So this might be a multichapter fic or something. I dunno. I felt the urge.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ao No Exorcist/Blue Exorcist.

Run

Chapter One: Like the Wind

He ran like the wind.

His feet hit the concrete with a hint of desperation in each step. The thud of his worn converse called to no one but him, but the volume made him paranoid as fuck.

Stop, slow down, hunter's tread, hunter's tread, you don't want them to find you.

He suddenly came to a stop, then began doing a light jog and assessing his situation. He was in a neighborhood where the houses weren't lit, which was logical, since it was 3 AM. A local bakery, dry cleaning, and trinket store were half a mile or two before him. There was a faint light on in the bakery, but he paid no mind to it. A battered, rusty, and chipped street sign read Tangerine Leaf Road. He had no idea where he was.

He was lost.

"Dammit," he cursed. "If they find me, I'll be dead for sure."

He pulled his scarf around his neck tightly before stepping into an alley. He felt around for any of the homeless, he wouldn't want to disturb them, but only found mouse nipping lightly on his fingers. Sighing, he plopped down and checked his supplies. For such a surprise, he'd say he did pretty well getting what he needed. His sword, a knife or two, those custom-made boots with pockets that held the knives perfectly, a scarf, a beanie, and his wallet were all on his person. His schoolbag now held a first aid kit, his phone(which was turned off), leftovers hastily wrapped in plastic wrap, a bag of chips, two bottles of water, and a few changes of clothes.

Content, he leaned on the brick wall and unwrapped a nutella and banana sandwich. Chewing thoughtfully, he thought about what he'd heard only hours before, when they thought he wasn't listening.

Rin snored softly, tangled in his sheets. Kuro was nuzzling against his chest, purring as he absentmindedly scratched his head.

"Yukio. You've got to make a decision! It's now or never. The kids are waiting in the kitchen. They're half scared and half tired. They need an answer now!"

Rin stirred, slightly groaning at the interruption of his food-filled dream. He slowly opened his eyes. Dismissing the disturbance as a random creak, he snuggled into the bed sheets only to hear Yukio's voice annoy his slumber yet again.

"We've got to give him to the Grigory. We can't handle him. He's a ticking bomb, ready to implode at any moment. I don't know if there's anything else we can do for him."

Rin sat straight up, leaving Kuro scrambling for warmth, which he found at Rin's hip. His eyes widened in fear. The Grigory? Why? Why?

He suddenly felt alert, and slowly got out of bed. Waiting for Shura and Yukio's footsteps to pass, he picked up Kuro by the armpits and tucked him into the bed. He stood in a daze as he tried to comprehend those words Yukio had just spoken.

Would Yukio really give him up that easily? Would he just walk him up to Angel's office, drop him on the lumpy, off-white sofa he knew so well, and bid him a good death? Would he really? His own brother?

Yes, yes, he would. He knew Yukio. He knew that Yukio would do anything for those he was loyal to. He would do anything for the good of the majority. Rin wasn't the majority. He was never the majority.

Suddenly, as if God himself kicked him in the head and ordered him to get his ass out of there, he scrambled around, emptying his schoolbag and throwing clothes and other necessary items in it. His phone. His sword. His knives. His wallet. He changed his clothes to something more suitable for the chilly night air. Long jeans, a dark shirt, his favorite collared jacket, and a scarf. He laid them all out on the desk, before realizing he needed food.

A soft click rang in Rin's ears as he pushed open a panel in the wall. He'd discovered it early on. It connected their room to the kitchen, next to the stove. Getting onto his knees, he crawled on all fours. The passage was just the right size for him to comfortably and quietly sneak food around when he needed a midnight snack.

Slowly, he pushed open the panel on the other side. Another click sounded, and he peered into the kitchen. The lights were off, but the lights in the dining area were on. He came to a crouch near the island. From this angle, he could see the tops of Ryuji and Shima's heads. He was about to find some food, when he spotted Shura staring him straight in the eye.

She nodded at him, but disguised it as a sleepy nodding of the head before Yukio poked her awake, and she responded with an angry pout.

"What are you going to do, Yukio? We've been sitting here since forever. We need to know. Is that monster still going to be taking classes to exterminate his own kind?" Ryuji spoke, his voice laced with a harsh hate.

With agility Rin never knew he possessed, he quickly grabbed food off of the shelters and looked to Shura for help again. She nodded again, and spoke loudly to the students.

"We should discuss this somewhere more private. For all we know, Mephisto could be listening in on us. He certainly doesn't want Rin to go through any trouble. Let's discuss this in the classroom. It's probably safer."

It was Yukio's turn to nod. "Shura's right. This is fragile information. We can't have it flying into the hands of others."

They stood up to leave, and walked to the broom closet. After the door closed, Rin burst up from his hiding place. His thighs burned from crouching too long, and his lungs needed a gasp or two. Grabbing the plastic wrap from the supply closet, he set to work, taking half of almost everything in the refrigerator. Closing the panel, he ran back to his room. Kuro was pacing on the items he'd laid on his desk, tears in his eyes.

"Are you leaving, Rin?" Rin's heart broke. He nodded meekly, taking a tiny step into the room.

"He's doing it, then. Yukio. He's sending you to the Grigory, isn't he?" Kuro's face filled with more tears, dripping onto his knives.

"...Yeah."

Kuro screeched in sadness. "Why? Why?! Why does Yukio think he can do this to you?! You're brothers! You're supposed to love each other, not send each other off to death with the best in mind! Why?!"

"I don't know, Kuro. But I need to get away. I really, really need to leave this place." He took a gulp, hoping to get rid of the lump in his throat. "You can come, but you have a tracker... It- It wouldn't be the best for me."

Kuro sniffed loudly. "I understand. Stay safe. Please. I can't bear to lose another one." He clung onto Rin's pant leg briefly before stalking out the door, tail hanging in defeat.

Rin stood in a daze yet again. He snapped himself out of it, he needed to move, now!

He collected everything and ran down the stairs. A person jumping out of a third-story window would be very noticeable. He broke out into the night air, sweat becoming ice across his skin. His gasps brought a cloud of white mist around him.

"Stop where you are, bastard child."

Rin's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he recognized the voice.

Ryuji.

He ran like the wind.