Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟔𝟓 卍𓊉

This feeling isn't foreign at all. The same throbbing headache and blurry vision. The same numb soreness in all her limbs. Slowly regaining feeling and senses, and fading out of disorientation. And the same tight feeling around her wrists and ankles. As soon as that all too familiar sensation is acknowledged by her, she's awoken by panic.

Nakano pulls on the metal restraints, as the high pitched clatter rings throughout the debris covered area around her. She's broken out of chains like this before, but it seems like that was only a one time thing. She's too weak to even pull on them.

She realizes she's chained to the only intact pillar in the crumbling room. After giving up trying to break free, she tries to remember what happened before all this.

'Manjiro.'

That name is the first thing that pops to mind, and immediately the memories flood back. She was on a beach with him, then all of the sudden, darkness.

"Manjiro..." Her voice is hoarse due to her dry throat.

How long has she been here for? If it hurts this much for her to talk, then she must've been inhaling dust this whole time.

"Here." A water bottle suddenly appears in her line of vision. "Drink this."

The person she called for moves in front of her, and sits cross legged while facing her. He brings the plastic bottle to her lips, and pours the water into her mouth, which she drinks up without a second thought. It feels as if water is returning to a river after years of drought.

Once Mikey has given her what's left in the bottle, he tosses it away. "Better?"

Nakano doesn't respond. She only stares into his dark eyes. But it doesn't take long for that feeling to return. It's faint, given her current situation, but she can still feel it.

To answer his question, she nods. However that doesn't satisfy the man before her.

Mikey places his index finger under her chin, and lifts her head up so their eyes meet again. "Let me hear your voice, Nakano."

All the swirling emotions inside her pour out of her mouth. "Not calling me 'Kano-chin' anymore?"

She doesn't like to hear him calling her by her given name. It's like they're complete strangers. It's like 'Nakano' and 'Kano-chin' are two completely different people, and Mikey is talking to the wrong one.

"Sorry, Kano-chin." A smile forms on Mikey's lips, though sadness still hides behind it. His eyes deceive him. "You... Never really let me call you that. You always threatened to kill me when I tried."

Though she's a little confused, she's more upset than anything else. "I don't... Remember any of that. How did this happen?"

The smile drops from Mikey's face as soon as she strikes a minor chord. "Let's not talk about that. All I care about is that you're back. My Kano-chin is back." He lifts his hand to caress Nakano's warm cheek, cherishing the softness of her skin.

As much as she wants to lean into his hand, Nakano still can't shake the thought of what he did to her. She's in chains once again, and this time, it was because of him.

"Manjiro." She turns her head away from his hand, causing him to pull it back. "Why did you do this?" She shakes her elevated restrained wrists to refer to what she means.

This time, her eyes hold betrayal. Mikey of all people should know she hates being in captivity, despite being able to tolerate it. Didn't she tell him this before? She thought he cared about her enough to not do this to her.