Burning Ice (A Haikyuu AU)

34. Angels

(3rd Person)

"Aya!" Kenma swung open his door with an urgency that was incredibly uncharacteristic of him. "Athena's Angels is a police program that collects talented children around Japan and trains them to become weapons." 

"Woah." Vio said. "The ninth time I have seen Kenma anything but composed and snarky."

Aya nodded. "That confirms my suspicions. Grab Suna? Meet us in Koshi's office."

Minutes later, the four of them were all gathered in front of Suga, who listened to the analysis with a horrified expression.

"So you're telling me that there are kids who were kidnapped by Matthew Carter to become agents? At ages as young as eleven and twelve?"

"I suspect Matthew Carter is the head of the program." Aya said. "So that's why there has been more and more weird things happening recently." 

Maybe that's why Loki disappeared and Cassy won't tell her why. 

Thinking about Cassy made her want to cry, so she stopped and focused on the task at hand. "We need to investigate into this matter. It won't be beneficial for anyone if Matthew Carter gets his hands on what he wants."

"Power." A quiet voice came from the door. They all jumped except for Koshi, who was probably expecting it. "He wants absolute power. That's why he created the angels in the first place."

"Kaashi." Aya said, apologetically. "You were part of the angels, right?"

"Yeah." He said. "It was not a fun time." There was a mirthless laugh. "They do things to you. If your grades aren't up there, or your physical tests aren't good enough, they take you. They take you and you disappear. It's a process of elimination."

"You don't have to." Vio said, gently, taking his hand. "You don't have to talk about it."

"I escaped." Akaashi said. "I left people behind, but I escaped with four others."

Aya took out the files. "I found these when I broke into Matthew Carter's house."

"And you never told us until now?" Suga sighed. "Do you know where these four people are now?"

"No." Akaashi said. "We parted ways after escaping from the station. Kenma found me on the side of the road."

"Gash in your head." Kenma recalled. "And you were saying something about how people were onto you and chasing you. So I took you to Koshi."

"That was the guards." Akaashi said. "To this day, I still don't know how we escaped with our lives. But there are a lot more people in there. A lot more kids."

"Aya, I need to know when the program started, and what the Flames have to do with this whole thing." Koshi rubbed his temples. "Rin, we might have to get you back in there, I'll brief you in a second. Kenken, see if you can get a better layout plan of the station than what we already have. Vio, do me a favour and find Kawa and Kiyoomi, update them. And Kaashi."

Akaashi looked up, as composed as ever, despite the emotional rollercoaster that he must have just gone through.

"Go make yourself a cup of tea. And while you're at it? Make me a cup too."

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"This isn't funny anymore." Semi declared.

"I was unaware it had been funny in the first place." Shirabu said, calmly placing down another +4 card. "How many rounds have I won already? Eight million?"

Semi sighed and picked up four. "Eleven rounds, I think." He paused, running a hand through his hair, and Shirabu was not staring. "Caught."

Shirabu blinked. "What?"

"You didn't say Uno." Semi said, smiling crookedly. "Pick up two."

Shirabu rolled his eyes and calmed his breathing.

"What did you do as a kid?" Semi asked now, as they continued placing down more cards. 

"What I did? Besides helping out in the kitchen?" Shirabu asked, staring at his hand. "Not that much."

Semi laughed. "You must have had a lot of friends."

"My sister was literally the only one not terrified of me." He said, dryly. "Well, there was one."

Semi tipped his head in curiosity.

"And I'm going to stop sharing now because I can tell you're trying to glean information out of me." Shirabu said, cheerfully. "Uno."

He won that round. Again.

------------------------------

"You've been going down there a lot." Osamu called from the kitchen, when he heard Semi's footsteps coming up the stairs. "Found a new favourite, have you?"

"I agree." Iwaizumi said, reading a newspaper. 

Daichi, drinking his coffee by the counter, waved. "Any new updates?"

"He didn't have many friends as a kid." Semi said. "We played Uno."

Cassy walked in, gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "Where's Kuroo?"

"What do you mean where's Kuroo?" Daichi was instantly on alert.

Atsumu barged in at the same time, through another doorway. "Miyagi centre, again. We're going back."

Cassy nodded.

"Guys, what the hell is going on?" Iwaizumi placed down his newspaper. "Cassy? Tsumu?"

"Do we have a location on him?" Cassy asked, pressing things on her phone with all the concentration of someone disassembling a bomb. "Daichi, I've sent you the email."

They all crowded around Daichi's phone, reading the forwarded message from Cassy, from an unknown email address.

Good evening, 

If you would like him back, we'd like you to return our property as well.

You have forty hours. 

Kindest Regards,

Matthew Carter

"Shit." Iwaizumi said, springing out of his chair. "I'm getting my gun."