Summary: Daemon Spade has finally been defeated, and Tsuna has gained yet another ally with the Shimon family. The inheritance ceremony has gone on as planned, and though Tsuna is now the official heir, there are still doubts that he was the right choice. The Varia are running wild, and the Ninth hopes that by bringing them to his side, Tsuna may gain the support he needs. So the Ninth charges Tsuna with bringing them back under control, but how will Tsuna deal with a disillusioned and embittered Xanxus? Eventual X27 and perhaps some 8059 and D18 as well. We shall see.
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn or any of its characters.
a/n: I'm back after a much-needed hiatus. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Here's chapter 3, and the next chapter should be out by the end of the week.
"speaking" thinking
A Family United Chapter Three: The Real Varia Boss
As Squalo ushered everyone inside the conference room, Tsuna pulled him aside. "Before we go in, I need to ask you a quick question. I've zapped Xanxus's flames with Zero Point Breakthrough Custom. How long til he gets them back and can really start to do some damage?"
"Depends. Did you suck out all of them?"
"Yes."
"Then we have at least three hours before he recovers enough to start to materialize his flame, four hours at the most."
"Good."
"Voiii, brat, I don't know what this is about. But are you just gonna stand here all day long, or were you planning on actually having this meeting?"
Tsuna just nodded before following Squalo into the room. The head of the table was vacant, and the Varia Captains along with Yamamoto and Gokudera were eagerly awaiting his explanation. The future Vongola Boss couldn't help a nervous gulp. In truth, he had never been much of a public speaker, and how do you explain to a group of assassins that you just entombed their boss in his office indefinitely without any clear plan of what to do next?
"W-well then. I, uh, well." His once unshakable resolve began desperately to falter. Dilated pupils and slightly ajar mouth gave Tsuna a useless deer-caught-in-the-headlights-of-the-evil-fucking-car-that-is-the-Varia-look. Things were not shaping up well.
"So, what's up, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked as he cocked his head to the side. The Varia members all looked beyond irked at that moment, but Yamamoto's calming presence seemed to soothe Tsuna's worries. His soft eyes and unthreatening expression were much easier to look at than the faces of the Varia members. So, for the most part, Tsuna conducted his explanation looking at Yamamoto or at various inanimate objects around the room.
"Well, as I, uh, mentioned before, I have sealed Xanxus into his room."
"VOOIII! Don't screw around with us, Vongola brat! Are you serious about that?"
"Yeah, and, uh, as soon as you stop shouting I'll explain why."
"Hmphf!" Leaning back in his chair, Squalo crossed his arms and titled his head back, feigning indifference, but Tsuna was certainly he was still listening. No one (except perhaps Levi) was more concerned about Xanxus's current state.
"As you may have noticed, Xanxus is not fit to lead the Varia. So, I have removed him from his position."
"Oh my~! Removed the boss?"
"Ushishishi, the Prince will not work for any other commoner. No one else is worthy of the Prince's respect."
"There's a surprise. I didn't think the fake prince respected anyone but his mirror."
"Shut up, froggy."
As the chatter continued, Levi began openly weeping, but predictably, Squalo's reaction was the worst and the loudest. "VOOOIIII! What the fuck do you mean? You can't fucking do that you fucking bastard. Xanxus is the head of the Varia, and some little Japanese brat can't change that." As he said this, Squalo advanced on Tsuna sword in hand, preparing for one of his famous shark attacks.
He has a good point, though. Do I have the authority to do that? Well, it's too late now. I've already sealed him up. I can't change my mind now.
"The removal is temporary. It's a suspension, really, until he's fit to be the head of the Varia again."
"Vooii, and just what gives you the right to suspend our leader?"
"Is he your leader? He might technically hold that position, but when was the last time he actually lead you? For that matter, when was the last time any of you talked to him?"
"Oh my~ Talked to him?" Asked Lussuria, "Well, Squalo talks to him every day."
"And the rest of you?"
Silence reigned as the other Varia Captains shifted their eyes and tried in vain to remember the last time they had actually conversed with their boss.
"So Squalo's the only one who can even talk to him? Tell me, Squalo, when was the last time Xanxus gave you a command, one not related to food or liquor."
"Yesterday."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"What command was that?"
"He told me to go out and buy him a new stereo system, because he smashed his old one."
"When was the last time he gave you a command related to your work within the Varia?"
"VOOIII! What does that have to do with anything?"
"What does a boss do, Squalo?"
"What the fuck kind of question is that?"
"Well, uh, it's the kind I want you to answer?"
"Fine, brat, a boss is the leader. He's the head honcho. He directs everyone else. He's in charge. That's why he's the boss. What the fuck kind of stupid shit are they teaching you brats these days?"
"So, let me ask all of you to do something for you. I'm going to describe someone, and you raise your hand if you think that person sounds like the boss to you. The boss leads, right? He's in charge. So he does things like decide who goes on what mission. He helps direct everyone in their training. He fills out all the tedious pre and post mission paperwork that gets sent back to HQ. In this way, he directs all the captains within the Varia and deals with the orders from the Vongola. Raise your hand if you think that's what a boss does."
Slowly, not wholly sure as to the point of the entire thing, every Varia Captain raised their hand, save for Squalo. Quick on the uptake, Squalo had already realized that he had been trapped. Tsuna just sighed and turned to Squalo before saying, "You get it now, don't you? Everything I mentioned is what you do. You're more than the strategy captain; you're the boss. You have been for some time. Xanxus is just sitting in his room listening to classical music, getting drunk and insulting hard-working Varia members. You are the one doing all the work. You're the real boss of the Varia."
"Ushishishi, the Prince does not want to work for the ugly shark. The Prince does not work for commoners, especially not stinking fish bait."
"I won't work for anyone but the Boss." Levi added, still weeping as he spoke.
"You have all been working for Squalo for quite some time, because Xanxus trusts him to run the Varia. Ever since Xanxus has stopped leading the Varia, he has allowed Squalo to do so in his stead. Clearly this is what Xanxus wants and has wanted for a while. However, this is not what anyone else, including Squalo, wants. That is why I am working to get Xanxus in fit condition to be your boss again. In the mean time, things will carry on as they are. Squalo is acting boss, and no one else is to go anywhere near Xanxus. He is in need of some solitude at the moment. Now, you will all wait here. I will speak with each of you individually. Then you are free to go about your business. Squalo, is there another room somewhere I can use?"
"Yeah, right across the hall."
"Good, then Levi, if you would please come with me? Everyone else is to stay here. Gokudera and Yamamoto will keep you company and make sure you remain here. By the way you two, thanks so much for helping out. Please stick to your instructions from earlier, and keep up the good work! Well then, Levi, please come with me."
xxxxx
For the first several minutes Tsuna could do nothing but wait patiently as Levi wept for the loss of his boss. Considering how quiet Levi usually was, he was a shockingly loud crier. There was a great deal of sobbing and sniffling and hiccuping involved when Levi cried, and it was not exactly pretty to watch either. When Levi at last fell silent Tsuna decided to get straight to the point. "Levi, I'm doing everything I can to get your boss back, but I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you won't go visit the boss or interfere with what I'm trying to do. Promise me also that you will take orders from Squalo in the meantime. Will you promise me this?"
"No."
"Um, okay...why not?"
"I only take orders from the boss."
That pretty much stumped Tsuna, but in a flash of intuition, he realized that it would be best to switch tactics entirely. "It's depressing isn't it? Your boss, who you work so hard for, doesn't see any of your efforts. He never praises you, never once tells you good job. He just stays locked up in his room and ignores you."
As Tsuna pointed all this out Levi began to cry again, but this time he was at least a little more quiet. He did, however, nod in confirmation of Tsuna's sad description of the current state of affairs.
Tsuna continued on saying, "If things stay this way, you may never see your boss again. He'll just sit in in his office all day long, and he'll never see any of the hard work you do. You'll never hear him praise you ever again. You don't want that do you?"
Levi immediately shook his head no.
"Then work with me please. I want your boss back too. He is the only one truly fit to lead the Varia, and we're going to get him back just as soon as possible. I will promise you that I will do everything I can to reinstate Xanxus as the Varia Boss as soon as possible. In return I want you to promise me to comply with Squalo's orders and not to go anywhere near Xanxus until I personally tell you it's all right."
"I promise, on my honor as the Boss's subordinate."
xxxxx
"So, Bel, will you make this promise for me?"
"Ushishishi, the Prince does not make promises. I will not work for that fish bait. Princes do not work for commoners."
"But you worked for Xanxus?"
"Ushishishi, some people are born royalty, even if they are not actually from a royal family. A commoner like you wouldn't understand it, but a Prince like me can see it."
"You know, Bel, if the Varia Captains don't work with me on this, I'll have to disband the Varia."
"So? We'll just make a new group outside of the Vongola."
"Actually, I'm afraid it won't be that easy. We'll take every Varia member and find them a new place in the Vongola. Of course, you want be able to have such free reign as you do now. You won't be able to be a squad captain like you are now. You'll have to take orders from commoners, lots of commoners."
"That's what knives are for, ushishishi."
"They will just be replaced. You can kill as many as you want, but you'll still end up getting ordered around by commoners for the rest of your life. Or you can take orders from Squalo. He will not even be your official boss. He will be the interim boss. His power is only temporary. Which one do you want?"
"Ushishishi, the Japanese brat is clever. Very well, the Prince will leave Xanxus alone and agree to deal with the fish bait for now."
xxxxx
"So, uh, Fran was it? Will you agree to what I've asked?"
"Yes."
"Oh, really? You'll make me that promise?"
"Yes. I came to see Xanxus at his full power. He's always drunk now so he's useless. I don't care about anything else. I have no interest in dealing with the Boss unless I can watch him fight, and I'll promise to work for the angry strategy captain."
xxxxx
"So, Lussuria, will you promise me that?"
Ye~es, my cute Tsunayoshi, but one one condition."
"What condition?"
"You have to promise me you will clean up Xanxus's office!"
"Uh, what?"
"Usually I clean up his office for him when he's in his room, but his room is right across the hall from his office, and I haven't been able to get within five hundred feet of him since he lit my cute pink apron on fire the last time I tried to clean his office. Now I'm just sure it's filthy in there! He always leave bottles and trash all over the place, and I can't remember the last time I went in there to clean up."
"A-all right, well I promise to clean up his office."
"Today?"
"Uh, yes?"
"Oh good, then I'll definitely leave him alone and agree to follow Squalo's orders. By the way, next time you come you simply have to bring that handsome sun guardian with you. He has such a nice, well-sculpted body. It's a shame I don't get to see more of it."
"Uh, yeah, maybe."
xxxxx
"So, Squalo, I've talked to the others, and they have all promised not to go anywhere near Xanxus until I give them the okay. They have also promised to follow your orders as the interim boss in the meantime."
"VOOIII! Brat, I don't know what you're up to, but I haven't agreed to this! What makes you think I want to lead those assholes, huh?"
"Squalo, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Could you, uh, you know, maybe talk a little more quietly? It seems like you're always shouting, and I'm starting to get a headache. Would you mind being a little quieter?"
"You've got a headache? How do you think I feel? I have to work with these assholes all day long, then I come home to find out you've sealed that damn boss and now you want me to be the boss! You've got a headache? I HAVE THE BIGGEST FUCKING HEADACHE EVER! MY HEADACHE COULD CUT YOUR FUCKING HEADACHE TO SHREDS WITH A GIANT FUCKING SWORD!"
"Doesn't screaming just make it worse?"
"VOOII! What kind of question is that? I scream all the time to help me relieve all the stress of this fucking craziness."
"Does it work?"
"VOOIII! WHAT KIND OF FUCKING QUESTION IS THAT? OF COURSE IT DOESN'T!"
"Oh...So..."
"VOOIII! Just spit it out, brat."
"You have to lead the Varia. There is no one else."
That seemed to settle Squalo down, if only a little. He sighed before saying, "I know. That damn boss, dropping this in my lap."
"You'll do it then?"
"Fine, dammit! I'll do it, but you can't cut me off from the boss too. Someone still has to deal with him. I mean he has to eat."
"Yeah, I know. You will be the only one allowed to have contact with Xanxus, but you must not bring him any alcohol, no matter what. He is sobering up whether he likes it or not."
"Vooiii, that's a risky idea. He's going to blow this whole place up if he doesn't get his booze."
"Yeah, about that, I've sealed his whole room using Zero Point Breakthrough Custom, except for the door knob. I need a way to get in, so I've left the door knob unsealed."
"Idiot! He has a key to that room! He's probably out right now wreaking fucking havoc and-"
"Relax, Squalo. I have the key, and I've locked the door from the outside. That won't hold him forever. As soon as Xanxus gets his flame back, he'll just burn through the doorknob and the lock. We need a way to lock the door, something he won't be able to burn through."
"Why not just seal up the lock yourself? Create a new latch only on the outside that he can't get to at all."
"Oh yeah, I guess I didn't think of that, haha."
"Vooii, you're not very smart are you?"
xxxxx
As Squalo and Tsuna walked back to Xanxus' quarters, Tsuna found himself dreading more and more another meeting with Xanxus. This wasn't what he had expected at all. As a matter of fact, it was so much worse. How could you explain this to Nono, to anyone? What would he say when people asked him about Xanxus, "Oh yeah him? The fearsome leader you all respect? Turns out he's just a bad joke. I put him on suspension, because he was too drunk to do his job."
Thankfully, Tsuna was put off from having another painful exchange with Xanxus. The now-suspended Varia leader was collapsed on his throne snoring loudly. As quietly as they could, Tsuna and Squalo worked around him, cleaning the disaster area Squalo insisted had once been an elegantly furnished bedroom. After that was done, Tsuna repeated his orders to Squalo, and he and his two guardians headed back to Vongola HQ.
It was a tense, silent car ride back. None of them had been prepared for the state of the Varia headquarters, and Gokudera and Yamamoto seemed to realize that Tsuna could not talk about it. In truth, Tsuna was barely able to hold it together. The moment Tsuna made it back to his room, he closed the door, locked it, slid down to the floor and wept uncontrollable. Why? The distraught boy wondered as sobs wracked his body. How could this happen? Xanxus, what has happened to you?
xxxxx
a/n: So this chapter was really just more set up, but next chapter there is some really great character development for both Tsuna and Xanxus, and we will finally get to see them interact while Xanxus is semi-lucid! Please just stick with me, I swear this is headed somewhere awesome. In the meantime, reviews will certainly speed this story on its way.