Chapter Text
Everything was dark, it was the first thing Nanami became aware of. There was a cloth tied over his eyes, he could feel the knot of it at the back of his head, tight but not painfully so - merely efficient. The second was that his arms were tied behind his back. Moving even a little tugged at something painful in his shoulder, so he did his best not to move too much. Because it hurt, but also because he wanted to take stock of his situation first. Nanami had a lot of questions, and currently no answers. He needed to know where he was, what happened to land him in his current position, who had put him here, and what their goal was.
The problem of course was that he couldn't fucking see anything, and there were no hints to be found in the silence of the room. Maybe the flickering of candles? But beyond that?
It was quiet, too quiet really. Someone had to be watching him didn't they? No one would just tie him up and leave him here, would they? Nanami still didn't really know how all of this had happened.
He shifted then, wincing at the pull in his shoulder, sharp and painful but it felt necessary, like he could get out of this if he just pushed hard enough. Nanami grunted with each pull, biting down on his cheek to keep from making more noise than he already was, a little pain was worth getting out of this. He could feel something start to give, or at least he told himself he did, he just needed to get the angle right and he'd have it. He leaned forward a little further, tugging a little harder, convinced that he just needed just a bit more leverage and he'd get it. Instead of breaking free he found himself tipping forward, slowly at first, slow enough that he wasn't entirely aware of it until it was too late to catch himself. And then he wasn't just tipping, he was falling. He toppled forward, chair and all, with a pained grunt as he landed face first. A sharp pain jolting down his arms from his shoulders.
At least that gave him a kind of permission to be a little more deliberate about getting out of these ties. He began struggling harder against his bindings, cheek against the cool stone floor, teeth gritted as he pulled, his shoulders screaming with each tug. Kicking out despite the realization that his ankles had been tied to the chair as well - all it did was tug at the ropes binding his arms.
"I don't think that's going to work out for you." A voice cut through the dark and Nanami went entirely still. He hadn't even known that someone else was in the room with him. He'd thought maybe he was being watched through a window, or a camera perhaps. Even now, it felt entirely silent, he felt alone in the dark behind the blindfold that despite the change in his position still kept him sightless.
"That's it?" The voice asked again, and this time there was a footstep, coming closer. In the room then, that was something. Nanami took a slow breath in and held it, like it could help his senses. But it didn't really seem to matter. "I thought for sure you'd push more than this." Was that disappointment?
"And then what?" Nanami ground out. He wasn't here to be entertainment for this man, whoever he was. He didn't know why he was here, but that much he knew. Or refused to be at the very least.
"You tell me." Was the only response he got, however. No further explanations, no expectations. Just something that was very nearly a taunt.
He didn't answer, he wasn't giving away more than he had already, not without getting a few answers of his own first. He pulled again, twisting beneath the chair and the bindings that kept him from breaking free, he was going to hurt himself if he kept this up. He could tell that much, but maybe that would be worth it. It wouldn't be the first time. He had a long history of hurting.
It wasn't like he hadn't done plenty of damage already before ending up here. A lot of it was unclear in his mind, a blur of blood and screaming and chaos, but he knew enough to know it wasn't good - that was probably explanation enough for being here.
Nanami hadn't really been sure how it happened. One minute he'd been on a call, listening to a client - knowing they couldn't afford to take more risks than they already had. That they were already in trouble financially, and he had his boss in his ear telling him to push harder to take more regardless of what was being said on the other end of the line. Reminding him why they were there, to take just a little bit more - make the deal. --
"Come on, Nanami. Show this kid how it's done." He could still feel the heat of his boss' breath against the back of his neck, hear the way his fingertips pressed into the back of his chair while he leaned over his shoulder, pointing out Nanami's work to the new guy. Some kid who still looked like he hadn't quite realized what he'd signed up for by accepting this particular job.
"Let me just check my account," The voice on the line was from a long time client, as long as any ever was in this line of work. But Nanami had put in the work to gain his trust, to push for a little more and a little more every time they did this. And today would be the big one. It didn't matter that he hated himself for it, that every word he said felt like a knife driving in just a little bit deeper. It was the job.
And if there was one thing Nanami did, it was get the job done. --
He struggled again, yanking until he felt something give in his shoulder and he couldn't help the way he groaned in pain. "Now you've gone and done it," Came a sigh from the man who had seemingly been waiting while Nanami tried to remember what had landed him here in this place. "She's gonna be mad I let you get hurt." He went on.
"Who?" Nanami asked, he still needed more information, and he'd gained nothing from whatever he'd done to his shoulder. Just made it all the more unlikely that he'd be able to free himself.
"Not like it'll matter though," He went on like Nanami hadn't spoken at all. He got the impression he was used to things like this, talking and expecting people to just listen no matter how little sense it might make in the moment. "You're set to be executed at the end of the day anyway."
And it was like everything stopped, the occasional sound of candle flames flickering, the ragged sound of his own breathing, even the beat of his heart. Everything came to a screeching halt at those words. "Executed?"
"Hmm?" Like he'd just remembered that Nanami was even there in the room with him, capable of hearing him speak, and not just a deaf and blind animal sitting there waiting for some answers. "Oh right, you don't know." He tutted, tongue clicking like this was just the basic information. "That's how these things go, normally we're good at this sort of thing. Finding people who have potential, who can be taught. We catch them early, train ‘em up." He started hefting Nanami up as he spoke, though even that seemed to come easily for him. He was picked up seemingly without much effort on his captor's part. Despite all the effort Nanami had put in to get himself into that position in the first place.
His cheek smarted from where he'd hit the floor, and his shoulder throbbed, but all of that was a distant concern to that one single word that was hanging over his head now.
"You managed to slip through the cracks though," He went on, and suddenly Nanami had his vision back. He winced, even the dim light was a lot to take in suddenly, but he blinked once and then twice trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
A dimly lit room, the candles in lanterns he'd heard, and small little papers plastered all around the walls, they looked like talismans - the sort of thing his mother's mother might have believed in. And then there was the man himself. Tall was the first thing that came to mind, the blindfold he wore was second, beyond that though he looked entirely at ease, not like someone who was set to be an executioner shortly. If that's what this was supposed to be. Trying to extract a confession from him before they ended his life?
None of this made sense. Things like this just didn't happen. --
"It's going to have to wait this time, Nanami-san." He swore under his breath, away from the receiver, he didn't want to push like this. Didn't want to take so much. No matter what the job was.
"Now pay attention kid, this is where he's going to show you what this really takes." His boss was gripping the back of his seat, fingers pressing in and Nanami could smell the smell of those cheap cigarettes he smoked wafting off him invading his senses while he tried to maintain a kind of calm.
"Now, now I know this is a scary prospect," Nanami began, ready to say what was necessary. "But this is a big opportunity, and one I don't want you to miss out on." He hated himself a little bit more with every word he said.
"I don't know," The client waffled, Nanami was well aware of exactly how much he had in his account, exactly how much he could extract from him with the promise he'd make it back ten fold, but that promise wouldn't be worth anything once the funds left his account. --
"And then you just sort of exploded, didn't you?" His captor went on, bright and cheery like he was talking about the weather, or whatever it was that Nanami had for lunch that afternoon, and not what had actually happened that day.
"So that's just the way these things work, we can't just have you out there on your own after that - who knows what could happen." And the thing was Nanami could see a kind of sense to it, could understand what he meant at the very least. Why someone would see what had happened that day and decide the only option moving forward was to remove the one responsible from the board entirely. He was too uncertain, too wild, too unknown to allow to continue to exist.
So why was this man toying with him then? Why not just get it over and done with? "So what's all of this then?" Nanami asked, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, ignoring the fear coiling in the pit of his stomach and just looking at the man before him. He didn't look like someone who was blind, he didn't move like he couldn't see - entirely the opposite in fact.
"That eager to get to your execution?" He asked, head tilting just slightly like he was curious.
"If I've been sentenced then why draw it out?" He shot back, he didn't want to die - didn't want to hurry this along, but he didn't want to sit here and be played with either. If they were going to kill him then he'd rather it just be done with.
"Maybe I'm curious," was the only offer of an explanation he got.
"Curious about what?" Because the thing was, Nanami was curious too. About what had happened, about what this man wanted, about whatever world it was that he'd stepped into that was so entirely different from the one he'd left behind. That much was obvious, this wasn't the real world, not the one Nanami had born into or knew too well. There were no cubicles and harsh overhead lights flickering here. Not the incessant drone of phones ringing, and not the straining light of computer screens. He'd stepped through a doorway and maybe this man would be the one to decide exactly how long he'd be allowed to stay.
"What you'll do next," It was so simple really. Just an open ended kind of curiosity that left Nanami feeling just a little bit stunned. "It takes some sorcerers years to develop the skills you just pulled out of thin air today, think of what you could do with a little bit of training." It was a terrifying thought. A cold chill ran down his spine imagining what he could be capable of if he actually knew what he was doing. --
"This is it, this is your chance - you can't hold back now." Nanami pushed a little more, gritting his teeth at the feeling of his manager's hot breath against the back of his neck watching his screen over his shoulder waiting for the influx of funds that this call would surely result in.
"And it's a good investment, Nanami-san?" Came the uncertain response down the line. He could feel the eyes of his new junior on him too, all of them so close, all of them watching his every move. No one with any amount of remorse for this awful business they were in. "You're certain?"
"I am," Nanami agreed easily, tone even and neutral, he wasn't even trying anymore. But that was why this client was one of his best. He never had to try that hard, didn't have to employ some put upon tone of voice, didn't have to produce imaginary numbers and chances, he just had to reassure him that it was good. It didn't matter that any returns he'd ever gotten in the past hardly made up for what he'd lost. That was never the point. It was this. Right here. Making the deal.
"Okay," He sounded defeated, and that was a fair feeling - like he knew what was coming as well as Nanami did. "Okay, let's go for it." Nanami nodded, and his manager whooped behind him a quiet huff of celebration as he pumped his fists in the air while Nanami settled the last few details of the call before ending it.
"And that's how it's done," He slapped a hand against Nanami's shoulder, pleased and proud though his attention was on the new recruit. Nanami kept his eyes on the screen, watching as the transfer went through and he left his long standing client with nothing. And he didn't feel pleased with the work, didn't feel like he was doing anything worthwhile, like anything any of them in this building did was worth any amount of effort or celebration.
"You keep your eyes on this one, kid. You do what he does and soon enough you'll be bringing in the big ones too." It was the same nothing talk that Nanami had gotten when he was new, some older man in his seat making deals like this too, taking from people who couldn't afford to give more. His manager went on, but the words blurred one into the next into a meaningless drone, the screen in front of him going out of focus next. He couldn't keep doing this, sitting here day after day listening to this.
He needed out. It was time to clock out.
Everything was too bright, too loud, too much, too tight. Nanami grasped for his tie, loosening the neat knot he always kept it in, tutting it loose as he pushed back from his desk.
"Nanami?" He didn't even hear his own name, just reached out blindly for something - anything to hold on to. And came up empty. But that didn't mean nothing had happened. Everything was quiet for a moment, and he almost thought he'd imagined it, that sound. But when his manager fell to the ground it was obvious that he had not imagined it. He didn't look, didn't need to. He knew what he'd done, even if he didn't fully understand how he'd done it. A clean split, his cut and a cut for the company, just like every deal he'd ever made up to this point.
That's when the screaming started. The new kid first, blood on his face and eyes wide in horror as he stumbled to his feet trying to back away from Nanami but that was the problem with these cubicles, there was never room to go far. His scream cut off just as quickly as it had begun. And Nanami breathed out, feeling a kind of relief for the very first time in his life, like all of this energy within him finally had a place to go, an outlet that felt like he was actually doing something worthwhile.
No one would miss a handful of men like the ones that filled this place. --
"You made quick work of the place," His captor went on, reaching up behind his head and began unwinding the cloth that he'd wrapped around his head hiding his eyes. "It was pretty impressive actually, that kind of efficiency, normally sorcerers leave a mess when they work, but you?" He shook his head, still unwrapping. "Sure the blood will need some scrubbing, but the building? That was good work."
"That's what you're focused on?" Nanami felt sick, the faces of his former coworkers were coming back to him. He hadn't been close with any of them, never allowed that sort of thing, never wanted to be close to anyone. But he knew them enough to recognize each one as it flashed through his mind the longer he sat there, the memories coming back in full crystal detail.
"Would you rather focus on the people?" No. No he wouldn't. "Because we can, I've got their files, there's pictures too if you want." He thought he'd be sick if he had to look at the evidence of what he'd done, but even still he didn't think he felt the right kind of guilty for it either. Surely someone who had killed as many people as he had should feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. But instead he just felt ill at the idea of seeing bodies taken apart the way he'd done. Maybe execution really was the right choice for him.
"No." He said, shaking his head.
"I thought so," The last strands of the wrap fell away and Nanami felt pinned by the sudden bright blue gaze turned on him. "So are you interested?"
It took him a moment to find the words, the conversation had been difficult to follow, and now those eyes were on him leaving Nanami feeling further exposed. "Interested?"
"In getting the kind of training you should have had all along." It was a generous offer, more generous than what Nanami thought he deserved.
"I thought I was being executed." There had to be a catch, and Nanami wasn't going to agree without hearing everything he was signing up for.
"Oh that," His hand waved through the air, like he was batting away the very idea of it, "Well the thing is, we're always in need of more sorcerers, curses are always there needing to be exorcised and we don't have enough of us to go around killing one of the most interesting untrained sorcerers I've seen in recent history just because he killed a few people. So I got your sentence suspended."
"Suspended?" That didn't sound like execution was entirely off the table.
"Well it all depends on you," Of course it did. "You can decide to take on the training, to join us and fight with other trained sorcerers, killing curses and keeping people safe." It sounded noble, far more noble than Nanami had ever been or thought himself capable. "Or you can refuse the offer and well -" He shrugged, "We both know where that path ends, don't we?"
It was hardly a real offer. Death or training? No sane person was going to choose death when they had a way out.
"What happens if I want to quit?" Nanami wasn't satisfied, needed to know more, to be certain where the lines were. Wanted to know the rules and expectations, he had always been someone who appreciated knowing where the lines were and had liked following the rules. But this was an entirely new set of rules he was working with.
The look he got in response to that question was all the answer he needed however. He had one option, take it or leave it.
"When do we start?" He said finally, after the quiet had stretched on far longer than he probably should have allowed.
"Right now!" His captor clapped his hands, pleased with the result he'd pushed them toward. "Gojo Satoru, at your service." He finally introduced himself. "Head of first years here at Jujutsu High, you're a bit older than my usual students, but I'll be taking the lead on your training all the same. So what do you say, Nanami? Ready to begin?"