Game on

Chapter 19: Inheritance Arc 3

Giotto was shaking with anger toward those man – those man that were destroying the town he loved and even the police couldn't – or wouldn't – go against them.
It was Cozarto who calmed him down.
"A vigilante group." was affirming the red head "If no one will help us, we have to save the town ourselves."
The next statement was even more surprising...

"However, we'll need a powerful leader, one that can encompass and understand everyone." his eyes were resolute "You have to be the one, Giotto."
Tsuna was beyond stunned – the one who suggested the creation of what would become the Vongola Famiglia had been the Simon's founder!
By his side, Enma seemed just as surprised, and thoughtful...

¤.¤.¤

The third memory was started by a letter...
The letter was from Giotto to Cozarto, and clearly, years had gone by between the second and third memory.

Giotto was now Primo of a big Famiglia, having gathered allies he could trust, and grown so strong the police couldn't go against them. But the man was growing scared of what his Famiglia was becoming – of how the organization he created to protect people was now feared by people...
Yet, with all the strength his Famiglia had gained, a war was coming he feared he couldn't win alone – and so, he asked for help from his old friend, who was himself now Primo of a small but powerful Famiglia.

Cozarto's eyes lingered a bit of the letter, signed by the Vongola Primo, then resolve could be read in the eyes identical to Enma's. Giotto needed his help – and he was going to get it...

¤.¤.¤

Jager was ready to give the next memory, an ink-pot with the crest of the Vongola in hand, but Enma was growing furious "This is but the story of the Vongola treason! I know well-enough what happened after! The Simon's went to help the Vongola, but were surrounded by enemies... And Vongola's promised reinforcement never came, destroying most of our Famiglia! And the Vongola tried to hide this sin from their history by erasing any trace of us from it!"
"The Primo wasn't a man who would abandon his friends!" Tsuna protested hotly
"Calm yourself."

Jager's voice, void of any emotion, was heavy with promises of violence, and both Decimo calmed themselves under the unvoiced threats.
The fourth memory started.

Giotto was in a war room, maps of the table, most of his guardians present and debriefing about a battle in south Italia that was turning into a game of attrition when a man barged into the room, announcing that an allied Famiglia was stranded in the middle of the enemy camp. Giotto was stunned about the news, not expecting them to be here...
Which was strange, after all, Cozarto had received a letter from him, hadn't he?

But like Tsuna had said, the Vongola Primo wasn't a man who would forsake his friends, and he was ready to head out when a man convinced him not to, as it could affect the moral of their troupes. The man then proposed himself to go instead, under Tsuna's suspicious glare.
Daemon Spade, that man that was trying to meddle with the Simon's – that was one coincidence he didn't believe in.

¤.¤.¤

Still, he was relieved about one thing, and turned to Enma with a smile "See! He didn't abandon them! I don't know what happened but Giotto didn't betray them!"
The Simon's boss was visibly stunned, the memory going against all his belief – but with most of the mind control gone, he was able to understand that things were starting to look like there was more to the story than he knew.
So he met his friend's eyes steadily, ready to see the truth.

[Goal update: Free the Simon's from their mind control before the Inheritance Ceremony: 1/7]

The fifth memory was held by an official looking document, with the Flame imprint used to confirm that it was a real order...
Daemon Spade was back from battle, visibly injured, with none of his men – he had been too late, he explained to Giotto, and the Simon's were no more, despite his best effort.
But it wasn't the end of the memory – far from it.