The Duchess {OHSHC}

Chapter 16

The group sat quietly in the hall, careful not to make a sound as they waited with baited breath.

What seemed like hours had passed by when—after only a few seconds—the ones they were waiting for finally returned.

"How many?" Kyoya whispered as the sneaky Hitachin twins returned from around the corner to the group's hiding spot.

"Fifteen big guys." Kaoru hissed. "With big guns." Hikaru added. "All just standing around like some video game~." They spoke together.

Kasanoda cursed. "Shit, we're never gonna get through."

"Are we even going the right way? How do we know this hall leads to the exit?" Tamaki questioned, biting his nails nervously.

The twins shrugged. "The more enemies you face usually means you're going the right way in video games~."

"Or that you're getting closer to the boss." Damien growled. "You guys are civilians, we need to get you out of here before we can go in all guns-a-blazin' for Vanel. Alicia will be fine for now, she knows what she's doing."

Haruhi frowned. "Well no matter what we do, we still need to take down those guys out there in order to go anywhere."

"And our only weapons are our fists and a tiny-ass knife." Dominic sighed.

Kyoya paused at that and looked to the only two people in the group that hadn't said anything.

Mori watched the group with tired, pained eyes, holding his unconscious cousin protectively against him. The two had been battered the most out of all of them, and yet...

As soon as Mori's gaze caught Kyoya's the silent teen knew what the intellectual was thinking.

Mori frowned and shook his head, pulling Honey even closer to him. "No."

"Mori-senpai, please. He's the strongest one out of all of us." Kyoya pleaded. "We have to wake him up. We'll never get out of here alive if we don't."

The silent teen still looked hesitant and flinched when Haruhi gently rested her hand upon his arm.

"I... Want to go home." The commoner breathed, staring down at Honey. "I want to go home to Ouran, to the host club, to my dad... But I want to go home with everyone, including Alicia. I don't want Honey-senpai, or anyone for that matter, to be put in a position where they might not come home with us. We can find another way... I just want us all to be safe."

Everyone held their breath as Mori stared down at Haruhi for a good minute before sighing and standing. "Kyoya's right. It's the only way." The teen spoke, walking to the very edge of their hiding spot. He turned his head to look back at the group with a determined glare. "Get ready to run. We'll handle this."

The host club members nodded, and gathered the three unsuspecting gangsters into position as Mori lifted his cousin's ear to his lips, took a deep breath, and—

"MITSKUNI!"

-*-*-*-

Alicia's eyes flew wide as the feeling of air in her lungs and a tongue in her mouth dragged her into consciousness.