Ransom

By: Ryoko [Raiju]

"Apparently you aren't a mute...so...what did that guy call you? Miroslav?" Shuichi whispered, holding the boy tight against his chest.

"He calls me that, but it's not my name."

"What IS your name?"

"I...don't remember."

"How can you not remember?"

"It's been too long since I've been called it. He only calls me Miroslav."

"How come?"

"Miroslav, in Slavic, means 'beautiful slave'. He calls me it for a reason."

"I...I'm sorry..."

"It's not your fault." The boy shivered, clinging close to Shuichi for warmth in the cold room. "I hope he's okay...it's so quiet..."

Secretly, Shuichi had already been praying for Hiro, because he'd heard the silence long before the older boy's screams had stopped. He'd felt the detachment in his heart and knew just what was happening. His closely related link had been shattering and was stinging his soul, prodding at him to go and see if he was alright, but Shuichi was too tired and weak to move.

He hadn't eaten in a long while...almost 3 days, and had only lived off of a single sip of water for that whole time. His body wasn't taking the treatment too well, and he was getting a little sick from the cold of the room.

"Miroslav..." he leaned down, whispering into the younger boy's ear so the cameras and such couldn't hear him.

"Yes?"

"When that guy comes back in here...I'm gonna need your help..."

"What are you planning?" his voice hushed even more, barely more than mouthing it.

"I've gotta get Hiro and get outta here...you're coming with us too. But I need you to help."

"I can't go...M-master...is all I have..." he rested against the musician's chest once more, still whispering, inaudible to the sensors. "He's the only reason I've got clothes on my back and a roof over my head...I can't leave him."

"But he's got you in chains. That's not kindness, and I, for one, won't take it. Trust me..." he wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders, "Come with us and I'll personally make sure you get a better place to stay where you don't HAVE to fear for your life."

"..." the boy was completely silent after that, lifting his head weakly to meet Shuichi's gaze, quickly capturing the musician's lips in his own for a brief moment before letting go at the realization of what he was doing. "I- I'm sorry!" He pushed himself away as if he'd done something wrong, whimpering like a wounded animal about to be caged if he didn't beg for mercy.

"Hey, it's alright. It's alright." Shuichi smiled sympathetically. "It's okay, I'm not mad or anything, relax."

"Nobody here has cared about me. I've seen hundreds of people come through here and not one gave a damn about me. You're the first and...I-I took it for granted...I shouldn't have, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Please come back over here?"

He obeyed, crawling closer and throwing himself into Shuichi's arms, sobbing silently. "Thank you, thank you...thank you for caring..."

"No need to thank me. Hey, it's gonna be okay, I promise."

Everything around him was spinning as he tried to pick himself up off of the floor, only to fall back down as a bolt of pain shot up his spine. He hadn't remembered about the experience until that pain reminded him that it wasn't very long ago. How long had he been out?

Sunlight was now seeping through the cracks, so it had been a few good hours; a whole day, perhaps. His chains rattled as he pushed himself onto his side, coughing and gagging on his own saliva and a little blood. As soon as he'd barely regained his sight, the door ahead of him flew open, sunlight invading the room and accepted with a hiss as he squinted his eyes against it. It was that guy...

"Took you long enough to wake up. Let's get going." The man pressed a button close to the door and released the boy's chains from the wall, pulling him to his feet and dragging him into the open.

They walked through a small backyard and into a run-down looking house. Hiro was instructed to sit in a chair and did so without a response.

It seemed to be a kitchen, but didn't look like one that much. For looking as neat and tidy as this man's clothes did, this house was no comparison.

He slammed down a telephone in front of the brunette as well as a glass of water and a piece of paper with '1 mil.' and 'port 3 dock 8' scribbled on it. "Have some water first."

He picked up the glass, shakily bringing it to his lips and downing as much as he could, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.

"Now, I want you to call the president of yours, the president of NG, and I want you to make sure to tell him you're being held for ransom. I'm asking 1 Million EACH for you two. Tell him to come alone and to meet me at Port 3, dock 8 at 9 tonight." He pointed to the words as he read them, making sure to etch it into the musician's memory, pushing the phone closer to the boy. Hiro picked it up and dialed the first number that came to mind: K's cell phone, waiting impatiently.

"This is K."

"K help us! Me and Shuichi are being held for ransom in some psycho's house and he's tying to freakin' kill us-"

The man smacked Hiro hard across the face, sending him to the tile floor.

"Hiro?! HIRO?!" CLICK

"You damn brat!" He kicked the brunette hard in the ribs, knocking the breath out of him. "You're lucky I don't HANG you for that." He kicked him several more times before picking up the boy's collar and throwing him back in the chair. "We're gonna do it RIGHT this time, or you ARE gonna die." He pulled a gun from his belt, pulling back the safety and pressing it against the boy's temple. "Screw up and I'll blow your brains out. Now DIAL!" he yelled, pressing the metal painfully into the boy's head. He trembled as he picked up the phone, beginning to dial Tohma Seguchi's number and extension.

"President of NG speaking."

"Se-Seguchi..." he couldn't speak no matter how hard he tried to force it out.

"Hiro?"

"Se-guchi...we're...being held for ransom..."

"Where are you?!"

"He wants 1 Million a piece for me and Shuichi..." he pulled the phone away as he coughed, his voice growing hoarse. "He said to meet him at 9 tonight with the money. Port 3, dock 8. He wants you to come alone."

"Hiro? Hiro are you-"

The man pulled the phone away from the boy, slamming it down before he could say anything more.

"Good boy. Glad you didn't decide to pull another stupid stunt. Now lets go." He picked the boy up, pressing the gun into his back as he led him to a door, going down a set of stairs toward an office. He stopped Hiro in front of a wooden door, opening it and kicking him in. The boy fell down hard, immediately surrounded by Shuichi and the other boy. "Miroslav, out, NOW!" the man ordered, pulling on the teenager's chain and slamming the door shut.

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