Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis, Takeshi Konomi does.
Another update in the span of one week! I'm pretty pleased! In any matter, I'll take the time to respond to some reviews:
Amethyst Sunset: I've seen tons of stories with lots of easy-to-guess kidnappers or OCs. Honestly, Baker is neglected (not that we're complaining!) and nobody's even thought of Fudomine's old coach! Tachibana sure made me think of the guy as 'evil'. I'm glad you're enjoying the plot!
luckystar03: Poor Ryoma and Fuji, definitely! I'm trying to update fast, so hopefully it'll quench your thirst! Thanks!
whatever: I'm truly sorry if I've neglected that part of canon. To be honest, I'm quite new to Prince of Tennis, and I haven't read all the mangas, nor seen all the anime episodes. I, in basic, know what happens throughout the series, and I've seen enough of the anime near the end and in the middle to know what's going on, but there are still a few things I don't know. Again, I'm sorry, and it's helpful to me that you've pointed it out. I'll just say that Taka-san, after pressuring from his fellow regulars, decided to integrate the team.
Angelgirl227: You're pretty lucky then, that was an awesome guess! Thanks so much for the compliments! I'm really glad you're enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! And it's good to know some Fuji-centric is ok.
ladywatertiger: Don't worry, I plan on making sure Fuji acts as much in character as possible. The whole deal with Yuuta certainly helped a lot with this!
Tsubame0104: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! And I agree, kidnapping stories with my favorite character coughRyomacough is something I also like, which basically inspired me to write this!
Yuki-chan21: Baker must die! Even though personally, I think the threat is Tominari! Don't worry, I'll try to be quick on updates!
Ivy: Definitely dang it! Ryoma's not exactly ok, but who would be? I agree, kidnap stories are always thrilling for some reason! Thanks for the compliments!
-Miaclartha Ciatrine'-: Thank you, thank you! I'm glad you like it, and to me, making Baker the antagonist was pretty much as canon as you'll get! Tragic events like that? Probably later on in the story. For now I want to develop the Ryoma/Fuji relationship, but some pretty nasty stuff will come up at one point. Thrill pair is definitely the best!!
Now then, on with the story:
Chapter 3: With These Broken Wings
Sunday, August 9th; 11:17 P.M.:
Why? Why me? That's what every person has asked themselves at least once in their lives. Echizen Ryoma, during his entire life, had never experienced a situation where he felt the need to ask himself such a question. Even now, in this situation, he didn't ask himself that. He'd already gone past the stage of self-pity. Ryoma had been a captive for a full week. A full week of the purest and most excruciating torture in existence, his was sure of it.
Each time Tominari made physical advances on him, he was expected to allow himself to be handled, to succumb without resistance. But that was the one thing that Ryoma couldn't accept, no matter the cost. Yet every time he refused and fought, Ryoma was punished severely by the wrath of Baker and his whip, along with the never-ending kicks and punches given by Tominari, so severely that by the time they were finished with him, he was either passed out at best, or drowning in a sea of pain and blood where nothing but these two elements existed. There were other times when Ryoma was drugged, and when he roused, his whole body felt dirty, as if soiled by the worst of sins. As often as it had happened during all of his captivity, Ryoma tried to never wonder what exactly was the sin that had tainted him. Each time he did wonder, he caught a glimpse of the answer, and deep down, Ryoma was aware of what it was.
He just refused to face the truth. Why? Because Ryoma, for once, was truly frightened. So frightened that the normally stoic boy lay trembling upon the cold surface of the floor, still tied to the pole he hadn't left for an entire week, though Ryoma was unaware of the time he'd spent within this hell on earth. The battered and broken boy only knew he wanted escape. He wanted to leave this place, even if he died trying, because even death seemed so much more appealing than this damned life, beaten to blood and tears by Baker and Tominari. Ryoma just prayed endlessly for his salvation.
An echoing metallic groan sounded throughout the room as the trap door from the ceiling opened, the wooden staircase coming down. Ryoma, in his half-conscious state, blood seeping from his countless and deep wounds, froze in fear, his breath freezing in his lungs.
'No, please, I'll do anything. Please, not again...' he silently prayed, chanting a mantra of pleas. Yet Ryoma's worst nightmare was materialized again, as it always was. Baker came strutting down with his whip, the symbol of Ryoma's pain, a ghastly smirk across his face, followed by Tominari, cigarette in his mouth, his cruel eyes sending Ryoma into a fit of terror. Ryoma did his best to hide his inner turmoil, even if he couldn't keep his body from trembling like a shaking leaf.
"Good evening Echizen! Hope you slept well!" Let out Baker, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Tominari simply gave a crooked smile, one that made Ryoma's blood run cold, as it hid a far greater danger than he could ever imagine.
"Listen closely little brat, because I won't say it twice." Tominari said in a cold and sharp tone. Of to the side, Baker seemed to be chuckling. Tominari continued,
"If you were ever to find yourself outside of this place, revealing this location, what you were doing here, and who was keeping you here, in other words, honorable Baker-san and myself, would be a very bad idea. Especially for your friends and family. It'd be such a shame if something, let's say, awful happened to them, right Echizen?"
Ryoma nodded weakly, his strength long gone, and the meager food he was rarely given not helping his weakened state. Tominari smirked.
"Remember Echizen, say one word, any word at all, and those pitiful people you love will be..." and Tominari put a finger to his throat and drew it across his neck in a line. Ryoma knew all too well what that meant. It scared him perhaps even more than anything. Seeing the awaiting faces of Baker and Tominari, Ryoma nodded again.
"Good little brat. At the very least I can say you've served us well, regardless of those wimpy glares you give us." And without another word, Baker walked up to the broken and bloodied tennis prodigy, brandishing his whip, and began to mercilessly beat him, each crack of the whip burning a deep mark into his skin, while Tominari kicked him hard in the chest. As Ryoma felt those darkened spots invade his vision, he felt the disgusting breath that belonged to Tominari blow against his neck as the older man kissed his throat.
"See little brat?" he whispered, "with the right tools, steel can break..." And Echizen Ryoma saw no more.
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It was around midnight in Japan, and in the soft moonlight, two cautious figures, belonging to Tezuka Kunimitsu and Momoshiro Takeshi walked the streets of Tokyo's more run down area. It had already been one week, and Momo couldn't recall having slept more than three hours every night since Ryoma's disappearance. Not that Tezuka was better off himself. Each time of the day, his mind seemed to worry over the fate of their youngest player, and even if everyone was taking the events rather harshly, Fuji Syuusuke's behavior almost sent tears to Tezuka's eyes. Never before had Tezuka seen Fuji so devastated. He'd often caught his teammate weeping silently during practice, and not one of them had been able to make Fuji say even one word, and if he ever did, it was never for long.
Tonight, for the sixth consecutive night, they'd separated into pairs to search for Ryoma. Thinking switching the pairs would help them be more efficient, they had Nanjirou and Rinko search Seigaku's area again, Nanako and Ryuzaki-sensei went to the harbor area, Tezuka and Momo walked throughout Tokyo's largest ghetto area yet again, Fuji and Taka went around the Shinjuku area, Eiji and Oishi had suggested searching Tokyo Tower for some reason, and Inui and Kaidoh left Tokyo all together and headed out to Mt. Fuji. Needless to say, they truly hoped they'd find the boy this time. Tezuka, as well as Momo, knew that Fuji most likely wouldn't be able to take too many more failures before breaking down.
Momo and Tezuka, despite it being extremely late, were still concentrated on searching through every possible alley way in the ghetto area, regardless of the fact that staying in such a place was a potential danger. In the darkness, Momo put down the lid of a trash can, sighing in defeat, highly disappointed. Suddenly, a voice hissed out in the darkness,
"Momoshiro! What exactly do you think you're doing?" Momo froze and turned to see Tezuka standing in the street, just beside the entrance to an alley way.
"Well, I thought Echizen might of been hidden in a trash can. You never know what a kidnapper could do to hid his victim." Even though Momo refused to believe that Ryoma was dead, the possibility of finding a corpse was not to be excluded. Momo simply quivered in fear just by imagining his friend dead. Lucky for him, that was when Tezuka's voice of reason reassured him slightly,
"Don't be silly Momoshiro. I highly doubt we'll find Echizen inside a trash can. And I know what you're thinking, but I entirely disagree. Do you feel a gripping cold, that doesn't seem to be physical?" Momo simply shook his head, his eyes locked onto Tezuka's.
"No I don't Tezuka-bouchou."
"Exactly. Then I'm positive Echizen is out there somewhere, alive. He could be severely hurt, but he isn't dead. If he was, we'd know it, deep within our hearts. So stop searching inside trash cans Momoshiro!" Momo sighed, the distant shadow of a smile that had long since disappeared upon his face.
"Yes Tezuka-bouchou." In one swift movement, Momo ventured deeper into the alley, searching everywhere his eyes could reach, though he couldn't exactly make out everything in the lingering darkness supplied by the place. The only way he could hope to clearly see what was on the ground was by crouching down there and continue his search. Lucky for him, Tezuka would most likely point out whatever Momo missed in his searching frenzy. In fact, Momo was so absorbed by whatever it was he was looking at, that he failed to notice the darkened lump at his feet, thus resulting in him tripping over it. Momo let out a small grunt of pain that Tezuka's sharp ears caught on the wind.
"Momoshiro, are you all right?" he called out to his teammate. When Tezuka received no response, he grew slightly worried.
"Oi, Momoshiro! Answer!" he called out again, his voice letting out a hint of his worry. Meanwhile, Momo had something far more important to worry about than Tezuka's rather insistent calls for him. In fact, the sight he laid his eyes on, even dulled by the characteristic darkness that loomed the surrounding area, was literally enough to send tears to his eyes. Tears of worry, tears of relief, silent and barely there tears that ran down Momo's face as he ever so slowly approached the sickeningly unmoving lump that he'd tripped on. Tezuka, having finally found his silly teammate, felt his breath catch in his throat in unspoken emotion when he heard Momo's whispered voice speak the one thing they'd all been wanting back,
"Echizen..." In a split second, Tezuka dove for the ground and didn't waste anytime by picking up their youngest in his arms, carefully holding him to avoid any damage. This action had the effect of bringing Momo back to reality, causing him to scurry after Tezuka out of the alley and into the lit street beyond. What both young men saw quite literally scared them.
Ryoma, the normally stoic boy, still wore his tennis clothes composed of a pure white shirt and kaki shorts, both of which were stained with dried blood, his face marred with bruises and various cuts, his expression, though he was unconscious, was pained, and his breathing heavy and somewhat labored. Tezuka and Momo were at loss for words. Who was the inhuman beast that had even dared lay a hand on their friend? And in this sudden silence, where words seemed to be an unknown concept, the deep and troubled voice of Tezuka rang out,
"Momoshiro, let's get Echizen back to the meeting place. Let's move." Momo, who still couldn't find anything to say, simply nodded as he silently followed Tezuka, staring at his friend lying half dead in his captain's arms, watching over him. It was indeed going to be a long night.
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Fuji Syuusuke and Kawamura Takashi solemnly walked the small remainder of the street leading to the Kawamura Sushi shop. No matter how long they'd searched Shinjuku's incredibly huge area, no matter how much persistence the two teammates put into finding Ryoma, they had found not one single thing that could have possibly lead to their youngest friend. Taka, who without a racket, was almost as woeful as Oishi, felt absolutely awful about returning home without the young man. Who knew what suffering Ryoma was going through? Taka simply couldn't bear to imagine it. Losing a friend in such conditions was one of the worst burdens he could possibly have in his heart, and the state Fuji was in didn't help him feel better at all. Ever since Ryoma's disappearance, Fuji had become distant, unreadable, and most of all, seemingly not at all responsive to whatever his teammates had to say.
They all knew Fuji was sad and angry, and though they couldn't tell directly, they knew that his behavior could only mean that. Even now, as Taka lead the way to his father's sushi shop, Fuji lagged behind, obviously sulking, deep in thought. In the current state of things, Taka couldn't have possibly been prepared for the shock awaiting him when he opened the shop's doors. There, lying on a futon, surrounded by all his teammates and his family, was none other than Echizen Ryoma. When the initial shock was recovered, Taka, for a reason he himself didn't know, stepped out of the shop and yelled into the night,
"Fuji! Come quick!" And with that, Taka ran in to go and see Ryoma, leaving the door open behind him.
In Fuji's completely devastated state, he's still managed to hear Taka calling out to him. Why should he care anymore? Why should want to fully reintegrate reality, where his heart endured so much pain, where each breath was like a stab to the chest, where each step he took seemed to make him sick. Fuji truly wondered why he should even consider returning to a world without Echizen Ryoma. As he turned on his heels to enter the shop, the sight that beheld him made his brilliant cerulean eyes open wide as tears rushed up, his breath catching in his throat, the relief, happiness, and slight worry making his voice quiver as he cried out,
"Ryoma!" Fuji ran to his teammate's side, the open door long forgotten as Seigaku's genius looked down in pain and horror at the battered form of their youngest. The dried blood and the pained expression could only mean one thing. Fuji couldn't even find the strength to curse as he felt the tears slide down his face, so much like those that had rushed from the eyes of each person present.
"Ryoma..." Fuji whispered, pain filling his entire being, drowning him in its merciless sea.
Hope it was good! I personally thought I made it go too fast. Might be just me though. As always, let me know what you think, and thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far!