a heavy silence lingered around the dining table. Kyle, standing at the head, had a mischievous gleam in his eye. Breaking the silence, he looked around and grinned. "Alright, team," he announced with enthusiasm. "Time for some… team-building exercise ."
Everyone exchanged curious glances as they followed him out of headquarters and into the dense forest bordering the base. They stopped at a small clearing, where Kyle turned to face them with a sense of excitement that had Josuke tilting his head.
Josuke couldn't resist asking, "What exactly is this 'team-building' exercise?"
Kyle's grin widened, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Glad you asked, Josuke. It's a game called Capture the Turkey."
Everyone chuckled, except for Hinata, who was already sighing, fully aware of what was coming. Josuke, still clueless, raised an eyebrow, and Ace leaned over with a smirk.
"It's simple: one of us dresses up like a turkey, runs for their life, and the rest of us try to catch them. Brutal force is highly encouraged," Ace explained, looking all too eager.
Kyle nodded approvingly, clapping his hands together. "Exactly, Ace. And, Josuke…" He pointed at him, grinning even wider, "You're the turkey."
"What? Why me?" Josuke asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kyle crossed his arms, his smile turning serious. "Because you peeped into Hinata's room last night."
"It was an accident!" Josuke protested, his cheeks going red as he quickly looked over to Hinata, who was avoiding eye contact, her face equally flushed.
Kyle was unmoved. "Accident or not, you saw her in her underwear," he replied firmly. "So, you're the turkey."
With a groan of resignation, Josuke looked around at his teammates, realizing how stacked the odds were against him. Arthur was faster, Ace stronger, Lily was a strategist, and Hinata never missed. Maya and Kyle were staying out, thankfully, because their participation would have made his escape impossible. Accepting his fate, he reluctantly donned the ridiculous, feathered turkey costume and waited at the edge of the clearing, watching Kyle prepare the timer.
"You'll have a 30-second head start to make it across the forest," Kyle said, pointing to the far end, where a small flag marked Josuke's only hope of victory.
The whistle blew, and Josuke took off, sprinting as fast as he could through the dense trees. The costume was bulky and slowed him down, making each step feel like he was dragging weights. Behind him, he could hear the others closing in fast.
Ace was the first to catch up, his massive battle hammer in hand, the ground trembling with each heavy step. He swung it with practiced ease, aiming right for Josuke's back. Josuke, feeling the danger without looking, dropped to the ground just in time, rolling forward and narrowly avoiding the hammer's brutal impact as it sent a small shockwave through the earth.
"Almost got you, turkey!" Ace called, laughing as Josuke scrambled back to his feet and took off again.
Arthur was next, slipping through the trees with the speed and precision of a shadow. His blade gleamed as he attempted a quick strike aimed to graze Josuke's side, hoping to knock him off balance. Josuke twisted mid-step, dodging just out of reach as Arthur's blade sliced through the feathers of his costume, leaving a few floating in the air as he darted away.
"Too slow, Arthur!" Josuke called back breathlessly, trying to inject some confidence into his voice despite his pounding heart.
Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded from a distance, and Josuke felt the sting of something tearing through the suit's fabric. Hinata had taken her shot. Though she wasn't aiming to hit him directly, the bullet tore through the feathers just above his shoulder, reminding him of her deadly accuracy.
"Nice shot, Hinata!" Lily's voice echoed from behind, laughing as she gained ground, moving in close.
Panic setting in, Josuke pushed himself harder, eyes locked on the flag in the distance. He was starting to believe he might make it—until a shadow crossed his path. Arthur was back, cutting him off, his expression coldly determined.
Just as Josuke tried to turn, Ace's booming laughter erupted from his left, and he swung his hammer wide. Josuke barely managed to duck, feeling the gust as it whooshed past his head. This brief moment of distraction allowed Arthur to close in, his blade flashing as he nearly grazed Josuke's side.
"Give up, turkey!" Ace called out, grinning, hammer at the ready.
Josuke looked around, no longer sure he'd even make it halfway. Arthur, moving like a wraith, closed in again. But with a sudden burst of energy, Josuke rolled to the side, dodging both of them in one fluid motion.
From behind, Hinata's sharp eye caught his opening. She took another shot, this time purposely hitting a feathered patch on his side, sending a small plume of feathers flying but intentionally missing his body. Josuke flinched, knowing that if she'd wanted to hit him, she would have. Her shot was a reminder of just how outmatched he was.
"Almost got you!" Lily called, laughing, knowing Josuke was mere moments away from capture.
He pushed himself to his limits, his heart pounding as he stumbled through the final stretch, exhaustion seeping into his bones. The flag was in sight, but so were his teammates, closing in from every angle.
In one last, desperate move, Josuke threw himself forward, reaching for the flag, a hand stretched out to grasp his only chance of victory. But just as his fingers brushed the fabric, a strong hand gripped the back of his costume and yanked him back.
"Gotcha!" Ace bellowed, laughing as he dragged Josuke away from the flag, the others circling in to block any chance of escape.
Panting, Josuke looked up at them, defeated but grinning despite himself.