9

/Ahh yes FINALLY an update. A lot of work goes into each chapter, so this fic will likely only get updates a couple of times a month. Sorry for the wait! -Nika & Kira

"I can hear you."

Kindaichi almost leaps for joy and his eyes glimmer in happiness. Iwaizumi eagerly leans in to listen on to the device - Kindaichi's plan is going to work. If this Hydra team will help them as Kindaichi claims them to, Iwaizumi would want nothing more than for himself to be safe.. and for Oikawa to be safe. "Kindaichi Yutaro calling in for backup. I'm with a human named Iwaizumi Hajime and we are being hunted down by the Outsiders. We know where the Prince Tooru might be--"

What a big mistake.

But who would've known that, up in the control room of Yahaba's spaceship, Kindaichi's call for help blared within the metal walls. Even the devil leader himself was present, and Yahaba begins muttering commands to the operator as he smiled to himself. To another worker, he asks for a message to be sent down to Kyotani.

"Send us your coordinates. We will be arriving with aid as soon as possible," both Kindaichi and Iwaizumi hear the static voice say and they wasted no time in giving away their information. Unbeknownst to them, help was still so far, far away.

Meanwhile with Oikawa, Ushijima and Lesya, they've been using most of their luck dodging the laser blasts from Kyotani's spaceship. Lesya tried to move as fast as she could but the ship was catching up rapidly. Kyotani's spaceship had closed in on them near enough before a blast was sent flying towards the side of the car - Lesya and her passengers were thrown off course, but they manage to land safely, cushioned in the leaves and branches of a tree. But the ship doesn't fire at them anymore - it hovers above Lesya but it doesn't shoot. "It's receiving messages..?" Ushijima speaks uncertainty, the purple glow of his eyes indicating that he was scanning Kyotani's ship. And when the purple glint fades, the big spaceship is blasting off somewhere else, leaving Oikawa in confusion. Turning to Ushijima, the cyborg speaks in a grim tone, "He knows where Iwaizumi is."

Oikawa whimpers slightly in pain, before exiting Lesya. Hastily climbing down the tree, he shouts, "We have to hurry! We can't let Kyotani reach them first!" Before running in the direction Kyotani's ship is headed.

But to Oikawa's horror, Kyotani's ship is fast.

To his horror, his running, although fairly fast, can't compete with Kyotani's ship.

And to his horror, Ushijima takes a long time to catch up to him.

Upon witnessing Kyotani's ship land in the distance, Oikawa screams, "STAY AWAY FROM THEM!" He knows his words won't stop Kyotani. Hell, his words likely will never reach Kyotani's ears. Despite this, his shouting makes him feel a bit better. Despite this, his shouting makes him feel as though he is running faster.

It isn't until Kyotani is right in their faces that Kindaichi realizes he made a mistake. Their distress call was unprotected and open... Anyone and everyone could have received it and replied to it. Not everyone would be Hydra. Not everyone would be friendly.

"I suggest you run," Kindaichi tells Iwaizumi, before pulling something that suspiciously looks like a lightsaber out of his coat pocket. "Kyotani is strong. I probably won't be able to defeat him. Hell, I probably won't be able to slow him down for more than a couple of minutes."

"If that's the case," Iwaizumi responds, choosing to ignore his intense desire to run away like Kindaichi suggested, "I ought to stay and fight with you. I can't let you die. I can't let you die when there is a possibility that Oikawa or Hydra could should up at any moment."

"I think you're overestimating just how fast ships can fly," Kindaichi says, with a sad chuckle. "But I appreciate your enthusiasm. If you're really serious... If you're willing to risk the possibility of death - or even worse, becoming a prisoner - take this." Kindaichi hands him a weapon that reminds Iwaizumi of a Star Wars Blaster Pistol. "It's basically a gun," Kindaichi hastily explains, as Kyotani approaches; and licks his lips as if they were going to be his next kill or his next dinner. "Just be careful where you point it because if you accidentally shoot yourself in the foot it will melt your foot right off."

"That is both good and terrifying to know," Iwaizumi replies, before adjusting his grip on the gun. Before he can say more, Kyotani interrupts him. The half-dog creature before then smirks, showing off a few of his sharp teeth. "Little Kindaichi, what a surprise. I knew you were capable of something like this. For a little mutt like you, this should be a great honor. The leader humbly thanks you for your hard work."

The words hold sarcasm, and they seem to pierce right through Kindaichi. Iwaizumi hates nothing more than to deal with bullies. Kyotani is being a bitch, no pun intended. Though Kindaichi had taken the lead and stood forth to defend him, Iwaizumi moves ahead and shields his junior with his arm. "Quit. Messing around. With him."

Kyotani cocks an eyebrow up in amusement before chuckling at the newly-found information. "You understand me?" Iwaizumi is utterly confused but his mind automatically recalls the conversation he had just seconds ago. It wasn't Japanese. Nor was it English. Iwaizumi recalls the sound of gibberish, a gibberish he could understand. An alien language. Oikawa.

"Now, enough yappin'. Are you two gonna surrender or fight me?!" Kyotani shouts. With a devilish smile on his face, he adds, "I'm hoping it is the latter. I love food that fights back."

"We're f-fighting back," Kindaichi hollers, with an understandable stammer. Kyotani with his sharp teeth, dog ears and muscular body is a formidable foe. If Iwaizumi were to be honest, he'd describe Kyotani as plain terrifying. Teeth bared at them, the trio move in a slow circle, giving time for Kindaichi to take a proper stance - but Kyotani would have none of that.

The ferocious beast lunged towards both Iwaizumi and Kindaichi, but thankfully they dodge it in the nick of time. Almost instinctively, Iwaizumi holds his alien gun up and fires at Kyotani. Iwaizumi gives himself a fist pump to the air, but his victory could only last so long. A waft of black smoke from the shot still on his back, Kyotani turns with angry, red eyes and he towers over the two high school boys looking almost twice as big as he did before.

His arm comes up and is swinging towards them in a blink of an eye, but Kindaichi skillfully blocks the attack with the glowing blade of his blue lightsaber.

"Iwaizumi-san!" Kindaichi screams, "I can hold him back, please run! Escape before.. It's too.. Late..!" Kindaichi sends Kyotani a few feet backwards, but the half-dog counters back fast. Iwaizumi is left with no choice; dropping his pistol, he runs but he's only a mere distance away when he hears a cry - then a thud to the ground. Whipping his head around, Kindaichi's body lay limp on the grass, red staining the dirt beneath him - and on the claws of his killer.

"You should have listened to him," Kyotani barks. "With him gone, I'll have no trouble dealing with you." Closing the distance between them with surprising speed, Iwaizumi struggles to properly aim the gun. Due to this, the one shot he manages to fire sails harmlessly past Kyotani's left shoulder.

"You're a shitty shot," Kyotani laughs, before wrapping his hands around Iwaizumi's throat. "Drop the gun unless you want to end up like Kindaichi." Iwazumi, of course, doesn't want to listen. He wants to keep fighting. However, such a thing is impossible when Kyotani could kill him before he pulls the trigger. Giving Kindaichi's body once last glance, Iwaizumi drops the gun. "That's a good boy," Kyotani laughs once again. "We'll get you trained yet! Then again, even if we didn't, we have other ways of making you listen to us."

Iwaizumi doesn't like the sound of "us."

Iwaizumi doesn't like the sound of "other ways" either.

Shoving the gun into the belt of his pants, Kyotani pulls handcuffs out of his pants pocket. The handcuffs look surprisingly simple, like handcuffs found on Earth. Slapping them on Iwaizumi's wrists, Kyotani then drags Iwaizumi to his spaceship.

Oikawa, Ushijima and Lesya arrive to the scene just as Kyotani's ship launches itself into the bright blue sky. "Shit," Oikawa shouts, "Shit, shit, shit!" He only lets his gaze return to the Earth once Kyotani's ship out of sight.

He hates what he finds. "Kindaichi," Oikawa shouts, running toward the bloody body on the ground. "Why are you just laying here, Kindaichi? Kin..." Oikawa's voice trails off once he gets a good look at Kindaichi's face... Once he gets a good look at Kindaichi's unmoving, dead eyes.

"I hate to seem insensitive," Ushijima says in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, "but we have to hurry. That is, we have to hurry if you want to save Iwaizumi."

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CHAPTER CREDITS

Character design & development (for Oikawa): Kira (nvillera)

Character design & development (for Kyotani): Kira (@nvillera) & Nika Ravenscraft

Character design & development (for Ushijima): Kira (@nvillera) & Nika Ravenscraft

Character design & development (for Kindaichi): Nika Ravenscraft

Character design & development (for Iwaizumi): Kira (@nvillera) & Nika Ravenscraft

Scenario development: Kira (@nvillera)

Writing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Editing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)