Author's Note (PLEASE READ. I know it's long, but it's really important you read this before we start the chapter.):
Number One: The next chapter will be M-rated, so if you are under the age of eighteen I want to make sure you are aware of that. I will NOT be posting the chapter on this website for a few reasons: 1) I don't want my younger readers to stumble upon it if they choose not to read this author's note 2) FanFiction went on a rampage last summer and deleted a ton of stories that had sex scenes in them, even if they had the M-rating and disclaimers. I don't want that to happen to this story because they literally delete them without warning. SO I will be posting it at the website adult fanfiction DOT net. (Sorry, you'll have to combine it. FanFiction doesn't let us post links.) The next chapter I post on here will have the same warning/reminder, and will also serve to notify you when it is officially posted. I have the same username at this other website so you can find it under WitchyCloudpine if the link is faulty in any way. The only thing I ask is: Please leave your reviews here or message me here. I really don't plan on using that website for any reason other than posting that chapter to ensure that my younger readers don't see something they are not old enough for, so I will not be checking as much over there. If you are not comfortable reading the M-rated chapter that is completely okay. The following chapter will simply start with the morning after (at least, that is what I plan on writing as of now). You will not be missing any plot points in regard to Niaka or anything else.
Number Two: So I have tried very hard not to change the canon storyline too much to include Rin in the previous chapters, but we are now coming to the last three episodes of the anime and events are coming wayyyyyy too fast. I still have so many things that I want to write about, so I had to choose between sticking to the canon storyline and rushing/ignoring plot lines I had set up OR changing it slightly to extend the timeline a little longer. I chose the latter, and I hope you all are okay with it. It won't affect the canon story in any way other than just pushing off HOMRA's invasion of Ashinaka for a few more chapters. I appreciate all of you who enjoy reading Rin's story as much as the canon one!
Once again, thank you to all who review, favorite, follow, or message me. It's overwhelming the amount of support this story has received and I am just so grateful for you all. Also, thank you for your patience. Finals are officially over so I'm hoping to get caught up on my writing! I'm going to stop babbling now because I realized this is THE LONGEST writer's note ever. Gold star to all of you who actually read it.
Chapter 24: The Red King
Lately, the members of HOMRA had been unable to have a day to spend with each other – having been distracted by the Colorless King or, in Rin's case, Niaka – which was why Rin was happy she had a few days off a work to enjoy such a rare occasion.
Since the night she had overheard Niaka's discussion with Yakuza Rin's stress level had gone through the roof. Her nightmares had returned in full force, causing her to sleep even less than usual, and her energy level to depleted quickly. At the sight of her dark circles and her constant drowsiness, Takumi pulled her aside and told her to take a few days off to pull herself together. Rin had taken him at his word, and had slept for thirteen hours straight before she trudged down the stairs of bar HOMRA, well rested and rejuvenated.
The bar itself was rather quiet despite the number of people inside. Izumo had allowed the boys to turn on the television to some music video channel while he took inventory, partly because he was feeling generous and partly because it kept them from destroying his beloved bar with some other rowdier activity. Shouhei and Misaki both claimed seats on the couch, lounging with their feet propped up on the coffee table. Rikio sat at one of the high-top tables eating a taiyaki, his eyes glued to the screen as well. Dewa seemed content beside Anna at the bar, enjoying watching the alabaster haired child entertain herself with her marbles.
Despite their sprawled positions, Rin seated herself between the two on the couch. Without moving their eyes from the screen, both boys shifted to make space and Rin sank into the warmth of the cushions with a contented sigh. Tilting her head back and closing her eyes, Rin listened to the sound of the pop star on the screen and let the peacefulness of the bar wash over her.
She didn't know how much time had passed while she sat like this - snuggled between two of her clansmen as the different music genres seemed to blur together around her. It wasn't until Anna's soft voice sounded from the bar that Rin's eyes snapped back open.
"Mikoto."
Everyone seemed to freeze for a second in the bar before turning to face her. Even Izumo stopped what he was doing to face her, but Anna's eyes were locked on the glowing red marble that was hovering a foot above the table inches away from her delicate nose. After a few seconds, it dropped back to the map in front of her with a thud, landing directly on top of the section of the city SCEPTER 4's headquarters were located.
And just like that the peacefulness in the bar disappeared, and was instead replaced with a nervous excitement and sense of urgency. Rin wasn't sure if she had ever seen the HOMRA boys move that fast. Chairs scooted out from behind countertops, Izumo's clipboard was tossed haphazardly onto the sofa, and the television continued to blare as the clansmen disappeared out the door. Rin fumbled around until her hand closed around Anna's wrist, tugging her along so that the little girl could keep up with the rest of the group in her Mary Jane shoes.
SCEPTER 4's headquarters was not too far away, but Rin and the rest of HOMRA had always avoided straying too close to the massive ornate building that towered behind thick wrought iron black gates. They knew they were not welcome in that area of the city and had no desire to test those boundaries any further.
As they hurried through the streets, the sound of an explosion ahead reverberated between the buildings. Loose dust and gravel rained down from the roofs of the stone buildings beside them, causing pedestrians to place their hands protectively over their heads. To the members of HOMRA, the sound of the blast caused their pace to quicken and a smile to creep up each of their faces. Even Izumo had a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
Finally, their King was coming home.
The red clansmen approached the looming metal gate with caution and could already see a line of SCEPTER 4 agents blocking the exit on the other side, their attention focused on a blazing fireball slowly making its way across the courtyard. Peering over the top of their heads, Rin could clearly see that the entrance of the magnificent SCEPTER 4 headquarters had been obliterated and now stood crumbling from the severe damage and intense heat. Smoke billowed from the shattered windows and a siren wailed from the building's depths, a welcome sound to Rin's ears.
"Third King Mikoto Suoh, you're in the custody of SCEPTER 4. You do not have permission to leave the premises. Stop!"
Scanning the line of blue-coated agents, Rin stopped when she landed on the austere blonde a few feet ahead of the rest of her men. She had to admire the Lieutenant's boldness. The mere sight of Mikoto Suoh caused some of the men to take a tentative step backwards, and Rin didn't have to see their faces to know they were hesitant to engage with a King.
Her gaze then drifted to Mikoto, and the sight of her king continuing forward as if he hadn't heard a word made her eyes widen and light up with anticipation. Her smile only grew at his unperturbed attitude and her palms itched to ignite – the proximity to Mikoto's power was intoxicating and coursed through her veins, hot and fast.
"I said stop!" Awashima's furious voice seemed to carry enough weight to send a grown man reeling, but her words washed over Mikoto like water on a rock. At his refusal to obey, she aimed two well-placed blows directly at the Red King, but they simply evaporated the instant they collided with the fireball.
At this, all of the SCEPTER 4 agents – including Awashima – visibly took a step back, and Rin had to restrain herself from running to the iron bars and pressing herself against them to get a better view of the show. It was clear the rest of the red clan was just as impatient, but they, too, held themselves back. Misaki's hands were balled into fists, his eyes alight with excitement, and Rin could feel Anna's hand tighten in her own at the sight of Mikoto's glorious red fireball. Glancing down, Rin was surprised to see the little girl's usually expressionless face had transformed – her eyes glittering and her mouth was slightly parted in wonder.
With his hands in his pockets and looking completely at ease, Mikoto simply ducked his head while a massive heat wave burst from his core, causing a crater twelve feet in diameter to rupture on all sides of him. It was enough to send the agents of SCEPTER 4 that had moved too close back to their posts near Lieutenant Awashima. Rin knew that the searing heat had caused the agents to retreat even further towards the gate - the same heat wave that had passed over HOMRA's heads and did little more than ruffle their hair.
As the SCEPTER 4 team tried to gather themselves and form a cohesive blockade, there was an audible intake of breath amongst HOMRA. They knew this was only an appetizer compared to what was to come.
Rin had never seen Mikoto use his power to its full extent. When Tatara had been alive he had told stories of when the Red King had exceeded the necessary force required – often ending with Tatara having to calm the King down enough to keep him from incinerating entire neighborhoods – but he was usually cut off with a sharp glare from Mikoto. Now, Rin was eager to witness it firsthand.
As two brilliant fireballs lit in Mikoto's palms, one of the SCEPTER 4 agents darted out in front of his superior. Rin couldn't make out his face, but she almost pitied the poor man for attempting to defend the Lieutenant. Intervening in a fight with a King was a bad idea, but when that King was Mikoto Suoh? It was foolhardy.
Mikoto raised his hands above his head, and Rin's mouth dropped open when a wall of fire erupted from his chest, rising high into the air like a tornado of flames. Cobblestones were ripped from the ground and the vegetation was incinerated instantly. The force of the shockwave smashed against the beautiful stone building behind him, knocking more bricks loose until sections of the roof sagged and crumbled completely. The fireball tore a path directly towards the agents, gaining in size and momentum. Rin couldn't see above the heads of the SCEPTER 4 members, but suddenly a bright blue wall of energy flared up in front of them seconds before the massive wall of flames was upon them. It crashed down, sending the agents flying back into the metal gates and obliterating the stone courtyard with the force of a bomb. Smoke covered the quad, still faintly glowing with that eerie red aura, and the walls had exploded outward, leaving a gaping hole directly in front of where HOMRA stood.
Misaki and Shouhei's fists punched the air, and Rin couldn't help but let a full fledge smile grace her face and a whoop of joy escape her lungs. Standing tall and proud amongst the rumble, bathed in flames, was her king. She had never witnessed such raw power in her life, and it both energized and scared her. But more than that was the mere sight of him, healthy and alive in front of her. If not for her clansmen standing and watching beside her, Rin would have climbed over the bent, twisted metal rods and loose boulders and run to him.
Unruffled, Mikoto continued to make his way towards the exit, smoke still rising from his body and leaving a trail in his wake. He never even spared a glance at the injured agents scattered around the courtyard, having been lifted off the ground from the explosion and deposited in mangled heaps yards away. Vaguely, Rin could hear their muffled groans calling for backup, but everyone there knew there was not a soul in the vicinity strong enough to take on the Red King.
As the sound of Mikoto's footsteps grew closer, along with the familiar jingle of chains bumping against his hip, the rest of HOMRA made their way forward to meet him.
"Yo, thanks for coming," Izumo called, his voice slightly teasing but his eyes filled with relief at the sight of his friend.
Each clansman bowed, voicing their joy at his return, and Anna skipped forward to rightful place by his side, latching onto his hand.
When Mikoto's eyes landed on Rin, she bowed and gave a word of greeting like the rest of her clansmen, aware of their eyes on her. But when she straightened, she raised her gaze to his, trying to silently convey how much he had been missed. Mikoto held her stare for a moment, and Rin could ever so slightly see the muscles in his face relax a fraction and the corner of his lip quirk up.
"So," Izumo's voice shattered the moment. "Did you find him?"
They all knew the real reason behind Mikoto's 'release' was some new occurrence with the Colorless King.
"No, but he'll show himself again soon." A frown creased Mikoto's forehead and his golden eyes blazed in anger. "He's taunting me."
Dewa's eyebrows seemed to disappear beneath the brim of his derby hat. "Is he suicidal?"
"Clearly," Misaki answered before Mikoto could speak. "He knows we're hunting him."
Nodding in agreement, Rin glanced at Izumo, who was staring back at the ruins of SCEPTER 4. A number of agents had managed to get to their feet, holding injured limbs or leaning on another for support. Rin could see that the same dark-haired agent who had darted out in front of the Lieutenant was holding them back. The sun reflected off his glasses and, suddenly, Rin recognized him as the same 'monkey' Misaki had beef with.
"Let's go." Mikoto's voice was low as he rolled his shoulders back, not even sparing the ruins of the great Blue Clan's headquarters a glance.
Letting out a 'tch' of annoyance aimed at Saruhiko, Rin blew a loose strand of hair out of her face before turning away with the rest of her comrades to head back the way they came. Anna still clung to Mikoto's left hand while Rin took the space on his right side. The rest of the group moved faster, not quite as used to keeping pace with an eleven-year old, and their excitement kept their moving towards bar HOMRA. Rin kept her face forward, aware of the distance between them and the rest of their clan ahead of them, and suddenly shy at their proximity. It had been quite some time since they were this close together, and she wasn't quite sure what to do now.
Figuring there was enough distance between them and the five men ahead, Rin whispered, "I missed you."
Her face flushed immediately at the admission, and she suddenly took interest with the shadows they were casting to her right.
Without warning, Rin felt a large, warm hand slip into her own, lacing their fingers together. Her eyes widened, and instinctively she looked up at Mikoto. His chin was held high, proud as ever, but as his eyes slid over to her she felt his hand gently squeeze her own.
Warmed to her toes and with her heart nearly floating out her chest, Rin squeezed back.
To My Reviewers without FF accounts:
Guest: Awww, well I love responding to my reviewers! You guys are the ones who inspire me to write, so I want to leave messages back for you! Totally not weird you like Yamaken. He's meant to be charming in a dangerous sort of way. And I was so excited to write about Mikoto again this chapter!
Usually what I do is I outline the next chapter immediately after I write one because the inspiration is still there. That way I'm not trying to recall ideas I had from a week before when I actually have the time to write it. When I write one I usually dedicate a couple hours to it. I rarely write chapters over a period of days just because I notice my writing tends to seem choppy. For me, it's best to write when you have the inspiration and motivation, I just have to have the time to do it. The only chapter I have written ahead of time is the next one which will be R18/M-rated, and that was only because I've never written sexy smutty yumminess so I wanted to edit it multiple times.
Don'tWannaLogin: Best of luck on the paper, dear! And' don't worry. I just appreciate you leaving a review! ^.^ I really hope you liked Mikoto's return this chapter! And I hope you look forward to some MikoRin the next chapter. ;)