A/N: No, I don't hate Russia. I just love playing up his evil side for this pairing. You know what I do hate? RussLiet.

What had started as a brave break for freedom, was quickly turning into a destructive disaster.

Sure, Toris needed to stand up to Ivan for once. Needed to stop taking his treatment. Needed to put him in his place.

But Toris was no match for Ivan. He'd managed to land some hits, sure, but punches were no match for a lead pipe.

Especially a lead pipe wielded by Ivan.

"You should know better than to fuck with me, da?" The Russian's violet eyes were murderous. That sickeningly familiar aura hung about him, the one that told him he'd be extremely lucky to see the sun rise.

"I'm sick of your shit!" Toris spat. He'd be damned if he wouldn't give up, though.

He'd continue to fight back, though he was (seemingly) doomed.

"Is that so?" The Russian man laughed, swinging his lead pipe around and around in a circular motion. It was horrifyingly hypnotizing, and the swishing sound it made, made Toris nauseous. "Then it's time to say goodnight, Toris."

At this, Ivan began to step closer. Still swinging that pipe, still with that murderous aura about him. The aura that was going to devour Toris.

As Ivan stepped forward, Toris stepped back. He was suddenly torn between his earlier resolve to go down swinging, and his desire to flee.

Running for his life was starting to seem like a good idea, when-

-an arm wrapped around his shoulders.

At first Toris was frightened, until he realized who it was.

"Piss off, asshole." Alfred growled, holding Toris close protectively, gun pointed at Ivan.

Toris felt his heart skip. "A-alfred?"

"Sure, I'll 'piss off'. Hand him over and we can be on our way." Ivan growled. The sound startled Toris, causing him to cling to Alfred.

Stop shaking, he couldn't stop shaking.

Alfred laughed softly, without emotion. "Don't you know? The hero never gives in to the villains demands."

Toris almost laughed himself. Even in situations like this, Alfred was still Alfred.

Ivan began to swing the pipe again. "You're always so obsessed with heroes and justice, do? Don't you know that 'heroes' don't always win? That sometimes the villains do?"

Alfred shot the hand that held the pipe. It fell to the ground with many loud clanks, making Toris jump.

Calm down, just calm down. He thought to himself. Alfred is here, your hero is here. It'll be okay.

"That hurts, da." Ivan said. "You hurt me, Alfred. Toris."

Toris looked away, and buried his face in Alfred's neck. He would not look into those violet eyes filled with their deceptive innocence. They always sucked him in, always made him think and hope that everything would just blow over, that things would get better. That things would change.

The never did. And never would.

Toris had come to that realization over and over. But never did anything about it.

And when he finally did do it, he needed his hero to swoop in and save him.

Amidst the sounds of a clanking pipe, grunts, growls, more shots, the scrape of his own feet as he was moved around, Toris made a vow.

To never rely on someone else to save him again.

Because though he had a hero to rescue him now, he wouldn't always.

Who knew? Maybe he'd have to be the hero someday.

"Toris." Alfred wheezed, snapping Toris back to reality. He'd ended up tuning out most of whatever had been going on. "It's over."

"I-is he-"

"No. I got him good, but he got away. Look at me."

Toris removed himself from Alfred's neck to step back and look up at him.

Alfred grabbed his face in hands and kissed him.

"Let's go." Alfred told him when pulled apart. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah." Toris answered, slipping his hand into Alfred's.