» Nine «
“I-I can’t…”
A trembly whisper came from Tsuki as he held his phone to his ear. He wasn’t supposed to have any devices that could let him communicate while basically held captive by Nine. Yet somehow, he had found his old phone in the very place he was locked in- his house. Not the apartment he had been staying in previously with Titan, no. His own house that his parents owned.
Pressing his back against the wall of his room, Tsuki sank down onto the ground. He was devastated! And most of all, Paranoid! Nine was in the other room doing who knows what, and Tsuki was certain if he was found with this phone… It’d be the last time he’d hear Ryoken in a while.
“I’m so sorry. I-I miss you so much but I can’t do anything… I’m stuck.”
A lose is a lose! As much as Tsuki wanted to go straight back to the boat, he couldn’t! It didn’t help that all the doors were locked and there was nothing to pick the locks. It was too dangerous to try and climb out the windows (Tsuki wasn’t sure if he could even open them anyways). Nine had really turned Tsuki’s house into a prison.
It was the first time in quiet some time - and Ryoken was honest here he couldn’t name the amount of time because hours, days and weeks had just started to blur into each other - since he had heard anything of Tsuki. Since he had failed the younger one and failed to protect him. With Playmaker gone after the death of the Dark Ignis and Tsuki being kidnapped by yet another AI there was not much left Ryoken could tell himself he didn’t failed at.
The phone call had been unexpected. Unknown number and Ryoken had been really tempted to ignore the call but something made him accept it though. Hearing Tsuki’s reason proved him that it really was the right decision and in a weak moment he had let the quiet plea slip his lip.
The response he got was somehow to expected looking at the fact that the other one was kidnapped but still... it hurt. Because it was his fault that Tsuki was in the position he currently was in and instead of pleading him to come home he should be out there bringing him home.
“I miss you too.” he admitted eventually, closing his eyes for a moment. Part of him knew he should try to locate the others position due to the phone call, but part of him was afraid that Tsuki would end the call the moment he noticed what he was doing. “Tell me where you are and I’ll come to your side.”
Without hesitating. He might had failed Tsuki once. He might had failed Playmaker again. And maybe he would fail Soulburner as well with ignoring his mission to watch the network but... if there was a chance to find the other one. To bring him home... he would do it. Even if it meant facing that AI again.
