Marvel: Impregnation System

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Father Cleans Up After The Son

"WHERE IS MY SON!" Lucky roared at the weary Abraham, whose legs trembled under the weight of Father Sebastian still slumped over his back.

"I'm sorry, Lucky I-"

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

*CLICK*

The ominous click of guns echoed around Abraham, their barrels trained on him and Father Sebastian.

The Luciano men, who once regarded him with complete reverence, now stared at him with cold disdain.

"I didn't ask for an apology, Abraham." Lucky lifted his gaze, his fury palpable in the icy stare that pierced through Abraham, chilling him to the core.

"You promised me you'd keep my son safe, and now you have the balls to look me in the eye and SAY WHAT, YOU'RE SORRY!" Lucky screamed at Abraham, his breath hastening as his worry for Ricky convulsed into a scornful hatred for Abraham.

"You lied to my face, Abraham and we don't tolerate lies in these parts." Lucky huffed in anger and heartache, his tone quenched momentarily by the bloodthirst now brewing within the core of his being.

The methods Lucky envisioned to torture Abraham were so vile, so unspeakably gruesome, that even the briefest glimpse into his thoughts would make a passing soul cry out in terror, forever tainting any pure heart that dared to listen.

Abraham, overwhelmed by guilt, closed his eyes. He had no words to defend himself, no excuses to offer.

In the presence of such imminent danger, all he could do was shrink back, his instincts screaming for him to flee.

*BOOM*

Just as the entrance began to close, five figures suddenly burst through, kicking up a thick cloud of dust in their wake.

"RICKY!" Lucky yelled out as the dust settled, revealing Ricky and the four others, shoving Abraham aside and rushing toward his son.

"I f*cked up-'' Ricky tried to apologize in his own way, blood seeping from the ends of his mouth as Lucky ran up to him.

"No, no you didn't, you did what I asked of you." Lucky pulled Ricky off Chores' shoulder and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"I got him pops, I got that bastard." Ricky whispered out, Lucky's eyes shrinking until the next words snapped him out of his worry.

"You got to move now, their backer is dead and they don't even know." Ricky huffed out, Lucky surprised that Ricky could even think about the family right now when he was in this condition.

However, Lucky's face slowly hardened into an icy demeanor as he grappled with the guilt of leaving Ricky alone to endure this.

"Frank!" Lucky called out to Frank, who hurried over, his face contorting in a grimace at the sight of Ricky, bloodied and battered.

"Go get me an ambulance and watch over Slick." Lucky's tone showed no objection, though Frank felt a slight wave of gratitude.

He understood that he had been chosen for this task precisely because of the guilt he felt whenever he was away from Eddy.

"Wait, before I go." Ricky pushed himself away from Lucky, stumbling toward Abraham, who had risen to his feet with a look of deep guilt.

"Listen kid-"

*BAM*

Ricky didn't wait for Abraham to finish his sentence; his knuckles drove into Abraham's jaw with a fierce, explosive impact.

*Thump*

Abraham's head jerked to the side, his eyes rolling back as he crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold while Ricky stood over him, his expression weary and resigned.

"That's for leaving me to take care of your mess." Ricky pointed his middle finger at Abraham, a final, defiant gesture, while Lucky smirked briefly before rushing forward as he noticed Ricky starting to collapse.

"Frank." Lucky handed Ricky over to Frank, watching silently as his father walked to the center of the family gathering.

With every step Lucky took toward the heart of the Luciano Family, his fatherly demeanor seemed to shed away, revealing a steel-clad expression that spoke of a role forged not from luck but from unwavering resolve.

"Today is the day boys, today is the day!" Lucky roared, his voice echoing with fierce determination.

"But don't get it twisted, this aint' business, this ain't something we're merely doing to fill our greed, but to avenge our brothers!" Lucky gripped his fist tightly, channeling the moral weight of his actions and the gravity of the moment.

"We are avenging our friends, our cousins, and our brothers who were taken by the hands of the jewish mob!" Lucky yelled, cheers spiraling out from his men as he raised his gun high into the air.

"Today, we wipe the Jewish mob off the map for good and make them pay for every slight, every insult, and every ounce of trouble they've caused us." Lucky's words gradually eroded the fear within his men, transforming it into a pure, unyielding hatred and bloodthirst that rivaled his own.

"This is our moment to show them that there is no mercy, no retreat, and no forgiveness. We're going to send a message so clear and so brutal that they'll remember it for generations. Stand tall, hold your heads high, and let's show them what it means to cross the Luciano family. Now, let's get this done!"

The entire Luciano family raised their guns in a unified, bloodthirsty cheer, the air thick with their savage excitement.

Then Ricky's eyes shut, setting off a domino effect that would eventually cause all of Manhattan to fall under Luciano's domain.

While Ricky slept peacefully, Manhattan did not.

Gunshots rang out throughout the Jewish mobs' territory, and bullets littered the streets as the area was transformed into a complete warzone, with even the eager Dewey, the man dead set on taking Lucky down, staying far away from the chaos.

Jewish gangsters were mercilessly slaughtered under Lucky's bloodthirst, and anyone who stood with them met a similar, brutal end.

Blood stained Manhattan's streets as the criminal underworld began to shift irrevocably towards the dominance of the Luciano family.

However, this victory came with its own toll.

The sudden attack and the loss of key figures within the Jewish mob left a significant void, though not as extensive as the devastation wrought upon the Five Points gang.

Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Luciano family's numbers surged in contrast to the diminished Jewish mob, thanks to Lucky's recent recruitment drive.

At the main hideout of the Jewish mob, the scene was one of unrelenting carnage as bodies piled up in grotesque heaps, a grim testament to the travesty that Lucky had inflicted upon them.

"P-Please." Pep pleaded from a seated chair, his voice trembling with desperation.

His closest comrades had been torn apart in excruciating ways, and he was forced to watch the horrific spectacle unfold before him.

Pep was sobbing uncontrollably, his tears mingling with his despair all the while Lucky stood nearby.

His expression impassive and unreadable, casually sipping from a glass of wine as he observed the scene with cold detachment.

"Hey Meyer, what did Pep say to you when you came here for peace?" Lucky asked, swirling the wine in his hand with a casual air, as Meyer meticulously cleaned his hands beside the torture equipment.

"He asked if I 'knew the power he held'." Meyer informed Lucky of the situation, prompting Lucky to down the last of the wine in his glass before tossing it aside with a decisive clink.

"Do you know where you went wrong, Pep?" Lucky asked, waltzing over to him before looking down at the sniffling shell of a man.

"You thought of borrowed power as your own, when in reality, you were nothing but a simple small man having the strings above him tugged to another whims." Lucky then gripped Pep's collar, yanking him forward as the man flinched in fear.

"But you messed up Pep, you came for my family, and I can't allow you to walk out of here without being in twelve separate containers." Lucky's eyes were livid, his anger unable to be clenched by simply shooting him.

"Take him apart, and Meyer, do it slowly." Lucky walked out of the fallen headquarters, his dress shoes clacking sharply against the floor, he issued an irrefutable order to Meyer.

With a heavy heart that was already burdened by killing many of his childhood friends, he grabbed a carving knife and turned toward Pep.

This was Lucky's way of making a clear choice between loyalty and faith, as he had made it evident that one had to be sacrificed.

Meyer had made his choice, and it was clear which side he had aligned himself with.

"M-Meyer, you know me! We go way back!" Pep attempted to back away but slipped on a pool of blood, his efforts to retreat thwarted as Meyer shook his head, a mix of pity and resignation in his expression.

"You made your bed Pep, now you got to sleep in it, and now I've come for you head." Meyer approached with deliberate steps, raising the knife. Pep, his fear palpable, held up his hand in a desperate, futile gesture of surrender.

"Meyer wa-AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Meanwhile in the far reaches of Transylvania,

Perched atop a rugged cliff, a castle is a grand and imposing structure overlooking the surrounding countryside.

Its exterior is a blend of Gothic and medieval architecture, with towering spires, crenelated walls, and forbidding stone battlements.

Inside, the castle is a maze of dimly lit corridors, vaulted ceilings, and shadowy chambers.

The walls are adorned with ancient tapestries depicting scenes of battle and conquest, while suits of armor stand guard in alcoves along the passageways.

The main hall is a vast, echoing chamber, dominated by a massive stone fireplace and long, tall, arched windows let in scant rays of light, casting eerie shadows across the room.

A throne, built to hold a giant, had a small figure adorning it, his eyes slowly raising open to reveal his blood red pupil.

This mighty and terrifying figure, the very same that has left numerous tragedy after numerous tragedy in the shadows of human history, was the figure known to all but directly to some as Dracula.

*Crack*

Dracula's rage surged, unable to even contain the anger after feeling his connection with his son Xarus snap knowing that he had left this world.

However it wasn't sadness, but disgust at the mere thought that his own blood, his legacy, actually fell at the hands of a being that he assumed to be beneath him, since all were beneath him.

"This debt shall not go unpaid."

Next Day,

*BAM*

"Lucky, do you want to start a war!" Gambino slammed his fist on the table in frustration, while Lucky remained calm, leisurely sipping his wine.

"I don't know what you;re-" Lucky played the fool, taunting the little man before him in his own way.

*CRASH*

"DON'T BULLSH*T ME LUCKY, WHY HAVEN'T YOU MOVED YOUR MEN FROM OUR TERRITORY" Carlo screeched, pointing furiously at Lucky as the table, thrown aside in a fit of rage, left Lucky without a place to set his cup.

"My territory." Lucky corrected the situation with a composed tone, while Carlo looked on, baffled and struggling to process the calm in the midst of his fury.

"What are you on Lucky-"

"It's my territory now, I cleaned up the jewish mob all on my own, so I will be reaping the benefits." Lucky informed Carlo who scoffed at these words.

"You can't do that-"

"OH, I CAN'T!" Lucky stood up abruptly, causing Carlo to flinch and take a few steps back, startled by the sudden intensity of his outburst.

"WHEN I CAME TO YOU, MAN TO MAN, YOU LOOKED ME RIGHT IN THE EYE AND TOLD ME GO F*CK MYSELF CARLO!" Lucky yelled, and Carlo's neck instinctively shrank, his eyes wide with shock as he had never witnessed Lucky raise his voice before, and the unexpected outburst left him visibly shaken.

"This was between the Luciano family and the jewish mob, the Magano family chose to simply watch. So in the end, they can watch as I absorb the entirety of the Jewish mob territory and assets." Lucky turned away, and Carlo immediately began to panic, his composure unraveling as he struggled to regain control.

"Y-You can't-"

"You think I don't know you went behind Vinny's back to meet me here in the first place?" Lucky paused, casting a sharp side-eye at Carlo, who went pale under the weight of his gaze.

"Oh Carlo, I knew from the start that you met me without permission, however, I wanted to hear you speak on 'behalf' of Vinny so I could move in with relative ease." Lucky scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips as he revealed that he had manipulated Carlo's own hatred against him.

With that, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving Carlo to grapple with the realization.

"And one more thing." Lucky paused at the door and turned to face a completely defeated Carlo, his gaze steady and unyielding.

"I heard a birdy tell me that Vinny's gonna have a real long talk with you." Lucky snickered as he watched Carlo collapse to the floor, landing on his ass in a pitiful display of defeat, before stepping out the door.

Meanwhile at the hospital,

"No wonder you haven't left." Ricky laughed, enjoying his pudding as he gestured toward his side, where Eddy stood wide awake, though lost in thought as he stared out the window.

Eddy's hollow eyes reflected the birds flying freely in the sky, their carefree movements a stark contrast to the turmoil around him.

"Beautiful dolls dressed up as nurses and free pudding, Eddy this is heaven." Ricky boasted with a wide grin.

"....."

However, Eddy only continued to stare lifelessly out the window, the smile on Ricky's face stagnating before he turned his attention to his pudding.

In truth, Ricky was only staying in this room to cheer up Eddy.

When Eddy was hospitalized, he gained consciousness, but upon waking up, he was just different.

Eddy felt it almost immediately, the complete lack of function in his legs and despite efforts from Frank, the doctors, and Ricky to get him to talk.

Eddy remained stubbornly silent, keeping his mouth shut and his hollow eyes glued towards the window.

*Knock*

*Knock*

"Aye Slick, it's me." Lucky opened the door and Ricky smiled while finishing the cup of pudding.

"Can we talk for a second?" Lucky walked in as Ricky turned to the left to see Eddy not even paying attention though when he turned back, Lucky gestured him outside as Ricky nodded.

"Sure."

15 minutes later,

*Sigh*

"I should've known you'd pull something like that." Lucky let out a defeated sigh, pushing Ricky in a wheelchair as the latter had a smug smile.

"What? I was really hurt back there-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get the spiel, save it for the suckers alright." Lucky rolled his eyes, prompting Ricky to chuckle and with a smirk, Lucky then wheeled him over to a nearby bench.

"Do you ever wonder why I call you Slick instead of Ricky?" Lucky suddenly asked, causing Ricky to raise an eyebrow in curiosity before shrugging nonchalantly.

"Isn't it because you gave me the name?" Ricky asked, leaning over the side of his chair to watch as Lucky adjusted his suit before taking a seat.

"It's because I respect you. I respect what you did at such a young age like any mobster in the family." Lucky honestly replied only for Ricky to have a weird inkling.

'Are we about to have a heart to heart-'

"But I-........I haven't been respecting you like I should." Lucky leaned forward, causing Ricky to recoil with a puzzled expression.

"When I was little my pops, your grandpa, was too proud to ask for money when starting up his gang back in the day, so instead my ma was given money in secret by her cousin, Rotolo." Lucky leaned back, his gaze shifting upwards as he stared into the sky.

"I never understood why my father was so stubborn and it always ate me up when I was a youngster, that is, until I adopted you." Lucky glanced over at Ricky, who seemed uneasy and unaccustomed to the situation.

"Oh will you stop acting like a sissy and humor me for a second." Lucky noticed Ricky's expression and, in response, contorted his face into an ugly grimace with Ricky, feeling the weight of the moment, surrendered with a resigned sigh.

*Ahem*

"When I first dragged you into my own mess, I didn't want a kid like you following my footsteps without guidance since I just saw too much of myself in you." Lucky sighed as to this day, he still blames himself for giving Ricky this life.

"It's why when I saw you covered in those rotten bastard's blood did I realize that I'd become my father, but I wanted to be better than him." Lucky turned his entire body toward Ricky, slicking his hair back with a decisive motion.

"But I didn't realize I was becoming like my father until we had that fight over the Jewish mob," Lucky said, his tone heavy with reflection.

"It was then that I understood why he was so stubborn back then, because he didn't want to involve the people he cared about and risk hurting them." Lucky sighed heavily, feeling the irony of wanting to be nothing like his father by becoming exactly like him.

"I don't want to be too prideful and too stubborn like my father, I know I'm hard on ya but that's only because I really love ya kid." Lucky spoke words he would say to Ricky only once in his life, his own expression reflecting surprise at the gravity of the moment.

"And although I've said that you'd be part of the gang, you were right, I've been purposely keeping you at an arm's length with the inner workings of the gang but after that entire fiasco, I want to do right by you and start teaching you the ropes, for real this time." Lucky finally got to the point, and Ricky nodded slightly, acknowledging the weight of Lucky's revelation.

It was true that Ricky had noticed how Lucky kept him at a distance from the Luciano family, only involving him in their affairs when it was absolutely necessary.

This behavior stemmed from Lucky's struggle to let go of the image of Ricky as a child, a sentiment many parents feel when they see their children growing up too quickly.

"But if I'm being honest with you, from now on, you got to meet me halfway." Lucky placed a hand on the wheelchair and squeezed.

"That was too close Ricky, when you fell into my arms covered in your own blood, my heart sank." Lucky thumped his heart, a gesture of deep emotion, while Ricky looked away for a moment, grappling with the weight of the conversation.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything that went down that day." Ricky spoke, and Lucky listened intently, his focus unwavering.

Ricky detailed everything, starting from the moment he first met Abraham, through the events leading up to the confrontation with Xarus, and culminating in his ultimate defeat.

"Wow." Lucky shook his head in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Despite the incredulity of Ricky's story, Lucky found himself believing it as the supernatural didn't seem so far-fetched, especially not after witnessing Ricky's powers firsthand.

"And what about that pendant?" Lucky asked Ricky for more details, but Ricky waved his hand dismissively, indicating he wasn't ready to discuss the personal storage.

"Don't worry, I've hid it in a place that not even a bomb could get into." Ricky assured Lucky with a reassuring nod, then took another deep breath, preparing for what was to come next.

"So, what do we do now?" Ricky asked, uncertain about the next steps, but Lucky waved his hand dismissively, signaling that he had it under control.

"We're going to get a favor from that Father Sebastion." Lucky said with a menacing smile, and Ricky's eyes widened in response, filled with both surprise and apprehension.

"Don't tell me you got him confined-"

"Are you crazy? Of course not." Lucky waved his hand since although Father Sebasiton was a part of it, he was still a part of the church.

"But Abraham on the other hand." Lucky eluded to the fact, making RIcky let out a burst of explosive laughter.

"So is that why you came to me and asked? Because Abraham wasn't giving you squat?" Ricky asked for clarification, but Lucky surprisingly shook his head.

"If I wanted to hear him talk, then I wouldn't have put a gag over his mouth while I beat the living sh*t out of him." Lucky laughed in a twisted, unsettling manner, and Ricky, caught up in the moment, joined in with a chuckle.

"So, are we going to wait for father Sebastian to come to one of us or?" Ricky asked as Lucky smirked as he stood up.

"Not me kid, but you." Lucky then walked away, leaving Ricky to look around in surprise as he saw Lucky had locked his chair in place before breaking it with a decisive motion.

"Wait, where are you going-"

"I got to go get things ready for when you start settling into Luciano family matters." Lucky laughed, realizing Ricky was in a completely compromised position.

Despite being in a wheelchair, Ricky was still in his medical garment, and stark naked underneath as this vulnerability was precisely why Lucky had taken him all the way here.

"Dammit pops, POPS!"

45 minutes later,

*Whistle Sounds*

"Can it!" Ricky yelled in frustration as he heard someone catcall him while walking back into his room, only to find Father Sebastion standing next to Eddy, who was in tears.

"Father, why did god do this to me?" Eddy wept in Father Sebastian's arms, while Ricky stood frozen, his shock and helplessness evident in his stillness.

"Child, god has a plan for us all and you'll soon know your role." Father Sebastian smiled widely as Ricky's collar was suddenly yanked back out the door, pulling him away from the scene.

"What the-"

"Slick I don't ever ask for much, but give Eddy his moment with Father Sebastian, please I'm begging ya." Frank, although aggressive in his approach, had a pleading expression as Ricky sighed.

"Can you atleast give me some pants?"

1 hour later,

"I apologize for making you wait child." Father Sebastion opened the door and glanced at Ricky, who was now wearing pants but shamelessly reading a nudy magazine.

Father Sebastion froze, his expression turning to a frown as he made a cross gesture on his chest.

"Oh father, this is uhhhhhh-....a sports magazine?" Ricky honestly didn't have anything on the fly and Father Sebastion shook his head.

"Child I must ask first, forgive my worry, but the amulet?" Father Sebastion needed to know first and foremost as Ricky nodded.

"Destroyed." Ricky lied since it was sitting patiently in his vault for a rainy day.

"Phew~" Father Sebastian let out a relieved sigh, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart, and he didn't think to question Ricky's abrupt departure.

"May we converse for a second?" Father Sebastian then asked Ricky a question, prompting Ricky to sigh before nodding his head in agreement.

Instead of leading him outside, Father Sebastian guided him to the church inside the hospital, where they took a seat in the front row, overlooking the cross.

"Such a noble sole Jesus was-"

"Alright let's just cut to the chase, you came here because you feel guilty about leaving me there to die all alone with your problem." Ricky stopped Father Sebastian, making it clear he didn't want to hear any spiel about God or Jesus.

"Child, I would never-" Father Sebastion was appalled until Ricky snapped his fingers.

*Snap*

*Snap*

"Oh you're right, I mean Abraham." Ricky snapped his fingers, patting Father Sebastian on the shoulder in a gesture of forgiveness.

However, his face betrayed him, clearly still tinged with resentment.

"You know he looked me dead in the eyes, just after I just saved you both, and said he was sorry before leaving me with the son of f*cking Dracula." Ricky didn't hold back his distaste, making his feelings clear, while Father Sebastian closed his eyes, bracing himself for the confrontation.

"Abraham can be rough around the edges-"

"Rough? FATHER, HE LEFT ME TO DIE!" Ricky stood up and yelled in frustration, the fact that Father Sebastian kept avoiding the topic pushing him to the brink.

"I know, child." Father Sevastion lowered his head, unable to meet Ricky's gaze, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him like a heavy burden.

Despite Ricky being a clear fraud, Father Sebastion still believed him to be a child sent by God to help the Vatican.

The problem he now faced was that Abraham might have already burned the bridge between them before it even had a chance to form.

"I know you have ill will towards me and that is understandable, but please do not blame the church and I ask you to not think any less of God for the actions of Abraham." Father Sebastian spoke with a tone of apology, his words heavy with regret.

Ricky sighed, knowing that even if he wanted nothing to do with the church, it would always be a part of his life as long as he remained within the Luciano family.

However, Lucky had drilled into Ricky the importance of squeezing every last cent out of anyone who owed him, and Ricky intended to get his full worth out of this holy man.

"To be honest Father, when I originally saw that cross necklace stranded on the ground, I thought nothing of it." Ricky suddenly started bullsh*ting as Father Sebastion focused intently on his words.

"However when I picked it up, I felt that warm feeling I received whenever I stepped foot into my family's chapel. Yet now when I'm here, my heart grows cold." Ricky didn't even know where he was going with this but nevertheless continued.

"Honestly, I really don't know what to think about the church after all of this, that very same church which I used to hold most dear now seems so distant." Ricky drove the point home as he stood, walking around the room with deliberate steps, before pausing to dramatically touch the large cross before them.

"What can I do to make it right?" Father Sebastion spoke, making Ricky turn away to hide his enormous grin before reigning it in, and finally turning around.

"Do you know what they call people like me?" Ricky asked Father Sebastion, who raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean-"

"A freak."

*Dink*

Father Sebastian reached out toward Ricky, but his hand stopped short, meeting an invisible barrier as it reminded him of the protective shield he had seen Ricky conjure earlier.

"Your power?" Father Sebastian understood and quietly asked his question and Ricky responded with a nod, letting down the barrier as he did so.

"They call us things like devils, mutants, and everything in between." Ricky finally arrived at the point that Lucky had indirectly alluded to earlier.

Lucky had addressed this issue before, knowing that people who couldn't understand his powers might attribute them to the devil.

However, with this opportunity now presenting itself, he knew that Ricky had to take advantage of it to establish ties with the church.

"Are there more chosen people like yourself? Is this true?" Father Sebastian, surprisingly, asked while inherently assuming they were all chosen by God.

Father Sebastion had spent his whole life within the church, learning of its doctrines and how faith can be used to hold great power.

However, the priest was very ignorant to matters outside the supernatural world and yet, once again, Ricky chose not to clear up this misunderstanding.

"There are in fact, that big guy you met earlier along with that talking dog are both people with powers like mine." Ricky informed Father Sebastion who looked shocked.

"I see." Father Sebastion started pacing back and forth with great contemplation.

Father Sebastian's misunderstanding had spiraled out of control ever since he received that holy necklace, and it had only grown stronger with time.

"I must take this to the inner circle of the Vatican." Father Sebastion needed to inquire with the others of the Vatican however even if it was just this, it was enough for Ricky who smiled.

"However, even still, those disgraceful actions of Abraham should not be overlooked." Father Sebastion didn't shy away from his responsibility as he reached in his cloak and Ricky's eyes widened.

"Father-"

"No child, you more than earned this token." Father Sebastion handed that jewel embedded cross to Ricky who showed a disbelieving smile.

Although Ricky had wanted the cross, he had thought it would take some negotiation on his part and yet, here it was in his hand, practically obtained for nothing.

"With this, wherever you go, you are a friend of the Vatican." Father Sebastion still wanted to repair the damage that might have been done to his image of the church and although it was going over the top, he believed Ricky was worth it.

"But child, for people who walk down the righteous path of heartache, we must not only be strong but also must learn to forgive." Father Sebastion walked forward, placing a hand on his shoulder as Ricky sighed but nodded his head.

"Fine, I'll tell my pops to let go of Abraham but if you expect him to be-"

"Trust me, from knowing Abraham even the angel above wouldn't be against him getting beaten up every now and again." Father Sebastion joked and Ricky became surprised but started laughing.

"But let's keep this between you, me, and the lord above." Father Sebastion chuckled, winking at Ricky while walking towards the door as Ricky continued to laugh.

"See ya later Father." Ricky waved as Father Sebastion side-eyed him with a smile.

"I shall see you later, Ricky Luciano."

Ricky watched as Father Sebastian walked away, his footsteps echoing in the silence before he arrived back at the door of his room and turned to Frank, and ordered him to release Abraham.

Initially weirded out by the request, Frank's attention was grabbed by the necklace, prompting him to rush off to inform Lucky, leaving Ricky standing at the foot of the door.

Glancing through the window, Ricky saw Eddy's hollow eyes gazing out, but as he moved to push through the door, he hesitated.

*Sigh*

"Dammit." Ricky retracted his hand since although he cared for Eddy, he honestly didn't know what to do which caused his instinct to back away to form.

"Ricky!" A sudden shout sounded on the side as Ricky turned to see a crying Maria.

"Maria-" Ricky asked in confusion until she jumped into his arms while taking him into a kiss.

"When I said I needed space, I didn't mean for you to wind up in the hospital." Maria worriedly broke the kiss as she caressed his sharp jawline.

"Ah, your touch made all the pain go away~" Ricky joked, taking Maria's hand and kissing her palm as she laughed in between her tears before hugging him.

"So are you still mad at me?" Ricky whispered soothingly as Maria sank into his embrace, burying her tear-streaked face against his chest as her mascara ran, staining his shirt, and sought comfort in his arms.

"I'm just-...so much is-....and your always-" Maria tried to say what was on her mind yet the words didn't seem to come out right as Ricky petted her hair.

"Maria." Ricky moved her face up as she melted into his touch.

"I love you." Ricky said the words, though deep down, he wasn't sure if he truly meant them but felt it was the right moment to tell her this, hoping it might lead to something more intimate.

*Sniff*

"I love you too."

Ricky and Maria had a much-needed talk, but their moment was interrupted when Profaci pried Maria from his grasp.

Ricky reluctantly let go of her, feeling the loss of her presence keenly but eventually, he made his way back to the room and stopped at the door, but this time he walked in.

"Hey Eddy." Ricky forced a smile but Eddy continued to look out the window.

Ricky sighed but knew it would take some time, walking up to bed willingly to wait as long as needed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Whenever you want to talk, all you gotta do is ask, alright?" Ricky finally let down his smile for once and showed a serious expression.

*Sniff*

Eddy looked like he was on the verge of breaking down, but he tried to keep it together for the sake of his appearance.

He nodded faintly as Ricky patted his shoulder a couple more times before hopping onto the bed next to him.

Meanwhile At The Brooklyn Port,

"I can't believe you gave the kid my cross." Abraham let out a pain gruff as he held an ice pack to his busted lip.

It was ironic, though, because Abraham's entire face was a canvas of bruises, courtesy of Lucky.

Even after Lucky had beaten the life out of him, it wasn't over and just when Abraham thought the worst had passed, Lucky came back and landed a brutal punch right in his mouth after hearing Ricky's story.

That blow seemed to hurt more than all the others combined.

Through it all, Abraham didn't even wince; he'd faced worse and only when he saw Father Sebastian did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

"You brought that child, who mind you was sent by the heavens, then left him there to die when the fight got hard-" Father Sebastion scolded the irresponsible man-child before him.

"I SAVED YOU-"

"Well, I didn't ask you to." Father Sebastian shook his head as they took their seats, a look of disappointment etched on his face.

Abraham, meanwhile, wore a deep frown, the weight of his situation heavy on his shoulders.

"And can you cut that crap about him being sent from the heavens cause if he's an angel, I'm jesus chr-OW!" Abraham scoffed, but Father Sebastian quickly jabbed his bruised side as Abraham recoiled in pain, the sudden pain making him wince and shift to the side.

"What have I told you about joking with heavenly figures?" Father Sebastian scrunched his eyebrows in disapproval, while Abraham merely rolled his eyes, his frustration evident.

"However that child looked oddly familiar, I could've sworn I've seen him before." FFather Sebastian rubbed his chin thoughtfully, causing a look of surprise to cross Abraham's face.

"You too?" Abraham hadn't been paying attention when Father Sebastian initially brought it up, but now that he wasn't alone, their eyes met and they exchanged a glance of mutual understanding.

"Weird."

Meanwhile in the heart of Harlem,

*SIGH*

Elijah let out a weary sigh as he swept up the countless shards of his door, while his son held the dustpan, quietly assisting in the clean-up.

"Elijah Bradley was it?" A voice suddenly spoke up, and Elijah turned his head to see Lucky walking into the shop, with the other family members waiting patiently outside.

"Y-Yes sir." Elijah immediately ducked his head, his back drenched in cold sweat, as he pulled his son towards him and forced him to bow his head as well at this foreboding person.

"Relax, I ain't gonna do nothing to the man who helped my son." Lucky held up his hand before reaching into his coat, causing Elijah to shut his eyes tightly in fear.

"Are you afraid of money or something?" Lucky chuckled, Elijah opening his confused eyes to a wad of cash.

"T-This is-"

"A gift of 5000, hush money." Lucky slipped a wad of money into Elijah's front shirt pocket.

Elijah let out a cold breath of air, stunned, as he realized it was the largest sum of money he had ever seen.

"O-Oh S-Sir, I'm unworthy of such a grand gift-"

"As a father, can you understand how worthy you could be for what you did that day for me?" Lucky suddenly asked, his gaze fixed on the child held close to him.

The question made Elijah fall silent, his mouth clamping shut as he awaited a response.

"Besides, it wasn't me but my boy who wanted me to reward you." Lucky held up a hand as he strolled out of the shop.

Their interaction was brief but carried an unspoken understanding as although they were two different people from two different worlds, they were both still fathers to sons.

"Who was that pa?" The kid looked up in confusion as Elijah's shaky hands held the wad of money.

"A very powerful man Isaiah and a very generous one at that." Elijah bent down and pulled him into a hug as Isiah looked at the expensive car driving away.

'Wow.'