The Reign of Lily Black

No Elitist criminals

At least I'm not an elitist snob. - Wednesday Addams

When Lily wakes up in the morning, she notices that Kro has not yet arrived with her morning reviews. So Lily decides to go out into the streets for a little while to enjoy the early morning air.

As she reaches the streets, she feels how the crisp morning air slips over her face, how a few lone crows roost in dark puddles, and dull gusts of wind occasionally stir up small clouds of dust near the edges of the houses.

In addition to the early morning smells, the air also has a slight smell of old paint, the smell of dirt wafting from the pipes.

For some people, this would probably be one of the first signs that would have forced them out of town, but for Lily, it was more than that. Especially when she had the opportunity to enjoy it in private.

Unfortunately, there weren't as many of those mornings as the girl would have liked, and on top of that, this morning also happened to be one of those mornings.

Lily had just settled down on the edge of the fountain when she suddenly notices Irina coming towards the fountain from the western streets of the city.

Lily adjusts herself a little better and waits for the girl to sit next to her.

"I was looking for you, Lily," Irina says to break the silence.

Lily turns to Irina and says, "Then we're in the same boat as you, Irina. I also need to talk to you and Vassili."

Irina nods quietly and begins, "In our part of the city, the number of attacks has started to increase, and many members of Lev's team have therefore begun to doubt your position and leadership skills."

Lily nods to herself and asks, "Aren't you one of them by any chance?"

Irina shakes her head and says: "Vassili and I believe you. And Vitali."

"So that's the way it is. And what do you suspect about that?" asks Lily.

"The sides are forming, Lily Black. And I need to know...."

"Where do you fit in," Lily murmurs softly.

„Я просто хочу знать, где я нахожусь, Лили." says Irina looking at her knees. ("I just want to know where I am standing, Lily.")

„Справедливо. Но как только вы вошли, пути назад уже нет." says Lily warningly. ("Fair. But once you have entered, there is no going back.")

"Я уже сделать первый шаг, не так ли?" Irina asks with a half-smile. ("I've already taken the first step, haven't I?")

Lily nods to herself and says, "У нас есть враги. Большинство из них лежат среди нас, а мы даже не подозреваем об этом." ("We have enemies. Most of them lie among us, and we don't even know it.")

„Кто величайший из этих врагов?" Irina asks, frowning. ("Who is the greatest of these enemies?")

„На данный момент любой, кто на стороне Стеллы Сторм Снаков. Или, как она любит называть Шторма Снакова." says Lily looking around suspiciously. ("At the moment, anyone who is on the side of Stella Storm Snakov. Or, as she likes to call Storm Snakov.")

Irina nods to herself and Lily quietly adds: „О, и кстати. Также она отлично владеет иностранными языками. Что также включает в себя свободное владение русским языком. Так что на вашем месте я бы предпочел продолжать говорить по-английски, чтобы она не стала слишком подозрительной." ("Oh, and by the way. She is also fluent in foreign languages. Which also includes fluency in Russian. So if I were you, I'd rather keep speaking English so she doesn't get too suspicious.")

Irina nods again and asks even more quietly, "What are you going to do about taking over the Criminal Empire?"

"We're leaving in a few days. The next gathering will be in Italy, near the estates of Marcello Ferecci, which gives me a certain advantage as his direct descendant."

"Why in Italy?" Irina asks, looking at Lily with a confused expression.

"Because Kro convened the Criminal Empire and strangled one of its other members, claiming that it was only fair to hold such gatherings in Italy to honor Marcello Ferecci's position and influence as the deceased ruler and creator of the Criminal Empire."

Irina stiffens in disgust and mutters: "You're still weird. You elitist criminals."

Lily smirks to herself and says, "Oh, trust me. We are  very far from the elite. We are bloodthirsty predators through and through, who see power as an animal to be captured at the cost of our lives. And break down."

Irina smiles quietly and says: "Then let's go and break them down."

Lily nods and says, "The first thing we need to do is determine what we're going up against. And whose. So it's important to set out most of your team, Shadow and Snake. Electra and Kro will handle the information search, and Than will handle your equipment and weapon checks. He is one of the most competent weapons experts I have ever had the pleasure of working with, so... If you have a gun concern or need a paradigm shift in your strategies, choose Than."

"And if things get complicated...?" Irina asks hesitantly.

"Then you come to me. Or if you really can't make it, get Alina. As much as I have the opportunity to observe the two of you, the cooperation between you is one of the smoothest in Lev's team," Lily answers in a callous voice.

Irina nods again and slips off to Snake's base, leaving Lily by the fountain to enjoy the last moments of the early morning crispness. But in the end, he also leaves and silently walks to his base when he suddenly notices Storm walking around his house.

Lily looks at her thoughtfully and is about to walk to her stairs when suddenly Storm almost knocks the girl down.

Lily pulls herself back up and Storm looks at Lily startled and mutters, "Lily! I didn't notice you there. Are you all right?"

Lily nods softly and pushes the girl's hand away and takes a few steps away from her and asks, "I never expected to see you around here. Why are you here?"

"I'm helping Electra with her technical field work," Storm answers hastily.

Lily stares at the girl in silence for a long time, then walks past her muttering, "Watch who you push down. Because those who have been knocked down once and then stood up are the ones you should fear."

Storm nods quietly and says, "These are just words. Your words. And just like any other person's words, they too will someday disappear into the void."

"Very good. Because everything that humans don't rule belongs to ghosts. And that's what I rule anyway," Lily answers coldly.