Iyasu doesn’t remember much from that night. He only remembers the taste of skin on his lips, the vibrations of the stage against his body, and magenta lights warming that pale face in front of him. He was swimming, too far gone on a deadly mixture of alcohol and dope to have any coherent thoughts. He barely recalls leaving the club in a daze or walking home in the dead of night. 

He was lost in the tranquil melodies that played from his earbuds, practically stumbling on the barely visible road in front of him. It was too late when he noticed the bright lights that slowly appeared behind him. He turned quickly to see a black unmarked vehicle following him, making him pause in confusion. 

Iyasu didn’t stay on that thought long, his assailants gave him no chance to contemplate further before speeding up as the backdoor flew open. Everything from then on was a blur, hands pulling him in and pinning him down as he desperately fought them to no avail. The shadowy figures filled his vision, blocking him off from any exits and plunging a needle into his neck. A scream caught in Iyasu’s throat as a burning pain crawled up his neck until he blacked out completely.   

The last thing he remembers is the feeling of his heart trying to beat out of his chest. 

When he woke there was a low hum surrounding him. He was lying on cold metal that made his whole body ache, or maybe it was something else that had him in so much pain. Iyasu groaned and tried to rub his aching head only to find his hands were locked behind his back. That’s when his eyes snapped open to see other people surrounding him. They were all chained together or locked in cages with sullen looks on their faces.

“What--?” Iyasu breathed out. He began to struggle but it only made his head throb with a sharper pain. 

“The new guy woke up.” said a voice in front of him. Iyasu looked up to see a man with straight black hair looking down at him with sympathetic eyes. 

“Where...where am I?” his voice was scratchy, it almost hurt to talk. 

Looking around he could see it was some type of container. It was damp, filthy, and crowded with people crammed in corners from the lack of space, the artificial lights above him flickered on and off like they threatened to go out. His eyes travelled to his own body that was still clad in the revealing outfit he wore before everything went blank.

“I’m sorry to say we’re headed to Faction 4.” The dark-haired man said solemnly. The statement made Iyasu tense, Faction 4 was rumored to be the place people ended up when neighborhoods were raided and cops needed to fill a "quota", those people usually never come back. The thought made Iyasu’s throat tighten as he tried to swallow.     

“Are we going to jail?” His voice shook with the fear he couldn’t hold back. The last thing he recalls is hands pulling him into a car but the only cars he’s ever seen are police vehicles. 

“I don't know, what do you think genius?” Came a more sarcastic voice after a pause. Iyasu’s head turned in that direction to see a heavily scarred boy with a crew cut sitting in one of the cages.

“Ezra don’t be rude. We’re all in distress right now, no need for hostility.” The black-haired man said in a calm voice.

“Fuck off Teyu, you’re going back to your owner’s cushy mansion in Faction 2. As if a spoiled pet knows anything about distress.” Ezra spat out the word with disdain.

Iyasu sat up to lean on the wall behind him, frowning at the boy who was now glaring at the stoic man in front of him. He wasn’t a big fan of Ezra’s combative attitude, it only put him more on edge but then he caught a scent wafting towards him, no, multiple scents. He could smell a chemical smell but there was an unmistakable sweet scent that he detected too. His eyes widened when it hit him.

“You’re all omegas too?” 

“Bingo, idiot.” Ezra grumbled, earning a disapproving look from Teyu. Iyasu simply ignored him and looked straight at Teyu who eventually nodded. 

“We all have our stories but this is a trafficking vehicle, for--you know--”

“Oh god...” Iyasu’s words cut him off in a whisper. Teyu looked down without even finishing his sentence, he didn’t need to. All of Iyasu’s breath left him at once, his heart dropping to his stomach when the gravity of the situation finally hit him.

His body became numb as the edges of his vision began to grow black. He couldn’t hear anything, just a ringing in his ears that seemed to get louder and louder by the minute.   

“It’s okay. Breathe, breathe.” Teyu’s voice was suddenly closer, making Iyasu look up frantically. The other omega’s hands were locked in front of him with some type of white bar, it allowed him to put a hand on Iyasu’s shoulder. He didn’t even realize he was starting to hyperventilate until Teyu approached him.

He tried to breathe deep and was beginning to catch his breath again when suddenly the van stopped, making everyone look around with wary expressions. Footsteps could be heard before two white men opened the double doors, the sour scent of fear became more and more potent by the minute; even more so when the men pulled out their guns.

They both had on dark suits with stiff collars adorned with silver stars, police uniforms . Both of the men wore dark visors that concealed their identity completely. 

“Come on, one at a time.” The one with the bald head said impatiently. No one was willing to move except Teyu who jumped out obediently, everyone else was too frozen with fear. 

Iyasu’s body couldn’t seem to move either even if the idea of being shot wasn’t exactly a pleasant thought. Eventually that choice would be made for him as the bald officer grabbed his arm roughly and yanked him out of the van, making him fall onto the ground. He was manhandled into standing again making him jerk away from the assault by instinct. He almost tripped over his bound ankles but he didn’t care, the need to get away was overpowering.

“Stay still!” The officer got a hold of him again as his partner began forcing the others out with threats. Iyasu continued to struggle against his grasp only to be slapped across the face making the ache in his head come back full force.

“Listen you shit.” The man snapped, pushing Iyasu face first against the van. “You better cooperate or I’ll make this even more painful for you.” He pulled at Iyasu’s dreads as he said it, making him bite back a yelp.

“Careful man, don’t be too rough with that one. We might get into some deep shit if we damage the prettier ones.” The other officer pulled his partner off of Iyasu, earning a sneer from the other man.

“As if any one would care about a low-breed omega, stop talking and move the rest of the cargo. I want to be done before the night is over.” He yanked Iyasu by his arm again, this time successfully pulling him away from the van and towards a large gray complex.

The building was massive, almost blending with the night if it weren’t for the bright spotlights that ran along the building and the open yard surrounding it. He tried not to think too hard about what was to come when he was already shaking with panic. When they arrived at the back of the complex they entered through a pair of rusted metal doors that opened automatically with a loud creak. 

Iyasu tried to look around the dimly lit halls but the guard kept yanking him forward when he didn't walk fast enough. Finally the maze like halls opened to a place filled with cells. Iyasu’s mouth hung open as he took in the seven levels of enclosures that surrounded them, reaching way above their heads. 

He only had a minute to take it in before he was pulled into yet another room that held a different group of omegas, all appearing to be from Faction 5. Their dark faces were covered in sweat and bruises, some battered to the point where they were unrecognizable. He was thrown towards the group hearing the door shut behind him. 

More guards were standing around the group, one came forward to herd him further away from the door. The room was old and bare, people could be heard sobbing around him. He felt his blood go cold when he saw mothers among the group clutching their small children in their arms with mixed expressions of fear and resignation. He felt even worse when he noticed some children were alone with looks of terror on their small faces. The smell of sorrow was pungent, it filled the air so thickly it nearly suffocated him.