Our Phantom's Shadow

((19)) Seclusion

A/N: Thank you all for being patient with me and for being so supportive!♡ I've really missed this story and will be getting back into it as much as I can, but it may not be as often as before. I'm working more on my novels and original work, the actual original story of this fic will be worked on soon!

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((19)) Seclusion

The energy distribution gave a skip in the group's step, gave them more energy and hope than they thought possible. With the area currently cleared, they went on to the right path.

"You have to be joking."

Kuroko turned around at the sound of the others arguing. Even though they had been moving, they were now at a cross-road. The road signs were too heavily worn to make out, but Midorima had a map.

"We're not going through the zoo, man! There's no telling what's in there!" Aomine was vehemently against the idea of venturing to the right.

"It's the only way, didn't you hear Kise?" Midorima seemed annoyed, a perpetual frown on his face.

"Screw that!" Aomine barked out.

"Aominecchi!" Kise moved in front of him, holding his hands up as a way to help placate him. "Listen, there was always the rumor that the old Tokyo tunnel ran underneath here and one of the entrances was in the zoo somewhere."

"I'm not banking our lives on a rumor!" Aomine shouted defiantly and Kuroko looked around to make sure they didn't attract anything.

"Not only that, but many of the head noblemen talked about it in meetings." Akashi inserted, standing calmly in the midst. "I was never able to dig around and seek out to see if this rumor was true or not, but this is our best option to take."

Midorima pushed up his glasses, "The bridges are down, and we have no way of knowing if the other roads are littered with more threats. We have a clear map of the zoo, so we can investigate it and form a stronghold for the time being until we find the tunnels."

Aomine studied them hard, and the giant of the group spoke up, "Mine-chin, stop being so loud; you'll cause problems."

The dark blunet grumbled something unintelligible and sidled closer to Kuroko. "Fine, fine. It's just seems like a huge risk."

"Anything poses a risk." Kuroko murmured, but the others were able to hear it as if their senses were heightened and honed in to him.

They walked until they had to climb over the fence of the zoo - the entrance completely torn apart and destroyed.

They crept silently, and Kuroko felt a poke in his shoulder. He looked to see Kise grinning beside him and the blond pointed to a nearby exhibit.

"That's where they kept the African Elephants, they were huge!" Kise whispered excitedly, thowing his arms out.

Kuroko smiled a bit and looked from Kise to the empty land below. He remembered looking fondly on the animals from the other dimension, they seemed so gentle and breathtaking compared to humans.

He really wished he got to see one of these 'African Elephants' in person.

They found the old plaza where restaurants and gift stores were located.

"Since this is a small area we'll divide into two teams to sweep it; Shintaro and Atsushi, you're with me. The rest of you will go down the right side. We'll meet at the end." Akashi spoke to the group and they nodded.