The dirt road wasn't a fun experience when there were literally hundreds of rocks just waiting to get run over by worn out tires, and the bumps did nothing to help his seating arrangements. Hinata was currently positioned with his legs folded under him in the back of Tanaka's truck, the student moping at his loss. Kageyama had beaten him to the passenger's seat and he was forced to sit in the back because of the lack of seats. Now the wind was messing up his hair even further and the only thing that separated him from the other two was a small sliding window to his right. If there was any need for communication, it was always an option.
Hinata leaned back against the side of the truck, turning to watch the thinning grass disappear along the side of the road as they finally made it to asphalt. The drive was much smoother now and he adjusted himself to curl his legs in and rest his arms around his knees instead of sit up properly. He wasn't sure if sitting in the trunk was even legal, but he supposed it wouldn't matter anyway. Almost everything he did was against the law, including his new occupation.
The bomber thought back to Daichi's explanation earlier, recalling the name of their branch. Karasuno had brought up several pleasant memories from his first year of high school, ones that Hinata couldn't let go of. Karasuno was the reason why he became so transfixed on creating explosives in his spare time.
"We're almost there!" Hinata turned his head to find that Tanaka had slid the window open, his voice clear even through the wind that whipped around his ears. He only nodded before he felt the truck make a sharp turn, causing the young man to lose his balance momentarily and place his hands down to steady himself.
They were down a neighborhood now, a few decent-sized houses laid out in rows with the same colored fences surrounding their perimeters. He could tell that the residents living there were anything but poor and he found himself wondering if the gang often had jobs in places like this. He imagined city streets with run-down apartments and high crime rate were the kinds of settings they made business in. Then again, no one would suspect a middle-class neighborhood to be the area where criminals made their fortune.
Twelve houses down and one abrupt stop later, they were at their destination. It was a standard two-story home with gray walls and there were a handful of tinted windows on the second floor. A man with black hair and glasses was standing at the front door, and he greeted Tanaka with a wave and a smile when he got out of the truck. "I have the shipment you ordered inside."
The bald man nodded and signaled Kageyama to come with him. "What about me?" Hinata leaned over the edge of the trunk, watching as the two passed through the open gate.
Tanaka spared him an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, you're gonna have to sit tight. The boxes are probably too heavy for you to carry out. Besides, we need someone to watch the truck while we're gone."
Then Hinata was by himself, the short student deflating back into his original sitting position as he tucked his head down on the knees again. The outside was quiet and he looked around the houses out of curiosity. Some of the neighbors had their windows open and one car had backed out of the driveway and took off down the street. The road was wide and he felt a little exposed when he was alone in a place so hushed.
A gust of wind ruffled his shirt and he tilted his head to the side to avoid the gleam of the sun that bounced off the white truck. His boredom was short-lived, however, when he heard the door to the house open and Tanaka and Kageyama walked out with two large boxes in their arms.
Hinata rushed to open the tail gate, helping them load the shipment. Tanaka had already set the box down and was on his way to the house again, leaving Hinata and Kageyama working together to lift the load inside. The shorter one was having trouble due to his limited movement and Kageyama was pushing the box too quickly for him to handle, causing Hinata to drop his end with a curse and the force made the truck bounce slightly on its tires.
"Be more careful, dumbass," came the insult, Kageyama too apathetic at the moment to see if he smashed his fingers on accident, "You could have broken something in there." He leaned over to pull the box open and inspect the contents, only to find that Tanaka's order was a whole collection of assault rifles. They glistened a smooth black and Kageyama couldn't keep himself from staring longer than he intended.
Hinata looked over at him for a moment, feeling a little disturbed by the sparkle in his eyes and he found something just short of a smile playing on Kageyama's lips. Tanaka was coming out with another box and Hinata moved to fold the flaps and close the box once more, breaking the spell it had cast on Kageyama. He blinked once before he frowned at Hinata, pushing the box further into the truck before the other could ask any questions.
After the loading was finished, Hinata seated himself in-between the cluster of packed guns and waited for his employer to start the truck. "Thanks again for helping," Tanaka had shook hands with the one in glasses, the other only smiling sheepishly from the gratitude. After he went inside, Hinata opened the window and succeeded to poke his head through the gap. "Who was that?"
Tanaka revved the engine and pulled out, turning the steering wheel harshly before speeding down the road like earlier. "Takeda sometimes helps out with the business, but for the most part he keeps his nose out of it. We usually pick up our orders from Ukai's store." Tanaka shifted his eyes towards Hinata for a moment, sensing the silent question, "The blond smoker." He slowed down for a moment when he turned only to press on the gas again. "Takeda sometimes keeps stock with our items when Ukai can't, though it isn't very often. He's actually an unregistered doctor."
"He works illegally?" Kageyama asked.
"Precisely."
They were quiet again, Tanaka keeping focus on the road while Kageyama had his arms crossed against his chest. Hinata rested his chin on the edge of the small window, glad that he could at least keep the wind out of his ears for a bit. He regretted his decision five minutes later when the dirt road once again became their trail. He opted to pull his head out and close the window before he chipped a tooth.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were already hard at work setting up their equipment, their new office on the second floor of the warehouse. It was already supplied with a computer, but Tsukishima swapped it out with his own and cleared the desk to make room for the rest of his things.
Yamaguchi was under the desk on his back, connecting wires into different outlets and hooking up the supplies to get their networks online. "Tsukki, I need the flashlight, please." The ceiling lights were already on, but it didn't reach the corners of darkness that was shadowed and protected by the large desk that was pressed against the wall. His request was answered when the hacker handed him what he needed, the green-haired male giving his thanks before he submerged himself under the desk once more.
Half an hour later, and they had finished setting everything up. Four monitors and a laptop were spaced out evenly on the desk's surface, the screens currently dark from lack of power. An external hard drive was sitting just to the left of the farthest monitor and a headset was tucked safely into the confines of the drawer on the right, along with a handful of USBs and other input devices used for storing and recording.
"Ennoshita," Suga had brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead as he addressed the other, "come help with the load. Tanaka just came back from Takeda's with the newbies."
Ennoshita raised his head from where he was working, leaving his clipboard on top of a nearby box to take care of later. "Sure thing." He joined Suga outside and received the box that Hinata had passed him from the truck. He adjusted the burden slightly and gripped his tighter, walking slowly before he set it down by the rack of guns mounted on the wall opposite of the entrance.
He had gotten back from a job not too long ago, having returned with the money that was expected and he was satisfied that it had gone so smoothly. Jobs like those were what he did best, he wanted nothing to do with anything the rest did out in Tokyo. Threats and guns weren't really his strong suit, anyway.
The sudden screech of tires gained the attention of the members inside, Ennoshita turning around just in time to see Suga and Tanaka run in, the two newest members in tow behind them. "Everyone, get down!"
The order was drowned out by the sound of an explosion, the front entrance to the warehouse demolished by what he could only assume was an RPG. Part of the roof had collapsed and fallen, and Ennoshita was blasted back into the crates by the shock wave. Shouts, footsteps, everything was blurring together at once and he struggled to gain his bearings before he stumbled to his feet, ducking back into the crates to use them as shields for himself as he looked around for any weapon he could use.
Someone joined him, Kageyama was his name, he remembered suddenly. He was covered in debris from the roof and wall of the building, but he looked otherwise unharmed. Kageyama reached for an open crate beside him, pulling out one of the rifles that they had brought in just minutes ago. "Wait-" Ennoshita tried to stop him, but he was already setting it up on top of the crate, the black-haired member pressing his face close to the butt of the gun and taking aim.
Gunshots were fired at them and Ennoshita ducked, feeling the bullets splinter the wood behind him and he silently hoped that they wouldn't break through the other side. One shot next to him, then two, and he could vaguely hear a grunt and thud from one of the men on the other side of the warehouse.
"Dammit!" Kageyama cursed, his eyes squinting at his target. The rifle didn't have a scope attached to it, making it more difficult to see his shots clearly. "Kageyama!" He snapped his head around and found Hinata rushing in, his feet moving fast and his body lurched forward into a dive before he slid behind the crates.
"Where are the others?!" He shouted amid the noise, his body following suit as he pressed his back to the box behind him. He watched bullets spray along the wall of the warehouse, leaving dents and holes in a crooked line. He couldn't shoot carefully in this mess, especially not when a machine gun was being pointed at him.
"I don't know! I think they got stuck under the debris when the explosion happened, I don't see them anywhere!" He breathed heavily, his small frame hunched on the ground, his head next to Kageyama's leg.
Kageyama searched around the area as the other men shouted something to each other, and he suddenly spotted Daichi, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi on the second level of the warehouse, the three of them inside of the office taking cover. Daichi was armed with a gun, but he knew he couldn't use it without blowing his position and getting shot at out in the open.
Kageyama acted, pulling a handgun out from the inside of his jacket and shoving it towards Hinata. The orange-haired member only fumbled with it before steadying it in his hands. "What am I supposed to do with this?!"
"Use it, dumbass!"
"But-" He was cut off by another round of gun fire. "I don't know how to shoot!" He could hear foot steps coming closer to them and one of the men shouted for them to come out, but they remained shielded behind the crates. The others didn't move from the office either. They had to do something and do it fast.
Then Hinata remembered the weight in his pocket and something clicked. "Wait, I have an idea."
Daichi was crouched under the window of what was now Tsukishima's and Yamaguchi's work space, a sub-machine placed between his chest and hand. The other two were next to him, armed with nothing but the view of four suited men on the ground floor shooting holes in everything they could set their sights on.
Daichi had spotted movement from under the rubble of metal sheets and roofing, which he only guessed were Tanaka and Suga. They weren't outnumbered, but they were certainly at a disadvantage. He only had one weapon and he couldn't hit shit from where he was at.
"Daichi," Tsukishima's attention was trained at the crates below, his glasses gleaming from the light overhead. Daichi turned and looked, his eyes widening from disbelief.
"What are those two doing?!"
Ennoshita tried his luck with the rifle, taking what shots he could while Hinata and Kageyama prepared to move. He managed to hit one of the men in the arm and ceasing the rapid-fire bullets, giving them the opening that they needed. "Now!"
Kageyama dashed to the row of guns mounted on the wall, Hinata right behind him as he ripped an assault rifle from the rack and dashed to find cover behind a few nearby barrels. He saw Hinata grab a machine gun, which he hoped would be enough to level the playing field, before he ran back to the crates.
Kageyama inspected his gun, only to find that Ennoshita was telling the truth: all of their guns were already loaded. Hinata and he met eyes, the other waiting for his signal to go. He peeked out from behind the barrel, watching one of the men clutch his arm, blood soaking through his sleeves. The one he shot earlier was dead, that much was certain, and now only three remained a threat. Kageyama waited for a distraction, choosing the moment when the closest man looked away, the sniper giving Hinata the signal to go.
He leaped from behind the crates, his finger clutching the trigger as bullets sprayed from the muzzle and his small body sprinted past Kageyama until he found shelter behind one of the cars by the demolished entrance of the warehouse. His wild shooting had actually hit the man dressed in the pinstriped suit, his frame dropping like dead weight.
"You little shit!" The one in the middle fired his gun, but he only managed to put dents into the car. He yelled, pausing his gunfire to walk in the direction of Hinata, his attention entirely focused on the bomber behind the car. He had forgotten about Kageyama completely.
Taking his chance, Kageyama sprang from his spot and collided with the man, wrestling the machine gun from his hands until it was knocked out during the scuffle. The action had startled the other one and he raised his gun, but he couldn't fire without hitting his guy, too. Kageyama yanked the man to his feet and held him in a choke hold, his back pressed to his chest and adding as a human shield. He had lost his own gun, but he deemed it a fair trade for the position they were in now.
"Go ahead, shoot me," Kageyama baited the man holding the gun up to them, "but you'll only kill him too." His captive clawed at his arm, his mouth open in a gargled plea. He looked back at the other man, watching his body movement for any signs of firing his gun. "You have two options: leave now and live, or shoot us and die." He emphasized the ordeal by tightening his hold on the man, choking him harder. "What will it be?"
The other man only drew back and dropped his gun, the shooter taking off towards his car.
"Hinata!"
He pulled the bomb from his pocket and rushed after the man that had jumped into the driver's seat of the car. He pressed the button on the bomb and threw it, the weapon clinking and bouncing off the back windshield before it exploded, sending pieces of metal flying from the vehicle and engulfing the body in flames.
Kageyama let the man in his arms go when saliva began dripping from his mouth, the shooter coughing and doubling over on the floor to catch his breath. Daichi emerged from the second level room and ran down the stairs, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi following after in a slower pace.
He went towards the pile of debris that cluttered around the broken entrance of the warehouse, his hands digging and pulling at the pieces of metal until an opening was made. Tanaka was sprawled out on his stomach, part of his body pressed against Suga's back and his arm still wrapped around his shoulder. From the looks of it, Tanaka was momentarily knocked out, the bald man regaining his senses when light reached his face. Suga was already beginning to crawl out, his face pained.
"Are you two alright?" Daichi had pulled Tanaka to his feet first, his legs a bit unsteady from the sudden momentum. Suga took the hand offered to him and stood, hissing at the weight put on his left foot. Daichi was quick to find that his ankle had been sprained from the fall and he ordered Suga to sit down and rest.
"Luckily they didn't bother to shoot at us anymore, otherwise we'd be dead." Tanaka's comment hardly made an impact on the group, Kageyama, Hinata, and Ennoshita tending to the only two men left from the attack and Daichi was busy sending Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to take care of Suga's wound at the moment.
One of the men alive was barely holding on, his fingers clutching at the gaping wound in his arm, blood crusting under his fingernails and the rest leaked from the soil fabric of his sleeve. He whimpered occasionally, his mouth mumbling a plead. The other was just recovering from the choke hold before Kageyama had him restrained, his knee pressed against his back and his arm pulled behind him as his head was pushed the floor.
The sound of a car made them all jump, Hinata sending a frantic look to Kageyama hoping that there weren't any more men after them. He spotted a red sports car turn and skid into the dirt, the vehicle stopping just before the mark on the ground, the fire dimming into nothing but faint embers now.
A man emerged, his short stature rivaling Hinata's and his black hair spiked up in a style he hadn't seen before. The bleached tip of his bangs contrasted with his dark suit and red shirt, something that seemed a little too suffocating in the heat outside. His face was furious, his lips scowling and his eyes were locked onto the group in a fit of anger. "What the fuck happened here?!"
He made his way over, his hands in fists as if to contain the urge to swing at anything nearby. He flicked his eyes around the broken pieces of the roof, the blown up parts of the door, and the bleeding man on the ground.
"Boss." Tanaka made a step forward, moving in front to keep him from advancing any further. "We were attacked-" He cut off when the shorter man pushed him, making his way over to Kageyama's captive.
He reached down and yanked the front of the man's suit, causing Kageyama to let go and give the man up to the Boss's fury. He snarled and spit out his order. "Who do you fuckers work for?!" He shook him when he didn't speak, the Boss almost snapping his neck in the process. "Answer me!"
The beaten man only choked out a cry, his eyes blinking open rapidly. He looked both exhausted and frightened, his arms struggling to find purchase on the ground from the awkward and painful position. His mouth moved in a croaked response, his body tensing from the strain. "Aoba Johsai."
