10. The Tenth Rule

Time passes. The glow in their hands grows stronger and stronger. The power within them grows ever so faintly.

All but one.

Kouichi is the best at running, the best at using whatever advantages are right in front of them, rather than forcing them to come from nowhere. His device remains lifeless never the less.

He is a Legendary Warrior. They all know this. And yet there is nothing he can do to help. It galls. His cheers are a little less enthusiastic. He seems less willing to dodge a blow once in a while. Yet he keeps going. His eyes dig into Kouji's back, and he doesn't say what he wants to say. Though he does tell a lot of things. They all do.

Kouji never asks. He doesn't want to be with them at all.

Today, after the awkward silence and too long walks, Takuya has had enough. The talking didn't work, so what does he do? Punch him, hard in the face. Like the bullies he had chased down, like himself when he screwed up.

Kouji doesn't take this well. Kouichi even less. However, Kouichi in't close enough or strong enough to stop the fistfight that ensues. It takes Kouichi and Junpei both to drag the angry boys apart.

"What is the matter with you?" Kouji barks, squirming in Kouichi's grip.

"You!" Takuya barks. "You and your constant running away! You and you always avoiding us! You glare and glare and act all cool like you need nobody else, but we're all stuck here anyway! We left Earth and we dunno how to get back and you're still trying to be mister-tough-guy! We need to work together and get all of us some super special powers or we'll all die!"

Kouji stiffens and sees the fear, the anger, the strain, in Takuya's face. These days have been spent with Takuya being tough and strong and happy and he is trying to stay that way. "So come on! We're tough, but if we're not a team, we're useless! So quit buzzing off already!"

Kouji doesn't answer, but he doesn't dismiss him either. Instead he sits on a tree stump and watches.

This should fix things, change things, but it doesn't. Kouji is gone the next day.

Kouichi has followed him.