Heaven's Fall

Chapter 1 - Unknown Places

Unknown location - Somewhere between Kansai and Yokohama

~Kuroo's POV~

It all happened in a blur. One minute I was training endurance with my team, the next I found myself on the ground just before I'm knocked out. I can't exactly remember what happened between that. I do remember Kenma screaming my name, but that's all. The hell happened..and why?

My eyes opened some time later, and I awoke in a strange room. Thankfully, I wasn't tied up but I appeared to be dressed like some hospital patient. The plain pale blue pajamas felt cold as a draft hit my skin. The bed was warm enough, but everything about this room was a lot colder. I wrapped a blanket over my shoulders and wiped my groggy eyes. My head felt heavy, and I was dizzy. It felt like whatever drug they had given me had yet to fully wear off.

Through my tired gaze, I looked around the room. It was rather plain for a hospital room. White walls surrounded me and white linoleum flooring spread underneath the small cot-like bed that I slept on. A door could be seen on the back right-hand corner of the room; it must have been the bathroom. A couple small shelves leaned against the ivory walls, and they seemed to have only a few articles of clothing but not enough. However, one thing that did catch my attention: a small black camera was positioned on the top, front left-hand corner, just opposite from the bathroom. A tiny red light flashed next to the lens, showing that it was on. So they were monitoring me? I sneered at the thought. Creepy.

I willed my tired body to stand up and winced at the floor pressed against my feet like ice. Letting go of the blanket as it fell to the floor, I reached toward the shelf and pulled a ruby red sweater from one of the shelves. I had never seen such a sweater, but least it would keep me warm. With a tired grunt, I pulled the sweater on over my shoulders. There were no mirrors in the room, so I couldn't quite see my reflection too well. However, with close inspection I would say that the top fit me.

A turn of the doorknob jerked my attention and I stood, ready to defend myself. I may not have had much experience, but I was taught a few things on how to defend myself. Even through my tired presence, I felt the adrenaline rush through me as I waited.

The door slid open and Tooru Oikawa stood in the doorway. His expression held a confused stare, and I could tell that much like me, he was also taken here against his will. "Tetsuro," he said softly like a scared child, "Where are we?"

With him here it seems that we can walk around freely. I stepped over toward the brunette. We haven't spoken much, but even I knew about his arrogance as the so-called "Great King". However, I knew about his track record, and that he was a gifted and talented volleyball player like I am...and captain of the Aoba Johsai team. I could admit that I wouldn't mind playing against the bastard one day. However, something in him changed...and I don't think that we will ever play against each other. What was worse, is that we weren't brought here at the same time.

"Oikawa-san," I spoke. He looked at me, hoping for some kind of answer. "I just woke up. I have yet to leave this room like you left yours. How am I supposed to know?"

He started whining. "Tetsuro-saan...you were the first person who I was familiar with that I found! I have been here for 2 days and I don't like it here! They never give me any kind of answer. Instead they run lots of tests and it's annoying!"

I raised an eyebrow. Tests? What for? "What...do you mean?"

"Oh you know," Oikawa answered, rubbing his hair, "physical tests. Like running, blood tests, and circulation tests, and all those other tests that hospitals run. However, I don't think this is a hospital." He gripped my sleeve and pleaded, "Please Tetsuro-san, you are smart. You might know where we are."

I sighed. Remembering those times when Kenma would play his video games, there had always been stories about experimentation. This also happened in movies as well. Maybe that's where we are. A lab of some kind? "You want my guess? We're in a lab somewhere… They could be experimenting on you, and in that case," I took a deep breath as I calmed my boiling anger, "I'm next."

"But why?" Oikawa pressed.

"I...really don't know," I sighed again, "But if you don't mind, I would like to look around. I know I won't find much, but it could help familiarize ourselves with whatever is going on."

Oikawa walked towards the door and turned to face me over his shoulder. "You're right. It's not much, but it will help. Come on." He exited the room. I quickly grabbed some socks and followed him.

As we were walking down the corridor, I frowned at his appearance. He definitely seemed off for someone so arrogant. Was he really that confused after a couple days? If they put him through those tests, were they really that bad that they would change him this much? Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and he stopped. Those confused eyes slowly gazed back at me, and I sighed. This was completely out of character for him. I guess I figured it out.

"How long were you here for?" I demanded, bracing myself for an answer that was difficult to swallow.

His eyes shifted out of focus for a moment. "I told you...two days."

"Oikawa-san, don't lie to me," I sighed again, sounding like a concerned parent. "How long have you been here for? Because even I know about the 'great King' and his attitude. We may not have interacted for very much if any at all, but this is the personality of a scared child. How long...were you here? Is the testing really that bad that you would-"

Suddenly my face is met with a slap. I turned my head to the side from the force as I suddenly let go of his arm. He was guarded, glaring at me with those fierce brown eyes. "You don't want to know...what they are doing to me," he said slowly, "What they could do to you. I was their prototype. While phase 1 consists of the easy stuff, they already started phase 2. So you're right...I've been here a lot longer. Truthfully, I don't know how long it has been since I became cooped up in here without ever seeing the sunlight."

I pursed my lips. Well I guess using my talent for provocation truly stirred something in him, and making him angry when he was already shaken up was part of the plan to get him to open up. Now that I know at least some information, I can at least get some kind of idea. "Have you at least tried to escape?" I asked, firmly expecting a negative answer.

Sure enough he gave me one, and an abrupt one at least. "There are guards everywhere," he continued. "They watch you through surveillance cameras that are in every corner." I looked up and confirmed his explanation, with every corner that corridor turns, there's a camera. I could only assume that there was one in every room too. "They said that they would let me go when I finished all their tests," Oikawa went on, showing his faded confidence, "They would let me go with some kind of reward. They would even help me get to where I needed to be...they would give me some kind of scholarship. My long years of hard work would finally be rewarded." He looked away, his fists clenching as he tried to hold back his emotions with every ounce of his strength. "But this...this is even more painful than the strenuous practice I had to put in!"

My frown deepened. I knew that Oikawa worked harder than anyone else. He put his own body on the line, so much so in fact that he messed up his knee while doing it. That kind of work ethic and determination was admirable. However, when Aoba Johsai lost to Karasuno during the Spring Tournament qualifiers, those dreams of going to Nationals went up in smoke. It was clear that they are lying to him, especially after what he told me. When I opened my mouth to say something, I closed it immediately afterward. I couldn't press even further. If I told him the truth, he would snap and I could definitely see that he was close to it. I should give the guy a break for now until I can see these tests for myself.

"I hope you don't mind me asking one more question," I said. He looked at me over his shoulder again, prompting me to continue. "If you said that you had been here for a while, surely you would know where we were before you asked me that question. So I want to know why."

Oikawa faced in front of him again. "They never told me anything. They just said tests. I knew that this was a lab...but what KIND of lab, is the question. Why are they doing this? Where are we in conjunction with the rest of civilization?" He looked at me again. "That's what I meant."

Something told me that they are waiting for something. Could this be a group project? If they captured Oikawa and then me, then who's next? Since I dreaded the answers to those questions, I geared the questions to a new topic. "What do you do for food?"

"They do some kind of catering in the common room, which is where we're headed. Again, it's not too elaborate, but it's enough to at least satiate our appetite." He said nothing after that.

I could only watch as he just silently turned the corner. Deep inside, I wanted to tell him not to worry about a thing, that we will figure something out. However, if he's been here for a while, then it's best not to get his hopes up. A small gurgling noise sounded in my stomach. How long was I out for? I'm sure that it's been a good while since I last had something. So Oikawa actually realized that I was hungry. A small nervous smirk showed on my face. On one hand I was anxious about these up and coming tests, but on the other hand, I was rather excited. I don't know why, honestly, but the thought of getting to know a fellow captain aside from my best friend Bokuto seemed like something to look forward to. If only things would have been under different circumstances.

Oikawa pushed through a couple of heavy double doors at the end of the corridor, and I shielded my face at the bright glare that reflected off of the white walls. This glare was caused by fluorescent lighting that appeared to be freshly replaced. Though, I probably guessed that since I just woke up not too long ago, my eyes were still adjusting to the lights.

When my sight was eventually focused, I glanced at Oikawa's side view. There was an intense look in his eyes that would make anyone intimidated. Curious about what he saw, I turned my head to face the same direction my colleague was staring at and froze.

In the centre of the room, there was a rather long, U-shaped couch that curved around a small table in the centre. This couch could fit a group of about 6 people or more. There was someone sitting on it. Sensing us staring, he stood up to greet us with a "hello". He was rather tall with a bit of a muscular build, with short brown hair. He had his hands in the pocket of a purple and white sports jacket as he stared coldly back at us.

Wakatoshi Ushijima...the captain and ace of Shiratorizawa High School. So he was here as well. Ushijima was a powerhouse and one of the best teenage athletes of our generation. While seeing him was nerve-wracking for me, Oikawa on the other hand had other reactions.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He spat, standing on his guard. I sighed at the reaction. These two don't really get along, don't they?

Ushijima was rather indifferent. "Same reason as you I assume," he answered bluntly. "And something tells me that I'm not going to like it."

Despite his fears, a wide, twisted smile curled upward on Oikawa's face. "Wouldn't you like to know? I could bore you with the details. Maybe it is a good thing that you're here after all, because then I would get to witness the suffering they would put you through as they begin to slowly tear your mind apart." I knew that he was holding back; it seemed that his hands were shaking like he was fighting his actions. One sudden move…

Ushijima suddenly turned his back. "You really don't like me. I am beginning to see that. Whatever I did to you...I'm sorry."

Oikawa was about to come back with an insult but I intervened. "Enough guys." I looked at Ushiwaka, "When did you get in?"

The Shiratorizawa captain crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling, studying the tiles that spread across the ceiling. "I don't know. I woke up about maybe 15 minutes ago at least? 20 minutes ago? It's hard to tell." He looked at me. "There was no bedside clock beside my bed and I woke up with no memory of how I got there or what led to that point. I do remember walking to school with Tendou though."

I rubbed my chin in thought. That was in the morning and if I am correct in assuming this, school starts at 8:30, so that must have been sometime after 8 in the morning. I was doing stamina training at 7:30 in the morning, so he must have gotten here while I was asleep. Oikawa was still unknown. I looked at Ushijima again. "Do you recall anyone else coming here?"

"In what way?"

"Like one of our rival schools," I clarified.

Ushijima shook his head. "Not really. As far as i'm concerned, you two are the only ones here aside from me." He looked at Oikawa. "I did see you wandering around though so that made me assume that I could wander around too...and I ended up here."

"Good for me," Oikawa grumbled.

My eyes scanned the room and sure enough, I found the spread of food on the east side. Oikawa was right. Nothing too fancy, just whatever you could find at a catering event. I took a few sandwiches, fruit and cheese from the platter, then poured some hot coffee from one of the dispensers. From the corner of my eye, Oikawa sat down and let out a shaky breath. Poor guy, I thought to myself as I narrowed my eyes and regained my attention on the coffee and food in my hands. Who knows what they do to him, and if what he said is true, we are here for the long haul and it's about to get worse.

As if he could read my mind, Ushiwaka asked, "How long are we going to be in this place?"

"Who knows?" I walked over to the couch, carrying my breakfast with me.

"How long has Oikawa-san been here?" Ushiwaka pressed, as he looked at Oikawa.

"None of your business!" Oikawa snapped. The other brunette widened his eyes.

"Long enough," I came to Oikawa's defense. "Don't mind, Ushiwaka-san. However, if you ask me, I don't think we're leaving here any time soon."

"Oh…" Ushiwaka became silent after that. He silently got up and walked to the food table.

"Want me to get you anything?" I offered, looking sideways at Oikawa.

The captain of Aoba Johsai shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

I shrugged and went back to my breakfast. It was actually pretty good for such a small spread, and it seems that our captors wanted us to at least enjoy the food. We're going to be their guinea pigs after all, so might as well have something to enjoy, I suppose.

As we sat in eerie silence - with only the sounds of Ushiwaka and my eating and drinking - something didn't feel right and that's not just because we were captured and in an unknown place. I don't know what it was, but it felt like the calm before the storm. I gazed at the clock ticking away in a tiny cage on the northwest wall. It must have been an hour since Oikawa and I arrived here, and that was about 15 minutes before I woke up. A nerve-wracking question remained at the pit of my stomach - why haven't they called me yet? Surely they weren't finished with Oikawa yet, so why is he still here? And what about Ushiwaka? Are they waiting for something?

Some footsteps alerted the three of us and we turned to face the newcomers. A shorter boy with black and white hair and a stoic expression scanned the room with his yellow eyes as he entered. So this was Shinsuke Kita, captain of Inarizaki. I heard that they were a powerful team, but sadly my team never got the chance to face them.

Coming up close behind him was someone I definitely knew. My breath got caught in my throat as I stood up from the couch. "Daichi...Sawamura," Oikawa whispered shakily.

The captain of Karasuno was tense as he looked around the room in confusion. "Where are we?"

This is when I figured it out. All of us had one thing in common - we were all captains of our respective teams! They were targeting captains! But why? Everything on my body shook as my mouth twitched. Even though I drank my coffee just moments ago, my throat and mouth felt dry from the stress. I swallowed a huge lump in my throat as my eyes locked onto Daichi. If that was the case...then could they be taking all of the captains or just certain ones? And worse yet, could Bokuto be targeted as well?

I thought about my best friend from Fukurodani Academy. He wouldn't know how to handle this type of situation. We've gotta get out of here now before anything else happens.

"Kuroo-san," Daichi repeated, the stress in his voice rising from the severity of the situation, "Where are we?"

"I don't know!" I suddenly blurted out in a panic. "We're at some kind of research facility somewhere. Just get out now before something else happens!"

"DON'T BE SO NAIVE!" Oikawa suddenly snapped as he also stood up. "If you idiots THINK about escaping, you're out of your damn minds! Even if you think that there isn't anyone around, read the FUCKING room! There are cameras everywhere watching our every move!"

Even Kita's stoic expression turned into that of a shocked one. "Are you saying that, we're here for a while?"

"A LONG while," Oikawa answered. "I stopped wondering how long when they started phase 2…" He paused and then shook his head, "No...after the 3rd day of testing."

"You had been missing for 3 months, Oikawa," Daichi said, garnering even more shock. "You're delirious after being stuck inside this facility for so long. I'm surprised that they haven't fully broken you yet."

3...months? Has it truly been that long? I looked closely at Oikawa, and it was starting to become clear. I barely noticed it due to the lighting in my room but now that we're in a different area, the painful truth was right in front of me. His eyes once carried life, but due to the incessant twitching, he was almost ready to break soon. I'd say in one or two more experiments, give or take.

Suddenly, we heard a loud click! coming from the doors and the room dimmed. You've got to be kidding me. Without thinking, I stepped over to protect Oikawa. I didn't need a reason to, but if they are hurting him this much, then why not? I've always been a kind person, and since all of us are in this mess, it's up to us to protect each other.

A robotic woman's voice sounded all around us as we looked around in confusion. "Welcome to Heaven's Gate. We may not lead to heaven, but you'll certainly feel as if we did." I looked at Oikawa who backed away in fear and covered his ears in dread. Then I pondered what this voice meant. Heaven's Gate? Is that the name of the facility? I looked at the others, who were desperately looking around, trying to figure out how to escape this confusion that befell us all.

"The hell is happening to us?" Daichi asked as he looked around. "Where is that voice coming from?"

"I don't know but I got a bad feeling about this," Kita replied.

"You idiots, read the room," Oikawa spoke in harsh whispers, "It's over."

"It's not-" I began. Then the next thing the robot voice said made my blood run cold and confirm Oikawa's statement.

"Now beginning initiation sequence."

My eyes jerked wide with the realization that something is about to happen. Out of quick thinking, I quickly dove towards Oikawa because he was the closest to me. However the floor opened below us and we all fell through. "OIKA-" A blow to the jaw against the floor's edge cut beam cut me off completely. As I slid and fell to whatever doom was waiting for me below, my eyes closed due to the impact of the blow. This would have been the last memory before my...no...our hell began.

Nekoma High School

~Regular 3rd person~

It was already the end of the day, and a young, blonde man with glasses was going through paperwork in the little office next to the gym. Keigo Takami was a temp teacher, and currently he was scheduled to work for a month at whatever high school he was sent to. It was an interesting and enjoyable job, and he loved every moment of teaching kids of all grades to defend themselves. As long as the students were enjoying it as much as he was, then he knew he was doing it correctly. It was truly important for each student to learn to defend themselves in any given situation, and as long as he was preparing them, then that was all he needed. As much as he enjoyed working at this school, his term was coming to an end soon before he could go to the final school.

However, there was something that felt off. When he heard that Oikawa Tooru went missing three months ago, his heart sank. What..monsters would do such a thing?! Tooru was a good kid, and for them to rob of his future was most disheartening. When he heard that Kuroo was taken earlier today, he crumpled an important document in his fist in rage. Luckily he was able to smooth it again to the best of his ability, but any students' life was more important than a piece of paper. Besides, he could have easily reprinted it from the computer. He hoped and prayed that the police would do their jobs in finding these kids, and any others that may have been taken.

He examined the bulletin board beside him for no particular reason but to stare into space. Perhaps there was some reason why they were taken. There seemed to have been one thing in common Kuroo and Oikawa - and that was because they were captains of their respective school. If whoever took them was in need of volleyball captains, then what was the reason? Was this some sick joke to establish some kind of team? No, that's not quite it. When he heard the reports about Kuroo from the coach, it was done in a forceful manner, like a SWAT team making an arrest. So perhaps this was for a different reason altogether.

Then there was Kenma. He knew that the young man was close to Kuroo and so he excused him from class. However, that didn't change the situation even if it was just to make things a little less stressful. Concern rose in the blonde as he tensed. What if some policeman was trying to ask him questions? That could increase more unwanted stress. Keigo knew that he had to do something about that before it happened.

He finished the paperwork and filed it away. Then he stood up, grabbing his bag and keys so that he could lock the door on the way out. Thinking about where the boy may be, the adult man made a beeline towards that destination, choosing his words ever so carefully in case he would ever meet a policeman attempting to talk to the boy.

Aside from Keigo's class, Kenma skipped his other classes as well. He was just not in the mood to deal with anyone, and the teachers were understanding of his decision.

As soon as Kuroo was taken, the blonde was shoved violently away from his friend because "he was in the way". Once the van was loaded and drove away, Tora and Lev tried to approach Kenma, but the first year screamed at them to leave him alone as tears pricked his eyes. Overcome with despair, he ran away as the others could only stare after him in concern. All teachers and the coach were informed, and Kenma was excused from classes. However, he never left the school. He just didn't feel like it and would rather play video games on the bleachers.

His fingers danced on top of his portable console with furious intensity, and he could only growl at the sight of his character beating his opponent to a bloody pulp. The game was the newest edition of Mortal Kombat, and it was the perfect game...just violent enough to let out all of the setter's frustrations. He grit his teeth as he made his character mercilessly rip out his opponent's spine in a messy fashion. As Kenma sat panting, he wished he could do the same to those who would dare capture his best friend. The blonde setter often had dark thoughts, but they were nothing like they were now. "Those fucking bastards will pay for what they did to Kuroo," Kenma mumbled darkly, his eyes not leaving the game for even a moment. "All of them."

"I never thought you could play as fervently as what you just did. I'm impressed."

The setter spun around, clearly startled by this new voice. A tall man sat behind on the bleachers, and Kenma could guess that this was a young adult, only a few years older than he was. He had messy brown hair with gangs that curled in the middle of his face, just reaching the bridge of his nose. A confident smile spread across his face, yet his brown eyes showed little life. A brown trenchcoat covered a brown vest, which was layered on a gray shirt. A green broach nestled in the middle of the vest, and the man had tan pants that were almost the same shade of light brown as his trench coat. One curious thing that Kenma noted was that the man had white bandages on his arms, which he could see past the open trench coat. "Did I startle you?" The man asked with an amused chuckle.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenma demanded. He did not want to deal with this new person.

"Apologies," The man apologized as he stood up and placed his hands in his pockets. "My name is Dazai Osamu. I'm an investigator that was hired to look into the case of one Kuroo Tetsuro."

Kenma scowled at the mention of his friend's name. "Leave."

Dazai frowned. He expected that this sort of thing would happen, so he continued to press forward. "Your help is very important in the matter. I just want your account as to what happened."

"Why didn't you ask any of the other students or the coach himself? I'm sure they would be happy to enlighten you."

"I have spoken to them, but I need to learn from the one closest to Tetsuro."

Kenma snarled. What would he give to make this annoying man disappear? He put his game in his bag, picked it up and walked away. "I have no answers. Piss off."

A small smirk appeared on Dazai's face. He loved a challenge. Prior to talking to Kenma, he learned that Kuroo was skilled in provocation and that it was a good way of making the stubborn boy cooperate. In fact, he knew a thing or two of dealing with a stubborn young man. "He was abducted, wasn't he?"

Kenma froze mid-step and Dazai turned to face his back. "You want to make them pay, don't you?" He continued to press. "You said it yourself. My partner and I can help you. All I need is a little information. Alternatively, we can go to the police station right now and talk to her then."

Before Kenma could snap or do anything, Keigo stepped outside and marched towards the brunette. "Keigo-sensei," Kenma greeted.

"Go inside, I got this," Keigo said, glaring at the investigator. Kenma nodded and did as he asked.

Once the young man was out of earshot, Keigo's glare deepened as he dropped his bag. "Sorry...but while you can talk to the other students, that particular student is off limits."

"Off limits or not, one has to try," Dazai argued as he took his hands out of his pockets. "I need information from all witnesses there, even if it's from the one closest to the abducted. I'm just doing my job."

"He's clearly not ready," Keigo shot back. "Sorry but you're going to stay away from him, got it?"

"Then perhaps we should talk about you," Dazai stepped around Keigo, examining him closer. "You have military training, do you not?"

Keigo raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"Simple," Dazai carried on, "The way you stand for one. Your posture is exactly like someone who has trained with the marines. You like to shave the sides of your head while keeping the top messy, which is rather interesting mind you. Let's see, that strap you're wearing. Dog tags right?"

It was true. Before Keigo started work for the government, he briefly served in the Marine Corp for 2 years. With this on his resume, he became a bodyguard, something akin to the CIA. However, he didn't work for the CIA. Instead he worked for a government-funded organization that was too secret to reveal to everyone else. Keigo hated it there, as it was just something he was thrown into so that his mother could benefit from it. All he wanted was freedom from that kind of life, and he figured being a teacher would be that freedom. However, he knew he had a long way to go before he could achieve that freedom.

His eyes followed Dazai as he walked around him, not answering his question. "Ahhhh I see it's true then," the brunette marvelled as he suddenly went through the blonde's wallet, "Such an interesting person!" How did he…?! He was starting to get on his last nerve.

"Give that back...unless you want to die a thousand deaths," Keigo threatened, malicious intent dripping as he growled at the man in front of him.

Dazai tossed the wallet back to the man, who caught it instantly. "I am just simply trying to get to know someone who might be of assistance. Tell me, Keigo-san, do you enjoy your work? Or maybe...you're trapped by it?"

Keigo was lost for words. The way this man was reading him was just too skilled. It was no wonder he became a detective. "Don't worry," Dazai went on, "Because as far as I'm concerned, eyewitness accounts and reports say that a certain Keigo Takami taught those kids to fight. If that were true, then perhaps you could be of assistance."

The blonde had heard enough right now. "I think you need to leave. It's closing time and you're causing enough problems as it is."

Dazai clutched his chest in mock hurt. "Oh how mean!" He reached into his pocket and gave him his card. "If you ever were to change your mind, then call me..or call the station. I hope to hear from you soon." And with that said, the detective walked off with a final wave.

The last thing that Dazai said would make anyone want to rush at him and punch him to the last inch of his life:

"I expect good things from you, Keigo-san! Or should I say...Code Name: Hawks."