Much later that night, Ran cradled a steaming cup of tea with a sigh. It had been a long day, and she knew it would be a long night.
Iemitsu had warned her through hurried breaths over their call that the Varia would be hunting for her, and though she'd taken precautions she hadn't expected to be accosted from nearly the moment she'd arrived. It was lucky that he'd arrived just in time.
But it had given her the opportunity to meet the little boss and the other guardians. She frowned into the teacup. They had not been what she'd expected. It made her wonder why the Ninth had initially decided to select the civilian born child when he'd had the perfect heir in his youngest son. But she knew better to go down such alleys, even in the comfort of her own mind. There were rumors that the Varia Mist was psychic, and she dared not chance it.
She had already made an enemy of them by siding with the opposing heir. If Iemitsu himself had not offered his full protection in case the Varia won the battles for the rings, she wouldn't have dared to accept. She had no idea what had made the others accept. Or rather, those besides the devoted Storm. He was as fanatic as they came, and she had no doubt he would be proud to stand by the boy's side until the end.
Madness. That was what this entire situation was. An heir who had no qualities to be the heir. Subordinates who weren't more than civilians. And she was stuck in the middle of it.
She wanted to smack herself for being so stupid. Of course the head of CEDEF wouldn't offer such a valued position to someone like her unless he was desperate. And even baiting her with Reborn. She'd let her greed take over her rationality, and she was paying the price for it.
She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. Well if it really came down to it, she would be able to escape. Though it would hinder any future career prospects she might have in the Underworld indefinitely.
"Brooding already?" A quiet, amused voice came from somewhere above her. She opened her eyes to find green eyes staring back at her.
"Poison Scorpion." She greeted. This was her first time actually meeting the infamous assassin and she couldn't help but be a bit surprised. She'd expected her to be older, but the girl in front of her couldn't be any more than a year or so older than her at most.
She was beautiful, clearly. Long pink hair draped loosely over her collarbones. Vivid green eyes sparked as their owner smiled at her.
"Cinderella." She greeted in turn.
Ran scowled immediately, "Don't call me that."
"Not a fan of your nickname?"
She raised an eyebrow, daring the pink haired assassin to disagree. "Would you be?"
A dry smile crossed her features. "No. Probably not."
The other girl hummed for a moment before taking a seat in the chair across from her. She'd been awake in the kitchen for a while now, but she hadn't expected the other girl to come speak with her.
"Was there something you needed?" She asked, slightly curious about why the assassin intended to continue their interaction.
"Not particularly," she answered. Then moved closer, "Or perhaps I'm just helping a guest to feel at home."
Ran decided not to point out that this wasn't her home, and the two true owners had long since gone to bed.
"And how would you do that?" She asked instead.
The Poison Scorpion titled her head as she studied her. "Well, I suppose, first things first. What was your interpretation of the events tonight?"
Her back straightened. So the other woman wanted information. The old instinct came to muddy her responses, to hold out until she was offered incentive, but she suppressed it. For one thing, they were on the same side here, and it would hardly do if she made an enemy of one of her housemates so early on.
"I'm unsurprised the Varia came seeking us out. They are an elite assassination group. If they managed to kill us early, more trouble saved for them. And the sooner they can return to Italy." She said thoughtfully.
"And the members themselves?" She pressed.
She thought for a moment. "They're strong. Incredibly so. From what I've seen they certainly live up to their reputation."
"And the kids?"
Ran took a sip of her tea. Uncaffeinated. The last thing she needed was to stay awake into the early hours of the day. "What about them?"
Bianchi pressed forward. "What did you think about them?"
A part of her wanted to keep it to herself, to hoard information as she was taught to do. But Bianchi had already established her place here, and that could be useful.
"They're not what I expected." She said honestly. In fact, they'd been the furthered thing from her expectations.
"How so?"
She paused, wondering how to word it delicately. "I'm worried how little time they have to train against the likes of the Varia."
Bianchi leaned back, "Understandable." She nodded.
But she looked off to the side with a wistful smile. "But they have a lot of potential, too."
She paused, taking in what the Poison Scorpion was saying, or rather hinting at. "You believe they have a chance."
"Maybe. Maybe not." She shrugged, looking for all the world uninvolved even though her younger brother was a participant of the death battle.
"You have a lot of belief in them," she said carefully, trying to gain more information.
"They have a habit of surprising you." She said, again with that wry smile crossing her lips.
She gave the other woman a considering look. She respected the Poison Scorpion. Her skill was nothing to laugh at, and she knew the other woman would be a dangerous enemy. So for her to imply that those kids had potential meant a lot.
But she supposed it made sense. Reborn wouldn't be assigned to just anyone. If they truly had potential, then Reborn would be drawing it out, bringing to reality a potential future rather than the hard reality she saw before her.
"Perhaps I was too hasty." She said, eyes on her tea.
Bianchi laughed. "It's no surprise. You look at those kids and wonder if they're in over their heads." Her words turned softer as she seemed to gaze far into the distance. "I was that way, too."
Ran kept quiet, waiting to see if she would say anything else. It was a tactics she'd learned, that when one stayed quiet, the other person would feel the need to fill the silence and perhaps reveal more than they intended to.
"But then he defeated Rokudo Mukuro."
She took another sip of her tea. "The Vindice prisoner."
There wasn't much publicly known about him other than that he Italian, born into the Estreano family. He'd eventually destroyed it, destroyed another family, and come to Japan where he was defeated by the young heir. Even that much information had been like pulling teeth. Far too many had seen the relation to Vindice and refused to go near the issue.
She'd known Sawada Tsunayoshi had defeated Rokudo Mukuro, but that knowledge had fled once she'd looked at him and seen the pale, trembling boy before her. It was a wonder he'd only lost his footing when Xanxus had appeared. But to say someone like that had fought and won against Rokudo Mukuro boggled her mind.
As if seeing her difficulty, Bianchi smiled at her, "It's a difficult thing to believe, isn't it? That cowardly boy facing a hardened criminal?"
"Yes." She met Bianchi's gaze. "Though perhaps he'll surprise me."
Bianchi smiled, this time not wry or soft, but a warm smile one would give a friend. She blinked in surprise.
"We got carried away speaking about the kids," Bianchi spoke, smile still in her voice. "I didn't get to ask you what I wanted."
"What did you want to ask me?" She couldn't help but be wary. Her skill was one thing, but more than a few of her sources had reported questionable things about the Poison Scorpion's sanity.
"Would you like to be friends?"
She stared, stunned speechless. "What?"
"Would you like to be friends?" She repeated, looking for all the world like she'd asked for a napkin.
She stared. "And what brought this on?" Perhaps the woman really was insane.
The smile dropped from her face and Bianchi eyed her seriously. She held back from tensing, aware of the other's scrutiny, but not sensing malicious intent.
"I think," the other woman began very softly, "that you would make a very good friend."
"You just met me."
"Call it woman's intuition." Ran couldn't help the snort.
"Why the interest though?"
"I suppose I finally found someone like me."
Those words had her eyes widening. She'd never thought of herself and the Poison Scorpion as similar. "Excuse me?"
"Both of us from lesser famiglias. Both trained in a field dominated by men. We've learned to keep ourselves safe, always wary, but always alone."
She stared at her, "I think, I would very much like a friend."
Despite herself, Ran knew what she meant. They hardly had the power to do as they wished, with their backgrounds. Or the family to back them up if they got into major trouble. If she wasn't careful, she would lose more than her limbs. Her reputation, her life, her ability to find a career.
Bianchi, for all her infamy, seemed to understand that too. She knew what it was like to have to stay alone because everyone was out to kill you. To be afraid to trust because you weren't sure if the other person would stab you in the back.
And that was what gave her the courage to take the gamble.
"Alright." She said. "Let's be friends."
The Poison Scorpion's smile was dazzling. "Call me Bianchi."
"Constanza."
"Constanza." Bianchi repeated with a smile. "Nice to meet you."
She felt a smile creeping over her own face, unable to be suppressed. "And you."
She watched as the house began a mad scramble, or rather the young heir, in a rush to get to school on time. She heard some mumbling about a 'Hibari-san' that seemed to terrify the boy. It seemed he'd forgotten all about her, because the moment he saw her while rushing towards the door he froze.
"You're going to be late if you don't hurry." She offered as he stared at her. He blinked rapidly as she nodded her head to the window, where his Guardians had already gathered. "They're waiting for you."
"Th-thank you." He gave her a shaky smile and shuffled past awkwardly. She took a sip of her tea to hide her smile. She had no idea what it was about her that had the boy so jumpy, but it was amusing.
The house became quieter and quieter as one by one, its members left. Nana had taken the kids to do some grocery shopping, and Bianchi offered to go with her. That left only her and Reborn. She'd noticed he'd stayed at the table even as the young heir had left.
She waited.
Thankfully, her intuition proved correct and Reborn sat seated on her right on the armrest as though he'd always been there. She'd guessed he'd been wanting to speak to her when he hadn't left with his charge, even though it was his duty to ensure his safety.
"Would you like some tea, Reborn?" Now that it was only the two of them, she felt no need to refrain from speaking her native Italian.
"No thanks, I prefer coffee." He said, holding up his own mug. She had no idea how he'd materialized it considering he'd been empty handed when he'd sat down.
"Is it alright for that form to take so much caffeine?" She asked, quietly curious. She could hardly say she, or anyone else, knew enough about the Arcobaleno to wonder if their physical forms reacted like actual children.
"You know about the curse." He observed her. It wasn't a question so much as statement of a fact. He knew and he knew she knew.
"Why do you think that?" She asked, knowing better than to reveal what she shouldn't.
"I could feel you reading the pacifier. Whatever it told you, I want to know." He paused for a moment. "And your history is hardly as well kept as you'd like to think."
She froze, unsure which history he could be talking about, but having the worst feeling it was the one she hoped to hide most.
"If you tell me what you know, I'll do my best to ensure it's buried." He offered. She stared, stunned speechless for the second time in as many days.
It was a good deal, one which she profited from most. And to have the likes of the world's best hitman conceal what should never be revealed would only help her.
"I know more than the average person," she said. "But I hardly know the details."
"What do you know?" He asked bluntly. There was no beating around the bush or that debonair charm so many women had fallen for. For someone with his reputation, he might as well have shouted his desperation to break free from the curse.
"Not as much as you think." She answered honestly, knowing it would be a bad idea to test the hitman. If there was one thing she knew the Arcobaleno to be sensitive about, it was their curse. And she doubted even all of Iemitsu's influence could stop Reborn from using more…creative methods of information gathering if she rebuffed him.
"I know it is a Curse. I can tell by the remnants that linger over you." She said. All curses, especially powerful ones, had pieces of the spell that clung to the cursed. It was like the DNA of the curse, and if one was skilled enough, they could use it to identify and impede it. Or if one was skilled enough, undo it.
"So it is a curse after all." He muttered under his breath. She doubted she was supposed to hear that part. "Anything else?"
"Whoever cast this is strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever met, almost impossibly so." She shook her head. In wonder and in horror that such a monster existed. She'd grown up hearing tales of such a being, but she'd never actually put stock in them until now. And that revelation was hardly comforting.
"What do you mean?" He asked, eyes narrowing.
She tilted her head towards him, wondering how best to explain. "It's like this, the stronger the person, the harder they are to Curse. For someone to be able to curse any one of you means they'd have to be stronger than you, or at least equal to you. And the more people are included, the more powerful the person has to be. To be able to cast a curse on the most powerful Flame users on the planet, and to the extent that it's affecting you, let alone the aftereffects lingering, even decades later means the difference in power is astronomical."
"What do you mean by after effects?" Reborn asked immediately. Though she could tell he had an idea from the frown on his face.
"The form you're taking." She explained. "It's not the intent of the spell, so much as a consequence of it."
"An unforeseen effect." She nodded.
"And is there anyway to undo it?" Reborn asked.
She paused. "Do you mean the curse or to regain your bodies?"
He paused to consider the words. "Is there a difference?" His words felt heavy, as though he'd already realized.
She let the silence lay for a moment, wondering how to phrase it delicately. "Yes. The curse itself would take someone just as strong as the person who cast it. And it's still so powerful even after so long. Undoing, even with a group would be difficulty, with little chance of success."
"And to regain our bodies?"
"I'm assuming the curse changed your bodies to a smaller form to make it easier for it to hold, for it to require less energy." She paused before she could say how she thought it was rather ingenious, as she doubted Reborn would appreciate it. "It's like…" she paused, trying to find a good comparison. "It's like how electrons prefer the ground state. If you tried to undo it, it might destabilize the curse."
"I take it the possibility of undoing it that way is low."
"Very. It's more likely it'll just kill you." She agreed. "But that's also unlikely. This curse is rather stable. More likely, it would cause a fluctuation and you might return to your body for a short period and then you'd return to this form, or it might even have no effect."
Reborn eyed her for a moment. He didn't visibly react despite the grimness of her words. "You have something else to say as well."
She cringed internally, wondering why she was the one delivering the message, and to this particular Arcobaleno. "Only if you promise not to kill me for delivering bad news."
"I've been hearing bad news about this for decades. One more piece won't make a difference."
She sighed. "If you're sure. The reason the curse is so stable, despite the distance from the person who cast it, is because it doesn't rely on their own power but your own. Once your body is no longer able to hold the curse, you'll die."
He was quiet for a moment. "I see."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help more." She offered.
He ignored it. "I've been used to being disappointed by this. But you've given me more information than almost anyone else I've spoken to. I suppose I should have considered that possibility before, but your kind are hard to approach at best."
She hid a smile. "We can be."
He turned his eyes on her again, and she was struck by the depth of those black eyes. And she was reminded of the rumors, even among her own, that he'd originated from the depths of the abyss.
"How has your training been?" He asked abruptly.
She hummed. "It's good. I've learned a lot, though I supposed that can only be expected with a mentor like Iemitsu."
"Good." He said in response. "You'll need that." As though she didn't already know it.
She nodded. "Any advice?" Surely, the greatest hitman in the world would have some advice for her as well.
He looked at her for a moment, almost as though he hadn't heard her, and she was again reminded of eerie depth of his eyes. Looking into them caused an eerie feeling, not unlike finding a cockroach on your foot.
She barely managed to avoid the green mallet that swung down at her. "I heard that."
She gave him a sheepish grin, unsurprised that he'd been able to tell what she was thinking. "I just meant you have unique eyes."
"I know." And an ego problem. She didn't manage to avoid the second swing. Wincing, she rubbed her head.
"Focus. Give it everything you have." He said.
"What?"
"If you want to walk out of this tournament alive, you can't keep all your cards close anymore. Use anything and everything you know."
It took her a moment to understand, and when she did, her eyes widened in alarm."What? But I can't. You know-"
"You'll have to figure out a method before your turn then. Because that's the only way you'll get out of this alive. Let alone the other members of the Varia, Levi A. Than is known for his sturdiness and strength - both of which are an advantage you lack. You have your speed, but without the strength to lack a critical blow, he'll be able to hold out against all your attacks."
"I know." She said. And she did know. It had been what had been bothering her since she'd arrived. And when she'd trained with Iemitsu in Italy, it had been what he'd reminded her of. Iemitsu had chosen to train her himself because he and Levi A. Than were similar fighters, not in weapon, but both brawny and with endurance , the type of fighter she was most at a disadvantage to.
The Battle for the Lightning Ring was stacked against her. If the pattern continued and she was forced to face an environment based on a Lightning's ability to take damage, she would be at a heavy disadvantage against Levi. In all fields. Defending from the environment would take a lot of her concentration, while also avoiding his hits, one of which would no doubt incapacitate her.
Training with Iemitsu had improved her endurance and speed, but it hadn't given her what she most lacked: physical strength.
"You have the key. You just have to figure out how to use it." And with that, he hopped off the armrest, leaving her to her thoughts.
Use all my cards, huh?
