Black and Ashes

Chapter 2
Violent

Len huffed, his eyes was filled of tears. He kept running and running.

"Len," I whispered softly, he looked down at me and smiled weakly. "I…"

"Rin," he breathed out, his arms tightening around my body. "Please don't talk while you're in this state… Please."

My tears flowed, like endless rivers. Robots don't cry, they weren't supposed to cry… Unlike me… This is what happens to a robot who can cry, they'll turn into crybabies. Len ran off once again, the walls gave a rumble and the ground shook every now and then. At this rate, the building would collapse on us, and we would be crushed.

I don't want that to happen… Even if he wants to die for me, I won't let it.

Not now, or ever.

Len's form shook, his bandaged hands gripped his blond locks. The Vocaloids standing by the lab's doorway felt nervous and were afraid to approach the shaking boy. But Miku has to be strong, she was 'Onee-chan' after all. Miku left Kaito's hold, and hesitantly approached Len. The blond robot whimpered, his teeth made grinding sounds, and his bandaged fingers dug down on his scalp.

"Len?" Miku called bravely, however her voice cracked. The teal-haired robot stopped a foot away from Len.

"His 'brain' is damaged."

"The part where his emotions are… is damaged. Though, he still has a few emotions working."

"I'm not sure what emotions are still working though… Oh."

"Try to be careful around him, all of you. Alright?"

Miku bit her lips as she remembered the scientist's warns. She shook her head and tried to call the blond's name once again. "Miku," called Meiko, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Kaito nodded his head, even though Miku couldn't see him. The 'bluenette's' lips quivered, "Y-yeah," he silently agreed.

Len let out a strangled yell, "R-Rin!" he hissed through gritted teeth. Tears formed by the corner of his tightly shut eye, as his fingers dug even deeper on his scalp. He let out another yell, and he ripped off the bandaged covering his right eye, revealing half of his face; the right and upper part of his face was torn off, his right eye was damaged. Instead of his usual bright blue eye, it was a menacing red one. He let out an animalistic growl which made Miku jumped on her feet.

Something screamed inside of Len's mind. His eyes flashed angrily at the teal-haired robot, his face expressed pure hatred, rage, and a slight killing intent.

The room's temperature dropped. Everything happened slowly before Miku's eyes. Len suddenly jumped off of the bed, and tried to tackle her. However, someone pushed her out of the way, and made her land (painfully) a few meters away, her back collided with the wall with a loud crack.

Kaito saw the killing intent in Len's eyes. Kaito knew what the blond was about to do. He knew what will happen to Miku if he hadn't pushed her away. And now, it was happening to him. Guess this what happens if you want to protect something.

Meiko mouth gape open, shock painted her usual menacing face. She was on the floor because Kaito had pushed her away harshly. Her crimson eyes stared at Len.

The blond Vocaloid lay on top of Kaito, his bandaged hand gripped the older one's hair, while his other hand sent strong punches on his face. Not soon after, Kaito's face started to bleed, his skin slowly peeled of with every strike Len gave. His red eye flared darkly, and one side of his mouth twisted upward into a sinister grin. As if he was finding pleasure in this.

"Kaito!" Meiko had shouted as she started to realize what was happening. She jumped on her feet and rushed towards the two Vocaloids.

Some part of Kaito's skin was almost peeled off, and revealed his metal skull. The Vocaloid felt very dizzy, Len's fists pounded on his face as a thought passed through his mind… Since when did Len learned how to punch?

As Meiko got closer, she caught one of Len's arms which prevented him to send another punch to the other male Vocaloid. The blond whipped his head around and sent the brunette a glare. Len harshly pulled his arm back, pulling Meiko along with it, and made her crash feet away from them. Meiko let out a groan, Miku rushed towards her side immediately. "Sh-short-stuff sure is tough," Meiko mumbled, with a shaky laugh. Miku blinked back the tears, and held Meiko closer to her.

Len was distracted, Kaito took this moment and landed a tight fist to the blond's cranium. The blond staggered backwards, Kaito pulled his legs from underneath Len and sent him a kick by his abdomen. Len crashed on the side of the lab table. He hung his head low, but his body twitched.

Kaito immediately stood up, he took the other two female Vocaloids by their arm, and pulled them out of the room. The lab's door slid close behind Kaito as he left the room, and he immediately collapsed afterwards.

Len was furiously kicking a door open, and he cursed profanities under his breath. "Why. Won't. You. Budge!" he kicked with every pause he made, and he screamed the last word. "Damnit!" he hissed, as he sent the door one last kick, leaving it dented yet it still held its place.

Then the ground shook, as if there was an earthquake. Len tumbled on his feet, he fell on the floor, and he dropped me. I hissed in pain as my broken thighs made contact with the cemented floor. The ceiling above us shook, and cracked.

Then a piece of the ceiling fell. Heading towards me.

But, just as it was to hit me, Len had pushed me out of the way. The piece grazed the right side of his face. He let out a strangled scream and gripped his right eye, blood was pouring out of it.

Funny. Even though we're robots, we still have blood flowing through our system. 'You need it so your skin would regenerate," the scientist had once told me.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have feelings. Emotions were just burdens, and a pain in our backs. Though… I'm still glad I had emotions, because if I didn't…

Then Len and I wouldn't be together… Ne?

Len stared on space, his red and blue eyes held a dull glow. His arms lay limp by his side, the back of his head was throbbing, and his back hurts like hell. He unconsciously clenched his hands, if he could, he would strangle Kaito to death. Oh, how would he love to see him die.

But…

Len can't do it. The back of his mind screamed at him, it sent shocks through out his body, telling him that what he did was wrong. He can't kill them…

They were still his family after all…

But what is the meaning of family without Rin?

She's not your only family, Len! Don't be selfish.

Should Len feel guilty right now? Should he feel regret? Because he does not feel anything right now, except that anger coursing through out his being.

He hates his own self.

Why can't he just disappear like Rin? At least they'll be together…

"Len! I refuse!"

"Wha—?"

"I can't let you die! I'm already too pathetic to live anyway…"

"No—! Rin! Don't—!"

"Goodbye, Len…" she said as she gave her last heart-warming smile.

Goodbye…