What?! He isn't even here?!" Tagia roared furiously when Serin arrived for the match only to find out that Aomine Daiki was nowhere to be had. Taiga felt like kicking something for the obvious snub and even more so when he caught the crushed look on Tetsuya's face at the other player's absence.

"Mah mah! Come on guys! All we have to do is get so much of a lead that when he gets here it won't make a difference!" Riko encouraged the very irritated, insulted team with confidence.

"Riko-san is right. Just get as many points as possible, make as big a gap as you can. There is no sense in being angry at a person who isn't here." Tetsuya stated calmly, seeming unaffected by Aomine's absence to everyone but Taiga who was a master of reading his brother and knew that he was actually both sad and frustrated by the other player's absence.

"Yeah, he'll regret underestimating us!" Taiga growled with a feral grin, smashing his fist threateningly into his palm. "I'll make that jerk look like the biggest idiot ever!"

-x-

But Tetsuya could only winch painfully as he watched the team struggle to handle the Toou academy starters. Even without Aomine they were easily outclassing Serin in skills. It was only Izuki's phantom passes and Kagami's strong offensive ability allowed them to make a lead, no matter how small. And when the first quarter ended Tetsuya let Riko encourage and strategize with the team, he himself turned down the hallway towards the outside for some much needed air and hopefully calm his shaking hands before his brother noticed. But he didn't make it to the exit, he instead found himself walking right into Aomine Daiki who had clearly only just arrived.

"Ah, Tetsu…" The teal-haired teen wanted to answer, to say something, but the emotions that filled him were all tripping over each other, each one vying for him to express them first. A minute or two later the one that won out was sadness.

"So you really planned to not take us seriously then…"

"I just overslept… actually, I forgot it was against your team until Satsuki reminded me." The words were said flippantly, so casually but Tetsuya could feel the bitter accusation the words contained. He had to work very hard to not let it show how much the words hurt him, his hands clenching and unclenching helplessly. "Well see you later then Tetsu." And then he was gone. But in that empty hallway Tetsuya found himself unable to stop his mind from wandering back to the time they had first met the taller darker-haired teen.

"Oh, aren't they the cutest!" A petite, pale-skinned young woman exclaimed excitedly as she watched her own little boy, easily recognized by his powder blue hair that matched her own, smile adorably at the other little boy with tan skin and dark blue hair and a little girl with fair-skin and bright pink hair. The darker haired boy smiled right back and the girl smiled as well. But then the girl patted both boy's on the head before shouting suddenly.

"Satsuki! I like Basketball!" The boy's both laughed, the pale boy's was a quiet, shy laugh while the tan-skinned boy's laugh was loud and wild.

"Daiki! I like basketball more!" The darker haired boy then shouted in response. Then he and the girl both turned to look at the paler boy expectantly.

"Tetsuya! I like basketball too!" The other boy shouted too but much quieter then the others. And then they all laughed helplessly together.

"We are going to be friends forever!" The tan boy exclaimed with a wide smile and the other two only nodded in agreement with smiles of their own.

"Forever?"

"Forever!"

If only he was right…

-x-

Tetsuya could only watch and worry as Aomine sauntered onto the court at last when it was time for the second quarter. Taiga looked fit to kill, ready to shred Aomine with everything he had and that was what worried him. His brother was too hot headed and he had no idea how it would effect the game.

The whistle was blown and Aomine took the ball easily. It didn't take more then a moment for both teams resort to doing isolated plays to allow the two power players to battle it out. Aomine was unfairly fast, Taiga had to push just to just keep up.

"Well your aura ain't too bad but your still too weak to even be a fun. You should really just give up." The tan player commented in a obvious bored tone as he slammed a dunk right past the older Kagami.

"What?! You got some nerve you bastard! I'm really gonna kick your ass and not just for Tetsuya either!" Now Aomine was confused and a little angry.

"What makes you think you can speak for Tetsu?!"

"I'm his brother that's why!" Aomine froze, his brother?! Hadn't that been what Tetsuya had always called him when they were kids?! Had Tetsuya really left him and Satsuki and replaced him with this jerk?! He spun, and to everyone's shock, let the ball fall away and headed right toward the Serin bench where Tetsuya was sitting. Aomine seemed to not even notice the whistle letting them know that one of the coach's called for a timeout as he flew across the court and grabbed Tetsuya by the front of his shirt pulling him close.

"You bastard! You REPLACED me?!" Aomine looked very close to beating Tetsuya up.

"No! It's not the way you think Aomine-kun…"

"Oh I think it is exactly the way I think it is! You just couldn't wait to leave us couldn't you?! When you parents burned in that house it was the perfect excuse to forget about us!"

"Dai-chan!" Satsuki shrieked in outrage at her childhood friend's cruel words. She tried her best to pull him away from Tetsuya, but Aomine would not be moved. Tetsuya visibly flinched at the words but didn't try to pull away, seeming to loose his strength in the taller boy's hold. His pale blue bangs shadowed his face as he spoke in a painful whisper.

"I never wanted to leave Daiki-kun and Satsuki-san. I didn't replace you, I swear. I wanted to be friends forever too…"

"Lier! If that was true you would have never left!" But Aomine wasn't allowed to finish because Kagami had finally broken through the crowd of other players that had formed and ripped the the Toou ace off off of his brother angrily.

"He said that he didn't want to! Listen to what people say you bastard! My father adopted Tetsuya when he didn't have anyone else to turn to! Get the fuck off you high horse and leave Tetsuya the hell alone!" The red-head snarled furiously.

"What do you know?!"

"More then you!"

"Che! Prove it on the court then! Prove that you are his 'brother'!" The last word was spat out with such venom as both ace's glared at one another with utmost hatred. And just like then the game was resumed. Aomine was beyond heartless, scoring point after point his formless shots, almost playing with Taiga and by extension Tetsuya as well. He was behaving even crueler then before which only fueled Taiga's anger more as well, making for a vicious cycle. Tetsuya wanted to speak so badly to either one, to tell them to stop this, but he found that he couldn't say a word. Even as he came to realize that the game was going to break him in a whole new way.

Pathetic. You really have sunk pretty low Tetsuya. So utterly pathetic, don't ever show you face to me ever again." Was all the dark haired teen said as he passed Tetsuya and the final buzzed sounded with Taiga kneeling on the ground.

It was done. It was over. Serin had lost and nothing Tetsuya had done to prevent it had succeeded. Not that he had been able to do much at all to begin with… A single tear slipped down his face as he heard his own heart shattering into pieces. There was no escape now, the dear friend from his childhood was buried by this cruel monster who had taken his place. He felt numb, he felt heavy, he felt deathly cold and unbearably hot all at the same time as he watched the Serin team collect themselves slowly and trudge painfully to the locker room. Then, seeming out of nowhere, Tetsuya heard his phone ringing from inside his bag that sat beside him on the bench. He didn't even need to look to know who it was.

"Akashi-kun…" His voice was listlessly and the very air around him felt suffocating. Was it just him or was the room spinning too? But then suddenly he found his brother towering over him and without any warning grabbing the phone from his loose grip.

"Akashi you bastard you got some nerve calling Tetsuya right now!" Taiga growled furiously at the boy on the other end.

"I am simply calling to make sure that Kuroko remembered our deal." Was the calm, collected answer.

"What?! What deal?!" By now Taiga's voice had grown in volume and was practically roaring at the phone.

"If Kuroko lost to any of the Generation of Miracles or was unable to win either the Inter-High or Winter Cup he would return to the Akashi family without a fuss. You have no more say in the matter. It has already been decided, Kuroko will return." (1)

"I don't give a damn about any deal! He is my brother and you damn well bet I'm not gonna let you snatch him! He is Kagami! Kagami Tetsuya you jerk!" And just like that The hot-headed boy ended the call. "What a bunch of crap! Lying bastard!" He fumed loudly to no one in particular.

"He wasn't lying Taiga-nii…" Taiga spun sharply to stare at Tetsuya in shock.

"What?"

"He was lying I made such a deal with him…" The teal-haired boy explained with a empty whisper, barely getting the words out.

"What?! Why?! And why didn't you just tell me?!" Taiga shouted in confusion, the pain at the feeling of betrayal seeping into his voice.

"I couldn't! How could I? How could I have made you understand why I made such a promise?!" Tetsuya cried, and though no tears came the look Taiga saw on his brother's face made him feel like crying, Tetsuya looked so utterly broken, lost and in pain. "I am trapped Taiga-nii… I really thought we could do it. I really though we could beat Aomine-kun. Save him and possibly save Seijuro too. But I failed and I am trapped. Please forgive me Taiga-nii." And before Taiga could even move a inch Tetsuya had grabbed his phone and bag and run out of the gym, alone.

"Tetsuya!" Taiga shouted a second too late, silently cursing to himself about the fact that when he wanted too his brother could outrun even the best of athletes. And it certainly didn't help that it had long since grown dark out. "Damn it Tetusya! Why do you have to be so reckless!" And Taiga ran out into the night to find his distressed sibling before the situation could get even worse then it already was.

And with Taiga's luck, it would.

-x-

"Kise, you moron! Never again am I letting you give directions! There is no way we can make it to the game now!" A irate green-haired teen snarled at the blonde teen next to him. He then proceeded to hit the said blonde over the head with a thick dictionary, the lucky item for Cancers for the day, when he had looked at the clock on his phone and realized the time.

"Midorimachii is so mean!" Kise whined petulantly. But the argument was suddenly cut off when a certain teal-haired boy suddenly ran right into the blonde at a scarily fast speed sending them both crashing to the ground. "Kagamichii!? Aren't you suppose to be with your brother and Serin?!" The blonde exclaimed his in confusion when he realized who had just crashed into him. But Kuroko didn't answer, he just buried his face into Kise's shirt not saying a word. "Kagamichii?" Kise asked softer this time, now becoming a bit worried the his silence.

"Move you idiot." Midorima snapped suddenly, grabbing one of Tetsuya's hands from it's grip on Kise's shirt, forcing the smaller boy to face him. And without pause shoved his forehead against Tetsuya's. "You have a fever don't you?" Tetsuya didn't respond, choosing to simply staring up at the green-haired teen blankly. But Midorima knew he was right, he could feel the younger Kagami shivering even though he was practically radiating heatwaves. "You're sick idiot!" It was statement not a question. "You should be at home resting! Or even better at a hospital!" At the mention of a hospital they got a reaction.

"NO!" Tetsuya screamed in a panic, suddenly shoving away from Kise and began to try wildly to escape Midorima's hold on his wrist.

"Wait Kagamichii! Please calm down! You're sick, you'll just make it worse!" Kise tried to sooth Tetsuya's sudden and violent refusal with little success. In the end it was Tetsuya's own body that brought it to an abrupt end. He up and passed out, with Kise catching him just in time to prevent him from meeting the sidewalk face-first.

"You should take him to a hospital. His fever is very high if he is that warm and is shivering. I don't know whe-" But Midorima didn't get to finish his sentence because out of nowhere a very nice looking car pulled up next to them and a very prim, stiff-looking woman got out.

"Midorma Shinatro I take it? And… Kise Ryota? If you please, Tetsuya-sama needs to be getting home. Don't worry, he will be well cared for." And before either boy could even think of response she had picked Tetsuya up and already returned to the car with him. And so in less then five minutes Kagami Tesuya was driven off into the night.

For a few moments both KIse and Midorima could only blink in shock at what they had just happened. But of course Kise was the first the speak.

"Kagamichii got kidnapped!" He shrieked, quickly falling into a panic.

"I am not sure… I could be wrong, but I think that was the Akashi family's personal secretary…and I believe that car was also the same one I always saw picking Akashi up in middle school…" Midorima found himself thinking aloud, still somewhat shocked.

"So Kagamichii has been kidnapped by Akashichii?!"

"I think so…"

"Ehhh?!"

A/n- Wow this chapter took forever! I knew how I wanted it to end but man was is hard to get the Aomine and Taiga interaction to my liking! Hopeful the next few chapters will be smoother going. Hope you all like this chapter, I was wrestling with this chapter for quite awhile to get it right so I really hope everyone isn't dissatisfied by it! Please leave a review and thanks for reading! :)

*(1) Refer back to chapter 4 if you wondering what Akashi is talking about