This is set in some random time, I haven't decided when, but Nagi has returned to his hometown to make good his threats. Please review and tell me if it worked, I wasn't originally intending to continue. I wanna thank reviewers and especially Nagi500 for the motivation to continue, and also my mate Colesy for the inspiration.

The old place had changed, although Nagi had expected it would. It had been a while. If anything, it was more dilapidated than before if that were possible. All the paint seemed to be faded, peeling, ghostly. There were cracks, dents, missing chunks in every wall, or at least all the walls still standing. Nagi was still standing. Like the walls, like the God- forsaken town. Battered and broken but still there. And unlike the town, he had begun to heal, to make of himself what he would. There was no pride in this fact, just the burning desire for survival.

And revenge.

That was the reason for his presence. Why he was standing just outside his town (his town? It didn't feel like it), silent eyes boring into the old sign, proclaiming in once-bold, once-sincere letters, "Welcome". It was sad now, just a cruel joke. Nagi wasn't welcome at all. And he didn't dare go in yet. Just stood, awkwardly, hands limp at his sides.

Schüldig had always said he had no style. It was probably true, where the red-haired Schüldig loved flamboyant colours and unique designs, always managing to look good, Nagi remained looking somewhat severe in the drab high-collared school uniform he always wore. Schüldig was the one with all the fiery charisma, Crawford exuded power and smooth charm, even Farfarello had his quiet psychotic aura. They all had their place, their 'pigeonhole' (as much as it was possible to pigeonhole them), and Nagi seemed to be destined to be the quiet one. Schüldig always teased him about his solitary nature, how he could be gone hours and they never noticed. Sure they were each alone in the world, but the other three managed to be alone together.

"You never have any fun, Nagi-kun," the German had said lazily, sprawling luxuriously in a high-backed armchair. "I don't even know why you're here. All you ever do is work and sleep."

In that case, Nagi felt like saying, why the hell did you lead me into Schwarz in the first place? But he didn't ay anything. He never said anything. Schüldig would know what he was thinking, because thoughts were Schüldig's business. Reading them, messing with them, manipulating them. Nagi had to admit Schüldig was talented.

Nagi still stared at the sign, which stared right back at him, under the liberal graffiti. He was going in. He was going to do what he had sworn to all those years ago, and destroy the damn place. It was probably an ironic mercy by now, judging by the state of it. As he walked in, surrounded by all these building's he'd once known, the cold burning rage flared up again; anger, and the feeling of being hurt again and again coloured his whole world.

His incentive, the only reason he was still alive.

Nagi's eyes narrowed, and the welcome sign gave an almighty creak and fell, crashing to the ground accompanied by the whine of tortured metal, defeated by a psychic force. A tiny, but undeniable grin found his face, making his eyes glitter like a rough sea. Destruction was so satisfying! Another random blast rattled windows and shattered foundations like bones. With a low, growling rumble of protest, a clearly unoccupied building swayed dangerously before falling slowly to the ground. Nagi made sure to contain all the rubble neatly. He didn't want to hurt anyone yet. Just scare them. This was an experience to be savoured.

He ran an approving eye over his work. And Schüldig said his gift was wasted on tapping at his computer keyboard! He hadn't taken offence, even back then, because with Schüldig, nothing was serious. But maybe the German had had a point with this whole 'using the power for evil' thing.

Nagi sighed. There was no one around here. He'd have to go somewhere else and find some. He felt a surge of desire to do petty acts of violence, and he let it begin to take over. Was this how Farfarello felt? Maybe not. By now the demented Irishman would have started threatening God. Nagi didn't run. He had time to kill.

His eyes laughed at the irony.

As Nagi moved through the streets like some angel of destruction, leaving rising clouds of dust in his wake, he heard the sounds of people. People getting on with their lives as they had always done. But they wouldn't be left that way. Let them be scared, let Nagi break the monotony of their pointless lives for one day. He walked unerringly towards the targeted area. He found them.

Buildings began to collapse immediately, and the air was rent with screams, cries of incredulity, some people reciting a story they'd heard, a rumour about a boy with psychic powers. It felt good to be known. Nagi smiled. He was so caught up in the noise and the chaos he caused that he knocked a teenage girl off her feet with a stray blast. And it felt good! He began to herd them like cattle, directing them with noise and rubble, blocking off any paths they might try to take to escape him. He probably wouldn't hurt them, but they didn't know that. Then he had a change of plan, and deliberately allowed one to get away. Let her find as many people as she could, and tell them of his return.

It would be more satisfying all round if they were as terrified as they'd made him, years ago, when he still thought this was home.

It would be good for them to feel that cold fear hemming them in for once.

So he slowed down, and began to take his time. He let them all go. They disappeared like rats into shadows, doorways, windows. Nagi stalked onwards, ignoring them all. He felt powerful, for the first time in his life. He had the ultimate power now. It felt different from his early childhood, when he'd been an object of fear, something to be ignored and hated. Different even from his position in Schwarz, with people like him, where he was technically an equal. Now he was the sole dominating entity. He lashed out at another wall, and heard a scream. Had someone been behind it? He'd never know.

Nagi usually didn't like to indulge himself, but he found himself willing to make an exception.

The scream spurred him on, and after a while he spared no work of architecture, occupied or not. But he was very careful to keep away from the trees which had sprung up here and there. Nagi liked trees with a childlike intensity.

But he was bored after a while. It was just routine now, as everything became after a while. The buildings fell, the people screamed, Nagi turned his attention on another building. Time to find his parents. He wanted to show them what he had become. Did they feel remorse for the way they'd treated him? Or did they feel remorse for what he was? His mother had called him a demon. So he'd be a demon for them today.

The thought lent him new resolve, and he stepped back from the cowering people scattered among the wreckage, stopping as quickly as he had started. Schüldig would probably have flashed that impudent grin at them and come out with a snappy one-liner, but that wasn't Nagi's style. He thought about apologising, but instantly dismissed it. He wasn't sorry.

He only realised he'd started to walk away when he felt his feet leading him down the familiar streets and alleys, so alien and yet irreversibly engraved on his mind. His heart began to quicken; he was getting closer.

Would they be different from the people he remembered? Would they even remember him?

Only one way to find out.

The door loomed in front of him, and it seemed as though he was a kid again, small and helpless. He was quiet. He refrained from destroying anything. See how they accepted him at face value. Nagi looked at the door, channelled all his misgivings and used the energy to turn the handle. The wood creaked and complained as the hinges stirred. There was no one visible. He wondered absently what it would be like to be Schüldig, to be able to hear if there was anyone here.

Ah, but he could. There were noises coming from the garden.

Heart fluttering like a caged bird, Nagi approached. He walked quietly towards the sound of his mother's voice, so familiar his soul ached. They couldn't see him, but if he just turned his head slightly he could see them clearly. It was her. She looked older than he remembered, which made sense really, but it was still somehow unnerving. Her hair was streaked with grey, and she didn't stand quite as straight as she used to, or maybe she just looked smaller because Nagi had grown. He was too far away to see her face in detail. And she wasn't alone; there were other children with her.

Panic. Her children? She was playing with them, comforting them when they fell over, consoling them when their ball flew high and landed on a roof, and telling them stories in her gentle voice instead.

Confusion. What was Nagi supposed to do now? He couldn't do what he'd come here to do. I can't kill...can't kill anyone... As he watched her through angry, blurring eyes, watched her being the compassionate mother figure, watched her taunt him because he could never kill her; she was a genuinely good person, he couldn't help but feel resentful. Even a little hatred. She had failed him. She had abandoned him when he needed her most, and now she dared to show kindness to these children? What kind of mother was she! He couldn't seek revenge because of her maddening patience and kindness. He was unwilling to risk the inevitable moral mess that would ensue.

Nagi left, feeling cheated, and more bitter than before. He passed people who shrank away from him, others who actually ran, and others who shouted at him. He passed the ruins he had created. It all seemed so hollow now. Emotionless. He felt nothing.
-

Schwarz HQ had never looked so welcoming. The sterile, businesslike atmosphere salved his soul, calmed his dull anger. No one looked at him or paid him any attention, so he just sought out his teammates.

Schüldig was the easiest to find, lounging in plain view on an armchair, sprawled across the whole thing, looking infinitely relaxed and practically inviting everyone to look at him. Nagi stood directly in front of him, waiting patiently to catch the German's eye.

"Exhibitionist," he said.

Schüldig threw back his head and erupted into barking laughter. Nagi quite liked Schüldig, for want of a better word. He was the one person who seemed to really take an interest and made an effort with him. Slowly, Nagi was beginning to respond to the constant chatter. Whenever he shot some of his dry, sarcastic brand of humour back at him, Schüldig would laugh uproariously, clearly delighted.

Nagi waited patiently for him to finish. The logic of laughter eluded him. It was understandable, up to a point, but... not to the extent Schüldig laughed. Schuldig found the most trivial things hilarious. When he did finally finish, he became deadly serious.

"You didn't do it, did you?" he said softly.

Nagi didn't stop the reflex glare he shot. There was an unwritten rule of respect for them in Schwarz, not to use any powers or gifts they might possess against each other. Schüldig had obviously broken that rule.

"No, I didn't," he protested. "Well, I knew you were going to do something. Didn't need to be a mind reader for that." He snickered. "Look," he continued, serious again, "I don't even know where you went."

"I went back."

"Ah." Schüldig understood. "Did you...?"

"No." Nagi was bristling. He disliked knowing that Schüldig could just read his mind. He also disliked talking about what he'd done.

"Don't worry," he replied, almost compassionately. "We can never bring ourselves to do it in the end."
End

I think the ending's strange, but it fitted in my mind. Feedback is appreciated, as always. Thank you :)