Next day,
"HURRY UP, WE GOTTA GET READY TO LEAVE!" Boney bellowed from the bottom of his bones, arms flailing as a mountain of gold and jewels was frantically gathered in a field just outside Camelot.
Ricky and Morgana's undead toiled away, loading treasures under the noonday sun, their rotting hands never pausing.
Morgana had already arranged crates for Ricky's half, but when he returned to New York, he wanted more than just a haul.
He wanted a spectacle.
He pictured himself sliding down a gleaming slope of gold through a portal, landing in the Luciano family manor in style.
Though instead of helping bring that vision to life, Ricky lounged off to the side, scribbling across the twenty-five pages that made up the 'Veil Method', his self-proclaimed masterpiece.
"How was that, master?" Boney asked, rubbing the back of his skull as he turned to Ricky for guidance.
"It sounded very me, if that makes sense," Ricky muttered, his tongue sticking out slightly as he continued scribbling, perfecting his plans.
Boney nodded excitedly at what he perceived as approval, his sockets practically glowing before drooping toward Ricky's scribbling hand.
Ricky hadn't slept at all last night and instead, he'd spent the night furiously revising and rewriting the future of the Luciano family.
But rather than getting fresh sheets of paper, he cluttered the existing ones with layers of revisions.
Crossed-out lines, arrows, and cramped notes that filled every margin like veins running through his vision.
"Master, the preparations are almost completed," Chuck said, side-eyeing Boney as the skeletal nuisance peeked over Ricky's shoulder.
With a subtle movement, Chuck shoved Boeny away from their master so as not to interrupt his 'genius'.
"Uh huh," Ricky muttered, nodding absently as his eyes were glued to a particular section of the paper, yet his hand scribbled something entirely different in the far margins.
"But I was wondering, Master, if I might be so bold, but to ask for more tasks?" Chuck asked delicately, clasping his hands in anticipation. He had already completed everything assigned to him.
"I've already completed everything you've instructed for me and I was wondering if I could be assigned more now rather than later." Chuck carefully asked, knowing it was wrong for him to even ask such blasphemous things but he wanted to be a part of Ricky's grand plan so bad he couldn't help himself.
"Well, just hold your breath for now 'cause you're gonna get more when we go back," Ricky revealed, signaling he didn't have anything more for him until they got back to New York.
"But I'm just kinda doing something right now and-" Ricky said, finally looking up at Chuck and pointing at the paper.
"Oh no, you cannot rush greatness, master, I understand." Chuck vehemently said, shaking his hand and holding his hands up in surrender, as if apologizing.
"You know what, thank you Chuck, I needed that." Ricky said, nodding to the indeed before turning his gaze back down to the papers.
"I won't let you down, Master." Chuck said, bowing to him and lifting his head up to Ricky's toothy smile along with his thumbs up.
"You never do, Chuck."
But it was in that small affirmation that Chuck found a deeper well of inspiration to follow his master, feeling gratified at being seen by Ricky, even in a passing moment.
That fleeting recognition, that tiny sliver of acknowledgment, was enough to make him feel like he mattered and urged him to help Ricky's masterplan come to fruition even faster.
Ricky, however, wasn't even focused on that.
Instead, his mind was locked onto the Veil Method and getting it prepared for a real presentation, refining every detail so it could be implemented without question.
He was working with urgency, rushing as if the deadline for this paper was fast approaching.
"So, if we prove ourselves to you, you'll give us all bodies?"
Off to the side, six figures stood, withered and spectral, each bound by a singular fleshy tube that snaked from their spines to a rotted heart pulsing faintly in midair.
This grotesque creation was Ricky's newest undead and the very reason he was feverishly revising his veil method.
DING
[(Demi-God Servant) The Hive Of Merlyn's: An undead demigod made from six shattered Merlyns, now twisted into a hive and joined with the Heart.
Favorability: 0 (Rare Servant Form): At zero favorability, only one branch may manifest at a time, and the Heart remains dormant.
Abilities:
Architecture: The hive is not a singular being, but a network of seven undead forms: one Heart and six branches. The branches can act independently or converge into the Heart to unlock greater powers.
Anti-Magic Pulse: Even with one branch active, the hive emits flickers of nullifying energy that destabilize spells and weaken magical beings. In Rare form, its lowest, the effect is localized to a single city block.
Hive Composition:
1. [Rare Servant] Midget Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter midget.
Terrashatter: Causes the ground to violently rupture, dealing massive area damage and imprisoning enemies in stone cages.
Stoneheart Regeneration: Draw power from the voidstone beneath him to rapidly heal wounds while standing on earth.
Corrupt Soil: Infuse the earth with void essence, weakening enemies standing on it and slowing their movements.
2. [Rare Servant] Incubus Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter incubus.
Void Allure: Radiates an irresistible aura that subtly bends the will of nearby enemies, making them hesitate or falter in combat.
Whisper: Sends dark, hypnotic whispers that invade the minds of foes, planting seeds of doubt and desire.
Blackfire Lash: Strikes with burning void flames that consume divine or healing magic.
3. [Rare Servant] Imp Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter imp.
Chaos Spark: Fires unstable void bolts that explode unpredictably, disrupting enemy spells and causing random magical backlash.
Flickerstep: Instantly teleports a short distance, leaving multiple shadow copies that confuse foes about his true location.
Trickster's Hex: Inflicts a chaotic curse that makes enemies' attacks or spells misfire or harm themselves.
4. [Rare Servant] Werewolf Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter feral beast.
Full Transformation: Unleashes his Werewolf form, growing larger, faster, and more feral. Gains massive regeneration and a bonus to all melee damage.
Howl of Dread: Emits a terrifying howl that causes enemies to flee or freeze in fear.
Shadow Pounce: Moves silently wherever there is darkness or any time within the night. Can blink between shadows and ambush targets undetected.
5. [Rare Servant] Dhampir Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter vampire.
Bloodbind: Saps vitality from enemies to restore his own health and empower nearby allies with temporary strength and regeneration.
Night Cloak: Shrouds himself in darkness, granting invisibility in dim areas and resistance to magical detection and targeting.
Crimson Strike: Channels cursed blood into his weapon, dealing heavy initial damage and applying a bleed curse that weakens enemy defense and causes damage over time.
6. [Rare Servant] Pixie Merlin: Half Void, quarter human, quarter pixie.
Illusive Flicker: Creates illusory duplicates that distract and confuse enemies.
Arcane Disrupt: Subtly interferes with enemy spellcasting, causing spells to falter or fail.
Sonic Allure: Entrances enemies with hypnotic tones, lowering their defenses and making them susceptible to commands.
Tidebind: Summons spectral water tendrils to restrain and sap the will of enemies caught in the melody.
But to make differentiating between them easier, they will be labeled by their quarter factor that sets each of them from their identical void and human sides.]
"Yup," Ricky said, not even having to think about it as the Merlins all sort of looked at each other.
"Um, I have a question." One of the Merlins said, holding up his hand while donning horns atop his head, signaling he was part imp.
"What about Merlyn, our captor?" Imp Merlin wondered out loud, his eyes trailing off to the side at Merlyn ordering some undead in a pink tutu in the distance.
"Will he be given this opportunity as well?" Imp Merlin asked, clearly not in favor of the idea but wondering if it was for all undead or only those Ricky trusted.
"Nah, he's gonna stay like that forever." Ricky waved away his worries, causing Imp Merlyn to heave out a sigh of relief.
"He'll always be in that f*cking body, I won't ever let him out."
However, instead of disgust, all the Merlyns simply nodded in agreement at the reasoning.
After being his prisoners for so long, they unanimously agreed it was the best decision, given just how dangerous he truly was.
"Then why are we given this same privilege if you seem to hate us?" Incubus Merlin asked, suspicion heavy in his voice at the rare opportunity being offered.
"Look." Ricky said, sighing and meeting the gaze of the undead Merlins staring back at their new captor.
"You're all Merlyn's or Merlin's or whatever." Ricky said, still not understanding why they clung so desperately to the name 'Merlin' instead of 'Merlyn.'
"But I'm willing to give all of you a chance." Ricky added, his tone dripping with the kind of generosity that felt more like a favor than anything else.
"Was turning us into undead necessary, though?" Werewolf Merlin asked, staring down at his decaying body, clumps of hair falling away even now.
"Honestly, in the heat of the moment, I couldn't take that chance."
It was one thing to realize there could be more than one Merlin, but another entirely to consider that they might all be like the Merlyn he'd already faced.
Ricky appeared as if he didn't want to wait around to find out, which was the excuse he gave them, but the real reason was simple: he wanted more high-ranking undead.
In truth, Merlyn was the odd variant.
Most, if not all, of the Merlins were genuinely good souls, people who truly wanted to help as many as they could.
Which is exactly why Merlyn had found it so easy to exploit their good faith and trap them as his prisoners in the first place.
"And what of his Lady Roma?" the Dhampir Merlin asked, fidgeting nervously as a flicker of worry crossed his face.
Though she wasn't his daughter, he had his own Lady Roma to protect, so he couldn't simply look away.
However, even if that wasn't the case for some of the others, they still wanted to know if she would be alright.
"She's alive, and no, I don't have any plans to kill or turn her into an undead if that's what you're worried about." Ricky said, clarifying the concerns written clearly across their troubled faces.
"But I'm probably gonna hold her in a cell until I know she ain't a threat, at least for now," Ricky muttered, sighing lightly at how tricky it was going to be getting into her panties.
"And if she is a threat, well, we'll just go from there."
"Then if she's not a threat to you, will you spare her life?" Pixie Merlin asked, watching Ricky scoff as if the question itself was obvious.
"Of course. Did you see how much of a smoke show she is?" Ricky replied, giving them all a weird look as if they were the strange ones, not him.
However, instead of agreeing, since anyone with eyes obviously would, they all wore looks of disgust.
Literally unable to see any version of their daughter as anything remotely attractive.
"So, to make this clear, you're asking us to do your paperwork?" Midget Merlin chimed in, trying to grasp what they were expected to do as Ricky shook his head, scribbling something on the paper.
"Not really, you're gonna be keeping the family running at full throttle, all cylinders firing at all times." Ricky informed them, shaking his head as he wrote something else beside his scribbles.
"Everything under the Luciano family's control, both the legitimate side and the underbelly, will be handled by you guys," Ricky said, turning his head up and pointing his pen at them before pausing to think.
"Well, you all and Merlyn."
This was one of the ways Ricky planned to completely reshape the Luciano family.
Initially, with Merlyn alone, he had outlined this structure in the Veil Method.
But with the sudden arrival of the other Merlyn variants, he had to revise his plans.
Essentially, he was rewriting the Veil Method to place Merlyn at the core, with the others watching, observing, and assisting him.
It was already glaringly obvious that Ricky intended to use Merlyn as his paper slave.
But with six more Merlins now involved, he needed to adjust the Veil Method so it made sense.
As the Merlins pondered this new dynamic, a shared idea slowly took root in their minds.
Until finally, one of them spoke it into existence.
"Will we get to pick our bodies or will you pick them for us?" Midget Merlin asked, glancing down at his stubby legs before looking back at Ricky's normal ones.
Ricky paused, finally tearing his gaze away from the papers since it was a good question, one he hadn't considered before.
"You know what? If you guys impress me enough, then why not." Ricky agreed with a shrug, as if it was no big deal.
Although it was true that almost all Merlins were good at heart, even these six once were at one point, circumstances had a way of changing people.
Centuries of agony as Merlyn's test subjects and living batteries had warped them in ways they never could have imagined.
Even in their current undead state was a grim improvement over the hell Merlyn had subjected them to and that was saying something.
Then, as if Ricky hadn't expected it, he noticed all the Merlins nodding in agreement.
Though they had no choice once they turned undead, the chance to regain even a sliver of their humanity was enough for them to throw their full support behind Ricky's plan without hesitation.
Ding
Favorability: 0→100
"Seriously?" Ricky asked, surprised at how easy it was since he'd expected resistance, not eager acceptance.
"What you've proposed is like heaven and earth compared to what we endured before." Imp Merlin said, his voice trembling as memories of Merlyn's torment made him shudder.
"Even in these rotted and bound forms, we are freer than we ever were before, and if we can be given just a bit more, it will mean the world to us." Werewolf Merlin explained, his voice heavy with a mix of hope and desperation.
Years, decades, centuries of torture had warped their sense of morality, leaving them all but desperate to reclaim even a fragment of their lost humanity.
"Wow, you guys are way easier than my Merlyn," Ricky said, surprised at how willing they were, while his own Merlyn was probably scheming right at that very moment.
"Why was my Merlyn such a f*cking dick?" Ricky muttered to himself, wondering how he ended up with the worst Merlyn out of the batch.
Surprisingly, the hive grew eager, inching closer to Merlyn standing off to the side, who side-eyed them with clear disgust.
"Hey, you can whip him if you want, as long as it doesn't disrupt his work!" Ricky called out from behind the hive, watching as smirks spread across their faces while Merlyn's expression hardened with silent fury at the words.
"So, are you almost ready to leave, with half of my things?" Morgana asked, stepping through the portal and sliding up beside him.
"You mean our stuff?" Ricky teased, pulling her closer as she melted into his lap, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
"What else would I mean?" Morgana chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before her eyes flicked to the paper, cluttered with crossed-out lines and messy scribbles.
"Hey, remember, if anyone tries to f*ck with you-"
"Yes, yes, I'll call you and you'll come to save the day." Morgana said sarcastically, scanning the paper as Ricky pulled her closer, hugging her tighter.
"I'm serious-"
"And so am I." Morgana said, turning back to Ricky and caressing his cheek, watching him lean into it with a smile.
"Although I won't always need you, it's nice to know." Morgana said softly, her expression warm and gentle, highlighting her natural beauty without her usual scrunched look.
"It's nice to know that you're stealing all of my stuff," Morgana finished with a teasing smile, making Ricky crackle with amusement as she planted one last kiss on his lips before standing up.
"Oh, come on~" Ricky teased, watching her slip out of his grasp and head back toward the portal.
"I still have the faerie delegation to prepare for. We'll talk later," Morgana said absentmindedly, then realized what she'd just said as Ricky's head snapped up, eyes sharp and alert.
"Fairie, what do you mean-"
"Nothing, bye~" Morgana said sweetly as the portal closed behind her.
Ricky raised an eyebrow though not at her words, but at the figure approaching quietly from the side.
"It's done," Eldric whispered into Ricky's ear, waiting silently for any further instructions.
"And you got all the-"
"There are some holdouts, only a handful, but they've chosen to work for the Lucky Corporation," Eldric revealed, watching Ricky's eyebrow slowly lower as he nodded.
"Good sh*t, Eldric." Ricky said, giving him a thumbs up before turning back to his scribbles.
"Thank you, boss." Eldric nodded, stepping back to the side, ready for his next instructions.
"But it will take at least a couple-"
"You have until tonight, Eldric." Ricky side-eyed him, hearing the exact words he didn't want to hear from the former coven member.
"Boss-"
"It happens tonight."
The words trailed out, and as they did, Eldric realized that Ricky wasn't asking.
He was telling him to get it done.
"I'll handle Agatha, and if I know Lucky, he's already got eyes on her right now." Ricky said, knowing how paranoid Lucky could be, and that there was no way he'd let Agatha run loose after everything that just happened.
"What?" Ricky suddenly asked, watching the hesitation cross Eldric's face as he slowly looked toward him.
"Are you getting cold feet-" Ricky suddenly asked, putting his pen down and turning his body toward him.
"No, never, boss."
"It's just that I-........I respect Agatha." Eldric confessed quietly, his hands curling into fists.
Even though he was under Ricky now, that didn't erase the deep admiration he'd once held for her.
If anything, it made it harder.
"I know how you feel about the elders right now, but some of us, at least I, truly respect Agatha." Eldric said, placing a hand over his heart, his voice almost like a confession.
"She wasn't a perfect leader, I get that," Eldric added, trying to sound reasonable as Ricky slowly nodded, acknowledging the weight behind his words.
"But she was always someone you could lean on." Eldric pleaded softly, his eyes heavy with emotion, as if trying to untangle the storm swirling within.
"She loved her people, her family, and her coven," Eldric said with raw passion, making it clear that his loyalty to Agatha wasn't just a title, but something deeply real.
"All I ask is that you be gentle when you tell her," Eldric added, his weathered face bearing the weight of memories, memories of being raised by Agatha herself.
Unlike some of the other elders, he was born in the coven, taken under her wing after his parents were lost in Merlyn's raids.
The emotions tied to those words trembled beneath the surface, impossible to hide.
Because they were truly real.
"Of course." Ricky said, locking eyes with Eldric and silently promising he would handle it with care.
"Then I'll make sure you have the coven under your control by the end of tonight." Eldric said quietly, turning and walking away to prepare his forces.
Ricky tapped his pen rhythmically against the Veil Method, his gaze drifting toward the field where crates upon crates of wealth were being stacked.
The sheer magnitude of it, enough to make his first-life self cream his pants, now barely registered beyond a blank expression.
He watched silently as the final pieces fell into place, the unmistakable signal that it was time to return to New York at last.
"Aye, Alexander, you ready?" Ricky called out, standing and striding toward the tiny warrior, arms crossed as he surveyed the ongoing operations.
"If by ready you mean to conquer a new day, then of course." Alexander replied with a confident smile, scurrying over to Ricky who bent down so as to let him crawl onto his shoulder.
"What do you think of my revisions?" Ricky asked, holding up the papers and carefully flipping through them page by page while Alexander intently read over the text.
"I think Chester should also look over them before you give your presentation but as I see it, the outline is solid." Alexander said thoughtfully, nodding his head in approval after seeing the last page.
"F*ck yeah!" Ricky pumped his fists, excited at how things were going and turning around to the undead.
The undead had already done the heavy lifting, their arms loaded with crates packed to the brim with unimaginable wealth, each one stacked neatly behind Ricky.
They stood idle now, simply waiting for the signal to move.
Out in the fields of Camelot, just beyond the golden reeds growing outside the walls, a towering portal began to converge.
Ricky, holding out one hand while tucking the papers snug under his armpit, was finally ready.
Ready to return with the ambition, the force, and now the momentum he needed to carry out the very vision he'd always raved about for his Luciano family.
And then, without the slightest hesitation, Ricky launched himself down the mountain of gold, sliding straight into the portal that led directly to the Luciano family manor.
"I F*CKING DID IT!"
However, to understand the situation Ricky was currently walking into, one had to be taken to what had unfolded only minutes earlier.
15 minutes ago,
With the current head of the family indisposed and the underboss killed in the recent conflict, Lucky had taken on the role interim head of the Luciano family.
His personal mansion had been hastily converted into an emergency headquarters, and now he sat in his office, settled into the same leather chair he once ruled from.
Across from him sat Agatha, her arms crossed, her jaw tense, and her entire posture steeped in barely contained frustration.
If her seething presence wasn't enough to thicken the air, Raven lounged off to the side on the leather couch.
In her arms was little Thrawn, content and giggling as he played with a plush stuffed animal, courtesy of his godfather.
"You cannot do this, Lucky!" Agatha shouted, stomping her foot as she planted both hands on his desk, bringing her furry riddled eyes closer to his resolute ones.
"You cannot-"
"I hate to break it to ya darling, but I have to do this." Lucky's eyes were resolute, unflinching in front of Agatha and not breaking eye contact for a moment.
"You do not run the Lucaino family anymore, Ricky does!" Agatha screamed, her frustration slipping into blatant insults as Raven rolled her eyes on the couch.
"My Ricky-" Agatha slammed a fist against her chest, as if staking a claim, which only made Raven laugh.
"Your Ricky?" Raven interrupted from the side, one eyebrow raised as Agatha's hateful glare snapped toward her, scowling the moment their eyes met.
"Listen, with Ricky off kicking whoever's ass needs kicking, and-" Lucky began, but his voice caught in his throat before he could finish.
It was why he paused, the weight of his next words dragging through his throat as Lucky forced it out.
"And with Frank dead, under emergency circumstances like this one, I can act as interim head." Lucky finally managed to exhale, his breath shaky.
Frank's death was hitting him harder than he cared to admit, and it showed as he rubbed his forehead with a trembling hand.
"And this family prioritizes its family," Lucky said, his voice dropping lower.
As those cold eyes of his stared through his trembling hands, watching Agatha slowly turn her gaze back to him.
"Lucky-"
"Your coven was almost responsible for the death of my grandchildren." Lucky interrupted, pointing a trembling finger at Agatha, his voice cracking with fury.
"Lucky-"
"MY GRANDCHILDREN!" Lucky roared, his raw rage making Agatha flinch and step back a few paces.
"How do you think it felt, crashing into Henry's house and shooting two of YOUR COVEN MEMBERS!?" Lucky's voice cracked and rose until he was practically screaming, his hand slicing through the air as if trying to physically cut through his own rage.
"THE PEOPLE YOU BROUGHT HERE UNDER MY SON'S GOODWILL!" Lucky roared, rising to his feet and jabbing an accusatory finger straight at her.
"MY FAMILY BLEEDING BECAUSE WE TRUSTED YOU!" Lucky voice cracked, disbelief and fury mixing at how she could've let this happen.
"And Frank-"
Lucky once again stopped himself, taking a deep, steadying breath before continuing.
"And Frank paid for your mistakes with his life." Lucky's voice was heavy with blame, aimed squarely at Agatha.
To some, it might have seemed unfair, but not to Raven, who was currently enjoying the show with a clear smile.
"Do you even know how much the Costello family has sacrificed for mine, huh?" Lucky asked, sinking back into his chair, the weight of the question burning in the room.
"I-"
"Go on, you tell me how much that family sacrificed for my family, MY FAMILY AGATHA!" Lucky demanded, slamming his hand on the desk, mirroring the gesture she had made only moments before.
"NOT YOURS, BUT MINE!" Lucky declared, drawing a hard line in the sand as Agatha stood at the other end of the desk, her face pale.
"Listen to me, Agatha, you might be the mother of two of my grandkids," Lucky said, deciding to make it clear right here and now rather than waiting later.
"But you ain't a f*cking Luciano."
"And if you're wondering, then you're right, I don't trust you." Lucky said, watching Agatha's hurt expression as her gaze dropped to the floor.
"Not even enough to leave this house with my grandkids," Lucky said, getting straight to the real reason Agatha was acting like this as she clenched her hands into tight fists.
"Then what is she doing here?" Agatha hissed, pointing off to the side where Raven was casually lounging.
"What has she done for Ricky that I haven't?" Agatha demanded, unable to process the shock of Raven not only being let into this room but also part of their conversation.
Lucky side-eyed Raven, leaning back in his chair before turning his gaze back to Agatha, who looked utterly shocked by his next words.
"Say what you will about Raven, but she's committed to the family."
Raven wasn't here just to make Agatha uncomfortable, not entirely, anyway.
Believe it or not, Lucky's acting right hand wasn't Meyer or one of the Tonys; it was Raven.
As crazy as it sounded, she had truly ingratiated herself into the Luciano family, and now that loyalty was finally paying off.
Though she hadn't been given the title of interim underboss, she was as close to Lucky as any of Ricky's women had ever been.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Agatha snapped, watching Lucky lean back in his chair and cross his fingers.
"What has that b*tch done-"
"That 'b*tch' created a foundation to funnel mutants into our organization." Lucky revealed, noting the shock raising Agatha's eyebrows.
"While you were busy with your rat-infested coven, Raven was busy making Slick's dream a reality."
After the trial and all the money won from the civil suit was donated to the mutant foundation Raven now led, she never stopped working.
Not for a moment.
From the outside, it might have seemed insignificant or just a passing thought.
But that was because Raven was laying the groundwork, building her own foundations.
It was second nature to her by now, having crafted so many lives in preparation for this final one that it all felt inevitable, coming full circle like this.
Raven had started over more times than anyone here could even hope to understand, which was exactly why it felt so natural to her, and the real reason none of the women in Ricky's harem had seen it coming until now.
Already, she had built ties with influential women's circles across the city, formed genuine relationships with the wives of high-ranking Luciano family members, and launched her charity, which had just begun funneling mutants into the family.
Raven knew her surroundings.
She understood her disadvantages.
And yet, in such a short time, she had created something solid, something that gave her footing not just in the city, but finally deep within the Luciano family itself.
"Do you know what this charity is gonna do for our family?" Lucky asked the baffled Agatha, disbelief clearly spread across her face at how Raven managed to earn his stubborn approval.
"F*ck New York, we could get the juice to take over the world." Lucky said, gesturing toward the globe at his side.
"Hate to say it, but I will since he's not here, Slick was right."
"This is the future," Lucky said, pointing his finger on the desk, towards a paper that outlined the sheer number of mutants Raven had brought to him during this crisis.
After Ricky's trial, it became known that some mutants had migrated to New York, drawn by familiarity and the hope of safety.
But what the newspapers and media portrayed barely scratched the surface of the true scale.
Dubbed 'The Mutant Flight' it was a massive migration: mutants who had been scattered in hidden corners across America began to rise up and move in masses toward the East Coast.
When Ricky left, only about a dozen mutants had arrived in the city, all being processed by Raven.
But now, there were hundreds, maybe even a thousand of mutants, and their families, living under the umbrella of Raven's foundation, which had the mission to settle, support, and empower them.
"Do you know how many mutants we have living in Harlem right now, right under our grasp?" Lucky genuinely asked Agatha, watching her hesitate because she obviously didn't know since she never left the coven.
"See this? Look." Lucky said, holding up a piece of paper with a categorized list, which made Raven smile quietly off to the side.
"This is a list of kids and young adults that Raven has already processed through her foundation and who are ready to be integrated into the Luciano family." Lucky said, waving the paper before setting it back down on the table.
On the outside, the foundation was nothing more than a charity to help displaced mutants better integrate into the world around them.
But what Raven had actually built was a perfect funnel system to traffic these mutants into the Luciano family, just like Ricky had asked her to do.
However, fueled by her love for mutants, Raven was planning for something much bigger.
Her aggressive approach was to bring so many powerful mutants into Ricky's family that, over time, as their reputation grew, the mutant class would rise above regular citizens within the city.
Raven saw the future intertwined with the Luciano family.
Instead of uplifting the mutant community separately, she was joining them at the hip so they could rise together, an approach completely opposite to Agatha's.
And it was an approach that would prove its worth the moment Agatha failed.
Which just so happened to be right now.
"And even if they don't pan out as Luciano material, they're still under our control." Lucky shook his head, dismissing Agatha's infested coven as inferior to Raven's foundation.
"That means they can pop out a kid who actually has some use, and they'll be so grateful to us, we won't even have to force them into our ranks."
Lucky's words carried weight since these mutants were like refugees from war-torn countries, seeking refuge in New York, and their loyalty was earned through survival and gratitude.
"That's what I was trying to do-"
"No, you weren't," Lucky scoffed, his displeasure clear in his tone.
"You gave Slick scraps and wrapped it up in a neat little bow." Lucky waved his hand dismissively at Agatha, as if throwing her words straight into the trash.
"You had everything, and because of that, you never had a reason to fully commit to the family. That's the difference between you two." Lucky said, laying bare the truth between them.
Although it was unfair to compare the two directly sinceAgatha arrived in New York backed by the entire coven, while Raven had nothing, which is precisely why Raven found it easier to give in to the Luciano family.
Simply put, no one ever forced Agatha to relinquish control to Ricky for a seat at the table; she simply refused to.
Because Agatha, at the time, saw no benefit in bowing her head to the Luciano family, which is why she never did.
Lucky knew it.
Agatha knew it.
But most of all, Raven knew it, and that's exactly why she was pushing her vision deeper into Lucky's mind, making Agatha look even worse by contrast.
"Agatha, we simply want the best for you-" Raven said, knowing her voice alone would be enough to set her off.
"FUCK YOU!" Agatha screamed at Raven, lashing out at her for taking advantage of the opportunity to lower her status.
"That's enough, Agatha," Lucky warned, eyeing her firmly as she turned back to face him.
"Lucky, listen to me," Agatha nearly pleaded, desperate for any leverage in this absolute discussion.
"We've made mistakes, we've all made mistakes." Agatha said, her voice genuine as she tried to express herself as clearly as she could.
"We've both had rats," she added, appealing to Lucky whose expression twitched at the indirect mention of Genovese.
"You know the difference between our situations, Agatha?" Lucky said, his voice curling into a hiss since she had brought that up on purpose, and they both knew it.
"Yours was a f*cking infestation," Lucky hissed, refusing to beat around the bush as he leaned forward.
"How long did it go on under your nose, huh?" Lucky pressed, his tone a mix of disbelief and accusation.
"Under your f*cking nose!" Lucky emphasized, his fist slamming onto the desk as Agatha flinched again, her lips parting slightly, but no words came.
"How long did those rats have their hands around your neck that you didn't even realize you were choking?"
Lucky's anger wasn't just about betrayal.
Everyone betrays everyone sooner or later, it's almost expected that things don't run as smoothly as they seem.
No, it was about blindness.
About letting those rats grow fat in the walls while calling it peace and Lucky just couldn't let it go.
"They would've had to be there for years, decades even, just fucking waiting until they made their move." Lucky said, tapping his finger on the desk and grinding against the very backbone that kept Agatha standing so upright.
"You ask me how I can do this?"
"Agatha, half of your leadership was the Golden Cloaks." Lucky revealed, having seen it for himself after reviewing the report of all the confirmed rats within the coven they knew about.
Agatha rubbed her shoulder not out of shame, but from the weight of truth sinking in.
It wasn't an accusation, it was reality.
Even the grunts beneath her elders had been high-ranking infiltrators, overseeing operations from within like cancer dressed in ritual robes.
That's how deep it went.
That's how they did it
They didn't break in.
They were let in.
They rotted the coven from the inside out, corrupting everyone of value until loyalty meant nothing and trust was a liability.
And Agatha let it all happen, in Lucky's eyes.
"I honestly can't tell which side you're on right now-
"Lucky!" Agatha gasped, unable to believe he could say something like that, but he just shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
That was all Lucky could say to Agatha, knowing deep down it was wrong to keep her and her children here, but he simply couldn't trust her, not after everything that just happened.
Another big issue was just how identical the Golden Cloaks were members of the coven.
The custom, the culture, what set a Golden Cloak apart from a regular coven member, was nothing more than the simple golden robe.
That terrified Lucky.
That's what made a good rat so dangerous: how indistinguishable he was from an ordinary member.
"I'm really sorry, Agatha, but you're not leaving this house until I fully understand what's going on." Lucky said, his tone cold and unyielding since no matter what happened, he wouldn't let her leave.
Agatha gripped her grimoire tightly in her hands, for one reason: Lucky had trapped her within the anti-magic barrier woven into his home.
While it was true that if a single point, like the one at Alina's house, collapsed, the rest would nullify, Chuck had intentionally designed the system with a fail-safe.
The remaining points would instinctively shut down the moment one was destroyed, before they would realign to their shared frequency, and continue the connection.
If forced to keep running after a connection was severed, the entire network of anti-magic barriers would collapse together.
The problem was that this process took around two to four days, but that wasn't an issue, since all they had to do was wait.
Once the connection realigned and reactivated, the moment Agatha's grimoire fell to the floor along with her other colleagues', the Luciano family held them at gunpoint, leading to her current house arrest.
"I thought we were friends, Lucky, or at least we understood each other." Agatha said, finally seeing it was pointless to argue any further.
"No matter what happens Agatha, nothing will come to you or my grandchildren." Lucky swore, giving Agatah his word which moved mountains in this city.
"I know what kind of woman you are, and I respect that, don't get me wrong." Lucky said, the truth heavy in his voice as he looked at Agatha with those sad eyes.
"But I just can't trust you."
"Not after what just happened. Not after I almost lost everything." Lucky shook his head, watching Agatha bite her lip, trembling where she stood.
"Even now, look, my hand is still shaking." Lucky said, raising his hand, still trembling and unable to steady it, too close to losing it all.
"Can you imagine what would've happened if me, Gus, and Henry would've stayed just a little longer at that ball game?" Lucky asked, trying to probe the question until he shifted.
"Or what about Frank, what if he wasn't fast enough?" Lucky once again asked, slowly boxing Agatha into a corner and before she could speak, he continued.
"What about if this weird ass barrier didn't activate when it did, huh?" Lucky said, spreading out his hands to not only the office, but to all the houses.
"Or what if Louis didn't come to help Raven before it became too late?" Lucky said, gesturing to the side at the thought of Thrawn not even being born or something happening to Raven.
"Can you imagine-" Lucky's voice almost broke, taking a second as Agatha started to sniffle.
"Don't-"
"Can you imagine what would've happened if you weren't there?" Lucky asked, leaning onto the desk and looking at Agatha who started to become teary eyed.
"And what if that old broad Ginny didn't give that boy that device-"
"Don't you-"
"And can you imagine if Benny wasn't there with your kids?" Lucky said, locking eyes with her tear-filled gaze before continuing.
"DONT YOU DARE-"
"THAT KID HAD NOTHING!" Lucky shouted, cutting Agatha off as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"THAT KID HAS AS MUCH AS I DO NOW AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO SAVE YOUR KIDS, MY GRANDCHILDREN, FROM A F*CKING MAGIC BOOK THAT CAN SPEW FIRE!" Lucky roared, watching Agatha tremble, her hand covering her mouth.
"THAT IS INSANE, AGATHA!" Lucky yelled, clutching his head, shocked that those words had even come out of his mouth.
"IT WASN'T EVEN THE KID WHO COULD USE FIRE, BUT THE KID WHO HAD NOTHING BUT HIS TWO FISTS!" Lucky scrambled, holding up his own shaky fist as an example to show her how crazy that sounded.
SIGH
"So many what-ifs that just happened to perfectly mesh into the perfect outcome where I didn't lose a single grandbaby." Lucky sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"They're my family-" Agatha started, referring to the coven, only to be cut off by Lucky raising a single finger.
"No, Agatha. We're your family." Lucky said, his gaze dripping with disappointment.
"And since you can't figure that out, you're staying here-"
"I F*CKING DID IT!"
Lucky's words were interrupted by the familiar roar of a man that connected everyone in the room.
Cheers erupted from outside the double doors, but the three inside remained perfectly still, except for Thrawn, who played quietly with his stuffed animal.
"Don't you f*cking dare," Lucky warned, standing up and pointing at Agatha, who immediately bolted out of the room.
"DAMMIT!" Lucky yelled, grabbing his cane and flicking his head toward Raven to follow him.
The second Lucky reached the door, the crazed roars of Luciano family members echoed through the house.
They hugged, high-fived, and prayed for this exact moment.
When Ricky would come back and announce he'd caught the bastard who set everything in motion.
Then, just as their excitement peaked, a mountain of gold, jewels, and diamonds poured through the portal, surrounding Ricky as he stood with his arms spread wide.
"WE F*CKING DID IT!" Ricky roared, his excitement echoed by his men jumping up and down, not just for catching the bastard, but for robbing for all that he was worth as well.
"NOT ONLY DID I GET THAT FCKING BASTARD, BUT I GOT ALL HIS SHT TOO!" Ricky yelled, hyping everyone up as he fanned the flames with his hands, urging them to take their share.
"AND RIGHT NOW, I PLEDGE NOT TO TAKE A SINGLE CENT AND REINVEST EVERY LAST DIME INTO OUR LUCIANO FAMILY!" Ricky announced, watching how everyone went wild at the news.
"YOU ALL WAITED FOR ME TO COME BACK AND DELIVER, SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GONNA DO!" Ricky said, seeing some of the men start to cry, realizing what this meant.
"And listen, LISTEN!" Ricky said, halting their cheers like a maestro silencing an orchestra.
"Listen when I say I'm gonna not only honor every soul we lost, but make sure their families ain't ever gotta work again, I F*CKING MEAN IT!" Ricky said, his voice steady but fierce as his eyes scanned the room, locking onto those who'd lost brothers in the fight.
For a moment, the weight of grief hung heavy, but then something shifted.
The men who'd been on the edge of breaking found themselves able to breathe again, shoulders straightening as their comrades stood close, hands landing firm on backs and shoulders.
It was more than words, it was a lifeline.
To them, it didn't feel like Ricky was just their leader at this moment; he was their family.
And it helped them grieve knowing he'd carry them through this crisis or any crisis for that matter.
"ALL YOUR FAMILIES ARE SET FOR LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I'VE GOT YOUR BACK LIKE YOU HAD MINE!"
The made men went ballistic, bouncing off the walls and shaking each other like they couldn't believe it was real.
"NOW C'MON, HELP ME GET THIS SHIT SORTED!" Ricky commanded, watching as droves of made men stormed through the portal without a shred of fear, pushing and pulling crates like their lives depended on it.
"AND I WANT EVERY LUCIANO MEMBER IN THE FAMILY TO KNOW, GET THE NEWS OUT RIGHT F*CKING NOW!"
Without further ado, the news spread like wildfire as every made man within the manor bolted toward the radios they'd set up.
In Lucky's basement, a cluster of radios connected to every operation in the city suddenly buzzed with the good news, and the once-quiet city erupted.
Cheers and cries echoed through the streets as people finally let out breaths they'd been holding.
Windows flew open to reveal Luciano made men ripping their shirts off, running down the streets with looks that screamed victory.
Now, it was official, New York could finally breathe again.
"Ricky, RICKY!" Agatha yelled, pushing through the made men to reach him.
"We need to talk-"
"Agatha, I'm a little-"
"NOW!" Agatha roared, her voice drowning out all the cheers and forcing an awkward silence as Ricky turned his gaze toward her.
It was childish, but she needed his attention and she couldn't wait a second longer as Ricky understood what this was about almost instantly.
"Okay, alright, geez," Ricky laughed, easing the tension, and causing the other made men to join in.
"Lead the way."
Author's Note: Sorry about the long ass scrolling for the hive stuff, I wanted to cut it down w/o making it just this big clump. Also I know I owe yall a chap and I'll get it out eventually, probably later today or tomorrow lol.