(Hi this is Ava! This is my very first fan fiction. You have been warned!

Also the characters obviously don't belong to me, and as I don't know what else to say that will be all.)

The Flight

Chapter 1

The air rushed past Alfred's face and through his messy, wheat-gold hair. Laughter bubbled up from within him at the pure freedom that came with the wind and the smell of fresh air - not the stale, chemical scented air that the facility had that seemed to only make one feel more trapped.

In a way, Alfred was almost thankful for the facility. If he hadn't been stuck in that suffocating environment for so long then he would not have felt so free when he escaped. Alfred would not have looked up at the stars and the moon with awe or almost cried when his feet had first touched actual grass and dirt.

Granted, he had only been free for about fifteen minutes and even now he could hear the sound of his captor gaining behind him. His boots crunched twigs and branches as he approached the cliff where Alfred stood, still drunk on his newfound freedom.

"Get back down here!" The man bellowed and the boy spun around. Their eyes met. One pair filled with terror and the other filled with regret. The man knew that if he didn't get the subject back, someone would have to pay for the loss of such a promising specimen. That person would most likely be him.

To be honest the man hated his job. He had seen many "specimens" die in the facility; most of them hadn't even been above the age of five. Those that survived were just shells. All the humanity was sucked out of them.

Now, staring into the deep blue eyes of this child, the man steeled his nerves and pointed his gun at the boy. "Come quietly and no one has to get hurt!"

The boy stepped back. He was now at the very edge of the cliff. Below loomed the black waters of the ocean.

Alfred looked down and bit back tears. He had tasted freedom. He had been so close to escaping only to be stopped by the mocking ocean that surrounded the small island where the facility was located. There was no escape. There was no hope.

At that thought Alfred could no longer hold back the tears and only barely registered when his feet gave out from under him and he fell to his knees.

The man was a bit shocked at the sight. Against his better judgement, he approached the small boy. The child must have been six or seven years old at the most. Too young to have been through what he had.

Tentatively, the man set down his gun and slowly pulled the small boy into a hug. The boy tensed at his touch but put up no resistance, his spirit broken.

"I..it's okay… Please don't cry. I promise…it'll be okay," the man cooed softly. Honestly, the man knew he shouldn't have been making promises he couldn't keep.

Yet, this boy had broken through the many barriers the man had set. All of the children who had died, all of the blank faces of those who survived… The man could see them all in this small boy who had just a few minutes ago experienced, probably for the first time in his life, pure joy; had just seen his hope crushed and tossed out into the sea.

The man tried to think of what to say the the sobbing form, but words had never come easily to him. So instead he just held the child in complete silence. He didn't know how long they had sat there. It seemed like hours yet at the same time like seconds. It all ended too soon though.

The dogs in the distance had been the first warning that others had joined the search for the boy. At the first howl, the boy had looked up, panicked, and stared into the man's eyes in fear and with what could have been his last shred of hope.

The man looked down at the boy and something in his mind hardened. He would not let this boy be taken. After all these years, he would at least try to save one of these poor souls. There wasn't much time though.

With very little effort the man picked up the small bundle and hid him under his rather big coat before racing down the side of the cliff to where he knew the boats were kept.

Making sure to keep away from the other guards, he drew near to a small motor boat that had once been a coast guard boat. It wasn't much, but all the other boats would be too noticable out on the sea.

The man set the boy down in the corner and held up a finger over his mouth in a gesture of silence. The boy, seeming to understand, nodded and covered his mouth with a small hand before his eyes widened in fear at something over the man's shoulder.

Spinning around, the man saw the outline of another guard, his friend in fact. They stared at each other for a few moments before his friend spoke.

"You have little time. I will distract the others as you make your escape."

The man nodded and started up the boat. Before setting out to the open seas, he turned around to gaze one last time at his friend.

His friend had always been reserved and respectful. Never had he seen his composure slip. He also knew what would become of his friend should the other find out about his treachery.

"Come with us!" The man spoke in a hurried whisper.

His friend just shook his head and stepped back. "I cannot."

"Why not?!" The man almost hissed.

His friend simply pointed at the small child who still had his small hands covering his mouth. "Because, Ludwig, there may be more like the child, and maybe I can help them as you have helped this child."

Ludwig scowled. "Kiku…"

His words were cut off though by shouting.

"Go!" Kiku shouted. "And whatever you do…don't look back!"

Ludwig nodded sadly and sped off with the child. Gunshots rang out behind him and the child let out a muffled shriek of fear. Ludwig remained stone faced until they had traveled a safe distance, and then the tears started to fall.

Alfred had been silent while all of this had gone down. Now he stared at his once captor, now savior. He was very confused. First the man had pointed a gun at him and threatened to take him back to the facility. Now he had whisked him away from that awful place, at great personal cost to himself. Now the man was crying, so Alfred did the only thing he could think of.

Ludwig was rather shocked, to say the least, when the boy had hugged him. A sense of deja vu. What surprised him more was when the child spoke.

"Thank you…and.. I..I'm sorry." The boy burrowed his head into Ludwig's stomach.

Ludwig smiled sadly down at the boy before hastily drying his face. "It's..it's ok."

Bending down he ruffled the boy's hair. "I think we might need some introductions. I'm Ludwig."

Alfred smiled shyly. "A-Alfred. Um...if you don't mind me asking…Ludwig…why did you save me?"

Ludwig was silent for a moment before responding. "I suppose because no one should ever have to live like that." Standing up, Ludwig recomposed himself. "Now, I'm sure that you're tired from your ordeal. I suggest you get some shut-eye. We won't reach land till early in the morning."

Alfred looked up at Ludwig curiously. "What then?"

Ludwig shrugged. "I suppose we will have to wing it."

Alfred nodded and shuffled tiredly off to a corner before falling asleep.

Ludwig looked down at Alfred for a while before taking off his heavy coat and laying it over the small form. Internally he promised himself that he would protect the child. He didn't know how, but he would.

No matter the cost.