The last time she felt so doomed, miserable and hopeless was years ago.

They had been sprinting and screaming with joy through the forest for hours, and eventually decided to play a round of hide and seek. Mikasa was chosen to be the seeker while Armin and Eren were the hiders. She found Armin fairy easily, hiding behind a raspberry bush and prickling her legs as she retrieved him. Eren, on the other hand, took hours to search for him. At first Mikasa thought that he was just excellent at hiding, but the innocent and amusing game soon transformed into a search.

She and Armin ran through the forest while shouting his name until their throats were dry and rough, but they didn't find a sign of him anywhere until they reached a ledge with a creak below. It was dark and there was nothing but the lights of fireflies and the sullen moon, but she could see the outline of his muddy sneakers floating in the murky water. Mikasa screamed until she felt like she could no longer breathe, and sobbed until her sleeves were soaked.

She returned home with Armin and told her parents everything about what happened and were about to call the police, but stopped that idea when they all heard a small and faint knock on the door. There, standing at the entrance with mud caked a over his clothes and body, was Eren. Mikasa thought she was going to lose her brother forever, only to have him return safely. He later claimed that he got lost and tripped into the stream a few times, and abandoned his sneakers when they slowed him down.

What Mikasa was experiencing now was similar to what had happened back then.

Excluding the fact that Eren returned.

The police were at their house, searching the rooms for any useful clues that could help find where he could be. Her parents were sitting in the living room hand in hand on the couch as a police interviewed them. Mikasa had never seen her mother look so sorrowful and angry. Her father, on the other hand, had a face that was rock hard. All she could hear was the sirens and crying.

She couldn't even cry. She just couldn't believe that he was gone. The fact that he was here just a few days ago and doing whatever and was now gone was what she couldn't believe. She knew that Eren was a good boy and just wanted to do his best, and couldn't understand why anyone would want to take him away. Of course they were rich, so she understood that much, but why did he have to be Eren? Why couldn't it be her instead? She should have trusted her instinct and stayed home with him.

Mikasa was getting a ton of texts from almost everyone she knew. It seemed that everyone was friends with Eren, but then again, who wasn't? They were all asking what was going on, or where Eren could possibly be, but she didn't have the answer to any of their questions. She shut off her phone. Having it buzz continuously was getting irritating. She didn't know what and how she was supposed to feel about everything that was happening.

"Where did you go while the kidnapping had supposedly happened?" she could hear a police officer ask.

"We were on vacation, and we insisted that Eren come along, too. Unfortunately, he refused and claimed he wanted to catch up on his studies," her father answered as he pushed up his glasses. 

"Do you know if Eren had any connections with any individual who might despise him?"

"No," Mikasa cut in, thinking her thoughts aloud. "It's... it's way too difficult to hate him."

"I see, but due to the clues we have found so far, it seems that Eren was just an easy target. Excuse me if I offend anybody, but he grew up in a rich family. It's inevitable that he would be a victim of a ransom. It explains almost everything in the note, but there's a chance that this whole accident was planned."

Mikasa didn't want to listen anymore; she wanted to go deaf and blind. It was a lot better than living in a world where her brother was scared and having his life threatened just because he was a wealthy boy.

---

Eren couldn't fall asleep. All the sounds of guns and knives entered his ears as he stared blankly at the ugly, torn wallpaper plastered on lazily. These people could kill him in his sleep any moment and he would never know. He didn't want one blink of sleep. There was no way he was going to give up so easily. It was pretty easy to stay awake, too. It was boiling and the blankets were scratching at his arms and legs. There was no way a human would be able to sleep in such circumstances. He missed his king sized bed and soft comforter, and he wanted to be in it more than ever.

He wondered if his face popped up on the television news channels yet, or if his name was mentioned on other radio stations. Were his friends worried sick? Did they not care at all? Eren couldn't stop thinking, it was the only thing he was able to do, being kidnapped and all. His thoughts haunted him, and it had been already two days.

He didn't know what was going to happen to him, and it was his future he was mainly worried about. What if he never became a writer? What if he never found a partner and have a family of his own? Eren was sure those two goals would bring him eternal happiness, so he was going to be nothing if he were to die. He would end up being a kind rich and smart boy who died tragically just because he wanted to catch up his studies, and there be nothing else. Eren wouldn't get a happy ending or a to be continued, he would get a "why did this have to happen?"

It was always pet peeve of his, he didn't like unanswered questions. They often left him thinking darkly and desperately for lengthy, arduous hours.

Eren tensed up when he heard the door creak open. What hour was it? He lost track of time, but it was Levi's turn to watch him over, that was for sure. He relaxed a little so that his act of sleeping could be more convincing. He tried to breathe normally and calmly, but it was hard once he heard the blade of a pocket knife whipping out with a quiet swish. 

Oh god, Eren thought. I was right. He's going to murder me.

It wasn't very realistic that Eren didn't move one inch, but he was afraid to make any movements. He didn't know how long he stayed there like that, but he couldn't do anything but listen to his own breathing and the continuing sounds of the knife. What was he doing? Perhaps he was waiting for the right time. 

Surprisingly, Eren almost fell asleep by the time Levi started to walk in his direction. He had to admit that he was too tired to do anything, but he refused to open his eyes more than a small crack. He managed to see Levi kneeling on the floor so that he was eye level with Eren. He raised the knife, and for a tiny and utterly horrifying moment he thought his life was going to end. He did the opposite of what he thought he was going to do. He gingerly touched Eren wrist and held it in his cold, rough hands.

Eren could tell they were working hands; the kind of hands that carried, fought and sculpted, but they never failed to be gentle and soothing. Eren was always observant. He had very nice hands, the ones girls would kill for. He figured they were like roses. So beautiful and elegant and everything good in the world combined but could also harm someone. Who knows, perhaps he strangled and killed people with those hands.

But they were too cold. Unnaturally cold, like sticking your hand in the freezer or in icy water. They sent ice through his fingertips and into his veins. Electrifying.

He felt the knife graze the palm of his hand and soon he heard a quick snip. His hand fell against the pillow and a deep, rich voice murmured into ear.

"Nice acting. Now get out. I'm giving you this chance."

Eren didn't move at first. Was he hearing things? Was he already going crazy? 

"Are you fucking deaf? Get up, you idiot. Get out of my sight." Levi kicked at Eren's torso through the thick blankets

It was there in that moment when Eren jumped out and knocked a lamp over on his way to the broken door. He could hear it crashing and breaking into pieces as well as the sound of Levi's knife swishing back into place. He thanked whoever was in the sky that they didn't make him remove his clothes and change into new ones, because his were warm and snug. The only downfall was that he wasn't wearing his shoes. They took it away and he had no idea where they hid it. 

Eren had a surge of adrenaline as he rushed out the door at lightening speed with only his bare feet. His toes were stiff, but that didn't stop him from zooming down the stairs and into the parking lot. The night was cold and rainy, and it was difficult for him to see anything through the heavy amount of droplets in his vision. However, he wasn't cold yet. The heat of the moment of running away got to his head, and his insides were on fire. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. In that one perfecting, fleeting moment, he thought he could finally be free and safe. He didn't think of anything else. He just wanted to get the hell out of that dump. 

His hair was completely soaked and he began to feel his clothes weigh down on him from all the water that drenched him. He couldn't feel it, but his body was already reacting. He was shivering and started to limp because the soles of his feet were getting scratched by the rough, uneven pavement. Eren tripped over his own feet, but managed to exit the large parking lot. He thought he would be able to be okay from then on, he really did.

When he thought about plans of what he was going to do after he got far enough, he felt something wet and sharp pierce his feet. He yelped from the sudden pain and stumbled down on the ground. He looked down and saw crushed glass bottles and almost wanted to scream. No, he thought, this can't be happening. It entered the palms of his hands and legs as well. He winced at the excruciating pain. Eren could hear shouting erupt not so far behind him.

"Think you could run, brat? Please, escaping us is worse than trying to drag your way out of hell," a rough voice taunted. it was definitely Kenny, and he was boiling with rage and anger as he grabbed Eren by his brown locks and brought him to his feet. "All you need to do is obey and you don't get harmed. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

His legs were shaking and felt like they were going to fail him. All these tiny stabs of pain covered most of his body, and it was painful to move even once inch. Kenny laughed coldly and placed a gun against his head. Eren flinched, but he wasn't afraid.

"Do it. Shoot me," he said in a trembling voice.

He could hear the gun make a clicking sound as he closed his eyes.

"Kenny, don't," he heard Levi shout from behind them. "Don't be stupid, uncle. If you kill him, it means no money, and our whole mission would be in vain."

Kenny lowered his weapon slowly and made a 'tsk' sound with his tongue and teeth. "I guess you're right. Let's bring this idiot back and patch him up. Don't want him getting an infection and dying on us."

If he spoke his thoughts aloud, he was sure his mother would scold him and whack him in the head with a slipper. If only he swerved to the side just a bit, it was possible to dodge the small danger and escape. He was so close, and he hated it.

If only.

---

He was forced to remove his top and had to sit on the creaky bed as Levi pulled out pieces of glass using a small pair of tweezers. He glared at him; he was acting like everything was normal and as if he didn't try to help him escape at all. He hissed in pain as he applied the alcohol to the multiple injuries on his chest. Eren was distracted by the pain in his legs and feet and didn't notice he had been hurt in the chest, too.

"He probably knocked down the lamp while I was out for a smoke," Levi said quietly. "Used a shard to cut the zip and ran off. Me, having horrible listening, could not hear him. I'm sorry. I should have stayed in the room."

"It's fine. We just need to tie him up using something more strong and efficient," said Kenny as he watched Eren intently. 

Eren wanted to scream and Levi, yell at him and blame everything on him. Why the hell did he try to do that anyway if he was just going to get caught once more? What was his purpose? There was a chance he would never know. The short man was unreadable and mysterious. He rarely showed any emotions if not anger, and it was terrifying. He couldn't tell if he wanted to murder him or save him.

---

AN: 

i apologize if this wasn't too good. i wrote an estimated 2600+ words before my wifi glitched out and went back to around 1600 so i had to rewrite a lot.

i hope you enjoyed! i'm also sorry for not updating this for a month; i'm into aesthetic acid right now tbh.

~your best friend takeshi