Running Away | A Shin Soukoku Fanfiction

Chapter 4 - Wake Up

Chapter 4 - Wake Up

I was stunned. Someone had actually managed to gain a blow to me. I was shook, standing at a slight angle for a few seconds before stumbling back and hitting my side against a table in the room. I shook myself out of my shocked state and looked to my assailant, the very man whom I was tasked to kill.

The male, an inch shorter than myself based on the extra information I was given, stood before me. If I had to describe him in one word, I would choose stunning. That would, however, be an understatement. He was... something else entirely. I was captivated.

"You're that assassin sent to kill me, right?" he asked me, glaring. I made no answer in return, for I was marveling at the glory that was this man. "I'll tell you this. I'm not going to go down without a fight and I want you to know that!" shouted the male before rushing at me again, another punch contacting my jawline. I was stunned yet again.

"Where am I? What's happening?" I seemed to ask myself as I stood there in shock, my body hitting the ground with a thud as I watched the male in front of me walk towards my now fallen form and kneel in front of it with a questioning look. I watched him with confusion. He tilted his head and waved his hand in my face.

":What's going on? What-" I was still so confused from the initial blow. No one, and I mean no one, has ever been able to hit me that hard as to be able to stun me. "I need to... focus. Focus."

I stood up shakily and was focusing my mind and soon, I started returning back to reality.

"My name's Akutagawa Ryuunosuke."

"I'm an assassin for hire."

"The man before me is Nakajima Atsushi, my target."

"He's a member of the Silver Whispers organization."

"I was hired by the Port's Wolves to try to kill him."

"Kill him."

"Kill..."

My mind suddenly shot back to reality and my vision cleared. I growled and got up hastily, causing Nakajima to jump back in response. I growled and activated Rashomon with practiced ease and looked him over.

Atsushi, now more easily viewed because of my new focus, was actually a rather good looking man. His face looked so kind but it hid a sense of cunning behind his features. His body looked... rather... attractive, actually. I watched his facial expression go from angered, to confused, to a rather calm state as he stood before me. Everything about him was... mesmerizing.

"So... you're gonna attack or...?" he seemed to ask. I snapped out of my amazement before lowering Rashomon. I shook my head, not answering and looking him straight in the eye. He seemed to become confused and he looked at me cautiously before taking a step forward. I stepped back, as instinct.

He stopped after taking the step and looked at me.

"If you aren't gonna kill me, what's the point of coming here?" he asked me. I paused for a moment before shaking my head and locking eyes with him.

"If I were here to kill you, I would have done so when I regained myself. I'm here to ask you something. I... want you to run away with me. Run away from what you've gotten yourself into. I'll explain everything, just please... Come with me."

He tilted his head to the side and chuckled a bit.

"An assassin asking his target to run away with him? That sounds... rather romantic, doesn't it?" He chuckled before continuing. "I mean... it does seem like a good offer and what you're saying is the utter truth, I can tell.

"But.. I can't."

"You have to," I spoke back, almost immediately. He tilted his head at me.

"And if I don't?" he asked. I paused before answering.

"If.. you don't run away with me... the Port's Wolves will retaliate and send their forces after you and this organization... And they'll kill the only one I call my family..."

The man paused before looking me directly in the eye again.

"I have a family too, you know. Someone who looks up to me like I'm their father. I have friends here. I can't run away from them."

I growled slightly. I didn't hate him but I disliked his persistence.

"If you don't come with me and run away you'll be endangering the ones you love more! You're putting them at risk, alright? I'm putting my life and my sister's at risk not killing you right now. If you don't leave with me and they see that I haven't killed you, they'll kill me and my sister and then kill you and maybe even your friends and family."

Atsushi paused before nodding.

"Fine... I don't want to bring my friends and family into this loophole of mine so I'll come with you." He sighed and walked towards me. "Where are we going anyways?"

"We're going to get my sister and get to the next city, the closest one here. Then I'll.... Make a plan, alright?"

He nodded in response and waited for me by the door. He took out a knife and motioned for him to hand his arm to me. I examined it before giving him a rather large cut going down it's length. He yelled in pain and yanked his arm away.

"WHAT THE HELL???" he asked me angrily. I looked at him with a blank expression.

"I needed to get your blood and sprinkle across the room. That way it'll be more believable." I took out a gun and fired it three times into the room and nodded to myself before walking towards the door.

"Alright. Ready to start your life on the run?"