author's note: Hello everyone~! Long time no see ^^. This chap is just a continuation of the last chapter.

Hope you enjoy~ the chapter.

disclaimer: I don't own KHR, except for my OC and half of the plot. The one helping me to write this is no other than Narzik. deviantart . com.

And let the show...continue~.


Chapter 12:

A part of the mafia

As if another deja vu, Annette found herself sitting on a chair, behind the chair, hands in hand-cuffs and legs tide up. 'Boys never get more imaginative, do they?' She thought sighing silently, wondering if the Varia took a mission done when she is captured. It's finished and done with, right? She just kind of got into trouble with one her 'exs' and let somebody hit her unconscious, not a big deal. Let's hope they have the money ready.

Opening her heavy, long eye-lashes, the girl moved her head slowly to a more comfortable position.

"So you're finally awake?" An amused voice asked. Remembering the voice, Annette smirked, looking at the leaning figure that stood a few metres away from her.

"You were waiting long, Leone?" She answered with the same lightness in her speech. Of course, she was confident that everything was under control. I mean, is she or is she not a professional thief?

"That's not my name." The guy commented plainly, trying not to show that it stung not to be remembered. The girl stared blankly back. 'So it wasn't?' she thought rather disappointed that her guess was not correct. Well, her guesses were as lucky as any other gambling game. The chance of winning was out of thousands, but it mattered little to her, so she just thought of entertaining to her own satisfaction. Since it's a gamble, your blood gets sudden adrenaline from the win lose situation, right?

But then, without making much of a face, she just replied, "Oh, I was just teasing you~, Julius~." Another wild guess was made. Though she admitted that there really was a guy named Julius in her life some...time ago. Who knows, maybe it was this one.

"It's Andrei." The guy spit it out, not having the patients for her guesses, which he was pretty sure were really random.

"Oh, right. That was it. I totally knew that~." She gave this teasing sort of look. But deeply disappointed in her companion's patience. If anything, you'd probably be to see that she wanted to play for a bit more. But then, another idea struck her, "You're that russian-"

"I'm german." Now Andrei was finally understanding how happy his life had become after she left. Before, he thought that she was just a kid (14-ish?), so he never pushed the subject of her memory, since her pretty face saved her. And that's how a happy two days relationship lasted. Though now, he figured that there really wasn't much else than a face to begin with. Oh...how wrong you are, darling Andrei...

"Oh, really? You just were always so handsome that I thought...oh, never mind." Annette said. It never occurred to her that that phrase could actually hurt people. Well, not that she would actually cares, even if she knew. To her, the young-adult in a suit was in need of punishment. Why? - because this is her logic we're talking about.

"I don't care for your compliments." The guy replied sharply (never mind the last statement, this guy thought she complimented him...), hoping to get out of the subject and get somewhere, where he will have the upper hand.

So, taking a deep breath, he composed back into a blackmailer's attitude. This time, the girl noticed it too and was rather confused, maybe even looking forward to what's going to happen next. Not that she was doing that from the start.

"Anyway, that's not the point." Andrei took a more comfortable position, since he was leaning on a desk. Taking something out from behind him, he showed it to our heroine who just put on another blank look. That wasn't very expected. Actually, Annette put such a blank look, that it was hard to tell what was going on in her head. No, it was rather obvious that she was holding, with every bit of self-restrain that was in her power, the chaos that was going in her head.

"By the looks of it, you really were the one who put it in, weren't you kitty?" The older one smirked sadistically at her. But Annette wasn't even bothered by the supposed threat. She was fighting with her inner-self more. 'NON! Now those idiots won't give me the money!' She was wanting to let out all of the curses that were on her tongue from frustration, but kept herself in. It won't help anyhow if she would loose her temper at him. 'I-I'll just have to think of something else! Orrrr...maybe I can deceive them...what about this german? Maybe I can pull some wool over his eyes...maybe. Though it will cost me. What? There is noth...Oh, please. No, never mind. If he's rich, than he should've learned how to a gentleman...something I see rather rarely now a days-"

Her thoughts were cut off with the continuation of Andrei's speech (which was probably thought of very clearly).

"You know, I never thought you, of all people, would start working for a group as crazy as the Varia...I'm not even sure what went through your head when you agreed to be with them..." The guy kept shaking his head from right to left in misinterpretation. Then he put the package down.

"Could it be that you're interested in crazy kids like them?" Annette knew exactly where he was going with those questions, but continued to just sit there. She put on a small smile, when Andrei didn't pay attention. The teenager was wondering how stupid he was for thinking that that was even possible. It sure was clear that it's for the money. What other reasons would there be. And anyway, it's not like she is working for them...

But oh, well. This is more fun to listen to.

"Well, I'm quite sure that you're not into gays. So that freaky homosexual is out." He started listing them. Somehow, the girl felt a small pain in her pride, "Are you saying I'm not broad-minded?!" she exclaimed wondering just how this guy was so racist. Not that it mattered that she could be much ruder.

But, after such a blunt out-burst, the 'blackmailer' stood in shock for a bit, but then let out a laugh so hard, that it led to him getting a stomach ache.

"Aha~, I never thought that you would say that..." Andrei mumbled, trying to calm down. Whatever cool pose he had in the beginning was gone now. So the mid-height guy just sat on the white-coloured desk, which fit the image of the room too well.

Annette, for the first time seriously looked around the room, finding it very spacious and modern. The very lack of things made it seem more clean than it was. Sure there was a beige colored sofa and a glass table there and a few other room-furnitures and accessories that made it seem complete, but it lacked that 'men's club' theme to it. The girl was really wondering how such a modern office can be made in such a antique (or maybe even older by a century) 'chateau'. But not caring about it, she just turned her head back to the companion who seemed to finally relax.

'Just what was so funny?' She wondered in deep confusion, raising her dark, elegant eye-brow.

Oh, of course, in the mean time, Annette figured that she had to free up from the hand-cuffs. This time, unfortunately for her, the thing that was keeping her hands tied up happened to be even more difficult to break than the Varia's one. Not that she showed it.

So seeing our heroine's 'are-you-serious?' face, he stopped laughing completely, "No, I'm not saying that. It's just the relationship won't be very great if he isn't even into your sex. But that's besides the point." He finally continued, giving a last grin of his humorous satisfaction, "Next, is that blond brat. I'm sure, from experience, you're not into little brats (that counts the baby too, I suppose). So, please, don't even think about it. The tall loser is rather out of question since you hate obsessed workers. Plus to that, he's a loser. That leaves us only with a loud swordsman and an angry 24/7 boss. Though again, the Varia's sharky is obsessed with work too.,so that's also a very minimum potential."

If one would look from the side, they would probably think the guy was choosing a lover for his companion. It seemed like he was very interested in the stuff himself. Nothing strange about that...right?

"That leaves us with a winner, Xanxus, the boss of the Varia." He gave this congratulations wave with his arm, as if small fireworks were suppose to start behind him and a pink background appear from no where.
But then Andrei made a very regretful face, "Though I pity you and your darling little heart. He's a tough potato. As much as I've heard, the guy's interested in only getting his rightful throne on becoming the boss of the Vongola." The guy dropped his head in disappointment.

The first opinion on this german millionaire is that he is very serious, since he wears the official suit the whole day long and blah blah blah. But I guess, seriousness has a limit in everybody.

Annette was just blankly staring again. To her, the guy was talking something uncomprehending. 'Xanxus being hard to get? Yeah, right. And what's that Vongola-thing he talks about?' she wondered until curiosity took the best of her.

"What's Vongola?" the french girl really had no idea. If anything, she figured it was a name of some italian company which weren't exactly popular for her to hear, but rich enough to buy a mansion.

Italians like using 'boss' instead of director or manager. At least, that's as much as Annette knew from self-experience. Every time she wanted to steal from a rich guy - he just happens to be a 'boss' or an 'heir' or god knows what else (there was also the bank that she stole from, but those really were when she was completely broke). Now that she thought about it, it did hit a mystery point to her brain.

"You're kidding me. You're working for the Varia and you don't know?!" Andrei exclaimed, not believing his ears. 'Somebody actually doesn't know about THE Vongola?!' He was about to drop his jaw before deciding to keep it up.

Feeling offended, the teenager gave a disgusted face, "I don't care for anybody's else's business except for my own." The sensible thing that she said was really, supposed to be translated as: 'as long as the talk is not about me, who gives a damn?'.

Andrei knew that and sighed...deeply, 'Typical.' he only thought, wanting to face-palm himself, 'Why didn't I think of that earlier?' Rolling his eyes, the guy continued with an extra explanation that he figured he should do before trying to blackmail her any how.

"Do you know even what was the purpose of your little 'mission'?" He started off with the most basic question he could think of. He had to know where to start from, right?

"Sure, put the thing back into your closet and get out." The girl answered non-challengingly. Somehow, Andrei expected that answer and didn't even bother sighing. No, it actually was more perfect for him this way. Against his revenge on the Vongola and the Varia in the mean while.

"And let me guess, you were told to do it for a sum of money, right?" He just added, making the most obvious puzzle come together in his head. Annette gave a slight chuckle at his slowness, but let him continue.

"Well, dear, this little package is my father's precious belonging." He showed the little thing to her again, "And since they don't like him, the Varia stole it from us to start a ruckus and tension between out families. But that's pretty much the basics of our mafia world. There is no morality in it...it's sad, but true." His talking went so smoothly, that it felt like he really was a gentleman at heart.

To Annette, only one word came as a shock - "mafia". 'Mafia...as in THE underworld black-market world?!' her black pupils became smaller, before returning back to their original size.

Her master had taught her quite a lot about the black-market and its illegal business. She never asked how he knew about them and listened to his advice carefully. He added also that her life would be much happier away from them and to this day she believed it completely. It was harder to deceive thieves, so it would take more work. But funnily enough she was communicating with them without knowing.

"Oh, come on, dear, don't give me such a face. You shouldn't be so surprised that they're thieves and liars. I know that you don't care." The guy, who was in his early twenties, stood up from the table and walked to Annette. Leaning towards her, Andrei gently passed his right hand through the girl's neckline, like it was an amusing, beautiful sculpture. It didn't take too long for him to be really close, almost pressing against her cheek.

"I know everything about you. Your shallow past of a street brat and how you suddenly disappeared for 8 years to god knows where. Although those years are a mystery, your being came back as the best thief europe...maybe even the world had ever known." He said, listing her past, like he knew it by hard, "You're interesting no matter how times I read the report we made on you..." The happiness in his twinkled, as if hope was starting to rise in his soul.

Then, with a sudden whisper, not letting the girl get a full grasp of what he said, the guy added with a very low, seductive male tone, "Leave them before he can hurt you. Do it like you always do. And come back to me. I have more money than them. Give me yourself, your pretty, foxy face and everything with it..." The girl stiffened from the sudden words. Not that she hasn't heard them before. But, it was the first time, she felt that someone was intruding into her privacy. Actually, she would probably enjoy such a proposal, only if her hands were free and she would be able to jump away any time. But such comfort was not in her reach. Thus, she sat there frozen, almost as if he, the first person alive, cornered her from all sides.

There were too many things that were flowing into her head now and he just added to this. But after a while, the guy stood up straight and laughed like there was no tomorrow...again.

Annette wondered if he was on drugs or something. Laughing like it's the end of the world always...it's not normal. Well, it could've been the case, since the mafia get those with ease. But I doubt it was now.

"AHAHAHA~, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" He laughed explosively, his hands moved, as if stretching , "ANNE, THE GIRL WHO SEDUCES ANY MAN TO THE POINT THAT THEY CAN'T HOLD THEMSELVES, STILL HAS NEVER..." He couldn't help but burst into another fit. The girl already figured what he was going to say afterwards. That's why her usual pretty face was now as hateful looking as that of a devil. The aura of smoke that was covering her now wasn't any better. It was so dark and gloomy that it fit the Halloween theme very well. Yes, that's just how intense her stare was.

Andrei saw that too, but still finished his sentence in complete mockery. It was fun to be the one to be the bully after all. "..done it?!" Annette felt her cheeks burn up. No one ever had thought of that before. Since she always acted like such a pro in love. It was the first time her cover blew. 'Damn him', she thought bitterly.

But instead, she just straightened up and, with a sense of pride, told him in the face, "So? I'm not some cheap girl, you know?" And just when she finally got herself together from the sudden talk about the mafia and the...eight, 'mysterious' years, she sensed five different presences outside the room, watching her and the loser (in her opinion from now on).

A smirk left her, "Seems like I have to finish off what I started, Alex~." This time, she said the wrong name on purpose, making the guy frown. Why was she smirking? He was the one supposed to be in the advantage, right?!

Moving her hands from behind the chair to the front, Andrei figured why it was.

She freed herself from the hand-cuffs and was now ready to move. Though before she fully stood up, she lost balance and fell on the chair again.
Her legs were still tied up by some highly new technological device.

"HA! You'll never be able to free yourself from that and thus you'll have to stay here!" He exclaimed, becoming nervous somehow. But he only got another smirk as a reply. 'Why?! Why isn't she even...?!' he kept cursing in his head at her. Unfortunately he never got the chance to say them out loud.

Never. Never underestimate a Varia's maid. You might dig your own grave. Sadly, Andrei already did.

Annette did a quick cartwheel and managed to hit with her tide up feet, the handsome face of the german guy.

Of course, that didn't really bring him down, but he did get a bloody bruise from the girl's sharp soles of her shoes, making him curse under his breath more. The guy took out a pistol afterwards and aimed it at her, but missed (or maybe she moved), giving Annette enough time to slap it out of his hand and into her own.

Finally standing there, with her beloved weapon, the french girl gave a sweet smile towards him, "Bye, Alejandro. Sadly, the Varia gave me this mission before you could try to turn everything around. The earlier bird gets the worm, isn't that right?" And then, aiming at his heart, she cocked the gun.

"Oh, and your girlfriend is very mad at you." Annette added with an ironic sympathy. From the beginning the girl knew that there was a short woman standing somewhere in the corner of the room. She guessed that it was that girl who hit her unconscious, but that wasn't in her interest at the moment. And then, with a chuckle that somehow sounded very sour, the french beauty said, "You really messed up your life, oui? Well, I'll help you die~. This will only take a second."

Andrei's full body was shaking so bad that his knees gave in, 'NO! I can't die yet! But the again..'. The girl didn't even think another second before shooting, leaving him in the midst of a sentence in his thoughts.

'Oh well...can't bring him back life I guess..' she thought (regretfully?).

Standing for a while, the girl finally burst into a fit of annoyance. "How long are you going to stand there?!" She didn't shout at anyone in particular, but 'they' already knew that she was talking to them.

Puffing her cheeks at the window and door, Annette wished she could figure how to free her legs. It was irritating her. And she couldn't even take a normal step without falling. Well, she would look like a penguin and that's exactly what she tried to avoid.

"Oh~, darling~, that was amazing~." The gay tone came out of the window. Our heroine just turned around happily. Lussuria just somehow had always a sunny aura to himself, making Annette forget her problems and think like a teenager with a huge ego.

"Lussuria, don't say that...I can't believe you all made me go through this...Oh, the horror." Fake tears were starting to come down her tanned cheeks. The over-dramatized act was ignored completely.

Everyone came out, most looking bored and not interested in whatever happened.

Nevertheless, Squalo saw what he wanted and chose to believe that she is not to be trusted. Well, at least he felt a bit more relieved that he won't need to press the matter to Xanxus.

"Ushishishi~. And without any mercy too." The eight-years-old prince poked the dead body, "You're really merciless, thief." Annette raised an eyebrow. Then, getting the urge to kick the kid for his rude remark, she started walking...and falling face first.

"Uwwahh! Get these of me!" Annette kicked and punched the floor, not caring if she looked like a spoiled child herself.

"Heh. That's a first timer." Levi's tall figure came closer to her, "You're the worst thief I know..not even able to open up these.." he muttered in disappointment. This one remark caused Annette to get the gun in her hands cocked again and ready to shoot. The tall teen gulped a bit, 'Was she really going to shoot him?' the rest of the group wondered, sort of hoping for the best.

But they were disappointed when the bullet flew towards her feet.

If one couldn't open the lock, you force it open, right? That was the logic Annette was using at the moment and...it worked, luckily.

"Did you say something?" She faced Levi, searching for a surprised expression on his face. Which she got, though not exactly for what she wanted to, but still.

Standing up straight, the girl turned to Squalo, and gave him a suspicious look, "Is the money ready?" the only reason why she endured everything was for that reason, and for that mission alone (ok, it didn't exactly go as planned...but still).

The sharky looked at her for a moment, analysing her face expression. He did it unconsciously, but it drew him in. That strong look that described her lust for money. Yes, it was a look that he won't forget. Just like the first time he saw Xanxus and the face that was so full of rage that it left Squalo in bewilderedness.

Xanxus and Annette were complete opposites and yet similar in that respect.

Squalo stopped. Blinked. And then looked again, 'Just what the hell went through my head?!' No, he really didn't know. Shaking it off, the shark just answered shortly, "You failed your mission. That means no money."

Annette thought she just didn't hear right. 'Failed the mission?!' she furiously stared at Squalo, not showing even one hint of an emotion. Though her eyes could be seen to spark soon enough with flame.

"Ushishishi~ the boss wasn't going to give to you in the first place. But now its even with a reason~." The happy prince grinned. But Squalo, glared at him as if he was about to yell for his stupidity. Lussuria sweat-dropped. He didn't mind the boy's mean comments on normal standards...but now, even he thought it was too much.

Well, the black-haired girl was the first to comment on that through her teeth, "Bloody mafiosos." that sharp and dry remark was enough to see that she was pissed to highest level possible.

"I'm going to play with you later, brat." Annette gave a smirk that promised misery. And with that, she jumped off from the window going to her next target - Xanxus. She left the Varia in-charge of cleaning up her mess, making Squalo yell at the end of his voice, "VOOOOIIII!" and they also jumped right after her, leaving the bloody scene unclean.

Mammon, the only one who kept quiet through the whole time, was thinking about something completely off-topic. 'She acts as spoiled as that arrogant Reborn. Just how...' And with that thought in mind, the baby's eyes widened out of shock at his own thought under the hood, 'It can't be... can it?'


Yes, Yes, Yes... I know this chapter is a bit more dark (?). But I do hope you still liked it. Since I did put quite a lot of effort to write this.

Any comments would be appreciated. Look forward to the next chap~.