Chapter 4: Redemption
Jojo, Marcus, and Ran are sitting in the police station as the officer begins to question them, as they still keep up the act of innocence.
"So you say they had ski masks?" They all simply nod keeping the look of fear on their faces.
"Ok well your free to go but stay close to each other ok," as the three friends nod and make their way out of the station and down the street and towards the school grounds they look at it and begin to laugh a little before making their way past it.
"Hey Mana, let's make one more grand fire," Jojo says looking up towards Mana, Ran simply applauds, and ruffles Jojo's hair. Laughing at the little who that is getting annoyed.
"Ha Mana can tell that this little kid is your bro, he is a pyro just like you"
Mana just grins and nods as they make their way to an abandoned warehouse, gallons of gasoline just laying everywhere as Jojo them wait for the sun to finish setting before grabbing a few canisters and making their way back to the school.
"Hey Mana...would you ever turn your back on me?" Jojo asks looking up to his brother with concern.
"Of course not Jojo, I could never turn my back on family" Mana says grabbing the back of Jojo's head and making their heads touch. As Mana begins to speak again.
"You are my brother Jojo, and I will protect you from everyone and everything. Even if it means I die," Mana then lets go Jojo's head as Jojo looks up at his brother and smiles. Mana simply returns the smile as they make their way into the school grounds. Mana, Jojo, and Ran make their way into the school as they begin to pour the gas everywhere on the floor and the bodies that are left over.
Several minutes later Mana takes out a match and lights it before tossing the lit match onto the floor causing it to burst into a blue flame and watches the flame course through the school like a serpent of fire. This brings a smile to their faces as they begin to walk out but when they get to the entrance Ran steps in front of Jojo and Mana.
"I can't let you guys leave Mana, not this way anyway," Ran says walking towards them making them back up from the door. Mana then gets into his fighting stance as he lets out a little irritated sigh from his mouth.
"We trusted you Ran, so why are you doing this?" Mana and Jojo continue backing away towards the flames as Ran then looks to his side and sees a wall. Ran stares at the wall before looking down at the ground and searches for something. Ran then sees a small tiny rope and begins to pull at it making the floor lift up.
"Get inside, this is a tunnel I found during the weekend, it leads straight towards your guys' house, you need to go now," Ran says looking behind him at the door. Jojo and Mana nod understanding and begin to lower themselves into the tunnel as they look up at Ran who simply looks down at them and smiles.
"Ran, come on man we got to go," Mana says looking up at Ran who begins to shed some tears while maintaining his natural tone of voice. As he shakes his head from left to right.
"No Mana, I got to do this, our secret dies with me tonight." Ran says before lowering the hidden door again and untying the rope as he tosses it into the fire. As Mana and Jojo's screams could be heard calling out to their friend. Ran simply turns and faces the door and spreads his arms out the fire raising behind him as the cops come in and see him standing there pointing their guns at him.
"Come with us, we can save you," Ran just scoffs as he digs into his jacket pocket and pulls out a mask before saying with a smile. "Well this isn't a ski mask but it is a mask none the less," the cops are in shock to see Ran lower the mask revealing it to look like somewhat of a creature as the police begin to open fire at the who as things begin racing through his mind as bullet after bullet penetrates his body. a smile spreads across his face behind the mask as blood makes itself known and begins dripping from his mouth.
Rangetsu: Not only does our secret die with me today Mana and Jojo, but A dark secret of my own dies with me as well. I bear the mask of" laugh now", because you had to bear the mask of "cry later" You were a good friend to me Mana, we did everything together at the orphanage, I just wish you told me you had a brother, maybe then things would have been a different. These flames that consume my body is my infernal redemption for killing your brother. Mana I hope you can forgive me, if not today then maybe in the afterlife...
As Ran then takes a final shot to the chest and manages to stay standing as he takes off the mask and looks at the cops blood dripping from his mouth as a wicked laugh escapes his lips. "You guys are really good cops, you caught me but I die with my secrets. Quote the raven never more" as Ran falls backwards arms spread out falling into the flames as it consumes his body. A laugh can be heard coming from his burning body "WHAT A PERFECT WAY TO DIE" Ran says before falling silent. When the fire dies down the cops are beginning to look for the remains of this mysterious who that so willingly let the fires consume him.
But when they get to where his body was, only the charred remains of his mask is left.
"What the hell? His body is gone?"
"How is it possible his mask is still hear but his body is gone?"
"I don't know how it is possible but it's not here" says a cop holding up the mask. "Well we better go report this" says the cop, "Well at least it's all over" but the cop holding the mask is stopped dead in his tracks, and a voice sounding like Ran is heard but it seems so far away. "That's what you think, come play with me...IN HELL" as the cop gets pulled under the earth as his screams begin to mix with the laughter of Ran...
This is the end of the story. I hope you guys liked it, Sorry if it's a little demented but I just feel hurt that's all but yeah anyway I hope you guys really like it. please R&R thank you.