Same place. Same time. Different point of view.

Ludwig tried not to make eye contact with anyone, an easy feet with this mask on even if it only covered half of his face. He needed to find his brother and get some clothes for the two in his car. He needed to rub it in Gilbert's face that he had done it. Feliciano was safe and sound, well not completely safe. His life would never be the same but Feliciano was alive.

Ludwig found his brother sitting on a truck bed laughing with his three friends and sometimes lovers. Gilbert was the cleaner around here. His clothes were spreyed with blood and oil from whatever his last mission was. His mask would have covered his entire face if it was even on his face. Gilbert was the only albino in a hundred mile radius around here. The mask was just to scare the lights out of any man who dared try to hurt him.

"Brother," Ludwig said looking at the albino man. "We need to speak."

The silver haired man sat up and looked at Ludwig. In one hand was a bottle of beer, half empty, in the other was his removed mask. "Wha' you want Lutz," he asked talking to the mask. His friends tried to hide their laughter. "Can't you see we're tryin' to have some fun. You haven't been fun in years." He swayed in his seat, falling over on the truck bed. His friends fell to the ground in laughter.

"Very funny," Ludwig said rolling his eyes . "But I found something you might be interested in."

"Mus' be a dog of s'mthun," Gilbert said trying to stand up. He fell back once before actually standing. "Only thing you're int'rested in these days are dogs. Not since- ya know who." Gilbert braced himself for the usual punch he would have gotten. Gilbert stayed in his braced position for a minute before peeking behind his hands. "Ya aren't hittin' me?"

Ludwig shook his head and started walking towards the car. Gilbert would see soon enough.

"Wha'ch'ya showin' me?" Gilbert asked with his usual sway.

Ludwig opened the door to reveal the naked Feliciano and Felicia in their cages. At first Gilbert seemed to only see Felicia, confused that his brother had just turned straight? But when Gilbert turned his head slightly he instantly recognized the beaten boy. He would know that hair curl anywhere. The sight instantly sobered him up.

"Holy Mother Fuckin'God is that-" Ludwig closed the door and slammed his brother's head against the door to shut him up.

"Watch your tongue," Ludwig said. Normally he didn't have a care in the world for foul language, but Feliciano did. Feliciano was a God fearing man and hated swearing, last Ludwig remembered. However Feliciano's actions recently might have said otherwise. "Yes it is him."

Gilbert looked wide eyed at his brother. No wonder Ludwig hadn't taken off his fuckin' mask. He was among friends, no one would rat him out here. But Feliciano was a different story. Gilbert dropped the beer bottle and put on his mask again.

"What the hell Ludwig?" Gilbert asked. "He was dead and you brought him back to life?"

"I knew he wasn't dead," Ludwig said. "We both did. In case you haven't noticed he is-" Ludwig took his brother's arm and pulled him away from the van. He didn't want Feliciano accidentally hearing this.

"He is very much alive in there," Ludwig said. "He was kidnapped by The Scientists. I thought I smelt a rat when we were at his funeral."

Gilbert stood there in silence. Feliciano was alive, this changed everything. He rubbed his head and said, "You do realize they're going to be coming after you for stealing him right?"

Ludwig shook his head. "I bought Feliciano. The Scientists can't do crap about it."

Gilbert groaned and sat down on the dirt ground. Was this really happening? "Alright," he said taking a deep breath. "What was the broad for anyways?"

"I needed a maid," Ludwig said with a shrug. "That's why I was at the slave market. The humans were up next, I came to early. Which was just fine if you asked me."

Gilbert nodded and looked up at his younger brother. He hadn't seen Ludwig this happy since Feliciano first went missing. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I was hoping you could get me some clothes for them?"

"Clothes sold separately?" Gilbert joked. "Lucky for you I just had to get rid of a broad earlier. I probably have some clothes in my trunk. Blood free. Might be a little show-y though. She was a hooker."

Ludwig nodded and followed Ludwig back to the car. "Anything for the boy?"

Gilbert smirked and put his mask on top of his head. He went up to the lock box towards the front and opened it up. "Hey Antonio," Gilbert said. "You always keep a spare set of clothes for your boyfriend right?"

"Yeah," the drunken spaniard said. "I'm not given 'um to you. Lovi would be pissed."

Gilbert shot Antonio the bird before saying, "At least get me some pants or something."

Antonio grumbled as he got out of his seat in the dirt and went to go get some jeans from the car.

"That's the best I can do for you," Gilbert said tossing Ludwig a blood covered bag. "Should work nicely around the girl's..."

"Wings," Ludwig said.

"Mon ami!" the third man said sitting up. "Did you say wings? Was that what they were selling! Paurve de moi! Woe is me! I missed angels? Or were they demons?" The man pretended to cry. "How much would you like for one or two?"

"Not happening Francis," Ludwig said. He tried not to think of how much money he spent on getting Feliciano and the girl out. How were their names so similar anyways?

Antonio came back with a pair of jeans in his hands. "You can use these," he said. "Although I can't promise you that they'll fit anyone. Lovi has this really cute butt, but it's so small. Sometimes I wonder why-"

"Shut it Toni!" Gilbert said. "We don't want to hear about you having sex with your boyfriend until I've had a few more drinks. Then you can tell us how tiny that kid's butt is."

Antonio pouted before tossing Gilbert a drink.

Ludwig took this as a sign to leave and went back to the car. He didn't have a shirt for Feliciano, but that was alright. Last he remembered Feliciano was always cool walking around naked.

Ludwig opened the car doors and looked at the two inside.

"Who was that from before?" Felicia asked softly. "He seemed... surprised. Are you going to sell us to him? I don't think I could handle some guy like him. And I thought you said that we were going to be working for you."

"Gil was just checking to make sure he had clothes your size," Ludwig said. He removed the clothes from the blood bag and tossed them at the girl. They hit the bars before falling to the floor. "You'll change again later." He set the clothes down in front of Feliciano, only realizing afterwards that might have been seen as a sign of favoritism.

Feliciano reached for the pants and put them on silently.

"No bra," Felicia muttered as she slipped on the revealing clothes. At least they covered her vagina and nipples, she thought. Feliciano had been given a low cut tank top. It hardly fit over her bust and ripped under the pressure of her wings. But other than that they looked well. "Are we allowed out now?"

"Under normal circumstances no," Ludwig said. "However I need to change cars and I can't trust most of these men with transporting either of you two. So you're going to have to walk. Which means these are in order. You put them on and you walk free. You don't and you're shot."

He tossed two silver collars through the bars. Felicia picked up the collar and studied it. She had seen enough of these things from the escapees back at the ;abs to know what they were. They looked like normal animal collars but stung like a bitch. The press of a button would send you into a writhing mess on the floor, crapping your pants. It was a experiences she was not fond of seeing, but recognized instantly. She put the collar on without hesitating, she would rather be shocked than killed.

"Well?" Ludwig asked looking at Feliciano.

"No," was the only word he said. Feliciano didn't even touch the collar. Felicia might have only seen the effect of the collars but Feliciano had lived it first hand. He knew how much they hurt. How paralyzed you could be after prolonged exposure. He knew what it felt like to be awake from the shock, but feeling everything they did. He shivered at the memory and looked at the wall. He would rather be shot than experience that again.

Ludwig opened Felicia's cage and pulled her out by the hand. "Stay still," he said programing the collar quickly. "You move in any way other than breathing this will paralyze you." Felicia stood her ground and nodded.

"Yes sir," she said sarcastically.

Ludwig admired the girl's obedience, but disliked her sass. He turned his attention to Feliciano in the car. "Put on the collar and get out," he said. "Now."

Feliciano shook his head and stared ahead. He knew a bluff when he saw one. This man spent good money on the two as a pair. One cannot be a pair so without Feliciano the girl was useless.

Ludwig reached between the bars and grabbed Feliciano around his neck. "You put on the collar or else I'll squeeze until you're passed out and I have to carry you over my shoulder. Understand?" He started to squeeze before Feliciano could even give an answer. He hated having to do this, but he needed Feliciano to understand he meant business.

Feliciano gasped and brought his hands up to wrap themselves around Ludwig's hands. No one had ever touched him this way, and while he knew the action was one of rage, he liked it. Feliciano scratched at the big hands. He would not yield.

Ludwig stayed like this for a while, watching Feliciano look like he was fighting for his life. Ludwig knew the signs of when someone was about to die from suffocation or pass out from asphyxiation. He knew when to stop, else he kill the boy he did all of this for. And he did, allowing Feliciano to fall back into his corner of the cage, holding his neck that would surely be bruised.

"Put on the collar," he said as a final warning.

Feliciano gasped for a moment before looking back at the mask in front of him. He did not fear for his life, but he did fear for the rest of himself. So he took the silver collar and placed it around his neck, not bothering to lock it.

Ludwig reaching in and tightened the collar around Feliciano's neck. A reminder of who was boss. He opened the door and said, "Get out and keep your head down. Turn your head up once and I will shock you down to hell and back."

Feliciano struggled to stand up properly as he followed the other two. His head was turned down, but his eyes were staring at the back of the man's head in defiance. He would not be broken.

Ludwig lead the two to a more casual car compared to the unmarked van behind them. This was a porsche panamera gts. The car was built for speed and low clearance. Ludwig opened on of the doors and motioned for the two slaves to get inside.

"Watch your head," he said before going around to get in on the driver's side. Ludwig was finally taking Feliciano home.

Author's note:

Holy crap this took me forever! I'm so sorry it's been months. But I promise I'm not giving up on this story. I have plans for these guys.

For the record Francis works in the 'market' buying and selling for a profit, whether that is slaves, guns or anything else. Antonio is a gun for hire, usually working with one of his friends. Antonio is dating Lovino, and Lovino is a cop. He will be coming in later - but way later actually.