I Would Destroy This World For You - Chapter 6

Rand was last to exit the plane, his nap cut short by their descent into Osaka. Marcus and Rayven were already off the plane and talking to a woman who was waiting for them on the tarmac with a black car. After they all had their luggage in the trunk, they slipped into the car. Rand and Rayven sat in the back with Marcus in the front passenger seat.

“Rand, Rayven. Meet Yumi Yakamoto. Also known as Siren. She is a friend of mine from college.”, Marcus said, turning to look at them.

Rand and Rayven smiled.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm –.”, Rand started.

“Rand and Rayven Crenshaw. Also know as Shogun and Demolition. I know you both and it's an honor to meet you again.”, she responded before Rand could finish, a playful smirk on her face.

Rand blushed a bit.

“I see Mark likes to talk about us.”, Rand laughed.

“Brag is a better word.”, she chuckled.

Now it was Marcus' turn to blush.

“I remember you. You're the exchange student that stayed with Marcus and his family for four years. Your English is a lot better.”, Rayven laughed.

Yumi smiled and nodded, as she turned the car on and started driving out of the airport.

“Yep, that's me!”, she chimed.

“Wait.....you were called something else.”, Rand said, thinking for a moment.

Yumi laughed, pulling out of the airport and heading for the highway.

“Yum Yum.”, Yumi laughed.

Rand and Rayven laughed. Yumi took a turn, putting them onto the expressway heading further into the City. Yumi looked at Marcus quickly, then back to the road.

“I know.”, Marcus whispered, his smile disappearing as he looked out the window at the passing homes and businesses.

“I'm sorry, Mark. I'm just worried about him, that's all. He was like a little brother to me. To hear that he has fallen so far breaks my heart.”, Yumi sighed softly.

“Well, he's pulled Reese into his sordid plans.”, Marcus sighed softly.

“Just.......he wasn't like this when I was in the U.S. He was so kind and caring, always smiling and always joking. He gave me my nickname.”, Yumi said, keeping her eyes on the road.

Marcus smiled.

“Your metabolism and love of bread and sweets gave you your nickname.”, Marcus said.

It was meant to be a joke but the tone in which Marcus said it in was sad. Yumi opened her mouth to say something but a loud buzzing stopped her, making her jump. She reached forward and pressed a button on the car's dashboard, above the radio, connecting the call from her pocketed phone to the car's bluetooth.

“Siren.”, she said.

Another woman's voice gasped loudly.

“Yumi! There's been another one.”, the voice said quickly.

Yumi's hands tightened on the steering wheel.

“How long ago?”, she asked.

“Maybe thirty minutes ago. We're just going to the scene to have a look.”, came the response.

“Where?”, she barked.

The car pulled up and came to an abrupt stop.

“Be right back.”, Yumi said, taking off her seatbelt and getting out of the car.

Marcus looked back at Rayven and Rand, unease evident upon his face. They all followed Yumi, taking off their seatbelts and getting out. They walked behind Yumi who had stopped at the entrance to the alleyway while she talked to two other people who were there with about six police officers and what looked to be a coroner. Two blood stained sheets covered what looked like two bodies that lay in the middle of the alleyway.

“It's Bullet and Ghost.”, a woman was telling Yumi.

Yumi growled softly.

“That's –what -- four in two days?”, Yumi asked.

The woman nodded and looked up at Marcus and the others. Yumi turned and looked at them then turned back to the person she was talking to.

“These are the friends I told you about. Shatterpoint, meet Demolition, Shogun and Radar. Guys, meet Shatterpoint.”, she said, her voice grim.

Shatterpoint stood about five foot two inches and was beyond cute. She had shoulder length brown hair that was pulled into two high ponytails on either side of her head, large innocent brown eyes and she was dressed in a knee length Pink and Powder Blue kimono. If Marcus remembered properly, she had the power to break anything with just the touch of her fingers, she could make a solid brick wall shatter like glass at will. She bowed to them in greeting.

“Sorry to pull you all to such a gruesome sight. We just heard about this and came to investigate.”, she said, looking over her shoulder at the scene that the police were combing over.

Yumi frowned.

“I attended Hero Courses with them. The two from yesterday too.”, she said.

“Yesterday?”, Marcus asked, looking back at her.

“Yes. There were two Heroes found dead yesterday as well. Husband and wife, found dead at their home. It looked like a murder suicide but I'm not so sure since the wife was found outside the house with a bullet wound to the head. But there was no gun near her.”, she said.

Rand and Rayven instantly stiffened. Marcus looked at them both, his eyes slightly widened.

“Yumi? Can we ….have a look here? We might be able to help?”, Marcus said, turning to her.

Yumi looked to Shatterpoint who nodded her head.

“Any help would be greatly appreciated.”, she said, raising the Police Tape for them to enter.

Immediately, any desire for sleep had left the three as they moved towards the two bodies. Coming to the first, Rand reached down to pull the sheet back. The Officers on the scene looked at the three Americans but said nothing, if they were allowed to enter, they must be with the Heroes who were surveying and scouring the scene. Rand's face paled at the sight of this victim. Her eyes were open and a milky white, a bullet hole in her forehead and what looked like blood, bone and brain matter splattered under her head to the dirty alleyway ground. Rayven looked and gasped softly. The girl looked to be alittle younger then her at around 23 or so. Rand lowered the sheet back over her and turned towards the other body, which Marcus had gone too. He had pulled the sheet back but was holding it so that Rand and Rayven couldn't see. His face was the color of fresh paper, his hands trembling. Rand looked at Rayven.

“Stay here.”, he said, then turned and moved to Marcus.

He looked at the body under the sheet slowly and felt his stomach lurch horribly. She was about the same age as the one under the other sheet, her front, right hand and arm up to her elbow was saturated in blood and her throat looked as if it had been sawed through on the left side, blood still trickling from the gaping wound that he could see the cobblestones of the alley ground through. In her right hand was tightly clasped a blood caked carbon fiber knife with an oddly clear blue blade. Rand instantly recognized it as Reese's knife. He turned quickly without a word and moved to Rayven, grabbing her arm and moving back towards the car.

“Rand?”, Rayven called to him as he practically dragged her back to the car.

He didn't respond, taking her to her side of the car and opening her door, pushing her in as gently as his shattered nerves would allow.

“What is it?! What did you see?!?”, she begged as he closed the door and turned, leaning against it heavily.

He felt like he was going to be ill, his head swimming, his stomach burning and his mouth watering. He brought his shaking hands to his head and buried his face into them, his eyes burning and his chest tight as he struggled to catch his breath.

“...oh....god....reese....what have....you done...”, he whimpered, struggling to regain himself.

He had seen things like this before but Reese had never done them. Seeing that knife in the girl's hand had shattered him. He jumped as a hand rested upon his shoulder, his wild, tear heavy eyes looking up into Marcus' drawn face.

“.....you saw the knife.”, Marcus said though he meant it to be a question.

Rand opened his mouth to speak but only a squeak left him. He closed his mouth and tried to think of what to say but felt a tear streak down his cheek and he broke. A choked sob came from him as he clamped his right hand over his mouth. Marcus frowned, looking to him like a man who had just realized a horrible truth. Then Rand broke apart completely. Marcus wrapped his arms around him as he broke into loud, heartbroken sobs, tears streaming down his face. He brought his hands to his face, sobbing uncontrollably in Marcus' arms. His knees buckled under him and he fell into Marcus, still sobbing as Marcus knelt on the street with him, holding him and lightly stroking his hair. Marcus shushed him softly, trying to hold back his own tears as Rand lost himself.

“I-I d-did this.”, Rand sobbed.

“ssshhhhh.”, Marcus whispered to him.

“I did this! I drove him away, I called him such horrible things, I …..pushed him to this.”, Rand sobbed.

Marcus didn't know what to say to ease the pain he felt boiling inside of Rand now. He didn't know what happened between the triplets but with the scene he had just witnessed, it had to have been extraordinarily bad. He just held Rand as he sobbed, he couldn't stand seeing him like this, tears burning his own eyes and falling slowly.

“We will fix this.”, he said softly.

“H-how?? My brother did this, Mark! REESE did this!!”, Rand sobbed.

“sssshhh. Don't.”, Marcus coaxed.

“..... I might as well as have done it.”, Rand cried, bowing his head more into Marcus' shoulder.

Marcus looked up, looking at Rayven in the car. Her head was down and her hands were over her face, her shoulders jostling just like Rand's were now. They needed to get to the hotel and rest. Marcus slowly helped Rand up from the ground, looking up as Yumi stood on the other side of the car, looking at him and Rand with pity in her eyes.

Marcus came into the main sitting room of the three bedroom suite he was to share with Rayven and Rand, a deep sigh coming from him as he closed the door to Rand's bedroom. Rayven stood by the unlit fireplace, her eyes staring at the floor absently.

“He's finally asleep.”, Marcus said softly.

Rayven nodded.

“H....how bad was it?”, she asked, not looking up.

Marcus looked at her a moment, his throat and mouth dry.

“......it was bad. The girl was holding Reese's knife.”, Marcus informed her slowly.

Rayven closed her eyes, fresh tears falling down her cheeks.

“Rand will blame himself for this.”, Rayven said softly.

“He already does.”, Marcus said softly, coming to her and hugging her gently.

Rayven hugged him back, struggling against her desire to sob as best she could.

“Tell me what happened, Rayven. What was said?”, Marcus asked.

Rayven nodded against his shoulder.

“Rand caught Reese on the phone with Anthony. He was in his room but hadn't closed his door so Rand heard him when he had gone to ask him about his job earlier that day. He started yelling and took Reese's phone, shattering it. He called Reese a hypocrite and scum. He told him that he would never see Anthony again and if he had to, he would lock Reese away. Get his brain fixed. Rand said he was disgusting and that he was disgusted with him. He brought up all of Anthony's past wrongdoings and told Reese he had to have either known and been okay with it or he helped him do it. Reese denied it and …... Rand hit him. Slapped him in his face....hard. He called him filth and said he was an embarrassment to the family, that Mum and Dad would be ashamed to have him as a son. He said that Reese n-needed to grow up and be a 'fucking man', he needed to stop sleeping with another man anyway and get a wife and have children like.......like a 'real man'. They started screaming and Rand attacked Reese.”, she said softly, through her tears.

Marcus frowned. He never though Rand would say such harsh things to his brother.

“He hit Reese again, punched him in the stomach this time and told him that he would lock him a-way. He would strip him of his Hero status and lock his powers away. He said 'since you like guys so much you can have all the guys you want as you get raped in prison every night. I'll make sure you're put in general population with all the criminals you helped lock away. They will see to it you have more dick then you can handle'. Reese got mad and started yelling back, telling Rand he had no right to judge him for who he loved, that he loved Anthony no matter who he was and what he'd done. Rand called him ….. Rand told him that he made him sick, it was like he was looking at a child rapist and he would wait until Reese was asleep and...... and he would slit his throat himself. Save Anthony the trouble.”, Rayven said, her tears falling more now.

“H-he said he would rather put him in the g-g-ground then s-see him c-c-continue being the way he was. Then he would make sure his g-grave was unmarked and f-far away f-f-from Mum and Dad. Reese lost it then and tried to hit Rand. B-b-but I s-stopped him and b-broke them up.”, she was sobbing harder now, struggling to speak as her hands grasped Marcus' shirt tightly.

“R-Reese was bl-eeding, Rand h-had hit him so ha-ard his n-nose was b-bleeding.”, she sobbed.

Marcus felt so many emotions that he could barely contain them. Rage, confusion, sadness.

“What did Rand call him, Rayven?”, he asked softly.

Rayven shook her head and buried her face into Marcus' shoulder. It broke her heart to remember but Marcus had to know all of it.

“Tell me. Please.”, Marcus coaxed.

“H-He....He called him a Hero wannabe, cock slut and a whore. He said that he hated Reese and was ashamed to have him as our brother.”, Rayven said, struggling through the harsh and hateful words that made her mouth sting with their venom as she spoke them.

Then she broke into pitiful sobs, clinging to Marcus. Marcus' hands shook as he held her, he was thunderstruck by what Rayven had just told him. Marcus wanted to go into Rand's room and beat his ass for what he'd said right now. Never once had Marcus come down upon Anthony for his relationship with Reese because they were both guys. He'd never say that to him. Though he didn't agree with Anthony's choice to be a Villain, he couldn't help who he was in love with, that much Marcus understood. Even if he didn't agree that Reese, a Hero, should be in a relationship with Anthony, A Villain. He would die before ever calling his brother the things that Rand had called Reese.

“He didn't mean it, Marcus. He didn't mean any of it. H-he had gotten only fourteen hours of sleep that w-week and h-he was s-so angry, the words left his mouth before he could stop them.”, Rayven sobbed, trying to argue Rand's case to him.

Marcus sighed deeply.

“Angry and sleep deprived or not, that was uncalled for and just cruel. What he said was inexcusable and he was way past being out of line. Do you have any idea how much that must have hurt Reese?”, Marcus said softly.

Rayven nodded.

“The look in his eyes....it looked like Rand had just killed him inside. I...I tried to tell him that Rand didn't mean it. I tried to save him.”, Rayven cried, her tears soaking Marcus' shirt.

“.....jesus christ......”, Marcus whispered.

No wonder Rand had broken the way he did. He HAD driven Reese to this, his words alone hurting Reese in a way that Marcus couldn't imagine. From what Marcus could guess, Reese figured if he was hated anyway, why not earn the hate and become what Rand said he was. He had always looked up to his brother so to hear that from him must have been devastating. Marcus forced himself to calm, Rayven was sobbing in his arms after he forced her to re-live that night and tell him what was said. He needed to have a level head in all this, even if he wanted to cut the venomous tongue from his best friend's mouth right now.

“Okay. That's enough. We can't do anything productive in this state. Come on, we need sleep.”, he said, turning to lead Rayven to her room before he went to his own to get some sleep.

Rand was having a horrible dream, a night terror actually. He was running down the alleyway in Japan where he had seen the bodies but the bodies weren't there. A girl was screaming and suddenly the ground was like quicksand. Rand's feet got stuck in the quicksand up to his knees. He looked up and Reese was standing there with the girl from the alleyway who had cut through her own throat except she was alive. She looked afraid and Reese held out his hand to her, his knife in his hand. The girl took the knife and brought it to her throat. Rand screamed.

“NO! REESE! PLEASE!!!”, Rand screamed.

Reese turned and looked at him as the girl brought the knife to her neck and cut deeply into her throat, blood spraying Rand in a shower as it cascaded down her front as well.

Rand sat up with a loud gasp, his body covered in sweat. His hands were shaking and his breathing was wild and ragged. He looked at the digital clock beside his bed and saw it was four in the morning. He pushed the covers back, his body feeling exhausted as he pulled his knees up to his chest and struggled to calm himself, the dream he had just had fading from his mind quickly. He sniffed and ran his hand over his face, his cheeks wet. He had been crying in his sleep. He took a deep, shaky breath and turned, putting his feet down on the floor and standing. His throat was so dry that it hurt, he needed a drink. He was shocked to come out of his room and see the light in the kitchen was on. As he moved towards the kitchen in the suite, he noticed the fridge door was open and jumped in surprise when it was closed with a loud snap. Marcus looked up at Rand from the fridge, two bottles of water in his hands.

“I heard you screaming. I thought you'd be up soon. Bad dreams?”, he said, walking to Rand and holding out one of the bottles.

Rand nodded faintly and took the water bottle, opening it and taking a deep gulp. Marcus watched him a moment, then opened his own bottle and took a sip. Rand lowered the bottle and sighed softly, looking down at the floor.

“Wanna talk about it?”, Marcus asked softly.

Rand looked up at him a moment, then nodded. Marcus motioned to the couch in the living room, moving past Rand to turn on the lamp beside it. Rand moved into the living room and sat down on the couch, his head down. Marcus sat down at the far end of the couch, turning towards Rand and bringing his legs up to sit crossed legged on the couch as he watched him. Rand closed his eyes, swallowing deeply.

“I want to apologize for the way I reacted earlier.”, Rand said softly.

Marcus raised an eyebrow.

“Why would you apologize for that, Rand?? We had just landed after a twelve hour flight and you were exhausted. Emotionally, mentally and physically. Going to a murd – horrible scene like that, I'm surprised I didn't break down. You have no reason to apologize for that.”, Marcus said.

“I'm a Superhero. I should be better able to handle it. I see things like that every day I work.”, Rand said.

“Not when you think your brother did it.”, Marcus said quickly.

Rand raised his eyes and looked at Marcus who was looking at him with hard eyes.

“Th-think?”, he asked.

Marcus sat up from his place leaning against the arm of the couch, leaning closer.

“He definitely shot the first girl but the second.....she did that to herself. Now, I don't know what Reese did to make her do such a painful thing to herself, maybe Mind Subjugation. But, from the report, there is no doubt about it. She did that to herself.”, he said.

Rand relaxed slightly, letting out a small breath.

“We have a few other things we need to discuss though.”, Marcus said, his voice soft but serious.

Rand furrowed her brows a moment then noticed the look in Marcus' eyes. Instantly, shame and regret washed over him.

“R – Rayven told you.”, he said as realization set in.

Marcus nodded.

“But I want to hear it from you. Did you really say all of those things to Reese?”, he asked, his voice carrying a slight angry edge.

Rand swallowed and found that he couldn't look Marcus in the eyes any longer. He bowed his head, turning to stare at his own water bottle that he held in his hand.

“I don't remember everything I said, just that I said alot of horrible things to him. What Rayven told you is true. I....... I don't remember three fourths of the bullshit that spouted from my mouth that day. I just remember being very angry, very exhausted and feeling very betrayed.”, he responded, his head bowed.

“How did he betray you, Rand?? What did he do to you to make you feel betrayed?”, Marcus asked seriously.

“I.... he didn't. But Ray and I had talked to him, tried to help him understand that –.”, Rand started.

“That he's a cock slut?”, Marcus cut him off, his eyes angry and his voice sharp.

Rand flinched and looked up at Marcus, his eyes wide.

“....wh-what?”, Rand gasped softly.

“Or a whore?”, Marcus asked, his voice just as sharp.

Rand opened his mouth to speak but his voice had left him, his hands trembling. Marcus was looking at him solidly, rage boiling just under the surface as he forced himself to stay seated. But it was obvious Rand didn't remember all that he had said to his brother that day.

“....oh....god......d-did I.....oh god....”, Rand said, his words seeming to choke him.

“I won't tell you everything that Rayven told me but I will tell you that what you said to him was cruel, cold hearted, offensive, derogatory, homophobic and closed minded. I would cut my own tongue out with blunt scissors before saying such spiteful bullshit to Anthony. I agree with you as far as them not needing to be together but that is because Reese is a Hero with a shining future and Anthony is a Villain in need of rehabilitation. NOT because they love each other! I could break your teeth right now for what you said to him. What the fuck were you thinking?! From the sounds of it, you weren't!!”, Marcus growled, keeping his voice down but the tone in his words was getting sharper and sharper.

Rand closed his eyes, bowing his head more.

“I wouldn't stop you.”, Rand whispered.

“I know you wouldn't but I won't.”, Marcus said, forcing himself to calm as he leaned back on the couch arm, running his hand through his wild blonde hair.

“He looked up to you, Rand. He loves you! He's your brother for fuck sake. I can't imagine how completely you destroyed him with everything you said and did to him. Lock him up, strip his powers and let him be raped in prison every night?! Jesus, Rand!”, Marcus growled.

Tears burned Rand's eyes, the more Marcus told him the more he hated himself. It's true he was sleep deprived but that was no call for him to say such horrible things to Reese.

“I would never do that to him. I – I ---.”, Rand started, his voice trembling and his throat burning from his desire to break down again.

Marcus sighed loudly.

“If I ever hear you've said anything like that to him again, I WILL knock your teeth down your fucking throat. Understand?!”, Marcus hissed at him.

Rand nodded slowly, fighting the tears that were now burning his eyes.

“He didn't deserve any of what you said to him. And I may be angry with you for some time over that. But I still love you like family. Rayven and Reese too. I love you guys as much as I love Anthony. And this is your only warning, don't you EVER judge Reese for who he loves like that again.”, Marcus said, standing from the couch and moving closer to Rand.

He sat down beside him, putting his water down on the coffee table in front of them. He then grabbed Rand by the back of his neck and pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly. Rand clung to him, finally letting some of his tears fall from his eyes.

“When we find them, you WILL apologize to him. You got that?! You will help him understand that you didn't mean it and that you love him. No matter what it takes. Alright??”, Marcus said, hugging him still.

Rand nodded, sniffling. Marcus slowly released him and stood up.

“And Rand?”, Marcus said.

Reluctantly, Rand looked up at him. He didn't realize what had happened until he fell off of the couch, landing on the hard wood paneled floor with a loud thud, his jaw throbbing and his vision wavering in and out.

“Ow! Ow ow ow ow! Fuck!”, Marcus hissed, shaking his hand and hopping beside the couch, his knuckles and fingers already red.

Rand groaned softly, putting his hand to his head as he struggled to still his vision, the throb from his jaw starting to move into his head, ear and neck. Marcus moved to the kitchen, opening the freezer drawer at the bottom of the fridge with his good hand. He came back into the living room and tossed an ice pack on Rand's stomach. He shifted the one that was under his arm to his hand, wrapping a cup towel around it to hold it on, another cup towel over his shoulder. Marcus looked at Rand and grumbled softly to himself. He moved to him and reached down, grabbing the front of his shirt with his good hand and pulling him up to his feet. Rand's knees buckled, his head lulling lazily to the front as he tried to stay conscious, his brain slowly processing what just happened.

“......you.....hit......me.....”, he said softly, clearly dazed.

Marcus put Rand's arm over his shoulders to keep him standing as he moved with him to his bedroom.

“Yes I did. For what you said to Reese. I feel alittle better now but I think I may have broken my hand on your thick skull. Also your jaw is gonna be bruised and swollen tomorrow.”, Marcus said, reaching out to open the bedroom door.

Rand groaned softly.

“......jaw.....swole......”, he mumbled.

Marcus moved to the bed and gently let Rand flop onto it with a groan, his hand moving to his loopy head again.

“I'll go get your ice pack. Think I may have hit you a bit too hard.”, he said, turning around to leave the room.

He was frankly surprised Rand was still conscious from that punch. He came back after a moment with Rand's ice pack wrapped in the cup towel from his shoulder and moved to the side of the bed. Rand groaned in pain and looked up at him, blinking heavily. Marcus sat the wrapped ice pack onto the pillow and helped Rand turn onto his side and lay his cheek and jaw on it.

“I've wrapped it so you should be able to sleep on it. You'll hurt in a few hours when you wake up.”, Marcus said softly.

“.....wh...at......h...h...appened......”, Rand grumbled softly.

Marcus smirked and shook his head.

“Go to sleep.”, he said softly to him, turning and moving out of the bedroom, closing the door softly.

Rand blinked heavily for a few seconds, then fell into unconsciousness.