If you hate me and you know it clap your hands.

Hello everyone! I'm back with the newest chapter after only 5 MONTHS! Hooray for early updates! Yes, yes I know that update to way too long to come in and I'm sorry, I really need to update faster. I must apologize for my unannounced hiatus and also apologize for the fact that I think I may have freaked some of you out. No I did not die or something while I was gone and no I did not just abandon this, I was getting a C in school though and kind of dropped everything so I could go work on school. But anyways I'm back and again I'm SO SORRY for not updating, but I hope this chapter with 14,566 words makes up for it!

WARNING! This chapter involves triggers (strong language, blood, and poorly written torture.)

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Oni looked up with wide eyes, and the Ninja had a satisfied look on his face.

The Ninja held a sai in each hand, and Oni's sword was trapped between it's blades. The clash of the steel swords rang through the auditorium, and had created the high note. Oni stared up at the Ninja with a mixture of hatred and respect. This ninja person wasn't as bad as he thought he would be, he could fight well. He was actually close to beating him, and that took skill.

And it also pissed him off.

Before Oni had a chance to react, the Ninja brought his foot up and kicked him in the chest. The kick threw him across the room, and his head collided with the floor. He swore under his breath. The Ninja spoke up.

"Oh. Sorry about that," he began, "not for kicking you, but for that weird thing going on with the 'games' and laughing," he said, a little bashful. Oni stared at him with wide eyes.

He grinded his teeth. "Enough with the bull!" he yelled, gripping his sword. Seriously, who was this guy? One second he's Superman without the powers and then he's some screwed up anime character?! He flipped back to his feet, then rushed at the Ninja. He must have been anticipating his attack, because the black clad teen stepped to the side. He hit Oni in the back with the hilt of his sword. Falling forward, Oni grabbed at his back. He looked at the Ninja in rage. "Just die already!" he whined.

He surged at the Ninja, this time, knocking the weapon out of his hand and tackling him to the ground. They collided on the floor with a "thwak" and Oni showered the Ninja with punches. Under his mask, Randy's face was a display of pain. "Get off!" he screamed, bringing his feet up from under him and launching Oni off of him. Oni sprang back to his feet, his hands in a fighting position. Randy rolled to his side and clumsily made his way to his feet. He let out a deep breath.

He had each shoulder bleeding a river and an enormous gash in his side. To add to that, he now had a bloody nose, bruised ribs, and possible concussion. All he needed was for Justin Timberlake music to start playing and this would officially be his "Worst Day Ever". He brought his hands up to his face.

He took a step forward and shifted on his feet. Not waiting a moment, Oni slid on his feet towards Randy, slithering and gliding. He threw a punch at the Ninja with his right fist, which he then dodged. As they continued this game of offense and defense, Randy felt his heart rate quicken when he remembered something.

What time is it?! he thought, remembering the promise he had made to Kanade. Worry and anger began boiling in him as he swept a kick at Oni's head. On the brink of yelling out, he heard a sneer in the back of his head.

"Breaking promises to little girls now, are we?"

Randy grit his teeth. That little bugger still wasn't gone yet. As he brought his right fist up and landed a punch in Oni's stomach, Randy clenched his fist even tighter. The pain of holding back his 24/7 "NomiRandy" was exhausting, and a nearly impossible battle. I...c-can't, miss... Kanade's- PLANE! he thought, trying to fight both Oni and O.H.

Pushing with all his effort, Randy managed to move Oni to the other side of the stage. With the pause from fighting, he could hear his own ragged breathing.

"Sorry, are you getting tired?" Oni asked, his voice imitating the sound a 5 year old might use if they were trying to sound like an adult. Damn, Randy hated this guy.

"That isn't a nice way to think of someone!" Randy wanted to scream. Every word that annoying thing said was like a gun going off in his head.

"It's rather rude you know."

BAM

"Although he is a prick."

BAM

"If you'd like I could-"

"SHUT UP!" Randy finally screamed. Without hesitation, he reached behind his back and grabbed his sword. His fingers wrapped around the hilt and he sprinted at Oni. As the air whipped past his ears, Randy's head clouded with a single word.

Kill.

...

...

He wasn't sure if these were his own words or the others.

...

...

Oni licked his lips in anticipation. He grabbed two knives from his belt and held them near his chest- sharp ends pointed away from him thank you very much. The Ninja swung his sword at his head and he ducked. Oni used his right arm to repeatedly stab at his opponent, and his left to fend off attacks. Feeling sweat roll down his face, he frowned. Why can't he fight bad like the rest? he thought, remembering the other idiots he was assigned. Seriously, most of them could barely hold a gun.

Oni felt a sharp pain in his left side as the Ninja sliced somewhere near his ribcage. He hissed, retaliating by kicking the Ninja in the chest- who flew back and dropped his sword. As soon as his back made contact with the floor however- ("That boy must be on steroids," Oni bluntly thought)- the Ninja jumped back on his feet.

Oni's pulse quickened and adrenaline coursed through his veins as the Ninja charged at him again.

He sliced.

He slid.

He kicked.

He dodged.

He punched.

He blocked.

Feeling how this was going nowhere, Oni growled in frustration and aimed a kick at the Ninja's head. As Oni's foot came near his head, the Ninja got down on one knee and swiped his right leg at Oni's left one. The other boy fell to the floor then quickly rolled to the side and got up. Under his mask Randy felt his left eye twitch. What the-?!

"Boy-O! I'm not done with you yet!" the "Other Him" yelled. Randy's hands flew to his ears. "Dammit that was loud!" he yelled, the words pushing themselves out of his mouth. Suddenly he found the all too familiar feeling of something forcing it's way up his throat. His fingers twitched with electricity- the way one's does when they don't know what to type on their laptop.

"Hey Ninja, are you gonna just fool around all day?" said Oni, his voice ripping through the air like something foul, "or can we finish this before I rip your-"

"Shut up!" Randy yelled, kicking Oni in the face with a roundhouse kick. The other boy lost his footing and fell to the floor, quickly getting back up after a few seconds. Oni looked up with a raised brow and rubbed the side of his face. The hell? he thought, confused by the Ninja's sudden mood swing. Is he having a "moment" again? he thought, unsure of what he wanted the answer to be.

The Ninja looked up from under his mask, and grinned. He advanced at Oni and jabbed his elbow at Oni's abdomen. Oni gritted his teeth as he felt the sharp jab, pain erupting through his stomach. He plunged the knife at the Ninja's chest, but felt it knocked out of his hand when the Ninja blocked. Shit.

The Ninja sidestepped to the left and Oni landed a simple punch to the face. He felt the corners of his mouth prick up. "Shit," the Ninja muttered under his breath, raising his hand to his nose.

Pain washed over his face, the center of it hurting the most. He huffed, then surged at Oni. Seeing the Ninja come towards him, Oni used his remaining knife to attack. Light reflected off metal, and Randy saw his opponent's knife make it's way to his chest. While stepping to the side, he pushed the weapon and Oni's arm to the side, then pushed him against the wall. The two hit the wall with a 'thud' and Randy had Oni's arm behind his back. When he noticed the knife was still in his possession, Randy began moving Oni's arm closer to his shoulder blade's and began pressing the tip of the blade into his skin.

Pressing harder and harder with the knife, Randy's smile widened.

"AGH!"

Hearing another person's scream rip through the air, Randy shuddered. From inside his own head, he fumed. Let me out! he screamed.

Pressing the knife harder into Oni's back, Randy flinched. His recoiled and he stepped back from Oni as if he were acid. The knife clanged to the floor and Randy found himself shaking his head, with his hands firmly pressed to the sides. "Shit...shit..." he muttered, looking down at the bloody knife. As soon as the knife stopped plunging its way into his skin, Oni moved from the wall and looked upon the Ninja shuddering on the floor.

He looked down in a newfound anger, still feeling the pain in between his shoulder blades. He narrowed his eyes in rage, then brought his foot down at the Ninja's head.

His foot came into contact with Randy's head, leaving a loud 'crack' in the air. He let out a sharp scream and fell onto his back. Seeing the Ninja on the floor, Oni felt anger surge within him. He brought his heavy boot down again and kicked the Ninja in the gut. Again, and again, and again.

"Gagh!" Small screams of pain exited Randy's mouth as Oni's foot came into contact with his stomach and chest repeatedly. Kicking the Ninja harder and harder, his anger only grew. He brought his foot down a final time and brought it down at the Ninja's knee. He heard a sickening 'snap' and then the satisfied sound of the Ninja screaming. When his leg had snapped, Randy jerked up and grabbed his broken leg. It felt like fire was inside it, burning hotter and hotter.

Randy let out another shout and fell on his back, still holding his leg. He stared at the ceiling, agony in his head and black spots dotting his vision. He lifted a hand to his head, even that mere effort a pain. A small groan escaped his lips. Then, into his view, walked Oni, his leering face looking down at him. Suddenly Randy felt a drop in his stomach.

He's here to kill me... he remembered, panicked realization entering his thoughts.

His eyes widened, and he began using his elbows to push himself up. Seeing the Ninja's movements, Oni lifted his foot and pressed it down on the Ninja's bruised ribs. He shuddered in response, and Oni gave a tsk.

"I think I like you better this way," he said, pushing harder with his foot. "A-ah...agh..." Randy gasped. "So defenseless..." Oni trailed. He clenched his fists. Don't scream. The increasing weight on his chest was like hell. "Y-you...b-b-bastard," he finally breathed.

Ignoring the Ninja's last remark, Oni felt his mouth tug into a grin. He took his boot off the other boy's chest and laid his knee down on it, pressing with all his weight. His smile only increased as the boy squirmed.

Lowering himself down onto the Ninja, he let his voice drop.

"If you think this is pain, you're mistaken," he said, the words rolling off his tongue like syrup. From underneath, Randy looked up at the other boy with scared eyes.

"I've had plans for you, you see..." he said, using Randy's head to push himself off. Randy gave a small grunt of displeasure. As Oni finally stood, both could hear the crackle of feedback.

"Oni!" McFist's voice could be heard from a small communicator on Oni's collar. "What are you doing?! Bring in the Ninja!" he yelled. Randy watched in confusion as Oni took the communicator off and tossed it to the floor, the small piece blaring even louder as he did. He watched in astonishment as Oni reached into one of his belt pouches. He watched in fear as he brought out a gun and raised it.

He watched in shock as he fired at the cameras.

With each shot, another McFist camera fell and shattered to the floor.

Randy propped himself up on his elbows, but shuddered when pain washed over his ribs and left leg. He squeezed his eyes shut. "What...the hell was... that...f-for?" he gasped, regretting his movements. Oni turned, a spark in his eyes. "My plans," he began, "don't need McFist and his buddy interrupting me." He grabbed Randy by the back of his neck and yanked, dragging him to the other end of the stage. Being dragged on the floor, Randy squirmed, his broken leg shouting in anger the whole time. "Why didn't you just use the gun before?" he found himself blurting out, wondering why the other boy hadn't used his gun on him earlier.

Oni turned around, his hair shading his face. From under his mask he spoke.

"Wouldn't be as fun."

Randy paled. Fun?

As his captor carried on with dragging him across the floor, Randy continued clawing until a sharp pain struck through his head. "Ugh," he squeaked, lifting a hand to his face. "Get off your ass and kick this guy into oblivion!"

Randy sighed. This is just what he needed. A fight with this Oni person AND himself. With a banging in his head, Oni continued to drag him across the stage. When they reached the other side, Randy felt himself be dragged into another, smaller room. Once inside, Oni threw him at the wall. His head thudded against the concrete.

Wonk he thought, feeling as if his whole body were on fire.

()()()

A glass coffee table shattered against the wall.

Along with a computer.

And a McFistPad.

And a Mcfishtank.

And also several chairs.

McFist hurled another small chair across the room, this time knocking down one of the priceless busts of himself. The wooden chair splintered across the wall and the marble bust shattered to the floor. His hand then flew to his "World's Best Gazillionaire" mug, and it too was thrown across the room.

"That little brat owes me 50,000 dollars for each one of those McSecurityCams!" he yelled, directing his voice at his head scientist. He then threw the landline.

Despite his boss's tantrum, Viceroy kept his eyes glued to the TV screen. The Ninja getting beaten to the ground and the bullet racing at the camera lenses kept replaying in his mind, yet that wasn't what bothered him. He shook his head. Rewind he inwardly told himself. In his head, he re-went over the scenes from the fight like a movie.

Re-wind to the Ninja backing off from Oni after ruthlessly stabbing him.

Re-wind to Oni fighting a hesitant Ninja.

Re-wind to Oni backing away from the Ninja.

Re-wind to the Ninja not being the Ninja.

Viceroy's eyes flew open and he spun towards his boss.

"Hannibal!" he yelled, his voice strong and loud. The blond man ripped himself away from his tantrum and shifted his attention to his head scientist, who rarely raised his voice. He set the mouse pad he was holding down, and let his fists uncurl by his sides. He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and took a deep breath. Better not let his voice shake, you don't let your employees see you in a weak state he thought. He straightened his tie and stood up.

"What?" he asked, his voice hard and stern. Nailed it! he thought. Good job McFist, give yourself a cookie!

Viceroy didn't take his gaze from his boss, his friend. "McFist-" Hannibal shuddered. Viceroy always used 'sir' or 'Hannibal'. If he was using 'McFist' this wasn't good.

"-you sent in an assassin for the Ninja, your own plan to eliminate the Ninja," Viceroy calmly sat down on the edge of the table and folded his hands on his laps. Dammit, I'm screwed.

"thus interfering with my plan and putting a young boy in danger," he said, his face deadpanned at McFist. Hannibal McFist felt his hand twitch nervously. As he spoke, and fiddled with his hands and avoided eye contact with Viceroy. "Young boy? The Ninja brat's 800 years old, I think that hardly counts as a youn-"

"HANNIBAL!" Viceroy suddenly yelled, interrupting McFist. Looking away from the wall and turning to face Viceroy, McFist felt a lump form in his throat. Viceroy was off the table now, standing straight with his hands in fists by his sides. His face was tilted down at the floor yet his gaze looked up at McFist, and though he was across the room, McFist could feel waves of anger rolling off him. Viceroy opened his mouth.

"I wasn't talking about the Ninja, I was talking about the 16 year old boy you sent in after him." McFist flinched. His voice wasn't loud at all, it was calm and stern, but oozed poison. Finally he spoke.

"I didn't know his age."

From under his glasses, Viceroy narrowed his eyes. Staring across the room, over at his boss who had screwed up so badly that he was putting a child's life in danger.

He turned and grabbed his coat. Slinging it across his shoulder, he could hear McFist call after him. "Well the Ninja is 800! I don't think that's very young..." he yelled, not coming after him. Viceroy remained quiet.

A child's life in danger.

The words thudded in his ears.

.

.

Kids 14-16 will be affected...

...causes them to cough up blood...

...he made his way to the other side of the clearing...

...sure enough the man himself was there...

"The Ninja"

...he lifted the mask. Stopped above the mouth...

...the Ninja coughed up blood...

.

.

"...only kids 14-16 are affected..."

.

.

Viceroy felt his hand shake. Looking down to check on it, he frowned. That was his sign. His tick. His kryptonite. Whenever he was lying, upset, guilty, or angry his hand would shake. He shoved his hand into his pants pocket. Why was he upset?

The "800 year old Ninja" was only a kid.

()()()

Randy looked up at Oni through narrowed slits. "What are you doing?" he growled, a slight fear in his voice. His captor was currently shutting the door of their new room and taking off his belt. He laid it down on the floor and was looking through the different pockets it had. He hummed a jaunty tune as he pulled out a small device and what looked like...

"Are those chains?" Randy asked, an eyebrow raised. Oni turned to him, and smiled under his mask.

"Yes, they are," he sighed, moving towards Randy in the corner, "really Ninja, I didn't think you were so ignorant that you didn't know what chains were," he said, rolling his eyes. Randy narrowed his eyes even more, and Oni grinned. With his hand cupped around Randy's head, he pulled at the fabric of the Ninja mask and at Randy's hair underneath. "-the juice?!" he exclaimed, feeling himself be yanked to the other side. Oni ignored him and threw him against the wall. At the impact, his bruised ribs cried in protest. He squeaked.

Hearing the other boy's (quiet girly) protest, Oni felt the corners of his mouth turn. It's been a long time since I've gotten to do this... he thought, pressing the Ninja's wrists against the wall. He reached into his back pocket and grabbed out two small cuffs, and clamped them onto the Ninja's wrists. Feeling the cold metal through the fabric, Randy's eyes shot open. The juice?

Oni then pulled him away from the wall, and pressed Randy to the floor. His captor then proceeded to attach the chains to the floor, and held the small, odd item Randy had seen before.

"What's that supposed to do?" Randy asked, trying to keep his voice steady as Oni sat down on his chest. Damn it honking hurts. Oni ignored the Ninja's question, and used his left hand to hold his wrist down. Turning his head to look, Randy watched as the small box Oni was holding had a green "M" on it. Oni flicked the cap off and a flame emitted from the box.

"What the- woah! WOAH!" Randy shouted, trying to move away from under Oni. Feeling the Ninja squirm, Oni smiled with pleasure. He then began fusing the metal to the floor. Feeling the metal heat up against him, Randy felt a gasp choke it's way out. The pressure Oni was putting on his bruised ribs and the oh so unpleasant situation he was in made his heart race. He took a slow breath and closed his eyes, trying not to hyperventilate. Calm down... he thought, imagining what the Nomicon might say.

When he opened his eyes again, it was because he felt the pressure rise off his chest. He looked up to see Oni standing over him, his hands behind his back.

"Left or right?"

"What?"

Oni sighed, rolling his eyes. Randy felt his hair prick up. What the juice is he doing? Why is he rolling his eyes?! I'm the one who's fricking tied down here! At his own thoughts, Randy shuddered. Wait, what? He pulled his hands up, jerking, only to have them fall back down to the floor. He looked at his wrists, which were chained down to the floor. His eyes widened. The cuffs and metal were completely melted to both him and the floor (Thank Norisu the Ninja Mask diminishes pain he thought); the only way out was with a key. Suddenly Oni cleared his throat.

Randy looked up to see him with a bored expression.

"Left or right?"

Randy gritted his teeth. "Why?" he demanded. On the inside, he was mentally scolding himself. Great job Cunningham, you just had to get your leg broken. Oni gave a tsk, then got down on his knees. He leaned down, bringing his face to the Ninja's.

"Left or right." Randy kept his mouth closed, refusing to speak. Instead he stared at the other boy with venom. Finally Oni sighed. "Fine."

He plunged a knife into Randy's left arm.

It was like an electrical shock. His other hand flew up, only to be held down by the chains, before clattering to the floor. Pain was spreading form his bicep to the rest of his arm. Fast and powerful, damage tearing its way everywhere. When the blade plunged its way into his skin, Randy bit his lip to silence the scream.

Then the knife started to twist.

As the knife started wiggling inside him, ripping at his muscles, tearing at his flesh, turning his insides to jello, Randy gave a scream.

"GaaGHG!" Involuntarily, he felt his body begin to shake, his knees wobbling and his abdomen flying up and down. Oni was moving the knife even faster, ripping at his muscles and cells, tearing the fabric of the Ninja suit. He blinked his eyes to stop tears from flowing. Warm liquid was trailing its way down and around his arm, and Randy swallowed hard. Don't cry. Don't scream. He shook his head. My arm is liquid...

Oni tore his eyes away from the Ninja's arm and looked over to his face. His eyes were squeezed shut, and tears were peeking their way out. He smirked and tore the knife from Randy's arm, causing him to flinch. Panting for air, Randy looked up at Oni as he got off of him.

"What...the hell was that?" he asked, his eyes glancing to his left arm. Oni was cleaning his knife on his shirt. "Fun," he said leaving Randy and going back to the belt.

"Now that I have your attention," he said, shifting through his pockets, "answer me. Left or right?" Standing up, Oni now had a new paring knife. From underneath his shackle, Randy growled in frustration, but other than that remained quiet. At the Ninja's silence, Oni put his hands on his hips and jut one out.

"Oh come on, play the game," he cooed, stepping forward as he did so. At the madman coming towards him, Randy couldn't help but flinch. Wonk, I hope he didn't see that

But he did. Oni's face twisted into a grin.

"Oh Ninja, I wish you could see the smile on my face!" he said, getting back down to the Ninja again. As he came closer, Randy narrowed his eyes. What I wouldn't give to be able to use my legs.

Oni sat on the Ninja's thighs with his legs wrapped around the boy's knees. Seeing him play with the knife in his hands, Randy squirmed. Finally Oni brought his elbow down onto Randy's stomach, pushing down with all his might.

Randy buckled forward, groaning at the pain he had wafting through his chest, arm, shoulders, hips and just about everything. Looking over to the Ninja, Oni gave a pout.

"C'mon Ninja," he sighed, rolling his eyes as he did so, "can't you sing for me?" he asked. Randy kept his eyes on the ceiling. He didn't speak. Oni sighed. "Guess we'll take it slowly..." he muttered under breath, then taking the knife out. He pressed the tip of the blade into the Ninja's stomach, then slowly pushed down. Feeling the sharp blade making it's way under his skin, Randy clenched and unclenched his fists. He wasn't going to give this guy the satisfaction he wanted.

Looking up from is work to sneak a peek at the Ninja, Oni's smile fell when he saw the hero wasn't crying yet. He turned back to the knife digging into the skin and thought better of it. He stopped pushing on the blade (much to Randy's relief) and twirled it in his hands.

"What'd you say your title was again?" he asked, twirling the knife in his hands. The Ninja didn't answer, just stared ahead. Oni heaved a sigh, impatient. "Norrisville, right? Like the Norisu 9?" he said, saying the name like it was nothing. At the name of the Norisus, Randy felt a twitch in his ear.

"How do you know about the Norisu 9?" he blurted out, not thinking. He swallowed his words. Dammit. At this, Oni looked down at the Ninja and smiled. He laughed. "What? Is it not common knowledge?" he asked, rhetorically. Pausing to laugh for himself, he then added, "Oh wait, it's not!" Randy tugged at his chains. When they didn't budge, he growled. How the hell does this Shoob know about the Norisus? he thought.

"What do you even know?" he asked, trying his best not to spit at the guy. Oni stopped laughing and looked down. Under his mask he grinned.

"Oh nothing, really," he cooed, drawing circles on Randy's chest (who was shooting Oni a death look). "Just a few of the dirty little secrets they swept under the rug, keeping hidden from your precious little town and everyone else." Now ignoring the awkward position he was in, Randy felt bile rise in his throat. What things were the Nomicon keeping hidden from him?

Still feeling Oni's finger draw, Randy sucked in a breath, then cringed at his ribs. "What secrets?" he asked, piling his voice with venom. Oni turned to Randy.

"If you want answers, you have to play the game," he said, waving his knife in Randy's face. He paled. "Uh-"

"TOO LATE!" Oni cried, then slicing at Randy's chest. He let out a short scream, and looked down to see that the cut wasn't to deep. He was about to let out a sigh when Oni ripped at the fabric. Oni took the knife and began carving.

"I'd always heard of the stories, but it wasn't until that I talked to that scientist guy that I realized that I was dealing with the Norisu 9," he began, than looking back to Randy. "Well sort of. You're obviously not one of them," he said, then going back to work. Randy bit his lip as he felt the other boy dig the knife deeper and deeper, over and across his chest, etching words into his skin. Damn, it stung like hell.

Oni continued writing on his chest. "Turns out these Norisus that protected you all weren't as honorable as we thought they were," he said, cutting away at skin. At this Randy grinded at his teeth. "What do you mean?" he spat. Oni smirked.

"Well even though they later defeated this 'Sorcerer', most of them had actually helped him to burn down half the city," he said, digging the knife deeper into the Ninja's chest. At first Randy shuddered at the blade passing into him, but upon hearing Oni's last remark he felt his insides go cold. He looked up at him with hate.

"You're lying."

At this Oni narrowed his eyes. He pulled the knife out of the Ninja's chest and brought it down into his, already wounded, shoulder. Not expecting this, the Ninja screamed. Randy closed his mouth and focused on the ceiling, trying to keep his mind off of the pain in his shoulder. Oni tilted his head to the side. "Just scream a little and I'm done," he said, digging the knife even more. Feeling the blade come in even more, Randy groaned and Oni brought his face down to the Ninja's.

"Give. Me. A scream."

Randy looked up with venom. He wanted to open his mouth and tell him 'go to hell', but he was afraid that if he spoke his voice would crack. Hearing nothing, Oni sighed and twisted the knife. The pain was colossal.

The sharp knife was ripping away at his muscles, ripping them to string. Deltoid Randy mentally thought. Tears were dotting his eyes, and as Oni pressed down harder, he felt the blade coming closer to the bone. He was about to scream when the knife was ripped out. He gasped in relief and looked up at Oni. He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Oni stood up and walked away, going back to his bag. "Your chest feel weird?" he asked, rummaging around, "I mean, I'm not asking because mine does, but yours does," he said, turning to look at Randy as he spoke. Randy raised an eyebrow, and looked down at his chest. He gagged. Etched in his in over and over again was:

Ronin

Randy growled. Welp, looks like I'm not going swimming anytime soon. He shot a glare at Oni. "What's this supposed to be?" Oni had his back to him, and didn't turn to speak. "Well, after your poor little ninja clan burnt down half the city, their master disowned them," he said, turning around with a chain and hook. Momentarily, Randy's eyes widened and he fought back the urge to scream. He didn't like the look of this. "Pretty lame," said Oni.

Smiling down at the Ninja, he got the key out and crouched next to Randy. "H-how do you know that if you unlock me, I won't get away?" he asked, inwardly cursing himself as his voice cracked. At this, Oni laughed. "You don't have the strength," he said, pushing his ring finger into Randy's left shoulder wound. As his warm finger dug into his skin, Randy hollered in pain.

Oni looked up with a smirk. "Oh, so now you scream," he said, unlocking Randy. As the cuffs came off, a surge of adrenaline pushed him to attack his captor, but as soon as his back came off the ground he winced. The adrenaline left his body and he lay limp as Oni dragged him to his feet.

"You know I can't stand, right?" he asked, confused and breathing hard as Oni put his arm over his shoulder. Oni turned to look at him. "Oh you're not going to be standing," he said, his eyes gleaming. Randy felt a drop in his stomach.

Swinging with his left, Oni threw the chain into the rafters. The metal wrapped around a support beam and fell back down on the other side, clattering on the floor. Oni grabbed the chain and attached the hook to the end, then looked at the Ninja. He squeezed his shoulder and Randy winced.

"Ever played with a piñata?"

Oni then took the hook and plunged it into Randy's right shoulder. He gasped in shock, feeling his knees buckle underneath him as Oni fiddled with the hook. Wiggling it around in his shoulder, Randy felt hot tears poke his eyes. He tried pressing weight onto his feet, but his knee immediately flared with pain. He held in a scream as Oni continued moving the hook, ripping his muscles and searching for the bone.

"Almost there..." he muttered, finally giving in. Oni sighed. Looks like I'm not finding his bone today, he thought, then pushing the hook deeper into the Ninja's shoulder. He groaned, and Oni shook his head gob smacked.

"How are you not dead man?!" he said, then holding his hands up, "not like I'm complaining. This is the most fun I've had in a long time." Randy glared at Oni as he turned and left him, going to the other side of the chain. When he turned his back to him, he let his gaze drop. He looked at the ceiling, blinking fast to keep tears from falling.

I'm going to die here.

Randy blinked even more. The pain in his shoulder was unbearable, and he was bleeding out of every part of his body. He shook his head.

If it wasn't for the Ninja suit, I already would be.

Oni yanked the chain. Randy yelped, feeling the hook nearly tear off his shoulder. His breath hitched as Oni pulled harder, and he immediately grabbed onto the chain and pulled. He felt himself convulsing on the hook as his feet left the ground, and hot tears trailed there way down his face. "Help," he croaked to no one. Now hanging, he heard Oni's footsteps from behind.

"Enjoying yourself yet?" he asked, his voice sending chills up Randy's back. He bit the inside of his cheek, not speaking. Oni rolled his eyes. "Okay," he cooed, then pushing on the Ninja's back. He screamed, swinging back and forth on the chain and pulling on himself up more. Oni jumped and pushed him again. "Oh isn't this fun, Ninja?" he asked, then began singing the chorus of Wrecking Ball.

"I saw this in a movie once," he said in between notes, "although the guy obviously wasn't singing this." Randy let his head drop long ago, and letting the tears roll down. He felt sick in the stomach and was ready to puke.

"No don't do that, that's disgusting."

His head snapped up. Randy's hands shook and he bit his lip. No, no I don't want to deal with this, he thought, his knees shaking.

"C'mon! You won't feel anything anymore!" the Other Him yelled, shooting pain in Randy's head. He winced, and choked out a gasp. His brain felt like the woods after a forest fire, a factory destroyed by an explosion, a dried waterpark in the fall. If Oni wanted him in pain, he'd succeeded. He groaned as Oni pushed him again.

Randy winced as his O.H. spoke again, the thudding in his head getting louder. Physical and mental pain, just what I needed he thought, cringing at the Other Him yelling and Oni kicking his gut. He coughed, wincing when blood came out. He shook. Just kill me, please.

BAM

"Why do you want to die?"

BAM

"Why die-"

BAM

"when our body-"

BAM

"still has me-"

BAM

"to take care of Oni?"

Randy smiled.

As the Ninja swung back and forth on his meat hook, screaming and shouting, Oni twirled and danced behind him.

This really is fun, he thought, I don't know why more people don't do this.

Twirling around, he peeked an eye open to look around the room. The floor was stained red, large puddles everywhere. How is this guy still alive? he thought, he must have lost at least two pints by now.

Scream, squeak, squish.

Mixed in with the Ninja's throated screams was the rusty squeaking of the chain in the rafters and the squish of him stepping in the Ninja's blood. It was the music in his little dance, and it seemed endless.

Scream, squeak, squish.

He gave another twirl, and turned to push the Ninja again. He thrust his hands outwards and was met with air.

Oni's eyes shot open to see an empty room with no Ninja on a hook. He spun around and saw nothing. Feeling anxious, he reached his hand into his pocket and his fingers curled around a knife. His head seemed to be screaming at him 'Get your belt'.

He bolted in the other direction, only to be punched in the gut.

"Gagh!" Oni felt the air knocked out of him and fell to the floor, his head cracking on the tile. He looked up to see the Ninja glowering down at him.

"Hiya puddin'!"

Randy calmly pulled himself off of the hook, only slightly tearing off some skin as he got down. On the inside, Randy screamed. "Sweet cheese that hurt!" he shouted, then stopped. "But not as much as I thought it would..."

Crawling behind Oni, he made sure not to make a sound as he turned and looked around for him. He smiled under his mask, grabbing into one of his suit's folds for a knife. This is too easy... he thought.

Oni turned around and Randy punched him in the gut, knocking him to the ground. Oni hit the floor with a crack, groaning as he rubbed his head. Randy smiled.

"Hiya puddin'!" he cooed in falsetto. From inside his head, he heard Randy scoff. "I'm not Harley Quinn!"

Looking at Oni on the ground, Randy smiled under the Ninja mask and swung his foot at his stomach. Upon impact, Oni buckled forward. Randy grinned with widening eyes and kicked again, getting faster and harder as he kicked Oni stomach, chest, and back. "I owe you a lot for what you just gave me," he said, hitting with each word. Instead of screaming, each time the Ninja landed a kick to him Oni either swore or groaned. The Ninja only kicked harder. Oni bit his lip. His insides were screaming and he was sure he had a broken rib.

"C'mon, return the favor," the Ninja growled, "scream!" Feeling nauseous, Oni shook his head and the Ninja sighed, "alright." He kicked Oni's shoulder so he was laying on his back, staring back up at him. He then placed his foot on Oni's cheek, and pressed down and got on one knee. He pulled out a knife and turned it in his fingers.

"Now, something doesn't seem right in this picture..." he said, looking around the room. "Ah, yes wait." He got down and sat on Oni's chest, smirking as the boy beneath gasped from the weight. Dammit, right on my ribs... Oni thought, thinking a few explicit words about the Ninja. He fidgeted under his weight, stopping when the Ninja spoke.

"Upset that I'm straddling you? I thought you liked guys," he cooed, smirking under his mask. Oni's face swelled red and he lifted a fist. "You little-"

"Ah, ah, ah!" the Ninja interrupted, holding Oni's head back with his hair. "No bad language for little kiddies." he said with much more anger in his voice as he poked Oni's nose. Oni blinked in surprise. What's wrong with him? he thought, I had him hanging on a hook perfectly normal! he caught himself. Well, as normal as you could be like that...

Making no movements anymore and his eyes closed, Oni gave an attempt to play dead. The Ninja gave a tsk and squeezed with his legs, causing Oni to lurch forward. "Playing dead won't keep you safe," he cooed as he scooted higher up the boy's chest, gaining an audible groan from the boy beneath him, "even if you did die, I'd still be doing this." He then grabbed Oni's right hand and pinned it next to his face, gaining a "Hey!" from his captive. His raised his knife in the air and stabbed through his hand, blood spurting out.

Oni's brained kicked into overdrive and he cried out in pain. His own blood was on his face and he couldn't move his hand. He screamed even more as the Ninja began to aggressively wiggle the knife around. Hearing another person's scream, Randy (in his head) tried to fight back. Stop it! he yelled. You're killing him!

Oni clenched his jaw as he felt the knife dig deeper, than opened an eye when he felt the knife stop. The Ninja had his hands pressed to the sides of head, his eyes squeezed shut and muttering under his breath.

"Stop it," he hissed, spit foaming in his mouth. Oni raised an eyebrow. Was this normal for Ninjas?

Inside his head, Randy was stuck in a dark room. Smoke was crawling at him from all sides, and the room smelled of pine. He clenched his fists at his sides. "Don't hurt him, he'll die," he said, his voice filled with pain. A voice echoed through out the room in reply.

Isn't that the point? It's what he would have done to us.

Randy gritted his teeth. "No it's not!"

Still feeling pain in his hand, Oni looked up in memorization as the Ninja pinned both of his hands down yet didn't harm him. Leaning his head onto his shoulder, and their chests pressed onto each other, Oni noticed the Ninja's shallow breathing.

"Get out," he whispered. Oni's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He felt as if someone poured a bucket of ice down his shirt, and he blanched. He's not talking to me... he realized. Viceroy's words rang in his head. "Destroy him right then and there, or you run."

Oni looked at his right hand, pinned to the floor by the knife and the Ninja's grasp. If he could just get to it...

Suddenly he felt the Ninja stiffen from on top of him.

He looked up to see the Ninja smirking under his mask, his eyes flashing. "Sorry for the short break," he hissed, leaning in, "I just had a little tick to deal with." The Ninja reached a hand down into one of the folds in his scarf, pulling a small ball from it. Oni peered closer at it, trying to make out what was engraved on it, when he felt a cold sensation run through his abdomen.

The Ninja slid his fist under Oni's shirt and dropped the small orb, the cold metal pressing to his skin. Oni felt his fingers twitch at the feeling, and felt his throat dry when the Ninja rolled off of him. "What the-" he began, about to jump to his feet when the Ninja shouted out, "Ninja Electro-ball!"

Oni's eyes widened and immediately felt a sharp charge explode throughout his body. He screamed and convulsed on the ground as his body racked with electricity. It felt like fire. Like a thousand knives. Like a sandstorm on his insides. Tears dotted his eyes as his scream got louder and louder, his throat getting coarse.

Hearing Oni's screams, Randy felt tears forming within his head. "Let me out!" he shouted in the endless dark. He heard a sneer in response.

"Never."

Oni screamed on the ground, gasping for breath when the small ball finally stopped. He felt a twitch in the back in his throat and finally let it out. Hot tears fell down his face as he tried his best to cry without shaking. The pain flowed through his ribs to his spinal cord, to his whole body. He could feel the hair on his arms stand as his arms and legs stiffened. His and the Ninja's blood was pooled around him, and hair clung to his face like wet clothes. Twisting in pain, he could feel his mask slipping. Finally the shock ended, and he gasped for breath.

He blinked once, trying to clear his vision to see what the Ninja was doing. He felt bile form in his throat when he saw the Ninja looking down at him.

"Oh, Oni!" he began, "you look so small and helpless this way!" he cooed. He folded his hands next to his face like an adoring mother. "You look like a little child."

Refusing to look at him, Oni inwardly scolded himself when he felt his lower lip quiver. This guy really is crazy, and he's really going to be the end of me... Oni thought miserably. The Ninja put his hands on his hips.

"Not answering? My, my Oni. Is that anyway to treat an adult?" he asked, a hint of charm in his voice. Oni looked up with a glare.

"I'm older than you, you sick bastard."

The Ninja tsked, waving his finger side to side. "Such language for the little Oni," he said, smiling under his mask. Oni was clutching at his ribs when the Ninja got back down. He started scooting away, but his captor grabbed him by the hair. "Silly Oni, running from a fight!" he teased, bopping him on the nose. He cringed at the touch and fought the urge to scream. The Ninja smiled again and held up another knife.

"Let's play Twister."

He jabbed the knife Oni's shoulder, just as he once did to him. Oni groaned in pain, trying not to scream. Hearing the groan, Randy began twisting the knife in his shoulder. With the squishing of Oni's insides, Randy rocked his head from side to side.

"Sing me to sleep...sing me to sleep..." he hummed, rocking the knife back and forth. Looking over at Oni with his eyes squeezed shut, Randy felt a flutter in his stomach. He grinned and pushed his weight down onto the knife, watching as Oni's eyes shot open.

His mouth ripped open for a yell, and a scream filled it's path. "Aggh!" he yelled. "Dammit...dammit..." he swore in between breaths. Tears were leaking out of his eyes in steady streams, and his blood was leaving hot trails down his arm. He grit his teeth against the pain, and felt anger swell in his chest (or was it just pain?) as the Ninja laughed at him.

"Really Oni, I thought you could go at least a little longer-"

"STOP IT!"

Oni brought his arm up and weakly punched the Ninja in the face, stunning him for a moment. "What the-?" he said, bringing a hand to his face. Oni shook his head and held his hand up to keep the Ninja from him. He shook as he held his forearm the Ninja's chest, hopelessly trying to stop him from advancing anymore. Oni felt panic rising in his chest. I need to get out of here! he thought. I need to get out of here!

Suddenly both boys were grabbing at each other, Oni on the bottom and Randy on the top. Randy's hands swiped down at Oni's face. "C'mon little boy, hold still!" he hissed through bared teeth. His hand clawed again at his face, this time near the mouth. Oni could feel his mask being jostled. Randy swiped again, and Oni felt the mask slip off.

"C'mon kid, just let g-"

Suddenly his world broke.

Randy's heart stopped as he looked down at Oni, with his black hair and turned-up nose. His small chin and strangely red lips. He looked down, not knowing what to do as Sebastian Liddel looked up at him in fear.

His hands fell as Sebastian choked out a sob.

"You win Ninja..." he choked, "you win..."

Inside his head, Randy's shock pushed the Other Him to the side and gained back control. His breathing was shallow as a strand of loose hair fell from his mask, purple hair falling into his vision. Hands shaking, he brought his hands back down to Sebastian and shakily wrapped his hands around the knife. The unmasked Oni shook his head, "No, please don't," he croaked.

Randy felt himself gag as his stomach flipped. Tears were rising as he pulled the knife out Sebastian's shoulder. I did this?

When the knife came out his shoulder, Sebastian groaned as it ripped at his muscles. He gulped for air. I can't take this he thought. He groaned once more when the Ninja slowly moved the knife out of his hand, the wound stinging like fire. He squeezed his eyes shut. Time for another blow... he thought, cringing at the thought.

He suddenly opened his eyes when the weight lifted off his chest. Popping an eye open, he raised an brow when he saw the Ninja staring down at him, as if he just just watched his family murdered. The Ninja looked worse than him, skin pale, blood pooling out in almost every place in his body, and leaning on his right leg. "You look like shit," he said, blurting the word before thinking. He sucked in a breath. Dammit.

Hearing Sebastian's voice hoarse from screaming, Randy felt tears finally slip out. He quickly wiped them away and cringed at the feel. His face was caked with sweat and blood, a grimy feeling, and he brushed his purple hair to the side. He shook his head. "You look worse..." he whispered. As he looked down again he felt guilt rise in his chest like a tidal wave. "I'm sorry..."

He lowered his head to the ground and began shaking his head, refusing to look at the exchange student on the floor.

Sebastian watched as the Ninja dug into his scarf, shocked by his words. Sorry? As the Ninja brought out a small black ball, his heart jumped in his throat.

"Would you care if I died?" Sebastian had said to him on the roof. Guilt was drowning him, and he chocked when as he whispered "smoke bomb."

When the Ninja threw the ball down, he disappeared into a cloud of red smoke. Sebastian felt relief wash over him, but then the image of purple hair falling out the Ninja's mask burst into his mind. Purple hair?

Now alone, Sebastian tilted his head to look at the ceiling. He could feel himself slipping out of consciousness, and he faintly remembered another boy with purple hair before blacking out.

Randy gasped in pain as he threw open the window to his room, flopping onto the floor as he hurried. For good measures, he even took off the Ninja mask- tossing it on the floor. The pounding in his head was getting louder, and his palms were sweaty as he made his way to his closet, where he had put the Nomicon. Throwing the doors open, he reached down and grabbed the book, ignoring its warning as it pulsated red. "Not a good time now Nomicon," he said, prying the book open with his fingers. The book opened with a red light, and he felt the pages magically flip in his hands.

His head banged on the floor when he was sucked in.

Free falling through a Japanese landscape, Randy shuddered in his street clothes from pain. Seeing the ground coming closer and closer, he felt panic overwhelm him.

"Nomicon!" he yelled, his voice cracking.

As the words left his mouth, his fall stopped and he was relieved to find he hadn't splattered onto the ground. He fell back to the ground with a wince, and lifted his head from the floor.

Despite the Ninja mask's healing powers, his breathing was shallow from a lack of blood, his leg and chest still thudded with pain and he couldn't feel him arms. He lifted his head. "Nomicon," he croaked.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew, and he saw the bottom of his master's cape appear in front of him.

The Ninja Nomicon shifted his gaze to the ground as he spoke. "Randy-sama, I thought we agreed you wouldn't be coming back-" he began his voice stern and angry before he looked at his student.

Randy lay on his stomach on the ground, his hip and shoulder bleeding as well as having his left leg bent at an odd angle. A moan escaped his lips and the Nomicon felt his stomach tighten. His student, his Randy, was laying on the pages of his book in pain. And because he was doing his Ninja duties.

He sucked in a breath to keep his hands from shaking. "Randy-sama, what happened?" he asked, his voice slightly cracking.

Randy cracked a smiled. "If you think this is bad, you should see the other guy," he joked, wincing at his ribs.

The Nomicon grit his teeth.

"Hiroshi, what did you do?!" he snapped. As soon as he said the words, his face grew warm.

He opened his mouth to correct himself, but Randy gave another groan. The Nomicon snapped to attention and got down to the floor. He sat on his heels as he moved Randy onto his back, wincing when he groaned. He pulled his head onto his lap and laid a hand on his forehead. He brushed a strand of hair from his face as Randy gave a sigh. The Nomicon's hand instantly spread a cool feeling across his face, and he put another hand onto Randy's broken leg. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at the Nomicon.

"M-my arm..." he said, his voice hoarse and weak. The Nomicon turned his attention to Randy's shoulders and laid a hand on both of them, the wounds closing and blood clearing away. The Nomicon kept his voice steady and he began shifting Randy, "Can you stand?" he asked, already pushing Randy to his feet.

As he sat him up, the boy then gave a rushed shake of the head, wheezing as he did so.

"No! Stop, I can't stand," he breathed, the Nomicon then pushing him back down. With his head on the Nomicon's lap again, Randy shook his head.

"My ribs are-" he began, voice cracking. The Nomicon shook his head and began pulling Randy's shirt up, the red fabric slipping up his abdomen. He didn't notice Randy calling to wait.

As Randy's shirt was pulled back, the Nomicon's eyes widened.

His skin was pale and dotted with purple bruises. Several large and small cuts were bleeding a little or a lot, depending on how deep they were, and he had words engraved into his skin.

"Ronin?" he whispered, his stomach doing a backflip. He suddenly felt sick. "H-how, wh-who?" he began, before being interrupted by Randy giving another groan. He snapped to attention and pressed his hand to the center of his chest, his hand shaking while the words and bruises left. After it was done, Randy gave a heavy sigh. The Nomicon almost smiled in relief.

"Okay Randy, now I need to ask you how-" he began, before being interrupted by Randy- who lifted a hand up and grabbed his collar. He pulled him down and the Nomicon looked down in shock.

"Nomicon," Randy said, gritting his teeth, "get it out." The Nomicon felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He was suddenly aware of his surroundings.

The pages of his book were flickering from yellow and red to green and black.

His eyes widened as he looked down at Randy, who had an expression of pain.

"Nomicon, take him out!" he wheezed, shaking as he spoke. The Nomicon stuttered. "Y-you can die-"

The room then rumbled, and Randy winced even harder.

"Nomicon, please!" he snapped, his voice ringing through the air.

The Nomicon looked down at his student with scared eyes. As the rumbling grew, he finally gave in. He shifted under Randy so he was leaning over him. He looked down with a worried face, his arm held over Randy's stomach like a sword. He closed his eyes, preparing for the worse.

"I'm sorry Randy."

As soon as he saw the Nomicon's hand jab its way through his stomach and into his chest, he could tell why the Nomicon didn't want to do this.

The pain wafting from his head to his toes felt like his atoms were being torn apart. He had a million volts of electricity flowing through him. He had razor blades flowing through his veins, he had mustard gas entering his organs and had sludge sloshing in his lungs. He had people tearing at his arms and legs trying to rip them off and screams pointed towards his ears.

The scream was ripping through the air now, pained and shaking, getting louder and louder.

The scream cracked and he realized it was his.

Randy's shrieks were louder, his body convulsing on the ground. It felt like the back of his brain was being branded. The shouting grew louder, mixing with a loud drumming. He squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth as he did so. The drumming and the yelling was getting louder, and he felt a sharp pain in his head.

He blacked out.

Randy opened his eyes to see he was in the house again. The old Victorian manor looked exactly how it should have, if it weren't on fire. There was a grand staircase to the right, shinning bright as if made of marble. The furniture consisted of oak couches and chairs, the curtains a silky fabric and there was even a grand piano. Unnerved by the empty atmosphere, Randy took in a deep breath and slowly walked.

He took slow quiet steps towards the piano, running his hand across the back of a couch as he moved. As he walked, he looked down and noticed he was wearing the suit and leather coat again. He brought his left hand down to his pocket, and sighed when he felt the pocket watch. Not sure if that's a good thing though, or not...

The old house's floorboards creaked underfoot and he was reminded of the eerie haunted houses at Whoopie World. He furrowed his brow. What's going on?

Finally he heard a creak to his right.

He turned with his hands ready. The Other Randy was standing on the other side of the couch with his hands by his sides, completely defenseless.

It unnerved Randy when he smiled.

"Hi," he drawled, "trying to get rid of me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Randy narrowed his eyes, stiffening.

"Yeah, and the Nomicon's just about to finish it," he spat.

The Other Him didn't say a word, instead motion to the couch. "Sit," he said, stepping back to reveal he had tea set up.

"And why would I do that?" asked Randy, not taking his eyes off the Darker Him. The insane Randy gave a huff and crossed his arms. "I'm just trying to be polite-"

"And again; why?" he interrupted. He didn't let his hands down. "Why are you trying to be polite? Why is the house not on fire?" he spat, his words rushing towards the end. "Why did you hurt Sebastian? Why are you honkin here?!" he yelled, his anger rising. The Randy in front of him, pursed his lips. Slowly he spoke.

"I want to change your mind," he crooned. Randy felt his eye twitch. "Ch-change my mind?!" he said, his arms flinging to the sides. "I almost killed someone because of you!"

The Other Randy rolled his eyes and popped a sugar cube into his mouth. The white block crunched between in his teeth. "Yes, but he would have done the same to you," he began, stirring his tea again, "I just took charge and stopped that from happening." He raised the cup to his mouth and began sipping, gently and calmly as if he were dinning with a friend. It almost made Randy want to puke.

"I am never," he hissed, clenching his fists, "going to let you stay." The Other Him stopped drinking his tea, the sipping coming to an abrupt stop. He lowered the saucer and cup, then looked up.

"Are you sure there's no way for me to persuade you?"

"Yes."

"Shame," the Other Him said, getting up. He brushed the nonexistent dirt off of his clothes, "And this was such a nice suit."

He launched off his foot and jumped over the couch. Randy felt adrenaline kick in as the Insane Randy swung his fist. He ducked underneath the blow. Insane Randy stomped on Randy's foot, causing pain to shoot through it. He squeaked in shock, then brought his knee to the Other Him's gut.

Attacking and dodging, the fight began making it's way away from the sitting area and over to the grand piano. As Randy punched and kicked the Other Him, he saw the walls of the building beginning to fade. It's disappearing... he noted.

He felt a fist brush by his ear when he nearly got punched in the face, and he spun around and hit the Other Him in the back. The Other Him buckled forward, and got down on a knee. He swept his leg at Randy's feet. Randy flung his arms to the sides, spinning them to regain his balance. "Agh, juice!" he yelped, his voice cracking at the end.

Fighting around the piano, Randy could feel the Other Him fighting harder and more desperately as the building began disappearing even faster. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he blocked the Other Him's blows.

Suddenly he slipped and fell onto the piano. Randy felt his head pound onto the black wood, and groaned. "Wonk..." He looked up, his eyes widening as the Other Him jabbed his elbow down. He gave a yelp, and rolled to the side. He looked up and saw the Other Him make another attack at him. Randy rolled off the piano and pushed the Other Him up against it.

The Other Randy squirmed, kicking and flailing as he cursed. Randy was taken aback. Wow, he thought, pressing harder. He's getting more than anxious, he's downright desperate.

The Other Him continued to kick and scream, bringing his head back in an attempt to hit Randy in the face. He stepped back and saw as the room disappeared faster and faster. The walls and furniture were disappearing like stains on a shirt- slowly with a watery touch.

He looked down at the Other Him, a smug grin on his face. "You're too late," he said, quickly lifting the top of the piano top.

As the Other Him squirmed, he pushed his head in between the frame and sound board. Randy smiled.

"You lose." He was pushing down on the Other Him's throat and had his other hand ready to push down the frame.

The Other Him looked up, his eyes widening.

"Wait!"

Randy slammed down the piano, the wood crushing the Other Him's skull.

A loud crack splintered through the air, the Other Him's body falling to the floor. Randy looked down at him with slight panic.

"Wait?" he repeated, his voice rising at the end.

The room was fading quicker now, and Randy could see the Other Him's body disappearing as well. He looked up from the floor, a trail of blood leaving his mouth. He gave a cough, and smiled.

"I'll always be a part of you," he began, his voice hoarse. "You 'killing' me doesn't just prove it-" Randy felt his throat going dry. He suddenly realized how gut wrenching it was to look down at the Other Him like this, with a face that looked just like his. Guilt washed over him, and he got down on a knee. He started to pull the Other Him's head to his chest and hugged it. "No. No, no, no, no..." he said, his voice cracking.

The Other Him grinned, his head dropping.

"-I win."

As the words left his mouth, the room shifted to white and Randy felt himself being pulled out to the Nomicon. He turned to look at the room disappearing. "N-no, wait!" He fumbled for words, panic rising in his throat as he looked back down at the Other Him.

He disappeared.

Randy's eyes flew open, and he jolted up- only to have his head smack into something.

"Agh!?" he called out, rubbing his head. "What the juice?"

He looked up and saw the Nomicon rubbing his head as well, however, he had his gaze focused on Randy.

"Randy-sama," he began, his voice sounding urgent. "Are you alright?" he asked, still rubbing his head.

Randy looked at him in confusion, then remembered what had happened. He looked down to see was sitting in the Nomicon's lap, the other boy cradling him like a child. "Gugh!?" Embarrassed, he quickly untangled himself from the redhead. "Oh, er... I'm fine," he lied, sputtering the word out. The Nomicon looked at him with a glare. "Randy-sama," he began, a warning in his words. "When I began the procedure you were screaming from immense pain, and then blacked out-" he said, leaning forward. The Nomicon's face was inches from his, and Randy backed away. "Tell me what happened."

Randy felt his mouth dry up, and swallowed a lump in his throat. "I was... in a building in my mind," he began, his words slow. He watched as the Nomicon nodded his head.

He went on.

"And the Other Him, the other me was there and I-" his voice cracked, "he said I'd always be like this, he'd never go away." The Nomicon pursed his lips as Randy stared at the floor. He felt a surge of sadness forming, and clenched his fists.

"Randy you will always have him, he's a part of you," he began, and Randy looked up to meet him. His mouth hung open in shock. "I don't want him to be a part of me!" he snapped, his lip trembling. The Nomicon sighed. "Randy, that thing was always a part of you- it's up to you however to determine whether it takes over."

Randy stared at the Nomicon, not blinking.

The book sighed.

"You didn't understand a word I just said."

"No. Not really."

Randy laughed when the Nomicon rolled his eyes. "I honestly don't know why I picked you- okay Randy you're back to normal have fun," he said, and Randy gave a small laugh. Suddenly he stopped.

"Wait, Nomicon?" he asked, looking at the other boy with concern.

"If my family has a curse on them, how could they have gotten it?" he asked, recalling his last conversation with the Nomicon- the conversation where he revealed to him that his family had a curse.

The Nomicon's eyes widened, and he felt his stomach tighten. He quickly looked away.

"I'm not sure," he lied, "there are many ways it could have happened. There's no way to be sure." Randy nodded.

"Oh," he said, slightly disappointed. He looked over to his left, and stared at an origami sakura tree which was being scribbled on in green and blue highlighter.

Yo, pink tree.

Cheery blossom.

Such girly.

Randy laughed, then sucked in a breath. 'Such girly'.

Girl.

"Kanade!" Randy exclaimed, jumping up from the ground. The Nomicon backed away in surprise. "Kanade?" he asked, recognizing the name. "Isn't she your cousin?"

Randy sucked in a breath and ran a finger through his hair. "Yeah, yeah. And I need to get to her plane- she's leaving!"
At the word 'plane' the Nomicon tilted his head. "What's a 'plane'?" he asked. Randy shook his head. "Doesn't matter! I need to get out of here!" he asked, walking towards the Nomicon. He trudged forward and gripped the other boy by the shoulders.

"Nomicon, can I use the Ninja mask?" he asked. The Nomicon blinked in surprise. "Of course Randy-sama, why wouldn't you-" he began before being interrupted by Randy (much to his annoyance).

"Good!" he exclaimed, then bringing his face close to the Nomicon's.

"Now let. Me. Out."

The Nomicon spluttered, "Randy-sama, I need you to tell me what happened!" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what happened to Randy inside his head or before, but he need to know at least one of them. Randy rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"C'mon Nomicon, I need to go! I promised my cousin I'd meet her!" he whined, his voice pleading. The Nomicon felt rushed, and sighed. He waved his hand and the walls began to spin.

"Alright."

As the walls spun faster and faster, Randy smiled, "Thanks Nomi!" then slightly frowning. Panic was building in his chest as he realized he lost track of time. I can't miss Kanade's plane he thought.

Randy opened his eyes, and something wet surrounding his face. He got up and realized it was drool. "Ahh, shnasty..." he complained, wiping away at his mouth. He then remembered what had happened and looked down at himself. His shoulders and everything else were healed, the only traces of injury were the cuts and blood stains on his clothes. Looking down at them, he shuddered- remembering Oni.

He shook his head, then noticed the window. The sun was setting, and his clock next to it read 2:40.

He swore under his breath. "Shit."

He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed a grey hoodie, tossing it over his head. He then looked for the Ninja mask. When he found it, he slipped the mask on, feeling the tengu power surging through him. The soft fabric wrapped around him, changing and contorting to cover his body. Red light flashed while he leapt out the open window. Jumping through the air and running over rooftops, adrenaline made his heart race.

With the help of his Ninja suit, he was covering a mile every 5 minutes. Feeling anxious however, he reached into the sash around his waist. I wonder if... he thought, bringing his hand back out to find a small pocket watch with a red symbol on the back.

He blinked in surprise.

"Aw, shweet!" he said, stunned to learn he actually had a watch with him. As he ran, he looked down at the hands and read the time. "Two fifty!?" he cringed. He sped up his pace, he still had 5 miles.

He had run out of houses a while ago, and he slowed down when he was forced to trek around the city's randomly placed skyscrapers. He looked down at his watch, then out at the distance. Kanade's plane should be taking off now... he thought, almost shrieking with relief when he saw the airport. He smiled under his mask, and spotted the look out tower in his peripheral vision.

"Ninja scarf grab!" His red scarf wrapped around one of the tower's many poles, and he swung down to the airport. The air whizzed past his ears as he went through the air, the ground coming at him fast. He came to a running stop on the runway, and began sprinting towards the airport.

Norrisville didn't actually have an airport to be exact, it was technically in their town- but it wasn't "Norrisville's" simply because it wasn't funded by McFist. It was the only building not funded by McFist.

As Randy continued to sprint, he felt his phone buzzing in his suit. He reached down and looked at the caller ID. It was Howard.

He grumbled a curse about forgetting about his bro, and hit 'ignore'. Running past the airplanes and to the front gates, he skidded to a stop when he saw something in the window.

There, on the top floor, was the unmistakable purple hair of Kanade. Dumbstruck by his luck, Randy grinned and ran towards the building. He came to the wall and shouted, "Ninja foot spikes!" and began climbing up the wall.

Coming up to her window, he noticed she wasn't looking at him- rather at the plane she would soon be getting on. He saw her turn to her parents, and start talking to them (waving her hands as she did so). As she carried on talking, the conversation looked more like an argument, and Randy felt a wave of guilt. He opened his mouth.

"Kanade!"

She didn't respond, she continued talking to her parents. Frustrated, Randy tapped on the glass. Still receiving no response, he began climbing on the length of the window- when he spotted an air duct. His eyes widened and he dropped to the panel.

"Please don't have the heater on..." he muttered, prying the metal off its hinges.

The panel fell off the building and down with a clang. "Oh juice that was louder than I thought it would be..." he hissed under his breath. Turning his attention back to Kanade, he climbed in through the air vent and began making his way through.

10 minutes later, he fell into the men's bathroom.

Kanade had her fists clenched and was blinking back tears as a women's voice played over the loudspeakers. "Now boarding flight 1-47 for Japan, now boarding flight 1-47 for Japan..."

She bunched her skirt in her fists, looking down at the floor. Her aunt came up from behind her, resting a hand on her back. "I'm sorry sweetie," she said, rubbing her hand in small circles. "I guess he couldn't make it, he just couldn't bike here fast enough I guess..." Mrs. Cunningham said, frowning as her niece remained quiet.

"Last call for flight 1-47 to Japan."

Mrs. Cunningham bit her lip. "I-"

Kanade shushed her by standing up, reaching down like a robot and grabbing her suitcase. She slowly walked away towards the gate, her fist tightening on the handle. Her eyes watered as she made her way to the tunnel, upset that her cousin hadn't shown up.

.

.

"Kanade!"

.

.

Kanade spun around, her hair whipping her face.

Running towards her was Randy, purple hair bobbing up and down as he wore a grey sweat shirt. As he ran, she could see him smile.

"Kanade!"

As he came closer, she watched with wide eyes as he slowed down- now walking towards her. He laughed. "I thought I'd miss the plane."

As he laughed, Kanade felt her suitcase shake in her hand. Her lip quivered and her eyes watered. Suddenly he was standing above her. "Hey...Kanade-" he began, his voice worried. She shook her head and dropped her bag, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Oniichan!"

She cried into his sweat shirt, her face and his shirt getting wet as she did so. She felt him tense underneath her, then relax. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "Kanade, I'm sorry," he said, his voice apologetic. She sniffed, smiling as tears continued to roll out. "What'd you even do? Mess up in a Ninja fight?" she joked, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

She felt Randy's arms tighten, hugging her closer. "Yeah." There was something forced in his tone (maybe too carefree) but she didn't care. She hugged her cousin tighter, attempting to bury her face in his hoodie.

"I- I'm going to miss you," she sobbed.

Randy looked down at her, his mouth in a straight line. He sighed and rested his chin atop her head. "Me too."

She sniffed again, and backed away to look at him. "Oniichan," she began with a small smile, "you with your Ninja duties. Stay safe." Randy prayed she didn't notice when he stiffened, or when he sucked in a breath, or clenched his fists. He was thankful that she chose the moment in which he did all of those things that she wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and he was thankful he put on a sweatshirt to cover the cuts and stains. He forced a smile. "I will, I always do." The words stung in his mouth, and he kept a scream down.

Kanade smiled again, then frowned when the loudspeaker rang again.

"Last call for flight 1- 47 to Japan."

She looked down at the ground, frowning. The sun was setting, and the room was tinged with an orange color. Randy stepped forward and gave her another hug, leaning from one foot to the other- rocking her back and forth.

"I'll see you this summer," he promised. She gave a small laugh, hugging him as she did so.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Kanade broke away and wiped her eyes. She smiled. "Syonara Oniichan," she said. Randy shook his head. "Matane," he corrected. Kanade beamed, then bowed. "Until next time," she repeated, picking up her bag. She turned on her heel and began walking down the tunnel. She climbed onto the plane, and Randy stayed after with his parents as the plane took off.

He watched the plane fly off, not looking away until it disappeared from view. He heaved a sigh and turned to his parents, who were smiling at him.

"Randy," his dad began, shaking his head as he laughed. "How did you even get here?" he asked. Randy blushed.

"I walked...?"

The next day, Randy walked into first period with a tad more deodorant and cologne than usual.

"I can still smell the blood!" he had complained that morning when he couldn't wash away the smell. As for his now trashed clothes, he threw them in the garbage when his parents weren't looking. He sighted Howard sitting in the back and made his way to the desk next to him.

"Hey bud-"

"Zip it." Randy took a step back. "Woah, why are you so ticked?" he asked, taking the seat next to Howard. The ginger glared at him, "Was there something you forgot yesterday?" he asked, folding his hands on his desk. Randy fiddled with his pencil.

"No...not- really..?" he stated (more of asked). Howard rolled his eyes, shooting Randy a death glare. "You tricked me yesterday and went to fight that Mercenary- then you left me at school and ignored my call," he turned to face Randy better, narrowing his eyes, "and I don't know what and why, but you're hiding stuff, okay Cunningham? I know."

Randy looked at Howard in shock. "No I- I'm not hiding things from you..." he said, trailing off at the end. He looked at the ground. Yes. Yes I am.

Howard looked even more ticked off. "I bet it has to do with that stupid Nomicon of yours!" he hissed, his voice rising. Randy flinched. He still hadn't told him about the Ninja Nomicon, or about The Other Him. He clenched his fists, looking at the ground.

"Howard I'm sorry, I just-"

Something then caught his eye. To his left there was a window, and out the window he could see someone walking outside. Randy narrowed his eyes and saw it was Sebastian, wearing a black jacket with his hood on and collar pulled up high to his neck. His sleeves were rolled down and Randy couldn't help but notice he walked with a limp. Howard nudged his elbow.

"Hello? Earth to shoob?"

"Shh... not now Howard," he mumered, getting up- his eyes never leaving the window. Howard gritted his teeth as Randy left the room, the door shutting behind him.

Howard stared off towards the door, tempted to go and spill a McCola down Randy's backpack. He turned back to his desk and pressed down on his pencil as he sketched the Ninja being ripped in half by a robo ape.

r

Randy raced to his left, avoiding the wave of kids still making there way to first period. The proximity to other people near him without the comfort of Howard's presence was slightly disturbing- and he felt even worse when he remembered he was mad at him. He shook his head, looking out another window to see Sebastian walking further from the school. His eyes widened and he shot down a second hallway, coming to the door.

His hands slammed onto the wood and he propelled the doors open, then ran down the steps. His fleet were slamming across the concrete as he ran, and he ran all the way to Sebastian.

"Wait!" Sebastian turned around, his eyes narrowing when he saw Randy. "What are you doing?" he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. Randy was panting, his hands on his knees to support him. Randy shook his head.

What was he doing? He saw Sebastian walking across the school and somehow found himself running to catch up with him.

He gave a laugh. "I have no idea." At that, Sebastian felt the corners of his mouth twitch. Randy took in a another breath, then straightened his back. "So..." he said, the word curling on his tongue. He looked around as he spoke; the grass was beginning to become overgrown and like yesterday it was much too hot out. Digging his feet into the ground, Randy shoved his hands into his pockets. Why am I here? he thought, looking at Sebastian. What am I going to say? 'Hi I'm the Ninja, the guy McFist sent you to kill and then started torturing you!'

He shook his head at that, and took in a deep breath. He stuck a hand out. "I'm here to say goodbye," he said, holding his hand out for Sebastian- who raised an eyebrow.

"Goodbye?" he mimicked, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you-"

"Oh come one," Randy interrupted, waving his hand at that. "I think I know you well enough to tell that you're leaving and not coming back." Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, but Randy beat him. "And I also came to say, that I'm sorry." Sebastian raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

Randy felt a pinch in his stomach.

He wanted to slap Sebastian and scream, "I'm sorry. I'm the Ninja and I know you're leaving because you failed to kill me and now you have to leave or else McFist might kill you. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry for everything." Randy laughed, shaking his head. "Nothing," he said. Then looking up at Sebastian, he smiled. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. Taking a step forward, feeling tight with guilt, Randy spread his arms out and fell forward.

Sebastian's eyes widened, his mouth opening to form the words, "stop" when Randy wrapped his arms around him. Randy spoke, his head in Sebastian's shoulder. "I'm hugging you to let you know I'll miss you," he breathed. Sebastian widened his eyes, trying not to wince at the pain in his shoulder. Randy was hugging him tightly, a firm hold around his abdomen. Damn that Ninja fucked me up... he thought, recalling the event of yesterday's failure. He inhaled the smell of Randy's shampoo as he remembered every excruciating detail about the Ninja.

Blue eyes, tall and lanky, medium pitched voice... he thought as Randy pulled away. What was the last one?

Randy ran a hand through his hair and smirked at Sebastian. "Well, wherever it is that your feet take you, I hope you like the view." The sides of his mouth turned up as Randy extended his hand towards him. He took it, giving it a shake. "Same for you, tomodachi."

Randy laughed. "Anata wa yasashī na."

Sebastian's eyes widened. "You speak Japanese?" he asked, beginning to notice similarities between Randy and the Ninja. Randy waved a hand, dismissing it. "Yeah, been speaking it my whole life," he lied. Sebastian cocked a brow at that, taking in Randy's physical appearance. Suddenly the school bell rang, and Randy flinched.

"Hey I know this is goodbye and I should take my time and all..." he began, scratching at the back of his head, "but I've already got 3 detentions this week so..." Sebastian waved him off. "You're good," he said, gaining a laugh from Randy.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. Sebastian continued to smile even as Randy surged forward and gave him another hug, the warm boy squeezing him tightly. When he finally pulled away, Sebastian was half smiling at Randy. He motioned to Randy's hair.

"Never mentioned it before, but I like your hair," he said, pointing a finger. Randy smiled. "Yeah, it's an odd gene."

Sebastian shook his head, a smile on his face. He thought of how when the Ninja left, a strand of purple hair fell loose from his mask. "I guess it's not that odd," he began his face breaking into a grin, "I saw another guy with purple hair yesterday."

Randy felt his mouth run dry. He had a dumb expression on his face as he struggled for words, "If you're trying to imply that I'm the Ninja-"

"I never said it was the Ninja."

Randy felt his jaw clench as Sebastian turned and walked away, his hands still in his pockets.

"Wait, so you're not coming back?" he found himself asking. Just to make sure.

At that, Sebastian gave a laugh. A good, hearty, right from the belly laugh that one would hear five-year olds belching out on a merry go round. "Nope, just following my feet."

As Sebastian continued to walk on, Randy felt himself smile in relief. A 'possible enemy' knew his secret identity, but so what? It didn't seem like he'd go and attack him.

Maybe I'll see him again some day.

The idea strangely pleased him.

...

...

...

I'm just going to straight out go and say it, everything about this chapter was ICK. I know I should also probably explain a lot of things to you all but I just can't think of any of them (mainly because it's 11:00 at night and my brain is fried) so if anyone wants to rant about my slow update or anything else about this then PM. Also please review and tell me what you liked about this chapter INCLUDING what you don't like about my writing. Seriously, I want to get better at this horrible thing so give me some criticism, am I rushing? Writing with bad characters, not enough detail, too much detail, etc. (just don't say stuff like 'ew this sucks' because that doesn't tell me how to get better). Thank you all for bearing with me and for continuing to read. I think I'll be ending this story soon so, WOOHOO! Until next time.