A/n: First fic for Knb, love this show so much~~! This will be a multi-chaptered AU story with the usual mix of Action/Adventure and a sprinkling of romance. Please let me know what you think in the reviews and hope you enjoyed!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Fujimaki-sensei.

Full summary: Twenty years ago, the tiny country of Teikou suddenly and violently rose to prominence. Having been held at bay for centuries by the five great countries, their conquest rushed forth like a nightmare from the past.

How did they do it?

With a single army.

One with wires for veins and engines for hearts. Faster and stronger than even the most disciplined soldier, these machines known as the "Emperor's Sentinels," ravaged the lands, enslaving and massacring thousands. Nothing and no one could stop them.

Or so it seemed.

On a job-gone-to-hell, twenty-one year old Kagami Taiga, part of the famous rebellion group Seirin, encounters a mysterious boy at the very edges of the Teikou Empire. Through him, Taiga is taken to Kiseki, a town which has gone under the radar of the Teikou, and whose colorful residents are not all they appear to be.

To Save this Goddamn Town (1)

Taiga was not a hard man to please.

Money didn't interest him and neither did fame. He enjoyed things like basketball, sunshine and a good burger—the simple pleasures. And it isn't as if he's expecting a prize at the end for it, because he isn't, but he'd think all this humbleness would at least earn him a death with some semblance of respectability. Or, in some way that made sense anyway.

At the very least, not by some demented killer robot and laid out on the mountain for crows to go at.

Which was beginning to look more and more likely as time went on.

"Is it still following us?" Tatsuya asked, bone-white hands clenched over the wheel.

Taiga shot a quick glance over his shoulder, scanning for that dark metallic face and contorted form, but the action may as well've been useless. The forests in Kiseki Mountain were thick and wet, shadows and moonlight making him see all kinds of things.

"I can't tell," he said, turning back, "Just keep going."

"I wasn't planning on stopping," his brother snapped and pressed harder on the gas pedal. The car was beginning to groan in protest and a weird creaking nose that had started up a while ago in the hood got louder.

Taiga gripped the shotgun in his lap, trying to keep his hands from shaking. It was unbelievably fucking heavy and had only a few iron rounds left, so he knew they would have to ditch it soon along with the car. His blood shuddered at the thought.

"Do you think everyone got away?"

"I don't know," Tatsuya said, his mouth a thin line, "But we can't think about that now."

Taiga stiffened. The words were cold, almost blunt, and while part of him wanted to protest, he knew Tatsuya had a point. The dead were dead. It had taken him two goddamn decades to learn that.

So he shut up and let his brother drive, keeping an open eye for movements out in the trees and trying not to let his mind wander back to the events that led up to this shitfest, which it inevitably did.

It had seemed like a simple enough job. Recent sightings of sentinels around the edges of a nearby village had the headman hiring them in a panic. Being situated at the border of the Teikou Empire, the village had been left largely alone until then and the headman feared the robots were signs of an incoming invasion. At the time, Taiga hadn't given it a thought. The squad had defended plenty of places before from the Teikou's violent expansion plans and it hadn't seemed any different this time around. In fact, after five years roaming these godless lands, it was pretty much clockwork.

Yeah, it was still dangerous as fuck fighting them and he didn't know what they ran on or where the hell they kept coming from, but Taiga was finally starting to understand a few things about how they ticked.

One, that iron was the only thing that put them down for good.

And two, (and maybe more importantly as well) there were five different types of sentinels, each with their own specialized attack pattern.

Since the sentinels were all identical in build and appearance (all metal skin and soulless, black eyes) this was something that had taken years to figure out. But God, had it made the fighting easier.

Using the serial codes found etched into the robots' upper arms, one of his teammates, Izuki, was able to devise a rough identification system.

Units with codes G76 had some sort of X-ray vision and could detect targets from hundreds of miles away. They were incredibly resilient and served as snipers, especially notable for the wide arcs their bullets were shot at.

V59 units were the muscle, shattering concrete walls with bare fists and ripping through steel as if it were paper. They were so strong that they created gales with each punch and he couldn't even remember how many times he'd been flung off his feet just by the winds.

B65 units had blades for fingers and were fast as fuck. Their agility was the most insane thing Taiga had ever encountered and they moved with such speed that their entire bodies seemed to morph into formless streaks. Bullets were dodged with ease and they could slit throats in a heartbeat.

The R44 unit was rare and they had never encountered one. The only reason they knew it existed at all was because they'd found the crushed remains of one washed ashore on a beach.

Y87 units didn't so much have their own attack style, but all of the other units' styles combined. Izuki had named it the most dangerous and unpredictable type, but its thankfully low stamina made it possible to dispatch.

With all this new information in use, Seirin had quickly risen to the top as one of the most successful groups out there fighting the Teikou Empire. Captain Hyuuga even began talking about training the locals to combat the sentinels as well, which could eventually have led to a full-scale rebellion. For the first time in twenty long years, Taiga had felt something like hope again.

Then Haizaki Shougo joined.

As a recent addition to the team, he'd been a stranger and not a particularly well-liked one at that. Tatsuya was appalled by his rude, thoughtless behavior, especially towards the families of victims killed by sentinels, while the other men found his mean-spirited, often cruel ways disturbing. Personally, it was his eyes that put Taiga off. There was something…hateful about them. Almost vengeful. Especially when fighting the sentinels.

Why in the hell had they even taken his suggestion?

"We torch the mountain," he'd said, cigarette smoke curling beneath his teeth, "'s where they all hang out, y'know. The sentinels. Kiseki fucking Moutain."

In hindsight, Taiga couldn't even recall agreeing to the idea at all. Strategically, it had made no sense. The whole packing and suiting up process had been a blur too and the next thing he knew they were running for their lives through the bramble. The Empire had slaughtered the village while they wandered blindly in the woods, being picked off one by one by the very things they'd set out to destroy.

Taiga swallowed, something sharp and heavy settling in his stomach. All those deaths… They were on him now.

Goddamn it.

His teeth clenched. He couldn't remember what had happened to Haizaki after they'd started running, but hoped to God he survived, if only so Taiga could kill him himself.

"If I ever see that piece of shit again…"

"Taiga, I told you not to fixate," Tatsuya said, not even looking at him, "There will be time for revenge later, when we're not running for our lives."

He paused, before adding quietly.

"You'll also have to get in line."

Taiga blinked at the rare anger simmering in his tone. Whatever he had thought up in reply however, was swiftly forgotten. When a metal face suddenly smashed into their windshield.

"SHIT!"

On pure instinct, Taiga raised the gun and fired. Glass exploded into a million fragments and he thought he heard Tatsuya yell, before the car swerved. Taiga was thrown into the door hard, knocking the wind from him, and for a moment he saw nothing but stars.

It cleared an instant later and he saw the sentinel, outlined in pale silver by the moon. A big black G was etched into its neck and it was reaching for Tatsuya through the windshield.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Taiga roared, and fired again at point-blank range.

Part of the robot's face blew clean off and he caught a split moment of sparking wires and some kind of dark liquid spurt out, before Tatsuya had shoved the body off the car.

"Taiga, in front!" he screamed and Taiga whirled, his stomach plummeting at the sight.

A lone sentinel stood in the road, barely a hundred meters ahead. Without moving or attacking, it simply stood there, as if waiting for them.

"V59," Taiga swore, and Tatsuya must've figured this out at about the same time, since he suddenly slammed on the brakes. The tires squealed as he wrenched the wheel and Taiga found himself tossed backwards again, narrowly avoiding cracking his skull on the frame. Tatsuya's teeth were clenched, his eye wide.

"Brace yourself!"

Taiga had barely processed the words, before the car had smashed into the robot, the momentum driving all of them into the side of a tree. Pain blossomed white hot across his side. Taiga groaned, his skull vibrating with the sound of crushed metal and the stench of oily smoke.

"Taiga!" Tatsuya yelled, "Shoot it!"

He blinked and the blurry edges of his vision cleared. Tatsuya had trapped, or more like embedded, the unit between the iron-layered side of the car and the tree.

SKREEEEEE

It screeched, partially burning and its clawed hands had already dug into the vehicle ready to push it off.

"Shoot it!"

"Move your head!"

He pulled the trigger the second Tatsuya ducked. The robot's face burst apart and it went limp. Taiga grabbed his older brother by the wrist, dragging him right over the gear shift and out his own door. Together, they tumbled onto the dirt trail, shaking and panting.

Taiga's heart thundered, adrenaline pumping away in his veins. His skin felt prickly and his limbs like springs. If it weren't for Tatsuya's lightning reflexes, he probably would've clocked him good when his brother touched his shoulder.

"Whoa, easy," Tatsuya said, hands raised, "Calm down. It's over."

Taiga's eyes widened and he dropped his stance immediately.

"Fuck," he said, gripping his knees, "sorry."

His brother eyed him. "It's fine. You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah I think I'm alright. You?"

Tatsuya didn't answer. His gaze had gravitated to Taiga's side.

"You're bleeding."

Taiga blinked and looked down. An ugly splotch of blood had soaked through his shirt and was quickly seeping across his chest. One of the glass shards must have found its way in. Huh.

"We need to move," his brother said, taking off his jacket, "There could be more of them."

Taiga hissed when he pressed the cloth against the wound, tying it into a makeshift bandage.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know," Tatsuya said simply, "But we're not staying here. You need help."

He almost asked where he thought they were going to get said help, but refrained. Saying that kind of shit wasn't useful at all.

"Okay."

Tatsuya nodded and straightened. He surveyed the wreckage for a moment, before spotting the shotgun lying in the grass a few feet away. Taiga watched him walk over to it, trying to ignore the faint waves of pain beginning to sweep over him. The mountain had gone silent again. No sounds but the chirps of crickets and the smoking of the busted engine.

Perhaps that was why Taiga had noticed it.

The gleaming face and huge, glowing eyes, peeking through the thicket.

Tatsuya hadn't.

SKREEEEEEE

The sentinel burst from the leaves, catching Tatsuya by the shoulder and lifting him clean off his feet. Another V59. Taiga might have screamed his brother's name. Or he might have just screamed in general.

Tatsuya's face was white, as he stared up into an empty, metallic face.

"Run, Taiga," he whispered.

And then his brother was gone, vanishing into the forest, still clutched in the sentinel's hand. Taiga saw red. With a wordless roar, he charged after it, grabbing the shotgun along the way.

"Tatsuya!"

No, no, no, not here on this fucking mountain, in the middle of the night. Not by a fucking piece of junk metal. It wouldn't happen he wouldn't let it, Tatsuya was the only family he had left…

"TATSUYA!"

He crashed through the woods, sharp branches snagging his clothes and cutting into his skin. Taiga felt none of it. He could very well have run blindly through the entire woods and straight off a cliff, if not for the large root that caught his foot. Unable to halt his momentum, he went flying head over heels, rolling through the shrubs and down a low hill. He didn't manage to stop until he landed in a patch of soft grass, face-down.

"Ugh," Taiga moaned, his body burning and breathless, "Ow."

Gingerly, he lifted himself onto his elbows, cradling his head as he raised it.

A ghost's face stared straight into his.

"HOLY FU-!"

Taiga screamed bloody murder and reeled backwards onto his rump. His fingers fumbled for the gun for a moment before discovering it wasn't there, having been dropped again during his fall. He was in the middle of trying to pry his shoe off as a weapon, when a voice suddenly spoke.

"Oh, it seems I have startled you."

Taiga's head shot up once more. The "ghost" had taken several steps back. On second glance, it had a dark blue bag slung over its shoulder. And was not in fact a ghost at all, but a boy. A small one, with a slight frame, ice-blue hair and skin paler than snow. His eyes were round and bright baby blue, like the color of open skies.

Taiga stared for a long moment.

"What the fuck?" he decided on.

The boy frowned. "I apologize for frightening you, but there is no need for such language."

Taiga blinked. "I-I wasn't frightened," he said hotly, "Anyone would freak out if a person materialized an inch from their face!"

One blank look was sent at him.

"I have been here the whole time," the boy said, "If anyone has suddenly materialized, it would be you. With this place so deep in the mountain, you were quite a surprise."

A pale hand gestured at the backdrop around them and that was when Taiga realized he was in a glade. It was about an acre large, with cool moonlight spilling over grass and wildflowers, creating shadows that flickered with the rhythm of the breeze. Somewhere further back, the trickling of a creek could be heard as well.

"Geez, where even am I?" he murmured, awe-filled.

"Kiseki Mountain," came the prompt reply, "The border mark for the Teikou Empire, holding the world record for biggest bogs ever formed and most popular location for suicides."

Taiga twitched.

"Not that. I just meant it's weird seeing a place like this."

"Ah, yes," the boy nodded, "It would be startling to see a glade up here. The mountain is too dangerous for anyone to get this far."

Taiga stared incredulously.

Then what are you doing here?

"…Who are you?"

"Oh, please excuse me," he bowed, "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Due to the carelessness and idiocy of another, I am up here looking for a few herbs."

Kuroko's expressionless face didn't change, but his hand did tighten on the bag in his grip. Taiga tactfully ignored the way it seemed to mime a strangling.

"Right…Kagami Taiga."

There was a beat.

"As in Seirin's Kagami Taiga? The Mad Tiger?"

Taiga cringed. "Yeah, but don't call me that."

"Of course, Kagami-san. It is an honor to meet you, I didn't—"

He suddenly broke off. Faint surprise flickered in his eyes.

"You are injured."

Taiga blinked, looked down, saw the blood and suddenly remembered the twenty minutes prior all over again.

"Shit!" he flew to his feet, a torrent of panicked questions already flooding his head. Where had he landed? Would he be able to find the trail again? How much time had passed? What if Tatsuya was already—

"SHIT!"

Taiga turned heel, trying to sprint back up the hill. Almost instantly, his knees buckled and he would've fallen if a small hand hadn't grabbed his bicep.

"Careful!" Kuroko said, hauling him up with surprising strength, "You are bleeding very badly, Kagami-san."

"I don't care!" Taiga shoved him away, attempting to stand. His legs were beginning to feel like rubber.

"It's gonna kill him, I need to—need to get back—"

SKREEEEEE

Taiga froze.

Just a few feet away, the bushes along the glade were rustling. Long, slender tree branches bent and twisted back. A sentinel stood in the shade. Moonlight skittered over the code across its arm, barely visible. Taiga saw it anyway.

Oh, hell.

B65.

Behind him, Kuroko made a confused sound. "What is that doing here?"

Adrenaline sent Taiga rocketing to his feet. He ran, even though his side was on fire and he knew there was very little point to it.

"Move already!" he yelled, snatching Kuroko by the wrist as he passed and nearly fell on his face from how little weight was on the other end. It was like he'd grabbed a feather.

"Ah, are you alright, Kagami-san?"

"No, I'm fucking not! Hurry up and run!"

The unit watched them, its glowing eyes unblinking. Slowly, it crouched down, wiry fingers flattening the damp grass. Taiga's blood was ice in his veins. He recognized that stance too well. The creature's legs bent.

Running was futile now. It would catch them within a blink. There was only one thing that could be done…

The sentinel shot forward.

"Get behind me!" Taiga screamed and yanked Kuroko back.

Black pain ripped through his shoulder a second later. Taiga gasped. Every speck of air vanishing from his lungs and his vision flickered. A long, glinting hand was buried in his shoulder blade.
The sentinel looked at him. Its black lidless eyes staring holes into him. It did not breathe. Vaguely, he wondered what it saw.

Taiga coughed, bearing his blood-stained teeth.

"You're all…gonna fucking burn…one day…"

Somewhere, a pair of blue eyes flashed across his vision before all was still.