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The alarms blare overhead, with warning flashes of red that illuminate the darkness in pulsing waves. The power's out, maybe through the whole facility. So far, at least, every locked door they've needed to get through comes open with a simple pull. No need for keycards or codes. If Konstantin actually believed in miracles, he'd have to admit this is one.
As it is, it's no miracle β most likely just all the wrong things happening at the right time. A breach of security in a facility that's under-run, a system lockdown that backfired somehow. They can hear the shouts of workers rushing past, frenzied instructions to Shut it all down!, and they might have mere minutes to get the hell out of here.
A series of rapid-fire gunshots sounds from down the hall, and Konstantin thrusts out an arm to catch against the younger man at his side, pushing him back for a moment. Guess they won't be needing that desperate, dangerous escape plan after all; here's another option. It might be their only chance. It probably is. If Konstantin dies on the way out, he'd rather it be that way β better than staying trapped and kept alive here while they turn him into some kind of fucking weapon.
...But he has someone else he's trying to keep alive. And that is a driving motivation to stay alive, too.
"There!" he utters quick and quiet, pointing down a hall leading in the opposite direction from where those gunshots sounded. From the large windows lining the sterile white corridor, it's clearly nighttime. That's good, less visibility when β if β they manage to find an exit out of this place.
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He winced, ducking back reflexively at the sound of gunshots. Weapons had been forbidden on the assignments he'd gone on, so hearing it so close was uniquely terrifying. His fingers gripped on the back of his cellmate's clothes, until he'd spotted a way out. Bart follows along, quick and silent, trying hard to keep his breathing measured and slow so that he doesn't get either of them caught with a coughing fit at the worst possible moment.
Konstantin pauses, finds them a way to go to potentially find an exit, and Bart nods as he follows close behind.
When a dully glowing exit sign does come into view, Bart dips low to eye the lock mechanism. An announcement repeats overhead that lockdown is about to be put into effect as backup power is rerouted to the containment facilities. He's quick about pulling a few different things out of his clothes, including a stylus that he had chewed flat and sharp that he was now rapidly bending into a configuration that could not only wedge between the lock and jamb of the door, but shim it open. He batters his shoulder against it the moment he hears it click, and nearly topples outside down a narrow flight of steps. His hand flails out to grab at Konstantin's arm, eyes huge with the fear of what might happen to them next.
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And the last thing they need right now is him vomiting up an entire hostile alien.
The announcement blares; they have minutes, maybe seconds, to escape this place, if it's even possible at all. Konstantin comes to a halt with Bart, body tense, every muscle on high alert. If someone does come rushing for them, he's prepared to take them on. Fortunately, no one comes their way, leaving the other man with enough time to quickly shimmy his way through that locked door β Konstantin takes a moment to lift his brows and give a quick impressed exhale β before the door's giving that click and everything falls forwards.
He grasps quickly for Bart's forearm with his other free hand, helping catch him from the momentum of pushing forwards so fast towards those steps. All he can tell is that they lead down into the darkness, the outside lighting not yet having returned. That's a good thing β it'll keep them concealed in the darkness long enough to maybe, hopefully, make a proper run for it. But here too, they have maybe seconds to spare, and so Konstantin gives a quick nod to his fellow escapee.
"I'll go first," he breathes, knowing if something halts them along the way, it's better he encounter it first. So he's moving again, as fast as he dares down those narrow steps, eyes wide in the dark. They lead to ground level, where a few large vehicles are stationed. Konstantin rushes over to duck behind one and turns for Bart, motioningβ
"I think the woods are out that way!"
As little as he knows about this facility, he's at least been able to learn that it's surrounded by a dense forest, presumably to keep it tucked away. Konstantin's about to take off again when the lights start coming on again, blindingly white and illuminating the area.
"Shit! We'll be careful β use the vehicles for cover just in case."
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Bart shudders at the thought, and pushes himself just that little bit faster until he's made it over to the first of the vehicles. The echoing k-chunk! of the outdoor floodlights coming on nearly startles him into another coughing fit, but he throws himself to the ground and just into one of the deep shadows beneath a truck to make his way on his knees and elbows over to where Konstantin waits.
"Alright...I'll keep following you," he wheezes, keeping a deathgrip on his controlled breathing. They can't be far off from the forest here. He just can't quite gauge the distance with such deeply contrasting shadows thrown by the lights. Any moment now it would be announced that there were escapees. Then it was only a matter of time before they were tracked down and shot, or tranquilized, or otherwise captured once again.
Leapfrogging from shadow to shadow would take longer than he hoped. At least he trusts Konstantin to get them to the no-man's-land on the other side.
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...Is he leading this man to his death?
He leans for a moment to grasp Bart's shoulder, giving an encouraging squeeze as he stares at him, looks him over with a knit brow, tries to gauge his condition. More lights are coming on; they don't have much time to move, but this is the point of no return, and he holds Bart's gaze, concerned.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know what's out there. I don't know if it'll be... better for you, than this."
They could be on a goddamn island, for all he knows. Surrounded by water, no escape. Maybe they end up lost in the woods, starve to death. Maybe Konstantin can't actually save anyone.
"You can go back now if you want to. You could tell them I forced you to help me escape. "