Chapter 65
Lal lifts an eyebrow, ready to inquire what this sudden development is about, but a buzz in the air stops her. She's already standing, gun in hand, by the time the portal opens. Not dark and smoke-like as it's said the Vindice use, but a clear and bright one. It only takes a second before a figure walks out. The sound of heavy breathing fills the silence as the portal slowly closes. The person standing in front of them looks at them, with glowing orange eyes. The necklace around his neck shifts on its own, until is not a necklace anymore but a snake. A weird one, with feathers alongside its neck, growing larger with every second it passes until it's thicker than her arm.
Then it happens.
An erratic orange flame appears on his forehead, it flutters with each intake of breath, as if ready to extinguish but managing to stay put by force of will. It warms the whole room, growing until he opens the eyes she hadn't realized he closed. And then the flame is gone.
Before anyone can say anything, the man with green hair she had pinned down as apathetic, Verde, stands up abruptly, chair going to the floor as he moves to inspect the young man, hands cradling gently the other's face.
"Are you okay?" he asks and it's then that Lal notices the slumped shoulders and red, slightly puffy eyes.
He nods with a small watery smile on his face as he leans into his touch, eyes moving away from the scientist to inspect the others, two of whom have stood up, too. The hitman and the enforcer, both of whom she had also written down as aloof.
"I'm fine, guys. Don't worry," he whispers, his smile more real this time. The sight of it, alongside the voice, makes something jostle in her memory. She has seen him before, in her apartment building, the one who helped her nephew.
She stands up before she knows what she's doing. "You're the one who helped Mateo. Natsu, right?" She takes a step closer. Doesn't care how two powerful Mafiosi are looking at her. If there's anything she cares about is her family and to think another person inside this world has been close to her home—to her little nephew—fills her with rage.
She still isn't stupid, though. She approaches as much as she can, keeping the hitman and enforcer at arm's length. "What were you doing in my home."
The hostile tone makes that boy, Skull, stand up too. He moves between them, the idiot. "Hey, I don't think we should—wait. You. I know you." Skull takes out the ring she's seen him flinging around. "You were the one who gave me this, weren't you?"
Natsu nods, the same weak smile on his lips. Then there's another man, this one appearing from thin air, behind him. Looking posh and ready for a ball, with a Venetian type of mask covering the upper part of his face.
"Perhaps it's time we take a seat, don't you think so? We can speak better that way." He looks at Natsu and adds in a softer tone as if he's a porcelain doll about to fall and break. "My apologies for the abrupt trip. I'm afraid it was time."
"I understand." Natsu nods to the others, his presence growing somehow, the broken doll front dropping for a moment as he looks at them, determination shining in his features. "Let's seat, please."
Lal glances at the others who stood up before complying, years of training stopping her from grumbling and crossing her arms as she wants to do. She gives a look at the others and notices the look of pity written all over the other Sky's face.
"Hello, Luce-san."
She nods, her pity turning into solemn sympathy. "Ozora."
"Ozora?" Skull asks, scratching the side of his head. "I thought you were Natsu."
"I'm both and neither," the young man says, confusing the hell out of her. He looks down at the floor for a second before his eyes gleaming orange. "You can call me Tsuna, though."
She snorts. "So many names for a slip of a kid."
She's fishing, trying to rile him up into doing something, anything, she doesn't know what. She just wants to study him, learn more about his intentions and reasons to be here.
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