His eyes were closed. He had looked at all the targets so many times, that he could imagine where all of them were in his mind, even without use of his visual prowess. He took in a breath through his nose before leaping into, he used the momentum from the jump and turned upside down in the air, in a flash, six throwing knives were in his hand. He tossed four at first, two were moving dead on directly for their targets, the other two were thrown off the away from their intended targets. Itachi then launched two more throwing knives, one from each hand to hit the two in the air that looked like they were going to miss. The clanging of steel was heard along with thuds of all six throwing knives hitting their targets and Itachi landing gracefully back on the ground in a crouch.

Itachi had set up six targets, three on either side of him to be hit. There were two hanging up on opposite trees, two on the ground, and two that were hidden behind rocks. The reason why he threw two a tiny bit away from their intended targets were to have them clash with the last two knives he would throw. The collision would change the trajectory of all four throwing knives and cause the other two to hit the hidden targets and knock the two thrown off target to be knocked back onto the correct course. It was a difficult trick that took him a little while to get down, especially without using his gifted eye sight.

Itachi heard clapping coming from behind him. There was only one person he told where he would be so it had to be the only person who knew, and the only person that would devote enough time to coming out and tracking him down.

"Well, well. You're just full of surprises aren't you?" A feminine voice asked from behind him.

Itachi didn't have to turn to know that it was Amy, the woman he had met and befriended from the Bordello. It wasn't exactly common knowledge among the small group of people Itachi knew since he had arrived here in these lands, but the Bordello, had become something of a regular place for Itachi. People were amazed at the fact that he could frequent such a place and not lay a hand on a single woman working there. This of course set about the rumor mill as well. Some had said he was an eunuch, others believed he just wasn't very interested in women. Of course, he only knew all this because Amy would be sure to tease him about the latest gossip coming from the girls every time he was there. She would then of course offer to extend her services to him in order to prove them all wrong, to which he would politely decline, every single time.

It was almost a constant routine between the two of them. One that greatly assumed the acting proprietor of the place, Alexandra, or Lexi for short.

"Amy-san, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked as he moved to go collect his throwing knives, to which he referred to as kunai.

"Ughh." She playfully growled."I don't know what the 'san' shit is that you put at the end of everyone's names, but don't you have anything cuter to call me by? Like baby, or sweetheart, dear or anything?" She finished feigning irritation.

Itachi's lip twitched in what was almost the makings of a smile, but he held it back. He wasn't much for smiling anymore anyway.

"It's a matter of respect. San is a Japanese suffix to almost relatable to sir or ma'am. Or like Mister or Miss here. To not use an honorific when addressing someone would show intimacy or closeness." Itachi explained. 

"But we're close enough aren't was Tachi?" She asked playfully shortening his name.

Itachi blinked at the name. He'd been called a lot of things but a nickname or a pet name or anything of the sort was not even something his mother did. It knocked him off balance, which the woman across from him seemed to pick up on. Trying not to give her the satisfaction of noticing, which he was sure he failed at, Itachi quickly tried to change the subject. He looked up at the sun's position in the sky and noticed it had to be getting close to the later afternoon hours.

"It's pretty late in the day, Amy-san. Shouldn't you be heading to work?" Itachi asked.

The woman in question didn't miss a beat as she smiled at him.

"I am heading to work, but Lexi called, said Joey was at the building looking for ya. I told her I knew where you were so I'd come out and grab you on the way and bring you to see em. Shame you two grown men can't seem to go about your business without involving some woman in the mix. That one over there is always around one woman or another. I don't think he's the best of influences on you Itachi." Amy replied.

So Adonis was looking for him. That's what this was about. Guess it had been a little while since the last time they pulled a job. From the research he did Adonis was pretty high up in the organization they were working for. Though Itachi had yet to meet other members of this organization, he figured someone of Adonis' stature had other people to do work for him, not to mention his own little crew of people chasing after and protecting him. Yet, he seemed to lean on Itachi a lot, more and more for bigger jobs. Itachi didn't mind this but it did give him pause to think quickly before his thoughts turned to what could his employer want from him this time. The only thing he had done is deliveries and pick ups that turned into deliveries. All in all it was only two jobs.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Itachi inquired.

"Nope, only that he wants to see you at the shop. It's alright, you can ride with me Itachi, I won't bite unless you ask me to." The older woman teased.

Itachi eyes narrowed on her wording.

"Ride with you? Wait, you drove out here?" Itachi asked perplexed. In all his time of knowing and seeing the woman, he never seen her drive before.

"Of course I did silly, how else do you think I get around?" She responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Itachi just grunted in response as he finished up cleaning his makeshift training ground in an abandoned field Amy had told him about.

"So are you all set to go?" She asked after watching him pick up the boards he used as targets and tuck all his knives away inside a pouch on his hip.

He nodded in response and then followed the woman to her car. It was a pretty nice car that should've been out of her price range but then again, in the kind work she was in, he wasn't that surprised to see her driving a car she shouldn't be able to afford. She received a lot of gifts from the people who came to see her and requested her. The two made casual conversation on their way to the Bordello. She tried to hit on him a time or two, to which he either declined or responded to with embarrassed silence when she got real raunchy.

After about 20 minutes of this the two pulled down the shady alley to an even more shadier place, where the older woman parked her car. Considering the looks of it, he was surprised that she still was able to keep it. The two quickly exited the vehicle and entered the building. Amy told Itachi that she had to go prepare for her shift and the two said goodbye and split apart. After a little bit of effort looking for him, Itachi was able to find @Adonis watching a dice game go on as he smoked a cigarette.

Itachi approached the man and gently got his attention. He gave a light bow of respect before the man as was custom where he was from when greeting a superior.

"Adonis-san, it's good to see you. I heard you required my presence?" Itachi asked wondering just what his employer had in store for him this time.

"Aggressive?"

Joe was sipping on a glass of Stobart's Finest as he leaned back in the comfortable lounge chair. People were up to all kinds of mischief around him. Drinking. Smoking, and not the kind of mix you'd want to offer a stranger when asking for directions. Topless. And not just the women. One guy was having his nipples tweaked by a metal clip as a Bordello worker straddled him from the front.

All of this though, Adonis wasn't too concerned with. His first forays into the place were a little different. He was one the the types he'd warned Itachi about becoming, as he himself had fallen into the deep dark pits that the venue seemed to be rife with. It was another time, and in ways another life for him. He'd let go of the shallow one night romps on account of a women he'd met. His drinking and gambling habits though, not as easy to.

His fingers gripped the glass, which he could feel was becoming more and more a reminder of the hellish environment he was in, the humidity leaving some of the contents of the drink touchable on the outer surface of the stylish glass. He made it a point to stock his own liquor here and appropriate drinking wares. You never knew the full extent of the types who'd come and go from such a place, and the notion of not knowing where their lips had been, even more apt. A few swirls of the glass as he looked at the glass told Ray all he needed to know. Joe was within himself.

"How the fuck is that aggressive?"

Ray hadn't uttered a word since he responded to him on the ride over here. Joe wasn't usually the type to seek advice from Ray. The guy was always around him, but more of a wall for bouncing back Joe's own words, as well as any potential bullets that happened upon his employer. But with Ilaria busy at the clinic, and more and more things needed to be sorted on the business front, his only lines of communication had been with Ray.

"When I need to get shit done. I use what I know."

The glass and its vapors slipped down onto the table, more than being place. It rolled over and spilled out onto the low lying wooden table. A big slat of polished wood on some smaller cuttings of the same trunk.

"Fuck it!" Joe exclaimed as he quickly picked up the somewhat looking chalice, placing it upright.

Joe's emotions were getting away from him. The day to day stress piling up. Without engaging in the kind of outlets he was use to, he wasn't the same man. When in the company of women, that all changed. A softer, more playful side emerged. Around men that he believed needed a lesson or two nailed into them by a pool cue or other means, he was another person entirely.

Ever since Itachi returned with the words that the Bordello wasn't pleased with his tactics, or at least, that was the way he took it, that interpretation was cutting into his usual lighthearted cheek more and more, like a chipped molar. And like an unwelcome tooth just having been pulled, he was tonguing that wound more and more.

The seat was comfortable, but his agitation had him on the edge of it with his hands cupped together. He slumped forward and rested his hands on his knees as he glared at the whisky making itself look larger by its slow outward pooling. Was he a little too much? The life depended on such tactics, he thought. On such methods. Why was it Itachi hadn't fallen into the same spiral he did when he first entered here? What was it about him, that had him able to return and not seem too fussed with the goings on?

With a raising of his hands, Joe gave them a once over, flipping them back to front. The atmosphere and what was transpiring wasn't of importance. These days when he came here, he just got himself a drink and played his hand at the various games going on around the place. Gambling kept him sane. Saner than he currently felt. Emotions weren't a place at the tables. You won, or you lost. And you only played with what you could afford to lose. Simple logic. He didn't understand how others got so caught up in it, and lost so much from it. Maybe that was how Itachi saw him, and possibly Lexi, with his methods?

The hands became balls of fists. They were his real money makers once upon a time, where the streets were his hunting ground, before he became Adonis. Kept him fed and sheltered as he grew into the life, and ran away from another. His innocence was taken long ago, but was slowly returning with different people in his life. Maybe this Itachi was another of those influences. Maybe he'd help him see another way of dealing with things. He'd soon put that to the test.

No longer fists, Joe loosened his grip and stood up tall, pushing his hands against his thighs for leverage. He buttoned up his suit jacket, and upon now noticing his boss ready to move, Ray did the same. He'd been caught looking at a women at the bar, who was licking the end of a straw suggestively in his direction.

"Dice." Joe said with a sense of urgency and determination. Gambling always helped to take his mind off of things.

After some betting of his own, and some heavy losses, Adonis simply kept his money flowing backing other punters. The same kind of feel was had. Lady luck appeared whenever he had his stacks of money out. Bowden got most of his business profits. Hot Shots pulled in some decent revenue. Joe was also branching out into other avenues, which would have the same result. What he didn't kick up and throw at Ilaria, he put into having that other worldly presence around.

She was at times like a whisper. Others, like a hard knock to the jaw, reminding you to play it tight. To not bet on a whim, and to take your lumps with a sip of whisky and some common sense. Always, appreciated though, like all women Joe came across; he had all their vinyls.

After making back some of what he lost, yet not with that being his focus, Joe noticed Itachi approach and bow in a sign of respect. This alone got Joe's smile back out. Such an odd character, he thought, but an intriguing one.

"Here he is." Joe said with a noticeably more relaxed energy than when he was sitting with a drink and tossing words at Ray.

"You want to get in on this action?" He'd get to his questions in a second, but first wanted to finish what he was doing before focusing solely on the reason he'd requested Itachi's help again.

The answer was anticipated to be something similar to when he asked him for a drink at the pool hall, but he thought he'd ask anyway.

Itachi politely declined the invitation to gamble and the alcoholic drink, instead preferring to drink a water instead. He watched as his employer gambled and got on a little roll of winning before he lost a bit again pretty much evening out. Itachi had finished his glass of water around the time that Adonis had enough of gambling. There was a bigger man also with Adonis this time, watching his back seemingly. If Itachi remembered correctly he saw the man at the pool hall also just watching the brutal scene before him. The man tried his best to keep an impassive face back then, but slight twitches as he looked upon the scene showed him that he wasn't the biggest fan of his boss' brutality either.

Here it was nudging at him again. Itachi had grew up a soldier of sorts, violence truly didn't bother him, so he wondered why he was so concerned with that situation he had seen the other night. Maybe it was because, even though at times he was confusing and sometimes a bit pushy, he believed he saw more in Adonis. Like Itachi himself, maybe his employer was just acting this way because he believed that's the way he needed to act. Itachi could relate. In his life he had to do many things out of necessity, and didn't agree nor wish to do them.

Itachi shook these thoughts off. He found that somehow someway, a lot of his older thoughts and characteristics had been leaking out of him as he'd come to this new land. He thought he buried it with his old self, but he was wrong. Maybe there was a better way to go about redemption. He could never really right the wrongs that he committed in his past life, but maybe he was sent here or stumbled on this place and it's people to prevent others from having to commit the same kinda of sins, and have similar failures that he did.

Itachi could realize his face had darkened with these thoughts, and he quickly evened it out hoping that no one could see, and grateful he wasn't under Amy's watchful eye. Adonis had told him they were going for a ride. The three men exited the building. He accompanied Adonis to his car, where he joined him in the back seat. The larger man, who he believed Adonis referred to as Ray, got in the drivers seat and begun heading to a predetermined destination. 

Adonis, seeing the questioning look on Itachi's face, quickly explained where it was they were going. They apparently had business at an animal shelter. That was all the explanation he was seemingly going to get for the moment, as Adonis had gone silent and seemed to be contemplating something as he stared out the window. The driver seemed to give Itachi a look through the rear view mirror that suggested asking about his employer's mood, maybe wasn't the best of ideas. Itachi had no plans to try and drag out why the man next to him was feeling the way he was. It wasn't really his business, but he did seem a bit more solemn than usual. Add it to the list of the many emotions and faces of his employer.

In a way Itachi envied the man. He may have created a better mask for himself than Itachi did. His mask we built on showing free emotions, while keeping his true emotions and thoughts inside to himself. Itachi however, showed no emotions. He made himself difficult to read except to those who truly paid attention. He kept it all bottled up and inside himself, he considered his emotions and feelings, his burdens and regrets, all things for HIM to carry on his own. He had a problem trusting people even though they seemed to trust him. He didn't believe he was worth it to be a burden to anyone, he was just a murderer after all. A weapon to keep the peace.

It seems both men were lost in their own thoughts as it would take the man driving the car to announce their arrival, to bring both men back to the current and present time. Itachi, embarrassed by his lapse in attention and lowering his guard, got out of the car quickly to examine his environment. If Adonis had brought him here and summoned him there was work to be done. It could also have meant other things that had a worse outcome, but Itachi couldn't see what he would've done to get himself killed. At least, not here, not yet.

The three men had arrived at the animal shelter. By all intents and purposes it seemed on the up and up. Itachi couldn't really figure out what business they had at such a place. He turned to his employer allowing his confusion to show on his face.

"So what is it exactly we're doing here Adonis-san? Is this another test?" Itachi inquired.

"And what exactly would be a test to you, noble one?"

It may have sounded like a backhanded compliment. Something thrown out there in jest to try and get a rouse out of Itachi. Given his moral points of view that contradicted Joe's own, and on subjects Joe found highly enjoyable to indulge in like drinking and gambling, it may have seemed that way.

But the nickname given was one of respect. He didn't know him well, if at all. But Joe had admired the guys way about things. And due to it, that's what had them here. Another test, it surely was. When wasn't Joe testing his associates. But less for Itachi to prove himself, and more for Joe to understand and learn. He was proud. Vain. Highly action orientated. Aggressive, like a roaring bush fire. But respectful. And loyal. And open to knowing more about how this guy kept himself so cool.

They moved towards the main door. It swung open of its own doing, due to a hand pulling it inwards. They were expected to arrive. They'd been waited upon. Joe stepped in first. He unbuttoned his jacket and took a look around. For a simple animal shelter, there were a hell of a lot of heavies. Goons were littered around the entrance. Not the types you'd find working for a well oiled machine though, not like Purgatory. The types you'd find were simply here because they were stuck here, and had no other idea of a here, a there, or an anywhere else.

Joe's eyes scanned the various faces present. He'd quickly counted six. Not exactly a warm welcome, he thought, and as he flicked his jacket open, showing a gun holster. He wanted to make sure they knew what they'd be getting into if they wanted to test his patience. A snarl and a snicker from different positions had Joe's head flick back and forth. His hand was slowly rising up his waist, staying dangerous.

Tense. The collective shit fest of energy was palpable. The bad intentions stung like daggers with each make of eye contact, as Joe continued keeping his ground and ready for the worst. He even forgot for a moment he'd brought Itachi along. And Ray, who was still in the car entertaining himself with thoughts of the floozy back at the Bordello.

And then, a firm hand gripped one of the men's shoulders. You heard him before you saw him, which had Adonis dart his vision immediately to the voice slurped.

"What's with all the hostility?"

The sly smiling face then appeared, using one of the goons as a railing of sorts, helping himself through the crowd as he gripped and pushed off of his torso. He was a lanky looking guy. Long, slender arms lurching out from a vest that seemed too big for him. His pants were rolled up a little at the cuff, showing he was wearing well worn brown boots with no socks. A grey cap covered his forehead, pulled down, but you could still make out the larger than normal grin.

His eyes weren't as pronounced, coming and going from sight as he moved closer to Joe and Itachi, who was practically at Joe's side, just a little behind and to the right. When Joe did cop a peek at the man's pupils, they seemed black and filthy as the vest he was wearing. Maybe they were simply the makings of an intoxicant that enlarged the pupils. Maybe something more sinister.

"Aren't we friends, here?"

The friends part was emphasized, and sounded more like sarcasm given the ever evil grin perched upon his long chin. Within a few seconds, he was completely surrounded by his other goons. They stepped forward, as if friends was the word. They made sure to scurry around behind them also, blocking the door the two had come in through.

"You know, Joe. Can I call you that, Joe? You know, we never really did see eye to eye on those payments, did we?"

He was standing straight, lanky, slumped forward a little on account of his rounded shoulders. And a few feet in front of Joe and Itachi. This had already gone so much further south then the car ride had ventured out of the city. Joe didn't expect this response. He expected maybe a couple of guys, and the shit eater himself as a third. Just the kind of odds he could handle, the goons being his late breakfast whilst letting Itachi persuade the guy he did indeed miss a payment. 

But seven on two, things weren't looking pretty. Almost as ugly as the guys they'd now have convince they weren't here for the money, but possibly, a puppy?

Itachi was baffled at the new nickname that was thrown at him. "Noble one?". He couldn't tell if Adonis was playing with him, being snide, or actually serious. Or a weird combination of the three. Itachi was far from nobility, well he couldn't exactly say that. He was next in line to inherit his clan, a very prestigious clan, but it was never something he wanted in the first place. He was a soldier not a leader. He was aware enough to recognize the difference between the two and not ambitious enough to exceed his limits on that. Either way Itachi took it in stride as they prepared to enter this pet shop. Due to the cameras on the outside Itachi knew there was more than met the eye to this place, and given the fact that they were here also helped him arrive at that conclusion.

The door was opened for them before they could fully get to it, and when the two men entered one word came to Itachi's mind immediately. Setup. This was a setup designed for them. Not only was their arrival expected, it seemed like the man who they were here to see was waiting on them with some reinforcements of his. This was all designed to be a show of force. Interesting thing about a show of force though, they were only initiated by the intimidated. This was not a well known fact, most people took shows of force as a sign of strength and how much man power you have behind you, but if you had to rely on the strength of others, it meant you weren't exactly confident in the strength of yourself.

Itachi kept his calm and stepped up to be by his employers side, in case things went worse than they already were. Itachi quickly took note of the room, it's blind spots, it's exits, how many people were in the room and how much space he would have should things get messy. It wasn't long before the star of this show, showed himself. He was nothing to really behold and it was no wonder why he relied on goons to be his show of strength. Everything about this man screamed coward, but most of all was his over confidence in this situation, that he let proudly show on his face.

Itachi quickly ran through about 10 plans quickly to incapacitate the room. These men were sure to have firearms, or at least some of them would, and at the first sign of action, Itachi was sure the man they had come here for would run and hide. Which meant it would be hard to pull this off if things got physical and hard for them both to survive without Itachi using certain abilities of his that he'd prefer to remain hidden.

The man began taunting Adonis, feeling he had the upper hand more and more with every word. Itachi could imagine his employer was gritting his teeth by now and only the numbers disadvantage was holding him back. Itachi really didn't want this to get physical. He didn't prefer to go to violence but he would be lying if he said this man didn't deserve it. Itachi kept his displeasure with the situation hidden, the only sign being the slight down turn of his lips into a frown. He'd been in similar situation before. The provoking party just wanted the ones being provoked to lose their head or to become agitated in order to make a move on them. As long as Adonis and himself didn't not give into the man, he wouldn't win.

Itachi then remembered, they had rank and organization on their side. Once that was brought into play it'd be easy to remind this man who and what he was dealing with.  With that Itachi stepped forward.

"Forgive me Adonis-san, but let me handle this from here." Itachi proposed politely but didn't look back to get his boss' approval.

He decided it better he take control of this situation before it got out of hand. He was happy that Adonis had stayed his hand this long, but it was his job to keep him safe and he would do that to the best of his ability, even if he had to sacrifice himself and other things including protocol.

"I don't know who you are, but I take it you're the one we're here to see about this debt here today." Itachi began talking to the man. "My name is Itachi, Uchiha Itachi. Obviously as you can tell I am not from here originally but I do work for and speak on behalf of Joe Adonis-san." Itachi said giving the man a slight bow.

He made sure it wasn't the usual bow he would give to people he actually respected, but it was a bow nonetheless. It threw the target off guard as he certainly wasn't expecting to be shown such respect in his attempt at disrespecting them. That was a big advantage to Adonis and himself. Itachi knew he was the wildcard and he intended to play his role to perfection.

"I see that you have surrounded yourself with quite the cast of capable men." Itachi said taking a moment to look around the room at them men surrounding them, secretly sizing them up all the while. He then turned serious and looked to the owner of the place. "But here's the thing. While you deserve credit for catching us off guard, which is something we'll have to be ashamed of, I can tell you haven't fully thought this through. Adonis-san is the number two man for William Bowden. He runs the subsidiary organization to Jack Mezzo's Race Street Operation, a name I'm sure you've heard of before." Itachi informed the man.

He could see the man's facial features change and could tell he was hesitating and contemplating his approach now. Good, Itachi had the man's attention.

"If any harm were to come to Adonis-san in this place, you may have driven him off, but you'd have to deal with the full force of not one, but two whole organizations. Now, you're a reasonable business man I'm sure. So ask yourself, would earning the ire of not one but two of Philly's biggest underground organization's be a wise business move for you?" Itachi asked the man.

The question was rhetorical but he knew the man would quickly scurry to try and regain control of this situation. He now had a slightly panicked look on his face. This could go one of two ways now. Either the man would try to fast talk his way back into control of this situation, or he would get flustered and do something stupid to try and take back control. Since the man was a coward, Itachi leaned more toward him doing the latter. Itachi cut the man off before he could.

"Now I have a suggestion that will help solve everyone's problems. If you don't mind, I would like to propose you take a ride with us, so you can talk over your disagreements with your payment plan. I'm sure you're worried about your safety, and wondering why you should leave the safety of your own store to get in a car with us? I'll tell you why. We have a man outside who will be left here in the store with the rest of your...'friends'. And should any harm come to you they can do to him as they wish. Surely we can't discuss business with all these bodies around, but for your protection you may bring one of your men along on the ride, while I drive and you and Adonis-san are left to discuss the problems with the arrangement. Sound fair?" Itachi asked.

The man seemed to mull it over. He really didn't want to agree to the terms of this as there were a lot of unknowns, but his pride was also a factor here. He'd have the opportunity to set something else up. Itachi was sure the man wanted to form another plan to put up his sleeve so he'd allow him to do so.

"Adonis-san and I will be outside. You may join us when you're ready or you may not if you choose to. I'm sure you wouldn't wanna show these new friends of yours that you lack the courage to handle a simple discussion." Itachi taunted.

He then turned to his employer and glanced to the door. Adonis quickly picked up on the message and looked around before walking out of the store. Itachi waited until he was safely out before exiting himself. He could hear the man still grumbling and cursing under his breath to himself.

"Adonis-san I believe you should explain the situation to your driver while we wait. The plan is simple really. I suspect he'll try to have his people do something to your driver while we're gone. Don't worry about it, I'll have some way to keep an eye on him while we're away. I just ask that you trust me.  Now, we'll be taking this guy on a drive, it'll be one I'm sure you'll enjoy and one he'll never forget. I'll incapacitate his guard while you two negotiate the terms. I take it a fun loving man like yourself wouldn't mind a bit reckless driving, but our control freak of a friend in there might fear for his life with our combined recklessness. He should cave under your persuasion in the midst of fearing for his life, and not understanding how his guard cannot protect him. It'll be a lesson, not in violence, but instead in fear. wounds and bruises heal, fear is not so easily overcome. Agreed?" Itachi asked waiting to see his response.

Adonis was stalling. Not because he wanted to try and buy them some more time, but because he really didn't want to do what he really did want to do. He wanted to break this guys face. To smash his tongue into his ovaries. He didn't see him as a man. He saw him as a coward. A low life that didn't have a backbone. And one he was nearly on the verge of wailing on, regardless of the consequences.

And then, in another unexpected turn of events, Itachi took the stage. He seemed calm. Confident. Joe swore he saw a glow around him. It was a weird experience. But in contrast to what he was feeling moments ago, a good one. Itachi kept on with his rhetoric, and the goons seemed to be lapping it up. Not all of them, as some seemed more like simple extensions of the main guy. Non-thinking bits of flesh to throw at situations to make them turn his way.

Joe watched on. He felt the eyes and energy divert onto Itachi. If he really wanted to, he figured he'd probably be able to remove his colt and take at least two down before getting close to plugging a third. Maybe the third would get a little something back, and if not him then one of the remaining four. Still, it was something to note. Itachi had a way with words. Maybe this was his secret quality.

But the more the associate of his spoke, Joe realized that this was the most he'd heard from him since he'd met him. Either he just didn't like the art of vocal expression, or he really didn't have anything to say before now. Some were like that. Only spoke when absolutely necessary, and Adonis had learned that through working with many a silent type, content to bask in the shadows, rather then the limelight.

Before long, they found themselves outside. Joe smirked as Itachi began explaining what would happen next. He was amused. And some of what he was saying was being missed because of it. He still couldn't believe he'd convinced them to allow them to leave. They could probably even make a getaway now, if they wanted to.

And even more interesting was the fact Itachi didn't even mention that once. Not once. He was still focused on the job at hand. Outnumbered. Backed into a corner. And still, after getting them out of that he wanted to jump into another hot saucepan. This guy was either crazy, or he really knew what he was doing. Joe was starting to believe he knew his shit.

"Wounds and bruises heal, fear is not so easily overcome. Agreed?"

A nod and a shrug of the shoulders was Joe's response. He kept quiet. It wasn't his show anymore. And he was learning more than he could by waving his fists around, or jamming them down someone's esophagus. 

Itachi and Adonis waited outside for the man who was still inside to come out. The plan had been set. Ray was going to stay with the coward's men inside the building and wait for his safe return. Once he was returned unharmed they would then release Ray. They'd go on a car ride with the coward bringing one of his men along to even the odds and so nobody would have the advantage in the car, but the cowardly man would have one of our own hostage in order to guarantee his safety. Itachi had never driven a car before, but he was sure he understood the basics. His good observational skills and attention to detail had him confident in the fact that he would be able to handle the duty, and also his clumsiness would add to the fear they were attempting to induce on the man.

While Itachi was getting the hang of driving at high and dangerous speeds, Adonis would be in the backseat practicing his peaceful negotiation skills, and figuring out what this man's problem was with their long standing arrangement. Things would get tricky considering the man would have a guard with him, but Itachi already had a plan for him, along with a plan to keep an eye on Ray while they were gone. While Adonis explained the plan to Ray, Itachi secretly raised two fingers straight up. This brought about a crow who landed on the top of a lamp post. It cocked it's head sideways at Itachi, to which he responded by signaling to Ray discreetly. The crow flapped it's wings once on it's makeshift perch showing that it understood. With that, Itachi turned around right in time to catch the man who they were waiting for, to finally come out of his store. 

"Are we ready to go?" The man asked.

He'd brought along his beefiest man that he had with him. The indication or underlying message was that this guy would be enough muscle on his own to handle us both should it come to it. The man then grinned when he looked to Ray and feigned politeness as he held the door open for him, indicating that he wanted him to enter. As per the agreement, Ray did enter and take his place inside where he would wait. Itachi shot one more pointed look to the crow, still perched atop the lamp post before looking to Adonis and giving him a nod.

From here on in Adonis would be responsible for the man he had this problem with. Itachi solely focused on the bigger man who'd be sitting in the front seat across from him since that's the door he went to. The store owner took the seat directly behind Itachi, while Adonis would be behind the man's guard. This suited Itachi fine, as any attempt the man would make on Itachi would surely lead to all their doom, a gamble even this man wasn't stupid enough to take.

Itachi silently entered the car and waited until everyone else was in. He then buckled himself up and turned to stare at the man's guard who was sitting next to him. It took him a little bit to get his attention but eventually the man realized he was being stared at.

"What the hell is it?" The man asked irritated, after spending a few seconds in a staring contest.

"Nothing." Itachi answered after slightly widening his eyes for a second.

He then turned his attention back to the steering wheel. He started the engine and then put the car in gear, pulling off out of the parking spot, slowly.

"You'll have to forgive me, it is my first time driving, so I'm a bit nervous." Itachi said in a even tone.

"What?!" The man in the back asked incredulously. "You hire lackeys who don't even know how to drive? Where the fuck did ya this one Joey?"

Itachi opted not to respond, instead keeping an eye on the man next to him out the corner of his peripheral vision.

By Itachi's calculations there should be a turn coming up on the right that would lead them onto the highway. He was proven right as he could see a separate lane being formed for a turn only. Itachi sped the vehicle up and took a sharper turn than needed. The whiplash caused the bigger man sitting next to him to hit his head on the window, knocking himself unconscious. Itachi's lip twitched as he fought back a slight smirk, due to the success of his on the fly planning. He had initially planned to subdue him with his ocular techniques again but instead settled on a more traditional method, physics.

Itachi stared at the man before starting the car to make him unsettled, also it made him forget to fasten his seatbelt since it was his job to stay on guard and Itachi was already acting weird. The man would then be determined to show no weakness, and too busy keeping and eye on Itachi to worry about his own self. He looked in the rear view mirror and was relieved to see his sudden maneuver didn't knock out his employer as well. As confident in his abilities as he was, he wasn't sure he wanted to take his chances having to drive and focus on intimidating this man at the same time.

"My apologies, but as I said it's my first time handling an automobile. It also seems I forget just how heavy my feet are. I hope my inexperience and my forgetfulness doesn't lead to more mistakes while we're on this drive. You do have my apologies for your friend though sir. It seems he forgot to buckle up." Itachi informed the two men in the back.

The man quickly tried to tap and shake his own goon awake but to no avail. Itachi then caught Adonis' eye in the rear view.

"I believe now that we're on the highway, this would be the perfect time to go over the problems our friend has with your pre standing agreement, don't you? Adonis-san?" Itachi asked as he refocused on the road while speeding up the car on the highway and swerving in and out of traffic.

The man in the back was panicking all the while Itachi could keep the slight smile off his face as he was beginning to master the art of driving an automobile recklessly.

"Wait, what?!" The lanky man screamed out as Adonis grabbed him by the head, firstly ripping off his hat and tossing it off to the side. It spun over the front seat and into the corner where the unconscious guard was slumped forward against the corner of the front and side windows.

His startled response wasn't regarding Itachi mentioning the fact Adonis was to go over the problems they'd been having. It was because Adonis was getting a little too heavy, even for sharing an intimate moment in the back of a car. He'd held himself together till now mostly due to being outnumbered, and then due to being too focused on Itachi's expert diffusing of the situation.

Now though, he was free to do what he did best. They were already seated, the class just about to be in session. Adonis Persuasion 101 kicked off with an open palm to the side of the jaw, sending the overdue beating into first gear and the man's face hard against the side window.

"Now, where were we? Oh, that payment you owe."

"The fuck?!" Was squeezed out between clenched teeth, saliva dripping down his chin as he tried getting Adonis off of him but to no avail.

"You heard me, you rat fuck!"

With a tight gripped handful of hair, Adonis pulled his victim's head back and rammed it forcefully into the window, keeping his face once again squashed against it.

Joe wasn't like Itachi. They were worlds apart. His associate was cool, calm, collected. At least that's all he'd seen of him to this point. Adonis, an unwelcome prodding away from aggravated assault. He twisted his target's arm behind his back as he put more force behind his effort to push the mans skull through the glass.

"Fuck! You're hurting me!"

"And you've been hurting our relationship with your greedy, slimy, good for nothing fingers!"

Joe let loose his grip on the man's arm, reached down and snapped back one of his fingers, the first he could grab. As the knuckles of the hyper-extended forefinger cracked aloud, a scream wailed out.

"FUCK! YOU!" Joe exclaimed over the muffled sound of the man crying in agony. 

His anger had gotten the best of him. Again. It wasn't something he enjoyed. But it was the part of him that ended up getting results. They probably weren't ideal. But he wasn't the ideal businessman in the first place. He lived practically two lives. One at the office, which now had the window with a view snotty and drooled upon. And one outside the life, which although troublesome at times, had more of his heart in it.

When he flared up, he was a man without borders. If he were thinking straight, he'd have remembered Itachi's plotting, what was suppose to go down. A nice bit of persuasion at Joe's hands while he literally drove the man insane, and hopefully into agreeing to pay what he owed. But sometimes you just knew when to cut your losses and walk away. Joe had that inkling. Albeit overshadowed by his emotions, he'd come to a quick conclusion of how to handle this.

With a popping of the back door handle and a spirited shove, the losses were cut as the body was heaved out of the moving vehicle.

Itachi looked on in partial shock, as he kept glancing from the road to rear view mirror to watch what was going on in the back seat. His eyes widened as it seemed his employer's patience had run out entirely. He was doing so well with it too and he was sure he could handle himself without totally brutalizing the man they were here to get money from. He refrained from shaking his head in disappointment, due to the fact that he needed to keep his eyes on the road. He didn't reduce the speed of the vehicle, even with the increased violence going on in the backseat. It was quite distracting, but Itachi was good at blocking out distractions and keeping his focus. He did however tell Adonis, it was his show from this point on, and Itachi was in no position to tell the man what to do, or even discourage his violent tendencies, so he just had to grit and bear it.

So that's exactly what he did, until he received his next shock. At one point the screaming got a bit too loud, and the atmosphere had changed as the inside of the car suddenly got a lot more windy. It would appear that Adonis found it in his newly improvised plan, to open one of the doors and throw the man out of the car entirely. Giving the high speeds they were moving and the hard screeching of tires from the cars behind them, it would be wise to assume that the man had met his end, and there was not quite an accident behind them.

Itachi couldn't stop himself from shaking his head this time as he let out a sigh through his mouth.

"You weren't supposed to kill him, Adonis-san. It's hard to get money from a corpse." Itachi muttered under his breath as he begun to turn his attention once again to the road.

Things had taken a completely unexpected turn. Itachi cursed himself for not planning for this in advance, but he figured with a well laid out plan in front of him, Adonis would resist his urges, and at no point had the death of the man in debt, entered Itachi's mind as a possibility once he got them all out of the store. Lost in his thoughts, Itachi almost forgot about the knocked out guard sitting next to him. Remembering his presence filled Itachi with urgency. He had to get them back to the store quickly before, by a turn of bad luck, this man woke up and noticed the absence of his own employer.

With that Itachi navigated through the streets as best as he could to get them back to the pet shop. It took him a little while, but eventually he was able to find his way back. He wished he could've thought up some very elaborate plan with multiple fail safes as he usually would, but he found himself tired at this whole ordeal, especially since it wouldn't have taken such intricate details, if he knew death was going to be dished out to the targeted man.

As they pulled up to the store, the man beside Itachi began waking up. Itachi looked to him as he was groggily trying to gain his bearings. He tried to think of what to do with this man or how to best go about this situation. Unfortunately for the man in question, nothing was coming to Itachi. So he just figured he'd put it to him straight.

"I need you to listen to me sir. You're former employer has fallen on misfortune and lost his life. Seeing as he will be unable to pay you there is no longer any reason for you to continue working for him. None of you guys need to lose your lives today. If I were you I would take this message and go inside and pitch it to your co-workers so that they may live on to see another day as well. Also if you could have them release the man they are holding inside, it would be greatly appreciated." Itachi said to the man.

The man hesitated. First looking at Itachi like he was crazy, then he looked to the back seat to notice the absence of the man who hired him. Lastly, he seemed to realize the disadvantage he was now at.

"Uhh... Y-yeah, sure." The man responded.

He then slowly got out of the car to show that he had no intentions of being a threat himself. Itachi had subtly unbuckled his seat belt as the man was getting out of the car.

"Excuse me Adonis-san, this will only take a second." Itachi informed his employer as he moved to now quickly exit the car himself.

Itachi moved like a bolt of lightening already seeing how most of this would go in his mind's eye. He quickly pulled a throwing knife from the pouch he carried on the back of his waist. He waited until the man who they had let out of the car, opened the front door to the store. Itachi then launched his knife in the back of the man's neck. He knew his aim rung true even before he heard the sound of the sharp metal piercing through the man's skin. Itachi quickly moved to get directly behind the man. He used one hand to hold the man up so that he appeared to be frozen inside the doorway. Itachi used the man as cover as he used his other hand to reach into his pouch once more and produce four more throwing knives.

He'd have to use the element of surprise to his advantage, and also hope that Ray wasn't just sitting around not being attentive to the tenseness of this situation. Once he had the knives securely in his hands, he let the body of the now dead man drop to the floor. Once he was down and out the way, all eyes were immediately on Itachi, and Itachi was taking note of where the other six men were in this room. He was lucky and happy to see that all six of them had remained in the front of the store. Two were seated over to the left, near where they were holding Ray. The other ones were more spread out but over toward the right side, huddled around a radio on the store front counter. Itachi opted to deal with the four toward the right, figuring that once he stepped into action, Ray would then follow suit and be able to handle the other two that were on him. Itachi stepped inside the door completely and let two throwing knives go, as the lodged themselves into two of the men's throats.

Caught off guard by his sudden movements and the death of their comrades, Itachi rushed forward on a third man who was on the right side. He gripped one of the remaining two knives in his hand, as he quickly moved toward the man who's brain was now catching up with the situation of him being under attack. Itachi was quicker than the man's reflexes as he grasped the knife by the time he arrived to the man's position and quickly sliced his throat ending his life as well. He then wasted no time taking care of the last man standing on his side of the room as he launched the knife he had just used at the man who was now reaching for his gun. This one finding a home directly in the man's forehead as Itachi had to use extra force to cause it to break through the man's skull, it had about the same impact as a bullet to the head.

Making sure the four targets he had chosen were taken care of completely Itachi turned back to see the situation Ray was in. He could see the man was caught in a struggle with another goon, as the two were tussling over possession of a gun. The other goon on the other side of the room was beginning to make a break for the door. Itachi used the last knife that he had in his hand and tossed it to hit the goon Ray was in a struggle with, in the thigh. The new and sudden sensation of pain caused him to loosen his grip on the gun, letting Ray take advantage, wrestling the gun out of his grip and then shooting said goon in the face. Itachi then looked to the last survivor who was still running toward the door to make an exit. Itachi took off after him, exiting just a little behind him. Once he was outside Itachi got the crow's attention that was still perched on the top of the light post. He signaled it to attack the last goon that was running for his life.

The crow followed its orders and immediately took flight. Once it caught up to the man it began pecking at his head and face, while flapping it's wings to completely throw the man off. The man swung wildly at the bird and tried to fight it off, and if given enough time, Itachi was sure he would succeed, but the bird was just supposed to be a stall tactic. A distraction that gave Itachi enough time to catch up to the man. Once he did, he grabbed around the neck, from behind, and dragged him back toward the store. Once he was inside, Itachi simply snapped his neck to finish him off.

After letting the man's body drop, once he felt it go limp, Itachi looked around the store to marvel at his handiwork. He took no pride in killing these people, and if he had it his way none of this would have had to happen. He wasn't bothered by it but he simply wished he could avoid such violence unless it was absolutely necessary. It was funny, he thought. When he first arrived he fully committed to being a tool to be used at Adonis' disposal. He knew that his duties would include killing and disposing of people at his employer's whim, but he had no idea that there would be so much of it so sudden. He could truly say he wasn't fully prepared for all the things that this life, and the levels violence that his boss would sink to.

Now was clearly not the time to lose himself in such thought. Itachi looked over to Ray to see if the man had all his wits about him.

"Are you alright?" Itachi asked, receiving a slow nod in response.

If Itachi had to read his facial expressions, he would have to guess they were a mixture of shock and impressed. He could tell that this man, Ray, didn't fully agree with the levels of brutality his boss got into either. This situation though, in his mind was an exception, and since it resulted in his rescue, Itachi was sure he wouldn't mind too much.

After receiving the nod, Itachi then made his move to exit the building with Ray following behind him. Itachi wasted no time heading back to the car where a very surprised Adonis awaited the two men. Itachi got in on the other side of Adonis in the backseat, not noticing the blood that was sticking to his clothes. Ray took his place in the drivers seat.

"You may want to send a cleaning crew over here as soon as possible Adonis-san. Oh and if they don't mind, could they please set aside my kunai when they pull them out of the bodies. My resources are not as many as they once were, so I would like to keep as many of my weapons as possible, if they are not too badly damaged." Itachi said to his employer like it was the simplest thing in the world, totally ignoring the look on the other man's face.

The car pulled away from the curb, leaving Itachi to make his own way to wherever he was now headed. Joe brushed at his attire in the back, as Ray glanced in the rear view mirror. He usually did it to check on his boss. But after the events that came to pass, he was focused on the ever disappearing sight of Itachi. He'd never seen so much blood before. So many dead around him. Even though he worked for Adonis, this was a new level of what the fuck.

Joe Adonis though didn't question it. He'd done similar. Not as skillfully, and with the same kind of finesse that his associate had. But bodies upon bodies upon other bodies would be what his foundation would be stuffed with if it represented what he'd done to get where he was. Everyone had a talent. A gift that they used and sometimes abused to get to the top. It seemed they at least had that in common, Joe and Itachi.

Later on Joe would call to have the Animal Shelter spring cleaned. The men would do what they did best; dispose of wastes of space and clean said space to a hospital grade shine.

The kunai would be given back. Some were damaged, but he couldn't help it. Pulling them out of bodies quick enough to make the deadline given may have been the reason for the cleaning crew not taking more care. But time was of the essence. Money never slept. It always had a running start while the heart was still slowly waking up. Joe would need this place re-opened as soon as possible. He'd already lost profit, which he knew he wasn't getting back as soon as he tossed the body out of the moving vehicle.

That was the life, though. You won some, and you lost some. And you lived to fuck it all up again another day.