Our Phantom's Shadow

((24)) A New Way

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basket or its characters.

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((24)) A New Way

The mission had been more than successful, although the group did share more trauma together. Now, though, there was no question the trust they had for their sixth member.

"Oh wow." Momoi was astounded after their briefing. Her curious dark pink eyes studied the two that already Awakened. "So how did it feel? When you, um, Awakened?"

Aomine and Murasakibara shared a look before the tan ace answered, "It was a rush. I suddenly felt lighter, like nothing was impossible anymore." He shrugged. "I'm still learning it, concentrating on the energy and all that."

Kuroko nodded from beside him where they all sat around the table. "Aomine-kun still needs to train himself."

The purple-haired teen stared at his hand, where hours ago he had crushed the cores of those creatures. "Same as Mine-chin. All I wanted was to protect Aka-chin and everyone and the power to do it came to me."

"Strong emotions can factor in it. Humanity bonds well with Nebullis energy." Kuroko waved to himself. "I am proof of that."

Momoi's brows furrowed in thought. "But they can't be exactly like you without having a Nexi connected to their heart. Kuroko-kun, do you know how you were able to bond with one without it taking you over?"

Everyone studied the phantom as he looked down, thinking. "My memories are foggy for me. Some I remember well, others are buried and are only remembered when something triggers them." He closed his eyes as he tried to find his earliest memories. "I can only remember being told I was 'special' and that I was the only one able to handle the new evolution - NervoHuman."

The pink-haired manager touched her chin. "So then, maybe you had been exposed to Nebullis energy and that's why you were a candidate?"

He shrugged, "That could be it. It was something to do with Nervola, and that's how I was able to survive the experiments."

At the mention of the experiments, the Miracles bristled into anger once again.

"How could they have done something so cruel to Kurokocchi?!"

"Screw the government for putting you through that!"

"You do not need to bring up such bad memories for yourself, Kuroko."

"It must have hurt a lot, Kuro-chin..."

Akashi settled them as he reigned in his own anger. "Shintaro is right, Kuroko." His hetero-chromatic gaze found those light blue eyes. "Whenever you're ready, we will be here to listen to anything that has happened to you. Of course, if it's too hard for you, then don't force yourself to tell us about any of the experiments."

His words settled into Kuroko, warming him. The group before him were truly caring. It was only right, felt right, to tell them what he could.

"Most of the time when I was under procedure, I was asleep through them. They would inject things into me, most of which I do not know the contents of. There were tests I had to do afterwards. When I was younger, I refused to take part in them, but they forced me to do them anyways." Kuroko could hear himself grow numb and blank as he remembered his tortured younger self.

"No matter how much I cried or screamed at them to stop, they persisted. 'You are the only one that can save humanity. It's your destiny.' Were many of the things they said to me. It took years, but their words eventually became my own. I believed them. Each time I perfected a test, I grew stronger." He held out his hand to manipulate the light blue energy around him. It sparkled and ghosted around his palm. "The Nebullis energy was something only I could control, and Nervola became more of a home for me than the one I was born to. They had me go there frequently, and two years before the dimension collided with Earth, it was where I lived."