strangetrip | "No One Told Me Why I'm In Berlin"

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"No One Told Me Why I'm In Berlin" - Tag Peter and Alec

When Liz found out that the new world was actually Earth and Europe, she couldn't quite hold back her excitement. The fact that the year was, according to the people at the desk, 2018 meant she was going to be closer to Peter's time than her own. She would finally be able to experience what his world was like, even just a little bit, and learn more about the internet and scientific advancement and maybe watch a few of Peter's favourite films they couldn't get at the inn.

"I still don't know why I'm here." Alec sat across from the two teenagers on the train heading to Berlin looking appropriately put-out despite not actually feeling that way. The truth was, he had never been to Europe and he had seen that semi-embarrassing video that Peter had of his trip to Germany and maybe, just maybe, he wanted to see it. Though he told himself he was actually just chaperoning because the world could be dangerous and both Liz and Peter were naive and believed the best in people, even when they shouldn't.

Liz was dialing another phone number on the smartphone she had been given. Thankfully she had enough practice with Peter's to be able to use the one she had and not look entirely inept. So far there had been no answer with Maria's house and the number for the Crashdown was out of service. Her home got a busy signal. She also knew it was a possibility everyone had moved or something. Then suddenly her face lit up - the Roswell police department was on the other end.

"Hi, um. Yes. I was wondering if I could speak to Sheriff Valenti please?" A pause. "Sheriff Valenti. Valenti." Another pause as her excitement lessened. "Okay, well, um. Can you at least tell me if there was a record of a Sheriff Valenti on the force?... How can you not know that." She caught herself as the words came out more tense and annoyed. Liz took a breath. "Yes, I'll hold." And hold she did. The more she waited, the more her expression dampened. Finally, there was a voice again. "Oh.. okay. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye."

She hung up. "They, um. They have no record of him working there. So I guess.. this isn't my world."

Alec shrugged, still looking out the window. "This isn't mine either. We can be twinsies, if you want."

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She tried not to let the panic show in her expression, but it was probably failing. Liz reached out for him almost desperately.

She nodded a few times and took a breath, looking around. Hiding behind the bar wouldn't work. Her eyes fell on some sort of door. She pointed. "There, maybe?"

Peter nods, then races towards the door, pulling Liz along with him. As he does, he looks around, his eyes scanning for some sign of Alec, but sees nothing.

He really hopes that he's okay. He knows that Alec can manage on his own, but...

Liz gave a little prayer to have the door be open. The realization that this was probably an abandoned building meant it was likely, at least. She also realized this was the second time she went to a party that wasn't legal.

When they got to the door, it was open. A storage room that was empty except with some cases of beer and empty wooden crates. The locking mechanism on the door seemed to be working.

For Alec's part, he found himself in another part of the building in a similar small room. He pulled out his phone and texted Peter. 'You okay?'

Liz locked the door once they were inside and closed her eyes, finally taking a moment to rub her arm which had been stepped on by accident.

Peter shifts himself in front of Liz inside the storage room. He wants to be sure that if something happens, he's up in front to protect her.

When his phone vibrates in his pocket, he pulls it out and furiously types back.

Liz was trying to take stock of the room when Alec replied:

Peter looks down at his phone, then surveys the closet. Sure enough, there's a vent near the top of the ceiling, just big enough for an adult to crawl through in a tight fit.

Peter takes a breath, then sends his message:

"Okay, we need to get to the roof. If I prop you up, can you get the vent cover off? We're going to have to crawl out of here."

Liz looked up at the vent, then looked back to Peter and nodded. "Yeah, I think so." Outside there was the sound of a door crashing opening and police shouting in German. They weren't going to have a lot of time.

Peter bends down, and folds his hands together so Liz can use them as a foothold.

"Just let me know when you got it."

Even though she knew Peter was strong, it didn't stop her from worrying about him getting tired or hurting himself. Still, she focused on the task at hand, managing to pry the metal grated down. She didn't let it drop, but rather placed it on a nearby shelf.

The shouting was getting closer. "Okay, it's off." She whispered this time because she thought they might be heard.

"I'm gonna push you up, okay? You go in first."

Peter rises to his feet in an attempt to make it easier for Liz to crawl into the vent.

Liz was not a star athlete by any means which meant that she had to work hard to climb. Peter's extra push was helpful and she managed to pull herself up, though not overly graceful. She disappeared into the vent.

Outside, someone tried the door handle.

Peter scrambles up the wall and past the vent. He'd been dreading this even when he pushed Liz inside, but the second someone was turning the door knob, he knew he had no time to hesitate. He just went in.

But now that he was in, it felt like everything was closing in around him, the same way it was when the Vulture collapsed the warehouse and pinned him in. He knows that this is different, that he's safe, that the vents aren't going to cave in, but as his back skims the top of the air duct, that same claustrophobic feeling overwhelms him and he just

stops.

Just as Peter climbed in, the door was kind ked open. There was some talking in German and then it sounded like they were gone.

Liz, too, had stopped moving, so she didn't realize Peter was frozen until the police disappeared and she started to slowly crawl. It took her a moment to realize she didn't hear movement behind her and she struggled to look back - it was a tight space.

"Peter?" Her voice was quiet because she didn't want to be heard by anyone else but him.

It feels as if the air duct is closing in on him.

He knows logically that it isn't, but logic isn't helping at the moment. All he can think about is how warm it is and how tight everything is and how his breath is quickening and --

Peter begins to back out of the air duct.

Before he even started to back out, Liz felt like something was wrong. She had no idea what that something was, but when he started to climb out, she felt her chest tighten.

When she felt him leave, she crawled backwards and out of the vent too. Or at least that was her intent. As she lowered herself down, she realized the floor was a lot further down, but she'd attempt the jump anyways.

As soon as he's safely back in the closet, he drops down to the floor and presses his back against the wall. He looks up at the ceiling and takes one slow breath after another. He's not in the duct anymore, but somehow he can't shake the feeling he had inside of it.

Liz's dismount is not nearly as graceful and she stumbled as she landed, but didn't fall flat on her back. Her eyes briefly we t to the slight open door. People were clearly still walking around and flashlights were moving around. Then her eyes went to Peter and immediately she was concerned. She moved to him quickly.

"Are you okay?" She kept her voice low as she took in his posture and his expression, her own face riddled with concern.

"Yeah," Peter says quietly, tenting his hands over his mouth and nose. "I'm fine. I just -- I need a minute."

Brow furrowed, Liz stared at him for a moment trying to figure out what was happening. The look reminded her of Maria when she was having an anxiety attack. Her eyes lifted to the vent, then back to Peter. She realized it was probably the space.

Outside there was some talking in German.

Liz paused. "I can... I'll go out there and draw them away. " They didn't have to crawl through the vent, not if it was too hard for him... Even though Liz wondered what the authorities would do with a minor who didn't seem to have any parent or guardian.

"You can find Alec and bail me out, okay?"

Peter's hand snaps to catch Liz's wrist.

"No, don't go. I'm fine. I can do it."

Peter takes a breath and stands up, then weaves his fingers together again for her to use it as a foothold.

Again, he takes another breath.

Liz's heart ached for a moment. She looked back up at the vent. She didn't want to put him through that. She paused, then nodded, though she continued to look worried.

As she climbed back up, Liz had a plan. She had no idea if it was going to work. When she was inside, she crawled further - she had seen a t-junction ahead, and then turned around and came back so that Peter would be facing her. She'd have to crawl backwards, but that didn't matter to her.

Peter takes a breath and crawls up the wall and through the duct. He takes one deep breath and then another, trying to keep his attention focused on what's in front of him instead of what's around him.

One breath, then another.
One breath, and then another.

And as he focuses on what's in front of him, everything around him doesn't feel quite real. Peter knows that he is there, and that everything around him is there, too; he can feel the cool metal against his palms as he crawls forward and he can feel his back brush against the roof of the duct.

But somehow it feels like he's some other place watching some other teen crawl through the air ducts, and not himself.

It's only when he reaches the t-ship intersection and finds Liz there that his mind finally snaps back into its proper place. He manages to let out a breathy "hey" at her. A hey that he hopes sounds more steady than he feels.

The 'hey' isn't very convincing, but Liz smiled to him. She reached out and touched his hand which was hard and awkward to do, but she needed to do anyways.

"Just keep looking at me, okay?" Even if she had to navigate with her feet and they'd go a little slower, Liz wasn't going to let him deal with how he was feeling alone. "And if we need to stop we stop."

Peter nods wordlessly and follows, his head still spinning. But there's something about Liz being there that levels him. It's somehow easier to breathe.

Crawling backwards meant it was slow going and awkward when they came to a turn or something, but they were managing. Of course, Liz realized they didn't really have an idea of where they were going. They had no map, after all. Liz figured even if they could just find a stairwell, that would help.

"You're doing good" she kept her voice at a whisper and she maintained her smile, trying to come off as reassuring.

There was a moment the floor under her changed and she realized she was under a vent. She glanced down and saw someone. It looked like Alec, but it was hard to tell from above.

"...Alec?" And that was about as much as she was able to get out before the vent gave way and she plummeted down into the room.

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