Another Path Part 14 : That couldn't see through the mist
Hello, everyone. So... I have no way of explaining what happened with this chapter. I had a plan for it (I even have my notes to prove it) but then the characters (one especially, you should be able to guess which, many of you expected him) said 'no' and just did what they want. I tried to rewrite this twice and they still wouldn't do what I wanted.
Thank you to all those who read, reviewed, favorite-d or followed. I love reading your reviews, so don't hesitate to write one, even if it's very short or has no point to make, it's still very enjoyable for a writer.
To Guest : Tsuna's Guardians will be the same, even Lambo. I can't write an AU that deviates from canon on these important points. Shoichi will be important, but won't be a Guardian.
To Shelly Marsh : Nobu is an OC, so he won't have TOO big of a role, and won't appear before quite a long time. Tsuna needs to settle in and build his own (larger) family before meeting his brother again.
Disclaimer : Still don't own KHR. No need to remind me of that sad fact.
Tsuna had no idea how things turned out the way they did.
He had been shopping with Lambo and I-pin, and his two wards had asked -demanded in Lambo's case- to go buy sweets on the way. So far, nothing unusual.
They had headed to the candy section of the supermarket with light bickering between the two children, everything was completely normal (for them, no other child should be able or allowed to wield deadly gyoza buns or grenades).
Then, the shutters of the shop suddenly went down and panicked screams echoed in the room. That was much less usual.
"Stay close to me you two." Said Tsuna in a low voice while gathering his two wards. Something was seriously amiss and he wasn't about to let the two children wander off. He sent a quick message to the other with his phone requesting for back-up immediately.
For some reason, his Intuition was prompting him to check what was wrong. Having plenty of experience in the aftermath of not following its advice, he decided to head for the shutters. Lambo and I-pin trailed behind him, close enough that he could protect them, but far enough to avoid being caught in any attack on the brunet. Kyoya had insisted on teaching the most vulnerable members of his pride to keep them safe.
They reached the cash registers without hindrances or encountering anyone. By then, all the screaming voices had died out, turning the supermarket eerily silent. The shutters were sealed, and Tsuna had no idea how to open them. He briefly pondered if he should blast through them with his Flames, but couldn't risk showing his ability off in public. He would have to find another way out.
He decided to go to the staff area, maybe there, he would find someone to help him or something to push open the shutters. He doubted the staff entrance would open so easily.
On the way, they encountered the first human being since this all started. Unfortunately, the middle aged woman was unconscious on the floor. After checking her vitals and finding a steady pulse, Tsuna looked for what had knocked her out, but found nothing.
Neither the brunet or the children were strong enough to carry her with them. I didn't really matter anyway, Tsuna had the unnerving feeling that he and his wards were the targets. Because it evidently was an attack, and since the other individuals had only been neutralized and left alone, and the cash registers were untouched, it was obviously not for the money.
They left the woman after sitting her more comfortably against a shelf at the far corner of the shop. That was the only thing they could do. Then they proceeded to the restricted area.
As soon as they all stepped into the room, the door shut on its own and a creepy laugh echoed in the room. "Kufufufu. You took your time."
Three figures appeared from the shadows of the room. Two teenagers around Tsuna's age and an older man. The first teen was a blond with a scar on his nose and the air of a wild beast. The second looked composed, almost uninterested. He wore a white beanie and a barcode-like tattoo under his left eye. He was playing with a yo-yo for whatever reason. The last, and most threatening, individual was a young man with black hair and two scars running on his right cheek. He was carrying a terrifying and huge metal ball covered with snake like patterns.
"We have been waiting for you." Continued the voice that didn't come from either of the three menacing individuals. Tsuna was sure that the speaker was somewhere in the room, but couldn't see him, despite the fact that said room wasn't very large. "You see, we are currently in a situation that requires us to find 'allies' very quickly. Unfortunately, most of the groups that could provide us some manner of help are also likely to sell us to our pursuers as well. That's why we have decided to get the support of a... lawful company."
Tsuna's brain translated : 'We are in trouble because we got on the wrong side of a criminal organization that has enough influence to send other similar organizations after our hides. So we are going to force your company to protect us, since you are not with them'. Great.
"Wait a minute." Countered Tsuna while physically shielding his two wards. "Why did you chose Caeruleus for your protection? There are plenty of other companies that could have worked better." You couldn't blame him for trying to get out of this mess without damage, could you?
"Kufufu, you are right. However, those would make us too easy to find. Our pursuers would discover us in days. Also, two of your co-workers have earned a reputation for their efficiency in fighting and as security detail."
Tsuna promised himself to have a nice, long talk with Kyoya and Hayato about the reputation they are building for their shop as soon as he gets back home. He also discreetly pulled his fighting gloves out of his pockets and slipped them on.
"Yeah, that's not really what Caeruleus is about, you know? And you could have just came as clients to ask us that, instead of taking this whole supermarket as hostage."
The voice didn't reply immediately. Apparently, it was stunned, either by the calm that radiated from Tsuna, or because he never considered being forthright about his request. Some people really can't ask favors directly lamented Tsuna as he though of his friends. All of them. Kyoya was too haughty to ask for help, Shoichi too shy, Hayato to proud to ask anyone but Tsuna, and feeling too worthless when it came to his Sky, and Lambo, while a nice kid deep down, had an ego the size of Mount Fuji. Only I-pin actually requested things nicely and not as an order.
The unseen man seemed to finally find his bearings. "You wouldn't have offered us any help if we just came and asked." He said briskly. Apparently, Tsuna had offended him somehow. "And we never had any intention of asking when we can just take."
That was when the three visible opponents decided to start attacking.
Tsuna pushed the two children out of the way and blasted the door that led to the supermarket area. His current location was too cramped for him to fight back his three -maybe four- enemies while shielding the kids. Tsuna relied on his speed, and as such needed space to be efficient in battle.
Lambo and I-pin quickly ran to hide. They wanted to help their big brother, but given the odds, they would be more of a bother than anything. It was maddening, but they had to avoid being used as hostages. Kyoya's lessons had their good sides.
Tsuna was facing his three opponents. The blond had changed his set of teeth (Really?Teeth?) and looked oddly similar to a monkey. He rushed at the brunet while the beanie-wearer threw his yo-yo towards him. Tsuna's Intuition screamed and he jumped to the side, just in time to avoid flying needles. The tall man stayed behind and only intervened to prevent Tsuna from escaping.
He had no choice but to show his Flames to survive, so Tsuna didn't hesitate anymore and let his hands burst in orange fire. His opponents were surprised, but not overly so, not like someone should be when another individual spontaneously burned in front of them. They must have known about the Flames of the Sky then. The battle continued, and Tsuna mostly used his Flames to propel himself away from harm. The three were obviously used to fighting together and covered each of their openings efficiently.
He quickly realized that they were not attempting to kill him, only immobilize him, even at the cost of injuries. Indeed, if the scared man used his huge metal weapon, any damage taken from it would be grievous at best. However, Tsuna was puzzled at the reason why they needed him alive. It's not like he would agree to fight for them if he was defeated...
The fight dragged on. Tsuna held because of his speed : he spent almost all of his time dodging and avoiding (the supermarket was wrecked), but hardly ever found an opening to strike back. His defensive posture seemed to annoy the others though.
Tsuna had just ducked under another yo-yo attack when he heard a familiar cry. He turned around immediately and stared in horror as he saw I-pin and Lambo in the arms of the blond teen. He had changed his set of teeth when the Sky wasn't looking and now looked distinctly more like a wolf. Maybe that was how he had found the two kids, since they both were exceedingly good at hiding (again, Kyoya had insisted : no weak link in the pack; although he had also taught them to lash out with their Flames if they were taken hostage. Unfortunately, the two were too scared to remember that part).
The fight stopped immediately, since Tsuna knew that any attempt on his part would result in harm to the children. Nonetheless, he was furious about the underhanded method and the endangering of his wards. His eyes were now alight with his Sky Flames, as was his forehead, although he didn't notice.
"Oya, oya, I didn't expect you to fight back so fiercely or to have the rare Sky Flames." Came the voice again. "I guess that just proves we made the right choice, though."
And the owner of the mocking voice appeared out of nowhere in front of Tsuna. He was another teenager, with hair styled in a way that was reminiscent of a pineapple. He was twirling a trident lazily between his fingers, but it was his eyes that really caught the Sky's attention. The left one was blue, while the right one was bright red with the kanji for six etched in it.
The bluenet looked sadistically pleased, yet all Tsuna could read from his expression, beneath the mask of cruelty and control, was distress and pain, with a bit of surprise. Now that he got a closer and calmer look at the others through his Hyper Dying Will Mode, he could see the same desperation hidden in the eyes of the two other teenagers. The man, however, radiated a defeated aura.
Vines covered with lotus flowers erupted from the floor and ensnared Tsuna, but he almost didn't notice them in his observation of his opponents. Even when they tightened painfully. The obvious leader of the group walked closer to him and opened his mouth to speak when the Sky cut him off with an eerily serene tone. "What are you names?"
Tsuna had no idea what caught him to ask that, but the words were out before he could hold them. His Hyper Intuition, probably. It could be annoying when it went over his conscious actions and acted almost on its own.
The bluenet was taken aback by the question, but quickly recovered. "Kufufu, you are an odd one. But I guess there is no point withholding information at this point. The one holding the children is Ken Joshima, the one with the beanie is Chikusa Kakimoto and the oldest one is Lancia. As for me, I am Mukuro Rokudo, and I'm about to take control of your body." He smirked and leaned forward to stare at the other in the eyes, expecting his prey to quiver in fear.
He certainly didn't expect the brunet before him to just tilt his head slightly and ask, all the while staring intently straight into his eyes. "Take control?"
The only reason why Mukuro answered was his amusement. It was entertaining to see someone react so calmly. The boy probably hadn't realized what his words truly meant. Good thing Mukuro didn't mind making it clearer. "You see" He explained with a sadistic smile. Tsuna could only see more hidden suffering. "This trident has a very unique ability. When the wielder strikes someone with it, it allows him to transfer his consciousness to the victim's body, effectively possessing the other's body."
Tsuna attempted to move despite his restrictions, but the bluenet was quick to intervene. "No, no, no." He said almost playfully. "Remember that Ken still has the younger ones. If you try anything, he won't hesitate to hurt them."
"That's not true." refuted the Sky without thinking. "You might hurt me, but you won't lay a hand on children so young. That's just an empty threat."
His opponents didn't know what to answer. The brunet was right, they all loathed the idea of harming innocent children due to their own disturbed childhood. They didn't want to do anything similar to those monstrous grown-ups. But they were also desperate right now and thought that the boy before them would believe their act of taking the terrified kids hostage.
Mukuro was growing increasingly annoyed. Nothing was going according to plan. The boy was supposed to have been paralyzed by fear, no report ever hinted that he had any fighting abilities, let alone powerful Sky Flames, and now, he wasn't buying their act. No matter, the boy with dissimilar eyes still had his trident. "Maybe we will, maybe we won't, but that doesn't actually change anything for you. I will still possess you and find a way to keep their mouths shut."
Tsuna kept staring calmly into his eyes in an irritatingly knowing way as Mukuro raised his trident to strike. "You know you can just ask for help instead of attacking us. I'm sure we can do something for you without this whole mess."
Once again, the bluenet halted his move. This was not the begging of someone afraid for their life. In fact, it sounded remarkably genuine, even to the ears of the cunning and crafty individual that was Mukuro. Just what was wrong with this kid? They had ambushed him, attacked him, kidnapped his wards, were about to make him a prisoner of his own body and he still offered them his help?
There was no way this could be true, thought Mukuro after a handful of seconds. He was too used to being manipulated and manipulating himself to trust such a selfless offer. This must have been a trap.
He raised his trident once more, ignoring his victim's words, and was about to finally strike when something flew in front of his eyes. He barely had time to recognize the object and jump back to safety before it exploded.
Smoke filled the area and black figure rushed in and aimed at Ken immediately after. The blond let go of his hostages to dive away. Chikusa replied with his yo-yos but was blocked by a barrage of dynamite. Lancia threw his weapon at the same time and the black figure went for him.
The smoke cleared and Tsuna could see that his friends had finally arrived. Hayato had started a fight with the beanie-wearer as soon as he had saved the brunet from the threat of the trident and the restraints of the vines. They were both mid-range fighters, but the silveret had a wider range of techniques and should be fine. Kyoya had freed the two kids before rushing to the older man's throat. Tsuna wasn't really worried for his strongest friend. Shoichi had recovered the children at once and were now keeping the scarred blond at bay with Lambo's grenades, I-pin's destructive buns and the red-head's own inventions. They would hold until one of the other fighters finished their opponent and came to help.
Which left Tsuna with the dichromatic eyes. Perfect, as he wanted to ask him a few questions.
The bluenet had obviously come to the same conclusion about who his opponent was, since he turned back to Tsuna and smirked. "Oya, this wasn't planned. But I still just have to strike you to end it all, I doubt such loyal subordinates would attack their boss, even if it's only his body."
"They're not my subordinates, they are my friends. And there is another way of getting out of this : you could just stop and tell us what you need. There's really no point to all this violence when we could talk it out." Answered Tsuna, still in Hyper Dying Will Mode.
Mukuro snorted and lunged forward. He was stronger than the three from before, but Tsuna didn't have to cover for the kids anymore, and only had to keep track of one opponent now. They were equally matched.
Seeing this, the bluenet eventually pulled back and swung his trident in the air. Immediately after, the floor under Tsuna's feet melted and turned into blazing lava.
Gasps of panic sounded from behind him, but the Sky didn't move. This is not real whispered his Intuition. And indeed, as he stood there, he wasn't burnt.
Mukuro was growing more and more shocked and desperate, though he tried to hide it behind amusement. "You can see through illusions? It won't save you in the end."
Their fight resumed, this time, with added vines, ice or spikes. His Hyper Intuition allowed Tsuna to avoid all of them, and he slowly overpowered the bluenet. Behind him, the battle had ended : Kyoya had first knocked Lancia out, then helped Shoichi and the children with Ken. Meanwhile, Hayato had blasted Chikusa into unconsciousness. They were currently treating whatever wounds they had with Shoichi's Sun Flames. The inventor still had trouble with healing, but no injury was very deep, so he managed.
They were waiting for Tsuna to finish his battle (another of Kyoya's teachings : no interfering with another's -mostly his- fight unless vital). But the brunet still wanted answers from Mukuro before this was all over. Since he now had the upper hand, and they both knew it, he decided to continue his interrogation as they fought.
"Why do you need help so desperately? Who is after you?" He asked calmly as he dodged a spear of ice and a swipe of a trident. He really needed to melt that thing.
"What do you care?" Came the slightly frenzied voice of Mukuro. He had used his illusions to hide, but Tsuna flooded the area with flames, forcing him to deflect them and reveal his location. "You will not help us willingly once you know either way."
"Try me." Tsuna smashed a thorn-covered lotus flower to the ground. "You don't know our circumstances any more than we know yours. And you have nothing to lose either way."
They exchanged more blows before the illusionist decided to reply. "We were exploited all our lives, why should you be any different from them? You'll just sell us to our pursuers as soon as we turn our backs! Self-righteous idiots like you can't be trusted." He sent a vicious strike towards Tsuna, but the boy propelled himself backwards with his Flames. He had a pensive look on his face, like he was weighing his options. With a last glance towards his friends, he extinguished his Flames on his hands and removed his gloves. His eyes and forehead were still blazing, though.
Mukuro expected a trap, so he didn't move any closer. The other members of Caeruleus tensed, but didn't move. Tsuna obviously had something in mind and a plan, they would trust him on this.
The brunet actually really wanted to help Mukuro and the others. His Intuition said that there was more to know about them, and his natural kindness refused to just leave teens his age to be hunted down and harmed. Right now, they were like tracked animals, violent and desperate, but he wanted to believe that they were not just ruthless monsters. After all, he knew they wouldn't really have hurt Lambo and I-pin when they were held hostage. What kind of criminal did that?
So right now, he needed them to trust him, even if only little.
"See, I won't fight back. So let's talk." Tsuna raise his hands and waited a minute, but the bluenet still refused to respond. He sighed. This would require a different approach. "Your illusions work by influencing the mind, am I right?" This wasn't really a question, and they both knew it; Tsuna just wanted the other to respond somehow.
That earned him a small reluctant nod. Good, at least Mukuro was not completely against communicating.
Tsuna had an idea, but he was sure it wouldn't go smoothly. First, his friends would freak out. Really freak out. Then, he wasn't sure that it was possible, and even if it was, Mukuro would have to apply it. And not try to possess or kill him in the process. Honestly, if his Intuition didn't tell him that he would be fine, he would never even consider this, even with his friends. So with an enemy...
"There might be a way to show you that we don't mean you any harm." He heard Hayato and Kyoya snort indignantly behind him. He turned slightly to see them while keeping Mukuro in his line of sight. "I'm serious. These guys have a serious problem and I want to help." Shoichi was about to answer, but Tsuna cut him off, his Hyper Dying Will Mode making him quite imposing. "Yes, I know they tried to harm us, but I really think this was their last resort. They have their backs to a wall and are desperate.
I'm going to try something, but I need you guys to remain calm. I know what I'm doing, and I have the strong intuition that everything will be fine." He explained slowly. Tsuna didn't want to say out loud that he had Hyper Intuition, but wanted to convey to those in the know that it was active right now. Kyoya, Shoichi and Hayato slowly nodded their consent and The red-head made sure that the two younger -only Lambo, really- didn't reveal anything.
Tsuna smiled gratefully back at them before turning fully towards Mukuro. He could hear Ken, Chikusa and Lancia waking up behind him, but had seen that they were tied with a special flame-proof rope that Hayato and Shoichi had devised and brought. The thing could even hold Kyoya (if he let himself be tied...). They were no threat at the moment, and the brunet knew that if he could assure their leader of his intent, the others would follow.
Now, to convince Mukuro. "Since you have a power that affects minds, can you also read memories?"
The older members of Caeruleus gasped and tried to protest. They had understood what Tsuna was about to do and were firmly against the idea. The Sky only sent them a look with his flaming orange eyes. They had promised to trust him, now they had to keep their word.
Mukuro seemed to also realize what Tsuna wanted, and sent a distrustful glare his way. "Yes, I can." He admitted after a moment. "But I will not allow you to just look at my memories." He raised his trident defensively.
The brunet shook his head. "That's not what I want. I want an equal exchange. I look into your memories, but you will also look into mine. That way you'll see if I'm trustworthy and I'll see what kind of problem you have, without you having to explain it in front of everyone." He thought for a second before adding. "And you'll be leading the process the whole time, so you can make sure there is no trap."
That was a tempting offer, to be honest. Mukuro was fully aware that he was cornered and had no way to escape, not alone against all of Caeruleus. Also, the boy was right, if Mukuro was the one to handle the technical part, his opponent would have no way of tricking him. Mukuro, on the other hand...
Still, that left the rest of Caeruleus. "I accept your deal on one condition : release the others first. I am not taking a chance at one against all of you."
"Only if yo let go of that trident." Replied Tsuna after pondering a moment. "You can hand it to your friends if you want."
"They are not my friends" Sneered the bluenet. But after thinking about the unexpected offer, he agreed to it. After all, if the brunet wanted to make such an easy target and victim, who was he to deny him? "Deal."