Disclaimer - I own nothing but the plot and OC's of this story.
Warnings! - Cinnamon Roll!Kuroko (too good, too pure for this world), Very Overpowered Kuroko, poly ships, poly ships everywhere, gay people, so much slash, overprotective dysfunctional OP families, everyone loves Kuroko, future mpreg, supernatural abilities, wings, BAMF!Kuroko (but still a cinnamon roll), Akashi, screw it everyone is OP, society being a bunch of insensitive pricks, Alpha/Beta/Omega freeform dynamics, psychological and physical abuse, even I don't know what's happening and I'm writing this story.
This story is so AU the only similarities are the characters and that ball is life here too.
If you didn't read the warnings, it's your own fault, so don't come crying to me.
(I should totally be working with my other stories but I can't sorry, I haven't been able to focus on anything but the KnB fandom for weeks, everytime I try writing something I fail horrifically. Soon, though. Soon.)
Edit: 11/30/2015 - Just fixed some mistakes, smoothed out some grammar and a few lines, and added several scenes for character development. Nothing that would change the plot, but it is different.
I was here again.
It wasn't bright, nor was it dark. In this place, neither of those things existed. This was the place where we waited. Who were we?
Everyone.
No one.
We didn't know. We didn't care. After all, in here it didn't matter. We called it the between. That was exactly what it was. Between the last world, and the next.
It wasn't unpleasant. It wasn't pleasant either. The only thing that existed in the between was the concept of self, and others. We were souls. Not dead. Not alive. In the between, there was no excitement. Nor was there boredom. Just like there was no time. Or space. No separation, or togetherness. We knew each other, that was all. There was no he, she, or it, like in most worlds. The only thing that existed was self, and others.
I was special.
We all knew it. It was a fact. There was no pride, or belief, truth, or lie here. Just certainty. I was special.
I was first.
We didn't know how there could be first when there was no time. We were just there.
It didn't matter.
I was first.
Before the others. They were always there, but I was still first.
I was beauty.
There was no sight, or appearance, but it wasn't a shallow concept like the outer shell that made me beauty.
As souls, all that we are, makes us as we seem. There can be no hiding or showing, just knowing. Among all these souls, I was beauty.
I knew why I was first. In every universe, every existence and non-existence, my soul was the closest to perfection without being made specifically with the intention of perfection.
There were beings whose souls were made specifically with the intent to be perfect. They were called Angels. However, perfect souls could not interact with souls that were not perfect. They could not even form a concept of each other, much less exist on the same plane.
My soul was created in the ordinary method that every normal, imperfect soul is created with. Despite this, I was the closest to perfect a soul could be.
That's why I was special.
That's why, upon the destruction of my physical shell in my first life, I was not sent to the afterlife, but given the choice. Become this, what we are now, or move on to the afterlife. The Infallible One would not force me to do this, he loved me as much as he loved the infinite number of souls he ruled over.
I chose to become this.
I was first.
I was special.
The others knew it too. Being close to me was being close to perfection. So they always were close. There was no space, so it wasn't physical. In here, what was physical? They simply narrowed down their existence to them, and me. So I was 'close' to everyone. I liked it.
Closeness makes me happy.
Everyone was close to me. They liked it too.
Closeness makes them happy, also.
In the between, the only thing that registers is self, and other. Emotions are found in the soul. So we could feel happy. Others was the only thing that could affect self.
We got to experience more, though.
We were in the between for a reason.
All the souls in the Universe did not come here. Just us. Since there was no time, everyone who would ever come here, already was here. There would never be more. Or less.
We existed, and would never stop. That was fact. It would not change.
I was oldest. This was judged by the number of existences we had been through. It was judged by another factor as well. All the others came here because of me. In some way, my soul influenced their own in whatever life I met them, and allowed them to be given the choice. Most went to the afterlife.
In the between, we waited to be assigned to our next existence.
Some of the souls were darker. They became what was considered "evil" in the existences they were assigned to. Bright souls would become "good". It didn't always go perfectly though. Sometimes, an influence in the current existence would change the soul.
This applied to everyone.
Except me. I was special.
I was closest to perfection. Perfection varied throughout Universes, though. In one of my lives, I had been cruel, sadistic, merciless and brutal, and I was loved for it. Adored as perfection.
In another Universe, I was different. Infinitely forgiving, good, and kind. I was beautiful, and gentle, and loving, strong and comforting. I was loved. Adored as perfection.
My soul was undecided. It was more brilliant than light, and darker than darkness itself, both and neither all at once. Near perfect.
Incomprehensible.
In all the Universes, if my soul was seen, it could not be comprehended. However, despite this, it was regarded as magnificent.
The closest thing they could compare to something so close to perfection, yet was also just barely far enough that it could be seen by the imperfect.
Awesome. Glorious. Magnificent. Words whose meaning has been overused and lost. To them, however, I embodied the true meaning of these words.
Those lives, were tiresome. Existences paid special attention to magnificent things. They were still nice though.
Existing was pleasant.
I was the 'oldest'. I was the only one to have developed a concept of 'preference' when it came to my existences. I liked the ones where I was loving. It shouldn't be possible, but even in the between, I found I most enjoyed the lives where I had loved others, and done my best to make them happy. Even here. Making others happy was the best feeling.
It started to carry over to all my lives, even ones where being close to perfection made my soul dark. It wasn't because it was my nature, anymore. Rather, it was because in that universe, darker made people happier.
This feeling had gotten me hurt. I didn't mind. Even when I was suffering and being hurt, so long as others were happy, I felt happy.
I was selfless.
In the most selfish way.
In between, we had something to do. Every existence is imprinted on our soul. In between, the millions of existences I've experienced, I can remember, every single sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound, was not forgotten. I could immerse myself in those memories. Live a life all over again. Forget I was in the between and that I was in a memory, that there were other memories, and become that existence. When I did this, I made the same choices every time, but it was still wonderful, since I forgot there were other choices that could be made. I would experience the pain and the happiness as though it was the first time. I liked it.
We had a purpose. Universes were affected by the existences in them. Sometimes, there was an existence that would 'screw everything up' (as I remember it being called in some lives) and so, we were used. The best suited soul would take the place of the one that would ruin everything, and make sure things went how they should.
If everyone knew about predestination, I think they would be upset. Free will was still there though. It was just that the choices made with free will were meant to be made. So when souls malfunctioned and did what they were not meant to do, the Universe fell apart.
That is why we were necessary.
It was not because the being that rules over all was a tyrant who would not allow things to fall out of line. It was because, when a Universe was created, all existences had something they were meant to do. If something went wrong, then it would cease to exist, along with the rest of the Universe. Sometimes the connected multiverses would collapse as well.
When all those souls ceased to exist, it made the Infallible One sad. When their Universe collapsed, the souls would get no afterlife. They would simply cease to be. So the Infallible One had us to prevent that. I wanted to prevent it too. I loved the others, in all Universes. I loved them happy. If they ceased, they would never be sad. They would never be happy either.
I didn't like that.
So we were there. I called us tweens (the term was from some of the worlds, used for those who were not quite children, but not quite teens, trapped between the two. I thought it was 'ironic', and 'clever') and the others agreed. They always agreed with me. The concept of 'respecting those who are oldest and wisest' came from self, so it existed. I was both old, wise, and adored. So they listened.
I think they liked the name as well.
The Infallible One could have programmed all the existences to follow what they were meant to do without deviation. Yet, He wanted his creations to be able to be happy, and unique, and sad, and feel. So he made free will. We had free will too. When we replaced an existence, it wasn't guaranteed to work. It probably would. Whichever soul was best suited, and most likely to keep the Universe from collapsing, would be who was chosen. There was still free will though. So long as there was free will, things could still go wrong (but it was worth it even then).
It happened before. I felt very sad when it happened. The others did too. I felt sad, so they felt sad because I did.
I was grateful they cared about me so much.
I always had lots of existences caring about me. The tweens cared. Whenever I entered a Universe, lots of existences cared about me too. Even though I didn't really have my memories, (unless I was given past memories from a previous existence to help in the new one) the same thing happened quite a few times.
Multiple people fell in love with me. I also fell in love with them. I often refused to choose anyone, because I could not stand the thought of hurting any of them so badly. For some reason, this often resulted in me gaining a 'harem'. Usually with both genders, and things of neither gender, in it. Some tweens have theorized I have a very magnetic soul, and that everyone would rather share me, than lose me. This seems like a good theory. I am uncertain as to its validity however.
They also teased me, joking that I was the "harem master" to beat all others.
(They actually weren't joking.)
Whenever this happened, I rarely died in a horrific manner, like was common due to my recklessness when it came to protecting others. They were very overprotective. I protected them too. I hated killing in my preferred lives, but I am selfish. I cannot help putting those I love above those I don't. I would unhesitatingly do anything, from mutilating myself, to mentally destroying myself, to protect my loved ones. I always try to avoid this though. I know that they would be very hurt, and not happy at all, if I died.
Best to avoid that.
I'm selfish though. Even if it hurt them, I would rather die first. I don't want to be sad. If they died I would be sad.
It was funny how common multiple lovers was throughout my lives. Or at least multiple people in love with me, since it didn't always work out, though it usually did. Even without memories of my previous lives, the base of my soul is the same, after all. So I guess it's not too shocking my lives follow the same patterns.
The tweens are getting restless.
Why?
Ah. Looks like it's time. My next existence.
Information?
Oh dear.
Souls will be externally displayed on the physical plane. That's rare. It seems they'll take the form of wings. The more attractive the wings, the more people like the person. As a representation of the soul, the more beautiful the personality and soul, the stronger and more beautiful the wings. It manifested in appearance as well. People like things that are beautiful. They also like good personalities. In this world, you will get both, or neither.
I would get a lot of attention this life.
There also was something referred to as Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics. It seems I would be an Omega. This dynamic has appeared in several of my previous lives. I have been all three. It seems there was a fourth group. Outliers? A fourth group was rare. Alphas were protective, leaders, powerful, possessive, dominant. The fairly common version, then. Betas made up the most of the population. Similar to Alphas, but many times less animalistic, better control, fewer leadership qualities. Followers mostly, though some can be leaders, it is rare. Also possessive, can be either dominant or submissive, depending on their partner and personal preferences. Both classes commonly have aggressive or defensive affinities. The other class...
Omega. My class in this world. They often seem to get the short end of the stick in most worlds. At least it doesn't seem too bad here. The ratio is a bit extreme though. One Alpha to one-thousand Betas, one Omega to ten-thousand Alphas. An imbalance like this never works out smoothly. Omegas, the inevitably submissive class. Incites extreme overprotective tendencies in the other two classes. The precious gems among the rocks. Animal instincts demand the AB's dominate, control, and protect the Om's, often in a rough way, however, losing to your instincts is looked down upon. They often have healing and psychic affinities. The laws and society as a whole very heavily favors the Omegas. Of course, some Alphas and Betas act poorly towards them, due to a perception of weakness, or simply not having enough control of their instincts. Such actions towards an Omega would have every AB-type in the vicinity reacting very brutally. Often in a fatal manner. The desire to ensure an Omegas well-being would rapidly override other instincts.
Things seem to be weighed fairly heavily in the Omegans favor. There are downsides, but being born one seems to ensure an easy and comfortable lifestyle. Of course, there will always be something to offset this. The fourth class. Outliers. They are entirely uninterested in Alphas and Betas. No attempts at domination or submission towards either. At first glance, the closest to the generic human template throughout the universes. They are closest in strength and personality to Alphas. However, toward Omegas, they can only be called their natural enemy.
Beyond the desire to dominate, like the other classes, Outliers have the desire to decimate. Being in range of an Omega brings in their single instinct, and draws out an incredibly sadistic nature. They don't have a desire to kill Omegas. They instead want to break them. Different people have different inclinations. Some prefer physical torture, with varying preferences, others like to destroy them mentally or emotionally, and others still go for sexual abuse. They cannot be called naturally evil. An outlier can be a perfectly kind and gentle person, until an Omega is brought in. It is possible to control these inclinations however. If one should manage to bring them under control, a case which is exceedingly rare, they will undergo a second maturity, becoming an Alpha. This usually only happened if they previously knew an Omega before maturing. Even then, they would need to care a lot to force themselves to control their instincts. It was possible to convert one to the point they never became an Outlier in the first place, but that was even rarer.
If they did manage this, they were some of the most powerful Alphas of all. If they gained control thanks to caring enough for an Omega to not assault them, they would often fixate on said Omega.
What a unique system. Not too shocking though. With all of the advantages Omegas had in this world, there needed to be something to counterbalance it. Three fourths of the population was made up of A/B/Om classes, while Outliers made up the remaining fourth. In history, Outliers were originally fiercely discriminated against, to the point that if you met one, it was perfectly okay to kill them, without any reason other than what they were. Over time, they gained rights, and things eventually changed. Now, the Outliers simply lived in a different area than the other parts of the population. None went onto the other groups territory unless absolutely necessary, and even then, it was scheduled ahead of time in order to keep any Omegas out of the vicinity.
Alphas and Betas awakened, or hit their maturity, at 14-16 years old, Omegas at 5, and Outliers at 7. The first 2 years, the brain develops at an extremely rapid pace, so the child will have the maturity of an elementary schooler by the end. Maturing rate then stagnates, so most will have the thought processes of an elementary or middle schooler at 30. After they hit 35, maturity will speed up again, though not as much as the early years, until they hit 45, which is young adult, at which point they will remain at that mentality for the next few hundred years.
I could already feel the tug towards my destination pulling at my soul. It was weak, but in a few minutes I would be dragged along whether or not I resisted. Quickly, quickly.
Lifespan? 600 years is considered short, and usually the result of a weak soul. Average is 800, and more powerful souls may live beyond their 1000s. Also, should one have a strong enough bond with their mate/mates, they will die at the same time. Weaker mates will essentially get to piggyback on the stronger's lifespan.
Relationships? Polyamory is the most common among all classes. Same and different gender relationships are both accepted.
Family? Kuroko Tetsuya, with two mothers, and seven dads. How? Ah, genetic experimentation without their permission. I hope they react well to me, it never is pleasant growing up without a loving family.
Reason for replacement? The original broke due to events that will occur fairly early. Looks like this life is going to be far from comfortable, at least in the beginning.
Now, a little background information? Let's see, it's commonly known that souls are reincarnated, so it's only fairly rare to see a child with very mature mannerisms. No souls will retain their memories, but they will retain strong impressions from past lives, such as personality or a skill they were particularly good at. It seems that I'll be a bit of a prodigy in this life, considering I've had millions of lives to master every skill. Supernaturally enhanced capabilities are extremely common, so schools and any sports field had technology that would seal off any capabilities outside of human limits.
I can feel my soul having my new personality printed on it. Souls will always be the same at their base, but with a new body, there will be different inclinations. It's sort of like adding a design on top of the original paint coat. Different on the top layer, but at the base, it's still the same. I feel a rather extreme liking towards basketball, and a very kind personality. I'm glad, that's my preferred type of life.
Then, I let go, and was pulled into my new Universe. As my memories were balled up and hidden in the center of my soul, impossible to reach and not to be seen again until I returned to the between, my last though was, I hope I make people happy in this life.
The last though you have before reincarnating often leaves an impression on your actions, after all.
(I hope I'm happy too…)
Blue.
Cold.
People.
Who?
Bad feeling.
Sleep.
Liquid? Floating.
Breathing? Breathing. Mask. Air.
People are back.
Giving off bad feelings. Scary. Amusement. Anger. Boredom. Joy? Not good.
Laughter. Why?
Me.
"His brain is at a developmental stage of someone around 3 to 4 years old, despite being only 2 days old, sir."
"So, a reincarnation, then?"
I felt a spark of recognition at this. It took me another moment to realize how my development was so far along. I was reaching out with my soul, gathering information from the people around me. From the information gathered, it seems I have a rather strong telepathic ability. I also agreed on the reincarnation part. Even with the gathered information I've retrieved, the only reason I could have instinctually reached out with psychic abilities so early on is that I've got the instincts of someone who did that sort of thing, which considering my age, could only have come from a past life.
A chuckle from outside. "It seems he is aware, at least. That got some recognition from him."
I noticed something else then. I was floating in a liquid, like I registered before I could really comprehend what was going on. Said liquid was inside of a large cylindrical tube, that was rather conveniently transparent. There were several people outside, none of them with especially appealing appearances. From what I lifted from their minds, appearances and wings were based on your soul, which meant these people weren't the best caretakers for a child. Or the best anything, really.
I rifled through their skulls a bit more, skills rapidly improving even as I did so. They stole DNA from my parents, a group of Alphas who were incredibly close, likely more than friends, and used it to create me. My embryo was rather carefully cultivated, in order to get the best possible traits. Everything from physical capabilities to intelligence, charisma, strategy, heck, my voice was edited to the point that if I wanted to, I could enthrall everyone in the vicinity with the sound of it after a little practice. Most did this so that I would be able to be a excellent figurehead for them, though there was someone thinking that my voice would be perfect for phone sex when I grew up. I wasn't sure what that was, and my instincts warned me away from pursuing that line of thought, so I moved on.
It didn't take long to figure out that these people were doing something highly illegal, not to mention stupid. Stealing the DNA of one of the most powerful groups in the world, made up of Alphas, a group that were known for being protective of people in general, and took it up to eleven when it came to their own children?
Stupid.
I could feel a very distant presence brushing against my mind, and the comforting feeling it inspired had me brushing my own mind against it in return, without thinking. The reaction was instantaneous. The presence wrapped itself around me, and I felt my consciousness being cradled in another. It was a warm feeling, and I naively didn't struggle, instead relaxing into the warm mental presence. Luckily, the other's intentions were good. Their mind was opened to me, and I quickly realized it was female. Thoughts and memories spilled out to me, obviously attempting to open themselves up in order to gain my trust.
So, this was one of my mothers. She was one of the most powerful psychics in the world, with strong telekinesis, stronger telepathy, and the strongest empath, able to feel and categorize the emotions and reasons behind them, of everyone in a 25 kilometer radius. Touching someone, to her, was basically opening herself up to all their thoughts, emotions, and even some memories if she dug a bit. She was also capable of influencing the emotions of the people around her, like calming down a large group, or inspiring panic or fear among enemies.
Basically, Mother was super cool.
From what I could gather, they found out about the gene theft 2 weeks ago, and after calming down, talked to each other about it. About 4 days ago, when their genes were in the last stages of being utilized to create me, 2 days before I properly gained sentience, Mother sensed me. Everyone has a supernatural connection on the level of the soul to their family, allowing them to sense each other and feel strong emotions, but that was it, usually. For someone with psychic powers as strong as mothers, she was instantly aware of my coming into existence. When she shared this with the others (trembling with anger at the time), it took a few seconds for them to focus and find it, but soon, all 9 were well aware of my existence.
They then proceeded to fly into a rage. Luckily, none of them were angry about my existence (they wanted children, but they really were nothing more than friends living together, and none had found those special someones), instead, they were furious about what had been done to create me, and worried about what might be done to me next, which increased their anger further. After calming down, they initiated a frantic search, with Mother being assisted by my other mother and 7 dads in order to scan for me. That led up to now, with me being wrapped in my Mother's mental embrace.
Matsukaze Kagura had been through a very trying 4 days. Finding out she and her closest friends all had their genes stolen, made her very angry. Finding out that those genes were being used to make a child for God knows what nefarious purposes enraged her to the point that she couldn't think straight, alongside the rest of her friends. It may not have been intentional, but they now had a child together, and the concept of ignoring or abandoning that child hadn't even appeared in their minds.
As the parents, they needed to protect their child. The realization that what could only be considered a precious gift was in the hands of a bunch of unscrupulous bastards lit a fire within them. When they snapped out of their red haze, they certainly hadn't calmed down. Rather, that anger was simply contained, boiling beneath the surface, in their hearts and through their blood.
As they kept a lid over their fury, the contained flame only burned hotter. It only grew worse when, after 4 days, Kagura finally managed to find her baby. The way a mind had tentatively brushed up against her own had, for a split second, made her reactively prepare a simultaneous offense and defense that would instantly crush them if hostility was shown. This reaction barely lasted a nanosecond. Upon realizing it was her baby who was responding to her mental probe, she couldn't help reflexively reaching out to wrap herself around his mind. She realized after a moment that this action might have frightened him, frantically opening her mind to pour out proof of her trustworthiness (what if he didn't like her, oh God), and after a moment of this, regained control of herself. She hadn't reacted so instinctively in a long, long time. What if it had been a trap?
Her next discovery, though, removed such thoughts, and forever sealed her love and adoration for him. Focusing again, she saw her sweet, darling child relaxing in her mental embrace. This was like the metaphysical equivalent of her holding him, and him cuddling into her arms. The warmth she felt from this action was something that had been rare in her life, what with her upbringing. She vowed to herself that she would make sure her son experienced this warmth often (after she ripped those ingrates apart, crush their bones and grind them into dust-).
Pulling herself to attention and remembering her purpose, she used her son as a medium to search the minds of those around him, and what she found fanned the newly converted protective flames of fury to an all new high. The others, who had been linked with her for the sake of supporting her search with their energy, had gotten the same feelings, and so a few minutes later, a group of nine were heading to his location with wings beating the air like thunderclaps, so quickly that they likely broke several laws.
Not like the police would say anything to them.
3 hours later, a well-hidden building was ripped through like wet paper, namely by the group's resident powerhouse, Tsutomu Yoshitake, affectionately referred to as Shiitake-chan, who also literally ripped apart anyone who happened to be between him and his direct destination, his son. The blood splattering along the white walls made the scene somewhat reminiscent of a horror scene, giving the place an ominous feeling. Upon reaching the room he was held in, the reinforced door that had been closed and locked at the start of the invasion, was shredded, a small hand with sharp claws tipping the ends ripping through with laughable ease. The terrifying group of nine, who were letting off a threatening aura, were greeted by the sight of a baby big enough to fit in a pocket being unhooked from several ominous looking machines.
Their baby.
Instinct pushing any logical thoughts to the background, Tsutomu Hayashi then proceeded to live up to his reputation as one of the fastest existences in this world. Disappearing for under a second, and immediately reappearing with the tiny child in his arms, he looked down, and was met with the face of a child who, despite his tiny size, looked considerably more developed that he should have at this stage.
To them, he could only be called the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. (Though most likely everyone else would think that as well, but they were his parents, and it was very, very different.)
Doubtless this was thanks to the things who were cowering in the corner, and who had already collapsed to the ground and soiled their garments thanks to the pheromones the powerful group of Alphas was giving off. Combined with the malicious aura, low snarls, and feeling of utter terror being forced upon them with Kagura's empathy, it was more of a shock that their hearts hadn't stopped from fear.
This was actually thanks to the expert skill of the group, who didn't want to kill anyone in front of their child.
At that moment, porcelain pale eyelids opened, revealing the most beautiful teal blue eyes any of the people in the room had ever lain eyes upon (and they had seen some beautiful people, well-developed, adult people), shocking jewels that made everyone and everything else they had ever seen, seem dull in comparison. For a split second, taking in his childish, sweet scent, the parents lost control of themselves, Alpha instincts raging stronger than they had ever felt before, demanding they protect this perfect little creature, their beautiful, beautiful son. Demanding that any potential threats be instantly neutralized.
The fools in the room had their hearts stop at the exact same time.
While they would have loved to slowly torture the things to death, their instincts deemed it more important to be rid of any threats to their son's precious life. When it came to protecting something, they could be practical like no other. After all, as long as the enemy lived, there was the potential possibility of the one under their protection being injured. It wasn't worth making them suffer if their child was at risk.
The jewel-eyed baby yawned, and thoughts of the now-dead fools fled their minds. The newly minted, extremely overpowered family proceeded to freak out over their tiny son, leaving as quickly as they came.
It was too bad that they didn't think to search out the rest of the people in the compound. They had only killed the people in the way, and the people in the room with their son. The compound was much larger than that, with many more people.
A man with a friendly face and gentle eyes smiled genially, having watched the scene from a security room. Tossing a small device in the air, and catching it again, he turned to leave.
Too bad they had forgotten.
It would have saved them a lot of heartbreak.
Kuroko Tetsuya. That was the name chosen for the tiny boy who had come into their lives in a decidedly unexpected manner. His last name was taken from the other woman in the group, Kuroko Kumiro. This was for two reasons. First, the child took after her. He had a ridiculously low presence, and the realization that if it wasn't for the soul connection they had with him as his parents, they likely would have lost him several times by now, was one that nearly caused a panic.
(Said panic was abruptly calmed when, for the first time making a noise out loud, the blue-eyed child cooed. Everyone still nearly went into palpitations, but for a different reason.)
Also, despite being only 2 months old, he had already developed a mature personality. It didn't take long to realize that, with the combination of him being a reincarnation with imprinted maturity, his sped up development from being a manufactured baby, and finally his uncontrolled tendency of lifting knowledge from everyone in the vicinity, he had the intellect of a teenager. A genius teenager. This nearly made them cry at the realization he was practically already grown up, before they realized that he may have had the intellect of a teenager, he still had the mentality of a 2 month old child.
He was easily impressed, delighted at the smallest things, and was essentially a child in every sense of the word, outside of the fact that he could hold complicated and intelligent conversations through telepathy. He would have been talking out loud, if not for the fact that his vocal cords weren't even close to developed enough to make anything except for baby gibberish.
This brings us to the next issue. He was 2 months of age, could only make weird baby noises aloud, and yet, and yet… His voice could only be described as musical. Everytime he opened his mouth, everyone in the vicinity would stop and listen. Whenever he spoke, his borderline invisible presence would fall away like rain off an umbrella. It was impossible not to notice him. This had them frantically worrying. When you could make the sounds "guh", "wagh", "agu", and other such noises sound like the finest music anyone would ever get the chance to hear, the thought of what would happen when he got older nearly sent the Alphas into palpitations.
(Really, the thought of him getting older, period, drove them into a depressed corner. They had known how quickly children matured during the first two years, but having to watch it yourself was different.)
Little Tetsuya hadn't only charmed his parents though. The 9 lived in a decently sized mansion, one with plenty of space, yet not so huge that it could only be called pretentious and unnecessary. Such a large home naturally required someone to care for it, and the overpowered family frankly didn't have time. So, they hired a group of 30 betas to care for the house. Their attitudes weren't those of servant and master, however, rather, it was that of a large family. The 9 Alphas reigned over the house, but didn't overly flaunt their dominance. They were in their 80s, and while exceptionally young for ones of their power, anything less than excellent control over their instincts could only be labeled as embarrassing. So long as no one was foolish enough to challenge them, they were surprisingly laid back, an attitude that only came with maturity.
("We aren't the upstart younglings we used to be." Kimuro said cooly, spaghetti sauce dripping down her expressionless face. In the background Hayashi was swinging Yoshitake around as the other thrashed and threatened his twin's manhood "if you don't put me down right now, you wannabe beanpole!" Kunio was sleeping upside down in his recliner, while Gin was force-feeding a tied up Kamui a freshly-baked vanilla-mint pie with his usual smile. All as Kagura laughed behind her fan, simultaneously eyeing Ueki whose expression was rapidly darkening as he stared at his knocked over tea. Senri just smiled flirtatiously and winked at the camera, though as it was moved away, you could barely catch his smile becoming an irritated smirk.)
Tetsuya had learned quite quickly over the past two months, not just about talking and reading, but about his new family. He adored them as much as they adored him, which was to the point they would rip apart the world itself for his sake. Basically, to the point of obsession. With his genius intellect and perfect memory, he utilized these gifts in what he considered the best possible manner.
To make his family happy.
He carefully studied all 39 inhabitants, with focus on his parents of course, learning what they enjoyed and disliked. As a baby, there were quite a few things he couldn't do. There were also quite a few things he could. There wasn't a person in the house who wouldn't make time for him if he asked, so he had to study that as well, in order to avoid bothering them at an inopportune time. He also honed his empathy, which proved to be difficult, yet rewarding. He was a natural at it, true, but he was very much a young child. To be able to sense the emotions of everyone on the property, even if it was only strong emotions, with him being capable of a bit more finesse the closer they were, well, it could only be called genius to an unrealistic degree.
(Everyone could only think that nothing good would come of this, as they watched him crawling for the first time a few days after managing to roll over. This foreboding feeling naturally didn't deter them from fawning over him as Tetsuya smiled at his latest accomplishment.)
So Tetsuya stalked (he preferred the term intense observation) all the people of the household until he knew exactly what would make them happy. Combined with using his empathy, if someone was the least bit unhappy in the house, he would track them down with the accuracy of a homing missile, bringing along whatever item he had found would best cheer them up. Gulliver for example, would be overjoyed to be brought a ball of yarn, for the sake of indulging in some knitting. It made him even happier if Tetsuya expressed interest in watching. Whenever she was feeling down, Anastasia would find herself chasing the blue-haired child (and damn his hair was beautiful) until she somehow ended up in the kitchen, where he would telepathically request to watch her cook.
The joy they felt every time he did something like that made every second more than worth the effort put in. He knew that it made John happy to read aloud to him, John's twin sister, Jane enjoyed playing the childish clapping games such as pattycake with him, and Gin, one of his parents, with his perpetual smile and forever closed eyes, loved a good game of Go. This also helped Tetsuya in his telekinesis and strategy. Just moving the pieces was difficult! Plus, spending time with the man was always a learning experience.
Of course, the ones he knew most about were the Wild 9 themselves. They were all geniuses in their respective fields, and could expertly wield at least one combat style, since it was vital to their protection. When you stand at the top, people will always try and knock you down. They made sure that such attempts will be met with failure.
(A short pop and one more corpse to clean up. Uncaring golden eyes didn't even glance at the corpse, only shooting a distasteful look when some blood got on his shoes.
"Pathetic. This trash doesn't even know his place in death. To think of coming after my son? Though, knowing I even have a son... It seems that someone has been getting complacent." A voice as cold as it was beautiful dripped like honey from finely shaped lips, coiling and hanging in the air as though it couldn't bear to let the sound completely fade yet.
A phone was flipped open, cheap, disposable, untraceable. "Another mess to clean up. No, fool, I did not do anything this time. Except disposing of the garbage, but that is hardly worth mentioning.")
What he managed to put together was fairly decent, though he knew there was lots more to learn.
Matsukaze Kagura. One of the top 50 strongest psychics in the world, she had raven black hair falling to her hips, and gleaming silver eyes. She stood tall at 6 feet, and her thin frame was accented by pale skin. Wings of the purest white with gold-tipped feathers, as though an angel descended to earth, built for fast turns and maneuvering. She came from a powerful, rich noble family, whose stifling traditions made her into the perfect Japanese Noblewoman, at least in the public eye. Her posture was perfect, she was cool, intelligent, and serene, able to pick apart a person with a casual glance. She knew people, and herded the sheep with a graceful ease anyone would be envious of, if they ever realized she was doing it. She adored kimono's, and could never be found without multiple beautiful fans on her (which doubled as Tessen, powerful battle fans that she wielded effortlessly, and most of all, effectively). She had a habit of hiding her face behind one of said fans, slyly smiling over the top, and was always planning something, though whether it was good or not depended on what she thought of you. When angered, she would have you penniless and on the streets within the day, all while smiling genially over the top of her fan. Among trusted friends though, she had a rather extreme liking for alcohol, and the tolerance to match. She didn't tolerate the cheap brands, but being brought a bottle of the good stuff would have her breaking composure and crying tears of joy.
("Oh, Tetsuya? What's that you have there… C-Chivas Regal? How did you know it's my favorite? No, it hardly matters, I think I've worked hard enough for today…" A few seconds later, she froze, before asking how he even got his hands on it with a sadistic look in her eyes [whoever was giving her baby alcohol, no matter how good the brand is, should prepare themselves]. Unfortunately, Tetsuya planned for this, and one pair of droopy blue eyes and one cup of alcohol later, the matter was forgotten. Afterwards though, he would leave it in her cabinet, to avoid his source being… handled.)
The next two were Tsutomu Hayashi and Tsutomu Yoshitake, the twins coming as a package deal. With identical mops of light-brown hair and burning orange eyes that literally glowed (a trait Tetsuya inherited), the two were considered fairly handsome. The mild-tempered twins were the close-combatants of the group, Yoshitake at 5 feet and strong enough to rip through reinforced steel with his bare hands, though his speed and flexibility wasn't the greatest, his endurance let him take quite a few hits and carry on for hours without tiring. Hayashi meanwhile topped off at 6' 7", a point he playfully lorded over his tiny brother, and was the speed fighter of the group. Opposite to his twin, he had lightning fast reflexes, and was fast enough that when at top speed, it seemed closer to teleportation. Unfortunately, his stamina was extreme. Extremely low. Moving at his top speed not only exhausted him to the point he was immobile and vulnerable in 30 seconds, he would also end up with severe muscle pain for a week. The two had stunning jewel-like orange wings, Yoshitake's powerful with a large wingspan, meant for stamina and gliding, and Hayashi's more suited to incredibly high-speed flying in a straight line, though maneuvering wasn't his strong suit. The two excelled at sports, never having encountered a single one that they weren't exceptional at, but martial arts was the two's one true love. Basically, the resident fight freaks. Their motto was essentially "If violence isn't the answer, you must not be using enough of it."
They were totally softies on the inside, though.
("Hey, Tetsu~, come with us, kay?" Without being able to do anything more than blink, he found himself carted off to an unknown place. Apparently though, their reason for being there was the DDR game sitting in the middle of the room. It took the bluenet another moment to realize that it was the twins who had kidnapped him. He ended up watching a three hour dance off on various songs, at the hardest level, that ended in a fight which destroyed the yard after Hayashi went through the walls when his brother slammed a punch into the other's gut upon his 4th loss.)
Then, there was Benjiro Gin. The strategist. Silver hair and pitch black eyes, he fit rather snugly into the stereotype of guys with constantly closed eyes and never-fading smiles being sadistic and creepy. He was a genius, every single plan he had ever made never even came close to failing. It didn't matter what you were doing, if there was a choice with a possibility of winning, he would find it. Unexpectedly, he had an extreme sweet tooth, enjoying all candies, but his true passion was vanilla shakes. If you couldn't find him playing strategy games on the computer, Go with Tetsuya, or something similarly strategic, you could find him in the kitchen with an apron on, baking some sweets for the only person he would never set up for the sake of laughing at whatever may occur. Kuroko Tetsuya. Basically, he coddled him. Of course, that didn't mean he went easy on him either. He made sure to teach "Suya-tan" about manipulation and strategy. He was sensible enough to know he couldn't always be there, and so tried to prepare Tetsuya for when he wouldn't be. His wings were a shocking deep purple, and were essentially an all-rounder type, not especially good or bad at anything.
("Hm~? Oh, Suya-tan, what would you like?"
Stare.
"Hmm, I see, I see. Snacks, snacks- ah, here we go~. Vanilla shake! Now, listen closely, Suya-tan. Whenever you eat something someone made for you, you should absolutely savor every bite. Pay attention, too, and compliment them on specific things. If you can, figure out what they spent the most effort on, and use that. Flattery will get you all sorts of places, as long as they don't know that's what your doing. People let their guard down when someone sincerely compliments them, so if it's no good, just don't say anything. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Don't forget, okay, Suya-tan? I'm sure this'll come in handy someday, when you need something from someone."
Tetsuya had, of course, listened carefully and committed each word to memory. This was someone he cared about after all. However, the only outward reaction he showed, was a completely unrelated one.
A small smile at the taste of his new favorite snack, and a quiet, "it's delicious." Gin simply sighed, though he was rather proud that Suya-tan complimented his cooking. His son was so reserved these days!)
Then there was the 'leader' of the group. They usually didn't have any sort of hierarchy among themselves, but when it came down to the wire, he was the one they turned to. Kunio, no last name. He was relaxed, friendly, and carefree, preferring to spend his time sleeping or reading, but was practically the saying "let sleeping dragons lie" in human form. When the switch was flipped, he became cold, ruthless, and terrifying. He didn't hold any interest in playing around with enemies, mercilessly hunting them down without rest, before neutralizing the threat. His hair was a plain grey, long bangs covering his eyes, which were blue, one darker than the other. His wings were a representation of the dual nature of his soul. The left was a light, peaceful sky blue, while the other was deep indigo, like staring down into the ocean at night. The darker half of his nature usually slept, but if awakened, wouldn't rest until whatever woke him was taken care of. Basically, he was usually lazy, but reliable in times of need.
("Mm… Tetsuya-chan? Ah, I see, I see! You came to spend some time with me, eh? Alright then, come up here, I don't mind."
"..."
"Don't worry, don't worry! This branch is nice and sturdy, and I won't let anything happen to you."
"..."
"Oh, you need help getting up? Ah, don't look at me like that, I'm not making fun of you, now hold on, there!" He chuckled upon seeing the barely-there pout on his son's face, a hint of pinking coloring pale cheeks.
"Now then, just lay down, and we can have a nice nap."
This soon became a weekly event.)
There was also Anri Ueki. Violent, temperamental, and with a tea addiction. His hair was spiky and pale yellow, and his eyes were like cut emeralds, green, cold and sharp. He was also one of the best healers around. When it came to treating the sick, his demeanor instantly changed into a kind, gentle doctor. Of course, if someone should try and avoid being treated despite obviously needing it, he was quite good at retrieving them without causing additional harm. He had a soft spot for Tetsuya, just like everyone else, and would share his tea with him, despite assaulting anyone else who tried to take some. His wings were emerald green. He couldn't fly with them. The topic would be met with silence should someone try raising it. He fought with a small wazashi, aiming for vitals with perfect surgical precision.
("Tetsuya."
"Hai."
"I've gotten ahold of some high-quality vanilla tea. Come and drink it with me."
The child simply reached for his hand and stared expectantly in response. The two immediately set off, quickly reaching a pleasant sun room, where the tea was already waiting. After seating themselves and pouring the both of them a cup, Ueki spoke.
"Tetsuya. A good cup of tea is something to be appreciated. Rushing through and not savoring the flavor is like an insult to the work put into preparing the tea. Thus, make sure to have a respectful heart whenever you drink any, and be grateful for what you have."
Tetsuya nodded, and for a while, they simply drank tea together, enjoying the peace, atmosphere, and good company. As the last of the tea was finished off, Ueki spoke again.
"What I said can be applied to more things than tea." Turning to leave, Tetsuya's response was pushed into his mind.
"I won't forget.")
Sakuya Senri was next, and also happened to be the resident superstar. Messy purple hair and sharp slit-golden eyes, along with an incredible voice and charisma that could make a room full of married women drop their panties in seconds, he acted friendly and cheerful to the public. Actually though, he was incredibly arrogant and antisocial, looking down on everyone else as inferior. The rest of the Wild 9 were the only ones he considered to be worth his time. Obviously, Tetsuya was the only other one who he considered his equal. Anyone who barged in on time spent with Tetsuya was not received well. He had an obsession with video games, and could use every gun as though he was born to, though his weapon of choice was a pair of dual pistols. He could wield an instrument with just as much grace. To describe him shortly: two-faced. His wings were a beautiful gold that put the precious metal to shame, and were built more for aesthetics than practicality, though they could still be used.
("Oi, Tet. C'mere, I managed to grab that game you've been eyeing." Despite the other not changing expression, Senri could easily tell his son was happy.
"Yeah, you better be glad. Now hurry up, I ain't got all day." Well, he really did, especially for Tetsuya, but it was just what was said.
Soon enough, the two were ensconced in overly comfortable chairs, controllers in hand and struggling to outmatch the other. Senri won easily, even with the handicap of only using one hand and one eye. The other was just a child, though, whose motor control, while exceptional for his age, just couldn't keep up.
"Heh. Good game, Tet. I'm proud."
The near-expressionless boy's eyes softened, mouth twitching up slightly, and Senri counted it as a victory.)
Then, there was Akatori Kamui. A rich boy, he was originally pompous and arrogant, and rightfully so, with a perfect memory and genius intellect, along with good looks. His posse of mindless followers was the biggest rival of the, at the time, Wild 8. While he could beat the others in academic pursuits, he never once won in any of their specialized fields. Somehow, he fell into the group, making it the nine they are today. He was a tsundere to the extreme, and despite his genius intellect, held a strange liking for household chores. A total mother hen. He also had good looks, like the rest, with large ruby eyes, blue hair, and wings of fiery crimson meant for gliding. Tetsuya quickly discovered that even though he acted like he didn't enjoy it, the red blush and happy feelings filling the air whenever Tetsuya brought him some string to play cat's cradle with, proved how much the constantly-in-denial Alpha enjoyed it.
("Tetsuya-kun. What is it you need?"
Not responding, the child just held up some string to the older male.
"Ah, so you've chosen this again? Well, alright, I suppose I can make some time for you. Don't think it's because I like you or anything, I simply have a bit of free time." He then spent the next hour manipulating the string into various shapes and designs, nimble fingers easily maneuvering into the required positions to produce the desired outcome. The tsundere ended up getting lost in the simple game, unconsciously doing his best to impress the other with his abilities.
"Yew, ur, va-ri, gud." The sweet voice made him stiffen in shock, whirling around to stare at the child whose eyebrows were slightly creased in concentration as he attempted to force his underdeveloped vocal chords and mouth to form the desired words. This was the second time the boy had spoken aloud, the first time had been when all of them were together, where he produced a mangled version of "love you". There was an incredibly over-the-top celebration on this momentous occasion. Since then, however, he hadn't said a word, presumably due to embarrassment at not managing to speak well. Thus, Kamui flushed crimson at the knowledge that he was the one who got to hear their son's voice a second time.
Eventually, the child gave up on producing the desired sounds, and took to his usual method. Telepathy.
"Your skills are exceptional, Kamui-tousan. I'm very impressed."
Flushing an even deeper red than before, Kamui managed to stutter out something about accepting the compliment, before fleeing the scene. Tetsuya just gave a tiny smile.)
Finally, the one whose last name he had taken. Kuroko Kumori. She had light blue hair in a pixie cut, and a stunning hourglass figure. Her presence was naturally incredibly low, similar to Tetsuya's, a fact which she countered with her pushy, seductive mannerisms, and risque wardrobe. She also was an assassin/hacker. Of course, she always investigated the client and target before choosing whether she would take the job. Killing wasn't something she enjoyed, and certainly wasn't something to do lightly, but due to a reason she promised to tell him when he was older, she kept with it. Her true passion lay in art. She painted stunning works of beauty, drew equally beautiful sketches, and crafted pottery and sculptures that were regarded in awe. Tetsuya enjoyed simply seeking her out and watching her work. Her wings were the black of space, and built like an owl's, so when she flew, she flew silently.
("Ahhh~, Tet-ya, my sweet darling boyo~! Look at what mommy made for you, my precious darling~." With a flourish, the seemingly excitable woman reached into her shadow and pulled out a large painting. It was of him, peacefully napping on the branch of a tree in winter. Though, the branch he was sitting on, and the ground beneath his spot, was clear of snow, and blooming as though it had forgotten it was winter, and decided it was spring instead.
"Beautiful."
The woman's smile became more genuine.)
As he got to know everyone, he began taking interest in what they were interested in. He wasn't entirely certain why, but he had a strange desire, that was closer to an addiction, to making people happy. Seeing someone happy because of something he did, inspired a feeling of euphoria in him. He was willing to destroy himself if it meant making someone happy, though the people he cared for would always take priority, and that would make them sad, so he would hold back. He at least realized it wasn't exactly natural to think as he did, but he couldn't help it. As far as he was concerned, his life was simply worth less than theirs. It was so very simple (in a twisted way). He was selfless, in the most selfish way possible.
Anyway, because of this likely(definitely) unhealthy desperation, anything someone he cared for enjoyed, he would enjoy too. Fighting, music, art, strategy, gardening, baking, cooking, tea, healing, studying, video games, psychology, and more. If they liked it, he did too. Everything he did, he picked up so quickly it even shocked him. However, everyone in the house was a genius in their respective field, which meant that even if it was something like a strategy game where he needed to pit himself against someone, he still had Gin, who would infallibly decimate him. There were plenty of other people out there in said fields, who could beat him with ease. Strangely, losing made him happy. The very thought of never losing filled him with fear. He had no clue why, but decided to simply be grateful despite it.
(Deep in his soul, echoes of a life where loss was as foreign a concept as could possibly be, rang out and faded back into obscurity.)
Yet, despite all his hobbies, and habits, and things he loved (because the people he cared for loved them), there was something missing. He hadn't found something that he loved. Something that he would seek out, and desired to do, not because of someone else, but because of himself, his own desire to do that something. He was nothing if not patient, though, and so he would wait, and wait, and find that something which would complete him. That something he would love with the wholehearted passion momma loved art with, Ueki had tea ceremony and healing, the twins had fighting, Kunio had naps, and no matter how much he denied it, Senri had his music. Mother had traditional dance and alcohol, Gin his strategy games, and Kamui his thing for literature.
Someday though, he would find that something.
So, a year passed like this, with love, and fun, and learning, winning, losing. Then, he grew his wings.
A/N - Overpowered Kuroko is overpowered. Also, really fun to write. This was the set-up chapter. Next one, we'll finally get some character development beyond the bare bones of it, and some plot? Maybe? If not next chapter, the one after. Basketball has not appeared.
Now, I'll explain a bit about the reincarnation. Basically, in this world, lots of people are reincarnated, but no one has their memories. Compare it to the mind of someone with permanent amnesia being shoved into a newborn's body. They don't remember who they are, or what they've done, but they retain their mentality. They are still adults (in a child's body with a child's brain), they still remember how to walk, talk, and write. They simply lack the experiences that make up who they are. A rapidly developing "blank slate", basically.
Also, The chapter titles are meant to be read alongside the Title. This one for example, would be "My soul carries me to the stars, and it's beautiful up here".