Warning: This is a purely serious fiction. Also, this is supposed to be a Dark! Kuroko thingy. You've been warned.

Alright, minna-san. I thought I'd be using my hospital days to rest, but I can't stop writing right now. Seriously, I hate the doctor's order to rest.

To those who may have recognized something similar about the summary, then I'll break the news for yah! YEP, this fic is related to The Hitman! Somehow, this is just a spin-off from 'The Hitman' series I'm writing. Though, you won't actually need to read 'The Hitman' to understand what this fic contains. (But I highly recommend you to read that fic of mine, nyahaha~!)

Warning: Writing issues and errors are all my sin!

Disclaimer: Meh...

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The Mercenary: Kise Ryōta
Chapter 1 – Challenge and Indifference

During the spring in the second year of internship in Teikou, I, Kise Ryouta, still undecided until then, had been assigned to the investigation department for most of my shifts. It was hard, but after two weeks, I was admitted to the first division. Well, that's obvious, since it's me.

However...

––with Kise looking at Kuroko in sheer surprise.

"Then if you say I hear out your misgivings about me," Kuroko stood from his seat, pushing the chair behind him. "You assure that this case will progress without any conflict among the detectives?" The teal-head said, looking at the person who laid out an irrelevant topic while they were still having a case conference. Kuroko still had an aura of indifference, although his eyes began to glisten with little trepidation. The shorter male almost glowered at the blond who just sat beside him.

It took some seconds before Kise regained his composure. His messages were only subliminal, but perhaps it had finally ticked Kuroko. Kise was half-glad that his soft nitpicking was finally received; although he was slightly reluctant with the glare and the tone Kuroko gave him. The blond smiled a little, before he mimicked Kuroko and raised himself from the chair. "This is finally getting interesting, Kuroko-kun." He began at first. "And here I thought at first that you're going to ignore my propositions...-ssu." His voice was ever-buoyant, but the sarcasm was nowhere near hidden.

"I did not say I am going to listen to your suggestion." Kuroko quickly retorted, making Kise flinch at the sound of his voice. "I said I am taking note of your uncertainty about me." He added, not pulling away his impassive orbs from the blond. "It will be stupid of me to deny your obvious dislike for me, Kise-kun. But I will have to consider it, seeing that it has an obvious effect in our teamwork while in this case." He pointed out, observing how Kise's expression changed into a wry one.

"That's kinda unfair, don't you think?" Kise answered with a joyous tone, despite the droll countenance he wore. The blond's lips twitched into a small frown, so small that no one could have ever noticed that it was plastered upon his face. Nonetheless, Kise felt uneasy with the undiluted stare from the shorter male, unsure with the underlying thought sent with those eyes. He gulped as he felt the tension he himself had created started to overcome him. "I should be the one who should make the terms."

"Taking into consideration," Kuroko responded, "yes, you should be." The answer surprised Kise a little, although the following words made him feel slightly irritated again. "But please do not forget that I am your personal instructor and the lead detective in this case, Kise-kun. As the one responsible for this team, I should take the responsibility to dissuade any semblance of conflict." Kuroko said, voice undaunted and firm. "As I see it fit,"

Kise finally let the frown to settle fully upon his face. He turned his head to the side, clearly dismayed with the idea. Although he ignored the look from the other male, he silently chided himself for forgetting that very important fact – he was still technically a detective intern under the wing of Kuroko Tetsuya. If he tried to squirm, Kuroko could simply tighten his reigns. If he tried to escape, Kuroko could simply whistle him back. Kise had never been so annoyed in his entire life, as his freedom had been impeded by someone who looked so incompetent.

"It seems to me that you are ready to listen," Kuroko observed. Kise clicked his tongue and whipped his head to listen to the shorter male.

"I guess so," Kise answered.

Kuroko nodded at first. "Let us call it a game, Kise-kun." The teal-head declared, surprising Kise yet again. "I call it the 'liar game.'" Kise swore he saw a smile over Kuroko's lips, but the evidence was quickly erased as soon as it appeared. "Tell me if what I am going to say is a truth or a lie." He paused at first, closing his eyes for a moment, before he took a full look upon Kise's golden orbs. "I will not be able to solve this case on my own,"

"Eh?" Kise made an oblivious face at first, before it grew into a full-blown expression of startle. "W-What?!" He asked. "Are you admitting that you really can't handle a case of your own, Kuroko-kun?!" The blond remarked, confused with the sudden declaration from the teal-head.

"I do not ask for your comment, Kise-kun." Kuroko retorted, that poker face never wavering. He slowly bent forward on to the table, picking up scattered papers and stacking them together. "I told you that you must be able to say if it is a truth or a lie." He noticed that the other detective interns in their team were looking at them with shaken expressions, before he orderly replaced the papers on the table and twisted his head back at Kise. "And please hurry up," The D.I.s, as the interns were affectionately called, were held back by the scene in front of them.

What the hell is that? Kise mentally said. If I say that it's the truth, it will certainly appear that I'm underestimating him as a detective intern, he thought. But that's what I've been thinking all along. The blond made a fleeting glance to the other detectives and it seemed to him that they were waiting for his response. On the other hand, if I say it's a lie, then it will end up looking like I'm actually acknowledging him. Just thinking about it did tax Kise a lot of energy, and he was getting frustrated by just picking an answer. In some way, he was beginning to get bothered by the estranged expression Kuroko was especially giving him. There was that cynical smile that would briefly appear on the other male's lips…

What the hell is this…?! Kise yelled in his head. "I…" He began and, as soon, a spark of knowledge suddenly cleared his mind. The confused face suddenly lightened up a little. "I think it's not the whole of it, Kuroko-kun." The blond said, giving out a slightly confident smirk. "You're going to say something else."

Kuroko hummed. "You are right, Kise-kun." The teal-head turned his body towards the blond and started to inch closer to the latter. "I forgot." He said, to Kise's disbelief. "I will not be able to solve this case on my own. However, you will not be able to unravel it alone." Kuroko finally said, seemingly enjoying the mortified look upon Kise's face.

"Kise-kun," Kuroko ignored Kise's brief silence. "If you are able to say if what I said is either truth or lie, then I will hand over my position to you." After he said that, several of the detective interns inside the conference room stood up and voiced their concern about the 'reckless decision.' On the other hand, Kise was pulled out of his musing. He was still slightly dazed, but he was finally realizing what Kuroko was trying to say. "If you guess it wrong, then I will have you acknowledge me." He ended, adding an apparently small smile with it.

The blond took a wary glance at Kuroko. He recognized something different with the shorter male. He could not point what exactly was it, but he was sure that the light blue-haired detective intern took an ominous turn. Kise could see something inside Kuroko's bottomless eyes, which made him feel discomfited. Kise felt a warning, a warning telling him that he had trodden over something that would swallow him whole in the long run. "It's a lie, of course." Still, Kise answered.

"I understand," Kuroko courteously answered. "Then we shall see by the end of this case, Kise-kun." He finally sat back on his chair and directed his attention forward. "Though, I am afraid to tell you that we need to work together right now to solve the case as soon," Kuroko added. "That will be the best way to prove if what is a truth or a lie, am I wrong?" The teal-head explained, while he brushed his fingers back at the documents they were talking about.

It took a while for the words to register inside Kise's head. The statement sounded so innocent and simple, but when the blond realized the meaning behind it, he did not know if he should be angry or be amazed with a battle that only existed in their words and mind. "So…" Kise said, gritting his teeth while he maintained a smile of his own. "This is what you're trying to do, Kuroko-kun." He said.

Kise was not going to admit outright but he was the person that caused the tension between the detective interns of Teikō that day. The brimming conflict was not really hidden, since the blond himself was so vocal about the fact that he couldn't bring himself to believe in Kuroko. Due to this fact, it was apparent that the investigation team sent by Teikō was in turmoil because one of their DIs doubted the lead detective intern. However, when Kuroko finally took notice, he used it as an opportunity to lay out an interesting proposition, which made Kise agree to it.

It was already late when he noticed that the said plan was only bait for him to indirectly work hand-in-hand with Kuroko. Kise understood it all, being a detective intern as such. By proposing something that would interest Kise, Kuroko was able to force the blond to have him cooperate without protesting his misgivings for the teal-head. If he looked at it more, it seemed that he was rather played upon by Kuroko, since the latter appeared so confident about his dare. All the more, Kise knew, he was not going to miss the chance to grab Kuroko's position as one of the regular detective interns. Kuroko understood Kise's motivation and used it for his benefit.

"Damn," Kise muttered, as he let his body slump back at the chair right beside Kuroko's. "Were you planning this all along?" He did not intend to say it aloud, but he was too late anyway to take back what he said. The blond trailed a reproachful gaze at Kuroko by the sides of his eyes, not minding anymore if he looked or sounded so bad because he doubted Kuroko. On one thought, though, he should consider Kuroko being the villainous one for doing something rather underhanded.

"I only responded to your complaint." Kuroko answered, thinking that Kise's remark was an actual question. The teal-head rearranged the paper on the table, snatched a page or two and handed it to Kise. "The question of being a detective is subjective, Kise-kun," Kuroko added. "Just like how you thought that I am not worthy in this position, it is a matter of perspective." He said, ushering Kise to look back to Kuroko again. "However, I am not that person who will make a huge matter of things said to me. So," Kuroko flicked his pupils at Kise. "You can rest assure that I will not be doing something underhanded, if you are assuming that way, Kise-kun."

Double damn, Kise cringed. Is he some kind of psychic?

"Now," Kuroko spoke out loud, quickly getting the attention of the other DIs. "Let us resume from where we left off." He looked at a brown-haired intern on the opposite side of the table. "Yūjiro-kun, the additional details, please,"

The person named Yūjiro cleared his throat first. "The victim received multiple stab wounds and, using the reports from the initial examination, has a total count of 27." Some of the interns grunted upon hearing the number, obviously disgruntled of the heinous act. "Most of the wounds were concentrated on the back of the victim, about a quarter of the total." He added. "The cause of death was ruled to be multiple organ failure either due to damage or secondary to blood loss,"

Everyone was silent before Kise spoke out. "I can't see how this can fit as a simple case of mugging." Everyone's eyes were on him that point. "If this is a holdup crime and if there had really been a struggle, I don't find it logical for the victim to have had more stab wounds in the back than in front of the body. Plus, even though a phone seemed to have been stolen from the victim, can we really easily categorize the motive as a robbery?" He told them.

"I agree with Kise-kun," Kuroko voiced. "The number of wounds is too severe for a petty crime." The teal-head detective intern did not miss the look sent to him by the blond.

"The victim was attacked from behind," Kise said, ushering some hums of agreement from the other DIs. "I can conclude that it isn't even a holdup."

"What made you say so?" Someone from the group asked him.

"If it was so, the suspect could have declared that it was a 'holdup' and threaten the victim. However, as noted, only a cellphone was thought to be taken and there is no other indication of robbery. If you think of it, an actual conversation between the victim and the suspect would have required them a face-to-face interaction." Kise explained. "And––"

"If a struggle did happen, stab wounds should have been greater in number in front side of the body, not in the back," Yūjiro cut Kise off. He immediately apologized when he noticed he had intruded that blond. Kise only waved it off and continued.

"For me, it seems that there is no attempt for a declaration of an 'holdup'." Kise mumbled and unhanded the paper Kuroko gave him some seconds ago. "The suspect aimed to kill the victim," he told them. Most of them gaped at his conclusion, although it was Kuroko's reaction Kise tried to see first. As usual though, the teal-head was still inexpressive, but seemingly trying to think through Kise's deduction. "The suspect attacked from behind the victim, targeting the back first. Also, if I'm correct, the wounds sustained by the victim in the front of the body were wider and oddly shaped."

Yūjiro quickly leafed through his papers and turned wide-eyed when he saw the particular information he hadn't yet shared to them. "Y-Yes, Kise-kun, those were the characteristics of the front body wounds." He gave a curious look at the blond. "How did you know?"

"Perhaps it's just because it's me?" He said, sounding really confident. He sent a smile over Kuroko, with the latter noticing the gesture. Perhaps I will have you acknowledge me, Kuroko-kun. He said in his head. "I just deducted that when the suspect was done 'stabbing' the victim from behind, he then turned the victim in order to check if the victim was still alive and began to attack the front side. By that time, the weapon should have been blunted from repeated use. For sure, those wounds would be irregular and much larger than those taken when the victim was first stabbed." He ended.

"That is logical," Yūjiro said. "You were not part of the DIs that was sent to have an initial investigation, Kise-kun, but you are able to visualize what could have happened." He commended the blond's deduction. "The victim was indeed found to be lying on her back. If she was indeed attacked first upfront, then there was no need to stab her at the back, given that she had fallen from the initial strike alone."

"So I suggest we rule out the motive of robbery," Kise spoke again, "and change it to murder." The blond looked back at Kuroko who was still particularly silent.

"That is a heavy sentence against the suspect, Kise-kun." Kuroko finally talked, after observing Kise's stare at him. "But I do not think it is incorrect to raise our theory into that point." He wrote something on the paper he held and looked at Yūjiro. "If that is the case, then we have to submit this idea to the higher ups." Yuuijiro nodded and exited the room immediately. "Kise-kun, you're really trying to prove that what I said is indeed a lie. I acknowledge your …enthusiasm."

Kuroko seemed to have smiled a little.

The tanned male walked over towards a particular table decked by the wall and began to pour himself some coffee from the maker. The coffee dripped down to the cup, the sound of it drowning the area near him and the blond. He took the opportunity to mull over Kise's situation, boring his gaze at the cup he just filled. It was not really unlike him to think about something that didn't concern him, but, at least, it was about someone that he was fond of. He finally picked the cup of coffee and tipped it to his lips. "So I heard some news about your case Kise," he began.

"I didn't have any choice, Aominecchi," Kise frowned, as he placed his hands behind his head. "Or should I say, it's the only thing that can be done." He said. He gave a soft whistle as he remembered the deal he had made with the teal-head. "I didn't know Kuroko-kun has tough disposition."

Some ten minutes ago, the team decided to go on an indefinite break. Kise hauled himself back into the office of Teikō's Investigation Department, still thinking about the deal struck to him by Kuroko. After finally clearing his head off, he felt the gravity of the situation. It was a declaration made in front of the people from the second division of Teikō interns and it added an effect to it. Even though it was Kuroko who took the heavier gamble, the sheer flawlessness of the former's pronouncement made Kise feel that he was on the losing side. The 'Liar Game' Kuroko initiated was not something normal; nothing had made Kise think so hard before. He had answered that it was a lie and so he needed to hope that it was the right choice.

"Don't make it sound too deep," Aomine answered. "Stubborn is enough." The tanned detective intern held back a chuckle, as he sorted out the current situation of the newest member of their division. If he remembered it correctly, it was only the second day since Kise Ryōta was transferred to their department and, here he was, already soaked in some conflicts. It was a wonderful thing to begin his work with some problem, Aomine derisively thought.

"Why the hell is he a regular?" Kise finally mentioned, thinking of all possible reasons for the thought in his head. At first glance, Kuroko Tetsuya never gave out a noteworthy impression similar to Aomine Daiki, or a convincing aura like Midorima Shintarō. In fact, he almost totally missed the shorter male when he was first introduced to him, with a presence that was almost similar to none. He could not deny that he once aspired to become a member of Teikō's first division, and so it became a confusing thought for him to witness a person of such stature in the Investigation Department.

"He's different." Aomine responded. "The total opposite of you and me," the tanned male added, making Kise look more curious. Aomine raised the cup above his heat and mimicked a basketball shooting form, throwing the emptied item into the nearest trash bin, whooping a soft 'nice shot' under his breath. He gave a stare back at the blond, wondering what made the latter look so perplexed.

Kise merely frowned, knowing that he didn't receive the answer he wanted to hear. The question was simple: why the hell is that person a regular? Kise himself got a lot of ideas from answering the question he himself made, but none of them made real sense in the long thought. He had seen how timid-looking that person was and he couldn't piece in the fact that he was a regular in the first division of Teikō's detective interns. He looked back at Aomine.

"He challenged me back at the meeting," Kise ranted, pulling his expression back into a passive one. "He challenged me in a game with his position on the line."

Aomine stared at him incredulously, silent for almost half a minute. "No shit? Tetsu did that?" It was the first questions he shot off when he recovered from surprise. Kise only nodded. Aomine pocketed his hands, whistling condescendingly. The blond gaped at the other male from his seat, eyes still probing. The tanned noticed it, shooting a stern gaze back at him. "I suppose Tetsu's kinda bold at times," he said, breaking the silence off. "But to do it to you… you just damned set him off, Kise." The tanned male said, his voice scornful.

Kise detected the hint of sarcasm, but he was still curious about the enigma that was Kuroko. Instead of responding to Aomine's words, Kise only pondered deeper at the thought inside his head. Aomine's reaction was serious at first, Kise would not forget that. It seemed that Kuroko did possess something he hadn't known yet. "But I know it's still a lie," yet again, Kise said something aloud that he should have kept in his head.

"'Say what?" Aomine said.

"It's nothing, Aominecchi," Kise responded. "I'm just thinking." Suddenly, an idea flashed in his head. "Ne, Aominecchi,"– he ignored a 'seriously, stop with that Aomine-cchi shit' remark from the tanned male – "will Kuroko-kun ever lie?" He asked, looking seriously at the other one.

Of course, Kise had expected, Aomine made a disenchanted expression at first. The tall, dark blue-haired male was silent, face twisting into some grim countenance. He shared a look with the blond several times, seemingly weighing in some answers before he speak it loud back at Kise. "I'm not going to say any further, smartass," Aomine taunted with a small smile. He then twisted his head side to side. "Where is Tetsu?"

"Preparing for the interrogation, I think," Kise said, dismayed that Aomine blew his question off.

"The hell… I need to walk that far?" The tanned male just responded, before he turned to his back and started to walk away from Kise. "I've got work to do, so I'm heading out." He said, bidding himself out. "You'll just come to see how amazing he is."

Once again, the only thing for Kise to do was to think about what just happened.

- End of Chapter -

The 'Liar Game'. Whaddaya think? Is it going to be a 'truth' or a 'lie'? Haha!

So... did you recognize some lines? Also, the title actually tells what this fic is all about.

(Yep, it's Kise-kun's promotion to the first string of Teikou. Nyaha~)

Thanks for reading! :)