Hiding In Plain Sight

Crimson Gold

Following his uncle, Shuichi entered the Saihara residence and made a beeline for his bedroom, dropping his bag with a thud by his door and faceplanting into the soft mattress. All he wanted was to fall asleep, mentally exhausted from the fear that constantly controlled his life.

"Hey, Shuichi, want to help with dinner?" The boy's uncle entered the room, leaning against the doorframe and watching his nephew as he rolled over onto his back. "It'll keep your mind from wandering to bad places."

"Sure, one moment." His uncle nodded before leaving the room. Shuichi groaned as he rolled off of his bed, stumbling to his feet and walking to the kitchen just outside of his bedroom. He volunteered to help his uncle cook almost every night, sometimes he'd cook on his own (as long as he wasn't around knives). It was a coping mechanism, something he could lose himself in and enjoy, something to make him feel happy.

Approaching a second cutting board positioned on the kitchen counter, Shuichi took what ingredients his uncle left out and started cutting them up, aware of his uncle keeping a careful eye on him. He didn't mind, as the man was only watching out for his safety, but Shuichi wanted nothing more than to have independence, to be free of his intrusive and depressive thoughts.

"Taste this," his uncle picked up some of the red sauce he was cooking on a teaspoon, holding it out to Shuichi to taste. Shuichi took the spoon and did as he was asked, recognising the familiar taste of one of his favourite meals.

"It's great! Are we having spaghetti?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, can you throw all of that into the pan please?" He pointed at the raw ingredients Shuichi had diced. Doing so, Shuichi threw them into the burning pan and went to continue cooking before his uncle stopped him. "This is going to be a surprise, thanks for the help Shuichi but why don't you go and read that book I bought you yesterday?"

"Oh, um, sure," Shuichi mumbled, going to his bedroom and picking up his brand new book. He sat down in an armchair next to a large, full bookcase, his comfort corner. Hugging an orca plush to his chest, he crossed his legs and leant back, losing himself in his book.

He didn't get far, only reading a few pages before his uncle shouted for him. Slipping the book back into the bookshelf, he left the bedroom and orca plush behind, making his way to the kitchen to help any way he could. Instead, his uncle steered him towards the table and placed a plate of spaghetti bolognese in front of him. "I was right!" Shuichi announced.

"I'd expect nothing less from my favourite detective," his uncle smiled, sitting down to eat himself.

Stirring spaghetti around his fork, Shuichi sighed, knowing what this meant. "What's the bad news?"

"What makes you think there's any bad news?" His uncle defended.

"We never eat this unless you have some news that you think I won't like."

The man sighed, a grin growing on his face. "You don't let anything past you, do you? Eat your dinner, we'll talk about this afterwards," Shuichi nodded. What's going on Uncle?

<--o--🩸--o-->

"Shuichi, I received a letter from a client yesterday that I didn't tell you about." The family finished their meal, staring at each other across the table. "We're going to be meeting at seven tomorrow morning." What? Office hours are from eight in the morning, who the hell are we meeting with? "They're in a lot of trouble and need inside help to hide things from the government."

"We're helping a criminal? Why?" Shuichi shouted, greatly disapproving.

"Not exactly, they're a criminal the same way you are. They don't want anyone else in on this, but I need you to help me. I don't need you to use your power, I just need you to meet them."

"What for? Do I know them?" 

"No, but you should." What's that supposed to mean? "I can't say more, but make sure you're ready to leave at quarter to seven tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I will," Shuichi nodded, standing from the table and taking the empty dinner plates to clean up before he could go to bed.

<--o--🩸--o-->

Shuichi shut the car door as he stepped out onto the overgrown pavement, surrounded by building with smashed windows and graffiti. His uncle waved him towards a warehouse, standing tall and destroyed. Approaching the building, Shuichi lost himself in thought as he surveyed his surroundings, noticing a large water tower in the distance. I guess this is an abandoned town, it looks like it stretches as far as that tower. This seems out of the way as well.

"Why are we here? I thought we'd be meeting them in the office," Shuichi looked up at his uncle beside him.

"You'll find out soon enough," his uncle replied, proving no further insight as the two stepped onto the warehouse's walkway leading towards a large, open garage door. The man knocked four times against an old wooden sign, the sound bouncing between the holes in the walls. Adjusting to the darkness of the building, Shuichi noticed how instead of doors, there seemed to be holes knocked out of the walls, big and small. "Detective Saihara, I'm here to meet you." Who is he talking to?

His uncle waited for a response, not receiving one that Shuichi heard. He turned and nodded his head towards the inside of the warehouse before walking further inside, his nephew close. Is anyone even here? Receiving his answer, a cold blade came into contact with Shuichi's neck, someone pinned his arms together behind his back as the knife dug into his skin.

"State your business, or they die," a cold, feminine voice dared either man to move.

"Don't hurt him, he's with me. You asked to speak with me about your government issue," Shuichi's uncle calmly stated, slowly turning to face the two. If only I had a power that would let me out of this situation, God I'm pathetic. Feeling the blade detach from his skin, Shuichi dared not move as the person behind him spoke.

"Go further inside, it's safer there." Shuichi and his uncle stepped forward into the darkness. The boy no longer felt a presence behind him, noticing a girl with two brown pigtails almost reaching the ground materialise in the dim shadows, red glitter fading around her right eye. She's an Ultimate.