Kitsune here. Usual disclaimer. I own neither Dark Hunters nor Hitman Reborn. They're owned by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Akira Amano. Both women deserve praise and you should go out and buy their works if you can. I will fess up to a hyper-active imagination and random thoughts that lead to crack like this story. Seriously, my mind is one very unique place to visit.
Anyway, this story can be read as a stand-alone, or as a follow up to my small one-shot seires "Twilight skies". T.S. started the ball rolling, and this is where it ended. Set, um... a bit before the book "Retribution" I suppose in the Dark-Hunter series. As for Hitman Reborn, it's set after the Inheritance Arc. Please, read and enjoy. Feel free to review, or not. I've got two more chapters done, and one in the works.
Ah, Please help keep free for all types of stories by signing the petition on causes if you have not already done so.
Question of the chapter: Do you get Déjà vu a lot? Sometimes I get it, and it'll last a few minutes. Including the "ah, this is Déjà vu" thought...and anything I or anyone else says. It's kinda weird feeling, and I feel like I am half dreaming '^.^
Tory pouted at Ash in that cute little way she had that made him want to drop everything and find the nearest bedroom...Which she was well aware of, just like he knew she'd say 'no' if he tried right now. What she really wanted was to do some work. Tory had always been a do-er, and though he knew he was fussing and she would be fine, he wasn't about to let her help wait on tables or cook in her condition. "Please, Tory? For me?"
"Ash, you're acting like I'm sick or something, and I'm FINE, for the last time!" Tory snapped, before sighing ruefully, "Sweetie, I'm just pregnant. Really, really pregnant, but I'm not going to let it stop me from doing things for myself, ok?"
Oh great, and now they had an audience. Ash could feel Bride and Tabitha's eyes boring into his back. Never mind he was a god, one wrong word and those women would open a can of whoop-ass on him. Tabitha had yet to forgive Val for preventing her from doing any hunting while she was pregnant. "Promise me you'll take it easy at least?"
She gave him a blindingly bright smile, "That, I can promise. I'll be well rested and ready for a fun night out watching my man play rock-star."
He had to grin back, kissing her deeply before she slipped behind the counter to offer her help to the kitchen-staff. It was still early, and Sanctuary was mostly empty. Tabitha and Bride had found out he was going to be onstage with The Howlers tonight, and had promptly called Tory for a girls-day...which foolish him, he'd thought ment shopping, not a concerted effort to let Tory cook. Then again, looking back, he probably had been a bit smothering with his fussing recently. Well, at least he knew the weres would take care of her.
"Reborn, are you sure this is the place?" Ash didn't bother to turn around as a woman walked in, holding the door for someone. Tourists he mused, tuning them out to listen to Fang's recounting of the the bear cubs latest escapades.
"Yeah. It's been a long time but I figured it would still be here." A voice answered her, cutting through the wolf's rueful chuckle. It sounded very young, probably a kid. "Bianchi, there's the guy I was looking for."
"He'll be able to find Hayato and the others?" The woman, Bianchi, sounded vaguely worried as the two voices approached, causing the two sitting at the bar to fall silent. Ash idly wondered who they were there to see, despite his annoyance.
"Ciaossu." The younger voice said from right behind him before hopping up onto a chair.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Fang asked, eyeing the newcomer oddly, obviously unsure of what to make of the strange pair who were apparently staring at the leader of the Dark Hunters. Ash refused to look, he was NOT going to be dragged into something, not with his pregnant wife in the kitchen annoyed with him. He was just not in the mood.
"No, we're just passing through, right Bianchi?"
The woman made an affirmative sound, "Maybe you can help us, since someone is being rude."
Fang raised an eyebrow, cutting a glance at Ash, "Really?"
"Well, he's always been a moody bastard." A smirk could be heard in the kid's voice. Something in the tone sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it.
"Like you know the first thing about Ash." Fang snorted, "You're just a baby. Woman, you should teach your brat some better manners."
"Reborn isn't my child." The woman growled, "Don't insult him."
"Bianchi's my woman. I don't know you, dog-breath, but because you know Ash, I'll give you a warning. Don't annoy Bianchi, or you'll end up dead." Ash spun on his seat, ready to stop Fang from attacking the stupid tourists and froze at the sight of a black Fedora with a wide orange band. A wall-eyed lizard blinked lazily at him, seemingly amused.
"Is that a threat?" Fang practically bristled at the baby in a black suit and tie.
The baby tugged on one of his ridiculously curly sideburns and said, "You've got to eat sometime."
Fang, enough. I've got it. "Brave Hitman?"
The baby turned to him, and Ash could see the bright yellow pacifier around his neck, "Ciaossu, Acheron. It's Reborn now. Been a while."
"You know this baby?"
"He's not a baby," Ash waved him off, "One of those evil curses that does all sorts of fun shit, Fang. I'll explain later."
"Alright then..."
He looked at the baby, no, man before him. He'd known that becoming an Arcobaleno would change the hitman, but he had not been quite ready for this. It was one thing to know that the cocky brash young hitman who had been so full of himself would find himself in the body of a baby. It was a completely different thing to see his friend like that. Ash could only imagine how long it had taken the hitman to retrain his body, and all the things he'd forever lost. He buried the rising feeling of pity, knowing full well it would get him shot. "Yeah, it has. What happened to looking me up?"
Reborn gave him a cocky grin, obviously pleased with himself, "I did, a few times. But, I've been busy." Translation, he saw me, but I didn't see him. Little shit. Ash returned his grin. Reborn sobered suddenly, "Actually, Ash, I need your help."
"What kind of help?" He already knew he was going to help, though it was hard to imagine what kind of help the world's best hitman could possibly need.
That got a growl out of the other, "The kind you need when the Greek God of war shows up in your house and zaps you halfway around the world." Obviously,this was one of the few things Reborn was not equipped to deal with and he was not handling it well.
"Ares? Why would he do that?" Ash looked at Fang who looked just as confused as he did, "And why is it a problem? Can't you just call the Vongola's boss and get back to Italy?"
"Japan." Bianchi clarified. Ash got his first good look at her. She was attractive, with straight long auburn-red hair and full lips. Her brow was puckered with worry, though. "We were in Japan. Reborn and I were in the kitchen, and the kids were all upstairs in Tsuna's room."
Wait, kids? They have kids? Fang sent, You know what, No. I don't want you to answer that. And I thought Aimee and I had it bad. Damn.
The woman continued, oblivious to the telepathic interruption, "We heard some yelling, but nothing too unusual. We went upstairs after the explosion. The boys try and keep those kinds of things down when the girls are over. When we got up there..."
"Ares." Reborn took over, "He was standing in the middle of Tsuna's empty room. The bastard said something about sending Tsuna and the others somewhere 'interesting' to 'keep them out of the way.' He wished us luck finding them and the next thing I knew, Bianchi and I were in the square."
"Why would Ares kidnap a bunch of children?" Fang growled, leaning on the bar, "That rotten jerk. Ash, what are we gonna do?"
"We'll save the why for later. How many kids are we talking here, Reborn? And about how old?" He had a feeling he was not going to like the answer to why Ares would do such a thing.
"That I know of, there are three girls, two in middle-school and one who's five. Five boys, four also in middleschool, the fifth is also around five." Ash was a bit amazed by the number of people who had been crammed into this one kids room. Must have been some room, or a real tight squeeze. Reborn's had shaded his eyes, "He could have gone after the others, too...so a few more might show up, though."
"We just need to find them, then." Torry came out from the back as Ash filled her in, "Poor things must be scared out of their minds."
"More or less." Reborn shrugged. "If they'd had their communicators on them, I wouldn't have needed to bother you, Ash. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Cavalry's here, if they're anywhere in New Orleans, we'll find them in no time." Preferably before dark. "Anything else I should know? Other then they probably don't speak English?"
Bianchi pulled out a group photo and placed it in front of Ash. The group was a good size, and she calmly taped and named the people they'd be looking for. Ash was taken back at how much the photo conveyed, everyone in it seemed close, even the one guy who was standing off to the side looking away. Thankfully for Fang, none of them looked like they were Reborn's kid, which meant he was probably watching them for someone else. "You could try talking to them in Italian." Bianchi suggested, apparently understanding his concern. "Even Tsuna's gotten much better at that." She tapped the boy in the center of the photo. He had a slightly anxious look about him, like he was painfully eager to please others. It almost hurt to look at the photo's warm brown eyes.
"Not if he's panicking." Reborn shook his head, "This is Tsuna we are talking about. If he's been separated from the others, things could get real bad."
"How so?"
"Let's just say that I'd expect a lot of screaming and yelling." Reborn shook his head, "Possibly explosions."
"Is he dangerous then?" Tory asked, voicing the very thought Ash had. Looking at Fang, he could tell the wolf was mentally picturing some kid running down the streets shooting fireballs from his mouth.
"Reborn means that Tsuna would be the one screaming and yelling. He panics easily, it's cute." She smirked, "The explosions would be my brother, Hyatto. When Tsuna's in trouble, Hyatto tends to act first and think later."
Ash couldn't stop the chuckle the escaped his lips as some of the bears walked in with Val and Tabitha right in time for Bianchi's explanation. "I'll take it then that these kids are Mafioso?" Reborn nodded as the picture was passed around, "Of course they are, you're involved, after all. Alright then. Torry, you stay here, don't argue with me."
"I wasn't planning on it. I've got a stew cooking in the back anyway. Bride and I will sit this one out and watch the babies. YOU just be sure to bring these missing kids back safe and sound, buster."
"Not a problem. Ok, so I'll take it you're all up to date?" Nods all around, "Look everywhere. They may be alone or in a group. If you find them, call me. None of you are particularly good at Japanese. Don't do anything that they might see as a threat. Think of it as picking up a bunch of half-trained squires that just got dumped in the middle of nowhere. We don't wanna give them any reason to panic, right? Let's go and find us some kids."
"Reborn, I'll stay here in case they wander in. You know how they are, after all."
"Good idea. You might want to start calling their parents. Tell them we've gone on a camping trip or something." Reborn suggested.
"Torry, Don't let Bianchi help in the kitchen. No offence, but I don't want you accidentally killing any weres." The woman just waved him off as she pulled out her phone and started dialing.
"What's that mean?" Tabatha twisted in Valuris's arms to get another look at the Italian woman.
"Simple. If my friend here is Reborn, the world class hitman, then that means his female companion is Bianchi, 'the poison scorpion'. She's a master poisoner; I wouldn't let Simi touch anything she's cooked." Ash explained as they got outside.
Tabby blinked at him, "You know some of the most interesting people, Ash. And coming from me, that's really saying something. Ok. Don't let the kids take cookies from the Nice Mob Lady. Got it." She nodded before joining the others, leaving Ash alone with Reborn.
He looked down at the cursed baby, "What?" He huffed when the other remained silent until they got to the bike.
"Bianchi's good at what she does Ash." Reborn started, "She's not super strong, a great shot, or psychic. Her talent is being able to turn any food deadly, and she's very proud of the fact."
"What's your point?"
"If I catch you bad mouthing her cooking again, I'll shoot you."