Lambo's breathes were quick and shallow, his lungs working overtime in order to keep oxygen going through his body in order to keep it working, preventing it from shutting down. He's pretty sure the shock just about wore off because pain is the only thing his body feels, specifically his back, arm, and abdomen.
He laid on his side, with his injured arm on top, in order to not aggravate his injuries any more.
Cursing like a sailor in Italian, Lambo squeezed his middle tightly, trying his best to staunch the heavy blood flow, despite it also flowing from the exit wound on his back, the less blood loss he endures the more likely he'll be able to stay awake if he is needed.
Let's just hope he's not needed, or else if he survives here, his crewmates will kill him.
Lambo is pretty sure none of his organs were hit, it didn't feel like it, but he's no doctor so he can't be sure. But he is positive that the stupid butler may have hit an artery or two, again, he's no doctor, but at the sight of Lambo's wound, it looks like more blood than normal is spilling from the openings in his body.
Once again, he's no doctor or expert in the human biology, he's just guessing.
The only thing that made Lambo feel remotely good about what's going on, is the anticipation of Kuro getting his butt kicked by none other than Lambo's captain, Luffy.
The Black Cat Pirates, Usopp, and Kaya on the other hand, were just trying to get over the fact that Luffy's arm stretch across the entire slope in order to punch Kuro in the face knocking him on his back, down to the ground.
"What was that!?"
"It's Sorcery!"
"He's a freak!"
"A magical freak!"
"He sent Captain Kuro flying!"
Lambo chuckled weakly through the pain. He never realized how funny the pirates' reactions were. But the laughter turned into a quiet groan from the shifting of his wounds.
There was a moment of silence as the two captains seemed to be glaring at each other, Luffy had a big frown on his face, preparing himself for the fight to come.
That's when Lambo heard the pitter patter of small footsteps, with a swift jerky-like motion, Lambo spun his head to see the three small children that were a part of Usopp's makeshift crew.
"Usopp's Pirates...!", they all shouted in unison, leaping in the air, all wielding makeshift weapons.
Lambo's eyes widened in fear for the kid's safety, realizing what they are about to do.
"Don't-!"
"... Have arrived!", they all struck Kuro in the face at the exact same time, then continued on with their assault on the unmoving pirate captain.
"No, don't!", Usopp cried out.
"Stay away!", Kaya shrieks in worry.
"Idiotas! Stop! Get out of here! Andare!", Lambo shouts. (Idiots; Go)
"Say your prayers Butt-ler!", the green one exclaims.
"Take that! And that!", the tall one shouts with each hit.
"Game over you lousy no-good pirate!", the one with glasses shouts angrily.
All completely ignoring Usopp, Kaya, and Lambo's shouts for them to get away.
"No! Stop it!", Ussop cries out, desperately trying to get the kids to stop the assault.
"Those kids! What are they doing!?", a black cat pirate exclaims in a panic.
Lambo just watched with wide eyes, wincing with each hit and blow the kids dealt on the butler.
"Those rug rats have a death wish.", Zoro said nervously, a drop of sweat sliding down the side of his face.
"You don't know what you're doing!", Usopp shouts in panic, "Stop!"
Finally, the kids all stopped looking down at their handy work with big bright smiles, breathing heavily in order to regain their breathes.
"Alright, this time we'll let you off without any more brutality. This time."
Lambo groaned, laying his forehead on the dirty ground, but the groan wasn't from his pain, but for the children's actions and words.
"Idiotas. Zuccones.", Lambo muttered under his breath along with several curses in Italian, "Sono morti." (Idiots; Numbskulls; They're dead)
Lambo struggled, really struggled, to push himself up and position himself into a crouch, gritting his teeth and ignoring the flaring pain, he's going to have to save those kids, but how?
The young teen groans, what would Tsuna do? Probably go in to Hyper Dying Will mode in order to stay on par with Kuro's speed. But Lambo can't do that.
Suddenly, an idea came to him. He remembers how Tsuna increases his speed or flies through the air by using his Flames as thrusters. What if Lambo did the same thing with his Flames? Lightning has some thrust to it.
It won't be as perfect, not to mention easy, as when Tsuna does it, but if Lambo concentrates enough, it may be just what he needs to save the kids from Kuro's wrath.
But it'd probably throw him into the hands of unconsciousness when the deed is done. Leaving him at the mercy of captain Kuro.
Lambo grits his teeth, steeling himself for the pain to come with his next move. Activating his flames, but concentrated them in one area, like what he did with his Elettrico Diga and Elettrico Raggio, except instead of concentrating on his hands, he concentrated on the bottoms of his feet.
"Now those stupid kids have done it. Now captain Kuro is going to be so mad.", Lambo heard Jango say worriedly.
"Those Stubby Brats!"
The three kids then ran towards the kneeling figures of Kaya and Usopp, not noticing, Lambo's bloody crouched figure behind them.
"Captain! I knew you were fighting! Gosh, that is so totally awesome!"
"We thought that there were no secrets between us pirates! Why didn't you tell us!"
"That's right! We're supposed to tell each other everything!"
"Who cares about that!", Usopp shouts at the three kids, "Look, this is important, you guys got to get out of here! RUN!"
Lambo felt a chill run up his spine. He was watching them. Those stubborn kids have got to get out of here!
"No way!"
"We have to stay and fight with you!"
"The Usopp pirates will be shamed if we run in fear-!"
Suddenly they froze as they felt fear fill their entire bodies.
Lambo's muscles tensed, body screaming at him to lay back down, ready to grab the kids.
Kuro adjusted his glasses, the lenses shattering at the action, causing his frown to deepen.
The three kids gaped in fear as they looked behind them at the ruthless pirate captain. All three began screaming at the sight of the scary ex-butler. While he glared down hatefully at the three screaming kids.
"You idiots! Don't scream, Run!", Usopp shouts at them.
Kuro raised his claws, and slashed down at the three kids, only for them to no longer be there, his claws hitting nothing but empty air.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kuro saw four figures behind him.
Lambo gasped for air, his bangs shadowing his eyes from everyone's view, after trying out the new technique he made up on the fly for these kids, although it did startle him at how fast he actually went, Lambo didn't expect for him to go that fast, he almost lost control for a moment, if his wounds were hurting before, now they felt like they were on fire. He's exhausted and feels like he's about to pass out any second.
The kids all stared at him in shock all three trying to comprehend how Lambo saved them in a literal split second.
"Lambo... thank you.", Usopp said gratefully, his body relaxing from its tense posture out of relief for the kids' safety.
Lambo, still panting tiredly, just barely able to hold himself up on his hands and knees the children surrounded him worriedly, tilted his head in Usopp's, giving Usopp a glance of his eyes, direction and gave him a shaky thumbs up.
Then he crashed to the ground, the kids shouted in panic and started fussing over him in distress.
"I'm fine.", he said in a croaky whisper, "I think I'm going to black out soon, don't worry about me, just get out of this... a... live..."
Lambo managed to finished his sentence before his body fell limp as the world of unconsciousness finally consumed him.
At the exact same time pink smoke surrounded him and he disappeared with a big 'poof'.
The pink smoke went away, and in his place stood Lambo from ten years in the past, just in time to see Kuro kick Usopp down the slope. The kids all screaming for Usopp's name, causing Lambo to squeal in shock and terror at the sight of an unknown beat-up defenseless man being mercilessly kicked down the long slope.
"Tell Lambo-san what's going on!", the boy shrieked.
The older kids turned to him in confusion, then they all screamed in shock, their eyes pointing at the younger Lambo.
…...
(Meanwhile... Ten Years in the Past)
Tsuna sighed tiredly as Lambo cried after Haru's attempt to making him smile and happy, in the end causing him to cry and take out his ten-year bazooka, shooting himself with it.
Now, usually, Tsuna would be slightly annoyed at the bazooka's usage, but since the last time Lambo appeared, Tsuna couldn't help the small pit of worry and dread settle deep within the pit of his stomach.
His feeling grew to be justified when adult Lambo from ten years in the future appeared, bloodied and beaten, looking half dead on his feet.
He collapsed to the ground, thoroughly freaking Haru out, while Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Tsuna, with Reborn on his shoulder, rush to the downed cow glad older teen.
"Lambo! What happened!?", Tsuna exclaimed worriedly examining over his injuries.
Wincing and swallowing down bile at the sight.
Lambo was covered in bumps, bruises, and small scratches. On his back a long deep diagonal gash, four long shallow cuts on his arm, but his stomach, oh my god, his stomach was a mess of blood and muscle, four gaping holes were located just below Lambo's ribs.
'Stab wounds', his mind supplied helpfully to him.
"Who the hell did this to the stupid cow!?", Gokudera shouts back angrily, "What the hell is he going to do to our stupid cow!?"
"Calm down, there's no use panicking right now.", Yamamoto calmed the raging sliverette, despite internally panicking himself, "We have less than five, almost four, minutes left before he switches back. We should treat him as much as we can before that happens. It will most likely save his life against whatever, whoever, he's fighting in the future."
"Well thought out Yamamoto.", Reborn praised, despite looking shaken up himself, as shaken as Reborn allows himself to look, "I already called up Shamal, he should be here soon."
"Sooner than you think!", a deep voice called as rapid footsteps sounded towards there direction.
The group whirled to see Shamal sprinting in their direction, a briefcase in each hand.
"You guys are lucky I was nearby.", Shamal commented breathlessly as he slid to his knees at Lambo's side and immediately went to work, "Normally I'd have you guys bring him to the nurse office at Namimori or back to my clinic for safe treatment, but where are on a time limit and he shouldn't be moved, less any of his wounds start gushing more blood. None of his vitals were hit, but it looks like an artery was nicked, I need to fix that immediately less he bleeds out and dies on the spot."
Shamal quickly began treating the artery then stitching up the four stab wounds as quickly as he can, occasionally checking his watch to check his time.
Lambo groaned and began moving, but Shamal quickly put a stop to that.
"Hold him down, we don't have much time for reassurance and talking."
The three boys and Reborn did as told while Haru watched worriedly from the sidelines.
Shamal opened up his second briefcase and several of his trident mosquitoes, flew over to the semi-conscious teen, all injecting him with something or another just as Shamal started to stitch up the last stab wound.
"What were all of those?", Tsuna asked worriedly.
"Some were injections to make sure he didn't get any infections from the injuries.", Shamal grunted as he tied up the knot.
"And the others?", Gokudera asked.
"Blood transfusions, just in case, if his clothes are any indication, he lost blood, a lot of it, and two or three were small doses of adrenaline to get him back on his feet and moving.", Shamal answered, cutting off the access string.
"That's why I feel energized all of the sudden.", came the familiar voice below the group.
"You're alive!", shouts Tsuna, relieved.
"Yep, yare yare, that guy cheats with that stupid pussy foot maneuver of his.", Lambo groans.
"Pussy foot maneuver...?", Tsuna mumbles to himself in confusion.
"No talking, I have a little less than two minutes to bandage up your other major wounds before you go. You should be able to continue fighting when you get back.", Shamal said urgently.
"Well then let's hurry.", Lambo agreed shrugging off his suit jacket and shirt for better access to his wounds.
…...
(Back to the present... a little earlier)
"AAAHHH! SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE COW GUY!"
Kuro turned to the group, a raised brow and then his eyes widened, the only indication to his shock.
"What happened!?", Zoro shouts, worry hidden in his authoritive tone.
"He was covered in pink smoke and a cow kid appeared!", the glasses kid shouted.
"Damn.", Zoro growled to himself, "We just got to keep him out of harm's way for five minutes."
Hopefully present Lambo will have some of his injuries wrapped up and taken care of by the time he comes back.
"What just happened to that guy?"
"First green lighting, now a pink smoke with a kid taking his place?"
"This guy's a monster!"
"Freak of Nature!"
"What is...? Never mind." Kuro turned down to the slope where Luffy stood starring up at him, deciding he had no need to question what just happened.
"That hurt.", he said nonchalantly, but strictly, "My, my, that's some technique you have. Tell me, do you have powers from eating the Devil Fruit?"
Luffy smirked, "Yep, I'm a rubber man."
The Black Pirates all stared at Luffy in fear and shock.
"He ate the Devil Fruit!", someone exclaimed fearfully.
"That guy's dangerous!"
"What we saw were real."
"He's got rubber arms!"
"It all makes perfect sense now.", Jango said in awe, "I didn't just hallucinate his arm stretching out like that."
Lambo turned to the older kids that stood nervously by him.
"What's a devil fruit?", he asked curiously.
"YOU DON'T KNOW!?"
"Nope.", Lambo shook his head negatively.
"Jango, I can handle the boy.", Kuro commanded, "You take care of Miss Kaya like we planned.
Lambo stared at the weird man with the black furry cat gloves that have sword blades at the end of the finger tips. His expression revealed nothing of what was going through his young mind.
"Have her write her butler into her will, then kill her."
Lambo's lip turned into a frown as the five-year growled. His growl was much like a puppy's, so not very intimidating.
"As for the kid's, they're an eye sore, eliminate them, the cow one included."
Lambo's growls became more ferocious as he attempted to leap at the tall man, but the three horrified kids, grabbed him before he could, all clutched him close and held him behind them, while they sweated nervously, mouths agape in fear, their limbs trembling at the thought of death.
"I'm on it.", Jango said coolly, taking a step up the slope towards the small group.
Only for Zoro to stop him, his blade blocking Jango's path.
"Stop right there. That's my crewmate up there with those kids your planning to kill.", Zoro said seriously, his gaze narrowed down on Jango, "If you want to get to them, you'll have to go through me first."
"Moji!"
A great big fat guy, dressed weirdly like a cat, leapt up high in the air, aiming to crush zoro where he stood with an animalistic growl and shout.
"Not again."
Zoro leapt out of the way at the last second, just as Moji landed. Causing the entire slope to shake and break apart as if it was an intense earthquake. The cliffs weren't spared either, the destruction ran up and straight through one side of the slope of one of the cliffs that outlined it. Many rocks and boulders fell from the side because of the destruction caused by that single attack.
Lambo felt himself shake fearfully; he didn't want to go anywhere near that fat cat guy. But he didn't want to leave the sword guy behind either, he liked him! He made Lambo feel safe when he held him.
The three kids clutched Lambo, and each other tighter, the quartette held each other tightly as they shook and feared for their lives. Lambo was unsure on what to do, he wanted to help. He had multiple grenades stashed in his hair as well as a real bazooka. But fear kept him frozen in place, refusing to allow him to move.
Moji lunged at Zoro with a clawed hand and the swordsman just barely managed to raise one of his swords to block the attack in time, but he was pushed backwards from the force of the attack and was slammed hard against the side of the cliff. Dust obscured his vision, but Lambo could see a bunch of long cracks appear from where Zoro was slammed against the cliffside.
"Sword guy!", Lambo shouted in panic, his high-pitched voice going higher, almost to a squeak from the fear and panic that engulfed his very being.
He sighed in relief when the dust cleared to show Zoro was fine with his foot shoved against Moji's face, keeping him from pushing the swordsman further into the cliff or to prevent his claws from getting within reach.
"That guy... he's crazy.", Usopp rasped as he watched the fight, noticing Jango calmly walked past him towards Kaya and the children, "Oh no, Kaya."
"KAYA!", Usopp's worried scream could be heard down the slope while the girl stared frozen at the approaching hypnotist.
The three kids shaking, while Lambo slowly pushed passed his fear, he was scared of the tall man with cat claw sword gloves and the fat cat guy fight the swords guy further down the slope. Lambo wasn't scared of him like the other two, yes, he knew he was a fighter, but so was he. He's a hitman.
Sure, his family kicked him out and Reborn could beat him without even trying, nor did he acknowledge his presence either.
But he was a hitman still, he could still fight. He could protect the thin girl and the vegetable kids that were older than him.
"USOPP PIRATES!"
Lambo, shocked, was pulled from his reverie looking up in surprise at the sound of the beaten man's voice calling out determinedly.
The three kids did nothing at first, before replying back firmly, ready for their orders from their captain.
"Yes Sir!"
"I need you to listen carefully!". Usopp ordered.
"Look, we're not running!"
"Not after they did this to you!"
"We'll avenge you!"
Lambo knew he was younger than them and just got there, he had no idea what was going on, why they were all fighting, and what they were all fighting for. But the swords guy and straw hat were fighting for them. He could tell that the guy with the heart glasses and the guy with the sword gloves were bad men. But he couldn't help but wonder what these older kids think they could do?
They weren't like him. They weren't raised in the mafia. They didn't become hitman in order to survive. They aren't trained nor do they have any past experiences in fighting, he could tell.
So, what made them think they would be able to fight either of these men? What made them think they could make a difference?
Or did they just not care and wanted to fight for a person they cared about, someone they looked up to who's been beaten black and blue.
Is that being brave? Or stupid?
Lambo is not quite sure. But he will do anything he can to make sure they live.
"Protect Kaya!", Usopp ordered his small crew.
The three older boys froze and stared at their captain who was unable to move an inch without feeling great pain.
"Do as I say. Don't argue with me! I'm giving you the most important task there is right now. It's absolutely critical that you succeed.", Usopp stated breathlessly, gasping or grunting a little between his words, "Take Kaya and the kid and get out of here. You must keep them safe."
But he doesn't need protecting, obviously Usopp doesn't know that, but why would this random guy with a long nose, this stranger, care enough to order his pirates to protect him too?
Lambo isn't as naïve as he acts.
"This is the reason we wanted to be pirates! To protect what's dear to us!"
That's why they became pirates? That's an unusual reason, others would do it for the gold.
"So do as I say! AND RUN!"
The three older kids looked like they wanted to cry, but they didn't.
"Usopp...", the girl whispered quietly, almost inaudible.
"Now go, that's a direct order.", Usopp said quietly, sounding absolutely exhausted.
"YES! CAPTAIN!"
With that said, the kid's started to drag and encourage Kaya, the sickly girl, away, as well as ushering Lambo to run along with them. Lambo stood there for a moment, watching as they helped the poor girl up to her feet, before running up to them and running in front with the green boy that was leading them through the deep forest.
He could hear the girl behind him breathing heavily, as they ran, but the small group continued to push forward.
Lambo doesn't know what's gotten into him, but he has already decided, and he's determined to follow through to the best of his abilities.
He will protect them, as long as his name is Bovino Lambo.
He will protect them.