Okay, here's another chapter…which is rather early. lol For once. XD Okay, somethin' unexpected will happen in this chapter. Read on to find out!

Thanks to Black-Dranzer-1119, Mikuni Amai, Angel Storm22, and Your Sweet Suicide for reviewing. :D I appreciate your reviews loads. :)

For the anonymous reviewer(s) that I can't reply to by this site…

Mikuni Amai: Yes, Rei was…but now…well, you'll find out. X3 Kai will come soon…an estimate is either the next chapter, or the one after.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…

Chapter 8: Reality check

Rei awoke at the sound of laughter outside. He looked around, noticing that Ryuji was out of his bed.

"Pass the ball!" He heard someone yell outside. His eyes widened. (Ryuji?) He headed downstairs quickly, then looked out the window. He nearly had a heart attack. (What is he doing outside?)! He opened the door quickly, noticing Max and Tyson with him.

"What-"

"Hey, Rei! You didn't tell us about your other brother." Max said, shuffling Ryuji's hair.

"Ryuji!" Rei looked panicked. "What are you doing out here?"!

"I knew you were out here the other day, Rei. I saw you playing, so I thought I could-"

"No, Ryuji! This is different! Don't you realize that it's very dangerous out here today?"!

"Dangerous?" Tyson looked confused.

"We have to get inside." Rei reached for Ryuji, but Ryuji had climbed up the tree. "Get down from there!" Rei looked panicked. He sensed something. Why couldn't Ryuji sense it?

"I'm not coming down, Rei. How is it that you can play outside and I don't?"

"Please listen, Ryuji, we have to get inside!" Rei shouted.

"Rei, what's your problem?" Tyson took him by the shoulders.

"I-I just-" Rei heard cars from far-aways, footsteps coming closer. "We have to get inside, Ryuji!" Rei shouted as he attempted to climb up the tree to get him. Tyson held him down, noticing the lights, and a loud speaker.

"Hide!" Tyson pulled Rei against his own will, out of the way. Ryuji sensed something was wrong now. He quickly attempted to climb down, hearing an angry voice on the speaker get closer.

"Hey, you!" Ryuji froze right in place, almost halfway down the tree.

"R-" Rei began, but Max cupped his mouth while Tyson held him from running out into the open.

"Stop right there! Don't move our I'll shoot, kid." There was a gun pointed to him. Rei's eyes grew wide.

"Hey, dude you don't know if that's one of them. He could be-"

"They're all supposed to be in school right now…and no child is left alone outside besides those damn third-children." The man didn't take his eye off Ryuji.

"Check the photo list just to make sure." The other man took out a rather big notebook. "Row 24…jet black hair, around...6 or so years old…nope. I only see here teenagers. Looks like we've got one." The man shut the book slowly. They were looking at Ryuji like savage animals, about to catch their prey.

"Okay, son. We know you're not legal. So come toward us."

"N-no!" Ryuji didn't dare look at them, only out of the corner of his eye. He could still escape, right?

"Don't make this any harder than it already is. We have orders to shoot you if you try to run away." Rei could sense the fear in Ryuji's mind, he wouldn't run, would he? (Please don't run, Ryuji, please don't run) Rei thought as he struggled to get free from Tyson's grasp.

"Let me go!" Rei hissed.

"Come on down from there!" They yelled.

"Rei!" Ryuji screamed before jumping down. He ran, he tried to run back to the house.

"Ryuji!" Rei's voice was drowned out by the gun shots. Tears flowed from Rei's eyes as he saw Ryuji fall to the floor, blood splattered on the grass, and on the tree.

"Let's go! One down, and a bloody more thousand to go." The men drove off. Tyson let go of Rei once they were out of sight. Rei dropped down to his knees, watching as Ryuji gasped, trying to breathe. Blood flowed freely as Rei took him into his arms.

"Ryuji?" Rei looked at his younger brother. (Why? Why did they shoot? They have no heart! He was innocent! Why couldn't it have been me?)

"Rei…I'm-I'm sorry." Ryuji looked up at the sky, his vision going darker each moment that passed.

"N-no, Ryuji please. You can't die. You just can't." Rei felt a bloody hand reach up to his cheek.

"I should've listened to you, Rei…Promise me you won't feel sad…"

"Ryuji, you have to wait until mom and dad get here, they'll take you to the hospital."

"I-I…Rei, don't leave me…" His body shook for a moment, then felt heavier all of the sudden.

"Ryuji?" Rei's tears dropped onto the dead boy. "Ryuji?"! Rei's voice echoed as he held his brother in his arms. (No…this has to be a nightmare…it just has to be…) Max and Tyson looked at each other in shock.

"Rei…we're sorry, we didn't know…" Tyson tried to swallow the knot in his throat.

"Please…leave me alone…I want to be alone." Rei whispered hoarsely.

"But Rei, we-"

"Just go!" Rei's voice broke as he held Ryuji tighter in his arms. Tyson and Max headed inside to their house while Rei looked at the blood that was shed, the blood on his clothes, and on his hands.

"How? How could this have happened? This…" Rei's eyes widened. "This is all my fault…"

XDXDXDXDXDXD

Okay, so what'd you guys think? Don't kill me for…like, having killed poor Ryuji. The end of this fic is near, but there is a sequel which I plan to start soon…after I finish this. So what'll happen after Rei's parents get home? Find out in the next chapter. I hope you review and tell me what you thought:)