Chapter 3: Bargaining

It felt like the world was falling apart when something or someone precious had been taken away in just blink — that was the grief that had fallen onto Mikasa and Levi's palms once more, except it wasn't a comrade or a friend they missed, it was their dearest daughter. Emily had been missing for about 48 hours and the Military Police's investigations have yet to conclude on the case with the child and the babysitter with her unknown accomplice.

"Get some sleep. I'm sure they'll find a lead," Levi said, reassuring his wife to bed who hadn't slept a wink.

"What if they don't?" she asked, biting her nail in worry, "I can't just sit here and do nothing! I will not wait till tomorrow, she could be in terrible danger. We should've stayed when she told us to..." She vacated her spot on the bed and stormed for the door.

Her husband sighed, he was just as worried as her, especially when the whereabouts of their daughter was still unknown to them, but they had no choice but to rely on the MP's, as leaders of the Scouting Legion, it wasn't in their field of job to conduct delicate investigations themselves. But they were allowed to take part in most search operations.

"You haven't changed."

Mikasa snapped into attention. The way he talked — he sounded calm and collected, not a tone that she'd be pleased to hear in her state, "What?"

"You haven't changed since you were under my command. Always putting up the cold front but when agitated, runs berserk."

"Are you trying to make sense with me? Are you even worried?" she gripped the doorknob, nearly deforming its shape due to her exceptional strength.

"I try to and I am. Emily isn't a fragile girl as she seemed to you, she is a smart girl and we both agreed to that, but even if I knew that..." he reluctantly brought up his hand for his wife to see, "this just wouldn't stop," his hand shook uncontrollably right before her eyes, which was a rare sight, even for Mikasa. He was Humanity's Strongest man after all, and for as long as he lived, he held that title within his grasp. It was the same for Mikasa, they were still stronger than any living human, indeed no one could best their caliber, but their daughter's unbearable absence on their side.

"I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't lash out on you."

Suddenly, loud and violent knocks on the door downstairs broke through the silence about to seep in.

Meanwhile...

Abandoned and remote, no signs of other civilization around. It was perfect, but would be an obvious hideout to the MP soon. Two heavily built men dragged their little bodies into a barely forged castle that was hardly used in ages. The children they had abducted were not conscious the moment they rob them off their homes, they gave them a swift smack on the nape beforehand of course.

"George was useless and that bitch too, they should've kidnapped these goddamn kids long ago," said the bald and menacing man who carried Emily on his shoulder.

The blond and composed taller male sighed as he looked over to his partner, "Complain all you want, they're already dead. I don't know what the brats did to them but sure as hell they're worth more than the toll on our heads combined," he explained, carrying a boy on his shoulder effortlessly.

When they had finally settled in the vicinity, they threw the kids at some dark corner, which in return, fluttering them awake. Emily was the first one to have registered what was happening in an instant, her whole body was bound tightly with ropes and her mouth was gagged with dirty cloth. Every move the children made was watched and each time they did so as twitch a muscle, the men would glare and threaten them with guns longer than their arms. The girl was frightened and alarmed of course, but that was at first.

Her muffled screams couldn't reach her parents no matter how loud she tried with her pointless cries. She was scared, fear crawled into her body like poison.

The blond fugitive grabbed a handful of her obsidian hair, raising her up from the roots of her scalp. She whined in agony, "Listen, little cunt. If you want to eat the bullets of my gun," he aggressively pulled the cloth from her mouth until it unwrapped from her cheeks, leaving crimson marks on her fragile skin. "I'll oblige and shoot your brains out, BUT, that would be a blunder. You're useful to us ALIVE. So tomorrow, you'll come home and tell your parents to shit gold if they value the life of your companion there," he gestured to the helpless boy writhing on the ground, he was gagged and had a sack covering his head, "then you'll come back here with cash and leave wih him."

Emily was suddenly silent as she gritted her teeth, "..."

The man slammed her on the ground, nearly breaking her frail body, "Come on, girl. Everybody wins, right?" She felt smaller as he loomed over her.

But she didn't put trust in his words, she decided to believe she was smarter than these numbskulls who abducted them. "You're going to die," she said, her sharp glare sent a frightening shiver on the man in front of her. She was a cornered rat just a second a go, but then she came out jeopardizing. She knew she will be saved, her parents will come soon, all she needed to do was keep herself alive and not fall into the enemies tactics.

But that was no simple task.

The threat she made rewarded her with a kick on the gut. She gasped from the impact, then she was gagged once more with a dirtier fabric, it had an unsettling stench and she didn't want to know what was stuffed on her mouth. The intimidating blond seated himself on a chair and contemplated on how he'd control the dangerous intent coming from the girl, it was frustrating but he had to admit to himself that the girl's change of mood was uncanny. He knew and have seen kids before, they weren't like her, these children were innocent and easy to sway with honeyed words but Emily was smarter for her own good and what more of the boy they found with her?

When the skinhead had freed the other child from the sack on his head and gag on his mouth, they went to convince him next when they failed on their first attempt on explaining the ransom idea to Emily. This time the skinhead did the talking.

"Boy, just do as we say and you won't be harmed. It's a promise," he said in a smooth manner as he kneeled to meet the child's gaze, unlike his partner who was rash with their interest.

The boy only glared menacingly at the older men, "Funny. I'll show you what your spleen looks like when you beaten her up already," he glowered and lowered his gaze at bruised Emily who laid helpless on the cold ground. He was angry with himself that he couldn't protect her, how would he face her parents? His dad? He couldn't even save someone from a single scratch.

What the hell was up with these kids? The malefactors thought in unison.

"No point, Tony. These kids don't think straight," said the skinhead, meeting the ferocious gaze of the child.

The boy possessed his father's perilous temper and righteous nature, he also had gotten his deep forest green eyes that betrayed no one, no question that he was the son of Humanity's Last Hope.

What, another love child? What next? Humanity's Horseface's (that's Jean, just saying. no offense) love child? LOL why the hell not. Love children of OTP FTW.