A/N:

Hey, guys, I've got a few quick notes first.

First, this work is part of a series. I feel like if you're starting from this second book, most plot things should still be pretty clear but-as a warning-some of the intricacies of the cardverse stuff may be a bit confusing (plus this book will DEFINITELY contain spoilers for the previous one, All in the Cards).

With that, here's a few key points on the Card Universe as I've written it in this AU:

-The Card Kingdom is made up of four minor kingdoms that rule together: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs

-Minor kingdoms are ruled by their Suit, each having a King (the leader), a Queen (the mage), a Jack (the smartest), and the Ace (the warrior)

-No gender classifications for the Suit so a woman can be King and a man can be Queen.

-Queen and King are nor married positions so no arranged marriages here.

-The Suit knows they are destined to rule by the Mark (symbol on hand, heart, neck, or arm) and the Mark is Claimed when they take over the ruling position and the Mark gets a letter in the middle. If person becomes Unworthy to rule, the letter disappears.

Last note, since titles can get a bit much, I'm including a list of all the Suit positions at the start of the first few chapters.

Spades: Kageyama (King), Suga (Queen/ Mage), Tsukishima (Jack), Hinata (Ace)

Diamonds: Kenma (King), Lev (Queen/ Mage), Yaku (Jack), Kuroo (Ace)

Hearts: Oikawa (King), Kyotani/ Mad Dog (Queen/ Mage), Yahaba (Jack), Iwaizumi (Ace)

Clubs: Bokuto (King), Akaashi (Queen/ Mage), Konoha (Jack), Yukie (Ace)

I SWEAR IT'S LESS CONFUSING IN CONTEXT!

I appreciate you all and thank you so, so much for reading!

ooooooo

19 Years Prior

Once there were two boys who grew up side by side in barely patched houses, closed in by mountains.

One liked to sit by the side and read while other children whispered.

"He doesn't talk! Why doesn't he talk? Do you think he's mute?"

Another boy snickered. "I bet he forgot how."

"Maybe he's stupid." The boy tossed his head back. "What about it, Kozume? Are you so stupid you forgot how to talk?"

The small boy didn't answer, not even looking up from his book; but, another voice answered for him.

"Oh, I don't think that's it…"

The group of boys jumped, turning to find sharp eyes and a smirk wielded like a weapon, pointed solely at them.

Even at eight years old, a smirking Kuroo Tetsuro was a vicious, dangerous little thing.

"You're not worth his time," Kuroo said bluntly.

The tallest of the boys blustered. "You can't say that to us! You're just a-"

"Leave," Kuroo ordered, not even bothering to look at them as he shoved his way through the group. He tossed a look over his shoulder, eyes narrowing. "Before I actually make you regret it."

The smartest of the group looked at the bow held at Kuroo's side and listened to the biting edge in his voice. He dragged his other friends away and the clearing once again fell to silence.

Kuroo walked forward, crouching down in front of Kenma. "I told you to find me if they were bothering you again."

The younger boy finally dragged his eyes away from the book.

Kenma blinked. "Hmm?"

"...You didn't even notice them, did you?" Kuroo sighed, falling back in a slouch.

He reached out, fidgeting at Kenma's gloves to make sure they hid the Mark. Kenma put up with the action for all of a few moments before he lightly waved Kuroo's hands away, turning back down to his book.

"Ah, my King," Kuroo tipped his head back at the sky, "how will this Ace ever protect you if you don't even notice your attackers?"

"They would have gotten bored and left eventually," Kenma said quietly. "I don't know why I should be bothered by it."

Kuroo rolled his eyes at the old argument. "What are you reading?"

"History."

"Must be pretty engrossing, then." Kuroo's smile took on a teasing edge. "You always get into your own world when you're fired up about a book."

Kenma's frown was minute. "I do not get fired up."

"Do, too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

Two boys sat between barely patched houses, closed in by mountains. The younger boy stayed with eyes stuck down in a book. He was not an easy boy to know. He was quiet and as often forgotten as he was seen and judged. He preferred to watch and listen over talking, turning observations over in his mind like a locksmith shifted gears.

Which is perhaps what made it so ironic that he never noticed the way the other boy watched him. But, the other boy was smart as well. He was sharp in the same way an arrow was, dangerous and ready to be pointed in the right direction.

And, eight years old and with a bone deep gravity too heavy for his small body, Kuroo Tetsuro quietly made a vow even if Kozume Kenma would never hear it.

I'm going to build a kingdom around you.

ooooooo

18 Years Prior

"Prince Futakuchi Kenji! Get away from that window immediately! It's storming!"

The eight year old pouted. "But I want to see the ships!"

Otsuka Tadao, royal advisor to the Futakuchi Islands, just sighed and steered the child away. "There won't be ships tonight, Kenji. Not in this weather."

"Oh my," came a soft voice, turning kind eyes to the window. Kenji's Aunt Maemi, recently married and barely a dozen years older than the boy himself, laid a hand on her new nephew's shoulder. "I certainly hope everybody made it to the docks in time."

Her husband, Lord Hotaka scoffed, cheeks already gone ruddy with drink. "Don't give them your pity, my dear. I've served two decades in that navy and the only ones still out tonight are fools, desperate souls, and pirates."

"Pirates!" Kenji looked up excitedly. "There are pirates out there?"

"Only until we hang them," Lord Hotaka replied dismissively.

Otsuka and Maemi exchanged a look over the boy's head before Maemi gently steered her husband out of the room and off to the castle's private suites.

When they were gone, Kenji smiled up at his advisor. "I think pirates are cool!"

"I know you do." Otsuka brushed the prince's hair back fondly. "But, trust me, Kenji, there's nothing cool about piracy. It's only the black hearted and the miserable that would dare steal from our royal navy."

Kenji scrunched up his nose. "That's not the way they are in stories."

"Ah, but what good will a story do you?" Otsuka nodded seriously. "Much better to be a prince."

"But, being a prince is boring! What if I don't want to be a prince?" Kenji's smile went mischievous. "I want to be a pirate!"

ooooooo

17 Years Prior

"Tsuki…."

Tsukishima hated his roommate.

"Tsuki?"

"No."

"Tsuki! Come on! I know you're up. You just answered!"

"It's the middle of the night. Go back to sleep."

"But, Tsuki…."

Tsukishima opened his eyes to slits, only to find the orange menace standing beside his bed.

"I had a nightmare," Hinata said.

"I don't see how that's my problem."

He huffed. "I had a nightmare and now I can't sleep."

"So, you decided I couldn't either," Tsukishima demanded. "Hinata, go back to bed!"

Hinata looked down at his feet, hesitating before…

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"What? No!"

"But, it was a bad nightmare, Tsuki," Hinata pleaded. "A super bad, super scary nightmare! Please!"

"I don't care," Tsukishima said.

"It's only for one night! Please, Tsuki!"

"No, you're eight years old!" Tsukishima shook his head incredulously. "You're the Ace of Spades! You're literally training to be an assassin! How can you still be scared of a nightmare!"

Hinata ducked his head, looking chastised.

"It was a really bad nightmare," he mumbled.

Tsukishima pointed to the other side of the room. "Go back to your bed!"

Reluctantly, Hinata shuffled away and Tsukishima closed his eyes, still annoyed, to the sound of sheets rustling.

And, then, there was a loud sigh.

Tsukishima's eye twitched.

Then, a groan.

Tsukishima wrapped his pillow around his head and ignored it.

Another sound of rustling and then, quietly, a little pained whimper.

Tsukishima snapped, jolted up and picked a book off the ground to throw it blindly.

"OW!" Hinata complained, following a satisfying smack.

"Fine," Tsukishima announced. "You can stay with me! But only for tonight! And only if you LET ME SLEEP!"

Hinata perked up. "Really?"

"Just get over here." Tsukishima sighed, scooting in further to the wall and leaving Hinata just enough space that he would only hang half off the bed.

Hinata scrambled over and smiled at him softly. "Thanks, Tsuki."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, hoping it would still be effective in the dark.

He waited as Hinata settled in beside him, somehow curling easily into the space like a particularly aggravating cat.

"What was the nightmare about anyway," Tsukishima asked.

Hinata shivered.

"It was terrible," he finally admitted, voice quiet and almost lost. "I dreamed that I was still in the castle; but, everyone else had left. Takeda, Ukai, Suga, Noya, everyone-even Kageyama and we never even see him." Hinata went quiet for another long moment. "You were gone, Tsuki."

Tsukishima hummed, contemplative. "So we all were living somewhere without you?"

"Yeah," Hinata whispered, scooting in closer. "And I knew I'd never see you again."

Tsukishima snorted. "That's not a nightmare. That sounds perfect."

Hinata punched his arm.

Tsukishima shoved him out of the bed.

Neither of them got any more sleep that night.

ooooooo

The Morning of Diamonds Winter Festival

The longest day in the life of Tsukishima Kei began far, far too early.

The sound of a knock echoed through the room as he attempted to bury his head further into the pillow.

"Go away," he muttered, trying in vain to sink back to unconsciousness.

The knock sounded again, impossibly louder.

"Fine." The Jack of Spades huffed, pushing out of the bed, annoyed to see that it wasn't even sunrise when his annoying pest of an Ace had apparently decided to wake him.

Another knock.

"Fates," Tsukishima swore, striding to the door of his guest chambers, "Hinata, you better have a very good explanation for waking me up considering you're not even supposed to be in Diamonds or you will regret-"

He opened the door. It wasn't Hinata.

"Your Highness," the Diamonds' guard he vaguely remembered as Inuoka bowed. "I need you to come with me to the throne room. Now. By order of Queen Sugawara of Spades and King Kenma of Diamonds."

Tsukishima blinked, thrown off for all of a second before instinct took over.

"Lead the way."

Inuoka nodded, fingers still twitching at the sword on his hip as he started down the hall.

Of course, it's not Hinata, Tsukishima thought absently as he followed, the last dregs of sleep wearing off. Hinata wouldn't have bothered to knock. He would have come through the window or the ceiling or...well, definitely, nothing as normal as knocking on the door.

Especially when everyone believed he was still in Spades. Which, honestly, what good was leaving one of the Suit to maintain Spades if he just snuck along the moment they left-supposed "secret" mission or not.

Tsukishima was the kingdom's spymaster, thank you. He should know every mission their Ace took on, especially ones that brought their Ace to one of the other Card Kingdoms in the middle of a festival. And, rest assured, he would be finding out as soon as he tracked the other man down.

Tsukishima spared another glance at the tense shoulders of the Diamonds' guard.

All of that was assuming that Hinata hadn't already given himself away, which based on the pre-dawn summons by both Suga and Kenma was looking less and less likely.

Tsukishima was going to kill him.

They made it to the throne room, Inuoka pushing open the door, and Tsukishima was halfway to a protest that this mess was definitively not his fault when Suga grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side.

"Tsukishima," Suga said, voice low, "whatever mission you and Hinata are working on doesn't matter right now. I need you to tell me the truth. Did Hinata come to Diamonds?"

"I…"

Tsukishima had a momentary sense of deja vu from back when he and Hinata were kids and Suga would catch them doing something they weren't supposed to do.

This was different. Suga's eyes were wide, fixed entirely on Tsukishima while his hand continued to grip almost painfully on his arm.

The Queen of Spades was afraid.

Suga's face was close, almost blocking out Tsukishima's view of the rest of the throne room. In the view he had left, the throne room was still dark with pre-dawn gloom. Kenma stood on the other side, flanked again by Inuoka, and staring at the only other occupant of the room-a woman weeping quietly in the corner.

Hinata wasn't there.

"Tsukishima," Suga repeated, "do you know if Hinata's in Diamonds?"

"I...yes," Tsukishima finally answered, "He found me after the Opening Feast."

Suga's eyes fell closed, mouth tightening into a flat line as his shoulders slumped. "He was supposed to stay behind in Spades."

"I thought he was!" Tsukishima breathed in, regathering his thoughts, "I promise, Suga. I don't know what he was thinking leaving-"

"Why was he here," Suga interrupted. "What mission? Please, Tsukishima, we need to know."

Tsukishima scowled, a bit of the previous night's annoyance coming back. "I have no idea. Apparently, he decided to work this mission alone. Nevermind the fact that the whole entire point of having a spymaster is so we don't-"

"You don't know." Suga's eyes were still wide and his breathing had gotten heavier. "He didn't mention anything? Anything at all?"

A prickling sense of worry was replacing the annoyance.

"He said he'd tell me in the morning." Tsukishima looked around the room again. "Suga, if you're that curious, just find Hinata and ask him."

Suga's hand fell away, the urgency in his eyes going with it and leaving behind something hollow.

"We can't. There's something you need to hear."

And with that, Suga's hand was at his wrist again-gentler this time, almost like Tsukishima was something fragile-pulling him towards the crying woman.

She barely paid him any attention when they approached, still wiping at her eyes. He spared a glance at Kenma's face, hoping for some hint, but if anything the King of Diamond's face was even more blank than usual.

"Tsukishima, you remember Diamond's Assistant Head of Staff," Suga said softly. "Eshima, could you tell him what you saw?"

The woman looked up, wiping tears away as she tried to compose herself. "He's….he's dead. I saw him kill the other and then they both died."

True fear ran up Tsukishima's spine for the first time that morning. "Who's dead?"

"The Ace!" Eshima sobbed. "The Ace of Diamonds. Kuroo! He fell down the mountain!"

She pointed and for the first time, Tsukishima saw the ornate stained glass display of the throne room was shattered, revealing the sheer drop of the Mountains of Diamonds beyond it. The floor in front of it had drops of blood scattered seemingly at random, almost as if someone was moving around the room while bleeding.

No one could survive going down the cliffs. Not even an Ace.

Which meant the Ace of Diamonds-which meant Kuroo, the man with the sharp smirk and sharper words that Tsukishima had seen barely hours ago at dinner-was dead.

Beside him, he finally noticed that Kenma's hands were clenching his arm so tight, his fingers had gone white and bloodless.

"And the other," Suga urged, "tell us about the one he was fighting."

"He killed him," Eshima whispered. "He stabbed him, right through the heart. And then, they tripped and the window broke and then….they both fell!"

"What did the other look like," Suga pressed.

Eshima blinked. "He...he was wearing black, all black. Even his mask. It was the Ace of Spades, wasn't it? Ace Kuroo killed Spades' Ace!"

Hinata.

Tsukishima felt cold. Maybe numb was a better word. Around him, he could hear Suga quietly reassuring Eshima but he ignored them, walking instead to the broken window.

Outside it was raining. Soft but heavily in a way Tsukishima was surprised he hadn't noticed. He looked down out of the window and saw nothing but the rush of a waterfall down hard stone, the only thing in between was a slim ledge three floors down, barely a meter wide.

Tsukishima was the Jack of Spades, the best spymaster in all of Cards, one of the four smartest men in the entire world. If there was anything worth finding out in the entire kingdom, he either knew it or would know it soon.

"Tsukishima."

Once again, Suga's hand landed on his shoulder.

"We need to wake the others. They need to know that two of our Aces are dead."

Tsukishima turned, meeting Suga's eyes directly.

"They're not dead."

ooooooo

That Hinata woke up was something of a surprise.

That Hinata woke up to complete darkness with a bag over his head, his arms and legs bound, his shoulder dislocated, a litany of bruises and cuts, and still bleeding from a fairly painful chest wound was less of a surprise.

Still it was perhaps due to this variety of other ailments that it took him a moment to notice he was also in imminent danger of drowning.

He was willing to admit he'd had worse mornings.

Stay calm. Take stock of the situation.

Okay, arms bound but if he shifts a bit he should at least be able to get them lower on his arms.

He braced himself and shifted his arm.

He hissed in pain, a trail of much needed bubbles settling around his face.

Fates, there probably were more painful things to do with a dislocated shoulder but he couldn't really think of any at the moment.

The ropes lowered just enough for him to slip a spare knife down his sleeve and cut them. The ropes loosened, floating around him as Hinata fought to get his arms out and rip the bag off his head.

His lungs were beginning to burn.

Don't waste time. Focus.

His hands dropped to his legs, the ropes around them dragging with a weight. He started sawing, trying quickly to take stock of the surroundings. Salt water. Sand. Small hints of movement and things brushing passed him in the low light and a shadow of a ship passing above him.

The ocean. He was in the ocean, most likely thrown from a ship.

Great, now, if only he could remember how he got on a ship?

Last he remembered, he was…

Flashes of black, of night and rain, the shine of a sword, a pitying face and an apology, the thick scent of blood, the weightlessness of falling and the smack of hitting stone too soon.

Oh, shit, where was Kuroo?

Hinata finished cutting the rope around his legs, frantically looking around to see anything, anything in the dark of the ocean.

Something shifted below him, a bigger shape catching in soft light.

Hinata dove down, without thought, fighting against the tightness in his chest.

The shape started to take form, clearing into a figure tied down the same as Hinata had been.

He was moving, one arm jerking against the ropes.

He's alive!

Hinata swam faster, finally getting close enough to wrap his good arm around the figure and pull.

If there was one bright side, at least Kuroo still being tied up made it harder for him to fight back. Hinata didn't think he had enough energy to keep them both from drowning if Kuroo tried to resist.

They broke the surface and Hinata didn't think he'd ever been happier to just breathe.

Kuroo was still shifting restlessly against the ropes and Hinata pulled at the bag until it slipped off.

Kuroo coughed, spitting out water, as he blinked at the sudden air.

His eyes focused. "Hinata?"

"Hey, thank Fates, I thought you were dead." Hinata offered a weak smile. "Stay still while I work on the ropes, okay?"

Confusion flickered on Kuroo's face before he nodded and Hinata slipped down to cut through his ropes.

"Fates!" Kuroo swore. "Arm's broken. Something's weird with my knee, too. Maybe some ribs."

"Sorry about the knee-I probably dislocated it. Oh, um, I think your nose looks broken, too." Hinata grimaced, trying to cut faster. "But, you're...feeling like you, right?"

Kuroo blinked before he went pale and nodded once sharply.

"Good. We need to swim." Hinata swept a glance around them and could almost cry at seeing lights, flickering in the first bit of dawn. "See those docks, there's the coast. We need to get there."

"That's half a mile away," Kuroo muttered, frowning.

Hinata's hand tightened on the last rope, looking up to meet Kuroo's eyes. "Can you make it?"

Kuroo sighed. "Don't have much choice, do we?"

The last rope broke free and they started swimming.

Hinata's shoulder protested almost immediately and the salt water stung at his chest until he curled up the hurt arm protectively over it. Hinata bit his lip and tried to focus on the lights.

Only the lights. Don't think of anything else. Just get to the lights.

Hinata took it back. There were no worse mornings. This sucked.

But, he also flat out refused to die in the middle of the ocean after he had already stopped himself from drowning once.

Hinata felt ground under his feet and he stumbled, grabbing at the shore as wet sand pulled through his fingers.

He pulled, finally hauling himself out of the water and just falling on his back to gasp, looking up at the stars that were already starting to fade away to dawn.

The stars….the stars were wrong.

Hinata blinked and Kuroo fell down to lay beside him.

"...Kuroo...I….I don't think we're in Cards."

There was quiet for a second before, "...What?"

Hinata sat up, looking towards the dock and the ships anchored there. There were too many of them, the trees around them too different to be Hearts, the shore too unfamiliar to any Hinata had seen before. He glanced at the ships, trying to spot the flag and…

Hinata's heart beat painfully. "We're in Futakuchi."

Silence.

"Futakuchi as in Futakuchi Islands," Kuroo asked, low and dangerous.

"Yeah."

"As in, the Futakuchi Islands, the country that's had a trade embargo and naval blockade around it since before the Hearts Civil War?"

Hinata swallowed. "Yes."

"Then, how," Kuroo ground his teeth, "...then, how did we get to Futakuchi?"

Hinata shook his head. "I don't...I don't know."

There's another beat of absolute quiet, a moment on a knife's edge before…

"Fuck!" Kuroo beat his fist on the ground. "Shit! They're going to think we're dead! We fell out the Fates begotten window! I'm surprised we aren't dead!" He paused, looking up at Hinata with horrified eyes. "Eshima...she saw...she saw me stab you. They'll think...Hinata, everyone's going to think we're dead and that I'm the one that killed you!"

Hinata looked down and nodded. "Yeah, probably.."

The color was draining from Kuroo's face rapidly. "Fates, we need to tell them! Hinata, we need to warn them that….that…."

"I know."

"Kenma...Kenma's going to think I'm dead," Kuroo whispered softly. "He...he probably already does."

Hinata didn't say anything.

"Is there any good news?"

Hinata shrugged. "It looks like a sunny day?"

Kuroo buried his face in his hands, taking deep stuttering breaths.

Hinata let him, glancing away to give Kuroo time to pull himself back together. Instead, Hinata looked out onto the sand and the ocean and the hundreds of miles that separated them from home.

When he looked back, Kuroo had steadied himself at least marginally and the person that was staring at Hinata was the Ace of Diamonds-The Chessmaster, the strategist of Diamonds' military. "Hinata, what happened last night?"

Hinata hesitated. "It's...it's kind of a long story."

"Hinata," Kuroo said sharply. "We almost died a few hours ago. As far as the rest of the Suits probably know, we are dead. My King thinks I'm a murderer. And that's...that's not even counting...what actually happened. I think I can handle a long story."

That….that was probably fair.

Hinata sighed, closing his eyes.

"Okay, so, it started a month ago…"

ooooooo

A/N: Hope you enjoy, everyone! Chapters post every two weeks!