Ransom

By: Ryoko [Raiju]

"So you're against my wishes?" The man moved forward, seeming to tense the room in fear, reaching down and pulling Hiro up by his hair. "Is that it, pawn?"

Pawn? "Let go of me you fuckin' bastard!" He swung a punch, only to get it caught and his arm, twisted, behind his back. "GAH! Fuck, let me GO!" he yelled, trying to fight against the pain. His body was faring better than he'd thought it would, for being as hurt as he was only minutes ago.

"Let's go and teach you some manners, shall we, brat?" he dragged the guitarist to the door, pausing when the boy in chains cried out.

"Master, NO!" he cried, standing weakly. "I-it's my fault! Punish ME! He hasn't done anything!" He stumbled forward, falling to his knees after a single step.

"Oh, I'm not done with you YET Miroslav." With that, he ignored the plea and slammed the door shut.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the boy screamed, beginning to cry and act as if he were going to be sick. "MASTER! NO!!!!!!" he screamed again and again, until Shuichi had reached him, wrapping his arms around the boy. "Oh god, he'll be broken! I can't let him get broken! This is all my fault, I have to help him!" The boy sobbed.

"No. No, you don't have to help him. Just take it easy, easy little one." The musician whispered, rubbing small circles extra gently over the new whip marks on the boy's back.

"He's going to be hurt because of me...everyone always gets hurt because of ME! It's always because of ME! WHY?! WHY?!"

"Shh...hush now, everything's going to be alright. I promise. Just relax little one..." held to the trembling frame as tightly as permitting, struggling to keep himself together as well. By broken did this kid mean what Shuichi THOUGHT he did? He shuddered at the thought, swallowing hard.

(Hiro)

He'd been dragged inside a dark room, completely pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight coming in from the crack in the door.

"Get your hands off of me!" Hiro growled, squirming and fighting against the chains clipped on him. Damn it...he'd better not...aww crap... he gasped as the member in his torn jeans was clamped onto, slowly being crushed, or so it felt. He screamed in pain, trying to fight down the cries, knowing that the response was JUST what was wanted from him.

Who was touching him now? He couldn't see anything, and had merely woken up here. There was nothing to say that this was even that guy from before. Maybe it wasn't even ONE person...he couldn't be sure. He growled when he was finally let go, glaring at the darkness. Ooh, where is that bastard? He is SUCH a dead man! the brunette struggled against the chains once more, binding him to the wall. Suddenly, the chains loosened. Taking up the opportunity, he ran forward toward the light, being yanked back and realizing that the chains around his wrists hadn't been freed- only loosened.

"Seems you like to be the hero, huh? That's your name as well, isn't it?" that man's voice again. He laughed at Hiro's foolishness, waiting for the boy to pick himself up.

"What the fuck is WRONG with you?! Let me go!"

"I'll give the orders here."

CRACK!

Hiro half gasped/half screamed in pain as the whip hit the side of his neck, landing on his spine and tearing through the flesh as it made contact against his bare skin. Even if his shirt WERE still on, it wouldn't have done much good. Again, he was lashed, crumbling to the hardwood floor holding his shoulders and choking back screams.

This hurt so much more than anything he'd ever felt, so much more than bearable. He couldn't hang on, but he had to. He couldn't scream, not again!

He screamed again, even louder, his voice matching the same one he'd heard earlier. The cry, so loud, that blood came up through his throat, heaving itself out. His body trembled more than he could ever remember, his eyes squeezed shut as the whip came down again and again.

Only five lashes and he was already certain he would pass out from the pain.

Oh god...make it stop...! he cried out again, giving in and collapsing to the floor completely, in submission. "No more...please no more..." he whimpered, blood trickling out from the side of his mouth.

"Giving up already? I thought you were the hero?" that voice was getting on his nerves, but not his anger nerves - no - on his nerves that sensed fear. He was terrified of that voice now and couldn't hold down the tremors that followed the man's words. No wonder the boy was so reluctant to let anyone upset this man.

It hurt so much...everything stung...everything burned. Anything that touched his spine or neck, even the air, made him whimper like a wounded animal. He wanted to die so badly, to leave his body and get away...but it couldn't be done.

Please...someone help me...help US...

(Shuichi and the kid)

"Oh god...oh god...he's...oh god...master how could you? Master no...! He...your friend couldn't have taken that beating...he's...he's broken...I can feel it...oh god...oh god..." the boy whispered over and over, holding his arms and pushing himself tighter into the corner, his eyes squeezed tight in fear and shame.

Please be alright Hiro...we can't loose you...please stay strong, my friend... Shuichi thought, sitting close to the boy and resting an arm around the teenager's shoulders.

A door on the outside opened and slammed. Then another slam. But the door in this specific room never opened.

Hiro... what happened to you...?

(Hiro)

Everything was fading fast, a deep thick sleep wrapping it's arms around him. He tried to refuse, but the quiet and warmth of it was so soothing...all he wanted was to feel that peace...and he gave in to it, his head falling back down to the floor. Once the darkness had overcome him, he didn't move, barely breathing in the light of the unforgiving moon.

That unforgiving moonlight that brought death to life and the living to eternal sleep.

Game Over?

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