This is the second arc! If you didn't read the first one, you can't understand anything!
Hi everyone!
I'm italian and I'm translating my story in english because some not-italian people ask me to do it, so please forgive me for this poor and basic english!
I accept any advice because I really want to improve my english and I know there are many mistakes, SORRY!
Thank you for reading ~
Target 21 - Canada VIII
The flame-haired girl can't sit still. She keeps walking back and forth to the entrance of the house, anxious.
She is certainly not the only nervous person, the other members of the family of the eleventh Vongola and Simon are in the same situation.
That night they couldn't manage to sleep well and, in that cold morning, they are all silent and absorbed in their thoughts.
How can she blame them?
Nozomi has been kidnapped and Caesar too. Their lives are no more in danger, Clover won't attack them anymore.
Yet, in return they have lost two friends.
Who would save his life at the expense of another one?
"Surely Nozomi wanted to protect us by surrendering to them." Arashi is aware of it, she knows how the twisted mentality of her best friend works. "That idiot ... she has again acted without telling us anything and taking all the responsibilities ..." bites her lip, almost angrily "when she'll be back home I'll scold her in a way she will remember forever. "
She doesn't even know why she finds herself in the kitchen, sitting near the table and munching some cookies. The biscuits aren't bad, in fact, they are pretty tasty.
A tear falls on her face, she really wants to eat them with her.
That girl two days before told her "I love you." Sure, she doesn't mean it in the deepest sense of the word, but the 'spiritual' one.
She bites another cookie, observing the albino boy while cooking with passion.
Arashi: ... Is that all you do?
In fact, since they were guests in the villa, Jun has done nothing but cooking and baking cakes.
And, oddly enough, he is very good.
Jun: I have to. An human being needs to sleep and eat to be strong. And you need a lot of energy.
She stares at the green eyes of the boy. He is focused, immersed in his work as pastry chef.
He's just cooking but he's doing it with all his heart and his desire to help them.
"He still really want to do something, despite what he's been through ..." she almost can't believe it.
She thinks back to the last days spent in Swizzles and realizes that they were all really nervous and worried. They could relax only when resting at night and when they were gathered for lunch and dinner.
She smiles.
Arashi: Really ... Perhaps this is your gift.
Jun: Maybe. I am pleased to be able to make you smile.
He raises his head and looks at her. Their eyes have never met for so long and he doesn't even seem terrified of her. They probably have too many problems to think about trivial things.
Jun: I want to go home.
Arashi: You'll have to wait, we have something to fix, here.
Jun: No, you didn't understand. I want to go home, at school, with Sawada-san, Fukada-san, Inoya-san, Kaito-kun, Blizzard-kun, Kozato-san, Fudou-kun and the twins. I want to wear Namimori's uniform and sit down at my desk. I want to listen to the teachers, be scared because they might notice my bad grades, fail miserably during gym class, eat on the roof with everyone and stand aside because Fukada-san might get mad, go home and do homework together. I want to go on living as we have always done. All together.
Arashi is incredulous, she would never have expected those words.
Arashi: ... Have you forgiven Nozo?
Jun: It doesn't matter. When I was on gallows I was afraid for myself. But now I also fear for the others. Human life is so fragile and short, and I was wasting mine. ... I don't want anyone to die. I don't want to wake up and discover that someone I cared about is died. ... I couldn't accept it. I don't want to say that I have forgiven Sawada-san for getting me almost killed, but I'm going to do it when we return home and everything will be the same as before. Then I will be fine.
The storm sighs, she doesn't know how to respond. The boy has expressed his feelings and, despite everything, she also shares them.
Going home and continuing to live their teenage years as always is everyone's desire.
This means that they must find and save Nozomi and Caesar.
Arashi: Jun.
The boy looks up and observes Arashi with perplexity.
Arashi: Even useless people can be good for something.
She smiles.
Arashi: If you keep doing it, I'll promote you from a useless person into a useless but good in cooking person.
Jun: I am honored.
He also paints a smile.
A few moments later the door from the kitchen opens: Arina is on the doorway, with her serious gaze.
Arina: Cristal-san is here.
The storm gets up rapidly and reaches her.
Arashi: You stay?
Arina: Yes, I rest.
The storm isn't sure why she decided to stay behind them, after all her pupil is in danger.
Perhaps, she is able to guess something.
Arina: I'm sorry, Arashi. I'm waiting for Decimo and I'll ask him to forgive me.
Arashi: You don't need to be forgiven for anything, Arina. We are all terrified, but we want to help Cristal-san to catch the culprits ... and we want to be the ones to save our friends.
The woman nods and leaves the kitchen, the redhead is also going to follow her but the voice of the boy forces her to stop.
Jun: Fukada-san.
She doesn't respond, she simply remains on hold.
Jun: Come back, everyone. With Sawada-san and Kozato-san.
Arashi: Of course. It's all or nothing.
Cristal: My men have surrounded the place. They will support us but, since we are against an illusionist, we are the ones who must act, cause we can fight with flames.
The boy goes down rapidly from the van and waits for the ten boys.
None of them spoke, they have remained silent listening to the Neveria's informations.
They found themselves out of a small kiosk for food, obviously closed. Men with white suits have revealed a manhole that seems to bring to the sewers, but in reality it is a secret passage in disguise.
Kaito: How the hell did you find such a thing?
Cristal: We have many advanced equipment, but also the Vongola have many of them too.
Arashi: Someone should remain here to guard.
Cristal: Don't worry, my men will remain here.
The Neveria opens the manhole and reveals a dark hole with white stairs going towards the bottom.
Cristal: There is no other solution.
Blizzard: Are you sure you want to help us?
Cristal: This is my territory. I don't want kidnappings, illegal experiments and deaths. My mother ordered me to save the two young guys kidnapped and capture the magician and the scientist.
Luca: Even if the two 'young guys' belong to other families?
The albino boy looks puzzled.
Cristal: Who cares about their families? If people are in danger they should be saved and that's it.
His answer is too exhaustive, but he's right.
In some cases it is futile to dwell on some irrelevant details. The life of a person is still the life of a person.
Arashi is the second person who completes the descent in the underground, just after the future boss of Neveria. Then the others followed her: Blizzard, Kaito, Luca, Haname, Cloud, Fudou, Ylius, Yren and Shinji.
The redhead looks around, bewildered. She was sure that, once down in the passage, she would find herself in the sewers. Already she could feel the fetid smell and the sound of the putrid water.
She remains particularly surprised when, turning, she found herself observing a corridor with concrete walls and tiled floor.
The group moves forward with caution, Cristal guides them to a huge room lit by electric dim lights.
Cristal: We'd better check well around here, we need to find out as much as possible. There are no cameras or they would have been detected by our equipment. We can act in peace but it is always better to move quietly and quickly.
Haname and Cloud have already started looking for informations and also the storm supports the two guardians. Only at that time she seems to notice the bag that the rain carries on her shoulders.
She knows what's inside, after all, she also participated in its construction. She is almost eager to see Haname in action with her new weapon.
Would she be able to use it or she would go through a new failure?
The redhead can't waste time on silly thoughts, she must focus on finding clues. They like playing as detectives, but that's not one of their usual games.
She sighs, looking at a screen with strange data, unfortunately she can't understand. If Masato was there he would decoded everything, but she isn't up to it and is disgusted enough by that.
There is no keyboard or mouse, she's afraid to touch the screen in case there's a touchscreen and she could accidentally activate some mechanism.
She has never felt so frustrated and scared.
The fear that Nozomi was already dead continues to make its way inside her. She promised to Jun that they would return together. Or, otherwise, they would all die.
"I'd rather die than go home without her." her heart beats fast "And I'm not the only one who thinks this way."
She observes the glacier, he's checking some furniture. Blizzard is very close to Caesar, she knows that he also won't forgive himself if his boss should die.
How can she forget the look on his face the night before? Clover captured Caesar under his nose and he blames himself for it. He had spent the whole evening with his face in his hands, crying.
The two of them are alike, after all.
They feel the same way, they must be very empathetic, perhaps that's what it means to be a right-hand man.
Haname: Hey, look at this.
Haname and Cloud invite the guys to approach, showing them a dossier containing sheets, some of which are wrinkled.
The storm gets close to them and stares at the drawings, probably made by children.
Kaito: What is it? Should we care?
Cristal: Yes, we should. They carefully keep them in a file ... why on earth?
Cloud: Maybe they are connected to their "experiments".
Luca: What's this?
Cloud rotate the sheet and shows it to him. It's a typical picture drawn by a kindergarten child, the scribble is a house and two little figures, probably a parent with the son.
The smaller one, sketched with black pencil, has layers of green color on the head.
There are no doubt, the truth is too evident.
Ylius & Yren: Hey hey, listen to this!
The Simon twins rapidly approach to the group, they have other sheets in hand, but this time there are no drawings. Ylius start reading them with fluent English:
"The 'Clover' experiment was born at the basis of the knowledge of the flames of the mist.
The continuous experiments have almost positive results. Actually is possible to export the soul from its body, subtracting it from the mortal being and raising it to a new omnipotent and omnipresent creature. 'Clover' is based on these factors, but his mentality isn't stable, despite being in contact with the nerve's flow of the subject.
The real body is under a constant stress but the dreamlike one isn't affected by the real pain. This can only mean that the spiritual 'Clover' isn't closely related to the psychology of the subject.
The experiment isn't completely failed, as Clover still contains almost all the features of the subject and, in case of death, it continues to keep them, creating an almost immortal being, disconnected from the real body."
Kaito: ... What does this stuff mean?
Arashi: Practically they are talking about the Clover experiment.
Cristal is close to the twins, they hand him the paper.
Cristal: These data concern the development of the experiment. Apparently it's not completely failed. They talk about two separate people, 'Clover' and 'subject'. Clover is nothing but an extrapolation of the mentality of the person, however, he seems to be different. For this reason, the experiment didn't go exactly well.
Cloud: Apparently they wanted to create a perfect copy of a human in an almighty version.
Blizzard: Then is this Clover unbeatable?
Haname: No, I doubt it. I think that "dreamlike" and "spiritual" mean a kind of projection. Of course, a projection is omnipotent ... at least as long as you don't delete its source.
Arashi: Even without eliminating the source, you can destroy the projection. It is practically an hologram. An hologram created with the flames of the mist.
Cloud: And I bet this 'subject' owns that flame.
Haname: And I bet the 'subject' is the one that Nozomi has seen in her dreams.
Cristal: The young Vongola has a really curious ability.
Luca: I doubt it is an ability ...
Cristal: Yet she has been in contact with that boy.
Haname: Or maybe, it was that guy who got in touch with her.
Shinji, meanwhile, is looking at the documents with interest, grudgingly.
Shinji: Hologram ... with the flames of mist ... if it were possible it would be interesting ...
Yren: That would be cool.
A few minutes later, the unusual group of teenagers are back in the long bare corridor without rooms. The few offices they encountered on their journey weren't at all helpful to their purpose.
Arashi keeps observing around her, and she turns to the guardian of the mist and Yren, who are arguing passionately.
Arashi: Still nothing?
Shinji: As I said ... to the left ...
Kaito: It's a long time since we are walking on the left but there are still no paths or rooms. Can't you tell us exactly where we have to go?
Shinji: I don't know ... It's on the left.
Cloud: Enough, I'm tired.
The guardian of the cloud turns toward the wall to his left and starts throwing compact disks against it, unfortunately nothing happened and the cds only scratches it.
Kaito probably likes the brilliant idea of Cloud, this is why he joins him quickly: with a fist, full of flames of the sun, he aims to a slight gap created previously by the cloud' cds.
Arashi, exasperated, is about to pick up her twins when Kaito's punch passes from one side of the wall that collapses, creating a huge gap before them.
Cloud has a satisfied grins and passes first, followed by the rest of the gang.
Behind the wall there is a parallel corridor, full of locked but empty cells. Cristal seems puzzled, turns to Shinji with curiosity.
Cristal: Can you tell us where we should go?
Shinji: ... Left.
Arashi: We went to the left! Why can't you be more specific?
Kaito: It's obvious, Shishi. What do you expect from a failed magician and bird of ill omen?
Arashi: Call me Shishi again and I'll put Scarlet in your throat and Raven ... you don't want to know where.
Kaito: Oh come on, I like it!
Arashi: I don't.
Cristal: Guys, please.
The Neveria's voice, although if kind, makes everyone silent.
Arashi doesn't understand why but that guy has a strange and eerie aura of mystery and severity, although he seems selfless, kind and never loses his cool.
Perhaps it could be his security that, unlike Nozomi's, comes from his knowledge and experience. That boy of almost twenty years old knows what to do, his limits and also his potential.
Actually she can't wait to see his powers.
She awakens from her thoughts when they are found at the end of the corridor, in front of a wall that prevents them from continuing. There is only a small grate in the bottom, which leads to a long and narrow passage.
They have actually gone to the left again, through the hidden corridor, and they probably are near the entrance of the secret laboratory, located instead in the adjacent hallway.
Haname: Leave it to me.
The rain opens her bag and pulls out a bright decorated blade. It is the same sword that she has built together with Mr. Richard.
The swordswoman performs several cuts, splitting the grate in a perfect square.
Haname: I'll go.
Arashi: No, wait. Leave it to me.
The rain remains motionless for a moment, thinking. Then she steps back, bowing her head.
Haname: Be careful, Ara. Don't be reckless.
Arashi: I doubt there's anything dangerous, but don't worry. I want to go home without victims.
Both smiles.
The girl slips into the tunnel and crawls for a couple of minutes, reaching an opening and sliding down on the floor.
It's not actually floor, but stone. She finds herself in a cold and wet underground basement, full of cells similar to the ones in the previous corridor, but the ones in front of her are carved into the rock and abandoned.
Behind her also Blizzard arrives, seems that he followed her.
She looks up.
Arashi: I didn't need a bodyguard, huh.
Blizzard: I wanted to make sure you wouldn't do shit, here. Knowing how much you are instinctive ...
He is probably referring to the fight of two days earlier. He is just like that idiot of Caesar, always provoking her.
Arashi: Whatever.
Blizzard: And you're really nice, mh.
Arashi: So are you. Always in my way.
Blizzard: Come on, don't be such a tsundere. If you were less coarse and calmer, you would be a really interesting girl, here.
The expression of Arashi turns in disgust.
Arashi: Interesting for you?
Blizzard: Who knows.
Arashi: Go to the hell, you and the other one. Nozo is right to say that you are jerks. Always making fun of everyone and treating females as objects.
Blizzard: You haven't understood nothing of us, here.
He isn't annoyed or even angry, in fact he seems quite amused. Just like Caesar.
Arashi: Well, you don't even help us understanding you.
She comes to the middle cell, looking straight before her. She's motionless for a moment, astonished, and Blizzard reaches her.
A little boy is sitting on the ground, chained.
He has a dirty shirt and long green hair.
Blizzard: Bingo.
Arashi: We just have to destroy these bars and save him.
The redhead pulls out her guns but the glacier anticipates her, creating an ice blade from scratch, it takes the form of a sword, similar to Haname's one.
Arashi: Why do everyone anticipated me?
Sighs, resigned.
Arashi: ... And what the hell is that?
Blizzard: A sword of ice, here. Didn't you see it?
Arashi: So you can create ice swords or what?
Blizzard: Actually, I can create any weapon I want.
Arashi: Oh, I see.
Blizzard: What is it, are you envious?
Arashi: Of what? I have my twins and I'm proud of them.
Blizzard: Oh yes, I see.
The boy scrutinizes her from head to toe for a while and then turns, visibly delighted.
Arashi raises an eyebrow, puzzled, until she understands his claim.
Arashi: YOU UGLY MANIAC-
The young man threw himself against the grate and struck it with a blow.
When the ice, enhanced by his flame, touches the iron grating, however, it's rejected.
An annoying sound starts to resonate in the basement, and a wall is raised from the floor in front of the cell, it's also apparently reinforced.
The young chained boy disappears, locked in a kind of iron safe. There aren't even scratches after a couple of gun's shots, although imbued with flame of storm.
Arashi: What the fuck?! What is it made of?
Blizzard: Rather, where did it come from? We are in an underground basement created in the rock, here.
Arashi: Built by scientists. Let's go, we can't do anything else.
The storm reaches the wall and looks up at the tunnel and then she turns, since the glacier has approached her.
Arashi: ... Don't look at me.
He crosses his arms, puzzled.
Blizzard: If you had worn a pair of trousers you wouldn't be in this situation, here.
Arashi: Don't look and you will survive.
She turns again and jumps, slipping in the passage.
Blizzard: Ehhh like boss, like right-hand woman.
The irritating voice of the boy forces the storm to roll her eyes again.
Arashi: I should tell that to you and the other one.
Blizzard: Let's say that it can be applied to everyone, here.
The two walk backwards into the tunnel for a couple of minutes.
Arashi: We had found him.
She gets out of the passage, helped by Haname and followed by Bliz.
Arashi: We were unable to free him and his cell was blocked.
Luca: Blocked by what?
Arashi: Armored iron walls and something else, because I couldn't destroy it. The alarm has tripped due to our fault.
Blizzard: Where is the Neveria?
Haname: Cristal-san, Cloud and Shinji walked ahead as soon as they heard the alarm, they will be here soon.
Arashi sighs, listening to the unnerving sound of the alarm.
They are alone, fugitives and without money, in a country that they don't know, their bosses have been kidnapped, they infiltrated into the enemy's lair and have also been discovered.
What else could happen?
" ... I also want to go back to Namimori, along with everybody else. "