The Pariah

"You may have to fight more than once to win it." ---Margaret Thatcher

Officer Regen gave a nod to Officer Perez who went to the front of the van. Officer Regen then threw him onto the bench across from Mia who was cowering against the van wall as if Regen was going to hit her. Nick tried to give her a reassuring smile but Regen was blocking his view of her as he looked down at Nick with a look of disgust. Nick simply stared right back at him so he knew he wasn't afraid. Regen could threaten him all day, but he would be damned if he showed fear in front of his little sister. Mia needed him to be brave because she followed his lead. If he wasn't afraid then she wouldn't be either.

"Time to put your jewelry on, Nicholas." Officer Regen sneered as he showed Nick a muzzle like contraption.

The muzzle was brown and made out of hardened leather. It looked like it would strap around Nick's head and it looked like Regen was going to put it on tight. Regen moved slightly and Nick locked eyes with Mia. "It's okay," Nick said looking at Mia whose eyes were wide with fear as Regen was flashing the muzzle in Nick's face. "He's just scared that I'll give him some sort of sickness." Nick said giving his sister a wink.

Mia giggled a little but that giggle was soon silenced as Officer Regen slapped Nick in the face. He slapped Nick so hard it caused his head to turn and blood to drip even further down his face. He knew he must look pretty scary and he knew that muzzle wasn't a soothing sight to his sister. So he was going to be brave and to fake it.

"Don't hurt him," Mia blurted out, she was getting out of her seat. She would take the blow for her older brother. Nick was just trying to protect her, but she wouldn't let him. He was already bleeding.

Officer Regen looked at the young teen with steely eyes. "Sit down, before I strap you down as tightly as I am going to strap Nicholas down." Officer Regen snapped at her.

Mia found Nick's eyes and Nick nodded to her so she would sit down. He needed her to sit down, he needed her not to get herself killed. Wherever they were going wasn't going to be pretty but it was going to be better than being shot. Nick wanted to live and he wanted Mia to live, and he would be damned if he let Commanding Officer Ass mess it up for him.

"It's okay Mia," Nick said gently, giving her a reassuring smile. "It's all going to be okay." He said as put his head against the van wall so Officer Regen couldn't strap the device on the back of his head.

Officer Regen snorted as he grabbed Nick's hair and yanked him forward. "Nice try, you think I'm going to let you get away after you spat in my face?" Office Regen tutted as Nick hissed in pain.

Nick simply let his body go slack because he knew it would make this whole deal easier. Officer Regen faltered for a second in surprise, he expected a fight but now Nick was making it easier on himself. Regen smirked to himself, he knew it was for that little girl. He knew Nick's type. He was putting on a show for the one he loved. When it came down to it though, Nick would be beaten into submission just like the rest. He would break as easy as a twig when he was separated from his sister. That's why he wasn't going to be taken away from her. The Barbatos family was promised a fighter with a little something extra, and that's what they were going to get.

Nick let the muzzle go over his head and let Regen tightened the leather straps tightly. Nick looked at Mia who had tears running down her face. "It's okay," Nick said through the muzzle as Regen undid the cuffs on one of his legs and cuffed it to the railing. "You're okay, I'm okay, we're going to be okay." Nick repeated over and over again as Regen checked his bonds and made sure they were nice and tight.

Officer Regen looked at the two siblings with a satisfied nod of his head. "We are about a day's drive from your new home. You will be given two restroom breaks. You will be given one meal. You will not," Officer Regen looked at Nick directly. "Be uncuffed. You will sit and enjoy the ride to your new location. Is that understood?"