If you noticed that your eyes finally stopped bleeding from the grammar mistakes is because the WONDERFUL Sylvia-san betaed this chapter. You may thank her for all her hard work!
Thank you so much for the reviews, they mean a lot for me and I love and apreciate your comments and suggestions. :) (Thanks to: carrot-flavoured cookie - sorry if it's not your name- Amy-chan. And who reviewed as a guest.) If you would leave your name please so I can thank you ;)
Yes! I'm writting an AN, so?
Chapter 7 Poison
Poison Scorpion Bianchi was number one in the Mafia when it came to poisons, or used to be… because the latest rating marked her in an humiliating number two. Two!
The little upstart had developed a new toxin. It caused complete paralysis and intense pain for two hours before the subject either killed himself or their heart gave out, which led to their death. No pain medications or sedatives seem to stop the agony of the victims. Those painful symptoms appeared on the normal subjects. However, they found out that the venom had a strange side effect in flame wielders. Apart from the pain, it activated the flame inside the victim until it burned its holder to a crisp.
Bianchi found herself regretfully fascinated. Incensed by her dethronement from the position of the number one poison user, she searched for an antidote for the new poison, or at least a way to kill the bastard who dared to steal her first place with his venom. But she had promised Reborn to fetch that boy from Japan, and she could never refuse his love, anything.
'Well I could search for some ingredients while in Japan,' she thought, looking at the three syringes in her purse. While working for three weeks with Shamal and the best Vongola specialists, they had made a weak antidote that only prevented death but not the pain and paralysis. It had hurt their pride, hard.
She would show this little usurper what a true poison master could do.
'It Isn't as bad as I had imagined,' mused Gokudera, especially the one called Kusakabe Tetsuya; the second in command of that bloodthirsty lunatic. He was kind of… okay.
Gokudera was starting to understand that the Hibari bastard was powerful and had powerful connections. The day after finding Tsuna-sama, he hacked the records and found that all of Tsuna's reports and data were either deleted or in confidential status. He concluded that it had been the work of either the administrator or Hibari. There was no other explanation.
After the tonfa guy had almost crushed his skull and declared him his underling 'Che, the nerve of that bastard' , Kusakabe took him under his wing. He even gave him shelter in his own home, a pair of pants, a shirt he had grew out of, and had proceeded to explain the organization of the so called committee.
The group actually worked like a mix between a mafia in diapers and a vigilante group. It also made for the perfect cover when some suspicious nurse would ask the reason for him to always be besides Tsuna-sama. 'I was deployed here by Hibari' was a magical phrase for shutting up nosy people.
Kusakabe had also explained some ways he could make some money. One of them was by helping in the market as an errand boy. He seemed displeased when Gokudera told him that he would not attend school. Gokudera had made it perfectly clear that the only one he followed, was his Tsuna-sama. The other had stared long and hard at him and just nodded with a smile. Gokudera saw realization in the dark eyes. Then he remembered that this man had also vowed to follow another one through thick and thin. In the end, it had been a right hand-to right hand manly moment of bonding.
He had been working for a week now. The man in the fishery was happy for the help and Gokudera liked the silent man. He made deliveries to several restaurants and some houses in the morning, especially to his current destination: 'Takesushi'.
"Hey there! How can I help you?" Gokudera was startled when a man suddenly and silently appeared before him, his face in a cheery visage. "Ah…. I came to deliver this from Honda-san." He held up the package like a shield. The man had gotten into his space in a blink of an eye. He had not even sensed him!
"Oh, good, good… Hayate-kun, please come in. I need to return the container he lent me." He was always nervous around Yamamoto-san. There was a heavy aura around the man. It was like walking around a sleeping predator.
Gokudera eyed the small place. It was a family place; clean and airy. There were few decorations and the most distinct one was displayed on a wall. It was a photo of the man with two teenagers. The three of them were smiling widely at the camera. One was dressed in a kendo uniform, while the other had a baseball cap. It looked sickeningly sweet to Gokudera. He noticed someone enter through the back door. He blinked as he saw one of the teenagers from the photo.
"Ah! Hello!" Said the older one, he was tall and had neatly combed black hair and a cheery aura. The teenager looked in interest at Gokudera's shirt that said, 'Honda's Fishery'.
"You must be the new guy from Honda's! Everybody is happy with your work," beamed the black haired guy. Hayato tried to avoid the small pleased feeling at the words. The owner was a harsh taskmaster but very fair. "I'm Asari Yamamoto, and this is my little brother, Takeshi."
"Hey!" Hayato saw a new face. He could see the similarities between the two, but there was a difference. While the first had the same kind of dangerous air as Yamamoto-san, the other had all the characteristics and feeling of a carefree, naïve idiot; the kind that Gokudera couldn't stand.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Goda Hayate. Please take care of me," he said in his formal tone. He had a rude greeting at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't raise any suspicion. Goda Hayate was a shy, well-mannered boy; nothing more.
"Now! No need for formal stuff, Hayate-kun. These two are my sons. I asked them to help me today since we have a massive order for the evening," Yamamoto-san said. Gokudera took the container and a small brown-paper bag from Yamamoto-san. Gokudera now understood why the orders in the morning had been doubled. The younger kid was looking at him with interest and seemed intent in talking to him, but he ignored him. He should keep his head down and making friends would be detrimental to his cover.
"The small bag is for you. Those are some sweets from Nase-san. She has a daughter in the hospital and she said that she always sees you there with a small boy. Is he from your family?" the sushi-chef asked. Gokudera fought not to narrow his eyes or clench his jaw.
"Hai… He is a very important person to me." The other looked at him silently and deeply. Gokudera once more felt the dangerous aura from the man. He stayed calm and steady. He wasn't looking for problems after all. He just needed money to survive. Yamamoto-san apparently had stared enough because he gave him a pat on the back and smiled.
"Yes, protecting your loved ones is very important Hayate-kun." Gokudera nodded and hastily excused himself. "Take care. I will wait for you in the morning!"
Gokudera went out and started walking down the road until he noticed that he had forgotten the container. Grumbling, he went back and circumvented the front, planning to get inside through the backdoor as always.
He paused when he smelled a horrible stench. He knew that scent! That disgusting, putrid aroma! With careful movement, he took out a small pocket mirror and saw the eldest son of the sushi chef being dragged by a woman with purplish hair; a pink-purplish head that appeared constantly in his nightmares. Bianchi! Only seeing her back made his stomach clench. He was thankful now for Turmeric's desensitization therapy, but photos and videos couldn't compare to the real thing. He wasn't sure that he could resist puking if he saw her face…
What should he do? Follow her? Go to the hospital to Tsuna-sama? Had the Mafia caught him? Or it was a mere coincidence? He heard the footsteps leaving and clenched his jaw. He had looked unconscious, so maybe it was just a capture thing… His priority was Tsuna-sama. These people were of no concern to him. The small paper bag in his pocket reminded him of the warm smile and the cheery photo.
He turned around and ran inside the building. His loyalty was for Tsuna-sama, but he could at least inform the sushi-chef.
Giotto was dreaming once again. He was in a room he didn't recognize. He looked around and found three people inside. On the bed was a pale and tired-looking woman. Seated at his bedside was the image of the first mist guardian. He was holding the hand of the unconscious woman. Watching the scene and wearing a heavy frown was Primo. Giotto looked at his face. He was older than the last time he saw him and he looked tired.
'I won't let you destroy my beloved Elena's legacy, Primo…' whispered the mist guardian. 'We have a military force because it is needed. The Vongola doesn't belong to only you.'
'I'm not talking about something like that. I just don't want to reduce our numbers… This is getting out of hand, Daemon and you know it.''
I can't believe that you still cling to your naïve ideal. That way of thinking is the reason the allied families are claiming for Ricardo to take your place. You have been neglecting your duties…'
He saw Primo lower his gaze and nod in sadness. 'And you are being over-paranoid… I can't support this kind of Vongola… This is not the reason why we're fighting! If the family insists on walking this path, then… I'll step down and give the ring to Ricardo.'
'Mmm… and the contract with the shield?'
'I will maintain it of course… I won't let Elena carry all the burdens.'
'As long as you do it, you can do whatever you like. The Vongola won't fall without you, Primo,' said Daemon. Giotto frowned. The reason behind Primo's retirement was a secret and while everybody had its own theory, it seemed that this was the real one. He saw the dream-image of Primo getting closer to the bed and seated himself on the other chair.
'My Dear?' asked a tired voice and Giotto saw Elena opening her tired eyes, she seemed to be feverish.
'Yes, my beloved? How may I serve you?' whispered Daemon. The woman searched for his hand and then extended the other to Primo, who took it gently.
'Please… promise me...' she said in a tired whisper. 'Don't give up on our Vongola…Please, don't give up on our family…Promise me.' Daemon nodded gently. He gave her a soft kiss and then glared pointedly at Primo, who also gently squeezed the hand.
'Of course not, Elena…' The woman smiled gently, as if relieved and went to sleep once more. Primo seemed to be deep in contemplation for a while and then stared hard at Daemon, his eyes burning.
'Daemon, you told me once about your theory of reincarnation… How a soul can be tied to an object; can you explain it to me?' The mist guardian tensed for a moment as if caught in something, but then relaxed when he saw the face of Primo. He smiled in an amused way.
'Nufufu. Why are you asking me of the forbidden arts, Primo? This isn't like you.'
'I want to…'
"LAMBO-SAMA IS THE KING! HAHAHAHA!"
Giotto fell off his bed at the scream and rubbed his head, staring in confusion at the blue ceiling and the screaming outside his room.
"Lambo-chan! Don't run around naked! You're going to get a cold!" Giotto blinked at the commotion. 'That was Knuckle's little sister…' He sighed and looked at the ceiling. He suddenly felt very sleepy. His eyelids were heavy and closing, as if something inside him was urging him to sleep once more. He tried to wake up, but the heaviness became too much and he closed his eyes. Someone was calling for him.
"Stop pushing your weight on your hands! Use your legs!" Tsuna clenched his teeth. It was hard; harder than Reborn's training and Fon-sensei's training. It hurt like hell, too.
"Stop daydreaming! You're going to…! Ah!" His concentration slipped and so did his feet. He fell to the soft cushion under the parallel bars. He panted on the floor and stared in silent apology to his rehabilitation coach, like she wanted to be called. Kiri-san, his physical therapist, was gentle, but hard with him; pushing him until he felt the need to cry and beg for a respite.
"Once more?" he asked her and the woman looked reluctant, but nodded and helped him to once more get to the bars. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard… You're recovering nicely."
"I'm tired of being weak," he said in a whisper, forcing his legs to move. There was a prickly feeling at the back of his head and sometimes he could feel a pulling sensation in his wrist. Something was coming and it was bad…
"That's one turn. Now, try to turn around without support! That's it! Use the muscle! Not the knee!" He let go of the safety bars and frowned when his legs trembled at the additional weight. Ever since waking up, he had started to have dreams; dreams about his family. He saw his family members dying and suffering, over and over until he woke up with a strangled cry and pajamas soaked in sweat.
He had accepted that the strange dream about that Capro Espiatorio thing was in fact, real. Somehow, he had agreed to become some kind of protector for his family. But now he felt himself doubting his decision. They obviously didn't want him.
"Wait! Wait! That's enough!" A strong hand lifted him by his waist and he felt his humiliation grow. Why did people feel the need to carry him around in the most embarrassing ways? "That was very good. Are you eating well?" asked Kiri-san. Tsuna nodded with a disgruntled frown.
Of course he was eating. It wasn't as if he had a choice anyways. There was always a nurse or Hayato almost shoving the food down his throat. His only consolation was that they had started to give him soft foods. He had almost wept in glee at finally chewing his food.
He let the woman put him in the wheelchair. Then, she left him in the gardens with a cheery 'You need more sun. I will tell the nurses where to find you!' The air felt nice… It was like when Giotto and he napped outside. The thought sobered him up and he frowned at his wrist. He could feel, whatever the thing was, beginning to break apart. Each day, his hands felt lighter. But he was afraid about what that meant to his family. What should he do?
He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and suddenly felt a small tug on his wrists. He continued to keep his eyes closed and felt a thread becoming tense. He followed it and found an Indigo flame. So he didn't hallucinate that encounter?
He prodded the flame and the flame prodded back. Suddenly, the flame was enlarging in his direction, almost like expanding mist…
"Kufufufu, dear Tsunayoshi! What a nice surprise, I was looking for you and you found me first!" Tsuna opened his eyes and saw a torso and a head floating beside his chair, as if this Mukuro was a ghost.
"You're older" he pointed out; the other looked puzzled for a second and then smiled in amusement. "So you are Tsunayoshi. You slept a long time and I couldn't find you… Wait a second..." He felt the brush of those fingers on his temple and inside his mind. "Oh? Japan? How did you get there…?" His voice went up and down in volume, sometimes even getting distorted, and he sounded annoyed "…Even now it is difficult to reach for you. There is this… white wall around you."
"Really? Uhm… Does it glow? And does it have a lot of little rays coming out from it?" Now Mukuro looked alert and very interested. "Yes, it reeks of the power of the Tri-Ni-Set, and it won't let me get closer to you inside your dreams. Do you know what is it?" Tsuna shook his head, confused at the Tri-Ni-Something. He only knew that it was the power that had been given to him by those people; to protect the Vongola, but he didn't know anything else.
"All these threads are gathered in you… It's feeding on your flame," said Mukuro, staring hard at his wrists. He looked kind of angry, Tsuna observed.
"Yes…It was like this when I woke up…"
"…Don't you see that this is the way the Mafia works? They obviously did something to you and then tossed you away like a piece of trash. And yet, I can still feel your loyalty and love for them. You're an idiot."
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, deeply troubled at the words. He looked at the older Mukuro. He seemed good enough. "Are you okay? What about Chikusa and Ken? Are you all safe? Can you say hi to them for me?"
"Oya? Worrying about us? Kufufufu. Yes, you're definitely an idiot. We are safe. We finished our training with the mist guardian. We were occupied with a little trinket for my collection. Also, we got some strays with us. I'm coming to get you now." Tsuna gaped at the factual tone. It wasn't a question or a threat, it was a fact.
"But… you… And, I can't leave here!"
"Why not? Do you love your new place so much? How much time do you think will pass before someone from the Mafia finds you, Tsunayoshi? Do you have anyone worth protecting with you there?"
'Hayato,' his mind supplied and it was accompanied by a very weak and hesitant Hibari-san, but no other name came up. He felt again the brush of fingers in his mind. It felt cold, like water. "Mmm I suppose that your bodyguard can come with us, he seems loyal and useful enough…But that other man… Mmm I don't like him…"
"Mukuro!"
"Kufufufu… Don't worry your little head about it! I cannot let the mafia sink their claws in you again. I will show you how ugly they really are." Tsuna felt memories invade his mind. He shuddered at the carnage and pain. "Stop, stop it!"
"You see… This is the Mafia. Come with me Tsunayoshi. I won't let you become covered in this filth"
"Nufufufu. No, that won't do." There was a second voice, Tsuna noticed. It was cold and amused at the same time. "Why should I let you rob our little Lamb?" Mukuro was glaring at the air and Tsuna felt another flame. It was the same color of Mukuro's, although a little bit darker, and definitely bigger.
"Who is this?" he heard Mukuro ask.
"Just another wolf." A shadow appeared behind Mukuro and seemingly enveloped his form. Tsuna heard a scream of pain and saw the smaller flame retreat and disappear in the darkness.
"Mukuro? Mukuro!"
"Nufufufu. I just gave him a little warning, little lamb. Naughty little wolves shouldn't try to eat others little Lambs." Tsuna shivered, there was a cold aura enveloping him. He saw a handsome face appearing in the mist and a strange symbol appearing in one of the eyes. "Did you like the dreams I sent to you?" he asked in a tender tone, ghostly fingers brushing his temple.
"Those dreams…It was you?" He was looking horrified at the teen. Those horrible nightmares of his family dying and suffering came from him?
"Nufufufufu… they were a present, little Lamb. An example of what will happen if you refuse to be the shield." The fingers were on his neck now, softly pressing on his windpipe. "Did you like the feel of their blood on your hands? Was it warm?" He was paralyzed at the images and sounds; he could almost feel the wet liquid on his hands. "Shhh… don't worry, everything will be as it should little Lamb… See you soon."
Tsuna felt the flame going away and he relaxed his tense body. He was covered in sweat and trembling. What should he do? What?
The one called the 'Taipan', watched the town in disgust. It was bathed in light, a cheerful innocent little town that could barely be called a city. He despised the naive faces of everybody. The stench of innocence and simplicity permeating the merry air. His prey was in this town, or at least it seemed like it. He could kill twenty of these worms before they could even notice him. He sneered one last time at a pair of college girls giggling in a café and turned around, intent to let the little Gesso underlings do the searching. Then he saw something very interesting.
Across the street was one of his victims, the green haired one. He was wearing sunglasses and a hat, but the hair gave him away; as well as the body height and weight. Besides him was another boy wearing a cap, sunglasses and a snow suit. On his back was a third person covered in a large sheet, his face hidden, and they were running as if in a hurry. He inhaled once, his lips stretching in a predatory smile.
"Run, run little mouse…"
When G started to look for Hayato, he had not expected it to be easy. Luckily for him, the beach where they had arrived at was near Namimori, and the image of a gray-haired foreign child wandering alone was an easy trail to follow. But still, it took him almost four days to reach the small town that was just two hours away from Namimori. His last clue was a small hospital in the outskirts of the little town, but he had not expected to find this group of people in front of it.
G stared at the assembly. Cozart looked sheepish while Signore Reborn was smiling pleasantly at him, which in fact was pretty terrifying…But it was the other two people who made him doubt his own eyes.
"Asari? What are you doing here?" He had not seen the swordsman for years, and yet, that cheery smile was undeniable Asari's. He had been an exchange student all through middle school with him and Giotto, before returning to Japan. But to see him here was surreal.
"Hello! My friend, Reborn-san told me that you are having a lot of trouble lately. And they are asking me to help," he said in a cheery voice.
"Chaos! What a coincidence to find you here, Gualterio!" said Reborn. G clenched his teeth at the word. How he hated that cursed name. "Ah… Signore Reborn…What are you doing here? And with her…?" He said pointing to the last person, a very familiar one.
"What? You're not going to greet your own cousin?" asked Bianchi with a smile, while taking a poison cake in her hand. G frowned at her and pointed at Asari. "You kidnapped him or something equally stupid right?"
"I'm a professional, what did you expect?" said Bianchi with a smirk and continued to hug Reborn with a love-sick expression. "Reborn asked me to retrieve him, so I did. End of the story."
"Ma, ma… It's okay G. I called back home to tell them everything is alright and that I was just with some friends," said Asari with his best placating tone while G continued to stare at Reborn, silently demanding an explanation.
Reborn smirked and pointed to the small hospital. "The CEDEF found an old report of an abandoned comatose child from two years ago. It was sent to the national register. It was brief but contained the print of his thumb."
G gasped, and stared hard at Reborn, his mind working overdrive. "Tsuna." He breathed and Reborn nodded. "I checked and he was sent to a town called Namimori. We were preparing to go there. The question is: What are you doing here? Where is my idiot-student?"
"Ah, Giotto is with Knuckles and Lampo. We found them last week. I came here to look for Hayato."
"Gokudera?" questioned Reborn with a frown. "Hayato? What do you mean? What is he doing in Japan…?" asked Bianchi with a desperate gaze and G stared at her in surprise. Reborn for his part seemed to realize something because he smiled widely "He found Tsuna." He declared with an elated laugh. "Oh! I just want to see Iemitsu's face when he finds out."
"Well, it seems we all underestimated my cousin," said G with a small smile. "Hold on! Did you say Namimori?"
"Yes, it's close enough. A few hours away while driving." G took out his phone and dialed frantically. He waited and tried once more and frowned darkly. He entered a new number with a scowl. On the other side, Kyoko answered the phone. " Sasagawa Residence, how can I help you?"
"Kyoko-chan, this is G. Can you please tell Giotto to pick up his phone? It's very important."
"Ah! G-san. They didn't contact you? They're at the hospital. They took Giotto-san to the doctor." G felt a rush of adrenaline at the words. He clasped the phone and forced himself to remain calm. "Do you know why they took Giotto to the hospital Kyoko-chan?" he said in benefit for the others and saw Reborn's gaze darken.
"Ah, yes. One day after you left, he didn't come out of his room and no one could wake him up, and since dad is out of town they took him to the hospital," came the troubled voice. G clenched his teeth.
"I see… Thank you Kyoko-chan. I will see if I can contact them. Don't leave the house for now, okay?" He heard Kyoko about to argue and he "But…" G closed the phone, cutting off Kyoko, and stared at the group. He had a very bad feeling about this.
Reborn for his part, frowned back. "This is bad. We have reports on the Gesso Family sending a large group of people to Japan and we also confirmed that the Taipan is hot on your trails…"
"Did you come alone Signore Reborn?" asked G with an equally preoccupied look. "No, I brought with me some of the Shimon Famiglia and Cavallone. We didn't want to raise any suspicion over the trip, so Cozart and I left earlier…They should be here by today…"
G frowned. Yes, he definitely had a very bad feeling about this.
Gokudera stared in apprehension at the street across the hospital. He was sure now. The town was being targeted by some Famiglia, and it wasn't the Vongola. After alerting the sushi chef about the kidnapping, he had left to the hospital, a feeling in his gut telling him to hurry. On his way, he saw several men and women exuding a dangerous aura. Their movements were too fluid and too alert. Gokudera snorted. Their white suits and wary gazes gave them out in the first place and all had the same white watches on their right hands. He only knew of one family who did that: the Gesso.
Had they found Tsuna-sama? Were they trying to kidnap him? But there was something that made him doubt this. They were circling the emergency room area like sharks. From the room Tsuna was in, he could see the area in front of the emergency, but not the entrance or the interior. However, all the attention was centered on the E.R. There was something they wanted there, but it wasn't Tsuna.
Gokudera closed the binds with trembling hands. Fourteen. He had counted fourteen people so far. He needed to get out and search for an escape route.
"Is something wrong Hayato?" Tsuna asked. He was propped on his arms, tired after doing a whole morning of strengthening exercises. His recovery was astounding and Gokudera suspected that his flame was speeding the process.
"I want to check out something outside, Tsuna-sama. I saw some suspicious people outside. Please don't leave your room." Better to make him wary than oblivious to the danger.
"Of course… Please be careful," said Tsuna. Tsuna clenched his hands in the covers of his bed. There was a small flame in his eyes, Gokudera noticed with satisfaction. Yes, he was healing nicely.
"Of course Tsuna-sama." With swift steps he went out of the room, grateful for the black cap he had purchased the day before. He went to the cafeteria and bought a bottle of juice while eying the area; two in the lobby. He took his juice and wandered aimlessly in the gardens, taking care of chatting with a nurse about nothing. Twenty spread out and five hidden in the peripheries.
He tossed the empty bottle and returned to the hospital, his hands sweaty and trembling. He could manage five or six at the same time, but more than that would make things dangerous, and if he had to protect Tsuna-sama… Their best option was to mingle with the rest of the people and escape with the crowd when the shit hit the fan.
He would not fail again.
Lampo and Knuckles stared at the doctor in clear annoyance. Did they know his name? Of course. Age? No problem! But did they knew what medications he consumed, any familiar disease, past diseases or surgeries, current illness, type of blood, or size of shoe from when he was five?
"We found the guy on the street, okay? We couldn't wake him up, so we brought him here," said an annoyed Lampo at the equally annoyed resident. They started a glare contest and then the man in scrubs just sighed. "Look… We need to make more exams. All the blood tests came out all right, as well as the image scan. The brain waves are normal too. It's really atypical. He is just sleeping…"
Knuckles stayed quiet for once and continued to watch the doctor. He nodded and pulled Lampo back to the chair. "Thank you, doctor. We would like to stay here for a while, just in case…"
"Look, if you're not his family, then I just can't let you stay here…Now what?" He exclaimed when a series of screams filled the room. Then, the man dived behind a desk when the first sound of gunfire came from outside.
Lampo and Knuckles followed and they stared behind another desk at the gruesome image of a deformed man holding a nurse by the neck. She was screaming in pain, although there was no visible injury.
"Little mouse, where are you?" bellowed the man. The scarred mouth let out a sibilant, choppy sound more than a proper scream. He looked annoyed at the woman in his grasp and clenched his hand on her throat, chocking her, and thus impeding her from screaming.
Knuckles almost launched himself into the man, but Lampo grabbed his arm pointing at the bed closest to the man; the one where Giotto was sleeping in. "Wait… This is the guy that G warned us about. We need to take him by surprise," whispered Lampo, taking out a stun-gun and two explosives that G had given him. "I can't use my horns without getting closer, so we have to make it quick."
The man was still talking to the scared audience. He was peeking at each bed and was now leaning over another nurse who was beyond pale and only stared in fright at the man. He had a photo in his hand and was asking something to the woman. "Over there! They were over there! Please don't hurt me!" She screamed and Knuckles swore. "No time for planning. Just keep the pace," he said to Lampo, before grabbing the desk and punching it in the middle, sending the pieces flying to the man. "Take Giotto out. I'm dealing with him."
"W-wait! Agh! Why do you always do this?" Lampo said, but started running as soon as the other started speaking. He ran and dived behind the bed where Giotto was sleeping in. He heard the tortured screaming of the woman starting once more but he forced himself to ignore it. He grabbed Giotto and dragged the taller boy to the exit.
"G is going to kill me." At the end of the ward, he saw the deformed assassin cackling in glee at the pieces of the desk imbedded in his stomach and legs. "Ke, ke. Little mouse has teeth! Come, come to me, my prey." He cackled and got up, smiling widely at the teenager before him. Lampo gasped at the uncovered face. The whole head was a mass of scarred skin and some places were mostly just a layer of scarred tissue that stretched over the bone. The eyes were mere slits, almost closed by the stretched skin. His eyelashes and eyebrows were gone, giving him reptilian features, while the bloodshot eyes gave the gray irises a wild look. The nose was a knotted piece of flesh, as if someone had tried its best to make it stay in place and failed spectacularly, leaving a lump of scarred flesh in its place. But what made it worse, was the madness in the eyes and his gestures. Whatever resemblance he had as a human was blurred with the animal like movements and the bloodshot eyes staring at nothing. "Yes, yes. Come to me little mouse…HAHAHA…"
"Knuckles get back here! Don't let him get closer!" screamed Lampo and then he clamped a hand to his mouth when the crazy eyes focused on him. He felt his stomach protest at the mucus covered eyelids and the stretched chapped lips covered in a humid crust. It truly was a hideous sight. The screaming of the rapidly fleeing people and the woman still writhing on the floor made it more horrible.
"What are you waiting for? Take him outside!" screamed Knuckles. Lampo scrambled and grabbed Giotto, rushing to the exit with the rest of the people. He paused when a woman fell at his feet from a gunshot. He trembled at the sight in front of him. There were at least ten armed men before him with their weapons locked on him. "That's him! Kill him!"
Lampo evaded the first salvo by pure agility and luck, but he was sure that the next would mean their end. Yes, G was going to kill him. No doubt about it. He would revive and then kill him for this. He heard the gunshots and closed his eyes, protecting whatever he could of Giotto's body with his own. Then he was on his back. Lampo flinched at the sudden burst of intense heat.
"Who are you?" said an enraged voice. He looked up. It was Giotto. Not only was he awake, but he looked frightening. His hands and head were covered in impressive flames. He had one hand up, making a shield with his flames while the other had several of the firearms in it.
"Who are you? What business do you have with the Vongola?" He repeated in almost a roar. He was staring at each of the men and Lampo noticed in horror that more people dressed in white suits were surrounding them. One of them was speaking rapidly in his phone and looked pale.
"These are orders form the boss. Don't leave any survivors. Kill them all. Don't let any Vongola escape." howled the man and Lampo flinched in fright at the guns pointed once more at them.
"You're from the Gesso," said Giotto in an impassive voice, stating the truth. "Lampo, prepare to run, I'm going to stop them."
"S-sure…." he answered and got up from the floor with shaky legs, but determination in his posture. He had a stupid cousin to protect, and he couldn't die here and leave his Famiglia in the hands of his uncle. "Knuckles is inside with the Taipan." He said to his friend and Giotto glared at the doors behind him, only to stare when said doors exploded in a shower of glass when a bleeding and screaming body went through it.
"Ah… That's the assassin," Lampo pointed unnecessarily, but Giotto was looking in wariness at the bleeding man. "EXTREEEME WIN!" screamed Knuckles and Giotto half smiled at the tone. The three of them formed a triangle. Giotto wasn't surprised when he saw the assassin get up from the floor, ignoring his open wounds. In fact, said wounds were steaming. The toxic blood cauterizing and burning the wounds, closing them and leaving behind more scarred flesh.
"Well… That's disgusting!" exclaimed Lampo. The Vongola Decimo looked at his friends and their enemy. They were outnumbered and surrounded. He would make them pay for targeting his friends.
"Get ready, Lampo, knuckles. Don't let them corner you!" Giotto launched himself to the front, cutting the enemy lines in half; melting the guns and knocking the men left and right. His hyper intuition was the only thing saving him from the bullets. He grabbed a man and used him as a shield and then tossed him to the others. He could see Lampo making an explosion with some kind of explosives and Knuckles was making good use of his mixed martial arts training and his incredible strength.
But the biggest threat was still alive. He needed to take out the Taipan first. His eyes searched in the mass of fighting bodies and didn't find the man. Had he escaped? No, this man was rumored to have a single focus, and he never leave his prey alone until they were dead. So what was going on?
He saw a series of explosions in the entrance of the hospital and recognized the flame of G's archery. Giotto smiled when he saw a bunch of men being lifted from the ground and then forcibly squashed in the earth.
"G, Cozart." He breathed and looked in worry as more men, completely dressed in white and gray masks, invaded the main building of the hospital. This was no longer an assassination attempt. This could become a massacre.
The Taipan was amused at his prey. It was tricky and fast, never staying in place, and evading all his little darts. One of his preys was running to the exit, so he launched himself to follow, like a serpent attacking the movement. He felt a strong arm grabbing his shoulder from behind, punching his face and then breaking his collarbone with an elbow, and finally a kick in his back sent him flying into the door with. He felt pain for the very first time in years. He stared in fascination at the flowing blood and laughed in amusement at his targets and the little army that Byakuran had sent with him.
'This hunting is so thrilling,' he thought, while staring at the white building, waiting for his wounds to finish closing. Then he saw it: In one of the windows of the hospital, was a pale face staring in fright at the group of men. He a head full of fluffy brown hair and fear filled, large caramel eyes.
"8-b…" he whispered. One of his children, one of his lovely specimens. He was here. He smiled so widely that some of the scarred skin broke, making it bleed once more. He motioned a squadron to follow him, forgetting the other prey. His sights were on one of his most desired one.
G stared in horror when the car finally reached the hospital. There were screaming people running out of the place. Some doctors were carrying patients and pushing wheelchairs. One hysterical nurse was screaming something about a monster from hell.
"Signore Reborn! Please find Tsuna! We will find the idiots!" shouted G in hurry. The man just nodded and left the car like a black flash. G, Cozart, Asari and Bianchi looked at the group of men dressed in white. All of them had a very distinct white clock on their hands.
"The damn Gesso! They are going to make this into a war!" growled G. They couldn't go to war. They just couldn't. "Get them and then get out!" he ordered to the others. The reinforcements would not make it in time. They were alone.
He activated his flame, letting all his anger and determination fuel it. If Tsuna was in this hospital, then Hayato was as well. "Please, just stay safe" He prayed and then jumped into the fray.
When Mukuro reached the town of Namimori, he had expected Chikusa and Ken to find him in front of the designated park, the one closest to the hospital. They had recovered a most prized nightmare ring and several other trinkets for his subordinates while he was in Germany. Now they just needed to pick up his little fish and they could go back to Europe. Greece perhaps…
But Ken and Chikusa were late, twenty minutes late. He could not reach their minds. This was worrying. He felt cold air invading his lungs and a humid smell. The park disappeared from around him and a rocky dessert surged instead. The cracked earth let out strange fumes. The sun disappeared, letting the place get cold and dark. Mukuro closed his eyes in concentration. This was a very strong illusion. He couldn't find a fault with it. Images, sound, smell, even the reaction of his skin to the temperature; everything was perfect.
He put on the ring and activated it, feeling the power trying to take over his mind. It was difficult to control. Between his eye and this ring, it was a heavy burden to maintain his sanity intact.
"Nufufufu… Good afternoon, my fellow illusionist." He saw several pairs of bloodshot and shining eyes appear in the shadows. Some were floating and some at the level of his knees. Animals or monsters most likely.
"Let me introduce myself properly." Mist appeared in the nightmarish world and in the middle, a figure of an older teenager surged from it. He was taller and had ridiculous melon-like hair in the eyes of Mukuro's. But what made him pause was the eye of the other. It was so similar and yet so different from his.
"Daemon Spade at your service." He gave a curtsy, like the ones of the nobility of the past and smiled. "I'm here to detain you in the name of the Serbische Mafia, Mukuro Rokudo." Then the teenager tossed to his feet, a pair of glasses and several hair clips that he instantly recognized as Ken's and Chikusa's. "The Serbische Mafia are very angry at you… Seems that you took something from them. Two nightmare rings and four other items, right?" said Daemon with a reproaching stare. While Mukuro maintained his bored gaze, he was wary inside. They had taken only one ring and three objects, not six.
He looked at the left hand of Daemon and saw in anger a second nightmare ring. Daemon had surely robbed the other ring and the second object. "Of course, I volunteered to give information about the nasty robbers and being the Good Samaritan I am, I promised to retrieve the rings and deliver punishment."
"Oya? And what was the price for this?" asked Mukuro. He continued to try and contact his underlings and failed. He glared at the other, but maintained his place. Any errors would be fatal to him.
"Nufufufu… just a little alliance and the right to take your head." Daemon opened his arms and Mukuro saw the edges of the imaginary world bend and twist, creating new planes and levels. He heard the growls and the sound of beating wings around him and clasped his trident. He opened with wide eyes when a second Daemon appeared behind him, clasping a hand above his left eye.
"Shall we play, little wolf?"
Taipan- An Australian serpent- kind of cute actually...
If you noticed that your eyes finally stopped bleeding from the grammar mistakes is because the WONDERFUL Sylvia-san betaed this chapter. You may thank her for all her hard work!
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