New chapter! Yeah, I'm not dead, but high school is killing me but I finally adjusted to the workload :) I'm working on Mafia Preschool next, but take this to please you for now.

"I cannot believe you got us into this mess." Hercules hissed at Aurelia. "We're the snow; we're supposed to not be seen. We took a mission making us dress as circus freaks and being seen, why?"

Aurelia smiled, juggling her knives once more. "I told you, we're not invisible, we blend in. So to blend in to capture mistreatment and sexual harassment in this circus, we have to blend in as performers. They won't question four more performers."

"I actually like this mission." Xavier smiled. "All I gotta do is walk around and trip on pie; I lucked out!"

"You only like it because you don't have to wear a wig, Mr. Redheaded Clown." Luna grumbled, attempting her acrobatic stances once more. Aurelia smiled.

"You're actually really good at this, Luna." Aurelia smiled.

"Well Sun Flame Users do normally have strong arms and legs." Hercules pointed out. "And most girls are pretty flexible, so it's no real surprise."

"Well, I don't see why you have a problem with it; you work with Storm Flames so you're pretty used to being careful." Aurelia said as Hercules practiced his fire movements once more. The boy yelped as he dropped the flames when a boy bumped into him.

"Oh sorry," the boy said before leaving, Hercules left in a blushing, sweaty, shaky mess. Aurelia sighed.

"Oh yeah, Hercules is totally useless around new people, I forgot." Aurelia muttered, to which Hercules glared.

"I am not useless—Watch it!" Hercules yelped as one of Aurelia's knives slipped from her hands. The girl blinked.

"Oops, my fault," Aurelia said, picking it back up and juggling it. "You were saying?"

Xavier sighed and patted Hercules's shoulder. "Dude, just shut up and take it. It's less painful that way."

"So Aurelia," Luna started, "If there is mistreatment and sexual harassment what do we do?"

"Well we take out who's in charge, I guess. I bet it'll be the ringleader." Aurelia said, discreetly motioning towards the man in the top hat. "It'll be good to gain some inside help too… Wait here."

Aurelia moved back and fell straight onto a boy who was holding a whip for the animals. "Oh, sorry about that, my fault; I'm Danielle, by the way!"

The boy smiled a bit before ruffling her head. "No problem Danielle, I'm Jacobs. Funny, I don't think I've seen you that much before…"

"I get that a lot, you know, big circus and all; especially when working different acts. I'm with the knife crew." Aurelia said, smiling her 'I'm-just-a-normal-girl-not-a-mafia-princess' smile.

"I'm an animal tamer, hey good luck today—"

"You idiot; the seals should be over there!" The ringleader shouted at the stage crew.

"Geez, what crapped in his corn flakes?" Aurelia grumbled. Jacobs sighed.

"He's a bastard, isn't he?" Jacobs growled. "But he pays and we eat alright, so I guess its fine, but there are rumors floating around him that really piss me off."

"Like what? There are a lot of rumors, so you'll have to specify." Aurelia said.

"Tch, the bastard supposedly sleeps with the female performers. And they're a real nice bunch too. They're always coming and going though, so no one really knows about it."

"Well I'm not so close to the female performers myself, but I know that I don't have to be scared that they'll toss an axe my way if I say something wrong, you know? They're pretty good in my book. He really is scum if he does that."

"Yeah; hey we better hurry up before he-who-shall-not-be-named hears us." Jacobs laughed. "See you at the fire pit, Danielle!"

"Yeah, same to you, Jacobs," Aurelia called out, turning to the three. "That, boys and girl, is how you get information from the inside, like a pro."

Hercules sighed. "Narcissus would've killed that guy if he wasn't in Germany."

"Then Narcissus would've blown the cover; he would attract attention since he didn't have Snow Flames and siblings in a circus are bound to draw some attention." Aurelia said simply. "So, basically, he would've thrown the mission and I would have to kick his skinny ass."

Xavier laughed weakly. "So, wait, how's Hercules gonna do? He's terrible in front of crowds! Remember that one time we sent him to talk to the old man and his Guardians? He fainted five minutes in!"

"Well for a Storm, he is naturally timid and a tsundere, I'll admit that." Aurelia said blankly. Hercules glared.

"Hey!"

"Well we can't have him up and trip in the middle and if he looks nervous, he'll attract attention. So that's what Xavier's job here is." Aurelia said. "We go out in intervals, so when it's time for the fire users to go out, we'll use an illusion to cover Hercules and create a fake one while he hides until the show ends."

"Then why do I have to practice at all?!" Hercules growled out. Aurelia looked at him.

"Because Xavier's only a B-Class illusionist; there's no way he would be able to hold an illusion the entire mission. It's easier this way." Aurelia said blankly. Luna sighed.

"I really wish I went with Narcissus to Germany…" Luna sighed. Aurelia pat her head.

"I'll make you brownies later, just suck it up for now, Luna, it'll be done soon."

"Yeah, Scarfy, no problem—just be glad they let you wear the clown frills around your neck." Xavier comforted. Luna pouted.

"They're itchy…" Luna murmured.

Xavier grumbled while dragging Hercules, in full nervous mode back to their cabin. "Stupid megane…"

Aurelia blinked. "What's wrong?"

"This one," Xavier said, jabbing a thumb at Hercules, who Luna was cooling down with water, "Ran into a female performer and got all red and stuttering again."

"Not my fault! I'm not good around new people!" Hercules cried out indignantly, dripping water from his hair and removing his contacts. "OW! Why do I have to wear these damned things? Glasses are much easier to take care of!"

Luna sighed. "Because, if you wear glasses but specialize in knife –throwing that's going to gain attention. No one in the entire circus wears glasses so it's going to stand out. You can pass them off as far-sightedness and wear the glasses around us, though."

Hercules dejectedly put his glasses on. There was a knock on their cabin and Aurelia blinked before turning to Xavier, the redhead shrugging. Aurelia opened the door and a tipsy Jacob greeted her.

"Yo, Danielle," The brown-haired boy hiccupped, leaning on another boy with blonde hair who Aurelia recognized from the ticket counter. "Wanna come to the fire pit with your friends? The ringleader's happy 'bout the great reviews we got and he's giving out drinks!"

Aurelia smiled. "Sure, and who's this?"

The blonde dropped Jacobs in favor of making an over extravagant bow and handing a white rose from his sleeve. "I am George Hamilton von Theodore IV, mademoiselle, it's nice to meet you—"

George was interrupted as Jacobs kicked him in the gut, sober when he hit the floor. "What the hell, you piece of shat?!"

George glared. "Well I was busy introducing myself to a lady, Jacobs-"George then caught sight of Luna, "Why hello, miss, it's nice to see someone as beautiful as you, what with such beautifully flowing hair, like a stream of cascading auburn,"

George then somehow managed to produce a yellow rose and hand it to Luna in a flourish. Xavier and Hercules were pointedly ignored as George shoved past the both of them.

"Uh, dude, so the fire pit, huh?" Xavier asked George. George looked at Xavier haughtily.

"Why yes, the ringleader isn't being an arse for once." George smiled.

Aurelia helped Jacobs up. She turned to the close-to-hyperventilating Hercules. "Wesley, let's go, relax, they're friends."

Hercules, alias Wesley, took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Alright, come on, Abby, tomato head."

Luna, alias Abby followed Aurelia and Hercules hurriedly. Aurelia looked at Xavier.

"Coming, Jack?"

Xavier, alias Jack, shook his head and followed, sighing at George's (over extravagant, unnecessary) chivalry.

"So, I shit you not," Luna smirked. "There were like five of them, they were almost six feet tall and had about five to seven years older than me, it was almost midnight and we were in a dark alleyway—oh, and they had knives."

"So what'd you do? Scream?" Jacob asked.

Luna smirk widened. "As if; I beat them all up without a problem,"

"You lie," Jacob sneered, still in a drunken daze. Luna smirked challengingly.

"Wanna try me, elephant freak?"

"Hey, the elephants are amazing!"

"So," Xavier muttered to Aurelia, "Why do you think he can see her…?"

Aurelia blinked. "I'm not so sure. Maybe he has dormant Snow Flames. That or he's trying very hard to pay attention to Lu-Abby."

"Shouldn't we tell her to quit flirting, and we have something to do?" Hercules muttered, before quickly backing up his question. "The trailers do have to get packed, after all."

Aurelia shrugged. "Leave her, Abby doesn't get much male attention, we can start without her. I'll get George to tell her where we went later."

Aurelia stood up and moved to behind the fire pit, where George went earlier. She noticed a trailer, where he must've went and reached up, knocking on the door before opening the door. "Hey, George—"

Aurelia froze. George turned around and smiled. "Ah, hello, Danielle. Ah, I'm sorry…I suppose I'm not very decent at the moment, huh?"

George reached up and wiped the blood off of his cheek, still smiling.

Aurelia shook and looked past George. A girl's body was lying, chained to the wall. Aurelia could taste the bile at the back of her throat. All she could do was choke out a violent serenade of curses before she ran out of the trailer and puked. She flared her Snow Flames violently, desperate to not be caught in George's sight. He walked out of the trailer calmly.

"Oh Danielle~ where are you, mademoiselle?..." George called out, holding a white rose, similar to the one he handed to 'Danielle' that same night. Aurelia clutched the white rose that she placed in her hair for safe keeping. The gift that seemed so sweet and chaste now felt like poison against her skin, an iron lead that was weighing her head down.

Or was this what fear felt like?

Aurelia had not felt fear for such a long time, since she was five, this intense to get through to her, to affect her like this. This atmosphere that George was emanating was nothing like the assassins that attempted to kill her daily; those were men who vied for a higher position in rank. George atmosphere was one of killing intent so cold, so powerful, the Snow felt threatened. George's atmosphere was like that of a crazed murderer who killed for pleasure, for satisfaction. Mafia men, however, killed for respect and dignity and acceptance.

Aurelia looked at George with fear as he looked in her direction but didn't see her. She shivered as he peered from under his long blonde eyelashes, purple eyes flashing dangerously, inspecting the area for sight of his next prey—her.

Aurelia managed to stand up and scurry past George, and into the trailer. She kneeled next to the girl and held her. "Are you alright?" She whispered.

The girl lifted her head, raising light blond—almost white—hair along with it. Her blue eyes had tears streaking down her cheeks and a pink rose on a wire that was wrapped tightly around her throat, blood caked around some parts.

"H-How could he do this…" The girl whispered. "I-I thought he loved me… I loved him…" She gasped, clutching her bleeding side. Aurelia clutched the girl's shoulder, her eyes turning from their foggy white-blue to a solid cerulean color.

"Don't worry, you're going to be okay, I promise," Aurelia said shaking. "You're going to walk out of here alive."

Aurelia held the girl, who smiled in her grasp.

"My name is Trish. Please take care of me."

She was beautiful.

Aurelia felt something splatter on her cheeks and arms.

Her grip loosened.

She felt her skin turn to ice.

Trish's beautiful blue eyes lost their gleam.

"My my, there you are, mademoiselle." George sighed. "She was so pretty, wasn't she? She was also so gentle and sweet, deserving a pink rose."

Aurelia looked up slowly, her blood turning to ice. She could feel her spine get chills.

She set Trish down, careful of the blade that now protruded from her head.

Aurelia could feel tears running down her cheeks as she looked from under her bangs at George.

"S-She loved you…" Aurelia said, barely over a whisper. "Y-You, h-how could you do that to her, y-you monster…"

George smiled. "I believe black roses are the most beautiful. Do you not believe so, Danielle?"

Aurelia shook. "You sick, sick bastardi… You charmed beautiful, innocent, pure girls and murdered them in cold blood… For what? The sake of giving them the black rose of death? People like you… People like you can hurry up and die in the cold of the snow."

Aurelia glared up and snapped her fans in George's direction, her accuracy precise, the atmosphere shaping around her, giving George goose bumps. The blond ducked, rolled, then stood up straight.

"Hm, how strange…" George said, running his hands up and down his arms. "It feels cold for some reason… You're truly something special, aren't you, mademoiselle? What is your secret, eh, Danielle? I suppose I was right, giving you a white rose."

Aurelia closed her one fan to use it as a blade and snapped the other one towards George, who barely dodged, cutting a few choice hairs. Aurelia closed the second fan and made a powerful thrust to activate the poison gauge in it. She ran forward and began to slash at George.

"George, people like you… Are unforgiveable!" Aurelia hissed, attacking the teen who dodged.

"My, my, Danielle… You truly are something special. I would love to give you a very special rose…" George smiled, dodging the attacks.

"Don't underestimate me, dammit!" Aurelia hissed, slashing upwards, surprising George and slashing all the way up the left side of his face.

George stumbled back and leaned against the trailer door. He clutched the bleeding half of his face. Aurelia stabbed one of her blades next to his throat. A warning. She held the poison gauge to his throat, pinning him to the cold trailer door.

George smiled. "Let me ask you something, Danielle… Just who are you really, mademoiselle?"

Aurelia looked up and glared at George, her eyes as cold as ever, the atmosphere on pins and needles. "I am Aurelia, candidate for the Atmosfera Famiglia Ottava."

George smiled wider and caressed the petals of the rose on Aurelia's head lovingly. "Such a huge secret… And such a pure, heavenly person in the dark mafia… What a rarity."

Aurelia growled and pressed the poison gauge of her fan closer to his skin, right were the main artery pulsed.

"Boss Lady," A voice said, muffled from the other side of the door. "He's not worth it. Don't dirty your hands with him. He's scum."

Aurelia's grip faltered slightly, but she still kept the needle containing the poison at the skin of George's neck.

George continued to smile.

Aurelia pressed it closer.

"Aurelia," Xavier said from the other side of the door. "Please. For me. Please don't. Don't let me lose you to the dark, don't forget the power of your atmosphere."

Aurelia's eyes slowly, ever so slowly, turned back to their foggy blue-white. The pins and needles atmosphere turned into one of calm silence.

Faster than he could perceive, George was knocked out by a swift punch to a vulnerable pressure point.

Luna stood nearby the searched grounds of the circus, sobered up with the sight of Aurelia covered in blood. She kicked her legs back and forth guiltily while sitting on a boulder.

Jacobs walked over next to her. "Can I sit down next to you?"

Luna nodded. Jacobs sat and frowned. "So…What's your real name?"

"Luna Testa." Luna murmured. "Abby Gillian was my alias for this mission."

"So…" Jacobs began. "What are you guys? Spies? Detectives? A secret branch of the government that uses teens to infiltrate and take out the bad guy?"

"Nope. Mafioso." Luna sighed. "But, I never really lied. Everything I said was true. I did use to live in the States. Lived on the streets of Boston. Not one of my best moments. I mugged people, picked pockets and ate out of the trash. I was a dirty street rat. If I was there for another month in that cold, with the slowing amount of food I was getting, I probably would've starting selling myself."

Jacobs frowned. "I never said you were lying."

"Yes you did."

"That was just my drunken slur talking." Jacobs said, running a hand trough his hair and jumping. "But right now, I'm probably as dirty as you were."

Luna was about to protest when Jacobs took his hand out of his messy dark brown hair. He held his hand out to show Luna and she was surprised to find a cockroach squirming in his fingers before he quickly threw it away and shivered.

There was silence for about two seconds before the two broke into laughter.

"What can I say; in the circus, hygiene sucks!"

"That's what you get for working with stinking elephants all the time!"

Luna giggled and smiled nervously. "Sorry for having to trick you; you were our form of infiltration. Our gateway to this mission's success. Thank you, Jacobs."

Jacobs smiled. "Thanks, hah, Luna suits you better than Abby anyway, you know, 'cause of your eyes. They look like the moon. Sorry that my friend who we were all supposed to get along with was actually a psycho nut."

Luna smiled sadly. "No one knew, Jacobs."

"Well, that makes me feel better. By the way," Jacobs leaned closer to Luna, "My name is actually Dean. Jacobs is my last name."

Luna blinked, completely scarlet in the face when he pulled away and held a finger to his lips. "Shhh, it's a secret."

Luna scoffed. "Who the hell introduces themselves with their last name?"

"I like being mysterious," Dean defended. "I thought the ladies liked that stuff?"

"You know what the ladies like, Dean?" Luna giggled. "A guy who uses deodorant! Seriously, heard of it?"

"Hey, hey; it's hard enough wrestling the others for soap here, you try getting something as legendary as deodorant!" Dean chuckled.

"Luna!" Hercules called, walking over. "We're probably going to be leaving in a few hours, to investigate more thoroughly—there are"

Hercules saw Jacobs on the boulder, sitting next to Luna and blinked twice before turning. "Tell you later; don't do anything I wouldn't do, kid."

Luna blushed. "You're only four years older than me! Don't call me kid! And I'm eleven damn you Megane!"

"Shut up brat! You weren't there!" Hercules yelled back.

Luna huffed and pouted. Dean chuckled. "Well you guys seem close. It must be nice in a family, huh?"

Luna blinked. Then nodded with a wide smile. "I honestly don't know where the hell I would be without them."

Dean smiled. "I wish I had someone like that, but I'm just a loser, you know; my elephants are the closest thing I got."

Luna sighed. "That's not true."

"Well the only other guy I knew turned out to be a killer, so I'm not sure he counts…" Dean said smarmily.

Luna sighed. She felt something run across her back and nearly fell off the boulder. "The hell!?"

"Oh, Pipsqueak, there you are." Dean said, petting the large elephant. "Pipsqueak, meet Luna. Luna meet Pipsqueak."

Luna blinked at the large Indian Elephant that held out a trunk in her direction. She shook it and smiled.

"H-Hi Pipsqueak."

Pipsqueak let out a deep 'toot' in greeting.

"I was wondering where you went, good thing you didn't get put together with the other bulls." Dean said. He picked something out of his pocket. "Here you go."

"What're those?"

"Sugar cane. Pipsqueak loves 'em."

The elephant flapped his ears in confirmation.

Dean blinked. "Hey Luna?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm probably not going to be able to see after today, am I?"

Luna looked down sadly.

Dean grabbed her hand happily. "So come on!"

"Huh?"

"I'll take you for a ride on Pipsqueak," Dean smiled, climbing with Luna in tow to the highest point of the boulder. "Not many people get to ride an elephant. But don't worry; we'll see each other again. And when we do, I'll take you on a ride on Pipsqueak again."

Luna blinked as Dean helped her on to Pipsqueak's back. She felt the strange texture of the skin cautiously until Dean sat behind her and secured a grip on Pipsqueak's circus collar, securing her place.

"Alright Pipsqueak, let's go!"

Xavier walked out of the trailer he was staying in, carrying his and Aurelia's bags. He stopped short, seeing Adrian standing there.

"Hm? What's up, Adrian?"

"Xavier, let's have a chat. Right Hand from one generation to another."

"Does that mean Axel doesn't even have a chance?" Xavier asked teasingly. "I thought you didn't pick favorites."

"I've already had this conversation with Axel when he and Narcissus had to do a ransom mission in Germany."

Xavier froze.

Everybody in the Atmosfera knew that ransom mission. Narcissus and Axel went to Germany after some stupid Famiglia thought they would become big shots after kidnapping David, the most likely Eighth Mist Guardian. This was just before Pierce had joined their family.

The biggest part of the mission that made it famous was that two young boys, then only eleven years of age, had completely massacred nearly twenty full grown men. All were injured, and several could never move again after that.

Rumor was that Narcissus might've killed all of them had Axel not been there.

"A Right Hand Man's job is to take care and keep the boss stable, strong and powerful, someone to lead. You helped Aurelia from collapsing and putting blood on her hands too early in her life today. That was the proper act as a Right Hand, Xavier. I'm proud of you." Adrian grabbed Xavier's shoulders in his large hands and squeezed like how a proud father might do.

"The boss has power, respect, and much stress. It's very easy for them to break. That's why we Right Hands must hold them up, make sure that they stay the great boss we serve and love. We must devote ourselves to taking care of our boss and making sure that nothing will hurt them. Not even themselves. Especially not themselves."

Xavier looked at Adrian. The man was smiling happily. "You're doing great, Xavier. Please look after Aurelia. I love her like she's my own blood. She is family. And so are you. I'm depending on you to make sure she doesn't break."

"I've already decided," Xavier started, green eyes gleaming, "Ever since she found me, invisible to the rest of the world, nothing, bringing me a family, a friend, a boss that I would protect her." He reached up and touched the single gold earring hanging from his left lobe. "You don't have to tell me anything about making sure she doesn't break. There's no way I would ever let my Aurelia, my Boss Lady, my Family, crumble right in front of me."

Xavier probably didn't notice it, but by this point, all that kept him from disappearing from Adrian's sight were his piercing green eyes and the monsters of various sizes and shapes forming, all based on his main illusion weapon, Curiosita.

Adrian smiled fondly at the boy who would soon grow into a man, who he has taken care of since the age of five.

Aurelia stood at the inside of the trailer. She felt Hercules's hand on her shoulder.

"You did your best, 'Lia."

"She still died, Hercules. She still died. And I was holding her. She died in my arms. Right after I promised her I would protect her. That she would walk out of there alive. She must've been in so much pain, Hercules. So much pain."

Hercules frowned and hugged Aurelia awkwardly.

"What're you doing?"

"Hugging you."

"It feels like you're trying to grope me with your elbows."

"Well geez! I'm not a touchy person, okay!" Hercules protested. "I don't hug a lot."

Aurelia smiled and turned around, embracing Hercules. "This is a hug. Not that awkward weird choke hold thing you just did."

"Yeah, yeah, screw you too." Hercules muttered. "W-We're gonna give her and all the other girls we found buried in the forest and in the river a proper burial. He's never going to be seeing sunlight again, Boss Lady. We charged him with the Vendice and their terms. S-So quit being so sad over this. A-According to the other circus people, she w-was a great person. S-She even smiled at you for at least t-trying to help her. S-She would be g-grateful that you're helping her r-receive a proper b-burial."

With every stutter, Hercules turned brighter. He wasn't exactly used to human contact.

Aurelia smiled and walked outside the trailer, Hercules following. "Thanks, Hercules. You're a great Guardian. But you're still terrible with girls."

"H-Hey! S-Shut up 'Lia!"

The atmosphere in the trailer, even as they left, seemed to be light and free.

"So, where's Scarfy?" Xavier asked, looking at Hercules and Aurelia.

"Last time I saw her, she was making kissy faces with that animal kid." Hercules shrugged.

"Hey, I'm right here, guys!" Luna shouted, waving her hand from atop Pipsqueak.

The three blinked.

"Xavier, is that—"

"No illusion, Boss Lady."

"Oh. Well, it's not the weirdest we've seen." Hercules muttered.

"True."

"Yeah."

And FLUFF, FLUFF EVERYWHERE. but I had to. I freaking cried after I had to kill Trish. I actually felt it. You know that either a) you're a good author or b) a very emotional person when you kill a character and cry. Especially when you're writing it. I had to put the fluff in there to warm my hear after writing in such a cold mood...

BUT HOMIGOD TRISH IM SOOOOO SORRRY!

And yeah, you're gonna see Dean Jacobs later on. Luna's gonna get to have another ride from Pipsqueak... Like... A couple of years in... But it goes fast, I swear.

I don't know why I'm writing all this fluffy crap. Probably just my lonely feels after my school's (late) v-day dance.

/cries