The screams were the worst part. The way they echoed through the poorly built house… the beatings, the screaming, the pleading; it was all too much to take in. The poor boy's eyes drifted to the ceiling of his closet of a space. There were no windows, no true lights except that of the small crack beneath the door. He just remained there in that chasm of darkness and waited.

He was always waiting there, alone in that little space. When he wasn't in complete darkness, the people would come. Their violent training made him sick. It made him want to run.

There was nowhere to run though.

Was there even a life outside of this kind of life, he wondered sometimes. Was there anything in the world besides this darkness and turmoil? It didn't seem like it.

His hopes, dreams, they all rested towards one goal. To be free of this place.

He would rather die than remain here.

The door opened in that moment, making Aladdin look over towards the figure standing in the doorway. He was going to be sold tomorrow, the other told him as they upped the dosage in the IV attached to him. He would be given to someone and his true job would begin.

He would be someone's toy.

But even then, he would be able to be free. That was the only part he could focus on.

"You will have to do just as I told you. Even if they are nervous at first, you will do just as you were instructed. If you don't, they will hurt you horribly, boy." His master knelt down next to him, holding his hand and shaking his head. "You have been so good… be sure to continue that. I don't want to see you get beaten and brought back here for the others to want to try to use again."

His master… Aladdin wasn't sure what to think of him. One moment, he was being brought here by the man, the next he was protected. He was so kind when Aladdin followed his rules though. He couldn't help but to nod to the man.

He would do everything in his power to keep his master happy. He would do everything he could to make his new owner happy.

Maybe he would escape this place forever.

Maybe there was a sun in the world, as another trafficked boy had told him.

"Judal, what a bonus, what a bonus!" Kouha came bouncing into the office, spinning around in front of his brother as Judal set up his office space and looked around the room. It was a bit different from the dusty roads and a machine gun in hand, but he didn't mind that.

"Hey, Kouha. The old hag isn't with you today."

"Yeah, Kougyoku is busy and we don't want her around for the ceremonial outing with you." Kouha smiled brightly as he slid into the seat across from Judal. "You know we always have a ceremony for executives."

"What Kouha means is that if you have plans, you should cancel them." Kouen looked over at him seriously. "We have a way of ensuring trust in our executives."

"That seemed to work last time," Judal muttered before setting his name plate onto the desk. "So what's the ceremony all about? Dinner? Golfing? I'm not much of a golfer. I don't even own clubs."

"Nothing so mundane! Good god, that sounds like something Kougyoku would come up with for our outings." Kouha smirked more. "No no, you'll see what we mean. Trust me when I say it's something that will really throw you onto your feet and drive you wild. We'll know a lot more about your ability to handle situations and your other abilities after this."

Were they going to kill someone? That didn't sound bad at all. He could think of a few people that would deserve a bullet, his former drill sergeant for example.

"Alright, let's go."

"Ah, bring a jacket." Kouha smiled. "Some areas of where we are going get kind of chilly in the evening."

Kouen was making waves as he hurried towards the door. He didn't even say a word as he was rushing to get the car. Out the doors, into his fancy car, the man started the vehicle and honked impatiently. To be fair though, Kouha did stay with him as they walked into the parking area. They took in the shades wearing red head and Kouha began to laugh.

"En's been excited all day," Kouha told him, waving before the other was speeding out of view. "He has been needing some things so this is really convenient for him."

"What are we even doing?"

"You'll see." Kouha bounced over to the car and smacked at the handle. "Open this puppy up and let's ride, man. We're wasting time and the auctions only last so long."

"We're going to an action house?" How dull. Opening the door, Judal unlocked the car and started the ignition. With wherever this stupid place was, Kouha gave no specifics, just smirking as he rattled off directions.

"take a turn here,"

"Kouha, we're going in circles!"

"I know, don't worry about it and just pay attention to the roads, newbie."

Judal took the turn hard, slamming Kouha against the car door. He laughed though, sitting a bit closer and clinging to the center console of the car.

"Wooo! Let's do that again."

"You're explaining to your brother why you fell out of my car."

"Ooh, is that a challenge, Brass?"

Judal glanced over to see the other staring at the brass medals hanging from his mirror and smirked. "It was better than being stuck going to school, collateral victim."

"Ooooh, look, doggie thinks he is an individual." Kouha moved over the console, running his hand down Judal's chest. "Do you know any other tricks besides fetch? Did your master ever teach you how to bite with that bark of yours?"

"I know how to neuter," Judal offered, watching Kouha pull away and pout.

"Which way, Kouha."

"Forward," Kouha told him, not even looking at the roads. His hands trailed down Judal's person as Judal sped through the intersection and towards wherever they were going. His hands skimmed up and down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as they went. "Take a left here," he told him, making Judal hit the brakes and turn with a screech. "And right up ahead."

Another rough turn, but Judal was gripping the steering wheel with a vigor, glancing down to see the other playing with the button of his pants.

"And we need to turn left here and take the roundabout," he swirled his finger over the button of his pants as the word roundabout escaped his lips. "Only halfway though."

The other was a tease, one who should not be sitting in his passenger seat.

Judal couldn't reach down to grab him though, not when he needed to be paying attention to the road. He glared down at the other once to try to convey the message. The other must have been getting another transmission though, his head made a nosedive for his crotch. That mouth of his bit the fabric of his pants, unbuttoning them.

Judal hissed as they sped along the road.

"Left, Mister Brass Balls," Kouha purred.

He wasn't going to be getting this while he was driving. Judal took that turn hard, slamming Kouha into his door. The other banged his head against the door, opening it and swinging with it for a minute before Judal reached out and yanked him back in.

"You weren't kidding," Kouha breathed, eyeing the door with a whole new perspective.

"Don't fuck with me, civilian," Judal purred. "How about you finish giving me these directions."

"Take this road to the end and park." The man sighed, pouting a bit as he leaned on the console and looked up at him.

"…you should wear a seatbelt, Kouha."

"I have you to protect me, what need do I have for a seatbelt?"

The other was a pain, but Judal found himself smirking at his tenacity and balls. There was certainly something to be said for the other's behavior. He wasn't afraid to lay it out and do what he wanted. Even if he was leading him in circles and hoping to get him lost, Judal couldn't help but appreciate him. The place they had gone to was an abandoned circus area. Abandoned only due to the fact that the ferris wheel was down and the lights were off. The tents were still around, a few buildings set up near the river next to the place. Some cars were parked, but they were very well from view, Kouen's included.

The man was smoking on the side, his brother Koumei by his side, smoking with him. The two waved, earning a very eager Kouha bolting from Judal's car to their side. Someone had made it so he couldn't leave his car as easily. Judal fumbled with his shirt and pants a minute before locking his car and heading over to them.

"Did Kouha explain?"

"Not a word," Judal replied. "He spent the whole trip giving me a blow job."

"…You came fast."

Kouha snorted, rolling his eyes with a grin as he pulled them along. "You both need to hurry up. I want to see the animals."

"I would hate to break it to you, but I think the park is long past being open." Judal felt himself dragged along with the other as they headed towards the gates and slipped through. Kouen left from there, him and Koumei sprinting towards an area nearby that would have probably housed snakes.

"Where are they going? This place-"

"Shhh, come on." Kouha smiled as he led Judal along. The man continued to shush him as they headed down the trails. Shadows flickered from the tent doors, small sounds escaping here and there.

His senses awakened immediately as he took in the scene. It was just like before. A quiet place, abandoned like any other. But he could see the light flicker off the barrels of guns, he could hear small whimpers.

He had walked into a battle scene. His hand scratched at his back, itching next to his holster. This time…

This time he hadn't walked into the area defenseless.

"Don't do that," Kouha told him. "They'll think your packing and shoot you."

"Where are we?"

"We're at the circus, isn't that what you told me?" Kouha turned around and smiled. "You are going to buy something here. Not so much to keep forever, but to prove your loyalty to the Kou Corporation. We will see what you get and know how well you can handle yourself by seeing you handle whatever you purchase. Don't do weak though, the last man bought a stolen piece of Monet and it was just… so boring."

That was what had happened to get the corporation to turn him in?

The official statements had said that the man had been smudging numbers, taking clients to uncivilized areas. He had been caught with his pants down and child pornography on his computer. The man had been asking for what had happened to him. No one had batted an eye, Kouen himself had dragged the man out by his legs, tossing him quite literally out of the building as Kouha had bounced around beside him, screaming at him for being incompetent and breaking policy.

Judal had heard it from his office as he was reprimanding someone who had been facebooking with a family member. He had walked out to see Kouen and Kouha return, the two telling him as they passed that he was now an executive and he should start moving his things immediately after the janitors moved the former executive's things.

The man had been set up. He had played with the Kou fire and he had gotten burned.

Taking a look around, he could understand. The other had been scared, wanting to get out of this as quickly as possible. No doubt these people would find his home and steal back the painting if they hadn't already. They would be watching whoever came until the day they died most likely.

"…tell me where we are so I can make a decision." He just needed this confirmed.

"You haven't figured it out," Kouha asked. The smile on his face was dark as he motioned around them. "Welcome to the black market, Judal."