Burnt Out {A Hero!AU Sheith Fanfiction}

Another Encounter

"See? I told you this was gonna be a bust. Just go home Shiro."

Shiro gave a snort and shook his head, still watching the doors to the restaurant from his perch on the opposite building's roof. He used the tech of his visor to keep the closest look on the traffic of the valley parking, watching as each rich couple or family was escorted from their vehicles for some sorry valet to park their car in the restaurant garage. It was a scout mission -- a potential target for the Red Blade had been inside, feasting away with a group of business partners. There was only a slight chance Red would try to kill him that night. In fact, there was more of chance Red was just scoping him out.

But that had been what Matt said about the man killed at Shiro's speech. That had been about a week ago, and Red hadn't showed his face since. Shiro wasn't going to take any chances.

He knew that man in there by name and face, though he couldn't say he was fortunate to. Madicus was a bitter old man -- he was mean and he was snide. Shiro had only ever contacted him to cut ties between their companies. Back when his parents were alive and when the Shirogane name had been mostly associated with weapons rather than medicine, Madicus and his own company was a supplier of energy sources for larger, more destructive sorts of warfare. Shiro was seven when he had first met Madicus, and he hadn't changed a bit. Sneaky, shady, and, as much as Shiro hated to say it, ugly. Inside and out.

But Shiro was going to save him. Partly because it was his duty as a hero. Partly because he couldn't bare the thought of letting Red win again.

"We'll leave when Mr. Madicus leaves," Shiro said into the com, watching the doors. He was dressed head to toe in his suit, carefully perched on the slanted roof of the pub across from that fancy restaurant. He kept one foot propped against the spiked rafters so he wouldn't slide down to the concrete sidewalk, and his prosthetic held firmly to one of the pipes of the building's chimney system. The blue tint to his visor had been dimmed to keep the city pedestrians from noticing him and his shadowed form against the black of the night. "We're saving him, Matt, and if that means tailing him until we catch Red, then we tail him. A little protective stalking never hurt anyone, anyways."

Matt gave a sigh in his ear. "No, but sleep deprivation does," he grumbled. "I'm tired, Shiro. You haven't seen one sign of red anywhere. I've ran the thermal scan three times and I ran that technology scan four times. If he was there with you, I'd know it."

Shiro hummed a little, shrugging his shoulders. "If you want to leave, leave," he said, laughing a little.

"No way I'm leaving you in the field all alone," Matt answered quietly. "You're stupid enough to get yourself killed without me. Not taking that chance."

He couldn't keep himself from grinning at the comment. Shiro leaned back on the building a bit, tilting his head up to look at the smoggy sky, the tip tops of tall buildings cutting into the sight from his peripherals. "Aw, you're worried about me," he gushed in a joking tone. He leaned up, and focused back on the building, still smirking beneath his mask. "That's so sweet, Matthew."

"Ew. Don't call me that," Matt said, shuddering. "You sound like my dad."

Shiro cringed. "Yikes. That's the second time I've been compared to someone's dad this week," he muttered, flushing a bit. "Keith said something like that to me on Monday. The day you pissed him off and everything."

Matt snickered in his ear. "You're just like the dad friend," he assured. "Don't worry about it."

Shiro frowned again. "Maybe I don't want to be the dad friend," he pouted, flicking his eyes off to the side for a second. There was a flash of something that caught his attention, however, so he held the stare, straightening up. A darting of a shadow in one of the alleyways...