Ladada, another chapter...hmm oh, right move-age, almost forgot...heh. First, Kanone-age, though, and I know how much you all love Kanone (yes, that was sarcasm). Anyway, enjoy!
Solo Maxwell-Yamato: Aw, no love for my Kanone? Heh, love for the fic, though, so I can let it slide. He's really not the best guy in this one...O.O gun, eh? Umm...(writes furiously). Thanks for reviewing!
tsuhiyo: Hmm, how will Madoka react? You'd think she'd be elated to be living with her idol, but...maybe not! Who knows, thanks for reviewing!
Red Kitsune Flames: I figured that was a nice enough way to wake him up...and, of course, no one can ever have a moment of peace--enter Kanone. Thanks for reviewing!
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"Here it is." Ayumu stood in front of a large warehouse that would serve as the grounds for whatever was to happen between him, Kanone, and Eyes. He glanced once more to the sign marking the street he was on as Lumbard Avenue, and headed towards the building.
"Ayumu." A voice stopped him from taking one step further. He spun aorund to see Eyes emerging from the shadows, donned in his usual black on black outfit.
"How long have you been here?" the brunette asked his boyfriend as he joined him.
"Only a few minutes." Eyes replied, "Are you ready?"
Ayumu nodded, "What exactly does he have planned?"
"I'm not for sure, but he wanted to offer me a trade earlier."
"Trade?" Ayumu thought, brown eyes widening slightly, "Rio for me?" A short nod confirmed this, and Ayumu shifted rather uncomfortably.
The Blade Child simply laced his fingers through Ayumu's, "I won't let him take you." he promised, and headed into the warehouse.
The inside of the warehouse seemed safe enough. There were a few large, steel boxes that sat against the far wall, and some smaller, wooden crates littered throughout. It looked exactly like what it was: an abandoned warehouse. The interior was spacious enough, but that also meant there were plenty of places that Kanone could have hidden traps. Never letting his guard down, Eyes moved with Ayumu, hands still clamped together, towards the center of the mostly-empty room. They paused before making it all the way to the center when Eyes' ears pricked up at the sound of footsteps that were neither his nor Ayumu's. He turned his head towards the source, and glared at the figure he saw there, "Kanone."
Ayumu's head whipped around to momentarily lock eyes with the crazed brunette, who was smiling at them as he always did. There was no doubts, by any of them, that it was a fake smile, but it just seemed routine. It was also a nice little hint that someone was going to die there tonight. He walked towards the couple, glaring slightly at Ayumu, then turning his attention, and his fake smile, to his ex, "Hello, Eyes, you're looking well." he greeted, focusing in on the other boy's azure orbs.
"Where is Rio?" he demanded, not in the mood to play games.
Kanone, however, was always ready to play a game, and simply smirked, "She's safe, for the time being."
"You said you would return her to me." he reminded the older boy.
"In exchange for Ayumu." Kanone finished.
Eyes felt said boy next to him tighten his grip on his hand and squeezed back, reassuringly, "I told you before, Ayumu is not mine to trade."
Kanone frowned at this, "That's a shame." he said, lowering his head slightly, "Because I really do have it on my mind to kill someone tonight. My first choice, of course, would be your little boytoy there." He didn't fail to shoot one finaly glare at Ayumu as he said this, "But if you simply refuse to give him up, I'll have no other choice than to resort to more drastic means."
"Leave Rio out of this." Eyes growled, already being able to tell what Kanone had planned, "She's not involved."
"I'm afraid she has become involved." the olive-eyed boy informed him, "If you take one player out of the game, you must put another in their place." He turned his back on the couple, disappearing into the shadows for a moment, "You have removed Ayumu," he continued, reemerging with a small, struggling girl in front of him, wrists and feet tied together as well as gagged, "and must now replace him with Rio."
Eyes started towards the two, but Ayumu stopped him. When blue eyes looked to him, questioningly, he motioined to a small blade Kanone had in his hand, one that Eyes had failed to notice due to his concern for the girl, "Let her go." he repeated once more, knowing it would do no good.
"Despite what player may fill it," came the next bit of rambling from the insane boy, accompanied by a knife raising to Rio's throat, "the position's destiny will not change." He raised his now-glowing orbs to gaze at Eyes, "Death." he finished, pressing the cold metal into Rio's soft skin, eliciting a whimper from said girl.
"Stop." came the order, though not from Eyes, but from the boy next to him, "Let Rio go."
Kanone smiled, satisfied with himself, "And you'll give me your life for hers?"
Ayumu glanced once more at Rio's frightened eyes before making his decision, "Yes."
"No." Eyes immediately objected, "I won't allow you to do this." he said in a hushed whisper as Ayumu turned to face him.
"There aren't a whole lot of options, if you've noticed." the chocolate-haired boy replied, "Let me go, I have to do this."
"Like hell you do." Eyes snapped in a quiet voice, though from Kanone's pleased grin, it was evident he was hearing every bit of it, "Don't throw your life away so willingly, Ayumu."
The brown eyebrows ceased to furrow and a smile, thin smile spread across the teens lips, "I know you love me, and that's enough." he whispered, pulling Eyes into a deep, heated kiss.
Kanone watched all of this unfold, unconsciously tightening his grip on Rio as he saw Eyes so willingly be led to Ayumu's lips. As the tender yet passionate kiss broke, Ayumu walked towards Kanone, ready to get this over with, his eyes locked with the older boy's. As Kanone let Rio go so she could run to Eyes, he felt her body fall from his grip and slump to the ground. Ayumu immediately halted his progress towards Kanone and even retreated back a few steps towards his lover.
Kanone blinked a couple times, his gaze slowly dropping to his blood stained hands, the crimson-covered knife, and finally the lifeless body at his feet. How had he not noticed that he was killing her? "Well," he thought, smirking slightly, "Guess I slipped up there."
"Rio." the pained, british accen floated across the room to Kanone's ears. He gazed up at the hurt expression on his ex's face, matching his tone perfectly, "Why?" he asked, looking to Kanone.
The brunette shrugged, only feeling the slightest bit of remorse, but far too fascinated with the red substance staining his hands and coat, "I didn't mean to." he answered honestly. He really hadn't mean to press the blade so far into her throat that it cut off her source of breathing. It was amazing, how he could take a life, one so spirited nonetheless, and snuff it out without even noticing. Death had always amazed him, though, how easy it was to bring upon others, and how foolish it was to fear. Death was an old friend that Kanone knew well, though judging from Ayumu and Eyes' looks, he would be reunited with his buddy sooner than he had expected. He figured he could do no more damage here, and turned, walking out of the warehouse and leaving Eyes and Ayumu to clean up the mess.
"I need an ambulence at the abandoned warehouse on Lumbard Avenue." Ayumu said, the tiniest bit frantic, into his phone, "I think someone's been murdered."
"You think?" Eyes wondered, scoffing, though he knew Ayumu was having the same thoughts fly through his head. The latter closed his phone and informed his boyfriend that they would be there shortly. Eyes nodded, "You should go." he suggested, "I can take care of things here myself."
"But-" Ayumu began to protest, but was cut off with a cold gaze. It wasn't a glare, full of hatred and malice, but a firm look that told him to do as he was told. Ayumu finally nodded in defeat and gave Eyes one last, quick kiss, "I'm going back home to wait for Madoka." he informed the Blade Child, and then he was gone.
"Madoka?" the brunette called out, knowing he wouldn't get a response. The entire ordeal with Kanone had barely lasted two hours, and that was simply because of travel time. He plopped down on his couch and sighed, his mind racing with the events that had just taken place. What could he have done to stopn this from happening? He shook his head, he knew exactly what he could have done, "Try not kissing Eyes in front of the crazy, obssessed boy that's in love with him." he suggested. He was angry, mostly at himself for being so foolish. Why would he think that kissing Eyes in front of Kanone would be a good idea?
There was only one simple answer to these question, and that was it had been an incredibly bad move and lack of judgement on his part that cost Rio, his friend, her life. He hung his head, growling in frustration at himself, at Kanone, at everything. How could he have been so selfish as to want a kiss from Eyes at a time like that? Given, it was supposed to be their last kiss, Kanone should have given him that. Then, his angered thoughts turned to the Blade Child himself, why had he reacted so violently to one innocent kiss? He had to have known that he has going to have Ayumu to kill soon enough, why not save up his anger and agression for him? Though, he wasn't sure Kanone had intended to kill Rio. Still, he wasn't near as remorseful about it as he should have been.
Letting out a loud sound of pent up anger, his abrupt yell masked the creaking of hinges as the door opened. Madoka blinked at him a couple of times before shutting the door with a soft slam, startling the seated boy. Ayumu's head snapped to Madoka, and he immediately relaxed at seeing her. A moment of silence passed between the two before the older one spoke, "Are you okay?" he asked. Whatever he had been doing before she arrived didn't seem like normal Ayumu behavoir.
"I'm fine." Ayumu mumbled, looking away. He soon remembered why he was here waiting for hs sister-in-law in the first place, "I've got some news." he announced, standing up.
"What kind of news?" she wondered, "Oh! Did those new knives come in?" she wondered, "Ours have been getting pretty dull, and I think it's affecting your cooking."
Ayumu winced at the mention of the object, "No, it's something else." he said, suddenly very unsure of how to tell her this.
"Well, what is it?" she asked, impatiently, crossing her arms across her chest.
"You...remember Kanone, right?" It was a stupid question, of course she remembered. Who wouldn't remember a person like Kanone?
"Ayumu, I thought you were done with them." she said, a hint of sadness and worry in her voice.
"I didn't choose to get involved again." he quickly said, defending himself, then realized that was a complete lie. He'd know what he was getting into when he chose to stay with Eyes; he'd known he'd have to face Kanone and all the consequences that went along with it, "Regardless of what I've choosen, it's not safe here anymore."
Madoka had lowered her head, but now it quickly rose to meet Ayumu's gaze, "You mean...he can't run us out of our own home!" she exclaimed.
"Calm down." he suggested, "I've already arranged a place where we can stay." he assured her, "For as long as wee need."
"Where?" she asked, no sure of anything. She didn't want to be chased out of her home, but she also didn't want to have to confront Kanone again.
"A friend's." Ayumu said, knowing he should have come right out and told her it was Eyes, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
Madoka hesitated before grabbing her purse and nodding, "Let's go."
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This one took me so long to finish...and there's not even that much to it. Oh well...heh...umm, about Rio...well...I don't have an explanation for why, just that someone had to die and it sure as hell wasn't going to be Eyes, Ayumu, or Kanone. Sorry for any of you Rio fans out there, but you should know I don't like her all that much.