It was Souta who first saw the blood leading to the trail off to the left. Natsuki, by this point, was hysterical and crying, sobbing Masumi's name in a desperate attempt to draw her first and best friend back to her, back home. Eiji wildly turned his head this way and that, almost sniffing the wind in a way that must have been picked up after one too many nights in the wild and five too many knocks on the head. Satoru dropped his head down as if he had given up, and Sakura... Sakura was just standing there. Did she even care at all? Or was this just something else that couldn't be helped? Souta was the one scanning the ground. And there it was, the clue he'd been searching for: splashes of blood headed away, far away from the acceptance and safety of their group. Masumi was running away from their family. And if nothing else, Souta needed to get that across to Masumi, needed to tell Black just what he was abandoning. He needed to get across that all the Boukengers were behind him and willing to help him battle the darkness yet inside of him. As he sprinted to where the blood stopped, he admitted, if only to himself, that losing Masumi to distance or to death had ceased to be acceptable a long time ago. There are some people who you just can't do without.
It was Eiji who finally found him. Souta almost wanted to hate him for it, because he was the one who needed to see Masumi. He was the one who needed to get BoukenBlack in his arms and make sure he would stay there. They had come so far since the beginning, and though he'd been loath to admit it before, Black had become his closest teammate. Natsuki was cute and sweet and he would do anything to protect her, but he couldn't understand her and needed Masumi for translation more often than not. Sakura-nee-san, Chief, and Eiji... they were above him. He used to think of them as idols representing all that was good about SGS, but he knew they were as human as he. Didn't make approaching or talking to them any easier. He and Sakura made a hell of a team and he could see that team's persistence was softening her shell but he still felt young under her gaze. If he ever tried to talk to Chief, he left with the sudden rush of desire for treasure hunting and a new devotion to their cause. Usually, he had no idea how the conversation had turned that way, but most things did with Chief. And Eiji, well, Souta figured the only one who could have a real talk with Eiji without getting a vegetable stuffed down their throat was Chief. Or Masumi, though he'd probably stuff Masumi's mouth just because, his mind whispered as he finally caught up to where the Watcher was frozen to the ground. Following his gaze, Souta knew why. It was a gruesome sight, Masumi's body strewn carelessly on the ground where he'd collapsed. BoukenBlack's suit hadn't been able to withstand a sword slowly being forced into his body and, demorphed as he was, his black shirt did little to hide where he'd been all but skewered. Souta shook his head slowly, stumbling forward several steps before regaining his feet and flying to the former (not-so-former, his mind insisted) BoukenBlack, only dimly registering Eiji racing behind him. Natsuki crested the small rise just as the two men dropped to their knees. He numbly looked at Eiji, his brain having short-circuited and refused to process the given data. The color had drained from Eiji's face, which sported the same crushed expression Souta knew graced his own. Souta had never taken their rivalry seriously, after all, he and Masumi had started out on the same page. Even while Eiji snarked and baited, the Boukengers were all he had left of a family and Masumi played an integral role as someone he could easily (joyfully) fight with and at the same time trust implicitly at his back. Souta refocused on them as Masumi coughed weakly, more blood squeezing out to water the parched ground, and stubbornly refused to entertain the idea of not walking in to the common room to find vegetables flying in another one of their spirited arguments.
It was Natsuki who lifted him up and held him with his back against her chest, while Souta cradled his head and fought to keep Masumi's eyes focused on him (focused on anything at all). A dreadful blankness had settled across his expression. Souta couldn't, wouldn't accept it and give up. It almost seemed like there was no Masumi left; blood soaked the ground he sat on, leeched its way onto Souta's pants and through to his skin, but it was the lack of the fight and the spirit that had led him to the Precious first on their first mission together and had forced him to accept a spot on the adventuring team so as to prove himself better than the leader, to just prove himself... Souta could not see that fire now. Natsuki cried into the junction between Masumi's neck and shoulder as his head was manipulated far too easily in Souta's hands. Oh, Natsuki... Didn't Masumi see that she needed him? She had grown so much in the past year, coming to terms with her past and purpose, learning to stand on her own, but none of that took away the need she had for Masumi and his love. Souta couldn't really remember his first friend, the memories blurred and faded when he tried to wade through them, but for a minute he could imagine being in Natsuki's position. She stood to lose the person who understood her best and stood by her through the worst... but really, all he needed to know was that she stood to lose Masumi, and then he understood.
It was Sakura-nee-san who field dressed Masumi's wound. Eiji had fled and dragged her and Chief to them right after Masumi coughed, and Souta had been so focused on Masumi that when Sakura gracelessly collapsed to her knees next to him he jerked in surprise. While Souta tried to coax Masumi to speak, while Natsuki supported Masumi like he'd always supported her and Eiji frantically applied pressure to the wound and Chief floundered behind them, Sakura unclasped several pouches on her jacket, pulling out various lengths of gauze, tape, a trauma pad, KwikClot, and a bottle of antiseptic solution like you would find in a field kit. Souta focused on her for two seconds, blinked, and turned his attention back to Masumi. Of course Sakura had a whole emergency kit stashed throughout her pockets. It was Sakura. Souta was shocked she hadn't secreted an armory along as well. Her thin hands seemed to be flying as she unwound gauze in one hand, sprinkled KwikClot on the wound, and slapped the trauma pad over the bloody gash. If Souta took time to notice, however, he could feel the almost minute shakes traveling up and down her body next to him. He knew Sakura better than to think she didn't care, or that the shaking was the aftereffect of adrenaline. The team were the most important people to her, and Masumi had joined him in holding the annoying younger brother(/puppy) role that had been empty for so much of her life. He'd never noticed before how much Masumi and Natsuki and Eiji joining the team had helped her grow into her role with them and helped her accept their care. If Masumi died, Natsuki wouldn't be the same. Souta couldn't be sure he'd stick around with the gaping raw wound that his absence would leave. Eiji would stay for Chief and Chief would always be where the adventures were, but... their days as an adventuring team would be over. Right now, Sakura fought to hold her family together as she fought to keep Masumi's blood from spilling over her fingers.
It was Chief who told Eiji to call Aider and then helped Souta lift Black, who already had blood soaking through the bandages. Souta didn't want to say he'd been uselessly standing behind the group next to Eiji, who'd been evicted from his place by Sakura, but, well, he would anyway. Chief seemed stunned and not at all sure what to do, and that frightened Souta as much as the blood soaking under his nails. Natsuki and Sakura were too focused on Masumi, but Souta did periodic sweeps of their position (call it what you will, he was still alive for a reason) and every time he came back to Chief, the man was in the same heartbroken, defeated (lost) position. He knew that Chief would probably be flashing back to Masaki and Kyoko, and struggling to reconcile his image of Masumi as a younger brother and an almost-apprentice with the beaten down, injured man before him. When Sakura sat back on her heels and said she'd done as much as she could, her voice served as the catalyst for waking him back up again. His words to Eiji were the first spoken in very long minutes and they fell like rusted nails to the dirt but his strength didn't falter when he knelt and supported Masumi's left side. Souta kept a steady stream of meaningless whispers going, even while he knew Masumi was beyond hearing by now; his eyes were still open and in Souta's direction, so he took it as a plus. He settled on the floor of Aider and put Masumi's head in his lap while Natsuki knelt on one side and Sakura checked over her handiwork on the other. Chief sat next to Eiji and maintained an air of confidence and control that Souta knew was an act - you can't fool us, Chief, we're your team - but what could any of them do now but pretend? Pretend and pray?
It was the harsh artificial light that eventually dragged Masumi out of his comfortable sea of Black and back to painful reality. He drew a sharp breath in, only to have that air and more pour forcefully out of him in a series of harsh coughs that succeeded in waking up the body dozing next to his bed. Souta's head jerked up from its spot right below Masumi's fingers and his eyes zeroed in and latched on to Masumi's wandering ones. Calmly assessing the situation, he filled a water glass from the small table next to the bed and helped Masumi drink. The fact that Masumi, their renegade BoukenBlack accepted help without fuss said more than words could have.
Souta replaced the glass on the table and focused again on his teammate; Masumi refused to meet his eyes, so Souta leaned one elbow on the bed and lifted one hand to place on top of the other's head. At the contact, Masumi's eyes darted to his before a mask of indifference dropped like a curtain over his features.
"We found your jacket and morpher where you left them," Souta began slowly. For all his projected calm, he felt as much at sea as his friend. "No one knew what to do, but... I saw the blood. As soon as I pointed it out, everyone splintered off to take a different possible path. Eiji found you -"
At this, Masumi's lips twitched and Souta broke off. It was a few seconds before Masumi slowly opened his mouth.
"Of course it was him." The words felt weird in his mouth, as though it were filled with cotton balls. "He would make things as difficult as possible for me."
"What exactly were you planning to do with a hole in your gut?" Souta questioned sharply. Too sharply, for he saw Masumi wince and begin to pull back, to gather his worn armor around himself. "Masumi, please." His teammate stilled but didn't look up. "Please, just tell me why you were leaving. You were the one who saved us, you defeated Yaiba, why did you try to leave us?" Souta searched the other's face almost desperately but Masumi still refused to meet his eyes. "I don't -"
"I..." Masumi cut him off but then seemed unable to find the words. "I need... to find my light. A Boukenger is someone who upholds - who fights for the good bigger than themselves. I've lost it." Stripped of any pride or anger, he sounded like a lost child. But then, Souta supposed that between abusive gangs and growing up on the streets he'd never really bee a child to begin with.
He leaned forward again thoughtfully, his hand still resting soothingly on Masumi's head. Masumi stared at the opposite wall forlornly, his eyes taking in Natsuki passed out on the couch. Souta nodded, seemingly to himself.
"It's funny, because I used to be a professional at finding things." He smiled when Masumi turned confused eyes on him. "And the more I searched, the more I realized that I had something of my own I needed to find. Ever since then, I've been hunting for that."
A wise nod, while Masumi blinked at him.
"And Natsuki, I don't really have to tell you about her, do I? When her parents sent her back, she was supposed to look for a way to protect Earth. After her memories were lost, she devoted herself to reclaiming them. Your own mind's a nasty labyrinth, so if she can beat that, I'm betting she can lead us true along other paths."
Masumi seemed to realize what he was going for, but Souta plowed ahead before he could interrupt.
"Sakura, she's trained for this type of thing, right? She's damn scary when she gets into her element, so at least there will be a good head in the group."
"What group -" Souta blithely ignored him.
"Chief... well, it's Chief. The man has treasure hunting in his blood, he'd be more than happy to tag along on this hunt. And Eiji doesn't know anything else! He's born and bred, literally, to hunt and track."
"Souta, please, what are you saying." Souta took pity on him because of the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that he could count on one hand (one finger) the amount of times Masumi had said 'please' to him.
"All I'm saying is this: you've got the best treasure hunting group right here, ready to do anything for you." His eyes softened as he saw Masumi blink furiously and moved his hand to pet his hair, calming him. Masumi would have gutted him if he weren't high as a kite on painkillers, too drugged out to notice he should take offense. "Between the six of us, finding the goodness in you..." he shook his head, grinning, "the job's almost completed before it's begun."
Masumi shook his head violently and sniffed. Waiting patiently until eyes tentatively rose to meet his, Souta smiled encouragingly.
"It might take awhile," Masumi choked out. "I feel dirty, even now. Dark and unclean." Souta's expression didn't change.
"I think we'll find you sooner than you think."
Owari~
A/N: So, I saw Yami no Yaiba slowly stabbing him in the third to last episode, and I was like, that's gotta hurt. And then they didn't go anywhere with it! I picked up their slack no worries. I hope I didn't make Masumi too OOC or passive, but between being drugged and just realizing he might be somewhat evil, I had the idea he was somewhat in shock. I've had this story in my head for a long time, and I might have tried to do too much on my first foray into Boukenger but I needed it out there. Hope everyone enjoyed!