Unwanted Elements

Chapter Twelve

We were led back the way I'd come, the man's rifle pointed at our backs if we tried anything to run. We were led back onto the platform above the labs, where our other brothers were also locked into handcuffs, their own soldiers pointing guns to their backs as well. "He got you guys too?" Choromatsu asked as we emerged into view, and I solemnly nodded.

"How'd you guys get caught?" Jyushimatsu asked, and I noticed relief flash in my brothers' eyes simultaneously. "We got jumped in a meeting room," Todomatsu explained, and Karamatsu piped up. "We'd been ratted out, and me and Osomatsu were fighting our way out when we were held down and cuffed. I'll give credit where it's due, however. You should have seen him fighting," Karamatsu nodded towards Osomatsu, giving him a half-smile.

Osomatsu closed his eyes, a shit-eating smirk smeared onto his face. "Left 'em with burns so bad, they're gonna be afraid of more than the dark," he remarked, and one of the soldiers cocked his gun, causing us all to jump. One of them poked my back with his gun's barrel. "I got 'em, boys. Follow me," one of them said, walking ahead of us. We obeyed, scared out of our minds.

We followed him down the right stairs, and turned a right, the concrete turning to darkness as we were led down a stone hallway with torches lighting the tunnel, the flames licking into rock. Sounds of boots and shoes scraping against the rock made me wince every once in a while, and my hands were beginning to throb. I noticed Osomatsu moving his fingers, as if testing something. There was a somber aura in the air, each of us knowing we'd failed step two: getting out the way we came undetected.

Now, instead of running home with no further conflicts, we were headed into an unknown void. Nice way to spend an afternoon. Actually, I had no idea how long we'd been in here. It had felt like hours. A melancholy look spread to my brothers' faces, leaving deadpanned looks in places they didn't look in place.

Osomatsu's eyes were half lidded, his green eyes full of guilt, anger, and regret. As if he felt like he'd disappointed us. Karamatsu's face was set in stone serious, his forehead wrinkling with his set gaze. Choromatsu's mouth pointed down, his eyes looking sad. Jyushimatsu's smile had wiped off, leaving me feeling uneasy. I hated seeing my brother missing his trademark smile. His eyes looked determined. Todomatsu looked afraid and scared, bundled into one.

I took a peek over at the man, who had turned at us. His mask was cut off at the mouth, revealing a jaw of yellowing, sharpened fangs. A scar pressed against his lip. He wore his hair in a ponytail. His clothes consisted of a black tank top, exposing his muscular shape. His pants were pattered in camouflage, the tips tucked into his belted combat boots, and a black belt with a skull and crossbones held them up. Keys jangled from his belt, and he had a holster attached to his belt for his pistol.

Turning his back to us, he audibly grunted. Me and my brothers traded worried looks. Where were we headed? This stone tunnel seemed to be eternal, as the flames continued to quiver and shake, trying their best to keep this hidden passage lit. Every step we took filled me with a sense of unease. The handcuffs were starting to dig into my wrists, and I wondered if it felt that way to my brothers, too. There was the sound of a metal door creaking open.

A wave of light washed over us, painting us in white and gold. A stairway like the ones you expect to see in school lay ahead of us. A cobalt stairway spiraled downwards, railings lining the edges. The soldier did a complete 180, heading behind us and sending us single-file down the stairs, thrusting his gun into our backs as he did so. The silence was becoming unbearable. 

We spiraled down the stairs, amongst peeling cream paint that seemed to curl onto the stairs. The stairwell seemed to coil in on itself endlessly. Our footsteps echoed as we descended, and my stomach continued to twist like a pretzel. Where on earth where we being led to? An odd noise echoed, and I heard Todomatsu grumble. "Seriously!" I heard him gripe, and then he let out a sharp yelp, presumably from the soldier shoving the barrel of his gun into his back.