Hidden and Silent (SpyxFamily)

Chapter One

 "You're going to be a remarkable person."

When Demetrius Desmond was three years old, a man said these words to him and promised him a life of fulfillment and the highest honour of serving their country. It would be a hard road, it would take a lot of work and patience, but it would be worth it.

And Demetrius believed him. Because his father did.

It was strange that day. When Donovan told Demetrius they were going out. Donovan never had paid much attention to his son, and the sudden trip with his father pumped him full with so much dopamine he didn't think to question the oddity of it. He was simply happy to do anything with his father. Even if he was quiet most the trip and didn't spare him more than a glance every now and then.

But they left the driver behind, so it must've been important.

It wasn't until years later that Demetrius understood why his mother broke down crying at breakfast that morning.

It was the longest drive Demetrius had ever been on. He remembered often complaining, where they were going, when they would get there, that he needed to use the washroom. If they could stop for snacks.

Donovan ignored most of it.

Then the populated areas became less and less. The trees grew thicker and ticker. The roads were reduced to dirt and pebbles.

Demetrius loved the back roads they turned on to. The leafy trees overshadowed the route in beautiful shades that could be a painting, and the lush, green colours were easy on they eyes. Weeds and grass were creeping on the edges of the road and moss was plentiful at the base of nearly every tree.

He was confused when it ended and the car kept on going.

They drove into the woods and Demetrius amusedly wondered where his father was taking him.

And then the tunnel.

The ground opened up and Demetrius watched in wonder. A secret underground tunnel was the coolest thing ever and he asked if his father was a super, secret spy or something.

He said no.

It was dark in the tunnel. Demetrius didn't mind the dark, he'd never been afraid of it. It simply existed and the world was the same in the daylight. What was there to be afraid of? Though he didn't think he'd like to be stuck down here for too long where he couldn't see. He imagined it as a cave and thought he could be a caveman if there was food down here. He wondered if his mother would visit and cook it for him. She could be a cavemom.

They reached the end and a large door opened. It was really bright inside and a he was a little disappointed by how clinical it was. The halls were as well and very identical. Somehow they didn't get lost and he chalked up his father's sense of direction to being a grown-up

He brought him to a door and knocked on it. A man with pink hair and deep purple eyes opened it. He didn't wear the same clothes as the other people they passed, and the man smiled warmly at him. His father called him the director and Demetrius never did learn his name.

He was led into an office filled with binders and a desk covered in papers. The man had him sit down and it was here that everything changed.

The adults explained his purpose here and Demetrius learned what being a father was.

He had never really known before. In his young mind, he hadn't thought to question it. All he knew was that his father existed and he sometimes saw him. His mother cared for him and his father provided. That's the way it was.

But no. That was not a definition of a father. A father was someone who pushed you further with expectations and sacrificed familial bonds for a greater purpose. A family wasn't held together by love or affection. It wasn't held together by loyalty or even blood. It was held together by lofty goals, expectations, and how to use your family to achieve it. It was held together by cold, unfeeling strings and his father held them in his hand.

And Demetrius played his part.

For six years he was in that lab. He went through countless tests and experiments and there were too many nights he thought he might die. For six years he didn't know if he should hate his father for this, or find it normal. Did other fathers subject their children to this, to pain and imprisonment, for their own gain? Was that just how it was supposed to be?

He missed his mother often.

And then it happened. One day he was a telepath and his days were different. Some experiments were altered and he was put through extensive mental training for a year. Enough time to have considerable control. Enough development that his father came for him as if it was, indeed, all normal.

Demetrius didn't recognize him at first. After so long, Donovan was only vaguely familiar, and his off-putting demeanour, even more so. He came to take him home like nothing happened.

Then things really changed.

His mother cried.