fiddles with the computers at his discretion until he'd shown the source of the problem, which is - an intruder?

familiar enough with Vongola technology to activate the monitors. He commands the cameras to zero in on the newcomer -

frowns as the familiar length of white hair fills his screen.

smashes his fist onto the controls just to get them to shut the fuck down. He doesn't need to see any more of this.

thinks: So - Squalo is the one that Iemitsu says he's no match for...? With a wicked grin, he further thinks, He'll have to see about that.

wandering through the facility, holding himself ready every time he crosses another junction or turns another corner.

seen the unconscious and injured guards around the area. He knows that his boss must be awake.

that Xanxus is definitely not going to make this easy for the both of them.

watches squalo from the safety of the command center, vaguely amused that fear is starting to register in the young man's face.

decides it's time to test if this "rendezvous" is worth his time. Presses one of the buttons he's remembered, in his long hours of waiting.

grins, as he sees the doors shut in on the Angelshark, and the walls slowly come closing in.

only frowns at this recent development & immediately sets his eyes on the door nearest to him. He carves it up and escapes from the area.

relieved, but only for a moment. Now he knows that Xanxus is somewhere, watching. His boss is familiar with the way the facility works.

decides to take his chances.

"Come down and meet me face to face, boss!" into the air. "I now you can see me."

narrows his eyes at the silver gaze challenging him through the screen.

activates the communicator, and says into it "Angel - no, Squalo. Don't call me your boss."

Iemitsu reminded me of that - I'm no longer the son of the Ninth Boss, not even on paper. I am nothing but your equal in the Varia.

grins evilly as he adds, "That is, if you can find me and take me back to the Vongole mansion alive."

turns off the communicator and strides out of the room, leaving a wall of static as a clue as the only clue to his whereabouts.

(remove "as a clue" please. bad editing is bad)

resists the violent urge to curse because really: he had expected this. He *had* hoped to avoid it though.

pauses, noting where the security cameras may have been located. He finds a blind spot to hide out in so that he can think things over.

to think that he knows his boss (or is it just Xanxus now?) well: the man was a sniper.

knows that snipers like to keep moving, staying on the fringes, maintainin distance from their enemies.

whispers a prayer under his breath and moves out, quickening his pace. He either has to outrun Xanxus or use the facility against him.

steps out of the safety of the command center, feels his blood rushing through his veins for the first time, since his ice cage was broken.

THIS was what he had been awakened for. This feeling. The thought that he and someone as strong as he would be fighting head-to-head.

Fuck the Ninth. Fuck the Vongole. He was going to enjoy every damned second of this.

moves though the corridors of his prison swiftly and silently as a shadow, seeking out the scent of the shark on his trail.

makes sure to alter his movements from what he knows Xanxus is used to. He is pretty certain that the man is trying to chase him down.

this to happen. He guns for the real central panel of the facility, one that he is sure Xanxus does not know about.

takes long cuts when he would've taken short cuts, thinking of what he might've done before & turning it on its head.

grown out of the nickname "Angelshark". If Xanxus refuses to be called boss, then he will show Xanxus how different Squalo Superbi now is.

senses the shark somewhere nearby, after a short while of following his trail.

it in his gut; he doesn't have to feel the shadow of strands of silver hair cool as moonlight through his fingertips, yet he does.

Squalo is here. And moving closer.

he might be moving toward the place he had just come from - the prison's command center. How predictable, these Vongole.

licks his lips and wills himself to stillness, waits.

ducks into one of the smaller, well-hidden mini-control centers to locate Xanxus' position.

smiles in spite of himself. The man is doubling back to what he perceived to be the facility's central control area. He's prepared for this.

pulls out a small, cool disk from his pocket - a gift from Viper. He cuts himself just enough to feed the stone with his blood.

tosses the stone to the ground & watches as it becomes a decoy of himself. He instructs it to head straight for Xanxus' location.

sure that Xanxus is expecting him to charge in & fall into the man's trap.

This will buy him time: he's nearly at the real control center of the facility. The decoy just has to keep Xanxus occupied for long enough.

something is wrong as Squalo approaches. There's something not quite right about the weight displaced in the air, the scent -

the scent - it's Superbia Squalo's blood. Delectable enough; there's no mistaking it. But why this foreboding -

steps out of the shadows at just the right time, all instinct, all blood-rush, his fists closing in around -

- nothing. The image of Superbia Squalo disintegrates in his grip, melts into a puddle of blood and water pooling at his feet.

stares at the illusion dissolving at the very spot where he stood, breathing heavily.

lets out an angry howl, finally understanding -

- just as the entrances and exits to the room where is in start sliding shut.

watches the command center that Xanxus is in go on lock down. His fingers dance across the keyboard as he types in another set of commands.

opens all communication lines in what has now become Xanxus' cage. He makes sure their security cameras are trained on him as he steps out.

takes the communicator out of his pocket, and forces a call into Xanxus' new prison cell. He does not speak until the line connects.

trying not to think about how painfully good Xanxus looks. He remembers the feel of lips at the nape of his neck, and shivers.

steels himself. He keeps his voice steady and his feet walking.

I'm not as reckless as I used to be. You've just learned that the hard way.

They called me over because I could match you. If you don't believe it, I can prove it to you as soon as I'm given the chance.

Of course, if you want to fight me and see for yourself, I don't mind. I've always been out to please you, haven't I?

stops in front of the locked command area. He types in the master code, and enters. It's programmed to lock & respond only to his password.

squares his gaze up to look at Xanxus' face. It's harder to do that than he had imagined it would be, and that's saying a lot.

...Now, are you going to come quietly, Xaxnus, or will we really have to fight for it?

odd, calling his boss by his first name.

meets Squalo's gaze unwavering, his eyes burning holes into his former subordinate's skull.

So... is this what you've become without me, Angelshark?

Begging for scraps - doing what your captors tell you to do. A Vongole pet, at their beck and call?

grunts. Then laughs - a cruel laugh, filled with bile, even in captivity.

How could you think I will ever come quietly.

steps up close to Squalo. The look on the young man's face could only excite him further.

gently, almost lovingly, wraps the fingers of his one hand around Superbia Squalo's neck.

into the other young man's ear, as he tightens his hold, "No matter how powerful you've become, you never had a hold on me."

almost missed this. Years ago, he would give in.

not, however, the same person he was before they put Xanxus under.

stands his ground and grabs the wrist of the hand on his neck and pulls it away, all the while matching Xanxus' gaze.

"The Varia is the only thing that can move me now. If it suits me to follow the Vongole, I do so. If it doesn't, I don't."

all of this as he moves closer, his lips just shy of meeting Xanxus'. He retains his grip on the other man's wrist.

Xaxnus' hot breath against his face. It is a familiar sensation.

I don't need to have a hold on you to make you follow me, I think. You'll do it on your own.

keeps his gaze on his former subordinate's, for a good long while. It was a test of wills, and one he was not about to lose.

nonetheless amazed at the willpower in Squalo's eyes. Where had he gotten that? Who had given it to him, in his long absence?

softly, wryly, "Such confidence, Angelshark."

wrests his hand free from Squalo's grip in a single gesture.

I wonder why it suits you to follow the Vongole now. What could they offer you in exchange for keeping me harmless?

as he steps up closer, tips Squalo's chin up with the edge of a finger, "What are they threatening to do to you, if you fail?"

snakes one arm around Squalo's waist, pulls the other young man closer. He realizes with sudden intensity: he had been in storage too long.

really, really missed this. It is taking everything he has to remain in control, to not flinch like he used to, to not give & give.

remembers the talks & the conditions. He remembers the fights, what he's worked for, the nights spent gazing at a living corpse in crystal.

They offered me nothing. They threatened to take you away, and I would rather kill you myself than let them do it.

not say what he thinks. Xanxus will have to find out for himself. He tells Xanxus this, by not speaking, by not kissing him.

Xanxus alive, because boss or no, Xanxus is his world.

breaks into a soft chuckle. Then a laugh.

shoves himself off Squalo violently. The force throws the other young man against a wall, and places a larger distance between them.

And you are here because of that? Because they're taking me away? Foolish Angelshark... I thought you were better than this.

swiftly, at an almost insane speed, changes the expression on his face from affection to hate.

You can go back to the old man empty-handed. I'm not going to clean up his successor's shit.

Whatever he's done to himself, he can keep. You can leave me here if you want.

turns from the messenger sent to bring him back, and starts to walk away.

sees Xanxus' back and can think of little else beyond those broad shoulders, the scars on the skin hidden beneath those clothes.

draws his sword and steps forward. He holds the sword out, resting the tip just against the back of Xanxus' neck.

I'm not leaving without you, even if it means that I have to kick the shit out of you and drag you back to Italy in chains.

never back down again.

the tip of Squalo's sword against the back of his neck, fights a shudder creeping up his spine.

: never before has Squalo been fast enough to sneak up on him like this.

smirks, oddly satisfied.

You... should have brought some really strong chains.

whips round and almost tears Squalo in half with the flame blades shooting from his hand. But the young is simply too fast for him.

he has been warned; Squalo is stronger than he is, now. He has much to catch up with. He needs to be ready.

finds it too easy nonetheless to think that a stronger Angelshark is a more seductive Angelshark - like sharp knives, like poison rain.

the heat of the flames as they lick the air close to his face. Strangely, they remind him of the old feel of lips down his jaw, his neck.

smiling now. Xanxus has not changed - he's only become more of himself. In their world, that is comforting.

snaps forward, dragging his sword across the floor, stirring up the dust at their feet, using it to shield his next strike.

happy when he sees Xanxus dodge. It only proves to him that things are moving according to plan.

, after all, the man who knows Xanxus best.

begins to test this knowledge as he rains down blow upon blow. He barely feels whatever Xanxus throws at him in the moments to come.

how long they will have to keep this up, but he does so briefly. It does not matter. It's been too long.

of the first time they fucked as he cuts Xanxus for the first time that day.

(...And they fought until dawn. Thanks for watching, guys. 8D)