Marked (BokuAka)

71. Note

Akaashi's POV (Day 41, Continued):

The police weren't driving fast enough.

Akaashi pointed them down the correct roads, finally gesturing for them to stop and follow him down an alleyway. The cry of a crow echoed throughout, and the group of seven officers glanced at each other. They thought it was a trap. Of course.

"We don't have much time," Akaashi said, tapping his foot both to relieve the nervous energy adding up in his bones, and to stress out the officers into moving quicker. "They'll leave."

The woman who'd manned the front desk nodded, and followed him into the alleyway, and the rest trailed behind her, hands hovering over their guns. As they trudged along, Akaashi fidgeted and twitched, feeling the clock ticking down. As they reached a rusting metal gate, Akaashi reached for the latch, until a huge, oil-black crow settled on the top of the pointed metal, leaving him to stumble backwards.

It jerked its beak to stare one eye into Akaashi's, black pointed beak releasing a bone-chilling sound, matching the cry from earlier. One of the cops pushed him aside, shooing away the bird. "We've got to get moving."

Akaashi nodded and opened the gate without any further interruptions, and walked—almost jogged—forward. Finally, they arrived at a tall, nondescript grey building, the windows pristine, yet showing no signs of life inside.

It was just as menacing as when Akaashi left it for the first time. But returning added on the weight that leaving had shed.

"This is it." Akaashi stepped forward and up the staircase, fingers brushing against the metal door handle.

"Wait, kid!" The woman stumbled forwards, holding his shoulder. "Maybe you shouldn't come in. There could be violence."

Akaashi turned to stare at her, plotting valid arguments for why he should join. "Well, I know my way around here. You do not. Also, I'm something she wants. A hostage, if you will. Go in there without me, and you might not leave. Also, I need to show you the people who assisted me in escaping."

"Well, I—"

"Let the boy come!" Someone whisper-yelled. "Give him a gun, I don't care. So many people have died that it doesn't matter at this point."

Akaashi's stomach plunged, though he ensured that his face remained neutral, eyes betraying no hint of nervousness at the possibility of touching a gun again.

"A gun? But..."

The man who'd spoken before thrust a gun into Akaashi's hand. "This is uncharted territory. If the court asks, it's to defend himself. Sound good?"

She nodded, though her hands balled into fists. "Let's go, then."

Entering the ominously plain building, he ran his fingers along the walls. "They're downstairs."

"Who?"

"My friends."

The man who'd given him the gun sighed. "We can't get them right now."

"Wait. I'll go with Akaashi-kun. We'll get the boys while you capture them." She smiled at Akaashi. "It'll be safer, hopefully."

So they split up, the two of them heading down the elevator, and the doors slid open to the long hallway. Feeling a sense of deja vu at the sight, he watched as they passed the same doors as before. D1, D2, D3... D9, D10, D11, until they hit D29.

"This is it. They're here." The taste of freedom mingled on his tongue, horrifyingly similar to the metallic tang of blood.

Impatiently, Akaashi reached for the handle, thrusting the door open and stepping inside. Darkness. Like the first time. This was messing with his head. The woman remained outside, glancing around warily.

Groping at the wall clumsily, Akaashi finally found a switch jutting out of the smooth wall. As he flicked it, the industrial-like lights flashed on, displaying the cages.

"No. No, no, no, no, no!" The empty cages taunted him, and Akaashi ran forward, the police officer on his heels. "What happened?"

The rooms were a mess, with thin blankets strewn across the floors and trays everywhere. As Akaashi entered Bokuto's now-unlocked room, a note caught his attention. Clearly written in Bokuto's scratchy handwriting, but his mother's perfect speech, it said:

My dearest Keiji,

I missed you. So, I decided to get to know your friend. He really is such a treat! Why don't you come meet us on the rooftop? You do not want to miss it.

XOXO,

Mom

P.S. If you aren't there, your friends will be punished.

Akaashi spun around to look at the woman, and he walked forward solemnly, in the way one does at a funeral.

"What?" She inquired until Akaashi placed the note in her hand. After a quick read, horror dawned on her pale face, and she swallowed, possibly in an attempt to regain her composure. "Well. Looks like we'll be checking out the view from the top." She smiled, though Akaashi couldn't form his petrified face into a similar expression.

As they returned along the hallway to the elevator, Akaashi began to think morbidly of his imminent demise. I wonder if it hurts the entire time, or if the adrenaline numbs it.

His hallucination of Akane appeared, floating alongside him, singing a nursery rhyme.

"One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl and four for a boy! Five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told."

What are you saying? Akaashi thought to them, glaring out of the corner of his eyes.

"A single crow, on a fence. Sorrrrowwwww." They sang the last word, grinning maliciously. Though Akaashi knew that this wasn't Akane, just a version of himself appearing in their form, he hated them. So much. "I wonder what it'll be? Perhaps you'll be shot, though I doubt many people will feel sorrowful. Perhaps Bokuto will be. If you're lucky." They giggled furiously as the elevator zoomed upwards, and Akaashi rolled his eyes.

"Ready?" Akaashi turned to look at her and nodded.

"Hopefully."

Finally, the door clicked open to a set of stairs, which they promptly walked up. Akaashi let the police officer take the lead. "I contacted the rest, by the way." She whispered, before opening the door and walking through. He followed, and the cold wind made him stumble before he righted himself and looked at his mother.

She smiled at him and jostled a gun in her hand. Zahra's gun. Right against Bokuto's temple. Lined up beside him in the same pose, instead with knives to their throats by other Love Liberators, were Washio, Konoha and Sarukui.

"So nice of you to join us, Keiji!" She called out, and Akane's hallucination spoke one more thing.

"One for sorrow." They whispered, before disappearing with maniacal laughter.