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Wayward Son Chapter 1
🕑 Added 2022-03-07 22:40:30 +0000 UTCBang!
The gun smoked in my hands and the man in the black coat stumbled back, his eyes wide in shock.
He grabbed at the doorframe to recover his balance, as he glared me down.
"Kono yaro!"
He gasped for breath and raised his gun at me with a shaking hand.
I felt a spike of fear, and froze in place, blacked out.
Bang!
Another shot rang out, and the man in the black coat fell back through the doorframe, crashing into the railing outside.
Blood pooled beneath him, staining the corridor.
Someone screamed.
I'm not sure if it was me or a neighbour, but I suppose that didn't matter now.
I dropped the gun, or perhaps it fell from my sore arms, as I rushed to my mother.
I grabbed her hand, and found it cold, so cold, her dress soaked red.
My breath hitched, I felt a pit in my stomach and my heart sank deep in terror.
"Mama!" I cried, "Mama!"
"... Yoshi..." She strained to speak.
The bullet had gone through her chest, her lungs had likely flooded.
Her eyes trailed to the gun I had dropped, then snapped back to me, fearful.
I took the hint, and bolted for the gun.
I grabbed it and ran to the bathroom as police sirens rang out in the distance, closing in.
I watched as the gun sunk into the tank, wrapped in plastic, and closed the lid.
Just like she taught me.
Just like she taught me?
Who the fuck teaches a kid to do shit like this?
I tsukkomi'ed, but that didn't change anything. It never did, it never will.
I watched mutely through my own eyes as I walked back into the living room.
I heard my desperate pleas.
I felt her cold touch.
I saw her hollow lifeless eyes.
The same nightmare.
Day after day.
'Remember Kiyoshi.'
I could hear my mother's voice now.
'Never show it. Never go after them.
You can't fight the world alone.'
That's what she always wanted for me.
Her last wish.
Her only wish.
That I live a happy, normal life.
No secret organizations. No quest for revenge. No conspiracies.
And she did fuck all to that end with her job!
But once again, I was but a spectator to the memory.
I watched my self walk out into the now empty corridor.
Pick the gun off of the man in the black coat.
Silently, I unclipped the magazine and took out two bullets, hiding them in my pocket, before sliding the magazine back in, and dropping the gun at my feet.
Footsteps sounded out in the corridor, drowning out the pitter patter of the rain.
I held back my tears and wiped my bloodstained hands on my shirt.
I'd need all of them for the interrogation.
I gave my statement.
The police helped me down the stairs.
Blankets draped over my shoulder.
A thin chocolate bar handed to me, but I couldn't for the love of me ever remember what it tasted like.
I sat there, waiting, watching, helpless.
The officer at head of the operation stood in the corner, speaking on the radio.
From what little I could read off his lips, I saw a lot of 'Yes sirs' and 'No problems'.
He turned to look at me and I averted my eyes in fear, almost on instinct.
When I looked back up, he was gone, disappeared behind a wall.
Moments later though, he returned.
But what caught my attention was who walked in with him.
Another man in a black coat.
I felt a chill run down my spine and I leapt, reaching into the ambulance I was sat in, deeper, below the stretcher.
I shrunk beneath, crouching into a crevice, and shook wordlessly, fear overtaking my thoughts.
All I remember was one phrase.
"I don't want to die."
The images tinted, memory blurred from that point on.
I don't remember how or when I got out from there.
A nurse perhaps, or just some other woman.
The memory escapes me.
The police swept the whole incident under the rug.
Of course they did, I snorted.
Of course they did.
The vision distorted like a swirling, shifting oil painting.
I remembered the orphanage next.
Mahoroba I think it was called.
The matron in charge came out to meet the man who had dragged me in.
The man with the golden watch.
She looked happy, obsessed even as she fawned over him, then over me, like a puppy eager to please.
It dusgusted me. She disgusted me.
My time at the orphanage, waned from memory, like sand castle by the high tide. Children came and children went. Some went with farewell parties, others just disappeared.
It didn't matter to me.
A normal life.
That's all I had to do.
Live a normal life.
Little did I know that my view of normalcy was already twisted beyond repair.
But alls well that ends well.
Someone eventually came for me.
I heard the argument in the meeting room. He slammed down a bunch of files. Threatened a lawsuit.
The matron, her face scrunched up. She look like she had been forced to swallow a hundred bugs at once.
It amused me.
I smiled. A rare thing then. Though, it soon wouldn't be.
She relented, defeated.
And she gave up. She gave me up.
The one good thing she might have done in her pathetic, miserable life.
He grabbed my hand and introduced himself.
Eisuke. Hondou Eisuke.
My uncle. The only family I had left.
I smiled again.
"Come, Kiyoshi." He said.
"Kiyoshi.... Kiyoshi....KIYOSHI HONDOU-KUN!"
Something hit me and it stung.
"Ow!"
I woke up with a start.
"Wa?!" I rubbed my eyes, and yawned, when another piece of chalk hit me square on my nose.
I glared at the woman, who just lifted another piece of chalk, twirling it in her hands menacingly.
"What do you want you ogr-"
Another piece of chalk flew past me, daring me to speak.
"I mean what might our most lovely, beautiful sensei want from little old me?" I immediately changed my tones to snickers across the class.
"Some attention might be appreciated."
"If you wanted my attention, sensei, you need only ask." I winked at her, dodging a piece of chalk.
"Maybe we can talk more about this after school. Don't worry, I'll keep our relationship a secret from the administration!" I teased, only to get another piece of chalk to the face.
"Kwakh!"
"I'm asking you to pay attention in class!" She growled.
"You ask too much. Make another wish." I replied, retreating below my desk like a genie.
"You! You think school is a joke?" She screamed indignant.
"Yes." I said, emerging back out, "And it's in very poor taste! You need to rework your set." I nodded, stroking my chin.
"If you think you're above this, come and solve the problem on the-"
"42." I said.
"What?" She frowned.
"The answer is 42. To the first one. 81 to the second.
And the third question is incorrect. The factor of two needs to be a factor of three on that x over there."
I sighed.
Just sparing this a thought was a waste of brain power.
She flipped through the booklet and checked the answers, before looking back up at me, then back at the answers, as she ran the third question in her head first, then on a corner of the board.
"So?" I asked smugly.
"J-just pay attention in class will you?!" She said, turning back to the board.
"Sure!" I yawned, leaning back into my chair, as the rest of the class snickered again.
The teacher fumed, scanning the room for another target, and found it right beside me.
"Yatata!" A chalk hit the guy in the seat by the window.
"What are you laughing at Araragi-kun! At least he has the excuse of having the best grades in the year. You on the other barely passed the last mid terms! Pay attention!"
"Yes Ara Ara-kun. Pay attention to the class! Don't you know how important quadratic formulas are in your everyday life!" I said, wagging my finger sagely.
"Pfft!" Araragi snorted, and got us both hit in the face.
"The two of you! Out! Right now!" She cried.
"Fucking finally!" I jumped up in joy, grabbed my bag and leapt out of my seat, as Araragi followed me out out laughing.
"You! Insufferable! Shameless?...."
We ran into the hallway as the curses of the teacher faded away behind us.
"Haaah!" Araragi let out a happy sigh.
"Did you have to antagonize the sub like that? She was so hot! I might have stood a chance!"
"With those tits, no way you were coming anywhere close to her league." I laughed.
"You can't even confess to Hanekawa. What are you going to do about a mature older woman like that?"
"What else?" He wriggled his eyebrows.
"I'm going to do her."
"Yeah sure. In your dreams!" I scoffed.
"Exactly!" He replied.
We both burst out laughing as we jumped over the back wall and out of the school.
"Wanna go play counter strike at your place?" He suggested.
"Sure, my uncle's not going to be home till later today, so we have the place all to ourselves. I just have a couple chores to do on the way too. Come along." I replied, pulling out my phone and checking the notes app.
"What chores?"
"Grocery shopping." I said, showing him the list, "For one. And I wanted to check on those kittens in the park before I got home. And old man Shirasu's fridge broke down so that."
He was silent for a moment, just staring at me incredulous.
"Is there something on my face?"
I asked, rubbing my hand over it
"Seriously?" He deadpanned.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"You really don't see the shounen protagonist aura written all over you?" He snarked, waving his hands around me like an idiot.
"What are you smoking, cuz I want some!"
"Are you really that dense?"
"No. I'm realistic. Shonen adventures don't happen to small town guys like us. They're for those big city kids. The cool ones with names like Ryuga or Jin, or something.
When was the last time you saw a shonen manga with a Kiyoshi? Or an Ararararagi?"
"I know. But a boy can dream!" Araragi protested, clenching his fist sniffling dramatically.
I reached down to pet the kittens as they rubbed themselves onto me, mewing furiously.
"Yes, yes." I opened a packet of snacks, sprinkling it in the cardboard box they called home.
"Can't you take them home?" He asked
"And risk my uncle getting sick? God only knows what he's allergic to! And he's not really an animal person. Or rather animals aren't uncle ...people?" I muttered, confused.
"He and animals don't get along. Yeah, I get it. Maybe I'll see if I can convince my mom to keep one of them."
"Maybe even two, one for each sister." I pointed out, scrathing their heads.
Ah! This feels nice.
I nodded happily.
"I wouldn't trust them to not accidentally skin the cats by the first morning. No. Not at all." He shook his head, crossing his arms.
"The cat will be mine!" He added.
"Which one?" I asked as I emptied the bag, and threw it in the bin.
"Let me ask for permission first. Don't want to get too attached to them.
Once my mom agrees, I'll decide whether I want Mr. Squigglypibbles or Sir Smooshalot."
"You're already too attached!" I laughed, smacking him as we walked out of the park, passing a man, busy on his phone.
A man in a very familiar cut of black coat.
I stopped in my tracks, as the memories and emotions resurfaced.
I gulped heavily, and turned back to look at him, shaking.
No. This is not time to be afraid.
I looked him over, and spotted the vague outline of a holster by his chest.
He has a gun. I'm unarmed.
Not a great match but nothing unbeatable.
I had half a mind to use my power to hack into his phone and find out all I could.
Who was he talking to? What were they talking about? Was he here on another mission?
I shook my head.
What's the point?
It wasn't as if I was going to do anything about it. I had long given up on any thoughts of revenge.
I just wanted to live a normal life with my uncle now.
And this...I don't see how this is any of my business. Its not my problem.
I turned away, and let out a breath I had been holding.
"Is that someone you know? He looked so cool! Like a twist villain, or yakuza boss! The 'We'll find out more about him later this episode' type of character from a detective series!" Araragi gave out his usual meta commentary.
Sometimes I feel like he's deranged or something, talking to an invisible audience.
But it's fun and he is starting to rub off on me.
"You're a bad influence, you know that?" I chuckled, as we walked into the supermarket.
"The bad bad kind or the good bad kind or bad good kind? Or the bad good but secretly still bad kind?" He let out a tongue twister.
"The good bad good kind that turns out to be good but still bad later!" I replied, giving him a taste of his own medicine.
"What?" He exclaimed in confusion.
"Exactly!" I proclaimed, flicking his forehead when suddenly I could smell something burning.
I looked up and saw smoke in the sky, some ways...down ...the road.
"There's a fire at Senkaku heights!" A man rushed in shouting.
Senkaku heights. That's where I live!
Gears started turning in my head.
And that man.....
I dropped the basket of groceries into Araragi's hands as I made a mad dash for home, ignoring his shouts.
By the time I reached there, a crowd had already gathered around, as the police worked hard to keep them at bay.
There's no way in through here.
I looked around, and remembered the designated garbage dump.
Without a second thought I ran for it, sliding into the niche as I parkoured my way up the walls and over them, landing on a path of grass in the residential complex, eyes to the fire.
It was coming from up high. The ninth floor.
That's my floor.
No. Nonononono!
It can't be! It must have been some other house.
Please be some other house, please be some other house!
I rushed up the building next to it, taking the elevator to the roof and rushed to the edge.
It was a decent four meters to the other side.
Four meters.
I breathed in and I breathed out.
I can do this. I can do this.
I can do-
I saw the drop down, as shiver ran down my spine.
Nope. Nada. Iya. Ille poda!
That's a death sentence!
I can't do this!
I stepped off the ledge, and started pacing circles on the roof.
I can't do this!
But my mom's last pictures!
But the drop! It's certain death.
But I might never see what my mom looked like again!
What do I do?
What do I do?
I looked up at the sky, and saw the smoke thickening despite the firefighters' best efforts. The water only made it burn hotter.
A realisation struck.
Yeah. I know this type of fire.
My uncle knows this type of fire.
There's only one group of people who make the reagent that causes this.
The Black Organization.
Even after telling me not to look for them, uncle still investigated them on his own, hiding it from me.
He never gave up on mom.
On revenge.
Not like me.
That man.....he really was here for us.
But my uncle and I were both out if the house.
Shame he didn't catch any of us.
Shame he didn't-
Unless....
I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.
I pulled out my phone and called my uncle.
The phone rang. And rang. And rang.
Till the line went dead.
I have a bad feeling about this.
And I hope I'm wrong.
Because otherwise I'm about to do something really, really stupid!
I steeled my resolve as I stepped back from the ledge, walking to the other side of the roof and got into position.
"Fee, foo! Fee, foo!"
I took deep breaths as I readied myself.
The fire was spreading further and faster.
It was now or never.
I raised my head, and looked at the other roof.
"Let's do this!"
I burst out running, as the ledge approaced and with one powerful push, leapt off the edge, high and far.
For the briefest of moments, my stomach tickled as I reached the peak of my jump and started descending.
I closed my eyes in fear as I descended.
"Make it, make it make it makeitmakeitmakeit-"
I slammed into the hard conrete of the other roof, and rolled over on my back.
"Ffffuccck!" I cried out in pain, as my leg sprained.
"Fucking fuck of fuck!" I screamed as I pushed myself up, adrenaline pumping, dulling the pain.
I can't waste any more time.
The longer I wait, the sttinger the pain will be.
I only have until the adrenaline runs out!
I took gulping breaths as I made my way down three flights of stairs to the ninth floor and saw the corridor filled with smoke.
Good. It'll cover my tracks.
I took one last gulp of fresh air and dove in, as fast as I could, making my way to my door and grabbed the handle, trying to pull it open.
Like an idiot.
"Tsssh!" I hissed in pain, as it seared my hand.
Shit!
The fire!
Immediately, I pulled my coat off my back and wrapped it around my hand, forcing the door open, as flames reared at me.
I stepped back out instinctively, before I regained my composure.
From the open door, I could see a leg. And the edge of a coat. A stethoscope.
No!
I ducked, and raised my coat covered hand over me as I cahrged in through the flames, crashing onto the floor.
I looked around, and found him lying bleeding on the ground.
"Uncle!" I cried out.
"Yoshi?" He coughed, weakly, "What are you doing here?"
I crawled up to my knees and put my arm under him, trying to lift him up.
"I should be the one to ask you that, you stupid idiot uncle! Weren't you supposed to " I shouted amidst tears.
"No!" He coughed, pushing me off of him, as he fell back to the floor.
"Leave me! Get out of here. I won't make it. At least you need to survive this!"
"Like hell I'm leaving you here!" I shouted back at him, when a burst of flames licked at me from the side.
"Are you the doctor or am I?! Go!" My uncle shouted.
"No!" I cried, dragging him along, "And you're a pediatrician, that barely qualifies as a doctor! No way I'm taking your word on it! You'll live!"
"You promised me Yoshi!" He said, choking back tears.
"You promised....akhu...your mother."
"Uncle!" I sniffled, as I felt a pang of pain in my chest.
He pulled out his wallet and handed it to me, opening it up.
Inside was a picture of me and my mother. From a time long past.
"Go." He commanded, and I nodded.
Gripping the wallet tight in my mouth I ran back outside, turning back to look at him one last time.
By the time I made it down the building, the fire had spread to the whole floor, and the smoke had gotten to me.
I felt dizzy, as I climbed down the final few steps out of the building as firefighters caught me.
But I knew one thing.
I wanted revenge.
And I will burn down those black coat bastards.
Gun them down, to the last man.
I wanted a normal life.
But they disagreed.
Now I will finish this decade long argument.
My way.
Then, darkness took me, the wallet still gripped tight in my mouth.
