Something that I just wanted to write ... I hope you like it. :) If you do, please review!
He crumpled to the ground, his body falling almost weightlessly as the strength dissipated from under him. His knees thudding against the hard wood like thunder, and if there was still feeling left, he would've screamed at the pain that shuddered through the bones.
Sweat dripped onto the polished floor like blood, diamonds that glistened under the harsh court lights. The arena was deafening, people clamoring over each other, mothers and kids screaming, teenagers mumbling nervously, coaches shocked out of their wits.
Aomine trembled, face still thrown in shock.
In the stands of the giant stadium, multiple row upon row of the hundreds that cheered and catcalled around them, were five colored heads, so vibrant among the black haired multitudes, that it was impossible not to see them. They stood frozen, in just as much shock as the rest.
His teammates walked towards him, just as shaky as and even paler than the ganguro below them. They bent down, trying to grip the slick, bulky arms, but to no avail. The cyan haired man continued to shake, his body even worse than before, and the slow murmurs of his teammates sounded like garble in his ears.
"Hey, you have to get up," Sakurai begged. "It's not healthy to be kneeling there, have some water…"
Aomine didn't listen.
"Let's – let's get down there," Momoi murmured from above. "Quickly, now."
The others from the blessed team, Generation of Miracles followed quickly, just as nervous and maybe even more terrified.
They hadn't come even halfway towards the court when someone else had walked towards the defeated Tuou ace. In fact, two someones.
It was simply difficult to sense the presence of the other. But on this particular occasion, it was easy. Because those silent footsteps were like a nightmare, sending shivers down a back already cold as ice.
The white sneakers stopped a foot before Aomine's head. The Miracles in the stands stopped, holding their breath in fear.
"I said that it was impossible, Aomine-kun." The soft voice was like a wisp of a breeze – light and fading into nothing. "You can't beat us."
His head rose up only a fraction, catching the eye of a black wristband, so painfully familiar of its black fuzz that curled in balls over the edges. In the corner of his eye, stood another pair of feet, slightly larger than the first. His hands tensed into fists against the hard floors.
"Why? Why, would you do this? Tetsu…"
He wrenched his eyes higher, his contorted face glaring angrily into the emotionless eyes of the bluenette, vice-captain of Rakuzan High School.
"Why would you join them?" he spit out. Everything was strangled like a snake was closing over his throat. His eyes were clouding over, drawing wet blurs over the bluenette's perfect face.
Beside him, Akashi stood, cruel and silent, eyes glowing terribly like orbs.
Kuroko held the sweaty ball in hand. Both of his arms were limp at his side.
"Because that is my choice. To win. Wasn't that all of yours as well?"
It was obvious this was towards not only him, nor the teammates that stood in their paralyzed stances, kneeling beside the ganguro, looking in shock at the boy. The five colored haired teens looked horrified as a single blue eye turned towards them.
Aomine sputtered. "But you were better – better than all of us!" he said angrily. "You were always better! I don't understand! What changed you?"
Kuroko was silent for a moment. Akashi leaned in, whispering something to the vice-captain. Kuroko seemed to nod in response.
"It was a good game, Aomine-kun. I look forward to playing with you again." They turned away, their steps as padded as if they were walking barefoot on carpet. "If you can put up a better fight."
As Kuroko walked away, Akashi paused for a moment. "Daiki – your footwork was sloppy and I can see your diet has been plummeting. You should stop eating so many burgers – it's not good for your health."
Aomine heard no more from either of them as they treaded away. Stunned into action, the other Miracles began to stumble forward, waking up the Tuou team as well from their stupor.
"Daiki!" Momoi cried, tumbling to the floor. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
Aomine couldn't speak.
"I – I didn't know Kurokocchi could play like that," Kise whispered. "It was almost worse than Akashicchi's style."
"It was worst," Midorima murmured, his hand tightening on the stuffed plushie Hello Kitty doll that was today's good luck charm.
Today, Aquarius and Sagittarius were at the bottom, 2nd to last and last, respectively. But that didn't stop them from massacring Tuou in the Summer Finals, 170-101.
And leading the charge was Akashi, leader of the unstoppable army, as always and – in a terrifying shock – Kuroko, who suddenly appeared wearing the blue and white unwaveringly.
The only thing he'd sent out that indicated any such change was something that happened last week – but this – this was different. If it was just changing schools was one thing, but –
Aomine continued to shake as Kise and Momoi scrambled to pull him up. Murasakibara's hand was dipped in a potato chip bag, but it wasn't moving – it hadn't moved for minutes now.
"I don't understand," Aomine said, gritting his teeth. "What happened? What changed?"
Kise swallowed. "It had to be something bad – he mentioned us. Is it our fault? For changing… for changing so suddenly…"
Murasakibara murmured darkly, his eyes glinting horribly. "I don't like this at all…"
They looked at the team at the bench beyond them. Kotaro was laughing as always, slapping Kuroko on the back like he'd always been there. The bluenette sipped from a water bottle, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a clean towel proffered to him.
Akashi took his waterproof jacket and slipped it over Kuroko's shoulders, again murmuring in his ear. Kuroko nodded. The coach began to talk as Nebuya dumped the rest of the water cooler's contents over his head.
"Whatever it is … we have to find out what it is," Midorima said testily. It was unlike him to take charge or get involved – but even if it was Kuroko, whom he didn't get along with – he could not sit idly by. After all, he'd once been the vice-captain of that not-so long ago team – one that included the bluenette.
It was as if a cold douse of water had woken all five of them up as they watched Kuroko and Akashi walk inside. Akashi's hand draped over Kuroko's shoulder and the boy made no effort to push it off. If they were imagining things – maybe he even leaned into the red head's embrace.
Even just a tiny bit.
"Absolutely," Aomine whispered. He finally got up, the calls from his teammates, who had long gone back to the bench calling out to him, but he didn't listen. Every cell in his body screamed for vengeance – for justice. And that was what he was going to get.
The Winter Cup would come – and with that, new games. And hopefully – the time to find out what had happened to Kuroko in one tournament – one that would change him so much to become what he had always hated.
Merciless.