I.

"You have a crush on that girl, don't you, Dame-Tsuna?"

"… Hah?"Zero sneered, giving Tsuna the impression that if Zero had eyes they'd be rolling so hard."In that Hitman's fucking dream maybe! You haven't had a shitty crush on Miss Sparkles since the fifth grade! Does that Hitman have fucking eyes?! It's fucking obvious that you don't feel jack shit towards Miss Sparkles!"

"I used to, but, not anymore," Tsuna admitted with a shrug. "Ever since I became friends with her brother, I see Kyoko-chan as nothing more than a sister."

Reborn smirked and as Leon changed into a bright, green gun and began waving it around. "It's not good to lie to me, Dame-Tsuna. I can read minds, you know."

"HAH! What a load of bullshit! If he could really 'read minds' then he'd already know just how fucked up your head is with the incredible me occupying it! And why the fuck is he calling you 'Dame-Tsuna'?! You haven't been called that in years!"

"I'm not lying to you, Reborn-san," Tsuna said, repeating his earlier statement, "I really don't have a crush on Kyoko-chan anymore."

Reborn stared at the brunet with a blank, calculating gaze that had Zero's metaphorical ears perk up – if he had been a dog or another kind of animal that is – in suspicion and wariness.

"Kid…,"Zero warned, voice unusually serious, causing Tsuna to tense at the sudden severity of it, "You need to run. Now!"

Zero had never steered him wrong before and Tsuna knew that wouldn't change anytime soon. So he listened and ran, darting past a still blank-faced Reborn and sprinting down the street, still not entirely sure why Zero told him to run but not really caring at the moment.

"Duck!"

Tsuna did so and felt… something fly centimeters where his head had been. There was a loud crack as whatever it was impacted a nearby wall.

"It was a fucking bullet," Zero growled from the confines of Tsuna's head. "That Brat is firing real, goddamn bullets at you! What the fuck?!"

"I wonder," Reborn said casually as he popped out of a manhole cover just feet in front of the brunet, voice light and carefree as if he were discussing the weather, "why you are not the way your father described you to be. Slow. Clumsy. Below average grades. No respect or friends. Why are you not the way he claimed you to be?"

"HOW THE FLYING FUCK SHOULD WE KNOW?! THAT FUCKING BASTARD OF A FATHER YOU HAVE HASN'T BEEN HOME IN FUCKING EIGHT YEARS!"

"I'm sorry, Reborn-san," Tsuna said, pirouetting away from another bullet at the yelled warning of Zero, "I'm not all that close with my father – don't really remember him at all, really." He turned on his heel and took off down the narrowed alleyway that would lead to the Shopping District.

"Wait, Kid! Don't go straight! Hop the chain-link fence on your left!"

Tsuna did and found himself landing in the dusty dirt of a small playground. He blinked and looked around. "Oh… I remember this place, it's where Kyoko-chan and I would come and play at sometimes after school…"

"NO TIME FOR REMINISCING KID! THAT BABY HITMAN IS RIGHT ABOVE US!"

Tsuna threw himself forward and into a roll before jumping up, only to find his feet tangled in a coil of rope that tripped him and sent him sprawling to the ground.

"SHIT, SHIT! MY BAD KID! I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT FUCKING ROPE TRAP WAS THERE!"

"It's okay, Zero," Tsuna soothed, "I didn't break anything."

"THAT'S NOT WHY I'M CURRENTLY FREAKING THE FUCK OUT, KID!"

There was the sound of a gun being cocked, and Tsuna looked up to see Reborn standing over him – Leon-gun aimed in between his eyes.

"… Vongola Intuition," Reborn murmured, shadowed eyes peering down at Tsuna with renewed interest. "Tell me, when did you gain that ability, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna blinked twice in confusion. "… Huh? 'Vongola Intuition'…? What's that?"

Reborn hummed, lowering his gun for a moment. "… Interesting… you seem to be able to subconsciously use the Vongola Intuition but not to its' full ability…"

"Um, Zero? Any idea what he's talking about?" Tsuna asked. When there wasn't an immediate answer, a sliver of dread raced up his spine. "… Zero?"

"Tell me," Reborn's voice drew Tsuna's attention back to the hitman. "If you were the die at this very moment, what would be your biggest regret?"

'Losing Zero.' Tsuna thought.

"Losing my friends," Tsuna answered instead.

"I see…," Reborn raised the gun and placed the barrel against Tsuna's forehead. "Keep that thought in mind as you die, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

Then he pulled the trigger and Tsuna died.

.

.

.

II.

Reborn didn't like surprises, unless it was him pulling the surprise on unsuspecting victims.

He liked having all information, all the cars to play, so when he realized that Sawada Tsunayoshi was the complete opposite of what his file said, Reborn was furious.

Furious, but intrigued at the same time.

If Sawada Tsunayoshi was truly not as Dame as his information had implied, then that would be that his job would be much easier – although far less enjoyable, not that he wouldn't be able to make any job fun for him.

He lowered his Leon-gun and hopped off and away from his, potential, student's body, waiting for the brunt's regrets to take effect and cause him to awaken once more.

His student did awaken, though not in the sense that he had predicted.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes slowly, fluttered open – the burning, orange orbs staring blankly up at the morning sky, the very sight of the color causing Reborn to grip his Leon-gun in confusion and anticipation.

What…?

Tsuna slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, eyes still trained on the blue sky above. Eventually, he dragged his gazed down to his hands and Reborn noted that the brunet's brow was furrowed in bewilderment and awe. Finally, he brought his burning gaze up to stare at Reborn with fear and blossoming anger.

"What. The. Fuck did you do to me, you fucking Brat?"

.

.

.

III.

Zero was pissed.

Pissed and terrified.

Pissed because, here he was, actually able to feel and control Tsuna's body in a way that he hadn't be able to before.

Terrified because if he was here, controlling Tsuna's body, then where. The. Fuck. Was. Tsuna?!

"Kid?" He asked, mentally searching for the brunet. "Hey Kid! … Tsuna? H-Hey…! If you can hear me than let me know where the fuck you are!"

Nothing.

Zero let out a shaky breath, vision growing dark for a moment until he realized that he had to breathe. He took in a few, shallow breathes before clenching his fists and dragging his eyes up to the asshole of a hitman that had caused this entire mess.

"What. The. Fuck did you do to me, you fucking Brat?"

Reborn regarded Tsuna's body – or should he refer to himself as Zero because they were two entirely different people/voices! – coolly before saying. "… You aren't Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"No fucking shit, Brat," Zero drawled sarcastically. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Who are you?"

"On no, no, no, no, no. You don't get that answer until you tell me exactly what the fuck you did to me. Why the fuck am I in control of the Kid's body? AND WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO?!"

"Are you referring to Tsunayoshi?"

"OF COURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT TSUNA! WHO THE FUCK ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING ABOUT?!"

"… The Dying Will Bullet is a special type of bullet that will resurrect a person based off their Dying Will and regrets. If someone died without any regrets, then the bullet wouldn't work." Reborn tilted his head. "I had a feeling that Tsunayoshi wasn't telling me the entire truth when I asked him what he would regret if he were to die… but, tell me, what exactly was his regret."

Zero sighed and looked down at his hands. "… The Kid's one regret was losing me…"

"And who are you exactly?"

"Name's Zero. I'm that little voice in the back of the Kid's head that's kept him alive and thriving these past years."

"Vongola Intuition."

Zero stared at Reborn with a blank look. "I have no fucking idea what that is."

"It's an ability that's passed through blood that allows someone to have a heightened intuition or sixth sense." Reborn peered at Zero intently. "There isn't much detailed information about the Vongola's Intuition but I don't think there have been any mention of it having a personality…"

"That's because I'm so fucking awesome!"

Reborn frowned and shot at the brunet who managed to dodge the bullet but went down in a flurry of flailing limbs and squawks.

It was like dealing with Skull all over again…

"The fuck?! Why'd the fuck did you shoot at me, Brat?!"

"Your stupidity reminded me of someone and I acted on a reflex."

"What the fu-"

"Regardless, everything should go back to normal-"

"Don't you fucking ignore me you-"

"Right about-"

"Hey! Are you fucking listening to me you fucking Br-"

"Now."

Zero jerked abruptly and fell backwards, limp and unconscious.

.

.

.

IV.

Clawing back to consciousness was difficult.

His mind was throbbing and his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton and there was an incessant pounding in his eyes and he just felt like shit.

Damn… Zero's swearing was slowly rubbing off on him wasn't it…?

Tsuna groaned and managed to peel his eyes open after a few minutes of struggling.

It was dark and he was in his room, lying on his bed with his blankets pulled up to his chest. His throat felt dry and raw and he desperately wanted a cup of water-

"Here."

Tsuna turned his head and saw Reborn holding out a glass of water. "Th-Thank… you…," Tsuna managed to croak out as he grabbed the glass with trembling fingers and took a blissful, thirst-quenching sip. He cleared his throat, took a few more sips of water, and asked, "What… happened."

"An unexpected development," was Reborn's answer. "Tell me everything about Zero. When he appeared. What he's able to do. Anything and everything you can remember."

Tsuna sighed and placed the now-empty cup on his nightstand. "… Alright… but it's a long story."

"We have time."

"Okay… well, I first… 'met' Zero when he…"

I have no idea what I'm doing with this story. If any of you have any ideas or suggestions feel free to let me know.

And, as always, let me know what you all thought via Review or PM.