(TW: Manipulation of sorts, (mentions of) illegal activities and slavery, swearing- but she's got the right to).

I realized the real reason for trigger warnings is actually for people with PTSD and a while ago I was reading a lot on mental illness and personality disorders so I just had to add them.

To be honest, Aoki lost track of time soon after she woke up, but according to her captors, this was her 3rd escape attempt in the past 5 hours.

Good. She was more than willing to make shit hard for them the moment she found out they had orders not to hurt her. Seemingly from their "boss". She had thoughts though maybe that meant they would use her for ransom or even worse... sell her in some sort of illegal auction. They were fucking kidnappers AND were trafficking arms. She wouldn't be surprised if they sold slaves.

Well, she was Aoki Lukyan and she was not about to give up.

Aoki poured all her skills and energy to get out of there. A lockpicking trick or two from Riff. A lot of punching around and a decent amount of running. Yet, the same four particularly annoying men kept dragging her back, kicking and screaming.

She had even tried to yell her lungs out for anyone in this building, if the elevator she had reached once was anything to go with. Either the whole place was abandoned, or everyone was working for the goddamn boss. She couldn't believe the walls are sound proof after some pretty ridiculous conversations she heard from the 2 guys assigned at her door after the 4th attempt.

Aoki was getting dragged back again, this time pretty satisfied with the black eye she gave the Gredd guy (she didn't like the fact she was here long enough to hear all their names). She shivered at the mere thought of going back to that dark, empty, sorry excuse of a room. The only reason she sat on that bunk bed was because the floor was 10 times worse.

Aoki took the trip back for granted, or maybe the lack of sleep finally caught up to her. She failed to notice immediately that the hooded man- Xathor- was not taking her back to that prison, but rather to a more elegant part of the building.

Well the whole place looked really expensive, but this was another level. Dark blue pillars held up a higher ceiling. The walls were an almost black shade of grey, decorated with crimson items and highlights. The very few windows she passed had a peculiar symbol on them- a metallic skull with what looked like tentacles coming out of its sides. it downright started to unnerve her.

(Yes, I know that is the throne but it's the first thing I saw.)

Eventually, Xathor reached a golden framed door, painted in black, and knocked. A muffled 'get in' could be heard. The man opened the door and literally shoved her in. Aoki could only see his smirk, but she could see the amount of evil his eyes bore.

She turned from him after the door shut. Her jaw almost dropped at the office she was in.It was themed like the hallway, slightly darker and with dim golden highlights. 2 bookshelves were assigned to the side walls, each beside a small closed window with that metallic seal.

A neat desk was facing two chairs. A portrait look-alike occupied the wall behind, only it's bottom frame showing. Aoki's eyes soon zeroed at the man in a suit behind the desk. He seemed a bit old, grey hairs invading black. His eyes travelled from the papers he had in hand to her and she froze at the sight of his blood red eyes.

Now, Aoki was very familiar with things like Albinism, it's a thing in her family and she was lucky to not have seen the worst of it. She'd seen pure white streaks in her once black hair and they started to increase. Until she decide to dye it all at once (she probably has enough white hair now to look like an old lady).

But to say she was taken aback would be an understatement.

His mouth tugged upwards at her hesitance. He spoke in a deep demanding voice, 'Well, I'm glad they managed their job for once.' His face turned neutral. 'Sit.'

That definitely not for discussion. However, Aoki was torn between showing them she wasn't afraid of them and the dread that made her skin crawl from the energy of this man So, she thought she'd meet him half-way.

She walked up to the middle of the room, just behind the chairs, but did not sit. She wasn't about to let her guard down. Also, she might not be in the best position to run, but at least she could still run out fast (in case) of danger.

The older seemed amused, as if he read her thoughts and seemed to let it slide by.

'Quite weary, I'll give you give you that.' he mused.

'What do you want?' Aoki said, already tired of this whole ordeal. 'Why did you get me?'

He let out a single laugh, 'What? Can I not get to meet an old friend's daughter?'

Aoki froze. Was... he talking about her parents?

'I believe you've never been actually enlightened of the Lukyan family.' 

She could feel her head swarmed with thoughts. How does he know my full name? What does this man have to do with my parents? Scratch that. My whole family.

Aoki- and her brother for that matter- never really thought too much about their parents. She had no memories of them. It had always been her and James. Why was she in here to begin with again?

'You have no clue, do you?'

Her heart suddenly began to hammer.

I love this chapter honestly.

If you're picking up on what I'm hinting then cookies for you. Little hint: Albinism is a genetic inherited condition.