A Royal Capture

Chapter Three

Day Forty

In a room with deafening silence.

Well... perhaps it wasn't as silent any more. The gentle roar of chatter between Squalo and Zakuro could be heard now, as the shark felt he had nothing better to do. Zakuro would call him stupid a lot, but even as he did so, he set the shark at peace with his situation. He brought food. Brought water. Even brought up a bucket of water once and gave the shark a rough spongebath - didn't intrude or make him uncomfortable, either. The gruff, curse-filled way the red-haired male spoke was familiar... reminded Squalo of his other lover. What was his name again?

"Zakuro? I forgot again," Squalo grunted, resting his head against his knees. "What was his name?"

"Xanxus," Zakuro muttered, face against his palms. "Idjit, let 'im go. You're close. With 'im dead, why don't ya? You're a pretty guy, you know..."

Squalo blushed a little and folded his arms. "Stop it. I'm not gonna forget about... about Xanxus. And who say's I'm forgetting? I just like... hearing his name, on your voice. You... sound like him."

"Psh, don't get squishy on me, idjit," Zakuro sneered, "you're supposed to be like... strong and crap. Show me you can be, idjit. I enjoy watching you resist me."

Squalo grinned. "If I didn't know better... I'd say you were flirting with me, Zakuro," he snickered.

"Believe me, I am," Zakuro said, slipping closer and tucking a short strand of silver hair past Squalo's ear. "I am, Superbi Squalo."

With a tiny, real smile, Squalo glanced down and nodded. "Give it some more time, Zakuro... and I think I can... kind of deal with that..." He reached out then, arms weak and shaking as he wrapped them around Zakuro's shoulder's briefly and patted the red-haired male on the back. "Thanks for... being here," he whispered. Zakuro pulled away, a thin smile on his face as he nodded and headed away.

Squalo curled his knees close, resting his head against them one more.

"Voi... Xanxus... don't be mad... I'm so alone in here, I just... want some damn company," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes soon after. As he slipped into dreams filled with the morphing faces of two people whose company enjoyed, he found himself growing anxious and scared.

Day Forty.

In a room with no soul.

Mukuro smiled as he finished the piece, leaning in and softly blowing on the canvas to let it dry. Backing up, he held out the paintbrush. Was the head in proportion to the rest of the body? An oversized head would make his subject look childish, after all.

"Mukuro."

"Yes ma'am?" the boy murmured, looking up towards his adoptive mother, his blue eyes filled with innocence and purity.

"Mukuro, something has happened... there's no more money, Mukuro... we need to resort to something desperate... oh, baby, I'm so sorry... oh, my little baby..." She moved forward, sweeping the boy up and holding him close to her chest, her tears soon rolling down his laughing, ignorant cheeks.

"I painted you, ma'am, look!" Mukuro giggled, pointing to his canvas, before pausing as another male walked in.

"Ma'am. It's time. The room is all ready; give us the boy."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing a tiny kiss to Mukuro's head, before turning, passing him into the arms of a strange man.

"Mother?" Mukuro called, that babyish smile still on his face and his eyes big as he turned towards the new man. "... Mom?"

"Now, let's make haste. These experiments... they will bring us back from bankruptcy..."

Mukuro's wide, wet eyes turned back towards his mother again and he reached out with thin, pink fingers. "Mommy...?"

Suddenly, he was in a dark room, strapped down into a seat. The babble of the people around him no longer a friendly buzz, but conspiring whispers that made his head ache. A piercing light was shone into his right eye, and then...

"Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

It all turned red...

Mukuro was jostled awake, his hand covering his right eye and tears rolling down his cheeks as the nightmare finally woke him. With a frown and an irritated grunt, he wiped at his eyes, before looking up at the moniter depicting his lover. "Did you know I would've been a painter if not for those men, Hibari Kyouya?" he breathed. "I would've grown up to be a pansy like Vongola Decimo. A stupid Mafiosi." He grunted, then breathed, "I've been through the six paths of Hell. And I don't regret a single path, because... they brought me to my one and only love."

"Oh, Rokudo~!" came that sickeningly familiar voice as a boy with long, blond hair revealed himself at the far side of the room. "Time for our little playdate."

"Kei, right?" Mukuro muttered, his gentle mood immediately hardening as he put up his figurative walls.

"Awwh, you remembered my name. Yessir, it's Kei~" The other male giggled, fluffing the red boa around his shoulders, before taking out a box weapon. "My little Sei has been lonely. So while he redecorates the room, I'm going to get over there and have a looksee inside your brain." He let the box weapon out, and a Mist-class magpie began flying around the room, creating waterfalls, strong wind, earthquakes, quicksand... just about any random landscape imaginable, but with their power, Kei and Mukuro both avoided the illusions, standing together in the shifting room, untouched.

Kei walked up close to Mukuro and sat down before him, a soft, pondering look in his eyes as he gazed at the illusionist, before suddenly leaving his body.

The soul battle launched just like that - Mukuro had to defend his body from Kei trying to posess it. He had the upper hand since he was already inside the vessel, but Kei, for a boy his age, was frustratingly strong. Not a care in the world and yet he knew just how to weasel his way in, the little bastard.

As Kei slowly took control, Mukuro's defense weakened, until he surrendered entirely, and let Kei browse his memories like a bookworm in a library. The Mist of the Spiaggia selectively pulled forth one of his past fifteen years ago - showing the time he escaped Vindice with Ken and Chikusa, but ordered them on so he could bait the Vindice and get them into the real world. "Pretty weak, huh..." The foreign thoughts invaded Mukuro's mind and he winced, displeased as always with the sound. "You sure like making sacrifices. If you would give that up you could destroy the Mafia like you always wanted... but you're too emotionally fragile for that privilage."

"Get out," Mukuro muttered through clenched teeth. "Get the hell out of my body."

"Ohoohoo~! So feisty, Rokudo," Kei sneered, leaving as told, but stealing the private glimpses at Mukuro's thoughts regardless. "But then again, who wouldn't be after living your life? You've spent more time in chains and water than anyone else I know! Hoohoo~!" With a small giggle, the illusionist suddenly moved forward, his hand flashing out and cuffing Mukuro hard across the face, before he dashed away again, vanishing into the walls of the room with no doors.

Mukuro reached up, rubbing his sore cheek, but didn't give a squeak in protest. His lover was in worse condition, barely hanging on, being force-fed water and stale bread. A meal fit for an ant, but certainly not Hibari Kyoya. He was barely alive and yet full of energy, still wriggling in rope bindings despite all of his arm and leg bones being broken. The large cats had been removed, one by one as they all fell ill from hunger. Now the only danger below was the drop. Daisy came in regularly to tell the ex-prefect how much of a weak, masochistic disgrace he was. Mukuro had to watch his lover slowly unravel. It was like watching a lake evaporate - the changes were so subtle. How the Cloud didn't bother to fight back against annoying words anymore, the tiny nod Kyoya gave when asked if he thought his lover was disappointed in him.

If only the illusionist could see him, just once... to reassure him... that would save them. But unfortunately... it simply wasn't possible. Daisy's thirst for revenge on Hibari killing him was strong - he wanted to break the ex-prefect's mind to pay him back.

Day Forty.

In a room with no laughter.

Mammon's heavy through-the-nose sigh ripped through the silence again, his mouth covered by electric tape and his adorable, chubby little cheeks giving him the appearance of a dropped apple - as they were bruised so hard. His eyes, visible due to his hat being taken away, were bloodshot, marked with dark circles, and his indigo hair stretched down to his chest. Looking up at Lussuria, he gave the Sun guardian a pained stare, and the other male tearfully returned it. The three Varia were all chained to the walls, all of them an equal distance from each other.

They'd even given up snickering at Levi now, as it was starting to seem like the only hair that ever grew on Levi was his mustache, his beard, and anything below his neck. At this point, he didn't look unlike a gorilla. It was funny at first, but given the bleak situation, it couldn't remain amusing for long.

With a short sigh, Lussuria flopped on to his side and stared up at the ceiling, imagining Bel and Fran's happy little faces on it. How the two looked so positively perfect together.

His stomach growled then, louder than sound of breathing, and Levi seemed to snort. Lussuria simply sent him a 'shut up, you keep stinking up the room' glare to keep him quiet.

Clink... clink...

Mammon's chains jingled as he shuffled towards Lussuria, stopping about a quarter of the way there. With a bow of his head, he tucked his small knees close again, before looking towards the door to the room as a couple sounds echoed through it. Torikabuto soon had opened the door, and with a dark chuckle, the masked male growled, "All of your friends have been killed. It is time, foolish ones. You are now permitted to speak. In twenty more days, we will decide your fate." He moved to Lussuria and took the electric tape off of his mouth, soon moving to the other Varia to do the same.

Lussuria choked out a few gasps once the tape was gone, turning to wipe off his sticky chin on his shoulder. "Ugh... you disgusting villains will never take us!" he shouted, eyes blazing angrily. "We're a family like no other!"

"Foolish one...," Torikabuto snarled, giving Luss a warning glare, before walking out.

"... Luss...," came Mammon's voice, a weak croak. "Luss, we need to get out of here..."

"I know...," Lussuria replied, flinching as the door to their prison was slammed shut again. "But there's not much we can do."

"If you idiots would just listen to me every so often, you'd already be free," Levi spoke up suddenly, glaring at Lussuria. "But because you're both worthless, I have no reason to help you."

Lussuria closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then summoned his emotional strength. "You damn monster, you always act like you love Xanxus, but really all you want is power! We're supposed to be one big happy family, and you're the only thing getting in the way of that! Don't pretend like you have the power you want so badly, because none of us are buying it! You're just a weak, heavily insecure, unshaven brute, and you have no right to even be a Varia!"

Levi stopped at this and looked down, a couple of tears soon starting to make their way down his cheeks. It was true. And he hated it. He hated the other Varia. If he was an outcast before, then now, with Xanxus gone... He was better off dead.

"Luss," Mammon spoke up again. "I wish I could've told you sooner - I'm bound by one of Verde's anti-illusion inventions. I won't be able to do a thing in our favor."

"It's okay, sweetie, I figured," Lussuria sighed. "If only I could eat something. I'm so hungry, darling..."

"I have something moldy in my pocket," Levi muttered.

"I could care less!" the Sun huffed in response.

Day Forty.

In a room with a single light.

The sobbing had become a regular thing for the emotionally fragile mechanic, as had the screaming. No one came to torture him, but every day, a water bottle and some stale bread was brought in and placed beside him - the only sense of regularity he got. The incidents in which he would watch Byakuran deal with Kikyo were much more sporadic, and they were driving him mad. Kikyo would come in, flirt with his lover, try to tempt him, and every time Byakuran would refuse him, so Kikyo would grow angry and beat him until the Sky would quietly beg for mercy.

"Just give in," Shouichi croaked, eyes wet with tears. "Just forget about me, y-you idiot! You're supposed to be the s-s-strongest man I know! Where is he? Why are you so d-devoted to me?" He whimpered, curling up, ignoring the filth of the room he was stuck in. He was sick from the conditions, but he didn't care. If anything, he wanted to be dead. Byakuran deserved better than him! Someone who was just stuck in a room... helpless... unable to do anything but wallow in his misery...

Taking off his smudged glasses, Shouichi angrily threw them across the room, flinching as he heard them shatter. Curling up into a tight little ball, he rocked himself, staring at the blurry moniter still, only seeing a white dot that represented Byakuran. A precious, little, white dot.

It was tearing him apart.

All that power... wasted.

Day Forty.

In a room with no love.

Ah... so lonely...

Fran gave a tiny smile as finally - finally - the door was opened again. It had been at least five hours, and he couldn't help but be lone... er... hungry again. As Bluebell walked in and set down a plate of sushi in his lap, Fran gave her a blank look. "Welcome back, sea-head."

Bluebell snickered, sitting down next to the illusionist and wrapping an arm around his waist. "How are you, froggy?" she asked, using the nickname Fran had all but handed her.

"Don't, that's weird," Fran muttered, leaning against her a little as he started to eat. "How are things going with Zakuro? Is he still being a turd?"

"Pfft, he's always a turd!" Bluebell giggled. "But it's getting better. Apparently he and your fish-face friend are getting along."

"Really? That's odd. Better warn him it may be a ruse. Fish-face is so obsessed with Xanxus... like... crazily obsessed," Fran sighed. "I mean, you don't see me flipping out just because Bel's not around. I can live without him - I did for most of my life." He then leaned forward, glancing into Bluebell's eyes. "And for most of my life, I was straight. If senpai couldn't treat me like we were gonna be captured (and held hostage and he wouldn't see me again) every day, does he really deserve all the attention I give him? I tell you, as fun as he is to be around, I get no respect around him. I'm sick of being a kid to everyone, especially my own lover. I mean... I kind of expected him to really make up for it soon... but... he's just not in the mood to work for me."

"Neither am I," Bluebell laughed, "but I wouldn't completely treat you like some kid. I mean... you're cute, and super cheeky. But you're still an adult."

"Thanks, sea-head," Fran mumbled through full cheeks, before swallowing the sushi and peering at Bluebell again. "You're sweet, y'know. Lot like me. But if you think you can get me in bed-"

"I don't need that," she replied. "It's okay if that's what you want, but I prefer your company. It's nice. You're a helluva lot smarter than the guys I usually hang around."

Fran glanced away just in time to stop his blush, then took another bite of sushi. "Don't be stupid."

-End Chapter

:D Okay everyone, I've been sick this past week, but thanks to those wonderful reviews you're givin' me, I pushed myself to upload on time again! Hope you're all very pleased~!

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