"It's a cold night tonight" LuckyLuciano says to himself as he walks down the sidewalk in Brooklyn on Clarkston Ave, having just left the Hospital to 'say goodbye' to an old friend.

It seems everytime someone comes to town they want to make a name for themselves. Prove themselves. More often than not they end up getting themselves killed. Power and money, the two vices our world revolves around are more often the cause of death than a lifetime of happiness. At least for that is true for the dumb shmuck who lay dying in a hospital bed. "Just couldn't keep quiet could he?" Luciano thinks to himself.

Its the same story over and over. "We only have a few rules in our outfit. And they aren't that fucking hard."

Luciano hails a cab as he walks the street pondering the nights recent events. Nothing out of the ordinary really. Business as usual... but still, a work week all the same. Time for some R&R. LuckyLuciano tells his new driver to take him to Phil. Not anything too incredible to discuss tonight, but it would be nice to have a drink with the crew.

**35 minutes later**Brooklyn, NY**

The Taxi driver pulls in front of a pub in Brooklyn. Sign off, no movement to be seen inside. In fact, with the exception of the tall bouncer type out front, the place looks abandoned. LuckyLuciano throws the driver $500 for the fair, and before the drive could object, as he way overpaid, Luciano turns away and heads toward the bar.

"How's life, Chuck?" LuckyLuciano nods as he speaks.

The bouncer responds, "Very good, Mr. Luciano. They are in the back."

"Please, please. As I've told you many times before, Charlie or Lucky. I'm not a school teacher." Luciano grins as he walks in the door.

The place was dark. Darker than he remembered. A few patrons, Betty sitting behind the bar screaming "Last call you damned hooligans!"
Lucky tips his hat at her but she fails to notice... so he continues his walk towards the can. After checking his reflection in the mirror, he turns towards the door within the bathroom marked "Utility Room" and unlocks it, steps through, and locks it behind him again.

Inside is a second door with another bouncer. "Vinnie, how ya been sir?"

Vinnie only grunts.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill." Luciano says as he turns around and raises his hands above his head. Vinnie pats him down and after finding a gun in his left hand pocket, places it on the table next to him.

"That it, Charles?" It has been apparent for months that Vinnie had a sour taste in his mouth when it came to Luciano. LuckyLuciano had never understood why.

"Yes, that's it, can I enter now, or you want to grab at my fucking balls some more?" As long as he wasn't liked, he might as well give the man good reason.

Vinnie scoffs, and opens the door.

"Thanks, queer. We'll see ya when I see ya."

Vinne almost slams the door on LuckyLuciano's heels.

"CHARLIE!" A female voice yells in greeting... The smokey room is better lit than the rest of the bar and Lucianos eyes were still adjusting, but the voice was immistakable.

"Pixie, my dear, it's been a bit. Like what, 4 hours?"

He hears the group chuckle. After his eyes finish becoming used to his new lit surroundings he sees a round table in front of him. Phil sitting opposite the door with Whitey on his right, and Anna on his left. Cassi is seated next to Whitey and Pixie next to Anna.

"Wow, small crew tonight?" Luciano questions...

"Yeah, people are busy, we've lost a lot of good people in recent weeks," Phil responds, dryly.

"But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our little get togethers" Whitey respondes, eyeing up the women in the room.

"Cassi, can you hit him for me?" Before Anna could get the whole sentence out Cassi's hand was already in motion.

At this the room chuckles... "You can feel the love in this room," Phil jokes.

"Aye," LuckyLuciano responds placing himself next to Pixie. "Now someone pass me a bottle, I got catching up to do."

Annette, the backroom service girl walks in from a side passage with a tray of cigars, cigarettes, and a few various liquors. She is petite, but still enough strength and balance to carry the tray in one hand, raised almost above her head, and an 2 gallon icebucket in the other. She's young, about 16 or 17 and quiet. Yet full of charm and thankfulness. She'd confided in Luciano one night that it was this or the street to make money to take care of her family. Her father passed away last year under "mysterious circumstances." Luciano couldn't recall what it was about, but her father did the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong place. It happened somewhere, yet he'd be damned if he knew where, why, or how. She slides the tray beside LuckyLuciano and he examines the bottles.

"That tall one is my new shipment from the distilleries in scottland. Best shit around" Whitey proudly gives his suggestion.

"Yeah, that's what you said about that yak piss you were handing out last time. Or that gin.... tasted like pinecones covered in shit." Lucky loved giving Whitey shit. He knew it. Whitey knew it. The room knew it. Hell, the whole damn world knew the two of them could go back and forth about some stupid topic for hours.

"Still better than Honey Liquor you had in here. I never knew what bee urine tasted like," Whitey shot back.

"You just need to raise your standards, some of us like good booze." Luciano gestures towards Phil.

"Don't get me involved in your shit. We all know I got the best stuff, I don't care which of you thinks who's is better. Either way, the both of you serve glasses of pig shit in comparison to my imports," Phil objects.

"Doesn't matter how much you guys talk up your shit. Put a label stating 'THE BEST' on it, and it will only be THE BEST SHIT," Cassi chimes in.

Whitey responds, "That's what I'm saying, my shit is the best shit."

Luciano jokingly explains, "Sometimes, I can't understand how stupid you can be."

The group chuckles as Luciano grabs a cigar, a glass, and the tall bottle. "On your way back, tell Betty we need some food back here. I haven't eaten all day." He hands Annette an envelope, "Your tip for the trouble."

"It's no trouble, Mr. Luciano," Annette responds attempting to return the envelope.

"A gift then. And it's Charlie. Always Charlie." He responds, smiling. Little known to her it was a $3000. She should be able to pick up a few meat stamps with that.

"Thank you, Mr.... Charlie." And with that she turns and heads to leave.

"Don't mention it," LuckyLuciano had always enjoyed helping those less fortunate than himself, especially if they were attempting an honest living. He wasn't sure why, but he admired it.

As Annette walked past Whitey, he throws a hand at her ass. Annette continue her exit as if nothing happen. Within seconds of her exiting, Cassi's ring hand lands right across his forehead.

"What?" Whitey, honestly confused.

"So, so, stupid." Luciano laughs to himself burying his head in his left hand.

"She's like 17, Whitey." Pixie informs him shaking her head.

"Oh." Whitey nonchalantly responds.

"OH? OH?!" Cassi throws him another one.

Phil joins Luciano in the laughter as the three women treat Whitey like a hacky-sac, scolding him like a school child.

"Shall we try this 'The Best Shit'?" Luciano asks Phil directly while Whitey is being chastized. A norm. He has never been known for his grace with certain situations.

"Why not?" Phil slides his glass over towards Luciano.

Luciano pours Phil a drink. "Anyone else?"

"Aye. Make it a double. Looks like I may have a long night" Whitey responds.

Cassi and Anna slide their glasses over. Pixie slides her arm across the table, glass in hand, stopping with it directly in front of Luciano.

"So, what's the word? We want to have a talk before we get to drunk?" Luciano asks, filling his companions glasses.

Ariadne walks in, shivering slightly as a stray breeze toys with the hem of her long coat.  Glancing about, she waves to a few folks she recognizes and removes her coat, draping it over her arm and pulling off long gloves as she approaches the bar.  An impish smile puts a twinkle in dark green eyes as she watches Whitey get harangued by the women.  He's such a fun target though, really.  Climbing onto a bar stool, as they're made for far taller folks than herself, she crosses pale legs, the brilliant red heels on her small feet dangling above the floor until she hooks them onto the bottom rung.  Pulling out a slim gold case, she takes out a cigarette and lights it, glancing around for an ashtray.  Catching the barkeep's eye, she lifts her chin at the bottles of liquor behind him and asks:

So, what's a dame gotta do around here to get a good Irish Whisky?  And do be a love and slide me an ashtray for this, could you?

It had been a long day for Alex Hayden, but since joining Weapon X, most of his days had been long. First, he'd had to put in extra hours to get his button. Then, he'd had to put in extra hours to get himself a couple of steady rackets going, only to discover that it took even more work to keep them going than it had to start them in the first place.

Hayden loved what he did. He wouldn't trade his life for anything, but it was still exhausting at times.

So, the note invitation" slipped into his pocket had been a welcome diversion. It had simply been an address scrawled on a scrap of paper. Deciding to take an evening off for once, he hailed a taxi. The taxi took him to a diner. From there, he hailed a cab that took him to a movie theater. Then, he hailed yet another cab that took him to Brooklyn, several block away from the spot. Each of the cabs were from a different taxi company.

Some would call this paranoia and maybe they'd be right, but Alex knew that being paranoid didn't people weren't out to get him.

Alex slipped quietly into the speakeasy, nodding his head to the bouncers as he passed. He knew of both of them, so he relaxed slightly. Still, it wasn't until he walked into the taproom and saw the others there that he finally let himself exhale.

He ordered a green Russian with heavy cream.

"You seen Sofia Viacelli?" he asked the bartender who only shook his head.

He drained his drink in one long gulp

"I'll have another," he told the bartender, "Make it a double this time and stop scrimpin' on the absinthe, okay?"

"Ummm...." the bartender said nervously, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Alex snapped, "Do I look like a choir boy to you? I can handle it, trust me,"

"Hey, Ariadne!" he called to her, "Have you seen Sofia around? Don't tell me that woman is napping again,"

Ariadne's head lifted and she blinked in surprise, the expression giving way to pleasure.  Waving him over she beamed at Alex.

Hey Alex!  How've you been?  I was looking for you...glad you came!  Hmm, Sofia...I went by her place on my way over here but she answered the door looking like death warmed over.  She caught a cold or something because she was wrapped up in this huge fluffy robe and her poor nose was bright red.  I don't think she'll be coming out tonight.  So how's tricks, my friend?  I've not seen you in a few days.

Alex shrugged

"Eh. Same old, same old. You know how it is. The thing about being an... entrepreneur... is that if you aren't doing business, business isn't being done,"

Alex took a drink of his Green Russian

"At least we're not like those poor schlubs working from nine to five making some other guy rich. Know what I mean?"

"So, Sofia sick, huh? Yeah, I heard she was feeling under the weather. Maybe I'll drop by her place a little later. Drop by some chicken soup,"

A voice speaks from behind them; a familiar, commanding voice- only somewhat muffled by the sound of congestion.

"You know I can't stand that stuff, Alex."

Behind them, Sofia is shrugging out of her coat and smoothing out her navy blue knee-length skirt. A soft, pink laced camisole peeks from beneath a matching navy blue blazer. She places her gloves into her coat pockets and retrieves a handkerchief. Despite her make up, her nose is slightly pink around the corners, and her eyes look tired. Alex and Ariadne both have a look of surprise on their faces as she approaches the table. She sits down and promptly sneezes.

"Christo- I haven't seen the outside world in three days, and all this air does is irritate me. No matter. I was going stir-crazy in that house by myself. Don't worry- not contagious. This is my annual spring curse."

She glances over her shoulder at the bartender and motions with one finger.

"Hot toddy, please- and water."

Turning back to her friends, she raises her eyebrows in an attempt to look alive.

"So, how's tricks?"

Alex shakes his head

"If you've got a cold, you should have one of these," he said, holding up his mostly empty Green Russian.

"I tell you, there are few ailments that the green fairy can't cure," Alex asserted, "My old man used to tell me that and he was a doctor. Okay, actually he was a pharmacist. I think. Maybe he was a drug dealer. I don't know. Regardless, it's probably true,"

"I like to keep a hip flask of absinthe with me at all times and sip on it during the day. It relaxes me. Plus, it's got vitamins,"

Ariadne chuckles, shaking her head.

I dunno how much faith I'd put in your old man, Alex...if he kept a hip flask of absinthe...that stuff makes you see things!!!

Sofia, sweetling! 

She hugs her dear friend, smiling as she kisses both of Sofia's cheeks and holds her face between her palsm.

You do look a bit peaked, Sofia...drinking lots of fluids? Should I make some of my world famous chicken soup and bring it over? I hate to see you feeling so poorly.

LuckyLuciano returns from the back room to see a few faces still scattered around the room. No one he knows too well, but still common enough faces that he's seen a few times before. He walks over to the Betty to complete his belated "Hello" as she missed it before.

Everything seems rather calm tonight. Almost odd for a place like this. It's rare that you don't have an argument or a loud discussion about who was raided. Hell, Luciano has even seen prohibition activists walk right in with signs, chanting anti-alcohol slogans as they smash whiskey bottles and point out drunks to police. He watches Betty put the liquor bottles back in their compartments. In a half an hours time this ol' place will look like the run down piece of shit restaurant it had become when prohibition began. At least until the mafia came in and turned the night life back on for many places like this. He stops her, "Betty, I'm taking off. Just wanted to say hello before I left. Tell Annette to take care of her family, ya hear?"

"Alright, Charlie, you take care now. Here's one for the road" She places one of his favorite mild cigars on the bar and turns back to her work. This place was home for Charlie. He loved it here.

"So long" he waved while throwing $100 in the tip jar. He was headed home for the night. In the morning, it's back to the grind.