A Royal Capture
Chapter Thirteen
A loud crash from outside his room alerted Fran to a battle. He'd listened to the sounds from farther in the base, but he hadn't bee able to do a single thing about them, locked away, back in his illusionary handcuffs.
It was interesting to know what Hell was like.
It was a place with soft white walls, not harsh, but a sort of pleasant off-white. They kind of looked like a buttery, creamy, toasted marshmallow type color, with absolutely no texture at all. Smooth as glass, no bumps... and the floor was the same way. It was all boring, not a single thing could break the motony. Not a giggle. Not a wound. Not a single movement could disrupt the off-white silence.
Such soothing off white silence. Hell was a comfy place. A boring place, where nothing ever changed.
Except for such a loud noise, right outside. It reminded Fran that there was an outside. Though Hell had been his everything for four solid months, he could now recall that it wasn't everything for everyone. Why... it didn't have to be everything for him, either. If he really wanted to, that outside could become his everything again, and he could forget all about this room.
This accursed, boring, comfy off-white room.
Fran got to his feet, and walked gingerly over to the door in the room, the one that remained bolted shut without a handle, which he couldn't do anything about considering his powers were suppressed. Though weak, his voice cracked and currently mute, Fran imagined there had to be some way for him to get out of here.
Some way to turn Hell's only entrance into its only exit.
Squirming in his cuffs, the illusionist waited for silence. He could vaguely make out Torikabuto's commanding, echoing voice, accompanied by the shouts of some Vongola that Fran remembered he'd met, but not known well. With a soft sigh, the illusionist leaned against the door. If everyone would just shut up... just for a second...
Then, at last, there was his lull. Fran stepped away from the door, then threw himself into it with as much power as he could manage, a resounding 'boom' following his actions.
He waited.
Gokudera was kneeling on the ground, eyes locked on Torikabuto when the faint bang reached his ears. His eyes snapped to the door beside Torikabuto's, and he frowned. That was undoubtedly a plea for help, but whose was it?
"Don't let yourself be distracted." The room started to morph into a different hallway, the doors misplaced now - there seemed to be one everywhere where the captive's wasn't. Gokudera shook his head quickly, and closed his eyes, before getting up and running for where he knew the door was. He managed to break the illusion, but he knew Torikabuto would retaliate quickly, so he grabbed each lock and started to undo them, resting at a password imput device. With a frown, he started to enter codes, when a broken voice came through the door, barely above a whisper across a long hallway. "Twenty six... twenty six..."
Gokudera quickly punched in the two numbers, and threw the door open just before Torikabuto hit him hard in the back with real illusion techniques. The bomber stumbled forward, eyes wide as he fell on top of Fran, before he yelped, the door slamming shut behind him. "No... NO!" Gokudera got to his feet, slamming his fists against the door, only able to listen as it was locked again. "You cowards! Fight me!" Gokudera shouted, but even he knew it was useless. With an angry snarl, he sank down to his knees. "Dammit..." He reached up, turning on his communicator. "Tenth. Tenth, can you hear me? I just got locked in with Fran."
("What?!")
"Locked behind a door, the one they're keeping Fran in. I don't know the room number, but it's a couple down from one of my bombings. Can you and Reborn head this way, Tenth? I don't want that stupid Non and Torikabuto to get away with this!"
("Of course! Now, you focus on protecting Fran.")
"Yes, sir." Gokudera broke off the communication and looked to Fran. The illusionist was sitting on the ground, looking up at him with big eyes, completely silent. "What, no 'thank you?' I'm here to save your life, 'Froggy.'"
Fran twitched. This man couldn't call him that. It didn't sound right coming from his lips. "My name is Fran."
"Whatever," Gokudera huffed, leaning against the back of the wall. "The point is, you're being pretty ungrateful."
"... Who are you, again?" Fran asked, frowning.
"Who am I?" the bomber snorted and turned away. "Sucks to be you, huh? Gokudera Hayato, the Storm guardian of the Vongola. Remember it, idiot!"
Fran sighed and looked down. Of course he hadn't remembered such a trivial little piece of information. All he knew from before Hell was his relationship with an insane prince named Belphegor. He remembered being hopelessly in love, he remembered being constantly looked down on, being stabbed in the side. After all, scars stuck around much longer than caresses.
And even if he wanted to go back to that aspect of outside, the insane prince wouldn't want him back. As Bluebell had shared with him, the prince had someone else. Some guy named... Soro? Without a doubt, the prince didn't want him any more.
So maybe, just maybe, even on the outside, it was the same.
A cruel, accused, monotonous, boring, off-white Hell.
Byakuran and Yamamoto were running, and they were running fast.
For a couple of wounded men who'd just defeated two Spiaggia, it was an impressive sight. Yamamoto's swallow and dog box weapons, Kojirou and Jirou, led and followed them in order to help fend off grunts that got in their way, while the Sky Dragon flanked them, protecting them from any attacks to their sides.
The two ran nearly hip-to-hip, each trained up to this speed throughout the years. It was, in a sense, a queer sight. After all, these two had once been on opposite sides, and yet all the same, they were the most agreeable, personality-wise, of the Vongola and the disbanded Millefiore.
Byakuran took notice of a flight of stairs ahead, and glanced to Yamamoto. "Let's head down there. They might be down there."
'They' as in the group led by Chrome. The small group could be anywhere, but weren't answering their communicators, which meant they might very well be in danger. And if this base had multiple floors, then checking the next one down was simply common sense. And so, the two made it to the flight, and leapt simultaneously, hitting the ground with two consecutive solid 'thuds.' They turned and started down the next hall, never missing a beat, Byakuran's wings bursting from his back in a display of power as he sensed people nearby. However, all graceful movement came to a screeching halt as the crumpled, beaten body of Irie Shouichi came into view.
"Shou-chan!" Byakuran gasped, slowing and soon sliding to his knees, scooping the redhead up into his arms. "Shou-chan, are you okay?"
"Y...Byakuran... Byakuran...?" Shouichi whispered, placing a bloody hand against Byakuran's cheek. "Oh, Byakuran, you're okay... Be careful...," he whispered. "Byakuran, we got found out. Chrome and Spanner ran, but they'll find them... the three strongest Spiaggia guardians..."
The albino's eyes narrowed. "For hurting you, I'm going to kick their sorry asses," he growled, standing up straight.
"Ahaha, all right, another fight~!" Yamamoto said, weilding his three small swords alongside his one long this time. "Where are they?"
"Try a little further down the hall," Shouichi whispered. "I'll be fine, just go help the others."
"I'll be back for you, Shou-chan," Byakuran growled, before running off in the indicated direction, frowning as he realized that the place might already be warped with illusions from that crazy blond kid with the red boa. He didn't want to be ambushed like last time. "Wait, Takeshi," he muttered to the Rain guardian. "We should be careful. Their illusionist might be nearby."
"True... I remember the last time I missed an illusion, and... I ran face-first into a steel wall. It hurt," Yamamoto managed to say with a straight face, his eyes narrowed and skeptical.
"... I bet," Byakuran commented, glancing at him, before starting to walk forward at a cautious pace. "It doesn't feel right. These halls are too silent. If there's a fight ahead, why is there no yelling?"
"Do you think that Shouichi was an illusion?" Yamamoto asked.
"No, I'd be able to tell that much," growled the former Millefiore. "That was definitely my Shou-chan. But something's still strange." He turned towards another hall. "Sky Dragon. Go check that out," he ordered, sending his Box Weapon forward. The Dragon moved forward for a while, but soon vanished entirely, showing that the hallways were cloaked with illusions masking everything. "As I thought. A cloaking illusion. Disperse!" Byakuran said, wings flapping, sending a strong wave of Sky flames out that harmonized the powerful box weapon masking the building of irregularities. A Mist-class magpie which had been turned to stone fell to the ground, frozen in mid-flight.
"Hoohoohoo~! Looks like my poor little Sei has been found out!" came the venomously sweet voice of the Mist guardian Kei as he was revealed before the two. "Pity, I thought we could play hide-and-seek a little bit longer. I suppose not~! We'll just have to start this little game riiight here~!"
Byakuran frowned deeply. "Are you the one who touched Shou-chan?" he began to ask, when he found himself headbutted from behind, sending him stumbling to his knees.
"Byakuran!" Takeshi gasped, turning to see two Storm-class goats. "Looks like we found the gold mine of Spiaggia," the swordsman mumbled as he turned his gaze on the laughing long-haired woman standing beside the younger male with a shaved head and piercings.
"We've all been formally introduced to that traitor," she hummed. "But not to you. I'm Eve, the Spiaggia Lightning. Crumble under the power of poisonous electricity."
"And I'm Urn, the Storm Guardian. You'll soon be destroyed by the red-hot flames of Hell," the male added solemnly.
Yamamoto's eyes widened. "Wow, cool! You guys have your own catchphrases and everything!" he laughed, before turning to Kei. "Do you have one, too?"
"Yes, it has something to do with quicksand," Kei hummed, considering the idea, before shaking his head. "Oh, forget that! Eve, Urn, handle the idiot Vongola. Byakuran's all mine!"
"Is not!" Eve snapped. "I want to fight him!"
"Well, too bad!" the Mist answered, sticking out his tongue at her.
"I don't think this is the best time to argue," Urn muttered, before gasping as Kei lunged forward, a dagger in one hand which he soon stabbed into the Storm's side. "HEY! You damn- Devil Goats, get him!"
The twin box weapons ran forward, headbutting Kei, when Eve joined the fray, her platypus box weapon clawing at the other two with venomous spurs.
Byakuran's eyes widened as he watched. There wasn't a scrap of loyalty among the Spiaggia. No friendship... no companionship. Just enemies working towards a goal. And that was why the Vongola could not afford to lose this battle.
Sending the Sky Dragon forward, Byakuran attacked Eve first, drawing her attention away from the quarreling boys. "Hey. I thought you wanted me to be your opponent," he said with a smile.
Takeshi gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I can handle the other two!" he said happily, soon running after them with his four swords drawn.
If anything, the battle was not one-sided. It was love vs. hate, companions vs. rivals. Opposite sides of equal power, fighting for dominance.
Byakuran found himself scratched by one of the poisonous spurs of the platypus box weapon, the hard factor doubling his pain in that the cut was agonizingly deep. The Sky hissed and gripped his arm, stumbling away from the weapon, his Sky Dragon reigning another attack on Eve, finally sending her down. Byakuran held shaky hands out as her box weapon gave one more attack, clapping his hands together and hissing out the words 'white applause' the moment it caught into range, dispersing it into flames with some difficulty. Falling to his knees shortly after, the winged man gripped his arm, raggedly breathing as he felt the venom spreading.
"Byakuran!" Takeshi murmured as he glanced over to find the other male on the ground. With newly found determination, he slashed his sword forward, the blade cutting across Kei's stomach, only to have him disappear and an illusion appear behind Yamamoto, the blond male lunging forward with intentions of embedding his dagger in the swordsman's skin. But Yamamoto knew a trick for that from a battle long ago, and swung his arm backwards, his own blade pressed against Kei's nose once the two came close. Turning, the Vongola lunged forward, his sword cutting deeply into Kei's shoulder, this time landing it on the real one.
"Agh! Urn! Protect me, you bastard!" Kei snarled.
"Much rather see you dead than alive...," Urn growled, stalking behind Yamamoto, his goats helping to surround the Rain guardian. "Kei, I wouldn't help you if there wasn't any gain for me."
Yamamoto gave a sudden laugh. "You guys have really bad strategy!" he announced. "Jirou!"
The dog barked, then moved forward in an attack that Yamamoto had previously used in cooperation with Uri, aptly named Cani e Gatti Piove. In the normal attack, the two animals would use each other's flames in a powerful maneuver, Jirou coming from below and Uri riding out the Rain flames before sending forth Storm flames from above, the Rain tranquilizing the target quickly to begin with and leaving them vulnerable to Uri's oncoming Storm. But this time, there was no downpour to wreak havoc on his weakened targets. Except...
"Hey, you two~!" Yamamoto called to the goats, grinning at them. "Betcha can't get me!" He waved around his sword teasingly, the goats glaring at him and pawing at the ground, ready to charge. As Jirou darted between Kei's legs and made way towards Urn, Yamamoto ran as well, slipping around the Storm guardian just as the twin goats charged forward and leapt. One piled on top of Jirou, and jumped a second time, powerful, Storm-flamed horns steeled for the killing blow. Jirou slid around Urn just in time, slowing him, the Spiaggia Storm guardian only able to attempt escape until his own Box Weapon's powerful horns collided with his head, knocking him fully unconscious as well as weakening him beyond fighting capability.
Victorious as the two goats returned to their box without an able master, Yamamoto gave his victory laugh ("Ahaha, ironic that you would be taken down by your own weapon after being so mean to your teammate!") and moved to Byakuran's side. "Hey, you all right?" he asked softly.
"Yeah... yeah, I'll be fine," Byakuran whispered, holding his arm still. "Just gotta walk it off. And we need to... find the others."
The Rain nodded, looking over at Eve, pinned down still by the Sky Dragon. "Hey! Where are our buddies? Do you know?"
Eve glared at him. "If I did know, I wouldn't tell you," she hissed, when a small voice from near the two spoke up. It was Kei, bludgeoned shoulder and all.
"Ran off, the both of them. We tend to hunt like lions. We just picked off the weakest one." He gave a thin, shaky smile.
"Meaning Shouichi," Byakuran growled, unamused. "All right, Takeshi. Let's head back. We'll get Shouichi to a safe place."
"Roger that!" Yamamoto chuckled, saluting, and the two started back towards Shouichi.
Meanwhile...
Andrew Spark stood outside his base, his main weapons at his belt. The Black Dragon, Storm Liger v.2, the Sky Lion B-class, the Sky Alicorn, he had it all. The greatest attacks of all time, and their stronger counterparts, were all with him. Now that he knew the Vongola himself had entered the base, he knew it was time to seek out number one and destroy him. That would, after all, make Spark the strongest by default.
Let the hunt begin, Vongola famiglia.
-End Chapter
*insert long, painful groan here* So I've survived a war of my own, with finals, school drama, and worst of all, a BUSTED LAPTOP. *insert background scream here* That's right, my dear old netbook, which has been there for much of my writing career, has gone kaput. The screen connection broke off, and part of the screen is now permanently damaged. D: You'll be missed, Toshi.
Luckily, I do have another laptop... but it doesn't read SD cards. So here's the story of how I managed to fix that issue. Instead of have everyone wait for me to get an SD card reader, I went and explored the depths of the damaged Toshiba, and posted this document on to the document manager, only half of the chapter done. And then I went on my newer laptop, and I finished the chapter online. Smart, right? :'3
SO! Enough of storytime!
Review for the final battle(s)!
(So sorry about the mistake the first time around! *sob*)