First of all, I would like to clear up a few questions about this fic. One, I made up Red Plague, it's not real but is very similar to the Black Plague. Two, the reason Hikaru wasn't freaking out more in the first chapter was that he already suspected that Kaoru only had a cold. On another note, I would like to apologize for this... awful chapter. I feel like I didn't do the best on it but I need it to get where I wanna go in the story. Thanks, enjoy.

Signs and symptoms of the Red Plague:

1. Persistent cough- symptoms of the common cold

2. Muscle cramps

3. painful spots on the skin

4. Extreme chills

5. Skin discoloration

6. Bloody cough

7. Seizures or fainting

8. Tingling or numbing of limbs

So far no cure developed; no cause of virus found; can lead to death.

Kaoru coughed roughly against his hand, scrunching over the side of his chair. He didn't feel exactly the best, but his cold had improved over the last week since his check-up. Being reported as "immune" to the Red Plague had relieved him immensely; he would no longer stay awake at night, worrying.

However, despite how good the news was, Kaoru was beginning to get a bad feeling about all of this. How come he had never heard of any immunes before? The news had never reported anything, nor had he ever met anyone immune.

His coughing seized, as he pulled himself up straight, staring back up at his video game with a puzzled frown. Kaoru blinked, realizing that he had allowed his character to die while he had been coughing.

"Did you die already?" Hikaru called as he entered the room, carrying a water bottle. He broke open the seal and took a quick swig. "I heard the dying music," he continued with a grin.

"Got distracted," Kaoru replied, throwing the controller down on the floor. He stood and stretched. "I'm so bored, Hikaru. There is nothing to do when we're stuck in the house all day."

"Well, I suppose we could call Tamaki and see what he's up to. Maybe we will be let out of the house long enough to hang out with him or something." Hikaru pulled out his phone as he crossed the room to set the water down on the desk. Kaoru laid down on his bed while he watched his older brother scroll through his contact list.

Hikaru pulled the phone to his ear and listened. As Kaoru watched, Hikaru's expression when from happy to confused to panicked. "Uh Hikaru? Are you okay?"

The older twin stared at his phone with frown before passing it to Kaoru. "Redial Tamaki and you'll hear what I did."

Kaoru dialed and pulled the small phone to his ear. The phone rang only once before going to an automatic message. "Sorry, we cannot forward your call. Phone services have been suspended in this time of national emergency. Please try back at a later time."

"Wh-what?" Kaoru tilted his head at his older brother. His chest became breathless.

Hikaru was already across the room at the TV. He quickly took up the remote, switching from input to his usual channel 7. Kaoru froze, sucking in a gasp. "National Emergency. Please wait for further instructions," were the words scrolling across the white screen. There was nothing but those words; it chilled Kaoru to the bone.

"What the hell is going on?" Hikaru hollered just as the alarms blared through the air, making the twins jump in surprise.

"The shut-down siren!" Kaoru cried, speeding to the window, throwing up the hash. The sirens screamed louder with the window open. Kaoru squinted out the window in the direction of downtown Ouran, trying to see anything unusual, but could not. The distance was too far.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru cried. Kaoru turned around, closing the window, to glance at his brother. He was pointing to the TV screen. The words had disappeared and were replaced by a new message in bright red.

The words read, "National emergency! The Red Plague has been found to be airborne and highly contagious. Japan's government is joining many others in going into a wide-spread lockdown. Please report to your designated sanctuary with your government disease papers and identification." The words repeated again on the screen as the alarms continuously droned.

Kaoru turned his eyes on Hikaru, meeting his identical amber irises that held a mirror of his own panic. "Come on Kaoru!" Hikaru yelled, suddenly snapping out of his stupor, waving a hand at his younger brother.

Racing forward, Kaoru snatched up his safety mask and his papers that were placed nearby. Hikaru pulled on his arm before he even had the mask snapped over his nose.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" their mother cried, running down the hall towards them just as they exited the room. Kaoru's heart sped. This was real. This was happening.

"Oh thank God!" she said, barely audible through the alarms. She snatched up her two sons by their wrists and pulled them behind her, sprinting.

Kaoru stumbled over his clumsy feet but regained his balance. The strain of running through the long hallways of their mansion crept through Kaoru's lungs. He pulled his free arm up over his mouth, coughing roughly into the crook of his sleeve.

"You can do it Kaoru," Hikaru bellowed, wrenching his hand from mother's grasp, and tucking his arms around Kaoru's shoulders for support. "We're almost there. Only a little farther."

Kaoru nodded, choking back his coughs, pushing forward. They ran down the stairs to the door. Their mother snapped her own mask over her head as she ripped open the door. The sirens pierced their ears.

"What about your papers?" Kaoru yelled, grabbing mother's arm.

"In the car!" she said quickly, pushing her two sons through the door. "Go!"

Hikaru and Kaoru raced across the front path to the car waiting at the curb while she locked the front door. Locking the door was an important part of the shutdown, the government said. It would prevent looting. Kaoru found himself worrying about the Hitachiin staff, but then he remembered that they would be doing the same as the Hitachiin family, only they were exited through the back of the mansion. Now he knew why the hallways had been empty.

The two reached the car. Kaoru threw open the back door and flung inside, followed by Hikaru. Mother was close behind, climbing into the passenger's seat.

"Dad's driving?" Kaoru gasped, surprised to see his father in the driver's seat for the first time in his sixteen years of life.

There was no response as his father stepped on the gas as soon as their mother closed the door. Hikaru and Kaoru glanced at each other, noticing the terror in on the other's face. Immediately they pulled close together. "We'll be okay," they whispered to each other simultaneously but the sirens drowned their voices out.