Interlude II The inner circle in strife

"Put up some music will ya love, We have a long day of work ahead"

"Sure thing Mr.Louise." A woman wearing a dark green suit stepped to the corner of a dark room, She was hardly the only one there, rows and rows of desks were put together as people frenetically moved documents endlessly, the constant ringing of phones and a radio kept on the air none the less the woman headed to an old phonograph and put a record to play, it was a mellow classical song, a relic that could be hard to ever be found on the city with ease, music from the times before.

"Alright then, it's been a day since Kafe Ocassio closed permanently, No one is going to stay with their arms crossed, early raiser catches the worm I say."At the end of the room, there was a desk with a huge brown chair, the man who sat there was smoking one cigar after another while looking at a wall with a map of the city. He had his back turned to the map so the rest of the people in the room could see him, only his arm raising his cigar as smoked mixed in the closed room, his voice was loud and reverating, but with a jolly tone, so all in the office could hear him."

"Mr.Louise we just received a call, A small group of triad men are walking in the middle of the market district, They are armed one of them is a devil." A man walked close to him with a pack of documents.

"A devil huh? Which one?" Mr.Louise asked him without moving from his spot, but the other man wasn't bothered by that.

"Taotie Sir, It is almost inevitable he will try to take the district by force, The police are currently absent for some reason, we are still looking into it."

"Huh, well that's concerning, I did hear rumour the chief drove out of headquarters in the morning, but no worries I had a feeling this was gonna happen, so I made a call of my own in the morning...Tell the boy to track our uninvited guest and keep me posted."

"Sure thing Sir." The president of the information agency took one more smoke as he looked at the market district on his map.

"let's see if you can still be trusted, Mr.Nishiyama."

***

The night had fallen in the market district, but the atmosphere had never been this tense, the people here were used to seeing people from the families in their districts, but not like today, and one thing was in every person mind, the Ocassio family was no more, there was no one to pay protection too, but also no one to protect their business anymore.

"Alright, now then we heard you all having a hard time lately, so before you have to deal with any thieves we are here to make things right, Believe me, the protection fee is gonna step but unlike the death occasion group we are real professional, these streets aren't gonna be the same anymore, we worth the coin friends." A man had walked to the front of a small food vendor. He was a slim and very tall man with a sharp and bulked look, he had a red suit with a traditional white tangzhuang open jacket and a long spear over his shoulder. It was strange enough to see a spear like that, but this one had at the edge of the blade what seemed to be an eye engraved on it and it clearly was staring at the shop owner. He had a small shaved bear and a very long black hard braided in a ponytail, his black eyes had a youthful Vigo and his smile showed his joy at seeing the old man cowl in front of him.

"Sir I...we can't just.."

"Nothing, we are here to help, if no one is protecting this place it will be ransacked by devils in the morning you've seen a single cop around here they ain't gonna fight a devil to protect some poor soup and bread stand, really you call this food, inner city folk may as well just be eating mud." The tall man grabbed a bowl of soup and threw it to the restaurant's owner's face he screamed as the soup was still hot, but he was unable to step away from the man as he grabbed him over the shoulder and leaned over him.

"This is the monthly fee, trust me if you are under the demonic dragon's watch, nothing but prosperity will befall you, my honorable fella." The man was barely able to talk it didn't help that looking for his attire he could tell this stranger was not just a member of a Triada, to insult the families in any way was not asking to death. Everyone else in the market hid and closed their stores leaving that man to his faith as he was now surrounded by a dozen triada members.

"I will pay, please just step away from..." The tall man threw the owner of the stall to the floor and walked away.

"Good to know! You two collect the money I lost interest, dont care much for crying pigs...." He stopped as he stood still, his expression soured as he saw a group of men walk towards them in strive.

"That will not be necessary this district is under the protection of our family for the time being!" A young man was leading the men, he wore a dark blue suit with a white tie and the most unusual of things, a katana strapped so a sheath on his hip. He was a rather handsome man with short black hair, slim and with a young face that couldn't be older than twenty, still, the men who followed waited behind him with complete respect.

"Salutation my name is Nishiyama Kai, im a lieutenanr of the Nishiyama family I came here to peacefully negotiate a mutual retreat." The young Japanese man bowed lowering his head while speaking with a forceful loud voice.

"The hell, hey old man you people pay the Nishiayama no?" The tall man from the triada looked behind him as two of his men dragged the store owner on his knees behind him.

"No, I have never spoken to them. Please believe me." The tall man rolled his eyes and looked at the young man bowed in front of him.

"Nishiyama you say hold on...are you family of that Nishiyama?"

"I know what you think but the current heir is my brother im just a lieutenant to the lord of the onis I was sent here to negotiate there is no need for any conflict. The payment was given to us by the Louise information agency, we have made a temporary agreement to protect this district with them."

"Are you kidding? Louise pay you lot to what, Have you no pride! Is this really what the Nishiyama is these day, working for cheap for a third-rate informant."

"Our chairman believes that war should never touch this district and I believe so as well, it is the one respite the people outside the upper districts have to protect it Mr.Louise shall pay for the protection of them all."

"Haha, now that's a good joke, well wasted money cause he gonna need to take your remainst from the floor instead, you trash!" The tall man suddenly jumped forward with the tip of his lance reaching the head of the Nishiyama lieutenant, but he stopped just a hair away, the other man still had his head lowered.

"We are serious, If you hurt anyone here consider it the same as to take the life of one of our family, those were the words of my grandfather." The man stood straight without any fear in his eyes as he looked at the taller man.

"Hahaha, well not that nice, I was worried this was gonna be boring as all hell!" The other man remained quiet, but his hand slowly went towards his weapon.

"My name is Yang Hao-Yu of the four Perils and Im excited now, Taotie is too, I can tell you got guts, little man." He raised his lance, the tip of it had a hand in the shape of a stone head and it was moving, it had an eye as well that was looking all around it with popping veins.

"Devour Taotie!" The border of his lance opened his mouth revealing sharp teeth and the sharp blade unraveled in a nest of tentacles, it had become a lance with countes sharp ends.

"Sorry Grandfather, it seems my negotiation skill is still pretty bad..damn guess I'll do it the bad way." He unsheathed the katana and a spectral blue shine enveloped him, his arms was slowly being covered by iron plates and a translucid helmet manifested around half of his face, showing the face of an iron devil enveloped by flames.

***

"Sir, it seems a fight has broken out the Nishiyama representative is confronting the Triada."

"Now that was on my plan but is fine im sure neither of them will be able to get a kill, it worked just fine I only got Nishiyama to agree to a temporary deal for a third of the price, but no need to worry as long as they take care of the district we can do the rest on our own in a month or so, now then what else is new now?" Louise spun his cigar on his arm as he saw one of his employees put a photo of both the Nishiyama and Triada heads on the market place of his map.

"There seems to be a mercenary gang in Korea town."

"Ignore that...The ghost of Korea town can clear that in a night, honestly if you're dumb enough to bother that district that's on you." Mr.Louise took another puff of his cigar.

"What about the café, idd you guys got what I wanted im sure the police have the whole place locked down."

"Sure thing boss." A woman stepped closer to his desk with a steel case and opened it towards him, inside of it was the torso of a wooden puppet trying to break free of the straps locking it inside it.

"Nice, getting the doll was my only concern a pity Mr.Ocassio died before he got to use it for anything I was worried for a moment that they would have taken it out of the kafe when the hunters attacked, One less worry, and one more move for our coming days." The woman closed the briefcase and took it away.

For a moment everyone remained busy working at their desk while the classical music on the record player sounded calm with someone putting it back to play every so often. Another man had just arrived in the room walked close to the desk of Mr.Loise and spoke quietly at him.

"I see, well we have no choice then, give the order to all agencies, it's time."

***

"Enough playing around, we are here because we know your damn people kidnapped her, Really now kidnapping the daughter of the boss now that is a stupid move."A Burly man with a brown suit was standing outside of one of the information agencies in the inner district, surrounded by around twenty armed men in white suits and four parked cars. He was Ernesto Rosario the brother of the Rosario Cartel head and one of their feared captains. In front of the entrance to the agency Vic Ocassio and Amara were the only ones present their employers had closed the door to the agency as well as all the windows, and the two of them alone faced the very dangerous cartel by their lonesome.

''I figure as much, but Im afraid you will have to tell señor Rosario that we dont have her here, We had nothing to gain by kidnapping her, feel free to look at any of our offices but we have yet to see the young lady and we are deeply worried for her sake I can promise you that," Ocassio spoke without any signs of fear as the short burly man chewed on a cigar.

"Don't buy it, We got news both that woman behind you and the crazy lady from the Kafe were there, Now that your brother is buried and cold, Miss Amara here is our one lead!" He pointed at her with his cigar his face red in anger, she didn't answer and Vic stood between them.

"She was simply there to deal with Marcelina, If anything we were on your side, unfortunately, the young lady was already gone by our arrival, We do not know who took her out of there and the mercenary that kidnapped her was already dead." He said to the point not showing any doubt in his word.

"Haha, now you pledging ignorance, forget it I have no reason to waste time with you, Bring me Louise that the only person I give a damn about talking to, let him explain himself."

"Afraid Mr.Louise is far too busy it will be impossible to make an appointment with him any time soon." Ernesto loosened his collar and raised his hand, the men around them readied their weapons towards the small agency.

"Sorry for you that your boss doesn't consider keeping his men around to be important enough." Ernesto spits a green substance from its mouth, his throat seemed to inflate almost as a ballo, his tongue stretched and was left hanging and one of his eyes grew twice the size disfiguring his face, he was starting to turn into a devil but he was still holding it back.

"That would be unwise, as an information agency we could be essential to helping Mr.Rosario to be reunited with his daughter, not to mention we have provided much to the cartel through the years. Are you sure is wise to sour our friendship, not to mention there is plenty of information the other families will want us to acquire for them?

"You bold for a man with one foot on the grave, im sure mister Louise can replace you trash, it's him who needs to be on our good side not the other way around!." One of the cartel men got closer to Ernesto, even with his monstrous appearance.

"Sir, we have communication with all of the information agencies in villa Blanca, their employers have come out of them fully armed, there is at least sixty armed men on the streets right now...The boss is requesting us to return"

"You bastard, do you want to start a war, doesn't matter how many weapons you have, our demons will wipe you all out."

"Maybe, so but demons alone dont make a city, even if we all fall we will burn down plenty of Villa Blanca and the other families will take of the rest, of course, we won't do anything unless you estimate gentleman of the cartel makes the first move." Ernesto howled and from his neck, the head of a goat grew and started making a rack, but he was standing there closing his fists.

"You won't get out of this unharmed Ocassio, Tell that to you coward of a boss, men we are going back to Villa Blanca there is nothing to be gained here." Ernesto grabbed the goad head and forced it back inside his body, It was a bizarre sight for sure, but he was slowly returning to his human features.

"No problem Sir, Feel free to call us if you want to do any business I assure you, we have much to gain from each other." Amara crossed her arms as the two of them looked at the cartel return to their cars.

"It seems we are not pretending to be an agency anymore then." She asked Ocassion who remained and looked at the cars drive away.

"There is no point, with the Ocassio gone another family must raise, this will be our time I trust that Louise will make it so."

***

"Hahaha, perfect. I was worried about such a short fuse Ernesto had, but it seems even losing his daughter didn't make Mr.Rosario lose his cool, still, we have to be careful, we dont have enough people to pull this stunt in any other district...this bluff won't work twice, but it sure feels nice, love it when all goes according to plan."

"We do not know where her daughter is Sir, but we are not gonna tell them right." A man behind his desk asked, and Louise stopped his laugh."

"No Siree, no one even knows the hunters exist Besides, it is more fun that way building blocks born from chaos is the way to go, I dont know what will happen with the young lady but all we need to do is to be the ones to take advantage at the end, chao is good, progress can never be born from stilness." Louise steps up from his chair.

"This is the moment, ladies, gents, today we are rebranding, we will no longer be the Louise information agency, we will be the inner circle society, we will welcome all, while the families shrink and be prey upon by hunters we will grow in their place, nation, race, language, blood none of that will matter we will be a family that will welcome all those who wish to be of the great families, I dream of this day for so long my friends and today is the day, send the memo and let's start the party...agh..agh.." Suddenly Louise started coughing roughly as his cigar fell to the ground. His coughing was rougher and rougher till he spat a fly from his mouth and collapsed, some of the workers grabbed him in time.

"Damn guess he ran out of time, alright Whose turn is it to be possessed by the boss?" The two men looked back at everyone at the office till a single man stood up.

"Damn, I guess it's my turn, at least I wish the boss didn't smoke while possessing people." The man sighed as he walked out of his desk.

"No complaining we need the boss in the room again as fast as possible, every second matters today."

"Sure, sure I get...damn why must it be so complicated... I hate this." The man complained but he still sat on the huge chair and looked above him, there on the ceiling there was a massive hive, crawling with insects, hundreds of them.

As he stared at it a cloud of flies came from the nest and swarmed down towards him as the man closed his eyes. The rest simply looked at the gross scene as they waited for Mr.Louise to get back in his seat.