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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 23: The Ta(r)ttaglia to my Godfather

P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c

Also Pxtreon: P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin

When it comes to handling a simple business such as mine, there are times where one has to get their hands... dirty.

And I don't mean mud [or lewd bodily fluids].

With the Rite of Descension just around the corner, I have started to notice disturbances of the Pasta KGB kind.

I was a man of mercy, but I could also be ruthless in said mercy as I hadn't been recruiting just builders in my company. The Treasure Horde was as much of a pain in the butt as it could turn in a reasonable group of enforcers when paid handsomely and given the means to actually not be seen as illegal as they tended to. [No, this is not my attempt to create my SS, but rather my Freikorps, its a historical reference obviously but one that only a few will get.]

Now, while the Treasure Horde sucks at fighting, it was mostly for two reasons: a lack of good equipment and a good understanding of where to strike. So, I used them in coordination with a relatively tame spy network I had established within Liyue Harbor with the sole purpose of tracking any movements of Fatui troops.

The moment I saw a sudden increase of Snezhnayan tourists was where I had flashbacks of bad terrorist cases. [No Russian is still a fresh childhood memory after all.]

So, I didn't waste time doing two things: 1) Get a few of their groups cornered, captured, interrogated and smuggled to prison via some secret exchange with Keqing so that she could confirm the information I got and 2) Get Liyue's government involved on the matter as it happened right through a special and secret session of the Liyue Qixing which I had been summoned to attend.

Now, Step 1 was easy peasy as Keqing was instantly worried this may be a dangerous issue for the upcoming event but-

"This matter should be treated not by the Yuheng or by Sir Bukharin," Ningguang manifested the collective thought to that presentation, showing some formal irritation, but genuine curiosity on the matter despite the clear 'disrespect' this overreach represented. "Either I, as the Tianquan, or even better the Tianshu should have taken care of this matter."

The old man known as 'Uncle Tian' didn't nod at this, but seemed to stand by this side of the situation as it was his job as the Intelligence and Security minister to keep track of this stuff.

"I-I understand the distribution of roles but-"

"The matter is indeed one that should be addressed with utmost attention. Now more than before as the Rite of Descent is meant to unfold within tomorrow," The Tianji replied, interjecting Keqing's response but approving of it. "Which is why I would request to see the security at the event tightened to prevent any potential causes of disruption."

"It is a reasonable request and one I will see to implement with the respect of the Tianquan's role on the matter," Uncle Tian commented with a small smile, while Ningguang... had a wider and relief-driven grin on her face.

"It would be acceptable, yes."

There should have been more at this. I didn't need to point this out to see Keqing tense as she wanted to press for more- to involve the Millelith on the matter to prevent any issues with the Fatui but- it was clear that any further action was not going to pass and any attempt to force the topic would just mess our position even more.

"It's unfair," Keqing first said as we walked out of the chamber. "But we can try again with more proof."

"Nothing that we can get swiftly," I confessed, knowing that the Fatui had gotten incredibly tight with their grunts walking around ever since they realized I was putting them through [the 'give me your lunch' treatment] a bit of kidnapping.

Well, unless I got a bit daring... then there was a chance.

"I think I have an idea."

"Good or risky?"

"Yes," I replied to silly Keqing's question, drawing a loud sigh from the plum-haired girl as she contemplated my words.

"How risky?" I could perceive an awful lot of disbelief and concern in that question.

"Fatui Harbinger-kind of risky."

She suddenly squeezed at my arm, forcing me to stop as I turned to look at the girl. I mean, I couldn't blame her- I just told her that I was going to deal with nuclear-tier BS.

That's not exactly something fun to play with. Well, if it had been the kind lesbians I helped a while ago, then it would have been less risky but... it wasn't. It was a guy- and I don't like to stare at man-ass if they were not traps.

"John. That sounds like you're going alone."

"I am. You can't tag along because you would be put through diplomatic hell which is no fun for you, your career and Liyue in general. And I refuse to get Nahida for this job- I will just spy on them, get some notes down and be back on time to ruin their reputation."

...

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again as she looked around and then leaned close for a quick peck on my nose.

"Nothing else?"

I nodded. "Nothing else."

That seemed to be comforting enough for her as she smiled in relief and allowed us to resume our walk out of the building...

Unaware that a pair of magenta eyes were aimed at us, the girl owning this pair of gems awed and intrigued by the interesting relationship that she caught in action... before remembering that there was a lot of paperwork to deal with.

Being the General Secretary of the Qixing can be quite intense after all and those moments were sure enough to make her solo time somewhat spicier than usual.

You know what they say... the cake is a lie.

In this case, the notion that no one was keeping track of me was equally a lie. The issue itself being the one that was keeping watch of my steps was not a mere grunt or even a common officer of the Fatui force. When I made my way to the meeting's location in the Dunyu Ruins, I managed to find a nice perch to keep track of the Fatui presence as I waited for the Harbinger to arrive.

The issue was that the harbinger was already there... just behind me rather than doing his fucking job. A distorted chuckle was the only warning I got as I mustered the bonking club and barely stopped an attack from behind. What I was met with was a masked individual with orange hair. The Mask had a carved smile on it.

"So, you are the one that our Tsaritsa has been looking for. The one that she wants the most?"

I pushed the bastard away, taking a moment to study Rosso Malpelo himself. "And I suppose you are Tortellini."

"Tartaglia!" He snapped, almost irked. "How come there are so many people that make that mistake!? Actually, how come most of them are from Snezhnaya when you are not...?"

"Why the hell should I know, Tartina?"

"I said it's TARTAGLIA!" He rushed back to try to hit me with his bow-turned-melee weapon. I blocked it again, but this clash felt... draining.

Something about the electricity crackling within his attack felt unusual, enough that my own mind was screeching to a halt as I felt my strength faltering and my brain... going black. That's when I noticed that the purple energy trickling around my aching limbs was not the same used by Tartaglia- it was cleaner, purer and... mine.

I just remember the intensity of that power increasing within our bodies as the crash ultimately yielded a powerful electric impulse. It was so sudden that I barely felt my brain working as I was flung in the opposite direction of the harbinger's own unplanned flight.

I then remember falling, suffering through the roll-down to the mountain's feet and... then crashing into some unstable floor that led to an underground river. I was one with the pain, groaning as I barely floated on the water while being numbly carried down to the end of it.

I closed my eyes and... I felt something was-

Vision 3 'Dying Smile'

"So, you are a student to the Cryo Archon? How does that work?"

It was slightly late in the night and close to the morning, with Lumine already asleep and hugging to death my poor pillow while I entertained a conversation with A-.

The young woman with white hair and a shy look had been rather helpful in getting us looked after by the Snezhnayan group there, with many still looking for where the Cryo Archon went as she delved deeper into the dark mists of the Disaster.

A- had been left in charge of the rear camp, well away from the source of danger that was causing the world to go fucky and cubical.

"It... works that I am studying under the Tsaritsa. She is a good teacher, very kind- she is the God of Love after all and she keeps us warmly in her strong heart."

"You sound like you care a fair bit for her."

"Well, she is... please, promise me to tell this to no one."

I shrugged. "I will not. Plus, I doubt anyone would think I am telling the truth."

Her lips twitched but- "She is my mom. The Cryo Archon is my mother."

I showed quite the surprised lok, enough to draw a smile from Vision 3 A- to.

"That's so cool! Tell me more- I can tell that you have a lot of fun stories to bring up."

It would be one of the rare ones I would get the chance to see through the next few years as the nervous but kind girl that I met her would soon experience a mighty loss.

One that I myself couldn't help at times but feel-

Wrong about this.

As consciousness abandoned me, my slumbering body would then be fished out of the river as it reached out of the underground and into the path of a young hermit that saw these lands as her meditation ground. A flat look on her face, but curious eyes carried her to approach and then help as she brought me to the ground, setting a fire and preparing some food while tending for any injury she could find on my body.

My now very-human body.

AN

Unexpected circumstances! Shocking events- and some developments as we may have the rare and yet very appreciated case of... early Shenhe's appearance!