Now we get to more drama. Enjoy~
A few weeks passed and the fall weather slowly turned into the colder winter. It was time for the demons to get some new clothes and heaters for the hide out, so they all went to a small shopping district downtown Houston. John walked with Eridan and Sollux, the two bickering as always. Nepeta dragged Equius and Aradia to look at the coats while Dave, Rose, Feferi, and Roxy went to their respective style shops.
As they shopped, a few people gathered outside the shops, talking amongst themselves. John watched them nervously. Something about them seemed off, and John didn't like it. John remembered which store Dave went to and tried to silently walk to the store when one of the guys grabbed his arm.
"Hey, pretty boy." One said. John looked at him and noticed the gun holster on the guy's belt. John bit his lip and looked at the guy's face. His features were hard and his dark brown eyes stared into John. "What's a little demon like yourself doing out here?" John's eyes widened even more and tried to pull his arm away from him. The man's grip on him tightened. "How many others of you are there?" The guy asked. John remained silent.
On the other side of the street, Nepeta turned just in time to see the guy twist John's arm a bit and she gasped, tugging at Equius's shirt. Equius looked and his eyes widened when he saw what was going on.
"Nepeta, go get Dave and Roxy. I'll do what I can." Nepeta nodded and skipped to the store Dave and Roxy were at as Equius walked over to the man, tapping him on the shoulder. "Excuse me." The man looked at Equius. "Would you please let my friend go? I don't believe he was causing any trouble."
"Demons always stir up trouble." The man spat, twisting John's arm more. Equius sighed.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come it this." Equius said, cracking his knuckles. The man snapped his fingers and a few men stood at attention, ready to join in the fight.
"Back down, Equius." John and Equius turned to see a furious Dave staring them down, his shades hanging from his shirt collar. Dave walked towards them. "As my friend suggested, please let the boy go." Dave motioned the other demons to run before rushing and kicking the guy in the gut. The man let go of John, gasping. John ran passed Dave with Equius as Dave took on the guy, fist against fist.
Dave pushed the guy hard enough to get away and run down the street, weaving through the people. Dave caught up to John, who waited for him after making sure Equius made it to safety.
"John, what are you doing?!"
"I had to make sure you were okay!" John said as they started running. John heard the guys following them. "Let's split up! You go left, I'll go right!" Dave hesitated but nodded as he and John separated when they came to a place they could. Half the guys, including the first guy, ran after John while the others ran after Dave.
John ran as fast as he could, panting as he did. Suddenly, John heard a loud bang, and felt a sudden pain in his shoulder as he tripped, falling to the ground. He put a hand to his shoulder and discovered the pain came from being shot in the shoulder. The guy who shot him grabbed him and held his arms behind his back.
"Nice try, pretty boy. But you're ours now. And soon, you'll have a special new home." The man said with a smirk, causing John to gulp. The man pulled John to a van. John looked at it curiously before his arms being tied and then pushed into the vehicle. "Hope you enjoy the ride, kid." The guy said before slamming the door shut.
Unknown to either John or the hunters, Dave watched from a distance, memorizing the van and the license plate. Dave, although angered he let John get caught, knew he couldn't take out those hunters by himself in the open. He'd have to wait until night time, when he was in his best condition.
"I'll be there soon, John. Just hold on…"
Later that day, John found himself in a warehouse like building tied to a pillar. John's shoulder hurt from the bullet wound, and there was nothing he could do about it. He leaned his head against the wooden pillar as he sighed. He sat in an open room with two doors, one window, and a table a few yards away, where a single guard sat. John heard his stomach rumble, which reminded him he hadn't eaten yet that day and he was starving. He took a deep breathe, before the hunter who shot him walked into the room with a victorious smirk.
"Hey pretty boy." He said, smirking at John. John glared up at him. "Aw, don't give me that look. I've made sure only the best master will buy you, so don't worry."
"I won't be bought by anyone. Da…. The leader is gonna get me out of here, I know it." John said confidently. The man's smirk grew.
"We'll see about that, cutie. You almost fooled me, ya know?" The guy said, tapping John's forehead. "Never seen a demon with such blue eyes. So full of innocence. So full of deception." The man spat. "We'll see how long you last. No food, no water, no company except the guy guarding you. Only when you give up will we feed you, before finding a special master for you." The man patted John's head before swapping guard shifts with John's previous guard.
John sighed and looked out the window at the setting sun, silently praying that by the time night fell, he'd be out of there with Dave, free again. The only thing that John kept thinking about was Dave, and what he'd do if he got out of there.
As the hours flew by, John kept to his thoughts, not saying a thing, no matter what the guard tried to pull out of him. He kept thinking, 'Dave will come.' 'I know he will.' 'Dave wouldn't leave me here…' . John kept wondering and wondering why he kept focusing on how it would be Dave to save him. Not Roxy, not Eridan, not Equius. Always Dave. No matter how hard he thought about it, only one thing made sense. He had fallen for Dave Strider.