Just a heads-up, although this is a pairing between Kuroko and Momoi, there will be hints of Aomine bearing feelings for Momoi, and even possibly a confession. This is my first story, so I'd really prefer some criticism on how to develop better chapters as the story goes on. Also, if you have any ideas for chapters, I'll gladly incorporate them if possible as long as they fit my taste. Also, I don't think I'm going to pair up Hyuga and Riko Aida, or anybody else as a matter of fact. ESPECIALLY the GoM, the whole yaoi thing is uncomfortable to me...

Anyways enjoy! And feel free to mention if there is a lack of detail of if its going to fast and needs more details per event and such.

Chapter 1: This isn't over yet!

They wouldn't last much longer. Seirin had been faced with numerous situations where victory seemed to be an impossible feat i.e. their match against Touou, Shuutoku, and Kaijo during the Winter High Tournament. Yet even Kuroko realized how hopeless this situation was.

The first 5 minutes of the game against Rakuzan had been completely one-sided, with their starters besting Seirin's players in every way. Their players were superior in every category; from Nebuya overpowering Kiyoshi in the key, to Mibuchi scoring up more threes than Hyuga can even shoot, and to even Mayuzumi's mimicry of Kuroko's misdirection. And not to mention the captain of the GoM, Seijuro Akashi was leading Rakuzan the whole time. And what made it so frustrating for Kuroko you ask? It was the fact that he was forced to watch it all go on from the bench while his teammates' hopes and wills were crushed before his very eyes.

For the second time in his whole basketball career, Kuroko was forced to accept to the drastic truth. An overpowered loss was completely inevitable; it was just like their first match against Touou all over again.

"Kuso…." Riko Aida cursed to herself as Akashi stole the ball from Izuki yet again and scored. She continued to watch as her players get pummeled on the court, powerless to do anything to change the flow of the game. They seemed to have lost any chance of winning. Even though Kagami was on-court as the seconds ticked by, even he was powerless in the face of Akashi who was performing ankle breakers one after another as if it was as simple as breathing.

As of now, they had their best line up possible, Izuki in as PG, Hyuga playing SG, Kawahara replacing Kuroko's place on the court as SF, Kagami in the usual PF, and Kiyoshi in the C position. Yet the best they could do was merely slow down the rate at which Rakuzan scored. Every now and then they managed to get a point when they would catch Nebuya by surprise or move past Mibuchi. Regardless, getting the ball near Akashi practically meant an automatic steal and turnover for them.

"Dammit… is this as far as we go? What now senpai, can't we do anything to stop this? This isn't even a match anymore, its slaughter!" Koganei pleaded as the bench members looked at Aida, hoping she would come up with the solution to their problems.

Normally, even in dire situations, Aida had been able to provide the silver lining Seirin needed to prevail when their usual measures failed and Kuroko had no trick up his sleeve. Yet even she was at a loss now in the face of Rakuzan's overpowering team. They were simply no match for 3 Uncrowned Kings and a GoM player.

"Sorry, but there's absolutely nothing you can do. This match was decided the second you beat Kise and Kaijou in the semi-finals. It's pointless to continue trying." said a random, yet familiar voice from behind them. The Seirin team looked behind them at the stands, where they spotted Aomine, Momoi, Midorima, Kise and their respective teams spectating from front-row seat in the audience. "Yo." Aomine waved lamely as he continued to spectate the match, disregarding what he just said.

"Eh heh, I know it seems kinda harsh, but Aominecchi is spot on for once." Kise stated. Ignoring the protest from Aomine, he looked towards the court, a serious and stern face replacing his usual happy go-lucky one, and continued on.

"This isn't exactly new. All of Rakuzan's matches have been one-sided up till now, although it's to be expected with Akashicchi leading them". Seeing the crestfallen look on the faces of Seirin, he tried to lighten the mood. "But you guys never cease to amaze me. 5 minutes in, and you're only done by 25 heh heh." Kise replied nervously while scratching the back of his head, trying to get their hopes up, but it seemed his attempts fell on deaf ears, as the member of Seirin looked down, the light in their eyes having already faded.

Kasamatsu, captain of Kaijo, looked towards the court, watching the slaughter continue on without any signs of let up. "Crap, I heard that they were undefeatable, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I've never seen such a one-sided match before in my life in such a short amount of time. To think we would've had to go up against them if we won against you guys. Almost makes me glad we lost in the semi-finals with some dignity." Kasamatsu said as he looked on.

"It's to be expected. Indeed Rakuzan on its own is quite the formidable opponent, what with their obtaining of 3 Uncrowned Kings. But with the addition of Akashi, their potential has skyrocketed, entering into a league of their own. With Akashi high intellectual abilities, alongside his Emperor's Eyes, it's unquestionable why a first-year like him became captain. They practically have no need for a coach." Imayoshi of Touou replied, re-adjusting his glasses while analyzing the game.

"Akashi's Emperor's Eye practically renders all forms of offense and defense useless due to his ability to strike at each individual's weakpoints. I can't seem to find any weakpoints in his ability." Imayoshi continued.

"Not to mention the fact that Kuroko's lack of presence has disappeared. Without it, Kuroko is just an average player with a mediocre shot. Without him, there isn't much of a bright future for this game, if there even was one in the first place. Who would've thought that progressing would've worked against him" Takao of Shuutoku said.

Midorima followed up Takao's statement. "Even if he had progressed at a similar rate during his time with us at Teiko, it wouldn't have diminished his lack of presence. Back then, he still would've been shadowed by the overwhelming presence of the GoM players. But here, in Seirin, there aren't many players who can overshadow him excluding Kagami, and I'm afraid just he isn't enough to shroud Kuroko's presence" Midorima said firmly, never taking his eyes of the game.

"Even with Kagami on the court, it's just a lost cause isn't it…?" Koganei muttered as he looked away.

"To think we'd have to go against this next year too. There's no point in even continuing after this year…" Tsuchida followed up, looking down crestfallen.

Satsuki Momoi said nothing and just stared at Kuroko, who continued to portray a deadpan poker face, making it impossible to tell what he's feeling. "Tetsu-kun…." Momoi whispered worryingly.

Momoi POV

She hated it. Nothing was the same ever since they graduated from Teiko Middle School. Momoi began to reminisce, to back in the days of Teiko where they all happily got along, acting like an actual family would. Of course, they had their conflicts, ranging from Ki-chan and Aomine-kun arguing over petty things, to Midorin complaining at Muk-kun to eat with his mouth closed. But those were comparable to that of family and friendly fusses, ones that no one really took seriously. But nowadays, they all looked at each other with cold eyes, eyes that dared each other to start a fight, itching for a chance to show their superiority. Even Ki-chan optimistic façade was easily seen through, if not by the public, then by the original members of their group from back then.

She missed those days; the days where Aomine-kun and Tetsu-kun genuinely smiled on a daily basis. Among their group from back then, Tetsu-kun had changed the least, maintaining his warm and caring personality that was shrouded behind his deadpanned face that hardly every revealed any emotion. Yet even he stopped giving any genuine smiles, as if they were just something he did to make everyone happy, yet never truly feeling happy herself.

And now, looking at him during the game, once again showing a face devoid of any emotions, she wondered. 'Will things ever go back to the way they were?'

General POV

Kuroko merely lay back on the bench and looked at the high ceiling, drowning out the sound of the fans and the game. He went through a series of flashbacks; going back to the first time he met the Seirin members, to witnessing their undying will in the face of defeat, to experiencing the close bonds that they all shared similarly to a family, something that the GoM lacked and he desired during his years at Teiko Middle School.

Kuroko's head snapped back down to the court, being brought back out of his trance by the sound of the buzzer, signaling the end of the first quarter. The score was now 52-23, with Rakuzan holding a comfortable lead in only the first 12 minutes of the game.

"Gomen. I haven't been able to shoot effectively so far. I'm just holding us back as it is right now." Hyuga flopped down onto the bench, drenching himself in ice cold water. Mibuchi's had proven to outmatch him in every aspect of ball, ranging from accuracy to reaction on defense.

"Don't give up!" Kagami roared, his brows knitted together, his face physically strained yet showing not sign of withdrawal. "It doesn't matter if we lose! We've lost before, and I'll gladly accept another. But what I won't accept is if we lose without giving a fight to the very last second!" Kagami yelled at both his teammates on court and on bench.

"That's right! We're not going to let up now, not when there's still so much time on the clock. We fight to the very last point! That's always been Seirin's style, and that will not change now!" Kiyoshi yelled, smiling at Kagami's enthusiasm.

Riko Aida smiled at their shouts. "That's right! If we lose, then we lose. There is nothing more to it. All we can do is gain from this loss, and work for a better future, one where we can be the ones sitting comfortably with that scoreboard showing off in our favor. So for now, ignore the score, play to your hearts' content and show them our ferocity!"

The members of Seirin roared in agreement, their will being revitalized. Kuroko couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm. Back at the bleachers Momoi mirrored Kuroko's actions, taking notice of his genuine smile being shown for once. 'It's good to see that he hasn't changed that much. After all, he wouldn't by my Tetsu-kun if he did change.'

"Ehhh? What the hell are you smiling at? They're getting their asses handed to them." Aomine yelled over the crowd at Momoi, noticing the smile that traced along her face. Momoi did nothing but shake her head. "You wouldn't understand Aomine-kun. They have something that we never had back in the day. After noticing that, I think I finally understand why Kuroko chose to join such a team."

Aomine, not understanding what the hell she was talking about, shook it off. 'All this thinking is just pointless. Regardless of what happens, the outcome is still the same. They're going to lose.' "So why do they bother to struggle so hard?" Aomine asked to himself.

Kise, sitting by his team to the left of Aomine and Touou, raised an eyebrow at the sight, impressed at how little it took to bring their spirits back up. Like a wizard casting a spell over their bench, the mutual spirit of Seirin was lifted by the starting players' refusal to accept defeat.

~Still on break, Rakuzan's side~

"Sheesh! What a troublesome team. It's like their will is that an iron wall, neh neh Akashi?" Hayama stated, eyeing the members of Seirin.

"Indeed, I'm most impressed with their undying spirit and unwavering determination." Mibuchi replied, seemingly staring directly at the opposing bench.

"Though I cannot say that I am satisfied with the game play they've shown us. I am most disappointed in them, namely Kuroko. I'm quite shocked he so carelessly diminished his lack of presence with even being aware of it." Mibuchi continued on.

"Regardless, their lack of experience on-court is quite evidently depicted through their actions on-court and their coach's decision-making. This match has already been decided." Akashi said to his team.

He looked towards the bench of Seirin. Although his words carried utmost confidence in his victory, he could help but feel a shroud of doubt, most likely from the unanswered question in his head. 'So why do they continue to fight back. How can they still maintain their will for victory. Why do you continue to get in my way Kuroko?'

"Screw experience and what-not, this is fuckin' annoying. We should be destroying them by now. Akashi! Do something about this!" Nebuya yelled at Akashi while drying his face with a towel.

"…" Akashi sat down on the bench, and looked at the ground for several seconds before replying to Nebuya's demands.

"We'll start by taking over Kagami and Kuroko. From what I can observe, Kagami is what is holding their team together and revitalizing their will. And without I doubt, I'm positive that Kuroko will continue to encourage his teammates. But by overpowering Kagami and besting his will to fight back, Kuroko will most definitely fall, seeing his light being destroyed. Seirin will naturally fall in line behind them, seeing their two aces go down." Akashi replied to all four other members of his starting line-up.

"Neh neh, lemme take him on Akashi! I'll blow past Kagami with just three of my fingers!" Hayama pointed with three fingers upwards, gesturing which fingers he meant.

"Hell no! Leave him to me! I'll posterize him and make him fall on his ass like a sissy! The best way to beat him his by makin' him look like an amateur!" Nebuya argued back at Hayama.

"No, he's mine. With Kuroko off the field, I'm getting bored of that Kawahara runt. He can't even keep his eyes on me." Mayuzumi, the so-called new model of Phantom Sixth Man jumped in. "I'll make it impossible for him to even get a hand on the ball. The best way to beat him is to make him feel useless."

Nebuya, Hayama and Mayuzumi began bickering amongst themselves over who would personally take on Kagami, while Mibuchi sat alongside them and sighed at their immaturity. Akashi kept his head down and let them argue for a good 10 seconds before jumping in.

"Enough." Akashi's calm and firm voice gained the immediate attention of all four starters.

"Enough of this useless bickering, or else there will be consequences."

Mayuzumi, Nebuya and Hayama ceased their argument immediately, fully aware of Akashi's serious attitude and that he never bluffs when it comes to threats.

Akashi continued on. "Kagami will be guarded by me personally. We will maintain our current positions as it is." Akashi looked onto the court, where the referee was about to signal the start of the second quarter. His eyes darkened and a sinister look feel upon his face, one that threatened disaster for whoever it was pointed at. "I'll beat him at his own game and challenges and make him regret daring to defy me." 'And then I'll show you just how futile your efforts are Kuroko.'

The referee blew the whistle and both teams sent out their lineup.

'After all, I'm never wrong'

~On-Court~

Both teams sent out their line-ups onto the court, with each player marking the opponent. With Rakuzan on offense, Hayama began dribbling up the court, with Izuki waiting patiently at the end of the court at the tip of the three-point line. Nebuya began pressuring Kiyoshi, boxing him out of the paint in order to get a possible rebound or bounce pass for a score. Hyuga struggled to follow Mibuchi, who was swiftly moving through defenders to get open for a shot, while Mayuzumi would spontaneously appear to place a pick for Mibuchi. And to Seirin's utter confusion, Akashi patiently stood at the corner three-point line, as if to prove that he will not be participating.

Kagami, although bewildered by Akashi's course of action, remained stationary and marked Akashi as his opposing player. "What are you up to Akashi? This better not be you underestimating us…" Kagami growled at Akashi.

"….."

"Oi, at least have the manners to respond when someone is talking to you!" Kagami gritted his teeth as Akashi impassively shook off the intimidation and turned a cold stare at him.

"For starters, I see no reason to talk to someone who clearly does not know his place in front of his superiors. And correction, I am not underestimating you. To say such a thing would imply that I am not aware of your true capabilities, which is invalid. In fact, my estimation of your abilities is 100 % accurate and I have concluded that my assistance is no longer needed, as our victory is already assured."

Before Kagami was given the chance to retort, the buzzer went off. Looking at the scoreboard, Kagami noticed the score change from 52-23, to 54-23 in Rakuzan's favor. He had just enough time to see Nebuya hit the ground after pushing Kiyoshi down in the post and hooking in an easy layup.

"…. As I've said, my assistance is no longer needed." Akashi began trailing down the opposite side of the court, setting into a defensive position.

"Kisama….." Kagami grinded his teeth together as he was given the ball by Izuki and began dribbling down the court. Once he reached the other end of the court, he stopped in front of Akashi. "I'll show you what we're really capable of." Kagami bent down low with the ball as his eyes flashed with a glint of red.

' So he's entering the zone right at the start is he?' Akashi thought as Kagami hesitated right and drove to the left of Akashi in an attempt to get past Akashi. Akashi raised his left hand as Kagami first began his original hesitation. 'Thinking you can best me just because you've entered the zone. I'll show you just how foolish it is to challenge me. After all…' In less than a second, the ball popped out of Kagami's possession, bouncing down the court, with Akashi running after it. 'I can see right through you'

It took Kagami a split second to realize what had just happened. Hyuga, who was spectating by the corner line, widened his eyes at Akashi's god-like reactions. "Shit! Fast break! Get back on defense, NOW!" Yet their effort was in vain as Akashi had already scored a simple layup by the time Kagami had reached the half-court line.

As Akashi passed by Kagami to return to his side of the court, he eyed Kagami. "Although it is quite impossible, I challenge you then. Show me that I was wrong and show me what you're capable of". And with that, Akashi returned to his side of the court.

"Bastard…." Kagami cursed to himself, frustrated by his inability to surpass Akashi.

Kiyoshi patted Kagami on the back as he passed him on his way down the court on offense. "Don't let him get to you. We're still gonna need you if we're going to win. If you can't beat him, that's fine. That's what you have us for. We're a team after all." Kiyoshi smiled at Kagami before walking down the court. Kagami stared at him as he walked down the court, before a smack to the head woke him up from his trance. He cursed and began rubbing his sore spot as he turned around to see Hyuga scowling at him.

"What the fuck Hyuga?!" Kagami growled at him, further deepening the scowl on Hyuga's face.

"Don't get all whiney on us now. Who cares if he scares on you? We'll just get it back." Hyuga said before passing Kagami. But as he passed him, he put his hand on Kagami's shoulder and leaned towards his ear.

"We still need you on the team, so get it together already." And with that, he followed in Kiyoshi's steps. Kagami did nothing but stare, before he began chuckling to himself. "That's right…" He said to himself, before looking up, the light back in his eyes. "This ain't over yet!"

Akashi, noticing it all go down, slightly frowned at the sight. 'It seems Kagami and Kuroko are not the only one posing a threat to our victory as it is. Best to take care of them all at once, or else they'll just bring each other back up.' He then turned to Nebuya and Mibuchi, who had also noticed the scene. Mibuchi nodded his head and Nebuya grinned to himself, both understanding Akashi's intention as if a silent message passed through them.

"Kagami." Akashi called out to Kagami, who turned his head in Akashi's direction in response. He flinched at the sight of Akashi, whose hair, as short as it was, draped over his eyes. The glare that could be seen through his hair bore into Kagami, making his stomach queasy and uncomfortable. Akashi lifted his head, his dichromatic eyes piercing into Kagami.

"We'll show you. The true power of Rakuzan. The true meaning of despair and failure."

~In-Game~

The score was currently 56-25. Izuki inbounded the ball to Hyuga, who dribbled down the court and stopped at the three-point line. Planting both feet on the ground and both hands on the ball, he looked directly at the hoop…

!

Only for his view to be directly blocked by Mibuchi, who had jumped to block him.

'The hell?! When did he get so close? Shit!'

At the last second, Hyuga pulled out of his shot set-up and bounce passed the ball to Kiyoshi, who was waiting in the post in the key.

With both hands on the ball, Kiyoshi began dribbling in the post, in an attempt to force back Nebuya.

!

'Normally, the purpose of the post is to force the defensive player back in order to gain an opening. So why? Why am I the one being pushed back?' Kiyoshi thought to himself as he failed to gain any distance on Nebuya, who pushed Kiyoshi off like a brick wall. Noticing the shot clock dwindle down, Kiyoshi made a quick decision, side-stepping and attempting to hook in a right-handed layup.

"UWAAAAAHHH MUSCLE BLOCKKK!" Nebuya aimed his left hand at the ball that was still in Kiyoshi's hand and practically punched the ball out of Kiyoshi's possession.

'How the hell am I supposed to get passed this guy? I can't even gain any space on him, rather score.' Kiyoshi thought as he landed back on his feet.

The ball bounced its way down to the half-court line, where Akashi gained possession of it. But before he could gain any more distance on Seirin, Kagami landed in front of him, the flash in his eyes signifying his time in the zone still being active.

The next few events happened in less than 5 seconds.

One second, Akashi bended down low and drove towards Kagami.

"I told you already." Akashi said to Kagami..

The next second Kagami bend down low into a defensive stance, prepared to block Akashi's path.

Then in the blink of an eye Kagami was on the floor, with Akashi walking past him with the ball.

"Your attempts at stopping me are absolutely futile." Akashi said before driving down the lane and scoring a wide-open layup. Akashi walked past Kagami, who remained motionless on the court.

Kagami remained flat on the floor, closing his eyes and grinding his teeth together. "Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit!" 'Why can't I stop him? What is it that I'm doing wrong? Why are we so helpless to stop them after all we've been through?'

~Bench and Spectators~

"Heh heh, looks like we're done for. This game is in the bag for them…" Koganei flopped down on the bench and looked up at the ceiling. "Kuso…. this is so frustrating and humiliating."

"This match has been completely one-sided in Rakuzan's favor since the first quarter, yet they're not even letting up one bit it seems." Kasamatsu said directly to Kise, who looked on with an unsurprised face.

"It's to be expected. Akashi is the type of man who shows no mercy and takes no chances. If he is to remain confident in his abilities and victory, he destroys anything that seems to represent an obstacle in his path." Kise replied back to Kasamatsu.

"But then what could he possible be striving for right now? All I see is Rakuzan simply toying with Seirin's player." Takao stated after hearing Kise's statement.

"Most likely, Akashi-kun is aiming for to break their spirits and will. Seirin is the kind of team that has proven to continue, regardless of the outcome and the unbalance of skill. He most likely intends to destroy their will by humiliating their players, in an attempt to ensure that they do not fight back." Momoi said, while never taking her eyes of Kuroko.

Throughout the whole game, Kuroko remained silent and portrayed no emotion and simply sat on the bench.

The sound of a whistle signified a time-out, and Kuroko looked at Riko Aida questioningly, seeing no purpose in calling for a time-out.

"That wasn't me…" Riko said, bewildered and confused by Rakuzan's choice of actions.

Kuroko frowned slightly in realization.

"They're toying with us." He stated, as the member of Seirin gave him their attention.

"They realize the difference in skill and they're making fun of us for it. It's like they're trampling on our pride and fooling around with us." Kuroko continued.

Kuroko looked directly at Akashi, who looked back directly at him, giving him a smug look of accomplishment before returning to Rakuzan's bench. Noticing the look, Kuroko prepared himself for the onslaught of depression from their returning line-up

Hyuga, Kiyoshi and Izuki came back to the bench with their heads hanging in depression, while Kagami and Kawahara came back with frustrated looks on their faces.

"Sigh. Its hopeless, this match is a lot cause." Hyuga said flopping down on the bench.

"They're not even taking us seriously. This is just entertainment to them." Kiyoshi followed in Hyuga's footsteps.

Momoi looked on sadly at Seirin's members, alongside Aomine, who merely sighed at the sight as if it was expected.

"Well, it seems Akashi finally has this in the bag." Aomine said.

"Mouuu, Aomine-kun. You should be helping Seirin get back on their feet." Momoi complained at Aomine.

"There's no point Momochhi. Their spirits have already been destroyed. Simply getting their hopes up will be a lost cause." Kise replied back to Momoi, who had yet to give up on Seirin.

"What's gotten into you guys? If it were you in their place, Tetsu-kun would always support you! Now he needs our help!" Momoi retorted angrily, swinging her arms around in angry gestures.

"Doing so is futile Momoi. Akashi was unanimously made the captain of Teiko for a reason. Going against will only result in failure, as has been proven during our game and this game as well." Midorima replied back at Momoi. "This match is already over."

Momoi bit her lip frustratingly, refusing to accept the truth.

"Not yet."