Inspired mainly by Sidekicks and OP Man

Credits :

StayAnon

13590anime

Nameless

ShinseiShinwa

Yoyo

Q

Guest

Asterbear

Note : Tbh, I prefer to see this hit the hundreds too compared to LMFTD. This is my favourite to plot actually.


The party was, the word that seven-years old Tetsuya could find, unsettling.

Too many people, with too many noises. Occasionally, he'd be pushed by other guests who towered over his short height to the nearest corner. They'd be too busy with their chatters to pay any attention toward a seemingly lost boy trailing his way to the staircase that would lead him to his own safe haven.

"Tetsuya, where are you going?" His mother called out from the bar counter, a shot glass of fine tequila lingered from her grasp as she was circled with a group of smart-dressed women. Few were those who Tetsuya recognised ― but never bother to get to know ― as his close relatives, but there were those pure Americans were the ones he was certainly nervous to even gaze about.

He froze as the question landed upon him. Eight pair of eyes, including his mom, went straight toward him. Those looks, albeit some were friendly and loving, still had became his archenemy ever since. Tetsuya swallowed, "B-B-Bedroom. . ."

Nozomi scowled, "Oh come on, Tetsuya. . .", she excused herself from her friends and headed shortly after him, "Go out and make some friends! You know I can't bear to see you holed up inside your bedroom all day. . ."

"But, mom. . . I'm fine!"

Her mother soothed her child's fluffy blue tufts. Unlike Tetsuya's, her long and curly strands weren't the bluest of the blue ― hers were navy and tinged with an original colour of ebony. Well, Nozomi was one fond of colouring her hair in different shades multiple times before, like crimson for November and golden for January. But then, the navy stuck to her ever since like her own soul now. Especially, when she liked matching them with her son's natural blue. "I'm really worried about you, Tetsuya. Youre just so, so, so quiet!" ― Nozomi pinched both of his cherub cheeks ― "We don't want you to be lonely."

"I'm fi ―" Tetsuya couldn't finish his sentence when he saw the intentional, pleading eyes and he sighed. "How about I'll go out to take a drink?"

"Perfect!" His mother squealed, her eyes suddenly gleamed brightly. "If you'd like to, your dad's hanging out with your uncles at the porch. There's a chiller box outside, don't drink anything nasty, and oh! ― you might like to meet Caroline's daughter, she's adorable! Right, Caroline?"

The blunette could almost roll his eyes if he hadn't been trained to be polite. Heaving a heavy sigh, he trudged his feet back to the dreaded crowd. "Sounds good, mom."

It's not like he could ignore the whispers afterwards.

"Your son is so different. . ."

"I feel sorry for him. Is he okay?"

"Aw, don't judge, Amber! He's a sweet boy!"

If Tetsuya would have develop psychopathic tendencies, he'd love to sew their lips together just to make them shut up.

So what if he had been a quiet kid? It doesn't do anyone any harm at all. He couldn't see why his family had been so worried after him, as if being antisocial was such a fragile matter to touch upon. They'd been so tender with him, their displays of affection seemed cautious ― if not a little bit frantic. And Tetsuya was, honestly, uncomfortable with the whole family like that.

Still, he loved his family as his own. Especially Nozomi who he had established a very special bond between them.

There wasn't any differences between the space inside and the porch. However, outside was filled with the stench of cigars swirled in between breathy laughter and strong alcohol, and the summer green that stretched its glory in mid July. So, the child proceed on taking the last carton of apple juice, much to his relief ― because he didn't need to go so far to have a journey toward the kitchen's refrigerator. But afterwards, Tetsuya was in loss of what he was going to do next. Perhaps, he could climb his way up to his bedroom; he had prepared an emergency rope in case his social awkwardness switched on to the maximum. But the backyard was filled with teenagers in the pool, blasting EDM and running children.

"Hey, Tetsu!"

Someone suddenly called out to him. He turned his back to meet with his teenage cousin, who's blood was half-Japanese only because Uncle Isao decided to marry a Scot. So, her hair had been slightly ginger and her complexion was a different shade of pale. Kuroko Naomi nudged her head to the side, "You want to hang out with us? Keira and Michio is there too. And we're doing limbo, so we're thinking that maybe you could pass the lowest one."

Well, maybe this time I can please mom, he thought deeply. Tetsuya obliged obediently, slipping on his sandals before following.

But his tracks stopped dead when his eyes landed on something foreign within the neighbourhood. It was a limousine, he noticed from afar, and there were men smartly in their suit and tie and shades that seemed to be watching over his house.

Security? Well, Tetsuya was just a child back then. And he wasn't willing to tell his cousins about it.

But even as he went to his backyard, their eyes never stop watching, never stop trailing upon one particular child. . .


Paragon

Episode I : The Emperor's Sidekick

Chapter Four


Have you ever tasted extreme loss? Losing a dream career, losing passion, losing dreams, losing hope and finally, losing your entire family. What's more? Will he lose his own mind too? Everything happened ― as if squeezed ― within a time interval of twenty-four hours. How strange, that fate was meant to be cruel after a brief taste of sweetness.

"Kuroko, your family was murdered."

Perhaps, if it wasn't for the waver in his voice that Tetsuya was able to presume that he was joking. But it had been real, his words were the painful truth. He had rushed toward a mini magazine booth across the streets just to purchase New York Times with one of the headlines stating a brutal murder in New Jersey. The very image of his home appeared in the picture, and silently, he gave out a whimper.

The blunette wanted to cry again, felt the lump reaching his cavity and with trembling legs, proceed to cross the street again to enter the Hero Society's building and head to his room. Nobody bothered to notice the weeping blunette, he turned his invisibility as maximum as he could and he wished to remain that way for days.

He had never felt this kind of feeling before. A hollow monster eating out every drop of determination that he once had.

"Tetsu. . .? You're Tetsuya, right?" A gentle voice broke him from the thoughts from derailing. He looked up to see a flash of concerned cerise eyes, and realised that he had bumped onto her enough to show himself to her. "Jesus Christ, a-are you okay?"

"Of course, he isn't!" The other companion showed up with a similar frantic look. Yet, within the tanned male's mind, he presumed it had something to do with a certain redhead. Everybody know he had sadistic tendencies, and perhaps this time, he had came across a limit. Still, if only there was at least a person who would dare to defy the almighty Akashi Seijuurou!

"Shut up, Dai-chan!" Satsuki turned back to the blunette, "Let's go back to your room, okay? Get yourself comfortable and then, we'll talk."

But even with coffee ― from vending machine ― and his body wrapped in blankets, the blunette was at loss for words. He remained silent, eyes glued to the floorboards whilst his index finger drew circles against his lap. The blunette closed his eyes, remembering the memories of when he had spent good time with his mom and dad. Oh dear, Grandma wasn't supposed to die that early by the way. . . The thought led him to a deeper sorrow, and his face contorted with obvious pain.

Yet, even for two hours of total silence from the blunette, Satsuki was at loss that she decided to allow herself using a slight percentage of her powers. "I'm sorry for doing this," she spoke softly, as if more words would wound up hurting the frail blunette for now. She closed her eyes, focusing on controlling the ability that she had ― also not to end up taking more than she should. She searched for the information that she seeked, images and datas and words and sounds spilling to her own mind. Her nerves electrified; receiving and analysing and concluding. A force surged through her, and she gasped, breaking through her reverie.

The memories within hours ago came to her. The news regarding of his family's death. The quiver from his friend's voice. Seijuurou's words flinging a harsh impact.

It caused Tetsuya to jump in surprise as well, his sorrow was briefly disrupted ― eventually on hold ― when he saw the cerise-haired shedding her own tears too, complexion of cherry pink glossed over briny tears as she stared at him with her own sheer surprise.

"Oh, Tetsuya-chan. . . I never knew. . ."

Pallid blue eyes widened, hit in realisation; "You. . ."

"I didn't mean to ― I'm sorry!"

Tetsuya swallowed, standing up threateningly toward the trembling woman, his stare hardened and flashed the look toward her confused friend. "H-How about you?"

Aomine looked nervous. "H-Hey, I'm not one with that kind of superpowers here!"

"Tetsuya-chan, we could help if you want to. . ." Her voice softened, although a certain percent of waver remained.

He held a certain firmness in his gaze for a longer moment, conflicting between the raw and new emotions he never thought was possibly triggered. Satsuki knew it was final when the teen slumped back to his bed, looking torn as ever, lost like a poor cat. "I don't know. . . I honestly don't know. . ." he admitted, perplexed. "I do want help. . ." he spoke the words almost inaudibly, cheeks tinted a tinge of red, slightly embarrassed from such request.

Even so, Satsuki was glad that he admitted.

"Akashi could help," Aomine blatantly suggested, if not the most clueless in the room apparently.

But the blunette, again, went into deep turmoil and immediately screamed out a reject. "No!" When both looked in swirling confusion, he gulped, "I mean, I don't want to see him right now. . . We had a conflict just recently. . ."

Tetsuya suspected the others would snort in disbelief. After all, who was he to hold a conflict with a ranked hero? Just a nobody. Just a new recruit. Just a non-positioned member of the Hero Society. Yet, he didn't quite believe when Daiki held out a frustrated sigh and mumbled yet incoherently, "I knew he'd be like that. See what I told you, Satsuki?!"

"H-Hey, I thought he'd change by now!"

The blunette furrowed his eyebrows, confused but curious too. "What are you guys talking about?"

The tanned man sighed, "He never had a permanent sidekick before. The longest one he had so far only served him for two weeks. He'd do anything to challenge the sidekicks, saying that he wanted to test out obedience or something like that?"

"Obedience?" The scoff was clear in his voice.

"Hey, I'm not so sure. He's a secretive asshole, that's for sure."

"Language, Dai-chan!" Satsuki reprimanded her friend. "Anyway, Tetsuya-chan," she cleared her throat, "We like to help, and never mind about Akashi. I'll make sure he won't know about this," she gave him a tender smile. The assurance was strong within her expressions, Tetsuya might as well found himself in trusting her words too easily.

"Okay. . ."

The cerise-haired gave a victorious gesture before down with a serious mood once again, "Alright, Tetchan ― yeah, I might as well just call you that ― we need you to not leave the Hero Society just yet."

The blunette didn't flinch upon a new nickname, instead he made a face when he thought about the fact that he had to stay within the prestigious facility. Especially when he wasn't the Emperor's sidekick anymore. "H-Here? In this particular room? Momoi, I'm not sure but Akashi-kun might had signed me out. . ."

"I haven't."

The voice, if had been a superpower, might have the capability of sending Tetsuya flew out of the window by now. Mortified, and undoubtedly unprepared, the blunette turned pale at the sight of a pair of glinting multi-coloured eyes but retained his position firm and multiplied the hard glaze in his own pallid blue. Said redhead was leaning against the exterior wall all the time, listening to every bit of details the blunette had to offer. Feeling rather disturbed at the intrusion, Tetsuya decided to spit his bad mood out toward the despised man.

"What do you want from me? Want me to call you Master and spread my legs wide for you?!" He scoffed, causing Aomine to spur and the woman to hold back her gasp, which she failed to do so.

The Akashi, notifying how childish he sounded (but of course, he was only seventeen and seventeen screamed naivety to Seijuurou) could only rolled his eyes, and threw a clear file which landed smartly against a pillow just settled nearby Tetsuya.

"What's this. . .?" Tetsuya's voice lowered to the normal soft volume, finally.

He had his chance talking now.

"It's my mission. Apparently, I knew it would be your family because of the surname. And also, your family's death comes from an assassination. A very careful and well thought assassination, actually," he drawled on the statement rather slow and detailed, sounding rather displeased against the thought of a planned homicide, he continued; "And it seemed familiar to a case we had about twelve years ago, so the higher-ups thought it might have something to do with another association that didn't go along with ours, and they're, well. . . nasty to handle with," the blunette notified a distressed sigh, "So, they gave me this mission just recently."

"So, what does Kuroko has to do anything with your mission?" The tallest in the room raised his brows.

Seijuurou sighed, yet one of his eyebrows twitched in reflex. He started walking away not before responding, "Tetsuya might come useful to me at this moment. That's all."

The three of them waited for any more details. True to their expectations, Seijuurou halted his steps.

"And also, I supposed a helper would be nice in this mission."

Satsuki gasped. "Tetchan, Tetchan, did you hear that? He wants you back, Tetchan!" The blunette flushed against the statement, burying his face in the depth of his sheets and said nothing more, whilst the tanned man threw him a crooked grin and returning the gaze back to the distanced redhead.

"Hey, what kind of improvement is this?" Aomine wiggled his eyebrows.

The redhead had his eyebrows twitching again. "I sure can kill you if you won't stop wiggling your eyebrows, Daiki."

"Heh, this time I'd like to see you try."

He earned no response, but Seijuurou left permanently afterwards, which still led to his satisfaction anyway.

Perhaps, there was a change in Seijuurou after all. At least, that was what the tanned had thought, ever since that one particular incident. . .

It was miniscule, but it was satisfying.


Kagami called that night.

The night seemed different than the last. That night, it was warmer and calmer, with his room that viewed the whole city lit in neon, looking as miniscule and vulnerable just as himself. Yet, the blunette had calmed himself. He felt numb, the very least. But he managed to confront a frantic friend from several miles away.

"Yes, I am fine," he said a tad monotonously, "I'll meet with the rest of my family soon, don't worry."

"I mean, I could visit. . ."

Tetsuya smiled toward the suggestion, "That sounds nice but I am busy now." He imagined the disappointment in Kagami's face, and though he too felt the same, he wasn't really up to increase the morose he had been shouldering already. "I'll meet you when I get there."

"When?"

"Weekend."

Kagami sputtered, "T-The funeral?! You're not attending?!"

A groan escaped his lips, "I'll try. . . I guess. . ."

He closed the line real quick, perhaps it was for the good. He was close to being in tears and he didn't want to feel rather weak anymore. Not when the past two days had been rather eventful.

He felt the heavy tension building, and he lied down to ease the burden. What about the funeral? He had no idea. It was tomorrow, but Seijuurou had planned a few days ahead instead of tomorrow.

What an asshole.

Speaking of asshole, said Seijuurou had suddenly called him around this time ― when he had snuggled warmly on his bed, and was about to doze off. It was 2AM, what else could he want in such an ungodly hour?

Still, the blunette dressed himself lightly with a flannel and slacks before dashing to the top of the third tower. The redhead was still propped at his usual seat, viewing the city from the wide windows. He looked like a rather fine man if he wouldn't have to open his mouth to speak, and Tetsuya actually found himself admiring over the chiseled contours of his face, the way his multi-coloured eyes catching every details of the city from afar, observing, prowling. . .

"Akashi. . ." He called out.

"Master."

"Akashi."

The redhead spun his chair, eyes daunting yet a sliver of a smile crossed his face. "Still stubborn, I see."

"It's not even a week."

There was no point arguing. Not that the redhead seemed dissatisfied with his lack of obedience and his lashing blue eyes. Rather, there was an air of amusement surrounding him. Tetsuya was wondering if it was best to stay invisible.

"Your suit is on the table, by the way?"

"Suit ―?" The blunette tilted his head, "But I tore ―"

"It was a new one, and you better not rip it in pieces this time."

He chuckled and turned around. "That's all, you may go rest for now. . . Especially since it had been rather eventful lately, right?"

Tetsuya scoffed, "I wonder whose fault was it. . ." But he too had responded the redhead with a smile, as he approached the coffee table with a black box situated right near the clear vase. "Oh well, good night. . . Akashi."

The blunette fled as quick as he would have to arrive here. The redhead shrugged, he was about to ask the blunette to come and sit down for a glass of fine wine (yeah, he knew Tetsuya was underage but still. . .).

He caught himself staring toward the traces of his shadows, the smug smile remained a memory now. It was brief and small, but present to irk his feelings. Meant to be, anyway.

Seijuurou laughed, a full body laughter causing him to rack his shoulders. Nobody had ever, ever feigned such an attitude toward him just how Tetsuya would. At least, the people who were aware of his position.

The smile was clear, and pallid blue striking like lightning remained in the depths of his mind.

Tetsuya was could be an interesting sidekick, indeed.

"I'd like to see how this one turns out to be. . ."

TO BE CONTINUED


Mozu : ONE MORE SUBJECT AND I'M FREE. I AM GRADUATING, GUYS! CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT I'VE BEEN IN KNB FANDOM SINCE 2014 HAHAHAHAHA THEN I CAN FINISH LOVE ME FOR THIRTY DAYS AYYYY

-Mozu The Mochi (2016)