Chapter 1
The silence following the sound of a ball hitting the floor was broken with an extremely loud "HEY HEY HEY".
Akaashi was already turning away to grab some water, ignoring the yells from his teammates. Only 45 seconds until Bokuto realizes I am not near him and demands more tosses. He glanced out the window of Karasuno's gym to see the sun getting low.
A heavy arm wrapped around his shoulder and Akaashi turned his chin to see gold eyes extremely close to his. 6 seconds sooner than I originally thought.
"Akaaaaashi, let's do one more game, yea? Karasuno isn't tired either!" Bokuto bounced lightly on the balls of his feet as he spoke. He tightened his arm slightly and brought his face closer. "If you toss to me for one more game, I'll go with you to that bookstore we saw on the way here". He smiled as he spoke and Akaashi smelled the spearmint gum he had been chewing, on his breath as it brushed against his face. He felt his heartbeat speed up slightly and stepped away from Bokuto.
Looking over his shoulder he saw the entire Karasuno team, except for Hinata, on the floor of the gym looking extremely winded. Nekoma's team sat against the wall. He made eye contact with Kozume, who glared at him, knowing Bokuto was most likely asking for another game. He turned back to his spiker, who was now full on jumping into the air as he waited for Akaashi to answer. "Bokuto-san, we have been playing for 7 hours straight. Why don't we let everyone rest and play a game in the morning before we head back to Tokyo."
The change was immediate. Bokuto's shoulders slumped and he started to whine. "Akaaaaaashi-"
"Hey Bo, I heard there was this really cool arcade nearby and I bet there is no way you could beat me at any of the games there."
Akaashi turned to see Kuroo walk over and sling his arm around Bokuto. "HEY HEY HEY, I can definitely beat you at all the games. Wanna bet? when can we go? we should invite everyone. HEY HEY GET OFF THE FLOOR WE'RE GOING TO AN ARCADE!" Bokuto ran over to the other side of the gym and grabbed a very annoyed Kozume. He spun him around and Akaashi swore he heard him hiss as his DS fell to the floor. "OW! Kenma bit me!" He watched as Bokuto immediately dropped Kozume and the smaller man wasted no time in grabbing his DS and curling himself into a ball behind Lev.
Akaashi let one side of his mouth tilt up before he remembered where he was. He looked at Kuroo who was staring straight at him. He arched an eyebrow made his face as indifferent as he could. People often thought he was emotionless and that was how he preferred it. After being bullied in middle school for asking his crush out to the movies, he realized quickly that: 1) people were cruel, 2) a guy asking another guy on a date was not acceptable, and 3) love is not worth the amount of pain it causes.
Kuroo looked like he was going to say something but a noise from outside the gym caught their attention. Only a few of their teammates noticed. It was a strange sound, like paper tearing and twigs snapping. It was soft and the only ones who noticed were those right in front of the open windows. Then the screams started.
Akashi immediately looked to Bokuto, who was pestering Kozume. Kozume's head snapped up as he stood, searching the gym. When his gaze found Kuroo, he dropped his DS and ran to him. Karasuno's captain immediately went to the gym doors and peeked outside. Akaashi looked towards Kuroo who was trying to calm Kozume down. "Kuro we need to leave now, I have a bad feeling about this, I want to go home, Kuro we need to-"
"DAICHI"
Akaashi turned and what happened next seemed to occur in slow motion. Like one of the action movies Bokuto forced him to watch at a sleepover the other week. Karasuno's captain fell back form the door with a creature on top of him. It was big and hairy and when it lifted its head from the fallen man's torn neck, he realized it was a wolf. As the wolf stepped off of the captains body, he realized it was a big wolf.
"DAICHI!" A man with gray hair followed by Karasuno's wild member with the shaved head immediately ran towards the wolf and the captain- Daichi. One look and Akaashi knew he was dead; the blood was leaking towards his feet but he couldn't move. He kept staring because this was Japan, and this breed of wolf didn't live here… right?
Obviously he was dreaming. He was still on the bus, probably drooling on Bokuto, something he would no doubt be teased for when he woke up. He was not looking at a dead mans body. He was not watching the same wolf charge and attack the bald volleyball player. He was not watching the one with gray hair scream and try to stop the bleeding with his hands. An arm flew across the gym and another body fell to the floor. The crazy one with the bald head. The blood had definitely reached his shoes by now. If he looked down he was sure he would see the blood rising to his ankles with how much was leaking out of the bodies on the floor. But he couldn't look down. Because the wolf looked at him. He became aware that Kozume and Kuroo were no longer at his side. He was alone. In front of an animal that killed 2 people already. It leaned back and opened its mouth. A weird sound came out. It almost looked like it was laughing but that would be impossible. He guessed he was in shock from the way he couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't hear anything except for the ringing in his ears. It lunged and everything stayed in slow motion. He knew he was going to die. But as it reached him, something else hit him hard on his side and he flew.
And then
His brain hit play.
He heard the screaming first and the loud sound of footsteps running and windows shattering. He heard the loud breathing of the person on top of him and the growl of the wolf that had skidded past them. He was on his stomach and turned his head to see Bokuto, with his forehead against Akaashi's back.
"Bokuto-san? whats happening? why is there a wolf in the middle of the gym? I don't unders-"
He cut himself off as Bokuto's head snapped up and he looked around, stopping when he spotted the wolf. It was a few feet away and Akaashi could see the hair on its spine rise. His stomach felt weird and an emotion threatened to consume him. He recognized the fear that was encompassing his body, but a second later he realized the fear wasn't for himself. As he looked up at Bokuto, who had jumped up to crouch his body over Akaashi and was keeping his eyes locked on the wolf's movements, he knew the fear was for the boy in front of him. The one stupid enough to not run out of the gym with everyone else when the animal was tearing apart the Karasuno member. His hand was moving before his brain caught up and he touched Bokuto's left bicep, felt the muscles twitch under his hand, but Bokuto never took his eyes off the wolf.
A howl came from somewhere outside the gym and the wolf's head immediately turned towards the sound. It seemed to hesitate and then with one final glance back at them, it ran out of the gym, skidding slightly from the blood on the floor.
Bokuto looked down at him and gently touched his jaw. Some of his hair had fallen and his eyes were unusually serious.
"Akaashi… we need to leave, almost everyone ran the second that thing tore into Tanaka. We need to go too before it comes back."
Bokuto jumped to his feet and grabbed Akaashi's hand, pulling him up as he stood. Akaashi looked around the gym. His eyes stopped on the gray haired man who was still hunched over the dead body. Akaashi grabbed Bokuto's hand, intertwining their fingers, and dragging him over to the crying man whose name he was desperately trying to remember.
When they stopped in front of the torn body, the other man looked up at them. Sugawara- that's his name.
"Sugawara-san. Please come with us, we need to leave immediately to find help."
Sugawara looked back down at Daichi whose eyes were open and sightless. He didn't say anything and for a moment Akaashi thought about leaving him. The thought lasted for only a moment before he banished it. Akaashi wasn't sure how to get the other man to come with them, but it was clear they couldn't stay at the school. The howl indicated that there were two wolves, possibly more, and they couldn't be stuck in a building with only one exit. He felt his hand lose warmth and broke himself out of his thoughts to see Bokuto crouch near Sugawara.
"I'm sorry this happened. He was your friend, yea? He wouldn't want you to die here with him. We need to go now and we want you to come with us. Please." Bokuto stood and held his hand out. Sugawara looked up at Bokuto and then back down at Daichi. He closed the dead mans eyes and bent to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth.
"Goodbye, my love"
Sugawara stood and wiped his face with the palms of his hands. Akaashi made sure to school his features when the gray haired man brought his hands down and looked at them. He nodded at him and then grabbed Bokuto's hand again. Bokuto wasted no time in linking their fingers and they rushed out of the gym. They passed a stack of gym bags and Akaashi snagged his as he ran by. He looked back to see Sugawara following them, but he looked dead in the eyes.
They walked through the school grounds and noticed several dead bodies and torn limbs. When they reached the gates of the school, they stood there for a moment. It was eerily quiet. The sky had turned a light pink; a warning sign that the sun was about to be gone. The pavement was painted red but Akaashi chose to ignore why that was and focused on their plan of action. Everyone had scattered when the wolf was busy attacking the Karasuno player and he didn't know if they were dead or had somehow made it past however many wolves were waiting for them on the school grounds.
A sound made them all turn their heads towards the right. An SUV was making its way slowly down the street. It pulled up in front of them and a man in a police officer uniform hopped out of the back.
"Hey, you kids know if there is anyone else still in the school building?" Akaashi shook his head and the man looked back into the truck and nodded. Two more men jumped out. They were also wearing police uniforms and they immediately went past them and into the school. The first man stopped in front of them. "Why don't you guys get in the car and wait for us. We're going to search the school and then the neighborhoods behind it to find any more survivors. Orders are to evacuate to Sendai. Everyone in the Miyagi district is evacuating there so you guys can meet up with your families when we arrive."
"We're from Tokyo. Do you have a phone we can call you parents on to let them know what happened?" Bokuto's reply seemed to shock the police officer.
"You're from Tokyo?"
"Yes, we were here for a practice match."
"I am very sorry to inform you kids this… Tokyo was hit the hardest. All major cities were attacked with great numbers and most living in the city didn't survive. If your parents were there then… it is unlikely you will see them again"
An hour later, the three men were back in the SUV. It had been dead silent since the they were told about Tokyo, but they all looked up as the man who seemed to be in charge spoke. "We couldn't find anyone. Let's circle the surrounding neighborhoods and then head out. I'll contact the other patrol."
"Hey, 'kaashi, do you think Kuroo and Kenma are alright?"
Akaashi looked over at Bokuto and opened his mouth to tell him that it was unlikely considering the amount of carnage they walked through. He stopped himself though when he met Bokuto's eyes. They were sad, not hopeful. As if he knew they were probably dead but saying the words would make it too real. He grabbed his hand and held it in between his palms, "Yes, Bokuto-san. They are very smart and fast. I am sure we will see them in Sendai."
Bokuto smiled and leaned his forehead against Akaashi's. When he ran his hand up the other mans arm he felt him flinch. He immediately leaned back to see what caused it. He looked at Bokuto's right arm and found a chunk of skin missing. He looked up but Bokuto was still staring at his arm. "The wolf got me when I tackled you… I completely forgot… it doesn't even really hurt," he looked at Akaashi and he must have seen something in his face because he gave him a small smile. "Don't worry 'kaashi, I'm okay and ill keep you safe too".
"Well fuck me. If all this hadn't happened I wouldn't have believed it."
Akaashi tore his eyes away from Bokuto to look at the men sitting towards to front of the car. Sugawara, who hadn't said a word since leaving the gym, leaned forward slightly, "what did they just say on there?" he pointed to the walkie talkie in one of their hands. The police officer who spoke turned to them.
"Those animals are fucking human. Can you believe it? We shot one and it shifted into a man! what the actual fuck!" the police officer became more hyper as he spoke, practically bouncing in his seat.
Werewolves? That's crazy. Those are for stories and B rated horror films. But if it is real then why did they attack? It seemed like an organized event from what I've heard. In all the stories I've read, werewolves are mindless animals, but the one in the gym seemed smart. They also bite peop-
Akaashi's head immediately turned to Bokuto who was still listening to the police officers talk about the possibility of werewolves. He looked down at the jagged bite mark on Bokuto's arm.
They also bite people and turn them.
