Sons of Eraserhead | Dadzawa [BOOK 1]

Chapter 1 - Tufts of Purple Hair

It was the late night patrols that were the worst. The bolder criminals waited until daylight to commit their heinous crimes. Under the cover of night, there was only the odd robbery of a booze shop, or some random drunk who thought it would be a top-notch idea to test the patience of the Heroes patrolling the city, all to make their mates laugh.

Shota never found it funny.

The evening had been quiet so far. Other than breaking up a small fight between two teenage boys, Shota hadn't had anything to do. He swung between buildings, keeping an eye on the ground. The moon was creeping towards its peak in the sky, signalling that his patrol was due to end soon. As soon as the next Pro showed up, he was out of there. His relative newness to the hero scene meant that the intense and irregular hours of his work left him with a sporadic sleep-schedule - one that inevitably led to frequent naps in public places. 

When the next Pro finally showed up, he nodded curtly in greeting and took his leave. He stormed down the street, silently grateful for the people who hopped out of his way. A tired Shota was one thing, but a tired and hungry Shota, well... there was no need for details. 

But alas, his life would never be that easy.

He froze as he passed the opening to an ally. He could swear he heard crying. A child's crying. Fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, he gripped his scarf and advanced into the shadows. Sure, he was off-duty right now, but like hell was he going to ignore someone in need. He wasn't a complete ass, after all.

"Hello?" He calmly called, praying that he didn't startle the child into running. The crying suddenly stopped, replaced by poorly disguised sniffling. Slowly, almost silently, he craned his neck around a pile of rotting crates.

A small boy was curled up, back pressed against the wall and a tatty blanket pulled around his shoulders and over his head. His feet were bare and filthy, the skin rough and sore from running on concrete, Shota assumed. 

"Hey." He whispered, crouching in front of the boy. He noticed how the boy didn't try to run. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he stared wide-eyed at Shota. "What are you doing here?" Shota asked. "Where are you parents?" The boy shrugged, hugging his knees to his chest and looking down. "Are you by yourself?" The boy nodded, then burst into tears. As he ducked his head, a few wisps of purple hair escaped from beneath blanket. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Shota placed a hand gently on the boy's arm, alarmed at how cold he felt. "Here." He unravelled the scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around the boy. "Can you tell me your name?" He asked.

"Hitoshi." The boy croaked. 

That was the moment that Shota's heart broke. 

"Okay, Hitoshi, is it okay if I help you?" He asked, gauging the boy's reaction. The tiny child glanced up from behind his knees, staring at Shota with such intensity that Shota felt his skin grow cold. After a moment, Hitoshi nodded. Shota reached out a hand. Cautiously, the boy reached up held his hand. Shota helped Hitoshi to his feet and adjusted the blanket around his shoulders. It slid off his head, revealing a mane of wild purple hair.

"Alright, why don't we go somewhere and warm up?" Hitoshi didn't say anything, fiddling with the frayed hem of his blanket. Shota's frown deepened. "Are you hungry?" The boy's eyes widened slightly and he looked up at the Hero. He nodded. 

"Are you..." Hitoshi spoke quietly, voice dry. "Are you a Hero?" 

Shota smiled softly, "Yeah. My name's Eraserhead." 

Shouting suddenly resounded down the ally walls. Angry drunks were hardly a rarity in the area, and Shota silently thanked any and all higher powers that he had found Hitoshi when he did. Quickly, he scooped the small boy into his arms and left the dingy ally behind, slowing his pace when they broke out onto the main road. Small shops and cafés lined the path. Hitoshi stared up in awe at the illuminated billboards displaying brightly coloured adverts. Everything from a new sports drink to a movie trailer lit their way, and Hitoshi was enraptured by the lights.