A/N: Hey, sorry for the wait you guys! Holidays usually mean later chapter :/ Chapter ten of Fight for Namimori, wow, it hasn't felt like ten! The first part annoys me, but the second half is better. Sorry for errors, I could NOT for the life of me find a beta! Enjoy.

(As a side note, I'm looking for a beta. Anyone interested?)

Chapter Ten

Horrible Revelations

His eyes met hers for a brief second before she was pulled out. Her arm hit the trident, knocking it down, and the door slammed and locked behind her.

Gokudera grit his teeth as he jumped a fallen tree. Accusations still zipped furiously through his head, following him all the way from where he had left the other students. He couldn't make heads of tails of it. He had an idea, but he hoped against hope he was wrong.

The Storm Guardian shoved them to the back of his head when he spotted a flash of light. He had made it back to the baseball diamond in half the time it had taken to leave. It only reaffirmed the fact that they should have been caught already. He was wary, lingering where cover was thickest. If the enemy had not pursued them, then they were most likely still here.

Pushing aside a branch, just enough to peek out, it took him awhile to process the scene. At first, he couldn't find the suited man, or any Moscas. The problem quickly resolved itself when said man crept out from behind the dugout. A dreaded Mosca unit was only steps behind him. Gokudera felt a flare of satisfaction at the sparking wires and multiple dents the machine bore. The feeling vanished when he could not find anything else.

Scrap metal littered the ground, singed black with a few shards still smoldering. Patches of grass had burned away, subsiding to browned stalks. A stray flame or two flickered determinedly. The chalk lines that indicated the infield had been erased in some places, but only smudged in others. The far dugout's roof had collapsed.

The Made Man was in a similar state. His suit was tattered and torn, and his smug smirk had been wiped off. He was grumbling to himself as he walked. He wandered around the desolated sports field, seemingly without purpose, pausing to kick random junk. Coming across something that sparked his interest, he stooped down to turn it over in his hands.

Gokudera strained to see what it was, leaning as far as he could without having to move. It was a fairly round object; the dark grey color hinted at metal. It had several bumps and holes on one side, but otherwise was solid on the others. It dawned on him that it was a Mosca's head.

The Mafioso rose again, grinning like a wolf. He had apparently found what he had been looking for, though his intentions were a mystery to the hidden Guardian. He turned to the last Mosca and spoke sharply to it, gesturing to come closer. The monster complied, sluggishly lumbering nearer, like it was a huge effort. The man held out the spare head to it. A flame spurted out from one finger. It dragged the concentrated blue fire over the surface, slicing through it like butter. The head split in half, one chunk falling to the earth with a heavy "Thunk." The Mafioso wasted no time, fingering through the contents of the fake skull. After nearly a minute of digging, he pulled a chip from the wreckage. He turned it one way, then the other, inspecting it in the light. He nodded slowly in confirmation and let the second half still in his had fall next to its brother.

Gokudera leaned back from his makeshift peephole. What was that chip that the man had taken? Coming from the control center of a machine, it could be almost anything. One thing was clear, it was important. Another idea had wormed its way into his head – and it made him sick to his stomach. No, he thought, no, he couldn't have. . . .

He didn't have time to dwell on it though, the enemies were moving again. The stranger slipped the chip into his pocket and swept his eyes over the ruins one more time. Assured he had not missed anything, he turned towards the school and started walking at a leisurely pace. At the last second, right before Gokudera also left, he stuck his hand back into his pocket. From it he produced a small, blue box, which he played with as one might play with a Rubik's Cube.

The Storm shoved to his feet and took off in a sprint. Shit! It would be the Vongola's luck that his worst suspicions proved true. He had to fight to suppress the nausea that worked up his throat, choking him. He fumbled with the clips on his belt, grabbing desperately for his box weapon. Finally unhooked, Flame Arrow was clenched in his fist, still inactive. He knew there was no point in opening it, not when he was already too late.

Josh huffed as he flopped against a tree trunk. He had been pacing for ten minutes while waiting for Gokudera to return. He wondered where the ace student had gone, but he knew better than to follow after being caught the first time. He would probably lose his head that way. Besides, he wasn't sure he wanted to. The two baseball players had filled him in on what had happened before they met up – it disturbed him to say the least.

The chemist was stirred from his thoughts when the bush limbs above his head started shaking madly. He had enough time to hit the dirt before the object of his worry tore through. The silver-haired teen was wild eyed, not even bothering to conceal his alarm. That scared Josh more than the fact Gokudera was panicking. He whirled around and found Josh after confirming the location of their other companions. He hopped to his feet before the distraught boy could drag him up, nervousness building in his gut.

"What's happened?" he asked quietly.

Gokudera looked him in the eye for a second, searching for something. He broke contact a quickly as he had made it, choosing to ignore the question.

"Did you find Takeshi?" Jonah prodded, jogging up to them with Nagista in tow.

This made the Storm pause. He refused to look at them, his eyes darted every which way, particularly fond of the ground. "Yeah," he croaked after stretched silence, "I found him."

"Where is he?!"

"Not here," he muttered. He didn't give the students time to process that before he was off again, adrenaline pushing him on. "You still have that sword Yamamoto gave you?"

Jonah was baffled by the topic change. "Y-yeah, of course I still have it! What the hell happened?"

Gokudera simply nodded. "Good, don't let go of it. If anyone asks for it, don't give it to them. Josh!"

Said boy jumped at hearing his name. Gokudera didn't say anything, choosing instead to hold something out to him. He shot his friend a curious glance before taking it. It was an old, tan cube with a hole on the side. It was covered in cracks, and a few stray strands of greens. It jokingly reminded him of an ancient pencil sharpener.

"What is it?" Josh inquired, not taking his eyes off the odd device.

"Flame Arrow," Gokudera unflinchingly replied. Josh took that chance to stare at him as if he had finally gone insane.

"Flame Arrow? That huge, flaming thing? That awesome gun is now a . . . a box?"

"Yes." Gokudera rolled his eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Try not to kill someone." He rifled through his pockets a bit before turning out another little box. This one was newer, shiny red with gold trims, and a crest stamped on top. With this in hand, Gokudera went back to the foliage he had come from. He batted it away in annoyance, glaring at the three students as if it were their fault. "Go back to the freaking gym. Geez, idiots like you, making my job harder. . . ." he trailed off here, muttering insults under his breath. "When you get there," he started again, "someone will explain. Well, they'll try, but they don't really get it either. Tell them, in my own words, 'The key-and-lock got flipped. The key holders got lost.' Got that? Golden - now hurry the hell up and get moving!" Then he was gone.

Josh couldn't help laughing. At this point, he wasn't sure if it was from Gokudera acting like normal despite the bizarre circumstance, or because he was just that stressed. Either way, he didn't let it bother him. The fact he could laugh meant he had the energy to shove on, and brought a smile to the faces of his two new friends.

"Still so damn cryptic!" he yelled at Gokudera's retreating back. He swore, if they survived this, he was going to give that kid hell for all these riddles. He looked to the baseball players who only shrugged.

"I get the distinct impression he was trying to get rid of us," Nagista commented with a small smirk.

Jonah took that chance to nearly die choking back a laugh. It didn't work out for him, seeing as he ended up doubled over, holding his waist. Josh didn't have experience with the brunette previously, but sarcasm was always appreciated. He decided he would wait for Jonah to recover his breath, and then they would start prodding for answers.

Kusakabe was rather lost in the moment. His head was spinning, but he'd be dead before he admitted it. He hardly understood what was happening anymore, but he knew he needed to find the Guardians. The last half hour or so had been a blur; too many things happening at once.

He had been called by Kyoya down to the Mathematics wing. That, in and of itself, should have been warning enough, but thoughts of true danger never crossed his mind. Perhaps only a delinquent who needed further punishment than what his boss felt like providing. He never expected what he found; Vongola Decimo collapsed against the far wall, and the Cloud Guardian pacing in aggravation.

Kusakabe took as much as he could in stride, kneeling in front of Tsuna to look him over. He was no doctor – didn't even have a Sun flame – but being Kyoya's right hand came alongside dealing with a lot of injuries. The stubborn man wouldn't seek medical attention, often refused to acknowledge he was even injured, and so the duty of patching him up had fallen to his trusted friend.

"Where are the others?" Kusakabe questioned, knowing Hibari would understand.

"Phone lines are blocked for now," he stated blandly.

Kusakabe nodded. He had received his notification over a pager that all the Discipline Committee carried. The student council had "generously" funded the project, and the rather outdated technology came in handy. It wasn't something people thought to monitor. Sadly, the other Guardians would not be able to receive the message from the same route.

Kusakabe winced at the blotchy red skin of Decimo's neck. There a small dot of blood in the center, like a puncture wound from a needle. He stood to search through the teacher's desk for bandages.

"How should we reach them, sir?" he asked absently.

"The intercoms will still be up."

Kusakabe turned towards the voice. Tsuna was blinking the sleep from his eyes, pushing himself into a sitting position. He had to grit his teeth at the action, and his face was pained. "I already told Hibari," he continued, glancing towards the Cloud.

Kusakabe hurried back over before the teen could try to stand. He gently pushed him back against the wall. "You shouldn't move," he reminded.

Tsuna waved off the concern. "I'll be fine. This is more important right now."

"How do you know they haven't already disconnected it?"

"They didn't come in the building." Tsuna grimaced while the other man applied the bandage. "They could have followed us, but they didn't. They stood their ground and fired from a distance. They didn't want us dead, they still need something."

The words hung heavily in the air, the remaining males contemplating what was said.

"I need to get to the office," the Mafia boss started slowly.

"You can't move," Hibari shot down immediately, raising an eyebrow at the ludicrous idea.

"I have to," Tsuna repeated with more force. "The code is delicate; every word counts! A mispronunciation can mean someone's life. I'm the only one who can relay it correctly, and we don't have time for someone else to learn it."

Kusakabe clenched his jaw and looked towards the skylark. It was ultimately his decision; he was Kusakabe's boss, and it was his job to protect Tsuna. Hibari retained his neutral mask as he thought it over.

"Fine," he said finally, "but I will not be there."

Tsuna smirked, catching onto the multiple implications. "I know." He attempt to smile. "Sorry, Kusakabe, but I have to ask if you will help me."

Kyoya nodded his consent, so Kusakabe agreed. Shortly after, the Cloud took his leave and drifted off. It only went downhill from there. Tsuna and Kusakabe got to the office just fine, which put them on edge. Once inside, they found the microphone intact and functional. Tsuna was able to relay his orders with no interruptions, and the static from the speakers disguised his voice.

Decimo stood back and chewed his lip nervously. "It was too easy," he murmured. He closed his eyes and his features scrunched in concentration. Kusakabe belated realized he was trying to glean something from his Hyper Intuition. Moments later, he was shaking his head.

"I have a bad feeling, there has to be something. . . . What did we miss?"

Right on cue, his senses flared. He grabbed Kusakabe and threw him to the ground, landing next to him. The school's main doors were flung open, a bang echoing through the empty halls. A few armored men trotted in, sighting with their rifles. They deemed it clear, and motioned for the people behind them to move up.

Tsuna touched his forehead lightly and shot a sidelong glance towards his companion. He didn't have much time; the steady, pounding rhythm in his head was getting stronger. The stream of soldiers was fairly constant, only thinning when thirty were already through the door. The half-walls that formed the main office were a disadvantage now. The windows lined the walls from the waist up, and each panel was a potential hazard.

To make matters worse, a phone started ringing. It rested on the next desk over, scarily close to their hiding place. It rang twice before the first gunman noticed, leveling his rifle at it. The response was almost instantaneous; the enemy was on high alert, their focus entirely on the noise a meter away.

This should not be my job, Tsuna thought wryly. The soldiers shuffled closer to the door by the second, slowed only by their numbers. The boss scanned the floor, spotting another telephone within reach. Dragging it closer proved it had a gash on the right side, where it had been grazed by a bullet and knocked to the floor. He turned the plug over in his hand, seeing that it was bent, but would work.

Tsuna chewed his lip and stared at the outlet on the wall across from him. It was right next to the main doors, only thin dry wall separating them. Kusakabe followed his eyes, and alarm flickered through his expression. He rapidly shook his head to show his disapproval. Decimo's impish grin was the only warning before he rolled away from Kusakabe's hand.

Kusakabe tried his best not to claw out his eyes. He never understood why his boss would follow this boy, but then the family was put in danger and he remembered. Vongola Decimo was absolutely insane when you threatened his loved ones.

The teen kept his eyes locked on the men outside, shuffling farther and farther from his hiding spot. He stayed crouched the whole time - something that looked extremely uncomfortable, but he managed it with ease. His lithe frame and quick reflexes were suited to these kinds of situations.

Much to the relief of Hibari's second-hand; Vongola made it the other side without confrontation. He winked at his friend, amused at how worried he was. He was almost as bad as the Guardians!

It was all going well - until the phone was plugged in. As it turned out, the bent plug was a problem. Sparks exploded from the outlet, cracking sharply. Are you freaking – Tsuna cut himself off to spring to the right. Covering his head, bullets rained all around him. There was a pause while the men reloaded, and Tsuna chose to pick up the receiver of the newly established line.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Is this the office . . . ?" The person on the other side was clearly confused, from what was a mystery, though Tsuna would bet that it was the sound of gunfire in the background.

"Ah, yes! What do you-?"

"Tsuna, we need to move!" Kusakabe had risen to one knee, peeking over the top of his desk.

"Shit! Okay, listen up! You'll have to be fast. We can't get to you right now; you'll have to go on your own to the gym!" Tsuna didn't know how much the other person understood, and he didn't really care right now. He slammed the receiver back on the hook, waiting for the next pause. The second it came, Tsuna was darting forward, weaving between obstacles. The gunmen clearly weren't very organized - probably didn't have their commanding officer with them. If they were smart, they would have shot in shifts, always one team to reload while the others continued the assault. Not that Tsuna was complaining. If they were incompetent, all the more chances of living. One desk away from the exit, Kusakabe returned to his side.

"Okay, on three we go," Decimo left no room for argument. "I'll go around them, against the far wall, while you go straight past, down the commons." Kusakabe looked like he wanted to protest, but Tsuna's glare kept him silent.

"One," Tsuna shifted his weight to his toes.

"Two," He leaned forward to peek around.

"Three!" His voice rang out in the quiet of ceasefire and he launched into action. He pivoted around the shelter using his hand as an axis, the other reaching behind him. He darted out the door, Kusakabe one step behind. The enemies reared back in surprise, bullets blasting harmlessly through the ceiling.

He didn't hesitate when his fingers finally connected with the soft cotton in his rear pocket. He shoved one mitten over a hand, its twin clasped in his teeth. He continued to dig for his pills; the effort halted only when he redirected himself using the wall. The floor seemed unnaturally slick, and his heartbeat resounded violently in his skull. His senses were sharp and he dodged to the side, avoiding a bullet, and his elbow found its way into someone's gut.

He rounded the crowd like a dog herding sheep, the men stepping back to aim and running into their comrades behind them. Stray bullets ricocheted sporadically past, but he didn't flinch. He could see the hallway in front of him, Kusakabe already a couple meters ahead. Cafeteria doors lurched violently against the walls as he crashed through them. He disappeared for a split second, but reemerged leaning against the frame, holding the metal open. He franticly waved Tsuna closer, eyes glued behind him.

Hyper Intuition torn up his spine, sending fiery panic raging through his veins like fire. He tumbled to the right, letting the knife slice the air where his shoulder had been only seconds ago. Cold sweat beaded on his brow, and his chocolate eyes had darkened to same shade as Reborn's espresso. He locked gazes with a single solider, who stood out from the rest.

It processed in his mind that this was probably the standing officer. They wore the same armor, but gold streaks replaced grey on the shoulder pads. The chest piece covered any curves, but the long blonde ponytail and sharp facial features suggested female. The customary helmet rested against her hip, held there by a lazily hanging arm. Her calculating hazel eyes were hard with purpose, and her other hand rested thoughtfully on the hilt of another small throwing knife. Tsuna's heart lodged itself in his throat. He had faced many characters more imposing than her, but her cold glare cut through him just as effectively as Xanxus'.

His eyes wavered back to Kusakabe. He too had been frozen temporarily under the woman's icy stare. He was, however, thawing already, and their gazes met up for a brief second. The Vongola Decimo weakly smiled before his foot lashed out, kicking the heavy doors with all his might, throwing the person behind them across the floor.

"Don't get caught," whispered playfully through the closing doors, the light tone layered with heavy implications and shadows.

A/N: IMPORTANT!

People have been getting confused about it, so I'll point this out because I did a sketchy job in the story. Kusakabe is having a flashback! if there is a line break, it will mean a shift in the time period, some times big, sometimes small. Chapters don't necessarily go in chronologic order. Sorry for being confusing with the time line!

I plan on making a clear outline for the timeline, so I'll try to put a notification in the next chapter about that being up.