Devil From The Heavens

Chapter 30: Control

There was a stunned silence that the old man's decapitation. Broly closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The air in his cell wasn't stagnate but there was a quality that is lost when you were imprisoned. It was intoxicating. The quiet stretched long as they waited for him. The Saiyan blinked a few times before he held up a bloody hand.

In his palm was that hated red eye. He crushed it and ground his fingers against his palm with such force he half expected diamonds to form. With a quick flash of his ki, the organ was gone. If he never saw one again, it'd be too soon.

"Hmm, no more of that..."

A shaking hand offered him a glass of water. He grabbed it and swallowed its contents in one swig. If fresh air was intoxicating, the cool liquid was practically divine. If they poisoned him, he'd glass the place before he died. He tossed the cup aside where it was caught by a surprised shinobi.

He cleared his throat and raised his hands. The last thing he wanted now was more violence. That could wait for Madara. Now he just wanted food, rest, and...to help. It was almost shameful how much the old man had gotten to him. He'd felt a fraction himself of what he'd done to so many. He felt what it was to simply be in his presence. The spillage of blood had lost its allure.

But just stopping wouldn't be enough for Hagoromo. He wouldn't hear the end of it if he didn't go an extra step.

"I won't kill anyone provided they don't try anything like that." He made a point to look at the old man's head before he changed his focus to the blond woman. She looked in charge and she was one of the only ones around worth a damn. "I'm an open book; anything to fuck with Madara's plans."

They were on edge even as some minor relief seemed to pass through them. Distance was maintained however.

He dropped his hands. "I'll-" His words were caught when he spotted her. He could never claim to read her but she was wearing her heart on her sleeve here; she didn't expect him to ever be walking again. It was like the woman saw a ghost. He moved; nothing else mattered right now.

The shinobi in his way, even the ones that seemed to have supported the dead man, gave him a wide berth. With no one in front of him, he dropped his stoic facade and his breaths turned ragged. With every breath, it felt like knives stabbed his chest. He shouldn't be up. Every swing of his arms, every step he took, his nerves lit up with fire.

He pushed himself. He wouldn't go back to sleep not until she was safe.

'I am the fire itself.'


Behind him, the Root laid down their weapons as the seals on their tongues disappeared. Without Danzo, there was no purpose for them, no reason to continue their coup. Tsunade wave her ninja forward and they restrained the traitorous shinobi. They avoided Broly like the plague.

They'd get what information they could from them, use them for labor, and see about reversing their brainwashing. It was unlikely they'd be able to do such a thing given how thorough Danzo was known to be and any experts they had were all little more than blood and guts all over the village. They'd have to be executed if that was the case.

Yet more shit thrown on her plate.

"That's the first stroke of good luck I think we've had so far." Kakashi said, inadvertently contradicting her entire thought process.

"It certainly doesn't feel that way." She muttered in return as she watched Broly. It was very clear what his goal was there. A more ruthless part of her thought of holding the Akatsuki woman hostage, she was well within her right as Hokage given she was a known terrorist, but pragmatism won quickly. As injured as the man was, he could probably still cut through most of them like a hot knife through butter.

"A lot of people won't be happy that he's up and walking." The masked ninja added.

Jiraiya snorted beside him. "They can take it up with the man himself. He's not hostile; that's a win in my book."


There was a steadily growing anxiety within him as he reached her cell. Her stunned look slowly shifted to concern as it was impossible for him to hide his condition. One step in front of the other was the mantra of the day. He didn't truly believe that this would happen. He'd assumed one or both of them would be long dead by the time it did.

So there was not time to waste as far as he was concerned.

He grabbed the bars with heavy breaths. The unspoken message was simple. He gave Konan a moment to comply before he ripped the front of her cell clean off and tossed it aside. Odd colors sprinkled his vision and he was shaky on his feet. Was this the first time he saw her as a free man without bars in the way?

Konan approached him with reluctance. A reversal of their previous meeting. She reached up to his face and lightly traced around his missing eye as if to confirm his existence.

"How..?"

He gently grabbed her hand. Rough from years of training yet cool just like before. So their previous meeting was real; this was the second time he saw her without Madara or a cell interfering. He felt stupid for doubting it now. "I'm stubborn." He replied after a second.

She looked to his injured hand still wrapped in bandages. "You're in no state to be walking much less ripping stone apart." Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand. He could barely feel her through the wraps. Her admonishing tone softened considerably. "I'm sorry. This was my fault, I stopped your blasts."

He shook his head. "It's not yours; it's Madara's." He clenched his other fist and his bandages quickly ran red as the soft new skin was broken. "I'll make sure he knows that before this is all over."

She didn't look convinced but no argument came. "What do you plan to do now?"

Broly gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he let go. "Make amends." He waved the Leaf shinobi over and then gestured for her to follow him with a quick tilt of his head.

"Even after one of them tried to enslave you once more?"

A scowl flashed on his face before he closed his eye and let out a long sigh. They were taking what he assumed was the old man's supporters away.

"Something tells me that was a surprise for almost everyone involved. I won't hold it against them."

"They were going to let you die after they were done with you." She muttered weakly. Even after all the devastation she had helped to cause against the Leaf, that grudge, weak and fragile as it was now, still stood within her.

"And I would have deserved it."

Konan felt the heat of disagreement in her chest but it was quickly extinguished. There was an exhaustion to him that she witnessed for just a moment before he erected his wall of strength. Not a physical one but one of his very spirit. She'd seen it in the bleakest moments of many a man, woman, and child. She had felt it herself before Jiraiya came along and given them a new lease on life.

She stuck close to him. There was a thin sheen of sweat over every inch of Broly's exposed skin; he wouldn't be up much longer. As the Leaf ninja approached, his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and Konan caught him.

Tsunade's medic instincts kicked in and she rushed to the collapsed man but a wall of paper prevented her approach.

"I cannot trust you to not hurt him." Konan adjusted Broly in her arms. The man was growing pale. "I've heard what you planned to do with him."

"I'm a medic first, Konan. You know this, I would never willfully hurt a patient." The Hokage held out her arm to prevent anyone coming close. This was a delicate situation and Konan could fly away at any moment. "I've heard the talks of my men too but I assure that was never my plan. I know Broly is innocent here. Just a tool for Madara."

"What assurances do I have of that?" She replied, her voice gaining an edge of anger. Broly felt colder. "You Leaf ninja play at heroes but you're just as treacherous as any other that waged their battles in my lands."

Tsunade grit her teeth as she wracked her brain. Broly was her responsibility as a medical-nin. Secondary to that, he was potentially valuable source of information against Madara; they couldn't let him go.

"I have nothing I can offer you there, I'll admit that, but we're not in a position to debate, are we? If you don't let me help him, he'll die."

Agonizing moments passed without response from Konan. The former Akatsuki wanted to just fly away and avoid putting their lives in the hands of an angry, grieving village but she knew he wouldn't want that. He made that clear. And, true to Tsunade's words, his condition was rapidly deteriorating.

The wall dropped.

The next six hours were a whirlwind for the former Akatsuki. After a brief standoff that had the Hokage broke with ear splitting commands, they quickly moved Broly over to a proper station for further medical assistance not long after and, after most of a day, he was back in a bed. Tsunade said that most patients wake up after several days from these operations but she couldn't be sure with him anymore. Konan believed the woman.

While there was a tentative trust with the Sannin for now, she was still adverse to the Leaf Village as a whole and had chosen to isolate herself to Broly's room. The Hokage had requested not long after her self imposed exile that she remain out of sight for now as they were keeping both of their existences secret for now. The civilians wouldn't understand the circumstances and rightfully so. How do you explain something like this when normal shinobi matters were already above their heads?

So Konan waited. She glanced at the rations brought to her by the Hokage's assistant, Shizune. Eating was a good idea, keep up her strength, but the pit within her made that a near impossible task.

This wasn't a new situation for her anyways. The amount of times Nagato and Yahiko were hospitalized in their youth was too many to count. She had her own fair share of visits as well. It was almost mundane given how often it happened. So why was she so much more anxious now? She was all but assured by Tsunade that he was fine now.

The question ate away at her. So much so that she barely noticed someone sitting next to her. It was the Hyuga woman that she had fought alongside.

"Hinata, right?"

The Hyuga gave her a small smile. "You got it. Konan?"

A nod. "You got it." Konan noted a certain blond missing. "Is Naruto-?"

Hinata's smile faded and she sagged noticeably. "He's still unconscious. Tsunade forced me out of his room and told me to get some fresh air and eat. She won't let me back in until I do so."

"So you came here?"

"Yeah, I...I can't eat. The anxiety is too much." Her eyes gazed at the man on the bed. "So I decided to check on him too. We did go through a lot to save him after all."

Konan sighed, knowing exactly what the Hyuga was going through, and grabbed the rations. "There's no point in letting yourself waste away. Not with what's coming." Hinata glanced down at the offered ration, unsure what to make of it at first, before tentatively grabbing one.

They ate in silence for a few minutes with Konan encouraging the other woman to eat whenever she noticed a pause. The act was laborious as her own anxiety made eating completely unpalatable but she pressed on for Hinata's sake.

"Thank you."

"None are necessary. How are your injuries?"

She touched at her neck. "I'm stiff but Lady Tsunade removed the brace this morning and said I'd make a full recovery thankfully."

Konan was actually surprised by that prognosis especially after hearing what caused said injury. "Your Hokage seemingly works miracles."

A beaming smile in response. "She's considered the greatest medic nin in history for a reason."

Silence fell on them for a few minutes after that. Konan welcomed it. She was never a talkative person and the relative peace after all the commotion was a reprieve. Though it was clear that the quiet was not for a lack of effort on the other woman's part as she opened her mouth slightly only to close it reluctantly a few times.

"I understand Tsunade is no longer willing to imprison you."

Konan nodded. "Anything to avoid hostilities with him it seems."

"Will you two stay then? To help us out?"

"I will need to return to my village soon but you have my assurances that Amegakure will help spearhead any operations against Madara." The former Akatsuki leaned her head against the wall behind her.

"What he will do is up to him."


It was dark when Broly woke up. Hours had passed since he passed out. The aches were dull but he felt leagues better than earlier. With a quiet groan, the Saiyan pushed himself into a sitting position. The only noise in the tent was the steady beep of the machines around him. This was a different place than the cell he woke up in but that was all he could tell otherwise.

There was a dark shape in the corner but he paid it no mind. All he knew was that he needed to move. There was a distinct lack of feeling within him; something was missing. Sheets were tossed aside and the Saiyan stood. After a quick game of 'pull whatever is not supposed to be attached to him', he quietly made his way out of the tent.

It was beautiful night with the crescent moon on full display and a smattering of clouds. If he were anyone else, it would've been cold what with just being in a hospital gown but his ki kept him comfortable. He took flight.

No thoughts passed through him. He just immersed himself in the feeling of the wind passing him by. The village below was little more than a speck of dust.

It was only then that he felt truly isolated. Only then that he was allowed to realize what was happening.

"Hagoromo...you can come out now."

The only sounds were the passing breeze and his own beating heart. Moments passed into seconds. Seconds into minutes where he floated with bated breath. Breaths quickened as the reality crept on him.

"O-old," He cleared his throat of the lump within it and barked out. "Old man, don't fuck with me! Come out now!" His voice shook as he forced the words out. He brought a fist to his teeth and bit down as if the pain would distract him. No response.

Hagoromo was gone. Just like that. Fresh blood dripped down his arm.

Why? Why the old man? He was the one getting his ass kicked, the one taking the hits, the one that wanted it. So why was Hagoromo the one to bite it? He didn't deserve it. And that question fell heavy on him. He could hardly stay afloat. It didn't make sense.

Why did he care? Why did it hurt?

"You weren't supposed t-to die." He seethed with a quaking voice as unwanted tears welled up in his eyes. "You were supposed to stick with me! W-watch me kill Madara! Waste your stupid planet for fucking with me like you did." The last words were little more than weak mutters.

'I love you.'

The words stabbed at his chest and his eyes grew hot again. It was a fresh, new agony.

Those were the old man's last words to him. His own father never said that and he didn't know how the fuck to feel about that. Hagoromo was responsible for this whole shit show and he wanted to hate the sage for it. At the same time, to his very core, Broly didn't doubt any of what he said one bit. The man was sincere to a fault.

It was...in the end, it was nice. It felt good to have him around. He could trust Hagoromo. Some tears escaped despite his best efforts as he brought his knees to his chest. Damn it, this was so confusing. Things were supposed to be easier now; the hard part was done!

"Broly?"

Quiet the voice came but it slammed into his ears like a hammer. When did she get here? He hurriedly wiped at his eyes as he straightened himself out. He refused to look weak in front of anyone, much less her.

His voice was measured, even, but there was an instability underneath the surface. His composure was barely there; why did she have to be here now? "What are you doing up here?"

"I was in the tent with you when you flew away. When you did not come back after some time, I grew...worried."

He glanced at her over his shoulder, his raw, red eyes almost shone in the moonlight. "You should have stayed down there." The anger slipped through and she recoiled. A cold flood of shame washed over him and he twisted back around. His final words were meek. "I'm s-..I was on my way back down."

Silence followed. He was almost sure she'd left but a hand wrapped around his instead. The act caught the Saiyan by surprise. He tried to pull away but her grip tightened. Any more strength in his attempts nad he might cause an injury. He didn't want to hurt her. She met his eyes with a resolute gaze.

"You don't need to suffer alone. I'm here."

"I-" The words were caught in his throat as he couldn't keep himself together any longer. Whatever walls he had fell and tears fell freely from his eyes. Konan wrapped her arms around him. It was awkward, something she had not done much of, but it was enough. He did the same in return.

"He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. I don't hear him anymore."


Author's Notes

Oh man, I had a good thing going with this chapter for the first half and it just ground to a halt by the end. I find these heavier ones so much harder to write.

Probably not as exciting as the last chapter would have you believe but that's coming in the future.

No review responses now because this chapter is late as it is.

Ent out.