Infinity, Taken Literally

Revenge 16

The group huddles around the computer screen as Cherry presses play. It had taken too long to secure the footage, too long to find any clues about what happened. They should've been faster, should've been there.

Reki shouldn't have had to face Adam alone.

The security footage takes a second to load before bringing up a fuzzy image of a dimly lit alleyway. Langa's grip tightens on the chair handle as a familiar redhead stumbles into the frame. The headband wrapped around Langa's wrist burns with the redhead's absence, with the reminder of what they're missing, of what they failed to protect.

Reki stumbles as he comes to a stop to lean against the wall for support. Even with the bad quality of the video he looks out of breath, as if he'd been running from something. Given the alleyway he ended up in, that's probably what was happening. Langa had spent hours searching the streets for any hint of what happened. The alleyway he eventually found Reki's headband in was far from his normal path to dope sketch.

His breath catches in his throat as he watches what plays out next.

Before Reki has a chance to catch his breath, a tall figure appears behind him. Langa's heart squeezes at the look of panic on Reki's face when he realises, he's registered the presence too late to react. Before he can run or fight back, Adam is on top of him. One hand grabs Reki's arm whilst the other smoothers something over his mouth.

Reki struggles, thrashing around to get out of Adam's hold. He claws at the hands holding him, kicking to try to hit something, anything that could get the attacker to lose their grip. His fear is clear in the way his wide eyes dart around for something, someone to save him.

It makes Langa's grip on the chair shake from the anger, he should've been there.

After a moment of struggling, Reki's movements start to slow, his feet stop kicking in exchange for just trying to keep him standing up as his knees visibly begin to shake and buckle. His clawing at the hand covering his face grows sluggish. At the same time, his eyes droop closed, taking longer to open every time like it's taking all of his effort to stay conscious.

The armrest splinters in Langa's grasp as Reki's hands fall limp to his side and his eyes finally flutter closed, staying closed this time. A moment later Adam relaxes, pulling the cloth away from Reki's face and tossing it to the side. Reki's limp form crumples against Adam and another figure, one they can't see the face of, steps out of the shadows.

He can't stop the snarl that reverbs through his chest at the way Adam holds the limp body. When Reki had slumped to the side, Adam had slipped an arm under his shoulders and the angle forced Reki's head against Adams's chest. He runs the other hand through his hair with what looks like a laugh.

Langa curses the lack of audio as Adam says something to the person, probably Snake. Maybe if the quality was better, they could decipher a hint, anything to tell them where they had taken Reki. Snake nods to what Adam said and walks past the two. Picking up the discarded cloth, he moves off-screen.

His blood runs cold as Adam lifts up Reki's hurt arm, bringing the slightly healed cut up to his lips and slowly running his tongue over the jagged edges. Slowly as if teasing them, the glint of sharp fangs is unmistakable, even with the bad quality. Reki's unconscious form is held tightly into Adam's side. Red hair has fallen to cover his eyes. Langa's heart pounds against his ribcage at the sight.

Before Adam can go any further, a car pulls up at the entrance to the alleyway and the door swings open. Adam licks his lips suggestively before dropping Reki's arm. Glancing at the open door, he picks the boy up with an arm under his knees. Before walking to the car, Adam turns over his shoulder, pausing to look back, directly at the camera with a psychotic grin. That makes Langa's fury wither and rage. He must've known that they would look at the security tapes. First the phone call now this? He's playing with them.