Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one**

That smile. It chilled her to the bone. There was nothing innocent about it, even if he made it seem so. It was only filled with malicious intent. Because it was that smile which he had worn while mercilessly killed off her friends and companions. Only one was kept alive, excluding herself. And they were stuck here as his toys. Spared only for his personal pleasure they were locked up in what looked like bedrooms. But she knew better. They were prison cells of the worst sort – no windows and only white.

White. How she had grown to detest the colour. The only click of colour in her room was her hair and eyes as well as her blood. Her blood that got soaked up by her tampons – for she was not allowed to wear pads – during her periods. Her hair was longer, much longer. She wasn't allowed to cut it to its old short, stylish lengths, but had to save it out so it reached down her back. For he had told her he liked long hair; it gave him something to grab onto. She shivered at the look he had had when he had told her. He loved toying with her.

Her skin was pale. It had lost its colour after the first few months. Yes. She had stayed here that long. Even though she had an alarm clock, she had a hard time keeping track of time. For there were no windows and the clock was always silent. As were everything else in her room. It drove her crazy. The only time there was sounds to be heard, she knew that _he_ was close. He would hum a merry tune as he entered, always one of favourite songs – just to make her miserable – and then he would always greet her with a sickly sweet _"Ohayo~" _no matter at what time of the day he arrived. He always managed to come in at the worst times too; mostly when she was changing. She knew she was being watched, even though she had seen no cameras. She knew that he had seen her body in all angles; that he had seen her during her worst moments; that he had seen her cut herself between her periods just to see some colour.

He had yet to hurt her, but it was only a matter of time. She knew he had other playthings; playthings which he hurt and used sexually constantly. He had told her, gloated about it even in order to make her feel miserable. He claimed he would grow tired of them soon and kill them off. And then, at long last, it would be her turn. Soon, he had told her, soon her turn would come. But he never told her when 'soon' was; 'soon' had proved to be countless months, if not even years, of waiting.

And there she had been, living in blissful unawareness about the exact horrors that the outside world brought. She had saved herself, she smiled grimly at the thought, for Tsuna. And now… now this man… no, this _monster_ would take her last memory of her past life from her. And he would enjoy tearing it from her just as he had torn Kyoko's heart out of her still breathing chest. Tears welled up in her eyes and she curled into a ball in the corner in which she sat. Her silent were the only thing that could be heard.

Until the familiar sound of humming reached her ears. No. _No. N_ot now…! The humming increased in volume, echoed off the walls around her. She tried desperately to silence her sobs but to no avail. The door creaked open…

_"Ohayo, Haru-chan~"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

_"Ohayo, Haru-chan~"_

Haru did the unthinkable. She kept her head down and ignored him.  
"Haru-chan~" There was a strain to his voice. She could tell. She had been around him enough, acting like his _secretary,_ to know that. She clutched her knees harder. The clicking of his boots against the white hard floor told her he was advancing on her. They stopped before her but she didn't look up.  
"_Look at me_." He was angry. Something had annoyed him before he had come here. Maybe he had come here with the hopes of having her 'cheer him up' in his sick little way. Slowly, she raised her head, her eyes locking with his. The tears were still flooding down her cheeks. She made no attempt to wipe them away. It would be a sign of weakness to do so. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and her jaw clenched. There was an undying flame of determination in her eyes as she stared up at him. That flame within her would never break, but that was something he was working on.

Maybe that was why he kept her around; she made his day more interesting. Well that was certainly the reason as to why _he_ kept _him_ alive; pure amusement. She had actually yet to see her old comrade – if she could even call him that – but she knew he was still alive; the white _angel_ before her would have told her otherwise. Maybe he would have brought her to his execution even. Just to make sure she was aware of the fact that there was not a single friendly face for her to find in here. Not even Irie or Spanner. They had been kept alive for a while. A while during which they had been forced to pass their 'legacy' onto someone else. _Someone more 'promising'_, as the devil had put it. She would never call him that to his face; he didn't need to know he had that _special_ place in her mind.

Cool, long fingers wrapped around her throat. It told her she hadn't been listening to what he had been saying. And he was aware of it. Even though she was clearly choking and struggling for air, her voice didn't sound. To cry out would be a sign of weakness and he would win. She wouldn't let him. At least in her mind she would remain strong.

He lifted her off the floor and pushed her against the wall behind her. "Were you listening to me just now?" There was venom dripping from his voice. She knew he would kill her if she didn't reply. Or at least _punish _her until she was on the brink of death. Some parts of her wanted him to end her; to put an end to all her suffering. But if _he_ knew that, he would have won. He would have broken her and then he would definitely throw her to the dogs – or even to some of his men. After all, those White Spell officers were known to receive certain _rewards_ every now and then.

"Were you?" His grip tightened around her neck and cut off her air supply further.  
"No," She was fighting to keep her voice level and monotone. "…Byakuran-sama." A shadow of a smile flew past his lips. She knew better than to lie to him. The punishments were always worse if she did. She had tried, oh she had really tried, but somehow, just like Reborn, he always knew whether or not she was telling the truth. A choked sob escaped her lips at the memory of the child before she could stop it. There was now a smirk on his face. Tears blurred her vision as she fought for air; for her life.

She fell onto the floor, collapsing as if boneless as he released her. She drew short, harsh, breaths as she lay on her side. She knew better than to move.  
"Ne, Haru-chan~ You should really be listening to what I'm saying~" He taunted her. Or at least the tone of his voice did. One never knew what he was really thinking. "I visited Muku-chan today~" His voice betrayed nothing of what had happened between the two men. Haru found herself biting the inside of her cheek, hoping that he hadn't killed off that last person that she actually knew in here. "Mm, guess what came agreed on?" So he wasn't dead. What a relief. The white man turned to her, fake excitement barely concealed his malicious intent. Haru knew better than to speak unless directly spoken to. "You're going to get to meet him!" This time, her shock was so great that her eyes widened and her jaw almost dropped. Having him saying this was almost the same as hearing him tell her that he would let her walk out of here and never bother her ever again.

"Aren't you excited?" Haru stared up at him. His sugary tone didn't go well with the sadistic look on his face. There was something to this he wasn't telling her. His eyes and voice hardened as she didn't reply. "Well?"  
Blinking rapidly, Haru tried to find her voice "Very excited, Byakuran-sama. I can't wait." Which was true, but none of her true excitement was audible in her voice; she was simply too shocked about this whole ordeal. He looked at her, seemingly expecting something more. Shakily, Haru got onto her hands and knees and bowed to the man, just like she had been taught. She knew that if she didn't do so when he had given her such an 'opportunity', he would brush her off as ungrateful and not give her the 'reward' – just like he had done previously when offering her a walk outside. She had been foolish to resist him then and she had learned to not do it again. After all, it was all her loss.  
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Byakuran-sama. I… I truly don't deserve it."

She could hear the smirk in the coldness of his voice. "No, you don't." His foot was placed on her neck. His voice turned into a hiss, all traces of sugar disappearing. He was angry. "You are just a pawn in my game. In my world… you're _nothing_." He put more pressure on her neck, threatening to snap it. She knew better than to move. "I am king and you are the dirt under my feet." This was one of his many issues; he needed to constantly be in control and often tested his subordinates to see just what they would do for him. All for his own, very sick, amusement. "You don't sound so excited, Haru-chan. Do it better next time."

"Yes, Byakuran-sama." There was still no emotion in her voice. He pressed down harder. It hurt so much that tears formed in the corner of her eyes. Was this really how she would die? On her knees in front of the devil himself? Surely she could have gotten a better end; she didn't want _him_ to be the last person she saw.  
"I am merely your pawn; I only exist for your pleasure." No matter how much it humiliated her, she had to give in to him if she wished to live. "I am the dirt under your feet; I am not even worthy of kissing your boots." He was clearly surprised because the pressure to her neck lessened. "I live only because of your mercy; I owe you my life and I am giving it to you for you to do with as you wish." Her lips began to tremble as the tears fell to the floor. "If I am to die by your hand, I will be happy. Because your face is the last thing I will see in this world and I will take that precious memory with me to the world after this." Lies. They were all lies. Byakuran knew this too, but he enjoyed seeing his subjects crawl before him and often this was enough reason for him to keep them around for a while longer.

His foot was removed. If she had been stupid enough to, she would have let out a sigh of relief.  
"Ne, Haru-chan~" So apparently he was pleased with her. "I will return in an hour to pick you up~ Don't go anywhere~" The threat hung heavy in the air. _Move an inch and you won't be as lucky next time. _He laughed so beautifully that in her once oblivious state, she could have mistaken it for bells chiming – a voice of an angel, even – but she knew better now.  
"Ja ne~" She heard the clicking of his boots as he departed, the door opened and closed. She was alone. At last. Thank god, she had survived.

She smiled grimly at that. There was no god, that much her time here had told her, there was only Byakuran.

* * *

Well! I was very happy to read all of your reviews to the last chapter; it really got me wanting to write more! I have also gotten myself a wonderful beta, namely Siela Mist9x, who is helping me. Thus, the last chapter has gotten some minor changes, so I suggest you go check it out.

As for the other survivor... well, I would suppose you have a quite clear image of whom that might be.

Until next time,

Envy


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

_There was no god, that much her time here had told her, there was only Byakuran._

Haru's knees hurt. She had been lying in the exact same bowed down position for the devil knew how long. And the devil knew, for he had been watching her through those cameras of his. She knew. And he knew that she knew. To occupy herself, the girl had begun solving math problems in her head – just like she had during thunderstorms when younger. This however, had shown to not be as distracting as she had hoped. Instead, she had yet again begun to softly sing her childhood songs – mostly ones she had sung with Kyoko and her friend Hana during some of the girls' karaoke nights – to let her mind travel far away to a time where innocence was still bliss. A weak smile grazed her lips at the memory. They had even managed to drag Chrome along. She let out a choked sob. _Chrome_… She had been one of the first to be killed; her eye gouged out and her tongue cut off before she had been left to drown in her own blood. Haru's body trembled. _"In order to contain Muku-chan~"_ he had said. Why did he even tell her such things? Even back then he had. It was as if though he had always planned on keeping her…

Taking calming breaths, she fought to suppress the images in her mind. She needn't think about the past. But of the… her thoughts went dead. About what? The future? She had none, that much was clear. The only thing awaiting her was torture and a gruesome death. She really didn't want _him_ to be the last thing she saw in this world. She wanted it to be Tsuna. But that was impossible. Sawada Tsunayoshi was dead. He had never returned with the rest of them. For he had already been dead and buried even before their younger counterparts had arrived.

She bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. "Tsuna-san…" The name was whispered out in a desperate call. "Oh Tsuna-san…!" Why did he have to die? If he had been here… if he had been there when they attacked the base… maybe, maybe she wouldn't be here… maybe they would all have been alive and it would have been Byakuran and his damn minions that laid slaughtered in their secret base. Haru certainly wouldn't have minded that. …oh dear lord, what was she thinking? She never wanted to harm anyone! Surely the devil couldn't have infected her mind, could he? No. No, he couldn't have…

Haru took a deep, calming – yet still very much shaky – breath and forced all thoughts about blood and gore out of her head. And then she began to sing. _"Lay down, your sweet and weary head. Night is falling, you have come to journey's end. Sleep now, and dream of the ones who came before. They are calling from across the distant shore." _Lone tears made their way down her cheek. _"Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? Soon you will see. All of your fears will pass away. Safe in my arms; you're only sleeping."_ It was the song that had been sung on her mother's funeral, yet it had such a calming effect on her mind. _"What can you see on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea a pale moon rises. The ships have come to carry you home."_ Her tears slowly dried into her skin as warmth filled her insides. _"And all will turn to silver glass. A light on the water all souls pass."_ It originated from her mother's favourite books and movies; the Lord of the Rings, and Haru had heard her mother quote from the books numerous times. _"Hope fades into the world of night. Through shadows falling out of memory and time. Don't say 'we have come now to the end'. White shores are calling, you and I will meet again."_ This was almost exactly what her mother had told her while laying in the hospital bed – as had Tsuna too when slowly losing his life; 'Don't give up; we'll meet again when it is time'. _"And you'll be safe in my arms, just sleeping."_ 'I will always be here… in your heart…' _"What can you see on the horizon? Why do the white gulls call? Across the sea a pale moon rises. The ships have come to carry you home."_ A small smile graced her lips. She felt safe, as if though both her mother's and Tsuna's arms were around her, comforting her. _"And all will turn to silver glass. A light on the water… grey ships pass into the West…"_ The feeling of calmness; of being complete. Haru relaxed and for the first time in a long time, she truly felt safe.

A slow clapping was heard. Haru stiffened. She didn't look at him. "Very good, Haru-chan~" When had he arrived? Why hadn't she heard him? Had it already been an hour? Why hadn't he said anything? It was simply because she amused him. The cruel bastard. She hated how he always caught her at her worst. And if he did catch her in a good mood, he would be sure to turn it all around; throwing her into the dark abyss she liked to call hell. "Well then, up you get. We don't have all day~" Slowly, being careful of her stiff limbs, she stood and dusted herself off. Her knees hurt. As did her back. She made a small grimace when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Come, come, Haru-chan~" He was already at the door, waiting. Slowly, trying not to trip over her heavy-feeling feet, she crossed the room. He held his arm out for her. She obediently stepped under it, stiffening ever-so-slightly as he wrapped it around her waist and proceeded to guide her down the hall. Acting like she was his possession. Haru stared straight ahead and tried to avoid touching him as much as possible. She felt his breath against her ear. "Relax, Haru-chan~ I'm not going to hurt you~" A lie. They both knew. And he seemed to find great amusement in her uncomfortable state.

He led her down white halls, every single one of them identical. She had wondered how someone could find their way around the building in the beginning, but after having been present during times when Byakuran had gotten himself new employees, she knew that they were given a map of the place which they had an hour to learn in the presence of a general before it destroyed itself as a precaution. Apparently they didn't want any enemies infiltrating the building again. Haru smiled weakly at the memory; Tsuna's team had truly been the best of the best. And now she would finally be able to meet a friend! At last! Maybe she could even get a hug and a shoulder to cry on by the purple-haired man, just like he had once offered Chrome one.

Two guards opened a large set of pearly white doors as they approached. Byakuran brought her with him inside. Haru, barely able to conceal her excitement, looked around, searching for Mukuro. She froze. This wasn't any place where the illusionist would be held prisoner. She closed her eyes and fought back all the emotions that threatened to break through. They were in Byakuran's office. She had been fooled again.

Apparently he knew her thoughts for he laughed that silvery laugh of his which was only heard when he was in a good mood. "Ne, Haru-chan~ Who told you you would be meeting Muku-chan today~?" There was clear amusement in his voice as he watched her through his long lashes. Haru clenched her fists and her eyes drained of life once more. She said nothing. She had been foolish to assume that the man before her could actually be nice. "Well, don't you have anything to say~?" His eyes held a murderous glint. He was in the mood to kill. Apparently he hadn't gotten over whatever it was that had annoyed him earlier.

He began to circle her. "Aren't you angry? Don't you want to kill me? You can do it now, Haru-chan~ I won't stop you~" Again with his ridiculous games. Haru didn't move the slightest inch and just stared straight ahead, saying nothing; she had seen people being killed for more ridiculous things than this.

* * *

Heh, so maybe I should apologize; this chapter was done by the time of the second chapter but I sort of completely forgot to post it. My bad!

Also, I am looking for a cute cover for this series. If anyone have any ideas, feel free to contact me!

Another big thank you to Siela Mist9x for being my Beta~

Until next time,

Envy

Again, thank you for your reviews, they are very much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

_Haru didn't move the slightest inch and just stared straight ahead, saying nothing; she had seen people being killed for more ridiculous things than this._

"Ne, Haru-chan~?" He was mocking her. He knew her inner thoughts and tried to lure them to the surface. She wouldn't fall for that.  
"I have no intent of killing you, Byakuran-sama." A lie. Not that she could ever be strong enough to manage the deed, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. But only when the chances were high that she would succeed without fail. She did _not_ want to face the consequences of a failed murder; consequences which she knew for sure involved torture and a slow, very much painful death.

"I don't believe that." He was whispering into her ear and she could feel the heat from his body. A shiver ran through her body as he suddenly touched her. His finger trailed down her cheek and over her lips. Briefly, she was tempted to bite it off just like he had done to Hibari's throat.

Hibari… the soaring skylark; the drifting cloud among the Vongola who had always done as he himself pleased. She'd admit it, Haru had felt a twinge of jealously towards him; even though he had barely ever been with the Vongola in their base, he had always been informed about everything that happened. Unlike Haru and Kyoko, who were constantly left in the dark in order to 'protect them', this man had ignored what those around him had told him and just walked his own path. If only she had been able to do that back then, then maybe… maybe she wouldn't have been stuck here; maybe the others wouldn't have died and maybe… just maybe… they would have defeated Byakuran and lived their lives in peace.

If that had been, then maybe Kyoko and Tsuna would have gotten the wedding her friend had always dreamed about. Gokudera… no, _Hayato_ would have been the best man and Haru would have been bridesmaid, and Haru would have stared longingly with tears in her eyes at the man of her dreams. This was Haru's sin; the reason why the gods had left her alive when all the others had gone to heaven. They left her to suffer, but she deserved it… She had loved an engaged man; her best friend's fiancé on top of that. Oh why couldn't she simply have gotten over Tsuna when he and Kyoko had announced their engagement? Why couldn't she have accepted Goku- _Hayato's_ more serious advances and taken it a step further than simply becoming friends with benefits? But now it was too late and she had already lost her soul to the devil. And she deserved it all for wishing that Tsuna would leave Kyoko for her.

The devil was currently gazing at her amusedly, as if he was able to read her thoughts.  
"Well, if you have no intent of killing me, Haru-_chan, _then why do you have such dark thoughts?" The smirk was ever present as he let his cool fingers trail down her chin and neck, causing her to shiver involuntarily yet again, and then he let her go. He crossed the room with lazy steps and sunk down in the couch, his long legs stretched out and crossed at his ankles.  
"Join me." A command.

Haru, still a bit shaken up from her memories of her lost love, cautiously went over and sunk down next to him – not too close, but also not too far away. An arm wrapped around her shoulders and she was pulled into a warm chest. She leaned against him, stiff and motionless as she wished for him to let her go. But he wouldn't, instead, she found herself staring at a band that lay nicely draped over a pillow inside a glass cabinet on the other side of the small table. A red band with yellow stripes on the side; a trophy. She didn't dare glance to the other levels in the cabinet, knowing they held 'trophies' from other slain 'enemies'. Teeth graced her neck as she froze and before her eyes, Haru could have sworn she saw how that familiar band became soaked through with blood, just like that night. Her body jerked as her stomach convulsed, threatening to empty its contents in the white devil's lap as she remembered.

"_Kamikorosu…"_

I'll bite you to death. How ironic. That was what he had said before tilting Hibari's head back and bit off his windpipe. How he had managed, Haru didn't want to know; it was clear that the white devil wasn't human. Not at all.

* * *

Yes, as one of you noticed, it was indeed Into the West that Haru sang in the last chapter. Though I wasn't all that sure I should actually write her singing since it might give her too much of a Mary Sue feel… Oh well.

I have realized that I might give a small explanation to why Hibari's band is found in Byakuran's office. Well, in my little world I see Byakuran like the type who would absolutely _love_ to gloat about his victories and thus, he has gotten himself a glass cabinet with 'trophies' from strong enemies which he has slain. There might be more about this later on.

Once again, a big thanks to Siela Mist9x for betaing! I couldn't be doing this without you!

Until next time,

Envy


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

_How he had managed, Haru didn't want to know; it was clear that the white devil wasn't human. Not at all._

"Mm taking a trip down memory lane, are we~?" Byakuran's sickly sweet voice brought tears to her eyes as her delicate hands balled into fists. He laughed, having noticed how her gaze had locked onto the piece of clothing which had previously belonged to Hibari Kyoya. "I see you remember it quite clearly~" He let his lips trail up her neck to whisper in her ear. "Why don't you remind me of when I killed off all of your _precious_ friends, hm?" Haru's lip trembled. "Tell me how I _murdered_ them and bathed in their blood." It had been an order, she knew, an order that left her no room to disobey. She swallowed thickly and fought back the tears.

"Oh? Don't you remember, Haru-chan~?" She mutely nodded her head, her eyes full of emotion as she fought the oncoming stream of memories. She remembered alright. Every single sick little detail. Against her better judgement, she obeyed and began to describe everything with a voice void of all emotion.

It had all happened in the Vongola base. They had all returned to their rightful places in what her younger self had called 'the future'. Haru hadn't remembered to ask why Tsuna wasn't among them, as he should have been if everything had really gone back to normal; she had just been so busy being happy that the bad men were gone. Or so they had thought. They had returned to their base, eaten a grand feast to celebrate their younger selves' victory and gone to sleep; none of them asking themselves why the destruction above ground hadn't disappeared or why Lal Mirch was still suffering from the strange disease.

It was 3:17 in the morning when it all begun. Haru remembered it clearly. Far too clearly than she would have liked. The door to the base had been blown open, the explosion jolting them awake as it made the ground shake. Kyoko and Haru had curled up in the corner of Haru's bed. Bianchi had stood in front of the door in order to protect them, but just as a precaution, for no one would ever manage to come down here.

Wrong.

The alarm sounded and red lights began to flash all inside the building. Running was heard from the corridor outside. Their door had been kicked opened; barely missing Bianchi as it flew into the wall behind her. Haru and Kyoko had only managed to stare at the form appearing in the door, their forms trembling. It was the devil himself, he wasn't gone. A cold grin had spread over his face as his eyes had locked on the covering forms on the bed.

"Bingo~"

Bianchi hadn't even had time to react before he had broken her neck without much of an effort. As the woman's dead body fell to the floor, he had turned to face the younger women. Keeping his eyes fixed on them, he had called out his orders. "Take them all alive; I want to kill them personally." Haru had only clutched Kyoko closer.

The devil had easily pried them apart and pulled them to the floor. As if to keep them separated, he had thrown Haru over his shoulder and grabbed Kyoko by the arm to push her in front of him. They had all been gathered in one of the training halls on the lower floors. Kyoko had been mercilessly shoved to where the others were crouching on the ground, fresh bloody wounds and fresh scratches marring their skin, while Haru had been forced down next to what seemed to be a magically restrained Mukuro. At that point in time, Haru had wanted nothing more than to sit next to Kyoko and hug her. But now, all she could do was watch. Watch as he killed her precious friends off.

If she tried to look away or close her eyes, strong hands would tighten around her throat until she was watching again.  
"Haru-chan~" He had whispered in her ear as he cut off her air supply. She hadn't even wondered why he had known her name; there was so much on her mind already as it was. "Open your eyes." She had winced, clenching her teeth together and her eyes remained firmly closed.

"Stupid woman, do as he says! This isn't something worth dying for!" Hayato's pained voice caused her to snap her eyes open and stare. She gasped for air her as Byakuran finally released his grip on her.  
"Good girl…" she had heard him mumble before turning to the others, a sadistic smirk spreading on his lips. "Now then, let's begin with our fun."

Chrome had been the first to die. With his fingers, Byakuran had ripped out her remaining eye to match the already hollow socket. Chrome had screamed in agony, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists in pain. The blood had run down Byakuran's arm, but he hadn't been in the slightest bothered by it. Instead he had left the trembling girl on the floor and turned to Haru and Mukuro, kneeling before them.

"To contain Muku-chan~" he had clarified while holding the eye up in front of them between his fingers before abruptly squashing it like one might have done to a grape. A wet tongue had licked some of the blood off his arm. He turned back to Chrome, throwing the remains of her eye almost disgustedly on the floor. Retrieving the trident from one of his subordinates, he had stabbed the girl in the chest repeatedly and twisted the weapon cruelly to make sure her insides were truly beyond repair. Chrome had screamed; her body jerking and her fingers twitching until she stopped moving all together. Haru vaguely remembered Mukuro harsh words as he had helplessly trashed against his bindings in a desperate attempt to save his precious Chrome. Byakuran had only taunted him by making 'tsk'ing noises before turning to address the remaining guardians and Kyoko, leaving the trident in the girl's body. "That's what's in store for you, dear guardians. Aren't you excited?"

The murders had continued in the same brutal way as the blood flowed freely and soon covered the whole floor. Before every kill he would glance over at Haru's wide-eyed, trembling form with a sick glint in his eye and said something which he apparently deemed fitting.

Next up was poor Kyoko. Byakuran hadn't even bothered to move the arms clutching her chest out of the way as his hand dug into her chest and ripped out her still-beating heart. The girl had collapsed with a scream while her murderer simply laughed and held up her heart for the world to see.  
"I send you her heart, Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun." And then he had crushed the heart in his hands, a feral grin on his features as the blood inside it had stained his clothes and face.

A crying Lambo was then grabbed by the hair and thrown to the floor. Byakuran had put his foot to his neck to keep him still and snarled out an "I don't like kids." before simply stomping on poor Lambo's head, crushing it easily with his boot, letting the contents of his brains splash about and stain his white boots and trousers. Haru retched dryly, having thrown up everything within her already.

Sauntering around among the remaining guardians, he had stopped before Hibari's glaring form, a wicked glint in his eye. Grabbing a handful of the weakened Cloud guardian's hair, he had jerked his head back and nuzzled his neck, much like a lover might have done. A tongue had shot out and licked up the dark-haired man's neck before he had muttered the all famous "Kamikurosu" and ripped his throat open with his teeth, letting his face and chest become stained with sickening amounts of blood. To Hibari's credit, he had neither flinched nor screamed.

Stopping before the rain guardian, Byakuran had tilted his head to the side with an all-too-sweet smile on his lips.  
"This was never a game…" The so-called angel had retrieved Yamamoto's sword from another subordinate and swished it before him a few times before simply chopping the baseball-player's head off with his own sword. Bringing the sword up to his lips, Byakuran had licked a long trail of blood of off it before discarding it unceremoniously on the floor where it had slid through the blood and gore.

Humming a merry tune, the devil had kicked the surprisingly quiet boxer to the floor. Continuing his humming, he had walked around him before crouching down and grabbing a hold of his arm. Sickening snaps of bones breaking followed by howls of pain was what was heard when Byakuran had methodically broken Ryohei's arms and legs. This was swiftly followed by some ribs until he finally, after much suffering from the boxer's part, snapped his neck, a satisfied sigh leaving the devil's lips as he was done.

Haru was glad Kyoko hadn't had to witness her brother's death or any of the other deaths as well. Apparently, or so she was informed later, Giannini, I-pin and Kusakabe had already been killed as they had been deemed unworthy to die by 'the emperor's hands. Maybe they had gotten more dignified deaths than the guardians and Kyoko. If only… oh, if only Reborn and Tsuna had still been alive… then this sick murdering would have never occurred.

Everything had been as if Haru wasn't present; she had only seen everything as if in trance. It wasn't until Byakuran's hand and wrist were clearly visible on the other side of Hayato's chest that she awoke from her state. No tears had fallen; she had been too shocked to cry yet. "I am not a stupid woman…" she had whispered, so low that he would never have heard her. "I only am for you…" The hand was pulled back and Hayato had collapsed, a pool of blood forming around him. She didn't care as she suddenly found her body being able to move and she threw herself forward, clinging to Hayato's frame as she stroked his hair. "Hayato, oh Hayato…" Had she not been solely focusing on her love, she would have seen the cocked eyebrow from the devil as he had slowly licked his fingers clean from blood, looking as if though he was savouring every last drop.

_"I love you…"_

Too late, it had been much too late when she had finally whispered the words in return to his dying eyes. If only she'd have realized it earlier and not when he was already at the brink of death… But the reaction she had gotten as the light slowly left his eyes was one she would never forget; a small smile had graced his lips and as all signs of life disappeared. It had looked like Hayato had died without a worry in the world.

* * *

Well Í hope that turned out alright and that you weren't too creeped out… I spent a lot of time deciding those killings I tell you, and when I finally thought I was done, I had oh-so-conveniently forgotten about two guardians… go me. Thank you Siela Mist9x for helping me out!

Anyway, I have realized that it's possible to put a cover picture for the series… does anyone have any ideas of what to put there? Or even better a wonderful picture I can use? :3

Until next time,

Envy


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six**

_It had looked like Hayato had died without a worry in the world._

Haru's voice was hollow as she numbly told Byakuran her story. He had heard it before – heck, he had even been there when it happened! – but he always seemed to instantly get in a better mood after hearing it again. Blocking out his cheerful talking, Haru had locked her eyes on Hayato's rings which lay on a pillow in the glass cabinet. She remembered how she used to skim her fingers across them and trace their details as they had lain together in bed. Hayato never took them off, oh no, he always needed to 'be prepared to protect Juudaime'. Trembling slightly, a tear slid down her cheek at the memory. _Hayato…_

A grunt came from the body which Haru had rolled on top of. "Stupid woman, you're crushing me…"  
She hit him playfully in the shoulder. "Hahi!? I'm not that heavy!"  
He chuckled and smirked down at her, "Cut down on the sweets and you won't be."  
Haru scoffed and snuggled into Hayato's bare shoulder, a low, very much content sigh escaping her. She was exhausted. "I will when you stop smoking."  
Hayato rubbed her shoulder with the arm wrapped around her as he removed the cigarette from his lips and glanced down at her. "Tch, not gonna happen."

She reached out to stroke the hand holding the cigarette. It was not that she hated the fact that he smoked – they were only 'fuck buddies' (as Hayato had put it) – but it annoyed her that he did it in the afterglow.  
"I know…" She mumbled and traced his fingers and the rings wrapped around them, admiring. Had she looked up, she would have seen the faint dust of red on the bomber's cheeks. It was moments like these she lived for – there were no arguments, no fighting – just two _friends_ relaxing. Oh if only they were more. No, she was _not_ going to go there; she should be happy that she was this close to him at all. Still… Sighing, Haru grabbed the cigarette, stretched over and pushed it down on the ashtray beside the bed. "But not now… please…" _I want to enjoy this, just the two of us_.

Haru was truly horrible; even though she had never been tied up or restrained in any manner during the heartless killings of her friends she hadn't even _tried_ to save any of them; she had just sat there and watched as they all died one by one and only when it was Hayato's turn to die had she come to react. Some friend she was. Not even when Kyoko had died had she done anything – except from trembling and throwing up. Haru deserved to suffer, that much was clear, and although she fought it and tried to escape this hell, she knew that she truly deserved it, that this was her fate. If this truly was God's punishment for her sins, then she would accept it and let herself be tortured.

She remembered how the devil's white clothes had been completely covered in the blood of her friends, her _family_, as he had ripped her away from her beloved's body and picked her up in his arms as if though she was a maiden he had just saved from the evil dragon. How ironic it was when it was really _him_ who was the dragon which had just killed the hero and stolen away the maiden. She hadn't cried then either; just struggled and then, when exhausted, stared blankly into the air, seeing nothing. A mistake, it had proved, for the distance the white devil had carried her when headed for the base was to be the last she would see of the outside world for many months to come.

The devil had placed her on the softest bed imaginable in what would from then on be her prison. The blood on his hands, clothes and face had mixed with her own puke and clung to her clothes and face, but as she lain there, curled into a ball, she hadn't even bothered wiping it off. His fingers had danced across her cheeks and arms, decorating them with even more blood, in what would have been a soothing manner had he been someone else. But Haru had just lain there, empty and soulless, not reacting in the slightest. Oh how she wished he had just killed her then and there. She wouldn't have felt a thing. Maybe… maybe she would have been happy to be reunited with her friends. With Hayato. _Her_ Hayato…

Later, when she was alone, she had finally broken down. With a horrified squeak she had gotten herself off the bed, torn off her clothes and desperately tried to get the blood and puke off her body. She had scratched, ripped and torn at her skin and hair, causing herself to bleed and her blood to mingle with that of her friends. She had ended up in a corner, arms wrapped around her knees as her now broken nails had dug into her arms. The tears had flown freely down her cheeks as she had rocked back and forth, repeating the same mantra over and over again.

"_I am a stupid woman, I am a stupid woman…"_

A sharp pain in her shoulder jerked her out of her thoughts. Haru let out a strangled sob and clenched her eyes shut. He had bit her. And in order to do so, he had also pulled down her shirt over her shoulder. Haru was not wearing the standard White Spell uniform that all the others in the base did. Instead, she was wearing white slacks and a white long-sleeved shirt, complete with white sneakers – something which made her quite easy to distinguish among the Millifiore and easy to catch should she try to escape.

Slowly, the teeth left her flesh, a wet tongue darting out as if to soothe the abused skin.  
"Tell me… how am I to be able to be emperor if my subordinates don't _listen_ to me?" His voice was a low hiss and her bottom lip trembled. "Well!?"  
Haru flinched at his sharp voice and bit her lip, too terrified to reply.

"Answer me!" had she been looking up at him, she would have seen the lunatic glint in his eyes, but instead, she had forced her mouth to form a humble response.  
"I live only to serve y-" before she could finish, he grabbed her roughly by the arm. A yelp of surprise escaped her as she was yanked to her feet, her eyes snapping open. She could have sworn she heard a knock on the door, but had no time to ponder over this as her body was carelessly thrown to the floor like a ragdoll, face first. A pitiful whine was all that got past Haru's lips as she slid across the floor, the polished wood leaving burns on her chin and elbows. She moaned in pain. Those would hurt _a lot_ later. Trying to regain some of her dignity, she slowly pushed herself up on her hands and knees. A mistake.

Just as she had steadied herself, the rhythmic stepping of boots echoed throughout the room. She looked up a second too late as a hard kick connected with her side. Intense pain radiated from her ribs and she cried out clutching her side as she fell to the ground. Tears she attempted to fight back welled up in her eyes from the pain as she fought to regain the breath she had lost. If he just left her like this, she would be fine; she could hurt in her loneliness. But she had no such luck.

Strong hands pried her arms away from her body as she was flipped roughly onto her back. Byakuran climbed on of her, straddling her so she was unable to move. The tears now flew freely down Haru's cheeks while she gasped for air. The familiar feeling of Byakuran's long fingers against her throat caused her to shut her eyes; she knew what was coming. A brief 'not again', shot through her head, but sure enough, the fingers squeezed hard and effectively cut off her air supply.

At first she did like always and just kept still, believing that he would soon release her, but as the seconds passed slowly, she realized with a start that this wasn't like the times before. He was going to kill her for real this time. Haru already felt quite lightheaded and her lungs burned for air. _Her eyes snapped open and her mouth fell as she desperately tried to inhale. Her legs kicked out, her body's natural instinct to try to remain alive. The tears blurred her vision as she reached for his hands, choking harder and harder she tried to pry his fingers away._ Kicking, gasping and scratching she fought to stay conscious. The corner of her vision darkened, his cold smirk became unfocused. _She was fading out slowly but in the depths of her mind, she could feel herself fighting. She wanted to be with her friends but she knew it couldn't end like this. She didn't want to die this way!_

As suddenly as her air supply had been cut off from her, it violently returned. Air rushed into her lungs faster than she could handle as she choked out. Haru curled over and felt the burning radiating throughout her lungs and her ribs. Slightly bloody saliva was the result of the next painful cough as she tried to stabilize her breathing. Her breathing still ragged but manageable, she looked up into the devil's eyes. A pitiful whine escaped her lips as his predatory eyes glinted with something else. She searched them trying to find what it was when it suddenly hit her. Lust. She kicked out violently feeling the pain radiate throughout her torso. She attempted to crawl away, her breathing becoming frantic again when she was stopped by a sharp yanking of her hair. She screamed out as Byakuran straddled her once again.

Cool air hit her belly and Haru squirmed as if she could get away from his touch. Sharp nails raked across her newly bared skin and drew blood. Haru cried out hoping that anyone, _anyone at all_, could save her. Soon, a wet tongue followed, cleaning the marred skin. A disgusted shiver ran through her body. Fear struck her as the realization set in. He was going to rape her; make her one of his whores and then dispose of her in the most brutal way.  
"No, no, no, no…!" Haru kicked and raked her nails across the floor, bits of them breaking off. She didn't want this; didn't want him to touch her, to stain her even more than he already had. She wanted to get away and be left alone. Haru could feel how the blood oozed from her broken skin. Again, she swore she heard a knock on the door over the pounding in her body, but it had to be a fragment of her imagination, no one would come to save her.

The nails of the devil tore her skin again and a tongue followed suit. In one last, very much desperate attempt, Haru screamed. She screamed as loud as she could and lashed out, trying to get rid of the weight on top of her. Her fingers reached for anything at all and found purchase in his hair. She screamed, if possible even louder than before, and pulled with all her might. Suddenly, the weight left her body, but Haru had no time to rejoice as she was grabbed by the collar of her now bloodied shirt and pulled to her feet.

"You…" He hissed in her ear. "I am going to _kill_ you for that…!"

Her head hit the floor heard and the corners of her vision darkened. As she lay on the cold floor, a creak sounded and she tried to focus. There was a figure entering the room, no matter who it was, she was grateful to see anyone other than _him_ at this moment. Perhaps they were here to rescue her. Her heart fell as she noticed that they were dressed in white. "Byakuran-sama. There is a… _situation_ in the lower levels."

* * *

- has been giggling madly and clapping her hands while reading the reviews. . ...sometimes I scare myself - thinking up those murders in last chapter really got me going. Maybe this is why I cosplay Byakuran? … … probably. (The similarities are endless.)

To answer some reviews:  
I am glad I have managed to bring out some emotions out of you (I love to hear about you crying) x3  
And yes, dear anon, there are going to be more chapters, but they might take a while to write and post and whatnot because graduation is slowly drawing nearer and I figure I'll have a panic attack pretty soon.

And I am sorry that I don't really reply to any of your reviews; I love them all and will bring up some here, but I am simply just too lazy… ^^"

Many bows and 'thank you's to Siela Mist9x for making this awesome x3

Until next time,

Envy


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven**

_Perhaps they were here to rescue her. Her heart fell as she noticed that they were dressed in white. "Byakuran-sama. There is a… _situation_ in the lower levels."_

Cold fingers grabbed Haru's chin and tilted her head back, cold eyes studying the bruises forming on her face and neck. "I will be back."  
It was a threat.  
Her head was released and automatically it lolled to the side. Haru stared blankly at the person in the doorway, her supposed saviour. She had beautiful hair, Haru vaguely noted, a lovely shade of black just like a Japanese. It was rare to see such a colour here in Italy and it brought back wonderful memories of her homeland. The woman, however, was not even looking Haru's way; she only had eyes for her 'Byakuran-sama'. Soon the emperor himself came into Haru's line of vision, joining the Japanese-looking woman in the doorway. With a bow on the female's part, both of them departed.

Alone, at last, no one could hurt her now. A small smile spread across Haru's lips. She could die in peace, alone, without _him_ watching her. This would be her revenge; dying before he came back would be perfect. Oh he would be so angry! Haru's broken giggle turned into a violent coughing fit that burned her lungs. As soon as the door slid shut and the coughing died down, Haru's body relaxed completely and welcomed the bliss called unconsciousness that lurked in the corners of her aching head.

She didn't even notice the shadow lurking in the corner.

There was white everywhere. Bright. It was so bright. Haru shut her eyes, groaning in pain. Her body was so heavy she could barely move it. What was this place? Where was she? Taking a chance, Haru opened her eyes again, slower this time. Squinting, her eyes darted around, taking in everything she could, as her head felt too heavy to move. The first thing her fuzzy mind registered was that she was in a bedroom, but it certainly wasn't her own bedroom. This one held more personal belongings; family photos and drawings. Blinking a few times to clear away the buzzing in her ears, Haru paused. There was no buzzing, only a soft tune that filled the room.

It was a lullaby, Haru recognized, from her childhood. Her mother used to play it for her and Kyoko when they were having a sleepover. A small smile spread across Haru's lips as the fond memory warmed her insides. Kyoko had even had this very tune as her first ringtone. But all of this happened long ago, before Byakuran had- Haru's thoughts came to an abrupt halt and her body tensed up. Byakuran.

Vivid images of what he had done to her body flew through her mind. Where was he? Was he coming to kill her? The lullaby sped up as Haru began to struggle, panicking. She had to get away. Fast. She didn't want to die by his hand, not when she had so narrowly escaped it just now. No, she wanted to live!

Her limbs were heavy but slowly they came back to life – a finger twitched here and a leg flexed there. It hurt, but she paid it no heed. Out, she needed to get out! She needed to run as fast as she could; no matter how much her feet ached and her lungs burned she _needed to get away_.

A loud bang was heard and Haru's body froze. Was he here? Had he come to kill her? Did he bring a gun to get the job done without having to dirty his clothes? Her struggling resumed as quickly as it had ceased. Run, she needed to run. The lullaby was racing, egging her on. Faster, she needed to get away faster. Something grabbed her arm. In her blind panic Haru couldn't see what, but it didn't matter. She had to get away from it. There was a sharp pain in her arm, almost like she had been stabbed. Had he brought a knife to cut her open? A hoarse cry tore through her sore throat and chapped lips. And then… she relaxed.

Haru's erratic breathing slowed down. Her screaming limbs grew heavier once again. The lullaby slowed down. Her racing mind came to a halt. Slowly she turned her head to the side, her eyes searching for the man who would soon become her murderer, to look him in the eyes as he killed her. But she didn't find him. Instead, her eyes landed on a young woman. It took a few moments of confused staring before Haru vaguely recognized the one restraining her. It was the woman who had interrupted Byakuran killing her. Maybe this woman really was a saviour in disguise after all.

Haru's lips formed soundless words as she tried to ask the woman all the questions that flew through her head. When did she get here? How did she get here? Why did the woman help her? Where was Byakuran? Why were her body so heavy and her head cloudy? The confusion must have shown on her face for the Japanese-looking woman smiled a reassuring smile.

"A young gentleman brought you in here, miss. You were badly beaten by Byakuran-sama," a sad frown momentarily broke her kind smile as Haru cringed at the name, "but now he has insisted on you staying here until you have fully recovered." A hand stroked some hair away from Haru's face. "It's been a day since you arrived. I've been giving you morphine so you might feel a bit drowsy." That explained the heavy limbs and fuzzy thoughts. But why had Byakuran insisted on her recovering? He had told her he would kill her, hadn't he? It didn't make sense. The few answers only brought more questions to Haru's mind and it didn't exactly help that the edge of her vision was blurry and her thoughts a complete mess.

While Haru was trying to sort out some of her questions, the woman had begun speaking once again. "…fractured ribs. Your hair is a mess, by the way, so we'll have to bathe you when you can move again because I can't bear to cut off such beautiful hair, miss." The woman smiled warmly down at Haru whose lips twitched up to return the smile.

Japanese, Haru suddenly realized, the woman was speaking Japanese! Not Italian as one would have expected from an employee at an Italian base.  
"J-Japanese…" Haru managed to croak out. The woman blinked before laughing softly.  
"Yes, I am from Japan. I work as a nurse here for Byakuran-sama." Haru turned her head to the other side at the mentioning of the devil's name. The way the woman spoke with such kindness about that cruel bastard was too much. How could these ignorant people still treat him like a god knowing what he did to innocent human beings?

Haru's eyes fell on a machine. A wavy green line accompanied by a steady beeping showed her heart rate. So it hadn't been a lullaby. Only a heart monitor. Disappointment rolled through her body in waves. It would have been so nice to have something which reminded her of home in this place. Even a pair of chopsticks would do. Haru sighed, a mistake, it showed as her lungs contracted painfully. With a wince, she let her eyes study the wall behind the beeping machine to take her mind off the pain in her chest. The wall was decorated with pictures – family photos – and a beautiful kimono hung in the corner.

This wasn't a hospital room.

As quickly as she dared with her broken body, Haru turned her head to look at the woman once again.  
"Where…?" she managed to whisper the question, her voice still not bearing. The older woman smiled yet again, a motherly smile, and put her hand on Haru's arm.  
"You are in my private quarters. I figured as you aren't really…" there was a slight hesitation as she searched for fitting words, "employed here, it would be nicer for you to stay in here. Now, get some sleep, it will help you recover."

Before Haru could even attempt to process her words enough to form a reply, the woman had stood and left the room, turning off the lights in the process. It seemed as if the woman not really knew what to make of Haru as she was a bit awkward around the younger. Furrowing her brows, Haru settled for staring up at the ceiling as she tried to make some sort of order in her messy head. Soon, however, she realized that it was futile and closed her eyes. She would live, and thus it would be a day tomorrow too; she could afford to relax and sleep at least for now.

Listening to the beeping sound of her own heart, Haru slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It's been a while, you all, but due to different difficulties with blocked websites and whatnot, it has taken some time to beta this.

I've realized that the cliffhanger from last chapter has been really appreciated, and I really love reading about your reactions! It makes my ego grow quite a lot~

Lovely betaing from Siela Mist9x as always~

Until next time,

Envy


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