Hendon, London 

Joe Pavanno sat at his desk, looking down at the details of money coming in and going out of the businesses that he operated throughout the underworld society in the United Kingdom. He looked at his bodyguard, Angelo Palia. He noticed that the man looked at him with an arched eyebrow, clearly wanting to see if he knew of some news. 

"Angelo, do you have something of importance to tell me about? The way you're standing there as if you're scared to talk with me about the situation. Please, feel no fear, I want you to tell me the truth and I am ready to listen. If it's business or another kind of business, let me know."

Angelo looked at his boss with wide eyes, clearly not believing that he was that see-through, it was clear that his boss had some training in that area, he could see when his man was uncomfortable with the way things were and that was something that he did not want to be common. His boss, in some ways, had changed since the death of his brother, Charlie Pavanno. Everyone had seen the change in the brute that he was before and now they gazed upon him like he was the Roman God of War, Mars. 

"We have received news from the states, it seems that your brother had an heir, a son, a bastard son. He was named Mael, he became involved with the life that we lead, he had become a trusted member of the Black Rose syndicate. Nikita and Itachi, they seemed to be incredibly fond of the boy, although, they did not show it that much and our intel may be wrong on that front. It is to be noted that they trusted him enough to make him Underboss of their operations."

Joe looked at his man with his eyes going as wide as saucers, not believing that a fifteen-year-old boy could be that useful or even smart enough to become the trusted Underboss of Operations in the states, it was surprising and something of a shock. He decided that he would meet the boy, wanting to know more about what he could do and see what he could possibly bring to the London business, he was, after all, his nephew. 

"Hm, interesting. I shall make the boy come here and see what he can bring to this table, he is going to be something of a true Pavanno, a man of vision, a man of refined class. Nothing but the best!"

Joe knew that was not all, Angelo's face had contorted into a scowl, clearly, there was something else that was bothering the man. Joe leaned forward, his arms spreading across the desk, clearing away his documents of income. 

"There is something that you are not wishing to tell me, what is it!? There is something I must know, is there not!?"

Angelo had turned his head away, knowing that this news would break his boss in more ways than one, his mother had died, his brother had died, and now, his Nephew had died. 

"Mael Pavanno was declared dead this evening, he is being buried in Corktown, Detroit. Should I book you a flight?"

Joe went numb, his eyes hollow, his face was pale as a sheet, his hands gripped the table as his fingernails dug into the wood. He released a growl of anger before he stood up and flipped the desk over, scattering the documents and ruining the perfect room. He had dropped to his knees, looking towards the painted windows in his office depicting heaven. 

"Leave me, just leave me be."

Angelo turned to leave before he heard a whimper come from Joe, he turned his head and knew that he would have to book a flight for the both of them, business would have to wait. This was family business.

A Day Later

Sitting down against the same office wall, Joe looked at the painted window, trying to find some kind of help from it, he was pleading for the help, he was begging for it and yet it never came to him. He was begging for nothing and he was doing it for nothing, his nephew would not come back from the grave and he would be the last of his line, lest he found himself entertained with a woman, yet the lucky one had yet to be found and right now, he was in no mood to find either of them. 

"My Family has been destroyed and I sit here, the last of my line, the last of my brother and blood. How poetic, the half-son with the least to lose is the one that must lead his line through the chaos and see what awaits him in the new world. Out there, they celebrate the death of my brother, as if he was the bane of their existence, he was nothing if not a peacemaker and a man that wanted the best from his men."

Joe looked down at the floor, his eyes searching it like he was trying to find a pattern of some kind, yet he would find none and he would only look like a mad man to those who looked at him from the door. Oh, he knew that he was being watched and he knew that he had barely moved from his place. He was nothing anymore, he was not a brother, son, or uncle. 

"Angelo, I know that you are there and I know that you are watching. What is it you want? Can you not see that I am in mourning?"

Angelo stepped in, dressed in a black suit and tie, he was dressed for something and he was waiting for Joe to address, yet he would get none as Joe stared at him with the lifeless eyes of a corpse. 

"We need to go, come on! We're going to say goodbye to nephew, if you couldn't see him before, you see him now and you make it count, alright? You make this count!"

Joe laughed bitterly, staring into the eyes of his subordinate before struggling to stand to his feet and settled for a kneeling position. He continued to look up at the man with a lazy smile twitching at his lips before turning away. 

"You have no idea how this feels Angelo, you don't know how it feels to know that he got involved with this business at the tender age of fifteen and was killed by his own superiors, was that give away about the American Mafia? How have they survived this long on their loose styles? I don't know and I will not know, I am giving up the reins of the Pavanno Organization to you my partner, Angelo Palia."

Angelo looked down at his boss, a smile wanting to break through his stoic mask, only he knew that now was not the time and he ordered his men to pick up their former boss, get him ready, and in the car. They knew it was time to say goodbye to Mael Pavanno. 

As they pulled up to Heathrow Airport, Joe looked at the place with the same lifeless eyes as before. He did not want to do it and yet he had too, he stepped out of the car, knowing that if he did not come out of his own volition, he would be dragged out and he was twenty-one, he did not need to be looked at as a baby by the common people. 

"Do we have too? I am no longer in the life and even if you say I am, the businesses, all those, they pass to you and I won't be needed, Angie."

Angelo shrugged, heading through and walking side by side with Joe, knowing that their plane was going to take off soon. 

"Eh, it's the life and it's respect. We give back to our young, we make sure that they are taken care of, the family does not break and you are the last of your Branch. We go to Detroit and go to the funeral, come on, it's time."

Joe sighed, shaking his head and following after his former Right-Hand and now boss of the London Underworld. It was a step-up for him and a nice goodbye for him, he would have to make a new life. 

"Alright man, let's go."

Jack and his wife had made a promise that they would stop in to Mael's funeral now that they had found out through Al that he was being buried in Detroit. For Jack, he was relieved that he was going to have the chance to see the kid one last time, even though he never got to say goodbye to him. As they pulled up to the church, Jack was shocked at how many people had made the trip for him. 

He pulled his car into the church parking lot, finding one of the last spots at the back of the lot. There was a sea of black cars before him. His wife took him by the arm and walked with him to the street. They lingered for a bit as more people filed into the church, more of a crowd than they were expecting, Jack was sure of. If they had known, he thought they would have made sure to do this service in a larger church. Some of the visitors were stuck with standing room only. 

Jack stepped into the church, seeing the crowd of people before him, with his wife by his side. A few heads turned as he walked in, but he paid no attention to them. When he walked up to the casket, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a poker chip. Jack had swiped it from the tops before he left Philly to move to Pasadena. He placed the chip inside the casket and then his wife patted the deceased chest. She couldn't believe that a kid so young went out like this. 

"Til we meet again, kid. You should take a piece of your father with you." Jack said. He walked over to the pew nearest to him and saw a face that he recognized as being all too familiar. If no one else could make it from the kids family, at least his uncle had managed to make the trip out here.

Jack sat silently, he knew that it wasn't the time to approach the family yet, he could only imagine the suffering that his uncle must be going through. 

Joe did not know what he could do as he watched the casket carrying his nephew. the boy that he did not know and now regretted not getting information on whether or not his brother had biological children. Now he regretted that decision, watching the many people that said their goodbyes, it was a sad event and one that he knew would change him forever. He did notice one of the former associates of his brother, JackWaltz. 

"Hm, Lady Fortuna must shine down on him constantly, she has protected this lad so many times that he has been through three associations and come out greater for it. He is one that surprises me, Angie, should we go over to him?"

Angelo placed a hand on Joe's shoulder, stopping him from going over and making him wait until the service was over for a member of their family, distant he may be, but still, family all the same. He shook his head, making sure that Joe remained put, knowing that this man was a former associate of Los Angeles, he wondered what he was doing in Corktown, Detroit. 

There were plenty of bosses around to enlist the young Waltz into their organization, it seemed that he was a prized man in the world. One could wonder if he had future leadership in his mind, god knows that Joe had enough of leading and was looking forward to relaxing, making sure that all was good with the business at hand.

"Wait, this is almost done and then you can over, playing the game of what he is doing here, he obviously felt the kid meant a great deal. He even brought his old lady, obviously the guy was a charmer and one that did business the right way, probably learned from his old man."

Joe sighed before looking ahead, watching as the priest had started to give the last of his speeches, Joe watched as people said their goodbyes and thoughts on the boy that he barely knew, he looked over, noticing that everyone besides him, Angelo, Jack, and his wife, had left. 

"I'll see you around Kid, hopefully in the next life, we can work together."

Jack stood silently beside his wife as he watched the mourners pass by the casket on their way out of the church. With so many people around, it took a while before the church was empty. Once there were only four of them left, Jack wondered how long the others would be staying. Before long he saw that they weren't planning on staying long. When he saw that Mael's uncle was preparing to leave, Jack walked up to him before he reached the door. 

"You're Charlie's brother aren't you? You look just like him," Jack said. 

"Jack, leave the man to mourn, you two can talk some other time." Mackenzie told him. He nodded and then started to walk away with his wife from the man and his associate. Jack hated funerals, but he knew there was no avoiding this one, he had to be here just to believe that it was real. 

So much chaos had erupted recently, Jack wondered how much more might lie ahead. He also wondered what consequences were lying ahead for those responsible. He couldn't dwell on the the thoughts much longer, he needed to make sure that he could take care of himself still. With his move out of Philly months before, it was obvious what direction his life was headed in once he left. Now, for the first time, he felt like he was on the run. 

"Uh yes I am, Joe Antonio Pavanno at your service, nice to meet you, Mr. Waltz."

Joe stepped forward, wanting to stop the young man and his wife, knowing that he had more to say to the young man that had so much to do with his brother and nephew. He looked to Angelo, who motioned that he could go forward if he wanted. Joe shook his head but stepped forward, making sure to cough, hoping that Mr. Waltz would stop and they could have a conversation

"Jack, would you know what happened to Mael? I only know that he died, I don't know what happened to him, would you?"

Joe knew that Mael was only fifteen and wondered what kind of man could have killed a young boy in the life, yet there was the colder part of himself knew that Mael should have known what awaited him in the end. This life only promises one thing and it is death itself, money, power, and favor with political officials would come with it, yet a lot of it came with bad. 

"If you don't want to tell, in order to spare me of his fate, it's alright, but if you want, I'd love to take you and your lady for some grub. Hopefully, we can enjoy some stories of you and the kid, eh?"

Jack turned around to face Joe. He had no idea that this man didn't even know what happened to his nephew. It was something Jack was still trying to figure out himself. 

"I, unfortunately, don't know what happened to him. I received a call during the middle of dinner with my wife in Las Vegas that informed me that he had been gunned down. Not only him, but our bosses as well. I'm not sure if I will ever learn what happen, though I hope to find out." Jack answered.

"We would be honored to join you," Mackenzie said. She grabbed her husband and they walked to the car to follow Joe to a local restaurant. It would be their first outing in the city besides this funeral and for Jack, he hoped it would expose him to his next objective on this path that he was heading down. He had been a made man before, but that didn't matter now. He knew he would have to prove himself again and he was more than prepared to do so.

"Angie, you coming? I'm paying, obviously."

Joe laughed at the little joke he did, before noticing how Angelo seemed to be a little tense here, actually, he was tense since he arrived in the states. Joe waved him away knowing that his guard would need some time to himself, he was not used to the American Mob and would need time to adjust. He let him go before catching up with Jack and his wife. 

"Excuse me, you wouldn't mind allowing a man such as myself a ride with you, it seems that my escort here has something that needs tending too and I would prefer to get on with our lovely chat, plus we could talk about the lovely times that my nephew and you spent together, Mr. Waltz. What do ya say?"

Joe grinned, smiling lazily, knowing that he was pushing his luck and that these people had no reason to trust him whatsoever. It was something that he did not expect them to allow, he did not appeal to their trust in Mael or his father, he wanted them to make the choice on their own, although there was the choice for a taxi. 

"If not, I can take a taxi, either way, I have transportation and can get there easily, I would find the conversation with the taxi driver a bit stilted if you can catch my drift."

"Yeah, that's no problem." Jack said.

Mackenzie decided that it would be best if she allowed Joe to sit in the front seat and for her to sit behind her husband. She was not liking the bitter coldness that the midwest was offering up to her. She had thought that Las Vegas had been cold, but now she felt like she was freezing. Jack started up the car and they drove out of the parking lot. 

"You know, I met your nephew completely by chance. We just happened to cross paths once your brother passed. He was at a stakeout with me for ours while I tried to get to the guy that was muscling Charlie. I offered the kid the chance to take some revenge, but he didn't take it then. I think he was a little in over his head at first. Philly was a tough neighborhood, but once he got out to Pasadena, watch out. The kid was golden." Jack laughed.

They weren't far from the restaurant now, it was on the outskirts of town, not to far from the road that they had drove in on. They drove by so many places that were simply packed with people waiting outside. Jack thought that they had to be fucking crazy to be standing out in this cold for so long. 

"So, how was the kid? What was he like?"

Joe entered the car as he spoke towards Jack with the British drawl in his tone, clearly entering into without hesitance, he was used to his way and did not think anyone would mind. He did notice a few men walking up and down the street, they watched him, looking at him with a little bit of surprise before walking on their way, it seemed they either recognized his classic Pavanno look. 

As he settled in the car, he did get used to the warmful seats, knowing that the weather in Detroit rubbed him the wrong way, he did not like it that much and wondered how Las Vegas would be feeling right about now. He turned to Jack, looking at him with a small smile before looking back out the window, knowing that the man would take some time to answer. 

"And, where is this place you are taking me? Seems a bit out of the way, I did see this one place on the way here, it was called The Blackhawk, maybe you should take the luck lady there sometime, enjoy what this city has to offer."

He chuckled lightly, looking back at Mackenzie who seemingly chose to sit behind her husband, he wondered if that was a personal choice or simply because he was here. He did not wish to change the way they did things, he was but a guest in this city, he was a businessman and hoped to see what opportunities would await him after he dealt with the passing of his nephew. 

"He was a good kid, he worked hard. I'm not sure if his friends made it out, though my guess would be that they didn't. He had an attitude about him, like he knew that he would be an outcast even though the family accepted him. I think it was his way of making sure that people knew that they couldn't push him around because of his age." 

They pulled up to the Vine on Fifth, a small and quiet family place with a well stocked bar. Jack took notice of the suggestion made by Joe and kept it fresh on his mind. He was sure that it would be a good spot for the meetings that would be coming soon enough. Jack helped Mackenzie out of the back seat and he led them into the restaurant. 

While the host seated them, Jack took a look at the bar, browsing quickly over the menu. He was satisfied to find that the whiskey made by his business partner in Pasadena had made it out to Detroit. He was going to be quite sour if he wasn't able to get that now that he had left the West Coast. He ordered a glass while his wife stuck to her tea.

"I'm sorry that it took something like this for you to make the journey over to the states. I do hope that it hasn't forced your hand. Some things in this life, we know will never change. It's unfortunate and I wish I didn't have to see the day where a teenager had to deal with this life."

"Sounds like his old man a little bit, both of them were outcasts, I'm sure that you haven't heard the stories, he was like his son. I guess you say can that Mael was his old man in some way, maybe a little different and shorter, but still, his old man."

He watched Waltz, trusting him a little and wondering how this kid had survived so much, most men would have given up and fled to the old country wanting what little they had left, others? They would have killed themselves and yet here he was, standing on his own two feet, wife by his side and money in his pockets. It seemed that the deaths did not bother the young kid, yet he may have been wrong and knew that in some fashion. that it had to be bothering him. 

Joe stepped out of the car, following after Jack and his wife, he ordered himself a bourbon and sat down opposite the happy couple. Making sure that the lucky lady and her husband had some space for themselves. He smiled as he looked around the busy bar, it seemed to be quite the place and looked to be professional, yet he knew that every business had something underneath it. 

"It hasn't forced my hand, I'm out of the life, I don't need this business holding me up, at times, I will be an advisor to those who need it. If I am not needed, I have enough money that I can open up some businesses and see where that takes me. Right now though? I'm going to see what other people knew my nephew and see what I can do to help them out."

Joe laughed, hearing the end of Jack's statement, he found it quite amusing, it seemed that he did not know when Charlie began his 'life' and it was a story that not many knew and Joe only knew tidbits. 

"His father, he was in the life when he was a teenager, I don't think it has to do with age Mr. Waltz, I think it has to do with maturity and if the person or people involved are in the right mindset."

"I'm glad that you no longer have to live this life. There are many great things about it, but we all know where the road leads to. There are a load of business opportunities out here in America. It shouldn't be long and the landscape will change for myself and hopefully for you as well." 

Jack took a sip from his glass of whiskey and then he finally allowed himself to relax for the first time since coming to Detroit. He had been so worked up on his way out of the West Coast that he was barely able to sleep in the rundown motels that they had visited on their way here. For Jack, it felt like a load was taken off once he finally found himself somewhere safe. 

Mackenzie was not much better off for their trip. Though it had been her idea to make the move, it was no easier for her as she split the driving with her husband to ensure that they got to their destination as soon as possible. She knew what was on the line if someone was to be looking for them. In Jack's eyes, she had proved herself again to be far tougher and much more cunning than he had thought. 

"I'd like to point you in the direction of some others that knew your nephew, unfortunately, besides those that showed up to the funeral, I'm afraid that I'm not much help.

"Legitimate Business opportunities Mr. Waltz, I no longer want to work with the brutes and people of refined honor, such as yourself. I am more of the real world, where my talents in convincing, negotiation, and enterprise can best fit. I mean no insult on you or the way of life that I once lived, it just has been a few too many deaths for me to participate further than I should."

Joe leaned back, taking a cautious sip of his bourbon, not wanting to drink too much and become less coherent, he was a man of class and business, he no longer had the time to become loose and throw caution to the wind. He had to be different than he was before, it was time that he brought class and honor back to the family name that he was proud to hold. 

"Are these men like yourself? If they knew Mael, they would know the enterprises that he had once entertained and I believe If I can get their information I could put some work into allowing them back into the fold. It would be a great boon to my business, one that I would do well to repay you for."

Now, they were talking his language, business was apart of everyday life and Joe intended to allow his business to interact with that of his former world, he knew that men like Jack had connections and it would do best to make sure that he had them on his side, otherwise he would be the class A schmuck like these other fools who paid protection money.

"Some of them are, some are just legitimate businessmen like yourself or even clients of those businesses who were close with him. I know that you're out of the business now, but if you ever need anything from our side, I'll do my best to accommodate you. I know that I'm somewhat starting over out here, but some of my associates are remaining loyal to me, I'm sure."

Jack took another drink of his whiskey, knowing that he would have to limit himself to only one glass for this evening. He and his wife still needed to drive to find somewhere to stay for the night until they could get settled. Jack hated living in the middle of a city, but for the night it seemed like he would have to stay in one of the high rise hotels. 

"Jack, I think that you should give this man a list of the names that you worked with. At the very least, he would be able to look them up himself to find them. They could provide him with valuable information." Mackenzie said.

"Too right, do you have a pen and paper on you, Kenz?" Jack asked. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a pad of paper and a black pen for her husband. He scribbled down a few names on the paper and then slid the paper over to Joe.

"I can't say that all of the names on here are still alive, but it's a start. Some of these people knew your nephew quite well, some only knew him for a short time."

Joe looked down at the paper, he found that some of these names are people that used to work with his brother in his Casinos, he knew that he could contact them and see what was up. If they were ready to do some legitimate work instead of the classic running drugs, beating down people who owed debts and being hardasses most of the time. He used to have some of those people working for him, now he would have to convince these type of guys to work with him. 

"Hm, all these guys, I recognize some of them, I'll see if they're local. If not, I may be taking a trip out of the city for a while, see if I can't find some of these high-class people."

Joe leaned back, looking between the two, he wondered if they had a place to stay, he knew of one place that his brother talked about constantly when he was still alive. He remembered that it was run by a former Boss in Detroit, her name was Isabella-Luciano. He did not know much about her now, considering that his brother and he had only ever traded letters once, then it was dead silent as he learned of his brother's death. 

"Thanks, Jack, if you ever have problems, even in your world that I can assist with, never be afraid to contact me, I can still handle a piece."

With that Joe left the happy couple and made his way around Detroit, knowing that there were going to be some places that he could not help but become a little interested in. He had to be ready for some business in the motor city.

"Thanks Joe. And one more thing before you leave. I don't recommend doing business out in the golden state. Los Angeles doesn't like to play well with others." Jack said before Joe left the restaurant.

Jack finished his drink and then he and his wife left the restaurant. In a short drive, they were downtown at the largest hotel. Jack remembered how much he hated the life of living in the hotel, but if he was lucky it would only be a couple of nights. His wife settled into the room like it was nothing different for her. Though, with her upbringing, Jack wasn't surprised. She had a talent for being comfortable in any setting. 

"What do you think of the city so far?" Jack asked.

"A hell of a lot different than sunny California, but I think I can deal with the snow." Mackenzie smiled.