Godfather System C131 Get back

Ada's brow furrowed as she processed Lorenzo's words. "But my family... we're trying to go legitimate. To build something that lasts, something we can be proud of. And you're willingly choosing this life of crime?"

Lorenzo's smile never wavered, but his eyes took on a more serious glint. "Ada, in this world, in this time, living purely by the law is a luxury few can afford. There will always be evil, always be those who prey on the weak and vulnerable."

He leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "The police, the government - they can't always protect you, even if you're wealthy. To truly have power, to have some control over your life and fate, you need to have a hand in the darkness."

Ada opened her mouth to argue, but Lorenzo continued. "It's not about being evil, it's about being prepared. Having the means to protect yourself and those you care about. The connections, the influence - they're tools, Ada. Tools that can be used for good or ill."

Ada fell silent, her mind racing. She'd never heard someone articulate the criminal life in quite this way before. It wasn't glorifying violence or greed, but presenting it as a necessary evil, a form of protection and control in an unpredictable world.

"I... I never thought of it that way," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lorenzo reached out, gently taking her hand. "The world isn't black and white, Ada. It's all shades of gray. The sooner you understand that, the better equipped you'll be to navigate it."

As Ada looked into Lorenzo's eyes, she felt as if she was seeing the world in a new light.

***

As Lorenzo and Ada continued their conversation, the door to the pub burst open. Adam and Leo stumbled in, their faces bruised and bloody. Their purchased oranges rolled across the floor, some smeared with crimson streaks.

Lorenzo stood quickly, his expression a mix of concern and anger. "What happened?"

Ada gasped, her hand covering her mouth. "Oh my God, are you alright?"

Adam, his voice weak, managed to speak. "Sabini's men... they jumped us." He reached into his coat with a wince, pulling out a crumpled letter.

Lorenzo took the paper, his jaw clenching as he read the message from Sabini demanding they leave his territory. Ada, peering over his shoulder, asked, "What could you have done to provoke them like this?"

Lorenzo remained silent, crushing the paper in his fist.

The door swung open again as John, Arthur, and Thomas entered, their faces grim. John spoke first, "We heard what happened. Lorenzo, you and your men need to leave. Fast."

Arthur nodded in agreement. "Sabini's not one to make idle threats. This is serious."

Thomas remained silent, his piercing gaze fixed on Lorenzo.

It was clear that the Shelby brothers, save for Thomas, were wary of crossing Sabini. Their reaction spoke volumes about the current power dynamics in London - the Peaky Blinders might rule Birmingham, but Sabini was still the current king.

Lorenzo's smile was chilling, a glint of madness in his eyes. "We're not leaving yet," he said calmly, his voice at odds with the tension in the room.

The Shelbys, including Thomas, stared at him in disbelief. Lorenzo casually picked up a bottle of milk from the table, gulping it down and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Watch after my men, will you? Get them patched up," he said, heading for the door.

Thomas stepped forward. "Where are you going?"

Lorenzo paused, his hand on the doorknob. "To see a friend," he replied cryptically before disappearing into the night.

As the door swung shut, Arthur voiced what they were all thinking. "He's not... he couldn't be going after Sabini, could he?"

A heavy silence fell over the room. Ada shook her head, "No, surely not. From what I've seen of him, he's not that reckless."

Thomas chuckled darkly. "Ada, if you think that, you don't know him at all."

John nodded in agreement, though his face betrayed his uncertainty. "Lorenzo's crazy, sure, but even he wouldn't go for revenge alone... would he?"

***

Lorenzo activated his unique ability, {Upside Down}, as he left the pub. The world around him shifted, becoming a shadowy reflection of reality. In this altered state, he moved with supernatural speed and stealth.

He quickly made his way to the market where Adam and Leo had been attacked. There, he found ten men lounging about, laughing and eating the oranges they had stolen from his men.

"Did you see how those two just took it?" one man chuckled. "Like trained dogs, they were."

Lorenzo stepped out of the shadows, his sudden appearance startling the group. They turned to face him, recognition dawning on their faces.

"Well, well," the apparent leader sneered. "If it isn't the boss of those two cowards."

The men approached Lorenzo, their postures aggressive and mocking. Lorenzo remained still, his face impassive as they drew near.

"What's the matter?" another taunted. "Cat got your tongue? Or are you just as yellow as your men?"

Lorenzo's silence only seemed to embolden them further. They crowded around him, laughing and jeering, completely unaware of the danger they were in.

"Come on then," the leader growled, now just inches from Lorenzo's face. "Show us what you've got, big man."

Lorenzo's eyes glinted dangerously, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He moved with inhuman speed, a result of his system increasing his physical status.

Before the group could react, Lorenzo had already struck one of the men with a bat. The man's head was smashed onto the floor, his face deformed by the impact. Blood splattered everywhere, and the orange he had been eating was launched from his hand.

At this instant, the group barely had time to process the situation.

The others stared in shock, struggling to process what had just happened. Lorenzo calmly picked up an orange from the ground, peeling it as he faced the remaining men.

The men were shocked. Fear began to creep into their eyes.

"You're all fools," Lorenzo said coldly, his eyes narrowing. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

As the scene unraveled, the market folk scattered in haste, abandoning the men to confront Lorenzo alone.

Though taken aback, the men’s leader refused to be cowed.

"He's but one man, lads! And we are armed! Let's show this Yankee he can't trifle with us!" He drew a pistol, aiming it at Lorenzo.

However, before he could fire, Lorenzo moved with inhuman speed and agility, shoving the orange into the leader's mouth and smashing his head onto the ground with even more force than before. The man's teeth shattered upon impact, and the orange exploded in a shower of pulp and rind.

"Bloody hell!"

"What on earth?"

"Is this chap even human?"

"Don't—don't be afraid, let's have a go at him!"

As the other men tried to attack Lorenzo, he effortlessly evaded their clumsy swings and countered with vicious blows of his own.

He broke arms, legs, and ribs, leaving the men with crippling injuries but still alive to feel the pain. Their screams echoed through the market, a gruesome reminder of the consequences of crossing Lorenzo.

"Next time," Lorenzo said coldly, wiping the blood from his hands, "think twice before you mess with my men."

The men lay on the ground, groaning in pain. They couldn't believe what had just happened. They began to question in their minds whether Lorenzo was even a man at all, or some kind of monster.

Lorenzo looked down at them and said, "Give this message to your boss." He tossed a letter to the less injured man, who groaned as he took it.

With that, Lorenzo kicked him away and left, the letter clenched tightly in the man's hand.

Moments later, someone reported the incident to Darby Sabini, and soon after, he and his lieutenants appeared on the scene.

"Can someone elucidate precisely what transpired here?" Darby asked, his voice grim.

One of his men replied, "Boss, a witness stated that one individual confronted our men, and the individual seemed perilous, instantly incapacitating one of them."

Darby frowned, "How is it conceivable? They only faced one person, and you expect me to believe that they were bested by a single person?"

His lieutenant continued, "It's true, boss. The witness said it was like a scene from a horror movie. This person moved so fast, and the violence... it was unlike anything they'd ever seen."

Darby's eyes narrowed. "Describe this person. Was it one of the Shelby brothers, perhaps?"

As Darby wondered if it was the Shelby brothers, one of the injured men groaned and tried to speak. "Bo-boss..."

Darby and his men turned to look at the man, who was holding out a letter. "This... This is what that guy left. He said he wanted to give it to you..."

Darby frowned, crouching down to take the letter. He removed the seal and began to read the message inside.

"Mr. Sabini, I advise you to reconsider any hostile intentions toward myself or my men. Underestimate me at your peril, for I possess the means to eliminate you entirely. You are insignificant, and your attempts to intimidate me are futile. - Lorenzo Lupo"

Reading the letter, Darby's face darkened as he realized who was behind the attack.

He crumpled the paper and turned to his men, saying, "I know who's behind this now. It was that bastard Lupo..." He added with a mutter, "He'll pay for this..."

Darby's lieutenants exchanged worried glances. They had never seen their boss so angry, and they knew that Lorenzo would soon regret crossing Darby Sabini.

With the letter in hand, Darby and his men left the scene, determined to find Lorenzo and make him pay for his actions.