Chapter Text
huff!... huff...
the sound of Ludwig's breath filled the cold air of the night. he had been running for a while now, and running while trying to not look suspicious to other people around him is a horridly hard task. in fact, he's been running for so long that he doesn't exactly recognize this part of the neighborhood... he'd scan the area a little. no cops in sight, no... people in sight. it was quite unnerving to be in such an empty part of town. Russia might not have the most bustling streets, but it's not completely decimated. the doctor wandered along for a while to catch his breath. but his meaningless wandering had unexpectedly brought him to the doors of a shady bar. the only implications that it was a bar was a sign that said so.
Ludwig thought about it for a bit. he decided he's had a rough evening, so he invited himself in. unlike the streets outside, the bar was filled with people, but still just as silent. a couple pairs of eyes turned to him, most stayed down. everyone there looked rugged and completely ruined. Ludwig's clean-shaven face was almost an oddity to them. but he knew his place among them. he was no different. the man walked up to the bar and took an empty seat - well, most of the seat were empty anyway. he'd take a deep breath before resting his head on the wooden surface.
"what have you gotten yourself into Ludwig." bubbled up a muffled voice from his buried face between his arms.
a sound of a chair getting pulled back beside him rang in his head, "...вода, две бутылки. yes, what have you gotten yourself into?" Ludwig all but jumped in his seat when he heard the man beside his chair speak to him.
"i was starting to think nobody in this part of town talks... its unimportant to you." Ludwig's aloofness seems to entertain the man. he handed him a bottle of water, which Ludwig just stared at in suspicion.
the mysterious man simply cracked the water bottle open right in front of his eyes to prove that it hadn't been messed with, "just take the drink. you look like a dog after a race. you are running away from something? the cops?"
Ludwig sniffed the bottle in his hand before taking a couple sips. the adrenaline made him forgot he was thirsty... "there's no reward money for turning me in. i'm no use if that's what you want me for-"
to the surprise of Ludwig, the man would chuckle at the statement, "you think I'm one of those guys? нет, i am in hot water too." he saw how he piqued Ludwig's interest, "got into a fight with a guy, threw him into a pile of trash when i won. tomorrow comes and i catch news that the guy died. suddenly i am charged with murder, ridiculous."
"huh... it really is. he wasn't even dead in your arms. i swear the forces here are stricter than it was in Germany!"
"you are from Germany? what did you do to stray so far away from home?"
"you see, i am a doctor- no, a scientist! and i only did what i needed to do for my experiments. so i kidnapped a known local criminal and, you know, human experimentation."
"you couldn't have used a rat?"
"everyone's a critic" he said with a slight smile on his face. entertained by his own joke.
the man laughed as he pulled out a small receipt and a pen out of his inner jacket, "well, then i trust this will be useful for you." the man scrawled out a location and a date on the paper.
Ludwig's head turned in confusion, "and what is this for?"
"you would be stupid to stay in one place if you did that big of a crime, yes? there is a spot up in mountains, where many people like us hide from the police until the coast is clear and they can go back to living their normal lives again. they disguise themselves as a vacation spot for tourists to avoid suspicion."
"but- how would you know that it's completely safe up there?"
"because i have been up there, and it is not. мальчик, when you are up there it's every man for himself. though it's a safe haven for you to get away from consequences, no cops mean everybody there finds it as the more reason to act up." the man stood up and fixed his rugged coat, "they depart 2 days from now. enough time for you to think about your next move. the waters you are in will not stay warm forever."
Ludwig just watched as the man walked out of the premises. he never asked for his name, the man didn't ask for his name. their conversation was a simple transaction of experiences and a token to a renewed life. he held the small piece of paper in his hands and stared at it. for all he knew, this could be a trap. he's a vulnerable looking man, that guy probably was probably just luring him to this random secluded location to kill him or something. but he thought about the possibility, "a new start." the sentence bounced around in his cranium. he shook off the thought and shoved the paper into the pocket of his coat.
as he walked home to his dingy apartment. he kept his head low and kept pace with the tired men out on the street that just now had the chance to hop out of their soul sucking work. every time one of their eyes looked up to Ludwig's own, he'd give them a knowing, empathetic expression. as if to tell them "yes, i get you". he's never felt like he was ever at his lowest until this very moment. to be chased out of his home country was already a shame to his name. but to be held back from his precious project, something that could possibly change the lives of millions if only it was given a chance to bloom and grow, was a complete mockery of himself. what is he doing other than attempting the greatest feat in medicine? he felt like a child trying to convince an adult of bringing them to a candy store.
when he returned to his apartment, he saw a couple men stand at the entrance of the complex having a smoke. he's not the one to talk to neighbors, mostly because they ignore him most of the time. but this time, a man called out to him. what's with strangers and coming up to him to talk today?
"you! Ludwig, right?"
"uh, yes. how are you men doing tonight?-" he was cut off when one of the men shoved a note right at his chest.
"landlord wants you out before next week." the man said in a cold tone.
"what?? is this because of my rent? i told him i was paying next month!"
"no time for man that can barely keep promise. he said new tenant will be arriving soon."
"but... i, I understand.." Ludwig could feel the men sneering at him, like some kind of animal. well, when he thought about it for a bit, he is an animal isn't he? but not the kind to be stepped on and to be bullied!
when he stepped foot into his apartment, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of anger, frustration and on top of it all, sadness bubble up his whole body. this was completely unfair. was this what he got in return for displaying his genius out for the whole world to see? everyone has barely yet to see his more daring works. they saw the tip of the iceberg and was completely scared off! he barely took more than a couple steps in before crumbling to the floor, leaning himself against the door. when he moved away from his family, to Russia, he thought that it would give him enough time to fully polish up and complete his creation so it would come out more palatable to the masses instead of "crazy" or "absurd"
Ludwig found himself looking at the now crumpled piece of paper again. he placed the note side by side to the eviction slip given to him by the men. the dark apartment made it hard to differentiate the two papers at all. just like his mind not knowing what to make of his situation at the moment. but soon he made up his mind. he stood up and brushed his coat off from the dust on the floor. he decided, that if he was going to be homeless anyway, he might as well take a chance on this trip.