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Scavengers - Chapter 19

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   One whole week had passed after the accident involving The Crows and Nano. One whole week where Nishinoya didn’t give some sign of life. You didn’t even try to reach him, knowing that he needed to be left alone until he was done dwelling on everything that happened.

« So this is where I am now, huh ? » he mumbled to himself.

Lying on his back on his couch, Nishinoya’s mind was clouded with all the unwelcome revelations. The fact that you lied all this time, that you were from not only another organisation, but a rival… To be honest, he could have handled all of this. He did the same to you after all, he lied too. But what was eating at him was the fact that you didn’t wave the flag of truce when you saw him on the battlefield. He wasn’t even that mad, but he felt betrayed, and moreover, he felt unloved.
Because if the roles had been switched, he would never have done that. He wouldn’t have even consider the thought of lying a finger on a weapon aiming at you. Knowing that you were able to shoot when he was around your target, when the reason of his presence was precisely to be killed by your shot instead of somebody else, was driving him crazy. The fact that you had been able to keep silence about it wasn’t helping either. It felt like if he finally didn’t know so much about the woman he wanted to spent his life with, and all this mess was digging a big and acid hole in his heart, as burning as a bullet.

Three little knocks dragged him out of his lethargy, and he didn’t even bother to answer. Tanaka would come in anyway, invited or not.

« Noya-san, » the baldy said, closing the door behind him, « are you alright ? »

« Hm ? Yeah. »

His waist all bandaged, the reliable Ryûnosuke folded his arms over his chest, pulling an annoyed and quite scary face. The sight of his always joyful and hyperactive friend lying on his couch, immobile and staring into space, was started to worry him greatly. But he had no idea on what to do to help him. He did saw Nishinoya going through bad days before, but it had never been something that serious.  

« Noya-san, can I tell you something ? »

Not expecting an answer, Tanaka pushed Yuu’s legs away and took their place on the couch, a frown wrinkling his forehead.

« I won’t pretend that I know how you feel, but there’s something I want to say. You told me once that sometimes the best defence is attack. That sometimes you don’t have a choice… If you really meant this for me, then it should be the same for her. »

Eyebrows lowering on his gloomy gaze, Nishinoya’s pupils slid over Tanaka’s face.

« Why are you standing up for her ? You don’t even know her. »

« I do know her ! You told me about her dozen of times ! And I’ve seen her a little last week… Trust me, Noya-san, she doesn’t look like an evil-minded liar. Good people do bad things, right ? »

Nishinoya groaned and flipped onto his stomach, burying his face in a cushion. Tanaka’s point was valid, and yet he didn’t want to hear it. Somehow, he wanted to keep being angry at you, because he didn’t want to be fooled or blinded by love. His job made him careful, just like you.

« And if I can add, » Tanaka kept going, « you can’t judge until you heard her own version of the facts. You didn’t let her a chance to explain herself yet, did you ? »

Yuu sank lower in his couch. Tanaka’s point was valid. Really valid.

« And I’ll finish with this little reminder… Tsukishima said that she’s a top ten ranked shooter, and yet she only wounded Hinata’s leg. I don’t think somebody with such a high grade and an absolute order to kill would miss. I mean, unless she missed on purpose of course… »

Nishinoya could almost see Tanaka’s grin before his closed eyes, and the slight bounce of his couch indicated him that his friend just stoop up, ready to take his leave after happily planting seeds of doubt in his mind.

« Damn you, Ryû ! » he shouted in his cushion, hearing the door being closed.

***

   Being put under house arrest was something you never experimented before, and the least that could be said was that you weren’t fond of it. Currently sitting on Elena’s couch between her and Tetsurô, the three of you watching TV with wide eyes, a blanket on your shoulders and a cup of tea between your hands. Honestly, you just looked like a bunch of seniors in a retirement home.

« I didn’t know afternoon’s soap were THAT bad, » Elena commented.

« Hm. » Kuroo and you hummed in concert.

« By the way, why are the two of you squatting here again ? Didn’t Big Boss ordered you to stay at home too ? »

« Well, we are staying at home. Just yours. » Tetsurô answered absently, his focus completely devoted to the TV.

Jaded, Elena’s blue eyes moved to the screen again.

« Hey Tetsu, do you think the secretary really is the murderer ? She looks like she sincerely loved him… » She asked, finally completely absorbed too.

« I think so… I’m pretty sure this nasty lawyer is behind this… »

« You two look like a couple of kids watching the new season of Pokemon… » You grinned.

« The new season is airing already ?! » Tetsurô and Elena screamed in unison.

« Dear Lord… »

You tried to act done and all, but a faint smile was tugging the corner of your mouth. Even if these two gave you headaches, you were glad to have them. Elena reminded you of Kuroo in many ways, and even if they might be silly and childish, they also were surprisingly responsible and mature during hard times.

When the confrontation between The Nano and The Crows broke out last week, both Daichi and Suga put you under house arrest, only taking Tsukishima and Oikawa with them, along with Ushijima. They told you that it would require several days to get rid of all the infiltrated agents among them, and that until the « Swan Hunt » mission was done, everybody should stay away. It felt weird, really, this sensation that your bosses were trying to protect you.
Tanaka and Noya left before you, Elena and Kuroo did, without sparing you a glance. Left alone with them, you told everything you learned… including the bitter truth about your parents. The Nano’s recruiters weren’t the saviours you thought they were, they were cold-blooded murderers. And to think that the hands that take yours to lead in the orphanage when you were still in bereaved were secretly stained with your family’s blood… To think that you served them blindly and loyally all this time… All those thoughts were making you sick.

But there was hope.

If Daichi and Suga kept acting like a duo as they were now, if they kept working together… Then having your revenge wasn’t impossible. The Nano alone were no match for the main gang in Moscow, but if The Crows lent them a hand, everything could be different. There was hope for all those Russian children who still had their families.

« Ohoho !! » Kuroo suddenly exclaimed. « Look ! I think the lawyer is trapped ! She’s gonna confess ! »

You stiffened on Elena’s couch, slightly bending toward the TV with wide eyes and gaping mouths when all of your phones rang.

« Fuck this shit ! » All the three of you shouted, the ringtones completely covering the actors’ voices.

The same pouting frown was haunting your features as your screens lightened, the same characters printed on it.

« Heh ? A SMS from Big Boss ? That’s pretty rare, » Elena commented, scrolling through the text.

Your own eyes were sailing through your boss’s words, widening a little at the content.

« An appointment at our headquarter ? »

« Looks like business is starting again, » Kuroo grinned.

***

   The impressive crowd you mingled with as soon as you approached your headquarters was kinda disturbing. You weren’t used to see so many people around a secrete gang’s lair, and it spontaneously put you on the alert. You heard the poor Elena’s being tossed around, the crowd dragging her away until Kuroo grabbed her by her collar and kept her near him, her feet ghosting over the bitumen. You were about to snort at this when Tetsurô’s second hand yanked you backward to hold you against him too.

« You’re too small for this world, » your asshole of a brother smirked.

« Fuck you. » Elena and you answered.

« I love you too, sisters of mine. Let’s be careful around here, okay ? Look at everybody… »

Obedient, you mentally scanned few random faces around you and understand what Kuroo was meaning. There were familiar visages and unknown ones, and everybody was on the defensive, glancing and glaring at each other.

« The Crows ! » Elena almost yelled, but Kuroo’s hand muffled her voice.

« Exactly. All those people are both from The Nano and The Crows. Their Boss, that man with the mole… I think he convoked them just like Big Boss did with us. »

« He convoked his troops ? » You said, astonished. « He convoked his troops at their enemy’s headquarter ? »

« Nothing surprises me anymore, you know… » Kuroo sighed. « Let’s go. Stay near me. »

   Entering the familiar building, your eyes widened when you saw how crowded the hall was. You had no idea The Crows were so numerous, they could totally overpower The Nano if they wanted to. To think that you were the ones who initiated an attack against them suddenly sounded ridiculous. If you hadn’t take them by surprise, you surely would have known a crushing defeat.

« Hey, look, » Elena murmured, elbowing you.

You followed her pointing finger, only to see Nishinoya and Tanaka entering the building, unsure and nervous. They were on enemy territory after all.

« So that’s Mister Boyfriend, huh ? » Kuroo said in a disdainful voice. « I imagined somebody taller… »

« No, please, no joke on his height, » you grinded, tensed.

Tanaka was the first who noticed you, and you could have swear that he addressed you a slight nod, as if greeting you. Perturbed, you returned the gesture and felt your heart ached when he murmured something to Nishinoya’s ear.
His golden eyes landed on you, and it seemed that his gaze was holding more embarrassment than wrath this time. He fidgeted a moment, Tanaka next to him, swiftly gesturing and speaking, a frown appearing between his eyebrows when Nishinoya walked away from you and him.

The whole hall suddenly went completely silent when Daichi and Sugawara appeared in the stairs, standing next to each other. The sight of both the bosses of your organisation was as unexpected as intimidating.

« Agents ! » Daichi spoke first. « As you know, The Crows and The Nano have been fighting over the same territory for many years now ! But after what happened last week, we have to react and change our habits and principles ! »

The crowd, completely silent, was in awe at how powerful the energy exuding from him was.

« Both our sides suffered losses due to the events last week, » Sugawara added. « We’ve been blinded and manipulated by a third organisation who knew about our mutual rivalry and used it against us. We might have win the battle, but not the war. It’s only a matter of time until The White Swans plotted their revenge. If we want to face them, we have no other choice than cooperate ! »

This last sentence send a shiver of murmurs through all the crowd. Cooperate ? The Nano and The Crows were ordered to… cooperate ?

« We won’t tolerate any rebellion about this decision ! » Daichi shouted. « You’ll have to accept this : yesterday’s opponent is tomorrow’s ally ! If you can’t work with this, just quit ! From now, there are no more Crows or Nano, we’re one whole team ! Sugawara and me are your rulers of equal value starting now ! »

You glanced around you, meeting several other faces as surprised as yours, but amazingly enough, nobody rebuffed. Everybody here was a grown-up agent knowing that getting in Daichi or Suga’s way wasn’t a good idea, and everybody understood the necessity to cooperate as well. It wasn’t a caprice from your rulers, it was your only option to survive.

« We don’t expect you to act as coworkers immediately, » Kôshi said in a softer voice. « We knew you have different principles and skills and that it will take some time before you can work as one whole organisation, but it’s not impossible. Just keep in mind that from now, The Nano and The Crows don’t exist anymore. From now, we’re The Scavengers ! »

An amazed sound of exhalation shook the crowd. The Scavengers… From now, all of you were Scavengers… Fair enough.

« One last thing ! » Daichi exclaimed. « For the ones here who used to belong to The Nano… A mission in Moscow is planned for the next month. I’ll explain the details to you later but… It’s about time you know the truth about the main gang in Russia. Everybody is free to join, former Nano or not. Consider this as our last mission wearing the now obsolete name of Nano. Dismiss ! »

You saw your coworkers dashed through the crowd, following Daichi who was walking back upstairs. You could see the lack of understanding twisting their faces in a worried grimace and couldn’t help but feel bad for them, already knowing what kind of truth Daichi was about to reveal. They had no idea of what was coming…

« Hey, look who’s coming, » Kuroo groaned, his severe gaze locked somewhere among the people.

His pace fast and self-assured, Nishinoya was making his way to you, the agents before him parting like the Red Sea. Tanaka was following him in his footsteps, staying in the background as if not wanting to step in what was going to happen. Your heart pounding fast, you waited for Nishinoya to initiate the dialogue.

« Why the leg ? » he asked.

« What ? » you blinked, not understanding what he was referring to.

« Hinata. Why did you shoot his leg ? You’re in the top ten of the best killers, aren’t you ? You could have killed him. So why ? Why did you content yourself with only wounding him ? »

His tone was firm, but not hateful.

Slightly troubled by his question, it took you few seconds before giving him a proper answer, your gaze locked on the floor.

« When I saw you down here… Everything went blank. That was the first time I couldn’t keep calm on the battlefield, I didn’t know what to do… First I thought about giving up on this mission, but Big B-… Sawamura-san pressured me… He told me that if I didn’t do something in the ten seconds, he would sent Iwaizumi to do my job. »

« Iwaizumi ? »

« Our number one killer… Iwaizumi don’t go in for subtleties. He wouldn’t have contented himself with only killing Hinata, he would have erased everybody in his way. You included. »

You paused for a moment, slowly raising your eyes to finally meet his.

« Do you have any idea how short ten seconds are to take this kind of decision ? Maybe if I had more time, I would have find a way to spare everybody, but I hadn’t. The only thing I could come up with was that… my order was strictly to keep Hinata from playing his match, so injured knees seemed to be more than enough to fulfil my mission without causing you any troubles for having your client killed. It seemed to be a good compromise at the moment… However… I don’t know how but… You got in the way. »

You clenched your fists, teeth nervously chewing on your lower lip.

« I didn’t even see you moving… I don’t even know how you spotted me. I… I never aimed at you. »

« That’s because Noya-san only moves on pure instinct, » Tanaka thought. « He probably can’t explain why he dived in front of Hinata himself. »

« You spoke as if I didn’t valued your life as much as you do with my own, » you added. « But it’s false. Aiming with you around wasn’t easy, knowing that I shot you down wasn’t easy ! I felt like if I didn’t deserve you anymore… That’s why I was distant, that’s why I tried to leave ! I understand that you can be mad or disappointed but I won’t let you say again that your life doesn’t matter to me because it’s not true ! »

Yuu’s gulped at this as Tanaka’s reminder rang through his mind.

« Sometimes you don’t have the choice… » Damn it.

The silence between you was even heavier now that the crowd surrounding you had gotten noisy with Daichi and Suga’s new directives. Elena and Tanaka were glancing at each other, as if mutually asking if they had any idea how this situation was going to end. But weirdly enough, it wasn’t Nishinoya’s voice or yours that broke the silence, but Tsukishima’s.

« Can you, please, let go of me now ? »

Heads turning around, you could see that your older brother was dragging Tsukishima by his collar, the poor blond man having no other choice than following him.

« Hey, loverboy, » the bed-headed man addressed Nishinoya. « Just in case you’re still doubting her feelings, she was ready to die for you, so you better think twice before hurting her again. »

Nishinoya’s eyes widened when he heard this. It was an aspect of the story he didn’t knew about.
Now that he was thinking about it without having his judgment distorted by his resentment, he was starting to find himself stupid. Why did he doubt you like this ? Why didn’t he think that you had a reason to act like you did ? Now that he knew the real circumstances you had to work under, he wasn’t sure there was still a gap between how you acted and how he would have. To be honest, he was starting to realize that he might have done the same. Good people do bad things, right ?

« I’m not lying, you know, » Tetsurô smiled, seeing Noya confused. « Look, I even have a witness. »

He finally let go of Tsukishima’s collar, the blond man nervously adjusting his new glasses on his thin nose. God, he didn’t wanted to be involved in all this sentimental mess…

« Come on, baby bird, » Kuroo said in a intimidating smile. « She kept me from knocking out all of your teeth, so you owe her. Tell him what happened on the roof. »

« Fine. » Tsukishima sighed, closing his eyes. « I was infiltrated, she thought I was about to shoot Tanaka-san and you, so she literally pinned me down before I could brushed the trigger. »

He didn’t add anything despite Kuroo’s glare, and the dark-haired man had to tell the end of the story himself.

« Tsukishima’s order was to shoot her. He didn’t because I interfered, but if I hadn’t, she would be dead today, and do you want to know why, loverboy ? » he asked, towering over Nishinoya.

« W-Why ? »

« Because her guilt was so astonishingly strong that she was fucking ready to die as a punishment for what she did to you. If that’s not enough to convince you, then you don’t even deserve to breathe the same air as her and I’ll personally make sure you never see her again. »

« Tetsu, stop ! » you scolded. « That’s none of your business ! »

« It is ! » he shouted. « I almost lost one of my sisters because of this guy, so I want to be sure he’s valuable of you ! And lemme say that for now, he’s not. »

He towered over Nishinoya again, his shadow completely swallowing him.

« What do you have to say, loverboy ? Aren’t you going to stand for her ? »

Head ducked, Yuu didn’t answer him, his body stiff and all his muscles tensed. You felt your throat tightened at this, his unusual calm eating at your nerves.
But suddenly, just when Tetsurô was standing up straight, a powerful punch reached his stomach and made him bend over enough that Nishinoya could murmur to his ear.

« You’re going to be the most annoying brother-in-law ever, do you know that ? »

Kuroo smirked, a struggled laugh escaping his lips as Nishinoya went past him.

« Y-Yuu ? » you stuttered, automatically adopting a defensive posture just in case he wanted to punch your stomach too, but all he did was to catch your arms to lower them.

He took a last step forward, his hands cupping your face as his lips crushed against yours, eager. Slightly startled at the beginning, you relaxed as the tip of his tongue tickles your lips, craving to meet yours.
A faint sigh escaped you as you let him deepen and control the kiss, pressing yourself against him, finally sincerely enjoying his warmth and scent you’ve been deprived of for almost a month. Nishinoya’s hands were caressing your back and hips, mapping your familiar form as if he wanted to be sure that he was still knowing you by heart. Your own finger were playing in his dark locks, savouring their smoothness.

« Disgusting. » Tsukishima’s voice grouched.

« So cute… » Elena sniffled.

« Is he fucking grabbing her ass ? » Kuroo asked in a threatening tone.

Nishinoya pulled away, addressing his eventual brother-in-law a toothy grin, and before you could even react, he was carrying you away bridal-style.

« Yuu ?! » you exclaimed. « What are you doing ?! »

« Exactly what it looks like ! Kidnapping you to find a spare room ! »

« Hey !! No lovey-dovey business until the wedding !!! Do you hear me ?!! Hey !! » Tetsurô yelled, restrained by Elena.

Scavengers - THE NANO by Isram

OHOHOHOHO !!! NEXT WEEK WILL BE THE LAST WEEK FOR THIS FANFICTION !!!
READ FROM THE START ! isram.deviantart.com/art/Scave…

SUMMARY : Gangrened with gangs, Miyagi isn’t a prefecture as peaceful as it seems and often is the stage of fights between the clans. As an experienced killer, your life next to the carefree Nishinoya isn’t always easy, especially now that your mission puts you up against your shadowy rival known as The Crows.

FULLVIEW : isram.deviantart.com/art/Scave…
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RineXNagihiko's avatar
:) the fact that the ending is coming is so bittersweet! I really love this story so much!