Title: Bambino: Final Steps

"You! Are pure evil!" I ignore the statement spat at me by Diego instead clasping my hands behind my back and blinking at them all. Fino clicks a couple times up in my hair and I blink. Because for the life of me, I can't understand how they're all worn out already... aside Katia. Because she's the youngest.

Seven now... It's been a year, a year since I finally gathered everyone. Since I knew who was my family. Who would be following me. The ones who make up my famiglia. The ones who will join me in running the new and improved Carlton Crew in the future. But for now, we're still kids, still growing, learning, improving.

And I can't understand why everyone is panting and laying on the ground as if the small workout I put them through was too much. I mean, it's something I do daily, so why is everyone just... not able to keep up? We're not even halfway through either. And the people who I expected to breeze through it.

Our Suns.

Diego and Charlie 'Chipper' are both lying flat out on the floor. On their backs, exhausted. And they're Suns. Suns are supposed to have energy to spare aren't they? Oh well, I suppose now is a good a time as any for a break. So I kick up a seat and slouch in it, moving my hands up to rest behind my head closing my eyes and smiling. This is honestly nice. Even if we're honestly nowhere near the level that we need to be to really effect anything. We're kids. Growing and learning, becoming a family.

A famiglia and that's the important thing really.

Because I have the inklings of a plan to get us into the plot. Because hanging around here won't do anything for us. We'll just hear about everything after the fact. Long after the fact. Fact is though, that plan will be implemented in the next year if all goes well. And well, at least all of us are older than Lambo. Still it'll be interesting. But, I open my eyes back up, sharpening my gaze as I look around at my companions.

I only watched a small handful of the episodes of KHR... Reading fanfiction was more interesting, and also, there was the language issue. Because I needed to be in a paying attention mood to watch it... which was hard. What with all my issues, and the general pressures of my life. So now, I have the faintest of faint idea of what's coming in the future because thank God for fanfiction and wiki. Albeit, my knowledge of the future is therefore sans pretty much all of the details.

Well, up until the start of the Ring Battle Arc, I got up to the episode where Hibari was about to battle the Robot Human thing... The Gola Mosca, or something like that. I don't really know, not that it really matters. Because I have a plan, I have an idea, we're going to get into the plot, and...

Well, chaos will break loose in its own way. I mean, considering how mismatched our group actually is. Add in the fact that I'm the leader. A misty-cloud, and well, yeah. I think that Reborn might wind up liking us. If only because I am perfectly willing to sow some chaos and change the status quo.

For more than just Tsuna and co honestly. Because us being there will likely send reverbrations throughout the entire criminal world. Since we're supposed to be based in Melbourne... But I am already familiar with Australia, I already know this place. I know this stuff, and it's... boring to stay in place. So it's just a matter of setting my plan in motion. Ready to arrive at just the right time.

If I time it correctly then it should be just before the Ring Battles. If. It's going to be difficult to really judge though, because the timeline was vague. Even with everything happening in sequence. It wasn't easy.

But that's still a year away.

In a year I'll be ten. My eyes snap open faintly glowing purple and I straighten up. Standing in the middle of the group with a grin.

"Back to work! That was enough of a break!" I cheerfully inform them ignoring the groans around me. Perhaps... maybe I'm propagating my energy? Or who knows? But whatever it is, I'm still good to go, so back to work it is. "Come on! We need to be ready!" I wave my arms around happily before clapping my hands together. "Chipper! Diego! Let's go!" I skip around and ignore their muttered insults. Cheerfully smiling with my eyes tightly closed.

We're going to make so many waves!

Yo prometo!

It's funny how easy it is for me to sneak around the mansion honestly. How easy it is for me to slip around unseen and unnoticed at night. It's sickening. Where are the guards? Where are the people who are supposed to be on watch? I don't know, and honestly I can't find it in myself to care, because right now it's to my advantage. Night time is yet more time I can use to practice. To prepare, and to learn.

Down to the library. To grab a book on the language of flowers, to find a book on knots and traps. To find a history book and study until I can't contain any more information. Medical books. Anatomy. Biology, reproduction... and Padre's secret porn stash(or maybe it belongs to a member of the staff? Who knows?). A bible tucked all the way in the back. I just grab anything that I can get my hands on and read. Information is a weapon after all, and honestly it's something that I will need in the future. Because I only know the bare bones.

I know, but I don't know what's coming.

And there are still people looking at me with expectations that make me feel so small. Because how could I possibly measure up to them all? I am just one person, I am just a child at this point, and gender roles are not to be ignored. They can't be ignored. Because I have two ears and I can hear. So many expect me to be given as a bride to form some kind of famiglia alliance at some point in the future. But Padre has thus far seemed uninterested.

Probably because here I'm an only child...

Unconsciously I tighten my grip on whatever book that's in my hands. And my flames hum beneath my skin, I grit my teeth and blink back tears. Because it hurts even though I never knew the woman who would have been my Madre. I never met her.

Because she was shot on the way home from the hospital with me... and... apparently a twin. How I survived who could know. But it burns because that's the truth of this life unfortunately. Along with the expectations of all those around me. I'm sure that if they don't think I'm going to be given as an alliance bride they'll expect me to marry some Sky and hand the reins over to him...

Because that's just how it is in this world.

Sexism, gender roles and on top of both, fucking flame roles.

Because each flame is supposed to represent something of course. And have a particular position... Well apparently they haven't been paying attention then. Because there is a sky here right underneath their noses.

Katia.

And I've been giving her all the psychology books. Colour, flower, clothing, mental illness(which is severely lacking), PTSD. Books on famous inventors and all of that. Even medical textbooks talking about crazy people.

Because if she's going to be our therapist then I need her to have as much knowledge at her disposal about all sources of issues. Everything I can find. Because the sky is still our home, our safety. And that's what a good therapist should be. Even if I would dearly love nothing more than to break the noses of most so called therapists because fuck. I went to one once and it made everything worse.

Good thing I've never encountered one that proved true the joke... Can't spell therapist without rapist you know. I've been lucky enough that they were all just so convinced that they knew my issues before I even opened my mouth or got to explain anything beyond the fact that I had some issues with pain, and touch and well.

I'm salty about it okay...

I hate therapists. But I trust Katia, it's something that just goes deep. Because I guess it must be minor harmonization, or something. Because I trust, and I know... I know that she'll be able to ground us. Keep us grounded and sane. Give us a place to come home to. In that case I think that I may also have to convince her to become the proper medic... You know since safe places are also places with people who'll patch you up from whatever scrapes and scraps you've gotten into...

Yes. That sounds like a good plan.

Hmm, danger doctor. I wonder what weapon she'll pick for herself...

Actually now that I'm wondering that... what weapons are any of us going to pick? Guns are all well and good... a bit obvious though. A sword would be cool, but honestly ill-fitting considering that they're a bit too retro in this kind of business. Considering how much of a Naruto fan I am though...

I want Kunai and Shuriken, that I can throw at people and magically multiply. Like a troll. I know it doesn't make much sense considering I'm an Australian... hmm, or I could go with a boomerang. Like Sokka from Avatar. And that seems quite patriotic to be honest. Also who doesn't love a good old boomerang joke every now and again.

Yes.

That sounds like a wonderful idea. I smirk in the darkness with Fino clicking in my hair before I yawn and stand back up. Putting the book back on the shelf I rub one eye before yawning again. It's well past bedtime now. But I am honestly not quite willing to go straight to bed. Instead once I leave the library I wander down until I find a familiar box on the wall. With a blinking green light.

So it's in safety mode.

Well, I need to fix that. Because it needs to be active. And I reach up easily opening it up to press the keypad inside in a certain order. Engaging it, so that the defences of the mansion are primed. I yawn again one hand covering my mouth before I shake my head. Fino clicks before crawling down onto my hand. Peering down at the funnel web I offer a sleepy smile before blinking away sleep.

"Right... alright. Let's go with programa ampolla C" I mutter and the spider clicks happily before I rest my hand near a vent which he quickly disappears down. I wait for just a little while before I hear the telltale beep from the defence box. The spikes... It's always the spikes... why? Do people just like to be morons and walk into them? It's such a stupid way to be found as well.

I shake my head before closing the box and walking back down the hall towards my bed. Padre will deal with them tomorrow in the morning. And in a year everything will truly be set in motion.

It's almost time for the plot to start.

I'm just taking the final steps to set things in motion on my end. Training up my crew, because we're going to make waves. We're going to change things. This is what I promise. And it's going to be so much fun. I mean hey, if Lambo could sneak there, how hard could it be for us? And besides.

Alliances are important right? Building up a network... So if anyone asks... that's just what I'm doing...

Networking you know.