Though his solitary sentence lasted for another month, Tetsuhiro only stayed there for a few days before the chain-bearing guards returned to his cell. Any other time he wouldn't have been bothered—saying he 'wouldn't mind' was a bit of stretch, considering that his prison experience had slowly made him hate everyone. But this time they'd come during a relatively peaceful period of sleep. He'd even begun to dream of what awaited him. Though calling it a dream was a bit farfetched; rather than a straight progression of events, a few brief images would flash in his head.

Everyone who wasn't from there considered Coal hellish, but the Tombs made hell look like a field full of rainbows and sunshine. Similar to the Pits, the Tombs were regarded as a massive prison district. Difference was, though, that the Tombs weren't for standard criminals. No, they were for those considered too threatening even for the residents of the Pits. He hadn't heard much about the Tombs personally, but through casual eavesdropping, he'd heard a few others describe it as an underground system of tunnel ways so dark that those who lived there went blind. Apparently, even natives of Coal avoided the Tombs like a plague, which also apparently ran rampant in there.

He'd just started visualizing mutations that the wide spectrum of illnesses in the Tombs would've caused when a steel-toed kick to his abdomen jolted him from his analytical sleep.

While they carried chains, Tetsuhiro knew they were only decorative. His actual restraints included the modern black cuffs that he was accustomed to wearing. His wrists weren't going anywhere until they were unlocked or loosened. Even so, a thin strip of metal links connected the two sides of the cuffs together. His ankles held a similar aesthetic, though the cuffs were a bit further spaced in order to keep his feet able to walk.

He shuffled out of his cell at a speed that would've made a crippled snail shake its head in disappointment. The guards were equally annoyed at his pace, but they kept that annoyance sealed within their eyes. Technically it was their fault for the slowness, so technically they couldn't do anything harmful to Tetsuhiro. Though he knew that as well as they did, he was still glad. He knew of more than a handful of guards that worked at the Shithole that easily would've beaten him until he'd moved faster, even though those beatings would just slow them down further. Luckily for him, the guards seemed like relatively reasonable men. As reasonable as his shitty luck would allow him to have, anyway. But as long as he didn't manually fuck himself over, he should've kept himself unharmed.

As was customary for those being transferred to Coal—especially, he assumed, for those going to the Tombs—he had to avoid any and all contact with those not being taken. Naturally, this meant taking an overly complex route consisting of three stairwells, one elevator, and no short of twenty-seven hallways. The route passed by in half an hour's span, twenty minutes longer than it should've taken. Even with his legs restrained, it would've only taken about fifteen. But every time someone approached, the guards had to steer him away. The reason behind the alienation, he never knew. He was sure someone had mentioned it to him before, or at least had spoken of it in his presence, but he didn't recall anything of the sort being said around him. It was probably akin to the reason why most guards covered their faces, whether partially or entirely. Full of points and meanings, but at the same time pointless and meaningless.

When they finally did reach the side yard, separated from the main one by a walled concrete pathway, Tetsuhiro was ready to harm the guards with much, much more than just a rock in many, many more places than just the eyes. But if he did, he'd probably meet a fate similar to the one he currently wished upon those who'd escorted him.

Four others stood in the yard with escorts of their own, each face more bitter and hateful than the last. Ironically, though, the one with the most bitter hatred was the youngest one, probably only eighteen or so. Tetsuhiro furrowed his brow. What was a kid like him doing in a group of prisoners going to the Tombs?

Then it clicked in his head. They weren't all going to the Tombs. Perhaps one or two of them were, Tetsuhiro included, but not all of them. They were probably Pit-goers. Taking a mixed group to Coal rather than making two trips. Smart, he supposed.

The guards loaded the five prisoners into the back of a truck that looked like it was supposed to haul crates. Tetsuhiro went on third, and before the fourth one could even think of stepping into the unit, three more sets of restraints covered him, one for his head and the others for each of his arms and legs. The same went for the fifth one. He assumed that they were also Tomb-goers, and dangerous ones at that.

No benches resided within the cubical unit, simply cold metal that would undoubtedly hurt his back after any journey that lasted longer than half an hour. Based on his ominous the bang following the door's closing sounded, he assumed it'd be for awhile.


And what a while it was.

Being in solitary for so long had sharpened his time-telling abilities, especially in dark areas. He'd estimated that a day had passed since their departure—which had taken place about an hour after their entrance on the truck—and that no less than half of his muscles would ache the next time that he used them. But at the moment, future aches were the furthest thing from his thoughts.

He had to escape. Whether by force or aversion, he had to escape the hell he was being driven to. Even if the Tombs turned out to be exaggerated, nothing that included the words "underground tunnel system" excited him. He wasn't particularly fond of Coal, either—hell, he wasn't even fond of going back to his life in Diamond. He couldn't handle all the emotions associated with that place. Besides, he'd just be thrown back into prison after being found out. If possible, he hated the idea of living in fear of being discovered even more than going back to people who probably hated him—or at least didn't want to associate with him anymore.

And so, escape was an oasis in a world of deserts.

Force was the first approach he could take. The truck stopped periodically, about every four hours to rest. Having a bunch of piss and shit piling up in a small metal box wouldn't be desirable. Eventually the smells would waft outside, and eventually the drivers and small force of accompanying guards would be assaulted by the putrid odors. To them the prisoners meant nothing, but as soon as they started suffering personally, they'd start to care just a little bit more.

Among them in the unit were three guards, present to keep the two prisoners with more than just arm and leg restraints that way. They were his route out of here, out of the Tombs. They could give him an opportunity to leave, somehow blending into Coal, at least for a short period of time. Maybe he could even reestablish himself in Diamond, too. Not for awhile, though. Not until people had wiped his name from their minds. But that was only if he was smart about it. The wrong words to the wrong bastard could fuck him over harder than the gayest of all gays. He needed to pick out the right one, and as far as he knew, he had two options: a likeminded guard or a stupid guard. The former were practically unheard of in Diamond, too brainwashed by policies and politics to have opinions of their own. But the latter…

He hadn't been with them all that long, but Tetsuhiro knew enough about the guards with them. The three of them were aged around thirty, forty, and sixty. Each held the same hateful expression, just with less wrinkles, and though he was probably imagining it, each of them seemed to direct those gazes at him. Nothing would help him that they could provide, unless one of them ended up being gay or bi or something like that. But based on how they described fucking various women, whore or not, in almost gruesome detail, his chances seemed low. That left the drivers, and he doubted that he'd even see them, let alone persuade one.

Abruptly the truck stopped, and everyone looked to the door. The metal sheet pulled open to reveal who Tetsuhiro assumed was a driver. He was masked, so the only visible features were his eyes. Probably just a generic thirty-something.

And then he spoke.

"Sorry to startle you." His voice was higher pitched, but it still had a masculine tone to it. It took every fiber of his being to keep from smirking.

"Why did we stop?" the forty-year-old growled, annoyance grating his already gruff tone.

"We've reached Edgex," he replied.

Now the smirk was even harder to repress. The port city on Diamond's northern coast was the biggest of its breed in Dyamondix. Darkness filled the skies outside the truck, and stars opened their little eyes to peer down into the world. They were probably stopping somewhere until the night ended, and the moment the sun rose, they'd be boarding a ship bound for Coal.

His guessing skills had probably been dulled along with all feeling in his ass, for the guards rose for an announcement that didn't include his hypothesis. "We'll be boarding a ship destined for Coal in about half an hour," the sixty-year-old said. "Each of you will be accompanied by one of us. Make any moves and you will receive punishment."

As he rose to his feet, Tetsuhiro felt his heartbeat race. A ship ride to Coal only took about three hours. He had to think of something, and fast.


Fate had kept its fingers up Tetsuhiro's ass for the past few months, but at least now it was hitting the right spot. The ship they'd boarded was a small vessel, but it was large enough for every prisoner to have their own room, which consisted of a simple bed and single chair. Of course, they couldn't go unattended, so a guard was paired up with each of the five. Tetsuhiro's 'supervisor' was the young driver whom the others had called Yuon. An odd name, but a little thought had made it clear that it was a combination of the words 'young' and 'one.' Either that or his parents had been an eccentric lot. He looked around twenty or so, but he had features that belied that probable age. At least, that's what his eyes said.

But he couldn't act just yet. No, he had to wait. Even if Tetsuhiro managed to successfully threaten him now, there was still quite a ways to go until they reached Coal, and Tetsuhiro wasn't an excessively strong swimmer. He'd either be caught or dead before he could even think about swimming to Coal.

So he waited, not for a little bit of time, but for about a day. That was about how long it took them to get to the port. It would've taken a few hours, but they were on a little vessel about two centuries outdated. For the most part it was uneventful, with Tetsuhiro and Yuon sitting in relative silence throughout the journey. But halfway through the day, he decided to spark up some conversation.

"So," Tetsuhiro began. "how was driving?" It was a bit late to ask, but he couldn't think of anything else to say at the moment.

Yuon had to have thought the same, for the glance he gave him wasn't solely of interest. But it wasn't solely of confusion, either. "Not all that bad. Boring, mostly. Why do you ask?"

It took him a moment, but he managed to unlock the door leading to his darkly seductive side, previously hidden behind more barriers than he could count. "Well, naturally one's to be concerned whenever such a pretty face looks so tired."

He blinked at his words. "What?"

"You heard me. I think you're pretty."

Though the lower half of his face was still masked, Tetsuhiro could see the redness creeping up onto his cheeks. "Uh…thank you…?"

Tetsuhiro smiled. "Why so hesitant? It's not like I'm exaggerating." His head tilted to the side. "Or is it something different? Like...maybe you're taken already?"

"N-No, I'm not. I've just...never been complimented like that from someone like you before."

"Someone like me? What do you mean? A prisoner?"

"Ah...well, that's not what I meant, but yes."

Oh...this guy was still closeted. Had to be. No out-and-about gay would be so hesitant about a compliment, from a prisoner or not. At least, not the ones that Tetsuhiro had encountered, and he'd encountered enough gays in his life to open a zoo with.

Oh, this is too damn fun, he thought.

For the next half of the day, the banter continued. Mostly it had switched to casual talk, but Tetsuhiro managed to slip a few flirtatious comments in here and there. Each one didn't go unnoticed, often resulting in a little smile or giggle or even a blush. Tetsuhiro found himself smiling throughout as well, though for quite different reasons. Fate was a bitch and a slut and a shitbag, but she could also be wonderful, too, and in this situation, she was just that: wonderful. She'd put him with the most oblivious, innocent guard there was. How he'd even managed to become a guard was completely beyond Tetsuhiro's level of comprehension. Then again, he didn't really need to comprehend it. Not whenever it wasn't necessary.

Night rolled around a few hours later, just like how Yuon and Tetsuhiro rolled around atop the room's bed. The latter's shirt was off, and the former's was getting there. Currently Tetsuhiro had his tongue practically shoved down Yuon's throat, eliciting creamy moans from his 'receiver's' mouth. For being closeted, he was very open about his voice. Perfect in so many ways. He'd almost regret not taking Yuon.

Almost.

Reaching down, Tetsuhiro slipped his hand into the guard's unzipped pants. Still fucking his throat with his tongue, Tetsuhiro trailed his fingers almost lazily up and down Yuon's member. His moans grew louder, and to add authenticity Tetsuhiro allowed a little one of his own to escape. Before he died on the inside, he was a rather vocal lover during sex, but at the moment that audibility was nowhere to be found. Hell, before his inner-death he'd probably go the entire way with his naive little guard. But now the thought of anything past this was sickening. Well, no, that wasn't right. He wasn't sickened by this—just unenthused.

Tetsuhiro pulled his lips away from Yuon's. The young guard still tilted his head back, his eyes shut, an admittedly delicious expression on his face. Tetsuhiro watched with narrowed eyes, but his gaze was more thoughtful than aroused. He looked lost, but not that lost. It was as if he was in a thick forest and had come upon a sign that vaguely gave directions to different destinations. But for this to work properly, he'd have to be completely and hopelessly dependent on Tetsuhiro.

His tongue darted out to lap over Yuon's throat. The guard cried out, arching his back off the bed.

Not enough. Not yet.

His tongue ran down Yuon's neck, not stopping until he hit the right nipple. At the hardened point of flesh, he nibbled. Another loud moan drifted out from his mouth.

Getting closer.

He sucked harder on the nipple. Yuon's body spasmed, and his moans grew in noise level.

Almost there…

His teeth clamped down on the hardened tip just enough to keep from pain. Another spasm, stronger this time, followed by a, "M-Morinaga...!"

Right there.

The hand on Yuon's member tightened to an excruciating hold, and not an arousing one. Before Yuon could scream—and god, he would—Tetsuhiro clamped a hand over his mouth. No need for the others to get woken up.

Tetsuhiro leaned down, his own eyes narrow as he gazed into the terrified orbs of Yuon. Slowly he saw realization trickle in, and he couldn't help but smirk. "You're going to be an obedient little shit, all right?" he whispered. When Yuon did nothing, his eyes narrowed further. "Right?"

Yuon winced and nodded hurriedly.

Tetsuhiro softened his gaze a bit. "Good. Now, you listen. And do it well. You're going to stay here, in this room, while I escape. Once I'm gone, the others will notice. You will not say anything; you will not know anything. You will make up an excuse. Maybe my cuffs weren't on tight enough. That sounds pretty believable. Am I clear?"

He nodded again in the same fashion, and even more fear filled his gaze.

"All right. I'm going to let you go. And if you scream, I will rip your dick off and choke you with it."

He pulled his hand away, and just as he'd expected, Yuon did nothing. Smirking wider than before, Tetsuhiro approached the window. It wasn't an overly-large pane, but it was big enough for him to fit through. He opened the window as wide as it would go, and with a deep breath of the salty air, he leapt into the dark waters below.