~.~.~

Phantom Thief Decimo

Previously: Tsuna, in his alter-ego as the Phantom Thief, was hired by the Ninth Vongola boss. His job - to steal the Vongola Rings, and to keep the Varia and their leader Xanxus occupied, while the Ninth prepares his own plans for succession.

~.~.~

Two men looked out over the sunset-orange sky in silence. The high windows of Nono's office at the Vongola Headquarters presented a stunning view of the estate grounds, now starkly lined in shadow. However, neither was able to appreciate the scenery, lost in heavy thought.

"So that's the situation," Reborn mused, pulling his fedora a little lower. "What a mess. I can't believe you let it get this bad."

"It was a mistake on my part," Timoteo agreed gravely. "I never thought I might lose all three of them… and I let myself be paralyzed by grief for too long. I couldn't even stand to think accepting anyone else as my heir in their place… We're moving as fast as we can to rectify that. Iemitsu has already departed."

"You shouldn't have let Xanxus find out he's not your biological son like that either," Reborn said mercilessly. He paused thoughtfully. "You didn't tell the thief that, did you? That Xanxus won't be able to complete the Inheritance Ceremony? The Vongola Sky Ring would reject him."

Nono chuckled, without any real humor. "He's a nice young man, but I am not certain he would be willing to take such a risk for any stakes lower than the full disintegration of the Vongola and the mafia world," he said. "I don't think he would agree to face the Varia's wrath just to temporarily draw fire from some boy he's never met. Admitting to him that we just need time to prepare our candidate without the threat of Xanxus hunting him down would not be very compelling."

"So in the end, he's just a decoy for Xanxus," Reborn said. It was harsh, but logical, from the perspective of the Vongola boss. "So even if they catch him and take the rings, he should at least be able to lead them on a merry chase in the meantime, and even if they get the rings, they'll still fail." His lips quirked in something that wasn't a smile.

In the end, Nono stood to lose very little in this gamble, but could potentially gain just enough time to make his plan work. Sacrificing one freelance no-name thief, against the future of the entire Vongola Family, wasn't a difficult choice.

It was too bad for the thief, but Reborn wasn't the sort to waste sympathy on every poor kid caught up in the mafia's deadly game. Maybe, if he was good enough, he would be able to get away with his life.

"It's not as if I want him to die," Timoteo said, sighing. "He really is a nice young man. That's why I want you to help him."

Reborn didn't twitch or groan, but the look he directed at the Vongola boss was terribly flat.

"Officially, your job will be to retrieve the rings," Nono continued. "But I want you to focus on keeping the Varia from taking them… or killing the Phantom Thief. Just stall for as long as possible. If you can, try not to be too obvious about it."

"So it's another babysitting job," Reborn complained, pulling his fedora down further. "I just got off keeping Dino alive, despite his best efforts, and now you're sending me to mind another brat."

"What can I say? You have a way with children," Nono said dryly.

Reborn snorted, but his expression quickly grew serious again. "If he's as good as you're hoping, he might not get caught at all. Will the Varia even know to go after him?"

"No, I don't think he'll get caught that easily," Nono agreed, smiling as he held up a plain white card. One side held a simple message - "Tonight, I will take the Vongola Rings." There was no signature. "This was left in my desk this morning," Nono explained.

"You need a new head of security," Reborn said, refusing to be impressed. After all, he had made it to Nono's office undetected as well. It wasn't that hard.

"I've made arrangements," Nono continued, pocketing the card, the proof of their deal. "In preparation for choosing a successor, the rings are in CEDEF custody. Naturally, with their leader out of the country, this is the best time for someone to strike… They know to be on the lookout."

In other words, he had warned them. And if the Phantom Thief couldn't get past the CEDEF, he didn't stand a chance against the Varia anyway.

~.~.~

Chapter 2: Unexpected complications ~ The Ring and the Successor

~.~.~

The CEDEF headquarters were disguised as an ordinary office building, and up to a certain level, that disguise was actually very thorough and realistic. They even had actual cubicles, Tsuna noted as he scoped the place out.

Still, they went a little too far in places. No real business had the same sheer consistency of plain black suits on every employee, no matter how stringent their dress code. Those suits - which screamed either "mafia" or "secret agent" - made the rare weirdos, who inevitably accumulated in any major mafia group, all the more eye-catching.

After all, any real business also would not have people dressed in everything from period ball gowns to clown costumes to… bondage gear reporting in at all times of the day and night.

Deciding he had learned all he would be able to, Tsuna packed up the lunch he had been eating at the small park across from the CEDEF building and stood up. He stretched, having gotten a little sore, and adjusted his outfit - a sweatshirt from the local university and cargo pants that, together with his slightly worn backpack, made him look like a hapless college kid.

Pushing up his thick glasses, Tsuna chanced one last glance at the CEDEF. He was sure no one had noticed him, but all the same, he felt as if there was something off about all the agents he had seen that day. They were tense, as if anticipating an attack.

"Expecting the Varia, maybe?" Tsuna mused, before shaking his head.

At least that man wasn't there.

~.~.~

A red light blinked on in the central control room of the CEDEF headquarters, immediately drawing the operator's attention.

"Huh? We have a sensor giving abnormal readings," he reported, clicking rapidly at his keyboard. "I'm getting a lot of interference, can't determine the cause…"

The operator trailed off as another red light appeared on his monitor, followed by another, and another, until a wave of red swept across the sensor readout display.

"Sensors are down in the upper east sector!"

"Cameras are down too!"

"It's spreading! Headed toward the inner sectors!"

In another part of the building, Basil paused in the middle of his patrol as the reports filtered through to him through a small earpiece. "They're after the rings," he realized, knowing the same thought was passing through every CEDEF agent's mind.

'I won't fail my master!' he thought, his hand reaching into his pocket to grasp a small pill case.

He swallowed back a pill with practiced ease, and a pale-blue flame flickered to life over his forehead. With all the speed Dying Will Mode could offer, he took off toward the affected area, now racing against the clock in more ways than one.

Reports continued to stream in.

"D8, D5 and E7 blocks are down!" an operator reeled off.

"Anise here! I'm in D6 now, but there's no one here!" an agent called back.

"Caraway here! I've reached E7!" another agent relaid. Under his breath, he muttered, "Urgh, the air's so thick in here…"

"Caraway, repeat that!" Basil ordered. "What's the situation?"

"I can't explain it, but something's not right! This must be the sensor the interference!"

'Is it some new technology or a spell?' Basil wondered. "I'm almost there! Anise, confirm!"

"Anise here, I see him!" came the other agent's voice. "He's just ahead of me! That's a dead end, I'll get him, that- Huh? Where did he go?"

"I think I see him!" Caraway called out at almost the same time, despite being on the opposite end of the affected area. Judging by the cursing that followed, he had also found himself chasing ghosts.

'A Mist Flame user?'

"The sensor blackout has almost reached the vault!" the command center reported. "We've lost sensors on the eastern approach!"

"I'm almost there!" Basil gritted his teeth, trying to force himself to move even faster, despite already having passed his body's normal limits. "Tarragon, Marjoram, what's the status in the vault?"

He was out of breath as he finally skidded to a halt in front of the entrance to the most secure part of the CEDEF building. A momentary breeze stirred his long bangs and sent a cold shiver down his back as it dried the sweat on his forehead and neck.

He could definitely feel something in the air.

"Tarragon, Marjoram, report!" Basil demanded when there was no reply from the comm.

"We've lost visual of inside the vault!" the command center said.

'Don't tell me he's already in the vault?!' he thought. Basil spun toward the massive vault doors, only to hesitate before he could key in the first passcode. 'What if it's a trick? A decoy to make us open the doors for him? He could just be blocking their comms somehow, just like the sensors and cameras. Or...'

Basil forced himself to think - and also to feel. What was his intuition telling him?

"The air…" he muttered, remembering Caraway's words and his own fleeting impression. "It's in the air. Whatever is blocking our sensors and causing those illusions is moving through the air. He was never here..."

It was all a decoy. Rather than moving along the path of downed sensors, the intruder had just sent whatever was causing the blackout flowing down the corridors and taken another route to the vault.

'He might already be inside. He might be waiting for us to open the way in,' Basil thought. Both were possible. He had to account for both.

Taking a steadying breath, Basil came to a decision.

"Initiate full lockdown of the building!" he commanded. "Order everyone away from the entrances! Mark anyone moving outward as an intruder!"

"But, sir, we won't be in position to stop him from escaping!" one of the agents protested.

"Do it!" Basil said firmly.

'Under full lockdown, it's impossible to leave,' he thought. 'Even the air vents are sealed shut. We'll only have a few hours of air, but he'll be trapped here with us, and we'll have reinforcements incoming. So he'll have to make a break for it before the lockdown is complete. And the last area sealed is… the northern sector, block M13. There! That's where he's go!'

The entire building seemed to shake in its foundations as the lockdown began. Emergency red lights flashed and a klaxon wailed as thick blast doors and massive metal shutters began to slide into place around the perimeter, covering every possible opening and locking down with a steady countdown of echoing metallic thuds.

Basil struggled to stay on his feet as he rushed to intercept the intruder. He could only hope that the would-be thief was having the same difficulties. Had he hesitated when the lockdown began? Did he take a moment to realize what was happening? Those scarce seconds would make the difference between failure and success.

"Intruder identified in block M16!" came a sudden report from the command center. "Halt immediately! Everyone is ordered away from the perimeter!"

However, the figure spotted on one of the cameras did not respond.

"Who is that?" one of the operators wondered. "Is that one of ours?" Certainly, the neat black suit looked like an agent's, but the young man's features were concealed by large sunglasses and his messy hairstyle wasn't immediately familiar to any of them.

"No, it's the thief!" Basil said with absolute certainty. As he rounded the corner, the back of the fleeing man came into view. "I see him! Hey, you! Stop!"

The intruder barely spared a glance back. He was almost to the window, and the shutter that would seal it hadn't begun to move yet.

And at the worst possible moment, Basil felt his Dying Will Mode begin to flicker out.

Activated artificially, with the help of the pills developed by the Vongola Family, Dying Will Mode only lasted a short while. Basil had trained to keep track of the time he had, but in the confusion, he had lost count of the minutes.

He was already slowing. Basil could continue to fight, even through the crushing feeling throughout his body that followed Dying Will Mode, but he could see that he wouldn't make it in time.

Just a few seconds would make the difference between success and failing the mission his master had entrusted to him.

Basil refused to fail. The pill case was already in his hand. His master had cautioned him - ordered him, really - to never use more than one pill and not in quick succession. The strain places on his body would be too great, potentially causing permanent damage.

'Master, please forgive me, but I have to choice!' Basil thought, throwing back the second pill.

The surge of power was instantaneous, sweeping away his fatigue. The flame on his head flared once more, and his eyes glimmered with the same fire. Everything stood out in sudden, sharp relief.

"You won't get away," he said, his faintly glowing eyes fixed on the intruder's back. In just a few almost leaping stride, he was upon his target.

Hearing him approach, the thief tensed. He spun around toward Basil, but instead of facing his pursuer, he ripped off his disguise and sent the suit jacket flying between them. Drawing his Metal Edge, Basil easily sliced the cloth in two, but the second's pause was enough for the thief to once again gain ground.

His white dress shirt had been loosened and his tie had been lost, revealing the tight dark undershirt beneath. With his concealing sunglasses also gone, the thief quickly pulled up the collar of his undershirt like a mask to cover the lower half of his face. His brown eyes were surprisingly soft, but determined.

The ornate box containing the rings was grasped under his arm, and Basil let his boomerang fly. At the last moment, the intruder tried to jerk out of the way, but he was too late, and the tip of the Metal Edge, infused with Rain Flames to sharpen and lengthen, cut cleanly through the box.

Forced to release his hold or lose an arm, the thief could only watch as pieces of the box scattered through the air. Among them, seven rings glittered - six for the Guardians, and the last, different from the others.

Basil and the thief shared the same thought. That one! If he could just get the Sky Ring, it would be enough.

Both jumped toward it.

In Dying Will Mode, Basil had the physical advantage by a wide margin, and he easily soared over his opponent. What he didn't expect was for the thief to settle for grabbing him around the waist and pulling him down.

They crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, but somehow the thief managed to come out on top. Planting his foot in Basil's face, he scurried away. His hand groped along the floor for the Sky Ring, sliding it clumsily on his middle finger, even as he rushed toward the exit, where the lockdown shutter had begun to descend.

"Wait!" Basil yelled, scrambling to his feet and trying to staunch his bleeding nose. He had missed the return of his weapon, and hitting the floor that hard had knocked him out of Dying Will Mode, the accumulated strain rushing back with enough force to make him stumble.

Still, as he watched, Basil felt a growing sense of triumph. The intruder wouldn't be able to make it in time. It was already too late.

The gap beneath the blast shutter was narrowing to barely a crack, even as the thief rushed forward at full tilt. "No!" he yelled, lunging toward the disappearing opening, his hand outstretched.

'I can't lose here! I have to make it! Otherwise… What will happen to Vongola? What will happen to the world?'

He didn't let himself slow down or hesitate, even as a painful collision seemed imminent.

His fingers brushed against cold metal. The slam and click of the last blast shutter sliding in place echoed through the building.

Brilliant orange fire burst through the hallway, blinding Basil.

'These are… Sky Flames?!' he thought in disbelief.

Sky Flames were the rarest of the Dying Will Flames. They belonged to leaders and great men, and those able to utilize Sky Flames were highly sought after, not just in the mafia world. Yet Basil couldn't think of anyone fitting the thief's appearance, from any of CEDEF's databases.

And even beyond that, this amount of power…

Basil was lucky to be directly behind the intruder, but even so, the sheer heat and intensity of the flames made it hard to breathe. As the Flames cut off and dispersed, he was left gasping for air as he squinted against the hazy air.

The blast shutter had been almost completely melted away, the edges of the massive opening still glowing white. That gate had been meant to contain even a Guardian; even with Dying Will Mode, Basil would have had no hope of getting through no matter how long he tried.

Basil stumbled to the opening and stared down at the thief's figure, where he had landed in the street. The intruder had stumbled and fallen to his knees, only now beginning to pick himself up. His eyes, reflecting the glow of the melted metal, were wide with surprise.

He hadn't expected that either. A terrible anticipation began to build somewhere in Basil's gut.

Their eyes met for a moment, before they both looked down, at the hand that had wielded the massive Sky Flames.

On the thief's finger, a small, brilliant tongue of fire still danced over the Vongola Sky Ring.

"Impossible…" Basil whispered. "The only ones who can summon a Flame from the Sky Ring are…"

...those accepted as worthy of leading the Vongola Famiglia.

The Boss.

Or their successor.

~.~.~

Unlike Basil, Tsuna had no way of knowing what exactly the Sky Ring's reaction meant. All he knew was that the ring had allowed him to channel his Flames better than ever before, and it had saved him in the nick of time.

Shaking away his surprise, Tsuna stumbled to his feet. There was no doubt that the CEDEF had called for reinforcements, and he needed to get away before they arrived. He had already suffered two major setbacks - losing the other rings and being forced to reveal his ability to summon Sky Flames. He had no desire to try his lousy luck any further.

"Wait!" the young CEDEF agent called out, two stories up. "Please wait!"

Something about his tone made Tsuna hesitate for a moment, before common sense took priority. It wasn't just the CEDEF and the rest of Vongola he had to worry about now. From his earlier scoping of the area, Tsuna knew he was in full view of several cameras - in the nearby businesses and at the intersection. His conspicuous use of Sky Flames was going to catch the attention of many, many people he had no desire to meet.

With one last glance at the young CEDEF agent - reaching out toward him but unable to pass through the still-molten ruined metal shutter - Tsuna turned tail and ran.

His instinct as the Phantom Thief was to get up off ground level, both for practical reasons and to better make dramatic scenes. Taking a step up onto a low wall, he pushed off and leapt up toward the streetlight, with the intention of catching hold and flipping on top of it.

Instead, his Sky Flames flared again in mid-leap, sending him literally flying up, far past his original goal. Tsuna flailed wildly for a moment before he managed to touch down on top of the streetlight, only for the motion of straightening to send him flying again.

He landed clumsily on the roof of the nearest building next, this time forcefully cutting off his Flames. The Vongola Ring was warm against hand, making him glare down at it.

"Stop helping me!" he hissed, yanking it off with an effort. It fit his finger entirely too well - when he had first picked it up, it had been loose, clearly meant for a much larger hand. And, as he held it, Tsuna could swear the ring pulsed with warmth.

The unease Tsuna had been ignoring began to grow. This wasn't just a case of him having the right element to use the ring. This was something more.

Shaking his head and shoving the ring deep into his pocket, Tsuna stood up and started running again.

He was a wanted man now - probably the most wanted in the entire mafia world.

~.~.~

Nervously, Iemitsu checked the clock display on his cellphone. It was the appointed time, but he couldn't quite bring himself to make the call. Instead, he swallowed nervously.

What was he supposed to tell the Ninth? Oh, this wasn't good. They hadn't seen this coming, and they definitely didn't need this complication. They didn't have time for this.

Down in the kitchen of the Sawada home, Nana hummed cheerfully as she cooked up another feast for her husband. She hadn't questioned why Iemitsu suddenly returned after years away or ask where he had been. However, for the first time since they had met all those years ago (Iemitsu couldn't help sighing in a lovey-dovey way at the mere thought of that time), Iemitsu wished Nana wasn't quite so accepting of everything.

Probably because this was his first time dealing with her permissiveness from the other side.

What was he supposed to tell the Ninth? I'm sorry, but my son-

The sharp ringing of his phone made the Young Lion of Vongola jump.

He stared at the device as if it was the most poisonous snake in the world before finally steeling his nerves.

"Hello," Iemitsu answered, forcing voice to remain steady.

"Iemitsu," Nono greeted, the short, weary tone of his voice instantly setting the Outside Advisor even more on edge. "Did you arrive safely?"

"Yes, I'm in Namimori now. Just got here a short while ago," Iemitsu replied.

"...There has been a complication," Nono said.

"Really? Um, here too, as it happens," Iemitsu said, chuckling nervously.

There was a short pause as Timoteo digested his words. "Of course," he said finally, sighing. Instead of asking, he continued, "The break-in was tonight. It was only partially successful. Young Basil was more determined than expected and managed to protect the six Guardian rings. However, the thief was able to escape with the Sky Ring."

"The other rings can't be used without the Sky Ring," Iemitsu said, rubbing a hand over his stubble. "Sounds like the thief got what he came for, in the end."

"There's something else," Nono said. Iemitsu felt himself tense, his intuition suddenly stirring. "He was able to use the Sky Ring."

A heavy, stunned silence fell between the two men.

"What?! That's impossible!" Iemitsu exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Downstairs, Nana looked up for a moment before shrugging and turning back to her cooking. Lowering his voice, Iemitsu demanded, "The Vongola Sky Ring can only be used by a descendant of Primo, isn't that right? Or were we mistaken about that all along?"

"I don't know," Nono admitted, his voice tight. "I had thought that was the case. But… Perhaps those candidates were rejected because they were unsuited, not because they lacked the right bloodline."

Iemitsu ran a hand over his face, his mind spinning. If that was true… that changed everything. All their plans, their decisions, their options, everything would have to be evaluated.

"However, I'm not sure if that's really the case," Nono continued, his voice taking on a slightly distant quality as he became lost in thought. "Something about that him… I had thought it was because he is a good, kind young man, maybe even that he has Sky Flames. I felt something from him. It might have been…"

"Primo's bloodline?"

"It's not impossible. There could be a branch we don't know about, one that hadn't been recorded," Nono concluded. "I don't know which possibility it is, but one thing is certain. The Sky Ring reacted to him."

"...What do you want to do?" Iemitsu asked.

"We'll proceed," Nono said, almost regretful but firm. Before Iemitsu could say anything, he continued, "No matter how nice a young man he is, the Phantom Thief is not one of ours. He is not even part of the mafia. He is an outsider. Even if we both declared our support, the family would never accept him, especially after he stole the Sky Ring like that."

But the Outside Advisor's son was a different matter. He was part of the Family, by extension. Even if the CEDEF was considered to be a Vongola outside the Vongola, they were still seen as part of "us," and their leader's child would have a legitimacy that no outsider could hope to attain.

Even if that son had never even heard of the mafia before.

"Now," Nono said, firmly moving on to the next subject, "how is young Tsunayoshi?"

"Ah, well," Iemitsu said, all his dread suddenly rushing back. "He's… not here."

There was a profound silence from the other end of the line.

Iemitsu broke first.

"My sweet Nana said he left right after finishing middle school! He didn't tell her much except saying he was going to find 'the truth' and he hasn't been back since!" Iemitsu blurted out. Even a continent away, the Ninth had the power to inspire a profound sense of guilt in his men. "She sends him messages, and he calls every few months, so I've ordered my team to track those, but-"

"Iemitsu," Nono cut him off, "Are you saying your son has been missing for years?"

"It's not that serious," Iemitsu hastily assured him. "He probably just took off in a fit of teenage rebellion. Young people these days, you know…" He chuckled, awkwardly.

"On the contrary, I think you should take this more seriously," Timoteo insisted, his voice growing strained. "He could have been kidnapped, or worse. We have no way of knowing where he will turn up… or in what condition."

Like Massimo. Like Federico.

Realizing what Timoteo was thinking, Iemitsu tried to sound reassuring. "I'm sure it's nothing like that," he said. "Tsuna's been keeping touch with Nana all this time, and if he really had been taken by someone, they would have sent us a message. I'll set my team to work tracking him down. We'll find my cute little Tuna-fish in no time!"

Nono was silent for a long moment. "...See that you do," he said finally. "We don't have much time. The Varia have already moved to demand custody of the remaining rings. We must find Tsunayoshi and take him under our protection."

After ending the call, Timoteo stared out across the Vongola mansion grounds for a long time. Dawn was just beginning to creep across the still-dark sky, marking the end of a hectic, confused night. It had certainly been full of surprises, for everyone involved.

He still thought that Iemitsu was taking the matter too lightly. Iemitsu didn't understand the pain and desolation of losing a child, or he would not have been so blase regarding his son's disappearance. You only had to look away for a moment, and they were suddenly gone forever, with no way of ever get them back...

Caught up in his grief, it would take Timoteo a long time to notice the insistent nudging of his intuition and to recognize what it was trying to convey.

It would have saved them a lot of trouble, if he had realized that Sawada Tsunayoshi, Iemitsu's only child and fifth generation descendant of Vongola Primo, was the same person as the Phantom Thief, the successor chosen by the Sky Ring.

~.~.~

Notes

EDITED: 1/16/2014. Changed a bit about Dying Will Mode. Took out Hyper Dying Will Mode, since it's unnecessary. Now, the distinction will be between naturally activated or with the use of pills.

Q: Adult Arcobaleno? Why? How?!

A: Yes, because "I haven't figure it out yet, shut up." Anyway, I'm only really doing the Varia/Ring Battles arc, so it's not like the Arcobaleno and their situation are important. I do have some ideas… Suffice to say, the Arcobaleno are still a thing, and there is still a sort of curse involved. It just doesn't include being made into infants.

Q: Does Nono know about Tsuna being Kaitou?

A: As shown in this chapter, no. Nono doesn't know that he's hiring the very person he wants to become his successor… to buy time for his successor to be located and trained. There's not really any reason for him to think so, even if he knows that the Phantom Thief has Sky Flames (and even that he was just guessing on).

Q: That's not how the rings work. Or Flames. Or Dying Will Mode.

A: ...Yes. But that's how it's gonna be. For the purposes of this story, Dying Will Mode can be induced in anyone through bullets or pills, and if they are skilled enough, they can learn to enter it on their own. However, Hyper Dying Will Mode is much more difficult, dangerous and straining. Only a select few can use it successfully, and even fewer can enter it at will.

Q: Just how strong is Tsuna?

A: Ability to steal: 11/10. Combat ability? Who knows. He's pretty good. He's powerful and knows how to use his Flames well. He's also reasonably physically capable. But Kaitou-Tsuna prefers to run, so he almost never fights.

Q: How could Tsuna just take off?

A: Permissive parent(s). Also, to my understanding, high school isn't compulsory in Japan.

This chapter might as well have been called, "In which the Vongola think they're smarter than everyone else, only to have all their plans messed up by Tsuna (with help from Primo)." But hey, now that we've got the basic premise set up, it's time to move on to more fun things!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint.

I'm planning to update about once a week. The next update will be next Monday, or maybe even this Friday, depending how thing go (by which I mean "depending on how many reviews I get," so please review!).

~.~.~

Next time: Gokudera Hayato.

~.~.~