A/N: WARNING! WARNING! WARNING I don't really think that you need to read most of this until the Time Skip, unless you actually care about Kuroko monologuing, introducing Ash, and offering small details. Just thought it would be fair if I warned you.

Kuroko P.O.V.

I don't remember the last time I've flown in a plane. Actually, that's not true. Well, technically, that's true, since I don't remember the last time I've flown in an airplane. I've flown on one though, but that's a story for another time.

I know you're probably wondering why I trusted Kise. I mean, for me it felt like I'd just met him. Kise could have easily been a con-artist, or something. But I just felt a connection with him, like my instincts were telling me to trust him. And since, while navigating my old life, I have nothing but my instincts and wits, I literally have no choice but to trust myself, as difficult as that might be. For me, there are two phases of my life, the Before the Crash, or the Before, and the After the Crash, the After. I know nothing about the Before, except for official things (my grandfather pulled in a couple of favors to get some of my files from Japan).

I have no idea if I had a love-life, if I was a nerd, what my likes were, or even who I knew. My phone was destroyed in the plane crash. I know that I lived in Tokyo, Japan, went to Seirin High, Teiko Middle School, and went to Hideaki Elementary. I know that I got average grades, which doesn't make sense, because I'm actually really smart. But that is all I know. Whenever I think about trying to find my old life, I feel a bit queasy and lost.

How do I start? Do you know how big Japan is? Sure, it's a tiny fucking island compared to America, but that doesn't mean shit in the perspective of things like entire fucking countries. Japan is still about 145,936 mi².I could start at my schools, but I have no idea where they are, and how to get access to my files once I actually get to my schools.

Anyways, I claimed a window seat so I could stare out the clouds. I think I've changed a lot. I mean, I've seen my photos from when I just got out of the hospital. My eyes were a pale blue, but now their more of a vast ocean instead. Or a deep sky. The doctors think the reason for my eyes changing color is because of the sudden temperature change. I know that I got really tall in the past few years. Like, 6'1" tall. Before I was about 5 1/2 ft.

I believe I would be in my last year of high school, but I don't go to school anymore so I wouldn't know. Plus, I'm pretty sure that Japan and California have different school schedules, so hell if I know. A kid started crying so I placed on my bulky around-the-head headphones and pulled out my iPod, scrolling through my songs. I most often hear American songs, and so to keep up with my fellow Street Mutts, I don't listen to J-Pop often (Even if the meanings in the songs are much more deep than American songs). Now I'm listening to "If I Can't Have You" by Shawn Mendes.

The fast beat makes my feet tap and my hands jump and twist together. I stared at the endless expanse of clouds. I think of how wonderful it would be to just live there, in an eternal whiteness. But then, I'd never experience another midnight run atop the roofs of L.A., I'd never get to spend another day with Ash. Ah, right. Ash is my digital friend I met on Instagram. We exchanged numbers and text each other regularly. And, lucky me, Ash lives in Japan. As much as I really want to find out who I am independently, I think that a friend will help me a lot.

I sigh. I still didn't believe that I let Ash talk me into returning to Japan. Ash said that a lot of people are probably worried for me. That's probably true, but... to be honest, I really don't know what I'm going to say to those said people. I don't know them at all, and I don't think they know the new me.

I guess I should say it. When I first came to America, I stayed with my grandparents for a little while. The first half of my first year. But then they passed away, and me, barely able to speak English, could not find a job. Eventually, I started living on the streets.

I earned the name Blue Phoenix after a tattoo I gave myself. On my back, there is a beautifully vibrant and detailed phoenix. It has a long tail, and is the same blue as my eyes. The wings cover my shoulder blades and the wingtips slowly fade it a black. The tail follows this pattern as well.

I made it myself, drawing it onto a piece of special paper. Then, with the help of a trusted fellow Street Mutt, I brushed chemicals onto the paper with it against my back. This made the ink spread into my skin. I made this tactic up myself. It is painless, and the colors are much more vibrant.

But I digress. I am now a "Street Mutt." Homeless and without a penny. I steal food, but I try to take only what I need. I sometimes stop by food drives. Most fellow Mutts think that stopping by food drives strips you of your dignity because it means that you're unable to fend for yourself, and that makes you weak. I just think of it as time- and energy-saving.

I've gotten into countless street-fights. Their actually kind of fun. There's just this kind of thrill to it. But I wouldn't suggest it. It's like nicotine. It feels good, like a spur-of-the-moment high, but then afterwards you feel drained. And when you feel drained, you feel the need for more. Yeah, at least I had a strong enough mentality to know when to stop. Others were not as lucky.

I've become a Veteran Street Mutt. I hold that title high. Now my iPod is playing "Brother" by Kodaline. I like it. It reminds me of my relationship with Ash. We start landing. My stomach clenches. Not just because we're landing, but because I might want to find out who I am, but I have no idea where or how to start looking.

[Time Skip]

I didn't bring anything but my headphones and my iPod. Oh, and a charger. I hoped to nick some food on the way, but no luck. Who knew Japanese security was one to rival America's? So by the time I was walking away from the airport, I was starving. I looked around. It was a clear sunny sky, with few clouds.

I just walked. I had no idea where I was going. I was wandering. I came across a small dark alley with a few trashcans in it. What caught my eyes was a tall dark blue haired man and an equally tall dark red haired man. They were cornered against a wall, surrounded by a Pack of 5, all dark ravenettes. They looked like they were about to beat up. I saw the faces of the red and blue haired men.

I'm not entirely sure what I felt right then, but I knew that I had to stop the fight. Normally, no one takes sides against a fight that has nothing to do with them. But I couldn't help it.

"Oi!" I called out, trying to ooze as much confidence as I could, "Stop it, teme." the Pack turned to me, snarling like wolves who'd just been interrupted from their meal.

"Stay out of this, m'kay?" growled one. I laughed. I couldn't help it. I was already feeling the rush of adrenaline. Now that I think about it, street-fighting is my heroin. Crazy dangerous and the after effects absolutely suck, but it gives you a crazy awesome feel. A rush of adrenaline. The thrill when you land a blow on a stronger opponent. The singing in your bones when you win.

"Sorry, as a Street Mutt, I can't take an order from no one." I retorted coolly. The red and blue haired men stared at me in utter shock. I have no idea why.

"Hey-" A tall ravenette walked towards me but cut himself off as he flung a fist at me. I jerked back and grabbed his arm. I twisted it past me, hearing his satisfying yelp and jamming my knee into his arm. I heard a crack and assumed I broke his arm. But just for safety reasons, I made sure to kick him as hard as I could when he hit the ground. The other stared at me in shock.

"Care for a taste?" I taunted. The others scattered, fleeing for their lives. I snorted at their disloyalty. You don't turn your back on your Pack, their closer than blood, and that is Pack Law. You give you utmost loyalty to your Pack, for they are your family, you're only home, and your only safeguard against others. You do not just run away and leave your Pack-mate to the mercy of another. But the blue-haired man interrupted my thoughts.

"T-Tetsu?" He asked uncertainly. I narrowed my eyes at him. How did he know my name? Did I know him from Before? I certainly had never seen him before. But a small part of by brain pricked. I pushed away all my thoughts and listened to my emotions. There was a huge wall of... trust? I had never felt this way towards anyone, much less two people. I felt like I would hand them control over my life and I wouldn't even look back at them to see what they would do with it.

I refused to let my guard drop, no matter what I felt. I guess I know him. I had found that whenever I met someone I knew in the Before, I feel emotions for reasons I don't know. And there are no memories to go with said emotions. The blue-haired man and the red-haired man just stared at me as if I had come back to life.

I didn't answer, and locked my knees and straitened my back. I let my hands ball into fists, and lifted my chin defiantly. I might trust him, but that was from now-nonexistent memories from 3 years ago. Who knew what these men were like? I slowly started to back away.

"W-wait!" the red-haired man shouted, holding his hand out in a stopping gesture(I didn't stop slowly backing away), though he made no sudden movements, "A-are you Kuroko Tetsuya?" I twisted away without replying and sprinted away. Yeah, a weak-ass move, but I just... I wasn't ready to confront my past yet.