Author's Note : This was a question over on AO3, which I don't have the space this chapter to address. No, Sonya doesn't want to 'save Noah Ward's life'. She… really kind of wants to punch him through a wall and if that kills him oh well. She just doesn't want a Mafia Land counter-hit war to spark off because Ward got killed on a contract for her, which then means Mafia Land would have to issue a renewed one for her and then whomever kills Ward. Which would then, very quickly, get out of hand entirely just because she's 'undead' and her associates are... really hard to kill themselves.
Russian Roulette : Second Chamber
Chapter 90
(Monday the 14th of February, 1972. Vagabond's Throne, Mafia Land.)
Placing another if empty whisky tumbler on the table far enough to suggest awareness of a meeting impending regardless of what was said, Reborn poured himself a few fingers of the half a bottle of whisky he bought and sat back with it to brood until the hour.
The number of times… well, that wasn't quite true. It happened quite frequently, the attempts at least.
No, it was merely a very rare event that had him letting someone else manipulating him stand.
Of course, after having let Lisa do it to shortcut some of the political headache for everyone… then the very next one he didn't even mind happening was Sonya.
The little dragon lady had used an enforced timeline, which Fon had been quietly concerned about making the entire time they were in Laos, to ensure Shamal got to tell Reborn about his latest mischief personally. In public, on the day in question he got his Russian acknowledgement for it, and all without raising a damn eyebrow. To 'buy' herself a few days to go do whatever the hell she was up to with the assassin.
He still got to hear all about Shamal's actually impressive two cons in a day, how the brat was pulling his weight for his godmother so she had less to worry about. All about Skull's bizarrely good-natured manipulative assistance to neatly tie the whole affair up in ribbons so it 'wouldn't get out of hand', which he had indicated was part of something else of an at least positive nature right under Fon's nose using their old word choice codes. Mist brat had gleefully and willingly talked himself blue in the face, quite literally, just because he could talk to Reborn freely this one occasion.
…a little more than he should've on Mafia Land, but in general kids were allowed that exasperated leeway until they were older and his mom was a little more than terrifying for most to try it this soon anyway. Reborn angling for more personal information on 'mamma' might've been occasionally sniped down by Fon, but the hitman's interests in his female associate that the assassin had not pointedly slammed into the ground was not missed by anyone else watching for whatever motives.
Which let him be informed, almost immediately, of what happened a little over twenty-four hours ago once the kid had left.
The damn woman had been shot through the heart the day before, and yet was just idly watching 'her' group of Italians gossip in broad daylight the day after for them to find her. Then bargained for her two or so days with his own fucking help just to get some public time with his godson in.
Noah Ward was about to become very unfortunately accident prone. A dreadful amount. Keeping his foolish head uninjured and intact was going to become his sole motivation in life, which should very neatly prevent him from doing the same bloody 'attempt' ever again.
The luckless fool was already blessed that the de Morts could not die from physical injury, Reborn was damn certain that was more than enough 'luck' for one lifetime.
He only just got back, if she had died right afterwards because he had to leave her for their safety…
Learning Sonya should've been dead fifteen minutes after Fon sent Shamal back to his godmother and they finally split up until the first weekend of March… made for a deadly unhappy World's Greatest Hitman. Without Shamal assuredly on the case, Reborn couldn't risk getting within Dante's sight. Which meant he couldn't get into her condo, or corner her anywhere else, just to make certain she wasn't walking around with a bloody great hole where her heart should be.
Knowing her, now knowing what her brother did, that wasn't entirely out of the damn question.
He hated being expected to heal everything, it wasn't always possible and it was a no-win situation when that happened. Not having the temperament was more a matter of taste, Reborn could do the rough and dirty emergency aid and then flatly ignore he had 'responsibility' to flutter about the sick bed as if he wanted to be there.
He didn't.
Skull de Mort didn't 'need' medical assistance, ever. Fair enough, more power to that man. Have morphine instead, Reborn better not hear about shit.
Sonya de Mort didn't 'need' medical assistance but got it to avoid 'Voodoo Scars'.
Hence how, even if he'd seen her topless recently, there were no even paler divots in her skin where she'd suffered gunshots before like how Skull's arms and hands were flecked with 'old' scars. Likely, though he really wanted to check for himself, how there'd not be a Voodoo Scar over her heart now either.
He had known, in a way, that the siblings shared talents.
There had been that great gaping hole in Sonya's hand that one time, that had Cloud Propagated skin concealing it until she could show her Sun sister for healing that Reborn demanded the rights to. He left a messy, ugly scar behind that she hadn't seemed to mind all that much… but had she gotten to Tatiana instead, it probably wouldn't be there.
Skull could throw his sister at his problems and did so without a drop of shame, whatever that problem happened to be. Casually getting her up three stories with one hand, if needed, and catching her on the way down neatly every time.
That Sonya was as undead as her brother was still surprising to learn. It shouldn't have been, Reborn knew the siblings taught each other their skills. Skull was as strong as his sister was, Sonya was as undead as her brother was.
She had tried very hard to have her 'trick weaponry' be assumed to be her 'best initial Cloud skill' but told him her impossible strength had actually been it. No one on Mafia Land could really forget the cracking great holes left behind from her stomping away from him one random day when he violated her siblings' privacy in her own damn head, so that lie hadn't been entirely bought into.
…which also meant, undeath was Sonya's third best Cloud skill. Strength, Resize, then Voodoo.
And the woman could survive being shot in the heart. Not just survive, turn annoyed if purple eyes on the fucker that shot her and bitch him out about her dry-cleaning bill.
It should be impressive. It was damn impressive. He quite enjoyed the terror and the fear the mere thought of an undead Cloud wrought in Mafia Land's population… but.
Reborn was just quietly relieved his bullshit couldn't get her permanently killed, if still dreading the inevitable fuckup from how it'll happen eventually. That no matter how it spun out of control again, and he had all the doubts he could ever prevent that, Sonya's demand to never do this again could not be how it forcibly ended on him unless he got his stupid ass killed on her for real.
If he could just keep on top of his shit this time?
…worse of all he was fully aware that even if she hadn't been undead and immune to his bullshit, Reborn still would've chased her again anyway. It was all the bonus that Sonya was, but really just the jackpot on top of a damn enticing slice of cake.
An undead Cloud able to breathe Storm Flames… was very much not a weakness to be 'exploited' to hurt or control him through. She'd just get right on back up, same as her brother did in front of crowds, or Disintegrate her damn way out if she had to.
The Soviet Union had a talent for churning out Dying Will Flame users with death skills, the morbid fuckers.
Rasputin, Skull, and Sonya?
Two out of seven types possible had a skill firmly showcasing it, and Italia just had one dumb Mist fuck too stupid to die already that shouldn't count.
Two cubes of ice were dumped into the empty tumbler across the table, and Reborn poured Cesare two fingers obligingly before topping off his own. Though… ice, the heathen.
"I don't suppose you are going to admit it's just a flight of fancy?"
"The number of women willing to kiss me after I give her bloody body parts because I got more than just a little pissed?" Inquired the hitman casually, tilting his head enough to catch sight of Natalina's curly hair flicking just out of his view a half-second too late. "I will entirely admit… initially I poked at Fon using her just to get a reaction. At that point, it was a flight of fancy I hadn't been serious about."
At least it wasn't Dante pulling backup. Reborn had figured they'd leave him behind with Lando as the most diplomatic of them left, and it had borne out as he thought. A risk, yes… but Viper taught Shamal how to leave summon tokens for emergency needs and he had one from the brat just in case.
As the Mafioso chef had obviously met and at least interacted with the Triad assassin a handful of times and had now 'seen' Reborn twice, that he was being confronted after today was no surprise. On the balance, it was equally obvious Sonya's Chinese Storm friend had more pull with this man than he did right now.
Cesare was being very damn honest about being Sonya's best man in his place, as Reborn knew he would be. No matter how long it took the oblivious twit to realize she had a man utterly willing to support her efforts in Italia for them, and not entirely just because Renato had to die on her.
Clouds really did have a terrifyingly effective type of charisma to them.
With a disdainful glance for the bottle of whisky's label, the assassin chef plucked up his glass for a single sip. It wasn't one of the rare few Cesare could put up with tolerantly, but the brand was chosen specifically to not get the other Mafioso to decide Reborn's taste in alcohol was just shit. "I'm fairly certain it's obvious, but just in case…?"
"Widow." He confirmed just simply to expectations, with everything else edited out of his tone about that unfair and undeserved title. "Her kid's full-blooded Sicilian, she's not. Unless she just straight adopted a native kid for some reason… with you at her back? She looks to you to be certain the kid can or can't do something with another Italian, when she trusts Fon damn well to appoint him his guard. No. You knew her now dead Mafioso, you're standing in for him so she can know what is or isn't proper for him."
"Well," purred Cesare in content, even if still not pleased with the choice of drink, "lovely that this wasn't required. Quite nice you seem to at least be an intelligent fellow…"
"The only reason I'll let this all slide… is because I embarrassed your Donna in public with my unexpected interest solidifying enough that I'll pursue an already widowed woman." Though he could've done without the miniature heart-attack at a flat 'no' to his face.
Thankfully she had only been mildly embarrassed at very public announcements of intent and took the effort to clearly explain why, rather than let a flat no and then silence stand as her answer as any other Cloud would've.
The omission of how Shamal's opinion influenced her life and decisions were enough of a 'have at, good luck' that he needed. Sonya wasn't certain nor comfortable with 'Reborn's interests' in her but didn't mind enough to turn him down flat either.
Giving a hard limit of tolerance at least meant both Reborn and Cesare walking away from this little midnight meeting wouldn't be at all odd. If the assassin wanted or was really here to lodge an objection, he could press it. If he didn't, then Reborn had permission from her right-hand man to court his Donna.
"I appreciate it was her kissing you that you waited for." Cesare mused, not buying a damn thing said to his face. Smartly, if a little annoying right now. "And since I appreciate you are willing to respect the formalities and her reputation, I'm not going to stand in your way."
…of course not, that just left everyone else.
Tipping the man a single nod, he was utterly unsurprised the other still full tumbler was left where it sat when the other Mafioso walked off as abruptly as he arrived.
Shamal and Cesare were two of the slightly more important hurdles. The brat wouldn't consider anyone else worthy of his beloved godmother, for all he got in a shot to safely tease Reborn about Sonya's many titles being 'more impressive' to his face. Her Mafioso's opinion… slightly less important than her brother's but still more than anyone else in her life as she made pointedly clear.
If he got the assassin chef's help, which was still possible on this table but not up for grabs right now until he had a better idea of who the hell Reborn even was, this could go so much smoother than the first round.
The whole four years of it, trying to turn Sonya's head to realize he had that interest to even see if she might be interested in anything with him.
Which apparently, just took a whole pound of random bloody bones to do. He wasn't even certain if he was more offended or exasperated that he randomly hit on the one perfect way to get her to kiss him in public before even trying, all he was certain about was that he was never giving Fon the credit for it.
That just left Skull's permission to try for his sister in need of acquiring, then their foster father all the way out in fucking Moscow, before courting the thief properly. Possible side-option of Ganauche, the First apparently, depending on when the wedding was.
Instead of just making sure it was very clear he intended to so any interlopers couldn't be too surprised when they ended up murdered for getting in the way.
Though, if Reborn was pressed to be honest here, he liked Skull more than Cherep. Not by much, but he still had a preference.
Cherep was an utterly blind moron, attached to two firmly mafia women as their brother. Highly disproving of criminals on one hand, and yet hypocritically fond of his sisters who were nothing but straight-out criminals. His teeth-grinding inducing flip flopping and moral superiority had been utter shit, for all he was at least willing to ask and listen if there was something to learn.
From just rumors Reborn had picked up on their way back into Mafia Land to start divesting themselves of responsibility as the Triads were taking over the Omertà breech, Skull had criminal politics down to an art form. Strangely friendly about it or not, apparently the precursor to what Lisa could do to Lady Vongola, the showman had no issues about rubbing elbows with made men when not one and being perfectly charming about it without coming off as a judgmental asshole with no idea.
Then shooting himself through the neck with Luce's permission to terrify the shit out of them all, because he fucking damn well could. Just to widely showcase why the Cloud didn't give a fuck if you were a made man or not, and prove his confidence as well earned as any killer's. He grinned in their faces about their sheer terror at realizing he couldn't be killed, still covered in his own dam blood, before going right back to charming his junior student of his mother's.
Showcasing he thought her more important than anyone else there, and she proved him right.
Fiorella di Vongola was the only one to realize the gambit's reasons and immediately confront her senior student. With delight for the reveal of the stuntman's Cloud Voodoo being the sole reason Ganauche 'the First' would be regaining his eye, all but adopting the man on the spot.
Skull still lacked the pause most had in front of a Mafioso's presence, in realizing that the other individual was deadly… but because he naturally didn't fear death and you had to impress him in some different way to earn his respect than out of ignorance or stupidity.
Yet, when a question came up Reborn didn't know how to sort out, he obligingly offered the answer he knew. How to dig a well, how to check out Luce's car to rule it out of a strange question, doing it without an order if it was a need or convinced the question needed an answer. He was still an utter shit, but a smarter and less stiff-necked one.
Somehow, that was all the same man just slightly apart in time.
Missing Luce's garden party post-Christening for baby Aria was going to be one of Reborn's greatest regrets of his entire life. Slightly under having to 'kill himself' off and resetting the entire relationship he had with Sonya back to square one, if not negative numbers for the whole galling 'she had cared and he left her behind with his own damn kid' bit, but a close second.
…well. If Sonya and Cesare were here with the brat, that meant Skull was very likely 'home holding down the fort' behind them. After that gambit, and what his sister was up to on Vongola's behalf, maybe Timoteo wouldn't mind 'sending' Reborn to help the man keep the peace in the sibling's territory.
Just in case.
Avoiding Dante's sight would be enough of a headache without grabbing the first hit contract he could, to get right on out again. After staking a claim on Sonya's ass publicly in front of everyone?
Not the impression he wanted to give anyone.
Otherwise he was tackling the damn thief just to reassure himself the woman was fine, there wasn't a hole through her heart, the moment he could. She'd likely not appreciate that on top of the hospital demands on her and having so many wounded in her home to guard them properly, so removing himself from temptation was all he could do for now.
…but first, he really should give the woman a token of his affection. If not just for 'letting Shamal brag' about his big day to a really impressive Mafioso she knew, and in actuality giving Reborn some time with his godson mostly to themselves, but just to ensure she knew he appreciated her very obliging allowances.
(ooo000ooo)
(Monday the 14th of February, 1972 continued. A Mafia Land ferry, South China Sea.)
"…I should clarify…"
"Six hours?"
Fon winced, and Alek looked at him like he was a dumbass too. Mainly because the Storm had both hands buried into his fluffy fur as their ferry chugged along to Hong Kong, and he did that to Sonya when she tugged a little too hard for him.
"It's taken you six hours of silence to clarify, well then. Go right ahead, Fon. Clarify away."
"It was not permission I gave Reborn." Insisted the stubborn asshole pointedly, as quietly as he could get away with to not carry far and with a bit of defensiveness in his tone. "I disavowed intent."
Sonya put her book in her lap, crossed her arms under her chest, and remained silent.
The man sulked against the railing they were leaning back against, in his very polite Chinese way. "…I cannot have a family, Sonya."
"Mingxia is-"
"Not what I mean." He cut her off, going very slowly back to petting Alek for comfort. "My sister is… one thing. More by rote than with expectations. I could not visit her often, for her own protection even if I had the time. If it seemed as if I was as fond of her as I am, she would have been placed in a gilded cage and never allowed to do as she willed. For… insurance. My Mountain Master is a lenient man, he knows I am loyal and trusts in that more than enough to allow my 'weakness' freedom for her returning with a valuable skill in hand earned on her own. He is not the only one I must be cautious of."
…same bullshit she was supposed to rescue Nuan from, then. Politics.
"So when she goes back?"
"I will also be as limited to visit, but her career shall ensure her protection from… me. I do not mind. She is happy and seeking her own dreams with the safety you have enforced for us. She knows I love her, and she merely needs to call for my help. This is enough."
"That's very fucking sad, Fon." Shot back the thief pointedly herself. "As a little sister, I love having my damn brother around. Just around. For no reason. He's a dork and I don't understand his love of stunt work or greasy machines, like he doesn't understand why I put up with all you or why I like books, but it's nice."
Fon just shrugged.
Alek pointedly looked between them in irritated expectation.
Sonya blew out an aggravated sigh, checking to be certain her renewed 'fuck undead Cloud' reputation had kept this side of the ferry free of curious eavesdroppers. "This doesn't bother you?"
"I would like more time with my sister, which you have freely provided me." He countered very calmly, yet still not petting her dog to his preference. "I am unfortunately busy often and slipping away to visit without arousing suspicions is… tricky for me. I am fully aware of what risks I bring with me, and even discounting that hold the Triads will want on anyone I involve myself with? If not for the control over me, then to ensure I cannot be controlled that way at all. I cannot afford to support a family, nor have the assets to provide anything 'out of sight' from my Triad."
"…why, the hell, are you bringing all this up now?"
"You are rightfully mad at me."
"Yeah, because who I end up in a relationship with is my choice."
"Yes." Fon confirmed very pointedly with an edge to his tone, finally deciding he could look her in the eye again. "It is a very stupid reason to pick fights, but it happens. I did not believe you would appreciate that any more than 'stepping aside' as I did, it was the lesser of two troublesome choices. I… mistook his intentions at first. I believed he was intent on manipulating you into 'forcing' me to behave as he wished. I did not expect Reborn to… do that."
…she sure as fuck hadn't either, but still. "You know what they say about assumptions, Fon?"
He laughed, which was a step in getting him to stop moping or earning them suspicion from the other passengers that their talk was at all interestingly important.
Likely, he was remembering the last time she asked him that same question, just before she fully ditched him in Shanghai. "Aa… yes. Americans, I fully enjoy their puns. Strange people, though."
Puns were better than Verde's really dry dick jokes, at least.
"Well, since apparently you got me into this mess… what the hell do you think of Reborn?"
The assassin paused petting entirely, much to Alek's utter disgust at them both, just to look at her strangely. "I… you are going to consider his suit? He clearly has ill intentions, Sonya."
"Really?"
"Not… as I thought." Fon reluctantly amended after a moment more of thought. "And he clearly made his intentions known very publicly, though I do at least feel safe in assuming none of us quite appreciated that."
Sonya blinked at him, waiting for the rest of whatever was still sitting on his chest.
"I still do not like him."
"Shocking. Doesn't really help me figure out if I like him or not." Which was actually a question, for all she liked Renato eventually… Reborn was slightly different from him.
Her dog was soothed by the petting resuming suddenly, as he refocused on something other than her to occupy his hands with. "He is a strange man. I expected more… insistence to do more than he did. No, as it was agreed the Triads would take over for the clearly no longer working syndicates to keep… something in place, Reborn took on intelligence sorting for us. Not gathering, his nationality earned him automatic distrust from the populations we encountered and yet I did not have to argue with him about staying back."
Explained why Reborn 'hated' writing the reports enough to wish no one enjoyed reading them.
"It is… not good reading." Warned the assassin, rather ironically echoing her thoughts. "While there was initially some suspicion of held back details, that died out quickly the further in we got. By the end, the three I tasked with ensuring the reports were equal had… abandoned that for merely fetching Reborn whatever would keep him on task instead. He'd never ask for anything, in truth. He would take whisky if it was offered, a pack of cigarettes rarely, and then get back to work."
Sonya put her book away into her purse, vaguely sure the haze on the horizon past Fon's profile was the port they were headed for. "That doesn't tell me much other than he's at least dedicated."
"There was not much speaking or socializing done between us." He offered pathetically, not interested in dumping her dog out of his lap just yet since he got deemed the 'most stressed one in need of fluffy fur' by canine. "I may have insulted someone he knew at the start, so I possibly deserved some of his irritation at that point… but once we were there that completely disappeared. When I reported in for him, he'd just glance at me once and write on as he did for everyone else that found something left unbroken."
"…you let him give you and your fellows orders?"
"Of course not. I gave the orders, but that also meant I was fully aware of the whole report's progress the entire time. Reborn would use the time I read to do something else… mainly shoot a tree down using military ordnance left abandoned with the dead instead of his strange lizard."
To be fair, she chopped a tree down for Fiorella to chop up. Not all that different, if still an upgraded version of Renato's 'shoot household appliances when pissed' habit.
"I respect his work ethic, and the perception that allowed him to realize that stepping back would further our aims faster for a grim duty without words." Continued the man pointedly for her. "I still do not like him."
She gave him an equally pointed look back. "I didn't like you at first. As a matter of fact, I generally don't like many people I meet the first few times."
He gave a firmly neutral expression in return. "I do not wish to assist you in deciding if you appreciate him at all, though I will not mind if you decide to turn his suit down from my words."
"You have the worst timing of all, Fon. Absolutely, utterly shit timing."
"…either that or nothing."
"And you just said you couldn't-"
"I am merely a man." Fon interrupted very dryly, shooing a now highly disgruntled Alek off his lap to eventually get up as Hong Kong's harbor lights grew even brighter on the horizon. "No… I cannot without risks. I know this, that you may easily and rightfully deem them too much to take on with what you already have. That does not mean I am willing to… not do anything. I had not actually considered anything possible, and still do not. However Reborn I can fight, I cannot fight every Triad including my own or a ghost of the man you loved. As you have repeatedly stated, it is your choice to do as you will."
…well, technically…
The thief was currently fighting a ghost. It really wasn't all that exciting as exorcism stories made it sound. A shit ton of waiting for the damn thing to rematerialize and trying to counter the dead Mist's machinations before it got someone important killed.
Also, her first ex wasn't dead or a ghost.
Just really pushy.
…really possessive.
A manipulative bastard with a perchance of murderous inclinations.
"You just made everything six times worse than it had been to figure out. I'm not even kidding, Fon."
"I can simplify the issue for you. Turn him down. I will be pleased to enforce your refusals."
"You are also a 'him' here, jackass. While amusing to think about right now, watching you punch yourself in the face will get old fast."
"Aa… yes." He sounded weird even with that short comment, and when she shot him a look the man looked confused. "May I ask why you are willing to consider… anything? You… do not seem to be very pleased by any interest, even now and certainly not before."
"My 'right-hand' is a pushy asshole. He asked I give a try, because I can't 'live in the past'. Also to perhaps piss on my ex's grave, metaphorically, and move on from him."
Skipping Verde being her 'latest' ex, because while also one he was alive and a decent friend.
Fon blinked at her, looked out at the grey choppy pre-dawn sea, then back at her. "I do believe I quite like your new right hand's advice, I also did not appreciate your ex."
"He also said he'd prefer Reborn over you, so don't get too cozy with that thought." Sonya blew out an aggravated sigh instead of even contemplating how the hell to explain Renato's old 'not' friends to someone else. "I'm not quite happy with any of you right now, so you'll have to excuse me if I don't give a damn for who likes what. You do remember I'm… here to do some very unpolite things, yes?"
"…yes."
She ran some fingers through her hair in utterly tired exasperation, much to Alek's displeasure at not doing it to him instead. She got mopey canine stare just to compound everything.
"I am also aware it was I who involved you to the point you are a valid scapegoat. And I regret this. Even for the necessity of your assistance in the quick retrieval, if I had a choice to do it again… I would have picked to not involve you."
"Fon, take it from someone who is exiled from their homeland. It sucks. I'd rather do this than have you join me."
The utterly stupid moron thought about it.
She glared. "No. I will fucking spite you on principle if you try."
"It would solve many issues…"
"You're not freeloading off me, asshole. That's short term, you'd be utterly fucked long term and you know it. They're too massive to avoid for the rest of your life, you will inevitably have to pay for it."
"I technically own a seventh of the manse." Fon offered cautiously, not entirely willing to give up his utterly stupid idea just yet because he was a stubborn idiot. "Perhaps…"
"I don't even know if I care right now."
"…there is that, yes."
Sonya got up, even if her dog had been trying to sneak into her lap since he got banished from Fon's and wasn't that friendly to try it on him again. Though very thoroughly annoyed with them both now, Alek obviously realized they were getting close to the end of the trip and started stretching out his paws for dry land. "I want an honest answer here, Fon."
"If I can, you may have it."
"Are you doing this because of Reborn's ridiculous shit, or what?"
The Storm pointedly did not look at her as he got up. "You did not refuse him as I expected. I cannot let it go without at least asking now I know you are not against the possibility of accepting another suit."
Partially, then. "I do not appreciate you tagging on, just so you know."
"I appreciate you are considering it regardless."
She rubbed her face tiredly, but at least the plan was to sleep first then talk to Nuan and Duyi. "What else can I even do?"
"…little. I am sorry for the timing and placing you in this awkward position. I am aware I am a poor… choice, I will not blame you for any decision."
"Why can't I just have cuddle buddies?"
Fon lifted a shoulder sheepishly. "I am not that pure in intent."
Eying him warily, Sonya side-stepped once more to put her in front of him than get space. "How long has this 'intent' been here?"
"Had you been less innocently in need of just physical contact to ground yourself with, I would not have minded fully answering your demands to get in bed with you during the hostage situation you substituted in."
So, years. Great. "Fon… then I wasn't-"
"I knew this. Hence, I did not." He interrupted hastily, getting significantly shyer as the other passengers in need of a night-trip to Hong Kong started cautiously getting onto the deck with them. "Aa… one last thing…?"
"Am I going to hate this?"
"…possibly?"
"Fine, whatever. What?"
"What you can do with your sister when sharing a bed is not… nice to do to an unrelated male sharing yours."
Verde didn't…
…Verde was an ex, and asexual. He probably and very likely didn't care a damn for what it could be thought of in favor of her actual intent.
Fucking damn it, Tatiana. A little guidance would've been fucking nice, instead of just being outright accepted and assumed she knew any kind of difference when it was very obvious she didn't. "…okay, noted."
"Thank you." Fon quickly got out, pointedly and firmly keeping his attention now on the vague outline of the docksides still miles out from where they were. "Later?"
"Later."
Sonya was just going to flatly ignore the entire damn mess until after… the end of February, at least. Maybe the whole of March too, depending on if she could get away with it.
Knowing her luck, it'd be in need of an answer tomorrow.
(ooo000ooo)
(Monday the 14th of February, 1972 continued. The Mountain Master's Quarters, Wo Hop To Triad's Compound, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.)
"…you what?"
"Kun, peace. Even here, there are still ears open for raised voices."
His sister drew in a hissing breath, to try to control her entirely honest startelement and sudden surge of motherly disapproval.
Zhōng tiredly rubbed the side of his nose, glancing at his brother-in-law to check to see if the man was still distracted by assisting Nuan cleaning the family altar for now. "There is a bit of theater planned, to firmly allow one of my men along for supervision and guidance. This was not planned lightly, and all due caution is being put into place for us."
It was not as if he distrusted his sister's husband or suspected he would act dishonorably, but one of them had to react honestly to guide his own and her response for them to appropriate levels.
Kun's hands tightened on the broom handle that she insisted on using in his personal quarters since for now they lived with him for her daughter's security. Traditional or not, the women of his Triad kept everything neatened away and tidy enough Zhōng never really bothered with the cleansing rights before the first day of the lunar new year.
He had adjusted rapidly to allow his older sister some normalcy in her life as his Triad had suddenly and firmly invaded hers to a point not agreed to before she married her husband. Kun was trying to allow it graciously, for her daughter's sake, but he was fully aware it chafed at her still to have her home taken from her.
She slowly and carefully blew out the breath, attempting to exhale all of her sudden nerves and overwrought caution with it. "Who."
"The same woman that rescued your daughter for us, and the man who fetched her to do it." Both of whom they knew to be 'immune' to Nuan's growing and troublesome Harmony effects, and the only two who would likely keep their heads no matter what happened. "Nuan asked for the assistance, I could not refuse her request. The choices on offer are… very inadequate for her."
"Then refuse them."
"I cannot." Zhōng muttered sourly. "Therein is our problem. I can no longer issue the insult safely, directly to the faces of the other Mountain Masters offering their men. There are no visible flaws in them to clearly showcase the incompatibility in a way they will accept, as I could other attempts. We know they cannot dictate to the soul, most do not care in want of the chance we opened ourselves to in asking for other types not my own men. There is only so much the Sun Yee On's Sky, or the less ideally positioned for us Skies of China, can assist me in this."
"…little brother, this is unkind."
"I am unfortunately aware. Nonetheless, she agreed to Nuan's request."
It should be shortly, when whomever was on gate duty sent a runner to alert him to their arrival. Though oddly… that sounded like a canine's claws on wood…
Surprisingly, it was Alek. Sonya's canine companion ignored the door barring his way per usual, though this time simply shouldering the obstacle out of his way instead of leaving a gaping rent in the sliding paper door.
…the reinforced with heavy steel and woven iron bars sliding door that separated Zhōng's living space from the rest of his headquarters building. Which usually took a man's strength and the proper grip on the frame to move, and had been left open a crack to allow Kun to sweep anything she could find out.
That was still a very strange dog.
"You BRAT!" The thief who owned him shouted from some distance away. "We're going that way!"
Alek did not care, happily sniffing at a startled Nuan's hands for pets and grooming as if greeting an old friend.
His niece was entirely too desperately happy to see the dog wagging his tail for her attention, which was… not ideal. Possibly.
Zhōng could not blame her for the honesty right now.
Sonya equally was unaffected or stalled by his passive security measure against assassins merely walking into his quarters, shoving the entire affair to the side to allow her and Fong in without need of assistance. A wooden box was balanced in her other as she narrowed her eyes on her own pet. "At least he didn't bite a gaping hole in it, small blessings."
The Storm assassin following her made a confused sounding hum. "How is he…?"
"Apparently, I leak some Flames naturally. We all do. Alek, being never really far from me, soaked it up. Cloud and Storm Flames is how. And he's a destructive little dumbass with it, I haven't yet found a way to train that out of him." The box was set on the first flat surface near the door, and she waved at it. "That's the contribution to your celebrations from everyone from my end, Zhōng. I need you to check it for appropriateness. I know of your traditions, I am not intimately familiar with them. Enjoy."
…yes, he had been aware that was to be her excuse. That was… not a small box.
Thankfully, Fong seemed as confused by her words. "The entire thing, Sonya?"
"They're all related. Somehow. Don't ask me, I just fucking live there."
Kun, despite knowing she likely should wait for another to open packages from unknown qualities, lifted the lid with her broom handle.
There were many red envelopes inside.
She delicately lowered the lid, then looked at him in question.
That was a startling and highly unexpected show of 'support' from the Italian faction. "Can I obtain a clearer explanation? I do not fully understand this… excess, and I am assuming from your words they are all intentional. I would like to not give offense."
"I tried to have Tyr guide the Princess, we had to go with Daniella di Vongola as he didn't have the time."
"…yes."
"Tyr's connected but not related to the main Vongola family."
Zhōng eyed her warily. "This stems from that change?"
Sonya pointedly held up a hand to start counting from, only to then immediately add her other for more digits. "Daniella, her son Timoteo and his wife plus their now four sons. All mainline Vongola family. I told them of the traditional new years gifts and advised them to not miss it as it's polite."
"Understandable."
"In Italy, a Sky's Guardians are 'temporarily' borrowed from their originating syndicate to join the Sky's for the duration of their lifetime. Doesn't mean they are formally divorced from, each syndicate is basically a whole family line of all the cousins possible, and each of the two adult Vongola Skies has all six Guardians apiece who come from various other syndicates that may only occasionally overlap. One of the brats has a single Guardian, apparently."
Kun glanced from the box to him and then to her warily. "Oh my…"
"Then," stressed the thief, though she had already run out of fingers on both hands to count from just from that, "there is Daniella's associates that know she's giving Nuan advice. Which… as she's ancient as shit and basically a war heroine, is about everyone of worth in Italy. Who she told, politely, of the tradition and asked if anyone wanted to add in for 'good luck'."
Nuan giggled for the first time in months, hastily raising a hand from white fur to cover her mouth politely. "Oh no…"
Sonya paused to inhale.
Zhōng held up a hand begging for her to stop. "I see. I fully understand."
"That's partially from anyone who is anything in Italy. And then my own, my brothers', my sister's, the old man, and mom. Their various fucks, since dad became the Pahkan of the clan not too long ago. Then, one of our old circus friends and her friends who met Fon's little sister when she stopped by. Fon's sister too. The old man martial arts master I'm holding to teach my brother self-defense, my people who decided to join in-"
"Miss Bazanova. Please." He asked of her aloud, now using the same hand he raised to rub his temple tiredly. "I now fully appreciate why you have requested I check them myself first to ensure they are appropriate. I will not attribute blame to any if I find something not appropriate as you have made the effort to allow me the time, just… stop."
She waved one hand in his direction as if to 'give' him his way, turning to face his niece. "Princess, I told you it was about a visit a year."
With another genuine laugh, Nuan abandoned the canine in favor of greeting the owner. "Miss Bazanova… thank you. It is nice to see you."
"I'm fairly certain we're intruding, and I'm fully blaming the dog for it, so just say if you want us to go do something else for a while."
"Go." Kun informed her daughter firmly before she could startle or even remember what she had been doing. "Spend time with 'safe' others. I would prefer you enjoy your time when you can, daughter."
His brother-in-law smiled wryly, equally as glad to see his daughter excited about meeting others rather than being able to escape them. "We are nearly finished, Nuan. I can do the rest."
He was equally as intent as Zhōng and his wife was to verify all the yāsuìqián were acceptable for their young Sky, though less experienced in concealing his aims.
"…this is our excuse." He made a point to tell his older sister in a low mummer. "To not 'pay attention' tonight after visiting the temple."
Kun eyed him pointedly back. "Yes. There will be much work for us to get through tonight, little brother."
(Tuesday the 15th of February, 1972. Wan Chai District, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.)
"…Miss Bazanova, I don't understand."
"I do not understand either." Master Fong echoed her very calmly as they came up to where he stood waiting for them, which in Nuan's limited experience with 'the Eye of the Storm' meant the man was highly unamused.
Sonya fully paused, looked between them in mild annoyance, then sighed and rotated her black tattooed wrist in the air between them. "Okay, fine then. What, exactly, do you not understand?"
She pointed behind them, at where the Wo Hop To Triad's tall privacy wall stopped only meters away. "We just walked out."
"Yes."
The strongest Storm in China heaved a pained sigh when that was all she said. "How?"
"I've spent all afternoon," stressed the thief pointedly, "showing Princess how to 'sneak' into and out of several internal rooms of your headquarters. All afternoon. 'Restlessly', because we slept the whole morning away and I have 'too much energy'. Your Triad is very aware I've been doing it, we ensured to mention it several times while I was explaining how and why certain things can be used to escape if she needs it to reach her uncle's penthouse suite thing. Mentioning several guards below us and how to attract their attention if she needs it, so they were aware we were doing it and the methods they need to keep watch for."
"I am very aware of this, Sonya." Countered the man who had politely turned down accompanying them in favor of his own business, which meant he overheard several of their discussions over his head.
She carefully curled her fingers around the woman's bare left wrist in uncertainty. "I still do not understand."
"The assumption right now is that I'm teaching you how to escape and get over the fence if kidnapped again. I told the gateman that myself and Fon's out here to be the 'kidnapper' for us." Though she was frowned at, the older woman did not pointedly loosen the grip on her and allowed the nervous hold to remain. "Which gives us a head start. Your guards will first check with others to see who heard me talking to you. After they get through all the information from all afternoon and realize no one has heard you or me recently, there will be two obvious assumptions. That it is a 'final exam' in which you are trying to do it all silently shadowed by me, or that you have reached your uncle's side successfully and have turned in for the night. As I've 'distracted' your uncle and parents with a really tedious if politically important task, asking them of your whereabouts is going to be… anxiety inducing."
Master Fong eyed her, then his own friend, with a worried crease to his brow. "Sonya, Alek?"
"…a hostage for guaranteed return, if this isn't a quick thing. He's canny and smart and won't let just anyone catch him, but I gave Zhōng a way to order his obedience the last time we checked in with him. If they kill my dog, Fon… I'm not going to be happy."
"Are you certain you cannot wear a jacket over your tattoos?"
"No, I'm not going to. We'll just have to go the… long way around."
"Very well, lead on."
Nuan couldn't help but squeak when the slightly taller woman scooped her up off her feet in her bare arms, and suddenly leapt up an entire building. The Storm instantly followed, though in a slightly different way to gain the height she could in one movement.
(ooo000ooo)
(Tuesday the 15th of February, 1972 continued. Blessing Garden underground bar, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.)
"…we are not far away."
"That's the point, Fon."
Fon warily glanced around this… not particularly clean place and the excess attention they had earned for no clear reason he could see. "They will find us quicky."
"Very likely."
Nuan regarded her fluorescent cocktail ordered for her dubiously, then frowned uncertainty at the Russian who broke out her book again upon reaching this table. "Now what?"
"Wait."
"…Miss Bazanova, I would… greatly appreciate a clearer answer right now."
Sonya politely gave her some attention, but kept her mouth shut.
The Wo Hop To Triad Sky bit her lower lip in pained anxiety when that became apparent that was all the thief was giving. "Please? We only have this once… I don't want to go back empty handed after all this…"
"Hey!" Barked one of the women Fon had already noticed but hadn't assumed would be the first to try anything, scowling heavily at him and the obviously foreign and heavily tattooed woman. "What stupidity are you two up to with her? No means no."
"Grab her." Sonya suddenly ordered, book equally as quickly stored away in the canvas bag she kept most of her personal effect within. "Come on, Princess. Time for the meet and greet."
"What? The fuck you-" Grabbing her as ordered, with a quiet apology he had no doubt went unheeded nor cared for, the Storm tightened his arms around both her arms and legs to avoid being kicked in the head. Then he darted after the Storm-Cloud, who had snatched up the Sky again to bolt with.
Smartly, as it seemed the rough basement level temporary bar's patrons suddenly put the clues together and belatedly realized what had been in their midst for all of five minutes. The sound of the very disorganized surge of dockworkers and slumming petty criminals very likely would soon turn into a brawl.
Fon put on a bit more speed, while the Sun in his hands attempted to burn him with the contact he had forced on her. The heat merely charred through his Mao jacket, which while mildly annoying was not really much of a sacrifice for an easily countered 'opening' bid of protest.
Sonya had flatly refused to wear one over her… strange stiff half-vest garment as it was. They both would merely need to avoid casual patrol view for the rest of the night.
Skipping the very first reasonably tall building outside on the streets, the thief went up the second and more easily scaled bank building with accents Fon could easily get up without the use of his hands. Getting halfway across the rooftop before he could even finish getting up past the third floor, she set Nuan down rather further than polite for an informal meeting.
"Alright, sunshine. Calm the fuck down. We're very sorry for the subterfuge, aren't we Fon?"
"Very sorry." He honestly repeated while trying to dodge the razor blade the woman apparently hid up her sleeve for situations like this one. Spinning her out of his arms and back to her own feet, he warily placed himself between Nuan and this unknown Sun. "I sincerely regret my actions."
"Yeah, I'll make-" Cutting herself off when a significantly larger weapon suddenly embedded itself between her sensible shoes, the Sun woman looked up and eyed the Storm-Cloud who had no sleeves to hide anything as her polearm within more warily. "…alright. What is going on?"
Sonya gave a flourishing wave to Nuan uncertainly standing firmly behind her. "I'd like to introduce you to the Wo Hop To Triad's new little Princess Sky, Duyi Nuan. You are?"
(ooo000ooo)
(Tuesday the 15th of February, 1972 continued. The Mountain Master's Quarters, Wo Hop To Triad's Compound, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.)
"…I expected this to take some time."
"Princess has been stressed out and worried all hours since I left you all to it." Sonya countered pointedly. "Stress and Flame users generally make things… hasty and ill-thought out."
Fon's poor bewildered Triad boss skeptically eyed the brash Sun woman they dragged back with Nuan, barely an hour and a half after simply walking out of his headquarters with that highly politically valuable niece of his. Then he regarded her dubiously. "I'm not certain if I should thank you or have you strangled."
"Keep both options open." She advised very tartly, not in the mood to explain how little one option would work. "Little Miss Sunshine is not what your little Princess needs, she's who she wanted. No Triad, basically little to no idea she was a Flame user but with somewhat decent instincts for it, just sneaking out with the other office girls for a fun night out. But… importantly, compatible. A built-in confidant, and brash enough to give you migraines while things adjust, at the snap of Princess' fingers."
Ling Shao, little miss no fucking clue, had taken in Nuan's 'companions' on her arrival and assumed trouble. Letting her own friends convince her to hold back for at least a few minutes, until Sonya prodded the Princess into a worse panic.
To be fair, she had been utterly right in her suspicions.
A thief and an assassin were not the 'appropriate' company for a seemingly middle-class girl in a seedy temporary bar affair.
A Storm-Cloud and a full Storm guarding a distressed and in need Sky… Nuan called herself a Sun Guardian to burn away her stress. Said Guardian answered with all the guts and absolutely no brain cells.
It was utterly weird to sit on the side and watch the only slightly younger girl introduce her new sudden best friend ever to her mother and father. Without a whit of care for how strange it was she was so confident in this random fucking stranger they picked up in a bar. The Triad thing gained no wariness from Ling, not even the mildly disproving uncle who ran a fucking criminal syndicate earned more than a curious look.
Fon got an evil eye for being the one to 'nab' her. Sonya got glowered at suspiciously and with outright hostility. Nuan was adored and apparently deserved all the hugs.
…good for her.
"As far as Daniella's informed me, when she passed on the box, it takes about a month for 'stress methods' to cement unlike the passive courting's quick permanence once Harmony happens. Buy them all the fucking time you can, Zhōng. Use me, use everything, because until that month's worth of time passes… Sunshine can be muscled out of 'her' spot by a less compatible but more powerful Sun. It'll break her, it'll hurt your niece, but it's possible."
"I will not be able to keep your involvement out of this sudden development, even with all of your reasonable if… slightly galling precautions."
"Didn't expect you to."
She might skate by the whole 'stole Nuan from her protection to find a Guardian' by technicality of the stealth lesson alibi somehow remaining in place long enough, but she had no doubts the Triads would accuse her of it regardless once the new Sun Guardian was known of. Neither she nor Fon had hidden themselves, and Nuan's description was not typical enough for a young Chinese woman to slide as just some random person. Since it went so much faster than she had expected she might even get back to Mafia Land before the Wo Hop To had to admit their Princess had a Guardian so no, they did not require more Suns.
…which, obviously, would not stop anyone from trying it.
Nuan's first Guardian being unassociated to any established Triad was only partially a good thing, being civilian all of five hours ago was an equal semi-decent fact. Sunshine had no political experience, no clue what being a Sun or a Guardian to a Sky was even all about, and at the moment her only real use was to be a secretary.
With a razor blade up her sleeve and the willingness to defend herself, so at least she wasn't stupid.
The whole 'meet and greet' bit had been half strange, half easy, and entirely too weird. Sonya showed her Flame, which gained her a look of utter confusion. Fon showed his, which earned him another wary evil eye. Nuan got a lick of Flame out before being about body slammed by a gleefully happy and semi on-Flame Sunshine with all the excitement.
Sonya would put money on Ling being an Inverted Sun. She was just that touch of caustic edged cheerful brashness to pull it off more to the center of the scale than Klavdia or the extreme end of Reborn's, more like Rasputin before he went… emo.
Which did make her wonder if the Russian Necromancer would be amenable to teaching his ability to another, or even taking a slight gap-year around here.
"I'm not even certain if you can trust your own Suns with her."
"I was warned of this possible complication."
She eyed Fon's Mountain Master, but he was still doing his stone poker face bit. "Anything and everything you can think to ask that I might know, before it's likely I can never set foot in China safely again?"
"I am not an ungrateful man." Zhōng answered her cryptically in a flat tone. "You may have your five years of Fong's services."
…the…
…fuck…
…did…
…he…
…say…?
"Well." Sonya managed after five whole moments more than polite, very flat in tone herself now. "He was being an asshole, Zhōng. He set the jungle we were in on fire."
She earned herself a slight sideways tilt of his head, as if acknowledging a point. "That was not within the bounds I directed him to attempt refusal of your forced collection in. I hold no ill will to those others you are stuck with against your wills, merely this collector that has enforced it."
"Didn't really stop it." Tilting her own head back, she shot the unmitigated asshole pretending all the innocence in the far corner of the room a heated glare. Which he ignored, the motherfucker. "…you have my word, Zhōng, for whatever it's worth. I will not have him interfere in China's affairs, or the Triads, unless we are shoved there without any other choice. Even then, I'll have him sit it out instead if I can. Fon's about to be very fucking bored."
He eyed her skeptically. "I would not advise that, the property destruction when he becomes bored gets out of hand very easily."
"Have you met my dog?"
"I would take that bill over the destruction of my dojos, repeatedly."
With a sharp huff she knew the asshole didn't miss, Sonya looked back at the man next to her waiting out the very early morning visitation so he could go to bed already. "I can't apologize for asking… I appreciate that you'll allow it. The collective assumption between us all is that we're going to be stabbed in the back somehow from this shit, we need his help not this… flat refusal."
She couldn't apologize for asking since she hadn't asked that.
"I am not unreasonable, a word would have gained you the same service."
Someone was thundering down the little blind hallway that separated this whole suite of rooms from the rest of the… literal whorehouse brothel building. Fon rose quickly and headed to the door with a pointed and disproving frown, and near where the man had seated himself her own Alek's ears flicked up as he probably woke from the vibrations more than the soft noise.
"No, but then again… we're assuming a week every other month. None of us are certain if all the 'missions' will be completed within that timeframe. It's very likely it'll take longer than a few times, given what we've already seen so far. Most of us are unaligned or the heads of our own groups, he's the only odd man out in that respect. Is it fair to ask you to not make use of your own man without compensation for it?"
Sonya had an even greater desire to strangle the fucker than 'negotiate' the deal she hadn't even asked for, why was he such a useless fucking stubborn asshole?
Better question, why did she care?
"…I highly appreciate your work, Miss Bazanova." Zhōng informed her bluntly. "My niece's renewed happiness and satisfaction with her new companion alone is worth the years you've requested, as it has a solid end date regardless of events. I do not need your word and furthermore, as I do not desire your death if you end up here without the intent to, I cannot accept it. I can clearly understand you asked for a reason and left it up to him to convey it if he agreed to the same. I also agree, had I promised him elsewhere only to lack his presence on these 'missions' I would lose face for a reason entirely preventable. The removal of an option to be requested from me is mildly annoying, at best."
…yeah, except. Fon's going to be assumed to have been in on it, as he finagled himself as payment. More annoyingly, the whole 'Zhōng didn't ask her to do it' illusion was now very see-through as the man was paying. Even if no one said it was 'payment', the fact Fon was going to be very Italian centric real soon was going to be hard to miss.
"I'm going to beat some tact into him, even if it kills me."
"I wish you luck." Very dryly returned the Mountain Master of the Wo Hop To Triads.
"No." Fon somewhat forcefully announced a bit loudly. "Nuan is with us. Mountain Master?"
"My niece is here, why is this a question?" Zhōng echoed in a tone pitched to carry.
"She was not spotted on her way in." Conveyed the Storm politely. "Xiasheng was sent to ensure she was here before an alarm was raised."
The man flicked a wrist in dismissal, blowing out a slight heavy sigh before looking back at her pointedly. "You have five hours before I will be forced to make an announcement of… last night's excitement, and questions will be raised you may not wish to answer directly. You have… a full day, perhaps, before the rumors of where you found her become common knowledge."
"If you need him back, just ask for him. My Lackey will know if we are available or not, and why. You may even request to know when we are not, as he is still your man and I have no doubts about that. I will likely be sending him back with his sister at the end of it, if we survive."
"…I highly appreciate the leeway and allowance, but I gave my word."
Someone save her from stubbornly proud assholes. "I'm not retracting the offer, either. You may or may not make use of it as you see fit, I will not care either way."
She earned herself a short nod instead of a verbal answer.
Sonya then smiled politely at the fucker currently second place at the bottom of her shit list. "Fon, as I'm certain you require time to get your affairs in order for the next five years… take a day for yourself before meeting up with me on the island."
"Aa… yes. That's… very appreciated."
She was more than certain fifty percent of his motivation was all Mingxia. That he really did want to spend more time with his sister in a safe place that wouldn't carry rumors of his affection for her all the way back here. Ten to twenty percent was likely just to get Reborn off his ass, or at least to not put the rest of them at risk if his sulking got on the Sun's nerves again. Another five or ten percent the awareness of, if not appreciation, that he really should at least commit himself to some long-term if safely occupied goal to not be disappeared from under some Triad-specific concerns.
Which left a little chunk of his motive in question, and after his words on the ferry Sonya suspected she already knew what that was.