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The betrayal of his city hung high in his head. They had buried him without a tombstone, without a proper place of rest. They didn't even have the decency to bury him in the family plot next to his ancestors that had achieved the greatness that he had fallen short of. Perhaps that was the way it should be, for he had failed in his duties. He had failed to protect those that worked and died for him. Manius had failed.
Manius' ghost stepped through the doorway that was once his HQ. The place lay in ruins, the old Joy Division banner hung high from the rafters but it was singed and the corners scorched with bullet holes throughout. Furniture lay in ruin, strewn about as the looters had come through taking anything of value.
The ghost heard a noise and as he looked, there sitting on an old stool sat Phil_Steak with his head hung in guilt, to say that their bloodlines were intertwined would be an understatement. The friendship that remained there was one built upon generations of trust and mutual respect going back to their rule under Godfather Premier in Los Angeles.
The man sat with a somber look on his face and the ghost smiled. Although he could not see him, Manius walked over and placed a hand upon the man's shoulder. Aloud he spoke, "It's ok my old friend. Ours is a friendship that will prevail through even this. You and I are cut from the same cloth, we work for our leaders and give them everything we are capable of. No matter the cost, no matter the outside relationships. Do not fear my friend, I hold nothing against you."
To say that he held nothing against the betrayal of his own city or the man at the helm of Philadelphia would be a different story entirely. And this is the reason he returned in ghost form instead of joining the rest of his generational line in the afterlife.
He walked through the door to his old office and saw papers strewn about, only days earlier his Godfather had died and he had tried to step up and unite the city under a new leader Lancelot. Who, had Manius not have voted for wouldn't have been declared city head. It had been his idea to get together with the other leaders and put a vote together, to publically show that even though their Godfather had fallen due to a gun malfunction they were still united, still loyal to each other. To show the world that they would carry on where Godfather Marston had left off.
Alas, it was not the way it was meant to be. Perhaps Manius was naive to think that they wouldn't fear him, for his bloodline had achieved greatness. The only bloodline in the history of this thing of ours to achieve the title of Godfather three times over, with a fourth taken mere days before he made the challenge.
As the ghost sat down at the desk, he felt the chair beneath him. Sat where his physical body had sat only a couple of days before, he plucked a pen from the well on the edge of the desk and began writing.
I have watched for the last several days as many have slandered my good name and the name of the individuals that wore my banner, and have decided to make a statement publically. While it is true that to the victor does the history writing, the blatant lying that has gone on is a shock to my conscious.
My bloodline had remained away from these shores for generations, content to live a normal life free of crime. However, when a friend asks for help, I am not the type of individual to deny it.
I had been promoted within the city structure as hit squad leader, for in the previous wars on Stamina and Carlo-Maldini the organization skills of the upper structures were lacking. Many of our fine people were dying, when in fact they should have been safe. Because of idiotic mistakes, mistakes made by individuals who didn't have the experience that my bloodline had gained through the generations. Thus I stepped up and began organizing during these wars.
When my good friend Kurtz died to a fatal gun malfunction, I was asked to step up in his place and continue what he had started. A mere week later, I was informed that I was to be removed as city hit squad leader so our Godfather could assume the mantle, as he wanted a more "hands on" approach with his hitters. I asked if I had done something wrong, had I offended him in some way? I was told nothing of the kind, that Marston merely wanted me to focus on building my crew and have no other distractions. To leave the city inner workings to him and keep my focus on my own members. To grow my crew into a force to be reckoned with.
I found this odd, as my bloodline was used to working closer with the individual leaders in a city, but this was not the case in Marston's city. However, I have always been and will always be a loyalist at heart. I followed orders and began focusing on building the Joy Division from within. Arrangements were made and we began recruiting heavily, developing the talent that we had from within.
Shortly thereafter, the then left hand man to Marston, SammyGarcini began a tirade in a very public coffee shop. Calling individuals many words that I would rather not repeat. He continued to show disrespect for an individual that wasn't around to defend themselves.
My bloodline was always taught a simple life rule, those that wear a bold or italic suit are held to a higher standard than the rest. To lead and set an example for everyone around us. I took offense and immediately spoke with Marston about the situation resulting in me asking for the man's death, stating that these offenses should not be allowed to continue by someone wearing an italic suit in the city of New York. My opinion was that an example needed to be made to ensure this wouldn't ever happen again. So that our mobsters would know that we hold ourselves to a higher standard and expect them to do the same.
Instead, a mere 24 hours later his italic suit was removed. I thought the matter closed and moved on with the task I had been assigned. SammyGarcini later informed me during his attack that he hadn't dropped the subject at all, citing this as a reason for ordering his crew to join the efforts of the other New York families and those of Philadelphia.
The first reasoning in Don Lancelot's mind for wiping my family off the face of the earth was the friction between myself and the other city heads. In my mind there was no friction, I was open and honest at every step with my fellow leaders.
My orders from my Godfather were simple, focus on my family and allow him to handle the inner city politics. I followed those orders and spoke only when spoken to, keeping my attention on my members and helping them develop themselves and by association making the city as a whole stronger.
Only now do I hear about Marston's former RHM Dominion playing a hand in the removal. Stating that he was in the middle of the 'clique' that that had been attempting to drive a wedge between Apples and Marston. This couldn't be further from the truth.
I had always thought of Apples as a capable leader, an individual that has always done what she thought was best for her city and the members that follow her. I did know of the friction between the two of them, but I sat down with Dominion the day that he was transferred from Marston's crew into mine and explained that I hold my mobsters to a higher standard. That type of treatment would not be tolerated, that I expected more.
I was assured there would no public displays of hostility against her and that he would hold his tongue and to my knowledge he has. If he hadn't, I was never made aware of the situation. I assure you that had any of my fellow leaders come to me with concerns I would've put a bullet in the man's brain. My bloodline has never had a problem slaughtering a single lamb to save the herd in the past. Why would I change that now?
Less than a week later, he was gunned down by The_Crow, a boss that was transferred into Apples crew at her request because of his connection to several of her "friends". When this happened I held my tongue and waited once more for my Godfather to arrive. I was confident he would see the situation for what it was and handle it in due course. Instead, I was told it wasn't her fault and that I was to drop it entirely.
Again, being the loyalist I am I followed orders and let it go. I held no grudge against her, even though others continued to bring me proof that my suspicions were correct. Every one of these individuals I thanked and asked them to speak with my Godfather directly. That I would follow him to the grave and would follow the orders I was given.
If such a problem with Dominion existed, why didn't any of these leaders talk to me? Why wasn't I informed of the situation at hand? Why didn't Marston shoot him when he was in his crew instead of letting the man live without an italic suit and earn him money? Why wasn't action taken then?
I'm also told now that he vied for Apples to be moved to New Orleans. To say that I played a hand in this would again be another bold faced lie, for I had nothing to do with it. As I've stated earlier I've always thought of her as a capable individual even if a little naive at times. Whatever action Dominion took, thinking he was helping me he took of his own accord, without my support or knowledge. Again, had I of known about it, I would've acted.
Even though on several occasions while I was city HSL Apples had demonstrated her lack of respect during war time for the individual calling the shots. I brushed this off and set it aside, working towards the common goal of the success of my city. I am not one that makes friends or enemies easily, I give everyone that I deal with the same chances, and realize that during war stress ensues as we all lose those that are close to us. I chalked her attitude problems under stress and moved on.
It has been said that I was biding my time until I pressed an assault on Apples. This is a clear case of paranoia, for NEVER in my bloodlines history have I been a part of an inner city war. NEVER have I turned on another in my own city. I was not about to disgrace my bloodline's history by starting now. As I've stated earlier I held no ill will for the woman, and still to this day I wish her nothing but the best.
Previously in the bloodline of Apples, we saw her mother, EveValon working in Chicago with Godfather JesseJames and Don Monet. Other people were obviously in the city, but let me concentrate on these individuals firstly. Monet asked her Godfather to kill her right hand man, the outcome of which was a fatal gun malfunction which lead to his death and a power struggle in Chicago. EveValon' set up in her Godfathers place and worked alongside Monet, and PizzaTheHut. When life became too stressful for the city leader, PizzaTheHut took his own life and left behind the leaders who now had to decide their roles within the city.
EveValon decided that she was above Monet in the pecking order for city head and took it upon herself to launch an attack on Monet and her right hand. Without wanting to sit down and work out who would control the city, she turned on the people she once worked alongside as the right hand to the city. Although not the right hand of the city, Apples has continued the tradition she seems to be making by making targets of those who share a home city with her.
I digress, if all of this stems from the problems with Dominion, why did Marston not take action and kill the man? Why didn't he handle the threat then and there?
Until today I have always held Marston's bloodline in the highest of fashions. Ours is a history and relationship that goes back to when the legendary Godfather of New York Deimne fell. When his bloodline was a LHM and mine the RHM for Kurtz. We fought like dogs for our Godfather and fallen leader, but in the end it was an effort in futility. We took as many of them with us as we could, but in the end fell.
However, a relationship was forged and when my grandfather Gaius was given Las Vegas, Marston's line was requested to come and join him to setup and grow under him. The man did the job he was tasked with perfection, and performed admirably. But even then Gaius knew there was a hatred between Chade and the line of Marston. Gaius brushed it off and thought if only they were given time, they would come to appreciate each other. After all they had fought together for Deimne alongside Gaius, surely they wouldn't cause internal conflict.
Then, my grandfather suffered the misfortunate accident that sent him to his grave. As the assault on New York under Whatsername was being organized, I was informed that a warning had been sent to her from Marston's bloodline. Another mistake my grandfather forgave, to leak information about a war plan was unforgivable and if he had mentioned this to anyone at the time he would have to kill him.
Instead, Gaius remained loyal to someone he thought was his friend and chalked it up to misplaced loyalties. He took it as his failure to build that bond, that relationship.
Then a fatal mistake was made on Gaius's part. A bullet that shouldn't have had the weight, pushed through his more than 300 bodyguards and he fell. His dying wish was that Marston's line receive a city of their own instead of being left with Chade. Knowing the two had problems, Gaius wanted the man to have his chance at the big times.
To say that my line has been a supporter of Marston's through all of this would be an understatement, so when given the opportunity to work for him this time alongside Kurtz, I immediately accepted thinking that our relationship would grow ever deeper. It saddens me to learn that the attack on my family a few days ago was the result of Marston's son asking for a favor from Philadelphia and his father's former leaders.
He should have known from my lines previous actions that had he of asked, even in death I would've put my gun to my temple and squeezed the trigger a thousand times over to protect those under me. For I have always been taught and believe that it's our job as a leader to firstly lead by example, but secondly to protect those under us no matter the cost to our persons.
At first I thought this was the type of leader he was, but I guess when you aren't willing to do the same to protect your people you can't understand how someone else can. Only now does it seem to make sense.
There has also been talk that I was offered a city, that I instead chose the cowardly route to stay under Godfather Marston and work for him. This again, is another lie. Never once was I offered a city, never once did I hear talk of being given a city.
Would I have accepted it? Who knows, but to say that it was offered as an alternative to killing my entire family would be a lie.
What I find ironic about this entire situation is the fact that not only were those in my family for a lengthy time killed, but even the former RHM to the Godfather. They turned on the man that was supposed to be the second in charge of the entire city.
If there was such distrust for me from the other leaders why did he come to me? Why did none of you speak about this with me once?
Why didn't ANY of you ask for my resignation? My bloodline has shown time and time again that I will ALWAYS put the lives of those under me before myself. That I will ALWAYS put the wishes of my Godfather before myself.
Instead it took not one, not two, but three cities to do what you should've been able to do in a single stroke. Collectively you had more than 220 mobsters available to kill a mere 49. But your arrogance blinded you. This could've been done in a single stroke, leaving no one but Ire alive. But again, just like when Detroit attacked, arrogance took hold.
You wanted me gone because of paranoia, and arrogance. Please don't make excuses for your actions. Man up, and admit that you turned on one of your own because you could. |
