DISCLAIMER: The following story is based off of Air Gear.
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"Well? Answer me you little arse!"
Akito stared at the boy in bewilderment. Finally he seemed to find his tongue and he opened his mouth to speak up.
"Akito. My name is Akito." He said calmly as he looked straight into the green eyes of the boy before him. The boy's eyes narrowed as he looked Akito up and down. It wasn't until after he stared at Akito's bandaged head for a good long while that the child finally backed off. Instantly the little girl in the cell was by the boy's side, hugging his chest and peeking out at Akito through her short mousy brown hair. The boy placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to comfort her, but never took his suspicious gaze off of their newest cellmate.
"I'm sorry if I scared you." Akito said quietly as he remained seated against the wall. His apology only made the boy's eyes narrow even more.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are your names?" Akito asked with a kind tone and just the slightest tip of the head. The boy scoffed and did not give Akito an answer. Personally, Akito was finding this kid exceptionally rude. After all, Akito had told him his name when he was asked.
"Where did you come from?" The boy demanded coldly. Akito looked at him evenly and frowned. He was having déjà vu. Was it another ploy to try to get him to talk? Hadn't they realized yet that he really didn't have anyone they could blackmail? Akito furrowed his brow as he surveyed the other children. The boy's black hair looked messy and in need of a trim. Both of them were dirty and wearing grimy clothing that reminded Akito of his poor dress during its last moments. Then a sudden thought occurred to him. Where was his dress? What did they do to it? He really liked that one too.
"What?" questioned the boy who had seen a range of emotions cross over Akito's face. Akito blinked, awoken from his thoughts.
"Nothing really. I just miss my dress. They took it from me after they knocked me unconscious."Akito sighed with sadness in his voice. The boy just stared at him.
"Are you serious? You're worried about a bloody dress right now? You divvy." mocked the boy. Akito felt a little silly. Judging by the boy's tone, he had just been insulted… but he didn't really know how. The boy talked weird and had a slight accent.
The kids stayed like that for awhile – Akito sitting against the wall and the other boy watching him warily from the opposite side. Eventually the boy's curiosity broke the silence.
"Are you a girl or a boy?" He asked flatly. Akito looked up and watched the other boy and the little girl still nestled against him. He let a smile ghost across his face.
"A boy." He replied and watched as the boy's eyebrows creased.
"…dress?"
"For a play." Akito said as his grin widened. He chuckled lightly, but winced immediately after. He leaned his head back against the cool wall and took a few breaths. Even inhaling just a little too much caused him to cringe in pain. His poor ribcage sure was taking a beating lately.
"….what's wrong with you?" asked the boy after watching Akito's distressed expression ease into a tired mask. Akito didn't answer him which really seemed to annoy the boy.
"Hey you little nancy, I asked you a question." The boy stated. Akito's mouth twitched up a bit into a tiny smirk.
"I asked you a question too, and you never answered me." He pointed out with an innocent look on his face.
"That's because I don't trust you." Sneered the boy as if he were stating the obvious.
"I don't really trust you either," shrugged Akito. The boy hesitated and was finally thinking things over. He cast a furtive glance at the guards before sighing and looking at the one eyed boy.
"Fine fine. I suppose you've got me there. You can call me Elliot. This is Mouse." He said as he gently rubbed the girl's back. The girl looked up at Akito for a moment before burying her face back into Elliot's shirt.
"Mouse? Is that her real name?" Akito asked. Elliot stared at Akito for a moment before deciding what to say.
"Nobody knows. Mouse hasn't spoken a word since she was thrown in here." He said as he clenched his fist. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Now answer my question." He said in a steely voice.
"My chest hurts is all. I bruised my ribs not too long ago." Akito explained and realization dawned on the other boy's face. He looked away with a trickle of guilt in his eyes and once again the cell was silent.
Akito slept calmly in his awkward seated position before a small shiver brought him to his muddled senses. He blinked his eyes blearily as he let out a yawn. His head tilted to the side as he took in the dark dankness that surrounded him. Eventually his gaze landed on two human-ish shaped things on the opposite wall and Akito shivered again. He was cold… they had a blanket. He let out another yawn as he pulled himself to his tired feet and stumbled his way over to the other side of wherever he was.
As he stepped closer and knelt down, warmth spread through him. He smiled and instantly curled up against the source of the warmth – the other people in this dark place. Soon he was back asleep.
Green eyes fluttered open as he felt something lean against him. At first Elliot thought it was just Mouse, but the little brunette was still curled up tightly on his right. His body went rigid as he slowly turned his head. If Mouse was on his right, then who was on his left?
His eyes widened and his heart sped as he saw the blue haired kid sleeping just beside him. He clenched his teeth and held his breath to stifle his gasp. How had he been so careless as to fall asleep like that? And now a possible enemy was using him as a pillow!
Elliot scooted himself closer to Mouse, letting his narrowed eyes rest on this so called 'Akito' person. He didn't want to wake Mouse, but he sure as hell didn't want to be near this other kid. He frowned as he tried to quietly push the blunette away. Eventually Akito slid down so he was lying on the ground. Elliot looked the kid over with distrust. He finally realized the kid's arms were bound. He had been wondering why he had been holding his chest since his arrival. He had wrongly assumed it was to protect his injured ribs.
Elliot's gaze traveled to the boy's face. The white gauze was wrapped tightly around his head and effectively covered his right eye. For a moment, Elliot wondered what happened to his eye, but he quickly pushed the thought away. It didn't matter anyway. He tensed as the boy suddenly moved. Akito made some sort of soft groaning sound as he shivered and curled up. He looked so defenseless… but that could just be a trick. He probably wasn't even really asleep.
Maybe he was just being paranoid… but that paranoia was what kept him and Mouse alive for this long. He wasn't going to give it up.
The sound of footsteps brought Elliot's gaze away from Akito and over to the hallway. One of the guards was talking to a taller man with sandy blonde hair. Elliot's gaze narrowed as the man's dark eyes turned towards his cell. The child stared back defiantly as he placed a protective grip around Mouse. The man said something to the guard again. He was smirking and it was giving Elliot the creeps. It didn't help that he couldn't hear him clearly. Anyone in this place was trouble and the more a person knew about what was going on, the better chance he or she had of ruining their plans.
He gritted his teeth as he broke his gaze from the stranger's cold eyes. Carefully he leaned Mouse against the wall, making sure the blanket was tight around her small form, and edged closer towards the bars. He mentally cursed as he scooted closer and closer to that blue haired ninny curled up between him and the exit to their miniature hell hole. The black haired boy let himself get as close as he could before he let his eyes flicker back to the guard and the man.
"…then she'll definitely pay a pretty penny for…" said the guard before his eyes locked onto Elliot. He motioned with his head to the young captive, causing the blonde man to turn his head towards the cage. His eyes sat on Elliot for a moment, then Akito for a moment more before he turned back to the guard in such a low tone Elliot couldn't make out what it was he said. Then the man left and the guard glared at the boy.
"Hey you prissy foreign little shit head. Keep your nose outta other peoples business" the guard barked as he banged on the sturdy metal bars. The sound cracked through the silent corridor like thunder through the night sky. Elliot heard a small frightened gasp behind him and anger boiled in his gut. He forced himself up and stormed over to the bars, grabbing them with both hands and glaring at the man.
"Who are you to say my future isn't my business? You bloody wanker." Elliot growled as he glared straight back at the much older, taller, and better built man. Suddenly he felt himself pressed against the bars of the cell and his feet dangled an inch or two off the floor. The man had him by the collar of his dingy shirt.
"Look kid. You ain't got a future. The sooner you accept that, maybe you'll life will get just a little bit better" He growled before tossing the kid back so the child landed with a thud on the ground. Elliot continued to glare up at the man until he walked down the hall with a scoff.
Elliot let out a small 'hmph' as he sat himself up. He was sick of this bloody place. It felt like he had been down here for months… and for all he knew, that could very well be the case. He let out a sigh as he looked towards the back of the cell. Sure enough, Mouse was curled up in the very corner of their cage on that ratty old mattress, completely shrouded in the scrap of black fabric that probably would have made a somewhat decent blanket 20 years ago.
"Mouse. It's alright. He's gone now." Elliot said soothingly as he gave her his full attention. Then he noticed she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at something beside him. Elliot turned his head down and jumped backwards in alarm. Akito hadn't moved an inch, but his eye was wide open and staring at him with a blank expression.
"You… I knew you were fake sleeping. What are you playing at?" He hissed as he stood up tall and clenched his fists. Akito looked out of his peripheral vision towards the bars before returning his golden gaze to Elliot. Finally he lifted himself off the ground and sat up.
"I wasn't faking … but you should have. I could have heard more about what they were going to do…" Akito said in a quiet voice. Elliot stared at him warily.
"You just said you weren't faking. So what, were you listening while sleeping? You're lying through your teeth" Elliot growled. Akito slowly shook his head.
"I woke up. I don't remember hearing anyone come down here… but as soon as I noticed someone was talking… I started to listen." Akito said calmly. A tiny smile broke across his face.
"You're not very subtle." He added with a chuckle. Elliot blushed and turned away from the blue haired boy.
"Oh what do you know…" He barked, but instantly he stopped and turned back around. He cast a cautious but curious stare on Akito.
"…what DO you know? What did you hear?" He asked carefully. Akito returned his cautious gaze and for a moment the two stayed in their make shift staring contest. Elliot felt something tug his sleeve and reluctantly broke his stare. The little girl in the cell was standing behind the older boy, peeking around his legs to look at Akito. Immediately Akito's face melted into a warm, kind expression.
Right. Elliot and Mouse were in the same position he was in.
"They were talking about some kind of sale. Something about buyers liking them young and cute…he wants to drug us so that we sit still and don't ruin his stupid sale." Akito said, for the first time letting a trickle of true bitterness tint his tone. He and Agito were not going to be drugged again.
'They like their chloroform, Akito. That's probably what they'll use again. We'll show those assholes. Just hold your breath when they get the damn rag near you and fake it. Then we'll have our chance to get out of here.'
Akito nodded at the thought, which earned him a curious look from Elliot.
"What about that last thing the creepy blonde bloke mumbled? You didn't manage to hear that did you?" Elliot asked as he folded his arms.
Akito frowned. "He said 'Watch that one. He's a trouble maker.'"
"Typical. Those darn brutes just won't leave Mouse and me alone. One would think they'd get it through their thick heads that I will never tell them what they want to know and they aren't going to sell us like we're some form of animals," scoffed the black haired boy. Akito only giggled, which earned him an immediate glare.
"What, may I ask, is so funny?" He immediately demanded. Akito smiled a pleasant little smile.
"It's just… you talk proper and not proper at the same time. That… and technically, we are animals." Chuckled the one eyed wonder. Another thought dawned on Akito and he looked at Elliot curiously.
"So then, you think he was talking about you? You're a trouble maker?" Akito asked. Once again, Elliot's eyes flashed with distrust. He stayed silent as he walked to the wall, Mouse acting as his living shadow, and leaned casually against the cold stone. Akito smiled.
"You remind me of a friend of mine. He's a little violent and curses a lot… really easy to annoy and he doesn't trust easy either. He's nice underneath though. Just like you" Akito said, ignoring the complaints in his head, as his eyes traveled from Elliot and landed on the little girl the other boy protected with such care.
"If you are implying that I'm soft or weak… I will tell you now that I'm not." Elliot stated fiercly as he held Mouse's hand and pulled her just a bit closer to him.
"That thought never even crossed my minds." Akito said serenely.
The blue haired boy let out a small yawn, which was quickly picked up by Mouse. She yawned too, which only led to Akito yawning again. Elliot eventually yelled at the mysterious blunette for yawning so much and let Mouse lay her head down on his lap. Then he yawned. He glared one last time at the giggling Akito before silence fell over their cell.
Akito sighed as he leaned his head against the bars of the cell. Across from him, the prisoners were making quick work of their meager meal. Akito watched the oldest split the portions so the younger two had bigger helpings. He craved a share for himself. His stomach agreed and made a point of telling him so.
"Sorry kid. Unlucky you, being thrown in there with little black british." One of the guards said as he passed by Akito's cell without even offering a slice of bread. Akito rolled his head sideways and glanced at the black haired boy he shared his cage with. The guards called Elliot all kinds of names except his real one. Most weren't as kind as this guard's pet name for him.
"It's not because of my hair color if that's what you're wondering," Elliot grumbled from his spot in the corner, sitting beside the little brunette girl. Akito hadn't really been wondering.
Akito's thoughts were interrupted by another growl. This one came from behind him and his golden eyed gaze instantly found Mouse. The little girl blushed and buried herself in Elliot's arms as if that only would make her disappear… or at the very least make her stomach quiet down. Akito was just plain confused. Why were the guards not giving them food if they were giving the other prisoners food?
Nobody was there to give him any answers. Even as he turned his head back towards the hall, the guards were already gone. He watched the kids across from him nibble on their bread. The distance between them wasn't horrendously large. They probably could have thrown some over, but they wouldn't even make eye contact with him. None of the others in any of the cages would. Food was a scarce thing and their desperate forms did not want to share.
Akito finally backed away from the bars as his stomach let out another annoyed grumble. He wondered how long it had been since his last meal. He had no clue how much time had passed since he had left wherever he had been held last time.
Akito sighed as he slouched against the wall and slid down into a seated position.
"So…why do they call you…whatever it is that they called you?" the blunette asked just to fill the silence. Everyone here had secrets they wanted to keep, and even if this wasn't a dangerous story, it was Elliot's story alone. Akito wasn't going to be upset if the pale black haired boy decided not to talk.
"They call me 'little' because they think I'm just a child. 'Black' because they think I'm an unsellable evil. 'British' because…well, if you can't guess that one, then you're a bigger eejit than I thought"
Akito smiled as a small chuckle escaped his lips. Elliot just turned to glare at him.
"What's so funny?" he demanded. Akito shrugged.
"I wasn't expecting you to answer" He replied smoothly as he continued to smile at the other kid.
"…nutter"
Quiet had settled over the dim lit cells. The blunette was still sitting silently beside the wall, breath steady and eye closed. Across from him was his teenage roommate and his younger ward. Elliot glanced at the sleeping newcomer before turning his eyes towards Mouse. Her stomach let out a soft moan as she looked up at Elliot pleadingly. He sighed and squeezed her tight.
"I'm sorry Mouse." He whispered. It was his fault they didn't get fed today. He just couldn't stand the idea of this small little girl being bought and sold like some china doll. So he fought, and hunger was his punishment.
Elliot jerked his head towards the bars as the echo of footsteps reached his ears. His eyes narrowed at the dark shape that loomed in the hallway, stepping closer and closer. The figure stopped at his cell, holding a bag in his hand. It was a man with reddish blonde hair. He glanced at Elliot and Mouse for a split second before training his eyes on the other kid. The blue haired weirdo.
"Akito" the man said quietly, but the other boy did not stir. The man turned his hazel eyes towards Elliot.
"Hey kid… go wake him up." He said calmly. Elliot didn't even budge. He just glared at the stranger until the man sighed and crouched down. He placed the bag on the ground and reached into his pocket, only to pull out a few spare coins. Literal pocket change. Elliot watched warily as the man placed a penny on his thumb and flicked it towards the blunette. The coin hit the kid right on the side of the head.
Akito twitched and frowned as he moved away from whatever had struck him. The man repeated the movement three more times before the kid finally opened his eye.
"ow" Akito muttered as he slowly blinked. The stranger smiled and shook his head.
"Come here Akito." The man spoke calmly and beckoned the boy closer with a hand. Akito leaned towards him and let his body fall to the ground so he was lying on his stomach. He let out a yawn and stayed where he was. As Elliot watched, he couldn't help but wonder if the other kid had been drugged… but he hadn't seen him eat or drink anything. The strange blonde sighed and sat down Indian style.
"You really need to learn how to wake up faster." The man muttered as he drummed his fingers against his knee. Akito finally moved again and rolled over onto his back. He let out a yawn and sat up slowly.
"I'm not usually this bad. Agito maybe, but… I'm just hungry." Akito said as he looked over his shoulder at the stranger. Elliot was staring at Akito in surprise that quickly melted into suspicion. He watched Akito stand and make his way over to the bars. He sat down in front of that blonde guy like they were some kind of friends or something.
"Well, you're lucky then. I heard the guards didn't feed you because of your roommate." The man said as he glanced in Elliot's direction. Said child scowled in return.
"So I brought you this." The man added as he reached into the bag and pulled out a loaf of bread. He furtively glanced down the hallway before shoving the bread through the bars. Akito watched him with his knowing gaze.
"Kirin. You'll get in trouble if you're caught, won't you?" he asked, looking at the strawberry blonde instead of the food on his lap.
"Just…don't share it. And eat it fast." Kirin replied. He stood and once again cast a quick glance down the hall. His eyes met Akito's one last time. Then he turned and disappeared. Akito sighed and picked up the bread with his teeth. He instantly walked over to Elliot and sat down in front of him. Ignoring the dark, distrustful gaze, Akito bit down into the bread to tear off a nice sized bite and let the remainder fall onto Elliot's lap.
"You heard you're little friend. Don't share." Elliot growled stubbornly, staring at Akito's smiling face. The one eyed child chewed his own bite and swallowed before he spoke again.
"He also said eat it fast. If you let it sit there, the other bad people will come and take it away." Akito replied smoothly. Akito's golden gaze fell to Mouse, who was staring at the bread with longing in her eyes.
"I know you guys are hungry too."
Elliot eyed Akito for a moment longer before finally reaching down and tearing the bread in half. He gave the untouched half to Mouse who instantly began to eat it. Elliot however just looked at the bitten half in his hand.
"…You bit part of this. That's disgusting." Elliot deadpanned. Akito had the gall to giggle.
"Just rip off that part then."
Elliot's stomach rumbled as he stared at the bread. Finally he ripped off the end Akito had taken a bite from and quickly ate the rest. He looked at the last piece of bread in his hand and sighed.
"Here…you might as well eat the rest of it." He said as he looked away and held out the bread for Akito to take. When the other kid didn't take it, he gave Akito a curious look.
"Well?" He said flatly, finding the smile on Akito's face just a bit irritating. Why was he so happy all the time?
"I can't take it with my sleeves like this. Put it in my mouth" He said sweetly. Elliot stared at him as if he had just suggested dipping his hands into boiling acid. Apparently Akito was being serious because he was waiting patiently with his mouth open. Elliot glanced at the bread in his hand, then at Mouse who was staring intently, then back at Akito. Reluctantly he fed the restrained boy. He stared at his own hand in disgust as Akito ate.
"Thanks" Akito chirped, bringing Elliot out of his reverie.
"I'm never feeding you again. Just so you know." Elliot stated matter-of-factly. Akito only giggled.
Silence was starting to become a common blanket in the cages in this damnable casino. Akito had taken his spot on the opposite wall across from Elliot again while Mouse curled up on the straw mattress in the corner. Elliot seemed deep in thought and Akito could catch the boy giving him a glance every now and again.
'Ask him what he wants. He's getting annoying.'
Akito sighed and leaned his head against the wall. If Elliot wanted to talk to him, he would when he was ready. Despite Agito's mental pestering, Akito remained quiet.
"…thanks….for sharing and all"
Akito looked over at Elliot and found his green eyes locked on him.
"See Agito? There's no need to rush things." Akito said in such a soft tone, the boy across from him tilted his head to the side and leaned closer.
"What did you say?" He asked. Akito smiled. Again.
"It wasn't a big deal." He said, now much more audible. From the bed in the corner of the room, a mess of brown hair popped up. Blue eyes alternated from looking between Elliot and Akito. Carefully, the owner of those eyes stood up on thin legs and slowly walked to the edge of the mattress. She stared at Akito for a full minute and suddenly the blue haired boy found himself in the gentle embrace of the little girl. He stared down at her as she hugged him, and then glanced at Elliot. The other teen didn't seem to approve of the girl's actions, but was reluctantly staying where he was.
"She's saying thank you too. In her own way." He explained with a guarded voice. Akito looked back down at the little girl and smiled.
"You're very welcome" He said in a soothingly gentle tone. His infectious smile spread to the girl and she quickly spread a grin onto her own dirt smudged face. The girl detached herself from Akito's side and walked over to Elliot. He instantly put his hand on her head and looked at her like a protective brother gazing at his adorable little sister. Quiet returned to the cell, though this time around, it was far less awkward.
After a few more hours in silence, the guards began to walk the halls for the day's second and final feeding. When one of the guards reached their cell, he looked in and stopped.
"Here. Fight over it like the animals I hear you two are" He said with a sneer as he dropped a small chunk of bread onto the grime covered ground at his feet. Neither Elliot nor Akito moved until the man finally moved on. At last, Elliot stuck his arm through the bars and grabbed the bread. It was much smaller than the piece Akito's person had brought, but food was food. He broke it in half and gave a piece to Mouse. He glanced at the half left in his hand. It wasn't much.
He sighed and broke that piece in half too.
"Here." He said as he held out the piece of bread to Akito. The blue haired boy smiled and walked over. The two stared at each other a moment, Akito with a grin on his face and Elliot with an awkward look. Finally Elliot just held out his palm with the bread sitting on it, and Akito leaned his head towards his hand and picked it up with his mouth. Elliot instantly rubbed his hand on his shirt - not that that would do anything.
"Do you know what they'll do to us? They aren't just gonna keep us down here right?" Akito asked after the trio had finished their scraps of stale bread. Akito was looking out at the other cells, watching the other children. Elliot followed his gaze.
"They'll sell us. Or try to at least." Elliot's tone as empty of any emotion. He glanced at Akito, to see the boy's shoulders slump.
"You want to go home right? So do we all. Even the ones who thought they didn't have a home." Elliot continued. His eyes were not pitying. Akito was no different than all the other kids down here. Everyone here was taken away from wherever they had originally lived. Some from families, some from the streets, but all from their homes.
"Do you think anyone is out there looking for you? Or Mouse?" Akito asked in his quiet, gentle tone.
"No." Elliot was succinct in his answer. He wasn't going to explain himself either. Once again the cell fell silent until Elliot finally took a deep breath and glanced at Akito.
"What about you? People looking for you?"
"I'm not sure." Akito replied. He never took his eyes away from the other cells. Then his face suddenly dawned a look of confusion. Akito hopped to his feet and glanced around their cell. Slowly but surely, Akito became more and more twitchy. Like he had an itch he just couldn't reach, or as if he suddenly got the chills and they wouldn't go away.
For the first time since his imprisonment, Elliot saw Akito struggle against his makeshift restraints. The blue haired kid was tugging hard against the tied sleeves, spinning and hopping from foot to foot in some demented dance.
"Elliot!" Akito called out, and Elliot was greeted with a desperate golden eye as Akito finally stopped moving except for the occasional twitch of the leg. Elliot looked and waited for the kid to continue. Akito bit his bottom lip before finally blurting it out.
"I've gotta pee."
