Old Friends

Alaude is not going to be happy about his descendent being killed.

The only reason Daemon is corporeal right now is because he's leeching off several strong Mist users all over the world. If they die and he can't replace them fast enough, he'll be trapped in the Vongola Mist ring. That would be fine if the ring wasn't also connected to the other Guardians.

Giotto's guilt trip is easily dismissed. Alaude, able to kill Daemon over and over and over for the rest of the ring's life, is not something he wants to deal with.

He lets out a sigh, that devolves into a groan when he notices the child was able to keep a hold of its little sticks. Perfect, another battle crazed skylark. He summons Mist flames -the kind powerful enough to become physical, not the watered-down illusions- and shoots upwards to at least find the child before it gets too close to the ground.

He does end up finding the boy, around ten kilometres up and free falling quite happily. He flies closer, ready to catch the child, and starts using his Mist flames to slow the boy by increments so the catch is soft.

The boy promptly curls into a ball and forms a vicious spiral, cutting through the gentle suggestions of Mist flames and hurtling directly towards Daemon. The Mist barely manages to get out of the way before the boy unfurls with a snap, feet first, right where Daemon's face was. For some reason he expects the boy to have spikes along his spine.

Daemon huffs in annoyance. He's supposed to be killing a few Shimon right now, not playing with a tiny Alaude. He moves in again, now falling alongside the boy, but angles himself away from the tonfa swipes.

"I'm trying to help you," Daemon snaps, but that's a lie. He's trying to help himself so he doesn't die from an angry blond police officer.

The boy scowls fiercely. "Don't patronise me, herbivore."

Daemon blinks and then smirks. "Big words for such a little thing. Do your parents know about your habit of attacking perfectly innocent citizens?"

"You're not a citizen, you have the purple fire."

"Indigo," Daemon corrects automatically. "What's your famiglia? I thought Alaude gave it up right before he passed on."

The boy blinks in confusion.

"Which mafia family do you belong to?" Daemon tries to explain what he means. "How do you know about Dying Will flames or who taught you?"

The boy rolls his eyes. "It's called Incendiary Defence."

"I think I would know more about it than you," Daemon sneers.

Tiny Alaude looks at him like he's mentally deficient; all pity and gentle kindness.

What a brat.

Daemon gives up doing this the easy way and simply knocks the kid out with an illusion then slows the child to a stop before they hit the ground. He lands lightly, the child slung over a shoulder, and looks for a cranny to stuff the boy inside because he still needs to kill the damn Shimon.

He turns around and freezes when he sees Alaude, the real one, glowing with a faint violet out line and very much translucent.

"What are you doing?" Alaude deadpans.

"Why are you here?" Daemon asks instead. The ninth Vongola Cloud Guardian must be around.

"There was a burst of Mist flames from this vicinity," Alaude states, glaring at Daemon accusingly. "It might have risked the notice of civilians since it was in the sky. The ninth Vongola Cloud was in the area and was told to investigate."

Daemon hums. "Well it was nice seeing you, but I really have to go kill some people." He turns to go but Alaude calls him back.

"Spade," the Could warns, staring down at the unconscious child over Daemon's shoulder, seeing his face for the first time. "Is that mine?"

"Actually," Daemon begins, backing away slowly. "I thought it was more Asari's features, but now that you've said it, the boy does look quite like you. What a coincidence."

"What have you done to him?" Alaude demands with a sharp glare.

"It attacked me first," the Mist huffs in annoyance at the tone. "I am hurt at your insinuation that I would harm a child." He pauses and then adds, "Unprovoked."

"Get my child back to his home," Alaude orders.

"Excuse me?" Daemon laughs sardonically. "Are you expecting me to actually follow that command or has death lost you a few too many brain cells?"

"So you don't want to know how to get a body?" Alaude hums.

Daemon narrows his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think you might be forgetting that I collect information," the platinum blonde reminds the melon head. "Being dead doesn't stop me expanding my network, and really you're looking a bit stretched thin around the edges. Can you afford to walk away?"

Daemon deliberates and eventually nods slowly. "I'm guessing you'll give me the information after I return the boy?"

"You're quick on the update, aren't you?" Alaude mocks.

Daemon grits his teeth and adjusts his grip on the kid, tucking him under an arm. "You know, when you died, I made sure you were buried in a dress."

Alaude blinks. "What."

Daemon calmly turns and starts walking.

"What did you just say, criminal?" Alaude snaps. "I'll arrest you!"

"Oh, I'm so scared of a flame construct," Daemon drawls sarcastically. "Don't worry, it was a beautiful lacy number. It made your legs look stunning."

Alaude disappears and the Cloud ninth is charging around a corner not a second later, ring bursting with colour. Daemon mutters a curse and starts running as well.

...

Omake – Revenge

Kyouya throws open Mukuro's door and strides in without hesitation. He snatches the Mist ring from Mukuro's hand, pulls off his own, and drops them into a small jewellery box.

Daemon feels a tug on his chest and is forcibly torn away from the ice-cream parlour in Milan. He blinks when he reappears at the top of a skyscraper, the building floating in nothing but blue sky.

"I've been waiting, criminal," Alaude murmurs, spiked handcuff spinning lazily around a finger.

"I swear on my non-existent life, I was lying about the dress," Daemon blurts out.