Change the World

Introduction: The Devil's Advocate

By: Farren O'Blivion

The limo had taken her to GeneCo headquarters, his personal bodyguards silently flanking her. In his arrogance, Rotti had never once considered that Shilo would deny his offer. The scrap of paper he'd used on-stage was nothing more than a prop, an added incentive. Useless, worthless... Rotti's official Will was waiting in the safe behind his desk, naming Shilo as the sole heir to the throne of GeneCo.

Shilo did not want it, but what real choice did she have? She perched on Rotti's throne, behind his massive desk, a plan forming in her mind as she stared at the documents laid before her by GeneCo's head-lawyer.

She heard them coming, their enraged bickering rising faster than the elevator in which they rode. Shilo settled more comfortably in their father's chair. She seemed quite at home when they finally burst from the elevators, the three of them getting caught up on each other as they all tried to exit first.

Luigi rushed her.

"You little cunt!" he screamed, extracting a knife from his pocket. He raised it as he made to leap over the desk. "I'll kill you!" Quick as a flash, the Henchwoman to Shilo's left pressed a gun to the underside of Luigi's chin. He stilled immediately as the other Henchwoman trained her own gun on the less excitable but still furious Pavi Largo and Amber Sweet.

"How did you do it!?" Amber demanded, stomping up to the desk beside her brother. "How did you get him to leave it all to you!?"

Shilo shrugged, face expressionless. "I didn't. It was his own choice."

Amber snorted.

"It cannot-a be legal!" Pavi insisted, gesticulating grandly, nearly swiping Luigi upside the head with his mirror.

"Oh, I assure you, it's completely legal and completely binding," Shilo said, waving dismissively toward the papers in front of her. Amber made a grab for them but stopped when she heard the tell-tale click of a gun being cocked. She gulped and slowly backed up a pace.

A smile spread across Shilo's face.

"What-a does it all mean-a?" Pavi fretted.

"Quite simply, it means that I own GeneCo."

Pavi frowned, twisting his mirror nervously in his hands. "And we?"

"Own nothing," Shilo replied easily. "Nothing at all."

Amber scowled. "You must have tricked him!"

"On the contrary," Shilo said, picking up a thick envelope from the mess of documents. "It was Rotti who tricked me." She leveled a hard gaze at the former heiress. "This contains a letter, a very detailed letter written in your father's own hand, and witnessed by two others, in which he confesses to my mother's murder."

The siblings' eyes widened in shock. Shilo's lip curled in disgust. "I don't think your father expected to die quite so soon."

"What does that matter?" Amber spat, glaring daggers at the younger girl. "What do you want?"

Shilo chuckled darkly. "I think you'll care more about what I don't want." She gestured at the chairs Luigi had pushed aside when he'd rushed her. "Please, sit."

The Largo siblings exchanged uncertain glances. But, really, what choice did they have? They sat and the Henchwomen holstered their weapons.

Shilo smiled again, lips twisted in bitterness as she regarded them. Not one hour ago, they'd watched (along with hundreds of others) both of their fathers die on the same stage. A scant three days ago, Shilo had been sheltered from the world, a world ruled by GeneCo. And now, here she sat in Rotti Largo's opulent office, the fate of his three children, his legacy, held in the palm of her hand.

If she'd had a heart left, if it hadn't just been shattered to pieces, she might have cared. But, as it was...

"I don't want GeneCo," she blurted, suddenly beyond exhausted.

Silenced reigned for a few brief moments before each Largo broke into loud, excited exclamations.

"Well, of course you don't! Why would you?!"

"We'll take care of this immediately! Don't worry your pretty little head about it!"

"I'll-a get the-a lawyers!"

"Enough!" Shilo shouted. Her eyes, once so innocent, swept over them in contempt. "I'm not stupid! I'm not just going to hand over GeneCo!"

"But you just—"

"Every deal comes with conditions!" she snapped. "And I've got some conditions in mind, rest assured!" She glared around at them, her ire rivaling Luigi's. After a moment more, she crooked her finger toward a far corner, signaling someone to come forward. "Now," she said as a rather stooped old man scurried over to her, several sheaves of paper clutched to his chest. "I've already had Rotti's lawyer write up a preliminary contract. My terms include the following..." she trailed off as the old man handed her the papers, her eyes scanning quickly over each page.

The old man began to fidget nervously under the Largo's combined glare and he prayed that they would forget his face.

Finally, Shilo nodded in satisfaction and shuffled the papers back into order. "My terms include the safe return of my mother, Marni Wallace's body, which was stolen earlier by Rotti Largo. I also demand the safe return of my father, Nathan Wallace's body from the Largo Theatre where he was earlier murdered by Rotti Largo." Shilo glanced up perfunctorily as she recited her demands. They stared back at her, faces sullen. "In addition, I also demand the safe delivery of Blind Mag's body from the Largo Theatre where she was earlier killed. Most likely by Rotti Largo."

Luigi jumped up, indignant. "Whore!" Both Henchwomen drew their guns immediately, but he did not approach.

"Blind Mag is the property of GeneCo!" Amber trilled smugly. "You can't have her!"

Shilo laughed aloud; the sound was hollow, horribly mirthless, and seemed to fill the expansive room in eerie abandon. "Ah, but you forget, Miss Sweet, that GeneCo is mine!" She tapped the papers with her index, shooting the older woman a mocking smile. "These are the terms you must agree to if you ever want this company back under Largo-family rule. Understand?"

Amber sat back, crossing her arms petulantly. "Understand?" Shilo pressed her, voice sickly sweet.

"Yessss!" Amber hissed, sparks practically shooting from her eyes.

If looks could kill... Shilo mused. She smirked. "Moving on... A formal retraction of Rotti Largo's public accusation of Nathan Wallace's alleged murder of Marni Wallace shall be issued by the Largo siblings no more than twenty-four hours after the signing of the revised contract over control of GeneCo." Shilo paused, awaiting another barrage of protests but the Largos were silent. For once. "Furthermore, the act of repossessing organs by way of murder is hereby prohibited and the group known as Repomen is hereby disbanded—"

"How-a are we-a supposed to-a... survive?" Pavi interrupted. "We cannot-a afford rogue transplantees-a!"

Shilo lowered her papers. "There are other ways... Why not detain the people who default on their payments? Have them work off their debt to GeneCo by working for GeneCo?" She watched as the Largos exchanged confused and somewhat startled glances. Obviously they had never considered what Shilo was proposing. She pressed on. "That way, GeneCo has a better public image while running off of cheap labor, see?"

Luigi sat back in his chair, frowning. "I wonder why Dad never thought of that..."

Shilo looked at him. "Because your father was a cruel, ruthless man." She pointed at the envelope containing his confession. "He says so himself." Again, the Largo children remained silent. Shilo cleared her throat and continued. "Furthermore, the act of shooting grave-robbers 'on sight' is hereby prohibited—" Shilo was cut off by Amber's derisive snort. She looked up.

"Interesting turn we've taken, from repossession to thievery!" Amber shook her head, tutting. "We haven't developed a soft-spot for a certain Z-dealer, have we, little girl?"

Shilo gritted her teeth, her jaw muscles almost seizing up in anger. "Murder is murder."

"Trespassers are trespassers!" Amber shot back.

"The concept of 'shoot first, question later' is ridiculous!" the teen near-shrieked, pallid cheeks flushing with passion. "Innocent people get caught in the crossfire! It isn't right!"

"Pattuito!" Pavi suddenly chimed in. "GeneCops will-a no longer shoot-a first-a!"

Shilo and Amber continued to glare at each other, the teen's breath coming in short, angry gasps. After a tense moment, open animosity crackling between the two women, Amber sat back, smirking in satisfaction. She shrugged delicately, smirk still in place. "Fine. Pattuito. Luigi?"

"Pattuito."

"Alright," Shilo ground out. She dropped her eyes back to her papers. "To recap: Luigi Largo, Pavi Largo and Amber Sweet must cease organ repossessions by way of murder immediately, effectively disbanding the Repomen." Over the papers, she saw the siblings begin to tick off the terms on their fingers. "In addition, grave-robbers are to no longer be shot 'on sight.' In addition, the bodies of Marni Wallace, Blind Mag, and Nathan Wallace are to be safely returned to one, Shilo Wallace. In addition, a formal retraction of Rotti Largo's accusation of murder by one, Nathan Wallace, of one, Marni Wallace, shall take place no more than twenty-four hours after the signing of this revised contract. In addition—"

"What in addition?" they all demanded.

Shilo ignored them and continued calmly. "—no employee of GeneCo shall be harmed by Luigi Largo, Pavi Largo or Amber Sweet after the signing of this completely legal, completely binding contract. If any one of the aforementioned persons retracts on any of the aforementioned terms the entire contract shall become null and void, placing GeneCo and all of it's assets once again under one, Shilo Wallace's power. As it stands, Shilo Wallace shall retain 'power of attorney' over any and all of GeneCo's assets.

"Which basically means that I'll be keeping my eye on you, seeing as Largos... and Sweets... aren't to be trusted." She looked up at them. "Pattuito?" she asked genially, holding a pen out towards Amber.

The Largo siblings exchanged uncertain glances. But, really...what choice did they have?

Amber took the pen.


Pattuito! = Agreed! (in Italian)