A/N: If you couldn't tell I was kinda putting off this chapter since I suck at writing fighting scenes. -_-" And why zombie dogs? I saw them in the manga and couldn't leave them out. Hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave a review!
Advantages of Being a Ghost
Mukuro's gang was holed up in an abandoned recreational center, one that Tsuna remembered visiting when he was a child. All the buildings were in bad shape, especially after being damaged by a landslide two years prior. "Well, this is it." Tsuna says nervously. There was a pained yowl in the distance and they were greeted by creatures vaguely resembling canines. "So that's why none of my cats had returned from this place!" Shizuka exclaims. The creatures snarled and lunged.
Daichi took aim with his bow and fired, stopping the creatures in their tracks and breaking whatever hold had been over them. He walked over to the creatures and examined them. "They were already dead, something was controlling them." He states. "So they sent zombie dogs after us?" Tsuna yelped, Shizuka looked thoughtful. "Maybe I could-" "No Shizuka." Everyone said in unison, she did NOT need an undead dog army as well as a cat army. Shizuka sighed. "Fine, the smell would probably give them away anyways." She grumbled.
They agreed to split into two groups, one to find Mukuro and the other to retrieve Kyoya. Daichi was going to be part of the retrieval team but no one accounted for Yamamoto and Daichi falling through a buried glass ceiling. "Does anyone have a rope?" Tsuna asks, Gokudera started rummaging in his bag. Unfortunately most of the items he packed were all related to creating explosives. Shizuka glanced over his shoulder and saw several canisters. "What are those?" She asks curiously. "Smoke bombs and flash grenades." Gokudera says bluntly.
Daichi and Yamamoto both heard footsteps approaching them. They had company. "You! You're the one that sprayed me in the face!" Ken growled, Daichi deadpanned. "Was I just supposed to stand there and let you attack me?" He asks bluntly. Yamamoto took out his baseball bat, his eyes narrowing. Daichi just rolled his shoulders, ready to defend himself. "Cheetah channel!" Ken popped in a pair of fangs, his body taking on the characteristics of a cheetah.
Yamamoto was guarding his pitching arm while Daichi attempted to fend off Ken. His arms were covered in slashes and he had a pained grimace. "Not too tough without your dirty tricks are you?" Ken taunts. "Come on Yamamoto, help him out! Do I have to jump down there myself?" Shizuka huffed, her eyes never leaving Daichi. She couldn't help worrying for her friend, he was one of the first people to show her kindness other than her brother.
"I have a better idea." Reborn says, kicking Tsuna down into the pit. Tsuna screamed, landing with a painful thud. "What the hell Reborn?!" Reborn ignored Shizuka's outburst and kicked her into the pit as well. Shizuka ended up landing on Daichi. Yamamoto winced and the Sawada siblings groaned. "Alright, which one of you weaklings do I kill first?" Ken asks with a sadistic grin. "Hieee!" Tsuna shrieked, Shizuka face palmed. "Duh, I'm dead! I can just do this!"
Yamamoto and Ken watched in surprise as the girl seemed to disappear from existence, Ken flared his nostrils. "I don't know how you're masking your scent but I know you're here!" The blond growled. Shizuka levitated a few rocks, flinging them in the opposite direction of the teens. "Get him while he's distracted!" Surprisingly it was Yamamoto who had responded, hitting Ken in the back of the head with his baseball bat.
"Hey guys, I found the rope!" Gokudera yells. Shizuka just floated up and materialized again while the others climbed back up. Masahiro ruffled her hair, causing the girl to scowl. "Good job." He states, taking out his tracking device. Shizuka slapped his hand away, averting her gaze to the ground with a faint blush.
XoXoXoXoXo
The moment they saw M.M. Shizuka's eyes narrowed. "I've got this one guys." She says darkly, creating fireballs in the palm of her hand. M.M. tried using the waves from her clarinet to make Shizuka boil alive, only to find it had no effect. "I don't have any water in my body to microwave. You're going to regret messing with my baby brother!" M.M. shrieked, fleeing from a cackling Shizuka. "Should we stop her?" Yamamoto asks, Tsuna shook his head. "She's been well behaved recently. Let her have some fun."
"You bitch! You burned my hair!" M.M. shrieked. "You needed a perm anyways!" Shizuka retorts, finally managing to melt the girl's weapon. "You think that's all I can do? I'm also gifted in close combat!" M.M. taunts. "How about you try fighting with a dislocated knee cap!" Shizuka kicked M.M. in the knee, knocking her out with a swift blow to the head. She stood over the girl's body and gave a peace sign. "Those lessons Meifeng gave me really paid off. Can I start haunting the Hibari house instead?" Shizuka asks. "No." Tsuna says firmly. He needed someone that would have his back when Reborn tried to push him into dangerous situations. Even if Shizuka caused him problems as well.
Their next opponent wasn't physically imposing at all, he was just plain creepy. What he did have was leverage. "If you don't do exactly as I say, the twins will take care of your friends." Birds sneered. Shizuka was, once again, nowhere to be seen. Birds had shivered before being completely taken over by Shizuka. "This guy is really weak minded. He's a greedy bastard as well." Shizuka says in disgust.
The twin serial killers were stalled just long enough for Bianchi and Shamal to track them down, courtesy of Gokudera texting the two assassins. "I can understand you having your sister's number but Doctor Shamal?" Gokudera scowled. "He was one of my teachers."
Yamamoto laughed. "That explains why you both have the same hair style!" "Shut up baseball freak!" Gokudera fumed, taking out a handful of dynamite. "How about we save the explosions for our enemies." Shizuka says, pulling Gokudera away. There went any hopes of stealth.
Shizuka and her guardians splintered off from the group, with Masahiro in the lead. "Are you sure Kyoya is this way? What if his arm band fell off during a fight?" Shizuka asks, fidgeting nervously. "Kyoya will be fine." Daichi says, addressing her unvoiced concern. "My brother is very stubborn. He could have both legs broken and he'd drag himself to retrieve it." Masahiro says bluntly. "Has Kyoya ever been to a mental ward?" Shizuka asks. "Do you honestly think that anyone would be able to restrain him?" Masahiro asks, Shizuka shrugged.
XoXoXoXoXo
"Ken, M.M. and Birds have all been defeated." Chikusa states as the teens watched a screen. One was focused on Shizuka's group, the other on Tsuna's. Mukuro looked thoughtful. "It seems the Vongola were hiding another heir. And our caged bird has a rescue team." The Mist says with a smirk. "Which group should we target first?" Chikusa asks, pushing up his glasses. "Lanchia can handle the group with the Arcobalenco. We'll wait for the others to come to us."
Mashiro's group approached an abandoned building, Shizuka felt a shiver run down her spine. "Well, here we are. Going to rescue a violent prefect in distress." She says, steeling herself for whatever was going to greet them. Mukuro and his men would have to be morons not to have someone guarding Kyoya. Needles flew at the trio from the shadows, forcing them to dodge in different directions. Masahiro tossed the tracking device to Shizuka. "We'll take this guy on, you find Kyoya and bring him back." Masahiro orders, taking out his bo staff. Daichi nodded in agreement, taking out his bow and notching an arrow.
Shizuka ran down the corridor, watching the signal get stronger as she progressed. She eventually stumbled upon a makeshift cell, Kyoya leaning against the wall. "Hey Hibari, funny meeting you here." Shizuka says awkwardly, Kyoya deadpanned. "You have no idea how to get me out of here do you?" "Oh shut it, I'll find a way." Shizuka retorts. A low chuckle echo through the corridor, Kyoya's eyes narrowed and Shizuka turned. Shizuka took one look at Mukuro and laughed. "You got defeated by a punk with a pineapple hair cut?!"
Mukuro's eyebrow twitched. "I am going to enjoy stabbing you." He states, materializing a trident. "Wouldn't be the first time that someone tried to kill me." Shizuka comments, taking out a shinai. Her eyes narrowed and a flame appeared on her forehead. "You targeted my brothers, my friends, and even Kyoya." This lead to a raised eyebrow from the prefect. "And my brother isn't around to hold me back."