Warning: There is violence in this. It may get fairly bloody. (This is the mafia, after all.)

"Boss-san," Squalo said loudly, alerting Xanxus to his presence.

Xanxus stared at Squalo, then at his own hands. He looked back at Squalo. "Did I..."

Squalo stared blankly at the body. "Yeah, you did."

Xanxus swallowed thickly. "I didn't mean to."

Squalo nodded. "I know, boss-san."

Xanxus stared at his hands again. "So it wasn't a dream? The first time? I thought it was..."

"I was there the first time as well," Squalo reminded him. "It's real."

Xanxus lurched to the side, leaning against a post on the wharf. "But...how did I manage this? This shouldn't be happening?" He questioningly at his subordinate. "I do care about them, right?"

Squalo only shrugged, ruffling a hand through his short hair. "Only you can decide, boss."

Xanxus turned away and stared out over the water. "Maybe. But I care more about Vongola." He fell into a brooding silence, until hours passed and the sky was streaked with sunlight.

"Boss-san, use Varia to cover this up," Squalo suggested, eyes flickering around. "Boss-san?"

Xanxus paused, then nodded. "Fine. Call the trash. Might as well see this through."

Squalo hesitated, then nodded again, turning sharply and starting to make calls.

"Sorry, Massimo," he whispered at the lake. "But I did this for us."

The water didn't reply.

~o0o~

"Boss-san," Squalo said, waiting, aiming his rifle at Enrico, eyes darting to Xanxus. "Hurry up and do it."

Xanxus held a gun to his brother's head. Enrico stared up at him, shocked and pale. "Brother, come on..." he pleaded.

"You aren't my brother," Xanxus denied. "We don't share blood."

Enrico looked startled, then ashamed. He had known, Xanxus thought bitterly, the smug bastard. He lowered his aim then fired into his torso, ignoring the blood splatters on his face and clothes. "Fuckin' die," he cursed, reloading and firing again. Again and again, until he was dead and Xanxus's rage was so intense it burned.

Squalo grabbed at Xanxus as sirens wailed in the distance. "Boss, we have to leave, now."

That was the point when Xanxus woke from his nightmare.

~o0o~

"Boss-san? Will you get on with it?" Squalo sounded irritated. "Only you can, boss."

Frederico was staring up at Xanxus wide-eyed, squirming against the bonds and gags. Squalo was holding the syringe out to Xanxus solemnly.

Xanxus took it, hearing the prince's laugh behind him. "Undo the restraints," he ordered. Squalo obeyed, dodging as Frederico slumped over, coughing.

"You bastard son of a whore," Frederico swore at him, and Xanxus frowned, then lashed out with his foot.

"Trash," he spat back, then hauled him up by the hair and slid the needle into his skin, standing back as his brother began to writhe, then melt.

"Yuck," Lussuria grimaced, peering at the man as his flesh fell off in slick, wet clumps. His screams were ungodly, like the screech of demons; the sound of sizzling meat was enough to make Levi vomit.

Frederico – or his corpse – fell sideways with a sick slop, his innards sloshing out and spreading across the floor, nearly reaching Xanxus's boots.

Belphegor splashed another bucket over the remains, snickering as the rest began to join the flesh in fluid. Xanxus made himself watch, telling himself that he was the reason his brothers were dead.

~o0o~

"Boss-san," Squalo said quietly, standing to one side, "Are you going to accept the offer? After what the Don did-"

Xanxus glared at Squalo. "Yes. And stop calling me that; we aren't Japanese."

Squalo grinned. "But they have samurais. Ain't that-"

"Your sword-fanboying is getting really old," Xanxus warned. "We are mafia, not from some stupid book."

"Anime."

"Huh?"

"Don't you think we'd be a great anime?"

Xanxus's nose twitched. "Like Pokemon? Fuck, Squalo-" and Xanxus lit up a cigarette, "-I don't want to be some hyped-up brat with glorious ambitions."

Squalo sighed, slouching in his chair. "There's more to anime than that."

Xanxus rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Have you finished the Godfather yet?"

"Boss," Squalo said, flicking his hair out of the way of his face, "you've been piling work on me. When would I have time to finish a goddamn book of that size?"

Xanxus shrugged, tapping out his cigarette. He blew smoke into his face, but it was caught by the wind and he missed. "Well, keep reading. Michael's a great character."

"I prefer Sonny," Squalo said with a careless wave of his hand.

Xanxus stopped, then grinned. "I'm more jealous than anything else."

And Squalo laughed, throwing back his head. He left it there, leaning against the back of the chair as he studied the porch roof. "Boss..."

"What is it, trash?"

"He's late."

Xanxus glanced at the gate. "He always is."

Squalo blew out violently, snarling, "Why do you keep Ottavio as your right hand man? He's a fuckin'...arsehole."

Traitor, he had meant to say, looking at Xanxus pointedly.

Xanxus dismissed his concerns. "Shut up, you shitty shark."

"Voi, I ain't a shark-!"

"You name begs otherwise." He switched to Chinese. "I know what he's done, and I'll deal with it."

Squalo fiddled with the glove on his left hand. "You better."

"I will. He's here."

Ottavio opened the gate and walked down the path. "Boss," he greeted Xanxus, kneeling and taking the offered hand. He kissed the ring on it.

"Ottavio," Xanxus replied. He stood, the chains on his boots jangling as he opened the door to the house. "Come in."

Ottavio followed Xanxus, Squalo entering behind them and locking the door. Ottavio heard the click, looked at Squalo, surprised. "Squalo, what are you-"

"Ottavio," Xanxus said, sitting in the living room. It was bare, with only two armchairs and a table in it. Everything was covered in plastic, and Ottavio stopped, pale.

"W-What's happening?" Ottavio asked nervously. Squalo knew exactly what was going to happen. His previous questioning of Xanxus keeping him had been a ruse, in case anyone was listening. Pointless, but fun.

"Squalo, do it." Xanxus's eyes looked red in the light, and pierced Squalo's own. Squalo kicked Ottavio's leg from under him, Ottavio buckling and falling to his knees. Xanxus glared down at his now former right hand man.

"Ottavio," Xanxus said, "you're gonna die. Right here, right now."

"Y-You can't, I have the Don's protection." Ottavio was shaking violently, begging with Xanxus.

"You know why. The Don doesn't like traitors." Xanxus flicked a finger at Squalo, who slammed a a foot into his stomach.

"If you can betray me, who's to say you won't betray Vongola when it suits you?" Xanxus shrugged lazily as Squalo threw a punch at Ottavio, blood gushing out and bone cracking. Another kick, and Xanxus thought he heard ribs cracking. Another kick, and Ottavio was unconsious.

"Break his neck," Xanxus told Squalo.

Panting, the white-haired man obeyed.

~o0o~

Xanxus was smoking heavily, ignoring the looks from the other captains. The Don also ignored it, pretended like it wasn't happening.

"Xanxus," the Don said, "How's the expansion on the east going?"

"Timoteo," Xanxus replied curtly, "why the fuck are you asking me? Ain't my job."

The Don blinked at him. "I sent a message to supervise."

Xanxus rolled his eyes. "I never got a message."

Timoteo studied his adopted son carefully, then sighed. "Check into this," he told his right hand man quietly, then turned his gaze on his captains.

The meeting continued without a hitch, until:

"Xanxus, stay behind. The rest of you, leave." Xanxus stayed seated, looking bored, as everyone obeyed the Don. Squalo cast an inquisitive look at him, then left after Xanxus flicked a finger at the door.

"Xanxus," Timoteo said.

"What?" Xanxus rested his head on his fist, looking bored.

Timoteo looked at Xanxus, then sighed. "I'm sorry."

Xanxus arced an eyebrow.

"For lying. About your birth." Timoteo was staring at his 'son'. "But you shouldn't have done what you did."

Xanxus hissed through his teeth. "I have no regrets, old man. We both did what we had to."

The Don of Vongola blinked, startled. "Well. I still see you as being the most qualified person to lead Vongola, especially with Millefiore closing in on us."

Xanxus's gaze cut to Timoteo, alert. "What do you mean, old man?"

Timoteo smiled slightly. "You're still family."

Xanxus scowled. "Explain. You're implying I have to do something to be boss."

"Iemitsu has a daughter. We're only distantly related, so people won't find it odd."

Xanxus's hand dropped. "You don't mean..."

"Yes. Marry her, and you can have the seat of Vongola Decimo."

A real-world mafia AU. There won't be any Flames or anything in this.