A/N: (means Author's Note for those'a you who don't know) So... watched No. 06 in two nights on Hulu a while back... and found myself loving the series even before the boy on boy kisses. As usual, my ever-restless mind couldn't resist forming a plot that crept into the back of my mind and planted itself there like a tainted tree of lust and violence with fruit so forbidden I almost considered chopping it down... But I didn't! And as a result I got 16 pages of plotline that I could easily extend to a handful of long chapters full of sex, love, violence, and one too-pretty-for-his-own-good boy of twelve years old...

That's right. Twelve. Meaning this is a yaoi shota story. (I did say the fruit was forbidden!)

If that hasn't said enough, I'll give the explicit warnings now.

This story will contain male on male sexual activities, including but not limited to: manual stimulation, oral stimulation, and anal stimulation.

This story will revolve around a prepubescent Nezumi and a young 'mafia-style' gangster named Cobra. (GangSTER not GangSTA. He won't "put a cap in yo' ass" but he's no stranger to killing.)

This story will include several moments of detailed violence, including but not limited to: broken bones, crushed appendages, amputation of limbs, mutilation, and murder.

This story will include themes of prostitution, slavery, drug and alcohol use, and child abuse.

HOWEVER! The primary elements of the story consist of emotional tenderness, an abundance of unwanted affection (from a caring Cobra to a reluctant Nezumi,) and dramatic feel-good fuzziness with a good mix of humor in the strangest of places. Cobra may be something of a cynical narcissist with bloodstains on his hands, but he's a good person at heart.

Final warning: If it hasn't been noticed yet I like long sentences and big fancy words, and I use them often. Even with context clues abound those of you with limited vocabularies may struggle, particularly with Cobra's dialogue. I assure you that these words ARE in fact real, and can easily be looked up.

Unbearably long Author's Note complete - let's jump into it!

Three years... three excessively long years filled to the brim with great frustration and heated arguments and finally, finally, Cobra had inherited the spoils of war: profitable territory to rake in more coin, henchmen to do his bidding, and the masses to freely rule over within the family's rules and guidelines. Like a prince Cobra strutted through the squalid streets, his pale, flaxen blonde hair shining bright in the sun as it framed the delicate features of his face with short bangs in the front that just barely touched his subtle eyebrows and two long tufts on either side that covered his ears and curved inwards, brushing across his pale white cheeks while the rest of his hair curved outwards in the back and hovered just over his shoulders while falling down the back of his neck in perfect symmetry. With every step his bright golden eyes were set on the deep blue sky above, admiring the beauty of the emptiness above that loomed overhead in stark contrast to the hideous surroundings of the littered ground. But Cobra knew that he couldn't keep his head in the clouds for long... not without getting lost or bumping into things, anyway.

"My brother did such a poor job of maintaining this place when he was alive..." Cobra droned in his thoughts as he lowered his gaze back down to take in the poor condition of his new turf. The buildings were crumbling, the water was putrid, and a majority of the people were sick or dying. And let's not forget the horrible smell; it seemed every last nook and cranny of the dark alleyways was filled with rotting corpses - some of them not even human! But the worst part of this new territory were the people... They sneered at their new figure of authority, uttering curses and threats under their breaths and spitting on the ground in front of him, and all because of the deeds of his family...

It wasn't as if Cobra could truly blame them - after all his father had led a hostile takeover of the entire West Block and it wasn't like he had done much to improve things - but still, their overall attitude towards him was highly irritating. "It will take some time to gain their favor, and no small amount of coin to make the necessary improvements on such a large territory, but even so the acquired numbers alone will finally put me in an advantageous position..." Cobra thought idly to himself as he patrolled deeper into his new district to further inspect the living conditions, "Alas, these poor people have been forced to live in such squalor for the longest time. I'll have to prioritize things carefully if I'm going to afford all of the needed upgrades... Clean water first, obviously, and a disposal crew to take care of the filth that has overtaken the alleyways... I can only assume that they care little for traditional burials considering the number of corpses lying about, so perhaps a crematory for the deceased..? Anything would be better than leaving cadavers to rot where they fall; it's a wonder the people haven't all suffered some sort of deadly plague by now, but I suppose a life born in filth would have a much higher immunity to it than an outsider such as myself... Over half of the district seems to have lost electrical power as well, assuming they ever had it to begin with, that is... I'll have to inspect that in detail a little later... And then there's the-"

"Let me go, you jerk!"

"Hmm?" Cobra stopped and turned his head in the direction of the abrupt cry that had interrupted his thoughts, "It appears that my peaceful reconnaissance patrol has taken an interesting turn." Curious, Cobra followed the all-too-familiar sounds of a heated skirmish into a darkened alleyway, and with every step he took the dull cracking sounds of connecting blows became louder. It wasn't uncommon for such a thing to happen, of course, but that voice... it was a far cry from the call of a toughened brute or thug... Finally, after twisting though the hidden streets of the district, Cobra came to the source of the noise.

Four of his newly-inherited gang members were standing in a half-circle around the wall of a building, each man laughing and grinning sadistically as they landed kick after kick on a small, dark-haired mass that was curled into a ball between them. Barely audible over the commotion were pained whimpers, and the occasional soft plea for the beating to stop.

At a casual pace Cobra sauntered closer, and in a bored, nonchalant tone he spoke out to gain their attention. "Now what have we here..?" he called out impartially, "Are my men so bored that they must resort to beating innocent little girls on the streets to stave off the monotony?"

All at once the men set their sights on Cobra, angered at first that their fun had been interrupted until they realized just who had spoken to them. There was no mistaking it... the long, elegant beige cloak with the white fur trim around the collar, the matching beige pants that tucked into fur-trimmed boots, the single white glove on his left hand, and attached to a white belt was Cobra's trademark sword: the golden rapier. "Ain't no girl, Boss," the more muscular of the thugs replied curtly, and gave the small body beneath him another hard kick, "This little dick owes us big!"

"Oh..?" In a bored tone Cobra voiced a hint of interest, and stepped forward to take a better look. As he came in range he gently parted his way through the gang members, setting himself between the small, bloodied victim and his men. "Still breathing, at least..." Cobra thought to himself as he saw it move, but even with the closer view it looked far too petite to be a boy. With the tip of his beige boot Cobra pushed the child out of its fetal position, and rolled it onto its back. Dark bluish hair fell in frazzled strands around a beautiful, but beaten and swollen face, and two dull gray eyes peered up at Cobra, barely clinging to focus. The small framed body was covered in ragged and recently-bloodied clothing, and though the longsleeve sweater and dark shorts appeared to be boyish, it still wasn't enough to convince him. With a sort of careless inquisitiveness Cobra hovered his boot over the child's groin, and with a few downward taps onto a distinctively male mass between the legs it became clear, "Sure enough, it really is a boy..." Satisfied with his investigation Cobra set his foot back on the ground, and turned around to face the gang members with a much more important inquiry, "What is his offense?"

This time it was a rather dopey-looking member who spoke up, and with a distinctive slur in his voice he answered, "Tha lil' brat wuz caught stealin'! An' once he got hisself caught he turned on our boys wif a knife! Killed free of 'em, he did! An' Toshi lost an eye!"

For just a moment Cobra was a little lost, but once he went over the words again he soon understood what was meant. "So he knifed down three of you..." he commented idly, and glanced down at the child. "Tell me, then, which of you is responsible for heading up his capture?" Cobra inquired, and turned to face the four with a faint smirk set on his lips, "Unlike my brother I like to reward my men."

Without a second thought the muscled brute of the group stepped forward. "I am," he declared confidently in a gruff tone, "I had the punk pounded into the ground before the rest even showed up."

"I can't say I'm surprised," Cobra replied with a smile, and stretched his ungloved hand out towards the other man. He latched on firmly as the brute accepted the handshake, but rather than shaking his hand Cobra tightened his grip further, until he could feel the bones in the man's hand give way. There was a sickening chorus of cracking sounds as the bones shattered under the pressure of Cobra's grasp, coupled with a deep, roaring cry of pain as the brute was overcome by the unexpected agony. Cobra's smile had transformed into a sinister, disgusted glare, and with a strong, well-placed kick he sent the larger man flying into the wall of the building behind him.

In shock the other gang members gawked at their new boss, while their howling companion slid to the ground and desperately clung to his broken hand. Nobody moved, both bewildered and terrified as they tried to come to terms with the sudden, drastic transformation of their new leader's demeanor.

"Be grateful for my mercy," Cobra hissed at the lot of them, with remorseless golden eyes glaring at each thug in turn, "for the next hand I see raised to a child will be severed by my blade, and shoved down the owner's throat." Cobra smirked as the gang members fell quiet, aside from the sniveling of the one with the broken hand, at least, but with a passing show of remorse he glanced back at the beaten boy. "But alas, child or not... all debts must be repaid," he stated firmly as if reciting a sacred code, and uncomfortably he shifted his tongue in his mouth. With one hand set on the hilt of his rapier Cobra's attention returned to the group of gang members, and he gave out his first set of orders. "I want the two of you lug the crying oaf to the clinic," he commanded firmly, then pointed to the third member, "And you... You will take the child, gently, to the manor, and inform my father of what happened. You are to warn all who handle him that if I see one more scratch appear there will be blood to pay, understood?"

With a shaky nod the third member took a few slow steps forward and nervously walked past Cobra for the boy, while the other two struggled to lift the muscled brute off the ground. For the past three years the gang members had been able to roam around and do as they pleased, and before then their commander was just as cruel and ruthless as the worst of them. Now, a new leader was put in control, and this first encounter with him was leaving a strong impression... Play time was over. New rules were being put into place. Obedience was required. And the punishments for stepping out of line were far steeper than ever before.

Cobra merely observed as the thugs followed his commands, and only after they had all dispersed did his fierce glower fade. With a sigh he looked down at the spatters of blood on the ground, where the child had just lain helpless. "Such a beautiful little boy..." Cobra thought idly, and slid his gloved fingertips over the lock of flaxen hair that curved into his face, "Unless I intervene his fate will be sealed... Pity." Sharply Cobra raised his golden eyes back to the empty blue sky, and again he found himself longing for that beautiful serenity. "You are too cruel, gravity, for keeping me down here. Oh what I wouldn't give to ascend into the endless sky and leave behind this fractured world of filth and contention..." With another sigh Cobra set his sights on the pathway to the main road, a frown tugging at his lips as he looked at the eyesore of a city around him, and he finally returned to his patrol. "Hmm, now where was I..?" Cobra wondered as he got back on the main road, "Water, cremation, electricity... Ah, building conditions..."

...

For nearly half an hour his thoughts had halted. Or rather, his thoughts refused to focus on his chosen task. Every step that Cobra took felt heavy and weighted, and no matter how hard he tried he could never push his thoughts forward again. Something felt strange, wrong, as if he was walking forward while some unseen force was trying to pull him in the other direction... It made his hair stand on end.

"Unless you intervene his fate will be sealed."

Cobra shook his head in shock as he heard an unfamiliar voice speak out from within his own mind. The words were practically his own, but the one who said it was obviously a woman. "How strange... Never before have I had trouble with hearing voices," Cobra thought to himself as his walking slowed to a stop. He could feel it even stronger then, the sensation that something, or someone, was trying to pull him back. A chill ran down Cobra's spine, and he slowly turned his head to see if anything was behind him.

"You know what will happen if you do nothing!"

Set in time with the words a searing pain split through Cobra's head, and with a sharp hiss he raised his ungloved hand to the side of his face to clench his skull. "Okay, I get it! I'll go!" he cried out in his thoughts, and to his relief the paid ceased, "Who would have thought that growing a conscience would induce so much pain..?" For just a moment he caught his breath, but a brief pricking sensation in his temple prompted him to move. With one quick motion Cobra turned around and dashed off, running at top speed in the direction of the place that he hated to be the most: home...

In no more than ten minutes Cobra had made it to the black iron gates of the family manor, and immediately the posted guards let him through. In disgust Cobra glared at the massive white building, but rather than retreating to the West Wing - now his entirely after his older brother's death - he set his eyes on the main entrance. With silent footsteps he climbed the twenty white-stone stairs, and quietly slipped in through the glass doors. The grande hall was beautiful as always: large white columns rose from the stone floor to the domed ceiling, and a stunning chandelier dangled in the very center of the room, reflecting small rainbows of light on the various paintings and artifacts that decorated the walls. The self-declared "Serpent King" lived the life of extreme luxury, while the people lived in oppression, poverty, and fear - it was simply appalling.

In utter silence Cobra skulked around the main hall, being careful not to make a single sound to ensure that no one took notice as he delved deeper into his father's domain. Most of the rooms throughout the halls were empty, a telltale sign that the meeting had already been called. Already Cobra knew that the doors to the meeting room would no doubt be guarded, but he had long since found ways to obtain the information that he needed. With a subtle, confident smirk Cobra picked the lock his father's study, and entered with perfect muteness. The room was empty, but a few murmurs shy of quiet, and soon enough Cobra was able to pick up on the conversation that was being held in the room just behind the far end of the wall. "Seems as though they're already speaking of the boy..." Cobra thought to himself as he distinctively heard his father's voice over the rest.

"Goro, Katashi, and Seiji... Those three were Viper's most trusted men. It's a shame that they too have been murdered, but at least their killer will not escape unpunished, as Viper's did."

"My lord, murderer or not he is but a child. Is there no room for mercy?"

"Mercy..? Would you wish mercy on the boy if it was one of your faithful followers that died, Raijiro?"

"... no, my lord."

"Hmph. I thought not. The punishment stands as it would for any other man. Three lives and an eye to pay for; the child will be publicly beaten and executed in the square tomorrow at high noon. That is my final decision... Now, on to the next order of business. How are the trade deals with Number 6 going?"

Cobra had heard enough, and with his gloved hand set thoughtfully on his chin he leaned back against the closed door. The impending punishment was just as severe as he had expected, but luckily he had picked up on a few important details. "There is only one way to get around this little ordeal," Cobra quickly realized, and started to formulate a plan, "But it will only work if the boy decides to cooperate." Satisfied with his gathered information Cobra left the room, and slipped back through the hallways unnoticed. Once he returned to the beginning of the grande hall Cobra stopped at a particular painting, one depicting a beautiful woman chained to a dungeon wall while being stripped naked by a serpent as it coiled around her, and after taking a quick look around to ensure that no one was around Cobra reached his gloved left hand out towards the painting, and shamelessly poked the crying woman's erect nipple. A few small clicking sounds were heard, and the painting sunk back into the wall before opening from a hinge hidden within the frame.

With light footsteps Cobra slipped behind the secret door, and closed the painting behind him before walking through the darkened stairway. In a strange sense Cobra had actually taken a liking to having such a medieval-style dungeon, but on this particular venture through the dingy spiral of stairs he felt that maybe it was a little too much."The poor boy must be terrified... assuming he's even conscious," Cobra thought idly to himself, but as he reached the final few steps a small sniffling sound echoed through the dark hallway from one of the cells, indicating that somewhere close a small child was crying... but that wasn't the only noise to be heard.

"You brat!" a shrill, and obviously older male yelled, "Look at me when I speak to you! Do you see what you did to me!"

"Toshi." It was easy for Cobra to identify the source of such an annoying voice, but today he sounded particularly sadistic. With little thought Cobra drew his rapier and rushed into the cell, just in time to see Toshi's fist raised into the air over the child's head. Cobra's lips tore into a sneer, and in a split second he thrust the tip of his rapier at the center of Toshi's wrist, halting just as it barely pricked into the skin. "Did you not hear of my warning?" Cobra hissed lowly, fury settled in his tone despite his restraint, "Or did you choose to ignore it?"

The short-haired brunet froze in place as the tip of the blade bit into his flesh, and he soon realized that he had no choice but to lower his hand. A growl escaped him as he turned to face Cobra, his remaining dark eye glinting with hatred while the left was covered in a thick, bloodied bandage. "This matter doesn't concern you, boy!" Toshi remarked snidely.

"And that is where you are wrong," Cobra replied in a condescending tone, "It seems that you and Father both have failed to realize that the crime happened in my district." Slowly Cobra withdrew his blade from the man's wrist, but kept it drawn and held at the ready, "Now I suggest that you take your leave. I'm sure that Father needs his boots licked anyway."

"Why you-!" Toshi heatedly started to protest, but as he saw Cobra's grip tighten around the hilt of his blade he backed down. "Fine!" he yelled, loud enough for his voice to echo several times over through the dungeon cells, "But soon enough I will have my revenge on this little whelp!" Toshi's footsteps thundered as he stormed out of the cell, each and every distinctive thud being heard even as he rose up the spiral staircase.

After the obnoxious noise had faded away Cobra let out a sigh, and finally sheathed his golden rapier back into its scabbard. With the eyesore out of the way Cobra took in the sights on the small cell: the dark, filthy stone walls and floor, the molding pile of spare fabric and straw that was meant to be a bed, and of course, the room's intended occupant. The poor boy had been tied to a wooden chair, with his back facing both the bars, and Cobra. He stepped forward, allowing his footfalls to sound as he circled around the chair and stopped in front of the child. "You've landed yourself into quite a mess, haven't you, child?" Cobra said with a gentle smile.

The boy responded with gray eyes glaring and a voice muffled by a cloth gag that was tied around his mouth. With fervor he struggled against his bindings, but rather than the leather ties giving way the chair wobbled noisily against the stone floor.

It was perhaps a little too amusing, and with a deep chuckle Cobra took a step closer; but the boy responded with fear in his eyes, and as he struggled harder to get away the chair slipped and started to topple over. Cobra's quick reflexes instantly took over, and he latched his hands onto the boy's delicate shoulders to keep the chair from falling. With the chair set stably back into place Cobra removed his bare hand, while the gloved one remained on the boy's shoulder, and carefully he pulled the gag away from the child's mouth.

"You fucking bastard!" the boy yelled immediately, "Let me go or I'll rip you apart!"

"Hmm?" Cobra voiced with an insincere tone of confusion, and knelt down to look him in the eyes, "You want me to release you after being so rudely threatened, child? Do you think me a fool?"

"Let me go, damn you!"

Cobra laughed at the furious response, and patted the boy on the head with his ungloved right hand, "Such a big temper for one so small."

The boy growled viciously and his grey eyes narrowed further. It was bad enough that he was dragged off into a shit hole such a this, but now rather than being threatened by an ugly old coot he was being patronized by some jerk trying to play nice! Angrily the dark-haired child thrashed his head back with his mouth open wide, and once he was in position he sharply crashed his teeth down onto the guy's hand. With his teeth still baring down the child smirked, and soon felt a rush of cool blood seep into his mouth.

Lucky for Cobra he had a strong tolerance for pain, and with a soft mutter of "Ow..." he pulled his hand free of the boy's teeth. Calmly he held his hand up to inspect the damage, and with a slight frown he then licked over the two small gashes in his fingers.

The child's eyes grew wide, and he stared in shock at the other male's tongue. Rather than a normal person's tongue his appeared the be split down the center, creating a forked appearance. It was an unexpected sight, and as the forked tongue split around either side of one of the bleeding fingers the child couldn't turn away, even after the freakish tongue had withdrawn into the other's mouth.

It was a look that Cobra had received on multiple occasions, and in a quiet, flat tone he gave the reason. "My punishment," Cobra explained, "for speaking out of turn as a child."

The boy merely scoffed and averted his eyes, setting his glare instead on the wall to the side with a crude mutter of, "Like I should give a damn."

Again Cobra chuckled, and offered the child a smile. "You may not care to hear detail of my punishment," he stated gently, but firmly, "but I'm sure that you'll find your own to be most intriguing."

The boy's head snapped back to face him, and with an uneasy but still rather perturbed look on his face he asked, "Huh?"

"You mean you don't know..?" Cobra remarked, and looked over the boy carefully. Never in all his years had he seen anyone quite like him: flawless light skin, dark bluish hair, fierce gray eyes... he was beautifully exotic, like a wild animal from an untamed forest. "As I suspected," Cobra stated a little worriedly, "You really are foreign to this area and its troubles." Carelessly Cobra plopped back onto the stone floor to sit down, his legs apart as he raised his right knee into the air and lazily set the matching arm onto it, with his left arm stretched behind himself to hold up the majority of his weight as he leaned back against it. "My father, the Serpent King as he likes to be called, runs these parts with a fist of iron, and a heart of ice," Cobra explained plainly, "He shows no mercy to those who displease him, and you, child, have done him the ultimate discourtesy. Three of my deceased brother's most trusted men died by your hand, and as you've seen my father's little 'yes man' is now even more disfigured than he was before. Stealing alone often ends with death, depending on my father's mood; can you imagine, then, what he has in store for you, child?"

"Shut up! I'm not a child!" the boy responded, and once again struggled against the leather bonds around his wrists and ankles.

"Hmm..?" Cobra tilted his head with piqued interest, and pivoted his right elbow over his raised knee to raise his hand to his cheek to lean against it, "Here you sit awaiting a horrible death and yet you are most concerned about how you are perceived..." For a brief moment Cobra considered the situation carefully, and with a flashing smirk he decided to change his tactics, "Alright then, I'll make you a deal. First you settle down, and then we'll talk man to man about your impending fate. I will no longer treat you as a child."

The boy glared, and though his fury reflected clearly in his gray eyes he stilled his movements and calmed his tone, "Fine."

Cobra smiled at his compliance, but very seriously he asked, "Are you ready to die yet?"

"If I gave up on life I wouldn't be struggling, now would I?" the boy responded, his pitch and tone sitting just shy of a yell but still remaining under control.

"And if you were to get loose what would you do?" Cobra inquired, "Would you scurry away only to be hunted like an animal and killed on sight?"

"I would fight back!" the boy practically roared, his patience already wearing thin.

A passing smile crossed Cobra's features, "So you would fight until your last breath then..? How romantic." His smile quickly faded, and was replaced by a desolate look of sadness and concern. "I regret to inform you that you will not live long by that creed," Cobra said solemnly, "no matter how strong your determination."

"Yeah, what's you point?" the other replied curtly, as if that was something that he was already aware of.

Cobra lowered his eyes for just a moment before scanning the boy over from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, analyzing his form with keen golden eyes. He was small of frame, and appeared vulnerable due to the ragged state of his bloodied clothes, but he presented himself with such fire and passion, and to have killed three of Viper's men it was clear that he was far stronger than his stature could display. He was both majestic and savage at the same time... Cobra couldn't deny it: he wanted him. "I would like to offer you an alternative," he answered with a faint smirk, "if you're willing to listen to my proposal."

The boy glared sharply, unnerved and set on edge after such a thorough visual inspection. "I'm listening," he responded, but the wariness in his voice suggested that he had already lost a majority of his interest.

"It would be a real shame for one as beautiful as you to perish under these circumstances. I know of a way to save you, but I would require something from you in return..." Cobra stated casually despite the unfaltering smirk on his lips, "Something that you may not be willing to give."

The boy shrank back in his seat with a disgusted glare as an unsettled chill rolled through every inch of his small, innocent body. "Wouldn't you have to untie me first?" he replied, his tone revealing an eagerness to try and make a run for it.

Cobra's smirk widened and he raised himself off of the floor, and with soundless, graceful steps he closed the distance between himself and the chair. Gently he stretched his gloved hand outwards, and stroked the boy's cheek with the back of his fingertips. "Yes, I would. But this is about more than just your body," he answered calmly, "I want your soul."

The smaller male shuddered, and moved away as best as he could while pulling at the leather bindings, "My soul?"

A frown replaced Cobra's smirk as the boy moved his delicate cheek away, and instead of trying again he placed his hand on the boy's thigh. "Yes," Cobra affirmed plainly, "I want you to pledge yourself to me, body and soul. You will follow my guidance and my instruction without hesitation, and you will remain in my company until I see fit to release you. In return, I will take responsibility for your actions, past present and future, and thus your life will be spared."

The boy shifted uncomfortably at the unwanted contact, and he stared intently at the other's hand. "So, I'll be..." he started to speak, but the words left him choked.

"You will be mine," Cobra claimed firmly, and quickly moved his hand away.

The small boy flinched as he saw the sharp movement, expecting to be struck, but instead a gentle hand set itself on his jaw and a set of dextrous fingertips lightly traced up along his ear. He shivered again and bit into his lower lip, and with a near-tearful and almost shy look on his face he meekly asked, "What do you intend to do with me?"

With a playful smirk Cobra answered him. "Probably nothing as bad as you're anticipating," he said with a slight laugh, "I would never force myself on you if that's what has you so worried, but that doesn't mean that I'll refrain from trying to seduce you from time to time."

The boy blushed faintly, but with a growl he turned his head to face away and scoffed, "Yeah, good luck with that..."

"With this attitude he's practically asking for it," Cobra mused to himself, taking the response as a challenge. In one swift motion he leaned in closer by the boy's ear, and ran his forked tongue up along the rim both on the inside and the outside before whispering hotly, "Mm, I'm sure that I could have you moaning with a single kiss if I really wanted to."

"Sh-shut up!" the boy retorted, cringing and sharply moving his head away as a dark blush crept onto his cheeks. It had felt weird...

Cobra smirked as the smaller male shirked away, and incidentally left his neck dangerously close to where his ear used to be. "The more you shy away the worse off you will be," Cobra forewarned, and placed a light nip on the boy's exposed neck before moving away to stand. With a certain level of amusement he watched as the boy slowly turned his head back and glared at him, but Cobra's response was set in an apathetic and uncaring tone, "So... now that you know the alternative to your fate which do you prefer? A gilded cage? Or a tragic death?"

For one last time the boy tried to make the leather bonds budge, but the task was impossible... He was faced with a complex choice: to throw away his pride and become someone else's possession, or to die. Already he had struggled hard for both his life, and for his freedom, but now he was being forced to give one of them up. For a few moments he remained silent, but finally, with a heavy heart he gave his answer, "... cage."

Cobra felt a sense of pride as he heard the answer, and with a subtle grin he replied, "Then pledge yourself me."

"What?" the boy responded abruptly, and looked up at the other male in mild confusion.

"'I,' whatever your name may be, 'hereby give myself, body and soul, to Master Cobra, until such a time that he releases me from my pledge to serve him.'" Cobra answered, giving a clear example of what he was expecting.

The boy stared at him in a state of disbelief, as if he must have been completely insane for suggesting such a thing, "You're joking?"

"I'm completely serious."

For a while the boy seemed to struggle with accepting such terms, but after the hearing the answer and seeing the matching serious look in the other male's eyes it was obvious that there was no getting out of this. "... I, Nezumi, give myself, b-" the boy faltered and choked on the word, but with a hard swallow he continued, "body and soul, to Master Cobra, until he releases me from my pledge to serve him..."

With an excited clap Cobra smiled proudly, the sudden sound causing the boy to jump in his seat. "Bravo!" Cobra exclaimed, and placed the gag back around the smaller male's mouth, "I'll go and make the official arrangements now."

The boy's grey eyes narrowed sharply as the cloth was set over his lips, and furiously he demanded to know why, but his muffled tone betrayed him with an incoherent "Mmphm mm!?"

"Well I can't just leave you to sit here yelling the whole time, can I?" Cobra responded with a laugh, "Now you just sit tight and don't go anywhere... Not that you have much choice in the matter."

Nezumi's glare intensified, and with a smothered, feral shout he tugged at the bindings and the gag.

Gently Cobra set a hand beneath the boy's chin to keep him still, and he leaned in to place a soft kiss over his covered lips. He smiled as the boy instantly froze with wide, innocent eyes, and with a kind look Cobra withdrew his hand and stepped back. "It won't be much longer, my little rat," he said smoothly, already making use of his abnormal name to properly claim him, "I still need to inform my father to make things official, but once I return I swear to you that things will be different."

Still near-paralyzed in shock, Nezumi slowly nodded, and after placing another light kiss over the piece of cloth his new master took his leave... All he could do now was sit there and wait, alone in the dark cell...

A/N: Well this chapter turned out much longer than I had planned for... but still I'm quite satisfied with the result!