Chapter 26: Gilbert Gets Taken

June 16, 1954 (one week earlier)

Gilbert ran into the house, where his mother, brother and sister were. Ludwig was home for summer break, as were Kiku and Feliciano. Klara, having just graduated high school, was accepted into a great university in the United States, while her boyfriend, Benny, left to serve his required military service.

"Gilbo, what is it?" Elise asked.

"This guy stalked me and my friends," said Gilbert.

"Oh my God," Elise said worriedly.

"Tell me. What did the guy look like?" Ludwig asked in an urgent manner.

"I dunno," said Gilbert. "He was wearing a hat, and it mostly covered his eyes. Good thing Soul and the others drove him away."

"That's good," said Klara.

"This is bad," Elise said about Gilbert's stalker. "We have to tell your father."

"You're not gonna leave Venice, are you?" Ludwig asked.

"No, never," said Elise. "Uh, unless you and Klara can find some way for me, Gilbo and your father to get to America."

"You don't have to tell Dad," said Gilbert.

"Yes we do," Elise said. "Gilbo, you were almost abducted. I won't have that happen to you." Despite Gilbert's insistence that she didn't have to, she told Claus about what had happened with Gilbert when Claus came home from work.

June 23, 1954 (currently)

Gilbert, Savio and Izaya were hanging out while their families were busy running errands or doing other things. Luckily for Izaya, he didn't have to deal with his younger twin sisters, because they were with their own friends.

The three teens were talking and laughing about how stupid Anton Krum was, when…

"I-ZA-YAAAAA!" Shizuo Heiwajima yelled.

"Uh-oh," said Gilbert.

"Guys…RUN!" Savio said. He and Gilbert both had to drag Izaya—who was ready to fight Shizuo—away with them just as Shizuo picked up a stop sign and threw it at the trio.

"Come back here, Izaya!" Shizuo shouted.

"Keep running!" Gilbert shouted.

It took the three friends literally forty-five minutes to finally get Shizuo off their trail. They hid in an alley until they were sure Shizuo was gone.

"Guys, I could've fought him," said Izaya.

"We didn't want you to get your bones broken," Gilbert replied to Izaya's words.

Izaya grumbled when he, Savio and Gilbert came out of the alley once Shizuo's footsteps were no longer heard.

"Gilbo, hey!" a familiar, female voice said behind the trio. They turned around and saw Vivi standing there, smiling.

"Vivi, hi," Gilbert said, returning the smile. He was glad that Vivi called him 'Gilbo' again, and was talking to him.

"Come on," said Vivi. She pulled Gilbert by his arm and dragged him to wherever she was going. "I wanna take you to this great place I found."

"Uh, okay," said Gilbert. "Can Savino and Iza come, too?"

"How about just us?" Vivi asked. "I haven't hung out with you in a while, and I just wanna have some time with just you."

"Okay," said Gilbert. "Guys, I'll be back later." He waved and ran off with Vivi.

Savio and Izaya were left alone, wondering about the sudden change in Vivi's attitude. They started to get suspicious.

"Come on, Iza," said Savio. "Something's up, and I don't like it."

"Coming," said Izaya. Before they knew it, they ran into Soul.

"What going on?" Soul asked. He and Maka were on their way to the Cinema Regale to see the latest Mario and Friends movie.

"Gilbo ran off with Vivi," Savio said. "I know there's something going on, and I have a bad feeling."

"Let's go!" said Soul. "Come on, Maka."

"Wait…Soul!" Maka said, trying to keep up with Soul and the others.

"We're coming, too!" Black*Star and Tsubaki said as they followed the others.

Gilbert and Vivi were walking along an empty street; they were almost at the Venice city limits, to be exact.

"So, Vivi, what's up?" Gilbert finally asked.

"I just wanted to apologize," said Vivi.

"For what?" asked Gilbert.

"For ignoring you and being so mean," Vivi replied. "I'm really sorry about that; I was just…uh, going through some stuff at home."

"That's alright," Gilbert said.

"They went this way!" Soul said. "Come on!" He and the others followed Vivi and Gilbert's trail.

"Shit," said Izaya. "I hope we're not too late."

"Vivi, where are we going?" Gilbert asked.

"You'll see," Vivi said in a singsong voice.

A little later, Soul, Maka, Tsubaki, Black*Star, Izaya and Savio caught up to Gilbert and Vivi. They watched as Vivi and Gilbert stopped in the center of a dirt road.

"What do you think's going on?" Tsubaki whispered.

"I dunno," said Black*Star. "But I don't like it, not one bit."

Gilbert looked around at his and Vivi's surroundings. "Where's the great place you were telling me about?"

"Right here," said Vivi. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Well, when are you gonna show me?" Gilbert asked impatiently.

"Right…about…now," Vivi said.

Just then, a white van came up to the kids.

Gilbert looked at the van in surprise. "What's going on?" He was starting to get nervous.

The van doors slowly opened.

"Come on in," said Vivi. "The party's inside."

"Really?" asked Gilbert. He went close to the van's open doors and gasped when he saw the Gekkostate members inside. "Wh-what is this?"

"Sorry we…tricked you!" said Renton.

"What—?" Gilbert exclaimed. "Vivi, what's—Let go! Help!"

"Get his legs, Vivi!" Eureka shouted as Renton grabbed Gilbert's arms.

"Got 'em," said Vivi. "Ugh! Koza, you in there?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Vivi's friend, Koza, said.

'Help me out here! He's being difficult!" said Vivi.

"Got 'im," Koza said. He helped Vivi with holding Gilbert's legs and hauled him inside the van. Gilbert was still screaming, trying to fight his way out of Renton, Koza and Vivi's grasps.

Black*Star, Tsubaki, Soul, Maka, Izaya and Savio all charged after the Gekkostate van.

"Hold it!" said Black*Star. "Let Gilbo go, or you'll have to deal with the awesome Black*Star!"

"Buzz off, brat," said Eureka.

The kids and the Gekkostate fought and fought, the Gekkostate overpowering them due to the fact that they were older.

Koza and Vivi were both holding Gilbert down.

"Hold still!" said Koza.

"Help…help me…" Gilbert said as he struggled under Koza trying to restrain him. "Help!"

"Oh, shut up," said Vivi.

Gilbert looked up from the floor of the van and saw Vivi glaring down at him, holding something behind her back. "Vivi…why? I thought…I thought you were my friend…" He couldn't move anymore because Koza had tied his hands and feet.

"I'm not," Vivi said, still glaring at Gilbert. "You were the cause of my parents' stress for fourteen fucking years! They worked day and night trying to get to you, you little…!"

"Vivi…" Gilbert said weakly.

Savio saw Vivi take out a mask with sleepy gas coming from it. "Gilbo, no!" he ran toward the van and jumped in.

"Vivi, don't—" Gilbert pleaded, but was eventually knocked out by the sleepy gas coming from the mask Vivi forced over his mouth and nose.

"I'm not sorry," Vivi said. She dropped the mask, and Koza gagged Gilbert. Vivi and Koza sat down, and Renton and Eureka got in the front seats.

Koza closed the van doors, and Eureka drove quickly.

"No!" Izaya, Maka, Soul, Black*Star and Tsubaki shouted. They ran after the van. Izaya and Black*Star grabbed on, but were thrown off when the van hit a speed bump.

"Sorry, guys," Izaya said. "We tried."

"We have to tell Claus and my dad," said Maka.

"Come on, everyone," Tsubaki said.

The kids ran all the way back to town to inform Claus and Spirit of what happened.

The van stopped.

"We need to get some gas," said Eureka. "You guys want anything?"

"Coming," said Vivi. "Koza, come on."

"I'm coming," said Koza. He and Vivi jumped out of the van and went into the gas station with Renton and Eureka.

Savio crept out of hiding and crawled over to an unconscious Gilbert. "Gilbo. Gilbo, wake up."

Gilbert's eyes opened slowly, and he whimpered and tried backing away, not realizing that his friend was there to rescue him. His cries were muffled by the gag.

"Ssh," Savio said gently. "It's me. Savino. I'm here to save you." He took the gag off Gilbert and got to work untying him.

"Savino…" Gilbert said weakly and quietly.

"It's alright, I'll bring you back home," Savio said as he got Gilbert free. "There, you're free."

Gilbert tried to stand up, but wobbled. He was still dazed from the gas.

"Here, let me carry you," Savio said. He hoisted Gilbert on his back and jumped out of the van.

"Vivi betrayed me…why?" Gilbert asked.

"I dunno," said Savio. "Okay, hold on tight—Oh, merda." Renton, Eureka, Koza and Vivi were standing near the van now, glaring at Savio and Gilbert. "Gilbo, I'm gonna run now. Hold on tight, okay?"

"'kay," Gilbert said drowsily.

Savio started to run, but he and Gilbert were caught by Koza and Vivi, both of whom dragged them back to the van.

"How did you get here?" Renton asked. He held Savio up by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall of the van.

"Let Gilbo go," Savio said through gritted teeth.

Renton held Savio to the wall again, but not before the boy got a glimpse of Gilbert being bound and gagged again by Koza, Eureka and Vivi. "We're not letting him go. Tell me: How the hell did you get here?"

"None of your business, motherfucker," said Savio. He angrily spit in Renton's face. Renton wiped his face and dropped Savio on the floor of the van once the doors slammed shut and they were off once more.

"What should we do with him?" Koza asked.

"Tie him up, too," said Renton. "I just know he won't leave, so we'll bring him to Holland. He'll know what to do."

"Alright," said Koza. He got out some more rope and another cloth. He and Vivi held Savio down and bound and gagged him like Gilbert.

Savio squirmed and tried to yell "No!" when Vivi went over to Gilbert and took out a needle.

Gilbert whimpered and squirmed, trying to get away from Vivi.

"Relax, Gilbo," Vivi said gently. She held Gilbert's head down. "This won't hurt." She took the needle and injected a sedative into Gilbert that made the boy stop struggling and go to sleep.

"Gilbo!" Savio tried to say through his gag.

"Don't worry your head, kid," Koza said when he turned to face Savio, who had just tried to call his friend's name. "We didn't kill your friend." The way he said those words didn't sound sincere in the least.

Savio tried to get free of the rope binding him, but all that did was scrape his wrists and ankles.

"It's no use, boy," said Renton. "You're not getting out of that."

Savio sighed and resigned himself to sitting still and watching as Gilbert lay still, whimpering in his sleep. All he could do now was hope that Black*Star, Tsubaki, Maka, Soul and Izaya got to his and Gilbert's families in time.

Author's Note: Oh, merda- Oh, shit (Italian)

Be prepared for angry Claus, Spirit, Ludwig, Kiku, Feliciano, Lovino, and possibly others in the next chapter!