Author's Note: I have completely fallen into the fandom. It started with a single FemKuroxAkashi fanfic and I knew I was a goner. Once I was introduced into it, I was completely hooked. Whoever thought this pairing up – it was wonderful, I give you the applause.
Title: Renegade
Summary: The exiled Prince who was framed by an unknown enemy seeks to return to his former power and glory. A servant who was wrongly accused of seducing the wife of his former employer. A fighter who was banned from the arena because of almost killing one of the onlookers. A doctor whose trust had been used against him. A ex-Knight who chose food over his kingdom. Lastly, the young woman who was being hunted down by every kingdom for all the secrets she kept.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Kuroko no Basuke – and as much as I obsess over Akashi, I can never claim to own him. (But I CAN fangirl him to my heart's content) :D
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
PROLOGUE
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Hanging from the ceiling was a young woman with pale blue hair dyed with the color red. She was turned away from his direction but he could plainly see that on her back were fresh wounds bleeding – seeping into the pure white dress she was clothed in. On the floor lay the spiked whip which had caused such injuries and beside it, the man he had just killed.
Staring at the sight before him, he would have thought it sublimely beautiful – how the blood trickled down her pale flesh and dripped onto the pool of blood that formed below her – if only the scent of iron wasn't so tangible in the air, stirring a lot of unwanted memories.
"What the hell were they doing to her?" an outraged voice asked from behind him.
He stared at her body for a second longer before he decided to approach her.
"Torture most likely," he answered logically, "If they were mere thugs who only wanted a little game, they would have left her after raping her." He skilfully maneuvered around the pool of blood to a spot where he could clearly see her face.
Her head was bowed and strands of her long waist length hair obstructed his view.
"Are you still alive, woman?"
He addressed her. If he was not wrong, which was usually a given, she could still hear them even if she was only half conscious. After another beat of silence, he stepped into the pool of blood and reached out, pushing aside strands of her hair to get a better look.
"Can't we just help her down already?" an uneasy voice asked from where he had stood moments before.
"Not yet. I've yet to reach a decision." He replied firmly.
"On what?" a deeper, slightly more annoyed voice asked.
Just as he was about to reply, a soft voice murmured something incoherent to him. He move half a step closer to young woman.
"What did you say?" he whispered loud enough for her to hear.
"Please..."
He waited a beat.
"Please kill me."
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
The pub was bursting with sounds of merriment and bellows of laughter coming from all of the tables. There were people dancing atop the elevated platform and by the bartender, people were noisily chattering as they waited for their drinks at the counter. The music was blaringly loud, accompanying the clinks of mugs of beer, as well as the creaking of tables and chairs alike.
Amongst all of the raucous tables was one table in the very corner of the room occupied by five individuals. They were chatting quite animatedly, except for one person who was merely quietly sipping his drink.
"Don't they have any women here?" a man with dark skin and dark blue hair asked before taking a swig of his beer.
"There are waitresses who have been looking over here for quite some time now." The blonde beside him responded as he finished his meal. He made a purposeful glance in the direction of the said ladies by the counter who giggled once they caught his eye. "I can invite them over to our table." He suggested.
"I don't have any patience for listening to girls' pointless chatter," Another man with dark green hair said as he finished his meal.
The blonde gave a sigh, "At this rate you'll never be able to find a wife, Harlequin."
The one called Harlequin adjusted his spectacles as he replied. "I don't want to hear that from someone who flirts without discrimination. I feel sorry for the woman who will be called your wife."
Before the blonde could retort, the dark-skinned man spoke.
"The one to the right has a very plentiful bosom. It's exactly to my tastes." The blue-haired male had his eyes focused on the said girl. Noticing his gaze, the girl batted her eyelashes seductively.
He turned back to the blonde, "I call dibs, Maize." he said with a meaningful look at the blonde. The blonde raised both his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender. "I wasn't planning on entertaining all of them anyway." He turned to the purple haired giant seated opposite him that was wholly focused on his food.
"Does any of them catch your eye, Thistle?" The purple haired man glanced away from his dessert to briefly assess all of the girls. His eyes paused on the girl between the two other girls who seemed to be eating a strange candy-like object. Seeming to notice where his attention was directed, Maize took persuasive action.
"If we go over to talk to them, you could ask her about what she's eating."
Thistle stared at the candy in the young lady's hand, then at his own food, then his gaze finally landed on the candy once more. "Alright. I'll go," he acquiesced and both Maize and the blue-haired man smiled.
Harlequin frowned at the exchange. "Don't let yourself be persuaded using food." He scolded Thistle who ignored him. Harlequin turned to their red-haired companion who had remained silent all the while, diligently finishing his meal with distinguished grace.
"You should say something to them as well, Carmine."
The one called Carmine quietly set down his spoon and fork beside his clean plate. "Thistle, Maize, Zaffre," he called the attention of the three who were to take part in this expedition. The three of them turned toward him with expectant faces, as if they already knew what he would say.
"I have no scruple with leaving you to do what you wish. Do not forget that we have planned for tomorrow. Rest your body and accumulate enough energy. I won't forgive any slip-ups because of the excuse that you were tired." His voice was steady and full of the authority you would expect from their leader.
Maize and Thistle nodded while Zaffre gave a noncommittal shrug in reply. "I can't promise that I won't bring her to my room, though." Zaffre added with another look at the girl with a full bosom. This time she played with her hair invitingly.
"I advise you to refrain from that tonight," Carmine said calmly. "You may entertain as many women as you want if we are successful tomorrow. Settle with a little skinship in the mean time."
Zaffre clucked his tongue, obviously dissatisfied. However, everyone at the table knew he would do exactly as Carmine had said.
"And the probability of failure is?" Zaffre asked, despite knowing what Carmine would answer.
"Zero," he answered confidently, "We will achieve victory." There was no hesitation in his voice when he had uttered those words.
From travelling together with this person, everyone at the table knew that if Carmine proclaimed something, it was always true. Not once had he ever failed at doing anything. Time and time again, he had proven that assumption to be true. That was the reason why it had become a unanimous decision for them to appoint him as the leader of their group.
"You may go," he had granted the three of them with his permission and they had decidedly risen from their seats, Thistle's however a little less enthusiastic.
They strode towards the counter where the ladies had been eyeing their table and made small chat with the ladies. Harlequin heaved a sigh when they were far from ear shot.
"They're incorrigible."
He turned to Carmine, a question on his mouth. But before he could utter it, Carmine had easily provided the answer.
"I've already given them a warning. They're not stupid enough to not pay heed to reason. I have no intention of lording over their every move. I merely aim to provide a voice of reason when necessary."
"But –" Harlequin began to protest but Carmine swiftly cut him off.
"We are all equals, Harlequin. Not one of us is better than the other. Don't forget that when we're on the field. I need all of your skills for my plan to succeed." Carmine rose from his seat and gestured for a waitress nearby that he was finished eating.
"Are you headed back?"
"No. I'm going for a walk to prepare my body for sleep."
He stepped out of the noisy inn onto the dirt road. This village was more populated than the previous village they had lodged at. However, it was not populated enough for people to be wandering outside at night. On the road he was walking, he did not encounter any other person. It was only he and the quarter moon that shone above him.
The moonlight seeped through the leaves of the trees that lined the road and made patterns on the even ground. It was almost as if he was following a trail of some sort, being led to who knows were by the moon. He stopped after a few steps, when the noise from the inn finally faded. Carmine heard a few dogs barking in the distance from the villagers' houses, but other than that it was quiet.
The sort of quiet where he liked to think. He raised his left hand and pulled off the glove he wore. He unwound the bandage that was wrapped around his palm. In a patch of moonlight in front of him, he let the light reveal the insignia that had been burned onto the back of his hand.
The brand of a traitor. The same brand was used for a criminal, a heretic, a rebel – bearing this brand from his kingdom meant he was on the same level as filth and common trash that could easily be disposed.
"Not one of us is better than the other." He repeated what he had told Harlequin just moments before.
As long as he had this brand, he could not even claim his true name nor could he utter it. He stared at it for a few moments longer before he rewound the bandage and once again covered it with his glove.
"I will not fail a second time." He uttered decisively, clenching his left hand.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Endnote: Finally. I have finally achieved a real prologue in all these years of writing fan fiction. Anyway, please leave a review so I'll know if I actually should continue this fic or just drop it. This is really just a tester chapter because this plot bunny did not want to leave me alone since I got hooked on AkaKuro.
Few more notes for the confused:
Akashi – Carmine
Midorima – Harlequin
Kise – Maize
Aomine – Zaffre
Murasakibara – Thistle
Note: The reason why they are called as such will be revealed later and if you can't see the connection between the names, try searching them on Google. It will be easy to understand then.
Ja ne! Don't forget to leave a review! :)