Chapter 2

"So run it by me again," a well dressed gentleman of Italian descent said, "you had a very rare specimen right within your grasp, with two fellow Rocketeers to back yous up? And where is this fine specimen now?"

James looked at the man, "Mr. Giovanni..."

A loud noise like a crack and a crunch put together resounded through the room. The other Rocketeers present could not help but wince when James was violently struck across the face by a purplish tendril that reached out from under Giovanni's right sleeve and then retracted.

A strange oozing material slowly leaked out from the same sleeve and solidified into the shape of a gentleman's walking stick, taking on a black lacquered color and rich pattern. A ditto.

James spat out a broken tooth and blood to one side, his face painfully bruised. "Sir...he was psychic, and he had more than one pet..."

"Do you realize the problem yous created now, Jimmy?" Giovanni interrupted, "It don't matter how it happened. But you know what dem peoples see? Rocketeers got beaten by a young boy."

Abruptly Giovanni swung his hand upwards and struck James on the other side of his face. More blood, another tooth loosened. Rocketeers stepped back.

"Next thing, I'm gonna have citizens fancying themselves heroes, and there goes La Cosa Nostra." He gestured around him, "I like you, Jimmy, but I can't let no one, and I mean no one, ruin my business, my plans."

The walking stick turned into a blade, which Giovanni raised with his right hand and struck downwards. Except James caught the blade with his bare hand. The sharp edges cut into his skin, but he held on, through gritted teeth, and pushed the blade away, forcing Giovanni to stumble back.

Now the Rocketeers stepped forward hesitantly. "Not, until I've had my revenge on Thomas Valentine." James growledge wiping the blood from his palm with his other hand.

"You had your chance, Jimmy." Giovanni said, and he nodded at the other Rocketeers.

Three men rushed forward and grabbed James.

Like a man gone mad, James roared, backhanded the nearest man to his right, then swept his left leg in a wide arc, knocking another assailant off his feet, and the last man, a large one barreled forward, James spun into a crouch and then leaped up, bringing his knee with him, and smashed it painfully into his groin. Needless to say, he was not going to have children, or speak with a normal voice ever again.

"What's the matter, Mr. Giovanni?" James shouted as two more men desperately lunged forward and grabbed his arms, "You can't deal with me yourself?! Give me the boy! I was the one who was humiliated by him...him and that stupid voltorb of his!"

Giovanni watched, his mouth agape, as James whirled so hard, he brought the two men holding him down, placed a foot on one man's throat, threatening to crush it, and driving his fist down on the chest of the other, even while both men held on to him. "You think you're the only one who suffered?! I suffered too! Let me take care of this psychic, and you'll have your precious reputation intact. Let his death be warning to all people that you don't fight the Rocketeers!"

*CRACK!*

James collapsed to the floor, after Giovanni struck him on the back of the head, the man's vision blurring, until...

~~{(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)}~~

...he was still in Giovanni's personal office, in the penthouse floor of the building. And Giovanni was there, sitting behind his desk, nursing a drink in a shot glass.

None of the other Rocketeers were in sight.

"All right, Jimmy." Giovanni said without even looking in James' direction. "I'll give yous one last chance to clear away with me."

He then turned to look at the man, who was slowly picking himself off the floor, "But you screw up this time, and yous on ice, you got it?"

Rubbing the back of his head gently, James nodded.

"Good." Giovanni leaned back, "You impressed me, boy, defying me like that in front o' the others. Despite what I said, you're still goomba. S'why I'm willin' to reconsider just this once. Don't make me regret it."

"You won't." James said in a low voice, staring back at his boss through hooded eyes, "I want this Tommy Valentine. I'll find him."

Giovanni nodded, steepling his fingers together as he leaned on his desk, "I'm sure you would. You got balls, kid, no doubt about that. But you ain't got it all. It ain't gonna be enough."

"Sir..." James tried to protest lightly.

Giovanni pointed at him, "Despite what you think, Tommy Valentine didn't defy you. He defied me. And for that, he's gotta be put on ice. So I'm not taking any chances. It's time for you to take a partner."

James slammed his palm against the desk, "Tom is mine and mine alone! I don't need no stinkin' partner!"

"I ain't arguin' this with you, kid, you're takin' a partner, and that's that. You want Tommy? Fine, but you're going to have someone to make sure the job gets done right."

The leader of the Rocketeers leaned back and gestured behind James, "Jimmy, meet Jessie."

James whirled around, and watched as a tall woman with blood-red hair coolly sauntered forward, stroking a beige colored feline creature nestled in her arms. The creature had large eyes, a strange coin-like protrusion on its forehead and slightly pronounced fangs. As for the woman, aside from her stunning hair color, was very well formed, with a haughty expression on her face, and dressed in provocative attire. Her short skirt ensured that her ample legs were fully displayed for all to see. James studied her up and down, and he realized she was doing the same to him, with a smirk, as opposed to his perplexed expression.

"Jessie, James. James, Jessie." Giovanni said, gesturing to each of the two as he named them, "You've met. Now, Jessie, you'll be working with Jimmy 'ere. Since you'll be spending a lot of time together, I suggest you make sure he understands what you can do. And Jimmy, remember, this is your last chance. You mess this up..." He used his thumb to draw a line across the throat.

"I look forward to getting to know you." Jessie said, her voice like ice. "I've heard so much about Jimmy Rocket. I'm sure it would be twice as exciting to see the real deal in action."

She continued stroking the cat-like creature in her arms, and it purred contentedly.

"Likewise." James said cautiously. He had heard about Jessie, and she left few to no witnesses alive in her wake wherever she went.

"All right, all that's settled then. Now go, find Tom Valentine, and make sure he's iced. Don't come back until he's deader than dead, you hear me?" Giovanni said.

"Yes, Mr. Giovanni." Jessie turned to the Rocket leader and responded in a sultry tone that differed from how she had just spoken with James.

The two quietly left the room, with James warily watching the woman as they left.

They said that her hair was colored by the blood of her victims.