Infiltration Time….Finally
Finally, the Melone Base invasion starts. However, I'm not going with the gang nor am I going to see them; not soon at any rate. For now, I'm playing support for Hibari, and you can imagine the reception I got. Apparently it doesn't matter what era it is, Hibari regards me as an omnivore and wants to have a fight to the death. Since Hibari doesn't need actual assistance when he's fighting, I'm suppose to keep an eye out for any other entries, but that I sincerely doubt as the Millefiore, damn them to hell and back, were expecting to take the Vongola off guard. If it wasn't for the fact the Mafiosi were trying to invade the Vongola and wipe everyone out, I'd feel sorry for who they are going to be meeting, and by now, already are facing. Dull rumbles, imperceptible to anyone without training for tracking, travelled up the thin soles of the dull, black leather boots I was wearing. The thin soles offer enough protection for my feet without making a noise or blocking the signals a person can get from the vibrations of the earth. I know it's crazy to wear black leather on Varia missions, but I do anyways since I keep my leather dull and not shiny like wannabe bikers. I only ever wear leather at night; to do so during the day would be inviting the Sahara Dessert into your clothing.
Keeping one half of my brain on my surroundings, the other half wandered over to how Tsuna and the gang were doing. I've mastered the art of the multi-thinking, though my current limit for number of thoughts is two. Straying from Tsuna and the gang, I scanned Chrome briefly; she was doing fine, mentally, emotionally and physically. I can't help but think of that girl as a sister even though we've only spent time in the illusions Mukuro creates and by psychic conversations. Whoever took Mukuro out was going to pay for two reasons: one, he hurt Mukuro severely and two, he almost killed Chrome for Christ's sake! Thinking of Chrome brought Mukuro to mind. It was kind of funny, but cute how those two seemed joined at the hip. Chrome can't completely live independently without Mukuro, and Mukuro can't exist without Chrome. Both of them are devoted to each other, and there is an amount of trust. I can't think of anyone better for Mukuro than Chrome, or vice versa. Unable to help myself, my thoughts wandered down the path I'd been trying to avoid: Mukuro's sudden, complete disappearance. At the time Mukuro disappeared, I caught a flash of a foreign mind; not Mukuro or Chrome since I'm familiar with them, but someone else entirely. He, the tone of the mind is male just like voices, was unknown to me, but known to Mukuro and obviously has sympathy for him.
"Omnivore," Hibari's voice crackled over the ear phones making me jump, "ready to go?"
"Yup," I ignored my nickname. 'Omnivore' is a lot better than a shark joke or any of Lucy's names though I'm going to have to convince the past Hibari to use my name. There's never any action for me when the top guns act as decoys, but Hibari was more than capable of killing them, while I would leave them alive, who could than attack the base itself with no one protecting it. At that moment, I felt a jerk in the air and for the first time, fear doused me, twice. Takeshi, Gokudera, please be safe you two.
Following Hibari's plan to the letter, I met him, Chrome, Tetsuya Kusakabe, I-Pin and Lambo at the eastern gate that lead in the direction of Melone Base.
"You're up to this?" I asked Chrome, who just nodded, but used the mental link we had worked on to elaborate, I'll need some help with the illusions,
Alrighty was my answer. I like Chrome a lot. She's sweet and helpful.
"I'll cover myself so I look like the surroundings", I glanced at Hibari, "so who are you guys copying?"
"These three," Hibari answered, gesturing to three, severely beaten men, "but you do realize you'll be following me once we're inside the base?"
"Yes I am aware," using my flat tone voice, "Oh joy."
Not especially notable is our infiltration so far has gone without a hitch. After entering the base, Hibari and I split away from the others.
"Karen," Hibari's serious voice caught my attention, "we need to reach the research lab. If we encounter someone, I'll take care of them while you go ahead. Also," he smiled, "don't kill or injure Irie Shoichi,"
"Isn't that the whole point of this?" I looked at him,
"I wish you didn't get yourself killed," he muttered, "let Irie explain first, and whatever he says about herbivore one and myself, be inclined to believe him. You can confirm it,"
"Okay. I'll go with the flow then," that's what I always do because it's impossible to calculate all the potential things that could go wrong, and really wrong.
"Good. Now let's go," he slipped around the corner. Almost instantly, we came into a room full of rectangular boxes made of some kind of black metal, revealed two unconscious forms, Takeshi and Lal Mirch with a man who has a bobbed hair cut, wacked up eyebrows about to deal a death blow to Takeshi. Hibari had already moved to intervene, glancing back at me, "What did I say earlier?"
"Right," I glanced at Takeshi and Lal,
"Just get moving," he growled
"Okay, okay, I'm going,"
"Karen….Squalo?" my attention was re-diverted to the man with four swords and once again, a memory flashed across my mind:
"Hey, I'm not here to cause trouble, just passing through," a silver haired woman help up her hands in the universal gesture of peace,
"Than explain what a Varia member is doing on Giglio Nero turf" Aria inquired,
"Your info is outdated, I'm linked to the Varia, but I'm not a member anymore," this woman was irritating, but she wasn't rude.
"Okay. If you're not on a mission, I'd like to get to know the Sword Empress a.k.a Ace of the Varia and Pride of the Sword Emperor as a human being," Aria smiled,
"Just because I have a reputation as a demon doesn't mean I am one," the Sword Empress smiled, relaxing slightly, but still tense. Other memories flashed too fast to tell what they were about other than I became a friend of the Giglio Nero until I was killed which happened to be because of Byakuran. The joys of being able to read minds. I never thought I'd be able to read another person's mind as the only other people I have 'talked' to are linked up with Mukuro as the axle; the only common ground I can find is the Mist Flame.
Jerking my mind away from Genkishi's, I hurried towards the door that leads to the white round machine.
"Oh, no you don't" Hibari's voice told me he had stopped an attack directed at me. Not stopping for anything, even Takeshi and Lal, I continued on. Moving along as a shadow, I slipped in the research lab just in time to find Irie, "You are…!" my voice box ignored my brain, I knew this guy, the day Lambo got his butt kicked really far by Reborn, and all sorts of wacky stuff happened. I remember catching a glimpse a boy about my age, with red hair and glasses, the same man standing in front of me now,
"So this is what you looked like ten years ago," Irie recovered from my failed attempt at scaring the shit out of him, "I'm so glad you made it. Wait a sec, where's Hibari-san?"
"Holding off Genkishi," I answered
"Oh shit that wasn't a part of the plan! Ouch!" he clutched at his stomach, "but you kicking the bucket wasn't a part of it either," he added,
"What plan?" I demanded, "Why is everyone freaking out because I died? Hibari told me to not kill you, so you better tell me the plan otherwise…." I let my sentence hang,
"Don't worry; I'm going to tell you since your future self was involved with the plan- at least for the beginning of it. Here it is….."
It took Irie only ten minutes to give me the essential facts, but I was stunned. Tsuna, Hibari, Irie and I had been planning the downfall of the Millefiore. I was supposed to stay in the appropriate times, but due to my unforeseen death, the plan had to be altered. Still, the scope of it was- is- amazingly brilliant, but there was one hitch: wouldn't Byakuran, after being friends with Irie, have figured out Irie would betray him?
"Get behind the machine," Irie jerked his head, "two of my subordinates are going to be here right away, and they don't know anything about this, and it has to stay that way, understood?"
"Got it," I slipped myself between the machine and wall; it's a good thing I'm a skinny stick otherwise it would have been impossible for me to hide there, and I didn't like hiding under desks as those were always the first places people looked.
Of course, Tsuna has to make his appearance with a bang, or more accurately, demolition. After Irie convinced Tsuna he was on the Vongola's side was when I decided to show myself.
"WHAT! KAREN…" Hayato started yelling,
"Chill," I snapped, "Irie sounds way too simple for this to be a lie,"
"Huh?"
*Sigh* "The bigger the lie, the more likely an authority is lying, the smaller the lie means he's honest…most of the time."
"That does make sense, but-MOST OF THE TIME DOESN'T CUT IT!"
"What does Tsuna say?" I groaned with exasperation. Hayato could be so stubborn and more vocal than my brother on days like today.
"…I…uh, trust him?" and of course, Gokudera automatically backs down.
No sooner did Irie say he would accept Tsuna's offer of becoming a part of the Vongola did the legendary Byakuran show up, "Hello…Karen-chan? So that's what you looked like before I met you?"
"Was that before or after you killed me?" I asked to cover up my shock; Works all the time with the Varia or at least everyone but Superbi
"Both," he answered with a smile. He's creepy in the fact he's like a white Mukuro,
He is NOT! Mukuro's rage broke whatever shields I had,
Took you long enough so shut up. I'll talk later. In the back of my mind, I could sense Mukuro steaming to the point we could've fried an ostrich egg on him. I was actually thinking about seeing how he reacts to that, but I'm not going to push my luck.
Fortunately, Byakuran had turned his attention to Shoichi. Turns out, Byakuran had his true carriers of the Mare Rings hidden which isn't exactly surprising if you take into account his reasons (if I was him I would've done the same thing if I knew a subordinate would betray me). In order to obtain the Vongola Rings, Byakuran suggests using Choice to settle the scores. Personally, Byakuran's 'suggestion' is not a suggestion at all, but rather a way to legalize (if that's even possible in the underworld) his hold over the Tri-Ni-Sette. Damn him to the deepest, darkest, most torturous part of hell and he can stay there! The bastard is intending to wipe out the entire Vongola with the one blow! Saying everyone had to be there! The only good thing is Tsuna and the rest will have to tell Kyoko and Haru what's really going on. I bet Kyoko will be the only one to stay composed.