[Episode] Gravitational Pull

Ebony had risen bright and early for the day for not much other reason than to get back Adonis. In his drunken state, he had nearly ruined the negotiations she had scheduled with Curtis a few nights before. Had it not been for Curtis’ graciousness, she would have been seething in fury for a few days more. However, that did not mean she would let him get away with doing so. Thus, she had come up with a plan to make him pay.

Knowing fully well that he was not a morning person, she had decided to bring him along under the pretense of picking up more skills of the trade. He was to help her collect the debts that were owed to her father although, in truth, Ebony knew she had not needed to provide him with an explanation. After all, she knew more than anyone that one word from her would still have gotten her the same result. He had shown his loyalty several times before.

Unfortunately, despite it having been a few days,  Adonis had not shown any signs of repenting and, as such, she figured that he needed a push. It was one of the reasons she had made him come for something unrelated to his actual job. However, she realized that it would work to her benefit. Once she and Adonis branched off, he would be more than prepared to take on the tasks required of the mafia’s innerworkings. Although, truthfully, she could just send lackeys to complete the tasks.

As she pondered over the future, Adonis turned to her in order to inquire about the job. "So... we basically just go to the people. Say they need to pay back what they borrowed from your daddy, then we kick their asses so that they pay on time again?" Ebony shrugged. It was one way to do so. Everyone had their own methods. She, for example, preferred rather extreme measures in order to have them used as an example to others who partook in their loans.

However, there were still certain few who still took their chances. She could not understand why but it gave her the simple pleasure in knowing that they were practically begging for her to pay them a visit. Of course, being as courteous as she was, how could she refuse? Adonis yawned which gave Ebony a rather devious idea. She looked up at him as he concluded with a question. "Are we seriously going to be giving back all the cheddarino to the ole man? Or are we robbin' em?"

Ebony grinned widely. If it was payback that she truly wanted, then all she needed to do was throw him straight in while she watched on. An amusing possibility for sure. “The best method is a hands on one,” Ebony nodded to herself. “I’ll give you the first go. Once there, I’ll evaluate how you do and give you a few pointers.” Of course, it would be more for her entertainment than actually seeing if things went well. She could always step in if things got out of hand.

As per his next question, she replied nonchalantly. “So long as we don’t report it, no one will know we have it.” It truly wouldn’t be her problem if others came to take back the money a second time. Not that it mattered since she had edited the ledger a tad bit. “Even if they do investigate, the names will have disappeared from the ledgers.” She took great measures in planning all of this. She had to start somewhere if she wanted to leave with extra pocket change once this was all done and over with.

615 | 615 | 5000

Ebony ignored his shameless remark as she continued to walk down towards their destination. It seemed as if he had gotten more and more brazen as time went on. It was, perhaps, a direct consequence of his lack of discipline. However, she let it go as Adonis being Adonis. No that she cared much to stop him and his innuendos. Having arrived, she held back from entering first. He would be taking the reins on this operation, after all.  

"O-Oh... hello sir. I was just about to come and see Neo'Angelo in the morning..." The man stammered when he saw Adonis. Ebony rolled her eyes as she leaned against the doorframe of the shop’s entrance. It was a typical excuse most people gave her whenever they saw her coming. However, excuses wouldn’t pay back the loan. They had been given time. Whether or not they used it wisely was on them.

Ebony looked around the shop with disinterest. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have any business deals going on. Both were working. Therefore, it was quite evident that they had been receiving orders so what was the hold-up? She looked at her fingertips as if to inspect them. If anything, the couple could have sold their shop. She was sure someone would be more than willing to pay for this.. lovely place.

She said nothing as Adonis took the lead. She missed the look he gave her as she was much more focused on her fingernails. It seemed as if she was soon due to get them re-shaped. They were always a hassle to maintain but she believed it to be worth it. Ebony opened and closed her hand as she sought to get a better look at the.nails. Perhaps she would go with coffin next or keep them as they were. Stiletto, after all, was her favorite.

Ebony lifted her eyes to see what Adonis had gotten himself into. To her amusement, she watched as he seemed to fully immerse himself into the typical lackey role. Sure, the way he held himself needed some refinement but it was a transformation that nearly brought a grin to her face. It was amusing to say the least but he seemed to rather enjoy it. However, she kept her face devoid of emotion in order to keep the illusion of disinterest.

Opting to keep a closer eye on him turned out to be the better choice. In fact, she was thrilled that he provided her enjoyment to an otherwise lackluster event. Perhaps, she mused to herself, it wouldn’t hurt to bring him along every once in a while on her runs. She’d make sure it would be early mornings, too. She snickered as the man begged Adonis for mercy. To her delight, she would soon be given a pleasant surprise.

Adonis, now channeling the persona of the stereotypical mafioso, responded to their pleas in a manner she had not expected. “I'm a reasonable man…I believe in an eye for an eye. You took money from us, so we have to take from you." A wide, sadistic grin immediately spread across Ebony’s face as Adonis took his next actions to a rather amusing level. In one quick movement, he’d take out the man’s eye. Ebony bit her lip to avoid laughing.  

"Now you can truly see how tolerant our family is with late payments. A real first hand experience.” In an effort to maintain composure, Ebony decided to inspect her fingers once more as her grin widened. He had tossed out her words back to them which truly magnified her amusement of the ordeal. “You have... four more days to get the money.” She snickered at his stumble. She hadn’t authorized the timeframe but she could let it pass considering the show he had just given her.

As he grabbed the money, Ebony kept her grin as she gave him a satisfied look. "Here you go, mistress~" He said, wholly proud of himself.  Ebony’s eyes gleamed in amusement. She had to admit that he had more than proved himself capable of handling debt collections. However, there was more to it than the typical shop worker. Thus, the next one would give him a rather different sort of experience.

“Well, done,” Ebony mused. “Keep the beli. You more than earned it.” She removed herself from the doorframe and made her way outside. “Our next one goes by the name of Mr. Sandoval. He’s known to hide out whenever it gets close to the due date so we may be in for a bit of a chase.” Not that she minded considering she’d make Adonis do the running. Either that, or she could shoot his legs to keep him from escaping. “I hope you’re up to the task... Don~”

795 | 1410 | 5000

"Sandavol... I think I know where he is.~” Adonis exclaimed, following up with a hand movement that created emphasis to his words. He seemed rather excited about his epiphany so much so that Ebony decided to remain silent. His mood had improved dramatically. Something she was not looking forward to crushing so early in the day. She figured that he deserved to have his fun even if it would result in nothing.

Ebony knew, after all, that Sandoval was a creature of habit and repetition. A pitiful man with no sense of resourcefulness or smarts for that matter. However, due to his cowardly nature, it always made things more interesting whenever he saw her approach. He always thought himself to be one step ahead but, rather amusingly, he always opted to hide out in the very same place.

"If I were capable of hiding away from the Golden Wolfs, it'd have to come down to two options. Either I have left the territory a week in advance of any collection dates... which is highly unlikely since it'd cut into my profits." Adonis said as he went on a tangent. Ebony nodded as if to agree.

Had Adonis been talking about anyone else, Ebony would have been rather inclined to agree. It made perfect sense. The Golden Wolves were not people one could easily hide from considering the role they played in the Syndicate. However, it did not mean much if a runner had formed their own connections past its borders. Something she would consider for the future.  

"Or I'd just have a sale up until I can afford to pay the Panera Brothers to smuggle me out of the district." Ebony’s ears perked. That was a name she hadn’t heard in a while. They were widely renowned for their expertise as contract mercenaries. People she had once had the pleasure of running with several years back.

Ebony looked at Adonis deep in thought as he hummed to himself. It appeared that he had gone off into his own world as he attempted to piece the puzzle together. It was somewhat endearing to watch so much so that she couldn’t help a small smile that spread across her face. However, as he turned to look at her, Ebony attempted to revert her expression to display mild disinterest.

“There are few places where we keep watch over however…" Adonis would start. Ebony, on the other hand, turned to face slightly away from him. She wasn’t sure if he had caught her but she figured playing it off was a better option. Busying herself with such useless thoughts, Ebony would miss out on most of what he said.

What she did manage to grasp was that they were heading down to the underground tunnels. It was a place Ebony did not like to go considering how much of a pain it was to get there. Neither would it be considered worth the trouble as she was sure Sandoval hadn’t made contact with the Brothers. Unless, of course, that man had grown a brain within the span of a few months.

However, one look at Adonis made her reconsider against bursting his bubble. He was a man on a mission and, despite everything, she didn’t mind following him on a wild goose chase. Thus, Ebony decided to keep her mouth shut as he looked at her full of pride. She finally looked up at him and gave him a sincere smile.

If that was where he wanted to go, then that was where they would make their way to. She had given him authority to take the lead on this, after all. As such, Ebony proceeded to follow him towards where he figured the Brother’s could be. To her surprise, however, it ended up taking less time than expected.

As the duo made their way towards the Panera Brother's base, it became increasingly evident that they had just received pay from somewhere. It, in turn, made her doubt Sandoval’s location. However, one looked at their stash and she knew that the small fry hadn’t been the one to pay for their services.

Adonis looked at her for guidance. Ebony, having been quite familiar with the two men, decided to simply make their presence known. However, as soon as one of their men became aware of her, he pulled out his weapon. Ebony clicked her tongue. She decided that simply talking would be a waste and so she decided to take quick action.

In a rapid and practiced manner, Ebony pulled out her crossbow and shot several bolts into the poor man’s body. He’d have no time to react as he collapsed in a bundle of lifeless flesh on the floor. Seeing as how things had gotten out of hand, Ebony lifted her eyes and made eye contact with one of the brothers - Alfredo.

If he wanted trouble, then she had no qualms for it. However, Alfredo took one look at Ebony and lifted both arms apologetically. “Sorry there, Ebby.” He chuckled nervously. “Me and my boys here are a bit trigger-hungry. You know how it is.” He took a few steps closer. Once he reached the body, he nudged it with his foot. “Now, what can we do for you and your boy today?”

Ebony nodded as she relaxed her hold on her crossbow. This seemed to cause Alberto and his brother to relax somewhat. “Hm… We’re simply passing by.” Ebony said with a nonchalant shrug. “You wouldn’t happen to know Mr. John Sandoval, now would you?” She’d turned her attention towards Adonis. If he had anything he wanted to ask, then she’d give him the space to.

945 | 2355 | 5000