Hiding In Plain Sight

We've Gone In A Circle

Placing his hands behind his head, Shuichi noticed Momota follow suit. "On your knees!" Bending down, Shuichi dropped to his knees, the rubble on the ground digging into his kneecaps with immense pain. This is it, everything is over. Kokichi and Rantaro are dead, now Momota and I are about to be arrested. Feeling something hit his back, Shuichi fell on his stomach, more rubble imprinting into his skin as a weight held his body to the ground.

"What do you want from us? Why are you both here?" Another voice asked, malice seeping into the air around them.

"My friend lives here. I haven't heard from them for a while so I thought I'd check on them." Shuichi lied, hoping he could save himself and his new companion. His heart pounded like a Ferrari, wondering if the end of his life was nigh.

"Chabashira, stand down, they are no harm to us," a male spoke.

"Why would Tenko listen to a degenerate male?!" A woman shouted.

"Angie thinks Tenko needs to calm down too, Korekiyo is right!"

"Fine," Chabashira hissed. Shuichi felt the weight off his back subside, he instantly scrambled to his feet and turned to see a group of four people behind him. Wait, I recognise these people from somewhere.

"No need to fear us, we are Ultimates too. I recognise you both from the wanted posters around town," a masked man apologised. His deep-green hair flowed elegantly down to his hips. "Allow me to introduce everyone, I am Shinguji Korekiyo. This is Chabashira Tenko," Shinguji motioned to an angry woman with deep green twin braids, her hands raised in a martial arts stance. "Hoshi Ryoma," the short, quiet male standing behind the group nodded, pulling down his beanie.

"Angie is Yonaga Angie!" The last woman piped up, grinning and waving with enthusiasm, her white pigtails flying around her head with every movement.

"It's uh, nice to meet you guys," Shuichi mumbled, brushing the chunks of plastic and wood from his clothes. "I'm Saihara Shuichi, and this is Momota Kaito."

"It's an honour to meet you both," Shinguji bowed. "Apologies for attacking you as we did, we had to be sure police hadn't followed us."

"Don't apologise! You're a man, ain't you!?" Momota shouted, punching his fists together again. Shuichi rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Shuichi asked, clutching the bloody scarf and ring close to his body.

"We planned to follow any police activity to find other Ultimates and work together!" Yonaga's smile never faltered, no one is ever as happy as she'd been in the past minute alone.

"Except, maybe that wasn't a good idea as something like this could happen," Hoshi mumbled to himself. Shuichi felt taken aback by the male's deep voice contrasting his outward appearance.

"Are you going to tell us what happened? There's..." Momota shivered, glancing around the dim home. "B-Blood on the floor."

"Tenko thinks there was an attack, but couldn't find any bodies. All we found was blood," Chabashira explained, frowning at the ground with her hands on her hips.

"We can assume no one is dead then," Shuichi frowned, holding his chin in thought. "If you guys wish to join us, we can find them and all work together."

"Find who?" Hoshi asked.

"Oh, right, sorry I half-lied earlier. I lived here with nine other Ultimates, if we find them you guys can join us!"

"Tenko thinks we'd be safer if we stick together as a group and let them go on their own. Even if it means more degenerate men are around," Chabashira frowned.

"No!" Shuichi shouted. "I need to find them! Stay here if you all want, I'll go on my own if I have to!" Desperation was soaked into his voice, sobs threatening to escape from his determination. Turning on his heel, Shuichi stormed out of the home, walking down the street with a frown on his face. All I need is to know if Rantaro and Kokichi are dead, I can't live without them.

"Where could they have gone?" Startled, Shuichi turned to see the five running to catch up with him, bringing a smile to his face.

"All I know is if Harukawa is with them, they'll be safe, I'm sure. She'd be thinking logically and would go a place I know," Shuichi mumbled to himself, thinking out loud as he usually did.

"Tenko saw a note saying rubble, does that mean anything to you?" Chabashira asked. Oh my God, Harukawa you fucking genius!

"I know exactly where to go." Shuichi turned again, hurrying down the street, wanting nothing more than to see his boyfriends and friends again, alive and well.

<--o--🩸--o-->

Shuichi approached the brown stain on the ground, a stain of blood sending the bluenette's heart racing. A stain like this comes from two bodies, and that's only if every drop of blood is squeezed out. What happened? Turning to the enormous pile of rubble, Shuichi remembered the moment he found Kiibo in the remains. If this isn't what the note meant by rubble, I don't know what to do.

"What the hell happened here?!" Momota exclaimed.

"Someone's power is to destroy what they touch, they accidentally touched the concrete of the building and, well, you can see the result," Shuichi explained. Approaching the grey chunks of rock, he picked up a small part and threw it in the air, catching it repeatedly as he thought. Expecting to catch the concrete, Shuichi frowned as it never hit his hand, looking up to see it floating in the air.

"What the hell?" Chabashira gasped.

Shuichi laughed as he realised what was happening, the rock floating down the street. "Come on guys, it's safe." The five followed the floating rock, travelling through the ghost town until they came across a blonde, grinning as she lowered her hand, the debris falling to the ground. "Akamatsu!"

"Saihara! I'm so glad you're- Oh my God what happened to you?!" She hurried towards her friend, the two hugged briefly before she removed Shuichi's hoodie, cupping his face in her hands.

"Another fight, but Momota saved me," Shuichi smiled, motioning to the waving male.

"Nice to meetcha!"

"Hello! Nice to meet more of our kind!" Akamatsu waved to the new five. "Trouble follows you everywhere, doesn't it Saihara? Come on, everyone's worried sick about you!" Grabbing his wrist, the woman pulled her friend up the stairs into the familiar bar. Shuichi turned to motion for the new group members to follow, smiling as they did without hesitation. Stepping through the metal door, Shuichi broke into tears, running towards the two most important people in his world and jumping on them, pulling them into a hug.

Rantaro and Kokichi were okay, they were alive, and Shuichi could feel happiness again.