68. Ruins

Rei

I honestly didn't think I'd find myself in ruins, of all places.

Something akin to wreckage after a discriminate bombing, maybe. Nothing was left of what probably used to be a huge palace-like structure. The sky was dark. 

This place looked familiar. Painfully, ominously familiar.

Popping open my can of coffee in a semblance of calm, I downed it slowly, allowing the nauseating build-up at my throat to slide back down. 

Ah, the night sky's not pretty at all. Not a single star was in sight. It was all covered up by pollution or the smoky haze of battle--

I really don't wanna turn around.

"VOII!!" Superbi Squalo yelled into the earpiece, "Just let me through already, dammit!!"

I sighed. 

Am I gonna die if I turn around? Oh look, a huge piece of rock. At a perfect angle that I could hide and stay out of sight. Let's hide behind that.

"YOU LITTLE BASTARDS! ARE YOU STILL ALIVE???"

Cringing at the sharp tone, my hands shot up to my ears. Hearing it in person was really a new experience. Didn't think any idiot would have enough energy to scream like that after a raid.

That aside that aside, why am I here again? Oh, right, I think future me was Varia or something. Wait, am I someone important? Like I'm not a random lackey? Why, how?

I heard a really painful sounding CRACK and CRASH followed by a surprised grunt from Squalo-- turning around and peeking out from above the rock, I noticed Squalo had just been bashed in the head by a chunk of debris.

"You ASSHOLE!!" he yelled at Xanxus. In a flash, Squalo was really to kill the boss, leader or not, and Lussuria was just calmly holding him back.

Eyeing them bemusedly, I wondered if I'd survive being here for a moment longer. How am I gonna go back? I'm in Italy so do I need to find a way back to Japan first? Wait that means I need to associate with these scary bastards first--

Belphegor's face came an inch before mine. "Ciao~"

"Eh-" taken by surprise, "eeEEEEeeeEKKKKk!!!!" Letting out a long string of high-pitched, strangled squeaks, I shot back and ducked back as far as I could. 

I stopped with a rock to my back, and a mouse crawling out from right beside my hand made me jump a second time and onto my feet. "Eeek!!"

"Ushishishi," Belphegor giggled, "Look who's gone back to square one?" Jabbing a tongue in my direction, he turned to everyone else and teased.

Squalo, giving up on murdering Xanxus, scoffed. "Well, fuck."

Ducking behind the rock again, I was hesitant in what to say. Or do.

Lussuria gave a delighted chuckle, "My, it's been so long," he mused, "He was so much more expressive when he was younger!"

Fran calmly walked over to me and stopped in front of me. "Is this the previous Zero-senpai? Kinda disappointing," he said bluntly in his monotone voice, "He's so nooormal."

"Zero-senpai?" I couldn't help repeating.

One careless blurt made the whole scene stop and everyone turned to me. Levi, who I thought was half-dead on the ground, opened his eyes to look at me but didn't stand up. 

Holding my coffee with both hands, I sighed. Taking a large gulp, I cringed at the cold and breathed out. Closing my eyes-- I whispered to myself softly: "Brothers, please watch over me," and counted to three.

"What kind of character do you like playing the most?" Drew once asked her brother, while they were leisurely discussing the secrets of acting.

Eve chuckled, "I love being everything, but if I'd have to pick a favourite--" his eyes sharpened, "I like playing the role of an experienced Yakuza or Mafioso."

"It's tiring to be scared of you when I'm supposedly a part of the Varia now," an informal and daring tone, with a dull, uninterested gaze-- "Mind telling me what exactly is going on here?"

-

-

Irie

"Ah, wait, before you leave-!" 

Everyone was just about to step out the exit when Irie had remembered something. 

It was a confusing situation-- Irie began digging around his desk of papers, lifting them, Placing them in proper positions-- Pulling out his chair, looking in to underneath the table--

"Wait a minute, where did she go??" he held his head in frustration. "Sui-chan!" Irie called, "Are you still in here??"

"Sui??" Takeshi and Tsuna repeated at the same time, shocked.

"Wait, Sui, as in Rei's sister?" Takeshi stepped forward to exclaim, "She's here too?"

Irie had shuffled through some broken parts when he felt someone cling onto his back, arms wrapping around his neck.

"I'm here, Shou-chan." Sui whined, "Was sleeping."

Buried in a mountain of random parts, the short-haired girl in without her white spell jacket looked over Irie's shoulder.

Irie held back a blush as the girl's sleepy intimacy, but told himself to dismiss it. This is how Sui usually is, he told himself, She's not particularly trying to be charming.

Sui, were you there the whole time? Chaos went on, you know?" Irie reprimanded, bringing Sui over to the group, "You could've been caught up in explosion!"

"I won't," Sui whined, "The journal said this place was safe."

"What journal--" Irie snapped back, but sighed. 

Tidying hersef, she walked towards the group. Giving a curt bow, she looked them in the eye and spoke in a stoical, emotionless tone. "It's been a very long while, Takeshi-nii and Tsuna-san." 

"Is it really you, Sui-chan?" Tsuna gasped in disbelief, "Your hair is-"

"You look cute!" Takeshi tried, "How are you?"

Sui smiled. "I'm very fine. It's nice to see you again. I work as Shou-chan's secretary." she explained calmly as if it was an interview.

"Secretary?" they were all taken aback.

Irie sighed. "Anyways, Sui, are you staying or do you want to be with the other girls like Sasagawa-san and Miura-san?" he asked.

It didn't take half a second for Sui to make her decision. "I wanna stay with Shou-chan."

Tsuna and party were a little curious and awed by their relationship. In the past, Sui was one who clung to the older girls all the time. Now, she didn't even think twice in forgoing a chance to be with them.

"So she says." Irie chuckled awkwardly.

"I will be remaining here as long as Shou-chan does so." Sui giggled slightly, a bashful smile on her face-- an expression she never managed to show in the past-- "I wish you luck in your future battles."