His Dark Queen - Sondam

Chapter 45: Joy Again

There wasn't much of anything to do. The many computer screens stacked on top of each other being the only light source within the stone room. Gundham with a very limited range of view. Either staring down his legs or using his strength stare up at the screens. The biggest screen still paused on the video Kazuichi previously was showing. Paused on a single frame of him and Sonia. Merely looking at the screen ached him to his core. He shifted his gaze, desperately trying to ignore the biggest monitor which mocked him at every glance. Staring into the smaller screens surrounding it. The tiny screens displayed running footage, bright skies, clear waters, the tropical interiors and exteriors of every building. Gundham assumed the footage being displayed is from Kazuichi's secret hidden cameras, making it his only current connection to the outside world. He glared up at the screens with not much else to do. He watched and watched, absorbing the information he could from it. The footage displayed an average day. Shifting his vision from monitor to monitor until they fell upon lined rows of the cottages. There was no activity, not a soul. Then to the restaurant. Squinting to focus between the fuzzy camera footage. People inside, eating, drinking, talking to one another. It was difficult to count every head. The lines were pixelated, some figures morphing, distorted, moving together to the point in which it was incomprehensible. Unable to tell who was who, yet still bustling with activity.

"How long was I out for?" Gundham asked himself, "Hours. It must've been. Everyone seems to be at the restaurant. Breakfast? Lunch?" He kept using the cameras for clues. Every screen monitored only to the main islands, none to the others. He clenched his teeth in frustration, if only he could switch the cameras. Recalling to when Kazuichi used the keyboard to change them many minutes ago.

The distance between him and the desk was short. Admittedly, only mere steps away, but unreachable with his arms and legs bound to the chair. The distance grew greater than ever. Untouchable by Gundham for as long as he was chained to his prison cell. Desperate to escape, he motioned his wrists and elbows around. A thick layer of sweat building between his skin and the chains. Making them slippery and slick, almost enough to slide his hands free. Jutting his hands back and swallowing his breath in. His hopes for freedom came to a stop as his boney palms and thumbs halted them from slipping through. Sighing in disappointment, the jingles of iron chains ceased. Throwing his head back on the chair and slouching down. He shut his eyes, wishing to escape from this nightmare. The stroke of hope struggling to survive within his own dark heart, every beat being a miracle. On the brink of being beaten to despair.

-

"Hey, my two lovely people!" Kazuichi winked, grinning happily. Stepping over to the rectangular office table, he pulled back a seat. Sitting in between Hiyoko; who sat at the end, and Nagito; who sat two seats beside him, opposite of Hiyoko.

Hiyoko stood up from her chair, slamming her hands down the table, making their cups and plates clash against the wooden surface. Her face got red at the sight of him entering into the door, the last thread holding her back cut when opening his mouth, "Kazuichi, what the fuck!? That stunt you did last night with Sonia is gonna bite us in the ass!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Chill, chill," Kazuichi wavered his hands, trying to calm the angered toddler, "First of all, Sonia ain't gonna tell no one and only Fuyuhiko knows. And Gundham too." He mumbled the last part.

"Huh? And Gundham? Why does Gundham know? You told me only Fuyuhiko knew!" Hiyoko noted, shaking her fist to him.

"Well, uhm, heh," Kazuichi stumbled over his own words, he clasped his hands together and took a breath in, "I kinda showed him camera footage from last night. As, y'know, intimidation!"

"Intimidation. Intimi-fucking-dation. You almost murdered him and quite literally kidnapped him. How much intimidation does he need?"

"Look. At the end of the day, Sonia and Fuyuhiko are gonna keep that to themselves and Gundham isn't going anywhere." Kazuichi concluded, brushing away any worry for himself, "Anything you wanna add, Nagito?" He tried diverting the attention in an attempt to calm the situation and Hiyoko's temper.