Another Path Part 18 : That crossed Vindice
To answer some questions : I intend to alternate 'action' chapters (not necessarily fights, but where the 'plot' advances and new characters are introduced) and slice-of-life chapters (where the characters settle in and interact with each other). There might be 'arcs' that have more of one type, but then there will be more of the other type once they end.
SPOILERS. As for Reborn, he will be introduced very late. In the manga, he was the one that directed all the character interaction and development. In this fanfiction, I want the character to build themselves without the all-knowing and omnipotent influence of Reborn. He will appear (I have planned it almost since the beginning of writing), but only after Tsuna & co have met most of the cast.
Which means I fully intend to have Tsuna meet and 'recruit' each of his Guardians, including those in Japan. I know how I will do it too -but I accept suggestions if you have a great idea you want to share, I can reevaluate my plans. So you will see Takeshi and Ryohei.
END OF SPOILERS.
Finally, a great thank you to all those who read, follow and leave a message. I cherish every review and advice you give me.
It was a day similar to any other when the past of Mukuro's crew caught up to them.
Shoichi had been called away for a system maintenance job, and he had seen fit to bring Lambo and I-pin with him. The company was a regular customer of theirs and the red-head knew them enough to know that they wouldn't have issues with two 5-year-olds tagging along to see how to interact with clients. Plus, the female workers in that company adored the two children, so there was little risk of an incident and it provided valuable social experience for Lambo and I-pin.
Meanwhile, Tsuna, Kyoya, Shoichi, Hayato, Mukuro, Chikusa and Ken were in the Office, working on their schooling. By now, the illusionist was roughly at a normal 11-year-old's level, Chikusa at a 10-year-old's and Ken at a 9-year-old's.
The Sky was in the middle of walking Ken through his math exercises when a shiver ran through his spine. His Intuition was screaming that something dangerous was getting closer. Something abnormal, cold, wrong...
He jumped to his feet. "Something is coming." He warned his friend, who all reached for their weapons at once, and positioned themselves for battle. Tsuna's voice had been too alarmed and urging for this to be anything but an enemy attack.
A dense, gray fog was rising, obscuring the floor and their feet. They all saw Mukuro and his companions freeze and turn as white as a sheet. "Vindice..." Whispered Chikusa, tightening his grip on his yoyos.
Hayato let out a frightened grasp; he had been fed tales of the police of the Mafia since he was a toddler. It was like facing the boogie man. The silveret started inching towards the back door, imitated by the three outlaws.
"It's no use." Tsuna shook his head tensely. "They are too close, it would only make things worse."
"We have to try, byon!" Panicked Ken. He was about to bolt when Kyoya caught him by the collar of his t-shirt and held him in place with a glare.
"Out of the way, you bastard! You have no idea what's coming!" Exploded Hayato, dynamite in hand and ready to throw at the raven's head.
"Stop whining, Herbivores." Growled Kyoya, as Chikusa joined Hayato in trying to intimidate him. Ken was still thrashing in his grip. Strangely enough, the only one apart from Tsuna and Kyoya that was not trying to run was Mukuro. The bluenet, while inwardly terrified, was glancing between the raven and the brunet.
All the while, the mist was thickening and was now reaching their knees. The clock was ticking, and Tsuna knew that -felt it deep in his bones. They had to have at least some sort of plan when Vindice arrived.
"Guys." He began, but his voice was drowned by the yelling. "Guys!" He shouted, adding a hint of Sky Flames. That got him their attention. "We won't be able to avoid them. Our only chance is negotiating our way through this."
"Negotiating?! That's frigging Vindice we're talking about! They don't negotiate, they imprison! No trial, no jury, just a cold cell!" Yelled Hayato. The arrival of his childhood nightmare making him so hysterical that he forgot his usual respect for his Tsuna-san.
"That's still our only option, Hayato, so you're going to have to calm down and face it, or I'm knocking you out so you don't endanger our talking!" Shouted Tsuna back, uncharacteristically harsh. It seemed to shock the silveret so much that he could only stare blankly for a moment before nodding mutely. Ken and Chikusa were also stunned for a second, but got their bearings back quickly and attempted to move Kyoya out of the way once more.
It was Mukuro who managed to make them stop. "If Tsunayoshi says it's useless to run, it's probably true. So cease this and do as you're told. Right now you're only digging our graves." His voice was authoritative, despite the underlying fear. It warmed Tsuna's heart to hear how much the bluenet trusted his judgment.
Chikusa and Ken stilled at their leader's words, so used they were to obeying him.
"Thank you." Tsuna shot to Mukuro with a strained smile before schooling his face again. "So, Mukuro, Chikusa and Ken, you stay behind, near the back door. Kyoya and Hayato, you are behind me. I'm going to try and talk to them before anything happens, so please, stay silent. If it still breaks into a fight, you three" He pointed at the outlaws. "get out of here immediately and regroup with Shoichi. Don't turn back, you're their target, so we're less at risk. Tell Shoichi what happened and disappear together with the kids. Hayato, you leave after them." He saw the silveret was about to interrupt. "Don't argue. You're the only other one here that was in the Mafia at one point; even if you've left, Vindice might still see you as under their authority. Kyoya and me, despite appearances, are the only complete civilians here, they might be more lenient with us. We're also the most accustomed to fighting together, and the most likely to be able to pull off an escape."
"You won't be able to escape! It's the Vindice we're talking about!" Hayato had regained his voice. And his fear. Mukuro had already placed his subordinates at the back of the room, aware that staying in the room could be interpreted as a show of good will, and help negotiations.
"That's not important, right now, Hayato." Replied the Sky in a sooting voice. The Storm needed to calm down if they had a chance to pull this off. "Now, we need a plan, however unlikely to work it might be, so that we know how to react if negotiations fail. So we aren't paralyzed by panic. So, if Vindice still attack us, I damn well expect you, Hayato, but also Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa, to get the hell out of here." Ordered Tsuna with an authority he rarely displayed.
The explosive expert looked at him in the eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before nodding slowly and going to stand a step behind his Sky's right side. It had always been his hope to be a right-hand man to a Boss he respected, he wouldn't let this opportunity slip. Even if Tsuna wasn't Mafia, he was still his Boss, and he needed Hayato right now.
His resolution came not a moment too late, as barely a second later the ominous rattle of chains sounded nearby.
"We want to talk." Announced Tsuna towards the doorway. His voice didn't tremble and he felt a flicker of pride. He did go a long way from the weak child bullied by his younger brother.
Six dark figures that looked like they had emerged from a nightmare appeared at the front door. They wore long tattered black coats, each a little different from the other, probably so they could tell themselves apart. Every inch of their skin was wrapped in white bandages, only letting out some dirty patches of hair around their heads. It was impossible to tell anything about their appearances beneath the white strips of cloth and heavy coat, not even their gender. Thick mist seemed to pour out from between the bandages. And to complete the terrifying picture, they were pulling dark, rusty-looking chains, obviously eager to arrest their targets.
"We are not here to talk." Replied a gravelly voice that chilled Tsuna to the bone. "We are here to capture three criminals. Step aside, civilian child, this is not your problem." One figure, probably the leader, stepped forward, chains at the ready.
"Your information is not accurate. They only protected themselves, you can't blame them or call them criminals for that! Did you even investigate what happened before judging them like that?" Normally, he wouldn't be this confrontational -especially with such sinister people- but his Intuition kept whispering him that his best chance lied in making them drop their accusation by clearing up facts. Fast. He dearly hoped that this wouldn't be the first time his instincts were wrong.
"You know not what this is about, child."Admonished one of the dark figure. He -or was it she, he couldn't tell- had a voice that seemed to echo endlessly.
"I know more than you do at least. I know exactly what happened to Mukuro, Chikusa and Ken."
"Then you should be aware that you are protecting traitors and mass-murderers." Stated the leader. "They have to pay for their crimes."
"The only crimes were those committed against them! Where were you when the Estraneo experimented on them, treated worse than guinea pigs? Or when Lancia's Famiglia plotted to use Mukuro and dispose of Ken and Chikusa, only because they were less powerful? Why did you only react after they managed to get free on their own, and why did you go after them when they obviously are victims?"
"What occurs inside a Famiglia is none of our concern." Replied the dark figure the most to the left. "We only intervene for matters between Famiglias or when Mafiosi come in contact with civilians. By those rules, you harboring the three runaways only adds to the charges against them. They are still criminals."
"Only because you made them! They wouldn't have needed to find refuge with us if you were not hunting them. And by the way, now that they are members of Caeruleus -and have been for two weeks- they are not Mafiosi anymore. Our company makes sure to avoid illegal jobs as much as possible. Finally, if your laws don't protect innocent children, whose only wrong had been to have been born in the Mafia, then your laws are worthless and useless. And if they don't defend victims -which means they have to break your laws to protect themselves -and you actually charge them once they do, then your laws are also completely stupid!"
His ranting had almost turned into a yell at the end. However, it seemed to have fulfilled its purpose as the members of Vindice were left completely speechless. Tsuna mused that people must not argue so strongly all that often with them. His friends probably agreed with that, given the bewildered stares the brunet could feel on his back. The Sky just couldn't tell if it was shock or disapproval. Likely a mix of both.
The leader of the Vindice team eventually shook himself -herself?- out of his -Tsuna decided to all call them 'him' until proven otherwise because it was simpler- stupor. "What proof do you have of the innocence of Mukuro Rokudo, Chikusa Kakimoto and Ken Joshima?" His tone was much less patronizing than before. They were finally willing to reconsider.
"Mukuro and I exchanged memories. The murders were purely self-defense and they even spared Lancia. He was the only member of his Famiglia not part or aware of their manipulations. That is all the proof I have, and all I need. What is your proof of their guilt?" Challenged Tsuna. He knew he was pushing his advantage, but his Intuition was encouraging him.
Thankfully, the bandaged leader answered. "We received word from another Famiglia. They were the first on site each time and discovered the crime scene. They identified the culprits with what remained of the video surveillance."
The brunet had no trouble picturing Mukuro mentally scolding himself for leaving usable evidence. "Which Famiglia?" He asked nonetheless. He had a feeling this would be important.
"Vongola. Which is why we didn't verify their claims. They are usually trustworthy and denounced Mukuro Rokudo, Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimoto twice. They never mentioned anything about them being victims."
Tsuna was shaking his head dejectedly, muttering that 'of course it had to be Vongola'. It was like he would never escape them completely... With a final shake, he raised his head to look his interlocutor in the eyes. Or where he figured his eyes were. "Then you ought to investigate yourselves. Vongola has either accidentally or knowingly overlooked the actions of both destroyed Famiglias."
The leader seemed to think for a moment before nodding slowly. "It is a fair request. We will look ourselves into this matter. However, we will have to -at least temporarily, depending on our conclusions- to take the three suspects in our custody. They can not be allowed to escape if they are proven guilty."
Tsuna could physically feel the three runaways tense behind him at the mere idea of being detained in Vendicare. "Can you not let them wait here for your judgment? I can vouch for them staying here."
"You are a civilian and a child. You have no authority or guaranty to offer."
The Sky hesitated for all of half a second before putting forward his next argument. He deeply disliked admitting it out loud to members of the Mafia (which Vindice was, despite their special status), but he would always put the wellbeing of his friends before his own reluctance. "I myself might not be a Mafioso, but my father is. Iemitsu Sawada is the current head of CEDEF. Can that be counted as anything?"
He was sure that he would have seen six pairs of eyebrows rise if not for the bandages. "You are the older son of the Young Lion of the Vongola." One figure stated rather than asked. "Your father started a worldwide search for you when you disappeared a month ago. He believed you to have been abducted."
Tsuna snorted loudly, and he head a similar sound come from Kyoya and Mukuro behind him (those two really had more in common that they were willing to admit). He couldn't help it : it had been much longer than a month since he had left Namimori. "I left my old house of my own volition, I assure you. And it has been almost a year and a half since I arrived in Italy. It just took that long for my mother and younger brother to bother informing others, my father included. But that's beyond the point. Does my father's job constitute enough guaranty, and will you report my location to him despite my will?"
This time, the six men -or women- took the time to consult each other before answering. Tsuna used to opportunity to send a calming smile to his friends, especially to the three still-outlaws. Hayato also looked like he would be sick any second now, so he only managed back a stiff, wide-eyed nod. The others sent back crooked smiles or approving nods despite their unease.
The leader eventually moved to face Tsuna. "We will not report your location, as your departure was willing and we don't answer to Vongola or CEDEF. We will also allow the three suspects to remain here during the investigation, provided you undertake a specific Flame-based contract. If any of the suspects run away, you will however be imprisoned as well for helping them escape." Tsuna nodded, he could live with that. "You also ought to know that this favor is not granted due to your father's occupation, but rather due to your ancestry. The Vindice had respect and good relations with Vongola Primo."
That surprised Tsuna. Not that he was related to the founder of Vongola -he already knew that thanks to the data provided by the Hibari clan- but that Vindice respected Giotto enough to compromise with his many-times great-grandson. Even if said descendant wanted nothing to do with the Mafia. And it seemed odd that the so-called 'police of the Mafia' to put so much importance in bloodlines. But he wouldn't look a gifted horse in the mouth. "Thank you. What exactly is this Flame-based contract?"
"We will infuse some of our special Flame into your arm. That way, we will be able to locate you at any given time. We would offer to use it on the suspects, but it requires the contractor to have active Sky Flames."
"How do you know I have active Sky Flames? And that Mukuro, Chikusa and Ken don't? Inquired Tsuna with a frown. He would be in trouble if anyone could tell so easily.
"It is partly due to our specific type of Flame. You needn't worry, only Vindice can tell that your Flames are active without you summoning them. As for the type, Skies are extremely rare and most active ones are known by us, so it is unlikely that any of the three suspects is a Sky. You, however, look very much like Vongola Primo, and his line is renown for only producing powerful Skies. The fact that you are surrounded by and speaking for obviously clashing personalities adds to the theory that you are a Sky, and have bonded with them -which explains why they follow your lead. It is highly unlikely that you are anything but a Sky, and I would wager that you are a powerful one, given your lineage and the loyalty your Elements show. However, were we not able to sense that you have already summoned your Flame, we would assume that your are much too young to have activated them."
Tsuna nodded, reassured that his ties to the Mafia couldn't be exposed so stupidly. "That's good to know, thank you. You were explaining the contract..." He prompted.
"The process of injecting our Flame is painful, but the pain stops as soon as the contract is finalized. It leaves a mark on the skin that is only visible when you or a member of Vindice applies Flames to it, otherwise, there is no trace of it to be seen. Know that we can still track you even when it is hidden, and that only a member of Vindice can remove it." The man paused, allowing the information to sink in. "Do you still agree to the contract?"
Tsuna nodded immediately. Anything to avoid imprisonment to the three runaways. The Vindice were right, he had bonded with all three of them -although he still felt closer to Mukuro than he did to Chikusa and Ken- and as such felt responsible for their well-being. "I do. Can you perform it right now?"
The leader nodded and offered a bandaged hand. Tsuna put his right forearm in it, steeling himself for the expected pain.
Some kind of black fire erupted from the Vindice's hand, spiraling around the brunet's limb, but not touching him yet.
"Do you agree to take responsibility for the suspects Mukuro Rokudo, Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimoto?" Came the gravely voice of the cloaked man. Tsuna replied that he did. "Do you agree to ensure they remain around you until the end of our investigation, no matter our conclusions, and not to attempt escaping, under penalty of imprisonment?"
"I agree." Confirmed Tsuna. At that moment, the dark Flame finally touched his forearm and started to sink into his skin. It hurt, a lot, but not like he was getting burnt, as he had expected. In fact, it felt more as if someone was stabbing his arm with tiny icicles. He let out a strangled scream, which prompted his friends behind him to step forward to support him.
The sealing of the contract was mercifully short. A handful of seconds later the pain suddenly vanished, leaving the brunet wobbly on his knees. Kyoya, who was the closest, quickly braced him from behind, shortly after followed by Hayato.
Tsuna couldn't avert his eyes from his right arm. Instead of the unmarked skin he was used to was now some kind of tattoo. Black chains were drawn winding around the length of his forearm, like an odd bracelet. And it slowly started fading even as he watched it.
"It will become visible again if you summon your Flame on it." The voice of the Vindice leader interrupted his stunned observation. And indeed, when Tsuna called his orange Flames, the black drawn chains appeared again, only to fade anew a few seconds after he stopped supplying his Flames.
Somewhere in the back of his head, the brunet thought that Shoichi and Hayato would have a blast studying that.
The Vindice were already leaving, he realized with a start, as they had nothing more to do here for now. Only the leader was lingering, apparently waiting for Tsuna to focus back on him. Once that was the case, he started talking again. "We will return in about a month with our verdict on the case of Mukuro Rokudo, Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimoto. Neither they nor you are to attempt to run away, or you will be immediately be judged guilty and imprisoned upon capture in Vendicare. If circumstances force you to move, apply your Flames to your proof of contract for one minute and a member of Vindice will come and register your change of location. We will see ourselves again in a month. I bid you well."
After those last parting words, he seemed to glide towards the exit, chains dragging behind him ominously. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to vanish abruptly, and all the members of Caeruleus felt weak at once, like the strings keeping them upright had been cut.
"You fucking did it..." Muttered Hayato incredulously. "You negotiated with Vindice." And Tsuna shivered at the sight of the worshiping glint in the silveret's eyes. There went all the progress he had made about Hayato's awed attitude towards him...