"Come on Connie. You need to join some sort of extra curricular other than Science Honors Society. That just screams nerd," Avani Patel said, shaking her head at her as they walked down the halls of the school together.

Avani had been her best friend since the second grade and she didn't know what she would do without her constant dry humor and bad puns.

"Like the Academic Decathlon team doesn't scream nerd," Connie laughed as they dodged a gaggle of cheerleaders.

"Academic Decathlon team screams successful nerd. Come on. I'm in charge of recruiting more people and Michelle will be annoyed if I don't get any new members after everyone graduated last year. "It's just me and Peter and Michelle and this guy named Nick who doesn't say anything. You have to join. We need your brain."

"But you're smart. You don't need me."

"We need your math and science brain, you're a total genius when it comes to that. And you're fast. Peter is unreliable, he cancelled on us last year and we had no idea where he went, Michelle and I specialize in history and Nick doesn't say anything. We need someone to do math," Avani protested.

"And what if I say no?" Connie asked.

We both know that you never say no. Especially when I ask nicely. I have a couple other people who are going to join. Liling Zhang said she might join, so did that small kid who has the same last name as me."

"The one who your bio teacher thought was your twin last year?"

"Yeah. Nihar who is like five foot nothing," Avani laughed.

"Hey, I'm like five foot nothing," Connie said, poking her friend in the ribs as they walked to the meeting for the Academic Decathlon team.

"No, you're five foot two. That's a whole two inches," Avani pointed out, pushing open the door to a conference room in the very back of the library.

"Hi Avani," Peter waved to her. "Hey Connie. I didn't know you were going to come to the meeting," he said.

"Well I am," Connie smiled as she took a seat next to Avani.

"We know she won't disappear on us at finals," Avani said with a pointed look at Peter.

"I said I was sorry," Peter said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I won't miss it this time. I promise."

"Well this is why it was so important for Connie to come on board. We need her brain," Avani said, prodding the side of Connie's head.

"Exactly. I'm here to save you all from certain doom," Connie said jokingly.

"Hey Connie, wait up!" Peter called after her as she was walking down the hall with Avani.

"I'll catch up with you," Connie told Avani and she waited for Peter to catch up, slowing her step. "What's up Peter?"

"I was wondering if you could help me out with math. Like say if you had any of your old tests somewhere. Because that would be great," he said with a grin. "I may be good at science, but I'm total crap at calculus."

"Actually yeah I do have some I think. You're in Pre Calculus now right?"

"Yeah I am. Can you bring them at the next meeting?" Peter asked, his face brightening at the prospect of not failing.

"That's perfect. If you need any extra help, feel free to ask, I think I have extra practice somewhere. And I should be free after school if you ever need extra help," Connie offered. She was already tutoring someone in chemistry and she had no idea how she would juggle everything. She was taking so many high level classes, she had Science Honors Society and now she had to worry about being on the Decathlon team and she was a drug lord on the rise. The last thing was the most important for her.

She had a huge deal coming soon. She needed to have everything brewed by tomorrow. And she had no idea how she was going to do it. It wasn't like she could just ask Avani to come over and help her make narcotics and her family couldn't help her. They weren't exactly scientifically inclined.

She needed to make more Elysium, it was her most popular after all. She should probably make more Lethe as well. The memory drug was among her more popular brews and she needed a large shipment for next week. Might as well start now. Tartarus too. Unlike the other two that affected the mind, Tartarus was a fast acting poison. It was her most expensive killer. She had several that killed slowly or caused pain, but Tartarus was quick. A stroke and a heart attack combined caused a very fast death, especially coupled with paralysis and organ failure. But it was not nearly as painful as a slow organ failure.

"That would be great," Peter said. "If I need help I'll ask you," he said before dashing off down the hall, narrowly running into a few athletes heading off to their practice.

Connie waved at Peter and ran to catch up with Avani.

"What was that about?" Avani asked her, readjusting her backpack strap over her shoulder.

"Peter wanted my old Pre Calculus tests," Connie shrugged.

"He's desperate. So desperate. Cringe worthy actually. My little sister has more game than that and she sells sugar cookies in the back of the 6th grade cafeteria," Avani laughed.

"You're sister is a bad ass. My brother is a teddy bear," Connie said, shaking her head. "Besides, Peter and I are just friends. We've only known each other for like a week."

"Whatever you say. I'm calling it now. By senior year, you two will either be best friends or you will be in love," Avani said.

"What about Flash?" Connie asked.

"What about him?"

"We're dating. Remember?"

"Yeah, you went out like twice over the summer. It doesn't count," Avani said, rolling her eyes at her. Connie pushed Avani lightly and shook her head.

"Stop meddling in my personal life," Connie said, sticking her tongue out at Avani.

"I'm your best friend. That's my job. Who would meddle if I wasn't there?"

"Whatever. We better hurry before Vinnie kills me for being late. I told him that we would meet him five minutes ago," Connie said, checking her phone for the time.

"Like he'd ever kill you. Metaphorically or otherwise. Vincent Maranzano would rather hang my head on a wall if he got the chance. I'm pretty sure he hates me," Avani said as they exited the school to where Connie's brother was waiting for them.

"He does not hate you. If he hated you, he wouldn't give you a ride to and from school," Connie pointed out as she waved to him. "Come on. Let's go before he drives off without us," she said as she jogged over. Avani followed her over and hopped into the backseat behind Vincent as he sat wordlessly and glared. Though he always seemed to be glaring.

Connie pulled out her phone as it buzzed. Avani made it a point to never speak in front of her brother, especially when they were talking about other people or complaining about people he knew.

AVANI: Are you busy tonight? Wanna have our long planned Arthur marathon?

CONNIE: Yeah I'm busy and there's no way I'm going to have an Arthur marathon

AVANI: Why not?

CONNIE: Because it's stupid

AVANI: It is not stupid it's hilarious

CONNIE: Not really

AVANI: Now you're just being vomitrocious

CONNIE: That's not even a really word

AVANI: Yes it is

AVANI: Adjective. (comparative more vomitrocious, superlative most vomitrocious) (slang) Causing a desire to vomit; disgusting or gross.

CONNIE: Did you just copy that from the internet?

AVANI: Maybe...

AVANI: It's still a good word

AVANI: It's useful in almost all situations

CONNIE: Whatever. Stop being vomitrocious

AVANI: See?! I will sit you down and we will watch it. My sister watches it

CONNIE: Your sister is like 11

AVANI: So?

CONNIE: You're 15

AVANI: Doesn't mean I can't enjoy good tv

AVANI: You're just jealous that you can't enjoy it

CONNIE: Think what you want

"Can you two stop typing away at each other for two minutes, I mean you're sitting three feet away from each other," Vincent said, as he made a turn into Avani's small driveway.

AVANI: Tell him I won't stop texting you

"And so he speaks," Avani said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Text me," she called after her as she hopped out of the car.

"I will!" Connie shouted out the window as they began to back out.

"You can't text her constantly," Vincent said as he adjusted the mirror.

"I can and I will," she said, sending another text just to tease him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you," he said.

"You don't have to know. You're still coming with me tonight right? I have a huge deal and I need an extra set of hands transporting it," she said, confirming that he was still going to take her. She would need the extra muscle.

"We don't have a football game today and practice isn't for another hour so I should be home in time to drive the truck. Is it a big one tonight?"

"Yeah. I'll probably collect about ten million," Connie said casually as she continued to text Avani.

"Dad always knew you were the genius of the family," Vincent said, ruffling her hair.

"Well what's a genius without her sidekick?" she teased, giggling to herself. Her brother was at least twice her size, inheriting her father's strength, while she got the brains. But a lack of actual muscle required her to depend on him and others in this business.

"An unsuccessful genius?" Vincent supplied.

"Exactly," Connie said, smiling at her brother as they pulled up to their own home. It was a tall skyscraper that partially dominated the Manhattan skyline. The building was the base of operations their father worked out of as well as their home. On the outside it looked like a normal office building, the glass paneling reflecting the city and the sun as it made it's way across the sky. Right now it was glistening as the sun began it's slow decent downwards throughout the afternoon.

But on the inside, it was home to some of the dirtiest deeds and people in the world. Their family being one of them. Her family cover was that her father was a very successful businessman and the Maranzano Tower was just the base of their business.

But instead of trade and banking, her father ran a criminal underworld. A crime ring that she and her brother would inherit one day. Most likely, they would run it together, she would be the strategic mind and he would be the one that made sure people listened to them. After all, she was rather unassuming. An entire floor was dedicated just to her lab where she brewed up different drugs she could sell on the black market. The top five floors were their living space with bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and other things. More than they would ever need. And the rest were where her father conducted his business.

Her mother on the other hand wasn't all that involved with the business. She kept their finances on track and just told people she was a housewife.

And that brought them full circle back to Constantia and Vincent. They were in charge of whatever they wanted to be in charge of.

"Out you go Connie," Vincent said as he parked the car in the large garage. "See you at 8," he said as he pulled out again to do whatever it is he did. He was either at some sports practice or doing a job.

"Right. See you at 8," she said as she grabbed her backpack, smoothed her pastel floral printed skirt, and ran up to her lab.

"You know the drill. I'll flash the headlights three times when I see any sign of trouble," Vincent said as Connie opened the door and hopped out, her dark boots landing on the pavement right in front of the docks. It was near pitch black outside, the only source of light were the far off lights of the buildings back towards the heart of the city.

"I got it," she said as she shut the door. She made sure that her hood and her mask were securely in place as she strode back towards the near rotted wood of the pier.

And she waited. She had the meeting set up for nine so she could get there earlier. She did always like to add a dramatic flair. The mercenary her family had taken in had taught her everything she knew about being mysterious and dramatic during deals and missions. She hadn't seen Masque in a long time, but she still valued her lessons.

She heard the wood creak behind her as she looked out over the water. "Took you long enough," she drawled, not looking back, her voice was cruel and foreign. Nothing like how she normally spoke, but there was a time for flowers and pastels and there was a time for cruelty.

"I'm on time. Nine o'clock, just like I said," a rough voice behind her said. She turned sharply and assessed him. He was definitely a hired thug. Or a wannabe crime lord. Either way, he had a lot of money he could spend on her products.

"I was waiting. I don't like to be kept waiting," she said.

"Well I have the money-"

"Good, because if you didn't, I'd have to kill you," she laughed, the sound was hollow.

"Right. Here," he said hesitantly as he tossed a case full of money at her. It clattered at her feet and she nudged it with her foot.

"Here's the deal. In my hand is the key to warehouse three where you will find every drug you ordered, all perfectly concocted and impossible to replicate," Connie said as she held up a small silver key in between the fingers of her gloved hand. "If I find that you are short one cent on your payment, I'll have you hunted down and killed. Slowly. It'll be fun for me, but awful for you," she said, shrugging her shoulders in a 'who knows' manner. "For your sake, I hope you paid me in full," she said as she picked up the case and walked back down the pier to where Vincent was. She tossed the key over her shoulder. "Go wild," she said with a careless wave of her hand.

She could hear him scramble to catch the key before it fell through the planks. Making her way back to the car she allowed herself a smile.

Peter cursed under his breath. He let Persephone get away again. This was the second time he had let that happen and now she was a whole lot richer and that criminal was a whole lot more dangerous. He climbed across the wall as he followed the guy to the warehouse.

Something in her voice had been chilling. Merciless and unfeeling.

And now more than ever he had to track down this crazy woman before she gained anymore power than she already had. He continued to follow the man until he reached warehouse three.

"Sorry to interrupt," he called out as he webbed the man before he could unlock the door. Swiping the key, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. In the middle of the floor there was a small note written on a nice piece of stationary.

In perfect, neat script the message:

I hope this meets your expectations

~Persephone

Peter pocketed the note and looked around him, shelves lined the walls and they were filled with capsules and vials and powders all in various colors with different labels. One of them was labeled Elysium. It was a small marble shaped pill that was a pale purple. Another was labeled Lethe and it was an off-white chalky powder. There were many others that he didn't even want to look at. He grabbed a small unit of each one and then locked the warehouse as he snuck out.

He gripped the key and threw in into the river, hoping that no one ever found it and opened the warehouse. It had to be millions of dollars worth or narcotics in there. He couldn't let anyone else get into it.

It was time he found Persephone.