The Fool's Pursuit

Chapter 1: Idiot

It was all white like a hospital. A boy was running, panting and sweating in an all white corridor. Turning his head frantically from his pursuer trying to find an exit, find an exit out of this place.

He finally sank on his knees feeling all worn out staring up at a group of medical personnel, no, scientist who sought him as their guinea pig.

"NO!" His mind was in a daze but he knew he did not want to be taken back to his cage. He could not stand the pain from the syringe, the effect of the drugs he was ejected with and the electrical shock after wiping out all his power, he knew he would die if this continued. The boy found his face against the cold floor after feeling a sharp jabbing pain on his neck.

Before he lost his consciousness in the dark, he called out a name, it was not the people he loved from the clan he was in, not the dead former King he respected so much, not his fat friend who was currently slim, not the mother hen of the clan but the name of a young man with a black frame spectacle with messy black hair and blue eyes. He was the only one he trusted his back with.

"Help me, Saruhiko…"

*Flashback*

There was a strain incident and Fushimi was tasked to resolve it. That day, he was on the way back to the Headquarter when he received the order. Thinking that it was a pain to return to the office to get some reinforcement as per his Lieutenant's advice, he decided to go at it alone. She was on leave that day, now drinking at her favourite bar.

The strain's power was out of control. It was a half-snake. He could not control his power that only his head remained human. Nevertheless the venom he spit out was something he needed to be aware of.

Fushimi clicked his tongue wondering if he even needed reinforcement to handle one single strain. The snake was fast attempting to escape in fear. He was also afraid of his newly awakened power. He pulled out his daggers channeled with blue aura and attacked swiftly. He wanted to end this fast so that he would not have to work overtime.

He thought he had him when he pinned its body with of his daggers. Another snake strain appeared. The snake attempted to spit his venom at Fushimi from his back catching Fushimi by surprise. He was usually careless when came to defending his back. By the time, he realized the malice; there was no way to dodge. A figure jumped past him before he realized and smashed the snake to the wall knocking him out.

Hence, they got the two snake strains.

"Heh… Saru, losing your sharpness? You must be getting fat leeching off taxpayers' money." He said after landing skillfully with his skateboard holding on to his new weapon, a long extended wooden rod.

"Say who is leeching taxpayers' money when you're not even paying tax with your pathetic income, Mi-sa-kii!" Fushimi would never admit that he felt relieved that his back was covered like before.

"Stop calling me by that name, stupid monkey." The vanguard of HOMRA, Yata Misaki started his usual argument with his former friend, Fushimi Saruhiko.

It had been two weeks since Anna became the new Red King. Yata had let go his pride and sought Fushimi for help when he had no one to rely on when Anna was captured by JUNGLE and Fushimi decided to help him while doing his job. If Yata would bother to thank him despite feeling awkward, Fushimi decided to accept his gratitude.

Yata's rod reverted to a slightly damaged wooden rod. They stared at each other for a moment before they smiled.

After Fushimi gave out order to the retrieval team, he decided to head back to the dorm. His working hours had ended.