Author's Note: I managed to get another chapter together despite all the things going on right now, kudos to me :P
As always thanks for the reviews/favourites/follows, it's a big motivator and reading the reviews are always the best part of uploading a new chapter, so thank you!

Just like last chapter this will have a TW for child abuse

CHAPTER 9

Keller continued to play his little games, and the one meal they were served per day had to be earned or else they had no choice but to go hungry.
The games were all emotionally straining on both of them but they got through every little "challenge" Keller gave them at least until a week had passed and their uncle decided to cross the line.
He forced the four-year-old to stand against the wall with an apple balanced on his head while Keller was going to throw knives at the apple, just like William Tell but so much scarier because this was real.
Neal had been paralyzed by fear as soon as Keller showed the three sharp knives and he didn't dare to move, while Mozzie couldn't stop imagining a knife hitting Neal's forehead and killing him.
He decided to pull the plug, he would rather let them go hungry than to let their uncle throw knives at his brother.
In a calm, steady voice he asked Keller to stop but was ignored, no matter how many times he said the word 'stop', Keller threw the first knife.
Mozzie instinctively closed his eyes, imagining that the knife had just killed his brother, but the seconds passed and he didn't hear Neal falling to the floor so he dared to open his eyes.
He felt relief as he saw that the knife had hit the apple and not his brother, but that relief was short lived as Keller got ready to throw the second knife.
The second knife hit the apple and the third one hit the wall just a centimeter away from Neal's ear.
As soon as that third knife hit the wall, Mozzie rushed to his brother and threw the apple away from his head before hugging him at the same time that he shielded Neal with his body, just in case Keller decided to throw another knife when they weren't ready.
While he held Neal tight to his chest, he looked back at their uncle hoping to see some remorse on his face, Mozzie wanted to see if he was human enough to feel guilt over the fact that he had thrown knife at a little kid, but Keller was just wearing a smile that looked like it belonged to a Disney Villain.
It was in that moment that all hopes about their uncle ever letting the out of here died, this was no longer about punishment this was about breaking them.
Despite coming to the realization that Keller wasn't planning on just punishing them and then let them go back to their previous life and despite the incredible hatred he felt for that man, he didn't listen to Neal when he quietly begged his brother to get help.
It's not that he didn't want help, he was just still too scared of being separated.
There was a very real possibility that they could end up in abusive foster homes, but then they wouldn't have each other.
So in that sense, it was better to be tortured together than to be tortured apart.

The day after the knife throwing Mozzie came to face the most challenging game yet when their uncle told Mozzie to stand in front of Neal.

"Hit him."

Keller then told him and Mozzie froze at his words.
He had never hit Neal before, sure they had fought like siblings did with some light shoves and nudges, but he had never ever used any real violence on him.

"No."

He answered, looking up at Keller with a determined look to show that this wasn't something he was willing to do.

"Hit him or I will."

His face fell and he looked at his brother who looked terrified of what was to come.
Mozzie could either choose to hurt his own brother which would be emotionally hard for both of them or he could let Keller do it which would be a more severe punch.
He knew that Keller didn't really want to hit Neal, he didn't get any enjoyment from harming the kid, but he did get a kick out of forcing Mozzie to choose.
Their uncle had figured out the perfect way to break him, because that was what this was about if he managed to break them they wouldn't dare to go against him again.
Neal was easy to break, he was innocent and weak and he didn't make any major decisions on his own.
If Keller wanted to control them then he would have to break Mozzie, and since he had toughened himself up and been strong enough to take several beatings for his brother, his best bet was to use his kryptonite, Neal.
Mozzie had to admit that it was working, every time Keller harmed Neal in any way, without Mozzie being able to stop him, it felt as if something inside of him broke.
Apparently, he was taking too long because suddenly he saw their uncle lift his hand which made Mozzie to quickly punch Neal right in his face, his brother crying out and cover his nose with his hand.
He cringed when he realized how hard his fist had hit his brother's nose and he felt even worse when he saw that the hand Neal's hand was stained with blood.

"Good boy."
Keller praised with a grin on his face before they were ushered back into their room.

Mozzie sat down next to Neal on the bed, feeling absolutely miserable as he looked at him.
Tears was running down his cheeks, mixing with the blood smeared around his nose.
His little brother looked completely broken, the spark he used to have in his eyes was gone and he just looked exhausted.
This was all Mozzie's fault, they had been inches away from being saved and he had chosen to go back because it was familiar, while the foster home situation was foreign and scary.
His fear of being separated had caused him to put his baby brother in danger, instead of protecting him like he'd sworn he would do.

"Please Mozzie."

Neal said in a wobbly voice as his shaking, bloody hand reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
He gave Mozzie a card, Neal had smeared some blood on it but he could still read the name 'Peter Burke' and the phone number beneath the name.

"Please."

Neal begged, and his small hand grabbed Mozzie, squeezing it.

"Help us."

He sounded so desperate that Mozzie didn't have the heart to say no.
There was a tiny part of him that wanted to trust the FBI agent even if there was that clear, powerful voice telling him to not trust authorities.
After a short, mental debate he decided to call the agent and not the police, because at least he could try to trade the information he had on Keller's crimes for reassurance that they won't split up.
Getting a phone wouldn't be too difficult, he knew that Keller had two phones and the less important one was always placed on the counter next to his keys, so all they needed was a distraction.
He relayed the plan to Neal and when Keller returned half an hour later with their food, Mozzie got up from the bed, running out of the room.
Mozzie ran as fast as he could out of the apartment and out in the hallway, hearing his uncle closing in on him.
He had just reached the stairs when Keller grabbed him from behind before dragging him back to the apartment.
Mozzie struggled as much as he could in order to delay their return to the apartment but eventually they made it back and he released a sigh as he saw that Neal was sitting on the bed in their room.
Keller pushed him into the room, where their food had been dropped on the floor.

"You are going to pay for that little stunt."

Keller growled before he slammed the door shut.

"Did you get it?"

Neal nodded and showed the phone that he had grabbed while Keller chased after Mozzie.
He took the phone before ushering his brother into the bathroom and locked the door behind them.
They didn't have much time before their uncle would notice the phone's absence, and Mozzie did not want to find out what the man would do to them when he did.
Mozzie dialed the number on the card while his heart was racing in his chest, they only had one try at this.
It felt like an eternity before he heard the agent's voice.

"Suit, it's me, Mozzie!"

He said, hoping that the agent would remember them.

"Mozzie? Are you guys okay?"

The suit had the same concerned tone that he had back at the office when he had asked them if they were okay, that made Mozzie feel a little better about his choice to call him.

"No, we need your help!"

He said as he heard the door, to their room, being unlocked.

"Now!"