Arriving at school I found Yuuta looking around very distressed and for the first time he took the initiative to come to me for a talk. He walked over with that cool demeanour but with a slightly furrowed brow and made eye contact.
"Hey," I said, briefly waving to him.
"Hey," he said back.
"Do you know where Natalia is," he said after some consideration.
"She hasn't been to school in the last two days and you weren't here,"
My nose flared up the slightest bit as the thought of him putting Natalia before me and that the only reason he wanted to talk to me was because he needed help because she was missing.
I couldn't believe this young man!
"Yuuta, do you realise that you have been..." I trailed off and thought about it.
He's an idiot in love, I shouldn't tell him off.
It would be a bad friend of me. I interrupted myself.
"I'll look into it," I added.
Yuuta nodded and walked away, looks like he really doesn't want to talk to me, he's just worried about Natalia.
When I said I was going to look into it, I was telling the truth. I wanted to find out as well, hopefully before Yuuta does. He will one, be grateful to me and show me some emotion that says I'm a friend and two I get to see what this backstabbing girl has done.
It's a win win situation!
Straight to my laptop at first break I began typing. Hacking into any high security site that had anything to do with Natalia or XY.
I found hacking into websites that obviously had something to do with those two subjects were all very well protected. Hacking into them took ages and some were just impossible for me to even attack it. Finding locations but no information to attach them to is very annoying.
I gave up in the end but still found three locations that all had something to do with it but that last piece of information was always missing, the locations where all very loosely connected I didn't know if they housed Natalia or just equipment for the bigger project.
Nevertheless I was going to check all three of them out, I also needed to upgrade my hacking skills.
I took a nap on the plush sofa and set up an alarm for end of break.
...
During school I didn't tell Yuuta the progress I made, our friendship is dead anyways, even if it could be mended, for that to happen both sides have to have the same intent otherwise it will never work. The best it will do is turn into a one sided friendship born out of annoyance and persistence. I've excepted the harsh reality that I'm back to being friendless...
I called me personal chauffeur to drive me from the mansion to the first location.
559 halop road, in the next suburb across.
I did some more hacking into various websites in case I missed something while in the limousine, alas nothing was found.
The location was suspicious, definitely. A big abandoned warehouse, a cliche location for a kidnapping.
I went inside via the only entrance visible, a big rusted metal door in the middle of the building.
I took out the bumper key I always had with me and with a little tap and shove I was in.
The door creaked loudly as I entered the dusty area. With a flashlight I could locate the light switch next to the door. A hanging lightbulb flickered today life in the middle and there was a chair right underneath covered in cobwebs and dust. On top of the seat balanced a piece of paper. I picked up the note and read it.
'Good job, your hacking skills must be good Higashi. Your girlfriend isn't here though. I do wonder where she is.
-PL'
Apparently these kidnappers think I'm Yuuta meaning they still don't know who I am. I could use that to my advantage.
All of a sudden arrows flew out of the walls and the walls were on fire. The arrows I managed to dodge and the walls flickered with light. Shadows were apparent meaning people knew I was here. A groaning could be heard from the building, guess I wasn't too happy about being set on fire.
A black substance could be seen flowing down the walls, the fire travelling with it.
The attacker must of set the walls on fire with oil. How was I going to escape this one?
I looked around at the fire and the roof. No way out. Frick.
The chair was wooden as well so all it would do is add to the fire. The lightbulb was slowly becoming detached as it's string was burning.
There was a time bomb as well in the corner. All of a sudden my science tutoring went into my head and I had an idea.
I went to go check to quality of the bomb to find that it was a good brand of dynamite. My luck is turning around it seems. I smiled to myself as I picked up the dynamite like it was a brick and placed it next to the entrance.
My plan was to use the explosive dynamite to temporarily quench the flames.
When the dynamite blows the flame will be extinguished temporarily but the building will start collapsing. During this time I have a short window to escape the building before the fire starts up again and the building collapses.
I set the dynamite down and went to the opposite site of the hall and got into a starting position.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
BOOM!
As soon as I the dynamite exploded there was a big gap in the fire. I sprinted towards it as I heard the groaning of the building as the walls cracked and the roof started to collapse in on itself.
The fire was quickly filling in the gap as I grabbed the hit handle and opened the door while gritting my teeth at the searing pain.
Instinct told me to let go immediately but my will to not die kept my hand on the handle as in pushed down to unlock. Flickering flames could be felt up my back and naked legs.
The hot metal burned as I pushed the door open hastily and got out of the flaming building. Burning could be felt all over my body as the flames caught up.
I subconsciously grabbed my wrist with the other hand as I watched the burning building collapse into a pile of ashes and flames. It was already dark and the burning building was giving off a soothing glow as the flames danced around the dark.
The cracking of the flames was a relaxing sound as I watched the dancing flames. Flickering embers seemingly floated up and disappeared.
I looked down to see my palm which looked like it had come out of a horror film.
Black skin on the edges with huge blisters and red all over. Blood could be seen and my hand looked a bit like bubbling lava.
It was a monstrosity that would take ages to heal.
Third degree burn on my hand and a couple of first and second degree burns all over my body. That's just great.
Sirens could be heard as they came closer.
Police again??
As 3 police cars drove up they looked at me with a face showing horror as they glanced back and forth between me and the burning building.
I hide my burnt hand behind my back with my other, making it look like my natural standing position.
It stung and hurt like hell but all I could do was stand there and look at the police officers.
"Kid, did you do this?" One of them asked while pointing at the pile of ashes and flames, the remains of the warehouse.
"If I did?" I asked back.
"Then you'd be coming back with us to the police station." He said
"And if I didn't?" I then asked.
"Then you'd be coming back to the police station as a witness to this event." He said.
It was the same either way so what was the point.
I walked towards them with my hands still behind my back.
As I past them I moved my hands to the front.
I approached the police cars ready to get in and go.
They were all still staring dumbfounded at the burning building. One of them got their phone out and called the fire brigade. I looked at them bored wondering when they were going to hurry up and go back.
The finally started to walk to the cars and let me in. I sat right beside the window and hid my hand with my body as I looked out at the sight of fire. Flickering flames and black prices of materials, oil still seeping out and the wind blowing the flames bigger.
The policemen all drove off with me on one of the cars towards the police station.