Alice is lying on the hospital bed with her slippers on, and she opens one eye as Tsuna approached her. Yamamoto and Ryohei followed close behind him.

"I feel a lecture coming up." She says wearily.

"A lecture wouldn't help, so why bother." Tsuna says, trying to force some chirpiness into his voice.

Alice pushes herself up and sits blinking like Sleeping Beauty, just woken from a century of slumber. As she stretches, Yamamoto presented a box of sushi on her lap, removing the lid with care.

"Eat up. There's lots more, so don't hold back." He smiled, wanting nothing more than for Alice to recover as soon as possible. "You sure? Once I let loose, it's hard to stop, you know." She says, sounding amused, liking the thought of gorging herself on the feast, no doubt.

She swallowed a fatty tuna whole, temporarily forgetting to chew first. Choking on the food afterwards, Tsuna panicked at the sight of seeing her face turn blue. Having recovered from her choking fit, Tsuna offered her a glass of water.

"Don't drink it down in one gulp. Take your time to-you're not listening to me." Tsuna sighed as Alice coughed. "How are you feeling?" Yamamoto asked patiently, which couldn't be said about Ryohei.

"You look extremely beat up!!" He roared, forgetting he was in a hospital. Alice sighs. "I'm fine. I'm just so tired." She knows they can tell her body is suffering. Her neck aches a little, but it doesn't matter.

"How is Lambo doing? Has he regained consciousness yet?"

Tsuna glanced over at Yamamoto, afterwards shaking his head. "He's not awake yet, but I'm sure he'll open his eyes soon." "He's strong, so don't worry about him. Just focus on getting better to the extreme." Ryohei nods vigorously. Alice exhaled, and with it, her worried mind was put at ease.

"Ne Pierce-san..." Tsuna began to say as he sat down on the foot of her bed, eyeing her battered self. Her hands were placed neatly on either side of the box containing the sushi snacks. Her knuckles were half healed, seeing a bit red still.

"Maybe it’s best if you stand on the sidelines for the following matches." "What?" Alice sat up straight. There was no sign of her tiredness as she gazed at Tsuna. She felt like punching him for proposing it, let alone expecting for her to do so in battle.

"It's not that we don't believe in your abilities. You were a great help to Onii-san, after all." Tsuna said in a failed attempt to spare her feelings. "That's right! You were a real life saver to the extreme!" Ryohei slammed his fist against his chest, his eyes set ablaze.

"We all decided for this. It's for the best, Pierce-san." "You're in this too?" She turned to Yamamoto who had a sad glow in his eyes. "Gokudera can handle the next match. He's training as we speak, so there's no need for you to interfere." He said.

Alice, being the stubborn mule that she is, slid the sushi on the bed as she struggled to get up on her feet despite the pain. "I'm fine. I can handle them! There's no reason for me to stand on the sidelines! You don't have to worry!"

Yamamoto pushed her back down with care, ignoring her insulting words as she yelled at him to let her go. Tsuna got up on his feet, giving her room to lie down against her own will.

She had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the bed. Despite her reckless behavior, Yamamoto overpowered her easily. "Let me go Takeshi! You guys can't tell me what to do!" She kept struggling nonetheless.

"I'll never forgive you for doing this!"

Suddenly, Yamamoto snapped. He held onto her wrists with his hands, towering above her, his chocolate brown orbs hardening as he glared her down. "Then I won't forgive you for losing your temper! You could have killed the guy, Alice! The sooner you realize that, the sooner we'll allow for you to join the fray!"

His unexpected actions commanded total silence that quite literally, scared them on both sides. She could feel him taking a firmer grip of her wrists, and also a firmer grip on his nerves.

"Yamamoto."

He heard Tsuna’s voice over his shoulder, instantly loosening his grip on Alice as he backed away from her. "Pierce-san…" "I get it." Alice whispered softly, the back of her hand concealing her eyes as she lied there, utterly defeated.

"We’re only looking out for you." "I said I get it! I’ll… leave it up to Hayato." She bit her lower lip, restraining herself from saying anything stupid. Tsuna resisted the urge to touch her shoulder, a simple gesture showing Alice that it's not as difficult as it seems to stop fighting.

It was a bitter pill for her to swallow, and he knew that, thus he retreated. Comforting her now would be a bad idea, especially when he’s the one who spilled the beans on the decision that has been made.

"W-well, I guess that’s that, then!" Tsuna laughed, scratching the back of his head. Ryohei and Yamamoto got the hint. The two of them cast one last glance at Alice, who turned her back on them, slipping under the covers by now.

Her eyes were depressed and gloomy. Strands of her blonde hair framed her chubby cheeks, earning her the accursed nickname Hibari bestowed upon her. "We’ll catch up with you later, ne?" Tsuna said, reading her grumpy mood like an open book, although a blind person won’t have much trouble reading her emotions.

Tsuna opened the sliding door, looking back at Alice hesitantly, as if waiting for a snappy comment from yours truly. "I’ll beat the crap out of Hayato if he doesn’t pull through for us." Alice mumbled from under her sheets.

Ryohei smiled, scratching his nose in his amused state.

"You tell him that…"

"I will."

Tsuna felt relieved, despite of Alice’s threat, which he knows she’ll keep.

Tsuna’s POV:

Yamamoto shut the door as I stood in the clean hospital hallway. "She took it okay, I guess. I figured she’d yell at us some more…" I sighed, my eyes cast downwards. "There’s nothing we can do about it now, Tsuna." I nodded, agreeing with Yamamoto.

"Hmmm…" Onii-san put on his thinking face.

"I wonder why she acted like a vicious beast during the Lightning Ring Battle." He said while looking at us. "Who knows." Yamamoto shrugged. "It’s not like we can ask her. You know how she is..." "Alice can’t shut up even if her life depended on it, but she keeps a lid on her private life to the extreme." Onii-san closed off.

I could tell he was still itching to ask.

"Pierce-san hasn’t told us anything about her life in America." I said, looking at the window to see my own reflection staring back at me. "How can we call this a Family when we don’t understand one another… When we keep things from each other."

"Everyone has their own share of secrets. Especially the deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which you don’t want for the people close to you to find out about." Benjamin Pierce graced us with his presence, walking towards us.

"Because in the end, when they do find out… Those close to you will start to think less of you." The faint clicking of his finely polished shoes ceased. Though he betrayed it by no outward sign, I felt, somehow, that he wasn’t the same person I tried to help out yesterday.

He looked at me, and laughed lightly.

"Are you boys done visiting my lovely daughter?" He said, tearing his eyes from mine. But I saw it. I saw the rush of anger that filled his eyes. Ordinarily warm and soft despite the icy blueness, flooded with a glowing radiance.

But now, they were cold and harsh, chilling me to the bone as I couldn’t move from my spot. No. I chose not to move in fear of what he might do. His daughter is in the hospital because of me. And I feel like he knows.

What should I do?! What on earth should I do?!

I shut my eyes, refusing to face him. "I greatly respect you, Pierce-oyaji. But that doesn’t mean I agree with everything you say." Hearing Yamamoto’s voice made me open my eyes.

"You’re wrong about us. We wouldn’t think any less of Alice if she told us. She hasn’t even said anything yet, but still, you accuse us of disrespecting your daughter?" Despite the harsh tone in his voice, Yamamoto remained calm and undisturbed.

His eyes were brewing up a storm from the inside. It was like he was trying his best to keep himself from lashing out at the man who cared for Pierce-san his whole life.

"We might lie to her, and we might yell at her from time to time, but it’s all out of pure friendship!" Onii-san pitched in, burning much like the sun. Onii-san… He really does know the right things to say sometimes. "She’s a Ring Buddy to the extreme!" That is something you shouldn’t have let slip out!

"Ring Buddy?" Benjamin-san inquired, arching his brow. "So you really do form a gang of some sorts. The name is surprisingly tacky." He said, mostly talking to himself.

"We’re called the Vongola Family! Vongola Family!" "Vongola Family? As in the Mafia? Good heavens." Benjamin-san pushed up his glasses, his fingertip lingering on the bridge of his glasses as he sank in deep thoughts.

"M-mafia? Hardly! I-it’s just a stupid game we picked up on!" I piped in. There’s no way I can fool him! He’s way smart! "I guess this is the first lie, and more will follow, undoubtedly." I knew it!

"You actually expect me to believe you? Who would call themselves after a clam of all things? A dog can come up with a better sounding name." He said, sounding insulted. "A-are? Y-you don’t b-believe us?" Lucky! He really doesn’t believe us! Finally something good came out of the Vongola name!

"I’m not lying to the extreme! Tell him Sawada!" Benjamin-san placed his sharp eyes on me, waiting for my reply. "W-well…" "I’m warning you, boy. You’d better come clean right now."

He took a step in my direction. I backed away from him instantly. His threatening expression faded upon realizing what he was doing. Benjamin-san sighed, clearly stressed out. "Look… I can tell from her behavior that something’s amiss. Spare me the details. I just want to know if she joined another group of delinquents."

I could tell he was desperate. Why all the fuss about her joining a gang? He doesn’t care about anything else other than that. "As her father, I have the right to know." He pressed on. I clenched my hands into fists, lifting my head as our eyes met yet again.

"Yes…"

"Tsuna."

Yamamoto stepped forward, eyeing him in disbelief.

"Yes what?" "Pierce-san is a part of our group. We depend on her for our survival, though sometimes, we depend on her a little too much than is necessary." He was really pissed off now, a muscle going in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

"Goddammit, Alice…" He muttered under his breath, reverting to English as he turned his back on us. "But she isn’t doing anything bad!" "I know. She’s a good kid."

"Like her brother?" Yamamoto gazed at him sternly. Benjamin-san was caught off guard by this, turning to face us again. "I see. So Alice opened up to the lot of you. Let me guess… She said she hated her brother, huh?" He managed to smile weakly.

"Judging from the look on your face, I got it right." A nurse passed us by. He greeted her with a slight nod of his head, afterwards reverting back to his serious self. "Come on. Let’s get us something to drink, shall we?"

---------------

First, there's Alice Pierce, six years old.

California in June, the sun shone down upon her head.

She gazed down, rubbing her small feet against one another. Alice pushed out her lips, growing weary of waiting. "What's taking him so long?" She puffed out her cheeks, fiddling with her baby blue smocked dress.

A pair of footsteps joined her as she looked up, smiling with such delight upon recognizing the person.

"Aiden!" Alice pulled away from the wall she was leaning on, cheerfully hooking her arm with his.

And then there was Aiden Pierce, eleven years old.

Showing off a sly smile, he removed his cap, placing it on Alice's head. Her nose crinkled up, clearly displeased with the piece of cloth on her head. "Girls don't wear hats like these!" Aiden lowered the cap, ignoring her words.

"It's for the sun, stupid."

"The sun?" Alice tilted her head, her eyes sparkling, exposing her childishness. "You never heard of sunstrokes before?" She shook her head no, still dangling on his arm.

"Your skin dries up." Alice eyed him in disbelief.

"Your eyes rot from the inside out." Aiden poked his right eye, keeping on his well-practiced poker face. "And your blood starts to boil, burning the skin all over." Alice's delicate fingers held onto the brim of the close-fitting cap.

"I don't like sunstrokes!" She panicked, reacting exactly how Aiden thought she would. "Then keep it on." He said, followed with a hurried O-okay! as Alice stuck to him like superglue.

Alice and Aiden were always seen together. They weren't just siblings. They were best friends.

In fact, Alice was probably the one person he trusts in this world.

It was late in the evening. Alice sat on the staircase, her small hands gripping the wooden bars. A full grown golden retriever lied at the foot of the stairs, panting as if she were tired.

She heard the booming voice of her father in the kitchen close by. From the sound of things, the two responsible adults were dealing verbal blows to one another, getting into another heated argument over nothing.

As she sat there, perking her ears to the sound of them arguing, Alice felt a hand being placed on her mouth as she let out a muffled cry. "It's me." Aiden whispered into her ear. She calmed down instantly. He removed his hand, placing his index-finger on his lips.

Like a skilled ninja, he snuck down the stairs to the door, the dog watching him intently with her brown eyes. Alice did the same, watching him open the door a little. A spear of light seeped through, into the dark hallway.

"I don't have to put up with interrogation, Lydia." "No?" Lydia grabs Benjamin's shoulder and turns him round. "Well, I don't know that I have to put up with the way you're behaving." He shrugs her off.

"My first late night out in a bar since... We'll, if I think about it, since before Alice was born, and suddenly I'm the world's worst husband, the world's worst father!" "That's another thing. The effect on the kids." She glared him down. Clearly, she has no intention of backing down any time soon.

"Ok, if for some unknown reason you want to make my life a living hell, that's one thing. I can take it. But it's not fair on Aiden and Alice. They noticed that you're not at all yourself." It was Benjamin's turn to glare her down. She always uses the kids as an excuse to get to him.

"And Alice kept asking me last night what time you'd be home. It's all we talk about!" "And I bet you made sure she knew I was a bad parent. You're always cornering me like this! You just keep nagging at me with every step I take!" Now she does something really unforgivable. She laughs at him.

"Nagging at you? We're not in the playground now Benjamin. You're a grown-up, remember? Clearly, you can take care of yourself." Benjamin looks at her for a long time. Her face had the same perfect proportions, yet he doesn't recognize her. What was it he loved about her? He can't remember a single thing.

A crashing sound broke his thoughts as something broke into clattering fragments. His eyes were placed upon the door, spotting his two children standing in the entrance. The pieces of a now broken porcelain vase were scattered before Alice's feet.

"Alice... Mommy and Daddy are just having a little disagreement." Benjamin covered up the situation. It was clear she wanted to make them stop fighting by breaking the vase, even if it meant she would be punished for it.

"You shouldn't pamper her. No wonder she thinks she can get away with everything." Alice hid behind her brother, her hands gripping on the back of his shirt. But Lydia had none of it as she held onto her upper arm, dragging the girl away from her brother, her only source of protection.

"There's no need for that, Lydia! She's frightened!"

"What she did was wrong!" Lydia turned round to face her husband with Alice in tow. "You siding with her is no surprise! She got it from you, after all!" She snapped. Seeing her focus her eyes on Benjamin, Aiden held onto Alice's wrist, leaving the battlefield behind him as he slammed the door shut.

He was sick and tired of seeing them fight. He was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Alice was crying by now. She tried wiping away the tears with the back of her hand, but they just kept on rolling down her chubby cheeks, sobbing and hiccupping violently.

Aiden pat her on the head, flattening her golden hair as he smiled a sad smile. Despite the fact that their parents are so close, that they are within reach, they still feel completely alone.

Age four, Alice committed her first theft.

Age six, first fire.

In-between, her mother taught her how to play the piano in order to distract her from committing such crimes, if she wasn't punishing her at all.

Because of Lydia's music loving parents, she decided to pursue a career in music. If her parents hadn't died in a car crash when she was twelve years old, things might have been different for the young Alice, clearly struggling with her musical lessons.

It still mattered to her, the music making. It never went away. Music was her life. And she got that from her parents. She took Alice to lessons and auditions, the way her mother had.

Lydia wanted to show Alice that you could get lost in it. Just lose yourself in the music. The very first chords which Alice struck upon the piano sent chills down Leanne's spinal column. As the young girl ran her small hands noisily across the keyboard, her mother wasn't at all pleased.

"Are you trying to make a fool of me?" She said, biting her lower lip which showed that she was about to let her rage rain down on Alice. She removed her hands from the keys, avoiding her mother's eyes. This was the first time she thought she was ready, having practiced with everything she got. But obviously, it didn't matter.

"I can't work like this." Lydia said, clearly frustrated, thinking her own daughter would pick up on her musical talents. Neither can I. Alice kept her thoughts to herself.

She realized her mother was obsessed with trying to turn her into a proper lady, and she hated it. As if playing the piano makes me more ladylike. Thus, her little heart turned rebellious, rejecting everything that had to do with Lydia.

If she was asked to play the piano, Alice made sure to mention her growing love for the electric guitar. If Lydia pushed her to play with the daughter of a music loving fancy pants, she'd walk up to her brother, to the boys' side, humiliating her further.

A child starts out as a part of you, and they end up as people you hardly recognize. Lydia could see it coming. Lydia's daughter and she were strangers living under the same roof. She might not agree with her husband on lots of things, but at least they communicated through yelling.

With Alice, there isn't even the slightest form of communication. Alice could only count on her brother, helping her out whenever she needed him. She didn't expect for Aiden to turn his back on her. She didn't even think of something so absurd.

Age seven, first assault.

Boys followed the two siblings after school. Alice recognized them from before. At the school playground, Daniel Anderson yanked Aiden from the monkey bars for reasons he couldn't explain.

The quarrel ended in a fistfight, one where Aiden came out as the winner.

The boys knocked him to the ground; three to one, no chance of winning. They proceeded in giving him a sound beating, kicking Aiden repeatedly. Impelled by the blows that rained upon him, varying were the emotions that surged through Alice.

At first, she was surprised. Then came a momentary fear, seeing her brother covering his face as best as he could. But this was quickly followed by anger. Her true nature asserted itself, and she snarled fearlessly in the face of her enemies.

The blows came faster, heavier, more shrewd to hurt. They didn't pay her no mind. She wasn't important. Aiden was the one they wanted. That is when the seven year old got herself involved.

She fell upon Daniel Anderson, like a young bull with hatred, with desire to hurt, to maim, to destroy. Her knuckles smashed against his face, and much to his surprise, it hurt.

She was a whirlwind of hatred, determined to destroy Daniel like a house crossing a violent tornado’s path. His two companions became very quiet. They have never witnessed such intensity of ferocity, and they were shocked by it. The girl was innocent, but still, here she is, beating their leader to a pulp.

Daniel threw her a solid punch, strengthened by the desire to hurt her. Alice dodged it skillfully, as if she were a highly trained killing machine. He was fiercely countered, and felt his cheek laid open to the bone.

No bare knuckle had done that.

He was weakening fast, in a mix-up of blows there was a loud snap, and Daniel's left arm dropped to his side. Dazed by the rapid succession of blows, Daniel sobbed out with vile and earnest curses and groaned in ultimate desolation and despair.

The occasional blows of punches and kicks he received were as caresses compared to this. His followers were horrified. They wanted to step in, but were afraid of the devil incarnate, currently punching the life out of him as she sat on top of his half-conscious body.

She kept punching endlessly, battering away at a bloody something before her that was not a face but a horror, a hideous, nameless thing that persisted before her eyes. She punched on and on, slower and slower, as the last shreds of her rage faded.

The next moment, she was standing over Daniel, drenched in his blood, staggering and swaying on shaky legs, speaking in a voice she didn't recognize. "Don't touch Aiden. Don't touch him ever again." She was saying it over and over again.

Afterwards, the ambulance came.

His parents were informed of his condition, as were Benjamin and Lydia. They didn't know what to think. They didn't know what to do. What is there to do when your seven year old daughter pounded a boy twice her age into the ground?

At first, Benjamin thought Aiden had something to do with it. But the boy said nothing. Any form of communication between him and his sister ceased completely. He didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore.

He feared her.

He hated himself for letting her get involved.

But the hatred he harbored for himself fell into comparison of the hatred he felt for Alice.

---------------

Benjamin stirred his black coffee quite fiercely, afterwards looking at the three boys sitting before him. "After the unfortunate accident, we decided it would be of best interest for the kids if we got divorced."

He placed the mug down on the surface of a nearby table, removing his glasses. "After the divorce, my ex wife was given full custody of Aiden. She moved to Italy for her career. Eventually, she got married and lived happily ever after." He examined his glasses with the utmost attention and care.

"What happened to the boy?" Tsuna eventually mumbled. "Hmm? You mean Daniel?" Benjamin asked, in which Tsuna nodded.

"He passed away..." His shoulders were sagged.

"It was an accident, and I plan on keeping it that way. I don't want for Alice to think of herself as a murderer. She's my little girl." The silence crept in on them. Yamamoto gazed at Benjamin for the first time since he started his little story, his chocolate brown eyes looking quite saddened.

Somehow, Tsuna believed Benjamin's unbelievable story. It all makes sense now. Why Alice hated her brother. Why she went berserk during the Lightning Battle.

"I don't want for her to lose control again. I can't risk that." Benjamin placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, his blurry vision clearing up.

"I thought sending her to Japan would do her good, but she's at it again. So I have no choice but to take her back to California-" "You can't do that to the extreme!!" Ryohei jumped up from his seat, reaching his limit. "Onii-san..."

"If you do that, she'll feel like a loser!!"

"Senpai, calm down."

"Respect her feelings to the extreme!!" Benjamin was dumbfounded, his lips twitched with amusement as he felt the desire to laugh. "Respect her feelings? Come to think of it, I didn't ask her how she felt." He laughed. But the laughter ceased soon after. "No, I’m taking her home." Benjamin finished off as he stood on his feet.

The boys were dejected and gloomy. But Tsuna, wanting to show Benjamin he didn’t have a problem with it, that it was all for the best, soon revived his spirits with a smile.

"We’ll leave her in your care, then." He said, his voice steady.

A dark silhouette stood near, back against the wall while listening intently with ears perked up. The light revealed the person to be Alice, reluctantly shuffling away, uncomfortable in this hospital, uncomfortable in her own troubled skin, uncomfortable with the whole thing.

She thought for sure Tsuna and the others would put up a fight, not wanting for her to go. But here they are, practically giving her father permission to take her away. The darkness and silence enveloped her, a silence that was broken only by a single laugh coming from Benjamin.

Mocking me. Mocking me. Mocking me. Mocking me.

Alice bit her lower lip and frowned. "This settles it." She removed the IV drip in her arm with a hard tug, ignoring the blood seeping through her punctured skin. "Hell if I'm gonna sit back now."

Without another word, she walked away, leaving her Father, who was about to visit her, behind.

Alice’s POV:

I was waiting for him.

I was loitering by the front doors of the supermarket, ignoring the dirty looks of the store detective.

"Babyface?" Hayato said, and I looked at his shabby skull printed shirt and his shocked eyes. I felt like punching him for gazing at me for so long, as if I came back from the dead. Knowing him, he'd be thinking exactly that.

"How's your training going?"

"What do you mean, how's my training going?! You should be in the hospital!" He yelled, having recovered from the shock. "Yeah, well. You should be training!" I retorted harshly. Eventually, I sighed, finding it stupid to pick a fight with him when he's clearly worried.

"I'm okay. You think I could have escaped from the hospital without anyone noticing?" I lied. "Yeah!" He said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared me down. "You're the only one who can pull off something that sneaky. Sounds like something you'd do!" I rolled my eyes.

"Okay fine. I snuck out." I admitted afterwards, holding up my hands as if to say, I carry no weapons, take it easy on me. "I'm as healthy as a fish." "Whatever. Just don't expect for me to help you when you're feeling like crap."

A slow smile spread across my face. Hayato knows exactly what to say, when to say it, no matter how harsh his words may be. I can count on him to be honest with me. Hayato began walking away. I frowned at this. "Hey, Hayato."

"What is it?! You’re annoying me!" He snapped.

"We need to talk." He looked at me to see if I was serious. When he saw that I was, he dug his hands in his front pockets and sighed.

"I’ll give you ten minutes, and no more. I’ve got my own shit to do." My face cleared up as I smiled, closing the gap between us. He muttered a string of insults under his breath, regretting his decision.

I felt like doing something to him – maybe ruffling his hair, or slapping him on the back, or lightly punching his arm. He would be clearly pissed, a vein popping up on his forehead, and he’d probably yell at me some more for my stupid show of affection. So I didn’t touch him.

The two of us made our way to the park. Hayato sat down on one of the unoccupied swings, taking out a can of coke from his plastic bag. "Take a seat, idiot." He said while looking at me. I shrugged and did so, almost losing my balance.

Hayato rolled his eyes at me. "Here," He threw me another can. I caught it instantly, feeling the cold object against my warm skin. "Thanks…" Neither of us said a word afterwards, just sitting there, occasionally taking a sip of our drinks.

"You got my attention… So start talking." He said drily. I gazed into the distance, putting my mind at ease.

"You probably decided with the others that I shouldn’t fight, right?"

"They were ganging up on me. What use is there of a Wind Representative if you can’t fight for the sake of the Family? They’re a bunch of idiots. I don't feel the need to get you involved in my fight though, cuz I'll get the job done."

First, I frowned.

Then, I felt relieved at his answer.

"Exactly! I just don’t get it. It’s not like I’ll…" "Like you’ll freak out again? That wasn’t a pretty sight to see. You worried the Tenth, you know that? Hell, everyone was worried!" I clenched my hand, tightening the hold on the coke can. Hayato noticed this, looking at me from time to time with caution.

"But yeah, it's not like the guy didn't deserve it. If it wasn't for your interference, the Stupid Cow would have been a goner." I couldn't believe it. He actually sounded grateful, for once.

"Don't let it get to your head! I'm not complimenting you or anything! I'm just stating the facts." "I know." I said, reassuring him, despite the smirk that formed on my lips. "Spill it." Hayato said, a boring expression gracing his face.

"You don't care about that Levi guy. His Boss doesn't even care about him. Something else is on your mind, so spill it already." I leaned forward, the swing set creaking sharply in protest. I took a deep breath, exhaling afterwards. "In my past life... The life I don't want to remember," I began to say, hesitant at first.

"I made a lot of mistakes. And I know people can't help but make mistakes. You learn from them in the end." Hayato stifled a yawn. I glared in his direction, but continued nonetheless.

"But there are some mistakes you can't help but repeat over and over again." "Can you just cut to the case already?" "For the love of God, I killed a guy when I was a kid! There… Are you happy now?!" I spat, completely outraged with his lack of patience.

Hayato gave me a you're-screwing-with-me look. I send him a death glare, one so deadly that he got the picture, shutting up instantly. "I mean… I hated him so much. Before I knew it, my body moved on its own, and I punched him so hard… He was brain-dead afterwards..."

I crushed the now empty can in my tight hold, closing my eyes as I waited for Hayato's honest but dreaded response. When I didn't hear anything, I continued, practically pushing him to answer.

"They pulled the plug on him since there was no chance of recovering, and because I was the cause of his condition, I killed him." There was still no response. "Are you even listening to me? If Tsunami and the others find out about it, I'll never be able to face them ever-" "You think the Tenth cares about that?" Hayato interrupted.

"He doesn't care about what you've done in the past. Neither one of us does." He said, not taking his eyes off me. "You're a thief. You're a bad person." I felt myself growing angry at his words.

"But you take care of us. You take care of others, and that's enough for us. It’s one good thing that makes up for all the bad stuff that happened. People can look down on you for the rest of your life because of the mistakes you made, but we won't let you fall. Remember that." My anger melted away like snow before the sun.

Hayato got up on his feet, making me look up at him. "You did this one good thing, and that makes you a better person than he'll ever be." I arched my brow at his words, utterly confused. "I'm talking about your brother, dumbass. He's got something to do with all that stuff, right?" He said throwing his empty can into a trashcan close by.

My hard eyes glittered at the memory of Aiden, my Mother and all the rest. "So we done here?" Hayato missed the trashcan by a mere inch, cursing silently. I nodded my head, snapping out of my trance-like state.

"Anyway, if anyone asks, I was yelling at you and calling you names throughout the whole conversation." I laughed. As always, he's trying to save his reputation. "Sure. No problem."

"I thought I smelled the distinct scent of a rose in bloom." A familiar someone walked up to us, accompanied with a slurry speech. "S-Shamal?!" Hayato gazed at the drunk idiot, struggling with standing on his own two feet.

"Stop and pick the blooming roses, Hayato." He hiccupped.

"Smell the roses." He corrected his drunken talk.

"Huh?"

"You don't pick roses, moron! You smell them!"

"Just do everything. Pick them, smell them, take off your clothes and skip through them." I arched a brow, getting what he was rambling on about. Hayato did too, growing disgusted as his face turned green.

I could feel a vein popping up on my forehead, throbbing dangerously.

"Let's continue your training, Hayato." Shamal said while winking at me, acting as if Hayato wasn't even here. He went and tried to kiss me on the cheek and I avoided his disgusting habit, delivering a solid kick against his ribs.

"Sober up old man!!" I stomped on him, showing no mercy whatsoever with Hayato standing in the background, still with that disgusted expression on his face.

"I’m gonna be sick."

---------------

I was sitting on a chair in the infirmary, my feet propped up on the table as I leaned back, eyeing the pervert as he and Hayato got into another disagreement about his little training session.

I was planning on heading home after beating Shamal to a pulp, but he dismissed my actions with a wave of his hand, practically dragging me here against my will. "Do you know what the most important thing is when flirting?" Shamal asked.

"I dunno… Making a dude feel pleased with himself, which isn’t that hard." I answered with a bored stare in his direction. "I’m not pleased. But nice try." He gave me a smile like watching the sun come out.

"How about I kick you where the sun don’t shine. That’ll make you stop smiling, for sure." I growled, threatening him. Shamal wasn’t fazed by this at all.

"I guess…" Hayato mumbled, looking away. "A good pick-up line…" He finished, looking much like a shy little boy. "You gotta be kidding me. What are you, six?" "Shut up! Don’t talk like you know anything about flirting! And why are we even discussing this topic anyway?!!" He groaned, feeling like an idiot for believing Shamal’s cheap lies.

"Trust me, I know enough about flirting. I’ve seen my Dad flirt plenty of times, thank you very much." "Oh yeah. The American foreigner. He’s pretty good." Shamal began stroking his chin. "Isn’t he? He has a lot of useful pick-up lines." I said, straightening myself in my chair.

"Name one." Shamal seated himself in front of me, all the while ignoring Hayato’s head-banging against the surface of the table.

"I’d have to wrap a telephone-cord around your throat, listening to you beg for mercy-" "I’ll pass." Shamal sighed.

"So you don’t know the answer… It’s up here. Up here." Shamal tapped his temple, a sarcastic riiiiiight slipping past my lips. "Guys who aren’t popular make excuses, but in the end, they just lack the brains."

At this point, Hayato was either dead, or just too tired to fight back. Resting his now sore head down on the table, he groaned softly. Ha! The sound of defeat!

"There’s not a woman on the planet you can’t get if you use your brain and set a trap." Shamal glanced over at me, his eyes scanning my surprised face. "What the hell are you looking at?" He smiled, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"I swear…" I snatched a phone from God knows where, stretching the cord in a warning matter. Shamal backed away, still smiling nonetheless. "I think it’s about time," Hayato said, sitting upright as his bangs covered his eyes.

"I’m going home."

He began walking towards the door. "Are you gonna leave your cute girlfriend behind with an old pervert like me? You’re messed up, Hayato." "Look who’s talking!!" Hayato exploded. "Stop beating around the bush and teach me already!!"

"He’s right. I mean, what the hell am I doing here anyway? He’s the one who’s gonna fight for his life. Hayato really needs your help." I nodded, backing him up. Unfortunately, Hayato glared in my direction.

"I need his help?! I’m not that weak, Babyface!!"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!!"

Within a matter of seconds, the verbal insults we threw at each other turned into a bloody brawl, trying to punch the other’s lights out. "Okay okay! Break it up." Shamal stepped in, acting like an adult, which is rare.

"Even cats and dogs get along from time to time, so the two of you can too." I turned my back on Hayato, as did he. "With the way you’re fighting all the time, how can you possibly work together as a team and win the match?" Upon hearing that, I opened one eye, looking Shamal over in a curious matter.

"Is that the reason why I’m here?"

"Why else would you be here? You’re the Wind Representative. Aren’t you supposed to support the Guardians?" Shamal said, running his fingers through his chestnut hair. I shrugged, afterwards sending Hayato a death glare over my shoulder.

"Listen…" Shamal dug his hands in his pockets, looking serious as hell. "There’s no mistaking that you two have the element of wind supporting you... Therefore, Hayato, you can use her ability to grow stronger. Even more so than usual." Hayato approached Shamal with a sort of confused expression on his face.

"That might be true, but I don't need her there. I'll be prepared." He retorted, growing more than insulted at the moment. "You're the Storm Guardian, and she is the Wind Representative. In reality, any type of storm is dependable on the strong winds, keeping them from dying out. You see where I'm going with this?" Shamal squinted his eyes, trying to make out a sign that Hayato understood.

"Instead of continuing this self-destructive behavior as a whole, you need to work together."

"You can't seriously think I'm better off with her there. She'll just get in the way."

"Hold the phone. I'll just get in the way?" I stepped in, unable to listen to any more of his reasons of us not working together. Of course, I can't picture us working together at all, just like he does. But that doesn't mean I won't try! He would do and say anything to get rid of me, as long as he can prove himself worthy of being Tsunami's right-hand man.

"Thanks a bunch, Hayato." Him and his stupid pride.

"As long as you refuse to work with her, I won't teach you anymore." Hayato couldn't move. He was frozen to the spot. "What?! I have the right to turn her down! I'm the Storm Guardian!"

"In the state you're in, you won't even lay a finger on your opponent, let alone win the fight. When you find yourself in a dire situation, will you turn your back on the Wind Representative like a fool?" Shamal questioned, not waiting for his reply. "Of course you will!"

"I'm not a fool! I'm gonna win! I'll show the Tenth that he can count on me! I'll pull through for him!" Hayato yelled out. I fought the urge to dislocate his arm for emotionally hurting me.

"Your opponent, Belphegor," Shamal spoke calmly. "Is the smartest of the Varia. You're actually that naive to think he won't have a trick or two up his sleeve? That he'll fight you fairly? And there's still the chance of him using Pezzo. If Belphegor can't finish the job by some stroke of luck, I'm sure Pezzo will kill you; the fool, in his madness." He looked at Hayato.

Hayato said nothing. He looked away, finally coming to his senses. He didn't know what to do next. The thinking part of his brain was blocked, refusing to work properly. "Make use with whatever you got. Use her." Shamal looked me over. "She won't disappoint you in battle... She won't lose control either."

I frowned at that piece of information, pursing my lips in my annoyance. He flicked open one of the 666 pills he carries with him. There, buzzing at the tip of his finger was a lone mosquito. I gulped. Shamal smirked, the bastard.

"What makes you think I'll give you permission to cure me?" I grinned from ear to ear, growing confident of myself that nothing would happen. He's an unsuccessful womanizer, a pervert, and a drunk bastard. But he's merciful from time to time, especially towards girls. And guess what; I'm a delicate female, in full bloom.

"Who says I'd ask for your permission? You have no say in this whatsoever." Forget I said anything... "I said no and I meant it! I don't want that thing near me!" I grew silent. My face was as pale as a sheet, feeling the mosquito's long proboscis penetrate my skin.

"Heh... Look at that." I laughed nervously, clearly in a state of shock. Almost instantly after that, my eyes rolled into my eye sockets as I blacked out, seeing a last glimpse of the smirking school doctor.

Shit.

Third POV:

The Americans did what they wanted to do. That was what caught Tsuna off guard. Not doing what they are told runs in their blood, it seems. He didn't understand. Why did Alice leave the hospital when she clearly needed to rest? Was it to deliberately worry him half to death; in which she succeeded.

"Art thou alright?" Basil asked, slightly worried, and with reason. During training, Tsuna was constantly spacing out, his mind elsewhere. He couldn't focus on his training session, making slow progress in completing his final stage.

"I'm fine." Tsuna flashed his white teeth. Part smile, part grimace. Reborn shook his head. "I don't know what to do with you." He said, aware of what's going on in that head of Tsuna's.

The boy was suddenly conscious of a tightness in his throat. "There's no need to worry about Alice. She can endure almost anything the enemy throws at her. If anything, it's something to laugh about."

"I know that. Why she left the hospital without the doctor's consent is what I'm worrying about." Reborn glanced over at his pupil, his beady eyes sparkling for a split second. "If I were you, I'd worry more about the outcome of the Storm Battle. Gokudera and Alice aren't exactly the best of friends, if you catch my drift." Tsuna groaned loudly in his dismay. Apparently, he hasn't even begun to think of their rowdy performance.

"Things aren't looking good for them."

"You think?!! They're gonna end up killing each other!!" Tsuna pulled his hair. "Thou mustn’t panic, Sawada-dono. I'm sure that will not be the case." "You don't understand Basil-kun! Pierce-san and Gokudera-kun are the worst combination possible! They can't even stand looking at each other without breaking into a fight, let alone fight together against the enemy!"

Reborn continued walking in a steady pace, his face remaining blank. This battle will surely put them to the test, in more ways than one.

"Yo!" Yamamoto greeted Tsuna, Basil and Reborn upon their arrival before Namimori-Middle. "Yamamoto. Onii-san." He observed his friends for a moment. "Where's Gokudera-kun?"

"I thought he'd be coming with you." Yamamoto said, growing confused. "This might be Shamal's doing." Reborn settled himself on Yamamoto's shoulder. "If Gokudera's not ready, you can be sure Shamal will not let him fight. He wouldn't send his student into a battle when there's no chance of winning."

"Then, Alice should replace him!" Ryohei piped in. "Speaking of Alice... Where is she?" Yamamoto said. "What's going on to the extreme?" Ryohei looked around, hoping to see a sign of her anywhere. No such luck.

"Perhaps Shamal found the need to drill some sense into her."

"That doesn't add up. Pierce-san's tutor is... Who the hell trained her?!" Tsuna panicked again. Reborn smirked. "Her tutor has an infinite amount of patience. He chooses to stay in the shadows, and we respect his wish."

"He must be wise to the extreme." Ryohei grew amazed, a faint image of a monk entering his mind. "Sounds like a bad combination. Alice is the most restless person out of all of us." Yamamoto said, smiling.

"I guess it’s good she survived, though."

"Of course! Nothing can slow her down to the extreme!" Ryohei roared.

"At any rate... All we can do is wait." Reborn finished.

---------------

With five minutes to spare, Tsuna and the rest were on school grounds, facing the Varia. Like before, Lussuria was absent. Levi had a collection of bruises on his face, one so enormous that it made Tsuna worry.

He was desperately sick-looking, his clenched fist shivering, not in fear. His blazing eyes said otherwise, showing his anger by glaring in Tsuna's direction. The boy felt uncomfortable under his gaze, as if he could actually kill Tsuna with the intensity behind his burning eyes alone.

Yamamoto placed his hand on Tsuna's shoulder, frowning in Levi's direction. Tsuna glanced up at his friend, appreciating his support.

"We're indoors today?" Ryohei stated the obvious. "It seems like Bell's opponent hasn't come." Mammon spoke, the tone in his voice remaining emotionless. Squalo was silent, looking at the group of teenagers. He would have said some insulting and harsh words in this situation, but he refrained from doing so.

"When the clock strikes eleven, Gokudera Hayato will be disqualified, and Belphegor will win by default." The Cervello announced. "Normally, The Wind Representative has the right to fight when a team member does not show up."

"But seeing as Alice Pierce is also absent, the match will not take place, for now." The pair concluded. And so, they played the waiting game. Belphegor was amused to no end, waiting patiently without making a sound, minus his trademark laughter, at least.

Five seconds on the clock and Ryohei is about to lose it.

"Four... Three..." Ryohei counted, trying to ease his nerves a bit. "Three?" The boxer showed a confused face. The clock, about to mark their doom, has stopped ticking. They stood there, motionless, holding their breath, apparently dazed.

"The flow of time, has it stopped?" Tsuna said.

"Look closer." His home tutor chided.

Tsuna took a good squint at the clock. Upon closer inspection, the clock had a crack in it. A strange slender object had pierced through it, blocking the pointer in its path. "A toothpick?" Tsuna couldn’t believe his eyes.

"What kind of nutcase would throw a toothpick?!" He continued eyeing the toothpick, feeling a headache coming up.

"A perfectly sane nutcase, that’s what!"

All eyes were placed on Alice, the loud and ever so confident American. The whole Family was overjoyed, seeing her arrive on time. But it didn’t last long, feeling utterly disheartened after seeing the sufferings she has undergone.

Fresh-made cuts graced her skin. Although painful, they were not necessarily serious. A Hello Kitty stamped band-aid was plastered on her chubby cheek, a little ways under her right eye.

Another toothpick stuck out her mouth, using it as a make-belief cigarette.

She wore a pair of jeans, a black and white checkered shirt and a pair of worn out sneakers. "Sorry for being so fashionably late. My clothes were a real mess, so I had to change." "That’s okay, really. We weren’t worried or anything." Tsuna grumbled, glaring in her direction.

Alice turned her attention to Belphegor, ignoring poor Tsuna completely. The look of surprise on his face was almost comical. She smirked. "Aren’t you happy to see me?" "I’m very happy." Belphegor sneered.

A strange sensation began slowly to take possession of his body and his mind. He had been dreaming of her, all mangled and drenched in a pool of her own blood. He listened to her broken words until she could speak no more, striking her down one last time as she drew her last breath.

"I’m ecstatic." He thought of nothing else but her bloody image, existing only in the misty realm of his fantasy world. How he longed to make his twisted fantasy come true.

"Alice Pierce, you have arrived on time." "Therefore, you will fight in place of the Storm Guardian, Gokudera Hayato." Alice was more than eager for the battle to begin. She overheard our conversation with her Dad… Tsuna slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down over his face.

"Tonight’s field will be the entire third floor." Righty explained. "This includes the west tower which is connected to this one, and not only does it include all the hallways, but also all the classrooms on this floor." After vandalizing the place countless times, thus knowing every nook and cranny of this area, it’s practically impossible for him to catch me off guard.

"However."

A classroom door close by trembled like a leaf. Alice jumped back when the door couldn’t hold on, breaking into pieces as a gust of wind blasted a whole collection of school-desks, chairs, and whatnot through the windows, shattering the glass with a loud crash to follow.

In a shocked state of mind, Alice placed her eyes on the Cervello, demanding for a further explanation. "We have set up hurricane turbines like this one," Lefty pushed the strange device forward. "In various places throughout the field. They have four vents and are designed to randomly create a powerful gust."

Alice removed the toothpick from her mouth, casting it aside with her eyes plastered on the heavy device. "Big deal."

"You’re biting off more than you can chew, Pierce-san!" Again, she ignored him. "Did you do something wrong, Tsuna?" "She’s the one who misunderstood the situation! I should be mad at her!" He cried while Yamamoto smiled apologetically, chuckling to himself.

"This time, there will be a time limit on the match. Fifteen minutes after the match begins, unless one of you has taken possession of the Ring of Storm and completed it, time bombs set in the hurricane turbines will explode in turn and completely destroy this floor."

"That’s terrible!" Tsuna said in complete shock. Alice raised her hand, not saying a word. The Cervello looked at each other, confused, then back at Alice. "Five minutes. In five minutes, I’ll shove his ugly face in a turbine."

"That’s impossible." Squalo resisted the urge to laugh. "And why is that?" She snapped, not meaning to. "Because-" "Because I’m a prince." Belphegor cut him off, tilting his head a little to the side as he continued to grin in a taunting manner.

"A mentally-deranged prick would have been a better choice, idiot." "A mentally-deranged prince." Belphegor bared his teeth. "VOOOII!! I said prick, not prince!!" Squalo stomped his foot violently on the floor, seething with rage.

"So if the battle isn’t settled, they’ll both…" "They’ll most likely die." The Cervello said with no sign of pity for either side. "That would mean neither was worthy of being the Guardian. In Alice Pierce’s case, she would not be unworthy as the Wind Representative; she would bring shame upon the Family."

"How is that even worse?! Pierce-san brings shame upon all of us since day one!" Tsuna pulled out a handful of hair.

"If she lives." Levi broke his silence streak. "Bell, don’t underestimate her. Make sure you slice her up." "Levi… Although I enjoyed the sight of seeing you getting thrashed within an inch of your life, it’s unlikely that I’ll end up like you." A gleam of deep hatred passed into Levi’s eyes, expanding the need of revenge in his heart.

"That’s horrible." Said Tsuna.

"It’s alright to blow up the Storm ring as well. He must be the one who thinks the Guardian Rings don’t matter." Tsuna’s eyes widened in realization, allowing for Reborn’s words to sink in. "Xanxus."

"It seems like he’s become serious."

"B-but his own ally is going to be in danger too." Alice was silent. She closed her eyes, slipping into a trance-like state. "Pierce-san…"

She must be worried for her well being. No matter how tough she appears on the outside, she’s still a girl. Then Alice gnashed her teeth, and cracked her fingers, and her eyes sparkled as the crackling crisp sound of her fingers bounced off the walls. "Bring it, punk."

Act like a girl already, Pierce-san!!

"Did I hear the breaking of glass, or are my ears playing tricks on me." Brimming with self confidence, Shamal entered the scene, throwing a flirtatious glance at the twins.

"You girls hurt?" Alice’s brow twitched uncontrollably at the sight of him, flirting about. "Get in line!" She snapped, angrily tugging on Shamal’s necktie, thus dragging him away from the Cervello against his will.

"Too many guys here." Shamal eyed the teenagers while loosening his necktie, finding it hard to breathe after Alice’s rough treatment. "Good to see you too, Shamal." Said Tsuna, politely, but with sarcasm.

"Did he just say Shamal?" Squalo said, growing bemused. "Trident Shamal… A man who was scouted by Varia two generations ago and refused." Alice’s ears pricked up, looking at the man who she recognized as old and perverted with mild surprise.

"Hayato will arrive shortly. Until then, I expect great things from you, Alice-chan" He blew her a kiss. Tsuna looked back and forth, surprised to see them getting along. Alice turned her back on him, clouds of steam hissing out of her ears.

"You fixed her up, didn’t you?"

"That’s mean, Reborn." Shamal pouted.

"Fixed her up? How?! That sounds downright w-" "Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself, Tenth generation Boss. I didn’t do anything illegal." Tsuna fell silent, uttering a soft oh in recognition. "I just used my Trident Mosquito to cancel out her hotheadedness by lowering her body temperature." "You make it sound like inflicting illnesses to people is completely normal!!" Tsuna yelled in Shamal’s ears.

"Shamal sided with them?" Mammon sounded betrayed. "Dino, Collonello and now Shamal… What the hell’s going on?!" "Alright! Let’s do the usual!" An overexcited Ryohei pulled Alice along with him. The group huddled together with Lambo’s tail to replace him. "Gokudera fight!"

The circle broke, much to Alice’s surprise. "Hey! What about me?" She pointed at herself, armed with puppy eyes so strong that it made the lot of them huddle back together as they burst into such a loud, ringing fit of laughter that even Basil could not help joining in. "Alice fight!!"

"Are the participants ready?" Alice nodded her head, making her way to Belphegor. "Pierce-san!" She turned her head. "A-ano... About the little chat we had with your Dad..." "It's okay." She faced Tsuna, a smile gracing her lips. "I'm surprised, to say the least. I thought you guys didn't want anything to do with me anymore." Sighed Alice, looking down.

"But then I thought; nah! They're too soft for that." "If you thought of us that way, then why ignore us?! You know what? Never mind." He gave up. Alice flashed a quick bright smile and was on her way.

"Be careful, okay?"

"I won't kill the guy, if that's what you're saying." "That's not what I-never mind." Tsuna sighed, watching her retreating back as Alice placed her eyes on the menace that is Belphegor.

"Because today's field is so wide, we will broadcast the battle to the spectators' area. And there are infrared lasers between the spectators' area and the field to prevent any interference." "Ushishishi." Belphegor laughed, finding Alice's poker face highly amusing to look at.

"What's so funny?"

"You are. You're taking this far too seriously." He might as well be hopping around in a bunny suit after what he said. The queerest look of shock was displayed on her face. "Take a chill pill and relax. Enjoy the match for what it is." His arm hung loosely over her shoulders, smiling as if saying he wouldn't hurt a fly.

With a slap on the shoulder, making Alice stumble forward, Belphegor walked off. "I know I will..." He said under his breath.

"The Ring of Storm, Belphegor VS Gokudera Hayato's replacement, Alice Pierce, battle start!"

Not wasting a second, Alice shortened the distance by moving swiftly on foot, vanishing from sight. Belphegor refused to move, or perhaps, found it not necessary to do so. He looked up with mild interest upon seeing Alice, her facial expression calm and focused as she landed a kick against his crossed arms, which he held up in his defense.

Belphegor lost his footing and slid a little ways back. A tingling sensation came running up his arms to his elbows. Belphegor laughed, enjoying the feel of it. His laughter was cut short as she charged in again, no sound coming out of her as she delivered another kick, aiming low this time.

For a moment, she felt like her eyes were playing tricks on her, for Belphegor stooped down with his knee bent, giving her a clear shot to the head. It all made sense when Alice felt a slender object sink into the soft flesh of her leg, the pain shocking her temporarily as she jumped back.

"What just happened?!" The others barely saw what happened, despite the cameras hanging on each angle. "She looks like she's in pain." Ryohei said. Yamamoto clenched his teeth as his eyes took in Alice's pale form on the screen.

Shamal barely blinked. He was hoping Alice wouldn't fall for Belphegor's dirty tricks. "Maybe I overestimated you, kid."

A red substance streamed down her left leg as she shifted her weight on her right leg instinctively, avoiding more damage. Alice stood there, in a small puddle of her own blood. Belphegor gazed at the blood-stained knife in his hand, holding it up and examining the thick, red liquid on the sharp object.

He ran his index and middle finger over the knife, stroking it lovingly. "Why the fuck is he so into her blood?! Cut her up already, or I'll be forced to do it in your place!!" Squalo yelled, but there was no response from the prince. He was too engrossed with the blood spread across his fingertips, sliding further down as he held his hand before his face, truly amazed.

Belphegor finally snapped out of it.

As Alice tried to land another kick with caution, he attacked, first dodging and then slashing away with his knife. Alice watched his movements closely, refusing to be hit again. She dodged as best she could, for as far as her injured leg would allow her to.

"You're good!" Belphegor cackled, speeding up. His knife nicked her cheek. Alice panicked a little. He was right in her face, teasing her with each cut he placed upon her tender skin.

With eyes straight-looking and unblinking, she dodged and dodged, the thought of Gokudera arriving keeping her from breaking down. Belphegor jumped back, his trademark laughter ringing in Alice’s ears as she found herself trapped in a circle of floating knives.

"Shit." The knives rained down on her, but Alice managed to dive out of range, only to feel another sharp object nailing her foot, pinning her to the ground. "Bye bi." Belphegor sneered. He threw three knifes in her direction without mercy. Brave was Alice, despite the shock she was in as the knives were upon her.

The three shining objects pierced her heart, lifting her into the air as she fell backwards, crashing heavily on the floor.

"Alice!"

With eyes terrified, Yamamoto watched her as her last breath slipped past her lips. "That’s enough! She’s seriously injured!" But this was only the beginning. She raised her voice in a shout, delivering a bone-breaking kick as her foot collided with Belphegor’s chest, half knocking the breath out of him as he slid across the floor.

"How'd she do that?" Tsuna was amazed, clearly having seen the knives sink into her flesh at that time. They were still there, sticking out of her chest like a sore thumb. "I extremely don't get it, but she got him good!" Belphegor kept that dirty grin on his lips, more than satisfied she survived. He did not care how it was possible for her to still be standing there.

Much to Belphegor's amusement, Alice pulled out the knives from her chest and ripped open her shirt, revealing a bulletproof vest underneath.

"A vest?! She's wearing a fucking bulletproof vest!" Squalo laughed outright. "Her being careful means she doesn't have anything up her sleeve. What a pity. I was waiting for another surprise attack, like she managed to do before." Said Mammon.

Gola Mosca let out a string of smoke from its pipes, hissing faintly. Pezzo wasn't in the least fascinated, lazily gazing about from his spot outside the infrared lasers. Reborn smirked extravagantly, a shadow cast on his eyes.

"Where'd she get that?!" Tsuna exclaimed. "Benjamin, her father, is a policeman. My guess is he accepted her rowdy way of fighting. Another option is that she stole it, although that's not likely." "Benjamin-san's a cop?! And we're stuck in the middle of a Mafia war!!" The boy cried out.

"He's retired, so pay him no mind."

"That doesn't matter!" "If he means trouble, we'll just get rid of him." The clicking sound of a gun was heard, resonating in Tsuna's ears. "Yep. Just like in the old days." Shamal backed Reborn up. "How mean!"

"Relax, Tsuna. I'm just pulling your leg."

"Then put away the gun!!" Yamamoto relaxed, enjoying the sudden relief of all his fears. Ryohei pat him on the back as they shared a smile, as if determined Alice will make it out alive. "She can do this. She can keep this up until Gokudera arrives, right Tsuna?" Tsuna nodded his head. He was more than sure of that. "She sure is flat-chested." Shamal piped in upon closer observation.

"No one asked you anything!"

"So you're not as stupid as you look, coming here prepared like that." Belphegor said from his spot on the floor. "You're not as smart as you say you are, falling for something so predictable." Alice tossed the knives at his feet, her eyes turning into mere slits.

"You look like shit." Belphegor quietly dusted off his chest area, ridding it from the dirt, fixing his eyes upon the offender and said with cold composure, "You will die." A shrill yelling of another enemy made Alice look up, but not quick enough.

Struck by Pezzo, she was slashed and rolled over the floor. His strait-jacket was torn to bits, having discarded it while jumping over a smirking Belphegor. "What’s he doing?! He’s supposed to wait until he’s been called, right?"

"Looks like he couldn’t wait no longer." Reborn commented. "But he’s breaking the rules to the extreme!" The boxer grew disgusted at Pezzo’s dirty attack. "It doesn’t matter. Xanxus doesn’t care about the other Rings, as he put it." "In other words, everything’s allowed at this point?" Tsuna glanced over at Reborn. The baby hit man nodded faintly.

"In that case, we’ll interfere." Yamamoto frowned darkly. "Alice won’t stand for it. She’s fighting for her life, trying to make up for what happened at the Lightning Battle… Besides, the infrared lasers prevent us from interfering, so there’s nothing we can do." The boys gazed at the screen in silence.

By this time, scrambling to her feet, Alice was really angry. Angry at herself for not being aware of her enemy until he assaulted her. She succeeded in kicking Pezzo off her before he could draw blood.

With a shrill yelp of pain, Pezzo backed off, whimpering like a stray dog. Pezzo was back upon her, his eyes dangerously flashing about with his actions, when another assault was made upon her. This time, it was Belphegor, grinning down at her as he kicked her aside.

She got on her feet despite the waves of pain surging through her. Alice held up her right arm, the shirt ripped to shreds, and red parallel cuts, clotted with blood, showing where the claws had broken the skin. Wait a minute… claws?

Alice looked at Pezzo, having sworn she saw a sparkling object on his right hand. Another salvo of knives was thrown at her.

She avoided the sharp objects with a quick roll to the side, and as she was beginning to struggle to her feet, she screamed with pain and retreated using her good leg, holding up her right arm, the skin of which Pezzo’s speedy assault with his claw had cut through like a hot knife through butter.

First her leg, and now her arm. Neither Belphegor nor Pezzo took her seriously. Alice was no more than a toy, a plaything to pass the time. But Alice refused to give up. She was bloody but unbowed and she will fight to the last.

"You look tired." "No shit!" She snapped like a cornered vicious animal. "How boring… I figured I could go all out today, you know?" He held onto a batch of knives, razor-sharp and ready for the attack. "You’re pathetic. A complete waste of air."

Blood was dripping down her arm and her leg, staining the floor as she panted softly. "I’m not pathetic." She managed to say, not really convincing him. "Just give me a second, and I’ll explode in rage, ripping off your limbs one by one if I have to!"

Something certainly did explode. A salvo of Rocket Bombs soared past Alice, exploding on impact. Such a thick smoke was caused that Alice had to step back a pace or two. Of Belphegor and Pezzo was no trace in the thick fog-like smoke.

"Gokudera Hayato, ready to blast at lightning speed!"

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna’s eyes lit up at the sight of seeing Gokudera arrive at the scene, looking ready, armed and eager to fight. "Squid-head!" The same could be said about Ryohei. Yamamoto’s raging emotions that he chooses not to show, has been reduced to a mere sigh escaping his lips, utterly relieved.

"About time you showed up, Yes-man!!" Alice was beyond pissed, her hands finding their way around his neck as she strangled the life out of her savior. Gokudera pulled on one of her pigtails, sending her a death-glare as her grip on him loosened.

"You should be glad I showed up, Babyface!!"

"Look at what has become of me!! This was my favorite shirt!!"

"You’re the idiot for wearing your favorite shirt, knowing that we were gonna fight for our lives!!" He barked loudly, leaving for Alice to knee him in the gut, in which he coughed for air. Tsuna hung his head, utterly depressed.

"So much for their loving reunion." Shamal smiled. "Were you expecting something else, then?" Reborn questioned the man. The image of a brave and high-spirited Gokudera, walking towards Alice came to mind, Alice tenderly taking his hand as he kissed the back of hers, much like a knight would. "Hmmm..." Shamal gazed into the distance, deep in thought.

"Nah, that would be wrong in so many ways."

"Thou must be very glad, Sawada-dono."

"They're killing each other out there..." He smacked his face.

"Anyway... Since you're finally here, we can start with the ass whooping!" Alice cracked her knuckles, completely forgetting about her injuries. She struggled to breathe when Gokudera grabbed her by the collar from behind, cutting off her air supply as he dragged her along with him. "What do you think you're-" "We're gonna find a place to hide!" Alice closed her mouth.

"Good thinking Hayato." Shamal said, brimming with pride. "Squid-head knows what he's doing. We can extremely count on him to bring in the win." Ryohei nodded his head, agreeing with himself.

"For now, we'll hide in here." Gokudera was about to barge through the classroom door when Alice pushed Gokudera aside, the two of them crashing down on the floor. "What the hell is your problem?!" The hinges shrieked out in protest, the door flying through the window followed by several school objects, breaking the windows overhead.

Alice glared at Gokudera.

She expects an apology from the boy, in which he mumbled a weak sorry under his breath. "Those weird devices are planted everywhere, so we have to watch our step." Alice crawled over the floor, beginning to feel a little like Indiana Jones on his many adventures.

"How did you know there was one behind the door?" "Simple." Alice stumbled upon another door, opening it without a care in the world.

"I can feel it coming." "How can you call that simple?!"

"Look, just leave the machine thingies to me, kay? You keep an eye out for the enemy." She ripped a part of her sleeve off, using the torn pieces of fabric to stop the bleeding. "I thought that was your favorite shirt..." "No worries. You'll pay me back after all." "Yeah right." Alice gave him a stern look, her eyes hardening under her stare.

"Anyway..." He rolled his eyes. "We'll have to depend on setting traps and attack them from their blind spots." "Aye aye sir!" Alice replied playfully. "You're the boss, boss!" In the meantime, Belphegor dusted off his jacket, looking absolutely pissed. He calmed down instantly and smiled from ear to ear.

"Find them." Pezzo darted away with the speed of a whirlwind, laughing like a maniac. Gokudera stuck several bombs on the walls and whatnot, earning a disapproving look from the American. "Whut?" "That won't work. His knives will cut through them before your bombs have the chance to detonate." Gokudera arched his brow.

"And what do you suppose we do, genius?" "I dunno. You're the boss. You think of something." She shrugged. Gokudera was this close to having a nervous breakdown. "Then shut up and let me work here!" "Kay." She sat down instantly, not saying another word.

Soon after that, Gokudera spotted the enemy closing in on them with tremendous speed. "How'd he find us so fast?" "It's not hard to pick up the smell of blood." Alice answered, silently blaming herself. Pezzo picked up his pace (if it were possible) wanting nothing more than to cut Gokudera to pieces.

He was glad he came prepared with a trap, standing in Pezzo's path as he waited for the right opportunity to set off the bombs when surprise surprise; the knives cut them in half, as predicted. Gokudera was turned into a sitting duck. "Shit." He reached for his spare bombs and looked down.

The blood was red as wine and had stained the floor once again, where it was spilled. The walls were crying tears of blood, also stained by the red substance. At first, Gokudera assumed it was his own. But upon closer observation, his eyes widened, shocked beyond his mind.

Pezzo was covered in red, crushed and bloody before him. He cried out in pain, crashing down on his knees. "What in…" Gokudera eyed the smirking American. "What did you do?" Belphegor walked into the scene, curious as a cat for the answer. A pair of knives clattered on the floor. Belphegor grinned wickedly.

"I figured you were getting a bit too friendly with me earlier. And to think I thought you really liked me." Alice said, batting her eyelashes playfully, no matter how serious the situation. "He’s using wires, Hayato."

"I can see that! I’m not blind!" Gokudera freaked, completely embarrassed. "But how did you-" "I cut my finger." She raised her index-finger, showing a deep cut from the wire. "Stop joking around Babyface!"

"Well duh. I have super senses. Something disturbed the gusts of wind from the turbines, so I took a closer look, and voila. An almost invisible wire was planted on me, which explains the disturbance."

"Wow! She figured that out all by herself?!" Tsuna beamed. "She managed to slip the knives in her pocket without him noticing. But to think she would use it against him. It’s proof that my Trident Mosquito has worked properly." Shamal spoke. "So you didn’t try it before?! You just figured it would all work out in the end?!" Tsuna yelled at the idiot doctor.

Shamal shrugged, not taking it seriously. "It did work out in the end." "You’re unbelievable!"

"When it comes to school or class work, Gokudera has the upper hand on her. But in battle, they flip-flop positions." Yamamoto commented as Basil gazed at the screen in awe.

Reborn kept his eyes on the American, her facial expression turning serious. "Your dirty tricks won’t work on me again, so I advise you to stop horsing around and show us what you’ve got." "Ushishishi… I do like you," Belphegor grinned as he flashed another bundle of knives. "Covered in blood, that is…"

Pezzo’s hand gripped her ankle, refusing to let go as he panted loudly. Before Belphegor had the chance to unleash his knifes on her, Gokudera dropped the Rocket Bombs on him, blocking his attack.

Alice covered her mouth, coughing a little. Afterwards, Alice kicked away Pezzo’s hand, making a run for it. Gokudera had no choice but to follow her. "Why are we running away?!" "We’re not running away. We’re regrouping." She answered. "That was a direct hit! He’s done for!" "No it isn’t! There’s a storm coming up. I can feel it."

As if on cue, Belphegor appeared before them with lightning speed, stained with his own blood. His knifes were aimed at Gokudera, in which Alice made herself useful, standing before him in a flash as the batch of knifes pierced through her bulletproof vest.

Alice felt the knives sink into her flesh , much to her shock, finding it hard to breathe as she coughed up blood.

"Pierce-san!!" Tsuna’s eyes widened. Yamamoto said nothing, nearly having no expression on his pale growing face. There was no life in his eyes. "The hurricane turbines will begin exploding in two minutes." The Cervello’s voice echoed into the school grounds, causing for Gokudera to panic from the inside.

Alice fell down on her knees, the blood seeping from her chest area down to the floor as she lost control, her sight becoming blurry as she witnessed Gokudera’s Rocket Bombs hitting their target, blowing Belphegor away. After the smoke cleared, Belphegor continued to laugh, for he has seen what he had been fantasizing about. Alice lied on the floor, the puddle of blood growing bigger and bigger as she struggled to breathe still.

This is what I deserve. She thought, remembering the time when she took a person’s life. She felt herself slip away, seeing a blurry grey-haired Italian hovering above her, yelling at her to stay awake.

"Take… The Ring." She spoke, holding onto Gokudera’s collar and pulling him close with the last remains of her strength. "Yeah, that’s the first thing on my mind-are you crazy?!!" She coughed, laughing faintly.

"It’s your win, idiot… Just take the Ring, complete it, and then… We can all go home." She smiled, growing delirious. Gokudera frowned. As much as he doesn’t like to admit it, she was right. Taking the Ring and completing it means the end of the battle. The hurricane turbines will cease to explode as well.

"If you die, I’ll kill you, you hear?" Gokudera said as he clenched his teeth, averting his eyes from Alice, gazing at Belphegor a little further away. She smiled. "Whatever, Yes-man…" Gokudera made his way to Belphegor.

His half Storm Ring sparkled for a second, earning Gokudera’s attention. "You won’t be needing this." He pulled on his chain. He was about to complete the two parts when he felt Belphegor’s weight on him, making him fall on his back with a heavy thump to follow. Belphegor’s hissing reached his ears as he attempted to choke the life out of him.

"Get the fuck off!" Gokudera yelled as they rolled wildly around on the floor, struggling to keep him at bay. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Alice with her eyes shut. She wasn’t breathing.

"Shit!" Suddenly, without warning, there was a terrific explosion which shook the building. "As we explained before we started, the detonations of the hurricane turbines have begun. The estimated time until the detonation reaches the Storm Guardians is one minute." The Cervello announced calmly.

"What are you doing, Squid-head!! Hurry up and get the Ring!!" "What do you think I’m doing!!" Gokudera spat out, punching Belphegor. But he wouldn’t give up. "The Ring! The Ring!" "That’s enough Hayato! Let him have the Ring!" Shamal shouted through the intercom.

"Don’t joke around, old man!" And so, the struggle for the Ring continued. "You’re just gonna let her die like that?! She protected you in order for you to life Hayato! Not to die for something stupid!" Shamal argued.

A shadow was cast over the two teenagers. Gokudera’s eyes widened in surprise as Alice tore Belphegor off him, sending him crashing against the wall. The hard surface cracked under the pressure of the blow.

Her wounds have stopped bleeding completely. Alice tottered on her feet, her arms swaying about. There it was again… That sinister smile on her red-stained face. Her eyes were inflamed with blood.

The Trident Mosquito didn’t work?! It was supposed to prevent her from losing it like this! Gokudera thought as he feared for the worst. Alice ceased Belphegor by his hair, lifting him from his sitting position on the floor. She snapped the chain off.

"The Ring! The Ring!" He chanted as Alice’s free hand reached out for his throat as if she planned on cutting it and to shear his head clean off. Gokudera felt a gust of wind rush by, feeling the sharpness of the air currents on his face, cutting his skin.

"She can manipulate the wind, using it as a weapon against her enemies." Reborn whispered. He sincerely hoped Alice wouldn’t go through with it. Gokudera jumped on her. He sure as hell isn’t gonna stand around, watching her make the same mistake she made in the past.

"Snap out of it Babyface!!" He yelled out, practically begging her to do so. Time was running out. She pushed him off with much force, her eyes landing on the half Ring. He charged in again, pinning her underneath him as he refusing to look away.

"Forget about him!! Forget about the Ring and snap out of it already!!" The wind blew heavily against the windows, crashing them all at the same time in a loud, overpowering bang. "The Tenth is waiting for the both of us!! S-so… I can’t go back without you. I can’t go back empty-handed." He whispered lowly, the gentle tone in his voice catching Alice off guard.

A series of tremendous explosions occurred. The screens were on the blink, silencing Tsuna and the others. Sincerely horrified, Tsuna stood gazing at the blank screens. "I can’t believe it." He fell on his knees, saddened and discouraged.

"Tsuna… Look over there." Yamamoto saw a shadow in the smoke, moving about. Gokudera walked down the hallway, crushing the shards of glass under his feet. He was tired out, puffing like a whale with Alice on her back. Alice, really tired herself, barely found the strength to move.

She was looking ahead, her eyes dull.

They weren’t in good shape, but they were alive.

"The infrared sensor has been turned off." Shamal said, giving the boys permission to move. They ran up to Gokudera. Basil helped Alice up, allowing for her to lean on him. "Sup guys?" She smiled despite the pain, her eyelids feeling heavy as they threatened to close up.

She was pressed against Yamamoto’s chest, gathering her in his arms. He didn’t care about her injuries. This was his way of confirming that she truly was still alive, no matter how embarrassing it might be to her.

He placed his chin on her head, sighing as he closed his eyes. His body warmth sooths her. She feels like… "I can’t breathe." Yamamoto let go of her instantly. He smiled. "Sorry." "Thank goodness you guys are okay." Tsuna exclaimed happily.

"But we still lost. I’m sorry, Tenth." Gokudera looked away. "Hey, at least we kicked some butt out there." Alice wobbled on her feet. Basil supported her again.

"High five." Alice said, raising her fist. Upon looking at her scratches and bruises, along with that playful smile on her lips, she didn’t give him much choice. Gokudera slapped her right hand in victory. A hard object was held in his hand upon retreating, and as he opened his hand, he saw the other half of the Storm Ring looking right back at him.

"How did you?!" She merely shrugged her small shoulders. "You owe me, Yes-man." She poked his chest. For once, Gokudera didn’t feel like yelling at her for calling him by the nickname he loathes so much.

"I guess that means you guys won?"

"Hell yeah we did!"

The two of them pumped their fists in the air, feeling like celebrating. "Oww… My body feels sore all over." "God, it hurts." The sudden movement caused for their wounds to open up as they felt the pain all over again. Tsuna laughed, and the others joined in.

"The Ring of Storm is in Gokudera Hayato’s hands. He will be declared the victor of this match." The Cervello were revealed in the clearing smoke, along with the Varia standing behind them.

"Congratulations on your win, Bomb boy!!" Squalo yelled from afar. "Thanks!" Alice egged him on. "VOOOII!! I was being sarcastic, you brat!!" "I really hope it doesn’t end in a default win for us, since your Mist and Cloud Guardians have yet to appear." Mammon concluded. Alice gazed at Tsuna, sending him a who-the-hell-are-they look.

Tsuna laughed nervously. He feared for the day she’ll find out about Hibari, and he had a feeling it was just around the corner. As for the Mist Guardian...

"We will now announce the next match." The tension hung in the air. "Tomorrow night’s match will be Rain, the match between the Guardians of Rain." A smirk appeared on Yamamoto’s face. "I’ve been waiting for this!" Squalo’s eyes went from Yamamoto, to Alice, scanning them carefully.

"I’ll enjoy slicing you to bits! And if she happens to interfere," He pointed at Alice with his sword. "Then so be it!! And you’d better not run when you remember how badly I beat you last time, kid!!"

"Oh yeah!" Alice got all fired up. Her tiredness went right out the window. "Well… You should cut your hair!!" His brow twitched at the mention of his hair. "What the hell has his hair got to do with anything?!" Gokudera hissed. "I dunno. It just flapped out of my mouth." She responded harshly.
"Thanks Alice, but I can handle him myself." Yamamoto sounded confident. "That’s right! Takeshi’s gonna wipe the floor with your hair!" Squalo was really pissed now. The image of Squalo, the second-in-command of the Varia crew serving as a mop was too much for Yamamoto. He laughed, earning a light poke in the ribs from Alice.

"Little brat…" He grumbled darkly, feeling offended.

Tsuna rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming up as he feared for the worst. When will this Mafia war end!

Fiction: 06/11/10 | Posted By: kurokineko | 2 comments | Katekyo Hitman Reborn | Tags: arcobaleno, basil, belphegor, chervello, gokudera, gola, hayato, levi, mafia, mammon, mosca, reborn, ring, ryohei, sasagawa, sawada, shamal, squalo, takeshi, tsunayoshi, varia, vongola, yamamoto