he rubbed his arms with a grimace. His footsteps were heavy and loud, clanging violently against the iron even when tiptoeing. He needed a plan soon, before any of the other guards heard him and came out to look.
A voice coming from the next room caught his attention, then a pained yelp from a voice he did recognise. Kougu... What the Hell were they doing to him?
But before he could question this any more, the unfamiliar voices – probably two more guards – came closer to the door. And Jimmy wheeled round in a panic. In doing so he made more noise, which attracted attention to a guard that seemed to have come up some stairs from around the corner. He frowned at Jimmy when he realised he wasn't wearing a uniform, then started to advance towards him. Jimmy's eyes widened, but he raised his fists to prepare for a fight. The cop ran at him to grab his wrist, probably to twist it around his back, but Jimmy blocked it before it could reach him and struck the guard in the stomach. Surprised by the attack the guard fell back against the nearest door, where Jimmy had heard Kougu yelp. Desperate to get rid of him, Jimmy grabbed the man by the collar and with a quick heave he threw the man over the railing of the corridor. For a terrifying moment Jimmy thought he'd killed him, but when he looked down he realised the corridor was only a single floor high. High enough to hurt, and possibly break a few bones, but not high enough to kill.
Still, Jimmy peered at him to check. He'd been knocked out, but his legs had broken his fall. And he was still breathing.
“Hear that?”
Jimmy cursed inwardly. Idiot. He'd made such a racket, it was a wonder they hadn't come out to check it out already.
He couldn't go down, because there were probably a group of them around the perimeter or around the docks, guarding the place. It wasn't worth the risk. But there was nowhere to hide anymore. So he went the only direction he could: up. The storage buildings were tiny, and it didn't take much effort for Jimmy to reach the top of one and climb up onto the roof. He flattened himself down on the concrete, accidentally grazing his chin as he did so and waited anxiously for the men in Kougu's room to come out and see what was wrong.

“I swear I heard something.” One of them said, opening the door and peering outside. “You heard it, right? It sounded like someone was out 'ere.”
Slick poked his head around the door, but he couldn't see anything. Rolling his eyes he pushed Slick onto the balcony corridor. “Well, have a look around if you think somethin's up.”
Shooting him a glare, Stubbs reluctantly stepped forward and started walking across the balcony, hand slipping to the handle of his gun. He'd crept around the corner when Slick leant over the railings and seen the unconscious cop, crumpled in the dirt, and in a flash he wheeled round, his eyes blazing. He knew something was up.
Slick checked his radio and called the guard that was supposed to be guarding the prisoner. “Jones. Jones do you read?”
There was nothing but a faint crackle on the other end.
“Jones,” Slick repeated, his narrow eyes growing hard as realisation dawned. “Jones, do you read?”
No answer.
“Snubbs!” He screamed to his colleague. The volume was enough to make Jimmy jump in fright, and was probably loud enough to alert the others closer to the docks. Snubbs came jogging back. “Go check on the prisoner.” He ordered.
“But I thought J-”
“Jones isn't answering. Go check on him.”
Nodding, Snubbs disappeared to the other room. Slick was now on his own.
Noting this, Jimmy crawled to the end of the roof and peered over to see the head of who he presumed was Kougu's torturer. Jimmy's eyes narrowed. This was his only chance.
He jumped down from his hiding place, landing right on Slick's shoulders and pulled him to the floor, punching him in the side. But Jimmy's body weight wasn't as much of a weapon as he'd have hoped, because Slick wasn't just some old police man, but a trained cadet in fighting of many sorts. He knew how to floor his opponent and in one swift movement, he had Jimmy pinned under his knee.
“I see we were too kind on you.” He snarled, his face threateningly close to Jimmy's. “Perhaps you need a harsher punishment than your criminal friend.” But Jimmy knew menace, and he wasn't succumbing to it again. Growling in Slick's face he swung an angry punch, catching Slick right in the jaw. The blow gave him a chance to wriggle out of the man's trap, and he quickly kicked him in the face. This attack sent Slick momentarily dizzy. Jimmy took a chance; he pulled out the taser and zapped it at Slick's chest. The opposition jerked, almost like he was having a fit, then collapsed on the floor.
He managed to throw one more kick at Slick's ribs to prove a point, then bolted in the dark room where Kougu was sat crumpled beneath the heat of a flickering, yellow light. Lashes were scrawled all over his bare, exposed back. Eyebrows drawing together, Jimmy ran to his side with concern in his eyes. “Kougu.” He muttered. The lashes on his friend's back were shocking, and had all bitten at his skin with the same amount of aggression. Thin streaks of blood trickled down the man's pale skin.
“Jesus Chr-” He began, when a shadow blocked the exit of the door. Jimmy turned round to see Snubbs stood at the doorway, shoulders square, his dark uniform cutting the street light from outside. The light in the room reflected off a shiny, black gun in his hands. It was pointed straight at them.
Jimmy scrambled to his feet, immediately guarding Kougu with his body, and pulled out his own gun. It didn't sound loaded, but he pointed at Snubbs anyway.
He knew then that Noah's secret police had him exactly where they wanted him. Take away and he looked like an aggressive young criminal. He'd stolen from their colleagues, he'd assaulted three of them, he'd broken an entry and now he possessed a lethal weapon. But he'd pull the trigger if it gave Kougu a chance to escape.

Hearing the distinct sounds of a violent commotion outside, Kougu cursed under his breath, and staggered forward a step. His knees buckled, and he instantly collapsed to the ground again, catching himself on one knee. With a growl of frustration, he rolled onto his back, blacking out the pain, and struggled to bring his arms around behind his back, twisting his wrists until he had his cuffed hands out in front of him. With one savage kick, he broke the cuffs; luckily the whipping had damaged them, too, else his wrists would probably have broken first. Rubbing them painfully, he drew himself back onto one knee, just in time to see Jimmy enter the room, and dash toward him. 
“Kougu," He gasped, his eyes falling instantly onto the angry, bleeding welts criss-crossing Kougu's back, "Jesus Chr-”
"Jimmy," He muttered, bracing himself shakily on the floor, "How did you-"
They both fell silent as a shadow moved across the doorway, and Kougu's eyes narrowed. In a flash, he was on the defensive, but before he could find his feet, Jimmy stepped out in front of him and raised a gun. His shoulders slumped in despair.
They've got us.
He staggered to his feet, and as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he saw the guard - Stubbs - holding a gun of his own.
"Jimmy, put it down." He hissed, pulling his jacket back over his shoulders, and disregarding the blinding sting of the leather rubbing ripped flesh. 
"Better listen to your friend." Stubbs growled savagely from across the room, "Or you ain't gonna live long enough to be sorry."
"Jimmy-!" Kougu pressed, but before he could finish, a subtle movement caught his attention - a flash of silver just visible out of the corner of his eye. In a flash, he tackled Jimmy to the ground, just as the thunderous sound of gunfire rang out, and an airvent in the floor exploded upwards, clattering cross the room. "Think you can escape from us, huh?" Slick shouted from the basement, firing off a second shot through the broken vent, "You f*cking bastards!"
In one swift movement, Kougu rolled off Jimmy and zipped up his jacket, then grabbed his friend's arm in one hand and his gun in the other, and leaped into a sprint. Stubbs raised his gun, and Kougu threw Jimmy across the room, ducking his head just in time so the bullet skimmed the top of his hair. Before Stubbs had time to fire a second shot, Kougu had slammed the handle of the gun against his temple, and knocked him out cold. It was too late to stay out of trouble now. They'd just have to leg it. Luckily, he'd already figured out an escape route...

"Come on!" He hissed to Jimmy, sprinting across the corridor to an airvent in the opposite wall. He snatched another hairpin from the collection in his pocket, and used it to wrestle with the screws on the airvent, until he finally managed to lift up the grid. "Get in." He urged, ushering Jimmy into the wall, then crawling in after him and slamming the grid closed. "Hurry. There are too many guards out there; this way we can get around them safely, and escape through one of the outside vents. I saw them as we came in here. If only I knew the ventilation system..." He trailed off, frowning, then licked his finger and held it up, trying to detect the direction of the breeze. "That way." He pointed to the right hand fork, then automatically touched a hand to his side. His tongue darted nervously over his lips, and he shuddered as he tasted the salty tinge of sweat beading on his upper lip.  He felt dizzy.
"Quick," He muttered, more urgently this time, "Crawl."

Jimmy ignored Kougu's order for him to put his weapon down. If they admitted defeat now they'd be taken straight to those overcrowded prisons for people on death row. They'd be executed within weeks.
So, instead, he cocked the gun, and fixed it on his target. He needed to get Kougu out of that place before they could do him any more damage.
Stubbs' reply went right over his head, but the next second Jimmy felt himself being shoved to the floor, and hands wrapped protectively around his head. At first Jimmy didn't understand; he thought perhaps the cops had attacked them and soon he'd have his hands yanked and bound behind his back. But no... Gunshots rang out, and there was a loud clang as something dropped to the concrete ground. Slick's furious shouting echoed throughout the room.
Biting back terror, Jimmy scrambled around the floor, desperate to find his feet, to get away... But Kougu already had a plan. Thank God... Because Jimmy was still improvising.
Kougu clasped onto his arm and with surprising force half pushed, half threw him across the room, out of the way of a raging Slick who was still firing bullets blindly in Kougu's direction. It was a wonder how he didn't get hit, but either he was lucky or a very good actor, because it seemed Kougu was unharmed. Jimmy staggered as he lost his balance, missing the commotion behind him, but then Snubbs grabbed his neck from behind and for a moment his vision went white as his windpipe was crushed by a large hand.
“You're not getting away from us, lovely.” Snubbs growled in his ear as Jimmy spluttered and gasped for air. In his blind rage he thrust an angry fist behind him, catching Snubbs in the stomach. His throat was released and without waisting a heartbeat Jimmy swung round and punched Snubbs in the jaw The blow was enough to knock him over. Jimmy took his chance. He staggered back to Kougu to see him gesturing to the entrance to an air vent.
“Come on!” Kougu urged as he messed around with the screwed in the wall. Jimmy felt dizzy from the sudden attack and, barely taking any notice of what Kougu was doing, bent over and coughed up phlegm onto the floor. He decided then that he never wanted to be strangled to death.

Finally Kougu managed to open the front of the vent, and quickly urged Jimmy into it. The space was small and cramped, certainly not meant as an exit, but it would have to do.
The thin metal creaked as Kougu followed on after him. He could hear Kougu muttering things about the ventilation system, but he was no longer listening. He didn't care. He just wanted out.
He didn't want to die.
“That way.” Kougu instructed, and Jimmy nodded, scrambling forward in the given direction. It took all his will power not to manic about being in a tight space. In fact, he didn't notice gripping his side, or even that he was egging him to go faster. Hell, Jimmy was doing the best he could.
A few minutes of scrambling around and finally a light appeared at the end of the dark tunnel. Jimmy crawled eagerly towards it. As he reached it, he peered out to see, as promised, there were no guards outside. They'd dodged them all.
“We need to get out quickly.” Jimmy murmured, trying the vent door. “They'll have extra security soon. They'll be looking for us.”
As promised, voices could be heard from around the front of the building. They were getting extra forces to hunt them down. Jimmy gulped.
There was no time to unscrew this one. Jimmy bashed at it with his elbow. It hurt like Hell, more than it was supposed to, but it gave way eventually and toppled to the floor.
“Come on.” He said, to himself more than Kougu, and readjusted himself to prepare for the fall. It would be awkward and painful, but if he planned it right he wouldn't break anything.
Thankfully he could use the roof above to hold onto and slip his body out, and after climbing back down to the vent, Jimmy was able to jump from the vent to the ground fairly painlessly.
“Right. Your turn.” He hissed. “I'll catch you if need's be. Just hurry up.”

With metal walls on all sides, Kougu crawled through the vent in a daze, blindly following after Jimmy, and trying hard not to notice the throbbing pain in his side, nor the burning agony each time his back brushed the ceiling. At one point, he actually feared he might pass out, but then Jimmy stopped suddenly in  front of him, and Kougu rocked back, blinking in surprise.
“We need to get out quickly.” Jimmy told him, pointing out the obvious, “They'll have extra security soon. They'll be looking for us.”
He nodded, then muttered softly, "Mm. Quickly."
He watched as Jimmy tested the grid, and just as he was about to suggest kicking it, the other man managed to force it open with his elbow. Kougu winced on his behalf, but Jimmy didn't bat an eye. Instead, he swung skillfully down from the vent, and landed lightly on his feet in the alleyway outside. 
“Right. Your turn.” He urged quickly, “I'll catch you if need's be. Just hurry up.”
He frowned at this, then braced his hands on the sides of the vent, and kicked his legs forward. He couldn't have Jimmy thinking he was so useless he couldn't even get out of a vent in one piece.
Pushing off with his hands, Kougu dropped elegantly to the ground, but as his feet touched down his legs buckled, and he keeled over, clutching his side. For a moment his vision went fuzzy, and he winced despite himself, then staggered weakly back to his feet. He brushed off the stumble with the dirt from his knees, and straightened up, looking around sharply. "We'd better get going." He said, tugging briefly at the zip of his leather jacket to ensure that it was covering him properly. He glanced left and right, scanning the area for the best route of escape. "Let's climb," He said, pointing to a number of rickety metal bars bolted into the opposite wall, forming a rusty ladder up to the roof, "They won't expect us to take the rooftops. It's not safe to go back for the car, but I think there's a dealership just South of here. We could pick up something cheap to get us back." He glanced back over his shoulder, and muttered under his breath, "It'll be better than going back there. They've got us exactly where they want us, now."

Jimmy stared up, preparing to catch Kougu before he fell, but it seemed his help wasn't needed. Far more graciously than he could manage, Kougu scrambled out the vent, clutched onto the edge and dropped gracefully to the ground. However on his landing he crumbled, and for the first Time Jimmy realised there was something more severe wrong with him than a few cuts on his back.
“Kougu.” Jimmy murmured, kneeling down beside his friend. “Mate, what's u-”
“We'd better get going.” Kougu interrupted, already back on his feet. Jimmy raised a hand to pat his back, then quickly thought better of it. The poor guy had been lashed there, after all. Then, he followed Kougu's finger, pointing to the next wall. “Let's climb.” He suggested. “hey won't expect us to take the rooftops. It's not safe to go back for the car, but I think there's a dealership just South of here. We could pick up something cheap to get us back.”
Get back? Jimmy's shoulders slumped in defeat. Back? Where? They were criminals, now. They would soon have nowhere to go back to.
“It'll be better than going back there. They've got us exactly where they want us, now.”
Jimmy nodded, he didn't need to be reminded, now. They were fugitives, and everything they had done was self-defense. He realised then how drastically society had crumbled, and how easy it would be for Noah to kill people off. How long did they have before they were caught? Hours? Days?
Swallowing anxiously, Jimmy nodded and led the way up the rusty ladder. Better he went up first to give Kougu a hand if he needed it. The ladder was frail, and it squeaked as Jimmy climbed, so he climbed more frantically as he went, not stopping or slowing until he reached the roof.
“Need a hand?” Jimmy turned back, offering a hand as he glanced his concerned eyes over Kougu's body. The wounds were hidden, but they were deffinitely there. Eve n if Kougu pretendd he was fine, Jimmy could see the subtle wince every time he moved. There was something definitely not right.

After Kougu showed him where to go, Jimmy automatically led the way, and again Kougu frowned as he recognized his friend taking control of the situation. It was a sign that he was failing. In fact, he could feel his strength rapidly fading, but worse was the fact that Jimmy had noticed, too.
Muttering under his breath, he grabbed a rusty handle on the wall, and hauled himself up, wincing at the effort. Powering through the pain, he grabbed the next handle, stepping onto a lower rung, and began gradually climbing up after Jimmy. Some of the rungs were loose, and he felt himself grow anxious as they rattled under his feet, or gave way an inch when he grabbed them, but still he pressed on, until at last Jimmy clambered up onto the roof. He had climbed more slowly, but with the rest of the ladder free above him, it was easier to climb on. 
“Need a hand?” Jimmy offered, but Kougu just grunted in response, shaking his head. He was too busy concentrating on the climb to answer. With the haze of pain dulling his mind, it was all he could do just to keep on moving up that wall. Then, as he reached for the last rung, the one under his foot rattled and gave way. His eyes flashed open in panic, and his stomach dropped as he felt himself begin to fall. A searing, agonizing pain rocketed through his entire body, and through the crystalline clarity of adrenaline, he saw Jimmy's outstretched hand above him, and snatched out to grab it, just catching his friend's fingers in the nick of time to steady himself. For a moment he just stayed there, one leg hanging uselessly down, and one trembling hand gripping a swat-slicked bar. Then, slowly, he used Jimmy's hand to help himself up onto the roof. Still blinded by pain, he rested a moment, elbow propped on his knee, until at last his vision began to clear. Then, slowly, he pushed himself to his feet.
"Th-thanks..." He muttered to Jimmy, licking his dry lips, "That was close."
He brought a hand absentmindedly to his side, and felt the leather warm and moist to the touch. Shuddering, he shoved his hands firmly into his pockets, then nodded across the rooftop, to a gap of roughly six foot between it's edge, and the edge of the next. "Think you can jump that far?" He asked, trying not to listen to the voice in his head that told him that he sure couldn't.
I won't make it back at this rate... But I have to. I have to!

Although Kougu turned away from his hand, Jimmy kept it outstretched anyway. The hand and foot holes were frail, and Jimmy's weight had loosened a few of them. Just as he thought, moments later, one of the foot holes snapped away from Kougu's grip and he grabbed Jimmy's hand in a desperate attempt to catch himself, and Jimmy was prepared for this. He gripped Kougu's hand firmly, straining his entire arm to keep him from falling, and managed a chuckle under his breath. It was amusing that Kougu had survived al this time without someone to take care of him. He cleared his throat. This was no time for laughing. With a team effort they both managed to get Kougu onto the roof. However, the effort had changed Kougu's whole demeanour. Not only did he look tired, he looked awful. His eyes were drooping and his shoulders slumped protectively over his stomach, where there seemed to be a wound of some sort, but it was hard to tell exactly where due to the black leather jacket Kougu wore. “Kougu-” “Th-thanks.” Kougu managed, struggling slowly to his feet. “That was close.” Jimmy watched him with major concern, then glanced around the rooftops. They needed to find the quickest escape route so he could get this guy to safety. He'd been through enough, and needed urgent medical treatment. Unfortunately a hospital wasn't an option anymore, even though Kougu wouldn't have gone to one anyway. “Think you can jump that far?” Kougu asked, gesturing to the gap between the two buildings. It was as wide as Jimmy was tall, and there was a hideous drop between them. He wasn't sure, probably, with a decent run-up. But Kougu would need help. “I could try.” He said, not convinced. He'd never been very good at long-jumping... But it wasn't like they had a choice in this matter. Swallowing nervously, he hissed in a breath and sprinted across the building, flinging himself off the edge towards the other roof. The impact of the jump caused him to fall into a roll as he landed, but he didn't fall to his death. Brushing himself off – he now had a faint limp, but he tried not to show it – he turned to Kougu. “Come on.” He urged.

Kougu watched as Jimmy sized up the jump. In truth the gap was not that wide - most everyone could jump around three meters if they tried; it was proven. Still, the drop between the buildings was enough to make a man lose his lunch, and that alone made the distance seem all the more imposing. Kougu shuddered at the thought, then looked expectantly at Jimmy.
“I could try.” He said uncertainly, and Kougu nodded. "You can do it." He assured him, "Just don't look down."
For a moment longer Jimmy considered the opposition, then Kougu watched as he launched himself into a sprint, dashed to the edge, and threw himself off the building with arms flailing. He hit the ground in a roll on the other side, but soon got up, looking - for the most part - unhurt. Then he said two words that Kougu had rather been hoping not to hear.
“Come on.”
"Right..."
He rubbed his side unconsciously, and tried not to wince as pain rocketed through him again. He was feeling faint, and as he started forward in a jog, his legs felt like rubber beneath him. He was moving in slow motion.
The gap grew nearer like something out of a movie, and with each step it seemed to stretch wider and wider, until Kougu began to feel as if he was facing the grand canyon, rather than a little gap between two rooftops.
Just think of the maths. he told himself firmly, It can't be more than one point eight meters, and a normal step is one meter. It's a big step, that's all it is. I can still handle that. I just mustn't over-think it...
He took a deep breath, and lengthened his stride to a sprint, blocking out pain with adrenaline. His heart raced, and he could hear it pounding with each step he took.
One... Two-
Then he leaped from the ledge, and it skipping one as he jumped neatly to the other side, landing precisely on both feet mere inches from the edge. He released his breath.
Three.
At the next anxious throb of his heart, Kougu felt a horrible warm dampness spread down his side, and his vision turned black and fuzzy. The world began swaying around him, and as all sense of balance left him, he found himself suddenly teetering on the edge, too scared to step forward, for fear of falling back. He was on the brink of passing out, and this time, he couldn't get a grip.
"Jimmy-" He reached out blindly, legs wobbling weakly as his legs threatened to collapse. Another move of dizziness stuck, and before he could help himself, he stumbled back a step. His foot slipped over the edge, and for a second, he swore his heart stopped beating entirely.
No! Not yet!

The second roof was much bigger than the one he'd jumped from, but Jimmy only gave Kougu a couple of metres' room to leap over, in case it went wrong. No doubt the hideous beating he'd received would slow Kougu and that could make him lose momentum. But it was only a short jump, and Kougu was a ninja, after all. Still, Jimmy needed to be ready in case it went wrong.
Rest assured, Kougu made the jump. His run-up, however, was shaky, and the landing felt weak and clumsy. Very unlike Kougu, which showed there was definitely something wrong.
A moment's pause. Kougu remained stranded on the edge, like he was too scared to move.
“Kougu?” Jimmy murmured, starting towards Kougu's trembling body, but he was too late. The last thing Kougu said was his name, then he fell back and started to disappear between the gap of the two buildings.
Swearing loudly Jimmy fell to his stomach and reached out, grabbing Kougu's lower arm in a vice grip. No way was he losing Kougu now, not after everything they'd both sacrificed already.
“Hold on!” He said gruffly, biting back a roar as he mustered up the strength to drag Kougu's surprisingly heavy body from it's death. Jimmy's arm shook with the pressure, but he didn't stop pulling until Kougu was able to scramble back onto the roof. The effort had drained Jimmy of all his energy, but there was one thing keeping him going, keeping him from passing out. Concern for Kougu was greater than h is will to give in, and one look at this man told him that something had to be seriously wrong for Kougu to be effected this bad.
Swallowing nervously, Jimmy crawled back to Kougu and, as gently as he could, began to unzip Kougu's leather jacket. He had to know.
“Kougu?” He asked flatly as the zip reached the bottom, and Jimmy realised how wet it was. “Have... You've been shot, haven't you?”
He then noticed his own fingertips, stained with fresh blood that had come from the jacket. Jimmy's worst fear had been confirmed, and he hung his head with a sigh.
“Why didn't you tell me?” He murmured, eyes flicking over the bloody patch over Kougu's side. It was spreading, fast. No wonder the poor sod had nearly fainted. It was a wonder how he'd managed to do everything he had so far. But the cops would be after them soon, and they couldn't afford to go to a hospital yet. Jimmy needed to think fast.
After glancing around them to make sure they were alone, Jimmy shrugged off his hoodie as quickly as he could, then yanked his shirt over his head. He bit the collar between his teeth and yanked it, ripping it right down the middle. It was somewhat dirty but better than nothing, so he twisted it around and stretched it out, handing it to Kougu. “Wrap that around yourself.” He ordered, yanking his hoodie back over himself. The wind hit him hard, but he tried his best to hide his chattering teeth. “Quickly. Anything to stop the bleeding until we find somewhere we can sort it out properly.”

Kougu made a desperate grab for the edge as he fell, but it was no use. Gravity was dragging him down, and his fingers scraped off the edge, leaving a terrible, paralyzing nothingness all around him. I'm falling. For one heart-stopping moment, he truly thought that it was the end. Then a hand reached out over the ledge, and Kougu grabbed onto it with all that he was, adrenaline shooting like lightning through his veins. His fingers were slippery from sweat, but when he felt the solid form of Jimmy's hand in his, he grabbed on so tightly that it would have taken a bulldozer to pry him loose. The cold air jerked to a stop around him, and he felt his shoulder strain in its socket as he stopped falling, suddenly hanging helplessly in mid-air with nothing but Jimmy's sweaty hand between death below, and life above.
“Hold on!” Jimmy grunted, and Kougu didn't need to be told twice. The minute the man started pulling, Kougu redoubled his grip, and kicked his legs forward to scramble up the wall. It was a nerve-wracking process, but at last, he managed to clamber up to safety. He collapsed, shaking, onto his hands and knees, and remained there for a long moment, sweat dripping freely from his brow. 
“Kougu?” Jimmy's voice shook him from his shocked state, and slowly, Kougu felt the cold claws of reality sink back into him . He sat up, and pushed his hair back from his pale, sweaty brow. He couldn't stop shaking now, and his skin had turned from white to a sickly shade of grey. He couldn't hide the anemia from Jimmy any longer... So when he reached out to unzip the jacket, he didn't even try. “Have... You've been shot, haven't you?”
As the cold wind hit his damp chest, Kougu looked down to see the blood staining his shirt. It was almost entirely red, and glistening from wetness. He didn't even flinch at the sight. Over the years, he had become completely numb.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Ignoring his wound as if it was nothing more than a splinter, Kougu looked briefly up to the sky, then back over his shoulder. "It didn't seem important." He mumbled quietly in response, "We had to get away; I didn't want you to lose focus worrying about me..." He trailed off, watching with vague eyes as Jimmy removed his hoodie, then his shirt.
"You'll freeze." He pointed out halfheartedly, his words becoming slurred as he consciousness flickered. He was struggling to focus on the problem at hand now. Luckily, Jimmy had it down.
“Wrap that around yourself.” He ordered, ripping his shirt cleanly in half, then handing a ragged piece of material to Kougu, who took nit with a vaguely puzzled expression on his face. “Quickly." Jimmy pressed as he pulled his hoodie back on, "Anything to stop the bleeding until we find somewhere we can sort it out properly.”
Kougu looked from Jimmy to the rag in his hands, then shook his head, and muttered, "Right. Okay." Refocusing as best he could, he stretched out the ripped piece of shirt, and wrapped it clumsily around himself, then pulled it tight. He winced, uttering a muffled grunt of pain as it squeezed the lips of the wound together. "It's no good." He gasped, allowing the makeshift bandage to go slack in his shaking fingers. "The bullet is still in there. It'll only bleed harder if I try to close it. Let's just get back." He forced a leg out in front of him, and used it to haul himself unsteadily to his feet. "I'll be fine. I can keep it together until we get there." He scrunched the bandage into a ball, and shoved it into his pocket. "I'll make it, really." He insisted firmly, nodding toward the next rooftop, "Let's go."

Kougu seemed to struggle for quite a while to get the shirt wrapped around his middle, but in the end it proved no help to the wound that was gushing out blood by the minute. If it went on like that Kougu could be dead by the end of the day, but the bandage didn't seem to be doing any good. Jimmy grimaced at the sight of it, then glanced back up at Kougu with great concern in his eyes. His friend was dying, there was no other way about it. And it couldn't have happened at a worse time.
“It's no good.” Kougu told him, worryingly faint now. “The bullet is still in there. It'll only bleed harder if I try to close it. Let's just get back.”
Jimmy turned his head to the path before them, still several rooftops away, and swallowed the bile at the back of his throat. Either way they needed to be as quick as possible, or else Kougu would die.
Slowly, he nodded his head in agreement.
“I'll be fine.” Kougu assured him, hauling himself to his feet. “I can keep it together until we get there.”
“You mean you can stay alive until we get there.” Jimmy grunted, zipping his hoodie up. He wasn't convinced, but what choice did they have?
“I'll make it, really. Let's go.”
Jimmy sighed, then headed straight towards the next rooftop. This one was closer, thankfully. “Yeah. You'd better. Come on, let's find this dealer.”
But instead of heading off at a sprint again on his own, Jimmy reached out a hand to Kougu, nodding that he should take it. If you go trip again we're not having any more near-misses. This way we'll both get there in one piece... In theory.

When Jimmy finally agreed to carry on, Kougu nodded, and staggered dizzily after him as they made their way toward the next rooftop. He had promised that he would make it, and so he would, but if he was to be completely honest with himself, he had no idea how to do it. He could barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone jump from roof to roof like some sort of deranged superhero.
He stared hopelessly to the next rooftop, wondering how on earth he'd make it, and then he looked down to see a hand extended toward him. Frowning, he looked up in surprise, and blinked questioningly at Jimmy. The other man nodded, and Kougu looked back at his hand, and reached uncertainly toward it. He hesitated a moment, then took Jimmy's hand as they reached the edge of the roof. He peered over the edge, feeling dizzy and sick, then looked up to the flat concrete just beyond the plunge. He swallowed anxiously. The gap wasn't wide, but he couldn't feel his legs at all. He didn't trust them to stay underneath him. He took a deep breath, then - with Jimmy's hand in his - prepared himself to jump.
"On three?" He glanced toward his friend, then back to the ledge.
"One. Two..." He took a deep breath, "Three."
Together, they jumped, and Kougu felt Jimmy's weight pulling him forwards to land safely on the other side. He stumbled on landing, falling into Jimmy's shoulder, and pushed himself back with a mumbled apology, brushing off his jacket. "It looks like there's a ladder down over there," He said, pointing to a pair of metal bars protruding from one corner of the rooftop, "The dealership's not far from here, and I think we'll be safe traveling on the ground...." He looked up to where the ground dropped away again at the ledge, and felt his stomach drop. This was a wide one. "Safer than we'll be up here, anyway. I won't make that."
There was no point even pretending. The gap was nearly three meters across. It would have been risky even if he wasn't bleeding out under his jacket.
A clammy feeling in his palm reminded him that he was still holding Jimmy's hand, and he released it with a mumbled apology, his cheeks tingling slightly from embarrassment. He didn't have enough blood left in him to blush.
Creeping forward, he dropped to his knees, and tested the ladder. It held. So, taking another deep breath, he grasped the bars, and lowered himself carefully onto the first rung. Instantly, dizziness struck, and he clamped tighter onto the bars at his sides. No way was he going to mess up now. He had promised that he would make it. Although he did feel sick from the pain, and a little lightheaded...
Can I even make it back...?

Kougu seemed a little uncertain at first, but when he seemed to realise it was a better idea to hold Jimmy's hand than fall face-first down an eight feet drop he accepted it with hesitation. They both made sure they had a decent grip then Kougu glanced at Jimmy. “On three?” He suggested, then turned back to the next roof.
Jimmy nodded, and they counted together, launching themselves forward on three, and landing fairly neatly on the other side. Kougu staggered weakly sideways against Jimmy's shoulder and, concerned for his friend, Jimmy wrapped an arm around Kougu's shoulder to catch him before he tripped again.
“It looks like there's a ladder down over there,” Kougu mentioned, pointing to a pair of bars poking out of the side of the wall at the edge of the roof. “The dealership's not far from here, and I think we'll be safe traveling on the ground.... Safer than we'll be up here, anyway. I won't make that.”
He meant the gap between the this roof and the next, but he was right. Jimmy wasn't even sure if he could make a jump that wide, and it wasn't worth the risk. He's much well have preferred the ladder anyday.
Jimmy didn't realise Kougu was still holding his hand until he let go, and wiped the sweat off it onto his thin hoodie with an awkward clear of his throat. Any other time he wouldn't have even asked to hold someone's hand, but this was different. It felt that way, at least.
Kougu seemed to size up the ladder, then took his time lowering down onto it. For a moment the thin metal creaked at the pressure, but it was more Kougu's lightheadedness that seemed to be more of an issue. Jimmy prepared a hand in case Kougu fell again, and watched him with concern as he slowly made his way down the ladder.
“Easy there.” He murmured. There was no way of telling how long Kougu had left to walk on his own, or even breathe on his own, but Jimmy was highly aware of the risks from now on. He needed to get Kougu to safety, then see what he could do about his wounds.
“You alright?” He added, watching Kougu like a protective mother watching her child walk for the first time. “Need a hand?”

The rungs of the ladder seemed neverending at first, but just as Kougu was falling into a rhythm stepping down onto each one, they suddenly ran out, and solid ground jarred his knees. He staggered back, surprised at first, then dusted himself off, and willed his mind to clear. “Easy there.” Jimmy cautioned, and he steadied himself obediently, letting a hand stray automatically to his side. His jacket was hot and wet to the touch, sticky with blood. He shuddered, then looked up, where the alleyway widened into a street that seemed to stretch on forever.
“You alright?” A soft voice asked beside him, and Kougu glanced back to find Jimmy watching him protectively. “Need a hand?”
At this, he smiled despite himself, and shook his head.  "You underestimate me." He told Jimmy simply, "I've survived worse than this before. It's an inconvenience, that's all..." His hand closed more firmly over the wound in his side, and he looked to the street again, intelligent eyes scanning the area. Somehow, Jimmy's concern had strengthened him, and suddenly the will to carry on was not quite so hard to find. It was an unfamiliar feeling, knowing that somebody cared about him, but it was one that he wouldn't mind getting used to.
"The dealership's only about a block away." He said, pointing to the left fork in the road, "We'd better keep to the shadows a bit, but I think we're mostly safe now."
As safe as we can be when I've got a bloody bullet in my side, anyway.
Seeming surprisingly cheerful considering he was walking around with a gunshot wound, Kougu quickly checked the perimeter, then crept out onto the street, and pushed his hands into his pockets, walking on in a casual pace. 

It was a slow walk to the dealership, because every now and then Kougu would grow faint again and need to take a breather, but at last they got there, and Kougu left Jimmy with his card to sort out a ride, while he waited just outside, still clutching his side as sweat dripped down his pasty face. He could hardly walk into a used car dealership with blood dripping from his clothes, and expect not to raise suspicion.
So he waited for Jimmy, until at last he emerged, driving the new car. Too weary even to register what it looked like, Kougu clambered into the passenger side, and slumped down on the worn cloth seat. His whole body ached, and the moment his head hit the headrest, he closed his eyes.
"Thank God." He sighed heavily, "I'm exhausted. I don't think I could have walked another step..." He exhaled softly, blowing a breath through his lips,  then glanced toward Jimmy, and asked, "How are you doing?" He paused, "I never thanked you for getting me out of there. You did well getting past all those guards on your own. I was fairly useless..." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, like a child bringing home a poor report card. He didn't seem to realize at all how much he had contributed to their safe escape. It seemed that his father's impossibly high standards were still firmly instilled in him from his childhood.
Sore and weary, he slumped back in his chair again, and laid a hand tenderly over the bullet wound in his side. He knew that the bullet had to come out, but that could wait until he was back at the house, preferably with a little privacy. There was no point subjecting poor Jimmy to such gore unnecessarily. He didn't think he'd bleed out before reaching home... He hoped not, anyway. Although if he was to be honest, he could feel himself growing weaker by the minute. In fact, he was starting to wonder if he had not perhaps already left it too late... The wound needed seeing to; desperately. He ought not to have neglected it for so long...

Kougu had landed on the bottom when Jimmy had finished talking, but the question seemed to give him more confidence than One should probably have when bleeding to death where One stands.
“You underestimate me.” Kougu told him, looking faintly amused by Jimmy's concern. “I've survived worse than this before. It's an inconvenience, that's all...”
Jimmy snorted t this as he began to lower himself down the creaky ladder. “Alright then.” In other words Kougu wasn't okay, he was just pretending he was invincible. Jimmy had seen that before. Nevertheless he'd make it his mission to get Kougu treated as soon as possible, even if that meant knocking the idiot out and taking him to a hospital. Either way he wasn't letting Kougu die on his watch.
At the mention of the car dealer Jimmy' hopes lifted, and he hopped to the floor with a slight spring in his step. Even if everything was going wrong, as long as they had a way of escape, he was sure now that it would all go to plan.
Hopefully.

They both managed to stroll down the street without attracting any attention to themselves,, and Kougu left Jimmy gladly with the car dealer to find them a cheap ride home. Jimmy wasn't picky with his choice, he just picked one that looked fast and paid the dealer.. Even knowing his friend was in danger due to his poor health, having an unlimited credit card pleased him. Less than ten minutes later he was driving the second hand Megane (( )) out of the car park to Kougu's side. His had no complains when Kougu sat down, probably smearing blood all over the seats.
“Thank God. I'm exhausted. I don't think I could have walked another step...”
“Aha.” Jimmy nodded, speeding out onto the main road. “So you admit that you're not alright, tough guy.” He teased dryly, shooting Kougu an 'I told you so' look. Either he looked overly tired or he had some cut or something on his face, because Kougu's expression changed at the sight of him.
“How are you doing?” Kougu asked him. “I never thanked you for getting me out of there. You did well getting past all those guards on your own. I was fairly useless...”
“Are you kidding me?” Jimmy scrunched his face into a frown as he changed gear. “You're the only reason we got out of there. I managed to reach you,but that's it. You did the rest. Learn to take the credit sometimes, idiot.”
He kept stealing a look on the side mirror to make sure there was no one following them. Of course they had a new car now, so there was nothing to trace them. He was just being paranoid.
“Hey.” He reached over, noting Kougu's sleepy eyes, and patted his cheek roughly, juggling the driving wheel with his other hand. “Stay with me, big man. We've got a bit to go, yet.”
He shot Kougu a scolding look, only because he knew that was the only way to guilt Kougu into trying his best. “Keep talking to me.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jimmy retorted incredulously, and Kougu cast him a surprised glance, “You're the only reason we got out of there. I managed to reach you, but that's it. You did the rest. Learn to take the credit sometimes, idiot.”
"But, I-" He began objecting, then broke off, looking vaguely puzzled. He supposed that he ought to feel pleased about what he thought was praise, but at the same time, it seemed more like a scolding to him. Flushing faintly, he offered a sheepish smile, and mumbled, "I'm sorry."
It felt strange to have someone tell him -albeit in a remarkably strange way - that he had done well for once. He rather liked it.
Feeling faintly pleased, Kougu let his shoulders relax an d turned to stare out of the window. He was just starting to grow tired again, when Jimmy's voice snapped him back to his senses.

“Hey.” A hand patted his cheek, and Kougu grunted in surprise, shooting Jimmy a startled look. "The road-" He pointed helplessly, and breathed a sigh of relief when Jimmy put both hands back on the wheel. “Stay with me, big man. We've got a bit to go, yet.” He scolded, and Kougu quailed under his firm gaze, glancing anxiously at the road. He wished Jimmy would watch it.
“Keep talking to me.”
"Hm?" Distracted, he glanced questioningly back at Jimmy, eyes glazed over for a moment. Then, he quickly snapped back to focus.
"I'm awake." He pointed out mildly, "I'm not dying. Just tired." Rubbing the side of his face absentmindedly, Kougu winced when his fingers brushed over the painful welt that the whip had left there. He had all but forgotten about the lashes, and now that he had been reminded, they quickly started to ache again. The adrenaline was wearing off, and suddenly, he was suffering a considerable amount more. The car rolled on smoothly, but Kougu began to shift slightly from discomfort, trying hard not to show the pain that was rapidly increasing to near unbearable agony. It rose up, towering over him like a tidal wave, and pressing down from all directions. Biting back the urge to groan, he leaned carefully back in his seat. Then a tickle struck his throat, and he doubled over, coughing painfully into his hand. When he moved his palm away, it was spattered with blood. And just like that, the danger became real.
"I think I've punctured a lung." He observed calmly, as though stating a fact like, 'all mammals have fur'. He didn't want Jimmy to panic, but as it turned out, the situation was quickly becoming rather severe. "I expect the force of the bullet-" he broke off, coughing again, and this time he gagged on the blood in his throat. For a moment he feared he might choke, but a further cough cleared the blood from his airway, and he drew in a deep gasp of breath. Suddenly, he rather regretted jumping from that rooftop.
"Are we nearly there?" He muttered, trying and failing to hide the weakness in his voice. It was all he could do not to groan out loud, and collapse, rolling in agony. "It seems I-" He broke off a moment as dizziness struck, leaving him feeling faint and lightheaded. "I'm not doing so well after all..."