DISCLAIMER: The following story is based off of Air Gear.
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A warm smell drifted its way through the air. The fallen angel lifted his head and inhaled the scent. His eye was closed so he let his mind run wild with imagination. He knew once he opened it, the feast he was sitting at beside Ikki and the other Noyamano house residents would be gone. He countered this thought with another. If he didn't open his eye he wouldn't be able to eat at all. Reluctantly, his eyes flickered open. He blinked a few times, quickly adjusting to the dismal level of light in his little room. He looked up to find Kirin sitting down in front of him with his morning tray of food.
"Good morning" Akito greeted with a smile. Kirin smiled back. He couldn't help it. Coming from this tiny boy who was in a rather miserable situation, a smile so pure and innocent was infectious. He watched silently as Akito bent over and gobbled everything in sight. He was wearing a massive smile as he finished and exhaled contently.
"I haven't had eggs in awhile. Did you make them?" Kirin chuckled and shook his head.
"Not a chance. I burn everything even when I'm just trying to heat something up. It's a curse." He smirked and Akito smiled back. Kirin took his place beside the young boy and leaned against the stone wall.
"What should our topic be this morning?" He asked the child beside him. It was strange how this had become so routine in so short a time. He glanced towards Akito, awaiting an answer.
"Eggs" He chirped.
"…eggs….okay." Kirin sat a moment in silence, racking his brain. At last he glanced at Akito.
"I was hanging out with Gio during the summertime when we were kids. He and Nian got into another fight so the two of us were sitting on the sidewalk roasting away. It was hot as heck and Nian refused to let me in the house as long as Gio was with me, and Gio wasn't going to let Nian win so of course, he was pretty much glued to my side." Kirin began. He continued on with the story, detailing how he and Gio tried to sneak into the house in a multitude of ways, and how Nian was there at every turn to stop them from getting near the comfort of an air-conditioned house. Eventually he and Gio wound up sitting beside the house in defeat and soaked in sweat.
"Gio made a completely terrible joke about being able to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Next thing I knew, we were being rained on by eggs. My brother was leaning out of the kitchen window and dumped two whole cartons on us. He said it was so we could test Gio's theory." Kirin chuckled at the memories. Egged by his own brother.
"Did it work? Did you cook any of the eggs?" Akito asked. Kirin laughed again and shook his head.
"Not even close." Akito's shoulders slumped. He had always wondered if it was actually possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk.
"I wonder if you can cook bacon on a car hood." Akito suddenly asked. He smiled. He'd have to try it when he got back to his friends.
Kirin didn't know what to say back. His face broke into a grin.
"Guess we should try pancakes too. You know, how about an entire sun-cooked breakfast? Sausage, omelets, French toast, waffles, hash browns, bacon, eggs, and a side of chocolate pudding."
"Pudding?" Akito laughed a bit at that, looking up at Kirin with amusement in his eye.
"Of course! What's wrong with pudding for breakfast?" He defended with a huff, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as if Akito has just questioned why two plus two equaled four.
"Heh heh, nothing I guess. You're making me want pudding though" He said, faking a complaining tone. Kirin decided to continue talking about pudding, the best ways to prepare it, the best flavors, and the power of a dollop of whipped cream. Akito scolded him for teasing him like that and Kirin just laughed light heartedly.
"Don't worry, once you're back home I'm sure your parents will give you as much pudding as you want" Kirin said as he folded his arms behind his head.
"No they won't. The table is a battleground. If you don't grab it, someone else will" Akito chuckled. Kirin raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah? What, no table manners?" He asked, grabbing this thin thread of a lead and giving it a pull. Akito giggled.
"I'd have to say no. Mealtimes usually start out calm, but it never stays that way. That's what makes it fun though. Meals before weren't nearly as exciting." Akito chirped as he thought about the dangerous battle that was dinner at the Noyamano house.
"Before what?" Kirin pushed. He was nervous this would cause Akito to close up again as he usually did when Kirin gave that nudge for more information. That was why he was surprised when Akito answered immediately.
"Before… when I was in the cage" he said softly, that delicate smile wavering on his thin lips. Kirin stared at him for a second. He knew Akito had a fondness for using metaphors, so he thought nothing of the boy's terminology. Instead he focused on the fact Akito had finally entrusted him with a piece of his life. It was a small piece, a fragment of the child's history, but it was a start. He studied the boy's face. Akito had closed his eye again. He was done talking for the morning. Kirin attempted to restart the conversation, but Akito yawned and said he was tired. Kirin gave him a disbelieving gaze, but it was useless on the little blue haired child who had already decided to doze. Kirin collected the tray and headed out of the room.
"Geez Kirin, you were in there for hours." Those were the words that greeted the blonde as he exited the chamber.
"Come on Gio, it's not like I can just get him to tell me everything we want so easily. You already know that. We've already tried the direct route." Kirin reminded his impatient friend. Gio shrugged and looked through the window of the door.
"So I'm guessing no luck with her today either?" He asked.
"Him, and actually he told me about meals at his home" Kirin glanced at Gio, who was straightening up and looking at Kirin expectantly.
"Well, it's a start huh? She's too sharp to drop names, but did she let anything else slip?"
"No. My guess is that he comes from a large family though. Fighting over food the way he described it usually goes with a full table." Kirin said as he dissected that shred of Akito's history. Gio snorted at the diagnosis.
"That's nonsense. Me and Nian used to fight over food when it was just the three of us, and you always stayed out of it." Gio was recalling a particular incident where they fought over a single slice of pizza even though there was still seven slices to go around.
"Well yeah, but you two fought over everything and I was smart enough to avoid the crossfire." Kirin laughed as he headed for the steps.
"I really do want pudding now" Akito listened as his voice bounced off the walls and echoed in his prison faintly. He smiled and whistled loudly, listening to the same effect on the high pitched tweet.
'I wouldn't mind a steak. Maybe some coffee too.'
Akito shook his head. "No, strawberry milkshakes go better with pudding and steak."
'What? Akito that's crazy. Coffee goes with everything.'
Akito laughed as he and Agito thought about what foods went well together and which completely clashed. They ended up thinking most foods could be eaten together, but not mixed together.
'Yuck. I still don't know how they got it to smell that bad and turn such a shitty color' Agito said mentally to his lighter half once they had reached the topic of the Kogarasumaru training slime. He had never drunk the stuff and he was never going to. His team learned that the hard way last time they tried to force the crap on him. He grinned at the memory. Poor fools didn't know he had brought the fang regalia to school that day.
"I wonder what we're gonna have for dinner" Akito announced to the empty room. He listened as Agito replied.
'I'm guessing soup water and fish. Maybe a side of the finest stale bread they have' he scoffed.
"Yeah. Probably…"
Dinner came fast and Agito had guessed the menu perfectly. Kirin sat down and placed the tray in its usual spot in front of the chained child. This time however he added a warning.
"Careful. The fish is hot. They literally just took it off the fryer." He informed the kid, who was watching the steam come off of the fish.
"Really? And you carried it down here without burning yourself?" Akito asked as he bent down and started on the soup water. Kirin was nodding, though Akito didn't see it with his head in the bowl.
"Yep. I've got special gloves. They're completely heat resistant. Throw them in a fire and they'd still be in perfect condition" He said as he turned his eyes to his hands. He was looking at the gloves in question. They were a deep muddy red color with black palms and fingertips. He didn't get a reply from Akito. The boy's face was still buried in food. Kirin watched as he tore through the bread and then carefully blew on the fish. He was so gentle with the hot bite of food, but that too quickly vanished and he was done.
"That's a weird thing to have. Super gloves. Any reason or do you just like to stick your hands in fire?" Akito asked as he surveyed the gloves the older boy was wearing. Kirin held out his hands so he could get a better look.
"It's really just for my skates. The friction buildup makes the outside of my skates get hot. First time I tried to take them off without some form of protection, I burned my hands. I ended up just walking around in my skates an extra few hours to let them cool and even then it was my brother who had to take them off. My hands were in bandages for the rest of the week. It was a lesson I'm not too keen on repeating," he explained as he dropped his hands to the floor to help prop himself up. Akito was looking at him curiously. Something just didn't add up.
"How can skates get so hot you can't even touch them?" He asked. Kirin had an answer instantly.
"I customized them so they're metal plated. Stupid on my part I guess. The metal on them just traps all the heat and doesn't let it go" he shrugged as if that answered everything. It didn't.
"But still, to gather enough heat to make them burn… you'd have to go really really fast or fast on a really rough surface." Akito pointed out, though Kirin was no longer surprised by Akito's random bursts of knowledgeable information.
"Yeah, but they're not normal skates. They've got little motors in the wheels. It's really easy to hit high speeds when you've got engines on your feet" He stopped when he noticed the look Akito was giving him.
"You ride Air Treks?" He asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah. You know about them? Oh wait… I forgot this area has a lot of AT traffic doesn't it? You probably see people on them all the time right? Or do you skate to?" For a moment Kirin forgot about his information gathering mission. Now he was genuinely curious. There were no traps to this question.
"I'm really not that good. I have Air Treks but whenever I ride, if I try to do any tricks or go too fast I just fall down" He replied with a shrug. He left the riding to Agito now. He hadn't seriously tried to ride in a long time.
"You're young, you'll get the hang of it soon. How long have you been skating?" Kirin asked as he looked over the kid. It took time to train the body to perform and he assumed Akito was a beginner considering he couldn't do tricks… if only he knew that he was looking at the fang king of the bloody road.
"I used to ride a lot a long time ago, but I gave it up. I don't practice anymore" Akito tried to explain while carefully dancing around giving an actual answer to Kirin's question. It wouldn't make a lick of sense if he had been riding for years and couldn't do tricks. He couldn't really remember the exact amount of time he'd been riding anyway. He just always had and once he was unable, Agito took over for him.
"Any reason you gave it up?" Kirin's tone seemed disappointed. He personally enjoyed skating on ATs, though he had no intentions of joining some gang type of thing and it never even occurred to him that he could try to do it professionally. It was strictly a pass time.
"I… had a bad experience while I was riding." He replied, staring at the ground with an unreadable expression. Kirin frowned the tiniest bit.
"You know what they say. When you fall off a horse you have to get back on." He began, watching as Akito looked up at him. A fake smile lay across his face.
"My horse ran away."
Gio exhaled, breathing a small smog of smoke before flicking the cigarette away. He coughed and made a disgusted face.
"I don't know how you're brother does it," said the brunette as he slumped on the couch. Nian was downstairs and Gio could only imagine how pissed the blonde was when he discovered his cigarettes weren't with him. Gio grinned.
"One of these days, he's really going to kill you" Kirin said as he leaned against his hand, elbow propped up on the arm rest of the couch opposite of Gio.
"Like he can. He can roar all he wants, but he can't bite what he can't catch" Gio shrugged and leaned into the soft plush of the couch.
"Ah yes, because running from your problems is the best way to handle everything." Kirin shook his head and smirked.
"Speaking of mister out-to-get-me, he sure has been irritated lately. More than usual" He added as he caught the look Kirin was giving him.
"He's just being impatient about Akito." Kirin knew his brother was steadily growing annoyed with the whole situation. Had it really been a week ago when they first brought him in? Kirin couldn't imagine why nobody seemed to miss Akito. His experience with the kid had been pleasant so far and he knew he had a brother. Why wasn't his family looking for him?
"Speaking of the little angel downstairs… I don't think she's right in the head. Seriously." Gio was wearing an expression that showed he was thinking back on something.
"He. And why this time? Did he confuse you with another proverb?" Kirin knew Gio wasn't exactly a master of language and it was Akito's proverbs that completely tripped the brunette up the first time he tried to talk to their captive. Surprisingly, Gio shook his head.
"No, but she was definitely talking to herself after you left this morning. Not just talking, but laughing randomly after sitting still in complete silence. Kinda creepy if you ask me." He remembered Akito mumbling to himself before, but this time he could make out the words clearly. The kid had had a full out conversation.
"Are you sure he wasn't trying to talk to you? What was he saying?" Kirin asked. Akito seemed normal to him. Sure, he was pretty calm for a kid who knew he was kidnapped and happy for a person chained to a wall, but that didn't really say 'mental' to Kirin.
"I'd have known if she was talking to me. She"
"He"
"Whatever. Was talking about pudding and what went well with it. That would have been all fine and well, but she was acting like she was responding to someone. She kept waiting and replying to nothing. Hell at one point she was arguing with the air about whether or not French fries with ketchup on them would still taste good dipped in a strawberry milkshake!" Gio visibly shook at the idea of that. Dipping French fries in milkshakes was reason alone to make him see the kid as creepy.
Kirin furrowed his brow. Had the time locked up downstairs gotten to him? He had seemed completely fine when he gave him dinner. He just didn't understand.
Bringing up Air Treks had been like opening a flood gate. Kirin had barely placed the breakfast tray on the ground when Akito asked him if he ever rode with a team or competed in any contests. When Kirin shook his head, Akito ate the rice at his feet. He finished, quickly as usual, and returned to studying Kirin's gloves. Kirin smiled. ATs could be useful here. Akito clearly had an interest.
"You know, first time I ever skated on my ATs, I couldn't stop. Probably should have read the instructions. My brother ended up bringing out a mattress and holding it upright for me to crash into" Kirin chuckled. He was pleased when Akito also laughed.
"That reminds me of this time I was dragged into a really high jump. Literally. Ik—someone grabbed me as he was going up a ramp with his friends and they all jumped into a free fall. Our jumping forms were terrible, no skill at all. We were lucky to even survive it. Even my brother stayed back, not even chancing the jump. Our version of a mattress was waiting below though. He caught us all." Akito giggled. "He's a big guy but he's really kind. Ik— that someone I mentioned before… he became my best friend that day. If it hadn't been for him and that jump, I'd still be stuck in my cage, trapped in a well."
Kirin smiled. Clearly Akito was trying to protect this someone whose name began with Ik. If he could keep up the conversation, Akito really might let something slip today.
"Your friends sound like a fun bunch huh?" He spoke succinctly, hoping it would lure the boy into talking some more about his friends.
"Yeah. They do really weird things sometimes, yet they say I'M the crazy one" He gave an honest laugh at that, clearly amused by something Kirin had no knowledge of.
"You know, they race each other on Air Treks as practice. We sit on the side lines and watch them go. The loser of the race has to drink whatever is put in the blender, and I mean it when I say whatever. Anything can go in, from raw eggs to Tabasco sauce" Akito bit back another chuckle and smiled again. Kirin was curious about the loser's penalty, but even more curious about Akito on the side lines. He said himself he wasn't very good, so it made sense that he didn't participate, but there was something else.
"You said 'we sit on the side'. We?" He asked.
"Yup. We."
He was sorely disappointed by Akito's reply. Well, he might as well try to push again. It worked last time.
"….who's 'we'?" He questioned, locking his gaze on Akito as the boy turned to look at him. Akito just silently smiled at him.
Kirin had no luck for the rest of his breakfast chat. Akito didn't say anything except the occasional giggle, yes, or no. When he returned with dinner, he was hoping for some better luck.
"Akito, I brought an extra treat. Payment for the torture the other day" He said as he entered and placed the tray down. There beside the fish and soup was a small bowl of chocolate pudding. Akito stared at it in surprise and his face brightened immensely, his mouth quickly strethcing into a warm smile. They talked more about Air Treks, Kirin giving up small stories in attempts to get Akito to talk more. Akito's stories were always told from a bystander's perspective and Kirin noted that Akito himself was never directly partaking. Well, except for the one story about him trying to walk on a rail and falling flat on his face.
As Kirin stood to leave, he was amused at Akito's pout. Akito didn't say anything, but he could tell by the look on his face he wanted him to stay. He promised he'd be back with breakfast before he left, leaving the boy alone in the darkness once more. It was then the thought occurred to him that that could be the reason Akito was sad to see him go. He was stuck in there all alone.
Akito sighed as he watched Kirin leave. Sure he had Agito, but he knew everything Agito had gone through. Kirin's life was like a fairytale. Talking to him was like reading through a book to pass the time. It was nice.
Brown eyes looked up to catch the mess of blonde hair walking by.
"Hey. Your brother is looking for ya" He called to his partner as he leaned against the wall. "And you sure as hell had the kid talking a lot today. Anything interesting?" He asked.
Kirin glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Interesting, yes. Useful, not really. Tomorrow for sure." He said before he headed upstairs to find his brother. Nian wasn't all that difficult to track down. Like Kirin, his brother had blonde hair, though his was more of a sandy color compared to Kirin's strawberry blonde. Still, it was easy to spot in the dark lit pool hall.
"Gio passed your message. What's on your mind?" He asked as he slipped into the seat opposite his brother. Nian looked angry, but softened just the slightest as his brother sat down.
"The shrimp. What have you got on him?" His tone was flat and calm, but still tinted with annoyance.
"He's got friends that really seem to care about him, so I can't understand why nobody is looking for him. He's been insanely careful about not dropping any names though and never mentions streets or what the area looks like." Kirin knew this wasn't good enough for Nian, but it was all he could offer. As predicted, Nian sneered.
"You've been trying to get him to talk for days Kirin. Even that ass Gio agrees this is going too slow. You're taking too long and we need results now. Even if we have to break the little bastard with force." Nian said, his tone still low and calm, yet dangerous.
"We don't have to resort to violence with him. He's just a kid." Kirin said with a shake of his head.
"When have you been such a saint? Grow a spine Kirin. The little shit will live through it. A little beating will loosen his lips." Nian was staring at his brother. Kirin knew nothing he said would change Nian's mind.
"Give me one more chance." He had a determined look in his eyes and Nian sighed.
"One. You've got tomorrow morning and that's it." Kirin looked relieved at his brother's words. Nian was watching him carefully.
"Kirin. Don't get attached." He warned his brother. Kirin held shock in his eyes. He wasn't getting attached, he couldn't have been. He was keeping this professional right? The friendship was just a tool to get Akito to talk. That was it. That's what he kept telling himself.
The boy felt a chill run down his spine. He let out a rough cough and shuddered. He had a bad feeling and he just couldn't explain why. His little room wasn't exactly helping him, but it wasn't like he was new to being contained in a small place. Compared to what he'd been locked in before, this was as good as the Taj Mahal. Well, maybe it didn't smell as nice. His stomach growled and he tried to sooth the grumblings with a gentle "shhh" but that did little to calm the rumbling. At last the door opened and he looked up to see the familiar face of Kirin walking towards him with the tray he had grown so used to seeing. He smiled.
"Good morning" he greeted. Kirin just nodded and sat down.
"Akito. I want you to talk to me today. Alright?" He said as he held the tray. Akito frowned a bit. He always talked to Kirin. Why wouldn't he today?
"Yeah Kirin. Can I have my rice now?" He asked, tipping his head to the side. Kirin sighed and let his smile finally appear.
"How'd you know it was rice?" He placed the tray on the ground, revealing the bowl. Akito exhaled a single chuckle as he bent down to eat. The portion was small today. When he finished, Kirin just sat beside him in silence. Akito turned to look at him.
"What's wrong Kirin?" He had never acted this way before. The entire time Kirin had been bringing Akito his meals, he'd always been eager to start a conversation.
"I told you. I want you to talk today." Kirin turned his hazel eyes to focus on Akito's concerned face. He was looking at him with concern. It just didn't fit their roles in this messed up game.
"What do you want to talk about?" Akito's tone lacked any of the wariness it usually held when Kirin was so upfront about searching for information.
"Your neighborhood. Your family. You. Tell me where you live Akito." Kirin was being direct today. Akito was confused by this sudden change in tactics.
"I can't do that Kirin." Akito was calm with his reply. He continued to watch Kirin as if he was looking out for a friend, which only made Kirin grow angry inside.
"Why not?" He said in a steely tone. Akito didn't even flinch.
"I have people important to me. I want to protect them" his answer was honest and Kirin covered his face with his hand, gripping the sides of his head as he let out a groan. He moved the hand further up through his hair and exhaled.
"Akito, you should think about protecting yourself" he said with his eyes closed and his voice calmed. His tone was back to normal. Akito felt relieved. He didn't know what was bothering Kirin, but he hoped whatever it was would resolve itself.
"How about you just tell me something from your life. No names needed." Kirin smiled at Akito and Akito in turn smiled back. He couldn't say no to that request today.
"My best and closest friend lets me sleep over all the time. He's my sky, but I don't think I mean the same to him as he does to me. I like spending time with him and showing him how thankful I am for the doors he opened for me. He doesn't really like some of the ways I show my thanks though." Akito chuckled a little bit, but continued. "I snuck into his room and laid down next to him. It's comforting to have him so close you know? Well, when he woke up and saw me beside him, he freaked out. His face was really funny and I swear he yelled so loud the house shook" Akito giggled again.
"Akito…what about your parents? Tell me something about them" The blonde hadn't heard the faintest whisper of the boy's parents. Akito never said a drop about them. Most of his stories were about his best friend and his regular friends. He heard a few about his brother, but nobody else. The way he spoke just now, of finding comfort beside his best friend, made Kirin wonder if his parents were attentive at all or if he was just protecting them by avoiding them as a topic. He glanced at Akito, watching the boy stare at the door blankly.
"Is that who you normally call? Do parents give you money when you steal their possessions?" Akito never looked at Kirin and Kirin let his eyes wander to the door as well.
"Yeah…." He answered and they sat in silence for a moment until Kirin finally spoke up.
"I'm not going to get anything out of you ever am I?" Kirin's lips formed a small line, the edges just barely turning up.
"No. I'm sorry Kirin. I won't put them in harm's way." Akito heard Kirin stand and soon saw him walking towards the door. Kirin let the door creak open and glanced one last time towards Akito. He smiled again and Akito smiled back. Something felt off, but neither said anything as the door shut. Akito was left alone again. Physically alone, but never mentally alone.
"Something isn't right today. Kirin was acting weird."
'He might be trying to trip us up Akito. Changing his tactics to catch us off guard.'
"Yeah…"
After Kirin left the room, he only reached the base of the steps before being confronted by his brother.
"Let me guess. Nothing." Nian's voice was featureless as he stood there, arms crossed. Kirin's silence was answer enough. "I told you not to get attached, little brother" Nian reached a hand up and placed it on his brother's short blonde hair.
"I'm not. Go ahead and do what you have to." Kirin's words may have been what Nian wanted to hear, but the manner in which Kirin said them was forced not to mention Kirin wouldn't look at Nian. The older sibling sighed and patted Kirin on the head a single time, then walked down the remaining stair and headed towards the door. "You gave it your best shot Kirin." He offered as he rested his hand on the door. Kirin didn't respond. Instead he just headed upstairs. Nian headed inside. He stared at the boy in the dress. Akito had his eye closed. Nian grinned. He was going to enjoy himself.
Akito had closed his eye for just a moment. He needed just a single moment to collect his thoughts and talk to Agito in peace. His moment wasn't very long. He felt his hair being grabbed and his face being forced down. He met the stone floor with a nasty thud as his head rebounded from the impact. His voice had let out a surprised squeak and his eye burst open to stare at his attacker. He knew this man. It was the guy from days ago who gave him food the first time he was fed here. It was the guy who knocked him down when he was still free out in the town. He wasn't scowling at him today though. Today the man had a grin on his face. One that Agito usually wore.
The man bent down and gripped Akito's chin, forcing the boy's head back painfully as he looked him over. Akito had one of those classic pretty-boy faces.
"You should've stuck with pretending to be a girl you little shit. I might have taken it easy on you" He purred. Akito didn't even have time to blink as he felt the man's foot strike his gut. Akito let out a gasp as his breath was knocked out of him. The man kicked him again, sending Akito to the floor. He felt a hand on his throat and soon his back was against the wall. Air struggled to get down to his lungs and he couldn't make out what the man was saying to him. He tried to cough but even that proved difficult.
"Come on you piece of shit. Tell me what I want to know." The man hissed. Akito didn't respond and the man's punches didn't stop. Akito slumped down to the ground and the main stomped on his stomach. The boy wheezed and at last tried to move away from the mad man. This brought on around of laughter from behind him. His wrists stung like fire as the manacles that had them bound bit into his flesh. The man gave a forceful tug on the chain and Akito's head received another bump courtesy of the floor. His face whipped to the side and received another bruise courtesy of the man's foot. The boy didn't move for a while.
"Aww come now bitch, don't tell me you're done already. You still haven't talked to me" The man taunted as he swung his leg down for yet another kick. The child suddenly rolled backwards in a summersault, letting the man kick empty air. The boy quickly dashed around his assaulter and jumped over the chain that had him bound to the wall. With a spin, the chain tightened around the man's foot and sent him falling to the ground.
"HAH! Take that you fucking idiot!" howled the child as he let out a roar of laughter. The man stared at the kid in shock, but it soon disappeared into rage. He grabbed the chain again, freeing his foot and pulled the child closer to him. The boy wasn't as easy to handle this time around. He was pulling back… for a moment at least. He turned around and charged at the man, head butting him straight in the chest. Agito smiled as the breath left the man and this time it was his knee that dug into his enemy's gut. The man growled and grabbed the offending appendage. Agito let out a curse. As experienced as he was, his body was tired, hungry, and already thrashed. He couldn't stop himself from being thrown to the ground and was kicked as far as the chain would allow. Instead of crying out in pain as the man had expected, the child before him started to laugh. His laugh sounded demented and as he rolled over to face him, he was smiling.
"You really want to know where I live? Who the fuck my parents are? Guess what dumbass, I don't have parents! I don't have a house! There's nobody you can fucking call you asstard!" He howled before laughing again. The man stormed over and once again stomped on the boy's chest. This time, the child reeled his own legs back and aimed a kick at the man in the crotch. He grinned in delight as the man cursed.
"So you think you're smart you piece of shit?" Growled the man as he soon returned. Agito smirked in response. The man glared down at the boy, and Agito stood up and stared defiantly back, a predator's gaze in his own eye. He saw the punch coming even without dropping his staring contest and he moved to step away.
"FUCK" He coughed as the blow hit him anyway. Something had stopped his escape and a glance at the ground showed the culprit. The man was standing on the bottom of his dress.
"So you say nobody is going to pay a cent huh? You really are a worthless piece of shit?" The man cooed it as an insult, trying to bait the boy into giving up some more valuable information, as he gripped the front of the boy's dress and forced him to face him. Still the boy was unafraid and still he wore a smile.
"That's right. There IS no money, so you're just shit outta luck!" He said just as smoothly. He laughed once again in the man's face and didn't stop laughing as he was punched over and over again.
The door slammed open, causing the guard standing outside to literally jump.
"Shit … you've looked better" Chuckled Gio as he looked at the lovely bruise forming on Nian's face. He received a deadly glare in reply so the brunette turned to look into the room.
"…she's still alive right?" He said flatly. Nian nodded in reply and headed upstairs. Gio just continued to stare at the figure lying motionless on the floor. Their little angel was a complete mess.
A few hours later, Gio looked up from his seat in the corner of the room to find a familiar blonde walking his way.
"Nian got the information" The blonde said quietly. Gio nodded though it wasn't asked as a question.
"He did a real number on her too. Princess hasn't moved since your brother left" Gio and Kirin both glanced at the door. Kirin stepped towards it and carefully opened it.
"Kirin…" Gio started but Kirin shook his head.
"I'm just going to make sure he's still breathing." Gio couldn't stop him and it was probably for the best if the kid was checked on.
Kirin headed over to the limp body by the wall. The boy was facing away from him, but Kirin could already see the bruises forming all along his arms. The metal binding his hands had a small cluster of dried blood where the cuffs had continuously grinded against his wrists and the skin around them looked red and raw. The dress had lost its luster days ago, the crinoline flattened and clung to the thin silky fabric, and the feathery decorative overlays were officially gone, scattered about the room. The boy's dirty hair was a complete and total mess. Kirin sighed as he knelt down. Carefully he reached out a hand to gently touch the kid's shoulder and roll Akito over onto his back.
"Don't touch me"
Kirin froze at the sound.
"Akito… Are you alright?" He clenched his hand and finally pulled it away from the boy.
"I'm fucking peachy. Get lost Kirin." The boy growled, though he didn't move. He couldn't move. His whole body was a giant bruise. It hurt just to breathe. When the boy noticed Kirin hadn't moved he let his hands clench into fists behind his back.
"Fuck. I said leave. GO! Get OUT of here you FUCKING BASTARD!" He screamed, wincing at the pain radiating from his bruised ribs.
Kirin stared at Akito as he stood. Slowly he turned and left the room.
