"I guess what scares me the most now is the thought that I won't be able to protect you"
― Julia Hoban, Willow
Chapter 20
For a while, they both stood there in tense silence; Mr. Aizawa was dimly aware of a beat of sweat running down his cheek. A sudden urge to cough rose in him and he did his best to keep it down. Any sudden movement and that knife would pierce his throat. He had no choice. He had to tell him; otherwise he'd never get to see his wife and child after all this time.
"Very well," Komaeda said as Mr. Aizawa felt him tense for a final thrust of the knife into his jugular vein.
"Wait! The third gymnasium, that's where she is," Mr. Aizawa managed to respond barely able to move his mouth.
Instead of letting him go, he felt more pressure being applied to the knife. Mr. Aizawa couldn't help it, he whimpered. He knew what was coming and closed his eyes only to blink in surprise when Komaeda's hand suddenly fell away. He spun around only to stop at the knife, no a scalpel, in front of his face.
"As much as I'd love to kill you right here and now, I know Naegi wouldn't want that." Komaeda said as he eyed him with barely restrained fury. "Take off your tie."
Mr. Aizawa blinked. "My tie?"
Komaeda's eyes narrowed and he raised the scalpel higher. "Now."
Mr. Aizawa lifted both hands in a pacifying manner before he began to undo the tie around his neck before he handed it over.
With remarkable skill, Komaeda soon had Mr. Aizawa's hands tied behind his back with his tie. Komaeda gave an experimental tug of the tie to show that he wasn't going to untie those knots anytime soon before Komaeda took out his phone and hit him at the back of the head so hard that Mr. Aizawa collapsed on his knees before he went down on the floor.
Komaeda took hold of his ankles and dragged his behind one of the big trashcans so he wouldn't be easily seen.
As his consciousness began to fade, he could barely see Komaeda Nagito sneer at his collapsed form before he began to turn away, but not before he said something else. "This is why I absolutely hate talentless people."
Everything went dark.
Naegi could still hear people screaming in the distance as she made her way through the gym and to one of the doors that was inside. She took out Mr. Aizawa's keys and fumbled for the right one; after the third one the lock finally clicked and she struggled to open the door. It was heavy but after a bit of pushing she finally had it open. As it began to close, Naegi looked around the room and quickly hauled a semi-heavy box and placed it on the door. Satisfied that it would hold, Naegi turned and looked at her surroundings.
There were a few lights in the room but they were flickering, covering the room in half-light. There were rows and rows of shelves containing all kinds of things that Naegi didn't have the time to properly explore.
As she began to move down the five steps it would take to reach the floor, she noticed some light switches on her right. She flipped them up only to jump in surprise as the lights overhead exploded, sending tiny shards to the floor and enveloping the room in darkness.
Well crap, now it was going to take longer for her to find the fire extinguishers.
Naegi went up to the first row of shelves and began her search.
She ran a finger over the shelves and let out a sigh. More uniforms. The other shelf had textbooks and the one before that had white boards.
A faint, distant click echoed in the dark to her right, and Naegi lifted her head, scanning the darkness for any signs of movement.
Naegi frowned and wished she had her phone with her, at least the device would help illuminate the place better.
She scanned the darkness around her again and loosened a breath before making her way over to another shelf.
It was probably just a mouse. The thought made her cringe, even though she'd seen a few mice with Tanaka, the things still made her jumpy.
She moved to another shelf.
Pencils.
Next.
Toilet paper.
Next.
Test tubes.
Naegi was seriously starting to suspect that there were no fire extinguishers here.
Another click sounded-this time from her left. Closer now than that earlier one had been.
She found herself going still as she stared into the darkness on her left. The hairs on her arm rose as she looked to her right, if she squinted she could see the open door where she'd come from.
She strained her ears to hear anything else but there was only silence.
Naegi bit her lip.
Idiot.
She'd been an idiot to come alone.
Even if she tried to scream for help, no one would be able to hear her.
Her phone had been taken too.
She was on her own.
The scrape of shoes had her pausing her rant.
There was that prickling feeling again.
Naegi hurried her pace.
And heard it again-the steps behind.
Her mouth went dry and she put a hand on her heart to stop her thundering heart.
You have your weapons a voice murmured in her ear.
In her head.
Munakata. This was Munakata Kyosuke's voice in her head.
She recalled the conversation she'd had with the man just hours ago.
If I'm not there, I want you to use those weapons. And if those fail, you know how to defend yourself. The Ultimate Martial Artist as well as the Ultimate Soldier and I myself have trained you. You're going to be fine.
Naegi's hand went to her back where her stun gun was placed behind her ribbon and gripped it with both hands in front of her.
She loosened another breath before she started inching her way to the door.
She desperately hoped that the box she'd placed on the floor was still holding the door open.
She moved to another shelf and crouched next to it.
Both sides were clear, and Naegi made to stand and head to the door when she noticed a man step in front of the door, effectively blocking her path.
Shit.
She didn't recognize this man.
He had a big build though.
Then again, it was pretty dark in here, but judging from the steel she saw in his hand, he was not friendly. Was that a knife?
Naegi inched herself away from the door and moved silently away.
The sounds of footsteps were heard again.
There was someone else here.
Naegi debated whether she should go make a run for the door or deal with the person who was walking around the shelves.
Decision made, Naegi turned towards the guy at the door when a hand clamped down on her mouth. Naegi's eyes widened and she was about to jam her elbow into her captors face when she heard a familiar voice.
"Shh, it's okay Naegi."
Naegi's eyes widened and she turned her head to see Komaeda Nagito behind her.
Komaeda put his hand down and brought a finger to his mouth.
Be quiet.
Naegi nodded.
Komaeda gave her a small smile and pointed at somewhere far from their position.
Naegi followed his finger and squinted.
Was that a door at the back? How had she not noticed that?
Komaeda made another gesture and Naegi nodded.
Komaeda threw something in the opposite direction and waited as the person walking around the shelves paused and made his way over to check out the noise.
The man guarding the door tensed and looked in the direction the noise had come from as well.
As quietly as they could, Komaeda and Naegi started inching their way to the door at the back.
On the way there, Komaeda quietly took a few items from the shelves as he led her along, showing her where to step to avoid making any loud noises. She hadn't noticed that there were things on the floor until he pointed it out.
Almost there.
Naegi breathed through her nose, out through her mouth. She desperately hoped that Togami and the others were far away from the explosions.
That Munakata had gotten to Yukizome in time.
Komaeda linked his hand with hers and led her into the dark.
Naegi relaxed just a bit.
They inched along in silence for untold minutes.
So far so good Komaeda thought.
The door finally came into view and Komaeda inched forward to turn the knob. Nothing happened.
Komaeda frowned.
Naegi looked behind them. "Komaeda, hurry."
Komaeda turned the knob again but the door refused to open.
He let out a tiny curse.
Figures his bad luck would choose to rear its ugly head when they were so close to getting away.
Komaeda had studied the schools blue prints the first week he started attending Hope's Peak Academy. He'd come to explore the headmasters office in the middle of the night when he noticed the safe behind one of the painting there. As soon as he placed his hand on it, the safe had opened automatically and Komaeda had taken out the various things inside. The blue prints being one of the items.
He was pretty sure this door led outside. It was a shortcut for the janitors to quickly get inside. He figured it would be open; no such luck. Komaeda let out another curse and Naegi turned in his direction.
"What is it?" she whispered.
He gestured at the knob.
Naegi frowned before she put her stun gun on the floor and pulled a set of keys from behind her back.
"Maybe these will help." She said as she handed him the keys.
Komaeda grinned before he took the keys from her hand and pinched her cheek. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"
Naegi flushed and pointed at the knob.
Komaeda gave her a smirk before he started inserting random keys into the keyhole. There were about fifteen keys in here; surely one of these must work.
"Well," said a voice a few feet away from them, "Aren't you two resourceful."
The words echoed down the storage area and Komaeda and Naegi tensed before they slowly turned around.
The man in front of them was tall, with big biceps and a hard muscled body. Komaeda squinted, was that a crooked nose?
Komaeda placed himself in front of Naegi as they both made to stand slowly. He assessed his surroundings; the man blocking the door turned in their direction and smirked.
Komaeda sized up the odds. A man blocking the door, armed with a knife, the man with the crooked nose a few feet in front of them whom was clearly strong judging by his hard muscled body, and then there was he and Naegi.
He still had the scalpel he'd taken from the nurses office when he had to go in there when a few kids had tripped on him in the haunted house causing his nose to start bleeding.
Hinata and Chiaki had wanted to come with him to get it checked out but he had said he'd be fine. The nurse hadn't been there when he arrived so he had just sat there with his head tipped back when the first explosion sounded.
Komaeda had gotten to his feet and rushed to the cabinet to look for a weapon before he made his way outside.
Something told him that Naegi was in trouble.
There was another explosion and Komaeda began pushing people aside as he took out his own phone and dialed his friend's number.
There was no answer so he kept calling as he ran around the school until he heard the sound of Naegi's ringtone behind the schools building were he had heard the last snippets of conversation that Mr. Aizawa made on his own phone.
He had Naegi's phone gripped in his other hand and Komaeda saw red.
The rest as they say was history.
Naegi lifted her chin and took a small step forward and said to the man standing in front of them, her voice steady "What do you want?"
The man angled his head, causing his long hair to drape over his shoulder. "You."
Komaeda almost stumbled at the word.
Naegi stiffened and Komaeda narrowed his eyes at the man. He'd promised Byakuya that he would keep her safe in his absence, and he wasn't about to fail now.
The man wrapped his arms around himself and let out a laugh that sounded more like a wheeze and said, "You have no idea what we have planned for you. I've been waiting patiently like I've been told and now the time has come." He stretched a hand to her, "Now come. If you come willingly, I won't have to hurt you. Resist and," he shrugged and smiled," Well it'll be fun for me."
The man blocking the door spoke up, "It's not like you'll be alone either. You'll have plenty of friends waiting for you."
Komaeda shot Naegi a warning glance.
Saw the hesitation in her eyes.
The man had pretty much confirmed that the other girls were still alive.
Naegi desperately wanted to save them; he could see it in her eyes.
She probably could.
It was in her nature.
She was Hope.
It was hope that stood behind him, he'd been searching so long for hope and now that he had finally found it all he wanted to do was protect it.
Protect her.
Naegi steadied herself, "Why do you want me? What makes me so special?"
The man let out a massive sigh and placed his hands on his hips, "Because you're hope. You meet all the requirements that my master wishes. With your death, you'll be keeping us healthy and rich for all our lives."
Naegi's hands curled into claws at her side.
She looked to Komaeda, but he was sizing up the distance to the door.
"So," the man took a step forward, "What will it be?"
Komaeda didn't move. But she did.
She took a step to the right and ran towards the man full speed. Komaeda shouted her name but she ignored it as the man reached for her.
She dodged his hands and took out her stun gun before placing it on his groin. The man let out a curse before he fell on the floor twitching.
Naegi winced.
She hadn't meant to stun him there but he was so tall! The groin was the closest thing to her so she stunned him there. The man at the door was coming towards them and Naegi readied herself before Komaeda appeared from her right and threw a shirt at him.
The man flailed his arms and Komaeda took the chance to punch him.
As the man landed on the floor, Komaeda took a hold of her hand and started hauling her to the door.
They only made it three steps before a hand wrapped itself around her ankle and Naegi went down, dragging Komaeda with her.
There was a rip; her dress had torn revealing her right thigh.
The man with the crooked nose had a firm hold on her ankle, his face full of rage as he began to sit up, "You stupid bitch-"
Komaeda shot up and slashed his arm with his scalpel and the man let go with a wince. The other man was getting to his feet.
Komaeda shot Naegi a look over his shoulder. Run.
Naegi opened her mouth to tell him no but he was already facing the two men.
She clenched her teeth and looked to the sides for anything that could be used as a weapon. Naegi saw the small vases in one of the shelves and she ran for them.
As her hand tightened around one of the vases, she whirled back just in time to see the man with a crooked nose pointing a gun at Komaeda.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Naegi threw one of the vases at his hand just as Komaeda rolled to the side, the bullet going upward and hitting one of the remaining light bulbs in the ceiling.
A hiss brought her attention back to Komaeda and Naegi's eyes widened as she saw her friends shoulder bleeding. The other man had engaged him in battle; he had blood on his cheek as well.
Naegi took out her own knife and started heading toward them, only to be intercepted by the man with the crooked nose.
He aimed his gun at her and Naegi rolled to the side only to crouch back and slash at his legs. The man let out a curse and tried to reach for her; Naegi switched to her stun gun and pointed it at his stomach.
The man was cursing up a storm but he didn't go down this time.
A pained yelp made her turn her head to see Komaeda be kicked to the floor by the man he was fighting.
That look cost her and Naegi yelped in pain as something was jammed into her neck and she went down on one knee.
"What," she wheezed, "What did you inject in me?"
The man with the crooked nose smirked as he got to his feet, a syringe clasped in his hand. "Something to make you sleep."
Naegi put a hand to her neck and scowled at him. She was dimly aware of Komaeda shouting her name and she blinked her eyes rapidly to stay awake.
Everything looked distorted.
It was giving her a headache.
As the man with the crooked nose neared her, she swiped his feet from under him and sent him crashing to the floor. The gun in his hand skidded to a stop in front of her and Naegi took it in her hands before she aimed it at the man who was giving her friend trouble.
She pulled the trigger and the man let out a shout as the bullet tore through is leg. Komaeda took the chance to kick him on the chest and the man was sent flying toward the shelves.
Two shelves collapsed on the man and Naegi resisted the urge to go help him.
He'd be okay.
Probably.
Naegi started heading toward her friend when two pairs of arms wrapped around her neck and middle and she dropped the gun to the floor.
The man kicked the gun a good distance away.
"Just give up already," the man snarled in her ear.
Naegi thrashed, but the man held firm.
Too strong, this man was too strong for her.
Komaeda froze, blood spilling from his wound as the man began to inch them toward the door. Whatever was injected in to her was starting to take control; Naegi could barely keep up with the man.
"You can let us go right now or I can kill you boy," the man said softly.
Naegi snarled at him, "Don't you touch him!"
Komaeda froze and debated what to do. Naegi's eyes were starting to droop; he had to get to her before she completely gave in to the drug.
Just as Komaeda began to move, something heavy collided with his head and Komaeda gasped in pain as he went down.
"You guys are taking too long, let's go already!" a voice said from behind him.
Naegi screamed his name and Komaeda struggled to get up. The man who had Naegi pinned to his chest, neared the door and Komaeda's eyes followed them even as a trickle of blood ran down his face.
"Where's Tony?" the newcomer said.
The man with the crooked nose pointed his chin in the direction where his companion had landed.
Naegi was still screaming his name.
He had to get to her.
"Is he dead?" the newcomer asked.
The man with the crooked nose shrugged before he let out a massive sigh and took hold of Naegi's head and slammed it on the wall.
Naegi stopped moving.
Komaeda cursed all kinds of profanity before the newcomer shot at their companion who was slouched in between the shelves before he pointed his gun at Komaeda.
The last thing he saw was Naegi's bloody face as she was draped over the man with the crooked nose's shoulder before he felt sharp pain on his shoulder and his world went dark.
