A meeting was held a week later, regarding the boy still locked in the isolation room.
In a dark room on the uppermost floor, several high ranking commission members, and the boss herself, had gathered to discuss the new trainees' progress. Of course, the topic naturally drifted to Kio, who hadn't calmed down at all and was still running amok in his small room.
"He injured another one of our men today. He's been the worst one so far."
The head of the commission sighed, that was the fifth one this week. They had noticed that Kio had begun hurting himself in his rage, scratching at his arms and pulling his hair, so they tried to restrain him.
However, whenever someone approached him, he would attack. It had been steadily getting worse, each man coming back beaten within an inch of their life. What was most strange, was that every person who came out that room looked like they had seen death itself, and when questioned about just what happened, they would shake and cry, screaming about a monster.
"His roommates are worsening as well."
Keigo and Touya had been declining rapidly just like Kio.
Keigo's bird instincts were acting up due to the absence of Kio's comforting presence, and although he had Touya, he needed both to feel safe. Throughout the week, he became less and less talkative, instead devolving to confused chirps and clinging to Touya every chance he got. He became more fidgety and easily startled during training. His wings would often spread out, feathers twitching as if trying to pick up some noise, but since he was still inexperienced he couldn't hear anything above his own floor. His distress grew each day he couldn't find Kio, eventually sticking to Touya like glue, even during training which the commission was not happy with at all.
Touya, meanwhile, could barely stay awake during his sessions. Fatigue clinging to his form, dark circles forming under his eyes. He tried his hardest to soothe Keigo, to reassure them both that Kio would be ok and that he would be back with them soon, but with each passing day, his own words became harder and harder to believe. He didn't have animal instincts like Keigo but he still missed his friend dearly. Kio's presence was calming, and as he watched Keigo deteriorate, he wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up in his wings and be told everything was gonna be ok.
The head of the commission sighed again, hearing the reports of their most promising trainees. She glanced down at the papers in front of her, information on the trio written on the pages. If separation only worsened their conditions, then putting them together seemed to be their only other option for recovery.
She stood, getting everyone's attention before declaring in a loud and stern voice.
"Take Takami and Todoroki to Kio, if their presence doesn't calm him then we'll have no choice but to kick them from the program."
The other members nodded, scrambling to gather their things and exit the room.
Two men went downstairs to collect Touya and Keigo, who had been locked in their room for the time being. They unlocked their door, swinging it open.
"Get up. We're taking you to Kio."
Touya and Keigo immediately jumped up, hearts jumping out their chests at the thought of finally seeing their friend again.
They were led up several floors before arriving at the one where Kio was being held. The men escorting them stiffened as they got closer to the door, eventually coming to a halt just in front of it.
It was quiet...much too quiet.
Whenever anyone came up here, they would always hear Kio's screams of anger, say they could feel his aggression in the air. This time, there was only silence.
The men hesitated, before stepping forward and unlocking the door. Keigo and Touya were right behind them, watching it swing open slowly. It was pitch black in the small room, they could just make out Kio's figure but it seemed...different. As Kio stepped into the light from the hallway, they gasped at the sight before them.
Kio had grown taller, almost towering over them, ears pointed and fangs sharp. His nails had grown too, talons clawing at the ground as he made his way over on all fours. His toes were in a similar state. His wings were poised above him, glowing red eyes locked on their figures. His shirt lay in shreds on the ground behind him, showing the tiny black smattering if scales on his sides and shoulders, along with the scratches littering his arms.
But what surprised them the most was the thick, black tail protruding from his lower back. It swished behind him, trailing along the ground, the tail fins spreading and retracting as he got closer.
The men stepped back, seeing the insane look in his eyes. They grabbed onto Keigo and Touya's shoulders, intending to lock Kio back in, but a deep growl paused them in their tracks. A sudden feeling of pure fear coursed through them, almost making them drop to their knees. They scrambled at the ground, turning and running as fast as they could while shouting for help.
Keigo and Touya also felt...something wash over them. It wasn't fear, not for them anyway. It was distress and relief, emitting from the one who paused at the doorway. They knew from their first glance at Kio that he wasn't entirely there. Something else was in his place, but it was still their Kio. They saw him hesitate, only a few feet in front of them.
Kio had felt them coming, a soft calm settling in his mind, replacing the rage which had been storming the entire week. The moment he saw them, he wanted to grab them, keep them close and never let go, but he hesitated. He knew he looked different, he felt different, and he didn't want to scare them. So he waited, waited for them to come to him.
They stared at each other for a while, before Keigo chirped furiously and flew right into Kio's chest. Kio's arms came up to wrap around his significantly smaller form, wings curling forward and tail swishing in surprise. Keigo nestled into his embrace, wings flapping happily on his back as he took in his presence, that same comforting feeling settling into his heart.
Kio held him close, mindful of his sharp talons before he glanced up at Touya. He extended an arm, giving him a soft smile before Touya too came barreling into him. He cradled them close, wings and tail curling around them. He could feel Touya's tears of relief and happiness soak into his skin, rubbing a hand down his back comfortingly. He listened to Keigo's excited chirps, wings ruffling happily as he buried his face in his neck.
They stayed like that on the cold floor, surrounded by warmth and contentment, as Kio held them close in his arms. They were finally back together again.
Their little moment of peace only lasted a few seconds.
The elevator at the end of the hall drew open to reveal several members of the commission, quirks at the ready to apprehend Kio and save Keigo and Touya. However, they all collectively came to a screeching halt at the sight of Kio holding the boys in a surprisingly gentle embrace.
Kio noticed the commission members and deemed them too close for his comfort. He released a low growl, keeping one arm wrapped around Keigo and Touya while the other clawed at the ground. Tail swishing threateningly behind him and wings up in hostility, he stared down the men on the other side of the hall.
Keigo and Touya looked over their shoulders, wondering what had caused Kio's shift in mood. Seeing the commission members standing there and not backing down, they proceeded to not care and just snuggled back into Kio's larger frame, trusting him to protect them if anything happened.
The men on the other side hesitated before most of them began making their way back to the elevator. Since Kio hadn't attacked them yet, they assumed that Keigo and Touya's presence was already calming him down, and they didn't want to get any closer while he had them close to him.
One of them, however, didn't seem to get the memo, and charged forward, hands raised and fists shaking. The other members could only watch in bewilderment at his display of utter stupidity. They turned around, marched into the elevator and were gone before they could see what was about to happen, they all knew he was dead anyway.
Kio tensed at the shout the man let out, growls increasing in volume and wings spreading behind him. He put Keigo and Touya down, crouching in front of them as the man ran towards them. Before he could get too close, Kio beat his wings and flew right into the man, knocking him to the ground and bashing his head against the floor. He spread his wings around them so that Keigo and Touya couldn't see what he was about to do.
Keigo and Touya were sitting on the ground, waiting for Kio to be finished with the foolish man so they could get back to cuddling. They leaned against each other, hearing the man scream and shout for mercy as Kio growled above him. They took some sick pleasure from hearing his cries, after what the commission had done (and the shit they had already been through beforehand), they couldn't care less if a few of them died.
They looked up as the screams of pain came to an abrupt halt. Kio stood up, satisfied with the bloody mess on the floor, before turning and making his way back to the others. He kept his wings spread, making sure they couldn't see what he had done. He paused in front of them, looking down at his blood-covered form before glancing at the expectant look in their eyes. Keigo and Touya huffed, raising their arms and making little grabby hands at him. Kio smiled in amusement before gathering them up in his arms once more.
He stood up, his temporarily bigger stature allowing him to hold them both easily before turning and making his way back to the elevator. He wrapped his wings around them, shielding them from view as he walked past the remnants of the man on the floor. He made his way down to their room, the other trainees breaking apart and making a clear path for him, not wanting to get in his way.
He strode into their room, placing Keigo and Touya on the ground, both pouting petulantly. He gave them little pats on the head before gathering the blankets and pillows from the bunk bed and placing them on the single bed. He could hear Keigo's excited chirps, realising he was making a little nest for them.
Once everything was in place, he picked up Keigo and Touya and climbed into the nest with them. He curled around them, wings settled on his back and tail draping over their small forms. Touya cuddled into the familiar heat, eyes drooping before he was out like a light, finally able to get some rest after a stressful week. Keigo, meanwhile, was chirping away happily, fussing with the small nest until he was completely satisfied. Wings ruffling with contentment, he snuggled into the cosy blankets, mind and instincts calm with Kio's presence.
They all slept peacefully that night, cuddled together with Kio curled protectively around them. They were together again and that's all that mattered.