Mei's visit had been like a brief glimpse of sunlight after a very long period of rain. When you knew that there was an even longer period of rain coming. They had quietly wandered the Giglio-Nero property, mostly avoiding the Arcobaleno. Luce and Aria were elsewhere, probably by design now that Fon thinks about it. Verde hadn't left his (incredibly creepy) basement laboratory. Viper was likely spying via Mist Flames, opting to disappear instead of interact. Skull was performing at one of his stunt shows. Lal and Colonello had been by very briefly, before Lal had dragged Colonello off with complaints about his supposed complacency. Fon is pretty sure it was actually an excuse for the Rains to give him and his sister some privacy.

Of course, their efforts were immediately made pointless when it came to Renato. The Sun (nosy gossip that he was) had inserted himself into their company and refused to leave. Fon did take some satisfaction in Mei's ability to avoid the hitman's intrusive questions. His sister's icy smirk complements her bloodthirsty eyes in a way most people would find unsettling. Renato apparently found it attractive, judging by the flirting.

Fon has always considered Mei to be free to do as she pleases (now that she's an adult), but it was still incredibly weird. Not that he had let on about noticing; pretending to not understand certain implications is sometimes the only defense against insanity.

Mei eventually departed, with the customary hugs and judgmental comments on Fon's eating habits. Fon had slipped all the cash he had on hand into her pockets during the hug. He hadn't asked where she was going, and she hadn't told him.

The rest of the day was spent wandering passively from one activity to the next. Fon knew he would later not be able to say what he did or what he thought about. It was just so incredibly odd to have his two worlds collide, that he wasn't sure he would be able to separate them out again.

Thankfully, his (admittedly) melodramatic brooding was interrupted by a mission briefing.

Luce gives the briefing, but isn't going to come with them. Honestly, for all her power as a Sky, she wasn't much of a combatant and it was easier to have her stay back. Her abilities were primarily channeled into diplomacy and seeing the future, so the Donna of the Giglio-Nero would help with mission planning.

It is apparently just another smash-and-grab. The only thing that makes it 'worth their time' (Renato-speak for a job where it wouldn't be complete overkill to call in the World's Strongest) is the target: a very suspicious lab run by a small coalition of minor famiglias. The names didn't jog any memories, so Fon figures it isn't an important plot point. Verde had snorted and looked down his nose, mumbling about children's science fair projects. No one had been willing to ask.

The one thing that really worried Fon, was the fact that Luce was suppressing giggles the entire briefing. She sent them off with a smile poorly hidden behind her hand.

Really, the first thing that should have been an indicator was where the lab was hidden: underneath a zoo. In the moment, Fon thought it was a little weird, but was really just relieved it wasn't another cliché abandoned warehouse. As secret hideouts went, people tended to be either way too movie villain (abandoned warehouse) or well-disguised (normal office building).

(Actually, the office building had been so normal Fon almost freaked out when they entered. At this point in his life, he's so used to insanity that 'normal' just screams 'trap.')

Also, given how extra the mafia tended to be, a zoo fit right in with the aesthetic.

It wasn't much of a fight once Viper found the secret entrance. Verde disabled their security system almost as soon as they found it. He had as few choice words about "people these days, calling themselves scientists." Renato was striding ahead with his usual flair, though this easy of a mission was usually 'beneath him.' Luce had pouted at him till he agreed.

(Fon might be being uncharitable or reading their relationship entirely wrong, but the two of them always made him feel like he was interrupting someone's relationship drama.)

Either way, it's not like the security on the lab is enough for them to break a sweat. When they finally get to the innermost room in the facility, Fon realizes why Luce was giggling.

Their parameters for the mission were to steal all the prototypes and destroy any research Verde couldn't make use of. Fon really should have remembered exactly what Verde was so known for in the future. Sure he was a crazy genius who came up with a lot of stuff, but it was the box weapons that the fandom remembered him by.

Inside the lab is a row of seven cages, each one containing a different animal. Very familiar animals. He is seriously living in a manga. How did he manage to forget that the Arcobaleno had animal companions? Leon had been a signature element of Reborn's character!

Suddenly remembering does not prepare him for how cute they are. Especially the baby monkey.

Coming back to himself, Fon starts the process of removing the cute little things from their cages. It would likely be more efficient to use the cages to transport them, but Fon doesn't like confining living things. The monkey makes itself (himself?) at home on Fon's shoulder, leaving him free to carry the eagle and the octopus. The chameleon takes an immediate liking to Renato's hat, and the squirrel seems content to let the Sun carry him (her?). Viper and the frog (toad? Seriously, Fon knows nothing about animals) come to an agreement; and when Verde finishes glancing over the files and doing something with the computers, he picks up the baby crocodile (alligator? How do people tell the difference?).

Part of Fon is drawn to these animals because they are absolutely adorable and he knows they're going to be important to them. But something about the monkey in particular is catching his attention.

By the time they get back to headquarters, Fon mostly has a theory. The animals are sensitive, if not reactive, to Flames; and Lichi (long story short: Mei has started slipping snacks into his pockets the same way he slips money into hers, and the monkey had taken a preference for the fruit) seemed to be most attuned with Storm Flames. The result seems to be that the animals are most drawn to persons with their Flame type, and vice versa.

Verde had further explained once they were all sitting at the table. These animals, once they had chosen a person, would be tied to their Flames. So long as the person had a surplus of Flames, the animal would feed off them. From the research, the experiment was deemed a flawed prototype because only people with a truly ridiculous amount of Flames would be able to sustain a familiar without noticeable side effects.

Fon gave Luce a round of applause. Her ability to manipulate what she sees to reach her desired outcome is truly impressive. She had even managed to get Skull, Lal, and Colonello back to headquarters in time to great the rest of the team.

Lichi is a sweetheart. He seems to alternate between crouching on Fon's shoulder and climbing into his arms like a small child. If Fon didn't know better, he'd say Mei trained the little guy; because if he was hungry, Lichi didn't stop badgering him until both of them ate. Cheeky thing. Fon knew he was going to appreciate the little guy's companionship in the days to come.