READ: THERE ARE SOME MAJOR CHANGES COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL EVENTS I know I said there wouldn't be many changes, but I finished the Haikyuu manga and from here on out, there will be major changes to character dynamics and plot points, AND I'm including Inarizaki, Kamomedai, and Itachiyama! I'm so sorry I changed so much and deleted the older chapters, but for me this is truly a labor of love. I want to spin a good story for you guys and myself, so I hope you can still enjoy the new versions too.

I so deeply appreciate you support, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Author's Note: This chapter went through so many rewrites, especially on the action scenes. I really hope I was able to convey something exciting and still in character. A lot is left unsaid. I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!

Thanks to bibahhh for the follow!

Reviews:

bibahhh (Chapter 5, March 4):

Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm trying really hard to keep everyone in character and even draw some parallels to canon, but with the emotionally charged nature of this AU, it's one of my biggest worries for this story. Oikawa is our scum prince, so I figured he would be intrigued and irritated by Kotomi's enigmatic personality, haha.

Kotomi's time before the Akashi family actually explains a large part of her character later down the road, and it will be revealed with time! Here's a hint: She is a fighter in many contexts! Thanks for reading I hope you continue to enjoy! (PS. Your English is great!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or Haikyuu, the characters or make any profit from this story. All characters and concepts belong to their respective owners. I just like writing. Please support official releases.

Chapter 6: The Cost of Freedom

"Look, Kotomi," She didn't recognize the voice nor the arms that held her above the ground, but she recognized the tree she pointed at. "Those are called plum blossoms, or ume. Aren't they pretty…? They only bloom in the spring time."

Kotomi held out her tiny hand to watch the petal flutter down into her palm while squishing her cheek against the stranger's face. She felt so warm, so safe.

"Every flower has a special magic, you know. Your name, Fuji, comes from a flower called the wisteria. The magic in your name will help you grow to be elegant and dignified." The stranger tickled her nose and made the young girl laugh.

"What about ume? What does ume do?" She asked curiously. But the person's answer didn't come; or at least, maybe she didn't hear it right away, because she was distracted by the silhouette of a person standing in the distance. As her world seemed to dissolve into darkness, the words of her companion echoed in her small ears.

"A plum blossom grows strong and beautiful after a cold and difficult winter…do you want to be like that, too?"

Kotomi awoke with a start from the dream, or a memory, in a cold sweat. She remembered the doctors once warned her that stress had the potential to trigger repressed memories. Needless to say, her current situation was quite stressful.

With a small heave of exasperation, she rested her forearm across her eyes. Her whole body ached from lying stationary on the stiff, concrete-like bed. She couldn't bring herself to remove her arm: the four full grey slabs with the audacity to pretend to be walls burned her retinae so she couldn't bear to look.

There was no need to look around, because she just knew nothing had changed. Not the walls, the heavy steel bars blocking her escape, nor the untouched tray of food, replaced every few hours. Kotomi knew that Akashi had a cruel streak, but she supposed it was her own hubris to surmise that it wouldn't ever extend to her.

"A light sentence, considering what you've done." He reasoned. The others made no move to help her, their faces conflicted as she was gently escorted by armed guards to this abandoned prison in the outskirts of the main city. This wasn't practical at all, but Kotomi knew practicality wasn't the point. Akashi was trying to teach her a lesson.

You're not exempt from my wrath, so be good. She knew him well enough to hear his inner voice. It didn't make the stinging in her chest go away, though. At least her successful escape reminded Akashi that she was a lot sneakier than she looked. Not that the realization did much for her right now, as she had no way out of here until her oh so kind and benevolent warden decided she served a proper sentence.

"How long have I been in here, anyways...?" She asked the ceiling.

"As far as I know, a day?"

"No, I think maybe two...? Huh...?" It was safe to say she wasn't prepared for a voice to answer her. Kotomi's eyes widened and she shot up into a sitting position. Wasn't it too early to be hearing voices?

In the cell directly across from her sat a young man whom she didn't recognize. He was incredibly beautiful, with fine features, a strong jawline, messy, jet black hair and cobalt blue eyes. His arms were cuffed behind his back, and he sported a number of bruises and cuts, which were littered across his face. Even with the injuries, he was still so pretty.

"Good morning." His nonchalance left Kotomi speechless. When she didn't return his greetings, he tilted his head. "I thought you were dead with how still you slept." When she registered his question, she coughed and laughed without humor.

"Well...it's been an eventful few weeks..." He nodded in sympathy. He was so incredibly calm that she didn't know what to say or do. "Um, so if I may ask...what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. I didn't think the Citadel people imprisoned their own in places like this."

"Citadel people...?" Kotomi's eyes widened. Quickly, she hopped out of bed and got as close as the bars of her cell would allow her. "You're a Wastelander?" He nodded.

"That's right. But who are you?"

"I'm...an idiot." She sighed, which caused the young man to raise an eyebrow questioningly. "I pissed off some friends, and this is my punishment..." it wasn't a time or place for jokes, but there wasn't any other way to explain her situation than this without talking his ear off.

"Some friends." He commented uselessly. "They sound a little problematic."

"If only it were that simple." Standing up, she found that he was too far to hold a proper conversation. As Kotomi plopped onto the ground and sat with her knees to her chest, she pressed her chin against the peak of her bent knees watched him with pursed lips. "We're...in a rough patch."

"Rough enough to put you in prison?"

"Well, advanced grounding, right now." Kotomi grumbled. "When they decide to take me home, that's where prison is." She would probably never see the light of day again, if Akashi could help it.

"Then you should probably get out of here before they come." Kotomi scoffed quietly under her breath as her mind wandered back to her escaped friends. I hope they made it back, okay...

"So, what are you in for?"

"I was heinously existing, and then the next thing I knew I was in here, black and blue." The young man explained. "I was searching for a friend of mine who wasn't answering my calls. He went awol when he heard a friend of his had been captured by the Citadel people."

"He sounds exhausting." At the sympathy in Kotomi's voice, his face turned a shade paler, as if whoever this person was pained him more than the beatdown he received. Despite their terrible situation, it made her giggle into her knees. It seemed to console him as well, evidenced by his charming half-smile; small, but it reached his eyes.

"But...he is reliable in times like these. So, it's just a little longer to wait, maybe." Before she could ask what he meant, "By the way," he suddenly asked. "What's your name?"

"Oh, my name? It's Kotomi." His eyes widened, and for a second it looked like he was going to say something, but when Kotomi heard the heavy metal door scrape against the concrete floors. She shot up to her feet and scrambled onto the bed, pretending that she hadn't moved. Her instincts told her they wouldn't be happy if prisoners were entertaining each other.

"You're awake, good." Akashi, flanked by the usual Kuroko, Aomine, Midorima, Kise, and Murasakibara.

"Have you come to transfer me to my new cell?" She asked innocently. The range of twitches and furrowed brows disapproved of her dark humor, but she was in no mood to placate them. Akashi never took his eyes off her: Kotomi couldn't deny the way it made her skin crawl.

"Daiki." Without a word, Aomine turned to the opposite cell and opened it with one hand, using the other to grab the young man by the collar of his shirt. He slammed him up against the cell door, using his body to slam it shut. Kotomi flinched at the sound and the grunt of pain.

"Don't be a brute, Daiki!" She snapped. In response, Aomine then slammed him up against the bars of her cell, and she watched up close the way he gritted his teeth. In a panic, Kotomi reached up to try and touch the stranger, but Murasakibara grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

"Better not touch him, Koto-chin." Murasakibara held the young man down by his hair, the pretty face contorted in pain while he smiled in amusement at Kotomi's horror. "Who knows how many diseases this guy could have, right?" His only response was a scowl from the dark-haired girl he once used to lift onto kitchen counters and carry on his shoulders.

"This isn't a punishment, Kotomi. We've come to teach you a lesson, because we know you're a smart girl, just naïve. This man is a filthy Wastelander, just like the vagabonds that put you in here."

"You put me in here." Kotomi asserts. "Don't push the blame onto someone else, Sei. It's unbecoming." She kicked the bars and grabbed them, fruitlessly tugging as if it would miraculously bend to her will.

"Since you want to go to the battlefield so bad, we're gonna show you what it really means." Aomine drawled. She didn't know him, but there was no chance in hell she was going to let a life go to waste just to prove a stupid point.

"He's innocent! He said you beat him up for no reason!"

"We didn't recognize him, and he refused to identify himself." The once pacifist Kuroko claimed, his eyes hard and merciless. "He's a threat that has to be put down."

"More of a threat than me? Would you be able to kill me? I helped terrorists escape." She sneered, but there was no reaction.

"You're just confused, Kotomicchi," Kise reasoned, reaching through the bars to touch her cheek. She winced like his touch burned her. "It's because we were away from you for so long, but now we're back. And we won't make the mistake of leaving you again."

"I don't want to be by your side if you're like this." She felt ugly when his face fell, and she almost felt guilty with how pitifully his gaze fell to the ground, but it's overwhelmed by the panic she felt on behalf of someone who was unlucky enough to be an instrument for this sick, sick game.

"No matter who he is, Wastelander or not, they're not all monsters. We're all just trying to survive. If you kill him, who is not in combat with you, who is completely at your mercy, then you're no better than monsters."

"It isn't about killing because we want to, we're minimizing liabilities." Midorima explained, clutching an expensive vase close to his side. "If this man could get inside the city, he becomes a walking map for his comrades. Then, they'll be storming the city, and will be able to lay out the order they lay siege on us."

"This is how the world works, Kotomi." Akashi unholstered his pistol and, despite Kotomi's cry of fear, pressed the muzzle to the back of his head. Kotomi shook the bars so hard her shoulders creaked in protest.

"Sei, stop it!" She sounded so desperate, even to her own ears. "Please, don't do this!"

This isn't you.

"This is the world, Kotomi. It's cruel, and only the powerful survive."

This isn't us.

"You won't be able to go back if you do this! It's different from killing in battle!"

We're not supposed to be like this.

"Because we're powerful, we can protect you. But if you're going to side with the weak, we'll have no choice but to show you what the world does to those who are easily broken."

Come home.

"Stop!" She looked desperately to the rest of them, but her pleas fall upon deaf ears. Tears streaked her face as she threw herself against the bars as if she could throw her own body over the stranger, who kept his composure, even then. "Please, stop it, stop it!"

Is this my fault after all…? Kotomi sobbed weakly, heartbroken. If she had just sat in her room, if she had just been their happy and gentle Kotomi, would she have ever come to realize such a horrific truth? That her friends were never coming home, replaced by these cold-eyed killers?

That this war had finally touched her life beyond the day she was found in the ashes of some slum city? That she lived a life of luxury and turning a blind eye to the suffering of those who protected her prosperity?

"This is all because you defied me, Kotomi. My orders are absolute. The winners are awarded everything, and the losers are denied the right to life. I only want you to be a winner like us."

No.

It wasn't her fault. She wasn't holding the gun, or threatening someone's life. All she wanted was the power to protect. There was nothing wrong with wanting a place in this world. Nothing wrong with wanting to protect your loved ones. Her only failure was not starting that journey sooner.

As Kotomi raised her head, she made eye contact with every single one of them before she gave them her final warning.

"I'll never forgive you if you do this."

"It doesn't matter." Kotomi's eyes widened in disbelief at the cold stares that met hers.

I've waited at an empty door long enough.

"As long as you live, the way you feel doesn't matter."

I am not a prisoner.

"Don't worry your pretty little head too much, Kotomi." Aomine ruffled her hair, but it felt like his touch burned her scalp. "You won't be too mad for long."

But I am trapped.

Waiting for the gunshot that would destroy her dreams of that faraway plum tree, of days of eating biscuits and reading poetry, Kotomi closed her eyes and felt a single tear slide down her cheek.

Will you spend the rest of your life an obedient song bird?

"This is hard to listen to." Kotomi's eyes flew open at the new, smooth voice, tear-flooded eyes falling on the young man whose face still connected with the ground. Akashi's smile fell right off his face, becoming unreadable to most. But Kotomi could see the annoyance as clear as day.

"No one told you to speak."

"If I'm about to die for something as trivial as a 'lesson,' then I'd like to have a few words." Aomine stepped forward to stomp on his head, but Akashi raised a hand to stop him.

"No, let him talk. I'll grant him this last wish, at least." He looked to Murasakibara, who scowled and reluctantly removed his hand. The young man sat up. Those cobalt blue irises scanned the room. His eyes finally fell on Kotomi, as he appraised her for a moment. She suddenly felt quite self-conscious, sniffling pathetically while she rubbed at her stinging eyes.

"Just a little longer, hang in there." Kotomi blinked, confusion veiling her fear and despair for a moment as she tried to find meaning in his words.

"That doesn't mean you can talk to Kotomicchi, you're beneath her." Kise growled, eyes narrowed in warning. "Don't even look at her."

"Last I checked, she said you were friends, but you sound more like owners, it's unpleasant." Kotomi's eyes widened as her head whipped back and forth, wondering how this person was so confident.

"You talk a lot for someone who's about to die. Aka-chin, just kill him already, I'm getting tired of listening to trash move its mouth." Murasakibara glowered while looking down on the seated captive as if he were some foul insect. Unperturbed, the young man faced Kotomi, a tiny smile curling his lips, sparking with some kind of knowing emotion.

" You wouldn't happen to be Kotori-chan, would you?" After a moment, Kotomi sputtered and gasped. If he knew that nickname, then...

"What are you going on about?" Midorima asked, irritation showing on his brow. None of them liked that she was smiling for someone else. Even Kuroko glared at the young man with a dark, uneasy expression.

"You recognize me...?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah, and I finally found you. Hang on for me, because it's almost over." Kotomi felt hope flood her chest where there was nothing before.

'Bokuto-kun, do you have a best friend among the others?' Kotomi asked him out of the blue one say, resting after a peaceful day of rigorous training.

'Akaashi is my best friend, since he's one of the coolest guys, other than me!' Bokuto cried, to which Kuroo gasped in horror.

'Bo, I thought I was your best friend!'

'No, bro," Bokuto grabbed Kuroo's hand and shoulder.

'You're my bro.'

'Bro...' As they whispered words of praise to one another, Kotomi deadpanned, staying out of it.

'I don't know who that is...'

Her dear friends jumped when Kotomi suddenly started laughing, not even bothering to cove her mouth this time. Purely, loudly, cleanly, she laughed as hope returned to her in just a few recollections.

"How can you say something so brave at a time like this...? You're way too cool, just like he said you are...Akaashi-san..." He only smiled, and despite the bruises that marred his flesh, Kotomi felt her heart skip a beat.

"Careful, Bokuto-san might get jealous."

"You've had your words," Kise suddenly cried, his golden eyes almost feral as he could no longer watch the amicable exchange between an enemy and his most beloved person. "How dare you be so friendly with our Kotomicchi! It's your guys' fault that she ended up like this!"

She thought it was her imagination, but she thought she felt something rumble, even through the thick, windowless walls of the prison. But when Akashi's eyes traveled in the same direction as hers, her eyes flew back to Akaashi, who smiled knowingly.

"Do me a favor, Kotori-chan, I need you to duck."

"Huh…?" Realization and explosions occur at the same exact moment, and Kotomi just barely managed to lower her body to the ground as a blast rocked the building's foundation, originating from further down the hall. Everyone staggered a bit, but Aomine was the first to recover, already sprinting down the hallway toward the explosion.

"Atsushi, Tetsuya. Go follow Daiki. Ryota, Shintaro, follow me. We'll come from the front and see for ourselves what's going on." Akashi barked out his orders and then fired at Akaashi once. The prepared dark-haired teen managed to roll out of the way: the stray bullet gashed the concrete where Akashi had once been sitting.

"You stay away from her. She belongs to us." Akashi sounded calm, but Kotomi 's instincts told her to cower. But before he fired again, Kotomi leapt out of her position threw herself at the bars one more time and grabbed hold of Akashi's arm.

Just as he fired, she yanked his body toward him. She could only ever catch him off guard in this kind of chaos, so she once again, she had no time to celebrate his surprised grunt. The shot discharged, but likely embedded itself into her cell's wall.

The messy-haired Wastelander threw his body at red-head's torso at the same time, as if trying to wrestle him to the ground. Kotomi saw his face: his eyes were growing wild; his hair was ruffled. He looked like a fierce predator in the midst of a territorial dispute.

Akashi, an iron fortress, was finally, finally flustered, so much so that he dropped the gun so he could grab his assailant by the hair, other hand pulled back in preparation for a swift punch. Before any of them could move, Kotomi heard a familiar cry, and a flash of silver and flew past her vision.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Bokuto-san!" Kotomi and Akaashi cried out at the same time. The two-toned silver-haired teen clashed with Akashi, the latter having to use his pistol to block the knife Bokuto tried to strike him with.

"Akaashi, get Komi-chan somewhere safe and rendezvous with the others! Komi-chan, cut 'im loose!" He used his free hand to toss her another knife, which she caught.

"Kotomi!" Akashi warned in a snarl as he began to overpower Bokuto, much to her shock and amazement. Bokuto was among the toughest to beat, strength-wise. And while Akashi didn't seem weak, she certainly didn't think he was a brute force type.

"Fujisaki-san." Akaashi called her attention back by shoving his hands through the bars and looping one link of his handcuffs around the bar in front of her. "The blade should be strong enough. Strike it!"

Understanding immediately, Kotomi raised the knife above her head and brought it down with as much strength as she could muster. It took two more consecutive before the chain gave way. As soon as he was free, Akaashi turned his palm toward the ceiling, and opened it to reveal the cell door key. She gasped.

"When did you-" She immediately flashed back to when the young man had lunged at the red-head. "Akaashi-san, you're really way too cool!"

"Komi-chan, I'm cooler than him!" Bokuto cried defiantly, which almost distracted him enough for Akashi break away. "Uwah!"

"Focus, Bokuto-san!" Akaashi unlocked the door, grabbing Kotomi's hand and held it tight as they made a sprint for the door, but before she could get too far, a powerful force yanked Kotomi's ponytail and threw her to the ground. Akashi held onto the fistful of hair for dear life while still fending off Bokuto with just one hand.

"You're not going anywhere." His voice held dark promise. "I'll remove your eyes and limbs before I let you get away from me!"

"Sei…" He met her eyes as she looked up at him, fear in her rounded eyes as they locked eyes not as equals, but as captor and captive. There wasn't a single inch of warmth in the surface of that crimson gold gaze.

"We need you here, Kotomi. Don't give up on us. We promised we'd be together forever, isn't that right? Satsuki needs you here, too." Leaving meant not being able to come back. At least, not a free person. Could she really do that? This was her home. He must have felt the way her struggle lessened, because Akashi followed that route like a desperate pauper on the hunt for alms.

"Kotomi," His voice was as tight an iron grip as the one around her hair. "Let's start over. I won't hurt you anymore after this, I swear. We'll take care of you."

"Sei…"

"As if I'd let you do that!" Bokuto suddenly shouted. He sounded so angry that it snapped Kotomi right out of whatever trance he had her under. The silver haired rebel grabbed Akashi by the collar and successfully drove a knee into his stomach. Akashi grunted in pain and hunched over to nurse the blow, but he kept his hold on her hair.

"Don't make stupid promises you should never have to make in the first place, you simpleton!" Kotomi gaped. Bokuto? Calling Akashi Seijurou a simpleton? The teen looked bewildered when Kotomi burst into laughter a second time, until she felt tears prick her vision and her stomach ache.

"Bokuto Koutarou..." Bokuto's cheeks flushed as she smiled at him. "I was wrong, you're the coolest." Her fist tightened around the handle of the blade in her hand, and in one clean and decisive motion, she sliced through it, separating her from Akashi's iron grip. Strands of loose hair fluttered to the ground like raven's feathers as Kotomi wasted no time in clambering to her feet.

Bokuto wasn't nice enough to let his weakness slide. Akashi had to block the incoming blade with his wrist, fitting it just beneath Bokuto's armed hand to avoid getting cut. Even in his flustered state, he had the mind to scoop up the knife Kotomi unwittingly discarded as she and Akaashi made a break for the door.

"You filth!" He hissed, but it left Bokuto unaffected, golden eyes widened with the adrenaline and euphoria of the fight.

"As long as she thinks I'm cool, you can call me whatever you want, Sei-kun!"

"I'll kill you!"

It was pure and utter chaos outside. Guards swarmed the area, but it seemed as though unseen assailants were dropping them like flies. Many were lying prone on the uneven dirt, disturbed by apparent grenade detonations.

"How are we getting out of here?" Kotomi asked quickly. Her mind was already shifting gears to those times in the battle simulations.

"We stole a few of your jeeps," Akaashi explained as he picked up a fallen handgun, while Kotomi found a small but usable dagger. She didn't have any plans to hurt anyone unless it was truly a last resort. She looked at Akaashi skeptically.

"How did you manage to steal jeeps? We can't travel too far with jeeps, there are no real gas stations outside the city!"

"We'll move quickly through the deserted places, and head to an extraction point. We can abandon the jeeps there. Our men do have a helicopter, but it's old and won't be able to come all this way." While he spoke, Kotomi found a few fallen trash cans. She picked up their covers and offered one to her partner. Akaashi deadpanned at first.

"How much damage could we possibly do with those?" He asked, though he did accept the offer.

"I would like to refrain from hurting anyone…so only as much damage as is absolutely necessary. And it's more about defending yourself from damage. You should treasure that pretty face of yours a little more." Her heart ached when she felt that she was channeling Momoi. She had made up her mind, but Kotomi knew she was essentially abandoning the one friend she still had in this city.

"Stop right there!" Just as they were ready to make a run for it, two Citadel soldiers finally discovered them, rifles drawn. Akaashi raised his weapon, ready for a shootout, but Kotomi grabbed his arm at the same time that one guard grabbed his partner's.

"No! Don't you recognize her!? She's with the Akashi family!"

"But who's the guy!?" As they started bickering, Kotomi threw the cover at one soldier and kicked the garbage can at the other. It wasn't enough to knock them over, but it did make flinch and accidentally fire off a few shots, a few of which grazed Kotomi's arm and Akaashi's face. While they were distracted, Kotomi looked for an escape route.

"Akaashi-san, lead the way!"

"Right!" Akaashi took the lead, but a military jeep suddenly appeared over the horizon. Kotomi frantically looked for a way out, but Akaashi grasped her hand to reassure her.

"It's our ride."

"Kotori-chan!" Her eyes widened as Oikawa climbed out of the jeep and onto the hood as the vehicle came to a stop. Kuroo was at the wheel, while Iwaizumi rode shotgun. Never in her life had she been so happy to see them.

"Well, looks like the little birdie made it out of her cage~" The relief in Kuroo's voice made her weak in the knees. Oikawa stopped in front of her, his eyes floating over to Akaashi and Kotomi's interlocked hands.

"Oi, Akaashi-kun, Kotomi is here now, so you can let go now." Oikawa pointed at their interlaced fingers. Kotomi quickly detached herself from him, but Kotomi reached up to gingerly check the collage of injuries littered around Akaashi's face. She ignored Oikawa, who squawked angrily while Akaashi stared at her in confusion.

"Let me treat this, later." She offered while biting her bottom lip. She was responsible for a good deal of these injuries.

"It's just a cut, though."

"It's a cut that you got because of me, let me take responsibility."

"Well, when you put it like that, I can't stop you." Akaashi said with a slight upturn of his lips. Kotomi felt her cheeks warm. Seriously, how was he so pretty? Oikawa suddenly jumped in between them.

"Enough, I said-!" Kuroo slammed on the horn, which shocked them all.

"Hate to be a party pooper," He joked, "but let's get the hell out of here!" Oikawa turned to Kotomi and smiled warmly at her as he offered her his hand.

"Let's go?" He asked her one more time. After only a moment, she took his hand and squeezed it. No turning back.

"Yes, let's go."

Thunk.

Both of them looked down, eyes widening simultaneously as they recognized the green, oval shape with ridges, missing its vital metal pin.

"Shi-!" Oikawa turned to run for the jeep, but the blast sent the world spinning and the Kotomi found herself on her back, eyes turned toward the spinning sky. She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped her.

Parts of her body seared with the white-hot pain, likely from burns. She tried to view her surroundings, looking for Oikawa and the others, but she couldn't see anything through her own distorted vision and the smoke that the grenade kicked up. There was no way they could have been killed.

"Kotomicchi!?" She heard Kise in the distance.

"Shit, she got caught in it." Aomine.

"You idiot!" Midorima. As far as she knew, three of them were in the area and the others were likely close behind as well. That was the push she needed to wrench herself into an upright sitting position.

Like hell I'm getting caught again.

As she managed to hoist herself to her knees, she felt someone grab her by the arm. Her eyes were still fuzzy, but she saw the baby blue of Kuroko, his ghostly appearance just barely visible in the chaos. His eyes were slightly widened with concern, softened by fear. He maneuvered her up into a sitting position and cupped her cheek, tapping it.

"Kotomi-chan! Kotomi-chan! Don't go to sleep!" He called to her. Her chest ached and she coughed, tasting copper in her mouth. Weapon, where was her weapon? She felt around her person, but she must have lost her dagger in the chaos. Was she really going to get caught here?

"No, I don't want…" Her words were marred by pain.

"It's okay, don't speak. I'm so sorry this happened..." He cried, resting his forehead to hers for just a moment before he called out to the smoke. "I found her! Get the medics ready!" Kotomi gritted her teeth.

"Kotori-chan!" Her neck screamed when she turned it, eyes finally clearing. Oikawa was standing about 10 feet in front of them. He clutched his arm as blood dribbled all the way down to his fingertips. There were jeeps gathering behind him, another set of geared up rebels dismounting to come to Oikawa's aid. Kuroko cursed softly, drawing his pistol as Kotomi heard Kise shouting for the others to follow him.

"They're over here!"

"Kotomi-chan is hurt!" Kuroko answered back. Despite the ringing, the searing pain, and her blurry vision, Kotomi mustered everything she had, to search around her blindly one more time. By some miracle, her hand found a chunk of street concrete.

"Tetsuya…I'm so sorry," She struggled to whimper. " but...I won't...be a weakling all my life!" With all her upper body strength, she tried to slam the concrete against Kuroko's head. She was too weak to do any actual damage, but the shock and pain was enough to have him reel back. He dropped her onto her stomach in the process. Without waiting for him to recover, she stumbled and made a blind dash for Oikawa, who is ran meet her halfway.

"Kotomi!" she paused when she heard the desperation in Kuroko's voice. Against her better judgement, she turned back to look at him. If she couldn't face him, or any of them, and share her resolve, then she couldn't just leave. Kuroko's blazed with anger, but also with fear and desperation.

"If you leave, you become our enemy! Please, reconsider!" Her heart stopped at this. They looked so desperate, even though they had treated her so horribly. The pain in their eyes made her hesitate. Even now, with their tactical gear and weapons stained with blood, she could still see those boys who left her side three years ago. There was no denying that even now, she loved them. Unwittingly, she took a step toward them.

"You're not a prisoner, Kotomi!"

Ash and dust filled her lungs as she coughed and hacked, looking up with tears in her eyes at the outstretched hand. She could hear them calling for her, telling her to return to them, but her eyes were locked with his.

"You said that they're your world, but there's more to the world than those guys," his voice was louder than anyone else's in the world right now. "you're not caged. You're free!" His truth finally reached her, crashing through the walls of deception she had helped them build around her. Without another thought, she lunged for his hand, gasping in desperation.

Bang.

Kotomi registered the shock and horror in Oikawa's eyes before she understood what happened. First, she heard someone cry in agony, and then she felt the sharpness, an odd tightness, and the wetness on her abdomen.

She slowed down, from a mad dash to suddenly staggering. The adrenaline pounding under her skin was her only support as she finally slowed to a stop in front of Oikawa. Her hand touched where it hurt and tilted her head at the shiny red wetness spread all over her palm and fingers.

She looked back as well, as all six of her childhood friends had arrived and stared in horror. Kuroko's head slowly turned to see one of the other soldiers holding the literal smoking gun. He looked just as horrified as the rest.

"I..it was an accident…!" The young man squeaked.

Three things happened in the next moment, as if time had slowed and then returned to speed all at once.

Oikawa screamed her name as he ran toward her.

Aomine shot the unfortunate soldier right in the head.

Finally, Kotomi's legs gave out as the searing pain toppled her right into Oikawa's arms.

With an agonized cry, he held her close as Kotomi tried to move her lips to reassure him, but she couldn't muster a single vibration. Oikawa scooped her up, despite his own injuries.

"We'll get you somewhere safe, just stay awake!" He ordered sharply. Kuroko and the others were racing towards them, but Kuroo, Iwaizumi, Akaashi, braced themselves for the incoming direct attack. Kotomi had no idea what was going on, as all she could see was the sky. Normally, she would be able to tell what time of day it was just by looking at the sky.

But strangely enough to her pain-riddled brain, she couldn't comprehend the colors. Faintly, she heard the others talking to her.

"What the hell kind of monsters are your friends, little bird!?" Kuroo's tone was wild, unlike his usual lazy drawl.

"We need to retreat!" Akaashi shouted across the gunfire, as he kept his eye trained through the crosshairs of his sniper rifle, comfortably rested on the hood of a jeep.

"But I'm not finished yet!" Bokuto roared from not too far off. She could just make out the monochrome twin peaks of his hair, but oddly enough the silver wasn't standing out today.

"Kotomi needs to be treated!" Iwaizumi snapped just as she heard him starting the engine of the jeep. As she turned her head just a millimeter, she realized that Oikawa had set her on the ground, and was holding his hands to her wound. His eyes were razor sharp, focus trained on keeping pressure on her wound. "We're not letting her get taken again!"

"Shit, fine!" Bokuto barked. She saw some blurred figures running behind Oikawa, who was entirely focused on her as he reached under the nape of her neck and tried to lift her up.

"We're getting up now, Kotori-chan." He whispered to her. More gunfire rang out as Kotomi lost sense of space and time. She could hear muffled voices frantically clamoring amongst each other. She was in so much pain she couldn't move or scream or cry.

Was this what a war zone felt like? How horrifying…Kotomi quickly felt the darkness eating at the corners of her vision but trailing behind it was something else. She thought she was going into shock, but…

Instead, she saw flashes of someone above her. Then she saw papers with strange writing and symbols, white-coated strangers, pill bottles, and one woman's face she recognized all too well with crimson red hair and matching eyes. In her arms rested a bouquet of cornflowers. Kotomi found herself smiling, but the smile faded as she looked down at the shard of broken glass, stained red by the blood on her hands.

"Help me…"

"I want to live."

"LIVE!"

The darkness dragged her down into its depths, beyond the realm of dream and reality.

"Kotomi! Kotomi!" Oikawa shook her firmly but sparingly, his eyes furious. His rage at the fading light in her eyes, the paleness of her skin, and the copious amounts of blood pouring from the wound in her abdomen was unfounded.

"Don't move her too much. Let's stop the bleeding first. As long as we can slow it-" Akaashi reasoned, trying to take her from his arms. Oikawa turned her away, holding her head to his chest with a bloody hand.

"Don't touch her!"

"Oikawa-" Iwaizumi was quick to swoop in and punch the back of Oikawa's head, shouting amongst the gunfire.

"Hand her over, dumbass! We have to cover them so they can get her help!"

"But-!"

"If you don't, she'll die, and I'll kill you!" Iwaizumi grabbed his friend by the collar of his vest and slamming their foreheads together. "We didn't do all this work just to watch her die, did we?" At this, Oikawa composed himself, and took a deep breath as he turned to Akaashi.

"Akaashi-kun, watch over her." As he transferred Kotomi into the younger boy's arms, Oikawa felt sick at the red liquid that slipped through his fingers and dripped to the ground.

"Understood." Akaashi laid her over the backseat and immediately pressing hard on the wound. Kotomi, who had blacked out, unwillingly returned to painful reality and moaned weakly in response.

Akaashi tried to keep her talking, to keep her awake, even if all she could manage were glances and pained cries. Noise meant she was alive. Oikawa climbed onto the jeep, keeping his rifle aimed as they begin to speed away. He made full eye contact with Kotomi's friends, who were still preoccupied by the remaining forces, and stared with equal or greater animosity to his own.

"Iwi-chan. Do you have any more grenades left?" Iwaizumi raised a brow, handing him the two hanging on his pouch.

"What are you planning?" Oikawa stood up; his eyes similar to a predator who just spotted its prey for the first time in days.

"Just a little distraction and a little revenge~" Iwaizumi looked back as well; eyes narrowed as he nods in approval. His eyes gleamed with a quiet anger.

"Don't kill them."

"That would be too easy, Iwa-chan!" he bit the pins on both grenades, throwing his head back to simultaneously pull them out and reel back. He launched them as hard as he could into the battlefield. They landed just as they exploded, creating a cover for them with another wall of dust and smoke. As the cloud of smoke shrunk in size, Oikawa fell back onto the ground, placing a hand on against Kotomi's pale cheek. Not caring that Akaashi was busy with her wound, he sighed in relief as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"You're going to be okay, now." Kotomi visibly relaxed, her hand inching close enough to pinch the sleeve of his shirt, eyelids fluttering. A peace settled over the drive as they drove away from the panic and into the desolate but serene horizon, flanked by the other escapees. They were heading home.

Once the smoke cleared, and the bloodshed slowed, Akashi found himself staring blankly at the crimson staining the disturbed dirt. It's where she collapsed and the only thing left of her, now.

"Akashi…" Midorima stood behind him, his eyes worn with despair and lingering shock. Murasakibara kicked at the corpse of a rebel, still raging.

"Oi! We still have some jeeps, don't we!? We're going after them!"

"For what?" Aomine's voice was as dead as the bodies littering the city, with his eyes fixed on the horizon. "So we can burn her body and stare at the fucking ashes all day?"

"She's not dead! She's not!" Kise sobbed in frustration. He sat the ground with his knees between a bowed head and hands hiding his face. "She wouldn't be, if they hadn't taken her-!" Kuroko stared at his calloused, blood spattered hands with disdain. His dimly lit world had suddenly lost its color.

"I dirtied my hands to protect her. To protect us. And now…they can't treat her out there. Why did they have to take her…?" He fell to his knees, and covered his face.

"It's only natural." Akashi suddenly said in an eerily calm tone. Kuroko looked up slowly, eyes widened in Akashi turned to face them.

"What…?"

"She became our enemy in that moment. She wasn't willing to be strong, so she lost, and she died. There was nothing we could have done for her. We cannot help those who don't wish to be helped." He asserted, walking ahead back towards the jeeps they had left. "We should report this to the Commander and Captain. It seems we have much to talk about."

"Akashicchi, how the hell can you be so calm…? Kotomicchi, she—" Kise tried to make sense of it. But Akashi cut him off.

"Betrayed us. And now she's dead. This is how the world works, remember? It doesn't exempt anyone from the rules. All we can do is continue to be strong. The strongest. Or we'll end up like her." Kise clenched his fists, the grit of sand and dirt scraping his well-manicured fingers.

"Just as Akashi says, Kise." Midorima sounded exhausted more importantly, unconvinced, turning to go as well. "If you disagree, then stay home with Momoi and stay out of our way."

"We can't even bury her…" Kuroko murmured weakly, tearing up and clutching his chest.

"That isn't a new development either, it's a shame, but we did everything in our power to protect her. There was no helping it. Those of you that don't agree, or wish to wallow in their pity, stay here."

Slowly staggering to their feet, they all reluctantly followed, one by one. First Akashi, then Aomine, Murasakibara, Midorima, Kise, and then finally Kuroko, who lingered the longest. He removed the old worn patch of cotton from his pocket and brought it to his lips. A single tear slipped down his cheek, before his eyes hardened, and he soon followed his longtime friends, now one person short.

Their last gasp of humanity had left them with her.

?

Kotomi stirred before she opened her eyes, knowing that whatever reality she awoke to would require quite a bit of energy. She faintly heard arguing, catching bits and pieces, the heads and tails of sentences followed by garbled confusion.

"We didn't have…She's a threat to us."

"You don't know her…Kotori…. suffered…"

"We don't need…useless…" Were they talking about her? She couldn't recognize any voices, but the tones didn't sound too pleased. As she opened her eyes, she instinctively squinted at the dim light shining directly on her eyes. The words finally started making sense to her.

"We won't throw her out on the streets again. She helped us escape, she has nowhere to go after this."

"Why would you want a traitor amongst you, anyway?" Kotomi's head followed the voices Iwaizumi and Kuroo were standing beside her, though she was laying down. The latter happened to catch her gaze, at first in disbelief.

But upon processing, Kuroo's eyes widened as he grabbed the metal side rails of her bed and leaned in close to her, which gave her a good look at his eyes. When he was excited, concentrating, or happy, they seemed to gleam so much that his irises were more like copper.

"Little bird!" His voice was so tender that it made Kotomi's heart ache with guilt. She must have worried him. The talking stopped. Kotomi slowly raised a bandaged hand and pressed it to Kuroo's cheek. Iwaizumi sat down at the folding chair at her side, watching her so closely it made her squirm.

"Are you okay? Anything hurt really bad? More than it should?" He asked pointedly. Kotomi shook her head, but before she could ask about what happened, her bed creaked in protest as someone sat on her bed.

"Kotori-chan!" She recognized his voice now that she was fully awake. Oikawa pressed a hand to her cheek, but the sting of her new burns made her twitch. But even in this state, she recognized that pain was good. It meant no nerve damage, maybe just some scarring.

"Ow..."

"S-Sorry!" He immediately pulled away, but he stayed on her bed, looking her up and down to make sure she wasn't hurting anywhere else.

The dark-haired teen found herself in a small, dirty old hospital room, nothing like the Akashi owned hospitals with their pristine tiles and paper white walls. Cheap wallpaper hung in strips on concrete skeletons that once resembled walls. It was dark, and Kotomi couldn't see the outside, because there were no windows. Her back ached from an old mattress that creaked if she moved a centimeter.

While she was in a great deal of pain, she couldn't bring herself to make it known for everyone to fret over her. She gritted her teeth as burning pain jumped up her spine, face and arms from burns and cuts.

There was a thin, moth-eaten blanket covering her form. Her eyes traveled to the small expanse of the room, quite surprised to see an IV hanging from a rusty stand attached to her bandaged arm. Standing near the foot of the bed, she saw someone she didn't recognize.

He was a tall, imposing figure wearing a general's uniform somewhat similar to the uniforms of the soldiers she saw, but in the color of stark black rather than a navy blue, though his hat was neatly tucked under his arm to expose olive brown hair.

His expression was strange. A cautious distrust alongside something less threatening, as if he was unsure of what to do in her presence. It was the same look as her friends when they first met, as well. But Oikawa was quick to get her attention again.

"Are you hungry? Tired? In pain?"

"I- "

"We can get you anything you need, so don't be shy!"

"Alright, but I- "

"Don't worry about anything now, okay? How are you feeling?"

"Um- "A fist flew out of nowhere and made its landing on the top of chocolate brown locks, causing Oikawa to yelp in pain as Iwaizumi growled.

"Wait for her to answer something!" However, the stranger raised a hand and stepped toward Kotomi.

"What's your name, girl?" He asked. Whoever he was, he must be important, because even Oikawa, who looked like he wanted to punch the man's teeth in, stayed back, lips pursed. Kotomi grunted as she sat up. Her abdomen shrieked hysterically at the movement, which left her unable to control her expression.

Kuroo placed a hand on her back to help her. His hand lingered on her shoulder; as expected of Kuroo, he never needed her to ask what she needed. Then, she turned to the young man who didn't seem much older than her.

"Fujisaki Kotomi, sir. May I ask who you are?" She half expected him to snap at her insolence, but instead, he answered calmly. His gaze never left hers.

"Ushijima Wakatoshi. My father is currently the standing commander of the Special Defense and Preservation Squad." Kotomi tilted her head to the side, never having heard of the name before. She looked to the three of her friends.

"This is the army we belong to, Kotori-chan. This guy is unfortunately our superior." Instead of noting Oikawa's blatant disrespect, Ushijima approached her, purposefully looming over her and staring into her eyes, as if trying to pry into her very soul.

"Fujisaki Kotomi. You understand why I am opposed to them having saved you." He was straight to the point, which was good. She knew she wasn't planning on betraying anyone here, so there was no reason to hold back with her answers.

"Of course. I am from the Citadel. I was the charge of a Citadel Official, and by my own designation an on-site medic. There is no discernable reason that I should want to join you other than to deceive you." Ushijima was, by no means shocked by any of his admissions. In fact, he smirked, satisfied with what he believed was the end of her response.

"Then- "

"But your men have shown me considerable kindness, more than I deserve, and more than I know what to do with. Therefore, I humbly ask you to let me join your ranks as a medic to repay them." Kotomi folded her hands in her lap and bowed her head to him, ignoring the way it pounded in protest.

" ...What can you do?" Still, he allowed her to speak. It was admittedly a bit surprising to her.

"I know a little bit about botany and medicine. I can greatly improve whatever system you have for first-aid, and best of all, I'll train whoever wants to be a medic in the craft." Ushijima brought a hand to his chin as he thought; Kotomi watched closely, as she could see the interest in his eyes.

"What about sharing the secrets of the Citadel? Like how your technology works, or how your government conducts itself?" Kotomi twitched. She didn't have enough time to think far enough ahead to think that he would ask, but it wasn't a farfetched request. If this man was as smart as he seemed, then that was likely the point of confronting her at her most vulnerable.

"Do you have to ask about this now, you jerk?" Oikawa suddenly asked. At the same time, Kuroo's hand on her back tensed.

"I'm afraid I don't have as much information on those fronts, but I can give you what I know." Ushijima scoffed with eyes narrowed at Kotomi's words. Like he didn't like her answer.

"You would change loyalties like that? It seems as though the Citadel only produces defective tools."

"I was never loyal to the Citadel, only to the people I called my family. But I left because my ideals and loyalties departed from that of the Citadel. I was grateful to the Citadel. Gratitude and loyalty aren't the same thing." His eyes widened and his lips pursed, but she didn't waver.

"And I am not a tool, and I don't intend on becoming a dog who wags its tail for anyone who offers me a treat. I cannot say that I have no emotions left for the Citadel, but not because I feel any kind of love for the place itself. But there are people here that I want to protect and fight for. And I wear the consequences for that wish with great pride." Kotomi straightened her back, unaware that Kuroo let his hand drop in awe as she leaned forward and continued her case.

"I don't know how much I can help you in what you, but I can tell you that my loyalty is like no other, and you feel that my words are not sufficient, then by all means: strike me down any time you wish."

There was a collective gasp around the room as Oikawa took Kotomi by the shoulders and forced her to look up, to lean back, his eyes flared up with shock and anger at her declaration.

"Don't say stupid, unnecessary shit like that." His voice had dropped an octave. "I want to believe that's a joke, but I've known you too long to be that hopeful."

"Little bird," Kuroo cautioned, glancing up at Ushijima's face with a bead of sweat running down his temple. At least the taller teen seemed just as shocked by the declaration as everyone else. "I think that's a bit much, isn't it?"

"It's too much." Iwaizumi echoed, the veins in his temple clearly throbbing despite the stoic expression on his face. But Kotomi kept her gaze on Ushijima.

"I don't have anywhere else to go. I can't go back to my old home. Let me die under my terms rather than live in captivity, or use me and my knowledge until I've overstayed my welcome." She kept eye contact with Ushijima, who stared right back with dark, olive colored eyes.

She clenched her fist into her shabby blanket, not wanting to be seen shaking. Part of her was genuinely frightened that he would turn her down, but she didn't want to establish herself as someone who would lower herself for conditional acceptance. Never again would she bow her head to someone who didn't respect her.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Either by divine intervention or simply by the sheer unpredictable force that was Bokuto Koutaro, the creaky wooden doors to the makeshift infirmary flew open and a rowdy Bokuto sprinted into the room. An exasperated Akaashi followed close behind, effectively decimating the once tense air. The silver haired teen locked onto Kotomi and dove for her.

"Komi-chaaaann!" If it weren't for Akashi, who grabbed hold of his collar, he would have tackled her and probably opened up her wound again.

"Sorry, I tried to stop him." Akaashi reasoned evenly, despite being able to hold the two-toned young man, who kicked and flailed in vain.

"Oi, Shittykawa, I thought you said you and Kuroo hogtied him in the closet." Iwaizumi glared at his childhood friend, brow raised and in between skepticism and relief.

"W-We did!" Oikawa raised his hands in defense while Kuroo shrugged with a clueless expression himself.

"We common men can only do so much with a beast like Bo, right, Oikawa?"

"Who are you calling a common man?"

"Hm hm hm!" Bokuto laughed in a haughty manner, chest puffed out pride and hands on his hips. "I'm way too awesome and strong for simple rope to hole me back!"

"Next time, use wire." Akaashi suggested.

"Or chains." Iwaizumi added.

"I think you should chain him up outside, to be honest." Kuroo offered

"Akaashi, you're supposed to take my side!" Bokuto pried himself out of his friends' grip to approach Kotomi with a surprisingly serious expression, the shift quicker than the flip of a switch. His hand reached out to steal a lock of Kotomi's hair as he smiled brightly at her, though strained slightly by genuine relief and concern.

"Welcome home!" Just two words, but it was enough for Kotomi to find her lips turning up into a smile as she laughed, even as her vision become blurry. Through her quickly forming tears, she saw the distorted Bokuto-shaped blob as it leapt back. He made a distressed screeching noise as he waved his arms frantically.

"Wait, sorry! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you!?"

"Bokuto, you idiot!" Oikawa was checking her for open wounds or exposed burns right away.

"Did something hurt? Water, someone get water and pain killers!" Kuroo commanded no one in particular, but Iwaizumi sprung to action.

"Got it!" Iwaizumi made a mad dash for the door. Kotomi panicked, raising a hand for the teens flitting to every corner of the room in search of a way to cheer her up.

"W-Wait!" Everyone froze in the position they were in exactly, which was kind of funny. "I-I'm fine, I promise, nothing hurts! Geez, you guys...what are you, mother hens?" She said this with a giggle, covering her mouth with a bandaged hand to giggle.

"Hmph." His voice almost surprised Kotomi, as she had admittedly forgot Ushijima was still int the room. His arms were crossed at his chest, and his expression was somehow...amused. "How does an unconscious person make themselves at home like this so easily...?"

"Just wait, I haven't even begun to build anything here." She said confidently. "I can help you make this a place a haven, Ushijima-san. Watch me closely." As he stared for several moments longer than her liking, Ushijima merely turned and left, without another word. She blinked. Was that an acceptance...?

"I can never tell what that bastard is thinking," Oikawa grumbled.

"Kotori-san," Akaashi's voice was soothing and gentle as he rubbed her back in a circular motion. It was only then that she realized she was still crying. Her abdomen ached and her head groaned. "If you need to cry, you shouldn't hold it back like this. You might reopen your wound."

"I'm sorry…" Kotomi hiccupped, hiding her eyes behind clenched fists. "My chest hurts…"

"Is it your ribs, or your lungs?" Kuroo asked softly, his hand trailing down to her shirt, like he wanted to check the site of the injury. Kotomi shook her head frantically, swallowing a sob even though tears still flowing down her cheeks. She lost everything she knew in one fell swoop. She should have felt lost, scared, and without hope.

There was so much swirling around inside her, burning a hole in her chest. A grief for what she lost, hope for what she's gained. She felt a deep gratitude for the warmth she felt at a time when she should be frozen, but also an unforgiving guilt for what she left behind chasing that warmth.

"My heart…it's in so much pain…I've never felt this much pain before...I don't get understand it." Oikawa threw his arms around her without missing a beat. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and stroked her hair affectionately as she returned his embrace, hiding her face in his chest. She shut her eyes and hiccupped again, sobbing quietly as she felt wave after wave hit her.

"Uuuu...ugh..."

"Kotori-chan, if you cry and cling to me so cutely, I'll start feeling like I'm going to cry too. But it's okay. You don't have to feel such painful things alone." He pulled her face back to wipe a stray tear away with his thumb. " We're with you." Kotomi's eyes widened, and she sobbed without restraint and hid her face away again as everyone slowly closed in, if only to provide silent support.

After weeks, no, years of crying alone or holding back her tears, Kotomi finally had a place and arms to cry in again. And cry she did, until her throat ached and her tired mind drifted off again without her knowledge into a blissful yet warm numbness...

"She sleeps like a baby." Oikawa murmured as he ran his fingers through the frayed and burnt edges of shiny dark hair. "The fact that those guys would lock her up like a damn animal makes my blood boil. And that damn Ushiwaka treating a patient like that."

"You tried to punch her when you first met." Iwaizumi deadpanned.

"T-That's not the same thing as locking her up!"

"What did you call her after you guys met? It was something like a 'brute with a pretty face.'" Kuroo joined in on the teasing, never one to miss out on a chance to poke fun at him.

"It's a compliment, since that's part of her charm, too!" Iwaizumi rolls his eyes.

"He had a point. Besides, she held her own against him."

"True, Little bird was really cool standing up to him." Kuroo sighed dreamily. "I almost fell in love~"

"What, what? Komi-chan stood up to Ushiwaka!? And I missed it!?" Bokuto gasped, horrified.

"Shut up, you damn owl!" Oikawa hissed. "Get out of here, before you wake her up!"

"But why do you get to stay!?"

"Because I want to cuddle her while she sleeps!" Oikawa hissed too loudly.

Silence.

...

"You such a scummy guy." Kuroo whistled in feigned disbelief.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Iwaizumi looked disturbed.

"Perhaps we were trying to tie up the wrong person." Akaashi deadpanned. Iwaizumi shook off his disgust and approached the slumbering teen, idly brushing away a tear that remained unshed by her eye.

"…Is she really going to be okay?" Iwaizumi suddenly questioned. Oikawa's comedic growling at Bokuto ceased. A cold breeze chilled the room as they all stared down at the floor. "She's never been out of that place before, right? And now she's here, and it's not exactly the best place for someone like her."

"We survived." Kuroo muttered. "Besides, she has to survive. Personal feelings about her aside, she has potential for developing our resources. The Citadel is good at keeping secrets, so we hardly know anything."

"She's not like us." Akaashi countered. "I don't know her as well as you guys do, but will she really be able to understand our issues and find viable solutions to those problems?"

"That's not true," Oikawa interrupted. "She told us she was brought to the Citadel when she was 8, right? That means she was living like us, probably up until then. That's why I think she's going to be just fine. We know better than anyone that life out here changes you, for better or worse." Oikawa stated confidently. "Anyway, she has me, and I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, anyway."

"Oi, what about the rest of us? It's not like you took care of her by herself, Shittykawa." Iwaizumi growled.

"If I remember correctly," Kuroo countered with a cat-like grin. "It was you two who set up the bomb that nearly blew her to bits, isn't that right?" Both teens flinched like they were stabbed.

"And Iwaizumi punched her in the head that one time!" Bokuto joined in, leaning forward in his eagerness to expose his friends.

"Oikawa tried to genuinely punch her teeth in when they first met." Suddenly Iwaizumi was desperate to steer the conversation away from him. He glared at his fist like it had a mind of its own. Oikawa gaped at his supposed best friend while the others shot him with stunned disgust.

"Her teeth?"

"Yeah, he said that 'even her teeth were pretty, and it pissed him off.'"

"Iwa-chan, I told you that in confidenc-ACK!"

"You guys are going to wake her up." Akaashi noted as the bickering started heating up. Akaashi glanced down at the slumbering girl, eyes widening slightly as he noticed the upwards curl of her lips, and half-lidded eyes. Their eyes met for a moment, and Kotomi discretely brought a finger to her lips in a hushing motion, before she closed her eyes again. Akaashi smiled to himself.

No, she'll be alright...

WHACK!

"Oww!" Iwaizumi ended up conking her on the head again while trying to drive a fist into Oikawa's gut.

"Shit!"

"Iwa-chan!"

...I think.

Omake:

The door flew open after 20 minutes of bickering to reveal a beautiful young woman with shiny, silky, jet black hair and icy blue eyes, like the clear waters of a mountain spring hiding behind a pair of glasses. She wore a cold, unamused expression as she regarded the teens with irritation.

"Your friend is resting. If you're going to fight, do it outside. If you don't, I'll hang all of you upside down." She closed the door again, leaving nothing but silence in the room.

"Why did I get scolded, too?' Akaashi questioned blankly.