Katekyo Hitman Reborn

My Fate is Certainly Uncertain

Chapter 11: Socialism

Overall Warnings: Violence, swearing, blood and Oc-ness.

[Written to:T-ara - Why Are You Being Like This]

~o0o~

It became common knowledge, when regarding the state of Dino's father. I got a call from him the week after, at around eleven at night, asking me what I thought of it. I honestly didn't know how to reply to "Oh, My Father's dying and he wants me to step up and have the inheritance ceremony soon".

I hadn't had sick parents, nor anything to inherit, so I didn't know how to go about this sort of thing. Emotions wasn't a specialty of mine. My immediate response was to ask what he thought.

He sighed heavily and in a sleepy voice, replied," I'm not sure if I can."

To which I shouted, "What do you mean you're not sure?!"

My mind didn't even consider the possibility that Dino would back down. I knew from experience that he's a bit frigid when dealing with Reborn, but I thought that he'd do okay as a Mafia boss. My thoughts were wandering around the fact that he was literally born for the job, so why wasn't he keen?

"I just don't think the family needs a leader that is clumsy."

I frowned. "You know, when I first met you, you were complaining about how ready you were."

"I know what I said." He replied, sounding like he was pouting. "But that was months ago! I hadn't realised how scary everything would be!"

"But Reborn spent all of that time training you, for god knows how long? Heck, he probably spent more time with you than I did knowing him!"

"W-What?!"

I t'ched, not meaning to include that last bit. "Ignore all of that, okay? All I'm saying is that nobody asks to join the Mafia willingly without losing. There's no choices here, only the strong, smart, the admired and the followers."

"You don't get it Phillipa, I want the best for them!"

"Then actually think about them, dufus!"

"I am."

"No you're not." I said articulately, holding the receiver of the phone very close to my mouth. It just made my blood boil to hear this. "Yes, you might be hella clumsy and they've probably already noticed like everybody else, but come on Dino. They love you. Think about how they would feel if you bailed out on them after their fucking leader dies! They would be distraught, the-"

"Don't swear at my father." He said bluntly.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that I didn't specifically indicate that. "Sorry."

But it's the truth Dino. I've never seen someone else cherished by so many people at one time.

They really do love you.

"But thanks for giving me a pep talk." He said, a bit of life inking back into his voice. I hoped that he was smiling at least a little because when someone you care about is dying sucks.

My back arched straight and I coughed as Al pounced on a passing spider. "Now, don't you call me back whining, ya hear?! Or else, I'm gonna come over and kick you myself! Plus, if Reborn hears you acting, you're bound to be on the top of his hit list!"

"But I can still call you if I have any more trouble, right?" He asked.

"Heck no."

"Phillipa! You're so mean!"

I rolled my eyes and hung the phone up, thinking that I needed more sleep.

Dino's father died three days after the phone-call, from a stroke.

~o0o~

A week after the very lavish funeral had happened, preparations were in full swing for Dino's inheritance ceremony. Everybody was looking forward to it, putting the sad feelings behind them. Even Reborn was thinking that it would be nice, since one hadn't happened in so long. However, during the time period of the funeral and the day before the inheritance ceremony, Reborn pushed Dino harder than ever, as it was his last chance to whip him into action.

I assumed that Reborn had heard Dino's thoughts of it all, because yet another week had passed when I'd been pulled out from the comfort of my durvet and taken into the wilderness of a mountain range, along with Basil and Dino.

"This weekend, we're camping!" Reborn announced, Leon licking his nostril. I felt quite lonely, since Al wasn't permitted to come. Not that he would have came anyway.

"Yay camping!" I repeated, holding my hands up right in the air.

Basil blinked. "Wow Phillipa-sama, I didn't know you liked to camp!"

"I don't," I said, putting my hands down. "I never went on school trips."

"Never?" Dino questioned.

Reborn shot a bullet in the air, causing the three of us to shut our gabs. "Enough socialising! We're not here to party, we're here for a mission!"

"A mission?" Dino asked, feeling a little alarm bells go off, which by the way I felt too.

"Dino, for you to go on to become the head of the family, you need to man up!" Reborn crossed his arms, his gaze switching constantly. Dino shot a glare my way, to which I instantly put up my hands and shook my head.

"I didn't say anything." I mouthed.

"You need to learn how to lead better."

From under the brim of his fedora, Reborn looked at Basil next, who gulped slightly under his breath. Basil wasn't one to show his fear in front of people, so his face looked tight, as he was clenching his teeth.

"Basil, you too need to man up, but you need to also improve your defensive strategies. Iemitsu has kindly asked me to take you on this weekend and I accepted. You should do some good to prove his pride right. He thinks well of you."

Basil's thin lips smiled gleefully, his eyes scrunching up at the sides like a finished candy wrapper that a boy tosses into the street after his mother gave it to him to shut up. It wasn't uncommon for me see smiles like this from him, but his thoughts were different. He pondered through his own memories, ones that I won't go into too much detail. The main mood from him was the underlying sense of gratitude.

It was a kind that spread quickly like the warmth of a hot water bottle. A kind that I wish I could feel right now.

"And what about Phillipa?" Dino asked, pointing at me.

"She needs to figure out what to learn." Reborn said, without giving away any secrets. No answers, nothing. I felt really peeved. Not to mention that I didn't have breakfast, I didn't get a full explanation either to why it was compulsory to leave Al at home. I felt like an amputee. "And don't cuss at me. You're going to have to work together to get out of this one."

Dino's eyed bulged, thinking that I really am a lunatic when, I swear to God or the god of strawberry milkshakes, Reborn disappeared.

He disappeared leaving the three of us in the wilderness alone.

Alone.

Basil looked around, alarmed. "Where did Reborn-sama go?"

"I knew it." Dino slapped his forehead, groaning inwardly. "I knew he was going to do something like that. Why this week of all weeks?"

"Because it's your last week as a free man before you're chained up." I replied coolly, adjusting the straps on my backpack. We all had one each, with the things we packed into them fitting snuggly. They weren't much.

Dino sighed at my comment. "Gee, thanks."

"Well, if we're going to be in the wilderness for the night, we better find water and shelter." Basil paused, a finger on his bottom lip. "What are we going to eat…?"

"Come 'n then." I said, walking downhill.

"Why are you going that way?! From the helicopter, I saw the path in the other direction!"

"Yeah, along with a valley and several feral animals. Dino, you ain't gonna get over all of those trees and bushes in time for the ceremony. It's better to head downhill, as water will flow that way." I turned by back and kept walking.

Soon, they too followed without much qualms.

~o0o~

After tramping through bushes and uneven terrain, we eventually found a small stream that Dino could dip his canteen into. The months had turned into autumn, so the night was creeping up fast. The boys had taken off their packs and dumped them on the ground. Big sweatmarks were on all of us-around our armpits and necklines. Heck, I'd put on deodorant this morning, but after today, I think I would need something stronger.

I didn't expect it, but Basil was probably the tiredest out of us all. I'd gotten the stabbing sort of thought that he knew that his endurance wasn't the best. Through the months I'd trained with him, he focused heavily on his offensive attacks. Only recently had he started using the Dying Will pills. I tried them too once, but they tasted too bitter for me and made my chest feel tight.

He sat down by the brook and dipped a hand in and splashed water in his face. His breathing was slowly shifting into a peaceful pace. Dino opened his pack, smiling slightly at the sight of canned food like tomatoes and pears. (A weird combination.)

"That can wait." I said, opening Basil's pack. Inside were camping materials that Basil and I could easily put up. I put Dino in charge of getting some food ready, so at least we could get something in our stomachs and then decide which way to go next. We would need a source of fire, and a shelter in case it rained overnight. We'd also need to find a way off of the mountain, to get to Dino's shindig on time.

"Connect this pole here…."

"Ah!" I clicked them together, to form the top of the tent. "Coolio!"

"...Phillipa….."

I looked over my shoulder at Dino, who sat away with his back to us. I heard clanking sounds and when shuffled over, he hid his embarrassed face and thrusted the can and can opener into my hands.

"Show me!"

My eyebrow raised by itself. "What?"

"Show me how to open it!"

Blue eyes blinked. "Dino, do you not know how to open a can?"

He face blushed beet red and he shook his head furiously, his fringe covering his eyes. "W-What? No! I didn't need to k-know how to open a can before!"

"So you've never cooked? At all?"

"...no.."

"Not even toast?"

Hey, I mean, toast you can't exactly fuck up easily.

"I've never needed to cook my own meals. " He bashfully replied with honesty.

"Here, you put your hand on the handle like this and then put the opener on the outside of the can. Then," I twisted the handle. "Ta-da, you've got an open can with food that'll last for months. Easy-peasy." I handed the stuff back to him. "Should be simple now that you've seen it."

"Yeah…" Dino replied, his eyes flickering. "Should be…"

~o0o~

I huddled by the small campfire that Dino managed to make out of small twigs, leaves and ripped bits of a book that he had brought with him and was internally complaining about. It had been one he really liked. My mood had dropped completely to the point where I just decided to grunt at everything. Screw words.

Basil laid out on his back, his twisted ankle sitting near the fire. Earlier, we were attacked by a couple of wolves when I was off foraging for fruits and berries. He'd tried to run but ended up tripping up on a tree root. Dino had pulled him up a tree while the wolves tore up the campsite. They demolished the food and destroyed the tent. Plus, on top of that, I hadn't found anything. We had to locate to another area and start from scratch.

My legs were tucked up and hands around them. I gave Basil my blanket and he snored quietly under it, oblivious to anything else. Dino sat on the other side on the campfire, also huddled into a ball. Thankfully, it hadn't rained yet and I could see some stars clearly, but that only meant that we were in for a cold night.

Stupid Reborn...Stupid camp...Why did Reborn make me come along anyway when the inheritance ceremony will happen soon? It's bad enough Dad's gone...when all I wanted say to he- Phillipa's looking at me. Why is she looking at me?

Her face is like Reborns...C-Crap!

"W-What's up?" He asked, his brown doe eyes fluttering. The light of the fire highlighted his hair, the shadows obviously flickering off the trees.

I shook my head, my hair still sopping wet. "N-Nothing. Are you cold?"

"Aren't you?" He asked back cheekily, smiling. I found myself smiling as well, too tired to counter back. My limbs were sore and an argument against Dino would prove to be as useful as soggy mashed potatoes.

"Nah."

Dino looked at me with one eyebrows raised and thought liar.

I nodded, and not thinking clearly, I responded. "I am and I get it Dino, you're upset. You don't want this life and I don't want this life either." I closed my heavy eyelids and rolled onto my side. "Life sucks."

"What?" He blinked rapidly, looking up from the flames. "Did you just read my mind?"

"I what?" I paused. "Ah crap…...stupid tiredness…"

"You can read minds?"

"Well yeah." I said, opening one eye. "I don't get it, why is it so surprising? I mean, Reborn reads minds and I'm his spawn, so technically, following a line of genetics, I should too. And I do."

"You read minds and didn't tell me?"

"What's to tell? I do things I can't explain. Things that I don't want to explain." I re-closed my eyes and rolled over. "G'night blondie. See ya in the morning."

He sighed and just as my mind was fading out, I heard him thinking again, and how Basil's mixed in with his, creating a soup like muddle that I couldn't be bothered to work out.

Teehee.

He called me a weirdo.

~o0o~

Miia...

I shot up out of my slumber. I'd been dreaming of warm soup and rabbits when that voice woke me up.

Mia...

It wasn't a male's, and certainly, it wasn't one I knew.

However, during the next few seconds, I heard more voices coming to where we slept. Dino and Basil were still completely out of it. Dino had dark bags under his eyes, and it gave me the impression that he'd stayed up for way longer than I did.

I got up immediately and covered them both with my shield, like a dome. Then, I scanned the area. We were still relatively surrounded by trees, but there were less bushes and more tussock grasses that were soft to sleep on.

I didn't stray too far from the campsite, as I didn't want to lose myself in the forest. My shoes were soaking wet from having to run through the creek yesterday. I slipped between the trunks and made my way towards the voices, creeping closer to where I'd heard them first.

I then spotted moving shadows. It had turned out to be a slightly sunny day, so they were somewhat visible between the streams of sunlight and the shadows of the foliage. Instead of breathing through my nose, I quietly breathed through my open mouth. As soon as I got near the stalking men, I jumped on one of them and tackled him onto the ground.

My back straightened and got up off of the man, who was now unconscious. "R-Romario?"

"Ms Marsh!" He called, encasing me with a big hug. It startled me at first, his abrupt kindness, but I then patted his back lightly and smiled.

"Holy sh….."

"Ms, do you know where the Boss is?" He asked, and then he frowned. "Where are the kidnappers?"

They're already calling him Boss, huh?

"Wait, kidnappers?" I repeated. "There aren't any."

"What? But Master Reborn said….."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course….only he would have the balls to d-"

A shriek came from within the foliage, and without another second, Romario sprinted into the direction that I came from. I followed and soon enough, I found myself back in the clearing where I'd left the boys alone. I heard Dino's panicking voice, and immediately swore at myself.

"What do we do?" Romario asked, in an urgent voice. "What is that thing?!"

"So-ree."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry!" I repeated, taking down the shield. "Sorry Dino! I thought the wolves might have returned!"

"This is your doing?!" He yelled questionly, and Basil stirred, his face flinching as he tried to move his ankle.

"There's no reason for you to yell at me!"

"You're yelling too!"

"Enough you two." Romario yelled, joining the gabble too, claiming silence on us all. We both stared at the bulky man, and I got the feeling that I shouldn't say anything further. However, Dino didn't get that post-it-note and decided to keep on talking. Not about anything rude, but just talking about anything and everything.

Eventually I got tired of hearing him complain. I checked Basil's foot and picked him up, carrying on my back. He gripped my shirt quite tightly and was still half asleep. As Dino was mobbed by his men, checking to see if their beloved new Boss was okay, I walked away, escorted I should note, to wherever Dino's men came from.

I got home, back to CEDEF headquarters two and a half, maybe even three hours later, almost in time for lunch. Not that I had any. I was too tired to eat, so I went to bed, while Basil went to check on some of the company's other operatives.

Al was already sleeping on the pillow when I came in. I took a shower and climbed under the light duvet sheets and put my head next his body, finally sighing loudly.

" 'Ello stranger." He said in a southern accent. "Haven't seen you in ages." He looked at my face. "You look terrible."

"I feel crap."

"Is it that time of the month?"

My nose snorted. "It might have been the fact that I slept on dirt last night."

"Not cool?"

"Not at all."

Al's head turned to the wardrobe on the other side of the room, to where I had put the dress that I would be wearing to the ceremony in a day's time. Basil had a similar wardrobe on his side of the room as well. I hadn't expected myself to get invited to something as high-class as this, so when Reborn had asked me to be his plus one, I said I'd think about it. This was four days after Dino's father's funeral. After I'd decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for me to have some off time, I found in my room a dress that had been delivered by airmail that fitted me perfectly.

Which I was concerned, on how Reborn knew my measurements.

"You're wearing that?"

"It's not like I have any choice, dufus."

He laid his head back down and closed his yellow eyes. His tail flicked every once in awhile and all I could hear was the both of us breathing, our voices and thoughts. "It's a bit vintage for your taste."

I shrugged. "I'm more concerned about the heels I have to wear. I have a feeling I'm either gonna get blisters or fall flat on my face."

I heard him chuckle.

"At least you won't be unarmed."

~o0o~

Oh my!

Forgive me guys for being harsh on Dino, Old Sports! D:

Anywho, here's another chapter down. I hope you like it, and I'm thinking it'll be an intermission of a sorts. Soon, the main plotline will come in a couple of chapters, I think. *Plans are awesome to have, very hard to write into words*

Chapter Ten, I am proud to say has reached 61 reviews, 51 favourites, 72 follows and 3 communities. I think you all know how grateful I am for you taking the time to read my story, so thank you. I'm so happy you've decide to not do cough-homework-cough, like me, and instead read a story from my never sleeping imagination. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Replies:

GreenDrkness: Yes yes, very sneaky. A girl after my own heart! I can say she won't go back from him. :( *Sad face*

Viper's girl: *Jessie's girl playing in my mind as soon as I read your name* I know, right. No time for yourself when all you want to do is blob out. I never thought I'd hear Al as cute, but it's a compliment either way and I'm sure he'd love that. (Al: Ohohoh~ A fangirl, I see… :{) )

Angelic Fluffle: I love him too! He's my fave next to Leon and Reborn!

Alrighty guys! I'll keep powering on and I'll see ya when I see ya!

-Verdigurl!