DISCLAIMER: I don't own KHR or any of the associated characters aside from my OCs.
Bringing the Cavallone problem to Vongola Nono was my next course of action. Timoteo and Reborn were together for some reason… AGAIN. Isn't Reborn Sawada's home tutor? Why is he always here? I hate this man.
I had just finished explaining the situation and my proposal for a solution. Neither reacted right away. Only Reborn was smirking like he had the upper hand in this situation.
Timoteo nodded, sighing, "I suppose we have no choice but to send reinforcements. Don Cavallone is in possession of an enormous territory. I only think it'll be impossible to spare enough men to cover it entirely. How many can the Varia offer?"
"If we're being honest, none." I told him, "It's already pushing the limit for me to be away for the one night it took me to scan the target locations. I'm unsure of the current condition of our work."
"That's a problem. You already decimated my Guardians so I can't send more than one battalion. Maybe we should contact the CEDEF. What do you think, Reborn?"
Reborn was waiting. Not for Timoteo to offer him a chance to make suggestions but for me to come to a suggestion on my own. He shrugged almost coldly, "If you're asking me, I think we should leave Dino's family to fall to ruin. He's our number one ally but he's also the runner up for the position of the strongest family in Italy. If he can't handle it on his own, he might as well abdicate that position to the Simon Family."
Simon? Wasn't that the name of the small family who initiated an uprising at the attempted Inheritance Ceremony? Are they still in our alliance?
But more importantly, I glared across the table at Reborn, "You seem to be free. Why don't you go and help him?"
"If he means that much to you, do it yourself, Cannibal." He scoffed at me, casually picking at his nails in disinterest, "Unless you've been blinded by Xanxus' strength."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, sneering at him when he finally looked up again.
"It means your obsession with power is blinding you from the truth." He spat, "Don't you have feelings for that clumsy pipsqueak?"
For Dino? I certainly don't feel nothing but I don't think I like the implication. My acknowledged feelings for Dino go as far as debt. I owe him for helping me out and not being angry. I've also admitted on several occasions that Dino's physically attractive but it has nothing to do with my attraction to him.
"Private emotions have nothing to do with my work." I grumbled, "Feelings aside, I'm busy. I can't go."
"So then leave him to die. That's how it works in this cruel mafia world." He shrugged and went back to picking at his hangnails, "Unless you have a problem with letting him fall to ruin?"
I know how Reborn's sick mind works. This is a test. He's manipulating me into going to save Dino but I'm just one person. I need more manpower if I'm going to actually offer help.
I'm also mildly angry about Timoteo's lack of will to help. He's just sitting there! What kind of useless man…. Ugh!
"We don't have the manpower to help him." I said through my clenched jaw, "But if it's between us being overworked or his death, I'll gladly run to his aid."
"That's contradictory. You just said you didn't have enough men to send."
It was my turn to give him the look of smug victory as I turned to Timoteo, "Hey. I don't know about the rest of the Varia but I'll forgive the whole hunt if you'll do me a favor?"
"And what might that be?" He hadn't expected me to make a trade for his honor but he wouldn't refuse me.
His expression twisted into pure surprise just like Reborn when I stated my request. Reborn had expected me to offer help but not this way.
I'll kill two birds with one stone within a week. My plan is flawless. Not even Squalo-senpai would be able to complain.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
I diligently went on hits night after night for four nights. Reporting to the boss was the most awkward part of working. He hasn't approached me since the night I saw him. I'm not even sure if he knew I saw him but if he knew, someone else must've told him.
All of our previous nights together became nothing more than a collection of memories in the past now. There were no extra moments between us. Just receiving missions and reporting at the end of the night. I told him about the orders from Main Base to which he simply snorted and motioned for me to take care of it on my own.
It was strange seeing him as just my boss again. It made me uncertain about my place. I mean, if he wasn't going to become Vongola Decimo, he had no need for Guardians. He had no need for me anymore but without him, I had nowhere to go. I didn't want to lose my place in the sky but what other choice did I have.
Who knows how much longer he'll keep me around now that he has no use for me? I decided not to ask. I would just keep on working and having fun until he told me to leave. I didn't want to waste any time being sad over it.
Anyways, I had someplace to be. I arranged to meet the units I would be taking into the stake out for criminals on Dino's turf. They would be arriving at the airport and I was personally going to escort them to the Cavallone estate where they would be staying for the duration of the operation.
The person driving the car was just some lackey who would get out when we got to the Cavallone estate and catch a taxi home to leave me with the car. I said I didn't need a driver but Squalo insisted on getting me to use one for the sake of my passengers. Apparently, I drive like a maniac and we don't appreciate kids shitting their pants in the back of one of our limos.
At the pick up gates, I was drawn to them. My instinctive magnet activated, looking for the one presence I would never mistake for anyone else. My brother, Hibari Kyoya, was standing among the rest of the Tenth Generation Guardians looking rather irritated to be crowded. I don't know how they convinced him to come but I'm still grateful.
"Welcome back to Italy, Sawada Tsunayoshi." I greeted them as warmly as I could possibly manage. I do still have bitter feelings about losing to some of these guys, "Dino's waiting for us so let's get moving."
Yamamoto laughed heartily as he approached me, "It's nice to play the mafia game with you too, Kira-senpai."
I blinked at him dumbly, surprising to receive such a friendly greeting but what's this about a game? I turned my eyes to Sawada, "What is he saying?"
"Uhhh…" Sawada looked like he was going to really have trouble explaining this one but he tried his best, "Yamamoto plays baseball? This is kind of like… an extreme sport to him?"
My eyes narrowed, an eyebrow arching, "This isn't a game. You could lose your life at any given moment."
"A high stakes game." The Rain Guardian grinned at me and I made a note under his name in my head. This boy was Squalo's complete opposite.
To become a blessed shower that settles conflict, washing everything away.
In our case, Squalo was chosen because "washing everything away" in our case means cutting it all down and destroying all traces of our enemies. Squalo was our blood rain.
Yamamoto was probably the Rain Guardian because of that smile. I knew right away, this boy washes all their worries away with his easy-going attitude. When everyone else is seriously concerned, he approaches the world with a casual smile. It suited him.
"Stop being stupid." Gokudera elbowed him sharply, pulling him away, "You're making the Tenth look bad!"
Gokudera Hayato.
Continuously at the heart of the attack, the furious storm that never rests.
With this bunch, I can see why "never rests" implies he's the hardest worker out of the whole group. With an unreliable leader like Sawada and a complete doofus like Yamamoto not to mention a child for a Lightning Guardian and unpredictable Sun, Mist, and Cloud Guardians, he has to have a strong head on his shoulders or he'll never get them in shape. He leads them with strategy and wits rather than violence.
To us, Belphegor was our unresting storm. The endless waltz of blades and wires was continuously on the attack and he was often the reason we ended up controlling the battlefield in big heists but instead of controlling the battlefield, it seems they use Gokudera to line up their own side of the board.
"What are you looking at?!" He sneered when he caught me staring as he tried to grab the childish Lambo away from some lady's souvenir bag, "Take us to Cavallone already!"
Snorting, I grabbed him by the elbow and flung him into the backseat of the limbo. When he was about to complain, I flung his backpack into his face, "Sit down and shut up, pesky brat. Everyone else get in. If you have luggage, the trunk is open."
Chrome quietly scurried to the back to put away her luggage with Sawada right beside her. She gathered the luggage from the rest of the Guardians to put in the back as she went. She was considerate.
Creating something from nothing, and nothing from something; thus bewildering the enemy and rendering the Famiglia's true form intangible with visions of deceit.
This girl was the epitome of a Mist Guardian. She herself was the vision of deceit shown to the enemy. No one would suspect she would turn into a monstrous illusionist with skill enough to trick the Vindice in the blink of an eye. Although, I doubt Chrome is a challenge compared to Rokudo Mukuro but it plays well into the deceit part. If you count Rokudo Mukuro as part of her, she's the second strongest fighter amongst these children.
Unlike us where Mammon is only motivated by money and revenge against Fon who looks down on him, Chrome is naturally a good fit but I suppose that's where our definition of deceit is different. Mammon's appearance wasn't the deceit, it was his manipulative nature. He plays people like strings when it comes down to it. Nothing is beneath him if the financial reward is big enough so you never know if he's on your side or not until the very end when he's stabbing you in the back after receiving a higher sum.
But he would never do that to us. We were all stronger than him. He was probably towards the bottom of our ladder of strength.
They crammed into the car. Kyoya refused to enter unless he got to sit on one side of the car by himself. I was slightly amused by the way Sawada insisted on trying to squish everyone onto the left side of the limo to leave room for Kyoya to sit alone. It was clear that Sawada knew and respected my brother's strength but Sasagawa didn't.
He screamed about how incredibly selfish Kyoya was and challenged him to a boxing match right on the spot. Irked, I shoved Sasagawa into the limo and forced him to kneel on the floor. I took the open seat beside Kyoya who had no complaints since it was just the two of us on this side.
Sasagawa Ryohei was yelling and screaming about the injustice nearly the whole time.
Destroying the misfortune that attacks the family with their own body, they become the sun that shines brightly on the area.
Sasagawa was definitely a bright character that drew attention to himself. He was loud and obnoxious, daring to do things no one else would do. He looked like the type to charge headfirst into a fight and become their beacon of light towards victory.
Lussuria was the opposite. It's true that Lussuria is flamboyant and he draws attention no matter where he goes but in battle, Lussuria isn't one to dive without having a plan. After the Dying Will Flames became a crucial part of our fighting culture, he ended up moving to the backline where he heals our wounds with a gentle touch no one else seems to possess.
I felt a tugging at my pants and ended up glaring down at Lambo who had approached me like I was just another playmate, "Piss off, herbivore."
"I'm so sorry!" Sawada grabbed at him, pulling him away to immediately scold him, "Don't do that! We're not here to play, you know!"
To draw damage to himself and away from the family, serving as a lightning rod.
Lambo is the only one I don't know about. I scoffed at him. I couldn't imagine a kid like that doing anything important for a mafia family. But he was certainly doing a good job of drawing anger towards himself from all sides. Kyoya and I were grumpy about his obnoxious playfulness while Gokudera was screaming at him to settle down. Sawada was struggling to hold him in his lap and away from all the picky mafiosos.
He's nothing like our Leviathan. Then again, maybe he's the same. Levi doesn't care about the rest of us. Instead, he draws danger away from the boss like a devout meatshield. I scoffed at the thought of Levi too.
We arrived at the Cavallone estate and I was the first to get out, holding the door for the Guardians who would be my subordinates for the duration of this ordeal. I made eye contact with Sawada Tsunayoshi as he got out. The young boss-to-be offered me a lopsided smile with false bravery fueling his eyes.
Sawada is nothing like our boss who exudes strength from every pore in his body. This is a nervous, awkward, uncertain boy. He's undeserving of his Sky Flame.
Rain, Storm, Cloud, Sun, Mist, and Lightning, he influences them. He understands and accepts all of them.
No. Perhaps, he deserves his Sky Flame as much as our boss. Looking around, his group is a rowdy bunch of unpredictable mafiosos. And yet, he looks so at ease with them. His ordinary traits are decorated and complemented by his mercurial Guardians. They gather around him because he's ordinary. His plain and boring personality makes them stand out more and more. He gives them a place to be special.
But for the Varia, it's the opposite. At least for me, I ended up following the boss solely on his extraordinary strength. We were all drawn to him in our hunt for power. We were alone and searching for a place to call our own until we met the boss. He brought us together and instead of making us feel special, he made our monstrous strength the norm amongst our team-Varia Quality.
I, more than anyone, desired a place where I could fight daily and still be entertained. My strength that had incited fear in the hearts of those around me was turned into something I needed to survive in the dark of the night and everyone else around me was in the same situation. We were all labeled under the description of "Varia Quality." Squalo, Lussuria, Levi, Mammon, Bel and I were not special. It was the boss who was special for bringing people like us together and creating the darkness in which we strive.
Sawada is embraced by his Guardians but we are embraced by our sky.
Romario came to greet us and I gestured to the trunk. He told me he would have it brought to their rooms and let me know his companion would guide me inside to see Dino. I had no more time to think about the Tenth Generation Guardians as people. Now, I was assessing them as weapons.
Frontline swordsman, backline shooter, backline trickster into frontline wildcard, frontline sweeper into backline healer, frontline shield, and centerpiece into frontline burst damage. Which brings us to my dear brother. Where would he fit amongst these guys?
That's right. He doesn't fit.
To be the aloof, drifting cloud that protects the family from an independent standpoint, and whom nothing can ever bind.
Kyoya is always standing at an independent standpoint in his head. If their will doesn't match his interests, he won't participate at all but when the going gets tough, he's always been there. It's in his nature to jump into strong fights and as long as he's with these guys, there's always going to be another fight. He's not drawn to them but to the opponents their position of power invites.
For me, I'm drawn to the power of my chosen famiglia. I fight with them as an ally but I also consider them my greatest rivals in my hunt for strength. If I stick around, I'll never be bored and I'll always have someone to fight.
For Kyoya, I don't think he'll be much help if I can't find him an opponent strong enough to perk up his lust for blood. Which means, he won't want to participate in the stake out. He's probably going to end up staying behind to fight with Dino and that's fine by me. I finally filled Kyoya's role in this makeshift unit-ultimate secret weapon.
Dino welcomed us to a preset table, coffee all around. He was relaxed despite our purpose being business, "Tsuna, I'm glad you made it. I was a little skeptical when Kira said she was going to make use of you guys but I'm really in a bind here so I'm counting on you."
Sawada laughed quietly, taking his seat at Dino's left. He had clearly randomly picked a seat.
"Mafia rule number one, Sawada Tsunayoshi." I pulled out the chair at the opposite end from Dino, "You always, always, always sit at the head of the table. You are a person of importance and you must carry yourself as one but today, I'm leading this group so I'll sit at the head. Sit comfortably next to Dino like the herbivore you are."
Already beginning to sweat nervously, Sawada grinned and whispered to Dino, "She promised to teach us how the mafia works if we came to help so Reborn didn't give me a choice."
Dino laughed, sliding the files across the table towards me, "Well, that sounds like something Kira would say. Whatever the reason might be I'm grateful."
"I prepared something beforehand but I don't know how much I can expect from all of you quite yet so let's play a game." I stood, closing the file to draw my gauntlets over my hands, "I'll let you all experience first hand what covert operations are like so you have ten minutes. In ten minutes, the electricity in this building will be cut and you'll be left in total darkness. But before then, I want you all to hide inside the building. After ten minutes in darkness, the intercom will come on and announce your mission. Understood?"
"Why do we have to play a game with you?! We're here to do real mafia work and playing games with you is a waste of time!" Gokudera snapped, "The Tenth has more important things to take care of, Cannibal!"
"Let me ask you, Gokudera Hayato." I glanced at the ticking clock on the wall behind Dino, "How many of you have been involved in stealth operations?"
Judging by his silence, none of them.
I motioned to the clock, "The time is ticking so I suggest you run along. If you fail the mission, I've promised Reborn that I would report all of you so run if you don't want him to punish you."
All the Guardians were now in motion except Kyoya. He didn't care about our stupid game.
"Kyoya, I promise this is definitely worth your time." I said and he trusted my words but debated on just how much value he would really get, "Definitely more interesting than if you just sit there until we're done."
He let his curiosity get the better of him. He stood, using the remaining seven minutes to do as I asked. I grinned, patting his shoulder as he went by.
When he was gone, Dino stood. He smiled at me, removing his jacket and letting it fall to the floor. He removed the t-shirt underneath and his cargo pants to reveal the black leather suit underneath. I did the same with my Varia uniform, revealing a similar suit.
Our eyes met and he grinned again, "It suits you better than it suits me."
"Don't be stupid. It's for practicality not for style." I muttered, strangely pleased with the compliment. I glanced at the clock, "Five more minutes. How many of them realized they have a tracer on them?"
Dino chuckled, "Definitely not Tsuna. I practically touched him and he didn't even notice it going in his pocket."
"I never had hope for him in the first place." I grumbled half in complaint and half in resignation, "That's why I let you tag him."
"Oh that's cruel." He feigned hurt at my harsh bluntness but he bent to retrieve the jacket he had just dropped, fishing a device from the pocket, "And the others? You definitely tagged all the others?"
"Kyoya was the last one." I muttered, glancing at the screen showing the locations of all the tagged Guardians as they moved about the building. I poked my finger at a dot that stopped moving, "Looks like someone's hiding in the library."
Romario entered the room, handing us each a paintball gun. They surprisingly looked like real guns. This is my handicap to the kids. I'm not good with guns like the other mafiosos so I'll definitely miss if they put their all into dodging.
He handed Dino an overblown megaphone. Our "intercom" for relaying information to the Guardians. There were only two minutes left for them to hide.
"Try not to be so hard on them. This is their first time." Dino's lips curved into a teasing smirk, "You can't expect Varia Quality right off the bat."
"I have my standards but don't worry. I'm the one cheering them on the most so I intend to give them a test they can pass." I admitted, "I need them after all."
The clock was ticking down. Ten seconds left. Dino lifted the megaphone, clearing his throat as we watched the clock tick away all their remaining time.
"Alrighty guys! Listen up!" He grinned in excitement as if the test was meant for him instead of them, "Starting now, you guys are on the hunt! The rules are simple! Romario is in possession of a USB with information you want. Find Romario, capture him, and retrieve the USB before he leaves the building. However, if we manage to shoot your head or torso before the USB is retrieved, you fail. Furthermore, as an incentive to work hard, if you don't catch the herbivorous Romario, she'll randomly pick a handful of you to flog. You have ten minutes! Good luck to all of you!"