All Hail, The 9th Prince (Blue Exorcist)

Welcome Home

The sun is just setting, and a chilly breeze makes six year old Rin Okumura shiver and wrap his tiny arms around himself. He knows he's not allowed out this late; he shouldn't have left the church, but he doesn't want be there right now. You see, Rin got in another fight at school. But it isn't his fault! The other boy was 'talking trash' behind Yukio's back! But Shiro still got angry and grounded him for a whole two weeks!

Rin hates the looks that the others give him when they think he's not watching. (As if he might explode any second.) It feels like he swallowed rocks, and Shiro's disappointed expression... So Rin slipped out when no one was watching. It's not like he's running away -just going to the nearby park. The park usually cheers him up. He just wants to be left alone right now.

He swings on the swings for a little bit, slides down the slide a few times, but he ends up laying down on the grass and looking up to the sunset. The sky is a pretty colour of mixed orange, pink, blue and purple. A few soft clouds are by the setting sun, creating a calm picture.

"Hey there, little boy," a man's voice says. Rin jumps; he was so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't hear the other person. He sits up to look at the stranger. It's a man, a rather fat man if Rin is being honest, and he has a funny look on his face. He has a bottle in one hand, and a strange smell is filling Rin's nose when the man leans closer.

A shiver runs up Rin's spine, gut also churning. For whatever reason this man is creeping Rin out. Rin stands up to create some distance.

"Wha'da doing here all alone?" the man continues, oblivious to Rin's reaction.

"None of your business!" Rin replies bluntly. He continues to inched backwards when the man's goofy expression hardens. Goosebumps travelled up his arms, but he refuses to back down.

"That's not a nice way to speak to your betters," the man scolds, though his voice is sluggish. "I should teach you a lesson, brat."

This doesn't sound like a lesson he's taught in school.

When the man reaches for Rin, Rin panics and punches the man in the balls. The man shouts and groans, dropping the glass bottle and holding his crotch, glaring venomously at Rin. "You fucking brat! I'll kill you!"

Rin runs away from the angry man, but in what direction he doesn't know. He would have ran home, but when he runs in the opposite direction of the man, he also runs in the opposite direction of the church. He crosses the street and enters the still busy sidewalks. Those that aren't staring at their phones, either only gave Rin a glance or none at all. He continues running, passersby yelling at him as he bumps into them and tries to invade them.

As he continues, fewer and fewer people are around. He is in a small, run down neighbourhood now. His Dad's warning about this place rings in Rin's head, but he completely forgets about it when he hears loud noises. It sounds like someone is getting hurt. Rin stops and strains to hear. Rin is breathing hard and sweat rolls off him. He shouldn't follow the sound, he was just running from a dangerous man! But he can't just ignore it either...What if someone needs his help? He could never forgive himself if he did nothing when he could have done something.

So, against his gut feeling that this isn't a good idea, he jogs towards the sound and turns the corner, ending up in a closed space between two brick walls. In this space though, are five men. Four are standing, one over the fifth guy, who is laying on the ground, and the other three are close by. The man who is standing over the fifth is holding a gun. Before Rin can do anything or say something stupid, a sixth guy grabs him. Panic rushes through Rin as he flares and strugs against the tight hold.

"Let me go!" Rin demands. The sixth grunts in pain as Rin is able to get in some hits.

"What's with the kid?" one man asks. That and Rin's yells get's everyone else's attention. Rin feels helpless as the sixth man pushes him onto the ground, holding his head down and arms against his shoulder blades. He can't move his arms at all, because whenever he tries; sharp pain will run across and make him scream louder.