Chapter Nine: Kid Unleashed
The old house, a place he normally wouldn't have returned to if his life depended on it. Kid knew about the small, secret room that adjoined the main area, the one that he had spent his childhood in. Carefully packing up his skateboard, he crept around to the loose spot he knew would be in the fence, and wiggled in. His eyes narrowed with a cold determination. Sure enough, something wasn't right. Kid couldn't quite place it, but something was most definitely awry about the place.
Kid felt along the wall for the thin panel that he knew should be there, a thin panel that wasn't any good for escape but everything on both sides of the wall could be heard through. He still remembered the house so well; it was funny, the things that stuck with people in life. Sure enough, he found it, and heard Crona's small whimpers through the spot. Very lightly, he put his ear up against it as to hear better, and heard the voice he recognized as belonging to Ragnarok.
"… You're only making things worse for yourself, Crona. You should just give it up." Kid was surprised to hear Crona slam something back against the wall (assumedly a fist or an elbow), nearly breaking the panel.
"Not likely," came her dry whisper, and Kid's hands shook. He had always known his mother to be bad, but this was taking it far too far. He waited until he heard silence in the room, then pressed up against the panel, forcing it to finally give way. His golden eyes met Crona's sapphire ones in that split instant of pure joy, that her rescue had finally come. Kid crawled in and held her a moment, not daring say a word and shatter the moment. However, he pulled away when he saw Crona trembling violently, tears spilling from her eyes.
"… Crona?" There was something horribly wrong with her all of a sudden; Kid could tell just by looking at the sick misery on her face.
"K-kid, there's something I should tell you… The drugs they gave to me," Crona was holding her entire self away from him now. "The drugs, they… made me hurt when I thought about you… I can't really look at you…" Kid stepped away for a moment, gritting his teeth as he ripped his jacket, then tied the strip he ripped off around her eyes so that he could get her out of there.
Kid winced at the sight of the dark bruises on her face and body, and the way she was even thinner than she used to be, and the bruised and swollen lips that were pulled into a tiny frown. Her brow was furrowed, and Kid smoothed it gently with his long fingers, silently willing her to relax.
"That should hold you until we get back to Shibusen, at which point, if you so desire, I can be sure that I am permanently out of your sight," Kid promised, the thought of losing Crona causing him unbearable melancholy that no time could heal, but he would cope. Somehow, as to how he wasn't quite sure, he would keep his word.
Crona shook as Kid held her hand and eased open the door. She couldn't find the words to tell him that she didn't want him gone as he thought. She would figure it out, if not for herself then for Kid. She squeezed his hand, then sucked in air as she heard Kid curse under his breath. Ragnarok's voice, along with Erika's and Lorelei's, filled her ears, which she covered and cowered.
"Well, well, well…" sang Ragnarok, who was backed by the two women. Kid, however, was not concerned with their words. He knew every way in and out of this house, and they were blocking the main one. He was debating between a feint and a full on charge when Crona made up his mind for him.
Crona could feel Kid tense and made up her mind, doing the only thing she could think of to do to distract their opponents. She pulled off her makeshift blindfold, took one look at Ragnarok, and landed a shockingly powerful punch to his jaw. She could feel her aching knuckles protesting as she went in for another blow, and Kid saw his opening. He dashed in, grabbing Crona and kicking down the door, somehow managing to get his skateboard out through all his fumbling. He tied Crona's blindfold back on as he mounted her and then zoomed off, keeping his arms around her too-thin waist.
They landed at Shibusen, and he carried her to the infirmary, giving Dr. Stein a brief explanation of her situation, even the part about her not being able to be near him. Not waiting for a response, he stormed off, knowing that he would not let his professor see him cry. He walked straight to the Death Room, but froze when he noticed something horribly amiss. His father's mirror was shattered, the fragment littering the ground at his feet. Where could he be?
