He was hungry and he hurt. How long had it been since the sun warmed his bone-white skin? How long had it been since he rejected his brother's requests? How long had it been since he had been overpowered by a man in black and choked into oblivion? Shivers wracked his frame as he coughed wetly. Weakly. He hated weakness.

"Brother…" The voice was soft, plaintive. He looked up dully, grey hair limp and oily. Purple rings dotted his body as he stared up at the man apathetically. The man didn't balk. He had taught the man everything after all. Perhaps too well, "Brother… Please. Join me. I will make you great."

"No… I do not know you. My brother is gone." The man recoiled at that, but recovered. A sad expression crossed the man's face as he approached the pale-skinned prisoner, "Go away."

"But I love you brother. " He recoiled from the man. This was not his brother. He may have the same face and the same voice, but he was not that beloved baby brother anymore. The man looked hurt at his rejection, but that didn't stop him from capturing the captive's wrist in a painful grip. Five more rings were added to the collection as the man's grip tightened and he pulled the weak prisoner close, "I want you to see what I am doing is best for you."

"I am my own nation. You imprisoned me. I want to go home." He spoke calmly, pulling futilely against the strong hold of his captor. A hand shot up, making him recoil fearfully but, instead of striking him, it simply patted his scruffy hair like he was a small child, "Leave me alone."

"You just don't understand brother." The man frowned, a slight downquirk of the lips. His fingers tightened, pulling at the hair on his captive's head violently, "I want you to join me. You will or I will have to make you."

"You're not my brother." He hissed, pained and angry. He bit his lip to keep from crying out as he was pushed backward. His head ached from being tugged on but he struggled anyways. He would not give in just because he was being hurt, "I won't join you."

"You don't have a choice." He let go of the oily strands and pushed lightly, the captive's eyes widening in surprise as he fell back onto the rough cot that made up his bed. The man captured his hands and pinned them over his head while his free hand came up to grasp his captive's throat, squeezing and choking while the prisoner writhed and struggled frantically. He didn't relent till the struggling ceased and the captive lay under him, still from coming close to losing consciousness, "I'm sorry brother."

"If you were sorry… You'd let me go," he rasped weakly, helpless as the hand squeezed his trachea. He was too weak to struggle as he was choked again, punished for his words. He breathed shallowly, wondering if that man would just continue to choke him, "Is that all you can do?"

"I… You… You brought this on yourself Brother," The captive didn't have a chance to protest as he was lifted up by the man and slammed face-first into a wall. He cried out in pain, struggling weakly as his hands were lifted and encased in heavy shackles. He slumped, held up by the steel chains, but recovering quickly now that he had been allowed to breathe, "Join me."

"Never." He cried out as a whip snapped against his back, startled by the pain. When had the whip been pulled out? Had it even been carried in? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that his shirt was being torn from his back from the force of the blows. It wasn't long till he could feel blood tricking from opening cuts. It took all he had not to scream, biting his lip and filling his mouth with the taste of copper.

"I don't like hurting you brother, but I will if I have to." The man sounded so sad. Like it was his prisoner's fault this was happening. It wasn't. It wasn't! The prisoner just couldn't bring himself to release his lip from his teeth. He was glad that he had been able to withstand pain due to his past as a warrior. The pain receded at the man stopped to speak, "Join me."

"Let me go." He howled when nails dug into his shoulder, arching and twisting in an attempt to flee the pain. He screamed louder as the man raked down across the welts, pulling and ripping the flayed skin away. He closed his eyes as the pain continued. The agony was intense, burning and so horrible. He began to cry, large tears rolling down his cheeks as he struggled futilely. "Let me go!"

"No. You will join me Brother." The man sounded angry, hurt that his prisoner wasn't going to back down and follow him. It would just take more convincing to make the prisoner fold. He licked the crimson liquid coating his fingers off, humming lightly in appreciation at the taste, before smirking. "You are unwell. I will speak to you about this tomorrow."