Level Pair (Haikyuu!! Winged AU)

Level Pair; Day Nine 4/4

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a heaven in hell's despair. ~William Blake

Kageyama sees the flash of grey wing out of the corner of his eye just as the eighth hour call echoes across the rookery. He takes in a deep breath in the fading light and then moves.

There are four sentries around him, assigned to him to ensure he follows through on his end of the deal, he's sure. He must've seemed despondent because he catches two off guard. He slams one of his wings into the back of the head of one of the sentries who walks just ahead of him and leaps at the other.

Lucky hit, he notes as the first goes down.

He swings a fist into the ear of the second he'd jumped on and he, too, collapses. Kageyama knows this one's still conscious because he's grasping at his ear, but he's banking that the ringing filling his head will be enough of a temporary distraction and straightens to deliver another blow with a wing to finish knocking him out, too. He turns to see the other two staring at him in shock.

That's a mistake, he muses and launches himself at them.

At the last moment, the shadow of grey wings behind one makes him target the other. The sentry backpedals before resetting himself and taking a jab at him but Kageyama's blood is racing. His reflexes can't be beaten right now and he ducks and brings his fist up under the other sentry's chin. As he stumbles backward, Kageyama takes aim and lands another against his throat. The sentry goes down choking and he delivers one more strike to finish him off. He turns to where he can hear the other tussling with his accomplice.

He will have to thank Suga; there's no way he'd have managed to best all four in the open like this without help. The thrush is huddled up behind the last sentry, keeping the crow's arms pinned and still remaining mostly out of the way of his thrashing wings. Kageyama winds up and decks him solidly across the jaw. The sentry's head lolls in a daze and Kageyama brings a wing down across his skull to finish it. He goes limp and Suga lets him slide to the ground.

It's only been a matter of seconds but a quick glance ensures that all four are out. And then they are off, Suga streaking across the dimming sky in the lead. Kageyama's wing is protesting heavily, but his adrenaline is doing wonders at muting it.

"Do you think anyone saw?" The thrush asks just over the wind noise in their ears. Kageyama shakes his head once.

"I think they were more concerned about me." He says evenly.

For a moment, Kageyama doubts the thrush's choices, because they are heading directly back to the bulk of his father's military barracks and buildings. But when he skirts low around them, Kageyama realizes why.

Shouyou can't fly; Kageyama must go to him. Still, his nerves are on edge and he expects to be noticed at any moment. When they drop through the trees and buzz toward an empty launch platform, he has to marvel. The failing light must really hide their movement well. They land and a small form that he hadn't noticed in the air jumps slightly and rounds on them. Behind the covered figure, he sees Hinata's orange hair and almost breathes a sigh of relief.

"Kageyama!" The redhead says in a contradictory quiet exuberance with his eyes snapping with excitement, as if he knows he needs to use caution but can't keep it in. "You'll never believe this! This is my mom!" He says brightly and Kageyama can tell he's struggling to keep a low profile. Still, the words sink in and Kageyama blinks before turning toward with abrupt study. Hinata is right... Momma Yu's eyes—the same color as Noya's—stare back.

"Thank you for all your help." He says quietly with a bow, slightly out of breath from their race across the rapidly dimming sky.

"Kageyama, she took out at least three sentries. She's amazing!"