~5 Years Later~

Rikki, twenty seven years old, member of the Cornello Family. One of the last branches of the old heritage of mafioso in New York, as well as being a crumbling family like all the others. Riki was always one called Rat-Face Rikki. Other than his appearance, his blonde stringy hair tied in a ponytail, his jagged teeth and his pinched nose, giving that appearance of a rat, it was also something that fit his personality. When he knew a situation got bad, however it would take, however it would get him out, he’d take those chances. No matter how it hurt his reputation, or his loyalty to others, he would do whatever it took to get out of a sinking ship. And to him, the Cornello Family was another of those sinking ships. He acted as an informer to the city all his life. He had all the info from his time running with the homeless, the prostitutes, and the dealers of the city. Where there was info to be had, he would obtain it easily. And info on the Falcone’s was something that the Cornello Family paid with ease. He told them about all that they had, about their crumbling family, their pathetic drug deals, and how they only got one new member into their ranks in the past nine years. All info that Rikki had let slip out. But one thing that Rikki always kept to himself, always had hidden in case, was the real details on that new guy. He wasn’t sure on the name, but he told them that he was a quiet boy, brash as hell, always looking for a fight, always stepping up first, but had a tight leash on him by Hector. Hector, a real cold killer, even with one arm. But that one thing that Rikki always kept just in case was if he would ever need it. That kid was a pyromancer. Rikki didn’t think it was possible. That some kid like that had it. He thought it was the ramblings of some drugged out hooker or some bum that had been drinking gutter water all day. But he saw it for himself one day. Saw it when he went to that club, under the threat that if he were at the Cornello Family’s meeting, on Halloween night, he’d be another casualty. He could walk away, if he gave them the info they needed. And as he sat at the airport, on Halloween night, all he could think was one thought.
“Tony. Marabelle, Vince…. Oh god! Forgive me!”
Rikki held his head in his lap, the fear of what would happen that night taking over him. He never felt guilt or fear from his jobs. But for them, he felt no better than that thing coming for them.

~October 12 - Eighteen Days Prior~
Rikki had been sitting in his car, listening to the talk shows on there to calm his nerves, his car parked near the abandoned warehouse where they used to store alcohol in the 1920s. With prohibition being a thing of the past, there was no real need for it. He wasn’t sure why the Falcone family wanted him of all people. Sure, he was an informer and the one who got all the info for being a smooth talker and just knowing the right people. He had no means of holding a gun, killing a man. Just to make a profit. But on one info run, on his way to a payphone, he saw a message written in red ink that red, “To Rat-Faced Rikki. Come to the warehouse alone at 11 PM. Don’t be late. Don’t tell a soul. Don’t make us come looking for you. Falcone.”
Rikki didn’t know what made him want to come by himself. Even without a piece. Was he scared that if he did, he’d only put himself in more danger? Was he somehow trusting that the Falcones were more friendly than the Cornellos? Was he just looking for a chance to get out? Rikki was sitting there, having to keep himself calm as the clock struck 11:05 PM. He was starting to think it was just a joke, if only the Falcones were more well known to the public. And he wasn’t the type to take a joke like that easily, as everyone knew. He was ready to take off, calling this a waste of time. Until…
“Hey, out of the car!”
There was a hard wrapping on the window of the driver’s side, causing Rikki to scream in terror. Turning over was not much better, as he saw the very man he was hoping not to see. The legendary hitman of the Falcones, Hector. Even with just one arm, even with his tired expression, age clearly taking over him now as he had grown more grey and wrinkled despite just eleven years. Even with that, he still gave off an imposing aura. The aura of a man that could kill without mercy, without hesitation, and in the blink of an eye. Standing on the opposite side, Blue-Eyes Benny stood on the other end, his appearance that of a sick man who enjoyed messing with people, who enjoyed getting into their heads just to make them feel weak and pathetic. And he was enjoying the sight of Rikki’s terror.
“I think he just shit his pants, Hector!”
“Well he should probably be more scared if he doesn’t comply” Hector said, his face only illuminated by the light of his cigarette, staying out of view of Rikki’s headlights. Hector stared at Rikki throughout before his words were directed at him, “I said out of the car.”
Rikki did not need to be told again. He quickly stepped out of the car, his hands up in fear, his hands shaking at the sight of the two as he spoke, “L-Listen, I got no beef with you two! I-I’m just an informer for the Cornello Family. I-I didn’t do nothing wrong-”
“You give them info of our drug deals.” Hector said, taking the time to drag on his cigarette before continuing. “We’re both failing families, so we gotta take whatever deals we can. And just one deal, even selling a few bags of coke, is enough to get ahead in the gang. Cornello knows that and you know that. You’re as much of a threat to us as the bastards that pull the trigger on our boys.”
“Yeah, fucker! So if you think you’re walking out of here in one piece, you’re shit out of luck!” Blue Eyes spoke up.
“Calm down, Blue Eyes” Hector replied, holding his one arm in front of him in a means of keeping Rikki from being too terrified. Though it didn’t help much. Rikki was in shock, unable to even move, but shook like an earthquake. Hector tossed his cigarette to the ground before he looked up at Rikki and responded, “We want info on what Cornello is doing on Halloween night. He’s going to die that night. The Cornello Family is over with. He’ll be with his officers that night. That’s all we got from Mikey and Tommy. We want to know the place he’ll be, the layout of the place, and how much muscle he’ll have. What they’re packing, all that stuff. Cooperate, and you’ll be able to leave. We’ll give you the necessary stuff for it. Money, ID, all that. Try and tell Don Cornello, his cronies, or the cops, and we’ll have you killed. The choice is yours, Rikki.”
Rikki was terrified. Immensely. He wasn’t sure what made him, but he didn’t even think his choice over. He just blurted out, “G-Got it!”
Hector turned to Blue-Eyes, Blue Eyes giving Hector a disappointed grimace before he turned to leave, mumbling to himself, “Fuckin’ waste of time”
Hector turned back to Rikki, tossing a number at his feet as he spoke, “This is my personal cell, Rikki. Don’t lose that number. Call me in a week's time. I’ll want all the info I listed by then. Be even a day late and I’ll come for you myself. And you won’t like that. Now get out of here.”
Hector didn’t even get time to turn and walk before Rikki scurried toward his car, fumbling with the card as he picked it up off the ground and tossing it into his glove compartment. Fumbling with the keys, he got the car started before peeling out of the lot and back onto the roads of the industrial side of the city. He could only look in his rearview mirror to see Hector staring back at him in the darkness, illuminated by his break lights. And as he drove, Rikki slammed his fist down onto his steering wheel, the horn honking briefly as he shouted with each swing of his fist. “Fuck! Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!!”

~October 19 - Eleven Days Prior~
Rikki had already found himself driving to Club Venus, a local strip joint that was full of all sorts of scum types. Alcoholics who hated their wives, pimps looking for advertising, girls who were down on their luck but didn’t hate themselves enough to go into prostitution. It was real filth. And it was a club that Rikki found himself to be a regular at. But he wasn’t going there for pleasure. It was his job to go there for something else. Calling Hector a few hours ago, his words still rang through his head as he drove down the busy New York traffic.
“I’ll be waiting for you at Club Venus. Me and my ‘negotiator’ will be there for the info. Meet us in the bathroom. Come alone. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if I see a Cornello cronie with you.”
Rikki found himself slowing his car down on purpose, hoping to delay his inevitable arrival to the place. But even that felt like it came too fast. He found himself right outside the club, the symbol of the planet Venus along the cursive letters, lit in neon purple. Rikki let out a sigh, having to take a drag on his cigarette just to calm his nerves before he stepped inside, his hands in his pockets and a nervous stare in his face. Even surrounded by acquaintances and friends, he still felt suffocated, like he was infiltrating enemy territory. Even with Buck, the giant black man who acted as the body guard with tattoos across his face, or Charlie, the bartender who was always one to enjoy a good laugh with Rikki, or Starla, his favorite girl in the club, even with her age of thirty seven, he could still wow him. Even with all these faces, he still wasn’t ready for who he’d find at the bar. What he wasn’t expecting though, was this kid. He looked to be eighteen-years-old, his short black hair combed forward, but he had this expression of seriousness on his face. He was sitting at the bar, only handed a water to drink, as Rikki sat down, drumming his fingers nervously. The kid at the bar turned to him and spoke, “You’re really damn annoying, you know that?”
“W-What?” Rikki said. Normally, he wouldn’t take that kind of shit from someone smaller than him, but he was on edge. He didn’t want to offend the wrong person, even if it was a pipsqueak like him. As the boy took a drink from his glass, he spoke, “You Rikki?”
“Wha-.. Y-Yes” Rikki said, shocked that of all people in this club to be looking for him, it was this kid.
The kid finished off his drink before standing up and speaking, “I’m gonna take a piss. Do whatever”.
“Y-Yeah, got it” Rikki said, his fingers wrapping against the bar counter, looking around at the slow crowd today. Not much of a crowd aside from the few drunks that came in to drink the day away, none too interested in the girls. Rikki tried to enjoy the atmosphere a bit more before he stood up, deciding to head to the bathroom himself. He wasn’t sure who was waiting in there for him, but the words ‘negotiator’ rang through his mind. Surely, that kid couldn’t be the negotiator. But once he stepped into the bathroom, greeted by Hector and the kid standing at the opposite end, with no other soul in sight, Rikki’s thoughts were made true. He stared at the kid before his eyes moved to Hector, wearing a trench coat over his shoulders to hide his missing arm. It was only when Hector spoke up did he get his answers, “Rikki, this is my negotiator. Names Ernesto.”
Neither Rikki nor Ernesto responded to each other. No greetings, no waves, not even a single movement of acknowledgement from the two. Instead, Rikki focused his full attention on Hector as he spoke “T-The info, right?”
Hector gave a slow nod, waiting ever patiently for Rikki to speak. As Rikki fiddled with his hands in his pockets, more stressed and nervous than the ride over, he spoke, tapping his feet as he did so, “Okay, it’ll all take place at the Blue Moon Hotel. You know, that old casino that got turned into a hotel after the owner died? Yeah, that place. That’s where they’ll be meeting the officers. They’ll be three officers. The Don, Tony Cornello. Then his other guy, the man with the black ponytail over his shoulder, Joseph Vincetti. And his brother-in-law, an ex boxer, Robert Morello. Any other officers were either killed in your guys fighting or left while they still had cash on them. They’ll have twenty goons, all occupying the place for the night. Should be pretty slow. The place has seen better days. Should just be staff there before the police arrive. Once the gunfire starts-”
“If everything goes well, there won’t be any gunfire” Hector said, looking over at Ernesto with a grimace, “Hopefully. Right, Ernesto”
Rikki looked over at the kid again, a shocked expression on his face as he spoke, “W-Wait! You can’t be serious, right? You’re sending a kid into that place?”
“Ernesto’s the only one capable of fighting. He’s underground, has no records in the city since he was never made a child by his father, and you don’t exactly know his name or his history. Just a face, which will be hidden”
“But… he’s a kid. Sure, he looks like an adult, but he can’t be a fighter”
“Wanna test that?” Ernesto said, breaking his silence all of a sudden.
Rikki looked to the boy in shock, unsure as to why he was now targeted by this kid. He was slowly getting more aggravated by him as he continued his insults and threats. But in Hector’s case, he didn’t dare insult him. Instead, he just spoke, “S-Surely you got a gun or something.”
“I do” Ernesto replied, before his raised his fingers upward, pointing them at Rikki like a gun., closing one eye and aiming it at Rikki.
“Y-You can’t be serious” Rikki said, looking at Hector now as he spoke, “T-This kids fucking with me! You expect me to-”
“Bang!”
In an instant, Rikki noticed the one strand of hair fall from his head, catching a glimpse of it burning in a small fire from the kid. He thought he was imagining things. But the sight of it, the faint heat of the flame clear on his cheeks, the horrid stench of burning hair forcing its way into his nostrils, it couldn’t have been an illusion. It couldn’t have been. Was it some sort of trick. Rikki’s gaze turned back to Ernesto, and only shot open when he saw the small flame from his finger tip. It was like the flickering flame from a lighter. And all it took was the faint words of a single ‘bang’ to create a fire like that. Rikki pressed his back against the wall, panting heavily at the sight as he slid down the wall into a sit on the floor. Hector shook his head at the sight before he spoke, “Don’t worry about us, Rikki. You did a swell job. And for keeping your end of the deal, we’ll keep ours.”
As Rikki sat on the floor, Hector reached into his pockets, tossing a stack of money into Rikki’s lap as he spoke, “Here’s some cash. You tell your boss that you’ll be leaving the city tomorrow. Do whatever you like. Go wherever you want. I don’t really care. But we don’t want you sticking around in New York okay? And whatever you do, don’t be at the Blue Moon on Halloween. Got it?”
Without confirmation, Hector stepped out of the bathroom, waving Ernesto to follow. Ernesto gave a strange sign with his hands as he spoke to Rikki, “Later, Rat-Fucker”
“Language, Ernesto!”
It was twenty minutes before Rikki stepped out of the bathroom, out of the club and into his car, wanting to make extra sure that those two were gone. His heart felt like it was pounding in his chest. He didn’t want to waste anymore time, and he certainly didn’t want to end up dead by that kid. He wasn’t sure what he saw. Fire from his fingertips? It was insane. But it was right there, in front of them. But he was too far in now. Either he died or Tony Cornello died. And he wasn’t sure if he was ready to betray his boss like that. But if Rikki was good at anything, it was leaving a sinking ship.
“The Cornello is a dinosaur. They had it coming. I-It’s not my fault! I just sped things up! I’m not the bad guy here!”
All these thoughts ran through his mind, trying to tell himself that he wasn’t wrong, trying to tell himself that he wasn’t on the same level as those killers.

~October 22nd - Eight Days Prior~

“Detroit?”
“Well, ya see, Cornello…” Rikki said, sitting in the lavish room of the Blue Moon. Despite it being on the third floor, it was quite the luxurious place, with white sofas and a large living room, separate bedrooms, a large TV, dining room, the works. It was only for those who were looking for a place to relax but blended in well with the rest of the rooms from the outside, for those looking to avoid unwanted attention. Or in this case, to hide from an assassin. Rikki was sitting across one of the old relics of the criminal underworld, an old man with his hair silver, combed back into a pompadour. He was always in the gun running business, ever since he was a boy in the fifties, and now, he was running his own family. Even with that, the age never broke him. He was always a tough man, knew the ins and outs of the business, and knew how to get what he wanted, through bribes, or through total domination of another family. Families like the Falcones. He smoked on a cigarette, not one for the taste of a cigar despite the stereotype. He looked over at Rikki with a concerned expression, waiting for him to continue.
When he found the words, Rikki spoke, “You see, boss, it’s just that this life it… I know you hate the thought of someone leaving the family, but…. The Falcones, they’re desperate. They’ve shot at your cars, your body doubles, over and over and over. And I’m… scared of dying. I just want to get away. Back to my family in Michigan. I want the simple life again.”
Cornello looked at Rikki with a sympathetic look, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray as he stood up, walking around the room before speaking, “I get it, Rikki. The mafia is an old, dead thing. Why form organized families, loyalty and all that, when the risk is too high and the work is too long and grating when crimes these days are so easily taken. You hear about all this shit like the internet and credit cards. Hackers and scammers are the only way to take cash these days. Shit, people are making their own meth these days. Crimes evolved. The mafia is just old fashioned now. Just a thing for movies and TV.”
“N-No, it’s not like that, boss. I have nothing but respect for your family.”
“Rikki, you are a slimy rat who will do anything to save his own ass. I know you!”
Rikki felt himself sink into the couch now as he listened to Cornello’s insults, only sighing with relief when he added, “You don’t have to lie to me. You want to live. And the mafia lifestyle ain’t exactly going to do that for you. You have my blessing, Rikki. I ain’t gonna force you to stay.”
“Uh… thanks boss” Rikki said with a nod, standing up from the couch as he gave a nod and replied, “W-Well, I’d better go and get those plane tickets bought. Gotta be outta here before Thanksgiving and all that.”
“Sure thing, Rikki. And feel free to call me any time. If you ever need a loan or some work, even a reference, let me know”.
Rikki could only turn with a smile and a nod to this offer as he made his way out, his smile turning into a frown with regret. He wouldn’t deny that Cornello was a criminal. A harsh one at that, one who knew when things needed to get done. But he always respected the man who helped him off the streets, helped him get to where he was now. And knowing that he would betray him now, it only hurt more. But his true agony would be waiting from him behind the door. Throwing it open, he was greeted by Marabelle, the Don’s daughter. She was about Rikki’s age, her blonde hair tied into a ponytail with her blue eyes looking at the man, her red lips smiling up at him. And next to her was her child, Vince, only five years old, with rugged brown hair and chubby cheeks, looking up at Rikki as he spoke up, “Rat! Rat!”
“Yes, it is Rikki, Vince” Marabelle said with a chuckle
Rikki looked at the two with a flabbergasted expression, unable to find the words as he spoke, “H-Hey, Belle. What’s up? Come to visit your pa?”
“Yeah” Marabelle said with a joyful smile, “Haven’t seen him in a while. Always busy with work and all that. So I decided to surprise him with a little visit. Let him see his grandson before he kicks the bucket at some point.”
Through her joke, Rikki’s expression darkened at the thought. He gulped and asked, “A-Are you gonna be here fo-for Halloween?”
“Well of course. Vince here’s still too young to go out trick-or-treating, and I can’t exactly go out to parties, so since we’re in town, I thought we may as well stick around for a bit here. Why? You aren’t planning on hitting on me again, are you?”
Rikki was only left to stare at the two. It was one thing to stab Cornello in the back, but now risking Vince and Marabelle, it was a wave of guilt, enough to make him doubt his actions. Enough to make him puke. He ran outside, leaving Marabelle confused at his sudden exit, shaking her head in confusion.
Rikki needed to stop the hit. Whatever it took

The Falcone Family owned bar had seen better days. Still a hot spot for the group to meet at, but had not seen much outside business in a long time. It acted mostly as a place for Hector to drink his troubles away, and was still the place that housed Ernesto and Frederick in the attic upstairs. Frederick had been able to go to a private school for his high school education outside of town and away from all the crime, thanks to Hector’s good will and keeping Frederick’s home life a secret from the schools. Ernesto, on the other hand, was like a prisoner in a cell. He only had access to the internet on a limited scale, all of his time that wasn’t dedicated to training spent setting up websites online, websites dedicated to gaming forums or dedicated to other strange hobbies of him. He wasn’t allowed to call himself by his real name, no social media accounts, and no shopping websites. He only had a flip phone with only Hector and Frederick’s numbers on them. Ernesto felt like he was someone who didn’t belong. The only thing keeping him going was his dreams of being a hero, telling himself that once the Cornello Family was taken off the face of the earth, he’d be let go of Melvin’s grasp, and able to live his own life outside of the family. That is what he told himself, anyway.
As Ernesto was finishing up another post, Hector stepped into the room and spoke, “Come on, you’re needed downstairs, Ernesto”.
What Ernesto would usually argue against, he followed without a single complaint. He never backtalked Hector, not after what had happened with his arm five years ago. He was compliant, obedient like a dog, as the others called it. He just did as he was told. Once they made their way downstairs, surely enough, there was the group. Ernesto was used to the waves and nods of Tommy and Mikey, the cold sneer of Blue-Eyes, and Melvin, just sitting there without a word, just a vacant glare in Ernesto’s direction. Hector and Ernesto sat at the last table at the end, waiting for Melvin to speak up. It was quiet, painfully quiet. Even the traffic outside was non-existent from the room. Only when Melvin chuckled did they finally breathe with relief. Through his chuckles, Melvin spoke, “The day is almost here, boys. I can’t believe it. I’m almost sad to see that prick Cornello go. But I’ll cry about that later. We got his location, we got his goons, and we got that bastard cornered. A hotel will be pretty hard to get him out of. And with our golden boy, Ernesto, being the silent killer, we should be out of there before anyone shows up. Assuming he doesn’t let anyone fire a gun at him. And that’s assuming he’s not reckless enough to let himself get killed-”
“I won’t” Ernesto replied, his arms crossed, his serious tone. It was only wavered a bit when Blue-Eyes walked over and suckerpunched Ernesto in the face.
“Don’t interrupt the boss like that!”
Of course, Blue-Eyes was greeted with a punch from Hector as well, sending him crashing into the bar stools behind him, smacking his head against the counter. It caused his head to start bleeding. Melvin looked over at Blue-Eyes with an annoyed expression before he spoke, “Thank you for keeping the kid quiet, Hector. Can’t have anyone hurting our top member before the job.”
“Pff” Ernesto commented in an annoyed tone, using his thumb to wipe the blood from his nose as he let Melvin continue.
“Of course, you can’t just go in with that pretty face, kid. Thankfully, Tommy got it all set up. Tommy!”
With a nod, Tommy reached over the counter and placed a mask in front of Ernesto. It was a red Japanese goblin mask, with a big white grin and a long nose, just big enough to cover his face. In fact, it looked almost too big for him. But as Ernesto looked over it, it felt like so… like him. Something that faked a grin like a mask, despite the features. He put the mask on, throwing his hood on over his head to hide his hair, his eyes looking back with a tired expression, hidden behind the smile of the mask. Blue-Eyes, rubbing his head, spoke, “The fuck, Tommy? Where’d you get that retarded thing?”
“It’s gonna be Halloween” Tommy spoke, “Better to go in with a mask like this than to go out with a fucking ski-mask”
“It’s perfect,” Ernesto said, crossing his arms with a nod.
“Then it’s settled” Melvin replied with a clap of his hands, “Well boys, we’ll need to discuss the positions we’ll be taking in case Ernesto needs back up”
But the conversation was interrupted at the sound of the theme of Taxi Driver playing. Hector looked down at his phone, the saxophone playing from it. He reached down to grab it, but was stopped by Melvin as he spoke, “Hector, best you stick around. Blue-Eyes, mind answering it for us?”
Blue-Eyes gave a nod, taking the phone from Hector’s hand and walking to the back away from the others. He opened the phone, hitting the answer button before he spoke, “Yeah, what?... What are you talking about… Hector’s busy right now, okay?... Stop your sniveling, will ya!? Listen, you gave us the info! There’s nothing more to say! I don’t give a fuck what more there is! You get it, Rat-Fucker! You outlived your usefulness! You’re not needed! Call us again and I’ll fucking shoot you myself!”
With that, he hung the phone up, contemplating slamming it on the floor, but to not anger Melvin, set it back down onto the table. He lied, “Just some telemarketer”

On the other line, Rikki stood in the phone booth. He wasn’t sure if those threats held true, but he was too scared to call again. He couldn’t tell the boss this, otherwise he would die. And he couldn’t tell them that without fear of dying. As far as Rikki knew, there were only two options. Tell Cornello and risk his own death, or leave the city, and leave the Cornello Family to their own fate. And Rikki, in his panic, fell into a sit in the phone booth, his hands resting over his head in total fear and guilt.

~October 31st - Halloween Night~

Hector and Ernesto had their cars parked outside the Blue Moon Hotel, looking up at the place. The third floor room, lights shining from the window, the streets crowded with kids all in costumes with their parents walking about. It would be easy to sneak in and sneak out as long as there were no firearms shot. Ernesto knew this better than anyone, turning to Hector with a nod, “Twenty guys, right?”
“Twenty guys!” Hector said, smoking on a cigarette. He was stressed out of his mind. One screw up and it would be Ernesto who paid. But when Melvin makes up his mind, he goes through with it. And Melvin’s mind was made up the day he saw Ernesto protect Frederick when he was just seven. Melvin’s mind was made up eleven years ago. And the day had finally come for the eleven year wait to pay off. With a nod, Ernesto stepped out of the car, putting on his red goblin mask as he stepped through the crowds of kids and families and made his way inside the Blue Moon hotel. Hector had observed from the car. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the phone, holding it up to his ear after dialing the number and spoke, “Tommy, you and Mikey at the spot?... Alright, good… Yeah, I’ll keep you posted on how shit goes down… No… If there was a struggle, I couldn’t tell you. Lots of screaming shits out and about right now. For all I know, Ernesto’s already got the job done… Don’t talk about my nephew like he’s already dead… He’s been practicing for this day for almost a decade. He’ll be fine… Listen, it’ll be fi-”
Hector was ready to say, but at the moment, he was interrupted from the faint sound of a gunshot. He looked up at the window, taking notice as the families around the place looked around as well, some of them moving faster now to get out of the area with their kids, some of them rushing around the place. Hector was now panicked. “Fuck!”
Tossing his phone into the passenger seat, he threw the car door open and hurried through the crowds, making his way into the Blue Moon Hotel.

From the roof across the street of the Blue Moon, a small love hotel that acted as an apartment, Tommy and Mikey were sitting across from there. Tommy had a sniper rifle with a silencer on it, set to use for backup just in case. He wasn’t sure Ernesto would get the job done, but he hoped, deep down, that he would. Mikey used the scope of the sniper to look down at the car where Ernesto and Hector parked, waiting for them to start. As he watched down there, Tommy rested his arms over the ledge of the roof and asked, “Hey, Mikey. You ever get tired of this shit?”
“Yeah, stake outs bore me to tears” Mikey said
“No, I mean… This whole family shit. One day, you’re throwing back drinks with Melvin, talking about the good old days, playing darts with Hector and his insane skills, losing every time but still having fun shooting the shit. And then the next day, we’re fighting for our lives as some Cornello goons come at us in the streets, kill a new kid who hadn’t even pulled a trigger in their life and we’re always the survivors.”
Mikey shook his head as he kept staring through the scope, and spoke, “Tommy, you’re fresh yourself. You were brand new along with Ernesto. Blue-Eyes was only there for four years before you came. I hate to say it, but I’m used to it now. Seeing a new face, ready to make it big, only to die like a dog as he’s shot by some bastards. But that isn’t to say I don’t have any regrets. I think about JJ, and Melvin’s son, and it makes me sick to my stomach, thinking about how every time, I’m the survivor. But I’m an old man, Tommy. Not many in this business can say they live to be fifty eight. Any dreams I had died a long time ago. But if you want to leave, Tommy. By all means. You still got dreams, don’t you?”
“Well… yeah” Tommy said, clapping his hands together softly. “I always wanted to open up a little coffee shop of my own. Some place where the drinks are always hot, the smell of coffee beans fills the air, a place where I can just play my jazz whenever I like. Where you always greet someone with a smile and they greet you right back. I’m wore the fuck out, Mikey. I hate those Cornello fucks with every inch of my soul, but… Even I can’t stomach unloading a clip into one, seeing them gasp for air, seeing them try and crawl for help. It… it just…”
“Makes you feel like you’re killing a piece of yourself?” Mikey spoke, staring through the scope as he watched Ernesto step into the hotel and nodding, “I know how you feel, Tommy.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Tommy’s phone rang. Picking it up, he was greeted with Hector speaking, and he spoke. “Hey, Hector… Yeah, we’re here…. You good with this?...Nothing bad happening yet?... hehe… Are you sure he got the job done? Could be he already got capped… You know I’m joking, man. We may not act like it, but we’re worried about the kid too. Blue-Eyes, maybe, but me and Mikey, we got respect for that kid. I think that-”
But even from where he was, the faintest sound of a gunshot could be heard from across the street, from inside the hotel. And the faint, “Fuck” was heard from Hector. Tommy spoke into the phone, “Y-Yo, Hector? You there? Shit!”
Tommy hung the phone up now, his hands in his pockets as he looked over at Mikey, who was already aiming the sniper rifle at the window, trying to find a chance to get a shot, but to no avail, “Fuck! They’re too far from the window!”

Ernesto walked inside, passed the other kids and into the Blue Moon Hotel. He walked past the man at the counter, who spoke up, “Excuse me, sir!”
“I’m with Cornello”
“B-But sir, he’s not expecting guests at this time-”
“He’s expecting me.” Ernesto said with confidence as he walked up the stairs past the manager, who was already calling the phone number up above. Ernesto moved quickly up the stairs, having gained a boost of stamina from a full decade of training with Hector. The red carpet would be his waypoint to the third floor, and his objective would be waiting for him up there. At the third floor, he would find a single man waiting for him, two others just down the hall. The man had his hair slicked back and wore a black suit, and was clearly carrying a gun to his side. Ernesto reached into his pocket, pulling out something that he held in his hand and approached the man. The goon turned over to Ernesto and spoke, “Hey what are you doing here? Aren’t a little old for this Halloween shit? If you’re looking for the party, try the first floor.”
“Trick or treat?” Ernesto replied, much to the guards confusion
It wasn’t until Ernesto held his hand up did the guard notice something in his hand. A single handgun bullet, aimed upward. And when Ernesto flicked his thumb up, it was like striking a lighter to get the flame going, as a flame rose from his fingertips, causing the bullet itself to launch forward. And as the man’s head looked down at the display, it was quickly launched in the opposite direction, forced upward before he fell down with the bullet going through his head and out the other end. He fell to the floor in a bloody display, dying from the impact instantly.
“Nineteen” Ernesto spoke out loud. He reached into his pocket again, pulling out seven bullets that he stored in his pockets and slowly made his way down the hall. Once the guards took notice, he flicked his hand again, the flame striking the bullets as he sent them flying, no different than the force of a real gun. He shot one guard through the eye, and the other through his Adam's apple, killing them both with ease.
“Eighteen! Seventeen!”
Another set of guards at the corner, three of them with more heavy equipment than just pistols. Of course, nothing Ernesto couldn’t handle. He took three bullets and launched it at one, striking them through the side of the head and coating the one next to him in blood. He gave a snicker to alert the others in his direction, only to move his hand out and flick two more bullets, striking one through the chest and the other through his forehead.
“Sixteen! Fifteen! Fourteen!”
With only two bullets left, Ernesto had to be careful. He reached down to one of the corpses, taking his gun to gather more bullets, only to be interrupted when the door next to him, the bathroom door, opened with another goon stepping out, zipping up his pants as he looked down.
“What the fuck!?” he shouted
“Uh… Thirteen?”
“Wha-”
But that was all he could say, as Ernesto flicked another bullet up at the man, striking him in the left eye and sending him falling to the floor. Clearly, the shout was enough to alert the others, and left Ernesto with no choice. He ran forward down the hall as he heard the voice of a few guards.
“It sounded like it came from over here”
“It’s just Morgan being a cunt again”
As Ernesto reached the corner, he would spot one of the guards, sending a high kick to their face and knocking them to the side, unaware of the three other guards behind him. Needing to act quickly, Ernesto fired his last bullet at the one in the center, hitting him under his right eye. Using his fire magic, he grabbed the other two by the faces just as they were reaching for their guns, slowly cooking their flesh alive with fire. He let them loose, leaving them to scream and burn, alerting the other goons in the building. But with them taken care of, he moved to the man he kicked, and focusing his magic to his foot, he stomped down with the flames of a sun, burning through the man's head, smashing it like it was a pumpkin, burning his brains and flesh at the mere touch, yet leaving Ernesto’s body untouched. With a heavy sigh, he spoke, “Nine”
As more footsteps could be heard, Ernesto focused energy into his hand, holding his hands like two guns as he aimed forward and waited patiently. He knew that if he focused energy into one part, he could shoot things out like little fireballs. He had turned his body into one big gun from a western. And a sick part of him thought it was pretty cool. When the remaining guards came out, all nine of them, including Vincetti and Morello, Ernesto didn’t hesitate.
“Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!”
He repeated over and over, small fire balls launching at the men in groups, all of them screaming in terror and agony as they were lit aflame by unknown reasons. Despite their best to put out the flames, it didn’t help. If anything, the fire only rose higher and higher, and burned hotter and hotter until they started to burn like charcoal, Ernesto moving passed them as he pointed to each one and spoke softly, “Seven, six, five, four… That’s all of them aside from Cornello”.
With no other guards to distract him, Ernesto made sure to pick up a clip with four extra bullets. He was certain he would only need the one and made his way towards Room 301, the room he was told about. He stepped toward the room and kicked it open, holding the bullet in his hand, only to find no one inside. The lights were lit, but nothing more than that. That is until a gun was fired, striking Ernesto in the shoulder. Clutching it, he fired the bullet towards the closet, striking the person from behind it, seeing the gleam of a pistol from the crack. The door creaked open to reveal Cornello, the bullet in his head, falling down into a slump on the ground. Ernesto looked down at the man, the very man he was told about, was told was the enemy, yet never met in his life. He looked like a regular old man, with some lavish lifestyle. But as he started at his body, Ernesto shook his head and spoke, “No! He’s the bad guy! He sells drugs and shit! He’s a criminal! I.. did the right thing!”
But at the sound of a door creaking behind him, Ernesto panicked. He rose his hand up and flicked another bullet in the direction of the door. And only when he looked in the direction of the door, did the realization set in. Only then did he realize what he had just done.

Marabelle had gone out that night to get groceries for her and Vince. She was always a bad cook, but took solace in her father’s meals. She could burn an egg while Cornello was more than capable of creating a five star dish from that egg. She was walking down the crowded street, two bags in her hands as she was heading inside the hotel. Only, she was interrupted at the sound of a gunshot. Just hearing it, knowing her father’s business, it was enough to put her into a state of panic. Setting the bags onto the steps, she hurried inside, taking notice of the manager having called authorities at the sound of the gunfire, but was not aware of the stranger following. All she heard was the sound of someone shouting, “Hey, you can’t go up there.”, but she ran faster at the sound of this, ignoring the argument behind her. As she got to the third floor, the sight of dead bodies strewn about the place was almost enough to make her sick. It would only get worse as she got further in, noticing one of their heads being melted and a group of them burnt to a blackened state. It sickened her, shocked her to her core, that someone would kill in this way. And as she looked at the door to Room 301, she only panicked more, hurrying over to the door, looking in at the sight of things. Standing there in the center was a man with a red goblin mask, looking back at her. And on the floors, from the closet, Cornello’s dead body, and at the room the man was standing in, a pair of little legs, that of a child.

Cornello looked down at his grandson Vince, holding him in his lap as he bounced him up and down with his knee, the child giggling. Though as he did, Cornello’s officers, Vincetti and Morello, were not too comfortable with Cornello treating the meeting with this level of carefree attitude. Morello spoke up, “Excuse me, boss, but uh… We need to discuss the… shipment?”
“The what?” Cornello asked, finally looking up from Vince before he spoke, “Oh, right. The, uh… sugar, as it was. Well, Chief Atoms should have been paid off. He won’t come looking into our business if we act carefully. We just gotta keep an eye out for any strays.”
“Like Detective Cooper?” Vincetti spoke
“Exactly like Detective Cooper.” Cornello replied, “Kids too nosy for his own good”
“What about the Falcone crew?” Morello asked
This was only met by laughter from Cornello as he spoke, “The Falcones are nothing. They’re a relic, but even that’s putting it mildly. They’re just a footnote in the history of the Cornello Family.”
But his train of thought was lost at the sound of screams from down the hall. Morello and Vincetti were already quick to get up from the couch, walking over towards the door. Taking their guns out, Morello spoke, “Cornello, we’ll be right back”
Before Cornello could protest, the two stepped outside the door, closing it behind them. Vince had stopped laughing at the sounds of the screams, his tiny arms wrapped around Cornello as he spoke, “Grandpa, I’m scared”
“It’s okay, Vinny. It’s nothing. Just some Halloween prank, I’m sure-”
But he was interrupted when the screams continued, closer this time. Cornello knew those were Morello and Vincetti’s screams, along with that of his other men. Morgan, Sal, Lucas, and Jorgy. He didn’t waste no time picking Vince up and taking him over to the room, setting the child into the room near the bed and spoke in a whisper, “Listen, Vinny. Grandpa is going to check on the noise. You just stay here. Don’t move until I come for you. Okay?”
Vince gave a nod, though was incredibly scared. Cornello made his way out the door, Vince catching a brief glimpse as his grandfather took a pistol from his side as he closed the door. The scared child curled up on the opposite side of the bed, hearing the sound of the door to the living room kicking open, but no sound after. That is until a gunshot was heard, startling the child as he whimpered a bit more. And then, silence. Not another sound. No screams, no gunshots. Nothing. But his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Taking the faintest steps toward the door, the child had to know. He was scared, but he was curious. He turned the knob slowly, and slowly opened the door, just a peak. Standing just outside his door was a man with a red goblin mask, standing over the body of his granddad. The child didn’t know who it was, but to him, it looked like a monster, smiling at the chaos. And in his fear, the boy pulled on the door, causing it to creak. And the monster turned toward the boy, looking in his direction, before flicking something at him, striking through the door.

Ernesto looked down at the boy’s body in shock, in absolute horror. This tiny boy with rugged hair and chubby cheeks, tears in his blank eyes as the blood started to stain his pajamas, the bullet having struck the kid in the heart. Ernesto looked down in horror, staring down in total shock. It wasn’t until he heard someone step inside did he turn his attention away from the body, looking at the woman at the door who stared at him in shock. She looked over at Cornello’s body, then at the boys, turning only toward Ernesto. To her, all she was was a sicko staring at her, smiling with that red mask. She rushed toward him, striking at his face without him even fighting back. She shouted through tears.
“You bastard! You sick fuck! You fucking sub-human piece of shit! I-I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you!”
She struck at Ernesto, feeling nothing through the mask even as she attacked him. But he was taken out of it when he saw Hector at the doorway, pulling a gun from his pocket before he fired. Two bullets struck the woman in the back, causing her to latch onto Ernesto’s shoulders to balance herself. She gasped for air, her eyes set on the red demon in front of her. But she lost her grip soon enough, falling to her side before she died on the floor. Ernesto stared at her body in shock now, unaware of Hector moving towards him
“Ernesto! Come on, we gotta go!”

Mikey kept his scope on the window, unable to get a decent shot from where they were positioned. He even moved a few windows across. Tommy had been trying to get a good look from where he was positioned. But when he heard two more gunshots across the way, he turned back to the window. Both him and Mikey were still, looking over at each other before looking back at the ground below. But after a minute, that felt like several, the sight of Hector and Ernesto walking out of the hotel brought relief to them, like they had come up for air after going underwater for a full minute. Tommy wasted no time calling Melvin, Mikey already packing up the rifle into the case. After two rings, Melvin picked up.
“What’s up?” He asked
“Jobs finished, boss” Tommy replied. “Hector and Ernesto got out with ease. We’re heading back right now.”
He hung up before Melvin could reply, waving Mikey toward the door now. Their scope out job was officially over, along with this little war.

After a short walk, they were back in the car, Hector trying not to panic, putting the car into drive as they slowly drove away, passing by the incoming police sirens. Hector was silent for a moment before he spoke to Ernesto, “You did good tonight, Ernesto”
“I killed a kid… A kid and mother, Hector. There’s nothing good about that!” Ernesto shouted, looking at Hector now through the mask before he added, “You never told me I’d be killing a mother and child”
“Rikki said that it would be twenty guys and Cornello. I didn’t know there’d be anyone else”
“Is this what you do, uncle? When you kill someone, do you kill their wives? Their kids?!”
“With the alternative being you and Frederick? Yes! I do! I do it and I don’t regret it!”
Ernesto reeled in shock now at what he heard from Hector. This man he looked up to, even at the lowest points, admitting to murdering someone helpless like a kid. Hector added “Everything I’ve done. Every time I’ve put myself into harm, with this arm or getting shot at. Every life I’ve taken. Be it a drug dealer or be it a little baby, I’ve done it all to keep you and Fred safe. If I didn’t, I’d get killed and you two would be on the streets, and that’s assuming Melvin doesn’t butcher you two out of paranoia. I’ll become a monster if that’s what it takes to keep you two safe. It was this life or be sold as some rich perverts sex fantasy. You think I liked the choice I made for you? You think I wanted you to be a criminal. I thought you’d just be regular kids. You’d grow up, go to school, and live normal lives. Then I find out you got this fire magic bullshit! And I lose control of everything in my life. Every fucking thing I ever had, taken by that old rotting fuck Melvin! So yeah, I kill people that don’t deserve it. I’m the spawn of the fucking devil himself! But don’t talk to me like I enjoyed it. It tears me the fuck up inside, but I gotta do it. That’s what you do in this business. This place… Is no place for heroes, Ernesto! Don’t… don’t ever forget that. You just… do what you have to if you want to make it out alive.”
Ernesto turned toward the window, unable to accept what he had done. He was hoping to walk out of there with his head held high, glad that he was done working for Melvin, glad that he was over with, and could consider himself a hero to someone. But now, all he saw in the reflection of the window, staring back at him, was that of a grinning devil.

~Four Months Remaining~