Eternal Starlight (Kaito x Maki)

Chapter 14: Under Arrest

Kaito let out a low, near-silent groan as his consciousness steadily began returning to him.

He had yet to open his eyes; his mind was still far too hazy. It was as though he were slowly waking from a dream, but wasn't quite back to the real world. His eyelids felt heavy and his breath was shallow, but as he fought to regain consciousness, he was able to get his brain to think more clearly. Where he was, why he was there, and what had happened were all questions at the front of his thoughts.

Forcing his eyes open, Kaito lifted his limp head from where it was resting in an attempt to find the answers to his questions. Though it was still difficult for him to make sense of his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was that for some reason, he was sitting in a chair. Instinctively, he began to attempt to stand up from it, but something was holding him back.

He was yanked back onto the chair shortly before realizing that his hands had been tied.

The fear of being unable to move shot a bolt of adrenaline through him; one that drove off the remnants of haze still fogging up his mind. Kaito fought against the rope binding his hands, but he only wound up sending a painful burning to his wrists. The muscles in his face tensed and frustration suddenly took hold of him. After a minute more of struggling, he grunted in defeat and scanned the area, his eyes darting frantically around in hopes of recalling what had happened to him.

From what he could gather, he and Maki had both been knocked out by Oshiba, the guy she'd planned to meet with from her assassin's organization. A minute or two before that happened, though, some girl in a gas mask joined them in the warehouse. Though his memory of the event was still fuzzy, he knew the white gas that came from that black grenade was what forced him to collapse.

Now, he was trapped in a dimly-lit room without the faintest clue as to how he'd gotten there. The only light source in the area was a small lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. There weren't any windows in sight, and he couldn't seem to find any other people in the room. An old-looking door was visible to his right, and the musty smell of abandonment hung heavy around him. Wherever he was, the place hadn't been touched or cleaned in ages.

One thing that did stand out to him, though, was a large object a few yards from his chair. It was draped in a white cloth, most likely to conceal its identity from him.

The more he focused on it, the more he could spot the slow rising and falling of the cloth. It wasn't a particularly noticeable difference, but it was enough to suggest something alive was underneath it.

Kaito's concentration was suddenly torn from the strange object as a low creaking sounded eerily through the room.

Whirling his head around to face the door he'd spotted earlier, he watched as a group of people began to file into the room. The first few were men dressed in black suits, and black facemasks that hid their identity. The last three people to enter, though, were people he recognized.

A dark-haired boy, a blonde, frizzy-hair girl, and a tall, broad-shouldered man.

By the time the door groaned shut, a total of twelve people had arrived. A short gasp escaped Kaito's lips as a sudden wave of fear washed over him. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck start to bristle, and his frame began to subtly tremble.

Drawing strength from his anger and terror, Kaito loudly demanded, "Who are you?! Where's Maki roll, and what am I doin' here?!"

Nobody gave him a verbal response, but Oshiba and Emiko sent taunting smirks his way. He fired back with a glare of his own, but with him being stuck to a chair, it didn't carry much intimidation.