บท 23: Chapter 23: Full Blooded Gangster
*SIGH*
Ricky, who was enjoying his sloppy clean up job, saw the headlights of Albert's detective car flash onto him.
"Alright." Ricky scratched the back of his head, getting out of the car as the headlights revealed his birthday suit.
"Jiminy cricket, put on some pants Slick!" Albert covered his eyes at the unapologetic Ricky who got out of the car without putting on a single pair of pants.
"I mean, you're the one who told me to get out with my hands up." Ricky shrugged laughing at this situation unfolding before him.
"H-HEY!" Jake shouted, buckling his pants in the process as lipstick stains covered his face and neck.
"WE DIDN'T DO NOTHING WR-"
"Oh yeah, then what is that bottle right over yonder?" Albert pointed with a smirk at the bottle, Jake froze at this moment while staring at the empty champagne bottle still lying on the ground.
"Skid calm down and listen, alright?" Ricky side-eyed Jake while calling him the nickname that Lucky gave him after the getaway.
"Get that bottle and RUN!" Ricky suddenly shouted as Albert flinched and without hesitation Jake bolted over to the bottle before rushing into the nearby tree line.
"STOP!" Albert yelled, reaching for the holster at his waist though Jake didn't even flinch when swiping the bottle and rushing in the woods, already about to descend into the buckling treeline.
"DAMMIT ST-"
"What's more important, the criminal or the evidence?" Ricky suddenly spoke right as Albert was about to chase after Jake.
"You're damn lucky you know that?" Albert grunted while taking out some cuffs though stopped after realizing he was still naked.
"Got it from my pops." Ricky smirked as Albert looked away while pointing to his pants hanging out of the car.
"Put on some pants boy, unless you want to be taken to the station the same way you were born."
Ricky hastily pulled on a pair of pants, only to be immediately cuffed by Albert and shoved into the backseat of his car. Albert then slid into the driver's seat and sped away.
Moments later, Jake, Rocco, and Edward burst out of the woods, with a woman trailing closely behind.
"That f*cking pig!" Rocco sneered as he followed Jake who still had the bottle for safe keeping, running over to Ricky's car.
"We got to tell Lucky-AH!" Rocco quickly spoke out before suddenly yelling out in shock after seeing the exhausted and bare naked panting Irene.
"Irene!?" Irene's friend, who had a fun time with Rocco, yelled in worry while rushing over to her only to blush after seeing Irene's with a lusty smile.
"College is the best~" Irene slurred out before collapsing into her friend's arms as Rocco clicked his tongue.
"Lucky bastard."
Meanwhile in the back of Detective Albert's car,
Ricky chuckled at his arrest, his eyes meeting the dead-serious gaze of Albert though he couldn't take him seriously.
Despite maintaining a straight face, Ricky felt like his body was on fire after receiving '+5 Appearance.'
His physique was visibly becoming more toned, his features sharper, and his hair shinier and softer. The main pain, however, lay in his face, where the transformation was most intense.
"Aw~" Ricky let out a relieved sigh after the pain finally ceased before smiling as he admired himself in the mirror.
'Even the angels would weep tears of joy with a face like this.' Ricky internally bragged before gazing at the transparent blue screen, more specifically the coupons.
'Choose the fifty gacha coupons.'
*DING*
[Received: 50 gacha coupons.]
Ricky wasn't going to use them immediately but instead until he got one hundred since he was guaranteed at least an epic item and he wasn't that impatient.
'I wonder if I can open this rare item coupon in my inventory-'
*Ding*
[Received:
Rare: Gravity Shoes
Description: Gravity is your b*tch with these shoes, its laws don't apply to you if the soles of your feet nestle in these soles
Powers:
Customization: Can change into any shoe by simply tapping it against it.
Defy Gravity: Defy gravity]
'Cool.' Ricky thought while gazing at his shoes with intrigue though wouldn't put them on as of now since he needed to be barefoot for what was to come.
'Now the skill.'
*Ding*
[Received:
Green Thumb: Turn waste that won't decompose for more than 50 years into trees.
Effects: Works on toxic waste, plastic, rubber, and others.
'Uh, I guess it could be a cool party trick.' Ricky thought since he wasn't an ecowarrior in any sense and actually contributed to pollution as he would gladly strangle a turtle for a couple plastic straws.
"You should just release me now." Ricky suddenly spoke up though Albert only sneered while gazing at him through his car mirror.
"And how are you going to get out of this predicament now? I caught you in possession of alcohol-"
"What alcohol?" Ricky asked, tilting his head in confusion as Albert scoffed.
"Your still drunk-"
"It's not gonna stick Detective, if I can even call you that now." Ricky laughed as he provoked the only good cop standing in the way of his father.
Ricky knew all about Albert since he was the opposing faction his father had been trying to wipe out in the department; however, due to his federal ties, he always had trouble finding a good excuse to get rid of Albert, at least until now.
"Watch your words boy-"
"You know you're suspended, right? This arrest is illegal, I know my rights-"
"Citizens arrest-"
"Only applies to citizens escaping custody, detective, I know my rights my father made sure I do." Ricky laughed hysterically at this predicament as all those days of listening to Lucky yap about what to say when being pulled over finally paid off.
"And even if you try to bring this to case, whatever lawyer I hire will make a mockery of you in that court house and-"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
*TWACK*
*BAM*
It happened in an instant, Albert, trying to maintain control, gesturing for Ricky to stop talking.
Instead of complying, Ricky deliberately leaned in, his smirk widening and before Albert could react, he struck Ricky, sending him crashing into the nearby window.
The impact was jarring; Ricky's head hit the glass with a dull thud, the window rattling in its frame.
Shards of light danced across the glass, reflecting the tension in the car as Ricky's breath fogged the window slightly as he recovered, the sharp lines of his newly enhanced features catching the light as a trail of scarlet suddenly trickled down his face.
"PUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ricky started laughing, the sound grating against the tense atmosphere.
Albert gazed back in shock, his expression quickly turning to horror as he noticed Ricky's bleeding head.
It was just a light cut on his eyebrow, but the blood trickling down made it look far more gruesome than it really was.
But despite the injury, Ricky's laughter continued, unnerving Albert even further as he gripped the steering wheel harder.
"I-I'm-"
"F*cked?" Ricky finished his taunting words, any trace of guilt vanished from Albert's eyes.
He turned around and drove straight to the police station, parking with a screech of tires.
Angrily, he yanked Ricky out of the car and shoved him forward as Ricky walked with a sense of pride, his steps unwavering.
Approaching the police station, he didn't slow down, instead kicking open the door with a defiant swagger.
"Guess who got assaulted?" Ricky hollered into the station as the entire precinct turned towards the door, instinctively putting their hands on their holster only to become gobsmacked at the sight.
"Uh oh." Even a random cop could see the oncoming hellfire about to rain down on the station and slowly started to back away towards the bathroom.
"What is that-WHAT IN THE SAMMY DARN HELL!" Chief Johnston opened his door only to let out a horrified screech at the sight of bloody Ricky.
"ALBERT!" Chief Johnston's eyes were vivid as Albert walked in behind Ricky who put his hands up.
"Chief I got him, he's drunk and-"
*SMACK*
Without hesitation, Chief Johnston smacked Detective Albert out of the very shoes he was situated in as he slid against the clean floor.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THIS POOR BOY!" Chief Johnston screeched in surprise, and it was only when Albert's confused eyes turned to Ricky that he realized the full extent of what had happened.
Blood dripped from Ricky's face onto his bare chest, the only clothing he wore being a pair of loose-fitting trousers barely buckled on.
His feet were filthy, caked with dirt, as Albert hadn't even allowed him to put on shoes.
Ricky's overall appearance was a chaotic mess, a stark contrast to his previously confident demeanor.
The provocation during the car ride wasn't merely to entertain Albert but to distract him from realizing the full weight of his actions.
But in that moment, Albert had realized that his paranoid obsession with avenging his friend and bringing down the Luciano family had actually made him cross the line he told himself he'd never cross.
"Ricky, are ya okay?" Chief Johnston put his hand on his shoulders while looking at the wound.
"MEDIC, GET ME A F*CKING MEDIC!" Chief Johnston called out as three officers bolted to the scene while taking Ricky to receive urgent treatment.
"Don't worry Ricky, yer not in trouble but I want to make sure you're treated before sending you over to the hospital alright?" Chief Johnston brown nosed, already knowing Lucky was going to chew him out for what happened to his boy but wanted to minimize the damage as much as possible.
This incident caused the precinct to slowly turn against Albert, even his own allies looked at him in disgust.
They had supported his fight against corruption, believing him to be a good-natured cop who genuinely wanted to do the right thing.
However, after witnessing his recent actions, not even his friends could justify his behavior.
In the end, Ricky was only fifteen, and Albert's treatment of him shattered the precinct's faith in Albert's integrity.
"Chief I-"
"Badge." Chief held out his hand as Albert's eyes convulsed in grief.
"Chief-"
"BADGE, NOW!" Chief roared as Albert flinched before ducking his head in shame as he took out his badge and handed it to him.
Albert looked around before gazing back at the smirking Ricky before realizing that it was all over for him.
Albert had lost and the surrounding glares had confirmed it as he got up though suddenly bolted when Cheif Johnston pulled out some cuffs.
"ALBERT, ALBERT GET BACK HERE!" Chief Johnston tried to grab him but Albert managed to get away before hopping back into his car.
"GET HIM, I WANT HIM IN CUFFS BY THE END OF THE NIGHT!" The Chief roared orders to his officers, who immediately bolted to their patrol cars.
Albert drove like a madman, swerving into a nearby alley just seconds before police cars swarmed past.
Realizing his capture was inevitable, Albert abandoned his car and took to the streets on foot.
Eventually, after ensuring he had lost the pursuing officers, he hurried to a nearby telephone booth, frantically feeding coins into the slot.
"Come on, come on." Albert spoke as he dialed the number before the phone clicked.
"Where can I connect you too?"
"******8 ******* *****."
"One moment please."
The phone then started ringing, and Albert anxiously tapped the side of the booth, praying for the call to go through.
"Hello?" A tired voice sounded from the other end since it was around midnight.
"THOMAS IT'S ALBERT!" Albert yelled into the phone, causing Thomas to instinctively shy away as his eardrums blared from the sudden loudness.
"Will you settle down, I just woke up-"
"Thomas this isn't a game nor is this a friendly chat, I'm calling you because I know I'm gonna die." Albert bit his lip, his foot tapping incessantly on the floor of the phone booth.
"Albert what are you-"
"I messed up Thomas, I got too eager and thought I could take the Luciano family all by myself but I failed." Albert's eyes started watering after the realization set in that he wouldn't make it past sunset.
"Albert, you said that you were going to wait until I transfer to the federal office in Brooklyn!" Thomas yelled in anger as this was Albert's original backup plan.
In the past Albert, fueled by suspicion, placed a call to his old friend the notorious district attorney, Thomas E. Dewey.
Unlike many in the city, Dewey was eager to make a name for himself, using the mafia as a means to do so.
Thomas and Albert had a long history, going back to their childhoods and when Thomas learned of Albert's predicament.
He saw an opportunity to further his own ambitions by working alongside his old friend to rid the city of its evils. However, everything changed when he heard Albert's words.
"Albert listen to me very closely, get to the train station and I'll-" Thomas hurriedly got out of his bed and rushed to his closet before putting on his coat though Albert let out a sad laugh.
"I'm done for o'l buddy o'l pal." Albert let out a sarcastic laugh as the sounds of sirens were heard in the distance getting closer.
"But I got all my evidence in a storage locker, my dream is over Thomas but I know that you'll achieve it for the both of us." Albert's eyes became littered with tears as his hands started shaking, trying to keep up a strong front but failing miserably.
"Albert-"
"Brookylyn station, locker 229, the key is under a rock at the foot of the cherry tree in my backyard and you gotta believe my suscpions." Albert let out sobs as Thomas froze, knowing he was really done for.
"I know they're gonna drag my name through the mud but remember one thing." Albert spoke as he turned to see cars that didn't have any sirens on them pulling up all around him.
"I ain't someone to kill himself." Albert sniffling rang out, watching the dirty cops slowly exiting the vehicle with their pistols slowly unholstered.
*BANG*
The phone box was suddenly pierced by a bullet as Albert closed his eyes as men rushed at him before dragging him out of the phone booth.
"ALBERT!" Thomas shouted at the phone as his wife finally awoke and rubbed her eyes.
"Honey-"
"ALBERT DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP ON ME, ALBERT!" Thomas roared in pain though the phone line was already dead.
"Honey, where are you going!" Thomas's wife shouted as he bolted out of the room and out of the house.
Meanwhile at the brooklyn police station,
Ricky was knocking back a cold one as he patiently waited for the door to be kicked open and Lucky to scream and call him an idiot, the usual thing.
*BAM*
Then, the door suddenly kicked open, and Lucky appeared, looking exhausted as if he had run there on foot.
Ricky didn't even try to explain himself; knowing he was in for a good ass whooping, then something unexpected happened.
"Thank the lord all mighty you're alright." Lucky rushed forward and took the injured Ricky into a hug as he stood speechless for a moment.
"Uh, you're my pops right?" Ricky actually asked, since Lucky hadn't hugged him since he was cradled in a blanket in his arms all those years ago.
"Shut up." Lucky pulled Ricky tighter into his chest while gripping the back of his head.
When Lucky received the call, he was initially furious, however, when he heard about Ricky's injury, all anger flooded away, replaced by a parent's worry.
Ricky might not be his biological son, but at that moment, it didn't matter since he was his son, and nothing would change what Lucky, as a father or adopted father, would do for him.
"You're alright." Lucky let out a sigh of relief though it sounded as if he was reassuring himself as Ricky patted his back.
"Yeah pops, I'm alright." Ricky chuckled as the father son moment lasted for only a couple more seconds before Lucky finally let go.
"Come on, it's time." Lucky ordered while walking out of the room as Ricky raised an eyebrow.
"Time for what?" Ricky asked as he stood up as the station provided him with a fresh pair of clothes.
"It's time for you to take your right of passage."
In a dimly lit warehouse, Albert sat on a stool, beaten and bruised, surrounded by his own blood.
The Luciano family had been torturing him for the last four hours, and his desire to live had been overtaken by a longing for death.
As Albert squinted his eyes against the sudden brightness of all the lights being turned on at once, his vision blurred, revealing an audience.
But this was not just any audience; it was the entirety of the Luciano family, gathered to witness a spectacle that would be forever etched into their minds.
Ricky's initiation into the Luciano family.
"Here you go son." Lucky handed Ricky a golden pistol, taking it graciously in front of Albert's speechless eyes.
"R-Ricky don't-"
*TWACK*
Ricky closed the distance and pistol-whipped Albert with a brutal strike, causing blood to spray from his mouth.
*Click*
"Any last words?" Ricky asked, pressing the gun right against his temple as Albert looked up with deep regret.
In a way, Albert blamed himself for what had happened to Ricky since he had all the opportunities to 'save' him yet he failed time and time again.
"I'm sorry." Albert showed the truth in his tone while closing his eyes as Ricky chuckled.
"I'm not."
*BANG*
Ricky pulled the trigger without a hint of emotion, the hammer of his pistol thrust forward, releasing a spark that ignited the bullet within the chamber.
In an instant, the bullet shot out with incredible force, tearing through Albert's head.
The projectile tore through his flesh and bone with ruthless efficiency, exiting out the back of his skull.
A spray of blood followed, the last remnants of life clinging to Albert stolen away by the instinctual click of Ricky's gun.
A heavy silence descended upon the warehouse as the Luciano crime family, gathered as spectators, stared in shock at the scene before them.
Ricky had taken Albert's life without a second of hesitation, and the weight of that act hung heavily in the air.
"Slick!"
"Slick!"
"Slick!"
"Slick!"
"SLICK!"
"SLICK!"
"SLICK!"
"SLICK!"
Cheers of acceptance roared out, enveloping Ricky in a wave of appreciation unlike anything he had ever felt before.
He felt the change, not the change those above speak about to bait the lower masses, but real change.
Gazing at the floating system that gave him the power to do whatever he wanted, Ricky couldn't help but feel the lust of it.
In this moment, the lust for power had finally ensnared his soul, fueling a never-ending hunger within him.
For a long time, Ricky had hesitated to cross the line that held him back, but today was different.
Today, the weight of hesitation and restraint had lifted from Ricky's shoulders. The events of the day, the culmination of years of building ambition and suppressed desires, had pushed him over the edge.
Ricky had crossed a line he had never dared to approach before, and now that he had, there was no turning back.
The taste of power, the rush of adrenaline, and the newfound respect from the Luciano family fueled a fire within him, propelling him further into the depths of his own ambition.
As he reveled in the adulation, Lucky looked on proudly at the son who, just yesterday, had seemed like a mere kid scamming his men out of their belongings.
Ricky raised his hands, and the cheers elevated to new heights and with a sleazy smile, he basked in the newfound respect and admiration from the Luciano crime family.
'What a wonderful day.'
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