KHR is not mine. Bow.
Brother
Two boys were playing catch on the wide lawn of the Vongola Mansion. Their parents, a beautiful couple clad in blues and golds, watched them with vibrant smiles.
It was a day to be remembered in a beautiful light. A family, all together. In peace. And laughter.
But they forgot the other boy, in a dark room inside their large house.
In the company of a killer.
.
Giovanni couldn't say that he was close to either of his brothers. Rio and Cielo were bright boys with bright futures, and they were always surrounded by people. People who looked at them like they were clad in divine light.
He didn't hate them, not really, even though the gossiping staff would tell you otherwise. They were always whispering conspiracies to one another to occupy their time. Gio didn't care. They could do whatever they wanted.
But Gio, as much as he wanted to profess to feeling love for his brothers, would never lie to himself.
He didn't hate Rio or Cielo.
But he was jealous.
Reborn would say that it was the hallmark of being the middle child, constantly envious of the eldest and the youngest, but in his case it was never anything that simple. Gio knew he was different. He was not as strong, as effervescent, as his brothers. He was born with a congenital heart disease and was not blessed with the Dying Will Flames his family so worshiped. He made up for it in creativity and wit, but the Mafia thrived because of the strength of its members. It cannot survive on mere smarts.
Though, of course, being smart was appreciated.
Irie Shouichi, his father's friend and strategic adviser, was a treasured member of the Family. Spanner, their mechanic, was not someone they could afford to lose, so they took great measures to ensure their safety. The same could be said for Gio.
Gio was brilliant. He had an IQ that went well beyond being smart, and he was a great tactician. Everyone recognized his talent.
Reborn had said, "Gio will be the most feared general the underworld has ever seen." No one disagreed.
He was able to take down three different enemy Famiglia by the time he was thirteen, all by not even lifting a single finger. Without him, Vongola would have lost thousands of soldiers in the war with the Chinese Triads, who wanted to bring their drugs in Europe. They were crafty, and well-armed and they almost took down one of their territories. Gio stopped that from happening by planting false rumors in the rumor mill that dragged their morale to the mud.
"Yours is one fearsome brat," said Xanxus to Tsuna at the eve of the aftermath. He said it with a feral grin on his scarred face that made it apparent he approved.
But Tsuna, ever idealistic Tsuna, didn't feel it was a compliment. He didn't want a fearsome son.
He wanted to spawn a hero. Someone with an unwavering faith in humanity, a heroic streak a mile wide, and a heart made directly on his hand, ready to be handed over to whoever needed it.
Rio was like that.
He was as idealistic as his father. Believed only the best things about everyone he met. He even managed to befriend Byakuya, Byakugan's psychotic son. That last one amazed Gio. He didn't think anyone was patient enough to deal with Byakuya's crazy, murderous antics, but his brother not only managed that, but he also go the clown's loyalty.
When Rio died, Byakuya went on a rampage that almost leveled the entire city of Shanghai. The only thing that stopped him was Cielo. Cielo Sawada, who was every bit of his mother. Sweet, loving, kind. Kind of stupid, Reborn said. He was an angel in the form of a man, although his muscled appearance belied that fact. He boxed, like his uncle, and had the same obsessive drive for strength.
He wasn't as idealistic as Rio. He believed that men were born to battle, and he had no qualms against killing his opponents, so long as the fight is fair. He hated cheaters, and looked at Gio like he was a waste of space.
When Rio died, he vowed revenge on the Chinese Triad, and he took Byakuya with him. Together, they spilled blood all over Beijing, and not even Tsuna's pleas could stop them.
And then he died too, leaving Tsuna with only his lame son.
Gio had no love lost for his brothers. But he didn't hate them. He just didn't feel anything towards them at all. They were just strangers with the same blood and the same last name. They were of no consequence, except silly obstructions to his path to rule. He never once worried about them.
As he told Reborn when he was fifteen, "I don't need to kill them to be Boss. They're going to kill themselves for me."
Gio was not like any of his brothers. He may not be physically as strong, but in the Mafia, survival is strength.
And he was a great deal stronger than either of them.
.
The girl approached Sora in the hallway as she was running for her class, almost late due to helping an old lady at Fourth Street cross the road. She had long, brown hair, curled in a way that Sora could only call amazing. Her face was blemish-free and a bit pale, no make-up on the she could see. She was also tall, taller than any average high school girl. Certainly way taller than Sora's one hundred and fifty-five centimeters.
"Um, do you need anything?" asked Sora as the girl stopped in front of her. She had to look up just to catch her eyes, which, up close, Sora noticed were an exquisite shade of brown, light, and almost gold at the right light.
"You're prettier than I thought you'd be," the girl blurted in the most ungirly voice Sora has ever heard.
"I'm sorry?" Sora blurted, confused. Did she hear her right?
The girl cleared her throat, then spoke in a decidedly more feminine voice. "Um, I'm new here. I don't know where to go." She sounded like a chipmunk on helium.
"Are you ok?" Sora frowned. "You sound, um. Anyway, which class are you? Maybe I can point you to the way, but I'm really running late so~"
"I'm-"The sound of thunderous footsteps cut the girl off before she could finish what she was saying. The girl's eyes narrowed behind Sora.
Sora turned just in time to see a group of men in black suits turn the corner and approaching her, fast. Her frown deepened and turned back to the girl to ask. Her mouth opened in shock.
The girl was gone.
Sora tensed, he hand itched toward her skirt pocket where her pepper spray was just as the men reached her.
"Who are you people?" she said as the men surrounded her. She kept her voice clear and loud. Her stance open and ready to flee, if needed.
The men in suits didn't answer.
Then they parted like the Red Sea to reveal a well-dressed man, Sora guessed he was maybe in his forties, clearly foreigner. His hair was a shock of silver that didn't make him look old, and his eyes were green and assessing as they looked Sora over. Sora couldn't help but notice the abundance of skulls on his outfit.
"Are you Miura Sora?" asked the old man.
"Depends on who's asking," Sora snarked. She was getting antsy. It was weird that no one was in the hallway at this time of day. Not even a shadow of the janitor. Clearly, this men were powerful.
The silver-haired man smiled, his teeth sharp against his pierced lips. "Definitely Miura." He gestured to the other men and said, "That's her." Then he gave Sora an apologetic shrug. "Sorry for the inconvenience, young lady. Boss's orders.
As her vision blurred from the sudden hit to her nape, Sora wondered if her father was finally giving her attention.
He was a boss, her mother had said.
If so, she wished he had sent more polite gentlemen to do it.
Being kidnapped was certainly not a fun situation to be in.
.
Gio seethed. He was late, and while he did find some interesting information about his sister, the fact that his father's men got to her before he was able to see her for himself irritated him.
He was also puzzled at their methods. Kidnapping, really? And they did it in broad daylight too, in a public institution. If he didn't know better, he'd think they were amateur thugs out for some cash. But the Storm was there, personally, so that meant they took this seriously, didn't it?
Maybe he was overestimating the Mafia.
"Ugh!" he roared furiously, throwing the nasty wig at the wall. He needed to regroup, make a new plan, and get back to Italy, stat.
He sat on the bed, panting. His brain was running a mile a minute, but what his mind was coming up with bothered him.
What was his father planning to do?
He got to his feet abruptly and changed his clothes in record speed. In moments, he was Gio again, the image of Tsunayoshi Sawada at age twenty. Just thinner.
He had to get to Miura Haru.
.