Title: Mafia AU
Category: Cartoons » Hero: 108
Author: Cahaya Sidur
Language: English, Rating: T
Genre: Romance
Published: 11-18-17
Words: 1533

Disclaimer: I do not own Hero: 108.

AN: For Maahavanhi VI, who requested for something Lin Chung/Lady Green in a mafia AU.

Lady Green sipped her champagne, keeping a careful eye on her target. Her dress swirled around her elegantly as she swayed gently to the music, keeping a smile on her face and appearing as nothing more than another rich and privileged guest of this charity ball. Her job today wasn't as hard it usually was: she was just watching out for a new member that had recently joined her family's ranks.

The man, a despicable fellow who went by the name 'Bearstomp', was supposed to kill the chancellor who was hosting the ball. Right now, Bearstomp was approaching the chancellor with a neutral expression on his face, as his hand clenched and unclenched.

Lady Green let out a disapproving sigh. The twitch was a sign that he was nervous, and the bodyguards the chancellor had with him weren't paid so highly for not noticing things like this. She continued to sip from her glass, watching as Bearstomp got within mere feet of the man. She gently left her champagne glass on the table, and glided to the edge of the dance floor.

Catching sight of a young man who was looking a little too eager, she caught his eye and pretended to glance away. When she turned back, the man was already heading straight to her. He offered her a hand with a nervous smile. "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled at him and accepted the hand, letting him twirl her onto the dance floor. Despite the gentle smile on her face and her nods as she half-listened to what he said, interjecting when appropriate, her attention was fully on Bearstomp. The man was now introducing himself to the chancellor, and his hand rubbed the pin on his collar, a discreet signal that he was about to strike.

Without warning, Bearstomp produced a knife from his pocket and rammed it at the chancellor's face.

If Lady Green had blinked at that moment, she would have missed what happened next.

Something small and sharp went whizzing through the air to strike Bearstomp square in the forehead. The perfectly-formed hole was the only warning before Bearstomp went crashing backward, the bullet's momentum dragging him down.

Lady Green's eyes widened as she quickly pulled herself away with an apologetic grin, quickly slipping through the masses of gowns as the bodyguards quickly started to herd the chancellor away.

She only had one shot.

Approaching the suit of armours around the hall, she walked up to one of them - a specific one with a red crest on its shoulder - and snatched the sword up. She kept it behind her as she approached the chancellor, knowing the secret to getting away with this was acting as if it was all ordinary.

Just as she had raised her hand, ready to throw the sword, there was a shatter of glass from behind her. She turned, eyes wide as the glass fountain was shattered into shards, the shards flying everywhere.

Screams sounded, and a stampede began as everyone tried to push their way outside. Lady Green gritted her teeth as her clear view of the chancellor was disrupted, and dropped the sword to the ground.

As she plastered an appropriately frightened look on her face, she let the crowd sweep her to the entrance.

When she returned home, she was handed a folder. She returned to her room, shutting the door and refusing to have dinner until she had gone through the folder.

A grainy image of the back of someone's head was the picture. If Lady Green squinted and held it at the light just so, she could make out distinct features, like sharp eyes and longer than normal hair.

Lin Chung.

Sharpshooter who belonged to a recently formed mafia group in the neighbourhood, some idiotic group named Big Green. Its origins were unknown, but it had a reputation for existing only from word-of-mouth, and accepting only the best. It was expanding its territories to the edges of the Green family's area, something Lady Green already knew her father would not be happy about.

Sure enough, her father came sweeping into the room less than a minute after she finished reading the file, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry I could not kill the chancellor."

Lord Green rolled his shoulders back. "I do not blame you. No one saw this coming. I do not even know how Big Green managed to learn about this operation."

Lady Green read between the lines immediately. "A spy?"

Lord Green shrugged. "All I am saying is that we have been getting a lot more recruits now. Big Green has also started to become more bold in their attacks."

"But we have been holding them back?"

Lord Green sighed, and the strong man who had built up this fearsome empire looked his age for once. "I can't say we have been. We've lost the fringes of Mount Tima."

"What?" Lady Green shot her father an alarmed look. "Mount Tima?"

Lord Green nodded silently.

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, love. There isn't a lot of things we can do at the moment. I've been talking with other households though, and apparently, Big Green has been taking a large sweep of land expanding from the Citadel."

"What about allying with them?"

Lord Green shot her a sharp look. "Never. I have forged this empire with my blood, sweat and tears. But I am not going to surrender this gang without a fight."

Lady Green nodded, leaning her head on her father's shoulders as she thought back to the ball.

"Hello." A man seamlessly started walking beside her, looking for all the world like he was with her.

Lady Green resisted the urge to plunge her dagger into his side, especially when he offered her his arm. But she gritted her teeth and accepted it, because for some reason, he looked a lot like someone familiar. "I don't think you've introduced yourself."

"My name is Lin Chung."

This had Lady Green tensing and wishing she had taken her father up on his offer of security. She discreetly eyed the man beside her. He had no weapons on him as far as she could see, but there was a dangerously pointed…small cone (?) or something attached to a string around his neck, and it looked like a bullet.

"I see." Lady Green kept her gaze forward. "You were the one who was responsible for Bearstomp's death."

"If you had known what he had done, you would have thanked me." Lin Chung said in a monotone.

Lady Green hummed noncommittally. "So, what have I done to have the famed sharpshooter of Big Green come seek me out? A death wish, perhaps?"

Lin Chung chuckled as he gently led her around a corner. "Actually, we've been learning about you."

"I did not peg you as a stalker."

Another laugh, and Lady Green was disappointed in herself as she felt a tendril of amusement at his easy laughter. "Not me, necessarily."

"I feel reassured." Lady Green deadpanned as she brushed her hand against her skirts, feeling for the comfort of her knife. "So what have I done to interest Big Green?"

"We don't have someone of your expertise." Lin Chung stated bluntly.

Lady Green raised an eyebrow. "A recruitment?" Lin Chung tilted his head in a so-so gesture. Lady Green scoffed. "You can't be serious."

Lin Chung smiled down at her, and Lady Green wanted to curse at how much taller he was at her. She should have worn her heels today. "Well, just to throw it out there. You're not the only one we're interested in."

"Why, doesn't that make me feel special," drawled Lady Green. "And the answer is no, by the way."

"I'm hoping that answer will change soon," said Lin Chung, reaching to a stop outside a bookstore. He smiled at her. "This has been a productive talk."

"I'm sorry?" Lady Green frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Lin Chung handed her something which appeared to be a folded metal piece. "If you ever change your mind."

Lady Green rolled her eyes, not taking it. "Keep dreaming." She had turned away, which was why she was surprised as Lin Chung gently took her hand and uncurled her fingers, curling them around the metal piece.

"You never know." Lin Chung smiled, and there was something in his gaze that interested Lady Green. But she didn't reply, only raising a skeptical eyebrow. Lin Chung gave her a last nod of acknowledgement and entered the bookstore. Lady Green looked down at the card, looking at the scratchy but still decipherable number on it.

When she looked up again, the tiny bookstore appeared empty.

Lady Green frowned, clenching and unclenching her fingers around the metal piece. By all means, she should throw it away. Her father would not be happy at the thought of her interacting with the enemy. But lately, her father's mood swings had become something to fear, and the empire was as unstable as his moods.

She tilted her head and pocketed the metal.

Not that she was thinking about defecting or anything.

Just in case.