Spiraling

A metallic clang. A rustle-click of a lock.

In pain and in darkness.

He was lost and could not see.


"A-And then someone knocked...me to the side and…" Loop was crying like she was ready to fill the Dead Sea. She had a bloody and bruised face and was exhausted that evening for having to walk back to the estate all the way from Duela's Keep where she and Yuri had gone to complete errands that afternoon.

Lutz remained silent. Axel did her best to calm her sister down, even if she felt like crying herself.

"Master! What should we do!?" Loop wailed. "The C-Crimson Incarceration took Yuri and he did nothing -hic- wrong!"

Victor remained vacant outwardly, but inside was chaotic

"I-I would've driven back but Y-Yuri told me to run!"

"Anything else?"

She shook her head. "I would've called security, but…"

Humans were dispensable. No one would care. If a human was taken off the streets, it was they were in trouble for something they had committed. No ifs ands, or buts.

"All right. You three take the rest of the day off. I need to think."

Alone. Victor's blood was boiling. He was under house arrest. One foot outside and they'd know about it.

'Looks like we might need to go guns ablaze after all Chris…'

Whoever took Yuri wasn't going to live in his book.


A rustle-click of a lock. A metallic slide.

Pain caused by rough hands pulled and pushed Yuri up and into a cold corner.

"L-Let me go! Who are you?! Where am I-"

No words just action. A strike across the face.

"W-What do you want!?"

Blindfolded, Yuri couldn't see who was attacking him. His wrists were chained in front of him and, he assumed, any trace indicating he was a part of a Nobel household was removed when his jacket was taken, his money and Master permission card needed to be allowed to go out were all taken.

"L-Let me go! I did nothing-"

Another strike across the face.

Yuri continued to fight by kicking, continued asking where he was and who had brought him here until a sure blow to the head and knocked him out.

"Christophe I need you to retrieve Yuri for me. It's already been two days and I can't have him in their hands."

"But it's a prison! A human prison for high felonies. Why would..." The blonde's dual eyes became large.

Victor folded his hands on his desk and remained silent.

The mercenary gritted his teeth. "Some big wig didn't like how Yuri stood up to the ex-Viletto. They're tryin' to frame him, aren't they? Set him as a twisted example."

"Yes…my thoughts exactly."

"If I go after Katsuki where in the world am I supposed to take him?"

"Bring him here."

"But!"

"Either I that or wait until my house arrest is over and pick him up."

"The lad's spunk is being driven out of him in the meantime…" Christophe grumbled. "I still don't like it."

"If I can't make a solid case for my actions in the time you get him out take Yuri to Morja. He'll at least be safer there."

"S-Sir!"

Victor pressed his lips into a hard line but he had to move forward. "If I were the bastard pitted against Yuri I'd also might be the one who sent Leroy after me and didn't like the results. My guess they gave the intel they had with promise of promotion."

"And that intel was provided by the snitch I bet," Chris followed along his eyes grew as it clicked together in his head. "O~h."

"And speaking of sneaky people?"

"I've done some digging. While I have my suspects who might have talked, taking them off the street may prove difficult now that Yuri is gone."

"Your discretion is slipping then."

"Excuse you…but I suppose this will mean I'll have to hit harder won't I?"

Victor gave a dangerous look. "What do you think?"

The tattooed Colbran whistled. "Yes, boss."


"Ugh! Get your hands off of me!"

Hungry, tired, and sore Yuri was, yet again, defending himself in vain.

"Just tell me…what you want!"

No words. Only action.

A metallic clang. A rustle-click of a lock.

Yuri spit out the blood in his mouth. His stomach wouldn't quit growling and Yuri constantly felt the stings and swelling of cuts and bruises.

"Silenced and beaten…Humans will be dogs…" Yuri mumbled his old beliefs while crumpled up on the cold ground. He shook his head. "Victor…I'm trying…"


A rustle-click of a lock.

Yuri had already hope in tracking how many days it has been. The number of times he had heard those sounds were erratic.

A metallic slide.

Yuri scrambled up the best he could and braced himself.

Gentle hands. A fresh cloth.

Confused, he pulled back at first, but the cool compress of the cloth soothed his wounds. He heard swishing water, the sounds of the cloth being rung and then the sensation on his skin. Rinse and repeat.

Next, a smell of a beefy broth filled his senses. He was so hungry he didn't care to consider poison. A rim of a spoon was brought up to his lips. He took what he could while still unable to see.

"W-Who are you?"

Another spoonful. Silence.

"C-Can't you tell me why?"

Another spoonful. Silence.

This repeated until Yuri sensed the person getting back up, still haven't said a word.


"It's been five days, Christophe!" Victor threw a book. "A week! Yuri is feisty, but-!"

The merc ducked. "This kind of operation takes time!" He interrupted. "Can't I just make a report without you losing yer head?!"

"Then report and get back to it!"

"Seriously, what about Yuri makes you lose yer shit like this?!"

Victor slammed his hands on the desk. "That is none of your concern!"

"Like hell it is! I'm risking my life for you as a friend. He is a human who-"

Victor's eyes narrowed. "Say replaceable. See what happens."

Christophe growled back. "I wasn't going to. Yuri is a human who can hold out, can't he? That was going to be my question."

Victor in is agitation sighed. "Sorry…I haven't slept."

They folded their arms. "You need to."

Victor rubbed his eyes. "I can't…not very well."

"Aw hell…Victor is he that important to you?"

"I'd say 'you wouldn't understand', but you fell for an Unwanted so…"

The blonde blinked. "Y-You, of all people, fell? You?"

Victor gave a wistful smile. "I…I can't lose him. I'm in too deep this time."

"Oh…fuck. I'm sorry…I wish I can speed this up."

Nikiforov sighed and folded his arms. "I have tried get Yuri out from here, I've tried to get out of the house arrest under a special exception. Yuri belongs to me as a servant, thus I am responsible for him, but no avail. I have tried set up a case for when you bring him to me, why my hand felt force to take action, but it's weak without knowing what kind of 'evidence' Yuri was charged with."

"I'm starting to wonder if that's what they want," Christophe replied. "We know there are virtually untouchable brass who would do anything to keep order and not lose reason to have humans as slaves and 'useless' Unwanted as dead. I bet they are blocking you."

"They don't have a reason to be blocking me other than to get at me, to discredit me as Noble. They want me to mess up. If I show I care, making this too personal, as it technically is, this will all go to hell as Colbrans and humans together just adds fuel to this hot mess."

The blonde sighed through his nose. "I'll see what I can do, boss…but try to sleep. If I get Yuri off planet if necessary, but I'll leave the call to you. It's going to be awhile before you see him if I do."


'How many days has it been?'

With loads of free time Yuri's mind wondered. He wondered about the triplets, the cleaning left to do, anything to distract him from the pain and hunger he was enduring.

He could barely sleep. He was either beaten or sloppily fed. Still no answers.

'Victor…' Yuri tried to keep faith that Victor would come after him, but wasn't aware of the house arrest. As far as Yuri understood, he should've kept his lip zipped at Mila's party.

'Yuri Katsuki!' He recalled an angry voice. 'You are arrest for treason!'

Yuri shook his head. He didn't get it. He was just minding himself with Loop on errands.

'The only risky thing I've ever done was sticking up for Victor at the party. It's not my fault others joined…besides what's wrong with that?' Yuri gritted his teeth. 'Leroy was wrong! He was a menace! There has to be a mistake, lies…!'

A rustle-click of a lock. A metallic slide.

"P-Please…not today…please!" Yuri stuttered, bracing for the worst.

However, the sound of a gate and lock clanged and clicked back almost immediately.

'Wha-?'

Gentle hands. No cloth. No smells of broth.

Yuri held his bottom lip and groaned as a pair of hands helped his sore body rest against a wall behind him.

'This is…new.' Yuri thought but was tense in apprehension.

"Yuri…"

Katsuki gasped and latched onto the sound of his name, but before he could repeat his questions a finger was placed on his lips.

"Do you remember me, Yuri?"

Yuri listened closely but couldn't place a name to the sounds. The low male voice was too somber, too unfamiliar.

Yuri shook his head.

"Ah~ that's too bad."

A pair of hands settled around his head and began to take the crusty, dirty blindfold off.

"I was hoping you would," the stranger whispered.

"H-How did you get here?" Yuri asked.

"I've always been here."

"H-Huh?"

The fabric of the cloth fell from Yuri's eyes.

Katsuki blinked as the cloth of the blindfold fell away to reveal a pair of dull, black eyes, thin, black hair, shoulder length, and brown, scarred skin.

Yuri's jaw dropped before his eyes started to tear up.

They were kneeling in front of him and were dressed in purely functional red clothes akin to scrubs.

"It's been a long time, Yuri."

A tear fell. "Ten years…Phichit."

The lost friend grinned. "Hello."


Notes: Not going to tag the character because spoilers.

Thank you for reading, please don't spoil in comments. ;D