Chapter 42
Heads Will Roll
"Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved."
― Martin Luther
For the first time it wasn't an alcohol daze that made everything quiet in his head.
Xanxus was moving, there wasn't much need to focus on destroying enemies beneath his abilities. He hadn't had a worthy challenger in a while, it wasn't going to change now with the Cinquemani scum.
And so with each body that fell easily, with blood that began to stain his carpets and floors, the only thing he could think of was Federico.
He had heard that traitor soon to be ex-guardian of his declare boldly the depths of his betrayal. Xanxus considered Alphonse worse than dead when he saw his meglomatic face plastered widely on his walls. He knew there was an insider for a while, but his veins thrum wildly with wrath at the knowledge it was one of his own inner circle.
Facing the Varia boss was hard enough, an enraged boss was a worse one. The Cinquemani are learning that first hand as he appeared like an all consuming fire scorching the land.
Then to hear that his brother was dead, it didn't take much to add one plus one there.
On the one hand, he couldn't deny that Federico's death helped him. Especially in light of Massimo's and Enrico's death. It meant it would soon be his turn now, no matter how others tried to deny it all along: they were forced to contend with him now as Nono's heir.
Only living heir.
But while the thought of all those who looked down on him, who rejected him, including Nono's guardians; to imagine their faces now contorting due to these recent events would be enough to fill him with deep triumph it was now marred by a pulse empty hollow feeling at the thought of Federico's face.
It was the only thing he could see right now and he hated it.
He didn't even blink when Massimo or Enrico died. Hell, he might've even laughed or continued drinking.
He hated how his mind could see him back at the mansion where they all grew up. That caramel blond hair, those eternally placid eyes that were too much like the old man. The way Federico would look at him with part pity and part wariness but never contempt. It always made Xanxus mad but he didn't hate him like he hated Massimo and Enrico.
He could see the now fallen Vongola heir in his garden in the Vongola manor. The garden Federico was a bit too fond of. What kind of son of one of the most powerful famiglia's in the world paid so much attention to flowers?
"Fratello, you've never loved anyone, so you wouldn't know what is the beauty of taking care of something precious."
Xanxus scoffed. "If it needs so much care, maybe it shouldn't live". It was a dog eat dog world after all.
Federico only shook his head and kept tending to his flowers. That boy had too many openings, Xanxus thought. It would be easy to kill Federico. Why allow another potential contender to see his back? It's not like they were friends.
"It's the things we give tender care and time, that gives us our greatest joy"
What kind of bullshit was that?
Angry at the inability to make Federico lose his cool he would storm off to fight someone else instead. Xanxus was always ready for a fight just as Federico could always be found in his garden.
"See you later, Fratello!" Federico would call out, Xanxus didn't have to turn around to know Federico was smiling at him like the idiot he was.
Federico would call him brother, the only one to do so out of the three. Federico would never be close but never far from Xanxus either. Smart enough to know his existence was a threat to him but too stupid like the old man to do something about it. Others took it as a sign of his kindness, Xanxus always thought it was a weakness. It would get him killed one day he always said.
Though most people assumed it would be his fault, his ambition, his desire for the Vongola throne.
And now Look at where they are now. He'd throw a glass if he had any to the wall at his own prophetic ability.
These gunshots would have to do in the meantime, let these bodies serve as target practice instead.
He would drink all he wanted after all this mess got taken care of, and the right people died. Then he would forget Federico's fucking face, this hollow emptiness that came with it like a bad taste in his mouth once and for all and move on. Drowning it out with a good bottle of scotch or tequila.
As he began thinking about what he would do after these scums were taken care of, he remembered one thing:
Who the fuck is that traitor's sister?
Amina wove her ways through the lower levels of the Varia and she couldn't wait to get out of there. She never felt more disturbed by an atmosphere in her life.
While the upper levels of the Varia manor felt like an opulent castle with a bit of an imposing vibe; it at least felt like they belonged somewhere in the recent century.
Navigating down this dungeon, she knew this place was built upon a place with a darker history. Or at least one with blood seeped so deep, even the air felt dark. Not because it was done long, but because it was done extremely well.
Maybe it was because her spiritual senses were more alert due to her currently retaining a part of Federico in her subconscious, an imprint of the fire that once was his soul; but she could feel the death and heaviness in the air. It almost made her want to vomit or pass out.
As if sensing her deep discomfort, Federico came trepidtiously past the wall she had put up between their consciousness. Still a very strange thing to even think, but there was no other way to describe as she felt his gentle and peaceful hand reaching out to cover her own.
She let her wall down and shivered when she felt him completely besides her.
Her imagination wasn't it?
'Yes, what you sense is real, but seeing me is an illusion of your mind to help you better understand.' Federico responded, and she didn't need to ask that it was only her that saw him. It was like her brain was the projector and her eyes let out the light that was him.
She allowed herself to be guided through the dungeon, apparently Federico had spent time here running as a child so he knew his way. Not sure what kind of child had no issue running in such a place like this, but she was never one to like scary movies in the first place. So this was probably a personality trait of his.
'Actually no, what I liked were suspense and adventure movies, it was the only thing me and Xanxus had in common. I did like horror because of the gore, Xanxus didn't like it because it was unrealistic to how people actually bled or died."
Federico answered and Amina fought the urge to respond back aloud.
Right, they were brothers. Truly night and day.
Last she needed was for the Rogue Regime following her to think they needed to put her down like an insane animal who would cause more harm than good.
'Here let me guide you, it's this way'
Celeste was past the point of thinking she was crazy for following an illusion, because once they got through a particularly labyrinth part of the dungeon maze; she knew this was his knowledge and not just plain luck.
Even the Rogue Regime were impressed. "How do you know this place so well?" One of them asked, not being able to hide his curiosity.
"...I have insider knowledge." Somehow she knew a dead fiance leading the way wouldn't be an assuring answer.
For a split second she felt Federico's hesitation and deep worry. If it wasn't because their consciousness were so interconnected at this moment; she would've missed it.
What was wrong? Initially she thought he was confused about the route but he kept going assuredly. So now it was her turn to press him. "Federico, we are past the point of you having any reason to hide your discomfort from me. What are you thinking?"
She could feel him flickering between speaking and not, he even put up a wall.
"I don't want to put you in danger.." He began warily and she had no doubt he could feel her own dry look directed at him. "Bit late for that, though most of it is my own doing. Don't keep secrets from me Fede, I don't deserve that."
And that statement was actually one that broke him. He would've given her the world if he had been able to. Suddenly she felt the surge of sadness and pain coming from him, and Amina felt ashamed of having caused him those feelings. She had spoken quickly, fueled by curiosity and unable to be out of the loop. Forgetting that she had the power of injuring feelings. Her love for Federico was great enough that knowing he was sad made her sad.
Before she could apologize, Federico began speaking. He couldn't give her much but he was determined to give her everything he could in his limited state. "Xanxus isn't my brother. At least not blood related. He's adopted."
Now she fought the urge to whistle. "And I'm guessing that didn't go well when he found out?"
"Not one bit," Federico admitted. But it was the next one that almost made her stagger. "That's why he was imprisoned in ice for various years. The cradle affair is the codename for Xanxus' attempt to claim the Vongola throne for himself."
Though she knew she was the reason he was telling her this, because she was literally knocking at his walls; there was this gut feeling there was another reason why Federico was mentioning this.
"This has something to do with me doesn't it?"
"Yes, you are the one that released him. Though he probably doesn't remember you since you were younger and I got you out of there quickly. Even though you helped him, I couldn't trust he wouldn't hurt you just to get back at me if he knew who you were."
Oh wow, she saw it too. The memory flash of a younger version of her who was looking to be entertained she saw someone in ice and wanting a playmate, she set off so many things in motion.
Children truly were dangerous, especially bored ones.
"I'm telling you these things because context matters. The knowledge that he is adopted may get you killed so be wise when sharing that-if ever. But the other one, though I'm not sure if he will honor it- is worth a shot."
"What shot?'
"He technically owes you for it, so if you are ever hard pressed against him; though I hope you don't run into him. It may be leverage."
We are here, Federico said and she felt him withdraw to a deeper part. He had used a lot of his energy to guide her and she felt his presence dimming. He withdrew to conserve himself in case she needed him again in a dire situation. Celeste sent him waves of love and appreciation for his thoughtfulness and pushed down the ache and longing when she felt him less.
It also helped that the men screamed and rushed to where there was a young girl curled up on the floor behind a cell.
"Signorina!"
"CC!" Celeste yelled out approaching her friend in the bottom dungeons of the Varia mansion.
"You came for me?" Shock in her features, very much aware of their last conversation. Where Amina learned how the person she once called her best friend had blamed her for her fiancé's death and was the reason Alphonse found her in the first place.
She hadn't forgotten that CC was the reason why. The reason why, she was being hunted by her power hungry brother who has not only physically abused her, but also murdered right infront of her eyes the love of her life: Federico. The reason why she ended up so far away from home and how her best friend handed her over, knowing that Alphonse wanted to kill her.
All roads led back to her, the best friend who handed her over to Alphonse, knowing he wanted to kill her. CC was that angry and resentful, she wanted her in pain. Even if she didn't know the details of how he wanted to sacrifice her so as to gain the power of a flame that he never got, tapping into demonic rituals to do so.
Celeste remembered Federico's blood. And waking up not only to the horror that Federico was dead, but seeing Alphonse successfully complete a ritual using Federico's body. She saw Federico become literal bones during the incantation, and the way her body shivered in fear at the sight of Alphonse's black flame.
All this she remembered, and for a split second, she thought about leaving CC trapped. Powerless. Or maybe killing her instead, after all she hadn't cared when Alphonse would kill her. She even felt the darkness within her that crept up her mind, saying no, why not instead hope that they all burned and the Cinquemani family was no more. Letting her family be ripped to shreds in this stupid feud and to simply watch it happen before her eyes.
Because loss, loneliness and grief are worse fates than death.
But then she reached Pupetta's prison cell. She saw her destroyed and broken state, the bloodshot eyes and signs of having put up a fight and losing. Amina suddenly had a bunch of other flashbacks of their friendship. Like a sudden collage of school, studying, uniforms, cannolis and pizza, laughter and games.
So while Pupetta deserved none of her pity, Celeste also wasn't the kind of monster to also turn on someone she once called friend.
"Because that's what friends are supposed to do". Amina replied, opening the gate and CC's lip quivered and shame filled her features. "I'm so sorry."
Amina did not accept her apology, not yet. Federico's death was too fresh in her mind and heart. "There is something still for you to do, come. We need to stop this war and I need to kill my brother"
"Brother, what brother!?"
And before Amina could give any kind of reply, they came above ground into the hallways and saw Alphonse face plastered on the screen. Directing himself to her and making allusions to what he did to Fede. She felt no fear, only anger. Deep, throbbing, the kind that pounded at her, chanting to drench the carpet with his blood.
She turned to CC and pointed. "That one"
Cassandra Cinquemani's head could not stop spinning. And it wasn't because they were weaving their way through havoc and madness. Part adrenaline and part fear for your life of anyone who could come at them from any corner.
She was worried for her friend, though she was sure Celeste probably wouldn't call her that. If ever again.
CC was wrapping her head around the news that Alphonse was Celeste's brother. Though CC had kept things from her friend, like the fact she was mafia and an heiress—didn't mean that she thought Celeste had done the same.
Remembering what occurred back in her family manor, the encounter with her father and Celeste's shock at seeing him. There was no doubt this was a recent revelation.
Which only made her stomach churn as she thought about how her friend's world must've completely upended within the last few months. They went from being rivals and friends, a normal high school life of each vying for valedictorian. For Celeste, to get a full ride to a great university in order to make it out of the financial situation she grew up in. Whereas for CC it wasn't for the money, it was about getting her family's, her father's approval.
She would've slapped herself if she could. How dumb and naïve she had been. Working so hard for her father's approval so that he could then go and kill the man she hoped to marry one day? As if that hadn't been bad enough, to also throw her at the mercy of Alphonse and the Varia just to justify a war?
To think the one who came for her, wasn't who she had been vying for so many years, instead the friend she immediately faulted without thinking of Antonino's death. Who she too mercilessly threw to the wolves. When CC was in that cold murky cell, she thought it was karma. Her friend had probably experienced this, and worse in the Varia.
CC wanted to reach out to her friend, to comfort her—but what could she say? The deep shame and remorse she felt didn't even let her think to walk beside her, let alone touch her. So instead she looked on at her friend, observing all the changes from slightly behind her.
The tense and alert postured, much more than her native New Yorker cautiousness that comes from living in a major city where one had to look out for themselves—this was someone who knew people were out to get her and isn't banking on good luck to let her see tomorrow. There were injuries and bruises scattered throughout her body, some fresher and some older. Her once long hair was now frisky and short, CC didn't know the story but knew all of it must've been painful, rough. Someone who through audacity, ingenuity and adrenaline was trying to make sense and survive the world that they were suddenly thrust into.
It also didn't escape CC notice just how her familglia's men were comfortable around her darker skinned friend. They weren't questioning her presence or belittling her. Mafia didn't trust easily, she had gained their trust and respect—not an easy feat. Though she winced as thought of how easily she forsook their bond and allowed Alphonse and her father to sow distrust and betrayal in her heart.
So swallowing her own pain and remorse, she decided to break the silence knowing that if she couldn't comfort her once best friend—she knew her well enough to understand what she could offer instead.
"What's the plan now? What do you need? What can I do for you?"
Trust and a plan. There was no way Celeste was walking without something in mind.
was a planner type through and through, what they needed now were actions and the ability to work together. Celeste could see the heavily restrained feelings of everything CC probably wanted to say and discuss but chose not to. The young Italian girl was always good at being sensitive to context, time and space. Celeste was the same, which is how they clicked so well, both valuing prudence and long term benefits over hotheadedness and quick relief.
Old souls, they joked once upon a time.
She did the same and a silent understanding came between them that at least for now—they needed to be united if they wanted to survive.
Celeste stepped back a bit to stand beside her.
"We need some way to dis-legitimize the current struggle. Cloud needs to stand alone, and while it's clear there is a divide in your family—I don't think many men will continue to blindly follow Alphonse as a Don Cinquemani proxy when they see your face. When they know what they've done to you. It will help lessen the enemies we have in this place, Varia is a wild card but we can help mitigate the Cinquemani ordeal." The logic was sound, less enemies the better to think about. It was about time this stupid war was over.
"Alphonse's extreme vanity and arrogance has now actually helped me think of the best way to reach all CInquemani quickly—I'm going to hack into his media system and show you instead. You will know what to say I'm sure. I doubt he thought of any security measures for his mansion wide presentation."
CC like everyone else in the varia manor had a front row seat to his theatrics. To think she had listened to a man like that only filled her with more disgust.
"You always were good at the AV stuff"
"Yeah i've made a bit of living hacking too." Seemed like ages for Amina though the whole Cavanaugh ordeal, with the red haired Cavanaugh heir.
CC nodded but one thing struck her as different than just a survival plan.
"But why is it that it's important to get Cloud isolated? Isn't it enough once more of my men stand by me to be able to procure a way out?"
"My end goal isn't our survival. You are welcome to leave with Cinquemani you trust after you have spoken, but I'm not leaving."
CC reached out her hand to restrain her friend without even thinking. "What in the world do you mean you aren't leaving?" When CC saw the look of ire and deep resentment in her friend's eye, she feared the worst.
"I'm not letting Alphonse get away with what he's done. I need to face him for what he's done to Camilla, to Federico."
"Federico?" Surely, CC thought she didn't mean Federico Vongola? There was no way there was an association there.
"It was horrible CC. What Alphonse did to me was bad enough, Camila's death and final moments made him unpardonable in my eyes. But Fede?" Celeste admitted, her hands shaking from anger or fear of the memory she wasn't sure.
"Federico…" CC trailed inviting her friend to finish the sentence, and with great sadness Celeste pronounced the one word CC desperately hoped not to hear. "Vongola".
Looking for the simplest terms she could, Celeste chose a nutshell answer. "He was my fiancé and Alphonse killed him."
Holy cow. CC would've tripped right then and there, and the surprise of the men around her was equal to her own. All were astounded.
"You were a Vongola imperatrice candidate!?"
Celeste's eyes said she didn't want to get into it. CC had a thousand questions she was sure Celeste could only answer a fraction but there was one that only mattered to her. "Did you love him?"
While it looked like it was hard for Celeste to answer, CC saw the hollow and pained look, the grief that consumed her and she knew that it was yes. She didn't know the details of their connection, but she knew the pain and anger of losing the man you loved.
"I understand. I don't recommend it, but if I want to avenge Antonino, I would be a hypocrite to tell you otherwise."
Trust and a plan, CC couldn't offer anything else. CC didn't question her friend, that was the best way to get her upset. Celeste was a careful thinker, which is why she hated when people gave opinions as if she hadn't thought things through. She liked making informed decisions, open to advice and guidance—but from her face, CC knew Celeste wasn't asking for it right now. This decision was probably made long before she had even rescued her from the cell. It was a suicide mission her friend was on, she scrambled to think of something to convince her otherwise.
"Why not talk with Xanxus?" Everyone at that point turned to stare at her, Celeste herself could not stop her very pointed look. She might as well have said bitch are you crazy?
CC immediately relented. As if diplomatic discussion and the volatile Varia boss go hand in hand. Not to mention the moment Xanxus saw Celeste with her, he would assume the worst, hear nothing and give her a fate worse than death.
CC shuddered at the gruesome image of her friend being burned alive at the hands of his flames of wrath. She had heard the stories, had seen burn marks of those unlucky to be around his ire.
"Sorry, it was a dumb idea"
Celeste didn't even bother correcting her kind of, but not completely, friend.
" You are the only shot we have at less casualties. That plus getting back at Alphonse is the best we can aim for-and even then it is highly ambitious and improbable." Celeste knew her chances weren't great, but she couldn't let it go. She'd rather let Xanxus shoot her.
"He's probably high now on the Varia death list. But it doesn't help to stop all this without more casualties. I need to reach Alphonse too and figure out how to undo what happened to Fede"
"You can't bring the dead back." Pupetta looked down sadly, painfully thinking of her own dead love.
"No that isn't it…." Celeste hesitated and then it was CC who shot her a look that said Really? What could possibly be so bad now you have to hide it?
Which was true, ironically compared to Luny, she had a deeper and longer history with CC. Coupled with the fact that CC had messed up terribly, she didn't need to care for her opinion. Which ironically meant that unlike Luny, Celeste knew she could speak freely. CC can't do worse than she already did, and if there was another thing she trusted about CC-it was her ability to think.
Even if all thoughts, like believing Alphonse over her; weren't the best. But she needed counsel now that wasn't her own vengeance driven mind, and the wisps of a soul lingering in her consciousness who would rather she leave everything all together.
Right now, CC was the only one who could understand. Because she knew loss with Antonino, and making bad decisions and the weight of them due to trusting Alphonse.
"Alphonse did this freaky, and I mean bring out the holy water and live at church to escape, freaky ceremony-" CC nodded unfazed. "The dragon flame incantation."
Amina blinked at her friend a couple of times at how easily she knew what she was referring to.
"Alphonse megalomaniac nature isn't new. He has announced his plans and goes on rants when he is drunk about power and wanting to tap into ancient powers. I read up on it and it sounded like he was going to do this ancient latin ceremony to get flames. I was starting to get nightmares getting the latin translated."
CC was another bookworm, Celeste was not surprised to hear she read up to get information, diving deep to the point she needed to get out to not go insane.
"In any case, it all sounded very delusional and my mental health wasn't worth some nonsense archaic belief." CC sneered rolling her eyes, and Celeste wished she could share in her disdain, but after seeing Federico become bones and be consumed by Alphonse into a flame-her nightmares were evidence it wasn't nonsense.
"No, that's the problem. He succeeded."
"Alphonse has a flame now!? Only Vongola's have those and even then only direct line heirs!"
"Yeah and it's pitch black too. It's not natural." CC had never heard of black flames, which meant they couldn't be good. There wasn't too much literature anymore on flames since people didn't believe in that, herself included. But she was quickly rethinking her beliefs if the Vongola could inherit and Alphonse managed to acquire one.
Maybe in the future flames will become a normal part of society? CC wondered at the implication for security and the mafia battles as they knew them. But then remembered all was moot if she didn't survive to see any of it.
Back to having her once upon a time trusted soundboard, Celeste began to think aloud. "Maybe I can make him get rid of his flame..it belongs to Fede and i'll be damned if he has any pieces of my man and takes them with him"
Now Pupetta blinked in surprise. Staring at her in shock at her territorial fierceness over a guy. It was still new for her to see. Federico must've been a great man for her to do all this for him. She felt sorry she hadn't been able to know him better.
Wait a minute. That might be it...though no, it was dumb to say aloud and she didn't want to give her friend hope.
Though Pupetta schooled her features, Celeste caught the spark of an idea in the petite italian's eyes. She was lightning fast as always with her observational skills. Pupetta sighed when she saw Celeste give her the same look she gave her not too long ago.
Touche.
"One other thing I did manage to read, assuming any of the things I read about flames aren't just myths and bedtime stories-is that flames respond to souls and ownership."
"Meaning?"
CC held out her hands in a placating motion. "If you guys had been intimate there is a chance the flame could identify your soul bond, and thus also an owner. The whole two become one flesh partnership of husband and wife could implicate flame possession."
"Yeah….that will not work." Oh, she caught that drift and both blushed and averted their eyes as the two very virgin girls they were. They were rivals, bookworms, and close friends. But not the type to have sexual escapades at 15, though they might've read a very swoon worthy or trashy romance novel here and there.
Pupetta coughed lightly to move past her own discomfort. "Well we don't even know if it would work anyways, even if it had happened. There isn't a guide to flames and their rules. There isn't much out there besides stories told over generations that have become more kid's bedtime stories and fables."
And with that, any further hypothetical flame conversations were put to rest as they continued focusing first on what they could: surviving and stopping the war. Amina would breach the whole flame moment assuming she could even reach Alphonse first
As they walked, for the first time since Antonino died, CC prayed. She stopped when he died, having no desire to talk with God knowing Antonino wouldn't be brought back.
But right now, she prayed her friend would live past the death march she was willingly undertaking. And protection from the Varia that would hunt her down for her actions.
If after today, anyone so much as began pronouncing 'Cin', Xanxus was determined to incinerate them on site.
Who were these scum who dared attack and rise against him, in his mansion? Worse, they all had that 'come hell or high water' look in their eyes of spite, yelling 'For Pupetta, For Cinquemani honor'. Only thing more annoying than scum, was scum convinced they were right and fighting a righteous cause. Trying to rescue her from a place that did not have her.
Xanxus had seen many excuses and justifications from Don's and lesser trash to start mafia wars but this especially pissed him off more than he was.
He almost wished he had kidnapped the Cinquemani heiress just so he could kill her in-front of all of them just to teach them a lesson. If people were going to challenge him and his own, it should be for things they actually did.
Which is why just as Xanxus saw another of those damned projectors that scum Alphonse put up and was about to shoot it down with his X guns, he stopped when he saw the very damned Pupetta appear.
"Cinquemani halt! This is all a lie, a conspiracy!" She announced, her soft but firm and angry voice filling the hallways.
What the fuck?
"Voi, so she was actually here!?" He had reached Xanxus to witness at the sametime what his shitty boss was seeing. Squalo felt a migraine coming on, The paperwork and the retaliation from Nonno were going to be brutal.
"How the fuck did you not know you shitty shark!?"
"VOI YOU DIDN"T KNOW EITHER YOU SHITTY BOSS '' Squalo dodged the shot fired at him. Xanxus had a point only made worse by the fact that they really both didn't know she was actually here.
As if Pupetta had heard their unspoken questions, she began to explain on the screen her appearance. "You have all been lied to. Alphonse and my father are working together to start and continue this war. They have both done unpardonable things. So make no mistake Cinquemani, any of you who continue to participate in this war are dead to me."
It was said in such a matter of fact manner, Squalo could see that her firm and diplomatic tone were known enough to her family that they took it seriously. This girl had clout, more so than her father, he quickly realized.
"They put me in a dungeon and killed Antonino, the love of my life. If you chose my father, you have no future in this famiglia. I will personally ensure the elimination of each of you who defied me in this."
Oh finally that was answered too, Xanxus thought. That was another piece of trash that he had been blamed for killing. Which he would've owned up to, if he had. Xanxus had no shame in squashing down ants, he was who he was.
Very naive of that Cinquemani heiress if she thought he was going to let that famiglia continue to exist after all this mess and trouble they caused. He wanted them all to burn, especially Alphonse who just kept adding more reasons to fuel his ire against him.
And then it happened.
There had been a subordinate loyal to Alphonse around and had managed to burst into the room they were currently stationed. He quickly killed a Cinquemani to get to CC, her eyes widened in panic and many of the very same Cinquemani looked on in abject horror at the screen as they watched their princess about to meet the man's blade.
Until there was a blur of a body that acted on sheer impulse, that came from the side where the camera was only showing CC and one of the Cinquemani followers, shielding Pupetta.
Celeste felt the blade as it grazed her shoulder. She felt the blood pool as she clutched the area. Wincing at the pain. The other Cinquemani took that moment to kill the insurgent. CC frantically did not know what to do or say, she fretted for her friend but did not want to speak, fully aware of the camera looking at them both.
Amina wanted to tell CC it wasn't worth her worry about her injury. It looked worse than what it was. As if realizing what her friend was thinking, Amina reopened her eyes and became fully aware of the terrible position her instinctive concern for others put her in.
She was being broadcasted all over the Varia. This was terrible now all the upper level Varia commanders knew about her association with CC. By extension the Cinquemani.
She was trapped now. A fate more than sealed.
Only one thing to do then.
Amina straightened herself up, ignoring CC's look of worry, and looked directly at the camera. Blood seeping a bit through her clothes. And CC thought she never looked more regal than in that moment, even with her pastel drab and frisked hair.
"Servants, you know me. We all share one common experience: the daily terror of living and working in the Varia. You don't care about politics, but you should care about those who wronged you."
With unbridled fury in her eyes, her voice went low, transfixing various throughout the mansion who had stopped momentarily to see the drama unfold.
"It's not for me. It's not for her and sure as hell isn't for the Vongola."
CC never told Celeste this because one always took it for granted, but her friends oratory poweress was second to none. Right now was no exception. She saw as her men were staring at her, and she had no doubt across the manor people were captivated.
In CC's eyes, though they always did a comparison between them, even her father which drove her mad with twinges of envy. The petite Cinquemani came from a proud family. And was elegant due to strict upbringing and even more scrutinizing eyes that sought anything to tear her down with; CC always knew that for all her hard work and efforts, one area she could never beat Celeste in was that.
Her ability to tell a story and drive it home. When Celeste spoke, the whole world stopped to listen. Not because she was the most beautiful, sensuous or elegant, (though CC always thought her friend was beautiful) but because she had the ability to relate to people and tug at their souls with her bare hands.
"Only you know the toil and turmoil you have endured, the humiliation, is it not an arduous existence, the Varia one? Made only worse by the sheer arrogance of perceived immortality of the man who keeps on showing himself on these screens like he owns this place? As if….he owned you?"
CC looked on and noticed The careful enunciation, the power behind every word. The inciting nature behind it, This was indeed what her friend was known for her. Countless debate tournaments had they not won? What plays in her theatre program had Celeste not done?
Celeste did not fear a stage, and that was only to her glory CC surmised. Fighting back a proud smile lest it be caught on camera. She knew the punch was coming and none of these people were ready for it.
"Servants do it not for the love or lack thereof you feel for the Varia. But for your complete disapproval of a man who has long since warranted your hate. Bond in anger, fight for yourselves, for the lives this man has cost, the suffering he has caused all of us, Cinquemani and Varia. Demonstrate to him and his cult of pathetic followers what it means to FUCK WITH ONE OF US!" She roared towards the end. "DEFINE YOUR MEANING OF WAR!"
Chills that was what it was that went down her spine, truly Celeste was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen when she was on fire and daring people to come down with her.
For a couple of heartbeats it was silent in the manor, as her words, the force of them swam and sunk in. Until even CC could feel the difference in the air, especially when she could see from the windows in the distance the smoke and fire bellowing.
As if the mansion snapped with a tremor, CC knew her friend had done it. She had inspired a servant revolt.
Not one to miss, Alphonse overrode the system Amina had controlled, and now he appeared on the screens apoplectic and enraged. Smoke in his own surroundings, his men injured and unable to move from makeshift servant bombs. Yells in the distance could be heard behind him.
" GET ME HER HEAD !" He ground out all fury and rage.
Author's Note
I decided I would just do a long chapter than 2, for the sake of the flow. Thoughts on this chapter, or any future theories, please share! I love to know all your thoughts and thank you all who have responded :) Much love for all of you
