Chapter Text
The Stranger awoke that morning with uneasiness, their stomach churning so much they couldn’t possibly bring themself to eat. Sitting up and stretching, they flinched at the first prick of pain. Somehow, they had slept wrong in this bed, and ended up with a crick in their neck. They rubbed at it for a moment, blinking slowly. It was still dark outside. They turned to the alarm clock they had been gifted, only to remember that it was broken. It flashed the exact time they had arrived in this pitiful excuse for a town, numbers blinking at them mockingly. They narrowed their eyes for a moment, before deciding to get dressed. They stepped across the empty room they had been given, and opened the small dresser only to see that their only clothes were the ones they had slept in. The ones they had worn on the train into town. The ones they hadn’t taken off since a few days ago. The Stranger sniffed themself experimentally, grateful for the grey cold that kept them from sweating too much. They closed the dresser drawer, turning for a moment. They had no possessions now. Not that they had many before the arrest, but now they had absolutely nothing aside from that stupid broken alarm clock. It had only been given to them to ensure they woke up at the right time the next morning. Something about the law needing to check them in and discuss the case. They hadn’t really been listening, at the time too focused on the tightness of the handcuffs around their wrists, at the blood dripping from their nose and the bruising on their side.
They still ached all over as they climbed back into bed, sitting there for a moment and blinking slowly again. Wind gusted quickly just outside their window, and they could’ve sworn they heard the lone window rattle in its sill from the force. They watched it, stiffening in anticipation. They could feel the way the hairs on their neck stood, and that was never a good sign. They stared longer, eventually standing and creeping closer to the window. They squinted. Was it really dark outside, or was there some sort of shadow blocking the morning sun? They wouldn’t have any time to think about that, though, as suddenly something impossibly massive slammed into the building. The window in front of them shattered, glass spilling over them as they were thrown backwards from the force. They didn’t even have time to open their eyes before something snagged the back of their clothing and lifted them into the air. It was entirely disorienting, watching as the ground below became further and further away, disappearing into the thick mist coating the ground. They kicked feebly, arms reaching back towards the room they had been given. The Stranger ascended past the clouds, squeezing their eyes shut and trembling. They hadn’t done anything that ever warranted something like this! Petty theft a time or two so that they could eat, but they always did their best to pay back whoever they had stolen from. Times were too tough to do much worse, and no one ever found out. Eventually, they lurched to a stop in the sky, opening their eyes and feeling the wind toy with them. They rocked slightly, rotating for a little while before coming face to face with the thing they had feared the most.
A Militsioner.
The Stranger had heard stories, of course. Who hadn’t? Unfathomably massive beings that followed their masters on a short leash. The stories claimed they had no independent thought, beings no better than a well trained police dog, though they looked like gods looming in the sky. Each part of them was carefully manufactured to be perfect in every single way. Nobody had a clue where they came from, and the Stranger had always figured that they would never come face to face with one to ever find out. But now, it was being forced upon them, overwhelming their senses.
“Look me in the eyes. Do not blink.” The words were clearly rehearsed from some sort of script. The Militsioner’s eyes were dead, his face hard to read despite it being larger than anything they had ever seen before. The Stranger swallowed thickly, their eyes suddenly feeling dry. “Do you normally wake up this early?” He asked, and it was then the Stranger realized just how quiet he seemed in contrast to his size. The voice still rattled every single bone in their body of course, but somehow it didn’t hurt the ears. They fought the urge to blink, trying to reply quickly to keep the lawman composed.
“No… wh-what is it, 6?” They guessed, genuinely unsure of what time it could possibly be. It was an odd stage to a dreary morning, and they tilted their head down so that the lawman wouldn’t see them blink.
“Uh-huh.” His voice caught their attention, and they looked up quickly enough to catch the way he narrowed his eyes so minutely. “And… you have a cup of coffee? Or tea?” He asked, and the Stranger almost raised an eyebrow. This didn’t seem like the sort of check in they would expect an officer to conduct, especially since it seemed the law assumed they had done something awful. There was no other way to end up here. They felt the crick in their neck prick again, and winced. The officer seemed to adjust them slightly in his grip, and they swung around much more than they would’ve liked.
“Tea.” They said, though in truth they hadn’t had a cup since they were a child. It was too expensive, as in their home town it was an imported good.
“Alone?” He pressed further, and the Stranger fought the urge to shudder. Of course they had been alone. Nobody bothered to stick around after they could do nothing more for them.
“Alone.” They replied, slightly quieter than before, reflection in their tone. They had always wanted someone to share the mornings with, of course. But that would never be possible, especially not now. Even if they were able to prove their innocence, this experience would be forced onto every resume for the rest of their life. Unless, of course, they were able to escape…
“Okay, you are good to go.” The rumbling voice brought them away from that thought. They stared at him again, and his face almost seemed to soften. The movement looked bizarre up close, but it was definitely supposed to put them at ease. “You are simply under arrest, nothing more than that.” Something akin to assurance was in his tone as he patted his knee with his free hand slowly. Then, his face seemed to return to its uncomfortably blank state as he continued, “Oh, and… I will need your vocal consent that you will not leave town.” He said, and the scripted feeling returned. The Stranger swallowed thickly again. They hated lying, especially since they always seemed to get found out, but they had no other choice. They needed to be on good terms with the Militsioner if they ever wanted to get out of here. Manipulation was the only way to go.
“I won’t run away.” The Stranger replied, the lie slipping over their tongue easily. They kept their facial expression the same, and quelled the itch in their fingers instead of doing the tell they knew they had. The Militsioner almost seemed to smile, blowing air out of his mouth before the Stranger began to descend much faster than they would’ve liked. They were lucky enough to have their voice catch in their throat as they watched the clouds return to their normal height. They half expected the Militsioner to disappear behind the mist, but he didn’t, instead his form almost appeared ghastly. The Stranger shivered, trying to keep their gaze away from him. When their feet finally made contact with the cracked pavement, and the fingers grasping them were gone, they almost didn’t bother to look at him again. But when they tried to walk away, the feeling that they were being watched was too insurmountable to continue on. They turned around to look at him, a chill running down their spine at the way the massive being side-eyed them. They paused for a moment to catch their breath and recuperate, thinking about their window. It was completely broken, and they would need quite a bit of money to fix it.
“Do you, uh…” Their voice died in their throat when the massive Militsioner looked at them head on. “Sorry.” They apologized for a moment, before continuing, “Do you know where I can get a job of some kind? My window is… um, well, it’s in need of repair.” They explained, and the giant’s face remained static. His hand reached into his breast pocket, pulling out something before the massive fingers stretched towards the Stranger. They remained still, though they felt completely hot all over from anxiety. The fingers uncurled in front of them, but the Stranger kept their gaze on the giant’s face in case it were some sort of test.
“Here. I have no use for the money they pay me with.” He rumbled, and the Stranger paused for a moment to blink, before looking at the fingers splayed out in front of them. They were covered in rubles, human sized and positively insignificant looking in the giant's grasp. The rubles practically rested in the grooves of his finger prints, and the Stranger swallowed thickly. “I am serious, you may have it.” He inched closer to them, his movements somehow so finely attuned to human scale. Still, his precision was absolutely terrifying. The Stranger took what they could, stuffing it into their pockets. They would not take it all, just in case this was some sort of trap. They counted enough to buy them a hot meal and hopefully, a new window. They left the rest, taking a step back and staring up when they were finished.
“Thank you.” They replied, genuinely grateful for the payment. One corner of the Militsioner’s face pulled up into an expression akin to a smile, and the hand retreated back up towards him, depositing the rest of the rubles into his pocket. Then, as though the interaction had never happened, the giant man returned to his position watching over the town. The Stranger stared at him for a minute or two longer, trying to observe his facial expression. He almost looked forlorn, a sad dew resting on his eyelids, his face drooping into a frown. The Stranger almost wanted to question him, but they thought better of it, instead turning around to head up the path towards the town. Warm golden light lit the path, and they paused for a moment to pick up a few apples off of the ground, rubbing them with their sleeves to make sure they were at least a little clean. They glanced back over their shoulder, wondering if the Militsioner was hungry or not. They would need to find some way to repay him, of course, and maybe their returned kindness would make it easier to escape and keep up the lie that they would stay in town.
“Hey, do you… want this apple?” They asked, turning to face him again. The Militsioner turned and stared at them for a moment, face unchanging. Their stomach dropped as they realized that this was an invitation to grab it out of their hands, and soon the Militsioner’s fingers pinched the air just above their head. They pinched their eyes shut, half expecting to be snatched up with the apple. Instead, the giant’s terrifyingly precise fingers only took the apple, and the Stranger stood there with their eyes closed like an idiot for longer than necessary.
“I will never say no to an apple.” The Militsioner smiled slightly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Thanks.” He said, though the Stranger could’ve sworn they never saw him actually ingest the food. Instead, he seemed to roll it around in his palm, staring at it for a moment or two. The Stranger turned around again, searching for some sort of shop as they continued down the road. Coming across a small window that almost looked like a shop, they stopped in front of it and tried to peer into the darkness. A light flashed on, illuminating the silhouette of a man, but not what he looked like.
“Bad day, huh? Just saw you on TV.” The laughing voice was familiar, and the Stranger leaned closer.
“Don’t I know y-”
“You looked great - dangling out there. Always wondered… What's it feel like, being a famous criminal?” He interrupted, the laugh still lingering in his voice, as though he were mocking them. Their eyebrows furrowed and their mouth pulled into a small frown.
“I’m not a criminal.” The Stranger spat, getting the feeling they’d have to get used to saying that over and over again. Just the thought made them feel tired again.
“Hm, but why would the news lie?” The man laughed again, and the Stranger narrowed their eyes for a moment to scrutinize him. The laugh was so familiar, lingering in a hazy memory of a bar they had once managed to get into. The man had worn a strange looking mask that obscured his face, but the laugh was unmistakable.
“I do know you.” They noted, feeling a little relieved that someone they knew was here at the very least, even if it was the shady man who they had only talked to a handful of times. They leaned forwards on the sill of the building, feeling almost hopeful. “I really need a way out of here. Maybe a lawyer?”
“Actually… I’m something of a lawyer myself. What’s your take on the upcoming trial?” His mischievous smile could be heard in his voice. The Stranger sighed deeply with relief, their eyes beginning to water. “Hey, don’t cry… you’ve still got a few days of freedom. Enjoy them.” The Stranger blinked rapidly, opening their mouth to explain that they were tears of relief when the Friend continued. “You know, I like you - give me your hand.” The Stranger leaned forward, taking his hand. He pulled them closer roughly, his masked mouth brushing against the shell of their ear. “There is a way out.” The laughter in his tone died, becoming deathly serious. “The train comes daily at 13:00.” A beat of silence passed, and the Stranger felt the hairs on the back of their neck stand up. They were being watched. The seriousness of the Friends tone began to fade back into its usual giggling self. “And it just so happens… I have a spare ticket!” The Stranger’s eyes widened with hope. “Take it as legal advice from a lawyer - this is your only chance.” The Stranger pulled back, appreciation bubbling in the back of their throat.
“Thank-”
“Take that key - it opens the door on the right. The ticket’s waiting for you.” He interrupted, his tone switching for a millisecond to seemingly get the Stranger to be urgent. The hairs on the back of their neck hadn’t yet fallen. They were still being watched. The Stranger grabbed up the key and beelined for the door to the right, fumbling for a moment in their quickness to unlock it. The door swung open. “...stay safe.” The Friend said, and the Stranger inhaled deeply to calm their nerves. They entered the room, and not a moment later, the door slammed shut behind them. “NOW YOU’RE ALL MINE, LITTLE SNACK.” The Friend’s voice echoed through the still, dusty air. The Stranger felt their heart beat faster and they snatched up the ticket on the counter in front of them, only to realize it was clearly a fake. They were absolutely doomed.
“What the hell!” The Stranger barked, charging the door. “You were never a cannibal!?” They screamed with frustrated confusion. They turned to the door. It was locked, and there was no keyhole on the inside. No way out. Not unless they got creative. They scanned the room for any sort of blunt object to break the door down with, noticing a cabinet with its doors ajar. They opened them quickly, discovering three crumbly looking bricks inside. Those would have to do. They grabbed them, weighing them a little in their hands, before chucking them at the door until it broke. They glared at the empty space the Friend had just been, then glared at the giant lawman who had watched the whole thing happen. His eyes were still on them, for pete’s sake! They huffed to themself, heading towards the planks of wood blocking the rest of the path. They climbed it easily, hopping over with a sigh.
“The subject climbed over the blocked passageway.” The giant muttered to himself. “Hm. Interesting.” The Stranger rolled their eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t do that the whole time. It would get far too annoying far too quickly. They continued to march towards the town, already feeling the exhaustion this town could cause setting in. Their eyes drifted up to the figure looming far above the clouds one more time, and they once again sighed.
“I am so fucked.”