"Are you okay?" Kazuya asked, heart in his throat, as he crouched down beside Sawamura who was slowly pushing himself up; face towards the ground with the fringe of his hair blocking Kazuya's view. Droplets of blood steadily drip down to create a splotch of crimson on the concrete. Kazuya raised a hand to brush the hair out of his way so he could assess the damage; however, the sudden contact must have startled Sawamura as he whipped his head towards him, only to sigh quietly in relief upon setting sights on Kazuya. In return, Kazuya had to fight back the urge to take the pipe to the man's face once more upon seeing the damage done to Sawamura. Already, his right eye was beginning to swell and will probably be completely swollen shut in the following hours as well as several shades darker. Again, blood flowed from Sawamura's nose that led to even more concern about it being broken after the close call prior. And lastly, hidden underneath the blood that smeared across his mouth and down his chin, was a gnarly gash at the left corner of his bottom lip.

Kazuya was furious.

"I'm fine…"Sawamura managed to mumble weakly, belatedly, after processing that Kazuya had asked him a question. It was an obvious lie; one that Sawamura himself couldn't have believed, but it was so ingrained at this point for them to put up a front, that it became a knee-jerk response. Kazuya was guilty of it, too.

"Can you walk?" Kazuya hesitantly asked. Unfortunately, no matter how much he wanted to allow Sawamura a chance to rest or to even wait for his nose to stop bleeding, they didn't have the time. They couldn't stick around longer than absolutely necessary. There was no telling how long they had before their kidnapper woke up, and the more distance they put between them, the better.

"Yeah," Sawamura replied much more steadily this time. Kazuya grabbed his bicep and slowly helped him to his feet. A hiss of discomfort passed through Sawamura's teeth while his free hand quickly clutched at his ribs, the same side Kazuya had seen the man kick. "Ow," he gritted out breathlessly. Kazuya leaned down to squint at the small space of skin he could see peeking between Sawamura's fingers, but it was hard to say what was the beginning of a bruise or what was a shadow; and Kazuya wasn't going to try and pry Sawamura's hand away for a closer look, not here, at least.

"We need to go," Kazuya urged as he placed a hand on Sawamura's shoulder to help steady him; earning him a simple nod in response. Kazuya's eyes drifted over to the table, where the bastard's camera had been set; off and not yet positioned for whatever he had planned for them. Without a second thought, he reached down to pick it up. It would serve as some hard evidence against the man other than the wounds on their bodies and verbal statements. He just hoped the footage was still on the camera and had not yet been removed for space or something. Either way, it was coming with them.

Gently, Kazuya lifted Sawamura's arm around his shoulders to support him while Kazuya slinked his own under Sawamura's ribs; careful of the tenderness there. He steered them around the kidnapper's body and towards the door before Kazuya came to an abrupt halt; causing Sawamura to peer up at him curiously. At a glance backward, he found the pipe he had discarded when he went to check on Sawamura. His eyes darted between it and the man until he quickly made up his mind. Just as carefully, Kazuya released Sawamura, and upon seeing that his legs weren't about to give out beneath him, Kazuya handed the camera over for Sawamura to take.

"I'll be right back," Kazuya assured as he swiftly backtracked to reclaim the pipe from where he had left it. It may come in handy in the off chance the man woke up soon to pursue them; as well as the fact that they did not know what they were even about to walk out into once they stepped foot through the door. So having a weapon seemed abundantly beneficial as opposed to leaving empty-handed. Kazuya just hoped he wouldn't have to utilize it again.

Kazuya returned to Sawamura's side while the latter stared at the blood-speckled pipe with a hard-eyed gaze; the camera clutched firmly in his hands as if he were afraid he would accidentally drop it and potentially destroy any concrete evidence it may contain. Kazuya didn't think a fall would make the footage unobtainable, or even corrupt it, but he understood Sawamura's concern nonetheless. As far as they were aware, Sawamura was currently holding the only captured proof of what had been done to them. And while they don't need it with the physical evidence marked on their bodies, it would save them from having to describe the events in detail. There was also the very small chance that people may not even believe them. Though, that could just be caused by Kazuya's newfound paranoia. The entire kidnapping has been outlandish, that he fears people would accuse them of over-exaggerating their time in captivity. Not that he necessarily cares if people believe him or not, but on top of everything, he wouldn't want to deal with people pointing fingers and coming to their own assumptions. Even the thought alone was enough to annoy him.

However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, part of Kazuya doesn't even want the events to spread wide enough for people to speculate on. Being in the news due to his prowess in baseball was one thing, but to be featured alongside a kidnapping was another. And if those came together, then Kazuya knows everything else that he had been known for would be swept aside and replaced with "victim". He didn't want his face and name to only be associated with being held captive for however long it has been.

It would be so much better if this had all been some long, horrific nightmare.

Though, they had to actually safely escape before he could be concerned about any of that.

Sawamura rejected Kazuya's assistance the second time; claiming, insisting rather, that he was well enough to walk on his own, that they would be able to move faster if Kazuya wasn't supporting both of them. "Besides, you're currently blind. If you trip, you'll only take us both down," Was Sawamura's snarky excuse. And while all of those were valid points, Kazuya couldn't help but feel that they weren't the sole reason he denied the help. Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury to sit and pick at the inner workings of Sawamura's brain, so Kazuya could only silently vouch to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't end up pushing himself too far. Something he was regularly used to doing during matches.

With pipe in hand, Kazuya pulled the heavy, steel door open, pleasantly surprised to find that the man had yet to relock it, and slipped out into the straight, dimly lit pathway beyond. On the opposite end, he could see the start of a staircase that would lead them up and hopefully out of this place. They walked fast, running strictly on adrenaline; it would be best for them to conserve what little energy they had for when it inevitably faded, and who knew if or when they would need a sudden burst of strength next.

Kazuya made Sawamura climb the steep incline of the stairs first, not trusting how long he would be able to stay upright. He survived the short journey down the hall just fine, but Kazuya wasn't going to take any chances. And at least this way, if Sawamura did fall, Kazuya would be there to catch him, or more likely, cushion his landing. Already, Kazuya could feel the burn in his legs from the strenuous act of walking up a flight of stairs after going so long with little to no exercise. By the time they reached the top, where another metal door resided, they were both winded and breathing hard. Sawamura didn't hesitate to pull the handle, which resisted the movement momentarily before fully, and loudly, turning. It took Sawamura's entire body weight to push the door open with a squeal from its rusted hinges, only for a frigid draft to greet them.

Instantaneously, goosebumps broke out across Kazuya's body, making Kazuya hyper-aware of their lack of clothing. The sudden drop of temperature was, in and of itself, telling on how long they had been held captive as the incident had occured at the tail-end of summer, which meant it had to be somewhere between mid-autumn or the beginning of winter. Meaning they had been trapped in this hell for at least over a month; possibly even more since Kazuya couldn't be positive of the timeframe. Honestly, it felt a whole lot longer as each passing day seemed to drag by. But now they were so close to freedom.

They stepped over the threshold and directly into the outside world; feet crunching the dead foliage that carpeted the ground of the forest they found themselves in. The only other sound came from the cold breeze that rustled golden leaves that still stubbornly clung to the branches. Nothing that suggested civilization nearby. Through the gaps that revealed slivers of gray sky, Kazuya could only guess it to be late afternoon to early evening, which meant they needed to get a move on before it grew too dark and too cold. However, it was nearly impossible to judge which way would lead them out or further into the woods. Kazuya glanced backward to the door they had exited from. It must have been a bunker at one point but has since been repurposed for their kidnappers' sick desires. Though, if that were the case, then it would make sense that heading straight from the door would be the fastest way out since a bunker was typically used for shelter; so why construct it so far from civilization that access would be arduous in a state of emergency? At least, that was Kazuya's thinking. The bunker had clearly been built several decades ago, and things have surely changed since then. But it was the only thing to go off of, and they didn't have the time nor strength to wander aimlessly. Kazuya couldn't guarantee that they would survive the night if the temperature drops dramatically.

Kazuya urged Sawamura into a light jog as they began their journey through the forest, with the goal of warming their bodies up with some exercise. If they dragged their feet now, the chill would stiffen their limbs and slow them down. It was surprisingly easy to ignore the sharp pain from branches or rocks under his bare feet, and he could only assume it was thanks to the cold that was numbing the ache, that surely, he would feel later.

As they jogged, Kazuya made sure to check on Sawamura often out of his peripherals. So far, he had been keeping up pretty well, but he slowly began to lag slightly behind. Kazuya discreetly altered his own pace so that Sawamura wouldn't feel the need to pick up the pace, especially if it meant that he would force himself to overcompensate. Kazuya was inwardly debating on whether they should stop and rest, and how he should word it to make it appear that he didn't suggest it for Sawamura's sake. He knew Sawamura well enough that if Kazuya even hinted that it was for him; he would fight Kazuya tooth and nail, only to continue on regardless of what Kazuya had to say until he collapsed. He could always mention it was for both of their sake since Kazuya wasn't necessarily faring any better; however, unlike Kazuya, Sawamura went toe-to-toe with the psycho. During most of the scuffle, Kazuya had his back towards them, so he was oblivious to how violent the man got with Sawamura. He only knows the end result.

Abruptly, with a small noise of surprise, Kazuya witnessed Sawamura pitch forward, about to plummet headfirst to the ground, but thankfully, Sawamura just barely stumbled to catch himself before he made contact with the earth. On Kazuya's part, he came to a halt and wheeled around to check on Sawamura, who was now staring unfocused at a spot on the forest floor. The hazy look in Sawamura's eyes was enough to cause Kazuya's blood to run cold. "Did you hit your head?!" Kazuya asked in a rush as he lifted Sawamura's chin to force eye contact.

"I didn't even fall," Sawamura sighed indignantly. Kazuya was only slightly relieved to watch the film retract from Sawamura's eyes, to be replaced with exhausted irritation.

"Not now, idiot," Kazuya grit out; it took a lot of effort to restrain himself from shaking Sawamura, "Back there; when you charged the guy!" When he was only met with silence, Kazuya could feel anger begin to boil low in his gut. Whether it was directed at Sawamura for not telling him, or if it was aimed at himself for not even considering it; he wasn't sure. He recalls the loud thump as Sawamura hit the ground and gritted his teeth at the memory.

"...I don't remember." Sawamura eventually responded; eyes drifting to somewhere over Kazuya's shoulder. The pause itself told Kazuya all he needed to know.

"Goddammit, Sawamura!" Kazuya growled; though despite the heat in his tone, he gently carded his hands through Sawamura's hair until he landed on a spot on the left side of his head that caused Sawamura to flinch. "Sorry," he apologized, but continued until he came across a large bump. The guilt that reflected in Sawamura's eyes was enough to make Kazuya feel like he kicked a puppy and extinguish his building ire. With a slow breath in to calm himself, he asked, "Do you need to take a break?"

"No!" Sawamura responded immediately; the determined heat replaced the guilt, in stark contrast to the violent shivers that began to wrack his frame. Kazuya, too, now that they were no longer moving. "I can continue," He stated resolutely, "I can take a break when we are out of here." In any other situation, Kazuya would fight him on this until he caved and sat his ass down, but with the chill and their limited time, moving would be their best option.

"Okay, but you'll tell me immediately if you start feeling worse," Kazuya conceded.

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" Sawamura complied with a salute. Kazuya shook his head fondly as he reached out to entwine their fingers to continue at a slower pace, hand-in-hand.


They walked for some time, making small talk through the chattering of their teeth. At their pace, they weren't generating enough heat to counterbalance the increasing cold, and eventually, as the adrenaline had long since worn off, the exhaustion quickly set in, and their lack of strength became abundantly clear. As the sky slowly grew darker, their attempts at conversation trailed off with the urgency that came with it. Kazuya had been toying with the idea of taking a break to rest, to share body heat before they needed to add hypothermia to their ever-growing list of injuries, but never got around to voicing it out loud. Each time he tried, he would think about the consequence of Sawamura falling asleep. Sleeping when their bodies were this cold was dangerous itself, but if Sawamura was concussed on top of that, then it could be fatal for him. So he kept his mouth shut, even if their feet were dragging more and more with each passing minute.

Eventually, Kazuya could barely make out a break in the tree line by the lack of long, vertical splotches that indicated tree trunks. It was enough to give him a small boost of energy that helped propel his legs further and drag Sawamura, protest-free, with him. His heart was racing against his ribcage as they finally broke out of the forest, only for a high-pitched screech to assault their ears. Kazuya's head whipped to the side to spy a couple, linked at the arm. The woman, and the source of the scream, was clinging to the male with wide eyes. The boyfriend appeared to be silently shocked at their appearance, and Kazuya belatedly remembered that they were stark naked, and they had, assumingly, just burst into this couple's late-night walk through what must have been a park trail. He conveniently forgot that on top of their nudity, they were covered in blood and injuries; and that he was holding a pipe speckled with more blood.

The following events that happened blurred in a rush of movement from the couple. At some point, the boyfriend stripped his jacket off his back and instructed his girlfriend to do the same before he draped the warmed clothing around his and Sawamura's shoulders. The boyfriend stood close by looking concerned and uncomfortable while the woman stayed at a distance, back towards them with a phone held up to her ear. Sawamura's legs had finally given out and Kazuya helped to settle him into the grass, where he sat with his knees up with camera clutched in his hands; gaze distant. Kazuya couldn't bring himself to seat himself by Sawamura, and instead remained standing with his fist practically frozen around the pipe. He couldn't quite fight the feeling that they weren't safe yet; and with a sudden shiver that wasn't caused by the cold, Kazuya craned his head around to peer into the trees behind them, half expecting to see their kidnapper lingering in the shadows. Even though he didn't see anything, he could still feel the unease tighten his nerves.

"Were you followed?" The boyfriend hesitantly asked, as if he didn't want to know, but felt like he needed to. Kazuya was surprised they hadn't asked them more questions, or maybe they did, but Kazuya doesn't remember.

"...No," Kazuya replied after a pause. He didn't know if they had been or not, but the fear in the man's eyes had Kazuya fudging the truth to at least ease someone's nerves, if not his own. Their little group fell into silence until the sound of sirens off in the distance broke the hush.