(Wind Breaker) The Green Rose's Thorns

Part 1

"Aoi! Quit runnin'!"

"Yeah, we just wanna see what's under that mask o' yours!"

"Piss off!"

In a rugged, rundown town covered in graffiti, three young boys stood on the elevated train tracks running through a segment of the city. In the evening sun, everything was bathed in a sea of gold. One boy, smaller than the other two, was staring daggers into their eyes. The golden sunlight reflected back in those glassy green eyes, beneath deep brown hair that shone almost pinkish in the orange glow and hid part of his face. He wore a mask to cover his nose and mouth, and there were various rumors about what might be hidden under it.

"Hey, c'mon. We're not lookin' for a fight," one of the others stepped forward, a boy in a middle school uniform with tied back black hair. His friend, with messier blonde hair, hung back a bit.

"I said, fuck off!," Aoi, the smaller one, slugged the dark-haired boy hard. They got into a scuffle on the spot, inching closer and closer to the edge of the track.

"Got it!," the blonde one snatched the mask off of Aoi's face, and all hands froze. The other two just stared hard at what they discovered underneath the cloth. It wasn't a scar or tattoo or piercing like so many others had guessed. The face there was pretty normal, except for one thing.

"What the hell?"

"What's that? Bro, you ain't right."

The two boys who had been so curious were now regretting their actions. There on the track, nearly hanging over the edge with their back rammed into the loose gravel, a monster grinned back at them. The corners of Aoi's mouth were curled up, moreso on one side than the other. He had sharp fangs and one tooth in the front was broken at an odd angle, making him look like a hyena with that twisted smile and scrunched up brow. Suddenly, Aoi kicked the blonde kid back and fell over the edge with the dark-haired boy tumbling after him.

"Kanuma!"

...

Below the tracks, another young boy was walking past a tunnel that went under the tracks. He had short hair, and two tassel earrings. He stopped and looked upward, at the various graffiti on the brick structure. Something caught his eye, falling gently down and landing a few feet from where he stood.

"A mask?"

There was a loud shout from above, then the sound of the train passing by. The boy looked up, greeted by a sight even stranger than the medical mask that had fallen down. There were two bodies, hurtling straight for where he stood. One reddish brown eye met with a vibrant green one, just as the smaller of the two boys whirled around in the air and pulled the other close.

"Move!"

Aoi shouted at the boy standing there dumbstruck, ready to shove him out of the way if need be. He didn't need to, the other backed up a little bit just in time. The two boys hit the ground hard, or rather, one did while cradling the other so they didn't slam their head on the pavement. Aoi clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth, rolling off the other boy. His leg was throbbing, and it was hard to move after the earlier fight and that tumble. He felt dizzy, clutching his head as the ground swayed in his vision.

"Kanuma! Hey! He's not dead right?," another boy rushed over in a panic. He practically trampled Aoi in a mad dash to check on his buddy. The bystander waited, watching the dynamic between the three while kneeling down to check on the smallest of the three.

"He's not dead. Hey, you're hurt right?," the boy with the long earrings reached out, stopping when he got a death glare.

"Hey! Aoi! You're fucked up! You tried to kill Kanuma! What the hell man!," the blonde, still in hysterics, rushed for Aoi. The other boy stepped in then, holding the attacker off with an outstretched arm and a hard stare.

"He saved that boy. He was unconscious before they hit the ground, and would've been hurt way worse."

"Nobody asked you!"

"Aoi? Hey, what's this?"

Another party joined the group gathered at the barrier between Furin and Shishitoren. Their voice was deep, echoing in the tunnel along with their heeled footsteps. They wore a Furin uniform, and despite their feminine appearance boasted a huge stature.

"You two. Beat it!," they barked at the blonde and his friend who was just stirring awake. The two of them flinched, then bolted. The one who was knelt by Aoi stood up to address the latest to arrival. While he did, Aoi snatched up the mask and put it back on, slowly standing back up on his injured leg.

"Aoi, wait!," the largest one called out as the tiny boy headed off in a hurry. He was unstable on his feet, but still pretty fast as he bolted through the tunnel and out of sight. There was a trail of spattered blood from his injuries.

"Should we go after him?," the other boy asked, pointing through the tunnel while studying the other's face.

"Huh? Who're you?," was the response they got.

"Suo," the boy smiled as he answered, surprising his new acquaintance with his unflappable response.

"Tsubaki. Do you know any of those boys?," the Furin student asked. Suo shook his head, explaining that he just happened to be there when they fell.

"Fell?! From where?," Tsubaki was nearly hysterical now, clutching Suo's shoulders with intense strength.

"Sorry. I think from the tracks. They might have been fighting up there," Suo explained while the corner of his mouth twitched. Tsubaki took a deep breath and let him go, standing up straight and looking down the tunnel again.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Hm?," Suo studied their expression and waited to hear what the other had to say.

"So, I can't go over there. I'd stick out too much and draw too much attention. I've also gotta finish my patrol. I know it's not really your job, but can you try to figure out where that kid went?," Tsubaki's voice was trembling slightly, and from their eyes it was easy to see how worried they were.

"The injured one, with the mask?," Suo asked for a little clarification.

"Aoi."

"Hm?"

"His name's Aoi. He's been on that side for a while, but he doesn't seem to be from there. Most people should know him if you ask by his name. He's got a bit of reputation, but he's a good kid," Tsubaki explained a little bit more, turning to look at Suo directly as they talked.