Well Deserved Rest

In an office hidden from the public eye, a figure could be found staring at a big wall screen. There were multiple camera angles on the feed. Dressed in an all black trench coat and wearing an eyepatch, the man had a permanent scowl on his face. A skyscraper had collapsed in on itself in the middle of New York, killing the humans inside. That wasn't all. 

Something had broken the sound barrier. The shockwave alone had deafened many bystanders. It would be very difficult to sweep this one under the rug. The only thing he could be certain about from the camera feed were two silhouettes on top of the building before it collapsed. Everything else was too blurry and dusty.

"Damn. One fuckin thing after the other." He growled while rubbing his temples. The stress was getting to him.

At that moment, an agent knocked on the door before entering. The man gave a slight nod before placing another folder on the desk. He then opened it to a specific page and stepped back.

"Sir, another report from a different location." The agent spoke before leaving. 

Nick Fury took a deep breath before combing through the file. Apparently, something had occurred on the Coney Island Beach around the same time. That was almost 20 miles aways from the first incident! There were many testimonies of the supernatural from fleeing civilians. Clearly something needed to be done. The scowling man tapped his earpiece after a few minutes. 

BEEP 

"I need you to investigate these areas. Find out what happened. Get us a lead. Bring a team…Romanoff included." Fury ordered. 

…

…

2 DAYS LATER

A beautiful woman with red hair walked down the boardwalk overlooking the Coney Island Beach. Dressed in a business suit and pencil skirt, she looked as if she'd just left the corporate office. The clicking of her heels only added to her mystique. 

"Siiiigh." Natasha huffed. 

It had been a long few days. She'd been investigating the recent incident that involved multiple casualties. After asking around and eavesdropping for two days straight, she had Barton and the rest of the team remain near the destroyed building. For Natasha…it was time to survey the next site. 

She only brought one agent with her. After another few hours of investigation, she was pointed toward the western shore. A nosy civilian had revealed that a man had been lying in the sand without moving ever since that day. It was unknown if that person was dead.

Upon reaching the correct location, she found the man in question. Smack dab in the middle of the wet sand. Ocean water lapped at his feet. The first thing she noticed about him were the bags under his eyes. It was almost as if they'd been carved onto his face. That's how bad it was. 

All in all, he was handsome enough for it to not affect his appearance. His asian traits complimented his features. Still…this seemed a bit suspicious. Natasha tapped on her earpiece. 

"I think we have a lead." She exclaimed. Crouching down beside the man, she gently rubbed his shoulder. "Excuse me."

There was no response. The man was definitely sleeping if his breathing was anything to go by. The woman checked his pulse before grabbing his wrist. Her expression soon turned into a frown. 

"He's suffering from over exhaustion. Might be in a coma. He won't be waking up soon. Let's take him in. Coulson." She spoke to the agent.

"Do you think this guy's involved? He doesn't look like much." Coulson quipped. 

"Well it's the closest lead we've got. This is where the last incident was reported. A guy asleep on the beach might be nothing new, but he's straight up unconscious. So yes…I think he's involved." She answered with some sarcasm.

Coulson nodded before picking him up. The sleeping man didn't react at all. Not even when the agent almost dropped him while placing him in the black SUV. Natasha sat beside him while scrolling her data pad.

…

…

2 months passed before there was any change. In an isolated sick bed, the sleeping man could be seen connected to a heart monitor. There was an IV stuck into the young man's arm. A doctor was sitting beside the man while writing on a clipboard.

BEEP BEEP

The vital signs began to pick up. It seemed as if his body was turning back on. Noticing the commotion, the doctor quickly exited the room while calling the authorities. It took a few more minutes before the man woke up. 

Slow. Lethargic. He felt sluggish. And this bed was…extremely comfortable. These were his first thoughts upon gaining consciousness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laid down. 

'Tsukuyomi? Where are we?' He thought. 

There was no response. Only then did he remember that his partner was gone. His expression turned flat once again. His black pupils were empty as he pulled out the IV in his arm. The exhaustion was welling up again. 

Before he could go back to sleep, the door slid open with a hiss. Natasha entered the room and stopped beside his bed. The young man took in her appearance quickly, easily able to tell that the lady had battle experience. 

"Hello. Are you okay? You've been asleep for a long time." She greeted. 

"........" He didn't respond, only observing. Natasha grabbed a seat and pulled it beside his bed.

"Can I have your name, sir? Is there any family I can call?" She asked. The mention of family caused him to gaze at the ceiling. 

"...Family…they are most likely gone." His calm voice carried a tint of melancholy. 

The way he spoke, the way he didn't respond to greetings, Natasha noted it all. It didn't seem as if he was used to speaking with other people. She also noted the way he evaluated her on arrival. His eyes were not those of some regular person. Still, his very presence seemed to calm her down.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe-"

"Where…" He interrupted her sentence. The lady frowned. 

"Currently, we are in a sort of hospital. I unfortunately can't let you go until you answer a few of my questions."

"......"

"Can I have your name?" She asked. 

The man thought for a moment, his eyes blank. He couldn't remember his name. He'd have to use a new one until then. 

"...Shin."

"Nice to meet you, Shin. My name is Natasha. Last name?"

"......" No response. 

The lady was smart enough to move on. Moving a strand of hair beside her ear, she wrote something down on her clipboard. She then faced him with an understanding smile.

"Alright then. Can you tell me how you found yourself on the beach?"

Shin thought about the events leading him to this earth. He thought of the countless years cutting down powerful demons. His encounter with angels, meeting other Nahobino, to becoming the last living one. He then thought about his partner who faded into nothing as soon as they escaped the Netherrealm. 

"...I will mourn him on the full moon." He finally muttered. 

'For 100 years.' He added mentally. 

"Excuse me?" Natasha answered in confusion. That was an extremely random answer…she could tell he wasn't taking her seriously. Even so, she wrote his words down. 

"Tell me…" Shin finally focused on her. 

His gentle voice carried a tint of authority. Almost as if he knew she was destined to answer him truthfully. She would make sure to note that down as well. 

"Is the world free of demons?"

Natasha frowned at his question. This was definitely something important and related to him. She now had full suspicion that he was responsible for one of the recent incidents.

"I believe so. Any mention of demons have mostly been scary stories and folklore. Are you involved with demons?" She asked. 

"........"

Unfortunately, that was all she would be able to get from him. Shin had already fallen asleep once more. Natasha wrote on her clipboard for a while. Once she was done, she leaned back and observed him.

BEEP BEEP

A call was coming through her earpiece. She put a finger to her ear to answer. Her voice was quiet in order to not wake Shin.

"Sir?"

"I was watching your conversation through the camera. We will observe him for now. Cuff him to the bed until we know whether he's a threat or not." Fury ordered.

"Sir, while he is definitely suspicious I could tell that we're missing the big picture."

"Of course we are, damnit. There's nothing we can do about that. Let us see what happens on the next full moon. It should be in…two weeks. I have a feeling that's when he'll wake up." He said.

"Understood." She answered before ending the call. 

Grabbing a pair of handcuffs, she restricted him to his bed. The room was already heavy duty and would keep him in…but orders were orders. Natasha rubbed his head softly. He seemed to give off a harmless feeling somehow. Wait… Realizing what she did in surprise, she made sure to note down his presence as well.

"Sorry. No hard feelings?" She said before leaving. 

…

…

Another two weeks passed before Shin woke up. He felt much better. Not fully rested, but definitely on the right track. 

'It's a full moon.' He thought. 

Even though there were no windows, he could feel it. The young man tried to get off the bed only to notice the handcuffs. Giving them a look, the cuffs unlocked and fell to the ground.

From the motion of him leaving the bed to standing on his feet, his body had already transitioned to the Nahobino form. Tsukuyomi faced the wall to his right, seeing through it and gazing at the moon. 

The wall suddenly turned transparent, allowing the moonlight to wash over his figure. He raised his arms high before slowly bringing them back down…Then he danced. It was a ritualistic movement, his long flowing hair trailing behind each twirl. 

For some reason the surroundings grew brighter and beautiful particles of energy began to fill the room. Like fireflies, these particles danced with him. In front of the full moon. Basking in the light. The Nahobino mourned for Tsukuyomi, paying respects to a god. To his friend.

The camera in the corner of the room caught all of this. Nick Fury, Coulson, Barton, and Natasha all watched in silence at the mesmerizing scene. It was hypnotizing. 

"He's dancing?" Barton questioned with a raised eyebrow. Natasha nodded. 

"He's mourning." She said. 

They didn't even comment on his new appearance. It didn't need to be said. They all had eyes.

"What type of supernatural shit do you think this is?" Fury asked. Coulson rubbed his chin. 

"I watch a bit of anime. If I had to guess…this reminds me of those shrine maidens." He said. Everyone looked at him. 

"What?"

Meanwhile, the Nahobino continued. Spirit animals began to appear in the room. Deers, owls, foxes, wolves, and more surrounded him. More time passed before the young man finished his dance. A fox rubbed its head against his ankle, while an owl landed on his shoulder. 

Tsukuyomi greeted them all before they slowly disappeared. The wind ruffled his long hair, causing it to flutter. The Nahobino bowed to the moon and the energy particles disappeared. 

CLAP CLAP CLAP

Shin casually turned to the clapping bald headed woman in the corner of the room. She was draped in brown robes and barefoot. There was a bright smile on her face. The Nahobino only watched her silently. His tranquil expression was unchanging.

"Bravo. That was a beautiful sight."

"..........."

"Not very talkative, are you?" She realized. 

"...I'm still relearning how to speak with others." Tsukuyomi responded. The Ancient One nodded in understanding.

"You must've been isolated for a long time then. Though I must say…I sense an incredible strength from you. As soon as you entered this realm I felt it."

"..........."

"This is where you ask me who I am and why I'm here." She joked. 

".........." Shin only tilted his head in response. 

"Very well…I'll be brief. Have you transcended humanity? You performed in front of the full moon as well. I'm curious about your relation to it." The Ancient One continued. 

The wind had stopped blowing. Everything was still. Time had stopped for a while now. 

"...You know many things." The Nahobino responded. 

"Indeed. I could answer your questions much better than those here. Would you like to join me for tea?" She asked. 

Her hands moved in a bizarre way, opening up a portal. Shin could see a table with chairs on the other side. A tea set was already there.

"...Very well." He agreed.

"Then let us be off." 

With his hands behind his back, Tsukuyomi casually followed the Ancient One through the portal. Only once it closed did time resume. The agents of SHIELD all frowned upon noticing the Nahobino's immediate disappearance. Fury immediately stood up, while Natasha and Barton rushed toward the room. 

"Find him. NOW!" He roared.