CHAPTER XI

You pace the halls, checking your wristwatch every five minutes unconsciously. You've done what you can for Kyoko and she's stabalized, unconscious.

You give the go ahead to Giannini to tell Tsuna and the others that Kyoko is safe and doing okay.

He doesn't tell you right away until you see Spanner and Irie in the conference room and start asking questions that he can't reach any of the guardians because of some interference. You haven't completely panicked yet and you know it isn't your place to make decisions but you tell Giannini to get a hold of Dino Cavallone to see if he's still in Japan and for him to assist the guardians and Tsuna. Strangely Giannini agrees and does what you ask right away. But with every minute that passes you become a little more worried. To make matters worse, Irie and Spanner can't figure out the source of the interference.

It's been three hours since the boys left and you can't help but feel the icy tendrils of dread creeping up your ribcage and wrapping around your heart. So now you pace the halls, thinking jokingly that you'd give anything right now for one of Gokudera's cigarettes to ease your nerves.

No. You just needed Gokudera and the others to be safe.

You were soon joined by Bianchi who stood with you in the hall. Irie poked his head out of the tech room which you had all moved to so that they figure out the problem with the communications. He tells you that the force surrounding Kyokuyo Land isn't something that he's ever seen before and that they were going to send out a recon team to figure out what was going on from a distance. This only gives you temporary relief.

Then Giannini tells you Dino and the Varia have already landed in Italy and won't be able to make it back in time. You don't even know what to say because you don't know what exactly is going on.

You let out a frustrated "Ugh!" and you kick the door frame causing Spanner to look up from his computer. He looks worriedly at you with green eyes that remind you of Gokudera, except Spanner's aren't the same resilient viridian orbs that you're so used to gazing into.

"You should try to relax, (Y/N). Stress isn't good for you or... " his voice trails off when he notices Bianchi but his eyes flutter down to your stomach and back up to your face.

You decide you can't stay here just waiting, you've got to keep busy. Bianchi is now looking at you peculiarly. You turn quickly to avoid conversation that's going to make you break down and head for the elevator. Once inside, you look out to see Bianchi looking from Spanner to you, perplexed. The elevator doors shut and you breathe a sigh of relief.

You get out at the medical wing to check on Kyoko and the sad eyes of Fūta, Lambo and Haru rest upon you and you try to give a wary smile to let them know that everything will be okay but even you don't believe that. You can't shake the constant nag in the back of your mind telling you something wasn't right.

Gokudera's POV

His lungs try to suck in oxygen but every time he moves, the broken ribs he's sustained knife him and send searing pain through his entire body.

Gokudera grips the dirt in front of him, struggling to stand but can't find the stamina.

Yamamoto is panting heavily, wiping blood out of his eyes. He leans on his sword for support because his legs won't stop trembling. He's in front of Gokudera, guarding him while he hopes it won't be long till Gokudera gets on his feet.

Blood and sweat sting Gokudera's eyes and his hair is matted to his neck and cheeks. He knows that he's got more than just broken ribs but he can't be bothered to think about that right now.

Zukuro isn't in good shape either, missing an arm and part of his tail but there's still too much of a power gap between them.

"Yama... mato..." Gokudera struggles to speak, each breath equals in a searing pain in his sides.

"Get up," Yamamato says sternly. He knows what Gokudera is capable of and he won't let him admit defeat so easily.

Gokudera bites down on his lip and summons enough strength to push himself up. Once in a kneeling position he points his legendary bow at Zakuro but he can't see through the blur of sticky blood.

Zakuro laughs and races in towards the already broken men, darting and weaving so that Gokudera can't get a clean shot. Yamamato is hesitant because he doesn't want to leave Gokudera unguarded but he takes off in a burst, kicking up a cloud off dust, straight in the line of Zukuro.

Zukuro already knows the swordsman's style and knows which stance he's entering before Yamamoto pulls it off. He's already off the ground, above Yamamoto because his real target is the only threat he sees and that is Gokudera.

Even though Yamamoto is extremely agile, he isn't able to turn or rush back in time to counter, leaving Gokudera wide open.

Gokudera isn't stupid, he's quite skilled and observant and he already knows Zakuro's plan.

Just as Zakuro is about to attack, Gokudera pulls out a small stick of dynamite and because every one of his ribs are pretty much broken, he can't turn or move fast enough to get out of the line of fire so he braces himself for impact, lights the stick of dynamite off his slowly smoldering cigarette and flicks the dynamite behind him. In a split second there's an explosion and Gokudera is hurled a few feet from his prior position, hitting the ground with a hard thud and skidding along the dirt. He lets out a agonizing howl. White hot pain rips through his body, the skin on his back is flaring and he can smell burning flesh. The stick of dynamite he's just used to rocket him away from Zukuro has bought him enough time to see Yamamoto leap high above his head, bringing down his Shigure Kintoki down on Zukuro who had been disoriented momentarily from the blast. Blood spurts from the deep gash but it isn't enough to hinder Zukuro because he manages to swat Yamamoto out of the way, sending the once baseball player flying.

Gokudera is spent, he can't move. He doesn't want to give up, he's not giving up but he can see Zukuro staggering over to him, his eyes glaring with murderous intent and he's barely got enough energy to pull out a larger stick of dynamite and light it off the cigarette clenched between his teeth. He hears the satisfying crackle of the fuse being lit and even though he knows it won't do much, he smirks and throws it with full might, feeling the muscles in his shoulders rip. It's painful but he can barely feel it against the extreme burning sensation on his back.

The dynamite falls short of Zakuro, exploding but not detouring the monster in the slightest.

Gokudera glances over at Yamamoto who's still unconscious, crumpled at the base of the tree he had connected with after being swatted like a bug.

"Che... fu-fucking use... less...yakyū..."

Gokudera pulled out the remaining sticks of dynamite he had left, which were four to be exact and fit them snuggly between his fingers. He puffed on his cigarette to get a good burn, he needed to make this quick because the cigarette was nearing the butt. He lit all four fuses and grinned behind his cigarette. He waited for Zukuro to clear the smoke, the oversized ugly lizard still making his way towards Gokudera staggering like an inebriated drunkard. He stopped short, his mouth agape when he noticed the assault waiting for him.

"Take... this, you fucker!" Gokudera yelled, using the last of his strength to hurl the dynamite in Zukuro's direction.

Zukuro's look of bewilderment quickly changed to a look of arrogance as he darted out of the way.

Gokudera's mouth twisted up into a smug smirk. These weren't ordinary dynamite.

"Rocket bombs!" he shouted as the world started to go black around him.

He could feel himself getting light headed and cold and he knows he's sustained far too many injuries and lost too much blood to be okay. He coughs and gargles, blood spluttering out of his mouth on to his chin and already stained and tattered dress shirt. He hears the explosion go off and he feels the vibration rocketing through the earth below him. It must have woken the stupid baseball freak because he can hear him calling his name frantically but he sounds so far away. Gokudera fights to keep his heavily lidded eyes open, his breaths become shallow and his mind is telling his body to move but it won't comply. He can feel Yamamoto beside him now, still shouting his name and telling him to hang in there. He wants to tell him to shut up but he can't muster up the energy to open his mouth. Yamamoto's voice starts to sound like it's underwater, far away and incoherent and Gokudera can't tell if he's crying but it sounds like he is. The pain plaguing his body is still there but it's now faded to a dull, muted throb like the sounds entering his ears. He can't make out what Yamamoto is saying and he feels the conciouness slipping out from underneath him but he swears he hears the word "father".