Food was a priority; he knew that there were places the gang frequented. He had to cross paths with it somehow. He knew a pizzeria 5 blocks down saw a lot of traffic for the gang from the info packet. He could ponder his new job over a good slice of pizza.
The Pizzeria was a small place called Uncle Benne's, and for a gang hotspot it was quite friendly. Faded walls that were once welcoming sea foam green held up various pictures and paintings of Italian scenery. Eclectic mementos were scattered around. Antonio found it impossible to believe that this place was a center for crime and debauchery. Just as he contemplated that he was approached by person he hadn't expected to see again so soon.
"What in fucks sake are you doing here?" the olive-eyed Italian hissed vehemently.
"Ordering pizza, is there a reason I shouldn't be here?" Antonio asked innocently, he wasn't sure what way to proceed. It's not like you can flat out ask people if you can join the mafia.
"Fucker. Of course not. Why would there be?" the Italian asked looking darkly at him.
"What's your name?" Antonio asked quickly before he could leave again.
"What does it matter?" he grumbled back.
"I'd kind of like to know the name of the man who almost got himself hit by a train this morning, is that too much to ask?" he said bluntly, this was getting him nowhere.
"Well I-"
A crack sounded and something shot past them, shattering a painting that hung over the table. It was followed by several more shots in quick succession, which embedded themselves in the walls behind them. Antonio only had a second to think, he couldn't react like a cop would, he was unarmed; he also didn't know if the Italian was armed. So in that split second Antonio did the only rational thing he could think of, he grabbed the Italian by the hand and bolted for the door, knocking tables over in the process.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" he yelled at Antonio.
"Trust me!" he yelled back, the bullets were still flying and there was nowhere to hide. They were defiantly being pursued; Toni pulled the Italian along after him. He looked around for the place with the best strategy. Pulling the brown haired man into an alley and motioned for him hide behind a dumpster. Running, he threw himself on a fire escape, scampering up it and waiting while he planned out his next move. He watched as the gunman entered the drab, dark corridor. He glanced at the Italian whom he could barely see from his view point; he didn't look scared, only determined. Waiting until he could see the top of the gunman's head he jumped down, holding him down.
"Run!" he yelled at the Italian; however, the olive-eyed teen hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?" Toni yelled as he tried to wrestle the gun out of the perpetrator's hand.
The Italian ignored him and looked around before grabbing a long plank of wood from a pile of trash, swinging it wide and cracking the hit man over the head with it. The threat dropped like a sack of bricks. Antonio stood there for a second as the Italian calmly grabbed the gun from the floor and checked the body.
"Romano," the Italian said without a tremor in his voice.
"Que?" Antonio said still not processing what had happened.
"You can call me Romano," he said picking up a wallet and taking some things out before dropping it and kicking it under a trashcan.
"Oh," Antonio said. He was sure Romano was an alias, but it was better than not having a name to call him at all.
Looking up Romano spoke again, "We need to get out of here," he looked at Antonio as if contemplating something. "You had better come with me, there may be more around."
Maybe this was his chance, "Okay."
Romano took the lead. Antonio turned and took a last look back at the body, it was impossible to tell whether the man was dead or just unconscious, and Antonio didn't care to stick around and find out.
"Where are we going?" Antonio asked as Romano led him through wandering side streets, if he tried to get back "home" now he wouldn't be able too.
"I have to report this, what's your name?" Romano said quickly changing the subject.
"I'm Juan, Juan Hernández," Antonio said almost stumbling and spilling out his real name. Romano turned and raised an eyebrow; but said nothing to indicate that he suspected Juan was not telling the truth. They were both lying and they both knew it.
Romano held his arm out, forcing him to stop. Antonio looked around but this alley looked the same as the one where they had been attacked.
"What are we-"Antonio stared but was cut off when he was shushed. Romano moved forward and removed a brick from the wall, exposing a small intercom unit. Pressing the call button, Romano spoke rapidly into the speaker. It was too quick for Toni to understand what he said, but he was almost sure it had been something in Italian.
Standing back Romano replaced the brick, and turned to the wall next to it. For a moment nothing happened and then there was a creaking noise. The fence next to the wall swung open showing a door behind it. Romano opened the lock and entered, holding it open for Toni, who entered warily.
He didn't jump as the door swung closed behind them, but his anxiety did grow. This was his job though; he knew what he was doing when he signed up for this. Collecting his feelings he stayed silent as they walked further into the building, it slowly transformed from the dark and foreboding place like the alley into a more homely almost cozy place.
"Nono!" Romano yelled as they entered the main area of what Antonio was suspecting was the base for La Familia.
"Mio bambino?" came the reply from the hall to the left.
"Che cazzo, Io sonno no bambino," Romano replied under his breath.
Antonio followed him into the main room, it was pretty empty except for a few people loitering around and sitting on couches. Toni tried to avoid eye contact with people and look straight ahead. There was a man that looked very much like Romano, but older, sitting at the head of a table with a laptop.
"Bambino, who is this?" he asked in accented English, raising an eyebrow.
Romano sighed and began explaining things in Italian, causing Antonio to frown. He understood some of the words that were similar to Spanish, but most of the explanation went over his head. Slowly other people in the room stopped to listen to Romano explain, becoming interested in the story.
When Romano finished his story, attention in the room slowly shifted back to the man at the table, who was looking from Romano to Antonio and back again. He said something softly to Romano, who replied vehemently.
They exchanged a few more words, and Romano nodded at few things. The man looked back at Antonio again, before saying one last thing to Romano and looking back to the laptop.
Attention in the room drifted back to whatever was going on before the interruption.
"What was that about?" Antonio whispered to Romano.
Romano just gave him a glare, but there was something hidden in that glare, something slightly sad like pity.
"There's no other option. Welcome to the La Familia, Mafia."
Antonio opened and closed his mouth, this had been the whole goal, but now that it had happened they reality of it started to sink in. The mafia…
"How?" He asked quietly.
"Well it was either kill you, or make you join, and considering that you saved my life already today I was none too thrilled about killing you. I might have to though, if you betray us. You're my responsibility now; Nono was all for killing you. He likes to run a clean operation you see," Romano said quietly pulling his on his arm.
Letting the other lead him out of the main room, Antonio stayed silent.
"So that's it then?" Antonio said recovering his smile.
Romano looked at him, before rolling his eyes.
"Since you are my responsibility, you are going to be my partner. Wherever I go, you go," said Romano digging through a drawer.
"Even the bathroom?" Toni joked.
"This isn't a game," Romano said with a glare, tossing a gun into Antonio's lap. "This is the real world; you may be expected to kill without hesitation. Your life is never going to be the same. You will never see the world like you did this morning. Behind the brightest days you will feel the shadows."
Antonio picked up the gun, turning it over in his hands, "I see."
"Good, now write your phone and address down on here," He said handing him a pad of yellow legal paper. Antonio did as he asked, before handing the paper back.
"Now give me your phone," Romano said holding out his hand. Digging the phone out of his pocket, he handed the phone to Romano, who entered something in it before handing him it back to him.
"My number is in there now. Don't call me in the middle of the night unless there is an emergency," said Romano, "An emergency is only when you are dying or kidnapped."
Antonio swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. There was every possibility that this would get him killed. Nodding he looked around the room. It was sparse, nothing much but a bed and dresser.
"I'll meet you outside your apartment at 10 am tomorrow I'll tell you more then. If you go to the cops I will have to kill you, and I really don't want to do that," he said continuing walking back to the door, "Do you think you can find your way home from here?"
"Uhhhhh."
"I see. Hey Honda!" he yelled the last part into the hallway.
A short Asian walked, no glided, up to Romano who he talked with for a couple seconds.
"Honda here is going to take you home, I'll see you tomorrow Juan," Romano said before turning down the hallway and disappearing before Toni could say goodbye.
AN
I'm a horrible person and school is taking a whole lot of time. URGH. So many advanced classes, and tumblr does not help. . Anyway yeah, not giving up on this story, I have big plans for this. Ack I'm sorry this chapter is so long… yeah…. I'm just in a writing mood today. I'm going to work on the next chapter too, but I need to find that outline I did for this…. Dang this is almost 5 pages. O.o
I keep getting distracted starting up USUK and UKUS oneshots, I'll try and finish some of them and upload them soon.