Title: The Devil's Shield

Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21.

Summary: With Sena in the hospital, Hiruma reverts to his past life to take revenge. Eventual Hiruma/Sena. Rated M for adult themes and language.

Chapter 1: Cover Your Eyes

Rui Habashira, the leader of the Zokugaku Frilled Lizards, screeched to a halt in front of the convenience store on his motorcycle. He looked up and down the street, his bike rumbling as he idled next to the curb. After waiting a moment more, he sighed and killed the engine. In the quiet that followed, a scuffling sound in the alleyway behind the store became even more obvious. Again he sighed, but this area was under his territory after all.

And as he pulled out a well-worn and dented metal pipe from his backpack, he reasoned that scaring a couple hooligans before his meeting with the Deimon Devil Bats would be a good way to let off some steam.

With the confidence of a man with purpose, Rui strode straight into the near pitch-black alleyway whistling a merry tune. In the dim light of the alley, he could make out two large figures huddled over a fallen smaller third figure.

"Two against one?" He called out, with just the right amount of aggression mixed with bored apathy in his voice. "Now, that doesn't seem very fair." He hefted his steel pipe over one shoulder.

One of the two hulking shadows straightened a bit at his words. "Oh, shit." Said the man.

Rui's eyes narrowed. This was not the "oh, shit" of a man caught in the act, or the "oh, shit, he's going to beat our heads in with metal pipe," or even, "oh, shit, what the hell is wrong with that guy's tongue?"

No, those were the words of a man who has his fun interrupted. His "oh, shit" translated to "I'm really annoyed, but whatever."

Which meant that he didn't see Rui as a threat. Oh, thought Rui his grip on the pipe tightening, he might just change his mind before the night was through.

One of the men drew something from his suit's jacket pocket.

Due to a certain fiendish blond quarterback, Rui was only too familiar with a wide variety of advanced projectile weaponry, and so his automatic responses took over, ducking down low and his legs tensed, poised to strike, but when the man withdrew the something from his suit, it was not a gun.

It was a fat wad of cash.

The tension in Rui faded, replaced with a cold anger that made something in the back of his throat ache and burn.

"There you go," said the man, tossing the money at Rui and then turning away, "now beat it, kid."

Rui let the green bundle hit him in the chest and fall to the ground. He made no move to pick it up. Instead, his grip on the pipe tightened.

"I'll be beating something alright."

______

It was a quick fight, if you could call it a fight, Rui thought.

To their credit, the big bad suits had a little punch to them, Rui's swollen cheekbone and split lip could attest to that, but didn't have the training or stamina that Rui had.

Of course, the discarded pipe (now bent at nearly a ninety degree angle) had nothing to do with it. Much, anyway.

His blood was still racing; his body, oblivious, cheerily continued pumping adrenaline into his bloodstream and wondered why he'd stopped. He took a few seconds to get his breathing back under control. Now came the hard part.

He approached the fallen figure and crouched beside it. It was hard to make out who it was in the darkness of the alley, or what condition they were in, and it wasn't his forte, but it wouldn't do to leave the pitiable thing there for the suits to take out their revenge.

"Hey. You okay?" Rui reached down to touch where he thought the shoulder might be and was surprised when he felt cold, bare skin that shuddered at his touch. Shit, he thought, a woman? Revulsion filled his throat like bile; he had gone too easy on the shit-maggots, far too easy.

"Can you hear me?" Rui asked, in a somewhat softer voice, "I'm going to pick you up, and take you to the hospital. Do you have anything broken, or bleeding?"

There was no response.

He took off his jacket and lifted her body to wrap it around her, trying not to touch her nakedness more than necessary. She didn't make a sound, other than to put her hand on his chest and weakly push at him, a feeble attempt to get away. His jaw tightened. When he moved forward to pick her up, his foot caught on something that he recognized even in the dark. A schoolbag.

Fuckers.

He scanned the ground for her clothes or any other belongings, but saw none. With his long arms, it was easy to pick her up, take out his cell phone and scoop up her schoolbag as he went.

"I need an ambulance." He said without prelude. "I'm in front of the Lucky Star convenience store on 34th street."

His grip tightened on the phone as someone spoke on the other line.

"Yeah, Hiruma, I know you're not the fucking hospital, but it's an emergency, and everyone knows your connections are that much faster. I'll pay you back later."

Rui rounded the corner, headed straight for the extra pair of clothes he had stashed under the back seat of his motorbike.

"Goddammit, it's not for me, Hiruma," he said angrily, "it's for-"

For the first time in the light, Rui looked down at who he held in his arms.

"-SENA???"

A/N – It's a short chapter with a terrible cliffhanger, I know, forgive me. The second chapter will be typed up and posted without delay, so stay tuned.