Title:Help (Part 4)
Pairings:ShoxAiba, Jun
Genre:Fluff, Preschool AU, Angst, Friendship
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Word Count:1958
Summary:Even the teachers refused to listen, so he had to do something about it.
 

The man and Masaki were suddenly out of sight once they turned a corner a few blocks from where Masaki stood. For a second, he didn’t move. He had no idea what just happened, who that man was, and what he had to do with Masaki. But he remembered the look of fear in his friend’s eyes and he knew right away what to do. Ignoring the laughing children, he ran towards the building and screamed for help.

Two teachers came running out of their office, looking as worried as he was. “What happened?” One of them asked as she bent on her knees to face him. “Did you get hurt?”

“No... My friend, some-someone took him away!”

“Who?!”

Sho explained how his friend was taken away by a man dressed in nothing but black. He even imitated Masaki’s fear with his eyes, but he knew he didn’t have to go that far since the women were already on their feet. As soon as the three of them made it outside, however, the women stopped.

“The gates are closed, Sakurai-kun. No one can get in unless we receive a phone call.”

“But I saw that man drag him!” He yelled as he pointed towards the street across from the school. “He looked so scary! I didn’t know what to do!”

He was clearly panicking as he anxiously jumped up and down for attention, but the teachers didn’t seem to react to his witnessing as if it didn’t bother them. He kept looking at the street, then at them back and forth for some time and they barely moved an inch. It wasn’t until one of the teachers bent down again to face him and smiled.

“I’m sure it was just your imagination, Sakurai-kun. It’s--”

“But I saw it!” He roared loudly causing the other children around him to gasp. “We all saw it with our own eyes. Am I right?” When he made a quick glance over his shoulder, no one responded. “Tell her you saw him get dragged!”

Again, not one of them responded as if they had never witnessed it.

“It’s ok, Sakurai-kun. Not everyone sees what you see.”

“But I--”

The woman cut him off as she stood up and cupped . “Come on in everybody! Playtime is over!”

Once again, Sho was unable to convince them how real Masaki and how he might be in danger. If they only listened, then they could rescue him before something bad happen, but they treated him like he was a joke. Everything he had said in his short life was nothing but the truth, and why can’t anyone see that?! Just because he was a kid, that doesn’t give them the right to treat him like a silly ball.

He grumbled angrily as he crossed his arms against his chest. “Fine. Then I’ll save him myself.”

When the teachers had their backs facing him, Sho ran for it. It was a good thing that there were many kids so the teachers couldn’t see him, but it was also a hinder. As he ran past them, most looked dazed and some moved slow like a snail. Nevertheless, he was still able to get out of the crowd and found that he was standing in front of the parking lot again.

“Think,” He mumbled to himself. “How did Masaki get out of here so fast?”

Not only had Masaki disappeared once, but twice and Sho had no idea how he can be so fast at it. Did he dig underground somewhere here? Or did he fly? No, that was impossible. Masaki was completely human and if he was a superhuman, all hands down to him. Then he remembered on the day that he became friends with Masaki. The boy tried, in many attempts to run from him, to the forest-like area where the parking lot ends. Was there a secret passage that I don’t know of?

He silently crept towards that area and occasionally glanced back just in case a teacher found out he was missing. Right when he heard a distinct voice, he fell back and landed on something soft.

“What--”

It was nothing but grass, pure green grass that he wondered how it can grow with such limited sunlight. As he got up and cleaned himself of dirt, he can now see how it grew so well. Resting by the cold wall was a green pail that was halfway filled with water. But Sho noticed something else and saw vague letters written on the plastic substance. It must have been written using a stick or something with a sharp and pointy end since the letters looked like they were engraved into the plastic.

“Ma...” He began as he moved closer to get a better look. “...Sa...Ki... Masaki... Masaki!”

This was his pail! So he has been here a lot then?...

Sho shook his head of his thoughts since it distracted him from his main goal. Right before he proceeded though, he grabbed a handful of water and splashed it evenly onto the bed of grass. “Grow well,” He whispered.

There was indeed a secret passageway that Masaki might have used since who knows how long. It was just a hole through a steel fence with a bunch of green leaves and bushes surrounding it so it wasn’t noticeable, but it just tested him of his physical abilities. He had to tear through everything, but carefully so he didn’t expose Masaki’s secret area, and pushed away anything that dared to scratch his skin. When he finally made it out however, he felt something wet and thick trickle down his chin. He thought that it was just sweat, but boy was he wrong.

It was blood. Red blood and there were lots of it. He seriously thought that nothing had touched him and he even made sure, but the blood on his hands showed him differently. But he couldn’t allow himself to faint because of it. Masaki was in much more a danger than he was, and besides, it was just a small scratch... right?

He ran, ignoring the blood that trickled down to the corner of his lips. As soon as he made it across the street in front of the preschool, he saw that everyone was looking for him. And right when someone spotted him, he ran as fast as he can to where he had seen Masaki and that man disappear to.

“Where are you?!” He yelled, hoping that Masaki will respond somehow. Masaki might not hear him though since his voice was still so small. “Masaki, where are you?!”

Just as he was about to call out for Masaki again, however, he fell to the floor. “Kid,” He hears a man from behind him grumble. “Aren’t you supposed to be in preschool?”

He turned around, refusing to get up from the floor. In front of him was a man who dressed in a find business suit like his dad. Except he looked much younger and his thick eyebrows looked funny.

“Yes...” He whimpered, afraid that the man will bring him back to that building full of cold people. “... But my friend... Someone took him.”

“Some-- What’s his name?”

Sho almost sighed in relief, glad that the man didn’t bring him back to school. “Masaki...”

“Ma-- Oh...”

“Oh?” Sho repeated, his head tilting to the side in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If you’re looking for you friend, it’s best you come with me.”

“But I’m not allowed to speak to strangers!” He told him, immediately backing away when the man offered a hand. “Mom said I should never follow anyone around!”

“Relax,” The man laughed. “I’m not a stranger. I’m from the Child Care Services, and I take care of children like you.”

“Then...” Sho glanced to the left before looking at the man again. “Then you gotta help me with my friend! I think he’s in danger!”

The man nodded. “I think so too. I’m Matsumoto Jun, and who might you be.”

Sho swatted his hand away and stood up in a hurry. “Introductions later. Masaki, now.”

The man looked at him with amusement, but Sho ignored it. Even if he is a stranger or not, he needed someone to help him save Masaki from that big and scary man. But before that, he let the man go first since he sounded like he knew who Masaki was. And as soon as they stopped in front of a house that looks close to falling down any minute, Sho took a step forward; he stopped when he heard shouts coming from the ruin.

Startled, he ran behind the man’s leg and grabbed his dress pants. “Wh-What’s going on there?”

“I can’t explain. But if you want to save your friend... are you sure you’re ready to see what you’re about to see?”

He looked up. “It’s nothing scary, is it?”

“To everyone, it is.”

That was all the man said before he took a step forward until the both of them were standing in front of a faded door. It had so many cracks on it that Sho couldn’t count all of them in one sitting.

“Are you ready?”

He nodded his head eagerly. As long as he gets to save Masaki, he’s prepared for anything.

“Here goes...”

The man pushed the doorbell button and the screaming suddenly stopped. It was as if the bell was a lifesaver or something like that.

The front door suddenly opened and out came a man dressed in the same black clothing he had seen earlier. When he saw his face, he knew immediately why Masaki was scared.

“Wha-- Oh, it’s you,” The man snarled as if the Child Care Services man’s presence was unpleasant. “There’s nothing going on here, Ok? Now leave or I’ll--”

“You can’t call the police on me,” The man in front of Sho said cooly in a way that made Sho’s body shiver. “Let me see Masaki.”

“No. He’s not--”

Sho ignored the grumpy man and ran inside the house. He managed to dodge the scary man’s hand and he swore he heard the good-looking man laughing under his breath. He continued running around like that until he came to a stop. His eyes widened in horror as his mouth dropped open.

Just a few inches from his feet was a disfigured little boy, shivering and trembling so hard on the floor. His eyes were staring back at him now, looking more terrified than ever. And his face... he could barely recognize him. Though besides the boy, a green box laid untouched. He knew right away who it was.

“Masaki!” He yelled as he lunged forward and grabbed his friend. “Are you ok?! What happened?!”

Behind him, two sets of footsteps ran towards him. He recognized the soft ones as the good-looking mans, and the loud and thundering ones belonged to the scary man. “Don’t you touch--”

“I think you’re coming with us today, Aiba-san,” He hears the good-looking man say. “I’ve already seen enough of this.”

“I--”

“Take it to the court.”

With that said, the both of them disappeared while he remained besides Masaki. He could hear him breathing hard through his damaged nose and through his partly opened mouth. Out of impulse Sho began to cry. It was his first time to ever come across something like this and he thought he was prepared to see it. He obviously wasn’t.

“I’m sorry Masaki,” He sobbed as he rocked his friend back and forth. “I should have done something sooner...”

“It’s ok.”

He almost jumped back in surprise, but it was just the thick-eyebrowed man. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he cried even more.

TBC