Chapter Text
The door creaked open to reveal a small, shaking child in the corner of the cold room. He had silver hair cut in crooked bangs, and was curled up with his knees to his chest. Fyodor took a closer look and noticed bruises covering his arms and legs. There was a darker bruise around his ankle, one that implied being chained up.
Fyodor took a step closer to the boy, holding out his hand like a sign of peace. The boy pushed himself against the wall, tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes.
“Please don’t hurt me… I didn’t do anything wrong I swear!” The boy whimpered quietly, shielding his face with his hands. Fyodor’s expression morphed into worry.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to talk.” Fyodor said, cautiously, slowly taking a step closer to the boy. The boy tried to make himself smaller, curling his knees to right under his chin.
Fyodor then moved closer, the boy flinched on reflex, but instead of hitting him like the boy expected, Fyodor sat down a few feet away, making sure not to invade his space. He let his hands dangle loosely by his sides, so the boy could see them at all times.
“I’m Fyodor.” Akio’s eyes widened in surprise. Fyodor ignored him and continued. “I don’t want to hurt you, little one, um. I’m sorry, but what is your name?”
The boy opened his mouth to respond but Akio beat him to it.
“He doesn’t have a name. The people who dropped him off called him number 78 and so do we.” Akio took a step towards Fyodor. “And you have violated numerous laws including identity theft. I’m going to need you to leave immediately, and forget everything you just saw.”
Fyodor stood up swifty. “Do I need to remind you of the laws you have broken by very obviously abusing a child? Both psychologically and physically, may I add. This child is not safe in your care.”
“I will have you arrested!” Akio yelled. The boy started to cry softly, and Fyodor’s attention immediately turned to him. His top priority was making sure that the boy was safe. Fyodor crouched down next to him, careful not to touch the crying boy.
“Shhh, it will be alright. Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here.” The boy calmed down a bit, tear streaks prominent on his face.
“Did you not hear me!” Akio screamed. “I will have you arrested for trespassing!” Fyodor turned to him with a deadly look in his eyes.
“You will let me out of this building with the child, or I will murder anyone and everyone you hold dear,” Fyodor threatened. Akio shrunk back in fear.
“You won’t get out of here! The police, they’ll arrest you!” Akio was still screaming, but there was a look of fear on his face. Fyodor moved closer to him, eyes dimming.
“You type of people disgust me, making a child surfer in a cage in the dark. You do not deserve this, you deserve far worse, but at least a horrid man like you will not be walking the face of the Earth anymore.”
Akio looked confused for a mere second.
Fyodor walked past Akio, his hand touching the man's face for just a second. There was a moment of silence, before Akio’s forehead blew open like a bullet wound with no gun. Blood splatter on Fyodor's face, and some on the boy’s grey clothing. (Gosh that escalated quicker than Fyodor anticipated)
Fyodor looked back at the boy, whose expression was wide with shock, and fear. Fyodor took a step towards him, but the boy backed away.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” The boy scrambled back until he was right against the wall. Even then he tried to get farther away, pushing into the wall.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” Fyodor repeated, carefully lifting a hand in the boy's direction. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
The boy stared at the body on the ground, whole through his forehead.
“You killed him,” he whispered, voice shaking. He was trembling.
“He deserved to die.” Fyodor answered simply. The boy shook his head, still trembling, but he stood up straighter.
“No one deserves to die.” Said the boy. Fyodor smiled a little at the boy. He was so innocent, unknowing of the world of red and murder.
“Sometimes, it’s better for people to be gone.” Said Fyodor gently. “That man abused you for years. Don’t tell me you don’t hate him.”
“Of course I hate him.” Said the boy, disgust laced in his every word. “I despise him. I.. I hate everything he’s done to me.”
“Then focus on that. Come on, we need to get out of here before they call the police .” Fyodor said, as he walked out of the room. With no other option, The boy followed a step behind him.
Fyodor came to a halt as he stared at the two corridors in front of him. He didn’t know which way he had come from, or how to get out. The boy pointed at the hall to the left, and Fyodor turned to it.
The boy led the two through the twisting halls of the orphanage. Soon, they arrived at the creepy entrance that Fyodor had arrived through.
“This way.” Said the boy. “I know a way out where know one will see us.” He led them down a separate hall and through a door that led to just outside the gate.
“How did you know about this passage?” Fyodor asked.
“I used to try and sneak out through it.” The fact he was punished for it was left unsaid, but Fyodor knew. “I stopped doing it after a while, and they forgot it even existed.
Fyodor looked at the boy’s thin frame. “Are you hungry?”
----------
Number 78 sat down across from the stranger named Fyodor. There was a plate of sushi in front of them, which number 78 had yet to touch.
“W- Why did you come get me?” He asked. The question had been bothering him for the past half hour.
“Why did you come with me when I had just murdered someone in front of you?” Fyodor answered his question with another question. Infuriating.
“You first.” Said number 78.
“Well, I had overheard a conversation between two of the caretakers. They were talking about a special child in an orphanage.” Fyodor responded, taking one of the sushi from where it lay in between them with his chopsticks, previously untouched.
Number 78 looked surprised. “Special?” Shibusawa had called him special sometimes. “What does that even mean?”
“Well, another term for special is Unnatural. Have you ever heard of it… Number 78?” Fyodor asked.
Number 78 in fact had. It was in one of his favorite books in the orphanage Tales of the Unnaturals by Atsushi Nakajima.
“I’m an Unnatural?” He asked. “How? What’s my special ability?” Number 78 was full of questions.
“I’m not sure what your ability is yet, but we will figure it out.”
“Why? Why…” Why what? 78 questioned. His mind was jumbled, so much had happened, and though he had tons of questions, he just couldn’t put it straight. “Why do you care?” Was what 78 settled with.
“I can’t just leave a child to be abused.” Said Fyodor, a sad, knowing(?) smile on his face.
“Really?” Asked 78 wonderous expression on his face.
“That’s right.” Said Fyodor, smiling at the boy. Number 78 could feel tears pricking his eyes. It’s truly shocking how overwhelming it is to know that someone cares about you for the first time. “It’s alright, let it out.” Fyodor said kindly.
Number 78 began to cry, hot tears streaming down his face. He held his face in his hands, the tears making his sleeves wet. Fyodor looked at the boy with a bittersweet expression on his face.
Number 78 sat crying for a few minutes. He cried for being free. He cried for the man- Akio, who may have been bad, but no one deserves to die. And he cried for this kind man who saved him. After a while, the cries started to fade into hiccups.
“I came with you because you were the only person who asked my name.” Said number 78 finally. A look of surprise crossed Fyodor’s face, not expecting that response to his question.
“What do you mean by that?” He asked.
“Before, no one ever asked my name. You were the first. The first to actually care.” Number 78’s voice seemed small. Fyodor looked sadly at 78.
“I’m sorry I had to be the first.” He said quietly, so only 78 could hear. 78 smiled. It wasn’t a big smile, but it was real.
“Thank you.” 78 was truly grateful for everything Fyodor had done.
Fyodor leaned back a little. He pointed to the untouched sushi on 78’s plate. “Eat.” He said firmly. Number 78 complied.
The sushi was delicious, unlike anything 78 had eaten before. Number 78 looked up at the man, his eyes widening, maybe even sparkling.
Fyodor smiled as he watched 78 finally start eating. After 78 finished his 5th piece, Fyodor stopped him.
“So, they call you 78?” Fyodor asked. 78 nodded. That was the name that he had been given when he was young, the caretakers claiming that that was what the people who dropped him off called him.
Fyodor shook his head. “That is a terrible name. You need a new one. Are there any names that you like?”
78 thought about everything he liked, but his mind kept returning to the sushi in front of him. Not thinking of any other names, he blurted it out.
“I like sushi.” He said. Fyodor looked at him, a look of disappointment on his face.
“Sushi is not a name.” He said. 78 thought for a minute before finally speaking.
“How about Atsushi?” Asked number 78. It was the name of the author he had most admired, telling stories about Unnaturals who went on dangerous adventures all around the world. Unnaturals like him. (and it also had the word sushi in it, but Fyodor didn’t comment on that part)
“Atsushi. That’s a good name.” Fyodor said, smiling.
78… Atsushi. Atsushi smiled back.
The two continued eating their sushi in silence.