"He looks dead."

"He's not dead; you can see him breathing."

"All I'm saying is that they obviously haven't been taking very good care of him."

Slaine could hear distant, muffled voices as if from the other side of a door. Two of them belonged to women he didn't recognize. The other was a man's voice he knew, but just couldn't place. It seemed familiar somehow. Slaine's fingers twitched, and his teal eyes slowly fluttered open. Three flesh-colored blobs floated above him. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them.

Two young women sat on either side of him. One had dinner-plate sapphire eyes and the other was a blonde covered in dirt and soot. And the man between them- Slaine's heart skipped a beat. His thin hands shook uncontrollably. His throat dried on the spot like a desert devoid of life.

Though the face was thinner, the hair was messier, the eyes more sunken- it was him.

"M-Milord Count!" Slaine choked, his eyes wide. He struggled to sit up, but fell back almost immediately.

"Relax," Cruhteo commanded, slipping a hand beneath Slaine's back and pushed him up a few inches.

Slaine's food deprived, chemically-imbalanced brain was working overtime. He tried to fight off a tangled ball of terror and disbelief, so he could focus on sliding back into that familiar obedience.

"Calm down. We're here to rescue you," Cruhteo said gently, running his thumb across Slaine's cheekbone.

The Terran's eyes wouldn't stop popping. There were so many things he wanted to say, but they were all caught in his throat. The only thing he could manage to get out was, "You're alive."

Cruhteo hoisted Slaine's tiny body into his arms. "Don't be an idiot. We need to get you out of here," he said. He glanced over at the two women and nodded curtly. "Let's go."

Shouts echoed from upstairs and the thundering of boots was getting louder. The blonde girl pulled a handgun from her belt and kicked open the cell door. The blue-eyed girl followed and peeked her head towards the large metal door.

"The exit's clear! Let's go!" She squeaked, beckoning to the others. Cruhteo jogged out, causing Slaine to grab instinctively to the Count's shirt. He curled his slender fingers into the fabric. The Martian threw open the massive door and ran out onto the empty asphalt. Cruhteo stopped abruptly.

"Liza, where the hell is the getaway car?" Cruhteo snarled, turning on the blonde girl.

"You… you never told me to have a getaway car ready!" Liza sputtered.

"Terran scum! I thought that was obvious! Did you think we were going to be flying away?!" The Count shouted back.

"Don't call me scum! You're the one who didn't tell me to get it!" Liza retorted.

Cruhteo glanced over his shoulder and snatched Liza's handgun out of her grasp. "I should have known better than to trust Terrans… Come on. We're hijacking a car."

Slaine's tired, aching muscles snapped to tension at the sight of the gun. His throat went dry as the memory of having the merciless metal flood his mouth came rushing back in an unwanted tide of panic.

The Count took aim at a government car and shot with deadly accuracy. He shoved his hand through the broken window and jerked the lock. "Get in," he snarled at the two women.

Liza threw open the back door and dove in, the other woman close behind. The blonde woman reached over her friend to slam the door shut. Cruhteo jumped in the driver's seat and pitched Slaine unceremoniously in the other seat.

"C-Cruhteo! They're behind us! Do you have a plan?! Or keys?!" Liza squealed.

"I've always got a plan," Cruhteo retorted. He opened his hand to the blue haired girl. "Aqua. Keys. Now!"

Aqua gasped and thrust the keys she stole off a guard into Cruhteo's hand. He slammed the key into the ignition and stomped on the gas. Gunshots sounded from the prison door as the car screeched into action. The guards poured out of the prison, toting machine guns.

"They're gaining on us, Cruhteo! Stop driving like an old man!" Liza exclaimed, her face pressed to the window.

Slaine turned around in his seat. He could clearly see Inaho standing among the guards. The dark haired boy held up a hand, stopping the guards from pursuing. A guard turned to him, incredulous. Inaho only shook his head. Slaine breathed out slowly and sank back into his seat.

"They're not chasing us anymore… that's weird," Aqua murmured, biting her lip.

Slaine rubbed his temples, still trying to process everything that had just happened. The adrenaline rush he'd felt when he first saw Cruhteo was fading. The starvation-induced unconsciousness snatched at his ankles and pulled him back into the darkness. The Terran's head lolled to the side, coming to a rest on the Martian's shoulder.

Cruhteo did a double take at the unconscious boy. "Goddamn Terran. Can't even stay awake…" he hissed.

"Don't be so harsh with him," Aqua chided. "He's been through a lot."

Liza sighed and ran her fingers through her dirty hair. "How the hell did I let you talk me into busting a dangerous criminal out of prison?" She groaned.

"He's not a dangerous criminal. He's about as dangerous as a rabbit," Cruhteo replied, glancing disgustedly at the unconscious Terran.

They drove on in silence for a while before Aqua spoke again. She leaned forward in her seat and draped her arms over Cruhteo's shoulders, squeezing his forearm lightly. He tensed but did nothing.

"Can I ask you something?" She inquired, peering at his stony face.

"I suppose," the Count grumbled.

"Why did we do this today? I mean… you seem to kind of hate the poor thing."

"I owe him. I have… greatly wronged him in the past. My honor as a knight will not let me forget my transgressions. I hope to remedy my past sins," Cruhteo responded, keeping his voice level.

"Hey. This is a good place to lose the car," Liza said, tapping Cruhteo's shoulder.

He flicked her hand off, but he stepped on the brakes regardless. He stepped out and walked over to the other side. He picked up Slaine bridal-style. Aqua and Liza joined him, and the trio walked on to an uncertain future.

The house was unassuming with white walls and a gray, shingled roof. It usually carried a cheerful air about its red door and trimmed windows, but now it just looked gloomy in the gray rain.

"Home sweet home," Liza yawned, unlocking the door.

Aqua flicked on the lights, chasing away the darkness. "Well… I need to go out to get some medical supplies for our patient," she said, patting Cruhteo's shoulder. "Can you take care of him until I get back?"

"Of course. You shouldn't question my skills," Cruhteo replied smoothly.

Liza raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I mean…"

The Count cut her off sharply. "I am perfectly capable of watching him on my own, Terran."

"Ugh, you'd think after two years with us you would have outgrown all the Terran nonsense," Liza sighed. She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm gonna go with Aqua. I need shampoo."

"Like you use it," Aqua muttered.

"Hey!"

It said a lot about the lifestyle these three lived that going grocery shopping was something normal to do after a massive prison break.

Cruhteo watched his companions go, still holding the unconscious Slaine. He looked down at the Terran in his arms and felt a sharp pang of empathy for him. He crossed over to his room and gently laid Slaine down on the bed. He pulled the covers up around the Terran's body and stood back. He nodded once and strode out of the room.

The kitchen was clean and well taken care of, like the rest of the house. As a doctor, Aqua happened to be hyper paranoid about potential infections. Well, an almost doctor would be more accurate. The Martian attack occurred before she had a chance to finish medical school, and even two years later- nothing was open.

Cruhteo opened the wine cabinet and took out a half-finished bottle of red wine. He poured himself a glass and replaced the bottle absentmindedly. It had been a very long two years. Cruhteo sighed and glanced down at his reflection in the drink.

I wonder… just how many lives have I ruined? He thought. He smiled bitterly and downed the glass. The chance to mend what was broken was finally upon him after two long years of waiting.