A/N: These ficlets are character studies based on the premise that Yukio ultimately becomes an Illuminati groupi-er, officer. The series will be out of order (e.g. chapter 2 happens before chapter 1). While Yukio's Face Heel Turn is the main focus, POVs will rotate among many different characters, particularly Toudou.
Disclaimer: Blue Exorcist is Kato Kazue's property. I just do unkind things to her characters, particularly Yukio.
"…. not tolerate any deceitful acts from the True Cross Order. Hand over Okumura Rin or else your son will die. You have six hours."
A click of a shutter and the phone recording was out. Yukio removed the pistol from his hostage's neck. Sei Godaiin's head plummeted as he tried to cover his face with his bound hands, crying.
"It'll take the Order at most a few hours to respond," Helen said. "I'll check in with you when we hear something. Let us know if you need help with that," she indicated to Godaiin.
"I'll be fine." The two Illuminati officers left, with the video that would bring Rin to this place. The video that would unveil his new face to the world. Yukio felt a strange serenity. Finally there was nothing to hide. The past was like a whiteboard that had been erased, leaving behind only his true self.
Godaiin was now hyperventilating and sobbing into his shoulder, wetting his shirt with snot and tears. "Someone… save me…"
Yukio kneeled in front of the hostage, taking Godaiin's hands in his. "Godaiin, I hope you understand that we never wanted to hurt you. This is a world that takes too much from people like you. We want to give you a world that the weak can be safe in. We want you to be saved."
"You're going to kill me…!" Godaiin swung his bound hands out of his grasp. Yukio shifted slightly out of the way, letting Godaiin fling himself and his chair against the ground. He landed with a dull thud.
The sobbing suddenly stopped as Sei found it hard to breathe, his head pounding in pain. "Be careful," Yukio cautioned, closely examining his forehead. "You have a bad scrape but it doesn't look like you will have any lasting damage."
He tried to speak, but he couldn't get enough air for the words. "What is it, Godaiin?"
"Why… why me?"
Yukio lifted the hostage chair gently from the ground. "Why you? There's a governor and son of Satan who want you to be safe."
"I don't wanna die-"
"Rin will be here," Yukio retorted vehemently with his back to the chair. "And he won't let anyone die because of him. When he gets here, everything will be fine. You'll be okay."
This is Okumura's twin brother, Godaiin thought. He looked and sounded like Rin but everything about him felt wrong.
"How are you so different?" he said quietly. Yukio didn't flinch.
"Rin is strong." He spoke with reverence and anger, nothing like Rin's praise of his genius brother.
"But why are you doing this? You're his brother."
Yukio turned around to stare down at the human in the chair. "This is who I am," he said, eyes alight with blue fire. Godaiin shivered uncontrollably. "A truth that was hidden from me."
Yukio leaned back on the wall and averted his gaze. As soon as it was away, Godaiin felt the shivering stop.
"I started to manifest abilities like Rin. But I was not like Rin. I was… powerless. Lucifer came to me. He knew how to help me recognize myself. I came to an understanding that soon the world will know. That someday you will know. Peace, without fear and anger." Yukio's face was blank, his glassy blue eyes staring into space.
Glassy eyes. That was something Sei had seen right before a cultist slashed his uncle's neck on public TV.
"Peace?"
The ransom was ready and the kidnappers had agreed to release the hostages. But something wasn't right in the head with the one guarding his uncle. The camera was rolling, and…
"That the world will know?"
The man had howled and laughed after he did it, his eyes boring into the viewers as if to proclaim "I did this".
"And you're gonna use Okumura to do it?"
"He'll come." Yukio smirked, hand sinking to his sidearm. "Because he'll have to save you, no matter the cost."
A/N: Yukio, you little shit.