It's been a week since then, a week trapped in that damn hospital while my family remained missing. Reborn and Tsuna refused to even look at me, never even there while Takashi and even Hibari kept me company every now and then. Takashi acted like my mom with how he was always checking if I was okay, as if I was going to disappear if he wasn't there. Hibari in contrast took a look at my wounds, and just sat back. I smiled when he visited. I didn't have to deal with pampering, but he was still there in case someone else came up and tried to kill me (Fun how I already came to terms with my own brother trying to kill me against his free will. I feel insane already guys.) and for that I liked it. I came to appreciate the silence as much as I could (Even though I was the one who broke it much of the time...I have come to regret my actions from back then...) and I bet that's one of the reasons Hibari seemed to be okay with being somewhat in my presence. (I mean, in the VERY short time I have known him, he seems like the guy to hate everyone. I should know, my brother was one of those people. Was being the key term...God why did THIS become my life...)
"Hey Arthur...You're getting out tomorrow right?" Takashi had asked after a while of silence as I nodded, my injuries having finally gotten to an area where I could force the hospital to let me the hell out. Hospitals and me never got along, too artificial, it just never felt right, you know? Well apparently Takashi noticed.
And he didn't look too happy about it. Most likely was still beating himself up about what had happened. (I mean, if I was in his situation, I would have been as well, hell I was because I had put HIM in danger. But telling him that would hurt both of our prides. So I kept it to myself and he kept his to himself.) I didn't mind much, but I did have a noticeable frown on my face.
"Well, maybe you can stay at our house for the time being?" Takashi finally asked what we both knew he would. I sighed as I stared at him from my hospital bed(prison).
"One, I'm practically a homeless guy. Two, I don't want to impose on you for my troubles. Three, I'm going to have to go back there either way, be it by Demon Baby, Hibari, or Bastard. So might as well just go. Also since I am of age legally, I could sue for multiple things against said teachers, be it for Nezu's incompetence and active mistreatment of students to just how he never punishes the students going after said students. I have enough material to go after him at this point. All I need is the legal papers." I explained to him with the best determined eyes I could give him.
Takashi sighed in annoyance as he realized that I wasn't giving up that easily. I played Nioh and the Dark Souls games for fucks sake, it'll take more than minor concern to stop my stubborn ass. "Fine, but the first sign of them going after you or Tsuna again and both of you are out of there." Takashi said as I noticed the loophole.
They ALWAYS went after Tsuna, "Ooo, clever...I can't deny that since I want to leave, but they always go after Tsuna so I would have to go anyways. Nice one." I said aloud as he had the audacity to grin at that.
The next day came pretty quickly as I saw both Hibari and Takashi, which was...ODD to say the least. I said nothing as Hibari stayed a bit away from Takashi as I tried to get up. Takashi was quick to try and mother me but I refused his help, bitch I was FINE, it was just minor bruises at this point that would heal by the end of the day, JESUS GET OFF MY CASE. Both of us locked onto Hibari when we heard the slightest chuckle from him. I smirked at this, but said nothing more than having a chuckle myself at the obscurity of it all, after I got up out of the prison bed, we headed out as I smiled. Here, two of my...(Dare I say it? Dare I even think it!?) friends? were walking with me of all people. I looked at Hibari and took a deep breath. "Hey Hibari!" I said as I walked a bit faster to catch up with the man.(Goddamn this guy was putting my friend Daniel's speed walk to shame, and he was way faster than I ever was! I had to run just to keep up!)
"Hn." He said simply. I guessed it was a what question, hard to tell.
"I'm thinking of suing Nezu, but I need the legal documents...can you help with that?" I asked, getting exhausted as Hibari finally stopped. I did too as he nodded before starting off again. "Thanks Hibari!" I yelled to him as I heard a Hn back. Takashi looked at me in shock.
"Wow Arthur, you did something that only Tsuna could." He said with a bit of joking in his tone. I looked at him, confused. "You got Hibari to acknowledge your existence!" He said as I was about to facepalm, only to see a tonfa nearly smack him in the face if it wasn't blocked by the sword of Takashi's. I sweatdropped.
"H-HIBARI TAKASHI WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" I yelled as a second tonfa went towards me. I ducked just in the nick of time as I looked at Hibari with wide eyes.
"Hn. Not so loud omnivore." Hibari said before walking off with what looked like disappointment in his voice.
Neither me nor Takashi had anything to say to that as we kept going. We shared a look, gulped, and walked into the classroom.
"Arthur!" Two of the female students in the class ran up to me as I walked into the classroom. One had Tsuna gushing and looking away trying to hide a poorly concealed blush, while the other seemed to be the first one's friend. I raised an eyebrow again, having not seen either of these students a week ago. Were they new? Couldn't be if Tsuna already had a crush on one, were they absent? Or something else? Almost like being psychic, the first girl continued, seemingly reading my thoughts. "We were absent, what happened? What landed you in the hospital?" The first girl asked as many of the students flinched. Me I didn't even get close to it hilariously enough (Most of the time I would flinch over nothing, hilarious what world changing experiences does to screw life over.) as everyone looked at us now. I sighed in response, having taken on the role of mediator.
"If you really want that question answered, answer this. Will YOU promise not to hurt those that actually did it?" I said, looking at the other girl with a smirk, hoping she got the secret message, And will you beat them the fuck up? Both nodded as my smirk grew larger. "Well it was everyone except Tsuna, Takashi, Gokudera and Hibari. All of those in this classroom except those people." I explained as they looked at me with question marks.
"Why did you include Hibari-san? He's not in this classroom." The first girl asked. I shrugged.
"Since many would blame him for it to save their own hide." I explained as they nodded, understanding why at that point. I was laughing internally at the fact that I guessed his social status. Ahh he was REALLY like my brother...it was actually kind of creepy...Well I kept a somewhat calm face, but a small smirk showed I guess.
"Hey Kyoko, can you and Tsuna please leave the class real quick?" The darkish haired one said to the cheery girl(named Kyoko I guess) a bit slowly as my smirk grew when I saw the slowly-turning-terrified student's faces(Ow that was a mouthful, try saying that five times fast.) as they understood why. I looked at them.
"Hey, I'll head with them. How long do you want us to be gone for?" I asked as my smirk mirrored itself onto her face. I was pretty proud by how well she did it as I waited.
"About...twenty minutes? I just need to...Teach...people respect." she said menacingly, Tsuna blanked, but Kyoko looked like she was completely oblivious to what that meant for the rest of the class.
"...Noted..." I said slowly, practically racing the two out of the classroom before hearing screams and torture as Takashi and Gokudera came out terrified. I gulped. "How bad 1-10? Ten is past FUBAR limit." I asked as they looked at each other and said as one.
"11." I blanked and promptly sped up away from the classroom. NOPE THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING NOPE NOT AT ALL. I tried telling myself. But even my side of the brain was denying that and just imagining the cruel ways Hana was torturing them. Debating on if I should head back and stop her or not, I slowed to a stop. Tsuna noticed and looked at me blankly.
"...Please say you aren't wanting to go back to that hellhole...?" Tsuna asked as I couldn't answer. "Arthur..." He said threateningly as I refused to answer. "They BEAT you up, I mean, no one deserves torture, but you should be the last one to admit that! Why do you want to go back?" Tsuna asked as I sighed.
"...Because she's doing it for me...And she shouldn't be forced to defend someone not even in the room and that can't even defend himself. She shouldn't have to protect a coward, someone...she...never even met!" I tried saying, noting the tears heading down my face. When...when did I start crying? When did I start crying so often? Most of the time it was this...dry sadness that run over me, but lately the tears have been pouring, did I really step into an anime land? I was starting to ask myself this now...Either way, what was done was done. I sighed yet again as I tried wiping the tears off my face. "So what kinda person would I be if I just run away like this?" I asked, desperate for an answer that wasn't going to come. A second or ten past without any sound as I ran back, subconsciously dodging the rampant tonfa as I kept going towards the classroom desperate to help. I knocked before heading inside, seeing the class in high panic as she was chewing them out like they were her breakfast. I gulped as she turned to me, glare still firmly rooted on her face.
"Why the hell are you here?" She demanded from me as I desperately tried not to gulp again. I opened my mouth to reply as she coldly interrupted. "And don't you dare say Because you were protecting me or something stupid like that." I deadpanned, noting the fear from the rest of my classmates(I already view myself as part of them. ABORT ABORT!) as I started.
"It's not you protecting me that I came back for. It-It's the fact that I'm not h-elping you protect myself that I-I came back for." I desperately tried to keep calm as I started to explain, but I couldn't, Hana rolled her eyes as I stuttered at the end, my voice hitching itself as I tried to keep going.
"Monkeys, you just want to do everything yourself do you?" She asked me as I blinked, having not realized I did. "Knew it. You have friends for a reason. Friends help EACH OTHER, not send one to do all the work." Hana explained as I smirked, she having given me a way out if I admitted something. I saw the trap, but hey, I think it worked.
"So I guess we aren't friends, you're trying to do all the work yourself you know. You seem to constantly protect that Kyoko person, alongside with sending me and the others out to protect them from it as well. You're like me, we wish for them to not be tainted from the actions we are forced to do. So how about this. Seeing as I'm already tainted, as are you, we work together and give these...Classmates...the punishment they deserve?" My smirk turned into a bloodthirsty grin as the already terrified classmates yelped over. Even Hana looked a bit unnerved at the lengths I was willing to go to, but smirked in the end.
"Gladly." She said as we turned to our loving vic-Volunteers.
"Who wants to be first!?" I asked loudly with vindictive happiness in my voice. I could get used to this.
Let's see how durable absolute idiots are.
Tsuna didn't want to go back just yet, a deep feeling of fear that was only reserved for Hibari having been unleashed onto the classroom, but with Reborn's Loving assistance he had been forced to take a peek. His friends waited far in the corner and gave his tearing face a thumbs up as he spared a look into the classroom, he bet that even his friends could hear the torture taking place.
"-HARDER GUYS! YOU CAN DO IT. YOU STILL GOT SOME ENERGY IN YAH. Eww, that sounded wrong...hmmmm, Ahh I know! GET YOUR DUMB ASSES OFF OF THE FLOOR AND GIVE ME TEN HUNDRED PUSH UPS NOW! IF YOU FAIL, well, I bet you know exactly what would happen." Arthur's voice carried down the hallway, vindictive glee and harnessed murdering intent focused onto his classmates, but, he wasn't alone.
"You're too nice." Hana said simply. "Why make them work themselves out? I mean, I can think of much better ways than that." Hana said simply.
Tsuna ran away at that point, desperate screaming for him to save them fell on deaf ears as he paled towards his friends.
"Yeah, let's NOT go that way. Come on, let's give them a bit more time." Tsuna told them.
"Oh, they're still tutoring them? That's so nice!" Kyoko misunderstood the situation like usual.
"Y-Yeah, something like that." Tsuna said, exasperated more than anything.
Why couldn't he have normal friends!? He sighed as he walked away with them, somewhat pushing them towards the roof for the rest of the lunch break. It was normally off limits, but Hibari's existence quickly changed that, and he seemed to always be up there. Sure Tsuna and co. were loud, but it was better than hearing the idiots yap, and soon became background noise for Hibari.
Now if he met Arthur like this?
Tsuna feared the school wouldn't survive the encounter, and neither would anyone in the range. Both were unstoppable forces of nature, it was like Ryohei and Hibari, always fighting with each other. Heck, Arthur and Takashi seemed like they would hit it off pretty easily, but who knew. Personally he kinda met them, Arthur and Hibari had a somewhat mutual respect for each other, while he seemed to try and make his own pace. Tsuna wondered about the feeling pounding in his chest as he thought about Arthur, unsure what it was. To Reborn, who was currently reading his thoughts, it was easy to tell. It was Envy. He envied Arthur for having had that freedom he only wished to have. A world to himself, where he and his friends could live a normal, standard life, Arthur had that. He have had a stable job, and more. Then it was suddenly ripped from him, forced to watch on over Tsuna and co. as another guardian. All because of a blood relation. Both he and Arthur could agree on one thing, they hated their fathers with an undying passion. For someone never there to just suddenly burst in to just screw over their lives? It was just so aggravating. And Arthur wasn't going to stop until he gives him true punishment. The more Tsuna thought of it, Arthur was actually a lot like Hibari, but a lot different. The mere thought of Hibari being friendly worried him, until he realized that his distance and careful placement of Tsunayoshi WAS his form of friendliness. It felt weird how Tsuna never thought about that, a new appreciation of Hibari forming. Heck, he never really thought of everyone in that kind of way. What HAD he been missing before it just all was placed in front of him like this? Hibari was meant to be the clouds, ever-free and always unbound. How can Hibari be that if he had bound himself on over to the chained Sky?
"Good question Tsuna." Reborn said, coming to the same conclusion. He himself was acting off as well, as if he was a god when in reality, he too had to practice caution in situations as well, he was here to TRAIN Tsuna, but that also meant that he had to train him to fit the mafia. He couldn't go about this as he had with Dino, who had known he was to be in the Mafia all his life. Tsuna was a bloody civilian before all of this for crying out loud! He didn't show it on his face, but Reborn mentally told himself to hold back a bit with Tsuna, to ease him into this crap. There was no way back, but there was a way forward. To do this to a kid...a civilian of all things...Tsuna wasn't the only one wanting to torture his father, and neither was Arthur for his own. Reborn was going to have some Words with their parents about all of this. And first on the list was getting Arthur's family back. How dare Dick lose them like that.
Unless...They Would be a liability in Dick's eyes...The line of thought should have sicken Reborn to his gut, but he was long used to such tactless methods. It was a carrot on a stick for Arthur, but if he were to find out what happened. The aftermath would be catatonic, to the point where even Reborn would have to be careful. Not much was known about the Wildfire flame, as it name suggested, it was quickest to burn out, and was rare to see in certain time periods, but it was capable of destruction unknown to the other flames. Reborn, even as he would never admit it, was cautious of Arthur. For him to put this level of caution in Reborn, it was nearly unheard of, and if anyone found out, then there really would be no escape for him. Any semblance of a normal life would be shattered for the poor kid. On top of that, he wasn't a kid. He was a full adult, a life ahead of him, one that had already grown up away from a father. For him to threaten his family and drug his son on over, expecting him to go along peacefully?
That was exactly what Iemitsu did to Tsuna. Expecting him to just be on the same wavelength, when neither knew their parents before hand. To just strip them of their hopes and dreams, successes in Arthur's case, having become famous in areas for his rise from a small company starter to one of the biggest companies in the world. That was what made Reborn sick to his stomach. He didn't show it on his face, but he still lowered his fedora on that line of thought. He would need to find that family immediately. He said nothing, disappearing as he brought out Leon in the shape of a phone. It was time to make some calls.
Tsuna on the other hand was thinking of how his friends were. Gokudera praised the ground he walked on, even though he told him multiple times not to, he continued to do so. Even with that, he still had his own aspirations, loving science to a degree that Tsuna didn't know possible. Gokudera said he didn't notice it when Arthur had introduced himself since while he was famous, he had always kept his name a secret, only going by Sirren as his name, but his company had made the computers that they use, and Arthur had made their operating system. Gokudera held the paper like a excited child desperately waiting to see a hero walk in front of them to get an autograph. It made an adorable sight, but he couldn't take Gokudera's endless worship, it was too much, but his other aspects were all of which that he himself could relate to. In fact, Gokudera was the only one, other than Hibari, that he wouldn't say the first name to. He was supposed to be the storm, the one that was the first to battle with a plan. How can he do that when he never truly goes into battle with a plan?
Then you get to Takashi who had acted like everything was a game, a permanent air of ignorance plastered onto his face to the point that none of noticed that it was all an act. A severe act of denial to everything that happened. One that only popped up after the whole Mukuro incident. It was his way of coping, but it was harming everyone else. He was supposed to be the rain, the one calming everyone down. How could he do that when he couldn't calm himself down, having kept all his pain shoved deep inside?
On the topic of Extreme, you get to Ryohei, who was definitely the most fight-thirsty out of all of them next to Hibari. Tsuna was still unsure how to talk to him after what happened just the day before Arthur arrived. He had went to Kyoko's house, curious on if Ryohei's hospital stay during the Mukuro incident was documented, not thinking much of it. Instead what he got was a grimace that shouldn't look that suited on Kyoko's face. She went to a spare room, one that looked untouched for a long time. Full of books and training books from the mere glances that Tsuna could get, it was odd, what was odder still was when Kyoko came out with a very old looking folder, dust layering the folder to the point where Tsuna's fingers were covered halfway with it. Tsuna's Intuition had warned him against opening it, but he had to. The information had him dropping the folder out of shock, Kyoko's face changing into one full of regret.
"D-Did that...really happen?" Tsuna stuttered, terrified from the new information invading his brain. He got no response but instead a tear smashing against the ground. Kyoko wiped her face, before looking at him with desperate eyes.
"P-Please don't treat him differently, he needs your presence." Kyoko said, no traces of her standard obliviousness being seen. She had known, all along, but Tsuna denied it all. He ran, unsure how to take the new information. It took him until now for the pieces to fit together, as if it had been blurred out, the pieces never fitting exactly how it should have. The document was injuries from a really serious fight that he had been in, all in Kyoko's defense. Before it, Ryohei was a standard human being, one that just liked to fight a lot and loved his sister dearly. He was mostly silent, and was able to piece together situations without jumping to conclusions. But after that fight, he had suffered severe damage to his brain, enough to cause his eardrums to rupture. Since Ryohei couldn't hear that well, he had to speak louder to hear himself, and with the brain damage, it caused irreparable damage to many parts of it, causing his fractured personality. Kyoko was just a worried sister, playing along for her brother, and was thankful for Tsuna's help. How could Ryohei be the sun if he couldn't even activate a huge chunk of his brain?
Don't even get Tsuna talking about his two Mists. Chrome was always acting innocent, as if she hadn't done anything wrong, but the stains of blood were obvious onto her palms, she had been too calm in battle, knowing it too well, and not all of it could be blamed on Mukuro. Mukuro was beyond unhinged, always going on about wanting to possess Tsuna. Chrome on the other hand, only accepted calling him Bossu, not his name in any shape or form. How could he begin to connect with them if they actively distance themselves away? They were supposed to be the Mists, the ones to divert attention from them, to blur the image to enemies. But all Tsuna had seen was them ATTRACTING attention from his enemies, and never once had they truly did that purpose. How could they be the Mists when they couldn't blur the image of them in order to protect them?
Then the youngest, the one that he still cannot accept as a guardian, Lambo. Lambo was five years old, a smart brat that knew how to play his hand better than Reborn did. It was very late, nearly midnight as Tsuna woke up, tired, but hungry. He was heading downstairs when he heard a chuckle, having noticed the missing baby in the hammock, he knew it to be Reborn's chuckle, but when he went. It was him talking to a still awake Lambo. If that wasn't odd enough, it was a smirking Lambo.
"So, you found it all out? How does that feel Reborn?" Lambo said seriously, a smirk on his face promising pain. "I've been careful, interesting how you found out how it was so fast." Lambo continued, his vocabulary in Japanese seemingly improving the more into the conversation it went. Reborn smirked back.
"You're the heir, I just went and asked them. When they told me about That happening well, it all made sense. Why do you think I chose you to be the guardian?" Reborn said as Lambo growled and rolled his eyes.
"So what if I'm his descendant? We're not that second coming you all wish us to be. We're people Reborn, I may be trapped into this tiny body, but that doesn't mean that I haven't forgotten what you did. I will end you someday. It may not be today or anytime near, but I will have revenge for what you did to my father." Lambo said as Tsuna's eyes widened, a gasp involuntarily coming out as the two snapped towards him, Lambo seemed to magically become five years old again, acting like a spoiled brat once more. Reborn on the other hand, glared at the two.
"How much did you hear?" Reborn asked as Tsuna looked at Lambo.
"Enough. Sorry, I was hungry, but...Lambo, can you explain what really happened to cause you to go after Reborn? I'm starting to think you lied to me about that, among other things. Reborn, I want your side as well. We got until morning, so we have time." Tsuna asked of them, Reborn was more reluctant, but concealed since his democratic training was not falling onto deaf ears, along with a chance to train them for the next two days however much he wished.
It wasn't how Tsuna wished to learn about Lambo not just being his normal self, but a ten year later Lambo trapped in that form. It was confusing, but what happened is a prototype tested on Lambo went wrong, and caused the two selves(His five and ten year old selves) to become permanently switched. Which is why Tsuna had not seen the weird Purple bazooka that Lambo carried in his portable storage maximizer helmet, or what he had made in the form of an Afro. How he managed to remember exactly which part held which was insane, but it only showed how powerful Lambo truly was, if it wasn't for him acting like a selfish brat all the time.
"I have to keep up appearances. I still look like a five year old, and many would want to abuse the power, so we make it look like I became less mature after the experiment. As for why I wish to kill Reborn, it was for he had sicked Bianchi after my father. She doesn't know it, but she murdered my father because Reborn told her to. I forgive Bianchi, but I cannot forgive Reborn for doing that." Lambo explained simply.
Tsuna would have asked how he could trust a five year old to protect them all from danger, but in the sense. It was more of if Lambo wanted to do that. He was too lazy, to the point where he didn't care if anything really happened to Tsuna and them, how could he divert attention and be a Lightening rod, if he refused to help them?
Arthur, as little as Tsuna known him, already made an impact on him, causing him to think of things that he never would have otherwise. He wasn't sure why, but he could feel a change coming, and whatever it was, it would be big. But then Tsuna thought about himself. He was supposed to be the Sky, welcome to all and accepting of all. How can he do that with the doubts plaguing his mind about his friends? It seemed there was a lot for the crew to work on. Alongside himself came Arthur, the newbie. He was supposed to be the sword and shield for the group, like a weird combination of storm and lightning that granted him a unique flame, but one ready to lay his life down for them. How can he be the wildfire if he was always doubting himself and distancing himself away? He had a life to go back to, not be trapped in all of this. What kind of Sky was he, if he could not accept everyone for him?
The answer was obvious.
A chained sky, one bound to fate, always reaching out to escape, but bound by blood to stay, his guardians distant and forced upon him, but not who he wished to carry. How was he to grow, if he was trapped to that called Fate?
Hibari was annoyed, having heard screams coming from the dumb Herbivorous classroom that the Omnivore stayed in, along with the new Wannabe Omnivore that came a few days ago. It was odd, his arrival bringing some odd thoughts to mind. Like how he had been too impassive for the Omnivore, having terrified him with his ways. He was anti-social sure, but that was no reason to go after the Loud Herbivore, he knew the Loud Herbivore's condition and had called him Boxing Herbivore before the accident had happened, he even was good friends with him back then. The Dynamite Herbivore was the one he cared the least about, him being too loud and pushy on the Omnivore when it was clear that he needed some space. The Omnivore wasn't meant to be followed like a Carnivore, but this Herbivore apparently didn't get the memo. The Fake Herbivore was almost worse, having that expression of ignorance and wearing it so well that until the Wannabe Omnivore came, he didn't even notice it was fake. It sickened him on how he missed that detail.
He stopped in front of the classroom, the Wannabe Omnivore's bloodlust leaking through the door in vibrant waves rivaling Hibari's own.
"WE'RE NOT DONE YET! GET THE FUCK BACK UP!" He shouted towards the Herbivores, them marching in succession. Hibari smirked as he opened the door, noting the direction of the bloodlust sharpening towards him before nearly disappearing. The Herbivores looked relieved until the Baby Carnivore smirked at them, scaring them once more.
"Why yes Hibari?" The Baby Carnivore smiled falsely, and if he had been anyone else, he would have thought that he wasn't the cause of this.
"Hn, fight me." Hibari said, tonfas appearing from nowhere again as he pounced at him. The Baby Carnivore looked surprised, fearful, and looked around for anything to use. He saw nothing but the open door and ducked past Hibari's tonfa out of it.
Arthur's heart was pounding, unable to tell how he dodged the tonfa, he just felt the need to duck as he ran, looking for anything that he could potentially use. He was a swordfighter, having self-trained himself in the art of kendo for a while. He had been using a wooden cane for his bokken but it was the only thing he could use in America. He figured there was a gym SOMEWHERE, but with Hibari on his ass, he didn't think he was going to get too far. He had to break quickly when he noticed Tsuna and crew heading towards him before turning back around and running again, nearly running into a tonfa, he grabbed the admittedly harsh blow that had blood coming from his hand before ducking and continuing to run. Scared for his life at the bloodlust after him, Arthur ran that much faster, eyes darting around for anything to use.
"Sword, sword, sword..." Arthur mumbled aloud, rushing through the maze called a school and desperately trying to find the gym. He saw the stairs and blanked, having looked everywhere else. Hibari would no doubt catch him with how slow he was going down stairs, so he took a right, grabbing a random broom and mop bucket lying around before rushing a u-turn, sending the bucket on off to Hibari. Effortlessly kicking the bucket away, Hibari still had to block the broom shoved into his face as footsteps ran away from him.
"BABY CARNIVORE!" He screamed in righteous anger as he chased after him. The footsteps disappeared as Arthur kept his breathing level as he hid in the closet. He listened for the footsteps to leave, waiting a few extra seconds before opening the door slowly and gently(Least it wasn't his home's doors. They would have squeaked and given him away.) before heading down the stairs calmly, hoping that Hibari didn't sneak up on him and scare the hell out of him again. He reached the bottom and took a left, hoping that it was the way to go towards the gym. He gulped as he opened a set of double doors, grinning when it was indeed the gym. He looked around, hoping to find that which he needed. A Bokken would save him as he looked around, trying to not make unnecessary noise that would only screw himself over. He saw exactly what he was looking for, a wooden sword that would definitely help him out in the coming fight.
Only problem was who was in front of it. Hibari himself stood there, smirking from the trap set up. Arthur gulped as Hibari's smirk turned sickeningly sweet. "Looking for this?" He asked as Arthur sighed, nodding.
I just was standing there hidden, terrified at what Hibari-senpai was doing, and what he was doing with my bokken. Hibari threw my bokken at Arthur, who caught it easily, and went into a stance I never seen before. Hibari and Arthur smirked, but neither moved. Hibari moved first and rushed for a forward sweep which Arthur sidestepped with his sword towards his gut, slashing and hitting both of them, before twisting behind in Hibari's direction and hitting him again. It was fluid, practice obviously heading into the move as Arthur looked confused, but in a more annoyed way. He weighed the bokken and sighed. Immediately heading into an attacking position again. The weight was off? Odd, that was the normal weight of a bokken, so what had Arthur been using for practice? Hibari, noting this, smirked and went in on Arthur's left side, but this was a mistake as Arthur switched the sword to his left hand and blocked his tonfa before ducking and trying to hit behind Hibari, only for Hibari's second tonfa to block that. This kept going, but neither could get a move in on the other, while both continued to look more and more battered as the battle went on. Neither gave up as the bell rang, before Hibari smirked and walked away, leaving the bloodied Arthur to finally stop trying to stay awake and collapse on the ground, bloody bokken in hand. I removed my bokken from his hands and saw the blood covering them. I looked in surprise as I saw someone that was actually good at kendo, better than even the kendo leader. Maybe I could learn from him? Either way, he needed to go the nurse, so I picked him up, pride long since forgotten, and took him there.
I woke up with a groan, the fight with Hibari not forgotten as I looked around, noting that there was a kid I didn't know, standing with the bokken I had used to defend myself. I struggled to get up in order to properly apologize but he quickly pushed me back onto the bed. I looked at him and sighed.
"Sorry I used your bokken." I told him as he shook his head, stars seemingly in his eyes as he looked at me.
"Please teach me what you know about kendo!" He bowed deeply as I could only look at him dumbfounded. The hell? I wasn't even a student here, how would I? I still needed to find my family, but I guess I still needed to get used to the weight of a bokken, I could already see cracks in the bokken that formed through the powerful hits with Hibari's tonfas. I sighed.
"You know I'm not actually a student, right?" I asked him, as he scoffed.
"Doesn't stop Hibari. He's supposed to be going to Namimori High, but because of his influence he's here at Namimori Middle. He's about nineteen at this point if I heard correctly." The kid told me as I blinked and scoffed.
"I'm twenty one, taken from my home in Texas, drugged and then woke up in the classroom." I deadpanned at him, which he seemed to mock back.
"Uh huh, and I'm the tooth fairy." He said, as a Tooth Fairy costume was put on him by a crafty Reborn. I just looked at him, looking completely unaware of him holding up a wand and was in a pink tutu. I tried so hard to keep a straight face, but it must have showed cause he looked at me confused before seeing the wand, screaming over ghosts coming and turning what he says into the truth. I didn't even bother hiding it at this point, heading into full on laughter as I was shown a mirror when I finally finished laughing(A couple of minutes later). I looked up and saw that I was in a Charmeleon costume. Huh.
It didn't look half bad on me. Then again I was still young and never really liked viewing myself as just a human, so heh. I never belonged in any predesignated setting for the most part. But I didn't mind the costume that much. It was weird how well it fit though, like an extension, but whatever. Now if only he knew how to get out of the costume. Whatever, it'll probably be pretty easy to take off...I tried unlatching the zipper or whatever was at the back to get out of it, but the next thing I knew, the costume had disappeared. Huh? I was already confused, but at least that made it a bit easier I guess. I shrugged as I sat back down on the bed given to me, my injuries catching back up to me, before I fell into sleep.
It was an odd dream in retrospect, a field slowly fading away with the not-so-subtle smell of blood filling the air, but as soon as it came, it was gone from my mind. I looked around, not sure where I was but the black void wasn't disappearing into daylight, so I kept walking. I saw someone up ahead, catching a bit of red on their skin, more than a bit, ALL of their skin was covered in that red, but before I could notice more the person vanished back into the night.
"Not yet. You are not yet ready Arthur. I wish you luck in the battles ahead." A voice echoed through my mind as I fell into the black void.
Daylight came soon after as I shot up in absolute shock. What had just happened? Odd, but I saw the kid came back, his costume gone, but having brought back others. Tsuna and the rest of his squad were there looking at me. Groggily, I got up and looked at them.
"What?" I asked, confused on why they were just STANDING there. Had they been practicing?
"Um, Reborn disappeared and school ended a few hours ago, we just came to see how you were doing." Tsuna fidgeted, but managed not to stutter.
"Huh. Okay then, we'll I guess I'll head out looking for info on where my family might be and make do wherever I end up." I told him with a smile as he sweatdropped. Oh my god I could understand why the grinning faky guy was acting that way! This was hilarious! Tsuna looked at me.
"You can stay with us." He said, a sense of calmness overtaking me as I blinked. The hell was that!? His eyes glinted orange as I struggled to keep calm and just coughed.
"N-No, I couldn't do that. You got your own family. I couldn't possibly impose on you guys!" I told him, stuttering from the sense of right that radiated off of Tsuna in SPADES. It was frankly terrifying. Tsuna's eyes...I SWEAR THEY JUST GLINTED. ABORT, I'M FALLING INTO THE TRAP I DON'T WANT TO BE IN.
"You can. And you will." Tsuna said with a literal flame on his head. Flashbacks took me as I backed up in fear, looking for anything to defend myself with.
"N-N-NO. I'M NOT BEING DRUGGED AGAIN! NOT BY THAT! NO. I REFUSE!" I rambled in fear, backing up into the corner, closing in onto myself in fear. Tsuna looked at me in shock as I saw the flames disappear, but I was still terrified. Those flames took my family away. Those flames stuck me in Japan and took away from my friends and life. My tears ran faster than my thoughts as I caved in. I barely registered the hands hugging me and comforting me through.
And the Sky has accepted the Wildfire, for even with how broken the Wildfire is, the Sky will accept it for however long it will last.
It took a few minutes before I fell asleep from my tears, but I don't remember anything from that night after that, being lured into a dreamless sleep. I woke up in a nice room, confused and highly aware that I was moved while asleep AGAIN. Goddamn it. I looked around before getting up, knowing that I was in an unknown place, I looked out the window. I opened it up and looked down, seeing that we were maybe two stories up. I got out the window and saw little ledges I could climb down on. I closed the window and jumped on down, long used to this from personal training I took up for about a week. Meaning...
I fell onto the grass horrendously, a thud immediately following my graceful landing with the ground. It hurt a bit, but not enough to care about. I hid in the bushes as I saw a women heading to check on what happened, my breath stiffened as I watched the women look around, worried, before sighing and heading back inside. I waited till I heard a click before I, carefully this time, sneaked away from the house and looked around. Lost in another place I didn't know, great. I sighed mentally as I walked, noting that my clothes seemed washed and clean which was weird since I knew I was wearing rags just the time before going to sleep. I walked around, hoping to find any landmark I might have known, but all I found was more of the sameish houses. After about ten minutes, I knew I was completely, utterly, lost. I sighed aloud this time as I was once again in front of my starting location, knowing it was from the ruffled bushes and the same women being seen through the window. I couldn't hide the utter groan that came from my mouth as she looked at me with a surprised gasp of happiness.
"Hi! My name is Sawada Nana! I hear that you're my son's friend. He told me that you were needing a place to stay (I tried hiding my annoyance at that which she either ignored or didn't even notice) so you can stay here as long as you wish. If you're looking for Tsuna, he and his friends went out a while ago, so you can wait with Reborn-san until they get home. I sighed as I agreed, tired from all the walking (WHAT!? I was bloody fat(Actually not that fat, just a bit rounded from genetics, but still!) I didn't like walking that much! My job just had me staying at home for the most part working together through something like Skype, heading around just working on the code. Maybe I can open a Japanese division here since I'm trapped here for an indefinite amount of time. I just needed a computer...) I followed her inside and saw that weird baby I had seen put the Tooth Fairy costume on the kid and raised an eyebrow. There was something about him that seemed off. Hmm...
"Live and let live?" I mumbled aloud, knowing he could hear it, if not then I didn't have to worry. He smirked. Yup, he heard it. I nodded back.
"Seems like wishful thinking." His smirk grew as he said it. I chuckled.
"People tend to say that about me in work." I agreed with him. It was true after all, the amount I trusted in my crew got me through many. They were a second family to me, and to have that ripped from me hurt. "Hey, Nana, do you have a computer lying around or anything?" I asked as she nodded as we followed her. Reborn having been walking behind me, as we reached a far-off room with a bed and a pretty oldish computer. I smirked, having been long used to using old computers. "Looks like I can make a trip to the store, see what I can find, and then get Phil to help out...oh yeah he's still in Texas...hmm..." I mumbled, looking at the computer as I walked on over and turned it on. It didn't. I checked the cord before seeing it was in. "Screwdriver please." I asked as one was immediately in my hand.
This took a while as I just kept looking through to see that the computer was completely and utterly fried. "Ugh...GREAT. Well I still have about 200 on my account, maybe that's about 20,000 yen if I got the conversions right? Doubt it, but it's worth a shot..." I sighed. "Oh yeah...that bastard still has my wallet..." I groaned. "Well I got work to do! Sucks that I don't know my way around this street enough to do it." I said aloud, much louder than my previous mumbling.
"Well we may have a lead on where your family is." Reborn stepped up as the stare I sent him meant many things, but the sharpness of my bloodlust was completely ignored by both of them. "It's a famiglia that tends to go attacking the alliance famiglias and most likely would go after them. I was about to go but I figured you would like to go." Reborn said as I smirked dangerously.
"Let's go then." I told him. Reborn led the way as I followed. We ended up at a cargo bay from the looks of it. I looked over at the ocean in awe, having been unable to ever see it. Reborn looked at me confused before smacking me in order to keep moving. We kept moving as I saw someone that was a lot like Reborn, who he scoffed at. I looked at him.
"That's Lackey, he's no one important." Reborn said as I shrugged.
"That's what they always said about my employees, guess what, the ones no one deems important tends to be the best of them. You'll do well to learn from him." I said with a smile at the memory. A bitter, regretful smile, of what I have to leave behind. The chains were already binding me down. I walked up to the tiny motorcyclist and knelled down to him with a fake, but happy looking smile. I couldn't hide the pain I still felt, but I could try. "Hey there little fellow, how are you today?" I asked as he seemed to turn around faster than I could tell to face me.
"H-Huh? I'm doing good, why you ask?" He told me, but that smile was just as fake as mine, I sighed, dropping my fake smile.
"We shouldn't lie to ourselves. If you tell me what's bothering you, I'll tell what's bothering me." I told him, knowing that the information would help, I did it both out of understanding, but also because of my way of gaining employees. I blame Phil for making that a main reason.
"O-Oh, it's more based on these hostages their holding. I don't want them to be like that, but no one ever listens. W-What about you?" He told me as I had stopped listening, my eyes blank.
"What do these hostages look like and how many." I said emotionless, hoping that I was both right and wrong.
"It's a group of three, a young man, and two older women." I stopped listening. "H-Hey, where are you going!?" He asked as I sighed.
"Follow us, okay? I'll tell you my side when I rescue those hostages. But a heads up, how much do you like these guys?" I asked.
"Not at all, they forced me to join by threatening to kill my little sister." The little one answered as I smirked, the bloodlust running off me in spades.
"Reborn. Please rescue those hostages and take them and this little one you called Lackey out of here. I can do this all by myself." I smiled at him, as he scoffed.
"Don't die there too soon." Reborn told me as I nodded.
"I won't start killing till you all are out of here." I promised, for there would be deaths. They dared threaten a family member to force someone to join, just like what happened to me, they kidnapped people that could VERY WELL be my family yet. I couldn't help if I was going to go on a murdering scheme, ehh, I blame my bastard father. It didn't even take long before Reborn had everyone gone, I didn't catch who the hostages were, but I would see after I was done. I didn't wish for my family to see me like this. I smiled, that feeling rushing to my head and through every sense of me.
I was here to defend my family, I wasn't going to let this go.
"Time for you to get the punishment you deserve." I said simply before blacking out.
*Third POV of Reborn.*
To say Reborn was surprised would have been an understatement as he kept watch on the inferno around him. The flames appearing from the ship base was an ungodly blue that just suddenly burst up with no restraint. Reborn had thought that Arthur's flames weren't active, but with how fast they appeared, it was like seeing a master of the flames at work. Reborn looked at Leon, who immediately turned into a phone and started calling Nono, Arthur held such a powerful flame that it could only point to one source. He was the main descendant. How did that happen? His father had been the secondary descendant, and suffered the curse for using the flame by having his brother die and being completely unable to see his sons grow up. Arthur had such a powerful flame that it could only possibly be Char helping him. Nearly unheard of, even throughout the main descendants of the past, for Char to directly help out. Reborn grimaced as he waited on the dial tone. How was he to explain this?
"Yes Reborn?" Nono's voice sounded out through Leon as Reborn thought out a reply.
"Arthur's the main descendant." Reborn said simply, might as well confirm that much seeing as they were pretty sure of that already.
"Oh? And how did you find this out?" Nono asked as Reborn nearly sighed and took a picture, sending it on over. "Well then, that's certainly a unique way to send a message." Nono said, hiding his glee and surprise at the message written above the ship in the sky.
"Hoshi Motarine" Was written in the sky, only one signed his name like that. Star Blazer, Char's personal message for those heading after him or his family.
"Well...this has certainly turned interestingly indeed..." Nono said with a chuckle as Reborn looked back. "Looks like they are the reincarnations..." He said before the call ended. Reborn was confused, was he hoping on that? Why make them just like the first generation when they were so obviously different? Reborn waited until Leon turned back into a chameleon and go onto his hat before he curled his baby fist up, growling from the thought. All three of his sons had died in horrendous ways, but here Nono was sending someone completely unaware of the mafia to be a part of it. Was...Should he even think it? Was Nono wanting this to happen? It had been known that his three sons' flames were very weak, with very little of the famous Hyper Intuition that Vongola was famous for. With him sealing Tsuna's powerful flames at the mere age of five, he would have known that even if the three never died, Tsuna would have become an issue for inheriting the boss seat, even if he never asked for it. The more Reborn looked at it, the more pissed off he felt about Nono if his gut feeling was correct, which it often was. What was done was done, and he had a job to do, even if he absolutely hated it right now. He had been manipulated from the start, and he hated that feeling. He was the greatest hitman for crying out loud! He gritted his teeth as he looked at the figure heading out of the burning building. Reborn's teeth stopped gritting as he walked towards him with a smirk that didn't quite fit his current mood.
"So, you're announcing your presence?" Reborn asked as the figure grinned, showing his elongated teeth.
"Of bloody course we are! You pretty much screwed over his life! But I don't blame you. Now his father on the other hand..." The figure told him, his clawed fingers tearing through red skin. "He doesn't deserve to live." The amount of venom in those words didn't surprise Reborn, but the fact that he didn't blame him for it did.
"Why not me as well, I helped him bring Arthur here, wouldn't that put me on the list?" Reborn asked as the figure sighed.
"The problem is that you're a part of it. There's something wrong with the timeline here, all of it focused on that man. My mere presence is bringing changes to you all, as you can tell from your thoughts. You've started thinking things and wondering why you haven't before, correct?" The figure explained as he nodded. "That's a part of the problem. The Wildfire isn't supposed to exist, in ANY timeline, a mystery hidden away from the world, but somehow in this timeline it's discovered. You should thank Gio for allowing it to happen, as he pretty much predicted this all the way back then. His Demonic Intuition warned him of how fucked up the timeline would become, so he helped me carry my will on to my children via a special ring. You still have it, but because of how powerful Arthur is, he was able to call a very tiny part of me from birth to help out." The figure explained as he tried summing it up simply. Reborn had followed along very well considering how bad the figure was at explaining, must be why Arthur was just as bad with it. "Anyways! It's a bunch of time stuff that would take too long to get into! The problem is that you all are supposed to not be questioning stuff, and just being pretty bland characters in the end! But, since that's not the case, everything is pretty fucked up! I'm not sure exactly on what's going to change based on this, but it's going to be big! Arthur needs someone to train him in using his sword, but you don't have much longer. You have about two weeks before They come into play, and when that happens, that's when the timelines are really going to start to split. I don't have much time so only one question." The figure rambled as Reborn followed along.
Lots of questions went to mind, but one kept appearing more, Why? "Why? What was supposed to be happening?" Reborn asked as the figure sighed.
"That's two, but I'll allow it since it's the same answer. I don't know. I don't know what was supposed to happen because the timeline is so fucked up that the knowledge was erased from the world. Think of it this way. If say...Sailor Moon, since that's an anime. If that became real, then knowledge of the anime will fade and the anime will vanish from existence, seeing as knowing the fate of them would completely screw over that universe and its logic. Most likely it's the same with you all, but the problem is Arthur and me, our existence wasn't a part of said anime and that alone completely changes everything. Your knowledge, our strengths and faults, everything is changed. Your Nono is now completely different from whatever he was meant to be, all because of the light he is now cast in. You are different, everyone is. Take Arthur to the Namimori Hospital after this, something important is to take place there, I just have a feeling that in a week, that someone important is to arrive. Take care of him. Okay?" The figure started fading back into Arthur, right before the last part of him faded, Reborn nodded and noticed the smile the figure gave him back. Reborn smirked as he started dragging Arthur over his head. He had made a promise, and from the first generation, that was an important one. He had to honor it at that point.
*Arthur's POV*
I was sick of it at this point. THAT WAS THE FOURTH TIME NOW! FOUR! FOUR TIMES I HAD PASSED OUT AND WOKE UP SOMEWHERE I DIDN'T KNOW! I pouted, I'm not even denying it, as I saw I was bound to the hospital bed at this point. I sighed as I looked around the room, seeing nothing that could help me escape from my current problem. Seeing as I couldn't do anything, I just zoned out, daydreaming before falling asleep again.
The dream was clearer this time, but still fragmented. The field came up again, but I could see a road leading to a blurry house in the background. The field was a hill, with a huge tree on it, a nice breeze went by as the smell of blood assaulted my senses. The hill was stained in it, the tree having a hole in it the size of a sword blade. I couldn't make out anything more before darkness once more took over.
"Well then, you got a bit farther. Do you remember my name?" The voice from last time asked me as I was a bit confused. His name? Wait. How did I know it was a he?
"Char?" The name seemed familiar, something I had forgot years ago just because I had other shit I needed to remember. A blurry figure appeared through the darkness.
"So you do remember! Or at least subconsciously! Well I'm Char as you know, and the reason you kinda blacked out this time!" The voice said with a stroke of pride as I deadpanned.
"Mind explaining why?" I said, annoyance easily told from my tone. He raised his hands up quickly in surrender.
"H-Hey don't get that way with me! I didn't want you to do that!" He tried defending himself as I scoffed.
"With that tone you took?" I asked as it was his turn to look confused.
"I had a tone?" He asked as I blinked before facepalming.
"Well I guess that explains where that side of me came from..." I mumbled aloud, sweatdropping from the childishness of Char.
"Well I guess I don't have to try and act that way around you seeing as you deserve the truth." He seemed to sigh, it was weird how fast he changed, but it wasn't that weird. It was what I had done on a daily basis in reverse, acting all professional and everything when deep inside I was just completely childish. "Arthur." The very act of him saying my name sent a wave of energy towards me, nearly knocking me back as I persevered through it. "This will completely change your world again. You will Never be able to get that sense of a normal life back. Will you still carry on?" He asked as I sighed. I gritted my teeth.
"Personally...this whole thing has been overwhelming at this point. But I don't think I could go back to my normal life even if I wanted to. My ex kicked me out of the house after the death, mostly out of grief. So I can never see Zack or Ricky again...The company can still hold out without me, and I could easily just open a Japanese branch here to help out. There really isn't any reason other than my family, but to save them, I need to get stronger and head deeper into this rabbit hole of insanity. There wasn't a single way out to begin with. I mean, that's what got you in this mess alongside me, isn't it Char?" I told him honestly, as he looked at me with a smile that shouldn't be on his face.
"Yeah...I know what you mean, and you're right. It was my sister that was taken. She had been 9 while I was twenty, and I met Gio as we went to save her. After that...everything just fell in like a set of dominoes. I didn't mean to screw the timeline over, but Gio knew it would happen and took the chance. Annoying as heck to be doing this to you, but you're right. There wasn't a way out, but I wanted you to be doing this because you want to, not because you have to. You aren't ready yet. Not yet." He told me as I sighed, agreeing with him. I literally just had the entire world dropped down onto me, multiple times. I wasn't ready for anything right now. "Now, sleep. You'll need it for what is to come." Char said as my surroundings darkened once more, forcing me back into sleep.
*Squalo's POV
Tsuna wasn't happy when he saw Arthur practically chained to the hospital bed AGAIN. He had been trying to find them, but then everyone decided to go do whatever they wanted. Hayato went to the zoo, Takashi went with Kyoko and Hana to go get ice cream, Lambo did Lambo things, Ryohei tried destroying the town...the less said about THAT the better, and all in all, it was exhausting. So, Tsuna was on his own during this visit. It was hilarious, he had just gotten OUT of the hospital, only to be drawn immediately back in. Arthur was sleeping as Tsuna walked up to him. Tsuna sighed, before lighting his flame as his Intuition told him and placed it on Arthur's head. The light orange flame took on a dark blue tint as Tsuna blinked, and so did Arthur.
"What." Arthur said, confused as heck, but he wasn't alone, for Tsuna too was looking at him with confusion.
"Blame my Intuition I guess." Tsuna shrugged. Both of them chuckling at the absurdity of it all.
"So, apparently I'm being here since something important is supposed to happen or something. Something about an important person heading on over or something?" Arthur said aloud.
I finally made my presence known, heading from the shadows. "I think that would be me." I grinned, "You have something I want, and you're going to give it to me." I told them with a grin.
Arthur looked at me with a smirk hiding laughter before laughter came out.
"W-WHAT!?" I looked at him, annoyed.
"YOUR HAIR! You look like a wannabe Rapunzel! What are you going for? Using your hair as a weapon?" Arthur continued laughing, Tsuna casually unhooking the light ropes binding him down as Arthur grinned alongside Tsuna. "So Tsuna, what does he want?" Arthur asked as Tsuna smirked.
"Probably a hair job, I mean look at that thing!" Tsuna exclaimed back.
"Hmm, from you? I mean your hair is just as bad in a different sense mister Son Goku!" Arthur took a jab at him.
"Oh har har. At least it's not blond." Tsuna shrugged. Arthur chuckled.
"Oh the irony..." He said as I growled.
"STOP IGNORING ME!" I yelled as Arthur and Tsuna looked on over with bored, slightly confused expressions.
"Explains the hair, he just wants attention! It's like an adorable little doggy wanting attention from its master!" Arthur smiled as Tsuna shuddered.
"Already got one, don't want another." Tsuna quickly said. Arthur deadpanned.
"Then what the hell does he possibly want?" Arthur said as I growled and rushed in with my sword, nearly striking the one with the gravity defying hair as the target grabbed the sword.
"Nice craftsmanship! Mind if I take it? Sure you don't! YOINK!" Arthur grinned and kicked me and tried twisting the sword out, only to find that it was a part of my hand. "Oooo, that looks special, what, lose a hand? Here, I'll give you one!" He grinned and punched me straight in the face. I growled back as I fell to the ground. All illusions of Arthur taking pleasure from this disappeared as the glare he landed me with was one akin to what Xanxus would have. "How about you run back to who you call master and PISS OFF. We don't need your trouble, we don't have what you want so get out of here." Arthur didn't notice my rain flames having climbed along his arms, while Tsuna noticed too late. I grinned, grabbing the kid, who was barely remaining conscious.
"You, mister main descendant, are coming with us." I told him with a grin as a gunshot grazed me from behind. I turned slowly from the amount of killing intent released.
"Get the fuck away from my student." Reborn hissed at me, I gulped, dropping the kid. He was under Reborn's protection? Even Xanxus couldn't force us to do that. Reborn threw him a case. "Here. This is what you are after." Reborn told me as I opened the cases to see the Vongola rings. I narrowed my eyes at him, it was too good a story to buy from him. Reborn growled. "Take them and GO." He yelled, killing intent suffocating any worries I might have had. I broke the window and left.
*1st person Reborn POV!*
Damn it! When Char had told me that someone important would be coming, I should have expected that it would be the Varia! The disappearance of his family, Arthur meeting his brother being mind controlled via illusions, the Varia? It was like a blurred picture, and he hated it, he had to go after Nono, personally. He didn't trust him via letters anymore. I desperately held myself back from pacing, this was all wrong! No one had said that Xanxus had been released from his prison, Tsuna wasn't even remotely close to ready and if things held up, then Arthur would be forced into the role in order to save his brother!
"Reborn, a-are you okay?" Tsuna stuttered at him, confused as Reborn sighed.
"No, it doesn't make any sense. Why go after Arthur? They KNEW he was the main descendant, but they have to had go through both of them to get that info. That or through Nono. It doesn't make sense to me. You have to train, all of you. It'll be a hard battle ahead." Reborn told him.
Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, I agree, I won't let them go after Arthur. Not without going through me first." Tsuna said, his eyes golden with resolve. Reborn smirked.
"I'm counting on you." Reborn admitted, only to Tsuna.
"I know. Good luck Reborn." Tsuna answered with a knowing smile.
"Same to you." Reborn's smirk answered back for him.
After Tsuna left, I sighed, the image of Reborn the greatest Hitman crumbling along with it. I had a reputation, and it all went into the facade of Reborn. I hated this life, it was fun at first. The challenge of the kill, the hunt, but that faded as he got better. And then the challenge came back. All he had to do was work with others like him, too good for their own pleasure, and unable to escape it all. The letter came with an offer of challenge. The fun was back with interesting missions, not just the same kill this and that. They stole, sneaked around, killed, and much more, and through it all had fun, something they were sorely missing in their bland lives. One last mission was for them to find a secret on a mountain for a client. It wasn't the weirdest mission they were offered, but Lal had her doubts. Her husband had told her not to go for this one, as he had seen the mountain before. It was known for having weird lights happen and right after, seven babies walking off like adults, guns and all. None of them paid it any mind, all except Yuni, Renato, and Skull. They stayed back and tried convincing the others against it, to check it out a bit more, but all to no avail. Reborn checked his pacifier again. The source of his misery. It all happened that day. Renato was hidden away from the weight of that pacifier and was promptly reborn into Reborn the Sun Arcobaleno. The mask he held still remained, he gritted his teeth back into that damn smirk he hid beneath. The one that said a million words. He looked up.
"Leon." both Reborn and I said as one, "Let's go pay Nono a visit." We said with the smirk being that much more true and vicious. Leon nodded as we walked out.
1st/3rd POV of Tsuna! With a omake to finish the chapter afterwards!
I watched Reborn head out with a sigh. There wasn't anything that could be done about it, and there is more important things to think of. Arthur's brother was kidnapped by the Varia with the rest of his family most likely, he was kidnapped from his home by his bastard of a father, along with apparently being a part of the Vongola now? He was being forced into it like Tsuna had, and while Tsuna had nothing to lose and everything to gain, Arthur had everything to lose and nothing to gain. Tsuna wasn't going to lie to himself, this was the best thing that could have happened to his dumb, idiotic self, but at the same time being forced into his fate hurt him. It was like being an action figure, you had no choice what you were to do. Arthur had it worse, being ripped from his old life and trapped here in situations beyond his control and want. hell on top of that you had how everything changed for him. He had a life, a job, hell he was famous for his work! Now look at him, kidnapped over to a place he never been to, to a life he didn't belong to, and where he didn't understand anyone! Forced to pretend he's fine when even I can tell he's hurting! He's just pushing it off and off and hoping it didn't consume him in the end. He hid it all under this happy mask but he missed them so dearly. He was forced into a life he never wanted by a parent he never had. What was wrong with his father to do this to him!?
Even though Tsuna had never been too much of a lover for computers, even he admitted that the Sirren OS was nothing short of incredible. It was simply beyond its time, so much that even Gokudera idolized it and would gush over it. The WildVolt Committee as the company was named were filled with some of the greatest people of all time, but each and every one of the elite members of the company used code names, in order to hide their actual identities from harm. Arthur was apparently the head, Char Sirren, one of the most successful businessmen of all time, having made the WildVolt Committee right after high school with four others. Then after that, made five others elites as well. First was Arc, the one who gave him the money, company base, among other starting tools to make the committee, then came Dia and Pal(Paul as it was pronounced) who helped set up the main rules, kept track of budgets, income, among other things that absolutely went over Char and my heads. Then finally from the first four was Gir, who managed the entire underbelly of it, acting as an advisor about what others may counter argument them about. It all worked out, and the inner features started getting taken over when the rest joined. Pika became the main planner for everything around Char, his schedule, work, everything. He wasn't just a secretary apparently, but more than that. I didn't really understand it, but Gokudera wouldn't shut up about them. Then there was Grov and Gale, the main security leaders, in charge for keeping up with the security teams and everything. Grov would play the bad guy and try to break in, and did, many times, and each time he would tell Gale's team how he did it. Heck, most of them was simple mistakes, which led to it being a rivalry between them, and further increasing the product of security. Then Cliff was the morale leader, as well as universal mailman. Apparently he made sure letters got through the right person, were each verified, among many other things, and it made him wonder how frustrated Cliff had it, but to be the morale leader on top of that? And lastly, there was Tye, who along with Agreon, the chief scientist, made the R&D department work. Char visited here and there and helped when he could, but tended to have a very busy schedule. I doubted that in all honestly if he was Arthur. Most likely he goofed off a lot, but who knew. Personally it was nothing short of incredible, and to think that of Arthur? I could see it. He was determined about his friends and family, and was talking something about a Japanese branch. I would have to get to Reborn about that.
"Tsuna!" Takashi ran up to him with Gokudera, both looking dreadfully worried. Gokudera began bowing into the concrete and this time Tsuna couldn't bother caring. He didn't want to be worshiped, and if Gokudera didn't see that through words, Tsuna would take another approach. "Where had you been? We've been looking everywhere!" Takashi informed me. I nodded with a sigh. I haven't found a way to ask Takashi about the mask that he had up. I didn't even notice, even with the tinge of my Hyper Intuition every time I saw him, I just kept pushing it off, never believing the truth. Gokudera on the other hand, I pushed away, even now. He was too...clingy to say the least. He worshiped me to a degree that I was a walking God in his eyes. I never wanted nor needed a follower, but a friend. I told him this, many times, and yet he seems to ignore that, pushing my flaws away and focusing only on my small successes. Why did I never try correcting this? Even Takashi looked at him with eyes of what looked like Pity. Pity about how he was always on the outskits, away from us. Could I still change this? Or was it already too late?
"I've been with Arthur, he was attacked just a few minutes ago so I was coming to find you and the others." I explained simply, wanting to see their reactions. Takashi's eyes widened with understanding almost immediately, while Gokudera just started facebowing into the floor that much faster, sprouting apologies for not being there.
"W-What...Are you guys okay!?" Takashi stuttered in fear, not even bothering to keep that false smile of his. I nodded.
"We're fine, Reborn was there to help out so it's all good." I reassured him a bit hollowly, it wasn't all fine. We had almost died and none of us would have been the wiser. Arthur was nearly useless in the fight, while I couldn't even overcome him. If Reborn hadn't showed up, we would have been dead. Takashi's smiled, widened beyond any attempt to calm us down. It was fake enough that even Gokudera noticed. I gulped. "We're starting training tomorrow, Reborn told me to tell you all. Good luck." I informed them lightly. My throat tightened as I whispered the last part. The illusion of okayness breaking that much as the gravity of the situation finally dawned on me. I gulped as I looked at them.
"Okay Tsuna. Now let's get you home, okay?" Takashi calmly took control as I nodded lightly, following him.
OMAKE: Drunk Arthur.
POV: Both Arthur, and Tsuna.
Arthur's POV
I was getting sick of it, all the out of nowhere changes of scenery. From being in the hospital to being attacked by people, all of it. I needed a damn drink. And I was going to have one if it was the end of me! I may have been a boss at the Wildvolt Committee, but we had our Fridays where everyone came together for a bar night. It was our thing! It was Friday and I needed my whiskey. So I started by going to the local store, hoping they had it in stock.
Tsuna's POV
I sighed again, having been forced to the store by Reborn's Helpful assistance for me helping out my mom with the groceries. I looked around, hoping to get done with this quickly when I noticed Arthur. I was confused on why he was here, having thought he was still with mom and the others, but then I realized where he was heading, the sign showing the different beers and wines hovering over in Arthur's line of sight ever-so-gently. I face-palmed in exasperation before following him, hoping for some help with the groceries I would be carrying.
Arthur's POV
It took a while of searching but I had finally found the beer section near the very end of the store. I sighed in relief with a light smile, having also decided to maybe buy something else, such as a quick meal to make. I shrugged as I got out the two twenty dollar bills I had, hoping that the store took US dollars instead of yen. I only barely knew the exchange rate, which was about 1000 yen to 1 US dollar? I couldn't remember entirely, and my cell phone plan didn't take international so I couldn't check. Damn it, why couldn't he at least give me an international cell phone data plan, it sucked not being able to understand anything my new phone even said since it was stuck in Japanese. I fiddled with the language setting (Just finding it took like ten minutes trying to find it just by the language barrier alone.) and eventually got it into English. Didn't help the default websites any, which were still in Japanese. I sighed as I went into the beer and wine section of the store, shaking off the irrelevant laments of my painful situation. I looked around with an introspective glint in my eye. I usually just went to the tavern that was by the Company with the rest of the crew on Fridays, but even then, there were times where the tavern wasn't open and I had to go the store in order to get my whiskey fix. I smirked as I picked out a mostly decent whiskey brand, it wasn't even close to great, but sadly was the best the store had. I almost left out the aisle when I saw Tsuna walking towards me, in the wine section. I blinked a few times as he looked at what I had in my cart as I looked at what was in his. He was just buying supplies for his home but he had a somewhat disappointed look at me.
"Miss your drinking buddies?" Tsuna asked as I chuckled.
"I do, but with my plan, I can probably be back soon. The company is self working for the most part, I didn't do that much while I was there to begin with, but I can at least check out the branch out here. It's more a matter of getting over to Tokyo that's the problem." I shrugged, not bothering to lie to the kid. "So why are you in this section? I mean, you are definitely way too young to drink, I had to wait till I was 16 to even get a sip of whiskey, let alone drinking." I asked, concerned but mostly just wanting to change the topic before he slipped out some information I rather not let slip. I didn't like mobs following me, and learned very quickly on why you never reveal names when you're near the top. He grimaced a bit before sighing.
"Well I saw you and figured you didn't have any money to buy this stuff," He pointed to the big bottle of Whiskey in my hand. Now you might be asking how I knew it was whiskey when I didn't know Japanese, well, there is two reasons. I have learned the smell by now and I might have maybe taken a tiny sip of it before Tsuna walked towards me? There wasn't any cameras, but I know whiskey when I tasted it, and no matter what language, beer is beer. "So I figured I should help out. You know Reborn probably will fight you on this, right?" Tsuna warned me as I groaned.
"Well he can suck it, it's a weekly tradition for us and if he can't accept that, then he can try me." I replied with a smile as I walked towards another aisle, still looking at Tsuna. "I mean, this is something I have done for a good decade, I'm not stopping now!" I chuckled with a grin, grabbing some simple meals for myself. I gulped as we went into the line.
"That'll be 14000 Yen." The employee told me as I almost handed the twenty, before I could, Tsuna handed out the money for it and casually took the twenty. I blinked as he gave me 1500 in change. Tsuna smiled as he paid for his own food and stuff as I quickly started packing my food and stuff in surprise.
It wasn't until we were out of the building that I finally asked Tsuna, "Why did you do that?" I asked him in confusion as Tsuna shrugged.
"He doesn't accept US dollars, and I knew you had none so I paid for it. You could always say you're welcome." Tsuna sassed back as I chuckled. I didn't even know he knew how to be sassy, but apparently being away from Reborn and having some free-time gave him a bit more confidence. He wasn't a bad kid, but he was more of a little brother to me than a friend. I sighed and smiled.
"Thanks Tsuna." I told him with a smile on my face. He shrugged as I took a sip of the whiskey. "Ahhh, that sure hits the spot!" I grinned happily as soon after the entire bottle was empty. The grin turned stupid, "Ddaaaah, Imma wondringgg." Came my next question towards a weirded out Tsuna "whhhhyyy you eelp*hiccup*s me?" I asked before laughing a bit. "Nah I'm not that dumb drunk!" I winked. But hey I only had a shot from it, who knows how muany I'll need before I'm aokas?" I said, slurring my words a bit as I spoke without realizing it.
Oh boy.
The rest of the night blurred in my eyes as I remembered exactly how much I drunk in that sip.
I mean, it was only...5 bottles...?
The next morning I only saw one thing.
Rule 24, Arthur is not allowed anywhere towards the Whiskey, no matter what
Well fuck.
A/N
*TEARS* ;~; I'M SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Omg I am SOO sorry that this took so long to actually release ;~;
However I got some news!
One, I am about to get out of High School! Meaning more time to work on stories! :D
2. I'm actually writing a book, and already got a couple of chapters written. (Nowhere near actual book quality, but a good start for sure :D)
3. I may start focusing on stories again!