C o l e

...it smells like the ocean?

That was the first sense that had come back to me and soon enough, my ears and fingers were twitching, trying to help wake me up. My eyes cracked open and I was met with the sight of a small bare room, nothing but concrete and me occupying it.

I sat up slowly and the sound of metal clanging got my attention immediately. My hands were chained and the chain was semi long. I looked down and saw that my leg was also chained, one side cuffed to my ankle and the other to a pipe. Well this is lovely...

How long had I been here? I was still wearing my clothes from the day of the meeting but they didn't smell bad so maybe not long? A few hours? I don't know.

Sighing, I began to try and remember what happened. We had the deal, deal went to shit, ended up fighting, and then they threw some kind of smoke bomb which turned out to be infused with sleeping gas. Now here I am, in some unknown jail, once again.

My ears twitched when the sound of faint footsteps suddenly filled them. The footsteps began to slowly become louder in the hall and I stared at the door, wondering who was about to come through it.

The door opened and I couldn't even find it in me to be shocked at who it was. I'd already made a few guesses and although he wasn't the first, he surely wasn't the last.

"You look pathetic" Noel said as he stared down at me, a cold look in his eyes that were also filled with what was probably disgust.

"Well we look alike so the same goes for you" I grumbled.

"Where the fuck have you been? Do you have any idea how pissed Father is? What were you doing out there with the Azure Dragons?" Noel asked but to all his questions, I just looked at him.

I was supposed to care about how our father felt? It was laughable. In my twenty three years of living that man had never stopped to ask me how I felt about anything, and now when I go missing I'm suddenly supposed to be worried about how he feels? Just the thought of it made me want to scoff.

Deciding not to humor him, I began to strategize my next moves. I could probably choke him out, I just needed to get him close enough to me so I could get him on the ground. It shouldn't be too hard and I had faith that I could do it.

But one thing I also needed to account for was my current location. There were so many things I didn't know about it, how many people were here, where 'here' is, and most importantly, the exit. Though that window over there doesn't seem too bad...

I can smell the ocean and if we're near the ocean then that means this is the outskirts of the city, just great.

"Are you seriously ignoring me right now? Quit acting like a fucking brat" Hearing Noel's annoying voice, I looked back to him.

I just continued to stare and that seemed to tick Noel off, I could see him clenching his fists but it didn't scare me.

He wouldn't hit me, he wouldn't hit anyone for that matter, he's never really had to. He's too much of a punk anyways, the rumors of him being untouchable and deadly in combat (thanks to me that is) has bloated his ego up so much that his head could burst at any moment now.

"You disappear for nearly 2 months, have us searching high and low for you, and suddenly think you don't owe any kind of explanation?" He gritted and I nodded.

"You haven't done anything for me that would make me feel indebted to you" I stated and it was very true.

Noel never questioned our parents actions, never tried to stand up for me or even ask me to not die in his place. He couldn't give a shit about me and it showed every single time I'd come home injured from some fight, or after being gone for days, he'd never be there to ask me if I was alright. If anything he'd just tell me to not get blood all over the floor.

"You ungrateful bastard, your life wouldn't even exist if it wasn't thanks to me. Don't you realize that you're just some useless nobody that no one cares about?" Noel spat out.

"I could say the same to you" I said, deciding that now was a good time to put my escape plan in to effect.

"What?!" Noel exclaimed, clearly not expecting me to say that. I hardly ever talked back to him, our father would get angry if Noel snitched on me about it and I'd get punished for it. Honestly, this was probably the longest conversation the two of us have had in all our years knowing one another.

"You're a spineless coward that can't even stand the sight of blood. You'd have been dead long ago if it weren't for me always being in your place whenever someone tried to kill you" I said, watching carefully as Noel's eyes began to burn with hatred.

That's a good start.

"You can't even speak for yourself, your whole life has been laid out for you. You're just the person who's going to keep the family funds flowing, and if you think you're anything more, than you're thinking too highly of yourself" I continued.

I knew my words were getting to him because not only was his face turning red, he was also silently fuming, having no comebacks because he knew everything I was saying was true. Now I just needed to finish him off.

"There's a difference between me and you. The difference is, I got out and you'll just be stuck with them for the rest of your life...for however long it lasts anyways" I finished and looked Noel directly in the eye.

Obviously enraged by my words, Noel began to stalk 'menacingly' towards me and being prepared, I let him grab me up by my collar.

"You're the one that's truly unloved, and you know why? Cause you're just some whores kid, that whore didn't care about you, she saw you as an ATM. She threatened to expose father for getting her pregnant if he didn't pay her to keep her mouth shut" Noel's words were sharp and I did have to admit, they stung just the tiniest bit.

I'd long since relinquished any kinds of hopes I could have of anyone loving me a long time ago, it died along with my hopes of having a life for myself.

"If you ask me he should have just killed the whore but father's more forgiving than that. He wouldn't kill a woman so he let her have you and paid her to get out of our lives. You're nothing but an inconvenience, the only thing that made you actually fucking useful was pretending to be me. You've got no one that loves you, no friends, no family, hell not even the fucking rats in the sewer"

Noel was clearly waiting for some kind of reaction out of me as he panted but I kept my face steeled. Whether it be sadness or anger, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He didn't deserve it and I didn't need any further confirmation that I truly hated these people.

Noel wasn't my family, nor was my father and mother. As far as I'm concerned now, the Limosa's are my enemy (and honestly always have been).

"Thanks for telling me what I already know" I said before bashing my head against his and he let out a scream. I reached my arms around his head and wrapped my elbow around his neck before squeezing. Watching Noel struggle to breathe wasn't something I found pleasure in, but honestly I did think he deserved it. I continued to keep the pressure until his breathing became shallow and the strength had left him, his eyes fluttering shut.

He wasn't dead, just unconscious and that was the only favor I'd ever do for him.

I searched his person for a key of any sorts but I wasn't surprised when I didn't find one, I wouldn't trust this dumbass with the key either. Though he did have a gun and that would work perfectly fine.

I now had to play the waiting game until someone with keys came through that door, though I'll probably have to shoot on sight since Noel was unconscious next to me.

Unless...

Thinking of my plan, I dragged Noel into my lap. It was a while before anyone came, probably wondering what was taking Noel so long, and when I heard footsteps, I kept my eyes wide open until they began to burn and water just a bit. I didn't need tears, I just needed my eyes red enough so it'd look like I was crying. I had already tucked the gun under me by the time the guard came in.

"Please help my brother! He suddenly fainted and hit his head" I cried when the guard stepped in and her eyes widened. She hurried her way over to us, keys jingling on her belt as she did and when she was close enough I reached under me and pulled the gun on her.

"Son of a bitch..." she muttered.

"Get these chains off of me" I stated as I stared her down, daring her to try anything. I wouldn't kill her, but I'll make it pretty difficult for her to make it out of here and get help.

"You're not gonna make it out of here even if I do" she said and I raised a brow.

"Get these chains off of me." I said again, this time more demanding and the girl gritted her teeth before taking the keys off her belt and bent down to my hands.

"I'm not above shooting a woman" I said coldly as she reached for the chains on my wrists. I could see her hands tremble at my words, lucky for her I was lying.

Once the chains on my hands were off, I stopped her.

"Drop the keys and leave" I said. She looked at me in shock, likely wondering why I was letting her leave. She dropped the keys slowly before backing away.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why are you questioning me? I'm letting you live. Better hurt yourself or something to make it look like you got jumped too" I explained and threw Noel off of me before grabbing the keys.

"If you go left there's some stairs down the hall, they'll take you to the exit" She said but I knew better than to trust her.

"Nope, I've already got my exit" I said as I pointed to the open window. The girl looked at me in disbelief.

"There's nothing but rocks and water down there! You'll die!" she exclaimed but I ignored her and just picked up the chains before locking them around Noel's wrists.

See how he likes it for a change.

Taking the keys and putting them in my pocket, I made sure I had the gun on me before climbing up to the window. It was high but I'm decently tall so a big jump was all I needed to reach the ledge and hoist myself up.

I looked down and deadpanned when I saw sand for miles, the ocean being well away from us. That girl was trying to scare me into going the other way where there was probably more men to stop me, I knew not to trust her.

Looking back at her, she froze up when I met her gaze.

"Looks like I'm going for a swim" I said to her, a dead smile on my lips before jumping.