Chapter Text
I have to be strong.
The air was filled with dust and the smell of gun powder. You could hear gun shots and screams coming from the streets. Faint footsteps as soldiers moved past you but you stayed calm and quiet. You trusted they wouldn't find you there; a high-rise near the cliffs, the second floor. The enemy wouldn't check the building. They didn't have time to do it now; the victory was right in front of them. The dust dried your throat but you didn't dare to cough. Not now. There was no room for a single mistake.
You crouched against the wall while holding a certain launcher in your lap, waiting for the right time to use it. The windows in the room were towards the Sweet River, and if you would have just lifted yourself up and looked from the window you could see the bridge between the buildings. You could see your allies defending it to get everyone to the safety.
Everyone but you, and that was a reason enough not to look. Instead, you watched the sky as it was turning scarlet as the sun was setting. You listened though you didn't want to hear the screams. You waited though you wanted to flee.
You took a deep breath. I have to be strong for them. You looked at the launcher on your lap only to notice that your hands were shaking. Frustration was building inside you, sending shivers through your body. It felt as if it had been forever since you had heard about your team. Or was it only minutes? You couldn’t be sure anymore. You fought against the urge to contact them again but your hand had travelled on your headset before you could stop yourself.
"What's the situation?" you asked as you pressed the button. The headset stayed silent for a moment. Forever. Then the device made a short buzzing sound.
"[They haven't reached the bridge yet but they're closing fast,]" Tsukishima answered, his voice was as steady as always but you could hear discomfort in his tone. He liked this as less as you. “[There is still time, (Surname), you still could - -]“
“But I won’t,” you interrupted him while shaking your head little. It felt horrible to hear him plead. “Follow my plan, Tsukki. Just uh, make sure I won’t blow them up with the bridge, okay? It'd be too tragic.”
Tsukishima answered quicker but in an irritated tone. “[Tch, you speak as if this whole mission hadn’t already turned into a tragedy.]”
I’m the tragedy here, you thought but didn't dare to say it. It would only be followed by depressing silence and ill feelings. Apologies. You would need to face those things anyway quite soon so why to hasten them. I have to be stronger than that. For them. As that thought invaded your mind again, you blinked in surprise. You were thinking your team quite a lot. It felt bizarre to you that there had been a time when they meant nothing to you. It hadn’t always been this way. Actually, the beginning of your shared journey had been pretty rough for everybody.
Thanks to you… mostly.
You chuckled a little at your own realization, I was a tragedy back then too, wasn’t I?
The gun shots quieted as the memories started to flood back to your mind. You didn't realize how many memories you had made. It felt as if you were living the moments again. It took the anxiety away for a moment. Maybe it’s because in the end you strangely start thinking about the beginning.
At the beginning for you, there was only a long rocky road and irritation.
You gazed out from the car’s open window without really seeing anything. There was not much to see either; the landscape had been rocky and hilly for the past hour, only dry bushes and a couple of half-dead trees coloring it here and there. Bumps. The rocks and sand were cracking under the heavy tires. You were absorbed in your irritation. The wind played with some loose strands of your (h/l) (h/c) hair, which you had tied in the hurry. You were wearing casual clothes: grey sweatpants with a white tank top and black army boots. A metallic, simple styled dog whistle tingled against your dog tags.
From time to time you could detect the driver give you curious looks through the rear-view mirror. His dark tired-looking eyes lingered small moments over your figure before turning their attention back on the non-existing road. The wind made his messy black hair look like a living thing. It annoyed you. Everything annoyed you at the moment. The whole day had been shitty unpleasant for you.
Sudden big changes weren’t really for your taste but you didn't mind them if you were warned about them. You wouldn't have had any problems with this transportation from the base of Eagle Garden to Crow’s Nest IF JUST your superiors would have warned you a little bit earlier. Not on the same day. Not out of the blue. When the head commander of Eagle Garden had summoned you to his office with your trainer Washijou, that wretched bastard (the feeling was mutual), you already could taste shit in your mouth.
You were informed that you would be shifted to the southern army base of Allied Guards, Crow’s Nest. There was a silence which you decided to fill by asking when you should get ready for the leave. The answer still rang in your ears, making your blood boil: “Your ride has already arrived and ready to leave whenever you are ready. Better not let them wait.” It had totally caught you off guard but what had pissed you off the most had been that contemptuous smirk on Washijou’s face when he had seen your reaction. He had looked so satisfied.
You had taken off immediately, packed everything you owned (there really wasn’t too much of it), and headed to the driver. He introduced himself as Matsukawa Issei. The loyal companion of yours, a huge German shepherd named Mashur, followed you right on your heels. Instead of you, he was excited, but it was his nature. Yet even that excitement was put to an end quickly; the dog wasn't allowed to travel with you on the back seat.
It was already normal for you that the size of your German shepherd frightened many people – even hardboiled soldiers looked aghast after meeting him for the first time. Mashur was clearly bigger than most of its kinds, plus he was also denser which made him look more like a small bear than a huge dog. While Mashur was sitting next to your standing figure you could rest your arm comfortably on his head. The dog had strong built and could rather easily shove an unsuspecting grown-up man to the ground. You had trained him on the warzone and you couldn’t be more proud of him. He was your loyal companion, your strength, your protection… and now that fine creature was trapped in a dog transportation crate too small for him.
He can’t even sit straight in there, you had thought when the dog had been finally trapped. You tried and tried to assure the driver that Mashur would be totally under your control but this Matsukawa Issei hadn't faltered. He shook his head while furrowing his thick eyebrows: no dogs onto his car’s back seat. You felt like wanting to spit venom to his squinty, sleepy eyes.
Fighting more about the matter wouldn't have probably resolved anything. You were already so fed up about the whole situation and ready to leave that rotten garden of old farts so you had to give in. You had chosen to travel on the back seat closer the cargo where Mashur was trapped as a protest, though.
Later, you wished you would have fight a bit more for your companion’s comfort.
When you had left Eagle Garden everything around you had been green and living and fresh, but as you drove further away to the south towards the mountains, the surroundings started to turn into dead dry stone. Rocky wasteland, how lovely. The worst part still was the road – there were more bumps on it than there were hills in Himalaya and every time the car hit another rock or bump, you could hear a small whimper of discomfort coming from the dog transportation crate. The whimpers got the louder the further you drove, and every time you heard that sad sound your eyes flamed with irritation and burned another hole to the back of the driver’s head. All Matsukawa could do was to give you apologetic smiles.
It’s too late to apologize now, you thought before drifting back to your thoughts. Otherwise, the car ride was silent. Matsukawa had tried to have some small-talk with you multiple times but you had no interest in such things. You weren’t there to make memories so you ignored him. At some point, he finally had given up trying to talk with you. Instead, he was now giving you those inquisitive looks and it was almost as annoying as his attempts to have a chat had been.
At some point you drove past a small village which Matsukawa explained to be named Gezende. About an hour later you saw a city in the distance but got no explanation which city it was. Well you really didn’t care, and you were not going to ask about it either.
“We have arrived, miss!” Matsukawa finally called. He gave you a smile through the rear-view mirror. “Welcome to the Crow’s Nest, the Southern army base of King’s Allied Guards in the land of Arylean.”
There was a hint of proudness and excitement in his voice but his face was showing no deeper emotions. He drove the car through open gates and soon you could spot different buildings in front of you. The area was huge and full of life as soldiers worked on with their tasks. Most of them were wearing white shirts with grey camouflage pants.
Your ride stopped at the main building. There were two flags with different sigils on the roof: a pitch black crown on an orange field for Crow’s Nest of the Allies and a white tree with golden leaves on a turquoise field for the kingdom of Arylean.
The kingdom had gotten a new king about ten years ago and the country was already in a war. The new king wasn’t pure Aryleanese by birth like his predecessors, which had made some old believers rise against him. Still he was well-loved by his people; he really put his whole heart and soul in to make the Arylean wealthier and more well-being country. The people who rose against “the Impure King” started to call themselves Blood Brothers and their goal was to throw current king from the throne and name better one, a pure blooded king.
The War of Blood has been going on for nine years now and no significant improvement has been seen on either side. Arylean had had to ask help from the other countries since over half of its own soldiers had turned against the Impure King, and so the Allied Guards of Arylean, or Allies, was founded. You had been playing your part in this war for five years now.
Once the car stopped you jumped out and went to free your companion. A soldier with light brownish hair with short cut approached Matsukawa who leaned lazily on the vehicle. They seemed to be good friends.
“Welcome back!” he said, and turned his attention to you and gave a small smile. “Welcome to our base! How was the ride, miss?”
You glanced at him in an irritated manner and continued to unpack the cargo to reach the crate without responding. Mashur knew that he was about to get free and was getting restless. It made you restless too. The brown-haired man looked at you in confusion as Matsukawa answered the question.
“Hee.. thanks Hanamaki. Well the ride was rather calm… maybe little bumpy.”
He clearly said the last words louder so you could hear them. You glared at him icily. Hanamaki felt chills going up his spine. He turned to his friend while covering a side of his mouth, “Oi oi, what did you do to deserve that? She’s so pissed off!”
“Pff, there’s not much to it. That’s how she was during the whole ride.” Mashur jumped off the crate and shook and flexed his body before looking around a little. He never went too far without your permission. You threw all the cargo back in, took your backpack, and gave a look at Matsukawa. “Hmm… It seems like we are going now. There are some boxes for the kitchen plus medical equipment in the cargo. I promised to bring her to Ukai so could you finish the delivery for me.”
“Sure thing.” Hanamaki glanced at you, curiously. You were already glaring at them. Matsukawa sighed before signing you to follow him to the building.
The people in the building immediately noticed you. Wherever you walked the area fell silent before whispering started. They whispered about your looks, how rare it was to have a female soldier in the base and wondered the size of you German shepherd. You realized that you hadn’t seen any other female soldiers yet. But then again, you didn’t care even if you were the only one there. It changed nothing.
A couple of floors and turns later Matsukawa stopped at a certain door and pressed a buzzer. There was a badge that read ‘Commander Ukai’ next to the buzzer. Mumbled noises emanated through the door before the buzzer showed green and you were allowed to come in.
The room was rather dim and smelled strongly of tobacco. You followed Matsukawa to the middle of the room and saluted. Mashur came to sit right next to you with a straight pose, like a salute. Matsukawa spoke first. “Matsukawa Issei, from the transporting squad. I have returned from Eagle Garden with private (Surname) as you have asked, sir.”
A blonde haired man wearing a headband sat behind his desk and looked at you for a moment before giving you the permission to be at ease. He had a tobacco in his hand and he blew smoke out. “Hm, I can tell. How were things at Eagle Garden?” He placed his arms on the desk and leaned on them. His eyes were curious. “Did you hear anything new about their troops' situation?” He seemed to be interested in the matter but something in his eyes told that he already knew about it.
“I heard that Blood Brothers had terrorized them in Lanchor. The enemy is turning more hostile.” Matsukawa’s expression turned a shade grimmer. “They care less and less about the civilians. The hospitals will soon ask for medical support since there’s too many injured.”
Ukai silently stared at Matsukawa before sighing. “It’s really unfortunate.” He inhaled the lasts of the tobacco and snuffed it out.
Only then you noticed the third man in the room. He was standing in the shadows next to an open window, wearing all pitch black outfit. He had a large build which made him look pretty valiant. He had short black hair and his dark eyes were on you. There’s something different in him, you thought, you could feel pressure in his stare. You squinted your eyes slightly, How I didn’t see him earlier? The man gave you a surprised smile as if he hadn’t expected you to notice him this quickly. You probably wouldn’t have seen him any time soon if Mashur wouldn't have turned his snout towards the suspicious man in the shadows. It was a sign for you to look.
Commander Ukai leaned back on his chair. “Well I think this was all I needed for today Matsukawa. Rest well, take a nap or something, and continue as you have planned. Good work.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!” Matsukawa saluted and gave you a small nod before leaving the room.
There was a folder on the commander's table with your name on it. Ukai opened and eyed it.
“So you are (Surname) (Name). I have heard quite a lot about you.” He lifted his gaze from the paper at you. You didn’t avoid his gaze though you felt the pressure build inside you. it felt as if he was trying to see through you. “Do you know why you were sent here?”
“I was not granted the pleasure of knowing it, sir.” Irritation washed over you. Your answer made the commander chuckle little.
“I've heard rumors that you had some discord with some of your superiors in Eagle Garden.” You remembered the smirk on your former trainer’s face this morning. The memory made you bit your lip and finally break the eye contact with the commander. Ukai smiled, “Well, I’m not really surprised. Washijou’s training methods are really divisive. What surprises me more is that you haven’t been informed about this. We have to start from the beginning.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Haah… long story short, you have been transferred here to strengthen our lines in special forces. You'll be working with the Elites after you pass the needed tests. By the information what I already have here about you, you should pass those tests without bigger problems.” Ukai turned his attention at Mashur. The dog tilted his head a bit which made a small smile rise on Ukai's lips. “The files tell that you own a dog and handle it fine. If he doesn’t cause any problems and passes the test cleanly I don’t see a reason to separate you two.”
You gave a small relieved sigh and looked at your companion who immediately turned to gaze at you and fawned in a happy manner.
Ukai leaned forward again and folded the file on the desk before folding his hands on the file. “If you do well you can take a part in missions as an Elite in four months. Do you have any questions in your mind?”
You were about to answer negative but ended up glancing at the man in the shadows. He gave you a warm smile, which made you hesitate little. This didn’t slip from Ukai’s notice and he followed your gaze. It was almost as if he had forgotten the man’s presence altogether.
“Oh yeah! May I present you the captain of the Elites, Sawamura Daichi. He'll be guiding and estimating your progress the coming months.”
Sawamura came to you for a handshake. “It’s nice to meet you! If you come up with any questions don’t hesitate to ask them.” His voice was low and warm, and even though you were expecting him to crush your hand with the handshake, he was surprisingly gentle.
“Uh, nice to meet you too. Thank you, sir,” you managed to say. It annoyed you how your voice trembled. Suddenly the buzzer rang.
“Hee, in the nick of time like always,” the commander said and pressed a button on his desk.
A lean man with light-grey hair stepped in. The air around him was everything else but intimidating, more like refreshing. Somehow the air in the room wasn't so stuffy anymore. He smiled and greeted everyone. The man took his pose next to you and saluted towards Ukai. “I hope I’m not late, Keishi!”
Isn’t he being a bit too familiar with the commander, you wondered. Ukai didn’t seem to mind.
“You came just right time Sugawara. I just finished.” Ukai gestured his hand towards the man next to you as he spoke to you. “(Surname), this is the vice-captain of the Elites, Sugawara Koushi. He'll be showing you the base today and will be familiarizing you with our system for the following days.” Sugawara turned at you and gave you a sweet genuine smile during the handshake. He had a mole under his eye which gave him angelic look. He even waved to Mashur as if saying 'hello', which made the dog turn its head curiously.
…is this man serious?
“Well, since you said that you already finished, I believe you won’t mind if I take Miss (Surname) now!” Sugawara sang. Ukai nodded and waved his hand at you two as a sign to go. Sugawara gave you a nod before saluting at the commander and heading out. You saluted, confused, at the commander and followed the vice-captain out with Mashur. Once the door shut behind you, you could hear the mumbled talking continue behind it.
“I think we should pick up your new gear from the store and take your belongings to the barracks so you can move more freely. Can I carry something for you, miss?” Sugawara smiled and tilted his head little. You hated it when you were called ‘miss’ but somehow you just couldn’t get angry at him. It gave you a troublesome feeling.
“Thank you but I got this, sir”, you said while lifting the backpack on your back. For a moment Sugawara was hypnotized by your strength before remembering the moment.
“Oh okay, and please call me just Suga,” he said as he gave you a sheepish smile, “I don’t need such honorifics. Everybody here calls me Suga after all.” You only mumbled small ‘yes’ before looking away, confused. For Sugawara it was only a cute gesture but he could feel your discomfort so he decided it was better to continue. “This way please!” he said and went ahead. You headed outside and went around the main building. During the walk, Sugawara told you about the Elites.
“So basically we're, as the name says, the elites of Crow’s Nest, the soldiers with our own specialties working for the common good. We're a special group who take anomalous orders from the Headquarters of Allied Guards. Currently there are seven powerhouses in the Elites plus a handful of others who support us in need. You'll get to know everyone soon!”
Behind the main building was a sporting field where some soldiers were just having a hand-to-hand combat practice. It was easy to spot an Elite from the crowd, he had a jet-black t-shirt and pants while the other soldiers had lighter grey camouflage pants and white or black t-shirts. The Elite was shouting instructions to ‘the Rookies’ as Sugawara stated them.
“As an Elite, you'll take part in training and educating the Rookies with your talents,” he explained. He had noticed you following the practice. “We and the Rookies have slightly different schedules with training since we have to be always ready to act. Someone may say that we, um... slack off, since we have more ‘free time’ than them but the free time can be spent however we find it necessary.”
The Elite who was training the Rookies noticed you quite soon. He eyed you for a moment before shouting an order to have a pause and walking towards you two. He had dark spiky hair, his expression was serious. The man looked slightly intimidating which caused Mashur to growl a little. You touched the dog's head as a sign you had heard him, and he calmed down. It was your way to communicate; reaction and answer.
Sugawara seemed to be surprised about the Elite and stopped. “Oh, it’s you Iwaizumi! Wasn’t it supposed to be Kuroo’s turn to arrange this practice?” Sugawara shouted. Iwaizumi signed Sugawara to come closer. After apologizing and asking for you to wait Sugawara jogged to the dark-haired man.
“There has come some changes with the plans - -” was all you could hear Iwaizumi say before they turned their backs at you to have a private talk.
Without knowing how long it'd take, you put your backpack down and scanned the area. There was some forest almost around the base which pleased you; at least something could stay alive in this wasteland. You noticed somebody approaching you from the sportsfield. A blonde guy with an undercut and with a cunning smile on his lips. Two of his friends stayed behind with their nervousness. One of them whispered as loudly as he could at the man, “Oi, Terushima, stop it already! You get in trouble!”
I've been here only minutes.
“Heeeey, pretty one!” Terushima stopped in front of you and smiled sweetly as he shamelessly checked every inch in you. His golden eyes lingered on your chest area before returning to your eyes. He gave you that cunning smile again, “Where do they make such beauties? What’s your name?”
You gave him a warning glare and looked for help from Sugawara but the Elite was intensely focused on the subject whichever they were talking about. Neither of the Elites was about to notice you anytime soon. Terushima seemed to know this too. He smiled.
“No need to be shy, I just want to have some fun." He took a step closer which wasn’t for your liking so you backed off. Mashur looked at the man curiously ears perked up but got ignored. The blonde was more determined than the other men who had tried you. At this point, many gave up but this guy was stepping over the line. Greatly. He put his right arm around your shoulder, brushing your chest “accidentally” before letting his hand hang, relaxed. His grin was scheming and his words dripped honey. His golden eyes desired you, or the certain parts in you at least. “A woman gets also lonely here just like a man does, and once you do, you should come to me. I'll please you - -” His lips touched your left ear as he whispered, “- - with all my manhood you’ll be willing to take, sweetie.”
Wow.
You took gentle hold of his right arm as a fake smile appeared on your lips. For a moment Terushima thought he had captured you and your soft woman’s heart. He couldn’t be more wrong. He made a big mistake there. Your grip tightened and with a swift movement, you slipped under his arm behind him. From there you twisted Terushima’s arm behind his back, gave a kick to the region back of his knee joint, and pushed him forward which caused him to go chest first to the ground. There wasn't much time for him to react. Terushima grunted and shouted in rage.
“What the hell was tha - -!!?”
He turned to face you only to see Mashur towering over him. The dog had his teeth bared as he snarled malevolently. Terushima shrieked in terror and tried to back off but Mashur stepped over him and barked while snarling at him. The soldier froze from fear. You held a dog whistle in your mouth. Immediately after you had pushed the blonde man down you had given a small blow to the whistle - for Mashur it meant ‘go’. The sound was so high that only animals could hear it.
“T-Take this beast off - - !!”
“One word, ” you said calmly but loudly enough for Terushima to hear you over Mashur’s snarling. There was no expression on your face. Terushima didn’t like how heartless it made you look. “ One word and I could end that loneliness your manhood so suffers from. How would you like that?” The male looked at the dog who was snapping his fangs dangerously close to his genitals. He turned his terrified eyes at you.
“Please don’t. I-I beg you, uh, let me go!”
Mashur’s snarling and barking had drawn almost everybody attention by then and Terushima’s friends watched the situation in horror from the safe distance. Sugawara was running to you with Iwaizumi, shocked expression staining his gentle face. Even Iwaizumi seemed to be surprised how fast things had gotten out of hands.
“What in the earth is happening here Miss (Surname)?!” Sugawara half-shouted in terror when he finally reached you. You glanced at Sugawara while Mashur kept growling at Terushima. The blonde was a pathetic sight. Would they even care if I told them what happened? “Miss (Surname), please make this stop! Right now.”
You gave one last glance to Terushima, who stared your (e/c) eyes in terror. His heart nearly stopped as you opened your mouth to speak. One word. “Mashur,” you said with severity in your voice. The dog instantly perked its ears up. “Off. With me.” You took your backpack and started to walk towards the direction where you had been heading with Sugawara earlier. Mashur moved away from the golden-eyed man and galloped to your side. Terushima trembled as he watched you go as nothing had happened. Soon his friends came to him. Sugawara felt aghast and immediately apologized Iwaizumi for the trouble and went after you.
"Miss - - !”
“Please don’t call me ‘miss’, Sugawara,” you said without meeting his eyes. You felt slightly ashamed of talking over your superior but you were currently quite pissed off. “It makes me sound like I'd be some little girl. I’m a soldier just like everybody else here so please, no more ‘miss’s.”
Sugawara blinked, surprised, upon hearing you say his name. Your lips made the name sound somewhat gentler. You clearly hadn’t meant it that way but he still he hummed happily. “Mmm okay, no more ‘miss’s. Do you want to talk about what happened back there, (Name)?”
It was your turn to be surprised; he had called you by your first name. You were so used to be called by your last name. How familiar this guy can get in less than an hour? You frowned slightly. “He didn’t know how to back off so I showed him how.” Mashur gave a supporting bark.
“I see, ”Sugawara chuckled. “Please try to be liiittle bit gentler next time, okay? The poor man looked so terrified!”
It was my intention, you thought, so there wouldn’t be the ‘next time’. Yet, you just mumbled a small ‘yes’ as an answer and continued your tour with the cheerful Elite.
Little did you know that Ukai had followed your actions from his window with Sawamura. The captain was amazed by your movements and clean technique while Ukai had just sighed, troubled. After things had solved out and you had started to walk off with the vice-captain, Ukai returned to his seat and opened the file about you again.
He sighed again.
“Something in her is clearly troubling you,” Sawamura said in an amused tone. The commander answered by grunting. It annoyed how well the captain knew him. He started to read a part from the file which included notes about your talents:
“- - studied first-aid in the high school and has great paramedic skills, handles pressure well, interested in Aryleanese culture, makes up her weak build and lack of power with speed and mobility, quick to act - - well that one certainly is true.” Ukai lit a tobacco. As he sighed again smoke rushed out of his mouth. Sawamura looked at him confused
“Those are all good skills to have, sir. Everything you just read was high praise for her, so what is the problem? She seems to be overall fine soldier.” Ukai turned at the younger male.
“Those words were written by (Name)’s own uncle who worked for the military all his life. Sir (Surname) was strict but caring trainer. I met him a couple of times before he retired for taking care of his niece. I heard he even trained (Name) before she joined the military.” The blonde man watched as the smoke rose towards the ceiling. “The problem really isn’t that it is her uncle who wrote that since everybody agrees with him in some level, though.”
Sawamura waited patiently for the commander finish the tobacco and continuing.
“Tell me Daichi, how does a soldier get in the special forces, especially in the Elites? What makes him or her differ from the others?”
The question was a bit strange in Sawamura's opinion but he still answered it. "A soldier who is renowned usually gets promoted to the Elites by their trainers or commanders. In most cases, they have praiseworthy papers, great experience on the warzone, and they cooperate with their teammates well. Why do you ask?”
“She wasn’t promoted here by any of his former trainers. Not even by his uncle.”
“Well with all those praises you listed previously, she might have been sent here to - -” Daichi’s explanation was cut short when Ukai continued to read your files.
“ - - unsocial and rather hostile personality, lacks cooperation skills, shows no trust in the others (including the medics and superiors), has endangered missions by acting her own, doesn’t admit her weaknesses - -” Ukai was not surprised to see Sawamura to be taken back a little. Well you can’t judge a book by its cover. The best, or more like the worst, was yet to come. “The reason for her transportation from Eagle Garden is described here with a few words: ‘We couldn’t handle her.’” Ukai shut the file, and leaned on his arms. The air in the room had turned heavy. He sighed without raising his gaze from the file.
“You probably understand what that means.”
“Saying that they couldn’t handle her is clearly a hint for us to try to handle her,” Sawamura felt anger grow inside him, his face twisted in irritation. Crow’s Nest was known from its strict training, you do or die trying. Everything based on teamwork – victory wasn’t claimed by acting alone like in Eagle Garden and you, a lone wolf, had been sent here of all places. "They want us to break her.”
There was much and more cruelty in the world but this went over Sawamura’s personal understanding of injustice. She was supposed to be one of them and they send her away only to be destroyed. He remembered how stressed and dim your (e/c) eyes had been. You acted tough but you clearly had felt betrayed. You knew why you were sent here. You knew Eagle Garden wanted to get rid of you and had managed to do it in the most hurtful manner.
“I won’t allow that to happen." The captain’s dark eyes met the commander’s brown ones full of determination. “It won’t be easy but some way we'll make her trust us. She'll become one of us.”
Ukai had to smile, she was here only for a moment and has already effected on him this much. “That's reassuring to hear, Captain. I leave it to you then.” Hopefully she will be willing to take our help.
Otherwise she won’t last.
After you had walked away with Sugawara, Iwaizumi was informed what had happened. He was not pleased. “Terushima… when do you, fucking idiot, learn to think before acting?!” His voice was threatening, grumbling like a closing storm. Terushima trembled under the death stare of Iwaizumi Hajime, chills going up and down his spine. At that moment the fact that a huge dog almost ripped off his balls didn’t feel so bad after all. “Twenty laps. Right. Now.”
“Y-Yes, sir!!” While Terushima literally ran for his life and the others focused on training, Iwaizumi turned his gaze to follow your back. You were beautiful for sure, but what had caught his attention in you was a certain elegance in your posture and how you moved. You were confident. Something in him wanted to see more of it.
And oh he would.