Not as Innocent as He Seemed
It all started when Lambo, furious and worried for his brothers, let out a huge voltage of electricity from his horns and managed to electrocute ten assassins to death. The youngest Vongola Guardian didn't even flinched at the sight of crisp-burnt bodies at his feet. He whipped around to turn to the shocked, stunned, and interested looks that his older brothers and sister gave him. Lambo managed a small smile, "I'm glad you are all safe!" he exclaimed, oblivious to the glances that his siblings shared among them.
Back at the Vongola mansion, the Vongola Decimo and his guardians went down to the dining room to have dinner. Having gotten back from an ambush of a rising rival Famiglia that dreamed of taking the head of the boss of the most powerful mafia, the eight Vongola Tenth Generation settled into the comforts of their room before dinner was served.
It was really a shame that, the Vongola Tenth Generation was just on their way from an allied Famiglia meeting when bullets, arrows, and even knives showered the two elegant vehicles that was carrying the guardians inside. There wouldn't have been too much of a problem if half of them weren't exhausted and still recovering from a previous mission days ago. The attack, which was surprisingly well crafted, did put the the Decimo and his Guardians on an edge.
Hibari Kyoya, the strongest guardian, was of course as impressive in his fighting as ever. Still, the still-recovering Cloud has a little of a disadvantage when a fist landed on his stomach, for the wounds he still has to see cured opened up again. Around him, Gokudera Hayato and Yamamoto Takeshi were trying to hold back the assassins and were doing a fairly good job, until a smokescreen blurred their visions.
Lambo, who was told, as usual, to stay behind inside the car watched as his big brothers fought in the darkness and blurry of the smokescreen. He saw orange flames lit up and knew that his Tsuna-nii was fighting alright, but he heard a growl of pain and the Lightning Guardian instinctively throw himself into the battle.
He found, to his horror, that Ryohei was kneeling in pain. The Sun Guardian having just returned from a rather bloody mission yesterday has not yet fully healed and he winced in pain as a bullet rushed through him. A scream was heard and Ryohei was quickly pulled into safety by Mukuro, the scream from the attackers who probably saw hell in their minds. Lambo sighed in relief at his brother's safety, and he looked around to check more of his siblings.
The smoke cleared, almost half of the attackers was down. By that time, half of the Vongola were breathing heavily, gasping for air and exhausted while the other half, although in fighting stances were careful to look an eye to the others. And that was when ten mad assassins decided to lunge themselves at the Vongola group.
Lambo saw everything in slow motion, a gun was pointed at his Tsuna-nii's head, knives were aimed at Hayato-nii, a grenade was headed for Kyoya-nii's direction, an arrow straight to Chrome-nee. Lambo felt fear and anger rushed through him and before he knew it, he had released electricity that shocked, paralyzed, burnt, and killed the ten assassins. Lambo grinned victory for himself as their burnt bodies fall down one by one.
-0-
When dinner came, the rest of the people gathered except the youngest one were rather quiet and seemed reluctant to touch the food in front of them. Takeshi attempted a bite, Hayato gulped down some water, while Chrome turned to play with her food using her spoon. Only the sound of Lambo munching down some friend chicken and spaghetti could be heard, and the boy looked around the table in confusion.
Tsuna knew it was tasked to him to ask the question everyone at the table has been wanting to ask after what happened. He brought down his spoon and fork and stared at his 13 year old guardian.
"Lambo, are you… okay?"
Lambo tilted his head in confusion and nodded a response. His mouth still full of spaghetti.
Noticing his distress, the ever loyal right-hand man spoke up, "Lambo, you-you just killed a number of people a while ago. Well, we were wondering about how… you were taking it."
At this Lambo swallowed the rest of his food and beamed at his brother. "I am happy to be of assistance!" he said cheerfully.
Mukuro narrowed his eyes at the young boy sitting across from him, and the question came to his lips before he can even think of it, "How old were you when you first killed?" He felt Tsuna's glare and heard Hayato grunted.
Lambo gave a thoughtful expression, mind calculating. "I was two years old." He said to the tension that was formed while he did his thinking.
Tsuna gulped, Hayato wide-eyed, Takeshi turned a serious expression, Chrome put her hand on her mouth, Kyoya glared even more, and Mukuro let on a face of someone on a rather interesting discussion.
"I was playing with some subordinates' kids, three of them. They were older than me so they picked on me, I got mad and had them electrocuted. I was little then so the shock wasn't that much, but they were also kids two to three years older than me, so it pretty much killed them." He said nonchalantly, as if they were merely talking about weather.
"And how many have you killed since then?" asked the Rain guardian carefully but with grim.
Lambo's brow furrowed in concentration before continuing, "50 more or less, plus with tonight."
If possible, the aura around the dining table seemed to grow darker. The older men's body stiffened at Lambo's answer, and there was constricted breathing from among them. Then Lambo continued.
"But when I was five, that was when I met Tsuna-nii, I barely got around seven people since you all took the bad guys anyway plus," he paused, giving a slight embarrassed chuckle. "I cannot possibly handle them myself as they were way stronger than I am."
When the atmosphere around them didn't seem to relax a bit, Lambo bit his lower lip and said apologetically, "Di-did I say something wrong?"
Tsuna seemed be waken up from his thoughts at the Lightning's worried voice. He tried to give a reassuring smile and said, "No Lambo." He looked around himself and saw the grim looks on his other guardians' faces. "Let's go back to eat."
Quite expectedly, the rest of the Guardians except Lambo and Tsuna weren't in much of an appetite to continue their dinner. One by one they piped up excuses to leave the dining area, and Tsuna nodded in understanding. That night, seven people weren't able to have so much of a sleep as they realized that their youngest guardian, their brother whom they have been trying to protect and shield away from the violence and darkness that is the mafia, turned out to be more fearful and less innocent that he has been letting on. The child, if anyone dare say it, had had more blood stained his hands that they ever had at his young age. And it didn't bother the young Lightning any little at all.
-0-
When the Vongola Decimo and the rest of his Guardians (except Lambo and Kyoya, the latter following two years later) moved to Italy when Tsuna turned eighteen, it was with the Decimo's well wishes to leave the cow child behind to finish his education but more importantly, to keep him away from the dark mafia business as much as possible.
Having said so, that horrifying scene that Tsuna came to see of his Lightning Guardian happened on the summer of his last last year at Namimori Elementary. Arrangements were made before that allowed the Lambo to spend his school breaks at Italy with the rest of his Family and siblings.
The conversation, rather, the revelation they heard from the cow-child last night has put the Vongola Boss in grim thoughts. It was that and he was rather disturbed that he called for a meeting with his guardians except Lambo whom he sent to go around town with Futa and Bianchi. Reborn was invited to the gathering as well, the former Sun Arcobaleno had grown quite some since then and now he resembled a high school teen. The pills that Verde has invented for the ex-Arcobalenos helped in fostering their growth spurts faster than normal.
"How come I never suspected of that, of course the child was born to a mafia family, weak they may be but they are still mafia. And he had been claiming himself a hitman eversince." Mumbled their boss from the head of the rectangular table.
"I was shocked too, Tenth. I know the stupid cow as impulsive, but it never came across my mind that he has, he was…"
"A killer." Takeshi finished grimly, a dangerous smirk on his face.
"Do you know of this?" Tsuna asked his tutor.
Reborn' eyes were hidden by his fedora as he spoke "No. I have to admit I never bothered knowing about the stupid cow, that and coming from a small family did not interest me at all."
"He has killed more people than we did," Ryohei looked thoughtfully at Mukuro. "Well except you maybe."
"Kufufufu that is true, but I didn't kill as much as he did when I was his age. Nor did I kill as early as a two-year old."
There was a collective nod of acknowledgement at that. And Tsuna finally took over them once more.
"Well then, this is what we do."
-0-
Right after he finished Elementary, Lambo was made to transfer to Italy for his Middle School. He was happy of course, that meant being closer and living with his family. It was something he thought he would do in his High School years, but he was as well glad to be moving that early.
He wasn't aware that the truth of the matter was because his brothers and sister wanted to pay a closer eye on the young child as possible. It has struck them that while Lambo didn't kill as much when he was five to seven years old, the years Tsuna and the others were still so close to look after him, the numbers seemed to get bigger once Tsuna and the older guardians moved to their trainings. Lambo has his share of trainings of course, but they were rather tone down compared to the others and most of the time the younger child was left to himself when they did. Of course, the numbers rose higher once Tsuna left for Italy, completely leaving Lambo behind. It was then that they came to a general agreement to have the youngest guardian live close to them, for leaving him in Japan could only lead to who knows how many more bodies would add up to his count.
For Lambo, he considered moving to Italy to be the time of his life as a Mafioso and Vongola Guardian of course what else could it mean than them finally acknowledging his strengths and capabilities at last. Lambo has to admit, as much as he love his brothers and is grateful for their protection and care, he was starting to get tired of them leaving him out of all the dangerous mafia business in favor of giving him a childhood as normal as they could offer. Even to the extent of leaving him in Namimori while they moved to Italy to start their business. Lambo frowned at that, he never quite well understood his Tsuna-nii's reservation about the mafia with it comes to his well-being. He was born into the mafia after all and learned of the dark ways of the underworld younger than Tsuna at that. Heck he was even already a hitman at the age of four, and was chosen a Vongola guardian when he was five. It was rather odd that Tsuna has been determined at keeping him from the mafia business when all Lambo's life has been tied to the underworld.
And so Lambo was ecstatic and happy when they told him he would be loving to Italy. Lambo was sure he was being seen as a Guardian and not just as a whining, snot-nosed brat anymore. Only that he discovered they still treated him as it is.
It was the way that his older siblings were acting towards him, or Tsuna declaring in his firm voice that he is not to join any missions yet, and the curfews and rules they set for him that Lambo felt baffled. Just what is his Tsuna-nii thinking about doing this?
And then there was that weird conversations his brothers and sister were attempting at him everytime he was alone with one or two of them. Lambo frowned, what are they up to really. A while ago, his Takeshi-nii had told Lambo that life is a precious matter, and as much as it has to be protected from people who harmed it, there was no need to inflict immediate killing to enemies especially if there could be other ways to exact revenge. Last week, Hayato-nii, in one of their sessions doing Lambo's homework, expressed that victory and strength is not measured by how many bodies one has put to an end. His Ryohei-nii had told him that they do not have to be the murderous bunch of people just because they are in the mafia. Chrome-nee has certainly told him of the story of how there are people who may be bad, but has potential to change if only given the chance to. Kyoya-nii admitted that as much as he had been famous for his "I'll bite you to death line." There was no need to enact it literally at all times especially if he could bend the bastards into becoming disciplined citizens in fear of him. His Mukuro-nii shared that while he did kill a great number of people before, the rest of his family need not do as much as well.
Then there was his Tsuna-nii, who was constantly reminding him, and the rest of the guardians of his orders not to kill their opponents as much as possible if they could help it. Lambo felt like it was directed more to him than the rest of them as he felt the gaze of Tsuna's brown orbs. There was no need for useless killing, he told them, as long as you can get them suffer in pain is enough of a punishment already.
It was now five months eversince Lambo moved to Italy and he has to admit it was getting a lot different from what he expected. Lambo knows he is still being treated like a fragile little child and he does not like it. Have they forgotten how he took down and killed those men who threatened their live last summer?
"Yo." Fran called to the young cow child. Fran goes to the same school as Lambo and the two of them has gotten quite close throughout the years. They were kids about the same age afterall, with Fran being 2 years older than Lambo.
Lambo waved back and Fran lazily acknowledged him. They walked side by side together until Fran spoke, tone rather bored. "We have a mission tonight, me and Bel-sempai." He informed the younger teen.
Lambo eyed down, Fran is in the Varia and the eccentric and rather insane group of assassins doesn't give a damn even if they had to bring young children to dangerous missions, as long as children are potentially gifted for Varia-quality antics.
Fran, noticing the sudden depressed Lambo gave a poke in the Lightning's one cheek. Lambo jolted and looked him up.
"Baby Lambo still being babysitted by his brothers. Don't feel bad about not having to deal with crap. At least you get to stay back and enjoy yourself without worry."
The thought didn't feel Lambo at ease at all. A thought then crossed his mind.
"Hey Fran, would you mind bringing me to your mission?"
Fran answered automatically, "Of course I'd mind. You're not Varia."
But Lambo did not give up. "Please? I'll treat you to something after, or you'll owe me a favor."
Fran considered this for a moment before saying, "I wouldn't mind some cake."
-0-
When Lambo, Fran, and Belphegor arrived at the location, the Prince immediately let out his signature laugh.
"Ushishishishi, who would have thought we'll have one of the Vongola as a bait for tonight. It would be fun to see your boss bawling in tears at your battered form."
Lambo ignored him, and rather said "So we've just got to wipe out these men right?" he made sure.
Fran nodded lazily, "Yeah, what a boring mission. Figures I should have stayed at home."
Belphegor's laugh rose even higher "Ushishishishishi, this is just perfect for the Prince to set his knives out for sharpening."
"Yeah, if you mind do stop using me for that."
There was a swish of a knife as it ripped into Fran's frog hood.
Lambo shivered a little. He knew the Varia is a crazy bunch, having met them for many times already. But being at their presence as they are about to do their mission was still pretty terrifying, especially if there was so much bloodthirst coming out of a certain blonde's body.
Soon enough they were in front of the abandon warehouse were said criminal group who had been messing around with some Vongola allied Famiglia's and setting quite a number of Vongola property destroyed resided in the place as hideout.
Bel kicked open the wooden door and they saw the stunned, furious, and curious faces of 30 or more bulky looking men.
Belphegor merely laughed as he took a step forward and gestured at his two companions, "Let's kill some time."
-0-
When Tsuna heard of the news, he immediately dropped down the stack of papers he was holding for inspection and ran with his Storm Guardian and Right Hand Man outside his office towards the front door of the mansion.
"I thought there was something odd when Lambo told me he'll be late coming home tonight for some school stuff. I knew something just wasn't right." He informed Hayato.
Hayato nodded, "Of course, Juudaime's intuition is always right." They climed down a flight of stairs to the large receiving area when Takeshi met them, with him was Chrome, looking anxious.
"Bossu." She acknowledged. And Tsuna nodded in response.
They soon found themselves outside were there was a waiting Ryohei and Mukuro, the former had the door to the waiting car opened and Tsuna saw that Kyoya was behind the wheel. They all clambered fast inside and the engine started.
No one really talked on their way to the destination, but Tsuna can feel the unspoken and growing tension and anxiety form all of them. Their brother, the youngest Vongola Guardian has sneaked out and broke the rule of him of him not going to any mission. Worse, it has to be a Varia mission at this time. Tsuna knew to expect of the worse.
They hurriedly stepped outside the vehicle once they reached the warehouse and ran towards the open entrance. The whole of Vongola stopped and was shocked by the scenario that they arrived upon.
There was the Varia, doing their usual insane killing spree. Belphegor was busily carving something out of one of the fallen victim's face. Fran was simply looking bored at the pile of screaming bodies who were all clutching their heads in doom, seeing things Tsuna was afraid to even ask. And there was Lambo.
Lambo's back was to them, but there was no unmistakable feeling of the smile that was plastered on the child's face. He was still glowing with electricity from his body. Around him, 10 or more bodies has fallen to a crisp, burnt out of their skin and smoking. Lambo's left leg was stepping on top of one of the bodies. He heard of Tsuna and the others approached and he turned his head to their direction. There was glee in his eyes that Tsuna twitched and his body stiffened.
"Oh Tsuna-nii." Lambo acknowledged, then his smile faded. "I'm busted." He mumbled.
Tsuna looked intently at the young boy in front of him. The young teenage boy who he accepted as his brother and welcomed to his family and Family. The young child who was and still is a crybaby from time to time. The little brother that they protected and shielded from harm to keep him from danger and the mafia. The child that has embodied innocence and childlike purity and naivety until then.
Tsuna's forehead glowered in orange and he immediately lunged forward to Belphegor, pinning him down on his bloody mess. "Why is Lambo here?" he demanded straight into those maniacally grinning mouth.
"Ushishishshi, begged us to come didn't he? I was surprised too. Who knows the brat has more guts than you?"
"Liar."
"Why don't you ask your sweet innocent little brother?"
Tsuna let go of the man and stood up to face Lambo. The younger teen trembled a little seeing his brother's angry face.
"Explain."
Lambo gulped. "I-It's true. I asked them to bring them with me when I heard they have a mission tonight. Tsu-Tsuna-nii, I-I'm sorry."
"Why Lambo? Was I not clear that you are not to join any missions?" his voice monotonous and cold.
"I know Tsuna-nii! But after all these times I'm finally here with you in Italy, and I've been hoping, and waiting for this to happen. I want to be useful to you Tsuna-nii."
"But you don't have to rush yourself into this-" he looked around "Mess. Lambo you are pretty helpful and useful the way you are."
At this, Lambo gave a cold look. "Of course I am, by practically being shoved behind your shadows and in the safe house of the Vongola Mansion. By being left out of the mafia business, by being dragged away from the mafia itself. I am helping you, ain't I?" he asked sarcastically. The stress of everything that has happened so far has finally downed on him, and he couldn't stop his mouth from spilling the words from deep within his heart.
Takeshi walked forwards, "Lambo, you know quite well that is not Tsuna's intention. He simply wanted to protect you, to have you live a normal life."
"You are not protecting me, you are keeping me in the dark. And what exactly kind of normal life do you expect me to have with a Mafioso for a family?"
Belphegor sniggered and Tsuna throw him a murderous look.
"Lambo, you are still too young."
Lambo wailed at that. "I AM NOT!" he said hotly. "I was born into the mafia, chosen as your guardian at the age of 5. Killed my first at two. I am technically as old as you all are in this business!" he shouted.
"LAMBO!" It was Hayato, and he grabbed the front of Lambo's shirt.
"Never you talk with the Boss like that."
"Let him go, Hayato." Ryohei ordered. Hayato threw Lambo on the side.
The 13-year old wipe his dirty face with the back of his hand and continued to glare at them. "I am not a kid, not by normal standards anyway. I was hoping you had come to accept that after you've seen what I'm capable of. In fact," he stood up and tilted his head to the burnt bodies, "that is what I'm capable of."
Tsuna stiffened. "Lambo, what did I tell you about dealing with the enemies?"
"Don't kill them as much as it can be avoided." He replied.
"And?" Tsuna said, a questioning look to the dead bodies.
"I got overboard. You have been keeping me down all these time. I had to let out some stored electricity." He said.
"By killing them?" Tsuna asked dangerously.
Lambo trembled, but went with it anyway "I didn't think of it. I was simply having fun, as Bel-sempai said, I didn't notice. I overdid it." He said, surprisingly honest and calm.
This made Tsuna and the rest of his guardians widened in fear and horror. Lambo, their little Lambo seemed uncaring at the thought of having killed people by mere excessive tendencies and there was no regret or remorse in those electric green eyes.
"That's it. Lambo you are grounded from now on until further noticed. You'll only be out of the house for school and we'll make sure to keep an eye on you. And I'm sorry to tell this to you Fran but I may have to advise you to stay away from Lambo for a while as part of his punishment." Fran just waved his hand in acknowledgement.
Lambo was dumbfounded. He gave a wild look of shock at Tsuna's pronouncements. "Why? Why do I have to be locked out in the house and why are you telling Fran to stay away from me? Why are you doing this to me!?"
"You've broken our rule Lambo. That is why."
"Because I killed?" he asked angrily.
"Yes Lambo! You killed! And in any sense you are turning into one emotionless killing machine and we have to take care of that!" Tsuna's voice boomed around them. He looked at his young guardian and Lambo has his eyes wide in shock and grim recognition. Immediately, Tsuna wanted to bit back his words. He massaged the bridge of his nose and started, "Lambo, no, I-"
"No!" Lambo screamed. Then he looked around at each of the guardian's terrified expression and Lambo finally understand that their eyes spelled fear. Fear that their youngest guardian, whom they thought was the naïve, crybaby cow was actually not as innocent as they think he was.
"I understand." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "You were trying to tone down my bloodthirst. Hoping that by keeping me under your control you'd stop me from tainting my hands with blood. You were afraid that I was becoming crazy, out of my mind, because I can kill without blinking my eyes. Unlike you, who can't even hurt a fly if they can help it" he stared back at them. "You were shocked and can't accept this side of me, so you were desperately chaining me down."
"Lambo, no-"
"Yes. Of course, you would be worried and frantic about it. You didn't know I was capable of killing at a young age. You never asked and I never bothered to tell you since I was already happy and contented being around with you."
Lambo exhaled. "How stupid of you. Didn't I tell you I was a hitman? But of course who would care to believe a crybaby five-year old. I killed occasionally of course, not the kind of powerful men that you dealt with but I did kill. Yet you wouldn't think that I did, because of the snot-nosed brat that I was."
He sighed. "When you moved here to Italy, I decided to train myself at it. So I found some people to practice my lightning techniques at."
Lambo turned to leave. "I'm sorry for troubling you. I guess I didn't know my own self. I was born and grew up in the mafia, the word 'kill' is as much common as strolling in the park. I was brought up to the world of blood and violence. How else do you think I have this lightning body? Didn't spend my life comfortably aren't I?"
He walked away, but turned to give the stunned crowd a last look. "That was pretty fun by the way, I guess I missed it." And he disappeared into the night.
Inside the warehouse, the Guardians and Tsuna nervously glanced at one another. Then Bel let out a laugh.
"Ushishishishi, if you don't want him anymore Vongola, that brat is welcome to the Varia. We could use another of the murderous freak."
END.
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