Summary: Akashi and GoM are all prisoners of the empire – because they are considered elite because of their status and skills, they are called upon to test new arrivals. One day, two new inmates from a strange planet called Seirin arrive, and things are not quite what anyone expects.
YAY HAPPY AKAKURO WEEK! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! Thank you to our wonderful admins for all the amazing prompts and your work, this was a blast!
DAY 7 (AGH CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!) Free Day! Hope you like this one. ^.^
Within the compound that housed the prisoners of the empire, there was a special group of captives informally called the Generation of Miracles. They'd been imprisoned at the imperial detention center for well over a year but their regal natures made it difficult to remember they weren't part of the race that ran things on this planet. Each of them had passed the sorting test with such high marks that their captors had been somewhat uncertain what to do with them and thus they had all languished in the holding cells for far longer than most prisoners could even remember. They'd seen all kinds of people and creatures walk through the doors of the sorting area during their tenure. Some were immediately sectioned away to be sent off to auction, others to the combat arenas, while still others are assigned to various labors depending on their skills. But when the five highly ranked prisoners eventually saw the duo that hailed from the planet Seirin enter the holding area, they knew something extraordinary might happen.
All five of them were powerful humanoid specimens from their respective homelands and their captors had recognized their high value. Akashi Seijuurou, a redheaded prince from a planet called Rakuzan, had become their acknowledged leader as he looked out for them and helped them stay strong. He was fiercely intelligent and calculating, which meant he was always planning something to improve their situations. He had been betrayed by an enemy faction on his home planet and sold to the aliens to get him out of the way. He intended to return and ensure his wrath was known.
Midorima Shintaro was a tall, lean green haired man with a nearly ascetic appearance. He was coolly reserved in most situations – in part because the people from his planet of Shutoko were trained to be as composed as possible no matter the circumstances. His ability to predict the odds of a situation based on birthdates and blood types had come in handy over the past year and he was considered a formidable talent for his foretelling accuracy and fighting prowess. He believed his capture to be the result of not obtaining his lucky item in time – but it was perhaps more accurate to say he'd been pushed into the way of the slavers by a jealous rival.
On the other hand, Aomine Daiki, another tall and imposing figure, didn't believe in wasting energy. He was supremely confident of his skills and talents as he was a renowned warrior in his homeland- Too. He was darker skinned than his companions with intense blue eyes that seemed to dismiss everything but really were constantly evaluating the potential strength of an opponent. He was bored most of the time as it was rare that anyone would challenge him. He'd been taken when trying to help rescue someone from danger. He'd vehemently proclaimed it would be the last time he ever did such a thing.
Kise Ryota, a charming blond from someplace called Kaijo, was a charismatic figure but he often got in trouble for his sly playfulness and willingness to rush into challenges without fully thinking it through. He'd been arrested for something he insisted was an innocent misunderstanding, but the others in the group could see the muted coldness in his eyes – he was no harmless rogue despite his cheerful façade.
The last member of their group, a giant purple haired male from Yosen, was Murasakibara Atsushi. He was usually even tempered but when provoked, even the guards had been known to fear him. It took a lot to get him worked up though, so in general he was left alone. His primary interest was in the food to be served each meal. He'd been drugged during a celebration feast on Yosen and given to the slavers in order to ensure an invading army would have no trouble taking control of the capital.
They had gathered, as they always did on sorting days, to watch the new arrivals. Whenever new prisoners were brought in, they were given translator chips so they could understand the various languages that were found in the prison and were then instructed to either go to the first line for ranking or go to the second line to be put directly to manual labor. Nobody voluntarily chose the second line because it meant you wouldn't have a chance to earn privileges that came with being considered valuable. But inevitably, many from the first line would be passed over to the second.
So it was with some surprise that the Generation of Miracles, all of whom had easily passed the test and been admitted through the first line, watched a tall, powerful looking redhead go immediately to the second line without even attempting to make the first round cut.
"Is his translator chip faulty? Did he misunderstand the instructions?" Kise was genuinely curious. Even with the distance between the sorting area and the rest of the prisoners, there was a feral energy reminiscent of a lethally wild cat in the man. He would have made it through.
"Maybe he's just stupid." Midorima didn't particularly care one way or another.
Akashi withheld an immediate judgment. The prisoner didn't strike him as a complete idiot, but nor did he give off an aura of strategy, so it was difficult to understand his intentional allotment to the weaker camp. But then…what was that? Akashi's red and gold eyes narrowed for a moment. Ah…so that was why. Foolish, but admirable in its way. He settled back to wait for the proceedings to carry on as the others bickered among themselves.
It was the same as it always was. Each prospective entrant was scanned and evaluated, with those that passed being sent ahead and those that didn't either being allowed the opportunity to challenge the decision by combat with a prisoner that had already been cleared, or accepting their ranking and moving to the second line for further analysis. Akashi's group always watched the ones that protested their rank because inevitably at least one of them would be called upon as an opponent in one of the fights – but it didn't look like they would have any more trouble than usual with this cohort.
Midorima was frowning at the redhead waiting almost impatiently in the second line. They didn't send a scanner over to him at first because usually there was no need so early in the process, but when it was made clear that he had chosen the second line, they shrugged and sorted him. It wasn't until he moved forward that Midorima saw the smaller blue haired male that had been standing behind the other and his green eyes widened in surprise – he hadn't noticed this person at all. He was difficult to read, unlike the man that had been shielding him, he didn't seem to give off any aura whatsoever but there was still something so inordinately composed and self-possessed about the way he stood that Midorima would not discount him altogether. He turned to Akashi, who glanced his way and nodded slightly; he had seen the other male, too.
There was no surprise that this one was waived through the second line, it would be more interesting to see where he was put to work as he didn't look strong enough to be of real use. He might be selected as a target for the slave markets – his smaller frame and ethereal features would undoubtedly fetch a good price for some wealthy noble that had more money than sense – but if he were truly unlucky, he would be designated as a reward for one of the fighting prisoners. Those unfortunate souls rarely lasted a week and from the look of him, this one might not survive a single night. His best hope was that he would prove to be stronger than he looked and be deemed a worthwhile prisoner.
For now, it seemed this lot of prisoners had a disproportionately high number of challengers. Each of the Generation of Miracles eyed the growing crowd with some degree of weariness – it was so annoying when they wouldn't just accept their place. And sure enough, as the testing finished its first round, every single one of the prisoners that had been passed over had chosen to contest the decision by fighting. It seemed the prison was getting increasingly well known – these men had known why it was important to be selected for the first line. Only the tall redhead and his blue haired companion waited patiently in the second area.
Those on the lowest scale of challenges were quickly defeated by the prisoners drafted for the task. Some were immediately killed in the combat; others were dragged over to the holding area to await medical treatment. If they recovered, they'd be sent to manual labor to recoup the cost of their treatment before any further action was taken.
The middle range saw some pass through the ranks, but none of them did so easily. They would make it to the first line, but the veterans knew they would be right back in the fighting tests when the next batch made it through – they didn't have enough talent to be saved for something else.
Then, finally, those that were actually strong enough to possibly be interesting were ready for testing. Kise was called first, and he went laughingly forward. He never appeared to take these battles seriously, but that was only if you didn't recognize the gleam in his eyes for what it was – a cold, thrilling glee to prove himself superior. He used this opponent's style against him, and within moments had a sword aimed dangerously close to the other's throat. His eyes had dulled a little, this was less interesting than he'd hoped, as he waited for the judges to decide the loser's fate. They sent him to an army corp – he'd be so much cannon fodder for any army that could afford to buy him and those like him. Kise ignored the man's protests and returned to the other Miracles, it was unlikely he'd be called again.
One by one, each of them took their turns and summarily defeated the opponent that had been chosen for them. They waited, impatient now that their work was done, to be dismissed for the day. It might have proceeded that way, until a commotion in the second line drew everyone's attention.
A prisoner, furious to be sent to manual labor seemed to have attempted to take his frustration out on the smaller male that accompanied the tall redhead. His protector had immediately interfered and now the guards were eyeing him suspiciously. The Miracles couldn't hear from where they were, but it wasn't difficult to imagine what that conversation sounded like.
Midorima's cautious, "They're not going to let him go to waste in the labor sectors. He will not be able to keep his friend safe," was more or less the truth.
Akashi smiled a little. "Don't count them out yet – the other one doesn't seem scared. I don't know what their plan is, but they obviously knew about the ranking system, they didn't come into this blindly."
Aomine's tired, "Who cares? Whatever they wanted to do, even if they get sent over to this line, they still have to beat us to be considered safe. That won't happen."
Meanwhile, in the second line, an angry guard was questioning the ruckus.
The prisoner that would come to be known as Kuroko Tetsuya spoke up, his voice calm and nearly blank. "Kagami-kun was only defending me from an unprovoked attack. We were merely waiting to go to the sorting test."
The guard's expression was nearly incredulous as he looked between them. "What makes you think that matters? You're causing a disturbance and that's a sign of troublemaking. We discourage troublemakers by making examples of those that attempt it." He'd correctly understood they wanted to stay together and a cruel, vicious smile took shape.
"But it sounds like the two of you are a team, yeah? So we'll handle this in a pair. You two go to the first line, if he wants to fight to protect you so badly, then let's get a look at your skills that way."
An announcement was quickly issued through the sound system, "Anyone that wants to challenge their ranking from the second line has another chance – defeat these two and you'll be promoted."
Akashi watched, unsurprised and dispassionate, as the two that had tried to avoid trouble by going to the second line, were forced through into the first. It was an unfortunate sentence for the pair, they would be targeted by truly desperate prisoners now; those that would be looking to kill them in favor of advancing their own positions. It went without saying that they would most likely target the smaller man first.
Kuroko looked over at Kagami, who had a ferocious expression on his face. "Kagami-kun, don't worry. It will be fine, no matter what happens, it'll be fine."
Kagami's expression didn't change but a slight softness appeared briefly in his eyes. "I know that. I'm just sorry things didn't go to plan."
Kuroko shrugged philosophically, "It's not over yet. But for now, let's do our best."
The laugh Kagami issued at that might have warned some of the other prisoners off – he had no cause to be so cheerful right now, was he insane?
It bought them only a moment before those that had been defeated seized the chance to improve their status and there was a rush as they all entered the arena in a mad dash to try to be the first to claim victory. But they were confused – where had the small one gone?
Kagami attacked with weapons that had been discarded around the arena, agilely demonstrating he was a skilled fighter. Even Aomine's usually bored eyes took on a glimmer of interest as he watched.
Akashi occasionally focused on the more obvious talent of the tall redhead, but his eyes were also searching for the smaller man – what was he doing? When Akashi located him, he smiled – an appreciative, feral thing. Well now….wasn't this a fascinating turn of events?
Kuroko had been hoping not to have to show this side of himself, he was a pacifist by nature and disliked gratuitous violence, but he also liked staying alive. He and Kagami had discussed it ahead of time, that they would simply go to the labor side until their mission was complete – but it seemed that wasn't going to be possible. Kuroko's skill with fighting wasn't the overwhelming aggression of Kagami's style, it was a subtler, but no less lethal force. He materialized, seemingly out of nowhere, and struck down their assailants with a wisp of poisoned energy before disappearing with the cloaking energy that was second nature to him. He had the ability to control the dose, he could just knock someone out, or he could take their life – but since they couldn't see him to prevent his approach, Kuroko was able to be quite useful in a battle. Until, that is, his stamina ran low. He was limited in how far he could travel and that distance shrank as he used more of his energy. Soon he wouldn't be able to do this at all and would have to rely on Kagami-kun, or his own relatively mediocre hand-to-hand combat skills.
The Miracles were watching with interest as the melee proceeded. This was an unusual occasion, of that there was no doubt, but what had been intended to be a death sentence for the odd pair was turning into one of the more entertaining evaluation fights they could remember. Soon enough the pair were the only two still standing, although it wasn't certain how many of the challengers were dead or were simply unconscious.
The guards were dumbfounded; this wasn't what they'd meant to have happen. The sentry who'd ordered them into the ring narrowed his eyes, he couldn't let them survive. He glanced over at Akashi's group. The easiest thing to do would be to send one of them in, but he hesitated. The battle had been announced as another evaluation, the protocol for that was clear. If the pair won their battle, they had proven themselves. If he sent one of the prodigies in there, he would be admitting he'd lost control of the situation. But if he didn't…there was a strong possibility this pair would cause even more trouble and he would be blamed. He couldn't risk it and with an abrupt movement, yelled for Akashi to step in.
This caused a minor ripple of unease through the spectators. Akashi was the leader of the prodigy group because he was dangerous and skilled – it was sending a clear message that the newcomers were not supposed to make it out of there.
Keeping his expression neutral – it would be impossible for anyone to tell how Akashi felt about being summoned to be essentially an executioner, Akashi re-entered the ring. His eyes looked over to the man he now knew was Kagami, the other had called his name in warning several times. He was obviously a warrior and a formidable one at that. His compatriot, standing nearby, was breathing much harder than Kagami was, despite both of them having been fighting a series of intense match-ups.
Interestingly, neither Akashi nor the two others moved forward initially. They were taking one another's measure. After a moment, Akashi's lips twisted into something like a smile and he turned to the guard to speak words that none of them had heard him say before.
"I don't want to fight them. In payment for my fight earlier, I am claiming him." He indicated Kuroko's form with a pointed wave. Akashi had never claimed a prize from the fighting before; but it was within the rights outlined for the prisoners' combat. Inmates who won their fights were rewarded with higher status and privileges, including the option of claiming other prisoners as theirs. This was a polite way of saying that prisoners could get concubines or slaves for themselves by winning – a fate many tried to escape by appealing their status as less valuable prisoners. The tributes were usually drawn from the second line – and Kuroko had clearly marked himself for that group, making him fair game for Akashi to select even if the timing was odd. But the offering up of lower-tier prisoners as prizes to the victors was a way of offering protection in some cases, although in others, it leads to a second form of enslavement and the guards encouraged it.
Akashi's thought process wasn't clear here. He could have claimed both of them – he certainly had more than enough credit from his past victories to do so. But he'd only picked Kuroko.
The rage on the guard's face was easy to see and perhaps nobody was particularly surprised when he raised his weapon to fire at Akashi in retaliation for thwarting his plan.
Nobody, however, expected the blur of movement as Kuroko vanished and then tackled Akashi to the ground to prevent the bullet from hitting its intended target. It wasn't quite so surprising though, that Akashi immediately flipped their positions to loom over his new prize instead.
Akashi stared at the man underneath him, arching an eyebrow as if in question.
Kuroko smiled up at him and answered it. "Hello, Akashi-kun. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. Kagami-kun and I are here to rescue you."
Akashi laughed at that prospect – feeling a thrill of exhilaration. "Are you indeed? How nice to hear it. I suppose I should continue to save you for now then, hmm?"
"It would be helpful, yes. Although I am sorry for the inconvenience." Kuroko's cheekiness was unexpected and Akashi found himself wondering about his unlikely savior.
Akashi got up, extending a hand to Kuroko to haul him upright as well before directing a cold, menacing look at the guard who'd taken a shot at him. By the prison's laws and standards, Akashi was too valuable to be killed by someone as low down the chain of command as this guard, especially for what could at best be described as a minor infraction. The guard stepped back a little before catching himself.
Akashi's voice was cool and the regal command of his station as a prince on his planet was easily heard despite keeping his tone at a moderate volume, "He's mine. Your own laws allow me to claim him, I have done so. This match is now over, unless you are prepared to lose the rest of your prisoners by sending them in here to try to take him from me." It would have seemed an arrogant boast from nearly anyone else, but Akashi was easily capable of carrying out his threat. The only ones that might stand a chance against him were the guards themselves – who couldn't very well undermine the system that kept order in their own prison. The others in his group might have stood a chance, but they wouldn't be so stupid as to challenge Akashi when they enjoyed the same rank he did.
The venom in the guard's eyes did not bode well for them, but he had no choice except to agree and call of the match. Kagami, having proved himself strong asset, was sent ahead through the door that went to the general area, but he waited just outside for Akashi to bring Kuroko through.
Kuroko tilted his head at Akashi and smiled again. "Sorry about all of this, Akashi-kun, we had a different plan in mind. But this will work out just as well I think. Did you want me to call you master, then?" He blinked innocently as he said it, but the hint of a smile at his lips said he wasn't taking this too seriously.
Despite the flare of interest that shot through him at the idea, Akashi shrugged, "Call me whatever you like, it doesn't matter. I am looking forward to hearing your story, especially since it seems you've done this on my behalf."
They were walking to the door and once they passed through, Kagami spoke up. "Are you alright, Kuroko?' He reached out as if to check his friend for injuries, but Akashi pulled him back out of reach.
Kagami shot him an annoyed look, "I'm just seeing that he is alright. You don't have anything to worry about from me with your claim."
Akashi smiled, it wasn't pleasant. "And are you so content with my claiming him? It seemed you were prepared to go to great lengths to protect him."
Kuroko's quiet voice interjected, "Kagami-kun is my best friend, Akashi-kun. He agreed to help me come here to get you."
Surprised, Akashi looked down into Kuroko's blue eyes – they were nearly shining with sincerity.
Seeing the look, Kuroko shrugged. "Mibuchi-san has been leading an effort to locate you – it was eventually discovered you were here. Kagami-kun and I are…well, we specialize in this type of thing and he reached out to us. Don't worry, you won't be here much longer."
Kagami's gruff, "Kuroko has a very strong sense of right and wrong and when he heard about how you ended up here, there was no stopping him from planning a mission to get you. He wouldn't shut up about it, in fact" held fondness for Kuroko despite the ostensible teasing.
The moment was probably meant to be a grand one full of noble sentiment, but Kuroko, tired from the earlier battles, tripped over a rock on the path. Akashi caught him easily enough, shaking his head at Kuroko's abashed look.
"We have much to talk about, it would seem. For now, you're practically dead on your feet. You need time to recover before we'd be able to implement your plan."
Kuroko's voice piped up again, "We'll also get your friends out, don't worry."
Kagami's pained sigh told Akashi that Kuroko could be a handful, but the fact he didn't protest it also told Akashi that Kuroko was stubborn and saw his plans through. It was reassuring, in a way.
"My friends?" He said it testily, not having considered the others in his circle so familiarly.
Kuroko nodded patiently, as if amused by Akashi's evasiveness. "Mm, yes. There are rumors about the five of you beyond the prison, many people have tried to buy you as a set. I am not sure what the warden tells them when he refuses, but it's clear you are connected somehow. We did some digging, it's pretty obvious none of you are actually criminals, so we might as well take them too."
Akashi shot an inquiring look at Kagami who shrugged in response.
"Don't look at me, you claimed him after all. If there's any sense to be talked into him that's your responsibility now."
Akashi's eyes narrowed at both of them. "You obviously knew of the claiming system before you got here, yet neither of you protested it. Why didn't you," here he looked at Kagami, "simply compete in the first line and claim him yourself? It would have drawn far less attention."
Kagami grunted and shook his head. "I'm not answering that."
Akashi halted and spun Kuroko around to look him in the eye, demanding an answer.
Kuroko smiled, a serene expression on his face despite the suspicion on Akashi's. "Seirin is a small planet, but we are not that far from Rakuzan and frequently trade with people from there. I grew up hearing of the amazing exploits and accomplishments of Rakuzan's crown prince. Your reputation in here is nothing to sneer at, either. We did not want to risk you being paired against Kagami-kun, just in case you went all out against him. We hoped to pass unobtrusively through the labor side to make contact with you that way. As it turns out, we didn't quite meet you as clandestinely as we'd hoped, but things are otherwise on track."
Akashi sighed and released Kuroko. "You better tell me more about this plan of yours sooner rather than later. I am getting the sense we will definitely need to refine it." He kept walking, clearly expecting them to follow him.
Kuroko sent Kagami a small encouraging wave and continued after Akashi, his smile disproportionately pleased when one considered their surroundings. Kagami, for his part, sympathized with the prince - he had no idea what Kuroko was truly like just yet. For now though, they had to go meet Akashi's friends, adjust the plan to suit everyone, and get out of there as quickly as possible. Kagami wanted to tell the prince that Kuroko had been half in love with him since he was a teenager – but Kagami correctly deduced that Akashi would probably figure that pertinent little detail out on his own in due course. Akashi might have only meant to claim Kuroko to protect him while they were in this prison, but Kagami had little doubt they'd be having a formal ceremony to celebrate the union on some planet or another soon enough.
