Hidden and Silent (SpyxFamily)

Chapter Three

Brook was gone.

Yuri returned to chaotic running in the halls as, agents privy to knowledge of the labs, dashed around fulfilling their superior's orders. A telepath had escaped, and with her, national secrets that must stay secret.

When Yuri reported to the higher-ups, they assigned him to join the hunt for Subject 001.

Apparently, they'd been infiltrated. Someone got in as an SSS agent and released her. They'd blended in perfectly and was only noticed when spotted on the security cameras. They had been careful to hide their face.

Yuri sighed as he finished up some paperwork about the lab they'd taken down.

He had dealt with Brook before. And she'd been a pain. He had a feeling this time wasn't going to be any different.

—————

The Forgers would take care of it, they told him.

If Demetrius' didn't already know about Operation Strix, he'd find it strange they'd help to this extent. They said they would deal with Donovan themselves, and that a kid like Demetrius shouldn't get involved.

A kid. They'd called him a kid and he'd laughed. He hadn't been a kid for a while, but who was he to argue? If they wanted to do this themselves, why not take advantage? He could help from the sidelines.

The Forgers offered their home to him until Donovan was no longer a problem, at which point, Demetrius would go and live with his mother. They would keep him updated on their new mission and instructed him to just lay low. Go to school. Do your homework, etc, etc. Don't to anything stupid.

As if. Demetrius had survived this long, he wasn't about to mess it up now.

He pulled out of the memory and looked to Damian.

Demetrius didn't know what possessed him to walk Damian to school that morning. Eden College was a good walk away and they had to leave early to make it on time. His little brother wasn't all for it, but frankly, Demetrius didn't care.

A couple mornings ago, Mr. Forger had called the school to explain what happened and they all took a day off yesterday. Anya skipped today as well due to a fake fever that Twilight fed the school. So, they went without her. Twilight offered to drive them but Demetrius decided they were going to walk.

Demetrius, himself, rather enjoyed it. He was oddly relaxed and walking outside without his father, without someone to keep tabs on him was a new, freeing experience.

Despite Demetrius' consistent impeccable behaviour, his father never did trust him. It was a big factor to why Demetrius had never lived in the school's dorm, but rather at home.

'He was cut off years ago.'

Damian's thoughts reached Demetrius and the earlier conversation was recalled. Damian had asked about the director and his relation with the Forgers. Anya's parents were stingy with the details and claimed the director, Anya's uncle, was disowned from the family. Mr. Forger played it very well.

However, Damian was far from appeased and constantly thought on it. He knew something was off. Like why the director thought it was a good idea to kidnap his own family member when she or her family could rat him out. He had run an illegal experimentation lab, it was just stupid.

Damian also had more questions about their father, but was hesitant to ask them. The evidence was stacked against Donovan, and yet Damian clung to a denial that dwindled little by little. It was hard for him to process, and harder to accept.

It fascinated Demetrius in a twisted way. How Damian still carried hope, however small, that their father wasn't that terrible. That there was a chance he actually cared for his sons.

Demetrius once thought that way as well. That being cold was just his father's personality, and that deep down he did care for Demetrius.

That is until he started going to school. It was there he gradually learned that not all fathers were like that and it seemed that the other students were not used by their families the way Demetrius was. Which made sense, as he was specifically told he was special. That he'd be used for great things. But his father, apparently, was just as cold to him as it appeared.

And so it fascinated him. Damian, who'd lived a very different life, who'd been told the truth of their father, hadn't completely shed his delusions and had trouble even seeing that he needed to.

That was okay, Demetrius thought.

He would rip them off for him.

————-

This was odd.

Weird.

The past couple days, a little jarring.

Damian was spending quantifiable time with Demetrius. More than a few minutes. They spoke little more than in the past, and somehow it was different. Their words seemed to carry more, said more, meant more.

It was as if Damian had gained a new family member. That was just how little they'd interacted and knew about each other. He thought getting to know Demetrius might be a good thing, but right now. . .

"Demetrius." Damian said grumpily. "Why are we walking to school?" Damian dragged his feet while his brother seemed lighter than usual. "It's too early for this." Damian was used to getting up at seven every morning, but he was feeling particularly sluggish.

"It's just for today." Demetrius said and had the nerve to chuckle.

Damian didn't know brothers could be so cheerfully annoying.

. . . Cheerful. . .Damian didn't think he'd ever use that word to describe Demetrius. His brother was in a good mood.

Damian had to admit that besides the too bright sun, his tired eyes, and his body pulling him to go back to bed, he liked walking with his brother. He could recognize Demetrius' effort to spend time with Damian.

Though, it would have been better literally any other time of the day. He thought crankily.

It was strange. Walking with him. If someone had asked him just two days ago if Demetrius and Damian got along, he would've said. . .well, he would have lied and said yes. That would be such a bad look for the family if he said no. But in his head he would.

And yet, here Demetrius was, walking him to school like they'd done this every morning, like they hadn't been distant their whole lives, like Demetrius' attitude towards Damian had been. . .a lie. . .was it? What was with Demetrius's new found interest in Damian?

It was confusing.

Demetrius made about as much sense as several puzzles trying to fit into one picture.

"Careful." Demetrius grabbed his backpack and pulled him away from the sidewalk's edge. Damian hadn't noticed he'd strayed. "You'll get run over and die." Demetrius said flatly.

A car drove past a couple seconds later as if to emphasize.

They said nothing else for the rest of the walk and made their way to the elementary division. Demetrius left him there and went off to his own division.

Damian felt mentally whiplashed from the last couple days as he walked through the school doors.