The kid didn't want to be here any more than he did. The urge to run was strong. Fight or flight, and flight was winning out. Hiko didn't blame him. He also knew, just as the kid did, that there was no way out. Too much was at stake, but Hiko was beginning to doubt whether staying to protect was even worth it. Perhaps it would be better for them all to die. He closed his eyes briefly, centering himself, trying to ignore the wrongness of a child stashing his weapon in a book bag.

Hiko opened the door and slid into the driver's seat as the boy waffled on the other side of the car. The passenger door opened, and then there was a little boy settled in the seat next to him. Hiko looked down at him, his mouth twitching with amusement. Bold enough to sit up front. Well, that was fine with Hiko.

He put the car into gear and pulled out of the alley and onto the bumpy road as Shintaro's quiet question broke the silence. Hiko glanced down, took in the small boy in the overly-large seat, bag gathered close to his chest like some kind of stuffed toy. He quickly brought his eyes back to the road, but the image of Shintaro in that seat was already burned into his memory. What the hell was he doing, taking a child to an execution?

"Couple hours, give or take." It really depended on whether they ran into construction or not. Speed wasn't strictly enforced, and with the way Hiko drove, they could get this over with fairly quickly. Hopefully. Give or take.

He could sense the boy's unease, and felt the need to add more…something. Reassurance? He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, at a loss for what to say. The village wasn't much more than a wide spot in the road, and as the buildings shrank in the rear-view mirror, Hiko concentrated on what was to come.