Disclaimer: Eyeshield 21 is not mine.
Sena couldn't see anything. It was probably due to the blindfold over his eyes.
He could feel himself getting dragged over some distance, too much in shock still to cry out.
It smelled like blood.
His blood, probably. Sena was pretty sure that he hadn't wounded any of the people who had attacked him. It wasn't his strength that mattered, it was his speed.
The only time his speed could be defeated was when he couldn't move.
Like now, Sena thought.
He comforted himself with the thought that Hiruma or someone else had to find him soon. It was almost time for the game; his team needed him.
Sena wasn't just being arrogant because his team really did need him – their ace, their star to carry them to victory.
Hiruma would definitely come rescue him.
However, he wasn't dressed as Eyeshield 21. This either meant that someone held a grudge against the drab secretary from Deimon or – Sena felt a sinking feeling in his stomach – they knew that he was Eyeshield. He didn't know which one would be worse.
He felt the kidnappers lift him up, hear the sound of an engine that seemed excessively loud – there was no doubt at all that he was being transported in a car.
Sena felt himself starting to panic, but surely Hiruma would be able to find him, right? Hiruma wasn't human, able to do things that anyone else would find impossible.
Then Sena felt himself being dropped onto a carpeted floor. He strained for any sounds beyond huffs from the people – male, most likely – around him, but he could only hear some loud gasps. After a while, Sena realized that he was the one making those sounds.
Then the cold sting of a blade brushed across his leg. Sena forgot everything except staying very, very still.
"Not so tough now, are you?"
The voice was muffled, possibly covered by a cloth.
"Always running away so that no one can catch you – why don't you run now?"
Sena panted, feeling humiliating tears start to trail down his face.
They couldn't possibly be… could they?
Hiruma would save him.
He had to.
"Hold him."
Two more pairs of arms grabbed Sena, held him completely still.
The knife dug in his flesh.
Sena had never felt such pain – it hurt it hurt it hurt – so much that he could barely hear the sound of "run as fast as you can" being hissed into his ear.
The knife was in his body. He would have offered anything, done anything, to get it out. Sena couldn't get out a word through the scream in his throat.
Hiruma!
Hiruma?
HirumaHirumaHirumaMamori...
At that point, he was pretty sure that he fainted.
He opened his eyes and saw Hiruma. He didn't need words to read Hiruma's face.
He would never run again.
He might never even walk again.
His legs – the only thing he'd ever had that meant something to him – were destroyed. Irrevocably.
"I trusted you," Sena murmured blankly. But you didn't save me.
Hiruma's lips parted, as if he was about to speak, but he whirled around and strode out of the room instead.
Sena understood perfectly. He was of no use to Hiruma anymore.
No use to anyone.
So what did he have to lose?
Nothing.
His head snapped up when the door opened again – Sena thought that Hiruma might come in to tell him some task he'd thought up for him to do – but he was disappointed to see the Huh-huh brothers instead.
"We'll get the fuckers who did this to you!" Juumonji swore, pounding a fist into his palm.
"T-thanks, but there's no point…" Sena trailed off, eyes dropping to Juumonji's hands. It's not as though he was interested in petty revenge. And nothing would give him his legs back.
Then he saw it.
Juumonji's hands were streaked with red.
A/N: It's a little nasty, isn't it? I adore the Huh-huh Bros, really, but I can't help thinking that it's unlikely for a trio of baseball-bat-wielding bullies to suddenly turn into noble, good people. And it has to be a bit galling for them to know that Sena can run circles around them when, if they could just catch him, they could easily break him in half. Or maybe I'm just being pessimistic. Oh, well.