I walk in the inconspicuous building. Battered, bruised, dry and fresh blood adorning my ripped suit. The guards look at me with piety as I walked by. They perhaps have heard the gossip from the other stallions. I trot up the stairs and onto the highest floor, the only floor were there are no guards walking about like mindless zombies from a cheap horror flick. I lumber myself to the overly large door, I gulp down my fear and knock on the door and recite the password “Non temere, perché io sono della famiglia”.
I hear a whispered response to my password “ Quick get in, don't want to keep the Boss waiting eh.”
The door opens, I walk in. The room was large and quite dark,you could only see the bodyguards (barely) heavily armoured and armed with weapons. I see the boss (also hidden in the shadows of the room), it's been a long time since I’ve seen him. Shadows still covered his facial appearance to me, I make out that he still has those same mutton chops and fedora he always wears.
“so it come's to my attention that a certain 'incident' has occurred on the job that I assigned to you” he inquired
“Yes, Godfather.” was my response
He sighs “Well then, would you care to explain what happened earlier?”
I sigh. I knew that this would happen, that I would have to retell the story to the Godfather.
Two Hours Earlier
The dark cold streets of Manehattan were something I was very well accustomed to, growing up on these streets as a young colt. I remember the first street fight I was in, the first time I was booked for burglary and assault. “Ah, those were the days” I whisper to myself. I continued to walk up the streets of Manehattan, into the industrial district of the city. Factories, slum buildings, unfinished Construction work, the homeless and to top it all off. The docks leading off to the ocean. But I wasn't here for sight seeing today, I was here for a job giving to me personally by the Godfather himself. I only brought my best men of my gang for this one job.
Turning into the dark alleyway I see nine stallions, all dress in pin-striped suits complimented with fedora's on their heads. “well look whose finally decided to show up to the party.” spoke one of the nine colts. I let out a chuckle “well, let's just say I came to this party” I take out a pair sunglasses and put them on“fashionable late.” groans of disapproval and hoofs smacking against foreheads were let out, music to my ears.“Okay boys clam down no need to get excited since I’m here”
all the stallions stop their moaning of my horrendous 'joke' after I say this, their facial expressions turn back to what they once before I came. Calm, cool, collected and serious faces all around. Now was time to tell them my game plan for this job and what it's about
“As all of you know I have personally selected all of you for this important job if we can pull this one off we're golden.”
“Well then what's the game plan and what are we doing on this job?”
I reply “ Boys, we are here for one thing and one thing only, bits. A large sum of it.”
“How much?”
“ fifty-million.”
When I finished talking all of their jaws dropped wide open, Probably due to the amount of cold hard cash we could make off of this job if we did it right.
I bring out a briefcase “ In this here briefcase is what's gonna make our money.” I point my hoof at the two stallions with the rifles strapped to their back “Hey, Sharpshooter and Deadeye you're the best shots in my gang. You're going to over watch the deal on that tower overlooking the docks were the deal is going down capish”
“ Got it” they said in unison.
After they leave, I separate three colts from the group and assign them a position around the dock to flank any possible oncoming reinforcement or if they pull a fast one on us and try to get away with both the goods and the bits.
Now with them gone and in position I now only have four colts left standing in front of me “Alright boys now it's time to get down on what you four are to do” they all nod to show that their listening to me I then separate the four colts into groups of two. I send one group to hide away in the shadows in case of an ambush. Only two colts remain, my two best friends since I joined the crime family Grand-slam and Tommy-gun.
“Well, friends looks like we're all going in together both of you by my sides looking out for me and each other.” Tommy-gun replies first “ Hey, you sounded pretty unsure about yourself when you said that anything wrong man?”
“Only one thing.”
“Well then what is it?” Grand-slam says
“That this plan ain't gonna work” I say begrudgingly
“Don't work, this plan is top notch ain't no way it's gonna fail now boss.” he's say confidently as he nudges my shoulder with his hoof
“I hope you're right Tommy-gun.” reluctance is obvious in my voice
“Like I said no need to worry boss.” he flashes me a cheeky grin
“When you tell me not to worry I worry more ya know bro.” I groaned and looked towards the dark sky
“Whatever man let's get this over with and get home.” he sighs
I could always count on Tommy-Gun and Grand-slam to pull me out from my darker moments where would I be without them today; Who knows.
We head over to the docks. Tommy takes out his Tommy gun, his namesake and puts in a magazine and cocks his weapon he looked downright sinister with that gun like he could take down a full grown dragon just by staring at it with his gun. Grand-slam takes out his prized baseball bat and begins to polish it with a clean rag, before he became a member of our crime organization he was a famous well know baseball player, know for his ability to easily get home runs but he retired and mostly just knocks the light right out of ponies heads now a days with a swing of his bat.
The clip-clop of hooves greets my ears and derails my current train of thought. Three stallions dress in elegant tuxedos and sunglasses. As they draw near I notice the briefcase that one of the stallions is carrying. They stop in front of us all three of us, there are no exchange of words only eyes sizing each other up who would be stronger, who would use cunning, who would try to fuck the other.
I break the silence “ So you got the cash or what?” my tone was laced with malice I was trying to be intimidating but I was never one of those overly macho stallions that liked to get in everyone's face(colts like those deserved a hoof right in the face anyway). “Oh, we got the cash but, do you have the goods?”
“Before I show you the goods let me see the cash.” I say in a commanding tone
He stomps his hoof. The stallion next to him clicks the briefcase open revealing the bits. Fifty-million just there. “Mind if I check one out, make sure it ain't no counterfeit.” I nervously say
“There all real no counterfeits here.” his tone is condescending. The stallion with the briefcase moves the briefcase closer to me. I grab one. I inspect it thoroughly, checking the royal seal on the front and the city of Manehatten seal on back. I bite the coin like they did in those movies I watched as young colt. It's real as can be, I toss the coin back into open briefcase. I take out my briefcase and reveal what I have for their cash. Their eyes practically come out of their eye sockets I also could have sworn they were salivating over what was in the briefcase.
“So it seems you have what we want and that we have what you want.” he says sternly
“Cut to the chase.” I was annoyed
“Well then, shall we exchange our cases or what?” his voice was laced with annoyance as well
I grunt as a response I want to get that fifty-million and head home with my boys. We begin to exchange cases, they gave me the money first and then I passed them the goods. This deal has gone more smoothly then I thought it could...
The next thing I knew was that I was on the ground. I heard a Tommy gun firing off. I feel myself being pulled away by an unknown force towards the barrels that we're situated behind us. I feel myself come to my senses I shake my head. “IT WAS TRAP BOSS!” Grand-slam yells to me in urgency. “Don't you think I knew that the moment I was on the ground?” Grand-slam didn't reply to my snarky remark possible due to the deafening gun fire in the back ground. I looked to where I was moments ago to see all three stallions dead and both of the cases gone.
Tommy hollers to us excitement in his voice “I GOT BOTH CASES BUT THERE'S MORE GUYS COMING WATCH OUT!” About eight stallions with semi-auto weapons flooded the dock shooting us. The two other guys who I told to hide in the shadows were both dead on the ground before I could yell out to take cover. I take out my gun, a colt 45. revolver I kept in one of my pockets of my suit. Loud Shots from rifles can be heard in the distance Deadshot and Sharpshooter. I looked up once again from my cover, and see that two stallions on the ground dead one shot in the head a head shot and the other still alive (barely) clutching his gun shot wound which was to the chest. I feel sorry for the poor bastards but that's what happens when your on the receiving end of a sniper rifle. The remaining six stallions have went to take cover once they saw two of their friends dead bodies on the ground. Tommy blindly shoots his gun into the cover of the enemy gang members. I hear yells of pain. Gunfire is returned by the enemy, once they stop I shoot my revolver I hit one square on the chest he falls from where he stood into the cold murky water of the ocean. Once again shots from rifles are heard yelps of pain and death fill the air. Only one enemy remains, Grand-slam jumps from his cover and onto the freighted stallion. He beats him senseless with his bat now covered slightly in blood. “We got to get rid of the bodies, throw em' in the ocean!” I yell.
“Have fun sleeping with the fishes.” Grand-slam says as he dumps the last body into the ocean.
“Guy's we gotta split up, boss take the cash we'll take the goods alright !” Tommy throws the case towards as he finishes talking.
A grunt was my response as he threw the case containing the cash to me. They run away into the darkness of the nights. I make haste to get away from the scene alone by myself running through alleyways filled with trash,jumping over fences and avoiding areas where I would be seen easily. I stop I've made it quite far enough away from site of the deal gone sour, I breathe heavily. “Just were do you think your going eh, punk!” A foreign voice yells. I draw my revolver once again. From out of the darkness two stallions gallop towards me at full speed. I fire my revolver blindly, both stallions die instantaneously from the shots which were directed towards them, I thank Celestia and Luna for my lucky accuracy. Another two foes draw themselves from the shadows both are unarmed. I point my gun at one and pull the trigger. 'Click' “Celestia damn it” my gun had run out of ammo there was no time to reload. I put away my gun and charge them. It was a mistake I should have foreseen. I was on the cold concrete being beating to death by the larger one while the other collected the case of bits and walked away with no opposition. The larger one toke out a large steel pipe, I lay on the ground bloody, battered, bruised and suit ripped. His laugh, mocking me. He raises the blunt steel pipe to strike me down “Nighty night motherfu-”. The strike never came, I open my eyes to see my saviour. Deadshot smoke bellowing out from the barrel of his rifle. He moves towards me “ Man they beat you up but good boss” he astonishingly whispers
“Yeah, di-d you se-e him... the guy with the mo-money?” my voice came out in a raspy choked tone.
“No” he says disappointed
“What about the others then?” my throat felt as it was on fire at this point
“Five killed in action sir, the other four are fine they got away safely.”
I was overjoyed to hear that some of my friends had survived but five dead... this weighed heavily in my heart.
Guilt filled my heart, a single solitary tear escapes my left eye before I pass out from my exhausting night of thrills and woes.
PRESENT TIME
I finished telling my story to the Godfather. His response is only to sigh. “Everyone get out.” the Godfather said in a commanding tone. All the guards and myself begin to file out of the room “Except for you” his hoof is pointed directly towards me. Thousands of thoughts go through my mind is he going to piety me or is he going to murder me himself? Once all the guards leave it is myself... alone with the Godfather. “I expected better from you. As you're one of my capodencia and you are the best out of all the others.” I respond quickly “Godfather I know that I've failed you but, give me another chance please I beg of you.”
“Don't worry... I'm not killing you.” he says as if stating it as a cold hard fact.
My jaw drops. He isn't going to kill me? On the outside I kept my cool but on the inside there was a party full of balloon, music, food and streamers going all over the place. “Yes, I'm not going to kill you but.” There's always a catch in everything now a day's I think to myself. “ I”m sending you on another mission. A mission of self redemption and to recover those fifty-million bits.” Self redemption? “Godfather a mission of 'self redemption'? Am I to go into the Everfree and meditate for months till my soul is cleansed of sin?” I say jokingly. “There are no time for jokes in this world mister.” he says in slightly angered voice.
I bow my head “One thousand apologies Godfather.”
“Good now listen up, the mission is for you to redeem yourself in my eyes. Think of it as a second chance.” I nod following ( at least for the moment). “ I want you to personally guard these two mares in ponyville for me, their very near and dear to me and because of this screw up they might be targeted both for ransom or something else and none of us want that do we?”
“why would they target them sir ?” I ask
“Because of the mission you failed along with the five who died it shows that we may be weakening and their gonna try to fuck with all of us but, we're better then that you know” he stands from his seat “We are the oldest and most powerful mafia crime family on the streets of Equestria and I intend for it to stay that way for as long as I live.” I suck in air through my nostrils. What he was saying was all true, they'll attack our weakest points, sink at low levels just to take our entire crime family off the face of Equestria for good. “ So when does this mission start sir?”
“First thing tomorrow.” he sternly says.
“TOMORROW!?!?” I stumble back surprised
“Yes, problem?”
“No, but how am I gonna get to Ponyville tomorrow I have no way to get there.”
“Don't worry I have already booked you a train ticket first class on the friendship express to ponyville tomorrow morning don't sweat it.”
“Alright then Godfather.” I bow my head towards him in respect
“Arrivederci e non mi deluderà”
“Non lo farò, padrino addio” I walk out the room relived that I didn't die. Some of the guards looked surprised when I walked out of the room. “Where do you think your going eh?” the head gaurd says to me “I don't know, somewhere.”
“Well you ain't going nowhere the Boss told me you're staying here for the night in one of the spare bedrooms just down the hall, the first on the right.” I simply nod and head towards the room where I had be assigned to. I make it to the door and open it. The room was large with a bed, cabinet and another door possible leading to a personal bathroom. I head to the other door, yep it was a bathroom. I was thinking of taking a hot shower but shrugged it off until maybe tomrrow morning. I move to the mirrior, I looked like I went thorough the pits of Tartarus and back. I turn on the tap I wash my face with the cool liqued I grab the comb that was there and began to brush my mane. I felt a bit better as I turned off the tap and toke off my dirty suit. I move towards the bed plop myself on it and practically fall asleep the intsant my head hits the pillow. I've earned this night's sleep but, tomorrow the challenge was only going to begin and from there, only tougher times will be had.