After getting dressed, Itadoru and Fushiguro leave to join their fellow students in the dining hall. As he starts down the hallway, there's a tug on Megumi's hand holding him in place. He meets his friend's gaze.

"Maybe…Maybe today?" Yuji's eyes are pleading as he squeezes the slim, pale fingers tighter in his grip.

Megumi's chin dips to his chest, his faltering gaze refusing to hold its place. Shame squeezes his chest like a vice. "Sorry," he hiccups, trying his best to hold tears back.

Immediately hugging his shoulders, Yuji whispers soothingly against Megumi's cheek. "Don't be sorry. It's fine. We won't do it until you're ready."

He clutches the front of Yuji's red hood, pulling him close and kissing him one more time. He blushes, fidgeting with one of the gold buttons between his fingers awkwardly, self conscious of his affectionate display.

Yuji only smiles, sweeping the pad of his thumb over Megumi's trembling lips. "Do you want to sleep in my bed again tonight?"

This time he gets a smile and a nod, albeit a tiny ghost of one.

When the boys round the doorway into the dining room, they're greeted by Kugisaki at the coffee station. She waves her spoon mid-stir, flicking droplets of coffee on the counter. There's a perceptive look in her eye as the boys take a deliberate step apart, though she'd never acknowledge what she knew to be true out loud. "Oh, good. You two are up. Finally." She quirks an eyebrow, making both boys avert their gaze at once. They're such big chickens. "Sensei is coming back soon. He said to make sure you stick around. We're supposed to have a meeting."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure they've got plenty to say about what happened…" Yuji sighs somberly. He's already dreading having to hear your name being dragged through the mud.

"You're looking better, Itadori. It's nice to see you had one of those ugly faces of yours removed," Kugisaki remarks. Her version of congratulations.

He takes it in stride with a nervous laugh. "Uh, y-yeah. It's still taking some getting used to. The silence, I mean." He points to his temple. "When I was possessed, he never shut up. Not even when I slept."

Looking past their teammate, Fushiguro spies a tousled mop of white hair sitting at the dining table across from Maki. Toge. He's finally awake. His breakfast looks barely touched.

He strides over, eager to check up on his friend. "Inumaki, how are you feeling? It's good to see you on your feet again."

The stoic boy doesn't turn his head to acknowledge Megumi's greeting. His eyes are focussed on the window. "Salmon…"

"Hey," Maki greets her cousin. "I heard you got to play hero on campus yesterday. Good job."

Taking a seat with them, Fushiguro looks peeved at her praise. He knows she means it, but there's nothing he did that changed much of yesterday's outcome in the end. You were alive at least. Hopefully.

Megumi covertly whispers in a low voice, "Inumaki, are you…alright?" He still has no idea what went on between you two, but can see the still-healing bite on Inumaki's lower lip. He recognizes Sukuna's handiwork. "You should get that looked at today, so it doesn't get infected."

"Tuna," Toge agrees flatly, already planning on seeing Shoko later. His eyes remain on the garden outside. Looks like a storm is blowing in with the way the wind is stirring up the trees.

"Inumaki," Megumi attempts to touch his arm to get his attention, but the older boy pulls away. The glare he shoots says 'mind your business.' He gets up from the table, feeling overcrowded by the time Yuji and Nobara sit to join them. Before Fushiguro can follow the cursed speech user, Maki stops him. "It's probably best to give him some space for a while. I've never seen him so broody before," she cautions.

Fushiguro grits his teeth. What could have happened to him? The possibilities are knotting his stomach painfully. He's familiar with Sukuna's carnal desires, his love to inflict pain for his own amusement. It breaks Megumi's heart to think Inumaki might have fallen prey to the Curse's sadistic appetites.

"He'll be fine," his cousin comforts. "I think we're all a bit out of sorts today. It happens whenever we lose someone."

It's true, Fushiguro and Kugisaki both remember the pain of their own loss when they lost Itadori. You'd made it twice as long as him before disappearing. They prepared themselves as much as they could have this time. Except Yujii, who saw no need not to fall for you right away. Fushiguro pretended he was wiser than that, but it only made him the bigger fool in the end.

After a tense breakfast with minimal conversation among one another, the students file quietly down the hallway to the meeting room for de-briefing. Inumaki and Panda already sat patiently waiting, with the boy learning his entire weight against his teammate's warm bulk. Despite how much sleep he got, he's still drained.

"Yo! How's it going," Yuji chirps, again trying to put on his most positive face.

"Salmon…"

"'Morning!" Panda's ears wiggle cheerfully. "Here's a nice surprise for a change! You're un-Cursed, aren't you, Itadori?"

The boy's fists ball up in his pockets and he tries not to sound like he's speaking behind clenched teeth. "Yup! I sure am!" He takes a seat next to Fushiguro. There's a light tap on his shoe. He taps back. Thankfully they don't have long to wait. Satoru Gojo's voice echoes from the hallway, it sounds like Nanami is with him too. The usual ring of Gojo's teasing laughter that nearly always accompanies the pair is absent however. Even stranger still, when both teachers step into the room, only Nanami is smiling. It's unsettling to see Gojo's features set so grim.

"Good morning, everyone," Nanami greets. "I hope you didn't all go too stir crazy with our security measures these past few days. Sorry about that, but it was for all of your safety."

Kugisaki scoffs, muttering under her breath, "Those of us who actually stayed locked up, anyways." Her eyes flick accusingly toward Itadori, who looks down to avoid conflict. He's trying his best to stay calm and respectful. Taking responsibility for releasing you and losing four fingers of Sukuna in the process means that he has to be cooperative with the school. For now.

"It is with great regret that I must inform all of you…Our most recently enrolled student has gone rogue." Nanami pauses to let the news that most likely isn't news sink in. No one reacts audibly, but there's some noticeable shifting in seats.

It isn't Nanami's fault he has to be the bearer of bad news. He's trying to be as empathetic as he can, considering the drastic situation. "With yesterday's…events…There are some new developments we will need to make you all aware of," Nanami continues.

Itadori fidgets, irritated already. Events? Are they hinting that Todo's intrusion wasn't a plotted attack during the lockdown? It was way too calculated and obvious. As much as Yuji respects his friend for all he's taught him to develop his cursed techniques, he knows that a Jujutsu Sorcerer has to obey their superiors above all else. Todo being no exception to the rule. Still, he's going to have to take it up with him later.

"There have been orders issued for the recapture of Ryomen Sukuna's current vessel. By any means necessary," Nanami continues. "This may prove to be especially difficult now that his form has evolved with the acquisition of additional fingers."

Megumi swallows hard. A power increase isn't the only thing that's different with Sukuna's transformation. This time it's Itadori's foot that seeks out that of the boy next to him. He gives his friend an encouraging tap and a sympathetic look.

Tell them…

Megumi tightens his jaw, giving the smallest twitch of a shake.

No.

Yuji frowns, but says nothing.

"Beginning this week, there will be surveillance teams sent into various parts of the nearest city districts to scope out anything out of the ordinary. Our sister school in Kyoto will also have recon units on the lookout. If we get any reports back of a sighting, we will most likely have all available sorcerers converge to that location to esure capture of our target before any casualties may occur," Nanami finishes reluctantly.

Gojo's chin dips in thought. He didn't truly believe that Megumi saw you leave and didn't pursue you…unless he was physically unable. He's aware his student wouldn't have been able to call forth Nue for assistance so soon after being thrashed by an opponent. Aoi Todo usurped so much of Megumi's cursed energy during their fight. Megumi must be hiding something about your escape, but his empathy prevented him from prying into the boy's loss. Gojo knew that pain. He watched the only person he ever loved become polluted until it was too late. If Satoru had been more focussed on you instead of proving his own theories to Masamichi, he would have seen what was right in front of him. It's almost ironic, him being blind to the same mistake twice, but he can't even muster a bitter smile at his stupidity. This time he feels responsible.

Gauging the pensive silence, Nanami asks, "Are there any concerns right away? I understand many of you will have reservations on this assignment. We're aware of the direness of the situation and…how difficult this is going to be for all of us."

Kugisaki, ever the blunt one to say what everyone else is thinking, is the first to ring in. "Yeah, this whole ordeal fucking stinks."

All heads turn to her.

"Would you care to rephrase that?" Nanami counters, trying to maintain the decorum of the room while still letting her express her mind.

She scoffs. "Rephrase? Uh, Sure. It's the school's fault for failing to protect its students on campus. We have a lot expected of us whenever we leave, and it's the least you can do to keep us safe here. You knew they were a high risk addition to start with when they enrolled. Now you're having us help you maintain your accountability all because your bosses were too busy deciding when they were going to have them killed. They were never interested in helping them, were they?"

Itadori clenches his jaw and inhales sharply. Leave it to Nobara to hit a nail on the head like that. Everything she said was absolutely true. Student enrollment forms include affidavits of preservation. Even Gojo's stony countenance cracks slightly. What's Nanami going to say to that?

With a gentle nod of his head, the older blonde man uncrosses his arms, taking a seat at the table. "Yes. Yes you're right, Kugisaki. What do you propose is best for our course of action?"

She frowns, furrowing her brows. "Don't patronize me."

"I'm not. I'm genuinely asking if you or anyone else has any idea of how we can protect the city from what will happen when a rogue vessel of Sukuna arrives. Because you all should know what the prospect is."

More silence from the room. Inumaki shifts in his seat. Fushiguro watches as the cursed speech user licks the healing wound on his lip. There's another tap on his foot from Yuji. He doesn't tap back.

It's Gojo who speaks next, having had enough of Nanami trying to play the logic side of things. "The reason they were allowed to stay here was to monitor the progress of Sukuna's possession. We were hoping to see if they would develop the same immunity to him as you, Itadori, but sadly that was not the case. I'm sorry."

"But…They did have at least a little control," Yuji argues weakly. "I saw it in the beginning."

"Bonito flakes," Inumaki yields.

Maki gives her teammate a curious raise of her eyebrow. He's being contrary, she can tell by the look in his eyes, but if he isn't saying anything more, she's not going to ask him about it…For now anyways.

"We can't have all of you out searching for Sukuna's vessel at the same time, or else we won't have anyone to send on other missions. Speaking of, you can expect an increase in curse activity now that they'll be drawn to his energy. We'll alternate through our teams, sending you in groups while keeping some of you here as reserves," Nanami explains. "My team is already out looking for today–"

Itadori's hands slam onto the table, making everyone in the room flinch at the sound. Fushiguro makes a move to place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, but before he can, Yuji pushes his chair back and leaves the room, flinging the door shut behind him

"You want to handle that?" Gojo asks, propping his chin up in his palm. "Because I told you that's what would happen if you didn't let him go on the first team, and you said you'd handle it."

Nanami sighs and rises to leave, shooting a poisonous look at his coworker who once again proved him wrong. He mutters to himself as he exits the room, following the angry sounds of doors slamming the entire way broadcasting Itadori's path.

He thought Itadori would be more understanding of his need to distance himself from you for his own safety. Two near death experiences is too many.

What could possibly possess a boy to run right back into harm's way a third time?

.

.

.

Keigo is a morning person. Of fucking course he is. From the moment you heard his off key warbling in the shower, you knew he was going to annoy you with his good mood today.

"Coming out to get dressed! No peeking," he teases as you tug the covers up over your head. As if you'd peek! He's mighty full of himself.

As he dresses, he notices you haven't touched any of the food that was brought up for the two of you. "You're really missing out on this room service. You sure nothing here tickles your fancy?"

Hawks sits down at the table after buttoning his pants. He'd ordered himself pancakes, mixed fruits, and eggs for breakfast and was busy heaping his plate full. The overly sweet smell of syrup and vanilla is already making your lip curl in disgust.

"None for me. Thanks though." You pull your blankets back and sit up. Hm. He only got half dressed, not bothering to put his shirt on yet. A calculated decision of his, you're sure. Probably wants you to look at his dumb bird-boy abs, and the stupid little freckles on his shoulders.

He takes a bite of thick, fluffy pancake, studying your back as you get out of bed. Same as you did the day before, you immediately go to check the window. Everything appears normal. There's no Jujutsu sorcerers you can plainly see swarming around the hotel. Everything looks fine.

Keigo's eyes rove over the black patterns snaking down your skin. "Hmmm. You know I don't think I've seen you eat…anything, come to think of it."

"I have a slow metabolism," you explain. Really slow.

Not convinced in the least, he pops a strawberry into his mouth next, savoring the tart sweetness. "Even so, we burned up lots of calories yesterday in the air. You didn't eat dinner either. You should be starving by now."

"You know it's very rude to comment on someone's eating habits," you snap a bit harsher than you intended. Hawks shows no evidence that he's bothered by it.

"Hey now, I'm just speaking from a place of concern. Based on the brief amount of time we've gotten to know one another you've remained pretty secretive of yourself. On top of that I can tell you don't like asking for help even when you need it. Why is that?" He's prodding further, digging in where he knows you must be sensitive. Why else would you refuse to look at him while he ate?

"Come here. Talk to me," he plucks a blueberry from his plate to throw at you. It bounces off your shoulder harmlessly. He reloads. This one splats on the window in a purple blob. "Quit looking out that window, you're bumming me out!"

Satisfied enough that you haven't seen anything out of the ordinary you grumble but give in. You have to side-step the spare cot he had maid service bring to the room last night for himself. He insisted you needed the entire king sized mattress for your wingspan. Crumpled up feathers weren't good for flying. You plop down in the chair beside him.

"You sure you don't even want any eggs?" he asks.

Your nose wrinkles. "No. I'm okay."

Hawks exhales through his nose in disapproval. "If you're trying to save me money by not eating, I make enough that you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not hungry," you insist.

Refusing to take a hint, he pokes the tines of his fork through the tender red flesh of a watermelon slice, already preparing to send it your way. "You must eat something. What do you like? This maybe?"

"I don't like answering personal questions," You turn your head away to avoid the fruit. Both of them.

"How come?" Hawks leans in with interest, pitching his voice like a child's.

"None of your business!" you roar suddenly, slamming your hands on the table. "Alright?! Will you drop it?"

He sends his red feathers fluttering with a startled flap. "Geez! Okay. Nobody's going to force you to eat if you don't want to. Sorry."

He dejectedly pushes around another strawberry through the lake of syrup on his plate. Gross.

Now he gives you a pitifully hurt expression, dimpling his fuzzy chin. "I just thought…You might want to carbo-load before we head out today. I have to go to work, and I figured you'd go stir crazy being cooped up here until sundown waiting for me to get back."

"Work? What do you do?" you ask.

Keigo's secret smile returns instantly, "You're interested then? It involves more flying."

.

.

.

There's a buzz of radio static in your ear followed by a transmission. "This is Redbird to Blackbird 10-44. Over."

You flinch at the sudden burst of sound against your eardrum and reach for the volume button on the side of the earpiece. "Uhh, sorry what?"

There's a pause, and then more static. "You have to say 'over,' Blackbird. That ends transmission. Over."

"Ah, shit. Sorry….Over." You look up, trying to catch a glimpse of him. There are too many corporate buildings in this area to see much of the sky.

"10-44 to Blackbird. Over," he repeats.

It's too damn early for him to be working your nerves like this. "Ugh! What does that mean? Over!"

"Check your cheat sheet. Over."

Hawks gave you this earpiece and receiver so he could keep in contact with you while he was airborne. He set your receiver to a ghost channel not in use, and directed you to keep it there, awaiting his transmissions as he received them from his own work channel. Pulling out the notecard from the pocket of his spare coat, you scrape the tip of your nail down the numbers of walkie talkie 10 Code until you find 10-44. It means there is a message for you.

"Okay. What's the message?" you ask.

"You forgot to say–"

"Dammit, Hawks! Quit fucking with me! What's the message?" Snarling so suddenly, you inadvertently scare a young mother and her child strolling nearby. There's another pause of radio silence.

"Hi," he chirps.

"...Is that it?!" you roar. An old man cruising past on a bicycle nearly topples as your wings flare open with agitation.

"I'm trying to get you used to the code system. Practice is the best way. Over."

"That doesn't mean be a fucking menace. OVER!"

"I figure we'll do two more hours of patrol, then take a break for lunch. We can switch and you can do aerial view while I take the streets for the afternoon. You'll get in some better flying once the temp rises. Over"

Figures, he's just looking out for what's best for you. He knows you have to work harder than him due to your wingspan.

"Sure. That sounds fine. Over."

"Redbird over and out."

You check the time on the radio receiver. It's only been two hours since you left the hotel. Ugh. The day is really dragging.

A group of three teenagers crosses an intersection, heading your way. One of the kids, a short boy with bleached blonde hair and a jagged black lowlight in his bangs, notices your wings right away. "Dude! Look! It's a meta human!" His eyes light up with unmistakable joy.

You're not sure what he means by "meta human," but his friends seem to be just as excited.

"That's sick!" The redhead in a leather jacket next to him chimes in. "Do you work with Hawks? That's his coat you're wearing, right?"

"Uhh, yeah. That's right." They look harmless enough, just some curious kids. Though it's awkward to be recognized in someone else's clothing. What if they get the wrong idea?

"So cool!" The first boy pumps his fists with enthusiasm. "We haven't seen you before. Are you new to this district? Or, wait, you guys refer to it as a jurisdiction, yeah?"

As the teens swarm you, a curious finger tickles the barbs of one of your feathers. A girl with purple hair and two red teardrops tattooed beneath her eyes pokes into your wing again, making you shiver. "These are so badass! I like your ink, too."

"Thanks. I…guess you can say it's my first day on the job?"

"Can I take a picture with you?" The redhead asks, already pulling out his phone. The case matches his hair.

"Huh? Why?" This is far more attention than you were prepared for, even if they're being nice.

"Because you look awesome! And if you're working with Hawks, you're probably going to be famous soon. We wanna say we met you first!" Holding his device out, the camera screen reflects your image.

"Jeez, you guys. Give them a break. You're probably annoying them," The purple haired girl huffs, despite being the only one to actually invade your personal space.

"It's…fine. You can take the picture." What is with these kids?

The redhead leans into the camera frame and flashes a peace sign. His friends pop up in front of you and mimic him.

You're too stunned to smile, but they don't care. "Thanks alot!" They wave as you awkwardly continue on your patrol, leaving them behind.

Despite their kindness, the entire interaction only made you feel like an imposter. They were only happy to see you because they know who Hawks is.

"They were excited to meet you, too," Ryomen rumbles from the caverns of your subconscious. It'ss the first thing he'd said all day. A meager attempt to uplift you, but hearing his voice provides no comfort.

"Yeah well, they wouldn't be if they actually knew me."

You walk down the block, avoiding making eye contact with other pedestrians. At least with Hawks being so well known, no one seems to think your wings stand out enough to make a commotion over them. Nothing more than a curious look or a whisper here and there anyway. With Keigo's coat covering your arms, the only markings of Sukuna visible are on your face. That doesn't mean people still don't point and stare at them though. Especially the older generations.

It's almost noon, and you're pretty sure it's a weekday, although time has lost alot of meaning to you recently. There aren't as many people out on the street as there could be. Again, probably something Keigo already planned for. He'll have you off ground patrol by the time everyone is heading home from work. As irritating as his personality may be, it's nice having someone thinking of your needs. Even if you don't deserve it.

"I wish you'd cease with this self hate," Ryomen chides. "You shouldn't–"

"Shove it!" You snap out loud, not caring if anyone overhears. "You're the whole reason I'm even here! If things were up to me, I would still be back at school with my goddamn friends. You ruined my fucking life!"

The silence that follows your accusation is heavy. You've given up all pretense of tolerating him within your body any longer. Not that you have any choice.

"You can't ignore me forever," he reminds you. "You are a part of me."

That fills you with rage. "No! You're a parasite leeching onto me. That's all. And the instant I find a way to get rid of you, I fucking will."

He goes quiet again, no doubt sulking into the reprieve of your memories. Good riddance.

You still have a couple hours to kill. Walking up and down the city streets waiting for trouble to happen so you can intervene sounded easy when Hawks told you about it. But god was it ever so tedious! And there's nothing out of the ordinary here besides you. You take out the cheat card of walkie talkie codes, deciding to read over the list again to prepare yourself in case you need to send a message. There's over a hundred written here for you to memorize.

Static fuzzes your earpiece once more. "Redbird to Blackbird. I'm receiving a report of a disturbance. 10-20. Over"

Uh-oh. A disturbance? What did he mean? You check the card for the numbers 10-20… Aha! He's asking for your exact location.

"I'm just past the crosswalk at 2-6 Nakano. In front of the theater we flew over yesterday. Over." You glance around, seeking out anything that might classify as a problem, but everything looks fine here.

"You're closer than I am. Get a little lift, then check out 1-24 Haga-cho to the north of you. You'll see the commotion. I'll meet you there. Redbird over and out."

Alright, he's trusting the first call of the day to you. Nothing to be anxious about. Other than the fact this is his fucking job and you're not sure what you're getting into or how to handle it. This is starting to feel like he wanted to take an easy day and have you do the legwork for him. Wingwork, whatever.

Flapping hard to gain your takeoff momentum, you launch yourself up from the pavement. It's tiring and leaves you nearly breathless by the time you clear the rooftops of surrounding businesses. A few people on the ground point up at you, exchanging shocked gasps and looks of disbelief. Okay, that does feel a little bit cool. What person hasn't sat staring out a window while bored out of their mind in class or at work, wishing they could fly away from everything? And now you actually get to do it.

It doesn't take you long to find the disturbance Hawks radioed in. There's a crowd of people gathered together all looking up, but not at you. Their eyes and phone screens are turned toward one of the many apartment complexes bordering the main road. There's a flutter of a curtain caught in a breeze, frantically whipping against the side of the brick wall. A young man with long dark hair is standing on the ledge. His hands are gripping both sides of the window frame stiffly. You can see his head is leaned back with both eyes closed.

Fuck.

This is unprecedented. What the hell are you supposed to do? You fumble with your earpiece to call for Hawks. "Blackbird to Redbird. I-I'm at the scene...I need assistance. Pronto. Over" You don't care that Pronto isn't a radio code. This isn't something you're equipped to handle at all.

"This is Redbird. What kind of assistance? What's the situation with our jumper? Over"

"The situ–YOU KNEW HE WAS A JUMPER AND SENT ME?!"

"He just needs some company…..Thank you so much….Stick by his side 'til I get there. Over." His tone is unbothered, and he has the audacity to sound distracted as he talks to someone else halfway through his transmission.

"Just what the hell do you expect me to do? I have no training for this!" You land on a balcony a few ledges over from the man in the window.

"He just needs someone to talk to. That's all you gotta do. Oh, and definitely don't try to rush him or he could fall by accident. Over"

Shit!

"I'm on my way now. Redbird over and out."

Can he get any more flippant?! You make a mental note to maim him later tonight when you're out of the public's eye. If you're going to help this poor man at the end of his rope, he is going to need your undivided attention.

"Uhh, Hey…You should step back," You call over weakly. He doesn't move, With the breeze in his ears he can't hear you. You clear your throat and try again, keeping in mind you don't want to startle him. What would Hawks say to help this guy?

"Hi there! You…You look like you need someone to talk to!"

He jerks, snapping his eyes open. They're enormous with disbelief when he spies you crouched on the railing of a nearby balcony. He stiffens again, repositioning his feet nervously. "Who the hell are you?!"

"A f-friend," you stumble awkwardly over the lines. This guy has no clue who you are. Why would he let you call you a friend?

He looks more annoyed than confused now. "You…Y-you stay back. Understand me? This has nothing to do with you. So just go and mind your damn business!"

Gritting your teeth, you shake your head "Sorry, buddy. Right now you're my business. Why don't we just talk about…whatever's on your mind, okay?"

He looks at you like you're the one on a ledge. "Are you stupid?!" he demands.

Probably… You think sourly.

"I climbed up here to kill myself!" he screams.

"Uhm, Yep. I can see that. And…I'd really like for you to not do that. Please." Shit, that sounds so lame.

His face twists with incredulity, "I don't care what you think! I don't care what anyone thinks!"

Come on, do better! Tell him life is worth living and all that crap. That he has people who love him and who'd miss him if he went through with it. But what if he doesn't? He probably wouldn't be here on a ledge if he did.

"You don't know shit about me! So…just buzz off, you buzzard!" He waves his hand in a shooing motion as if you were a seagull trying to hone in on a picnic.

Excuse me, buzzard? Who did this guy think he was insulting you like that? You glance down at the ground below. The crowd of onlookers is only growing by the minute. More and more people stop to gawk helplessly. There's going to be lots of witnesses needing therapy if this guy performs his swan dive. You can tell there's a million thoughts racing through his mind. He's gasping for breath between sobs. You know that expression, you can sense his hopelessness from here.

"I…I want you to talk to me. Alright? Keep your eyes on me, and talk to me," You call over. "What's your name?"

He's looking more annoyed by you by the second, but the odd nature of this meeting has him distracted at least. "It's Haru."

You tell him your name, following it with a cordial "It's nice to meet you." He doesn't say it back. "Haru…What do you think is going to happen when you jump?" you ask.

Again he glares. "You gonna try to catch me? Stop me? Save me?"

You keep him talking. Anything to buy more time. Where the hell is Hawks? "Yeah. That's what I'm gonna try to do anyway. Because…You shouldn't kill yourself."

"Why? Because my family will miss me? I don't give a shit!" he curses.

"That's not what I was going to say actually. And I know all about a shitty family, believe me. But if you kill yourself right now they win, you know."

"I…What?" he falters, looking baffled.

"Yeah, that's right. They got to make your whole life miserable, and now they get to decide your death too."

"Fuck you!" He screams. The onlookers cry out in alarm when his foot loses its hold, nearly making him lose his balance. He clings to one side, catching himself, but his foothold creaks loudly under his weight. Then there's a splintering

Careful! Stop moving around so much, dammit. You could easily swoop over to Haru and cram him back inside his window, but that would only fix his problem temporarily, not at its source. He'd only jump again another day. He needs help, and more importantly it has to be all his idea.

"Why are you mad at them? You're done living right? So it doesn't matter. You can jump anytime you want. Maybe I'll let you do it if it's what you want." You continue piling onto him, watching his face turn nearly purple with rage, like a boil ready to burst.

"Leave me alone! Shut up!" Tears streaming down his face, he yells again. Windows around you begin to slide open and curious neighbors peek out to see the source of the racket.

"Haru….Look around you right now. There's a lot of people here watching us right now. They were already here before I showed up too."

"What of it? Why should I care?"

"Don't you think they were going about their lives today? On their way to do important errands and meetings?" You ask.

"SO?!"

Okay, here goes nothing.

"So, they all stopped because they don't want this to be part of their daily life. They're waiting to make sure you make it to safety. None of them want to see you die. They may not know you down there, but maybe a few of your neighbors here do, right?"

He looks around, suddenly aware of the audience that had gathered around the two of you. The concerned wrinkled faces of an elderly couple clinging to one another sadly peer out from behind their glass. A teenage girl wearing headphones around her neck leaning out to smoke a cigarette in secrecy had let the cherry burn nearly to her nail polish as she stared captively. From the apartment below Haru's, a little boy calls for his mother. "Mommy! The man upstairs is outside! Help him!"

Haru begins to cry harder, making his hands shake dangerously.

You keep going. "All these people want you to live, Haru, even if they don't know you. If your family sucks and wants you dead, are you really going to start making them proud now? Or do you wanna live and piss them off for the rest of their life?"

You watch the gears in his head turning. He's been reconsidering for the last few minutes, you can tell. "Haru?"

"I…..I wanna get down now," he sobs loudly, plastering himself to the frame of the window's edge.

You breathe a sigh of relief. "Great. That's great, Haru. I want you to step backwards into your room, alright? Can you do that? Just move slowly."

Please…Just go back inside, you pray silently, still scanning the horizon for Hawks with Sukuna's eyes, keeping your main ones trained on Haru. There's still no sight of him!

"I'm going…back in," Haru whimpers, bracing himself as the ledge creaks again. Easier said than done. He'd only been able to lift the heavy window glass halfway when he climbed out. It slid down considerably with him leaning against it for so long, leaving him an even smaller space to crawl back through.

"Careful, You're almost there. You're doing great, Haru. I'm proud of you, okay? I don't know you but I'm proud of you and I mean it." There are tears in your eyes too now. You blink them back rapidly, not wanting to let your vision blur for a single second.

"Th-thanks," he hiccups. Haru lowers himself to a squatting position, stretching one foot back. Almost there, just another few–

CRRRAAAK! "AAAHHHHHHH!"

Haru pitches forward as the wood disintegrates beneath him. He plummets, screaming the whole way down.

You're already in a dive to catch him, wings speared together to streamline your body for maximum speed. You have to catch up! His foot is almost within reach. Onlookers scream in horror, pointing up at the spectacle unfolding above them.

Your fingers wrap around Haru's ankle. "Gotcha!"

Opening your wings to catch air, it suddenly strikes you to wonder: can you even fly while carrying a passenger?

Refusing to panic, you flap as hard as you can, angling your wings back to help slow your fall. So far so good, but this hold isn't ideal. You whip Haru up by his ankle, recorrecting his position to grab onto you. His arms wrap around your neck and you lock yours in an iron grip around his chest. He keeps screaming directly into your ear.

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

A buzz of static cuts in, "Redbird to Blackbird, you are cleared for landing. Over."

Keigo! Looking down below, you see his familiar wings flaring open through the crowd on the street. Advising and herding people to step back a safe enough distance for you to touchdown.

"Space everyone! Lots of wingspace needed here! We've got social services coming, and they'll need to park close. Can someone move that car over there? Yes, the one in the emergency vehicle only lane, dickhead. Which one do you think I mean?"

You flap easier now, circling to land in front of the apartment gates. You can feel Haru's heart racing against your chest like a scared rabbit, but he releases his hold around your neck slightly. When your boots touch the ground, you turn your back to the crowd, spreading your wings and sheltering Haru from the nosy stares you're sure he wouldn't appreciate. Even with his feet safely on the cement, he doesn't let go of you yet. You allow him to cling a bit longer. He's still trembling like a leaf.

"Nice work!" Hawks applauds as he approaches the two of you. "Sorry, I couldn't get here sooner, but I had a gut feeling that you'd do great. And I was right!"

The look you shoot at him says "go to hell," but you keep your tone mellow for Haru's sake to keep him calm. "Are you going to be okay, Haru?"

He nods sheepishly, slightly relaxing but reluctant to release you. He still has his hands tightly locked around one of yours. Noticing your long claws and the black bands at your wrist, he looks up at your face, noticing your markings. Sukuna's red irises stare directly back at him. Haru gasps, frozen in place once again.

"Fear not," Ryomen consoles him.

He raises your hand, taking control over your body for the first time in days. Your palm splits open into his second mouth. Haru starts to scream, but when his mouth opens, a cloud of black cursed energy pours forth instead. Ryomen greedily consumes it, swallowing the miasma in one gulp. Haru's expression turns dreamy, eyelids fluttering like he might pass out.

"Sukuna, what the hell?" you whisper furiously. You'd been too distracted by the crowd trying to sneak in for a closer look to stop whatever he was doing.

Keigo, who hadn't been able to perceive any of what happened, stands dumbfounded as you seemingly just hypnotized the guy into a calm state with your hand. "Neat trick. But the social workers can take it from here," He jerks his head to the emergency response team already pulling up in their marked vehicles.

A kindly woman with a gentle smile and a blanket approaches the three of you, finding Haru sitting calmly between, surrounded by red and black feathers on both sides and looking quite unbothered by the entire ordeal. She guides the boy to their van where they sit and take his vitals. They'll make sure he gets evaluated and seen somewhere professionally for his care. Hopefully that'll be enough.

Turning to Keigo you let your irritation show finally. "Nice of you to show up at the last minute, Honks! You sure love dramatics don't you?" You accuse, punning his name purposefully.

"Mmm-hmm. I sure do. Oh! Speaking of which, look what I picked up! Raphael really outdid himself this time!" He waves a fancy looking garment bag excitedly in front of him. It takes all of your self control not to take a swing at him there in front of the still gathered crowd.

"You left me to do your goddamn job while you went shopping?!" You hiss.

"I was surprised too! But when Raphael called and said it was ready, the anticipation to see what he made was too much to resist! Just look."

He unzips the bag and pulls out a long black duster trench coat covered in additional belts and buckles for a modern look. The sleeves have a darker black embroidery pattern of roses climbing up each arm. When he flips it over, you can see cut-outs made specifically to fit your enormous wings. There are corset laces beneath the wing slits meant to be tied once it was put on.

Goddammit. It's fucking gorgeous.

"Be honest. You love it don't you?" he demands.

"...Yes." you

"Wanna try it on?" He grins from ear to ear.

"Ugh! Yes! Gimme the stupid beautiful coat! You ass!" You take it from him before he can relinquish it willingly, all too ready to give him his own jacket back. Sharing clothes is an intimate act between close friends and lovers. Keigo is neither.

"You look killer!" He gives you two thumbs up as you try it on, loving the way the satin lining feels on your skin. Despite the brocade fabric and rich embroidery, it's still very light. And quite magnificent.

A voice behind you calls politely, "Ah, excuse me. Could I get a photograph of the heroes?" You turn and see a reporter with a camera. There were more behind him, already prepping their own bulbs and lenses for a photo op. Haru had called you a buzzard earlier, yet here were the real scavengers showing up once the action calmed down. And heroes? Did he mean you? Your skin crawls.

"Of course!" Hawks crows.

"No. No pictures," you refuse, Turning away just as the camera flashes. Shit! That was close.

"Oops, you moved," The reporter complains. "Can we try again?"

But you're already airborne, flapping frantically as a very confused Keigo is left behind on the sidewalk. You have nowhere to go, but you can't stay here.

When the static of the radio buzzes your ear, you yank it out the earpiece, letting it fall to the pavement.

.

.

.

To Be Continued…