ᴍɪssɪɴɢ || ʙᴀᴋᴜɢᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟷𝟻

• This chapter begins with a series of flashbacks. I will tell you when we are back in present time. •

Date: March 19, XXXX
Time: 2:49 a.m.
Location: Slums of Tokyo

Droplets of chilled water fall in freezing sheets, swallowing you and your vision whole as you slowly make your way towards the exit of the dark alleyway. It is nearly impossible to tell where you are going at this late hour, the rain not helping in the dark of night. Each of your steps are accompanied by a 'slosh' and icy water seeping into your boots to drench your feet. Your patrol was miserable enough without wet socks, now it is unbearable.

Your internal suffering is multiplied as you step into a particularly deep puddle that rises over your foot to your ankle. Grimacing at the cold feeling that encompasses your toes, you tug at your leg until it is free, but mud coats the foot of your boot in a thick layer. Gross. And just what you needed right now, too. Groaning in self pity and fruitlessly attempting to kick the mud off of your favorite combat boots, you decide that this is the worst patrol ever and you'd rather be suffering through one of Toshinori's lectures than be out in the rain another minute.

First, the villains you were chasing, after catching them robbing a jewelry store, got away. You tripped and smacked your face into a goddamn lamppost, taking a moment too long to recover and they escaped as you nursed your bleeding nose. Then, the downpour started, freezing spring rain drenching you from head to toe and leaving your teeth chattering, but at least the icy droplets washed away the blood on your face. And, after that, you realized that while chasing those villains, you got yourself lost. You have no clue where you are and the rain is making it hard to see where you are going. Leading to your current predicament, wandering cluelessly through the slums of Tokyo in an attempt to find a landmark or building you recognize.

Broken glass, scattered gravel, and muddy puddles litter the ground as you stumble out of the alley and into the open street. Of course, in this part of the city there aren't any working streetlights, all of them are broken or stopped functioning years ago. So, you blink the rain from your eyes as best you can, trying to adjust to your surroundings.

That's when your eyes land on the figure standing directly in front of you.

Only feet away, a tall, male figure leans against the broken lamppost with his arms crossed over his muscled chest. His stance appears open and relaxed on the surface, but you see the way his muscles tighten and his shoulders drawback at the sight of you. Despite the hood covering his facial features, you feel his eyes run over your form to study you, he doesn't seem to find you threatening as he slumps against the pole once more.

"You're not a villain," A low voice pipes in, deep and masculine as he clicks his tongue in your direction.

You attempt to assess the strange man in front of you, trying to find anything about him that could be familiar. If he's a hero, he's not one you recognize. "No, I'm not," You answer back softly, voice almost being drowned out by the pounding rain. You shift your weight onto your back foot and cross your arms to mimic his stance.

You can practically feel the male across from you frown, not being able to see his face due to the hood masking his features much like your's. And, silence quickly falls like the sheets of rain around the two of you, locked in a staring contest where neither of you can tell if the other blinks. The male makes no effort to move or say anything else as the tension in the air grows by the minute.

Who is he?

Why is he here?

And, why does his gaze feel so judgmental?

"Can I help you?" You question, having a gut feeling that the mysterious man wants to say something, but makes no attempt to voice his concerns.

The aura across from you becomes annoyed at the sound of your voice and the figure uncrosses his arms, straightening his posture so he stands at his full height. He is much taller than you, and the hooded figure only has to take two steps to close the distance between the two of you. So now, you have to crane your neck upward just to glare at his shadowed face.