Investigations (Nate)

[Marco Stregoni]

Be prudent in striving for perfection for one who aims for it in everything achieves it in nothing

[STYLE=text-align: justify; border-bottom: 10px solid #4d4d4d; padding: 10 0 10 0;]So explain to me why you are a Doberman. Di nuovo (Again), said Marco Leonzio Stregoni through his telepathic link with his Lares named Fons.

Well when I had a Lares she couldn’t be anything else but a human and people thought we were together! You should’ve heard the gossip, Fons replied, It was hard to flirt with other women, they were all, ‘Christina might do this, ‘But I thought you were with her’, ‘I can’t do this, I don’t want to be between the two of you’, Bah! Era una spina al mio fianco! (It was a thorn in my side!)

Marco couldn’t help but look at the dog that was lying down at the left side of his chair, So because of the hard time she caused you, you’re almost always a dog for me? He asked through their link.

Naturalmente! (Of course!) The Lares thought back enthusiastically. Marco! You need all the help you can get. You don’t have my charms, my boy and if I always was in human form, it would near impossible for you to charm the ladies!

Marco rolled his eyes as he went back to the book he was reading. Oh really then? Should I thank you for that the next time I offer thanksgiving to the spirits?

I think you should! It’s very hard to purposely make the one next to you all the more appealing!

Fons…Marco started.

Really Marco, if I was my usual human self with my incredible charms and charisma…I’m sorry amico (my friend) but the odds will certainly not be in your favor, Fons cut him in.

Well whatever, but try to stick to one form of dog. People think I have a lot.

Well better that than they think that you already have a girlfriend! Or a moglie! (wife!) the Lares replied exasperatedly.

Marco shook his head as he went back to the book he was reading. Marco was in one of the open cafés in the downtown area. The café was at his back and thus, he had a good view of the building across the street and the sidewalk right in front of him. Occasionally, the young Italian would look up from reading his book and would just look at the people walking.

As the sun started to wane, the shadows of the numerous high raises started to grow and elongate. It wouldn’t be long before the brilliant shades of blue, indigo and orange would disappear and the darkness of the night took over. One could notice a few employees, clad in their blazers, suits, pencil skirts and what have you start leaving the numerous offices. As one could expect, there wasn’t really much variation in clothing. Well, that was a given since Marco was at the heart of the central business district. A wave of suits and blazers passed by but occasionally Marco would see trench coats and long coats here and there, some more battered than the others. For Marco, well with his outfit he stood out. He was wearing a fitted light gray crew-neck tee-shirt with three quarter sleeves beneath a fitted brown leather jacket. He was also wearing a pair of black denim and, to shake things up a bit, he decided to wear a pair of red Chuck Taylors.

He noticed the look on the people’s faces. While most had a blank expression on their faces, there were some who just looked tired. Well, they needed to get home and get some rest since their work cycle was going to continue on tomorrow. Would this be Marco’s future? A daily repetition of whatever his work would be? Or was it straight up working for the Mafia after he graduated?

He silenced his thoughts and got back to reading. Thinking like that just led to nowhere, cross the bridge when it’s right in front of you.

Marco sighed and Fons suddenly talked to him again.

Accepting the fact that I’m better looking that you are? He asked.

No Fons, I’m just happy that today isn’t as hectic as usual, well that was true. Today had been quite the uneventful day. But while some might be resentful towards the lull, Marco found it quite refreshing. He needed a break! Between being a Mafioso, a student, a practitioner of Stregheria, and of course a good and chill friend who was always game for an adventure or two, there were just so many things happening! It’s good and all but sometimes a dude just needs a break and thankfully today was one of them.

Besides, Marco continued, of course I’m better looking than you, at least I don’t look like a Doberman.

The Lares let out a small bark, Well at least when the ladies notice you, they go to me first...

They may start with you my friend, but they always end up talking to me. Marco thought back as he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

There was a small pause before the Lares talked again, Ben suonato (Well played), maybe you do have hope.

Marco shook his head. Well at least he was with a Lares that was a chill as he was. If he had gotten a Lares like his grandfather had. That would be just…wow. That Lares made history teachers the life of the party.

As he took another sip of his hot chocolate, Marco once again looked at the building in front of him. It was the Emmet building. The fifty-story building with its gothic architecture housed one of the more successful construction consultation firms in the city and add to that that the firm was right under the influence of the Stregoni. Well at least until they started to stop paying their dues to the Stregoni.

Nothing much had happened, at least not yet. But Vincenzo, Marco’s father, would not risk an associate going rogue and betraying them and so, he sent Marco and Fons to investigate. It was a simple matter, enter the office, check for any suspicious files, notes, memos and transactions and if there was anything that was incriminating then the Mafia would be forced to act against the former associate. It would be a shame really if Marco found out if the firm was set on working against them, this particular firm gave them easy access in infiltrating other construction projects around the country. But as his father had said, “Associates are expendable. If one goes down, at least two greedy businessmen would be eager to take over and the only thing that we need to do is to give them enough problems that they end up running to us, thinking that we are their salvation.” Well if his father had a plan if things were bad, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

So when are we going to go inside? Fons suddenly asked.

Soon enough, we’ll wait until its dark before we go in. Marco checked his watch. Yes, the time to infiltrate would be quite soon.

[Nathaniel Devlin]

Nate sighed as he left the bathroom, combing trough his hair with one hand as he walked over from the bathroom to the mirror his cabinet. The young werewolf surveyed himself and sighed. This just wasn’t comfortable at all. The young man wore a midnight blue, fitted suit, while underneath he wore a mint green long sleeved, buttoned down shirt, complete with a midnight blue tie, midnight blue slacks, and shiny black leather shoes. He looked very sharp, some might say, even handsome.

Nate hated it.

He looked like one of those people who went to work everyday behind a desk, in front of a computer. Well, it was good that he did. He wanted to look just so in order to blend in to where he was going. Nate checked himself in the mirror again as he put on a pair of black rimmed, horned glasses and sighed. Well, at least he would fit in, he thought as he picked at his tie—it seemed like the thing wanted to choke him. Nate pulled back his right sleeve, revealing a somewhat battered, yet sturdy watch. He still had time he decided. It wasn’t like the target was going anywhere anytime soon anyway. Nate quickly stepped out of the apartment before he disappeared in a blur as he sped through the streets, heading towards the subway. It took the young werewolf only a few seconds to reach the subway wherein he bought a ticket and got on the train as it pulled in exactly as he paid for his ticket. A good omen, Nate thought though not in any seriousness. There were no such things as good omens. Still, luck was at his side it seemed as he sat down on one of the plastic seats on the train while getting a few side-glances from other passengers. Of course they’d find it strange, Nate thought as he ignored them, someone who was dressed like him coming from the slums? No doubt he’d be up to no good. They were correct in their assumption though, if that was what they were assuming anyway (it never occurred to the young werewolf that he looked good enough to earn a few glances), Nate was doing something that wasn’t completely good. Actually, it was quite bad. People got sent to prison for what the young werewolf was attempting to do, but then it was a job—and it did pay well.

His task was to gather information on a certain corporation, more specifically its illegal practices. It was your typical corporate espionage deal, but with a bit of a twist. They needed Nate because, well, the company was being watched by one of the most powerful organizations in the city—The Stregoni. It seemed that, until recent events, the corporation mentioned had been associated with the Stregoni. Now though, it had left their good graces and was now in their watch list. It seemed odd, and a bit insane, to break off with one of the most powerful organizations in Arc City. Then again, Nate had done his research; he knew what the corporation had planned, or rather who was planning for them. It wasn’t his business though, so he really didn’t care. The young werewolf knew his client didn’t know, though Nate wouldn’t be the one to tell. He wasn’t being paid for that information so why give it? The doors pinged then as a woman’s electronic voice in the elevator’s speakers spoke, giving the train’s current location. Nate got up and exited the train, heading towards the stairs leading to the surface, one of the places Nate hated most in Arc City—The Central Business District.

******

The target in question wasn’t hard to find—it was one of the few remaining old buildings in the district, preferring the old bricked style rather than the newer, sleeker buildings that stretched high. Nate walked around the building once as he cased the place, checking for cameras, booby traps, entries, exits, and the like. He didn’t look suspicious though as he did it. He was dressed for the part after all. To anyone else, he’d looked like everyone else walking up and down the busy sidewalk. Nate leaned against the wall in the alley next to building and thought. There were around eight cameras outside the building, all of which moved in twelve-second intervals. The cameras weren’t a problem though as the young werewolf assessed his entry point, the windows weren’t sensitive to touch, triggering an alarm it seemed. He could bypass six of the cameras with that while his speed would take advantage of the other two’s blind spot. Easy, Nate thought as he became a blur.

The young werewolf stood on a window of the twenty-story building and peeked inside. The place looked like any other office with its many cubicles that covered most of the space. It was awful. The young werewolf was about to break open the window when he saw something and stopped. The fram of the windows were engraved with something—magical runes. Ah, Nate thought to himself as he took out a small vial, of course there’d be something like this—it was the Stregoni after all. He emptied the contents of the vial onto the window frame and, upon contact, the liquid started to glow slightly as it burned the magical runes as the liquid moved quickly passed them. When the glow disappeared, Nate quickly opened the window and got in.

The room was dark, of course, since it was after hours, though only to those with eyes unlike Nate’s. The darkness never seemed to affect the young werewolf’s eyes. Everything looked normal to him. He stepped lightly as he began to scour the place on his whereabouts. He knew where he needed to go, though he wasn’t quite sure where he was at the moment. Offices were like mazes when they wanted to be. As the young werewolf reached the hallway, he saw a door with a golden plate with printed letters on it. “Mr. HAROLD ASTERNOPOLIS—CEO” was printed on it on neat letters.

Oh, Nate thought as he picked the lock and went inside, he was on the right floor after all.