Clear to cloudy
Target 10: Trouble arises
School's out again and everyone's walking home together. Kotsu, Ren and his friend Reishiro, Tsugemora, Fumie and... Cotton? Kotsu looks strangely at the little girl firmly planted on top of Tsugemora's head.
"Um… Tsugemora…? Why is Cotton here?" he asks and Tsugemora looks up.
"Oh! Miss Niruo-sama asked me to take care of her today! So she's been with me all day!"
"Ah! Sokaaa…" Reishiro says joining the conversation out of nowhere.
"Then… who're you?" He asks pointing at Kotsu.
"Um… I'm Ren's little brother, Kotsu…"
"Ah! Sokaaa… mini-Ren," he says and Kotsu is about to complain about the nickname but realizes that Reishiro probably won't change his viewpoint.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot you guys had a new little 'sister' in the house," Fumie says and Cotton pouts angrily at her.
"Cotton-heika is NOT little! She is an awesome strong girl!" She declares standing up, almost falling off Tsugemora's head.
"Careful up there. I have been tasked with keeping you safe from the all-mighty beautiful miss Nirou-sama," Tsugemora says and Cotton angrily sits down again.
"Cotton-heika will not be ordered around," She complains with a pout.
Ren stops seeing that Reishiro's also stopped to just… stare at a blank wall. "What's that marking Ren…?" He asks pointing to the blank space.
"there's nothing there Reishiro. Come on! Let's go," he says and Reishiro just hums a little before walking with them again.
"It looks like someone dragged something sharp over it…" He says, but the conversation has already ended so no one answers him. They come to the crossroad where Fumie has to split with them.
"Well um… I'll see you later Ren-senpai!" She says walking off and Kotsu would be offended that she didn't say farewell to him, but lets it slide knowing that she's probably not done anything but look at Ren for the entire walk.
Reishiro points after her. "Who was that?"
"That was Fumie-san. One of Kotsu's friends," Ren explains with a smile, always happy to answer the boy's questions.
"What about the person on her back?" He asks, and everyone blinks a little.
"You're hallucinating again Reishiro," Ren concludes, and everyone laughs.
"Ah! Sokaaa… it looked kinda like the person on that guy's head…" he says pointing to Tsugemora's head. But much to his shock Cotton is gone.
"Oh crap!" Tsugemora yells looking around for that little cheeky girl. His eyes go wide. "Reishiro wasn't hallucinating!" He says before sprinting back the way they came. "I'll be right back Nii-san! Fumie probably has her!" He says also leaving them. Kotsu just sighs. This is typical isn't it? Cotton getting angry and doing something she's not supposed to do. At least she didn't try murdering him this time…
-NII-
After another few short minutes of walking they get to the Niruo residence and Reishiro tilts his head. "Hmm… this isn't my house…" he says and Kotsu almost falls over. Was he thinking they were going to his house?! That's a new level of weirdness.
"Nonono. This is OUR house," Ren says and Reishiro seems to realize.
"Ah! Sokaaa… then… where's my house?" He says looking around. Kotsu is still dumbfounded. He doesn't know the way to his own house. He's here to do homework with Ren quite often!
Luckily Ren can give him directions easily and he is soon on his way to his house. It's just the two brothers now. Just like it used to be. Reborn seems to be busy doing Reborn things. Kotsu goes to his room to change into his casual clothes. Finally… some peace and quiet. Well-deserved in his eyes. It's been quite a while since he could just… lay down and rela-
However every one of his thought are interrupted by a little red ball comes running through the door to Kotsu's room and runs towards him looking incredibly upset over something.
"Mortal-kun! Mortal-kun!" She yells and jumps into Kotsu's arms tears flying everywhere.
"C-Cotton!? What's the matter?" Cotton looks up at Kotsu, her little eyes watered up immensely.
"Mortal-kun… Tsugemortal has been hurt and Fumie-san has been kidnapped!" She blurts out through the wall of tears and sobs.
Kotsu's eyes go wide with terror and worry. "T-Tsugemora's hurt!? Where is he!? What happened?!" Kotsu yells and Cotton sniffs a little more to get rid of the snot in her nose.
"W-when Tsugemortal came to get Cotton-heika…"
-NII-
Earlier:
Cotton sees that Fumie is leaving them and for some reason jumps onto her back without anyone noticing somehow. 'Tiahahaaa… infiltration successful…' She thinks to herself as Fumie starts walking home. Behind them, someone drags a large spear against the wall where Reishiro had previously looked, leaving a long mark and whoever's carrying the spear smirks as he sees Tsugemora run around the corner in order to fetch Cotton.
Fumie notes that Cotton is on her back. "Cotton!? What're you doing here?! You're supposed to be with Kotsu-kun and Tsugemora-kun," She says and Cotton just laughs.
"Tiahahahaha! The great Cotton-heika decides her own destiny!" She yells and Fumie sends her a disappointed look just shaking her head making Cotton feel a bit guilty at her actions.
"Cotton… do as you're told! If I remember correctly Tsugemora-kun said that he was supposed to take care of you today,"
Tsugemora comes running behind them. "Fumie-san! Wait up!" He yells and Fumie stops walking and holds out Cotton by her onesie. Cotton just waves apologetically with a grin on her face.
"Let me guess… you're looking for this little troublemaker?" She asks with a sigh and Tsugemora nods.
"Thank you, Fumie-san," He reaches out for Cotton to take her off Fumie's hands. However he stops for a moment feeling a strange presence behind him.
He quickly takes out his wire and when he spins on his heel, he instantly extends the wire in front of him to block an incoming spear strike, but the strike instantly pierces straight through his specially designed fiber wire and stabs the young boy straight in the chest and he jumps backwards, thinking clearly as he's not blinded by the pain.
He's prepared to counterattack when he sees who's standing before him. At that moment his eyes go wide as he looks at the person standing in front of him. The first thing he sees is the symbol on the man's shirt. A black tattoo of a wolf made of icicles with cyan eyes. The mark he recognizes as the mark of the ice wolves: Geraldino's gang. The second thing he notes is the rest of the man's body. A large punk-looking man with long black hair set in a few large thick curvy spikes going forward, and pure red eyes. What is most curious about him is the copious amounts of spears he has. He has two holsters on the back, each holding four spears and he has an extra in his hand already, each spear looking slightly different from the others. The one he's holding has a little red gem imbedded at the base of a large drill-like spear-head.
"Hello little bodyguard. I would like to take that girl with me. Your cousin's orders," He says smirking at his new opponent. He gets in front of Fumie and Cotton shielding them and prepares a fighting stance. This causes the boy standing against him to laugh loudly.
"Sorry, but you can't do that. A wire like yours will never beat my spears," he says and Fumie can see Tsugemora visibly shaking making her quite worried.
"Shut up! I'll defeat you!" The boy laughs again.
"Come on. From what your cousin's told me, I know that I'm 10 years older than you and 100 times stronger! So be a good little boy and don't try anything" He says keeping that cocky smirk on his face. Tsugemora feels that he can't do anything against this man, as he walks closer dragging his spear casually against the pavement making a long drawn out creepy noise. He walks straight past Tsugemora who can't even get himself to move at first but when he extends his hand towards Fumie, Cotton jump at the spear-wielding man, with anger in her eyes.
"You don't dare harm Cotton-heika's underling!?" However the man just hits her aside before she even gets close and Cotton hits a nearby wall and falls over. Tsugemora tries hitting him as he grabs Fumie's arm, but as soon as Tsugemora moves he feels something hit him in the back. At first, he doesn't feel anything but suddenly falls over showing four needles in his back. A boy walks up and past him, up to Geraldino who holds his hand towards Fumie's mouth and she passes out suddenly. The boy is wearing a black hoodie with green sleeves and he has the ice wolves' symbol on the back of it. Tsugemora feels himself starting to pass out as he looks towards two boys walking away with Fumie. Some people have started to gather seeing Tsugemora lay there helpless on the ground and Cotton runs up to Tsugemora.
"Tsugemortal! The great Cotton-heika will avenge your noble sacrifice!" She yells and is about to run after the two ice wolves, but Tsugemora grabs her little leg.
"Go… get… Nii-san…" Cotton nods slowly and runs back the way they came as fast as her little body will carry her.
-NII-
"A-and then Cotton-heika got back here to get Mortal-kun!" Cotton finishes and Kotsu is wide-eyed.
"Ice wolves?! Geraldino!? W-who on EARTH is that?!" Kotsu asks confused and scared. Kotsu puts down Cotton and runs out of the door. "Cotton! Keep the house safe! If that Geraldino guy comes here!" He yells and Cotton grits her teeth angrily jumping in place.
"Cotton-heika was already going to do that Mortal-kun!" He yells and as soon as Kotsu reaches the stairs none other than Reborn is standing and looking at him.
"Reborn! Fumie-"
"I heard," Reborn interrupts, walking past Kotsu and opens the door to Ren's room.
"Ren. You are coming with us to the hospital to visit Tsugemora," He says and Ren is quite surprised.
"Tsugemora's in the hospital? What happened!? I thought he was just going to get Cotton!?" He says also a bit worried.
-NII-
Just as they're about to leave the house the door opens and Masumi comes home. "Oh my… where are you all going? Is it more of this exciting game you're playing?" Masumi asks and Reborn nods.
"It is. We'll be back by dinner. Make sure it's ready when we get back," He says confidently and Masumi giggles.
"Why of course Reborn-san," She answers happy and excited about this game as always, seeing her house duties almost as her 'role' she's playing. Cotton comes down the stairs and runs around checking literally everywhere for intruders as Masumi enters the house. Like Tsugemora's always doing.
"Those mortals will NOT get the drop on Cotton-heika!" She yells as the three of them leave.
"I've already called in some assistance," Reborn says as they walk to the hospital leaving the two boys to wonder whom he's called.