Crows Like Shiny Things (Hinakage)

Capture

"Oe Asahi... Why are you smiling like that?"
Asahi flinched; he hadn't noticed Sugawara coming up next to him. Immediately his eyes darted over to his company, a little surprised.
"Smiling?"
"You're smiling like an idiot~"

Asahi sheepishly laughed, hand nervously scratching the back of his neck.
"Ah... I didn't notice."
Suga's eyes followed the path Asahi's had taken before, only for the setter to start grinning as well.
"Well well well. Your... spirit~ Right?"
Asahi paused, then flashed a glance at the stretching Nishinoya, gaze turning soft.
"He is... more than I ever imagined. He's no monster, no beast and he certainly isn't a spirit. Actually, he is just like we are. But..."
"But?" Suga drilled further.
"But... There is something fascinating about him. He moves with so much confidence... it's... almost mesmerizing."
"Wow Asahi."
"H-huh?"

Both made eye contact, with Suga bursting out laughing in the next second.
"M-mesmerizing? You're so poetic, Asahi."
The setter leaned with a soft grin against him, eying Nishinoya now as well.
"He's something special for sure."
"Yeah."
"And he's courting you."
"Ye- H-How did you know that?"
Asahi turned a soft shade of red, clearly looking a little startled. Suga wasn't impressed.
"Oh please, the moment he sees you're looking, he's always putting in more effort. This entire match he had only eyes for you. And his feathers fluff up when he looks at you."

Asahi's jaw fell.

Well if that ain't bullseye.

"So uh... w-what are you going at?"
"You're totally smitten by him and yet you're here arguying with me instead of going over to him."
Asahi had to admit, Suga had a point. Yet, he grumbled a little at him.
"I'm not smitten."
"Oh shush Asahi."

"It's all going a bit too fast and I know what you're thinking, but it's worth giving a shot~ And we've got your back hiding Nishinoya from the elders."
Asahi was a little surprised and yet, he knew Suga was right. At some point he did have to give it a shot.

"Let's just see what future holds. I do have to wonder though... if Nishinoya and his flock aren't spirits... Do spirits actually exist?"

***

"Daichi!! We need some help over here!!"
Daichi looked up, surprised to be called out on his walk through the village, only to come face to face with a view that made him shake in his very bones.

Three men of the village, holding down what looked like a body attached to a massive pair of black wings- which were furiously flapping and smacking at the men. Immediately, Daichi's heart started going a mile an hour-

Dear god I hope it's not what I think it is...!

"We caught one of those devils!!"
"Daichi go fetch some rope!"
More and more villagers began to gather, some even running up to pin bit by bit the creature's wings down until it let out a desperate cry.
Daichi's mouth went dry, he couldn't bring himself to move.
"Daichi move already!! We can't hold it for much longer!"
Somebody dashed past Daichi with a bunch of thick rope and iron in their hands, spreading it along the men who began to immobilize the creature bit by bit.

Soon enough, they had it mounted onto a cart, and that's when Daichi met their eyes.

It wasn't Nishinoya nor Hinata.

It was a man, well trained, their wings grey with black spots spread at the tip of its feathers.

Under cheering and with torches, the man began to pull the cart deeper into the village, with the bird on top desperately trying to get out of its bindings.
Daichi could only stare and watch, until their echoing cheers became quieter.

"What... the fuck just happened...!" he breathed out, terrified, before sprinting off into the direction the village had left into. He could only beg that the other birds were hidden away, and neither Nishinoya nor Hinata had followed them into the village as well.

Daichi just managed it in time to watch them haul the cart into a storage house, locking the door and leaving two of the man to stand guard there.
At least there was nobody with that man inside there- but who knows how long they would hold him captive before resorting to more extreme methods.

Daichi had seen at Kageyama's example how scary a unified group of people could be.

People walked past him, excitedly chatting about the demonic spirit they had caught and locked up- some even claimed it may have been Kageyama who had been fully corrupted under the spirit's influence.

Utter bullshit, and Daichi knew it.

But what could he possibly do? He was alone right now, and he couldn't try to alert his volleyball club for any help without causing suspicion on himself.

A little desperate, Daichi sat down on the sandy road.

What could he do?

***

Sneaking along the shadows, she found herself very much able to blend into her surroundings. Most of the village had gone to sleep and yet, she had definitely heard about the rumors and success if one could call it.
She had to see this devil for herself.

Stopping dead in her tracks, Kiyoko slid into a small bush, staring at the two men guarding the door to the storage. Goddammit.
How could she get in there?

Maybe-

"Psst...!"
Kiyoko flinched so bad it almost made her yelp. Who on earth-? She turned around, only to see no one else than Tanaka across the road, hiding in one of the gardens of a neighbor. She stared at him with a priceless expression, before whisperyelling at him.
"What are you doing here...?!"
"I could ask you the same Kiyoko...!"
"I'm going to free the spirit...!"
"...Wait so am I...!"

Both stopped and just stared at each other for a hot second, before Tanaka snickered and quickly snuck over to Kiyoko, hiding next to her.
"Well I believe we should join forces then."
Kiyoko hesitated. She wasn't sure about this at all."
"What if-"
"No ifs. We're in this together now, and we're a team. So what's the plan?"
Kiyoko's mouth snapped shut and she kept quiet for a while, then looked back at the guards.

"...best would be a distraction. One of us distracts them, the other slips into the storage unit."
Tanaka immediately set up a huge grin.
"I can mimick bird cries really well. I'll distract 'em, you go kick ass. Deal?"
Kiyoko was a bit amused, nodding at her partner.
"S-sounds like a plan. Wait for me to get into position."

With that, the two parted ways and while Kiyoko made her way closer to the guards, Tanaka was devising his perfect plan of making as much noise as possible. When he could see her hiding just around the corner, Tanaka knew, it was showtime.

And thus, he let out the loudest, birdlike screech he had ever managed to produce.

Kiyoko had no problem getting into the building.