Before you start reading, I would like to take this time to promote one of my stories. Yes, I know. It's kind of underhand but what can I say? ;)

Some time in the past month or so, I have posted a oneshot called 'Cupiditas' which is Akashi-centric. It's AU and I'm actually really proud of it. If you have time, check it out! Thanks :)

Now, to the chapter~

Moros 12

To the players on the court, all else fell to deaf ears. Their fingers twitched as adrenaline flushed through their veins, preparing them for the move. Thump. Thump. The pounding of their hearts in unison drowned out the fierce elation of the crowd. They were so close. Victory was in sight. The few seconds that had past as the athletes lined up at the centre seemed comparable to hours, the tension never lessening. Their eyes were on the person standing before them, but their thoughts were miles away. Lost in a whole different dimension, they tensed with anticipation. The air was already thick with perspiration with some of the freshmen gulping with nervousness. The blue haired ace was ready, his body and mind relaxed into a state of calm. He couldn't wait to get his hands on the ball, to feel its rough surface under his calloused fingertips and let his body manoeuvre lithely around the familiar court.

"Tetsu … I don't care about stuff like the past or winning …"

There was a flash of white, fleeting yet striking. A feral grin danced across Aomine's lips as the referee lifted the whistle to his mouth …

"All I want is a good game ..."

And blew.

-x-

"The long standing Emperor and a relatively new elite team … Rakuzan and Touou," Riko whispered absent-mindedly at the railing, her words lost over the disarray of the exhilarated spectators. The stadium was dimmed and the courts illuminated like the canvas of the midnight sky. But unlike the quietude in the vacuum of space, here in this confined cavern the noise escalated by the minute. Seirin had just arrived in time for the tip off, no thanks to a certain red headed sleepyhead who was now sporting a nasty bruise on his cheek. Standing behind the railing, Seirin watched the game unfold with irrepressible excitement. Huffing, Kagami tapped his foot impatiently as a scowl settled onto his face.

Ignoring the redhead's clear agitation, Hyuuga adjusted his glasses as they descended the darkened stairway towards their seats, "who do you think will win, Izuki?"

"It's hard to tell," the point guard answered, rubbing his chin. Both teams had strong players and their styles were similar in multiple ways. Whereas Touou was an elite offensive team, Rakuzan maintained their consistency with defence. Both teams had equal chances of winning. It all came down to the players and how determined they were. But …

His eyes straying to the sidelines, Izuki frowned. A lone figure sat with his elbows digging lightly into his knees, leaning forward as if to get a better view. What are they thinking? Having Kuroko off in the beginning could cost them the game.

"That may be so but …" Riko plopped down onto her chair unceremoniously, "it seems like Rakuzan has the edge." Her eyes roving over the Touou's players expertly, she grimaced. Their muscles were stiff and their movements were not as smooth as before. 'Going full out against Yosen must have been worse than I thought,' she exhaled deeply. Her eyes slid to the manager who nibbled on her lip in concern. She tried to prepare them … but there is only so much she could do.

After all, they were not superheroes but merely high schoolers whose bodies were battling the fatigue and burdens bestowed onto them.

-x-

"Shin-chan …" Midorima remained impassive to the uncertainty laced in Takao's voice, "isn't he smiling a little too much?"

He had known that Takao would bring this up sooner or later and he even prepared a response to his inquiry … but Midorima kept his lips pursed. If truth were told, then yes he agreed wholeheartedly with this claim. His verdant eyes slid down to where his former teammate stood readily with both knees bent a little away from the others. His tall frame dwarfed the player defending him, number ten. The Touou ace's lips were pulled high up, revealing rows of perfect teeth. He resembled a ravenous beast, craving for fresh meat as spittle streamed down the edge of his chin. His eyes, Midorima could see even from the stands sparked and shone with feverish vividness. Teiko's Aomine was back. The fire has been rekindled in the Ace of the Generation of Miracles and he was keen to meet his opponent head on.

The Aomine he saw before was rash and never failed to hurl himself at the ball but this one was different. This Aomine was calmer, more collected … more dangerous. He has reached the level where all athletes dreamed to one day become … he has ascended the hierarchy and surpassed even himself.

This Aomine is completely different from the one before, he would crush you with pleasure.

Having found his passion in the sport once again, the blue haired teen relished the thought of going up against his former teammates. And now, with the opportunity presented to him as not one, but two Generation of Miracles stood before his eyes, he was beyond ecstatic.

-x-

The lights were blinding, they were lances of ivory piercing his body and embedding themselves deep within his skin. Merciless and unforgiving … just like him. He chuckled as if his thoughts had amused him greatly. But alas Akashi was used it by now. There was only mild discomfort, compared to how others cringed as if struck by lightning.

Next to the redhead, the Touou captain lifted an eyebrow quizzically. Nothing betrayed his falter save for the slight widening of his eyes. After all, no one would remain unfazed when the person beside them, out of nowhere suddenly chuckled. Imayoshi frowned moderately, but kept his attention on his fellow captain just in case. Were all Generation of Miracles psychotically unstable? Having seen first hand at how their ace had reacted sometimes, it was almost unescapable for Imayoshi to come to this particular conclusion. Even at this moment, he swore he could hear Aomine's 'lunatic' laughter echoing in the back of his mind. As if something had clicked, Imayoshi grinned, the fleeting uncertainty in his eyes receded in a flash. If Akashi were to keep the others under control, he must be nothing short of insanely ambitious. 'How alike we are,' Imayoshi thought. It would seem that their sadistic natures ensured both their respective teams' compliance… Snapped out of his musing, he barely registered his companion's abrupt disappearance before he cursed inwardly and sprinted off.

Having noticed his opponent's momentary inattention to his surroundings, Akashi had immediately taken advantaged of the situation. He was never one for fair play. Why should he, when in the end the trophy would still be thrust eagerly into his awaiting arms? The moment of weakness would be Touou's downfall, he would make sure of that. He could sense Imayoshi coming for him but his eyes were quickly fixed onto the ball and his mind had gone haywire. In just a second, he had picked out the best route to get the shot but he abandoned it in favour of another. Because what fun would there be if victory was easily claimed without any kind of interference? Akashi smirked because of course, it would be no fun at all. It would simply be too easy. Like Aomine said, life without any challenges would be too boring.

On the sidelines since the moment the whistled sounded, Kuroko had trained his pale blue eyes onto the ball. Never letting them to go astray, his eyes had darted back and forth as the players flew across the court with ease that reminded him of professional dancers. Inwardly, he sighed. He hasn't played in an actual game for a while now. Akashi had been adamant in getting him to rest, ever since the day when he fell ill. Kuroko pouted. It was only the once, there was really no need to have him off just because of that one time. He recalled the way the redhead had glared at him when he was caught training with Mibuchi. Storming up to the pair, Akashi had lectured them for ten minutes in a voice that promised inevitable atonement. The dangerous tremor evident was enough to chase the three strings out the door, never to return until the very next afternoon. In the end, Mibuchi's training menu had been tripled and Kuroko sent to bed, with his room locked from the outside and the windows sealed shut to prevent any kind of escape. Holding back his laughter, Kuroko shook his head slightly with exasperation. Akashi-kun can be such a mother hen.

However, because Kuroko had been banned from playing to his immense reluctance, Akashi had been filling his role in the team. In his place, their captain had been training harder and not allowing his body to recuperate before diving straight into another match. At times, when either Kotaro or Mibuchi were sent to … entertain Kuroko during those matches, Akashi would have to play even harder to compensate for the absence of the regular. The bluenette had been confronting the former on this issue but the redhead always waved him away, claiming that it was 'merely his responsibility as captain.' This was then followed up by a lift of his eyebrow which meant 'aren't you supposed to be resting, Tetsuya?'

In truth, it was getting a little … frustrating in Kuroko's opinion. Akashi had always been the only one he could never sway. His blunt and honest way of communicating had always gotten his point across at an alarming rate and his former teammates had known better than to resist his ways. But their redheaded captain had always been an exception to everything. The redhead's demanding and absolute nature had immediately clashed with Kuroko's direct manner, differences between the two were a common occurrence. Never once had Kuroko managed to get Akashi to do something he hadn't wanted. Sometimes, the redhead would indulge him and acquiesce but not this time. It was utterly irking. It had come to a point where Kuroko had even resorted to compromises and *cough* bribes *cough* just to get the other to relent and ease off a little. His captain was, without question the ultimate hardworking-genius-stubborn-infuriating robot machine.

At one point, Kuroko had backed off though just for temporarily. He himself was stubborn, but it wouldn't do well to have incurred Akashi's wrath. Even he would be susceptible to his captain's raging inferno. For now, he would keep quiet. He would wait until Akashi's guard was down and pounce this subject on him. He wasn't Teiko's strategist for nothing. Akashi would undoubtedly be suspicious by his action, or rather his inaction, but he would dismiss it with the mass of his impending workload. It would work.

But before his plan had come into fruition, the match with Touou had arrived with the tempestuous tantrum of the wintry storms. And now, as Kuroko sat once again by the sidelines, he watched the proceedings with hesitance. A week prior to the match, Akashi's paperwork had increased exponentially. He was tired, even someone with untrained eyes could see that. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced, his insomnia was deducible and the pallid tone of his skin was accentuated under the bright lights of the stadium. Though these physical signs, Akashi had hid them well. Even in his exhausted state, he was standing with unquestionable conviction and it seemed like not even the wildest tsunamis would throw him off his feet. He looked indestructible, despite the fatigue that swam in the crimson of his veins.

Kuroko felt a twinge of guilt. He bit his bottom lip lightly in uncertainty. Should he have been stauncher in getting Akashi to rest? Seeing the other's usually unbreakable demeanor start to crack and crumble made him feel irresponsible. When he had been ill, Akashi had looked after him in his own demanding way but nevertheless, he had been concerned. Kuroko can't help but feel momentarily angered by his incompetence. He knew he shouldn't have let Akashi walk out the door this morning and onto the playing fields, yet he had let him without even the slightest doubt.

Immersed in his inner dilemma, Kuroko had failed to recognise that Akashi would know the state his body was in the best and in gauging how much more it would take for him to collapse: that Akashi was perfectly capable in this particular regard. The bluenette smiled at the thought.

-x-

The sudden sounds of laughter stunned the crowds into silence. It was nearing the end of the second quarter and almost 17 minutes into the game when Aomine gripped his sides and threw back his head. His shoulders were trembling and his mouth pulled back.

He's laughing?

Wakamatsu knew that whenever their power forward found a match worthwhile, he would erupt into hysterics. Though finding someone who could even follow his speed was rare. But this was clearly different … the sound seemed to haunt his very being and halt time itself. It was a bomb detonating, an eruption of insanity and euphoric bliss. It was like a nightmare come true, breathing life to a monster. Impossible. It was the first and only time he would witness this phenomenon … the game had barely begun and Aomine was already getting serious.

It was going to be a hell of a match, that's for sure.

Just across the court, Momoi clutched the clipboard closer to her chest and her brows furrowed slightly. She closed her eyes and lost herself within the curling strands of his laughter. It's been so long … so long since I've seen you like this …

She remembered the first time she saw him play. His movements, fluid and agile like a dancer. He was a gymnast and the ball was his ribbon. As the tips of his fingers parted with the rough surface of the ball, the swish of the net followed instantaneously. The first time had been breathtaking, her eyes captured by his spirit. She had been in awe, her young heart stolen by his passion, his laughter. Her heart clenched and her wandering thoughts darted through every inch of her mind. As the image of her carefree childhood friend smiling faded from her peached eyes, Momoi smiled wistfully. He's back.

Interlacing her quivering fingers together, she prayed earnestly with sincere murmurs. Please, Dai-chan.

When the whistle finally sounded, the players of the two teams retreated to their individual locker rooms. Kotaro threw his jacket over his shoulder and with his other hand, the uncapped bottle over his blonde locks before shaking his head. As the moisture from the tips of his hair whipped the sides of his face, he sighed in contentment. Next to him, Mibuchi tched in annoyance. Chuckling quietly, Kotaro knew that he secretly wanted to do it too but his stubborn pride got in the way. Ah, oh well. Rolling his shoulder back, the blonde winced inwardly as he felt a spike of pain near the base of his neck. His whole body was screaming in agony. They'd been alternating between offensive and defensive throughout the entire first half of the game. Rakuzan's extra practice had helped in building stamina and polishing up their teamwork but it didn't allow them to regain their full strength. They had been training even the day before, despite the little phantom's protests. Luckily, they hadn't needed to play an extra match since they won Interhigh. Touou had to play a game yesterday so Rakuzan had the upper hand.

Trudging into the room, the teens plopped down onto the benches as the door clicked shut. There was silence as they all waited for someone, anyone to speak. Despite the absence of their captain, the air was still stifling, overwhelming to the point of repression. They had kept Touou on their toes, just barely. With merely 6 points ahead of them, Rakuzan was not in the position to exhale comfortably just yet. Throughout the game, Aomine had been absolutely voracious. Even Nebuya and Mibuchi, who were both swift in their plays had just managed kept up with the ace. While Akashi, with his Emperor eyes was preoccupied with Imayoshi and Wakamatsu, Kotaro had been assigned to defend Susa which left Yamamoto with Sakurai. The past twenty minutes had been intense. The ball was spun around, bounced and slapped across the court in brisk and accurate movements. The momentum never slowed and the fast-pace drained them.

If things continued on as they were, it would be hazardous. It was without a doubt that one could say that Touou had improved significantly. Perhaps it was their teamwork? Once a group of prodigies, Touou was now a team of elites. Aomine's change had certainly thrown things off balance. They were now even more lethal than before. Setting aside their differences, they have come together with a single goal in mind. Luckily, Rakuzan had been diligent in their training. But even with this, they must slow down the pace in their favour. To do this, they needed a strategy. They had little choice, the situation was unfavourable for them.

They sighed, how troublesome indeed.

Some cannot help but think that if only their captain permitted their trump card on court, this would have never happened.

-x-

"Akashi-kun."

Akashi showed no signs of acknowledgement as he lifted his water bottle to his lips. He felt the cold liquid slide down his throat and immediately he felt rejuvenated. It was funny how a quick sip of water could resuscitate one's body whereas it would take a few hours of sleep to achieve the same results. How odd, but nevertheless Akashi was grateful. He did not have time to rest. He could feel a migraine coming and his body was heating up. He was coming down with a fever. He had overworked himself, to the chagrin of the bluenette beside him. Kuroko had been unrelenting in his attempts to him to rest, even if it was only for several moments. It was quite amusing actually. His attempts had failed everytime as Akashi was as stubborn as the other. This was probably why they were quite compatible, which Midorima's Oha Asa horoscope predicted the first day they had met.

His thoughts turned to the current situation. Rakuzan was not as far ahead as he had initially hoped. There was a slim possibility that the outcome of the match will be undesirable for them. They needed to eliminate this probability … but to do this, it would reverse everything Akashi had done in the past month. Breathing through his nose, Akashi considered his options. He had been uncharacteristically careless, he should have seen that this would happen. He knew there was a chance that this would happen but he hadn't acted on it. His fatigue … Kuroko's weakened state … Aomine's change.

"Tetsuya," his voice echoed through the empty hallway. Turning his head towards the bluenette, Akashi stared directly into those impassive orbs. In those eyes, he saw an unwavering spirit.

He had no choice. His lips curved up, after all Kuroko had always been in league of his own.

"Get ready, you're playing next."

A/N. I'm so sorry it took me a whole month to update! To boot it up, this chapter's not very long. Writer's block is so annoying. I promise next chapter won't be too long from now and it'll be longer!

Thank you for your support, lovely readers! I'm starting to get back into it so stick around~

As always, thanks for reading and please leave a comment!