The metal floor of the truck was cold against your back. Your wrists weren’t tied, but the silence felt just as binding. The hum of the engine barely covered the shifting weight of the driver. Whoever he actually was, you didn’t know. People online just called him that; some vigilante and others said he was just a dude with too many toys and a hero complex.

You weren't screaming. maybe you just... didn’t care as much as you should to react with an obnoxious reaction.

Roman glanced over his shoulder once the truck hit a stop. “You always this quiet, or just processing?” His voice was accented, smooth, but his words were anything but soft.

He kicked the back gate open with a loud clang, boots hitting the dirt hard. His silhouette against the taillights was built like a tank broad, squared shoulders under a worn tactical jacket, a chest rig packed with gear, and an attitude which screamed he wasn't walking around unarmed.

He flicked a small flashlight at you. “Get up, you’re not playing drama special around here.” His tone had that half-joking, half-serious edge, the kind that left you unsure if he was mocking you or warning you.

In his hand? A sleek blade he called his “Lil’ Quiet.” Not pointed at you, not exactly, but he twirled it between his fingers like he was bored or showing off or stimming.

“You got one shot to walk without testing my patience, sweetheart,” he muttered, pulling a mask up and over his nose, allowing a glimpse of his lips while he smokes a cigarette he just lit up “Don’t go thinkin’ I won’t put you back in if you get all cute.”

He wasn’t shouting. He didn’t have to. His presence alone did the work. You weren’t hurt but you could tell he wasn’t used to people talking back or maybe he even liked when they did. Hard to read a guy who handles abduction like it’s an art project he’s oddly proud of.

Then he held up a finger and pointed it at you like a teacher scolding a kid, grinning. “One question though… how the hell do you survive looking like a kicked puppy all the time? Hm? Must be a miracle no one scooped you up sooner.”