Also, this is not really as good as I was hoping, but I'm not sure what else to do right now, so take this. Be aware the story may change some in the future, not drastically, just some details here and there as I figure things out, lol.

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"What If My Best Friend Died"

Akira

Best Friend; Amie

The first warning came early in the morning. It should have been easy to spot with how out of the ordinary it all was, but Akira, still too trusting in the goodness of human nature despite seeing how cruel it could be, didn't catch it.

They didn't catch it when Kumi, the most protected of the small family, grew determined to prove her worth and slipped out of the room early in the morning, only to return a half hour later with plates piled high with food for the rest of the group and not a single scratch.

They didn't catch it when they saw two rival families sitting together at lunch and talking, only to lower their voices when Akira grew closer.

They didn't catch it when a new, doe eyed girl approached and shyly asked to join their family.

They didn't even catch it when Amie, cheerful as always, urged them to go out to the courtyard and take a break. When they promised that she and Kumi would be fine alone for a couple of hours.

They should have caught it all, but they didn't. They were too entranced by the idea that maybe, somehow, things were taking a turn for the better. Maybe people were finally choosing to be kind and take care of each other, not just those in their family, but all people. Maybe everything would be okay.

They should have known better. Humanity is never so kind.

Yet, Akira found themselves in the courtyard, breathing in the fresh air and closing their eyes. It was warm out that day, the trees only just starting to bloom with the new life of spring.

The yard was abandoned except for them and, as the seconds turned to minutes, Akira relaxed. It was peaceful here, filled with a sort of quiet that was practically unheard of in the home. No blood had been spilt that day, no fighting, no screaming, no pain. It was hopeful. It had been hopeful.

They should have caught that too.

Hope is never a good idea unless you want to get hurt.

Everything fell apart faster than Akira could keep up with.

The quiet courtyard became alive with a mixture of screaming and laughing echoing from the high walls of the home and Akira felt their blood run cold. The sound was much louder than usual, not something as simple as a fight between rival families, but an event involving the whole home.

Except Akira.

That wasn't good.

For a few seconds, they were frozen in place, confusion and fear drilling their feet into the ground as the roar of sound grew louder. Like an arena at one of those football games they'd seen on the tiny TV in the common room area. They would regret those few seconds more than anything in the end.

Once they were able to move, they did so instinctively, racing up the stairs and through the entryway of the home, shoving past a couple of caregivers, and nearly slamming into several doors before reaching their final destination.

The cafeteria.

It was crowded, packed full of screaming children from ages five to eighteen. The sound was overwhelming and the smell was almost worse. Blood, sweat, and disease mixing together in a vile stench that covered the whole room without mercy. Many laughed, a few cried.

Akira simply shoved past them all, brain automatically switching into survival mode as they entered the crowd. It didn't take long before a small path cleared, giving them a way to the middle, people sneered, they smirked, they cowered.

They were feared, and they were hated.

Breathing heavily, Akira blocked out all the noise except for one.

The pained screaming of Kumi.

Their eyes found her, held back by three other children. She was thrashing and sobbing, blood running down her chin and the side of her face from being hit. She continued to scream and fight even as most of the crowd quieted, turning all of their attention to Akira.

Slowly, fear building in their chest, mixing with rage, they turned their eyes to where Kumi was holding her attention. In the middle of the cafeteria floor, bloody and beaten almost beyond recognition, lay Amie. One of her purple braids had been torn from her head and lay beside them in a pool of blood, their leg was twisted into an odd angle, her eyes were glossy and unseeing, and she seemed to be bleeding from everywhere possible.

Akira's chest constricted and nausea grew in their stomach. They stumbled forward, fell to their knees, and carefully pulled their sister into their lap, feeling a tear fall helplessly onto her cheek as recognition set in.

Amie was gone, and there was nothing they could do about it.

For a moment, everything but Kumi was silent, and then, like something out of a terrible horror movie, people began to cheer.

"We did it!"

"There's only two now, they don't qualify as a family anymore!"

"Akira has to take at least one of us in now!"

"Me! Pick me!"

"No, they'll pick me, I've been here longer!"

"No, I want their protection most! I want three meals a day!"

"We all do, dumbass, get in line!"

The noises clicked and pain turned into rage. Letting out a soft humorous chuckle, Akira gently set Amie down again and stood, clenching their fists and glaring at the group in front of them.

Ideas began to form as their power began to work. They could kill everybody. Every single one of them.

Sure, it would take them out too, but who cared at that point? Maybe they wanted to die. That would be easier than all this bullshit anyway. So much quieter.

"Akira! Akira, you fucking dumbass, get these god-damned people off me an let me kick your ass! I'll fucking kill you for this! I'll put a fucking blade right through your stupid, useless heart, just get me out of this fucking hell hole! Bitch let go of me or I swear to fucking God I'll claw your eyes out of your damn sockets! Fucking assholes, all of you, I'll kill you for what you did, I'll kill you all! AKIRA!"

They were snapped out of their thoughts when Kumi screamed their name, still struggling against her captors. There was their flaw. Killing everyone meant killing Kumi. Why was there always a fucking flaw?!

Gritting their teeth and avoiding looking at Amie, Akira swung around and stomped over, grabbing Kumi and glaring at the people who scrambled away to avoid getting hit.

"Akira." They turned again, eyes darkening with further rage when one of the caregivers stepped forward, not sparing a glance at Amie. "The other children are correct. Without three living members, you no longer qualify as a proper family. Please choose another child to take 375's place."

"Amie." They snarled the word, releasing Kumi as she wriggled in their grasp to rush over to her friend's corpse. The caregiver simply raised an eyebrow. "Her name is Amie." They spoke through gritted teeth, fuming as the caregiver simply shrugged.

"She was a child in a home of useless children. She has no name. Choose a new family member."

Breathing heavily, Akira took a heavy step forward, fully ready to lunge at the caregiver before being frozen in place again by Kumi.

"Akira, I swear to fucking God, if you get yourself killed before I can kill you myself, I'll hunt you down in hell."

"Fine." Never taking their eyes off the caregiver, Akira pointed a Shakey finger towards a boy who was cowering in the back of the crowd. He was skinny and obviously unwell, but he hadn't cheered like the others had when Amie died. That's what mattered. "Him."

The caregiver smiled, thin lips curling in an unflattering manner.

"Very good. We'll be taking 357 now, say your goodbye's."

Akira was shaking with rage now, only getting angrier as they realized there truly was nothing they could do. Instead, they simply stood, glaring down the caregiver and any kid that dared look in Amie's direction.

Only Kumi was left unscathed by their wrath, leaning over Amie's body and whispering words in her ear before gently pulling her eyes closed and placing a kiss on their forehead. Two more caregivers scurried forward then, taking the limp body from Kumi's grasp and carrying it away. After that, the crowd became solemn and almost regretful, as though they just realized what they had done.

Akira felt no pity or remorse for any of them, instead he turned away from them, only barely acknowledging the boy who followed them closely back to their room, and sank to the floor, the rage dissipating back to grief.

The first hit came as a surprise, a rough kick to the stomach. The second was expected, and third could have been prevented, but Akira didn't even try. They simply lay on the ground as hit after his and kick after kick rained down on them. They didn't cry, they didn't move, they didn't even really feel anything, they just let it happen, listening as Kumi screamed.

"Why weren't you there? Why did you leave us, you dumb fucking idiot?! You promised to keep us safe, you promised to protect us, you should have been there! This is your fault! It's your fault she's gone! You should have been there! You should have stopped them! You could have! You could have and you didn't! It's your fault!"

It was their fault. Kumi was right they should have been there. They should have seen the signs. They should have caught it.

Another kick.

"Why weren't you there?! Why? Why, why, why?! Why, Akira?!"

The hits stopped, Kumi sank to the ground next to them. She was sobbing as she grabbed their shirt and heaved them upright, glaring into their broken amber eyes.

"Answer me, Akira, why weren't you there?!"

"I don't know." Their voice was husky and quiet, Kumi shook her head, blue eyes wide with anger and desperation. She needed something that Akira couldn't give her. Something they'd already failed to give her. Or Amie.

"We needed you, Akira. We needed you and you weren't there."

"I know."

"Why? Why weren't you there? You should have been there. You shouldn't have left us. You promised."

"I'm sorry."

It was all they could manage right now, but it was so far from enough. Kumi just shook her head and let them go, let them fall back into the floor, and continued to sob, curling into a ball.

She was right. It was Akira's fault. They'd broken their promise. They'd fucked up and now Amie was dead. It was all their fault.

"I'm so sorry."