"I'm ready to be Bumpy Johnson again."
However, instead of a light hearted banter that would slowly echo into a conversation.
There was only silence.
But it wasn't the silence that made Bumpy bow his head.
It was the weight pressing down on his own chest, the shame of walking back through that door with nothing but open hands.
Almost expecting Ricky to snap back with an 'I told you so' or maybe a demeaning joke to rub it in his face.
But nothing came.
Instead, Ricky just sat there, smiling faintly, eyes fixed on the clean-shaven man in a suit, and his cap clutched so tightly by his fingers.
"It took you long enough." Ricky said with a low chuckle, eyeing Bumpy who finally lifted his head with a wry smile.
"Oh, come on, you know you wanna make fun of my ass-"
"Nobody wants to talk about your ass!" Ricky shot back, breaking into laughter as Bumpy's grin spread and he eased his way into the meeting.
"Aye, Isaiah, head into that backroom and I'll come get ya when I'm done," Ricky said, giving the boy a pat on the back and nudging him towards the door at the side.
"Nice to meet you." Isaiah said politely to Bumpy before quickly shuffling away.
"Is he-" Bumpy immediately asked, thinking this might be another one of his bastards.
"Nah, he's Elijah's boy," Ricky said, waving a hand to dismiss the thought as he settled into the chair at the head of the table.
"Elijah? Elijah Bradley?" Bumpy asked, his eyes widening as he glanced toward the boy closing the door behind him.
"Does that mean...?" Bumpy murmured, the weight of the question hanging in his voice, knowing all too well how Elijah's condition had been worsening.
"Yeah, last night," Ricky said quietly, closing his eyes in respect for Elijah as he took a slow pull from his cigar.
"And you're gonna look after him?" Bumpy asked, still trying to piece together what connection Ricky could possibly have to Elijah of all people.
"Well, it was the promise I made to him," Ricky said, holding his cigar between his fingers as his gaze followed Bumpy pacing at the side.
"But why?" Bumpy pressed, his tone edged with confusion, wondering why Ricky carried so much respect for a storekeeper that he'd take in his son.
Snap
"Wait, hold on." Bumpy suddenly stopped, snapping his fingers in the air before jerking his head toward Ricky.
"He was one of the ones from that tomb thing, with that guy-"
"Xarus," Ricky clarified, watching Bumpy piece it together in real time.
"Yeah, Xarus, I remember now," Bumpy said, his smile slowly fading as he rolled his shoulder, a phantom pain tugging at his body.
"Great, now I remember being tossed into a car." Bumpy said, shaking slightly at the amount of pain he had endured from that traumatic event.
"Ha~"
Meanwhile, Ricky laughed at the side, recalling how funny it was to see Bumpy wrapped head to toe in bandages.
"But yeah, Elijah saved my ass when the place was coming down." Ricky said quickly, waving the hand with his cigar as if to underline the point.
"And-......he was a good man," Ricky added, pausing for a bit since he still carried his reservations about Elijah, but the respect was there.
"Yeah, he was," Bumpy said, closing his eyes with a slow nod, offering his quiet respect towards the dead.
"So, what now?" Bumpy asked, opening his eyes to see Ricky taking another puff of his cigar.
"You get to work, what else?" Ricky scoffed, tossing a newspaper onto the table with a bold news headline staining the page.
'THE MUTANT FLOCK MIGRATING TO NEW YORK?'
"The Mutant Flock?" Bumpy read the headline aloud, lifting the paper and scrunching his brows at the implication.
"Ain't this what you wanted-"
"Uh, duh?" Ricky cut in, gesturing at him as if it should've been obvious, making Bumpy's frown deepen.
"But guess where they're moving?" Ricky implied, leaving the question hanging in the air as Bumpy's eyes slowly widened with realization.
"Slick, no-"
"Bumpy-"
"Please, no-"
"Bumpy, it's happening," Ricky hummed, cutting him off as Bumpy reluctantly swallowed his words, a queasy expression settling over his face for one reason.
"Slick, Harlem's already crowded enough," Bumpy began, pressing a hand to his forehead as mutants weren't the only flock moving to New York.
"And I'm sure nobody told you, but it ain't only mutants making their way here."
Harlem was beginning to feel like a dam straining under the weight of the tide.
It wasn't just mutants flooding the streets.
Black families from the South were arriving in waves.
They spilled off the trains, hope packed into worn suitcases that often doubled as vessels for stacks of cash.
Lucky had started expanding their operations, opening more banks in the southern states, but even that wasn't nearly enough to keep pace with the swelling demand.
Coupled with the recent end of the Spanish-American War, when a defeated Spain renounced its claims to Cuba, and the mass outpour of Caribbean migrants flooding into the city.
That meant over fifty thousand people were about to be crammed in an already overcrowded borough.
"Harlem's gonna be in tatters, Slick," Bumpy said seriously, his gaze fixed and unflinching since with that many people pouring in, mass crime was inevitable.
"Well," Ricky said with a smile, gesturing to the seat at his left.
"As my newest left hand, you'll get all the help you need to keep it in check."
The words hung in the air, and silence fell like a weight, halting every thought and movement Bumpy had.
He froze completely still, caught entirely off guard, with only one response forming on his lips.
"What?"
"I've just decided you're my left hand. Congrats," Ricky said, tapping his cigar on the ashtray as he smiled at him.
"We'll celebrate by getting you a better suit." Ricky added, raising an eyebrow at whatever Bumpy was wearing that he insisted counted as one.
"Listen, I got a guy, Rotolo, he'll hook you up," Ricky said, shrugging and waving a hand at Bumpy, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
"Slick, you can't," Bumpy said, worry creeping into his voice as he stepped forward.
"Uh, yes I f*cking can. No way you're wearing that in this family." Ricky scoffed, noticing a slight tear at the cuff and motioning towards it.
"We got an image to maintain-" Ricky said, pinching his fingers over it only for Bumpy to swat his hand away.
"No, Slick, you can't make me your left hand." Bumpy laughed, clarifying as if the idea were the most absurd thing in the world.
"And when you said come under you, I thought you meant in like a direct-"
"The direct way of you joining the family." Ricky explained, using a play on words to finish Bumpy's sentence.
"Slick, they're gonna throw stones at me," Bumpy scoffed, gripping the chair at his side tightly.
"I mean, c'mon, you know how they are," Bumpy said, hesitating to sit in the chair, knowing it would mean dealing with those old racist Italians on a daily basis.
"There's no way they'd let me into the family, let alone stomach me actually being your left hand," Bumpy murmured, glancing to the side with a frown while rubbing the back of his neck.
Bumpy wasn't an idiot.
He'd crossed paths with the mobs long before Ricky ever made his mark, having dealt with five different families during his time under Madame.
From those encounters, he'd learned their inner workings, their unspoken codes, and above all, their fierce obsession with keeping the family Sicilian.
The fact that Ricky had managed to slip mutants into the ranks was nothing short of a miracle.
But even then, every last one of those mutants had shared the same thing in common: they were white.
"Wait 'til they hear I'm making one of the coven elders a Capo," Ricky said, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"If yours doesn't do it for them, well, that'll make them sh*t their pants."
"...."
After Ricky's words landed, it was as if a bomb had gone off in the room, and Bumpy stood at the center of the blast, his face frozen in shock.
"What are you doing?" Bumpy asked, staring at Ricky as if he'd completely lost his mind.
"Ya gotta be more specific." Ricky chuckled, dabbing the cigar over the ashtray with a toothy smile.
"What are you trying to do with this family, Slick?" Bumpy pressed, reshaping his question, desperate to make sense of the situation Ricky seemed on the verge of ruining.
"Obviously, I'm trying to build something huge," Ricky scoffed, his frown sharp as he glanced off to the side.
"And I'm done using the same lame-ass parts to build my masterpiece," Ricky said, watching as Bumpy's worried expression slowly hardened into a serious gaze.
"I'm building something that will last, not just to get by." Ricky tried to explain it in his own way, turning towards Bumpy who slowly nodded.
"And to do that, I want everyone," Ricky said, laying it bare as Bumpy's eyes lingered on him for a long, heavy moment.
"You're gonna start an internal war, Slick." Bumpy said earnestly, his gaze steady, his concern unmistakable.
"No, we're all gonna be mobsters and wise guys, just each a little different," Ricky said, rephrasing it so that it could be easier to digest, but it only made Bumpy start to laugh.
"One guy can fold his tongue, another can control fire, it's really no biggie-"
"Jesus, you're actually serious," Bumpy muttered between laughs, the sound fading as the truth sank in.
His expression shifted, and soon his body followed, pacing side to side as the weight of Ricky's words settled on him.
"Believe it or not, I can be serious sometimes," Ricky joked, leaning against the desk as Bumpy paused mid-step, a thought suddenly striking him.
"Wait, so, if I bring guys into the family-"
"Listen, the only thing that won't change in this family is its culture and values," Ricky explained, waving his hands to make sure Bumpy understood.
"We're mobsters, plain and simple."
It wasn't about sharing cultures or blending values, this was pure recruitment.
Ricky had no interest in changing how the family operated; what mattered to him was who made up its ranks.
He wasn't trying to rewrite history or tarnish Lucky's legacy, nor was he looking to rebrand mobsters as something else entirely.
The structure, the traditions, the code, it would all stay intact.
What he was reshaping was the bloodline, the faces, and the talents that carried it forward.
It was evolution without erasure, expansion without compromise.
Or at least, that's how Ricky pitched it to Bumpy who couldn't help but become enthralled by the idea.
"There won't be some mix of cultures or borrowed values, it's gonna be mob culture." Ricky said, pressing his hand onto the table as if to hammer the point home.
"We're an umbrella, Bumpy. You want to be under it, you gotta do your part and hold the f*cking thing," Ricky said, phrasing it as if he weren't just talking to Bumpy, but to anyone who might come under the family's roof in the future.
"Also, you bring rats into this family and I'll skin you." Ricky added, pointing a finger directly at Bumpy, his expression hard and unyielding.
"Seriously, I'm f*cking sick of all these rats." Ricky continued, re-lighting his cigar and taking a few deliberate puffs.
"I mean, I get it's New York, but c'mon-"
Ricky rambled on as Bumpy slowly sank into the seat at his left, his mind struggling to keep pace with what Ricky was planning.
Ricky had already clawed his way to the top of New York's power structure and everyone could see it, even Bumpy.
The city itself was practically a web of strings in his hands, and he could manipulate the Big Apple like a puppet.
He literally controlled the largest trading hub in America, if not the world, a feat that would have been unimaginable to anyone else.
And yet, despite all that power, he was pushing even further.
He was bringing in people from every corner, people who, if mishandled, could spark literal race wars within the family.
Since class difference wasn't trivial, it was a defining factor not just in American values but in the very pulse of the economy.
Some were deemed better than others, and in an era when race was an undeniable barrier, the idea that Ricky intended to build a more diverse family seemed almost impossible.
It was audacious, reckless, and utterly, undeniably Ricky.
"So, wait," Bumpy said again, holding up a hand to halt Ricky's rambling as he began to talk about all the pigeons everywhere.
"If I bring guys, African Americans, real Black guys, you'll actually let them in?" Bumpy asked, his mind racing since when he eventually decided to come under Ricky, he thought he was the exception.
Now the idea that others like him could join had grown into a question he couldn't ignore.
"And all they gotta do is become a mobster?" Bumpy quickly interrupted, beating Ricky to the point he was about to make.
"And give their family some goddamn loyalty." Ricky replied, tapping his cigar on the ashtray.
"It's getting rarer nowadays, I swear," Ricky added with a sigh, shaking his head and, in that moment, completely channeling Lucky.
"And this isn't some sick joke-"
"Goddammit, Bumpy, stop repeating the same sh*t and give me an answer!" Ricky laughed, the amusement tinged with a hint of annoyance that spurred an immediate answer from Bumpy.
"Yes."
"Good. You're gonna work under Lil Tony until you get up to speed with your duties," Ricky said, assigning Bumpy to him until he learned how everything operated within the family.
"How many guys can I bring under me?" Bumpy asked immediately, getting straight to the most important part of the arrangement as he pressed his hands together.
"I don't know, uh, let's say fifteen." Ricky said with a shrug, tossing out a number off the top of his head.
All the while, Bumpy let out a short, incredulous laugh, the weight of it all pressing down as one fact became undeniable: he was about to make history.
He was about to be the first Black man not just to join an Italian mob, but to step into the ranks of the Luciano family itself.
The realization carried a mix of disbelief, pride, and an edge of apprehension.
Every instinct told him this was monumental, until he suddenly thought of the other implication that came with this phenomenon.
"Wow, you know what I just realized?" Bumpy asked, glancing up at Ricky, who raised an eyebrow in response.
"This-.......this might be my crowning achievement," Bumpy huffed, burying his face in his hands.
"Oof," Ricky said, shaking his head at Bumpy's words.
All his achievements, everything he'd built until now, seemed to pale in the shadow of this new opportunity.
"I've done so much, and yet, this is what people are going to probably remember me by." Bumpy laughed at the absurdity of the statement.
"But they'll remember you," Ricky added, prompting Bumpy to slowly nod, accepting the cruel truth.
"We ain't here to make pancakes, Bumpy, only history," Ricky said, spreading his arms as Bumpy struggled at first, but eventually held out his hand in agreement.
Shaking it firmly, Ricky handed Bumpy another cut cigar, which he accepted with a nod, the small gesture marking their unspoken celebration.
"Are we getting into salary now, or what?" Bumpy finally asked, a smile tugging at his lips as Ricky sparked his cigar with a flick of his finger.
"Sure, give me a number," Ricky replied casually, thinking of this as the easy part of the conversation since he was loaded at this point.
"Fifty thousand," Bumpy said without hesitation, offering Ricky his highest figure.
"Alright." Ricky said, puffing out his cigar and shrugging.
To him, that amount was nothing.
The exchange was quick, not because the number was impressive, but because it was far below what Ricky actually valued Bumpy at.
Bumpy knew Harlem inside and out; every street, every corner, even the names of the shopkeepers.
To Ricky, fifty thousand was a steal.
Having someone with that kind of knowledge and reach on his side was worth far more than any paycheck could reflect.
"You're serious? You're really just gonna give me fifty thousand minted U.S. dollars?" Bumpy asked, clarifying to make sure Ricky wasn't planning to pay him in something like Canadian currency.
"And your own bank account, if you want it," Ricky added with a wink, casually weaving his financial clout into the conversation.
"...." Bumpy sat in stunned silence for a moment, suspicion creeping in as he raised an eyebrow, half convinced Ricky was pulling a fast one on him.
"A year?"
"Sure."
"Wait, you were gonna go higher, weren't you?" Bumpy realized, watching Ricky's smile widen just enough to make him facepalm in disbelief.
"Of course, probably around a hundred thousand."
"So-"
"Nope."
BAM
"Aye, AYE!" a man burst through the door, arms thrown wide as he called out loudly.
"Where's my guy!"
"Shades!" Ricky laughed, rising from his seat and moving toward the newcomer.
"There he is! There's my guy!" Shades exclaimed, rushing forward to bear-hug Ricky, who tried to lift him briefly before giving up with a grin.
Shades was a short, fat man, with the kind whose presence somehow seemed larger than his frame.
His black sunglasses were his defining feature, worn at all hours, even indoors, and they perfectly contrasted with the casual tracksuit he always wore with it.
His hairline had long since begun to recede, but he had managed to slick back the remaining strands.
"Aye, buddy, how you doing?" Shades asked, breaking the hug and giving Ricky's cheek a playful squeeze, like he were his uncle.
"All I heard from Lucky was that you got the f*cker, but seriously, how are ya?"
Shades was one of the longest-standing Capos in the Luciano family, having been with them back when they were still just the Luciano gang.
Over the years, he had become more than just a trusted lieutenant, he was one of the cornerstones of the organization.
But unlike the other Capo's, Shades and Lucky shared a close bond, united by their dream of building the teamsters, and Shades poured every ounce of his dealings and attention into the operation.
He knew everything about every working man in the city.
If you needed a favor, wanted to track down someone, or just needed intel about the streets of New York, Shades was the man you went to.
"Frank's death really tore my heart, but a strong man falls six times and gets up seven," Ricky chuckled, repeating one of Shades classic lines as he barked out a laugh, slapping Ricky on the shoulder in response.
"Good, GOOD!"
"Oh, hey, is this one of the servants you got?" Shades asked, pointing at Bumpy, who burst out laughing, until he realized Shades wasn't joking.
"Aye, boy, I'll give you twenty to go grab me an espresso from Da Vinci's." Shades said, slamming the bills onto the table and gesturing with all the flair of a certified Italian.
"I'm not-"
"Where do you find guys like that anyway? Where do I find a good butler?" Shades laughed, sliding into a seat at the table.
However, when he looked towards Bumpy again, he sort of froze.
Since Bumpy wasn't just standing there; he was actually sitting in the seat reserved for Ricky's inner circle.
"Buddy, if ya don't wanna lose a tooth then get your black ass off that seat-"
"Why would I move when I'm his new left, huh?" Bumpy said, deliberately testing Shades, eager to see the look of shock on his face.
All while Ricky side-eyed Bumpy, watching as he quickly settled into his new role with quiet confidence.
"You made this nigg-"
"What did you say, greaser?!" Bumpy slammed his hands onto the table, cutting Shades off before he could finish the slur.
"Greaser? DO I LOOK I'M WEARING A F*CKING LEATHER JACKET!" Shades screeched, clearly hitting a sore spot as he gestured angrily toward his own suit.
"You all look the same to me." Bumpy laughed, deliberately baiting Shades as his face flushed red with pure hatred.
"THAT'S IT-"
"AYE!" Ricky barked, his words exploding across the room and making both of them flinch.
"Enough." Ricky warned, watching as they both nodded, before turning and striding back to his seat.
"Listen, it's not that big of deal-"
"IT'S YOUR LEFT, SLICK!" Shades shouted, both hands jabbed toward the Black man occupying a seat traditionally reserved for a proper Italian.
"Your left hand." Shades added, his voice lowering as the weight of the situation sank in, the gravity of the moment undeniable.
"The guy who gets it done and takes out anyone in the f*cking way, like Frank," Shades said seriously, clenching his fists at the loss of one of his closest friends and being damned if some Black guy filled that coveted spot.
"Listen, what you need is a guy like Big Tony-"
"Oh, give me a break, Shades." Ricky said, leaning back in his chair and suppressing a scoff.
"What? What did I say?" Shades asked, confused, glancing around as if searching for someone to confirm he'd done something wrong.
"The family hated Frank for years, remember?"
"What was it everyone called him-oh yeah, he was a Calabrini." Ricky said, referencing the slur the Luciano family had coined for him, the bitterness of Frank's treatment still lingering in his tone.
"The family, our guys, treated Frank like sh*t for years." Ricky said, pointing his cigar at Shades, who slowly ducked his head.
"I ain't ever treated Frank like that-" Shades said, his voice catching with emotion as he gestured away from Ricky.
"I know, I know," Ricky replied immediately, pinching the bridge of his nose, fully aware of how close Shades and Frank had been.
"Listen, I need Bumpy for Harlem, and he's already got what it takes," Ricky said, gesturing toward him as Bumpy nodded, crossing his arms in acknowledgment.
"And it ain't like I'm promoting him to Consigliere, like Frank, just my left." Ricky laughed, watching Bumpy raise an eyebrow at this clear subtle insult.
"So you didn't make him a Capo?" Shades asked, spinning back around as if to confirm he'd heard correctly.
"He'll be a soldier, but I'm letting him take associates," Ricky clarified, knowing the family would riot if he made both Bumpy and Eldric Capos.
"At least make them runners Slick, the other guys are gonna eat him up-"
"Associates," Ricky said firmly, raising a hand to stop whatever Shades was about to say.
SIGH
"Oh, Slick." Shades muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead as he slowly sank into his seat at the trouble he was bringing into the family once again.
"Look, I get it. I really do," Ricky said, placing a hand over his heart to emphasize his sincerity.
"But this is for the family, and I know it's hard to understand, but you've gotta trust me, Shades," Ricky said, watching as Shades kept his head buried in his hands.
"Look at me."
Then Shades slowly lifted his hands, his eyes peering through his dark shades and locking onto Ricky's serious expression.
"Would I ever lead you astray?" Ricky asked genuinely, as if questioning whether Shades believed he would ever break his trust.
"F*ck~" Shades sighed again, knowing full well he trusted Slick more than anyone in the family, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow.
"I know you won't, but Slick, this is gonna cause an uproar," Shades said, trying to make Ricky understand that the fallout wouldn't stop at this meeting.
"I can handle it," Bumpy interjected from the side, catching Shades' wary side-eye in response.
"They ain't gonna throw words at you, they're gonna be throwing bottles, you know that, right?" Shades warned, trying to intimidate Bumpy.
"I don't know what Slick's told you, but being his left hand won't save you from the family," Shades laughed, imagining Bumpy's reaction when he eventually faced the other Capos of the inner circle.
"I wouldn't be here if I couldn't take it," Bumpy said, meeting Shades' words head-on like a challenge, squinting his eyes to show he wasn't intimidated.
"And now I get why Lucky asked me to come by earlier," Shades chuckled, shaking his head. He'd had a late-night talk with Lucky yesterday, which he now assumed had been about this very topic.
"Nah, he asked you to come because of this," Ricky said, pulling out all twenty-five pages of his proclaimed masterpiece and dropping them onto the table with a flourish.
"And it's?"
"The f*cking future."
10 minutes later,
While they waited for hte others to come, Shades sort of closed the pages with a blank expression.
"This will-" Shades began, his thoughts trailing off into a heavy silence as he turned toward Ricky.
"Then-"
"Yeah, Sicily." Ricky said with a smile, watching Shades trace the edges of the plan with his thumbs, absorbing every detail.
"Ok, I'm in."
BAM
"Lalalalalalala!" A man sang, holding his ears as he walked into the room, while another barked behind him.
"YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE-SLICK, THERE YOU ARE!" The second man shouted, chasing after someone who looked exactly like him.
"Tell this buffoon that Amerigo Vespucci didn't discover America first, it was Columbus-"
"WHY WOULD THEY NAME THE COUNTRY AFTER HIM IF HE DIDN'T FIND THIS PLACE FIRST?!" The man who looked exactly like the other shouted.
These were the twin Capos, Gio and Leo, the notorious heads of the family's protection rackets.
But they weren't just enforcers, they ensured every collection across New York was met without fail, keeping the family's grip on the city iron-tight.
Only, when they talked, they looked more like two bald-headed buffoons than the feared enforcers they were in action.
"Uh, I thought it was Columbus?" Ricky said, glancing back at Bumpy, who nodded in agreement.
"No, then why-" Gio frowned, pressing a hand to his head as the whole situation began to give him a headache.
"Because he was the first to realize these weren't the lands of Asia, but an entirely new continent." Bumpy replied from the side, demonstrating the kind of encyclopedic knowledge only a true history buff could muster.
"Who's the negro?" Gio asked immediately, raising an eyebrow at Slick while pointing toward Bumpy.
"Oh, I see," Leo suddenly said, still glancing at the bill on the table as he reached into his suit.
"Can I get a vanilla biscotti? I don't care where, just get me one," Leo added with a sigh, feeling famished and tossing another twenty onto the table.
"Get me an espresso-" Gio tried to chirp in, hoping to use his twin's bill to sneak in an order.
"Get your own f*cking espresso." Leo scoffed, flicking his hand toward him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm not-"
"Ugh, fine, get me an espresso from Di Vinci's and tell'em to add a hint of caramel." Gio clicked his tongue, tossing another twenty onto the table while glaring at Leo.
"And I'll know if there wasn't any in there-"
"I'm not a f*cking butler!" Bumpy yelled, laughing at the absurdity of being mistaken not once, but three times, as one of Ricky's servants.
"Woah, look at the tone of this one." Leo chuckled, pointing at Bumpy while turning his head over to Shades
"And what's up with the suit? You need a guy or something? I know someone who can fix it, but he's gonna charge the negro rate." Gio frowned, pointing at the obvious rips at Bumpy's cuffs and raising an eyebrow.
"Told ya." Ricky side-eyed Bumpy, watching him roll his eyes in response.
"And why the f*ck are you sitting at the table?!" Leo finally demanded, walking over to Bumpy while reaching into his jacket.
"Woah, relax." Ricky said, grabbing Leo's arm to stop him from yanking out his pistol, as Shades finally chimed in from the side.
"That's Slick's new left," Shades informed them, watching as their expressions mirrored each other in disbelief while they shook their heads.
"Huh?" the twins exclaimed, mouths agape as they glanced at each other before slowly turning back to Ricky.
"You're kidding?" They said in unison, completely shocked at his choice in people.
"Slick, buddy, when I say I love you and your father, I f*cking mean it," Gio began, pressing a hand to his heart to emphasize his sincerity.
"But just because your father made a Jew his right hand, doesn't mean you gotta one up him and make Blacky over there your left." Gio added nervously, recalling how much tension it had caused the last time he brought it up.
"Ha!" Ricky laughed, almost hysterically at the disgruntled look on Bumpy's face.
"Wait, did you also make him a Capo?" Leo suddenly realized, prompting his twin to join in, both glaring at Bumpy.
"Nah, just my left," Ricky said between laughs, wiping his eyes as Bumpy stood with his arms crossed.
SIGH
"Gee."
"Whiz."
They both sank into their chairs, holding their heads as they stared at Ricky, who simply shrugged.
They weren't particularly old, late twenties at most, but Lucky had been the one to place them in their positions.
They had both been made Capos in their early twenties for one clear reason: their combined ruthlessness.
They were probably even more ruthless than Ricky himself, having earned their positions by sweeping through the streets with frightening efficiency.
The twins shook down anyone, even children, all to meet quotas.
Numbers were all that mattered to them; who they had to humiliate didn't.
"Wait till you see the Veil Method," Shades said from the side, watching as the twins mirrored his reaction perfectly, deja vu playing out in its purest form.
"The what?"
5 minutes later,
"So like?"
"Worldwide?"
"See, Slick, I'm the normal one here!" Shades yelled, gesturing and pointing at the dazed twins beside him.
"Ain't no one more normal than you, Shades," Ricky chuckled, his tone hanging somewhere between sincerity and amusement.
"Thanks-wait...…..thanks?" Shades said, nodding at first before raising an eyebrow, unsure if Ricky was joking until finally, he gave a reluctant nod of acceptance.
"Can you believe it? That f*cking chink charged me five cents more?" A man with a nasally voice scoffed, wobbling into the room, his thick-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose.
"I told ya to stop going there, there's this place, over on 3rd-" The man following behind him sighed, shaking his head only for the last of the three to follow in behind him.
"The jew place, right?" Mouth, one of the previously mentioned Capo's, suddenly interrupted as if to clarify.
"No, the cheap place across the street." The man said, turning back to Mouth, who slowly nodded in acknowledgment.
"Oh~"
"So, the jew place?" The nasally-voiced man clarified, offering a wry smile as all three of them locked eyes for a brief, tense moment.
"BAUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" All three erupted, their laughter bouncing off the walls as they waddled toward their seats, joined by the chorus of other members who couldn't contain themselves.
It wasn't just the three of them, almost the entire room dissolved into hysterical laughs, everyone joining in except Bumpy, who didn't find it funny.
"I can't~" Shades wheezed, leaning back in his chair, trying to catch his breath as the man fiddled with his thick-rimmed glasses, still chuckling uncontrollably.
"Bug Eyes, how long has it been?" Ricky called out, laughing along with the others as the man, nicknamed Bug Eyes, turned toward him.
He was an older man, likely in his fifties, but his wiry frame and lined face made him look closer to seventy.
Completely clean-shaven, with no eyebrows and a bald head, his small stature, barely 5'2, was exaggerated by oversized suits and shoes that swallowed his stubby frame.
His defining feature, however, was the thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, magnifying his eyes to an almost comical, insect-like size.
That distinctive look had earned him his notorious nickname: Bug Eyes.
"Too long, Slick. Way too long," Bug Eyes laughed, grinning from ear to ear as he looked at Ricky.
"I'm guessing loan sharking's been good to you-"
"Oh, it's been fantastic, Slick," Bug Eyes said, chuckling emphatically, barely able to contain his excitement. Ricky had essentially handed him a monopoly over loan sharking, and the man was thriving under it.
"In fact-"
"No, come on-"
"I got you a present," Bug Eyes announced, earning a chorus of eye rolls from the others at his obvious brown-nosing as he held out a small watch box.
"Aye, boy, come over here and hand this to Slick," Bug Eyes scowled at Bumpy, motioning him over with a sharp gesture.
For all his small, almost comical appearance, Bug Eyes had to be the most viciously racist man in the entire Luciano family, taking every opportunity to sling slurs at anyone who wasn't Italian.
Bumpy side-eyed Ricky, noting how much the boss seemed to enjoy his discomfort as he slowly rose to retrieve the watch box.
"And get me an espresso-" Bug Eyes began, holding out a single dime as if trying to strong-arm Bumpy into footing the rest of the bill.
"For f*ck's sake, I am not a butler!" Bumpy snapped, snatching the box from the tiny mobster's hands with a sharp glare.
Bam
"You never talk to Bug Eyes like that, you hear me, boy!" The man who had entered with Bug Eyes barked, shoving Bumpy against the wall and jabbing a finger right into his chest.
SIGH
Ricky let out a heavy sigh, resting his head in his hand as Shades' earlier warning finally began to hit home.
"Neck, relax," Bug Eyes barked, yanking the burly enforcer known to all as Neck away from Bumpy before things escalated further.
Neck had earned his nickname because his head seemed to vanish into his thick, stocky frame, giving the illusion that he had no neck at all.
Despite his unusual proportions, he was one of the most physically imposing members of the family.
But beyond the brute force, Neck held a critical role: he controlled the flow of cargo, overseeing every shipment, and area-related delivery with precision, ensuring the family's operations ran like clockwork.
"But he-"
"I know, but with muts like them, it's to be expected," Bug Eyes muttered with a shrug, finally letting Neck ease his grip. Bumpy just stood there, stiff and silent, never having experienced pity racism until right now.
Even the racist white men who had literally firehosed him in the streets hadn't carried the same venom as the men in this room which was why it made him so shocked.
Bumpy's face twisted in exasperation as he glanced back at Ricky, who merely shrugged, a silent acknowledgment that nothing about this would ever be easy.
"And besides, he's one of Slick's help-"
"Well, at least I ain't a f*cking midget," Bumpy scoffed, striding back to his seat. Bug Eyes flinched instantly.
"What did you just call me-"
"Oh, here we go," Shades muttered, ducking under the table as Bug Eyes reached into his coat pocket, his movements almost preordained in the old italians eyes..
"JESUS BUG EYES-"
"AYE, WAIT-"
"I AIN'T A F*CKING MIDGET, YOU GOTTA BE 4'10 AND I'M 5'2!" Bug Eyes screeched, brandishing his revolver wildly.
Almost everyone else ducked under the table, except Ricky, who remained seated while shaking his head..
"Bug Eyes-"
"I AIN'T A MIDGET, SLICK! I F*CKING AIN'T ONE OF THOSE STUBBY DWARVES!" Bug Eyes bellowed, his face red with fury, while Ricky calmly pinched the bridge of his nose.
SIGH
"Bumpy, apologize," Ricky sighed, his patience thinning as he watched Bumpy flinch under the table.
"FOR WHAT-"
"JUST F*CKING APOLOGIZE!" Ricky snapped, voice sharp, unbothered by the gun aimed at them but entirely annoyed by the escalating spectacle.
"OK, I'M SORRY, ARE YOU HAPPY?!" Bumpy yelled from under the table, his voice echoing off the walls. Bug Eyes wiped at his eyes, muttering something under his breath before holstering his gun.
"You better watch yourself, boy. You're on the list," Bug Eyes hissed, squinting and slowly lowering himself into his seat, every movement dripping with barely contained menace.
"Who are we missing?" Ricky asked, scanning the room as his eyes landed on a few empty seats that still needed occupants.
"Just the Tony's and Johnny boy-"
"Did somebody say Johnny?" The voice cut through the room like a spark.
Johnny laughed as he stepped in, and instantly, everyone sprang to their feet, the energy in the room shifting away with his arrival.
"THERE'S OUR GUY!"
"JOHNNY BOY!"
"LOOKING LIKE A F*CKING MILLION BUCKS!"
All of the men lit up at the sight of Johnny walking again, their respect and fondness for him and his deceased mentor outweighing any caution.
In the chaos, Bug Eyes' waving gun barely registered as this was the norm in meetings like these.
The mob was a collection of characters, each eccentric in their own way, yet all tied to the web of high-ranking members.
Of everyone present, Ricky had only added the Tony brothers and Johnny to the inner circle.
The rest, who hadn't left to become executives alongside Lucky at the bank, remained behind, forming Ricky's newly minted inner circle.
"I won't sit still, I just can't."
Outside the celebration, the two Tony brothers, Lil and Big Tony, strode toward the door, tension crackling between them that completely mirrored the cheers inside.
"The hell you can't!" Lil Tony barked, yanking his younger brother backward by the arm.
Big Tony turned to face him, his broad frame radiating defiance as he squared up to his elder sibling.
"Look at me, I'm serious, f*cking look at me." Lil Tony hissed, jabbing a finger inches from Big Tony's face, his glare sharp enough to cut.
"You will not f*ck this up for us." Lil Tony continued, his words deliberate, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
"Pops shed blood for this family, he gave his life for this family. Because of that, we were handed opportunities back in Sicily most could only dream of." Lil Tony gestured to the side, as if pointing to Sicily directly as if to drive his point further.
"I won't let you ruin this for your kids or mine, we're Slick's inner circle." Lil Tony pressed, trying to drive the point into his younger brother's thick skull, emphasizing how reckless it was to go against Ricky, their boss, of all people.
"We don't go against him, and we don't go against the family-"
"I'm doing this for the family," Big Tony huffed, shoving him away as the leaner brother lunged forward, trying to keep pace.
"THE F*CK YOU WILL-"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Lil Tony's shouts were quickly swallowed by the booming laughter of everyone else, watching Johnny's little dance in the middle of the room, proof that his legs still worked.
"Johnny!" Lil Tony laughed, almost gasping in shock at seeing him up and moving instead of bedridden.
"AYE, THE TONY BROTHERS!" Shades bellowed, throwing his arms around Lil Tony in a tight hug.
He hadn't seen them much since the other families fell, and the reunion brought a rare smile to his face.
Although Shades knew Big Tony fairly well, Lil Tony was a different story.
The man was always pressed for time, juggling responsibilities between the Lucky Corporation and the smuggling operations he had inherited from their father, Old Tony.
In short, Lil Tony oversaw all the family's smuggling activities across the Tri-State area and was the primary point of contact for dealings with Juan.
But his presence in the room was rare, making this reunion all the more significant.
"Alright, everyone settle down cause we got a lot to discuss." Ricky raised a hand, letting the echoes of laughter fade as the room's attention shifted.
Lil Tony started to make his way toward the far side of the table, but Ricky's smile widened ever so slightly.
"Actually, Lil Tony, it'd be better if you came and sat here," Ricky said, pointing to the seat at his right.
The room went silent, and every eye, including Lil Tony's, went wide as the weight of Ricky's subtle but commanding gesture settled over them all.
"Wait, does that mean-"
"Yeah, before we get started, I've got an announcement to make." Ricky smiled as he rose to his feet, prompting the others to stand with eager faces as slowly, every gaze drifted toward Lil Tony, whose own expression froze in shock.
"As you all know, even before Frank's passing, there were gaps in the hierarchy," Ricky began, giving a small shrug since it was partly his fault, though he brushed past it.
"But just like cogs in a machine, every spot needs to be filled if we want this family running on all cylinders." Ricky said, gesturing with his hands like a politician addressing the masses.
"And that's why I'd like to offer Lil Tony not only the place at my right hand, but the title of underboss of the Luciano family." Ricky finally said, watching Lil Tony stand there breathless, his body trembling ever so slightly in not only excitement, but pride.
"Holy sh*t, atta boy!" Mouth shouted, pinching his fingers against his lips and letting out a sharp whistle that set the room roaring.
"You deserve it buddy!"
"That's what I'm talking about!"
"Ain't nothing wrong with a good Sicilian man taking the spot, nothing wrong at all!"
It all sort of came full circle for Lil Tony in that moment, standing there amidst the cheers, the sound echoing in his chest as if the whole room was breathing with him.
He had sacrificed a lot for this family, more than most knew, and more than he ever let slip.
So many long nights spent chasing down problems before they could become disasters, days where he worked without sleep, making sure every cog in the machine spun smooth, making sure Ricky never had to look twice at the details.
He had done it in the shadows, content to be the man who kept things running without anyone ever turning their head to notice.
Almost as much as his father, he thought, though the weight of that comparison pressed hard against his psyche.
Since his old man had given everything to this life, carved himself down to the bone for it.
And it's why Lil Tony had tried to honor that without ever expecting much in return.
And yet, here he was alongside the cheers, whistles, and the whole crew looking at him not as just another Capo, not as just Ricky's guy, but as something more.
The Luciano Family underboss.
He never expected to be seen like this.
He never even expected to be rewarded in such a way.
But instead of fighting it, for the first time, he let himself stand in it, let himself take in the moment.
"So?" Ricky asked, spreading out his arms as Lil Tony wiped his eyes, Johnny grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him with a grin that carried just as much pride for a man he genuinely respected.
"I-I'd be honored, Slick. Really f*cking honored." Lil Tony laughed, pressing a hand to his forehead like he couldn't steady himself, his chest still heaving as the cheers rang out around him.
Ricky walked over and clasped Lil Tony's hand, pulling him close as the man's smile stretched wide, like this was the happiest day of his life.
Around them the room broke into applause, even Bumpy rising to his feet with a nod of respect.
"You deserve this." Ricky said, his voice steady but warm while looking him directly in his eyes.
"You've worked hard and although you don't talk much, I've seen it." Ricky tapped a finger against Lil Tony's chest, then leaned in close, lowering his tone so only Tony could hear.
"We're gonna do great things." Ricky laughed, watching Lil Tony nod his head while following Ricky to the seat at his right.
"Alright, now for the Consigliere role." Ricky said, sitting down in the seat as everyone joined along with him.
"As you all know, this role is like an adviser to me and sort of resolves disputes within the family." Ricky quickly explained, watching the old men stare daggers at him.
Since out of all the roles now filled with young blood, this was the only one meant for old heads like them.
To them, it was obvious that one of the guys who had stayed behind instead of joining Lucky would get the position, the only question was who.
Some eyes drifted toward Mouth, who was already puffing his chest as if expecting it; after all, Frank had been picked over him for the role once before, and that slight had never stopped stinging.
"And cause of that, they gotta know everyone in the family if they're really gonna do their job right." Ricky said, his eyes passing over the oldest Capos, each one holding their breath.
"That's why I'm promoting Shades as the new Consigliere."
Mouth's grin froze, then fell clean off his face as Shades' head jerked up, his glasses slipping just enough to reveal the shock widening his eyes, especially since he had been drifting off only moments before.
The senior members nodded, some sighing as if to remind themselves that they all could've fit the role, yet still deferring to the man caught in disbelief.
"I-I would be honored," Shades laughed, springing to his feet and hurriedly running over to Ricky to shake his hand.
"I won't let you down, Slick, I promise." Shades smiled ear to ear, holding back the tears as he held Ricky's hand with both of his.
"Aye, Shades, you could literally never let me down." Ricky laughed, smiling warmly at the man who always tried to do right by him and his father within this family.
"Alright, now that I've buttered you all up, I gotta confess." Ricky finally said after everyone quieted down, gesturing towards the man on his left.
"I am not only making Bumpy here my left-"
"YOUR WHAT!?" Bug Eyes screamed, clutching his head in sheer disbelief as the rest of the room gasped, those who hadn't heard still reeling from the shock.
"But I'm adding a seat to this table."
"Eldric, if you're out there, come in!" Ricky called, half-praying the man was actually nearby because if he wasn't, this was about to be very awkward.
Almost on cue, every head turned as the door opened, revealing Eldric in a sharp suit custom-tailored by Rotolo.
Eldric Stone, the former elder of the coven.
"Eldric here will be the newest Capo-"
"H-He's one of them." Big Tony's shaky voice suddenly resounded, sitting up and pointing at Eldric slowly walking towards the table.
"What are you-" Lil Tony suddenly said, watching his little brother reach for something.
"HE'S ONE OF THEM!" Big Tony roared, his eyes suddenly going crazy as he yanked out the thing tucked into his suit jacket.
"Woah, woah, c'mon-" Shades jumped in, staying true to his new position and trying to resolve the situation, but Mouth scoffed from the side.
"Now that's how you calm down a dispute." Mouth said with a roll of his eyes, dripping sarcasm..
"You got a f*cking problem?" Shades snapped, swinging toward him, but Mouth only laughed.
"Nothing you can't solve-"
"Okay, THAT'S IT!" Shades roared, snatching Mouth by the collar and thrashing him like a ragdoll.
"Geez, they're a real piece of work," Bumpy muttered to Ricky, who only sighed as this was exactly what always happened at these inner circle meetings.
"Did I do something wrong?" Eldric asked across the table, his hands raised as Big Tony's own shook while pointing at him.
"If Big Tony gets to point his gun at him, then I get to point mine at blacky over there!" Bug Eyes barked, yanking a revolver out of his pocket.
"Jesus!" Mouth yelped, ducking low as the barrel of Bug Eye's revolver cut across the room, only for Shades to tackle him to the ground.
"NO ONE'S SHOOTING ANYONE, GUNS DOWN!" Ricky yelled, standing and slamming his hands on the table.
Everyone who hadn't already drawn their weapons hesitated, hands hovering over holsters before slowly lowering them.
"But Slick-"
"NOW!" Ricky roared, his eyes flaring green, the power threatening to spill over but held just enough in check.
At the sight of the shimmering green, the others slowly raised their hands in a mock surrender as Shades capitalized on the tense atmosphere with one of his classic lines.
"Aye, you're the boss," Shades said, shrugging, and the room finally fell into a tense, obedient silence.
Snort
Bug Eyes quickly covered his nose, stifling a laugh so as not to ruin Ricky's moment of intimidation.
Pfft
Leo nearly cracked, Gio smacking his shoulder and pressing a hand over his mouth to keep him from laughing, while Ricky shook his head with a wry smile.
"Just f*cking laugh-"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Ricky hadn't even finished speaking before the entire inner circle erupted into laughter, all except Big Tony.
Even Bumpy, trying to contain himself amid all the racist old white men, couldn't help pounding his thigh as if to stop himself.
"You see what I have to deal with?" Ricky asked, glancing at Eldric with a chuckle as the younger man awkwardly adjusted his tie.
"Yes, but could I take off the tie-"
"What is this, a f*cking bar!" Shades roared out a joke, sending the older heads into hysterics while even Mouth doubled over, laughing.
10 minutes later,
"Ha~" Shades finally finished, the other inner circle members slumping tiredly into their chairs.
"Can I start my f*cking meeting now?" Ricky asked, gesturing toward the table as everyone settled in.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Shades erupted again, laughing hysterically, forcing Ricky to hold back a smile and shake his head.
Another 10 minutes later,
However, even as the rest of the members began to settle, Big Tony remained standing, his furious glare locked on Ricky.
"Alright, alright, let's get back on track," Ricky said, raising his hand and slowly calming the room, tapping his cigar against the ashtray for emphasis.
"So listen, I know it sounds crazy to make Eldric a capo, given the whole rat thing with the coven," Ricky said, gesturing toward Big Tony, who still couldn't stomach the thought of Eldric even being in the room.
"But he's the real deal, someone even I trust," Ricky added, holding his hand over his heart while keeping the leash firmly wrapped around Eldric's neck.
"Slick, are you kidding?" Big Tony asked, unable to hold back, his voice sharp as Bug Eyes nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Slick, we lost a lot of good men to those charm-peddlers," Bug Eyes scoffed, glaring at Eldric on the other end of the table who scrunched his brows.
"Charm-peddlers?" Eldric and Ricky said simultaneously, though in completely different tones as Eldric was confused while Ricky was hysterical.
Holding his stomach and laughing at how Bug Eyes already came up with slurs for the coven.
"Listen Slick, we can't have these cauldron-scum living near our docks, especially given them a whole island." Bug Eyes sneered, side-eyeing Eldric who slowly turned to Ricky with a weird expression.
"Ha-HA!"
However, Slick and the others couldn't stop howling in laughter at how Bug Eyes already came up with multiple different slurs for the coven members.
Bam
"Can we please stay on topic!" Big Tony slammed his fist on the table, his eyes nearly wild as he fixed his glare on Ricky.
"Slick, he's one of them!" Big Tony hissed, digging his nails into his palms, his fist curled so tightly it strained his knuckles.
"No, he's not. I vouch for him," Ricky said firmly, his voice cutting through the laughter and silencing the room as every head turned toward Eldric.
The laughter died instantly, replaced by a tense, almost tangible silence as every pair of eyes turned toward Eldric.
In this room, vouching for someone wasn't thrown around lightly.
To vouch for someone meant more than trust, it meant staking your own life on another man's loyalty.
If Eldric faltered, Ricky would bear the full weight of the consequences.
"Now, Eldric, take a seat-" Ricky gestured, extending his hand toward him, when Big Tony, biting his lip, could no longer contain himself.
"Slick, I-I can't hold my tongue." Big Tony cut in, interrupting the head of the family, and the others slowly froze, their smiles fading at the disrespectful move.
"A-And don't get me wrong, you're my boy," Big Tony added quickly, watching the older heads raise their eyebrows in cautious acknowledgment.
"But ain't it a little too soon to be plucking the good ones from that rat infestation?"
SIGH
Ricky let out a heavy sigh, raising his hands as if to show he already knew what everyone was thinking, misreading the tension as the room's collective discomfort rather than just Big Tony's concern.
"I know we're still reeling from the losses at the hands of the coven members, I know," Ricky began, easing Big Tony toward a seat as the young man slowly complied.
"But I wouldn't bring Eldric here unless it would benefit the family, our family," Ricky said, gesturing toward each of them as if to underline his own words.
"And they ain't coming here as the coven, they're coming here to become Luciano members," Ricky quickly clarified, watching Bug Eyes slowly lower his eyebrows until he wasn't scrunching anymore.
"They will uphold our values, our traditions, and become part of the family, like all of us did." Ricky scanned the room, seeing most of them nodding with reservations, except for one.
Big Tony sat seething in his chair, every muscle tense as memories of that day at the docks replayed in his mind.
The coven had killed over thirty of his loyal men, a devastating blow that had shaken his entire operation to its core.
The reason for his outburst was clear: the losses he suffered were the largest, hitting him harder than anyone else in the room.
His entire power structure had been built on controlling those dock operations, maintaining order and extracting revenue while cooperating with the coven.
Now, with the coven rebelling and wiping out his men, he was left essentially handicapped, stripped of the leverage and manpower he had painstakingly built.
"Can I say something?" Mouth asked, raising a hand. Ricky turned toward him and gave a subtle nod, gesturing for him to take the floor.
"I agree with Big Tony, I think it's too soon."
"Don't get me wrong, Slick, I see the vision, but we just got done fending off guys like these," Mouth said, bluntly gesturing toward Eldric at the other end of the table.
"I just don't think we should be letting anyone in without knowing if they're rats or not," Mouth added, genuinely expressing his concern to Ricky, who nodded in acknowledgment.
"But these are all the guys I personally vetted," Ricky said, conveniently leaving out the fact that one of the men he interviewed was a hidden rat.
"Huh?" Neck asked, glancing around to see if anyone else knew, but every face in the room was frozen in shock at the revelation.
"Oh~" Leo suddenly remembered, gesturing to Gio, whose eyes widened in shock.
"At the meeting thing!" Gio snapped his fingers at Ricky, recalling that he had attended one of their meetings and personally vetted them all.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Shades muttered, while the other old heads nodded in acknowledgment, and Johnny raised his hand.
"And if he joins, does that mean he's gonna look after the warlock runners?" Johnny asked, giving a subtle nod toward Eldric, who sat quietly at the side, already aware of the reference since they had met before.
"No, Eldric is gonna be working with the witches and warlocks-"
"You bringing ladies into here?" Johnny asked, his voice tinged with shock as the others recoiled slightly at Ricky's words.
"Like as secretaries?" Bug Eyes piped up, glancing around to see a few nods of agreement.
"Sure," Ricky said simply, shrugging his shoulders as he knew they would find a way to nitpick everything anyway.
"Alright, I guess that makes sense." Bug Eyes nodded, accepting Ricky's answer of them having personal secretaries.
"Does that mean I get a-"
"Everyone can get secretaries. The main thing is that Vito and his guys are working alongside Eldric for Camelot's future interaction with the family," Ricky said, quickly steering the conversation back on track.
In truth, he wanted to wrap this up so he could finally explain his Veil method.
"Got it? Good, now-"
"Slick-"
"For f*ck's sake!" Lil Tony yelled at his younger brother, making him flinch.
"Stop interrupting the f*cking boss, or I'm taking you out back and pistol-whipping you across the face!" Lil Tony roared, towering over Big Tony, whose infuriated expression melted into a tight-lipped grind of his teeth.
"Sorry, boss, continue." Lil Tony sighed, settling back into his seat while tucking his tie neatly into his suit.
"No, no, I can't." Big Tony shook his head violently, rising to his feet as Lil Tony immediately jumped up to stop him.
"Don't you f*cking dare-"
"Slick, some of the guys and I want to ask you what the future of the Luciano family will look like!" Big Tony yelled, wiping his brow with his hairy arm, his voice cutting through the room as Ricky's smile slowly began to fade.
"Right!" Big Tony asked, expecting one or two nods, only to be met with the entire inner circle staring at him with narrowed, squinted glares.
"Right?"
The moment his genuine disrespect became clear, not a single Capo dared to utter a word.
"It's just that you've got to look at the big picture," Ricky started, giving Big Tony one last subtle chance to grasp the reasoning before things escalated further.
SIGH
A heavy sigh suddenly echoed across all the high ranking mobsters within the Luciano family, face palming at Ricky's words since they always heard this exact statement before he would go into his rant about the future of the Luciano family.
"What I see for the Luciano family is something no one's ever done before, heard of before, and, most of all, had the balls to pull off," Ricky said, picturing it for them all and gesturing into the air as if they could see the vision unfolding before him.
"Fellas, what we're building is something that's gonna cast a shadow over all organizations-"
"How we supposed to get tall enough if these f*cking weirdo's keep tearing us down!" Big Tony roared, throwing away all reason and pushing Lil TOny off of him.
"AYE, YOU WATCH YOUR TONE-"
"It's fine."
Suddenly, a chilling voice cut across the table, a green glow igniting in Ricky's eyes as he calmly crossed his fingers, fixing Big Tony with a stare.
"Let him have the floor. He obviously can't keep his f*cking mouth shut, so let him get it off his chest," Ricky said, holding up the same hand that bore Profaic's ring, which flashed menacingly before them all.
"Boss, I ain't usually one to get worked up over stuff like this, but this can't be what we're doing with these magic-using bastards, can it?" Big Tony asked, wiping sweat from his forehead and puffing out his chest, glaring at Ricky.
"How many of your guys did they kill, your family!" Big Tony asked, his tone breaking ever so slightly to show the despair in his voice.
"They betrayed us. We took them in, and they bit the hand that fed them!" Big Tony shouted, almost hysterical, preaching at Ricky as if it were the only sensible truth.
"We can't trust them. We just can't." Big Tony finished, pouring every ounce of frustration and fear into his words as Ricky listened quietly, then let out a low, simmering chuckle.
"I hear ya, Lil Tony. I hear all of ya'll," Ricky said, the tone sending a shiver down Big Tony's arms as goosebumps rose on his skin.
"And I know it was just Big Tony speaking, but I ain't dumb enough to think it's only on his mind," Ricky said, kicking his feet up and leaning back slightly, his eyes scanning the room.
Everyone avoided his gaze, knowing his words hit harder than they wanted to admit.
"So let me be the first to say that the coven is gonna be dissolved." Ricky's words spilled out, and the high-ranking members let out relieved smiles.
Everyone except Big Tony, who stayed rigid, watching Ricky carefully.
He simply waited for the others to settle into their relief, knowing Ricky's habit of easing people in before dropping something catastrophic.
"And while it's dissolving, all the good parts will be absorbed by our Luciano family."
BAM
"SLICK, YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Big Tony slammed his hand onto the table, the force rattling glasses as the other high-ranking members erupted in outrage at the audacity of the statement.
"THEY JUST ATTACKED US, THEY HAVE THE BLOOD OF OUR GUYS ON THEIR HANDS, THEY HAVE RATS-"'
"No, they had, big emphasis on the 'had,'" Ricky clarified, twirling the golden ring back and forth on his finger, his calm demeanor only fueling the tension in the room.
"We took care of all the rats as we always do and-"
"Slick, please, just listen." Big Tony's voice cracked with hysteria as he strode from his seat all the way to Ricky, who remained leaned back in his chair, calm and unbothered.
"Please, please don't-" Lil Tony pleaded, trying to calm his younger brother, but Big Tony wasn't having any of it.
"No, I gotta say my peace!" he yelled, shoving Lil Tony aside and turning back to Ricky.
"Yeah, let your brother say his peace," Ricky repeated, his cold green eyes locking onto Big Tony, who clearly hadn't learned when to take a hint.
"Slick, no disrespect, but you're gonna get us all killed," Big Tony suddenly said, immediately hushing the entire room as all eyes turned toward him.
"Oh yeah?" Ricky replied, looking up at Big Tony, ready for whatever his subordinate had to throw at him.
"Yeah, Slick, you're gonna get us all f*cking killed." Big Tony said, his face pure fury as he stared down at Ricky.
"Ever since Lucky put you in charge, you've been throwing your own people to the wolves." Big Tony hissed, jamming his finger right into Ricky's smug face.
"And for what, for-"
"For power." Ricky suddenly interrupted, his green eyes flaring with a sovereign intensity that made Big Tony stumble back, the weight of Ricky's will pressing down on him like a physical force.
"N-No, it ain't for power it's-"
"Enough, let me-"
"NO SLICK, IT'S TIME SOMEONE-"
BAM
Ricky's patience snapped, and with a single, brutal flick of his finger.
Using his telekinesis to make Big Tony's body jerked violently backward, slamming against the wall before crumpling to the floor.
The room went dead silent at that simple act.
Everyone knew Ricky was strong, but after witnessing a grown man flying across the room with just a flick of his finger.
It was something none of them had ever seen in their lives.
"Slick, wait, he didn't mean it, he-" Lil Tony started, trying to intervene, only for Ricky to raise a finger, cutting him off completely.
"Before I say anything, I need to make one thing clear, to all of you." Ricky continued, twirling his ring on his finger with a calmness that belied the violence of just moments ago, as if flicking Big Tony across the room hadn't happened at all.
"I'm the head of the Luciano family."
"I'm Ricky Luciano, I'm the boss, and most of all, I'm at the top of this motherf*cking food chain." Ricky said, his voice cutting through the room, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind as all eyes fixed on him.
"Lucky always told me to listen before acting, and that's exactly what I came here to do, to listen." Ricky said, finally sitting up and pressing a finger to the table as his gaze swept over all of them.
"I know plenty of you aren't happy with the way I've been running this family, especially when I run off and then drag you all into the mess afterward. I get it." Ricky paused, then lifted his gaze, letting it harden into the ruthless expression expected of the man at the head of the table.
"But don't any of you, ever f*cking forget, who put you in the seat you're sitting at." Ricky's words cut through the room, the weight behind them forcing every head to bow at the unspoken implication.
"Not the position—the notoriety you all get from being part of the Luciano family."
"The only criminal organization in complete control of New York, because of me."
"The only family still standing, because of me."
"And the only family even the president of the United f*cking States won't touch, and can you guess why?"
"Because of me!" Ricky roared, surging to his feet as the mobsters instinctively lowered their heads beneath the weight of his voice.
"Did any of you get banished from New York, only to return three years later and rule it?" Ricky lowered his tone, the words dripping with condescension as he circled them like a shark.
"No? You didn't?"
"Well? Did any of you personally stand before the Supreme Court in direct confrontation with the government, huh?" Ricky asked, pacing the room as Big Tony slowly braced himself against the wall he'd been thrown into.
"No? I'm serious, did anyone else pull that off?" Ricky laughed, spreading his arms wide as he circled like a shark in bloody waters.
"I got us recognized by the High Table. I made us untouchable. And I built a monopoly in the criminal underworld that lets us do whatever the f*ck we want." Ricky stopped in front of Big Tony, who collapsed back onto his ass as the shadow looming over him swallowed the floor.
"But you're right, we lost some good men." Ricky said, forcing Big Tony to his feet and wrapping his arm around his shoulder
"But there's always losses in war." Ricky whispered, hissing the words into Big Tony's ear as his grip tightened on his shoulder until Tony winced.
"But the real loss is just letting everything stay the same until you're forced to change." Ricky scoffed, throwing Big Tony toward the table as he stumbled, barely catching himself on it.
"And when I was off fighting that douche nozzle who sent a goddamn monster to our docks, I realized something." Ricky said, standing in front of everyone who quietly looked towards him without a single person daring to even help Big Tony to his seat, not even his older brother.
"I don't wanna wait until someone comes knocking, not anymore," Ricky said, clenching his fist and giving it a shake.
"I'm not gonna just focus on recruiting Italian men when there are people who can literally CONTROL ELEMENTS!" Ricky yelled, gesturing toward Eldric, who bowed his head neatly in response.
"From now on, the Luciano family is in it for power."
"Not money. Not weapons. And not for the bare minimum. POWER! REAL, GODDAMN, IN-YOUR-FACE POWER!" Ricky bellowed, his ambition igniting every word.
Around the table, excitement sparked in everyone's eyes, everyone except Big Tony.
"THE POWER THAT FORCES MONEY, FAME, AND NOTORIETY TO FOLLOW!" Ricky roared, gesturing widely across the air to emphasize this fact.
"That is why the Luciano family, from this day forward, will be running on nothing less than power."
"So when we recruit, we recruit those who f*cking wield that power like the coven, like mutants, and anyone else who wants the same thing we want!" Ricky said, gripping his chest while squeezing the place above his heart.
"But if all you want is f*cking money, here you go!" Ricky said suddenly, holding out his hand as a swirl of black mist coiled around his arm as the key tattoo started to morph, revealing he was reaching into his inventory.
BAM
"This is ten gold bars," Ricky said suddenly, pulling out ten real gold bars as every mafia member's eyes followed the gleam.
"Anyone of you who wants an out, a real free out, with no strings attached, will get this really nice severance package." Ricky said, gesturing to the ten gold bars he lifted as effortlessly as if they were rocks.
"You'll get the money. You'll keep the same respect you have now. And any one of you could be set for life with what this will buy," Ricky said, patting the gold with a salesman's smile.
"It's just that is all you will get." Ricky laughed suddenly, spreading his arms wide.
"Because if any of you are really f*cking dumb enough to believe that I, Lucky's son, would leave any of my guys behind…" Ricky began, letting the words hang in the air, leaving them waiting before finally delivering the rest.
"Then you don't get it at all."
"This world is gonna tremble under our Luciano family, and I hope all of you are there to watch it with me." Ricky said, chuckling as he slid his hands into his pockets, as if the next words were beyond his control.
"If not, well… at least with this, you can buy yourself a nice view." Ricky tapped the table, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"Don't," Lil Tony whispered to his little brother, eyes fixed on the fat man as he gripped his knuckles, then shoved his older sibling aside.
"I can't do this anymore, Slick. I can't stomach telling my guys to throw away their lives for people who aren't even our own," Big Tony huffed, standing and locking eyes with Ricky.
"Well, thanks for everything you've done for this family until now. I appreciate it," Ricky said, patting his shoulder before turning to the others.
"Get out." Ricky said coldly, shoving Big Tony toward the door he had first entered.
"Anyone else?" Ricky asked, scanning the room but as Big Tony turned to leave, it became clear he was the only one.
"Alright, then, let's continue the meeting."
"So, what, that's it?" Big Tony laughed, staring at Ricky like it was all some big joke.
"Yeah. Get your gold and get out," Ricky said, chuckling without a trace of familiarity left in his tone.
"Slick, I bled for this family-"
"And I appreciate that, hence the f*cking gold for your troubles."
"But I-"
"But you made a choice," Ricky snapped, yanking his tie forward so his hairy ears could catch every word more clearly.
"I told you, as your f*cking boss, that this was how it was going to fly." Ricky chuckled, watching Big Tony struggle to pry himself free, only to realize he wasn't strong enough.
"I listened to your f*cking opinion but I didn't like it, and then you decided that you aren't needed." Ricky said, finally letting go of his tie as he stumbled backwards with an infuriated expression.
"So, recognizing you like any other high-ranking member of this family, I am allowing you to retire," Ricky said, though his smile and the hint of respect he had for him all but vanished as he looked at Big Tony in that moment with a gaze that held nothing.
"But that's the thing Big Tony, I'm allowing it."
"You see, growing up, my father always emphasized how much you needed to respect those under you." Ricky said, wiping his mouth as if to stop himself for really hurting the man in front of him.
"He said, 'They put up with your sh*t and you get all the glory,' so this is how I'm respecting you," Ricky said, his heart breaking in two, especially knowing the big things he had planned for Big Tony.
"But if you think I'm gonna beg you to stay, then I'm actually glad you're leaving with some gold instead of a f*cking body bag," Ricky whispered, watching Big Tony's face go pale.
"Now, take the gold, and get the f*ck out."
Big Tony looked back toward his elder brother, but Lil Tony's disappointment wasn't aimed at Ricky, it was aimed at him.
Even if he agreed with his younger brother, Ricky was actually right.
Yes, Big Tony had done things that others might scrutinize, but the benefits far outweighed the tragedies.
But most of all, Lil Tony respected what Ricky had done, and for that reason, he stayed seated.
Big Tony, however, hadn't shown the same respect and to put it simply, Ricky didn't want anyone working for him who didn't.
Ricky let the silence hang, thick and suffocating, as Big Tony moved to collect the gold and head for the door.
He paused there, hesitating, the tension almost tangible in the room.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Slick," Big Tony said, but there was an unusual weight in his tone.
"I'm not," Ricky heartlessly replied, using his telekinesis to force Big Tony, and his gold, out of the room.
THUMP
BAM
As Big Tony was thrown out, his gold clinking behind him, the door slammed shut with a resounding thud.
"Anyone else?"
"Good."
On the other side of the door, Big Tony slowly limped to his feet, clutching his stomach as his eyes fell on the ten gold bars neatly stacked in front of him.
He lingered there, peering through the small window, watching the meeting inside unfold.
Not a single capo seemed to notice him, except one.
Ricky's eyes met his through the glass, and slowly, deliberately, he raised his gaze.
The sheer force of his will pressed down on Big Tony like a physical weight.
Almost immediately, he struggled to catch his breath.
Sweat poured from his pores in streams as he dropped to his knees, unknowingly receiving Ricky's final warning before any hasty action could be made.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Ricky blinked, breaking the hold, and turned his attention back to the others who waited silently, watching for him to finish.
"Listen, what we're doing is something no other mafia family has ever done before." Ricky's serious expression softened, giving way to a businesslike smile, as if he were trying to sell them the idea.
"But unlike all those others who failed, we have the missing piece," Ricky said, wearing the biggest narcissistic smile he could muster.
"We have me." Ricky spread his arms wide, as if brilliantly enlightening them with his presence.
"I know it's a lot to say, but trust me, there's nothing in this country that can stop us from taking over America's entire underbelly." Rciky said, only for a bitter expression to eclipse his narcissistic one.
"Except time." Ricky wagged his finger, rising to his feet as everyone followed his every move.
"Time to get our fresh blood integrated into the family, into our culture, because one thing that will never change is how we do things." Ricky said, holding up a single finger at the end of his sentence while gesturing towards them all.
"We are the Luciano family. We are Italians. And as such, we will expect anyone rising through the ranks to fully embrace our ways."
"No matter who they are be it; mutants, magicians, and Italians alike, they can't go by our ways, then they can't fly and that's that."
"But we also need, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we need a firmer grip on the government." Ricky sighed, twisting the ring around his finger as Merlyn's words clearly struck a chord with him.
"We've got the politicians here on lock, boss-" Lil Tony began, only for Ricky to shake his head.
"No. It ain't enough," Ricky said, holding up a finger as if to stop him right there.
"The papers are slandering my name every day, and that motherf*cker in the White House is just waiting for any chance to strike against our family," Ricky scoffed, knowing the president would soon become a thorn in his side, and he wasn't about to wait to get pricked.
"Like I said before guys, we ain't waiting, we're attacking." Ricky said, hammering the point repeatedly to make sure they understood.
"It's evolve or die, and there's no way I'm not living to see my kids grow up." Ricky chuckled, slowly walking back over to his seat at the head of the table.
"So that's why, boys, we need something different," Ricky said, slowly riling them up as he grabbed the twenty-five pages he had thrown onto the table earlier.
"We need a plan, a set of ideas to take what we have now to the next level," Ricky said, his businesslike smile in full view as he slowly held up the papers for everyone to see.
"And we have the method to do it," Ricky said, gesturing toward the single blank page that bore just three words.
"The Veil Method."
Author's Note: Sorry if the rascim was unpleasant to read but that's just how guys liek that were back in the day. If you think I went overboard or think I missed something, don't be afraid to call me out.