Chapter Ten : Dust to Dust
If it hadn't been for the thick heels of her boots, her footsteps wouldn't have been audible; for Chrome was walking lightly and carefully in fear of being found again by Mukuro. School M had emptied out for the evening, and Chrome stayed in the class building instead of going back to her dorm room. The long windows gave a clear view of the dark sky and storm brewing outside. She lowered her head, not wanting to look as lightning ripped across the black clouds.
Her heart felt both ashamed and guilty for the things she'd said to Mukuro. But she had to tell him that his type of violence was wrong. Something about him seemed different ever since he came to this school. He was never so violent before.
The girl looked around the hallway ceilings, shivering in her uniform. Something about this school was cursed.
Chrome stopped walking when she realized she'd arrived at the familiar door of her classroom. Her eyes, now downcast, were already shimmering with tears when she remembered the sight of Xanxus with scars running across every portion of his body. The least she could do was apologize appropriately for seeing what she shouldn't have.
A faint light was on, seeping underneath the door. Her trembling hand found the doorknob, and she knocked tentatively as she pushed it open.
Her teacher was sitting alone at his desk with a lamp illuminating the small area of the classroom. He had several papers in his hand, reading over them, not glancing up to look at Chrome. "I'm sorry to intrude," Chrome said charily, taking slow steps to Xanxus's desk.
"I was hoping you would show up," Xanxus told her, even smiling slightly. The girl, taken aback, stood in front of his desk and recognized the papers he was holding. "I wanted to tell you how impressed I was with your essay." He let his eyes close and set the papers down, folding his arms. "All ten pages of it."
"Th-thank you, sir." Chrome remembered that she'd dropped her entire essay to the floor the moment she'd walked in on her two teachers that afternoon. He must've picked it up and finished reading it just moments ago. "I apologize for getting it to you so late."
"You don't need to be sorry," he said, his voice even-toned and sincere. "You were the only one who turned one in at all. And it was a very nice essay. Thank you."
Chrome could see the faded scars that ran along Xanxus's forearms and her kind-hearted sympathy got the best of her as she felt her lip tremble. "I'm very sorry for interrupting you the other day. I should've knocked. And I'm also sorry that you have had so many injuries in the past. It must've been difficult for you back then..." She stopped to wipe away the tear that drifted down her cheek, almost unnoticed.
Xanxus returned her kindness with a blank stare before he looked away, not sure of what he should say to her. "I know it's difficult for you, too, having to fight beside your brother all the time. You probably don't look much different from me."
The girl blushed, knowing her teacher was right. She nodded slowly. "Underneath this uniform, I have many injuries similar to your own." Her hand involuntarily moved to her eyepatch, her other eye closing when she fingered the dark fabric. "Some worse, even."
Xanxus said nothing, letting the girl go on. "Maybe it is because I am like you that I came here," she said, her voice growing softer. "And because I can relate to you, there is something I must know. About you."
This time, the man scowled and looked to the side, his own eyes darkening. "There is nothing you need to know about me. My past, and yours, they have nothing to do with each-"
"They are the same!" Chrome said, her voice breaking the comfortable silence in the room. Her eye was wide with tension and it softened to concern as she looked at Xanxus. He looked back at her, shocked that she knew about him already. "But I only know so much," she added. "The rest, I need you to tell me."
"Why should I tell you?" Xanxus argued. "You're my student."
"It is because I'm scared. I care so deeply about this school, and especially you." Xanxus flinched, becoming more confused with everything the girl before him said. "And I care about my brother ... and myself. I fear for the two of us." Chrome's eye was flooding with tears, her mouth turned to an upset frown and her teeth gritted. "Your scars and mine ... I need you ... to ..."
The girl leaned against the desk and she hung her head, unable to support herself. "Chrome." Xanxus stood up as the girl looked to him again. "How much do you know?"
She sank into the chair that was placed behind her, feeling her face with her hand. "Because of my brother's suspicions, I am under the impression that you and several others are not supposed to be teaching here." She paused, turning to face the storm outside the window. "I would like you to tell me everything else."
Xanxus sat back down, folding his hands in front of him and setting them on his desk. "Very well. Considering you managed to find out that much about us, I guess there's no harm in telling you the rest. And if there's one student I can trust in this school, it's you, Chrome." She blushed again and glanced demurely at her teacher with respect. "Back when I was in high school..."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KazeMura High School, 8 years ago - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Xanxus pulled the bandage taught around his wrist using his teeth, his other hand holding his gun. Squalo looked around the corner of the building before returning to the depths of the alley they were hiding in. "I don't see them anywhere," he complained, leaning back against the brick building. "Damn Cavallone bastards. As soon as I see another one of them, I'll-"
A small, blonde child alighted by Squalo's side, startling him. "Bel! Where have you been up until now? I was worried about you!"
Bel grinned, eyes still shadowed by his haphazardly cut bangs. "I was looking for the enemy. They're not far."
"And Marmon?" Xanxus asked, glaring at the kid.
"Lost, I'm sure. But I wouldn't worry too much." The eight-year old pulled an assortment of knives from his pocket, his smile disappearing. "Here they come."
"You can tell?" Squalo whispered, readying his own knife. "Those sons of bitches are dead meat."
When the rushing footsteps grew nearer, Xanxus leapt out of the alley, skidding to a stop on the sidewalk to cut them off. "Varia!" one of the students shouted, raising his club above his head. He brought it down on Xanxus, but Squalo sliced it in half with one easy movement.
"Where's your leader?!" Squalo demanded, scaring the students away. As they ran in the other direction, Xanxus shot the slowest one in the back of the leg, bringing him down. Bel kicked his weapon away, and the three surrounded him. "Tell me where the fuck Dino is!"
"I-I don't know!" the boy stammered, raising his hands up to defend himself. "Please, don't hurt me!"
"Tell us!" Xanxus shouted, pointing his gun in the other's face. "Or I'll do more than hurt you."
"I'm right here." Xanxus and the others looked over to see Dino standing not too far away, his best friend on the other side of him. "Now leave him alone." Xanxus withdrew his gun and the boy scrambled to his feet, limping away.
"Finally showed yourself, huh?!" Squalo stepped forward, bringing his knife up in front of him. "It's about time I kicked your sorry ass!"
"I'm afraid not, Squalo!" Dino shouted back, raising his chain-whip into sight, his pistol safely on his belt. "I'm not letting you Varia criminals get away." Dino lunged towards his enemy, Trident Shamal not far behind him. Bel stepped forward and readied his knives, but Xanxus pushed him back, knocking him gently onto the pavement.
"Stay back, Bel," Xanxus said, looking at his small friend with surfacing concern. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Dino's whip lashed towards Xanxus, who blocked it, trapping his arm. The blonde pulled the other forward with the weapon, bringing his jaw into contact with his readied fist. "You're the first to go, Xanxus," Dino hissed loathingly, pulling the chain forcefully at an angle that threw Xanxus to the pavement while turning him loose.
The dark-haired one rolled safely to his feet, aiming his guns at Dino. "You need to learn your place, Cavallone," he growled, his finger on the trigger. He stopped short at the sound of his friend's voice.
"Vooooiii! Get off of me, you freak!" Squalo pushed Shamal off himself and pinned him to the concrete, pulling his fist back and breaking his nose on impact. "Don't worry about me, Xanxus! Just take care of yourself!" he called out over his shoulder.
But Dino took advantage of the opening and tackled Xanxus to the ground, both slamming their heads against the road. "You get distracted easily," Dino managed to say with clenched teeth, struggling to hold Xanxus down. Footsteps could be heard around them as other members of their gangs took to fighting as well.
"It's nothing compared to how many openings you leave!" Xanxus brought his knee up, striking Dino in the abdomen and immobilizing him long enough for Xanxus to gain the advantage. He held Dino's wrists down, but his strength wasn't enough. They exchanged several punches, neither of them giving in or acknowledging their fatigue.
Xanxus's hand clasped Dino's throat and he raised his other fist to finish him off. "It's...over..."
Squalo kicked Shamal against a crowd of trashcans, glancing back to see his friend in danger. "Shit! Xanxus, look out!" He felt his feet couldn't carry him there fast enough as Shamal was forgotten.
"Xanxus," Dino panted, looking up at him with swollen eyes. "You-!" Xanxus felt a shadow on his back and turned in time to see a man with a large knife standing above him, his face obscured by angled lighting.
"Move it!" Xanxus heard Squalo's voice demand as a figure pushed him out of the knife's reach and back onto the street's asphalt. A stream of warm blood streaked across Xanxus's face and a scream pierced the night air, silencing everything else.
Xanxus rose to his feet in time to see the man with a bloody knife partially shocked at what he'd done, and Squalo on his knees with blood running down his white sleeve, coming from nowhere. The younger man's face paled deeper as his eyes found no place else to look besides where his left hand used to be.
Guns locked in preparation as Xanxus sprinted toward the offender, his eyes blazing. "You bastard!!" Dino raised a hand to stop him and Squalo watched in furious, agonizing satisfaction as both of Xanxus's guns eliminated the man, once through the heart, once through the head.
The corpse hit the cement in a heap of blood, and Xanxus turned to Dino, seething with wrath. "You're next!"
"Over here!" came a voice that caught both Xanxus's and Squalo's attention. They turned to see Lussuria, Levi, and Marmon standing beside a tunnel that they recognized. Squalo took another look at his wrist before facing Xanxus again.
"We should go," Xanxus said grudgingly, calming down. He glared once more at Dino, unable to truly voice his contempt for the other boy. They stormed off, Squalo pressuring his wound with his right hand.
"The Arcobaleno are working with them?" a Cavallone asked, helping his leader to his feet as he eyed the mysterious hooded person by the tunnel.
Dino smiled wryly, taking another look at the empty space where the dark figures had just been standing. "It's no surprise, really," he coughed. "We've got one working for us, too, after all."
A man who had been standing beside a near building smiled, raising a hand to the brim of his hat.
v v v v v v v v v v
Chrome nodded to herself. So that's why that substitute wore that glove on his hand. Xanxus was looking at her carefully.
"Back then, it had been my goal to take that bastard's place as the superintendent," Xanxus explained. "Timoteo instead chose Iemitsu to take his place. But those who wanted to help me achieve my goal became my friends, and we fought together as a gang known as the Varia."
"Who were the Arcobaleno?" Chrome asked.
"They were an independent gang who eventually collapsed because of internal disagreements." Xanxus sighed, looking outside. "You see, Marmon was a member of the Varia, and Reborn was helping the Cavallone. Their dispute crushed the gang altogether. But before that, it had been three-way fighting."
"Can you tell me more about Iemitsu and the schools? And your friend, Squalo, as well."
"It's getting late," Xanxus mentioned, but Chrome didn't move. "But I suppose."
v v v v v v v v v v
Squalo winced in pain as Xanxus continued to wrap the bandages around his wrist. "I'm sorry I let this happen," the older man said quietly under his breath. Squalo just looked at the floor, wishing to change the subject.
"You know that old man hired the next superintendent," Squalo said, covering bad news with bad news. Xanxus paused, but resumed after a curt laugh.
"Iemitsu, huh?" Squalo tried to look at his friend, attempting to decode the rage that was building up there. "It figures."
"I'm not giving up, though," Squalo promised, smiling at Xanxus. "And neither should you." Xanxus stopped bandaging and looked down at his hands, before turning to Squalo and forcing a smile back.
Some years later, those who had been fighting on the streets were sitting around a meeting table, Iemitsu standing at the head. "Timoteo, the former superintendent," he began, looking directly at each individual. "Requested that I hire you all as the staff for the schools that were separated during the years you attended them." Despite the crowd's incredulous reaction, he continued.
"It will be our duty to prevent gang-related violence, a task that Timoteo regrets he failed at doing. Consider this your punishment."
v v v v v v v v v v
"Did you do well to prevent the violence?" Chrome asked.
Xanxus's look became difficult, but he smiled nonetheless. "No, we actually didn't. You may recall the time when your brother attacked the students from School K." Chrome nodded, remembering her brother talking about this. "Well, not only did that attack prove that we'd failed to stop fighting, even between people from other schools, but it was also responsible for the creation of the Vongola gang. The one you fought quite recently.
"Iemitsu blamed me for that whole incident," Xanxus remarked bitterly. "He says that I couldn't control my own students. But it was everyone's fault. No one could detect any type of hostility from any of the students. I don't know why he chose to blame me for that, but it made me hate him even more."
"But it's because you let that happen that you were able to stop the second fight," Chrome reassured him, but she did little to ease Xanxus's hatred for the man.
"That guy was too enraged to see his son injured to take time and think about things like that," Xanxus returned. "He's a total headcase when it comes to that brat, Tsuna." He glanced this time away from the window and at the door, towards the inside of the school. "And now he's entrusting these schools to him."
The girl looked up. "You mean, Iemitsu plans on making Tsuna the next superintendent?" When Xanxus said nothing, she lowered her head. "Ah, I'm sorry."
Chrome nodded solemly as Xanxus leaned back in his chair. "I see. So you all work here because you see yourselves in us." Xanxus said nothing more. "Thank you. I suppose I should be going." The girl stood to leave, but was stopped.
"Not so fast," Xanxus said, looking at her. "I know you transferred to this school. I read about it in your essay." Chrome cringed. "I also know your brother and you have some very unnatural abilities, ever since you pulled that last disappearing act. And even one before that."
Chrome felt she was forced to sit back down, her body suddenly heavy. "You must've gone to another school before this one. Now where was it?" The girl stared at her teacher, but made no effort to talk. Mukuro would punish her if she spoke about her past to anyone.
Xanxus sighed in exasperation, glaring at his student and pushing her to cave in. "I told you my story. Now let me hear yours."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - School K - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tsuna stepped outside, the air instantly humid and the wind blowing though his jacket. He watched lightning tear across the sky, illuminating everything just long enough for him to see branches struggling against the harsh winds, leaves getting torn off and blown all around.
He started running, not thinking of the weather, the pain, how tired he would be, or how late it was getting. He thought only of his destination. The anger inside him as well as the desire to defeat Mukuro was pushed higher with every step he took.
Cold air ripped at his lungs, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Visions of Gokudera and Yamamoto plagued his mind. Distractions were the last things he wanted at that moment. But with every inch he drew closer to the scene, his heart continued to wonder if they were okay. And he never stopped wondering if they'd forgiven him, even after he'd arrived under the light.
-- Ch. 10 fin
A/N: This chapter was much different in my mind and too difficult to write, so I regret saying that this didn't turn out the way I intended. But I hope it got the point across to the readers. If it's not too much trouble, please tell me what you thought of it. I know there are quite a few of you people reading this, and your feedback will always be welcome, appreciated, and helpful.