Welcome, to the first chapter of Still, sequel to Stand.
Thank you guys so much for the support you've shown me with my last fanfic. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you enjoyed Stand, because I certainly had a blast while writing it~
I will be responding on the reviews of Stand's last chapter here as well:
Frwt: I'm glad you took the time to leave a review, it makes it so much better to write, even though you don't have any ideas for Still~!
Coco Baldwin: I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for your idea and continued support~!
The Symbol of Faith: I'm happy you enjoyed it… sorry for the large gaps between the updates, but I guess every writer understands the horror that is a writer's block :)
NoLife-sama: That's one long review, gotta say it. It also made me smile reeeeaaaalllllyyyyy big when I read it~ About the OOC… well, I suppose everyone has a different opinion. Personally I'd say most characters weren't written too badly, but still not like in the anime. Though, with all my stories I'm working on, I've also realized how hard it is to make them like they really act – most things are just so hard to describe, and in the anime you never really hear what they're feeling, you just see it when they're happy or sad… I guess that's what makes it hard to write them, since you can only go from a smile here and there, the actions the characters take and the way their voices sound – which is not always very descriptive, I've gotta admit.
I'm glad you liked the characters. Shinsuke is… well, not one of my favorites. I'm a bit neutral about him – he's a nice and important character, but there are others whom I am more focused on. That's probably why he didn't make a big appearance…
Hahaha, Shindou's awesome! Though, after rewriting the series (for Accidental Reverse) I've realized how much he has grown through the series. Because seriously, he didn't start out so well, yet now I absolutely love him. I really had to laugh about the 'extraordinary ability to blame himself for just about everything that happens', because I hadn't realized that yet… he kind of does, huh? I mean, just look at when he awakens his Keshin. I love the little bro part! Sorry, I just can't help it but I just love the idea that Raimon has some kind of 'family-feeling', since they've gone through quite a lot together… Ahahaha, Jesus, huh? I guess I just imagined that Shindou had learned from all the times he ignored Tenma before (seriously, he does that quite often in my opinion) and now that there's something really dangerous going on, I suppose he'd listen easier. And he didn't always listen, you know. When Taiyou told Raimon about Haru, for example…
Hahaha, oh gosh I had to laugh so hard at the part about Haru. 'Not baddie-like'? XD I suppose he's not the classical bad guy. His point of view, huh… maybe I should pay some more attention to that here. I guess I didn't really focus on the whole 'feeling' thing, since the only moments you really read about that is during Tenma's absence and the reunion. That's just my opinion, though. Wowowow Haru's not gonna die! O.O Why does everyone think that?! Seriously, my best friend Dyo-chan suggested the same thing! Yeah, Tenma and Haru are quite a good combo, aren't they?
Thank you for this and I'll do my best to make Still good as well!
Aquila Aqua: Glad you liked it~ thanks for that whole 'express, not impress' thing. It made me realize I had to stick to the original idea as well… so, I hope you enjoy this as well :)
seshhxkagii99: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, I'm still working on the other fic as well…
IeGBestfriend: Oh, you were the guest? Now that I think about it, it does contain a few clues that it's you… well, I suppose it's not really a problem, right? I wouldn't know how your name changed, though…
Second review… ehehe… relax, no one's dying (yet). Hahaha, I like those moments between Mahoro and Housuiin as well XD Aw, Jirou appreciates your review and Kazuo is planning to use you for his next experiment, but Jirou won't let that happen, don't worry ;) Interrogating session… you know, you should become a police officer. Project Repressing… MUHAHAHA WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW?!
Thanks for the very long third review, this one REALLY inspired me. And… I'm not sure if that's such a good thing for you readers (*grins wickedly*).
Wow. You're mean to your younger sibling. I have an older sibling. I know how he feels. Older siblings are mean :) Nah just, kidding, I do love my older sibling… somewhere deeeeeeeeeeep inside my heart… XD
Yeah, writing these chapters are good experience, I suppose. Oh, don't worry about being dramatic – people like that. I like that *winks*
Thank you so much for all your ideas. Most of them I have included in the sequel or at least taken into account while creating a good plot. By the way, there will be some huge twists.
Oh, I do have a Wattpad account. I think my username's Yarah001, but I just use the name Yara Meijer as well. I actually don't really use it… because I don't get it. I seriously don't -_- how does that site work?!
That fight between Haru and Tenma… hmm, gotta think about that… it sounds interesting!
By the way, about your ideas… they are evil. I like it. You seem to want a lot of bad stuff to happen to Raimon, huh? Well, I've only got one thing to say, and that is: You have no idea what you've created. Still is definitely going to be darker than Stand :D
Crazy-chan707: Hahaha, glad you think so highly of me! You know, about that torture… you will regret ever asking that. Because Still will be a bit darker than Stand (*wicked grin*) I am SO going to enjoy this, while you are not hehehehe… Hahaha, I'll keep Gouenji in mind, 'kay?
StarBrightZorua: Hello~ yes, I do remember you, because your name reminds me of a Pokémon. I'm not sure if that was intended or not, though. I'm glad you liked the story yaaaaaaay~! I hope you enjoy this as well! Eh… sorry, I don't know about the ending yet… if it turns out to end well, I can just write a separate ending and put it in a one-shot or something? …wait, maybe I should really do that… gotta think about that…
Guys, thank you for the reviews. Thank you so much.
Disclaimer: don't own except the OCs and the plot, etc. etc. the usual~
When You Were Standing in the Wake of Devastation
Voices… shouting… someone is screaming…
Alone in the darkness, yet… I can hear their breathing…
In the void, someone… is calling to me…
Nothing… I can't feel anything… see anything… hear anything…
.
Does the pain… ever end?
Everyone is… giving in… how much longer can we keep this up?
Let me go… go away... I don't want to hurt anymore…
Using… all the strength I've left, but it's not… enough…
So much pain… the only thing I know now…
I can feel myself fading…
Often I wonder… if this is the end… of everything…
No one is here… to save us… will this torture ever stop?
.
KANASHIMI JR. HIGH BURNED TO THE GROUND
Yesterday evening, a devastating fire burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground. No victims have been reported as of yet but the director, Ishikawa Kazuo, is currently missing. He is thought to have been in the school when the fire broke out, but no details have been made public yet.
Teachers are currently unavailable for comment, but a representative of the police has ensured the public that all club activities were already finished during the time of the fire, so it is unlikely for any victims to have fallen among the students.
The cause of the fire is still unknown as of yet. Authorities are looking into the situation, but it is unclear if the fire was an accident or if someone deliberately caused it.
FOUNDERS KANASHIMI JR. HIGH MISSING
Ishikawa Kazuo, the director of the recently burned down Kanashimi Jr. High has been officially declared missing. He was last spotted by one of the teachers of the school, who passed his office to notify the director that all teachers had left the school after work, somewhere around four o'clock.
''Everything seemed normal when I left. Director Ishikawa was working in his office as usual. He has a habit of being the last one to leave, the man is dictated to the school! I don't remember if I saw his brother, who often helps director Ishikawa with his work, though,'' said the teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Ishikawa Jirou, the younger brother of the director and one of the founders of the school, along with the director himself, is the coach of the soccer club. Various sources have confirmed that the coach often stays after the other staff members have already left to help his brother with his work.
The location of the coach is currently unknown as well. It is unclear if he was in school during the accident. Teachers and police are currently unavailable for comment about the two missing founders.
GAS LEAK CAUSE OF KANASHIMI FIRE?
Authorities are currently investigating the devastating fire that burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground five days ago. A representative of the police has announced that the suspected cause of the fire was a gas leak.
It is believed that a gas leak inside the school set off an explosion, which later resulted in a destructive fire. When firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread through the main building, where most of the classrooms were located, and was still spreading to the western and eastern wing.
''It's not confirmed, but the gas leak becomes more plausible with every passing day. We have mostly ruled out the possibility of deliberate sabotage, but since the fire had already destroyed so much when the firefighters arrived, it's hard to find real proof,'' said a representative of the police.
Citizens are requested to stay clear of the school terrain until further notice.
DETAILS KANASHIMI FIRE STILL UNKNOWN
Authorities are currently investigating the devastating fire that burned Kanashimi Jr. High to the ground last week. The director, Ishikawa Kazuo, is missing and thought to have died in the fire, but no body has been found as of yet. The teachers are looking for a place to act as temporary school, so that the students' education can continue, but they gave no comments when questioned about the current situation or the location of the missing staff.
The coach of the soccer club, Ishikawa Jirou, brother of the director, is currently unavailable. When parents of the members of the soccer club were asked about the whereabouts of their children, they informed us that the soccer club is currently on a training camp at a location that is hard to reach. Chances are that news of the school's demise has not yet reached them.
It is yet unknown what the cause was for the fire. It is believed to be the result of a gas leak which set off an explosion, later resulting in a destructive fire. The fire had already spread through the main building and was still spreading to the western and the eastern wing when firefighters arrived.
''We've got to do something! It's been a week already!'' the woman slams her fist down on the table. ''There haven't been any clues… they could be on the other side of the world for all we know!'' her eyes are blazing with fury as she searches the faces of her companions for any reaction.
When she doesn't get one, the woman sinks down in her chair, all fury leaving her body. Without the fierce fire in her eyes, one can see the dark bags under her eyes, her pale skin and the way her shoulders are slumped forward in exhaustion.
A sigh escapes the lips of a man with white hair and an eyepatch covering his left eye. His other eye shows his exhaustion and the man looks like he hasn't eaten or slept in days. ''We've been trying to find them,'' he informs the others. ''Everyone is exhausted. But there… there's nothing to go off. Kanashimi was destroyed, and it seems like Ishikawa has vanished from the earth.''
Orange eyes settle on a blue-haired figure. ''Do you have any idea where he could be?'' asks the black-haired man, his black and brown eyes searching the other man intently.
Said man simply closes his eyes in frustration, running a hand through his messy hair. ''If my brother doesn't want to be found, we won't find him,'' he says quietly. ''At this point, it seems that our only chance to find the missing players is if Kazuo reveals himself. If that happens, it means we're playing right into his game.''
''So we're basically pawns,'' grits the woman out, anger sparking in her violet-pink orbs. ''Damn it…''
A young man with dark brown hair, wearing an orange headband, looks around the group, eventually letting his gaze settle on the woman. ''Karibe-san, how is your team doing without the captain?''
Karibe sighs and runs a hand through her brown hair. ''They're worried,'' she says softly. ''Not only because Taiyou's gone, but also because of his illness. He might be a lot better now, but he could still relapse.'' She balls her fists in frustration. ''Arakumo's out for revenge.''
The man nods and looks at the black-haired man. ''What about Genei Academy, Housuiin-san?''
Genei's coach folds his hands together and leans his chin on them, exhaustion seeping through the cracks of the mask of calmness. ''Worried, of course, but also fired up to get the brat back,'' informs Housuiin the other coaches.
''Hakuren?''
Another, silver-haired young man answers. ''Out for revenge,'' he says simply. ''I've been trying to get them to calm down, but it's hard to get them to listen. Only when I told them they could endanger Yukimura by acting recklessly did they calm down, but only slightly.''
Dark eyes fall on a male with his blond and blue hair in a low ponytail. ''Aphrodi, what about Seishuu?''
Afuro bites his lip and shakes his head. His ponytail is messy and his clothes are ruffled, like he couldn't care less about his appearance at the moment, which is, considering the situation, probably true. ''Same as the others. Worried and angry, but that anger only seems to fuel their determination to get Kishibe and the others back.''
''Sakuma, how's Teikoku?''
The white-haired man from before answers after sharing a look with a goggled man. ''In one word, pissed. They want their keeper back,'' says Sakuma.
''Seidouzan?''
Another white-haired male answers. ''Like Fubuki said, I only just managed to keep them from doing anything reckless. I don't know how long they'll listen to me, though. They're getting more restless by the hour.''
Kidou looks at the brown-haired male. ''Endou, what about Raimon?''
Endou sighs and shakes his head. ''Chaos,'' he says simply. ''We've lost our captain and the three who would usually take over, and then of course Hikaru. Everyone's angry, and Sangoku's been trying to get them together, but it's just… the balance is completely gone.''
The sky blue-haired man speaks up. ''Most members of my team have successfully transferred to other schools. I've told them to keep a low profile,'' he informs the other coaches. ''Not all of them are willing to sit back, though. Those who want to help are told to be patient for now and lay low.'' Jirou tiredly rubs his temples. ''It's not only Kazuo whom they should look out for, but basically anyone important who could recognize them.''
Karibe narrows her eyes. ''What do you mean?''
Kanashimi's coach smiles emptily. ''Kazuo's a genius,'' he mutters. ''You've seen the news, haven't you? It's everywhere. By destroying Kanashimi, Kazuo's got a good cover to disappear. Everyone thinks he died in the fire, and now the school has no leader. Other teachers have stepped up to take care of the chaos, and the media has made it clear no one knows my position for certain either.''
''They believe the soccer club is currently on a training camp,'' points Kidou out thoughtfully.
Jirou nods. ''Yes. If one of my players is recognized and reported, it would blow the entire cover. Authorities would resume the search for me, and by finding the Kanashimi players they'd eventually find me as well. The story they've got now is weak at best.''
Kidou nods in agreement. ''If you were to be found, you'd be in the spotlight since your brother is supposed to be dead, and from that position you can't do much to help us. Not to mention, the suspicion that you're not on a training camp wouldn't be good…''
Silence settles between them, everyone left to their own thoughts. Eventually, Karibe slams her fist on the table again, shocking her fellow coaches. ''That might be good and well, but we still need to do something!''
''Karibe-san, if you have any ideas please share them because we don't know what to do!'' snaps Endou suddenly, shocking his friends. After a moment of stunned silence, the woman slowly leans back in her seat and the dark-haired man drops his head in his hands. ''I apologize for that,'' he mutters. ''I shouldn't have snapped at you.''
The woman sighs tiredly, offering a weak smile. ''No, I suppose it's okay. You're right, of course.'' She pushes a few locks of brown hair behind her ear and massages her temples. ''We're all stressed here.''
The silence returns, heavier this time. The tension is filled with frustration, Endou's words on everyone's mind.
We don't know what to do.
And they really don't. It has been seven days since their missing players were last spotted. Their other players are getting more and more impatient by the hour, yet the coaches won't take the risk of letting them get hurt as well, which is easier said than done. One wrong movement and everything will be over.
They don't know where their missing players are.
They don't know in what condition they are.
They don't know what Ishikawa Kazuo is capable of.
They just don't know.
It's like they're playing with fire, yet this fire does so much more than just burn.
Everyone has been on edge. They've used all their connections, all their knowledge, all possible plans, yet nothing has worked out. Nothing has been found – it's like they're trying to catch smoke.
''…should we tell our teams that they should have some more patience?'' asks Afuro eventually.
Fubuki is the one who answers after noticing no one else seems to have the energy to do so. ''We've been telling them to have patience for a week already,'' he mutters wearily. ''How long will they keep listening to us?''
''Then what can we do?'' counters Housuiin. The other coaches stay silent.
Because Genei's coach is right.
What can they do?
''We've got to do something.''
The players of the nine teams gathered at Paradise Stadium look up when a voice breaks the thick silence. Kurumada is staring back at them, his dark eyes filled with resolution.
Sangoku frowns. ''We can't.''
''Why not?'' returns the other third-year immediately. ''Nothing's happening.''
''He's right,'' agrees Ueno, placing his hands on the field behind him and leaning back. ''The coaches aren't doing shit but sitting there and talking. Why should we listen to those bastards?'' he opens his greyish purple eyes and grins at the other teenagers, showing his teeth. ''If they aren't going to take action, we should. They're too careful! If we want to figure this shit out, we should take some risks!'' he sits up, his grin widening. ''We can finally-''
He's cut off by none other than his cousin.
''Goddamnit Hiroki, can't you just shut up?!''
Ueno stares at him with wide, stunned eyes, along with everyone else – in the past week that they've spent with Kanashimi's captain, they've gotten used to his calm demeanor.
''A-Akio…'' greyish purple eyes stare at the purple-haired boy in disbelief. ''What's gotten into you?''
Shimizu glares at his cousin, who easily takes notice of the dark bags beneath his eyes. ''No, what's gotten into you?'' he hisses, and Ueno blanches at the venomous tone. ''This is not some kind of joke, Hiroki! We're dealing with a psychopath here! Can't you just think straight for one fucking second? Have you even thought about what Ishikawa can do to us, to our friends? How far he would go?! It seems you are forgetting that he fucking experimented on us!''
The captain is standing at this point, his green eyes pools of furious venom. His cousin stares at him for a second longer, but then his greyish orbs darken in anger as he jumps up as well. ''Of course I haven't forgotten, Akio! Of course I'm worried about Sakaki and the others! But unlike you, I'm not going to sit back and let that bastard use us for his own sick amusement!''
Almost everyone expects Shimizu to regain his calm and take control of the situation, like he has done every time there was a fight these past seven days.
Yet he surprises them all with his next action.
SLAP!
Shimizu's eyes are hidden by his bangs, his hand raised from when he slapped his cousin. Said cousin is staring at him with wide, stunned eyes, a red mark on his cheek where the captain's hand made contact.
Then Ueno's eyes harden. ''Fuck you, bastard,'' he hisses and turns around. As he makes his way to leave the group, he looks over his shoulder. ''Everyone who wants to do something to the others can come with me.''
With that he walks towards the other side of the field, not giving the other players another look.
Shimizu stares at him with hard eyes. ''Don't mind him,'' he tells the others as he turns on his heels. ''At the rate he's going, he'll get himself killed before he turns twenty.'' The captain walks a few feet away from the gathered teams.
Raimon shares uneasy looks, the silence weighing down heavily on their shoulders. Eventually, Nishiki's voice breaks it. ''Ueno's right.''
Sangoku's head snaps up. ''Nishiki!''
The midfielder shakes his head. ''Don't try to deny it, Sangoku,'' he tells the keeper. ''We don't have the luxury of waiting. If we want to save Shindou and the others, we've gotta do something now.'' With an apologetic look at his teammates, he stands up. ''I'm sorry guys, but I'm with Ueno.''
He makes his way over to the dark-haired boy, ignoring the stares from the other people gathered. Without hesitation, Kurumada stands up to join the two, soon followed by Kariya and, surprisingly, Shinsuke.
''Shinsuke?'' asks Sangoku, disbelief coloring his voice as he stares at his fellow keeper.
The small boy fidgets uncomfortably. ''I-I'm sorry, senpai,'' he mutters finally. ''But I… I can't just sit here when our friends are in trouble!'' he turns around, running over the field quickly. Raimon stares at the retreating form of their youngest keeper in stunned silence.
''Anyone else who wants to leave?'' asks a voice suddenly, all eyes snapping to the last forward in their midst. Kurama's dark eyes scan the fallen faces of his teammates for any hints of their thoughts and sighs tiredly when it becomes clear no one else is going to join Ueno. ''This is just great,'' he mutters as he sees some players from other teams join the dark-haired Kanashimi player as well.
Hamano chuckles humorlessly. ''Seems like we've lost all our first-years now,'' he comments.
The others look around in surprise, not having realized it yet. Crestfallen expressions slowly appear on their faces when they realize the blue-haired midfielder is right.
Tenma, Tsurugi and Hikaru have been kidnapped by a psychopath. Shinsuke and Kariya have clearly stated they don't agree with most remains of Raimon's team.
''And almost all our forwards,'' mutters Amagi with a look at Kurama. ''We don't even have enough members left to play a game.'' The defender's expression falls as he looks at the six others of Raimon that are left.
''Are we going to be okay?'' mutters Hayami, looking at their fellow Raimon players with worry and slight panic.
Aoyama and Ichino share a look, and the blond boy frowns. ''It's like when everything started…''
''How are we ever going to do this? We've lost so much already!'' Hamano throws his hands to the sky in a sign of frustration. ''Heck, we've lost our entire team!''
From a distance, Earth Eleven watches as their fellow teams – especially Raimon's team – split up. ''This is not going well,'' comments Manabe, frowning deeply. ''This is not going well at all.''
''Will they be okay?'' asks Sakura, biting her lip worriedly.
Their detective immediately shakes his head, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ''If it continues like this, absolutely not,'' he mutters, his teammates' eyes falling on him. ''Raimon's missing all their usual pillars. It's like the glue that keeps them together is gone.''
Matatagi grits his teeth. ''Damnit. Why don't they understand they should stand together right now?'' he crosses his arms. ''Tch.''
Their keeper sighs. ''It's not like we started out so great,'' he reminds the forward.
''Yes, but we resolved our problems, didn't we?'' returns said forward equally. ''But Raimon… they're completely falling apart.''
Kusaka frowns, nodding in agreement. ''Minaho's got a point, though,'' he says, earning the attention of his teammates. ''Raimon's a strong team and they've overcome a lot of hardships.'' He thinks back to the stories the Raimon trio has told them about their school team. ''Yet with so many important players missing… not only important players on the field, but important to keep the balance in the team…'' he shakes his head.
''T-they're not the only ones, though…'' says Konoha, a little nervous.
Her friends look at her in surprise. Unsurprisingly, Minaho is the first one to understand her words. ''The other teams…'' he mutters, his frown deepening as he bites on his lip. ''They're all missing important players as well. They're not as bad off as Raimon is, but still… their harmony is off too.''
Understanding passes through them. ''You don't mean…'' Tetsukado stares at the detective, summing up the thoughts of his friends.
Minaho nods grimly. ''That's exactly what I mean. If Ishikawa were to challenge them now…''
The detective's voice is almost hauntingly nonchalant as he finishes the sentence, like he's commenting on the weather instead.
''…they would be destroyed.''
Mikado Haruma crosses his arms as he stares at the dark-haired Kanashimi player. ''You said you wanted to do something. What?'' he challenges the boy.
Ueno rolls his eyes. ''Tch, don't be so grumpy,'' he mutters, looking at the group of gathered players. Teikoku, Genei, Arakumo, Seidouzan, Kidokawa Seishuu, Hakuren and Raimon. The forward's eyes narrow when he doesn't spot the white uniform that belongs to his team.
'Tch, bastards are too cowardly to take action.'
Even though the group gathered here is much smaller than the group that decided to do nothing, it's still a satisfying amount.
Shirosaki, from Hakuren, raises an eyebrow. ''I hate to admit it, but Karasu Tengu is right.'' He ignores the scowling Teikoku captain. ''What's the plan?''
Ueno's face doesn't let any of his emotions show. ''The plan's easy. Since no one else seems to be doing shit, we're going to the place that probably contains the most information.'' His lips curl upwards when he sees the other players share a few nervous looks.
Taki Sousuke from Kidokawa Seishuu is the one who voices the question that is on everyone's mind. ''And where would that be?''
The Kanashimi forward grins wickedly. ''Where else than the fucking Kanashimi remains?''
''Agh!'' the boy yelps as he's thrown harshly on the ground. The door closes with a loud bang, the light of the hallway beyond being replaced by dark shadows. Retreating footsteps can be heard until silence is left in place, only broken by the ragged breathing.
The boy pants heavily and doesn't move from where he has fallen, completely exhausted. For a moment nothing happens but then one of the figures in the darkness moves to the side of the fallen teenager.
''Kirino, you alright?'' asks a hoarse voice.
The other figures react weakly to the sound, some simply opening their eyes, others lifting their heads to look at the two.
The figure on the ground groans as the other carefully helps him up in a sitting position. ''B-been better,'' rasps the pink-haired boy, hissing in pain when the other carefully helps him lean against the cool metal wall. ''W-what… 'bout the… o-others…?''
Kirino's eyes are finally getting used to the darkness and he can see the other avert his eyes, grimacing. ''We're mostly okay,'' he mutters.
''Shindou.'' Despite his condition, the defender somehow still manages to put a warning edge in his voice.
The wavy-haired boy chuckles wearily. ''Mostly,'' he repeats.
The pink-haired boy glances at the other figures, who are watching them in silence. His blue eyes meet a pair of red ones. The owner smiles tiredly and nods. ''N-nothing too serious this time, Kirino-san,'' whispers Kurosaki, his voice weak and scratchy. ''Yu… Yukimura-kun is unconscious, but he w-was awake when they… brought him… in…'' he closes his eyes in exhaustion, his head falling to the side.
''Careful,'' mutters another voice as the owner supports Seidouzan's captain, gently letting him rest against the wall behind them.
''Thanks,'' breathes Kurosaki tiredly, not opening his eyes.
Kishibe smiles weakly at the limp form of his fellow captain and then looks up at the new arrival. ''He's had it rough,'' he mutters softly, giving the Raimon defender a reassuring look when he can see a shimmer of concern in his blue orbs. ''He'll be fine. Like he said, Yukimura-kun basically collapsed from exhaustion and Mahoro-san is getting some extra sleep. Mizuno-kun is sulking.''
''I am not,'' comes another voice from the darkness. Kirino looks at the other side of the cell to the figures over there. One of them is lying on the cold metal floor, the only sign of life the slow rising and falling of his chest. The pink-haired boy can make out the blue hair of the only Hakuren player present.
Next to him is a red-haired boy, breathing evenly from the where he is half sitting, half lying against the wall. The purple and yellow uniform identifies him as the sleeping captain of Genei. Lastly, a green-haired boy is sitting on Yukimura's other side, leaning heavily against the wall as if it is the only thing keeping him upright. Which… it probably is.
Kishibe chuckles softly but it soon turns into a coughing fit. Kurosaki opens his eyes worriedly but doesn't make a move to get up, knowing he's too weak to sit up without support. Instead Shindou, sitting on Kishibe's other side, worriedly steadies Kidokawa's captain. ''You're not doing too well yourself either,'' he mutters, eyes darkening in concern.
The violet-haired boy smiles weakly but then groans and rests his head against the wall behind him, slumping against it. ''I'll be… fine…''
Raimon's ex-captain balls his fists weakly in frustration, but keeps his voice soothing when he speaks. ''Get some rest,'' he says softly, a soft hum his only answer. ''Alright, we're doing a little worse than okay,'' he mutters to his pink-haired friend.
Kirino pries his eyes open to stare at the other with a deadpan look, and Shindou laughs softly. ''At least Mizuno still has the energy left to sulk,'' comments Raimon's ex-captain.
''I am not sulking.''
The pink-haired boy shoots his fellow defender an amused look. ''S-sure you're n-not…'' his voice is weak but the Kanashimi player doesn't react to it vocally, instead huffing, yet his green eyes darken in concern.
Mizuno sighs. ''How're the others?''
At this, everyone conscious looks at the Raimon defender, anxious for some news on their other friends. Said Raimon player sighs tiredly, leaning his head on Shindou's shoulder in exhaustion. ''Miyabino was… u-unresponsive…'' he shudders when he remembers the empty eyes of Teikoku's keeper.
Shindou gently shakes him. ''You can sleep in a minute,'' he promises his friend.
Kirino nods weakly, keeping his eyes closed. ''Tsurugi… was u-unconscious…'' he continues, his voice even softer than before. ''Amemiya and H-Hikaru… r-repressing, again…'' he blinks wearily, fighting against the dark spots in his vision, as the others shudder at the memories his words bring forth. ''T-they were… working o-on… Sakaki and… Tenma…''
His eyes fall closed in exhaustion. All he feels is how someone gently lowers him to the ground, accompanied by Shindou's voice.
''Get some sleep, Kirino. You'll be fine.''
The pink-haired boy doesn't fight the exhaustion any longer, a last thought shooting through his mind.
'Maybe I'll be fine… but how long can you do this, Shindou?'
Welcome to Still.
Thank you all for the ideas. I really notice how most of you have such an evil imagination, and I have only one thing to say… You want dark?
You'll get dark.
Yara~