Deccard Brothers: SPADE

Chapter 35: "Welcome to the Family."

Of all the weirdest requests that mom has asked of us, having dinner with Trickster was the weirdest.

"How are you liking the taste, hon?" Rinig kong malambing na saad ni mama kay Trickster. "It's okay Mrs. Queen."

"Nonsense!" our mother exclaimed before drinking her water. Lahat kami inaabangan ang sasabihin niya after uminom. It's human's instinct to follow their superior, consciously or unconsciously. I drank my water because I was continuously watching my mom's movements.

"Call me mom." I unintentionally inhaled my water, causing me to choke and gasp. Melkaye was beside me, patting my back while I wipe my mouth with the napkin provided for me. "Are you okay?" Pinipigilang matawa ni Melkaye habang tinitignan ko ng masama si mama. "Ma!"

"What?" Mom stared back at me, "He's part of our family now! He's still of Mafia Blood." She looked at all of us pointedly, "your father's blood which means?" Club answered, albeit reluctantly. "He's family." Himalang walang imik si Heart at nagko-concentrate lang sa pagkain.

Wala ang mga Umbra namin ngayon. Hindi ko alam kung saan sila nagpunta. Mom sent them out on an errand so it's just us six here at the private dining table located inside the Mafia HQ. "We're going to move inside the Castle that Spade has provided for us, my sons." She looked at Mel, "and daughter." She smiled as if the father's disappearance and Diamond's imprisonment are not weighing heavily on her.

"I—" Trickster cleared his throat before continuing what he wanted to say. "I'll do my best to help you manage the Mafia's affairs." I rebuked him. "We don't trust you." He sighed before bowing his head, shaking it. "You have to..." We heard him whisper. "Please." Gone was the Trickster who antagonized us, This Trickster looked fragile. Like a mask has been removed and there stood a broken man.

"Hahaha!" Mom unexpectedly laughed. "I can handle those tasks myself, son." Trickster shook his head yet again, for the first time in my life, I couldn't understand this person. "What are you shaking your head for?"

"He knows something." Heart spoke for the first time ever since he kept quiet. "Don't you, Black?"

Trickster thought about it for a second before nodding his head slowly and bringing his head down. "Well? Spill." Heart laid back on his seat while crossing his arms, "Unless you want us to torture you for it."

"Something bigger than us is coming." He finally said. We listened intently as he named the traitor, as well as his plans to conquer the mafia using Trixie's men, The Thylikós Thánatos.

"He said that me killing those men were a big loss in Trixie's gang, and that he was willing to replace them with his if I agreed to his plans. At first, I thought his plans were different. I thought they weren't going to involve you, The Mafia Famiglia. But he laid out his plans, and it included raging war and assassinating every family related to the Mafia." He paused for a while, "He'll execute those who will not comply, as well as the Dikastís and the Pronomioúchos. I'm sorry. He made me choose, Trixie or all of you. I never wanted to betray you, I just wanted a family."

Hearing that one of our family members planned to betray us really put a knife into my heart. We gave him everything, and this is how he repays us? Mom was shocked, to say the least. But I see that a part of her has already seen this outcome.

Heart and Club were seething in anger, trying to keep calm by breathing through their noses and expanding their lungs. Si Mel walang ginawa kundi makinig lamang sa pamilya naming maproblema. I wanted to ask him a question, and so I did.

"Sino ang pinili mo?" I now understood where he's coming from. Trixie has been a part of his life ever since he can remember, and we were just his blood-related people. Family ties can only run so deep.

"Kayo."

"Why?"

"Kasi pamilya ko kayo." He looked all of us in the eye, "And family members don't betray their family."

"How would we know that you're not lying?" Heart asked. "Malay mo, pinapasabi niya lang pala sayo to para makuha mo ang tiwala namin."

"Because I have nothing left to lose! My gang abandoned me, Trixie abandoned me," Finally, the tears in his eyes fell, "I have no one left to cherish." Kanina ko pa kinikilatis ang galaw niya. I can conclude that it's all true. What he's saying, is true. I know the others felt it too, Mel most of all. She just wanted us to decide for ourselves.

Lahat nananahimik, kaya ako na mismo gumalaw at tumayo mula sa upuan ko at tinungo ang daan papunta sa kaniya. Naramdaman niya siguro na may papalapit na tao sa kaniya kaya siya napatingin sa akin. "Spade," He whispered, "I know you hate me—"

I hugged him before he could even finish his sentence. No words were needed when I gave my all to this embrace. I knew he needed this hug badly because he hugged me back, tighter than me even. I heard multiple chairs scraping and felt them also embrace Black. "No one should've suffered the way you had."

"Welcome to the family."