Clearly I haven't updated in a while. I thought to myself, "I'll wait until someone asks." Like I said, I have every chapter complete. I'm just not a very reliable writer.

Thank you for the wait!

The man looked so much different than Augustine. He was no longer in robes and was no longer hunched over and delicate looking. Without his robes on he looked as strong as Roma and about the same age. It seemed he was a better liar than Antonio even was.

"Tell you what," he said, pulling Feliciano out of the barrel by his hair. "You drop your weapons and get out of the ship or I slit his throat." He held a dagger to Feliciano's throat for emphasis and tilted the Italian's head back by tugging harshly on his hair. Feliciano whimpered and squirmed in the older man's grip.

Roma had never been angrier in his entire life. Not when his wife died. Not when his daughter died. Never. Seeing that bastard holding a knife to his grandsons throat sent him into a rage that Lovino had never seen.

"How dare you. You vile man. Drop that goddamn knife or-"

"Or what? You can't do anything, you swarthy sonofabitch."

Roma's eye twitched and he pursed his lips thoughtfully. He wasn't giving up. He stood strong. Lovino didn't know what to do. Antonio was had collapsed and was sitting on the floor. Ludwig looked like his entire world was falling in around him.

"You're going to burn in hell for what you've done to innocent people," Roma spat.

Augustine smiled at this. "Have you ever worked on a farm, Roma Vargas? One with animals? When I was younger I worked on a farm with pigs in particular. Dirty, innocent pigs. I fed them, watched them grow, made sure no wolves got to them. Do you know why I kept them so well? So I could be the one to slaughter them in the end. I would hang them up, just like this." Augustine lifted Feliciano up by his and let him dangle for a moment, head banging into the side of the barrel.

Tears welled in Roma's eyes as Feliciano cried. Lovino stifled a cry and could see Antonio on his hands and knees emptying the contents of his stomach into the ocean on the other side of the ship. Ludwig looked like he was going to stab someone at any moment.

"I'd hang them up and slit their throats. I felt bad about it the first few times." He dropped Feliciano onto the floor before lifting him up again by the hair. "I could hear the blood gurgling in their throats and their whines and squeals of protest. But it was them or me. I could keep them alive, let them eat my food, let them waste my time and my energy. Or." Augustine pressed the knife into Feliciano's skin, eliciting a cry from the Italian. "Or I could kill them and have enough food for weeks. I wouldn't have to waste time or energy. I would only benefit from their deaths. The latter seemed far more logical."

Roma's grip on his sword was loosening, Lovino noted. He was going to give up. Tears brimmed in Ludwigs eyes by now.

"But Jews aren't like pigs, Roma. Can I call you Roma? Good. Because I'd like to make this personal. Jews are nothing like pigs. Pigs may be useless, but unlike Jews, gypsies, and what have you, pigs eventually become useful. Once they're dead, that is. Animals like you, Roma, and your two grandsons, are useless from the time you're sent up to Earth to the time you're sent back down." Feliciano was sobbing now. The sound of Roma's sword dropping onto the deck rang in Lovino's ears.

"Roma, don't trust this bastard. He'll kill us all and he'll still kill Feliciano," Lovino whispered. Antonio was still on the other side of the boat sick from what Augustine was saying.

"Are you coming down?"

Feliciano then stepped hard on Augustines foot, hoping it would make the bastard let him go for a moment, but it only fueled his anger. He threw Feliciano onto the ground and stepped on his neck. "You little demon. I'm going to kill you. Did you hear that, Roma? I'm going to kill your precious little swine. And I'm going to kill your precious brother, Lovino Vargas." He stepped harder on Feliciano's neck, enjoying the way his face was lighting up red. He clawed at the shoe pressed to his neck, leaving marks in the leather. "Gra-Lov . . . Lovi . . . d-don't listen! Leave!"

Roma's nostrils flared and finally, without hesitation, he jumped onto the pier. "Let my grandson go!" Lovino gulped, panic rising.

"If you come any closer I'll break his neck. One stomp and he's gone."

Roma stopped and dropped his final weapon, a small dagger. Augustine smiled before saying, "On your knees, Roma Vargas." Roma glared and dropped to his knees.

"NO! He's fucking playing you!" Lovino was yelling at the top of his lungs. "He's going to threaten to kill him until each of us steps down! We just . . . we fucking lost! Okay? We fucking failed. Shit. Fucking shit." He let out a strangled cry. "We failed. God, Antonio. Ludwig. I'm so fucking sorry. This is my f-"

"You should really listen to your grandson, Roma. First, I'm going to kill you. Then Feliciano while Lovino watches, wishing he could do something, but he's reached an empass, so he'll have to watch as his brother is bleeding to death down here. Ludwig will jump down to try to save him and I'll have to kill him just like I'm going to kill you." Augustine drew his sword, boot still pressed to Feliciano's neck. "Any last words, Roma?"

Roma's eyes widened along with Lovino's, Antonio's, and Ludwig's.

"Yes, I have two."

Augustine held his sword behind his head. "And what are they?"

"Look out."

Before Augustine could register what was happening, a dagger was plunged into the side of his neck, spattering Roma's face with warm blood. The dagger was removed with great effort, and Augustine's eyes were wide at the sight of his own blood on Roma's face. Roma looked up at his savior. The man had long hair and a scar shaped like a crescent moon on his chin. Antonio's stomach lurched when he looked at him, though he wasn't sure why.

The man pushed Augustine to the ground and climbed on top of him, thrusting the knife into his chest over and over again, stabbing every inch of him he could. Everyone was silent.

"Eso es para mi madre! Y eso es para mi padre! Y eso es por lo que has hecho a mi hermano!" Blood dripped from the man's nose and down his tear stained cheeks. His hands were dripping red. He pushed the knife in one last time, though Augustine had been dead for a few minutes now. He pulled it out and cried out for his mother, from what they could tell, at least. His words were incoherent half of the time.

"Thank you," Roma whispered. The man turned to face Roma, then he gave a faint smile before tilting his own head back and slicing his throat open from ear to ear. Roma gasped and took the knife.

"What? What?!" Roma cried. Feliciano kneeled down and held the man's head in his lap.

"Thank you," he said, kissing his forehead lightly. "I don't know who you are, but thank you." The man's eyes flickered between Feliciano's. His lips parted and blood seeped out of the corners of his mouth.

"Why is he dying? Why did he kill himself?! My God, why did he-"

A bloody hand curled around Grandpa Roma's and he stroked the back of his hand once, twice, then stopped as he had began convulsing. Blood soaked Feliciano's lap. Cries escaped Antonio's throat at the sight.

The man glanced over at the boat before his body went limp. Feliciano nodded and wiped away his own tears before gently moving the mans head out of his lap. Roma and Feliciano both stood up and stared at eachother for a moment, wondering what had just happened.

"Grandpa Roma?" Feliciano smiled faintly and embraced Roma. Roma held Feliciano like he might float away at any second.

"Feliciano, let's get the hell out of here." He helped Feliciano onto the boat and climbed in himself. He didn't look back at the mess on the pier.

As soon as they could set sail, they left Barcelona for Italy.

To be Continued . . .