Piero Bertinelli was a young man, older than his brother Alfredo by only three years. However, he held in the palm of his hands the keys to the organized crime world and ruled over Gotham City like a young Roman emperor. He had done single handedly what his parents and grandmother had prayed he would never do – taken over his grandfather's illegitimate business in America. His parents had disowned him, pinning all their hopes on Fredo, who ran the legal end of the family businesses. A stark counterpoint to his large and elegant younger brother, Piero was short and rocklike, his dark eyes always moving and calculating, his dark hair even appearing hard. Piero loved when Fredo stopped by the office, because it was always a reminder to him of God's sense of humor. Their outward appearances played right into their roles in life – Fredo tall, good looking in that movie star way, always making speeches, going to stock holders meetings and Piero, short and dark as sin, a devil from hell, who held the power of life and death in his thick hands as easily as Fredo did a spread sheet. Equally suited to their different lives, Piero could appreciate God's sense of humor. Piero looked down at the photograph of his violet eyed daughter and smiled. The two murderers across the desk from him doted on the girl, she called them Uncle Bruno and Uncle Luigi and they brought her candy and clapped when she sang for them in Italian. Today, though, Piero wasn't laughing with God or at Him as Piero often did. He was mad.
"That albino scum Luthor wants me to do his dirty work?" Piero pounded his granite fist on the desk, causing Helena's picture to topple over. "What makes him think I know where these people are?"
"The concern was that if the Doctor needed supplies, you'd be the guy to get them from. Especially if he was lying low." Fredo replied. "And Lex isn't albino, he's Scottish or something."
"I don't care if he's the freaking Queen of England, Fredo. You're here relaying his messages like a freaking messenger. Genius, right?" He laughed, his coarse face creased with bitterness. "Golden boy, and all you're good for is delivering that pansys messages."
"Piero, you know that's not why I'm here." Fredo replied, equally bitter. "I'm a messenger boy alright, but not Lex Luthors. Do what you want with that business. The Old Man sent me."
Bruno and Luigi sat straighter and Piero grimaced at the mention of his grandfather. "What's he want now? The Graysons are dead…waste of women..did you see that Isabella? My God." Piero rolled his eyes. "and that daughter was growing into quite a piece, too. I could have done the husband myself and been fine."
"It's not about that. That stupid vendetta of his is going to kill us all. And now that Ra's Ah Ghul is in on it, it won't be done until we're all dead." Fredo shot a glance at Luigi Osanti, who made a point of ignoring Fredo. "He wants the Grayson boy whacked."
Piero rubbed his eyes. "I told him and I'll tell you. The kid is locked up so tight right now the only way I could get at him would be to make nice with Bruce Wayne." He lifted his hand from his eyes and studied his brother. "You though. You went to school with Bruce Wayne, even what the hell was that you played on the same team with him…"
"Lacrosse, but Piero, I don't know him anymore. I haven't spoken to Bruce Wayne in years." Fredo shook his head. "No. If the kid is safe with Bruce Wayne, then maybe the Old Man has to let it go."
"No...How did Gianni Ludovici get loose, Fredo?' Piero asked, his small eyes canny and wise. "You were the one watching him, right?"
"I was the one that set him up and hired security, if that's what you mean. But he wasn't living in my house." Fredo replied evenly, his handsome face neutral.
"Stupid. I can't even believe how stupid. You cry and moan, "I want a life, I want to get married…" That freaking guy is the key to all of this, Fredo. I can't believe I have to explain this to you, Ivy League, but let's give this a shot. Ludovici is our one common relative with that Grayson kid. We kill the Grayson kid, it's over. By keeping Gianni out of the way, the Old Man made sure that the rest of the Ludovicis are gone first. Then, Gianni cuts a break because he's a Bertinelli. Now he's out. He finds Grayson, then it's us that get hunted." Piero shook his head. "Nice work, genius."
"Dick Grayson is a sixteen year old boy who just lost his parents. They weren't at all connected anymore, except for Tony Grayson's gambling debts. Isabella knew why she was being hunted? I'll bet she didn't, otherwise that kid would have been long gone." Fredo looked over at Luigi. "You tailed them. Did the kids know?"
"Nah." Luigi Osanti replied with a casual shrug. "She was worried that the kids would find out what a louse their father was. That's all." He looked over at Bruno Carmeggi and elbowed him. "That's it, right?"
Bruno Carmeggi nodded silently, and eyed Fredo thoughtfully. Bruno was a slender man, lithe as a shadow, and he played up that catlike quality about himself well. He always wore black, and never spoke until he was sure what he had to say would have the most impact. Like Luigi Osanti, Carmeggi had once been a circus performer, a clown. Carmeggi's European circus career had come to a screeching halt when he murdered his wife and her lover in a hotel in Rome, while in full mime makeup. He'd run right to Palermo and to the protection of the Old Man. Now a skilled assassin, Carmeggi had been listening to the conversation in his own quiet way, and then cleared his throat.
"I wonder, where Gianni would have gone, to feel safe." His English was better than Osanti's, and he spoke with the casual air of a wealthy man on vacation. "He knows about the vendetta. He's scared to death of anyone, and he won't perceive the boy as a threat. It makes me think he'd gone to find him. Which means we have to eliminate both the boy, and the family idiot."
Piero turned, growling. "Don't call him that."
"What else shall I call him, signore? Illegitimate, product of cousins, simply put, he's like a five year old in a fifty year old body. You want to live to see the Princess there grow up? Kill them both."
Fredo and Piero stared at each other while the killer spoke. Fredo cleared his throat.
"You want to kill our uncle, Piero? Go ahead. Send out the wolves. But remember who takes over when Gianni is dead, and what that means to you."
Piero righted the picture of Helena and studied his daughter's perfect face for a long moment. "You're right. We don't want that. Bruno." The slender man drifted out of his seat like smoke. "Find Gianni. Bring him to me. And Luigi. Go visit my doctor friend and find out why he's behind on his payment."
Fredo chuckled. "You have Luthor's target, don't you? You've known where he was the whole time, didn't you?"
"Yeah, my pocket." Piero waved his hand in the air dismissively. He borrowed money from me for equipment. Research, he said." He looked at the older man. "What are you waiting for? Go." Osanti rose with a grunt and lumbered from the room. "Tell Luthor I want to know what this old pointdexter knows that's so valuable. Tell him I want a cut and I want it pdq." Fredo rose, recognizing the end of his visit with his older brother. "And Fredo, tell him I said hi."