A/N: Full story on AO3 because editing here costs way too much time.

Rugs Pulled

VII

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Each day of torture gone by, Katsuki was a day closer to his victory.

They tried to make him follow their commands, but Katsuki ignored them. They tried hurting him as punishment – long beatings, waterboarding, pulling teeth off, scarring, all healed good as new right after – but with an end-goal in sight, Katsuki could bear it all with a heroic effort.

He grinned at that bitch who healed him, eagerly listening as she spouted her platitudes and empty promises, because he could hear how impatient she would get when he clearly wasn't listening – wasn't breaking.

In fact, he could say that in their eyes, each day he grew more and more ready to take them on.

They were so confused and it was so sweet to watch. He saw the suspicious glances they threw at him whenever they passed by his cell, they were pissed off and on edge.

The clock was ticking, day by day, and they knew they'd lose in the end.

He saw Wires' mask of smugness crack every day now. "…You're cutting your time short here, Katsuki." He warned him several times, each time growing more and more stressed.

Katsuki didn't reply or look at him from his corner, but couldn't hold back the smirk, hidden by the darkness of his cell.

Wires scoffed and walked away. Katsuki waited as he and the other guards tended to the other prisoners – slaves, as occasionally one or two would be taken out of the cells and led away, silently following behind with their heads down, never to be seen again.

Only then, quietness would let Katsuki sleep in peace.

…But while left alone, his mind would sometimes wonder if this was really the best way to go about this…

Maybe if he cooperated, he could actually leave this place. Maybe being bought by someone would open doors to other new chances of escape somewhere else. Maybe there was really a rescue on the way, and he just needed to hang on as much as possible.

…He wanted to live, didn't he…?

But the realistic side of him begged to differ when it came to his chances.

He couldn't possibly pretend to cooperate. If he ever acted like a slave, he'd be a slave, and that would be the end of him anyway.

He would not do that.

Being bought and forced to work to death somewhere was no better. Who's to say there would even be a way to escape then? Knowing his luck so far, he honestly doubted it. Even if he just went to check and then immediately found a way to end himself if there was no way out, he'd just have lowered himself to an animal for nothing, so then why not end it here anyway?

There would be no way out either way. He knew it. So that was just a waste of energy. He had no more energy left…

And a rescue…? Yeah, he didn't believe for a second that anyone knew where the fuck he was. He wasn't in Japan, he knew that at this point.

Katsuki rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, turning on his corner to lie on his back, glaring blearily at the ceiling that he could barely see in the dark.

No.

There was just nothing left. He was done and he'd hurt these fuckers where it hurt the most on his way out. He knew they had pride in their craft. Wires boasted about their record often enough.

That would be the end of this shitshow. Katsuki would ruin their goddamn party and they'd fucking remember it.

VIII

He woke up to voices outside his cell.

Katsuki had curled up on the ground, his back touching the wall, and as he woke up, he just sat up with a yawn.

Another day, and he'd once again steel his will and bear it. His deadline was coming soon, he guessed.

Sometimes he partially hoped it would come sooner so he could get this over with already. Other times, he dreaded it altogether and let out a sigh of relief when it didn't happen for the day.

Moments of weakness.

Absolutely pointless weakness.

A bright light suddenly shone on his face and Katsuki reeled back with a hiss, shackled hands over his face. "Hello, hello, Katsuki~" He heard Wires in English, chipper again despite his obvious annoyance over the last few days.

Wires had a flashlight, now pointed just under Katsuki's general direction, and he could see the sickly sweet smile on his smug face.

It's too early for this shit and he glared right back. He saw another, older man with Wires. Taller, suited, and with round glasses.

Katsuki glared at him too for good measure.

The older man leaned closer to the cell, rubbing his chin. The way his eyes focused on Katsuki – going down and then up slowly – it made the hairs on the back of his head stand on end, it was creepy. "Hmm… Asian, fair skinned, blond, red-eyed… that's rare… But… it's not well trained yet, right?"

Katsuki scoffed loudly. He's an 'it' now…

Both men frowned at the noise he made, but turned to each other. Wires sighed like an exasperated parent. "It's been five months, we still get attitude and it won't obey."

That long, huh…? When is the cyanide needle coming along, anyway? Or would they just shoot him on the back of the head and dump his body in a ditch with other corpses?

"But you can't keep it for much longer, can you? Any more and you won't get a profit with its current price, and you can't raise the price to make up for it if the quality isn't good."

"…Now you understand my plight."

That's right, Katsuki wanted to say. I win, fucker. Even if this would inevitably end his life, he'd not die as a slave. He'd die as a man who resisted until the bitter end. He held back a grin, teeth gritted behind pressed lips.

Sweet, sweet victory.

His musings were interrupted by a pat on the cell bar. Looking up, he saw the other man grinning at Wires. "Tell you what. It's still way below my budget, so I'll take it off your hands and see what my employees can do. I'm sure a wealthier handler should try to break it, right? It's a worthy investment for me, considering the rare phenotype. I'll give you 5% of the final cut as well."

Huh…?

The world seemed to fall apart around him. Katsuki wanted to scream. Voices were muffled.

"It's probably for the best, I guess. It seems this market is not the best for cute little Katsuki here." Wires gave Katsuki's wide eyed stare a smug smirk, and exchanged a handshake with the other man. "It's settled then."

"Indeed, thank you for letting me know."

Once the stranger left, Wires crouched in front of his cell, face twisting with sick amusement. "You think you're so smart, eh?" He hissed in Japanese. "You think I didn't notice what you were doing? Hmm?"

Katsuki clenched his fists, sneering, his whole body shaking in rage.

Wires chuckled. "Now, I may be washing my hands from you, and maybe you can feel like you've won this one, but I guarantee, Katsuki. You will regret this. It's like they say, eh? Won the battle, but lost the war?" He stood. "That friend of mine is really good at what he does, I'm sure you'll, ah… enjoy it a lot." He cackled at Katsuki's furious scowl and left.

Katsuki snarled and pulled his hair. That goddamn bastard…! He was selling him off before the fucking deadline…!

Maybe he should have expected such a cowardly move. But what now? What could he do now?! "…Fuck…!" He spat under his shaky breath.

He forced himself to breathe slowly.

Okay… Wherever he was sent to next, he'd just have to do the same thing all over again, right? Try to find a way out, and if not possible… get put down.

Simple…!

He'd just have to wait a bit longer. Just a little bit. A few months…! He could do it– he could!

He lay back down on the hard floor, glaring at the ceiling, the encounter replaying in his head again in brief flashes.

…Katsuki still did not like the way that man looked at him… It sent uncomfortable chills down his spine. And he didn't want to wait any more months for this to be over. It was heavily implied that this shithead he was being sold to had money, and things would potentially be more painful than they already were.

He sometimes felt like he was at his limit already…

But he'd have to try… So long as he didn't die a slave, he'd win.

He had to.

He just had to try…

It would be over. One day…

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