Ah! The story is almost over guys! You ready for this?
Disclaimers are as usual.
Prince of Tennis: Forgotten Memories
Chapter 6: Revival
Eiji sat on the chair in the darkened room. He didn't know how long he had been there – if it had been a few hours or a whole day. It had seemed like a while. The man had not given him anything to eat or drink. With his metabolism, the acrobat felt hungry and weak. He didn't like this feeling at all.
His arms were tied around to this back. He could reach his phone, but didn't dare try to get it just yet. Like in the game he used to play, he would make his move after his opponent made his play. Many times he had messed up in the game, but he'd recovered.
He'd recovered because of his teammates and friends.
The redhead sighed as he looked down. All three of the former teams had become his friends and he had blown them all off in two years. He felt like a complete jerk. They had stayed with him through everything, even his giving up tennis which tore them all up. He had been a horrible friend the past two years.
Before he could think further, he was disrupted by the sound of a door opening. He looked up as he saw the man enter holding a… A tennis racket? But why? Was he hiding something else?
"I hear tell from the schools that you can't pick up a racket anymore pretty boy… Not with out freaking out anyway…" the man chuckled, "Some even say you don't remember me… Why would they say something like that? Surely that blow to the head didn't make you forget, kitten…"
Something about the nickname 'kitten' caused a shiver to run down Eiji's spine. What had the man done to make him like this?
"You won't get away with this!" the young man cried out, "My friends will find me with cops to help them."
"I'm not going back to that hell-hole," the attacker growled, "and you're going to stay with me, no matter…"
"What… What do you- What are you going to do with that racket?" the redhead wanted to know as the man drew closer.
"I want to see my kitten in pain… I want to enjoy your torture."
EIJI'S POV
Torture? No… No I couldn't let that happen! I didn't want it!
I struggled to get out of the ropes that held me – this guy was good with knots. The only ones who ranked up there with him were Inui and Renji – but that was only because they can calculate just the right amount of knotting that it would take to keep someone tied, just the right tension. This man didn't care how tight he made the knot, as long as it kept me tied. My wrists burned and ached from the tension.
I watched him as he moved behind me. He pressed something into my hand. Something familiar.
The racket grip.
I swallowed as I felt my heart race. My vision blurred. I was gulping down precious air. Had to escape… Had to get free… Had to… Had… to…
My mind filled with visions. My brain pounded, feeling like it was splitting in two. I heard a high-pitch scream as my hearing started to ring. Was it mine? Wasn't sure…
I knew the man was enjoying this. I couldn't focus. I couldn't feel him if he was touching me. My body was numb to all outside sensations.
That when I saw it… Something that I hadn't been sure that I wanted to see. I knew I had to see it though…
FLASHBACK (Normal POV)
"Alright! Ooshitari-Gakuto versus Kikumaru-Oishi!" Yukimura announced from the umpire's chair, "One set mach."
The four players stepped onto the court. They were all smiles because this would be the last time any of them would be playing as opponents in middle school. Even it if was just for fun.
"Think you can pull off synchro? We won't go easy on you," Ooshitari commented.
"No problem!" Eiji grinned, almost bouncing as he walked toward his position. Right at that second he felt a sudden rush of air on his left side, causing him to jump. The sound of something hitting the fence was soon heard.
"What was that?" Ooshitari questioned as he looked to where the fence was shaking. A dark red-splotched tennis ball was stuck in the fence. His eyes widened.
"Kikumaru, move!" Niou shouted, gripping onto the fence.
"Eh? Nani?" the red head questioned, looking at the three teams.
"Eiji, don't just stand there, get out of there!" Fuji yelled, his frightened blue eyes opened to reveal the fear he felt. His best friend was in trouble. He knew what the red-stained tennis ball meant, all of them did.
"What's going o- AH!" Eiji cried as he felt himself get grabbed by the wrist. The grip was tight, close to breaking it.
"My my… what a pretty young thing… You want to play a round of singles with me, kitten?" a voice growled. Eiji looked up to see a gruff man with a roughed up tennis racket in his hand. Fear surged through his entire body.
"Let me go!" Kikumaru yelled, yanking his wrist away and turning his body away.
Bad move.
The man grabbed around Eiji's waist and dragged the acrobat closer to him. He held onto the young tennis player tightly. The redhead swore he heard a rib or two cracking from the pressure.
"Oishi… Help…"
Oishi tried to get closer to the man but was shoved back by his doubles partner's captive. The monster was strong, far stronger than Akutsu of Yamabuki. He would have a bruise where he was hit in the stomach.
"Oishi!" Eiji screamed, fighting against the man's grip. As he did, the redhead was met with a stabbing pain in his lower chest where his ribs had cracked. He started to cough, a taste of copper and iron entering his mouth. It was nasty flavor and he didn't like it one bit. He looked down at his captor's hold, finding that he had coughed on him.
Red tinted the man's sleeves. Eiji winced. He knew what it was.
"Eiji!" he heard Fuji's voice. He finally found a way to slip through the man's arms and did so, though he felt his ankle twist in a way it shouldn't have, spraining it. His hands also met the surface of the court, sliding across to slow him down. He could smell the blood not only from his hands but from his mouth.
"Everyone on the courts, off now!" Genichiro shouted as Gakuto and Ooshitari helped Oishi off. Yukimura had already gotten off the judge's chair and gotten off of the courts.
Eiji tried to get off the courts, but felt the back of his shirt pulled back. He yanked himself away, half cart wheeling half flipping, leaving bloody palm prints on the court. He felt something is his wrist get pulled, causing him to flinch. He finally reached the closed gate.
"Let me out!! Let me out now!!!" he cried, feeling like a lion's prey. He pinned himself against the gate, knowing he'd get out sooner. However he knew that was trapped at the moment as the man drew closer.
Kirihara, seeing this, quickly moved from his spot to open the door. Atobe tried to stop him, but Akaya's eyes turned blood red, not wanting any competition. The Hyotei captain let him go, knowing the price of getting in the way of Akaya's "demon" side.
The Rikkai player quickly opened the door. Eiji fell through, the curly headed boy closing the door after he was out. He didn't notice that the redhead had tripped backward over a stair, his head hitting the edge of another. No one did until –
"Eiji-senpai!"
The harsh cry from Echizen forced heads toward the direction where it came from. The child prodigy was by his fellow starter. Eiji was falling unconscious, his eyes dilating slightly. Blood trickled from his lips as he lay there.
"I-Itai…" was all he was able to cough out before his world went into darkness.
END FLASHBACK (Eiji POV)
My vision slowly cleared. I was breathing in gasps. I felt cold and on my right side there was something hard. I was… on the ground? But… how… Had it happened during…
That's when it hit me.
"Why… Why did you do this?" I hardly recognized my voice. Had I screamed so much that it had gone hoarse like it did? It hurt to even talk, probably from the screaming.
"Aw… still can't remember me?"
I was annoyed. I was scared. I wanted out of there and fast, but I was on the ground still tied to a chair. I was trapped.
"Why did you come back?" I coughed.
"Ah… So kitten does remember me. Now I can have some fun."
My captor left me in the dark, having closed the door behind him. I didn't want to wait any longer. I needed to call someone, had to call someone. If I waited much longer, it would be too late for me.
Then the others would be next.
OISHI'S POV
I was scared. Eiji had been taken from my arms. Not only that, but taken by the man who had hurt him years ago. We would get him back, though… We had to.
A group of us had gathered at Eiji's apartment. We don't know why he didn't tell us he lived with Gakuto, it would have made things so much easier if he had. At least we knew now that he was watched over just incase something happened before.
Inui and Renji, in their data-filled world, had brought their computers to the apartment, as did Niou, Yaguu, and Ooshitari. All five were trying to hack into the communications satellites so that they could easily find Eiji's cell phone. We had contacted the internet company and the police to inform them so that while yes we were being monitored, if we found something we wouldn't have to call the police again to tell them where our friend was.
I was pacing the floor in the apartment kitchen. So I was beyond scared – I was afraid for my friend, my doubles partner. He was away from me and only little trickles came through here and there.
Suddenly, I felt a rush of emotion through our synchro link. I gasped and felt my back hit the fridge of the kitchen. I didn't hear the others calling my name. I was deaf to the world. I don't know how long it was, but it was long enough…
"Oishi, Oishi, come on. Snap out of it." I felt someone shaking me. I blinked a little bit to clear my vision. When had I ended up on the floor?
"Oishi-kun, are you alright?"
Blinking a little more, I saw that Yukimura and Fuji were in front of me. Both were worried it seemed. Had I scared them that much?
"He knows," was all I was able to get out.
Yukimura and Fuji looked at me knowingly. They knew who I meant. It was the only reason for what happened.
A few minutes later I heard someone's phone ring. The song was Ippome by Yellow Cherry. A good song that Eiji would have enjoyed.
"Start the search!" I heard Tezuka and Atobe spoke at the same time. I heard the ticking of fast keystrokes.
"Hello?" It was Gakuto's phone, "Eiji! Oh tha- Eiji, what's wrong with your voice? Are you okay? Oh god, Kikumaru…"
I could hear the pain in his voice as he was talking with my friend – our friend. I swallowed as I realized that everything wasn't okay. That made my resolve even stronger to find him. I couldn't let him down.
"Kikumaru don't… please calm down… Who? Y-Yeah he's here… Sure, just a minute." Gakuto brought the phone over to me. "He wants to talk to you, Oishi."
I reached up a shaky hand and took the phone from him. Placing the phone to my ear, I swallowed softly. "Eiji?"
"Oishi, I'm sorry…" I heard the hoarse voice of my friend from the other end. Oh no, what had the man already done to him? And why… Why did it sound like he was crying?
"Eiji, it's okay. Everything is fine," I tried to reassure him.
"No Oishi… No it's not. I've been horrible these past years… I'm sorry… for everything."
"Damnit, Eiji!" I shouted, causing everyone to just stare at me, "Stop talking like your about to die. We'll get you out of there!"
"GOT IT!" everyone with a computer shouted. I heard a simultaneous three key type. The location was sent to the cops. They'd be there soon.
"O-Oishi… please… let me just talk I need t- oh shit…"
My eyes widened. He sounded panicked now. What was wrong? What was going on?
"Eiji, what's wrong?"
"He's-"
"DAMN BRAT! You're going to give me away! You'll pay for this!"
The man was back and he was angry. I had to keep Eiji on the phone.
"Eiji, hang in there. You're going to be alright."
"Oishi, pl-"
He had been cut off. The man had gotten his phone. I moved the phone out in front of me, just staring at it.
"Oishi," I heard Tezuka's voice. I looked up at him, his eyes stern yet soft through his glasses.
"Get the location… He really is in danger now," I heard myself say.
We'll get you out of there, I thought to myself.
