[Kitsumi]

Donovan & Hunter

“I don’t wanna do this,” Donovan spoke in a hushed tone, paranoid that he might be heard. He was tugging nervously at his blue hair, fingers tapping lightly against the tight black jeans that clung to his incredibly thin physique.

His companion, Hunter, turned to him with a glare. “If you’re too chickenshit to do the job, you should’ve told me before we got here. It’s too late to back out now.” Shoving a finger in the younger man’s chest, he leaned close, invading his space. “Besides, I gave you plenty of chances to pay back what you owe me. This is your last shot, so don’t fuck it up.”

Donovan gulped and nodded, eyes wide with fear.

[Kitsumi]

“C’mon, the back windows should be unlocked.” Hunter took charge, giving his accomplice no chance to back out. He circled around the house, sticking to the shadows. When he found a window, he grinned. “Bingo. Now come on, I’ll give you a boost up and then you can unlock the garage door for me.”

Once again, Donovan hesitated. “Are you sure that the house is empty?” he said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Let’s just come back another day.”

“No!” Hunter growled. “Look, I’ve had a guy watching this area for weeks. We know the owner’s habits, and we know that now is the best time to break in. So either cough up the money you owe me, or get the fuck inside.”

[Kitsumi]

Donovan knew that he didn’t have the money, and he felt his only option was to do as he was told. So despite the fact that there were a thousand warning bells going off inside his head, he stepped into Hunter’s cupped hands and allowed the other man to lift him up. He straddled the windowsill for a moment, before finally gathering the courage to step inside.

It was dark, too dark for him to see anything. He moved forward slowly with his hands in front of him, hoping it would be enough to keep him from bumping into anything. When he stepped on a loose floorboard and heard the loud creak that it made, he froze, heart pounding.

[Kitsumi]

Once he realized that nobody was coming to get him, Donovan let out a sigh of relief. Pulling out his cell phone, he used the light from the screen to make his way through the kitchen and into a narrow hallway. He had no idea what the layout of the house was, but he hoped that it wouldn’t take him too long to find the garage.

He passed by a few closed doors, pausing at each one to listen. There were no sounds of movement. All he heard was the sound of a clock slowly ticking, the seconds slipping by as he wasted time.

This was stupid. He needed to hurry his ass up, unless he wanted to get caught in this house. Moving with renewed vigor, he finally managed to find a door that looked like it might lead into the garage…

...just as a heavy hand settled on his shoulder.

[Kitsumi]

Stacey Carter

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing in my house?” Carter growled as he spun the intruder around to face him. He tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder, while raising the bat in his other hand. It wasn't a threat, but a warning.

Donovan began speaking in a stammering voice, although he knew that there was no way he would be able to explain his way out of breaking and entering. "I-I-I didn't want to do it!" he claimed, his voice shrill with fear.

"Oh, so you accidentally crawled through my window?" the man scoffed. "Yeah, that makes total sense. I'll just let you go then." His expression remained fixed in a scowl, and he did not release Donovan despite his words. "Who else is here? How many of you are there?"

[Kitsumi]

Donovan knew that he couldn't snitch on Hunter. The guy wasn't his friend, and he wasn't the type to forgive. So he tried to lie, claiming, "It's just m-"

"Bullshit." Carter cut him off, not buying it. "I'm not an idiot, kid. A little shit like you wouldn't have come up with the idea of breaking into someone's house. So who is the brains behind the operation, huh?" He squeezed a bit harder, digging his fingers into the boy's shoulder. "Tell me the truth. Now."

Pressing his lips together, Donovan shook his head. "I... I can't," he said. "Please, he'll kill me! I'm already in deep shit because I owe him money."

[Kitsumi]

For a while, Carter didn't reply. He simply looked the boy up and down, eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to determine whether or not he was telling the truth. His expression remained stern, showing no sign of the sudden conflict he was beginning to feel. He recognized the desperation in the boy's expression, all too well.

"Fine," the man said, finally letting go of Donovan's shoulder. "If you want to take the fall for your friend, then that's your decision." He pulled out his old flip phone, finger hovering over the buttons. "This is your last chance. You can give me a name, and I can guarantee that the police will work with you. Or you can take the full punishment yourself. Your choice."

[Kitsumi]

Donovan's expression was blank as he resigned himself to his fate. "Snitches don't last long out there," he said. "I'll have a better chance of surviving prison."

The man sighed. He honestly didn't want the kid himself to get into trouble. It was clear to him that he was acting out of desperation, and felt as if he had no other choice. But he couldn't just let the boy go, and let him attempt to burglarize someone else's home. After thinking it over for a minute or two, he knew what he should do.

He dialed the number on his phone, keeping his eyes on Donovan the entire time. "Hey, Justus," he said, once the other man had picked up. "Yeah, I know what time it is. I need you to get over here... No, I'll explain when you get here. Okay. Bye."