>(2/3)

"Alright, we're leaving it here. Let's walk to a phone booth and call up a taxi to take us back to Hunts Point." you say.

They both nod and follow you out of the parking lot into the streets of Brooklyn.

As you search for a phone booth, your mind drifts back to when you first ended up in Brooklyn. You were the newly crowned prince of a unified Bronx at the time. It took you two and a half years to achieve what no other organization was capable of since the OG Cosa Nostra before the Camorra's bastard half-brother, the Maggia, broke them apart. Coincidentally, they were the first ones to reach out to you before Kingpin did. One of your boys came back from a collection round with a written address given to them by one of Silvio's men. You showed up alone and got picked up by a limo. They drove you from the Bronx all the way to a fancy club in Brooklyn by the name of Fazioli. Silvio was inside with his granddaughter as well as a dozen visibly armed guards. He gave you an overly long speech about himself, the Bronx, Kingpin, the history of organized crime in New York, and you. He only paused when his granddaughter walked over to you and held out her arms. You remember squatting down to raise an eyebrow at her on her level. She pointed to your horns before sticking out her arms again. With a shrug, you picked her up with a single hand and sat her on your shoulders. The little giggle she let out when you lifted her into the air perfectly contrasted the snarl her old man gave you. He continued his speech a minute afterward. Despite you having took his dearest granddaughter hostage, Silvio still extended an offer for you to join the Maggia as the founder of your own family under his leadership. You declined his offer, handed him back his granddaughter much to her disappointment, and walked out the front door without an incident. The limo had driven off sometime after you walked in so you were left stranded in Brooklyn for a brief period of time.

You remember how taken back you were by just how different everything was. Hookers weren't camped at street corners, the air didn't stink of rot, junkies didn't shoot up in alleyways, there were no pleas of help behind the white noise of people going about their day, drug dealers didn't hang out in the open, and the people you walked by actually looked happy before seeing your horns. Of course, not every place in the Bronx was as horrible as Hunts Point was in your earlier youth but there was always something shitty about them whether it be the people or the surroundings.

>(3/3)

It takes you fifteen minutes to find a phone booth. You dig your hands in your pockets before realizing you forgot to bring change. With a sigh, you turn to your lieutenants. Ren bows apologetically while Jesus fishes his wallet out of his jacket. He takes a quarter from its coin pocket and hands it to you before stowing his wallet away again. A gracious nod is all you give him in return. You'd normally use coins you've swiped from shocked passerbys but no one is walking around this early in the morning for you to pickpocket. Humming, you insert the quarter in the coin slot, dial the number of the taxi company you've ripped off time and time again, and wait for the operator to answer. The operator greets you before asking for the usual details. You tell them all they need to know and wait half an hour on the curb with your entourage for the cab to arrive.

The three of you seat yourselves in the back seats. You make sure to sit in the middle so the cabbie primarily sees you when he turns around. When he turns to greet his passengers, he pauses at the sight of you and scoffs before turning back. He starts the drive without a word.

You roll your eyes at the man's rudeness. Both your lieutenants notice your annoyance and shoot you questioning glances before glaring at the back of the cab driver's seat. A shake of your head tells them to stand down. Now is not the time. Killing him now will lead to an accident in traffic. You can always take care of him when you're done. If you're feeling merciful you can let him go without a hitch but if he tries to get cash from you, there's going to be a problem.

>[ ] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels."
>[ ] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the morning shows."
>[ ] "Do you have a problem with me?"
>[ ] Stay silent for the entire ride.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2550393
>[ ] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels."

>>2550526
Ditto

>>2550393
>[ ] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels."
Hey I was just wondering where this went. Nice to see you back Afungi!

>>2550393
>>[ ] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels."

yay, its back

>[X] "Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels."

>(1/2)

Anonymity has been a concern of yours as of late. Yesterday's drive-by fiasco got the cops on you and that west coast douchebag witness gave your description to the press. The people of the Bronx that have heard most likely know their horned boogeyman is more fact than fiction now. Just one interview with anyone from the Bronx about the incident and they'll tell the media about the stories they've heard about you. Some journalist will probably go around asking questions before piecing together an article detailing the rumors and how they relate to the incident. If it's Ben Urich, you can bet he'll connect the decrease in crime to the rumors and correctly deduce that the Bronx has been under the control of a powerful crime lord for some time now with said crime lord having been the horned mutant who was the cause of the incident. Your little chase with the police won't really effect much. No one could've seen you inside the car with the speed Jesus was going. God bless him and his mad skills.

"Can you turn on the radio? I want to hear the news channels." you say.

The cabbie pressed down on the radio's power button and flips through several stations before stopping on one.

"-ier today," A male voice says through the car speakers, "There are no details of the suspects but keep an eye out for an unlicensed black Ford Focus Wagon with a dent in its bumper. With your assistance, the police can help turn this city back to being New York City instead of Gotham City. Back to you, Wilda and Abram."

You mischievously glance at your two quiet lieutenants when you hear the car description and stifle a laugh at the closing remark. Crime is never going to stop happening in New York City same as everything else in the world. Speaking from experience, you've put enough gangs into the ground and behind bars in your street-rat days to figure out that no matter how much you try to stop idiots like them from fucking things up for you someone else will take their place. It was only after you mutated and formed your own gang did you realize that controlling crime was the only thing that could prevent it but even then it'd still have to happen in the first place. Not that you actually want to stop crime. Maybe if you were normal and naive when you mutated that would be your utmost desire. Power is all you've wanted since then.

"Good reporting, Jason." a bubbly female voice says.

A boisterous male voice echoes her words before speaking his own. "Now let's see what our rookie Oliver can do."

"Funny, Abram." a young man's voice deadpans through the car speakers. "I'm standing just outside the massive crime scene of yesterday morning's drive-by shooting in the Bronx and the police encounter with the mutant suspected of committing the act as well as the murders of a SWAT police member and an innocent biker."

>(2/2)

You narrow your eyes at the radio. This could get you in trouble by way of shitty dumbass cabbie who can't keep his thoughts of mutant kind away from one he's in neck-breaking distance of.

>[ ] "Turn it off."
>[ ] "Can you change the station please?"
>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the report. It doesn't matter if he puts two and two together whether through a description or his suspicions. He's most likely going to call the cops on you anyway when you run out on him. Plus, it's good for you to be informed on what the press knows about you.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2551373
>>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the report. It doesn't matter if he puts two and two together whether through a description or his suspicions. He's most likely going to call the cops on you anyway when you run out on him. Plus, it's good for you to be informed on what the press knows about you.

>>2551372
>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the report. It doesn't matter if he puts two and two together whether through a description or his suspicions. He's most likely going to call the cops on you anyway when you run out on him. Plus, it's good for you to be informed on what the press knows about you.

>>2551709
ditto

>[X] Stay silent and listen to the report. It doesn't matter if he puts it together whether through a description or his suspicions. He's most likely going to call the cops on you anyway when you run out on him. Plus, it's good for you to be informed on what the press knows about you.

>(1/4)

Fuck it, you were probably going to end up killing the bastard anyway either that or cripple him for scoffing at you. You can get Ren to show you how she got expelled from middle school. Maybe even see if Jesus was trained to make examples of people.

"An eye witness of the event claims that while the mutant did not actually shoot-up the small establishment he did unlawfully serve himself a coffee much to the discomfort of the barista behind the counter. The witness has reported that the mutant had horns on his head a claim I confirmed with a police officer standing beside me right now." the rookie reporter says.

You raise an eyebrow at that. There were technically only two police officers at the incident seeing as how the rest were SWAT members. If it's one of those two bastards, you might get to pick that bone you have with them. You got exposed to the public thanks to their lack of tact. For that, they'll have to pay.

A solemn sigh booms through the car speakers. "Yes, the suspect had two black horns on the sides of his head. He had torn the biker's throat out with his bare hands when we got there, I saw the blood on them. Our bullets bounced off his skin, he broke through a riot shield wall like it was nothing, stomped a SWAT team member's head in like a grape, and ran through walls like he was running through the air."

You hum at the man's words. Any member of the SWAT team could've seen all that.

"Wow!" the young man gushes. "Excuse my tone, officer Green...I am just amazed."

The officer doesn't respond. He just waits for the young man to continue. You can't help but grin at the awkward silence and the boy's awe of you. It's not unusual to find people who admire mutants. Who wouldn't find biological marvels like yourself admirable? Most people, yes, but most people are idiots who preach of tolerance and acceptance yet have none to give.

"What of the claims that the mutant suspect wasn't the one firing rounds into the shop? Is it possible that the mutant was acting in self-defense when he tore out the biker's throat?"

You can hear the officer struggle to answer the question. It could be that he wasn't there to see it or he's realizing that he fucked up and panicked if he was one of the two cops who shot at you.

"Th-the suspect didn't raise his hands when me and my partner approached!" he says dooming himself and his partner. "We couldn't find the firearm that was used in the shooting so we couldn't place the biker as the shooter. Even if the man was acting in self-defense, he still killed a SWAT officer and wounded many other officers. He was bulletproof. If he really was innocent why would he run away when we surrounded him?!"

>(2/4)

Well, it looks like you know just who to look for if you want some vengeance. He might still be at the crime scene when you get off in Hunts Point. Maybe you can squeeze that in before you make plans to go after Silvio. The MAC 11 trigger-happy douchebag was using fell to the ground after you tore out his throat. Officer Deadman or his partner probably took it in a retarded effort to make you seem less like a victim.

"Maybe," Oliver sternly begins "he was in fear of his life and his freedom? It's no secret that mutants with powerful abilities are either put in prison hell-holes meant to house the likes of Nitro and the Absorbing Man or used as guinea pigs in government funded experimental facilities. Add in the anti-mutant sentiment leftover from Magneto's occupation of Manhattan a few months ago, and it's clear why the mutant ran off: he didn't want to be tried, judged, and sentenced to a life in a hell-hole by a biased jury."

You smile at the reporter's defense of you and grin at the sounds of frustration coming from the officer.

"He still killed an officer and injured several others!" the officer says.

Oliver scoffs. "Most mutants have a great amount of trouble controlling their powers. I doubt he could've controlled himself when faced with practically guaranteed imprisonment for life."

"Are you saying," the officer growls, "that the lives of police officers are worth less than a mutie's?"

"Not at all." Oliver says. "Though it seems like you're trying to direct blame for the incident towards the mutant instead of yourself."

You smirk at that. The rookie finally found the nail and hit it in. He didn't need to lecture him or refute the officer's arguments but he's at least going to get the kill-shot. Far too many people go for the body when they should start with the head. It's never failed you once in your experience and with any luck your admirer will realize that after this.

"W-what?" the officer stutters out.

>(3/4)

"Heh," Oliver begins. "my question was about the possibility of the mutant acting in self-defense against the biker. You panicked and made an excuse for firing at the mutant instead of giving me an answer to my question. When you did answer me, you claimed that the lack of the fire-arm used in the shooting couldn't place the biker as the shooter but didn't point out how that couldn't place the mutant as the shooter either. You further tried to direct blame towards the mutant by bringing up the casualties left in his escape and emphasized how even if he wasn't the shooter he still would be guilty of a crime. From your previous question and the use of the word mutie, I can deduce that you harbor racist feelings towards mutants. Here's what I believed happened. The mutant entered the coffee shop, served himself a coffee at the shop's expense, the biker drove by and shot up the shop with an automatic fire-arm, the witness called the police, you and your partner where dispatched to handle it, the mutant tore out the man's throat in self-defense, you arrived and saw his horns, correctly assuming that he was a mutant you opened fire, either the mutant was trying to talk you down as you reported a hostile mutant assailant or he was waiting for you to run out of bullets before explaining himself, the SWAT team arrived, the mutant panicked and broke through the riot shield-wall, you realized that your actions caused the death of an innocent police officer and numerous injured officers, you swiped the fire-arm used in the shooting in a vain attempt to make it seem like he was the shooter ignoring the fact that his super abilities would've made his use of a fire-arm doubtful, and finally you decided to inform me in a desperate act to make this seem like it's not just a racist cop shooting gone wrong but you panicked. Am I right or am I right or am I right?"

A brief period of silence goes by before the reporter speaks again.

"W-wait, come ba-...He's not coming back." he sighs. "Back to you, Wilda and Abram. Sorry I got carried away."

"...Wow." the masculine voice says.

"Yeah, I really messed up there, didn't I?" the rookie reporter says.

"No, no, no!" the masculine voice shouts. "That was some brilliant reporting there, sonny! Sure, it pretty much fell into your lap but boy did you take it!"

"We're going to have to take you out for drinks after we're done." the feminine voice says.

"I'm still eighteen, Wilda." the young man deadpans.

"Oh," the feminine voice lets out. "Strip club?"

"No, thank you?" Oliver replies.

>(4/4)

The masculine voice cuts in. "Alright, that's enough praising and teasing for our promising young reporter. It's near the end of our nine O'clock morning news report so long time listeners no what's coming next. For those of you that don't, we pick an issue related to our last report of the time period and discuss it until twelve where it continues to our final reports at five in the afternoon. Mutants will be the subject for today and since it seems like you're somewhat of an expert on the subject, Oliver, you'll be staying with us on call as well as in person for the next three hours."

"Tha-...Wait, what?" the young man says.

"Should've read your contract carefully. We'll be back after several messages from our sponsors." the masculine voice finishes.

You have a pleased grin on your face. Not really from the newsmen banter but from Oliver's report. It managed to paint you in a positive light. A pity you're going to still have to avoid the police. Turning yourself in now would ruin your plans of taking over New York as well as put a name to your face. Not to mention all that's needed to shatter that positive light is for someone to connect you to your rumors. Maybe after you're finished with all your enemies you can go public. You can masquerade as a superhero born from nothing who cleaned up the Bronx and got on the wrong side of the law after a terrible misunderstanding. The sheep will flock around their new shepherd not knowing that your staff is really a trident.

That's all a far ways off from now, however. You have to step on the Maggia first and dethrone Kingpin. It'll take some time for you to solidify your hold on the entirety of New York afterward. There's going to be a lot of people you have to put down. You might be outed to the world before you can come out on your own terms.

But for now, what do you want to do to pass the time?

>[ ] "Can you turn off the radio? I'm done listening to the news."
>[ ] "Can you flip over to a morning show station?"
>[ ] "They were talking about me, just so you know. I'm trying to sort out who ordered that hit on me before turning myself in."
>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the newsmen talk about mutants for the rest of the ride. They're kind of entertaining and you just can't wait to hear what they have to say about your "people".
>[ ] Write In.

i feel like i kind of got carried away half-way through this update

>>2552278
>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the newsmen talk about mutants for the rest of the ride. They're kind of entertaining and you just can't wait to hear what they have to say about your "people".

Maybe a little. I still enjoyed it. Nice bit of world building and gives us someone to look into later.

>>2552300
THis

>>2552300
Support do this

>>2552278
>>[ ] Stay silent and listen to the newsmen talk about mutants for the rest of the ride. They're kind of entertaining and you just can't wait to hear what they have to say about your "people".

>>2552279
It was nice and fun

>[X] Stay silent and listen to the newsmen talk about mutants for the rest of the ride. They're kind of entertaining and you just can't wait to hear what they have to say about your "people".

>(1/3)

Why not? It beats sitting in silence, having an awkward conversation with the cabbie, and listening to a middle-aged man spouting jokes they don't understand from a script.

You patiently wait for the advertisements to end and the news station to resume.

"And we're back!" the masculine voice from before booms out of the car speakers. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to WNYCNN's first discussion period of the day! I am your radio anchorman Abram Hewitt and with me is my co-anchor Wilda Glass and our new promising reporter Oliver Dustin over the phone. Oliver, how are you doing right now?

Silence fills the car as the anchorman waits for the young reporter to respond.

"Oliveeer?" he calls out. "You didn't get mad and stomp off did you? If you're checking over your contract again, you'll find a section detailing how you can't exactly do that while on the air."

"Huh?" the young man mutters.

"There he is!" Wilda says.

The anchorman lets out a booming laugh. "Oliver! We missed you, sonny! What happened? Where are you now?"

"Oh, I'm in a company car. Sam is driving me back to the studio." Oliver says.

"Tell Sam I said hi." Abram says.

"Me too!" Wilda chimes in.

The young man sighs. "Abram and Wilda say hi, Sam."

"Thanks guys!" you hear a distant chirpy voice say.

Oliver groans at his coworkers antics.

Abram laughs. "You'll have to get used to that sonny! Now tell us what happened. You were spacing out there for a second."

"Someone showed up at the crime scene on a motorcycle shortly after our advertisement break started. He ducked under the police tape and started...sniffing around. The police were moving to get him out but he said something that surprised them before getting back on his bike and driving away. I think I may have seen him before but I just can't place it." the young man says.

You narrow your eyes at that. Both your lieutenants also stiffen at the news. Whoever that mystery man is, he's most likely looking for you and if he really was sniffing you out he's either a mutant or some part animal type freak like the webhead.

"Weeell," Abram drawls out, "what did he say? Did you ask the policemen if they knew who he was? Did you try to interview the man? Do you at least know what he was wearing?"

"...He was wearing a leather jacket with jeans." Oliver says despondently.

Wilda coos sympathetically at him.

"You were doing so well earlier, Oliver. Don't be too hard on yourself. At least you got that mutant hater cop scoop. Speaking of which, it's time to discuss mutants. You go first." Abram says.

Oh, this is going to be good.

>(2/3)

"What's left for me to say? I'm pretty sure I've gone through everything with that police officer." Oliver says. "No, wait. I just thought of something I haven't touched. You guys without a doubt have heard of the Xavier Institute, right?"

"Well, yeah. It's been the center of mutant discussion ever since Charles Xavier outed himself as a mutant to the world at the start of this year and opened up the facility as a school as well as a shelter for mutants." Wilda says.

"Don't you think that it's only letting people ignore the problem instead of finding an actual solution?" Oliver says.

Damn, you didn't see that coming so soon. You stifle a laugh and grin. That kid shares your idea though you doubt it's based on the same principles.

A brief period of silence goes by.

"...Did I say something wrong?" Oliver asks.

"No," Abram says, "it's just a bit too heavy to start off with, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but it is kind of appropriate. If we just went over general information we'd just be retreading what he said to the officer." Wilda says.

Abram sighs. "You're right. Explain, Sonny, how does the Xavier Institute let people ignore their problems with mutants?"

"A lot of people's problems with mutants come from their lack of understanding. Quite a few of them have probably never met a mutant before. The Xavier Institute does help shelter mutants who were cast out by their families or simply have nowhere to go but it also isolates them from the rest of the world. Isolated with their own kind so to speak will make them distrust normal people even more. They'll form their own isolated communities like Mutant Town instead of blending in with the normal populace. I know some mutants have jarring appearances caused by their mutation but they're people like the rest of us. We need to learn to live with one another is what I'm saying. Places like Mutant Town, the Xavier Institute, and Genosha seem to look good on paper but, well, look what happened to Genosha." Oliver says.

Silence fills the air for a few seconds again.

"Wow." Abram says.

"I overdid it by bringing up Genosha, didn't I?" Oliver says.

"No, no." Abram says. "That was a well-needed punch to the face. I completely forgot about Genosha and the genocide that happened there."

"...How?" Oliver asks

"Magneto's rampage in Manhattan directed all attention away from Genosha and even the Xavier Institute for a time. Though, that's no excuse for forgetting a tragedy." Abram says.

"I can't believe you sometimes, Abram." Wilda says.

"I'm only human, dear. An old one at that. Maybe one day you'll take my chair, Oliver, if Jason or Randy isn't interested in it." Abram says.

Oliver lets out a mischievous laugh. "I'm actually rethinking my contract."

"To do that you'd have to have actually read it." Abram says.

Oliver groans. "I'm parked just outside the studio. I'll be up in a bit and we can continue where we left off."

"Bye, Oliver! Bye, Sam!" both the news anchors say.

>(3/3)

"Bye, guys!" a distant chirpy voice says

With one last groan Oliver hangs up.

"Alright, folks," Abram says, "We'll be back with Oliver in the studio after a word from our sponsors."

You lean your head back and hum. Mutant politics haven't been on your mind as of late. The Genoshan genocide didn't affect you in anyway so you didn't care, Xavier outing himself as a mutant only grabbed your attention because he revealed himself as the founder and funder of the X-men, and Magneto wrecking Manhattan was just a normal semi-annual occurrence for New York City if he hadn't done so someone else would have. People only gave a shit because a mutant was the one who did it this time.

When the advertisements end, the station discussion period continues. There's not much left to discuss so they go over hypothetical scenarios about a world filled entirely by mutants, play a home-made mutant trivia game created by Oliver, and talk about what mutant powers they'd want. Now they're playing acting charades.

"Cyclops, I was Cyclops. How did you guys not figure it out from my no-nonsense attitude?" Oliver asks.

"You mean that's not how you normally act?" Abram says.

Oliver groans.

"My turn!" Wilda says. "I'm the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn't very nice, bub."

"That one is way too obvious, Wilda." Abram says.

"Well, Oliver's having a hard time figuring it out." Wilda says.

Abram laughs. "I think he's just having a hard time processing how anyone could say something so iconic brazenly, right Oliver?

A brief period of silence goes by for a final time.

"Oliver?" Abram calls out again. "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

"Oh," Oliver mutters, "...Oh fu-"

The radio is cut off by the sound of the car engine stopping. You blink as the cabbie turns around to face you.

"Alright, we're at your destination. Now give me my money so you can get the fuck out my cab." he says.

From the corner of your eyes, you can see both your lieutenants patiently awaiting your command.

>[ ] Nod at Jesus.
>[ ] Nod at Ren.
>[ ] Kill him yourself.
>[ ] Knock him out.
>[ ] "Jesus, can you spot me?"
>[ ] Write In.

got carried away again

>>2554101
>[ ] Nod at Ren
Enjoyed it again. Sadly it took me as long as Oliver to get who was at the crime scene.

>>2554101
>>[ ] Nod at Ren.

>[X] Nod at Ren.

Jesus, as far as you know, only has his gun on him. He'll make a mess, a lot of noise, and leave you with a ringing right ear. Ren's chainwhip on the other hand is perfect for the job. You'd kill him yourself but you don't want to dirty your hands with filthy trash like him.

Grinning, you turn to your left and nod at Ren.

She nods back, slowly reaches her left hand into her pocket to draw the cabbie's attention, takes her empty clutched hand out, and holds it out by the upper left side of the driver's seat.

The cabbie raises an eyebrow at her but still turns back to grab what he assumes is his pay.

It's the last mistake the man will ever make.

Ren positions her right hand to the opposite side of her left, unwraps a part of her bladed chainwhip with a few arm movements, throws a freed section of her whip to her left hand, unclenches her left hand and clenches it around the whip right as it crosses by, pulls her hands back so the whip is at the man's throat, and in one swift motion slits it open before he can even turn to look at her left hand.

You whistle at the smooth assassination.

Ren gives you a pleased smile as she wipes down the bloodied section of her whip with a handkerchief.

You wait for her to rebind the freed section of her whip around her wrist before motioning your lieutenants to step out.

With a relieved sigh, you exit the vehicle and step out onto the side-walk. You're not sure why the cabbie parked and turned off his vehicle. Maybe he just wanted to grab your attention or he was sick of listening to a couple Liberal mutie lovers.

You shrug. It doesn't matter now. The man's probably done gurgling on his own blood.

You've got shit to do.

>[ ] Walk to the warehouse.
>[ ] Grab your lieutenants and rooftop hop to the warehouse. You don't have time to waste. Someone's looking for you and they're superhuman.
>[ ] "You guys go to the warehouse. I've got some business to take care of with Officer What's His Fucking Name."
>[ ] Write In.

radio talk writing kind of fucked up my epic format writing skillz

Either that or I'm sloppy after not writing for a while and the sleep deprivation.

>>2554474
>>[ ] Grab your lieutenants and rooftop hop to the warehouse. You don't have time to waste. Someone's looking for you and they're superhuman.

>>2554474
>>[ ] Grab your lieutenants and rooftop hop to the warehouse. You don't have time to waste. Someone's looking for you and they're superhuman.

>[X] Grab your lieutenants and rooftop hop to the warehouse. You don't have time to waste. Someone's looking for you and they're superhuman.

>(1/2)

No point in taking your sweet ass time or going back to the scene of the crime. If you really want to crush that pig's skull you can do it some other time. The rookie reporter, Oliver, mentioned the man about an hour ago. Your crew could already be dead. Foot soldiers, Alex, and...Marcus.

...

If you find his body limp and lifeless, every single person that piece of shit knows is marked. Not a single day will go by without them being in all-encompassing agony. You'll peel the skin from the man's flesh, tear out his eyelids, rip off his limbs, and lock him in a room where he'll see everyone he knows and loves suffering from every cruelty imaginable for the rest of his pathetic life.

"Reyes-sama?" Ren calls out to you.

You blink and look down. There are large cracks in the ground centered at your feet. Blood is dropping down your torn open palms. Inside, you can feel the familiar agonizing sensation of numerous fractures in your skeleton.

"Huh," you mutter, "it's been years since I've lost control like this."

Ren parts her lips to say something but you wrap an arm around her waist and Jesus' before they have time to react.

With a leap you, go from the cracked side-walk to a nearby rooftop. You ignore the flaring pain of your accidentally self-inflected wounds as you spring from rooftop to rooftop. This kind of thing is nothing to you. Even the completely shattered foot you had last night was a cakewalk compared to what you had to go through during your first few days as a mutant. Your bones splintered when pressured by your super-powered muscles and healed just so they could break over and over again. It took a while before you could even move without breaking something. Marcus stood by you the whole time even though you were nothing but a bag of meat filled with shattered bones weighing him down. If your situations were reversed, you would have left him to die never knowing what he could've been to you.

File: Spoiler Image (251 KB, 1000x883)

251 KB JPG

(2/2)

You reach your neighborhood base in record time. Soaring through the air, you see the guards you stationed on the rooftops aiming their small handguns in the direction of the warehouse entrance. There's a man fitting the reporter's description leaning on the side of a motorcycle parked some ways away from the warehouse entrance. Parallel to him is Marcus leaning on the warehouse gate with one hand rubbing his temples and the other aiming his Single Action Army at the man.

Whoever he is, it looks like he's not here to off your boys. He could be one of those honorable assassin types who only go after their target and kill no one else in the process. Either that or he wants you to be there when he slaughters your men.

He looks strangely familiar to you for some reason.

>[ ] Drop off your lieutenants on the next rooftop and go see what the man wants. He's most likely a superhuman of some sort. They'll only get in the way if things go south.
>[ ] Drop off your lieutenants on the next rooftop, drop to the ground, and charge at the fucker.(Combat Skill Roll, +3 modifier DC14)
>[ ] Position Jesus and Ren at adequate vantage points to shoot at the man if he turns hostile. The cover fire might distract him long enough for you to get a decent shot in if he turns hostile.
>[ ] Go to meet the man with both your lieutenants. Ren and Jesus could probably fatally wound or cripple him before he could pull anything.
>[ ] Leave Jesus on a rooftop and bring Ren with you to meet the man. Jesus has a better eye than Ren and Ren is better at melee combat than Jesus. Ren could cripple him if he tries to do something and Jesus could fill him with holes from on high before he could do anything.
>[ ] Leave Ren on a rooftop and bring Jesus with you to meet the man. It'd be a shame if you lost your cute Japanese lieutenant. Jesus could easily put one through his eye from such a close range.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2555265
>[ ] Leave Jesus on a rooftop and bring Ren with you to meet the man. Jesus has a better eye than Ren and Ren is better at melee combat than Jesus. Ren could cripple him if he tries to do something and Jesus could fill him with holes from on high before he could do anything.

>>2555265
>>[ ] Leave Jesus on a rooftop and bring Ren with you to meet the man. Jesus has a better eye than Ren and Ren is better at melee combat than Jesus. Ren could cripple him if he tries to do something and Jesus could fill him with holes from on high before he could do anything.

>[X] Leave Jesus on a rooftop and bring Ren with you to meet the man. Jesus has a better eye than Ren and Ren is better at melee combat than Jesus. Ren could cripple him if he tries to do something and Jesus could fill him with holes from on high before he could do anything.

It's best for them to be in positions most suited to their skills. Jesus will be safe on a rooftop and Ren will be fine on the ground. You'll make sure Ren has enough distance away from the man to avoid his attacks but still be able to take swings at him with her whip. The only one you think would have any trouble would be Marcus. He looks like he's nursing a hangover from last night.

You hop your way to the rooftop of the building at the opposite end of the warehouse and plant Jesus next to one of your surprised lookouts.

"Jesus, you're my eyes in the skies. If that man tries anything, gun him down." you say before turning to the lookout. "Don't fire a shot. You'll be wasting vital ammo Jesus could be using if he runs out."

Jesus nods, unzips his jacket, and draws El Papa. The lookout sighs and holsters his .32. Your lieutenant is already in position when you hop down to meet the stranger.

You land in the middle of the unoccupied space between Marcus and the strange man. Before letting go of Ren, you lean your head down by the crook of her neck and whisper for her to stay at the farthest possible range of her whip in case he attacks. She blushes, nods, and leaves you alone in-between the two men.

Taking a spare glance at each of them, you can see that they're not exactly pleased to be in this situation.

"About time you showed up." they both grumble at you.

They share a look and scoff at one another.

>[ ] "Marcus, who is this guy and what does he want?"
>[ ] "Who are you and what do you want?"
>[ ] "Marcus, go back inside the warehouse."
>[ ] "Where's Alex, Marcus?"
>[ ] "Get the fuck off my turf before I turn you into a red smear on the pavement, mutton chops."
>[ ] "Jesus, now!"
>[ ] "Ren, you know what to do."
>[ ] Sniff the air.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2556367
>>[ ] "Who are you and what do you want?"

>>2556367
>[ ] "Who are you and what do you want?"

>>2556367
>>[ ] "Marcus, who is this guy and what does he want?"
>[ ] "Where's Alex, Marcus?"

>[X] "Who are you and what do you want?"

Best to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. You doubt Marcus has had a friendly chat with the man about his intentions considering he's still pointing his gun at him.

You turn to the man. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"You'll find out who I am soon enough and I'm here because of that trouble you caused with the cops the other day." the man says. "Normally, someone more understanding like Dani, Kurt, or McCoy would be here right now to lecture you about responsibility and give you an offer to join the institute but none of them know about you. I'm sure if they heard the news one of them would've looked into it to find you and if you had popped up on our radar they'd be here in my place. That last reason is why I'm here personally and why I didn't tell any of them when I heard. Cerebro doesn't fuck up anywhere near that level of incompetence. You were showing off some pretty powerful mutant abilities in an open space free of any kind of telepathic inhibitor, I checked. Either Cerebro somehow managed to let that slip by or someone programed it to ignore your specific signature for some reason and I think I know why. Tell me, kid, when did you first manifest your powers?"

You narrow your eyes at the man. With the way he's talking about mutants and an institute he can only be referring to the Xavier Institute of Higher Learning. He's either a member of the X-men or part of the institute faculty.

>[ ] "Five years ago, why?"
>[ ] "Get lost. I don't want anything to do with you people."
>[ ] "Jesus, now!"
>[ ] "Ren, you know what to do."
>[ ] "Marcus, open the gate."
>[ ] Write In.

>>2556993
>>[ ] "Five years ago, why?"

>>2556993
>[ ] "Five years ago, why?"

>[X] "Five years ago, why?"

May as well see where he's going with this. It does somehow revolve around you. Whatever it is, it might be important.

"Five years ago, why?" you say.

The man hums at that. "Five years ago, Cerebro's alarm fired off continuously. It was some mutant in the Bronx with abilities that were approaching Omega levels of bullshit. A close friend of mine and I were left alone in the mansion for once so we were the only ones who heard. He took a peak into the mutant's mind and just like that," the man raises a hand and snaps his fingers, "he broke. I had to tear him out of Cerebro to get him to stop convulsing but for hours afterward he just kept muttering the same phrases over and over again: he is just a boy, empty, and why can he only feel pain. When he calmed down, he programmed Cerebro to ignore the mutant's signature so it could stop that fucking alarm. We didn't send anyone to pick up the mutant that day but we did talk about it a few days later. He admitted that he was ashamed of himself for not sending anyone to help the kid and went back into the machine's chair to check up on him. I still remember the horrified look on his face when he stood up. The kid went from being a dead inside Pinocchio to a psychopath who got off on murdering his surrogate father but couldn't recognize his heartbreak from it. He didn't want to bring him in after that. The kid would be too dangerous around the others."

Your blink at the man. He was on track until that last bit. All you murdered was an old man who took it upon himself to teach you, advise you, and occasionally feed you. Surrogate father is far too much of a stretch. As for the heartbreak, you have no idea what that is. You've seen people express sadness before but never felt it yourself. The only time you ever cried was probably in your infancy.

>[ ] "That's me. So, what do you want."
>[ ] "Wrong person, so long and get lost."
>[ ] "Jesus, now!"
>[ ] "Ren, you know what to do."
>[ ] "Marcus, open the gate."
>[ ] Write In.

Hey qm is it posible to upgrade our powers

>>2557505
In the future, yes.

>>2557477
>>[ ] "Wrong person, so long and get lost."

Did soldier Dan give us any combat lessons like hand to hand combat

>>2557477
>>[ ] "That's me. So, what do you want."

>>2559466
You and Marcus both. Problem is you haven't had a decent hand-to-hand fight in years thanks to your super strength.

>>2557477
>"That's me. So, what do you want."

After this incounter do we get time to manege our gang

Also this quest is really good, keep up the good work

>>2559868
What you want to do exactly?

>[X] "That's me. So, what do you want."

You have no reason to hide. The man doesn't know your name, who you really are, and just how far you've come since then. If he tries to take you away, you'll show him first-hand how powerful you are.

"That's me." you say. "So, what do you want?"

He narrows his eyes at you. "I wanted to confirm my suspicions, that's all. Now that I have, I'm done here." The man climbs back on his motorcycle but turns to you one last time before he switches on the ignition. "I'll leave you with a warning, though. Pull another stunt like that again and I'll personally drag your ass out of your little gang clubhouse all the way back to Salem Center. I don't care if Cyke or Emma give me an earful; we can't have brats like you going around doing whatever you want and fucking things up for the rest of us. An institute based detention center for rehabilitating young mutants who've let their power go to their heads has been long overdue anyway."

You scoff at the man. Like some five foot, three inches tall midget, superhuman or not, would be capable of beating you. Even if by some miracle he manages to knock you out long enough for them to build a prison at the institute, you'd just break out of it.

>[ ] "You have no idea who you're fucking with do you?"
>[ ] "Get lost."
>[ ] "I'll kill you if you ever show your face around here again."
>[ ] "Open the gate, Marcus, we've got shit to do."
>[ ] "Jesus, now!"
>[ ] "Ren, slice his tires."
>[ ] Write In.

>>2561038
>>[ ] "You have no idea who you're fucking with do you?"
>>[ ] "Get lost."

>>2561038
>[ ] "Get lost."
>[ ] "Open the gate, Marcus, we've got shit to do."

>[ ] "You have no idea who you're fucking with do you?"
>[ ] "Open the gate, Marcus, we've got shit to do."


>[X] "Get lost."

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2562284
every time

>[X] "Get lost."
>[X] "Open the gate, Marcus, we've got shit to do."

It's tempting to get into a pissing match with the man but you'd just be wasting time. You have a silver lion to hunt, a weapon's deal to complete, and an enforcer you may need to check up on. Maybe you could squeeze some other things into your schedule but those three things are your top priority right now.

"Get lost." you say.

The man scoffs at you before driving off.

Marcus breaths a sigh of relief behind you. You turn to face him and see him lower his gun. It seems like he had it trained on the man the entire time.

"Open the gate, Marcus, we've got shit to do." you say.

He give you a weary nod before turning around to input the key code.

You turn back back and look up at the building opposite of the warehouse to see Jesus dangling his feet over the edge of the rooftop. He gives you a stiff wave when he notices you looking at him. Graciously, you wave back before leaping to him. Jesus makes sure to conceal El Papa securely in his coat before you wrap an arm around him and fall with him to the ground.

The gate is already open when you land. Marcus and Ren are waiting by the opened entrance for you and Jesus to catch up. As you approach, you notice quite a few of your boys are inside but not all of them are down from upstairs yet.

It's only when you enter do you realize why. The alluring smell of sweat and sex is in the air. Almost all of your male foot soldiers are giving it off along with a few of your girls. Muffled moans ooze down through the ceiling separating the ground floor from the second.

You groan and turn to Marcus. "Alex?"

"Alex." he answers. "You know how she can't resist the morning...forest. Bitch is insatiable."

It's not the first time she's started an orgy before. You don't mind it although it can get really distracting. Sometimes you wonder if she starts them in an effort to draw you in. Alex has known about your enhanced sense of smell ever since you used it to track her down after you first met.

>[ ] Sit down at the round-table with just you, Marcus, Ren, and Jesus. Let Alex have her fun, it's not like she's going to recommend any course of action you'll actually take. Her morning wood cutting helps raise morale anyway.
>[ ] Hop upstairs and drag Alex back down. She can fuck whoever she wants another time, right now she's yours.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2562818
>>[ ] Sit down at the round-table with just you, Marcus, Ren, and Jesus. Let Alex have her fun, it's not like she's going to recommend any course of action you'll actually take. Her morning wood cutting helps raise morale anyway.

>>2562818
>[X] Sit down at the round-table with just you, Marcus, Ren, and Jesus. Let Alex have her fun, it's not like she's going to recommend any course of action you'll actually take. Her morning wood cutting helps raise morale anyway.

>>2562818
>>[ ] Hop upstairs and drag Alex back down. She can fuck whoever she wants another time, right now she's yours.

>[X] Sit down at the round-table with just you, Marcus, Ren, and Jesus. Let Alex have her fun, it's not like she's going to recommend any course of action you'll actually take. Her morning wood cutting helps raise morale anyway.

You sigh, walk to the round-table, and seat yourself in an empty chair. For now, you'll just have to endure the sounds and smells of sex. Better than going through the hassle of dragging her out but still quite troublesome.

The lieutenants follow your lead and take up all the other empty seats with the exception of one.

Marcus groans as he slumps down in his chair. "So, what the fuck where you guys doing out so early in the morning?"

>[ ] "We made a deal with the Bratva. I got 30% off two-hundred orders of body armor, two-hundred orders of combat knives, four-hundred 7.62 mags filled with AP rounds, one-hundred AK-103s, and one-hundred AK-104s. Costs us almost half our stash but it'll be worth it."
>[ ] "What were you doing alone out there?"
>[ ] "Silvio first, I'll tell you about it afterward."
>[ ] Writ In.

we in writtin low lads

>>2564266
>[ ] "We made a deal with the Bratva. I got 30% off two-hundred orders of body armor, two-hundred orders of combat knives, four-hundred 7.62 mags filled with AP rounds, one-hundred AK-103s, and one-hundred AK-104s. Costs us almost half our stash but it'll be worth it."

>>2564266
>>[ ] "We made a deal with the Bratva. I got 30% off two-hundred orders of body armor, two-hundred orders of combat knives, four-hundred 7.62 mags filled with AP rounds, one-hundred AK-103s, and one-hundred AK-104s. Costs us almost half our stash but it'll be worth it.

did we timeskip the actual deal? seems like we jetted as soon as we got there cause of the news.

>>2564320
Last thread, we made a deal with the brigadier. It ended when we got out and discovered are not quite stolen vehicle had a dent in its bumper.

>[X] "We made a deal with the Bratva. I got 30% off two-hundred orders of body armor, two-hundred orders of combat knives, four-hundred 7.62 mags filled with AP rounds, one-hundred AK-103s, and one-hundred AK-104s. Costs us almost half our stash but it'll be worth it."

You wanted to save the news as a surprise for later but why not?

A grin spreads across your face. "We made a deal with the Bratva. I got 30% off two-hundred orders of body armor, two-hundred orders of combat knives, four-hundred 7.62 mags filled with AP rounds, one-hundred AK-103s, and one-hundred AK-104s. Costs us almost half our stash but it'll be worth it."

Marcus raises an eyebrow at you and looks to Ren. She gives him a nod. His eyes narrow at the both of you before turning to Jesus. Jesus blinks at him at first but nods.

Your grin widens as his eyes do the same. A laugh escapes your throat when he turns back to you and gapes. It's understandable, really. You've been making enemies into your friends as of late despite having murdered everyone else who stood against you in the past.

"...First Itsuki and now the Bratva." Marcus mutters. "Oh fuck, you even managed to get a discount. How the hell did you do that, Kojo?!"

A mischievous smirk tugs on your lips. "I used my Latin charm."

Marcus laughs at that. "What, was your black swag not doing it for you?"

"Yeah," you say, "it kept making me speak in incomprehensible ebonics and want to smoke weed every day."

"Hey, nigga, fuck you!" he says.

The both of you stare silently at one another serenaded by the muffled sounds of humping and moans before erupting in laughter.

Ren and Jesus look on dumbfounded along with every one of your present foot soldiers. You're not sure if they've ever seen you talk with Marcus like you were actual friends before. Probably not, you've been distant from him ever since you solidified your hold over the Bronx and most of your crew that were actually around for your early little league gang days got gunned down by the Bratva.

You're really glad he's still alive after all the two of you have been through.

>[ ] "So, why where you out there alone? You could've gotten yourself killed with that lightweight hangover of yours."
>[ ] "Alright, now that that's out of the way we can talk about how we're going to move on Silvio."
>[ ] "Hold on, Alex should be here for this."
>[ ] Write In.

How have my prompt choices been lately? Am I giving you too much, the right amount, or is there a problem with most of them being dialogue rather than courses of action? Or is something up with the actual choices themselves? Last thread's Bratva order blunder made me kind of insecure..

>>2564710
>[ ] "Hold on, Alex should be here for this."

>>2564710
>[ ] "Alright, now that that's out of the way we can talk about how we're going to move on Silvio."

I'm fine with the options so far.

>>2564710
>>[ ] "Alright, now that that's out of the way we can talk about how we're going to move on Silvio."

>[X] "Alright, now that that's out of the way we can talk about how we're going to move on Silvio."

>(1/2)

Time to get down to business.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way we can talk about how we're going to move on Silvio." you say.

Your three lieutenants nod.

Marcus, as usual, is the first one you turn to.

"Now, I know what you're going to say, but hear me out. We should convince Silvermane to join us. he says.

You and the rest of your present inner circle stare at him.

"You're drunk, Marcus." you say.

"No," he says, "i'm hungover. Silvermane has been in this game longer than any of us have. He's seen the mafia bite the dust, Kingpin rise to power from their ashes, and dozens of others fall or rise over the years. The Maggia are at a life-and-death point right now. If Silvermane doesn't put down Hammerhead soon, Kingpin is going to come in while they're both weak and wipe them out. Silvermane can either join us and help us take down Kingpin as well as Hammerhead, get his insides torn out by you, or end up getting wiped by Kingpin. The old Sicilian or Italian fuck is proud but I doubt he can deny that he doesn't have much of a choice left."

You hum. Marcus has a good point. The man's experienced enough to know what his current circumstances are. It's just that the mere thought of having to convince a rival to stand down and not getting to mercilessly butcher them makes you sick. Woo-Jin's death filled you with ecstasy; his fear smelled so sweet, your heart pulsed with excitement, the candle-lit setting before the shrine to Ji-Hoon was idyllic, and the power you felt in that split moment you saw him die was immeasurable. Handling Silvio like this won't satisfy you at all.

Ren is the one you turn to next.

"Silvio Manfredi has a granddaughter, correct Reyes-sama? she asks.

A grin spreads across your face and you nod at her. It's obvious where she's going with this. Family is always on her mind for some reason or another.

"We can abduct her and issue Silvio a demand of your choice. I recommend either demanding that he launch an attack on Kingpin, kneel to you, dismantle his criminal operations, or to not attack us if you decide to attack Kingpin yourself. We can still use her afterward if you so desire, Reyes-sama." Ren says.

A solid plan. Sofia is all the family he has left. Every one of his own children have died either by assassination or by natural causes. The old man will do anything to get his precious granddaughter back which might be a hindrance as well as a benefit. You could make him kneel, kill him, and then have his granddaughter take his place as a figurehead for the Maggia. Who knows, it might be fun to have a little hateful step-sister to boss around. There's quite a lot ways things could go if you choose to go with Ren's plan.

>(2/2)

Jesus is the last one you turn to. You can already guess what his plan of action is going to be.

"We should assassinate him, patron." he says.

You groan. "Explain in detail."

"The Maggia is heavily centralized around its leader like la Costa Nostra and unlike la Camorra. Only Silvermane doesn't have a second-in-command, an underboss, or a consigliere. Everyone reports directly to him; capos, soldiers, and associates. We cut off his head and the capos will fight over control of his family. It may be possible to convince some of them to join us but first we must deal with Hammerhead before he receives word of Silvio's demise. Kingpin will no doubt take notice of the infighting if we don't take his head off soon afterward as well." Jesus says.

Assassination, the oldest trick in the book. You already knew about the Maggia's structure. Just murdering the old man has crossed your mind before but the problem in this situation is it'll go noticed by Hammerhead and Kingpin. Silvio's a renowned public figure. News may have died down but he used to own New York. Unlike Woo-Jin, word of his death is going to spread fast.

Your eyes fall still at the center of the round-table.

It's your call.

>[ ] "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."(Diplomacy)
>[ ] "We're going with Ren's plan. I don't want to talk to Silvio and killing him will attract too much attention."(Abduction, Target: Sofia Manfredi, Location: Unknown)
>[ ] "Jesus, we're going with your plan. I want to do this the old fashioned way."(Assassination, Target: Silvio "Silvermane" Manfredi, Location: Unkown, Lead(s): The Faziolo
>[ ] "Hold up, I want to see what Alex has to say about this."
>[ ] "I can decide some other time. Right now, I need to collect some cash for the Bratva deal.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2565763
>abduction

>>2565763
>>[ ] "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."(Diplomacy)

If he doesn't turn then he dies

>>2565763
>[ ] "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."(Diplomacy)
For for good he is at brute force, Kojo is more of a finesse kinda guy.

>>2565763
>[ ] "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."(Diplomacy)

>[X] "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."(Diplomacy)

If you fail, you could just kill the old man or kidnap his granddaughter afterward.

You sigh. "Against my better judgment, I'll go with Marcus' plan and have a talk with the old man. I've been on a roll lately talking my enemies into helping me. Who knows, I might actually win him over."

Ren and Jesus stare at you while Marcus smirks.

"You're right, Kojo," Marcus says, "I think I might actually be drunk."

You lift your gaze to his smiling face and share a laugh.

"...Yeah, me too." you say.

Talking to someone like Itsuki or the Bratva brigadier is easier for you. Neither of them were any kind of major authority figure in their organizations compared to yourself. Silvio is the defacto leader of his organization. He's been the face of crime in New York for decades now. You can't help but feel like letting him live compromises your own dominance, your power. It's either your past experiences with people like him talking or some strange primal need of yours to be the alpha male.

Speaking of being the alpha male, it seems like Alex's unsanctioned orgy has died down. More of your boys and a few of your girls are climbing down the ladders. They reek of sex, sweat, and for some reason shame.

You might need to have a talk with her about it sometime.

A long hard, brutal talking.

...

You lift up an open hand and slam your face into it. Everyone around you visibly flinches at the sickening crack. Warm blood oozes down your deformed nostrils.

A sigh of relief comes out of you as you lean back in your chair, free of lewd thoughts.

"Y-you okay, Kojo?" Marcus asks.

You wait for your nose to reform before answering him.

"Yuuup." you say.

Marcus and everyone else blinks at you.

>[ ] "So, who wants to come with me to talk to Silvio?"
>[ ] "I'm going to go find Silvio now, you three keep an eye on the place and on Alex."
>[ ] "So, Marcus, why the hell were you facing that guy down alone? I didn't tell you about the lookouts I placed so you were going into that situation knowing you were alone and hungover."
>[ ] Stand up and ask if anyone other than Jesus knows how to drive. You're going to need some people to move those trucks filled with your gear and you don't exactly trust the Bratva with the location of your base.
>[ ] Go upstairs and check on Alex. If she's still conscious you can give her a talking to or talk about what she thinks you should do. If she's not...you can clean her off and get her dressed.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2566532
>[ ] Stand up and ask if anyone other than Jesus knows how to drive. You're going to need some people to move those trucks filled with your gear and you don't exactly trust the Bratva with the location of your base.
Get Ren to come with us to the meeting, have Marcus handle the gun deal, and have Jesus start training the guards on the new hardware and keep up the rotations.

>>2566532
>>[ ] Stand up and ask if anyone other than Jesus knows how to drive. You're going to need some people to move those trucks filled with your gear and you don't exactly trust the Bratva with the location of your base.

>>2566532
>>[ ] Stand up and ask if anyone other than Jesus knows how to drive. You're going to need some people to move those trucks filled with your gear and you don't exactly trust the Bratva with the location of your base.

>[X] Stand up and ask if anyone other than Jesus knows how to drive. You're going to need some people to move those trucks filled with your gear and you don't exactly trust the Bratva with the location of your base.

Jesus is a good getaway/drive-by driver but there is no possible way he can drive a cargo truck with the way he turns without flipping it over.

You stand up from your seat and look around at your men.

"Do any of you know how to drive?" you ask.

A few hands raise up, one of them being Jesus'.

"Put your hand down, Jesus." you say.

He complies much to the confusion of your unenlightened foot soldiers and to Ren's relief.

Marcus raises an eyebrow at you, turns to Ren, and then focuses his gaze on Jesus.

Jesus blinks at him.

Your best friend sighs. "What happened, Jesus?"

He parts his lips to say something but you hold out a hand to stop him.

"Don't," you say, "I want to save it as a surprise for next time you're behind the wheel."

Marcus narrows his eyes at you. You snicker at him, making him groan in response. The look on his face when he experiences Jesus make a car turn will most likely leave your breathless for a few good minutes.

>[ ] "I'm going to go get the cash for the Bratva deal. You guys hang tight while I do that."
>[ ] "Marcus, take a few of our driver boys to grab about five mil in cash from the stash. I'm trusting you to make the Bratva deal."
>[ ] "Marcus, you're coming along with me to meet Silvio."
>[ ] "Ren, you're coming along with me to meet Silvio."
>[ ] "Jesus, you're coming along with me to meet Silvio."
>[ ] "I'm going to go find Silvio now, you three keep an eye on the place and on Alex."
>[ ] Go upstairs and check on Alex. If she's still conscious you can give her a talking to or talk about what she thinks you should do. If she's not...you can clean her off and get her dressed.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2567041
Can I just repeat what I suggested here >>2566557?

>>2567131
Yes

>[X] Have Ren come with you to parley with Silvermane, Marcus handle the Bratva deal, and Jesus keep watch on the warehouse as well as drill your soldiers with the new hardware when Marcus gets back.

Marcus is the only person in your inner circle you let know the location of your stash. Add in his head for negotiation, leadership, and tactics he's the perfect as well as only reputable stand-in for you at the Bratva deal. Ren could probably carry it out but she's better suited to accompanying you on account of her being two ranks below you. If you decided to send her, the Bratva might be a bit insulted. Jesus has the distinct attitude of an enforcer. He'd spook Silvio and make a negative impression on the Bratva. Not to mention Ren's weapon of choice has a better chance of getting by a frisking than Jesus'.

You shift your gaze from Marcus to Ren.

"Ren, you're coming with me to talk to Silvio." you say.

She nods and rises from her seat to walk to your side.

You turn to Marcus and see him raising an eyebrow at you. He must be miffed that you're not taking him to put his own plan in action. While he might be capable of negotiating with Silvermane on his own, you doubt the old man will give a second-in-command the time of day. A shame, really, he might do better than you.

"Marcus, take five million from our stash and four of our boys who know how to drive to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. I'm trusting you to make the Bratva deal." you say.

He sighs. "Sure, Kojo. We should probably move the stash when you get back. I know our boys wouldn't swipe anything without your say-so but still someone could see us hauling all that cash around, sneak in, and take it while we're off making the deal with the Bratva."

You hum. "I'll think about it."

Jesus is the last one you turn to.

"Jesus, you're in charge while we're out. When Marcus comes back, I want you to start drilling our boys on the new hardware. Make sure they don't fire off shots but know how to hold them and how to switch them from automatic to burst fire." you say.

He nods. "Si, patron."

With all said and done, Marcus rises from his seat and starts scrutinizing those who raised their hands while Jesus remains in his own vigilantly.

You turn around and walk out the gate with Ren by your side.

>[ ] Wrap an arm around Ren and go rooftop hopping to the Fazioli.
>[ ] Walk to a phone booth and call in another taxi.
>[ ] "You haven't had breakfast yet, right Ren? Let's grab a bite before we go meet Silvermane."
>[ ] Write In.

>>2570055
>>[ ] Wrap an arm around Ren and go rooftop hopping to the Fazioli.

>>2570055
>>[ ] Wrap an arm around Ren and go rooftop hopping to the Fazioli.

>>2570055
>[ ] Wrap an arm around Ren and go rooftop hopping to the Fazioli.

>[X] Wrap an arm around Ren and go rooftop hopping to the Fazioli.

No time to waste. Ren can have brunch after you're done with Silvio. Plus, it'll be hilarious if her stomach growls while everyone's on edge.

You wrap an arm around Ren's waist and immediately feel her clutch onto you. Blinking, you look down at her. She has a blank expression on her face but you can see the fear in her dark eyes. It takes a great deal of effort for you to stifle a laugh. Her usual overly formal attitude just makes little moments like this all the more precious.

With one hop, you go from the ground to the Warehouse rooftop. Your posted guard gives you a hasty salute as you land. A brief wave is all he gets in return before you take off.

Ren's grip on you tightens with every hop you take. It's not restrictive in any way but it can lead to a certain restriction you have no fondness of. Thankfully, you are spared the potential of such another embarrassment when you reach the end of Port Morris. There's no cargo truck on the road to the bridge to Randalls Island in sight so you stop on the roof of a building just a short ways away from the bridge.

You let go of the girl much to her relief.

She takes a moment to breathe before turning to you. Her eye are sparkling from what you assume to be held back tears. You can barely hold back a condescending coo at the adorable sight.

"Thank you, Reyes-sama." she says.

A grin spreads across your face.

"Don't thank me yet," you say, "I only stopped because there's no truck we can cross over inconspicuously on. Besides that, the real roller-coaster ride starts when we get off in Queens."

Ren blinks at that.

"...Oh." she mutters.

You stifle another laugh.

>[ ] Wait for a truck to pass by, you need to keep certain things like displaying your mutant attributes down and Ren could use a break.
>[ ] Hop across the bridge with Ren, it looks empty enough and you can probably get this over with without another incident if you go fast enough.
>[ ] Go back to ground, swipe some pocket change, and call a cab. You don't want to risk it or wait.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2570438
>>[ ] Wait for a truck to pass by, you need to keep certain things like displaying your mutant attributes down and Ren could use a break.

>>2570438
>>[ ] Wait for a truck to pass by, you need to keep certain things like displaying your mutant attributes down and Ren could use a break.

>>2570438
>[ ] Wait for a truck to pass by, you need to keep certain things like displaying your mutant attributes down and Ren could use a break.

>[X] Wait for a truck to pass by, you need to keep certain things like displaying your mutant attributes down and Ren could use a break.

>(1/2)

You don't need anymore attention from the press. There's also the matter of mutton chops' warning. Sure, you could definitely take him but then he'd most likely come back with members of the X-men. Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Colossus, Beast, The Wolverine, and a bunch of other no names you could probably kill with a finger. Wolverine is the only you think will give you any actual trouble though. He's over a century and a half old with plenty of combat experience under his belt, if the stories about him have any truth to them. Both issues pale in comparison to your biggest problem right now. It's quite possibly your worst enemy and the third most visible mutant attribute of yours behind your robust physique as well as your most visible mutant attribute, your horns. Ren's only going to hold onto you tighter now that you've told her what awaits her. Giving it time to go down is your safest choice to preserve your ego and for Ren's own physical well being.

For twenty minutes you and Ren go about your own things.

Ren spends most of her time going through her improvised chain-blade kata she once practiced with her sister before re-binding it around her arm and sitting at the edge of the rooftop on truck lookout.

You sculpt "THE PRINCE WAS HERE" onto the cement roof with a finger and lay down to gaze up at the sky wondering just what lies beyond it.

The Phoenix showed you true power. Death made you feel it firsthand and you could endure it. It's quite possible that there are even more if not even greater cosmic entities like them out there. What Death told you about another vessel outside of this time concerns you though. Someone else with the Phoenix's power would be far more powerful than you. Just the thought is maddening enough for you to want to talk to Death again about it, which might have been her plan all along to lure you away from the Phoenix and into her crushing embrace. All of that talk about another vessel could've been a lie or even a half-truth. Countless versions of Earth were shown to you by the Phoenix. Maybe the vessel is from one of them that is somehow divergent from yours.

>(2/2)

"I see a cargo truck, Reyes-sama." Ren speaks out.

You blink and kip-up back to your feet. A short walk takes you to a now standing Ren who points the truck out for you. It's near the end of the road leading into the bridge.

Slowly, you wrap an arm around her waist. Ren is a bit taken back by your consideration. Her arms gently coil themselves around your chest.

A sigh escapes your lips.

It seems like you're not going to get a break today. Maybe you should've brought Marcus along instead to avoid these kind of awkward situations. You'd still be getting excited but at least it'd be more comfortable around him; he's seen you get like this before. Usually, you can keep these kind of sexual urges under wrap but that dream of yours teared a hole in the shield of abstinence you've built up over the years. A few days away from any kind of sex-related stimuli whatsoever would do you some good if you didn't have to go around carrying people who break out in nervous sweats until you've sorted everything out with the criminal underworld.

You leap from the building all the way to the roof of the truck's cargo. Letting yourself fall to your back, you dig your fingers into the steel roof to anchor yourself to it. Ren's hold around you tightens as the truck continues its route into Randalls Island.

The ride through Randalls Island to Queens is relatively smooth. A few turns sway you around but they're nothing compared to Jesus' insanely sharp ones. Your lieutenant's grip loosens up from the stillness much to your relief.

On your side, Queens' vast stretches of large buildings lay out before you.

The truck is on the freeway now judging by the sight.

>[ ] Continue hopping to the Fazioli, no point in slowing down now.
>[ ] Superman jump to Brooklyn, you can land on a rooftop and minimize the amount of stress Ren would be under. Problem is you could cave in the rooftop instead of leaving a moderately sized crater or worst case critical fuck-up scenario take off hard enough that the g-force kills Ren and you land somewhere far away from Brooklyn.(Power Control Check DC14)
>[ ] Drop down and walk through Queens to the Fazioli in Brooklyn, Ren seems like she's going to be out of it if you reach the Fazioli by rooftop.
>[ ] Drop down, swipe some pocket change from a passerby, and call a taxi, you don't want Ren to be out of it and you don't want to be seen by others that could call the cops.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2571863
>[ ] Drop down and walk through Queens to the Fazioli in Brooklyn, Ren seems like she's going to be out of it if you reach the Fazioli by rooftop.
Let's us scout the area a bit and should give Silverman a heads up that we're on our way.

>>2571863
>[ ] Drop down and walk through Queens to the Fazioli in Brooklyn, Ren seems like she's going to be out of it if you reach the Fazioli by rooftop.

>>2571863
>>[ ] Continue hopping to the Fazioli, no point in slowing down now.

>[X] Drop down and walk through Queens to the Fazioli in Brooklyn, Ren seems like she's going to be out of it if you reach the Fazioli by rooftop.

Super jumping there is too much, you've already spent over an hour in a cab today, and hopping the rest of the way will probably overwhelm Ren. You might get the cops called on you or stopped by a wandering policeman but you're sure you can handle them appropriately. It beats having to babysit Ren and possibly getting vomited on by her.

"Hold on." you say.

Ren nods and tightens her grip around you as you stand yourself on the moving truck.

You hop from the roof down to the ground beneath the freeway. A loud thud emanates from the contact between your feet and the pavement. Lifting your head to check your surroundings, you see a few people spread out in front of you gape. They don't say anything even as Ren let's go of you, sighs in relief, and blinks at them. She stares at them for a moment before turning to you. Concern is written in her expression.

With a shrug of your shoulders, you take a few steps ahead and motion for Ren to follow you. You can hear her pause for a moment behind you before obeying your command. She parts her lips to voice her concerns when she catches up to your side but you stop her by raising a hand. These people will most likely gawk for a minute before going about their day. If they actually knew about the incident, they'd have called the police by now. Despite being an incredibly stupid thing to do you've had a lot of people try that shit on you in the past. None of them ever made it otherwise you wouldn't exactly be here right now not under an operating table or outside in public view.

You're already half-way through northwestern Queens to Brooklyn when you finally bump into a police officer.

Just as you walk to one side of a street corner with Ren to your right, an officer is doing the same from the opposite side to your left. The two of you notice him just as he takes notice of you. He reflexively takes a step back at the sight of your horns and gapes.

>[ ] "Hello, officer! I see you've taken notice of my horns."
>[ ] Turn to Ren and nod.
>[ ] Let him take a second.
>[ ] Knock him out before he tries or says anything.
>[ ] Break his neck.
>[ ] Write In.

Sorry for the late update.

>>2572834
>[ ] Just keep walking. If he's smart he won't start anything.

>>2573068
This

>[X] Just keep walking. If he's smart he won't start anything.

Not every cop in New York City can be as stupid as those two fucks that shot at you yesterday morning.

You take a few steps forward and motion for Ren to follow you once again.

At almost the other end of the street, the cop finally gathers up his courage to pursue you.

You hear his footsteps someways behind you and remember that you're in the same New York City where cops sign on to hold off supervillains until the heroes arrive. Every single one of them is an idiot. Turning behind you, you see the man a quarter into the street just at the center of the right lane. A car is traveling along it at the same time. It's very much close to crashing into that reckless dumbass.

>[ ] Save him, maybe he'll put a good word out for you.
>[ ] Let him die and keep walking, you don't have time to play hero.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2573527
>[ ] Save him, maybe he'll put a good word out for you.
Yell at him to look both ways. Should startle him enough to stay out of the cars way.

>>2573527
>[ ] Let him die and keep walking, you don't have time to play hero.

>>2573527
>>[ ] Let him die and keep walking, you don't have time to play hero.

We've killed a cabby for being rude afterall

>>2573648
I figured it would be good to have a cop spread some good will in the department. They might be more inclined to look the other way.

>>2573527
>[ ] Save him, maybe he'll put a good word out for you.
We gotta give back to the community if we intend to properly rule it.

>>2573632
>Yell at him to look both ways. Should startle him enough to stay out of the cars way.
A bit too close for that.

>>2573730
Ah shit. Leave him then. Darwin at work.

>[X] Let him die and keep walking, you don't have time to play hero.

You've got more important things to do than saving some dumbass boy in blue. It'll be easier and less complicated to give back to the community you'll be ruling over once you're actually ruling it. Going around saving people now would just be a waste of time considering you're a wanted suspect. None of what you do now will probably matter when you choose to unveil yourself to the world anyway. Everyone would still be suspicious of some powerful mutant who just now decided to out himself to the world with not a single record to his name but an APB out on someone matching his description.

Turning your head back in front of you, you hear the resounding crunch of steel smash into a human body behind you.

Ren begins to turn her own head to look but you place a hand on her shoulder to push her onward.

Nothing eventful happens for the rest of the walk. You get the usual stares from passerbys but nothing out of the ordinary. From the way Silvio has his men operate, you wouldn't run into any of them on the streets knowingly or see anything shady being done in public view. Maggia men under Silvermane are typically stationed at expensive fancy establishments in black suits to blend in and protect high-paying members of their protection racket from would be hustlers. They can only be seen in public view around the silver lion himself or out of their black suits in their civvies.

Crossing one more road you finally reach the street the Fazioli dwells in.

You can recall the familiar scent of silk and top shelf alcohol lingering in the air. High-priced cars and a few fancy limousines are parked by the curb. It's busier than it was when you first came here. Probably because Silvio had everyone clear out beforehand to accommodate your meeting. Something is happening for that many people to be here in the late morning. There's probably quite a few Manfredi men in there.

>[ ] Check things out inside on your own and have Ren wait outside.
>[ ] Walk in with Ren, what harm could there be?
>[ ] Hop to the roof and check for any open windows.
>[ ] "Ren, slice all those tires."
>[ ] Sniff around the vehicles, someone might've left a piece behind or Silvio might already be here.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2574289
>>[ ] Hop to the roof and check for any open windows.

>>2574289
>[ ] Sniff around the vehicles, someone might've left a piece behind or Silvio might already be here.

>>2574289
>>>[ ] Hop to the roof and check for any open windows.

>[X] Hop to the roof and check for any open windows.

Best to scope the place out first before entering. Also, seeing what exactly is going on inside. Walking in through the front door so brazenly might ruin whatever plans you had to negotiate with Silvio.

You turn to Ren. "Stay here."

She nods and gives you your space.

With a leap, you go from the side-walk to the roof of the fancy club.

You look down at the front face of the building and see only fixed black tinted windows as well as the unlit light-up sign spelling out the name of the club. There's no one posted outside the front entrance but there's most likely someone posted inside. Checking the back of the building you see the same exact window scheme as well as a back door. It's probably locked but you could easily force it open and sneak in.

>[ ] Drop down and come in through the back door alone.
>[ ] Drop back down to Ren, bring her to the back of the building, and walk in together.
>[ ] Drop to the front of the bulding and walk in alone.
>[ ] Drop back down to Ren and walk in together.
>[ ] Drop back down and sniff around the vehicles.
>[ ] Cave in the roof for shits and giggles, let everyone staring up from the open hole know you want to talk to Silvermane.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2575052
>>[ ] Drop back down to Ren, bring her to the back of the building, and walk in together.

>>2575052
>[ ] Drop back down to Ren, bring her to the back of the building, and walk in together.

>[X] Drop back down to Ren, bring her to the back of the building, and walk in together.

Ren's good enough to take with you on any mission requiring stealth. She's no Alex but she's better than present Marcus and Jesus. None of them can compare to you back in your street-rat days, though; not even you now. The carapace of keratin in your torso while connected to the rest of your bones by malleable cartilage makes fluid movement a tad more difficult. It threw you off at first and while you did adjust to it you hardly needed to use stealth much thanks to your newfound Herculean strength.

You hop down back to your previous spot.

Leaning on a nearby wall, Ren awaits your command. You walk to the street corner and wave for her to follow you. Together you circle around the street and stop just outside the back door of the Fazioli.

The door knob doesn't even make a sound when you turn it open. It's lock doesn't come anywhere near close to putting up any viable resistance against you. Gently, you turn it back to its original position before slowly pushing the door just a bit open.

You peek your head in and see a storage room of some sort.

A sniff reveals that the packaged boxes are all filled with various aged spirits. The stench of the alcohol is enough to completely bleach your sense of smell. It must be somewhere near the club's bar. From there, you could see almost entire club floor.

You carefully open the door all the way, step in, and wave for Ren to join you inside.

Ren joins you in the bar storage room and you slowly ease the door shut behind the both of you.

>[ ] Check for any vents. You probably can't fit in them but Ren's short enough and thin enough to.
>[ ] Open the storage room door just a bit and peek your head in.
>[ ] Put your ear against the storage room door.
>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper alone.
>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club with Ren behind you.
>[ ] Write In.

>almost entire club floor
I don't know why but this misspelling pisses me off way more than it should.

>>2575522
>>[ ] Put your ear against the storage room door.

>[X] Put your ear against the storage room door.

You're probably not going to hear what exactly is going on behind it but you might be able to make out a voice or two.

A short walk takes you to the entrance door of the storage room.

You crouch down, close your eyes, and press an ear against it.

There are a total of around four to five people speaking inside. Smooth piano music further muffles their voices. You can only make out the tone of one gravelly voice nearby. It doesn't sound familiar to you.

Humming, you stand back up. The people speaking inside are most likely high-ranking members of the Maggia considering they're the only ones talking despite there being outside evidence of more people inside. One of them could probably be Silvio. Either that or they're waiting for Silvio to arrive. It's bound to be something big if your intuition is right.

>[ ] Check for any vents. You probably can't fit in them but Ren's short enough and thin enough to.
>[ ] Open the storage room door just a bit and peek your head in.
>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper alone.
>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper with Ren behind you.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2580189
>>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper with Ren behind you.

>>2580189
>>[ ] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper with Ren behind you.

>[X] Open the storage room door and walk into the club proper with Ren behind you.

No sense beating around the bush. You might be fired at so its best for Ren to stay behind your bulletproof body than the non-bulletproof walls. Hopefully, Silvio's inside so you don't have to waste any time waiting for him to come to you.

You wave at Ren to come to you.

She complies and stops by your side.

"No matter what happens stay behind me." you whisper.

Ren nods before positioning herself behind your back.

You grasp the storage door knob in your hand, turn it, and open the door.

Immediately, the sound of firearms being drawn fills the air. You step into the club proper and take a look around. There are sixteen men with black suits on the ground floor. Fifteen have Glocks, Berettas, and HS2000s pointed at you while one extremely white man in black is sitting calmly on a bar stool observing the situation. At the center of the floor is a fancy round-table with three men seated around it. None of them look too pleased at your surprise intrusion and none of them are who you're looking for.

Just your luck.

>[ ] "I'm here to talk to Silvio."
>[ ] "Do any of you have the slightest clue who you're aiming your weapons at? Put your fucking guns down before you start a war you won't survive."
>[ ] Close the door and walk out the back exit like nothing happened.
>[ ] Wait for them to say something.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2580858
>>[ ] "I'm here to talk to Silvio."

>>2580858
>>[ ] "I'm here to talk to Silvio."

>[X] "I'm here to talk to Silvio."

>(1/2)

You broke in through their back entrance. Walking away will just make them come after you which might get Ren killed. Staying silent waiting for them to say something first might make the trigger-happy foot soldiers of theirs put holes into your fresh pair of clothes. Acting like you're the big deal you really are after scurrying in like a rat might not make them inclined to believe you. Best to just be upfront.

"I'm here to talk to Silvio." you say.

One of the three men rises from their seat. He's much younger than the other two and far more brash from the way he carries himself. You can just tell that he's going to say something stupid.

He takes a few steps in your direction and scoffs.

"You," he spits, "want to get word with the big man himself after breaking into one of his favorite lounges and disturbing a poker game between three of his most distinguished capos?"

You blink at that. It could've been anything else but it was a poker game. The Maggia is practically on the edge of the knife and three of their capos are wasting their time on a goddamn poker game. Either Silvio is keeping them out of the loop on what he's planning against Hammerhead or he's really fallen from grace. Maybe he needs a kick in the ass from you to remind him what game he's playing. He'll do better under your heel if you do so or realize just how far he's fallen right before he dies.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Boys, light this mut-"

>(2/2)

Another one of the three capos rises from their seat just as the young one is about to finish their death sentence.

"Calm the fuck down, Mike!" he yells. "I've heard about this kid from the boss. His name's....Uh, fuck. What was it? He had a lot of them."

You grin as the capo struggles to remember. The men in black around him look on perplexed. An impatient groan slips out of the young capo's lips.

"Young Scratch! That's his name or at least one of them. He's the boss of the Bronx. Silvio offered him to join the Maggia under his own family but the kid turned him down." the capo finally says.

The young capo turns back to the older one. "Well, why don't we just shoot the fucker now?"

"Because we'd be making a move without Silvio's sanction and the kid's bulletproof as well as strong enough to rip out our spines and play soccer with our heads." the older capo says. "Now, get your ass back in your seat. This game's not over yet."

The young capo scoffs before joining the older capos back at the table.

"Feel free to hang around, kid. Have a soda or a drink from the bar if you can handle it. Silvio's already on his way to meet with that big albino bastard over there." the older capo says pointing towards the man in black by the bar examining you curiously.

You hum at the sight of the man. He doesn't look familiar to you but he must be some kind of big deal if Silvio's agreed to meet him in person. For what, you'll find out soon enough.

>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and order a drink.
>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and have a chat with the man.
>[ ] Sit down at one of the club tables with Ren.
>[ ] Whisper for Ren to stay hidden in the storage room.
>[ ] Whisper for Ren to check for any vents she can sneak in from the storage room and hide out in there.
>[ ] Whisper for Ren to exit the back door and wait outside.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2583284
>>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and have a chat with the man.

>>2583284
>>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and order a drink.
can we also do this
>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and have a chat with the man.

>>2583354
Yes

>>2583284
>>[ ] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and have a chat with the man.

I dont mind a drink for us
Ren seems like a lightweight though

>[X] Take a seat at the bar with Ren and have a chat with the man.
>[X] Order a drink.

>(1/2)

Whoever that man is he's important somehow. Best for you to find out how before Silvio arrives. You might be able to use him against the old man. May as well order a drink while you're striking up a conversation. It's probably going to take a while for Silvio to get here. As for Ren, the safest place she could be is by your side.

You stride across the club to the fancy bar at your right with Ren following close behind you.

The Maggia foot soldiers raise their eyebrows at the sight of your meek, furtive companion.

An open seat by the pale man in black is the one you choose to seat yourself on. You glance back at Ren and pat down on the stool next to yours. She obediently takes her place by your right side.

Turning back to the bar counter, you see a nervous dark-skinned barkeep looking at you.

A grin spreads across your face. "I'll have a margarita on the rocks, Mezcal in place of the Tequila, and blended not shaken."

"O-okay." the man says and turns to Ren. "Can I get you anything?"

"Water." Ren answers plainly.

The man nods before turning to the shelf behind him.

File: Spoiler Image (140 KB, 791x497)

140 KB JPG

>(2/2)

You glance to your left and see the albino man staring back at you. From here, you can recognize his facial features. The man's black but his skin betrays his race. Albinism is more common in Africans and people of African descent than it is in other peoples. It doesn't stop them from persecuting Albinos for having white skin though. People are shitty that way.

"Who are you to get a meeting with Silvio Manfredi himself in person no less?" you ask.

The man grins at you, showing off his unnaturally pointed teeth. "I would say the same to you about how you brazenly walked in here without being attacked but I know full well who you are. You are the new major player in New York City's underworld, the Prince of the Bronx, I hear. I am surprised to see that you really are a mutant, a biracial one at that. With all the racist sentiment the Bronx had stewing in general, your rise to power must have been arduous. Quite impressive you have made it this far."

A flattered smile makes its way onto your lips. It's always good to have someone acknowledge your achievements. Too many criminals assume that forming a multi-ethnic street gang in one of the most racial tension filled areas of New York, taking over racist ethnic gangs and converting them into loyal gang members, hiding your identity from the public, and managing to stand your ground against the most powerful forces in the entire goddamn city was a cakewalk just because you had superhuman abilities.

"Enough about me," you say, "I asked about you."

"I have had many names over the years. My favorite out of all of them has always been Tombstone because that is all that is left of everyone I have ever crossed and everyone who crosses me. Silvio has been a client of mine in the past. With his war against Hammerhead ongoing, I thought it would be a good opportunity to come back to New York City's underworld and offer him my services once again for a fee of course." the man says.

You raise an eyebrow at that. The man gives off the air of a hardcore enforcer but from the way he speaks of himself and his actual way of speaking he also comes off as an assassin. It's possible he's been both in the past. How unlike Silvio to hire someone like him. Maybe he wasn't always as soft and "honorable" as he is now. Silvio is either desperate for help agreeing to meet him in person or just being stupidly courteous in his rejection.

>[ ] "You've been gone too long. Silvio would never hire someone like you the way he is now."
>[ ] "What kind of work did you do for Silvio?"
>[ ] "Instead of working for Silvio why don't you work for me?"
>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2583667
>>[ ] "What kind of work did you do for Silvio?"

>>2583667
>>[ ] "What kind of work did you do for Silvio?"

Just wondering, do the cameos feel gratuitous our finely spread out?

>[X] "What kind of work did you do for Silvio?"

Straight up offering him to work for you when he has an interview meeting with Silvio Manfredi in the flesh isn't going to end in your favor. Especially since you don't know just what kind of work he did for the old man. It could've been something relatively simple yet extremely dangerous but not in anyway reprehensible to Silvio. Old Silvio might be the same as Older Silvio.

"What kind of work did you do for Silvio?" you ask.

The albino man frowns. "You do understand that I cannot exactly disclose private client information in this business of ours. All I can say is troublesome public figures in the past have disappeared or changed their minds about certain affairs while I was under Silvermane's employ. I kept upstarts like Hammerhead in check and if need be relieved them of their duties with Silvermane's sanction."

It's just the kind of work you thought he'd do. Either Silvio's slipping back into his old ways after going soft or you completely misjudged the man after he let you walk away without so much as a scratch despite how you spurned him. You're so used to utter ruthlessness you didn't even consider once that the old man let you go out of anything less than a misplaced sense of morality. Looking back at it now, other than to spare his granddaughter the grisly sight he probably didn't try anything so you'd find his offer more appealing than Kingpin's and the hit the fatass put on your head in retaliation for declining. Maybe he expected you to seek refuge under the Maggia flag after that happened but you ended up handling things on your own. Rigoletto's family, the last remaining family of the Cosa Nostra, might have been allies of his against outsiders like the Yakuza or the Bratva before Kingpin's takeover. As for Hammerhead, you can't quite think of a reason as to why he's still alive if you really did misjudge Silvio. Tombstone suddenly arriving might have made Silvio think its finally time to get rid of that troublesome shit but still.

You groan attracting odd glances from the albino black man and Ren.

All of this hypothesizing is giving you a headache. The thought of having completely misjudged Silvio is bad enough on its own. Only thing you know for sure is that Silvio's hiring Tombstone to put one over Hammerhead's grave which will take away a vital piece of leverage in your negotiations with the old man.

That drink can't come soon enough.

>[ ] "How was the old man like back then?"
>[ ] "Instead of working for Silvio, why don't you work for me?"
>[ ] "Say, have you ever been interested in owning a piece of New York?"
>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.
>[ ] Walk to the poker game table and spark up a conversation with the capos.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2583974
>>[ ] "How was the old man like back then?"

>>2583974
>>[ ] "How was the old man like back then?"

>>2583974
>[ ] "How was the old man like back then?"

>[X] "How was the old man like back then?"

>(1/2)

Confirmation from someone who knows Silvio from someways back in the day is exactly what you need right now. You can't afford to misjudge your enemy. There are too many mistakes you can make from going off half-baked assumptions especially since you're about to have a sit-down with the old lion soon. No matter how much it hurts your ego.

You sigh. "How was the old man like back then?"

Tombstone hums and sits in thought for a moment.

"From what I've heard from other members of the Maggia at the time, he was happy in his glory days back when the Maggia had control of more than half the entire city." he starts. "He had a reputation as the charitable Kingpin of crime that kept all the other Maggia families and even Mafia families in check. That all changed when the Mafia wanted all of New York back from the Maggia. In the ensuing war, both sides lost their halves of the Bronx to the petty ethnic gangs who took advantage of the chaos. The Maggia lost Queens to a few moderately large street gangs, most of its families, Silvio's positive reputation, and two of Silvio's kids. It embittered him into the strong, fair yet ruthless man I was employed by twenty years ago. He respected upstarts like Hammerhead and other aspiring criminals on account of once being a foot soldier himself, who branched out into his own family, but always kept them on a short leash. I guess he got a tad too sentimental in Hammerhead's case but I doubt that is going to last any longer now. His wife died and another one of his kids got killed while I was working for him. I hear they're all gone now and little Sofia is all the family he has left. As a father myself, I can imagine what it would be like to lose so much."

You blink at the albino man. It's very surprising to hear that the six foot seven black albino mobster with pointed teeth and stony skin sitting before you is a father. He seems to have a great amount of respect for the old man. Turning him against Silvio won't be easy.

Also, It looks like you really did misjudge Silvermane.

...

Ren, Tombstone, and the barkeep cover their ears as you let out a deafening groan that shakes the club slightly. The piano music stops playing and everyone not near your vicinity turns to stare at you. You on the other hand are more concerned with the sound of glass breaking you heard faintly during your bellowing.

"Did you drop my drink just now?" you ask the barkeep.

"Y-yes, my sincerest apologies, sir!" he says.

You sigh. "Make me another one. Don't forget the way I wanted it. Be fast because I could really use it right now."

"Y-yes, sir!" he says before turning back to the bar shelf.

To your left, you see Tombstone staring at you.

"Do you feel sorry for the old man?" he asks.

>(2/2)

Once again you blink at the albino man. "No, I've never felt sorry for anyone. What you heard earlier was just me coming to an uncomfortable realization."

It's the truth. The few times you've ever said you were sorry were lies. Sweet words to offer foot soldiers who genuinely want to feel like you care about them and the things you've done to them as well as the others they love. You have no need to lie to Tombstone. He'll only look down on that kind of sentiment anyway, you know his kind of people.

The man blinks back at you before nodding his head. "Good, you are going to get farther in this world that way. Do try to keep your displeasure to yourself though. You might attract unwanted attention with those lungs of yours."

You grin at the man.

"You have no idea." you say.

Tombstone raises an eyebrow at you as you turn back to check on the barkeep's progress on your drink.

At the corner of your right eye, you can see Ren calmly waiting in her seat. She probably overheard you say that bit about not ever feeling sorry for anyone. Not that she seems to care which is good considering you don't. You've never apologized to her for making her kill Run; you respect her too much to lie to her. Ren's been nothing but a benefit to you since then and Run needed to serve as an example. There's nothing for you to feel sorry for.

>[ ] "Say, Tombstone, have you ever been interested in owning a piece of New York?"
>[ ] "Instead of working for Silvio why don't you work for me, Tombstone?"
>[ ] Go to the poker game table and spark up a conversation with the capos.
>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2585265
>>[ ] "Instead of working for Silvio why don't you work for me, Tombstone?"

>>2585265
>>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.

Gonna be honest, i kinda want to fight tombstone

>>2586713
Why tho?

>>2586759
Cause it sounds fun

>>2585265
>[] Write In.
"What's your family like?"

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>[X] "Instead of working for Silvio why don't you work for me, Tombstone?"
>[X] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.
>[X] "What's your family like, Tombstone?"

>[X] "What's your family like, Tombstone?"

While popping the question and just waiting for Silvio are tempting you're curious as to how the family of an albino black mobster is like. Come to think of it, you've never really known what a family is supposed to be like. It's always seemed like a monarchy to you. A joint monarchy ruled primarily by the King or the Queen depending on who was the most dominant in the relationship. Their children would go on to found their own monarchies, stay around their King fathers and Queen mothers, or take their place after they die and rule over the siblings that remained. You've had thoughts of one day starting your own family just to see what it'd really be like. Having children is something you've always planned for your future. Someone needs to carry on your legacy if you really can die.

You turn back to face the man at your left. "What's your family like, Tombstone?"

He eyes you for a moment before he answers your question.

"My daughter is a fully grown woman with a law degree." he says with pride. "Her mother passed away a long time ago. I haven't exactly been close to her throughout her life due to my occupation but I have provided."

Looks like he cares about his baby girl and is a bit protective of her. From the way he speaks about her mother, you can tell she's probably a bastard. Tombstone probably had her while he was young, stupid, and barely starting out.

Kind of like your father only he didn't know he knocked up your mutant mother.

...

You turn back to face the bar and glare down at the counter.

What's done is done.

He can't take back what he didn't know he didn't do and you can't take back what you did.

The past is the past; your future is in your hands.

A sigh escapes your lips.

You could really use that drink right now.

>[ ] "Say, Tombstone, have you ever been interested in owning a piece of New York?"
>[ ] "Instead of working for Silvio why don't you work for me, Tombstone?"
>[ ] Go to the poker game table and spark up a conversation with the capos.
>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2587842
>>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.

>>2587842
>>[ ] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.

>[X] Wait for your drink and stay silent until Silvio arrives.

>(1/2)

You have nothing else to ask Tombstone. He's obviously going to say that he'll see what the old man has to offer him before agreeing to anything you'd propose. If all else fails in dissuading him from joining Silvio, you can offer him a piece of New York in turn for his loyalty. Another enforcer with a great deal of experience under his belt could come in handy.

A few minutes go by until the bartender finally places your finished drink on the counter. Unlike the first time, you hear it being blended to perfection before the barkeep pours it into a cup. You were too engrossed by Tombstone to notice last time.

You grasp a hand around the glass, lift it up to your nose, and breathe in.

There's nothing out of the ordinary about the smell. All of the usual ingredients are there: Mezcal, cointreau, lime juice, and the salt coating the glass' rim. Good on the barkeep for not trying to slip you a virgin margarita.

Putting the glass to your mouth, you part your lips and down the entire contents of the glass in one gulp before setting it back on the counter.

You let out a pleased sigh and look up to the bartender.

He's staring at you with wide eyes.

"D-did you enjoy it, sir?" he asks.

A grin spreads across your face.

"Yeah, I did. Keep them coming; I'll tell you when to stop." you say.

The barkeep blinks, nods, grabs your empty glass, and begins the process of making you another cocktail.

For over half an hour, you gulp down increasingly large quantities of margaritas. Tombstone, the barkeep, several surrounding Maggia foot soldiers, and even the capos take small breaks from their poker game to marvel at you. Ren, on the other hand, examines the ground floor away from the bar taking an occasional sip out of her glass of water.

You eventually evolve from downing rows of margaritas to drinking from the blender pitcher itself.

Partway into your third pitcher, you hear a door open and several men walk through it. A small chorus of chairs scraping against the club floor resonates through the air shortly afterward. You spy Tombstone taking a glance at the direction of the front door from the corner of your left eye before you hear the sound of him stepping off his stool and walking away. Ren taps you on your right shoulder and points twice for you to look behind you.

File: Spoiler Image (93 KB, 1920x1009)

93 KB JPG

>(2/2)

You turn in your seat and see what all the fuss is about.

Just a short ways away from the entrance of the Fazioli is Silvio "Silvermane" Manfredi himself surrounded by a small entourage of men in black suits.

One by one his capos greet him, kneel, and kiss the ring on his left ring finger. It's most likely his wedding ring or possibly his wife's that he now wears as a keepsake. He seems like he would be sentimental about his family considering what's left.

Before Tombstone can greet his old employer, Silvio's eyes land on you and narrow.

Looks like he's not happy to see you again.

Funny, you're not happy to see him either.

>[ ] Finish your pitcher and wait for Silvio to come to you.
>[ ] Finish your pitcher and greet Silvio alone.
>[ ] Finish your pitcher and greet Silvio with Ren.
>[ ] Set your pitcher down and wait for Silvio to come to you.
>[ ] Set your pitcher down and greet Silvio alone.
>[ ] Set your pitcher down and greet Silvio with Ren.
>[ ] Charge at the old man and tear out his insides.
>[ ] Set your pitcher down, grab Ren, hop to Silvio, grab him, and jump through the roof to the roof top.
>[ ] Throw your pitcher as hard as you can at the old man.
>[ ] Write In.

>>2589589
>>[ ] Finish your pitcher and greet Silvio with Ren.

>>2589589
>[ ] Finish your pitcher and wait for Silvio to come to you.

>>2589589
>>[ ] Set your pitcher down and greet Silvio with Ren.

>>2590663
this is fine

>[X] Set your pitcher down and greet Silvio with Ren.

Silvio seems like the type to take offense at the sight of someone drinking his booze so brazenly in his own establishment. It's not like your healing factor will let you get intoxicated enough to loosen up from several strong drinks separated by a relatively long waiting period. An entire keg was barely enough to give you a buzz at the initiation party. You pissed a river of it into the sewer drain but another two was capable of leaving you with a nasty hangover in the morning. Ren's safest by your side. Leaving her alone at the bar might get her killed if people start popping rounds and you're not there to jump out with her in your arms.

You set your pitcher down on the bar counter and drop down from your stool.

Ren follows your lead but you pull her to your side before she can move behind you.

"I need you in arm's reach if things go south." you whisper.

The girl nods her head.

With Ren by your side, you walk over to the small crowd gathered around Silvio. Everyone's eyes are fixed on you as you make your stride. A few of his bodyguards try to block you off from the old man but he motions them to move aside. He takes a few steps of his own toward you and stops just outside the range of your arms.

Silvio stares you down with his steely gray eyes.

You can't help but wonder what it'd be like to tear them out of his skull.

>[ ] "Silvio."
>[ ] "It's been a long time, old man. How's your granddaughter doing?"
>[ ] Hold out an open hand.
>[ ] Kneel, grab his left hand, and kiss his ring.(Will roll, DC18)
>[ ] Just the kill the fucker already.
>[ ] Grab Ren in one arm, Silvio in the other, and jump through the ceiling to the rooftop.
>[ ] Write In.

How's my prose been lately? For some reason, I feel like I'm a bit off. I know I've greatly improved since the first two threads but I can't shake the feeling I'm falling off.