THE RAINBOW FLAME WAR – FOR YOU
Tokyo
Above the city of Tokyo, Virgo carries Gokudera in his small helicopter like vehicle. It is cold at this height but once more it is no problem for someone with control of the dying will flame. No, what truly bothers Gokudera Hayato is the sight of the city below. So many places, so many spots that he has visited through his life have all been destroyed. So many schools and hospitals. The storm guardian is hurt greatly when he looks at the spot where he met Yamamoto before the trouble restarted. He looks at the spot where he met Yamamoto to discuss Tsuna's disappearance, his place of work and the Yamamoto restaurant, all of them have been destroyed.
This devastation on such a mass scale is not something that anyone should ever have to see, much less in their home town. It seems not to be as a result of construction work but a result of explosives and gunfire, ironically this devastation is likely the work of the resistance headed by Dino and Hibari. For someone like Hibari who so desperately wanted to protect this country, to allow it to fall into a state of disrepair such as this is truly shocking to Gokudera.
Virgo pushes a few buttons on his dashboard and manipulates the pedals by his feet, it seems the controls are not that different to a car. The Thunder Arcobaleno doesn't talk after they arrive over Tokyo, perhaps out of respect to Gokudera, this may not be his home town but it is the storm guardian's. They touch down gently and the storm guardian hops out of the vehicle, quickly pressing himself up against a wall as he looks left and right, it does not pay to make a mistake.
Tokyo is a city unlike any other under the Yakuza regime, other cities have imposed curfews, they have people terrified on the streets as they pass by enforcement officers but at least they are populated. It is the middle of the day world's most populated city, it is a busy street and yet they have been able to land an aerial vehicle without being spotted. There is nobody on the streets, it is as if they do not dare for fear of what might happen.
Gokudera shakes his head, 'It's just like they say. The phrase Mafia or Yakuza must be completely meaningless here'.
He raises his head into the sky, remembering what Tsuna has told him so many times, that by looking into the sky all of the Vongola guardians become united. Right now the right-hand man of the 10th needs all the moral support he can get.
'Hibari, you damn discipline freak, just what the hell have you had to go through being here for so many years?'.
The storm guardian composes himself before walking around the corner, he concludes that walking through the central streets may not be the best idea but he has to look at something. What happened to his home, what happened to the home of the 10th where he and Haru spent so many blissful years together.
Scenes run through the mind of the 10th's must trusted aide, scenes of he and Haru arguing when they were younger. Competing to see who could more reliably help the 10th complete his mathematics homework. He laughs as he recalls the stupid things they used to argue about, yet now they have a kid together. They still argue about silly things but even that is a blessing, a blessing bestowed upon them by Sawada Tsunayoshi.
Gokudera suddenly snaps himself from his dream as he hears boots ahead of him. Around the corner in front of him a group of five people march, all five of them have the full body tattoos that have become associated with the Yakuza. These men and women are Yakuza officers.
"Resistance!" a man screams, seemingly the leader of the group based on his position at the centre of their formation.
Gokudera's eyes widen as the five of them quickly draw their guns. These five are not like normal men and women, their draw is a quick-draw that is seldom seen throughout history. Bang, five shots are fired towards the storm guardian.
Gokudera's reactions are delayed by his daydreams of his wife and child. He quickly reaches into his pocket, taking hold of six bombs he made in advance. Casually throwing them at the attackers before him, Gokudera quickly follows this up by jumping into a nearby alley.
"Fall back and call backup" a man shouts. Gokudera determines this to be the leader. "This one is too tough for us to take on by ourselves".
Relief is the emotion he experiences, relief at the momentary reprieve from the fighting. Gokudera pushes himself up using his hands on the ground, resting himself against the wall. An unusual sensation strikes the resistance fighter; he feels cold yet warm at the same time. He reaches down to his lower chest, the source of the sensation, it feels wet. That's when he lifts his hand up this face, covered in red, covered in blood.
He has been shot.
Gokudera slams his head back against the wall behind him, as if relaxing after a long day's work. "Oh god" he says before he slowly lifts the radio up to his mouth. His hands tremble but he keeps lifting it until it reaches its target.
Gokudera presses the button, "This is… Gokudera Hayato… come in". He pauses for a while, waiting but there is no response.
"This is Gokudera Hayato… please… somebody answer… this is important".
The Tokyo Resistance HQ
This is the headquarters of the Tokyo resistance branch. The strongest resistance in the world, the resistance that has fought head on against the strongest Yakuza presence ever known. It is an old abandoned warehouse, hidden so well amongst a sea of abandoned buildings that the Yakuza have yet to find it. This has taken great effort to maintain though, great effort from the Chiavarone family, from their boss Dino and from the cloud guardian of the Vongola family, Hibari Kyoya.
Dino and Hibari stand at the rear end of the warehouse, looking at a huge screen before them. On the screen is a map, a huge map of Japan, a map they use to plot their attacks and their bombings. This map is firmly engrained into both of their minds now, even should they eventually win the war this image will haunt them in their dreams.
An operator runs over to the pair. A man with a plain black shirt and unassuming work trousers. The man is wearing a headset which has been provided to him by his fellow resistance members. He does not use the headset as he approaches the duo though, he is onto something far more urgent.
"Boss, it's Gokudera Hayato" he exclaims as he holds the radio out to Dino.
Dino spins on his heel with wide eyes. Gokudera Hayato has not been in Japan since the start of the resistance, where has he come from. Not daring to waste a moment the Chiavarone boss snatches the radio from the operator and presses the button.
Romario runs up to Hibari and Dino. "Hibari, Dino, your kid is…".
"SHUT UP" they both yell.
Romario looks at the couple with a confused expression before he receives a venomous look from Hibari, a look that could kill. "You deal with him".
"Gokudera this is Dino".
"Bronco" a coughing voice replies, "You're a sight to sore eyes… well figuratively". Gokudera makes the ironic statement despite his difficult circumstances, over recent years he has learnt from the 10th the importance of keeping up morale even in the most trying of times.
"Listen" Gokudera starts, "I'm afraid I'm dying right now… I'm in… oh… Honda street… who would have thought".
"We will send someone out to save you" Dino replies, not wanting to lose a friend so soon after getting back in contact with him.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that… but with me have a device… it's a mobile… a mobile phone" Gokudera coughs out, "You can…. You can use it to contact… the other resistance members".
"I will go" Hibari remarks as he darts away. Many of the resistance members are shocked, they have never seen Hibari move that quick. Yet this situation is like no other the resistance has encountered, this is truly hope in the most hopeless of places.
"Gokudera…" Dino starts.
"Sorry Bronco, but right now… I would like to make one last call… to my wife".
"I understand, thank you Gokudera".
Himalayas HQ
The leading members of the resistance wait anxiously around the telephone. If everything goes well they should be getting a call from Gokudera or perhaps even Dino or Hibari. Tsuna contemplates how he has missed the cloud guardian. Usually so cold and calculating Hibari turns many people away with his mannerisms yet following this war Tsuna fully believes experiencing his company will be relatively blissful.
The phone they have rings on the desk, drawing the gaze of everyone. The person closest to the phone picks it up and answers it quickly, that is the rain officer of the Varia, Squalo.
"Squalo" he calls as he answers the phone.
"Hey… the resistance is on their way… to this phone… but I won't be here when they pick it up" comes the voice on the other end of the phone.
The phone is on speaker meaning that everyone can hear it. Tsuna shares a look with Yamamoto and they can both see it in each other's eyes, they both know what this means. They are the trio who started the 10th generation of the Vongola family yet perhaps… perhaps this is the beginning of the end for that family.
"Are you hit?" Squalo asks.
"Yeah… can I speak to… Haru?".
Haru is well within earshot of the phone yet the others encourage her to the front of the group. They motion her into the seat next to the phone, as if being closer to the phone makes her closer to the man himself.
"Hayato, what's going on" she asks, her eyes already moistening.
"I'm really sorry Haru… I'm in Japan but... I've only got a few minutes left".
Tears start to flow from the eyes of the mother. She shakes her head as if she refuses to believe what is happening. "Don't be ridiculous, the resistance will save you".
"I'm too far gone" coughs the storm guardian, "I'm really sorry".
Haru continues to shake her head, "Hayato, you can't die".
The storm guardian steels himself and speaks firmly into the phone. "Haru, make sure Juu knows I fought really hard for him… because that's why I do all of this Haru".
"I do it for you… I do it for him… I love you both".
"I really wish I could have seen him grow up… I love you both… I love you so much".
"We love you too" Haru calls in reply.
A moment of silence passes before a loud crash is heard. Gokudera has dropped the phone.
"Hayato… Hayato… HAYATO".
"Gokudera" Tsuna whispers, on the verge of tears himself.
"He came so far" Yamamoto remarks.
Tsuna's emotions are interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. The hand causes his head to turn and his eyes to fix on the resolute face of Vongola Bana.
"Dry your tears boss, Haru is allowed to cry but you are not, you've still got a job to do" Bana says.
Tsuna looks away from Bana, hanging his head for a second before he clenches his fists tightly.
"I know".