YEAR ONE 8/8 Congruity
Love is the most powerful emotion, and that makes it the most dangerous. ~Sara Lance, 'Arrow'
Tadashi Yamaguchi watches the crow stir from where he's perched on a downed tree. Tsukki did get him pretty good, he muses.
By the time he'd gotten back on his feet, the ibis had already knocked the dark haired sentry out. It's been a good couple minutes, but he's finally coming around. The sentry's brow scrunches up as his dark eyes slide open with confusion.
"Iwaizumi, right?" Tadashi asks with a small smile.
The crow looks up at him with puzzlement before memory dawns. He jerks only to look down at his bound hands with shock. He tugs at the bindings on his hands and feet, his wings straining against the ropes that pin his wings shut.
"It's no use. Akaashi works with Bokuto on the docks and he's scary good at knots. Tsukki picked up a few tricks from him and not even Hinata can escape his ties." Tadashi grins and the crow looks back up at him quizzically.
"Hinata?"
"Yeah, the shrimp volunteered to let him practice the knots. He'd been being annoying all day, so Tsukki just left him there once he'd finished. It was hilarious… Hinata was almost hysterical by the time Kageyama returned an hour later— he was fine as soon as he was released, but your prince was livid the whole rest of the day. It put Tsukki in probably one of the best moods I've ever seen." He says with a laugh. The crow watches him balefully from his place on the ground and Tadashi's head tilts.
"For being a sentry like they are, you kind of surprised us." He murmurs. Iwaizumi looks away.
"What, not as good at slinking away from responsibility?" He mutters peevishly. Tadashi huffs lightly in amusement.
"No, not as smart." The crow's eyes snap to his face with dark insult.
"Excuse me?" He growls and Tadashi smiles benignly.
"For all your training, you seem to miss critical details when you can least afford to. We might not be sentries like you or the other Karasuno guys, but you seem to forget: we've been with the majority of that former unit for more than six months, the redhead and your heir over a year. It's foolish on your part to assume they've been in any way idle; they still run through all their combat drills every morning together expressly for an event like this— and so do we. We aren't as skilled in hand to hand, but you underestimate what we've picked up in that time.
"And since we shelter a fugitive prince and his unit, we are all in a perpetual state of paranoia; as such, we are exceptionally attentive. You nearly tripped twice on the uneven path out of town, which means you aren't used to wandering tougher terrain on foot. Your wings were also pulled at too high an angle, indicating how nervous you were— especially after we left Sheru Bay behind. We even knew you were following before we stopped last night. Because we're always on edge, we notice everything.
"And these things… the rest of Kageyama's unit would never have failed to take them into account. Everyone, even Noya and Tanaka with as impulsive as they can get, can all focus when the situation calls for it. If things get serious, they consider all facets, studying every side before making a decision, no matter how pressed or quickly they must do so.
"Perhaps 'not as smart' wasn't the right way to say it. 'Not as sharp' might be a better description."
The crow glares at him a moment more before straining at the ropes once again, trying to right himself. Tadashi sighs softly.
"It will be simpler if you don't do that. Tsukki will be back any moment anyway."
"My captors are child murderers, and you expect me not to struggle?" Iwaizumi growls and Tadashi blinks before laughing again.
"Child murderers… wow. Tsukki isn't very friendly, and he's hard to get along with for most people, but I will let you in on a little secret. No matter how much he tells himself he hates kids, he can't stand when they get hurt or upset. He hates it so much that he will do almost anything to fix whatever's wrong. That little girl is fine; she never took the feather, he let her have it. He was serious when he said you'll never find her again, but not because she's dead." He says, his smile withering just a bit.
"He said it that way, because your life is in question. It will depend on whatever call Kageyama and Kuroo make. I'd peg Kuroo as the one more likely to deliver a bleak verdict, but… you are from the rookery. Kageyama is actually pretty conflict averse in general— even if you attack him head on, he doesn't usually get that violent. You take after something he cares about, though, and all bets are off. He's entirely liable to go on a hardline offensive, and just now, he has something that he just might kill to protect. It's not a good day to represent the entity that threatens that."
The sentry crow looks up from wrestling with the rope around his hands with surprise, his mouth dropping open.
"What?"
The freckled crow's eyebrow raises at the befuddled expression in the other's dark eyes.
"Wait… you mean you don't even know why they left—"
"Yamaguchi." Tadashi jolts and turns with a smile as the ibis drops back beside him.
"Tsukki! That was quick."
"I said watch him, not make friends." The blond says disdainfully, dropping beside him as Kuroo and Lev slip through the undergrowth.
"Sorry, Tsukki. But I learned something. The reason they left apparently isn't common knowledge."
"That's because you're dealing with the Grand King. He's a master at revealing half-truths." Kuroo says darkly, sizing up the bound crow who stares back at both felines a little dumbstruck.
"Skies. She wasn't kidding. They're freaking cats."
"That reaction never gets old. Just wait, it gets even better." Lev grins, his green eyes bright.
Kuroo bends beside the tense avian and unties the crow's feet. Tossing the rope to Tsukishima, he hauls the other man into a sitting position.
"Here's the deal, rookery rat. You can either walk under your own power, or we'll drag you. The choice is yours." He says frostily, his mismatched gaze piercing.
Iwaizumi glares back before rocking himself onto his knees and precariously climbing to his feet, the movement stilted and awkward with his hands and wings still tied. Once he has his balance, he glowers back at the black cat as if daring him to show his back and lead the way.
But Tadashi can tell, Kuroo isn't affected. As he turns and heads back down the path without another word, everyone falls in silently behind him, the bound sentry flanked on either side. The black cat's frozen expression is intimidating, the creases around his eyes and the slight downturn of his mouth promising retribution if his words are ignored. Kuroo is rarely ever this serious and it's a dead giveaway for the freckled crow that he will tolerate nothing out of line right now.
The only sounds that echo in Tadashi's ears are the footsteps of their captive and the waves that crash in the remote background. The sentry's steps are harsh, the grind of earth beneath his feet breaking in an unsteady rhythm with his balance compromised by his restricted movements. Tadashi can't help but feel like even if he wasn't tied up like he is, he could still have found him in the dark by his footsteps alone.
It only takes another ten minutes at a brisk pace and one pause when the sentry trips a third time, before they are breaking through the trees and onto the sun washed beach beside their home. Kenma slinks out of the trees to their side, shadowed by Suga and the freckled crow smirks. He'd wondered if he'd caught a flash of movement that indicated they'd been keeping tabs from the shadows; he imaines their silent appearance must be unnerving for their captive.
Figures materialize around them one by one as Kuroo leads the sentry around to the sand in front of the house, everyone watching with grim silence. Suga comes to stand beside Daichi, Asahi drifts closer to Noya and Tanaka, Kenma leaps up on the porch to stand beside Kiyoko and Yachi, Akaashi steps forward while Bokuto leans gingerly on the railing sporting a... bandaged shoulder?
Tadashi blinks. Ukai hadn't lied… they had apparently had some excitement this last week. He blinks and shakes his head.
Everyone is there… everyone except Hinata and Kageyama. Their captive's gaze darts around before it lands on Akaashi and stops as the dark-haired setter comes up in front of him, the sentry's pupils dilating.
"An owl? Seriously?" He manages.
"There's more than one, Iwaizumi." Noya says with a frown. "He might be a little laid up at the moment, but I promise he's not someone you want to dismiss even now." The short crow jerks a thumb toward Bokuto who watches from his place on the porch with keen interest. The injured avian throws him a predatory grin when the sentry crow looks up at him. For an instant, Tadashi can entirely believe the story about owl parl hunts.
Iwaizumi looks mildly alarmed when Kuroo forces him to his knees, Akaashi dropping in front of him and reaching for his bound hands.
"It's close, but you didn't thread this knot right, Tsukishima. The line needs to split the wrists three times, not just two." He murmurs as he fixes it before binding the sentries elbows at his sides with another rope across his back.
"You must really think a lot of me that you treat me as such a significant threat." Their captive grumbles through his tension.
"Forgive us, but sentries haven't left the best taste in our mouths— even for those of us who've been among them." Kuroo says in a brittle voice as a scowl darkens his face. Iwaizumi glares up at him before finding Tsukki with an accusatory glance.
"You said he was here, so where is he?"
"Why are you here, Iwaizumi." Kageyama says coldly from over his shoulder and Tadashi jumps. He hadn't realized the crow setter had dropped in behind them.
The kneeling sentry's head snaps toward him with wide eyes. The crow's jaw works once, twice before he manages a reply.
"Pinfeathers... you aren't dead." He croaks.
"None of us are, despite the Grand King's best efforts." Kageyama says blandly. Iwaizumi frowns and glances around.
"Where's the shrimp?"
"Asleep right now. Last night was rough."
"Don't you think this might be a legitimate reason to wake him, Feathers?" Lev asks but Kuroo sends him a silencing glance.
"Feathers' call is sound; the kid has no sense of self preservation and would probably be asking us to release this bastard already. Let him sleep."
The former heir comes to stand before the kneeling sentry, an icy flat look on his face, and Iwaizumi cocks a brow.
"Skies, you move like a cat, too." he says scornfully. Tadashi smirks because the other crow is finally noticing the difference between them.
"I'd hope so. Kuroo's the one who taught him to hunt." Noya says and for a moment, Kuroo's tension cracks.
"You were all like that at first. You might be unbeatable in close quarter combat, logically tactical and disciplined, and hardwired to follow orders to the letter— but weren't none of you that could stalk a deer and get close enough to take it down even with a ranged weapon."
Tadashi has to smile at that, because the training sessions with the black cat to heighten their awareness of movement and surroundings had been a challenge for one avian prince— probably more from personality clashes than actually learning to be silent, but a challenge nonetheless. Once they'd gotten the initial skills down, they'd had massive training games of hide and seek including all three cats to hone them. They'd been entertaining and effective and they could all be silent now if they wanted to.
"Never mind. Again, why are you here, Iwaizumi." Kageyama says, undeterred by the sidetracking remark.
"That should be obvious. I was tasked with tracking you down." He mutters with a scowl and Kageyama's head tilts.
"Congratulations 'Iwa'..." He says almost cordially before taking a slight step backward and offering a half bow to the kneeling sentry, his arms spreading out in a gesture to all the faces around them. "You've found us."
Iwaizumi glares up at him as he straightens, his face dropping into a frozen glower.
"What will you do now, Iwaizumi? Report back to my father and bring a storm of sentries down on us? Give him the chance to drag me back to the rookery to be groomed as a puppet to rule while he executes my unit and all my companions? Try as you like, but I warn you, I have exactly zero intention of returning."
Iwaizumi eyes widen and he stares up at him as if Kageyama's wings just melted.
"Zero intention… are you serious?" He asks completely shocked, and the avian prince's head cants, his gaze hollow in its intent.
"Fatally." He says in a level voice the freckled crow has never heard from him. He's heard irritation, annoyance, anger, disappointment, and even excitement and the mythical-level rare laugh… but he's never heard this leaded tone. Even if the single word didn't convey it, the sound of it alone projects the deadly serious conviction of the crow setter.
"Then I want you to swear you will never come back." He says forcefully and one of Kageyama's brows creeps up his forehead in surprise.
"After my old position now, are we Iwa?" He drawls and the bound crow frowns darkly.
"Hardly, you arrogant little—"
"You're welcome to it Iwaizumi. I will have nothing to do with the rookery and you sound like it matters to you. I couldn't care less about your motives." Kageyama says in that same level tone.
"And you'll just stay here and quietly run your little patch of misfits in this small corner of the world, right?" Iwaizumi asks skeptically.
"You're wrong on two counts, Iwaizumi. I don't lead this group and if we feel the threat of the rookery in any way, I promise we won't be here long."
"You're the heir to the rookery leadership, and you don't control these people? They're all letting you speak for them." The bound sentry points out with a glare.
"That's probably because you came for me in the first place. But out here, Kuroo runs the show; I'm just another face with no special standing. Your ultimate fate rests with him."
"You take orders from someone else now?" Iwaizumi asks scornfully.
"Better him than the Grand King."
"You've gone insane."
"Perhaps. Sanity was never so freeing, though." Kageyama says simply and Iwaizumi fixes him with a baffled gaze full of study.
"You'd really… never return?" He asks quizzically.
"Pending Kuroo's verdict, I'll swear to that if you do something for us." Kageyama says.
"What's that?" The bound crow asks, his brows drawing down in suspicion.
"Make sure we are left alone. You're supposed to be tracking us down right? Feed them false leads, downplay any too close to home, send a raven if we're in the crosshairs… or better yet, tell my father we're dead." Kageyama rattles off and Tadashi almost can't contain his surprise.
"I can't do that. I tell him you died and it surfaces that you are in fact alive, I'll lose his confidence." Iwaizumi says bluntly.
"The rest of it then. Make sure we don't end up with sentries coming down on us, and I personally swear I'll never willingly return to the rookery." Kageyama says evenly and the crow stares up at him for several moments as if considering whether or not the setter is just messing with him.
"Done." He says, his eyes fixing on Kageyama as if he expects the crow to be joking.
"Then the only thing left is to find out if you can work something out with Kuroo." Kageyama shrugs.
"And which one is Kuroo?"
"You've met him already." Kageyama says and gestures to the cat where he leans against the railing in front of Kenma and the girls, his sharp eyes watching the situation pan out with critical scrutiny. The black cat pushes off and comes to squat before the bound sentry until he's eye level with him, his expression cold and calculating.
"You sure about this, Feathers? You believe this guy isn't going to take this straight back to your old man if we turn him loose? Bokuto isn't in any condition to just pick up and move at the moment if we needed to."
"This is why I don't fight for your position— so I don't have to make decisions like this. His character aside, I don't think he will out us, but it's your call." Kageyama says blithely and Kuroo huffs with annoyance before fixing Iwaizumi with a hard look.
"It would be simpler to kill you now, but Feathers is willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. I don't like you, nor do I trust you, but if we release you and find ourselves the object of a chase, I will make you a promise of my own. If so much as one sentry comes after us, I promise you, your 'Grand King' will be the first person I target." Kuroo says darkly and Iwaizumi glares right back.
"Good luck, furball. You'd never reach him." The sentry says with a scoff.
"Not true." Kageyama says flatly.
"Your leader's office is in the large building that houses assemblies, right beside the armory and senior barracks. He has a penchant for milk bread if I remember right, and the mess hall only serves that once a month on the third Saturday, correct?"
Iwaizumi's gaze snaps to Kageyama.
"You sold rookery information and details on high ranking officials for shelter?" He barks.
"Never had to. Kuroo's been inside the rookery far more often than you'd probably like to know." Kageyama answers with a bored expression.
"You expect me to believe a cat infiltrated the rookery regularly enough to be able to ascertain the Grand King's preferences and the mess hall's schedule?" He snaps.
"Would another example help ease that doubt?" Kuroo asks cavalierly and Iwaizumi glares at him.
"How about this one. There used to be a drill sergeant who'd fall asleep on his shifts outside the south entrance of the training barracks. It was just for kicks at first, but I got to where I'd periodically glue his flight feathers together with pine sap when he'd nod off. He used to get so angry."
"Hah!? That was you? That bastard thought it was us and we got so many freaking drills for that!" Tanaka barks and a sly, dangerous grin tips the black cat's mouth, his uneven gaze never leaving Iwaizumi's face.
"That's why it was so funny." Kuroo says. The sentry crow's eye twitches.
"So you see, I've been slipping into the rookery for centuries; it would be a small task to take out one unsuspecting crow. My promise stands. We come under fire, your leader dies. Right after you. So what will it be?" The bound sentry holds his piercing gaze.
"No one will come." He says and Kuroo's head tilts.
"You sure about that?" Iwaizumi's glare turns sour with affront.
"No one will come." He reiterates, the words twisting with irritation.
"Then I suppose all we can do is wait and see if you are lying." Kuroo says, glancing toward Akaashi.
The owl kneels and deftly undoes the ropes binding the avian sentry's arms as the black cat straightens. Iwaizumi climbs to his feet warily, stretching his limbs while Akaashi works on the ropes on his wings.
"One thing, Iwaizumi." Kageyama says quietly and all eyes turn toward him. "I might personally be averse to taking up against a former ally, but if we end up in danger because of you, the blinky cat won't be your only worry."
The bound sentry scoffs wryly and shakes out his wings as the last ropes fall away.
"You really don't care what happens to all those people, do you?" He asks with disdain.
"My current concerns would prevent me from giving them the devotion they need. They have my father for that in either case." Feathers says and Iwaizumi shakes his head.
"And when he's gone? He's had two assassination attempts in the last three months."
"Fascinating." Kageyama says, looking bored.
Iwaizumi's face darkens with fury and Tadashi sucks in a soft breath when he reflexively swings at the former heir. Kageyama is phenomenal at close combat and he's calm enough that the freckled crow knows the sentry will never connect, but he doesn't even get the chance to evade as the strike is stopped midway by a small hand. Everyone stills as the small redhead that has materialized beside the avian prince looks up at Iwaizumi, his almond eyes maniacal in their deadened quality. It's only enhanced by the hints of fatigue in his face that manifest in slight shadows beneath his orbs, the smallest creases at their corners, and the slightly pale pallor of his skin.
"You aren't at home Iwaizumi. Caution would serve you well here." He says quietly.
"Hinata… you were supposed to be asleep." Kageyama murmurs.
"I was. It got too quiet." He says flatly before glancing over at Tsukki and himself. "You guys are late." He murmurs and the way he says it has the freckled crow positive that's why the grounded redhead didn't sleep last night and he wonders if Tsukki feels the same twinge of guilt he does. "Glad to see you made it back."
Tadashi's on the verge of responding when a voice he doesn't recognize reaches their ears.
"Okay, I've let the quartermaster know I won't be going back out with them this year, so we're set there."
Everyone turns as a small cat with russet ears rounds a sandy palm shrub, heading directly for the house and everyone in front of it, and Tadashi frowns in confusion.
Who was this guy?
"Also, it sounds like there was a sentry in town, so…" He trails away as his mocha eyes lock onto Iwaizumi.
"Yeah… He's not in town anymore." Tanaka says dryly. The cat's eyes skim the faces around him, lingering on his and Tsukki's before glancing up at Lev.
"I think I can place them from everything I've heard, but this one," He says with a nod at Iwaizumi, "what's a sentry doing here?"
"An old acquaintance. He was just leaving." Kageyama says in a clipped voice.
"Old acquaintance? Why would you guys know a sentry?"
"Eh... we all used to be sentries." Asahi says and the strange cat blinks.
"Seriously?"
"Well not all of us— they weren't," Noya says gesturing to himself and Tsukki, "and of course not the owls and girls either, but the rest of us, yeah."
"You're all really young to be sentries aren't you?" He asks with a frown.
"That's kind of how it works in the rookery. The best warriors are usually the ones trained from the beginning." Daichi remarks.
"Huh. And him?" The russet cat asks of Iwaizumi.
"He's going to return to the rookery and ideally, we never see him again. He will never come here again in any case. If he needs to get a message to us, his point of contact will be Ukai— preferably by raven as to avoid the chatter about a sentry being in town again." Kageyama says, and Tadashi can entirely believe that he is the son of the Grand King by the way his voice leaves no room for argument.
"I won't be able to just ping you with position updates all the time… and you can't send me notes anytime your position changes either. My getting a sudden influx of ravens or a steep increase in sending them won't go unnoticed." Iwaizumi argues.
"If something is critical for our situation, you will find a way to let us know. If that means sending a raven from outside the rookery, so be it. You will receive only the barest minimum of notifications on our movements, so messages should be sparse enough that they'll be easy to overlook. If it becomes an issue, we will work out an alternative for contacting you." Kageyama says curtly and Iwaizumi frowns darkly, but grudgingly nods all the same.
"Then we're finished, here. Don't be late on checking back in at the rookery, Iwa." Kageyama says, a touch of mockery in his voice. The sentry scoffs in annoyance, a muttered insult escaping under his breath before he turns and leaps into the air. Tadashi hears Kuroo release a drawn-out breath as he disappears beyond the tree line.
"So, what stunt did Bokuto pull that he's confined to the porch?" Tsukki drawls.
"Wow, they picked up on that quick." Lev grins as said owl scowls and Kuroo brings a hand up to rub his head.
"It's a long story."
"And the cat?" Another huff escapes the black cat and his hand shifts to the back of his neck.
"Also part of that mess." Tsukki's eyebrow climbs up his forehead.
"I see. Leaving you to your own devices for a week was a mistake."
Tadashi smothers a chuckle.
"And to think I was actually concerned about your snarky ass." Kuroo mutters. Tsukki's other eyebrow rises to meet the first, his face sporting one of his best smugly unimpressed looks.
"You are going to tell me I'm wrong? Bokuto attempts suicide, you guys attract another stray, and the net looks like you tried herding cats with it."
Tadashi fails to keep his laugh in as Kuroo's head rolls his way with an annoyed glance.
"I resent that."
A/N: So the last one before the first time lapse. I think it gets interesting from here on out, so hope you guys are ready XD
Hah. I loved the ending of this chapter. I found it irrationally funny and laughed myself stupid. I hope it's the same for you guys. Have an awesome night y'all!