The Kid and the Bountyhutner

So Far, Far from Home - Part 1

Author stuff: The first multichapter part of this series that has taken over my brain lately.

TRIGGER WARNING: Kidnapping; drugging/being drugged, specifically chloroform; being restrained; chemical burns, from chloroform

So Far, Far from Home

Part 1

Harumi's eyes flicked over to the corner of the computer screen. She had about another five minutes before she had to leave to get back home. Ronin would be coming home today, so Ms. Arnolds promised to make them a nice meal.

It was... nice of the woman to give them food and watch out for Harumi while Ronin was on a job, but it was starting to grate on her nerves. She was honestly starting to think Ms. Arnolds only agreed to keep an eye on her because she had a crush on Ronin.

Which was entirely gross. Who in their right mind would have a crush on him?

She sighed and shook her head, fingers quickly typing away to a friend.

She'd met Vania on the Ninjago forums a year ago, shortly before the Overlord attacked the city and things were still coming out about the ninja. Vania had a lot of free time for a girl who was only two years older than her. Honestly, she annoyed Harumi at first — saying some of the things that she did about the ninja — but after Vania sent her all the research she'd done, well... that changed Harumi's tune.

Plus, Vania was able to pull up even more information after the evil robot things attacked the city.

It was genuinely amazing — and terrifying — what she could pull up.

jade.x.of.x.history
so, you never told me why you were so interested in the ninja?

x.X.x.sky-princess.x.X.x
Oh, you know
RPF

jade.x.of.history
i have no idea what that is

x.X.x.sky-princess.x.X.x
You don't read a lot of fanfic, do you?

jade.x.of.x.history
...uuuuuuh no? im a normal person?

x.X.x.sky-princess.x.X.x
Good. Be normal.
Wby?
Why are you so interested in the ninja?

Harumi bit the inside of her cheek and checked the time again. She needed to leave now if she was going to make the bus.

jade.x.of.x.history
tell you tomorrow
its getting late

x.X.x.sky-princess.x.X.x
Boooooooo!
Don't leave me!
See you tomorrow! <3

Harumi smiled and quickly signed out so the computer could be used by the next person who needed it. She gathered her things and waved to the librarians on her way out. One of the benefits of her school being so close, she could easily slip out of her last class — homeroom, of all things — and hang out here instead. And none of the librarians would snitch on her.

She easily slipped into a group of girls loading on to the bus she needed. The driver nodded to all of them as they loaded up, waited until they were all settled, and started back off.

Harumi alternated between buses and the subway until she was close enough to the apartment to walk. It should have been like any other time she left school, but it wasn't.

Someone was waiting for her just around the corner from her home.

Someone who wanted something from Ronin.

She'd been taught a little self defense in case something like this were to happen. But apparently whoever wanted her was aware of that, and made sure the people who snatched her knew that she would try to defend herself.

Like in the movies, someone came up behind her and pressed a rag to her mouth. Harumi gasped, breathing in a sickly sweet taste. Her mind flipped through what it could be as she clawed at the hands holding her and tried not to breathe anymore in — which was a little difficult, to say the least.

Somehow, she twisted herself out of their grasp. She started towards the apartment but stopped when the thought of someone else waiting for her there came to mind.

Instead, she darted down a nearby alley, ducking behind some garbage piling up the side of a dumpster. Her throat felt a little raw and the skin where the cloth had been pressed against was a little irritated.

Chloroform.

She bit her tongue to keep herself from repeating a word Ronin said more than half a dozen times in the first four hours of her being at his side.

She needed to get somewhere safe. A hospital? That was probably her best bet.

As she was about to get to her feet and start in the direction she thought the nearest hospital was in, her head swam and she had to settle back down again.

Before she could try a second time, she was hauled back to her feet and the cloth was pressed more firmly against her nose and mouth.

She tried to scream out, but the sound was pathetic and fell limp against the hand holding the cloth.

Her joints were slow, and her limbs felt as heavy as her head.

Tears pricked at her eyes — whether from the terror creeping through her or the chloroform, she wasn't sure. It was probably both.

She left out a little sob as the world around her twisted into darkness.

Author stuff cont'd.:  Surprise Vania? She's here but not an active participant in the actual story, so she's not tagged.

My knowledge on chloroform comes from having knowing more about it than I should bc of things I don't quite want to admit on here. (Don't worry, nothing illegal.) You can learn some things while listening to fictional podcasts sometimes.