For a single heartbeat Yuuri thought he was the one who got shot. Then he blinked and the hallway leveled, and he realized he was fine. Behind him, Yuri gave a loud cry that sounded almost primal.

Yuuri spun, afraid of what he was going to see. Afraid it was going to be Yuri, bleeding out and pale and it wasn't fair. They were so close, but- no- Yuri was sitting hunched over and on his knees as he cradled a bleeding Otabek.

"Surrender Yuuri," Sara called out to him, her gun still raised and her face unapologetic, "Nobody else needs to die."

Yuuri didn't reply. His eyes seemed glued to Yuri, tears streaming down his pale features as he pressed vainly against Otabek's wound. Sara had managed to hit his stomach, approximately where his right kidney was supposed to be. A slow and very painful death- one Yuuri knew Otabek's done nothing to deserve.

Behind them, the others seemed to finally start to recover from their shock.

Phichit was first, blinking once before his face hardened into a tight mask. He couldn't have known Otabek for very long, but Phichit always made friends quickly and something about the situation only heightened that.

But the expression Phichit fixated on Sara was one Yuuri's never seen on the younger male before, and it frightened him. Then Yuuri's gaze shifted over to JJ and all the oxygen seemed to leave the room at once.

JJ's hands were balled into tight fists at his sides, shoulders tense and rigid, as he continued to gaze down at Otabek and the blood and there was so much blood. His eyes were starting to tinge with red and Isabella, standing beside him, didn't seem to notice.

"JJ-" Yuuri started but was too slow.

The ground shook, dust raining down on their heads, as JJ took a step forward. Around them the air seemed to turn stale and hot and almost suffocating, and Yuuri was reminded of when he was younger and struggled to breathe.

Phichit, who had never seen JJ's powers start to blossom, switched from anger to shock as he turned to face the teen. Around them the walls were giving violent jerks, threatening to topple all around them as the red continued to bleed into JJ's otherwise brown irises.

"Isabella!" Yuuri shouted but she was already moving.

Bravely, she reached out and latched onto JJ's wrist and- just like that- the red bled from JJ's eyes as he blinked dazedly. He turned to look down at her hand before horror crossed his features as if he seemed to realize something, but Isabella was already shaking her head.

"You didn't hurt anyone," she promised softly as her eyes sought out something on his face.

Sara didn't seem fazed, her gun having moved to JJ. Her violet eyes were narrowed threateningly, but she hadn't pulled the trigger. She could have, and Celestino would have wanted her to, but she hadn't.

"Sara!" Yuuri called, "Don't do this! They're children! They didn't get to choose!"

Her eyes flickered to him and her face was back to being hard and emotionless. She moved her gun, almost instinctively, to where Yuri was sitting trying to get Otabek to open his eyes. To look at him. To do anything besides lie there and bleed.

Yuuri shuffled in place, itching to step between them but knowing if he moved suddenly she'd shoot.

"You want to know the funny thing about life, Yuuri?" Sara demanded as her gun remained unwaveringly stubborn at Yuri, "You hardly get to choose."

And Yuuri knew she was talking about her twin brother being born a user and her not. He knew she was talking about how Celestino sought her out anyways, made her feel special before he revealed himself as a monster. He knew because he got it, and might have once even agreed with her.

He didn't anymore because Victor was giving the shortest straw out of all of them, and he still made a choice every day. He woke up every morning and chose to be good- to try and fix a world that didn't want to be saved- and he did it all without expecting anything in return, and perhaps it was that strength that fueled Yuuri's next move.

Or perhaps he was just tired of the gun being pointed at a sobbing Yuri.

He pushed out mentally the same time he started to move forward. Sara blinked, stumbling as if suddenly overcome with lightheadedness, and then Yuuri was on her. He grabbed her wrist with the gun as he twisted it behind her, and it was only then she started fighting against him.

She jerked backwards, trying to catch Yuuri off-guard, but Yuuri anticipated it. He moved with her, stepping back as he drug her body with him. Behind them Yuri continued to cry, and Yuuri could feel something inside him start to fracture at the sound.

Yuri was strong and angry and aged in a way only a cruel world could make you. He didn't deserve this. He deserved to be happy and safe and young.

"Yuuri!" Phichit shouted, probably seeing something in Yuuri's face he didn't like.

Yuuri didn't care. Otabek was dying, Yuri was crying, and JJ looked moments from doing something he could only regret later. They were children, and Celestino had hurt them. Sara had hurt them, and Yuuri was going to make them hurt in turn.

"Yuuri!" Phichit tried again, "Don't!"

Yuuri blinked, set his hand against her neck and hissed, "Relax."

Sara instantly went limp, eyes wide and unseeing as Yuuri set her lax frame on the ground. When he turned Phichit was staring at him with wide uncertain eyes.

"She's fine," Yuuri promised, stepping past her unmoving body and coming to a stop beside Otabek and Yuri.

Otabek's features were pale, his eyes were clenched shut and his features seemed to be screwed up in pain. Yuri had both of his hands pressed against the wound in Otabek's side, tears streaming down waxy features.

"Yurio," Yuuri whispered, trying to get a rise out of the youth by using the hated nickname.

It didn't work.

Yuri just looked up at him with dead eyes, and Yuuri wasn't prepared at just how physically that hurt. It made him want to promise that everything was going to be okay- that Yuuri was going to make it better. Otabek was dying, though, and Yuuri didn't know how to help him.

All he could do was set a hand against Otabek's cheek and whisper, "Calm and awake."

And just like that, the pain drained from Otabek's features as his eyes fluttered open. They found Yuri almost instantly, and his face melted into something soft and genuine and it reminded Yuuri of how he felt every time he looked at Victor.

"Yura," Otabek breathed, voice thin and raspy as he tried to keep the pain down.

"Beka," Yuri practically sobbed as his focus turned away from Yuuri once more, "No. Don't move. You're going to be fine. Tell me how to fix this."

Otabek looked reluctant, but he must have seen something in Yuri's eyes. Or maybe the pain he saw there was too much for him, and he was loathe to be responsible for causing even more grief in the youth.

He shifted, which must have jolted his injuries because he winced. Yuri instantly returned to the task of trying to still him while keeping his hands pressed against Otabek's wound. Otabek just shook his head at the soft words Yuri was whispering as he fumbled for one of Yuri's hands.

"Give me your hand, Yura," Otabek commanded softly before adding in an almost wet tone, "Please."

And Yuri did, silent tears still streaming down his features. Yuuri watched, stomach souring. He wasn't sure what Otabek could do to reverse what's happened. Healers don't hold the ability to heal themselves- a cruel twist of fate that's always seemed unfair.

Except when Otabek took Yuri's hand he fixed the youth with a serious look as he rasped, "This won't hurt, but it'll exhaust you. Are you sure about this?"

Yuri looked everything except unsure as he demanded, "This will save you?"

Otabek nodded, but the movement caused him to cough violently. Blood bubbled out from his lips, and Yuuri was suddenly struck by just how little time they had left. Yuri must have realized it as well.

"Do it," Yuri said firmly- face steely and determined- as he pressed closer to Otabek, "Now. I'll be fine."

Otabek closed his eyes, smile tugging at his lips and Yuuri watched in amazement as the bleeding stopped and the wound closed. Color returned to Otabek's cheeks, evidently having drained from Yuri as he was now impossibly pale.

"Otabek stop," Yuuri snapped, but Otabek had already done just that.

He released Yuri's hand and managed to prop himself up on his elbows before Yuri's eyes rolled in the back of his skull, sinking limply into Otabek. Otabek caught him quickly, panic briefly flittering across his features, but the shock wore off quickly.

Yuri mumbled nonsense into Otabek's chest as he shifted, though he appeared to be incredibly weak. Otabek smiled fondly, head shifting up so he could meet Yuuri's eyes.

"I can heal myself but I have to draw strength from another person- preferably someone I trust," Otabek explained as Yuri grumbled once more.

Yuuri nodded, accepting the words as truth.

"This is great and all," Isabella suddenly piped up and though she was still standing at JJ's side her eyes betrayed her relief, "but I'm afraid we have company."

Yuuri rose to his feet so he could see behind her and JJ, his stomach doing a weird flipping sensation at the sight of Victor. The temperature around them started to drop as Victor went from walking casually towards them to sprinting when he caught sight of Yuri.

"Yurochka!" Victor screamed, and Yuri startled in Otabek's arms.

Evidently forgetting his exhaustion Yuri was on his feet in an instant as he turned towards Victor's voice. A heartbeat later Victor had enveloped Yuri in a tight hug, squeezing him like he was afraid of letting go. Yuuri's throat swelled as he got the sudden feeling he was watching something incredibly private.

Victor pulled away suddenly, taking hold of Yuri's thin wrists. His features turned to stone at the sight of blood, and Yuuri realized just how poorly this could be misinterpreted.

"Yuri," Victor whispered but Yuri was quick to shake his head reassuringly.

"It's not mine," he promised pulling away as Sara gave a low angry sound behind them, "and we don't have time for this."

"He's right," Yuuri agreed and the fact Victor didn't immediately glare at him gave him some sort of hope at reconciling with the silver haired man, "We need to go."

"You go," Leo spoke up as he moved between them and Sara, "Take the others- me and Seung-gil can handle this."

Phichit nodded, already ushering JJ and Isabella down the hallway. Victor pushed Yuri gently in that direction before dragging Otabek back onto his feet and giving him a firm embrace. Otabek tensed under the hold, evidently taken aback by the sudden gesture, and something about the scene had Yuuri's heart fluttering around inside his ribcage.

Yuuri caught Leo's wrist on his way past and said, "Thank you."

Leo blinked in shock- apparently having remembered the hallway in Yuri's school forever ago- before nodding back and giving him a smug smile.

"Save them," Leo said.

"I will," Yuuri promised before following Victor and Otabek down the hallway praying Celestino will forgive them but knowing he won't.

{…}

"We need to find shelter," Phichit said what felt like hours later, though the sun had just started setting so Yuuri figured it was only an hour and half since they emerged from Celestino's castle.

Yuuri was in front- being the one most familiar with the tundra, though most of the time it was in a plane because Celestino kept himself in the middle of literally nowhere. JJ and Isabella were a step behind him, JJ having pulled her close to him and even draped his jacket over her shivering shoulders. Behind them Yuri was asleep on Victor's back, who didn't even seem fazed from the near freezing temperature. Otabek was walking beside them- bloody and pale and off in a way that concerned Yuuri.

Evidently it concerned Phichit as well because he kept looking behind them at where Otabek was walking. Even Victor was eyeing the younger male like they expected him to just suddenly collapse.

"I know," Yuuri admitted, blowing heat into his hands while he refrained from keeping the shivers from racking his whole frame, "I'm trying Phichit."

Phichit eyed him, arms crossed and shoulders hunched, and something about his rosy cheeks or way he was shivering reminded Yuuri of a sick Phichit lying on the floor as Celestino's prisoner. He was only in this mess because he refused to give up on him. He'd lost his job, almost his life, and now he was wondering in the middle of Russia while the temperature continued to plummet around them.

Yuuri gave a remorseful sigh as he apologized, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snapping at you."

"It's okay," Phichit reassured and he eyed him with a much gentler expression, "You're stressed. I get it. After all, you just defied a madman that you've followed most your life."

Yuuri's stomach sank as he grumbled, "Don't remind me. Celestino isn't exactly the forgiving type."

And yet here you are Yuuri.

A hand settled on his shoulder, and Yuuri startled even though he'd just been speaking to Phichit. He hadn't heard that voice in his head for a long time and had allowed himself to hope that it'd moved on to another one of Celestino's pets.

"Whoa. I'm sorry," Phichit apologized quickly, wide eyed and concerned.

"Don't be," Yuuri brushed off as he sank back into himself, "It isn't your fault. I'm just a little tense. I can't remember the last time I was free from Celestino."

Are you truly free though? You should know better than that.

Yuuri ignored the voice as he concentrated instead on moving forward. They were depending on him, and he wasn't going to let them down. Not today. Not again.

But as the sun continued to sink so did the temperature, and soon everyone except Victor was shivering as they curled under their clothes. It was also getting dark, and they were surrounded by trees, and Yuuri was afraid of what lurked inside those trees. Not to mention his adrenaline had run dry several hours ago, and Yuuri could feel his body starting to droop towards sleep.

He would have missed the small station if it hadn't been Victor, who looked anything but cold and exhausted despite the fact that he was still carrying Yuri on his back.

Victor's hand caught Yuuri's shoulder as he continued to stumble along the path, taking everything he had left to keep moving, before gesturing with the wooden building with his head. Yuri's blonde hair was splayed across Victor's shoulder as the youth shivered and murmured in soft sounds.

Yuuri blinked, turning to where Victor had indicated and realized with a shock that he almost missed it. He turned back to Victor to apologize for being so careless and thoughtless, but Victor shook his head.

"Later," Victor promised already starting towards the building, "when everyone is warm and safe we'll talk."

Yuuri's stomach lurched as fear caused his adrenaline to spike once more. He didn't wait to follow Victor, though, taking the lead once more so he could knock on the wooden door.

It opened under his fist, creaking eerily like in every scary movie Yuuri's ever watched. Inside the light was on, though, and an older looking woman was standing behind a counter. She hardly gave them a glance upwards as she continued scratching onto the pad she had set on the wooden counter; her greying hair pulled back into a fat bun.

"Uh hello," Yuuri called, which earned a glance upwards but recognition didn't filter in her expression.

"Nyet," she barked at him before continuing, though Yuuri didn't really understand.

He turned instinctively towards Victor, whose eyebrows were crinkled in a tight expression though he did seem to know what she was trying to say because he responded.

They continued like that for several more moments before Victor turned to Yuuri and whispered, "She has a place we can sleep and shower, but we need money."

Yuuri was about to shrug and declare that he was broke when he remembered. He reached into his pocket, pulling out one of the diamonds he stole ages ago. Victor frowned disapprovingly, and probably would have lectured him if it wasn't for the way the woman suddenly perked up.

She moved quicker than Yuuri would have originally thought possible. She closed the distance to snatch the diamond from Yuuri's hand, all the while speaking in an excited tone as she continued to gesture around her.

"That'll do," Victor translated, "and we can gather any supplies we want before going out back."

He still sounded disappointed in Yuuri giving away a diamond he stole but never commented on it as he guided Yuri back to his feet and whispering softly to him. Yuri nodded before leaving the store to where the others were waiting, probably to inform them that they found a place to sleep.

They didn't stay inside the store for very long. Yuuri grabbed some water bottles and something they could snack on while Victor gathered as many clothes as he could. The woman never even batted an eye, just kept admiring the diamond like it was something precious, which Yuuri supposed was technically true. He did feel bad for paying with something he stole but walking into the cozy room behind the store he found he could brush off that guilt.

Victor could too, apparently, as he dumped the clothes on one of the spare beds and looked around- presumably for Yuri.

"Yuri and Otabek are in the bath," Isabella explained on the other bed, JJ's head in her lap as idle fingers stroked his dark hair soothingly, "We didn't want them getting blood on anything."

Victor frowned, eyes flickering towards the sound of water running but didn't comment further. After all he had blood smeared across his chest from where Yuri's hands had rubbed against it while he'd been sleeping.

Yuuri turned towards the fireplace and focused on getting it lit, which didn't take very long considering the wood already piled inside it were surprisingly dry, and the room was already considerably warmer by the time Yuri and Otabek exited wearing close to nothing and with a pile of bloody clothes in their arms.

Victor was quick to throw some of the clean clothes at them with a barked command of putting them on. Yuri gave him a mischievous side smirk but obeyed without comment. Otabek just burned a bright red as he complied with a mumbled apology.

Victor didn't seem to notice as he turned to where Yuuri was warming himself by the fire. Yuuri suddenly felt like he was being privy again so he was quick to turn away.

"It's okay Yuuri," Victor reassured as he took the spot next to him, "You can watch. There isn't much else to look at in here after all."

Yuuri refused to look at him- the fire suddenly too warm. Victor didn't seem bothered as he sat so close their legs were practically touching.

"Victor I-" Yuuri started quickly, not sure what he was going to say only that he was going to apologize profusely for things he didn't necessarily have any control over.

"Please don't apologize Yuuri," Victor interrupted, "I don't want to hear you apologize. I just want to know what changed."

Yuuri fumbled with his hands. He almost wished the fire would just swallow him whole because he suddenly felt incredibly out of his element.

But because it didn't and because Victor was waiting for a response Yuuri sucked in a deep breath and admitted in a slow honest tone, "When I saw you in that room, with Celestino practically gloating at how he finally pushed you over to his side, I couldn't handle it. I had to do something."

Victor said nothing, staring at him in stony silence. It was one of those rare moments Yuuri couldn't tell what he was thinking, and the context of it made him nervous. However, on the bed JJ and Isabella had occupied, watching with a serious expression- Yuri didn't look all that worried. Yuuri wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Then, finally-

"Thank you," Victor whispered as he rose to his feet and brushed himself off, "for saving me from myself."

{…}

Sara woke with a start, giving a soft gasp as her entire body ached in remembrance to Seung-gil's ability. She remembered when Celestino first brought them in. It had been one of those rare moments that he'd shown his excitement over something- like a kid with a new toy.

"Look what he can do, my pets," Celestino had commanded her and Yuuri as he brought in the teenager.

Sara remembered how Celestino seemed reluctant to let him go, hands fluttering from biceps to wrists to shoulders. He hadn't touched her like that when she was brought in, and for that she was grateful. The youth didn't seem concerned, though, as he continued staring at seemingly nothing.

Yuuri hadn't seemed bothered by that, but Sara could never really tell when Yuuri was bothered. Not in the beginning, at least, not when he had still been Celestino's prized possession.

Then she had felt pain unlike anything she's ever felt before as her legs crumpled underneath her weight, and she fell down…

-down…

-down…

… and she's suddenly on a bicycle.

It was one of her most prized possessions, something she got on her eighth birthday. It was bright pink with a wooden basket so she could hold her toys inside of it, and it always brought a smile to her father's face whenever she rode around on it.

Michele always watched because Dad didn't believe in buying him toys. He always claimed it would spoil the soul and might give Sara's brother the wrong idea. Sara had found amusement from that philosophy because she was shamelessly spoiled and a child and rubbed every nice new thing she got in her brother's face.

And Michele never complained.

He just watched, always still and stony. As an adult Sara realized that stemmed from years of a father's abuse all the while being forced to watch your twin get showered with endless praise and prizes. As a child Sara just knew that Michele never complained about anything and always swore he'd watch out for her.

That day was no different.

Dad had been at work, and the babysitter was passed out on their sofa, and they'd been impossibly bored. Sara hadn't even hesitated before she ran to where she kept her bike and Michele- who'd previously been excited at playing with his sister- just went suddenly very still and almost angry looking.

"Do you want a turn first?" Sara had inquired as sweet as a little sister could.

Michele hadn't answered.

He'd shaken his head and remained as still as he could and watched her shrug her thin shoulders as she climbed on top of her bicycle. She rode around their small square yard in bored circles.

"Michele," she whined, "I'm bored."

Michele remained silent, watching.

And then- because she was so young and dumb and reckless and could get away with anything- she jerked her bike out into the rode. It's the only time she remembers Michele yelling at her about something.

"Sara, don't!" he screamed, starting forward.

"No!" she barked back with a laugh.

There was a screeching sound, and when she turned to look she saw a flash of red and silver before she was waking up in her bedroom with a headache and worried father.

"Oh my sweet baby girl," he sobbed as she sat upright, wrapping her in a tight hug and she had been so confused she hadn't done much of anything except sink into his arms.

Then she opened her eyes, and she was on the floor with Yuuri peering down at her impassively. It had taken some getting used to- not having someone constantly fretting and worrying over you. Yuuri never seemed to care about anything, though, so she was quick to learn to not take it personally.

"Isn't it great?" Celestino had demanded, seemingly unbothered by Sara's pain.

If anything, it only seemed to excite him. The only person who offered her even the slightest bit of remorse had been the one causing her pain.

Now was like that time. Her muscles were locked and her body felt heavy as her head pulsed in time with the flickering lightbulb above her.

"Glad you could finally join us, my dear," Celestino's voice shouted suddenly, triggering a particularly nasty spike inside her skull.

She groaned lowly, rubbing her temple as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was in the room where Celestino liked to perform his business, though most of the time it seemed like it was spent yelling at people.

Now was probably no different, and her heart sank when she realized she was the one he was probably going to get yelled at. After all, Yuuri had beaten her and though it was never in question which of them was a better fighter Celestino still would have seen it as a failure.

Except when she sat upright, pulling her hair out of her face with her fingers, she realized she wasn't the only one in the room. She was also the one on Celestino's side.

"See," Celestino continued acknowledging her only with his words, "Sleeping Beauty is fine, though considering you two are the reason of her predicament it seemed perverted for you to have been worried about her."

She looked and saw that standing across the room was Leo and Seung-gil. Neither of them looked concerned despite the fact that their wrists and ankles were shackled together. They just stared ahead with those same expressionless features, and it took Sara a moment to remember what had happened.

They'd helped Yuuri escape. Worst, he'd taken all of Celestino's leverage with him, but that wasn't normally enough to warrant such treatment from Celestino. They had to have really pissed him off in some special way, like steal his newest prize or something.

Then she remembered.

They'd broken Victor out on their way. Unforgivable and before today something she wouldn't have thought was even possible.

"We're not monsters Celestino," Leo spoke in a smug sort of tone, "unlike yourself."

Celestino's jaw twitched but remained otherwise expressionless as he dropped the gun at Sara's feet. She picked it up, dread crawling up her throat.

"Sara look in front of you," Celestino commanded, "What do you see?"

"Two of your pets," Sara responded quickly, desperately, "Good ones. Two of your favorites."

Celestino ticked his head to the side in annoyance. Sara didn't care all that much- not when it looked like they were all screwed anyways.

"Old pets," Celestino corrected before adding in a much darker tone, "Traitors."

"You dream of a broken world Celestino," Leo interrupted with a narrowed expression, "and we're done helping you hurt the innocent."

"Innocent?" Celestino barked angrily, "No one in this world is innocent. They're all hypocritical monsters that will turn on you in an instant. Much like the two of you, and do you know what we do with traitors? Sara?"

She did, and she refused.

"And now I'm disappointed in all three of you," Celestino sighed and- quicker than Sara thought possible- he had a gun in his hand and shot the two people in front of them.

Sara swallowed back a scream, and it took everything she had within her to glare up a barrel of a gun and into Celestino's cold expression.

"Pledge your loyalty or end up like them," Celestino commanded.

Sara's hands grasped the gun tightly in her hand even as she said dryly, "I'm loyal only to you, my master."