Disclaimer: This is only a drabble. I don't own this series, or there'd be a LOT more of a depressing theme… believe me.

A/N: HOKAY! –cough- So, if any of you have been keeping up with my No More Cry story… It's irritating me right now because I know what I want to have happen but I just can't figure out how I want to fill the gap… I wrote more… but now I need FINISH THE STINKIN' CHAPTER! –irritation-

Anyways, this drabble is based on episode three of Gokusen II, where Ryu was taken by Kudo's gang and left in a warehouse where Hayato promptly came to his rescue. This will start out almost identical to the beginning of that whole madness, but it's also my spin on it. (So, yeah, that means I'm angsting it up.)

Also… is it weird that I'm listening to the Lost Boys and Silent Hill soundtracks as I'm writing this…?

-+-

Betsu Ni - Gokusen II Writes

Drabble One: Episode Three – The Warehouse

-+-

The Fearsome Fivesome wandered through the park, Tsucchi and Hyuuga talking loudly and obnoxiously while Hayato, Take, and Ryu all snickered at their behavior. It was a welcome change as they'd just finished running around, searching for the mystery imposters. Someone had been beating up high school students and claiming it was Hayato and Ryu. They had no leads other than that the imposters were wearing the school uniform. It was tiring work, but necessary in order to clear their names.

Just as Hyuuga was complaining about the park several figures emerged from the darkness and prevented the group from progressing forward. They fell silent, looking at one another as the strangers stared menacingly at them.

"Nah…. Long time no see," said a familiar voice. Five heads turned as their all-too-familiar friend came walking along in front of the line of ruffians. Ryu's eyes widened slightly.

"Kudo-san," he said, garnering recognition from the other members of the group.

Kudo, however, ignored his question. Instead, he asked, "How'd it feel getting a little bit of attention?"

"Eh?" Hyuuga asked, obviously voicing the others' thoughts. The ruffians, around them laughed. It only took a few more seconds for realization to sink in.

"So you guys did it?" Hayato asked, his voice as solid as ever. Kudo smirked.

"We really did have fun! Well, the uniforms and stuff didn't cost us anything," he said thoughtfully. Ryu, whose gaze had been to the ground, finally rose to meet Kudo's.

"You dropped out of school," he stated. Ryu kept his face straight, as if he was silently challenging Kudo. "What are you up to now?"

Kudo's face flushed for a moment. "I had some free time so I'm just having a little fun," He retorted. "Right?" He glanced back at his gang, which responded with dark laughter. He turned back to face Hayato and Ryu. "You wanna join us? We'll welcome both of you." Kudo glanced between the two. "It must suck going to that stinkin' place." His voice was open and strangely trusting. Despite his appearance, he was quite capable with words. As if to further prove this point he turned to Ryu, who looked away. "Ryu, all this time you've hated school," he said. The others remained silent, knowing this to be true. Ryu, however, surprised them all.

"That's not true," he said. Hyuuga, Take, Hayato, and Tsucchi all glanced at him in surprise. They were all wondering where his change of heart came from. Ryu seemed to sense this as a barely perceptible grin touched his lips. "It's not completely uninteresting, either."

Hayato let a chuckle escape him as he began to understand. "True," he said, still chuckling slightly.

"Oi!" Kudo said, his expression hard. "We came all this way to recruit you." He seemed almost offended. "What's your answer?"

There wasn't even a pause as Ryu spoke. "We decline," he said. Tsucchi, Hyuuga, and Take looked at him, surprised with his speedy reply.

"What?" Kudo said, obviously surprised by his response.

"Sorry," Ryu continued, "but I have no interest in becoming one of you guys."

"We're not as free," Hayato offered. There was silence for a moment as Hayato stepped forward. The others were wary, especially since this group of thugs seemed particularly dangerous with the way they carried themselves. Still, Hayato as brave or foolish as ever, took another step forward and made his little quote sign in Kudo's face. "See ya," he said and stepped away, Ryu close behind. The other three slowly walked after them.

"Oi! Just when we had especially come to ask you… giving me all this attitude…" Kudo growled. He flicked his head at his ruffian friends. "Oi! Surround them!" The gangsters shouted in response and rushed forward to surround the five students. In a quick motion the ruffians had flicked out knives of various makes, all pointing at Hayato, Ryu, and the others. There was a moment of stunned silence before Hayato gently shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his coat.

"Formation B," he instructed.

"B?" Ryu asked, confusion in his eyes.

"Roger," Take, Hyuuga, and Tsucchi responded. Ryu quirked an eyebrow.

"Ready… GO!" Hayato shouted. Suddenly, the four other members split off in various directions. Ryu learned quickly what Formation B was, and immediately began mimicking the group's evasive behavior. The ruffians scrambled, shouting for the high school students to wait, but they weren't stopping for anything. Slowly, it became more of a game than an actual 'run for your life' situation. Tsucchi was hiding behind cars; Take was leading a gangster all around a jungle gym and using his small frame to his advantage, and Hyuuga was busy hanging off the stairs and silently taunting the thugs as they ran by. Even Hayato and Ryu found smiles of their faces as they evaded the shouting men. Ryu didn't understand why, but it was the most fun he'd had in a while.

It didn't last, though. He ducked down and alley and tried to escape through a side passage by a roadside building. Just when he thought he'd successfully lost them a couple of ruffians stepped in front of him. He immediately turned around, but more of the thugs emerged behind him. He looked back up and panic began to dump more adrenaline into his system. No matter how he looked at it… he was screwed.

-+-

Hayato jogged down the tunnel, his breath coming in short gasps. "Damn, I'm tired…" he huffed. His cell phone started ringing and he pulled it out. Ryu's name flashed on the screen. "Hello?" he asked, slightly confused as to why the other was calling him. "Ryu, what's wrong?"

"Buuuu!" came the voice on the other end.

"Huh?" Hayato came to a stop as he listened intently to the voice on the other end.

"Unfortunately, this isn't Odagiri," the voice stated. Hayato paused and his eyes narrowed as he recognized the voice.

"Damn you," he growled. "Where's Ryu?"

"The underground storage. If you don't hurry… he'll be full of holes!" A cackle was heard along with what sounded like a shout from Ryu before the line went dead. Hayato clicked his phone shut and his blood began to boil. The underground storage where he, Ryu, and Kudo used to hang out… He knew where it was. Hayato took off, running towards the storage at full speed. He had to get to Ryu… he had a bad feeling about this…

­-+-

"Damn you, Ryu," Kudo said as he clicked Ryu's phone shut. The other was on his knees, his arms held behind his back and his head lowered. He could feel the blood and bruise in the corner of his mouth; the taste was almost nauseating. Kudo walked over to Ryu, grabbed him by the hair, and jerked his head up. "I told you to be quiet while I was on the phone. Didn't your parents teach you any manners!?" he shouted, punching Ryu's right cheek. Ryu's head snapped to the side, but no noise left his mouth.

Kudo couldn't help but grin. "Well… no matter. Do you remember this place, Ryu?" he asked, opening his arms wide. Ryu glanced around him, but he knew the moment they arrived where they were. "That's right, Ryu," Kudo said. "We're at our old place; yours, mine, and Hayato's. It's been a long while since we all hung out here together… Too long, don't you think?" he mused. Ryu remained quiet. "Ah, but those were the good times! You and Hayato and I… coming here for a smoke. Of course, you had to go and ruin it all, didn't you?"

"Drugs are stupid!" Ryu said, his voice low. "If I'd have let you keep them here than we all would have been in trouble! I warned you!"

"NO!" Kudo shouted, grabbing Ryu's chin. "You didn't warn me… You just told me that you were going to snitch ahead of time! Did you want me to come find you? Hmm? Did you want me to punish you?"

"I didn't tell," Ryu said through clenched teeth. "All I said was that if you continued… if you continued to store them here… then Hayato and I would no longer associate with you. They're bad, Kudo…"

Kudo gave Ryu a hard punch to the stomach, making the other sputter and cough vigorously. "I don't care, Ryu. I know you snitched on me… and still… I was still willing to let you and Hayato in… to let you guys redeem yourselves. I guess you're just too good for me." He grabbed Ryu's hair and forced him to stand. "Poor, pathetic, little Ryu… Skinny, emotionless, alone… How long has your father been beating you now, Odagiri?"

"Shut up!" Ryu shouted, struggling against his holds. Kudo only laughed.

"Boy, you are pathetic. You fight so much and so well, even though you don't want to… and yet…" He paused and punched Ryu in the gut again. "You bruise so… easily…" Ryu would have fallen to his knees again had the gangsters not been holding him. Kudo smirked and stepped back towards one of his men. "Shuugo… gimme a knife. A good one," he instructed. A ruffian with a wicked grin stepped forward and handed him a butterfly knife. Kudo twirled it a few times before glancing back at Ryu.

"You should thank me," Kudo said, stepping close to Ryu. "Not only am I going to make sure you don't mess my life up ever again… but I'm putting you out of your misery as well." He waved the knife in front of Ryu's eyes.

Ryu coughed slightly. "Kudo… I didn't tell… I swear."

"Wasn't our deal that if you didn't tell then I'd keep quiet about your father to Hayato? I think that's how the deal went," Kudo replied. He moved the tip of the knife along Ryu's throat, careful as to not puncture the skin. "And, still… Even though you broke our part of the deal, ran away from a great offer, and threw my attempt at forgiveness in my face… I'll honor my end and keep quiet." He moved the knife downward, making its way towards Ryu's stomach. Kudo grinned. "This is fair, I believe."

Ryu's eyes widened and, with a quick jerk of Kudo's hand, it was done.

-+-

Hayato ran down the driveway of the underground storage. "Ryu!" he called, searching desperately for his friend. "Ryu!" He rounded the corner and paused. "Ryu…" Ryu was lying against a stack of boxes, his face beaten and eyes closed. Praying that was the only damage, Hayato ran over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling down.

Ryu's eyes cracked open and he forced a smile. "I think so." Hayato kept his hand on Ryu's shoulder.

"Where's Kudo and his gang?" he asked. Ryu inhaled strangely and jerked his head in the direction of the driveway. Hayato looked over just as the large door began to lower. His eyes widened and he turned back to Ryu. "Can you stand?" he asked, but grabbed Ryu and began helping him up without waiting for an answer. Ryu didn't complain, though, using Hayato to help stay upright.

They ran to the door, Hayato all the while keeping a hold on Ryu. The other struggled to remain standing, but ran regardless. They had to run… But they weren't fast enough. The door closed before they even reached it. "Let us out!" Hayato shouted! Ryu gripped the folds in the metal and rested against the door as Hayato removed his phone and waved it around. "No signal…" He glanced at Ryu, who was still trying to catch his breath.

"What are they thinking," he asked aloud although he knew that Hayato had no answer for him. Hayato looked around them for a moment, ignoring Ryu. It was quiet in the storage and despite what he saw Hayato wasn't able to make out an exit.

"Damnit!" he shouted. "C'mon… there's gotta be a way out of here," he said, grabbing Ryu's arm and jerking him forward. The other followed, allowing Hayato to take the lead, but his steps eventually slowed until he came to a complete stop.

"Hayato," he said, his voice thick. Hayato immediately looked back.

"What?"

Ryu collapsed to his knees, using one hand to catch himself while the other wrapped tightly around his stomach.

"Ryu!" Hayato called, rushing to his side. Ryu's eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing was labored.

"I'm… sorry…" he rasped, removing his other hand from around his stomach. Hayato's eyes widened. His entire hand was bloody. Hayato quickly pulled Ryu's jack away to reveal the large blood stain on Ryu's white shirt.

"Jesus, Ryu! Why didn't you tell me!?" he said, panic in his voice. "C'mon… let's get you over here." He helped Ryu stand, being much gentler this time, and leaned Ryu down against the boxes where he found him. Hayato pulled the jacket away and gently lifted Ryu's shirt. "Jesus," he said again, his voice a whisper. Sure enough there was a fresh stab wound in Ryu's side.

"I'm sorry," Ryu said again, his breathing rough. His head slumped to one side, though he righted it right away, trying to stay focused.

"You idiot!" Hayato shouted, panic making his voice crack. He quickly removed his jacket, balled it up, and pressed it on the wound. Ryu only winced. "Alright… Hold that there; I'm going to go around and see if there's any way out, alright? Just… put pressure on it, okay?" he instructed. Ryu nodded and gave a small smirk.

"Go on, I'm fine, I promise… It just… looks bad," he forced out. Hayato's brows furrowed as he stepped away.

"You're such a bad liar, Ryu," he said. "I'll be back! If something happens… just call for me!" he shouted, running off in search of an exit.

Ryu took the moment alone to pull away Hayato's jacket and his blood soaked shirt to inspect the damage. Gods, it felt bad… He put his shirt back down and once again pressed Hayato's jacket on the knife wound. A groan of protest escaped him.

It was too cold. Ryu began to shiver, but it was a strange sensation. With the cold came a fuzziness; a light headedness that made the pain a little bit more bearable. So, when a distant voice began to call him, he found it hard to focus on it. That is, until it was right in his ear.

"RYU!" Hayato shouted. "Ryu, damnit! Look at me!"

Ryu turned his head slightly and looked up at Hayato with clouded eyes. The skin beneath them was discolored and Ryu's usually light tan complexion was too pale. Ryu lifted one of his bloody hands up slowly and looked at it. Finally, after a long moment, he let it drop and sighed in defeat. A bitter smirk crossed his face, almost instantly gone and replaced with loss. "I'm fine, Hayato," he said, his voice weak.

Hayato leaned around to the front of Ryu and gripped his shoulders. A sad smile that tried to mask the panic in his eyes appeared on Hayato's face. "Ryu… you're such a shitty liar," he said. "Listen, all you have to do is stay awake, okay? They open these doors early in the mornings. Just stay awake, alright?" he asked. Ryu looked at his for a moment before nodding.

"Okay," he said meekly. Hayato nodded and went back to leaning against the boxes at Ryu's side.

"I'm sure the others are still looking for us anyways. Odds are they'll find us and get us outta here," he said. He glanced over at his friend. "Well, what did Kudo say to you?"

Ryu leaned his head back and sighed. "He was mad… He… He was mad that we didn't join…" he replied. Hayato nodded. He knew he had to keep Ryu talking; if the other got sleepy then it would all go downhill from there.

"What about the others? He had a big gang… Do you think they're all high school drop outs?" he asked. Ryu took longer to respond.

"I don't know… They looked… young," he forced out.

"Come on, Ryu. You need to stay with me, alright?" Hayato demanded. Ryu gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"I'm trying," he whispered, but his eyes were closed. Hayato felt the tendrils of panic again. So, he kept up with the questioning. They were random questions either about Ryu, himself, or just question about Japan and the world in general. He wasn't sure how long he was questioning Ryu, but he could sense the other's strength fading.

"So, what's it like coming to school after ditching for so long?" he offered. A tiny smile hinted at Ryu's lips.

"It's interesting… Yankumi… Yankumi is… interesting…" Ryu's head tilted to one side, coming to rest on Hayato's shoulder.

"No! Ryu!" he said, jumping up and gently shaking his friend's shoulders.

With effort, Ryu's eyes opened and Hayato was thankful, but the look he saw there crushed his hopes: defeat. Ryu looked like he was… giving up. "Hayato," Ryu said, his voice even weaker than before. Dark circles marred Ryu's eyes and his skin was alabaster white.

"Ryu… you promised!" Hayato shouted. "Damnit, we've still got time! Just stay awake, alright?"

Ryu's eyes fluttered shut and his head fell forward to rest on Hayato's chest. "I can't… I'm sorry…"

"Yes, you can, Ryu! Come on, you've always taken the easy way out on things! Hell, you decided to leave school instead of face me every day! Why don't you buck up and face something for once, eh!?" Hayato shouted, anger and fear making his voice loud.

"I do!" Ryu said suddenly. His voice was slightly stronger than before. "You… have no idea, Hayato," he growled. Hayato felt a flicker of hope.

"Whatever, Odagiri. You've always been running away. Unless it's a fight, you can't stand it, especially if it involves expressing emotions or, oh, I dunno… pretending that you actually have emotions," he supplied. Ryu looked up at him, his eyes filled with anger and frustration and… a question. Why are you doing this? Hayato paused a moment. Because I have to, Ryu.

"Hayato… I can't feel…" Ryu started. "I can't feel… my fingers." He lifted up a bloody hand and looked at it. Hayato grabbed his hand and jerked it out of Ryu's sight.

"Don't even look at it," he said, but Ryu could hardly hear him. His eyes faded slightly before closing altogether and his hand went limp in Hayato's. Silence. Hayato's eyes widened with fear. "Damnit! Ryu!" he shouted, shaking his friend. No response.

Then, as if God was answering, the garage door began to open up. Hayato acted quickly and scooped Ryu up into his arms. "Don't worry, Ryu. The doors are open now; we'll get you to a hospital, okay?" he said as he moved quickly towards the doors. The sunlight was bright, but he didn't bother shielding his eyes; he needed to find help and fast. Again, fortune smiled upon him.

"Yabuki-kun! Odagiri-kun!"

"Ryu! Hayato! You guys here?"

The chorus of voices never sounded so wonderful to Hayato. He emerged from the descending driveway to see Yankumi and the others running towards him. He reasoned that they had been searching all night. At the sight of Ryu in his arms they sped up.

"What happened!?" Yankumi shouted as she neared them. Hayato gently lowered Ryu to the ground, keeping his head in his lap with one hand pressed to his wound. They were both covered in blood.

"We have to get help!" Hayato shouted. Take, however, was already acting on that, his cell phone out and to his ear. He shouted excitedly at the receiver, informing someone of their location and situation. Yankumi knelt down by Ryu and gasped; he looked like death.

"Dear God…" she whispered, tears flooding her eyes. Hayato's own eyes were misty. In the distance a siren wailed.

Hayato looked down at Ryu and gave a meager smile. "Heh, why don't you follow through with a lie for once, eh? You said you'd be alright… prove yourself right this time," he said. The siren was suddenly close and an ambulance came into view, but all the sound around Hayato began to fade as paramedics came barreling out of the vehicle and rushing towards Ryu. They ripped him from Hayato's hands, leaving him with nothing but the cold blood. The others were quickly whisked away by the paramedics and they dragged Hayato along. All the while, the only thing Hayato prayed for…

…was that Ryu had broken his habit of lying and that he really would be alright.

-+-

Okay…. So if this drabble was gay, then I'm really sorry… I honestly can't say one way or another if I absolutely love it or hate it. I worked hard on it, that's for damned sure… Expect more drabbly drabbles! These ones are going to be more feeling-oriented, because we all know how much of an emotional guy Ryu is! :D

BTW… Is it strange that I eat my Lucky Charms very specifically, as in I eat aaalll of the cat food-looking things, then I eat the marshmallows in order from the smallest amount to the largest amount? ('Course, I dun care what any of y'alls say… The rainbows taste the best.)