AN: Sorry about the late update. I was caught up in reality. But despite all that, thanks for the support. I will keep soldiering on.
WARNING: Swearing.
Disclaimer: As usual.
The Golden Canary
Who'll dig his grave?
"I," said the owl,
"With my spade and trowel
I'll dig his grave."
Chapter 7: The Owl (part I)
The cobbled streets were quiet, broken by the occasional desperate scavenger looting empty trashcans or the clunking of debris tossed by the wind. What once could have been called a quaint little town was now riddled with bullet holes and bloody dust, and most of its inhabitants were long gone.
This was where the Estraneo famiglia were located. Most of the underground network knew already, since the Estraneo were once known as quite an average famiglia with a penchant for science and psychology. But the moment information about their latest invention – the Possession Bullet – was leaked, the mafia world was sent into an uproar. Such a weapon would not only ruin all arms dealers, but could also lead to a massive outbreak of spy warfare. Having illusionists and mist flame users were bad enough; adding such a bullet on top would definitely be the grain of sand that tipped the delicate scales of order.
The only reason that prevented the Vindice from stepping in was because the Estraneo hadn't found the solution to the biggest flaw to their invention: almost all their test subjects died after being shot with said bullet before being able to possess someone else. In fact, the first and only successful attempt was done by Estraneo Otto, who'd been assassinated shortly after the information leak.
But despite numerous threats, the Estraneo refused to stop their research, too intent in their pursuit of the perfect merge between science and psychology to care about the death surrounding them.
They fell into infamy, and for the longest time, no one could understand why or how they were still around, especially when the rumours of them experimenting on their own children spread like wildfire among various criminal networks. The Vindice still didn't lift a finger because there weren't any laws in the mafia prohibiting internal strife, but judging by the way other famiglias have upped the bounties on the Estraneo members' heads, torturing children – even if they were Estraneos too – didn't sit well with the Mafiosos who had a shred of humanity left.
Unfortunately, by the time people realised the extent of all they'd done, the Estraneos had holed themselves in their research lab and thrown up defenses more impenetrable than Alcatraz, and every hitman who tried to go in would never come out. They could only pick off members here and there, when they were caught sneaking out of their underground fortress for materials or supplies.
Iemitsu knew all of this, and yet here he was, making his way towards the god-forsaken meeting place that was a few streets next to where the Estraneo's main lab was located. As instructed, he was unarmed and alone, and decked in a nondescript black suit, with a mask and dyed hair to hide his identity. He may know who Estraneo Nono was; he'd even met the man a few times post-Possession Bullet, but he'd do his damndest to make sure no one could recognise him.
Besides, if anyone else saw him, even if they didn't gun him down they'd most certainly report back to their employers, which would in turn mean that Vongola Nono would know.
Ever since calling the Estraneo's Don, he felt like a thick crust of filth had settled over him like a second skin, and not even the hottest or longest of showers would make him feel clean for a long, long time.
It's for Tsuna's sake. If Nono or the Vongola can't help, then I have to find help elsewhere.
He chanted the phrase over and over in his mind, and although it helped him focus on the task at hand, it did nothing to remove the guilt churning in his gut ever since he stepped foot into Estraneo territory.
The Estraneo had their own brand of evil, and Iemitsu hoped there was a special kind of hell for them.
Clearing his mind, he pulled the lapels of his jacket closer, checking that his mask was firmly in place before creeping the last few metres to an abandoned pub.
The streetlights had long run out of electricity, but under the light of the moon, he could still make out the broken wooden sign with an image of a pint of beer and the name «Saluti» engraved in depressing irony.
There didn't seem to be anyone around, but Iemitsu knew it would be suicide to stand out in the open, so he stuck to the darkest corner and spread his senses out. If the Estraneos were as intelligent as they were twisted, then he was sure that they'd–
A shadow struck with barely any hint of a killing aura, but it was enough for him to counter with a quick twist of his wrist and body, reversing their positions and pinning his assailant to the crumbling wall.
To the attacker's credit, he didn't struggle or utter a sound except for a slight grunt, and their interlocked position gave both time to size each other up. The stranger was also dressed in black, but unlike the Vongola Lion he was shorter and skinnier; bordering on the unhealthy side by the look in his sunken eyes.
Either a desperate bounty hunter or a starved Estraneo. But there's one way to know for sure.
«That's not how you greet a stranger.»
Iemitsu leaned in to whisper the password right next to the man's ear, and with that, he released him and took a cautious step back.
His "greeter" nodded once, then beckoned at Iemitsu before he took off, zigzagging through the labyrinth of alleyways and deteriorating houses. Iemitsu followed at an easy pace, unfazed even when several bullets would whizz by them when they stepped too close to a patch of moonlight.
Huh. Probably a few hitmen or bounty hunters looking for easy money.
The Estraneo member continued to weave in and out, dodging the random attacks while also trying to throw off Iemitsu's sense of direction. It wouldn't have worked on the CEDEF leader, but then they took a sharp left and dove down a hidden manhole that led straight to the underground sewage system.
The smell alone could make even the most hardened of people gag, but Iemitsu pressed a hand to his mask and focused on taking short breaths while keeping up with his guide, who was obviously used to the smell. And despite not being out in the open anymore, he still kept up a sprinting pace, looping through several tunnels until Iemitsu was completely lost.
Oh well. I'll most likely be able to find my way back, since I'm quite sure this sewer leads to the river. But hopefully I'll never have to make this trip again.
And as they made their way towards their destination, he tried not to think about the human-shaped lumps floating in the sewage, or meeting a type of filth worse than what he's wading through.
Mukuro's aura drifted down the hallways and phased through walls as thought of the best way to plan his escape. He'd memorised the layout of the entire underground compound long ago, and knew all the Estraneo members' schedules and names, but every plan led back to one crucial point – how to get that trident without anyone knowing.
After that first time, they'd tried the same experiment two more times with the same trident, which he thought was very unusual until he overheard a researcher say that the possession should work because it used to belong to Estraneo Otto, the only one who'd ever used the Possession Bullet successfully. Of course, Mukuro pretended to fail each time, but he might have acted a little too well because now they thought the trident didn't work for him and locked it back up in the weapons vault.
At least my acting wasn't a complete waste, he thought as he floated by Ken and Chikusa's cell. He'd managed to possess Chikusa once, but it was during his second time in Ken's body that gave him most of the information he needed about his possession ability.
Firstly, he could finally complete and use the Second Realm from his Six Paths technique, which made sense because he could only use another person's abilities when he was possessing them. It made acting a lot easier, and he was excited at the thought of what he could do in a powerful person's body. Secondly, he found that he could move a possessed body as long as it wasn't unconscious or too broken to move, and that even if the body was knocked out, his own spirit would stay until he decided to go back to his own body or jump to another one that he'd cut with the trident before (he'd managed to repossess Chikusa and jump between the two bodies, which was so funny that he had to stop before his laughter or their confusion could alert the guards). Chikusa also told him that Ken's spirit returned after he left the first time, with absolutely no memory of what had happened while he was possessed.
All this information was essential for his escape plan. Ideally, he would somehow cut and possess someone powerful within the Estraneo famiglia, kill everyone, unlock all the doors, kill the person being possessed, then return to his own body so he could walk right out. That was plan A. But even if he didn't get the pleasure of murdering his torturers, he still had to possess someone who could unlock his prison door and sneak his body out without making it look unnatural to the patrolling security guards.
There were a lot of different factors to take into account, but all the different scenarios had to start with a single possession. And for that to happen, he needed his trident.
He doubled back towards the research labs again, hoping to discover something new, but paused when he passed by the office rooms.
One of the doors was open as usual, but the door to the other room was closed.
And there's always something behind closed doors.
It was way past midnight, which meant only a few guards patrolling the area and no hurry for his spirit to return to his body, so he slipped into the room to see what was happening while hoping it wouldn't be like the last time he checked behind an unexpectedly closed door.
He was surprised when the first thing he saw was the current head of the Estraneo famiglia seated at one end of the table, with his head of security to his left and the scar-faced head researcher to his right. Two large bodyguards standing behind him completed the set, and they seemed to be waiting for something as Estraneo Nono kept checking his watch with a frown.
Mukuro's aura flickered briefly in excitement – something big's going to happen! – but quickly controlled himself when someone knocked and entered after Nono's terse «Come in.» People didn't seem to be able to sense his presence when he was in spirit mode, but it didn't hurt to be careful.
The first guy that walked in was what they called a «Corridore»; someone whose job was to risk their life scavenging supplies from the surface. Not really a guy worth meeting, let alone worth a private audience with the leader. But he bowed in respect to Nono, then stepped aside and introduced the stranger behind him as «Your guest.»
In all 9 years of his life, Mukuro hadn't seen or heard of any guests setting foot in the Estraneo base. They only had uninvited visitors, and those were killed as soon as possible.
Maybe he's someone who helps from the outside?
The stranger was wearing a black mask complete with sheer black cloth over the eyeholes covered his entire face, and the slicked brown hair made him as unnoticeable as his black suit, shirt, and tie, as if he were dressed to fade into the background. His only outstanding feature was that he was very tall; taller than any adult he's ever seen. That, and the fact that he had absolutely no aura or fighting spirit.
This set off all the alarms in Mukuro's mind, because not even the strongest Estraneo could completely erase their killing intent until they seemed as harmless as this stranger standing at the door. And he didn't think the man would be a simple, ordinary person.
His hunch was doubly confirmed when the two bodyguards suddenly launched an attack, only to be tossed aside with practiced ease and left groaning in unison against the wall.
The Corridore rolled his eyes, muttering «I tried that already. But he's clean – no plastics, metals, or liquids showed on the scanner.»
Estraneo Nono nodded, but didn't bother getting up from the table. «You, take those incompetents away. Send Mezzi and Darin to replace them, but tell them to stand outside the door. Make sure no one disturbs us while we're here.»
The grunt did as commanded, dragging the bodyguards out one at a time before closing the door behind him.
«Now. I know I haven't had guests in a while, but isn't it rude to wear a disguise in front of a potential client?»
It was a clear jab to get the stranger to take off his mask, but to his credit, the man simply ignored the comment and took a seat at the other end of the rectangular table.
«Why you– how dare you disrespect our Don!»
The head of security, who obviously couldn't sit still anymore, whipped out his gun, but Nono disarmed him with a chop of the hand.
«Stop that. While I can protect myself, I'm not sure I can say the same for the two of you.»
«But–»
«Leave it Rus; the man's not as simple as he seems.» The head researcher leaned over and slipped the gun into his own suit jacket, causing Rus to protest in vain. «Besides, I believe Nono is more interested in what he has to offer, not what he has to conceal.»
«Thank you, Vinicio. Also, the fact that he has a disguise means he still has something he wants to protect, no?»
The Don flashed his signature slimy smile, and Mukuro could see the muscles in the stranger's neck tighten.
«Let's just get to business.»
He spoke for the first time, his voice low and gruff.
«A pragmatist, eh? You do know you're dealing with a scientific famiglia that handles more theories than weapons?» The Don made a steeple with his long fingers, his smile growing even more menacing. «Or perhaps that's exactly why you came to us, Signore…?»
«Straniero.»
«Come now; why so distant? And calling yourself a foreigner is just going to make you look more suspicious.»
«Deal with it. Anyway, I'm not here to talk about disguises or fake names. I want to know if the Estraneo famiglia can…help.»
It was the first word he spoke with disgust, and it was now clear to Mukuro that the man wasn't here for regular business. He was here because he had nowhere else to go.
«Easy Straniero; you're the one with more to lose here.» But all Estraneos were used to the hatred the mafia had against them, so the Don continued without batting an eye. «So what do you want from us?»
«I'm looking for someone who could have been brought to Italy about ten months ago via human trafficking.»
«Not sure if you know, but we don't deal in human trafficking.»
«No, you don't.» The masked man acknowledged with a slight nod, then leaned forward as his voice took an edge of steel. «What I do know is that you deal in human experimentation. More specifically, child experimentation.»
It was almost funny to see Nono look uncomfortable, even though Mukuro knew it was out of fear, not guilt.
«So what?» Vinicio spoke this time, looking bored as ever. «They're our children. They belong to the Estraneo famiglia, and there's no need to traffic them.»
«Ah, but I also know that you tried to find an external source of human lab rats before being shut out from the mafia world. Surely you still have a way to contact those in the industry? Besides, there's no way a trapped famiglia could survive so long without some outside help.»
The three leaders stayed silent; one fuming, one disinterested, and one thoughtful.
«Alternatively, I could do the world a favour by killing all of you right now, but well. I'm not paid enough to take out the trash, not when it has the potential to turn up some treasure.»
Rus snarled and would have lunged at the man if Nono hadn't started chuckling – a rare sound, judging by Vinicio's startled expression.
«Ha! You don't mince your words, do you? But a word of advice: always make sure your words don't return to bite you in the ass.»
The Don slowly walked over to the guest while drawing a long scalpel out of his inner suit pocket.
«I will admit you're right about still having connections. You see, it takes a lot longer for children to be born than it takes for them to die, while adults are too expensive. And despite being extremely pliable, children also tend to be quite…delicate.» He slammed the scalpel into the table, a hair's breath from Straniero's elbow. «So you can imagine my disappointment when my contacts excused themselves when everyone and their mothers started gunning my famiglia down the second any of us entered their crosshairs. They wanted my business, but didn't want to take any risks. Pah!»
He spat to the side in disgust while fisting a hand around the scalpel.
«Pezzi di merda, the lot of them. Some even had the nerve to keep a foot in the door and left me their phone numbers, and I was this close to cutting them off forever. Kids these days. Absolutely no respect for their elders, nor do they have a sense of business. I hope you will not turn out to be like them, Signore Straniero.»
He yanked the scalpel out and patted the man's shoulder in an almost friendly manner, were it not for the shark-like smile on his face.
«So let's talk business. What kind of person are you looking for? Man? Woman? Dead or alive? I can tell you right now that if they've really been taken by traffickers several months ago, you're looking more to the former option.»
«Boy. And alive. I'm quite sure he's still alive, and it's in your best interest to keep it that way.» The man's eyes were hidden, but Mukuro could feel the glare from across the table.
«Oh by all means, make the task even more difficult for us. It will cost you more though. And we are not to be held responsible for any loss or damage of any kind during transportation. You know how rough these kinds of jobs can get.»
«I–»
«Hold on, Nono. He said "boy".» The head researcher cut in, and there was that spark of interest in his eyes that Mukuro would always see just before a new form of torture was used on him or another guinea pig. «You're looking for a child?»
There was a beat of silence, and then the Don roared with laughter.
«HA! Are you crazy?! You're looking for a kid who's possibly been trafficked for almost a year in the Italian underground? You should save us all the trouble and settle for a death certificate!»
Straniero didn't respond, but no one could miss the sudden flare of killer intent.
«A fool's errand,» Vinicio scoffed in agreement. But his gaze sharpened, unfazed by the danger leaking from under the stranger's disguise. «Unless...he's important enough to risk saving. Who are we looking for anyway? A prodigy like the Ranking Prince(1)? A potential heir to a certain famiglia? Or perhaps the President's son?»
«If that's true, how were you dumb enough to lose him in the first place?»
«That's none of your business.» The table under Straniero's elbows cracked, leaving a spidery trail on the previously smooth surface. «Besides, you know as well as I do about the Omertà(2), and last time I checked, we're not allies.»
«Oh please. Everyone only brings that up at their own convenience; it's not like it stops people from betraying those closest to them.»
«It's also the only law that's preventing the Vindice from throwing your entire famiglia into Vendicare,» Straniero retorted. «Regardless, it's still none of your damn business, and if you insist on wasting my time, I may as well leave.»
«Okay, okay. So touchy for a Mafioso.»
Estraneo Nono straightened and beckoned to Vinicio, who pulled out a stack of paper from a briefcase under his chair. He caught it as the researcher slid it towards him, then took out a pen and placed both items in front of Straniero.
«First things first – the topmost sheet is a non-disclosure agreement. Wouldn't want other famiglias to catch wind of this, now do we? And I trust you will use your real signature for this, because while I don't know exactly who you are right now, finding out won't take too long, not with all the equipment we have in our labs.»
Mukuro was pretty sure the man was scowling behind the mask, but he skimmed through the first page and signed at the back without much fuss.
«Excellent. Now, the rest of the paperwork details all our other conditions, which are non-negotiable. After you sign that, we can get down to discussing the additional parts we need to add to this contract.»
While Straniero flipped through the pages, Mukuro saw Nono squint at the signature, so he floated over to take a look as well. He could make out the first letter "S", but otherwise the rest was illegible. Apparently it looked real enough for Nono to take out another pen and sign it as well before handing the sheet back to Vinicio to keep.
«What the hell? What's this part about; "while the service is being rendered, the contractor will do their utmost to protect the client and any related parties"? And I'm not comfortable with this part that says "in case of capture and/or death(s), all responsibility will be deferred to the contractor". I'll basically be punished for any mistakes you make.»
Nono raised an eyebrow, but shrugged off the veiled accusation.
«What did you expect when coming to the Estraneo famiglia? I'm a very busy man with all the experiments we do, not to mention having to fend off assassination attempts at any time of the day and night, every day of the year. The only way we'll even have time to help you is if you help us.»
But it was obvious that the stranger was still hesitating to sign this part of the contract, judging by the way his grip on the papers tightened the more he read the fine print.
Nono could see as well, and after checking his watch, he spoke again.
«It seems you need more time to consider. And though I'd love to wait while you take your time to mull it over, there's somewhere else I need to be right now, so I'm afraid we'll have to leave you for the moment.»
Mukuro panicked for a split second before remembering that the ballistics department started the day several hours before his department did. And even though it was unusual for Nono to watch routine experiments being done, Mukuro knew it was part of his duty to stay updated on the latest progress, as he'd seen him attend before during several of his previous out-of-body experiences.
«I'll give you an hour. But don't get any funny ideas while we're gone; you're in our territory, whether you sign the contract or not. Mezzi and Darin are outside as well, and I'm telling you now – for your own sake – that Darin is a flame user like I am.» The Estraneo leader smiled his slimy smile again, then stood up. «Now, if you would excuse us. And I look forward to hearing some good news soon.»
He winked, and left with the other two men in tow.
Normally, Mukuro would have followed them out to scope for weaknesses. But the stranger's coming presented him with the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Thinking quickly, he cast an illusion of himself within the stranger's mind(3) – one that would directly overlap with his floating spirit. But he tweaked it a little so his facial expression would be more pitiful, just in case this stranger happened to have a soft heart.
He positioned himself to be right in Straniero's peripheral vision, then whispered telepathically.
«Please, help me.»
Six days. Six whole days without uttering a single note, and Tsuna felt like he was slowly being hollowed out.
Without his music lessons, he'd gone back to his usual routine of lessons in the morning with Oni-san, and "lessons" in the afternoon with the three teenagers. But even those felt completely different, because now he wasn't allowed to sing, not even in private.
It wasn't too difficult at first, reverting to his "seen but not heard" state, but as the hours crawled by he realised how empty it was when his time wasn't being filled by something related to music.
He did try to think of an answer to Signorina's question as often as possible, but no matter how long or hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a decent answer. "I sing because I like to" sounded too shallow, while "I sing because I have to" was just asking for trouble. Plus neither answer was true; not the whole truth anyway.
If he'd been asked the same question before his capture, his answer would've been easy – he sang to make his okaa-san happy. And otou-san too, when he was home. But now that neither of them were around…at any rate, it was like digging a hole for a treasure that didn't want to be found.
Or maybe it's like the Momotaro story, and I have to fight all the ogres to get their treasure. But unlike Momotaro, I don't have anyone to help me, not even a dog, monkey, or…or a duck? Was it a duck? Or a chicken?
He bit his lip, unconsciously curling a hand around the 5-yen coin that was usually tucked under his shirt. He'd thought about tossing it near a church as thanks after Kami-sama answered his prayer, but every time he forgot something about his past home, the coin was the only thing keeping him from having a panic attack.
There were little things here and there – such as having nightmares in Italian, or forgetting certain names in Japanese – that made him feel as if a hole was growing inside him. He'd already lost too much, and now it seemed like he could lose music on top of that.
«STUUUPID BLONDIEEEE! WHERE AAARRE YOUUU? THE GREAT LAMBO HAS COME TO PLAAAAAY!»
The shrill voice interrupted Tsuna's downward spiral of thoughts, and he quickly scrambled towards the front gate. Since he wasn't allowed to do any stamina training either (Oni-san said it counted as a "breathing exercise"), he'd been wondering what to tell the cow kid when they next met. And it was Sunday already.
«BLONDIEEEEE!»
«Shhhhh! I'm here.» He quickly scanned his surroundings before dashing the last few metres from the side door to the gate, hoping the teens had somewhere else to be.
«Yay! Come on, let's play!» Lambo stuck a paw through the iron bars and tugged on Tsuna's sleeve.
«Lambo, I can't. Not today.»
That made the child pause, but then he grinned his usual "I-don't-care-what-you're-saying-'cause-I'm-the-great-Lambo" grin.
«Awww, Fratello's being shy again. It's okay; I permit you to be in my presence today! Oh, and I also have a cool new weapon to show you and the other three stupid boys! I borrowed it from the Bovino Don to help me in my new mission!» Lambo's eyes sparkled as he rummaged his other hand through his massive hair-storage space.
«No, Lambo! I…I'm not allowed to play today. You should go home.»
«Where is it? Lambo knows he took it with him today...»
«Lambo!»
«Well well, now here's a rare opportunity.»
Tsuna's head whipped around, but it was too late as he was suddenly yanked up by the back of his shirt.
«Boss, I got the other brat!»
Even while choking, Tsuna could see that Enzo had grabbed Lambo's wrist that was stuck through the bars, trapping the kid there.
«Ah! Leggo stupid no-eyes!»
«How about no. Rossi, you done with the lock yet?»
«Hold on…there. And we should bounce before Maso comes.»
«W-w-wait! Th-there's no training today; Signore Maso said so! So leave Lambo alone!»
«Don't care. Anyway, since we have the day off, we're gonna have some fun. So whaddya say, little Lambo? Shall we play?»
Paulo grinned, changing his grip on Tsuna so that the struggling boy was firmly locked in the crook of his arm.
«Hey; stupid Paulo is cheating! That's not how you play – gah! Lemme go!»
«Got him, boss. And Enzo, you can be on lookout this time.» Rossi had slipped through the opened gate and held Lambo in a death grip, making sure the kid couldn't touch his hair or pull out anything that would distract them.
Crap. I shouldn't have let my guard down. They had a chance of escaping if only one of them was caught, but it'd been so long since both of them were trapped like this that Tsuna could only panic and struggle, which made Paulo smirk.
«Wait Enzo. We're not going to the café today. Let's go to the other back alley; the one by the empty apartment.»
«Yes boss.»
And with that, Tsuna knew they were in for a world of pain.
Why did I think they wouldn't come for me even after Oni-san said we had the day off this Sunday? Stupid, stupid, no-good Tsuna.
It was bad enough, being hammered into the dirty walls and dusty ground. It was even worse when they dumped Lambo right next to him, and started hitting the child with enough force to draw blood. It was absolutely humiliating when he tried several times to shield Lambo, and was easily stopped each time by a single punch or kick. But he almost lost it when Lambo started wailing his name. Not "Stupid blondie" or "Fratello", but "Leo".
I…I'm going to lose him too. And it's gonna be my fault.
A particularly hard kick made Tsuna cough up something wet, but he felt too empty to care.
It'd be better anyway if I had nothing left. It'd be easier to give up. It'd be…better…
But even as those words rang hollow, he curled into himself more, wrapping his arms around his ears and head, hoping to block out everything.
«Dude…break. Remember…stay away …face.»
«…yeah. Enzo, any sign…? Or Maso?»
«Nope. How's…cow?»
«Still…crying.»
«Leave Leo alone! Stupid...stupid...WAAHHHHH!»
And wasn't that like a stab through Tsuna's heart.
Does it count as doing the right thing, even when I can't? Even when I'm useless and end up not helping anyone?
The kicking started again, and Tsuna instinctively knew that this time, they weren't going to stop.
«NNOOOOOOOOO!»
Something in Lambo's voice made the kicks pause, and Tsuna cracked an eye open just in time to see something long and purple flash by.
«Rossi! Stop him!»
A flash and a bang rang out, and everyone coughed from the smoke that billowed out.
What…?
«Phew. I was expecting it, but not so soon after the first time. Question is, where am I?»
A deeper, more mature voice came from the smoke, and as it cleared away, Tsuna saw a cool-looking teenager with messy black hair and one closed eye emerge from the spot right next to him.
«What the…who're you? Where'd you come from?»
«Ah, it's the Todd famiglia's Don. Still a jerk as always. And your usual henchmen are here too.»
The boy straightened from his relaxed posture, brushing off the dust that had settled on his black suit jacket with spotted lapels.
«Hey! Who're you calling a jerk? And where'd the dumb cow kid go?»
«I'm afraid that's none of your business.» He smiled, but then faltered. «Wait. If you're here, and my past self was also here, then that means…» He whipped around and caught Tsuna's eye.
Something in the boy's expression hardened to ice, and Tsuna flinched reflexively.
«You're really lucky.» He turned to speak to the others again, but this time there was nothing easy-going about his voice. And his one open eye never left Tsuna. «My Fratello forbade me a while ago to destroy your famiglia, so I won't kill you. But I sure as hell can make you pay.»
«What? What the f-ck does that mea–?»
Paulo's words were lost as green lightning charged the atmosphere, and the stranger proceeded to give the other boys a thorough thrashing.
Tsuna shielded his eyes from the bright light, whimpering and praying that it would stop soon.
After a few moments, the sound of screaming boys and the buzzing of electricity faded, but he didn't dare look until he felt two hands clamp down on his shoulders and shake him frantically.
«Tsuna-ni! Are you okay? Crap, maybe I should call the doctor–»
«N-n-no. I-I'm okay. Please, d-don't hurt me.»
Thankfully, the shaking stopped, but now the stranger looked...sad?
«Ah. Sorry. But you know I'd never hurt you, right?»
«U-umm. B-but…who are you?»
The stranger blinked in confusion, then quirked an almost shy smile.
«Oh! Of course you wouldn't know... It's me, Lambo. From ten years into the future.»
«W-what?»
«This weapon here,» he pointed to the forgotten purple tube, «is called the Ten-Year Bazooka. Whoever gets shot with it gets sent ten years forward, while they're replaced by their future self. So I'm still Lambo, but I'm the fourteen-year-old version.»
«…Oh.»
However strange it sounded, Tsuna felt that this guy – Future Lambo – was telling the truth. And if he looked closely, he could see the same horns sticking out of the black hair, and what he thought was a spotted pattern on the teen's jacket was actually Lambo's signature cow-print pattern. The most telling was the one open eye, which was as green as the younger Lambo's. Maybe not so sparkling and innocent, but still bright and kind.
He relaxed a little in Future Lambo's supporting hands, but then sat up again, hissing a little at the pain that flared up.
«But…if you're here…is the other Lambo coming back? Is he okay? H-he was hurt, too!»
«Ah, careful! You're gonna hurt yourself more!» The teen eased him against the wall, fussing over his wounds like his okaa-san used to. «Typical Tsuna-ni. Always worried about everyone but yourself. The bazooka only works for five minutes anyway, and I think time's almost up, so you'll see my younger self when we switch back.»
«Oh. Good.» Then something occurred to him. «Wait. Did you call me 'Tsuna-ni'?»
«Well, I don't think you liked the other nicknames we came up with.»
That opened up a whole other can of questions, but before Tsuna could voice them, Lambo frowned, then looked at him with a seriousness that he'd never thought Lambo would ever have.
«Tsuna-ni. Lambo will have to leave you soon. It will be difficult, but I know that you're strong; stronger than anyone I know. I promise you everything's going to be okay, so please, hold on for me. For all of us.»
Then, being careful with his wounds, Lambo gave him a warm hug, and hummed «Cresci fratello, ritornerai, libererai tutti noi(4)» before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
In his place was the four-year-old Lambo again, who took one look at Tsuna before burying his face in the crook of his neck and bawling his eyes out.
It was impossible to say anything to the current Lambo, so Tsuna held him close and waited it out.
I…I could have lost Lambo today. M-my first friend. But thank god, he seems to be okay – both the younger and older version of him.
He couldn't quite make heads or tails of exactly what Future Lambo was trying to tell him in the end, but he realised with some surprise that the draining emptiness he'd been feeling was gone.
At that moment, Lambo hiccupped a few times, signaling that his crying fit was over.
«S-s-stupid Leo! Making me worry like that! Where did you go? Lambo couldn't find you anywhere and was surrounded by s-scary people! Even though they had candy.»
He sweatdropped. Lambo probably didn't realise he'd been sent to the future. But it seemed like the "scary people" knew what was going on, since the child was properly bandaged and looked better off than he did just a few minutes ago. Maybe…maybe he met some future friends?
It was more than he dared to hope for, but he still smiled and patted Lambo's fuzzy head.
«Humph. And I was hoping to show off my new weapon, too.» The child spotted his bazooka, and promptly stuffed it back into his hair. «Oh well. The great Lambo will show you how it's used next time, after I kill the super first-class hitman, Reborn.»
Tsuna blinked.
«Wait, what?»
«Oh. Didn't Lambo tell you? The boss said Lambo doesn't have to kill stupid Paulo anymore 'cause he's too weak. My next target is Reborn, who I met in a bar.» The kid tilted his head to the side and rubbed his chin, as if in deep thought. «Hmmm…I guess this means you won't see me until I finish my mission. Ah, but don't worry – Lambo will try to do it as fast as he can! Then I'll come find you and we can play together again!»
«B-but what if you get hurt? Or lost? Or–»
«Stuuupid. Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the great Lambo, and I won't stop until I've become the next boss of the Bovino famiglia! Gyahahahaha!»
Lambo's pose of confidence seemed completely out of place in this situation, but Tsuna sighed and settled for the fact that he knew Lambo would still be around ten years later. Also, judging by how openly the teen used his real name, it seemed they would meet again sometime in the future.
So I guess I'll just have to take older Lambo's advice and «hold on.» But for now, he thought while struggling to his feet, I've found my answer to Signorina's question.
«Please, help me.»
Since the start of the private meeting, Iemitsu had sensed another presence in the room with them, so he wasn't startled at the illusion, but he did think it was surprising to see a blue-haired child pop out of nowhere.
He kept his poker face though, and inclined his head to acknowledge the presence.
«Ah, please don't put up all your mental barriers. We can only talk if you allow me to manipulate the language centre of your brain. And if you want, you can shut off the visual part too. I just thought it would be easier if you could see who you were talking to.»
He'd met and interacted with Mist flame users before, so knew how to deal with them, but it seemed as if this particular user really was just a child if he could sense and block off his illusions so easily. So he kept the specific barriers open without lowering his guard.
If you show me any illusions other than yourself, I'll cut you off immediately.
«Of course. After all, I'm the one asking for your help.» The illusion flickered, then reappeared as a mini-version standing between Iemitsu's face and the stack of papers he was reading. «There's a security camera in this room, so it'd be better if it looks like you're reading the contract.»
Hm.
Iemitsu silently approved of the child's actions, a little impressed at his intelligence and resourcefulness. And he was quite a pitiable child, with a solemn face, a malnourished body, and an eyepatch over his right eye.
It made him wonder if somewhere, his Tsuna was becoming like this.
He quashed the feeling of dread, and spoke in his mind with a neutral tone.
So? Who are you? And no lies; I've heard enough of them to sense when someone's not telling the truth.
«I…I'm Mukuro.» The figure in front of him looked down, as if ashamed. «I'm one of the children they experiment on.»
Iemitsu's grip tightened enough to crease the contract he was "reading", but he slowly flipped the page in a semblance of control.
Oh? And what do you want from me?
The boy looked up at him, this time with a determined expression.
«I want to escape this hellhole, preferably in one piece. I do have a plan, but I can't carry it out without a certain weapon. So I was thinking you could get it for me.»
Woah there, I'm not looking to start a war with the Estraneo famiglia. Plus I happen to need their services. You should know; you were right there eavesdropping on us.
«Huh?» The boy looked genuinely nervous for the first time. «How…how did you know?»
I'm pretty good at sensing things. Call it instinct or whatever. And no need to worry; I doubt anyone else has discovered your aura.
«Oh. Does that mean…I knew it; you're a stronger Mafioso than the head of the Estraneo famiglia!»
Maybe I've just had more experience. He was deliberately vague as didn't want to give too much away to the unusually perceptive child. I've come across others like you, but you're definitely the youngest out of all of them. Is this a result of all the experiments you've been through?
«…I'd rather not talk about that.»
Mukuro was just as reluctant to give away too much, but that was fine with him. The boy must be quite desperate to reach out to a complete stranger, no matter how strong he looked.
«Anyway, if you choose to help me, I think I can help you find who you're looking for faster than anyone in the Estraneo famiglia.»
This piqued Iemitsu's interest, but he kept his enthusiasm in check.
Really? And how would you go about doing that?
«If you lend me a picture and something that belongs to him, I can use it to establish a dream link. It's a little like what I'm doing now, but it only works if I have both items in my hand. Also, it may be obvious but we both have to be asleep.»
…That can be arranged.
It seemed easy; almost too easy, as if the answer to his biggest problem had just fallen straight into his lap. There had to be a catch somewhere.
What do I have to do again? Steal a certain weapon for you? Something occurred to Iemitsu, and he frowned. Is it the Possession Bullet?
«No. I'm actually looking for a small trident. If I may show you what it looks like…?»
He nodded discreetly, and the weapon materialised in front of him.
He blinked in recognition.
This…this is Estraneo Otto's personal weapon. Or used to be. Why do you need it?
«…No comment. How did you know that this belonged to the previous leader?»
…No comment.
There was a tense silence between them, which was only broken when Iemitsu finally flipped to the last page of the Estraneo's contract.
You know, you could've just directly asked me to help you break out of wherever you're imprisoned. If it means finding the person I'm looking for, I'd be willing to do that much.
The boy gave him a calculating look, then spoke with the most eerie smile he'd ever seen on a child's face:
«There's no fun in escaping without a little revenge.»
Revenge? In what way?
«You don't need to know. Besides, this way, you can minimise your involvement with the Estraneo famiglia. Maybe even watch them suffer a little without having to lift a finger. And I know how much you like them.»
Iemitsu weighed his options, his alternative options, possible worst-case scenarios and necessary contingency plans, then reweighed everything again in the span of a few seconds.
«So what will it be, Signore Straniero?»
He picked up the pen Estraneo Nono had left behind, signed the contract, then leaned back and crossed his arms in an affectation of boredom.
Tell me this plan of yours.
(1): Ranking Prince Fuuta is currently 5 years old.
(2): The Vow of Silence for people in the mafia. Basically it's an oath to stay silent when questioned by the police, and also to stay away from interfering with another famiglia's illegal activities (unless such activities negatively affect your own).
(3): According to canon, Mukuro can cast 2 types of illusions – the first type manipulates the victim's mind into believing that what they're seeing is real, while the second is actually making the illusion real via Mist flames, which was first shown during the Future arc. He's still a kid here, so he can only do the first type for now.
(4): Translates to "Grow up brother, you shall return, you will free us all." Lyrics from the Italian version of Deliver Us. Refer to Chapter 5: The Goose.
AN: There was a lot of research I had to do for this chapter. It's turning out to be a longer story than I'd anticipated, especially when the characters take off by themselves. But I'm still having fun, so I hope you're enjoying it too. I also somehow managed to make some of my least favourite characters more likeable (to myself anyway). I guess these things happen when you write about a character instead of just read about them.
Part II will come out next. I just couldn't justify putting everything into a single long chapter. Anyway, feel free to review, follow, favourite, etc. I always look forward to your responses. :)