A Royal Capture

Chapter Eleven

Day 121, 3:00 a.m.

"Everyone have their hoods on?"

"Yeah..." Clad in dark clothes and cloaked in illusions, the first group stood in the forest just outside the Spiaggia base, ready to infiltrate.

"All right, Tsuna," Spanner said, using the communicator. "We're going in." Chrome nodded at them, following up behind them as they headed towards the guarded entrance.

"I swear, man! I beat the Elite Four using only my camerupt and a barboach," one was whispering as they approached.

"Even if you did, you had to have been using an Action Replay, you cheater," the other hissed in response.

"That's not true! I don't cheat!" the first replied. "I'll show you later! I trained them fair and square!"

"With rare candies, maybe!"

"No, really!"

"I used my marowak to defeat the Elite Four once, so of course, with two pokemon, it's definitely possible," Shouichi said in his calm tone, stepping up to the two. "If you use a Lucky Egg and lots of status boosters, it's easy to grow a pokemon big and strong without cheating. And using TMs and other items that help out are certain to make you a flawless trainer. And just so you guys all know, Phoenix of Starlight totally does not own Pokemon or any other video games referenced here."

"Who the hell are you?" one of the grunts protested.

"One of the new recruits. The rest of us are all here, too." The redhead raised his hands in a surrendering pose. "I'm sorry. I overheard your conversation and couldn't help but add my opinion."

The first grunt smiled and laughed softly. "I'll have to battle you someday! But in the meantime, come on in. You'll have to talk to mister Kikyo to get your rooms, though."

"Thanks. I'll see you around, then," Shouichi said cheerily. "C'mon guys." He walked inside, the others soon following him. Once they were decently far from the entrance, Kusakabe turned to Shouichi.

"I can't believe you just did that," he commented, surprised.

"Haha... we just got lucky to have run into a couple of nerds this time around. I speak that language," Shouichi said with a shy smile. "It probably won't happen again."

"I'm impressed, Shouichi," Spanner whispered seriously. "I am impressed."

The redhead in disguise blushed a little. "Thanks. Now let's get going!" The group moved through the halls, each of them keeping a tight watch on any others who passed them. Yamamoto managed to not laugh at any of the silly assassin outfits, his eyes serious as he walked through. It wasn't long before Chrome peered into a room, and her eyes widened.

"Everyone... there's a big computer system in here," she whispered.

"Sweet, something to hack into. I love hacking," Spanner murmured, peering inside as well, before heading in. He stopped dead, however, when he rounded the blind corner to see Hibari Kyoya and Mukuro Rokudo chained vertically to the walls in something reminiscent of a torture dungeon layout. His blue eyes wide with shock, Spanner quickly moved in. "Mukuro, Hibari," he whispered. "Are you guys awake?"

"Hello..." Mukuro's voice was weak, tired, as his mismatched eyes cracked open, the spark of excitement they once held now completely lacking. "Am I about to be tormented again?"

"Master Mukuro!" Chrome cried, running to the older male and throwing her arms around his neck, even as he winced a bit. "You're alive!"

Kusakabe walked over to Hibari and frowned sadly. "Kyo-san..."

"Chrome?" Mukuro grunted. "Then, you all are..."

"Here for you two," Shouichi said. "Spanner, work the computer, try and find some things out. Takeshi, guard the entrance. I'll contact Tsuna." He began to use the communicator. "Tsuna! Hibari and Mukuro were really close to the entrance, perhaps to deceive us. We found them and are trying to free them now!"

("Are they okay?" came the boss's concerned voice.)

"Yeah, I think so," the redhead answered. "At the least, they're alive."

("Thank goodness...")

Chrome had an unusual determination about her. She quickly took each of the cuffs and tried to break them with her bare hands, though that idea was soon abandoned. Creating an illusion of a skeleton key, she focused hard, then looked at Mukuro. "Master, please help my illusion if you can," she whispered, before starting to work at the lock of the cuffs. She worked carefully at it, wriggling the key and doing her best to free her master, soon growing tired. "Th-this isn't working...," she whispered.

"Keep trying, Chrome...," Mukuro whispered. "Please. For me." She bit her lip, then nodded, starting her task again. The cuffs clinked a bit, and then, at long last, the first cuff opened and fell away, leaving Mukuro's sore and bruised wrist to limply fall out of the position it had held for days. "Gh..." The illusionist pulled at his other cuff, soon groaning, "Please, the other..."

Chrome nodded and started work on the other, while Kusakabe searched the room for the actual key. He frowned, then lit up, finding a key at last, and hoping it was the right one. Running back to Hibari, he luckily managed to unlock the first cuff, then gasped as Hibari swung a leg up, kicking him int he stomach. The ex-prefect's eyes snapped open, and he looked around with wild, slitted pupils. "What's going on?" he snarled. "Who are you herbivores? Do you think you can torment me further? Well, you can't! And neither can that horrid, pineapple-headed bastard!"

"K-Kyo-san, it's me!" Kusakabe said. "Please be quiet, sir, we're trying to help you out!"

"... Tetsuya?" Hibari muttered, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah, we're here to help," Shouichi whispered. "So please, just let us get you out of here."

"Don't... need help...," the ex-prefect murmured, eyes narrowing and his fatigue returning once he realized that he wasn't in danger. "And get that stupid pineapple away from me."

"You mean... Mukuro?" Shouichi gave the ravenette a questioning glance. "Your... lover?"

"Don't bother," Mukuro murmured, looking tired as he rubbed his now free wrists. "Kyouya... his memory was altered. All loving memories of me... they're all gone... Erased, by that Andrew Spark bastard."

Hibari glared at him. "He keeps attempting to fool me with sweet talk," he growled. "But I know that damn illusionist's just my prey!"

"Shh, shh," Kusakabe worked the other cuff off of Hibari, then gasped as the skylark quickly limped past him and lunged at Mukuro, fists swinging towards the illusionist. Mukuro quickly ducked away from the hits, then grabbed his lover in his arms, soon picking him up and holding him bridal-style, even though his arms were trembling. "Let's head out, then," he said quietly.

"Let me go! You... you damn...!" Hibari snarled, before his voice cracked and he coughed, burying his head in Mukuro's chest, nuzzling the torn and dirty shirt that had been put on the illusionist. "Ugh..." His fingers clutched weakly at Mukuro's clothes, before he dug his nails into the illusionist's skin scornfully. "I h-hate you..."

"Shh... get some rest, Kyouya," Mukuro whispered. "We're going to get you some food and water soon." His eyes were bloodshot and tired, his lips pulled into a frown. Though he had been wanting the ex-prefect to be his savior in their earlier captive days, with the state the ravenette had been reduced to now, he knew he had to be the one stepping up to the romantic seme position now. The illusionist looked to Shouichi. "Can we get out of here?"

"Y-yeah. Spanner, have you found anything?"

"This computer system's pretty bad," Spanner muttered. "No maps or layouts that I can see. We better just get them out of here. Chrome, can you make more illusions?"

"I... I can try...," she whispered, but Mukuro shook his head.

"No, Chrome. Just do the ones you've been doing. I can handle Kyouya and I. In fact..." He swallowed roughly. "We'll get out on our own. You guys go in deeper. Follow the surveillance cameras, and if you find a basement, check that one out."

"Are you certain?" Kusakabe murmured. "Let me come with you both."

Mukuro looked hesitant at first, but then gave a small nod. He turned to Chrome. "Thank you, Chrome. You're very brave." He smiled at her, and she nearly blushed to her ears.

"T-thank you..."

"I'll see you on the other side," Mukuro rasped. "Break a leg." He disguised himself and Hibari with the Spiaggia uniforms he'd seen so many times, before starting to carry the skylark out of the room, Kusakabe trailing after them.

"Good luck, you guys," Yamamoto murmured, the two groups splitting up.

"Nn..." Hibari shifted in Mukuro's arms, a small wheeze escaping his throat, and the illusionist held him tighter.

"It's okay, Kyouya. We're going to get out of this hell together...," he whispered. The ravenette cracked an eye open in a glare as his only response, and then turned his head away.

The three headed towards the entrance, Kusakabe helping to lead them, soon coming up to the guards from before. "Yoshi? Isn't he like a dinosaur?"

"I think so, but he's got this crazy tongue-"

"Excuse us," Kusakabe said, starting out.

"Oh? Where are you guys headed?" one of the grunts answered. "What's wrong with that guy?"

Mukuro thought for a moment, soon whispering, "He's sick. I'm taking him to the hospital." It was the best he could give.

"What? If he's sick then you just should dispose of him! He'll get all of us sick, too!" the grunt replied, before the other spoke up.

"Do you think he's like... a friend or some crap? You know how Kikyo feels about that!"

Hibari's eyes both snapped open, before he swung a fist up and hit Mukuro hard, soon standing and snarling at the guard, "You asshole! That stupid pineapple isn't my friend! I have no friends!" He grabbed the grunt's collar, soon beating him hard across the face, the other grunt flinching away and stepping back, startled.

"Stop, stop, that's enough!" Kusakabe said, moving to stop Hibari. "Let's just go!"

Hibari slowed his movements, coughed a couple of times, then glared at Kusakabe. "You aren't allowed to order me around...," he growled, raising a fist. But then, Mukuro walked over to the ravenette, then suddenly reached up, pressing his thumbnail harshly into Hibari's hip. The skylark gave a small whimper, his body tensing at this, before he looked at Mukuro with wide eyes. "How... how could..."

"I know your weak points, Kyouya," Mukuro said in a whisper, making sure the other grunt couldn't hear. "I know about your bad hip, about the nerves at this exact spot. You made me promise to never use that point to hurt you, but... I'm afraid I need to break that promise today." He dug his nail in harder, and Hibari clenched his fists, quivering in pain. He remembered... when he was twelve, his father had gotten upset and shoved him, and he'd fallen over, tripping over a chair and landing awkwardly on his side, hitting his hip against the chair's leg. There had been a small fracture that never got looked at, that wasn't even noticed until he was treated for Mukuro breaking him years later. The bones Mukuro had broken were easily healed, but that tiny, tiny little fracture had healed awkwardly, giving him just one weak point. It was such a particular spot that no one ever hit it just right, and no matter how many times he was beaten down, no one had taken notice of that insignificant little Achilles' heel.

So... how did the pineapple bastard know?

"Stop..." The skylark glanced away.

"Calm down, and come with us quickly. Then I won't touch it again," Mukuro said, finally removing his hand and instead taking the ex-prefect's arm, soon pulling him away from the base, even though he knew that Hibari was in pain and would have to limp after him. Though taken aback, Kusakabe followed the two, thankful that no attackers came even after they made it past the two guards.

In the meantime, Takeshi led the other disguised Vongola deeper in, checking rooms, frowning as the progress they'd made began to seem a little insignificant. They couldn't seem to find anyone else at all!

"Oho? And who's this?" came a silky voice from behind the group suddenly. "I heard reports of new grunts arriving, but there's a little issue there. I haven't hired any new grunts. And what's more, there's a rumor floating around about our hostages being moved. The problem there is that I haven't ordered a move. Quite a suspicious coincidence, isn't it?"

The group quickly turned, eyes wide as they saw Kikyo. They were stunned silent for a couple moments, when Yamamoto suddenly stepped forward. "No, sir?" he said, keeping his voice low in an attempt to better disguise his voice even though Chrome was already warping it deep, giving him a voice as deep as Kusakabe's. "Lord Andrew Spark sent..." He trailed off, hearing himself, before bursting into laughter. "Wow, I sound really weird! Sorry, sir- pff- hahahaha!"

The teal-haired male cocked an eyebrow, not sure how to respond given the situation. Slowly, he took his box weapon from his belt. "... You boys aren't Spiaggia, are you?"

Yamamoto grinned. "Nah, we aren't!" He drew his sword then, lunging forward, thrusting the sword repeatedly towards Kikyo, driving the older male backwards. "Shigure Soen Ryu, Stance eleven! Beccata di Rondine!" Running faster, he shouted then, "Stance five, Early Summer Rain!" He dropped the sword into his other hand, slashing the other way, managing only to cut a scrap of cloth from Kikyo's clothing. With his free right hand, he opened his Vongola box weapon, glancing over his shoulder. "I've got this, guys! Go on ahead!"

"You sure, Takeshi?" Spanner asked.

"I'll be fine, just go! Remember, I have a lot to lose! Because of that, I'm gonna win!" the swordsman replied, giving a knowing smile, before turning serious again. "Now go!"

The other group ran off, Shouichi reaching up to start a transmission to Tsuna. "Yamamoto just got into a fight with Kikyo. Tell the others to start, but to not be reckless!"

("Understood.")

Meanwhile...

"I...it's finally done!"

"Ushishishishi... good work, peasant." Belphegor reached over, hugging Soro, the brown-haired male who'd tried to help him before. The two had become friends throughout the crap they'd endured, and after severing a security camera cord, nobody checked on them. How could they possibly escape? The ground was concrete, the doors were locked up so well no one could even get in if they tried.

But even so, the two now stood over a tunnel, one just deep enough to get them down and on their way out. "The concrete did a number on my knives, but... we did it. Ushishishishi."

"Yeah..." The bloodied boy glanced at the security camera that hung lifeless from its severed cord, then turned back to Belphegor. "L-let's get out of here, quickly," he said. The two dropped down into the passageway, landing in a clearing wide enough for both of them to be on their knees. "All right," Soro whispered, before drawing a fist back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before lunging forward, punching the wall of the tunnel, a resonating 'boom' ringing out.

Bel listened, then moved forward, placing his hand against the side of the clearing. "We'll dig this way. Quickly." he took an already-bent knife, and began to dig furiously, Soro working beside him. "We're gonna get out of here, peasant. You just wait. Ushishishishishi~!"

Outside, Byakuran released his Sky Dragon, sending it flying straight into the weakest wall and managing a hole large enough for him to climb into. "All right!" he cheered, soon slipping inside, eyes widening at the person he saw there. Then, a bright smile stretched his lips and he ran forward, picking the other male up in his arms. "Boss!"

"Ugh... you're not... shark trash...," the older male grumbled, cracking open a red eyes and glaring at Byakuran.

"Fufufu! I found you, I found you!" the albino sang. "Oooh, I could get a lot of money if I held you for ransom..."

"And you could also get my knee in your crotch," Xanxus replied, frowning. "Where's Squalo?"

"He's infiltrating on his own. He wanted to be the one to find you, but too~ late!" Byakuran laughed. "Now, just run through the little hole I made. I never would've thought the wall would be so weak!"

"I've been trying to burn them...," Xanxus muttered, standing shakily. "I recently lost the ability to use my Flame of Fury, though, so I couldn't finish the job." He started to limp out of the room, before stopping. "Give me a weapon."

"Here!" Byakuran tossed a Sky-class kestrel box weapon to Xanxus, wished him luck, and then sent his Sky dragon around the room, starting to attack walls.

"No use getting further from here," Xanxus said gruffly as he stepped through the hole Byakuran had made. "You'd be better off attacking from the roof."

"Really?" the albino followed Xanxus. "So they're actually that strong, huh?"

"The Spiaggia were intent on not letting me go. I'm surprised you made it through the weakest in the first place," the boss answered with a sigh.

"Wow~" Byakuran walked out and moved towards a different area, saying, "You can head back to the base. I'll be fine on my own."

"I'm coming with you. I want to see this place taken down, and if not, then I at least want to find Squalo's sorry face and slap it."

"Why's that?"

"He told me he'd infiltrate and save me. Instead he let that Zakuro bastard mess things up. Besides, he kissed that idiot. I'm going to make him mine again."

"Don't you mean 'idjit?'" Byakuran giggled, when the other male hit him. "Uwah~ So mean~! You have a lot of strength for a prisoner."

"There's a vast difference between strength and determination, Byakuran," the boss answered wisely. "Honestly, I'm barely walking right now."

"Hmmm~ Well, I guess I'm kinda the same way for Shouichi," Byakuran giggled.

"Did you both get out?"

"Yeah. Oh! I should tell you the story of how I got from there, to now!" And with that, he began to explain about the battle, and their escape, and how the Vongola came to try and help them, his amethyst eyes bright with excitement the entire time, even while Xanxus could do nothing more than roll his and listen boredly.

"What? They have Xanxus, Mukuro, and Hibari?" Gokudera questioned. "Damn! They've already saved all the cool people! Oh well..." He took out several sticks of dynamite and lighted them, soon throwing them at the Spiaggia wall. When they went off, however, he was shocked to find the ground beneath him crumbling. "The hell?!" He quickly jumped to the side, watching as the ground gave way, settling a good couple meters deeper than it was. "Woah... was there... a tunnel?" he wondered, blinking in surprise, before shaking his head. "No time to wonder! I'll have to try somewhere else, since that did nothing for the wall!" He ran around the building, drawing more dynamite and lighting a box weapon.

"Bel... Bel, are you okay?"

"BEL!"

"Mammon-chan, do you hear that?"

"I do, Luss, it sounds like..." Mammon listened for a moment, before grinning. "Squalo!"

"Quick, hun! We're going to get out of here!" Lussuria squealed, before the two started shouting loudly, trying to catch the shark's attention, before cutting off when Levi shouted for them to stop.

"You fools, they can't hear you up there, remember?" he growled. "We need to do something else to catch his attention!"

"Like what?" Mammon snapped.

Levi shook his head, then closed his eyes, before suddenly forcing Lightning flames from his hand without the use of a ring, making a loud cracking sound as the flames surged through the metal below and traveled upwards. He continued to force them for a good number of seconds, looking pained, his hand singing from the effort.

And then, finally, the door slammed open. "VOOOI! YOU DAMN BABIES, IF XANXUS ISN'T IN HERE WITH YOU I'M GONNA SLICE OFF YOUR HEADS FOR WASTING MY TIME!"

"Squalo!" Mammon and Lussuria said happily, the Sun guardian adding on in a squeal, "I missed your sexiness, Squalo!"

"Shut it!" the shark walked down the stairs, soon using his sword to free them all. "There! Now help me freaking find-"

GROAAAAARRRRR...

The shark's eyes bulged and he stepped back. "The hell was that?"

Lussuria pouted. "It was Mammon-chan's stomach. I didn't think it would be louder than you... but I guess we're really, really hungry."

Squalo promptly facepalmed, Mammon giving an indignant apology, and Levi snickering, before the author ignored Levi and moved on. "All right, babies," Squalo muttered. "I'll get you out of here."

"Yay, Squ~!" Lussuria cheered, when there was a voice from the door.

"Not so fast, bark."

The three glanced up in surprise, seeing a strange boy at the door, a wolf at his side. "The one day I leave my room, and everyone's being attacked, bark. You can't leave, bark. I won't let you, bark. Slaves, bark! Kill them, bark!" A pride of lions stalked one by one into the room, and the Varia all froze up, surprised. "My slaves can hunt even in the pitch black, bark. So it should be an easy win for them, bark." Juniper shut the door, a tiny smirk on his face.

The four Varia were bathed in black, and the sound of angry growls filled the room.

-End Chapter

OH DEAR HIBARIS A LEGITIMATE CLIFFY.

WHATCHA GONNA DO, DEARS? WHATCHA GONNA DO?

XD Lol I had fun writing a bunch of plot in this chappie, but as you can probably tell, there's much more fun to be had. *dark laughter*

Lots of reviews last chapter, helped inspire me a bunch! Thank you everyone! *passes out cookies and roses*

Now...

Review to find out what the HELL I just did! 8D