One, two, three-

BAM!

[M/N]'s eyes closed his eyes as he heard his mother's gun go off, hitting the glass bottle near his head. He could hear his brothers snicker as he could practically smell their excitement, their glee from where he stood. His legs shook as he watched the smoke flow from the end of her pistol's barrel as the smell of gunpowder was overwhelming his delicate nose, at least delicate at the moment at this age.

"What did I say about dumping out my booze? Huh? Are you scared that I might become drunk? It's my god-given right to fuck you up, you ruined my body with your big head and now I get my prize of scarying you, beating you." His mother slurred as her eyes trailed down her son's shivering body. Which by the way was semi-naked, [M/N] had his shorts on in early winter as she shot her gun, no shirt and socks.

"Did you piss yourself? She asked, licking her dry pale lips.

"No." [M/N] lied and she knew it, he knew it and his brothers knew it with a large happy smile on their lips.

"Stand still boy, pissy-pants bastard." She says as she shakingly added another bullet into her pistol and clicked it, her aim off as she lifted the gun as [M/N]'s eyes stared at it.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale-

BAM!

The door upstairs slammed open and the sound of many feet, their body weight pressing down on the floor and both, [M/N] and the bow guy listened. It couldn't be [M/N]'s rowdy bunch, far too many people upstairs.

"Friends?" [M/N] asked, as he tilted his head over his shoulder as the guy sighs but kept his arms firm with the arrow drawn back for a clear shot. "Who is it? The Knights? The Guards? The Qixing? Hell, maybe the Shogunate's lap dogs?"

There was the sound of a dog barking above and [M/N] listened quietly as the animal's paws skitters around on the title floor above.

"Shogunate's soldiers." The man said as he listened to their steps, "I may have set fire to their truck."

"Is that it?" He asked, eyebrows raised as the man slowly released his bow, and held it still but wasn't going to shoot at the moment at least.

"On fire and heading towards one of their tents that they set camp up and exploded which killed some of their friends." The man said as he quieted, seeing movement up at the open door. The mystery man ducked down with [M/N], both of them moving away from the stairs, moving around the corner only to see a rope ladder that led out a basement window. "Yours?" The mystery man whispers and [M/N] shakes his head.

Yet both decided to use it, the man used the rope with [M/N] climbed up. He rolled into a crouch knowing the windows were right there, he saw the other guy making a gesture to follow and [M/N] did. They kept into a crouch and began moving against the building away from the main windows.

"What's your name again?" The man whispers as [M/N] huddled close to him and close to the building as well as he saw some of the Shogunate's soldiers at the door with their weapons and a hound at the ready. "I'm Sethos."

"Don't care."

"Hey, we both crashed at the same place and haven't shot each other yet, I'd say we're buds."

[M/N] saw them move and go inside when their names were called in Japanese, the dog followed after his master as [M/N] waited and soon jogged to a turned over car and takes deep breaths but flinched when Sethos bumped into his back, snapping his head towards him glaring. Why the hell is he following me?

"Why are you following me?" [M/N] hissed as Sethos ready his bow as they kept crouching.

"I don't know." Sethos says with a shrug much to [M/N]'s dismay as he looks and shakes his head. "Best in a pair?" He says as [M/N] rolled his eyes as he saw the car he came from and he walked towards it. [M/N] noticed Sethos had been keeping an eye and nudged him with his leg. Setho glanced at him as [M/N] pointed upwards.

"Give me a lift." Sethos heard as he glanced around nervously before he placed his bow across his chest and over his shoulder as he bent down, cupping his hands near his knees. [M/N] placed his foot down, gripping Sethos shoulders as the other lifted him up and [M/N] caught onto the top. He moved down, offering his hand to Sethos. The tan man jumped up and grasped it, slowly [M/N] lifted him before a loud and sharp cry came from Sethos lips.

He snapped his focus to the dog hanging onto Sethos' leg, growling and tugging with crimson blood falling from its maul. German shepard and was tugging rigorously at Sethos' leg.

"Shut up! Shut up!" [M/N] ended up hissing as he kept tugging Sethos' up but the noise he was making and the dog's weight and its tugging was making it hard. He gripped the other's hand as [M/N]'s hand flew towards the gun he had.

"I'm sorry! YOU HAVE A DOG BITING YOUR LEG AND BE CALM!" Sethos' voice echos and then [M/N] knew he was fucked. He grasps the gun, pointing it at the dog and fires twice. The dog yelps and lets go as [M/N] tugged Sethos up but falling on the other side on the ground with his arms wrapped around the other's body by instinct.

[M/N] shoved him off as he heard loud yells and knew the soldiers were hurrying towards them. Sethos grasped [M/N]'s arm and held it tightly, "What?!"

"Carry me, my leg...please.." Sethos says as he looked to his leg and saw blood gushing and some tendons. "Please."

"Why? Why is it for me? This is your problem." [M/N] snarled a bit as he tried tugging away his arm. This man he just met was so fucking pathetic, begging for his life to be saved by [M/N]. He stared down as he gripped the gun, dogs barking in the distance and shouting coming closer and closer as he heard his heart beating harshly against his ribcage. His arm jerked up and the gun pointed towards Sethos, aiming towards his head as Sethos pleading green eyes stared up.

"I'll make it quick."

"Wait-Wait please!" Sethos voice pleads that irritated [M/N] even more.

"You're gonna die, your leg is fucked up and I have enough people to care for. A child, a ginger, a blonde and a katana man. You have sticky fingers and a broken leg mauled by a fucking dog. There is no way in hell that I'm risking them all and myself for someone I don't even know." [M/N] hissed as Sethos gripped his arm, taking a deep breath and his finger pressed-

"I know a place where they make vaccines for the infected and to prevent infected bites." Sethos blurted out and [M/N]'s hand jerked to the side, a bullet piercing dog rushed towards them and the body fell forward violently from mid run. "It's in the Fontaine district."

"That's a lie, the only person that came close to it was Albedo and he's-"

"Alive, one eye less but he's alive and he's been using an old laboratory there to make the vaccine." Sethos gasped, black blurry dots filling the corner of his eyes and he started to feel cold. "I know he's in Fontaine but I don't know the exact location."

"How do I know you're not lying?" [M/N] asked as Sethos grip on him weakened, and he bent down gripping the man's chin, holding him roughly. "Sethos!"

"You would've killed me with that bullet if you didn't believe...meee.." Sethos slumps and [M/N]'s fingers moved against his neck, feeling over the sweat and grim before feeling the heartbeat. [M/N] stared before he hooked Sethos underarms, hosting him up over his shoulder and he turned running just as the sun was slowly going down.

The howls and barks of Shogunate dogs went mute the more as he ran.

++++

Everything had been a lie

Everyone had been a lie

[M/N] had been lied to

The smoke was blurring his vision but he waved it off as his eyes watered as he watched the fire eat away at the buildings, the grass, trees and some people below if the infected hadn't eaten them yet or chased them around. Their cries mixed in with the crackling of fire and buildings breaking apart. [M/N] watched before he saw the metal cars load up, his eyes looking at a particular one and he lies on his belly, scooting Periwinkle away as she naped on her blanket with binky in her mouth and unaware of the atrocities that [M/N] committed below them.

All for her and her protection.

[M/N] watches her before moving his gaze into the scope of the sniper, his finger inching towards the trigger as he looks. He saw Varka and slowly bit his lip in concentration.

One

Two

Three

His finger pulled and the bullet tore through the air and through the heavy smoke and heard the loud screams at the metal truck, infected hurrying towards the Knight car as Periwinkle stirs. [M/N] hoped he hit him, or Father Pegg or Jean or Crepus. [M/N] slid the gun over his shoulder and to his back it rested as he lifted up Periwinkle carefully as he walked towards the end of the building top.

"Big Brother Albedo!"

Was the last thing he heard as [M/N] slides down the ladder carefully.