Dance of the Mindless Puppet.

Giotto had returned from his long vacation in Italy. When he expected his ordinary life with his mom and no-good brother to resume, he was met with nothing but his almost crazy brother and a creepy man named Bermuda. "Your mother, my sister, is dead. And I am the one in charge of Tsuna-kun. And, ah, who are you?"

-o-

Giotto smiled as he returned his home. He couldn't wait until the whole thing is over and he could relax inside his own house. He liked Italy, but he liked his home better.

After all, home had Mom and her cooking. Giotto loved her mother's cooking the best and he couldn't wait to savor his homemade meal. Mom simply surpassed every chef in the Vongola Manor. He even wondered if Dad actually married her because of that.

"Mom, I'm home!" Giotto said loudly as he entered the house. He didn't get any reply though. He took off his shoes, and unexpectedly tripped off an almost invisible wire, making him fall face-first. "A trap?" Giotto was caught off guard. After all, who would expect a trap in their own house?

Suddenly, eerie sounding slow footsteps came from upstairs. "Mom?" Giotto asked. But, the one who greeted him wasn't his mom. It was an adult who wore all black and bandages that covered up most of his face. "Who are you? Where's Mom?" Giotto asked, trying his best not to be frightened out of his wits by the man in front of him.

"My name is Bermuda von Vichtenstein," he said from under his bandage. Giotto tried not to shiver at this man's low and deep voice. "Your mother, my sister, is dead. And I am the one in charge of Tsunayoshi-kun." He looked upstairs for a bit before returning his face to Giotto. "And, ah, who are you?" He asked as he examined Giotto.

Mom is dead? How come he didn't know about it? How come Dad never told him anything? How come Tsuna didn't call him to inform him?

The blond steeled himself before answering. "My name is Ieyatsu 'Giotto' Sawada. I'm Tsuna's brother." He wanted to offer his hand for a handshake, but he was too terrified to do so. There was something from this man that made Giotto's conscience screamed at him to run and never return to this place.

The way he breathed his every word instead of talking properly, the way that bandage cover every part of his face, the way he walked, and even the way he stands made his knees want to buckle. He wanted to leave this place for good. But that was impossible. This place was his home, after all.

"Ah, I see," This man, Bermuda, said calmly. "Well, please come inside, Giotto-kun. You must be tired from your journey." Giotto took off his shoes and walked to the stairs, but when he was about to place his foot to the first staircase, a shrill scream of "DON'T!" erupted from upstairs.

That instantly brought Giotto's senses alert with fear. He'd never heard such scream before. That scream sounded like it came from a murder victim or someone who got attacked by a zombie, or a mental asylum patient who had a fit. Giotto froze.

"That must be your brother," Bermuda sighed dejectedly. "Your room is downstairs, Giotto-kun. Please wait for a bit before I serve us dinner. I must calm your brother first; I think a stranger's presence agitated him." Bermuda left him alone in the hallway.

Giotto took his entire luggage with him and ran to the guestroom beside the toilet. He shoved all of his stuff inside the closet before sitting on the bed, pondering what just happened.

Tsuna? How could Tsuna of all people let out such a shrill scream that sounded so much like a zombie-attacked person? Giotto knew Tsuna. He was no-good and stupid. He hated scary movies and he had no friends aside from their mom. Giotto never paid him attention at all, but he pretty much knew that Tsuna couldn't sense people's presence. And he wasn't crazy. Tsuna was normal. Way too normal.

And so, Giotto left his own room stealthily, so as trying not to get attention from the other occupants in the house. He walked slowly as he felt his heart thumped loudly, ramming itself towards his chest in suspense.

When Giotto was about to go upstairs, which he noticed was noticeably darker than downstairs, his uncle appeared right in front of him. Giotto yelped and almost tumbled down, but he kept his balance. "Is there something wrong, Giotto-kun?" Bermuda asked calmly, and as slowly as before. "N-no…" Giotto stammered, wiping his sweats with sleeves.

"Let's go then. I will serve dinner. Your brother will join us momentarily." Bermuda strode pass him slowly, almost like he was gliding. Giotto gulped in fear; he cocked his head upwards curiously. For the first time in his life, Giotto wanted to see Tsuna. Aside from the fact that he wanted to see is brother because he hadn't seen him for long, Giotto was also curious about his scream earlier.

"Are you coming, Giotto-kun?" Bermuda asked again. This time, Giotto wasted no time to scamper inside the kitchen.

The kitchen looked grimmer than what he remembered. Red and black splattered messily on top of the familiar white. It looked like it was bloodstains. "My apologies. I am not as good as my sister in cooking. I tend to mess up in one way or another. Such as letting the blood stains the wall as I butcher the meat into chops." Giotto cringed, but only offered a slight smile to his uncle, signaling that it was okay.

Bermuda served a large helping of spaghetti with a horridly red saucing in the middle of the table and put three plates in respective seats. Giotto sat groggily on the chair directly in front of his uncle. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a brunet who wore nothing but a black cape similar to Bermuda's own across his body. Giotto could see bandages under the cape.

The brunet didn't move at all. He looked at Giotto coldly, blankly. There was actually nothing in Tsuna's eyes. He was like… a puppet.

"Please come and sit down, Tsunayoshi-kun." Bermuda said as he took some spaghetti and put it on the orange plate. Tsuna looked towards their uncle, still as blank as before, and sat down on the chair. He brought up his knees to his chin and hugged them tightly. His eyes never left Giotto, who indulged himself with the spaghetti yet still kept a close eye to his brother, who didn't move.

"No need to be so wary, Tsunayoshi-kun." Bermuda said as he added some red-sauce, probably tomato, to Tsuna's plate. "He is Giotto-kun, remember? Your brother." Tsuna didn't move. "I don't have… a family…" The brunet said, and it pierced Giotto's heart. "Mom is… dead… My… only family… is… Bermuda-sama…" He clutched his own head. "Do not say such things, Tsunayoshi-kun." Bermuda said, even though Giotto could detect approval in his voice.

Bermuda twirled the spaghetti until it wasn't messy anymore and put it in front of Tsuna, who refused to open his mouth. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Bermuda asked to his brother, who looked utterly terrified at the spaghetti in front of him. "N-no…" He stammered. Giotto narrowed his eyes. What's up with Tsuna? So weird. The spaghetti he had was so delicious! It even beat the Vongola chefs' own! And why would he look so terrified with mere spaghetti?

"Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Bermuda repeated with the exact same tone as he did previously. Tsuna didn't budge, but his entire body shook uncontrollably. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." He said again.

Giotto could feel anger rising to his veins. Just hurry up and obey him already! "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Just obey him! Hurry! That spaghetti was good! Giotto took another helping, his third or fourth one, he didn't keep count. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Hurry! Hurry! If Tsuna didn't want it, he will take it! It tasted so good! So good! "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun."

The blond kept on eating. It was so very good! It was the best thing he'd ever consume. And he didn't want to stop. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." He kept on eating and eating and eating. And the spaghetti bowl never seemed to empty. Giotto was glad though. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun."

After his many helpings, Tsuna still hadn't relented. But when Giotto was about to rant at his brother for not eating such a heavenly dish, he passed out. And before his sights went dark, he heard such a pleasant voice in his ears.

"Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun."

-o-

Giotto woke up on his own room. Whoa, that was unexpected. He really did it, didn't he? He actually passed out because he ate too much. If Reborn knew what he had done, he'll probably get his head kicked by the terrifying hitman.

The blond's stomach felt so full and he felt so sick. He shouldn't have eaten like that. It was disgraceful and hurt. He stood up and head to the kitchen to get some water. Unexpectedly, his uncle and brother were still there.

"Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." His uncle said, still with the same tone as before. Giotto narrowed his eyes. But he kept on listening. "N-no… no…" His brother said stubbornly. "You need to remain alive, Tsunayoshi-kun. I ordered you to." Bermuda sounded displeased, and it hurt Giotto so much.

His brother jolted in his seat and screamed. "A-a-a-ah! I… orders… disobeyed… Bermuda-sama…!" Tsuna screamed again, and it made Giotto flinch. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Giotto watched as his younger brother shook his head again.

"I do not understand. You liked these before. What made you dislike them?" Their uncle pondered. "Ah… is it the material?" His uncle then ate the spaghetti himself. "I must admit that I quite dislike these. They do not taste as good as the material before." Bermuda then went to the cupboard and took out a large cleaver. "Do you want to taste something good, Tsunayoshi-kun?" The man asked.

The brunet wailed miserably. "This is your fault. If you had simply eaten, this would not have happened." Bermuda walked closer to his brother, who shrunk within his seat, but didn't run. "I will simply take the little finger…"

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Tsuna screamed, and Giotto almost joined him. But he kept his mouth shut with his hands.

Bermuda laughed and took out a frying pan. He sautéed Tsuna's little finger and added the red-sauce again. He discarded the bones within Tsuna's little finger and forked it with much satisfaction. "N-no… no… no…" Tsuna whimpered. But Bermuda returned to his seat and offered the brunet the 'meat'.

"Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." He said once more. Tsuna, again, wailed and whimpered. He cried. "Ah, Tsunayoshi-kun," Bermuda said dejectedly. But then, he snapped his fingers. "You are now within my power, Tsunayoshi-kun," He drawled lazily, but Giotto found his voice extremely pleasing. It was so rich, and deep, and resounding within his mind. "When I order you, you will say yes. And you shall do whatever I ask of you with no hesitation. Do you understand?" Giotto muttered a 'yes', but Tsuna didn't. His brother's body only relaxed immensely, leaving himself vulnerable to their uncle.

"Now then," Bermuda said as he put together Tsuna's parted legs and put his hands on his lap. "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun." Giotto watched as his brother's blank eyes darted towards their uncle. "Yes…" He said with trained obedience. Tsuna opened his mouth and took his own little finger inside his mouth. "Please chew it, Tsunayoshi-kun." Tsuna chew them slowly, and after a few minutes, Bermuda ordered him to swallow.

He then began to feed Tsuna his spaghetti with the same orders: "Please open your mouth, Tsunayoshi-kun."; "Please chew it, Tsunayoshi-kun."; and "Please swallow them, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Giotto was beyond frightened. He pieced the entire thing together.

The reason why Tsuna screamed, it was to warn him. He shouldn't be here. The reason why Tsuna looked so broken and almost crazy was because of Bermuda's hypnotism. And he didn't want to eat the spaghettis because it was made from human flesh.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, do you want to eat another one that tasted like our first dish? Hmm? Your mother?" Giotto tensed. His entire body was shaking and he buckled to his knees. Mom. The reason why Tsuna never told him that their mother is dead was because Bermuda had been watching him the entire time. And Giotto knew Tsuna would feel extremely guilty for committing a murder he didn't commit. And his dad. Boy. Did he know about this?

To think of it, Bermuda had been calling his mother 'my sister'. But he'd never once mention her name. That was weird. Could it be that Bermuda wasn't actually their uncle? He didn't know what to do.

Run. He needed to run.

He knew that with his entire being. But fear overtook his mind in such an alarming rate. "Yes…" Tsuna's voice shocked him. Why? How could Tsuna say- ah. Tsuna has been brainwashed. Giotto noticed that his brother actually had no will of his own… at least right now.

He had warned Giotto and refused the meal.

Giotto stood up and saw through the door. His brother was looking at Bermuda with blank eyes, his body tense, ready for orders. Bermuda gave him a large cleaver and petted his brown head with his ghostly, spider-like, and bandaged fingers. "Dance, my mindless little puppet, kill your own flesh and blood."

Bermuda smiled at Giotto, who shrieked. Tsuna held the cleaver tightly in his hands and moved ever so slowly to Giotto's direction.