Taylorâ€™s brow furrowed as he tried to make sense at what the boy was saying. How the fuck was he supposed to command Rune? There was no connection was there? Both he and Xander started running for the stairwell door and had just entered the stair case when a disembodied voice brought both of them to a shocked stop.<br/><br/>â€œWhat the fuck was that?â€ Xander asked as he gripped his gun tighter and looked around. This was all a little too much for the assassin. He had dealt with a lot of shit but this was not one of them. He was not equipped to deal with a ghost of any sort. His eyes shot wildly around the stair case before his body lurched to the side and he fell against Taylor.<br/><br/>Taylor had been just as surprised and thrown off balance when the voice started talking. â€œI think that was Rune.â€ His awe was reflected in the slightly softer tone as he shifted Mekoâ€™s weight just before Xander tipped into him and sent his shoulder crashing into the wall. â€œJesus fucking Christ.â€ Taylor growled as he straightened himself up. â€œNo, we can make it.â€ His sheer stupid stubbornness made him say just as he took off at a sprint again.<br/><br/>It wasnâ€™t long until pieces of the floor and ceiling started to crumble and fall. A large rock of cement fell just inches from the duo that were running and tiny pebbles cracked and rolled off the shield Rune had made around them. â€œYouâ€™ve got to be kidding me.â€ Xander rasped out between his labored breaths, the dust from the collapse having started to enter his lungs, just as a large portion of stairs caved in.<br/><br/>The younger Rochester simply sped up and leaped through the air his legs flailing as he did so. The pain of his knees colliding with the stairs shot through his body but he returned to his feet and looked beside him at his brother who had landed in a far more graceful crouch perched on the edge of the stair. â€œYou really need to learn to jump.â€ Xander couldnâ€™t help but try and break through Taylorâ€™s carefully reconstructed cool even in the direst of situations.<br/><br/>Taylor didnâ€™t respond just readjusted Mekoâ€™s body on his shoulder and started running again. Mekoâ€™s earlier point was made when a chunk of steel beam crashed down on the shield and just bounced off. That didnâ€™t stop Xanderâ€™s miniature heart attack when he had seen the damn thing plummeting down on their heads. â€œI need one of these.â€ He commented off handedly as they dodge holes in the floor and building debris.<br/><br/>Somewhere in the distance another explosion rocked the building and because the railing beside Xander had long since been destroyed he tipped right over the edge. He tried to grab onto the side of the stairs as he fell but the rock just crumbled beneath his fingers. This was joyful he was going to die because the assholes he had saved had to have their soap opera moment earlier.<br/><br/>For just a split second Taylor entertained the idea of letting Xander fall to his death, after all he did kill their father. It was almost against his own free will that he gripped Meko tighter and fell to his kneeâ€™s as he extended his hand out and caught Xanderâ€™s wrist. He saw the relief in the monsterâ€™s eyes as he looked up at Taylor. Just as fast as it had appeared it was gone and replaced with a snarky â€œAre you just going to sit there or are you going to pull me up?â€ It took more effort than usual to pull Xander up and back to the relative safety of the stairs.<br/><br/>â€œRune, I donâ€™t know what you can do but if itâ€™s possible could you give us an extra boost towards the third floor? We could really use it.â€ Taylor asked as he tucked himself against the wall and looked up at the final stair case that was all but nonexistent. They had made it this far with all those missing stairs, large boulders, and other falling material and the staircase they needed was destroyed. â€œIâ€™ll bet you a thousand dollars that was the second explosion.â€ Xander growled completely irritated at the current situation.<br/><br/>-0-0-0-0-0-0<br/><br/>The first thing he registered was the soft purr of an old engine and the beat of an old rock song. The second thing was the now familiar weight of Meko on his chest. Taylor took a moment to bask in the glory of no longer feeling like he was dying from all the wounds he had sustained from the past few days. â€œItâ€™s about time you rejoined the living.â€ That voice made him open his eyes and the minute he did he regretted it. The sunlight was bright even through filtered glass and it made his head throb with temporarily forgotten pain.<br/><br/>After a moment he tried that again, this time he avoided the window of the car and sat up slowly, turning Meko in his arms until he had the boy safely on the leather seats. It took far more effort than necessary to climb over the consol and into the front seat of the car. Of course the reason was trying not to disturb the hulk of a man driving. â€œWhere are we?â€ Taylor finally asked his throat dryer then the sierra desert.<br/><br/>That problem was answered by Xander pointing at a cooler that had been set in the back floor board. Taylor made a mental note to work on his observation skills upon waking up. He questioned his partner again once he had downed an entire bottle and this time he received an answer. â€œWe are currently in what once were the Appalachian Mountains.â€<br/><br/>â€œAnd what exactly are we doing here?â€ Taylor asked only to receive a tired glare from Xander. That was the first time he noticed that he looked clean as if he had taken a shower and changed clothes. This little fact had to mean they had stopped, which meant the asswipe didnâ€™t wake him up so he could get clean. â€œWell, we are going somewhere safe and right now this is the only option we have.â€ It was explained slowly as if Xander thought Taylor needed to be talked to as a five year old.<br/><br/>It was several minutes later and when Taylor looked down at his knees to assess the damage to them through the holes he knew where there did he just completely freeze. He had on brand new jeans, a brand new shirt, and he looked clean. â€œWhat the fuck did you do?â€ He asked almost tramatized by the thought that his mortal enemy had<span style="font-style: italic">cleaned</span>him.<br/><br/>A deep rumbling laugh escaped Xander as he glanced away from the road and at his counterpart. â€œI had a female friend deal with that problem. I wasnâ€™t about to let anyone covered in dirt and smelling like a sewer in my baby.â€ Taylor jerked around in his seat to look at Meko to see if he too had been cleaned and sure enough the kid looked as fresh as a daisy. â€œThanks.â€ Taylor said sincerely after a little while and turned his attention back to the now winding road.