A/N: Hi all! If you're here from my other story, "Like Magic," thanks for supporting me and checking this out! This is not a series I'm taking too seriously. I like the AU, and want to challenge myself by writing something outside of my comfort zone. So here it is! Also, updates will appear when I feel like it, so be aware of that. :)

Any graphic chapters will be labeled with a warning, so make sure you read beginning notes!

Side note: I am not Italian, nor have I taken an Italian language course. I love the language, but have never gotten around to it. I've taken French, Spanish, and extensive German, but not Italian. So any tips or corrections are welcome! That being said, it will be used lightly, mostly as single words or phrases. So let me know if something is incorrect!

Enjoy!

Caterina Previti.

What? Too pretty for you? Well, I can assure you that I ain't a kitten. See, I'm here on a job, and I wouldn't be here if I was a princess. No, I grew up in this business. I know everything there is to know about it.

What is it?

Gambling, trafficking, sharking, fraud, killing, you name it. Whatever needs to be done. Whatever The Don tells us to do, we do. No questions asked. Unless you have a death wish.

So that's why I'm here, in this ratty building. Boss calls for his second best, and suddenly I'm out the door, and none too happy. Che sfortuna! When papa died, I was the only candidate for Consigliere. Of course, the Boss had known my family for years. I grew up calling him grandpapa! Now look where it's got me!

I suppose I should be grateful, right? My parents died and the mafia took me in and took care of me until I was old enough to become a part of the family. If it weren't for them, I woulda died on the streets somewhere. But damn, if it wasn't hard to feel thankful. On a bed of spikes was not how I imagined sleeping every night. But, anyway, we've gone off topic, haven't we? This job, what was oh so important that I had to pack my bags for...ugh, who knows how long.

You've heard it on the news, right? Course ya did. Every single channel on the radio and TV jumped at the opportunity to cover the action. Monsters poured out of that old mountain a few months back like damn zombies, some stone-faced and all shielding their eyes from the sun. They'd been living down there for, what, centuries? Who knew. Long enough for their existence to become mere legend, and their location to be completely forgotten. Funny, right? An entire race of magical beings disappear for a while, and they're completely forgotten to the point of the concept becoming laughable. Magical beings that used to share the earth with humans? Assurdo!

Joke's on us.

Ever since they surfaced, the world has been in chaos. I won't go into alla that political crap, but everyone is involved. Course. No one knows how to mind their own damn business. Long story short, the monsters are stuck in the pathetic city that I've found myself in. The City of Mt. Ebott. Previously the home to crooks, drug addicts, and prostitutes, most of the human inhabitants evacuated and relocated months ago. The monsters quickly inhabited the city, expanding when able and creating a nice little society for themselves in this shit hole. Honestly, it looked better now than it did when the humans were here. The monsters had even set up districts, or something. The file's still in my bag. I'll figure it out later.

Anyway, we still haven't gotten to the best part. My job, right? Well, for the next few months, my job is pretty easy, as long as I don't do something stupid. I've got to spy. Learn everything that I can, report to the Underboss, and wait for the ok to come home. See, those districts I told you about? It seems that the monsters live in a very strict society. The Don seems to think they have their own little version of a mob goin' on. So far, they haven't gotten in our way. Hell, they can't. The city is surrounded with military types, making sure the monsters don't leave. The gov doesn't care what happens on the inside. As long as it stays on the inside. But The Don is paranoid. At least, he is in my opinion. He thinks these guys are gonna try to take over our territories. Ridiculous, right? Yeah, I tried to tell 'im. But who am I to complain? I'm outta the hotseat, for now. I just have to lay low, play it cool, make some acquaintances and try not to contract a disease from this disgusting room. Boss couldn't arrange for a better apartment? Whatever.

Listen. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes down, capiche? If we really are dealing with a monster mob here, things could get hairy. So just let me do my job, and don't ask any questions.

Don't forget to leave a review and let me know if you like it! The next update should come out fairly quickly, but no guarantee! Thanks for reading!