Everyone seemed to be gathering their resolve at last; no one appeared to want to back out and leave them one person short. Vincente was just one person—they had several. If they rushed that son of a bitch, he would be done for. Cyril clenched his fists, not bothering to fix his shirt’s collar. Now wasn’t the time to complain about how the “boss” had wrinkled his clothing. Now was time to prepare to kick this asshole’s rear end. The dark-haired boy looked back at Sonya when she demanded everyone to start running laps around the small town of Trespiano. Great. he thought, turning toward the door and racing after everyone. As if running is going to teach us to fight an older person trained to kill. Cyril decided to keep his mouth shut, though. Arguing with Sonya was going to get him nowhere.

Fionn, however, turned back toward Sonya, a confused expression on his face. He didn’t feel like running was going to help them get any better. Sure, they were going to get exercise, and Sonya was going to think about their training while they ran, but… there was one question that was on his mind. ”Sonya?” he began. ”Are you going to teach us how to use weapons? I mean, I don’t think that we’re going beat the guy bare-handed.”

Fionn didn’t know what kind of weapon he would use. He never picked up a gun or blade to fight against another person in his life. He never even thought about killing another person, and now that he did… it made his stomach turn and flip. The boy waited for Sonya’s answer, simultaneously waiting for Naoto as well. He would feel more comfortable if he had someone to run with. Despite being shy, he loved spending time around people he knew. They just brightened up his day.

Artemis realized shortly after going out that she'd forgotten her phone, she'd played with it some just before the meeting and forgotten about it with all the nervous atmosphere. as she walked back inside to look, she must have caught Naoto's eye. "Hey, I need to ask something of you too. You're good with tech stuff right? Do you think you can make me a weapon? Personally I dont feel right handling something lethal like a gun or a sword."

"Um, I suppose I could. I mean, it depends on what you're looking for in a weapon. I'm not gonna be able to make swords or guns, but I am pretty good with makeshift stun guns." Artemis replied, pocketing her phone. "Just tell me what you want after the run, I'm staying with Daisuke, so you could go by there if we get separated on the run." who was she kidding? They were gonna get separated because halfway in she was going to be panting and out of breath.

"What now, wise guy?"

"He got us in this shit! He should think of something!"

"Guys! Cut it out!"

A single speck of light in the darkness was the final hope that beated in the hearts of the group. The water had risen to their knees as they waddled through the waste, unable to discern whether it was only the sewage or blood. The cavern stretched far beyond their vision of the petite light that they could only provide, a straight path through the shadows as death, their predator, stalked.

"Hey, give me that damn light," the American male cursed, his voice echoing far down the tunnel.

The holder of the light, a fair-skinned Japanese teenager who stood at the head of the group, continued to press onward as if he had not heard the American.

"I said give me the fuckin' light, Hajime!"

Sea-green eyes, dimly illuminated by the light, hung below rogue strands of messy brown hair as the Japanese teenager turned, his jawline clenched in reflection to his free hand, now a fist. "Stop talking so loud, Roland! They might hear us."

"Yeah," a deep, African-accented female voice from Hajime's flank joined him. "Quit complaining. We need to stay quiet."

The American was not pleased about the responses that he received. "We need to hurry and get back to the destination before those damn Russians do, but we're going slower than Hwuang trying to speak English!"

"Screw off," a second Asian accent, a high-pitched voice belonging to a young boy, carefully pronounced his selection of words.

"You're all being immature," another female voice with an accent, this time Irish, interjected. "Iemitsu said that Hajime is our leader. He knows what's best."

Directly at the Japanese teenager's side, a silver-haired boy followed, his left arm drooped back as if he were holding on to something. A faint cyan flared inside of the boy's pupils as he turned his head to look at the group. "She's right," he agreed with the Irish girl. "We need to stick together, and listen to Hajime."

Roland seemed unimpressed by the silver-haired boy's parroting of the Irish girl. "Pipe it, lovebirds. You won't be holding those hands together for long if we don't get back in time."

"I don't know about you people, but I'm starving," a second American voice, significantly deeper than Roland's, yawned. "Rats, I can't believe that I lost my lunch..." the man sighed heavily in annoyance.

Roland was even more irritated to hear the tragic loss. "Those Russian mafioso are gonna invade, and all you can think about is losing your lunch? Skylar, do you realize that you are the reason why we're down here, now?"

"Look, guys," Hajime stopped in his tracks, wheeling around to address them. "The plan might've been compromised-"

Roland interrupted. "Oh, you think?"

A pained "Ow!" following the sound of a fist crashing into one's face sounded. "Listen to him!" the African accent hissed.

"Thanks, Riki. Anyway," Hajime resumed in his hushed voice. "Like Janna and Howlite were getting at, we need to stick together. We're running out of time, right now, and we have valuable information that could save the entire Vongola- no, the entire world, even."

"But that doesn't matter to me as much as all of you being here, right now. Even though this is only our first mission together, we already have the key on how we can end the war in such a short time. Thanks for coming this far with me."

---

Hajime blinked hard as he felt his soul return to his flesh, the reality in his surroundings returning. He was accustomed to thinking of the past, as much as he tried to not do so; it was like he continually wished to flirt with death, attempting to take its hand for a dance that would last forever. By the time that he had come to, most of the children had already left the house, carrying out Sonya's order of running ten laps around Trespiano.

"Inspiration, eh..." Hajime mumbled to himself as he thought of how Naoto Alato had rallied up his fellow candidates. More often than not, those who possessed Sky Flames were to-be bosses of mafia families, and as such, they had their ways of motivating and convincing their subordinates... whether it were inspiration or fear. Two polar opposites of one person, two different sides of one coin. His brow arched as the boy addressed him directly, folding his arms together as he shook his head. "It's not up to me; I'm not your tutor, she is," he nodded towards Sonya.

Hajime's peripheral vision caught his son at the corner of his eye. Daisuke's plate remained relatively untouched as the boy shriveled back into his chair like a turtle retreating into its shell. "I don't..." his eyes continued to stare at the crimson tablecloth, in shock as if he was staring at real blood.

Hajime sighed, rising from his chair as he swung his trenchcoat over his shoulder. Taking his plate to the sink, he began to walk towards the entrance until he stopped in the middle of the living room, turning back. "I'm counting on you, Sonya," he tipped his head to her before shifting his view back to his frightened son. He bit his tongue as it held the urge for him to say something. No, it has to be this way. "Goodbye," he finally said, turning around and leaving.

That Night

Who knew ten laps around Trespiano would be so tiring? Jak had done loads of endurance training and speed training on sliding into bases, but that didn’t mean she could just run around Trespiano ten times either. As she jogged lightly back home to cool down from the long and hard workout, she noticed that the lights were on.

Mom’s home. Jak thought as she opened the door into the house. She kicked off her shoes and went into the kitchen, poking her head around the corner too see her mother putting the food she’d prepared earlier into the microwave.

“Hey,” Jak said, cheerfully, “I’m home!” she smiled and tried to project happiness into the room, as her mother looked grumpy from work.

Her mother glared at her for a long moment. “Where is it that you keep going to anyway? I’d like to know once and for all, Jakki. When I ask you dodge the subject and dance around the subject. I asked you this morning about it and you told me half the story.”

“I go to Naoto’s house, and today I went over to friend called Daisuke’s house.” Jak explained, “don’t worry I’m not doing-”

“Did you join a gang?” her mother interrogated, turning so that Jak could see that her mother had already hit her stash of alcohol early. Jak sighed internally, she’d probably be walking on eggshells again.

“No... I mean... kind of.” Jak said, trying to explain. Lying wasn’t her specialty, and she wasn’t sure what to classify Naoto and the group as. They didn’t seem like the mafia on television...

“I asked for a straightforward answer! Are you running in a gang with a Jap and that Naoto bastard?” the mother said, her voice on the cusp of yelling.

“...yes.” Jak closed her eyes and braced.

The blow was a slap to the face with the left hand, which was thankfully not as hard as her mother’s slaps with her right. “This is how you repay us? Joining a gang, running with bastards!” she asked, leaning in close enough that Jak could smell the alcohol on her mother’s breath.

Jak started crying, “I... I didn’t mean to. It’s not like they’re bad or-”

Jak was silenced by a quick jab to the stomach. It left her slightly winded, but she quickly regained her breath.

“Did I ask you to speak?” Jak’s mother asked, putting the bottle on the counter.

“...no. I’m sorry mommy.”

“Naoto’s a mafia bastard. I could tell when I saw that mom of his! Damned sneaky bitch thought she could hide from me, pretend that she wasn’t some kind of weirdo that scams mafia members for money, but I saw through her I did!”

Jak’s mother went on a self-congratulating tangent, but Jak managed to squeak out a few words, “... I like her... she’s really nice...” she bowed her head and shrunk away from her mother, hoping that she could avoid another hit.

“Heh, she’s gonna kill you. Second you aren’t useful you’re dead. That’s how the mafia works!” Jak’s mother turned around and pulled Jak upright by her hair.

“But-”

“No arguments!” her mother yelled, releasing her grip on Jak’s hair to allow her to land a clean blow across Jak’s face. “What did I tell you?”

Jak paused for a moment to regain her bearings. “... mother knows best....”

Her mom sighed and moved back to the microwave after it pinged, signalling that her food was done. “Good. Now I want you to drop out of the mafia group now, it sounds like it’s early enough that there won’t be any repercussions, and then you can focus on softball.”

“I can’t. I promised to help a friend.” Jak said, moving back into the living room. “I promised.”

“Un-promise. Don’t make me the bad guy here because I’m trying to look out for you.”

“I can’t go back on my commitments like that. It’s not what Dad-” her mother crossed the room so quickly that Jak barely had time to react before she was hit across the face again. The force and her not being prepared knocked her to the ground, where her mother kicked her once.... twice....

“You don’t deserve to honor him!” Kick. “You took him from me!” Kick. “You took him from us! It’s your fault that the fire started! It’s your fault that he went back in to save you!” One last kick and the mother looked too tired to continue further. “So don’t you dare think for one moment that he’d want you joining that bastard Naoto and that Jap in a gang. You’re going to quit.”

Jak didn’t respond, she was trying to get her breath back. Her mother must have had a bad day at work... and it was Jak’s fault that she joined Naoto anyway. She could have left the first day, but she didn’t. It was her fault.

“I’m going to commit suicide one of these days and it’s going to be your fault.” Jak’s mother said as she returned to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry... I can’t be the daughter you -” Jak said from the floor.

“You can’t say in the house tonight.” Jak’s mother cut Jak off. “And I expect my breakfast to be fresh and same with my dinner tomorrow.”

“But-”

“Go outside. You know what you've done, Jakki. I can’t help myself sometimes, and... it’s better for you to sleep outside tonight. You know, for your safety.”

“Okay mommy... I’ll do it.” Jak very slowly started to move to get up, then shuffled to the door. “... I love you mom.”

“I love you too, Jakki.” her mother replied, settling into the couch for dinner.

As Jak stepped outside, she realized that it was raining. It made sense, it looked like it was gonna start earlier. She moved to sit down in front of the door until she could sneak back in, but a click from the door made it obvious that wasn’t going to happen tonight. So she started to walk out into the rain, looking for maybe somewhere dry to spend the night.

Fionn liked to be at home with his family. His mother, a slim, tiny woman with dark brown hair and eyes the color of a sunset was always cooped up in the kitchen, doing what she loved best—baking pastries and large meals and the like. His father, however, was a tall man with platinum blond locks curling slightly inward. His blue eyes were dark and sharp, almost hostile to those who didn’t know him well. While Fionn looked like a direct cross between the two, his brother, Reiner, was the spitting image of his father. Reiner’s height rivaled his father’s, and, even though his older brother’s hair was only a few shades darker than his father’s, his eyes were the same depth of blue.

It was no wonder why Reiner had gotten married so quickly. He was an extremely handsome man, as his wife said. Not to mention his wonderful personality. Yet… even thinking about Reiner got him sick. Fionn was simply his shadow; everyone thought of Reiner instead of him. Then again, he wasn’t nearly as robust, funny, or cute as Reiner. He was the runt of the litter, the underdog. No matter what he did, whether it be grades or housework, Reiner always used to thwart his attempts of getting noticed by doing what he did ten times better.

Even though he was often ignored, Fionn enjoyed spending time at home. It was the only place where he wouldn’t be pushed around or abused… or so he thought, until he remembered about Reiner.

All the blond-haired boy wanted to do is lay on his bed and play a video game or two. His peace was interrupted when his brother trotted into his room as if it was his own, smirking down at his little brother. “What’s up, Fionn?” the tall man asked, his grin unwavering. “Aren’t you going to go out and see your girlfriend tonight?”

Fionn buried his face into his pillow, his eyes peeking out over the edge of the soft object as he hid his blushing cheeks. ”Already told you, I don’t have a girlfriend. I just hang out with my friends.” he answered, his voice tinted with annoyance and his gaze remaining on the television screen. His brother always loved to tease him for whatever he did. His life was a tough one; either he would be completely ignored or he would be pushed around or teased.

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Even though Fionn wasn’t looking at his brother, he could tell that he rolled his eyes after uttering that comment. “Then why don’t you tell me who you hang out with, then?”

Fionn tossed Reiner a sharp glance. “Someone named Naoto, and a few other guys. A few girls, too. Why?”

“I was just curious.” Reiner muttered, ruffling Fionn’s light hair rather roughly. “No need to get your feathers ruffled.”

“Fionn?”

When Fionn heard his mother’s voice, he perked up. He looked toward the doorway to see his mother, who was peeking into the room. ”Yeah, mom?”

“I was wondering if you can pick up a gallon of milk from the grocery market.” she said, walking into the room. “I need it to bake some cookies.”

“Oh boy! Cookies!” Reiner threw his hands above his head in joy. “I love your cookies~”

Fionn paused his game and sat up in the bed. ”I’ll get the milk.” he told his mother, who grinned at him in relief. His mother’s cookies were delicious, and he felt like having something warm in his stomach… ”It’s just down the street, anyway.” And with that, he walked out of his room and down the stairs. It’ll be just be for a second. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining.

Walking to the front door, Fionn pulled out an umbrella from a closet. ”I’ll be right back.” he called to his mom, who was already walking down the stairs with Reiner.

“Alright. Stay safe, okay?” his mom called back.

“Of course he’ll be okay. No one notices him, so he won’t get mugged.” Reiner teased, walking to the living room with an annoying grin on his face.

Fionn found his patience wearing thin with his brother. Shaking his head, he left the house, opening the umbrella before he could get too wet. It wasn’t raining too hard; then again, it had been a while since they had a storm. It was a pity; the humidity was killing Fionn, and he figured that the coastal town should have some relief from the heat. The blond haired boy sighed, listening to the pitter patter of rain on his umbrella and the street.

Getting the gallon of milk was an easy task. Fionn’s stomach was already growling as he started to make his way home. He was dying to get out of the rain and get back home where it was dry. The boy was almost home when he saw a figure in the rain. Is that… no… it can’t be. ”Jak?” he called, walking over to her with a concerned expression. ”What are you doing in the rain?”

Jak could feel the bruise already forming along the side of her face and on her stomach. The rain didn't help, each drop was like a tiny hailstone against her face. Also, the rain was cold and she was already drenched. She felt and looked miserable. It's my fault I'm out in the rain. I knew Mom would be like this. I'll have to talk to Sonya... After everything that happened, she knew for sure that she made the largest mistake she'd ever made in her life. What was she even doing in the mafia anyway? Her nose still ached from the time she tried to fire the gun, and Sonya could only say that she was good at thinking ahead. She should quit now before things got worse, like her mother said.

"Jak?” a voice called out, jolting her from her thoughts. ”What are you doing in the rain?”

She moved closer to the buildings so that Fionn wouldn't be able to see her whole face. "Um..." should she lie? The truth put her out in the rain in the first place, but she was so tired of lying. "Mom kicked me out for the night. It happens. It's my fault, but I'm sure the rain will let up soon." she tried to smile, but the clap of thunder made her rethink her statement about the rain. "Or maybe not..." she mumbled under her breath.

So it was Jak. Why she was out at such a time, Fionn didn’t know. Yet, he was concerned for her—she was someone that he considered a friend. He continued to watch Jak closely, noting that she had retreated into the shade of the buildings as if she was hiding something. It was then that she told him that she had been kicked out of the house. What kind of mother kicks her daughter out of the house for doing nothing wrong? Fionn thought as he stepped closer to Jak. ”Jak…” he began, his voice low. ”I don’t think it’s a good idea if you stay out here. Maybe…”

Fionn paused for a moment. He didn’t know if his mom would allow him to bring a girl home. But Jak needed help, and he had found her. He couldn’t just abandon her in the rain, could he? ”You should stay at my place for the night. My mom’s baking cookies and it’s better than standing in the rain.” he waited for an answer, hoping that she would agree. Jak could use the time away from her mother. ”And I could sleep on the couch while you sleep on my bed.”

Abby never thought of Trespiano as a big town. Hell, she was leaning more towards village-sized when she first arrived. Yet lying in the middle of Naoto's living room with her entire body figuratively screaming at her only proved how wrong she was. All she wanted to do was lie there for the rest of her life. She wasn't even sure who else was in the house. It was too far for her to run back to her own home or Daisuke's, so the next best place was Naoto's. Abby remembered seeing the majority of her friends come in as well but the entire ordeal was all just one painful blur in her mind.

The growling of her stomach woke Abby from her tired lull and she opened her eyes, only to close them a second later as she hissed at the bright lights. "Hey guys?" She called out into the distance, not even trying to turn her head to see who was nearby, "Can someone drop some food in my mouth? I don't think I can get up right now..."

Benjamin had managed to tear a hole across his pant leg when it snagged on a gutter as he cut a corner. A fairly expensive mistake to make, actually. He really did need to change wardrobe for training. There was only so much casual wear in his closet, though. He didn't even need suits anymore; he wasn't in boarding school anymore. His feet were sore and a little wet since the rain started a little before they'd finished. Mindlessly, he texted his mother to let her know he probably wouldn't be home until the next day, seeing as he didn't exactly think he could really move his legs anymore. He was on the couch, but how he was sitting didn't register at all. All he knew was that he wasn't upright and he was having a little trouble becoming so. Abby was on the floor, complaining and asking about food. "I'm not entirely sure if we have the collective strength to manage even that." He groaned. If this was a warm-up, he actually began to worry about real training from Sonya. He hadn't put it past her to be cruel or intense, no one did, he imagined. But he had never ran that much in his life.

Fionn was right. If she stayed out here, there was a good chance she might catch a cold or something worse. Also, she was kind of a sucker for warm cookies. She'd have to leave early to make sure her mother's breakfast was ready in time, but it could work. "....all right, but I insist that I sleep on the couch. I have make breakfast for Mom anyway. She needs it before she goes off to work, or she'll be grumpy all morning."

Jak smiled again, trying to put him at ease. After all, her mother was very nice. She'd just been through a lot, and sooner or later things would go back to how they were before. She just had to wait it out, and things would be fine. Everything worked out, and everything has a ending. She just had to wait it out. "I hope your parents don't mind too much..."

Fionn was glad that she had agreed to come to his house. He didn’t know any other way to convince her to come over, and he couldn’t just leave her where she was. A small yet meek smile crawled over his lips as he held the umbrella over her. She would get sick if she didn’t go inside soon. Even though Fionn was concerned that Jak’s mother had thrown her out, he was more focused on the fact that he would actually have company at his place. His mother would let her stay of course, especially when she heard her story. His father and brother would probably prod at her, asking stupid questions, most of which would be along the lines of how they met and where. Fionn wasn’t looking toward that at all.

”Let’s go then.” Fionn told her, making his way down the street with the grocery bag in his hand. Jak would be fine in the warmth of his home, albeit she might feel a little uncomfortable. He supposed it would be natural if she was; she would be sleeping somewhere other than her own room, anyway.

It took only a few minutes to get to his home. By the time that they reached the front door, it had begun to rain heavily. Thunder rolled more loudly and lightning cracked across the sky more frequently. This storm is something else… Fionn thought as he opened the door and closed his umbrella. He stepped inside and closed the door behind Jak. ”Mom?” he called, pulling off his rain coat and placing it where it belonged, along with the soaked umbrella.

“Fionn?” his mother popped out from the kitchen, and, upon seeing Jak, smiled. “Oh, who’s your friend?”

”Mom, this is Jak.” Fionn motioned over to the dark-haired teenaged girl beside him. ”She doesn’t have anywhere to stay for the night. I was wondering if she could stay here.”

Fionn’s mother remained quiet for a few seconds as she looked at Jak. “Of course. She can’t just stay in the rain.” she said. “Come into the living room. Fionn, go get a towel. The poor girl’s sopping wet.”

Fionn nodded and made his way upstairs. He walked to the bathroom and searched for the thickest towel he could find. After he had found one, he trotted downstairs and handed the towel to Jak. ”That’ll dry you up.” he told her. ”After you dry yourself, you can come to the living room and watch television. My older brother is there with his wife, but don’t mind him. He can get pretty annoying at times.”

---

Cyril was exhausted. Running around the whole of Trespiano several times left his body screaming in complaint. Even though Naoto’s mother had offered to cook for them, it was an effort to lift a forkful of food up to his lips. All he wanted to do was sleep, and yet, his roaring stomach didn’t allow him to. Keeping his head from falling on the table was a feat in itself, and chewing the food only brought more weariness. He supposed that he shouldn’t complain. Everyone in Naoto’s house had run with him, and they didn’t stop until they had successfully completed the laps. If they hadn’t… who knows what Sonya would have done?

At least he had gotten something in his stomach. The food was warm and delicious, but Cyril didn’t have the energy to eat. All he wanted to do was shower and sleep. Then again, he wondered if he could sleep. He hadn’t been able to sleep much, and he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to sleep an hour that night, even if his hunger was sated. He continued to toy with his food, sitting at the kitchen table with his chin plopped in one hand.

All of a sudden, Abby piped up from the other room, asking if someone would be able to put some food in her mouth. Is she serious? Cyril thought, tossing her a glance over his shoulder. There was no way that he would get himself off the chair and put food in her mouth as if she was some sort of goddess. Even if he wanted to, he wasn’t sure if his legs would be able to carry him over to her. His tired eyes dropped back down to his plate of food without a word.

That was when worry started to well up in his chest, more than it had before. They were just a group of weak teenagers, most of which had no experience in fighting at all. How were they supposed to go and fight a trained mafia hitman? Could they possibly be charging toward their deaths?

As Jak walked to Fionn's home, she wondered how long until someone pointed out how beaten up she looked. She supposed that lying about that she'd gotten into a fight with a bunch of bullies or something wouldn't be too far stretched, considering how she used to go around beating up people she considered bullies. She looked up once they were inside, listening to Fionn talk to his mother. She'd never heard him speak so confidently before. Maybe it was because he was around people he knew better than the candidates.

Before long Fionn had returned with a towel for her to dry off with and told her that his brother and his wife were watching television in the living room. "What do you mean annoying?" she was an only child, so she didn't know why anyone would consider their brothers or sister annoying. Also, she hoped he wouldn't point out too many things. Like the fact that the side of her face was starting to turn nasty shades of 'bruised'. She dried her hair first, since that was what was going to drip the most. She winced as she moved, however. It seemed that her mother might have bruised her ribs or worse as well.

She took a moment to shake her hair out, trying not to get water everywhere. "I mean, you're not that annoying, so he can't be that annoying, right?" Jak said, smiling as she moved to the living room as suggested. She sat down on the couch, quietly continuing to dry off as she tried to figure out what the two others were watching.

Jak’s question brought a smile to his face. Yet, Fionn knew that Reiner was going to be teasing her and asking her questions. He felt somewhat sorry for her, but Reiner would leave her alone once he got the hint that she wasn’t in the mood for his constant prodding. Or maybe he would just continue until he pushed her over the line? Then again, his wife probably wouldn’t allow that. She was a sweet, fair woman, with a smaller smile than her husband. She was meek and quiet, but she was obviously the one who told her husband what and what not to do.

Fionn made his way into the kitchen to hand the milk to his mother as Reiner turned toward Jak. “Hey.” he greeted, giving her one of his trademark grins. “So you’re Jak, eh? How do you know Fionn? Are you his girlfriend?”

”She’s just a friend.” Fionn said in an irritated tone as he left the kitchen.

“Uh huh, sure.” Reiner rolled his eyes. “Then why haven’t you ever mentioned her before? You guys must be secret lovers or something- ow!”

Reiner looked toward his wife, who was glaring at him with her dark brown eyes. Her light brown hair was kept up in a bun, making her expression appear much sterner, especially after having elbowing her husband in his side. “Stop it.” she told him. Then she looked at her husband’s younger brother. “Sorry, Fionn. Your friend must be tired and not want to hear these kinds of things.”

Fionn sighed, rubbing the back of his head. ”It’s no problem, Maria.” he murmured, glancing over at Jak. ”Do you want anything to drink, Jak?”

Reiner chuckled, rubbing his side. “Why, look at Fionn. He’s such a good host.”

“And a good, quiet boy. Unlike someone here.” Maria crossed her arms. “You should be quiet. Let them relax. I don’t think that anyone likes people constantly prodding at them.”

“Fine…” Reiner sighed, turning his gaze back toward the television. “Such a party pooper.”

Fionn laughed nervously, and turned back toward Jak. ”See? I warned you that he was annoying.” he said, and Reiner snorted in annoyance. ”Anyway, referring to my last question… do you want some water? Soda? I think my mom made some lemonade earlier in the day.”

She was somewhat grateful for Fionn's defense that she wasn't his girlfriend. Then the brother's wife leapt to try and ward off more embarrassing questions. She didn't feel like answering any of those anyway. Why was everyone insisting that she was someone's girlfriend anyway? First it was Prospero then it was Fionn's brother. It was starting to get on her nerves, but she took a deep breath and calmed down before she said anything she'd regret.

"Oh, I'll have some water." Jak said, trying not to show how uncomfortable she was. This place, they were all close to each other. It reminded her... it reminded her of the past. Although, she could do without people questioning if she was a girlfriend of someone or not. "So," she said, trying for a more pleasant conversation. "you're married? What made you come to Trespiano?"

Her chest started to hurt, though she knew it was from the kicking earlier. She might have to sneak some ice later to dull it. I shouldn't have said that. It's my fault for bringing Dad up.

---

"Oh my god, my chest is on fire!" Artemis said, leaning on the nearest wall. "That woman is insane! Who starts out with hard training? Isn't it supposed to be a gradual process?" she panted, gasping for air. Artemis was pretty sure she'd never run so far in her life, and she could no longer feel her legs. "Is she always like this?"

For the second time that day, Artemis fell to the ground, collapsing in exhaustion. The only difference being that she didn't fall asleep, just laid on the ground. It feels so soft and comfortable here on the carpet. She briefly wondered if anyone had considered making a carpet that you could sleep on. Like a giant floor bed.

Then Abby whined about food, and Artemis barely pushed herself to her knees before collapsing again. "Yeah, if I could actually use my legs again I would help. Unfortunately, it seems that the run has turned them to pudding."

Abby heard the clanging of silverware against plates and used all of her strength to turn her head towards the kitchen. Her eyes widened in shock to see Cyril able to sit upright and digging into the homemade meal. "Cyril! Gimme some!!" She screeched as loud as she could. Before she could protest anymore, the sound of the door opening and closing brought about a commanding voice.

"Stop your whining." Sonya's voice cut through the room like a knife as she shook off the rain drops off her jet black umbrella, "You're going to want to save your energy for more productive things. Eat up, rest, do whatever the hell you do to relax for tomorrow, the real training begins."

Real training?!

Abby couldn't believe her ears. Was this crazy woman implying that this horrific run was only a warm up?! What the hell did she have in store for them?! Sonya, on the other hand, ignored the looks of disbelief from the children around her and headed straight for the kitchen for a nice, hot cup of coffee. Contrary to everyone's belief, the red-head had not been watching them flounder with the pre-training like some sadist. All day she had been planning, charting, and creating training regimens that will work on each Guardian candidate's weakness. Thankfully, a predominant weakness in the group was their lack of hand-to-hand combat. That made things slightly easier since all she really had to do was to beat basic martial arts moves into their thick skulls. The hard part was training them internally. Sonya had to re-program these teenagers values, morals, and overall personalities to even stand a chance against a maniac like Vincente. That kind of mental training took years to properly develop; Sonya Dmitriev only had one week.

As she milled over that part of the training while drinking her coffee, she didn't realize she had taken a seat right across from Cyril. He was the only one who had the strength to get to the table and eat the delicious meal Miku had made. Yet he made no attempt to help his fellow Guardians. This thought, although irksome, opened her eyes to another weakness these kids had. They had no unity whatsoever. Although they all vowed to aid Cyril, they still had no semblance of comradeship. They just looked like a bunch of teens forced to work together. That had to change immediately.

"Cyril, do you want to get your aunt back?" She suddenly asked. The red-head did not allow the teenage boy to answer as she slammed her teacup onto its saucer.

"Because there is no way you can save her by yourself. If any of you want a chance to beat Vincente, all of you have to start working together. But you can't even get the concept of teamwork down if you don't have any shred of comradeship with one another. So stop being prideful dicks and learn to care for one another since that's the key to your survival." By the time she finished, Sonya had already stood up from her chair and was glaring at the teens. However, compared to her usual icy glare, this certain gaze was much more heated. It allowed anyone close by to see the fire burning behind her violet irises. It took her a moment to realize how much emotion she was showing and quickly turned away.

"Be out in Naoto's backyard 6:00 am sharp. Anyone late will deal with a punishment game." She stated before rushing up the stairs.

Now that was a bit disconcerting. Sonya rarely allowed herself to get worked up over anything. Years of harsh training has honed her ability to keep her emotions in check. And she was never an advocate for teamwork. Yet ever since she started working for the Vongola, she grew more inclined to the idea of bonds being stronger than sheer power. Maybe that's why she didn't enjoy seeing such apathy towards comrades in those brats. Sonya sighed to herself. She hoped they can at least become friends, much less comrades, by the end of this week...

Abby listened to Sonya's speech but wasn't able to get the full force of her glare since she couldn't turn her head anymore. Plus, she was lulling in and out of sleep. But there was one major thing she got from the crazy woman's words and wanted to make sure she addressed it. The moment she couldn't hear Sonya's heels clicking on the hardwood floor any longer, the blond opened her mouth.

"Ha, Cyril got in trouble~" She mockingly sang, "Now gimme some food before you get yelled at again."

Fionn nodded when Jak said that she wanted some water to drink. He left Jak with Reiner and Maria once again, but he knew that Reiner wouldn’t bother her much anymore. Maria was there to calm him down if he got too out of hand again. Not to mention that getting a glass of water wouldn’t take long anyway. Jak looks bruised and battered. Fionn thought as he went to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Reiner knows it too. But I hope that he doesn’t mention anything. Then again… I don’t think he’s that much of an idiot.

Greeting his father as the tall man entered the kitchen just as he left, Fionn made his way back to the trio in front of the television. He caught Jak’s question as he handed her the bottle, and looked to Reiner as he opened his mouth to answer her. “Well,” he began, scratching the back of his head. “I fell in love with her when she was vacationing in my country. I begged her to stay, but she decided that Wales wasn’t the place for her. So I followed her back here.” The man grinned over at his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and bringing her in for a hug. She sighed and returned his grin before glancing back over at Jak.

“When I met him, I thought he was just some dumb old countryboy that didn’t know anything.” Maria added. “I guess I was right. But I couldn’t reject such a sweet face.”

Reiner huffed in annoyance. “I’m not dumb.”

“Sure you aren’t.” Maria joked as she ruffled his hair. “Hey, Fionn, did your mom look like she was almost done baking the cookies?”

”Uh…” Fionn shrugged. ”Dunno. I didn’t really check.”

His older brother groaned, rolling his eyes. “Fionn’s as useful as a teeny pebble.” he commented. “He was always the runt of the litter. Pushed to the side and rarely looked at, even at school.”

Fionn’s eyes ruffled in anger, but he made sure that his mouth stayed shut. There was no point in arguing with his brother, who had a few nuts and bolts for brains. While Reiner had brawn, Fionn had smarts. They would make quite the team if they didn’t argue half as much as they did. He turned to Jak again, sighing in exasperation. ”My mom’s cookies are the best. That’s why my brother gets so impatient over them.” he explained. ”Especially when they’re fresh out of the oven.”

“Mooooooooooooooom-!” Reiner whined loudly, enough to make both Fionn and Maria wince. “Are the cookies almost done?”

“Almost.” It was Fionn’s father who answered from the kitchen, his gruff voice making Reiner fall quiet. “You should leave your mother be. She’s working on them as fast as she can.”

Reiner’s shoulders sagged in reply, and Fionn chuckled. Maria, however, wasn’t as amused as her brother-in-law. “Honestly Fionn, do you really think it’s funny to see your brother get in trouble?” she murmured, tossing him a glare.

”S-sorry.” Fionn blushed. ”I didn’t mean to laugh.”

---

A loud screech ripped Cyril from his thoughts, making him visibly cringe. The blond-haired Sun Guardian candidate was demanding for him to give her some of his food, even though she made no effort to get to the table whatsoever. Abby’s voice only irritated him even more, and he was about to turn around and tell her to get food herself when the door suddenly opened. Sonya stood in the doorway, shaking off raindrops from her umbrella. Thankfully, the older woman silenced Abby’s nerve-wracking begging. Cyril sighed in relief as he turned back to his food, making his tired and aching arms clumsily slice his food with the kitchen utensils.

Sonya’s words made Cyril’s anxiety only worse. That hellish run was only something to get them started..? He could only imagine how the real training was going to be like. I have a feeling we’re going to be too tired to fight Vincente… Cyril sighed, glancing down at his meal once again. His appetite suddenly vanished, and he pushed his plate away. ”Thanks for the food.” he told Naoto’s mom as he mustered the courage to get out of the seat. As he expected, pain washed up and down his tired limbs, making him wince.

Before he could flop onto the living room floor, Sonya addressed him. Cyril glanced at her, spotting the blaze in her lavender irises. He had to admit, she was quite intimidating. Yet, if he thought that she was… how would he react when they faced Vincente? If Sonya scared the crap out of everyone in the living room, then would they flee at the sight of that devil? He grunted in response and made his way to the rest of the group.

It annoyed him to no end to see that Ben had taken the couch. Then again, Cyril decided that he shouldn’t be surprised. Ben was like that. Sighing again, he laid down on the floor, deciding that laying down on the floor was better than asking Ben to move his lazy ass. Cyril stared at the ceiling, trying to preoccupy his mind. He just couldn’t stop thinking about his aunt. What was that bastard doing to her? Vincente could be torturing her that very instance, and all they were doing was laying down and whining about how much their bodies hurt.

”I’m not getting you any food.” Cyril told Abby bluntly. Frustration and worry brought forth words from the normally quiet teenager. ”If you’re so hungry, why don’t you get up and eat it?”

Naoto was exhausted from today's events, though more mentally than physically. Knowing that he was to become largely involved in the mafia was less of a weight to carry than directly involving himself in their affairs. As much as he had assured himself that rescuing Cyril's aunt was something that he wanted to do, that he needed to do, Naoto still recognized what kind of task this was for kids like them. The thought of it all had been slowly trying to overwhelm him over the course of the run around Trespiano. For once Sonya's seemingly cruel training had actually done a little good in keeping Naoto focused on the current task of getting stronger and not on the battle ahead. That being said after the run he still had to keep busy so while everyone else rested in the living room he was painting the wall that his father had fixed after Sonya used Daisuke as a wrecking ball. As he ran the brush over the wall he kept replaying Cyril's request for help in his head.

"You're going to burn yourself out at this rate." Naoto's mother walked over and knelt next to him. "I'm okay. I've ran a lap or two around town before...after saying that I think I'm realizing just how much we did today. My body is too..." He chuckled feeling the fatigue start to catch up with him. His mother wasn't too amused though. "You know what I mean Nao-kun." Naoto's chuckle petered out and he lowered his head slightly. "To say things have gotten complicated would be the understatement of the year." Miku offered her son a cup of tea. "True. You've had a lot thrust upon you in a short amount of time. I'm proud of the way you've handled it all so far. Although, I won't pretend that I'm not tempted to pay Tsunayoshi-kun a visit and have a long talk about him leaving such a task to you." Though she wore a modest smile her eye twitched just slightly. Naoto couldn't help but sweat having been victim of that look on multiple occasions. "Hehe...it's weird. I can't bring myself to be mad at him. Maybe it's because of what you and Sonya have told me about him or maybe it's because I want to do this but..." Naoto picked up the cup of tea he'd put down. He recognized this particular brew as it's aroma hit him. It was a special tea his mother made for him whenever he was nervous or on edge about something. Miku smiled and stood. "I believe it's the latter. That desire to help others is something you and him have in common. Though you are a little more aggressive about it. I heard about your talk with Cyril~" She chuckled. "I'm glad you feel so strongly about helping him. Keep that in mind this week. It'll only make your training more fruitful. And maybe take your mind off of how hard Sonya and I will be working you~" Naoto didn't know whether to feel inspired or afraid as he he took a long sip of his tea. "In the meantime why don't you take your friends some if that tea Nao-kun~"

Naoto entered the living room to Abby sprawled out on the floor whining for someone to feed her and Cyril as responding as expected from him. Naoto couldn't help but drop his head in embarrassment. Vincente, you better watch your back... He carried the tray over to Cyril and set a cup on the coffee table in front of him. He left a second in the take in case Abby ever find the strength to move. Heading over to Daisuke Naoto found himself worried about the Thunder candidate. The usually hyperactive screwball had been unusually quiet since Vector hit them with the news earlier. It probably didn't help that he left without a single comforting word for his son. I don't get that guy. The least he could have done is help us train. Naoto wakes over to him and offered him the cup if tea. "How ya holding up?"

Suddenly Sonya came in and announced that the real training stated tomorrow. Somehow Naoto wasn't really surprised that she considered teen laps around the whole town to be just a warm up. Besides they were gonna need training like they never imagined to take in Vincente. Still, their "warm up" revealed an unnerving perspective about the real thing. Then, seemingly out if the blue Sonya began to scold them about their teamwork. While it was true that they hadn't been too incredibly cooperative with each other there was more to what she was saying. For the second time since she arrived Naoto caught a glimpse of pay Sonya's cold demeanor. "Maybe we're not the only ones who should consider that..." He muttered as he watched Sonya head upstairs. Cyril and Abby continued to argue drawing a sigh from Naoto's lips. "Oi, if you wanna talk you know where to find me." He told Daisuke with a warm smile. Naoto waited over to Abby and started to lift her up some. He sat down with his back to hers and propped her up so that she could eat. "There, that should help. You should at least be able to use your arms cause no way am I feeding you." Naoto told her with a slight chuckle. "Cyril...at least for a week I don't want us to be just a bunch kids who were recruited by the mafia. So, stop a jerk...for now."

Jak's first challenge was to catch the water bottle. While she may have been on the softball team, that didn't mean that she could just magically ignore pain as she lurched forward the catch the water bottle. Unfortunately it went straight through her hands and onto her chest. She quickly picked it up, but not before quietly scrunching the bottle in pain. As she tried to suppress it, she barely caught any of what Fionn's brother and sister-in-law were saying about meeting.

They mentioned cookies again and the pain died down enough for Jak to relax a little more. I'll have to ask for an ice pack later, or maybe some ibprofen...

Then Riener made some comment about Fionn being useless. "He's not useless... he's a lot better at hiding than I am...." Jak mumbled pointedly under her breath.

Then Fionn mentioned fresh cookies. This would be the first time in months that Jak could just eat a fresh baked cookie without having to make it. The idea sounded very god to her, especially after her mother's anger today, and it offered a brief respite from the idea that she'd have to Vincente later on. Warm gooey cookies sounded good, no matter the circumstances.

Jak was jolted out of her warm gooey cookie daydreams by Riener suddenly yelling to his mother. She glared at him for a second before a man answered from the kitchen, causing Reiner to sulk like a wounded puppy. Jak snickered before Maria chastised Fionn for laughing as well. "Oh come on, you have to admit that he was kinda acting childish. It was funny." She leaned over to Fionn and whispered, "is this what it's always like here? I don't have siblings so it's usually very quiet at home."

---

Artemis complained in English about Cyril, "you're an arse, Cyril. Where's that big old crybaby I saw last night...? Get in touch with your feelings and just move some plates next to us... please..." as she reached out towards Cyril, scooting across the floor using her elbows, she stopped to look at Sonya.

Apparently it wasn't real training. Ten laps around this town wasn't real training. Artemis was about to despair before she realized something. The realization made her leap to her feet -although somewhat unsteadily- and point at Sonya. "But I'm not a Guardian! Therefore I don't need any training! And besides, I'll be busy making Naoto's weapon! So ha, bedeviled woman! I'm also not a part of this team! I'm whatever, because I can't fight worth a damn compared to you lot," she thought about her statment for a moment before adding, "probably." She laughed for a few minutes before realizing that she had probably brought hell down onto her head by insulting Sonya. "Um... I meant... that... I'm going to be working hard all week getting everything to work correctly. So nothing... explodes...."

Artemis lost her nerve and darted over to the dining room table, shoveling down as much food as she could before Sonya brought down her wrath. We're all doomed, but before we fight the crazy assassin guy, I might be first in the casualties...

Ignore.... accidental double post...

Fear was a foreign sentiment to Daisuke.

Just what was it about the monosyllabic word that encased the heart with a furious clasp, seizing the victim in a silencing suffocation? To the Japanese boy's father, to be afraid was to be cowardly; it had been a commonplace commandment passed on to Daisuke ever since he was able to walk on his own two feet... but was it fear so terrifying that could paralyze those feet? "I can't do it," he muttered from behind his knees, his arms hugging the shins of his legs as his calves pressed up against his chest.

"It can't be true. It just can't be..." The rotating hologram of the boy, and his profile beside it, was still fresh in Daisuke's memory. There had been a search option that his father had ignored that mentioned his potential crimes, and the number of results amassed to over half a thousand with the first registry dating back six years before now. He might have been the only one to notice the stray information, but it was enough to place him in such a terrified state. He understood that potential only meant that it was a mere possibility, and it was not definite, but... over half a thousand?

And Daisuke had offered to be the boy's friend, too. "Michael," he spoke the name that the boy had used as an alias. "But he doesn't have red eyes, or black hair..." When 'Michael' had approached them, he had blond hair and blue eyes. How was it possible that someone could change their hair and eye color like that, and then, others be unable to discern that it had been altered? The world's technology might have advanced greatly, but hair and eye color manipulation? It was unheard of.

A soft knock on the door shook Daisuke from his innermost thoughts, but he remained quiet. He had locked the door earlier, and when the knob refused to turn, her worried voice came. "Honey?" No response. "Are you okay?" He breathed as if he were laid down, in bed, and asleep, the moonlight glazing over his blanket from the window. After a few moments, footsteps down the hall indicated that Ottavio was gone.

"Dad has to be lying... right?" Daisuke tried to convince himself that all of this was still a game. Maybe the entire thing about the Vongola Famiglia, and his status as the Lightning Guardian, was actually true. He couldn't believe it; does this mean that I'm part of the mafia now?

"Does this mean I have to get strong to protect people?"

Or...

"Does this mean I have to get strong to hurt people?"

---

People said that alcohol was not enough to wash away the pain, and for Hajime, it was a truth colder than the empty bottles of liquor that laid at his feet.

Hajime was normally not big on drinking, but it was because of tomorrow. There were many pictures sprawled all across the head of the table where the man sat, barely able to hold his head up as his left hand cradled his forehead, the other holding on to the neck of a half-finished bottle of vodka. He convulsed sporadically as he inhaled and exhaled heavily, the heavy scent of the alcohol in his breath as his hand picked one of the pictures out of seemingly random selection.

All of them were pictures of their former family. Frames of time, captured in happiness and smiles no longer native to him. Hajime raised the picture close to his eyes as they struggled to focus on the dancing image. "Kenta..." he groaned, wheezing as he drew out the end of the name. It was a snapshot of his eldest son, who had been born nearly seventeen years ago and was only six, with his tongue out at the camera and his finger pulling down the skin underneath his eye for a funny face. With a bubbly face that was like an infant, his buzzcut-styled brown hair and hazel eyes only made Kenta more appealing to the other adults that saw him.

Hajime, taking a swig of the alcohol, swapped the picture for one that captured his other son, Daisuke, who had graced the family with his arrival two years after his older brother. The small body of the four-year old was facing away from the camera as his head had just turned to catch the snap of the photograph. The four-year old's melancholy eyes that had been looking directly at the camera seemed to stare back at him. Daisuke had always been the quieter one of the two, back then.

Throwing the picture back into the pile of many others, Hajime took a long gulp from the bottle as he reached for another, this time pulling one that included the entire family. His finger trailed along the image of his younger self from almost a decade in the past, grinning as he jokingly flexed with his two sons on his shoulders as his wife, Satomi, nestled against his body and looked up at what was going on atop of her, laughing at the silliness that was once their family. The six-year old Kenta, on his left shoulder, was digging through his hair like a monkey digging for fleas, while a four-year old Daisuke, who was on his right shoulder, had his mouth over Hajime's right thumb as if he were eating candy.

The photograph fell from Hajime's grip as his head fell into his arm, his drunken state unable to combat the emotions that he never allowed to show. His memory came back to the time, just before Satomi left their company to ensure that he and Daisuke would escape from Japan.

"Little Daisuke must have a mother," Satomi had told him. "Promise me this."

"I can't do it," Hajime remembered his last words to her. "I won't break the vows I made to you. Why can't you stay?"

And Hajime could remember the bittersweet smile that Satomi gave him before she would disappear forever. "Please... You have to be the one," she stood above him. "I love you, Hajime." He couldn't even tell her that he loved her.

An unsuspecting pair of arms held Hajime in an embrace from behind as he began to sob uncontrollably. "I'm sorry," he croaked behind the tears. "I'm so, so, sorry, Satomi," he continued as he felt the head of another against the side of his face. He had always told himself that he would never break the vows that he had made to Satomi, during a time that he wished he could relive, over and over.
And now, Hajime had broken that vow.