Cloud AU's

X - Familiar faces

KHR x BSD

"He's persistent."

"You tell me, I thought nobody could stand up against Reborn when he's serious, aside from us and his students."

"Perhaps this is the moment to try one of my inventions?"

"Or for me to have a go at it?"

"No, we need them coherent for questioning and hostage exchange. Got any other bright ideas though, Fon? Verde?"

Lal's question was met with low grounding and a shake of the head.

Reborn came out of the room, closing the metal door behind him. He looked tense and visibly annoyed.

"Got anything?"

"Sadly," Colonello pipes up "the fuckers record's the cleanest I've seen yet, for a Mafioso born and raised at least. I take it you had the same amount of luck?"

Reborn's gleaming glare had him wisely shut up.

"Mu, why is Skull even the one guarding our hostage?" Viper appears, taking the situation in.

"Fake security." Reborn easily replies.

"Makes sense, he looks the most harmless out of us."

"You got anything from your informants?" Fon asks the Mist.

"Nothing to assist the interrogation."

A sigh from all of them.

"I'll go again." Reborn turns to enter the cell once more but Skull opens the door a smidge to poke his head through. "Lackey, why did you leave your post?"

"Since it seems we're not gonna make much progress, do you mind if I call a friend?"

"For what?? What could they do, civilian's are--"

"It was rumored at my old workplace that they were in the mafia, and he definitely had a hand in dealing with city problems, if you get what I mean."

A grunt. "Got a name?" Viper asks.

"I could just call him, put him on speaker phone and have him interrogate the guy."

"You place that much trust in this supposed mafioso, over a phone call." Lal scoffed.

"At least let me try. We're not gonna gain much ground as it stands."

"He's got a point, as much as I hate to acknowledge it." Verde admits. Unspoken agreement came and done. Reborn grunts.

"Fine. 10minutes, that's it and no crucial info from our end."

Skull brightens and fishes his phone out. It's a private one, an old and well-used flip-phone that's definitely seen better days, seeing the numerous scratches and small burns.
He claps it open and calls the first number.

Emergency contact? Must be an important person to him...

Skull just cheerily spoke into the receiver. "HellO--uh, why do you have-" a pause, a crash in the background followed by a high-pitched scream and annoyed shouting "is that him in the background?--ah, yes, that makes sense. Anyways, could you get him on the phone? I need his help...   No, sorry, though maybe get our ace too?--- Yes, hello sensei, it's good to hear you're well.----
Listen, I'm currently on a job, trying to make a guy talk but he's even more stubborn than Ryu.--I also thought that's impossible!!...---yes.--Yes, I'll put you on speaker.

The target's name is Minoru Sendak, weird name I know, he's 46, australian-mixed, I think?? Conducted business in Italian. He left his gang but is our hostage for exchange. Yeah he continued to sell drugs and crack without permission, how stupid does one need to be... you can take him? Thanks!!!"

Fon exchanged a telling look with Reborn as Lal and Colonello did the same.

That guy is his sensei?? Whose ace?

Skull walked back into the interrogation room, taking his phone with him as he went and held it up opposite Sendak.

"My friend's got a few things to talk with you about if you don't mind. You cannot refuse."

Then Skull's mouth closed shut as the person on the other end of the call seemingly went to work.

Through the observational fake-glass mirror in the room they could see how once or twice Skull's face turned into a dark grin, eyes glimmering purple, other times he blushed or went stark pale. After those expressions he spoke seldomly to the phone, likely relaying any information the other wanted of his opponent.

Verde checked the cameras in the room, focusing on Skull and Sendak, whereas the latter began looking rather unsettled.

"I think it's working, Kora.."

"Hum, now I'm interested to know who this teacher of Skull's is." Fon considers.

Suddenly the lights in the room cut off. Lal kicked open the door just as they went back on.
Their guy was spooked, curled into a corner and begging for death while Skull looked as nonchalant as someone could ever be. He turned to Lal "The door wasn't locked you know, knock next time."

"Still trying to be polite when it's unneeded, Jinko?"

Skull startles, annoyance at them switching to fondness as he held the phone closer to his ear, grin spreading out "Ryu? When did you join the call?"
He went past Lal, making a sweeping shoo towards Sendak, who's still pressed into the corner, cowering and not averting his gaze from the tiles, before leaving.

.
.
.
"Well, that worked, whatever that was." Colonello says. Behind him Verde was going through a system check to find out what caused the blackout.

-------------------------

"This guy gives me mad familiar vibes "

Two eyerolls.

"I doubt it, seeing how the guy's crazy and you haven't even been in the buisness long." Verde corrects him.

"No, seriously, he's just like that one guy I've been warned about from my sensei."

At that they perked up, interested in Skull's mysterious mentor from last time.

"Oh, and who'd that be?" Fon questions.

"Well, this bastard's pretty fucked up in the head. Did the same to any kids he collected - young orphans -, taught, exploited and turned into his personal weapons after killing his predecessor. He's a pedo and manipulative bitch."

"Would it kill you to just tell us their name?"

"Yes, this prolonged conversation is otherwise wasting my time" Viper laments as Skull simultaneously answers without much thought.

"Mori Ougai."

Fon sputters, Verde straightens up while Viper gets whiplash. Lal is wary and Colonello is confused. Reborn growls.

"Your mentor knows the leader of the Port Mafia?"

Skull clocks his head to the side, almost making the cute and confused puppy expression which just looks utterly fake and antagonistic now. "Yes?
Did I never mention that I used to live in Yokohama?"

"You lived there??! How?" Colonello asks in outrage, completely forgetting their current mission objective.

"Yes... By adoption from a local, I guess. My sensei saved me after I ran from my orphanage."

At least now things are starting to make sense. Still, he was de-facto involved with the Port Mafia??!! What else is he hiding?!