Freedom

A hundred meters away from the laboratory, to save up her psychic power and use it as a last resort, we landed back on the ground and started running with all our might.

The noise quietened to the point of being almost inaudible as we get further away.

Finally...I won't have to stay in that cell anymore, though it's kinda weird to be outside like that.

Even under the scorching temperature, as if a shackle has been cut from within my chest, I have never felt so light and refreshed before.

Seeing Tatsumaki and Sho having difficulty keeping up, I said, "Let's take a quick break."

We should be safe for now with that distance.

"Aaah...Good...Idea." Sho was bending over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Approaching Tatsumaki, I gently supported her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I am not that weak." Despite saying this, she rested her forehead on my chest as her heavy breath mixed up with my sweat.

Instead of standing like that, we went to rest under a tree nearby to protect ourselves from the radiant sunshine.

"Can you explain now why you also wanted to escape with us?" I inquired, using that short moment of peace to learn more about Sho.

"For freedom."

This doesn't make any sense...

Why is he talking as if he has also been locked in a place? We are the ones who have suffered, not someone like him.

"You must be thinking that like others, I am an evil scientist doing research all day long, right?"

As we nodded our heads, Sho continued. "Well, you see...Blinded by money, I came to work here without suspecting anything illegal until discovering that they mistreated children.

"Naturally, I had written a resignation letter but imagine my surprise when they forbid me from leaving and even threatened to silence me if I ever dare to escape.

"So the only thing I could come up with was to act as a foolish person in hope that they would deem me useless.

"But since you became powerful, I wanted to bet my life on you."

All this time, this guy was forced to work for them from the start...

For Tatsumaki and me, our cell was what restrained us but for him, it was the entire laboratory.

They didn't let him go likely to keep their crimes unknown to authorities.

In the end, he was just like us...

"Why not call the police with your smartphone?" Tatsumaki asked something that I did not even consider.

Sho shrugged his shoulders. "They had seized it from me so I couldn't contact the outside world."

Without thinking much before speaking, I blurted, "So you and Tatsumaki had the same strategy— waiting for them to let you go."

"Aww!"

A slight pain shot up as the girl who was resting her head on my chest suddenly bit my shoulder.

"Sorry," I said with an apologetic smile, giving a kiss on her forehead before her glare could kill me.

Staying together with Tatsumaki allowed me to understand that this kind of thing happens every time I let out something wrong.

She closed her eyes once again. "Hmpf!"

As Sho was looking at us in a trance, I inquired, "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. Your action just reminded me of my girlfriend..."

"Since you had to stay at the laboratory for the past few years, what happened to her?"

Sho didn't say anything and started removing some leaves from the ground seemingly lost in his thought.

Maybe something tragic had occurred between them...

Then, a loud explosion noise occurred from the place we were just ten minutes ago, startling birds flew away from the area.

"What was that!" Sho got out of his daze.

Gary shouldn't be able to do such an extraordinary feat or else even with all those guards, he would have already killed me.

If it's not him then... it should be from a monster.

Having the same idea as me, Tatsumaki stood up. "Even though we don't know what it is, fleeing away from here is the best option we have."

"What are you doing?" she said when I dropped my knees in front of her.

"Giving you a piggyback."

Since the break didn't last long, Tatsumaki shouldn't have been able to rest much.

She stood there, debating with herself whether to accept or not.

"Fine." Tatsumaki placed her around my neck. "I wanted to take a nap anyway."

As for Sho...well, I only have one back so he will have to fend for himself, but even so, it would be awkward if I had to carry him...

While giving Tatsumaki a piggyback, touching her slender legs somehow gave me goosebumps.

Hopefully, my ears were deceiving me, and that she didn't let out a giggle.