I feel bad guys. I really, really, really feel bad. Two weeks, right? Yeah. Sorry. Procrastination at its finest.

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

Run

Chapter Two: Running Again

Ryuji stood there, unable to comprehend what he'd just witnessed.

That bastard child was getting away! The nerve of him! Why not turn himself in? The fucking coward!

All the trees heard a click and a frenzy of footsteps.

The chase had begun.

Despite Rin's ability to run pretty fast, he knew Ryuji would catch up to him in no time.

So when he heard Ryuji's rubber soles trailing behind him, he fucking freaked. He jumped a bit, but gathered his bearings, and turned a corner. Seeing a tree, he skidded behind it, being sure to cover his mouth.

"Where are you?! Get your ass out here! I saw you run here." Ryuji's eyes narrowed and scanned the area around him.

The streaked boy scowled. "I'll find you. I'll find you and rip you to shreds. You can't hide forever."

Suddenly, Rin felt a cold hand graze his neck. He whipped around and stumbled backwards, landing on his back right in front of Ryuji. Fear filled his eyes as Yukio walked out of the trees.

"Rin, you will comply. If you do not wish to come with us, you'll die, right here and right now." His voice echoed with nothing, nothing at all, as if the happy Yukio from the early days was just... gone.

"N - N - Not you..." Rin tried to understand what Yukio was doing, but nothing fit. They were brothers, right? Twins, even. So why?

"You're cornered, monster. We'll shut you in a cell where you know you damn right belong." Ryuji's voice seemed to awaken him from his trance. Clambering to his feet, he prepared to run as Yukio roughly grabbed his arm. The glare in his eye told him that he meant business, but instead of cowering, Rin bared his teeth and unsheathed his sword. That look snapped something inside of him, something he'd been keeping tucked away for a long, long time. He was done. He was done pretending like he was dumb and ignorant, done pretending like he was actually scared of Yukio, because he wasn't. He wasn't scared of him, despite what anybody else thought.

And he wasn't scared of his true self anymore.

He wasn't scared of becoming a demon, because that actually seemed a bit better than having your brother hate your guts. He wasn't scared of being a demon. He wasn't scared of letting those blue flames burn the sky, turning all into dust anymore. He didn't care. They hated him, so in return, he'd burn their world a brilliant blue.

It was as if Rin was turning in slow motion. Metal scraped plastic, and those menacing eyes widened in fear.

He let go. He let all of his hate, despair, and loneliness ground out of him into blue flames. He didn't care about Yukio anymore. He didn't care about Ryuji anymore. He was done playing nice. He was done playing innocent.

And when he opened his eyes, he didn't even stay to look at his destruction. He ran into the night. Like a coward.

Rin shot up from his place on the alley wall.

That's right.

He killed them, didn't he?

In a bout of rage, fit enough for a true demon, he killed them. And right now, Shiemi was probably crying over Yukio's remains, Yukio's burnt remains. Shura was probably shaking her head in disgust. She had helped him, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened in that blur.

But why were there tears? Why were there tears on his cheeks, hitting the pavement like rain? Why was he sobbing, like a lost child? Didn't he want this? Didn't he want to let go and become his true self?

No, that's not what he wanted. That was never what he wanted. What he wanted was love that lasted a lifetime, not a herd of classmates that loved his one day and gave him death wishes the next. Not a brother who would suggest that he die, and even put a bullet in his brain himself.

He didn't know what he wanted.

Maybe he should just let the Grigory find him. It was only for the best.

Bullshit.

Here he was, running again. Running off into the city. Running off into the unknown, entirely unsure of what he did.