[center][h3]Arc 1, Daily Life: Lizards and Mice[/h3][/center] [hr] [color=royalblue][i]"Whether your leadership guides us to prosperity or ruin is up to you."[/i][/color] Lungs burning, muscles aching, heart beating frighteningly fast. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Even if he could what was he going to do. With ragged breath Luca leaned against the marble pillar he had made his hiding spot. [color=lightgreen]"Kekeke~ This is the great Vongola Undicesimo, scurrying and hiding like a mouse to it's hole~"[/color] Luca shivered as a subtle sadistic chuckle echoed throughout the crumbling room. [color=forestgreen]"If your what the Vongola has been chosen to become then they don't deserve to be on top anymore. Your era is over!"[/color] The battered blonde teen's eyes shot open wide realizing those last menacing words were suddenly closer than the previous. His body flew into motion as he tried to escape the incoming attack which crashed into the pillar he had used as refuge. The impact sent a portion of the pillar flying and caught Luca mid-sprint. He was thrown to the ground with heavy force. [color=orange]"Kuh...ngh...haa...wh-what..."[/color] He struggled to lift his body off the floor but everything had gone numb now. Vision starting to blur he looked around at the others who were probably better off than him by now. They were still breathing but they'd taken a beating as well. He didn't want any of this. He told them he wasn't a leader, that he couldn't be boss. Luca managed to get to his hands and knees. [color=orange]"Huh?"[/color] His hand brushed against a soft material. Due to his blurring eyesight it took him a moment to recognize what it was. A tattered scarf. [color=forestgreen]"You lasted longer.[/color][color=mediumseagreen].[/color][color=lightgreen].thaaan we probably should've allowed you to~"[/color] Luca's pursuers strolled up behind him, partially illuminated by the light from the skylight. One had a maniacal smile, the other a hollow satisfied smirk. The maniacal one started to whistle something of a sailing tune in a haunting tempo. [color=forestgreen]"You put up a fight...can't say that I'm not a little disappointed though. Vongola XI, Luca...you've failed your family as boss."[/color] Luca didn't move, he barely blinked as he stared at the tattered he now gripped feeling despair start to envelop his senses. "LUCA! ................." [color=orange]"Ruin it is."[/color] [hr] [center][h3]3 Weeks Earlier[/h3][/center] [color=orange]"We're doing what?"[/color] Luca blinked curiously at Fon's little announcement. Fon smiled with slight amusement and reiterated his statement. [color=red]"We'll be going on a camping trip. Now that your guardians have all chosen their path we thought it'd be best for you all to have some bonding time. Shi has gone ahead to set things up before we get there~"[/color] Luca somehow had a troubling feeling about that prospect. [color=orange]"I guess it could be fun...but, as much as I'm still unsure about it, shouldn't we focus on more...mafia stuff?"[/color] He still didn't want to be boss but he said he'd try so he was hoping to be getting a crash course in being a leader of a criminal organization. [color=orange][i]Wow, I've really ventured down the rabbit hole haven't I?[/i][/color] Fon nodded, understanding the young Vongola's worries. [color=red]"The most important part of being boss is your family. Your strength as a Vongola XI is determined by the strength of your family."[/color] Luca nodded sheepishly with a slight understanding of what he meant. He still didn't know what that had to do with camping though. [color=orange]"By the way, are we always gonna meet here? I mean someone's bound to notice eventually and we're not really supposed to be here now..."[/color] The blonde teen inquired referring to their current meeting on Namimori Middle's roof. Once again Sam seems to have set up a tea table like the day before. [color=red]"It is temporary. We'll have a permanent headquarters soon. Hopefully before someone finds out~"[/color] The chibi monk said with an unnerving chuckle.