CB-4 7:59P.M.

Now don't go jumping onto any more boats! It's dangerous!

Sorry, it's just, we were...

By the way, you didn't happen to see a Sankta lady around here, did you?

I didn't see anything. And I don't have time for this. These sweets are for the after party and are you gonna pay me if they turn up late... Oh?

A S- Sankta...

Ah! Mostim——

Mostima? You know Mostima?

Sorry. I mistook you for someone else.

(This lady sure looks familiar.)

Ahem. Anyway, I'll let you off this time. But don't go doing anything that dangerous ever again.

S- sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you.

Hm... Forte kid... there was something about a Forte kid... what was it...?

Oh!

Aaah! What are you doing?!

You had some candy on your horn.

Oh, really? I should probably give it back to...

And looking at your horns reminded me of something! They're just like the Mountain Dash Logistics logo!

You're the little prince of MDL, aren't you?

Little... prince...?

Sora, ma'am, is this really the way back to Texas and the others?

Relax, I know what Texas is thinking at all times. I can see right into her head.

Oh.

...her voice has such a familiar quality to it, but I can't put my finger on it.

'Ma'am,' huh? Hehe, I never thought the day would come when young Messengers would be calling me that~ So what's your impression of everybody?

Impression?

They're very... um... spirited people.

Ahahaha... I can guess what they must've put you through...

Oh, sorry!

Watch where you're going! Ptoo!

That was clearly your fault——

Who asked you? Mind your own business!

You little brat!

Don't worry about it. Let him go.

But he just swiped your wallet——

Hehe, he sure did. But that wallet just had some pumpkin candies inside. See? This is the real one~

You familiar with the old expression 'trick or treat'?

He was here just to make trouble, and today's not even... why would you have something like that?

You may not be able to tell at first glance, but Lungmen's been through a lot lately.

Sauin candles aren't bright enough to light up all the dark corners of this city, and those kids don't exactly have it easy.

But hey, it's just something I came up with. Not bad, huh?

What if he grabbed my wallet instead...?

Should be right up ahead.

Isn't this... the park from before? Did we just make a big circle?

See? Here they are.

Mmmh! Mmff mff!

Listen, if you don't talk, I'm gonna have to light this fuse.

Yer lips better start flappin', kiddo. These fireworks'll blow ya sky high.

...You forgot to take the tape off his mouth.

Oh, right. Haha.

——————!!

You crazy broads! Do you have any idea who we are?

...the Siracusan Mafia.

Urk, T- Texas...? Don't think we're scared of you!

Oh we know you're not scared. Why else would you blow up all the boss's collectibles. A bomb in a candy box, though? That's kids' stuff.

...what are you talking about?

Huh?

I don't know nothin' about no candy box. But if our capo did up a bomb, you'd all be in pieces—— Mmmf! Mmmh!

This guy sure is full of himself. Let's blast him.

Patience, Exusiai. Let him talk.

*Gasp*——Hah. Ain't you the least bit curious why Lungmen's lettin' us get away with all this?

Not really. As long as we go down to the station once a month to pay our property damage fines, they pretty much let us do whatever too.

Gah...

C'mon, Exu, let the feller say his piece.

Just look at you broads...!

We got the big man's OK to do whatever we want to Penguin Logistics, right from the real power in Lungmen. You know what that means, don't you?

We're a legitimate logistics business? And a pretty good one at that?

Then why do we always end up... You know what? Forget it.

Who's 'the big man' you're talking about?

It sounds really pretentious. Super gross.

Don't play dumb! The Rat King's——

Hey! Texas! And the rest!

Oh, Sora! What's up~

How about that. She wrangled Bison too.

Hehe, I ran into this lost little calf on my way over, I thought I'd bring him along.

Um... what are you doing? And where's Mr. Emperor?

The boss went somewhere to do something.

You didn't run into anyone else, Sora?

Hm? I don't... think... so.

Huh? Do I have something on my face?

N- no. Anyway, Bison filled me in on the whole story. Where do we go from here?

First we get some more answers from our little buddy, then we formulate an appropriate... response.

Wait, Exusiai, do you mean...

I actually ran into Mostima back there. But then I lost her.

Erm, I mean, after we shook the mobsters, she——

...don't worry about her. That's just how she is. Vanishing years at a time.

...years?

Tell ya the truth, I barely seen heads or tails of her since they hired me.

Ahaha, let's not get Exusiai too riled up...

This is all very... unorthodox.

She's a special kind of Messenger.

Contractually, she works for the boss, but more often Laterano has her——

......

——Exusiai, watch your match.

Huh? Oops.

MMMMH! MMF——!!

Darn it, looks like we're outta time. But that's the way the cookie crumbles.

MMMMMNG!!!!!

Heyo, that sounded like Fronzo! And it didn't sound good!

Let's get over there!

So they really can send a person flying. These fireworks are something else.

We've got company. Six and three o'clock.

Woah, are they shooting a movie or something?

Aren't those the Penguin Logistics people? They're fighting again?

Give 'em a left hook! Now right! C'mon! Yeah!

They always win every fight. It's boring.

Yeah. Hey, you mooks in black, don't lose too bad!

Ugh, it's such a pain when you can't use live ammo.

How many times do we gotta tell ya, no live ammo downtown. Exusiai, behind ya!

Eep! That was close~ Thanks, Croissant.

Does this never end?! Texas!

Right... Sora with me, Exusiai with Croissant, divide and conquer. To the ends of the earth.

...what?

Aweso... I mean, affirmative.

Oh~ cut 'em in two, huh? No problem. That's my specialty!

You might play it a bit safer, Exusiai. Our damage bill's gettin' mighty long...

Hold on, what does 'to the ends of the earth' mean there?

We regroup in an hour.

What does it mean?!

But how do we fight our way out?

I've got an idea...

Wh- what the hell are you doing?! I ain't scared of you, angel girl!

Hop on, Croissant! This bike's pretty sweet, huh?

You got it! Let's ride!

Hijacking? Good idea.

Alright, you're up.

Stay back, friggin' wolf.. You... Aieee! Not in the face! Fine, take the bike!

Get on, Sora.

Y- yeah okay!

Hold on tight. I can't let Exusiai outrun me.

You could maybe, maybe go a little slower——

Then I guess...

......

......

......

They left this kid behind?

Sounds good to me. Let's get him!

What are these guys thinking?!

Darn it...! I need a vehicle!

Hey, you looking for a bike? I could lend you one.

A bicycle?

Well, beggars can't be choosers. Thanks!

Go get 'em!

That was a pretty bold thing you did there. Helping out Penguin Logistics...

You guys got wheels. You should be able to catch him.

You...

Leave it. Don't mess with the civilians. Don't wanna get us in trouble.

S- sorry. After him! Everybody get after him!

Hmph...

'Kidnap Bison, split Penguin Logistics and MDL, rub out Emperor,' that was your great plan.

Our goal is to take their place. No need to bury those idiots. I think you can do the math on this one?

Texas, she's Texas. Then you got the Laterano girl and the MDL princeling. You think we can leave 'em breathing and still sleep at night?

We gotta salt the earth here.

That's a good way to get a lot of eyes on us. We ain't the only seat at this table.

Hah! You scared?

Gotta know when to fold 'em, cazzo.

Getting down on my hands and knees for the Rat King was as low as I'm ever gonna go. All this time in Lungmen's turned you coward. Scared of your own damned tail.

You done a lot for the Family, but you're lucky I ain't kicked you to the curb yet.

You do what you gotta do. We can come back to that one.

Damn right. Now I gotta deal with Penguin Logistics my way.

A stiff can't come back and bite you in the ass, capiche?

...you do it your way. But I'm just gonna warn you one last time: this ain't Siracusa. We're in Lungmen now.

And it's after we blew it in Siracusa that I realized: we don't pass up an opportunity. We're not gonna compromise, negotiate, and fall into another trap.

We're gonna use everything we got to totally wipe out the competition.

We're gonna do this the old way, like the true Sicilians we are.

......

Right. The Family don't need cowards... the Family don't need rubes.

Send some guys into the slums to find the Rat King. Let him know the deal's changed.

Mr. Capone, you know if we can't get the Rat King to see sense...

Listen, if we're gonna do business in Lungmen, can we really let a rat hang over our heads the whole time?

We gotta do something about him sooner or later.

Go down this list of Lungmenites we know have some connection to the Rat King.

Alright.

We don't have a lotta time here. I need results tonight. Get going.

Did I do anything with all these years in Lungmen...?

You screwed up, Gambino Ricci. Really screwed the pooch.