Chapter Two : Too Much Too Soon
Chrome made her way to the lounge as she was instructed, carefully looking around for teachers along the way. Although the majority of the staff was at the meeting, she had to make sure no one saw her anyway, or she'd get her brother and his friends in trouble.
She tried the lounge doorknob, locked. Glancing around in the hallway nervously, she didn't know what to do in case she was the first one there; it had never happened before. To her relief, Ken and Chikusa showed up. They were glaring at her as usual as they knocked on the door in a strange pattern, no doubt code. The door opened, Mukuro's silhouette gliding away from the space visible to the hallway.
Once they were all seated in the lightless room, Mukuro began. "You all know we may be fiercely outnumbered tonight," he said lowly, getting straight to the point. Assuming they all nodded in agreement, he continued, "That's why I got some upperclassmen to help us. If we need it, that is." A smirk was visible in the lamplight from outside, and the sound of Mukuro's trademark laughter was heard. "But don't get sloppy just because we have help."
"Of course not," Chikusa promised, pushing his glasses up so the light from outside reflected off them.
"I plan to take every one of those annoying brats down." Ken stood from his seat, excitement building inside him. "We won't even need the upperclassmen's help!"
"Just the four of us..." Chrome thought quietly out loud. "I wonder if it will be as easy as you say, Ken." The blonde gave her an angry look as usual, but she ignored it. "At least how many are there from School K, Mukuro?"
Mukuro's smile remained steady. "About seven or eight, and that's including any recruits they may have made at the last minute." Still, a degree of uneasiness lingered in the air. "That may be two of them to each one of us. If their power is overwhelming, I'll tell you again," he started for the door, but paced back. "We have backup."
A commotion outside the room, accompanied by the sound of keys, startled the group. "Dammit!" Ken whispered, grabbing Chrome's arm and diving to the side. None of them had expected the teachers to come back so soon.
Light flooded the room as the fluorescent light came on, two teachers noisily entering the room. One of them sighed loudly and closed the door, the other making his way to the leather chair Chikusa had just been sitting in. "I can't believe that Sawada is making this a school issue," an impatient voice said. The students exchanged glances from behind the furniture.
"That Sawada..." a familiar voice that they had heard just earlier that day said. "Is a damn fool. He's not cut out for a superintendent." Xanxus's voice held a biting edge of hatred and comtempt for his superior. "If it's the last thing I do, I'm going to-"
Xanxus suddenly fell silent, the sound of leather protesting against weight as the other teacher sat beside him. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?" the other teacher asked quietly, his voice soothing. Xanxus growled lowly in agreement, and soon the only sound was the periodic movement picked up by the chair. Ken made a face, but Mukuro held his hand low to the floor, telling them to be still. He wanted to know the nature of the staff meeting before he left.
The other teacher, Squalo, whispered something to Xanxus that the students couldn't hear. "I'm not concerned about the students' safety at all," Xanxus answered, possibly ignoring Squalo's comment completely. Mukuro shifted slightly. He was right; the meeting did pertain to them. "They can fight until they kill each other, but I don't expect to take any action. I'm not responsible for my students."
Chrome looked at the floor in sadness at Xanxus's words. Squalo mumbled some kind of agreement, and Mukuro could hear the two of them stand up. "I suppose Iemitsu is the only one who can't understand that," Squalo said, his voice changing as it became apparent he wanted to drop the subject. "Xanxus, there's no one else here..."
Chikusa and Ken looked at each other with mixed emotions, thankful they couldn't see the teachers. Chrome, however, grew fearful and sank further behind the chair she was behind. "No," Xanxus started, his footsteps audible. "We're not alone."
Mukuro, satisfied with the information he'd received, smiled and closed his eyes.
"Xanxus, what are you-?"
The teacher moved the chair aside quickly, but to his surprise, saw nothing. He paused a moment before he was sure no one was there. "Sorry, I thought I saw someone..." Xanxus apologized, thoroughly confused.
Squalo shook his head, smiling. "The door was locked when we got here, and the lights were off. You're just too paranoid about people seeing us." Xanxus nodded absently, but the thought of being overheard remained in the back of his mind.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School K - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tsuna tightened the strap of the glove on his right hand, a hand that would soon engage in physical combat. Gokudera was again by his side, handing him the black jacket he knew would be necessary to wear in the dark. Yamamoto was standing at the door, keeping a lookout for teachers that might see them sneaking out. When he motioned that the coast was clear, the three headed out.
There was a nervousness in the pits of their stomachs that would cause them to tremble and throw up if they let it consume them. Instead, they masked it behind emotionless faces as they made their way outside. Ryohei and Lambo turned around at the sound of their footsteps. With a short nod from their leader, they headed down the street. Silent and quick, their lithe forms slipped through the shadows of the night.
It was a dark clearing surrounded by a chain-link fence. A single streetlight illuminated the large space below, scarcely enough for them to see anything. Tsuna and his friends climbed over the fence. That gate was locked; that was the rule: no escaping. Anyone too weak to climb over the fence once the fight was over was to be left for the enemy to use as they pleased. Four figures were standing already beneath the light on the other side, half smiling, half frowning.
Once Lambo's sandaled feet touched the pavement, they were all in. Tsuna followed suit as Mukuro walked menacingly slowly to the center. "No guns, no lights, no fire, no dirty tricks," he said curtly, smiling.
Gokudera caught sight of two figures hiding in the two corners of School M's side. It was 6 to 5 in their favor. The other rule: no outside help could come into the gate after the fight had begun. So technically, School M was still playing by the rules. The silver-haired one scoffed and took a step back, clenching his fist at their disadvantage. Yamamoto looked at him and smiled, but Gokudera was not comforted.
Mukuro put his hand forward, and Tsuna stared at it for a moment before doing the same.
"Wait."
All heads turned in the direction of School K's fence. Someone leapt effortlessly over the gate before alighting gracefully by Yamamoto's side. Tsuna was alarmed to see the hall monitor Hibari standing with them, and Mukuro was also surprised by the extra help and the now-even odds.
Yamamoto thanked Hibari for coming, and the hall monitor nodded to the center. "You may begin whenever you like."
Tsuna and Mukuro's eyes met again, and this time, their hands did as well. The battle was underway.
Tsuna leapt back, deciding not to go one-on-one against an opponent who had hurt him so badly in the past. The figures in the corners had made their way inward, one strong man taller than anyone else, and another small girl with pink hair.
Weapons such as planks, knives, and chains, as well as anything they found in the field, were permitted, but Tsuna and his friends felt uneasy about going all out against a team with two girls. But a fight was a fight, and even though the situation was different, these guys were the same.
To everyone's surprise, Hibari dashed forward first, his discipline-use tonfa held in each hand. Mukuro blocked it with his gloved hand and pushed the monitor off himself, sending his two comrades in to surround him. Yamamoto and Gokudera were already in their positions and before long, the battle had split into two sides, everyone occupied with another person with a gap down the center of the cement area.
Ryohei, who used to have a code against hitting girls, had been forced to fight Chrome. She held a long pole that had been broken off something and handled it with great ease for a girl her size. Ryohei was at a disadvantage, but he knew the sooner he took care of this opponent, the sooner he could move on to helping his friends. He punched her face and successfully landed the blow, too late to see that she'd done that to gain a hit on him. He felt his shoulder bruise as the pole she made look so light collided with his body. The force was more substantial than the purposely weak punch he'd hit her with, and he knew better than to go easy on her now.
The tall one with marks on his face had taken Hibari away from his leader and led him to a corner to fight. "I don't have time for you, weakling," Hibari warned, straightening up and showing his tonfa's solid edges to his opponent. "Let me fight your leader so I can spare your life."
The dark one simply smiled and started spinning the long chain in a steady rhythm. "My name is Lancia. I suggest you remember it well." Hibari's eyes watched the end of the chain carefully, and when the timing was oppurtune, it lashed out towards him.
Blocking it with his right tonfa, the chain seemed to extend as Hibari underestimated the chain's length and it wrapped around his weapon. It would have consumed his arm as well if he hadn't let go, letting Lancia drag one of his tools towards himself. Narrowing his eyes, Hibari said, "I thought we agreed on no dirty tricks."
Lancia smiled again, disposing of the weapon by tossing it out of the gate. "Illusions are not tricks. They only seem that way if you allow yourself to fall for them." He swung the chain out again, Hibari dodging it narrowly. "And only fools fall for such things."
"Watch your mouth." Hibari was within reach of his enemy now, and the chain gave him a disadvantage at close combat. He let his foot hit the other in the knee, bringing him down to his level so he could bring his remaining tonfa up with great force against Lancia's chin. But while the man did not flinch greatly, his hand jerked back.
"Hibari, look out!" Yamamoto watched in horror as the chain whipped towards Hibari's unsuspecting side, tearing a piece of his shirt off his back and knocking him down. "Dammit," Yamamoto cursed, running towards Hibari.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ken chimed in noisily, stepping in Yamamoto's path. "Your fight is with me." The dark-haired one narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the long, metal object in his hand.
Ken reached out to punch Yamamoto across the face, but the other's reflexes pulled him back to dodge it. However, his face was cut by a knife that had been hidden in Ken's hand. "So, you're into hiding knives, huh?"
Yamamoto licked the end of his thumb to smear the blood forming on his cheek, leaving himself open for Ken to strike again. Sidestepping this time, he raised his black weapon and brought it down towards Ken's open side.
"Heh, with a club that blunt, you won't even leave a mark!" Ken straightened, but not fast enough to dodge as the sound of steel was heard and he saw silver rather than black.
A large slash marred Ken's chest as blood poured from his entire frontside, staining his uniform red. "Uuaaah, what the fuck-?" He fell back and looked up to see Yamamoto standing above him with a well-crafted katana in his hands, the black cloth case that had hidden it so well fluttering in the wind. His eyes widened. "I'm done for," he said, strain in his voice. But when Hibari's cry was heard, Ken's life was spared as Yamamoto ran to his friend's aid.
"I told you not to underestimate me," Lancia growled, tightening the bind of the chain wrapped around Hibari's neck. "However, I'm surprised a hall monitor had such street-fighting experience." He referred to the end of the tonfa that had been stuck between Hibari's neck and the chain at the last second, preventing the perfect wrap that could've severed his head. However, Hibari was now weaponless.
"You...won't live through-!" Hibari was unable to finish his sentence as the chain was pulled tighter again. He struggled for air and his vision became blurry. Lancia was saying something he couldn't hear.
"Let him go!" Yamamoto sprinted towards Lancia and brought his sword up to slash at his neck. When Lancia stepped back, he instead saw that the boy's hand was empty. He turned back to Hibari a second too late.
The blade of the katana easily severed the rusted chain, the sword now in the boy's other hand. His weapon fell slack in his hands and Lancia jumped back from the two, allowing Yamamoto to untie the chain from Hibari's neck and pull him to his feet. "Are you okay?" Yamamoto asked, letting Hibari lean on him for support. His brown eyes focused on the man before them, still holding a shortened chain with the intent of fighting with it.
On the other end of the court, Lambo was wrestling the pink-haired girl to the ground and pressing his thumbs against her neck, trying to knock her out in the most peaceful way possible. His face was already covered with fingernail scratches, and her hands continued to claw at his eyes. "I'm sorry," was all he could say as he considered why I-pin had been left out of this fight. However, the girl's knee came up and struck Lambo in the abdomen, loosening his grip for the second she needed to escape.
Lambo stood carefully, flexing his sore fingers. He saw a trace of the name "M.M" on her nametag. The girl could see his weakness and contempt for fighting already. "People like you never survive on the battlefield," she said, massaging her neck. "I'll take you out in second." Lambo watched as she picked up a baseball bat that had been behind a trash can. "Time to die!"
No matter how firmly Gokudera grabbed his opponent's arm or how quickly he aimed a kick to their ankles, Chikusa dodged and countered every move, wasting Gokudera's energy and preserving his own. "Damn you," Gokudera hissed, kicking up a flurry of dust to blind Chikusa as he dove against the wall, treating a small cut on his collarbone. "That guy's too fast," he noted to himself, keeping a close look-out for his enemy as well as his friend, Tsuna.
"You can't hide forever," came Chikusa quiet, low voice. Gokudera held his breath as a rock smashed into the wall an inch away from his face. "Come out and fight me." The silver-haired one searched fruitlessly for a weapon of some kind, but the space was bare. Finally, Gokudera stood up and lunged for Chikusa.
His attempt was ruined as Chikusa sidestepped and caught Gokudera by the arm, pinning it behind him. However, he freed himself from the other's grip quickly and tumbled onto the ground, keeping his stance low. Having not seen what Chikusa fought with yet, his options were open, and he had no advantages. He caught a glimpse of movement to his right and watched for a second as the leaders faced off against each other.
Their battle, which one would think would be the most careful of all, was the most heated and they were both taking more injuries than any of their teamates. Mukuro had locked one of Tsuna's hands by holding the wrist tightly and keeping it away from himself, and they were forced to fight each other single-handedly, neither one about to give in. Tsuna was focusing on punches to Mukuro's vital spots while Mukuro concentrated on limiting factors such as Tsuna's mobility and sight.
"Let go of me!" Tsuna ordered with clenched teeth, trying to pull his hand away while keeping Mukuro a good distance from himself. The other student had no choice but to release his hold on Tsuna if he was to use his weapon. He backed up a ways, but Tsuna was upon him in seconds, slugging his right hand forcefully against Mukuro's jaw.
The boy staggered back, holding his hand against his face. "Cocky brat," he said, spitting out a broken tooth in a stream of blood. Tsuna didn't hold back as he rushed to Mukuro again, punching towards his face. Mukuro ducked just in time, but Tsuna's knee came up to meet him just below the ribs, the sound of bones breaking. "K-kuh, this kid is..."
"I'll make you sorry for what you did back then," Tsuna promised, watching with hatred as Mukuro crumpled to the concrete. He brought back his leg to kick Mukuro into unconsciousness, but something in the distance stopped him. "No, it can't be..."
With that second's hesitation, Mukuro swung a long rod across the pavement and knocked Tsuna's feet out from under him, bringing his skull into contact with the hard cement. His vision swerved, but he remembered seeing the blue and red flickering lights that were approaching them, nearer and nearer with his every heartbeat.
Title credit: The Transplants: Gangstas & Thugs (song)
