Owl, Horse, Shark!

Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! If I did, 6996 would be canon. :3

Note: Italics are thoughts.

Chapter 5: Morte

Minerva turned around to the sound of footsteps and raised her paintball guns. The footsteps stopped and then there was dead silence. Minerva began to tremble. Where, she thought, where are they?! What direction are they coming from?!

There was a footstep, then a gunshot. Minerva's heart jumped up as she turned around to the noise with her eyes widened. Squalo pointed the paintball gun in front of him. She saw a boy their age, maybe a little older, with his hand holding on to his chest. The boy gritted his teeth and snarled at Squalo and pulled a black gun out of the pocket of his black leather jacket – a real gun. A real black gun loaded with real bullets. Squalo gasped as there was another shot.

"SQUALO!" Minerva screamed as Squalo fell backwards. Blood soaked his shirt as Minerva ran forward to catch him. That was, before there was another loud bang. A spear of pain shot through Minerva's back and her eyes widened. The purple of her irises faded to a deep and dull indigo as she fell into Dino's arms.

"Surrender," the boy with the black leather jacket said. His fair blonde hair, even brighter than Dino's, fell in front of his astonishingly blue eyes. Dino gritted his teeth, even though he was useless Dino he hated seeing his friends hurt, "Why did you shoot them?!"

"Can't you see? They shot a paintball at me. It hit me and it hurt! And it's a disgusting, dark, dull green. It doesn't fit well with this black shirt…." The boy shouted.

"Who are you?!" Dino questioned.

"The heir to Scellerato Famiglia, Morte," Morte smirked evilly. He began to laugh, "Oh Dino of the Cavallone, Superbi Squalo of Arroganza and Minerva of Saggezza…how pathetic of you…" he turned around with his men and walked away from them.

Dino pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialled a number rapidly. He put the phone to his ear and cried into it, "Romario! Romario! Help, Squalo and Minerva…they…"

"Dino, where are you?!" Romario asked him.

"I'm at paintball…"

"Where's the staff?! What's going on?!"

"The Scellerato Famiglia! They shot Squalo and Minerva!"

"We'll be right there, get Squalo and Minerva to Pace Fountain!"

…

Dino sat at Pace Fountain with his face buried in his hands, tears running down his face. "Dino!" Romario called and ran over to him with his father's men. They ran over to where Squalo and Minerva lay and hurried them to hospital. Romario patted Dino's shoulder, "Come on, let's go…"

…

"Romario…." Dino sat in the waiting room with his head in his hands and his fingers through his blonde hair. "Where's Father?"

Romario shook his head, "His health is deteriorating…he'll only last about another month and a half or so…"

"This can't be happening…Squalo and Minerva are hurt…Father is dying…I'm still just Useless Dino…what am I supposed to do?"

"It's not going to be easy, Dino…" Romario hesitated, "we hired a tutor…he'll be coming soon…"

*FLASHBACK*

"Genroso…you can't!" Romario protested while the middle aged 9th Cavallone Boss lay in his bed.

"It's our only choice, my old friend…" he coughed.

"But he's the 9th Vongola's Boss' most trusted assassin! He's too much for Dino!"

"Reborn is the only one who can do it, I know it."

*FLASHBACK END*

"Who is it?" Dino asked.

Romario hesitated, "You'll meet him when he comes…"

"Where's Minerva?!" they heard a man's voice a few metres away from them. Dino stood up from his seat and looked at the man, "Are you…Minerva's father?" The man nodded and continued forward as though he totally forgot Dino existed.

Dino followed him.

He followed Minerva's father into the hospital room where he strode towards her. His loud footsteps clacked on the tiles and Minerva opened her eyes, "D….ad?" Dino hurried over to Minerva, "Minerva, I'm sorry! I should've protected you!"

"I….it's alrig….ht…Dino…" a small smile escaped from her lips. Dino returned the smile, "Squalo is fine as well. We're all safe."

…

Dino buried his head in his arms on his desk back in his room. His fingers grabbed on to his hair as he gritted his teeth, breathing heavily through them. Why…the voice in his head echoed, why did it have to be them?! Why couldn't it be me….only if….no…why…WHY?!

This can't be happening, he denied what happened. But the gunshots, Morte of the Scellerato and Romario telling him about his father..

Tears rolled down his eyes, no…why did it have to be today? Of all days?! We were having fun but then…he…that bastard showed up…Morte showed up and shot Squalo and Minerva for shooting him with a paintball….this wouldn't have happened if he didn't enter that labyrinth…Now Father only has a month or so left, I'm getting a home tutor soon. Why is this happening to me…..Dear God…

His teardrops fell on to his desk when he let go of his hair and then grabbed on to the edges of his desk, Dear God….I HATE YOU!

Ok this is the re-written version of this chapter because...well...I thought after publishing it that Minerva having her skull practically crushed by her Dad was absolutely pointless...So...I took it out.

Please review! :D