Note: Pau is about 9 in this, almost 10. Tord is already born. This part has a lot of translations, given that Pau is Dutch; some context/hints are given as to what is said. Translations are at the bottom, as always.
TWs: Gun violence/shooting, blood, minor character death/killing, running away, and implied/referenced abusive household. Stay safe :)
"Hurry it up, idiots! We have to get this stuff to Black Leader in under 5 hours!" An accented voice bellowed to his fellow men. They were all wearing the same uniform, some having a different emblem.
It was getting close to midnight as a kid ran across the canals of The Netherlands, looking for a way out. No one was chasing him, but he couldn't help but feel like he was the prey.
His ruby-red eyes scanned the canal, trying to find any way he could escape his suffering.
He heard a shout from a nearby boat. Glancing over, it didn't seem like any ordinary ship- it was bigger than all the other boats at the canal. He noticed people in black uniforms carrying boxes and steel drum tanks.
Pau came to a stop, hiding behind a lamppost as he weighed his options. He could take refuge in hiding on that ship, but the risk of getting caught was high. Then again, that ship was the only ticket to his freedom.
'Schroef het...' He thought as he ran across the canal and hid behind a box. He waited until one of the men wasn't looking, tiptoeing quickly onto the ship and hiding behind whatever he could, 'Agh, ik moet een plek vinden om me te verstoppen...'
The ruffled brunette saw a steel drum with the lid slanted. Making his way over, he quickly hopped onto a box to get himself inside it. He left the cover slanted so he could still breathe.
He sighed as he tried to get comfortable, but that was impossible since something prodded into his side. Multiple things pressed his body, making him reach out to see what they were. They seemed to be in weird, disfigured 'L' shapes and made out of something rigid, making him question what he was sitting in.
Tossing it aside for now, he decided to try and go to sleep, listening to the people in black uniforms speak a language unfamiliar to him.
Pau woke with a start, gasping as he felt the steel drum being picked up.
"Was this always heavy?" He heard a muffled voice, then a shout, "Hey, captain, where do I put this?"
"Why are you asking me, soldier? Put it in the yard with the others."
Pau felt the barrel shift as he felt the person take him somewhere. He tried his best to mute his breaths as the items in the drum prodded his body. The smell of the objects made him want to gag and cough.
He felt a shift again, the sound of metal against stone reverberating within the drum; a shout followed by footsteps sounding outside, getting farther and farther away.
Pau slowly reached up, lifting the lid of the steel drum. He took a peek outside, noticing people unloading the ship. He peered at the scenery, catching the stone brick pathways and the pier they were unloading at.
What was more intriguing was the building he was trying to look at. There was a large garage door, big enough to fit an airplane through. Watchtowers were on all four corners of the building, equipped with lights as strong as a lighthouse, and there was a fence with strange curly spikes on the top that went around the building.
Something was waving in the breeze on a pole. Pau squinted his eyes to look at the design. It was a black flag with a design similar to an atomic bomb explosion he's seen on tv, but not. Pau didn't think explosions were spiky.
Taking a glimpse around again, Pau pushed the lid off the drum, causing it to fall to the ground. He heaved himself out of the barrel, awkwardly balancing on the weird objects he was with.
He dropped to the ground with a thump. He stood up, dusting his hands off, noticing the blackish-grey residue. He didn't have anything on him before, so this confused him.
Still, he shrugged it off and wiped his hands on his ripped pants. He frowned at the scraggly outfit he wore. It felt like the rough side of a sponge clinging to his body whenever he moved. Despite this, he still wore them.
Pau moved across the way, creeping carefully around the yard. He saw an opening a few feet away within a stretch of trees.
He waited for a few soldiers to go by him as he hid behind a barrel.
Then he made a run for it.
Unfortunately, he didn't see the soldier that was walking in the opposite direction of them.
"Oi, kid! Get back here!" He shouted as he chased after Pau.
Pau had no idea what this guy was saying, but he knew it was bad when something grazed his shoulder after a loud 'bang' went off.
The ruffled brunet yelped as he stumbled a bit, crying at the pain yet somehow managing to keep his balance as he continued to run.
How long could he keep running, though?
"Ma'am, a Black Army soldier has been spotted in our territory." A voice spoke to the Lieutenant General.
The Lieutenant General stopped what she was doing, her silver eyes piercing up at the red-uniformed soldier.
"Where?"
Pau's legs were getting weary as he came to a small town. Glancing around, he noticed boards were put over the windows, litter covered the street, and the place looked deserted.
Becoming increasingly exhausted, he ended up tripping over himself, falling to the ground helplessly.
"Sorry, I have to do this, kid." The guy breathed, "But we have to leave no witnesses."
Pau stared up at him as he aimed the gun.
BANG
Pau closed his eyes, expecting him to be injured or not alive. But all he felt was the stinging sensation on his shoulder and his aching legs. He slowly opened his eyes.
Lying in front of him in a pool of dark red liquid was the man in black.
A few feet away from the scene, also in front of him, was a lady in red. She held a smoking gun by her side, surprised when she saw a kid.
She carefully walked up to Pau, ignoring the body she stepped over in order to kneel in front of him.
"Har du det bra, lille?" She asked.
Pau raised an eyebrow, "Sorry, ik begrijp het niet..."
'This kid is Dutch...' The light brunette thought, her eyes widening as she looked at the boy, "Uh- waar komt u vandaan?"
The kid stared up at the lady, "Nederland."
'How on Earth did this kid travel all that way?' She raised an eyebrow, glancing around at the scenery, "Waar zijn je ouders...?"
Pau froze, then opened his mouth as he looked up at her with hollow eyes, "Dood."
'Poor kid.' The caramel-haired woman thought as she stood up and walked a few feet away from him, 'First, his parents die, and then a Black Army soldier terrorizes him...'
As the lady walked away, Pau peered at the body before him. The guy was shot in the head, killing him instantly. He looked at the blood as it dripped into a nearby sewer drain.
'Interessant...' He thought as he continued to watch the blood drip into it.
Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop.
The scene made him think of his parents and how they deserved to die. Pau didn't mean to do it; it just happened. It was fair for what they were about to do to him.
He wasn't insane.
"Hé, kind," The woman spoke, growing worried that leaving the boy there would be detrimental to his mental state, "Laten we je hier weghalen."
Pau nodded slowly, not yet trusting this lady. She seemed nice, but she also shot a guy. Knowing this, he kept his distance as he followed behind her.
"Dus, hoe heet je?" She asked, checking if he was still following her.
Pau fiddled with his torn sweater as he told her, "Pau Der Oostveen..."
'Of course, a very Dutch name...' She chuckled to herself, "Mijn naam is Snefrid."
"Leuk u te ontmoeten, mevrouw." Pau spoke, politely.
'Manners? You don't see that often with children...' Snefrid frowned, "Uh- hoe oud bent u?"
Pau looked at her, confused, "Uhm- welke maand is het?"
Snefrid stopped, turning to look at him, "Het is Augustus... de vijftiende."
'This is getting concerning... he doesn't know what month it is. Don't tell me he needs to know the year as well.' She furrowed her eyebrows in concern.
"Ah- ik ben negen." Pau said, "Mijn tiende verjaardag is op de... vierentwintigste."
'This kid is nine?' Snefrid analyzed Pau's frail and small body, 'He looks seven...'
They continued through the landscapes of the town, Pau noticing that everyone there didn't particularly look happy, more like they were depressed and moody.
He shrugged it off, labeling it as just an 'odd' town as he followed the woman in front of him. He felt his shoulder still searing in pain, becoming more throbbing as they tracked an uneven dirt path with loose rocks.
"Let op je stap," Snefrid spoke as she watched Pau closely.
As they got on even land, Pau saw a building in the distance. He held his shoulder as he glanced around. People were hanging around with guns, shooting at various targets, and others were doing some kind of exercise involving tires, ropes, and a climbing wall.
Snefrid stopped in her tracks, turning to the kid, "Wel, welkom bij het Rode Leger, knul."
Pau looked up at her, still holding his shoulder, "Wat is een-"
Then the woman noticed his grazed shoulder, kneeling to get a closer look, 'Agh, I'm such an idiot for missing that!'
The ruffled brunet's eyes widened as she reached out to take his hand off the wound. Pau quickly took a step back, shaking his head.
Snefrid looked surprised but not angry. She looked at Pau with concern, "Ik wil je gewoon helpen."
Pau didn't budge, still shaking his head.
"Alsjeblieft?"
The kid glanced at her. No one had ever said that to him before. It sounded nice hearing it said by someone else.
Pau slowly took her outreached hand.
Snefrid gave him a smile, "Laten we ervoor zorgen dat je je settelt."
As soon as she stood up, she felt arms wrap around her waist. She gazed down at the kid, watching as he cried into her stomach. She felt awkward as she ran her hands through his hair, eventually sighing as she kneeled again to hug him directly.
"Het is oké, ik ben er..." She tried her best to comfort him.
Pau let out all the emotions he was feeling, mainly sadness, with a lot of resentment toward the people who had 'raised' him.
Maybe he was insane for killing them with no remorse, but then again, he didn't mean to do it.
He almost wishes he did mean to do it.
He eased, taking a few breaths. The lady in red held his hand as they walked through the main building, glaring at anyone who came close.
Pau gazed up at her, his eyes still watery with tears as he watched the silver-eyed woman. She was admirable in a lot of ways. Confident, comforting, and everyone else seemed to be scared of her.
He knew he was safe with her.
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧Translations✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
Norwegian =
Har du det bra, lille - Are you all right, little one?
Dutch =
Schroef het - Screw it
Agh, ik moet een plek vinden om me te verstoppen - Agh, I need to find a place to hide
Sorry, ik begrijp het niet - Sorry, I do not understand
Waar komt u vandaan - Where are you from
Nederland - The Netherlands
Waar zijn je ouders - Where are your parents
Hé, kind - Hey, kid
Laten we je hier weghalen - Let's get you out of here
Dus, hoe heet je - So, what's your name
Mijn naam is Snefrid - My name is Snefrid
Leuk u te ontmoeten, mevrouw - Nice to meet you, ma'am
Hoe oud bent u - How old are you
Welke maand is het - What month is it
Het is Augustus... de vijftiende - It's August... the fifteenth
Ik ben negen - I'm nine
Mijn tiende verjaardag is op de... vierentwintigste - My tenth birthday is on the... twenty-fourth
Let op je stap - Watch your step
Wel, welkom bij het Rode Leger, knul - Welp, welcome to the Red Army, kid
Wat is een - What is a
Ik wil je gewoon helpen - I just want to help you
Alsjeblieft - Please
Laten we ervoor zorgen dat je je settelt - Let's make sure you get settled
Het is oké, ik ben er - It's okay, I'm here
(Translations brought to you by Google Translate)
