
Gothic City, Conti Tower
Antonio Conti stood in his dining room on the fifty second floor of the Conti tower. It was was of seven Gothic City skyscrappers he owned under his guise as a legitimate business owner. As a businessman he was reasonably successful. But as a Don of the Conti family he was man of tremendous wealth and unquestioned power.
Cigar smoke circled his distinguished features as he puffed on his Louixs cigar. Steel grey ran through his black hair, matching his grey Brioni suit. At fifty seven years old Don Conti was still as fit as ever, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He was not a man that accepted anything less than excellence, from himself or from his employees.
Twelve of those employees set in leather seats at a long mahogany dining table behind him. Italian suits, gold watches and cigars were in abundance. Cell phones did not ring; electronics were not allowed in the Don's presence. The lieutenants and captains set in silence. When Don Conti wanted to speak he would speak. If it was a hour, was an hour. If it was two hours, it was two hours. You didn't interrupt the Don when he was speaking and you damn sure didn't interrupt him while he was thinking.
Nine feet of carved oak made up the broad double doors that were the entrance to the smoke filled chamber. One guard stood beside the door, in a plain black suit. No mountain of muscle with a shaved head and attitude he was a tall, thin man with a clean shave and thinning brown hair. During the nineties he had been a supervillain named Spark but now he was Don Conti's personal bodyguard.
Something thumped against the thick oak door. A couple of the Mafia captains looked over their shoulders. Spark frowned and wiggled the fingers of his right hand.
Then the door blew into splinters and black smoke billowed into the room.
Spark whirled, hand extended, electricity arching between his fingers. A red clad figure burst from the cloud, trailing black smoke as he charged. Lightning cracked, so bright it seared itself into the captain's vision and the scent of burned ozone filled the room. The thunder was deafening.
The Orochi fell, white smoke pouring from empty eye sockets with the scent of cooked flesh.
"COME GET SOME YOU FUC-" An arrow flew from the expanding cloud of smoke, piercing his throat. He gagged, falling onto his back and crawling backwards as the flesh around the wound turned black with poison.
Another blast of lightning flew from his finger tips into the cloud of smoke. Two arrows answered, punching through his chest. In the silence after the thunder his death rattle filled the room.
The captains sat, frozen as Orochi filed into the elegant boardroom. Behind them the Don squeezed one of his cuff links between his thumb and index finger. A clear barrier snapped up from the floor to lock into place against the ceiling. Bulletproof, atmospherically sealed and reinforced with a micro-vibranium mesh purchased from the very nation that was now assaulting his boardroom.
Ice water ran through his veins as the Don straightened the collar of his jacket and brushed a speck of dust from his left jacket cuff. He regarded the Orochi surrounding his captains with a stoic gaze. The Don didn't laugh, he didn't smile and he didn't frown.
In three minutes and thirteen seconds his issuance polacy would kick in. He knew it. The Orochi couldn't break through the barrier between them in that time. He knew it. They knew it.
It was just a matter of time.
Ivana rose from his shadow. Standing behind him she drew a vibranium dagger from her boot. He puffed a cigar while his captains stared in horror, afraid to point a warning while surrounded by the Orochi.
The dagger glowed purple in the Shogun's black gauntlet. She sliced his throat open to the bone. His head flopped back like a puppet with the strings cut and his blood sprayed across the translucent barrier.
A black boot crushed his cuff link. The barrier receded into the floor, the quiet hum of hydraulics mixing with Don Conti's last gurgles.
Ivana stepped over his body and walked to the head of the table.
"Gentlemen. Meet the new boss."
She removed her helm.
"Me."
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