AN; ..I don't know why I'm bothering to write this XD

warnings and disclaimer stay the same chap to chap.

(I use the term 'Half' or 'Halves'- since Half is the term used by pure Japanese towards someone of mixed blood, or someone who looks of mixed blood/ethnicity. It's not entirely the most PC thing in the world though. ..and I kind of feel like saying 'filthy mudblood!' afterwards ._. )

I still do not know any italian. so. yeah.

The Six Realms Paranormal Research group was an odd one, obviously. Not just in personality, but appearance.

Mukuro, Ken and Chikusa all being half Japanese, half Italian, their looks drew heads. Usually just of the older folk, 'What weird looking Halves'- sort of comments. Though Mukuro in particular drew in more of the younger female population, 'Ooh how exotic, How attractive, damn he's fine'- sort of comments.

Well. Generally female.

(Much to Ken's dismay. He would never be more than an over active puppy to some females, and generally to most, nothing more than the creepy guy that hangs out with the other creepy people. Chikusa went for the most part completely unnoticed, except when someone's eyes stopped on the human Frankenstein following a bunch of pineapples and frogs around.)

Mammon and Fran for being a fourth Italian, a fourth British, a fourth French, and a fourth Irish,

(No. No one is quite certain how it happened. From what they could imagine, family reunions would have been a small scale war.) managed to blend in fairly well regardless of their exotic nature to the local Japanese. Usually if someone actually managed to notice them they were passed off as 'American' or 'British', as those were the most common 'white' tourists.

Blending in was simple enough... That is, until either one opened their mouths. Then, generally small projectiles were lobbed in their general direction.

(20% Mammon, 120% Fran. Don't ask about the math. And the projectiles weren't always small. One of Mukuro's associates once threw a giant metal ball on a chain at Fran. And Lancia was usually so good with children...)

Chrome was the only one of the group that was actually full blooded Japanese, yet since she was so fond of the group, (Mukuro in particular. They were like twins really.) she went out of her way to style herself like Mukuro. She was fairly adamant about learning Italian aswell.

This being different from the first three, since they were fairly eager to never step foot in Italy again. This might or might not have something to do with law enforcement. Which Fran did enjoy reminding them of at every given chance.

Regardless of this, both Mammon and Fran had connections to a group of privatized authority in Italy, that often frequented Japan. These people were particularly helpful in cases of paranormal research that was less than legal.

Mammon having been in the group, and Fran almost having been if he hadn't been quickly rejected by all members. Supposedly they were strange enough to like Mammon just fine, but Fran was where they drew the metaphorical line in the sand.

Now if the group wasn't strange enough to see walking down the sidewalk, it was even stranger still to see all of them in what one could only call a 'pedophile serial rapist' van. A van painted red with the character 6 on each side.

(They rarely walked anywhere. Mukuro was adverse to walking anywhere and scuffing up his lovely boots.

Chikusa occasionally took Ken out for walks with Chrome since, well. If he didn't get his walkies, he'd end up chewing on the furniture, or...Mukuro's shoes.

Mammon barely moved ever, and when the petite thing did, it seemed more like gliding. Something Chrome looked at with utmost respect and attempted to learn to no avail.

Fran was forced to walk places. Generally for no apparent reason. He was just forced out of their office on the charges of being 'An annoying croaking nuisance that the towns folk would be better off chasing out of Namimori, preferably out of Japan and into the ocean'.

No, driving was much more their style. Sure they were all forced into close confinement which in and of itself was possibly lethal on certain occasions, but at least they got there far faster.

...And didn't quite have the paychecks to buy another car that actually worked. If only they had a mechanic in their group...

Put the entire picture together, and then add in a small brown haired boy in the back seat of said ' serial killer rapist, with a sloppy red 6 painted on the side which very much resembled dripping blood, van' next to two pineapples and you get men and women all down a certain stretch of highway calling in about a possible kidnapping.

Deciding where everyone sat at first in their van was like a game of Russian Roulette the first number of times.

Chikusa was the only one willing to drive. Well the only one that could drive, even if he claimed it was a pain.

Sure, Mukuro could drive. But he sure as hell wasn't going to. He was more comfortable in the back, with extra leg room. And he was the Boss. Bosses don't drive, lackies drive.

Unless it's a kickass motorcycle.

Ken got the passenger seat in the front, since he enjoyed sticking his head out of the window. That and sticking Ken anywhere near Fran in the back was a one way ticket to a horrible car crash.

The frog and frogette were stuck in the back with the gear. They complained, but what else is new.

Chrome generally sat on the same seats as Mukuro, in the middle row. As she had been in a car crash when she was younger, sitting next to Mukuro was one of the only people who would willingly place a comforting hand on her shoulder if need be.

The other being Mammon in strange episodes of niceness or possible 'women power see us roar'.

Chikusa might have felt bad for Chrome, but it was too much of a pain to comfort her, and not to mention he always got stuck with driving it made it impossible.

Ken honestly did try to help some times, as he deep down didn't completely entirely totally find her a useless human being. But he usually just ended up yelling and badgering her and making things worse rather than better. So he was not allowed to speak to anyone besides Chikusa and Mukuro on car rides. (especially Fran. Dear god help them.)

On this particular trip, Sawada Tsunayoshi was seated between the two pineapples. Trying desperately not to burst out sobbing due to anxiety. He swore on his life he'd end up with white hair before he was 25.

It was a fairly quiet road trip, as quiet as a car trip for the 6 could be. Ken was trying to change the radio station, Chikusa was trying to stop him and not crash.

Fran in the back was going on about something, probably about Tsunayoshi. Mammon just "Mu" 'd in response as most of their conversations went.

'something something something mean something something insulting something something you're all failures something.'

'mu.'

Mukuro and Chrome were silent, which was fairly common but this time they were more listening to the spikey haired lad squeak or wince at every loud noise or bang. Chrome was worried about the passenger, since she was kind human being far too sweet for such horrid company such as the men in the front and frogs in the back. Mukuro was just simply amused, because as Fran would be eager to say, he was a small slice of a sadist often times.

The trip out to the country side, outside Namimori, was roughly around 45 minutes. 30, if Tsuna had managed to speak up in time, and not have missed a turn.

Mukuro's eyes became fixed on the passing scenery outside his window, only barely obstructed by the occasional puff of breath on the pane of glass.

He didn't care much for the country, the long expanses of nothing but forest or fields. It brought back memories he'd rather leave behind, in another Country. Yes, cities were very much more his scene, and not even the gleaming highrises, but the seething underground. The broken and forgotten.

A small whimper of 'we're here' broke his train of thought, and Mukuro glanced at their new Client. Sawada had stopped shaking, but his face had gone completely white as he gazed upon his own home.

Mammon made a happy little noise from the back of the van, and Mukuro diverted his attention from the boy and really got a good look of the home.

There were two sculpted lion structures in front of the marble and brick gates. There was a crest at the feet of the lions, but Mukuro didn't have long to take it in, as Chikusa pulled the car forward, through the gates and into the main parking lot of the driveway, that featured a round about in front of the front doors.

The house itself was obviously Italian architecture, the framework being of strong stone and the body of the exterior being red brick, reflecting the gate outside the home. A marble niche above the main doors was beautifully styled, and quite obviously handmade by master craftsmen. Much like the doors themselves, which were a simple dark hard wood, but carved to reveal elegance and wealth.

Their van had been parked in front of the entrance for a number of minutes as almost all of the party stared up in wonder at the mansion. Tsuna bit his lip as he took in the faces of his new companions, this was the exact reason he never brought any of his friends-...Okay who was he kidding, he didn't have friends.

"So...are..we going to go in..or..uh, is there a point to waiting outside the house?"

Six gazes were pointedly focused on Tsunayoshi in a fraction of a second which caused him to flinch and mutter out a 'or- not...I..what do I know nevermind, oh god, nevermind.'

Mukuro grinned, as much as he could ever grin, which came out more as a smirk. He firmly planted his boot's sole onto the back of Chikusa's drivers seat.

"Alright boys, and Chrome. Shut up, Mammon. Everyone that's meant to, get out the equipment, and then meet Frogette, Chrome, Sawada-san and myself in the houses foyer. To the names previously mentioned, yes, we will be discussing the level of activity until those with the equipment arrive. Go my minions!"

The speech was filled with over exaggerated hand gestures, Tsuna thought, but everyone else seemed to think it normal..

Everyone piled out of the vehicle, and onto the gravel...no, pumice, ground. It crunched pleasingly below their feet. Soft enough Mukuro didn't have to worry about his shoes becoming damaged, but scuffing was a definite issue.

Mukuro did his best not to glance around as they walked up to the heavy front doors, but Chrome and Mammon didn't seem to have any particular issue with sizing up the house in front of them. Very unprofessional of Mammon to do, while adorable of Chrome.

Mukuro knew he was bias, but didn't particularly care.

While the home itself looked old, with the red brick exterior beginning to discolor and grow darker in areas, there was a state of the art security system to the right of the doors.

Tsunayoshi leaned over to punch in some sort of code, which looked unshockingly like '1234'. There was click heard, before Sawada grabbed the golden handle of the door and pulled it open.

The foyer was more amazing that the outside of the home. Antique vases to both side were before arched hallways leading off to both sides. The floor was black and white marble, the walls looked as if they were limestone casted, the low ceiling appeared to be intricately carved mahogany.

Mammon whimpered again somewhere behind Mukuro, he figured the rightly named avarice woman was in heaven right now.

Walking up to the quite shorted boy, and placing leather covered hands on the lad's shoulders, Mukuro smiled and spoke,

"Alright then, let's get to work. Tell me everything you-"

SCHLING, was the noise a golden object made as it flew very uncomfortably close to Mukuro's expertly styled hair.

THUNK was the noise it made as it imbedded itself into the door behind Mukuro.

HIEE was the noise Tsunayoshi made after such events occurred.

"What was that?" Chrome prompted looking around for any signs of attackers. Mammon glanced at the would be weapon,

"It appears to be a butter knife..." The indigo-ette smiled dreamily, "Oh, that brings back memories..."

Tsuna looked upon the shortest of their group with mild horror, what on earth kinds of people did the small girl know if knives being lobbed in their general direction brought back good memories?

Mukuro pulled something out of his olive green jacket's pocket, it looked a bit like a black iPod. Noticing Tsuna was looking at it oddly, Mukuro nodded his head down towards the handheld machine.

"This, is an EVP recording machine. Also known as an Electronic Voice Phenomenon device. Essentially it's just a recording device, but it's one of the best and can capture sounds we would never be able to hear with our own ears. I'm going to ask the spirits a few questions if that's alright with you?"

Tsuna really didn't understand much of any of that, but he nodded along anyway.

Mukuro tapped a few buttons, and dragged his finger over the screen of the object before motioning a 3..2...1 and made a Shh motion to Tsunayoshi before moving his hand down to the boys shoulder again. It was a comforting motion, however Mukuro was only thinking about keeping the kid quiet while he worked.

"Hello to the spirits of this house, my name is Mukuro, I'd like to ask-"

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

Mukuro's gaze snapped down to the EVP device. They already had something? That was unusual.

Tsunayoshi was looking on with a bit of confusion, why had the taller man stopped mid-sentence? Mukuro seemed to notice and pointed to the device,

"We've caught something already, so I'm going to enhance it and play it back right here. So you know we're not making any of this up..."

a few clicks were heard, and then a voice started coming through the speakers.

"Hello to the spirits of this house, my name is Mukuro, I'd like to ask- Lascialo andare subito!!"

Chills were felt room wide, by all living individuals. Chrome and Sawada may not have been able to understand the words, but Mukuro and Mammon certainly could.

And this day was becoming more and more reminicent of their last case...

The front doors opened up, letting in Chikusa, Ken and Fran. Ken glanced around, seemingly sniffing the air which made Tsuna more nervous for some reason.

"We thought we heard a scream..." Chikusa said in his general laconic tone.

"Is anyone dead?" Fran said, just as bored but fitting Tsuna with a look that said 'i'm hoping it's you' quite clearly.

"Ah..no, we just had first contact." Mukuro replied, he would have removed his hand off of Tsuna's shoulders but he was nothing if not contrary. His grip tightened to the point the boy winced.

"Alread-eeee!" Ken yelped when a heavy vase next to him fell to the ground, barely missing him.

Mukuro frowned. This didn't bode well. 5 minutes in and they were already being threatened.

And then Mammon gasped and took a few steps back.

There was only one person on this planet capable of scaring Mammon, and Mukuro would be lying through his teeth if he didn't admit that one person didn't scare him a little too.

"Xanxus."

Ken and Chikusa couldn't see it, but everyone else could.

A figure, tall and dark with dangerous eyes. Green eyes.

It seemed to occur to Mukuro, Mammon and Fran all roughly around the same time that this was most definitely not Xanxus.

The fact he was see through sealed the deal. Tsuna's eyes got big, and he froze except for one hand clutching onto Mukuro's jacket and the other clinging to Chrome's hand.

"Th-they call him...Tony" Tsuna breathed out, lungs feeling dry and stale.

'Tony's expression turned murderous

And then he spoke.

"Cambierò le vostre ossa in polvere, e lasciate che il vostro sangue si depositano le assi del pavimento. Il mio nome è Ricardo e sarò quello di porre fine a questa famiglia."

'Sawada is going to have to pay me with his first born, because this just got difficult.' Mukuro thought.

- tbc

._. i'm sorry this sucks. I've had like 3/4ths of this written for a long time, but the inheritance arc of the manga made me kinda lose some love I had for KHR, but i'm liking the new arc sooooo (*pure unabashed mammon-ophile*)

The italian says, supposedly; 1st 'let him go!' 2nd 'I will turn your bones into dust, and let your blood settle the floorboards. My name is Ricardo and I'll be the one to end this family.'

Hopefully it won't take forever for another chap to come out, but I am getting a new comp soon sooo might take alil while :'D

Thanks to everyone that reviewed before, it means a hell of a lot! Thank you every single person!