Xanxus had heard of this happening, but it had never happened under his rule. A figure wearing a butler's outfit radiating Quality above the rest waiting patiently. There was a crest on their breast pocket that any assassin worth their name knew and recognized on sight.

It was a crest everyone in the Varia was briefed on every time the new recruits came in...because if you were considered the best of the best in terms of Quality, you might earn the opportunity of a lifetime and get scouted by that family.

The man in the foyer waiting patiently was a Butler of the Zoldyck family.

Xanxus got dressed in his uniform. There was a time and place to show attitude. This was absolutely not one of them. He checked his appearance, made sure he was armed to show the respect due to a proper threat in his territory.

If there was a fight, the man waiting would make him work for his death, and they both knew it.

Squalo politely bowed out, showing nothing but perfect manners around the man.

"You are Xanxus di Vongola, head of the Varia?" said the Butler.

Xanxus did not take offense. Just having this man was throwing everyone off and skipping the niceties would get him out faster.

"I am. Which of my men have you come for?"

The butler looked slightly pleased at his attitude.

"My master wishes to have a private discussion with you."

Xanxus gave him a flat look.

"I have no interest in serving the Zoldyck."

The Butler pulled out something from an envelope. There was a crisp photo that was clearly a family picture.

"Is the young woman in this photograph familiar to you?"

Xanxus went still. He knew that face anywhere, despite the fact he hasn't seen it in almost nine years.

"My master wishes to have a private discussion about this particular young woman. Specifically your connection to her."

"Where and when?" he said sharply. He memorized the time and place, and the Butler left.

Xanxus immediately headed to the nearest liquor cabinet, and stared at the photograph in his hands. Obviously it was a copy and he sincerely doubted that the Zoldyck clan would bother with photoshopping something like this.

The Zoldyck were the Elite. The best of the absolute best and it was an honor for anyone in the Varia to be picked as a Butler to the family.

Squalo saw his boss drinking.

"Voi...so who was picked?" he asked. It was going to be the source of Varia gossip for WEEKS, and that was before they went over old rumors about the family's known hits.

Everyone in that family, from the youngest child to the oldest member were trained, deadly killers. Pushed to the limits and made to be the absolute best before they were even REMOTELY allowed to leave the estate grounds.

Even a single photo could be sold for tens of millions, and that was of the absolute WORST confirmed quality available.

"They wouldn't tell me much. Just that their master wishes for a private discussion."

Xanxus was still staring at the photo. Squalo didn't know the significance of it, just that it had to be majorly important to his Sky.

Three days later, Xanxus slipped out of the castle, claiming a hit that didn't exist. If anyone asked, Mammon would cover for him.

In an undisclosed location...

The man was massive, and he gave off an aura of authority and death that Xanxus shook off after a moment. There was an unbreakable will in his eyes that he could appreciate, and he knew the man was assessing him. Like a larger predator assessing another.

The only consolation was that he knew the man didn't want him dead. If the Zoldyck were after him for something his mother did, even if it was a case of mistaken identity, they would have killed him already.

"So. You are Martina's son."

Xanxus felt a strange sensation go down his spine, hearing his mother's name after all this time. Everyone always mocked him, belittled him for being a whore's son who had seduced the Ninth. For being a tiger in a den of fattened panthers.

He stared the man down, though he had a slight submissive posture. He wasn't going to back down from this man, Zoldyck or not.

The man right back, before a slight smirk appeared on his face.

"For a half-trained cub, you're acceptable. You certainly have her spirit, if you truly are her blood."

Xanxus took no offense at the remark. Compared to this man, he was half-trained.

"What do you want?" he said flatly.

This entire meeting was putting him on edge.

"It took us far too long to find the fools who poisoned Martina and left her in that state. Imagine our surprise learning that fool in the Vongola claimed something that wasn't his to have."

Something was not adding up.

Even the way he moved spoke of a dominant predator who damn well knew who controlled the room and commanded respect. Xanxus could only wish he was half that good when he was the man's age.

"Tell me, Xanxus di Varia...do you know who your mother was before she was poisoned?"

"The only life I knew was the slums... the times she was lucid were rare and few in between, but when she was she taught me everything she knew. It's why I took over the Varia, rather than get fat in some position the old man would have preferred," said Xanxus bluntly. "Unlike that bastard Iemitsu, I prefer to actually show competence."

The man was definitely smirking now, and it was full of approval.

"Good. It wouldn't do for her son to lack the proper backbone, especially after all the effort we went to find out what happened and where her son was."

"What was my mother to you?"

As far as Xanxus knew, the Zoldyck family married for ability and competence. Only the very best female assassins would be lucky enough to marry into their bloodline and produce heirs. He honestly couldn't see his mother being among that number.

"Your mother's full name was Martina Zoldyck. She was my younger sister."

Xanxus was having trouble computing this. His mother was a Zoldyck. There had to be some sort of miscommunication going on here...except he had great difficulty believing that such a dangerous and well known clan of assassins would make up something this elaborate.

There was nothing in it for them...the Vongola were powerful, but when compared to the Zoldyck clan they were small fries. The only reason the old man didn't mess with them was because the Varia was often enough to deal with any issues the Vongola had, and the Zoldyck were so Elite they didn't need to deal with the day-to-day crime of the Cosa Nostra. They were the ones you paid a shit ton of money to in order to make damn sure someone was dead.

Their power was so great that not even governments dared to arrest them for their contract kills, because it wasn't worth the sheer collateral damage they could inflict if provoked.

Hell, everyone and their grandmother could find out where they lived and still they were unmatched!

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trick?" he asked. He was trying to make sense of this particular shock.

"We stole a sample of your blood and compared it to the sample we have of Martina. It was a match."

A small part of Xanxus wanted to demand why they never came sooner. But the older, cynical part of him that had become the Varia boss at the age of fifteen took firm control.

"What do you want from me?"

"You're good, but you could be so much better with the right training. We could care less if you remain the head of the Varia, but there's no way I'll let that fool in the Vongola try to claim something that isn't his. As for your bonded...they can receive training as well, but they will never live in the main house. It's for family and only the most trustworthy Butlers. A second house can be prepared if necessary," he said bluntly.

Xanxus felt that was acceptable. Even he could admit that his Guardians could be a pain in the ass to deal with, and having a separate house would keep them from doing something to piss off the worst person possible.

"You have until tomorrow morning to give me your answer. The Butler outside will have a contact number."

"What's your name?" asked Xanxus, realizing he never asked.

"Silva."

Three hours later...

The shock of his bonded Guardians could be felt. The tension was so thick that not even Squalo's sword could properly cut through it.

"Voi...you're related to the Zoldyck clan?" said Squalo, his normally loud volume almost silent.

Mammon had stopped floating entirely, and Bel was looking at his King with renewed appreciation. Lussuria was completely silent.

"What did they want?" asked Mammon. Having to listen to the mooks about who might be picked was getting irritating.

"Apparently the current head wants to train me 'properly' since the Vongola should never have tried to claim me as one of theirs. I intend to accept," said Xanxus. "However, I don't want the old fucker to know about the truth of my mother's heritage."

"Voi, I agree! That old fucker has been breathing down our necks ever since you became the Boss! Let him stew for a while," said Squalo.

"Shishishi...fat wolves have no say in the business of tigers," said Belphegor in approval.

Considering the Vongola as it was now was like a pack of fattened wolves, complacent because of the power built by their predecessors, it was an apt analogy.

Besides, none of them liked lions much since it was often used to compare to that bastard Iemitsu, who had been a thorn in their side for ages.

He never liked Xanxus, and the feeling was absolutely mutual.

"...You do realize that once it gets out you're a member of that clan, the rates we can charge people for your assistance skyrockets," said Mammon.

"Save it for when the old fucker finally pushes me past my patience, miser trash," said Xanxus flatly. "When he does, I might just take the entire Varia with me and leave them to find new attack dogs."

Silva had already left the area by the time Xanxus accepted the offer. He had paid the miserly Mist ahead to keep up his appearances for as long as possible, until someone figured out the truth. He wanted to find out how long they could keep it going.

Getting to the Zoldyck owned lands was easy. Any idiot could tell you what general location it was in, and it wasn't like you needed the Hunter's License to go there.

The issue was getting inside the grounds.

Xanxus watched as the tourist bus unloaded a couple of Blacklist hunters eager for their big payday. There was always trash like these idiots and he was curious what the first layer of protection was for the main gate.

Apparently it was some sort of creature...the idiots were eaten and their remaining corpses thrown over the wall to scare the tourists.

Xanxus calmly walked up to the gate guard. It took him a few moments to place where he had seen him before.

"You're Zebro the cleaner," he said with recognition. He had looked over all the profiles of those lucky enough to be selected by the Zoldyck to act as Butlers.

Zebro was the last known person selected, and had been part of the Cloud division before he 'retired' to live as a Zoldyck butler.

The 'guard' looked at him in shock and suspicion.

"How do you know that name?"

"I'm the current boss of the Varia, I took over from Tyr after he was beaten by my Rain. Your current boss told me to come here," said Xanxus bluntly.

Zebro blinked.

"What's your name?"

"Xanxus di Varia."

Zebro kept his eyes on Xanxus, which was a wise precaution.

"There's a Xanxus di Varia here," said Zebro.

After a few moments, Zebro looked at him again. This time with disbelief.

"The head of the family wants to talk to you," he said.

Xanxus took the phone.

"I see you made it."

"I'm just curious to see how long it takes that old fool to realize I'm gone," said Xanxus.

"Smart. If you want to enter the main mansion, you must prove you are worthy to be one of us. If you can open at least two of the inner doors and make to the next guard, grandfather will escort you past that point to the next training area. If you can't handle it, then leave and never contact us again. Is that clear?"

Xanxus was grinning, in spite of himself.

"I never asked to be coddled. I'll open three by the end of the month or die trying."

Silva hung up.

Zebro looked at him oddly. Then he got a call from the head butler. His expression turned neutral and confused as he lead Xanxus to the house where he lived with the other guards.

At the very least there was more to this mafioso than the other idiots he used to deal with.