CGP: Welcome back, my kitties, to "The Enigmatic Wolf"! I hope you don't mind me calling you my kitties. ^.^ I'm just sort of happy now. Anyway, from where we left off last chapter, Lynn gets kidnapped by a Kokuyo student by the name of Kakimoto Chikasu, and Ashley joins up with Tsuna to save Gokudera from said kidnapper!
Strike: If I ever meet that Kakimoto, I'll shred him to bits! *lashes tail*
CGP: The chapters now will just be in Ashley's POV or possibly someone else's like Strike's or Lila's. Just a tip, because I think we all know where Lynn is right now!
Strike: With that strange dude! Damn it, Coldgaze, why did you do that?!
CGP: On with the story!
Note: Other than thoughts and specific words, italics are for Italian and English speech. Translations will be at the end of the chapter, after the author's note.
The Enigmatic Wolf
Chapter 13
Strike's POV
Flicking her ear, Strike watched as Lila paced inside the phone booth, a worried but frustrated look on her face. She was just as worried as Strike, about Lynn randomly disappearing. Both her and Strike were worried sick, Lila more frustrated, and decided to go with Reborn, who was also in the phone booth talking to Dino. Leon, Reborn's chameleon, was changing shapes on the fedora rim, which also meant something unique was going to happen. Licking her paw, she washed her face as her ear twitched again, catching the words inside.
"That would be great help, Dino." Reborn said.
Dino, she could imagine, smiled as he replied, "It's for my little brother. Let me know if there's anything more I can do." His voice turned grim. "But this one," he muttered, "is troublesome."
"If they're the same ones that are causing this incident, then I can understand why they're using odd methods. They just broke out of prison and don't have any information on us."
"What are they after?"
Reborn stayed silent. Lila stopped pacing, only to snatch the phone away from Reborn and quickly ask, "Dino, what was Lynn doing the last time you saw her?" She didn't sound desperate or worried, but her normal stern self. Strike had to admit, a worried Lila was something she would've never became.
"Huh? Lila? What do you mean?" Dino asked in befuddlement.
The female baby nearly lost her cool at that moment, but calmed down to keep herself from going through the phone and attacking the Cavallone Boss. "Lynn has gone missing," she spoke grimly, "meaning she's been kidnapped. The only evidence we have is that Julia said she went to get some food. Strike didn't go with her; she went alone. And I have a feeling it's connected to the incidents happening now, and her past."
Strike paused in licking her chest fur, looking up. Reborn also seemed surprised, but hid it quickly. The feline managed to catch his coal black eyes narrowing in suspicion and flicked her tail.
"Her past? How?"
Narrowing her eyes, Lila answered, "Because what she told you about her past was a lie."
Ashley's POV
Hearing an explosion Ashley narrowed her eyes and ran faster, until she saw the back of Gokudera Hayato (she recognized him from his distinct hair color). Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed Tsuna not too far behind her and looked back in front of her, slowing down. As Tsuna called out to his friend, Ashley ceased jogging and stared at the smoky area that Gokudera apparently blew up. Was that where that Kokuyo student last stood?
"10th, why are you here?" Gokudera inquired to Tsuna, but Ashley tuned them out.
Gazing at the smoke with pointed eyes the female gripped the hilt of her left sword. There was a possibility whoever attacked was still alive (after all the shit that happened after moving to Japan, Ashley began to wonder if Japanese people were invincible), and if he was, then she planned on confronting this Kokuyo student and question him about Lynn. He has to know, since he was the last person to actually see Lynn. However, she was shocked to see no one there once the grey gas dissipated.
Gokudera and Tsuna noticed that as well, and a new voice droned out almost like a robot, "You saved me the trouble…" Swiveling her head to the sound of the voice, Ashley gasped slightly.
Whoever it was, he was extremely bloody and pissed. He wore a green school uniform, and a white beanie. He had dark blue hair and matching eyes with a barcode on his cheek and a bandage on the other. His eyes were nearly soulless and his clothes were practically reduced to rags due to Gokudera's dynamite. In his hands were red yo-yos.
Now taking out her katanas the dark haired girl tensed and prepared to fight. But what happened next was unexpected.
He flicked his arm and his right yo-yo spun out, shiny dart-like objects flying towards Tsuna. Ashley felt the urge to dash in front of but something, or someone beat her to it. Before it could hit Tsuna, Gokudera stepped in the way to block the path set out for the darts. His blood soaked the white shirt of his uniform as the darts punctured his chest.
"10th," he muttered, eyes half-lidded, "please run…" Just as his eyelids fell, he collapsed.
Sheathing her swords because of instinct, Ashley darted beside the fallen silverette and kneeled there, back turned to the bloody student. Tsuna flipped out and tried to shake him awake but he didn't wake. Gently pushing her neighbor away, Ashley rolled the delinquent onto his back and studied the dart-like objects. They were simple needles.
Tsuna flipped again when the Kokuyo student took a few steps forward, shrieking his usual shriek when he said, "I'll break you, then take you with me." He tilted his head cockily and lashed his weapons again at Tsuna.
"Tsuna, get down!"
The boy didn't move, but just stood there shaking and preparing for the hit. Suddenly he was slammed into the ground by none other than the baseball fanatic, Yamamoto Takeshi, who joked with his usual carefree grin, "We've slid over home plate, safe and sound!" When he caught sight of the fallen boy on the ground, his expression shifted to a more serious attitude, which was extremely shocking since this guy was always smiling and laughing. "I came by after hearing the ruckus and… what's happening here isn't good."
The bloody Kokuyo student stared blankly at him emotionlessly and stated, "You're in the way." And once again he flicked out his wrist to send another flurry of needles.
Swiftly Yamamoto reached behind him and grasped a bat from his bag, and when he swung it, it altered into a sword that looked much like Ashley's. The string of the yo-yo split from the impact. Ashley tensed, unsure why a student would have such a weapon like that.
Taking out a pair of glasses the green clad student seemed to recognize Yamamoto as he said, "I see now. Namimori Middle School Class 1-A. Roll Sheet Number 15: Yamamoto Takeshi." He placed them on his face and pushed them up steadily.
"What of it?" Yamamoto replied.
From the distance Ashley heard a voice call out to them. It was the police. No one took noticed of them though, as Yamamoto and Kokuyo appeared to be having a staring/glaring contest. When Kokuyo spoke, the silence shattered, but the tension remained thick.
"You're Ken's target…" he muttered, "Fighting you would be a pain." He then left the scene muttering about taking a shower when he got home. However, Ashley wasn't going to let him go away just yet. She still had questions to ask, and this time she won't let him get away without answering them.
Standing up abruptly she spun on her heel and ran to him, stopping in front of him, making him stop. "Listen. I know you did something to my sister. Tell me where she is. Now!" she demanded, taking out both of her swords in case she would have to use violence against him. Her form didn't relax as the bloodied student met her eyes unwavering.
He looked at her with an expression like, "What the fuck do you mean?"
Stifling a growl and glancing at the steadily approaching cops she said, "Lynn Kaldwell. Do you know where she is." Tsuna gasped, possibly realizing that his American friend was missing for the first time. Yamamoto gasped lightly, his eyes slitting. Ashley narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on the hilts. He better fucking answer or else he'll be sent through hell and back. I am so pissed right now.
He tilted his head and said as if he didn't care about her annoyance and death glare, "Oh, her. She did say she had a sister…"
"Where the fuck is she?!"
"…go to Kokuyo Land. You'll find who you're looking for there."
?'s POV
Diverting his attention from the girl on his lap to the bloodied body emerging through the doorway, his heterochromatic eyes glimmered in the dark, almost in amusement. "Is that you, Chikasu?" He laid his hand on the girl's closed eyes as the body, recognizable from his white beanie, crashed to the floor wordless. "Oh?" he murmured, eyeing the blood and tattered uniform. "Did we get a 'hit'?"
"Is Kaki-pi here?" From the same entrance Kakimoto entered in, a blonde male strolled in with his hands in his pockets. When his eyes landed on the fallen student, he crouched down and wiped his mouth as drool dripped down. His brown eyes shined in delight at his new prey as he commented, "Kaki-pi, you look tattered and barbequed. He's cooked rare and looks delicious!"
"Kanna Ken, he's just unconscious. There's no way Chikasu would return empty-handed without information on the mafia." As the man said this, he caressed the girl's jaw soothingly, as if she was having a nightmare. "Let's wait until he wakes up." He murmured softly.
Ken glanced at his boss with a sigh of disappointment. "Alright, Mukuro-sama." Deciding to change the subject, he stood up and walked to the couch. Kneeling down again he gazed at the girl with a wide grin. "How's Lynn?" he asked, nudging one of her hands to see if she would react.
Mukuro glanced down silently. As he spoke, there was an edge in his voice. "When she wakes, she'll have to explain everything. Then I'll decide what to do with her."
After taking Gokudera to the nurse's office at Nami-Middle, Ashley decided to head home to eat and, as she stepped outside with Strike in her arms, she saw Tsuna in the front of his lawn, facing Reborn. Strike struggled out her grasped and when she dropped her, Strike jumped onto the gatepost and scampered over there. Sighing, she jogged after the cat.
"I think… I think what they're doing is wrong, involving everyone in this!" Tsuna declared, looking up and clenching his fists. Strike's ear twitched and Ashley paused in her tracks. There was determination in his voice, as he remembered what happened to his friends because of the incident. "Mukuro makes me angry!"
So is that who's the lead of this? Hiding a smile of amusement Ashley shook her head slightly. He was almost like her.
"But… even Hibari-san hasn't returned. There's no way No-Good Tsuna could defeat a guy like that. It's reckless." he muttered dejectedly.
"But the people around you don't think so." Reborn piped in, throwing a glance at the two females.
Planting her feet in the ground and her hands on her hips, Ashley said, "Oh, come on, Tsuna. You shouldn't be like that! If that's where Hibari went, then maybe this is serious business! But that doesn't mean to give up!" The weaker brunette jumped in surprise, not expecting her to be there, and Strike purred.
Sitting down, the feline agreed by nodding her head. "She's right. After all, you're the 10th Vongola Boss! I've seen you in action, and you are pretty amazing and reckless. I got your back, and if Lynn was here, she would say the exact same thing." she purred with a curl of her tail. At the mention of Lynn, Ashley stiffened unnoticeably and Tsuna lowered his eyes again. Strike frowned, pawing the ground, but didn't say anything.
"10th!"
Catching the familiar call Tsuna turned on his heel and widened his eyes in astonishment. Gokudera smiled proudly and stopped running, jerking his thumb towards his chest. He had no signs of being sick or poisoned.
"Take me with you, 10th!" Gokudera said, smirking. "I'll bring their lives to an end!" Tsuna asked about his wounds but he just waved it off as scratches. But when Yamamoto came up to them, he wobbled on his feet a little. Hiding a snort Ashley just shook her head with a defeated sigh. No matter what, if he was injured or sick, he would always find a way to help the brunette. Just like Lynn.
Grinning his normal grin, Yamamoto offered, "I'll go too, Tsuna. I heard from the kid. You're playing mafia with another school." Ashley face palmed, but as she looked up, she saw his expression turn serious again as he said, "Besides, they have Lynn. We have to save the other team member, right?"
"You got that right, Yamamoto!" Ashley smirked, fist pumping the air. Even if he thought this was a game, she had a feeling he would be a great asset to the team. The Japanese male's expression lightened at her exclamation and he laughed.
"I'll go too." a new voice piped in.
Eyeing behind Yamamoto Ashley saw a pink haired woman with green eyes walk up to them. She didn't know that woman, but she looked oddly familiar. Gokudera held his stomach as if he has a stomach ache suddenly and fell over. Ashley raised her eyebrow and glanced back at the woman as she spoke again.
With her arms crossed, she said, "I'm worried about Hayato."
A lover, maybe? But she does seem a little too old for him… Oh well. I'll find out eventually. And why would he faint? Shrugging her shoulders Ashley allowed the thought to drift away. Unlike Lynn, she wasn't the one to mull on it forever and not ask until it nearly drove her insane. Ashley usually just allows it to come to her even if she forgets about it, unless it was important. If it was important, then she'll ask about it, and she'll demand answers even if she has to use force. Lynn wasn't a violent person like her, but she could be the same if she had to.
Reborn smirked and hopped off the wall. "We've got the people we need to charge into enemy territory. I know where their hideout is. Their captives should be there."
"Captives? Who else?" Tsuna asked, looking over his shoulder.
The smirk dropped. "Someone you know very well."
After what Reborn said, Ashley, along with Strike, headed back home to change. The clothes she was in was a little stuffy and tight. If she was charging into enemy territory ready to fight, she'll need lose clothing. Running up the stairs (racing against Strike) she turned left and went to the last door of the hallway. Strike went the other way, to Lynn's room, probably to get something special. They both had grim faces. No one knew if they'll return alive or not.
Quietly shutting the door, Ashley leaned against it and slid down. Her eyes burned and her lower lip trembled, but she refused to cry. Only the weak cry, and she was not weak. She was not weak. She was not weak. She was not weak. She repeated this in hopes that the tears would go away, but they didn't.
They slid down her cheeks as she sobbed silently. Of course she was weak. Of course she would cry whenever her sister was gone for a long while. That's what happened when Mom said that she was with Dad, but little Ashley had a feeling that her sibling was in trouble. She cried her little heart out in her room, with only Strike comforting her. When Lynn came back, she was different. But she didn't care. She was just so happy her sister was back.
Now it was serious. Ashley could do something about it, and she will. But why did she feel so helpless, so weak? She knew she could do something, but why can't she just shake the feeling that she was so useless?!
"You idiot."
With blurry eyes, she looked up. At her windowsill was none other than Shift. He glared down at her with his stubby arms crossed, his grey eyes burning with rage.
Jumping down, he approached her, leaped on her knees, and slapped her in the face. "Just listen to yourself!" he growled. "Everyone cries! Not just the weak, but the strong as well! You shouldn't feel so helpless, because it was Lynn's fault for being so careless. She heard of the warnings, she noticed them everywhere, but she still went out ignorantly and got herself captured. That's her fault for being so idiotic and arrogant! Now, are you going to go get her or what?!"
Ashley was quiet. Her sobs died down and the tears stopped. She mulled over what he said, finding sense in his words. Then she gently grabbed the baby and hugged him. More tears leaked, left over, but a bright smile rivaled them He blinked, gradually understanding the situation, and struggled in her grip, a blush on his cheeks.
"Hey, just what do you think you're doing?! Let go of me!" he yelled at her, trying to sound stern but failing miserably.
Ashley laughed and placed him on the ground to wipe her eyes. She shook her head and slapped herself in the face. "I guess I am an idiot. How could I not realize that?"
"Because you're too dense."
"Shut up!"
Stepping out the house, Ashley stretched her arms and rolled her neck a few times. She was dressed in a light blue, long sleeve shirt with the word (in English) "BELIEVE" spelled in white letters (Lynn's favorite shirt). Peeking under the shirt was red cloth, being a lacy, dark red undershirt/tank top. Short, loose black shorts with a dark purple heart on the left sleeve and red sneakers with velvet knee-high socks completed the look. Her swords were on her back now, locked safely in their sheaths.
Strike, who was clinging onto her shoulder with her hind legs holding her up, had a cerulean blue bandana around her neck (her "lucky" item) with a small dog chain that said "Born to be Wild" in small letters. On the back of it was a lightning bolt (Lynn's favorite bracelet).
Strike didn't question about Shift resting on her bed when she needed help with the necklace/bracelet and bandana. In fact, she practically ignored him as if it was normal for her.
A paw on her ear signaled the feline trying to get her attention. Ashley noticed Gokudera in front of Tsuna's house, acting almost like a stalker. She raised her eyebrow, wondering what the hell he was doing and why the hell he had a mosquito bite on the side of his head (visible as he scratched it) when there weren't many out.
Planning on sneaking up on him, the dark haired brunette steadily crept up to him, then straightened up and cleared her throat. "Gokudera, what are you doing? As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I prohibit anyone stalking anyone, no matter who it is. Besides, don't forget your gender." Strike purred in amusement at Ashley's smirk.
Gokudera flinched, nearly crashing his head into the wall gate, and leapt to his feet bristling. He spun on his heel to face her, angered by her comment (about his sexuality *is shot*) and for scaring him, but before he could do that, Tsuna opened the front door of his house.
"Gokudera-kun? And Ashley-san?"
Strike purred a greeting, balancing herself on her owner's sister's shoulder. Gokudera let out a stream of excuses for being at Tsuna's gatepost until Ashley slapped his back to shut him up. She then grinned at Tsuna as a greeting, ignoring the delinquent who yelled at her for hitting him.
"Hey, Gokudera-kun, don't worry about Bianchi. I talked her into hiding her face!" the brunette announced happily, distracting Gokudera from trying to curse out the dark haired brunette. Gokudera paused as the words processed in his eyes and he spun around, eyes shining.
"Really?"
"Hayato, sometimes you can be so childish."
Ashley's head dropped in disappointment, Strike pawing her face as a face palm. The woman from before was now dressed in a… squirrel costume? It sure did hide about half of her face (for whatever reason), but going to an enemy base with that in tow is just weird.
Bianchi took off the body part of the costume but the hood still remained over her face. Everyone seemed ready for this, their serious expressions mirroring each other. Ashley cracked her knuckles, smirking.
"Alright," Reborn squeaked. "Let's go fight Mukuro."
"It already looks creepy…" Tsuna whined, shifting his feet nervously.
Ashley, who stood beside him, kept a straight face, but inside, she felt like she was going to throw up. Nervous, jittering bugs scampered and danced in her stomach. Her grip tightened to express a little frustration. Not only was she nervous, but worry clouded her thoughts. Why would Lynn be in a place like this? It is definitely too spooky for her; Lynn was always scared of haunted houses, ghosts, horror movies/games, anything dealing with creepy stuff.
At first, Ashley did feel overconfident and cocky. But just approaching this area dropped it down to the ground. Now standing in front of the gate, gazing at the abandoned school, fear began to manifest inside her stomach and spread, like maggots. She had watched horror anime and movies and never had a nightmare of them or shook with fright while watching them. Now, as she glanced at her hands, she noticed the tremble of her hands and gritted her teeth.
Fur brushed along her spine and startled her. Strike leaned close to her ear, whiskers tickling her skin, and whispered, "I sense Lynn's presence here. Along with others…" Sharp claws dug into Ashley's shirt. "I have a bad feeling about this." The end of her sentence was followed by a soft crackle, as if a spark zapped through her.
Ashley glanced at the cat questioningly and did a double-take. Strike's fur was bristled, making her twice her size and electricity was flickering in her irises. The rest seemed too preoccupied to notice, but the eldest sister could sense Reborn's eyes on Strike. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion; just what the hell? When did Strike suddenly poof up, and what's with this lightning thing going on with her?
Just what is Strike? And why the hell was she dragged in this horrible mess, along with Lynn?
Mukuro's POV
Lynn's hand twitched and her eyebrows furrowed as if she was concentrating. Mildly curious as to why she seemed so focused on something for the past few minutes, the pineapple-haired teen rested his hand on her cheek to calm her and glanced into the shadows, a sly smirk on his lips. He didn't need to speak as a ginger haired girl stepped from the corner, her head tilted.
"C'è qualcosa che vuoi che faccia, signore?" she asked in perfect Italian, hugging her bunny doll closer to her red and black vest.
Mukuro glanced back at the broken window and nodded. "Sì. Controllare fuori se ci sono intrusi. Se c'è, andare con Ken per fermarli." Lynn shifted again in his lap and he diverted his attention to her quickly. "Sleep well, Lynn. It seems your friends are here." He murmured.
The girl gazed at them for a while, her green eyes drilling into Lynn's skull. Suspicion clouded her eyes and as soon as Lynn twitched, she flinched, as if expecting her to lash out on her. But her bunny's eyes glowed red in the dim light and her eyes shimmered the same color. The bunny's snout opened and closed like it was talking, but no sound came out. It's communicating with the girl through her mind, Mukuro realized.
"Sì, padrone." She muttered robotically. The rabbit's mouth snapped shut at her words and the glow faded from its eyes. However, the ginger teen's eyes remained the blood red color.
Mukuro glanced at the ginger and advised, "Andare al lavoro, Cesarina."
Cesarina, the ginger haired teenager, jerked her head up, eyes returning to their original color. Her cheeks reddened as she realized what happened, and she muttered a quick, embarrassed sorry before exiting the room. Mukuro chuckled in amusement and played with Lynn's hair.
"Cesarina's ability is helpful. Just you watch and see." The heterochromatic eyed teenager grinned maliciously. "She's planning to attack your own sister."
Ashley's POV
Ashley was feeling wary and distrustful all of a sudden. She didn't trust the cat resting on her shoulder. She didn't trust the baby (or whatever he is) walking with them. She didn't trust the group she was with.
Without warning, a paw swipe directed to her head chased those thoughts out of her mind like mice. There was a sting in the back if her head, where the paw struck. Strike leaned close to her ear, her fur flat and eyes no longer ablaze within her irises. "Sorry for using my claws, but listen to what I have to say. I'm pretty sure you don't trust us because of Lynn's kidnapping and the information I haven't provided you with. I hate to break it to you, but we're depending on your strength and skill, since you are the strongest of the bunch now. I'll explain everything you need to know as soon as we get home." Strike promised sincerely.
The Kaldwell glanced at her wordlessly. She would take that offer, but something held her back.
Maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, Strike is her little sister's pet and partner. She watches out for Lynn. They bonded when Lynn was gone. They play with each other. So what was holding her back?
The mafia connections. The possible death of her and Lynn.
"A… alright." Ashley hesitantly agreed, giving the cat a small smile. "I… I trust you. But," her eyes narrowed and the smile dropped, "you have to explain everything. From start to end why the hell we're connected to the damn mafia."
A relieved purr rumbled from Strike's throat and she pressed her muzzle against her cheek. "Of course!"
"Oi, Strike!"
The call startled the two. Strike pricked her ears and pushed herself off of Ashley's shoulder, landing squarely on her feet with a curious tilt of her head. Reborn and Yamamoto were crouched beside a small indention of the area, strangely looking like an animal footprint. Reborn was motioning for Strike to come close so she could see it clearly.
As the feline padded up beside the baby, he muttered to her, "What do you think it is?"
Strike parted her jaws and her nose twitched at the scent. Suddenly her pelt bristled and her ears pricked. Her claws raking the soft soil, she hissed, "Something's approaching! It's the owner of the scent!"
On cue, two figures sprung from the bushes and branched two different ways. The smaller one headed toward Ashley, while the other launched itself at Yamamoto. Ashley scowled and dodged the attack from the smaller figure, drawing her two swords. Yamamoto was a little late, jumping as soon as his target landed, and fell back, the treats he brought crashing to the ground.
But just as his back slammed against the ground, it crumbled beneath him and he fell again.
"Yamamoto!" Ashley and Tsuna chorused, Ashley being worried about the student and Tsuna being worried about his friend.
The figure that went after Ashley turned out to be a girl, about Lynn's age or younger, with dark ginger hair and deep green eyes. She didn't seem harmless at first, but the fury burning in her irises and the martial arts pose denied that fact. The bunny held tightly against her chest almost proved she's innocent. Almost.
She didn't seem Japanese or American, from what the brunette could tell. She definitely looked foreign, but sadly, Ashley was never good at recognizing races from just facial features. Process of elimination was something she had to rely on to judge the race.
"Ah, Ashley-san!" Tsuna called worriedly, realizing the girl in front of her.
About damn time you noticed this, Dame-Tsuna. Ashley grumbled internally. She did like the kid- because of Lynn's crush- but damn, he can be slow.
"Leave her be, Dame-Tsuna."
"Eh?! But, Reborn-"
"Tsuna, don't you think you can see Ashley's true strength with this?"
"…"
"Pay attention to Yamamoto's fight. I'll keep an eye out for her."
Ashley glanced at Tsunayoshi and Reborn questioningly, but as she did that, the girl was in her face in a second and her leg came flying at her stomach, aiming to make contact with it. Moving out the way swiftly, she hissed between her teeth at how she got distracted.
The girl straightened her pose, but didn't leave her guard down. Her head tilted as she said in a foreign language, "Si dovrebbe preoccupare di te, ragazza." Ashley stared at her with a stupid expression. She sighed, realizing that the older girl didn't understand her, and switched languages. "How about this? Can you understand me now?"
Ashley, recognizing the words immediately, replied, "Now I can. But what the hell? Why'd you attack?"
" 'Why'd I attack?'?" she snorted a laugh, grinning widely now. " 'Why'd I attack?'?! That's funny! Isn't it obvious, girl? We're the enemies, aren't we? In your dictionary? We have your sister! We have that brat, Fuuta! What do you have? A puny kid, a random baseball player, and a hot headed bomber? Oh, let's not forget that over confident, cocky 'carnivore', as he calls himself!" She taunted vehemently.
The brunette's muscles locked in place as her eyes broadened. Her grip on her swords increased until her knuckles turned white.
Taking her silence as an invite to go on, the girl continued. "Not only that, but we took out the strongest kids at Namimori! Don't you just hate it when something terrible happens to someone you know or love, but you can't do anything about it?"
Ashley's hair fell in her face while her head bowed. Seeing her eyes was impossible at this point.
"Man, I feel so bad for you! I mean, hasn't that happened to you quite a lot actually? You know, with your sister, and then with your friends, and now with the students you look out for! That's one sad-"
"Shut up."
The ginger perked up a little bit, almost astounded that she actually talked through her taunts, and also that she sounded calm. However, her smirk returned as she noticed the grip of the hilt on her swords and her bowed head. "What? Struck a nerve?"
"Someone doesn't know how to shut up, huh?" Ashley said again, a visible smirk on her lips. Her head didn't lift yet. "Listen, bitch, I don't care about my damn past. Although, I will remember it no matter what. And really, I was wondering where the hell Hibari went; I should've figure that he's still here as well as my sister. Now," her eyes gleamed maliciously, with the intent to kill, as her head lifted. "Let's do this fucking fight already. I'm getting very impatient. I know my sister's waiting for me."
Grinning widely as her choice of words, she agreed.
Ashley jerked her head to Strike and told her, switching back to Japanese, "Hey, Strike! Watch my back, alright? I have a feeling she'll play dirty in this battle. Oh, and Tsuna?" Her eyes diverted to the boy crouched down by the hole his friend fell in.
At the sound of his name, the male in question looked over his shoulder to meet her eye to eye. "Y-yes, Ashley-san?"
Sliding into a comfortable fighting position, the eldest Kaldwell sister smirked widely. "I would love it if you watched this after your friend's fight. Anything that pisses me off makes me want to kill them, especially when they mention my past. No one," she growled venomously, "no one mentions my story as a sad tale in front of me if I can help it, bitch!"
Tsuna stared at her with a slowly paling face. "Why does she remind me so much of Hibari-san…?!" was what she heard from him before switching her attention again to her opponent.
"What was that, some sort of speech?" the ginger asked with an amused smirk. "Lame! Let's just get started, shall we? You better prepare, Ashley Kaldwell! I'm not going to go easy on you, ragazza!"
"Like hell you would!" Ashley countered with a rivaling smirk. Adrenaline made her cocky, but she's fine with that. She might as well die fighting like a warrior than die like a wimp.
CGP: …O.o That took a little longer than expected. I started this sometime in the summer and now look when it is. …whoops! Happy Halloween, kittens!
Strike: There's a reason she posted this on a holiday of some sort! ;3
CGP: Yep! And it's extra-long, just for you! 5,370 words full of hard work!
Strike: Enjoy your trick-or-treating or whatever you do on this day! Have a nice day/night! Remember to review, favorite, or follow the story!
CGP: I still don't own KHR (nor will I ever), just my OCs and certain stuff. PS: if I didn't get the Italian right, sorry. I used Google Translate for this and you all know how Google Translate is… =.= Please correct me if these are wrong. ^.^ Adios, meh kitties!
Translations:
C'è qualcosa che vuoi che faccia, signore? – Is there something you want me to do, sir?
Sì. Controllare fuori se ci sono intrusi. Se c'è, andare con Ken per fermarli. – Yes. Check if there are intruders. If there are, go with Ken to stop them.
Sì, padrone. – Yes, master.
Andare al lavoro, Cesarina. – Get to work, Cesarina.
Si dovrebbe preoccupare di te, ragazza. – You should worry about yourself, girl.
Ragazza – girl