章節 16: Chapter 16: Future Gameplan
The next day,
"Slick."
"Yes?"
"Why is there a crow perched on your shoulder?"
Lucky called Ricky into his office only to see his son walk in with a Crow curiously gazing around the office.
"Oh Chester?" Ricky pointed at the name he had suddenly come up with as the crow now named Chester gazed at the situation curiously.
[Favorability: 54]
*Sigh*
"You named it?" Lucky facepalmed as Ricky shrugged while walking over to the nearby couch as Chester flapped his wings.
Chester felt uncomfortable on Ricky's shoulder, positioning his feet in different ways to find a suitable resting spot only to no avail.
Looking around, Chester suddenly flapped his wings as Ricky flinched and watched him perch itself on a nearby lamp as Lucky weirdly stared at him.
"Why can't you be a normal kid and irresponsibility get a dog, huh?" Lucky turned towards Ricky with a weird expression as his son shrugged.
"I think I'm past being 'normal'." Ricky spoke while flexing his powers as Lucky sighed, running his hand through his hair.
"I'm guessing you want me to get the necessary things for a crow like a cage-"
"CAW~" Chest screeched at the mention of a cage as Lucky flinched at the sudden objection.
"Everything except a cage, right Chester?" Ricky looked over at him as the bird nodded its little beak.
Lucky looked back and forth from Chester to Ricky before shaking his head as this development was too much for him as of now.
"Whatever, I'll take care of it." Lucky let out a heavy sigh as Ricky gave him a thumbs up.
"Anyways, I have to talk with you about something." Lucky's face became serious in an instant.
Ricky simply raised an eyebrow but tuned in since he could tell that their next conversation would be a serious one.
"I want us, our family, to become the sole mafia organization in the entirety of New York." Lucky dropped an atomic bomb of a statement which made Ricky, who was about to joke, suddenly froze in shock.
"..."
"Pops, you're kidding." Ricky, who was about to sip on Lucky's good rum, stopped and asked in a baffled tone.
Lucky didn't say anymore and placed a gun on the table as Ricky understood that he wasn't kidding.
"Do I look like the type of joe to kid around with stuff like this?" Lucky leaned back in his chair while gesturing to Ricky who rolled his eyes.
"But still-"
"This whole five family thing will work for maybe 10-20 years but sooner or later, they'll turn their back on profits for power." Lucky pointed at Ricky with a slight smile.
"That's where you come in, the future of our family, the gifts God gave you shouldn't be tucked away but elevate us." Lucky lectured though Ricky was used to this.
The government and other mob bosses might call Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano a man who only got to where he is with pure luck but Ricky knew better.
Lucky was a genius businessman.
He wasn't just a genius but a calculative thinker who masked all of his success with the notion of insane luck which loosened the guards of many bosses.
In fact, Lucky didn't believe in luck or karma, he believed in results and he made sure to produce them at every chance.
"I know that pops, but let's say we pull it off and get rid of the five families, the power vacuum will be too large and we don't have the power to manage all that territory." Ricky informed his father as Lucky smiled widely at this deduction.
Although Ricky presented himself as an adult, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and because of that Lucky had been struggling to instruct him.
Lucky believed that formal studies were for those who couldn't make it on their own and firmly adhered to the ideology of 'teaching by the streets.'
To ensure Ricky learned from this ideology, Lucky made sure to include him thoroughly in all business decisions and negotiations, hoping that his own strategic thinking would rub off on him.
For the first time, it seemed to be working.
"This is where you come in my boy." Lucky pointed at Ricky who showed a weird look, knowing he was going to be roped into this situation.
"You want me to show my powers?" Ricky asked as Lucky shook his head.
"No, no, our people are as stubborn as seventeen pack mules." Lucky dissuaded that thought as Ricky nodded since that was the truth.
"I want the people of faith to acknowledge you." Lucky pointed, and Ricky scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, unable to fully grasp Lucky's reasoning.
"Let me clarify, I want your gifts to be recognized by god." Lucky smiled as Ricky let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Alright, let me just go punch my ticket with the big man." Ricky shot to his feet while shaking his head while walking to the door, thinking it was a joke only for Lucky to stand up.
"Listen Slick it won't be immediately, maybe a couple of years, but if we can-"
"The pope, no, the church will never recognize my 'gifts'." Ricky finally understood what Lucky was getting at.
"Slick-"
"Ha, pops they will just burn me at the stake. They literally did that to some random schmuck who used his powers in front of some hillbillies down in Arkansas a month ago." Ricky let out a dried laughter, slicking his hands through his hair while turning his back to the craziest plan he had heard from Lucky yet.
Although the mafia and the public didn't favor mutants, it was religious fanatic's that continued to push the agenda that mutants were the devils powers and continuously held stake burnings as if it was still the witch hunting days.
It was actually to the point where Ricky had started to understand how much the world truly feared mutants enough to hate them.
"Slick, calm down." Lucky put his hands on Ricky's shoulders as the young man gazed at the ceiling while shaking his head.
"Listen, I have a couple of birds still back in Italy and tension is brewing meaning maybe a way, maybe another war." Lucky bit his lip as Ricky raised eyebrows in surprise.
'Woah.' Ricky thought as though he knew there would be another world war in the near future but it didn't mean he wanted to join it.
But it was still surprising that Lucky had predicted it since not even the world had predicted it as of yet.
"I want you to join the war, if there ever is a war, but not on the side of America, but for god." Lucky pointed as Ricky scrunched his eyebrows.
"You're kidding."
"Religion is everything to Silicians and Silicians are everything to the mafia, you get the church to acknowledge you then you get the mafia Slick." Lucky informed Ricky who started to think as he messaged his eyes.
"What am I gonna be, a crusader?" Ricky looked at Lucky with a dumbfounded expression as Lucky stood up and walked over to him.
"Buddy look at me." Lucky patted Ricky's cheek as he gazed at his adoptive father who showed a heartfelt expression.
"I want you, my son, to have it all and I know this is a risk but this will make sure that the Luciano family, our family, will survive the test of times." Lucky seriously spoke from the bottom of his heart as Ricky frowned.
"As long as the church doesn't recognize you and the other families find out about your powers first, they will never let you go and even start a war with the family." Lucky looked Ricky directly in the eyes which made Ricky sigh.
"Listen, I can't keep covering for you when you use your powers, our territory ain't stretched far enough." Lucky reprimanded Ricky in his own way as he rubbed the back of his neck, knowing that he had gotten too drunk a month ago and showed it to some random homeless man, for literally no reason at all.
"Alright Pops, what's the game plan?" RIcky asked as Lucky chuckled while walking back to his desk.
"I have no idea." Lucky shrugged while Ricky's face became plain while gazing at him.
"What? I didn't want to go ahead without your permission, I'm not some sort of heartless father who will just send you to the battlefield against your will." Lucky scoffed while sitting back on his chair.
Lucky wanted to give his son the world, but it seemed the world wasn't ready for Ricky's gifts, which greatly irked him.
He had been brainstorming multiple ways to ensure that people viewed Ricky as a blessing rather than a curse ever since he adopted him.
Getting recognized was the most surefire way of getting Ricky the praise he deserved, and it only made it better that the Vatican was surrounded by enemies on all sides.
"Then what about the commission?" Ricky sighed while plopping down on the chair as Lucky shrugged.
"No idea, but during this meeting we'll be able to figure out who's weak without bootlegging." Lucky rubbed his chin as Ricky suddenly had an idea.
"Don't we also have an agreement to not mess with the kids of members at Collegiate High School?" Ricky asked with a cheeky smile as Lucky raised an eyebrow.
"You can't be serious Slick, those snobby private schools don't teach you nothing." Lucky pointed at Ricky who stood up with that dumb smile.
"Enroll me pops." Ricky walked up to the desk as Lucky shook his head.
"Ain't no way on this green earth that I-"
"Pops trust me." Ricky was serious as he gazed straight into Lucky's eyes as he sighed.
"It'll be good to rub shoulders with the children of the elite and if I'm enrolled then the other families won't be able to look too deeply into me while you form a plan." Ricky watched as Lucky contemplated for a long time on whether this was worth it.
"Fine, but I swear I'll yank you out so fast if I find out you're going there to party." Lucky relented as Ricky flashed a soothy smile.
"And one more thing." Lucky suddenly stopped Ricky who was about to leave as he turned back to see Lucky holding a slick black card.
"A business card?" Ricky raised an eyebrow as he took the card before showing an even weirder expression.
"It's a last resort, a place that will give you shelter in a time of need." Lucky pointed at Ricky who pointed at the card.
"But it's a hotel-"
"Slick, that ain't no normal hotel." Lucky's face was adorned in an utmost seriousness as Ricky shrugged.
"Keep it on you at all times and if they ever try to blackmail you into a membership, ask for the free trial." Lucky continued to speak what Ricky interpreted as nonsense but he nodded, putting it in his wallet since he could see that he wasn't joking.
"Do you also want to give me the card to your favorite restaurant as well?" Ricky joked as Lucky rolled his eyes but flashed a smile.
*Knock*
Ricky knocked on Lucky's desk before strolling over to the desk as he shook his head.
"We're leaving at 8 tomorrow to go to the commission meeting so you better be up and in a suit." Lucky said as Ricky waved without turning back.
"AN ITALIAN SUIT!"
Next Morning,
*Smack*
"Ow!" Ricky faked a pained groan as Lucky shook his head.
"What was that for, this is italian." Ricky pointed at his fine black suit with a white collared shirt and a slick black tie.
"With Dolly, really!" Lucky yelled as he pushed Ricky into the seat while shutting the door behind him, the car immediately driving off with the driver putting in his ear plugs.
"What? You've seen that perky ass of hers-OW! OW!" Ricky tried to plead his case only for Lucky to start beating him with his elephant tusk cane.
*DINK*
"Drop your force field right this instant, take this ass beating like a man!" Lucky demanded as Ricky shook his head, rubbing his head with a wronged expression.
"God would've wanted me to use my gift rather than hide it." Ricky gave a smart ass reply as Lucky immediately scoffed.
"You know what, I'm going to let you off." Lucky shook his head while rebuttoning the bottom of his suit as Ricky showed a surprised expression.
"Reall-"
"This will be a learning experience for you with women and will teach you how to not be a f*ck up." Lucky shook his head while knowing full well that this will end poorly but it could be worse.
"It's as if you expect me to make my own life harder." Ricky smiled while leaning back on the leather seats.
"Oh Slick, you are patient zero for bad influences, you have a way with people that always seems to bring out the worst in them." Lucky sighed as he had seen how badly Ricky had influenced not only his friends, but even the maids and was baffled at how ignorant he was of these changes.
"I forgot to ask you but can Jake, Rocco, and Edward come to Collegiate High School?" Ricky asked since it was easier to bring people than gain people.
Lucky paused for a moment, recalling that they were only around 18 or 19. However, he had his ways to get them in and also trusted that they would ensure he wouldn't do anything reckless.
"Fine." Lucky shrugged, letting Ricky have his way as he smiled.
"Thanks Pops."
The drive was a casual one as Ricky and Lucky only made small talk until he met at a fine dining Italian restaurant.
Three cars which had Lucky's and Ricky protecting waited outside while the two of them walked into the fine dining establishment.
"Don't be a smartass these men are not to be f*cked with, understand?" Lucky whispered, tugging at his shoulder only for Ricky to nod with a yawn.
"Got it."
"And remember everything I told you about each boss." Lucky whispered as they walked past double doors to nine people already waiting.
In every meeting, one boss was able to bring one person to the meeting which was usually their underboss, but there were always exceptions.
"Lucky!"
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