[A/N]: I'd like to apologise in advance to all the readers who won't be liking the next few chapters (because I have the feeling that a lot of people won't agree with how I'm making the story progress). Anyways, I still hope that most of you people will enjoy it! Thank you for reading/faving/following/reviewing, you guys make my day ^^

For My Sake
Stop slowing me down, stop holding me up, quit making a scene, enough's enough.
Let's be honest, your promise, was never meant to last.
I'm taking you on, I'm calling you out, there's nothing left for us here now.
Let's be honest, I promise, I'm never looking back for my sake.

The others won't forgive my death. Mark my words.

It was really just a day like any other when everything came crashing down once more, as if you hadn't already experienced enough shit to last you a lifetime. Thinking back, you realised that if you had just stayed inside that day, everything would have remained as it was and your merry life would have went on.

Anna's birthday was coming up soon and Izumo wanted to take her out and let her pick her birthday present, which would probably become a new dress. She got so enthusiastic that her eyes almost started shining and everyone internally 'aww'ed as they left to go shopping for presents.

Normally you would have hit yourself on the head at forgetting your coat when winter was just around the corner, but when around Mikoto and his warmth you could walk naked all year long and never catch a cold. Especially during the summer his presence was almost unbearably hot, but it was nothing a few dozen fans couldn't fix.

The streets were rather deserted with the cold weather, so HOMRA could make their way through the city without getting a large amount of stares and within no time they were at the shops Anna liked to buy things from.

"Let's not all go in at the same time and scare the people away, okay?" you suggested and everyone froze on the spot. All of them had been planning on barging into the store at the same time, but realising their mistake they quickly reconsidered the idea.

"I'll go with her," Izumo said as he grabbed Anna's hand, who grabbed Mikoto with her other hand, automatically making him number two.

"We'll come too," Tatara announced, gesturing to himself and Ayame. Izumo nodded and with that, the rest of the group dispersed in different directions to have a look at other shops.

You didn't feel like shopping at all so instead you just lingered about in front of the building Anna and the others had just entered. On the opposite side of the street, a stand with newspapers was practically staring at you, begging you to pick a paper up and read it.

Heaving a sigh, you crossed the street at an overly slow pace, trying to kill as much time as possible. Once you had finally reached the stand, you smiled at the man standing behind it and handed him a few coins.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he pocketed the money before handing you a fresh newspaper.

You didn't even bother walking back to your spot in front of the shop, instead opting to browse through the news to see if anything interesting had happened. Scepter 4 had found another stray Strain, the Gold King had visited someone else, something about the Silver King's aircraft…

Why did everything seem to revolve around the Kings and their Clans?

At least the Red Clan wasn't in it, like it was most of the time. Destroyed this, demolished that… The paparazzi never really seemed to find anything original to write about.

Then came the ads… A new singer was starting in the city giving cheap concerts. New, great, mind-blowing films were coming out soon. Drinks, foods, toys, electronics…

You turned the page and your eyes scanned the top of the page: a list of people who had died recently. Sighing once more, you wanted to skip this depressing news and go to the next page when you caught sight of your surname.

There, in the left-hand corner of the first memorial page, in bold letters stood Shouta with two pictures under it: one of your mother and one of your father.

Your heart suddenly seemed to stop beating as you read your parents' name over and over again, as if you couldn't believe it. When your hands started trembling, the man who had sold you the cursed papers started wondering what was up with you. "Are you alright?"

"Huh, wha… Yes, I'm fine," you quickly responded and closed the paper, folding it as much as you possibly could to keep your shaking fingers busy while you crossed the street again.

When the others were finally done, they all came back outside. Anna was holding a bag, a huge smile on her face. The smile immediately disappeared when she saw you.

"Haru, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," Izumo asked you when he noticed Anna's change in demeanour. Mikoto reacted as well, his hand automatically finding your forehead to check your temperature.

"You're sweating," was his very helpful comment.

You took a step back from the group and smiled at them. "No, everything's fine. Come, let's go home and wash Anna's dress so she can put it on."

The boys shared a glance as you grabbed Anna's hand and made your way back to the bar, chattering about all different kind of things to the little girl who was wearing a worried expression as well. She looked over her shoulder at the others and Izumo waved his hand dismissively, telling her she shouldn't worry. Not like that would actually make Anna not worry, but it helped a little.

While you were upstairs, helping Anna with her new dress, the boys downstairs were holding a small meeting concerning the sudden change in your behaviour.

"She was alright when we entered the shop, right?" Tatara offered as he thought back. "So something must've happened while we were gone."

Izumo put a hand under his chin, rubbing it thoughtfully. "But what on Earth could have happened out there without us noticing? And in such a short time span?"

"Why are we so worried, anyway? She's a woman, they always have these periods right? Why make such a big deal out of it?" Yo let out a sigh and got up, ready to leave with Masaomi and Saburatou.

Izumo smiled as he waved them off, but not without adding, "Oh no, you don't get it. If it's something like that then she won't stop complaining. You know something's actually going on when she won't talk about it."

The boys scratched their heads before shrugging and leaving the bar. "Women."

In the meanwhile, Mikoto had gotten up and walked over to the counter. He lifted the papers that had been placed there, reading the front page. Ayame noticed and walked over to him. "What's this? A newspaper?"

"Newspaper? We don't get any here…" Izumo joined them in scanning the pages. "But why would this upset her?"

Mikoto stopped flitting through the papers, his eyes stopping on the list of deceased people. He tensed when he saw what he did, confusing the others. "What's wrong, King? What does it say?"

He didn't answer, instead just pointing with his finger.

"Oh shit," Izumo muttered, holding a hand over his eyes when he saw it as well.

Ayame just pressed her hands against her mouth as she welcomed the consoling hug that Tatara gave her once he found out what had happened too. Misaki, Rikio and Kousuke were left in the dark a little longer, staring in confusion as Mikoto threw the papers to the side and made his way upstairs.

In Anna's room, he didn't even have to say a word to the little girl who immediately understood that she should go downstairs. The look on both your and his face was enough: he knew what was going on and you knew that he knew.

"Why didn't you tell me?" was all he said, but it was enough to make you burst out in tears and seek refuge in his arms.

"Because I didn't want to believe it."

For the next few minutes, the two of you stood there in silence, neither of you knowing what to say as the tears kept coming.

"Uhu."

"Yes."

"Alright, I understand."

"Really?"

"Oh…"

"Thank you very much."

Click.

Izumo hung up, his shoulders slumping significantly before he turned to look at you. "So, I just called Scepter 4 to ask if they had any more information on your parents' death…"

"And?" you asked him, trying your best not to hope for anything. What were you wishing for anyway? That is was just a mistake, that they were still alive? Or that it was just an accident?

"Well, yes, they know what happened… And who did it…" Your heart sank to your little toe. "It was the Yakuza."

Your body froze all of a sudden, it becoming almost impossible to just breathe.

The others won't forgive my death. Mark my words.

This was just their revenge, right? You killed one of theirs, they kill one of yours. Or two of yours, in this case. Maybe the guy had been someone important to them. But they had given up on him themselves! Then why…

"They couldn't get enough evidence to actually capture them, though… They were very thorough, for once," Izumo added in a sad tone.

You didn't hear anything he said, the gears in your head already turning. All you had to do was find out who exactly had done it, and then you'd ask Mikoto if he and the rest of HOMRA would come with you to demolish them. Anger started to bubble up inside of you the longer you thought about this and you opened your mouth to ask Mikoto for help. "Mikoto-"

"No."

Everyone, including you, looked up in surprise at Mikoto's curt statement. Your heart skipped a beat as he stared at you, his eyes hard and distant as he did so.

"Mikoto…" you tried again, ignoring the fact that he had answered your request before you had even said it out loud, trying to fight him.

He stood up to look stronger and scarier and glared down at you. "You are not going to avenge them."

Something inside of you snapped and you jumped up too, stabbing him with your finger.

"Why not?! They killed my parents!"

"Your parents wouldn't have done the same for you." Mikoto started to grow mad too, now. Why did you have to be so stubborn?

"Yes, well, I gave them up, remember? For you. I owe them at least this!" you shouted at him, fury making your aura flare slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Fine! Then I'll do this ridiculous shit by myself. I'm leaving!"

"Fine."

"FINE!"

With a slam of the door, you were gone and everyone stayed still, eyes wide at what had just happened.

"Well… That escalated quickly…" Izumo muttered as he scratched his head. He stared out of the window and watched you storm off, without your jacket.

"S-shouldn't you go after her, Mikoto-san?" Misaki tried while he got up to go after you, but he only got an angry look from Mikoto, whose eyes were glowing a soft red by now.

"Now, now, Mikoto, don't be like that," Izumo sighed, pushing the almost-seething redhead back down onto the couch.

"What do we do now?" Ayame asked quietly. "It's becoming cold already and who knows for how long she'll be out there."

"She'll come back soon," Mikoto muttered, which made Izumo laugh.

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Then we'll wait until she's done."

"King, you can't be serious!" Tatara decided to voice his mind too.

"You wouldn't want her to stay mad at us for the rest of her life here," Mikoto grumbled and let his head rest against the back of the couch to stare at the ceiling. "She chose to do this, so she'll have to either go through it herself or give up."

"I think she's only mad with you, King," Tatara chuckled, trying his best to lighten the mood in the room.

"I guess you're right. She can't just expect us to help her with whatever she needs, after all," Izumo mused, completely ignoring Tatara as he sat on a stool. "She needs to learn that she has her own responsibilities as well."

"I hope it doesn't take too long. Anna's birthday is soon, after all," Rikio mumbled, looking over at the little girl who had stayed silent throughout the whole revelation.

Tatara walked over to her and slung an arm around her small shoulders. "Don't worry! It'll all work out."

By the time your anger had cooled down and you had realised what kind of troubles you had worked yourself into, it was already dark. The heat that kept you warm disappeared together with your rage and you ended up sitting in a corner in a dark alleyway, staring at the sky.

The situation reminded you a little of years ago, when you had first officially joined HOMRA. A small smile managed to wiggle itself on your lips as you thought back to how everything had been back then, with just the four of you and with everyone adjusting to their newly-received auras…

You had been quite the idiot, hadn't you? You still were, actually. That became quite clear as soon as you reminded yourself of how you had been lying outside like this when you first flipped out because of the addiction that came with using these flames. These flames that were barely enough to fight with these days.

"What am I supposed to do?" you muttered to yourself, already yearning for your bed and a certain redhead to keep you warm.

But at the same time, you didn't want to give up only hours after starting your quest. To honour your parents. To show them that you had grown up since leaving them. To at least try to do something that might have made them feel proud of you.

Then again, they were dead now. Who knew how long this would take. Weeks? Months? Years? Maybe you would never come out of this alive again, never see that smirk of his anymore. Could you even do this all by yourself, without Mikoto's help?

Anger flared inside of you once more at the thought of him abandoning you. If you had been in his position, you knew you would have helped him. Why had he declined your request just like that? You thought you could count on him, on the Red Clan, if you needed something. But he had been right about your parents. Had it been your name in the papers, they probably wouldn't have thought more of it than that you had become a victim in one of your stupid gang wars; that you had gotten what you had deserved.

But still… You had already chosen HOMRA once before, wasn't it time to choose your parents now?

And then, having made up your mind, you wrapped your arms around your body and tried to muster up as much warmth as possible without attracting any unwanted attention. Then you closed your eyes and stayed still until sleep decided to wash over you.

This was going to be a long night.

And the nights to come would be as well.

You had finally managed to fall asleep and had slept a few hours without even realising it, when something disturbed your slumber.

While opening your eyes to see it was still dark, you found the cause of your awakening not much later: squealing that almost tore your heart apart by just listening to it could be heard not too far away from your spot. People were muttering things and it sounded like something was being hit occasionally.

Still half-asleep, you got to your feet and made your way towards the sounds while using the wall for support. By the time you got to the disturbance, you were fully awake and your blood was boiling at what you saw.

In the street lights, you could see two figures cornering someone slumped together on the ground. As you made your way closer, you realised that they weren't threatening a human, but a dog.

"What the fuck are you doing?" you managed through gnashed teeth, your hands curled into fists as you watched one of the bastards lift his foot again.

The men both whipped their heads at you, both scowling and looking so angry at you that they looked more like dogs than the one of the ground did. "'s none of your business, missy."

You ran over to them, grabbed the speaker by his collar and slammed him against the wall, pushing your nose against his and trying your best to make your hands glow an intimidating red.

"You're hurting a defenceless cohabitant of this planet, how is that not my business, you asshole?" You added to your statement by kicking him in the stomach with your knee which made him cough a little blood.

"Oi!" his friend yelled as he grabbed you by the shoulder, turning you around and effectively freeing his partner. Then he punched you on your cheek before you could react, sending you swivelling to the pavement next to the shivering animal.

The boy you had attacked first spat on your shirt and pulled his friend along while muttering, "Piece of shit ain't worth it."

And with that, silence reigned once more.

Realising you were lying in the middle of a main street, you slowly crawled back over to your alley, feeling too dizzy from the hit to get up and walk. You almost laughed at yourself, glad that no one from HOMRA had been around to witness your failure. The fact that you barely had enough power left in you to summon a vast flame was humiliating enough, but getting punched in the face by a dog-beating brat? That was just pathetic. At least you had saved an animal in the process.

You remembered the dog you were supposed to be checking over for wounds just as you returned to your spot, but it was only then that you noticed that you had acquired a fan during the event.

Through the dim light that came in from the street you could see the tail that was wagging as a tongue licked your throbbing cheek, almost as if it were apologising for all the trouble it had caused you. You quickly ran your hands through its fur and were relieved to find that, somehow, it hadn't received any major wounds.

"Maybe fate is granting me a little something after all," you thought as your new-found comrade dropped itself in your lap and promptly began to sleep. Happy with the company, you followed it into dreamland soon after.