A/N: Nearing the end for sure now, thank you for reading, blessings!
Francis called Gilbert. He demanded to know why the hell Gilbert would not have said anything about it when Matthew was taken all those years ago. But now, the albino didn't say a word.
"Why did you not say anything?!" Francis shouted into the phone, very much so upset about this entire thing. He wasn't even trying to hide his anger, not even bothering to censor himself in any way. Arthur could only stare at his husband wide-eyed, wondering where the heck this was coming from. Never had he heard anything like this coming out of the Frenchman, but now that he was hearing it, it was just... He knew this was in everyone, but he definitely wasn't expecting this to come from his husband. And even though not all of it was in English, Arthur could pick out some... selected words of the guy's native tongue, and that made him take a step back. Francis was truly frightening when it came to something like this.
Francis stood there for a few moments, just looking at virtually nothing, anger seething through his very being. He just listened to what his friend had to say before he blew up again at the man. Arthur knew he had a very valid reason for being angry, but he felt like this was going a little too far. Arthur went over and put his hand on Francis' shoulder.
"We need to focus on what matters most here, Love. Matthew is safe, and we know who is behind this. We can take this to court, and everything will be fine."
"But he knew," Francis said, tears forming as the phone dropped to the floor. "Why didn't he say anything? Why?"
Alfred and Kiku stood in the back of the room, giving the two as much room as possible. They didn't know what to do, and they didn't really want to risk making Francis' blood pressure to rise any higher.
Arthur and Francis kept talking, Arthur trying desperately to keep the other from crying. Yes, it was sad... It was a low blow... It was betrayal in its simplest form. And that's why this was so hard for Francis to take. Why was betrayal so hard to deal with? Why did it hurt so badly? Oh... That's right... Because you know when your enemy is about to strike, but your friends are always unpredictable. They could turn on you at any moment, and Francis just wasn't prepared for it.
Allistor stared at the man in front of him. He looked clean, and freshly dressed. The prick didn't know what he was walking onto... And that would be a landmine. Put enough pressure in the area, and someone was going to blow up, and rest assured, it would be Allistor blowing up, but he wouldn't be the one damaged.
"What the hell do you want?"
The blond looked at his nails before sliding a glove on each hand.
"My, vhat a cold place..."
"So why are you here?"
"I heard some of my... Employees left early... I came to make sure they finished their shifts."
Allistor scoffed, "Is that what they are to you? Don't you fucking dare lie to me. I know exactly what you were doing to these people. You're a horrible, horrible person, and you need to be put behind bars where you can't hurt anyone anymore. And you can bet we'll bring in some damning evidence that will get you where you need to go for sure. They're already looking for you; we just need to bring you to the right people."
The man only laughed, pulling something small out of his pocket.
"I'm really not worried about it... Vhat do I have to be afraid of anyway?"
"Oh, there's a lot that you should be afraid of. You just don't know it yet," Allistor answered the German man.
All the while, Antonio was standing there, staring at the man. He seemed to recognize him, which mad the Spaniard want to puke. How could his best friend not know about this? And they took Matthew too? Oh, was there a lot of explaining to do.
"Ludwig... How... Why...?" Antonio's voice was lost in the questions. He didn't know why this was happening... Why Ludwig, Gilbert's little brother, would want to do anything like this. It wasn't like he needed to. He was rich, he spent his money right, and didn't waste it all. Ludwig was smart, and could get any job he wanted... So why did he choose this?
The man in front of them... Antonio didn't even think he knew him anymore. Tears rolled down Antonio's face as he realized that the Ludwig he used to know... Was consumed by this one, and there was no way of getting the old Ludwig back.
While Matthew got the others to start walking carefully around the man none of them knew, Toris couldn't move. He could only stare at the man who had taken away his freedom... All the way back then... He was two... seventeen years since he's seen freedom, and now he was staring the one who took that all away from him, in the eye. And it frightened him to no end. But he also couldn't look away.. Toris feared that if he looked away, that horrid man would be right there when he turned back around.
Toris' muscles went numb. He couldn't believe that this was the guy... He hadn't seen him for a while, but there is no way he could forget what he had done to him, to everyone he ever loved... It was just too horrible to think about, but here Toris was... Thinking about it.
Suddenly, Matthew was there, pulling Toris up by the arm. The blond teen smiled to his friend, assuring him it was okay, and that the adults would sort their business, and they would be on their way. What no one was expecting though, was for that small thing that the German had, was a gun, and his sights, were on Toris.
The brunette stumbled, unable to catch himself as he tumbled into the snow. The scarlet liquid quickly spread throughout the pure white of the gentle flakes, and for one fleeting moment, no one was able to move. That gave Ludwig a chance to get away before things became too bad for him. His only regret was not being able to hide them better for that day.
Matthew shook Toris' shoulders, begging him to just get up. But every attempt was useless. The other teen would soon bleed out, and wouldn't taste freedom again.
"He has to live," someone said from over with the rest of the group. "He was the one who planned this... It would be unfair if he died. For the love of God, Christ Almighty, somebody help him!"
Allistor and Antonio quickly sprang into action after that. There was a bullet wound that went right into the kid's back - that had to be painful. There was the issue of neither of the two being doctors as well...
"Matthew, how far until we reach a town?" Allistor asks his nephew.
Matthew peered through the hills and mounds of snow, making it look much like a cold desert. He couldn't really see anything at first... But then he saw something that gave him, and everyone else, hope.
"It's just a few miles away! I can see a clock tower!"
Allistor looked back down to the crying teen, the one who was closer to death than ever before... The one who was coughing, hacking, the one who could hardly breathe.
"We have to hurry."
"Si. He has to make it." Antonio took Toris on his back, the kid screaming. It was so painful... Physically for Toris, but mentally and emotionally for most of the others.
But two things were understood without mention by everyone in the group; they would get their freedom, and no one else was dying now. They were done losing people on the journey. But the first thing they had to do, was endure a long walk with Toris' cries of pains, begging someone to take the piercing pain away. Though it was a bloody mess, Allistor had gotten the bullet out... But it wasn't easy, nor was it safe. Toris needed help fast if he was going to live without trouble.
