"How'd ya get hurt again." asked Juliana.
"Parkour." I answered.
"Typical of you to not be careful." said Aiko with a smug look on her face.
(That girl can really work on my nerves, she constantly targets me but I don't know why.)
"Terra's having trouble too. She was shot in the leg by a cop, she said that one of the bank robbers saved her but nobody believes her."
"Strange how media neglected to mention her at all." Aiko said with an annoyed look on her face.
"Anyway here's all the homework for today, also are you come'n with us to the Silver Star Festival this Saturday?" asked Juliana.
"I don't know, probably not....too crowded."
"Trust me Shitarin, you will want to be there." Aiko gave me a serious look. "Liam turned 18 this year, in other words he's gonna be in the Fight Festival, he will need his friends there. Anyway let's go sis, we did what we were asked. No need to linger."
"Alright, bye Hida."
"Bye."
Once I finished my homework I started tinkering with flash grenades. (That Force Push Guy was too much trouble, I need to find a way to keep him from hitting me with his Miso again...damn I forgot my screwdriver down stairs). As I walked down the hallway to the Dinning room I noticed that Sweets door was open. As I peered in I saw that his case folder wasn't locked. (Maybe I can use this info to help Hisashi, we might find something on the cops or that corrupt hero).
As I searched through I found plenty of useful info like police routes, abandoned buildings and how the paid hero's will end their contracts on September twenty...that's about four months from now. As I looked on further I found a large stack of criminal case files, there were even ones on us...ya i took pictures.
"I'm done with the dishes." It was Yato yelling from down stairs.
"Did you mop the floor?"
"No, can't you do it." He said sheepishly
"Oh gracious, my poor leg has suddenly grown in agony. Why...why must the pain of the bolder toasted by thee, sir Yato hurt me so...alas I must fight on n'do mine's duty inspite of thee. If only I hath aid."
"FINE JEEZ I'll do it, and that is not proper Shakespearean language."
"Thank you sir Yato."
"Ya ya."
Returning to my search I noticed something (...a name Julian Shitarin...my father.)
(Why is his file in a criminal log, it doesn't make sense to me, wasn't he a hero). Upon opening it I could only see blank pages...but the front cover claimed that he was currently serving life in prison in Japan for...
"Hida!" it was Sweet. He was standing at the door way with horror in his eye's. (Why is he back so early).
"What are you doing with my file's do you have any idea how sensitive some of those....?" he looked at the file in my hand. "Hida...put that away."
"You lied to me. Dad...he wasn't a hero was he." my voice cracked as anger washed over me.
"Hida put that down."
I got up quickly to shove him but he grabbed my arm and flipped me to the grown, taking the file away.
"Aaaah! Hey give that back." he ran off down stairs and outside. Once i finally got up I slowly chased him to the courtyard, however the file was now missing. "Stop! How could you lie to me." I yelled, he responded in a soft voice but my heart was beating so loud that I couldn't hear him.
"YOU BETRAYED ME!!" I yelled again.
"Well look who's talking sis, how'd you get hurt... I'm a hero Hida and the police talk. Ain't it a little suspicious how you got hurt the same day the villain Gears did in the exact same spot. You said that it was a soda rocket experiment right, your bruise is too big for something that slow. Also you take your experiments very seriously even when working with ME, you triple checked everything, you wouldn't make such a simple mistake."
There was a long pause of silence, I turned around and limped to the Dinning room to grab a makeshift crutch then began walking to the gate. As I reached it I could hear him calling me back..
"Hida get back here, we aren't done."
I turned around and looked at him with tears in my eye's, "Look under your bed in the money box for that car garage you always wanted...I did it for you Sweet...I did it for you."
I walked out the gate hoping he'd come after me...I've been walking for an hour now.
The sun beat down on me but I didn't even notice, my tears soon dried and I decided to sit down on a public bench. That's when I realized where I was, Richmin University, Hisashi's school, (how'd I get here?). I walked in looking for his room, lucky me most of the students and staff knew me from previous visits so getting to his room was no trouble. His door stood out like no other, it was painted Mat-black with lines and crosses that looked like stitches...like a Frankenstein door leading to a mad scientists tomb of undead monstrosities. As I walked in his room came into full view, his roommate had a space warping miso so it was much bigger on the inside, about the size of a small swimming pool to be precise. It was filled to the brim with all kinds of things like bookshelves, large black couches and a flat-screen tv with a gaming system at the end of the room. Then finally the COUP DE GRACE, a beautiful black stained glass round table with dragon carvings all over in the middle of the room. Liam and I had it made it for him on his birthday.
"Hida, what's up?" Asked Hisashi
"Hey Hisashi, I need your help."
As I explain everything to him I struggled not to tear up, he shut his eyes and froze for a few minutes as if thinking or was he asleep, I couldn't tell but then decided to speak.
"Hida I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, sometimes I wish that I hadn't brought you guys into this. Listen, if you want out I understand. None of us will blame you.
"No no, I chose to be here...well more like I choose to stay. Can't believe the first thing you did when we met was blackmail me." I said while giggling.
"You were auctioning fake goods while an appraiser was right next to you, what was I supposed to do. If I didn't force you to stop you'd be in prison or worse, on the Kara-no-goki's guillotine."
"I could have ran though."
"With your stubby legs, HA, doubt it." he stuck his tongue out at me.
"You ass." I screamed while laughing.
I stayed with him reminiscing about all our crazy adventures with Liam, sitting with him like this was like getting a large weight off of my shoulders. Soon it was reaching late afternoon.
"Hida, you said that your dad has a criminal record right?"
My heart sunk again, "Ya, but I couldn't get anymore than that.", (I really wish that he hadn't asked me that, I don't want to talk about it any more).
"I have an idea, when my brother worked for the peacekeepers he managed to accumulate a few favours from other members, one of them being from a Detective. I can call one in and get access to your dad's file...hell maybe even get some insight into your mom.
"You think so?"
"Yah."
We got our things together and got into Hisashi's car, the drive didn't take long lucky us. Hisashi gave me an earpiece since I was stuck in the car, if the officers recognised me my....my brother would get involved too.
"Hey, I'm at the front desk."
"Stay safe."
"Greeting's."
"Oh...umm hello sir what can I do for you." responded a female voice that I guessed was the secretary.
"My name is Michael I'm looking for Detective Haru."
"Oh I see, Haru is right down the hall, his door is to your left.
"Thank you."
Suddenly I heard a knock on a door and a smooth but deep voice say "come in".
"Oh it's you, the debt boy. What do u want?"
"Have I ever told you a story about a changeling."
"Ha I see, no but I would not fear coz it won't change me. How may I help you?"
"File's on someone, His name is Julian Shitarin and his wife Himiko Shitarin."
"No problem. After this my debt is clear right?"
"Ya, you won't owe my brother any longer."
I could hear them walking into another room then after some sound of moving paper Hisashi thanked him and left. I could see him now walking with a file in hand.
"Hey Hisashi."
"Hi. This is what I got."
The file was thick, he had a second but smaller one in his other hand. We first opened the one with my father's name on it. It read:
Name: Julian Shitarin
Age: 42
Miso: Upgrade (He can upgrade the fundamental components within objects allowing him to improve it. i.e making a sword sharper or a car faster.
Crime: Triple homicide, gang violence, drug smuggling, assassination
Affiliation: Under boss of the Japanese Yakuza group Hell Hounds, husband of Himiko Shitarin.
Last seen: In England on January 2nd 2015.
Bounty: 60 000 Yen
Additional: Won't hesitate to kill you so kill him first
"That's the beginning of this year." said Hisashi
"...but look at his rap-sheet, homicide, assassination. These are serious crimes. I may threaten to kill but actually doing it..."
"Hida, look at your mom's one..."
To my horror it was so much bigger. I slowly opened afraid of what horrors I might find.
Name: Himiko Shitarin
Miso: Ricochet (she can plot out a perfect course for an object to follow with pin point accuracy)
Crime: Grand theft auto, mass murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking, assassination, gang violence, torture and lollygagging.
Affiliation: Leader of the Japanese Yakuza group Hell Hounds
Last seen: September 5th 2010
Bounty: X (don't even bother)
Additional: In the event of an encounter, flee on site.
"Dear god, what kind of monster is she." I couldn't tell if it was relief that I felt, finally learning about were I came from or disgust know that I'm the spawn of unholy union of two monsters. That night I stayed over in Hisashi's dorm, he was nice enough to let me sleep in his bed while he was on the floor. Surprisingly his roommate didn't mind at all "he always has a girl over" he said, but I think he had the wrong idea. Next day I went home, Sweet...my brother, wasn't there.