Disclaimer: I own the OCs, the rest is Akira Amano's work.

Fratellanza

People were talking, creating a huge brouhaha.

There was no ship to pick us up even if the last exams of the year were over. I checked once again if I had all of my weapons on me. I had my guns, hidden under my top in my back.

I looked back when someone called me. Nadja gestured to come toward her and her group. Basically, it was Jie, Arro, Zelia, Jeremiah and her.

"Something's wrong," Zelia said immediately. "Do you know something we don't?" The four of us shared a quick look. "You do, don't you!?"

"It's..."

There was a deafening sound coming from the sea. I squinted as much as I could and paled when I realized something was coming our way. Lal trained me, she used to belong to the COMSUBIN and I knew one or two things about them.

What was quickly coming our way was nothing good.

"Run!" I suddenly screamed, pushing all of them away from the harbor.

Some of my fellow students I wasn't talking to heard me and did the same, scattering all around. However, those the closest to the sea didn't and when the bomb landed and blew up, there were nightmarish yells of pain.

We ran through the streets, not really knowing where we were going. I shot a look above my shoulder and clicked my tongue.

Men in commando clothes and heavily clothed were invading the streets, shooting here and there when people refused to obey. Screams and gunshots were ringing in the air as if we were at war. They were not shooting just students but anyone.

"There!" Arro shouted, leading us to take refuge in the shooting center.

Him and Jie sealed off the entrance with what they could get their hands on while Jeremiah was already running toward the armory. Zelia went to check how much first aid supplies we had while Nadja and I ran around the building to see if there were other people.

In the end, there were sixteen people with us included. The annoying Rossi guy was there also, for once not pipping a word.

"Do you all have weapons and know how to use them?" I asked them coldly. There were a few nods, some whimpers and someone stood up to point his finger at me.

"Hey, don't act like the Boss!" The Rossi guy…

"I will unless if someone has nine years of battling experience or more like I do. If not, you better shut up and obey if you want to live to see another day trash!" It shut him up.

It shut all of them up. I accepted the regular gun Zelia gave me.

In the end, not many of them had experience on the field. I ruffled my hair in frustration and pulled my device from my pocket.

"Guys," I said for my patrol buddies, "you all have them?" They nodded. "It means we'll have between thirty seconds and one minute of flames, use this time wisely." I pursed my lips and took my phone from my pocket, hoping to get a hold of my team.

There was no signal.

"Does anyone have a phone signal? Internet?" I muttered a curse under my breath when there was a general 'no' followed by panic.

"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Zelia screamed with a glare.

"We need to destroy that field force around the island keeping us from using our flames."

"It's at the control center," Arro said immediately. "But from what I've heard from the Professor, it's kind of very technical." My eyes found Zelia behind me, who was giving them a pep talk to give them some courage.

"Do we even know who's attacking us?" Nadja asked.

"The government." Wide eyes were on me. "The Italian government participated in the creation of that island but it was just to kill us all and create a worldwide Mafia war."

"And how long have you known that?" Jie asked me with a frown.

"Long enough to have asked for help already, but the island is shut off from the outside world for the exam. I'm sure they're blocking anyone from leaving the mainland." Arro's gaze lingered on me.

I hid it from him after all. Ever since I said I was on Zelia's side, we didn't really talk to each other.

I noticed him clenching his fists by his side.

"As I was saying, the machine restraining us has to be destroyed. Arro, you're taking Zelia with you and some of them," I showed the other student with my head, "and go there."

"What about you?" Jeremiah asked me. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"You're coming with me, Nadja and Jie and the rest of them to the research center."

"Why?" Nadja whispered with wide, confused eyes.

"Whatever is happening there, they will erase any proof it existed like us. We need proofs though, so I'll get them. With the state of the city, it will be less guarded."

"Wait, have you guys been wanting to get inside all this time?" the American redhead asked us.

"So we go there," I finished.

"Who did you contact?" Arro asked me.

"The stupid Boss I have and my squad." He nodded firmly.

"Good, they're most probably trying to come as we speak."

We waited a few minutes to be sure the shootings were far before leaving. I never thought of myself as dependent of my flames as I had learned how to fight without but…

It felt wrong to have to fight with mere guns, some not even having real bullets, while they were the army with bulletproof jackets and all of their stuff.

I stared at my reflection in despair.

"You're beautiful," Dino complimented behind me, his hands on my shoulders. He was wearing a black suit.

"Hum..." He smiled at me in the mirror.

"Hey, I'm not letting the first comer stealing my sister away." I turned around and shot him a concerned look.

It was my birthday party. As I had turned eighteen two weeks ago, it was supposed to be more of a Mafia event than just a regular birthday party where I would have hang out with close friends and family only.

Instead it was an event with several Mafia Families who'd try to get me to marry them to have business with the Cavallones. The worst would be when some of them would ask, and only ask, Dino. I had not set a foot in Mafia events since Federico and Leo passed away and it was perfectly fine by me. This environment...and the way you could quickly become the center of attention for good, or bad reasons... Also, I was adopted. In our world, adopted children were more to make the Family look good than anything else, be it through skills or looks. I was lucky to truly be considered as Dino's and Dad's family and not just an ornament.

"I'm going to blow anyone's hand off if they force me to dance."

"Nobody's going to force you to do anything. I'm in the room, Xanxus' in the room, Iemitsu's in the room. I doubt he'd let some random mafioso take away his successor." I smiled a little.

Right. It wasn't as if me being a part of CEDEF was a secret, it's just I never said it out loud or anything. Of course, all of my coworkers knew I was Dino's sister and all of my brother's men I grew up around knew I was in CEDEF. It was about it though. Important people in the Vongolas knew, so Nono and his Guardians, Tsunayoshi and his Guardians, but other than that they knew me more as the girl who failed to protect the previous heir than someone in CEDEF.

I mean, most people still thought Xanxus was Nono's biological son. I didn't even know if, with the both of us in the same room, people would put two and two together.

I didn't know if he was comfortable with people knowing he was adopted. Sure, he could shut all of them up but still.

"Are you happy with the way you look?" I nodded.

I was wearing a burgundy dress. My shoulders were bare, the dress' short sleeves tight around my arms. The top part of the dress was tight as well and the chest area was decorated with golden motifs. The tight fabric was keeping my stomach flat and then the skirt part of the dress was more fluid. It was long, down to my feet in the back but went up to just above my knees in the front. I had black opened heels. My toenails and nails had all been painted in a pinkish nude color. Then, my black hair was tied in a low bun with the hairpin the girls got me in Kyoto in it. My new necklace was resting between my collarbones. I had simple diamond earrings. Then, my face was covered in makeup. I wasn't against it, I found myself pretty with discreet peach eye shadow, my now curled long lashes and pinkish glossy lips.

I was happy with the way I looked.

I'd like to enjoy it at a wedding or something and not a party where I'd be seen as an object though. I clenched my fists by my sides.

When would I stop being objectified by people?

"Not bad Bakana." I looked down at a five-year-old Reborn.

"Thanks, the staff had a lot of fun for a couple of hours."

"I told Yamamoto, Tsuna and Gokudera to ask you to dance in case there were too many annoying men around." I sighed.

"It's making me lose all of my street cred Reborn, how is Tsunayoshi going to call me 'senpai' now?" He smirked.

"He'll still call you this after tonight, I think he's more scared than you. And seeing you in particular being treated as an object might give him something more to do once he's the Neo Primo."

"You're still talking about this?" Dino asked him. He barely dodged hammer-Leon.

"It's a mouthful to say, you and Nono are full of shit." I dodged Leon. "I'm wearing a dress!"

"I'm trying to erase the behavior months at the VARIA gave you."

"Come on!"

"Boss, Princess," Romario said at the doorway. He gave me an appreciative nod. "It's time, guests are starting to arrive. I've told the Decimo and his Guardians to wait until your word."

"Thanks Romario." I crossed my arm with my brother's when he offered it to me. Reborn left before us with Romario.

I shot the picture of Dad, Dino and I on my desk a look before leaving my childhood bedroom.

Tsunayoshi and his gang had been staying at home for a couple of days. I knew...Kyoya was there, but I had not seen him at all.

I...had a thing going on with Superbi anyway. It was strange, really, how I ended up developing some feelings for him. I guess seeing him everyday, actually feeling bad for him because of Xanxus and Superbi still having kind gestures toward me here and there got me I guess. However, he didn't wait for me to be eighteen. Or more like I didn't give him a choice and we started seeing each other in secret.

Nothing happened more than kisses and it didn't feel right yet to do it with him. Maybe I was old school and wanted to sleep with someone I was sure to love and felt comfortable with.

Anyway, we went to the ballroom. I'd escape on the balcony with Arro at some point.

Damn he better save me tonight just by being my male best friend.

"Ready?" Dino asked me as I took a big, deep breath. I could hear people talking behind the doors, Dino having sent Tsunayoshi a text to tell him they could go.

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

As soon as he opened the doors, all eyes fell on us. We were barely in the room that someone I didn't know was already talking to my brother. I looked around and spotted familiar faces. I mainly noticed my brother staring at me and I discreetly mimed shooting myself. He smirked at that and raised his glass of champagne to me before turning around to his men.

Asshole.

I nodded at the other members of the VARIA, sending Superbi a small smile. He didn't seem happy, but I couldn't really blame him.

"Oya." I looked up at Mukuro, holding my arm. "A dance?"

"Please," I muttered.

He was quickly making me spin around, in the middle of other couples.

"Thanks for coming."

"Kufufu, I wouldn't miss your birthday." I raised a brow, not believing him. "And if I can anger a few people it is even funnier."

"I see." I saw Byakuran when I turned around during the dance, dancing with Uni.

I guess that if people had fun I could make an eff…

I saw a guy with a gaze I didn't like on me.

Screw that, screw that whole night I'd jump off the balcony.

I blinked when I saw someone leaving the room. I was pretty sure it was Kyoya, I could recognize his back anywhere.

"Did something catch your eye? I'm hurt." I rolled my eyes at Mukuro.

"It's nothing." He smirked.

"Not even the skylark?"

"Shut it or I smash your toes with my heel."

"A woman in heels, my worst nightmare," he replied in sarcasm.

The night was long, though I was more than happy to see Alaric had managed to come.

"It's disgusting," someone complained in my back.

"If you have the time to complain then you can keep on walking," Jie replied coldly behind me.

We were in the sewer. There were too many people at the surface and I didn't want to use my flames unless we were close to the center. The sewage water reached our knees and I didn't want to think about what was at our feet.

I had not been in disgusting environment like this since I lived in Milan when I was a brat with Alaric and it was fine by me. Or in Palermo at the orphanage and in the streets with Mukuro.

Actually Palermo had been worst.

"It's here," Jeremiah suddenly said, reading a plate on the wall. "We should be two blocks away from the research center."

"We're going up." I was first and carefully lifted the manhole cover, enough to look around.

We were in a back alley and it seemed like no one was around. I moved the manhole cover enough to be able to look up. It seemed like there was no one on the roof either.

I put the manhole cover aside and left the sewers. I immediately went to the wall at the corner of the alley to see what was going on while the others were leaving the sewers.

It was broad daylight but it seriously looked like we were in the middle of a war and the army…

I could get a lot of them in only one shot with my Cloud Flame.

Xanxus trained me when I was at the VARIA and would make Mammon train me as well sometimes, it was incredible how faster I got at duplicating my bullets. I also could do a lot more of them.

"It's doable," Nadja suddenly said next to me.

"Even with you being a close-ranged fighter?"

"My Lightning Flame easily rejects regular bullets." I looked back at Jeremiah and Jie.

"Find a spot where you can hide and shoot. Jie's going with you." They both nodded and I looked at Nadja. "You're our shield. The moment you're done, I'll get rid of them in one shot."

"You can do that?"

"I'm good with my Cloud Flame." She pursed her lips but nodded. "And anyway, Arro and Zelia better give us our flames back soon."

Of course the rest of the students, shaking in their shoes, fingers clumsily on the trigger of their guns, thought we were insane. Maybe we were, we were the ones who could use our flames. Jeremiah was not very calm, but nodded nonetheless.

A second later, we were in the street. Nadja was at the front, green lightnings around her as she was using them as a shield but also threw them at the men. Our side was shooting and I grabbed the regular gun I had to shoot as the other two needed flames to work.

I was shooting them in the head, not thinking twice before killing them. We were hiding behind walls of course.

Nadja ran behind the wall once she had reached her limit. I shot the military men a look and frowned. There were still a lot of them.

I used my device and lit up my Leon ring, the two people with me gaping at my flame. Was it intense? Maybe, I guess regular Mafia folks struggled enough to light up a ring so a big flame…

I shot in the ground twice.

"What are you aiming at!?"

"Shut up trash," I replied coldly, an eye on the military men.

Five seconds later, dozens of them fell. I could duplicate a single bullet in a solid forty at best now, but depending on how much I focused and had time to do so, I would get more or less tired.

I was fine for the moment though.

"Let's go."

It seemed like we had attracted attention because a tank appeared at the corner of the street. There was a guy out of it, ready to shoot us as we ran forward, but he was shot in the neck, blood spurting from the wound.

We kept shooting and made some progress. We had lost two people so far.

"I've...finally found you..." I looked back at Milo and smirked.

"Hey, you're on your own?"

"Diego...is with Arro and...Ahmed doing his thing." Indeed, I saw my subordinate slipping through people and slashing them with his poison-coated knives.

He fell back in Nadja's group. I looked at the students with me, who were staring with wide eyes at the VARIA jacket on Milo's back.

"Did you get a look at the whole island?"

"Yes, the harbor is blocked. I think some people retreated in the UdE but we've noticed a crowd forming here and on Arro's side."

"They know what we're trying to do," I summed up with a frown. "Did you see anyone when you came here?"

"Hum...not really no. However I think CEDEF is around trying to break through." I nodded.

"CEDEF...wait, the Vongolas?" a student muttered in disbelief. "The...the real one?"

"Milo, have an idea on how to get inside?" I asked him. He stepped forward and gave a look at the scene.

We had the research center entrance in sight, but it was filled with people who'd shoot us on sight.

"Have you used that device?"

"I still have a few seconds left." He pursed his lips in thoughts.

"We met a guy on the way, he said he was a sniper for the Spanish Army," he told me. I raised a brow.

Spanish Army? Cris?

"He said he got a good spot and he seemed to be able to use flames but I..."

"He's an ally," I cut him off rudely. "I think I know who he is, he's an ally."

I shot one in the middle of the forehead. He dropped dead and I avoided shots in my direction, breaking pieces of the wall.

I widened my eyes when green lightnings fell in the middle of the men and put them down.

I made a run for it, telling Milo he was in charge of the students with me.

I didn't even use my flames because Cris was covering me with powerful Lightning Flames with a deadly accuracy. I gulped when he shot the tank and it blew up. I used the smoke to go to the entrance. It was not even locked and I slipped in easily.

I made my way through the hallways, my inhaler in my mouth sometimes, and ended up in front of Verde in a room.

"Is it over?" he asked me, packing his research hastily.

"Don't you hear the shooting outside?" I retorted wryly. "Where is that flame human beings department?"

"I'm in a hur..." I grabbed his head.

"Don't forget my leg was cut off by Jaeger during the fight against Bermuda to break a curse you were affected by. You're helping me out on this one Verde or I'll hunt you down."

"Who do you think you are to threaten me brat!?"

"Fran was spinning you around." He blushed in shame.

"That...that was different!" I raised a brow and he sighed in resignation. "Fine, follow me." He slipped a hard drive in his lab coat pocket and took the lead.

It was two floors underneath us. I forced the door again.

It was empty, but like in a bad movie, a bookshelf was opened, revealing a hidden tunnel. I went to it and looked down the stairs. It was barely lighted but I went down anyway, shooting Verde a look I learned from Reborn. He visibly felt disgusted or something by it, probably because I learned it from Reborn, and followed me.

We went down for several minutes until we reached an opened door.

"What..." Verde started in shock as I gazed with wide eyes at the display in front of us.

There...were tubes filled with a liquid. Several buttons were on the metallic part of the tubes and several hoses were going toward the walls.

What made the taste of bile appear in my mouth were the people inside those tubes. There were lights inside and it was the only lights we had as we walked through the room.

They were the only things I could see. Verde stopped at one of them and I watched him reading the chart there was with one of the tube.

"Rain Flames injection to see if the body could calm down itself in times of high stress or irregularities..."

For each scientific experimentation, you had to check if it was efficient. The testing phase…

"He is in a vegetative state because the Rain Flames were too much and his brain couldn't handle it." I clicked my tongue and resumed walking.

I pushed Verde against some boxes and peeked above it like him.

A shiver of disgust ran though my entire body at the sight. The man, the Irish scientist who stole from my father, was impaled against the wall, his white coat turning red at an alarming rate. Blood was dripping from his mouth and his hands were trying to grab the one in his chest.

The man in front of him...I was pretty sure it was the last one of us, the patrol team, to disappear. He was shirtless, with white pants and I could see, even with the darkness of the room, fresh wounds on him. However, he was pale, his hair was a mess and his arm...green lightning were forming a spear. It was a literal spear made of Lightning Flames and when it disappeared, the Irish guy falling on the floor, it disappeared with some indigo mist.

Mist Flames that gave him the ability to shape his Lightning Flames? It was similar to what I did with my Mist Flame and Flame of Wrath but…

I never had such empty eyes when I did that. It was almost as if he was on autopilot or something.

He stepped on the body, which gave a whimper of pain so not just a body yet and looked up. I shuddered when he let out a humongous amount of flames and in the blink of an eye, the wall was destroyed. The one on this level and the one above, which let lights come in.

He jumped up and left in the streets, screams of pain filling my ears a second later.

"He's unstable and will slaughter everyone in sight," Verde told me with urgency. I shot the computer a look and immediately ran to it, plugging my mini-computer in it.

I let Min Jae's software do the work while Verde checked the trash in my back.

"Dead."

"Good," I replied harshly.

Once everything was downloaded, I put it in the big pocket of my jacket, zipped said pocket up and jumped in the opening. I helped Verde up.

Okay, I probably should try to stop the guy from killing everyone in sight.

Fratellanza

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Bye!