Here's the new story I was working on. I read a one-shot with point guards hanging out away from their teammates. I saw the Scooby-Doo episode "Creepy Heap from the Deep" and thought writing the points guards in this scenario would be funny.
Admittedly, I've only seen bits and pieces of Kuroko no Basuke. I mostly just read fan fiction. However, I've researched the characters and read enough stories to understand how to write them accurately.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke or the Scooby-Doo episode the plot is based on. I only own the idea and minor OCs.
Now, let the mystery begin.
Edit: I went back and combined everything into a one-shot. Hopefully, the scenes flow well enough.
"Well, we sure goofed when we planned this walk," Izuki remarked as he and the other point guards walked along the gloomy beach.
With him was his teammate, Furihata; Kaijo's captain, Kasamatsu; Shuutoku's Takao; Too Academy's captain, Imayoshi; Yosen's Fukui, and Rakuzan's captain and former captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi.
To explain why they were all there, it all started when the Seirin team was invited to a private training facility along with five other teams. The owners kept the names confidential, so they didn't know it was their rival teams until later.
How they found out started when they got there, precisely when Izuki began suffering from a migraine. Furihata offered to get him to the lounge area to lie down and take their coolers with them. When they arrived, they were surprised to find Kasamatsu, Takao, Imayoshi, Fukui, and Akashi, which was when they learned who the other teams were. Having all broken away from their groups for different reasons, once Izuki's headache calmed, Takao suggested they all explore the facility and grounds together.
They all agreed, but now they were starting to think that was a mistake.
"I'll say," Fukui agreed. "First, we took a wrong turn and ended up on this creepy beach."
"And then all this fog rolled in," Imayoshi added.
"I could be wrong, but I feel like we're going in circles," Furihata said, getting more nervous by the minute.
"I suggest we wait until the fog lifts before going any further," Akashi proposed, taking charge. "Otherwise, if we haven't done so already, we will end up going in circles."
"I'm with Akashi on this one." Kasamatsu agreed before he glanced around in confusion. "Wait a minute, where's Takao?"
"There he is!" Seirin's second-string point guard pointed towards the water.
Takao stood at the water's edge with a fishing rod, his line cast. Next to him was a picnic basket with a blanket and plates set up for a meal.
"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Kasamatsu muttered as they approached the Hawk-Eye player.
"Takao-kun, what's all this?" Imayoshi asked, amused as always.
"I thought I'd surprise whoever left this stuff here with a freshly caught fish." The Hawk-Eye player said, carefree as ever.
"It figures." Kasamatsu sighed.
"I got a bite!" Takao crowed a minute later, feeling a tug on the line.
Whatever was on the other end was strong, however. Every time Takao tried to reel it in, it would put up a fight.
"Wow, I think I hooked a whole fish fry!" The Hawk-Eye player cried, getting pulled closer to the water.
"I got ya, Takao!" Furihata said, grabbing Takao around the waist to keep him from moving.
"Should we help them?" Fukui turned to Kasamatsu.
"If they start to fall in again, yes."
"I got it! I got it!" Takao cried as he began reeling it in again.
With one last tug, their catch broke the surface. But they weren't prepared for what was there…
They caught some kind of sea creature that easily dwarfed the two point guards. It had webbed hands and feet, one eye, a massive mouth with razor-sharp teeth, and a mess of seaweed on its head that gave the impression of hair.
The freshmen holding the line screamed, dropping the fishing pole as they ducked behind the other point guards.
"What… is that?!" Kasamatsu managed to choke out in his shock.
"I don't know, but I suggest we not stay to find out!" Akashi replied, eyes wide despite his composure.
"Let's get out of here!" Fukui shouted, being the first to run.
"But where do we go?!" Furihata asked as the rest ran after the Yosen point guard.
Catching something out of the corner of his eye, Kasamatsu saw a large house up on a nearby cliff. "Run for that house on the cliff! It's our best shot!"
Not arguing, everyone veered left and ran for the house as the creature lumbered behind them.
(A short sprint later)
The boys managed to outrun the creature, losing it as they made their way to the house.
"What a strange old place," Imayoshi observed. "It looks almost haunted."
"Did you have to say that?" Takao shivered.
"Hello!" Kasamatsu called out. "Anybody home?"
Moments later, the front door opened, and an old man stepped out. He was a heavy-built man with gray hair and a beard. He wore a captain's jacket and hat and spoke like a pirate.
"Aye? What can I do for ya, lads?"
"May we use your phone, sir?" Akashi asked. "We need your help."
"Help? Why?"
"Because of that creepy heap from the deep!" Izuki answered.
"The monster! Ya saw the monster?!" The captain gasped.
"You know about that thing?" Furihata spoke, surprised.
Instead of answering, the captain moved aside. "Quick, inside! I'll see if it followed ya!"
Not needing to be told twice, the point guards all but ran into the house.
"We need to call for help!" The Seirin second-strong player said.
"Except for one thing," Takao remembered sheepishly. "I left my cell phone at the facility."
"Me, too." Izuki, Imayoshi, and Fukui said.
"It wouldn't even matter," Kasamatsu said, pocketing his cell phone after checking it. "There's no signal up here!"
"And this old antique is dead!" Akashi added, hanging up the old landline he tried to use.
"Aye! The lines must have been downed by last night's storm!" The captain explained as he barricaded the door.
"Or the monster!" Furihata whimpered as Takao gulped in fear.
"What can you tell us about the monster, sir?" Akashi asked the older man.
"I've seen it! Oh, not tonight, but that creature's a livin' legend in these waters!"
"Too livin', if you ask me!" Fukui groaned.
After introducing themselves, the boys settled themselves inside Captain Chisaka's living room. Fukui was seated in the armchair, with Izuki on the floor beside him. Kasamatsu and Imayoshi were on the couch while Akashi sat in a second armchair. Furihata and Takao were on the floor next to him.
Chisaka stood next to the fireplace, telling the boys about the monster from an old book. "The legend says that a hundred years ago, an evil sailor had a terrible curse placed on him by his shipmates, and they threw him overboard! And now, he's come back, changed into this awful, unspeakable, supernatural creature!"
"S-S-Supernatural?" Furihata parroted, shaking along with Takao.
"Aye," The captain confirmed, showing the boys a picture of the beast. "Looky this here picture. That be your creature?"
"Uh-huh." Izuki nodded nervously.
"If it lives on the ocean bottom, what's it doing up on the beach?" Kasamatsu asked.
"Arr, probably searching for victims."
"Victims?" Akashi asked.
"Aye, to steal their spirits," Chisaka explained, turning to a page with a picture of the monster chasing a person. "Being supernatural, it needs human spirits to stay alive."
Furi and Takao yelled in fear at the information, clinging to each other.
"Well, my spirit is unwilling! Let's get outta here!" Fukui said, jumping out of his chair.
"Fukui-kun is right!" Imayoshi agreed, getting up. "We should get back to the facility and warn our teammates about this area!"
"Let's hurry!" Akashi said, leading the way out the door.
Once the basketball players left, Captain Chisaka closed and locked the door. However, he would discover too late that the creature was already there…
(Along the beach)
The boys made their way back to the training facility as quickly as they could, keeping an eye out for the monster.
As they moved, Izuki noticed something on the ground parallel to them. "Guys, look!"
Stopping to look at what the Eagle-Eye player found, they saw a set of tracks heading back in the direction they came from.
"Those have to be the monster's footprints," Imayoshi observed.
"Great deductive skills." Fukui snarked.
"We must have passed the creature without realizing it." Akashi speculated.
"Which means it didn't see us," Takao said, relieved.
"That's good news," Furihata added hopefully.
"But the bad news is that the prints lead back toward the Captain's house!" Kasamatsu noticed, following the trail with his eyes.
"Quickly, we have to warn the Captain!" Akashi commanded, running back the way they came.
The rest of the point guards ran after the redhead, unaware the creature spotted them from behind the sand dunes.
(Back at the house)
When they returned to Chisaka's house, their worst fears were confirmed when they saw the door was ripped almost entirely off its hinges. Seaweed and puddles of seawater were scattered on the porch.
"Oh no, we're too late!" Izuki said, seeing the mess.
"Captain Chisaka?" Fukui called, hoping the old man was alright.
"I don't think he's gonna be answering," Furihata squeaked slowly, looking into the parlor area.
Their hearts dropped when the other point guards saw what he was looking at.
Captain Chisaka was in one of the armchairs, frozen with a horrified expression. All natural color had been drained from his face and hair, leaving him white as a ghost.
"The monster got him!" Takao yelped, clinging to Furi.
"Look!" Imayoshi pointed to something on the side table next to the chair. "He tried to leave a message!"
Kasamatsu looked over his shoulder to read what was written. The characters were smudged in the dust, but he could make out "'Creature'… 'Spirit'…"
"The creature stole his spirit!" Izuki put it together.
"What do we do now?" Imayoshi turned to his fellow captain beside him.
"Okay, this is going to sound insane, but we need to track down that monster." Kasamatsu decided.
"Are you nuts?!" Fukui cried, looking at the Kaijo captain like he'd grown a second head.
"It's partly our fault it got Captain Chisaka in the first place!" He argued. "The least we can do is try to get his spirit back!"
"There's also the fact that that thing might not be confined to the beach," Akashi added. "For all we know, it could make its way to the training facility and go after our teammates."
"Okay, you have a point." Fukui conceded.
"Someone better stay here to look after the Captain," Izuki suggested.
"Oh, oh, how about us?" Takao volunteered himself and Furi.
"There's an idea," Imayoshi agreed. "Why don't the freshmen stay here with Izuki-kun?"
"I'm alright with that." Izuki agreed.
"I have no complaints." Akashi complied, respecting his senior's decision.
"Alright, you guys can wait here while we go and get help," Kasamatsu instructed as he and the other third-years headed for the door.
Once they left, Takao and Furihata breathed sighs of relief.
"Good thinking, Takao-kun," The second-string gestured to the sea captain. "At least he's not gonna give us any trouble."
"Right?"
"I should've known," Izuki whispered to Akashi, who simply shrugged.
An ominous lightning flash illuminated the prone captain, and a deafening thunderclap followed.
(Sometime later)
Izuki and the freshmen weren't sure how long they waited for the seniors. They were all watching out the window for the others to return with backup.
"I hope the others are alright," Izuki murmured.
"Yeah, this babysitting gig is starting to get creepy." Takao agreed.
"Need I remind you who volunteered us for this assignment, Kazunari?" Akashi gave him a side-eye glare.
The Hawk-Eye player chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
While they were talking, Furihata felt a hand on his shoulder. Against his better judgment, he glanced behind him to see what it was. Terrified by what he found, he slowly turned to the boys beside him.
"Um, Akashi-san, Izuki-senpai, Takao-kun?" He squeaked. "I think the Captain's feeling better…."
"What are you talking about?" Akashi asked.
Furihata merely pointed behind him. Following his finger, the boys found…
"What're you doing out of your chair?!" Takao gasped, seeing Chisaka standing there and still completely pale.
"Now, the creature owns my spirit." Chisaka declared in a monotone voice.
"I don't like where this is going," Izuki said while the other point guards visibly shook, even Akashi.
"He commands me to bring him more victims." The sea captain added.
"If you're talking about us, we just went that way!" Takao yelled, pointing in a direction as he and Furihata started running.
"Split up!" Akashi commanded as he and Izuki took off in the opposite direction.
Chisaka gave chase, going back and forth between the duos. The boys yelled in fright as they ran around the room with the sea captain behind them.
"Through that door, Kou-chan!" Takao directed as he and Furihata ducked into another room, shutting the door behind them.
When the Captain thought he had them, he got an odd surprise upon opening the door…
Takao and Furihata walked out, wearing 80s-style wigs and purple salon shirts as disguises. The Hawk-Eye player was carrying a tray of cosmetics. Where they got any of that stuff was still being determined.
"What are they doing?" Akashi asked, not believing what he saw from where he and Izuki hid behind another door.
"I have no idea," Izuki said, feeling the same way.
"Aha, you come for the Madame Takao beauty treatment, no?" Takao asked in a falsetto voice with a fake-stereotypical French accent.
"No." The Captain responded.
Takao laughed as Furihata nudged the sea captain into a salon chair he found. "But yes, you naughty little captain. You look so pale. You need the rogue."
"And lipstick!" Furihata added to the act as they applied the makeup.
"And the hair, it is nowhere!" Takao continued, taking off the Captain's hat.
Furihata pulled out a bottle of shampoo conditioner and squirted it on Chisaka's head until it was a sudsy mess. The Captain sputtered and growled in protest, but the boys continued.
"Aha, magnifique!" Takao praised, throwing away the tray and pulling out a salon dryer. "And now for the final touch, that means so much!"
When the dome was lowered, Furihata gave the chair a quick smack and had it spinning, snickering quietly. When the chair stopped, forcing the Captain to his feet, the man had crazy hair like the boys' wigs.
"And here's your bow, doe-doe-doe." Furihata finished up, giving him a light blue hairbow.
"Aha! You want to see the new you?" Takao questioned, holding up a hand mirror.
One look and the Captain growled in distaste, not liking his makeover at all.
"You're right! You're uglier than ever!" Takao cracked, dropping the falsetto voice.
The freshmen players got a good laugh at the Captain's expense before they ran away again, throwing away their disguises as they did.
"In here, you two!" Izuki called to them.
"Right behind you!" Takao responded, ducking inside.
Furihata was the last one in, shutting the door behind him. Despite being stuck in the dark, they had at least put some space between them and the zombie captain.
"It is absolutely ridiculous that stunt worked," Akashi spoke bluntly.
"Well, at least we're safe now," Izuki said, trying to be positive.
"Now, your spirits will be mine!" Chisaka bellowed from outside.
"Or we just inadvertently trapped ourselves." Akashi countered.
"He's got us, guys!" Furihata cried. "We're goners!"
"Your spirits! I must have your spirits!" Chisaka demanded, pounding on the door.
"What do we do?!" Takao shivered.
"Well, first of all, Kouki, please let go of me." Akashi requested since the brunette had started clinging to him.
Furihata yelped again, scrambling away from the red-headed nightmare. "I'm sorry!"
"Secondly, someone turn on the lights so we can see where we are."
"Right, then we can find a way out of here." Izuki agreed, feeling the walls for a light switch.
Takao found it first, revealing that the room was much smaller than they thought. It was about six by seven feet, and a single window was on the far wall. Oddly enough, beyond the window appeared to be dirt from the cliffside.
"Uh, anyone else feel like we're going down?" Furihata asked, feeling a swooping feeling in his stomach.
"Hey, look," Takao pointed at the window, noticing that the earth outside appeared to be moving.
"It appears we're in an old elevator of some kind," Akashi deduced.
"And we're dropping fast!" Izuki added, pressing himself against the wall. "Everyone, brace yourselves!"
The freshmen did as they were told and hung on until the elevator hit bottom. The landing was rough, and the boys were knocked off their feet, but other than that, they were uninjured.
"I think we've stopped," Takao said as everyone got back up.
"No, really?" Akashi asked sarcastically.
"Let's get out of here!" Furihata said as Izuki got the door open.
The point guards ran outside and were met with a surprise.
"Hey, we're back on the beach." Izuki realized as they looked around.
"But how did that happen?" Furihata asked, confused.
"The elevator came down through the cliff," Akashi explained.
"At least we're safe," Takao said, trying to be optimistic.
A sudden growl caught their attention. Takao scrambled back into his fellow point guards as they were cornered against the cliff.
"Takao-kun, you spoke too soon!" Furihata whimpered.
"It's the creepy heap!" Izuki gasped in horror as the monster lumbered towards them menacingly.
"What do we do?!" Takao cried.
"We put our basketball maneuvers to good use," Akashi decided, thinking of a plan. "Split in two pairs and dodge around the beast."
"Like we do on the court!" Furihata caught on.
"Right, everyone, pretend it's another basketball player." Izuki agreed.
"Hai!" Takao nodded, finding some courage.
Waiting for the right timing, the boys sprang into action. Furihata and Akashi ran to the creature's right while Takao and Izuki dodged left. The beast was momentarily confused when the teens got past him before it started chasing them.
The monster was surprisingly fast on land for being primarily aquatic, but the boys were faster. Hours of training were coming in handy as they zig-zagged around the beach, avoiding the creature like an opposing player.
Meanwhile, a few yards away, the third-years were still making their way back to the facility when the chase caught Imayoshi's attention.
"Look! It's the monster!" He said, getting Fukui and Kasamatsu's attention as he pointed toward the beast.
"And he's chasing Izuki and the freshmen across the sand!" Fukui added when he saw what was happening.
Before they could move to help their underclassmen, something out at sea caught the monster's attention. Losing interest in the humans, it began running toward the water, a flashing light seen on the horizon.
"That's strange," Imayoshi noted. "Now he's heading for that blinking light in the ocean."
"That's not all that's strange," Kasamatsu mentioned, pointing up the cliff. "Look up there."
Looking back at Chisaka's house, they noticed a similar light flashing from the foyer window.
"The Captain's light is blinking, too," Imayoshi said.
"Okay, something's up," Fukui crossed his arms, looking at the light suspiciously.
By that point, Izuki and the freshmen ran over to them. Even with their regular exercise, they looked a little winded.
"Is everyone alright?" Imayoshi asked.
"Not really; we just got chased around the beach by a sea monster!" Takao replied, looking thoroughly freaked out.
"Well, you can relax, Takao-kun," The Yoo Academy point guard smiled. "He's crawling back into the ocean."
Furihata and Takao breathed sighs of relief when they saw the creature go back under the water.
"That's good," Furihata murmured.
"And we're going after it," Kasamatsu added, determined to get answers.
"Agreed." Akashi nodded.
"That's bad." Kouki whimpered.
(A short time later)
After tracking down some reef-diving gear and swimwear (ironically, in their team colors), the point guards found a few inflatable rafts. The third years shared one raft, Akashi and Izuki rode in another, and Takao and Furihata teamed up in the last boat.
The basketball players headed out to sea, following the creature as fast as they could without being seen or heard. As the monster swam ahead, they were soon met with a thick blanket of fog.
"The monster disappeared into that fog bank." Kasamatsu noticed as they got closer.
"Wouldn't you know it?" Furihata muttered, not liking this at all. "Stay close."
Taking a risk, the boys paddled into the fog bank. However, it didn't take long for them to become separated in the mist.
"Do you see anything, Takao-kun?" Furihata asked.
"Nope," the Shuutoku player said, shaking his head.
"Keep an eye out for the others," The second-string player instructed before he started calling for their fellow players. "Akashi-san? Kasamatsu-senpai? Izuki-senpai?"
Only silence answered him.
"We're lost," Furihata whimpered as he stopped paddling. "And I'm not moving another inch until the fog clears."
"Alright, let's drop anchor," Takao suggested, pulling out a huge boat anchor.
"Wow, where'd you get this anchor?" The Seirin player asked. "How'd you even get it in here, anyway?"
Takao dropped the anchor over the side but underestimated its weight. The boys heard a loud ripping sound followed by rushing air like a balloon deflating. They turned and saw that the anchor had come loose, ripping a hole in the spot where it was attached.
"Now, you did it," Furihata muttered, bringing his hand to his face.
"Out of the fog and into the soup," Takao quipped as the raft deflated.
"Let's put on our face masks and see if we can find our way to shore."
"Right."
The boys slipped on their gear and hopped in the water, leaving the remains of their raft behind.
Despite the circumstances, the boys had to admit this was fun. Neither had ever dived before, so this was a new experience. Even with the weather, the ocean floor was still beautiful.
"Wow," Takao breathed, looking around. "You know, despite the fact we're lost and who knows how many kilometers from shore, this is actually kind of exciting."
"Yeah, it is," Furihata agreed before returning to the task. "But still, watch out for that sea monster."
"You mean that one behind you?" The Hawk-Eye player innocently.
"Yes, that one… Wait, what?"
Both boys stopped short before turning around. Sure enough, the creature had caught up with them. They yelled in fright as the beast growled at them.
"Full speed ahead!" Furihata cried as they swam as fast as they could.
Meanwhile, back on the surface, the rest of the point guards were looking for the lost freshmen.
"Furihata-kun! Takao-kun!" Imayoshi called but received no answer.
"Where are you guys?!" Fukui joined him.
"I hope they're okay…." Izuki murmured worriedly. Furihata was his kouhai, which made him his responsibility.
"Look!" Akashi pointed towards the water. "They're down there!"
"And the monster's right on their tail!" Imayoshi added, seeing that the creature wasn't too far behind.
"Come on! Let's get down there!" Kasamatsu said, putting on his mask.
Without a second thought, the point guards jumped into the water.
Down below, Takao and Furihata were still swimming for their lives.
"Is the monster still chasing us?" Furihata asked.
"I don't know!" Takao answered as they looked over their shoulders.
That was a mistake when they didn't see what was in front of them until they smacked into it. Once they shook the stars out of their heads, they saw what they had run into.
"Wow! Do you see what I see?! An old submarine!" Takao gasped, looking at the colossal submersible.
"What a find!" Furihata said.
"Let's hide inside!"
The brunette point guard quickly swam to the hatch, opening it without much trouble.
"Good work, Kou-chan!" Takao praised as they swam inside, closing the door behind them.
Unfortunately, they just barely missed the monster behind them. Knowing where they were, the creature opened the hatch and followed after them.
Fortunately, the rest of the point guards weren't too far away.
"Look, Furihata and Takao hid inside that old sub!" Fukui said.
"And the monster's after them!" Kasamatsu added. "Come on!"
But they were too late to do anything as the creature shut the hatch behind it.
Inside, Takao and Furihata soon became aware they weren't alone at the sound of a metal door closing.
Takao screamed when he turned around. "The monster's here!"
"It's inside the sub!" Furihata cried as the creature growled at them.
The boys ran for it, finding a spot to hide inside an old medical cabinet. Fortunately, they were quick enough that the monster didn't see them as it lumbered past their hiding spot.
However, neither boy noticed that Takao had dropped his scuba mask.
(Meanwhile)
The remaining point guards entered the sub, looking for the missing players. At some point, they came to the same area with the medicine cabinet.
"Ugh, there's no sign of Takao or Furihata." Fukui groaned, frustrated.
"Oh no…" Imayoshi smiled slyly, picking up the fallen scuba mask before looking at the cabinet.
Catching on to what Imayoshi was implying, Akashi opened the cabinet doors. Inside were a frightened and shaking Takao and Furihata, their eyes squeezed shut.
Akashi cleared his throat. "Kouki, Kazunari."
The boys stopped shaking and opened their eyes when they heard his voice. That was probably the first time they had been happy to see the Miracles' devil captain.
Takao laughed sheepishly at the situation. "We thought you were the monster."
"It's in here!" Furihata informed them.
"We know," Izuki said.
"If you don't mind, we'll stay in here," Takao said.
"If you don't mind, out, out, out!" Kasamatsu ordered, gesturing for them to do what they were told.
Once they got the two chickens out of the cabinet, the point guards gathered in the next hall to look for clues.
"Shun, you take Kouki and Kazunari in that direction," Akashi pointed to the left before gesturing to a door behind them. "And we'll take this hatch."
"Right. Come on, guys." Izuki said, leading the two freshmen in their assigned direction.
"It was nice knowing ya, Kou-chan," Takao said.
"Same to you, Takao-kun."
The boys crept down the hall, alert for any sign of the creature. They passed various pipes and gages before they came to another door with two handles.
"I wonder where this goes…." Furihata wondered.
"Let's find out," Takao said.
Izuki tried pulling the door open, but it wouldn't budge. "It's stuck. Give me a hand."
Working together, the boys yanked on the door, inadvertently pulling it off its hinges. The boys lost their balance and stumbled backward, falling over with a loud clang when the door gave way.
Izuki picked himself up with a groan. "Everyone all right?"
"Yeah," Takao moaned, pushing himself to his feet before looking in Furihata's direction. "You okay, Kou-chan?"
To their dawning horror, they saw that Furihata had fallen into the monster without realizing it. The brunette turned to them with a reassuring smile, not realizing the danger he was in.
"I'm okay," He said, balancing himself before pointing to the creature. "This guy caught me."
He chuckled sheepishly before becoming horrified when the situation caught up with him.
"Run!" Izuki cried, taking off.
"Get going, or we're goners!" Takao yelled, following the upperclassman.
Furihata quickly raced away from the creature, catching up with the others at the other end of the hall.
"Quick, we'll go out the backway!" Takao said, taking hold of a hatch's handle.
"Wait, I don't think–!" Furihata's warning was cut off when the Hawk-Eye player opened the door.
Seawater rushed in, causing the trio to yell in surprise as they were swept off their feet, pushing them down the hall.
Meanwhile, the other point guards were walking in the other direction when they all heard a rumbling sound, causing them to stop.
"Did you guys hear something?" Fukui asked.
"Uh huh," Imayoshi nodded, turning toward the noise. "It sounded like water–."
"Water!" Kasamatsu finished for them when he saw the current coming toward them.
"Look out!" Izuki called to them as they got closer.
However, they weren't fast enough to react. The boys screamed in fright as they were knocked into a soaking pile by the water.
Coming out of their daze, Kasamatsu ran toward the door. "Get the door! Quick!"
Takao and Izuki joined him, pushing the door shut to stop the water.
"Phew," Takao breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his brow. "We're safe."
"Then why is the water level rising?" Akashi asked, pointing to the ocean-covered floor.
"What?" Everyone gasped.
Looking down, they realized, as always, Akashi was right. Water was still coming in despite the door being shut.
"Look!" Imayoshi pointed at the door, seeing the handle moving. "The monster's locking us in!"
"Oh, great!" Fukui bemoaned. "We're under fifty feet of ocean, trapped inside a submarine, water rising, and a monster outside!"
"We're doomed!" Furihata cried as the water rose to their chests.
The seawater continued to flood the sealed room, raising the basketball players closer to the ceiling.
"We're trapped! There's no other way out of here!" Takao was freaking out as everyone got their diving gear back on.
"Not quite, Takao-kun," Imayoshi assured him. "Fortunately for us, this is the submarine's airlock."
"Right. Which means we can open that hatch up there and leave the sub the same way we came in." Kasamatsu confirmed, reaching for the hatch above them.
"Then what are we waiting for?! Chickens and chihuahuas first!" Takao declared.
"Chickens and chihuahuas?" Akashi looked at him in confusion.
"Bark, bark, bark, bark!" Furihata started doing a dog imitation as the Kaijo captain opened the hatch.
"Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk!" Takao made a chicken impression as the two first-years swam out of the sub first.
(Back on the beach)
Once they reached the surface, the basketball players found one of their rafts and rowed back to shore. Back on land, they changed into their clothes and started making a new plan.
"Perhaps we will find out more about the sea monster if we check along the beach," Akashi suggested.
"Good idea, Akashi," Imayoshi agreed before setting directions. "You, Fukui, and I will go this way while the rest of the group goes the other way."
"Right," Kasamatsu said before he led the other three down the shoreline.
"Let's go, you sea chickens," Izuki told the first years, chuckling slightly.
"We'll never hear the end of this, will we?" Takao looked at Furihata, who simply shrugged.
(A short time later)
After walking for a bit, the quartet came upon their first discovery.
"Hey, look, an old shack," Kasamatsu said as they approached the building.
"It looks deserted… I hope." Furihata commented.
"Let's check it out."
The Kaijo point guard knocked on the door, which crumbled apart moments later, startling the boys.
"Anybody home?" Izuki called out.
"Besides termites?" Takao added.
"Let's check inside." Kasamatsu led the group into the shack. They didn't see anyone but did find an assortment of knick-knacks and odds-and-ends.
"What a weird collection of junk," Izuki commented as they looked around.
Suddenly, they heard a roar that sounded like the sea monster's growl, making them turn to the entrance in fright.
"This must be the monster's beach house!" Furihata cried in terror.
Thinking quickly, the players dived inside some piles of life rings to hide and waited for the creature to appear.
There was another gargling growl as the darkness in the shack brightened. The boys next heard a human chuckle before an old man in rags with a lantern walked in.
"Ah, visitors," He greeted warmly when he saw the boys. "Welcome."
"Quick, sir, hide! There's a monster out there!" Izuki told him urgently.
"Oh, that was just me," The old man assured him, chuckling as he did another growl before walking past them. "Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable while I feed Walter."
"Uh, who's Walter?" Furihata asked.
"My little fishy, of course," The hermit answered as he led them towards the back of the shack. They found a cauldron filled with water while an unmistakable dorsal fin circled inside.
"Walter's a shark!" Furihata gasped.
"And a hungry one, too," The old man added before feeding the shark. "Here ya are, Walter. Some fresh meat."
However, instead of grabbing the steak cut he had set aside, the hermit grabbed the back of Takao's shirt and held him over the cauldron.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Takao yelped before he was dropped into the water. Seconds later, the Hawk-Eye player jumped out with a yelp, unharmed, as he made tracks for the door.
"Takao-kun, wait for us!" Furihata ran after him.
Kasamatsu chuckled sheepishly at the hermit before he and Izuki started racing after the freshmen. "Well, it was nice to meet you, sir, but we gotta go. Bye!"
"Come back anytime!" The old man called after them, laughing good-naturedly.
(Elsewhere)
While that misadventure was happening, Akashi and the third-years still explored the beach for clues. Soon, they came upon a set of familiar footprints in the sand.
"Look at this guys. Tracks." Fukui pointed them out.
"Let's see where they go," Imayoshi said.
They followed the tracks briefly when something caught Akashi's attention. "Wait. What's this?"
They stopped as the Rakuzan captain picked up an odd key-shaped object from the sand.
"Looks like some kind of key," Fukui said.
"Except that… it's so flimsy," Imayoshi said as Akashi moved the item around. "Look how it bends."
"That's weird. Who'd want a key like that?" The Yosen point guard questioned.
"We'll figure that out later," The Rakuzan captain said. "For now, let's stay with the tracks."
The boys had only started walking again for a few minutes when suddenly, the monster appeared in front of them with a roar.
"The monster!" Fukui gasped.
"Everyone, run!" Imayoshi cried as the boys fled in the opposite direction, leaving the monster in their wake.
(Later)
Once the boys regrouped, they found a spot on the beach to review what they knew.
"This whole thing still doesn't make any sense," Kasamatsu stated.
"Let's add up our clues thus far," Akashi suggested.
"A scary old sea monster." Izuki started them off.
"That's one." Takao kept count.
"A creepy sunken sub," Fukui added.
"A weird old sea captain," Imayoshi went on.
"That blinking light in his house," Akashi recalled.
"And a funny-looking key." Kasamatsu summed up.
"What's it all add up to?" Furihata questioned.
"Five," Takao answered, holding up five fingers.
"In this case, Kazunari, it would be zero." Akashi corrected.
"Hey, look!" Furihata directed their attention to the ocean. "There's that blinking light at sea again!"
Sure enough, the light they saw before was just visible on the horizon.
"Even better, the fog's lifting. Now, let's see what's really out there." Akashi suggested, ready to get to the bottom of this.
(A short time later)
After finding some deeper diving scuba gear, the point guards took one boat this time and rowed out towards the light.
"What kind of monster is it this time?" Furihata huffed as he and Takao rowed the raft.
"It's a ship!" Imayoshi answered in surprise.
And it was a large tanker ship. The light was coming from the top of the tallest mast.
"Come on. Let's sneak aboard." Fukui said.
Once they got close enough, the boys hoisted themselves up to the railing. They looked around cautiously to make sure no one was around.
"Coast is clear," Kasamatsu said.
"Shh," Akashi shushed as a mechanical sound was heard, looking to their left. "Something is happening over there."
To their surprise, a crane pulled the monster out of the water before lowering him onto the ship.
"Wow, they're bringing that sea monster aboard," Izuki said.
"This means we're closer than I thought to solving this mystery." Akashi realized.
"If we're thinking the same thing, Akashi, we'll find more answers in the chart room," Imayoshi smirked.
"Exactly."
"Then let's go," Kasamatsu said as they all ducked out of sight.
(Chart Room)
Finding the room they were looking for, the point guards examined the maps they found.
"Just as I thought," Akashi confirmed.
"The submarine is directly under this ship," Imayoshi concluded.
"So? What's that mean?" Takao asked.
"To find out, we'll all have to go back down to the sub," Kasamatsu said.
"Go back?! Oh, no! Oh, no!" Furihata shook his head, refusing to go back down after the last time.
"Not happening." Takao agreed.
"Alright, you two can stay up here. Alone," Akashi said, a sly grin on his face. "With the people working with the sea monster."
"Quick, Furi-chan, out the window!" Takao said as he and the second-stringer jumped through the port window.
"That was easy," Fukui commented as they moved to leave the ship.
(Down below)
Back in the ocean, Kasamatsu opened the hatch to the submarine, and everyone swam inside, the door closing behind them. Once inside, the point guards continued their search.
"What are we looking for?" Izuki couldn't help but ask.
"If it's 244 cm tall, covered with seaweed, and has one eye, I hope you find it first," Takao remarked.
At the end of the hall, they found a door they hadn't investigated the last time they were there. The Kaijo captain pushed it open, and the boys were surprised by what was inside.
"My, look at this set-up," Imayoshi commented as they entered the room to find a miniature salon with shelves lined with different cosmetics. "Red hair dye. Brown hair dye. Peroxide."
"It's an underwater beauty shop," Izuki said, looking around.
"And their customer sure needs it," Takao said, finding a wanted poster of a rough-looking man on the wall. "Look."
"'Wanted: For burglary, robbery, and numerous other crimes.'" Fukui read the sign.
"That's a bad customer, all right," Imayoshi commented before he turned his attention to something he found on the table. "Except he looks much better here."
"H-He's here! Let me out!" Takao panicked.
"Me too!" Furihata agreed.
"Relax, you too, it's just another picture," Akashi said as the Tou point guard showed them a photo of the same person with some changes.
"And it's him, alright," Kasamatsu agreed, taking a closer look. "Even with the blond hair and mustache disguise."
"It's all starting to make sense," Izuki said, putting the pieces together.
"And we've uncovered something really big," Fukui added.
"Let's get out of here," Kasamatsu said, knowing it was time to leave.
However, as they started down the hall towards the hatch, a nasty surprise greeted them in the form of a familiar growl.
"Oh no!" Kasamatsu gasped.
"It's Captain Chisaka and the creature!" Izuki added.
The creature roared at them from the other end of the corridor.
"You will never leave!" The Captain bellowed.
Takao chuckled nervously. "We're sure gonna try."
"Run!" Furihata yelped as the point guards fled back the way they came.
"Quick, in here!" Kasamatsu said as they ducked into a different room, slamming the door behind them. "We're safe for a while."
"Or are we?" Fukui questioned, seeing a sign in the room. "It says 'Danger: Torpedo Room.'"
"Danger?!" Furihata gasped.
"Torpedoes?!" Takao added before both boys screamed in terror, clinging to each other as they hopped onto one of said torpedoes.
"Right, like the one you're sitting on." Akashi pointed out.
"Huh?!" They gasped, getting off the weapon just as fast.
"Relax, guys. These are just remote-control dummies." Izuki pointed out, calming the two freshmen.
"We knew that," Furihata said, feeling embarrassed.
"Right," Takao laughed, leaning on the dummy, not realizing until too late that he was leaning on a button when the torpedo started beeping. That was their only warning before the device took.
"Nice, dummy. You just set off the torpedo." Fukui gave the Shuutoku player a look.
The dummy was out of control as it sped around the room.
"Yikes!" Furihata yelped as they ran from the torpedo, racing into an adjoining room. "Gang way!"
Thinking fast, Akashi ran to the torpedo launch tube and opened it. "Come on…"
Soon, the torpedo went into the port, and the Rakuzan captain slammed the door shut.
"You got it, Akashi-san!" Furihata cheered for the demon captain.
"And I just got the idea for a trap that'll solve this mystery," Kasamatsu said. "Listen up…"
A short time later, the trap was set up.
"Are you sure this is going to work, Kasamatsu-senpai?" Furihata asked.
"Sure, I'm sure," Kasamatsu replied. He was holding the rope of a net before gesturing to the Seirin players and Takao. "When the monster chases your three in here, you dive into this net, and we'll pull you up to safety."
"Yeah?"
"The captain and the monster will hit that hammock, bounce up to the life raft, and over to that fold-down bunk."
"Oh, yeah?" Takao followed along.
"Which will bounce them up towards the ventilator and blow them onto the torpedo cart."
"Uh-huh," Furihata said.
"They'll slide inside the launch tube, and we'll launch them onto the beach. Got it?"
"Got it," Izuki nodded. "Come on, you two."
(Around the sub)
Captain Chisaka was walking through the halls, searching for the kids. As he approached a door, he stopped when it opened, and Izuki stuck his head out.
"Try to catch me, Captain!" He mocked before running away.
The captain snarled before chasing after him.
Meanwhile, the sea creature was lumbering through the sub when Takao and Furihata stuck their heads down from a ladder opening.
"Hey, ugly! Know any good seafood restaurants?" Takao asked, smirking mischievously.
Furihata laughed before the boys made a quick retreat.
The monster roared before climbing up after them.
Back in the torpedo room, the group waited for the others to return. Kasamatsu maned the net while Fukui handled the port door. Akashi and Imayoshi were just outside the door to keep watch in case the monster and captain found them first.
Soon, the two basketball captains ducked into the room as footsteps approached them.
"Here they come," Imayoshi said as they pressed themselves into a corner out of the way. "We saw them down the hall."
Seconds later, the bait group ran into the room, getting pulled up in the net as planned. Right behind them were their targets, who hit the hammock, raft, bunk, vent, and cart as predicted. When they reached the port, Chisaka went in first, Fukui closing and pressing the launch button when ready.
"Fire one!" Kasamatsu called.
The monster rolled back on the cart, bouncing off the wall before it followed back to the readied port, where it got its turn to be launched.
"Fire two!"
Everything was going as planned until Furihata lost his grip and slipped out of the net. "Ah!"
He ended up going through the trap as well, landing on the torpedo cart before sliding into the tube.
"Fire three!" Kasamatsu called before he realized what he just said. "Fire three?!"
"Huh?!" Fukui said, also wondering what just happened.
"You launched Kou-chan!" Takao cried.
"Hyuga and Riko are gonna kill me!" Izuki freaked since Furihata was his kouhai and, therefore, his responsibility.
"Let's get to the periscope!" Akashi said.
They moved quickly to the scope, where Izuki looked for his kouhai and the group's quarry. The three charges were launched at that moment, seen through the pericope as they flew out of the water.
"There they go for a sandy landing," Izuki said, looking towards the beach before he noticed something else. "Hey, our teams are on the beach!"
"They must've come looking for us when the fog lifted," Imayoshi said.
"Well, they're about to be in for a big surprise."
As mentioned, the six teams and their coaches were looking around to find their missing teammates.
"Izuki! Furihata!" Kiyoshi called, hoping they would answer.
"Senpai! Where are you?!" Kise yelled, worried for his captain.
"Where could those seven have gone?" Midorima questioned, looking around irritably.
"I hope they're alright." Coach Araki said, concerned for their missing players.
As they searched, a sound caught Himuro's attention. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Kagami asked his brother-figure.
"That sound…" He replied as the noise got louder.
"Does anybody else hear screaming?" Riko asked as everyone looked around in confusion.
"Yeah, I think it's coming from–" Kobori started to say.
"Look out!" Coach Nakatani shouted as he pulled Hayakawa and Sakurai towards him.
Seconds later, everyone flinched back as a sea monster, a sea captain, and a scuba diver landed in a heap beside them.
Aomine, Kagami, and Hyuga all screamed at the sight of the creature. The two lights ducked behind a slightly surprised Mursakibara while the Seirin captain took refuge behind a shocked Mitobe.
"What is that?!" Momoi gasped, clinging to Wakamatsu, who was also freaked out.
"I don't know, but I vote not sticking around to find out!" Hayama cried, having jumped into a stunned Nebuya's arms.
The diver on the top of the pile groaned as he sat up. He removed his sea mask to reveal one of the basketball players they had been searching for.
"That was not part of the plan…"
"Furi!" Two voices cried before the brunette was tackled by fellow second-stringers Fukuda and Kawahara.
"Thank God! You're alive!" The shaved-haired player cried dramatically.
"Dude, you had us worried when we couldn't find you!" Fukuda added, getting off the stunned chihuahua. "Especially after we heard about monster sightings on the beach!"
"Are you okay, Furihata-kun?" Kuroko asked suddenly, startling the other freshmen when they realized he was next to the pile.
"Terrific, all things considered," Furihata answered as he climbed off the pile. "Considering I was just launched out of a submarine through a torpedo launch."
"Now that's original," Nakamura remarked.
"Furihata, where have you been?" Coach Aida questioned like a worried mother.
"And where are the others?" Miyaji asked.
"And what's with the sea monster and the pasty-looking sea captain?" Nebuya asked.
"Also, did you just say you were fired out of a torpedo launch?" Fukuda realized what Furihata had said moments ago.
"I'll explain later. First, we need to tie these two up and call the police." The second-stringer said, pointing at the two troublemakers.
"Huh?" Everyone said, completely lost on what was happening.
(A short time later)
The point guards were all back on the land and wearing their regular clothes. A member of the police department showed up with multiple people loaded in the back of a police van while the sea monster and captain were handcuffed together.
"Well, we rounded up everybody aboard the freighter," The sheriff said. "You say Captain Chisaka was the mastermind, huh?"
"Exactly," Kasamatsu confirmed. "He was the one who discovered the wrecked submarine."
"And realized it could be used as a secret laboratory to help criminals escape from the country," Imayoshi added.
"The criminal put on the monster suit in the captain's house to scare off any curious on-lookers on the beach."
"They also knew the police would never suspect a legendary monster of being the escaped criminal," Izuki interjected.
"Then, he'd signal the ship to be ready and swim out to the sub using the powerful het motor built into the creature suit." The Tou Captain continued.
"Captain Chisaka would be waiting in the submarine to change the criminal's appearance and give him phony papers," Akashi added to the story.
"Then the ship's crane would pluck him out of the water…" Kasamatsu summed up.
"And he'd be taken safely out of the country." Izuki finished.
"Now, let's see what their latest customer looks like," Akashi suggested.
Furihata and Takao removed the sea monster's mask, revealing the same man from the wanted poster in the sub.
"Hey, there's been an all-points bulletin on this one," The sheriff recognized the man. "He's a notorious bank robber who just broke out of jail."
"Which explains the homemade cellblock key I found," Akashi held up the clue.
The sheriff chuckled, pleased by the case. "Now that's what I call a fine catch. Only how come the monster didn't scare you kids away like everyone else?"
"Are you kidding? It takes a lot more than a big monster like that to scare us away! Huh, Kou-chan?" Takao nudged the other freshman.
"Oh, yeah, totally," Furihata answered with a shaky smile.
"So said the sea chickens." Imayoshi quipped, getting a laugh from the other point guards while the rest of the teams looked confused.
"Very funny." Takao looked unamused, the same with Furihata.
"Well, now that you kids have had your adventure, I believe it's time we all head back to the training center." Coach Shirogane suggested. "Akashi, let's not make this a habit, shall we?"
"I make no promises, Coach." The Rakuzan captain responded as they all started to leave.
"Seriously, Imayoshi, we turn around for five minutes, and you're getting involved in a conspiracy with dangerous criminals!" Wakamatsu ranted.
"Yeah, we can't lose our captains, right, Kasamatsu?" Moriyama said, slinging his arm around his captain's shoulders.
"Boy, I hope this never happens again," Takao said.
"So do I. That was terrifying!" Furihata agreed.
(Another trip later)
"Honestly!" Midorima grumbled as the teams looked around. "You would think one time would have been enough– nanodayo!"
"I'm sure they're all right," Hyuga said. "They were fine last time."
"Aside from Furi getting launched like a torpedo." Fukuda reminded the captain.
"Yes, aside from that."
Before anyone else could remark, they heard crashing from another room down the hall. The teams ran out toward the sound, throwing open the door.
They found their missing point guards with a mummified friar in a cage. Furihata was dressed up as a friar, while Izuki was holding a crystal-topped scepter.
"Oh, hey, guys." Takao waved like the scene wasn't a weird one.
"I do believe this is a real diamond…" Akashi murmured, inspecting the scepter.
"Kasamatsu-senpai!" Kise tackled the startled captain.
"Let me guess: Call the police?" Miyaji commented.
"Yes." The point guards responded.
"This is what happens when we leave you guys alone. You get into crazy things." Hyuga grumbled.
Not saying anything, the point guards just shared a smile with each other that only they understood. Maybe these misadventures weren't such a bad thing.
I admit I was running out of steam when I got to the end of this. Hopefully, the wrap-up worked.
Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned for more from my other stories.