I heaved a small sigh of contentment as warm liquid slipped down my throat, the freshly brewed tea doing wonders to both warm me and invigorate me.

It was probably the most relaxing experience I'd had all week. With all of the various responsibilities that I had taken up with the mantle of gang leader, alongside the reforms that I had mandated and thus needed to oversee, there was little time for relaxation of any kind.

Most would hardly call having a simple cup of tea in front of a veritable pile of paperwork the most relaxing thing in the world but right now, I would take what I could get.

It was necessary and more importantly, the constant work that I had been putting in was starting to show results. Though it wasn't exactly flourishing, I had managed to pull the ABB out of the spiral that we had very nearly entered during the events of the last month or so. We were beginning to make money instead of losing it and recruitment had been increasing.

Sure, it was a far cry even from what it had been when I first joined, but it was better than it was before and that was all that mattered.

Still, there was a lot left to do, and I wasn't just talking about in the future. This paperwork I was working through seemed to be going by at a snail's pace. Luckily, my current company also helped take the edge off, if just a bit.

"And how are you handling the recent changes, Hiashi?" I asked the man sitting across from me, "It's not too much on your busy schedule, I hope."

Hiashi shook his head, a soft smile on his face, "No, Yosei-sama, not at all. As a matter of fact, it is quite the contrary."

I raised an eyebrow at his words, surprised by them, "Truly?"

"Indeed." He nodded, "Considering that I was practically doing Kaito's job along with my own job of overseeing our drug trade, the fact that I have now moved into the man's position proper and left behind my previous one has actually made things easier for me overall."

I smiled at his words, "Well then, I'm glad to hear that the transition is going well for you." With a quick flourish of my pen, I placed my signature on the request form issued by Tadao before placing it into the pile with the rest of my completed paperwork. As I grabbed another to begin working on, I smiled wryly, "Now all we have to do is find a replacement for your old seat instead of Kaito's. I have a feeling that will be much easier."

Hiashi didn't say anything in response to my joke, causing me to turn my attention from the paperwork to him instead. I was met with the man's frown as he stared at the paper that I had just begun working on with an odd expression on his face. He then turned to look at the massive stack of papers that I had been slowly working through all morning, and his frown became more severe.

Confused by his sudden change in demeanor, I spoke up. "Hiashi? Is everything all right?"

His face twisted, hesitation overcoming his features, "This may perhaps be out of line but… I can't help but notice that you haven't taken a moment to yourself since you took up the position. Yosei-sama." He said softly, "I understand that your power all but eliminates the need for sleep, but that doesn't mean you should deny your brain the chance to rest."

I blinked, surprised by his words, "Rest? Hiashi, I have no time to rest, there's far too much to do. Though you are doing your far share and I am eternally grateful, the ABB is still far from stable. It will take another week or two at least until things are able to run without the constant need to micromanage things. Once things are stable, then I can rest."

As I spoke, I set aside my current document, a paper on the expected costs of repairing and maintaining the useful buildings that we had acquired from the Merchants. I'd look over it later, when I had more time for it.

Hiashi frowned at me, but I ignored it as I grabbed another sheet from the pending pile and put it in front of me to look over. It was yet another report of a robbery that has taken place in our territory which normally wouldn't be something anyone would dare to bother me with, but the nature of these robberies was some cause for concern.

Namely, the fact that each and every one of them was almost definitely the work of a parahuman.

The perpetrator of these break-ins was clearly not interested in hiding their presence or was simply not worried about it as the evidence of parahuman activity was clear to anyone who had even half a brain. For one, cameras, alarms, and any other electronics that happened to be in the general vicinity of the places that were broken into were rendered completely useless, their internal circuitry fried to the point of being unsalvageable.

Secondly, the point of entry that the thief used was far from subtle, usually coming in the form of a person-sized hole burned into the wall. Stone and steel alike were melted to slag from an extreme heat or simply blasted through, the remnants scattered across whatever shop had been broken into at the time.

There wasn't an active parahuman with the ability to do either of those things within the Bay while also being foolish enough to do it to the ABB. The closest I could think of would be perhaps Circus or maybe Uber and Leet but the former didn't steal from gangs if they could help it and never so overtly, while the latter simply couldn't resist making a spectacle of literally everything they did.

That meant that whoever was responsible for the acts was likely a new player. That meant they warranted far more caution that we would normally employ.

Our current plan was to use a honey pot to try and lure the thief to a specific location and trap them, catching them in the act. Their preferred marks seemed to be things that were somewhat valuable while also being relatively easy to sell or pawn off. Jewelry, phone cases, things of that nature. We would fill a building with these items, advertise it discreetly, and monitor it from afar for the next few months. Hopefully they would take the bait and we would be able to catch them in the act and swoop in to capture them before they could escape.

And once we did, they would be dealt with. One way or another they would learn that thieves were not tolerated within my territory.

Sensing eyes on me, I looked away from the paper to find that Hiashi was once again watching me work with a frown. A small frown came to my own face as I saw this, "Is something the matter?"

"I know what you are doing, Yosei-sama." He said seriously, causing me to raise a brow at his words.

"Is that so?" I asked a bit sarcastically, "Then by all means, Hiashi, enlighten me."

"You're coping with your father's loss by throwing yourself into your work." He said curtly, making me pause, "I've seen it before and have done it myself, and as such I know that it is an unhealthy coping mechanism. Sooner or later, all of the emotions that you have bottled up will return with a vengeance and wreak havoc upon you. You need to take a moment to process what has happened before it comes back to haunt you."

I scowled, but as much as I wanted to refute his words, I knew that I couldn't. By all accounts, what he had said was completely true. Though the monotony of my days had been somewhat broken up by visits from Tammi or even Hiashi himself, I could count on two hands the amount of times I had stepped away from my duties this week that weren't essential functions such as using the bathroom or eating. Work had consumed my life, and I was introspective enough to know what I was doing and also to acknowledge that it wasn't exactly the best way to handle the loss of the one I loved the most.

Unfortunately, poor coping mechanisms weren't the only reason that my life had become this way.

I looked down at my paperwork, "I would love to do that, truly I would. Unfortunately, I don't have time to grieve for my loss with all the work I am doing. The ABB is just now getting back on its feet and there is still far too much to do."

Hiashi's frown deepened, "You are putting the well-being of the gang above yourself and that is admirable, but you of all people should know that an organization is only as strong as its leader is dependable. While you are doing a good job at fixing what has been done, we both know it won't last at this rate."

My gaze rose from my desk, a scowl appearing on my face unbidden, "Of course I know that, do you take me for a fool? Despite what you might think Hiashi, I am not blind to my own flaws, nor am I doing this just because I enjoy suffering!" I said scathingly.

Hiashi was taken aback by my tone and I was as well. I hadn't meant to speak to the man that way, nor had he deserved it. I reached for my cup, taking a sip of my tea to calm myself down and get my thoughts in order before another outburst.

Hiashi watched me with some concern as I leaned back in my chair, my expression becoming solemn, "I apologize, that was uncalled for. Believe me, Hiashi, I would love nothing more than to spend a day or two properly mourning my father but we are at a crucial point in the future of the gang. With him out of the picture, our enemies will doubtlessly believe us weak and seek to capitalize on that fact. Until I am sure of our security, I must continue as I have been."

Hiashi's concern gave way to slight confusion, "Would your actions on the Rig not prove to them that you are just as strong as he was?" He asked, "Surely people have heard of it by now."

"Perhaps some, but I doubt many know about it." I shook my head, "All electronics within my general vicinity were left without power as I fought and that includes any cameras that may have captured my battle with the heroes. Any mentions or leaks of the battle would be word of mouth or from fuzzy images and videos captured by those who happened to be on the docks that night. That doesn't exactly give credibility to my strength to anyone but those who were there for the battle itself."

My face turned serious, "And although it is true that I likely managed to strike fear in the hearts of the heroes, I doubt we will be so lucky with the Empire and that is the crux of our issue. They haven't made any moves yet, at least according to our informants, but it's only a matter of time at this point." I said grimly, "With the Merchants out of the way and the majority of their territory in our hands, the balance of power in the city has shifted in our favor. To someone like Kaiser, that is inexcusable. His pride, as well as that of his subordinates, will not stand the idea of the ABB winning such a victory."

That wasn't even mentioning what would happen when they discovered that Tammi had defected to my side. For the Empire to lose one of their capes was one thing, but to lose them to what was by all means their biggest adversary? There was no doubt in my mind that Kaiser's pride had been dealt a major blow.

And with everything that Tammi had told me about her aunt… Well I wasn't holding much hope that things would be resolved peacefully.

Being the smart man that he was, Hiashi easily heard what was left unsaid, "You believe they will start a war. Try to force us out of the city."

"It's what I would do if I were in Kaiser's position." I agreed, "By all accounts, the Empire is in the perfect position to completely oust the ABB and become the predominant gang in Brockton Bay. They likely see me as a threat now, but one as dangerous as my father was? I am unsure."

Pausing for a moment, I took a long sip of my tea, my throat parched from the conversation. Hiashi took the opportunity to speak. "So what are we going to do?" He asked, his expression serious.

"We'll prepare for the inevitable, of course." I replied simply, "We'll quietly shore up our defenses, take stock of our arms and cash, and get ready for what is almost certainly coming."

Hiashi's face tightened, "I don't think I need to tell you that we can't handle a sustained conflict, Yosei-sama. We simply don't have the resources for it and though it is certainly rising quickly thanks to all you have done, morale is the lowest it has been in a long while. Few would be willing to fight such a war."

I smiled wryly, "Then I suppose it is a good thing that I have no intention of entertaining a war with the Empire. Our preparations will purely be to ensure that once the conflict does begin, we will be properly prepared to defend ourselves until I take care of things."

Hiashi's eyes widened minutely at what I just implied, "Surely you don't believe you can take on the entire Empire by yourself?"

I actually laughed at his words and incredulous expression, shaking my head, "Of course not, Hiashi. My power is spectacular and practically made for fighting multiple parahumans, but I'm not so foolish or arrogant to overlook its flaws. Fighting against the entirety of Kaiser's court alone would be suicide."

"No," My face turned much more serious, "If the Empire does decide that they desire war, then we will swiftly and decisively dissuade them of that notion. We need not deal with the entirety of the gang, just most of its capes and most of all, Kaiser himself. After that, the rest should fall to infighting without a clear leader. And if that fails and we should lose, I can ensure that they are in no position to enjoy their victory."

I wasn't spewing falsehoods either. I completely believed that I currently had the means to completely devastated the Empire should I be unable to stop them in the field. It wouldn't exactly be a victory for the ABB by the strictest definition, but the Empire certainly wouldn't be able to claim the win either.

Though the man had spoken in anger, Takao hadn't been wrong when he claimed that the brothels were a prime source for blackmail. It may have been detestable at best, and I had still every intention of tearing the branch down to its roots the moment things were stable, but I couldn't deny that they had their uses.

It was a known fact among the higher ups that the blackmail we collected from the brothels was the most important facet of the entire operation. Sure, the sales themselves were a nice source of income, but they paled in comparison to the potential sway we could hold over city officials that were unable to keep their lips sealed when given a bit of drink and a warm body to cozy up to.

And it seemed that the executives of Medhall were especially loose-lipped when given sufficient… motivation. As the alcohol flowed and the night wore on, these executives revealed some very interesting information indeed.

Truly, who would have thought that Brockton Bay's preeminent pharmaceutical company was simply a front for its preeminent neo-nazi organization. Should this scandalous information break the news, along with certain names and faces to go with it, some very important people would be put in quite a predicament.

Of course, breaking the Unwritten Rules was a last resort. A rabid animal is most dangerous when it is cornered after all, and the last thing that I desired was for the Empire in its entirety to rampage across my territory, putting my people in harm's way.

That said, if I had to choose between defending those same people against said rampage or surrendering them to the clutches of the racists who would doubtlessly seek to do them harm, then I would choose the former every single time. If the Empire's victory was to be inevitable, then I would ensure that it was pyrrhic in nature.

Though at this stage, there was no guarantee it would come to that at all and I would do my damndest to keep it from doing so.

Hiashi gave me a shrewd glance, "You have a plan."

"The beginnings of one." I said with a nod, "Rest assured, Hiashi, if the Empire does decide to challenge us, it is not a battle they will walk away from intact. One way or another, they will fall."

Hiashi studied me, taking in my confident expression, before nodding slowly, "Very well then. I'll begin preparations on my end. How long would you say we have before actions are taken?"

"No longer than a month or two. Likely less than that." I looked down at my cooling beverage, contemplating, "There are other factors at play in the city. A player that has not made themselves known but is almost certainly there. There is no telling how they may decide to shift things this time."

"Are you referring to the one behind our moles?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yes. Nana has not yet been able to get Takao to tell us what he knows, if he knows anything at all, but what little he has said points to an overarching force acting with their own goals in mind. And until we can figure out who they are and what their goal might be, the security of the ABB will continue to be endangered."

Hiashi's frown returned at my words, "So what you're telling me is that you have no intention of taking a break to properly process your emotions." He accused, "Not with this looming threat."

I sighed. We were back on this?

"I never said that. Though it is certainly a concern, there is no guarantee that this mysterious player will make a move any time soon, this is all merely postulation." His expression didn't change and I suppressed another, heavier sigh, "I promise, once everything is taken care of, you won't see me in this office for a week, save for the most dire of emergencies." I told him somewhat sincerely, "Of course, I expect you to pick up the slack in my absence."

Hiashi wasn't happy at my clear deflection of the topic, but nodded anyway, "Of course I will. It is my job after all. But-

Hiashi went to say something else, but he was interrupted by the buzzing of my phone in my pocket. Thankful for the interruption, I immediately pulled it out, wasting no time in taking the call before he could say anything else, "Yes, what is it?"

I was slightly surprised as Tammi's voice flowed into my ear, not having checked the caller id, "Hey, it's me. Kon and I are at the warehouse and uh, we've got a bit of a situation here."

My brow furrowed, an inkling of worry filling me, "What kind of situation? Do you require backup?"

To my relief, Tammi denied the request with her usual nonchalance, "Nah, nothing like that. It's just not something we're really equipped to handle. The cape that was causing all that fear shit, we met him and now he… wants to meet you?"

I sat up a little straighter in my chair, an intrigued expression crossing my face, "Is that so? Tell me about it."

As Tammi regaled me with her current situation, I could feel my eyebrows creep their way into my hairline at what I was hearing. A Case-53 in my territory? Not only that, but a seemingly friendly one that might possibly want to join the ABB, with the only caveat being that he wanted to speak to me personally? It sounded too good to be true.

As a matter of fact, it sounded like a trap. Has this Spook deliberately been making noise in order to draw me out and simply adjusted his plan when Tammi and Kon showed up instead? Were his intentions truly to join the ABB, or had he simply sad that in order to get to me?

I suppose there was only one way to find out.

I turned my attention back to the phone, "Alright, I need to wrap up here and then I'll be there shortly. While I'm making my way there, sweep the area surrounding the warehouse. You may fly if you need to."

"You think it might be a trap?" She asked seriously

I hummed noncommittally, "Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, I would like to eliminate all possibilities. This is an unknown parahuman who just happened to appear in territory we recently captured. It would be best to take everything that he says with scrutiny."

"Gotcha. We'll keep a lookout. See you soon."

"I'll be there in around ten minutes. Stay safe, Tammi"

Hanging up the phone, I turned to Hiashi who was watching me curiously, "I'm sorry, Hiashi, but I must cut this meeting a bit short." I apologized semi-sincerely to the man as I stood, "It seems that Tammi and Kon have found something rather interesting on their mission that requires my personal attention."

Hiashi stood as well, giving me a nod of acknowledgement though the frown was still there, "Understood, Yosei-sama. If it's alright to you, we can continue this at a later date."

I held back a sigh, instead giving him a polite smile and a nod, "That sounds wonderful. Have a good rest of your day, Hiashi."

"You as well, Yosei-sama. Please remember to get some rest tonight."

…This was going to be a regular thing, wasn't it?