First Impressions

Ayumu Hyakuya smirked from behind Mika's back at the newcomer, and the new black haired boy scowled back at him. It has been nearly a year since Ayumu's arrival to the orphanage, and while he found that there were old gaps in his memories, he truly grew to care for the others around him...even if he never grew out of his snarky attitude.

This new kid, however, had just scowled up a storm since he got here, and Ayumu decided to be the better person here (in his way anyway) and smirked right back at him. The kid (He absolutely refused to acknowledge that this brat was older than he was.) reminded him of himself before he came here, full of anger and spite. It annoyed him for a couple of reasons, and he had forced himself not to dwell on them. He shook his head. That isn't who you are anymore, he firmly reminded himself, You are Ayumu Hyakuya, not Allen Walker! And those aren't your problems anymore! He noticed that the kid had scowled further, misinterpreting the his headshake for something else. Mika understood it though (how did he even see it?), and he threw him a quick look of reassurance. Ayumu and the new kid scowled at him, and when they realized they did it simultaneously, they turned their scowl to each other. Mika sighed.

So Mika, trying to prevent conflict, moved smoothly in between the two, cutting off their eye contact to each other, and he stuck his hand towards the brat, Yuichiro was his name, as an offer of friendship. But Yuichiro just turned away, and he, while scowling, stuck his hand in his pocket. Ayumu smirked as he watched Mika, ever determined to make everyone friends in this little safe haven, yanked his hand from the other boy's pocket and shook it energetically. "I'm Mikaela! You're 8, right? Same as me! 8 year olds are oldest here, so let's work together!"

Yuichiro pulled back harshly. "What is this?! A challenge to see who will become leader?!"

Mika shook his head and kept smiling ( Mika told him once that he knew it was annoying, and that's why he did it. Ayumu had looked at him in shock. He didn't seem the type, but he was a kid.). "I'm the leader here. I just want to be your friend!" he said cheerfully.

Yuichiro eye twitched slightly, and he, shouting, charged forward at Mika. "Don't act all superior!"

o~Hindsight~o

Mika sighed as he looked down at the scraped up and bruised Yu lying on the floor. He honestly expected it would come down to this, but he had hoped for a peaceful reconciling.

"No fighting, Mika," Said their caretaker as she walked past the open room.

Mika simply smiled at her, while Ayumu smirked. "We're making "friends"," Ayumu droned his smirk still on his face. Yuichiro glared at him, and Ayumu snickered back as the caretaker chuckled and waved them on.

"Let's try again," Mika suggested, sticking his hand out toward Yu. He mentally sighed as he watched him glare at it suspiciously. Honestly. Why did everyone believe that he was out to hurt them? (He ignored the little nagging voice in the back of his head reminding of him of the times where he believed the same thing.) He tried again, putting on an easy smile. "I'm Micheala. I used to be alone like you-"

Ayumu snorted and grinned at Yuichiro, who turned his suspicious eyes on him instead. "-but now he has a big family. Now, you'll have one too." He droned with a smirk. "Mika says that a lot."

Mika mock-glared at the boy, ignoring Yuichiro's look of confusion. "Shut it."

"Make me!" Ayumu stuck his tongue out at Mika, and the surrounding kids went, "Ooooohhhh!"

"Gladly!" Mika said cheerfully, and he ruffled the red head's hair. Ayumu squawked, and the rest of the kids laughed.

Yuichiro continued to look confused and slightly sullen. "What family are you talking about?" He growled. "No one here looks even somewhat similar to each other! Especially not you and that brat!" He pointed to Ayumu, who scowled at him.

Mika just looked at him plainly. They were all here for a reason, but it took a little bit for the new kids to realize that they weren't alone. After all, they had all come to the same conclusion (expect Ayumu, who firmly believed in his foster father). Parents were jerks.

"...I ended up here because my father tried to kill me," Yuichiro went on, "While my mother went on and spread rumors that I was a demon. Then she lost her mind and killed herself." He gave a bitter smile. "Don't ya see? I don't have a family."

Mika's face took on a sympathetic look, and Ayumu took on his ever present scowl. And the room was dead silent for a while. "I see," Mika said at last. "That must have been tough on you." And Ayumu could see for once where he saw it. The worried look in Yuichiro's eyes shined through all of his false bravado, and Ayumu felt a twinge of sadness and recognition. Those eyes were what everyone's looked like when they first walked in, but they always got better. Because Mika wouldn't let everyone be sad. Ayumu was sure of it.

"Maybe I should tell you something about myself too." And Mika gave that cheerful grin he always wore. "I was abused by my parents," 'Mom? Dad? Where are we going? SHUT UP, BRAT! "And then I was dropped out of a car and taken in by the orphanage." Ayumu scowled at the ground. Mika may never show it, but Ayumu knew that Mika still loved his parents. That made it twenty times worse for him when they threw him out of that car.

Ayumu looked up, and his eyes glinted with determination. If Mika could share his pain to make someone else feel better, then he could too! "My parents didn't want me!" He blurted out, and Mika jumped in shock. He looked at Ayumu, whose eyes glinted suspiciously. Ayumu never spoke about his past. Those who knew where either there when he first told or heard through the grapevine. He smiled, and he took Ayumu's hand (his only hand, and it surprised him on just how small it was)and gripped it as a means of reassurance. Ayumu smiled one of his soft smiles at him, and he took a deep breath. "They left me on the streets to grow until Mana found me. He died in a car accident a few months later." He rubbed his eyes furiously, and Yuichiro's eyes widen. "So don't ya go complaining that your life sucks!" he snapped, and Mika squeezed his hand a little tighter.

Suddenly, a group of overly happy kids crowded forward. Ayumu snorted, as he felt some of the youngest crowd around him. Just like when he first arrived. This entire damn thing was giving him so serious deja-vu.

"Ya know?! We've never seen our parents!"

"Both of my parents committed suicide!"

"Eh?! Wait a sec-" Yuichiro sputtered, shocked. How come so many of these kids were so happy?! They didn't seem bitter at all!

Mika pointed his finger up in the air, and with a definitive tone of voice, he said, "But we're not lonely! Because…" He aimed the finger at Yuichiro. "Today, our brother Yuu has joined us!" And a tiny army of orphans, screeching happily, stormed "Yuu".

Ayumu snickered to himself, and behind him, he heard the caretaker give a relieved sigh. "They seem to be getting along." And then he felt a faint plink. The sound of something wet hitting the ground. He turned, and immediately, he felt his throat constrict. "D-Director?!" He managed to get out after seeing her face covered in her own blood.

Mika and Yuu both whirled hearing that. "What the-?!" Yuu started as the rest of the orphans, crying and shouting, ran to the lifeless woman.

A loud crash filled the room, clearly heard over the wails of crying children, and the boys looked outside to see fire plume into the air from a truck that had just crashed into a broken storefront. A faint wail could be heard from somewhere farther away in the city.

Ayumu moved back to Mika, and his single hand gripped his so tightly that Mika swore that he lost circulation for a moment. "Mika?" He whispered. "What's going on?"

Mika squeezed back. "I wish I knew. I wish I knew." He whispered back.

A loud voice could be heard throughout the city now. "This is a warning! A lethal virus is spreading among you, stupid human beings! I'm afraid this is...the end of mankind!" Ayumu saw Yuu's eyes widen, and he swallowed hard. He felt Mika slip away, moving closer to the window, but he didn't follow. He was frozen to the spot. His whole world was being destroyed, AGAIN. He wanted to move, to seek and provide reassurance, but he couldn't move. And he hated himself for it. "However, we've discovered that the contagion does not spread to those who are less than 13 years old. This troop under the direct command of the third founder Kururu Tepes will be henceforth in charge of…" Ayumu couldn't hear anything over the roar of blood in his ears, and the cries of the nearby children who desperately wanted their parents. Dimly, he thought people couldn't make fun of them for being orphans, because there was nothing but orphans left. He didn't think it was very funny, but he wanted to laugh anyway. "From now on, the children in this district will now be in our charge. Please follow our instructions."

"Director! Director!" Ayumu saw Mika and Yuu turn to see the children crying over the still body of their guardian. "Mika! Mika! The director...The director!" Mika's face turned shocked, and he rushed forward, past Ayumu, to go help the younger kids.

"Yuu! Look after the kids! I'll help with the director!"

"Eh!? H-Hey!?"

Ayumu felt one of the younger kids tow him along to go stand by Yuu, so he heard Yuu shallow deeply and whisper to the small group of kids that now surrounded him, "Al-all right. D-don't worry. I'll protect you."

And for that brief moment, Ayumu felt safe in a broken world.

It was a broken world indeed.

Upturned and unsettled.

Maybe if someone had taken action then,

then this entire mess could have been avoided.

Maybe if someone had been more aware,

then no one would have died.

But as they say,

Hindsight is 20/20.