Marvel: Impregnation System

Arriving at Italiano's, the encounter was nothing more than a fleeting moment he would soon forget. 

Yet, unlike that moment, another lingered, buzzing around his ear like an incessant fly, as he stepped into the restaurant he had turned into his home office.

"Help me ransack Camelot." Morgana scrunched her brows, following after Ricky, who sighed at her request.

"No, go away."

Anyone who thought Morgana would give up after her last card was deactivated would be dead wrong, the self-proclaimed Queen of Magic was nothing if not stubborn. 

Though she could abandon this vessel at any time, she refused to forsake the prospect of victory. 

And so, she resorted to the last tactic she knew, annoyance, until she could devise another.

"I am a queen, and you are a mere peasant which means you have no right to refuse—" Morgana blabbered on, trailing after Ricky into the restaurant.

"Oh, what the f*ck." Ricky sighed, staring at what should have been his meticulously categorized stack of papers, now, quite literally, built into a fort.

Within its confines sat both Alexander and Chester, completely drained, as Ricky walked over, his eyes widening at the scene before him. 

But it wasn't at the lifeless familiar but the contents surrounding them as he grabbed one paper, then another, his gaze flicking between them before landing on the two familiars with a look of surprise.

The hardest thing about paperwork wasn't that it was inherently difficult, it was simply tedious.

After you understood the core concepts of whatever form it was you needed to fill out, you realized that it was all numbers, and even numbers eventually zero out. 

But it wasn't the numbers themselves that wore you down; it was the monotonous repetition.

Having to do paperwork over and over again, knowing exactly how it starts, how it plays out, and how it ends.

That's why no one truly enjoys work. 

It's not the task itself, it's the certainty of its outcome, the knowledge that the end result is always the same. 

What keeps you going is the reward for your effort, the satisfaction of seeing a wad of money placed in your hand that signals your efforts weren't in vain.

But what separates you from a regular automatic drone is your approach, because it's the process that defines us, the very thing that makes humans so remarkable.

Everyone tackles their work differently, bringing their own methods, their own rhythms, and even their own creativity to the task. 

It's not just about the outcome, it's about how you navigate the grind, how you turn something monotonous into your own form of expression, that's what gives work meaning. 

The way we adapt, innovate, and make our own path through the routine is what makes it actually mean something.

"You did it. Not only that, but you cleared the backlog on the distributors." Ricky was impressed, knowing Alexander was the type to always prove he was better than expected.

"I came, I saw, and I conquered," Alexander breathlessly declared before passing out from exhaustion as Ricky sighed and scooped him up, setting him off to the side.

"Sure did, buddy."

Almost instantly, Ricky returned to his work, settling into his seat as Morgana endlessly spewed words, unable to even let him have a single moment of peace while spouting out ramblings about why he should follow her whims.

However, as time passed, the sheer annoyance of it all began to build.

"And another thing-"

"ENOUGH!" Ricky yelled, frustrated with her persistence as he turned to face her, seeing her arms crossed defiantly.

Snort

"You dare defy your king?" Alexander snorted awake, still mid-dream before collapsing back to the table.

"What are you to do, throw me out?" Morgana scoffed, knowing that the man before her was shameless but not that much so.

Ricky, on the other hand, slowly stood up, gazing down at her with narrowed eyes as Morgana looked up at him, her brows scrunched in defiance.

"You wouldn't dare."

1 minute later,

"Y-You dare!?" Morgana yelled, being literally thrown out and rolling into the trash as she looked up once more, her glare sharp while slowly pushing herself up.

"I knew I smelled skank." 

Suddenly, from the side, crude, hissing words echoed as Morgana turned her head, a rotten banana peel dripping down her face and her disheveled hair framing her features. 

There, standing before her, was someone she hadn't seen in decades, Raven.

However, the beautiful cerulean blue skinned woman, didn't actually know who this woman was, side-eyed her almost instinctively, making a passing comment that left Morgana's mouth agape.

"YOU DARE RAVE-"

DINK

Right as Raven crossed the threshold, a barrier materialized, and Morgana collided with it, pounding her fists against its invisible surface in frustration.

"Hey, tiger~" Raven purred, holding up a bagged lunch as the haggard Ricky smiled as she sat right on his lap, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey, baby~" Ricky murmured, burying his face into her neck which only made Raven chuckle softly, unwrapping the brown paper bag with a playful grin.

"You can't sit here and eat pizza all day, so I made you something," Raven said, promptly unpacking the homemade lunch which contained a sandwich, an apple, and a few other assorted foods.

"Mmmmmmmh~" Ricky hummed, cozily snuggling up to her, wrapping his hands tightly around her stomach while Raven side-eyed the woman, who was glaring at him with unmistakable daggers in her stare.

"So, is that one of your sluts?" Raven wondered, her eyes narrowing as they pierced Ricky as he shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Nah, that's Morgana Le Fay, the chick from the fairy tales," Ricky promptly revealed while Raven had a dawning moment as she glanced back at the woman.

"Really? That's you, Morgana?" Raven asked, realizing the stink eye wasn't aimed at Ricky but at her as she smirked, her gaze turning even more pointed.

"You know her?" Ricky perked up, asking with a surprised expression as Raven slightly tucked some loose strands of orange hair around her blue ear.

"Well, it was a long time ago, but I solved a case as Sherlock where she tried to possess a woman and kill the king," Raven said nonchalantly, her tone making it sound almost effortless as the casual remark only served to rile up Morgana even more.

"You won on a technicality!" Morgana fumed from behind the barrier, banging her head against it in frustration, remembering how it was the most ridiculous way to have solved the case, and she couldn't stand it.

"A win is a win." Raven shrugged her shoulders, her smug face only infuriating Morgana even further.

"But are you ready?" Raven asked, her gaze sharp as she watched Ricky devour his lunch as he paused, sitting back up, wiping his mouth before giving her a firm nod.

"I thought I would have to do some things, but the mighty Alexander took care of that for me." Ricky flicked his head to the side, sitting up alongside Raven while holding her hand.

"Wait, isn't there supposed to be a really muscular horse here?" Ricky suddenly realized, halting his footsteps and looking around only for Raven to chuckle, patting his chest.

Meanwhile At The Luciano Manor,

"Good horsey," Danielle murmured, gently brushing the fierce and oddly muscular Bucephalus, her voice soft and reassuring.

Snort

Bucephalus snorted, clearly annoyed that this frail, weak, and small human felt the need to state the obvious.

They sat beneath the shade of a tree as the sun lowered, casting a comfortable glow over them.

Bucephalus turned his eye toward the small, weak girl brushing him with a gentle smile as he knew she couldn't hurt him, which is why he closed his eyes.

"That f*cking donkey better not pull some stunt-"

"She's fine, I already checked with Alexander beforehand," Raven assured Ricky, who already didn't like that weird horse on steroids as she continued to quell his worries.

"W-Where are you going?" Morgana asked, realizing both of them had walked past the doorway, completely ignoring her.

"House shopping." Raven was almost giddy, revealing a rare glimpse of excitement before quickly masking it with her usual cool expression.

"Oh, is that all?" Morgana rolled her eyes, seemingly completely uncaring about the entire act and yet, she still followed behind them.

"Yeah, I've decided to move out of my pops house-"

"Oh, so you still live with your daddy?" Morgana mused, hiding her laugh behind her hand as Ricky scoffed.

"Yeah, f*ck you." Ricky flipped her off, failing to come up with a comeback and settling for a curse instead as Raven merely tapped his cheek, amused.

"Come on, tiger, I only have a little bit before I have to go back to the foundation." Raven turned his head away, fully aware that Ricky wanted to hit below the belt, but she was more focused on checking out some listings during her lunch hour.

Raven had completely settled into the idea of having a family with Ricky, even going to the doctor to confirm the most wonderful news, she was pregnant.

It had been so long, but she felt happier than ever, rubbing her stomach with one hand while holding onto Ricky's warm touch with the other. 

Everything felt like a dream, and she couldn't help but look toward the future, where their loving family would grow.

However, that didn't mean she was ignorant of what Ricky was doing, about the family.

Instead of pulling away, instead of being hesitant to the idea of her children growing up in such a life, such an environment, she was pushing deeper.

Most women would've feared it, hell, most of Ricky's own women feared raising their children in a world where loyalty was bought with blood and power was the only thing that guaranteed survival, but Raven wasn't most women.

She wasn't just accepting the life her babies would be born into, she was molding it, ensuring it would be one where they wouldn't just exist but last, for centuries. 

That was the difference between women who stood beside men like Ricky and women who were destined to shape the empire alongside them. 

Raven wasn't content being a bystander, a sheltered wife who turned a blind eye. 

No, she was already cutting into Elias' operation, trimming the excess, weakening his influence bit by bit to gain a solid foothold in this foundation that Ricky was building upon.

It was all for one purpose, that singular, undeniable reason being that her babies would be part of the Luciano family, their bloodline woven into an empire that would be decided by the coming years influenced by Ricky.

But right now, right here, she had his favor and that alone meant more than most could comprehend.

But this favor wasn't just about security or power for Raven, it was about legacy. 

Raven understood what that favor entailed; it wasn't just protection but influence, security, and a claim to something greater. 

In this world, where men like Ricky decided fates with a glance, she wouldn't be just another woman tied to a powerful man. 

Instead, she was ensuring her children wouldn't just inherit his name but the empire he was seeking to build.

And to do that, she had to carve out her own space, cut through the dead weight, and make sure that when the time came, there would be no question as to which of his children would take up the mantle, her children.

So as Ricky begrudgingly got into the car, Raven gazed at him, knowing that she was actively tying her fate to him but when she looked down at her stomach, she simply smiled.

"Hey baby, I actually wanted to talk to you about Danielle and-"

"Tiger, I would never be spiteful enough to split up your daughter. I love you, and I love Danielle." Raven interrupted, her voice steady and sincere as Ricky smiled, his usual nonchalant expression softening as he looked at her. 

In that moment, as their eyes locked, there was an unspoken understanding between them, something deeper than words, something that tied them together beyond just passion or circumstance.

Sigh

"So heartwarming," Morgana scoffed, crossing her arms in the backseat while Ricky shot her a side glance.

"Why are you even here, don't you have some plans to be ruined by some heroes-"

Gasp

"How dare you! My plans are secure!" Morgana huffed, clearly offended, as Ricky started the car, slamming his foot on the gas after Raven shot him that look, the one that said they were going to be late.

"Yeah, so secure in your castle that you've spent centuries failing, repeatedly. How's that working out for you?" Ricky scoffed, his tone laced with disdain, which was exactly why Morgana's face twisted in irritation.

"Oh tiger, don't berate the poor woman, can't you see she's already suffering enough?" Raven patted his shoulder, shaking her head as Ricky simply looked forward at the road.

"I mean, stooping so low as to shamelessly follow you around, her dignity must be shattered by now." Raven feigned pity, but her eyes betrayed her, barely holding back a smirk as Morgana glared daggers at them.

"I could offer you riches-" Morgana immediately tried to bribe Ricky once more, only for the guy to hold up Raven's hand to see the three diamond rings and gold bracelets adorning them.

"I have that." Ricky showed instead of telling, holding her delicate hand once more as Morgana scowled deeper.

"Power."

"Have that too."

"Urgh, territory, notoriety-"

"Have it, have it."

Sigh

"Listen Morgana, you're hot-ow~" Ricky said, immediately referencing that smoking figure from his dreams only to be playfully slapped by Raven who frowned and although it didn't hurt, he humored her.

"Listen, I just don't have any reason to throw myself at a stupid cause for no reason." Ricky surprisingly said, knowing that he wasn't going to throw himself at another person's problems since he wasn't any hero.

"You killed Dracula-"

"That was f*cking different, he killed my bird!" Ricky roared, his voice booming through the car, making Morgana flinch before he snapped his attention back to the road.

"Bastard killed my bird and a piece of sh*t who helped me out." Ricky's voice dropped, his grip tightening on the steering wheel until it started to bend under his strength. 

A flicker of discomfort crossed his face as memories of Abraham and Henry's deaths crept in, unwelcome and heavy.

"Hey, it's okay." Raven comforted Ricky, her touch warm as she rubbed his shoulder as he let out a deep sigh, the tension in his grip loosening just a little.

"Honestly, Morgana, I really don't care about freeing you, 'cause I'd do it if it meant you would go away. But then I'd make enemies of whoever the f*ck is part of Camelot and I'm busy right now." Ricky gestured with his hand, his pinky ring glinting in the light as if highlighting all his responsibilities.

"Right now, I'm focusing on the Luciano family, growing it, and then getting ready to join the army," Ricky stated his priorities, making up for lost time so that next year he could train under Alexander before enlisting.

It was ambitious, but Ricky wanted to make his mark on the family within the next two years before he would have to leave. 

He wasn't naïve to know that once he was gone, even temporarily, there would be power struggles in New York, people testing the limits of his absence. 

That was why he was pushing everything, including himself, as forward as possible to maximize the power of the family as quickly as possible. 

Every deal, every investment, every territory was another brick in the foundation he was building. 

The Luciano family had to stand strong, even without him in the picture since if they crumbled the moment he stepped away, then he had failed.

"Oh tiger, how could someone with no subordinates, no control, and no responsibilities understand you?" Raven shook her head, sighing heavily after making a slight at Morgana who had her nails digging into her palms.

"Y-YOU-"

"Oh, we're here!" Raven interrupted Morgana's tirade before it could even start, opening the door and clapping her hands.

"Jezebel!" 

"Raven!"

Both women excitedly screamed, rushing over and kissing one another's cheek before looking at each other as if they were the longtime friends they were.

Jezebel was the wife of a man who owned a highly successful real estate company, one that thrived on modernity and discreetly shady dealings, dealings that were handled by Raven throughout the decades.

Contrary to public perception, however, her husband was a complete buffoon who barely understood the company he had inherited. 

The real power rested in Jezebel's hands, a woman in her sixties who skillfully handled the operations with an iron grip masked by charm.

Normally, one of Jezebel's agents would be assigned to handle business, but for Raven, she made an exception. 

She knew how influential Raven could be, especially when she was connected to the man stepping out of the car behind her. 

It was a rare opportunity, and Jezebel was keenly aware of the potential for strategic leverage.

"Oh Raven, it is so good to see you again, I missed you!" Jezebel ethically said, watching Ricky waltz to her side and wrap his hand around her waist as if it was his resting position.

"I know, it's been too long." Raven shook her head, showing disappointment that they had taken this long to meetup.

"Then what about lunch, maybe tomorrow-"

"Oh no, I can't~" Raven voiced her troubles, pulling out her mini calendar as Jezebel also pulled out hers.

"What about Saturday, noon work for you?" Raven asked, looking up as Jezebel scoured her calendar before nodding her head before putting on a smile.

"Perfect, now, spill." Jezebel's smile raised further, turning her focus to Ricky who was plainly gazing at her.

'I thought real estate agents were supposed to be hot?' Ricky thought, unaware that Raven chose to reconnect with her for the exact reason that she wouldn't be up to his tastes.

"What do you mean-oh, Ricky?" Raven played dumb on purpose before realizing it, leaning her head on his chest before patting it.

"What else? The word is that you met at the trial-SHUT UP!" Jezebel yammered on until her voice raised as if deducing the smile with Raven's guilty smile.

"C'mon, c'mon, you must tell me everything while I show you this beautiful listing." Jezebel pulled Raven away, linking arms with her as they walked forward towards the humongous mansion.

Sigh

Ricky let out a long sigh, his expression twisting into a frown as he felt the familiar distaste bubble up inside him. 

He hated being in situations like this, ones that made him feel trapped and out of place. 

In the past, he would've just bulldozed his way through, ruining things to escape. 

But this time was different since he knew how much it meant to Raven, and for her, he would endure. 

Despite his discomfort, he pushed through, standing tall and making himself presentable as they moved forward.

"How pestering," Morgana commented from the side, looking down at Raven's friendly interaction.

"I get that it's foreign to you, but people actually have friends." Ricky inwardly fist-pumped, finally thinking of a good jab, which knocked Morgana's impassive expression into a glare.

"I have friends!" Morgana yelled after Ricky who walked forward, huffing in place before looking around and realizing that she was all alone before stomping behind him.

They walked throughout the house, Jezabelle really selling it, while Ricky honestly didn't care what house they lived in. 

Unlike him, Raven meticulously nitpicked for the both of them, taking her time to point out details, from the layout to the fixtures, as if she had already envisioned the space as their own.

"Now let us make our way to the kitchen, that was floored with an eggshell tile, soaked into the background of this beautiful-"

"Excuse me, eggshell?" Raven suddenly stopped Jezebel, holding out her hand while frowning at the reflection in the tiles when she gazed down.

"Yes, is there something wrong Raven?" Jezebel asked, wondering if she did something wrong only to see Raven's expression turn from a slight smile to completely impassive at this house.

"And not marble?" Raven raised a brow, her tone laced with disapproval. 

She wasn't about to let her family home, where she'd raise her kids, be built with eggshell tiles as it had to reflect the strength and legacy she was already planning to build.

"I'm afraid not-"

"Jezebel, let's go," Raven said, her voice cool and dismissive as she strode out of the mansion.

Without a second glance, she dismissed the house entirely, her confidence unwavering as she made her exit.

Ricky leaned against the back wall, taking a long drag from his cigar, his gaze distant as he watched Raven stride away. 

He honestly didn't care which house she chose while following her casually as he shrugged at Jezebel, who was scrambling to catch up, clearly flustered by Raven's abruptness.

He had promised her a house, but the only thing that really mattered to him was that it had a pool, everything else was secondary.

"This all cannot compare to-"

"My castle, and before you say anything, did you know that I live in a castle~?" Ricky interrupted Morgana, mimicking her in a posh British accent, clearly annoyed as he exaggerated every word, mocking her usual spiel about her luxurious living situation.

"But you know what, guess what I'm doing?" Ricky suddenly took a step forward, looking around then side stepping before a deep breath of the fresh, open air.

"Walking all around, 'cause you know what I have? This cool new thing the kids call freedom." Ricky laughed right in Morgana's face, the stress of the situation finally spilling out as he took it all out on her, his patience wearing thin as he watched her shut her mouth in defeat.

However, unlike most times when Morgana responded pretentiously, this time it really stung as her usual scornful face softened, twisting into something far less confident, sad, almost wallowing.

Sigh

"That was out of line, and I'm sorry, but you're kinda being a b*tch," Ricky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose since he still wanted to sleep with her and with that apology, he turned away, making his way to catch up with Raven.

I think it was at this moment that the entire weight of it all really hit Ricky, about how agonizing it was to buy a house with Raven. 

Following her as they went from house to house, hearing the same thing from her each time.

"No."

"No."

"No."

The times of him lounging around all day, laughing and drinking with whoever was around were over, replaced by his growing sense of responsibilities. 

It seemed like every day, every week, every month, was filled with so many tasks that they piled together into a tangled mess Ricky had to fix, but he was only human. 

The weight of it all backlogged, slowly chipping away at his cool-hearted façade as he now stood before it all, feeling a little more worn out each time. 

It wasn't just the tasks anymore, but the fact that he was starting to question if he could keep it all together.

"Wow~" Raven gasped, walking toward the magnificent home as two towering pillars stood between two grand doors, each adorned with intricately carved lions. 

The detail was breathtaking, the craftsmanship exuding a sense of power and majesty. 

The entrance alone made it clear that this house was something special, a statement of wealth and stature as Raven couldn't help but be impressed,

Meanwhile, Ricky sat on the curb, collapsing his face into his hands while Raven walked forward, her heels clicking rhythmically against the stone path. 

He pulled out his third cigar of the day, lighting it with a frustrated flick of his lighter. 

The steady rhythm of the lighter sparked an odd sense of calm, but it was fleeting as this one vice was replaced by another. 

His cutback on drinking had led to smoking more, and now the smoking was slowly creeping its way back into his drinking habits.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Ricky took a long drag, inhaling deeply, before letting out a thick cloud of ash into the cool air. 

As the smoke curled up toward the sky, Johnny approached slowly, his footsteps deliberate, almost hesitant to even approach him.

"Johnny, I swear to fcking god, if you came here and all you gotta say is the runners aren't getting along, I'm gonna fcking lose it." Ricky held up his hand just as Johnny was about to speak, his words stopping the other man mid-breath. 

Johnny's mouth snapped shut, his teeth clapping together with a quickness that could've been mistaken for reflex.

Ricky let out a haggard sigh after realizing that was the exact reason Johnny had approached him, rubbing his forehead as he leaned back against the curb. 

Plans were easy to form on paper, but the execution was a whole different beast.

Ricky knew, he knew it was going to be hard, especially with new values that clashed from their familial values and rivalries that were never going to fade, no matter how much he tried to smooth it over. 

When two opposing forces were constantly tied together, sparks were bound to fly and Ricky was just starting to feel the sting of every single one of them.

"God dammit, just get on with it." Ricky sighed, slicking his hair back and dabbing his cigar to the side.

"Yeah, boss, the kids just aren't meshing." Johnny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as Ricky pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"The Italian kids are too ingrained in their family's beliefs, making them feel like the mutant kids are scum. And the mutant kids, they're just too skeptical, too wary of the Italians to trust them." Johnny voiced the tense atmosphere that was brewing under his watchful eyes, reporting it to Ricky with a dutiful approach.

Changing ideals and beliefs wasn't something that could be achieved overnight, no matter how much someone might want it, no matter how much Ricky wanted it. 

It was never a simple matter to begin with since convincing someone that they were wrong doesn't make them just fall in line.

People, especially those with deeply ingrained traditions, are tied to their pasts, to their families, and to the ideologies they'd been raised with. 

It was like trying to tear out old scars that had been etched into their skin for years as the effort would only cause more pain without offering a real change.

But the hardest part wasn't the push to alter minds, but understanding that beliefs, once set, were resilient. 

Convincing someone to shift their worldview wasn't something that could be forced. 

As easy as people make it seem, it isn't enough to present evidence or make a compelling argument since what is needed is time, understanding, and the ability to break down walls carefully, piece by piece.

Something that Ricky really didn't have.

But in these situations, fear tactics or threats were never effective and people, these runners, needed to come to the conclusion on their own, slowly, through experience and gradual exposure to new ways of thinking, to their new surroundings.

But even then, after all the effort you pour into this ideal of change, some people wouldn't budge. 

Not because they didn't see the potential for change, but because their roots ran too deep. 

It was for this reason that Ricky preferred to avoid older mutants from Elias as he personally understood how deep-rooted trauma could be and how much an adult could carry from their past experiences. 

The scars, both physical and emotional, had a way of embedding themselves into a person's identity, shaping their decisions and actions, often making them resistant to change.

But with kids, it was different. 

They were like clay, malleable and capable of adapting quickly to new environments. 

Kids were still in the process of becoming who they were going to be, and their minds hadn't been set in stone yet. 

They could be shaped, molded into something greater if given the right guidance and opportunities. 

They hadn't formed the same level of attachment to their old ways, their old traumas, and it made them more open to change.

But there was no magic formula to force the shift since the key was patience, finding common ground where it existed, and knowing when to hold back and when to push forward. 

It wasn't about trying to bulldoze through years of history; it was about navigating the complexities of people's minds and emotions, accepting that growth was a process that couldn't be rushed.

In a way, it was like playing a long game of tug-of-war; pulling and tugging without giving up but understanding that sometimes, the best way to win was to let go for a moment and allow the other side to come to you.

"Johnny, I've got too much shit on my plate to micromanage the goddamn lower levels of the family," Ricky snapped, frustration thick in his voice, holding back from taking it out on his loyal subordinate.

"I've got paperwork, I've got my business, enemies creeping in the shadows, and my fucking woman to handle. I don't have time to coddle those kids." Ricky looked up at Johnny, catching him biting his lip, nodding in silent acknowledgement.

"We need to f*cking figure this out, now." Ricmy purposely said, including both of them in this decision so that Johnny could feel included.

"Boss, I know but-"

"No, I need progress." Ricky pointed the cigar at Johnny, some ash wilting off the end and falling onto the pavement below.

"I don't need status updates, I need results, and for them to become friends, then brothers, before family, in that order." Ricky emphasized, mapping out those runners' futures for them.

"Ricky~" Raven called out melodically from inside the house, her voice floating toward him like a soft command. 

Ricky exhaled a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before pushing himself up from the curb as he knew exactly what was coming, but there was no avoiding it now.

"Listen, the Irish runts are bad mouthing me a lot behind my back." Ricky suddenly remembered, turning back to Johnny as if realizing something.

"Do you want me to take care of them-"

"No, I want you to fan the f*cking flames." Ricky poked Johnny's chest, smiling since Alexander always spoke about how people united under a common enemy.

"I want you to create an event, f*ck it, spur one on if you have to. Do whatever it takes to get these kids bonding. And I don't care if it's through shared violence, just get it done." Ricky's voice was sharp, filled with frustration and urgency as he needed something, anything, that would make a dent in the mess he was navigating. 

Time was running out, and without progress, all of this would spiral out of control.

"Ricky!" Raven called out, her voice louder this time, a hint of frustration creeping in as she clearly wanted to show him something and she wanted to do it right now.

"Baby, I'm coming!" Ricky called back, making his way toward the house as he paused on the stairs, looking back briefly.

"I'm serious, Johnny. I gave you that position with promises attached, and to get to the next level, you've got to fulfill them," Ricky said, his tone firm as he gestured toward Johnny. 

The weight of his expectations was heavy on Johnny's shoulders, and it was clear that the pressure was mounting.

"I've given you money, power, and status, but the only way you're ever gonna rise higher is with results," Ricky revealed, his words sharp and cutting while Johnny's posture stiffened, the fear creeping in as he realized the gravity of the situation. 

Ricky had yanked him out of the unknown of his drifting position in the family and slapped him awake to the reality of what was expected.

"Because if those kids don't make the cut, neither will you," Ricky said coldly, turning his back to Johnny as he walked forward, leaving him standing there with his words hanging in the air. 

Johnny was left behind, the path ahead now more uncertain than ever and he stood stuck in place, unable to move forward.

"It might seem unfair and unreasonable, but sometimes, you've got to pull a rabbit out of a hat," Ricky said, walking toward the door of the mansion as he paused before stepping inside, giving Johnny one last parting glance.

"So get it done." Ricky then flicked the cigar to the side, stomping on it and walking forward while walking into the lion's den.

"Y-Yes, boss!" Johnny called out, but Ricky was already inside the mansion. Johnny kicked the ground in frustration, his steps heavy as he walked back to his car.

BAM

"DAMMIT!" Johnny slammed his fist against the steering wheel, his frustration not directed at Ricky, but at himself.

It wasn't that Johnny wasn't trying, quite the opposite. 

He'd been pouring everything into these runners, but the results weren't coming as easily as he had hoped. 

He'd expected the Italian kids to be the hardest to crack, but it turned out the mutant kids were the real challenge. 

Orphans who had grown up with a deep distrust of everyone, let alone kids their own age, they proved to be far more difficult to reach. 

The scars of their pasts ran deep, and that made Johnny's task a hell of a lot harder than he had ever anticipated.

"If I could just get one moment, just one f*cking moment," Johnny muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he slammed the ignition, the engine roaring to life as he drove off, his mind racing with frustration.

"I could pull all those runners together."

Meanwhile in a back alley,

BAM

BAM

BAM

In the fading light of a damp alleyway, a kid was held firmly in a full nelson, struggling against the grip as a group of other kids stood around, snickering and cheering. 

One of them, grinning with malicious glee, was landing blow after blow into the kid's stomach, treating him like nothing more than a punching bag. 

Each hit left a dull thud in the air, the victim's body jerking with each impact, gasping for air. 

The sound of the punches echoing against the brick walls, and the laughter of the group only seemed to intensify the humiliation.

It was brutal, an act so devoid of empathy that adults could scarcely comprehend it, unable to fully grasp how severe the consequences of such behavior were. 

Kids, in their immaturity, often didn't understand the gravity of their actions, seeing the violence as a way to assert control or fit in. 

But this beating was ruthless, fueled by cruelty and a thirst for dominance as the sound of fists striking flesh, of cruel laughter, filled the air until finally, the victim started coughing up blood.

Only then did they release him, dropping him to the ground like a sack of potatoes, his body crumpling into an unceremonious heap. 

Huff

Huff

Huff

"Think you're Ricky Luciano, huh?" One of the kids sneered, crouching down to the young boy's level as his bloodied face twisted into a hateful expression, eyes still glaring through the pain. 

"Think you can just walk into our part of the city without consequences, huh?" Another kid scoffed, kicking his stomach as the boy on the ground heaved out a deep, sickening cough.

"Not everyone reveres that scum, and it's 'cause of you that the housing prices in our neighborhood are going down, just like my pa said," the kid scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain but as he turned to walk away, he suddenly kicked his foot forward.

The mutant kid's face jerked to the side as the foot collided with his cheek, pain flaring through his skull as he lay flat on the cold ground. 

His vision blurred, and the sharp sting of humiliation cut through him as he watched the group of kids, his tormentors, laughing and walking down the alley, their voices carrying away into the distance.

There he was, left alone in a puddle of his own despair, eyes half-open as the rain began to fall.

It soaked through his clothes, mixing with the blood on his lip, and for a moment, he could almost believe he was invisible, just another discarded soul in a world that never bothered to look back.

This young boy was one of the recruits trafficked into the Luciano family after being personally picked by Elias, Louis Hamilton.

Louis, like many mutant children within Elias' community, had his entire existence shaped by pain. 

The beatings, the resentment, the loneliness, it all fused into something that ran deep within him, beneath his skin, in his bones. 

Even at his young age, he was used to taking a punch and it was because of that reason he hated it, hated himself. 

And now, as he spat blood into the street, his hateful expression a mask over his frustration, scraping to his feet while looking at his own reflection in the puddle forming before him.

However it wasn't that he didn't have a useful mutant ability, it was just that his past had become entangled to the very thing that would've given him power over those kids.

His manifestation had come in the most brutal of ways, when he was on the brink of death, beaten almost beyond recognition by his own father. 

That's when his power had revealed itself, through the beatings, through the pain, allowing him to escape the hell that had been his home for years. 

But that freedom came with a cost: Elias. 

The man had found him, brought him into his fold, and Louis had spent two years within that sanctuary, his body healing, his powers growing, but his mind still scarred from everything that had come before.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, he had been trafficked into the Luciano family, forced into a new world he barely understood, surrounded by people with their own battles and their own demons.

So as Louis limped out of the alley, blood still fresh on his lips, as he wiped the tears away with a fierce, angry swipe. 

He wasn't just running from those who'd hurt him, running for the Luciano family, he was running from himself.

"This damned city, this damned family."