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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 5: Meet the Gang, Part 2

To say that Abbacchio was intrigued by the current 'visitor/watcher' to their gang, it would be an understatement.

Sakura Kujo wasn't a normal girl, that's what he got from a quick glance and what Bruno's overall behavior told him. He was even more stunned when he realized that the reason why she was there was that his boss failed to kill the kid behind Luca's death and actually recruited him. From the confident way Bruno described the young man, Leone thought he was going to be a fine addition to balance the cast of morons that made up most of the gang.

Sadly, his prediction proved to be right… and wrong. Never in his whole life would have he imagined to find someone with potential which also strutted around with such a stupid dream. 'Doing the right thing'? This wasn't the place that demanded it. And he hated how Giorno Giovanna completely believed this to the point of making it an embodiment of himself. He was so full of himself about it, that it just pissed off Abbacchio. It didn't help how the rest of the gang was so accepting of the new guy.

Narancia was too busy behaving like a giddy pup in his efforts to befriend Sakura to really pay any attention, with the girl huffing and puffing at his eccentric mannerism. Meanwhile Mista was being his jovial self and Fugo had no reason to be pissed at the fellow blond… yet. In a way, he could see the rest of the group being endeared to the rookie due to his drive, which in a way reminded Leone of Bruno's own determined mindset when it came to leading them around and reigning in any sort of mistakes they were about to make.

Still, the former police officer was unwilling to give any mercy to the infuriating young man. So, in a move that he would later on regard as infantile and degrading to himself more than others, he decided to… offer some 'warm' tea to the young man. Mista had to hold himself from laughing, but the deed was almost done as he offered the steamy cup to the partly-aware new member. But before Giorno could pick or decide what to do, here he was reminded of one element his mind had failed to register and take under consideration. Sakura was Giorno's 'cousin', and she was rather involved in his well-being. A small hand reached for the cup and… proceeded to pour its content atop his head. It was a sudden move from the young lady that not only stunned him, but also affected the mood of the entire group.

Everyone was laughing minus Bruno, Giorno and Sakura herself. Narancia was laughing the hardest, but Mista and Fugo were not that far from competing. His anger flared at the humiliation, but the stare from Bucciarati told him all: Leone had set himself up for it. Regardless of any response he could come up with to demand some 'reparation', he knew that he had been tricked damn well. He could have stopped her himself, but failed to see the issue fast enough to intervene. It pissed him off even more, but he couldn't exactly blame the girl more than himself.

Abbacchio had let her do that, and that was what he got in exchange for being rather passive about it all. Instead of snapping and making a greater mockery of what he was appearing at the moment, Leone decided to merely return to the bathroom and go through some hair-cleaning before getting back as the stench of urine was becoming way too unpleasant to endure. A sigh left his lips before he set himself to go through this process as quickly as possible. Not exactly the ideal development, but he could now think without having to plan out murderous retaliations on the spot. But as he was distracted, his mind decided to play tricks on him as he remembered a memory that he had long forgotten.

One where he was teased for messing up like it happened in this situation, except it was more on the lines of the individual helping him by the end of that whole debacle. The former police officer could still recall the time he was eight at the time, and that he had been playing by the park with some of his friends and ended up all dirty with mud and dirt sticking by his clothes and exposed skin. Mostly because he played some fake fights with a couple of his friends, and the terrain was mostly wet due to the water, but that wasn't what really made him think of that time. A soft giggle, one that lacked any maliciousness as it was accompanied by some kind words that had reached deep into his soul. It was a melodious and suave voice.

"Oh my... aren't you a bit messy?" The beautiful lady inquired, a lone eye visible as the other one was covered by an eye patch. "Do you want me to help you with it? I have some bandages and water to offer."

Confusion. Why would a young woman be wandering around with bandages of all possible objects? It had really surprised him at the time, and even at the present stage of his life, he could tell that it had to have been a red flag of sorts. For a time, he suspected it was the young man escorting the lady that had been responsible for the need for bandages. But then, as he looked back at the scene, he could tell the man was too calm and protective of the young woman to be behind that kind of abuse. No, it had to be something else. He looked deeper into that scene, and he thought about her appearance.

Short silver hair and golden eyes… just like his own hair and eyes. Her frame was slim and skinny, not boney but definitely unhealthily thin. She was wearing a large coat, which was partly open to reveal she had a simple sleeveless white dress underneath and… some bloodied bandage wrapped around her leg. Still, he accepted back then. As a kid that normally didn't get the lecture from his parents to not talk with strangers, he didn't see any issue in allowing the kind-looking girl to act and make sure that his face was clean at best. She was trembling a bit, which further worried the child version of himself which proceeded to do more of the job considering her condition. Her breathing was unstable, and she was soon forced to sit by a bench as she couldn't do much more due to her sickness. Nothing contagious, but it was slowly killing her.

Her name was Claudia, and it was the first time Leone had the chance to meet someone that was this nice. A 'good woman', he thought with a bit of a blush. She wasn't the most gorgeous, but her fragility added a sense of inner delight that made him think of a little doe that wanted to be petted on her head. She wanted to feel and give affection wherever she went. At the same time, her 'husband' was more of the opposite. Tough, stern and quite uncaring of the fact his wife had stopped to pick up a child off the park and have a conversation with him. But Abbacchio at the time saw no issue-

In fact, he felt quite happy to have made a friend out of an adult. She was… chatty. That was the best way to describe how most of the talk was driven by the young woman. She was smiling so kindly and sweetly that he just couldn't help but be compelled to mostly listen rather than drop his own inputs on the random topics he was subjected to. How is the weather? How old are you? Do you visit the park frequently? Are you playing with other kids or on your own? As he looked back at it as an adult, he felt embarrassed at how silly he was as a child to be led around like that, but… then he remembered a few elements that he had never questioned much about due to how odd those felt.

Really odd.

"You know, I didn't tell Kirei just yet but… he is going to be a papa. I… I'm bearing a child."

His eyes widened in surprise at the shocking news. Why didn't she tell this to her husband? And why to him?

"Really?"

Her smile widening at the awe in his voice. "Yes. But I have yet to know if it will be a boy or a girl. I guess I wouldn't mind having a daughter the most."

"Oh? And do you have a name for… you know, the baby?"

Claudia giggled. "Not yet. Since it's too early to know if it's going to be male or female, we decided to hold back. But… Can you help me with this?"

The boy frowned. "What about?"

"Well, I'm not good at names and, since Kirei will definitely allow me to pick a name for a daughter. Can you give me some suggestions?"

Abbacchio opened his mouth in confusion. How was he supposed to be good at picking names for kids that had yet to be born? It had stumped him at first due to the pressure he suddenly felt drawn into… but then he remembered a conversation he heard from his mother a few months earlier. It had all come from a question presented by the religion teacher at school.

If you were born in the opposite sex, how would you have been called? Did your parents think of a name?

"Well, if you had been born a girl, we would have… I mean, I would have called you 'Caren'," Her mother hummed calmly, a hint of sadness passing her face as she thought of her husband, with Leone's father having passed away while serving the police force and fighting gangs. There wasn't much known about him, except for the fact that he left his family many years before he met with his future wife, and the possibility he had to change name since he had been part of those 'noble groups' in the capital. Leone didn't ever bother much about it, but here he was, giving advice to someone that needed a name for a possible daughter.

"How about 'Caren'?"

Claudia blinked slowly at the offer. "Caren? Any particular reason?"

"W-Well, mom once told me that had I been born a girl, I would have named that."

A blink, then her lone eye widened. "Is that so? I guess it would mean a lot to her."

"She also said that dad would have let her. I think I've read it means… the one who?"

"I think so myself," The woman agreed with a smile. "I know she will love those that need help the most."

A small smile appeared on Leone's face, but he took a moment to think about the discussion… only for his silence to be broken up by the woman herself.

"I'm… sorry, Leone. I have to go now before my parents… Well, behave as silly as usual."

He felt sad at the news, but he nodded at her. "It's fine."

"Ah, don't worry. I'm sure we will eventually meet. Or if it's not me, then it will be my little Caren," Claudia said to try and cheer him up. "Which is why I would like you to make a promise to me. Just… something for the future."

"What is it?"

"Well, since you told me that you're going to be a police officer in the future, my little Leone. Can you please… protect my child if they end up in your care?"

The promise came out of nowhere, but it played on something that Abbacchio had long craved to hear. Acceptance. Not even his mother had liked his

He blinked. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, they might be afflicted by my own sickness and I know they will struggle a lot from time to time. I want someone like you, a good-hearted young man, to help them if they need it."

"I will. I will take care of them if necessary." He felt urged to accept. If he couldn't take on this duty, how could he expect for his dream to ever be taken seriously? Plus, Claudia was too kind and the chances of this child ending up with not many friends just annoyed the boy.

The memory ended with Claudia's relieved giggles and…

Knock knock!

The sounds of knocking shook Abbacchio awake. He blinked, realizing he had through the task of washing off the shampoo and drying up his air automatically, his mind distracted by the strangely vivid memory. It's been so long but… maybe the new guy triggered that? How long has it been since he had last thought about that promise, about when he was actually praised for his dream? Too long, he grimly answered, and now he was getting those moments of daydreaming for nothing. Shaking his head, he went to check and he realized it was Bruno. Not only that, but he saw Mista and Narancia walking with a couple of bags on themselves.

"We're moving?"

Bruno nodded. "Polpo died. From what the guards could find, it was suicide."

Being someone that had interacted with the now-deceased Capo, Leone knew the bastard wasn't planning his own death. Not in these conditions and definitely not when he was enjoying life to the fullest without any limitations. Why would he kill himself? There had to be something else happening, perhaps someone from La Squadra?

"Our goal for the time being is to retrieve his secret treasury. It should roughly amount to four billion Lire," The squad leader added, his words gaining a surprised look from Leone.

"The girl is coming too?"

"She will. And I trust you to not misbehave due to some silly grudge."

He had no grudge, Abbacchio had wanted to say, but he kept quiet and merely nodded. "And how do we know that the treasure-"

"I helped him hide it when he needed it. I wasn't his favorite for nothing, Abbacchio," Bucciarati interrupted, making it clear that they were in a hurry. "I suggest you rush to your run and retrieve all that you need. We might be intercepted by others."

A nod, and Leone rushed to get his things ready, still wondering how old would 'Caren' be at this stage. She definitely wasn't even aware of him, not when he had heard Claudia had killed herself and her father didn't seem to have cared long enough to remember his name. So, it was only a memory for himself, of why he decided to be this and why he still hoped to do good things for those that deserved it.

But there was no chance in hell he was going to actually be kind with the rookie. No matter the stakes at hand.

Florence was much different than how she remembered it.

The city had grown in size and 'quality'. Times have changed since she last wandered to this settlement, to when she decided to turn one of the few forests nearby in her sleeping ground. She took a moment to actually wander around and see how things have changed since last time she was awake, to know how to 'behave' without causing a ruckus in her wake.

Humming around, the girl was pampered by a few women nearby. She was 'a beauty' as they were quick to address her as, and left her candy, chocolate bars and other sweet treats which she happily took and made her rations for her departure. Things had changed a lot… But with all good things, there were also new kinds of rotten apples that festered civilization.

The blonde was wandering through one of those less-favorable streets, knowing already from a quick sniff that this was where scum lived and tried to make a living from bad deeds. Just as she turned the corner, she was ambushed by three… idiots. That's the best way to call them as they attacked her in broad daylight, armed with a couple of switch-blades and with the expectation she had money on herself.

After all, the girl didn't exactly look the kind of individual to have that kind of important resource on herself. It was going to be a bit tough finding a way to leave the city without proper money, but she was going to manage. She really hoped they weren't after her candy… or she would really be frustrated and more vicious in delivering proper punishment. She didn't kill them, but kicking them between their legs seemed to do the trick.

They had a couple of money papers on themselves, giving her a budget to work with to get to her destination. But as she started considering if it was best to get on a bus or in a train aimed to the southern regions of the peninsula, her musing was abruptly interrupted by a familiar hum. Someone was now standing beside her and… she knew he just 'appeared' out of thin air. In a way, she was glad no one else was around to make things go loud at the development, but she was nonetheless frustrated by his arrival. He stood as a tall human, the only telling signs of his vampirism being the sharper fangs and the red eyes that calmly studied the tariffs. He was slightly nervous since he was relying on a small roof above their heads to protect himself from the sun lights raining from above.

"Things sure have gone more expensive than I remember," Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg pointed out aloud. "I don't think it will be convenient for you to leave the city just yet."

A blink. "Why not? I have something to check."

Was he trying to deny her some amusement after this lengthy slumber? She was bored and tired of waiting for others. She wanted to do things rather than let others do these for her.

"And you will be happy to know they will come to you," The Wizard Marshal argued softly. "Young lady, I don't mind if you wander the city, but if you leave and your presence is alerted by others aware of your situation, I might be unable to assist you against any attack from the Church."

The girl scoffed. "As if I will ever be worried about that."

"You should. And I hope you understand that angering the Church would mean having to deal with the chance of 'the girl and the shadow' having to relocate on multiple occasions to prevent being caught in the cross-fire."

That was actually a good point. The last thing she needed was to mess things up with her impatience. She might be bored, but she was a snot-nosed brat as many had called her. She was better, she was meant for a higher role…

And she wanted to play with that girl and her shadow so desperately.

"I guess I can wait. For a while."

"They will come to Florence," Zelretch confirmed with a confident tone. "And with that, I'll take my leave."

"...Did you miss me?" The girl inquired softly, the man stopping from jumping back to his office through the Kaleidoscope.

He sighed, looked to the side and down to see her eyes. "Why wouldn't I miss you, Princess?"

Her lips twitched in annoyance at that title, but she felt glad that she wasn't forgotten, especially by the one that slain her parent.

But for now, Arcueid Brunestud will have to enjoy Florence as much as she could since she had to wait for that meeting. She was going to get it, and then… It will be fun. The greatest fun she had in centuries.

AN

I am of the notion that when a writer has to connect two similar universes, they have to look prior to the story's present and create those bonds and connections that would make sense to add within the context rather than keep things the same for everything minus the plot. So here Abbacchio does have a connection to the Hortensia family… but of which degree and extent? Caren's arrival shall shed light on the matter.

Sakura's POV next time. She is about to shine in something she is unique to have that will prevent some serious threat.

REVIEW Q&A!

Guest 1 (Chapter 4): Artoria knew of an ancestor of the Joestar family. But there might be others that have met ancestors of Jonathan and the rest of the Joestars.

Guest 2 (Chapter4): Some would be surprised by GER, but Tusk Arc 4 feel 'naturally' achieved through progression and training.

Blazblade: Considering the Grail got dismantled in the previous story, I would say normally none but… who knows. Maybe someone will come up regardless of that.

Guest 3 (Chapter 4): Who's Ms. Crane?

Guest 4 (Chapter 4): The Stand Arrows are made by a meteorite, the creator was, by semi-canon lore, Kars.

Mikelz0426: The Great Fire of Fuyuki didn't happen, so Shirou didn't get the chance to be 'distorted' by any disaster. No, he doesn't have a Reality Marble.