14 The Super drug

The door to the warehouse swings open with a loud sound echoing further inside, Ryujin sighs as he lets Ackerman follow behind him.

"You see, years ago when I was 25 years old I met a friend who had a special ability, he could manipulate people's memories and I used to think it was amazing while he constantly called it a curse. I didn't have an ability of my own so I could never really understand where he's coming from.

"I started searching for the cause of this sudden occurrence of abilities and came up empty it's all a mystery, but then I realised that I didn't really care about that what I wanted was an ability of my own, so I started paying the best scientists in the world to make that a reality."

Ryujin takes Ackerman underground to a make shift lab with people in white coats running around working tirelessly.

"You mentioned something about Kaminari blaming you for his untimely death, what's that all about?" Ackerman asks as he looks around waiting for an answer.

"Like I said, I paid the best scientists in the world to make that a reality for me. The scientists  than engineered a whole bunch of devices and drugs, but the drugs yielded more fruitful results when combined with a power egg. I'll explain that to you later.

"The first drug we called it A-cup, don't judge I named it drunk, but that was a complete failure since the subjects all died, so we went on to B-cup and it failed as well resulting in my reluctance to complete the research, as well as reluctance to drop the project."

Ryujin walks through a red door and it's full of people under quarantine, "This last drug worked but the more you use your ability the more it kills you. I finally had a break through when we studied the twins' steal and destroy ability that allows one to steal someone's ability and allows the other to destroy it.

"What we discovered is that all Supers have what we named a power egg.

"When the twins steal someone's ability they extract the power egg that looks like a small round glow that's only a centimetre small, the stronger your ability the bigger it is, and we would extract it from people who wanted to be cured of their abilities giving it to those who wanted them."

Ryujin pulls the list of people who gave up their abilities and who received it, "As you can see here some responded differently to the drug, some of these people are fine while the unfortunate ones like myself and Kaminari were slowly dying with our bodies deteriorating slowly but surely."

Ackerman stays quiet so Ryujin can keep explaining further but he already gets the basics, Kaminari is dying and now wants Yuno to fix him due to some drug and surgery that implanted an ability in him when he was born without an ability.

"Yuno is the only one who can fix this we were going to ask her to do this the right way but Kaminari got desperate. So far the other healers could only keep us alive, but Yuno cured me completely though the sacrifice for that is great, she flushed out the egg from my body."

"What was your ability?"

"Memory Manipulation, I'm not proud of what I did tricking and lying to my friend the way I did, but I used his ability to get where I am today and it hasn't been easy staying at the top without it.

"For some reason the abilities effects are wearing off and Kaminari has been working with the vigilante group to cover his tracks but I can't do that. He wants to sweep this whole mess under the rug. All those involved or who know he has been silencing one by one."

"Tachibana doesn't know anything about this."

"He's keeping Yuno from Kaminari and that's enough to set a ticking time bomb like Kaminari off."

"Have you found anyone with an ability similar to Yuno's?"

"Not yet, healers are extremely rare. Stats read a maximum of 3 in a continent, and I'm sure someone else is playing smart hogging the healer to themselves just like Tachibana."

Ackerman nods looking around the place a few more times before driving to Tachibana's new place. He knocks on the door and Yuno opens it smiling.

"Hey, come in."

The place looks spotless despite having toys here and there. Tori is playing all by himself and Ackerman can't see Tachibana.

"Where's Ken?"

"In the tub, we discovered that my ability can replenish energy and stamina which is really great and all, if to someone like Tachibana it didn't suddenly mean he doesn't have to sleep anymore."

He's been taking full advantage of that and Yuno is upset with him for not even considering the risks.

"Got anything to share?" She asks Ackerman snapping out of her day dream and giving him her undivided attention.

"Yeah, Ryujin and a bunch of higher ups are looking for you because they did some human experimentations implanting abilities into people born without, and now the fruits of their labour are rotten and coming to bite them in the asses.

"Their all dying and you're the only one who can save them. They can't go very public about this whole mess of fake Supers."

Tachibana walks into the room and Ackerman repeats everything to him.

Tachibana nods and Ackerman notices him straining to stay conscious, "Yuno?" Ackerman gives her a suspicious look as she walks away.

She walks in holding a blanket ready, "He hasn't slept in days so I took matters into my own hands, mind emailing him all this?"

"Of course, need anything before I head home?"

"No, thanks for offering."

"Anytime."

Yuno finishes up with cleaning up the place occasionally watching Tachibana sleep.

He wakes up the next day still sleeping on the couch. His eyes lock with Yuno's hovering above him to wake him up.

"Hey, I'm about to leave."

He groans sitting up. "What was that for? Do you know how many meetings I missed?"

"Honestly I could care less, why have you been avoiding Bobo?"

He deflects the question making Yuno worry.

She sighs, "Kai said he'd baby sit today when you're done with your tantrum let me know." Yuno turns on her heels to say goodbye to Tori.

"It's not a tantrum I just worry I'll never be there for him as a father, I barely have the time." 

"You make time I doubt he'd be so attached to you if you didn't." She pecks his cheek and walks over to Tori pecking his forehead.

"Is that a thing now?" Tachibana asks Yuno and she turns back confused, "I mean you kissing me before you leave." Tachibana explains.

Yuno stares back with a blank expression on her face, "You always say, what about me? When I don't, are you complaining?"

Tachibana chuckles he finds Yuno's attitude amusing, "No, I just think kisses on the cheek and forehead should be exclusively for Tori if you get what I mean." Yuno rolls her eyes walking towards the door.

Tachibana bites his bottom lip in thought and turns in Yuno's direction before she leaves the house, "The Kagawa rebuilding project is complete, please say yes to coming with me this weekend for the welcome back party for the previous residents."

Yuno nods leaving.

Tachibana sits up and stretches picking up Tori. "How about you and I go shopping?" Tori responds with a smile. Tachibana showers since Tori is already bathed and ready.

He takes the car keys making a b-line for the mall for new cloths for the baby boy since Tori is growing up too fast.

He walks into the shop and picks out Tori's outfit, "Hello sir, how may I help you?"

"I'm all good."

The female clears her throat getting Tachibana's attention. He groans in frustration the moment he lays eyes on the woman.

"Ken Tachibana has a child? Unbelievable."

"Believe it, this is Hitori." Tori giggles and Tachibana fits the shoe he's holding on Tori's small feet it's the right size but wrong colour.

"Isn't it supposed to be against company policy to sleep with your employees?"

"I fired her first."

"What's so special about this Yuno girl Tachibana?"

"That's what everyone wants to know."