"Riiiiing . . . riiiiing . . . riiiii- Macbeth speaking."

"Bianchi?"

"Reborn! Shit, I said Macbeth again, didn't-"

"Alessandro's safe."

"Ohh." The sigh comes out of her like she's been punched in the gut, and Reborn can hear the scrape of fabric on stone through the phone. "Thank God. Beelzebub promised she would get him out when Xanxus rebelled but I couldn't figure out how, you don't just retire from the Varia- . . . Reborn. You're acting as the Sawada kid's tutor right? Timoteo's prospect?"

"I am."

"Did you make my little brother-"

"I didn't do anything. Timoteo asked the Varia to send an assassin to test his heir, never mind that I've only had him for two weeks. They fought, and the kid offered him anything he wanted."

"I don't know what to focus on. The Sawada kid won? He offered my brother anything he wanted? My brother accepted?"

"Well, Alessandro didn't accept, but he said something close enough that he's staying. I'll keep him on as a tutor even if he doesn't eventually answer. A Varia assassin, even just a mook has enough prestige, and if I can manage t build his reputation as a tutor he can make a living off of that."

"Good." Bianchi pauses. "And your student?"

"He did win. He won against Bovino too, though I haven't a clue how. He knows how to fight, and how to fight efficiently. He let Alessandro fight for a bit, but when he was done, he had him on the ground in moments."

"But he offered Alessandro anything."

"He tried to commit suicide a couple months before this, he froze at the sound of Iemitsu's voice, he went straight into Hyper Dying Will Mode, but collapsed because his body wasn't used to it - you can't go straight into Hyper Dying Will Mode-"

"Reborn."

"He doesn't make sense."

"And you're going to complain to me?"

"You were Enrico's-"

"I am Enrico's nothing, because he is dead."

". . . I'm sorry."

"It's been three months Reborn."

"I know."

". . . how's the Sawada kid looking as an heir?"

"He's doing well enough with his group I suppose. He's got more of a backbone than I expected, which is good, and despite the whole 'give Alessandro anything' incident, he's- he'll do. Anyone on your side?"

"If Tsuna doesn't work out, we can prop up Ermes Vongola until Rico's daughter is old enough. You said Bovino-"

"Tsuna has Bovino."

"Right. Well, we can work without him. I know where to find Hamlet, and he can help me scrape up Paprika, Woad, and Matcha. That's Storm, Lightning, Rain, and Mist, and I've got enough Cloud flames to work that angle, which would give us five of the six Guardians. Paprika might even let us use Erasmo, which would make fill all six preparations. With five or six guardians - all of whom have experience acting as guardians for Vongola - supporting him and a direct line of descent, Ermes would have a valid enough claim to keep him on for the twenty years we need. And he's old enough that people wouldn't argue when he does give it up. They might even try to talk him into giving it over early."

"Have you talked with him?"

"Yes. He'll do it."

"And how will you explain him not reacting during Timoteo's big search?"

The question lies like lead between them for a moment. Timoteo's rampage is a thing of legend now. Last time Reborn talked to Cristiana she was still sorting out solutions for all of the mafioso who had been forced to activate their flames.

"Well, you remember those scientists that have been doing research into flames? I was going through Rico's e-" her breath shivers abruptly, voicelessly, with the sob she's holding back. "I was going through Rico's email. Apparently he volunteered to be tested and got his brothers to do it too. It's not the biggest or most diverse sample size, but it was enough for them to tell something. Apparently, Sky Flames are a fairly even combination of the other flame types."

"What does this have to do with Ermes?"

"Well, it's got to do with why you're called in to activate the heir's flames. Remember, the Hyper Dying Will Bullets are the safest way of activating that we know of-"

"And forcing them active as violently as Timoteo did-"

"Yeah, not the best for activating the flames evenly. I had them check Ermes. His flames aren't quite as even as Rico and his brothers, but the scientists think that he should be a sky if we can get his flames to activate evenly. Worst case, he doesn't. He's of Vongola descent so the ring shouldn't reject him, and we fake it."

". . . I'll see what I can do. If this is true . . . will it hurt the others to be only partially activated?"

"The scientists think won't be any worse than the usual effects of Flame Activation."

"Good. Anything else I should know?"

"There've been some rumors about Sveva lately. Unusual activity around her manor, doctors and scientists coming and going. You know what her security is like, no one can tell what's going on. I went to check, and I saw some traces of mist on her guards when they turned me away, so whatever it is, she's being very careful about it. "

There's a silence between the two of them for a long moment before Reborn groans.

"God. I wish her brothers had been more like her. If Enrico was that efficient, Timoteo would have handed the family over when he turned twenty like Ottavia did."

"He probably wouldn't have met me then," Bianchi says.

"He didn't deserve you. Was there anything else you needed to report?"

"Reborn, can I- That is, when you're sure the Sawada kid will work out . . . I can get Woad or Paprika to watch things here. Can I come and see him? He called me today, and I could hear his breathing - he had an asthma attack didn't he? I could hear it, even though he sounded like he was panicking."

"Like you said earlier, the support of a former guardian wouldn't hurt."

"Thank you, Reborn. Ciao."

"Ciao."

Reborn hangs up first. He always does.

()

Reborn shuffles his index cards. They're blank of course, but he likes the look of the thing and the sound of them sliding together.

"Alright, and what's the difference between Vongola Alliance Families, and families allied with Vongola?" he asks Tsuna.

Tsuna has a distant look on his face. "Vongola Alliance Families, while nominally separate, are functionally divisions of the Vongola that were subsumed either by way of personal connections or conquest, and which rely upon Vongola, while families allied with Vongola are entirely functional on their own."

"And what are some examples of each?" Reborn asks, tucking a card neatly on the bottom of the deck.

"The Vespa Family are Vongola Alliance, and the Cavallone Family are allied with Vongola."

"Do you remember any of the Vongola's rivals?"

"None," Tsuna says after a moment, his tone making Reborn bite his tounge to stop himself from correcting him. Tsuna is frowning. "Depending on how you define enemies that is. Reborn?"

"Yes?" Reborn asks, his fingers still on the index cards.

"Have you heard of the Corvo Bianco Family?"

"No." Reborn shuffles his notecards and brings one hand up to catch the transformed-Leon-pen as it falls from the brim of his hat so he can write the name down. "And if I define enemies as those who have malicious intent towards Vongola or Timoteo who seek to hinder or disgrace the the family?"