This is my contribution to the Gerita Secret Santa 2015 event. It's the first time I take part in it, so please be nice and review this story! It's a little gift for Tizzy, whom I hope will enjoy just as much as I enjoy writing it.

For those from the Teen Titans fandom, don't worry, I'll get back to In The Blue Dark by January. I'm slowly writing the next chapter, but since I have a limited time for this event I'm focusing more on this fanfic.

Now enjoy!

Chapter 1: Capo

The sound of shots echoed in the night. The smell of gunpowder and blood invaded the air on that sewer–stinking alley. Men down. The survivors hid their weapons. One of them took a couple steps forward, taking in the scenery. His skin was slightly tanned, and he wore his auburn hair down and parted in the middle. His eyes were big and amber, gleaming with almost childish malice. Everything about his face looked innocent and childlike, despite the crime he had just committed. He didn't appear to be dressed for such deeds; he wore a designer white linen suit, a long coat to protect himself from the December cold, and elegant brown shoes he took good care not to dirty. Despite his petite size –he was the shortest of the group– he had a strange aura of authority surrounding him. He was someone his taller comrades respected.

"That'll teach them" his voice was a bit high–pitched for a male, with a misleadingly sweet tone and a sing–song cadence. "Well done, everyone. We've successfully protected our territory"

"Signore" the voice of the man's family consigliere pulled him from his triumphant thoughts "The police will come soon, we have to hurry"

The shorter man nodded.

"As usual, you're right, Antonio. Let's go home"

Like every morning, Ludwig woke up very early. He rubbed his eyes and stretched to fight the sleepiness that still clung to his body. After a quick shower, a change of clothes and some dandelion coffee, he felt renewed and ready to start the day.

Anyone who looked at Ludwig, even without his uniform on, would probably feel intimidated. The man was 180 cm tall and very muscular, and his face was a stern mask that didn't easily let people know what he was thinking. His ice blue eyes were often described as cold, and his personality was a perfect match for such an appearance. At least, that was what he let people see.

"Mo'nin', brofhe'!"

Glancing at the side, the man saw his older brother getting out of the bathroom, his toothbrush still in his mouth. He groaned in frustration.

"Gilbert, could you please stop doing that? You'll dirty the floor"

The man shrugged and got into the bathroom again. His complexion wasn't as buff as his younger sibling and he was shorter than him, but he was fit nonetheless. His platinum blond hair which bordered on silver, along with his crimson eyes, gave away that he was an albino. After a little while he emerged once more from the bathroom, this time without his toothbrush, much to Ludwig's relief.

"How come you got up so early?" the blond asked, raising an eyebrow. Usually, Gilbert was one to sleep in.

"You came home late last night, so I didn't get to tell you" he replied, grinning like the Cheshire cat "I got a call from a company, I'm having a job interview today!"

"That's great news!" Ludwig exclaimed. His brother had been unemployed for some months now and it had been difficult for him to find a job due to his condition, so the younger brother felt genuinely happy for him. "You'd better put on something elegant, you have to make a good impression"

"Come on, West" that was the nickname Gilbert had for his 'little' brother "All my clothes are elegant!"

Shaking his head in slight amusement, the taller man put on his coat. Saying goodbye to his brother, the German closed the door behind him and stepped into the cool morning breeze. The sky was still blue and the city was already stirring into life. It was a nice view to take in, but unfortunately he had more important things to do. Like going to work.

The police headquarters were already bustling with activity. People typed on a computer, ran around or made phone calls. He continued his travel towards his section. There was going to be a meeting that day, and his boss would give him and his colleagues new assignments.

Commissioner Héderváry was like a mother to everyone. Despite her kind nature, she was the strongest person Ludwig knew, and he deeply respected her. She was already sitting at her desk, waiting for everyone to arrive. Upon seeing the German, she smiled warmly.

"Punctual as usual" she chuckled "How are you doing?"

"Fine, Commissioner" he replied as he sat down.

For some reason, she found his choice of words amusing.

"Ludwig, we've known each other for years, when are you going to drop the formalities?" she sighed "When we're not working, you can call me by name"

"B–but that's not–"

"You're too formal" she said, more to herself than to him "You're my most efficient officer, yet I'm always worried that you won't find something else to live for in life"

"Comm– I mean Elizabeta" the blond seriously answered "I'm merely fulfilling my duty"

"And I'm really happy for that, but there's more to life than duty and responsibilities" she sighed "I wish someone could teach you that…"

Their conversation was interrupted when more officers started to arrive. They were his department, his team. Among them was his assigned partner, Kiku Honda. The raven-haired officer was serious, aloof and reserved, much like Ludwig. However, their similarities allowed them to have a rather good relationship. Kiku was the closest to a real friend Ludwig had, even if he could never tell what the mysterious officer was thinking. The Japanese man greeted him and sat next to him, waiting for their meeting to start.

The Commissioner cleared her throat. She had initiated a powerpoint presentation.

"Alright, everyone. We have some new important information on the Italian mafia in our city, courtesy of Officer Kirkland"

Ludwig glanced at the blond English officer. He had a smug smile on his face. The truth was that Arthur Kirkland made for an excellent detective, even if he had a rather difficult personality.

"We've successfully identified their leader and head of all the families involved" Héderváry continued "He's the new capo of the most powerful family; the capo di tutti i capi. His name is Feliciano Vargas"

The screen behind the woman showed a photo of a short man entering a black car. It had been taken at night, so the figure couldn't be seen too clearly. The next slide was a photo that seemed to have been taken at a coastal city, somewhere in Italy.

"Here you can see him with the preceding capo, his grandfather Augusto Vargas, who has recently passed away"

Ludwig studied the new mafia boss. He'd never have guessed what activities that man indulged in from his outer appearance, so seemingly fragile and innocent. He had a warm smile that reached his big and round amber eyes. Overall, his looks were quite attractive…

"Wait! What am I thinking?"

"Augusto Vargas was an extremely dangerous man" his boss continued, fortunately oblivious to the man's thoughts "He was the one to unite all Italian mafia families and lead and coordinate them. His death could be a fatal blow for this criminal organization"

"So all we need to do is to take Feliciano Vargas down, huh?" Officer Alfred Jones confidently chimed in. He was very passionate about his job as a police officer, usually referring to himself as 'the hero' and volunteering for the most dangerous missions, much to his partner's chagrin.

"That's going to be our primary focus, indeed. However, we have to make sure we take them down for good" the Commissioner replied "Beilschmidt and Honda, you'll focus on tracking Vargas down any way you can"

"Yes, Commissioner" the pair diligently replied.

"We're going to need information about their activities and whereabouts. That's going to be your job, Kirkland and Bonnefoy. It's essential for us to find their headquarters"

"You can count on us" Francis said. He and Arthur had always worked together, even though they never got along. The Frenchman had been friends with Gilbert in high school, but Ludwig only met him in person when he started his job at the police station.

"We've found out the name of the capo's consigliere, who has already been working for the Vargas family under Augusto Vargas' rule. His name is Antonio Fernández Carriedo. He is sure to have key information about the mafia, so it's vital for us to capture him" she then showed a picture of a tanned Spaniard, sitting next to Augusto Vargas in that same family meeting.

"Francis? Are you okay?" Arthur whispered, discreetly elbowing the long-haired man, who had gone pale.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine" he breathed "We'll take care of him, boss" he then said out loud.

"Good. By the way, we do know something about their objectives, too" Héderváry replied, nodding in approval "Recently, the Russian mafia has started to carry out their own criminal activities in the city, and it seems that the Italians haven't taken it well. According to our reports, the Russians are far more ruthless and dangerous, and we suspect they might be running the drug dealing business in our city, so we need to keep a close eye on them. Their boss is Ivan Braginsky" the next slide showed a picture of a tall, well-built man getting out of a building. His eyes were an eerie shade of violet. "Jones and Wáng, I'm counting on you"

"Yes, Commissioner!" Alfred cheerfully exclaimed.

"Good. I'll send you the presentation by e-mail so you get all the details. I've also made individual reports for all of you, with the specifics for your mission. Make sure to read them carefully. And last but not least, be very careful. These are going to be extremely dangerous missions, for all of you. Make sure you are cautious"

She then shot a meaningful glance at Officer Jones, who scratched the back of his head nervously as his Chinese companion rolled his eyes. Yào Wáng was as much of an action man as the American was, but he deemed him too impulsive, even bossy at times. However, they had managed to overcome lots of dangerous situations together. From his seat, Arthur was looking at Alfred too, muttering something along the lines of "reckless idiot".

"Good. If you don't have any questions, we can finish our meeting now and get to work" Elizabeta's expression immediately softened "On a side note, my husband's giving a concert next Friday. If you wish to come, I can get tickets for all of you. It would mean a lot to me if you came"

"Aw, sorry Eliza, but I have plans for the weekend with a fine lady" Francis replied, emphasizing the word 'fine' in a fashion that gave everyone the creeps.

"Count me in, I really like your husband's music" Ludwig said next.

"I have never been to Mr. Edelstein's concerts" Kiku whispered, scratching his chin "I accept your invitation, Commissioner. Thank you very much"

Slowly, the day got started. Everyone read their reports and asked Commissioner Héderváry any doubts they might have. Then, all the teams went on regular patrol. Ludwig and Kiku were to search throughout the places Vargas was known to have visited recently. The man knew how to cover his steps, so they were unable to find anything useful that could lead them to him. Upon getting out of a shop, Ludwig chuckled bitterly.

"This guy sure knows what he's doing. None of the owners of these small businesses know anything, despite him having been in these places"

"They're probably scared" Honda suggested.

The German sighed.

"If that's so, then we might need to make a different approach"

"Bonnefoy and Kirkland are working on finding their HQ, so I'm certain that we will catch him eventually" the raven–haired man replied.

The tall blond's semblant darkened. While that was true, the two officers had to focus on the Russian mafia as well, so it'd probably take them too much time to find the Italians. He didn't voice such pessimistic thoughts, though; it was bad enough that he was already being so negative about the mission. But what else could he do, if he wasn't able to shake off the feeling that something terrible was about to happen?

The day finished uneventfully. All the officers gathered at the police station to present Héderváry their daily reports. Arthur took the chance to confirm his assistance to Mr. Edelstein's concert. While his partner was busy talking to Elizabeta, Francis approached Ludwig.

"So, Luddy" he started "How's old Gilbert doing?"

"He's good. Today he had a job interview, I can tell he was excited"

"Really? That's great news!" the Frenchman replied, almost too excited "Say, how about we take him out to celebrate? I know of a new pub downtown which I'm sure you'll both love"

"Well, I suppose I could tell him" Ludwig and his brother were quite different, personality-wise. But if there was something they had in common, it was their love for good beer.

"Great! I'll drop by your house at eight, then"

The way home was quite uneventful, as well. In fact, the blond officer could describe anything not related to his job with that word. To some, it could appear boring, but for him it was the way to be. There was simply no other way. Just the same old routine. Dull, but calm. Boring, but organized. It was the way he needed his life to be in order not to lose it.

The younger Beilschmidt arrived home and greeted his three loyal dogs which immediately ran to welcome him. He wondered if Gilbert had already walked them.

"Hey, West!" as if on cue, the older man appeared in the hall. He seemed just as excited as he was in the morning.

"How did it go?" the blond asked, genuinely curious.

"It went awesomely well, of course" the albino grinned "It's for a customer support position. They'll call me next week to tell me the results. Aren't you proud of your awesome big brother?"

"Francis thought that we should celebrate your interview. He told me of a new pub downtown" Ludwig replied, avoiding having to feed his brother's already overweight ego.

Gilbert made a thumbs-up sign.

"Cool! I'll go change clothes, there'll surely be girls to impress!"

His chuckles could be heard throughout the house. Ludwig couldn't help but smiling a bit. He sincerely hoped that his brother would get a nice job. After leaving some food for the dogs, which had indeed already been walked, he took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. When he finished, he had dinner with his brother while they waited for Francis to arrive.

"Hey, West" the elder brother said "Why are you still wearing that cross necklace?"

The blond blinked.

"It's a gift from you" he replied in slight confusion.

"Oh, come on! When I gave you that you were still a brat!" the silver-haired man burst into laughter "I never thought you'd keep wearing it to this day, to be honest"

Ludwig chose not to reply and focus on his dinner instead.

"Is it because you admire your awesome brother?"

"What?"

"Come on, West, just admit it!"

Thankfully, the doorbell rang, putting an end to the strange and pointless conversation. Ludwig swiftly got up to open the door for Francis.

"Bonne nuit! Are you two ready?" he greeted, walking around the house as if it were his own and making himself comfortable in a chair at the dining room.

"Give us five minutes" the younger brother muttered, starting to feel unnerved by his colleague's carefree disposition.

"Francis! Long time no see!"

"Gilbert, your brother told me about the interview, congrats!" the blue-eyed man patted his friend's back.

"Were you expecting any less of the awesome me?"

Francis laughed. Ludwig always thought he had a strange and somewhat uncomfortable laugh.

"You haven't changed a bit, Gilbert"

The trio was sitting at the bar, enjoying their drinks. Though Francis was more keen on wine, he graciously tried the German beer served at the pub, only to decide that he didn't know what the big deal was and settle for some vermouth.

The brothers were laughing together. Though he didn't like to admit it, Ludwig opened up considerably after several jars of beer, to the point where he could even be considered as slightly cheerful. However, intimidating as he was, no one would dare to point it out.

"Hey West" gilbert slurred, already a bit drunk "Have you checked out that girl over there? She's been staring at you for, like, hours!" His barely coherent speech gave into a hysterical fit of laughter.

He didn't know what brought him to look. Maybe the beer, maybe just sheer curiosity. As far as he knew, Gilbert was probably joking, since he knew about his younger brother's inexperience and apparent disinterest in love matters. However, Ludwig looked.

Whoever that lady was, he didn't pay the slightest attention to her, as someone far more interesting had caught his eye.

There was a young man sitting at a table, on the farthest end of the pub. He seemed to be shamelessly flirting with the waitress, who didn't seem to mind him all that much. He didn't look too tall, and his physique was thin and slim. His skin was slightly tanned, and his auburn hair -with a strange curl at the left side- framed a childlike face, crowned with big amber eyes. He had a charming smile on his face and he wore clothes far too elegant for such a place. No one had seemed to pay attention to that fact, nevertheless. It was as if he could hide in plain sight, only to occupy the spotlight if he wished so. Just then, he looked at the bar and in Ludwig's direction. His amber eyes met the taller man's blue ones, and his flirty smile turned into a devious smirk.

Ludwig felt his chest tighten.

It was him.

Feliciano Vargas.

Had he been sober, he would have been more discrete and he'd keep partying with his brother and his colleague. He'd also have told Francis about Feliciano's presence so they could trap him together. They'd have waited for him to walk out of the pub to immediately arrest him, and that would probably be the end of his empire.

If only he hadn't drunk so much…

Then maybe he'd have been able to avert his gaze. But it was impossible. His eyes fixated on the capo's figure as he tried his beer and scrunched his nose in disapproval. When the Italian got up to leave, two blue eyes followed his every step, until he finally got out of the pub.

Without thinking, Ludwig immediately got up to go after him, not bothering to do any explaining to Gilbert or Francis, whom he had already forgotten about. His only goal right then was to catch the criminal. There was an alley at one side of the pub, and he was sure he had taken that route. The blond followed the path and soon found the person he was looking for.

He was standing in the middle of the alley, the smirk never leaving his face. It was almost as if he had been waiting for him.

"I assume you're a police officer" he said. His voice took the muscular German aback. It was really sweet, and he spoke in a sing-song manner. "Did you come after me?"

Ludwig swallowed. For some reason, it was hard for him to reply.

"I'm going to arrest you and put an end to the Italian mafia" he managed to say, narrowing his eyes and trying to sound firm.

Feliciano laughed at his conviction. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound to the increasingly confused blond.

"You're pretty straightforward, now aren't you?" the Italian chuckled "But then again, it's a pity we had to meet in such circumstances"

"The current circumstances are your fault!" the German roared in sheer fury, making the shorter male take a step back and widen his eyes in shock.

Vargas slowly raised his hands, smiling apologetically. He kept walking backwards slowly.

"That's not true, my cacciatore" he sweetly replied. There was something about the way he said the word cacciatore that made the German extremely nervous "Either way, I think it'd be nice to be friends"

Ludwig gasped. Friends? Was he serious? His own enemy?

The thin Italian saw his chance and ran at top speed, crossing the rest of the alley. Ludwig quickly snapped out of it and followed suit. However, the shorter man was really fast, and the beer had numbed down the police officer's reflexes, and the car was just there. Vargas stepped inside before he could even get close, and the car raced away. By the time the German arrived, he was long gone.

"Where did West go?" Gilbert complained.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. There's something I want to tell you, and I'd rather do it now, in private" Francis answered, shooting a worried look at his friend.

"What is it?"

"Do you remember Antonio, from high school?"

Gilbert beamed brightly.

"Of course I do! We were the best of friends, the three of us! I wonder how he's doing now"

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me" the lean man replied, looking unusually somber.

"Why? Is something wrong? Did anything happen to him?" Gilbert asked, suddenly serious.

Francis sighed.

"Elizabeta assigned us a new mission today. We're supposed to take down the Vargas family, the most important one in the whole Italian mafia" he whispered, leaning close to Gilbert so only he could hear his words "And guess who their advisor is?"

Gilbert gasped loudly.

"No way! Francis, don't fuck with me, that can't be right!"

"It is" was the Frenchman's sad reply "And that's not even the worst thing about it…"

"There's more?" the albino whined.

"Francis"

The pair's conversation was interrupted by Ludwig, who stumbled back into his seat. Francis shot a warning glare at Gilbert, who nodded discreetly. They weren't supposed to tell his brother about Antonio and their friendship with him.

"West, what's wrong? You look as if you'd seen a ghost" Gilbert questioned.

The blond turned to look at Francis instead. He had the most troubled looked his colleague had ever seen on him.

"I saw him, Francis" he managed to say "I saw Feliciano Vargas. I went after him, but he escaped"

Francis covered his lips with a hand. That definitely wasn't their lucky day.

"Oh, non…"

The Cosa Nostra organization in the United States had a very well-organized structure. It was composed by many Italian families, with a Don that ruled each of them. The don of the most powerful family was known as the Capo di tutti i capi, who had control over the whole mafia. Each family had a consigliere who worked personally for its don as an advisor. The consigliere is one of the closest figures to the don. I found this hierarchy fascinating, and so I wanted to use it for this story.