Chapter 57:

To Steal It

Warning: This chapter changes time and POV a lot, sorry.

"What weapon would you give him anyway?" asks Bermuda. He wondered whether a fight was going to start up over this. It was clear that most of them believed their way of fighting was clearly superior to all of the others.

"He doesn't need a weapon, only enough martial arts to defend himself."

"Che, he obviously should use a hand gun."

"He should be trained the COMSUBIN way. He'd be prepared for more than just a silly handgun then."

"If he wants something really unique then he should fight with science. Chemical warfare is quite big these days."

"I don't think Tsunayoshi needs a weapon since he will always have people around him who will protect him."

"Gloves," Whispers Tsunayoshi. He had been watching the argument, head turning to keep track almost like a tennis match across the table. "and Fire." He's not quite sure where that comes from, but he feels like that's the right choice. The others look between themselves and wonder if Tsunayoshi actually meant fire orFlame. They had kept him away from the Flames of Vongola and Shimon, however Tsunayoshi had been introduced to them by Bermuda. Not that Bermuda had ever told Tsunayoshi they were Flames, but transportation and moving chains didn't happen on their own, both required Flame Control to use them.

"I'm sorry Juudaime, please forgive me!" shouts Storm, in his usual bowing position, yet with one added change. His head had been helped to the floor by an immaculate shoe. One belonging to the scariest 12 year old he knew. "But… I don't regret it Juudaime." At this remark, the foot elevated and Storm has the chance to lift his head and stare directly into his Boss's eyes.

Of course his body posture stayed low, admitting submission to the man before him, but just this once, his eyes reflected the Storm others see, eyes he rarely turned on his most important person.

"I'd do it again if I had to. If he is our only hope at keeping everyone alive and safe… at keeping you safe and happy, then I'd do it every time. I know what consequences my actions may have, I'm not like the others. I am the Storm of Vongola, the Wind of Time, and I know how to affect what I touch lightly."

"I'll decide that Storm," says Sky. With technology now advanced enough to mess with Time and Space, their role as part of the Tri-ni-sette was even more important than for any other generation. Before Yuni had returned to the future, he had been drilled endlessly in the consequences of the balance not being protected. And with no Mare helping to keep the balance, the job was harder than ever before. "Explain from the start." Just as Storm takes in a deep breath Sky adds, "Simply. I don't have the time to try and understand your theories."

Storm lets go of the whiteboard he was about to bring out and hid his glasses back into his blazer pocket. "From the beginning. Well, I got the idea of looking after him when you came in flustered the other day. I didn't want you to worry." Sky rolls his eyes at this but still gives Storm a smile, he really couldn't ask for a better friend. " Finding Chibi was easy since we've got the Transdimensional Time Tracker on him so we're always transported to his location, but you already know that. So I just activated the machine and stepped through." Storm continued to explain the trips he had taken to watch over Chibi, with Sky's face growing darker by the second.

"I don't think this counts as lightly, more like a fully blown storm." Sky says, propping his chin on his hand, whilst giving a sharp look to the man on the floor. Storm had disobeyed his orders, which was something that didn't happen often.

"Not true Juudaime. The Arcobaleno would have gotten to him anyway, I just kept him in good condition. If you want to talk about major changes then look at your tuto-"

Storm's head once more harshly meets the floor as the shoe made itself known. Again.

"Reborn, what did you do?" Sky sighs. He could feel a headache coming on already.

The pre-teen smirks. "What, me? I did nothing. All I did was shoot one bullet. I didn't even hurt anyone."

But why did Sky think that one bullet did more damage than that?

"Grr, if my time limit wasn't used up, I'd go there myself." Both Storm and the Ex-Sun Arcobaleno make a move to restrain their Sky. But he puts his hands up in a defensive gesture. "BUT I'm not going to. I need to sit and puppy watch."

Storm pales, he didn't like that tone. "Me, Juudaime?" Puppy used to be a nickname but it didn't sound like that now. Storm couldn't even remember who had started that particular trend, but Juudaime was the only one he'd allow to call him that without biting their head off.

"Yes you. You're coming with me right now to get tested. If I find you've gone over the limit, well Primo help me, I won't be happy."

Storm gulped. "Yes Juudaime."

Earlier:

Reborn had woken up from his nap and realised that their headquarters were quiet… too quiet. So he goes and investigates, trying out his new cosplay of a bookcase. A search of the house revealed that everyone was where they were supposed to be… bar one. By some amazing feat, Storm wasn't with Sky. Just as he's walking back to his room to check the security cameras, he runs into the missing man, looking both smug and worried at the same time- admittedly a look that only Storm could pull off well.

Reborn watches as the man passed, not noticing him due to his disguise, and decides he'd find out what the problem was later. Sky needed some 'motivation' to go on this next mission. But when he comes out of that meeting, he can't find the man again. Now that was strange. Usually Reborn could find anyone. Often loud shouts lead people straight to Storm. 10 minutes later, he finds Storm once again, with a determined gleam in his eyes and a dirty smudge on his head, coming out of the space/time thing's room. That was suspicious.

So when Storm not only runs into Dinner late, but apologises and says he's not going to stay before running straight back out of the room, Reborn knows that something is wrong.

Storm decided that he could get in one more visit to Chibi and be back before Dinner. But when he arrives in the Alternate Dimension, it's to find Chibi shouting and straining against his chains

"Is that you again?" says Chibi, panting slightly as he caught his breath from shouting. "You've got to help me! They want to kill the Arcobaleno. I've got to get out there and save them!"

He sounded like the Juudaime he knew. Determined to protect everyone around him.

"There's no way for you to fight back." Storm says, trying to console the child.

"No, I know I can do something! That Fire, I can use that! Please, you've got to let me do something!" he pleads. Storm didn't want to flick his lighter on, he didn't want to see the expression on Chibi's face.

"You shouldn't know about Flames yet." Storm says, "The Arcobaleno haven't taught you anything." According to reports that was.

But Chibi wouldn't give up. And Storm couldn't really say no to any form of his Boss. So eventually, Storm gave up.

"You don't have an outlet for your Flames, so you can't take full control over them. But the key is Resolve. If you are Deathperate enough, resolved enough to die for the cause, to save the Arcobaleno with your Dying Will, then you might be able to utilise the most basic form of Flames." Storm says after finally flicking his lighter on. He needed to look into Chibi's eyes and check that the boy was really resolved enough to do this.

"Dying… Will? Reborn goes on about that. Do it with your Dying Will, right?" Storm nods, seems that Dying Will was important to Reborn of any world. Chibi looks down and really thinks about what's going on. He looks back up and Storm swears that Chibi's eyes almost go Orange. Nah, surely that was just his lighter flame reflecting.

"I can do it." He announces.

Storm smiles and ruffles Chibi's hair. "That's the way. Family comes first right."

The door rattles and the pair look towards it. At the same time Storm's watch beeps, telling him that he's about to get pulled back. But just as he's leaving, he hears the door being opened. Chibi starts to shout something, but gets cut off as a man smacks his neck and forces the boy unconscious…

…Something cold and sharp was laid against his neck at the same time that a loud bong of a bell resounded, so Tsunayoshi snapped his eyes open in shock. However when he did open his eyes, he found he was face to face with a phantom white mask that was covered in blood. The sight had shocked the boy into screaming the loudest he had ever screamed before. Even an annoyed, coffee-less Reborn wasn't that scary.

He gasps, catching his breath around the tears that were falling. That was scary, even worse than Halloween!

The man in the mask infront of him, the one who was the leader, laughs at Tsunayoshi, before replacing the knife back on the boy's throat. "So brat, this is your last chance. Tell us what we want to know or else you'll be joining the fake Arco Iris in Hell."

I am not going to let him kill the Arcobaleno. They are not going to disappear from my life!

"No. I'm not going to tell you anything. The Arcobaleno are super super strong. Meanies like you won't be able to beat them!" He shouts in reply, glaring at the man infront of him. That mask still scared him though. Was that real blood? Human blood?

The man gets angry and violently grabs Tsunayoshi's throat, squeezing tightly. "I don't think you know who you're talking to. We are the real deal! Those fakers just get their name through fear and hype. They do not deserve their title!"

No one worked harder than the Arcobaleno. I don't believe him. He's just jealous. I won't let him kill them!

"They are supposed to be the Strongest in the Italian Mafia, so if we kill them, then we'll prove that we are people who should be taken seriously. Those Italians have forgotten the reason behind the Mafia. We're going to bring them back in line!" The man snarls in his face. Tsunayoshi struggles against the man's hand at his throat. There was a pressure point to hit around here somewhere. If only his vision stopped swimming he'd be able to see.

Deathperation. I might die here today. The Arcobaleno have done so much for me. I've got to do something in return!

"What happened to stealing for a better life? What happened being Brothers stronger than Blood? Those Italians are so high and mighty that they commit crimes just for the fun of it. Organised crime became organised to benefit everyone involved for the greater good. Organised crime is a way to fight the unfairness of class systems, the unfairness of the rich poor divide. Yet these Italian Bosses are some of the richest men in the world. It's just not FAIR!"

Whatever his reasons, his problem isn't with the Arcobaleno! They have nothing to do with how Bosses run their Families. Don't talk about fairness when you yourself are being unfair!

Tsunayoshi could feel it, feel something stirring inside of him, boiling his blood. But that was it, it was just a feeling. Nothing changed like in those pictures he'd started to see recently. His forehead was hot but not burning. He still feared dying. It meant he'd never see the Arcobaleno again. He didn't want to die.

Reborn watched on in silence. The Chibi was just as easy to read as his Dame-Student was. It was impressive how close to using a Dying Will Flame the boy was though. The way the boy was fighting back was impressive too. Obviously the Arcobaleno in this world were teaching the brat to defend himself.

He looks at the Leon-gagged man at his feet. "You told him how to get that far, right?" Storm nods. Reborn had followed Storm out of the dining room and caught him coming here. Although Reborn was interested to see what had the Storm Guardian so worried. This was what he had found.

There is an adult's gasp of pain from the room, so the pair turn their attention back to it.

"What did you do to my hand, idiot?" Shouts the masked man, his limp hand being held by the other.

Tsunayoshi doesn't reply, too busy trying to get his breath back. He'd finally found that pressure point.

"I… won't let you… kill my family." He pants out, staring up determinedly. He looks around trying to find a weapon he could defend himself with. He runs over to where a woman in pigtails was typing away on a computer and grabs one of the many keyboards there, pulling it out of its socket. He throws that at the masked man who was advancing towards him. The man bats it away, growling low in his throat.

So instead Tsunayoshi ducks under the woman's reaching hands and grabs a mouse. He twirls the mouse on it's wire, before smacking it into the man's knuckles. He hisses and backs up a step. Tsunayoshi keeps on spinning the mouse, and accidentally whacks the woman in the temple with it. She falls to the ground in a daze.

The Leader of the Arco Iris grabs the mouse in mid swing and draws it out of Tsunayoshi's grasp. Backhanding the boy sends Tsunayoshi flying back to the centre of the room. Tsunayoshi rolls to a stop, hissing at the cuts the rubble covered floor had inflicted. He shouts out in pain as the man steps on him, once more lowering the knife to his throat.

"Ya know what? I don't care anymore. You can die."

"I won't die." Gasps Tsunayoshi, his breath knocked out by the force of the foot on his stomach. "Not until I know the Arcobaleno are safe."

And those were the only words Reborn needed to hear. Leaning around the corner, he aims and shoots a bright shining bullet. It hits Chibi right in the forehead, his aim perfect as always.

Tsunayoshi gasps, finally feeling the boiling fire inside him spill over. It hurt, it hurt so badly.

I'm going to die. I'm going to disappear too. What a waste. Maybe if I had the will of the dying I could have stopped this meanie and saved the Arcobaleno. Maybe I could have been a superhero for once. I should have defeated him… with a Dying Will.

"REEEBOOOOORRN!"

Before the leader can process what was happening, his foot had gone numb and a punch was being delivered to the back of the opposite leg. He falls to the ground where he snaps out of his shock. But the brat is upon him, coming in with moves that looked like a Chinese martial art.

"Those are Fon's moves." Storm comments, watching the fight. Oh how he wished to jump in there and blow that *ahem* to kingdom come! But Reborn hadn't moved, so he didn't either.

"Hm, with some of Lussuria's Muay Thai moves mixed in," Reborn agrees, eyes watching every move the boy made. "And those are Colonnello's and Lal's." That street style belonged to them. He'd fought Colonnello often enough to know that.

"But whose is that one?" asks Gokudera. Chibi's punches were suddenly aimed at very weird places.

Reborn makes a sound that might be called a snort in a lesser (and less scary) man. "Che, that's Verde's style when he's forced into it. What Chibi most likely doesn't know is that Verde would have a syringe in his hand at that point. Those are all points where the veins are easily accessible."

They watch as Chibi changes styles once again- just how many did he know at this young age?- grabbing the mouse and swinging it in a different manner than before. "Gak! That's the Vindice's chain style. He can't copy that without Flames though." Fighting the Vindice at the Arcobaleno Trials had been tough, Storm had to admit.

Reborn suddenly straightens up, smirks and lowers his fedora- he still wore one even in this slightly less miniature state. And let it be known that a 12 year old Reborn was just as formidable as the adult or 2 year old versions were.

"We need to leave." He could hear the sounds of this world's Arcobaleno coming down the stairs. He grabs a hold of Storm, presses a button on his watch and the pair disintegrate just in time.

The Arcobaleno follow Reborn, going down one last set of steps and into a large cavern. But what they find there is a shock. For there is Tsunayoshi, fighting against who they assume to be the leader with a… with a…

Tiny Dying Will Flame on his forehead.

Reborn turns to the others with harsh eyes. "Who taught him that?" he asks in exasperation. Someone just had to get their first. But the looks the others give him back makes him rethink his previous judgement. If they hadn't and he hadn't, then…

Who had?

Tsunayoshi now had a stick in his hands, holding it like a sword out infront of him. He didn't know where these images in his head came from, but the moves they were showing him seemed to be working.

This went this way, drop the sword, catch it with the other hand, sweep here, water shoots up… ok then, maybe no water, but the sword still smacks straight into the enemy's gut causing him to double over. Step backwards, jab quickly, something about sharks and pecking swallows but he can't remember it enough clearly, keep on jabbing even if his arm hurts, jump backwards, drop the sword, kick the sword, jump on the man.

"I WILL EXTREMELY SAVE THE ARCOBALENO WITH MY DYING WILL!"

A punch like this under the man's jaw, a right hook here, lift the hands to block. Tsunayoshi had no clue where this was coming from, his body just moved on its own despite the pain. He couldn't clearly see the faces of any of the men in these images in his head, but his body just followed the movements anyway. It seemed to know what it was doing.

But sadly he was still just a child, and a very light weight one at that. So it was easy for the man to grab his collar and fling him off. Tsunayoshi was sure that he was going to crash into the wall. But he doesn't. Instead the smell of blood and leather surrounds him as he crashes against a firm chest. The Fire in his body goes out after he recognises the smell. It was Skull's scent, meaning he hadn't been killed. The Arcobaleno were alright.

Now that he was safe, Tsunayoshi couldn't find the energy within him to stay awake anymore. His body hurt, and not just from the wounds caused by their fight. Whatever that Fire had been, it had really put a strain on him. He smiles as Reborn's face enters his vision. But his eyes must be playing tricks on him since Reborn looks worried.

"Ciaosu." Tsunayoshi whispers. He liked using that greeting, it sounded like Reborn's Chaos, but also sounded a bit like the greeting his Japanese friends in Mafia Row Central gave him.

"You really did cause Chaos," Reborn says, finally smirking.

Tsunayoshi smiles and falls asleep with the words "Good Job" ringing in his ears.

Hmm, only one more chapter left in this Arc. I hope you enjoy it!

Phantom Hitman 1412

First Published 29th November 2012