Author: Mirrordance
Title: Relativieren 2007
Warnings: Language, Death, Violence
Summary: Ran Fujimiya is missing in action, and Yoji asks for Schuldich's help to find him. Together, they will find that there are things much better left unknown-- secrets about betrayal and guilt, and worst of all, the depths of the darkness of a human soul.
1: We're Not Going to Die in This Place
"We're not going to die in this place."
It was his mantra tonight, and he uttered and uttered it over and over for what seemed like an agonizing eternity by now.
Ken Hidaka had said it at the start to appease a friend-- a friend now unconscious and probably dead or dying, slung over his shoulder like a goddamn useless rag doll. Now it seemed he was saying it more to himself-- there was no one else to hear, certainly.
"We're not going to die in this place."
He thought he was starting to sound more than a little bit insane. His voice was low and harsh and bitter, and he uttered the words unpredictably, at times coming across as a threat, other times a promise, other times a prayer or a curse.
We'renotgoingtodieinthisplace. We'renotgoingtodieinthisplace. We'renot goingtodieinthisplace. We'renotgoingtodieinthisplace...
The words came faster and faster the more desperate he got. He said it until his voice ran out and all that was left was a tightness in his dry throat, mouthing words, words, words, useless words.
This place...
He couldn't even see what This Place was. It had just been the only escape route he could find, a small hole he hurriedly lowered the fatally injured Omi Tsukiyono into, before following. He jumped in, and fell hard against an already wounded leg. His knees buckled as he collapsed with a splash on the shallow water of the underground way. Biting back a cry of pain, he hoisted Omi onto his shoulder and made his best limping pace as far as he could away from their point of entry.
It was dark and dank; hot at the start when his adrenaline was pumping. But an eternity later, when the last sounds of their pursuers had vanished into the black hole of this labyrinth, he was just cold. And lost.
Hopelessly lost.
This hadn't been in the plan. This hadn't been in the goddamn plan at all.
His leg buckled again, and he yelped as it took him and Omi down hard on the slippery floor. It struck him that it was so hard to breathe. The more he fell, the harder it was to get back up. He started to shake from the chill. Each breath was laborious. Tears leaked from his eyes.
I could just lie here, he thought. It would be so easy. And the rats would just pick him apart, kill him little by little. It made no difference. He was dead anyway.
If only it had been just him. But it wasn't.
We'renotgoingtodieinthisplace, he had promised. Or threatened. Or prayed. Or cursed. Whatever. Of the uncountable times he had uttered these words, one had to be a promise.
He groaned, and rolled over and got up on his knees.
"We're not going to die in this place."
He picked up Omi and again, heaved both of them on his shaky legs. He hadn't gone three steps forward and around a corner when he collided with a hard wall of black leather and tensed muscles.
He fell again, but got up quickly and prepared to strike at whoever had found them. Ken threw his arm forward, more than a little bit reckless, more than a little bit weak.
The man he had collided with caught his arm in a tight grip, and pulled him close as he struggled futilely in a so-disconcertingly comfortable embrace.
"Siberian."
Tears of relief sprang to his eyes, and his knees weakened in the overwhelming sense of safety at last.
"Yoji," he barely had the voice to say.
"I'm going to let you down, all right?" asked the older man, calmly, gently, "I'll go see to Bombay--"
"He's dead," Ken spat out. He was surprised that he had finally accepted that by now. Hours of dragging a dead boy and talking to it when he had actually been talking to himself. Omi-- dead or alive, had ultimately been the force that drove him to stay alive.
"I can't breathe," Ken gasped, falling even more heavily against Yoji, "I can't fucking breathe."
"Calm down, calm down." Yoji said soothingly, the abstract expression in his eyes were unreadable, "I'll get you out of here. You're okay."
"Talk about luck, huh?" gasped Ken, "just a few days ago we lost Ran. Tonight it's Omi. Who's next? Me. You. You? Me? If not tonight, tomorrow night, maybe, maybe, the night after that--"
"I don't give a fuck," snapped Yoji, "One night at a time, Siberian. Tonight...We're not going to die in this place"
Ken barked a bitter laugh. It was ridiculously, blackly funny. It was the last thing he remembered thinking before the blackness closed in on him. It didn't bother him at all, he barely even noticed the change, as it was not so different from the overpowering emptiness of This Place anyway.
To be continued...