A Man of Honor.

Chapter 12: Bang!

"Murders came with smiles, shooting people was no big deal for us Goodfellas." ~ Henry Hill

I arrived at Junior's Club just as it was getting ready to open for the evening. I was let in through the door by the bouncers that recognized me and I went straight for the bar to get a glass of whiskey. The bartender poured me a glass and refilled it when I downed it all in one big gulp savoring how it burned down my throat making me cough.

"Woah! Easy Gent! We're here for a business meeting, remember?" I heard O-Ushi say putting a hand on my shoulder as I picked up and took a small savory sip of my second glass.

"Sorry," I apologized to her looking down into my glass. "I just really needed to take the edge off."

"I get that," she said with a nod. She hopped onto a stool next to me. I could tell that she wanted to ask me who and why I wanted someone dead but that was business that needed to be discussed with Junior. Honestly I wanted to just blab everything here right here and now, just to talk about it and hope that she could tell me that this was a horrible idea.

We drank together in silence. There was no room for small talk when we both knew just what kind of business had brought the two of us here. I watched as tonight's DJ set up in the booth while the waiters and everyone readied the tables and chairs.

By the time I was halfway through my second glass the bartender told us that Junior was waiting to meet us in his office and we carried our drinks up to him. Junior was sitting behind his desk pouring his own drink when we walked in. He stood up to greet us and we both bowed to him in respect.

"Shatei-Gashira," O-UShi and I both said in unison, addressing Junior by his formal title.

"O-Ushi... Jaune," he said, returning the bow and motioning us to the chairs so we might sit down. Junior took his seat and folded his hands as he studied me. "So Mr. Arc... who do you want to kill?"

I swallowed, "Ryu and Michail." I told him firmly, "I think I might have a plan to take them both down at the same time."

Junior and O-Ushi both blinked and looked at me with bewilderment in their eyes. I wasn't just asking for a hit on anybody, I was asking for a hit on the two most prominent thorns in their sides.

"You have a plan?" O-Ushi asked me, finally speaking up.

"The beginnings of one," I explained to them. "But we got to act soon or the chance will slip through our fingers and other people will get killed."

"Slow down Gent," Junior said to me holding his hand up. "Start at the beginning."

I took a breath and a sip of whiskey and proceeded to tell them everything. I told them about Jun using Toshi and I's bootlegging businesses to push drugs. I told them about Cardin and how I knew him from Beacon and how his team knocked Toshi and I around. I told them about how the twins and I got even and how I recruited Cardin as muscle. And then I told them about the meeting I had with Kenzo only hours earlier. I told them all about our little plan and his demands, including paying off the Atlesians for the drugs.

"You want us to buy drugs!?" O-Ushi asked me when I had gotten to that part.

"I want you to settle their debt so they can get out from under the Atlesian's heel," I explained to her. "Just because Michail is dead doesn't mean that Nicky or the rest of them are going to forget all about that money. Flush the shit down the toilet for all Kenzo and I care. Then Kenzo can bring the 24k Dragons back into the Clan's fold."

"It isn't unreasonable," Junior chimed in. "If the price for peace with the 24k Dragons can be measured in lien then I'm willing to pay for it. But this peace will also be bought with blood and I have my reservations about letting you go through with this hit."