Reborn wakes up tied to a bed in what appears to be a very sparsely decorated room. He can hear a whole mass of people rhythmically jogging past underneath the window so maybe this is COMSUBIN. Lal is sitting beside him, hunched over with her elbows on her knees and face in her hands.

Reborn should start wearing gloves. Probably be more cautious around new people.

Actually, no, he doesn't need to change because it is not Reborn's fault that everyone's first reaction is to assault him. Lal has even gone the extra mile and handcuffed his wrists and ankles to the bed posts.

"I appreciate you not taking my clothes off," Reborn admits, flashing back to a much too helpful Skull.

Lal startles and straightens up. "No. No, I wouldn't. Why would I-?" She takes a deep breath. "I don't know why I'm doing this."

"It's okay," Reborn says carelessly. "You're not the first and I'm sure you won't be last since there's still a Mist wandering around somewhere."

"You're still collecting," Lal realises. "Do you have a Rain?"

Reborn hesitates.

Lal leans over him menacingly. "Do you. Have a Rain."

"I don't like that tone you're taking with me," Reborn berates but immediately backflips on that decision because he's handcuffed to a bed so he tacks on a quiet little, "Ma'am."

Lal grabs Reborn's wrist just below the handcuff and forces Rain flames into his arm. Reborn pushes down his flames because as long as they don't connect then theoretically no bond will form. Except Lal doesn't stop pushing into him and his entire arm soon goes completely numb from the tranquillity factor - which is really just a nice way to say 'suppression'.

"We should talk about this," Reborn tries.

"Go ahead. Talk." Lal then frowns a bit and lightens her grip on his wrist, not that Reborn can feel his arm anymore. "I mean, I don't want to hurt you."

"Great, as long as we're on the same page," Reborn muses, still keeping his voice light-hearted despite finally losing all feeling his shoulder.

The flames are slowly creeping towards his heart and Lal seems to be the kind of woman to regret the consequences but never regret her decision to do it in the first place. She isn't stopping.

"I have a Rain," Reborn blurts out, attempting to roll away from her grip. He's too young and beautiful to die! He hasn't seen the world, hasn't killed nearly enough people to be satisfied yet.

"Who is it?" Lal demands. "Are they good for you? Are they a perfect fit like I am?"

"They certainly haven't tried to kill me before," Reborn snaps, breath stuttering as a weight settles into his chest. "I have one, the spot is filled-"

"You could recover," Lal whispers. "If I killed them, you'd hurt but you're strong enough to take it."

"Fuck," Reborn chokes out. He twists towards the door because surely this is the main COMSUBIN compound. "Help! Help, she's going to kill me!"

"Don't bother," Lal suggests. "I have a guard posted at the door and they're not letting anyone in-"

The door is flung open and Colonnello gapes at the scene he finds.

Lal frowns. "What are you doing? Go back outside."

Reborn looks from Colonnello to Lal and sighs.

"Lal!" Colonnello squeaks, lunging forwards and yanking her hand away from Reborn. "Wait, Reborn is the one you caught? Why are you trying to kill him; what did he do?"

"I did nothing!" Reborn protests. Colonnello is here so he's not worried anymore but this is still ridiculous and Reborn is exasperated with the entire situation. "Oh, and, you should probably run."

Colonnello's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Run from-"

Lal surges up to her feet and punches Colonnello in the chest, only pulling it at the last moment so it has half the power. "You bastard! Have long have you had him?!"

Colonnello staggers from the hit and catches himself against the wall with a wheeze. "Wait, wait! I'm not going to leave COMSUBIN now that I have a Sky, it's just - I met this Cloud and they recruited me as a Guardian."

"I'm his Guardian!" Lal snaps.

Colonnello whirls on Reborn. "You're cheating on me?!"

Reborn turns to the open door again. "Help! These assholes are crazy!"

Lal rolls her eyes at Reborn's dramatics and scoffs. "You're fine."

Colonnello runs a hand down his face. "Let's start again. Lal. This is my friend that I've been telling you about."

"Oh?" She says. "You missed telling me about the part where he's a Sky. And a hitman in the Mafia."

"Yes, well." Colonnello winces. He goes and shuts the door, locking it.

Reborn gapes the blond, incredulous. "Come on, you were supposed to be the good one. Why have you turned out like this?"

"Give me a second to talk this out with Lal," Colonnello insists. Reborn is cracking jokes and kicking his feet around for emphasis, so clearly the hitman is fine where he is. Colonnello looks to Lal. "I didn't want to drag you into it. I thought I would have to leave COMSUBIN because he is -as you said- Mafia, and I didn't want you to be implicated."

Lal looks away. "Okay. Okay, I get where you're coming from, but don't keep things this important from me. I do just want what's best for you."

Colonnello smiles, a bit lopsided but so bright. "I'm...I'm glad we'll be Guardians together."

"Me too," Lal murmurs, edges softer when she meets Colonnello's eyes. She then clears her throat and straightens up. "Now hold him down. Not sure how I'll fit a bond in there but I'm going to damn well try."

"No," Reborn blurts out in horror because that sounds terrifying. "No, no. Colonnello, tell her. No vacancy, closed for renovations."

"It's fine," Colonnello reassures Reborn. "I've got this, she's not going to hurt you." He gestures vaguely at Reborn's handcuff situation. "Just...lie down and take a nap while I sort this out."

Colonnello and Lal go into the adjoined bathroom to whisper-shout an argument about why Lal is not allowed to kidnap herself a hitman and force him into bonding.

Can there even be two of the same weather in a set? Is that possible? God, Reborn hopes not but Lal looks like the kind of person who can make impossible things happen – in the worst way.

Reborn furiously wiggles until he's stretching up the bed, head tilted to the side so can reach even with handcuffs. His feels through his hair until he finds folded lockpicks and he uncuffs himself.

He sits up and briefly thinks about making Lal have an 'accident' because he should really be firmer about not being kidnapped. It does cut at his pride and he's a bit upset with himself for getting caught three times now.

But at the same time he doesn't actually care about being attacked. He's a hitman, murder is all he does, his career is dangerous. No attacks are ever really personal in his line of work, just business, so he doesn't get upset or get invested in revenge and such.

Lal isn't too bad as a person either, objectively. Plus she's a stranger so he doesn't really care how she acts towards him because it's none of his business. He'll leave it for now, because she seems really invested in keeping Colonnello happy and Reborn approves of that.

He puts the lockpicks back in his hair, grabs his hat and Lal's car keys before vaulting out of the third storey window. He lands on the balcony one floor down then jumps the rest of the way to the ground where he casually strolls along looking confident until he finds Lal's Jeep.

Reborn drives out of the compound, right through the front gate, and floors it as soon as he's out of sight.