Kagami tasted lightning. He bit down on the ozone taste, trying to clear his head after another exhausting shift at the power plant. Pro-bending training on top of this every day took a lot out of him, but generating lightning took no mental energy, something Kagami was grateful for. In the hustle of Republic City and the chaos of sharing a small space with four other people and a dog, Kagami used his time at the power plant to be alone with his lack of thoughts.
Bending lightning made Kagami remember being taught his first katas by his brother. The crown prince's bending, every flawlessly executed classic stance, was so perfect it was beautiful. The lightning would look cold, blazing blue against the older boy's expressionless face, but his brother's hands would be firm when they settled on Kagami's limbs to correct his form, and his smile warm.
That had been a long time ago.
Kagami turned down an alley towards the market. This would be a good time to get the yams Kuroko liked- he'd make a lot, so that tomorrow, they could laze around and eat it. They were going to be exhausted again after tonight. Kagami browsed the market stalls. The good produce had been bought up for the conference, but there would be better pickings further in.
Kagami suddenly became aware that people were hurrying past him. Not running or anything- they were just changing their paths to walk in a wide circle, quickening their steps.
Kagami glanced at the origin. He didn't want trouble, he'd just-
Aomine flew out of a side-street and hit the ground, skidding. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose, and dusty all over, in the same clothes he'd left home in last night. He tried to get up but collapsed to a sitting position, unable to stand on his legs and only capable of supporting himself on one arm. His right arm hung awkwardly, held stiffly out from his body. Three waterbenders followed. Each held their own little bubble of water at the ready, but Aomine had been kicked forward- by a bleached-blonde who swaggered towards the downed waterbender and used his foot to turn Aomine over onto his back. He knelt down and said something to Aomine. Kagami couldn't hear it from where he was standing.
Aomine spat blood in his face.
The waterbender just grinned and pulled some water from his friends. The blood dripped off his face and mixed into the ribbon of water, giving it a pinkish sheen as it was formed into long, wicked icicles aimed right for Aomine's face.
Kagami charged.
.0.
Fire bloomed from above. Aomine had just been staring at the slowly sharpening spike of ice, but it collapsed into slush as the firebender- Kagami, thank the spirits, Kagami- blasted Kazu and the other Reds back into the alley.
Civilians took cover.
"You an Agni?" barked Hara, an idiot. "Fuck off, this isn't your territory."
"I'm with him," said Kagami, backing slowly towards Aomine, ready to strike. "Back the fuck away, and no one gets hurt." He looked down at Aomine, struggling to stand up. "Or maybe I hurt you anyway."
Hara stared at Kagami. Kagami glared back, tensing.
Hara struck, a long rope heading straight for Kagami's knee. Kagami countered with a sweeping kick, and flicked punches at Kazu on the other side, keeping him away from Aomine.
Aomine could see Kazu's brain ticking. Kagami wasn't very bright, he'd fall headlong into a dirty trick if Aomine couldn't help him. He couldn't take on three at once, and Aomine couldn't get up without feeling like his chest was about to cave in, could barely move his arm. Hanamiya had gotten him, and gotten him good.
Kagami was breathing hard, too soon into the fight. He wouldn't be recovered from bending lightning; Aomine dimly recalled that Kagami did his shifts in the early morning, and slept long into the day after them.
Kazu moved in, with Seto and Hara backing him up. Kagami ignited his arms up to the elbow to deflect three water whips and then got suckerpunched by the fourth, catching him on the knee, the thigh, the hip. Kagami went down on one leg even as Aomine tried to pull their water away from the Reds and only succeeded in pulling away Kazu's attention for a second. Seto was forming ice between his fists, the trademark Red Monsoon blood-water-
And lost control, doubling up with a cry.
Aomine grabbed that water before it could hit the ground, spurting it to hit Hara and Kazu in the face, blinding them. Seto temporarily out of commission, Tetsu dove past him to hit Kazu with quick strikes, numbing his elbow and shoulder, hooking his foot around Hara's knee and bringing him to the ground in one swift movement.
"Fucking chi-blocker," yelled Seto, but Kagami was up again, and he punched Seto in the face- once, twice, trailing fire.
Kazu fell back, his arm useless from Tetsu's attack. Tetsu backed up towards Kagami and stepped on Hara as he went, driving the breath out of Hara's lungs. Tetsu settled into a stance- mostly a bluff. He wouldn't be able to do as much without the element of surprise, but they didn't know that.
Seto was bleeding, and Aomine watched him sizing up his odds; one firebender, a chi-blocker who'd come out of nowhere, fucking Aomine Daiki, that last the most useless. Aomine knew from experience that Seto's bending wasn't going to be back in that arm for hours, and they'd been out in the open too long already; the Red Monsoons hated the daylight. "Let's get out of here," Seto ordered. "Move, now!"
Kazu dragged up Hara upright with his good arm, and they made their escape. It wasn't over- they knew where Aomine lived, fucking hell, they knew where Kagami and Tetsu lived- but Aomine couldn't think about that right now.
"No fucking stomach for a fair fight," Aomine tried to say, but his mouth wouldn't form the words. Tetsu was on one side of him, and Kagami was lifting him, wincing against his weight. Aomine tried to push off Kagami, to tell Tetsu to take the firebender instead, apologize for-
"Stop that," said Kagami, pulling Aomine to him, careful around his dislocated arm. "We're getting you home."
.0.
Only pain kept Aomine awake as they forced him up the ladder to the attic. Nigou greeted them enthusiastically, but dropped his ears and whined at their grim response. Kise was still out, and Momoi had left a note saying she would meet Tetsu-kun in the stands after her shift.
"It's for the best," said Tetsu. "Kagami-kun, put him down here. Let's do something about his arm."
Aomine screamed, a small short hoarse sound that barely fought its way free of his throat. Tetsu gritted his teeth, but kept on pushing at Aomine's shoulder. "Kagami-kun, hold him steady," he said, trying to re-locate Aomine's joint. Kagami held Aomine down through the pop, and Aomine's sounds of pain.
"You are such a fucking idiot," said Kagami, watching Tetsu feeling along Aomine's shoulder to make sure it had popped all the way back into place. "How did you get like this? Who the hell were those guys?"
Aomine waved a hand. "I'll be up in two hours, tops," he said, slurring only a little. His head felt so heavy. "I- ahhh, Tetsu!- I messed with some of the wrong people and they caught me off-guard, okay? It won't happen again.
"Again?" said Tetsu. "Aomine-kun, what did happen?"
Aomine's head was still pounding. He still had hours until the match, and they were up against the Sloths. Seto'd be there, and Seto had the brains to take advantage of- of- fuuuuuck. He put his head to the wall and fell sideways, easing his body downwards. He was so tired. The moon had taken his strength with him when she went down, but he'd had to keep going- and he couldn't have risked them surprising Tetsu or Kagami, Kise or Satsuki…
Nigou crawled into his lap. Tetsu- or Kagami- got the pillows and the blanket from the beds, too high for Aomine to even think of climbing, and put it under his head. Soft, it was so soft…
Aomine fell asleep.
.0.
Takao was waiting for Midorima when the waterbender emerged from his bath. (Midorima did miss the natural hot springs of the Fire Nation, most specifically the extensive and luxurious royal bathing complex, but good luck trying to get him to admit it.) It had been a long night at the hospital for him, but when Midorima returned to his room, evaporating water out of his hair in an absent fashion, he groped for his clothes and found- orange? He squinted, running it through his pruney fingers. Cotton? This wasn't his fur coat. These weren't his clothes.
"What is this?" he said, turning to the brown blur he presumed was Takao. (It was the wardrobe.)
"Your Fire Days Festival presents," said Takao. Midorima quickly changed the direction of his glare. "Get changed, we're going out."
"Out where?" said Midorima. He tried to find his glasses, but they weren't in their proper place on his table.
Takao stepped up and untied Shin-chan's robe in one smooth motion, yanking the belt away. Midorima clutched at the garment before it could fall open and snarled, "What are you- give me my clothes!"
"We're going out and you're going to dress like you're in Republic City for once," said Takao. He considered Midorima standing blind and affronted and began to yank at the robe's sleeves. "I think you'd look great in orange, don't you?"
Midorima yelped. "I can dress myself!" he snapped. "Get- go away!"
Takao stopped. The falling collar of the robe revealed dark ink swirls dipping down Shin-chan's back. "You don't get your glasses back until you come out wearing them," he warned. "And no coat! It's going to be way too hot for that."
"You're an unprincipled thief," said Midorima. He located undergarments- at least these were his own, as he'd set them out before before he left. He let the robe fall. Takao grinned: he'd won. "Get out. Leave my glasses."
"Ha! Nice try."
.0.
Commander Akashi leveled a stare at Kise. Kise knew that look. It meant 'you are basically replaceable, in ten to fifteen years'. It would probably give him great joy to start over with a Waterbender. Doubtless Commander Akashi had already thought of several ways to streamline the process of determining a new Avatar, and thoroughly considered the benefits of starting the incarnation of earthly enlightenment on his or her training at a much younger age.
Kise pasted a smile on his face. It had never worked on his master during his training, but there was no harm in trying.
Akashi continued with his lecture. "Ryouta, the time has come for your involvement in the Northern Air Temple-"
Darkness fell.
The sun was briefly blotted out, and accompanying it, Kise heard a crash of crockery and a small short scream from downstairs.
Akashi turned his head towards the window of his office facing out onto the street and blinked.
Kise was ready for it the second time, and as enormous sheets of earth shot upwards to cover all the windows for an instant, he traced the earthbender standing just outside the building, one foot's heel struck sharply into the stone pavement. The earth fell back into the surrounding plots of gardens whence they came, not disturbing a leaf. Superb control, undeniable strength, a twisted sense of humor, and a complete disregard for anyone else.
Akashi took four steps to the window and opened it.
Murasakibara Atsushi waved. Kise, coming up to stand beside Akashi and find out what had happened, waved back.
Akashi heaved a sigh. A white-lipped aide knocked at the door. "Murasakibara Atsushi insists that you be disturbed, and that he cannot wait," the aide said.
"Yes," said Akashi, still looking out the window. His mouth thinned at the sight of the dark-haired man standing next to Murasakibarachi, gold glinting around his throat. Murasakibara's friend was smiling up at Kise, and Kise waved. "Show him up. I'll be with him shortly."
Kise turned to Akashi. He seized the opportunity as he saw it flash open. "Akashichi, I have to go too," he said. "I have meetings at the Air Temple, and we have the tournament. Elder Takeuchi is waiting on me."
"...You're dismissed," Akashi said to Kise. "Obtain victory in your… tournament. After that, we will get down to serious matters. It is time and past you stopped dodging your responsibilities. The North has waited long enough for you to grow up."
Kise bowed. He thought maybe Akashi was more concerned with who he'd left in the north to hold the fort while the Commander returned to Republic City than Kise's responsibilities, but didn't say it, not actually all that excited to contemplate a new incarnation as a waterbender. "Akashichi, of course I'm going to win," he said.
"See that you do," said Akashi, who did not stay to watch Kise launch himself from the window.
.0.
"Shin-chan, you're pretty excited," said Takao.
"I'm not," said Midorima, struggling to balance his rock candy fluff with his salted yak butter popcorn and an armful of hastily thrown-together Lion-dogs memorabilia being hawked by vendors outside the Arena. "These could come in handy as potential lucky items."
"You made us come out way too early, Shin-chan," said Takao.
"I thought you said that seating was on a first-come basis," said Midorima. "You know I detest lateness."
"That's your fifth popcorn," said Takao. He played with Midorima's cube.
"I'm hungry," said Midorima primly.
Takao laughed and let it go. He was free from stuffy meetings for a night- Midorima often attended voluntarily, citing an interest in current affairs- and the evening was looking good. Lion-Dogs were the high favourites for tonight's match, and even Shin-chan was excited, complaining much less than usual.
"Woah," he said. "Shin-chan, celebrity sighting! That's gotta be the Lion-Dog's firebender, coming out of the Arena."
"Being a professional brawler hardly qualifies one to be a- Taiga?"
Takao looked at Midorima curiously. "No, that's Kagami," said Takao. "Shin-chan, haven't you read any sports news? The broadcasts? At all?"
Midorima straightened to his full height, craning his head. "That's impossible- what is he doing-" he muttered, presumably not to Takao. "TAIGA!" he bellowed, and the redhead turned. The pro-bender was almost as tall as Midorima, and he towered over the average residents of Republic City, easy to recognize, even though the Lion-Dogs, Kise excepted, didn't make a habit of appearing in photographs. There wasn't much of a crowd yet this early in the evening, not too noisy, so everyone heard Shin-chan shouting- and so did Kagami, turning his head towards them in shock. Kagami froze, mouth dropping as he stared at Shin-chan.
"Yue, what is he doing here," said Midorima, and started striding towards him.
"Shin-chan, you just swore!" said Takao, hurrying after Midorima. Woah, what was this? Love at first sight? Mysterious childhood friend? Midorima was all worked up, and Kagami had a really funny look on his face as he stared at the waterbender, somewhere between surprise and terror and- relief?
"Shin!" Kagami burst out. He lunged forward to grab one of Shin-chan's arms. "What the hell are you- no, no time, just come with me. Come now!" He began to pull Midorima towards the Arena.
Midorima sputtered, too shocked to resist. "What are you- Taiga! Where are you taking me? What are you doing here?"
"Someone's hurt," said Kagami. "Someone's- he's really bad, Shin. You have to come and see him."
They were almost through the doors to the Arena: Takao didn't think they even noticed he was following them. He tagged along anyway, because now his curiosity was burning.
Kagami led them to the attic and up the ladder, into a large room which bore clear, if sparse, signs of habitation. Takao blinked. He hadn't thought anyone would live above the Arena. Someone- dark-skinned, and rather familiar- was lying on the floor, sleeping, and another man was kneeling next to him, watching them with surprise.
"That's him," Kagami was saying. "Aomine. He was being beaten pretty bad by some waterbenders, earlier-"
Midorima pushed past him and froze. He rounded on Kagami. "This- this gangster is who you brought me to see? Taiga, you've always kept low company, but this is ridiculous even for you! This man and his companions attacked me during an extortion just a few weeks ago!"
"What?" said Kagami. "But you have to help him!"
Midorima barrelled on, furious. A dog- their famous mascot- started barking at him. "You! You disappear from the court, you take nothing with you, you desert your rightful position, and I find you here, living in squalor with a dangerous and violent gangster, brawling for money? Where have you been for two years? What are you doing here?"
"...Midorima-kun?" said the newest guy, staring upwards.
Midorima jumped, having obviously not noticed him. The dog was barking and barking, even though Kagami had his arms around it and was trying to calm it down. Through all this, Aomine didn't even twitch.
"...Kuroko?" said Midorima.
"Midorima-kun," said Kuroko, whoever he was. This was better than radio dramas. Takao backed himself into a corner to watch. "Midorima-kun, Aomine-kun has been attacked by bloodbenders. He is very seriously injured. You must treat him immediately. We didn't know it was this serious, he's been like this since the morning. We are lucky that Kagami-kun found you. He needs your help."
Midorima's gaze traveled between Kuroko and Kagami, and finally settled on Aomine, who looked like hell. He set his mouth, but knelt down next to the patient and drew the bandages off his fingers. "You two had better have a good explanation planned for all this," he said, and pulled back the blanket covering Aomine. His shirt was open, and the bruising was… interesting. Takao winced just looking at it. "How do you even know each other- no, tell me later. I'll need my full concentration for this. Kagami, get me water, lots of it. Kuroko, somewhere in this… circus must be a first-aid kit or medical supplies of some kind. Get them for me, everything you can find. Takao!"
"Yes!" said Takao, stepping up and saluting smartly.
"My lucky item, and help Taiga with the water."
"Right," said Takao. He set it down on the table, within reach of Shin-chan.
"When the hell did you get here," said Kagami goggling at him.
"I was with Midorima down there," Takao told him. "I followed you two up here, because I am his bodyguard and it is my job to make sure people don't punch him in the face."
"Oh," said Kagami. "-really, a bodyguard?"
"Well," said Takao. "Diplomatic assistant. Make sure they don't punch him in the face… after he pisses them off."
"Yeah, that sounds right," said Kagami.
"How do you two know each other?" said Takao. "And, er, your friend looks in pretty bad shape, we should probably get Shin-chan his water."
"This way," said Kagami. Kuroko had already left, and Midorima was frowning as he examined Aomine's body, intent in a way that reassured Takao, and obviously Kagami. "I know him- I mean- we've know each other a long- this way for water, it doesn't pipe up this far."
.0.
"Why don't you all just die right off?" Mako suggested. No one dared look him in the eye. He was icing his shoulder, no thanks to a lucky shot Aomine had landed last night in the mad scramble of his escape. "You've been getting free looks at his fighting style for the past month and even then it takes you hours to track him down and he still fucking gets away?"
They cringed.
"Doesn't matter," said Seto. He looked calm, but they could all tell he was seething just as bad as Mako was. He slowly clenched and unclenched his fingers, working off the chi-blocking. "After what we did to him, he isn't going to be any shape to stand, let alone fight tonight. They can forfeit, lose, whatever. Aomine Daiki ain't playing for the Lion-Dogs tonight." He grimaced, exposing the hard and ugly set of his mouth. "I want a piece of that firebender, too. Sun isn't going to be rising tonight. He's Lion-Dogs as well, should be feeling his injuries."
"Oh. Oh!" Hara waved something that glinted gold in the flickering light. "He was wearing this," he said. "Clipped it off him during the fighting, though he's probably noticed it's gone by now. Worth something?" He tossed it at their boss.
Mako let it fall, rather than reach out with his injured shoulder. Hara laughed nervously as Mako contemplated killing him then and there. "Finish your business tonight," he ordered Seto. "The Arena will be crawling with morons and rent-a-cops tonight, but he's got nowhere else to go in the city. We'll get him after tonight- and his little firebender, too."
The golden flame of the Fire Nation gleamed red and orange at Mako's feet.
.0.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," said Midorima. Scowling, he tried to adjust his glasses and only got the Lion-Dog's smoked glass faceplate.
"You fit into the uniform, Midorimachi," said Kise. "It was fate."
"If I kill you, I will very gladly train your replacement," said Midorima. He clutched his cube in one hand and the rulebook Kuroko had handed him in the other.
"Please!" said Kise, wincing faintly. "I know you're tired from healing Aominechi, but for me!"
"You're an idiot," said Midorima. "I would be fine if I wasn't here in all this infernal noise and this infernal get-up."
"It's okay, Midorimachi," said Kise. "Kagamichi and I are really good, we'll make sure you won't get hurt out there."
Midorima cast him a look of utter loathing. Kise sparkled.
Kagami stared across the playing field at their opponents, the Koala-Sloths. Seto, just as ice-eyed, gave him a little wave. "That's him," he said. "That's one of the fuckers who-"
"He was with Aomine at Narook's that day," said Midorima. Seto looked, registered that their waterbender wasn't Aomine and smirked. If that fucker somehow managed to break his neck falling into the drink tonight, Kagami wasn't about to shed any sweat over it. Midorima returned to rereading the rule book for the fifth time. "It seems your criminal friend had his criminal friends turn on him."
"Shi- Midorima!" snapped Kagami.
"Don't blame me for the company you keep," said Midorima. "He'll be fine, though you should have gotten him to a- to me, sooner. Not many people can treat bloodbending injuries." Midorima had healed Kagami as well, and then Kise had swept through the windows and reminded them all there was a match on tonight.
Thinking of Aomine, Kise looked worried. He had had a nasty shock when he arrived back in the attic. Bloodbending was a capital offense, something the Avatar had to deal with. And someone who could do that to Aomine… Kagami didn't like it either. The guys he'd fought today wouldn't have been any match for Aomine if someone else- the bloodbender- hadn't gotten to him first.
Kagami looked Midorima over. "You really up to this?" he said.
"I'll do it," said Midorima, and the way he arched his neck was pure Shin, all that arrogance and grace. "Have you forgotten who you're speaking to, Taiga?"
Kagami snorted and the tension went out of his shoulders, abruptly. "You haven't changed," he said.
"Why would I?" said Midorima. "How do you get yourself into these things?"
"Midorimachi, I love you," said Kise, batting his eyes at the waterbender.
"Shut up."
"It's time," said Kagami. The crowd, despite their heart-rending disappointment at being robbed of Aomine Daiki, roared as the platform extended to the playing field. Seto's teammates looked like tough cases, too, and they swaggered to the platform to their own cheers.
"Wait, then hit hard and fast," said Kagami. "Kise, that waterbender got hit today on his right arm, he won't be as responsive on that side for a while. Kuroko chi-blocked him. Don't give them any time to get a bearing on Shin's style."
Kise and Midorima exchanged looks, Kise's wide-eyed, and Midorima's resigned. Lightning was sparking in Kagami's eyes, icy cold.
They took up their positions. Seto was frowning at Midorima, and Kagami saw the shock in his eyes as he placed the waterbender who had fought Aomine weeks ago, and fought him to a standstill.
True to their namesakes, the Sloths fought a slow game, waiting to size up their opponents. Kagami was similarly- if uncharacteristically- cautious, neither side losing or gaining a zone as they traded blows. The first round ended in a loss for the Lion-Dogs when Midorima, dodging earth discs, landed in the second zone. The crowd booed him enthusiastically.
Right as the bell for the second round went, the Sloths went for Kagami. Kagami rolled and spat back small flames, ending up at the far end of the second zone trying to keep his footing. Unprotected, Midorima and Kise were driven back one zone, two. Kagami blocked fire with fire and took Seto's strike to the same knee where he'd been hit earlier.
Kagami snarled.
Kise went down off a mistimed dodge, but while the Sloths- and the refs- were watching that, Kagami blasted Seto and the earthbender to the edge of the platform, vicious blasts which lasted longer than either had braced themselves for. Midorima saw his chance and hit the earthbender, right between the eyes, a beautifully precise strike- sending him toppling into the ropes and Seto off the edge of the platform, hitting the water to a cheer.
After that, it was over very, very fast.
.0.
Hanamiya was waiting for Seto when he emerged, dripping, from the water.
"Relax,' he said, when Seto stiffened. His hair had come loose from his dunking, and it made him look like a drowned rat. "Aida and that moron are caught up in managing her precious ring, and that other moron doesn't leave her side for long enough to come down here. Get out of that monkey suit, we're moving."
"The match-" said Seto, still knocking water out his ears.
"Forget the match," said Hanamiya. Something had put him back into a great mood, his eyes gleaming and his brain racing behind them, both black as tar. Further behind him, Seto saw more Reds, everyone Hanamiya could possibly have laid his hands on in short notice, even Sakurai trembling as the spectators continued to roar. The staff who usually stood here in wait were out cold on the floor. Behind him and above, Seto heard that fucking annoying announcer scream that the Sloths were on the third zone and falling back. Fuck them. He couldn't get back up in time to save them from their dunking.
Hanamiya smirked as Seto pulled off his helmet and let it drop. The guys were going to be pissed, but so what? "I have something else much, much better planned."
.0.
Kise hurried back up to the attic after the match by the simple expedient of stepping outside and airbending himself up to the open windows. Kurokochi and Momochi would be there, watching over Aominechi, and that friend of Midorimachi's, who'd volunteered his services as well.
Nigou's barks didn't greet Kise as he entered the darkened room. Kise called a small flame to his palm, sighing in relief as it illuminated Momoi sitting by Aomine, both her fans in her lap.
"Ki-chan," she said. "Did you win?"
"Of course we did," he said, dropping to his knees next to her. 'Second-round knockout. That guy who hurt Aominechi never even had a chance to get back into the ring." She put her finger to her lips. Takao and Kuroko appeared to have gone to sleep, despite the noise from the arena. She turned the lamp up, enough for Kise to see her by.
"He's better, I think," she said, touching Aomine's hand. "If Tetsu-kun hadn't recognized the bruise patterns as blood-bending… or if Midorima-kun hadn't been there..."
"Midorimachi is a really good healer," said Kise. "He said Aominechi would be fine."
Momoi smiled. "I'm very grateful," she said, but her eyes were still worried. "It's barely full moon, Ki-chan. How could this have happened to him?"
Nigou began to bark at the ladder.
Kise tensed and Momoi opened her fan just a little, hissing, "Tetsu-kun!"
Kuroko woke quickly, reaching for his own weapons.
"It's me!" said Kiyoshi. "It's- Nigou, let me up, you know me." The lion-dog whuffed suspiciously.
"Kiyoshi-san," said Kuroko. Kise walked over to give the earthbender a hand up, checking to see there was no one else following him which might have set Nigou off.
"Are Kagami and that other guy here?" asked Kiyoshi, looking around the attic.
"No, Kagamichi's taking a long time," said Kise.
"About that," said Kiyoshi. He looked grave. "The medics said someone had ambushed them," he explained. "So I went to check it out. But on the way…" he handed them Kagami's Lion-Dogs helmet, and in it, Midorima's lucky item. The glass faceplate was cracked. "What do you know about the Red Monsoons?" Kiyoshi said.
Takao had picked up the cube, looking at it. "Shin-chan's family is pretty well off," he remarked. His voice was a little distant. "He got on the wrong side of the Monsoons before- with that guy," he shrugged at Aomine. "It's be worth something to grab him, if just for revenge."
"I think," said Kuroko slowly, "it was not… necessarily Midorima-kun they were after." He turned Kagami's helmet over, and Kagami's golden flame pendant fell out into his palm. It had been smeared with blood.
"Your firebender?" said Takao. "He's-?"
"Prince Kagami of the Fire Nation," said Kuroko.
"Kagamin!" said Momoi, taking the pendant from Kuroko. She stared at it, stricken.
"Fire Nation?" said Takao, and shaped his lips into a long low whistle he did not voice. "That's… not good."
"We need to… call someone of authority…?" said Kise, hopefully. "If they took them both-"
"No," said Kuroko. There was a short sharp sound as he checked the knives at his waist. "Kiyoshi-san, perhaps that is a question that we should better pose to you. What do you know, about the Red Monsoons?"