The moonlight seeped through the broken windows of the warehouse, painting pale patterns on the blood-stained floor.
Shadows stretched long and thin, weaving between the scattered bodies of villains and fallen officers alike.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and sweat, the quiet hum of the city beyond contrasting sharply with the chaos that had erupted just moments before.
Kamui Woods stood at the center of it all, his branches slowly retracting as he glanced around to ensure no threats remained.
The wooden tendrils that had bound the villains hung loosely now, the effects of Trigger wearing off as the culprits lay motionless on the ground, barely breathing.
A few officers moved cautiously, gathering what little strength they had to bind the less dangerous criminals.
Ruki wiped a trickle of blood from his temple, his breathing shallow and ragged as the adrenaline left his body, replaced with a hollow ache.
He scanned the area, trying to make sense of it all. The warehouse felt unbearably quiet, almost suffocating, like the entire world had been muted.
He glanced over his shoulder at Kamui, who gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, his usually calm demeanor strained. "All secured. I've contacted the medics. They should be here soon."
Ruki nodded back, fighting the ache in his shoulder from a particularly nasty hit earlier. "Good. We... we lost too many."
Kamui glanced at the few officers still standing, some patching each other up, others just trying to keep their eyes open.
The full weight of the situation hit him hard—some of these men wouldn't be going home tonight.
"It's not your fault," Kamui said quietly, almost as if he'd read Ruki's thoughts. "You did what you could. Trigger-enhanced villains are unpredictable. You contained them as best as possible until I arrived."
A faint, bitter smile tugged at Ruki's lips before fading. "We weren't prepared... I thought we could handle them before they could use Trigger."
Kamui's gaze softened, though his tone remained steady. "This isn't something you could have predicted. You did well to hold the line."
Ruki grunted, not entirely convinced. He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as the ache set in.
The adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving behind only pain and exhaustion.
He glanced around, as if expecting someone to appear and tell him it was all over—a bad dream, maybe. But no one did.
Instead, he was left with the unsettling silence and the gnawing guilt in his chest.
A voice broke through his thoughts, one of the officers limping over. "Sir... what about Sergeant Kenji? Has anyone seen him?"
The question hung in the air like a knife. Ruki froze, the color draining from his face as his mind raced to catch up. Kenji, where the hell was he?
He tried to remember the last time he'd seen his partner, but the chaotic blur of the battle made it hard to piece things together.
Then the memory hit him hard.
Kamui noticed his unease and stepped closer. "Something wrong?"
Ruki barely heard him, fumbling for his phone with trembling hands. "Kenji... he went after one of the suspects when the fighting broke out. I thought he'd loop back to us, but..."
His heart pounded as he unlocked his phone, almost dropping it in his haste.
He pulled up the tracking app linked to their phones, willing it to find Kenji's location. A small, flickering dot marked Kenji's position, a few blocks away.
"There," Ruki said, pointing at the screen. "He's not too far from here... but the signal's weak."
Kamui leaned over, eyes narrowing. "He might be injured. We need to move."
"Right." Ruki straightened, forcing his exhaustion to the back of his mind. "Alright, listen up!" he called to the remaining officers, his voice steadier than he felt. "Kenji's gone after one of the suspects alone. We're going to track him down. If you're fit to move, gear up. The rest of you stay here and secure the area until medical support arrives."
Kamui nodded, a glimmer of approval in his eyes. "We'll head out immediately. If he's injured, every second counts."
Ruki pocketed his phone, determination hardening his gaze. "Let's move out. I'm not leaving him behind."
With Kamui taking the lead and a small squad of officers following behind, they moved swiftly through the dimly lit streets, guided by the flickering GPS signal.
Ruki's heart pounded in his chest, fear clawing at his thoughts despite his efforts to stay focused.
***
My heart pounded like a war drum, drowning out everything else—the distant sirens, the crumbling warehouse walls, even the monster's ragged breathing.
Every beat sent a jolt of pain through my body, but I couldn't afford to stop. Not now. Not when Kenji was lying there on the ground, unmoving. Focus. I couldn't let him die. I couldn't let myself die, either.
I forced air into my lungs, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth. The villain staggered forward, his muscles twitching like they were ready to tear through his skin. The red glow still surrounded his hands, crackling like static.
His face was twisted in a grotesque grin—eyes wide, veins bulging, and foam dribbling from his mouth. It was like he wasn't even human anymore. It was fucking disgusting.
My vision swam, but I forced my legs to move. I wasn't fast enough. He was on me in an instant, his fist swinging wide.
I barely managed to coat my forearm with shadows before his punch connected, the impact blasting me off my feet and into a pile of scrap metal.
Pain lanced through my arm and ribs. My head spun, but I bit down on the pain and pushed myself up again, wiping blood from my mouth. The villain stalked toward me, his breath haggard, veins bulging under his skin.
He looked even worse than before,
bloodshot eyes, foam at the mouth but his strength was dropping slowly. I could feel it.
I clenched my fists, forcing the darkness to coat my knuckles as I circled him, looking for an opening.
My mind raced, trying to calculate every possible angle. If I could get one solid hit to his jaw or his throat—
He moved first. Another wide swing, and I ducked under it, stepping in to deliver a quick jab to his ribs. I aimed for his kidney, hoping to stagger him, but it was like punching a brick wall.
He didn't even flinch. His elbow snapped backward, catching me in the shoulder and nearly dislocating it.
I stumbled back, gasping as he spun, his hand already glowing with that hellish red energy.
He brought his hands together and slammed them into the ground. The shockwave that erupted sent concrete splinters flying, and I threw up my arms just in time, shadows shielding me from the worst of it. Dust filled the air, and I couldn't see anything.
My instincts screamed at me, and I moved to the side just as he bulldozed through the cloud, his arm grazing past my face.
'Is this how it feels fighting a Nomu?'
He didn't give me a chance to think. His fist came down like a sledgehammer, and I barely rolled out of the way, the ground shattering under his blow.
Desperation clawed at me, and I lashed out with a quick kick to his shin, following up with a straight punch to his gut, shadow hardening around my fist.
It forced him back a step, but his arm shot out, catching me by the throat.
My vision blacked out for a split second as he lifted me off the ground. I clawed at his arm, but his grip was unyielding, the pressure crushing my windpipe.
"Fu....ck..kin..."
I clawed at his arm, feeling the roughness of his skin and the heat radiating from the crimson glow encasing his hand.
My heart hammered against my ribcage, the sound thundering in my ears like war drums.
My legs flailed, trying to find some leverage, but he kept me suspended, a twisted grin spreading across his face as if savoring my helplessness.
Blood pounded behind my eyes, and I could feel the strength draining from my limbs.
I lashed out with my knee, slamming it into his ribs repeatedly, but he didn't even grunt. The pressure intensified, and my ears rang.
Just as I felt the edges of my vision blurring, something dark and sharp formed in the palm of my hand. A jagged blade made out of the shadows. With one last push, I slashed down, carving through his wrist.
The villain howled, dropping me as he stumbled back, clutching his bleeding arm. I hit the ground hard, gasping and coughing, trying to force air back into my lungs.
My vision spun, but I forced myself to my feet, wiping blood from my mouth.
The glow around his hands flickered, and he looked down at his injured wrist in confusion, as if only just realizing it was hurt.
His breathing grew labored, and his movements were slower—still powerful, but not as precise as before.
Was the drug wearing off?
I felt a ray of hope, if it was wearing off then now's my chance.
I didn't give him a moment to recover, charging forward with a burst of speed. My knee connected with his ribs, and the impact sent a shockwave through my leg.
He staggered but swung blindly, a concussive wave blasting the ground and kicking up dirt and debris.
I ducked under his next punch and drove my fist into his gut, shadow-coated knuckles digging deep.
He growled, grabbing my shoulder and slamming me into the ground, but I rolled away before he could stomp down.
My muscles screamed in protest, but I forced myself back to my feet, ignoring the ache in my ribs.
I threw another punch, coating my arm with shadows again, and caught him in the jaw. His head snapped to the side, but he barely seemed to feel it.
He roared, crimson energy crackling along his hands, and I knew he was winding up for another shockwave. I couldn't afford to take that head-on, so I lunged forward and aimed a kick at his knee.
It buckled, and he dropped down, just enough for me to hook my arm around his neck and slam him to the ground.
He struggled, thrashing like a wild animal, but his strength was fading. I tightened my grip, shadows reinforcing my hold, and finally, his movements slowed.
I didn't let go until I was sure he was out cold, and even then, I stayed crouched over him, panting heavily.
Blood dripped down my face, stinging my eyes, and my legs felt like they'd give out any second. I took a breath, forcing myself to focus on the building down the road.
Kenji.
I took a step, then another, but my vision swam, and the ground seemed to tilt beneath me. I clenched my jaw and pushed forward, determined to reach him. Just a few more steps.
My foot caught on a chunk of rubble, and I stumbled, barely catching myself before I fell. My hands trembled, knuckles scraped and raw, but I couldn't stop now. I forced myself upright, one more step—
My legs gave out.
The road came up fast, and I hit the ground hard, face pressed against the cold asphalt. I tried to move, to crawl, but nothing responded. My breath came out in broken gasps, and my eyelids grew heavy.
"Damn it..." I whispered, my fingers twitching uselessly. Kenji was still too far away. I couldn't even see anything clearly anymore, just a blur through the haze of pain and exhaustion.
Darkness crept in, and I couldn't fight it anymore. My body wouldn't move. I just... couldn't.
The last thing I remembered was the sound of distant footsteps before everything went black.
***
The dull, sterile scent of antiseptics hit me first. My eyelids felt like they were glued shut, but I forced them open, squinting against the harsh fluorescent lights above.
My body felt heavy, like every muscle had been weighed down, and a sharp ache throbbed in my ribs and shoulders.
It took me a moment to realize I was in a hospital room. Machines beeped softly beside me, and my chest was wrapped tight with bandages. I shifted slightly, gritting my teeth as pain flared up.
"Azaria?"
I turned my head, my vision still a bit hazy, and saw my mom leaning over me, her eyes wide with worry.
Dad stood beside her, his hands in his coat pockets, his expression softer than usual.
"You're awake," Dad said, letting out a slow breath. "You've been out for four days."
"Four days?" I rasped, my throat dry and scratchy. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate, and I slumped back against the pillows.
Mom shot Dad a glare, her hands on her hips. "I can't believe you let him get involved in something like that! A high school student chasing down a villain? Ruki, have you lost your mind?"
Dad sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yumi, it wasn't like I planned for him to get involved. Things just... escalated." He turned to me "Kamui Woods found you. You were collapsed on the road next to the villain. They managed to subdue him and got you to the hospital in time."
Mom shot him a glare, crossing her arms tightly. "What made you involve him in police affairs?" She gave me a worried once-over, lips pressed into a thin line. "What were you thinking, Ruki? He could've died!"
I managed to find my voice, still a little shaky. "It wasn't Dad's fault. I was the one who wanted to help."
Mom turned her glare on me, and I almost wished I'd kept my mouth shut. "Just because you're recovering doesn't mean you're off the hook, young man."
Her tone softened almost immediately, and she dropped down beside the bed, pulling me into a gentle, careful hug. "You scared me half to death. What were you thinking?"
I hesitated, feeling the weight of her arms around me and the tremble in her voice. "I couldn't just stay there and do nothing. I thought I could help."
Her grip tightened for a moment before she pulled back, wiping at her eyes. "You're just like your father," she muttered, shooting him another look.
Dad gave a small, reluctant smile. "Can't really blame him for that." He stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You did good, Azaria. Thanks to you, we caught that villain. The officers wanted me to thank you, too."
A weak smile tugged at my lips, but it didn't last. There was something else gnawing at me—something I couldn't ignore.
"Kenji..." I murmured, my chest tightening. "What about Kenji? Is he okay?"
The room seemed to freeze, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Mom looked down, pressing her lips into a thin line, and Dad's hand dropped from my shoulder.
"He didn't make it," Dad said quietly, his voice almost breaking. "When we found him...he was already gone. We....couldn't save him."
It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out the beeping of the machines. I swallowed hard, but it didn't make the knot in my throat go away.
I stared at him, trying to make sense of the words. Kenji... dead?
I clenched the sheets beneath me, my hands trembling. Guilt gnawed at my insides, hollow and relentless.
I should have done more. I should have moved faster Maybe if I'd just—
A hand squeezed mine, and I looked up to see Mom's gentle, sad smile. "You did your best, Azaria," she whispered. "Don't blame yourself."
I nodded, my voice softly above a whisper "...yeah."
But it didn't feel like my best.
Because in the end... Kenji died.
———
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