Author's Note: The long awaited sequel to Darkest Fire!

The warnings are the same as before: dark themes, minor OC use, fast action scenes and a multiple fandoms-some you may have heard of and some you haven't.

PS- thank my muse. She helped me lay out a few ideas.

Pairings:R27X/X27R, RX (I have no idea how I'm going to pull this off but I'll manage), implied Ver86 and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head.

Summary: Sequel to Darkest Fire. Semi-AU. With the date of the coronation rapidly approaching and a new threat lingering on the horizon, Tsuna quickly finds himself overwhelmed. And to make matters worse, the task force designated to investigating anything and everything that has to do with the Vongola has a new leader. How will Tsuna cope with the balancing act that will undoubtedly follow?


Twenty year old Sawada Tsunayoshi was, without a doubt, bored out of his skull. His eyes flashed slightly as yet another nameless, faceless Family member knelt before him and pledged their undying loyalty to him. Tsuna smiled blithely down at them, his eyes reflecting their nature even if either of them comprehended it completely.

How many of them would be killed within the first month? How many would be executed? How many of these people would betray him? Thoughts like that circled his mind as, one by one, they kissed his ring and vowed their loyalty to yet another Vongola Don.

With the last of his blacklist annihilated, the Mafia had quickly learned that Vongola Decimo was, indeed, an Old Blood and was trained very well in the Old Ways. He would not tolerate betrayal. He would not tolerate insolence but most of all, he would not let bias cloud his judgment. With his council behind him (and the Elders breathing down his neck about bullshit that they should really learn to keep their noses out of), Tsunayoshi would be virtually unstoppable.

Or so goes the public's opinion.

'I sound like a dictator.' Tsuna thought with amusement. 'But then… with a family this big, I guess that's to be expected.'

The past three years had been real eye-openers for him. Kyoko had redeemed herself—though there were still some suspicions amongst his Elements—and Haru had taken to being under the Varia's care. Her training with Bianchi had ended and Colonnello had begun teaching her a wider range of martial arts. She still acted as Verde's handler but it was looking less and less like that kind of platonic relationship and more like Verde was actually falling for the female Cloud and his feelings were mutual (which was weird… but he wouldn't call them on it because it would be hypocritical of him—he, too, was interested in an Arcobaleno, after all).

Hayato and Takeshi were still firmly together but Kyoya and Mukuro had split, deciding to explore other options. Chrome was engaged (imagine that!) to Ken (who had been so out of character in the days before the proposal, Chrome had feared the worst and Mukuro's cryptic statements hadn't helped matters) but the wedding wasn't going to happen for a few years as Ken and Chikusa (who was going to be the best man, ironically enough) wanted to adjust to their time as part of Vongola Decimo's Council and Chrome to her submissive half of the Mist Guardian position.

Ryohei had finished his studies and had completed four degrees in the different forms of medicine and one in biology, choosing to go through—ah—less than legal means rather than putting in all of the time required as he had planned to do originally. It had only taken a year—a tiresome year but a year nonetheless. Takeshi and Hayato had studied as well but none of them really held any masteries.

Tsuna, however, had studied art and design on top of English literature. He could now forge any painting given—in fact, that's how what he would be to the public eye… an art collector.

The doors opened, drawing Tsuna out of his musings as well as everyone's attention. Tsuna allowed his eyes to drift upwards, looking at their… new arrivals and he resisted the very prominent urge to get up and rather childishly tackle the new arrival in an embrace where they would then proceed to leave this forsaken place and have some real fun.

But the vows were not done yet… and that meant that Tsunayoshi's butt was glued to this chair for another half hour.

He mentally sneered. He wanted out now.

"Impatience doesn't suit you," Reborn said almost inaudibly from behind him. Tsuna rolled his eyes. "But I know the feeling. I miss the power play between us."

"Oh please," Tsunayoshi said with a smile playing at his lips. "I know all about how the two of you played together in Milan a year and a half ago." Reborn chuckled lowly but said nothing. "I just regret that I couldn't have joined in."

The object of their attention had grown—but then that was to be expected. Physically, he looked to be about twenty two, twenty three… but Tsunayoshi wasn't fooled. This man had at least ten years over Tsuna. The only reason he didn't look his age was because his father had sealed him away using the Vongola Primo's Zero Point Breakthrough…

Even so. Xanxus had changed. His eyes were molten, practically glowing garnet in the shade of the dimly lit room. His eyes were narrow, traced with a natural thin black line. His hair was longer, now resembling Vongola Secondo more than he had previously.

"Fashionably late again, I see," Tsunayoshi commented as soon as one of the Storm squadron vice-captains retreated back to the crowd. There was a ripple of excitement pooling at the base of his belly now but then Xanxus always could elicit that reaction from him… even when they were enemies (though they had certainly come a long way from that time).

Xanxus chuckled lowly, his purr vibrating through the stillness of the air as he picked up on Tsuna's thoughts. They may as well spread some rumors throughout the entirety of the Family. "I'm here aren't I?"

While many probably saw it as a sign of disrespect, to approach the boss so casually, Tsunayoshi did not. He could see the underlying affection and something much, much darker and smoldering burning in behind his eyes. "But of course," He said by way of agreement. There was another ripple of excitement through the crowd. Tsuna paid them no mind. It was not the first time he would submit to one of his so-called subordinates and it would not be the last.

Reborn laughed behind him. Tsuna resisted the urge to turn around so he could read his… External Adviser's expression (he would never really get used to that). "I never thought I'd see the day you, of all people, pledged undying loyalty to the one person you sought to destroy almost seven years ago."

"Just like an assassin." Xanxus said, smiling like a serpent. "You can't let the past be the past."

Tsuna's eyes narrowed as a sinking feeling of impatience began to flare on the edges of his Will. He felt Hayato shift uncomfortably—though to anyone else it would look like a casual movement—as the implications behind the impatience hit him full force.

Oh dear, he thought. Their three-way relationship wouldn't be kept a secret for very much longer, now would it? Tsuna fought the urge to throw his head back and laugh.

"All for a good reason," Reborn said simply.

Tsuna inclined his head. "Now, now, Reborn," Tsuna said after a few moments. "I'm sure Xanxus has changed." Xanxus took a willful stride down the aisle, his Elements following in rank formation behind him. Each step made Tsuna's heart pick up speed just a bit.

"But of course," Xanxus said before he knelt, his Elements echoing the action behind him. He could see Squalo's eyes flashing with sadistic amusement. "It will by my honor to serve you, Vongola Decimo."

Perhaps he wasn't expecting anything in return. Perhaps it was the threadbare remnants of his father's lies that lead him not to expect anything, even from one of his lovers… but Tsuna would forever deny the way it had hurt, knowing that Xanxus flinched under the weight of his next words. "The honor will be all mine… my own."


Tsunayoshi looked good in power, Xanxus admitted without bothering with trivial denials, but he looked even better when he was utterly powerless against him, pressed against sheets and begging for release. Flushed cheeks, glazed amber eyes, skin slicked with sweat… all of it. Xanxus just couldn't get enough of it.

But then… there was one thing that made him look even better than all of that. When his back was pressed against Reborn's chest, neck craned back as the Arcobaleno assassin ravished his mouth with a hot and wet kiss—when Xanxus and Reborn had both marked him and the three of them lay in the bed in the aftermath of their intense love-making.

And in all honesty, Xanxus didn't know what it was that drove him to be so needy on that particular night either. They hadn't really been together in the last three years, only being able to meet up on fortunate accidents, but their relationship wasn't just about the sex anymore so there was really no excuse for his control to strain the way it did—hell, even Reborn and Xanxus, two dominant-alpha males had connected on a deeper level, although their relationship individually was mostly platonic at this point.

But the fact remained that as soon as the loyalty ceremony was done and over with, Xanxus had caught the Don-to-be in a bare moment, when his Guardian/Underbosses were making nice with the rest of the Council. He hadn't been able to get him alone as Reborn had been with him but Xanxus didn't mind. He and Reborn had reached an understanding.

The inter-Familial party had been abandoned for the sake of going up to Reborn's personal suite (as it was the closest at the time) to reassert their standing with one another.

And now, they were laying in the aftermath of it. Tsuna was laying on Xanxus' back, his head resting on his shoulder while Reborn leaned against the French double doors that led out to the balcony, taking a long drag of a cigar. "Didn't know you smoked," Xanxus commented after a bit.

Reborn quirked a brow. "I did when I was younger. I get a craving for it every now and again."

"So are either of you going to tell me what happened in Milan eight months ago?" Tsuna asked causally.

Xanxus raised an eyebrow at the adult Arcobaleno. Reborn hadn't told him? The assassin laughed. "I'm letting him brew in suspense. He hasn't stopped asking. I'm debating the merits of making him beg."

Xanxus shouldn't have taken the bait, he really shouldn't have, but the way Tsuna's expression pinched was too funny. "Haven't we already made him beg?" Ah. There was that endearing shade of red. Really. He was too fun to tease.

Reborn only laughed.


"I hope you won't make it a habit to leave a party in the middle of it being thrown." Timoteo commented in what should have been a casual manner if it hadn't been for the fact that he had that stern look in his eye.

Tsuna made a noncommittal sound. "It's Xanxus' fault." He said in the same, flippantly casual manner that the Ninth had tried to aim for.

"How?"

"He wanted to… reaffirm our affinities." He inclined his head as though he were considering which shade of blue would be best for the mini-mansion that would soon act as a vacationing home on one of the small islands just off of the coast of Sicily. Timoteo made a sound akin to a dying animal which made Tsunayoshi look up and tilt his head almost innocently (almost innocently because he knew Xanxus hadn't told his adoptive father anything). "You mean he hadn't told you?"

"Told me what, precisely?" Timoteo's voice was pitched oddly.

Tsuna smiled a sunny little smile that was far too pleasant to be genuine. He really shouldn't be taking advantage of an old man's mental instability but his embitterment towards both the Ninth and Iemitsu made it so he didn't care in the slightest that he was about to drop a bombshell of colossal proportions on him. "That he's in a three-way relationship with the two of us." Tsuna said, holding up his and Reborn's intertwined fingers. There was a strangled cry from behind him shortly followed by a thump.

Iemitsu—who had probably been in the middle of delivering some sort of paperwork if the paper fluttering around him was any key to what the blond was doing there—had fainted.

Yeah, Tsuna thought as his father convulsed on the floor, frothing at the mouth. Tsuna could get used to this.


FBI Agent Sierra Cortez was no pushover. She took her job seriously, investigating various branches of Organized Crime from her desk at FBI headquarters in Washington DC, but because of a recent injury, she'd been taken off of active duty. A suspect she had been pursuing cornered her and lodged a bullet in her rotator cuff. It was through some miracle that she managed to come out of surgery with minimal nerve damage and no restraints on her movement. She had only just been cleared for field work three days ago so she was still taking it easy.

But this... this was... she had no words to describe this.

She stood in her Director's office, watching him with no small amount of surprise. Was he serious? "Y-You want me to take the lead on the Vongola investigation?" She asked, her lips parting slightly as her throat seemed to constrict. The first word she managed to get out coherently had been a breathless, "Why?"

Raynold Hughes was an old man with hair-line scars on the back of his hands. They traced up his forearm before vanishing under his rolled up sleeves. His hair was salt-and-pepper and clung to his head like a helmet. He leaned into his palm, spinning his chair away from the cityscape to pin her with a piercing gaze. "Because you're damn good at what you do." He said. He threw opened a drawer and threw a file forward. She knew without opening it that it was the case report she filed after taking down the suspect that shot her. "And because I will be leaving the FBI soon." He shifted his weight forward and intertwined his fingers. He rested his elbows on the edge of his desk and leaned forward. "I've led this investigation for almost thirty five years now and I've never seen someone with credentials as good as yours, Cortez. Now, I don't give compliments often but I sincerely believe that you have what it takes to take the Vongola down."

Sierra blinked, swallowing back against the lump in her throat. "Sir, I—"

"Just listen to me." He said, raising a scarred, wrinkled hand. Her teeth clicked together as she awaited, somewhat eagerly, her superior's explanation. "Over the years I have accumulated knowledge about the Vongola and their role within the Mafia." He said. She nodded, knowing this to be true. This man was practically a legend in the legal business because of the number of Mafia scum he'd taken down over the years he'd contributed to the Bureau. "It is imperative that you know everything before you start your investigation officially so before you go out on the field with the task force I created specifically for this purpose, you will be trained." His piercing brown eyes seemed to stare right through her soul and she fought the very prominent urge to take a step back at the fire that burned within. Did he mean that he would be the one to train her? "So, without further delay," He stood up, an aura of authority and experience coming off of him in waves and intimidating Sierra just a tiny bit. He held out his hand, a somewhat feral smile aging his face all that much more. "Sierra Cortez… will you lead the Organized Crime Task Force in taking down the Vongola?"

Sierra swallowed. Taking down the Vongola… no one had succeeded before now... and opportunity like this didn't come along very often... but the danger... she would be a fool to take it.

She closed her slate eyes for a moment, steeling her resolve before she gripped her Director's hand firmly.

She'd be an even bigger fool if she didn't take it.

"Yes, sir." She said, grey bleeding into a fierce silver. "I will take down the Vongola."

Raynold smiled. "This... will be the start of a beautiful partnership."

Tsuzukeru.


Thanks for reading~!