Author's Note: If you are reading this story, then I applaud your tenacity because the last time I posted a chapter was exactly a year ago. Happy anniversary, I guess.
But seriously, be prepared to be disappointed because I really don't have a plan for this story and I only update it when I feel like it.
You've been warned.
Chapter 4: Cacophony
"Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing."
―Room by Emma Donoghue
He could hear steady beeping. It seemed to go at the pace of his heartbeat.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Fuck.
He didn't have a long time before the clock ran out.
Sweat trickled down the nape of his neck. His eyes were watering and his vision was blurring, but he needed to get through this.
He could do it. He'd done it thousands of times before. He just needed to get it right.
He unscrewed the back slowly with steady hands. He could not mess this up.
A mess of wires came into view.
Fuck.
This had been done by an amateur.
He felt his chances of getting out unharmed diminish.
No.
He would not die because of someone else's idiocy.
He would not give up.
He stared at the body laying motionless next to him.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Someone was counting on him.
Red wire, green wire, blue wire.
Red wire, green wire, blue wire.
Red wire, green wire, blue wire.
What to cut?
What to cut?
What to cut?
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
A thousand ways to get this wrong and only one way to get it right.
Movies always said to cut the red wire, but he knew better.
Fuck it.
If this was really done by an amateur, as the mess suggested, then there was only one option.
He cut the red wire.
He flinched waiting for the bomb to go off on him.
His eyes opened. His body relaxed and he dropped the inert bomb onto the floor far way from him.
Fuck.
He really needed to smoke.
But first, he needed to get out of this stupid tunnel with Tsuna.
24 hours earlier…
Tsuna frowned at his phone.
0 New Notifications.
He had been waiting patiently to hear back from Renato and he was feeling angsty. Renato had said that he would contact him within a week about another date and it had already been 10 days since then.
Was this the games that men played? Renato looked like he could have any woman that he wanted. Maybe, he was playing with him. What could a man like Renato really want from him?
Did he really want to hear back from Renato?
If Renato ghosted, then his decision would be made for him. He wouldn't have to figure out why he had originally said yes to a date with Renato in the first place. Or why he felt butterflies in his stomach every time he saw Renato smile at him.
He hated this waiting game.
And he really needed to stop staring at his phone and get to class. One last check on his phone.
0 New Notifications.
He stopped in front of an alleyway and opened his messenger bag to put his phone away. Just as he finished putting the clasp on the bag back, his vision went dark.
He froze.
What was happening?
There was something over his head that was obstructing his vision.
Dark cloth that smelled strongly of chemicals.
He tried to scream, but the sound was muffled.
He could barely breathe.
Strong arms tightened around him lifting him up.
Everything faded away…
Yeah boss, we got'em…Yeah, Yeah…It's a man. I thought Reborn was straight. I guess, you never know with those elites…Yeah, boss. The phone number, text messages and GPS tracking all match up. Sure, I'll bring the hostage back to base straight away…