|A/N| Greetings and salutations, my beautiful readers!

Chapter nine is (kind of) on time! I'm pleased with it, but it wasn't what I had been going for a first. Oh well, all you can do is change and improve, I suppose. I might revise it later; I'm not able to at the moment.

I hope you enjoy~

February 17, 2016

Quedlinburg, Germany

If there was one thing Erika was, it was observant.

Being quiet and small had lots of advantages. One of her favorites was that she could sneak out of bed and into Miss G's room to look through files. It was very helpful, being able to do that, especially after her big brother had been "adopted." His papers had been covered with penned graffiti, certain notes written in the margins and other things changed around haphazardly; like he was being changed into a different person.

That was upsetting to her, especially since her brother's age had been changed to "nineteen." Vash was sixteen, only two years away from gaining a bit of money from their godfather, not to mention the ability to take them away from the orphanage like he had promised. It seemed that the grown-ups had taken the money, as well as her brother.

She didn't blame him for this, of course. He had tried to stay with her, ever since they had been kicked to the curb by their aunt. Vash had tried his best, but Miss G just had to separate them after all those years of being dependent on each other. That upset Erika, just like that woman did. She was the one keeping the two of them apart, from the path their godfather had told them to tread. And Erika was going to make sure that the two of them got back on course.

It was only coincidence that the Latvian boy, Raivis, had been scheduled for adoption the night before her great escape. Erika didn't know him well, but she knew that he didn't deserve what happened when someone was "adopted." So, she would just have to save him.

After waiting till the clock struck midnight, Erika tossed the thin covers of her bed off of her. The wooden floorboards were cold and rough under her feet, but she barely felt it, mind too deep into her planning. Everything had to go perfectly, at the right time. Grabbing anything she thought would be important, Erika stuffed her things into an old bag and tugged on her shoes.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door of her room and stepped out into the hall. The boys' room was just around the corner, in a separate hall, and was easy to get to, luckily. Erika bit her lip, looking at her hands. She hoped that she could remember what her godfather taught her. Squeezing her eyes closed, Erika focused, letting her everything she had been told resurface.

Don't think of yourself as ordinary. You are extraordinary. Both you and Vash were born special, no matter who much the world will try to say otherwise. Just close your eyes and think of what makes you yourself, Erika. Now...Change it.

It felt like cold water was rushing down her back, making her shiver. Letting her eyes flutter open, Erika looked down at her hands. Gray and almost opaque; cloudlike, just like the rest of her. She almost squealed in happiness, but quickly refocused on her mission. Stepping up to the wall, Erika pressed her hand up to the large crack in between the wooden boards making it up. Much to her pleasure, her hand slid through easily.

Erika let out a breath, following her hand through the wood. It was a tight squeeze, but easier than other things she had tried to get through. Stumbling out to the other hallway, she walked over to the door to the room all the boys' shared. She considered changing back, but quickly dismissed the thought; it would be easier brushing off questions than breaking into the room normally.

Getting onto the floor, Erika crawled closer to the crack from where the door was elevated above the ground. Another squeeze, but doable. She slid through quickly, standing up and focusing on getting herself back to normal afterwards.

The creak of a bed made her eyes snap open before she could transform completely. The youngest Beilschmidt's blue eyes met her turquoise ones. Fear crawled up her gut, catching in her throat before she could actually scream. She had been caught, by someone who showed no signs of being a fellow Unnatural.

Ludwig crawled out of bed, going over to her as quietly as a mouse, "How are you...doing that?" He whispered, staring at her hands. He didn't seem to be expecting a response, since he went on after noticing her tension, "Don't worry. Gilbert's a little unusual too."

"...W-What?" Erika's voice was hoarse from disuse, laced with surprise. Gilbert was "unusual," as well? Well, now she felt dumb; it was easy for her to see the healing rope burn around his neck at dinner. He hadn't hid it very well, except from their caretaker. Even so, she had to make sure, "How so?"

More creaking, this time Gilbert dropped down from the top bunk-bed. He had clearly been watching the whole exchange. "I can't die." He said, shrugging like he had just said something completely normal, "If I jumped out the window, the glass wouldn't kill me. Not even the fall would leave anything more than a scratch. And that would disappear as quickly as it came."

Erika just nodded, once again trying to turn back to her solid form. Dusting herself off after the deed was done, she smiled at them, "It's nice to find some other Unnaturals."

"Unnaturals?" Gilbert frowned, tilting his head slightly, "So that's what you-we're called? And did you mean for that to be plural? Ludwig's normal, as far was we know..."

The girl just smiled, "Siblings are usually all powered, not just one. That's how the genetics work." Casting her gaze to the only other bed in the room, Erika addressed the two brothers, "So, now that we know we're all on friendly terms, how about you help me get out of here?"

:

February 17, 2016

Eger, Hungary

"The nerve..."

Elizaveta sighed, rubbing her husband's shoulders soothingly. He had been hung up on the whole Vash debacle ever since their adoption papers had been refused. And, quite honestly, she had been too. Vash and Erika were their godchildren and they had a legal right to house the two; it was in their poor mother's will. But they were pushed to the side time and time again, for one reason or another; it was getting tiring. "Calm down, Roddy," She muttered, "Getting into a rage won't help us get the two back."

"Well nothing will then!" Roderick exclaimed, turning his head to look at her. His eyes were practically glowing, a sure sign that he would be more than ready to fight soon. "We'll lose them completely if we don't take action now, Elizaveta. Who knows, those damn lawyers might find a way to burn her will." The bite in his voice was venomous, his hands forming fists.

She just nodded, sighing, "I know." Taking a seat beside him on the couch, she grabbed his hands and unraveled his fingers, before rubbing circles onto the smooth backs of his hands, "All we can do is wait for now..."

Roderick calmed down, glow leaving and shoulders slumping. He was giving into the reality, like he always did. There wasn't much they could do, what with their financial situation always being brought up. Either way, Elizaveta didn't need to finish her statement. It was something the both of them had said dozens of times before. Something they wished would become a promise.

"All we can do is wait for now. And hope that they'll find their way home."