Hey friends !
I'm back again and I hope you'll like this OS. I hadn't planned for it to be this long but I just went with the flow !
See you in two weeks !
N.
When she had learnt she'd go on a mission with the loud and extreme Sun Guardian she had scrunched up her nose. She liked him a lot, he was always nice to her in that older-brotherish way that characterized him, but she always favored stealth during a mission and the man was everything but discreet.
That's how she had found herself stuck in this too small room, the heavy atmosphere creeping her. They had successfully contacted the Vorello Family and were now in one of the meeting room in their Mansion.
The Vorello Boss, an old man, had insisted they'd come, no matter how reluctant she was. She hated walking into the wolf's territory. However, they had found themselves stuck and had had no other choice than to agree. They were sitting side by side, facing the Vorello Boss and three of his Guardians. She was impressed with how serious Ryohei was acting at the moment. It was not a look she was used to see on his face but it was still reassuring.
The men in front of them were clearly trying to impress and scare them. The old Boss sat straight in his throne-like armchair, too many rings on his fingers. His Storm Guardian, a dark-haired forty-something man had been glaring at them since they had stepped into the room. Next to him the Cloud Guardian, a blond man, not nearly as old as the others seemed so relaxed he almost looked out of place in the tensed atmosphere of the room. FInally, the Lightning Guardian,an old brown-haired man looked at them suspiciously.
She could see the other Family was getting annoyed. They knew the Vongola Sun Guardian was loud and easy-going and believed their Mist was just a too young woman who had nothing to do there and knew nothing of the Mafia. They were obviously wrong and it made them uncomfortable. Chrome almost smiled.
The Vorellos wanted them to sign a contract, binding the Vongolas to them. They were not stupid enough to agree and it was wearing on the men's nerves. Instead, they had suggested a contract allowing the two Families to work together for a year, and they'd be able to reconduct it if everything worked fine. The Vorellos weren't interested in working with the Vongolas. They wanted Sawada's Family to work for them. What did the too-young and naive Tenth Boss know of their world anyway ?
It had been decided beforehand that Chrome would lead the discussion. She knew her way with words and people's minds better than Ryohei and the man was happy this important task wasn't resting on his shoulders.
"We won't sign this. This contract is utterly ridiculous. The Vongola Family has nothing to gain from it." Chrome's voice was cold and quiet, forcing their audience to strain their ears to hear her.
"You will, child." The Vorello Boss snarled. He was getting angrier by the minute. The eighteen-years-old Chrome wanted to huff.
"I will not, and neither will my friend." She glanced at Ryohei. He was frowning as he looked at the men facing them one by one. "We did not come here to sign anything in the first place. Moreover, this contract does not suit us and if you have nothing else for us, then we'll be leaving." She pushed her chair and stood. Ryohei pushed his chair back to but didn't stand next to her.
"I don't think so. " the Boss said. His three guardians stood. Even from the other side of the large oak table they seemed to be towering over her. Not that she cared, she was used to be the shortest. She arched an eyebrow.
"Come on." She said as she put her hand on Ryohei s shoulder. He stood too without taking his eyes off of the men. Chrome turned around, showing them she didn't fear them by showing her back to them. The Boss gritted his teeth in anger.
"You stay here." He ordered. Chrome stopped in her track but didn't look at him. Ryohei had taken a few steps backward, his eyes still on them.
"You're no one to give us orders."
"We're not done yet." This time he stood too. He leaned against the table, bracing himself on his hands. She felt Ryohei tense next to her.
"We are. Goodbye, Signore Vorello."
The second her hand touched the doorknob, the Boss gestured to his Guardians. The three men drew weapons at the same time.
"If I have to force you to sign this, I will. Be it with your blood, if I need to." He growled.
"Then, you're even more stupid than I thought." She turned to face them. He eye and her rings were shining with bright indigo flames. Next to her Ryohei's ring was also shining, his fists clenched.
The three Guardians jumped over the table and on them. The Lightning Guardian had produced a sword from somewhere as electricity was crackling all around him. Chrome blinded him with her mist. Ryohei took a step in front of her, deflecting the Storm Guardian's spear with his arm. The Cloud Guardian threw small shuriken-like metal pieces at them. Chrome drew a mist barrier around her friend and her, just in case.
Their three opponents growled. The Vongolas were outnumbered, young and had less field experience than them : they couldn't let them win. The pride of the Vorello Family was at stake.
Despite his reduced field of vision, the Lightning Guardian swayed his sword left and right, electrifying everything it touched. Ryohei had to sidestep every time, despite Chrome's shield. He threw his fist at the Storm Guardian, who dodged it easily enough.
She created a pillar of fire at the Cloud Guardian to stop him. The fire only brushed him but he cried out and cradled his burnt hand. His hands were wide. He had not expected her to be so powerful she could create reality and had not deemed useful to retreat quickly. She chuckled.
The Vorello Boss growled behind them and his Guardians fought harder. The Lightning struck Ryohei's right shoulder and the Sun Guardian shuddered under the electric chock. Chrome stepped in front of him, pushing the man away with a powerful wind of mist.
She was throwing freezing winds at the Cloud Guardian, trying to send him drifting away as Ryohei was standing back up again. His left hand was clutching his right shoulder and he was clenching his fists, ready to jump into the fight again. He coated his hands with thick Sun Flames and threw his fist against the Lightning's jaw as hard as he could. He sent the man flying over the table and he landed at his Boss's feet.
The Storm Guardian used this moment when they were both focused on an opponent to send his hammer flying against Chrome's ribs. She felt them crack as she hit the wall behind her. She gasped for air at the impact but was back on her feet, in her fighting stance, the next second.
"You alright ?" Ryohei asked, without looking at her, too focused on repealing the Storm Guardian.
"Of course I am." She said slowly. She was pissed. She had been careless.
With a wave of her wrist, she sent the Vorello Storm flying against the wall, mist rope tied around his ankles and hands. She left him, hanging upside down, in a corner. She turned to the lightning as Ryohei had jumped on the Cloud.
She frowned when she realized the two men were trying to separate them. Unconsciously Ryohei had walked further from her, cornering his opponent against the wall. Chrome took a step back towards him. She spun her spear in her hands quickly and a huge wave of dark water rolled on the Lightning Guardian. It missed the Vorello Boss by an inch but she knew how careless attacking the old man would be. She could see him fuming as his subordinate was nearly drowning.
She maintained the wave up when she turned to help Ryohei with the Cloud. From the corner of her eye she noticed the Boss grabbing his gun, ready to use it. She sighed and tied him up with thick mist ropes so tightly he could barely breathe.
The Cloud Guardian's Flames burnt brighter and she noticed just in time that the shuriken-like things he had thrown were growing and multiplying quickly. The wall cracked under their growth, fissures appearing and spreading fast.
She dodged one that went flying her way and crouched when three others came her way. Ryohei was already hurt and didn't react as fast. He got it twice in the back and once on his right arm, just under his wound.
The Cloud kicked Ryohei's knee and he stumbled when it cracked loudly. Chrome jumped between them, pushing her spear against the man's throat. When he took hold of it and pulled she made it disappear into thin air and he stumbled.
Behind her another shuriken flew and hit Ryohei, less than a second before she put her shield back up. Angry, she kicked the man in the stomach. Her spear reappeared in her hand and she pushed it into his stomach.
He gasped, tried to grab it but she vanished it again with a sneer. She didn't even look at the raging Vorello Boss when she knelt next to Ryohei who was propped against the wall.
Behind him the wall started to crumble. Rubbles fell onto them and she thickened her shield, her eye shining brightly with Mist Flames. She crouched protectively over her wounded friend, adding her body as a shield too.
The fall of the wall lead to the collapse of two other walls, burying the Vorellos in a handful of seconds. Ryohei tried to push her off of him and reverse their position. He was supposed to be the one to protect her with his body if the need ever arose. But as it was she had more strength left in hers and he couldn't overthrow her.
They stood still for what felt like hours. When the walls had collapsed they had waited for the dust to settle down and had made sure that no one was coming yet before Chrome sat up straight. She vanished the shield and hugged Ryohei.
"Are you alright ?" She asked quietly, worry etched on her face.
" 'Ve been better." He groaned. He tried to sit too but winced. She frowned. "How are you ?"
"Tired, but alright otherwise." She sighed. "Maybe a broken rib though, but nothing too serious." She shrugged. She released her Mist Owl, tying a message on its leg and the bird flew out what was left of a window. It had to find any Vongola Guardian and deliver the message to them. They had to know what had happened as soon as possible and they weren't wearing earpieces. Using her cell phone was out of the question, the Family may have machines to listen to each and every phone call made within the Mansion's walls.
She shifted to kneel by his side and wrapped both arms around his torso. She pushed on her legs, pulling him with her. He stumbled, using a pile of rubbles to straighten himself.
"You can lean on me as much as you need. We need to get out of here as soon as we can before someone arrives and I doubt it'll take them long." She looked around them, trying to find the easiest path. She climbed the smallest pile she found, Ryohei stumbling behind her with each step he took.
"Okay, I'm going to make us invisible but we'll need to be quiet." She felt him nod and her mist surrounded them in an instant. No one could them but they could see perfectly.
She tried to remember the layout of the place and walked towards where she remembered the stairs were. She could hear screams from one or two floors below and tried to walk faster.
With each step she could feel Ryohei leaning more heavily on her, his head lolling to the side and his eyes almost closed. She sucked in a breath and steeled herself.
"Don't worry, I'll get us out of here." She whispered.
They padded on the carpet, leaving dusty footprints behind them. Chrome cringed and covered them as best as she could.
She walked past the stairs and to the end of the corridors. She had studied blueprints of the Mansion before they came and remembered the existence of a small staircase reserved for the maids and house workers. She pushed the door open with her hip and leaned against the wall behind her for a second.
She tried to think : how could she get down two floors with an almost unconscious Sun Guardian ?
She steeled herself and tugged on the man's arm.
"C'mon Ryohei, I need you to move, just a step on your left please." She felt him swaying behind her. As she stood in front of him, her back to him she reached behind her to grab his arms. She slipped them around her shoulder and neck. "I'm sorry." She sighed. She closed her eyes tightly, breathed deeply and opened them again.
She walked down the first few steps with caution. She could feel the taller man's feet and legs bumping against each step. His blood was soaking through her clothes, dripping onto the stairs and she tried not to walk on it. She kept mumbling apologies to him.
"I swear I'm gonna get us out of here." She tightened her hold on his arms, pulling him higher on her back. Soon she found a steady rhythm and could walk faster. She counted the stairs and focused on the sounds around them. She could hear shouts from above them. The rest of the Vorello must have found their Boss and Guardians by now. They must have realized the two Vongola Guardians were missing too. They didn't have long.
When they reached the door of the ground floor she stopped. She turned her head, trying to take a look at her friend.
"We're almost outside, Ryohei. Don't worry. I'll get us in the car and out of here." She repeated her promise.
She nudged the door open with her foot and peered discreetly outside. The corridor was dark and empty and the door leading to the garden was already slightly open. She sent a wave of imperceptible mist to detect if anyone was waiting behind it but the way was clear.
She dragged her friend as silently as she could but walking on the wet grass wasn't an easy task. It was either that of the gravel and they couldn't afford to make any noise.
She rounded around the corner of the Mansion and couldn't hold a sigh when she spotted Ryohei's sports car parked barely 150 feet away.
She pushed harder on her legs, walking faster. She could see the car getting closer and closer from them.
"We're almost there." She whispered.
She glanced at the house from the corner of her eyes. Through the windows she could see men running on the upper floor, they were shouting but she couldn't make out what they were saying.
When they finally reached the car she walked around it and opened the passenger door as discreetly as she could. She slipped Ryohei from her back to the seat as gently as she could and pushed his legs inside too. She suddenly felt terribly light and took a second to stretch.
With one last glance at the house, she steeled herself. She knew she couldn't close the door in silence. She'd have to do it and bolt for the other side of the car, jump inside, ignite the engine and drive as fast as she could.
With a glance behind her, she realized the gates were partially opened, definitely not enough for a car though… She was sure Ryohei wouldn't be too mad if she scratched his car because she was trying to save his life… Right ?
So, she did just as she had planned. She pushed the door closed and didn't wait before she jumped above the hood, sliding on it. She threw the door open and got inside. She closed the door behind her while she turned the key and ignited the engine. it came to life with a loud roar. So much for being discreet.
A man ran out of the Mansion, gun in hand and fired at them but she was already driving away. She could feel the bullets hitting the bulletproof car and pushed her foot harder on the accelerator.
As the door got closer and closer she tried to position the car so as to limit the damages. She almost closed her eyes when the metal scrapped against the gates. She glanced at her friend, waiting for him to scream something extreme at her but he was out cold.
With a glance in her rear mirror, she saw three cars following them at full speed and cringed. Losing them on small Italian roads was not going to be an easy task.
She let go of the wheel with her right hand and to plunge it into the inside pocket of her jacket and grab her phone. She pressed a button and it connected automatically to the car.
The next second a loud bip was echoing in the car as she was calling her Boss. Sawada Tsunayoshi answered after only three bips. He seemed anxious as he asked her what was wrong. Of course, he knew. She never called him in the middle of a mission if there wasn't any problem.
"It was a trap Boss." She explained, talking fast. "They wanted to force us to sign some shitty contracts to turn our Family into their subordinates. When we refused they attacked us." She heard him gasp and someone cursed next to him. Of course, Hayato was with him.
"Where are you ? What happened ?" Tsuna sounded worried.
"We're in the car. Ryohei got hurt, he passed out earlier. They were tricky bastards. Their Cloud Guardian made the room collapsed, but I doubt he did it intentionally as they all ended up buried under the rubbles. I made sure Ryohei and I got out in one piece though, don't worry."
"I'm already locating you." Hayato said for somewhere behind Tsuna.
"They're after us. I'll try to lose them on the way. I'll make this car disappear from their view as soon as I can. We need to get back home soon." She whispered the last part, glancing at her friend.
"Be careful Chrome." Both men pleaded. They both knew how reckless her driving style could be, even more when people were after her.
"I will." She said as she ended the call. She gripped the wheel tightly. Her Mist ring burnt indigo and bandages appeared on Ryohei's wounds. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, adjusting their position and tightening them. It would have to do for now.
The cars were still far away from her but she couldn't relax just yet.
Finally, just after a left turn, she was faced with a cross-road. She grinned. She focused on the car, wrapped her Mist around it and turned it almost invisible. She chose her path at the last second, crushing the accelerator again.
With that she knew at least one of the cars would follow them, but she could deal with one car. However, she really hoped she'd successfully distanced them.
About a mile later she noticed one car in her rear mirror but she was pretty sure they were slowing down. She kept speeding.
She drove ten miles more before finally slowing down. Now, she was sure no one was following them. As she reached a city her phone rang.
"Boss."
"Chrome, how is it going ?"
"I believe I've lost them. We've just reached Santori. I'll drive around a bit before coming back, just in case." She said quietly. Eve, through the phone she sounded tired.
"Come home quick, okay ? We're worried." Tsuna sighed.
"I will. I expect we'll be there in about twenty minutes." Tsuna hummed his agreement. "Prepare the Docs, Ryohei needs to be looked at."
"You too, I'm sure." Gokudera grunted and she rolled her eye.
"I'm fine, really, Hayato."
"You better be." And as he huffed, he hung up.
Just as she had promised them, she entered the Vongola Property nineteen minutes later. Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto were waiting for them at the top of the stairs of the door step.
She got out of the car swiftly only to be crushed by Yamamoto's arms.
"You got us worried." He whispered in her ear. She patted his back reassuringly.
"I'm fine, really, Takeshi." She pushed back, glancing as Gokudera and Tsuna were taking a first look at Ryohei.
They looked anxious and Tsuna used a walkie-talkie to order the medical unit to be faster.
With a sigh, Chrome realized they were finally safe and slumped against Yamamoto's chest. He looked down at her and wrapped his arm around her.
"Chrome ?" His worried tone drew the attention of the two other men.
"I'm fine, just tired. Carrying him wasn't such a walk in the park." She groaned and rubbed her face. A group of five doctors ran to them the next second.
Three of them stopped next to Ryohei as her Boss and the Storm Guardian took a step back to give them space. The other two walked to her. She stood straighter.
"I'm alright." She said, confidently. "He needs medical assistance though. Many cuts and gashes. A deep wound on his right shoulder too. I bandaged him as best as I could. He might have bruises on his legs and knees too." At that she grimaced. When the three boys looked at her expectantly. "What ? I tried to carry him on my back but have you seen how tall he is compared to me ?"
Yamamoto couldn't help but chuckle at that. He threw his arm around her shoulder, forcing her to lean against him again. He pulled her with him as he walked to the Mansion.
She checked behind her only to see that Gokudera was waiting as the medics were laying Ryohei on a stretcher.
They'd be alright now. He'll be alright. She had brought him back home, she had kept her promise. She was not letting any of these men, her brothers, die while she was there. Her eye shone bright with her indigo flame for a short second, sealing her inner promise.
I really hope you've enjoyed this story.
Thank you for your time and I hope to see you again soon.
N.