"Are you sure you don't want to let this kid go, sir?"

Murasaki spun the chair and wear a disgusted and skeptical face at his subordinate. "Seriously? That's your suggestion?" Murasaki sighed turned to the monitor that connected to the CCTV located at the maze where Ryoma was. The room dark quiet and the monitor the only sole source of light. It filled with abandoned boxes accompanied with dust and spider web at the side with IT equipment at the center where Murasaki and his man sat watching the monitor.

"I mean… its bad enough he got out from the cell and its matter of time he figured out the maze. Also, you got a wrong kid, sir. He's innocent!" The man spat. He cannot help but pity the kid struggled and in pain for something that doesn't involved him. Sure, his boss has petty revenge on his brother, but this is too much.

Through the monitor he studied the kid behavior. Ryoma kept panting and sweating bullet sliding at the side of the brick wall, looking exhausted. Make sense as the kid been walking for hours pointlessly without any source of water. Not to mention that maze was hella hot and no air ventilation. No matter you are an athlete or not, this is too much. Leave him for more hours, both him and his boss can call themselves as a murderer.

"Stop pitying him, Kubo. I think we can do something about this brat. I am sure this kid brother is looking for him right now. We could use him as a hostage to get what I want." Kubo startled by his boss voice. "Like seriously, let the brat die or something as long as I got my revenge"

Kubo side eye the boss and said "And what you suppose to do when you meet Echizen Ryoga? Kill him too? Isn't that too much?"

"You think too far, man." Murasaki glared and disappointment clear all over his face "Just maybe kind of make that guy injured enough so that he cannot play his damn tennis again." He absently rubbed his left knee, "You know… Just like how he did to me."

Kubo's eyes softened "You know it is an accident, right? Echizen is just to be in the bad timing."

"That's not what happen! You know he- "

"The kid's gone!"

Murasaki sudden anger was shifted to shock. Both searched the kid in every part of the maze through the screen. There is no sight of the kid. Panic arises.

"Oh shit"

"Okay so, where are you going again?"

Momo's question was fall into deaf ears. Everyone kept silence as they walked aimlessly into a gloomy and unsettling quiet neighborhood. Not a single person presents besides them, only strays accompany the area.

"Guys, like I know we found Echizen stuff, but it doesn't mean we have to go here, you know. That kid is a scam. We do not even know if Echizen go here and we have been walking for hours! It been easier if we- "

"This is our best shot, and this is our only clue of Echizen whereabout." Tezuka interrupted. He tried not to show his emotion too much, worried it affect the team more. Echizen may be such arrogant and cocky kid but he was one of the team and no one left behind in his watch.

Also, he had grown attached to that kid. Everyone does.

Momoshiro huffed and crossed his arms, pouting. Oishi chuckled with Momoshiro's attic and maybe become a coping his nervousness. He shifted to skim his other teammates. Everyone seems shifty, worried and nervous. Not their fault considers their current situation. Sudden disappearance of their junior, getting lost in this weird place with no direction. Why did he agreed going this path is still a wonder. He swears when he found Echizen, he going to scold him so much until his ears bleed and hug he so hard. His thought was cut off by sudden a noise from the group.

"Saa Ryoga-san, how our little Echizen are like when he was a child?" Fuji asked.

Ryoga startled for a moment and composed himself and grinned "Well, regard what you guys believe, he is the cutest and most curious human being I ever seen! Like seriously who can resist his big yellow eyes when he asked something. Ahhh how I miss him! He will follow you around when he clueless where he's going like a little duckling!"

"Echizen cute? That's new" laughed Momo. The others joined the bandwagon unintentionally break the intense silence before. "Imagine Ochibi follow your order like a good kid. Bizarre!" Kikumaru chipped resulting more laugh. "Senpai, can you help me with my homework?" Momoshiro make a high pitch voice imitating a cute girl voice.

"Oh, that's crack me up!"

"100 percent based on my calculation we won't see those in real life"

"You don't need a calculation to know that, Inui"

"it would be the end of the world if that happen. Imagine Echizen hugging you. Scary"

Ryoga gives a small smile on Ryoma's teammates attics. He was glad Ryoma have someone that cared and love him as much when he got so little tender love from his own household. He sure that Ryoma deep down hold high regard and care to his team in his little heart. To be honest, he regrets of leaving Ryoma at such young age without any sibling attachment even though he was adopted. He always wanted a younger brother that he could play with, pampered and dotted. He was thrilled when dad decided took him under his wing and to know he got Ryoma as his younger brother but now, Ryoma is not even look him as his older brother.

His thought was cut off when he heard a sudden question from Oishi "Joke aside, how do Echizen come he is today though? He's totally different compare to his childhood based on Ryoga-san story" The cheer laughter died down and have a moment of silence, thinking of the suitable answer. Unintentionally everyone has a subtle look Ryoga, expecting the answer.

Ryoga noticed the stare and looked at Ryoma's cap for a moment. He himself do not even know what the real reason Ryoma become so distant and quiet. He is only a kid, yet he matured a lot more than he supposed to be.

"To be honest guys, I do wonder myself." He sighed."

" How I am end up like this"

The store is small, and compact with broken and unused gym equipment, scatter around the floor. Ryoma keep stumbling in every random object every five minutes as the room was pitch black and the dust does not help at all when he keeps suffocated with it.

When Ryoma resting for forth time during in the maze, he almost gave up with all those nonsenses and those nonexistence exit. His energy was long, and he was dehydrated to the core. He remembered as soon as his lend on the wall he felt something shifted below his waist. A kind off door looking subtly appeared not far from his place. Without any thought, Ryoma quickly went straight enter the door.

"Well, at least I'm not stuck to that hell again." He muttered. He touched every single object and wall within his radius hoping to find any switch or if he lucky a fucking exit. He does not think he have enough energy to move on. The maze really took a toll on him.

"Mada mada dane"

Why you guys even read this?

Quarantine really did me good. I am so bored that I write this after years of hiatus. To be honest I don't even know the plot and the character anymore since it been so long, I'm in this fandom.

Stay safe everyone!