Archive of Our Own ^beta

The day began to turn out well. Sun rised above horizon, shining calmly. Today Tanizaki had one day free since his class went on a trip and he didn't. Most likely even no one cared about it. His younger sister rushed off to school as soon as the sun rose, not wanting to be late. He used to be punctual as well, so he could relate to that.

A few days ago the policemans showed in front of their doors with a note about their parents' death in car crash. They asked if he was old enough to take guard of his younger sister. Well, he lied about that because he was afraid that he was not going to see her anymore. Fortunately, they gave them some time to show at police station to sign some documents. After they left, Tanizaki was afraid that this message would shock his sister, so for her safety, he didn't told her yet. Still, because his face went pale white, he gave Naomi quite a scare.

Now he had one day left.

After that, they were going to find out his lie and take them under the custody of foster family.

He couldn't let that happen.

They had to run away somehow.

That's why he headed to the Great Bank in Yokohama. 

Their parents had there some yens on their account. He could just pray that it wasn't deleted right after their death, and if so, they will give him it. It should have been enough for a train or plane, but what after...?

Tanizaki hoped to find a job. Job, which will help him live through that two years. Later, he could become a legal guardian, and things will get easier.

He prayed for it.

Luckily, when he found himself inside Great Bank of Yokohama, there wasn't a crowd around. He found one desk free and made his way towards the worker sitting there. She appeared to be a friendly young woman, likely in her early thirties.

"Hello, my name is Ai, and I'm Great Bank's worker. How can I assist you today?" she greeted him with a pleasant tone.

Tanizaki took a deep breath, trying to hide his nervousness, and scratched the back of his head. "Hi, actually I was wondering if I could be able to withdraw money from my parents' account? If so, how ..."

Just as he was speaking, the sound of a loud door being pushed open interrupted him. He turned around to see four men wearing animal masks entering the bank, causing panic among the customers and workers. Tanizaki froze in fear. 

"Everyone, put your hands up where we can see them!" one of the masked men commanded.

It felt like a scene from a movie he had watched at the cinema. People were screaming, and the sound of gunshots filled the air. When Tanizaki turned back around, he noticed a trail of blood on the desk.

Her name was Ai, and she was a Great Bank's worker. 

What did she do wrong ? She went to work, and she smiled nicely. Was that illegal?

"Hey, you, carrot"

A harsh voice called out, and Tanizaki turned to face an angry gaze from someone wearing a dragon mask.

"Are you listening carrot? Get uder the wall or I will make you to remember this day very very long!" the masked man threatened.

Without unable to say a word, Tanizaki obediently moved to sit with the other terrified hostages. He had to survive this for his own sake. For his sister's sake.

"Don't dare to move!"

A gremlin in a lion mask warned, chuckling slightly. God, this day had taken an unexpected turn, and Tanizaki had no plan. How would police workers explain to Naomi that everyone had abandoned her and she had to go live with strangers? It wouldn't end well for her. He had made a promise to himself that he would protect her. So, think, Tanizaki, think!

He watched with open mouth as man in dragon mask was putting money to two sport bags while the one in monkey mask was watching rest of alive staff. 

Panicking, he didn't realized some snow flakes fell gently on his head. Something forced him to do two steps and turn around.

Wait, is that him there curled next to wall? Did he died and now he -as a spirit- was free?! When did he got shot...?

Tanizaki looked around but it seemed that no one had noticed him. Yes, he could escape like that! He turned around and made his way towards the doors. They were a bit heavy, but still manageable to open. As he reached for the handle, a rush of thoughts flooded his mind. What about the other hostages he left behind? Should he go and report to the police? Or should he stay with them? Before he could make a decision, a loud noise pierced the air, causing his ears to buzz. Was that...?

"Did you hear that? That's the alarm! We need to hurry before the police gets here!"

Said the person in the monkey mask to the one in the dragon mask.

"Don't worry, we've only got a few minutes. Focus up and stick to the plan!"

Oh, did he accidentally turn on alarm? Did they saw him?! Panic surged through him as he quickly returned to his previous spot, where his copy was sitting, founding somehow gun on the floor. But then, he tripped over his untied shoelace. The person in the lion mask looked up.

 "Hey, what's that noise? What's happening?"

Perhaps they assumed it was just a security guard in the area, as none of the hostages made a move. Tanizaki, still clutching the gun, managed to get back on his feet, accidentally shooting one of the bandits who fell unconscious to the floor.

"This can't be happening! Everything was meticulously planned!! That must be one of those hostages!!!"

Shouted the person in the lion mask, freezing in place and turning towards them. He noticed the blink of fear in the eyes of the people who had unknowingly stumbled into this dangerous situation. They were terrified that they might lose their lives because of one robber's death. Tanizaki closed his eyes and held in his breath.

 "It must be the cops! We've walked into a trap, we need to move fast!"

Someone said to his relief. But it didn't last long.

Then he heard two voices:

"Grab those bags and let's get out of here, this is the end of our welcome at the bank!"

"Fire at the back, let's go!"

No! They will escape before they will got caught. Tanizaki grabbed gun and looked down at it, wondering how to use it like before by accident. He relied on his instincts.

Multiple yellow lines sliced through the air. He witnessed one of the robbers yelping and clutching his leg as he fell to the ground. Blood splattered on the marble tiles around him. His co-workers were unsure what to do at first, but soon he grabbed the bags of money and ran towards the exit, terrified. The sound of police sirens seemed to be getting closer. The gun slipped from Tanizaki's hands and he slowly realized that the snow had stopped falling. He let out a tired, heavy breath and closed his eyes.

What was that odd feeling that didn't let him breath normally? Wait, why his hand was wet? Is that... blood? When he got shot?

As he struggled to stay conscious, black dots danced across his vision. Then, he saw a pair of boots that looked familiar.

"Naomi...? I'm sorry... I should've..."

Tanizaki spoken weakly. Soon he drifted into unconsciousness.

-☆-☆-☆-

When he woke up he found himslef on soft bed, in dark but comfortable room. Was he in hospital? Before he could start questioning his surroundings, someone in dark hair showed in his view.

"Hello sleppyhead. How are you feeling?"

Her voice was calm and friendly. Her attire seemed quite official. Was she a nurse here? 

"Uhh... a bit sore... what happened?"

"We found you unconscious during an armed bank robbery. As we later check footage, your ability saved you from getting hurt more"

Oh... oh! Memories slowly resurfaced. So he was in Great Bank of Yokohama wanting to withdraw some cash... Naomi! His sister! He jumped up into a sitting position, but immediately regretted it. There was fear in his eyes and worry in his voice.

"H-how long I was out...?"

"About half a day. Is something wrong?"

"M-my younger sister! She probably came from school by now! I need to go!"

Tanizaki exclaimed ready to jump off the bed, but someone gently hand stopped him.

"Not so fast! You just woke up. I can ask someone from the agency to bring her here."

"A-agency?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you, right. Agency took you in before hospital could. I think you would have more problems there. Besides, president wanted to talk with you"

Tanizaki stared blankly at the ceiling as he sank back into the pillows. That meant he was safe for the time being. But what if they found out they were minors and decided to place them in a foster family? He had to come up with a plan quickly! Without hesitation and to his own surprise, he gave Yosano their home address. She nodded in understanding.

"Thank you for trusting us. Don't worry about the details, we've already taken care of it."

What did she mean by that? He watched as she left the room, leaving him alone. He had heard many good things about the agency. Maybe... just maybe, they would really help them. Before his sister arrived at the ADA office, he drifted into a light sleep.