Disclaimer: I do not own any of the series featured here, all credit goes to CN and their original creators. I only take credit for my OCs.

Chapter 1: The Defensive Tank

Important notice: I am the original poster of this story, I just wanted to move it here since I'm using this account now.

"Three-point goal, blue's number twenty-one!"

The roar of the crowd; that was what got the Stolz Prideful Lions back into the game. The amazing effort of the team's elite duo of Leon and Marcus Atsushi singlehandedly brought back the team from a near impossible deficient to overcome. In only one minute, the offensive general of the Lions was able to score eight points and made a seven point lead that the opposing team had created in the final quarter of this high school basketball between Stolz Academy of Habitat Homes and Peach Creek Regional completely disappear. Not only that, but the amazing rally that Leon was able to formulate energized the home crowd enough to get the Lions back into the match, though it was to be expected from the best shooting big man in the country.

"We only have thirty seconds left, hurry up and get that shot up!" a raspy old voice ordered, causing the boy in a white jersey with the ball to quickly jump into the air; this shot would go down if he was able to get it off on time.

"I won't you let you!" Suddenly, a tall boy with red hair jumped in front of the player who was taking a shot, and smacked the ball right out of the vacuum of air that the ball was floating in after the shooter released it. Blue's number thirteen, also known as the defensive tank of Stolz, successfully blocked the shot that could very well have won Peach Creek Regional the game. The buzzer sounded as the younger brother of the "Twin Towers" of Stolz landed on the floor. A smile grew on his face, and the entire Stolz basketball team began to gather around Marcus Atsushi as he let out a triumphant roar. The Prideful Lions were now the champions of the high school basketball world, and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

"Hello my little demon buddy," a voice teased. It sounded like a man around the age of twenty was the owner of the voice, but it got unusually squeaky at the second half of the sentence. Whoever the voice belonged to, there was something wrong with him.

"What did Demongo say about calling me 'little demon buddy'? I recall saying Demongo would add you to his personal collection of souls."

The meeting place between the two was unusual, as it was in such an open area in the barren land of Devil's Bluff, yet it looked like they were discussing something that would have been better if they were in a private location. The blue sky was clearly visible; it was a cold day in the winter, and the most sinister demon to ever step foot in the human's world was beginning something that could lead to a revolution if things went right. All in all, this was a very bizarre meeting between this demon and what sounded like a human man.

"Lighten up Mr. Demongo. I was only kidding," the voice replied. It sounded like it was getting closer to the demon as the voice got even higher pitched when he said 'Mr. Demongo". Sure enough, the supposed owner of the voice left the shadows, revealing a man with long black hair and an orange bang that covered his blue and brown eyes. He grinned as he continued to casually walk in front of him. "There's nothing to worry about, Hoshi is dead."

"Are you sure about that? Demongo had a conversation with the reaper; he told me that his soul never needed to report to the Underworld. It's one thing if he escaped, but the reaper was never ordered to get his soul. That either means he sold his soul to someone else, or he never died," the demon stated, anger starting to take control of his emotions.

"That's a joke right? I stabbed him in the freaking spine! Even if he survived that…there was no way he could have walked out of the place before it exploded!" the man furiously yelled. His eyes began to twitch out of irritation; he thought he killed his worst enemy after all. He punched the wall he was standing beside as Demongo continued to observe these events.

"Do not fear boy, for he has not been heard from in three years. Even if he is alive, he can't interfere with Demongo's plan. Now, let's get to the main reason I summoned you. The time is now; gather the shards of darkness, and my master shall be reborn. Of course, kill anyone that gets in your way." The once angry demeanor of Demongo became calm and collected. He mellowed out from that sudden change of events.

"Alright…where do I begin the search?" the man asked. His voice…it was now emotionless. There was only one thing going through his mind: kill the one he failed to eliminate three years ago. He honestly didn't care about this mission anymore. All he wanted was the death of Hoshi…the death of his brother Zane. "The next time we meet…I will rip you limb from limb, and break your friggin' neck!"

Marcus Atsushi was known around the country as the best defensive player in the basketball world. That's how people would remember him in his first year of high school basketball, but he wasn't always the player he was today. In fact, just a year ago, he was ready to quit the game he loved so very much because of the frustration of not being able to get a basket. No one cared about a player that wasn't able to get the stupid sphere in the hoop, so what team would actually want him? He continued to think that way until the day that he met a certain girl on a visit to his homeland in Australia a year ago.

*Flashback (Marcus' POV)*

"Why…why can't I make a stupid basket?!" I asked in a tone full of rage.

A simple basketball court in the slums of Sydney, Australia…that was my favorite spot to practice the game that I loved to play so much. The green leaves in the lone tree were the only way to tell it was the summer because it was an unusually chilly day in the middle of July. The wind blew in my hair as I continued to just stand there trying to figure out the answer to the question that led me to my sorrowful experience on the court. My pain, why did it have to leave such a large amount of emptiness inside?

It was time for me to attempt my twenty-fifth jump shot. With only three makes, anybody could see why I was getting frustrated. People said my form was good enough and that I was definitely putting enough force when I shot the ball, so many people also wondered why I still couldn't make a shot. Maybe I suddenly turned to one side at the last second, making the rotation of the ball abnormal and possibly being the cause of why the ball wasn't able to just spin straight. That could have been it, or maybe it was because I aimed at the backboard instead of the actual net, so it was easier to miss. I just couldn't figure it out…and it was beginning to make me want to quit. No matter what, that ball wasn't going in, and no team wanted a useless person like me if I couldn't get that ball in that hoop.

The ball soared into the air, a perfectly straight rotation being clearly visible. I stood completely straight when I leaped, but it was another miss…the twenty-second one out of twenty-five attempts. This meant my reasoning for missing wasn't because of the fact that I was unbalanced when I released the shot. I was also aiming straight for the net, so that was also not the correct reason…which meant my theories were all wrong. Back to square one…I was still getting nowhere after twenty-five shots a day for four years!

Hopeless. That was what my emotions were telling me to feel right now. There was no point to try getting better anymore if someone missed over twenty shots a day in a four year time period. Really, a person like me didn't deserve to be on a basketball team if the stupid sphere refused to let me score, and not many people would let me dunk over them. Seriously, all I wanted to do was punch something like a baby out of frustration. My face told the whole story…I was enraged beyond belief. That's when I met her.

She was just heading home when she decided to walk onto the court. She was carrying some kind of instrument case in her hand. I wasn't very good at recognizing instruments, but I was pretty sure it was a guitar case. She put the case under the tree with an extreme amount of care before she walked over to me, and put her hand on my shoulder before showing me her beautiful smile.

"What's the matter?" She asked with a tone of concern in it. Her voice…something told me that my mood would disappear after talking to her.

"I'm just frustrated. I've tried for years to get better at shooting… but I just can't improve at all. All of the effort I put into this stupid game, it's completely pointless!" I yelled out of anger. That outburst was shortly followed by a basketball getting thrown at the fence surrounding the court.

"I saw your last three shot attempts. They looked pretty good for a six foot guy, but not every guy your size has to be an offensive master. Maybe there's some other talent you have," the girl told me.

"You think? Well…I never really thought about that. I was so obsessed with offense, I never really considered if I could be good at defense," I admitted. This feeling inside my heart…was it hope? Whatever it was, it definitely helped me.

"I'm not exactly the best, but I have some range. I'd be willing to help you…if you want," the girl offered.

"…Really? Thanks," I replied. A smile grew on my face because hope once again resided inside me. One way or another, this would be a happy experience for me.

After retrieving the ball from its position adjacent of the fence, it was time to see if I could be a master of defense or if my destiny was to be a complete bust in this sport. So many thoughts flooded my mind, the most prominent being if I could actually stop her from scoring. Of course, there was a second thought of mine that began to make me feel all fuzzy inside. I had no clue what it was, but this girl was way more beautiful than any other girl I had ever seen. Her kindness touched my heart like no one had done before…she was really special to me.

The test began with the ball in her hands. She was five foot six, so that definitely wasn't an advantage for her. However, her moves were so majestic…like she was meant to play basketball. With one dribble, she was able to pass by me and run towards the basket. I was pretty fast despite being tall, but there was something else in my brain that enabled me to catch up to her. I think that's what most people would call 'instinct'. Whatever it was, it allowed me to catch up to her and send the shot she released flying. My first ever block…it was accomplished so easily! The joy that I wanted to show, I had to contain it for now since it could have been luck that led to that denied shot.

We returned to our starting position to continue. The girl started with a similar beginning to her first move, but instead of completely charging towards the basket, she dribbled and took five steps before jumping into the air. She was descending backwards as she positioned her shot and fired what was known as a fade-a-way shot. It was very hard to block since the ball was higher than usual, so I had to do the next best thing; I had to alter it before she actually released it. Like I thought, the ball was too high for me to block…but I was able to touch it slightly with one of my fingers, thus the path that ball would have taken was altered.

"I think you have potential, just don't give up," she commented with a smile on her face after the ball met with the rim.

Those words that came out of her precious mouth, I could have cried after hearing them. The game that I loved but could never improve in…there was a chance for me to become a good player! More than that though, I probably would have been happy about getting that compliment off if anyone else told me that, but it meant more that she was the one who told me that. A cheerful laugh was actually able to come out of my mouth.

"You really think so? I have to thank you, for everything. Oh, I completely forgot to introduce myself! My name is Marcus Atsushi and I actually live in the U.S," I told her, extending my arm out.

I didn't expect what was coming next al all. She accepted my hand, but she pulled me near her instead of just shaking it. My word, her gorgeous face…it was making my heart beat even faster. This feeling inside me, was this what they call love? If it was…I was perfectly okay with it, I wanted this feeling to stay forever actually. The only wish I had right now was to have her in my arms forever. If that's all I could have right now…I'd honestly be okay with that. For me, almost giving up my favorite thing in the world was totally worth it.

"My name is Amy… Amy Hoshi. I live in The U.K technically, but I also came to visit." The reason didn't matter to me. She was in my arms now, and that's all I cared about. Her name was so simple yet so fitting for someone like her…I would never forget Amy. She would always be in my heart, and maybe someday I could tell her how I felt about her. For now though, the wind blowing in our hair and staring into the others eyes, it led to something I would cherish for the rest of my life.

There was a look of curiosity on her face, like she was waiting for me to do something. It was in the spur of the moment, but I tilted my neck so that our noses were only a few inches apart. I was staring at her delicate, green eyes, and she was staring into my brown pupils. I heard her small whisper directed towards me; she said "yes" in her whisper. We continued to move our heads closer together until it eventually occurred. With closed eyes, our lips touched and it happened…my first kiss.

*End of Flashback (End of Marcus' POV)*

Even if it was a year ago, he still remembered that experience like it was yesterday. The happiness Marcus felt in his heart that day was one that he had never felt again. Whether it was because it was the day he finally learned how he could be good in basketball or the day he felt the most positive emotions in his heart thanks to the girl named Amy, all he knew was that he was glad that he was able to experience that day, but never felt anything like that after it. It was thanks to that day that Marcus became the person he was now, and he was proud of him. The only thing he wished he could change was the fact that he wanted to see Amy one more time. Sure, being a basketball star led to some girls being naturally attracted to him, but none of them truly felt the same feelings Amy felt towards him. It was in her eyes right before they kissed…she really did like him.

Then it happened. On the way to his house in Endsville, he was met by a green figure that resembled someone he saw in the crowd at the Peach Creek Regional game. That stupid look on his face plus the ridiculous three strands of hair on top of his head…the short green guy definitely didn't give off a scary aura.

"Hey green guy, you might want to get out of the streets before you get run over," Marcus warned the boy.

The short person gave no response and instead just turned to the left. As a car began being visible in the horizon, a green circle appeared a few feet in front of him. With curiosity, the red hair boy watched this guy continue with what he was doing and decided to see what this would lead to. Whatever the intention for this was, it couldn't possibly be that bad.

Marcus was pretty off with his hypothesis. The car began to speed closer and closer towards the guy with the driver not noticing the green circle in his path. As he finally drove over it, a green plasma-like material blasted from the ground and created a large hole in the vehicle from the impact. When it finally landed on the ground, it was completely turned over and decimated. Marcus looked in horror as he observed the bloody mess of a driver attempt to crawl out of the wreck. It was all in vain though as the glass shards that were stuck in his once white lab coat and his aging face combined with the crash onto the ground made him collapse. Before his head fell to the concrete street, Marcus recognized the face of the dying man. It was one that was famous in the world thanks to creating one of the greatest things to ever grace the Earth. The red hair boy had just witnessed the final moments of Professor Utonium.

This chapter is dedicated to the Fusionfall community. It was my first ever online community and the reason why I started writing fan fiction. You can rest in peace now that your duty to entertain fans of Cartoon Network is done. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten.