Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tsunayoshi lives in a small country town. It is normally quiet at this late hour, given that many rose early to begin chores or simply awoke with the sun, however, the streets are alive tonight. Trick or treaters dressed as witches, goblins, and superheroes made their annual door to door rounds.

Tsunayoshi is a quiet boy of eight used to living on his own, taking care of himself and the house. His mother had briefly stopped by yesterday, after being gone for four days, only to remind him that he isn't to leave the house for something as silly as celebrating an American holiday before leaving as swiftly as she came.

He put a record on, always hoping for it to fill the silence and yet the emptiness in his chest rang louder than anything.

Tsunayoshi set the table for two while only serving noodles and dumplings for himself. He sat down, gently swinging his legs to the music.

A green Impala pulls up into the Giglio Nero Prison's main entrance and stops at the gate. A guard steps out from his little office to greet the driver, Gamma, a tall, muscular man with slicked-back blonde hair with a few strands sticking out.

"Evening, Gamma. Forget something?"

"Going to Millefiore tomorrow. Have to take some work with me."

The guard shakes his head. "Work, work, work. When are you and me going to go out for some drinks?"

Gamma grins. "Sooner the better."

With that the guard gives the okay and the gate opens letting the Impala drive through.

In the same prison, but in a cell is one Renato "Reborn" Sinclair, a 31-year-old inmate who reeks of knowledge procured from the wrong side of the tracks. Whose presence exudes arrogance despite his drab clothing and whose eyes are sharp yet tired. The man stands on the top of a cell bunk chipping away at the ceiling.

Daemon Spade, 29, rail thin, a stronzo with hair dyed blue, keeps watch at the door. While an old man sits on his bunk and watches both of the men with a cautious eye.

Reborn manages to chip through to something. "Porca troia, if the old man isn't right."

Daemon smiles before turning and grabbing the old man by the shirt. "And this goes to the roof?"

The old man leans as far away as he can, nodding weakly. "It used to… at least before they walled it over."

"If it doesn't, then I'm going to rip your tongue out."

The old man's face darkens in anger as he slaps the younger man's hands away. "Get your damn hands off me!"

Daemon laughs and joins Reborn, who is already well on his way to bending open a slot in a corrugated metal air shaft hidden behind the wall.

A costumed Oni and skeleton, left on their own without adult supervision, fill water balloons at an outdoor water spigot.

The 'Oni' smiles wide. "Make them small so we can carry all of them."

Tsunayoshi is still awake despite it getting darker outside, the noise outside never letting up in the face of others' festivities. He's drying the last of his dishes when there are several 'thuds' resounding through the house.

He freezes for a moment, muttering quietly to himself, "What is that?"

Tsunayoshi jumps down off his stool- one he uses to help himself around the kitchen- and races into the living room.

The 'Oni,' who he recognizes as Mochida Kensuke, lofts a balloon and grabs another as the first hits the door of the Sawada house and splatters. "Bombs away!"

The skeleton, someone whose name is on the tip of his tongue but who he knows is a part of the baseball team, tosses a wet fastball at the door. "Here's your trick!"

At the window, Tsunayoshi, his nose pressed to the pane, stares expressionless at the onslaught. He barely flinches as a balloon splatters only inches away. He takes a step back and pulls the curtains shut once more.

Reborn kicks the top off a ventilator shaft and rolls onto the roof. Daemon follows as Reborn shimmies to the wall.

At the edge, Reborn and Daemon survey the yard as a searchlight routinely bathes the walls in a circle of light.

They notice a green Impala parked almost directly below them, next to the Administration office of the prison.

Daemon raises an eyebrow. "You and I must be doing something right, Renny boy!"

Reborn side eyes him. "Let's get something straight. I don't like you. As soon as we're on our way, that's it."

Daemon makes a face towards the other's back, asking, "Who said I liked you," under his breath.

Reborn slides down and hangs from the ledge before dropping on the roof of the building below.

A soft 'thud' causes the guard to look up, but only momentarily as he spots Gamma departing, files in hand, waving goodbye.

"Have a safe trip now, Gamma."

Just as Gamma reaches the Impala, Reborn and Daemon leap down right behind the prison official. The spotlight showers them in a flash of light as it passes by.

Reborn cups his hand over Gamma's mouth while Daemon reaches into the official's jacket- bingo- a shiny .38.

Reborn leans right into Gamma's ear. "Keep your mouth shut."

Daemon places the gun right to the back of the official's head. "Merde, I'd love to blow your head off."

Together they get Gamma, whose face is pinched in frustration, into the driver's seat while they hide in the back of the car.

They arrive at the prison gate, Gamma driving with his eyes straight ahead, stops to wave a palm at the guard, who opens the gate without hesitation.

"Night, Gamma," the guard says, voice tinged in mild confusion as the other man doesn't even acknowledge him.

Stuffed and hidden under the floorboard of the car are Reborn and Daemon, escaping without any trouble.

"Night, Gamma," Daemon mockingly states to the official who grits his teeth.

In a small diner, a weathered finger drops a quarter in a jukebox.

Tumeric shakes his head at his sister. "B-5. Haven't heard that song in a while."

The women, Oregano, the waitress on shift, punches in the numbers and returns to her post behind the counter. She rolls her eyes at her brother. "Not since last night. How's the pie?"

The last part directed to Lal Mirch, a stern but beautiful Mongai Ranger, who sits at the counter slowly chewing. "Kinda rubbery. It was better yesterday."

"Same pie as yesterday. Not much call for rhubarb. Sell one slice a day," Oregano said, eying the woman significantly.

In the background, they hear a siren. Lal turns and watches a police patrol car whiz past, lights on.

"You're off duty. Tell me, if I stopped baking them, would you still come by every night?"

Lal, preoccupied, takes another rubbery bite. "I don't know."

Oregano smiles and turns her back to Lal as she cleans the grill. "No, Lal Mirch, you don't come in here for the coffee and pie. You come in here for the company. To see us."

Another patrol car races past. Lal's eyes follow it.

"Now that I've said that I'll go one better. What say I cook you dinner at our place sometime. Steaks, baked taters, the works. Well?"

She turns to face Lal, but she's gone. A couple of dollars lie next to the half-eaten pie. All she can do is sigh.

Turmeric chuckles off to the side.

Lal pulls up in front of a small house in a residential section of town. Police cars are everywhere, and several officers are behind their vehicles, guns pointed at the house.

Lal steps out of the car and is greeted by a Police Sergeant, about the same age as her.

"Long time, no see. What are you doing here, Chief?"

"Couldn't sleep. Status?"

They walk a little off to the side. Lal arrives at a truck with a 10-gallon coffee urn roped to the tailgate. She grabs a paper cup and pours.

The Sergeant sighs. "There's a guy holding his family hostage. She kicked him out, served him divorce papers, he came back drunk and pulled a .38. Fired two shots but we don't think anybody's been hit. Actually, you might know the guy from your sheriff days. Kokuyo Lancia. Been on suspension for a while. Ring any bells?"

"Yes. Let me talk to him."

"No can do, Chief. Police jurisdiction."

Lal tastes the coffee- cold. She spits it out, pours the contents of the cup on the ground and walks toward the front yard. The Sergeant follows immediately after.

"And how are you guys doing?"

"We got specific rules to follow in these sorts of situations, Lal," the Sergeant trails off at the look she gives him. "Alright then. He won't talk. Just keeps yelling, crying, and waving his gun around."

Lal hums before walking into the yard.

The Sergeant lurches forward, as if to stop her. "At least use the megaphone, you stubborn tonchiki!"

Lal ignores him and arrives at the front door. She knocks.

"Lancia, this is Lal Mirch. We worked together a few years back. Mind if I come in?"

The yelling inside stops, and the door opens a crack. Lancia, 35, visibly distraught, peers out. "Evening Chief," he states, voice hoarse.

"Leave it to the P.D. They got a three-ring circus out here and not one cup of hot coffee. You mind?"

Lancia mulls it over, then opens the door.

On the couch sits Lancia's wife, Bluebell, cradling her two kids, an infant and a 6-year-old boy. Bluebell sobs, her eye and temple are bruised purple.

Lal slowly enters, nods to Bluebell, takes off her visor and sets it on a lampstand. Lancia has moved away from Lal to rest against the wall. He holds the gun out at no one in particular.

"Bluebell, put a pot of coffee on," Lancia says, gesturing with his gun.

She slowly gets up and moves to the kitchen, still weeping.

Lal nods, "Appreciate it. Just what is it you want, Lancia."

"I don't know… I want my job. I want my family."

"What'd they suspend you for?"

"I answered a call in South Millefiore. Girl getting raped, that's the word. I bust in the door; this lowlife is beating the cazzo out of her with a tire iron. 'Help me, help me,' she says. I take the guy down. He bites me. I broke his arm. Case closed, right?

"No. She was his wife and they both sued me and the department. The guy's about to kill her and she sues me because now he can't pump gas. They have chump change in the bank, but they got the best lawyer in town. Three months, I'm going crazy. No pay. Then my wife leaves me, and I get served divorce paper by Rokudo Mukuro– a sheriff's man. You know how embarrassing that is? What's happening Chief? I mean, everybody's got a fucking lawyer!"

Bluebell emerges from the kitchen and retakes her seat.

"You love her? Love the kids," Lal asks.

"Yeah."

"Then why do you hit me," Bluebell screams from the couch.

Lancia grips the quivering revolver tightly and points it at her, making Bluebell cower. Lal takes a step closer, wanting to calm the situation, or at least have the gun aiming at her.

"You don't want to shoot her."

Lancia breathes shakily. "I swear to Dio I think I do."

"No, Lancia, I don't think so. I think you love her. You know what else I think? That you'd like a way out of this whole mess… That's where I come in."

Outside the Sergeant and other cops stand around, on guard, watching the house.

"Well, I'll be damned," The Sergeant says in disbelief, rubbing a hand down his face.

The front door opens, and Bluebell emerges with her two kids. She takes a few cautious steps, then runs to the police.

Lal sits on the coffee table, unloading Lancia's gun. She opens the cylinder and drops the shells to the floor.

A calmer Lancia exits the kitchen with Lal's coffee. Lal accepts it, taking a sip. "Hits the spot."

Lancia starts to sob a bit. Eyes softening, Lal hands over a handkerchief which he accepts.

"No cuffs, huh, Chief?"

"Okay. You ready?"

Lancia nods, they both stand up heading towards the entrance. Lal picks up her visor, shoves it on her head, opens the door and holds it for…

Lancia stays frozen right in the foyer, suddenly intimidated by the flashing blue and red lights. He swallows nervously.

"We'll walk out together, okay?"

Lancia steps back, looks at Lal, then reaches behind his back, underneath his shirt, and pulls out a .22 pistol.

"Any good officer has a back-up."

Lal holds her palms out and takes a step toward Lancia. "Let me have it, Lancia."

Lancia points the gun at Lal, forcing her to stand still.

"Was I a good officer, Chief?"

Lal nods.

"Was I a good deputy? The kind of man you could depend on to do what's right?"

"Yes."

Lancia smiles. "Thank you."

Lal's heart skips a beat.

Then, Lancia turns the gun on himself, swallows the barrel, and pulls the trigger.

Lancia's body is covered before being carried out the door. Bluebell screams and sobs, still holding her crying children.

Lal, with a wild look in her eyes, slowly exits the house. She stops and looks at Bluebell and the kids. Her eyes lock with the little boy's.

One of the cops walks over to her, completely solemn. "Got a call, Chief Mirch. They're looking for you downtown."

Lal slowly walks away. The little boy doesn't stop staring.

It's a small gas station, kept open by an owner anxious to cash in on the late-night crowd of midnight snackers and alcoholics. Good idea. Bad luck.

Daemon skims through a fashion magazine, turning the pages with the gun.

Reborn, wearing Gamma's black jacket, jimmies open the cash register. He looks to the floor, then to…

Daemon, who catches Reborn's gaze, holds it, looks down at the floor, then, smiling, looks back at Reborn. He returns his focus to the magazine.

Reborn holds his stare at Daemon, then in one move, grabs a wad of cash and hops over the counter and out of the store.

Daemon notices Reborn leaving, so he grabs a handful of assorted candies and hurries after. "Wait for me, Salaud!" Daemon's feet scurry through a pool of blood and past a quivering hand.

It's after midnight in the Rangers headquarters, only a handful of people, half of whom are cleanup crews, shuffle through the offices. A light from an office at the end of the hall with muffled voices draws most of the passersby's attention.

"I understand your concern, Cavallone."

Lal, behind a huge mahogany desk covered with files and paper, sips coffee with one hand, works a nickel through magician's paces with the other, and balances a phone receiver in the crook of her neck.

"Convicts are creatures of habit, Governor. Like old coyotes, they'll crawl back into familiar holes. Yes… yes… yes, sir, that's right. Listen, you go back to bed, and I'll call you in the morning with an update. I'll have the files by then. Say hello to your son for me…"

Lal sighs, puts the phone back on the hook and stares at it until it rings again.

The clanging wind-up alarm clock reads 5:30 and Tsunayoshi opens his eyes and gently quiets it with a touch. He groans and rises, not happy, but used to the daily ritual required of him.

A green Impala creeps up the block of the Sawada household, the neighborhood silent and dark now.

Reborn drives while Daemon scours the block.

"There's a Mazda," Daemon points out.

"Don't want a Mazda. Want a Trueno."

"Trueno's slow. A car's a car."

Reborn puts on the brakes and brings the car to a stop. "Then, go take the Mazda."

Daemon looks thrown off before shooting the other man an annoyed glance. "Soon as we cross the prefecture line I'll do just that," he pauses before continuing, "I'm tired of riding around. I'll check down the block… for a Trueno!"

Daemon gets out, slams the door, and walks away.

Reborn waits a few seconds, quietly turns the key one notch, and checks the gas gauge. It reads almost empty. He taps it with his finger, but it doesn't budge. He sighs, looks up and sees Daemon checking over a locked car. The younger man must feel his stare because he looks back at Reborn, grins and disappears around a corner.

Reborn discreetly exits the car himself, carefully closing the door without a sound.

Tsunayoshi steps up onto his stool and begins cracking eggs into a skillet. Familiar with the motions of salting, stirring, and popping bread into the toaster.

He serves it on two plates, leaving one on the table while taking the other with him. He heads to the window and crawls through it, then through a crack in the fence before arriving at his neighbor's window.

Old Man Kawahira is the only one in town who doesn't call him names or treats him badly. Then again, he's also avoided for being quite the eccentric old man, but Tsunayoshi doesn't judge him just like Kawahira doesn't judge him.

Kawahira is always willing to tutor him or let him escape his bullies at his house or show him how to do household chores that no one else wants to teach him. In thanks, Tsunayoshi cooks the old man breakfast, since it seems like the only thing Kawahira eats is ramen.

Kawahira says that it doesn't matter what he eats, since he's old and going to die soon so he might as well enjoy life. Tsunayoshi told him that if he takes better care of himself, then he'll live longer and therefore be able to eat more ramen before he dies. The old man had laughed before agreeing, however, he didn't really know how to cook anything outside of ramen. Hence, Tsunayoshi cooks him breakfast, then Kawahira can eat ramen for lunch, while Wonomichi- a local nurse- makes him his dinner.

"Ah, thank you Tsunayoshi, won't you stay with little old me for a bit."

The funny thing, Tsunayoshi thinks as he meets the other's eyes, is that despite having white hair and dressing rather traditionally, Kawahira didn't look old. At least, no older than his mother.

He gently shakes his head. "Sorry Kawahira-san, it's Friday, remember."

Kawahira adjusts his glasses. "Ah, yes, you have to go pay the bills over at the Hibari's, correct."

Tsunayoshi nods even if it isn't a question.

"And your mother?"

He shrugs.

Kawahira's face pinches in distaste as it always does when his mother is brought into question. "Hm, how about I join you, then? I have some business to take care of with them, so I might as well go now."

"As long as you don't anger Hibari-senpai."

Kawahira's lips twitch. "The kid's too serious for his own good."

Tsunayoshi frowns.

"Okay, okay, I won't. Off with you. Come back when you're ready to go."

With a quick nod, Tsunayoshi scurries back to his house. He's just entered through the window when he looks up and makes eyes contact with a blue-haired man. The same man who's eating his breakfast.

The man looks him up and down and Tsunayoshi feels self-conscious now being in his cotton briefs and a T-shirt.

"They are starting them younger and younger, hein."

Tsunayoshi says nothing.

"Is this your first time breaking and entering?"

He swallows. "This is my house."

The blue-haired man blinks. "Is that right? Are you the only one here?"

Tsunayoshi moves to run, but the man is already shaking his head. "Don't get any bright ideas now, kid. Come here, join me at the table." He places a gun on the kitchen table, casual as you please, beckoning him with a finger.

He doesn't want to, but he obediently moves closer, still not taking a seat. The man reaches out and runs a hand down Tsunayoshi's cheek.

"Did you make this?"

He nods, half hoping to dislodge the man's hand.

"It's a little on the bland side. Do you mind giving me some mayonnaise."

Tsunayoshi moves to the fridge, grabbing the bottle and inching towards the man. Just as he's about to hand over the bottle, he throws it in the other's face and grabs the gun before running to the door.

The man recovers fast enough to dart across the room towards Tsunayoshi, kicking him in the back and sending him sprawling. He loses his grip and ends up dropping the gun a few inches away from him.

Reborn blasts through the door in an instant. With a swift kick to the head, Daemon is knocked senseless onto the floor against the cabinets.

Daemon grabs his ear in annoyance. "I'm bleeding thanks to you! Are you happy now?"

Reborn gives Daemon an icy stare and kneels down to eye level with Tsunayoshi. Reborn looks at the gun and then at him.

"What's your name, boy?"

Tsunayoshi shakily leans back onto his knees. "Tsu-Tsunayoshi."

"Well, okay Tsunayoshi. Reach down and pick up that pistol."

Daemon jerks forward. "Give it to me."

Reborn barely spares the other glance, but it's enough to shut the other man up. "Pick it up and bring it over here."

Tsunayoshi reaches down and slowly picks up the gun by its' handle. He takes one careful step towards the scarier man, then another. He's not sure why, but this man seems so much more dangerous than the blue-haired one. He stops an arm's length away from the black-haired, darker skinned man.

"Now say, stick them up."

Tsunayoshi hesitantly says, "Stick them up…"

Reborn laughs and then a noise from outside brings him back to reality. He grabs the gun out of the kid's hand and spins to see a white-haired man standing outside the screen door, gun leveled. Before the old man can utter a syllable, Reborn grabs Tsunayoshi and points the gun straight at Kawahira. Daemon jumps up off the floor, ready to run.

"Put the gun down, Ossan. You couldn't hit me anyway. Probably shoot the boy."

The phone rings, startling in the tense silence between the four. Daemon moves to answer, but Reborn shakes his head. "Leave it be."

"Tsunayoshi…"

He mouths the word 'run' to Kawahira.

The phone continues to ring and Kawahira stands there, clearly hesitant to pull the trigger and risk hitting Tsunayoshi.

"Are you deaf," the blue-haired one yells.

"Set it on the ground," the man holding him states calmly.

Kawahira reluctantly obeys.

"We have to get the hell out of here, Reborn!"

The phone continues to ring.

"Shut up!" In one fluid move the blue-haired man rips the phone from the wall. The silence is deafening. "How are we going to get out of here, tell me that? The whole damn neighborhood's awake."

"We'll take the boy."

Silence. Kawahira can't believe what he's hearing while Tsunayoshi's heart is beating fast. He winds up and hits Reborn as hard as he can. It does nothing. Reborn picks him up, directs Kawahira into the kitchen with the gun and nods for Daemon to take the lead.

"You'll get him back," Reborn tells Kawahira who watches them leave with angry eyes.

Reborn, carrying Tsunayoshi, and Daemon run out of the house and race back to the Impala.

Reborn flips Daemon the gun, tosses Tsunayoshi into the passenger seat, leaps over the hood and into the driver's seat. He starts the car and squeals away.

Neighbors, aroused by the noise, exit their homes clad in their sleeping wear.

Daemon fires a shot over their heads, sending them to the ground or scurrying for safety. "Haven't you people ever heard of sleeping in?!"

Kawahira darts from behind the house with the shotgun, levels it, and fires a blast… It manages to clip the top of the Impala before shattering the window of a nearby station wagon. Its owner can only look on sadly.

It's morning now, Lal, still in the same clothes as yesterday, rests the phone receiver against her ear while she shuffles through the files before her. Lal's deputy and assistant, Basil, a polite young man with dirty blond hair and blue eyes, warms up Lal's coffee that may or may not be spiked a little.

"Yes, Cavallone, I do understand that…"

The jabbering on the other end of the phone line continues as Lal's eyes squint to read the files.

The first is Daemon Spade's, complete with a grinning mug shot in the upper right-hand corner. There are several pages in the file, but Lal's fingers quickly peruse the top rap sheet before turning to…

The second is Renato Sinclair's and again Lal's fingers start to move down the page then they stop and move to the photo of Renato at the top of the page.

There is something there, something tingling at the back of her mind. The jabbering continues…

She takes a closer look at the picture. He's a little younger than now. A younger con with the grim façade of a man facing hard time. Lal keeps staring at the photo, oblivious to the phone conversation she's 'not having.'

Through the phone a voice asks, "Lal? Lal, you there?"

Basil quietly whispers, "Lal?"

Lal blinks and makes a questioning noise at Basil.

The deputy points to the phone. "He's talking to you."

From the phone they both hear, "Have you heard a word I've said!"

Lal snaps into focus. "Yes, Cavallone. Just thinking is all…"

Basil whispers once more, "Press has been waiting almost an hour, Chief?"

Lal nods then notices someone at the door and motions him in… Colonnello, with blond, spiky hair and light blue eyes enters in, wearing a green camouflaged suit, one that has had people in the station staring since he entered. He closes the door behind him and gives a wide grin to the two in the room.

Lal motions him to have a seat while she finishes her call.

"Yes, sir… crystal clear… I know Governor." Lal hangs up the phone, takes a sip from the coffee mug and looks again at the file. She seems lost in thought.

"What did he say," Basil questions.

"Who," Lal distractedly responds.

"The Governor, Chief."

Lal closes the file. "Reminded me it's an election year." She turns her attention to Colonnello. "You drink before noon?"

Colonnello tilts his head in confusion. "Uh… no."

"Good. The last one I had was on a liquid diet."

"Last what?"

"Secretary."

Basil shakes his head.

Colonnello slowly nods his head. "Right. I believe you have me confused. I'm here from Giglio Nero. Assigned by Governor Cavallone."

Lal is confused. She turns a blank expression to Basil. "…What is this?"

Basil searches the messy desk for something. "Rings a bell, Chief. I believe they sent us something about him this morning…"

"Who sent…"

"…Governor, Chief."

Basil finds the sheet he's looking for and hands it to Lal. "Here it is."

Colonnello, whose confidence has visibly taken a hit, jumps into the conversation. "I'm uh Colonnello. Criminologist with the Prefecture Prison System." He offers his hand, but Lal, perusing the document, ignores it. Basil shakes the other man's hand, albeit reluctantly, not sure if he's supposed to like him or not.

"Basil. Deputy. Prefecture Police… System."

"It's a relatively new procedure but I was assigned by Governor Cavallone-"

Lal interrupts, reading directly from the sheet, "to work with prefecture law enforcement officials in all affairs where penal matters coincide with those of the prefecture police. It doesn't say anything about…"

"…It includes parole and work release programs as well as penal escape situations."

The office phone buzzes. Basil picks it up. "…On our way, Lussuria." He hangs up the phone. "The press is getting antsy, Chief. You scheduled it."

Basil grabs Lal's visor and coat from a brass rung on the wall and hands them over. Lal puts down the paper, stares at Colonnello and reluctantly attempts to make herself presentable.

Colonnello smiles at the Chief. "The idea is that an understanding of the particular behavioral case histories should, in parole situations, help the subject to avoid habitual traps and, in penal escape situation could, conversely, identify those self-same traps as an aide to apprehension."

Basil stares at Colonnello then turns to Lal with a 'never heard of such a thing before' look of amazement on his face.

Lal, stunningly beautiful in her blue, western cut blazer, clip on tie, and visor, makes her way to the door. However, before she exits, she states, "In the first place, Colonnello-san."

"Colonnello is just fine." The man looks positively joyful at finally being acknowledged by the Chief, a woman he desperately hopes to get to know better.

"In the first place, Colonnello, it isn't a penal escape situation. It's a manhunt. Fancy words in a circle don't help much."

The Criminologist's smile falters. "And what does, exactly?"

"A nose like a bloodhound, a medulla with an antenna, and a shit-ton of coffee."

And with that, she's out the door, leaving without a backwards glance toward the now frowning man.

The press room is too undersized to handle the sheer amount of reporters and cameraman that are currently stuffed like sardines inside. The clamor settles when Lal enters and steps behind the podia.

"Listen up, I'll only say it once. At approximately ten o-clock last night, two inmates over to Giglio Nero Prison, Renato "Reborn" Sinclair and Daemon Spade, escaped through an air shaft, grabbed a prison employee's car, and got out through the main gate. At approximately 1 a.m. we believe they robbed a gas station outside the precinct and killed the store's owner."

"Is the prison employee with them," one of the reporters asks.

"He was when they left the prison."

"What's the rap sheet on these guys like," another reporter questions.

"Long. Sinclair was doing 40 for armed robbery and Spade was riding 20 himself for manslaughter and assorted parole violations."

"Is there any indication of-"

"-Let me finish. This morning another hostage was taken… from a private home in Namimori. A boy, age 8. Grabbed him out of bed."

"Any sex offenses on Sinclair or Spade?"

Lal's heart clenches. "You're asking if they're perverts. Well, one is."

"Do you have inter-agency cooperation on this?"

She nods. "Mongai Rangers as the criminal investigation arm of the DPS share responsibility with the PSIA due to the kid being taken. However, I doubt they're out of bed yet."

A few of the reporters chuckled.

"Chief Mirch," one of the reporters begins, "How do you plan to apprehend the escapees?"

"Officially, I can only say we have a full manhunt team on their trail, and we'll proceed with due haste."

"And unofficially?"

Lal hesitates for a moment, something's bothering her, then quickly replies, "Unofficially? I'm going to hunt them like the rabid dogs they are."

Every hand in the place shoots up and dozens of questions fly like bullets.

She shakes her head. "That's all I've got. Now, I have work to do." She heads out the door, followed by Colonnello's eyes and every reporter in the room, who all commence once again to yell out questions and mob after the Chief.

Reborn is driving with Tsunayoshi in the front seat beside him, still in his underwear. Daemon, in the backseat, leers at Reborn, aims out the window and fires once. A water tank spews a violent leak as a result.

"We got a handful of shells and you're shooting water tanks. He's a smart guy, isn't he Tsunayoshi?"

Tsunayoshi doesn't move or change expression. Daemon smiles, almost to himself, and fires twice more for the hell of it.

The roof of the Impala explodes with two holes as the car speeds off down the highway.

Lal is finishing up with several reporters near the door to the parking lot when Basil jumps in, holding up his hands.

"Alright, that's it, gentlemen. Chief has got work to do."

Lal and Basil move through the parking lot to Romario, an aide to the Governor. Romario's seconds are a photographer, young and energetic, and Irie, a red-haired man with glasses.

Romario shakes Lal's hand and they turn to gaze upon a monstrosity for an airstream mobile home parked in the middle of the lot hitched to the back of a new Nissan truck. The Airstream is painted in bright colors and sports banners, decals, and logos.

Romario follows Lal as she walks around the showpiece, occasionally kicking a tire or two.

"What do you think, Chief?"

Romario motions for the photographer to come closer and take pictures. He moves in next to Lal and poses as the camera clicks. "We are very proud of this baby. Governor Cavallone special ordered it so officials and dignitaries can ride in the parade."

Lal raises an eyebrow. "So, I hear."

"Latest technology, oversized engine, complete kitchen and sleeping quarters, gun racks, fridge, stove, the works. Even got a hot line phone straight to the Governor's office."

Lal stops circling and nods to Basil, who scurries away. "Fine piece of machinery."

Romario nods excitedly. "What's more as soon as it gets back from the parade it will be at your requisitioned disposal. Perfect for lots of situations- a headquarters on wheels."

Lal smiles, walks up to one of the decals and rips it off. "We'll take it."

"Uh… Chief?" Romario looks around wildly.

Lal rips off another decal. Basil and a few others start to load equipment, guns, and files into the motor home. In addition, they cart out unnecessary items: mattresses, knickknacks, etc. and stack them in a pile outside the motor home.

The photographer continues to snap photos.

"What are you doing, Chief?" Romario spins around and points to the photographer. "And you! Stop taking pictures!"

Lal does away with the parade banner. Romario immediately follows behind and tries to reinstate the decal.

"It's just not possible, Chief. The Governor's going to ride it in a campaign parade soon."

"The Governor himself told me this manhunt was top priority."

Basil moves through the door to the RV carrying Lal's favorite desk chair. He's followed by a man who's presence screams haughty while wearing a sharp suit.

"Excuse me, sir," Basil gives a curt nod to Romario before facing Lal. "This here's Jaeger. He's a specialist with PSIA. They want him to tag along."

Lal stares hard at Jaeger, then nods. Jaeger steps into the Airstream.

Romario, not willing to back down, begins talking, "Please, Chief Mirch, you have to believe me…"

Lal spots the redhead from earlier sitting at the wheel of the Nissan truck. "Who are you?"

Irie straightens under the attention of Lal. "Irie Shoichi. The driver, ma'am."

"Not anymore. Skull."

'Skull,' 26 years old, cocksure, wearing a plain purple uniform and boots moves to the truck and gets in. Irie awkwardly scratches his head, shrugs, and steps out. Romario stops Irie and turns to Lal.

"This man stays with the vehicle wherever it goes, Chief!"

Lal eyes the nervous man up and down. "You know how to operate the gadgets?"

"Uh.. ye-yes, ma'am."

"Grab a seat."

Irie nods quickly and rushes to the passenger seat of the truck.

Colonnello finally emerges from the building, ticked off, carrying an armload of file boxes, and makes a beeline for Lal.

Romario gently touches Lal's shoulder, a final plea. "Please Chief, I'm begging. I mean, what am I supposed to tell the Governor?"

Colonnello arrives but before he can spit out a word, Lal's already speaking, "Tell Cavallone that Colonnello-san here checked me out on it."

Lal whistles and the engine revs. She gets in the RV and closes the door as the motor home pulls away. Romario runs beside the passenger side window and yells at Irie, who stares pointedly out the front window. "Not a scratch, you hear me, Irie! Not a scratch!"

Romario stops, breathing hard, next to Colonnello, who's pissed and overloaded with files. The Airstream, about a few yards down the way, comes to a stop. A second later the door opens, and the steps pop out.

Colonnello walks towards the RV, but when he arrives at the door, the Airstream jerks forward a few feet, then stops once more. Laughter filters out. He waits a full five seconds, then against his better judgement, moves cautiously forward. Again, when he gets close to the Airstream, it moves. There's more laughter and few mocking comments. Gritting his teeth, he tosses one of his file boxes at the RV, banging his fist on the side of the wretched machine.

Lal steps out the door, turns her gaze back inside and the laughter and comments stop on a dime. Smiling slightly, she turns to Colonnello, moves straight for the file box, picks it up and walks back to the Airstream. When she arrives at the steps, she turns, looks to Colonnello, who raises his chin, not willing to back down.

"Are you coming or not?"

Colonnello hesitates only a moment before walking to Lal, grabbing back his file box, and entering in front of her.

He enters, balancing the boxes, and glares at the faces surrounding him. A stern Lal, a smiling Basil, a nervous Enma- the radio man, and in the corner, a nasty smirk from Jaeger as he eats a cinnamon roll.

When the Airstream takes off again, he loses his balance and drops one of the boxes. Basil and Enma move to help, but he gives them the evil eye. "I've got it, thanks."

He hears Jaeger snickering behind him. He calmly stands and looks to Jaeger, a piece of cinnamon roll dangling on his chin. "You've got shit on your face."

Lal can't help but smile as Jaeger quickly wipes at his face.

The Impala blasts along, kicking up dust and dispersing crows as it heads to a small town. It slows, however, before the main part of town and slides to a stop near a pay phone booth.

"Why, bon sang, are we stopping?"

"You said you had a cousin near here."

"So?"

Reborn gives the other an unimpressed look. "So, give him a call. See if he's willing to house us until things cool down."

Daemon thinks it over for a second, leans forward and, in one quick swipe, grabs the keys from the ignition. Then he laughs and crawls out on his way to the phone booth. He struts to the phone booth and pores through a thin directory.

Tsunayoshi steals a glance at Reborn, who watches his rear-view mirror with a smirk sharp enough to cut.

"Why did he take the keys?"

"So, I won't leave him."

"Would you leave him," Tsunayoshi asks, his tone slightly hopeful.

Reborn faces him, smirk now gentler, "Oh yeah."

Both of their attention now focuses on Daemon who rips the 20-page phone book in half and returns to the car, half pleased with himself. He tosses the keys to Reborn, who starts the car and drives off.

"Must have moved. Wouldn't have heard them anyway. Not with my ear still bleeding. If you ever try that merde again…"

"What."

"What?"

"You were in the middle of threatening me."

Daemon scoffs. "Not a threat. It's a fact."

Reborn reaches over, takes Tsunayoshi's hand and places it on the steering wheel. "Here kid, take the wheel."

Tsunayoshi, scared at the prospect, nevertheless does his best to see over the dash and keep the wheel straight. Reborn turns around, locking eyes with Daemon.

"In two seconds, I'm going to break your nose. That's a threat…"

Before Daemon has time to snicker Reborn hits him full in the face and grabs the gun. Blood spurts from Daemon's nose and the injured man cups his hands over the wound.

Reborn spins and retakes the wheel from a frightened Tsunayoshi. "…And that's a fact."

Instead of expressing outrage, Daemon slinks back down in the seat wearing a look of pure hatred. "I'm going to kill you for that."

"And that's a threat. Beginning to understand the difference?"

Daemon says nothing.

Something catches Reborn's eye, and he drives the Impala to a dusty stop near the front of the store, which is bordered by a giant hay field.

"Okay, Tsunayoshi, listen up. I'm going to run in there and get some snacks."

"Get me a drink," Daemon mutters from the back.

Reborn hands Tsunayoshi the revolver. "Here, hold it like this," the man says as he adjusts the kid's grip, "And point it right between his eyes."

Daemon's lip curls. "What the bon sang?"

"If he so much as moves, you pull the trigger… right here," he states, finger pointing where. "Put your finger on it."

Tsunayoshi does.

Daemon snickers and then laughs manically. Reborn reaches over and cocks the pistol. Daemon's guffaws stop immediately.

"You're a fucking crazy man."

"And that's a fact. I believe you're getting the hang of this." Reborn steps out of the car and heads for the store. Inside a short fat man with a fishing cap is sweeping up.

"Chaos. Where are your sodas?"

"Hot in the first aisle. Cold in the back, in the cooler."

Tsunayoshi's slightly shaking hands hold the pistol pointing directly at Daemon's head.

"You've ever shot a gun before, boy?"

No answer. Tsunayoshi steals a glance at the store, anxious for Reborn to return.

"Pow! It'll knock you on your ass."

"Be quiet, sir."

"No, thank you. You've never shot a gun before. Living in a house with no one… no Papa around. You'll probably grow up weak, you know that?"

A bead of sweat rolls down Tsunayoshi's cheek.

"Now, I'm going to lean up here real slow, okay? So, we can talk."

Daemon raises his hands, palms up and slowly leans forward in the back seat. Tsunayoshi's hand quivers but he doesn't pull the trigger.

"There we go. Now we can have a proper conversation. You're a proper young boy, aren't you?"

Reborn dumps a six pack of Ramune, a handful of pies, a handful of beef jerky and some gum on the counter.

Daemon's chin is on the front seat now and his arms are draped over it. Tsunayoshi pushed himself back as far as he could without falling off the seat.

"You know how to cook, use the stove, impressive for a boy so young. Say, you got parents, there was no one else in your house, I checked?"

Tsunayoshi frowns, shuffling in place. He nods slowly, one hand tentatively grabbing the necklace around his neck. He'd been five when he and his mother had sat down for crafts, one of the rare times they had spent time together, and his mother had made him this beaded necklace.

"Oh, what have you got there?" Daemon gets closer, eying the threadbare necklace, clearly loved, reading 'Mom loves you.'

"Not around often, is she?"

Tsunayoshi looks down, hurt despite being used to it.

In a flash Daemon grabs the gun. "The hand is quicker than the eye." He flicks open the revolver, spins it- empty slots. "Le fils de pute. Hell's bells, no shells."

The old man puts down his broom and ambles to the register. "This be all for you?"

"This and a carton of Chesterfields." Reborn pauses, looking behind the old man, "Are those .38 shells? I'll have a box."

The old man puts the cigarettes and shells on the counter and starts to tally the bill on a notepad. "With deposit comes to four dollars eighty."

Reborn reaches into his pocket and extracts the wad stolen from the gas station. The old man takes note. Reborn selects a five and places it on the counter.

"Kami's sake. What line of work you in?"

The old man bags the goods, but Reborn takes the shells and puts them in his coat pocket.

"Used cars. I buy them then fix them up. Sold a Cadillac down in Namimori this morning."

"You don't say."

Daemon puts his gun hand around Tsunayoshi's neck and pulls the quietly sobbing boy closer. Daemon rests his face on Tsunayoshi's neck.

"Come over a little closer, chéri."

As Daemon presses nearer, Tsunayoshi seizes the moment and bites Daemon hard on the ear. Daemon screams and drops the gun, which Tsunayoshi picks up and carries with him as he scurries out of the car and into the hay field.

Daemon, in pain, now with both ears bleeding, crawls out of the back seat and gives chase.

Tsunayoshi, tears still spilling, runs for his life in the hay, which is a full foot taller than him.

Daemon, no longer stumbling, now grinning manically, runs after, whistling as if calling for a lost puppy. "I'm going to find you, gamin. Better for the both of us if you come to me willingly."

Tsunayoshi, gun in hand, stumbles, falls, gets up, and keeps running. He ends up falling again and crawls a bit more before stopping. He wipes his tears and balls up on the ground trying to make himself invisible. Sometimes he's lucky enough for it to work against his usual pursuers.

Reborn exits with a grocery sack. When he sees the car doors open he dumps the groceries in the front seat and looks to the field. He sees the hay rustling like someone is moving through it.

Daemon, crouching, keeps moving, eyes peeled for any sign of Tsunayoshi.

Tsunayoshi lies still. He hears the hay rustling near him and he looks up, squares his body, and points the revolver at…

Reborn, who spots him, motions for him to stay put and holds out his hand for the gun. Tsunayoshi hands it over and watches while Reborn reaches into his black jacket pocket, extracts a few shells and loads the .38.

Daemon's frustrated now, it shouldn't be so hard to find a crying gamin. "Hey boy. Hey boy. You better hope I don't find you."

Something flashes in the corner of his eye- a dash of color- and he begins to crawl faster. He parts a thick batch of hay and looks up into the gun barrel and dark eyes.

Reborn's squatted down, leveling the revolver right between the man's eyes.

Daemon laughs. "What are you going to do? Hit me with it?"

Reborn reaches into his coat pocket with his free hand and shows a couple of shells. Daemon's grin drops.

"We're friends, Rennie!"

"Thick as thieves."

Tsunayoshi hears a gunshot and runs for his life back toward the car and hides behind the tire opposite the store and field. Hidden as he is, he doesn't see Reborn emerge from the field and walk toward the car.

The old man, who also heard the shot, exits the store with a baseball bat. Reborn arrives at the car, spots the old man, and levels the revolver at him. Tsunayoshi is relieved when he hears Reborn's voice instead of Daemon's.

"You've got a phone?"

The old man's grip tightens. "No."

Reborn hums. "Then go inside and lie down until we're gone."

The old man meekly does so. Reborn goes to the car door, opens it and motions to a frozen stiff Tsunayoshi.

"Well… Get in."

The truck and Airstream barrel down the highway. The place is a functioning mobile headquarters now. Basil on the short wave and tacking up a map, Jaeger still in his corner, Lal and Colonnello sitting across from one another at the 'kitchen table.'

In the rear section of the Airstream, Lal's chair and a mini office for the Chief have been put together.

"Got a ping on them. A store right outside of Yumei. About 20 miles from here." Basil sets down the mike, sticks a tack on the map and stands back.

"All right. Push the roadblock on 288 north by 50 miles."

Enma calls in Lal's instructions.

"You think they've gotten any further, Chief?"

Lal sighs. "I don't know and neither do they. They're just happy to be out. It's a high-speed Sunday drive to them."

"Sunday drive. I like that. Never heard you use that one before, Chief."

Colonnello is watching Lal and listening to all of this with a troubled look on his face. Lal notices.

"Something eating at you?"

"It's… perhaps premature," the Criminologist begins, "but do you have an auxiliary roadblock plan for when they split up?"

Everyone stares. No one ever questions Lal.

"What makes you so sure they won't stay together?" Basil glances between the two.

Colonnello hesitates while Lal internally rolls her eyes. "Spit it out."

"Their situation is one of accommodation. They won't be together long."

Silence. Colonnello continues. "Sinclair and Spade are opposites. Sinclair is a criminal's criminal- armed robbery, mano y mano confrontation. Spade, on the other hand, has a rap sheet littered with molestation and petty crime. They'll split soon enough."

Basil responds quickly. "What about the hostages? Are they going to flip a coin to see who gets to keep who?"

Lal rises and walks to sink. She rinses a spoon.

Colonnello shrugs. "It's happened before. Either way it's a dilemma they'll address soon." He pauses briefly. "That's why we should address it now."

He looks at Lal. She refuses to return his gaze.

"We don't have a dilemma. And neither do they. They'll keep one hostage… and get rid of one if they haven't already."

"Okay… which one?" Colonnello persists, still trying to meet the others eye.

"If there's a SNAFU, who's Governor Cavallone more likely to give a rat's ass about- an innocent boy or a goddamn bureaucrat."

Lal wipes the water off the spoon and walks to her office in the back. Basil, Jaeger, and Enma chuckle lightly at their boss's snubbing of the male upstart in their midst. Colonnello's face glows a bright red.

Lal sits in her office chair, pulls out the spoon and pours Geritol from a bottle into her coffee. She doesn't even look up when Colonnello enters, a stern look on his face.

"We need to talk, Chief Mirch."

"Call me Lal."

"Lal, then. Why are you so hell-bent on embarrassing me?"

"I'm hell-bent on one thing. You hang around long enough you'll find that out. Until then a tough backside and a sense of humor will get you through a lot."

"I have a fine sense of humor, but the one thing I won't do is be your straight man so you can play hero to a bunch of morons who think you're real-life Kindaichi Kōsuke."

Lal gives the other a sharp glance.

Colonnello winces. "Ma'am."

Lal takes a sip from her mug calmly.

"I'd like an answer. Ma'am."

"This your first time out of an office?"

He refuses to answer.

"Thought so. What did you expect you signed on for?"

Basil, Jaeger, and Enma all watch the discussion, highly invested in the drama. Colonnello abruptly closes the door.

"You think I'm what? Some stupid rookie who's wandered into the big boy's league by accident? Well, you're wrong. I don't mean to boast, but I happen to be one of the two most intelligent people involved in this fiasco."

"Didn't ask that. Asked what you expected."

"I expected to be allowed to do the job assigned to me by the Governor."

"I happen to like the Governor, go hunting together every year. However, deep down he and I know that win, lose or draw this is my ship, not his."

"The Governor as Chief Executive Officer of this prefecture bears ultimate responsibility for…"

"…Bullshit. Responsibility lies with the one that loses sleep; the one with the most ulcers. This mess turns bloody- and it might- all its going to cost the Governor is a few votes! I'm the one that's…"

Lal catches herself about to get too personal. She takes another swig from her cup.

Colonnello softens his stance. "You're the one that what?"

Lal shakes her head. "Tell you what. If you think I'm making a wrong turn, then you speak up. Might not agree, but I'll listen. As far as stepped on toes and wounded pride, I'll buy everyone a drink when we head for home. Not until. I got more to worry about." She waits a beat. "That sound fair to you?"

"Yes."

"Well okay then."

Colonnello turns, about to leave.

"So, who's the other one?"

"Other one?"

"If you're one brain, who's the other?"

"Sinclair. He was tested in prison."

Reborn drives and catches an occasional glance at Tsunayoshi who sits quietly, but who, also, steals looks at his captor between swigs of Ramune.

He finishes off the bottle. Reborn reaches in the sack for another, pops the top on the dashboard and hands it to Tsunayoshi.

Tsunayoshi carefully takes it. "Thank you." He plays with a thread on his shirt. "Are you going to shoot me?"

Reborn raises an eyebrow. "No. You and I are friends."

The boy side eyes him.

Realizing that in Tsunayoshi's eyes, he and Daemon were probably friends, he says, "If I was choosing a running buddy, I'd take you over him any day of the week."

Tsunayoshi's not sure what to say to that, or if he even believes it, but he still can't help being a little reassured. For how dangerous this black-haired man is, he hadn't done anything to actually hurt him or make him scared in the same way the blue-haired man had.

The RV slides to a stop in the gravel parking lot which is full of squad cars. Lal exits first, followed by the others. A local Sergeant walks up to greet the lot.

"Have you got a positive ID?

"Yes, ma'am, with only the boy as hostage. But not five minutes ago we found something else."

Lal's eyes narrow. "Lead the way."

There on the ground is one Daemon Spade. A clean bullet hole has left him with a third eye, a bloody back, and an entourage of late summer flies. A photographer is crouched over, taking pictures of the body.

Lal shares a look with her team. "Least now we know who's in charge."

Reborn notices that Tsunayoshi is pretty somber as he tugs on another bottle of Ramune.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"If I guess, you tell me?"

Tsunayoshi nods.

"Are you thinking about your mother?"

Is he, Tsunayoshi doesn't know. He supposes he does miss his mother, but he's always feeling that way, so he doesn't know how to be in any other state. He sits still, hoping the other accepts that as his answer.

Reborn brings the car to a stop. He points to the horizon. Desolate.

"I hear you, Tsunayoshi, but look around. I can't very well leave you here, can I?"

The Impala rests on the fork of a dirt road.

"Let me ask you something. Are you right or left-handed?"

Technically, Tsunayoshi can use both, Mama said he is am-bi-dex-trous, but that only made everyone dislike him more, so he tried not to be. He meekly holds up his right hand, from what he knows, most people are right-handed. The car races forward.

"Then that's the way we'll go. Have you ever ridden in a time machine before?"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head. He's pretty sure those things don't exist.

"Sure, you have. What do you think this is?"

"A car."

Reborn gently shakes his head. "You're looking at this thing backwards. This is a 20th Century time machine. I'm the captain and you're the navigator."

Reborn points forward through the dash. "Out there… that's the future."

He taps on the rearview mirror. "Back there… that's the past. If life's moving too slow and you want to project yourself into the future, you step here on the gas. See?"

He does so and the Impala surges forward. Tsunayoshi gives the older man a small smile.

"And if you're enjoying the moment you're in, well, just step on the brake here and you can slow it down." Reborn brings the car to a complete and dusty stop. "This is the present, Tsunayoshi. Enjoy it while it lasts."

Then he chuckles, almost to himself before stepping on the gas. The Impala spins out, kicking dirt in all directions.

"Yes, sir. Time travel. We got to find us a Trueno. My father always drove a Trueno, you know that?"

The Airstream sits in the parking lot of the store. Skull and Irie sit up front in the truck.

Skull turns the knob on an intercom speaker system next to the radio.

Irie nervously speaks up. "It's an intercom speaker system. You can get and give instructions to and from the rear of the vehicle."

Skull blinks. "Huh. How's it work?"

"You push the power button but if you've got the volume turned up-"

Skull pushes the power button. The system 'squawks' loudly and then 'creaks' tinnily.

"-you'll blow the speakers. Oh no! OhkamiRomarioisgoingtokillme!" Irie holds his head in his hands, hyperventilating.

Skull gently pats his back. "This thing's probably got a warranty. You ought to make a list of all the things that are wrong."

Lal cringes, her ears still ringing from the squawk, and turns to stare at the front of the RV. Shaking her head, she goes to stand in front of the map, placing thumbtacks at crossroads indicated by the circle mark.

"That should work at blocking Sinclair, right, Chief?"

Colonnello eyes the map. "Shouldn't these be roadblocked as well?" He points to several other unmarked roads.

"Sooner or later, he'll get on a main road. We don't have the manpower to roadblock every farm market." Lal doesn't think a man like Sinclair would be content to stay in the country for long anyways.

"In a perfect world, Colonnello-san, we'd lock arms and thrash the bush until he turned up…"

Colonnello turns to Basil. "In a perfect world, things like this wouldn't happen in the first place."

Basil hears something on his headset and turns to Lal. "Locals are heading out. Will we follow, Chief?"

"Let's sit tight. He'll turn up."

The Impala travels slowly along the road until it edges to a stop by the entrance to a small farmhouse with a truck and car parked in a long dirt driveway. A farmer on a combine works a small field.

"Okay, Tsunayoshi, we're going to do some car shopping. You ever play samurai and ninjas. See that Trueno? Now I want you to sneak on over there like a ninja and take a peek and see if the keys are in it."

Tsunayoshi hesitates.

"You don't have to if you don't want to… but I'd appreciate it… You being the new navigator and all."

Tsunayoshi thinks it over then opens the door and slips out.

"Hey, Tsunayoshi, check for a radio, too."

Tsunayoshi, still in his cotton briefs, legs cut up and muddied from his escape from Daemon, sneaks up to the car and quietly peers into the open window.

He opens the door and from where he's standing he stretches his hand to the other side of the wheel, the keys dangle when he touches them. He checks to make sure there's a radio before closing the door. He looks around and then hurriedly runs to the passenger window of the Impala.

"It's got keys and a radio."

"Good man."

Tsunayoshi holds his hand over his stomach and stamps his feet. "Can we stop at a filling station."

Reborn's brow furrows, noticing the kid's odd movements. "What for?"

"Number one."

His lips twitch. "This here's nature, Tsunayoshi. Go anywhere you please."

Tsunayoshi scrambles to the ditch to relieve himself while Reborn steps out of the Impala, tosses the keys into the field and walks toward the Trueno.

The farmer stops his tractor and notices Reborn and Tsunayoshi.

Tsunayoshi, despite his prior urgency, is having trouble going.

Reborn slides into the Trueno, pumps the gas pedal and turns the key. The engine 'grumbles' and dies.

The farmer is walking now, slowly, and then at a trot as he realizes what's happening.

Tsunayoshi is finally relieving himself.

Reborn cranks again and again but the Trueno is flooded.

"Start, you son of a puttana!"

The farmer runs faster, comes closer. "Hey! That's my car! Hey!"

Reborn floors the gas to clear the flood and the engine finally starts. He throws it into reverse and peels out backwards into the road beside the ditch where Tsunayoshi continues relieving himself.

"Get in the car, Tsunayoshi!"

The farmer, only a few yards away, is racing towards them angrier than a hornet's nest.

Tsunayoshi tries to hurry, but the Ramune continues to run through him.

"Tsunayoshi! Get in the car!"

Tsunayoshi pulls his underwear up and races to the car. He leaps into the open passenger door at the same moment Reborn steps on the gas and the farmer arrives and grabs onto the door as it closes.

The car is screeching down the road, but the farmer holds on for dear life and auto. He claws at Tsunayoshi, who does his best to fend off flailing hands and fingers.

Reborn reaches under the seat and grasps the pistol. Tsunayoshi sees what's about to happen and bites the farmer's hand as hard as he can.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" The farmer releases his grip on the door and falls backward, summersaulting into the adjacent ditch.

Reborn places the gun back under the seat.

"Merda, kid, how many Ramunes did you drink anyway?"

"Four."

Reborn shakes his head and laughs. "One thing's for sure. You got one hell of a set of chompers."

Sitting still, Skull tries to light a cigarette with a lighter but gets no heat. "Lighter doesn't work. Put that on the list."

Irie stares longsuffering out the window.

Jaeger sits alone in the back corner of the main room of the RV. He just sits and stares, occasionally smiling cynically at Colonnello.

Basil takes the latest info off the radio while the others listen in. On the radio he says, "Highway 16 north. Four miles south of Minato. Got it." He turns to Lal. "Sinclair's stolen a vehicle."

Enma radios up front, the engine starts, and the Airstream moves.

"What kind of shape is it in?"

Basil blinks. "What?"

"The Trueno he stole," Colonnello explains.

"Owner told the locals they only drove it to church, but it does have a bad emergency brake… How'd you know it was a Trueno, Colonnello-san?"

Colonnello smirks. "He likes Truenos."

Basil looks at the map. "Looks like you were right, Chief? He's off the farm-to-market and onto main roads. What do you want to do?"

"Beef up the I-20 roadblock."

Basil gets more news through the headsets. "Repeat." He pauses a beat. "Chief, the locals want to know if they're to take a clean shot if they get the chance?"

Lal stares out the window for what seems like an eternity…

"No."

Basil looks quizzically at Lal and pulls off the headphones.

Over the radio, a voice could be distantly heard saying, "Come back..? Come back Mobile One. Basil, are you there…?"

Lal gives a sharp nod. "Tell them what I said."

Basil grabs the mike. "No."

"Was that a negative?"

"No, er yes. It's a negative, sir. Over."

Lal sees Colonnello peering at him over the top of his file. She glances around at the other sets of eyes.

"I don't want some half-ass Sergeant taking pot shots with a deer rifle."

Basil puts the headphones back on.

Jaeger smirks a bit.

"It's the only thing to do. He's got the child with him."

Lal gives Colonnello a look that says, 'Don't defend me.'

Jaeger focuses his attention on Colonnello. "I suppose you figure he'll just give up."

The Criminologist's eyes narrow. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Well, now there's a safe bet."

"I'll give you a safe bet. The boy is in better hands now than he was."

"The third eye Spade's sporting on the way to the morgue shouts otherwise."

Colonnello flashes Lal a look back. Jaeger rises and moves past Lal on his way to the toilet.

Jaeger makes casual eye contact with Lal. "Then why not shoot to kill."

Lal just stares at Jaeger as the younger man moves slowly past her to the toilet.

Basil breaks the tension. "They've forwarded the stolen vehicle license to the roadblocks. Do you still want to go to the farm?"

Lal pulls out a switch blade, spinning it around, and mulls over the question. "Yes. I got a feeling."

"Tsunayoshi's quite the long name for such a little kid. Who you named after?"

"My father's family has a tradition of naming their sons after Tokugawa shoguns."

"You and your old man get along all right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Toss the ball around, go fishing in the river, that sort of thing?"

"No, sir."

Reborn glances at him. "Why the hell not?"

That's what Tsunayoshi would like to know. "He isn't around, really."

"Well, he is, or he isn't. When's the last time you saw him?"

Tsunayoshi shrugs. It's been years. He last saw him when he was five and before that it had been years too. He probably couldn't even point out his father if he was standing right in front of him.

"You and I have a lot in common, Tsunayoshi. The both of us got spiky hair, we both like Ramune, and neither one of us has an old man worth a damn."

Tsunayoshi silently agrees but doesn't want to admit it. "My Mama says he just went off to be a star. That he'll probably be back when I'm ten or so."

"Well.. she's lying to you, pure and simple. He ain't never coming back."

Tsunayoshi furrows his brow in thought, deciding his mother isn't here anyways, and nods in agreement.

Reborn chuckles, lightly tinged in disbelief. "There we go, bambino."

"What's a bam-bi-no?" The word feels weird on Tsunayoshi's tongue, but a nice weird.

Reborn gives him an honest smile. "It's Italian for child, more like baby to be honest."

Tsunayoshi frowns. "I'm not a baby."

"Well," Reborn begins with a smirk, "You aren't grown until you've shot a gun, so for the meantime, you'll be a bambino."

The kid scowls, but it's more a cute pout.

"Don't worry too much about it, enjoy your youth while you still have it Tsunayoshi."

The kid huffs but settles down. "What's a merda?"

Reborn laughs. "How about I teach you some more basic words, and we'll work our way up to that, yeah?"

No one's usually so willing to teach Tsunayoshi anything except Old Man Kawahira, so he nods eagerly.

Skull and Irie lean against the parked RV, chatting.

"You responsible for engine maintenance on this thing?"

Irie gives a weak smile. "Uh, yeah. I'm the full-time driver."

Skull shakes his head. "Too bad."

"What? Why?"

"You notice how it keeps wanting to slip a bit going into second. Feels to me like somebody's been a little heavy-footed with the clutch." Skull scratches his cheek. "I'd take care of that if I was you."

Irie closes his eyes.

Off to the side an ambulance door opens and the farmer, strapped in, is rolled toward it as his wife, sobbing, attends to him.

Several local police scour the surrounding field, walking four feet apart, looking for what they hope they won't find.

Lal leans on the trunk of the Impala, surveying the area. She sniffs the air. Unsavory. Basil strides up from the field.

"No bodies this time, Chief."

"You've got the keys to this thing?"

"Uh… no, sir."

"Get me a crowbar." Lal looks to Colonnello. "You might want to wait in the RV."

"No thank you."

Lal sighs internally but lets him do as he wishes. She takes the crowbar with a muttered thanks and cranks at the lock until the trunk blasts open like a bottle top. Lal looks in with a grimace, Basil's face scrunches, and Colonnello turns and walks away in nauseous disgust.

"Well…"

In the trunk lies the crumpled, bent, bloody remains of Gamma, the prison employee, the original hostage.

"…there's out bureaucrat," Lal finishes. She turns and heads over to the RV, where Colonnello is heaving.

To no one particular, Lal says, "It's sure nice to know the boy is in good hands."

Colonnello straightens himself, ready to bite back, but Lal's face is soft. She offers a handkerchief. He takes it.

"Gallows humor, Colonnello. Without it we'd all be heaving."

They share shallow smiles.

The Trueno slides down the Main Street and into a side alley next to a Department Store.

"You ready to get some pants on you?"

Tsunayoshi nods.

"Very well then. First, we are going to come up with some fake identities, sort of like cosplaying. Just names to call each other when we're around other people." Reborn wonders if he should put the effort into thinking of something for the kid, then decides not to. "Go ahead and think one up. Whatever name you want."

Tsunayoshi is amused by the sport of it all. Then again,, he's never done something like this before, so he's kind of excited. "Any name I want?"

A small-time retail store with a sign over the entrance proclaiming: "FRIENDLY'S- The Friendliest Store in the South!"

A long counter at the front of the store is backed by a small office with a large glass window that gives the Manager, Kusakabe Tetsuya with his pompadour styled hair and anal retentiveness, a clear view of the store.

A family with two kids exits the store just as Reborn and Tsunayoshi enter. Reborn holds the door open and smiles charmingly at them. They say "thanks" but can't help but notice Tsunayoshi, hiding behind Reborn's legs, still clad in his underwear.

A clerk, Daniela, 30, holding a handful of shoeboxes notices their entrance. She's smartly dressed, has a red flower tattoo on her face, and a smile that looks like it's painted on.

"Well, hello there and welcome to Friendly's. Look like the little man needs some pants."

"As a matter of fact. Shoes and underwear, too. He'll tell you his size. Go with the lady, Natsu."

Tsunayoshi, distracted looking around, doesn't recognize his own 'name.'

"Natsu."

He snaps to, cracks a smile at Reborn and follows the lady to the children's section of the store.

"Natsu, what a cute name. I quite like summer myself."

Reborn walks past the cash register, gives the clerk behind the desk a seductive smirk, and proceeds to an aisle which features hardware, rope, tape, nails, etc. He hums considerably.

Daniela is holding jeans up to Tsunayoshi's waist. "It'd be easier if I knew your size, but we'll get it right."

Tsunayoshi's eye catches something…

On a circular rack with shelves holds a few Halloween costumes. Hanging prominently is a lion costume, complete with a face mask. Above it, a sign reads: "MARKED DOWN- Get the Jump on Next Year!"

Tsunayoshi is absolutely mesmerized by the display.

Daniela, kneeling, looking for sizes, selects a pair, and turns to find Tsunayoshi gone. She spins around and smiles when she sees Tsunayoshi wearing the lion mask.

"Why look. It's a friendly lion. Say roar."

"Roar," Tsunayoshi deadpans.

"Not very scary, but you'll have a whole year to work on it if your Daddy lets you have it. Good price, too. What'd you go as this year?"

"A ninja."

A local police car cruises slowly, spots the Trueno parked in the alley and comes to a halt.

The cop, Naito, 25, who only started last month after he flunked out of the local university, checks the plates against a notepad on his dash. His heart starts beating wildly. "Aw… shit…"

Reborn, with a handful of supplies, including rope and tape, makes his way to the register. He's greeted there by Cervello, to whom he smirked at earlier. She's a little younger than him, has bright pink hair, and wears a fake smile that rivals Daniela's. Reborn reaches for and tries on a pair of sunglasses.

"What do you think?"

"Look good."

He adds them to his pile.

"Will that be all for you today, sir?"

Reborn nods and places his items on the counter. "You ladies truly know how to keep a grin on your face?"

Cervello laughs, then drops her grin, looks behind her to see Kusakabe is watching, and whispers, "Kusakabe-san holds a contest every month. The friendliest clerk gets a $20 bonus." She pauses a beat. "There's a ballot box at the front."

Up on his 'throne,' Kusakabe adjusts his black and white TV and settles on a local news broadcast.

…the hunt continues for Renato Sinclair, who escaped a few days ago from the maximum-security unit over in Giglio Nero. Sinclair, six-one, 185 pounds, with black hair is considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen…

Cervello checks Reborn's items as Daniela and Tsunayoshi emerge from an aisle and drop a pair of jeans and sneakers onto the counter.

"Here's the clothes, but Natsu has his heart set on a Halloween costume for next year. It is half off," Daniela mentions.

Kusakabe's attention focuses on Reborn as the newscast continues.

…Sinclair is believed to have an 8-year-old boy with him as hostage.

There's an intense staring contest between the two men.

Reborn, without facing Tsunayoshi, says, "We'll get it next time. Go get in the car, son."

Naito pulls his patrol car to one end of Main Street and parks it across the street, blocking it. He picks up his radio. "Okay, Romeo, I'm all set down here. You?"

Another cop, Romeo, with curly black hair that falls over one eye, slides his police car to the opposite end of the street and puts it in park. "Copacetic. Let's just keep him tied up till the prefecture boys get here. Over."

Basil takes the urgent message off the radio and turns to the group. "They've got him penned down in Noodle, north of Giotto."

Cervello carries on bagging the items, including the jeans.

Kusakabe doesn't take his eyes off of Reborn for one second, hand slowly inching for the phone.

Reborn shakes his head at Kusakabe, a warning, the other man's only one.

Tsunayoshi walks toward the front door but stops short when he sees, once again, the Halloween display.

Reborn pays Cervello, then stuffs a $20 in the pocket of her blouse. "You are truly the friendliest clerk I have ever met."

Cervello blushes a "thank you" as Reborn makes a hasty retreat to the door.

"Thank you for shopping Friendly's!"

Reborn exits the store, immediately spotting the cop cars lying in wait, and slides into the middle of a group of old-timers moving down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace.

Tsunayoshi remains standing at the display, looks around, then grabs a lion costume box, stuffs it under his T-shirt, and walks quickly to the door.

Reborn easily slides away from the old timers and into the Trueno. Tsunayoshi isn't in the passenger seat. He checks the backseat. No Tsunayoshi, no Natsu. He checks the rear-view mirror and instead of the kid, there's a cop car.

Romeo, hands gripping his steering wheel, pulls in behind Reborn, blocking his entrance to the main street.

Reborn smirks, throws the Trueno into reverse, and steps on the gas.

The officer, not expecting this kind of pace, at least not from the get-go, leaps into his back seat.

The Trueno rams into the patrol car pushing it backward into a light pole and a truck. The truck's owner, carrying mulch from the feed store, watches as his truck slides toward him.

"Dammit, Romeo!"

Tsunayoshi sneakily steps out the door. He spots the crash and watches as the Trueno blasts back into the alley in a hail of dust.

Reborn, in control despite driving chaotically, turns into the back alley and steps on it. All at once he smashes the brakes and comes to a squealing stop. The alley is a dead end.

"Porca miseria!" Reborn rips the car into reverse and squeals all the way back to the original side alley.

Tsunayoshi stands frozen, scared, not knowing what to do but keep a look out on the street for the Trueno.

Daniela and Cervello peer from behind the counter at Reborn and the chaos taking place in the street.

"I knew something was wrong from the get-go." Daniela's lips pursed.

They spot Tsunayoshi standing a few feet in front of the door.

"Look," Cervello nudges the other woman, "He left his little boy."

"And look, the little rascal has… he's no better than-"

"What?!"

"He's got that lion costume. He stole it!"

The Trueno emerges from the side alley once more and squeals onto Main Street.

Naito couldn't believe his eyes. The Trueno is coming straight for him, hell bent on destruction and picking up speed.

Naito sticks his squad in rapid reverse and backs down the street as fast as he could.

Over the radio he hears, "Get the hell out of there. We can't lose both vehicles!"

The Trueno is gaining on him- he can actually see Reborn's smirking face- when suddenly it goes into a dusty fishtail, does a 180, and barrels in the opposite direction.

Naito presses the brake in both confusion and relief. He almost pissed himself.

Tsunayoshi is antsy, stuck, wondering how this whole thing is going to play out. He's then made aware of the peering eyes behind him. Daniela bangs on the glass.

"Natsu! You little shit! Shoplifting is a crime!"

Reborn checks his mirror, looks ahead, spots Tsunayoshi and blasts straight for the front door of the store. He skids to a halt and stares right at Tsunayoshi.

"Up to you, Natsu!"

Tsunayoshi's frozen for a second, clenching his hands. It's not like he has anything to lose by joining the man. Plus, that lady is scary.

Daniela appears behind him. "You'll never get away with this, little mister!"

Before she can catch him, Tsunayoshi dashes to the Trueno and makes a swimmer's starting dive into the open passenger window. Reborn grabs the back of his shirt and hauls him into the seat.

Reborn then pulls his gun and fires once into the glass door above the clerk's heads.

The glass door and surrounding windows shatter into a million pieces, sending makeup, Daniela, Cervello, grins and all, into a heap on the floor.

The Trueno squeals out down the street. Romeo crawls out from behind the seat and ducks again just as the Trueno sideswipes the police car for good measure and fishtails out of town.

Romeo crawls over the back seat again as his radio squawks, "Romeo? Romeo? You okay?"

Cervello emerges from behind the counter and stares at Daniela, on the ground amidst glass and mayhem. "Say what you want. I'm keeping the twenty."

Two young country boys stand by the side of the road. One, Lampo, tosses an egg from hand to hand while he watches the horizon. The other, Lambo, approaches, crawling through a barbed wire fence dragging something behind him.

"Hurry up," Lampo gestures to his brother. "Someone's coming."

Sure enough, a hail of dust signals the approach of a vehicle a mile or so away.

Lambo crawls into the ditch next to Lampo, dragging a scarecrow with a floppy hat and red bandana behind him.

"Stick it in the road. Hurry up."

Lambo does so, propping the scarecrow into a sitting position with a forked stick. Then he races back to the ditch and slides in next to Lampo to divide the eggs.

"We got seven eggs. I get four to throw and you get three… since it was my idea."

Lambo nods.

"Here they come. Aim for the windows and get ready to run."

The car crests the hill, followed by another, and another, and a final one, all Highway Patrol, all with their lights on and sirens wailing.

"Oh shit!"

The cars don't even slow at the sight of the scarecrow, blasting right through it, sending the hay, hat, limbs, and all, flying.

The scarecrow, or what's left of it, lands in a ditch next to the boys. In unison they breathe a sigh of relief, look at each other, drop the eggs and hightail it for home.

The Trueno is parked in a field of some sort. Reborn reaches in the back seat for the bag of supplies.

"Here, take them underwear off and put on your jeans."

He spots Tsunayoshi's not so successful effort to hide the costume box.

"What do you have in your hands?"

"A lion suit."

"From the store? You stole it?"

Tsunayoshi nods, shamefaced.

"Well, hell, Tsunayoshi, put it on."

Tsunayoshi pauses. "You aren't mad?"

Reborn shifts so he's facing the kid better. "Let's understand each other here. Stealing is wrong, okay? However, if there's something you need and you don't have the money, then it's okay to take a loaner on the item. It's what you call an exception to the rule."

Tsunayoshi doesn't really know what he was expecting from a man wanted by the cops. He tears into the box, rips out the costume, looks at it, then cautiously stops. Reborn notices.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Reborn notices how Tsunayoshi seems to both curl into himself and around the costume.

"What? You don't want to change with me in here? Embarrassed?"

Tsunayoshi shrugs.

"Can't help you, if you don't explain yourself, Bambino."

He doesn't know how to put in words what everyone in his hometown already knows. He's afraid that Reborn might take away the costume, might rip it right in front of him, might make fun of him for being so small and scrawny, might hurt him. Everyone always does. They find it funny when the good-for-nothing is shown his place.

"I don't want you to ruin it." There. He said it.

Reborn's eyes narrow. "Lot of your things get ruined."

Tsunayoshi nods.

"By whom?"

"Everyone."

Reborn pauses. "Why is that?"

"Because I'm Dame-Tsuna."

"…And who told you that."

"Everyone."

"Even your mother?"

Tsunayoshi looks down and nods. Reborn's jaw works side to side. It won't do the kid good to see him angry, he'd think it is directed at him.

"Tell you what, Tsunayoshi. You think I'm smart?"

The kid glances up between his bangs. "Yes, sir."

"So, you trust my opinion."

The kid nods.

"Then believe me when I say you aren't no Dame-anything. See, throughout our friendship, I haven't once thought of you as dumb. In fact, I thought you were pretty clever, you know that. You pick up Italian really quick."

Tsunayoshi tentatively smiles and starts to put on the costume.

"Here they come."

The four Highway Patrol vehicles from before blast past over 90, sending stray dogs scurrying for cover.

The Trueno is off the same roadside, but behind a rotting house in a field. As soon as the patrol cars pass, Reborn starts up the engine and drives it to the road and off in the opposite direction.

Colonnello's deep in his files when he feels eyes staring at him. He looks up to see Jaeger, still sitting by himself, whittling away at a stick, and leering at him. Basil is at the map, holding the shortwave mike and wearing headphones. Behind him, Lal stares out the window.

"Sinclair bought tape, rope, and some clothes for the boy."

Lal comes to and turns to Basil. Colonnello smiles almost to himself. He is right- Sinclair is looking after the boy. Everyone knows it, but no one says anything.

"One strange thing though. They say the boy could have gotten away but didn't." Basil double checks the information just to confirm.

"Probably scared to death," Colonnello pipes up.

"That's not all. The kid stole a Halloween outfit."

Lal wants to slap her forehead. "Kami, they're a team."

"With the pit stop in Noodle, looks like he's headed for Chofu."

Lal sighs. Unpleasant news, but somehow she knew it. She moves to the back room for another shot of Geritol.

Colonnello shoots the Chief a confused look. "What?"

Basil grimaces. "There's more roads than people in Chofu."

"How's that happen?"

"Contract disagreements. They tend to half finish roads then start on another one," Enma explains.

"But if anybody knows the backroads it's the Chief."

Colonnello lifts his head, watches Lal reenter the room, then stares out the window.

He breathes out. "Okay, so… I'm Renato Sinclair. Called Reborn by everyone. I was born in Sicily, Italy, but grew up in the Palermo."

Basil looks between the Criminologist and the Chief. "What is he doing?"

"I killed a man when I was eight."

Silence. Nobody seems willing to play along. Lal turns from the window to Colonnello.

"How'd you kill him?"

"Shot him with a pistol. There was always one around the dance hall. That's what they called it, but it was a whorehouse. We lived there."

Lal moves away from the discussion and stands at the front of the Airstream, staring out the front window.

It's Basil who responds. "What do the authorities do?"

"The victim was wanted by the locals so the whole thing got shoved under the table."

"They didn't even stick him in juvy?"

"Put me in school. Three years behind, but I catch up."

It's Enma who tentatively speaks up. "Sounds like things are going okay, now?"

"They were. For a while. When I'm twelve mom dies."

Basil is invested. "What happened?"

"Chiara Aurora Sinclair hung herself in the bathroom of the brothel. Could have saved herself the trouble. Post-mortem check uncovered last stage syphilis."

Enma frowns. "Where's your father?"

Lal adjusts herself, clearly listening.

"Nobody knows where he is now. Ditches when I was six. He was a small-time felon. Popped up again after Mom died- he'd just been paroled. Moved us back to Sicily. A year later I'm in trouble again."

"Yeah," Basil begins, "Kill somebody else?"

Colonnello can't help smiling a little. "Took a joyride in a Trueno that I just couldn't resist."

"That's no big deal," Enma says shrugging.

"Judge gave me four years in Nisida, toughest juvy in southern Italy."

"That's where he learned to be a criminal. Seen that before, haven't we, Chief?"

Lal doesn't answer Basil. She seems to be in a faraway place.

"So, Sinclair," Jaeger sarcastically begins, "why don't you tell us where you're going, save us the trouble of hunting you down."

Colonnello shakes his head. "Where I'm going isn't as important as to why am I going there?"

Jaeger sneers, tired of the game. "Shit. Because I'm running and they're chasing, and I'd just as soon go north as south as east as west. It's a fun little parlor game, sir, but right now Reborn Sinclair doesn't have the slightest idea where he's headed!"

Tsunayoshi, now fully attired in his lion outfit and mask, is looking at a folded map while Reborn drives.

"An inch is 24 miles. Hold your index finger along the line of the road. You got three lines on your finger, don't you? Each one's an inch. So, how many inches to Setagaya?

Tsunayoshi holds one finger to the map, then another. "One, two… six."

"You're a great navigator, Tsunayoshi. A lot smarter than Daemon and everyone in your town. But I guess that's not saying a lot."

Something catches Tsunayoshi's eye. "Look!"

A truck and an Airstream are coming toward them on the highway.

Skull, driving, tinkers with a broken window shade. Irie yawns, comes to, notices the broken window shade, and gives Skull a look. Skull, caught, just smiles.

Reborn leans forward, mildly interested in the machine as well. "I've seen one of them in a magazine. It's called a motor home. They're new. Like a house on wheels."

Reborn winks at Tsunayoshi, then honks the horn twice and waits for a retort.

Skull grins, looks to Irie, who nods an "okay." Skull sits on the horn for two solid blasts.

Tsunayoshi laughs and waves.

Skull and Irie wave back with matching grins.

Colonnello is staring out the window when he catches sight of the passing Trueno. He can't quite see the driver, but there's no mistaking the lion outfit the boy is wearing with pride.

Colonnello hand taps Basil's shoulder. "You said the boy stole a Halloween costume… What character?"

"Don't think it was a character… but it was a lion costume."

He wants to laugh. "That was them. They just passed us!"

Everyone pauses for a second before they're all moving.

"Turn this thing around," Lal orders.

Basil jumps on the radio to the truck. "Turn it around! That was them!"

Skull lets out a disbelieving laugh, what luck. The Airstream slows to a grind, pulls off the narrow shoulder and begins to make a wide U-turn.

"We'll never make it. Stop!" Irie's patting Skull's arm frantically as he watches with wide eyes.

It's a close fit but the Airstream just survives a brush with a tree. The truck peels away with the Airstream in tow.

Reborn checks his rearview mirror and gets a puzzled look on his face.

The Airstream is barreling fast behind- catching up.

Skull presses the pedal to the floor. The engine strains. Irie nervously sneaks a peek at the speedometer.

"It's… it's not safe to go over 65 with this much load!"

The speedometer reaches 80. The engine screams.

The whole RV is shaking, twisting, bumping. All aboard try to keep their balance.

Jaeger pats Basil's back. "Tell him to pull up next to them!" He opens a window and leans out.

Tsunayoshi turns around in the seat to watch. "They're going fast!"

"Tsunayoshi, get in the back seat and lie down on the floor."

"Why," the kid asks even as he climbs over to the back seat but doesn't lie down.

Reborn uses one hand to shove the kid down. "Because I said so!"

Irie is scared to death while Skull is loving every minute. The engine starts to steam.

"You're burning up the engine," Irie cries.

But Skull pays no heed.

Jaeger unholsters his pistol and leans back out the window. Lal spots him.

"Holster that firearm and get your ass back inside!"

Jaeger thinks it over, shakes his head in disgust and holsters his piece.

Reborn spots an opening. "Hold on, Tsunayoshi!" The Trueno makes a sharp veer off the road into a flat scrub brush field. The car spins out a bit when it hits the dirt sending forth a gust of it, then it regains its traction and blasts ahead through the dust.

Skull notes the maneuver and starts to follow.

"Don't!"

The truck, in an attempt to enter the field, misses the flat spot, hits a berm with its front right tire and flies into the air.

The trailer hitch snaps as does the safety chain.

The truck lands hard and continues racing through the field. The Airstream, sans truck, blasts forward along the road, momentum keeping it moving well over 50.

Bouncing like hell, Colonnello holds on for dear life, then glances out the window and almost jumps out of his seat when he sees the truck, a few yards away, rushing through the field toward the horizon. "Shit!"

Lal immediately notices the same thing, but before she can cuss, the Airstream veers off the road and into the rocky field. Trees, scrub brush, and boulders are no deterrent for the sleek silverfish which seems to be moving even faster than before.

Steam, smoke pouring from the engine. Irie, covering his eyes, sneaks a peek behind and screams when he sees no Airstream there. "Ahhhh! They're gone!"

Skull looks in the rear-view mirror, turns around and screams, too. Without visual guidance the truck smashes into a tree, runs halfway up, then dies a horrible death.

It's an anti-gravity room, what with the files, coffee, maps, and bodies flying around the trailer. The damn thing now losing a bit of steam, hits a berm, almost topples, and comes to a precarious stop in a dried-up watering hole.

Basil, still wearing the headphones, rises first and goes to the radio to answer an incoming call.

Lal groans. Colonnello crawls to his feet and offers Lal a helping hand, which she accepts.

"Uh… Chief?"

"What, Basil?"

"They want to know if the boy looked okay?"

Colonnello snorts. "He was laughing and waving."

"Don't tell them that," Lal states curtly.

In the Governor's office, a large group of very serious advisors sit and stand in a circle around the Governor's desk. Across from Governor Cavallone sits a nervous, near tears Sawada Nana. An aide on the telephone turns to the Governor.

"They say the boy looked fine."

Governor Cavallone nods, sighs, and reaches his hand across the desk and touches Nana's shoulder.

"He'll be fine, Sawada-san. This whole nightmare will be over and done with very soon and you'll be home with your boy. I promise."

Nana, distraught, nods. Governor Cavallone discreetly motions to a photographer in the group while keeping his hand on Nana's shoulder. A camera's flash causes everyone to blink in reaction.

The Governor shakes it off and continues. "I want you to know that I personally okayed the use of a brand-new high-tech mobile home from which to conduct the manhunt. It's an amazingly futuristic piece of law enforcement equipment."

Another flash goes off.

The Airstream, the amazingly futuristic piece of law enforcement equipment sits beat to hell and leaning to one side in the dry pond bed. All the tires are flat, and dents and bruises abound. The door tries to open but is stuck. Lal applies a boot to it and the whole thing comes off its hinges and flies to the ground. Lal exits. She groans and shakes her head when she spots Skull and Irie limping toward her across the field.

Lal gives a heartfelt sigh and starts slowly walking in the direction Reborn and Tsunayoshi headed.

Colonnello, uniform a mess, does his best to collect his files before he sits down, takes a deep breath, and glances out the window at Lal in the distance.

Lal is standing in the middle of the field, staring at the horizon. She sticks a lit cigarette in her mouth without diverting or blinking her eyes.

Reborn stares off into the horizon. Sitting on the hood of the Trueno, which is stopped on an asphalt road which, a few feet farther, turns into dirt, and a few feet farther than that is a dirt clod field.

"Started this road a decade ago and it still isn't finished." Reborn looks around thoughtfully. "Appears to me we have a decision to make."

Tsunayoshi, aka Natsu, exits the car and, imitating Reborn, leans against the car. Reborn looks on in amusement.

"It's up to you, Tsunayoshi. We can backtrack to the highway, or we can try it on foot."

"Where we going?"

Reborn reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a folded postcard. He hands it over to Tsunayoshi.

The card is at least 20 years old, crumpled. It unfolds to reveal a beautiful green valley with a snowcapped mountain behind it.

"It's Sapporo, Tsunayoshi."

"It's pretty."

"It's beautiful."

"Have you been there?"

"No. Just got this one postcard. However, back to our present dilemma. You feel like a hike?"

"How far?"

"Can't be more than, oh, say, fifteen hundred miles."

Tsunayoshi makes a face.

Reborn chuckles. "You're right. Go give our supplies a check."

Tsunayoshi returns to the car and emerges with the paper bag once full of soda, candy, and jerky. Reborn surveys the countryside. It's flat, dusty, barren. A mile or so away sits a home- a small ranch house.

Tsunayoshi returns with the bag and pores through it.

"How's it look?"

"A soda… some gum… half a Moon Pie."

"Rations for one at best." Reborn shakes his head. "Come on."

Reborn strides straight into the rocky field. Tsunayoshi lingers a moment, then sticks the half-eaten moon pie in his mouth and follows, hurrying to catch up.

He grabs the older man's hand who pauses a beat before pulling his hand away smoothly. It happens once more. Then, Reborn gives up and lets the kid hold his hand.

Irie limps around the broken-down silver trailer, his hands covering what his eyes can't bear to see.

"Now, are you sure that junk had a safety chain?"

Irie turns and glares at Skull. "Yes!"

Lal walks slowly toward the slumping Airstream. A phone rings from inside, then stops. Basil sticks his head out of the door and calls to Lal. "Governor's hot line, Chief. Governor insists that he have the mobile home back for the parade tomorrow."

Lal just stares at Basil. "Tell them to come and pick it up."

Reborn continues his hell-bent brisk pace in the field of dirt clods. It's all Tsunayoshi can do to keep up.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going trick or treating, Tsunayoshi."

Tsunayoshi stops dead in his tracks, his hand slipping out of the older man's. Reborn, blinking at the loss, stops, spins, and faces Tsunayoshi.

"What?"

"I'm not allowed to trick or treat."

Reborn's brow furrows.

"My mama doesn't allow it."

"Trick or treating? Why not?"

"It's silly and dangerous."

"Dangerous? Silly? What kind of reasoning is that?"

Tsunayoshi shrugs. "She says all American holidays aren't worth celebrating."

Reborn straightens his jacket. "Now, I'm asking you, Tsunayoshi. I'm not asking your mother. Do you want to go trick or treating or not?"

Tsunayoshi and Reborn cross the dirt yard and make their way to the door.

"Okay, Tsunayoshi, all you have to do is knock on the door and when they open it you say, 'trick or treat.' Understood?"

They arrive at the door. Reborn nods at Tsunayoshi who rings the buzzer.

"Now, wait until they come."

A nice old lady opens the door with a smile and looks out on the pair through the screen door.

"Now, Tsunayoshi," Reborn whispers.

Tsunayoshi takes a quick glance at Reborn before looking at the lady. "Trick or treat."

"Well," the old lady starts, hand on her cheek, "Aren't you the cutest little lion I ever did see."

"Say it again, Tsunayoshi," Reborn whispers once more.

"Trick or treat, ma'am."

"Ah, seeing that Halloween was yesterday, I guess you'll have to trick me. You missed the caramel popcorn balls I made up special."

Reborn smiles, pulls up his shirt and exposes the revolver in his pants.

The old lady falters. "W-wait right here."

Reborn smile turns into a smirk as he pats Tsunayoshi on the shoulder. His eyes are drawn to the telephone wire which enters the house near the door.

The old lady returns with an armload of anything she could find in the kitchen. Tsunayoshi gratefully opens his sack and watches as the woman drops in a load of bread, a jar of mustard, candies, jams, butter, and other random things. Empty-handed she reaches inside the door, opens her purse, and dumps her money- a couple of dollars and lots of change into the bag.

Tsunayoshi smiles. "Thank you." Sack in hand, he waves goodbye to the frightened old lady, who shuts her door and locks it.

Reborn reaches up and grabs the phone line, yanks it loose, and tosses it aside.

Reborn and Tsunayoshi then make their way back across the yard.

"Never underestimate the kindness of the common man, Tsunayoshi."

The Airstream is fast becoming a pigsty. Coke bottles, coffee sills, overfull ashtrays, etc., are everywhere. Basil holds the mike and stares at the thumbtacked map.

"Spur 208 northbound. And 83 at Ashermont coming and going." Basil looks to Lal. "That's it, Chief?"

"Yes."

Basil moves to set down the mike and topples a cup of coffee. It spills on the floor. Irie grabs a towel to wipe it up but realizing the futility of keeping the Airstream clean, he simply throws it aside.

Reborn drives while Tsunayoshi digs through the sack and comes up with a jar of mustard.

"You certain there's no meat in there? Spam maybe, sausages, anything like that?"

"No, sir."

"Well, I bet you can make us some mustard sandwiches, can't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, get to it."

Tsunayoshi breaks out the loaf of bread and lays out four slices on the dashboard. "How many?"

"Many as you want."

Tsunayoshi lays out six more slices. The dashboard is now covered with bread. Tsunayoshi pulls out the mustard but has no knife. Reborn pulls out a stick of gum and hands it to Tsunayoshi to spread with.

As they drive along they pass a large, happy family of four picnicking in the dip of a long hill alongside the highway. From the look of their brand-new loaded down station wagon they are on vacation.

Tsunayoshi watches the family, absolutely mesmerized.

Reborn is much the same, but he shakes it off. He pulls his eyes back to the road and notices something.

Reborn brings the car to a stop near the crest of the hill. He sets the emergency brake, grabs the first completed mustard sandwich, and gets out, leaving the Impala running.

"Be right back. Don't be stingy with that mustard now."

Tsunayoshi nods and continues piling the yellow goop on each of the slices of bread.

Reborn walks ahead to the crest, the tallest hill in the area. He takes in the 360-degree view. His eyes settle on a line of cars idling as they wait their turn to pass a roadblock at the bottom of the hill.

Tsunayoshi continues spreading even more mustard. Every so often he sneaks a peek back at the picnicking family.

The emergency brake slips a little, then gives in all at once. The Trueno starts to roll backwards.

Tsunayoshi falls to the side. "Whoa! Reborn! Reborn!"

Reborn turns and sees the Trueno rolling backwards, picking up steam back down the hill.

"Step on the brake! Put your foot on the brake!"

Tsunayoshi, panicked, slides over, and grabs the wheel. Of course, he is too short to press on the brake and when he bends down the Trueno swerves off the road and onto the shoulder.

The family, headed by Simora, 35, their monocle wearing father, looks up to see a Trueno barreling backwards toward them, swerving to and fro, and followed by Reborn shouting instructions.

"Everybody, run! Quick," Simora yells. He, himself, makes a beeline for the station wagon.

His wife screams, "Forget the car, Sei!"

"Are you crazy! It's only got a thousand miles on it!"

He jumps in the driver's seat of the wagon and frantically revs it just as Tsunayoshi gains control of the wheel and steers the rapidly reversing Trueno around the Wagon.

The Trueno continues on its path to the bottom of the hill, but it has enough steam built up to head backwards up the other incline of the previous hill.

Reborn, barely out of breath, comes to a halt next to Simora, who's near a heart attack himself.

"Bad brakes."

Simora turns wide eyes at him. "That was close."

Simora gets out of the station wagon and stands next to Reborn. They watch for the Trueno for a second, see that it's losing momentum and smile at each other.

"Simora Sei."

"Ken Narita."

Tsunayoshi breathes a sigh of relief as the Trueno loses momentum and comes to a stop. But then, of course, the Trueno like any car on a roller coaster, starts to move downhill, slowly at first, but then picking up speed.

"Had me scared silly. I've only had her two months."

"She's a beauty, all right. Say, Simora, what with my brake problem and all, I sure would appreciate a lift. My boy and I live about five miles up the road here. I can pick up the car tomorrow."

They notice the Trueno coming back down the hill and squint to see it coming straight for them, gaining speed, with a little lion man behind the wheel.

Simora looks for a place to hide.

Tsunayoshi screams at the top of his lungs.

Reborn stared straight ahead. He doesn't even flinch, standing his ground in the middle of the road, staring straight into Tsunayoshi's oncoming face.

"The brake, Tsunayoshi! Step on the brake! Hard!"

Tsunayoshi, totally freaks, jumps down onto the floorboard, and pushes with both hands on the brake. Squealing tires bring the Trueno to a skidding halt an inch from Reborn's kneecaps.

Reborn smiles at Tsunayoshi. "Hell of a job, Tsunayoshi! Never had a doubt."

Tsunayoshi smiles back.

Simora crawls down from the luggage rack on top of his wagon and sighs in relief.

At a roadblock two highway patrol officers check licenses and peek into cars at the checkpoint. The station wagon is in line.

It's full to the brim with the family of Simora, Reborn, and Tsunayoshi, who ride in the back crowded together. As the car approaches the roadblock Reborn grabs a blanket, reclines, and grabs the kid's hair to move him so he's lying on his upper chest.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Ken. The kids like the back down like that so they can play."

"No trouble at all, Simora."

Simora brings his precious car to a gingerly stop. He pulls out his license, shows it. "Why the roadblock, Officer?"

"Escaped convict, sir. Just a precaution."

Skull examines the hitch. Jaeger sits on a nearby rock, still whitling at his stick. It's starting to resemble something.

It's quiet. The inside of the RV is pretty much trashed now. Colonnello stares at a file. It's Reborn's again. She's reading as addendum page with JUVENILE COURT RECORD stamped at the top. A photo of 14-year-old Reborn is stapled in the corner.

He finds something very interesting. He looks up at Lal. She returns his stare.

"What?"

Jaeger finishes his whittling. He blows away shavings, smiles at his creation, sets it on the rock, gets up and walks away. It's a four-inch-long wooden replica of a high caliber shell.

Basil is getting something on the shortwave. "They've got two Highway Patrol cars they can give to us now."

Lal gives an acknowledging nod. "Tell them to stand by. We got the best seat in the house right here. Have the southern roadblocks call in the dogs and move north. Check every road, every farm from Meguro to Kaze."

Basil surveys the map and sticks in a few more thumbtacks. "He knows he's slowly being surrounded. I predict we'll have him wanting to surrender by nightfall."

The red station wagon creeps along the highway to the whistles strains of music playing on the radio.

Reborn begins to whistle along, Simora joins in and soon the whole damn family is whistling the tune.

Simora's daughter Kyoko, 5, brown hair, starts jumping up and down in the back seat, singing and spilling her drink.

Her brother, Ryohei singsongs, "You're spilling! You're spilling!"

Simora and his wife immediately turn around. "Kyoko! Look at what you're doing!"

"Ahhh noooo," Simora cries.

The wife grabs Kyoko by the arm and shakes her. Reborn continues to whistle softly, almost eerily, but he's watching closely.

"Look at what you did! It's all over the seat of your father's new car!"

The little girl starts to cry while Simora grabs at tissues feverishly and hands them to his wife who, leaning over the seat, is wiping hard at the stain. She grabs her daughter's arm again and shakes her, staring into her face.

Reborn, directly behind the little girl, watches closely. Tsunayoshi does too, crouched behind the man as he is.

"What is wrong with you?! I told you twice not to jump up and down! Didn't I?!"

Kyoko bawls harder than ever, her brother curling away. The wife finishes wiping and reseats herself in the front seat. "Damn that kid," she whispers under her breath.

Simora reaches back over the seat and tries to touch his crying daughter's knee. "It's okay, sweetie. Daddy's not mad."

"So much for the new car smell," his wife mutters.

The little girl muffles her tears.

Reborn smiles sincerely then looks to the passing landscape.

"This will do fine right here, Simora. But I do have one more favor to ask."

Minutes later, the entire Simora family is standing along the roadside, their luggage, and belongings by their side. The looks on their faces say it all- stranded.

Reborn hands over a stuffed animal to Kyoko, pats Ryohei on the hand, and sticks out his hand to Simora.

"Just taking it for a spin, Simora. Not to worry. You'll get her back."

Simora reluctantly shakes Reborn's hand in an attempt to impress upon Reborn his most important concern of all…

"Please, it's new. Hold it under 45… at least for the next 500 miles."

"Certainly, Simora."

Reborn gives a snappy salute and is off to the wagon. He starts the car, and they slowly pull away. "Wave, Tsunayoshi."

Tsunayoshi does so. Simora's kids wave back. Tsunayoshi starts to giggle. "They look funny."

"Maybe, but Simora did the right thing. What if he put up a fight? I would have had to shoot him and where would that family be then? No, Simora's a fine family man and that's about the best thing a man can hope to be."

Tsunayoshi hums.

Reborn floors the Wagon and the car screeches rubber on the highway.

Simora cringes as he watches his pride and joy rocket toward the horizon.

The Highway Patrol continues to monitor cars one by one. One of the Officers sees something and nudges his partner to look over. At the crest of the hill is the Simora family carrying their hats in their hands along with their luggage and coolers.

Basil drops his headphones and turns to Lal. "Sinclair got through! At Ashermont."

Jaeger turns sharply to the other. "What?"

"Coerced a motorist."

Lal sighs. "Well kami, shout at Boketti. Tell them we got a notion he's headed their way."

Basil gets right to it.

Lal runs a hand down her face. "Truth is," she admits quietly, "I wish he'd cross the border so we could turn this over to the PSIA."

Nobody in the room expected to hear this.

"I got work to do back home." Lal rises and stretches, walks to the open door, and stares out at the late afternoon light. "I'm hungry. This thing got any food?"

"Well, uh," Irie trails off.

Basil jumps up and goes to the fridge. "They got T-bones in here, Chief!"

"Um, uh, those were stocked for the Governor. I don't think that he would approve of…"

Basil ignores Irie. He finds a plastic bag in the freezer and inspects it. "And look, Chief! Dumplings! The kind you like!"

Lal turns and looks. "That so?"

Reborn fiddles with the radio. He settles on an orchestra station playing a ballad and adjusts the volume.

"Can't find anything good, cazzo." He pauses and glances at the kid. "Tsunayoshi, those things you told me about not trick or treating because it's silly… Were you playing around?"

"No, sir."

"What else aren't you supposed to do?"

"Christmas."

Reborn taps his finger against the wheel. "You are serious."

"Yes, sir. No birthdays, no parties, nothing." That's of course because his mother's never home and none of the other kids would ever accept him in any of their festivities unless it's as a joke.

"You've never been to a carnival either, have you?"

"No, sir."

"Not even one?"

"Not even one."

"Cotton candy?"

"Seen that once. It's red."

"Pink," Reborn corrects gently.

"Never eaten it before."

"Roller coasters?"

"Seen pictures."

Reborn hums. "You know, Tsunayoshi, you have the goddamn right as a child to be silly and do fun things like eating cotton candy and riding roller coasters."

"I do?" Tsunayoshi is not certain about that, he knows the other kids can do that, but not him, it's different. Old Man Kawahira says that he should get to be a child, but he didn't believe it because he thought the white-haired man was just being nice.

The next second Tsunayoshi is screaming in glee, the wind blowing his brown spiky hair everywhere.

Tsunayoshi is firmly tied to the luggage rack of the station wagon, which is rocketing across the winding plains.

Reborn, smiling, is having almost as much fun as Tsunayoshi. With one arm dangling outside the lowered window, he steps on the gas. Steering the wheel to and fro trying his darndest to hit every bump on the way.

The setting sun bringing into stark view the red neon sign, small and broken down, like the spit grill diner it advertises.

The stolen station wagon sits alone beside the pressed dirt parking lot of Miha's Café.

A skinny, small-town waitress checks her face in a bathroom mirror. She applies too much lipstick and pinches her cheeks before exiting. She exits the kitchen bathroom door, grabs two already prepared hamburger platter specials from beside the grill and moves through a swinging door into the diner. A counter, three booths, grease everywhere…

She sets the two plates in front of Reborn and Tsunayoshi at a booth.

Reborn has just taken a bite when he notices that Tsunayoshi hasn't. The kid's staring expectantly at him with his hands clapped together. Sighing, he copies the gesture.

Tsunayoshi grins. "Itadakimasu!"

Reborn shares a smile with the waitress.

"Itadakimasu. Now eat, Natsu."

The waitress leans down to the table, batting her overdone eyes.

"You Miha?"

"Haru. Miha died. Her son runs the place, but… he is never here."

"Never?"

"He leaves at four. Not much traffic after lunch."

She brazenly stares a hole through Reborn as she lifts a slice of pickle off his plate, places it in her mouth and slowly chews.

Tsunayoshi, mouth full, takes note of the spectacle and crunches his nose in disgust.

Haru turns to walk away. "If you need me, I'll be right over here." She slowly sashays away to behind the counter.

Reborn watches her from the corner of his eye. Tsunayoshi chews and watches Reborn's eyes. Reborn's eyes focus forward and catches Tsunayoshi looking at him.

"Eat your food."

A sirloin steak hits a grill beside a dumpling shiskabob, sizzling with oil flying.

A homemade barbecue pit, built from nearby abundant rocks, sits square in the middle of the highway with red flares set up just in case a car does come by.

Colonnello's inside the trailer, still going over his files. He gets up and walks into the back room to look for something.

Jaeger, sitting outside, rises and slides into the Airstream while Lal continues to cook with Basil and Skull looking on.

Colonnello turns on a nightlight and looks at himself in the mirror. He splashes a little water on his face and is startled when Jaeger slides in behind him.

"Think you're pretty smart now, don't you?"

He doesn't back down, instead looking Jaeger straight in the eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you're not smart, guess someone took a liking to your looks."

Colonnello levels an unimpressed stare at the konoyarou then moves for the door. The other man shifts his position and blocks him.

"Move."

Jaeger smiles a crooked-tooth grin, refusing to move. "Perhaps you could finally make yourself useful and help me out with a problem. Shouldn't be anything new for you to aid your superiors?"

"It's hilarious you say that given how everyone here looks down on you."

"You got a mouth, don't you?"

"How you take your steak, Colonnello?"

Jaeger and Colonnello both look up to see Lal standing in the doorway.

"Uh… rare."

"A man after my own heart."

Colonnello takes this opportunity to slide between Lal and Jaeger on his way into the main room. As he goes…

"I'll just wipe its ass, herd it through and you can cut off a chunk. How'd that be?"

Colonnello laughs. "Maybe medium-rare then, Chief."

Jaeger and Lal are left standing face to face.

"I don't give a damn who you work for. You're here for one reason and one reason only."

Jaeger juts his jaw. "Anything else, Chief?"

"Yes. You're in my office."

The hot line phone rings.

Jaeger flinches and moves back into the main room. Lal follows.

"That's the Governor's line, Chief!"

Lal calmly walks past Colonnello who smiles a "thanks." She gives him a curt nod, walks to the phone, reaches down, and yanks out the cord. The ringing stops.

"Nothing as impolite as calling at dinner hour."

Tsunayoshi, at the booth, is eating his fries, the excitement at eating an American burger dying in the face of the lady's blatant flirting. Reborn's still calmly finishing off his own plate, seemingly not even noticing the waitress' attempts at drawing his attention.

He stares at Reborn, wondering why he isn't going over to the lady. Dr. Shamal would have jumped at the chance. Then again, Kawahira-san said that there is something wrong with Dr. Shamal's brain.

Reborn, feeling his burning gaze, looks at Tsunayoshi with a raised eyebrow.

The kid focuses on eating his last fry.

"Do you want my fries?"

"No, thank you."

Reborn leans back, one arm resting on the table, the other thrown over the booth. "Then, bambino, what's the issue?"

The waitress keeps moving, bending, wiping her hands on her hips. Hell, she makes refilling condiment bottles the sexiest pastime.

Tsunayoshi tries not to look in her direction, uncomfortable, and vividly reminded of Daemon. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why aren't you.. going with that lady?"

"Do you want me to?"

"…No."

"Then I won't."

Reborn says it so simply, like that's the end of it. Tsunayoshi doesn't know how to react. No one ever chooses Tsunayoshi. Kawahira tried, but he is busy maintaining several businesses and therefore couldn't always be there for him. Even his own mother chose literally anything else if it meant not having to be stuck with her son in her own house.

He ducks his head to hide his smile that he didn't even notice slip onto his face.

Reborn chuckles. "Let's head outside."

Tsunayoshi nods, sliding out of the booth and following Reborn out to the parking lot. It's getting dark, but the neon sign- with the aid of the moon- is bright enough to illuminate the area.

"What games do kids you're age play nowadays?"

Tsunayoshi pauses. He's not really sure, he's always seen other kids playing games, but he's never known the names or the rules. Besides, it is better not to be around large group of kids. He shrugs.

Something flashes in Reborn's eyes. "What about with your mother? Any games you'd play together?"

He shakes his head.

"What do you do in your free time then?"

Tsunayoshi's not sure how to answer that. Does he have free time? Can he call it free time when he's always "free" to do what he wants? He shrugs. "Chores."

"After you've done your chores."

He thinks for a second. "I like gardening. I have to take care of the flower beds."

Reborn eyes him. "Okay… What else?"

He shuffles his feet. He does like learning new recipes, likes Kawahira's delight in eating his creations. "Baking, I guess."

"With your mother?"

"No, sir."

"You're unsupervised?"

"Yes, sir."

"You're mother wasn't there when we first met either. Where was she?"

He shrugs. His mother goes where she pleases and Tsunayoshi has long stopped asking where and for how long she'll be gone.

Reborn crouches and places a hand on his shoulder. "Friends don't keep secrets from each other, okay? So, I'm going to ask you some questions, and you answer as honestly as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"How long is your mother usually gone for?"

"Days. Weeks sometimes. She comes back every now then to fill the fridge and leave money for the bills."

Reborn looks displeased, much like Kawahira does every time his mother is mentioned. "Who takes care of the house?"

"I do. I cook and I clean."

"And that man, the white-haired one, he's in charge of you?"

"No, that's Kawahira-san, he's my neighbor. Mama says I'm a big boy and can take care of myself."

Reborn closes his eyes. "Did she show you how to handle everything?"

Tsunayoshi looks down at his hands. It's not noticeable unless you know where to look, but he has tiny cuts and burns on hands too calloused for his age. "No, sir."

Reborn, sensing the movement, opens his eyes and follows the kid's gaze. His eyes sharpen at what he sees and takes in a deep breath and lets it out. "Well, aren't you a smart one, figuring all that out by yourself. I'm very impressed, Tsunayoshi. Must be smarter than all the kids in your class."

Tsunayoshi preens.

"Tell you what, there's this game I used to play when I was younger. You want to learn how to play?"

Tsunayoshi eagerly nods.

Reborn smiles. "Alright, it goes like this…"

It's fully night when the station wagon pulls off the main dirt road and onto a smaller, private road. After 150 yards or so, it leaves the graded dirt and, shocks bouncing, crosses into a plowed field and comes to a dusty stop."

"You want to drive?"

"Yes!"

Reborn smirks. "Sorry bambino, just messing with you. We're going to stop here, take the chance to get some sleep."

He kills the engine but keeps the radio music on low. "With things going our way, we'll be in Sapporo in four or five days. Get the jump on winter."

Tsunayoshi looks a little happy.

It's a curious thing. "What's got you smiling?"

"I get to go with you."

"I know we're friends, but I did kidnap you from your home and we're on the run, which doesn't bother you?"

"Cause."

"Cause, why?"

"Cause it's fun with you. I've never seen anywhere outside home. Never had a friend before."

Reborn works his jaw. "Well, now you have. I don't make promises lightly, but I promise you, you'll enjoy Sapporo, okay?"

"Reborn?"

"Yes, Tsunayoshi?"

"I can drive."

Reborn huffs. "You've proven that haven't you? There are many things you can do, Tsunayoshi. In fact, reach into that glovebox there. See if Simora has a notepad or something."

Tsunayoshi extracts a small ringed memo pad.

"Good old Simora. Can you write?"

"I can print."

"Very good. Now, I want you to make a list of everything you ever wanted to do but weren't allowed to. Okay?"

Tsunayoshi's tilts his head. "Like what?"

"Like… cotton candy."

"Cotton candy?"

"If you want. It's your list."

Reborn settles in for a catnap. Just as his eyes close he gets interrupted.

"Reborn?"

"Yes?"

"How do you spell Rocketship?"

The Airstream shows the clear aftermath of a full-scale barbeque: plates full of bone, cigarettes burning in ashtrays and swirling in half-drunk bottles of coke and mugs of coffee.

Basil, Skull, and Irie are dead ass asleep and snoring. Jaeger, too mean to sleep, sits by himself cleaning his fingernails with a pocketknife.

Lal leans against the Airstream and sips coffee from her thermos. Colonnello walks up, sipping from a mug, and leans against the bumper. Lal doesn't even turn.

"I figure I'll give them another hour of shuteye, then grab the patrol cars and head for Chofu."

"Bring back any memories?

"Too many." Lal turns to him. They both know she's divulged something. "They've got a file on me, too?"

"Don't take it personally, Lal. They've got a file on everybody."

"Just because it's written down doesn't mean it's the truth."

"You worked as the Sheriff in Palermo and Naples before you became a Ranger. Right so far?" Colonnello pauses. "Oh, and it says your name's Luigina."

"Yes, well, that's definitely the worst of it."

Lal uncorks her thermos and refills Colonnello's mug. He takes a sip and almost chokes on it.

"Strong… but good. So, Luigina…"

Lal gives him a piercing glare.

"Lal. What do you do when you're not at work?"

"The file doesn't tell you that, too?"

"Nope."

"I got a ranch I never visit, nieces I hardly know, a tackle box full of dry lures and a dog that figures he's the owner and I'm the pet. Could have a point, he's there more."

Colonnello's lip twitch. "A confirmed bachelorette. Any regrets?"

"Like to finally put those lures to use. Maybe a new dog." She stops, appearing almost hesitant. "How'd you get into… Criminology was it?"

"My old man's a defense lawyer."

"That explains your mouth."

Colonnello smiles. "Instead of following after my old man, I studied Criminology. When I graduated, my father, with the Governor's help, they, he and my dad… I created a position for myself with the prison system."

"What's your wife think about all this?"

Colonnello winks at Lal. "Don't have one."

Lal's internally amused. "If you're not careful you'll wind up just like me. Old, tired, with nobody around to love you."

"Maybe."

"It's crazy, isn't it?"

"What's that?"

"Going without sleep chasing after a three-time loser and a little lion man."

"Sleep? That's what retirement's for."

Lal huffs. "Careful there, don't go cursing me."

Colonnello smiles briefly. They've been getting along better through the days they're on this manhunt, just what he wanted. But… he has to know. "You want to know what's really crazy? Sinclair's juvenile court record lists you as Amicus Curiae."

Silence.

"Friend of the court," Colonnello continues. "Evidence given by a non-party with the intention of swaying the judge one way or the other. They're usually in written form, but there's no copy attached."

Lal doesn't flinch.

"Okay, then at least tell me why Sinclair got four years for a joyride? What about probation? The boy had a home, a father."

"What's your file say about him?"

"It says the father was a petty thief who did a little time, got out and stayed pretty clean."

Lal laughs, it's a hollow sound. "There are murderers I'd trust with my mother and petty thieves I wouldn't turn my back on. Your precious files are wrong."

"I'm listening."

"Sinclair's old man was a career criminal with a soft spot for whores. One way or the other he beat the hell out of every person he ever crossed, screwed, or fathered. Judge sends junior home with the old man, and you can bet your last dollar that within a year he'll have a rap sheet as long as your arm." Lal closes her eyes. "I know kids who did Nisida, made it through, shaped up. Kuso, one's even a priest."

Colonnello realizes he's opened an old wound. "Still, I don't understand from the file why…"

"This job isn't about files and books and second guessing. You got one shot, and you call it like you see them."

"I'm a bit confused…"

Lal tosses out the rest of her coffee. "In Mongai the bottom line is who you know and what they owe you. That's how I do my job and how you got yours." She turns to walk inside.

"What are you trying to say," Colonnello says irritated.

Lal stops, faces Colonnello. "I bought the judge a T-bone and told him to send the boy up. Told him it was the right thing to do. He went along right down the line."

Lal disappears. Colonnello just stares after her, his face soft once again.

In the station wagon, the memo pad rests on Tsunayoshi's lap. His fingers release it as he drifts to sleep. Asleep the way a child sleeps. Soundly.

Reborn is also asleep, but only his body- his mind works overtime. His past flashing like snapshots in his sleep.

…A Sinclair family photo – a grizzles father standing behind a mother seated holding a baby. They stand in from of a small, white framed house.

Renato, age 6, with his father and another adult male, who are both holding deer rifles with one hand and with the other the antlers and head of a dead dear.

Renato, 8, with his mother, no father.

His mother dressed in a somewhat sleazy Latino outfit. She's surrounded by 3 or 4 lounge lizard types, whose hands are all placed on parts of her body. She has a drunken sneer on her face.

Renato being taught to dance by his drunken mother.

His mother sitting on the tattooed man's lap at the bar. His hand is resting on the inner portion of her thigh.

Renato sitting on the bar of the club, surrounded by a motley group of sleazy 'dime dancers.'

A crime scene in the bar. A man lies on the floor in a pool of blood. Onlookers express their shock at the incident while police photographers and newsmen look on.

Renato's mother's face. As opposed to the others, her face is rather displaced. You'd think she'd witnessed a fender bender instead of a murder.

The face of the victim. It's the tattooed man…

It's the roaring of a machine that snaps him awake only to face a brilliant white light shining directly through the dashboard. He immediately grabs his gun, squinting through the source of bright light, trying to discern what's coming towards them.

It's the headlights of a huge combine which sits, engine running, directly in front of the station wagon.

A man with long black hair kills the engine but leaves the lights on. He steps down from the combine cab and starts toward the station wagon.

Tsunayoshi, now wide awake and scared, notices that Reborn is fingering the gun, resting it in his hand and under his right leg.

The man crosses the front of the wagon and walks to the driver's side window and Reborn relaxes, confusing Tsunayoshi.

"I hope I didn't scare you, old friend," the man said with a genial smile. "I was told you'd be somewhere in the area."

Reborn gives the other an irritated look. "The kid and I settled for a nap. The hell are you doing here?"

"Well, word has gotten around of your escape. Of course, I had to come and see for myself. Where are you coming from?"

"Like you don't know."

"It's only polite to ask."

Reborn looks unamused while the man in a red 'dress' continues smiling.

"There isn't any reason for the two of you to rest in a car. I have an extra room available at my place."

"You just so happened to have a place out here. How convenient, Fon."

Fon chuckles into his hand, which is covered by a long red sleeve.

"We've wasted enough time as is, we need to get back on the road."

"I insist. You can wake up with the sun, eat, and then be on your way."

Reborn eyes Fon who looks back calmly. He turns a little to see Tsunayoshi watching avidly from the back. "It's up to you, Natsu."

It's morning and a Highway Patrol car, followed by a tow truck, breeze along the highway.

Two officers, Dokuro and Ugetsu, scan the horizon. They look like they've driven all night.

Romario wakes up in the back seat and leans forward. "We didn't pass it did we?" He spots the RV on the horizon.

"There it is," Dokuro nods, gesturing to the trailer.

The patrol car stops, as does the tow truck.

Ugetsu and Dokuro view the beat to hell RV while Romario, ready to cry, jumps out and runs into the field.

"Kami," Ugetsu snorts. "Governor isn't going to like this."

Irie is asleep among the rubble. He jumps to when Romario bursts in.

Romario gasps when he sees the shape his prize vehicle is in. "Where are they?!"

"Um, uh, they're gone."

"How long?!"

"I don't know, uh, four, five hours."

Romario, dejected, starts to move some of the trash from the couch. He sits down and groans. "Well, goddammit, did she say anything?"

"Yeah."

"What?!"

Irie really doesn't want to say. "Well, uh, Chief Mirch wanted me to tell you that the vehicle gets her seal of approval…"

Romario's face begins to turn red.

"And that she wants her chair back," Irie finishes weakly.

If he was red before, now Romario is crimson. A thermometer dropped into boiling water.

There's a scream and then a second later, Lal's desk chair comes flying out the door. It hits a rock and splits as it bounces.

On the highway, two patrol cars rocket along, one behind the other.

Officer Fabio, a lean, hard-nose man, drives. Basil in the front seat, Lal and Colonnello in the back. Not a word is spoken.

In the second patrol car, another officer drives it. Enma rides shotgun working the radio. In the back seat sits Jaeger and Skull.

Fon quietly opens the door. He steps in to reveal Reborn and Tsunayoshi asleep. Reborn's arm has found its way under Tsunayoshi's head and is acting as an early morning pillow.

Horribly amused, Fon brings out his camera and takes a picture, lowering it to see Reborn's dark glare aimed at him. Fon smiles wide.

A little girl with pigtails makes her way into the room. Fon and Reborn both eye her but say nothing.

Her small head pops up on the side of the bed nearest to Tsunayoshi. The six-year-old squints, vision bleary without her glasses, peering closely at Tsunayoshi and watches, only inches away, as he sleeps.

Tsunayoshi's eyes blink a bit and then they open in surprise. "Ahhhhh!"

I-pin jumps back in fright. "Ahhhhh!"

Reborn huffs. His other arm coming up to cover his eyes in the crook of his elbow.

I-pin races to Fon, little hands holding on tightly to the man's pantleg.

Fon chuckles. "Apologies for the wake-up call. I-pin doesn't have the best of sight without her glasses."

Tsunayoshi sits up, smiling slightly. "It's okay, sir."

"Now, given how late it was yesterday, proper introductions are in order. I'm Fon, an old friend of Reborn's. This here is my student who's been left under my care."

"Nihao. My name is I-pin. I'm six."

Tsunayoshi blinks at the thick accent the girl has. "I'm eight. My name's Natsu."

"Why don't you follow me Natsu, so we could find some clothes that fit you and let Reborn clean up? I-pin, may you please set the table for us."

The little girl hurries downstairs.

Tsunayoshi looks to Reborn who gives him the okay. He nods and follows the man to another room that seems more like storage.

"Reborn gave me the pants you recently bought, so that's covered, we're looking for a shirt for you now. Hopefully one small enough to not be too large on you."

Tsunayoshi nods once more, stealing glances at the other.

"Is there something you'd like to ask, Natsu?"

The kid ducks his head. "Nothing, sir."

Fon gives a little smile. "Go ahead and ask, I don't bite."

Tsunayoshi seems oddly relieved by that. "Why do you… look a lot like Hibari-sempai?"

Fon pauses, thrown by the question, then gives far more genuine smile. "I don't think Kyoya will be very happy with me sharing what our exact relation is."

That sounded like Hibari-sempai. "What's that thing you're wearing?"

"Ah, it's a traditional Chinese tunic, worn primarily by martial artists."

"Oh. So, you're strong like Hibari-sempai."

The older man chuckles. "Yes, exactly like that."

Tsunayoshi hums. The man seems so kind, it's weird to know he's related to Hibari-sempai and is even as strong as him. Probably stronger because he's an adult.

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions, Natsu?"

"No, sir."

"How do you like being with Reborn? I've known him for a while, and I know most people need time to get used to him."

Tsunayoshi frowns. "I like Reborn, he's kind."

Fon blinks. "That isn't the first way someone would describe him."

The kid shrugs. "I know he isn't a good man, or a really nice one, but he's been very kind to me. I like being with Reborn."

Fon hums. "You aren't scared of him? He kidnapped you. He's killed people."

Tsunayoshi pauses. He probably should feel scared. But… what does it say when a murderer who kidnapped him is kinder to him than everyone else he's met, with the exception of Kawahira. "No, sir."

"No?"

"No. I'm scared of what he can do. I'm not scared of him, though."

Fon's entire countenance softens. "Is that so? Well, here, change into these and then come meet us downstairs. Oh, and Natsu, leave your costume near the door, I'll have it washed and returned to you. Reborn told me last night about how important it is to you."

Tsunayoshi brightens. Having not realized how concerned he was about it until then.

In the kitchen the four of them settle down for a traditional Japanese breakfast. Reborn's now in a suit, complete with a red shirt, black tie, and a fedora with an orange stripe. Tsunayoshi blinks, the sight unfamiliar, and yet he can't imagine the man wearing anything different.

Tsunayoshi sits in his jeans and a slightly large yellow button up, lion mask dangling at the back of his neck. He and I-pin, now wearing her glasses, hit it off well, engaged in swapping stories, the adults looking on.

"Would like me to stay on Highway 70, Chief," Officer Fabio asks.

"Let's head on over towards Boketti. We'll cross him there or wave goodbye at the border." Lal's still not sure which one's the better option.

Tsunayoshi's next to I-pin letting her adjust his stance. They're in the living room, I-pin showing him some basic katas as the adults sit a few feet away. Tsunayoshi manages to throw an accurate kick, ecstatic at the result. I-pin laughs along with the older boy.

"Show me another!"

Fon turns to Reborn, who's watching with hidden fondness. "I see you've grown quite attached to the boy."

"Don't start with me."

"Perhaps this is your sign for retirement."

"Did you not hear what I just said."

"It would be good for you. You could head back to Italy with your kid."

"He has a mother. Nor am I exactly someone you'd trust children with."

"You can learn. I've never known you to back down from a challenge."

"I know what you're doing, stop."

"You've always wanted to be a teacher, didn't you?"

"Professor. In mathematics. Doesn't matter, I don't have the qualifications."

"You can."

Reborn lowers his fedora. "That kind of life isn't meant for people like me."

"It could be."

"What, like it's worked for you."

"Yes," Fon answers easily, ignoring the edge in Reborn's voice. "Perhaps it isn't the most conventional life to be raising a child in, but it works. I'm content. Are you?"

Fon's managed to gain enough of a reputation to do as he wants outside the Triads. Very rarely does he have to do work for them. Now, he's free to wander as he pleases with a child he's taken in as his own. He still has enemies. He's ensured they don't get too close. It's a pleasant life, one he'd never thought he'd get to have.

Reborn sighs. It was a life that he had begun to consider in his head when he was young and forced into school. Suddenly doors were opening in front of him, things didn't seem so far out of reach. Becoming a professor, getting a house, a wife maybe, some kids. A flicker of hope that died a swift death alongside his mother.

Then, there's the kid to consider. Clearly, his home life is shit, and he isn't too comfortable letting a brilliant boy like Tsunayoshi go back to such an environment. It reminded him a little bit of himself. Taken out of a place not suited for a child and moved somewhere he could grow. Reborn's just not sure that he's that place for the kid.

"He has a mother," Reborn reiterated.

"He's had the chance to go back."

He didn't take it, is left unsaid. Which says everything and nothing at all.

Reborn looks to Fon who meets his gaze. Fon truly wants the best for his friend, but there's only so much he could do, especially against a stubborn man like Reborn.

Reborn sighs and Fon smiles, almost smugly.

"You truly are quite the humble man, aren't you Fon?"

"It's a virtue of mine."

Reborn shakes his head. "It's still up to the kid."

They both get up and go over to the giggling children, intending to show them where they can hit to do the most damage to their enemy.

A man in a lab coat is tinkering with a little machine on his hands. He's mildly disturbed as the radio announcer interrupts the song and begins a news flash.

Update on the manhunt for the escaped convict. Sinclair is armed and extremely dangerous. He is believed to have a hostage with him, an eight-year-old boy…

The man sits up, interested. The radio mentions Boketti and he smirks. He was wondering why that wretched martial artist went and bought up a whole farm in the middle of nowhere. Now he has his answer.

Luckily for him, he set up shop nearby.

He presses the intercom, "Spanner, get the men ready, we leave in ten."

"No fancy dance moves are going to save you from my bullet to your forehead."

"There's no need to be jealous Reborn, all skills have their uses."

Reborn shoots an unimpressed look at Fon.

Tsunayoshi looks at the two with a grin, ducking his head when Reborn turns to him. I-pin is on his left, giggling into her hand.

Tsunayoshi had found learning martial arts really cool. He thought I-pin and Fon are super awesome for being good at it. He said as much. Reborn had looked annoyed at the comment, giving Fon a look. The man had only smiled, eyes closed, almost crescent moon shaped.

Reborn is a skilled combat fighter, but he is a far better gunman than anything else, which said a lot about the man given he is remarkedly skilled in many areas.

"Now, Natsu, go outside and find us a car. You remember how we played Samurai and Ninjas, it's like that again. Fon has so kindly offered to supply us with whatever we so wish."

Fon shakes his head in exasperation. "There might be a Trueno in the back."

"Yes, sir."

Tsunayoshi runs outside. He's not really sure about the difference between a Trueno and any other car, but it should look like the car they rode in before, right?

Outside the house, he notices that there are two other buildings surrounding them, bustling with people coming and going. He hadn't seen all that last night. There's dust picking up on the horizon that makes Tsunayoshi feel like there's something about to go wrong. He hurries to the back.

He's paying too much attention to the few cars parked around to notice when Chikusa, a man in a beanie with a barcode on their cheek, comes up from behind him.

"Don't take it personally, kid."

Tsunayoshi freezes as the other places a long needle to his throat. It's not a knife, but it's sharp enough to hurt from where it's digging into his throat.

"Let's go. Don't move and you won't get hurt or whatever."

Chikusa wraps an arm under his pits and around his chest, then picks him up. It's awkward. The other clearly isn't used to carrying children, yet he carries him with ease and a strong hold.

He's practically dangling there, half inclined to bite the stranger when all of a sudden there's gunfire off to the side. He looks towards the two buildings, both under attack, as the residents inside fight against the outside forces. It's chaos.

He's dragged to the back door of the house where there are several others waiting. It's the man in the middle that draws his attention with his horribly dyed green hair and a lab coat.

"Well, won't you be a fine specimen to add to my collection."

Tsunayoshi makes a face. He doesn't really understand what the weird man is saying, but he's aware that it's something bad.

"Natsu!"

He looks away towards the open door where I-pin is standing with wide eyes. He silently begs her to run.

Tsunayoshi is grateful that she seems to get the message because she rushes back inside.

"Hm. Seems we have an open invitation."

The weird guy and his crew enter the house where they immediately have to duck to avoid being given a third eye.

"Now, now, Reborn. Impatient as ever."

Reborn's eyes are shadowed by his fedora. "Verde."

Verde smiles even as he steps to the side, avoiding several knives in the process. "Fon."

Fon tucks his hand back into his sleeve, smile on his face. It's not a nice one.

"Let the boy go."

"No."

Reborn points his CZ75 at the green haired man. "I said let him go."

The rest of the crew point their own weapons at Reborn and Fon in response.

Tsunayoshi's heart is pounding. Something had to happen to break the stalemate and Tsunayoshi is afraid the other two men are going to get hurt because of him. He couldn't let that happen.

He and Chikusa are standing behind Verde. He has a small window of opportunity. Fon and Reborn stand in the living room. Verde and his men in the hall. The kitchen is separated by a wall, two openings, one in the living room, and one to the right of Tsunayoshi.

Tsunayoshi bites down hard.

Chikusa jerks with small shout, loosening his grip enough for Tsunayoshi to slip out. He runs to the kitchen. Immediately there's gunfire, screaming, people moving, and furniture being used as shields.

"Get the kid!"

Tsunayoshi crawls under the table, pauses, then moves onto one of the chairs. It's a tight fit. His back is touching the top of the table.

A spiky brown-haired man, Ken, comes running in, crouching as he is, he can't see Tsunayoshi.

"Where'd you go, brat?"

It's loud. Everything is loud. He has to focus.

The man squats down next to the table from where Tsunayoshi crawled through. He's eye to eye with him.

Tsunayoshi jabs the man's eye.

Ken howls. Falling back onto his ass.

Tsunayoshi scurries away to the living room.

He watches as Reborn puts two bullets into one of the invader's chests. He ducks behind a stand, out of sight. Tsunayoshi brings his knees to his chest and breaths.

It's loud.

There's more screams and gunfire outside.

Reborn shares a glance with Fon. He has no doubt Fon's men will win, but there will be a price for the surprise ambush.

Fon remains outwardly calm. Inside, he's a rolling storm. Those are his men dying.

Verde's crew consists of nine people, the green hair bastard included. Between Reborn and Fon, they've killed three and one went into the kitchen to grab Tsunayoshi. Another man, the one originally holding Tsunayoshi went to follow, but Reborn ensured he didn't have the chance.

Six are left.

He doesn't know where Tsunayoshi is.

G, a red headed scowling man, gets tired of hiding partially up the stairs. He leaves the other man hiding beside him as he heads up the stairs.

G is greeted by a little girl's foot to his face, and he goes ass over teakettle down the stairs. He knocks into his 'friend' and they both go sprawling on the floor. He only has a second to register the pain before there's a knife in his brain. His friend meets the same fate.

Four are left.

Reborn out of the corner of his eye, sees a bastard crawl out from the kitchen, one eye closed shut.

Ken spots a tuff of brown hair and grins.

The others are busy fighting each other, therefore distracted. Perfect for Ken to enact his revenge.

"Fon!"

"Go."

Reborn rushes over sliding across the ground slamming into Ken. He puts his gun to the other's head and pulls the trigger.

Tsunayoshi squeaks, curling tighter into himself.

Reborn pauses. The kid definitely won't trust him anymore. He'd have to earn it back with time he doesn't have.

Reborn takes cover behind the couch, taking potshots to allow Fon to make his way over.

"Where's Natsu?"

"Behind there."

"Why?"

"He's scared of me. He won't listen if I tell him to come out."

"Tell him to come here."

"He's eight. He's just saw me kill someone. He's safer there then trying to run from me."

"Reborn. Tell him to come here."

Reborn glances at Fon, confused at the other's insistence. Fon isn't stupid. He showers their opponent in a rain of bullets.

Two men get thrown through the window, landing on the floor in a heap of limbs. A third man jumps in, and they begin to have a three-way fight right in the middle of them.

"Reborn."

"Tch."

Reborn adjusts himself. Half keeping an eye on the room and the other half on Tsunayoshi. "Tsunayoshi! Tsunayoshi, look at me!"

Tsunayoshi lifts his head from his knees, enough for his eyes to peek out.

"I need you to come here, okay?"

Reborn offers his hand.

Tsunayoshi looks out to the other men in the room. There are stray bullets still being fired, screams and grunts, and men still hiding around the destroyed house. Tsunayoshi shakes his head.

"It's okay, bambino. I'll keep you safe, I just need you to come over here, okay?"

Tsunayoshi uncurls.

"Okay, run over here when I say so."

Tsunayoshi shifts, desperately trying not see the dead body next to him, ready to run.

Reborn and Fon trade glances before their firing into the crowd.

"Run."

Tsunayoshi does. He grabs onto Reborn's arm who brings him close.

Tsunayoshi buries his face into Reborn's chest, hands clenching the man's suit. Reborn's arm tightens around him.

"You aren't scared of me?"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head. With his face buried he doesn't see the strange look that crosses Reborn's face nor Fon looking away to hide a knowing smile.

There's a wave of screams coming from the outside. At first, gibberish, then it echoes through everyone who repeats it until it rings clear. "It's the police! They're here!"

The chaos hits an all-time high.

Basil listens in on the shortwave, it's Enma. "A town called Nagi, close to Shinimi Prefecture."

Lal turns to Fabio. "How far?"

"Twenty minutes tops."

Lal internally sighs, it's still too slow. "Basil, get on the radio and tell whoever gets there first to play it nice and easy."

Colonnello gives her a look.

Enma radios in, "They've got the boy's mother flying in on a private. You want her on standby?"

"Kami, who did that?"

"Governor, I assume."

"It's not a bad idea," Colonnello shrugs.

"Go ahead and chopper her in," Lal states.

After a moment of silence, Colonnello turns to Lal. "I didn't mean to pry last night."

"Yes, you did."

"Look, Lal, it was 20 years ago."

"Funny thing. When the judge sent him away the kid stared at me. Like he knew. Not hard or mad like you'd expect. It was… It was like he was forgiving me."

"Forgiving you for what?! For looking at the facts and doing what you thought was right."

"No. For what's going to happen today."

"That isn't just the police."

"Porca puttana!"

Tsunayoshi blinks in confusion at the sudden silence that follows.

"Verde, you pezzo di merda, this is your doing."

Verde's voice sounds from behind the cabinet. "I wouldn't want those vindictive jailors on my tail any more than you do, Reborn."

"Let's put an end to this reunion for now, gentlemen. We have higher priorities to tend to," Fon calmly suggests. He rises before he even finishes his sentence.

Reborn looks at him in irritation as he gets to his feet as well, Tsunayoshi on his hip.

Verde stands, looking highly displeased. He leaves with the rest of his crew without another word.

Fon turns to Reborn. "There are tunnels under the field, several are dead ends, which should be enough to throw off the PSIA. There's an oak tree, just outside the barbed wire. It'll lead you to another of my safe houses just outside Yina."

Fon moves to the stairs. "I-pin!"

There's a pause and then I-pin silently runs down the steps and settles close to Fon. He puts a hand on her head, "You did good, I-pin."

Fon looks to Reborn and Tsunayoshi. "Let's split here. See you soon, old friend. Take care, Natsu."

Reborn smirks at Fon. "Let's meet again, say, Sapporo."

Fon laughs.

I-pin and Tsunayoshi wave goodbye and then both duos are on their way.

Reborn runs out the back door, outpacing other criminals also running or still stupidly fighting each other.

"Tsunayoshi, I have a serious question for you."

Tsunayoshi's eyes focus on Reborn.

"I'm not a good man. I'm not the worst either, just a different breed. You understand?"

Tsunayoshi pauses in thought. He understands, probably better than a child his age should. "Yes, sir."

"I plan on going to Sapporo and I know I promised to take you with me. I'll keep my promise, but I want you to have a choice. If you want to go back home, I'll agree because friends don't force each other to do things they don't want. Someday you can come and visit, and we'll get to know each other better then. What's your choice?"

Tsunayoshi's entire being feels on fire. He wants to, he wants so badly to go with Reborn. He'll be leaving his mother, though, who's always leaving him. Kawahira-san is nice, but he has his own life to worry about and shouldn't have to concern himself with the neighbor's kid.

He's always making decisions based on what his mother would think, but does her opinion matter when she's practically a stranger who only comes by rarely to check on him? He wants to make one decision for himself.

"I want to go with you, Reborn!"

Reborn smiles, completely genuine. "Okay then, bambino, it's a plan."

A dozen Highway Patrol cars now sit in the driveway. The PSIA in charge, Agent Bermuda, assigns different officers to secure the area in an incredibly organized fashion.

It's Bermuda's own personal team that he has out in the field amidst the gun fight. It has calmed down greatly from when they first arrived, but his men are trained to handle high stress situations. Bermuda sent them out to take down and arrest as many as they could before they lost sight of the criminals.

He had anticipated the criminals scattering like rats at the sight of them, so had sent a few to be stationed further out, closer to the edges of the farm.

Tsunayoshi and Reborn reach the barbed wire fence.

Reborn sets Tsunayoshi on his own feet. "Here. Duck and go through here. Careful not to touch the barbs."

The man pulls up one of the wires, making it easier for Tsunayoshi pass through. He turns back around with a smile on his face before it falls, eyes widening. "Reborn!"

Reborn's already turning, taking a step back, and pulling the trigger.

The long-haired man, Jack, a PSIA agent is at the ready. Firing his own gun.

They both dodge.

"Give up scum. You have nowhere to run."

The two men are pointing their guns at each other.

"I think you're confused, Agent. I'm at the advantage here."

Reborn strikes quite the figure. The sun shining directly at him, casting his shadow all the darker. Longer. His face equally shadowed except for the sharp smirk on his face.

He's tall. He's intimidating. Tsunayoshi watches in awe.

Jack stands in the shade of a tree. Looking for all the world like he belongs there, in the dark. There's an eeriness to his presence, almost like he's the monster under the bed.

He's scary. He's creepy. Tsunayoshi can't believe he's a good guy.

"The kid? Shame he died. Killed by the same heartless bastard that kidnapped him. I'll be sure to mention how tragic it was in my report."

Two more patrol cars with their lights spinning rush down the road, kicking up dust.

Colonnello watches Lal. When the car comes to a stop outside the messy scene, he reaches out and touches her arm.

"I think our chances of this thing ending peacefully aren't good, but they aren't zero."

Lal smiles, it's more of a grimace. They open the door and exit.

Reborn throws himself at Jack.

Jack pulls the trigger.

Tsunayoshi screams.

Lal is walking away from the patrol car, followed by Colonnello. Agent Bermuda moves to meet them.

"Mirch, I'm Bermuda von Veckenschtein, PSIA, out of the Vindice office. I understand you have one of our men with you?"

"Yes. You got the area squadroned off?"

"Watertight. Better than a lawyer's defense for a politician." Bermuda finally looks to Colonnello, son of a defense lawyer whose primary cases involve politicians. "Apologies."

Colonnello knows a slight when he hears one. Subtle as this one may be, which is expected given the files said Bermuda used to be a prominent politician and they certainly know their way around words. "No doubt an observation based on personal experience."

Lal can't help but smile. "You got him spotted?"

"Not yet, too many in the area, we keep finding more common criminals."

"What happened here?"

"Gun fight. Between prominent figures. We believe Verde, wanted for organ trafficking, ambushed Fon, a high-ranking triad, for housing Reborn."

"Seems Sinclair's got friends in high places. You got any problem with me handling this one?"

"What say we both handle it?"

Lal internally sighs. "Let's head on down there. Skull, get me a megaphone."

Reborn stumbles back for a second, his stomach staining a brown red. He grits his teeth through the pain, and close enough to do so now, punches Jack in the face. He doesn't know what happened to his gun.

Jack had paused, not expecting Reborn to take the shot for the kid and takes the punch point blank. His gun falls to the ground.

They're grappling on the ground. Reborn elbows Jack in the throat, then knees him in the gut. Jack wheezes, one hand bending Reborn's arm awkwardly and the other patting around. Jack finds what he's looking for and digs his fingers in. Into the fresh wound.

Reborn jerks, a pained hiss escaping his mouth.

Jack takes the moment to grab the gun. He leans back, pointing it at Reborn who lays stiff underneath him.

"Who has the advantage now?"

A deafening gun blast turns his expression blank.

Tsunayoshi is standing behind the barbed fence, heart clenching as the two men fought. Jack was going to shoot him. Reborn took the bullet for him. Tsunayoshi couldn't do anything.

He ducks through the fence, the wire catching the back of his neck and back, tearing a piece of his shirt and leaving angry red marks. His necklace gets caught, it's threadbare string ripping, all the beads falling. He looks down and doesn't feel the loss he expected to feel, more importantly, he sees the gun Reborn's dropped.

Jack is on top of Reborn, he has a gun. Reborn's on the bottom, he's injured. Tsunayoshi has to do something. Jack has a gun. Reborn is injured. He has to save him. Jack. Gun. Reborn. Hurt. Him. Here.

His finger moves before he registers.

Tsunayoshi, knocked to the floor by the recoil, recovers to his knees, shaking life a leaf.

Jack looks down at the blood pouring out his chest.

Reborn quickly swipes the gun out of Jack's hand and shoots him in the heart.

Jack falls backwards, off of Reborn.

Tsunayoshi, momentarily dazed, stares at the gun in his hand, at Jack, dead, and Reborn's pained expression.

"That was a hell of a thing to do, Tsunayoshi. You're my hero. Saved my life, bambino." Reborn carefully comes closer to the boy and gently removes the gun from his stiff fingers.

"Not a bambino."

"What was that?"

"You said if I shot a gun, then I wouldn't be a bambino anymore."

One beat and then the next Reborn is laughing. "You're right, Tsunayoshi, my bad. You're a little man now. My Omino."

Reborn offers his hand and Tsunayoshi takes it. Together they walk to the barbed wire fence.

Reborn notices the yellow fabric on the fence and turns to Tsunayoshi. "You hurt?"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head. "You are."

"Yeah, well," Reborn starts as they both make it to the other side, "We'll both be patched up soon enough."

Lal takes the megaphone from Skull. "Reborn, this is Lal Mirch of the Mongai Rangers. We've got damn near 100 armed men here. Take a look around and you'll see I'm shooting you straight."

Bermuda eyes Lal. "With all the noise going on, I sincerely doubt he'll hear you Mirch."

Alejandro, another of Bermuda's men, speaks up. "That's if he's still here."

Lal leans against a patrol car, accompanied closely by Basil, Colonnello, and Skull.

"This gives the cons on field a reason to start pointing fingers. Gets people to start shutting up to hear what's being said. And most importantly, let's Reborn know he isn't going anywhere but back to jail."

Colonnello nods. "Which would be enough incentive for Sinclair to give up the kid, so he doesn't get hurt as the man's pushed into a corner."

"He's still armed and dangerous, so our men have to be careful during the arrest," Basil states.

Bermuda frowns. "What makes you so certain he won't simply kill the child?"

Lal mulls it over, hand resting on her holster, and looks to Colonnello. "What do you think?"

"Based on what's happened the past few days, I don't think he would."

"One thing's for certain. If he gets out of here with the boy, we're right back to where we started."

"If he kills they boy," Skull brings up, "then he'll get the chair."

Basil grimaces. "He'll get the chair anyways. He's killed two people as is."

"We don't know that he pulled the trigger on either of the innocent victims," Colonnello jumps in, brow furrowing.

"Well, he certainly wasn't at home, tucked in bed, now was he," Alejandro jeers. "Who shot Spade, then? A ghost?"

"Alright, enough! We have better things to focus on. Let's just concentrate on getting the boy out for now."

Jaeger approaches with a leather case, bypasses Lal, and goes straight for Bermuda. "Where you want me, sir?"

Lal spares him a glance. "Can you shoot off a hood?"

Jaeger nods, a nasty smirk on his face.

A helicopter circles, preparing to land, police officers clearing the way.

"That'd be the boy's mother."

Lal nods. "Bring her on over, Skull."

The helicopter brought the already quietening field to silence. When its blades stopped rotating, the wind dying down, it is dead silent across the clearing.

One gunshot followed immediately by another resounded all to clearly.

"Somebody get me eyes on the shooter! Where's it coming from?"

Jaeger, with quick expert movements, unsnaps the latches on his leather case and opens it on the hood of the patrol car.

Inside is a high-powered military rifle in three parts. Hands unzip a velveteen bag and pull out a high-powered scope.

Jaeger feels eyes on him and turns to see Colonnello watching him at work. Jaeger smiles at him, cocksure. His dark role in this manhunt is now perfectly clear.

Colonnello turns his head in disgust.

Sawada Nana, frazzled, somewhat in shock, is ushered forward. Skull holding her steady on one side.

"Got eyes. Over to the northwest, by the fence."

Bermuda nods curtly. "Jaeger."

"On it, sir."

Alejandro comes back from the radio. "Sir, Jack's dead. Killed by Reborn."

"That son of a bitch," Jaeger snarls, using his scope to scan the area. He finds Jack. No one else around.

"Report."

Alejandro shakes his head. "Jack radioed in he had his sights on Reborn. Didn't hear nothing for a while so one of the men took their binoculars to see Reborn walking away with the kid and Jack on the ground unmoving."

"Found him. Jack got a hit in."

Lal looks to Jaeger and his vindictive smile. "You set?"

"You say when, I'll say dead."

Lal glares at Jaeger for a moment. Into the megaphone she repeats, "Reborn, this is Lal Mirch of the Mongai Rangers. I know you're hurt. We've got 100 armed men here. Let the boy go and we can talk about what happens next."

Basil looks through the binoculars. "Nothing."

She tries again. "Reborn, we got the boy's Mama here. She wants to say something."

Tsunayoshi is visibly stunned by the news. He looks over his shoulder and squints, looking for his mom.

"What's wrong, Tsunayoshi?"

"It's my mama."

Tsunayoshi still cranes his neck to see.

"Having second thoughts, now, Omino."

"No. I'm just surprised she actually came."

Reborn squeezes the kid's hand.

Nana is handed the megaphone. She fumbles with it, pushes the button. It squawks loudly.

"Just push the button and talk normal."

It squawks again.

"Here. I'll just hold the damn thing. You just talk."

"Hello… Hello. Please, sir, he's my only son. I'll give you money, whatever I can. Please, I want to take my boy home! I want to…"

The megaphone squawks one final dying time and shorts out. Lal hands it to Skull, who immediately sets it on the trunk and starts taking it apart.

Lal places a hand on Nana's shoulder. "You're doing fine. We'll get another one."

"This one's shot, Chief."

"Well, find another one!"

Skull quickly looks around and comes back empty-handed. "Don't have another megaphone, Chief."

Lal just shakes her head and sighs.

"Mirch, we've got an armed killer and an innocent boy out there," Bermuda warns.

Lal turns to Jaeger. "You clean?"

"As a whistle."

"Keep him locked down. Don't squeeze until I say when." Lal holds Jaeger's eyes until the young agent nods. Then, Lal unstraps her holster and moves between the cars.

Bermuda eyes her sharply. "Where are you going, Chief?"

But Lal's not listening, just running, long and tall, into the field.

Reborn and Tsunayoshi continue to hurry to the oak tree, Reborn holding Tsunayoshi's hand.

"Sapporo, Tsunayoshi. Got some great mountains. It's quite cold, or so I hear. Did I tell you why I'm going there? My mother's the one that sent me the picture postcard… Listen here to what she says about it…

"Dear Renato… that's my real name, Tsunayoshi. Dear Renato, I hope that you're enjoying school and don't hate me for never being able to send you there on my own."

Tsunayoshi listens.

"Sapporo is a beautiful place. Your father took me there once. Someday, you and I could go out there, maybe start a new life for us. Short and sweet. That's my mama's style.

"She used to pat me on the head and tell others that it's some that can live life without asking about it and it's others that have to know why, and this boy here is one of the latter."

Reborn's lips twitch. "That's why I wanted to go up there. My mama is no longer here with us, but I'd like to think she'd be proud when I finally make it there anyways."

Tsunayoshi smiles as he takes the postcard.

"You still got your list?"

Tsunayoshi blinks and pulls it out. Reborn takes it and reads it to himself, laughing.

"This. All this right here, we will do that over in Sapporo. It's a promise Tsunayoshi. We can do things along the way if you want."

Tsunayoshi grins. "Yes, sir."

Reborn puts the list in his pocket.

"Sinclair!"

Tsunayoshi glances back and sees a little figure running their way. Reborn ignores it, like he's done all the previous times, but he looks strained now.

Tsunayoshi takes a moment to really look out to the horizon. For the first time, he sees the full strength of the amassed police forces- at least 20 cars, swirling lights, guns everywhere, pointing at them. At Reborn.

They reach the oak tree and move behind it. Reborn, with a pained hiss, lowers himself and moves a hidden tarp.

"Okay, Tsunayoshi, I'm going to go down first, then you'll join me."

Tsunayoshi nods. He watches as Reborn moves down the steps, a little slow, and definitely in pain. He thinks.

Reborn's injured. Reborn's already going to be slow. Reborn's going to be slower with a kid with him. Reborn needs a distraction.

Tsunayoshi's eyes start to water. He wants to be with his friend. Moreso, he wants his friend to live.

He takes Reborn's fedora, who chances a glance up. "Tsunayoshi?"

He removes his lion mask and when Reborn reaches the bottom, tosses it to him. Reborn catches it automatically.

"Tsunayoshi?"

"Friends don't forget each other, okay, Renato?"

Reborn's eyes widen. "Tsunayoshi-"

"You better run," Tsunayoshi says with a watery smile.

Tsunayoshi moves the tarp back on top, making sure nothing is out of place, ignoring Reborn's calls. Then he places the fedora on his head and runs.

There are several tunnel openings ahead, some with the tarp displaced. He goes around opening them, trying to place false trails.

"Sinclair!"

It's closer now. He can't hear Reborn.

"Let the boy go, Sinclair!"

Tsunayoshi takes a deep breath.

"He's stopped," Bermuda notes.

"Coward has taken to hiding behind the trees," Jaeger says, still looking through the scope.

"He's going to make a run for it."

Colonnello slaps Basil's shoulder. "Give it a second!"

Bermuda looks at Jaeger. "When you have a shot-"

"Chief said to wait for his signal!"

"-take it."

Lal slows, taking steady even steps, while controlling her breathing. "I'm unarmed. Toss your gun on the ground, Sinclair."

Lal looks over her shoulder at the patrol cars lined up like a wagon train, guns aimed, Jaeger peering through the scope of his rifle.

"Let the boy go and come out with your hands in the air."

There's shuffling further ahead.

"Sinclair?"

"It's- it's me."

"Tsunayoshi?"

Tsunayoshi sniffles.

"Okay, kid, it's okay. Where's Sinclair?"

"I-I don't know…"

"He's not with you?"

"N-no."

"Okay, can you come out? Just walk towards where I can see you, okay Tsunayoshi?"

Bermuda's looking through binoculars. "Mirch is speaking to someone. There's a fedora!"

Colonnello, looking through his own set, realizes that's not Sinclair. He throws himself at Jaeger. "Nooooo!"

Jaeger sees the fedora move into his sights, he's shoved, he still squeezes the trigger- an explosion followed by a ringing echo.

Tsunayoshi jerks back, a deep line of red on his right arm starts flowing. He topples into one of the tunnels, and goes rolling, stumbling down.

Lal cries out.

Bermuda's eyes widen. "Keep everybody back!"

Jaeger turns to glare at Colonnello.

"It's the kid," Basil shouts. "It's the kid!"

Jaeger turns white, looking at Bermuda. Bermuda's tense. "It was the kid."

Colonnello doesn't care he's already running. Skull following after. Basil and Enma bracket Nana as she cries.

There's a pause. Then, everything just hits Tsunayoshi, and he starts crying in earnest.

Lal rushes over. "Tsunayoshi! It's alright, okay, it's alright! You're going to be fine! I'm sorry for everything you've had to deal with, okay? You've been really brave these past few days! I'm going to need you to be brave a little longer, okay? Are you badly hurt anywhere?"

Tsunayoshi continues to sob.

"It's okay, it's okay, I promise. Your mother's out there waiting for you, you want to see her right? You're safe now, Tsunayoshi, nothing is going to hurt you. I need to know if you're hurt, Tsunayoshi. Can you do that for me? Can you tell me if you're hurt?"

Tsunayoshi tries to calm down.

"Good, Tsunayoshi, good. Nice and steady. Everything's going to be okay. Now, are you badly hurt Tsunayoshi?"

"I-I don't… th-thi-think so…"

"Okay, do you need me to come down there?"

Tsunayoshi takes in his curled position. He doesn't know. Everything is starting to hurt now. He wants Reborn.

"Okay, Tsunayoshi, I'm coming down there, okay?"

He says nothing.

Colonnello comes running over, falling harshly to his knees. "Is he alright?!"

Skull arrives far more wary, eyes scanning around.

"He's alive. He's down the tunnel. What the fucking hell happened?!"

Skull grimaces. "Jaeger thought the fedora was Sinclair."

Lal's face darkened. "I'm going in to get the kid. Keep an eye out."

Skull nods, gun in hand as he stands guard.

Colonnello shuffles closer to the opening. "I'll get the kid when he comes up."

Lal carefully makes her way down, the light slowly fading. She follows the sounds of sniffling and tiny sobs. It's dark, she can't tell what's what. She notes that the tunnel goes from the shape of a slide to something more spacious.

"Tsunayoshi? My name is Lal. I work with the police. I'm going to get you out of here, okay? I'm going to need you to talk to me?"

"H-hello, L-Lal-san…"

Lal turns her head to his voice, seeing a lump of darkness gently move up and down. "What a polite young boy. I'm going to touch you now, don't worry."

Lal lightly places her hand on the boy, feeling his hip. She moves her hand up to his arm from where he's sprawled on the ground. "I'm going to sit you up. Can you do that?"

Together, they get the boy into a sitting position, half leaning on Lal. He makes little noises of protest as she turns him around and sits him up, but nothing more than that. Given the lack of light, she's going to take that as a good sign.

"I'm going to carry you up, okay? Then, I'm going to pass you to my friend, Colonnello. He's been helping me this entire time to get you home, okay? You'll like him."

She feels him nod. "I'm going to carry you now. I need you to put your arms around my neck." He does. His legs wrap around her waist. He's small, for an eight-year-old.

They carefully make their way up, until it starts getting brighter and she catches sight of Colonnello's concerned face at the top.

Lal passes the boy to him, Colonnello making gentle reassurances to Tsunayoshi as he takes him, hugging the boy close as if he were his own. He places the previously blown away fedora on the boy's head.

Lal climbs out, aided by Skull who shakes his head. No sign of Sinclair.

The three make their way over to the roadside.

A quick glance shows the kid scraped to hell, but nothing too major except for the deep cut on his arm. She is surprised he isn't making more noise about it. He might be in shock.

Colonnello makes his way to Nana, handing her son over, reunited at last.

Lal walks up to Jaeger, stops and stares at the unrepentant marksman. After a beat, Lal turns to grab her gun and reholsters it. She nearly jumps out of her shoes with a sudden right cross that floors the younger man.

Bermuda stunned, moves to stand in front of Lal, joined by four other officers, holding her back. "Careful there, Mirch!"

Lal makes no move to shake the officers off her. Bermuda turns to Jaeger who rises to his feet and wipes at a bloody lip, and then to Lal who eyes him calmly.

"What the hell was that about, Mirch?"

"I didn't say when."

Lal turns and walks away.

Colonnello arrives before Jaeger, and without hesitation, knees him in the groin. Jaeger almost falls to his knees, officers holding him up. He follows after Lal before anyone can grab him.

Bermuda throws his binoculars to the ground, kicks it, and follows Lal with his eyes.

Basil, Skull, and Enma watch on.

Tsunayoshi is helped to his feet by his mother. She holds him awkwardly to his chest. He hugs back loosely, his blood-stained outfit staining her blouse. She starts to lead Tsunayoshi off.

Lal leans against the car. After a few seconds Colonnello joins her and finds a spot a few feet down from her where he, too, leans against the car. After a few more seconds….

"You did everything you could. You know that."

Lal just stares straight ahead. "I don't know nothing. Not a damn thing."

Lal looks up just in time to see the helicopter lift off and speed away, mother and son with it.

Tsunayoshi doesn't say much after the hospital. After talking to the police. Not that his mother would notice.

He's always been a quiet boy, she excuses, like she would know.

The clothes he is wearing are thrown away, he's given an old set from his house. He refuses to part from the fedora. The doctors and nurses check him over, patch him up, and the cut on his arm needs a few stitches. They'll take them out in four days. He's glad he's ambidextrous.

He talks to the police. They get his statement. He doesn't lie. He doesn't tell the truth. No, officer, Reborn didn't hurt me. No, officer, I don't know where he's headed.

The postcard burns in Tsunayoshi's pocket.

Tsunayoshi is eventually left alone. They keep an eye on his house, for precaution in case Reborn comes back. Tsunayoshi takes that to mean Reborn made it out alive.

They monitor the house for a week, that entire time Nana plays a proper mother.

Nana is all too welcoming of the people who come into the house with their condolences, their platitudes, and their curiosity. As if they hadn't spent the past few years looking down at Nana and Tsunayoshi.

Nana laps up all the attention. Tsunayoshi hides in his room.

Once the police stop patrolling, all goes back to normal.

What happened over the span of years, happens exactly the same over the next few days. Nana stays out more. Nana leaves more chores for her little boy. More, then more, and then more, until it's back to the way it was. Nana gone. Tsunayoshi alone.

He expected this. Almost welcomes it.

Tsunayoshi looks at the house that has been cleaned up. For as much as he's been gone for only a few days, he doesn't recognize it. It's unfamiliar. This house he grew up in.

On the first day back to school he punches Mochida in the face with his left hand. He's sent home early. Kawahira picks him up.

The teachers whisper to each other, talking as if Tsunayoshi isn't there. His classmates back away from him, as if he'll suddenly hit them to. They think he's gone rotten, after spending so much time with a wanted criminal. He's going to grow up and become a thug.

Tsunayoshi's thrown a punch. Stolen a costume. Fired a gun. He's a criminal already. Like Reborn.

Kawahira's house feels more comfortable than his own. He's never liked his house since it's never felt like home. It is empty. Desolate. He got used to it. He wonders if he'll get used to it again. For now, he settles onto Kawahira's couch.

"Where did you learn how to punch, Tsunayoshi?"

"My friend showed me how."

Kawahira hums. "You don't look very happy to be here."

Tsunayoshi frowns. "I like spending time with you, Kawahira-san."

The white-haired man laughs. "As do I. However, that's not what I meant. I think there's somewhere else you want to be, or more specifically, there's someone else you want to be with."

Tsunayoshi blinks. Kawahira doesn't judge him, not the way anyone else would. "I want to be with Reborn. He's nice to me."

Kawahira gives him a sad smile. "We've truly failed you, Tsunayoshi, if a dangerous criminal treats you better than everyone in this town."

He opens his mouth because Kawahira shouldn't be included, but the old man raises his hand to stop him. "Tell me about him."

Tsunayoshi does. He doesn't leave much out, only keeps the personal stories of Reborn to himself. Kawahira wouldn't go gossiping about it, nor would he tell the police.

"Sounds like you made a very good friend."

Tsunayoshi smiles, wanting to cry. "The best."

"I'm sorry you couldn't go with him."

"It's okay. Maybe when I'm older I could go and visit."

"Maybe in another world, you'd get to stay by his side."

There's something in Kawahira's eyes that Tsunayoshi can't place. Almost knowing. Tsunayoshi shakes his head, muttering, "Maybe in a perfect world."

Life goes on.

Tsunayoshi does his chores. Motions familiar, yet…

He has breakfast with Kawahira. It's the best part of his day. He enjoys himself, yet…

Tsunayoshi goes to school. Kids avoid him. Everyone talks badly about him, for different reasons now, yet…

He curls up in bed. Fedora in hand. Cries himself to sleep.

It's been 20 days. He hopes Reborn's healed. Made it to Sapporo.

Kawahira takes him to see Dr. Shamal. His final checkup. Just to make sure everything has healed nicely.

Dr. Shamal is a weird man, but a kind one. He took in his nephew and niece when word got around how their father was beating them. Hayato's grumpy, doesn't like Tsunayoshi, but used to get the bullies to leave him alone when he could. Bianchi's nice, she'd help him buy groceries, talk to him, but she had her own life.

Dr. Shamal is one of three people who noticed something wasn't right in his house. Kawahira and Hibari-sempai being the other two. Kawahira couldn't do anything. Tsunayoshi asked Hibari-sempai to do nothing.

Dr. Shamal made it a habit to randomly stumble upon Tsunayoshi, patching him while showing him how to do it himself. He'd ramble, talking about what is healthy to eat, what isn't. How he is teaching his kids how to do this and that while also telling Tsunayoshi how to do it, just to make sure Tsunayoshi isn't doing it wrong. Shamal couldn't come by often, given he is a doctor who lived on the other side of town, but Tsunayoshi appreciated it all the same.

For however weird the man is, he is highly perceptive. Immediately clocking how Nana and Tsunayoshi treated each other almost like strangers for that first checkup. How Nana either gave wrong answers or let Tsunayoshi answer for himself. Then, with Kawahira, who isn't a relative, taking him to most of the appointments anyways, well, Dr. Shamal understood very quickly.

Much like now.

Tsunayoshi sits. Allowing Dr. Shamal to do as he needed.

Dr. Shamal takes in the underweight, scrawny kid with spiky, fluffy hair. The kid's tired, not just in that he needs sleep kind of way. He's withdrawn, more than he already was with the town hating him and everything.

It's like when he was kidnapped and saved, not all of him came back.

"Well, Kawahira-san, Sawada-kun. Got a clean bill of health. Nothing more to prescribe you with except to eat more, drink water, and get some rest."

Tsunayoshi nods. "Thank you, Shamal-sensei."

Likewise, Kawahira bows his head in gratitude.

"It's my pleasure, have a safe trip home."

Kawahira and Tsunayoshi walk out, but Shamal, can't just let it be.

"Actually, Sawada-kun, can I talk to you for a minute, it'll be quick?"

Kawahira glances between the two. "I'll be waiting outside, Tsunayoshi."

Shamal gets down on one knee, meeting Tsunayoshi's confused eyes.

"Hey, kid, let's put away formality for one second, okay?"

Tsunayoshi gives a small smile. "Yes, sir."

Shamal huffs. "Cheeky. But in all seriousness, are you, okay kid? Do you need someone to talk to?"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head.

"I'm a little worried, kid. You've changed quite a bit, and I know a lot has happened to you, but…"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head once. "I'm okay. I'm… trying to… fit myself back into- into who I once was. I-I can't quite get it right, though."

Shamal's heart squeezes. He's wanted this kid to blossom into the kind young man he knows he'll grow into, but this town is prone to pulling Tsunayoshi out by his roots and leaving him to dry on the road. To know it was the kid's kidnapper that watered and sheltered him enough to grow…

"Okay, kid, okay. If you need anything, let me know, anything alright?"

Tsunayoshi, brilliant, kind, Tsunayoshi smiles at him. "Yes, Sensei."

Shamal wonders if it's bad that he hopes Sinclair comes back and takes the kid from this horrid environment.

It's a week later, a Friday, when everything changes again.

It's the afternoon. Tsunayoshi has just come back from school. He doesn't say anything as he enters. Doesn't take off his shoes. He trudges into the kitchen, hungry.

"Well, Tsunayoshi, can't say I like your house too much."

Tsunayoshi jumps and turns around.

Reborn's standing right there. A duffel bag in hand. His fedora on his head.

"Are you real?"

Reborn laughs. "Yes, I'm real, Omino." He crouches, letting the duffel settle on the ground next to him. "Come over here, I'll show you how real I am."

Tsunayoshi launches into Reborn, holding the other tightly. Reborn wraps his arms around the boy, careful not to hurt him.

"You're really here."

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"I made a promise, didn't I?"

Tsunayoshi pulls back, looking at Reborn with wide eyes. "What about my mother?"

"It's handled."

Tsunayoshi narrows his eyes.

"I've ensured she's very happy somewhere else, nothing bad."

Tsunayoshi hums. "What about the police?"

"Like they could catch me, which reminds me…"

Reborn rubs his knuckles harshly onto Tsunayoshi's head, who tries to pull back. Reborn does it for a few seconds, then let's go of his prisoner.

Tsunayoshi pouts. "What was that for?"

"That's for giving yourself up to the cops. Don't you ever do that again."

"Maybe, sir."

Reborn smirks. "Let's see about that. Now, I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and packed you a duffel. Anything you're missing we can buy later unless there's something you specifically want?"

Tsunayoshi shakes his head.

"Alright then, let's go. We're going to eat in the car, since we're running on a bit of a tight schedule today. Teriyaki and rice good with you?"

"Yes, sir."

Kawahira spots a car outside the Sawada driveway. It's not one he's seen before, a Trueno. He has a feeling he knows who it belongs to. Kawahira makes his way over to the fence.

Out from the Sawada household is a tall man in a black suit with a fedora on his head. In one hand, is a duffel, in the other, he's carrying Tsunayoshi.

Reborn stops at the sight of the old man.

Kawahira waves him over. Tsunayoshi says something to Reborn and they make their way to him.

"I suppose you'd be Tsunayoshi's friend, Reborn."

"I suppose you're his weird neighbor, Old Man Kawahira."

Tsunayoshi hits Reborn's shoulder. Reborn smirks.

"It's okay, Tsunayoshi. I don't mind."

Tsunayoshi smiles, it's the first one to truly reach his eyes since he came back.

"You going to call the cops on me?"

"No. You going to take care of Tsunayoshi?"

"Yes."

"Then, I guess this is goodbye, Tsunayoshi."

"I'll miss you, Kawahira-san."

"As will I. Do be careful, okay?"

"Yes, sir."

Reborn tips his head. Tsunayoshi waves.

In the car, Reborn hands him a box.

Tsunayoshi, confused, turns it around. It's a lion costume.

Tsunayoshi grins.

Kawahira watches as the car drives off. He has no doubt that Reborn, clearly a capable man, has ensured that nothing will interfere with this second 'kidnapping.' If not, well, Nana probably wouldn't even notice Tsunayoshi is gone until months later, by then, the cops will have no lead. Kawahira had called them the first time around, he has no plans to do so again.

On the incredibly off chance anyone asks, he'll just say Tsunayoshi left with his father, it's true enough.

"In a perfect world…" Kawahira smiles amusedly.

Omake #1

"I thought you were right-handed," Reborn asks, brow quirked.

"I'm ambidextrous," Tsunayoshi mutters.

"Well, look at that, another thing we have in common."

Tsunayoshi grins.

Omake #2

"What's that?"

"A chameleon."

"Why do you have it?"

"He's my partner."

"Reborn?"

"Yes?"

"Can I have a lion?"

Reborn laughs lightly in disbelief. "We'll come back to that, Omino."