Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.
Fratellanza
The guy was bipolar.
"I thought I had been clear Lucia-chan," he hissed to me, his strong grip around my throat. I clawed his arm, ready to burn it off but electricity ran through my body. "No leaving this place, how is it hard to understand?"
He dragged me back to the room, threw me on the bed and left. I licked my dry lips, rolling off the bed, landing harshly on the floor. My arms were shaking, yet I managed to get up. This place...I had to get out of this place. He said I was safe here, but in the three days I had been here...I was being watched. I barely left the room anyway.
I went to the wardrobe and opened it, throwing everything on the floor. The clothes were distinguished, clearly expensive and maybe they were of my twenty-six-year-old self's taste, but not to mine. They were...too feminine, hard to move or fight in. Ironically, I ended up wearing the white uniform everyone seemed to have around here with boots.
I frowned at the box I found and almost ripped it open. Federico's gun with its holster, a ring surrounded by a chain and a black box. I sat down on the floor and took the box and ring.
VARIA.
On the ring was the word 'VARIA' and a small purple stone, the same color being on the box.
Alright, as predicted, rings spread around the Underworld. The fact there was a purple stone meant it was a Cloud ring. The ring itself seemed important.
The Cloud Officer? I mean, the Mosca was long gone, could it be...I didn't want to be someone's Cloud again, especially not my older brother's. The proof was in my hand though. Maybe it was a mission? As for the chain around it...maybe to cover its power?
The box though...Arro mentioned weapons Verde was developing, maybe that was it.
My fingers knocked on the bottom of the box. It sounded hollow. I broke it and grabbed the silver pocket watch in awe. It was the one I found in CEDEF. I opened it, a folded picture slipping on the floor.
I pursed my lips at what it showed.
Tsunayoshi, sitting on a couch, surrounded by his Guardians, most likely on the day he became the Decimo. Hayato on his right, Takeshi on his left, Chrome sitting on the armrest on Hayato's side, Ryohei behind them, Kyoya leaning against a wall hands in his pockets on Tsunayoshi's left.
Then there was me, on the armrest next to Takeshi, Reborn on my head, both of us with a smirk for the camera.
We were all in suits, Chrome having opted for a skirt.
"Lucia-chan~." I winced at the playful tone of the man coming toward my room. I quickly put everything back in my closet, or at least the box I found, but Byakuran was in my room before I could finish. "Curious about your future taste in clothes? I tried to get you the best but at your age, you probably don't think these suit you." My hand grabbed a white silky dressed shirt. It felt...really adult. Although, twenty-six...how was my future self going?
"Wha..." I started when he pulled me on my feet, his hand around mine to drag me in the hallway. White, everything was white around here.
"I have to show you something." After almost scratching him until he bled, he let go of me. I stayed close though, not wanting to be chased down by the guy.
I frowned as we entered a forbidden area, where many men in white coats were walking around. Unconsciously, I inched closer to Byakuran.
"Hehe, Lucia-chan~!" he giggled, patting my head. "You have nothing to worry about! If anything, this place will help you!" I was confused and widened my eyes when he stopped in front of reinforced glass windows. Behind them was a room, with a man strapped to a table, some scientists walking around the room. "See, he's the key to the cure of your condition!"
"How..." I mumbled weakly, bad memories coming back to me. The man, with black hair, seemed unconscious. "What..."
"Well, Romain-kun is the only successful experiment from the Immortal Project, so if we use his blood as a base for your cure, then it will..."
"What did you just say?" I stopped him in a cold voice.
"Hum? Romain-kun is..."
"That's…the man here..." I stuttered, widening my eyes in horror.
I thought he was dead. I ran away that day with Mukuro without looking back. I though he was long dead but…
He was alive?
I felt nauseous out of sudden. Byakuran...was putting him in the same hell as the Estraneos did for my sake?
I didn't want that.
"Let him go."
"Hum?"
"Let him go trash! I don't want his blood if it puts him in that condit..." Byakuran's grip on my throat almost crushed my windpipe, but his furious eyes were what made me shut up.
"And who said you had a word in this?" I grabbed his arm. "Your adult self refused for the same reason but I managed to give her some additional years against her will. I guess you're just ungrateful, it's in your nature."
I took a deep breath and fell onto my knees when he released me.
"Really, you shouldn't anger me so much Lucia-chan."
I was quickly thrown back into my room like a brat and swallowed back my anger when the door was locked.
I had to get out of there.
Tonight.
"Oh, am I interrupting your moment?" the boy asked me in a dull voice. I had taken the content of the box I found earlier and put my clothes back on, a bag hanging across my chest.
I was about to break the lock of the door when it was casually opened. The boy in front of me...mist was slowly vanishing from around him, but he was dressed quite casually, if it wasn't for the fedora on his head breaking the whole look.
He had green hair though, and green eyes and two dark purple marks were underneath them.
I gulped. An enemy?
"I'm not your enemy Luci-nee-san. Snake-san told me to get you out of here tonight. You wouldn't be able to escape on your own anyway."
"Alaric?" I replied under my breath. He nodded.
"My name is Fran by the way." He took my hand in his. "It's funny, the Luci-nee-san of this era would have asked me if I made sure the camera didn't pick up on our conversation by now. You must be very disoriented." I widened my eyes and spun around, blinking in surprise at the illusion of me...pouting on the bed.
"It's one way to put it." I took a deep breath once in the hallway. I shivered when I recognized where Fran was going though.
"I have to get something from where my fellow French guy is kept. Snake-san said you would want to save him anyway." He...wasn't wrong. The weird thing was the total lack of emotion in his voice.
We slipped in easily, Fran keeping me close to him. His illusions...felt heavy, but careful not to be overwhelming.
"I have to look for something, take care of him," he told me, leaving me on my own.
I walked to the table and looked at his face. His hair was as black as I remembered it to be, but oily and tangled because it was too long, the locks on his face reaching his chin. His face was marred with a frown and stubble was on his cheeks and chin.
I sliced his restraints and immediately, he jumped on his feet and grabbed me by my collar, ready to punch me.
My wide and surprised ruby eyes were staring straight into incredibly cold royal blue ones. He was easily as tall as Dino, with the same built, maybe a little more fit but…
I looked down at his ankle and narrowed my eyes.
'P.I.01'.
"Luci," he rasped and I gulped, looking up at him. He pursed his lips and the hand at my shirt was now grabbing my chin roughly. "Younger Luci."
"Ro...Romain?" He let go of me and stepped back, rubbing his eyes. "Are you...are you alright?" His eyes were back on me.
"I've known worse than these pricks." I couldn't help but lower my eyes and he clicked his tongue. "I don't have the time for your fucking guilt now." I was about to say something but stepped back when he sliced off his left arm.
Blood...was everywhere, pouring from where his arm used to be.
"What are you doing!?" I shrieked at him, ready to cauterize the wound but he stopped me.
"I don't have the time to look for the chip, it's simpler. In two days it will be as good as new anyway," he told me. I watched in awe yellow flames stopping the bleeding.
"Are you done?" Fran asked us when he was back. He looked at the puddle of blood at Romain's feet and his stained shirt. "You don't change."
"You know each other?" I questioned him.
"He visited us once. He's your Cloud you know." I widened my eyes and turned them to my childhood friend. He pushed his hair back from his face and I blushed slightly.
He grew up...quite well. His jaw was very chiseled.
"We're leaving." Immediately, the three of us were wrapped in a thick illusion, quietly walking through the various corridors and men in them.
Nobody saw us and I was in awe of Fran. He was...very good. Did Alaric train him?
We were barely out of the building and in the shadows in a back alley that Romain decided to leave. I made a step to stop him but Fran stopped me, grabbing my shoulder.
"Let him be, he'll be fine. I have to go too, there is an abandoned industrial district at an hour walk from here, to the south, go there and you'll find allies."
"Wait Fr..." He disappeared in a cloud of mist and I was left on my own. I...I had a ring and that box but…
Did they seriously leave me all alone in a foreign time for me in enemy territory!?
I didn't have the time for that. I covered myself with illusions, reinforced by my ring, and I was on my way. Barely ten minutes after I was surrounded by flying men in white. They all had Dying Will Flames at their feet.
Shit, did they sense my flames?
I stopped my illusions.
"We have received the order to bring you back to Byakuran-sama." I scoffed and grabbed my gun, shooting. It was divided in eight but hit only two out of twenty, the others using their flames to stop my owns. Arro said I didn't need a Cloud ring but…
Oh.
I grabbed the VARIA ring from my pocket, removed the chain around it and lit it up. The Cloud Flame dancing on it was big and I grinned, avoided a blow and shot again, touching five more.
Wow, that was useful.
I blinked in surprised when I was surrounded by green-flamed birds. I tried to get out but I was being electrocuted before I could. I stumbled forward a little, my whole body fuming and I felt blood running down my face. I looked up and was thrown to the ground by a kick in my face. I spat blood, looking around.
They all had animals with flames.
"Alright, I think she gets it guys," one of them said, inching closer to me. He kicked me in the stomach before kneeling, bending toward my face. "You're going to follow us to Byakuran-sama now." I spat at him. He wiped the blood from his face but I had my hand around his neck. Before he could understand what was happening to him, I sent a wave of Flame of Wrath in his whole body, bumps appearing under his skin and exploding, sending blood everywhere. The bumps popped like balloons.
I got up, not a word being uttered by anyone. Blood had splattered on me but I didn't care.
Enough with the confusion act Luciana, future or not, you were going to die if you didn't keep your cool.
I took the VARIA box. These animals had to come from somewhere. Therefore, I put my Cloud Flame in the hole of the box. It shook violently and I aimed it at them when it was opened, bright purple flames shot from it. Two poor souls tried to fight back but they fell too.
The purple bundle of flames landed on the ground and dissipated. Even if it was dark, I saw it was a small animal. A small white dog maybe? It turned around and I stepped back when I noticed the long muzzle and high and straight ears.
Did I mention the tail, entirely made of purple flames and the purple eyes?
It was a wolf cub.
It ran at me, jumped, used my head to jump higher and I heard a scream of pain from behind me. I spun around, seeing a man falling on the ground, the wold biting him in the jugular.
"Now that's biting someone to death," I commented out loud. The cub turned to me and growled. I gulped and watched him hit my leg with its paw. "I should get going?" As if it could understand me, it nodded.
I cursed at the flames coming my way but the wolf jumped straight in it. I gaped slightly, in shock, and gaped bigger when I noticed the wolf was perfectly fine, but now in an adult size. It jumped in the air and spun around, shooting flames from its tail, that killed three other guys. When the little guy landed on the ground once again, it looked at me in pride and I smiled a little.
"Okay little one, you're good."
I dodged a blow. Six enemies on the ground. I slammed my palm on it, sent a wave of Flame of Wrath in it and watched it breaking, orange flames coming from the cracks. It destabilized them, killed one and I quickly went to the others. I blew up the pole one of them had and dived my hand, covered of my flame in his chest.
They fell, one by one. I was panting and bleeding from the arm by the end, but they were dead.
Unfortunately, the cub, now back in small size, growled and bit my calf.
"Others?" I asked, getting my inhalator. He nodded. "I follow you then partner."
We fought against others, clad in black and not in white.
After a certain amount of time, I found a fountain. I went to it and splashed water on my face, cleaning the blood from my forehead and nose. I was exhausted, my stamina was catching up with me and telling me I was almost done for.
I grabbed the cub and sprinted in a dark back alley when others were coming. I slowly walked back as a few men landed where I was standing a minute ago.
I stopped when something growled behind me. I gulped and turned around.
There were red eyes lurking in the shadows. The growl was soft and the flame of my Cloud ring disappeared, the wolf going back in the box. I was alone with a…
I widened my eyes at the majestic white lion, orange flames dancing all around his mane. I raised my hands as it inched closer and closer to me, like a predator to its prey. Then he was right in front of me and ran past me with a ferocious growl. There were moans of pain behind me and I started running again, just to be caught at the corner of the alley. I was pressed against someone, a hand on my mouth and an arm around my waist to keep me from moving. I was about to thrash them when they sighed in my ear.
"Don't you even think about hitting me Ann'." I widened my eyes at the voice and nickname. I tilted my head back as I could, finding relief in the relieved red eyes looking down at me. I grabbed his hand on my mouth and pulled it away. All the feelings and thoughts I had about him in my time were gone for the time being.
"Xanxus," I breathed out in relief, squeezing his hand as much as I could. He returned my gesture, his other hand going to my pocket to take the chain, another one in his hand already.
"We don't have the time, put the chains around your rings. It will make them undetectable." I obeyed without a word, the lion walking toward us, blood covering his muzzle. "Bester, good job." The lion sat next to me, staring at me quietly, almost waiting for something.
I put my hand in the fur of his head, between his ears and he purred. I smiled a little as I petted him, the lion obviously enjoying the treatment, until he vanished in a ball of orange flames.
"Xanxus..." I started, but he just put his jacket on me and closed it. It looked like I had a big cape on me.
"Later the explanations," he replied. Taking me by the hand, we started running into the night.
I was out of breath and exhausted, so I dropped on my knees once inside the abandoned warehouse. Xanxus closed the metallic door behind us before kneeling in front of me. He took my face between his hands and moved it from side to side, focused eyes trying to spot anything.
"Did that Millefiore trash try anything?" I swallowed and shook my head as he let go of my face. He pursed his lips and I winced when his hand was close to my face. He frowned. "When was the last time you saw me?"
"Italy...after the rings..." I replied and he cursed in Italian. "I guess...we get along in this era?"
"Don't concern yourself with your life in this era Miss." I widened my eyes and looked above my shoulder.
It was Alaric. His hair was back in a low ponytail, although short as it was barely under his shoulder, but the most striking was...the VARIA uniform he was wearing. He looked older, and exhausted, be it physically or mentally.
I looked back at my brother. His hair was longer, a little bit similar to Kyoya's if it was not for the lock between his eyes being longer. He changed his raccoon tail for colorful feathers and he seemed...more adult, less angry than before.
"Fran did his job," he continued, more for Xanxus than me. "Haneuma shouldn't be long, he'll drive the Millefiores away from us." By now, he was standing next to my brother and crouched in front of me, his brows furrowed in worry. "Are you alright Miss?"
"Yeah..." Xanxus hissed at my reply and glared at my Mist.
"If I had followed your fucking plan she would be dead. Fran should have stayed with her!" Rick didn't wince.
"She needs the experience, I can't do anything about it."
"It's..."
"Why am I still in this era?" I interrupted them quietly, hugging Xanxus' jacket tighter around me. "Why...Byakuran said Tsunayoshi and the Arcobalenos were dead, is it..." I bit my lips at the Mist ring around Rick's finger, next to one with a horn. "It's true, it's fucking true, you're Mammon's replacement." Alaric turned golden orbs to my brother.
"I'll explain to her, you're on surveillance duty."
"Who the fuck do you think you are to give me orders Schlang?" was the obvious reply he got.
"I'm older than you and at sixteen she's more comfortable with me than with you." It was true and we all knew it. Xanxus did as he was told, although he didn't forget glaring and showing he was displeased with the situation.
"Rick..." He sighed and embraced me. I hugged him back, my fingers digging in his back.
"I'm sorry you had to be involved in our problems Miss." He pulled back and sat properly on the floor. "It is true, about the Decimo and the Arcobalenos. They all perished. A few years ago, a new Family emerged, the Gesso Family, with this Byakuran at its head. They...grew quickly and managed to form a new Family with the Giglio Nero Family. They call themselves the Millefiore. They quickly...overgrew the Vongolas in everything possible. In parallel, the Arcobalenos started to fall. We suspect Byakuran to have killed Verde first and stole his research about Box-Weapon, and his death could have broken the Tri-Ni-Sette balance. It...turned our environment into a deadly one for Arcobalenos. Three months ago, Byakuran went to meet with the Decimo, but he killed him with a bullet in the head." I looked down. "A month ago, the CEDEF HQ was destroyed. Yamamoto came back with a wounded Arro and Reborn's pacifier on your order, but you were taken by the Millefiore."
"My order?" He smiled faintly.
"You became the External Advisor a little bit more than a year ago Miss." I...accepted the job?
"Did Iemitsu come back?"
"No. A few days ago, the main Vongola HQ fell. Iemitsu was on a holiday in Italy with Nana-san and we lost contact with them." Dread was pooling down in my stomach. "Ever since, it's a real Vongola hunt. Any of them or anyone with a relation with them is to be taken down." I buried my nose in the jacket. It smelled like expensive male cologne with a hint of strong alcohol. "But that's not all. Three days ago, just around the time I noticed you traded place with your future self, we had word that Reborn, the young Decimo, just like Gokudera Hayato, Yamamoto Takeshi, Sasagawa Kyoko, Miura Haru, Lambo and I-Pin had also arrived in this era." I gulped.
"Right before I was shot by the bazooka, Tsunayoshi called me. Reborn was missing."
"I see. In any case, you will go to Japan. Don't worry, everything is planned." I tilted my head on the side. "I never lost contact with the Miss of this era, she gave me orders, orders I made sure to give Fran as well. She's the one who decided to make you fight on your own so that you could have experience."
"I'm a sadist with myself," I commented dully. However...did she know I would come?
Damn that was weird.
"Did you see Romain?"
"Yeah...he sliced off his own arm." He muffled a chuckle. I was stunned at this.
"Sorry...it's just it sounds like something he would do because it's quicker."
"He's my Cloud."
"He is." I lowered my head. "The Romain of your time will find you when the time is right. Please, do not focus on anything that happened, focus on the people from your era and how you will go back to it." I smiled faintly. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just...you must be worried. Arro and Kyoya too. In my era I mean." He ran a hand in my hair.
"Yes, we must be." I slipped my arms in the sleeves of the jacket and got up on shaking legs. I looked ridiculous. My hair was a mess, the sleeves ended centimeters below my fingers and the jacket reached my knees. If Xanxus had not closed it to the top, it would slip on one of my shoulders.
"Ann'." I turned around and almost yelled when Xanxus basically tried to undress me. "Stop moving, you smell like blood!"
"I'm covered in it!"
"And you're bleeding from somewhere!" I froze, like him who was at the middle of the buttons.
"I am, true," I confirmed. I took off the jacket and looked at my bleeding arm. Xaxnus clicked his tongue.
"Take that off." I did and he cauterized the wound without a word. "Schlang, we need to remove the chip."
"True. Miss, do you mind?" I snorted.
"No, please cut my arm open." I found myself back on the floor, my back against Xanxus' chest and his arms around me to keep me from moving. "Huh..."
"Even if you don't feel it you squirm too much."
Alaric wasn't delicate or anything, he wanted it to be done and fast. As Xanxus predicted, I tried to move when the blade came closer and closer to my arm, but he was way stronger than me. It was over in a matter of minutes, but the sight of what was inside my arm was too much.
Alaric's hands were covered in blood and I was shaking. Too many bad memories were playing in my mind. Unconsciously, I leaned more into my brother, looking for a reassuring warmth and his arms were tighter around me.
"It's over Miss," he told me. I nodded weakly and looked at the chip. This small thing...was responsible for my utter uselessness?
"Let's go." My arm was stitched and bandaged before Xanxus' jacket was back on my back.
Rick scooped me up and I must have blacked out, because one moment we were in the old building, the next we were under a bridge. My head was on something warm.
"Ana?" I opened my eyes immediately. Warm brown eyes were looking down at me. "Damn, I forgot how young you looked at sixteen."
"Dino?" He smiled and I hugged him as tightly as I could, his arms embracing me immediately. I started sobbing quietly against his shoulder. "I wanna go home." He kissed my head.
"I know baby sis', I know." I felt him raise his head. "How long do we have Kyoya before you guys leave?"
"A few hours at best," a male voice replied behind us. I paused in my sobs and snorted loudly, turning watery eyes above my shoulder. Steel-colored eyes looked back at me sternly, framed by shorter raven hair. Instead of the school uniform I was used to, he was wearing an expensive suit with a purple dressed-shirt. "What's with the stupid look?"
"You're still a jerk," I mumbled through my tears, leaning against Dino, who chuckled.
Fratellanza
Thanks for reading this chapter! Thanks to AutumnBee124, RoLouA and LyriaHart for their reviews! And it's just parallel worlds, not the future but why she had that particular dream will be explained later.
Bye!