"Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are miserable." – Voltaire
Having another Arcobaleno appear was overwhelming. All of them were gathered in Tsuna's kitchen, and Verde still hadn't removed the handcuffs. Tsuna sat listlessly in his chair and stared at the table, tracing the worn veins of the cheap wood with his eyes. He wished he could drown and sink to the bottom where no one could find him. The kitchen was quiet aside from Viper scavenging through his apartment for God knew what, assessing his couch and meager furnishings with small clicks of their tongue and mutterings.
Lips pursed, Lal Mirch removed her suit jacket, draped it over her chair, and crossed her arms over her chest, all business. "Tsuna," she said, making him flinch, "don't fucking do that again."
Viper glided around the kitchen like a ghost, their steps silent on the tile floors, wordlessly opening pantries and cupboards. Tsuna could only cradle his face in his hands and palm his eyes, trying to get rid of the horrifying image in his head. His cheek hurt and it was probably bruised; no one ever escaped Hibari's wrath unscathed. His hands shook as he let out a shuddering breath. Erisa's bodiless head flashed in his mind. Her eyes—he could never forget her eyes. They were another mistake, another fuck-up, just like with him.
Lal Mirch kicked his leg under the table. "Oi, are you listening? The Griever escaped because you ran off like that."
"I know," Tsuna said. Fuzzy purple fireworks danced underneath his eyes, making him feel even more nauseous.
Lal Mirch yanked his hands away from his face. "Look at me when I'm talking to you. You fucked up back there and you were the one who wanted to capture it. What were you thinking? If you hadn't left, Verde could've kept his barrier up and we wouldn't be here."
Tsuna didn't look up. Lal Mirch's words buzzed in his ears, faint; all he could hear were the distant screams and gunfire in a haunting loop. He should've stayed with Erisa, he shouldn't have left her to people who couldn't even fight those creatures. And now, he was left with the Griever still on the loose and three deaths on his hands.
He jumped when something cold pressed against his throbbing cheek. Fon smiled down at him, holding the ice pack in place. "Keep this on, Tsunayoshi," he said. "Your face should not be marred by bruises."
Tsuna just took the ice pack from Fon's cool hand and kept it against his cheek. It quickly grew numb. Lal Mirch flicked his forehead, making him wince. She rolled her eyes. "Good, you're still alive. Did you hear what I just said?"
"I killed them," he said dully.
"No, Tsunayoshi," Fon said, "you did not. It was another Remnant, not you."
Tsuna's grip tightened around the ice pack; his hand burned from the cold. "I let them die. I couldn't protect Umeki-san…"
Lal Mirch narrowed her eyes. "No one asked you to protect them so stop sulking and think about what you're going to do next. Oi, Tsuna." She gripped his chin to make him look up at her eyes, which nearly glowed under the lights. "I don't like sulking; it's pathetic. You're not doing any favors when you're blaming yourself; the time you're taking to do that can be used for something else more useful. Do you understand?"
Tsuna's tongue felt thick when he spoke. "I…But it's my f—"
He winced when Lal Mirch's grip tightened around his chin. That could leave a bruise too. "Are you stupid or something? Where the hell did your spunk go? You don't even know them and you're doing this because? You want to help people?" She scoffed. "Look at yourself. How can you expect to help anyone if you're moping? Things happen. Don't expect everything to go your way. Verde didn't even predict that there was another Remnant around. We did what we were supposed to do. But guess what? Because of your stupid, self-sacrificing attitude, we lost the Griever. Who knows if it's going to kill more people? That's what you should be more concerned about."
Each word that spilled from Lal Mirch's lips felt like needles pricking Tsuna's heart. He couldn't tell if she was trying to comfort him or belittle him, or if she was aware of what she was saying. A familiar, unwelcoming corpse flashed in his head, with hair so vividly red it blended in grotesquely with the blood pooled around it. Tsuna closed his eyes to get rid of the image, to think of things other than failed promises and their tantalizing whispers.
Rationally, he knew that Lal Mirch was right. There was no way he could've predicted that there was another Remnant at the site or believed that he could protect Erisa by himself. He had fucked up in more ways than one before and it was that kind of self-deprecation that had forced him back in his shell years ago. It wasn't until Hibari had found him and dragged him to a crime scene that Tsuna was able to step forward, even if it was small. Still, he couldn't deny the small relief he felt when a victim passed over or made amends with loved ones. It made breathing a little easier.
It was all a given but Tsuna still had that small, creeping doubt in the concaves of his ribs that festered like an old wound. What about the ones he couldn't save? The ones he couldn't protect? The ones that could've lived if he had gone one way and not the other? Like Erisa, like him…
"Human beings aren't perfect," Verde said, underlining some things in his notebook. "From what I've observed, humans that strive for perfection are the ones who fall early. Nothing satisfies them and nothing ever will." He glanced at Tsuna from the corner of his eye. "You're altruistic but there's a fine line between selflessness and stupidity, and you're falling more on the latter spectrum; however, with every failure, there's a lesson to be learned."
Fon loosened Tsuna's grasp and held onto the ice pack instead. "We overestimated ourselves. It is impossible to destroy Remnants if our own powers are unstable or short-lived without you with us, not unless we are Harmonized. It is humiliating to admit, but it is true. However, the police should have been able to protect that woman properly, or perhaps that child could have gone with them." Fon smiled slightly in amusement, his eyes darkening. "Though I do doubt that he would last very long. Perhaps, one minute?"
Tsuna licked his chapped lips. "The police…aren't capable of fighting Remnants so it's not their fault. None of us knew that there was another Remnant either. No one's blameless here."
Lal Mirch clicked her tongue but didn't say anything. Tsuna tensed when Viper sat across from him, their chair scraping against the ground. He forgot that they were here. With their cloak and hood, Viper looked more like a phantom from a dream. "This place isn't suitable for us."
Lal Mirch rolled her eyes. "Viper, we're busy."
"I've calculated the value of your apartment and furnishings and it doesn't come close to what you owe me."
Fon frowned. "Money should not be the priority at the moment. We are discussing something else of more importance."
Tsuna eyed Viper warily. "I don't have that kind of money. Besides, why do I have to pay you?"
"I came here because of you," was Viper's monotone response. "I expect to be compensated for the troubles I went through to come here."
"That…doesn't make sense."
"It does."
Tsuna sighed and let his head fall forward to thump against the table, but Fon quickly cushioned his forehead, his skin warm. A small jolt coursed through his body, making Tsuna jump. He eyed Fon's hand cautiously before sneaking a small peek at the still smiling man. Didn't he feel that…?
Viper hummed under their breath. "You haven't Harmonized with any of them yet."
"The next person to say the same damn thing again is going to meet my fist," Lal Mirch said, a vein popping over her brow. "Yeah, we didn't. Tsuna here likes to take it nice and easy." She looked over Tsuna lazily. "I'm just saying this isn't the best decision on your part." She smirked, making shivers crawl up Tsuna's spine. "Viper's already here, making it four of us. Who knows what'll happen when everyone's here, un-Harmonized?"
"Think of your house as a powder keg," Verde said, pausing in his ceaseless scribbling. His interjection didn't make things any better to digest or handle. "The longer you hold off on Harmonizing, the more agitated everyone will become."
Fan-fucking-tastic. Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to get into that right now," he said.
"You should," Viper said. "This house isn't suitable for nine people. We're all technically adults so our needs will have to be met accordingly. Your fridge isn't stocked to last a day and you don't have any space on your bed to accommodate more than three people."
Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Wait, my bed can't accommodate more than three people? Gee, who would've thought? Maybe because, I don't know, this is a single-room apartment for one person. And why is my bed any concern to you?" He scowled at Viper, wishing that the damn hood wasn't in the way. "Also you decided to spend your own money so you take that responsibility, not me. The money you're asking me is basically the cost of my rent. If you want to talk about money, then pay some of it or go to a hotel. I never agreed to opening my house to any of you in the first place."
Viper didn't seem perturbed by the backlash. "But you haven't kicked them out yet either."
Tsuna sucked in a small breath. His head ached and he didn't want to do anything else but take a hot shower and go to sleep—alone. Nowadays it seemed like his brain was being overridden by some other unknown presence. He could still feel the faint, foreign thrumming in his chest, his heart, when Lal Mirch had glowed blue a few days ago; the thrill and unexpected pleasure that had coursed through him, as if they were expecting for that to happen, terrified him. On top of that, Tsuna wasn't really in the position to be parsing through these things with a fine comb at the moment. He just had a bunch of bricks dumped on him in the last few days and it wasn't the best experience. Picking them up one at a time wasn't an endeavor he was looking forward to either.
"No," Tsuna said, "I can't. I would, but I can't."
A few minutes of tense silence passed. Viper was the first one to speak then. "Then if we're staying here, we should go over our accommodations."
Tsuna's brow twitched. "How many times do I have to say that none of you are welcome here? I didn't ask for this."
"And we didn't ask for our Sky to leave us."
Tsuna bristled. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that your Sky left, I'm sorry that you're like this, but instead of thinking about yourselves all the time for once, why can't you consider my position here? I didn't even know about you until what? Two, three days ago? I'm fucking sorry that I can't wrap my own fucking head around any of this. There's only so much I can take and with what just happened I—I—"
He couldn't breathe. Why? Why couldn't he breathe? His breaths came out quick and ragged, his chest aching and lungs constricting with each second, stifling. His surroundings blurred a bit. He saw Viper's lips moving but their voice sounded faint, like a low drone. A chair scraped against the floor in the background. Tsuna stiffened when a hand gripped his shoulder before Lal Mirch's cool Flames doused him in a sudden rush.
Slowly but surely, his breaths evened out. His lungs expanded again and the pressure in his chest disappeared. Tsuna blinked a couple of times to regain his bearings; his mouth felt dry. He unconsciously shivered when he finally felt the heat of Lal Mirch's palm through his shirt. She huffed. "You're overreacting, Tsuna."
Tsuna wanted to glare at her but couldn't. Not with her hand still on his shoulder like a leech and her Flames keeping him at bay. Instead, he spoke with a mild voice, much to his dismay. "I'm not overreacting," he said, gripping her wrist. "I'm overwhelmed. This is a perfectly normal response from anyone in this kind of situation. I didn't ask for some crazy gods to drop by and crash in my house. I didn't ask to see the dead and I didn't ask for any of this to happen the way it did." Well for one thing, Tsuna could think clearer now. His state of calm was good in that aspect he supposed. "I get it, but that doesn't change the fact that Umeki-san and two other people are dead because of me."
"They didn't die because of you," Verde said, speaking up after a moment. "If anything, it was better to have them die than you with them, too." He raised his hand when Tsuna opened his mouth with some choice words. "Think of it this way, Tsunayoshi. As you said, the police aren't capable of handling Remnants, not with their manpower or inferior weapons. That was our first miscalculation. That woman—"
"Umeki-san," Tsuna said.
"—would've died in either situation whether if she was with us or them." Verde slightly pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Like the police, we're not at a suitable power level to fend off the Remnants either. If she had stayed with us, we all would've died trying to protect her, as you will, and all of our efforts would've been for nothing. That's where our second miscalculation comes in. There's only one of you, and since none of us are Harmonized, there's only so much we can do. You're our only power source and we need you with us physically. What you did back there was foolish. We're at least capable to keep you out of harm's way but because you left us, knowing that we needed you to gain any sort of control, the plan failed."
Tsuna wanted Verde to shut up but couldn't bring himself to say it. The man…was right. Their plan was never enough in the first place. Why did Tsuna think it was going to work out? None of them were in any position to fight the Remnants—but there were people dying. The police was basically useless and there was nothing the Arcobaleno could do unless they lugged Tsuna around with them like a sack of meat.
"The last miscalculation was the other Remnant," Verde rambled on. "We didn't expect for another one to be in the same vicinity or to interfere as boldly as it did. It could be a Scavenger but I believe it's a Ravager." At Tsuna's puzzled look, he continued, "I've explained only two categories of Remnants to you and the police."
Tsuna paled. "There's more?"
"Yes. The other two are Scavengers and Ravagers. If you were to put all four on a hierarchy, Ravagers are at the top. They're much rarer, more complex than the others, but are still rooted in their griefs and regrets. They are the basic form of psychopaths in your human terms, highly intelligent, lacking in empathy. Very few exist and even fewer are created though they exist. Scavengers are a particular case. They're more subdued than the rest of the Remnant but they possess some form of cleverness. As their name suggests, they simply clean up the scraps of others' kills and aren't prone to confrontations."
Tsuna furrowed his brows. "The other Remnant can't be a Scavenger?"
"They're smart enough to not to get in the way," Lal Mirch said. "And they don't do the dirty work themselves. Leeches, that's what they are. Cowards. Created by human pettiness and greed."
"They are rather distasteful," Fon said, a constant hovering presence by Tsuna's side. The brunet wasn't sure if it was all that comforting or not. The man stood a little too close. "I recommend that you steer clear if you happen to meet them. They can be cunning when they want to be." He smiled slightly. "It would be unfortunate if you end up losing something valuable in a trivial deal."
Head pounding, Tsuna sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose; he secretly hoped that he could contract hypothermia from an ice pack. Rationally, he knew that somehow he was the one who could have any chances of fixing his mess. Emotionally, he was drained, and physically, he wanted to drop dead. His thoughts wandered until he finally reached his decision. They weren't going anywhere like this.
"I'm going to shower and sleep," he said, keeping his voice from rising. "And none of you are allowed to enter while I'm in there. I will throw you out physically if I have to."
"Aren't you going to eat?" Lal Mirch said, her brows rising underneath her bangs.
"Not hungry. If you want to eat, sorry. I'm poor." Tsuna glared at Viper who didn't respond or even flinch. "Get yourself something from outside, I don't care. I need to just…stay away from you, all of you. Good night."
He stopped short from his handcuffs, almost stumbling if Fon hadn't caught him. Shrugging the man off, Tsuna scowled, trying to muster as much dignity as he could. "Take them off," he said.
Fon gripped the link before the metal simply disintegrated. Rubbing his wrist, Tsuna turned away and inhaled deeply. "Good night."
He took the longest shower possible, letting the hot water forcibly wash away his cluttered thoughts, and stared at the drain, hoping that it would take the horrors of that night with it. He still saw Erisa's head when he closed his eyes. She didn't offer him any respite.
That night he dreamt, returning to the meadows. However, everything was gray and the sky was a vast black blanket above him. Wilted flowers crushed softly underneath his feet and the wind carried the scent of ashes and blood. Tsuna should be horrified, he was horrified, but his emotions felt distant and all he felt was…nothing.
The woman stood at the same place, this time watching him. She was waiting for him, but when Tsuna drew closer, he realized that she was too weary to move by herself. Her face was gaunt, her skin pale, and her white dress was reduced to a torn smock. Instead of asking if she was okay, Tsuna said, "You're Luce."
Something flickered in the woman's eyes, and for a moment, Tsuna thought she would lash out again like last time. Instead, her lips curled into a bitter smile. And for what it was worth, Tsuna felt the same with the situation he was in.
"Take them back," he said. "I don't want them."
Luce tilted her head. "What's done is done. They've chosen you." She took a step forward with all the dignity she could muster and reached out to touch Tsuna's cheek, making him tense but remain rooted to the spot. Her skin was cool. "It will only be a matter of time to see who will be tamed." She smiled more cruelly this time. "Will you be consumed or crumble, I wonder."
"Tell me where you are," Tsuna said, keeping his voice levelled. It didn't take any effort. "I can tell them."
A flicker of hope lit up in Luce's eyes before it waned. "No," she said almost painfully. "I can only let fate run its course."
"You're pathetic."
Even Luce was momentarily stunned by the words that left Tsuna's mouth. He couldn't form an apology, wouldn't, and the strange detachment he had in this dreamscape was both unsettling and comfortable. Finally, Luce smiled and it nearly took Tsuna's breath away. He didn't even realize that she had sunk her nails into his skin.
"And you're perfect."
She dragged her fingers across his cheek, letting flesh and blood taint her nails. The pain barely made Tsuna twitch. Instead, he smiled.
Gasping, Tsuna bolted upright in his bed and reached out for something to his side when he noticed that it was empty. A swell of panic spiked in his chest before he forced it down. Did he actually miss having someone in his bed? Miss Fon and Lal Mirch on either side of him like protective guards? Or was Tsuna actually going insane?
He touched his cheek, wincing from the lingering sensation of Luce's nails dragging along his skin. There was nothing there but that didn't mean the pain wasn't. He was more disturbed with how he acted. That…wasn't like him. Well, in some ways he understood how frustrated he was. He didn't ask for this and since Luce constantly appeared in his dreams, he could only assume that this was the only way she could contact him, meaning that she was alive out there. He could tell them, even if he didn't know where she was, but something prevented him from doing so.
To his horror, the thought of telling the Arcobaleno that Luce was alive sickened him. What was wrong with him?
Dragging himself out of bed, Tsuna staggered to the bathroom and splashed cold water in his face. It didn't do anything to assuage the murky fog in his chest. When he looked up in the mirror, he saw his own face staring back, a little pale and hair mussed. It was still him, he reasoned with himself. Still…Still…
His hands gripped the edges of the sink until his knuckles turned white. This wasn't going to work. This sure as hell wasn't. He washed up briskly, taking note that no one was in the apartment. After getting dressed in some jeans and a sweater, Tsuna sat on the couch and turned on the TV against his better judgement.
"—still at large and there has not been word from the police yet about any developments," the anchor said.
The screen cut to a conference outside the police station with Kusakabe at the podium, surrounded by outstretched mics and other news cameras. Despite looking a little haggard, he posed an admirable front, commanding attention and order with seamless grace. When Tsuna checked the time, he realized that it was live.
"We are still currently investigating the murders that have occurred in the past months," Kusakabe said. "If there are any new developments, we will notify the public as soon as it's available. That is all I can say at this time. If you have any other additional questions, please send them to the PR department. Thank you."
With a slight bow, he left, ignoring the shouting reporters and flashing cameras behind him. Hibari was nowhere in sight.
"The Butcher has been on a spree in the past three months." The screen cut back to the pretty anchor, snapping Tsuna out of his daze. "With 12 murders in Midori and Kokuyo, they have remained elusive from the police and continues to be a threat to Namimori. Additionally, there has been another series of deaths in Kokuyo that have raised cause for alarm. Just two days ago at the Rokudo Trading Corporation, Ashida M—"
Tsuna turned off the TV before the news station could bring up the woman's picture. A stifling silence gripped his apartment. Rain drizzled outside, gently pattering against his windowpane. For a long moment, Tsuna sat on the couch, unmoving. His limbs felt like lead and his heart didn't sound like it was beating. Every nerve and muscle in his body went numb. Briefly, he considered sending a text to Kusakabe but didn't know what he'd say. In the end, all he could do was stare at nothing.
The seconds ticked by, then minutes. Tsuna's finger twitched on the remote and everything seemed to move again. He released a shaky breath and forced himself to walk to the fridge. When he opened it, he grabbed the last bottle of water and chugged it down, letting the cold liquid burn his throat. Crushing the plastic, he tossed it in the recycling bin. An itch occurred in his chest, burning and almost making him choke.
He briskly turned around and headed for the couch. He let the TV run again but switched the channel to anything else other than the news. A familiar theme song played in the air. Tsuna raised the volume until the ringing in his ears was only a light buzz, tolerable enough for him to close his eyes.
All he saw was Erisa's cold, unseeing gaze look back at him, raw and visceral. Tsuna's hands tightened into fists. Why couldn't she at least appear to him as a spirit? Had she already moved on with the two detectives? He needed to tell them that he was sorry, that he didn't mean for any of this to happen. Hell, he wouldn't even care if all Erisa did was glare at him because at least he'd stop seeing her scattered limbs and bodiless head.
A small part of him doubted it.
He felt drained, impossibly lethargic and wished that he had died in his sleep. Though a part of him, the terrifying part that he had tried to suppress in the past years, hissed at the thought. Tsuna wanted it to just disappear, however he knew that it was only a matter of time until he was going to end up tired of running away—but not now.
A sudden but familiar presence appeared beside him just as the cartoon he couldn't remember the name of switched to commercials. "Hey, Lambo," he said quietly.
The boy sat close enough to Tsuna to only hover, not touch. "Hi, Tsuna-nii," he said.
They stayed like that for a while, watching a rice cooker commercial in silence. The cheerful jingle soon faded out when a medicine advertisement for heart pain came up next. For a while, Tsuna couldn't find the words to fill the silence, so he was utterly grateful when Lambo did.
"They're all scary," the child said. "There's more of them now."
"I'm sorry, Lambo," Tsuna said tiredly. "But I don't think they're going to leave anytime soon."
Lambo shook his head. "It's okay. They're just…" He trailed off, unsure of the right word to describe the gods, but Tsuna knew that he was just trying to make sense of the situation.
"Crazy is one." Tsuna smiled when Lambo giggled. "Annoying is another one, too. I don't know what would make them leave."
Or if I want them to leave, his mind whispered.
Shaking his head, he let the horrible thought fade before directing his eyes to the TV again. He almost asked Lambo if he knew where they went but his tongue, thankfully, didn't utter the words.
"Are you going to stay here all day?" Lambo asked quietly, almost hopeful.
Tsuna didn't respond right away. He didn't want to stay in his apartment any longer than he could. He didn't want to see if the gods that had unceremoniously barged into his life without warning returned here or not. All he could do was look for distractions, something to keep his mind from straying to doors that should remain locked forever.
"No," he finally said, "but I'll stay a little longer if you need me to."
Lambo nodded and Tsuna ignored the way the boy's lower lip trembled a bit. "Okay. Is five more minutes good?"
Tsuna chuckled, brushing a hand across Lambo's messy curls. The child leaned into his touch before Tsuna eventually pulled away. "I can stay longer than that."
Pleased, Lambo turned to the TV as his favorite cartoon show returned. Tsuna could stay longer enough until he had to face his demons.
For now, he was safe.
When it was close to evening, Lambo watched Tsuna grab his bag and leave the apartment, mumbling a sweet goodbye that Tsuna warmly returned. Dialing Rei's number from memory, Tsuna ignored the hollowness in his chest and how uncomfortably silent his house was even with Lambo there.
Light rain continued to drizzle outside and the sky wasn't an imposing black or gray, though it still made Tsuna feel a bit unsettled. He squashed the feeling while he rode the bus. Dribbles of rain slid down the windows, merging with other droplets and slipping down the glass. Colorful building lights created blurry spots at the edges. Tsuna looked away after seeing one too many spirits wandering on the sidewalks and stared down at his new phone instead. It felt off in his hand but he'd eventually get used to it.
Unless someone breaks it again, he thought irritably.
He killed that line of thought before it grew. Today was going to be okay, or at least, better than this past week. He just needed to keep himself busy. The bus stopped again, letting people on and off in a monotonous routine. Tsuna determinedly kept his eyes on his Converse. Dress shoes, sneakers, high heels, and boots walked back and forth. Someone's bag brushed against his head but he didn't look up to see who it was. At least it wasn't a ghost. The bus started again and Tsuna released a breath he didn't know he was holding. His phone didn't buzz from any messages other than Rei's curt confirmation that he still had his job. The rest of the ride continued in soft silence.
When he arrived at his workplace, Tsuna had never felt so relieved. Takahashi was a bar restaurant with a good amount of regulars and food that kept it going for years. Dashing across the street, Tsuna quickly reached the large building and entered, instantly relaxing from the smoky scent of meat and liquor. He headed for the bar where it was mostly full. The bartender and owner's daughter, Rei perked up when she saw Tsuna approach. She held up a finger, telling him to wait a minute, before pouring a drink for a customer.
"Tsuna!" Rei leaned over the end of the counter and pulled the flustered brunet into a tight hug, almost making both of them fall. Her familiar spicy scent was welcoming and soothed his frayed nerves a bit. "How are you? Feeling better? You still look a little pale. You sure you can work today? I can let Kaa-san know you're not up for it." The older woman narrowed her eyes. "Is that Hibari asshole working you to the ground again?"
Tsuna laughed awkwardly, pulling away from Rei. "No, I just got sick. I'm all better now."
Rei was like the older sister he never had, taking him in out of pity when he first applied for a job and immediately growing fond of him, and she wasn't the type to not butt in if Tsuna's health and life were on the line. With her dyed purple hair and petite frame, Rei could probably strangle a grown man twice her size if Tsuna got so much as a paper cut. Vaguely, he wondered how she'd react if he had a pack of crazy gods to handle, not that she or her mother knew about his abilities. The less people knew, the better.
Unconvinced but too short on time to push, Rei just raised a brow and sighed. "What to do with you, Tsuna, what to do."
Tsuna smiled slightly. "I ask myself the same question." He yelped when she flicked his forehead.
"Just go change before I kick you out."
Tsuna didn't need to be reminded a second time. Exchanging polite greeting with other waiters as he headed for the changing room, he nearly tripped in his haste navigating the brightly-lit hallways. After changing into a black shirt and pants, Tsuna tied a small black apron around his waist and quickly blended in with the staff. His body and lips moved on autopilot, greeting customers and maneuvering around tables like he hadn't taken an unexpectedly long break.
Time passed quickly while he worked; he was almost done with his shift when he passed the bar and someone tapped his shoulder. Turning with a polite greeting dancing on the tip of his tongue, Tsuna stopped himself short, his eyes going wide. "Y—What are you doing here?"
Dressed impeccably in Verde's suit, Lal Mirch smirked at him. "What, we can't get a drink?"
Christ, all of them were here—Fon, Verde, and even Viper, who had changed out of their long cloak into one of Verde's suit with the addition of a small hood wrapped around their shoulder and over their head. A fancy clasp rested underneath the collar, the engraving unfamiliar, but Tsuna doubted it would hold any sway here in Japan. Each of them had a drink in front of them; only Lal Mirch's was touched while Fon had tea instead of whiskey.
"I—Where were you?" Tsuna said, already regretting the question.
Fon tilted his head. "Have you missed us, Tsunayoshi?" His lips quirked into a small smile. "I had thought you wanted us gone."
Tsuna just bit his tongue before he would embarrass himself further. Unfortunately, Rei barged in on the moment, her eyes curious. "Hey, Tsuna," she said, wiping some glass. "You know them?" She laughed breathlessly. "Gotta say though, they don't look like the kind of people you'd get friendly with."
Lal Mirch looked back and forth between them, perfectly casual in taking a sip from her drink. "You know her, Tsuna?" She knew, Tsuna realized, but she was gauging the extent of their relationship, trying to see if Rei would be a threat. It was obviously ridiculous and Tsuna was seriously done with their games.
"She's my boss," Tsuna said dryly. "And they're just some of Hibari-san's acquaintances, Rei-san."
"Oh," she said, blushing when she glanced at Fon. Tsuna didn't want to know, though he supposed Fon looked a little nicer than Hibari. Oh god, where did that come from? "Well, nice to meet you all! Let me know if you need anything!"
Silently, Tsuna snuck away to the last table of his shift, apologizing for the wait and handing the check to a father of two. He left him to deliberate the payment with his wife, sensing eyes on his back. Ignoring them, he went out of his way to clean an empty table after a co-worker whisked the dirty plates away in a gray bin. He cleaned slowly, taking his time so he wouldn't have to face the inevitable again. After wiping the whole table twice, Tsuna finally straightened himself and walked down the small aisle when someone suddenly said, "Hey."
A bit miffed from the rude greeting, Tsuna suppressed a sigh. Instead, he tensed when he faced the familiar face of Kurokawa Hana, the journalist from Namimori Times. She didn't look any more different from the last time he met her, though there were hints of dark circles underneath her piercing eyes. When Tsuna glanced at her table, he noticed she was alone and that she had only ordered a salad with carrot ginger dressing that was barely touched.
"Good evening," he finally worked out. "Is there anything you need, ma'am?"
Hana waved him off. "There's no need for formalities." She glanced at her watch then back at Tsuna; the knowing look in her eyes made shivers crawl up his spine. "Do you have some time to talk?"
Tsuna pursed his lips, his polite visage slipping a bit. "You knew I work here and when my shift ends."
Hana shrugged, unashamed at being caught. It was both admirable and frustrating nonetheless. "I came for some answers, off the record."
Tsuna raised a brow. "Off the record? How do you know if I have the answers you want?"
"I've seen you a few times at crime scenes before. I'm surprised others haven't yet." Hana eyed him up and down, making him feel awfully exposed, before her gaze settled on his face again, critical. "You just don't look like an officer and Hibari isn't a man who likes asking for help."
Tsuna bit his tongue from licking his lips. The nervous tic would give him away and he wouldn't give the journalist that satisfaction. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the family of four leaving and returned their smiles when their eyes met, though his mouth felt stiff. "I have to grab a check," he said.
Hana nodded. "I can wait."
When Tsuna was several steps away from Hana's table, which was huddled in the far corner of the restaurant, he finally let himself breathe, reveling in what would probably the last bit of freedom before he returned to the hungry beast. He grabbed the check from the family's table and walked briskly to the bar, handing it to Rei so she could put it in the register, which she had full control of.
Before he could realize what he was doing, he stalked towards the four Arcobaleno at the edge of the bar closest to the entrance. Fon noticed him first and smiled before Lal Mirch gave him a casual wave and Verde nodded imperceptibly in acknowledgement, scribbling away as usual in his notebook. Viper merely inclined their head, still wary but noted Tsuna's presence in their own quiet way. It was a strange but comforting image, and that only made Tsuna feel even worse.
"You ready to go?" Lal Mirch said, downing her glass inelegantly. "We got a car now." She smiled crookedly, jabbing a thumb at Viper who was clearly displeased. "Thank Viper later. They're the only one with actual money. Loaded as hell." She gave Viper a pointed look at that. Tsuna had a feeling it must've been awfully difficult for Viper to part with their money but he didn't have time to think about that.
Viper huffed. "I expect compensation after."
Lal Mirch rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Before she could stand, Tsuna reached out and grabbed her hand, startling both of them, though the reaction was more subdued for Lal Mirch with her special suit on. A coy smile curled on her lips. "My, Tsuna, all you had to do was ask. What is it?"
Tsuna flushed despite himself, ignoring some curious stares around him, and he was pretty sure Fon looked close to whisking him away from the spot. Swallowing his anxiety, he forced himself to speak, "I need some of your, um, flame stuff."
Verde paused in his writing. "Why?" His eyes flitted to the corner of the restaurant. "Is there something you need?"
Lal Mirch slowly sat back down, her eyes serious. "What's wrong, Tsuna?"
"Nothing you need to worry about." Tsuna sighed. "Just help me calm down, even if it's for two seconds."
"What's wrong, Tsuna?"
Alright, Tsuna tried. He fucking tried, okay? It wasn't like he asked them what they did all day. He needed a drink, he thought solemnly. Tsuna let Lal Mirch go. "Never mind. I'm good now." He didn't make any attempt to hide the bitterness in his tone. "Don't try to follow me. I'll be back in half an hour or so." Hopefully, sane.
But before he left, Lal Mirch clasped a hand on his shoulder and the familiar trickle of Rain Flames spread across his body. "Half an hour," she said.
Fon smiled slightly. "Or we will go to you."
Tsuna found all of this suspicious but just muttered "thanks" under his breath and left the bar. He was pretty sure the customers thought he was rejected by the beautiful foreign lady, which was embarrassing on its own if some men's sympathetic chuckles were anything. Ignoring them, Tsuna straightened his shoulders, took a deep breath, and returned to Hana's table. The woman was halfway through her salad when he plopped down across from her. She placed her fork down on the plate with a small clink.
"Thanks for coming back," she said in that dry tone of hers.
Tsuna could feel the last wisps of Lal Mirch's Rain Flames leaving him but remained composed for the most part. He'd see how long that last. "What do you want, Kurokawa-san?"
Hana's lips slightly twitched. "You got some bite after all."
Did he really look that weak? Tsuna breathed softly through his nose, betraying nothing but a slight tick. "If this is about the Butcher case, then I have nothing to tell you."
"I told you, everything's off the record," Hana said.
"How can I trust you on that?"
"Sawada—can I call you that?" Hana didn't give Tsuna the chance to answer. "I just want the truth. I'm sure there are some things you want to know, too. The police hasn't gotten any leads so far with the current sprees but sometimes they get lucky." She fixed him with a pointed stare. "Very lucky."
Tsuna's hand twitched with the need to grip something, anything, to anchor himself but he resisted. "And how am I involved in this?"
"You tell me." Hana laced her hands together above her chin. "As I said, I've seen you four times in previous crime scenes, including the one with Tachibana Chisa two days ago. I find it hard to believe how you're not involved. Hibari must've had some good reason to think you're useful enough to keep around."
"Is this the part where you say that you've looked into me?" Tsuna said dryly.
Hana huffed lightly. "Why bother asking?" She sobered up immediately. "Even if I did look into you, nothing really stands out. You're awfully average." She reached out for her cup of water and swirled it languidly with her hand, the motion elegant. "Though there was an incident that happened in high school that seemed pretty interesting." Tsuna tensed. "In your second y—"
"I apologize, Kurokawa-san," Tsuna said, "but that's not something you can use against me to talk."
Hana raised a brow but didn't push. "Okay. So then tell me, what do you exactly do for the police?" She glanced at the Arcobaleno sitting at the bar, unperturbed when they looked back. "Do they have something to do with it? Who are they?"
Tsuna briefly met Verde's calculating gaze before turning to Hana. "I'm not at liberty to say," he said, drawing her attention back to him. "And I'm not the one you should look to for answers, Kurokawa-san."
"You said that Ashida Megumi wasn't a suicide." The sudden change in topic made Tsuna jolt, but Hana didn't give him the chance to adjust. "She clearly jumped from the roof and there was no one else in the building while she worked overtime. CCTV footage showed no one entering or leaving the Rokudo Corp building. Tell me, what line of thinking made you think that is wasn't a suicide?"
"Ashida-san had a happy life," Tsuna snapped. "She had a fiancée, her friends and co-workers loved her, and her job was stable. None of them indicates that she was thinking of suicide or even depressed."
"Nakamura Keiji was happily married with two kids," Hana countered. "He had a successful business, was in the middle of a billion-yen contract in Saudi Arabia, his children stirred no trouble, and he hanged himself the day before his oldest daughter graduated from university. There's no telling what goes on in any of these people's minds unless you're a mind-reader. What makes you so certain that Ashida didn't jump willingly? She might have had her doubts and insecurities." She quirked a brow, challenging Tsuna to come up with a sensible answer of his own against that.
He bit back a sigh. How many fuck-ups was that today? He blinked and briefly saw Erisa's head staring back at him. When he blinked again, he was back at the restaurant, surrounded by the sound of clinking dishes and chattering customers. Hana stared at him blankly, not mentioning his small relapse. Tsuna was certain that she was cataloguing everything he did and said anyways.
"Ashida-san didn't commit suicide," Tsuna said.
"Why do you think so?"
Taking a small breath, Tsuna prayed that Kusakabe would forgive him for this. "She was missing her head."
He was a bit satisfied when Hana widened her eyes. "What?"
"Did you look into the next victim?"
Hana scowled. "No, you don't just move on from that. What do you mean her head's missing?"
Tsuna didn't bat an eye. "It's very obvious what I mean, Kurokawa-san. Moving on, did you look into the next victim?"
Hana narrowed her eyes but most likely sensed that Tsuna wouldn't budge. "Tachibana Chisa? Yeah."
"They were friends."
"I know. They were childhood friends with two other women since elementary school." Hana scowled. "And I've checked this morning with Umeki Erisa but she's not in her apartment. Hasn't shown up to work either."
Tsuna pinched his leg to keep himself from giving it all up, that Erisa was dead and it was all his fault. He glanced at the clock to distract himself. Only 12 minutes had passed—how? For a fleeting second, he thought about excusing himself and going back to the bar where another hell waited for him. But maybe meeting Hana here was a small chance that he could right his wrong? Despite not liking her, Tsuna had some kind of grudging respect for what she did. He just wasn't sure if she had the capacity to understand or believe in the world he came from.
"There was an incident when they were young," he said.
Hana nodded. "Hit-and-run at a birthday party. Ashida's."
Tsuna shouldn't be surprised that she already knew. Guess she got most of her grounds covered. "Yes. Kageyama Ayame was killed back then. She had a twin sister, Aika, who committed suicide two months ago." Hana nodded, encouraging him to continue while trying to piece the information together herself. Tsuna's lips marginally twitched. She wouldn't be able to find the connection, and even if she did, she would dismiss it as too farfetched. "Ashida Megumi was the first one to be killed. Next Tachibana Chisa. And now, you say that Umeki Erisa is missing." It pained Tsuna to speak her name but it was a cross he was willing to bear.
Hana furrowed her brows. "They were all there on the day of the accident. What, are you saying that the driver suddenly wanted to finish the whole business of killing little girls?" Tsuna winced at the callous words but Hana continued anyways, "It's been more than 20 years since the accident, and plus, the driver is in a senior care facility in Tokyo. Has been for the last 13 years."
I don't see the connection, went unsaid.
"I've also checked in on the last woman, Ogawa Kasumi. She's in Korea covering a story." Hana pursed her lips, taking another sip of water. "Has been for the past few weeks. I haven't told her yet but she probably knows."
Tsuna sagged in his seat in positive relief. Good, that was good. Apparently, Grievers didn't travel long distances for their victims. That could give him some time to think about capturing Aika and preventing another death. His heart skipped a beat in his chest. He wouldn't mess up. Not this time.
"Back to Ashida, where's her—"
"When will she be back?" Tsuna said, trying to keep himself from sounding desperate.
Pursing her lips, Hana glanced at her watch. "Tonight. She should have landed by now."
Everything suddenly became cold. Tsuna felt every muscle in his body seize. "Where is she?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
"What?"
Tsuna gritted his teeth. "Where is she?"
Hana blinked, slightly taken aback from his hard tone, but quickly regained her composure. "Why? Does this have to do with—"
Letting out an aggravated groan, Tsuna abruptly stood up and dashed to the bar. They had no time. He reached Verde first, making the man raise a brow but still look up from his notebook. "What's wro—"
"Ogawa Kasumi," Tsuna said. "She might've just arrived in Japan now. Can you track her?"
Verde glanced over Tsuna's shoulder before looking back at him. "Then I suppose it's time we leave."
Lal Mirch quickly took the wheel with Verde in the passenger seat. Fon barely closed the door in time when Lal Mirch stepped on the gas, pulling out of their parking spot and driving out onto the street, tires screeching. Tsuna yelped, falling over Viper's lap, and mumbled his apologies. After getting settled in-between them and Fon, he hastily put on his seatbelt while Verde brought up coordinates from his watch.
A picture of Ogawa Kasumi briefly flickered on the holographic coordinates. There was nothing remarkable about her. She was plain-faced with straight brown hair and wore horn-rimmed glasses. A blue dot pulsed on the map, tracking her movements.
"She's currently in Kokuyo," Verde said. "Most likely in a car from the speed she's traveling."
"How long will it take to reach her?" Tsuna said tersely.
"We're 40 minutes from her current location."
Lal Mirch sped through a red light, swerving the black van from getting hit by several honking cars. She looked all too lax at the wheel. "Make that 20," she said.
A pair of lips brushed against Tsuna's ear, making him jump. "Are you alright, Tsunayoshi?" Fon said quietly.
"I'm fine," Tsuna said, fishing out his phone. He paused when he noticed several missed calls from Kusakabe and a concerned text from Rei. "I just need to call Kusakabe-san."
The man picked up before the first ring. "Sawada-san, are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm fine. I was at work."
Kusakabe had the decency to sound a bit ashamed. "Ah, yes. I apologize for—"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Kusakabe-san, but we need to get to Ogawa Kasumi now." Tsuna rocked to the side when Lal Mirch made a sharp right and muttered another apology to Viper when he bumped into their shoulder. "She just came back from Korea and—Where is she now, Verde?"
"Near an intersection on—" Verde paused.
"What?" Tsuna hissed. His heart threatened to burst from his chest and if Lal Mirch made another fucking turn again like that, he was going to scream.
"She changed course," Verde said mildly. "She's currently heading to Kokuyo Land."
"Shit."
"Language," Lal Mirch said, speeding past another green light. "Do you think we can get one of those police sirens on top? Probably make these idiots get the message that some people are in a rush."
"Don't run anyone over," Tsuna said, clicking his tongue.
"I'm sorry did you just—"
Tsuna quickly cut Kusakabe off. "Kokuyo Land. I think the Griever got to her. If you can, call for backup." He paused for a second. "I'm sorry for being rude, Kusakabe-san, but we need to save Ogawa-san and we don't have time."
"It's fine. I'll meet you there. Keep me posted, Sawada-san, and be careful."
"I will."
"Stop shoving your watch in my face," Lal Mirch said. "I can see fine from here."
"Perhaps I should've thought about installing a separate interface to connect with the car's windshield," Verde murmured, ignoring Lal Mirch's jab. "You should turn left here and take a local road. The traffic is heavy tonight."
Tsuna instinctively grabbed onto Fon's arm for purchase when Lal Mirch swerved left, ignoring the honking from other cars. He mumbled his umpteenth apology that night but Fon just smiled at him. "It's alright," he said. "I am here for you, Tsunayoshi."
"Don't start anything back there," Lal Mirch said, following Verde's calm directions.
Viper wrinkled their nose. "I'm not paying for any replacements or repairs."
Thankfully, they arrived at the abandoned amusement park before either of the Arcobaleno could respond. Tsuna quickly followed Fon out and looked around wildly to find Kasumi, but all he saw were run-down ticket booths, broken rides, and strewn trash all over the cement. A sudden presence appeared by his side. It was Aika, her eyes wide and terrified.
"H—Help her!" she cried out. "I couldn't stop her from going inside!"
"Can you show us?" Tsuna said.
Aika shook her head. "No! I can't! It's too scary!" She pointed towards one of the roller coasters and vanished. Tsuna took one step before Fon grabbed his wrist.
"What is your plan, Tsunayoshi?"
Tsuna gaped at him. "You're asking for a plan now? We don't have time for this!"
"Viper can bring us there in an instant," Verde said, tucking his notebook away inside his suit. "Then we can go from there."
"No," Viper said. "I'm not getting involved in this."
Tsuna snatched their wrist with a glare. "You're here anyways. Take us there or else I'll strangle you in your sleep."
Lal Mirch snorted while Viper stared at Tsuna for a good minute. Finally, they sighed. "I expect compensation after."
In an instant, everything warped. Tsuna stumbled when they reached solid ground again, almost falling over if Fon hadn't kept him steady. The man smiled slightly at him. "Thank you," he said before sprinting forward.
Kasumi stood some feet away from them, clearly in a daze, when something flickered in the shadows. It was Aika, the Griever. Before it could reach Kasumi, Fon kicked it towards the Helix Loop, breaking several wooden foundations in the process. Loud booms echoed in the air as the coaster crumbled to the ground in shambles. A billow of dust swept across the area, transforming into purple butterflies before it could reach them.
Tsuna looked down to see that he was still holding onto Viper's wrist. Lal Mirch briefly patted his shoulder then summoned her gauntlet, launching a wire to jerk Kasumi back. Tsuna winced at the rough treatment. "Why couldn't you just—Fon!"
Three strange creatures leapt from a funhouse nearby, snarling and bearing claws; they instantly turned into bubbles before they could touch Fon. Viper clicked their tongue. "We're not alone," they said.
Kasumi groaned, blinking away her lulling spell. She widened her eyes as she looked around frantically. "W—Where am I?"
"No time for that," Lal Mirch said. "Take us out, Viper."
Viper pursed their lips. "I can't."
"What do you—"
Several growls sounded from all around them, making Tsuna and Kasumi flinch. Small dog-like beasts with long, squashed-up noses and no eyes crawled on top of the funhouse and game stands. Some crept from underneath the rubble of the roller coaster, snarling and snapping their sharp teeth. Kasumi whimpered and closed her eyes. Tsuna felt like doing the same but held his ground. He swallowed audibly, his throat clicking.
"They're Berserkers," Lal Mirch said tightly. Though her tone was leveled, it was the closest to anger she could muster while wearing Verde's suit. "How many people die in a damn amusement park? Don't even answer that, Verde."
Verde quickly took a hold of Tsuna's hand and constructed a green barrier around them just as the Berserkers leapt for them; they screeched in agonizing pain. More Berserkers bounded for them, slamming into the crackling barricade more furiously.
"I think a plan would be best," Fon said, still with that insufferable smile on his face.
"I'm all ears," Lal Mirch deadpanned.
Kasumi screamed when a Berserker leapt close to her face, only to be electrocuted by Verde's barrier. "W—What the hell is going on? What is that thing?"
Tsuna could only give her a sympathetic frown, not knowing what to say. Green electricity fizzed around the dome as more and more Berserkers slammed into the barrier like mindless drones.
"Why can't you just take us out, Viper?" Lal Mirch said.
Viper sighed. "There's something keeping us in. These Berserkers have been contained here for years." They frowned. "Someone has been luring them here. Berserkers aren't intelligent enough to come together like this or cooperate in groups."
"Did Aika know they'd be here?" Tsuna said.
"A—Aika?" Kasumi said, her eyes wide. "Kageyama Aika? Please, someone tell me what's going on!" She yelped when a Berserker rammed close to her head again.
"They were hidden well," Viper said. "Otherwise, the Griever wouldn't have chosen this place."
Lal Mirch narrowed her eyes. "Well, we can't stay here forever."
"Touch me, Tsunayoshi," Fon said, holding out his hand. "I can destroy them."
"And blow up the whole place?" Lal Mirch said, raising brow. "No point. They're just going to come back anyways unless you and Tsuna did us dirty."
Fon's smile tightened slightly. "Then do you have other ideas?"
"No."
Verde's jaw clenched when sudden hordes of Berserkers slammed into the barrier all at once. "I've only been able to hold up the barrier this long by conserving as much little space as I can. I'm not at full-capacity to keep it up any longer."
"Viper, distract them!" Lal Mirch said, gripping Tsuna's shoulder. "Got a count?"
Verde pursed his lips. "Now." Timing it right, he released the barrier, expanding it rapidly on all sides to push leaping Berserkers away and electrocuting them at once. His palm was slightly clammy in Tsuna's hand.
Viper raised their arm in a wave, letting airborne Berserkers fall into tiny black holes and transporting them elsewhere. "They'll come back," they said indifferently.
"There's too many to even purify," Lal Mirch said, aiming her gauntlet at more approaching creatures. "If we survive this"—she gave Tsuna a look that he ignored—"I want to get laid."
Several clinks sounded from her weapon before she shot a volley of bullets at the Berserkers. They hissed and shrieked as Lal Mirch shot a wire towards the balcony of the funhouse and leapt in the air. Fon brushed his fingers against Tsuna's hand and dashed forward to support Lal Mirch, spinning in the air to land a hard kick on a Berserker that tried to reach for her leg.
Sharp cracks emitted from the broken roller coaster before several wooden needles pierced a horde of Berserkers, pinning them brutally to the ground. They snarled and wriggled underneath the spikes. Fon hopped on them like small steps then landed in front of Tsuna in a crouch, startling him. "How much should I hold back, Verde?"
Verde glanced at Lal Mirch, who ran along the balcony railings and flipped onto the dingy roof, letting two Berserkers slam into each other in their over-eager haste. "Don't," he said. "I can hold it."
Nodding, Fon suddenly swooped Tsuna into his arms, making him yelp in surprise. "What are you—"
"Apologies, Tsunayoshi," Fon said. "I will need you for this."
Verde immediately raised a barrier around himself and Viper. Kasumi gasped and held onto him unconsciously, burying her face against the scientist's back. A rush of wind rippled through Tsuna's hair until Fon swiftly landed next to Lal Mirch on the roof. Raising a glowing hand, Fon aimed it at the Berserkers scrabbling futilely against Verde's crackling barricade and released a burst of red flames. Tsuna hid his face against Fon's chest, clutching onto him tightly. A dull roar resounded in his ears and he could still feel the heat of Fon's Storm Flames on his skin after they disappeared.
Fon hummed under his breath in mild approval. The dark gleam in his eyes made Tsuna involuntarily shiver. "I suppose that will do," he said. "We should leave before they regenerate again."
Tsuna glanced at the ground and cringed, wrinkling his nose from the scent of decay and smoke. Were Fon's flames actually like fire? The Berserkers left nothing but scorch marks behind; most of them twitched their limbs uselessly like flailing fish and Tsuna could see some black sludge slowly moving across the cement, trying to come together again.
Fon and Lal Mirch both leapt to the ground and headed towards the other half of the group.
"Do we have anything on our current status?" Lal Mirch said, her gauntlet disappearing. "Anything other than we might've fallen into a trap?"
Verde briefly pulled up some holograms from his watch that prompted Kasumi to widen her eyes and step closer to get a better view. A small static sounded from the green screens. "This is a dead-zone. I'm unable to get any connections." He let the holograms disappear and dropped his hand to his side. "It's most likely a spiritual disturbance."
Lal Mirch pursed her lips. "Viper?"
"What?"
"You help us, we live, and you get money. We die, no money. So fess up. What's your reading?"
Viper sighed. Tsuna had seriously underestimated how much money meant to them. It was honestly revolting. "Other than our pathetic power levels, there's another thing keeping the Berserkers alive. If you look closer"—Viper brushed their fingers fleetingly against Tsuna's neck, making the brunet shiver against Fon's chest, and held up a hand to conjure a small glow of light. A twitching arm levitated from the ground and floated closer to it—"each Berserker is claimed."
Tsuna frowned. "What does that mean?"
"This is a Ravager's territory," Verde said. "Their claim mark connects them to the Berserkers, giving them control. There would've been no chance to purify them either way. As long as the Ravager lives, these Berserkers will keep coming back."
"So where is it?" Lal Mirch said, looking around the abandoned amusement park. "Enough games already. Cut the crap and come out." She narrowed her eyes. "We'll play nice and dirty, just the way you like."
There was no answer. Tsuna's breath hitched when he saw a flicker of Ayame in the distance. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Kasumi gasped, taking a step forward. "A—Ayame?" she whispered.
Suddenly the lights turned on with a loud clang, making her and Tsuna flinch. Low snarls came from the ground. The Berserkers were re-assembling again.
"Ayame, what are you doing?" Tsuna said, wriggling out of Fon's arms. Lal Mirch held him back by the shoulder. "Get out of here!"
Something long and black shot out of a dilapidated mirror house and wrapped around Ayame's neck, then wrenched her back. Tsuna's eyes widened in horror. The little girl screamed and choked, legs flailing, before the chain dragged her inside. "Ayame!"
"We need to move," Lal Mirch said.
Kasumi trembled. "W—Why is—What—Ayame…"
Tsuna gripped her arm to keep her anchored but she didn't react. "We have to go, Ogawa-san."
Her gauntlet reappearing again, Lal Mirch aimed bullets at the ground. "Viper, move us somewhere else. Now."
The sound of engines throttled from their right before police cars drove inside Kokuyo Land and stopped short some feet away. Tsuna's blood ran cold. "The police," he said weakly. "I called Kusakabe here. We need to warn them!"
What was there to do? He had to protect the police but he also had to find Ayame. Nothing was going right. Kasumi suddenly wrenched away from Tsuna's grasp and dashed to the cars.
Tsuna's breath hitched. "No, wait!" Fon held him back by the shoulder. The soft snarls grew louder.
Viper clicked their tongue. "Now we're all stuck here."
Kusakabe and several police officers exited their vehicles just as Kasumi collapsed into an officer's arms, sobbing hysterically. "Take me away!" she said. "Take me home! Please!"
"Sawada-san!" Kusakabe said. "Are you—"
"Don't!" Tsuna said, but it was too late.
Lal Mirch sprinted forward just as Verde erected another barrier around them. The Berserkers launched themselves from the ground, claws gleaming, and snarled. They sniffed the air and Tsuna tensed then they turned towards the police. "No! Kusakabe-san, get away!"
Hibari met the scrambling Berserkers head-on with his tonfas. Gunfire and screams tore through the air. Tsuna couldn't tell which were human.
"Verde," Fon said before a small hole in the barrier let him free. It closed up immediately when he dashed towards Lal Mirch, who kicked a Berserker against a car, toppling both of them over.
Fon slammed his knee against another Berserker and disappeared in a blur. Blood spilled quickly across the pavement. Officers fell with terrified screams, the Berserkers tearing into them like wild animals. Tsuna turned to Viper with a glare. "Why can't you just make them disappear?" he said.
Viper betrayed nothing. "Because they're going to come back anyways. We've entered a trap and there's no way out for us until we find the one who's pulling the strings."
"They're killing them!"
"They're good distraction."
Tsuna could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Verde, why didn't you protect them with a barrier?"
"I can't keep up more than one barrier without risking poor stability," Verde said dryly.
Tsuna yelped when Lal Mirch suddenly appeared and dumped an unconscious Kasumi inside the barrier. "I'm borrowing some juice, Verde," she said, grabbing Tsuna and hauling him over her shoulder. "Hold off a bit."
The brunet yelped when she leapt into the air, booting a Berserker away. She landed on top of a police car, crushing the hood, and tossed Tsuna to Fon, who was already waiting for him. As soon as they traded, they separated in different directions, letting some Berserkers follow their trail. In a nauseating rush of speed, Fon kicked a Berserker towards a small horde, knocking them away from several fallen officers. Tsuna paled at the protruding bones and spilled guts. Half of the officers were already dead.
"We can't keep this up," Lal Mirch said, appearing briefly at their side. Her hair was wildly wind-swept. She aimed her gauntlet at the Berserkers and fired several bullets, making them hiss. "It's better if we leave them, Tsuna."
"What?" Tsuna croaked out as Fon landed on the ground. "We can't."
Lal Mirch gave him a look. "We should leave them. There's nothing we can do. We're useless since we're not Harmonized and throwing you around like a sack of potatoes clearly isn't working. We got what you wanted." She gestured at Kasumi behind Verde's quivering barrier.
Tsuna stared at her, horrified. When he looked past her shoulder, he saw Hibari and Kusakabe still standing with a few officers, fending off Berserkers with their weapons. How could everything just go horribly wrong?
"Help them," he muttered.
Lal Mirch raised a brow. "What?"
Tsuna wrenched himself away from Fon's arms and pushed the man towards Hibari's direction. "Help them!"
Wordlessly, Fon appeared in front of a bleeding Hibari, struck a Berserker with his palm, and turning elegantly to kick another horde away. Hibari briefly glowered at him before slamming another Berserker with his tonfas and a third one with a clever uppercut. The man sported a long gash on his side but still fought like a one-man army. Tsuna flinched when Lal Mirch grabbed his arm. "Miracles probably do happen," she said before hurtling him to the roof of the funhouse.
Verde's barrier fell as a swarm of Berserkers leapt for them. Tsuna gaped as they descended. "No!"
A strong arm suddenly caught him, pulling him close to a firm chest, before a sharp gunshot rang in the air. Several streaks of light pierced through the Berserkers, obliterating them in an instant. Their screams faded out with bursts of burning light, making Tsuna cover his eyes. His legs felt weak, and he nearly stumbled if the man holding him didn't support him by the waist.
"Chaos."
A/N *sniff* I smell a boss battle incoming… (And nothing's going right. Actually, it's getting worse.)
Thank you so much to my wonderful beta, nico, for helping me through this mess of a chapter! And also thanks to assasin8 for keeping me straight.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.
Have a lovely day~
Little Miss Bunny