I.

"Dude… I know we broke, like… six different laws already… but… I really think we gotta draw the line at kidnapping…"

"Don't think of this as a 'kidnapping', Ichi; think of this whole operation as… a… a business transaction!"

"But… Dude… these are kids we're involving in this… 'business transaction' of ours…"

"Age is just a number, my friend! Besides, we aren't going to rough the brats up too much! Just a few slaps here and a couple of kicks there, you know, just damage 'em enough to build their character!"

"Well… I ain't too sure about this whole thing, Dude… it just rubs me the wrong way, you know?"

"No, not really. We're criminals, Ichi. You know - bad guys? If you didn't want to get your hands dirty with stuff like this, then you shouldn't have joined us in the first place."

"Dude… you know that this was the only option I had left! I can't get no job with my history and background!"

"Then stop your whining and help me separate these brats! We got to keep 'em alone and scared to make everything go smoothly."

"… Okay…"

Mitsuru felt someone slide their hands and arm under his neck and legs and lifted him up.

It took every ounce of his willpower to not get up and attack the two men throughout the entirety of their conversation and to maintain his unconscious façade when he was being transported to who-knows-where.

… One of the men mentioned that there were other 'kids' wherever they had been taken to… Were they kids that Mitsuru knew? His classmates? School mates? Neighbors? Or just random children plucked off the streets?

… Was one of them Kyoya?

Immediately, Mitsuru discarded that thought, barely refraining from snorting out loud. Yeah… not likely. If these Yakuza men – magically – managed to kidnap Kyoya then the entire building would be nothing more than a pile of rubble by now and all the men involved in such an 'herbivorous act' would be in a large, bloodied and unconscious pile.

Which mostly likely meant that the other kidnapped children were all Mitsuru's age…

The last thing he could remember was being excited that his year was going on a quick field trip to the neighboring town Edoya to visit the Edoya museum as a part of their history lesson. The students and chaperoning teachers arrived at the museum around ten in the morning and the students were partitioned into small groups of four and given an assignment to complete before the trip was over. Mitsuru and his assigned group were just about to finish their assignment – theirs was a scavenger hunt for facts and dates of important events that took place during the Edo period – and then…

Then…

Then he woke up in this unknown location with an unknown number of kids with him and being watched over by an unknown amount of men – while he had heard only two men speaking to each other, Mitsuru wasn't going to foolishly assume that they had been the only two men in that room and that there weren't more Yakuza lurking about the building.

Was it a stretch automatically linking the two men and this whole kidnapping to the Yakuza? Perhaps. But, when one spent a good majority of their childhood being indoctrinated into and trained by the Chinese Triads, one tended to become aware of the other Underworld organizations – especially those that operated out of a town a little more than two hours away from your home.

The man carrying him slowed to a stop, there was the sound of a door opening, the man walked through what Mitsuru assumed was a door and into the room before placing him on a soft surface and walking away.

Even when the door clicked shut and Mitsuru was surrounded by silence, he stayed limp and relaxed, just listening and waiting for a few more minutes.

When nothing further happened, he opened his eyes and sat up to survey the room he had been placed in.

It was large and looked to be a semi-dilapidated room of an old warehouse that would have been the main location in a low-budget horror or slasher movie – the kind of movie where the group of naïve and foolhardy teens, featuring a jock, the cheerleader or preppy, popular girl, the rebel, the nerd, the comedic joker, and the lone sensible student, would get the bright idea to explore the abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere without telling their parents or anyone else where they were going and subsequently either: release the demonic entity that was sealed away and get killed one-by-one, discover that the place was haunted by a vengeful spirit of a woman who was tragically killed there and get killed one-by-one, or find out that the old warehouse was the home of a serial killer thought to have died long ago and get killed one-by-one.

There was graffiti and other tags spray painted onto the walls, all the windows on the far end of the room were shattered, beer cans and other bottles of cheap alcohol were strewn about the floor, and there was a single chair situated right next to the door – presumably for someone to sit in while they 'kept watch' over whomever would be held prisoner here.

Had Misturu been a normal fourteen year-old, he most likely would have woken up dazed, confused, and scared.

Good thing he most certainly was not 'normal'.

He crouched low on the, surprisingly clean, mattress he had been put on and surveyed the room once more, this time with a more critical eye.

There had been training simulations like this in the Chinese Triads where you were randomly kidnapped – you were never told when the simulation would take place or even that you were in a simulation since the whole point of the 'kidnapping' was to keep it as real and authentic as possible – and taken to an unknown location by an unknown group – although most of the 'unknown groups' in those simulations were always related to the bitter and long-time rivals of the Triads, the Mafia.

There were many ways to end the simulation; either you were 'killed' attempting to escape, you successfully escaped and made it back to one of the Triad's compounds, or you completely destroyed the people who dared kidnap you and then escaped back to the Triads, hopefully with some important nugget of information in hand that would elevate your standing and reputation within the Triads.

It was obvious which 'ending' was the most favored among the Triads and Triad trainees.

Killing people without knowing the entire situation wasn't Mitsuru's style.

The Triads that had murdered his parents were different.

He knew that they were there to kill him and his family, knew that they had, somehow, successfully killed his mother, knew that whoever had been wearing his mother's face was slowly killing his baby brother in that hallway last year, knew that he wasn't going to let anyone who attacked his family walk out of there alive.

Mitsuru shook his head. He had to focus.

First thing he had to do was figure out where he was. Next he'd track down the other kidnapped kids and see how many of them were here with him and see how they were faring. Then he'd have to find a way to contact Uncle Fon, Skull and maybe the police – maybe.

If this truly was the Yakuza – or some group like it – then there wasn't a whole lot that the police could do. Sure, the police had the law and justice system on their side, but 'laws' didn't mean anything in the Underground World.

Mitsuru stood and quietly made his way towards the broken windows on the other side of the room. He wasn't going to try the door for two reasons: firstly, it was the obvious choice, people always headed towards the door thinking that it was their only way out, but, if you thought a little bit creatively, and had the means to do so, then anything could become an exit – even a cement wall or a broken window. Secondly, there would undoubtedly be guards and patrol groups watching the rooms and floors to make sure that no one would get any funny ideas of escaping or fighting back.

The windows however, were a perfect means of escape.

Mitsuru peered out and saw that he was currently on the sixth floor and that the part of the building he was looking out of was only feet from a thick forest.

Perfect.

After making sure that there would be no patrol crossing below him at an inopportune time, Mitsuru pulled himself through the window and onto the barely-wide-enough-for-his-foot window ledge that ran the perimeter of the structure.

It was fine though, the Triads and Uncle Fon had him practice maintaining his balance of things that were far smaller.

For a moment, he hesitated, thinking through his options once more before mentally slapping himself.

'I don't have the time to over think things! I need to act now!'

And with that thought, Mitsuru bent his knees slightly and jumped – Cloud Flames enhancing his muscles and giving his leap more strength and distance. He twisted his body, angled his legs just so and landed in a low crouch in the grass that had been far below him just seconds ago. Wasting no time, Mitsuru quickly jumped once more, his hand grabbing onto a nearby tree branch and swung his body onto the branch. He stilled, eyes darting around, waiting for any sign that someone – anyone – had seen his freefall or heard his landing…

Nothing.

Mitsuru resisted the urge to sigh at the obvious lack of vigilance and caution the group that had kidnapped him was currently displaying.

He had to remind himself that not everyone had the same alert, paranoid nature of the Triads and that whoever this group of kidnappers were, they were either newly formed or were so low in ranking and reputation that they didn't even matter, or register, to the larger, infinitely more dangerous organizations that lurked inside and outside of Japan.

He dropped from the tree branch, landing in another silent crouch, and darted around the perimeter of the building, keeping low to the ground and safely hidden amongst the thick bushes and overgrown grass of the forest. He peeked into every window he came across but had yet to find anything other than empty, partially destroyed rooms.

A faint sobbing grabbed his attention and had him focusing intently on a second-floor window. After mentally calculating the amount of Flames he'd need to make the high jump, and checking the ground-floor window and his surroundings to ensure that he wouldn't be seen, he jumped, fingers curling around the window ledge and pulled himself up before looking through the shattered window and into the room beyond.

Mitsuru blinked.

'Didn't the two men from earlier say that they kept everyone separately? Then why…?'

Why were there twenty or so terrified and crying students – from different schools and years, Mitsuru mentally noted, though he did recognize three of the students as his assigned group from the museum – all sequestered into this one room?

He debated on whether or not he should reach out and speak to one – or all – of the captive students in an attempt to gather information from them and offer some words of comfort and assurance or if his sudden appearance on the second-floor window would be too much for their already fragile, stressed minds to handle which could result in screaming and crying and yelling which would draw attention to the students – and himself – which would make contacting his uncle and escaping far more difficult to accomplish.

The group of frightened students were a mixed bunch with about half of them being girls and the other half being boys. Mitsuru recognized a few of the different uniforms – Namimori, Midori-something Girls Academy aka that one private school that Miura Haru attended, there were a couple of Kokoyo uniforms. The ages of the captured students varied as well, though a majority of them were his age, being somewhere between thirteen and fifteen, there were a couple of high schoolers, or at least students old enough to be in high school, and a few who… looked to be no older than Kyoya.

Righteous fury filled his entire being at the mere thought of there being children in such a horrendous situation – even though everyone in that room, himself included, was still considered a 'child' in the eyes of the law. Still, he didn't – couldn't – allow his anger to cloud his judgment, not when there were still things that he needed to do.

'… They will be fine. I just need to finish scouting the perimeter of the building and I'll be right back and ready to come up with a plan that will help all of us.'

With his mind made up, Mitsuru was about to jump down from the ledge he had been perching on, when his eyes fell upon a figure, sitting down in the shadows and away from everyone else. He paused and peered intently at this unseen person.

It… was a child, a young girl, he realized, with purple hair and wearing a dirtied white dress and sandals though he couldn't make out her face because it was currently buried into her arms. He waited and continued to stare because something about this tiny, slip-of-a-girl was familiar but he couldn't remember why until she finally…

One of the other students let out a loud, sudden curse and slammed his fist against the wooden box he was sitting on.

There!

"… Oh shit," Mitsuru breathed slowly, his eyes widening when the girl jerked her head up at the abrupt noise, allowing him to see her face in its entirety.

Her eyes were wide, violet in color and glistening with unshed tears and terror.

Her. Eyes. As in plural.

As. In. Two.

Dress her in the Kokuyo uniform. Put a skull-emblazoned eye patch on her right eye. Style her hair like a fruit…

There was no doubt in Mitsuru's mind - he was staring at a younger, child-version of Chrome Dokuro.

Fucking. Great.

Possibilities and plans and potential repercussions flew through Mitsuru's mind at this bombshell of a revelation. Though 'What was she doing here?!' was the most predominant question floating in his head.

Mitsuru glanced down, his mind working overtime.

Save her? He shook his head at that stupid question. Of course he was going to save her! He was going to save every single one of them!

Help her? Same reaction and answer as before. Next.

Befriend her?

Mitsuru glanced back up at that thought.

Before she met Rokudo Mukuro and became Chrome Dokuro, she had been a normal girl named 'Nagi'. 'Nagi' was a shy, quiet kid who was the only child of some high profile parents who had gotten hit by a car, or truck, while trying to pet, or save, a stray cat. Her internal organs were badly damaged and she somehow met Mukuro via… Mist Flames? Some weird mindscape or dreamscape? They entered some sort of agreement and she began his vessel in exchange for a new life and illusionary organs that would help keep her alive.

Mitsuru looked down at his hands.

… Kyoya would have been like that. Quiet and hurting and alone, at least until Tsuna entered his life but still, he wouldn't truly be considered part of Tsuna's motley group or consider himself apart of Tsuna's group until they were all well into their twenties at the earliest.

What he was about to do went against all of the training that the Triads had tried to instill in him all those years ago. He wasn't thinking objectively. He was letting his feelings and morals and personal motives get the better of him, influencing him into making a grave mistake that could cost him his only means of success and freedom.

Still…

Mitsuru clenched his hands and looked back up, eyes burning with determination.

'… I don't want to live with regrets and what-ifs haunting me for the rest of my life. And if that means acting on my emotions and doing what I think is right, then so be it.'

He cleared his throat loudly; drawing everyone's shocked attention, and slipped through the window and into the room with smooth movements. Once in the room, Mitsuru stood and smiled – calm and serene just like how his uncle would have been in such a situation.

"My name is Hibari Mitsuru and I promise you that we will get out of here."


Chrome wasn't supposed to be in the chapter but she just kinda appeared. This kidnapping was also supposed to get resolved in one chapter but... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As always, please let me know what you all thought via Review or PM!