WELCOME TO MY 100TH FIC!
This time it's our friend Rahxe you can think for this. SkyGem and I have wanted to do another 'same summary, different fic' story (like our KHR Youkai fics) for a long long time. But we could never think of what to write. So our friend gave us this, and it was perfect.
So What'll It Be?
Summary: Scoring a job with the Vongola right out of University is a dream come true for most. But for one newcomer, it quickly becomes a nightmare when they figure out the true company they work for.
Tulio knew getting his degree in Arts and Mass Communications had been the best decision of his life. He hadn't been sure, but he had been certain that he'd be guaranteed a job somewhere with the growing world of social media.
Still, even in the world growing dependent on the media. Even with Tulio's extensive volunteering record. Even when he had stellar grades and a list of credentials and experiences valuable to any employer, Tulio still hadn't expected that the first resume he sent out after graduating to come back.
Tulio had literally cried on his knees for three hours. His roommate had been extraordinarily concerned.
Still, Tulio had cleaned himself up nice, dressed in the fine suit he had bought for important class presentations. He made sure to triple check his resume, and brought his certificates and qualifications with him in his neat brief case. He polished his shoes and made sure his hair was combed.
He arrived prompt and put together, and was greeted by a lovely young man who told him that his interviewer would be in within a few minutes.
The interview was fantastic. Tulio got along well with the man, Shems, and he felt like he could work here well. By the end Tulio was grinning happily, comfortable, and Shems had an interesting look on his face.
They shook hands, "I'll be seeing you bright and early Wednesday morning. Ask for me or Mochida and we'll be sure to set you up with your training."
"Sounds wonderful, sir." Tulio grinned. "How long's the grace period here?"
Shems smiled, and he looked like a shark when he did. "We give about six months before serious steps need to be taken. But I'm sure you'll fit in fine."
Tulio smiled, buttoned his jacket and headed out. He was just leaving when he noted Shems talking to another man outside the interview room. The man was tall and wide, looked to be of Asian descent with thick, spiky black hair and brown eyes. He wore a severe sneer and was talking to Shems with hushed severity. Just before the door closed, the man met Tulio's eyes and the younger man could only shiver.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Turns out that the man talking to Shems was Mochida. The man was severe, and absolutely huge. Apparently he was only six years older than Tulio, but was one of the bosses most trusted employees.
Like, the big boss. Not the boss of this branch of the company, but the big boss. The one who owned all the companies under the Vongola.
It made Tulio a little weak at the knees.
He was just a small cog in the humanities sector. He was just a grunt working on the low rung. He was a labourer most days. Working in the warehouses, and the rest of his days he kept the social media running.
Tulio was hired to keep all things social moving smoothly. He was his own manager, and the supervisor of a few interns who wanted to do what he did. It was a good job.
Tulio thought it was perfect. Perfect for him, perfect for his future.
He was certainly paying off his student bills. The company was even right up Tulio's alley. They taught people who didn't have the means to build houses and infrastructure. Their company shipped out cheap building materials and hired out contractors for companies that couldn't afford their own.
It was perfect.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was perfect until Tulio dug too deep.
He had just been trying to answer some questions on facebook and twitter. That's all. It was his job. But he hadn't wanted to answer incorrectly either. It was his job to make sure he kept the people's favour, but was truthful too.
Mochida and Shems had stressed that he should be truthful, but also keep the cards to his chest.
But this, this was too much.
Tulio ducks his head under his desk and pants. His chest hammers and his breath won't catch.
They're mafia. Is all that runs through Tulio's mind. Because that's what he found. Vongola wasn't a humanitarian company, it was a cover company. One of the tens of cover companies.
Tulio managed to make it to the bathroom before the nausea overwhelmed him, he vomited til he dry heaved and then he cried.
When he stepped out he washed his face and rinsed his mouth out. A couple of the interns and coworkers asked if he was okay, but Tulio just waved them off 'my girlfriend broke up with me over the phone. I'll be alright, work doesn't finish.'.
But nausea still burnt in Tulio's gut, because he was working for these disgusting mafia men but he also kept a level head.
Tulio was scared. He had a mother and father, he had two younger brothers, and he had an older sister. He had friends.
But he had to do this, he had to stop these mafia men. Before they could hurt anyone else.
Tulio was terrified.
But he knew he had to tell the police. He had evidence, he had access to the archives. He could get them all arrested. After all, Mochida was a trusted guardian –that meant that he was a fucking higher echelon member –and Tulio was close to him. Tulio could get all sorts of information, and he could get the Vongola shut down.
So that's what Tulio would do.
He'd go to the cops.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tulio realised, only belatedly that his biggest mistake wasn't working for the Vongola. He had paid off almost half his student debt within the year (he didn't live in the lap of luxury and didn't put anything away, but still.) No, Tulio's biggest mistake was waiting and trying to gain more proof before heading to the police.
He had hoped that four months of searching, laying low, and planning would be enough. He had hoped he'd be safe. He wanted the police to believe him, for one. He also wanted enough for reasonable cause to pursue the company that Tulio worked for.
Tulio's timeline was reaching its end, and if he had just lasted a week he would have run to the cops and bore his soul to them.
But he didn't make it.
No, Tulio had forgotten that Mochida was his superior and forgotten that this man was a mafia man who knew too much and saw so much more.
"Good morning boy."
Mochida hip-checks him in a friendly greeting, the man is smiling happily. But in his nervousness Tulio drops the papers everywhere and he sees his life flash before his eyes when Mochida stoops to help him.
Tulio had finally made his move, he'd printed his sources and put them in a file folder. He had started towards his car, he carried various documents, some coffee and his bag. It wans't an unusual sight, he thought he was safe. He would have been if he wasn't a coward and hadn't bumped into Mochida.
"Boy." And the tone is cold. Kensuke lets his eyes scour the documents, an instinctive gesture that Kyouya had trained into him; see everything quickly before talking, while talking, after talking. "What the fuck do you think you're doing with this? Where did you find it? This is strictly confidential and I could have you more than arrested if you know what this is."
Never had a human's voice sounded more demonic to Tulio. Even his father's temper didn't touch the rumble of thunder and crash of lightning that lit Mochida's tone. Tulio saw stars and trembled and couldn't breathe as black spots danced in his eyes. He could have died there just from the lance of red eyes suddenly up in his. Tulio has thought Mochida had brown eyes, but these were flashing red.
"I'm going to call the cops." whimpered a quivering voice. But then Tulio thought, he had nothing to lose now. His life was gone the minute he had touched proof of Vongola's alliances with the mafia. So Tulio puffed his chest, proud that he would down this goliath of a man with fear of being found out. Except his chest collapses when narrowed, dangerous eyes find his own again.
The punch is thrown before Tulio can see it happening. All he knows is darkness, fear and pain before he's slammed into a wall and he hears a door close. He hears the lock just as a hand slaps the lights back into his eyes. He can't even scream when he sees Mochida towering over him.
Tulio makes promises with his gods, asks for forgiveness ow before he dies at the hands of a mafia man.
Mochida can't believe it.
He cannot believe how right his boss has been to send him here to watch the recruits. Mochida has never doubted, never could doubt Tsunayoshi anymore. But this. This was worse than Mochida could have ever imagined. He felt his pulse race and his core open the access to his flames. He could burn the boy here, he could burn him and bury him and things would be taken care of before anyone knew.
But instead Mochida towers over the quivering mess of a child and breathes through his nose. He can taste his storm flames beg for release, like chalk. He breathes in again and words and lessons flood his mind, as well as the taste of lightning flames on his tongue, like sulphur.
Tsunayoshi was benevolent where he could afford to be. Mochida's sky was a kind individual and he loved people, he adored children.
And yes, this little fucking punk is only twenty two, and only five years younger than Tsuna. But he was a child to Tsuna and Mochida knew that Tsuna would look upon this child with benevolence.
So Mochida would too. As much as his black heart could give.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mochida kind of liked the kid, he reminded Mochida of himself. A little too much though.
He was an arrogant little prick, he liked to cock around flaunting his credentials. He liked to butt into his coworkers conversations with 'oh I've done that,' or 'that wasn't that difficult for me' and Mochida could see the way his people were raising their hackles in defense. It made for a very stifled workplace.
Mochida didn't like that.
Mochida also didn't know how to deal with arrogant young pricks with too much cock and not enough common sense to know when to stop strutting and start proving themselves. He had been a young –giant –prick, and Mochida still didn't know how his un-fucking-believable sky dealt with the likes of Mochida, but Tsuna did it with ease and a grasp that seized you and made you his.
Mochida watched the little prick strut back to his desk and scowled. He wasn't even supposed to be in North America right now. He had met Tsuna at an airport in Russia on his way home from a trip to Japan, his boss had looked a little uneasy and of course Mochida had asked.
He shouldn't have asked obviously because his boss had turned on him with worried eyes.
Tsuna had asked Mochida to head to America to look over the newest recruits for one of the cover companies, just for the grace period. Just the grace period. And of course what was Mochida supposed to do but say yes to his sky and head straight there.
In a way Mochida was glad that Tsuna had this insane intuition, it helped keep trouble down, thought it drove Tsuna to insomnia most of the time. In another, Mochida didn't want to deal with this little upstart.
Especially a little upstart with more credentials than teeth, who knew it.
"Oi, Kid." Kensuke sat against Tulio's desk and gave the kid a raised eyebrow. Apparently Tulio didn't like being called a kid, Kensuke would be sure to do it more often then. "You know you don't have to be so stuck up, no one's questioning whether you're qualified or not."
Tulio stiffened up and turned to his superior. His eyes were clouded with distrust, a good sign because Mochida was not this kid's friend, he was a superior. "I was just making conversation, sir."
"Nah kid, you were making conflict." Mochida insisted, eyes stern. "You keep up the way you are and a superior is going to get up in your face, and your grace period isn't going to be able to save you."
A frown had formed on the kid's long face. His eyes glowed with ire, Mochida could see the dark blues clouding with something –something dirty, a thought or something else –before he bowed his head. He let his dark red hair cover his eyes in submission. Mochida smirked, he still had it apparently. Tsuna was right, you didn't have to beat people to get submission from them. "Yes sir, I'll try to remember that."
"Do try, Tulio. You're a good worker, and I'd hate for this base of operation to lose you because you're 'scared you won't make friends'." Mochida shrugged and patted the kid's shoulder before moving on. He had tried to help, and the grace period had been coming to an end. Mochida knew that if the kid didn't buck up a superior would come to Mochida to complain eventually.
Then Mochida could really get to work.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That had been over six months ago now though, and Mochida only saw an upstart enemy before him. He could only smell fear and fury. Fear from Tulio, fury from his own gut instinct to slaughter.
"Tulio, you're a cute kid." Mochida snarled, and the boy could smell the sulphuric punch of chalk. He felt his knees waver with pure fear. "But you are a liability to my famiglia and I can't let you be as you are."
"You could let me go to the police." Tulio tried, voice meek.
Mochida barks out a laugh, and Tulio sees death flash in the man's dark eyes. "No, no I really cannot." He sneers, and Tulio hears snarls rumbling in Mochida's chest that promised so much pain. "So I'll give you three choices."
And Tulio holds his breathe because he thinks he has a chance. He feels his heart shuddering and his nose throbs. It's broken and there's blood everywhere on Mochida's hands.
Tulio has the deep and sudden realisation that Mochida is used to that blood, probably bathes in breaking noses.
"Three choices?" he whispers, and Mochida's grin terns feral and pleased.
"One: you can leave here and never return. You turn your back on this job, on Vongola, on my SKY and you never return. You don't even think about us. But know, I will be watching you for the rest of your life. I will have eyes on you and your family until you die. And then, then I'll watch your children too, just to be safe."
Tulio's mouth runs dry, and tears gather. It sounded like a blessing. But he knows better. He knows that a single slip up, even to his children, even to his spouse or his friend would mean his death. It would mean the Lenka family being wiped off the map.
It wasn't a mercy it was a game for the man before him, with eyes burning green and red, to play at his leisure.
"Two: you will give yourself up. You bow your head and you hand yourself over to me. I won't make it quick or painless. I will hurt you. I will draw every secret out of you and then I will kill you. You will never be found, no one will even know you went missing." Mochida smiled. "You will disappear."
Tulio felt the nausea creep into his throat and make his teeth ache.
"Or three: you join us." Mochida grins again, sharp and furious that he is giving this option. "Because kid, you're fucking brilliant. It's not often someone figures us out. We have illusionists and some pretty intelligent people trying to keep our family safe and a secret. I'd bet five of the Boss' 'special passes' that you're a mist user with quite the affinity."
"Come-come with you?" Tulio choked, "You can't be fucking serious!"
"Oh, but I am. I am giving you more choice than any of the guardian would. But I see your potential, I'd hate to kill a potential ally because he was stupid." Mochida spun the gun in his hand with ease. "But I will get rid of a threat before you can even make a decision. Either way, you will be wiped from the system and added to our register."
Mochida smirked, it was softer this time. It was assured. There was nothing pushy about it because Mochida didn't need to be rushed. He was fine no matter what.
"So what will it be you fucking traitor; will you turn your back, or disappear?"
Mochida hopes in a way that the little prick chooses the easy route. Mochida just wants him gone with everything in his entire body. Giving this fucking prick a choice feels so wrong when he want to ruin Tsuna's family.
But he'll give the boy a chance, and a choice. He'll come full fucking circle and make Tsuna proud. And if the kid couldn't do the same, well Mochida was pretty good with a rifle.
Can you believe it guys? This is my 100th fic on fanfiction and I am crying. I cannot believe that four years have passed, not can I believe how much I've grown as a person and especially as a writer. These four years have been utterly fantastic, and I am so so grateful to have you, my beautiful readers here for the ride. it's you that have kept me writing, and it's your support that has improved my writing. i would like to give a special thank you to the beautiful, startlingly talented SkyGem though. Without her constant company and her endless plot storming I don't know where I'd be. Especially in this past year, she kept me grounded, and keeps giving me a new standard to reach. I just hope I've reach it. I hope in the next four, five, and so on years we grow even more together.
So again, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for 100 fics of support, and 4 years of just love and growth.
Please review, it means more than the world to me.
~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3