To Be A Scrapper (Suzuya Juuzou)

Chapter 48 [I PROMISED I WOULDN'T DO THIS!]

A sickly sweet melody rang through the thick, damp air of both boys' cells, it's haunting tune wrapping around the redhead's ears as he cranked the music box one more time.

Three long days had passed without so much as a reaction from the beaten snow haired boy and Ayato began to consume himself in impatience. Somewhere along the way he'd discovered a dusty windmill at the corner of Emi's cell and it had been Ayato's only company.

Nothing had been really happening those past days. There was no sign of Big Madam, who'd only passed by once to throw the redhead a piece of meat which oddly resembled a human arm. Rei was still (hopefully) sleeping. Ayato was close to pulling his hair out if it weren't for the small windmill.

When Rei finally began to come to his senses, the first thing that registered in his mind was the familiar sound. Without even thinking his eyes snapped open and his head turned towards the melody, praying to see the person who mattered most to him across the hallway. Waiting to see Emi's delicate hands wrapped around the small windmill as she smiled at him, happy that Rei survived his Mama's brutal beating.

The sight he woke up to, however, made him wish he hadn't.

"A-Aya..." He began, his throat burning like he just swallowed a gallon of molten lava, so much that he had to stop and swallow for a few seconds before attempting it once again.

"A-Ayato." He managed to choke out, his bloodshot crimson eyes locking with a pair of wide emerald ones as he gritted his teeth.

"You're awake." The redhead whispered in disbelief, frozen in place as he directed his attention toward the other boy.

Rei took a deep breath before forcing himself to speak again. "Don't...touch-" He growled before coughing. "E-Emi's windmill."

Ayato furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before looking down at his lap, noticing the windmill placed on top of it. For some reason he felt the urge to comply to the younger boy's orders and quickly set it aside, his green gaze locking with the boy who now had his eyes closed.

A dull, barely there ache ran through Rei's body as he tried to control his shaky limbs but the task was proving impossible. From the moment his eyes landed on himself he decided that keeping them open was a bad idea with the horrifying way he looked.

Only then did he understand the foul stench burning his nostrils came from his own body.

Across the cell Ayato shifted uncomfortably in his place as he debated what to say to the boy. A simple 'are you okay' wasn't enough as he knew Rei was far from it. Even if he did ask, the snow haired boy would just end up laughing at him or killing him.

Suddenly a name rang through Ayato's head and before he knew it the words had jumped out of his mouth.

"Who's Emi?"

The snow haired boy's breathing stopped, and with it followed every small movement in his body. The question registered in his aching brain and only then did he find the strength to reply.

"D-Don't..." Rei began, a wave of anger washing over him clearly noticeable despite his hoarse voice. "D-Don't speak about Emi...as though you know h-her."

The redhead couldn't contain the annoyed huff expelled from his throat as he crossed his arms above his chest. "All you've been going on about is how I wanna take this Emi's place but I don't even know the girl! So either stop blaming me or tell me who she is."

A weak smirk stretched across Rei's face for the first time since the boy had passed out days ago.

"H-Her name sounds amazing...even c-coming from the mouth of a piece of trash."

"What did you say to me?!" Ayato growled, his canines bared at the other boy.

"Pretending not to hear me doesn't make you sound cooler." Rei coughed a pained laugh.

"I'm gonna seem a whole lot cooler with my fist down your throat!"

"S-So you need me to be cool." Rei cockily replied. 

Ayato's eye twitched uncontrollably by now, his fists curled at his sides as he took a deep breath. "Stop trying to change the topic and tell me who she is-"

"Look." Rei didn't even wait for Ayato to finish before he slowly craned his head toward the older male. "E-Emi is far away now but I will get her back. That's all you need to know."

The look on Rei's face made the hair on the back of Ayato's neck stand up, a cold shiver running down his spine at his words.

Despite all the red flags Ayato decided to push his luck. "Where is she now?"

To his surprise Rei shifted his gaze away from him, fists balled at his sides as he replied. "I-I don't know."

"So you're planning on getting her back but you don't even know where she is?" This time it was Ayato's turn to laugh.

"I don't know where she is...but I do know who has her. It's this tall blonde lady w-with weird green glasses." Rei muttered.

It's was enough, however, to peak Ayato's interest greatly. With a devious smirk tracing his lips and his fingers inching toward the dusty windmill to his side he began speaking.

"That's a real bummer. But tell me Rei, does the name Madam A ring a bell to you?"

The snow haired boy shot him a wary glance as he opened his mouth to speak but strangely no words came out. Something about that name tickled his nerves.

"Why do you ask?" Rei chose to say instead.

Ayato let out a soft chuckle as his fingers circled around the crank of the music box, turning it around multiple times until the sickly sweet melody rang through the cells once again.

"That's the woman you're looking for, and luckly for you I know exactly where to find her."

~~~~
I PROMISED I WOULDN'T DO THIS! I PROMISED NO MORE REYATO UNTIL AFTER EMI'S MISSION!

But I'm trying to prepare you guys for our upcoming plot events as they'll be the last ones before the end of TBAS.

*tears start to fall* yes. The end.

BUT DON'T WORRY MY SCRAPPERS! FOR THERE IS A SEQUEL!

Anyway feedback is greatly appreciated! And feel free to comment what you think will happen!

-Yolo