Hey yo, dear readers! This ti't say anymore if it has been long since the last time i published since i dont remember ANYTHING. Really, i have a serious memory problem... But since my sqtudies are almost over, I can proudly say i only have to bear this for three months then BYE BYE

So as i said on my Facebook page, this is the penultimate chapter of Brothers! i really tried to do something funy at first. i failed. i'm not good at things like that. I hope you'll like this chapter. The next - and last - one will come... by july, in all probability.

The Eclipse, one of the most famous and trendy clubs in the town. On the inside, the place wasn't bad at all: multiple bars supplied with the best liquors, the best quality, and the most beautiful women in the country as waiters and dance floors spreading as far as the eye can see… The club had everything to please. Built in the popular district, it finally won a name after years of being close to bankruptcy and this all thanks to the help of some "unofficial" connections of the club's owner. Which wasn't that particular of a fact in the area. At least, with the protection of the mob, violence in the club and outside had stopped. Everyone could get as drunk and stoned as he liked and no blood was poured on the ground.

Until that night.

There, in a smoky box at the corner of the huge and dim room, sprawling on the leather bench, a man with tanned skin and dark hair was contemplating the place with his disdainful ruby orbs. In vein, since the dance floor was crowded to hell; yet the man kept on watching. In that formless mass of sweating and dancing human flesh, he was looking for a face. The music (some sort of tasteless, modern and mind-numbing electro music) was deafening, but the raven didn't seem to even notice it. He gulped down the rest of his dry whisky and, after wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, he got up. He sank in the crowd.

Strangely, the mass was instinctively moving away from him, as if they were the same pole of two different magnets. Though it wasn't because of the raven's appearance: the man was tall, he had a well-built body, a sensual and in the same time dangerously wicked look on his face. He was that kind of guy today's aesthetic norms are judging as handsome. However, people, as if sensing the menace emanating from him, even in their dead drunkenness, stepped back, just like coward cattle, as the man advanced within them. At some point, a woman approached him daringly. She was thin, gorgeous and high. She started dancing around the tanned man, her gestures obscene and provocative. By the end of the song, she was kissing the raven avidly. Her legs couldn't even keep her up anymore. She fell stupidly on the ground; the raven just let her there.

He kept pacing forward until he reached a group of dancing youths: a man and, gathering around him, a bunch of few women. They were more noisy and showy than the rest of the people in the club, mostly the man. He was waving his arms and practically kicking the air with his legs, and the whores were applauding and laughing as he did.

The tanned man casually pushed them aside and pulled the man's collar so that the drunkard was facing him fully. The latter ask him something, but his voice was lost in the club's noises. He was trying to free himself, but the raven didn't let go of him. He was slowly getting angry, and his features heavy with alcohol were stretched into a comical rictus.

You don't know who I am, the man said. To this, the raven answered with a gun pointed at his forehead. The man paled suddenly. Everyone around him was too busy with the music to notice his whitening, too busy to notice the man was up to be shot to death.

Wait, wait! Who the fuck are you? He added. The raven smirked. He liked the fear he saw on the other's face, liked to play with his prey before the kill. The drunkard understood he could hope for no help from the girls, since long gone.

Don't do that, buddy! He bargained. How much do you want? Just give me your price and it'll be mine.

He was shivering. The raven wouldn't say anything. His smirk was turning into a fiendish grin. Nonetheless, some saints in Heaven might have listened to the poor drunkard's prayers since one hand stopped the raven before he had time to pull at the trigger. The latter looked past his shoulder. A youth with brown eyes and stunning blond hair, a patient smile on his lips, was standing behind him.

"Xanxus," he smiled, "you'd better not do that here. We're watched."

"You little piece of scum, mind your own business." Xanxus spat angrily. "What do I care if police is here?"

"If it was just police, it would be easy." The blond sighed, then his expression became deeply seriously. "It's a wasps' nest. Can't you see them? The entire place is filled with hired men." At a quick glance all over the dance floor, the tanned man indeed distinguished one or two dozen of bulky men with a lump under their jackets that didn't look like their cell phones. "If you do have some brain, you'd better get out."

Xanxus che-ed but finally released the other man and followed the blond outside. After all, with all the people in the club, it would be a pain to try to get out after the firing.

They reached an empty alleyway behind the nightclub. It was giving off an awful stench. A wrinkle appeared above Xanxus' nose bridge. He was dejected, which only meant in his own language that he was terribly mad. He needed someone to take the frustration of his dropped kill on, and the only one he had before him was that blond guy. Xanxus aimed at him. The other man didn't even flinch at the sound of the trigger.

"What the hell are you here for?" The raven asked drily. "Some friend of the other one in there?"

"Far from it." The blond shrugged. "I'm just like you, that is, I have some affair to settle down around here."

Affair? Xanxus didn't even want to know of what kind, yet he didn't feel at ease. That man, a complete stranger, knew his name and his plans for that night. He was in a weaker position.

"Your name, trash. Chi sa?"

The other smiled and held out his hand for Xanxus to shake. "I'm Dino Cavallone. Boss of the Cavallone famiglia. And I think we have an acquaintance in common. I suppose you know him well? His name is Squalo."

Xanxus put his gun down and drew a lighter and a pack of cigarette from his pocket. He lit up a stick then put it between his lips. Even if the raven was, for some time, relatively calm, the Cavallones' Don couldn't help but feel his legs shake uncontrollably beneath him.

After his father's early death, few months ago (the man was only in his mid-forties), he didn't have any other choice but to inherit their family's "business". Before that, he had always been reluctant. He said he wanted to have a normal life, to go to high school, to college, to have a normal job then build his own family, far away from the violence and the precariousness of his previous life. Yes, Dino cherished that kind of innocent dreams; but they all became illusory after his father's murder. Six bullets in the head. The poor man was unrecognizable. Dino hadn't been allowed to see him, his father's closest friends were sure the boy wouldn't have been able to remain sane if he saw that.

They didn't take into account the cops and their boundless nosiness. The entire famiglia was under police examination. No valid revelation could have been extorted from them, but the tragedy happened, in the end. The police thought if they showed the late Don's son a photo of the corpse, it would have been enough to make him do some confession. What a tactlessness act. It only resulted on a way more impenetrable mutism from the young boy.

For the first time, Dino grasped the horror of his situation, the danger in which he and his family had always lived, although him unconscious and naïve. What had happened to his father could easily have happened to him, to any other member of the Cavallone famiglia, to his friends… He didn't want that to happen, he had to protect them! This is what he kept thinking about, night and day.

By that time, rumors of a new group, a new famiglia, was reaching everyone's ears, including Dino's. Rumors of a dark gunslinger and a silver swordsman. The blond already knew what it was about, or more exactly he didn't believe it was just a coincidence. And almost in the same time Belphegor appeared before him (he hadn't seen the kid and his brother anymore since Squalo's leaving). What the smaller blond wanted was very simple: he would work for the Cavallone and in exchange, as a payment, he wanted the Cavallone to give him all the means he needed to find the silverette.

Actually, Dino needed this sort of service. Even two months after their previous leader's assassination, the Cavallones still were very strictly kept under observation by the police. The Don needed an informer that would go unnoticed before them. It was perfidious of him to use a kid, but he also knew Bel wasn't any kid…

But what he had seen after all of this was simply the worst thing he witnessed after his father's death.

Squalo, the proud, loud swordsman and the first friend he had ever made out of his family, was lying there, comatose, in a hospital bed. His left hand missing, his face and body bandaged and stitched up. And that was the first time he saw him in months.

He found Bel sitting silently in the corner of the bedroom, supporting Fran who was sleeping against his shoulder.

"Don't talk too loud." Bel said without looking at him. "Doctors say he's alright. A bunch of liars, don't you think?"

"What happened to him?" Dino asked with a stressful tone. "Just what could have occurred for him to…"

Bel put his forefinger in front of his mouth. "Shhh. Don't talk loud, I say. This is a hospital, you know."

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm not. Now can you sit down? I can't see him well."

There was no sign of anger in Bel's voice, but he was imperious. The older blond was hiding the patient from him. Dino moved aside and sat next to the kids.

"It was past midnight." Dino spoke. "How long have you been waiting here? Did you ever have some dinner?"

"Four hours. Don't need it. And Fran had spent all that time in the cafeteria so he's alright."

"Why didn't you call me? I gave you my number. You should have called me at the moment you found him! I completely lost contact with you. What if something happened to you… No, something actually happened! If Romario hadn't told me about the explosion, I wouldn't even know you were there…"

Bel grimaced. "Tsk. You're noisy. You'll wake this one up."

Dino gave up. It was impossible to try to control those kids. He rubbed his face with his hands. What the heck was this, really? How could something like this happen to someone like Squalo? He was on the point of giving a sob, but he held it back. He knew if Squalo saw his weeping, even half dead, he would have beaten him to death. Bizarrely, it made him smile a little.

Because of his Don's duties, Dino couldn't come at the hospital as often as he liked. He would come once in a while, mostly at the end of the day. He came one week after, Squalo still was sleeping. Yet Dino didn't leave. He put the flowers he had brought with him in a vase and stayed there. The Cavallone sat on the same chair and kept an eye on the swordsman while Bel would take a nap. He felt guilty about not being able to do more for them, but the situation in town had worsened like no hell after the explosion affair. Even walking in the streets in the middle of the day could be fatal for anyone.

The only time he could free himself again was only one more week later. This time, Squalo had already woken up, but still couldn't move from the bed. The silver head was watching with a blank air at the window, right on his left. The sunray was traversing the white curtain and flooding the bedroom with a yellow-orangey shade. Squalo was holding tight his left wrist with his other hand. He didn't look at Dino as the latter came to sit beside him. The blond distinguished no hint that the silverette was annoyed or sad. He was just… Expressionless.

He smiled gently, putting the usual bunch of flowers on the bed head. "Yo, Squalo. We didn't see each other in a while."

Are you alright? Did you do something interesting? In Dino's mind, all those common questions sounded like insults toward the swordsman. He was pretty aware of everything Squalo had done the past months, and one hospitalized for multiple wounds and a cut hand is in no way alright.

"Cavallone…So it's you." Unexpectedly, Squalo replied, his eyes still wandering in the void.

"Ah, I'm so happy you still remember my name!" Dino laughed heartedly. "Um. You need something, maybe? Water, or another pillow… Your wounds, they look like they hurt a lot. Do I call a nurse? Or-"

"Voi, Dino Cavallone." Squalo drily cut the blond, his features now slightly twisted with annoyance. "Why did you save me? Why didn't you let me there?"

"There… You mean in that burning building?" Dino frowned. "I'd never let you die there, by no means… Anyway Bel is the one who found you. I only came here-"

Squalo finally glared at him, his wicked grey orbs locking with Dino's brown ones. "This isn't what I asked you!" He yelled. "I don't want to owe anyone anything, nor you, nor the brats… No one!"

Dino stood up and glared back at him. "Do you clearly understand what you're implying? You expect us to let you die purposelessly, slowly bleeding to death in the street like a dog? You're insane! Do you know how much we were worried about you? You disappeared without telling anyone, all those rumors are circulating about you… And you end up so badly injured!"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with you. How I live, how I die…"

"Yes, it has! There are limits to pride. Yours is purely unconsciousness!"

"So what, you damn brat?"

Dino clenched his fists. "I'm not a brat!"

"Che?" Squalo sneered. "Voi, just your leading a lousy group of Mafiosi doesn't make of you a fucking man."

"Neither does your cutting Mafiosi all over the town. I suppose a real man would have never made a mistake that would lead him to the hospital."

"You'd better keep your shitty mouth shut, Cavallone." Squalo's tone lowered gravely. Dino was sure if the guy hadn't been seriously wounded, he would have killed him since long. His legs were shaking unconsciously, but he didn't stop.

"If not, what? Don't make the mistake to think you're the only who had changed."

"That's only fucking empty words."

"Perhaps. I don't really know myself. The only thing I can say is that I won't let any of my friends get hurt. I wouldn't have let you get hurt. Tell me, Squalo. Why did you choose to follow someone like him? Why…"

Why him?

"Shut your fucking mouth I say!" Squalo shouted and threw a pillow at the blond's head. It dropped in the floor. Dino sighed.

"I guess it's over for today." He picked the pillow up and put it back on the bed. "I'll come back as fast as I can." Even if you don't want to see me. "Don't overwork yourself until then, Squalo."

Dino tried to smile at the silverette, but the latter didn't even look at him. Now Squalo was really angry, Dino thought, a bit of culpability in his heart. He slowly walked to the door, his brain still boiling with everything he had said.

"See you later, then…" He spoke while facing the door. "I'm sorry if I…" He turned back to look at Squalo, then silenced.

Squalo still was sitting on the bed with his folded arms resting on his knees, and his face hidden behind them. He was silent, but his shoulders were shaking a little. Only once did Dino hear a soft whimper from the silverette. It was the first time he saw the proud swordsman cry. He knew the other boy would have never forgiven him if he ever had the indelicacy of saying anything at that moment. Worse still, if he tried to cheer him up or reminded him later that he saw him, Superbi Squalo, crying.

Dino silently got out and closed the door. It had been the last time he saw Squalo.

Of course he hadn't talk to anyone about all the crying-thing. He didn't want to. That sight, he wanted to treasure it capriciously, childishly, for him only. Plus Xanxus was probably the last person on earth he would have talked to about it.

"So what the fuck are you here for?" Xanxus emotionlessly cut the blond in his thoughts. "What do you want from me?"

"We can't find him. He left the hospital, I thought he would be here with you."

The raven puffed a white smoke then, after throwing the first stick, he took and lit another one and brought it to his lips. "Huh. Why should I care about that trash? As if I wanted to have some kind of crippled piece of scum to work for me."

Dino was trembling with anger and disbelief. "You really aren't ashamed of yourself, are you? Squalo gave everything up for you and this is how you thank him!"

"You worthless scum." The tanned man glowered at him. "If you think you can survive in this world with that trashy way of thinking of yours, you won't last for long. Or what? Did you expect me to keep the other scum by my side? To comfort him and forgive him?"

"Forgive him, you say…" The Cavallone's voice was shaking with indignation. "It's not as if Squalo has anything to be ashamed about. If he should regret something, that would be meeting you.

Xanxus stared at Dino as if asking himself whether the blond was drunk or drugged or both. Again another white puff, then a smirk. "So that's how it is."

Perplexed, Dino looked at him. "How is what? What are you talking about?"

Suddenly the sound of stomping reached Dino's ears. People were coming, they were numerous and, as Don Cavallone could hear from his spot, they were quite irritated and looking for Xanxus.

"Trash. I have no time to lose listening your goddamn fit of the offended lover." He shoved Dino aside and walked to the other side of the alleyway. "Now get away from my sight before I seriously damage your already lame brain.

Fortunately for the blond, the place was dark, so the raven couldn't catch sight of the blush spreading all over his face. At last Dino's legs gave up. He collapsed on the floor, still shivering from the meeting he had with the raven. Few minutes later, a fusillade burst in the middle of the night.

…

What did he cry? And moreover, in front of the Cavallone brat. Squalo cursed himself. Yet, he hadn't been able to stop the tears once they started to fill his eyes. He was sure he looked pretty ridiculous like that, whimpering like the child he had accused Dino to be. Who was he trying to fool? He was a child, a damn child who hadn't even be able to fulfill his Boss' only wish.

"Right hand man my ass." He murmured. His saliva was bitter with remorse and also because of all the medicines he had to take since morning.

But more than anything, he failed at protecting Xanxus. He didn't know what happened to the raven. He didn't even know if he was alive, out of danger. He knew absolutely nothing! "I fucked up. Dammit, I fucked everything up."

Then tears streamed down his face again, more burning than ever. Those weren't the tears of a child crying because he had been lectured by his parents. Those were the tears of a repentant, of a penitent in fault who knew perfectly he had erred.

He wanted to see him. He had to.

"But even if I find Xanxus, what can I say to him?"

Forgive me. Please, don't hate me, don't let me aside… That was perfectly silly. For Xanxus, he must be already dead, and seeing the swordsman creeping before him would only disgust him a little more. He was disgusting himself.

This time, Squalo couldn't suppress his sobs anymore. Each tear he wiped away was instantly replaced by another one. His eyes were red, he had a runny nose and his head was starting to ache. He hated that. That was utterly unworthy of him.

"Ugh. Wash your face. That's gross." Someone said from the door, startling Squalo. The silverette looked at the intruder to find a green haired boy casually munching crisps.

"Vooi, Fran, get out! I really don't want to deal with you right now."

"Don't want to. Not before I take a picture of your ugly face." Then adding the acts to the words, Fran pulled a phone from his pocket and took the pic. Squalo was irritated, to no hell.

"Voooi, you little bastard, if you don't delete this fucking pic right now I'll kill you! I swear to God if I only have one day left to live in this damn world, I'll get you and fucking skin you alive… Voi, did you hear me?!"

"Bye bye." Fran didn't listen and left the bedroom.

"You motherfucking brat!" Squalo tried to get up. He accidentally leant on his no longer existing hand, and almost fell on the ground. Luckily enough, he caught the headboard of the bed in extremis. "Shit." He cursed again, anger once more filling his heart.

"What are you doing?" Bel showed up at the door. Squalo was tired yelling at people since it was totally useless. Instead he sat back in the bed and scowled.

"Voi, nothing. Only, if you find Fran, tell him his days are numbered."

"I'll tell him." Bel drew closer to the bed and picked a Kleenex from a box on the bed head. He showed it to Squalo. "I mean, what are you going to do now?"

What was he going to do? He wished someone could tell him. Right at the moment, only one thought was rumbling in his head. He took the handkerchief and noisily blew his nose. It was sadly lacking of glamour, Bel thought. It made him smile in his inner self. But wasn't that exactly what made of Squalo Squalo?

"There's a fucking rat." Squalo explained and stared at Bel. Meh. The kid certainly would understand nothing of what he was talking about, and he needed to have his mind limpid. "Someone who knew where the meeting would be held. Apart from the guests, only Xanxus and I did. And I only called the guests no more than the day before, they wouldn't have been able to prepare the trap within so few hours."

"So the rat comes from the inside." The smaller uttered carelessly as he sat on his sit in the corner. Squalo stared at him again, more surprised than anything else.

"The rat comes from the inside… Or not." The silverette thought aloud. "Some people knew where Xanxus was living. On a second thought, it could be anyone…"

"Someone who knew exactly where to place the bomb. Who didn't attract people's attention as they paced in that place. A regular. Or people working at the tavern."

Squalo frowned and crossed his arms. "So I'm right. Anyone could have done it. Do you have the slightest idea of the number of lousy scums that were hanging in that damn tavern?"

Bel looked up – or more precisely he raised his head.

"Marino Seghi from the Pietrangeli famiglia. Mid thirties. Tall, nasty look on his face. A beard he didn't cut for three days." He recited like a counting rhyme. "Terzo D'Inzeo from the Senoner famiglia. About fifty. Small and squat. Former boxer. Samuele Colo, again from the Senoner famiglia…"

Bel didn't stop the counting. At the other side of the room, Squalo was watching at him incredulously.

"What the hell is that?" He asked, puzzled.

"Do you recognize any of them from the description?"

The swordsman's eyes widened with realization. Moles, of course. "The no.2. Small and fat." He answered after one second. "The others I never saw around the tavern. Three months earlier, I caught him downstairs. He said he was drunk and that he lost his way. It was an isolated case so I didn't give a damn."

Reconnaissance. Bel grinned. "Shishishi. So now we have our man."

TBC

Chi sa?: who are you?

Che?: What?