Locked
(Continued because chapter length apparently. ^_^;;)
He stayed high above the crowds much as possible, leaping from roof to roof, which wasn't much of a task considering how compact the buildings were placed together. Surefooted, Yuri effortlessly arrived to his destination, the center of the Land Lot.
The center was where the action was, all commerce, trading and getting supplies by any means necessary this was the place to go. Considering he was just there not all that long ago was why he kept himself up off the dirt streets, to be out of sight and away from any patrols or anybody who might recognize him as the thief.
Once he had arrived, the leap, vault and slide, Yuri masterfully came down the side of the building that held what he needed for Yuuko.
"What are you doing?" Bellowed a deep voice.
Without looking, assuming it was one of the few patrolmen L.L 202 had to keep some semblance of order, Yuri leapt down the rest of the way in order to bolt out into the commerce square. Instead, Yuri rammed into another being, startling him further. Paying no mind to look up or apologize, Yuri was determined to run away, but froze still when he felt that his disguise was pulled off the top of his head.
"And here I was just trying to get 'em to stop. Didn't realize your hair was fake too...slave."
Yuri slowly turned to see a towering man dressed in bright red and black raggedy clothing beside him. He, with cropped blonde-brown hair, had tattoos of exotic red flowers all over his bare arms, but what separated Yuri from him was his dual eye color. All Colbrans had such eyes, at least the ones Yuri had seen. They all varied, for instance, this man before him had one black-brown and one green. That said, what truly got Yuri's attention, right away, was a colossal sword the man carried over his back. Massive strength was another Colbran trait. Some had more than others, however, the legendary strength made any rebellion practically impossible.
"You owe one an apology for running into them," he slurred, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.
The second the tattooed man looked over his shoulder, Yuri leapt up, snatched his wig and ran while donning the disguise once more.
'I'm coming, Yuuko, I've been found out but I won't let them take me!' He declared inwardly.
Yes, humans were slaves and this very moon was the market place for Colbrans to find such. Yuri knew from reading that Earth was long, long gone. While the Colbrans had extended their hand to save the human race before the planet's demise, the Colbrans turned around to shackle them. The story among the masses was Colbrans had tricked Mankind and were responsible for Earth's self-destruction. Yuri long had wondered if it was true and, also, if it would have been better if humans just went extinct along with the planet. Whoever was right, over the next several generations, humans had dwindled while their spirits kept being broken. For that and many other reasons Yuri hated the Colbran natives no matter what.
Completely out of breath, Yuri was relieved when he made it back home in one piece. Yuri slammed the door and locked it behind him.
"Yuuko, I'm home!" He declared. "Don't worry I go-"
"He got back in one piece? That's good, is it not, my dear?"
The strange voice was cool, low and such a mean tease to Yuri's ears. Frozen in shock, Yuri could only stare while Yuuko, out of fear, had curled up so her knees were under her chin. She was shaking, her eyes cast downwards while this new stranger played with her long hair.
Yuri licked his dry lips. "H-How did...you?"
Heavy steps lumbered up from behind Yuri, who whipped around to see the same Colbran from just before. "Hey now, ya didn't have to steal away like that. I was being all nice and ya just had to take off. Yo, sir, this place is full to the brim of illegal stuff."
This mysterious person looked up from where he was with dull eyes. "They're called 'books', Christophe, but yes they are troubling stuff."
"P-Please don't take Yuri's collection," Yuuko huffed followed by a cough violent enough to cause her to briefly shake and waver. "They belonged to his family and they have had them for many, many years and we have had n-no trouble."
"Aw, shucks, the girl looks like she's gonna cry. Stop scaring her, Victor," Christophe chided, acting all too familiar with the Noble.
Yuri saw this Victor was finely dressed in all black and blue, but could barely withstand to look at him directly for he was more focused on Victor' long fingers playing with Yuuko's hair. It didn't matter who Victor was, Yuri wasn't about to let the stranger hurt Yuuko.
"Don't waver in front of an Unwanted, Christophe, it is unbecoming," Victor sighed, more annoyed than anything.
"And messing with her hair isn't?" Yuri blurted with clenched fists.
The Noble shot Yuri a steely, sideways glare. "What was that? I don't think you are in a position to tell a Noble any-"
Yuri held his ground. "I don't care who you are! She's sick and you are making her uncomfortable. How did you even find us?"
"The hair," Christophe replied, indifferent to the situation, clamping a hand onto Yuri's shoulder.
"The...hair?" Yuri inquired, puzzled, while remaining to look straight ahead.
"Surely out of all these books you know Colbran Nobles have their means of finding people. Some of your wig hair fell out of your disguise and lead us to this little lady."
'So they have that, strength and speed...what am I going to do?' Yuri's mind raced.
Christophe smiled a toothy grin, "neh, what's your name, girl?"
Yuri roughly shrugged the burly man off. "I'm n-not a girl! I'm Yuri Katsuki, a boy!"
Christophe busted out a deep laugh. "Have you looked into the mirror lately, boy? Awfully pretty," he scoffed. "And pretty nervous…" he mumbled.
Yuri felt heat rise in his cheeks. "I d-don't care if you d-don't like it, leave Yuuko alone!"
Yuri's heart continued to pound in his chest. However, he did his best to ignore his trembling boldly stare directly at Victor whom looked nonchalantly back from the side before turning his head face Yuri directly. With one ice blue and the other cat-eye gold up against silvery locks of hair and creamy skin, the dramatic eyes would be hypnotizing to anyone other than Yuri at the moment.
"So," Victor began, "this Yuuko is yours? These books are yours, you steal and you secretly live as an Unwanted because...you don't want to be taken away?"
"Y-Yuuko is family," Yuri corrected stubbornly. "These b-books are my family's, and I steal b-because I have to live for my family's sake." Yuri balled his hands into fists to give him courage. "I live in secret because, despite poor conditions, I know I have more freedom here than in some stuffy, fancy place."
"So, you are loyal to your family?"
"That's right." Yuri confirmed with a stiff upper lip.
With a humph Victor stood up. He was a good head and shoulders taller than Yuri, who felt his knees begin to buckle.
"Well now...color me impressed," Christophe outright admitted, "I have never seen any human stand up for anything against the Colbrans. But, Boy, this is Lord Victor Nikiforov...I'd start watching that tongue of yours."
'Niki…forov? Oh. Crap.' Yuri thought quickly and felt the blood drain from his face.
The Nikiforov family line. One of the eight families who helped conquer Earth.
"Don't be, Christophe," Victor sighed with slight irritation, "he's brat." Victor gave a short laugh and brought his hand back down, "of course brats can be taught."
"Like hell you can! You're not taking me anywhere!" Yuri cried out in defiance.
"No! Not Yuri," Yuuko coughed and wheezed. "Please, don't take the only person I have left!"
"I require someone of certain looks and I think you will do nicely," Victor continued, uncaring. "I can and will take you if I want."
"No!" Yuri cried as he stood with his clenched fists.
Every muscle in his legs were strained tight from anxiety while Yuuko's coughing fit continued.
The silver-haired Noble clicked his tongue. "You really don't know your place do you? You are a human. You humans were placed here on Alborja moon to stay clear and out of the way. You are a slave we can pick up, use, and return as long as we can afford to do so."
Yuri ran forward to console Yuuko, unable to take much more of her coughing, but Victor yanked Yuri back by his hair.
The young man's eyes stung from the pain. "Ugh! Let me go!"
With ease, however, Victor took one of Yuri's arms and held it tightly.
"Yu...ri…" Yuuko continued to hack. She held up her hand to her mouth and appeared to desperately need water.
"Y-Yuuko!" Yuri called out the best he could.
"If you insist to lump us Colbrans all together," Victor hissed, "I see no issue to follow such a role you hand me and make your life a living hell."
"What do y-you know about hell, Colbran?" Yuri seethed. "You Colbrans are all the same. You use people as livestock, p-period!" Yuri wriggled despite the pain. "L-Let me go! She n-needs water! I'd rather you break my neck then go with you and have her die here alone!"
"Is that why ya were dangling on the side of that medical supply building?" Christophe asked. "Yes, and to just go up and ask would require I had the ability to pay for it, but wait, that would require spending ten months' time under a master to earn enough."
"Ya should be grateful we even bother to to have such pay system," Christophe chided while rolling his eyes and folding his robust arms. "Honestly, I never understood why."
"You know perfectly why, Christophe," Victor replied, continuing to hold onto a struggling Yuri. "Be good, you get more things. The more you work, the better off you will be. It's a matter of motivation and, well normally, keeps brats from having to complain or get restless enough to cause problems." Victor folded his arms. "I don't know what you have been hearing, brat, Mankind has accepted their new lot in life a long time ago."
"Shut up!" Yuri shouted. "The point is Yuuko doesn't have that kind of time! Also the payment is a joke. All these Unwanted don't get to work for anything. It's all bartering or stealing for food here. When it comes to other things and precious as medicine it's too bad your loss."
Victor tightened his grip. "You have a lot of things to say about the matter for someone who merely thinks he knows how the world works," he hissed.
"Hey, Victor," Christophe warned, "I've been keeping the time and the ship ride back home is gonna leave in a matter of hours, we need to start thinkin' about headin' back."
"My own ship can wait for me for a while longer," Victor replied before roughly letting Yuri go. "Say your goodbyes."
"I ain't going!" Yuri lashed out.
Victor promptly slapped Yuri across the face. In turn, Yuri did his best to not cry out while Yuuko could not help but do so.
"Now then, brat, let me finish." Victor demanded.
Though silenced, Yuri defiantly stared back while putting hand to his struck cheek.
Victor adjusted his glove, devoid of emotion. "Christophe is going back to the secondary moon, Morja, I am going back to Colbran. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You say good-bye, let Christophe get medicine to treat Yuuko before taking her to Morja with him, or I can just take you, Yuri, with me, and leave Yuuko here alone. Either way, Yuri, you will serve my needs indefinitely until otherwise. Your choice. You have a minute to decide."
"W-Why are you doing this?" Yuri stuttered, feeling his world was collapsing around him.
'I don't care if your kind saved humanity from the dying Earth, you shouldn't use that as a justification!' Yuri thought to himself, unable to have the courage to say so aloud.
Victor didn't reply. Instead the Colbran Noble folded his arms.
"Boss, what can a little girl do at a place like Morja?" Christophe stumbled.
"She may look meek, but get her healthy she can fend for herself," Yuri shot back.
"Well, there you go, you'll figure it out, Christophe," Victor finalized. "You're too kind around girls like her so I doubt there will be any trouble, considering your leadership position over there. You, Yuri Katsuki, have forty seconds."
Yuri knelt and embraced Yuuko. He felt like crying, but what little choice did he have?
"Yuri…" Yuuko mumbled with worry before giving a small smile. "You have taken care and protected me. This is a good deal. You won't have to worry about me."
"I'll always worry about you, Yuuko. You get better and take care of yourself. I-I lo-"
"Time is up. Easy way or the hard way?" Victor asked.
Yuri stood up with a heavy heart. "Fine. I'll go with you."
Notes:
Straight up and frank, Yuuko is NOT a Mother in this AU. This is important. I hope this was a good start? Let me know. :3
