Author's Notes: Well, I figured, "If I drag this out any longer it'll only torture me AND you," so I just said "fuck it" and wrote it. THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

...Kinda shitty IMO. Didn't take long to write.

Chapter 21

"Friday the Thirteenth"

Just as Tidus had predicted,Riku wasn't in school on Thursday. That didn't surprise Sora one bit. He knew Ansem must have beaten him senseless and raped him until his ass hurt. (Sora's not that dumb, after all—Riku doesn't have a vagina.) When Friday finally came, Sora was surprised that his mother let him stay at Tidus' house. He, Roxas and Tidus spent the whole night going over their plan—they even sent an e-mail to Leon, warning him they'd be taking action soon.

Then it was actually Friday, and Sora was as nervous as a cat among rocking chairs.

As Tidus had predicted, Edea left promptly at seven, and expected they'd get on the bus. But none of their parents questioned if Edea may have dropped them off—they got no phone calls after nine o'clock.

"You see it, Roxas?"

"Yeah, yeah! Yo, help me get it out of here. This ladder's freaking huge." Tidus went into the garage and helped Roxas to turn the ladder on its side. Sora peered in.

"Guys, are you sure this will work?"

"It has to," Roxas said.

"Yeah. Otherwise, Riku will be stuck there for God knows how much longer."

Sora stared at the camera in his hands, fiddling with it. He had a bad feeling about this all of a sudden. He checked the calendar. It wasn't the thirteenth, so why did he have such an ominous feeling? Maybe it was because he had to sneak around just to do this. Sora never liked sneaking around.

"Come on, we can go out the back door. Sora, help us out, will ya? Clear the way."

"Sure," Sora muttered. He opened the back door, closing it behind them as Tidus and Roxas carried the ladder. They managed to go around all the houses without being caught, and Riku's side of the house was conveniently out of sight from their three houses (another reason why Tidus loved it). Most of the parents were working already. Tidus said he was certain they wouldn't get caught. But Sora kept looking around like something was going to jump out and eat him.

"Okay…there we go!" Tidus propped it up against the side of the house. "Roxie, you know what to do, right?"

"Gotcha, I'm green to go, A-Okay!" Roxas gave a thumbs-up. Tidus sighed.

"I'll take that as a yes." He looked at the brunet now. "Sora?"

Sora's eyes shifted back and forth. Roxas groaned.

"Sora, please don't get the jitters now…" moaned Tidus.

"I'm not—I'm not jittery! I'm just…"

"You are so jittery. Knock it off—just climb the ladder! What's the worst that could happen?"

Sora stared at Roxas with a stone-still face. "Rape," he said bluntly.

"We won't let that happen, we promise." Tidus wavered Sora up the ladder. "Climb. I'll come up after you."

After a moment, Sora finally gave in. He used the wrist strap of the camera to keep it on him and climbed, and when he got to the window, he tapped lightly.

Seconds later, out peered Riku, looking horrified beyond belief. Sora tried to smile, but he didn't think he pulled it off too well. Riku lifted up the window, and shoved the screen out.

"…Hey…"

"Hi. We're here…" Sora smiled again. "Um, as scheduled."

Riku tried to smile back. His lips merely twitched. He looked away, almost guiltily.

"Um…he…he left a while ago, so…"

"Great," Sora started to squeeze through the window. Riku reached his arms out and grabbed him by the hem of his pants, helping to drag him in. Sora clambered off his bed, and then Riku helped Tidus to get in. Tidus peered outside.

"Roxas, you stay there, alright?"

"Okeedokee!"

Sora looked at Riku. "So…I know you're hurt, I'm sorry, but…um…"

"We wouldn't know where to look." Tidus said. Riku swallowed.

"Ah…well…i-is someone keeping watch indoors?"

"Yeah, me. You want me to go do that?" Tidus looked around. "He's not coming back, is he?"

"He might…" Riku bit his lip. "Maybe not, but…he might…"

Tidus frowned. Riku was acting a little off. Sora just cocked his head, clueless at the thought, but Tidus shook it out.

"Sure, yeah. I mean, if it makes you feel better. I'll go check it out." Tidus then disappeared to go downstairs. Sora blinked, shifting nervously. He was alone. With Riku. Totally clueless. With a camera.

"…Um…"

Riku cast his eyes to the floor. "The, uh…the basement…I'll show you…"

Sora could only follow doggedly along as Riku showed him to the basement door. Poor guy—he was walking with a definite limp. He wasn't even trying to hide it. And his shirt had streaks of blood, too. God…Ansem must have done a big number on him when he got home. His eyes were so dull today, too. Sora felt so much pity for him. He was actually glad he had agreed to do this. Nobody deserved this kind of treatment.

The silver-haired teen reached for the knob, then stopped. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. Sora glanced at him sideways.

"Riku? Are you okay?"

"Um…" Riku coughed, "Yeah, I…I'm fine." He sighed and opened the door a little quickly, and walked downstairs. Sora continued to follow in his footsteps, descending down into the dark basement floor. When Riku turned on an overhead lamp, Sora gasped audibly.

The place was decked out like a dungeon. There were whips, paddles, all kinds of toys and knives, all of them segregated in sections and lined neatly along the walls—ropes and chains on the walls, bottles of God only knows what—a candelabra, a table of candles, anything tortorous and kinky one could ever imagine. Even themed outfits. For both Riku and Ansem.

Sora turned the camera on, dazed as he took pictures of it all. He couldn't believe all this—he wasn't even aware that half of the stuff down here even existed!

"Oh my God, Riku, this is horrible…how can he do this to you?"

Riku watched as Sora took photos, his eyes glazed over. He was arguing with the Voice again. He clenched the bloodied rag in his pocket, biting his lip. There was something he knew he should do, but he didn't want to do it. He was so scared—so scared.

But Ansem's word was law.

He had an obligation to follow that law.

That is, if he wanted to keep his head on his shoulders.

Roxas checked his watch as the time passed. Five minutes. Damn, it seemed like time slowed to a crawl while this was happening. He sighed and shoved his hand back into his pocket, looking around. He felt so stupid. Stand watch? He wanted to be the one taking the pictures.

And then suddenly he saw it. Roxas frowned, peering around the back of one of the neighboring houses—and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Oh, shit. Oh, FUCK! He's walking around the God damn back!

Roxas clambered panicfully up the ladder and landed with an ungracious series of thumps into Riku's room, and scrambled downstairs like his life depended on it, snatching Tidus from behind.

"Holy Jesus, you scared me!" the fellow blond gasped.

"Ansem's coming home! Right now!"

"WHAT?" Tidus' eyes were as wide as Roxas'. "Why? Why the fuck is he—his car isn't even in the driveway!"

"He's walking! I swear to God, right around back, he's walking here!"

"Go home!"

The both of them stared at Riku. Riku shooed them to the door. "Hurry, before he catches you!"

"But—wait!" Tidus pushed when Riku tried to usher him out. "What about Sora?"

"He's downstairs, still taking pictures. Don't worry, there's a downstairs exit, I'll get him out. Now go!"

They heard a snapping sound outside. Tidus paled.

"Did he just—fuck! That was my Dad's ladder!"

"Get the hell out of here!" Riku pushed both of them hurriedly out and slammed the door shut behind them. Without another word, he whirled around, but he hesitated only for a moment before going downstairs.

At the top of the flight, Ansem watched with expectant hazel eyes.

Good boy, Riku.

Sora was worried. "Riku, what's going on?"

"Ansem's coming home." Riku started to show him to a back part of the basement. "You…you need to get out of here…"

"Already? But I thought he was gone!"

"H-He's—He's not, just…" Riku shook his head. "Just…just go!"

Sora turned around. "Okay, okay, let me turn off the camera!"

It only took him one second to turn his back, but it was all that was needed. Before Sora could protest, he had an arm around his waist and a damp, horrid-smelling cloth clamped over his mouth and nose. Sora cried out and fought, kicking his legs and flailing, prying at Riku's arms, but Riku was the Juggernaut. His strength surpassed Sora's by a mile. The more Sora tried to breathe in air, the more he drank up that terrible smell, and his eyes got heavy fast. Panic dragged him under along with the drug. In seconds, he was limp in Riku's arms.

Riku swallowed and, not sure what else to do, drew back in a half-stunned state and let the unconscious Sora crumple to the floor. He dropped the rag in his hand, staring at what he'd done. What Ansem had made him do.

No, he thought, this was my choice. I listened to him. It's my fault.

But you did it because you had to, said the Voice.

Riku wasn't so sure the Voice was being rational anymore.

Did it really have to go this far?

Ansem smiled wickedly.

Very good boy.

Author's Notes: DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNN. (insert ominous music here)