Foreword: ^^ Wow….firstly…I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount of reviews I have just for a prologue and a 1st chapter. Sure, I realize that compared to some fics it's not a lot, but…it's new for me. :D Hopefully you guys will keep that up! …..I can hope, anyway. . Secondly, I'm pleasantly surprised that you all actually liked my torture scenes. I, personally, felt like they weren't good enough…unfortunately everything else I thought of …didn't have a very high and/or for that matter likely survival rate. XP Plus, I felt like I should have gone into more detail, but…I didn't want the gore to detract from the story line itself…but! …judging from everyone's response, I did good with it anyway. :D Thanks people! I appreciate the feedback…tells me what I'm doing right! …and if I'm doing something wrong, TELL ME! ( Reasons you should review. ) Anyway, thanks to everyone who's kind and generous enough to review…you guys are the reason I'm still writing this, ya know…. If it weren't for people actually showing interest…I would never have continued it. :D And finally, yea…I know …I'm late…my only excuse…is that I wish I were getting paid to write fanfiction. XD…I wouldn't have to worry about job hunting or school. As it is…I finally got a job! …at a theme park. :P …better than nothing.
Disclaimer: …you have got to be fucking kidding me….you MUST be joking…..What the fuck?! …You're not?! …GTFO…Ughhh….Listen up…and pay attention. I, SANGUINARY TIDE AND BY EXTENTION ALL NAMES, USER NAMES, PEN NAMES, AND MY ACTUAL BIRTH NAME OF WHICH YOU ARE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO SEE HERE, DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT OWN KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN!...fuckers can take that shit up with Amano Akira. :P
Tooth & Nail
Chapter Two: Animal
It took a total of three days to locate her. Majority of that time had been spent identifying the name of the craft she'd been taken aboard of and tracing its location. Unfortunately, it was that last bit that was proving hard to attain. In the end, Hayato had been forced to make a trade with the rather youthful genius, Verde—a favor in return for the exact location of the container ship they were certain the woman was on. It was a rather steep price considering it took up literally only minutes of Verde's time, but Hayato acquiesced when the scientist gave his word that whatever form the favor took, it would be of little to no cost to Hayato, himself. Still, the right hand man was hard pressed to react when Verde revealed that he'd actually had the information less than sixty seconds into the call…the only reason it had stretched to a ten minute conversation had been due to haggling over the cost.
5:45 AM-International Waters: Southern Atlantic Ocean
Fitting the small device into his ear, Hayato tapped the diminutive button on its surface, "Are you sure this thing can make a quiet approach?"
"If you don't trust my work, then you should have never gotten on board," Spanner's droll voice buzzed from the device.
A laugh to his left and Hayato ignored the Rain guardian and instead stared out a small window and into the blindingly dense fog.
"He's right, you know." He didn't even need to look to see the smile on the Takeshi's face, "After all, we're almost there. Right, Spanner?"
The fog was so thick that even they, hundreds of feet over the water, couldn't see where they were flying to. Thankfully or not depending on how much faith you put into someone else's inventions, the aircraft they were on was being remotely piloted by Spanner through a series of cameras and satellite feeds. And of course, Hayato wasn't about to complain about the advantage this granted them over the ship they intended to invade.
"No, actually."
Hayato perked up at that and with a scowl he growled out a response. "What do you mean, 'No, actually'? Where the hell are we, wrench-for-brains?"
"…hm." There was a clacking sound, the telltale noise of Spanner's custom made candy clacking against his teeth. "Insults won't help you make friends, Hayato-san."
Hayato clenched his teeth and bit back a growl; however before he could follow with a come-back, Spanner spoke again. "You're approaching the ship now."
"What? …I thought you said we weren't near it," he hissed out.
"No. I simply disagreed that you were 'almost there.'"
Hayato raged, "And just how the hell do you define 'almost there'?"
"More than thirty seconds away." The finality in the tone only annoyed him more and the Storm guardian inhaled sharply, fully intending on giving the engineer a verbal thrashing, but a sigh cut him off and he was suddenly reminded of the third and final passenger onboard. He turned his gaze to his right and stared at the man that hadn't said a word the entire way over. It was no surprise when Takeshi and Ryohei volunteered for his proposed three man crew, but he could still recall the stunned look on the boxer's face when he was all but commanded to stay behind. Of course, the boxer was practically delighted that is was Kyoya who all but insisted on taking his place. Eyeing the silent Cloud guardian who had seemingly tuned them out, Hayato was reminded of the importance of this mission and even more, of his curiosity. Why did he come? Did Tsuna tell him to? …or did some part of that violent bastard actually feel responsible?
He didn't dwell on it any longer as Spanner cut into his thoughts, "Ready to begin, whenever you are."
Grim determination hardening his face like a mask, Hayato met the seldom serious expression of Takeshi and out of curiosity, he chanced a look towards Kyoya and almost faltered at the sharp, steel like gaze that met him halfway. Well…he certainly wasn't ignoring them now.
Moving his hand to the door, he took a calming breath. "We're ready."
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Hayato cursed under his breath as he was forced to practically blast a hole through to the other side of the ship…and no…that wasn't the reason why. He tsked at the sound of movement around him, more would be assailants, hidden by the numerous cargo containers that surrounded him and switched out cartridges with practiced speed. A moment later he was blasting through several containers and by extension the enemy with a single shot of the modified Cloud cartridge. He was careful not to fire in the direction that he knew Takeshi had taken off in. That particular thought, however, led to a tic in his right brow as he was reminded of the fact that there was a third man to their crew…and said man had practically vanished the moment they dropped onto the ship. He was anything but stupid and given that he heard nothing similar to what was the rather familiar sound of Kyoya's brutal assault, yet could hear the metallic clink of Takeshi's blade several stories up, it was only logical to presume that Kyoya had gone below deck.
Nevertheless, despite knowing of his location, Hayato was annoyed by the fact that the action hadn't been cleared by the one leading the mission: him. Of course, what he found even more annoying…was the fact that he couldn't complain. Kyoya's actions were quite similar to what Hayato had intended to put into motion. Takeshi was better off not being in tight or enclosed spaces, so the cargo deck and the ship's lower levels were obviously not the best choices for him, as such a nod from Hayato sent him to the upper decks. In Hayato's own case, his choice of weaponry made him a hazard should he go below deck—he'd risk sinking the ship, so he was left clearing the cargo deck—which meant by default that Kyoya would have the more search intensive job of the lower decks. And so, despite Kyoya's actions not being wrong, Hayato's pride chaffed at the fact that the bastard had taken off before he even opened his mouth. He just hoped the bastard didn't screw it up and get the woman killed.
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It was no secret that Hibari Kyoya loved to fight. Unfortunately, there were some out there that believed he liked to fight anyone and anything…and those people were quite mistaken. It was true the man loved to fight, but what he truly loved was fighting someone who could challenge him. …and that was something he'd yet to find on this ship and as another body fell at his feet, he lamented his fate: stuck on a ship…with a bunch of weaklings. Thankfully, the quicker he tore through them, the sooner he could return home and find a fight more worth his time.
His tonfas, devoid of flame, were mere brief flashes of steel and another member of the ship's crew dropped, dead before his body even hit the ground—courtesy of a vicious uppercut. Kyoya barely heard the telltale whisper of the harpoon being thrown at him over the crunch of shattered vertebrae. As it was, he scarcely brought his tonfa up in time to deflect the surprisingly powerful throw. The fishing tool turned weapon burrowed it's oddly blackened tip into the wall next to him. Sparing the object a glance, he turned his attention to the wide figure stepping from a narrow doorway. Tall, easily over six feet in height and a broad build to match; blonde and stony faced, it was easy to see why he'd been recruited into the mob.
"How good of you to join us, Hibari. Had we known you'd come to visit, we would have welcomed you much better."
Kyoya scowled at the heavily accented words and was only thankful that it wasn't his mother tongue that had been butchered.
He said and did nothing when the behemoth crossed in front of him and removed the harpoon from the wall as if it hadn't in fact been buried six inches deep into a steel wall. Readjusting his hold on the fishing spear, he rolled his shoulders and favored Kyoya with what might have been an attempt at a nonchalant smile, but looked more like a friendly grimace. Without warning, the harpoon was speeding at him, the weapon having been thrust at his shoulder with all the precision of trained gladiator. Instinctively, he caught the blow with his tonfa—the metals grinding noisily before he parried the weapon up and away. Unfortunately, his surprise at the behemoth's skill left him open to his most obvious asset: his strength.
Kyoya forcibly ground his teeth together and shoved down the urge to cough or groan, when a shoulder barreled into his torso and bulldozed him into the wall. Not even a second later, a fist was slammed into his midsection and Kyoya couldn't stop the reflexive heave and he sneered at what was likely a fractured rib.
"It's nothing personal."
Kyoya glared down at him.
"Just orders, you understand, no?"
Orders? His grip tightened on his familiar weapons as the Russian reared back for another blow. "Wrong."
There. It was only a moment, but his opponent hesitated at his words. "I follow no one's orders." Violet flames erupted furiously over the blunted steel of his tonfas and before the beast of man could spare a glance at the vibrant light to his left, his life came to an end at the hand of the force that careened into his temple.
Kyoya tensed at the sound of running down the hall, but otherwise remained unmoving. His attention was firmly held by the latest body at his feet. He'd been bored…and in his boredom, he underestimated his opponent and he paid the price for it. He wasn't entirely aware of his injured rib, but he knew he would be later. And that simple fact disgusted him. The flames on his tonfas died out, just as his associates rounded the corner.
They came to a sudden halt and stared at him. The amount of bodies that littered the floor were hardly surprising, but he supposed his current state was. His suit was rumpled and noticeably wrinkled from the blows that had impacted his torso and his hands still grasped his weapons with a white knuckled grip. It was the swordsman that broke the silence first. "Hibari…are you o—"
He didn't continue due to the murderous glare that Kyoya turned on him. He held his gaze for a long moment before turning his back to them and continuing down the hall, ignoring, but all the while annoyed by the wrinkles in his suit. He was mildly aware of them following behind him and didn't care until the Storm guardian chose to approach him.
"Hibari. …it happens."
"Gokudera," he cut in before the right hand could continue, "I neither need nor want your coddling." He continued on without a single glance in the other man's direction, but it didn't matter. He could still feel the anger welling up in the notoriously hotheaded man.
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"Hahah." Takeshi's hand clapped down on Hayato's shoulder. "That's Hibari-san for you."
The man's attempt to calm him down was dually noted, but Hayato was hardly placated and instead swatted his hand away with a snort. It didn't matter how old they got or how long they knew each other. Hibari Kyoya would always be distant with them, even with his own subordinates. Hayato had seen it firsthand. Scowling at Kyoya's back, he hurried a long behind him, Takeshi close behind. This was no time to let personal issues get in the way. They didn't get too far however when Kyoya stopped at a corner, his gaze seemingly held by something in front of him. Hayato blinked at the sight.
Dead bodies were nothing new for the young, but experienced Mafioso, but a dead body where there shouldn't one was usually always problematic. He took in the details. The main was of average height, dark haired, but easily identified by an embedded like scar forming on his left cheek. Of course the most noticeable thing about his corpse was the cause of his death. He'd been gutted. Hayato's expression twisted in disgust at the sight of intestines spilled out on the floor. When he looked up, however, Kyoya was already making his way to the next body. Scowl still in place, Hayato followed, but paused at the only room on the hall. The door was wide open and inside the dimly lit room he could just make out what looked to be a mattress on the floor. He frowned, but before he could make something of it, Takeshi called to him lowly, "Hayato," his head gesturing forward.
When he caught up, Kyoya had shifted his weapons and held both tonfa in his right hand, his left reaching out to remove what looked to be a…a hunting knife? Sure enough, it was a long hunting knife that had been removed from the second body's throat. Obviously well cared for, the edge was noticeably sharp and the gut hook that curved back over its tip promised a painful end if used the right way. It wasn't exactly the most common choice of weapon amongst the mafia, let alone the Russian mob. However, Hayato didn't think too much of it considering he'd seen an empty knife holster of suitable matching size on the gutted man's side. That, of course, did not explain the almost amused look on Kyoya's face as he studied the weapon. He considered commenting on it when a noise shifted their attention to the next corner. Inwardly, Hayato scowled, they were going to be circling the same level at this rate, still he didn't complain when Kyoya stood and made to investigate. After all, it wouldn't due to be careless in their search…even if Kyoya was the one leading instead of him. If he thought rounding the first two corners had been surprising, rounding the third corner was astonishing. There she was—the very same woman that they were there to rescue.
She was on the floor, her arms wound tightly around a man's neck, his body practically in her lap. The man in her grasp struggled, grunting and choking for air as he pulled at her grip and snatched at her hair, but she didn't budge. Instead, her blood stained hand gripped the top of his head as she inhaled and with a sudden exertion of force, she pulled to the right. The snap that followed hailed his death and she relinquished her grasp. Managing to drag his gaze away, Hayato took notice of only one other body in the hall and was surprised to see that she was still alive. A woman, nearly blue in the face, the rattling breath as she struggled to breathe all too telling of what was likely a crushed windpipe—she was asphyxiating. She wouldn't be alive for much longer. Looking back down the hall towards the would-be civilian, he frowned when he saw the hunting knife go skidding towards her. A glance to his left confirmed that Kyoya had tossed it to her.
She plucked the knife from the ground and held it with such expertise that it was undeniable who was responsible for the previous two kills. However, that didn't explain why Hibari had just tossed it to her. Frowning, he shifted his stare to said man.
"Considering all the noise you made over them last time. You'd think you'd keep better track of your weapons, woman." Despite the familiarity the words lent to him, Kyoya's tone was as devoid of friendliness as usual and in fact seemed almost mocking in nature.
Hayato was relieved that he wasn't the only one watching the strange scene play out as he noticed the look of confusion on Takeshi's face. In fact both of them were confused when the woman reacted to Hibari's words.
Her shoulders tensed at the sound of his voice and Hayato was positive her grip tightened on the knife for just a moment. "Kyoya…" The name was spoken low enough that the meaning behind it was impossible to tell, but he was positive that it wasn't the tone of someone pleased to see them. That was when she looked up at them. He felt himself stiffen as he fought off the urge to reach for his box weapon. The look on her face, or better yet…just her eyes—if he didn't know better, he'd say she'd gone completely feral.
She rolled the body from her lap and stood and whatever feeling of a threat he'd felt from her was quickly mollified as he took in the rest of her. She only had on a dingy wife beater, stained beyond repair by old and new blood and a pair of black shorts that Hayato was positive were meant to be worn as an undergarment, but it wasn't her clothes or lack thereof that caused him to relax and tense at the same time. She was littered with scars, majority of them he could over look, but the open wounds were something else entirely. Most of them were barely healed and several of them had been ripped open by her recent activity. The ones that held his attention the strongest were a festering gash on her left bicep, a horrible burn that covered the whole of her right upper arm, and what looked to be a barely healed stab wound in her left thigh. All in all, it was a wonder she was standing, let alone walking—albeit slowly—towards them. She didn't seem to pay them any mind, all of her attention was decidedly focused on Kyoya.
She stopped just in front of him. "…I'm glad you're here."
He didn't respond verbally, only cocked his head to the side, showing that Hayato and Takeshi weren't the only confused ones.
She pressed on regardless, "I…I was afraid I'd die first."
Hayato watched with interest as a frown pulled its way onto Hibari's face.
"See…there was something I wanted to—"
Kyoya cut her off, "Woman, what are you…" he stopped as the hunting knife slipped from her grip and clattered to the floor and he frowned at the sight.
The moment his gaze dropped, however, she rotated her upper body and with all the strength she could summon in that one moment, slammed a left hook into his face.
Both the Storm and Rain guardians were frozen in shock and unsure of what to say or do as the Cloud guardian's head was thrown to the left, the small, but existing spatter of blood that hit the wall confirming the force of the blow.
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Charlie stared at him. Waiting for him to turn his gaze back to her and sure enough he did, the look of pure agitation burning in his eyes. She trailed down to note the blood dripping from his lower lip and was immensely pleased that she'd injured him. It was not only fair, but a rather small tradeoff for all that she'd suffered because of him.
"It's your fault. It's all your fault."
The look in his eyes calmed and she scowled. "First Dakota. And then…this," she hissed to him, her scowl deepening as fatigue began to creep into her limbs. "You just had to come tumbling over my fucking fence." She was still angry, but it wasn't just rage that was coating her tone. "Why? …why couldn't you just have dropped dead somewhere else? Preferably where I couldn't stumble over your half dead corpse and play good Samaritan?" Her words were bitter and she hated the near hysteric tone that had slipped in. Still, she refused to let go of her rage, "Dakota's dead. And I nearly died…because of you."
There was just the slightest narrowing of his eyes at her words, but before she could ask him about it, someone else spoke up.
"Actually, Ms., that's not necessarily true."
She'd forgotten that he hadn't arrived alone. Charlie hadn't paid the other two much attention, thinking that they were his lackeys, but looking at them now, she realized that much like Kyoya and his ridiculous purple dress shirt, these two wore similar clothes in blue and red. Color coordinated criminals? Really? She didn't linger too long on their appearances, however, "And who the hell are you?" She winced internally as her voice cracked with her raised volume.
The man in the red shirt scowled at her, an expression that he practically seemed born to wear, "There are more important things to worry about."
"Oh yeah?" Her voice was going in and out now, but she found she didn't care. She wouldn't care even if her throat started bleeding at this rate, instead she yelled at him. "What else should I be worried about? You see anyone else trying to kill me?"
"No." He was annoyingly calm. "You should be concerned with the fact that even without you ever have come across Hibari Kyoya, you were always a possible and likely target for the Russian mob."
She blinked, taken aback. "What?"
From her peripheral vision, she could see Kyoya looking at them strangely as well.
"And why the hell would I be a target for the fucking Russian mob?"
"Because," the grey haired male paused to take a breath and Charlie found herself wanting to throttle him for his delay, "that's what happens when your father steals from a prominent Russian family."
She froze. She could hardly process what he'd said and when she did, it didn't compute very well. "My father…my… father…steal from the Russian mob?" Her words may have been whispered, but the disbelief in them was loud enough. "Are you out of your fucking minds?" Her uneven voice echoed in the halls and she flinched at Kyoya's sigh.
"Woman…" She ignored him.
There was a slight sound of annoyance from him and then, "…Charlie."
"What," she snapped out and turned to look at him, but the moment she took her eyes off the other two, she was unconscious.
…fucking Hibari Kyoya.
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~Five days later~
Fuuta sighed heavily as he shut the door behind him.
"How is she?"
He jumped as he jerked his gaze from the floor, "Ah, Tsuna-nii." A second sigh followed unbidden as he looked away. "Physically, Thompson-san is…well, she's recovering. There were several areas where the scar tissue was preventing proper healing, so they had to be surgically removed. Ryohei–nii and Tetsuya-san helped to speed up the healing of the more serious injuries. …Physically, Thompson-san should make a full recovery in a few weeks."
Fuuta tried not to fidget under the shorter, but older male's gaze as he let out a tired, "I see. That's good, of course…but it's not what I meant."
Fuuta deflated a bit as his gaze fell to the floor once more, "I know."
"How is she mentally, Fuuta?"
He swallowed. "She seems more…calm. She's definitely more rational now, but…I can't say if her behavior is normal or not,…as the only person who knew her prior to the incident…" he trailed off knowing that his older brother figure would know who he spoke of.
"Kyoya," Tsuna finished for him.
"Yes." …ironically the one person she was forbidden from having contact with.
Tsuna gave a nod before giving the young teacher a small smile, "Well, then I guess that's the best we can expect for now. You'll keep trying, won't you?"
"Of course, Tsuna-nii! ...Besides," Fuuta finished with a smile of his own, "I don't think Thompson-san is really a bad person."
Tsuna smiled again, bigger this time and turned away from him, heading down the headquarters hall, the smile leaving his face and being replaced by a mixture of thoughtfulness and pity. He had wanted her to survive and he was happy that she had indeed lived and even more thankful that her mental state was more or less intact. However, it would seem that her sanity had come at a price. The only reason she'd managed to stay sane was because she had channeled all of her feelings of helplessness and rage and laid the blame on one person. Hibari Kyoya. Tsuna sighed and fought back the urge to grip his hair in desperation. It was all he could do, to keep them separated!
They'd arrived four nights ago and while he hadn't been surprised to see that she was unconscious, he wasn't exactly pleased that it was because Kyoya had knocked her out. Thankfully, she awoke a few hours later and had devoured the relatively simple meal Fuuta had fetched for her. At the time, he'd thought that, injuries aside, she'd be just fine. Still, he should have known she wouldn't handle the news well…
"It's gone. They took it," she questioned him, but stated at the same time.
He frowned at the blank look in her eyes. "I truly am sorry, Ms. Thompson" He sighed and explained, "When you didn't show up to the meeting they took legal action. Of course, shortly after you were reported missing…and when there was no trace found of you aside from signs of kidnapping…" he trailed off, the knowing looking in her eyes almost preventing him from speaking the rest. "You were declared deceased a few weeks ago."
Tsuna cringed at the memory. They'd taken the only thing she had left according to the records he'd seen. The reserve was her home and a likely a remnant of the woman who'd created it, her mother. She was the last of her family; there was no one to keep the case going.
She choked back a sob and he fidgeted in his seat as her eyes began to shine with unshed tears. He didn't want her to cry, but he knew it was unlikely that a person wouldn't cry over their loss…as such he chose to be the one to break the news to her. He didn't particularly trust anyone else to do it. However, before she could shed a tear, she took a breath and seemed to steel herself. She clenched her teeth and swallowed another sob, "but…but, wait!" There was a confused look to her hopeful expression, "Can't…I just show up and say I'm not dead?"
His gaze softened. "And what would you tell them, Ms. Thompson?"
"That I was kidnapped! That I was …I was…"she slumped in the chair, "held by the Russian mob." She quieted as she stared off into space.
He was both relieved and saddened by her actions. It could only mean that she realized why she couldn't do just as she suggested. For her to reveal that she was kidnapped and her whereabouts would bring about an entire fleet of questions. Why would they kidnap her? How did she escape? How was she affiliated with the mafia? And those questions were just the tip of the iceberg. As sad as it was, she was probably better of being declared deceased. After all, according to Hayato the entire cargo ship had been cleaned. No witnesses left. The mob may suspect the Vongola's involvement, but for the time being they had no proof of anything.
This time when her breath shuttered, he doubted she'd be able to keep the tears at bay. Unfortunately, that was the moment that Kyoya had decided to walk in…
The door didn't exactly slam open, but it wasn't quietly opened either. He'd nearly forgotten that he'd asked Kyoya to speak with him, but to be honest, he hadn't expected to see the man for several hours. He was after all, prone to taking long naps.
"Sawada."
"Hibari-san."
He noticed Kyoya's eyes trail from him to Thompson-san. He'd been wrong when he thought she couldn't hold back a second time. In fact, the moment Kyoya had stepped into the room, she'd gone quiet and rigid in her seat. She didn't look at either of them, instead she stared down at her lap, the tangled mess her hair had been reduced to while captured effectively hiding her face.
Kyoya didn't stare long and returned his gaze to the younger man, "What is it that you want, Sawada?"
He'd wanted to talk to him about Thompson-san, but not in front of her, obviously. So he asked him to escort the woman to a room so that she could get some rest before they see to treating her injuries. Kyoya stared at him for a long moment as he seemed to have a problem with that particular request, but when Tsuna only held his gaze with a smile, he snorted and looked away.
Tsuna didn't know how he expected the two to react, but it certainly hadn't been…that…
"Get up, woman."
Tsuna had frowned slightly at the rude approach, but recognized it merely as Kyoya's way of doing things. Things took a turn for the worst, however, when Kyoya got tired of asking—telling—her to get up. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet…
And that was when Tsuna knew that he could never allow these two in the same room ever again.
Tsuna stared in shock at what had just happened, his own surprise having prevented him from stopping it.
Kyoya grunted, the sound only enhancing the pained grimace on his face as he glared down at the woman picking herself off of the floor—where he'd thrown her down to after she attacked him…and succeeded. His gaze shifted to his left shoulder, to the spot just beneath his collarbone. A place that now sported a fountain pen protruding from it. When Kyoya looked back at the woman, Tsuna knew then that he had to act.
"Kyoya," his tone refused to be ignored and Kyoya turned a vehement stare on him. "Leave." He could see the resistance growing, but he wouldn't allow it, not in this case. "Now."
Kyoya narrowed his eyes at him and the look of annoyance was clear, but in the end he did as he was told. Which to be honest was a rare thing.
It was after he confronted Thompson-san that he realized that it was likely impossible for the two to ever again interact. …not so long as Thompson-was was determined to kill Kyoya.
Tsuna sighed when he shut his office door behind him. Walking over to his desk, he removed his blazer and laid it over the side of his desk. A moment later he was easing himself into his chair. Another sigh escaped him and his gaze slid over his lone office, devoid of any other life. This time when the urge to sigh came over him, he thrust his hands into his hair and pulled, dropping his head soundly onto the surface of his desk. …He really didn't know how to deal with this…
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"Charles Thompson. Military Black Ops. Took up work as a mercenary for a few years after an early retirement?"
Lal nodded, "Charles was good at his job, but it was hard not to notice that the man loved the thrill of combat a little too much."
"I see. So his retirement was forced?"
"Most likely."
"Then he picked up mercenary work as a replacement thrill?"
"To my knowledge, yes."
"But, he didn't stick with it for very long. What changed?"
"I wouldn't know. He wasn't very talkative about it, but given the dates, I'm guessing it was a woman. Looks like he was married to Erina less than a month after I last saw him and not even a year later, the girl was born."
"Charlene Erin Thompson."
"…Moron was completely unoriginal."
She didn't get a verbal response this time and so Lal looked up to see the boy's face obscured by a porcelain cup as he slurped at the last dregs of coffee.
"…that had better be decaf, Reborn."
The cup was placed on the table a moment later. A glint shone in the boy's coal black eyes, "Need I remind you that we're the same age?"
She snorted, "Only in years of existence. You still have at the very least 6 if not 10 more years of physical growth left. You sure, you should jeopardize your height by drinking coffee at such a young age?" She trailed off knowing the former infant—former adult hitman, now pre-teen was ignoring her.
"…And she shows signs of her father's talents?" Lal fought the urge to roll her eyes, but answered regardless, "I wouldn't know, I haven't seen her in action, but if Kyoya's and Hayato's reports are anything to go by…it's likely."
"Hm…then I think I have an idea."
Afterword: …You have no idea how happy I am to finish this chapter. XP Although...I am not entirely pleased with how it turned out. :/ However, I associate that with the fact that I haven't touched it in a bit, my mind has wander several other places since. Oh well!, I'm sure I'll get pulled back into it as I continued to work in the KHR world. I hope anyway. XD …My goal was to finish this chapter before the weekend and I have done so! …Now I can finish my homework! XD Anyway, my orientation for work is this Saturday. Wish me luck people! The less I have to worry about keeping a job, staying or getting employed, the less stress I'll have to deal with!...meaning I'll be more mentally free to write and therefore update! XD Oh! Also! NOTE: I have a little project coming up in a few weeks. It shall be officially called, the "Summer Tease!" Everyone seems to like the Xanxus fic idea and the Mukuro fic idea the most, so I thought what I'd do is this summer is to write and post the first chapters and/or prologues to all of my fic ideas. I call it a tease…because that's exactly what it is. XD I will only work on one of them seriously next after I finish Not On the Menu, WHICH by the way is due to by updated next. …so yes…I'm sorry folks…but it will be a few more weeks before you see chapter 3 of Tooth & Nail. I'm going to be working on "Not On the Menu" for the next several weeks. Hopefully I'll see some of you there!
-S.T.