Fran could never really remember anything about his life before the age of 8.
Whenever he tried to think of a time before that he'd end up getting an unwelcome headache that would leave him in unbearable pain. Maybe this is why he couldn't feel pain.
Fran always wondered how ended up in the mountains in France with some lady who claimed to be his Grandmother. He had asked the old lady about his life before the age of 8 but she would just tell him not to worry about it and offer him some type of snack.
He asked the townspeople once and they just told he had gotten hit by a block of cheese and ended up forgetting everything.
Fran wasn't convinced.
He was determined to find out what his life was like before he turned 8 and he had no intentions of giving up.
At the age of 10 he started to have weird dreams. Dreams about the future.
They included some squad of assassin weirdoes who called themselves the Varia. Fran was disappointed to know he was in this group.
The one person who stood out to him the most in his dreams was a blonde whose face was covered by his hair and had a creepy laugh. Fran always hoped to see this person whenever he went to sleep at night and would wake up feeling grumpy if he didn't get to see the blonde.
Months after he started having these dreams, a pineapple haired teen and his group of friends who also appeared in his dreams, showed up at his play place.
A while after the Varia squad that regularly appeared in his dreams also showed up at the river and Fran felt a little happiness in his heart at the sight of the blonde. He did, however, feel a bit upset that the blonde really didn't seem to like him.
Fran was a bit frightened by the people who suddenly appeared at his play place and started to run away while accusing them of being fairies and chanting words he had read from books to ward off evil. They all chased after him while yelling things and at one point the pineapple fairy had claimed he was Fran's master. Fran didn't believe him and continued to run off, avoiding all advances made towards him.
After being asked if he had any memories of the future, he lied and said he had been hit by a block of cheese and lost his memories. He didn't want to know what they would do with him if he had said the truth. He wanted to know if these people could maybe help him remember his past.
But suddenly they were all giving up on him, even going as far as playing the ladder game to see who would get Fran.
Fran decided he wanted to chose who he wanted to go with and they agreed. He, of course, chose the Varia group in order to get closer to the blonde.
The Varia group grumbled about this but took him anyway and Fran happily pattered over to the blonde and held on tightly to his leg. The blonde tried shaking him off but Fran held on tightly. Once he realized Fran wasn't going to let go, the blonde growled and just let the little boy cling on to him.
The pineapple fairy, who had kindly introduced himself as Mukuro, told Fran to be good and that he'd get around to training him someday. Fran nodded, released the blonde's leg for a second to wave before wrapping his arm back around the blonde.
Mukuro and his group left first, leaving the Varia and Fran at the lake.
The Varia then introduced themselves as Squalo, Levi, Mammon, Lussuria, and Fran's favorite blonde, Belphegor.
"Let's go get the kids stuff and go back to Italy," Squalo huffed and crossed his arms. He really didn't want the kid but he figured that if Mukuro was going to stop by and train him that it'd be okay.
"He won't get off of my leg," Bel growled as he shook his leg again.
"Just pick up and let's go!" Squalo snapped, startling Fran and causing him to tighten his grip on Bel.
Bel scowled and nudged Fran's arm with his hand. Fran let go of the blonde's legs and raised his hands up before Bel scooped him up and held him rather loosely.
"I don't like you, brat," Bel growled into Fran's ear before tightening his hold on the boy.
"I haven't done anything wrong," Fran whimpered as he wrapped his arms around Bel's neck and cuddled into Bel's chest.
"You just don't remember," Bel sighed and began to play with Fran's hair as they walked towards Fran's home.
Fran's Grandmother protested to the Varia taking Fran at first, claiming that he was just a kid and therefore was too young for the mafia. Once Lussuria calmed down the lady enough, Squalo began to explain that Fran was needed in their squad and that they wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. That last part, of course, was a bit of a lie. If something happened to the kid then it was his fault, something Squalo fully believed in.
The old lady looked pensive at first before asking how much they would give her for Fran. Fran's eyes went wide at this and his grip on Bel's leg grew tighter. He felt a soft hand gently running through his hair and then he was being moved outside where he was hugged tightly, pressed against Bel's chest.
"Don't feel sad, you don't need her," Bel whispered softly into Fran's ear before pulling the boy closer and covering his ears.
A scream made it through Bel's hands and Fran shivered. A few minutes later the others walked out, Squalo's sword covered in blood along with his outfit. Fran felt himself tearing up before remembering Bel's words. He didn't need his Grandmother, he had the Varia now. He had Bel now.
The plane ride home was nightmare filled for Fran. He woke up every 5 minutes and in the end, Levi stayed up with him, holding him on his lap, and singing songs of Italy with his deep voice.
Fran's meeting with Xanxus was an odd one. The young boy became fascinated with the raccoon tail and feathers on Xanxus and unwillingly began to reach out for them. Everyone was left with a shocked expression when Xanxus scooped Fran up into his arms and offered the boy the raccoon tail.
As they sat in the conference room discussing how Fran would be trained, the little boy sat in Xanxus' lap playing with the raccoon tail happily. Bel watched from his seat, remembering a time when he would sit on Xanxus' lap. He didn't like the raccoon tail but he did like the feathers. He half wished he was back in that spot and half wished he had Fran on his lap.
Bel had warmed up to the little boy who appeared older in his dreams about the future. Fran was snarky, rude and more annoying in the future. But this Fran was open with his emotions and freely allowed anyone to know if he was happy or sad. Bel liked this Fran a little better so he decided he'd do everything he can to keep Fran smiling...or to just make him cry.
The first night at the Varia mansion, Fran slept in his own room. He constantly checked around the room for anything that might move and whimpered whenever he thought he heard a noise. He wanted to be brave. Squalo had told him earlier that the Varia was an assassin squad and there was no fear in killing. So Fran had to try to not be scared of the scary looking arm that was reaching out to him.
"Shh, it's just me," Mammon's tiny voice came in through the blankets Fran had over his head.
"Y-yes?" Fran asked as he uncovered his head and looked at Mammon who floating near him.
Suddenly, Mammon poked his eyes and he yelped.
"Oops, I meant to touch your marks, sorry," Mammon said as he patted Fran's hand.
"My marks?" Fran asked, blinking his eyes repeatedly to make the pain go away.
"Yes...I...those...only I have those," Mammon spoke slowly.
"Do you know where I got them from?" Fran asked eagerly, sitting up in bed and watching Mammon.
"Yes, maybe. But if you want information you'll have to pay me," Mammon said before floating towards the door. "Training starts tomorrow," was all he said before leaving.
Fran curled up in his bed and tried to hold back his tears.
"A laboratory?" Bel asked Mammon as they sat outside in the Varia mansion's garden.
"Yes, I was experimented on there a few years ago...before I joined the Varia," Mammon said. "They tested on us and did a whole bunch of things to us. All for the sake of creating the ultimate illusionist. Many of the others died because their bodies couldn't take it. I'm the only one who has made it and Fran has too. The marks on our faces were placed there as tags, so that they can find if necessary. All of my memories were wiped of that time in the lab and I was sent to live with a nice family. I couldn't remember anything from before the time I lived in that town and when I asked why they wouldn't tell me. I eventually left and made my life as an informant."
Bel nibbled on his lip as he took in this information. The thought of Fran being experimented on in a lab sent waves rage through him. He was only a kid and he had had to go through so much already.
"Mammon, I'm ready," Fran said from a Mammon's side, his eyes looking from the baby to Bel.
"Let's go," Mammon said and began to float away.
Fran took one last look at Bel's furious face before he ran towards Mammon.
They were all leaving him.
They were all going to some place far away and leaving him here with people he wasn't familiar with.
"Where are you going?" Fran asked softly as he cuddled into Bel.
"We're going to Japan with Mammon for some battle thing," Bel said as he ran his fingers through Fran's hair, "we'll be back soon."
"I don't want you to go," Fran whimpered and buried his face into Bel's chest.
"Sorry kiddo, but you need to stay here and practice your illusions," Bel said, "when I get back I'd like to see that you've improved."
"I'll get better, I promise," Fran whispered into Bel's chest, "just come back safely, okay?"
"I promise I'll come back to you," Bel pulled Fran closer and buried his face into the little boy's hair.
Fran didn't have any memories from before the age of 8. He had weird dreams of the future and he was now part of an assassin squad.
None of this mattered.
It didn't matter at all.
Because now...
he has someone he can consider family.