"Kuroko-kun, do you copy?"
"Yes," he breathed, hugging himself close to the damp walls. The dank, endless tunnels that smelled of mildew were too reminiscent of the days he spent training alongside the others, but he shook his head, gripping his gun tighter. He shouldn't be so sentimental.
"Hyuuga forgot to tell you something about the high-frequency vibrations blade. The weapon is invaluable, but it's also indiscriminate. While it's mainly the shock from being sliced open that stuns an Awakened one, I would still be extremely careful using it—the residual vibration might have a negative effect on your own powers," Aida warned him from the other end. "So if you use it with the power on, you can't rely on your illusions."
Kuroko bit his lip; he had an idea that there was some sort of drawback to him using a weapon designed to counter Awakened ones. If these two abilities couldn't be used simultaneously, then a sneak attack was out of the question.
"I understand, Commander," he murmured into the earpiece—if Hyuuga's intel was correct, then Kise-kun was just around the corner. "But on another note, I apologize. 'Illusions' is too broad of a term for my powers. There are strict limitations on how much I can deceive an opponent; a more correct term would be 'misdirection'."
He heard a sigh. "Unless it pertains to our situation right now, we can wait to polish and flesh out your profile."
"Yes, Commander."
-x-X-x-
Chapter IV: Image of his Back
-x-X-x-
It was the smell that got him first. Then it was the sight of it when he stepped into it by accident. He found a messy trail of blood that began at his feet, and continued onwards into the darkness. Kuroko approached the sound of gushing water as his eyes never left the red. The same sense of foreboding he experienced during his run in with Midorima-kun settled deep within his gut while the commander remained oddly quiet on the other end.
He finally reached the concrete shore of a waterway that ran underground. On the other side, his gaze found an all-too familiar young man leaning against the opposite wall. It felt like ages since they last met, but he looked the same as ever with his bright yellow hair and matching eyes that reminded him of a conniving fox. He was donned in a plain black button-up shirt and matching pants over a pair of polished shoes, looking like he was dressed for a stroll in the city rather than a mission, but then again, that's what they all wore whether they were indoors or on the field. Five figures wearing the same uniform as Kuroko laid at his feet.
He stiffened, refusing to look away as per Aida's instruction with his gun pointed at the ground and his blade strapped to his waist. On the other hand, Kise-kun appeared unarmed. In fact, he was entirely open to a clean shot to the head or chest, but it was unlikely that Hyuuga and the others were in position to do so. It would also be a bad idea to ask aloud for an update on their status; he trusted Riko or Hyuuga to give him the heads up when the time came.
When Kise noticed his arrival, his golden eyes brightened like no other as he eagerly straightened up, opening his arms like he was welcoming an old friend. "Kurokocchi—! I knew you'd come but…" The light in his expression dimmed a bit. "Why are you wearing those ugly clothes?"
He was talking about his Seirin uniform, a far cry from the same black he used to bear as well. "What is this, Kise-kun?" He asked, gesturing toward the scattered men who lay motionless.
Kise blinked and tilted his head as if he were genuinely confused with his tone. "What does it look like to you? I did what I had to do to make them let you go, and it worked!" He held out a hand, reaching for him from across the water. "So let's go back already, Kurokocchi. Midorimacchi's sorry and I know the others will be glad to have you back again."
Kuroko stared hard—to his horror, a part of him drank into the blonde's words, aching to take his hand and return to his old home, but he held fast against those sentiments.
To his relief, the commander's voice spoke into his ear, reminding him of his objectives. "Kuroko-kun, please keep a clear head here. He's an Internal Class Awakened being. As you probably know already, he can imitate your voice, appearance, and skills. I'm working on his weakness right now. Please be careful."
She sounded just as nervous as he was. Kuroko allowed himself to blink before returning his gun to his holster—it was no use to him at the moment. "I can't do that, Kise-kun. Please don't ask me again."
The open hand faltered but Kise didn't give up on him. "It's okay; I'm strong. I can hold them all back if it'll help you escape from that hellhole. I won't let them take you again." He was almost pleading, the look on his face more than hopeful—ironically, he stood out like a sore thumb amongst the grime and blood. "Come on, any longer here would be too much."
Kuroko couldn't do it anymore. He disobeyed his order and closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I already escaped once, Kise-kun," he told him. "I can't—I won't—go back with the others. I'm here for my comrades; otherwise, this is goodbye between you and me."
Those eyes widened, the smile slipping from his face as fast as his arms dropping to his sides. First, it was disbelief that replaced his hope. Then it was denial, hurt, and finally—
His first step was a blur as the golden-haired Miracle cleared the water in a single leap. Kuroko's hand flew to a weapon, any weapon, at his side. He grabbed the first handle he touched the moment Kise tackled him to the ground.
"Kuroko-kun!"
The two of them slid down the clammy ground as Kuroko coughed, the air knocked clean out of him. Heavy weights pressed down on his arms as Kise bent over him, his eyes devoid of any kindness or innocence from before. He stared into the aureate depths of a wounded animal.
"You don't get it, do you?" He growled darkly into his ear. Kuroko struggled against the grip on his wrists for his half-drawn blade. "I wasn't asking, Kurokocchi. I will break your legs and drag you back if I have to, if it means you won't betray us a second time."
His arms bulged as he strained against his hold, but it was no use—Kise pressed all his weight onto him, determined not to let him move a single inch when both of them knew it took only one weak link for Kuroko to slip away. Inside his head, he secretly thanked the fact that both his hands were occupied, otherwise he was almost afraid that Kise would slit his throat right then and there.
"Kuroko," buzzed a voice. It was Hyuuga this time. "Sorry this took so long, the perimeter was already surrounded, but I broke through. I can't get a clean shot though—you're too close."
Kuroko grunted in acknowledgement as he struggled to lift at least his torso from the ground, to no avail. His efforts only infuriated Kise-kun even further.
"Why are you fighting, why do I have to hold you down, Kurokocchi?" The hurt in his words was as painful as the burning in his arms, but Kuroko figured it was intentional. "If you don't come back now, who knows what they'll do to you once they do get their hands on you. We'll always be comrades, so I don't want to hurt you."
-x-X-x-
He didn't understand. He didn't understand why Kuroko left, why he continued to struggle like this even after Kise found him here, in this shithole.
"No," he hissed at him through teeth clenched in pain, his normally calm eyes burning with defiance. It hurt… it hurt a lot to be on the receiving end of that look from Kurokocchi. For the first time, the possibility that 'we aren't friends anymore' seemed all the more likely. No, he couldn't... He couldn't accept it no matter what. "I came, Kise-kun. You only said one, and I came, but the others—"
"Why do you even care about them?" He cried out angrily, his limbs shaking. He could hardly believe his ears right now—Kurokocchi was worried about faceless traitors of the Empire; he hadn't even uttered a word about the others. Hell, Kise himself didn't even care about the Empire, or Regime, or whoever won this decrepit war, but family was everything to him. The others were all that mattered, all he had, and here Kuroko was, refusing to walk back of his own free will. The thought was infuriating, enflaming. His iron grip tightened but faltered for the shortest moment as he straddled him, vision flashing red.
"Ki-chan, your heart rate is skyrocketing—please calm down!" He heard Momoi say. She said something else, but he blocked it all out. Only Kuroko was worth his attention right now.
"I did it because I knew you would come, so I didn't need them. What's five rats to you, you who's a part of the Generation of Miracles? The entirety of the Arids, of all the cities of Japan are nothing compared to what we are," he said, struggling to make him understand that he made a mistake, that he didn't need trash when he had them.
Kuroko stopped fighting against him for the time-being, though his glare was just as intense as ever. "You're wrong, Kise-kun," he replied, aggravatingly unafraid. "We aren't above people, we never were."
"But without us, the world would fall," he argued, the corner of his open mouth twitching. He had to keep trying—he was better than Midorimacchi. If he had to break every single bone in Kurokocchi's body and tear off his limbs in order to save him, then so be it, but he'd be damned if he didn't try to convince him, to understand him first. "Let's say you're right, but you're still one of us and nothing can change that. We met twelve years ago in the lab, don't you remember? It was you, me, Aominecchi, and Momoicchi. Just us. Don't tell me you're ready to leave that all behind for a fake dream."
Kuroko shut his eyes as he shivered from beneath him. He pressed on.
"We can forget this happened," he continued, shaking him by the shoulders. "I don't know what made you run away, but we can go back and we'll make things as they were before. Aominecchi will wake up soon, he won't even know you left in the first place. What do you say, Kurokocchi?"
The younger boy reopened his glassy eyes. When Kise swore he was holding back at least one tear, something within him stirred—his words were finally reaching him. They would make it out of this.
"Kise-kun…"
"Yeah?"
"Forgive me."
His eyes widened as he felt the faintest presence shift and appear behind him. Kurokocchi vanished from beneath him and Kise realized he had been pleading his heart out to the bare ground. Something within him grew cold.
He threw himself to the side as a razor-sharp blade nicked him in the shoulder. He rolled back to his feet, taking out the bloodied knife from his sleeve to find Kurokocchi standing where he had been a mere moment before, holding a familiar sword that trembled with blue electricity running along the edge. He recognized it as a weapon made to clip the wings of his, of their own kind so they'd be easier to kill. He clenched a tingling hand. As if anyone could kill him, much less Kurokocchi.
"Kurokocchi, you…"
"This is serious, Ki-chan. I tried to warn you." He could hear Momoicchi again now that he wasn't under Kuroko's manipulation anymore. Leave it to her to be reasonable, but Kise was done with reason. "Eek—! Your levels are out of control! Even if it's Tetsu-kun, you shouldn't fight him in this condition."
Kise chuckled. "Sorry… I'm just trembling from… excitement. Hey, if I took on your form, do you think I could be more convincing?"
He swore he could hear her huff on the other end. "I wouldn't allow it."
Kise only shook his head. She wouldn't say it herself in this situation, but he knew better than anyone that Momoicchi would rather have him let Kurokocchi go than fight him. He didn't want to be the one to hurt him, but Kise swore he would bring him back. It was for his own good.
"I won't hold back, Kurokocchi. Even if it's you."
The blue-eyed ghost finally turned to face him head on, his expression unreadable for the most part, but if Kise could say it wasn't his own imagination, there was some sorrow in those depths of his.
-x-X-x-
On her cue, Kuroko slipped away the moment desperation overtook Kise-kun. It was only a fraction of a second, but it was all he needed.
"His weakness is anything he can't see. In other words, it's you."
He stood behind him and watched as his old friend begged the single illusion he allowed him.
"He's emotionally volatile, take advantage of it."
'Heartless,' he thought to himself as Kise sniffed and trembled, still unaware that he was talking to a fake. Kuroko drew the blade at his side, his hand shaking uncontrollably when he felt the shockwaves travel up his arm. The commander was right; the weapon was a double edged sword and he had to make this blow count.
"Forgive me."
His aim wasn't to kill Kise, it never was. When he gave him the first cut upon the shoulder, the hurt on his face transcended physical pain as Kise jumped away from him, finally drawing his hidden knife. Kuroko raised a hand to the device in his ear, switching off both audio and camera to cut himself off from HQ. This was between the two of them.
"I won't hold back, Kurokocchi. Even if it's you," he told him, his words trembling.
Kuroko closed the distance between them, switching his sword off with a flick of the wrist. He swung and Kise dodged it with ease, knocking him backwards. Kuroko stumbled to the edge, a few inches away from the gushing water.
He steadied himself. "...I can't go back, Kise-kun," he said, wincing as he held his stomach where Kise struck him. His wounds from the other night were far from healed, and he couldn't exert himself too much less he rip his stitches. "I still have to do something."
Kise fumed, slowly approaching him. He tried to take a step back, almost slipping in the process.
"Then tell us what!" He demanded. "You left without saying a thing, without telling anyone. How are we supposed to understand you if you don't trust us?"
Kuroko lowered his gaze. Things could be easier than this. Things would be easier if he had never left, but Kuroko had prepared himself for this. If the Generation of Miracles could blindly follow what their hearts felt, then they wouldn't be what they are now. He finally regained eye contact with the other as he said, "Goodbye, Kise-kun."
He saw something real, something genuine crumble from behind the windows to his soul as the copycat let out an anguished cry. Kuroko won. As Kise lunged for him, he granted him one more dreamless illusion as his sword tore through his middle. Without another word, Kuroko watched and allowed his former comrade to fall into the water.
A bullet sliced through the air where Kise's head was a split second before, taking out a chunk of the wall opposite of Kuroko. He traced the bullet's path to find Hyuuga perched upon a ledge, a rifle and tripod resting before him.
"If you left your microphone on, I would've given you a warning," the Captain said.
"Sorry," Kuroko replied. "I must've turned it off by accident."
Hyuuga collapsed the gun and dropped from the ledge to meet him. "You screwed up twice, Kuroko," he grumbled. "I would've taken him out if you hadn't knocked him into the drainage."
"I'm sorry," he said again, watching as the water continued to flow downwards, with Kise no where to be seen.
"Whatever, I'll deal with you when we return." Hyuuga thumped him twice on the back. "Can't help, but worry, huh? He was an old ally of yours after all. It would take more than that to take down a Miracle, otherwise we wouldn't be having so much trouble."
Kuroko knew, he knew better than anyone what they were capable of. He wiped the blade on his pants before sheathing it, turning away from both his captain and the water when Kise's head didn't resurface. "No. We didn't talk much… I'm sorry the mission was a failure, Captain."
"It's not." Kuroko blinked in surprised, turning back around to see the others gathered around on the other side. "They're alive."
"How many?"
"Five."
He felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew Kise-kun was more than capable of killing every single one of them, and he had incentive to do so. Yet… "So, not even one…" He trailed off, staring down at his hands. He stabbed Kise-kun right through the gut. He stabbed him. He actually did it.
Was he angry? Or did he do it because he had to?
"I'm just as confused as you are," he told him, "but we should get them back to—Kuroko?"
He swayed on the spot, dizzy. It felt like a blur, like he was the one walking in a dream. "My apologies—I'm just not cut out for battle. May we please return now?"
Hyuuga sighed, signaling over his shoulder with his fingers. "That's what I was about to get to, idiot. It's been less than half an hour; how can you be so weak?"
"Sorry," he apologized again for the countless time. "I absorbed more of the shock than I anticipated—it's stressful on my body."
"Yeah, yeah." Hyuuga bent over and shouldered him to his great surprise. "I don't care about that right now. Let's go home already."
-x-X-x-
He woke up on the operating table, blinded by the lamp hanging overhead. He groaned, covering his eyes as he tried to curl up into himself before a bandaged hand smacked him straight again.
"Midorimacchi," he whined, "turn it down, will you?"
"No," he denied him without a second thought. "Although I would. After that sad spectacle, it's hard for me to even look at you."
Kise smirked, sitting up. He rubbed the spot where Kurokocchi stabbed him with that accursed sword, finding nothing but smooth skin—not even a slight scar. "Was I—?"
"Yes, you were actually cut down by that craven, and yes, I had the honor of dragging you out of that filth and patching you up here. I hope you're pleased with yourself."
"Haha, you're amazing~ See, I had nothing to worry about." He sighed, feigning happiness as he batted his lashes. "Kurokocchi's amazing too, isn't he? He got me, even though I saw it coming."
The sharpshooter pushed up his glasses before wiping off his hands. "Stop joking around," he said. "I can feel it, your murderous intent is out of control and your mental state is the most unstable out of the others right now. You should've indulged yourself and killed those miscreants of Seirin on the spot. Kuroko would've came regardless—you said so yourself."
He couldn't help but giggle at his choice of words. Miscreants, were they? Again, he didn't really care. He hated all humans anyway.
"We aren't above people, we never were." Kuroko's words rang like an annoying buzz.
"But I did kill them, didn't I?" His eyes darkened as the smile remained idle on his lips. He blinked, innocent but not.
Midorima narrowed those green orbs of his. "Don't play dumb."
"Sorry, sorry!" He waved a hand as he lounged back on the table like it was an actual bed. "I probably didn't cut deep enough or something, my apologies. But you're right—I can hardly contain it anymore." He laughed a little, bringing his knees to his chin as he shook.
'I really, really want to kill.' After a fight like that, he couldn't help but squirm a little.Maybe he should've finished them after all. The outcome would've been the same—he'd still be without Kurokocchi.
"Keep it to yourself anyway," Midorimacchi said, utterly indifferent to his excitement. He replaced the bandages on his fingers, revealing the badly blistered skin underneath before he turned away from him. Kise pouted. He couldn't tell if the Miracle was in a bad mood, or if he was just being his offish self with the usual stick up his butt.
"What about you, Midorimacchi?" He asked politely, tilting his head even though he couldn't see him. "Have you gotten the urge yourself? You're allowed to indulge too, you know."
To his enjoyment, Midorima stiffened at that. He sure took ease in messing up that boring façade of his from time to time. They were all the same anyway, some were just a little better than others at expressing their nature.
"I don't get urges," he snapped, "It's such an animalistic thing."
"No worries." The fox beamed, hopefully hard enough for Midorima to feel through the back of his neck. "When he wakes up, we'll take Aominecchi along for a field day. What do you say?"
He tossed a glare over his shoulder, a vein popping in his temple. "I'll have no part in whatever mess you people get yourselves into, and for your information, Aomine already woke up, so go ask him for a date yourself."
Kise perked up at that, leaning over the edge of the table as he swung his bare legs. "Really? How are his arms?"
He rolled his eyes. "The usual. Otherwise I would still be babysitting him, you fool."
He gave Midorima a thumbs up, winking. "Good job then! Aominecchi's abilities are truly perfect, aren't they? I think I'm a little jealous."
"Stop gushing," he said, a look of distaste on his face. "It's showing. Now if you'll excuse me—" He took off his white doctor's coat and threw it over a chair before turning to leave, "—I'll have to write a report for these past two days thanks to you. If you will, wash the rest of the filth out of your hair. You still smell like a sewer rat."
He saluted. "Will do. Meanwhile, the offer still stands, Midorimacchi."
-x-X-x-
On the way back, a few members of the rescued team came to and they were given first aid to help with the serious, but otherwise non-fatal wounds Kuroko assumed were inflicted by Kise. With both a pang and sigh of relief, he found that each wound was strategically cut to draw the most blood without killing the individual. It was impossible for it to be unintentional—Kise was much more capable than that, although such prudence or mercy was unlike him.
One of the injured, a young man who called himself Koganei Shinji introduced himself and clasped his hands as an outpour of thanks spilled from his mouth.
"You saved us, didn't you? Thanks so much!" He said. "I seriously thought I was gonna die back there."
Kuroko tolerated the attention—he was mostly unresponsive but Koganei didn't seem to mind the least bit. If Koganei knew what he was, he showed no indication of it either.
He asked Hyuuga, who was all the way up front, "Why are those who serve under Seirin so young?"
The Captain answered him without turning around. "Because we were old enough to witness the day the truce was broken, but young enough to retain our foolish ideals. It's the same everywhere—the Arids are full of children."
When they returned, Aida Riko was waiting for them. Before setting to work on the injured with the one named Mitobe, she pulled Kuroko aside out of earshot.
"I know what you did with Kise Ryouta," she said to him. "As commander, I don't approve, but I understand. However, watch where you tread—you've yet to earn your place so don't give us a reason not to trust you. This isn't something you can keep up forever."
He nodded, but he didn't say anything. Aida seemed to sense that he understood so she left him without scolding him any further for his other blunders.
Exhausted and slightly shaken, he decided to look for Kagami-kun after changing into a clean set of clothes. Strangely, he was relieved to find the other sitting quietly in his room, surrounded by several trays brought over from the canteen.
"Hey." For once, he was the one who greeted him first. Kuroko made note of this. "Where have you been? It's been quiet."
"Out," he answered. "I accompanied Captain Hyuuga on a mission. It was a success."
"That so? Did you run into any old friends?"
"Unfortunately, yes." He joined him at the side of his bed. Kagami didn't seem to mind like he usually did any time Kuroko tried to approach him. He made another note. "Kagami-kun, may I ask you something?"
He turned his head slightly, looking a bit curious. "Yeah?"
"Would you hurt… no… Would you kill a close friend of yours if it meant saving the lives of strangers?"
"Huh…? Um, well…" Kagami frowned deeply, his sharp brows creasing as he processed his question. "I want to say I would, but I've only had one close friend… and I wouldn't be able to lay a hand on him, even if it saved the whole damn world. I'm just not that selfless I guess. What's the deal—did you have a change of heart or something on that mission of yours?"
Kuroko shook his head, staring at his lap. "I'm only afraid that I made the 'wrong' decision. How did you know I was going to meet…?"
Kagami shrugged as Kuroko watched him grab his phone from an end table. He tapped the screen a few times before sighing heavily, tossing the obsolete device somewhere amongst the bed sheets. "Lucky guess. I don't know—I figured it would be important if you left in that condition."
He blinked, remembering that he should probably have Aida check him out again. Kagami didn't continue talking and neither did he so the two sat in silence. The other refused to look at him, though he didn't tell him to leave either, so Kuroko sat where he was, staring at his back for the long minutes that followed.
After ten, he began to worry. Kagami-kun was hot-headed, rash, and relied too much on his instincts. He was anything but quiet or passive like now. Kuroko frowned as he flipped through his mental compilation of the redhead, trying to diagnose the odd behavior. He couldn't be angry, he had other ways of expressing stuff like that. Perhaps upset… Sick… Homesick?
Kagami-kun finally spoke, still facing the wall. "I've been thinking…"
Thinking? So that's what it was.
"I want to go home."
Riko's Daily File
Kise Ryouta
Age: 17 Years
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 77 kg
Blood Type: A
Class: Internal Type
Known Power: Complete Imitation, shape shifting
Weakness: Anything he can't hear or see. Personal physical limitations are constant no matter who or what he copies.
Kagami Taiga
Age: 17 Years
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Blood Type: A
Class: N/A
Known Power: N/A
Weakness: That of a regular guy I guess. Says a lot of dumb things.
Internal Types: Awakened beings whose "key changes are expressed within the individual" i.e. Kise's shape shifting or Aida's special eyes
External Types: Awakened beings whose "key changes are expressed outside the individual and imposed on his or her environment" i.e. Kuroko's illusions
A/N: So here's the fourth installment, hoped you enjoyed the read. Thanks again for your reviews so far!
As for the next chapter, will Seirin hold to their principles and let Kagami go free, or is he gonna have to force his way out in order to see his home again?
