Arthur slammed his shoulder against the metal door and shoved it open. The door barely gave and he slammed into it again earning screech as metal ground against metal. Arthur was able to get it open enough for him to slide through and didn't bother closing it. He peered into the warehouse warily and slowly walked in. At first, it seemed empty, then as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he made out three figures sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Arthur walked toward them slowly and saw that they seemed to be playing cards.

"You are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid." One of the men said softly, "I haven't decided which yet."

"Are those two things mutually exclusive?" Arthur asked, keeping his tone careful and light. All three were dressed in black with ski masks over their faces. Arthur glanced at their hands, expecting to see gloves, but all three handled the cards bare handed. Their finger prints probably covered those cards.

"I've found that they are." The speaker turned and looked at Arthur with a pair of ice blue eyes, stopping Arthur in his approach, "I haven't decided if I like you yet either."

"I don't like you, if that helps." Arthur said, unable to keep his tone pleasant now. He scowled at the three figures, "Where's Peter?"

"What's with all the police surrounding the building?" Another of the men asked, not looking up but putting down a card on the table. "That's not cool, man."

"You took my little brother, did you seriously expect me to come alone?" Arthur snapped, he felt his hand twitch toward his gun, but resisted. The police outside could hear everything he was saying, his own ear piece allowed them to hear him and he would be able to hear them if needed.

"Dude, people don't kidnap kids for a reason. Kidnapping is wrong and ridiculously risky." The man said, drawing a card from the deck.

"Then why did you?" Arthur snapped. They were acting so nonchalant about this. Didn't they know that this was game over for them?

"You know why." The blue eyed man said, his gaze never leaving Arthur.

"Emil?" The three didn't react, but their silence was enough of an answer, "Tell me where Peter is."

"You really aren't in the position to be making demands."

Arthur frowned, "Pardon?" Suddenly, there was a flicker of movement and he looked down. A bright red dot was hovering over his heart.

Arthur looked up and saw a fourth man sitting comfortably an iron beam that served as a rafter for the warehouse. Like the others, he was dressed in black and wore a ski mask, unlike the others, he held a rifle that was trained on Arthur.

Arthur's eyes locked with a pair of sky blue ones that belonged to the rifleman. No sniper would ever miss at this distance. No one holding a gun at a person with that much ease would ever miss.

"You have no idea how luck you are." The rifleman said, "I always wanted a brother."

"Pardon?" Arthur said again, unable to break eye contact with the man.

"Do you know what Peter's favorite color is?" The man asked.

"Green." Arthur said slowly.

"Wrong. Blue like the sky and the sea." The man said. "Do you know where Allistor works?"

"He's a sales associate at-"

"Wrong, he got a promotion. Do you even remember him telling you about it?"

Arthur stared at the man. Allistor had a promotion? What? Why did the guy with the gun know or care? All Arthur needed to do was stall while the police outside got into a good position to come into the warehouse.

"He's worst than I thought." One of the men at the table said with a sigh.

"You're thinking about yourself right now." The rifleman said, ignoring the man at the table, "You're thinking about how much your life is worth to me and how much longer you have to live it."

Arthur couldn't think of what to say. Anyone with a gun being pointed at them would be thinking that.

"Have you ever thought about how much you have missed? You ignore your brothers who adore you, you are so wrapped up in yourself and what you are doing that you are missing life, Mr. Kirkland!" The man's voice cracked, and those eyes looked away for a moment before locking onto Arthur again.

"I don't see what-" Arthur started, but those eyes narrowed.

"You don't see what my point is?" He hissed, "You don't see? That's because you are still thinking about you! Who do you think we are thinking about? Who do you think we are doing this for?"

Emil. Arthur slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He moved deliberately, but made sure the sniper could see everything. When Arthur finally dialed and put the phone to his ear, at least a minute had passed.

"Hello?"

"Alfred. You are to drop whatever it is you're doing and take Emil to his home." Arthur said.

"What? I don't know where he lives!" Alfred whined, but Arthur barley heard him.

"I'm sure that he can direct you there." Arthur said, "Release him on my authority."

"Yes, but-"

Arthur hung up and slowly put the phone back in his pocket. "Happy?"

"You're still thinking of you." The sniper said and sighed, "You just don't learn."

Arthur watched the man's hand tighten, the finger twitched.

Those eyes slide away from Arthur and down to the three men playing cards. He was looking for something. The one man was still staring at Arthur while the other two ignored him. The man slowly looked up at the sniper.

Arthur could see the conversation. The sniper was looking for permission. That finger tightened. Arthur swallowed and watched the two blue eyed men look at each other. His life was in their hands. The sniper's gaze returned to Arthur, eyes cold.

"What do you have worth living for, Mr. Kirkland?" The sniper asked, his voice sharp and soft.

Arthur looked at the barrel of the gun. What did he have worth living for? His job. Something told him that this was the wrong answer.

"What do you have worth living for?" Arthur said slowly, "You shoot me and you are still going to prison."

"There would be one less useless person on the planet." The sniper replied evenly. Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw the other blue eyed man look sharply at the sniper.

"Be polite." The man said and turned back to the card game.

Again, the sniper's eyes left Arthur and went down to the people around the table. Arthur looked toward the metal door. He would never run fast enough for a trained rifleman. Then again, maybe this guy was-

"Don't think so little of my ability." The sniper said, his tone almost mild, "You wouldn't get three feet."

Arthur looked up, the sniper wasn't even looking at him and he was that confident?

"You said you wanted to talk." Arthur said, "What do you want?"

"All the evidence you have on us." The last man at the table said, "You didn't bring it."

Arthur looked at the sniper, who met his gaze. "So what now? Police have this place locked down and you have me at gunpoint. Is this going how you planned."

The sniper smiled, "Pretty much."

Arthur frowned. They had no escape and they were threatening him. What did they have up their sleeve? "What now?"

That smile remained. "How long would it take for the police to get in here after I pull the trigger?"

Emil stared out of the car window and sighed. He didn't know what was going on because Alfred didn't know. The landscape wizzed passed him and he didn't see it. Alfred had showed up to the cell and told him that he was free. Just like that. Had Ludwig gotten his charges removed? Had Ludwig gotten them to realize that holding an innocent child was illegal? Alfred knew nothing.

"Sorry little dude, but it's on Arthur's authority." Alfred said again, "Where do I turn again?"

Emil looked up and glanced at Alfred, the car zipped by the turn and Emil turned around and looked at it. He pointed, "It was that one." His voice was monotone without him trying to make it so. He was so tired of all this. All he wanted was to be home.

"Oh! Sorry!" There was a squeal of brakes and Alfred turned down the next road, "Can we get there from here?"

"Yes." Emil looked forward again and pointed at a fast approaching intersection, "Turn left up here."

"Right! You got it!" Alfred said and turned, "Where next?"

"Right up here." Emil said.

"What do I do right up here?"

"Turn."

"Which way?!"

"Right." Emil watched as they passed the his road again, "It was that one."

Alfred let out an exasperated sigh, "I give up! Do you want to drive?"

Emil just looked at Alfred, "No. I'll walk."

"NO!" Alfred yelped and spun the car around and turned down the correct road. Finally.

They pulled up to the house and Emil got out of the car. Lukas's car wasn't in the driveway and the house seemed deserted. However, a small spark of warmth lit in Emil. This was home. His and Lukas's.

"Hey!" Alfred called from the car, "If you need anything, just call, okay?"

"I won't." Emil said softly and walked up to the door, it was unlocked. He went inside without looking back.

The first thing Emil noticed was the quiet. It was a comforting silence that promised security. There was a rush of feathers and suddenly Emil's puffin descended on him. It landed on his head and nuzzled into his hair. Emil laughed and jumped away, dislodging it and sending it up in a fury of squawking and feathers. It circled the room and Emil hurried after it. He offered it an arm and it begrudgingly landed again. He stroked it, running his fingers through it's feathers and giving a sigh of relief. Home. A smile tugged on his lips. He was home.

Emil wandered around the house, noting all the little things that had changed in his absence. The fridge was almost totally empty of beer and it looked like someone had reorganized the books in the living room. Lukas's phone was plugged into the wall and all of Mathias's cloths in the guest bedroom closet were gone. Apart from that, everything seemed the same. Wonderfully so.

Emil finally plopped down on the couch and opened up Lukas's phone. He dialed Mathias. It rang three times before going to voicemail. Emil sighed and tried Tino. Number was not available. Berwald's number rang seven times before going to voicemail. Well, that all made sense. It was a Saturday and Tino probably was working some job as Santa. Mathias was probably off drinking and Berwald . . . . Emil didn't know. Then again, all four of them not answering their phones when they ought to know that Emil had been released was disturbing. The North had probably been using those cameras to keep tabs on him, that was why Berwald wasn't concerned when Emil had called him before Arthur arrested him. Emil leaned back on the couch and looked at the ceiling.

He didn't know where they were. He was worried. He had to find them. They were probably fine. What if they weren't? Emil didn't want to leave. Home made him feel safe. Where were they? Why were all four unavailable? Berwald always picked up. Tino's number was unavailble? What did that mean? Did he break his phone or something? Emil closed his eyes. Everything would be fine. Everything would be fine. Everything was not fine. They would know he had been released, they had cameras, but they weren't contacting him.

Emil got up and walked into the backyard to get his bike. The tires were flat. Lukas's bike's tires were also flat. Emil search the house for a pump and found nothing. There had to be one somewhere.

He know the bike pump existed, but he couldn't find it. That left rollerblading or skateboarding. Emil found only one of his roller blades and his skateboard was totally gone.

Emil's unease was growing. Apparently there were a few differences in the house he hadn't noticed. All of his modes of transportation had been eliminated. Emil wasn't stupid. Lukas didn't want him to leave the house.

Emil pulled out his phone and dialed Leon.

"Hello. What happened with the police?" Leon said the moment he picked up.

"Hi Leon, I need ot borrow your bike." Emil said, ignoring the question, "It's kind of important."

"You have a bike."

"With flat tires."

"I could bring you a pump."

"That would work."

"I'll be there in fifteen."

"Thanks."

Leon hung up. Emil sat back and sighed. Lukas didn't want him leaving the house and hadn't left a note. Why?

Half an hour after Leon rode up on his bike, Emil had to admit defeat. His and Lukas's bike tires both had pricks in them. They wouldn't hold air. In the end, Emil and Leon put Emil's pegs on Leon's bike and they started off in the direction of Leon's house, Emil standing on the pegs.

"You can borrow my sister's bike, she never uses it." Leon said and nudged the bike on the ground with his foot.

"Thanks, I owe you one." Emil said and picked it up, "I'll return it tomorrow."

"Who says I'm just letting you waltz off with my sister's bike?" Leon said, going back over to his own bike and getting on. "I'm going with you, where ever it is that you're going."

Emil frowned at Leon, "Why?"

"Because you are acting weird and if you hurt that bike, my sister is going to kill me." Leon replied evenly.

Emil sighed, "Fine."

He mounted the bike and took off. First to check Mathias's house, then Tino's, then Berwald's, then he'd better check the mall in case Lukas had work today. Maybe Mathias had taken everyone to the bar. In the middle of the day on Saturday? Unlikely. If no one was to be found, he had one option left.

Emil glanced over his shoulder at Leon. No. He couldn't check the North's safe house with Leon following him. Ah well, he would just have to hope he found someone before it came to that.

I know Emil's section has a totally opposite feeling than Arthur's, but I think it turned out well. Hope you like it!