Ash was surrounded. In the small room all eyes were on him. He knew there was no escape, no way out, no hope. Taking a deep breath, his heart beating fast, he tried to think of a way out but his mind was clouded. The one person who he trusted, the one person who he had opened up to had betrayed him so completely. It was making his heart ache. Kind Eiji, innocent Eiji, was now his enemy. How did this happen? He should know better then to open up, to accept someone into his heart. Eiji knew Ash's strengths and weaknesses. He had used them against him. To lure him here.

When he had returned home, he had found Eiji waiting for him at the doorway. Eiji wore his usual innocent smile on his face and had looked extremely happy. He had told Ash he wanted to go somewhere ] with him. He didn't tell Ash where and Ash foolishly didn't ask questions. He hadn't expected a thing. Even when they went to a part of town he wasn't as familiar with Ash didn't question him.

How wrong he was.

Ash glanced at Eiji who standing among them, watching him, with an amused smirk on his face. His eyes were full of malice and Ash felt his heart weep. Eiji knew Ash wouldn't hurt him. He knew Ash would lose. It was probably Ash's fault that Eiji had become this twisted sinister version of himself. He had been with Ash tool long. He had saw horrible things and it had finally been too much.

"It's time to give up Ash," Eiji said quietly, "Make your choice. You promised you would."

"Promised," Ash croaked hating how weak his voice sounded.

"Last week, you said you would." Eiji said raising an eyebrow. "Let's see the might Ash Lynx." And Ash remembered, remembered his prideful boast. How smug he said those words. Eiji was planning since then? That was when he had decided to betray Ash? Ash could recall the whispered conversations on the phone and how quickly Eiji closed his laptop when Ash entered the room. But Ash had been unaware. How foolish it seemed to him now to assume it was innocent.

Outside Ash heard the rumbling of a truck. The door opened and one by one they came to join the multitude closing in. Ash couldn't count how many of them there was now. All of them leering at him with twisted faces, eyes aglow with a malice glee. They were going to smite him, destroy him. They knew he couldn't win. They knew his childhood, his past trauma. Ash wanted to run, wanted to fight, but Eiji's betrayal had left him stunned and broken. Falling to his knees he buried his head in his hands.

"I can't fight you." He croaked. "I can't win." Eiji watched him silently.

"Ash." He finally said.

"I took it to far!" Ash admitted. "You were right! I shouldn't have said those things to you. I should have been honest!"

"Ash." Eiji said again.

"Please, Eiji, please," Ash begged. "Tell me this is a nightmare. Tell me it's not true!" He never thought he would beg like this. He never thought anything in his life could destroy him like this.

"Ash." Eiji said. But Ash had had enough. With his eyes clamped shut he surrendered himself to nothingness.

….

…

…

"Are you alright Sir?" the worried store clerk asked. "Do you need me to call 911?"

"He's fine." Eiji told her. "We'll probably will leave.

"That one." A barley audible whisper came from the cowering young man. Ash raised a shaking hand and pointed to a Jack-O-Lantern that was stationed on a table under a sign that read:

Jack-O-Lanterns 50% off

.

.

"Was that really so hard?" Eiji asked as they left the store. Ash pouted quietly.

"You were the one that claimed you would find a Jack-O-Lantern that looked like an old man…"

"You could have warned me!" Ash grumbled. Eiji raised his eye brows.

"And miss the chance to see you over react?"

"America has changed you." Ash sulked. "I don't know who you are anymore."

Eiji shifted a snort as they headed back down the street and towards their apartment.

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