Hi! Sorry this came out a little later than the others. My classes are really starting to crunch down now and I have a few quiz's coming up :p. My friend Lily (winterlily24) just got out of the hospital, so yay! However she was a little sad to see that he stories didn't get many reviews, so she got really lazy and decided she could hold off a little longer on updating her stories! Please encourage her!
I hope you like this chapter as well! Thanks to all of those who reviewed!
I read the reviews several times and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy, and I suddenly had the energy to type up the rest of my chapter! ^w^ Please review some more!
Chapter XI
"This isn't even funny," Tsuna muttered to himself as he walked down the empty street. "I can't work for the mafia. But at this rate-"
"No matter how much you run, they'll keep coming after you," a voice said to Tsuna's right.
Tsuna straightened and looked around. He saw Reborn supporting himself on the wall next to him, his elbows on the wall with his head propped up on his hands.
Reborn crossed his arms. "And on top of that, don't forget what they've done to find you."
Tsuna thought about Ryohei in the hospital; Kyoko crying from her worry; Gokudera getting stabbed by the needles; and Alicia crying.
"That's…I think what they're doing is wrong, involving everyone like that." Tsuna frowned. "Mukuro makes me angry! But…"Tsuna looked down again, losing his anger. "Hailey-chan is missing and even Hibari-san hasn't returned. There's no way Dame-Tsuna could defeat a guy like that. It's reckless."
"But the people around you don't think so," Reborn countered.
Tsuna turned when he heard someone running up to them. "Wha?"
Gokudera stood before Tsuna like nothing had happened. He jabbed his thumb at himself. "Take me with you, tenth!"
"Gokudera-kun!"
"I'll bring their lives to an end!"
"H-How are your wounds?"
Gokudera turned to the side smugly. "Just scratches." He trailed off as he got dizzy.
Yamamoto walked up next to Gokudera. "I'll go too, Tsuna."
"Yamamoto!"
"I heard it from the kid. You're playing mafia with another school."
Tsuna stared as Yamamoto incredulously. 'You're being duped, Yamamoto.'
"I'll go too," a female voice said from behind Gokudera and Yamamoto. "I'm worried about Hayato."
Gokudera fell to the ground in shock of seeing his sister's face.
Reborn hopped over the wall and landed in front of the group. "You'll be coming with us, right Alicia?"
Tsuna looked around and spotted Alicia leaning against the telephone pole. He hadn't even noticed her walking up.
Alicia eyed each member of the group critically. "Fine. But you better not hold me back. My concern is Hailey. I won't be participating in any of the fights."
Reborn turned his back to the group. "We've got the people we need to charge into enemy territory."
"Huh?" Tsuna looked around to Reborn.
"I know where their hideout is, thanks to Hailey. Their captives should be there."
"Captives?"
Reborn lowered his head slightly. "People you know very well."
"Reborn," Alicia shrugged herself away from the pole and walked over to the baby hitman. "Speaking of tomorrow, there's something we need to discuss."
Reborn hopped up onto Alicia's shoulder. "I suppose you want to talk in private."
Alicia nodded.
"Hm. Let's go."
Alicia and Reborn walked away, leaving the rest of the group to discuss a time to meet up the next day.
Hailey opened her eyes blearily and sighed.
She was right back where she started. Of course she knew this would happen when she made a run for it, but part of her was secretly hoping she would manage to find a way out. Her hands were tied behind her back once again, but this time they tied her ankles too.
"Kufufufu. Let's try this again, shall we?" Mukuro emerged from the shadows and sat down on the couch next to Hailey.
"Uuuuugh!" Hailey complained. "Why even bother! You know I have nothing to say to you."
"Oya? Well then how about I talk for a while." Mukuro picked Hailey up by her collar and slammed her against the wall. She glared at him, refusing to make a sound that would indicate that it hurt. "Kufufufu. You're as tough as that duck downstairs. You know, for someone who's already died once, I would think that you'd be a little more…sturdy. To fall ill is very humorous to me."
"I may have died, but I'm still human just like you. Now hands off you jerk!" Hailey tried to shove Mukuro away with her knees, but it had no effect.
"Oya, oya. So you already know how similar we are. Kufufufufu. Then you should be willing to help me, no?"
"I see no reason why I should."
Mukuro threw Hailey into the side wall. He walked over and pulled her up by her bangs. Hailey glared, ignoring the blood dripping down her face from her head wound, and kept trying to kick Mukuro. "Do you know about the consequences to the special rule that was created for the souls sent on trials?"
Hailey just ignored him and tried to shove him away. Mukuro kicked Hailey who rolled to a stop. She panted and tried to push herself to her knees using her head.
"I'm sure they told you. But you probably didn't think they would take it seriously. Do you know what happens when you break that rule?" Mukuro grabbed Hailey's upper arm and pulled her closer, so that she was looking directly at him. "If any of the people you interacted with in this world is unable to forget about you after your trial ends and you leave, then they are all killed."
Hailey's pupils contracted in shock.
"Those little children you're looking after seem to have gotten quite attached to you. I'm sure their past the point of ever forgetting you and your sister. I wonder if I should ease their pain and take care of them before your adviser does."
"You're lying…" There was no confidence in Hailey's voice.
"Your second mission, after your initial trial, is to disappear and be forgotten by everyone in this world. But what if they cannot forget? How are the advisors supposed to deal with that then?"
Hailey paled. That couldn't be true…right? Heaven wouldn't kill a bunch of innocent people just because of that…
Mukuro laughed and dragged Hailey over to the theater room. He climbed up onto the stage and dumped Hailey on the floor, while he sat down on the couch.
Hailey didn't move. She couldn't think, her brain felt like it was dumped in tar. If that was true, then she was about to be the reason six innocent kids were going to die. She was sure that she distanced herself enough from Tsuna and his friends, but Alison, Zach, Alex, Luca, Michael, and Angelo… David must have known, so why didn't he stop her?
Mukuro smiled sadly. "Did you know that this is the third world I've been to?"
Hailey looked over, trying to mask her distress.
"I broke the rule as well in my trial world. The result was an entire city's destruction. Because so many had to die, I was punished by getting sent through hell several times before finally getting dumped here."
"Why are you telling me this?" Hailey whispered.
"I suppose it's because I would like for you to tell me what my purpose in this world is."
"I'm beginning to wonder as well," Hailey muttered.
"What is this?" Yamamoto bent down to examine a foot/paw print. "Looks like animal footprints."
Reborn, who was sitting on Yamamoto's shoulder, looked up. "Something's coming."
Alicia jogged backwards a little. A second later something jumped out of the bushes and made a dive for Yamamoto, passing through the spot Alicia had been moments ago. The baseball player jumped out of the way and landed on his back. The impact resulted in the ground underneath him breaking and he fell through. The thing that attacked him jumped into the hole after Yamamoto.
Reborn confirmed that Tsuna's memory of the place was accurate, it was just a mud slide that had covered the flora and fauna exhibit.
"Are you alive, baseball-nut?" Gokudera called down.
Yamamoto sat up and laughed to ease his friends worries. The others warned him of the other who had jumped in after him. Yamamoto fought Ken, but had a difficult time. Reborn kicked the worrying Tsuna into the exhibit as well, which lead to Yamamoto becoming more serious because of his friend in danger and win his fight against Ken. All the while believing that it was all just a game where you didn't have to hold back.
Tsuna and Yamamoto looked back up at the hole and wondered how to get back to the others. Suddenly a rope with a loop at the end came down.
"One of you step through the loop, then we'll pull you up!" Alicia called. She had brought a few supplies with her, knowing that it would probably be needed. Tsuna was pulled up first, then Yamamoto. A first aid kit was also supplied by Alicia.
As she tended to Yamamoto's wound, she wondered how they dealt with this stuff in the manga and anime. She didn't remember reading or watching about how they got Yamamoto and Tsuna out. She could understand Bianchi tending to Yamamoto's wound, but the whole stuck several feet below the ground with no escape thing baffled her.
Alicia went to scout out the area ahead of them a bit while Reborn explained more about Rokudo Mukuro and the other escapees. If she remembered correctly then M.M. was going to show up next. Then that sadistic pervert named Birds. Lanchia, as Mukuro's shadow, would arrive after Fuuta tried to make Tsuna go back. Tsuna was supposed to meet Mukuro in the forest when he chases after Fuuta. Should she interfere then? That would mess with the story though.
Alicia settled with her original plan of taking a nap with Reborn. Even though she was agitated and Hailey wasn't here, she couldn't think of any other way to keep herself out of the commotion. Alicia wondered back over to the group and sat down, leaning against the table.
"This isn't good!" Tsuna said worriedly.
Yamamoto was about to hop over the table but Gokudera held him back. "Stop, Yamamoto." Yamamoto looked down at Gokudera. "She touched it." Yamamoto looked back at the fight between M.M. and Bianchi.
M.M. put her clarinet to her lips intending to blow Bianchi to smithereens only to freak out because her clarinet was melting from poison cooking. M.M. screamed.
"Her clarinet," Yamamoto said, stunned.
Tsuna stared at the fight in horror and shock. "Is that Bianchi's attack?"
"That's right," Gokudera confirmed in dread, "Her ultimate dish, making anything she touches into poison cooking."
"Thousand Poisonous Flowers!" Bianchi said fiercely.
"That's…impossible…" M.M. fell to the ground, twitching from the poison.
"Are you alright?" Bianchi asked and ran over to Reborn. "I'm so glad that we didn't interrupt your nap!"
"When did Reborn…?" Tsuna questioned no one in particular.
"So sis fought to protect Reborn's sleep?" Gokudera asked dumfounded.
"Love is victorious," Bianchi said, turning back to M.M. who then passed out.
"Bianchi is to be feared…" Tsuna muttered, horrified.
Yamamoto just smiled, unfazed by her actions. "Good job."
A creepy high pitched laugh came from where M.M. had appeared from. "I am quite glad that, that avaricious girl M.M. has been beaten." The group turned to see an old man with a couple of birds resting on his shoulder and hat.
"Who are you?" Tsuna asked.
The man smiled. "Now calm down and look at this." The man pushed a button and Haru and Kyoko were projected onto the wall. "Your friends are being targeted."
The man introduced himself as birds and the disfigured people threatening Kyoko and Haru as the Bloody Twins. Birds ordered someone to attack Tsuna unless they wanted the two girls to get hurt. Bianchi finally gave and hit Tsuna, though it wasn't very hard.
Birds being a sadistic jerk, threw a sword and ordered Tsuna to stab himself once again threatening Kyoko and Haru. Just in time, Shamal, I-pin and Lambo were able to take on the twins and send Kyoko and Haru to safety.
"I'm glad I followed Haru-san like I was asked," I-pin said to the camera.
"His instinct was right on." Shamal added.
Tsuna remembered Reborn calling over I-pin and whispering something to her before they left the house that morning. "He couldn't have-"
There was a chuckle.
Tsuna turned around. "Reborn! You…"
"You should be glad that you have a family that will look out for you when you're in trouble."
Tsuna rubbed his nose, embarrassed. "Yeah. Eh, we're not a family!"
Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Bianchi approached Birds as threatening as they could. Birds tried to leave, but was knocked out with a single kick to the face by Gokudera.
Alicia stood up, yawning loudly.
"You! You stupid sour twin! You slept this whole time while we all had to work? Juudaime almost got stabbed!" Gokudera yelled furiously.
Alicia glanced at the blade for a second before yawning again. "Yeah, and he would have died instantly if he was even scratched by that too."
"What?" Gokudera shouted.
"It's laced with poison. Lucky Reborn and I thought of I-pin and Shamal, though I guess Lambo was an extra bonus. Not that he did much."
"And you didn't help?" Gokudera demanded.
"I already told you. This isn't my fight. This is for the Vongola Juudaime to take care of, as per order from Nono. Anyways, Reborn," Alicia turned to look at the small hitman, "I asked Dino to look into those other escapees, so why on earth would you trust Dino when he said they didn't matter."
Reborn made a pouty face. "But, but Dino never said you were the one who told him about this."
Alicia rolled her eyes. "Spare me."
Hailey was lying on her side staring blankly at the ground. She was still trying to figure out how she should proceed with her and Alicia's trial. She also had to figure out what she was going to do with the kids.
Mukuro had left. He probably went to go check on Chikusa as well as send out M.M., Birds, the Bloody Twins, and Lanchia. Hailey figured Alicia was with Tsuna, but staying out of the fights. She wondered what her sister was doing instead so that she could avoid fighting. Hailey chuckled. Alicia was probably taking a nap.
"In a better mood I see." Mukuro walked back into the room. Fuuta followed silently behind him and stopped at stood off to the side of the door.
Hailey sighed. 'Alright! It's decided! I'll have David promise to look after the kids when Alicia and I leave this world. I won't worry about it. This is only distracting me from my mission, and I'm sure Alicia had already guessed this much, so I shouldn't be surprised either! And I've kept a good distance from Tsuna, so everything will be ok!' Hailey frowned determinedly.
Mukuro chuckled and crouched next to Hailey. He brushed the tip of his trident against her, trying to threaten her a little. "Found your resolve already? I'm sure you're already aware that Decimo and his friends are here. They defeated Ken, M.M., Birds, the twins, and Lanchia. Though I was surprised how quick Lanchia took to Decimo. He was about to give away my secret, and would have succeeded if I hadn't sent Chikusa to dispatch him for me."
Hailey just glared at him.
"Why not tell me some of Decimo's secrets. He seemed to become more wild when he fought my shadow. Is it some kind of special bullet?"
Hailey turned away pointedly to indicate she wasn't answering.
"Kufufufu, rather stubborn aren't you. No matter, Decimo seems to be out of that special bullet. When he comes here, he'll be falling right into my hands. I wonder if you'll assist me." Mukuro cut Hailey's cheek with his trident. "Oya? So even if you are human, the already deceased can't be manipulated."
Hailey stuck her tongue out at the boy.
"Hm. But you'll still be assistance to me." Mukuro smirked. A lemon formed in front of Hailey, causing her breathing to become labored. "That's more like it. I'm sure Decimo and your sister will be much more concerned now."
There was a loud boom. Someone must have set off an explosion. Someone, meaning Gokudera.
Mukuro laughed a little and sat down on the couch behind Hailey to wait for Decimo and his tutor to arrive.
"Mukuro's close," Reborn reminded the group.
Reborn, Bianchi, and Tsuna peeked into the theater. Alicia chose to hang back a little till they started to walk in.
"Ah!" Tsuna started when he saw the boy he met in the forest inside the room.
"I'm glad we could meet again," the boy said calmly.
Bianchi stepped inside the room as well.
Tsuna ran in a little. "Is this where you're being held?" Tsuna turned back to his companions to explain. "This is the Kokuyo student I met earlier. He's being held here."
The boy laughed a little. "Please take your time. We're about to start a long relationship together, Vongola the tenth."
"Eh? How do you know I'm Vongola?" Tsuna stared at the boy.
"Wait, Tsuna," Reborn said.
"That's not it Tsuna," Bianchi walked over to Tsuna, "He's…"
The boy chuckled some more. "That's right. I'm the real" he raised his head, revealing his mismatched eyes, "Rokudo Mukuro."
A shape started taking shape at the floor in front of Mukuro.
"Hailey!" Alicia shouted and started forward.
"Stop!" Hailey shouted. Alicia froze. Hailey panted a pit before she spoke again. "You're not supposed to be here right now. Go do your part." Hailey closed her eyes.
Alicia could tell her sister was in pain. "Are you crazy? I'm getting you out of here first!" Alicia started forward again.
"You idiot!" Hailey yelled. She started to argue with her sister again, this time in a series of different languages.
Reborn tried to keep up, but they kept changing the grammatical style as well. And he was sure that there were a few languages that they probably made up mixed in as well. The two girls avoided Japanese and Italian entirely. Reborn did manage to catch one word. It was in English, the word 'trial'. He wondered what that could possibly mean.
Alicia punched the wall in frustration. Whatever the two had argued about, it seemed Hailey won. Hailey went limp, breathing harder than ever.
"Fine!" Alicia left the room.
Mukuro laughed lightly. "My, my. I wonder what that was all about. Using so much energy for that, it must have been important. No matter, I can find out later."
The door slammed closed behind Tsuna, Reborn, and Bianchi.
Tsuna and the others whirled. Tsuna's eyes widened in shock. "Ah! Fuuta!"
Alicia was really mad now. She had finally located Hailey, just to be sent away again.
Hailey had argued with her that their trial was more important and that she wouldn't die anyways so it would be fine. She wanted Alicia to go make sure Hibari was released and took the antidote for the sakura disease. Then Alicia was supposed to lead Hibari to Mukuro.
Alicia cursed and grumbled the whole way. She glared at random inanimate objects like they were doing her some wrong just by being there.
'Arg! I really just want to beat the crap out of somebody!' Alicia screamed in her head.
Suddenly a body flew past her and out the window. Alicia was able to recognize Chikusa before he fell completely out of sight. Alicia looked back to see Hibari standing in front of a hallway.
She grinned. Perfect.
Hibari noticed Alicia grinning and narrowed his eyes. To Alicia's delight he charged at her, so Alicia ran forward as well. But as she raised a fist to attack she froze and had to dodge Hibari's blow at the last minute.
"Arg!" She clutched her head in frustration. "I can't fight you right now dammit! Hailey will get mad at me!" Hibari stopped attacking her. Alicia pointed a finger at him. "After you beat Mukuro and heal up some we're going to fight again! I want you in top condition so that when I'm standing victorious, my victory will be that much sweeter, you got that!"
Hibari smirked and put his tonfas away. The two of them walked down to Gokudera.
Alicia poked Gokudera. "Hey! Octopus head! Shamal gave you the cure to sakura-kura right?"
"Knock it off, stupid loud mouth!" Gokudera tried to slap her hand away, but missed. He pulled the bag Shamal had given him and tossed it to Hibari.
When Hibari didn't do anything with it Alicia raised an eyebrow. "What? You just going to fall for the same trick twice?" She taunted.
Hibari frowned a little and threw the bag back at Gokudera. Alicia noticed him taking the medicine before tossing it back.
Hibari and Alicia eat pulled one of Gokudera's arms around their shoulders and hoisted him up.
"Man, I seem to be carrying you around a lot lately," Alicia complained. She ignored Gokudera's own complaints as she and Hibari carried him toward the others.
"Mukuro, don't be so sure of yourself. I'm the best at-home tutor," Reborn said confidently.
Mukuro suddenly turned and deflected the object thrown at him.
"Juudaime, please get down!" Dynamite detonated and blew all the snakes away.
The smoke cleared to show Gokudera being supported by Hibari and Alicia.
"Sorry we're late," Gokudera said,
"Hibari-san! Gokudera-kun! You're both…" Tsuna's eyes shone with happiness.
"Do you understand now?" Reborn said to Mukuro. "Tsuna isn't the only one I raised."
Mukuro's eyes narrowed in irritation.
"I've paid you back now." Hibari dropped Gokudera's arm.
"And I don't feel like helping you anymore." Alicia also let go of Gokudera's arm, resulting in Gokudera being thrown back.
Tsuna stared at the scene in a mixture of shock and concern.
Mukuro regained his composure. "My, my, there's a lot of spectators today. What is Chikusa doing?"
Gokudera leaned against the wall and smiled triumphantly. "The glasses guy and the animal guy are taking a nap together down below."
"I see," Mukuro said smoothly.
"Amazing!" Tsuna cheered, "Way to go, Gokudera-kun!"
Gokudera looked down ashamed. "It's not as if I beat them…"
Hibari ignored all of them and walked and picked up his tonfas. "Have you prepared yourself?"
"You're very scary," Mukuro turned to Hibari, "But please don't get between me and Vongola. Besides, you can barely stand right now. I've broken many of your bones, after all."
Hibari turned to Mukuro and held his weapons at the ready, ignoring Mukuro's prattle. "Have you prepared your last will?"
"You say such amusing things. I have no choice. I'd better take care of you first." The number in Mukuro's right eye changed from six to four and ignited with a light purple aura. He charged forward. "This will end in a moment."
The two sent one attack after another at each other. Tsuna couldn't even see because their attacks were so quick.
But Alicia had tuned it all out. She was concentrating on Hailey who was still lying next to the couch on the stage. Her breathing was a little less labored, but it looked like she still needed some rest before she would be alright.
Now that she had time to look, Alicia noticed that Hailey was banged up pretty bad as well. Blood had caked on, probably originating from some head wound; there was a fresh cut on her cheek; bruises on her neck indicated she was chocked; and her clothes revealed that Hailey had probably been thrown around which meant that there would be a lot of bruising and scratches.
The sound of a gunshot drew Alicia's attention back to the others in the room. She looked over in time to see Mukuro fall to the ground with a gun in his hand. So Mukuro was going to fight with possessed bodies now.
Alicia's eyes narrowed. Let the game officially begin.
Hailey could hear them all fighting. But the stupid virus relapse made her feel really tired. At least it wasn't a real lemon. An illusion didn't have all the same adverse effects on her. But still, being down for the count was still annoying.
She would use her flames, but no one but Tsuna was supposed to be able to call on their flames till they went to the future. And Tsuna wasn't supposed to know he would fight with flames till…oh wait, that was this battle.
Maybe she should open her eyes and watch after all…
Nah. It's not like she could do anything anyways.
Hailey decided she would just continue to slowly cut the rope binding her wrists. She was almost halfway through. She wondered if she had enough strength to just break the rest of it.
Better not risk it. She shouldn't use more strength than she could manage at the moment. Besides, if Alicia saw that she still had that much energy left, then Alicia would have her head for sure.
There were more sounds of fighting. More people seemed to have entered the fray.
Hailey could only assume that Mukuro was using the possession bullet and was using Gokudera, Bianchi, Chikusa, and Ken to fight Tsuna and Reborn. Hailey looked up to see Alicia leaning against the wall and watching the fight. Everyone seemed to have forgotten her as well as Hailey.
Alicia looked up to see Hailey staring at her. Hailey flicked her head to indicate that Alicia should leave the room and go check on Yamamoto.
Hailey chuckled when she saw Alicia click her tongue in frustration and walk out.
Hailey sat up when she finally released her hands and started fiddling with the knot holding the rope around her ankles together. She glanced up to see how the fight was going and saw an avalanche of bombs flying toward Tsuna. "Tsuna, look out!" Hailey yelled.
Hailey knew that Tsuna was going to be alright because she read the manga and watched the anime.
She knew Tsuna would live because she heard and saw Reborn shoot the new bullet in time.
She knew, but still… why was she so afraid?
Why did Tsuna and Hibari lying on their stomach with so many injuries make her blood run cold?
Is that what she looked like when she was hit by that car?
Is that same face that her parents saw?
Will Alicia and she look like that when they die in this world?
Hailey started shaking. She felt sick.
Only when Tsuna started to get up, did Hailey start feeling a little better again. She watched in awe as Tsuna defeated the Mukuro in Ken, Chikusa, Gokudera, and Bianchi in that order. She made sure to snap a quick picture of Tsuna in hyper dying will mode, she was sure Alicia would want to see it, then went back to untying her legs.
Suddenly Hailey was pulled up roughly and an arm wound around her neck, choking her slightly. Hailey tried to pull the arm away and looked back to see Mukuro.
"Mukuro! You dirty-" The rest of her words were blocked as Mukuro tightened his grip.
"Mukuro, let her go," Tsuna demanded calmly.
Mukuro laughed. "What are you going to do now Vongola Juudaime?"
Hailey managed to get the ropes around her ankles to fall off. "He's not going to do anything!" She kicked Mukuro, causing him to release her.
Tsuna caught Hailey before she could hit the ground and took her over to Reborn and the others in an instant.
Hailey stuck her tongue at Mukuro. "Sorry, but I'm not really the damsel in distress type. Now kick his butt Tsuna."
Tsuna charged after Mukuro again.
"Not the damsel in distress huh?" A voice said behind Hailey and Reborn.
"Yo! Alicia," Hailey said calmly and leaned back on her hands to watch the fight.
"If you aren't the damsel in distress type, then next time don't get kidnapped," Alicia continued to gripe.
Reborn smirked. "You information was quite helpful. Though I don't understand why you asked Dino to look up those other escapees."
"I had nagging suspicion that Mukuro found out about me and Alicia, and that he also herd about me getting infected with that virus. So I got things ready just in case," Hailey said with a smile.
"If you knew, then why didn't you do more to avoid it?" Alicia demanded furiously.
Hailey made a pouty face similar to the one Reborn made earlier that day. "But-but I had no way to know what day he would try to attack me."
Alicia slammed her head into the nearby wall in frustration.
"You're pretty efficient," Reborn commented, "You even asked Bianchi to bring an extra set of cloths for Tsuna."
Hailey laughed. "I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't even pay attention to the details, now would I?" Hailey looked up at her sister to see her watching Tsuna. She smirked and looked back at the fight as well. "Looks pretty cool in hyper dying will mode huh? Though I do like it when he's a bumbling fool, he's so cute like that! But this way he inspires more confidence and trust, like he's capable of anything."
"It will definitely be interesting to watch his development," Alicia agreed.
Tsuna had turned his back to Mukuro because he refused to kill him, but this gave Mukuro an opening to grab Tsuna's arms from behind. Mukuro head butted Tsuna and kicked him toward the wall where the trident was sticking out.
"Go, Tsuna!" Reborn called out. "Show him the power of the X-Gloves!"
Tsuna blasted a large flame out behind him as thrust and used the dying will flames propulsion to charge toward the shocked Mukuro and knock him back. The flames cleansed Mukuro's dark aura as he was pushed back and into the floor near the base of the stage.
Hailey whistled. "Pretty amazing, wouldn't you say?"
"Cheh, still needs work." Alicia turned away with her eyes closed.
Reborn looked down at Mukuro. "It's over."
Tsuna nodded and let his flame go out. "Yeah. Ah! Everyone's hurt!"
"Nothing to worry about." Tsuna looked down at Reborn to see him holding a Leon phone to his ear. "The Vongola medical team has arrived. It looks like they were able to provide an antidote to Lanchia's poison."
"Thank goodness," Tsuna breathed out in relief. He looked back at Mukuro. "Mukuro. He's not dead, is he? Is he alright?"
"As soft as ever," Reborn softly reprimanded.
Alicia on the other hand wasn't so kind. Tsuna's comment had made a vein pop in irritation. She threw a piece of wood from the ground at his head. "Is he alright? Are you kidding me? He just tried to kill you and your friends and you ask if he's going to be alright? That softness is going to be the reason you die someday!"
Hailey laughed. "Now, now! That kindness and pure heart is a good thing! Besides, it's our job to prevent that right?"
"Are you kidding me? What type of attitude it that? You were almost killed to?" Alicia shook Hailey by the collar, but to her frustration Hailey continued to laugh. Alicia released her sister and opted out for banging her head against the wall several times. Tsuna laughed nervously, then turned back to Mukuro.
"Stay away from him- byon!" a gruff voice shouted. Tsuna, Reborn and the twins turned to see Ken and Chikusa dragging themselves to Mukuro. "Don't you mafia touch him."
"Why?" Tsuna asked. "Why do you go so far for Mukuro? You were possessed and used by Mukuro!"
"Don't talk to us like you understand," Chikusa muttered.
"This is nothing, compared to the suffering we endured back then." Ken tried to push himself off the ground.
Tsuna stared at them. "Back then?"
"What happened?" Reborn questioned. "Why do you hate the mafia so much?"
Ken looked up with a dark and manic expression. "We were used as guinea pigs for human experimentation by our own family."
"Just what I suspected," Reborn said expressionlessly. "You're members of the Estraneo Famiglia that created the forbidden Possession Bullet."
"Forbidden? You guys labeled that for your own convenience. Because of that our family was being completely destroyed." Ken explained everything that happened to their family after the Possession Bullet was labeled forbidden and how they met Mukuro.
Hailey looked away guiltily. When they were still training in this world, Hailey had remembered about Mukuro and his gang. She researched about them and was able to discover where they were being held. But when she asked if she could go save them, the elders had told her not to because it would alter the future. So Hailey had to live with that knowledge of other kids being hurt and she wasn't able to do anything about it.
There were a lot of people in Katekyo Hitman Reborn that Hailey wanted to help. But because it would alter the story line too much, she had to let things be. It always made her feel guilty, like she was responsible for these actions.
Mist floated towards everyone from the door.
Hailey and the rest looked around to see three men with bandaged faces.
"Vin…dice…" Hailey muttered. She and Alicia went stiff. They had heard some pretty nasty stories from their predecessors. The Perduto de Dimenticato and the Vendicare had a long history together, and not all of it was very pretty.
Chains shot out and cuffed Mukuro and his gang around the neck and started to drag them away.
"What are you doing?" Tsuna called after them.
"Quit it, Tsuna. Defying them will be trouble," Reborn informed his student.
"But-"
"This is the law."
"What will happen to them?" Tsuna asked, defeated. "Ah! And what about Lanchia-san?"
Reborn tilted his head down so that a shadow was cast over his eyes. "They will be judged and punished."
"Punished?"
"Who knows, but it won't be light." Reborn looked back up. "Our world isn't soft."
Two of the Vindice looked over at the twins.
Alicia hissed softly and Hailey tensed.
But the three cloaked mafia prison guards disappeared with Mukuro, Chikusa, and Ken. The Vongola medical team ran into the room and started to tend to the wounded.
Hailey and Alicia breathed out a sigh of relief. That was a little too close for comfort for them.
"That's it. I'm going to take a nice long nap," Hailey announced and collapsed unconscious.
Alicia sniggered as she watched her sister get wheeled away like all the others. In the end, Alicia was the only one who didn't fight or get hurt.
Actually she was the only one that remained conscious as well…
Alicia walked next to Tsuna as he was was placed on a stretched and wheeled out, Reborn was sleeping next to him.
She smiled and ruffled his hair. "You did well."
"Hiiiiiiii~ Everyone!" Hailey sang as she skipped into the classroom. It was exactly one week after Hailey had been kidnapped.
"Hailey-chan!" Kyoko smiled and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're feeling better! I can't believe you came down with another flu! That's so horrible! You have to take better care of your health."
Alicia and Tsuna could read the 'what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about' in Hailey's smile. Luckily for Alicia, her sister took it in her stride and played along. "Yup! I'm all good now! And I'm making sure to eat healthier for now on! I will not eat 32 bags of my favorite chips a day anymore! No, I will only eat 24!"
Alicia rolled her eyes and Tsuna stared at Hailey with a deadpan expression.
Yamamoto walked up laughed. "It's good to see your doing so much better, but make sure you don't push yourself too hard!"
"Aye, aye Captain!" Hailey saluted Yamamoto.
Alicia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.
Tsuna kept staring at Hailey completely dumbfounded. He had felt guilty about her injuries and kidnapping, because he honestly though that it was his fault that Hailey was targeted. Alicia had noticed and threatened Tsuna to feel better and to stop blaming himself because, in Alicia's words, 'it was god damn annoying, and he didn't need to get his panties in a knot for something so utterly ridiculous and she'll shoot him full of lead if she catches him worrying needlessly'. Now that he saw Hailey, he began to wonder how she could bounce back so easily.
"So annoying!" Alicia had finally snapped and was chasing Hailey around the room.
Hailey laughed and hid behind Tsuna. She clutched to the back of his shirt, using him as a human shield. "Tsuna! Tsuna! Tsuna! Alicia's going to hurt me! Protect me!"
"Hiiiie!" Tsuna was scared stiff from Alicia's pissed expression and Hailey wasn't helping at all.
"Oi! Whitey! Don't use Juudaime as your personal shield against your maniac sister!" Gokudera shouted.
"Now, now. They're just having fun!" Yamamoto smiled and tried to calm down Gokudera.
Hailey peered around Tsuna's side, then pulled down her eyelid a little and stuck out her tongue at Alicia.
Several veins popped and a dark shadow covered Alicia's eyes. She had to be held back by both Gokudera and Yamamoto so that she didn't kill Tsuna her attempt to annihilate her sister. "Why you little-! When I get my hands on you, you're dead!"
Tsuna was shaking violently from Alicia's outbursts, since he was still the one in the direct line of Alicia's attacks with Hailey still hiding behind him.
Hailey giggled. She shoved Tsuna lightly so that he bumped into Kyoko a little. A blush erupted across his face and he apologized profusely to the oblivious girl.
Hailey giggled and nodded at her work and walked over to her seat. "I'm so glad things are back to normal!"
She dodged Alicia's shoe thrown at her head.
So now you know the second mission that all Perduto de Dimenticato take on. Poor Hailey and Alicia didn't realize how harsh the punishment for breaking that rule is, so how will they handle it?
Also I received a request to write a TYL section. I was wondering how many people would like to read one as well!
Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me how I did!
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