N.d.A.- Chaossu!
Hurray, I finally managed to finish this interminable chapter! I must admit that it was interesting to try my hand at different points of view, I hope to have the rest of the characters as many ICs as possible!
In case it was not ... I remind everyone that this is a fic, I'm not the Amano (because otherwise Reborn would be competing with One Piece in length) and some change is then granted to me xD
And nothing, I hope I have made everything better, even if one of the characters has a situation ... complex that maybe I will explain later xD
Please be kind with my English, it's not my mother tongue and I don't have a beta!
Thank you all for the constant support
Good reading and see you soon!
Kisses
ArhiShay
P.S.
«.» -Dialogues
"." -thoughts
italics -The speeches of the Guardians that only Hayato can hear.
Enjoy the reading!Even if the name had been given in honor of a white church dedicated to the Virgin, the London district of Whitechapel was infamous for the mysterious murders that had caused a stir among the population in the autumn of 1888.
The author of such ruthless crimes was a single man named Jack the Ripper, whose true identity was still shrouded in mystery. The name of the serial killer, however -and here he let out a commendation for the skill of the murderer- still infested the darkest streets of the neighborhood, especially at night, when drunks and frightened girls swore to have seen the ghost of the Ripper wandering around Whitechapel, probably looking for his next victim.
What better place in which an eccentric scientist could decide to settle?
Whitechapel was a quiet neighborhood -he couldn't complain, he had worked in much more chaotic places- and it proved to be a good point of interest for his research on the Flames -ahhh, there was still so much to discover, it was all simply exciting!
Verde couldn't ask for anything better.
Checking the data on the laptop, Verde adjusted his glasses on the nose, rubbing his eyelids from time to time, probably stressed by continuously staring at the illuminated computer screen.
Tze, stupid human needs to rest and feed, slowed down his research and his hunger for knowledge: sooner or later he would find a scientific remedy to that annoying problem.
Keiman slept blissfully at his feet, barely moving away when he sensed a presence approaching, but continuing to sleep when realized that it wasn't a possible threat.
«Don't you take a break, Mr. Verde? If you aren't careful, you risk collapsing on your keyboard.»
Verde turned his gaze to his assistant -a young London orphan who grew up on the street, one of the brightest minds he had ever had to deal with, a waste to let it rot under a bridge- looking at him calmly, adjusting his curled blonde tuft that covered one of the clear blue eyes, the right one. In his hands he had a tray, on which stood two white cups with a steaming liquid inside -he could see only the steam coming out of them, but it probably had to be tea.
Between his teeth stood the white stick of a lollipop, his substitute to the cigarettes that Verde had strictly prevented him from smoking -Verde didn't accept smoke in the laboratory, only outside and only when the work wasn't urgent.
He accepted the cup of tea that Knocker had kindly offered him, but without taking his eyes off the monitor and taking care not to splash the contents on the equipment.
He would have preferred a good Italian espresso, but he content himself.
«Not yet, I have a couple of data to check.» He was one step away from finding that all those nonsense about the appearances of Jack the Ripper weren't so groundless, he didn't have time to stop. «Rather, you've completed the machine?»
Knocker shook his head, finishing his drink and showing some notes to his teacher, full of calculations on which he had been puzzled for days, without getting a spider from the hole. He was deadlocked.
«The detector marks the presence of Dying Will Flames, yet we don't have enough power in the concentration system to be able to extract and trap them. Whatever it is out there, whether it's the Ripper himself or just the physical manifestation of his last will, he'll be on the loose again for a while.»
Verde gritted his teeth, not finding in the calculations of his pupil any mistake, no flaw that they could exploit to fix the machine and finally collect the data needed to try their last discovery.
Could old flames of more than 100 years still infest the neighborhood where their rightful master lived and acted? Was the will of the Ripper so strong that he gave life to his own power, so that he could continue what he hadn't been able to do?
Verde yearned to give a scientific and rational answer to all this, because for him the inexplicable -in the bottom- always had a logical explanation. And if he didn't -like his no-longer-his curse- just Verde accepted that something was a miracle that even surpassed science.
In Jack's case, however, there was nothing inexplicable, if only he had found a way to trap those Flames and study them more closely, Verde was certain to be able to solve the mystery that revolved around the power of the Dying Will.
«The problem is the lack of raw source» Knocker added, after several minutes of silence. «If we had a catalyst, something that exploits and embodies the power of the Flames, perhaps we could study a way to trap also residual Flames with own will, but without those and more energy, I think it's impossible.»
A single object came to his mind that corresponded to the description given by his pupil -more powerful than any ring, able to constantly absorb the Flames of his own keeper and to keep them in large quantities- which was no longer in his possession.
A real pity: if on the one hand it was nice to return to grow, get rid of that tiny body -however useful- and be able to regain its true appearance, on the other it was a shame not to have fully exploited the power of the pacifiers for his experiments. A real misfortune, given the premises.
After all, he had always been positive in accepting his condition, and indeed his lifestyle hadn't changed much compared to when he was an adult: his brain was intact and active, he didn't need anything else to continue working. The height problem was solved thanks to Knocker, so Verde had perfectly adapted to the infant condition he had been forced to.
He bit his lip until it bleeds, frustrated.
«Tze, if only I still had my pacifier...»
«Oya oya, I would say we arrived at the right time then.»
It was quick Verde to extract his gun from under his coat, Knocker on the contrary backed surprised, while an indigo cloud enveloped the room, revealing two figures he didn't realize before. Kaiman blew the spot where the two strangers were, but remained beside him, probably waiting for the order to attack.
Verde recognized in the lower of the two Iemitsu Sawada -a Vongola, the Boss of CEDEF- while he couldn't name the other boy, who grinned without looking away from him, holding a... trident in his hands?
He glanced around, recognizing in the work of the two the use of unforgettable Mist Flames -among the most interesting elements according to him- and the powerful illusions that accompanied them.
Whoever the other guy was, Verde knew he was in front of a respectable illusionist: he could probably give Viper himself a hard time if they found themselves fighting each other.
«Can you also use Mist Flames? And where did that trident come from?»
«Kfufufufu among other things, yes. Do not worry about the trident, rather...»
Verde felt a shiver run down his back when he saw the boy's eyes: while the left one was blue -more intense than Knocker's, tending to the blue of the sky- the right one was blood-red, terrifying and intriguing at the same time. It seemed that instead of the pupil there were numbers inside -were those Japanese kanji?- and unconsciously Verde thought about how nice it would be to study that mysterious phenomenon.
He felt excited at the thought alone.
«We have an interesting offer for you, Arcobaleno Verde. And seeing your current... block, if we can define it, I really believe you would accept it.»
Verde grinned, not at all impressed. He put the gun back in his gown and adjusted his glasses, approaching the two strangers a few steps without ever looking down. Seeing him lower his weapons, Kaiman also relaxed, but didn't move away from his side.
«You know, I'm not very inclined to accept proposals from complete strangers. I'm afraid I missed the name. Again, who are you?»
The boy grinned -was he perhaps impressed by his calm?- just arching his back forward and crossing his arm to his chest, as if with that bow he could have apologized for not having presented himself.
«Oya oya, forgive my rude ways. My name is... Hayato, Storm Guardian of the Giglio Nero Family. I'm here under the order of Luce, Eighth Boss of the Family.»
Verde was taken aback. Luce's Guardian? What could that woman still want from him, and what could be so urgent as to send one of hers Guardians in person?
«What an honor, though I would have said Mist, rather than Storm. What can the Saint want from this poor, defenseless scientist?»
The boy -Hayato- smiled again, while Iemitsu was watching everything on the sidelines, passing his gaze from him to Knocker looking for some signal that heralded an attack that, Verde knew, would never arrive.
Neither he nor his pupil were lovers of physical violence, and even if they had been, neither of them had the proper physique to engage a battle with two well-trained mafiosi: they were supporters of mind's power, leaving aside everything comprised physical efforts.
He saw Hayato close his eyes a second, rummaging inside the black jacket, and then extracting a box and opening it without hesitation right in front of his eyes, giving him the opportunity to admire its contents in all its splendor.
Now, Verde was pretty sure of his ability to mask emotions -maybe not at Reborn levels, but it wasn't easy to understand what Verde really thought- and always have full control over them, yet he felt the muscles of the face contract once his eyes rested on the pacifiers that the boy held.
«We're here to give you the chance to resume your Arcobaleno role, no curses and some benefits once your body has regained its true age. Kfufufu convenient don't you think?»
Verde didn't answer, still staring intently at the green pacifier -his pacifier, his Lightning Flames concentrated and encased in a small glass object- giving only quick glances to the rest of the box. There were only four pacifiers including his, so at least three others had already agreed to resume their role as custodians -he didn't know if Lal Mirch had been contacted, after all she was a failure.
A greedy opportunity, almost as if fate -not God, there was no God in whom Verde believed- had decided to give him the opportunity to continue his research. It was a sign, a blessing, an opportunity that wouldn't have been missed.
He smiled, still adjusting his glasses on his nose and grinning, «It sounds like an interesting proposition, please tell me more.»
When talking about banlieue -the suburbs, the outskirts of the French metropolises- the first name to which every young mafia associated the term was Saint-Denis, the place with the highest crime rate in all France.
Terrorists, drug dealers, all kinds of human scum gathered in the poorest suburbs where the state was completely absent, where they could lorded it over everyone. Places left at the mercy of organized crime without any control by authorities and law enforcement agencies, who intervened only in case of specific events that could harm the security of the capital.
If there was no danger to Paris, then there was nothing to worry about.
Was in one of those nefarious and dirty places that their next mission would take place, the murder of some insignificant mobster who had angered the wrong people, thinking he could get away with unharmed.
Poor fool.
Normally they didn't accept jobs in those kind of places -usually they weren't worth the pay, more money spent than those earned- they hated the stench of sewers, the dregs that hid in every corner believing they could earn something simply begging, or stabbing someone behind, depending on the preferred method. They only agreed this time, because the pay was quite lavish, and lately the money in their pockets was scarce as it hadn't been for a while.
Something to which Mammon absolutely had to remedy.
That evening it wasn't Viper -the other name, it had to stand out somehow- and perhaps for that kind of missions, Mammon was more suitable. So, for that night, Mammon was a she.
Enjoying what was a good glass of rum with ice, Mammon was sitting at the desk of the hovel where her target had gathered to confer with his colleagues, barking, laughing and drinking, telling everyone about his amazing business, how he "fucked like a whore" the head of a great French Mafia family.
Jackass. No rookie could think of robbing a Family and getting away without consequences.
Hidden in the illusion of a young woman -damn infant body, she wasn't back to the right size yet- observed the man scoff at those who had cheated, unaware of what awaited him shortly thereafter.
She just needed an excuse, the right time to act and be sure she could get away without anyone having the chance to track her down.
«Célébrons! N'y a-t-the pas une femme here veuille the avoir avec moi? Je suis riche!»
That was the moment Mammon waited for. She drank her drink until the last sip, left a few coins on the counter, and approached seductively the target's table, moving her hips and leaving open the wide neckline that gave free vision to her big breast.
If Fon had seen her in that moment, he would probably have scolded her -«Rashed as usual, improper use of your body»- but she didn't care: only the thought made her seethe with rage. Why did she think of him at that moment?
Fon had become strangely protective -as well as critical of her every single move- and this irritated Mammon -and Viper- to death.
«Excusez-moi.» She said softly, putting a finger to the mouth and nibbling her fingernail sensually. She just mentioned a smile. «Y a-t-il a place pour moi?»
The target remained dumbfounded for a few seconds, before smiling mischievous and approaching her, grabbing her by the hips and palpating her butt hand full, without the slightest intention of hiding his lewd desire.
Disgusting -it's just the illusion, just the illusion- but the pay was worth the trouble. She pinned herself not to use the trick of seduction anymore to get to the target, it was really annoying.
He felt Fantasma rebel against her head -he never left her alone, wherever she went, the little salamander was with her- but ordered him not to interfere: she didn't like it either, but it was still work.
He came up to the face, licking her lips licking -he had the breath that smelled of alcohol, Mammon had to concentrate not to vomit on him- and felt the erection of the maniac pressing on her thigh, while he was desperate to sink his fingers in her breasts.
Disgusting. Once again, she repeated to herself that the pay was worth the sacrifice.
Mammon managed to convince him to leave the slum before the man decided to be too drunk to worry about decency and decided to undress her in the middle of the room, taking him to what should have been her apartment.
"The fuck I carry a scum in my hotel room, with all that it cost me." Mammon thought, while the target's lips pounced on hers, while with his hands he felt every part of her in desperate need, like an octopus lewd and horny.
Disgusting. She pinned herself to ask for an extra pay, after such treatment she deserved it.
When the man became more intrepid -more greedy, eager to possess her there and immediately- approaching the fabric of the miniskirt that she wore with the clear intention of removing it and having free access to her graces -only the illusion, he's just touching an illusion, poor stupid- Mammon decided she had enough.
She released her Mist Flames with more violence, wrapping the target and moving away, materializing behind him in the form of a child that was her current body, wrapped in the black cloak she always wore, hood lowered and eyes hidden by it.
She looked with disgust at the man who continued undaunted to touch the illusion, while this was responding to his movements as Mammon wanted, keeping him busy enough so that she could accomplish the mission and put an end to that insignificant life once and for all.
Phantom appeared on his head, excited, ready more than she to kill that man who had dared touch her. He puffed impatiently, and Mammon could only agree with him.
«I agree, it's really pathetic. Time to finish it.»
She snapped her little fingers and released her Flames, going to attack the part of the human body that with her abilities could damage more than anything: the brain.
It was a moment, the illusions were dissipated around her, transforming the room in which he thought he was in a stinky alley not too far from the inn where Mammon had been "boarded" by the man, while the body of the latter fell to the ground, blood came out copiously from the mouth, the ears and even the eyes. The white pupils were facing backwards, giving the corpse a terrible and disturbing appearance.
Mammon smiled. Perhaps she had exaggerated -the hell, she didn't regret anything- but that was what that kind of bastard deserved to have groped the instant he had laid his eyes on her- on the illusion, but there wasn't the slightest chance that she would use her real body for such a job.
Child's body apart, she wouldn't let herself be touched by anyone, man or woman. Well, maybe there was a person who she didn't mind having small physical contacts -a handshake, elbows that were almost touching by chance- but before admitting it Mammon would have torn his tongue in bites.
Mammon looked again at the body on the ground, snapped a picture as evidence for the client and snorted.
«You looked for it, son of a bitch.»
«Waa! What a mess! And who thought that a child could create all the commotion?!»
Mammon whirled around. If someone could have seen her eyes, they would have read the horror and surprise of finding out that two man were able to surprise her, something that hadn't happened for some time now.
She stared with dismay at the two boys who looked from her to the corpse behind him, one with confusion and surprise, the other absolutely impassive.
At a second glance, Mammon almost choked to see that one of them was Iemitsu Sawada, the new boss of CEDEF, an honored member of the Vongola Family.
What was he doing there in France -what he wanted from them and how he could track them down?- Mammon didn't know, but it was worrying. Usually the Vongola didn't bring anything good.
«Nice to see you, Mist Arcobaleno, Vipe ... ah ... Mammon-san?»
The second guy was talking -was he really a guy?- tall and blond, his right eye closed as if he could not see through it, while the right was bright purple, lit by the clear rays of the full moon that evening shone above their heads.
That sentence left Mammon banned. He knew? How had he distinguished them? No one -Fon had been the first, followed by the other Arcobaleno, but in addition to them no one seemed to have ever realized the difference- had ever been able to understand when it was Mammon or when Viper.
Because they were the same person and two different people at the same time. There were days -even weeks- in which one prevailed over the other, without however taking complete control of that body, which undeterred continued to change and change, never stopping and balancing itself in a equilibrium with which it was then managed to live together.
That they were versatile, that they weren't always Viper or always Mammon had been the cause they had found themselves alone when they were real children, all because the people who should have loved them weren't able to accept them for what they were. Neither Mammon nor Viper seemed to matter that much.
«I'm Mammon, what do you want from me?»
She saw Iemitsu turn up his nose and frown, scratching his head for some kind of divine revelation. «But... the Mist Arcobaleno... wasn't he called Viper?»
«The official name is that, CEDEF-san, but it depends... right now it's Mammon-san the one in front of us.»
Mammon didn't take her eyes off the boy -again, why she had the feeling that they were more similar than meets the eyes?- wondering how he knew all those things about her -about them- and how he knew when they were one and when they were the other.
Except for the name and for... well that, they were basically the same person. It was quite interesting, but they couldn't be distracted.
«Speak, what do the Vongola want from me so much to send the Young Lion himself to speak to me?»
Sawada stayed behind -he could read the surprise of being called with his headline printed in the eyes- letting his companion come closer.
«I'm Luce Giglio Nero-sama's Storm Guardian, and I'm here with CEDEF-san to propose something to you, Mammon-san.»
Mammon saw him take a box out of his jacket, and put before her eyes the last object she wanted to have in front of them at that moment: after all that they had gone through, why did Luce send someone to bring them a damned pacifier again?!
Before she could assault the two young men -verbally and physically-, Luce's Guardian spoke again.
«We want you to bring this pacifier back with you. May you be the Keeper, use it as you see fit, and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. No curse, interesting possibilities once your body is back to normal.»
It could also be an interesting proposition -those possibilities she was really curious to find out- but it took more than that to convince them and pick up the object that had ruined their life.
«In addition, the Vongola and the Giglio Nero will make sure to give you protection and asylum whenever you need it, obviously supplanting every expense and providing you with a monthly fee that will be duplicated if you decide to carry out missions on behalf of the two Families.»
Ok, now they spoke the same language, but they still weren't sure they wanted to accept. They thought about it carefully, noting how in the box only two pacifiers were still lying on the cloth that protected them: the purple one of Skull and the red one of Fon. If they had refused or if they simply had not yet received the proposal, this Mammon didn't know it.
They thought about it again, and finally gave up, sighing. What was the point in ruminating? Thei answer to that proposal was almost obvious.
After all, nothing for them was more important than money.
Of scary things in his life, Skull had faced more than he could count on his fingertips. Even at that moment, during his tour in Germany -he could go back to being a stuntman, to perform as he once did- he had happened several times to be face to face with death, laughing in her face as he had always done, even before that the whole Arcobaleno mess started.
He was Skull after all -the Immortal Stuntman- the one who challenged the grim reaper and managed to get away with it, he couldn't be frightened by it.
Reborn and Colonnello were perhaps his first real fear -the hell that he would have admitted it in the face of those assholes, rather he would have eaten a sweaty sock!- and for obvious as unseemly reasons. They were bullies, bossy, who thought they were stronger just because they had some more skills than him -tze, one day he would show them, nobody could mock the great Skull-sama and pass it smooth!- and after the curse had begun, they had completely stopped taking him seriously.
With the end of the curse and his body slowly returning to its original form, Skull was sure no one would dare to mock him, thus gaining the respect he deserved and silencing his so-called "sempai" once and for all.
Nobody could have scared him anymore.
At that moment, however, stuck to the wall by a strange blonde man armed with tonfa -where the fuck he had pulled out thet things?- Skull tried what it meant to be really afraid.
The gray eyes were ruthlessly aimed at him, who could only sweat cold under that glanc.
«Herbivore, take this and fulfill your task, otherwise I'll bite you to death.» He had begun, placing his pacifier under his nose and almost forcing him to take it back.
Skull wanted to cry and scream in fear, continuing to wonder why that kind of situations always and only happened to him.
«W-Wait Haya-chan! If you don't explain it well you cannot expect him to accept it!» Intervened then his companion, the other blond with a familiar face but Skull didn't remember where he had already seen.
The gray-eyed wolf grunted, muttering something that looked like an "herbivore" and something that resembled the Japanese word "kamikorosu" before moving away and snorting.
The other boy remained with him, smiling and apologizing for the behavior of his strange companion, justifying it all with a joke: «Don't worry, he suffer from multiple personalities!»
For some reason, Skull didn't struggle to believe it.
While Iemitsu -he had presented- explained the reasons for that request -"request" my ass! The psychopath was clearly obliging him to accept!- the wolf returned to them, with something different that puzzled the former Arcobaleno.
He was sure the eyes of that bossy were gray, so how come they were green like a meadow in the middle of spring? He rubbed his eyes, perhaps all the tiredness accumulated during the tour was giving him hallucinations.
«Yare yare, I apologize first, I was real rude. Candy of peace?» And offered him a grape candy that Skull gladly accepted. «So, do you think you can help us? Reborn and Colonnello have already accepted, but if you do not feel it...»
Skull puffed out his cheeks, almost offended by the lack of confidence in his ability to keep that stupid pacifier. Also, if Reborn and Colonnello had accepted and could do it, he was sure he could do incredibly better.
«Give me here!» He snatched the pacifier from the boy's hands, holding it tightly between his and showing it proudly to the two mafiosi. «There's nothing the great Skull-sama cannot do! I'll be even better than those two cowards of Reborn and Colonnello, ahahahahah!»
He grinned as he thought of the amazed faces of those two plebeians prostrated at his feet, while they apologized and finally admitted his undisputed superiority.
A moment Skull waited anxiously.
Looking out the window, Iemitsu could hardly hold back a smile.
The clouds passed around them fast, as they crossed the sky for the fifth time in five months, headed for their last destination, the conclusion of that long journey that had seen them companions for that long span of time.
The screen above them spoke clearly, while the red line traced the distance left between the Hong Kong International Airport and the Narita Airport in Tokyo, their last destination.
They were almost there now.
"Still little time, Nakamura-chan wait for me!" He only hoped that Hayato didn't mind taking a little detour once the mission was over: after all that hard work, a short break wouldnìt hurt either.
«Are you excited?»
To say excited was a euphemism: he smiled at him, showing himself to be the energetic and reckless boy he had never stopped being, not even now that he was almost 23 years old.
«I can not wait to get there! I'm sure you'll love it, you'll see!» he let himself be carried away by dreams, putting an arm around Hayato's neck and attracting him with a rush.« I'll take you around the center, there's one of the most fashionable cafes in Japan! We'll have lunch at Aki-chan, make the best sushi around and... ah! The most important thing, I can introduce you to Nakamura-chan! My beloved Nakamura-chan!»
He saw Hayato frowning. «Nakamura-chan?»
Iemitsu nodded vigorously: «The sweetest kouhai I've ever had!»
He began to fantasize about how wonderful it would be to finally see Nakamura-chan's beautiful face, hear her laughter, her sweet scent of lavender and... inevitably, Iemitsu blushed suddenly.
«But I warn you, don't fall in love with her! I know she's fantastic, nice and simply beautiful, but I cann't allow it! Not even if it's you, Haya-chan!»
He saw Hayato bending his lips -was that a smile? They made progress!- nodding absently.
«Sure no problem. Try not to drool too much, or your "Nakamura-chan" might run away.»
Iemitsu approached him, smiling artfully and lowering his voice a few tenths.
«You, rather, try to control your multiple personalities, especially Mist-san and Cloud-san, will you be able to?»
Hayato blushed to the tip of his ears, and at that sight Iemitsu couldn't hold back a fat laugh.
«Wha ...?! I already told you it's not like that! It's just the Flames fault! The Flames!» but Iemitsu was no longer listening, covering every word with his laughter.
«You're really fun, Haya-chan!»
He was pleased to see him so relaxed, especially since lately Hayato seemed to get lost in his own thoughts, closing himself and cutting out the world and anyone around him.
They had traveled all over China in search of Fon, the last Arcobaleno that was missing from their appeal, without success, and ended up in collision with members of the Triad looking for the same person. A hard month, the longest and most difficult they had faced in search of the prodigies babys, only to find out that the Storm Arcobaleno had made its tracks lose, disappearing from the world radar of the Triad and anyone who wasn't a close ally.
Without any useful clues, they had therefore decided to contact Luce -hoping that Fon had maintained contact with her at least- and she had informed them that she knew where Fon was, that she had seen him in her visions and that could help them.
Iemitsu had almost shouted for joy when he heard where Fon was hiding. Hayato, on the other hand, frozen.
He seemed really worried -agitated? - as if the idea of going there terrified him, but why should be? Iemitsu didn't know this, but wanted to be able to help his friend in some way. He was glad he had succeeded in distracting him, at least some of the tension that had enveloped Hayaro in those last days seemed to have disappeared.
«Iwe are almost there. We'll land soon, better prepare for the trip.»
Iemitsu nodded, managing to see beyond the fog of clouds the lights that animated Tokyo. A few hours on the train separated him from home, he was on pins and needles.
«I'm finally back, my beloved Namimori!»
Soooooooo what do you think?
Note: the various changes of subject in Mammon's point of view are made on purpose, if you haven't yet understood why, I will explain it anyway later.
Next Chapter: Fon, Aki-chan and finally the mysterious "Nakamura-chan", who knows who she is?
ArhiShay