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"Koutarou, I don't think you should kill the Warden," Akaashi said as he and Bokuto lay in bed that night. Bokuto frowned and propped himself up on his elbow, staring at his familiar.
"After everything she's done to everyone - to you - she deserves to die," Bokuto replied. Akaashi sighed, trying to figure out how to phrase what he was thinking.
"I agree that she deserves to die, but if you execute her while she's helpless, restrained, with her magic suppressed...it'll be like when she made you kill Kai and Yamamoto," Akaashi explained. Bokuto's frown deepened, his jaw clenching stubbornly.
"It's not the same," the fire mage insisted. "I want to kill her. I didn't want to kill them."
"That will only make this worse," Akaashi countered. "I know you, Koutarou. You'll kill in battle, if you have to, but you've been beating yourself up over Kai and Yamamoto, even though you know there weren't any good options. If you kill the Warden the same way, you'll hate yourself." There was silence for a moment, and when Bokuto spoke, his words were so soft that Akaashi had to strain to hear them.
"I already hate myself," Bokuto whispered. "I couldn't protect you. I fought Kuroo fully intending to kill him if it would keep you safe, but I couldn't manage it, and I don't know what's worse: the fact that I was disappointed when he escaped because it meant I failed again, or that I'm glad he got away, even though it meant you got hurt again."
"That's exactly why you shouldn't be the one to execute the Warden," Akaashi said. "If you do, you'll be torn between being glad she's gone and being upset that you voluntarily executed someone who couldn't fight back." Bokuto showed no sign of wavering in his determination to carry out the execution, so Akaashi pulled out his last resort. "Please, Koutarou, don't do it. For me," he pleaded. Bokuto groaned and flopped down beside him, hiding his face in Akaashi's shoulder.
"That's not fair," Bokuto rasped. "That's really not fair. You know I'd do anything for you."
"I know. So please..."
"I can't," Bokuto said. "If I back out, it'll feel like she won after all. I can't let her win. Not after what she did to you." Akaashi slid his arms around the mage, holding him quietly.
"All right. I won't try to change your mind any more," the forest spirit murmured. "You should sleep, though, okay?" Bokuto relaxed and nodded. Akaashi waited until Bokuto fell asleep, then carefully slid out of the bed and made his way to the room where he could sense Kuroo and Kenma.
"Kuroo, someone's here to see us," Kenma murmured, yawning. Kuroo, who had been half asleep, opened one eye and glanced at the door.
"Who could possibly want to see us at this hour?" he grumbled. "The execution is in the morning; everyone should be getting their rest so they can look their best when Bokuto lights her on fire."
"Actually, that's what this is about," Akaashi's voice explained. Kuroo blinked, then sat up. Akaashi was standing in the doorway. "I don't want Bokuto to kill the Warden."
"Neither do I, but I already tried to protest, and he insisted. Maybe you can talk him out of it," the shadow mage replied. Akaashi shook his head.
"Bokuto's determined. He thinks that if he backs out, he'll be letting her win," he sighed. "I don't know what to do."
"Kill the Warden before the execution," Kenma suggested. Akaashi tensed, but Kuroo nodded thoughtfully.
"Go back to Bokuto, Akaashi. If he wakes up and you're not there, he'll be upset," the shadow mage said. Akaashi hesitated, but he saw the harsh gleam in Kuroo's eyes, and besides, it would take the burden off of Bokuto's shoulders. "I failed to save you and Bokuto once. Let me handle this, okay?" Akaashi sighed and relented.
"I'll leave it to you, then," he said. "Thank you." Kuroo gaze him a predatory grin.
"No problem. I should've just killed her in the heat of battle. We could have avoided this whole thing if I had," he replied.
"Maybe. See you in the morning," Akaashi said. Then he went back to the room he and Bokuto had been given for the night and curled up against the fire mage's warmth.
Kuroo waited until Akaashi was gone, then turned to Kenma.
"I'm coming with you," Kenma said before Kuroo even opened his mouth. The shadow mage chuckled and kissed the top of his familiar's head.
"All right. Let's go, then," Kuroo said. The two made their way to the cell the Warden was being kept in. The walls were spelled to keep her from escaping, even though she was still wrapped in layers of magic, from Suga's suppression to Kuroo's shadow bonds. There were no guards; if she managed to escape, anyone guarding her would probably be killed or controlled. She was awake when Kuroo stepped into the cell.
"So I won't get to see Bokuto's face when he kills in cold blood again after all," the Warden commented. Kuroo ignored her and gathered the shadows in the cell not already used to restrain her. "I suppose I should have expected the sly leader of Nekoma to prefer dark assassinations over a public execution," she added. "I'm surprised you brought the little lion, though. It's too bad I didn't get to keep control of him longer. It would have been fun to see your face as I made him-" Shadows lanced through her chest and throat, cutting off her words. Kuroo didn't flinch when a few flecks of blood landed on him.
"I'm glad Bokuto didn't have to hear you talk again before you died," the shadow mage said. Then he turned and left the cell, Kenma on his heels.
When the Warden's mysterious overnight death was announced the next morning, Akaashi met Kuroo's gaze and smiled. Kuroo smiled back. Bokuto looked like he wasn't sure whether to be frustrated or pleased. Mostly, though, he just looked relieved.