This chapter is not one of my favorites, I am trying to get my writing gears going again. Sorry for the low quality of it, I hope to make the next ones much better. Also, apologies for the length.

Edit: Okay, the line breaks and Italics that just seemed to vanish have been fixed.

Vladimir Tod.

Go away...

You must awaken!

I'm tired...

You are in danger! Awaken, Vlad-

"-imir Tod." Vladimir squeezed his eyes tight, his body and mind awake now but still not willing to rise. But that voice had so desperately wanted him to, there must have been something that it knew and he didn't.

And sure enough, that 'something' was evident.

Vladimir made something between a gasp and a yelp as he was ripped off of the ground by the shoulder and to his feet, and met with the angry face of a strange man. His face was contorted in irritation and his dark eyes saw scum in Vlad.

"Told ya ta wake up ya damned moron!" he shouted. Very different from the voice that had woken Vladimir in the first place.

"Hands off," a stern, smoother voice ordered.

Vlad's face instantaniously met with cold, hard concrete. He pushed himself in a sitting position, blinking to regain clear vision. The room was damp, dark save for but a few lights dangling from the ceiling. Large double doors were on the north wall that most likely led to higher levels. This seemed too dirty, too damp and unkempt to be any useful floor.

There was a man approaching him, tall and broad shouldered with a face that would define 'if looks could kill' in an instant. He glared down at Vlad, making the boy shrink into his jacket in attempt to get further away from him. "Stay away from me!" Vlad pleaded as he flinched away from the stranger.

Instead of yelling, or even attacking like Vlad expected, the man reached down and held out his hand. "To your feet, boy." That voice...this guy had gotten the other off of him earlier.

Not wanting to question his order, Vladimir took the hand and pulled himself up, brushing the dirt and pebbles from his clothing. His cheeks burned in the coldness of the room and aggitation. He didn't know what to do, how was he to handle this? He had been taken from his home to God knows where.

He hugged himself and tried not to vomit all over the man who had helped him up. His eyes burned with frustration and fear that was only now hitting him, now that the confusion and sleepiness had long since passed. Otis...Otis help...

He's crying. Not good. Gotta keep him presentable for the boss.

"Stop that."

The kid jumped and the tears fell faster. He was panicking. The more he panics, the harder this job'll be. Gotta shut 'im up.

"I told you to stop that!" he said, his voice louder and echoing through the cement room. The teenage captive squeezed his eyes shut and rubbing at them furiously with his black jacket sleeves. He swallowed his sobs and took deep breaths. Good, he can listen when he's scared. As he should be, though. "You will not cry, you will not make a sound. Only speak when spoken to, do you understand?"

A silent nod.

Learning already.

"D'Ablo." D'Ablo turned to the voice, his hard glare now burrying itself into the smaller man who had been manhandling the child before. "When's da boss gonna be 'ere, huh?"

D'Ablo scoffed. "He'll be here soon enough. Now stop talking, you're making my ears bleed."

The broad shouldered man turned back to the boy put in his charge until his boss returned. He had stopped crying, now his red cheeks and eyes the only sign of the distress earlier. What was this child's name?

Ah yes, Vladimir. A beautiful name, but so strange for a child such as this. To rule with greatness: Vladimir. But the meaning of his name did not fit the state the boy was in now. No, not at all.

What Dorian saw in this boy, D'Ablo would never-

Ah, finally. The boss has arrived.

The strange man, Vlad had heard one of the other men call him "D'Ablo," was yelling at him now. Vladimir couldn't help it, he was too scared. He felt naked in this room of strangers, in this mysterious place. He just wanted to go home...

Suddenly, the double doors burst open and a large man came through. He had two men, both dressed in black. Those guys...they're the ones from the house! Vlad thought frantically. His heart began beating hard in his chest. He took a step back, but D'Ablo grabbed his shoulder and thrust him forward. He was shaking, he knew it. The man before him was smiling down at Vlad. He wasn't unattractive, quite the opposite actually, but his air... It gave Vlad goosebumps.

Why?

Why had this happened to him?

It was something he would see on TV and never believe it possible to happen to him.

But it had.

And now, here he stood. Trembling before a man who just kept smiling.

He had finally sliced through the tension filled silence.

"Welcome to my humble home, Vladimir Tod."