Song for Chapter: Pumped Up Kicks ~ Foster The People

A/N:   Dear FBI, The song goes with my characters current state of mind. I am NOT promoting school violence, please don't raid my house.

In all seriousness, I'm aware the song is associated with school shootings. Please DON'T play it/listen to it, if it's a trigger. The band has made it clear in interviews, it was made to raise awareness of school shootings and mental illness. 

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My mind is having a hard time registering what I just saw happen. Timo and JP are both on the ground, not moving. 

The gun shots echoing in my ears. I lost them both. 

There's a loud crash and Jimmy's head snaps toward the sound. The image cuts out but we can still hear the commotion going on in the video. 

Rapid gunfire is heard and several men are screaming in pain, or agony. Jimmy's voice is clear as he yells out for the men to get the hell out of there.

 "Cassian! Cassian!" Gio yells. 

The feed cuts out completely. The silence in the room is heavy.

Gio clears his throat, then talks to Sofia "Call, Alfonso tell him it's time. Then try to reach Cassian." He runs his hand through his hair, while muttering, "Figures Timo would rather take himself out than face me, again. Fucking coward." He moves back to the center of the room. "Well, all that matters, is The Bracco's run at the top, has come to an end. It's time for a new Era."

He focuses on Cristian and I have a sinking feeling this is going to get even worse. "But why stop there."

He walks closer to Cristian. "While I'm wiping out the Bracco empire, let's talk about you Cristian."

Cristian being Cristian, takes his time standing, and begins buttoning his suit jacket, slowly, before looking over at Gio.

He clasps his hands behind his back as he address Gio. "The families have been given freedom to run things as they see fit here, with a majority of the vote on who sits at the top. But make no mistake, Giovanni Dante, I and I alone, run this shit. If you take Timo's place, you will run each and everyone of these families to the ground, with your narrow-minded view of thinking."

Gio shakes his head then shrugs. "Perhaps...however, it's time we move our organization in a new direction. But first..." He runs a hand along his chin, then faces Cristian. "I think it's time for you to be retired, old man. After all, you want to be the King, you gotta kill the King in your way, yes?"

I pull my gun out, when I see the subtle flick of the wrist Gio gives, signaling his silent killers to make their move. I aim and shoot three times, aiming for the two killers and Gio as I launch myself at Cristian, falling over him, as we hit the ground.

Two knifes are impaled into the chair Cristian was just standing in front of, both aimed at the level of where his chest would have been.

I look down at Cristian, his eyes wide in recognition of what almost happened. "Stay down" I hiss at him. I pull myself up, kneeling as all hell breaks loose. Shouting and flying bullets surround us. 

The two guards that Cristian brought, crawl over to us. "Protect him!" I shout.

I move to stand up but Cristian grabs my wrist. "Stella, we need to get the hell out of here."

"I'm not letting those assholes, get away." I pull my arm out of his grip and look around. Gio is nowhere to be found, I don't know if I even hit him. The two assassins, however, lay dead on the floor, with a bullet in the middle of each of their foreheads.

I find Sofia, fighting with a couple of guards. I zero in on my target, taking out each person that gets in my way.

A man comes towards me and I swing myself over him, cinching his head between my legs and bring him down. He ends up on the ground with me on his back. I grab and twist his arm behind him, pulling up until it snaps and then shoot him in the head.

I grab my other gun and start taking out as many as I can on all sides. Several of the men and even a few Dons run at me, but I unload my guns on them. I release the clips and re-load as more men come at me.

I fight hand to hand with a man who came from behind me. Dropping one of my guns as I grab his arm and pull him towards me, throwing a side kick to his head then shoot him in the chest. I grab the gun I dropped and holster them both as I switch to my knives.

Another guard stands in front of me. He has knives in both hands as well. He flips them around, doing some fancy shit that I don't have time for, so I throw my knives at his chest and head.

Someone comes yelling towards me and I throw a knife at his head. Another comes from the side and I throw two more knives in his direction hitting his chest and one goes through his eye. 

I bend down and pull them out of his body and take in my surroundings. Cristian is holding his own, fighting with a couple of Dons but someone comes from behind him and I through a knife, stopping them as the knife impaled into his chest. 

I turn just in time to catch a glimpse of Sofia running towards a door. I chase after her, grabbing at my whip. I uncoil it and swing it. It cracks when it connects with her ankle. She cries out as she falls to the ground; I yank back on it.

Sofia reaches down and loosens it as I face her. She stands slowly, looking at me with a sinister gleam in her eyes. "Let's finish this." She runs at me.

I grab my switch blade and right as she reaches me, I duck and roll and slice at the back of her left leg.

She limps as I turn around to face her. She pulls her own knife out. We circle each other and she pulls out a second knife from her belt, swaying them in front of her.

We both move in, slashing at each other, aiming for throats and our bodies. I block her attempt to stab me in the neck but she slashes at my side with her other knife. I move my knife back and slice behind her shoulder and elbow, rendering her left arm useless.

She shoves me away as she gauges her next move. Her left arm hanging at her side. She throws her right arm at me but I duck and move behind her, slashing at her right achilles and she falls to the ground. Her screams of pain are music to my ears.

I stand and walk around to face her. "I told you, you made a mistake coming after me."

She glares at me as I stand over her. "All that time you wasted 'getting to know me' and you learned shit. If you did, you would have known, I never wanted any of this. It was easily yours for the taking. But you came after me and the people I love."

She looks up at me and even though she's in pain, she laughs. "The people you love? Secrets seem to be your constant companion aren't they, Stella? Well, here's one that you're going to enjoy. Tony has been working for Gio for some time now, to bring Timo down."

"You're lying."

Tony and Timo have been like brothers since they were kids. He and I may have had our issues, but he would never turn his back on Timo. But as I watch the wicked grin spread across her face, my stomach turns. I now remember, I didn't see him kneeling with the others on the screen.

She cackles and proceeds to ask me, "How else do you think we were able to to get in, in that fortress of Timo's without inside help? Tony wasn't hard to sway, and wasn't that bad of a lay either." I cringe remembering she also slept with Enzo and now Tony. 

"They had no idea what was happening, and by the time they realized what was going on, it was too late." She smiles up at me. "Alfonso really owe Tony his life. He called me as soon as they took you three to the hospital. That's how I got to Alfonso in time."

Tony was behind all of this? He gave me up to them? He let Jimmy kill his own son. Anger courses through me.

She grunts and screams at me when I grab a fistful of her hair, pulling her along as I start walking. Her right arm flails as she attempts to stop me as I drag her back into the large room, again. I survey the room and several men lay dead, scattered everywhere. Others are groaning in pain, crawling to get to their associates.

I walk up to Cristian, who only has one of his guards next to him. The other guard is on the ground with a bullet in his chest and head.

There are three Dons kneeling in front of Cristian, while his guard and another aim their guns at them.

"What a fucking mess," Cristian mutters, annoyance flickers on his face. His arm is bleeding, I feel the sleeve of his suit and find he's been shot.

"Do you regret bringing me, now?" I ask. He purses his lips before his attention is drawn to Sofia, who's trying to crawl away.

"Look at the price your loyalty to Gio, cost you. Where is your new found leader, now?" I address the rest of the room, with those are still alive or barely breathing.

"Stella, if I may?" A man stands, limping towards me. "The men kneeling in front of you, are who's left, that were in alliance with Giovanni. However, Gio has several connections outside of our organization.

Your last assignment is proof of that, he's been one of the few to make partnerships, with other crime families, outside of the men in this room. Don't get me wrong, he's no Cristian." He nods to Cristian in respect.

"But make no mistake, he will put a price on your head and on the Irish hitman. He won't stop until you are both dead."

I look over at Cristian and the rest of the men who are injured and hurt. "I will end them, but...if my time comes, then it comes." Everyone I loved, is gone now. With how much time has gone on, I can only imagine what Alfonso has done to my friends who were with him. I shut my eyes tight not wanting to think about Topo, Annalisa and Samantha.

Sofia whimpers, still making her attempt to crawl away. I step on her shoulder where I sliced her. She screams out. "Maybe Sofia here, would like to redeem herself and give up where Gio and Jimmy are or will be heading?"

"Go to hell." She tells me, turning to face me.

I kneel down next to her. "You first." I slice at her throat, in a quick motion. She gasps then makes the all too familiar, gurgling sound as she chokes on her own blood. I watch as she struggles, to hold on.

"Please..." She sputters out as blood drips out of her mouth. I stand and spit down on her.

I walk around the table and make my way to Carmela. Her body is still warm as I touch her arm to roll her over. My eyes blur as I brush her gray hair away from her face. I reach over and close her eyes. I lay my head on her chest as a sob comes out. She smells just like I remember. She was my nonna and I never knew.

"I will make sure she is given a proper burial, cara." Cristian says from behind me.

I stand, wiping my face and nose, muttering a thank you. I look over at the remaining three traitors. "What happens to them?" I point with my chin in their direction.

"I have my own ideas, but...I'll leave it up to you." He tells me. The rest of the men who are able to stand nod in agreement with Cristian.

I walk over to them and draw one of my guns. "Please, Signorina Bracco, we had no choice. Giovanni was threatening us." One of the men pleads.

The few remaining Dons who are still loyal to Cristian stand behind us as I address the cowards.

"There's always a choice. You could have talked to Timo, or Cristian. You made your choice to follow Gio."

I cock my gun.

Another begins to cry. "Por favore! We have families."

"So did I, before you aided the man who left you here; helping him take out my own family. Let's not forget, you were all in support of Giovanni attempting to assassinate Cristian, tonight. The fact that he hasn't killed you himself, is the only act of mercy you will get."

They're all crying at this point, blubbering and pleading in Italian. I stand in front of them, shushing them, placing my other finger to my lips. They stop their sobs, but whimper as they watch me. 

I walk behind them slowly. "Por favo—"

I pull the trigger three times, without thinking twice.