Marvel: Impregnation System

"What do you mean all of them-"

"All the names on the list." Bumpy interrupted Ricky, pointing to the names as he scrunched his brows.

"You're kidding." Ricky asked, knowing full well that in this day and age, it wasn't easy to find people.

Unlike his first life, where finding someone wasn't relatively hard, this time period wasn't built for it.

No digital footprints, no web of connections tracking every action, just rumors, crumpled paper trails, and walls that led nowhere. 

A man could literally slip away with nothing but a train ticket and a fresh change of clothes. 

No social security numbers, no surveillance cameras at every turn, no algorithms predicting your next move. 

If someone didn't want to be found, they weren't going to be.

Cops were really only useful when there was a reason to get involved, but even then it had to be the town or city they were hunkered down in.

Private investigators were too slow, expensive, and chasing ghosts with nothing but outdated addresses and whispers from the past.

It was why it took Lucky so long to even find Irene, his only reach stretched so far, and he had to actively search. 

So when Bumpy said he had found them all, literally every single name on the list, Ricky found it hard to believe.

"Not the broads I circled, but-"

"Everyone, here." Bumpy rubbed his mouth, handing him a list, one with addresses written on it.

"Even the orphans-"

"I found them all Slick, what is so hard to believe, is it a skin thing-"

"Oh, f*ck off," Ricky scoffed, glancing to the side at Bumpy, who was pulling the race card.

"Are these?" Alexander asked, his whiskers twitching as he read the names listed on the paper.

"Yeah, these are all my bastards and the woman who should've pumped them out." Ricky rubbed the names between his fingers, pocketing them as he looked at Bumpy.

"Well, good work, I'll get back with you-"

"Woah, woah, woah." Bumpy held up his hands, halting Ricky's words as he scrunched his brows as he looked down at the hand on his suit.

"I just spent almost one to two months getting all those names for you, and you're just benching me?" Bumpy asked, laughing, his tone trailing off as he took in the shock on Ricky's face.

"Uh huh, what did you think was gonna happen? We go on some sort of road trip-"

Snort

Ricky interrupted himself, snorting out a stream of laughter as Bumpy shook his head, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Seriously? Bumpy, my man, you hate me," Ricky chuckled through the sentence, looking at Bumpy, who rubbed the back of his neck.

"Listen Slick, you don't get it but going through all these hurdles got me invested, I wanna see-"

"My bastards, you want to come with me to see my bastards?" Ricky genuinely asked, raising an eyebrow at Bumpy.

"I know, I know it sounds weird, but come on, how the hell do you even have that many bastards at f*cking eighteen?!" Bumpy laughed, unable to hold back, shaking his head at the sheer absurdity of it all as the number of kids Ricky had was insane.

"Flip a coin?" Ricky asked, reaching into his suit pocket. Bumpy shrugged, knowing it wouldn't be the end of the world if he failed.

"Call it," Ricky said, flicking the coin into the air as it spiraled toward the sky as both of them watched it, the tension hanging in the air for a split second.

"Heads."

"Tails."

10 minutes later,

"Hey, hey, hey, no smoking in my car," Bumpy stopped Ricky, eyeing him as he pulled out his cigar and raised an eyebrow.

"I can't kick my feet up on your dash, I can't eat, I can't even drink, but smoking-"

"Smoking stains the leather, I don't come into your house with my muddy shoes on so I'm asking you, as a man, to respect my house." Bumpy cut him off, giving him a stern look as if that was the only rule that mattered.

"You're acting like you live here," Ricky laughed, watching Bumpy slowly turn forward, his smile freezing on his face.

"You don't really live in your car, right?" Ricky asked again, but Bumpy was silent, staring ahead as they drove through the streets of Staten Island as the hum of the engine filled the silence, the question lingering in the air.

"It's been a tough year," Bumpy muttered, his eyes flicking between Ricky and the cigar, before Ricky finally pocketed it with a sigh.

"Fine, but-left, take a left," Ricky suddenly said, sitting up straighter as Bumpy followed his instruction. 

They turned onto a quiet street, pulling into a neighborhood that looked like something straight out of a magazine, with pristine houses and manicured lawns stretching down either side which stunned Bumpy.

"Alright, I'll be like five minutes, keep it running." Ricky patted Bumpy shoulder, getting out of the car as all the white residents looked at Bumpy.

It was safe to say that in this age, in this high-class neighborhood, Bumpy stood out like a sore thumb, and he knew it all too well. 

He slouched in his seat, his usual gruff demeanor replaced with a deep, heavy sigh. 

The pristine surroundings, the neatly trimmed lawns, the houses that looked like they could belong in a dream, all of it felt out of place for someone like him.

"Is there not some slight possibility that it could be-" Alexander began, trying to reframe his thoughts, but Ricky shook his head, cutting him off.

"Think about it. I usually keep those powers locked down. And when I did use them, the only ones who could've seen it must've been the coven." Ricky's voice was low, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the events as the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but there was still a lingering doubt.

Sigh

Ricky let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead as he took two slow steps back from the door.

Honestly, he had only guessed there was a mole, but if he was right, this would be a serious problem. 

The coven wasn't just vital to the Luciano family, it was deeply intertwined with Lucky Incorporated. 

The only way to supplement the advanced blueprints Ricky had provided was through their magical engineering program, which had, unknowingly to most, been converted into a workforce for Lucky Incorporated.

While the coven wasn't insanely powerful in terms of raw firepower, their abilities more than compensated, allowing them to generate wealth in ways no ordinary business could. 

That was why he needed them under his control, but after everything with Morgana, after the way she had infiltrated the coven, Ricky knew that if he started digging into the coven again, it would leave everyone feeling sour.

The reason?

Because literally everyone in the coven hated Merlyn after discovering that the Ordo Dracium, the very faction that had mercilessly slaughtered them in waves, forcing them to flee across the globe twice, now had a direct link to them.

"Does this make sense?" Ricky actually questioned himself, looking at Alexander who was scratching his head.

"I mean, like, they should hate him, f*cking hate him," Ricky said, echoing what any coven member would feel. 

Ricky knew this all too well because the new favorite pastime among grieving coven members was torturing Ordo Dracium operatives until their screams expressed their unbridled hatred.

That was how deeply they despised the witch hunters which he literally saw when he went into their dungeon.

"Wait, holy sh*t, I got an idea." Ricky's head snapped up, eyes widening as the realization struck him. 

For once in his life, the idea came to him, completely his own, not something handed down by someone else.

 5 minutes later,

"Really?" Agatha asked, sitting across from Ricky as he held Zatanna in his arms, the child nuzzling her cheek against him.

"What? Too much?" Ricky smirked, tossing Zatanna into the air. She let out a gleeful giggle before he caught her effortlessly, settling her back in his arms.

"I just didn't expect you to come here asking for the coven's help, that's all." Agatha raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised, as Ricky tossed Zatanna into the air again.

"Oh, come on. That bastard f*cked with you guys for decades. It's only natural I come to you, baby." Ricky chuckled, catching Zatanna as she let out a mad giggle, snug in his arms.

"And besides, it's like you always the said, I should interact more with the coven-"

"By attending our meetings or actually taking a leadership role, not by recruiting members for a battle." Agatha sighed heavily, leaning back and crossing her arms. 

Instead of Ricky blatantly stating there was a mole, he had, actually, come up with another idea.

"Listen, I learned my lesson the first time I got my ass kicked by Dracula, having an army, even if it ain't as powerful as me, is better than having none at all," Ricky said, cradling Zatanna as he spoke to Agatha.

"All I'm asking is that you bring it to the coven, see if they want a shot at revenge. I'm not forcing anyone, but I do want to personally vet the ones who step up, make sure I can trust them to watch my back." Ricky asked, looking towards Agatha who slowly bobbed her head at his words since they made sense to her.

Rather than outright accusing the coven of harboring a rat, Ricky figured this was the better move, letting them come to him, willingly, while he sifted through for the mole himself.

However, the reason he took this approach was that nearly every adult member, excluding most of the younger generation, should actively seek him out for this. 

The older members still carried the deep sorrow and hatred for the Ordo Dracium's actions, while the younger ones hadn't fully inherited that pain.

Through this method, it would be suspicious if any high-ranking members opted out, significantly narrowing down the list of potential traitors. 

His so-called "vetting" process wouldn't be anything elaborate, just a series of questions, gauging their reactions, looking for the telltale signs of the rat.

"I won't lie, the only reason I hesitate is because I assume the majority of the coven will agree," Agatha admitted, pressing a hand to her forehead as her grievances outweighed even her own hatred.

Though she wanted to go with Ricky, she had more pressing matters, specifically, the two children playing next to him and the one growing in her stomach.

"Baby, listen, this is a great way for the high-ranking members to get used to me since you know most of the elders don't like me." Ricky explained, essentially spelling it out. 

It was no secret, the younger generation admired how Ricky had clawed his way up the ranks, but the pendulum swung both ways. 

The elders and some high-ranking members were aggressive, maybe even jealous, that an outsider had stormed in, soared to the top and then boned Agatha.

Sigh

"Well, alright. I'll call an emergency meeting and see if I can help you on this front," Agatha sighed, finally agreeing to Ricky's words since it was always hard for her to say no to him.

Agatha nodded as he stood up, but before he could take a step, Zatanna latched onto his leg, giggling as she clung to him like a koala.

"I have to-"

"Nooooooooooooooo~" Zatanna whined, holding Ricky's leg tighter, shaking her head as she was suddenly pried off.

Sniff

"You always have to go, Daddy~" Zatanna sniffled, her big eyes welling up with tears as she clung to Ricky.

"How about this, when all this is out of the way, just me and you, we'll go get some ice cream. Just the two of us. Sounds good?" Ricky asked, cradling her in his arms and gently wiping away the tears before they could fall. 

Sniff

"Really?" Zatanna asked, looking down as she tried to pout, though the smile threatening to bloom on her face betrayed her efforts.

"Really, really." Ricky chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead as Zatanna huffed, puffing out her cheeks before holding out her pinky.

"Pinky swear," Zatanna insisted, her eyes narrowing with determination Ricky just chuckled, slowly hooking his pinky around hers, his smile widening.

"Pinky swear." 

Zatanna nodded firmly at this sentiment, wiping her eyes and being the big girl she wanted ot be as she was put down.

"Ricky, what about Johnny-" Agatha whispered, not wanting to leave him out as Ricky shrugged. 

"Johnny do you want to-"

"No." Johnny interrupted, swinging his sword in the air as he was more or less unamused by his father.

"Young Johnny!" Alexander's voice boomed, his words causing Johnny's head to jerk backwards before his eyes sparkled.

"ALEXANDER!" Johnny's giddy voice sounded, bolting over to Ricky and looking up at the mighty gerbil resting on his shoulder.

"Your father is about to march into battle. When I was a boy, and my father, Philip II of Macedon, prepared to face the relentless front of war, I always saw him off since there might be a time when he would never return," Alexander lectured, having remained silent until he noticed Johnny showing slight disrespect toward Ricky.

He had remained silent up until now, understanding the importance of farewells since in his time, such moments could very well be the last. 

No matter how he felt about his own father, Philip II of Macedon, Alexander had always seen him off before war, so he would never have to live with regret of never being able to say goodbye.

"O-Oh~" Johnny ducked his head, clasping his hands together since Alexander rarely ever showed such disappointment.

"By dad." Johnny muttered, trying to hold back the sudden wave of tears that hit him until Ricky got onto one knee and ruffled his blond hair.

"Don't listen to him, I'm coming back." Ricky chuckled, pulling JOhnny into a hug before releasing him.

"And when I come back, I'll take you with me on one of Alexander's escapades." Ricky, knowing how much Alexander meant to Johnny, watched as the boy's eyes sparkled with excitement before he eagerly nodded.

"Yes!" Johnny laughed madly, dashing around with his sword, while Ricky turned toward Agatha with a smile.

Pulling her closer, he leaned in for a soft kiss as Agatha cupped both his cheeks, her fingers pressing gently into his skin as his hands trailed down her back, slow and deliberate, savoring the warmth of her body against his.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Agatha whispered, breaking the kiss and resting her forehead onto his as he chuckled.

"You're acting like I'm about to go right his second-"

"Ricky, you always find yourself in situations, wherever you go." Agatha heaved out a sigh, shaking her head since Ricky was a trouble magnet.

"Do not fear, for I, Alexander the Great, am here." Alexander thumped his furry chest, watching Agatha smile warmly at him before she nodded.

"You're right, I just worry," Agatha murmured, stepping back slightly. Ricky smirked, pressing a kiss to his hand before playfully flicking it toward her, as if sending the kiss her way.

Walking out of the mansion, Ricky walked down the steps until he saw a more people suddenly appearing on the streest as a comtoin was taking place.

"I didn't do nothing-" Bumpy yelled, only to be pushed against teh car as an officer pulled out hsi cuffs.

"Save it for the judge." The cop scoffed, looking at Bumpy for nothing more than what he was, a black man.

"Aye, what the f*ck are you doing!" Ricky barked, storming down the stairs as the arrogant smirk on the cop's face vanished instantly at the sight of him.

"M-M-Mr.Lucaino, what are you-"

"Nah, the real question is what the f*ck are you doing." Ricky strode over to the driver's side, shoving the cop backward as the officer stumbled, hands raised, the cuffs clinking together as he tried to steady himself.

"We received a call that a suspicious man was lurking in a neighborhood-"

"Oh, so the guys with me are suspicious now?!" Ricky's grin widened, deliberately pressing the situation further, his tone laced with provocation.

"N-N-N-No I-I-I-I-"

"Mr. Luciano, may I have a second of your time." An old, fat white man with a belly fattened with donuts and coffee suddenly asked from the side.

The old man was stern but polite to Ricky, making it clear he just wanted to talk man to man. Ricky glanced at the younger cop before stepping toward him.

At first, Ricky was greatly annoyed, but as the old policeman spoke, a wave of surprise washed over him. 

Within minutes, their conversation shifted, and soon they were laughing together before Ricky patted the officer's shoulder.

Bumpy, in the meantime, was trembling with anger, clutching his shoulder as he stared at Ricky like he'd been betrayed, watching in disbelief as Ricky suddenly became chummy with the same men who had just manhandled him.

Bumpy had done nothing, just sitting in his car, before the cops suddenly showed up and started questioning him, their suspicion rooted in nothing more than the color of his skin.

Although this wasn't uncommon in Harlem, it was exactly why Bumpy hated leaving, situations like these weren't rare outside its borders.

"Alright, I'll let them know." Ricky chuckled, making his way to the passenger-side door before turning his gaze to Bumpy.

"Bumpy." Ricky's smile lingered, but his eyes caught the simmering anger in his friend's expression as he dipped his head slightly.

"What," Bumpy muttered, his voice low, already knowing Ricky was about to let the cops walk away.

"Punch that guy in the face, then let's get outta here." Ricky tapped the roof of the car, opening the door and sliding in as both Bumpy and the officer flinched.

"What?" Both Bumpy and the young officer asked, thinking this was some sort of joke until the old man slowly walked next to his partner in training.

"Remember to clench your jaw-" The old man gave some advice, signaling toward the young man who gritted his teeth.

"You can't be serious Sergeant Dan, that negro-"

Slap

Suddenly, without warning, the old man slapped him across the face without even so much as hesitating.

"Listen, rookie, the only reason you're getting let off with a punch is 'cause I'm golf buddies with Old Tony. Now, clench your jaw." Dan scoffed, rubbing his white mustache as the young man hesitantly rubbed his cheek.

Little Tony and Big Tony's father, Old Tony, was a former high-ranking member of the Luciano family. 

Like many other senior members, he followed Lucky to Lucky Legacy Bank after Ricky took up the mantle as head of the family, allowing the younger generation to step into their former positions.

That was why Ricky had gotten so chummy since Old Tony was one of Lucky's closest and most trusted men. 

Ricky decided to let the rookie cop off the hook out of respect, but that didn't mean he'd walk away completely unscathed. 

The only reason Ricky was letting Bumpy take the shot was simply because he thought it would be funny.

"Hurry up and punch the guy Bumpy, we got sh*t to do!" Ricky urged him on, rolling down the window and snapping Bumpy out of his daze.

Bumpy and the young officer turned to each other, the one who had antagonized the situation cowered slightly, realizing there would be no repercussions, while the victim smiled warmly as he cocked back his fist.

BAM

Without even a sliver of hesitation, Bumpy socked the officer across the face, sending him crashing to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"See you around Officer Dan." Ricky waved to the old man with a bright smile, watching the cop tip his hat to him as Bumpy got into the car before driving off.

Ricky absentmindedly tapped the roof of the car, his mind drifting as he considered whether anyone else might have witnessed him using his eldritch powers. 

His fingers drummed lightly against the metal before he caught Bumpy side-eyeing him, his expression unreadable.

"Thanks." Bumpy coughed, nodding toward Ricky as he had honestly thought those cops were going to get off without any repercussions.

"Sh*t like that don't fly with my people, it's the standard," Ricky chuckled, gazing out the window.

Bumpy nodded, understanding well enough as he was still under Ricky's employ until this trip was over, after all.

"So, where are we going first?" Ricky asked, watching Bumpy reach across and tap at one specific name.

"The closest one I found was Azalea Harris, but funny enough, she was the hardest to track down." Bumpy shook his head, still baffled that she had been hiding in plain sight.

"She in New Jersey or something?" Ricky asked only for Bumpy let out a heavy sigh.

"No f*cking way she's in-"

"Yeah Slick, she's in Harlem."

Meanwhile in Harlem,

20 minutes later,

Blues filled the air, each note from the worn-out saxophone carrying the weight of the player's soul. A tattered hat lay at his feet, collecting the kindness of passersby, while a boy, no older than four, twirled and stepped to the rhythm, lost in the music.

It was as if this young boy could feel the rhythm, feel the vibrations in the soles of his shoes as his sturdy body flowed to the sound.

"Nice moves kid." Appreciation sounded around the boy but he was so entrenched within the realm of blues, completely ignoring the man and continuing towards his next step.

The man chuckled, his voice warm and familiar as it was Ricky, watching the kid bounce in place, a wide smile spreading across his face as the boy twirled to the melody, lost in his own little world.

[Name: Bob Harris (Variant)

Mother: Azalea Harris

Grade: B+

Template: Bob Makihara

Template Outline: Bob Makihara template is a character from the manga and anime series Tenjou Tenge. He is a person who will grow up inherently thirsting for a fight and is better off with a father figure rather than growing up alone.

Description: Bob is a variant who inherited your sturdy body and green eyes but takes after his mother in other regards. Azalea decided to raise Bob with love and care rather than give him to an orphanage, and she is currently struggling to provide him with a good life amidst various challenges. Despite the hardships, their bond grows stronger every day, as Bob's vibrant spirit brings joy and purpose to Azalea's life.

Abilities:

Rhythm: Bob's rhythm plays a major role as his fighting skills develop. He starts to feel vibrations through the ground and can predict an opponent's movement based on those vibrations. As he feels the "beat" in the ground, his body will react naturally and move him out of harm's way and such.

Skills:

Inherent Build: Bob will grow up with an inherent build for fighting, able to easily grow into a muscular form with the proper nutrition.

Inherent Technique: Allows Bob to understand and comprehend fighting techniques to the point where he could easily learn anything he puts his mind too in the realm of fighting.]

Pulling out a twenty from his pocket, he set it in the hat of the old black man playing the blues as he tipped his fedora to him.

Flicking his head to the side, Bumpy followed Ricky towards a rundown apartment building as they walked into it.

"Honestly Slick, out of all the girls you had me find, this Alizee is the most impressive." Bumpy said, walking up the stairs as Ricky simply listened quietly.

"Evidently, she has been operating a stream of runaway girls and uses them as prostitutes-"

"So, she's a pimp." Ricky interrupted, his conclusion making Bumpy want to retort before eventually rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well yeah, but she's now the owner of two apartment buildings that also run as make-shift brothels." Bumpy sighed, agreeing with Ricky who chuckled while walking up the stairs.

Bumpy filled Ricky in on everything Alizee had been up to since their last encounter. 

Unlike most of the other girls, she hadn't settled into the expected routine, no desperate scrambling for a man's protection, no sinking into the background as just another forgotten face in Harlem's ever-churning underworld. 

Instead, Alizee had taken a different route, one that set her apart from the other girls he was finding.

After her cum-filled exchange with Ricky, something had clicked in her. 

Maybe it was anger, maybe it was ambition, but whatever it was, she'd sharpened it into something useful. 

She refused to be just another girl drifting through the city, waiting for fortune to either smile or spit on her.

 So, she carved out her own little piece of Harlem's pie, turning herself into something that most men in her position took for granted, a pimp.

Alizee had become, in all but name, a pimp. 

Not like in a loud, boisterous way that the street-walking hustlers operated, but in a way that carried quiet authority. 

She didn't flaunt gold rings or strut down Lenox Avenue with a cane, her power was at her discretion. 

Alizee had many disadvantages but knew the world well enough to play the game by staying under the radar but still made her money.

Her girls weren't just anyone; she was selective, choosing them as carefully as a jeweler examined diamonds.

They were well-kept, well-paid, and loyal to her in a way that most girls in the business weren't to their handlers. 

And Alizee wasn't just some madam managing from the sidelines, she had the same sharp tongue and quick wit that made her a handful when Ricky first met her. 

She knew how to handle herself, how to turn a profit, and most importantly, how to keep Harlem's bigger players from sniffing around her business too closely.

She was moderately successful but not untouchable, not rich, but she was standing on her own two feet, which was more than most could say and Ricky had to admit, he respected that.

Knock

Knock

"Business hours are closed." From the other side of the door, a sharp tone sounded out, making it clear as Ricky opened the door.

"Even for me?" Ricky peaked his head through, looking at Azliee who frowned while gazing at documents on her desk.

"Unless you are-" Alizee hissed, turning her gaze upwards only to freeze in place as if her gaze landed on medusa.

"Unless I'm your kid's daddy?" Ricky joked, swinging the door open, watching Alizee's mouth open, then close, then open again, as if she couldn't decide whether to snap back or choke on her own surprise.

"You-how-I-"

"If you're wondering how I found you, then it's cause of old Bumpy here." Ricky gestured to his side, plopping down onto the chair across from her desk and immediately slouching.

"I knew it." Alizee gritted her teeth, breaking the pencil in her hand while turning her head to the side.

"I knew the reports of some man sniffing around only spelled trouble but-"

"But I ain't some amateur," Bumpy cut in, his tone firm as his gaze drifted to the side, landing on an overwhelming number of pictures of Bob plastered across the wall. 

"Wait a minute, do you know who-" Ricky suddenly realized, seeing more hatred than shock on her face.

"You are? Of course I do." Azalea scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair while staring daggers at him.

"Ricky, a man who is in the waste management business, it didn't take me too long to figure out who you really were." Azalea shook her head, her tone making it seem as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then you know why I'm here, right?" Ricky asked, leaning his head on his hand as Azliee gripped her hands tightly, her eyes darting to the side and gazing out the window at her darling boy dancing.

"You can't take my baby boy." Azalea eyes showed the resolve of a desperate mother, reaching under her desk but Ricky waved his hand.

"I'm not taking Bob, relax." Ricky sighed, his eyes picking up on Bumpy who walked around the table and suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Let go," Azalea narrowed her eyes, her fingers tightening around something beneath the desk as Bumpy, unfazed, lifted his coat slightly. 

"You first," Bumpy said, his voice steady, drawing attention to the piece tucked at his waistband, a clear signal that he knew exactly what she was reaching for under the table.

"Tsk, fine." Azalea clicked her tongue, releasing her grip and placing both hands on the table.

"What do you want, Ricky Luciano, you can have the business but not my baby boy." Azalea said, directing that familiar snake-like charm towards Ricky who chuckled.

"Does it look like I want this little crumb?" Ricky asked genuinely, watching Azalea's body tremble, because that only meant one thing.

"Then-"

Sigh

"Will you relax, I'm not here to take Bob or your business." Ricky eased, sighing heavily as Azille slowly calmed down before raising her eyebrow.

"Then?"

"Listen Azalea, I know you have your thoughts and opinions on me but I'm not about to uproot my kid from his mother, I'm not that big of a piece of sh*t." Ricky first started, gesturing both hands to himself to give Azalea a clear stance on the situation.

"But he needs a father figure. He'll be better off for it," Ricky said, his words instantly making Azalea uncomfortable, because she knew they were true.

She had seen the difference in Bob, the way he loved listening to the sounds of the world, how he never quite fit in with the other kids.

Her biggest fear was that he would isolate himself in his dance, forever losing himself to the rhythm inside him.

Sigh

Azalea sighed, covering her face. She wanted to see Ricky as the same arrogant jerk he had been before, but she couldn't, not anymore.

She had changed, too.

She wasn't that same girl from four years ago as time had hardened her, forced her to face the world and the responsibilities that came with it. 

And if she had changed, she could only assume Ricky had as well.

"What do you want, Ricky?" Azalea dropped her hands, looking towards Ricky who slowly brought out Shadow Broker.

"First off, I wanna see my son and I want to be in his life." Ricky placed his hands together, Shadow Broker clicking the locks of his briefcase and grabbing a sheet of paper.

RIP

"Second, I want my son to be in his siblings' lives and vice-versa."

RIP

"Third, I want him every other weekend or I want you to move into a house close to me."

RIP

"And finally, I want his last name to be Luciano, not f*cking Harris."

RIP

Shadow Broker's abilities adhered to Ricky's demands, completely changing the dynamic that Azalea had first tried to set as her mind raced.

'Maybe that would be good for him to have Ricky's protection.'

"Maybe it would be good for him to socialize with kids he can relate to through his blood.'

'Maybe it would be better to move closer to Ricky so that I don't have to give up my baby boy.'

'Maybe being a Luciano would be better than being a Harris.'

SIGH

Azalea crumbled into the palms of her hand, brooding for a long time before looking back up.

"Fine, but I don't have the money to move at the moment-"

"I'll handle it." Ricky smiled, standing up and holding out his hand as Azalea's delicate one shook it firmly.

"Man, time has been kind to you-"

"The only relationship we will have, Ricky, is the one of co-parenting." Azalea pulled back her hand, sitting back down in her chair and crossing her hand, and her legs.

"If you say so." Ricky shrugged, leaving the door open while Azalea immediately closed it.

"I'm serious Ricky, I'm never going to sleep with you-"

"Uh huh." Ricky sort of didn't agree, walking towards the door as Azalea suddenly thought of something.

"Are you going to visit Everlean and Mayola?" Azalea suddenly asked, staring daggers at his back as he turned back.

"Maybe I am-"

"Don't Ricky, just leave them alone." Azalea immediately said, warning Ricky as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Ricky asked, turning towards her as Azalea turned two photographs towards him.

"Because they're finally happy." Azalea, still in touch with the two, turned both photographs of the two girls each surrounded by people who cherished them.

"Sure." Ricky simply left those words, backing out of the door as Azalea closed her eyes and shook her head.

Walking out of the apartment building, Ricky and Bumpy both made their way back to the car while he turned towards Bob curiously looking at him.

Ricky just laughed, waving at him as Bob tilted his head, hesitating for a moment before lifting his hand and waving back. 

He watched as the man slipped into the car, the engine rumbling to life before it rolled down the street and disappeared into the city.

"Next is Ruth-"

"I already know where Ruth is." Ricky crossed his arms, interrupting Bumpy who flinched at this sudden declaration.

"I put Alexander and Chester on that a while ago."

Flashback to a while ago

The moonlight dripped through the window, casting a gentle glow over a sleeping Harry. 

The room was still, peaceful, until two small shadows crept over him, their forms stretching across his blanket like silent specters.

Harry's eyes blinked open, staring at the ceiling before a strange sensation crept over his chest.

He glanced down, only to be met with the sight of Alexander's furry little body, his tiny chest puffed out with pride.

"Bear your secrets before the mighty Alexander the Great!" the gerbil declared with a hearty laugh as Harry went rigid, his breath hitching at the sight of a gerbil talking on his chest.

Harry's gaze shifted past Alexander to the figure hovering just behind him as a crow, it's dark feathers gleaming under the moonlight. 

Its beady eyes locked onto his, an unsettling intelligence lurking within them as Harry's pupils dilated as an eerie stillness settled over the room.

"As Alexander mentioned, bear your secrets on Ruth, your daughter."

End of Flashback

"YES, IT WAS I, ALEXANDER THE GREAT, WHO UNCOVERED HER WHEREABOUTS FIRST!" Alexander popped out of Ricky's suit pocket, hsi words making Bumpy utterly flinch at the talking gerbil.

"WHAT THE SH*T-" Bumpy yelled, swerving onto the wrong side of the road before a truck immediately pushed down on its horn.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

"OH SH*T!" Bumpy then jerked his head back onto the road, shivering back onto the right side while his entire body shook.

"That-that-that-"

"He's Alexander and before you say something that would start a stupid introduction, he is a talking gerbil, not a mouse or rat, a gerbil." Ricky gestured towards Alexander, halting the increasingly long introduction from the gerbil.

"Oh come on, you literally got your ass kicked by a ghoul but a talking gerbil is where you cross the line? Man up Bumpy, weird sh*t exists in the world." Ricky nudged Bumpy, chuckling as the man loosened at this provocation. 

"First of all, anyone would be weirded out by a talking animal, it's not just me." Bumpy held up one finger, starting off while recovering his calm and collected attitude.

"Second, has he just been here the whole time and third, did he just say he's Alexander The Great, the guy who was the king of Macedonia?" Bumpy finished, asking the other questions as Alexander's eyes sparkled at another person recognizing him.

"You've heard of my legendary exploits as well?" Alexander asked, his chest puffing out with pride as if today were a grand celebration in his honor.

"Yeah, well, Madame St. Claire is an enthusiast when it comes to regions and it sort of rubbed off on me, but I prefer history connected to those times rather than religion itself." Bumpy answered matter of factly, even hsi hobbies related to Stephanie.

"Wait a minute, you found Ruth already, then-" Bumpy asked, only to see Ricky shake his head before looking at the ceiling

"I just haven't found the right time, since out of all of them, she's probably the most-"

SIGH

"I guess-........troubling?" Ricky couldn't' exactly find the right word to describe Ruth, since the last time they spoke she had a complete and utter meltdown.

"Anyways, let's speed this up." Ricky waved his hand, drawing the Necronomicon from his body as it coiled and shimmered, conjuring a portal before the car.

"WAIT, WAIT-" Bumpy said, slamming down on the brakes as they swerved into the green portal before appearing on the other side of a hill.

Mud sprayed upward as the car screeched to a halt atop a hill, overlooking a secluded mansion nestled deep in Iowa. 

Ricky had planned for everything, yet as he stepped out of the car, uncertainty gnawed at him as he wasn't sure how to approach the Ruth he once knew.

His gaze drifted to the yard, where a young boy ran after a dog, laughter echoing through the crisp evening air. 

The vast estate stretched over a thousand acres, every inch of it serving one purpose, to keep Ruth confined in a luxurious prison.

"Wait here-" 

"Oh for christ sake Slick, the mud ruins the wax!" Bumpy jumped out of his car, grabbing a towel and some spray before immediately cleaning the car.

Ricky shook his head, stepping down the hill as the wind swept through the grass, rustling softly around him. His strides carried him toward a large tree, beneath which stood a wooden table.

At the table sat a woman clad in a light blue dress, a wide-brimmed hat shielding her face in case any stray rays of sunlight broke through the leaves. A book rested gently in her hands, her fingers idly tracing the pages.

The distant crunch of leaves stirred her from her reading and slowly, she lifted her gaze, only to lock eyes with someone she never thought she'd see again.

"Ha~" Ruth let out a long drawn out laugh, closing her eyes with a smile and looking forward as she slowly closed her book.

"Hello, Ricky." Ruth's soft tone carried across the space between them, her voice gentle yet laced with something unreadable as her eyes fluttered open, finding Ricky already seated across from her, his smile stretching ear to ear.

"Hi Ruth."