Summary: The Host Club is taken hostage by several ex-cons who are seeking a large ransom in exchange for their safe return. But things did not go as planned.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Host Club or its characters. I just put them into my story.

Chapter One: The People in the Shadows

Then

The entire time she was walking to the park, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her, but every time she bothered to look over her shoulder, she didn't see anything. But the goose bumps that covered her arms said otherwise. Why did I agree to this, she wondered, as she crossed the street. I don't understand why Tamaki- senpai wants to be out so late at night. I remember him saying something about star gazing, but this is Japan. All the lights from the buildings would make it hard to see the stars. It would have been better to go to an observatory.

Haruhi sighed and turned onto a pathway that led into the park. The path was dark except for the pools of light that the streetlights offered every few feet. And yet, even though it wasn't completely black, the utter lack of people and the cool breeze of the night air made her edgy. Maybe I should have taken that offer to ride here with the twins. Suddenly, coming alone didn't seem like a good idea.

She slowed to a stop as she came to the center of the park which was marked by a large fountain with small jets of water that shot up in small arcs. In daylight, it would have been peaceful, but at night, with only the sound of the fountain and the rustle of leaves as the wind blew made it eerily quiet. She couldn't help but shiver uncomfortably as she felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up on end.

"This is the right place," she muttered to herself. "But where is everyone else?" Standing underneath the streetlight, Haruhi glanced around, hoping that she would spot another member of the club. She sighed and walked over to the fountain and took a seat on the ledge.
Normally, Haruhi wasn't one to be impatient, but the fact that she was alone in the park at night, and it was approaching midnight, made her very uncomfortable. After nearly twenty minutes of waiting around, she was ready to give up and go home.

From the darkness, she heard the thump of boots on pavement approaching, making Haruhi freeze like a deer in headlights. She squinted into the darkness, tensing as she saw someone coming towards her. As the person stepped under the light of one of the streetlamps, she could see he was dressed in a black overcoat that hung inches above the ground and black combat boots. Everything he wore was black, she realized, as though he was trying to blend into the shadows themselves.

"Nice night for a walk, isn't it," the man asked, his voice rather gruff. Not wanting to appear rude, Haruhi gave a polite "yes" in reply. The man continued to approach before stopping several feet away from her, falling back into the shadows.
"A little chilly though," he said, "Aren't you cold at all?" She could feel his eyes on her, making chills run up through her arms.
"I'm fine, thanks," she mumbled, her gaze falling to the ground. In her peripheral vision she could see the man move closer, so close that he and Haruhi nearly touched. It allowed her a better opportunity to look at the man, but she couldn't control how she felt the adrenaline in her body spike as her heart began to pick up pace.

His coat was unbuttoned, and from where she stood, Haruhi could see a pink floppy ear poking out from an inside pocket. She felt her heart beat even faster as sweat began to pool in her palms. The floppy ear looked an awful lot like Honey's Usa-chan. And what would a grown man want with a stuffed animal? Feeling unnerved, she rose to her feet, intent on leaving and retracing her steps home.

She turned to leave, but found her way blocked by another man, dressed identically to the first. I didn't even hear him approach. Although this man seemed younger, he was much broader than the first and towered over Haruhi like a giant.
"Um, excuse me," she muttered shyly, stepping around the beast of a man. As she passed by him, she noticed that he held a black book under his arm, one that seemed very similar to Kyoya's. She felt her heart freeze for a moment as she analyzed the black book in the man's arms. Her eyes drifted to the lower right corner, and even in the dim lighting, she could see the golden shimmer of the initials K.O. Kyoya Ootori. She tried to shake the dark thoughts that entered her head. Maybe that guy has the same initials as Kyoya.

As she retraced her steps down the park path, she could feel both of the men staring at her. She could hear her heart thrumming in her chest like a humming bird's wings as a wave of anxiety swept over her. She glanced over her shoulder hesitantly and sighed, feeling slightly relieved when she saw that they both were still standing by the fountain.

She was almost out of the park when she was suddenly grabbed from the right by a third blacked cloaked man that materialized from the darkness. She struggled against the choke hold her attacker forced on her, her hands uselessly beating his arms. Her attempts to scream were muted as her aggressor tightened the hold around her neck, making it nearly impossible to breath. A cloth was suddenly placed over her nose and mouth, forcing her to inhale the sickly sweet smell that came from it. Chloroform. She tried to hold her breath, all the while trying to free herself from the grip of her assailant.
I can't…get free…

Her world was beginning to spin before her as a wave of dizziness assaulted her. She couldn't help but take in a deep breath to try and force the nausea that suddenly appeared as the world continued to spin in a blurry mess. She felt her knees buckle, bringing both her and her attacker to the ground, and her arms go limp. What's happening… Her eyes were beginning to betray her and slide shut, trying their best to stay closed and her mind was beginning to grow foggy as the black abyss of unconsciousness took hold of her.

"Is that all of them," she heard one of the growl in his low voice. Her eyes flickered upwards in hopes to get one last look at her attackers before she lost consciousness. In her peripheral vision, she could see three figures, all shrouded in black, standing off to the side, and huddled in a group.
"Yeah, that's all of them. Let's get her back with the others so the boss can decide what we do next." Again, Haruhi's eyes closed, and this time, she wasn't able to open them. What does he mean…
What do…they want with…the Host Club? The last thing she heard was the scuffle of boots on gravel and someone groaning as they lifted her over their shoulder, and then she fell into unconsciousness.

A/N: Okay, so there is the first chapter. I'll let you all know right now that the POV will jump around and the chapters will jump from Then and Now. This is the first of the Then chapters and the prologue was the first of the Now chapters.

Hope you enjoyed! More updates to follow. Please review, follow and favourite; it's much appreciated.