"Didn't know we had LARPers in the family." Uncle Jared laughs. He always has to find some way to make fun of me. Anna made me promise not to decapitate any of her men. Surely he'd be an exception.

I draw my sword an inch out of its sheath. "Well since I'm a LARPer, I think I just found a dragon to slay."

Anna's eyes are a terrifying inferno as she glares at me. My sword slides back into its sheath. "We already have enough enemies on the outside, we will remain civil here," Anna stated in a voice that brooked no argument, "And that means both of you."

Jared laughs. "Of course we have enemies, we always have, and now that we have a twenty-one year old girl in charge, they'll show us just how weak we look. Hell, how weak we clearly are. They took over eight of our rackets in a single night! You've been in charge for maybe twelve hours and you've already cost us millions! This never would have happened with your father in charge."

Without a word, Anna levels a pistol at his head. I'm not sure if I'm more proud or turned on, but there's definitely a few stirrings going on in my body. "One more word that isn't 'I'm so sorry, Ms. Arlotti, I get really stupid when I haven't had my morning coffee and it'll never happen again,' followed by you kissing my ring, and I'll pull the trigger."

This gains her a derisive snort. "Unlike your girlfriend, you don't have the balls."

"Steam cleaning is going to be such a bitch." She rolls her eyes and pulls the trigger. His brains splatter over the wall and table. As one of the few people who can speak from experience, it's not a pleasant feeling. "Anyone else have anything to say on the subject?" Her eyes and pistol both glance around the room. No takers. "Good. Back to business. The Marcone family took over our bank last night, along with three other businesses - but of course Jared couldn't count - and we're going to send a message. I'd like each of you to assemble a team of your best men and put the fear of god into them. Pete, you'll be taking back the brothel. Elsa, I don't want a single person left alive in our old bank. They're either a member of the Marcone family or they're a traitor, either way get the message across. Tony and Martha, I'll leave what to do with the last two to your discretion. It's all a slight, but they were substantially less important. Gary, Fredo, take some of their territory, I don't care what, just make it quick. They'll see precisely how strong our family is under my leadership." She gestures to each of us as she issues orders. If it was our father, I wouldn't be paying attention, but with her – well, I always listen to her orders.

"Yes, ma'am." I want to ask if she's sure. Just an hour ago she was saying how she wished she could find a peaceful way out of this, but I'm not questioning her in front of everyone else, she shot me enough yesterday. Besides, if this is what she decided, she must think it's what will result in the least loss of life. For her sake, I hope she's right.

"Any questions?"

We all shake our head. Jared is starting to smell and we want out of the room. "Good, then get to it. Pete, a moment?" She gestures to him as everyone leaves.

I stay behind too. Why wouldn't I? She's my girlfriend.

"It's fine, Elsa. Just go take care of it." She sounds almost angry. She doesn't blame me for this, does she? I am the one that put her in charge, but we seemed fine at breakfast. I hesitate for a moment before following after the others. Maybe she'll be feeling better by the time I get back.

I grab the first two idiots I see and we head out. I let Marco drive while Jeremy rides shotgun – literally – so that I can change out of my suit and into my ice armor. By the time we arrive at what was once the Arlotti family's bank, the sheath and holster sit comfortably over my icy plate mail.

While Anna was preparing for the meeting, I had looked over the armor designs from a few of Pop's history books for ideas. This one allowed for a bit more freedom of movement without having to thin out the ice in whatever section of my body I needed to bend. I also changed the face mask into a full helmet, ripped straight from a German design. It made the whole thing look a lot more intimidating, which is certainly the idea when you're trying to send a message via a body count. Hopefully someone runs away so I'll actually have a witness to describe it.

I step out of the car. The thunk of ice on pavement still takes some getting used to. "Come on, boys, we've got some chaos to wreak."

They flank me as I enter the building, shotguns at the ready. I stand unarmed, my left hand resting lightly on the magical sword's hilt. I hope Anna doesn't regret this.

All at once, the heart of every other person in the room is pierced by a shard of ice. I let the other two check the corpses, make sure I didn't miss anyone.

I didn't. This does get so boring sometimes. As we turn to leave, Marco and Jeremy suddenly catch on fire. Oh no.

I swallow the lump in my throat as Notos saunters in. "Been a while, brother," she coos, her voice sounding from somewhere within her flaming head.

"No. No it hasn't. It was yesterday. It's been maybe fourteen hours! I still have burns from the last fight!" This is fucking ridiculous. And she made me sound all flustered. I was gonna go 'Well if it isn't The Girl on Fire,' like she was fucking Katniss Everdeen or something. Whatever, it was a terrible joke anyway.

"Well time flies." She cackles. She actually cackles. "Oh well, time to die."

"Yeah, for you!" I draw my new toy from its sheath. Guess we'll find out if it's as useful as Hera claimed.

She pauses, smoldering eyes running the length of the blade. "Hephaestus? You've been in contact with our family? How is he? I don't think I've talked to him in at least a century."

I really need to get around to doing that research on Greek gods. How did I think to research armor before my own literal god family? "Who?"

"That is his make, isn't it?"

I'm tired of this conversation. I swing at her, hoping to take her head off before she can react.

Of course, the bitch catches it. "What happened to you, brother? Who made you so violent? Killing our siblings wasn't enough? I wanted to have a civilized conversation, but apparently that's just too difficult for you." She plunges a single burning finger into my abdomen, passing right through the armor like it wasn't even there. I can feel her inside of me. Hardly how I like to be fingered.

I kick her knee, bringing her to the ground, and painfully ripping her finger out of me. Her grip on the blade loosened, I pull back for another swing.

She rolls to the side, leaving only smoldering tiles for the sword to hit. I wind up for another swing as she comes at me from the side, her fist a whirlwind of flames.

My own hand, ensconced in ice, manages to catch it. I swing again, but pull back before following with a thrust, my hand still wrapped around hers. She falls for the feint, moving directly into the sword's path.

The flames around the new hole in her hip turn a sickly blue and her eyes widen, the fiery irises enlarge to show a yellow dot of a pupil. Without giving her a moment to process it, I form spikes on the palm of the icy glove, stabbing into her arm as I yank the sword out and stab her again.

Instead of her heart, the blade buries itself in her shoulder. She wrenches free from my grip, my glove having turned to water, and promptly kicks me in the face.

Damn that woman is flexible. She also must have the strength of a linebacker, as I go flying to the far wall, my helmet burying itself in the marble. Fortunately, I managed to keep a hold of the sword, and I point it towards her as I pry myself free.

She looks as scared as a mask of flames can possibly look. Her eyes haven't left the sword, and she hasn't moved. I try to take a step toward her, only for a wall of fire to block the path.

I try slicing the fire away. That doesn't work. Apparently it's not that kind of magical sword. I hurl a ball of ice at it, clearing the way, save for the steam.

Two waves of fire hurdle toward me from either say, each as tall as the ceiling and a good ten feet wide. I throw up my own walls of ice, stopping the flames in their path, and falling for her feint. I react just a second too late as she buries a sliver of fire in my gut. I can feel my insides cooking. I can smell them.

"Brother," she growls. I swipe at her with the sword, only for her to bat it away with another flaming dagger. "I should've killed you yesterday."

"Well why put off to tomorrow –" I retort, my voice strained from pain. Before I can finish the quote, she rips the weapon out of me before plunging it into my chest. Not my heart, not yet. Guess she doesn't learn. This girl is always procrastinating.

"I will do it," she insists. What, is she trying to talk herself into it? Well, if she's looking for a good reason to kill me, I'll give it to her.

I swing again and she blocks, again, but I drop the sword and my hand continues in its path, burying an icicle in her stomach. Let's see how she likes it.

One of my creations tosses my sword back into my hand as I jump back and ready another swing. I charge forward, only for her to be shoved to the floor, and my blade to meet air. "Hi, I'm Olaf!" a voice calls.

The stupid fucking snowman is on top of her. Why now of all times? I meant to make that ice monster that I killed Hans with. I blow out a puff of air and it immediately condenses into mist. Fuck it, I might as well take advantage of the situation while he's got her pinned.

I stand over her, the sword ready to go through her eyes. I plunge it downward, only for her to erupt in a ball of fire. I fall backward, but Olaf is incinerated. The little ice blue eyes in his misshapen face look back at me as he's consumed. I'm actually sad. A frozen tear clinks onto the ground. Stupid fucking snowman, I am not okay with being attached to you!

Before I can try to finish her off again, Notos scrambles to her feet, the burning embers that are her eyes staring defiantly into my own. "You'll pay," she mutters, before turning tail and running away.

What? I chase after her. There's no way I'm going through this a third time. I will end her here and now, before she tries to interrupt my life any more.

Before I can catch her, a javelin of ice flies into my shoulder. What the hell? That's my shtick!

"So you're the lady who's been running around town ruining my good name!" Oh gods, not another one.