AN- Hello, and welcome back. This is the sequel to Welcome to Wammy. If you're looking for something serious, for an in depth look at the human mind and how we deal with ourselves and our fears, you're in the right place. Against my better judgement, I think this is gonna be a MelloxMatt story...and I plan to give Concerto a run for its money. In fact...this may be a pairing simply because I want to outdo Concerto. Some of you don't know what that means, and some of you are ready to kill me, but...the story must be written. I can't help it. -Kani
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January 10th, 2005
A young man watches a toddler run across the grass of the yard. The low hills channel a winter wind through the valley, and worried, a mother comes out of the cottage with a heavier coat for her child. As she pulls her daughter's arms through the coat-sleeves, she glances up to notice the blond stranger. A moment passes without recognition, and the young man turns without a word of greeting, shifting the bag on his shoulder as he heads down the road. Disconcerted, his older sister picks her child up and takes her in, away from the Italian winter and familiar strangers.
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April 7th, 2005
A blond in leather sits at a bar next to an elderly gentleman, resting his chin dejectedly upon his arms as he waits to be noticed. The old man's laughter dies as he turns from his companion and looks at the mop of dirty yellow hair and the depressed expression that has taken up residency at his left. A feather of pity comes to his eyes, and he offers to buy the kid a drink. The blond glances up at him and then gravely nods, with thanks. The shot comes, and the man turns back to his companion, missing the smirk of triumph that breaks the mask of depression. He knocks it back, and sputters, his cheeks aflame, his eye wide, and earns a laugh from both men. It is the first of many more that night, and the beginning of an uneasy camaraderie.
A month later, the young man is taken under the wing of the gentleman, and introduced to the 'family.'
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May 1st, 2005
The young man reaches Los Angeles, a new pistol at his hip, and a mission in his mind. It doesn't take long to scour the city, learn its names and the language. The Family is strong here, and after learning the city, he announces his arrival to the Cousin. With two apartments to his name, a weekly allowance from an old friend being split into three accounts, and a rough idea of his standing, he feels himself ready. He asks to see the Dom.
Within two weeks, half the Family is dead, lost to Kira. The young man returns to the Dom again, this time with a plan of righteous fury, and a solid arrangement as two men of the business. It doesn't matter if he accepts or not, because the Kid has already bought half the mafia, tucked them nicely into his pocket.
He agrees, and the deal eases into place, working alongside each other.
Within a month, the Dom lies dead in an alley, and the young man names his successor, refusing to take the mantle himself. With criminals on the internet, even the underground is too public. His pieces in place, he steps back, retreating to watch the fall out as the mafia regains its footing after the loss of its Father. Deals are made and broken, allies and enemies forged anew, until the system is ready, and Family stands again, united.
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March 5th, 2009
Two more Doms rise and fall, and finally, they have chosen one stupid enough to be usable. Kira and L wage an all-out war with the media, but as L's voice weakens, Kira's support only grows. The young man sits in his apartment, scowling at the feeble reports that anyone who knew L personally would laugh at. There isn't time for laughter, however; things are moving. He calls his friend, the gentleman in New York, and lets him know that he has a favor…a big favor, and some cash to help with it. The retired pilot smiles into the phone, remembering a drunken kid in leather grinning up at him from the barstool, and agrees without hesitation.
Things move.
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March 12th, 2009
Mello stands in an abandoned government base in the California desert, near the Nevada state line. Walking through the long facility once, he finds himself satisfied, and returns to his bike, phoning his friend in New York with good news and a set of coordinates.
The Dom calls later, and the Family has been successfully narrowed. A contact has been made in the FBI, with information relating to Kira. The niece of a lesser cousin, from a few miles south of White Valley, is an officer who has just been assigned to a special task force, created specifically to counter the mass-murderer.
It brings a smile to his lips. Opposite sides of the board, and yet playing with the same color pieces…he hasn't played chess in years, and with a few final adjustments, the game will resume its normal pace.