Finished reading this manga and anime in less than a week. Too good of a story to not write about.

As stated in the summary, this "short story" is from Nezumi's point of view, and takes place around chapter 13 in the manga, or episode 7 in the anime, when Shion is about to leave to the correctional facility. Some of the dialogue is tweaked.

Disclaimer: I do not own No.6 or any affiliated characters.

"They say before you start a war

You better know what you're fighting for.

Well baby, you are all that I adore,

If love is what you need, a soldier I will be."

~The Cab - Angel With a Shotgun.

I hit him first.

The blow hits his abdomen and he doubles over almost instantly. I almost hesitate before kicking him crudely in the same spot; I forgot that he is a boy from a posh elite city, and I am the creation of a slum street thug, a man hardened by poverty and reckless behavior.

"This is your punishment," I growl at him. "For lying to me."

"For- for what-?"

"And your second offense was… you looked down on me!" I fight the urge to punch him again as he tries to pick himself back up.

He looks up at me, dirt on his cheek, his face scraped from the pavement. "I never did that!"

"Lying to someone means you're looking down on them!" My fists clench; I'm trying to keep level headed but the fact that you don't know what you did was wrong hurts beyond anything I've ever experienced while being exploited on the streets.

No.

No, this is much worse.

"Did you think," I shout, my voice rising almost to a shrill pitch. "Did you seriously think a crappy lie like that would work on me? There's a limit to making fun of someone!"

Your face falls slightly, a glance of understanding reaches your delicate features, your eyes gleaming a brownish red as it dawns upon you. The wind picks up, restless in the barren land that I started to call a home because of you. And yet, here you are, leaving the home you created, leaving-

Leaving me behind.

I grit my teeth. "But what pisses me off the most…" is how you thought I would let you leave. How you thought I'd be okay with a goodbye when all I wanted was another chance in another universe to properly say hello to you, instead of stumbling into your life and fucking it up four years ago. "You assumed I was some emotionless idiot that couldn't tell the difference!"

Maybe it would have been easier to be your enemy from the start because survivors don't fall to their knees when their foe is taken down. What we were doing, the home we built, I knew it was built on a line. A line that divided us from the start: good or evil, friend or foe, inside the city or outside, and we fooled around those differences, but no more.

I grab you by your coat collar. "Don't. FUCK. Around. With me."

Well?

Would you leave me?

If I told you I would cross that line.

And make this place our home?

"Listen up!" Here I am, my dark hair falling into my face, holding the man that changed me mere inches from my face. My voice sounds strained a little but my gray eyes meet yours and for the first time in my goddamn life, I feel safe even though this is a suicide mission. You look scared. I want you to be. I'm fucking terrified.

"LISTEN." I throttle you a bit more, shake you some more. "Don't you DARE give me a kiss goodbye again. NEVER EVER AGAIN."

Your eyes widen. The hollowing sounds of the wind and night follow my words. "…Alright."

It isn't enough. "Swear it."

"I swear."

Somehow, I find that it's too late.

I've crossed that line.

But this time it's okay.

You are still here, by my side.

All feedback is appreciated. Thank you.