worthless.

Dino drops off Kyouya at their hotel because he's obviously too young and thus far to noticeable. Then he rushes back in time to find the two angels, one demon and a kitsune already discussing the plan.

Byakuran will lend them the money to get in, but neither he nor Dino can go inside. The Alphas are far too noticeable. Tsuna raises the issue of the angels looking similar to their older brothers, but Byakuran waves it off.

While regular, non-hunting people do know about the supernatural, they only have identification on the earth-based Alphas. The kitsune seems oddly confident about his information, but it's not strange considering he was co-operating with the poachers when Tsuna encountered him.

Byakuran passes over a briefcase of money and the group of three head out to the auction.

...

Tsuna is jittery the whole way there and it just gets worse when he sees the flood of security swarming around the fancy building. It's almost a mansion but with a more business like feel to it, all modern architecture with blank white walls and clean curves.

The entire place is flooded with suppression seals. If all else failed Tsuna would have fought his way to Takeshi and then crossed over into Heaven to get out but that's definitely not possible under these conditions.

The front desk in the lobby takes the briefcase of money and hands over a large orange metal circle with a number on it as an identifier. Then they're ushered through to a huge hall with a stage on one end and seats taking up the rest of the room.

The angels shift uneasily, concerned because there's already a glass box up on the stage, showcasing a fey who gets sold off rather quickly. What if they missed Takeshi or Hayato?

"They're still here," Lambo mutters. "Waiting in a back room. The bought ones go to a different room."

"Can you… tell if they're okay?" Tsuna wonders.

Lambo says nothing, because he can tell, and they're definitely not. The angel especially is not faring well at all.

Thankfully, they don't have to wait long. The creatures being displayed right now are low class ones, often snapped up quickly simply because not many care to bid on them. The later ones are more powerful or more beautiful. Glass cases pass by quickly and soon enough Takeshi is brought on stage.

Ryohei takes an automatic step forward when he sees what Takeshi is sitting on – plucked feathers from an angel. Tsuna has to reach out and grab the other man's arm. If Ryohei starts a fight, it doesn't matter if they can somehow break the glass box open, they still have to contend with security.

Just tolerate it for now, they have a plan, it's fine.

The host calls out a starting price and Tsuna raises the metal circle to bid. There are three others who bid as well but they get bored soon enough and don't bother fighting too hard.

When it finally ends Tsuna's leg are shaking despite how easy that was. Runes on the metal circle glow and it turns green to signify the loss of money. They have Takeshi.

Lambo snatches the metal circle away in preparation for Hayato. They wait and wait and wait some more but a dozen boxes go by and Hayato still hasn't shown. Lambo slowly gets more and more panicked. The starting prices have doubled since Takeshi and the bids push it too far. They won't have enough money.

Hayato finally comes out and Lambo crosses his fingers. The host introduces the newest creature and announces that Hayato is a cambion.

"Shit," Lambo hisses. They know. No wonder Hayato is so expensive.

The audience murmurs to each other and Lambo gives up. He still bids, but he's not surprised when it pushes past what they have. The host ignores Lambo, knowing that the green coloured ones can't keep up with the amount.

Hayato is carted away and Lambo looks heartbroken as his friend disappears backstage. They wait impatiently for the intermission and then rush up to Takeshi at the waiting area. Maybe they can even sneak Hayato out?

By the time they get there it's too late. Lambo splits off and chases after the van that's driving away with someone he considers his brother.

...

"What are we going to do?" Takeshi asks quietly, fidgeting with the gold 'bracelets' that come with every new purchase to keep the creatures in line.

Tsuna doesn't know.

"They're demons," Ryohei states. It's not an accusation or an insult, just pointing out that some choices from here will have consequences.

Consequences like punishment if another angel sees them helping. They should leave now and just be content that the cambion will probably be tortured for entertainment. They should tell their friends and laugh about it.

Demons deserve to die, everyone knows that. They were raised on these thoughts. Angle thoughts and angel beliefs and angel mentality. It's not like they get to know other races either, so all they have is the angel way and nothing gets done about it.

It's not really racism if you're truly better, right?

It's disgusting. Tsuna knows it's bad and he'll happily point it out to others when they're being wrong, but they look at Tsuna likes he's insane. Like with the Eden gate. Giotto just doesn't care that Daemon trapped Mukuro against his will, because Mukuro is now a fallen so who cares about him or his rights?

Tsuna does try, and he's tried for so long now, but he's grown exhausted and apathetic as well. It's like showing people the colour red and telling them it's called blue.

You could show a hundred people or even a thousand, but nothing would happen. It's red; everyone knows that, and suddenly you're the one who's causing trouble - the no-good brother who can't ever match up to the Alpha angel. You're the one who's wrong because why mess with a good thing? Why change when there's no need to?

It's red. Just give up.

Well Tsuna says fuck the lot of them.

...

"Someone took Hayato," Tsuna blurts out to Dino and Byakuran, the group having met up back at the markets. "Lambo ran after him."

"How unfortunate," Byakuran hums then shrugs. "Well, we tried."

Takeshi lurches forward and grabs Byakuran's arm before the man can leave. "What do you want?" he asks, eyes narrowed but a desperate tinge to his voice.

Byakuran honestly didn't think it'd be this easy but he's certainly not going to complain. He shrugs off the little angel and laughs. "I want many things, none of which you can provide."

"Why were you with the poachers?" Tsuna tries. "You want something from them, right? But – but can't be seen? So we could go in -we already know we can- and get whatever you want, if you'll help us rescue Hayato."

Byakuran pretends to consider this argument for a brief moment. "There's a woman who organises the auctions. The one you went to? That's nothing, paltry amounts and weak Otherside creatures. I want to know about the elite auctions; where they're held, who goes to them, who the poachers are."

Byakuran grabs Takeshi's wrists and stares at the gold bands that the angels couldn't manage to break off. "Do this for me and I'll rescue your little demon in distress." Byakuran smiles with sharp teeth, mouth stretching wider than it should in this body. "Fuck it up and… well, poor big brother is going to have to clean up the mess, and we don't want to make him cry, do we?"

...

The thing is, Byakuran already has all that he needs to get rid of her. He has the location of her houses, knows all her friends, has access to her bank accounts. He knows why she does what she does.

But. It's. Not. Enough.

He needs to destroy her. Obliterate everything she's touched. He needs to purge her filth from this plane of existence. He wants to break her open and gouge out the sludge inside and…

He wants her to feel every second of it.

Every loss, every shake as the ground underneath her crumbles. All because of Byakuran. All on his command.

So he sends out his little puppets, darling Takeshi all dolled up just the way she likes. It doesn't take long at all for Takeshi to collect the information Byakuran needs. Why would she need to be secretive in front of her pets? What can the pathetic creatures do when she has them locked up?

Byakuran saunters in unannounced and she smiles sharply when she sees him.

"Darling," she coos. "Come, come, let me show you the new bird I have."

"Oh?" Byakuran says with an empty smile. "I'd love to see it."

She learns an important lesson that day.

Don't touch Byakuran's foxes.

Because kitsune always have the last laugh.

Because karma always finds you.