Sorry for the late update, peeps! My computer broke down without warning a week ago, and I lost all my updates and data with it! It took me an entire week of setting up all my software all over again—more importantly, my video editing software due to my work before I can even think of updating on FF once more! And right now, I'm still trying to get used to using a different word processor before my Microsoft Office software arrive in two weeks.

Pairings: Izuki/Tamaki.

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Assassin Generation of Miracles. Violence. Gore. Character deaths.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter Eleven: Mission

"The syndicate betrayed us first." - Kuroko Tamaki

XXXXXX

All is quiet in the residence of Kuroko Tamaki even as the two occupants got ready for that night's mission.

Kuroko Tamaki said nothing even as she pulled on a black jacket over a black tee and jeans, with black and white sneakers on her feet. She then pulled on a pair of fingerless black gloves on her hands before making sure that her gun is loaded with a bullet magazine, and that the blades of her daggers were sharpened and resting in the dagger pouch by her side.

"I found the guy that you're looking for." Seto Hayato told Tamaki solemnly as he sat across her in the cafe, with both teens having picked a corner booth to prevent their conversation from getting overheard. "Name of Sasaki. First name unknown." He took out some candid photos of a man in his mid-thirties wearing a suit of some sort, placing them on the table in between the two teens. "And like what you've managed to find out, he seems to be one of Shiranui's men."

Tamaki looked up even as she did a final check over her weapons and gear, only to see Izuki approaching her with a solemn look on his face, also similarly dressed in dark clothing, and also armed to the teeth with weapons.

"I really don't want to bring you with me." Tamaki said with a sigh. "It's too dangerous for me to bring an amateur with me on a mission like this. And furthermore, I can't make this an official mission for ICE."

"I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." Izuki insisted. "You're going to need backup at least." He paused, realising that it almost sounded like he's underestimating Tamaki. "I'm not as good as Aomine, Midorima or Kise even, but I'll do my best."

"And honestly, I really need to know your secret to unveiling secrets or getting information that I can try for months just to get my hands on." Hayato grumbled.

"His reason for killing Saki-san?" Tamaki asked, picking up one of the photographs on the table only to see that it is a candid photo of that of Sasaki and Shiranui exiting from a club of some kind.

"Passion apparently." Hayato answered grimly. "I asked Yagi-san about Sasaki and his relationship with Saki-san after you told me about the guy. Apparently, Yagi-san had been getting problems with Sasaki a few months before Saki-san was killed. The guy is obsessed with Saki-san, and sent her expensive chocolates and such every single day to the point that Saki-san got scared. Yagi-san ended up having to ban Sasaki from Rose Maiden due to Saki-san's complaints. Things got worse when Saki-san told Sasaki that she is leaving Rose Maiden soon, and getting married to her lover—and that they both received Yagi-san's blessings and support."

"So he killed her out of jealousy?" Tamaki mused, understanding the situation now.

"Honestly, all I really need you to do is to keep a lookout for any suspicious individuals." Tamaki told Izuki. "I'll do the assassination. In the worst case scenario, if I end up in any clashes, don't show yourself." She warned. "Strike at them from the shadows. But only show yourself if you're absolutely certain that your attack will hit." She warned.

Izuki nodded at that. He understood Tamaki's concerns. Out of everyone in ICE, he is the most inexperienced, and also the weakest. After all, he is the newest, and he had barely finished his assassination training. The only areas that he had gotten the most training in have just been hacking and infiltration—neither of which is going to help him in this particular mission. Areas like hand-to-hand combat and firearms are things that are slowly getting taught to him over the weeks whenever the members that are the best in them (Aomine, Akashi and Tamaki) are available.

If an enemy ever appears that can even give Tamaki trouble, arguably the second best of ICE, then he stands no chance whatsoever at taking said opponent down. Tamaki won't be able to fight at her best either if she has to worry about Izuki's safety.

"…By the way…" Tamaki turned towards Izuki. "…After this mission, I'll tell you. My real name."

Izuki's eyes widened at that. "Are you expecting any trouble?" he asked curiously even as the two got ready to leave, with Aoi barking happily at them, with his tail wagging merrily.

Tamaki gave him a look. "…I wonder."

XXXXXX

"So I heard from Hayato-kun that you're undertaking an independent 'mission' of sorts," was the first thing out of Nijimura Shuzo's mouth as greeting the moment that he'd seen Tamaki at the Cross Cafe—a place in downtown Tokyo where he always met either Tamaki or Akashi whenever he has to talk to them about 'stuff'.

Tamaki nodded to her old basketball senior even as he took his seat across from her and ordered a cup of coffee as the waitress approached their table to take Nijimura's order. Their relationship—ICE's relationship with Nijimura that is, had been a little complicated.

It isn't the usual relationship that a bunch of juniors had with their senior who not only happens to be their old middle school senior at school, but also a senior in the basketball club.

Especially since Nijimura Shuzo is the only student in all of Teiko who actually knew who they really are.

The guy's father had been the Interpol agent in charge of the Black Sun case from years ago, and who had also been responsible for creating new identities for all of them as well as destroying all their old records. When ICE had been deemed ready to return to normal society to carry on normal lives, Nijimura's father had actually taken his son into his confidence and told him about ICE (with their permission), and had given him one assignment: to keep an eye on them and to ensure that they're settling in properly.

It is because of this reason too why Nijimura actually knew about Hayato and Haizaki's existences despite the fact that the two have never actually revealed themselves to the Japan government. To his credit, Nijimura had kept quiet about them—something that had earned him ICE's eternal gratitude and respect. In fact, Tamaki actually suspected that Nijimura might just be a shoe-in for Interpol in the future.

Tamaki only shrugged even as the waitress brought Nijimura's order. Both waited until the waitress had walked away. "…I can't make it an official mission," she said at last. "I can't do this to the others. We've tried hard enough to get away from the past. But too much of our life has already been drenched in blood. It isn't something that we can just…fully walk away from. I can't drag them into this. It's my own personal vendetta."

Nijimura looked at Tamaki knowingly. "Knowing them however, I'm sure that they will agree if only you just talk to them—"

XXXXXX

Tamaki waited within the dark alleyway with the hood of her jacket concealing her teal blue hair to further hide her identity—waiting somewhere in underground Shinjuku. Izuki himself meanwhile is somewhere on the rooftop of a building adjacent from here—both teens currently waiting for their target.

"My dad gave me a message for you though." Nijimura told Tamaki as the two got up to leave. "The syndicate is on the move. Be careful." He warned. "They're looking for you. All of you."

Tamaki was quick to move the moment that she heard the heavy footsteps of her target walking down the streets. She had spent a week investigating his habits and schedule, and knew that he would be heading home at around this time. Since it's nearly two in the morning by now, not a soul is around in the quiet streets of underground Shinjuku. Thus, no one is around to witness Sasaki getting dragged into the alleyway.

Sasaki found himself getting shoved up against a wall hard, with his mouth being covered by a gloved hand to prevent him from shouting. Any thoughts of protests left him when he realised that a particularly sharp blade is being held at his jugular vein, and a pair of cold blue eyes were staring straight into him. The hand covering his mouth tightened its grip.

"…At this point of time, there is no further need for any kind of discussion." Kuroko Tamaki stated emotionlessly. "Make your apologies to Saki-san in the underworld."

She then slit his throat.

Sasaki was dead before he even hit the ground.

Tamaki stared down at the dead body for several moments without saying anything, feeling some of the burden lift itself from her shoulders. She wouldn't know what Saki-san would say about her committing murder in her name. Call it a selfish request or something, but she won't let her death go unpunished.

Tamaki's eyes then widened when she sensed an incoming presence, and turned around sharply, barely managing to block the dagger that just swiped past her head—burying itself into the wall behind her. She then blocked the punch that came towards her face, with the wind whistling past her ear as she did so.

"Who are you?" Tamaki demanded, only managing to see a person dressed in a black hooded jacket and jeans—unable to see his face. She slipped out a silver dagger from within her left sleeve and held it in a combat stance.

"…Your executioner," was the cold reply, and Tamaki's eyes narrowed itself as she spied a tattoo of a black sun on the back of the person's left hand even as he removed a pure black dagger from within his sleeve.

The syndicate? Did they find us? Or…? Tamaki's mind worked furiously even as her mind worked through numerous scenarios for a way out of the mess that she currently found herself in. "So mote it be."

For several moments, the two didn't move.

Then, almost as if there is some invisible signal, the two moved at the same time. There was a light clang of metal on metal along with sparks even as the two met their weapons against each other at the same exact moment. Tamaki withdraw out her second dagger from her pouch, swiping it at her opponent who dodged, and he then swung his foot towards Tamaki's face.

Tamaki dodged it easily, and backflipped out of the alleyway that they were in since fighting in such close quarters in an enclosed space isn't a good idea. The teal head skidded back a few paces even as she watched her opponent step out of the alleyway carefully, breathing heavily.

'He's good.' Tamaki thought to herself, getting to her feet. 'If he's really from the syndicate, is he sent here to assassinate us? Do they even know who we are to begin with, and where we are?' She wondered.

Tamaki dodged out of the way of the next blade swipe, and with a powerful roundhouse kick, kicked the blade out of her assailant's hand, landing a long and bloody wound on her left forearm. She was however not expecting for a leg to come out of nowhere, kicking her legs out from beneath her. Going with the momentum, she pressed her hands against the ground and backflipped a few meters away.

'Something's weird.' Tamaki thought in confusion. 'Those movements… They're awfully familiar! I've seen them somewhere before… I've faced someone who uses those movements before…'

Tamaki's eyes widened as her memory returned to her.

"Come on, Yuri! One more time!" A brunette complained as he got gingerly to his feet, knife cuts and bruises visible all over his body.

'It can't be…!' Tamaki didn't have the time to contemplate on her thoughts, as a booted foot caught her in the stomach hard—thus knocking the wind out of her, and she was sent skidding to the ground. She bit back a cry of pain even as a blade stabbed her in the shoulder—with the impact of both attacks enough to knock the hood off her head.

Blue eyes met a pair of startled and surprised gray eyes as the owners of both eyes stared at each other in bewilderment and surprise. Identical silver cross pendants hung from around both their necks—the only accessory that Tamaki will wear whenever she is out on missions.

The assailant hovering above her reached up with his free hand—the one not holding the hilt of the dagger currently half buried in Tamaki's left shoulder—removing the hood of his coat from his head, revealing a head of dark brown locks framing a youthful face, with a faint scar just visible above his right eye.

"…Yuri…?" The assailant whispered in shock and disbelief, his gray eyes scanning Tamaki's face over and over almost as if hoping that he's seeing wrong.

Likewise, Tamaki's eyes were wide in shock and disbelief as she scanned the face in front of her. A face that she hadn't seen for years. A friend—a comrade once thought long dead.

"…Tsuzuki?" Tamaki whispered in disbelief.

Tsuzuki shook his head in disbelief, his brown locks flying wildly around his head with that action, taking one unsteady step backwards. Tamaki got to her feet gingerly, ignoring the pain that shot through her even as she reached up and pulled out the dagger half imbedded in her left shoulder, ignoring the blood that gushed out from the open wound.

"That's not possible!" Tsuzuki shook his head. "You can't be here! They told me that you died!"

Tamaki narrowed her eyes. She had a pretty good idea by this point who had sent Tsuzuki here. "…Did the syndicate send you?" she questioned, but didn't receive an answer. "Did they send you to kill me, Tsuzuki?"

"Why did you betray us, Yuri?" Tsuzuki demanded, ignoring Tamaki's last question. "Why did you betray us—the syndicate?"

"They betrayed us first!" Tamaki snapped back, feeling all her frustrations bubbling to the surface. "If those fuckers hadn't made me kill Rui, I wouldn't have done this! If they didn't force us to kill again and again, I wouldn't have needed to do what I did!" She glared at Tsuzuki who looked as if someone had just clobbered him over the head. "Did they even tell you the identity of your target tonight? Did you come out here, not even knowing who it is that you're being sent after? It won't be the first time, you know?" Tamaki took a step closer, and Tsuzuki took a step backwards in fear. "Daisuke unknowingly killed his own father on a mission years ago only to realise too late that it's his own father who is his mission target that night all those years ago! If the syndicate hadn't betrayed us by using us like tools, we wouldn't have needed to do this!"

Tsuzuki shook his head in denial, his hands trembling even as he fumbled with the gun in his hand. As Tamaki took a step towards him, his head snapped up, his eyes full of confusion and fear. "Don't come any closer!" he screamed as he pointed the gun at Tamaki.

BANG!

Tamaki's eyes widened in slight shock and pain even as a sharp pain entered her abdomen. For a moment, she didn't even know what is going on as she looked down at her clothes, pressing her left hand against her abdomen and drawing it away only to see crimson blood smeared on her glove and on her fingertips.

The teal head suddenly felt all the strength in her leave her as she crumbled to the ground, feeling all the strength in her draining out of her all of a sudden.

"…I'm sorry, Yuri…!" Tamaki could hear Tsuzuki saying before all was quiet.

It was several long moments before the sound of loud footsteps could be heard.

A face then appeared in Tamaki's already slowly blurring vision. Izuki leaned over her, his face pale and hands shaking as he has no idea what to do for several moments. "…Oh God… Come on, Tamaki, stay with me! Don't fall asleep!" he urged.

There was a loud screeching of tires on the quiet road at the moment before a familiar black van drove up and screeched to a stop. The van door slid opened only to reveal the pale faces of both Kise and Midorima—both dressed in their mission clothes.

"Midorima! Kise!"

"Carry her in!" Midorima snapped at Izuki, already reaching for his medic bag—with Izuki obeying his orders. Honestly, the green head is never more thankful for Akashi's insight, especially at this very instance.

Izuki was barely in the van before it had sped off once more. Kise turned on the lights in the back of the van to give Midorima some visibility as he lifted part of Tamaki's shirt only to reveal a grievous looking bullet wound, and Izuki turned green whilst Midorima cussed to himself.

"Not good." Midorima muttered, pressing down gingerly on the abdomen. "I won't be able to remove the bullet without putting Tamaki's life in danger." He looked at the teal head's pale face only to see her eyelids fluttering—alternating between opening and closing. "Tamaki, don't fall asleep! Stay awake!" He ordered.

"Should we go to the hospital?" Izuki asked, his face pale. He had never anticipated this happening. He had always seen ICE as strong and unbeatable. He had almost forgotten about the fact that ICE is as humane as the rest of them. They could get hurt. They could die too.

"No. No hospital. They will ask questions that we can't answer." Kise shook his head immediately. All of ICE were told from day one that under no circumstances must they go to the hospital if they ever get injured or sick even. They don't exist in records after all. "We can't go there, no matter what!"

"Then what should we do?" Izuki almost cried in frustration.

"Calm down." Midorima ordered, trying to staunch the bleeding with a bunch of cloths. "There's only one place we can go to if we ever get messed up enough to warrant emergency surgery." His eyes snapped towards the front of the van where Aomine is currently driving the van at devil speed. "Daiki, step on it!"

"I'm already on it. We'll be there in ten minutes!" Aomine said grimly, not even taking his eyes off of the road.

"Where are we going? Where are you taking Tamaki?" Izuki asked frantically, his face pale at seeing the amount of blood that Tamaki had lost. The strong smell of the coppery scent of blood is almost suffocating him.

"To an underground doctor that we know of." Kise told Izuki grimly, as Midorima is currently concentrating on keeping Tamaki alive long enough to get her help whereas Aomine is currently driving as fast as he could. "He's the best in the underground scene—able to snatch someone back from the jaws of death if necessary. He's helped us out countless times especially after we'd saved his younger brother from getting hacked to death a few years ago."

"Who and where?"

"Dr. Kujo Taiga!" Aomine snapped from the front, his nerves already stretched thin due to whatever that he could hear going on in the back, and the strong stench of blood isn't helping his nerves any. He prayed fervently that he didn't have to deliver the news of Tamaki's death to Akashi. The streets would run red with blood if that should happen. "The Kujo Clinic! He'll save Tamaki. He will. And then you can explain to us everything that had happened, Izuki."

Tamaki's eyes fluttered, the going-ons around her nearly a complete blur to her. Darkness is slowly enveloping her, but she still had a single thought in her head even as she let herself go to darkness.

Tsuzuki…

A/N: Please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!