A/N : Yes, I did take my time writing this. So, please take your time savouring it~ Sankyu 3

Flashback

"Hurry up! Stop dilly-dallying! You still have 300 squats to finish or no meal for you today!" One of the instructor at the illegal facility yelled at the top of his lungs at the squatting children. His eyes had no compassion in them, his face showed no remorse at all.

"Ah!" A girl about seven-year-old dropped from her position. Sweats were all over her face and body. Her lips already blue and her vision failed her.

"Hey you!" The girl tried to get back up but her body was at its limit. "Tch. Drag her out! She's useless!"

Aria and Alvise looked at her from the corner of their eyes. Kids who couldn't do what the instructor said – despite how hellish and ridiculous they were – were labelled useless and unworthy. It was a pure hell on Earth, physically tortured by the training regiments and mentally tortured when they didn't get a proper meal or rest.

Even a trained military soldier would break, whatelse kid who still knew nothing of this world.

"Aria." Alvise whispered. His eyes were scanning for any incoming threat there might be. "Don't give up. I'm with you."

Aria slowly nodded. It's not like they had a choice. Running away wasn't an option. They saw older kids who attempted an escape, only to be killed in cold-blood.

In front of their very own eyes.

All they could do for now, was to endure. And wait for someone to save them.

End flashback

"Do you believe in God?"

Hibari didn't immediately answer. If there's one thing he learned about Aria, was that this woman got a lot on her mind despite she said nothing.

"Herbivore." Hibari decided it was meaningless to enlighten Aria's penny-ante now. "Keep on moving."

Flashback

Xanxus looked at the girl who's throat was at the edge of Squalo's blade. Aria tried to steal money from Varia and failed miserably. The boss of Varia eyed her carefully.

Tattered clothes, battered body, broken soul.

Yet, her eyes showed she's not going to die here.

"Kuh-Hahahaahahhahaha!" Bel grinned when he heard Xanxus' sinister laugh. That damn boss was up to something. "Bring this brat with us! She's coming to Varia!"

"WHAT?!" Levi protested.

"Damn boss."

"He's planning something." Marmon sighed. "She's your responsibility, Squalo."

"VVVOOOOIIIII! I ain't babysitting this trash!"

Reflexes was when you can move freely no matter what ground you stand on. Stamina was the amount of energy you had in you to perform task or activity. Intelligence was using brain or any other means to achieve mission the most efficient way – Aria covered them all splendidly. Even the elite squad of Varia fell to their knees within a short time.

"That brat got potential." Squalo was amused.

"It's not just any potential." Marmon was spying on her as well. "Normally, when you excel at one thing, you're bound to polish that aspect alone. That means you're usually using 40% to 60% max in utilizing your talent."

"But she's different." Belphegor licked his lips. They way Aria analyzed the situation and came up with the fastest way to end a fight was brilliant.

"A diamond in the rough~" Lussuria cooed. "Boss actually has eyes~"

Levi got out of hiding and pointed his umbrella at Aria. "No one can take Boss' praise from me. You're 100 years too early, kid!"

End flashback

Hibari and Aria finally stopped moving. They planned to camp here. At the vast field where no obstacles.

"You wanna camp here?" Hibari looked around. Only the green grass and the wind were presence. "Here?!"

"Yeah. They can't do sneak attack here." There's no trees to hide behind, or rocks to hide under. "Unless they can turn flat like the grass. Then I guess, ambush would still works."

Hibari smirked. Under Dino's training, they did go all out from city to rural areas, mountain to sea, Earth to outer space – but that was nothing compared to this! "You do have a death wish, aren't you?"

Aria scoffed. She laid down on the grass. "I'm more of a soul reaper, to be honest."

Tsuna, his guardians and Varia were locked up in a cell tower. He didn't know what Rogue had in his mind, but certainly he's glad Kyoko, Haru, Ipin, Bianchi and Futa managed to escape.

At least that's one concern out.

"I hope you enjoyed your stay here." Rogue walked in, with Alvise following behind him. He was wearing the kind expression on his face, as if the cell tower was a luxurious mansion, Rogue's the owner and the prisoners were the guests honor.

Sly bastard.

"What is your intention, bastard?" Levi gritted his teeth. Xanxus was nowhere in sight. Either he's been captured and locked in a separate place, or he was still out there.

Either way, no one relied on that stupid boss to rescue them.

Hell, he even come to watch them get slaughtered while eating the most expensive steak and wine in town.

And still, the Varia followed him with pride.

"You see. I need you to unlock Aria's true power." Rogue explained. "I mean, this is the sole reason why I'd go through all the trouble to bring him back." He was referring to Alvise.

Yamamoto was confused. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Because that's why she was born in the first place." Rogue motioned Alvise to get him a chair, and he did. He sat on it calmly and began continuing his story from where he left. "You see, her father was a greedy one. He wanted power to rule over this world, and he's willing to sacrifice his unborn child."

Everyone was taken aback, minus the Varia. Xanxus' Cradle's Affair and Bel's evil twin were much more of issues than this petty story.

"But, turns out, his child already spectacular. And the power only adds more to her reputation. Too much that she saps her own mother's lifespan."

"You played them like puppets...?" Ryohei asked. His fist was forming a bright light.

"Well yeah. The irony was, that man loved his wife, but not his child. He's willing to kill Aria to save the woman of his life. It's a twisted love, if you ask me."

"No one ask you, old fart." Fran did know how to run his mouth at a time like this. "Let me guess. Aria's boyfriend's death was your doing, too?"

Rogue chuckled darkly. "Smart man. I like you. Yes. It's as you guessed. The government and mafias found out about my little experiment. And so, for the first time, altho it was off-record and never mentioned, the two worked hand-in-hand and destroyed everything. Amazing what human would do to protect their seating and influence. Even if it means working side-by-side with their nemesis."

"You...sly..."

"What I didn't expect was, Aria to survive. And Alvise. And the power Aria had when she lost him, was magnificent." Rogue licked his lips. "She's exactly what I need to have this world in my hand."

Tsuna's eyes widened as he's done processing all the information. "Don't tell me-!"

Rogue got up and he brought himself closer to the bars. "That's right. Using Alvise as bait, I'm going to kill him and unleash those hell onto this world! Hahaahahahahahahahahaha!"

As Rogue's evil laughed echoed through, the Vongola found itself to pale at the merciless torture Rogue was about to relive in front of Aria's eyes.