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-A WEEK LATER-
Kazuha
"Last stop."
Scaramouche
"They've gotta be here. I just know it."
Within a week, the four individuals who were left at your house embarked on a trip to find you. They've ticked off every location where they've searched for you. And there they were, in their most recent unchecked spot, Snezhnaya.
Itto
"Well, I mean... It's the only place on the map that we don't have checked off. So if they aren't here, then-"
Scaramouche
"Shut it! They're here, and I fucking know it! Like, I swear, all of-"
Kazuha
"Scaramouche, please."
Scaramouche
"No! No, I'm so fucking pissed right now! I'm so exhausted, and we've come nowhere to finding Y/N at all! I don't need someone telling me that they aren't going to be here! They have to be here!"
Itto
"..."
Kazuha
"Listen to me. I know how upset you are, I really do. But please don't lash out on Itto, or anyone in the group."
Scaramouche
"I wasn't lashing out."
Shinobu
"That seemed like lashing out to me."
Scaramouche
"You know what, Shinobu?-"
Itto
"... It's fine, really. Let's all just focus on finding Y/N, yeah?"
He interrupted before Scaramouche was about to say some more things.
.
.
.
Kazuha
"Scaramouche?"
Kazuha turned around and noticed that Scaramouche had stopped walking. They were all ahead of him, and he was simply standing in the background. Scaramouche unexpectedly fell to his knees, allowing the icy snow to contact his flesh.
Kazuha
"Scaramouche!"
Shinobu
"What happened?!"
Both confused, Shinobu and Itto watched Kazuha run back to Scaramouche.
Scaramouche
"I'm sorry..."
Kazuha
"No, it's fine!-"
Scaramouche
"No, Kazuha, it's not fine! The way I'm acting isn't fine!"
Kazuha
"Oh..."
Scaramouche
"I don't..."
.
.
.
"I don't want to hurt people anymore. Yet, I haven't changed! I've hurt Itto's feelings! I've hurt all of your feelings!"
Kazuha
"Don't say that, Scaramouche. You've changed, and in a good way."
Scaramouche
"I wish I saw myself the way you see me."
"I just... Have this big obsession with finding Y/N. It doesn't make me acknowledge those around me."
Kazuha
"Well... It's something you can work on, and it would make N/N proud if you put your utmost effort."
Scaramouche
"I'm so upset."
"I just want Y/N back..."
.
.
.
Kazuha
"And we will get Y/N back."
"We'll put our all into it, okay? We won't lose."
Scaramouche sniffled, his nose and cheeks flushing. Not because of the cold, but because of his recent breakdown. Scaramouche brushed his tears away, and Kazuha gladly helped him up, leading the way to what remained of the headquarters.
Itto
"Is he going to be okay?"
Itto whispered as Scaramouche was walking far ahead in front of everyone.
Kazuha
"... I hope so."
Scaramouche
"Is that..."
.
.
.
"Hey! There it is!"
Shinobu
"Archons... I knew N/N blew this place up, but I didn't know it would look like... That."
Scaramouche
"Hurry!"
Kazuha
"Scaramouche, wait! We have to be diligent!"
Shit! He isn't listening to me!
Everyone quickened their pace, catching up to Scaramouche, who was about to enter the headquarters' basement.
Kazuha
"Scaramouche, don't just go in there like you own the place! You don't know what'll happen to us if we're caught."
Pantalone
"I know exactly what's going to happen to you if you're caught."
Scaramouche
"!..."
Childe
"So he isn't dead after all."
Scaramouche
"You two! What-"
Childe
"N/N is fine. Just fine."
Itto
"That doesn't sound very promising."
Scaramouche
"So... So they really are here! They're here!"
*Whack!*
Itto took out his claymore and swung it at Pantalone. He did, however, avoid it, and it slammed into the frozen ground.
Itto
"Go! Me and Shinobu will take care of them!"
Childe
"No!"
Itto
"Run!"
Kazuha and Scaramouche dashed down the long, linear stairway. Both of them felt a chilly sensation on their skin as they came down, and it only became colder.
Kazuha
"Shit!"
A massive door appeared in front of them, requiring the DNA of a harbinger to open.
Scaramouche
"It should work... If they haven't removed my fingerprints yet."
He pressed his thumb against the censor, and the door opened.
Kazuha
"Okay... Patience, Scaramouche. We wouldn't want to get caught again."
He whispered as Scaramouche peeked his head into a hallway to see if he was in the clear.
Scaramouche
"Don't say that."
Kazuha
"Hm? Say what?"
Scaramouche
"That we're gonna get caught. It's almost like you jinxed it, heh."
Kazuha
"Hehe, well maybe I am a jinx."
The two proceeded slowly, their bodies pushed up against the hallway walls.
Kazuha
"Do you have any idea where they could be keeping them?"
Scaramouche
"I have a place. There was a specific section somewhere down here that had cells for elite prisoners, N/N's gotta fall right into that category."
"Right around this corner, if I'm remembering correctly..."
Kazuha
"Woah..."
Kazuha was stunned as he looked down the corridor at the vast number of cells. Some were bloodied and empty, while some were suffering and dying on the floor in the occupied cells.
Scaramouche
"Oh, you should see the one for the normal prisoners. I don't even know how they fit that many in a basement."
Scaramouche approached an occupied cell at random and pounded heavily on the cell bars, terrifying the prisoner within.
Prisoner
"Ah!"
Scaramouche
"Excuse me, sorry, have you seen a prisoner around here that's around... Like this tall?"
Scaramouche put his hand beside him, comparing your height to his."
Prisoner
"..."
Scaramouche
"Y'know... Scary looking a little bit, but still pretty/handsome?"
Prisoner
"..."
Scaramouche
"H/C hair and E/C eyes?"
Prisoner
"..."
Scaramouche
"Not gonna talk?"
Prisoner
"..."
Scaramouche
*Sigh* "Fine, let it be that way. I'll go ask some other prisoner."
Kazuha
"Scaramouche, their eyes."
Scaramouche
"What about it?"
Kazuha
"They're blue."
Scaramouche
"Cool. So are mine."
Kazuha
"No, I mean like... They're blue."
The prisoner, who was sitting on the floor, looked up at Kazuha. Their sclera was blue in the corner of their eye, and everything else was white.
Scaramouche
"Uhm..."
Kazuha
"They look really hurt..."
Scaramouche
"The harbinger's methods of torture are terrible. But, this hostage wouldn't have Dottore watching over them. They look a little too healthy."
Kazuha
"Shit... If that's what a sort-of-healthy hostage looks like, what do the rest look like?"
Scaramouche
"Terrifyingly bloody."
Kazuha
"Uh-huh... Terrifyingly bloody."
Scaramouche and Kazuha interrogated a few more prisoners, but they all had the same reaction as the first. All they did was sit on the floor, gazing with their extraordinarily blue eyes. Silence.
Scaramouche
*Sigh* "Do we really have to keep doing this? To every prisoner? They're all giving us the same thing."
"Nothing."
Kazuha
"Yes, it's best to see if one of them will actually give a response."
"Were they like this before?"
Scaramouche
"Nope. Uh... That one over there in his cell, used to be really violent. I remember just walking past his cell, minding my own business, and he started cursing at me. Tsk, I wasn't even the one who captured him."
"But, now..."
Kazuha
"He's quiet."
Scaramouche
"Mhm. I have no idea what happened to him."
*Sob*
Scaramouche and Kazuha both looked down the hallway to the cell, the largest of the lot at the far end.
Kazuha
"They're crying."
Scaramouche
"Hm?"
Kazuha
"That one. Down the hall."
Scaramouche
"Well, at least they aren't quiet. Let's go ask them."