Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn
A/N: This is part of a series of one shots I plan on writing. It is a background story that relates to the much longer fic I am still in the process of writing called: Mafia Games. (If you haven't read it that's ok, it won't affect your understanding of this story. That just means that they're part of the same universe.)
A/N 2: This story takes place ten years before Dino and Hibari officially meet in the series.
Ivan stood silently waiting outside the station. His boss was due to arrive soon. He glanced down at his watch. The train was running late, which as he understood it, was unusual for Japanese trains. No big deal. He leaned against the wall and shifted his new teeth around in his mouth. He had lost his teeth is a recent war with a rival family. He had been captured and while torturing him, they had pulled them all one by one…. It had been excruciating. He still wasn't used to the new set. He knew he should have gotten the more expensive version, these did not fit right in his mouth and the old-fashioned springs made him nervous. He felt like they would explode at any second. He watched the crowd pass by focusing on likely assassins and dismissing them when they showed no real promise.
A Japanese family that walked by caught his attention. The father was missing one of his pinkies and the edge of a tattoo could be seen on his neck, peeking over the collar of his shirt. Yakuza. It was so obvious. Must be pretty high up, he mused watching them walk over and stand by the gate, their clothes were obviously expensive. They must be waiting for someone as well.
Ivan watched as their young boy, probably around 6, was given money and allowed to walk alone across the busy station to a vender. Ivan let his gaze drift from the young boy standing in line to buy donuts. He glanced back up at the display; his boss's train had finally arrived. He straightened his suit jacket and stood up a little straighter. He watched as Cavallone 9th approached the exit. He was flanked by his right hand man, Forest, and a large man he didn't recognize. Following close behind was the heir. Ivan smirked. It looked like Romario was still on nursemaid duty. He had never really liked Romario, he never seemed to show the proper respect towards the 9th. Ivan walked over and intercepted the Cavallone party.
"Hey boss, how was your flight?" He said respectfully.
"It was fine. I want to get this stupid meeting over with and get back"
"Of course sir." Out of the corner of his eye he saw the family from earlier walking towards them.
The father stepped forward and spoke "Welcome to Japan. It's a pleasure to meet you my name is Ichiro Hibari. You must be Mr. Cavallone." The group of them stared at the Japanese man. Not one of them understood what he had said. Romario stepped forward and translated for them.
"You must be the Mr. Hibari I have heard so much about?" Cavallone 9th said recovering easily. They shook hands.
Dino was soon bored of the pleasantries. He stuck his hands in his pockets and wished that Romario hadn't taken his comic book. He stared around the large station and spotted a bookstore. He glanced at Romario who was busy translating, and not paying him any attention. Dino took a careful step away from the group. No one noticed. Under the cover of a large group walking by, he made his way to the book store.
He wandered around the shelves. Of course everything was in Japanese, but that did not present him much of a problem. Ever since they had started doing business with Japan several years ago his mother had insisted on his learning the language. He enjoyed languages anyways, so tacking on another one hadn't bothered him. He turned a corner and ran into a tall man in a dark suit. He looked up.
"Excuse me" Dino said in Japanese trying to move out of the man's way.
"No Excuse me. Cavallone," The large man said in Italian.
"Oh. Shit." Dino turned and tried to run but found his way was blocked by two more large men. He tried to shout for Romario but a large rough hand covered his mouth before he could get the words out. He bit down on the hand and kicked, but his efforts to escape were greeted with a hard punch to the back of his head and all consciousness leaving.
Ivan never paid the heir much attention. He wasn't much for kids; he couldn't even remember his name. He looked away from the heir and surveyed the building again. If someone was going to attack the ninth now would be a good time, while he was distracted and in plain view with little cover. Ivan noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and watched as the heir snuck into a book store. Stupid kid. Ivan nudged Forest's arm and nodded towards the book store to let him know he was going to check it out. He moved through the crowd and reached the store as three men in suits left out a side door carrying the heir.
"Son-of-a!" He cursed under his breath and ran after them. They ran down into the lower levels of the station. They ran through an area where some construction had been occurring and ended in a blocked off narrow deserted corridor.
The three men turned panting to face him. Ivan tried not to lean too noticeably against the wall as he fought to get his breath back. He was getting too old for this. One of the three took a step forward pulling out a knife and laughing at his apparent weakness. Ivan reached for his own knife. It was gone. He patted his other pockets frantically. It must have fallen out during the chase. He had nothing to defend himself with. He must have seen the panic in Ivan's face, because the man laughed again confidence exuding from him like cheap cologne.
The man punched Ivan in the face and then kneed him in the stomach causing him to spit his dentures out. The three men laughed even more as he collapsed to the floor. This sort of thing pissed him off. Just because he was old did not mean that they could just play with him. There was a time when people showed more respect to their elders. There was a time when people ended it quickly and cleanly as a show of respect. They didn't just play, he thought the word as though it left a bad taste in his mind. The man moved to kick him again. And something came over Ivan. It was as an epiphany. Just because he was old did not mean he was useless. He reached out and grabbed his dentures.
After purchasing some donuts from a vender Kyouya Hibari wandered down to the sublevels of the station. He didn't like to be on the main floor as much. There were too many people, and he knew his parents wouldn't worry about where he was just yet. He leaned against a wall and ate one of his purchases. He watched as the three men in suits ran past him carrying some blond boy followed by another old foreigner in a suit. If asked to describe them Kyouya would not have been able to, because to him all foreigners looked alike. He followed them anyways as they looked interesting. They didn't run very far. He walked over to the edge of the hall and watched as one of the suited men kicked the older man lying on the floor. This was when he witnessed the most amazing thing he would ever see.
When it was all over and the blood spattering the walls stopped sliding down in little rivulets to pool on the floor. The blood haze lifted from Ivan's eyes. He wiped off the blood and picked out most of the flesh from his dentures and put them back in his mouth. He stooped and picked up the heir and turned to see a small Japanese boy standing at the end of the hallway. He walked over to him.
"Wow…" The little boy said staring up at him with what could only be described as awe. "That was so amazing! You… bit them to death!"
Ivan had no idea what the little twerp was yammering on about in rapid Japanese. He stared incredulously at the kid trying to mimic Ivan and pull his own teeth out like dentures. He sighed and pushed past him carrying the heir. He made it all the way back to where he had left the ninth with a noisy little shadow following him.
"Thank god!" Romario said hurrying forward and taking the heir from Ivan. "Ow!" the little kid had rushed forward and bit Romario on the leg. "What the?"
"Oh! Kyouya!" The woman hurried forward and grabbed her son. "I am so sorry about that. He is usually so well behaved."
The kid stared sullenly at his mother before looking at Ivan and smiling as if to say. Did I do good?
Ivan couldn't help but smile back.
Maybe these dentures weren't so bad.
A/N 3: I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews and critiques are always welcome. :)