Red Winter - /Haikyuu/

25. The One Who Started it All

It was an odd feeling, to finally feel safe. To know Hinata was no longer in danger. He could roam around the gymnasium without a care in the world.

Even though he was finally safe, his mind was still plagued with the memories of the outside. The fresh deaths that haunted him, constantly looming above him. As Hinata walked along, down the hall and towards the cafeteria, he turned the corner.

He startled as Kenma appeared in front of him, but calmed down when he realized it was just Nekoma's setter. "Hey, Kenma." He greeted, but the boy's face was stony, eyes wide and his skin sucked of all color.

"Shoyo." Kenma whispered, grabbing onto his sleeve. Hinata felt fear course through him as he stared at Kenma's panicked face. "You have to get out of here." His hushed voice warned, and Hinata stared at him, bewildered.

"What? Why?" Hinata stammered out and Kenma looked around wildly.

"It's not safe for you. Or for your friends. You have to get out of here. Be careful. Watch yourself. But you can't just march out there, you have to go at night. When it's safer." Kenma muttered, and Hinata shook his head. What was he saying? Why would he leave when he was safe now?

Before Hinata could voice his concerns, Kenma scrambled away in fright. Hinata wanted to just shrug off that encounter, but there was something about the fear in Kenma's eyes, something that chilled him to the bone. He kept walking, though, staring at the floor until he smacked into someone.

Hinata looked up, only to see a boy he hadn't seen before with dyed purple hair and frightened green eyes. He almost reminded him of Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, Hinata thought with a pang in his heart. "Sorry," Hinata muttered, before stalking off down the hall again.

"Yes, Sergeant." A woman's voice from inside a room made Hinata freeze, his eyes growing wide. Sergeant? No, no, no. "You have the vials, correct?" Hinata knew that voice. That was Doctor Sohma.

"Yes, they're here. Thank you for your contribution, Mrs. Sohma. I have to ask, though, he is here, isn't he?" That voice. The gruff, malicious undertones. No, it can't be.

"Which one? You mean the little ginger kid, right? Hinata Shoyo?" Doctor Sohma said, and Hinata felt his vision start to tunnel, fear bubbling in him. It couldn't be. No. No!

"Yes, of course. That brat was so much fun to pick on. I'm looking forward to having more fun with him." The ever so familiar man laughed, the sound sinister. It was. It was Sergeant. Hinata felt the walls he had worked so hard to build start to crumble, his will and toughness he had tried so hard to create. It was all destroyed in a matter of seconds by that terrifying laugh. The laugh that haunted him every night, the laugh that fueled his nightmares.

That man, Sergeant, he was scarier than any red could ever hope to be. And with that thought, Hinata fell to his knees, vision blurred with terror. Please, he didn't want this. He didn't want to have to go through that pain. Please...

Hinata struggled to keep his whimpers in, grasping his shirt so tight his fingers ached.

Something Doctor Sohma said caught his attention, though, allowing him a momentary escape from the drowning terror of Sergeant. "The releasing of the virus went a lot better than expected." Hinata stopped shaking, his eyes wide as he stared at the wood flooring. What...? What was she saying?

"I still don't understand, Mrs. Sohma. I know you were hurt by your husband's passing, but releasing the prototype for Nogan when you already knew the side effects... It seems bitter to me." Hinata could practically hear the guaranteed evil smirk on Sergeant's face.

"Oh shut up, you evil old man. You've done worse than create a bioweapon." Doctor Sohma's voice was cold.

"At least I didn't start the apocalypse, you hag." Sergeant laughed again, triggering the fear in Hinata's heart once more.