Disclaimer: Kuroko no Basuke belongs to Fujimaki Tadatoshi-sensei. This is just fan work. If you enjoy it even just a little bit, I'll be happy.

Please note that though the idea comes from characters in the RP, this fic is completely independent from the RP itself. The people who are RP'ing each character will also have their own unique ideas on how to portray the characters and about their pasts. So please look forward to their version too.

To Sei (healingwind at Tumblr), thank you so much for giving me permission to write a fanfic based on your exciting KuroBa AU character designs. I hope you enjoy it, and that I won't ruin the characters in any way while writing this. Sorry it took a really long time to post, and to be honest, I'm still not quite sure where it's going ^^ But I'll do my darnedest to finish it!

-x-

Cornerstone

Prologue

Leaves made a rustling sound as branches danced to the wind. Outside the window, a mix of brown, orange, yellow and green foliage was the only thing visible on the horizon as far as the eye can see. A young boy was looking out the window, his eyes and the fringe framing them sported the same color as the sky he was gazing at- perfectly complementing his skin as white as cottony clouds.

The scenery would have been easily mistaken for a painting except for the window's iron grills obstructing the view. He sighed. Even if there were no grills in place, he would not even attempt to jump out the window of a hundred-and-fifty-storey tower.

He perked up a little when he saw a small bird with flaming red feathers perch on the iron grill, and started to smile when a second and a third one followed. He walked to the round breakfast table and picked up a glass that was filled with water. He poured a small amount into his cupped hand and carefully walked back to the window without spilling a drop.

"Here, drink. The closest stream is at least a hundred miles away, you must be thirsty."

He held his hand as close to the window grills as possible so the birds could reach it. His eyes softened upon seeing them gulp down the cool drink eagerly. After finishing their drink, the birds started singing as if to thank him.

However, he was not able to enjoy their melodious chirping for long as the door soon creaked open, startling the birds and making them fly away. A hooded figure, whose mouth and nose were covered by a mask, came in and walked straight to where the boy was standing. The voice that came through the mask was that of a man's.

"I've waited long enough, Kuroko. What is your answer?"

Kuroko wordlessly looked up at him as the latter was at least a full head taller. The man glanced towards the breakfast table, where there was a gold-rimmed china plate with intricate floral designs and had a big chunk of steak, greens, and roasted potato slices on it. The food, as well as the silverware beside it, looked untouched.

"You didn't eat again. Was it not to your liking? Should I have our chef prepare another meal for you? Or shall I have the chef replaced altogether?"

Kuroko looked at it but did not look anywhere near inclined to have a bite.

"I can give you the whole world if you join us. All you have to do is tell me what you want."

Kuroko looked back at him and simply said, "I want you to let me go."

The hooded man groaned and forcefully grabbed his face.

"Join me, or you die. If you won't belong to me, you won't belong to anyone else."

Just then, another person barged inside the room in a mad dash.

"Boss, we gotta… get outta here. Most of… our guys… been taken down. They're coming!" He spoke in between ragged breathing.

"You're a bit wrong."

The two men turned to the shortest one in the room as Kuroko said without a hint of doubt in his voice,

"They're not 'coming'. They're here."

-x-

"Haaah! That felt good!" A boy with sun-colored locks sighed blissfully after splashing water on his face. He shook his head, spraying water to the guys around him.

"Stop it, Ryota."

He got scolded by the red-haired boy beside him, who was drinking the stream's fresh cold water with his cupped hand.

"Sorry, Akashicchi"

"Looks like we're on the right track" Spoke a tanned boy behind them sporting azure mane. His eyes of the same color were looking at a tower roughly a hundred miles away. Surveying, he noted that on the base of the tower there was a tall gate. To the right and to the left there were two watch towers that had two guards on each.

"Hmmm~ So Kuho-hin is in herr, Mine-hin?" Another boy- the tallest of the group with purple hair in a lose ponytail- asked, munching on a foot-long tootsie roll.

"Yeah." The blue-head nodded.

"All the way over there, Aominecchi?" The blonde groaned.

"What, Kise, you scared?" Aomine smirked.

"Sure am. It took us so long to get here. Kurokocchi must be really pissed~" Kise whined.

Akashi chuckled.

"True. Tetsuya can be quite scary when he's angry."

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people, Akashi." Aomine snorted, but abruptly stopped when a short knife suddenly whooshed right by his face, narrowly missing his cheek.

"You said something, Daiki?"

"I'm very sorry, please forgive me."

"And who was the idiot that brought such a useless map anyway?" A green-haired boy wearing glasses- who had been standing about a foot away from all of them all this time- huffed. He was polishing a rather long, brown gun.

"It wasn't me!" Aomine retorted defiantly "Stupid Satsuki drew this 'map' with nothing but trees and an 'X' in it. How was I supposed to read the damn thing, huh, Midorima?!"

"That's enough, both of you." Akashi interrupted then looked at Midorima. "Shintaro, shall we say 'Hello'?"

"With pleasure."

Mirodima fixed his stance and readied his gun.

Kise's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me… Midorimacchi, we're at least a hundred miles awa- !"

Whatever Kise was going to say was cut off by precisely four gunshots. When Midorima stopped, Aomine noted that the guards he saw just a moment ago at the watch towers were no longer there. Midorima slung his gun over his shoulder and bent down to pick up a brass teapot.

"Hmph. How short do you think my shooting range is? With my lucky item, there's no way I'll miss."

" Let's go."

Akashi spoke in a commanding voice as he pulled his gold-trimmed crimson hood over his head. His ruby and gold heterochromatic eyes were cold- and almost terrifying even to his comrades- as he uttered,

"Don't show them any mercy."

"Who's talking mercy. These are the bastards who dared to take Tetsu away from us."

Aomine cracked his knuckles.

"Time to take him back." Kise said, still smiling yet with eyes devoid of any humor as he unsheathed his twin swords.

Murasakibara popped the rest of his tootsie roll into his mouth. He shut his eyes and positioned his hand. From the hand that had just been holding the sweet, a dark violet glow emitted that steadily turned longer and longer, one edge extending all the way down to his feet as the other went all the way up to a little above his head before it curved to form a sharp tip, materialized, and became a scythe.

"Ah… I'm still hungry."

-End of Prologue-