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Imprisonment, switches and Butterflies.

Chapter.01

Mukuro had never hated before this, had never felt so completely betrayed and dirty before this, and he doesn't know if the changes that have been happening inside his mind is a good thing or a bad thing; he doesn't know if he cares.

He can tell, even at his young age, that he's twisting from what he was - twisting into something terrible, something of nightmares. He doesn't know if it was a slow drawn-out process or if the cracks started to appear long before that, and mafia scum just shattered what was already broken; what if he was always messed up?, maybe that's why he was unwanted.

That's right, unwanted. He barely remembers his father's or mother's face anymore as he has deliberately blurred their images in his memory; he was no desire to remember those disgusting people, because anyone who would sell out their own child is just revolting - he doesn't even know if there's a word black enough for them, after all, they sent him off with a smile; they sent him to his death.

When he looks back he sees how trusting he had been, stupidly trusting. His gut had told him to run when he saw those people approaching, to run and hide and not to look back - no matter what. But he had ignored it, he had ignored the only logical organ he processed; his senses. And for what?, for the woman who gave birth to him?, or for the man who impregnated said woman?. How pointless.

It's true he doesn't know a lot, and his morals of what's right and what's wrong have been fraying for awhile now, he realises, but he'll always regret following his parents that day. He wonders sometimes if they think of him, if they care about what he's going through - the pain and the torture. And on his bad days, the days were there are needles sticking out of him and their injecting him with excruciating drugs, that make his bruised and battered body throb and ache in agony, he wishes nightmares on them, he wishes misfortunate to fall upon them.

The cell's he's kept in after the experiments are the only haven he's got - that any of them have, because while their in there, they know that no pain will befall them, they know that for awhile, their safe in the dark and dirty cage.

There are others like him, Mukuro knows, and their the closet thing to a family he has; their probably the thing that's keeping him half human. Chikusa and Ken, he owes them more then they could ever guess, and more then he would ever admit to, though his group of two would grow one, and by meeting that one child, everything he thinks he knowns, and everything he thinks is changing ,will once again confuse him.

Sawada, Tsunayoshi.

It's a name that means nothing to him, yet. And once he sees the small thing being pushed into the large room before the bars were closed around the entrance - the exit, and the Mafioso left the brunet there, he couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for him; he was young, probably no more then five, and hell did they do a number on him; his milky skin was littered with bruises, cuts and scars. He trembled, he trembled like he was naked in the rain, standing hazily where he was left, as he looks over the surroundings.

Mukuro took pity, he stood from where he had sat with his friends, swaying on his way up but hide it well as he walked over to the brunet, and gently pulled him over to his little group, sitting back down between Chikusa and Ken as he tugged the boy down with him.

Vaguely wondering how long the boy had been there when he caught the cautious but questioning look sent his way, laughing his usual laugh, he forced his lips into a quirked smirk "Not to worry little one, I don't bite" he said in reassurance, which also made him think; when did he start talking like a adult?.

"I'm Mukuro" he offered, after a little pause of the brunet thinning his lips "these are my dear Chikusa and Ken" the two scruffy boys nodded, both wary of the stranger that they were being introduced to, and instinctively leaned closer to the pineapple.

"What's your name?" he asked when the boy nodded at all three of him, probably his acknowledgement for their names, though the question seemed to take the brunet off-guard as his large, chocolate eyes grew wider, and he looked like Mukuro had just told him the most unbelievable thing he had to offer.

"Y-you" he spoke, and they leant then, that the boy, despite the obvious hoarse underbelly that was caused be the lack of water they were offered, had a very soft and endearing voice - it was sweet, and if he had enough saliva, probably smooth "-you want to know?"

Mukuro's face became slightly lax; maybe the brunet had been here longer then he originally thought "Hurry up and answer" Ken snap.

Which caught the pineapple's attention 'Maybe he noticed it too?' he thought, looking over to the blond who had an irritated look about him, but was containing himself quite well.

"You really want to know?" he repeated, not at all intimidated as he looked blinkingly between them, brightening slightly from earlier, his shriving slowing "T-Tsuna…"

Mukuro hummed; that didn't sound like an Italian name, and he doubted that the Estraneo would dare try child-trafficking when they were still rebuilding their power; it help too many risks, too many risks of being caught for a smaller offence and people finding out their bigger sin that they've committed "Tsuna, is it?" he was curious about his second name, though it has probably his fault that it wasn't mentioned; he didn't say their second names either.

Said boy nodded, finally settling on the cold floor; drawing his legs up to his chest as he hugged them to his chest; his body was freezing from the tablets he was forced to take; like his blood was flowing backwards "How old are you?" Mukuro asked before he could stop himself.

The brunet thought for a moment "Seven…" he replied, much to the other three's amazement; he looked so much smaller, so much younger, when he wasn't too far of from their respected ages "but…I'm not sure anymore…"he murmured as he rested his chin on his knees, his exhausted, that was growing, made him unable to hold it up on his own as he tried to keep his eyes open and keep eye contact.

Ah, he had been in here for a while - Mukuro concluded; he was probably just in another laboratory, and was being kept in another holding cell; he wasn't new, he was just new to this area, but before another word could be uttered the small brunet slowly started to collapsed right in front of their eyes, the frail form sprawled across the floor a second later, landing with a painful thump, that seemed to echo.

They went still for a moment; it didn't matter how many times they witnessed it - no matter how many times their saw people die right in front of their eyes, they could never get used to it, and a small part of them didn't want to "O-oi" Ken stuttered, while he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, planting one of his bandaged hands on top of the boy's shoulder, his slanted orbs widened as he got no response.

Tsuna was wearing a t-shirt similar to Mukuro's, the only different being that the sleeves had been torn from their stitches, and Ken could feel the cold radiating from his skin, though before he could check for a pulse, he had been roughly pulled away and up against a wall, with the pineapple in front of him, Chikusa on the other side, looking between him and the opening door.

The usual man stepped in, expression indifferent as he walked in wearing a crisp suit, another man guarding the door as he continued forward, picking Tsuna up with little care for his broken body, and left without a word. Mukuro had his thoughts on why they came for the boy as he relaxed and let his two friends, that were held behind his back, out to breath.

"M-Mukuro…was he-" said boy shock his head, interrupting those taboo words before they could escape; their situation was bad enough without the added worry.

"He was alive, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered to come and get him" Mukuro said in a monotone voice, looking at the door which was now locked and bolted. No, they had never bothered before, and would often leave bodies on the floor, until they started to smell.

There used to be more children, far more children than there are now, and if they had to guess, they were some of the few that were left, which meant that they were running out of time, there body's weren't going to hold out much longer, they knew - it was just a matter of time, before they became just another number on the list of the missing "he'll live"

Mukuro didn't know how true that was, he didn't know that in just a few days, everything he's come to know, would come to haunt him as he moved forward, he didn't know that with that one encounter, the course of his life changed, and that the people he owes, just grew by one…

He doesn't know yet, but he will.

A/N -

Alright, so this would be my 30th story, hard to believe, isn't it?, I'll have to check how long I've been on , when I have more free time, because this year's seems to have past so quickly.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is going to be a MukuroXTsuna fic yet, there might not be a pairing in it at all, because unlike most of my other stories, I only know how I'm going to write the beginning, and some of the middle; most of the storyline and ending are unknown even to me, so please be patient while I play around with it.

So, how was it?, did I do good?. I've never really written about Mukuro (most of my other stories haven't gotten that far yet), so this will be a first for his past, and a first for me writing it.

Anywho, I hope I did this some justice; sorry it's so short, the next chapter should be longer.

I Apologise if there are any mistakes in my spelling/ grammar, or if you find anything I have written offensive.

Thank you to everyone who added 'Imprisonment, switches and Butterflies' to their favorites/ alerts or who took the time to review, you also have my gratitude for reading.

OW