Bernado sighed and parked the car near the large building. It wasn’t very often that Don Rodriguez invited him to his home. He stood from his shiny Camaro and walked up the door steps where two Arachnids stood guard. They inclined their heads but nothing more after all he wasn’t their Don. Carmelo was. He rang the bell although he was damn sure that Carmelo already knew he was there. The door opened to show Carmelo in a dark wine suit.

“Come in Bernado. There is someone impatient to see you. I told them you could see them in the old audience chamber,” Carmelo said, hiding his grin behind the stoicism of the Dons.

“Weren’t those old audience chambers used for aggressive negotiations Carmelo?”

“Yes, but she insisted upon it. Who was I to tell a Lady no?”

“Is Don Vasquez here then since his wife is?”

Carmelo led Bernado down a winding hall to two large ornate wooden doors.

“They are just past these doors.”

Bernado looked unsure, but Carmelo looked as always not a hair out of place. He sighed and nodded walking through the doors. The minute he did a loud bang was heard as the wooden doors were slammed shut and he was locked inside the large chamber.

“Hey! Open the door, Carmelo! This isn’t funny!”

“I agree brother it isn’t.”

Bernado’s eyes widened as out of the shadows glided his sister in a short fighting dress.

“Rosalinda heh heh. Nice to see you.”

Rosalinda smiled. “ Remember what I told you would happen if something happened to my children while they were away?”

“Rosa! Please it wasn’t my intent….”

“My baby was raped because you failed Bernado!”

“What! I didn’t know...Zen was…? By who?”

“Don’t play dumb brother. Now pick your weapon.”

“Which one of the two of them Rosa? I was with two!”

“The young hotshot Bernado. D’Angelo put his filthy hands on my daughter and he will pay but for now, you will do. Now pick your weapon oh great Don!”

Bernado shivered at her voice. She’s serious about this! I’m about to get my ass handed to me by my sister!

“Rosa, can’t we talk about this like grown adults?”

Rosalinda grinned. “My children have taught me to embrace my Arrio roots and to not be ashamed of who I truly am, a Guerrera. So no Bernado, the time for talking is over. I’m going to attack in ten minutes. I’ll give you that long to take your blade out. After that, it's a no-holds-barred fight like before when we were younger. You remember those days right, Bernado?”

“I remember getting my ass handed back to me by you, yes.”

“Good! It’ll be like good old times no?”

Bernado cursed and removed his jacket and vest leaving him in his undershirt. He took out his dimensional pocket and removed a large broadsword from its sheath. He threw the sheathe with his jacket and removed his suede shoes. They would only slow him down and he needed speed with her. He got down into a stance, both feet spread apart, sword diagonal to the floor.

“Ready?” she asked.

He removed his tie and nodded getting ready for his sister. He never saw her coming and took a slash to his face.

Rosalinda laughed. “Brother looks like you’ve let yourself go. I was hoping to enjoy destroying you. Guess I might not get that chance.”

Bernado huffed and wiped the small line of blood on his cheek. “We’ll see about that Rosa. He narrowed his eyes and caught a gleam of metal in the shadows. “Ricardo was the shadow elemental, not you!” He charged the gleam and his sword twanged with hers.

“Glad you remembered something, Bernado. This won’t be so bad after all.” She drew back and swung low but he blocked before pivoting on his foot and swinging for her head which she blocked. It kept on like this till she took out the big guns or should he say knives? She began using them to place him in position for her next strike. He ducked another swing only to hiss when a knife slashed at his arm. “Dammit, Linda, play fair! You don’t see me using my cleavers do you!”

“We use what we have. It just so happens I came prepared,” Rosalinda huffed as she jumped on the large table in the middle and ran down the side wall and to the ground to avoid a swing.

Bernado sighed and grabbed at his arm. It was bleeding into his fingers and making his grip slippery and unsteady as it throbbed lazily.

He growled and lunged at her as she swung at him, swords clashing in the dark. Neither gave quarter and both pushed the other. Bernado had a slight advantage here but not for long as a knife slashed his thigh and he had to retreat fast. Rosalinda hid again this time using all that Ricardo had taught her to remain unseen. Bernado searched for his sister but she had up and vanished again. This time there was no telltale sign of metal glinting in the light to steer him. He stood still stretching his hearing out, something the Arrio closely guarded. He listened for clothes rustling or feet pattering but what he found was the panting of breath too close to him. He pivoted and swung, catching her blow almost at the end. She backflipped and thrust again, getting a glancing slice off his abdomen. He patted the ground in defeat as he kneeled before her, her sword at his neck.

“I should run you over for what was done to Zen, but I think I’ll let my kids have a go now,” she said, retreating her sword and walking to the closed doors. She banged twice and they opened showing a worried Carmelo, who wrapped his arms around Rosalinda and hauled her forward kissing her. He forgot about Bernado who was still bleeding on the floor.

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Bernado glared at the two. “So this was all a setup then,” he said, wincing as he got up from his knees, pressing his hand over his wound to stem the bleeding.

Two shadows formed and coalesced into his niece and nephew.

“Not that we didn’t enjoy seeing Mama kick the stuffing out of you, but there are some things we have to talk about uncle,” Isaias said walking over and pulling up a chair from the large table in the room straddling it so the back faced Bernado like a shield. Zen didn’t say a word, just pulled up a chair and sat beside her twin. There was wariness in her eyes. Isaias tapped his fingertips on the chair’s back waiting for his sister to explode. Zen wasn’t one for staying quiet when she had her quarry pinned. Finally Zen ran a hand through her ponytail and leaned forward. “Why did you keep me locked up in that room uncle?” she asked.

Bernado swallowed. “I thought I was keeping you safe if I did. I was trying to find some way to stop the converter from happening.”

“Tied up as I was to the gurney? You could have released me at least.”

“I…”

“I begged you to stay! I knew that it wouldn’t be long till he found a way to me. And due to your actions, he did! He… but we’re not here to talk about that.”

Isaias glared at Bernado. “He kept you locked up in a room? Alone? Knowing D’Angelo was after you?”

“Tied to a gurney by metal filigree too and weakened as I was, I couldn’t get out.”

Isaias' eyes began to bleed completely black but Zen punched his arm bringing him back to reality. “We need you here Isaias,” she said grinning. “We can get him after.”

Isaias smirked and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Look at me uncle,” she said, her eyes going a misty white for an instant as Bernado looked up from the floor. She pushed her memories of Luis’s plans into his head. Bernado screamed and collapsed to the floor for a minute as visions of his son and his plans ran through his head like some recording.

“Those are my memories of earlier when we went to prove the theory I was telling onboard the station,” she said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

“Of course, the real thing is with Nathan Riviera. You can get it from him as well,” said Isaias leaning against his chair and blowing his hair out of his face. He took the poison out of his pocket and encapsulated it in a cushion of shadows before tossing it to his uncle. “That was the prototype of the poison he used the Guerrero’s Blood. My invention and the Hormigueros' secret weapon. He messed with it so the effects weren’t so bad, but there is no antitoxin for it yet. Zen, Marco, and I had the original antitoxin and it killed off the venom but we are not humans. Right now all the Guerreros you took on that boat are infected and likely are starting to show symptoms. I suggest you quarantine them til I can make the antitoxin for this new hybrid poison. That means you too uncle.”

“Luise meant to usurp you and even sent some Guerreros in his name after me in New Arctica. The Guerreros think it was you that poisoned their brethren and left them to die and are on the verge of shifting alliance. The Arrio can’t afford that right now. You must set this mess straight uncle before the Arrio lose their power base,” Zen said.

“If you refuse Zen and I can take leadership right out of your hands being related to the first house of ruling Dons. The real Amargaritas. Don Xan Amargarita the first Don in history. We are part of his legacy and part of his blood. Our father was as well.”

“I have the authentic blood tree of the Amargaritas that ties us to his line,” Zen said carefully undoing a large scroll tied to her side and unrolling it before doing the same as Isaias did to the tube and tossing it to Bernado who caught it and began scanning the names on the scroll. Sure enough, Zen Rosa Marie and Isaias Luis Amargarita were below Ricardo Amargarita and Mateo Amargarita and so forth until it reached the top where the tree was split in two Emerilis Amargarita and Xan Amargarita. Zen and Isaias extended from Xan’s line. Bernado sat back shocked. That would make them the true hereditary for any seats belonging to any Don in the Hierarchy! Luis is too immature for the position but not one of them! I don’t want to pass the reign to one of them! Who else is an option? Marie Elena would never take it and Nathan wouldn’t either.

He rolled up the scroll and tossed it back to Zen who tucked it back to her side.

The twins stood and nodded to each other before walking up to Bernado. Zen waved her hand, setting back time to when Bernado was before the fight. Bernado watched as his clothes mended and his wounds disappeared. His fatigue dissipated and he stood there as clean and fresh as the time he had arrived.

“You have some things to do uncle. As we said the real recording is with Nathan Riviera and the Hormigueros. Also, the Hormigueros have no leader as Luis double-crossed them as he did you,” Zen said walking over to the doors.

“Zen, I am sorry. I thought I could help you!”

“Ishevara tells me your sincerity isn’t true so I won’t forgive or trust you until it is, that is all you get from me.” Zen disappeared in a silent shadow warp.

Isaias sighed. “You screwed things up, uncle. She can’t even think straight when dark eyes stare at her no matter who it is. I have to reassure her it’s me she’s with and not that creep. Thank god her boyfriend has crystal blue eyes. For once that Pirate can help her with something that I just can’t,” he said before shadow warping away leaving Bernado in a silent audience chamber with his anger. He squared his shoulders and redressed before slamming his hands on the doors.

“Alright, both of you have had your fun! Let me out,” he screamed. The doors opened to reveal two Arachnids standing guard over the doors.

“Where is Carmelo?”

“Don Rodriguez is awaiting you in the usual meeting room,” an Arachnid said, stepping to close the doors behind him with a loud boom!

“This way,” said the other Arachnid as he led Bernado to the familiar doors of Carmelo’s meeting room.

He viewed familiar vermilion red walls with silver borders and the crystal structure he used as a desk. On the walls was the Rodriguez familia famous saying ‘Where there is a will there is always a way’ Beneath lay a black spider on a silver web. Bernado sat on one of the cream armchairs in front of the crystal desk and waited for Carmelo to arrive. He did ten minutes later and beside him was Rosalinda dressed in a lovely matching wine dress. Her hair had been coiffed to run down her back in waves and her makeup was immaculate. They entered arm in arm and Rosalinda sat in the chair meant for the Lady of the house. Bernado figured she soon would be at this pace and frowned. His ultimatum pushed her in the wrong direction. Carmelo sat down and stared at Bernado before steepling his hands and looking over at Rosalinda who smiled warmly. He turned back to Bernado. “Have you learned your lesson?”

“Bernado sighed and nodded. “Yes, I have. I also have some things to deal with in my part of the city. Things are not going well for me it seems. My son tried to usurp me and damaged the bond between myself and the Guerreros. I’ll need to borrow Isaias and Zen for this mishap Rosa. I know you don’t want them involved with Mafia things but,”

“I resolved that, Bernado. I can no longer hide who I am. Why should they hide who they are? Of course, I want them to be paid full respect. They deserve it for helping you out in this mess even while being in their own messes.”

“The crystal mess was also my mess, to begin with, Rosa. I gave Zen the necklace in the first place. I didn’t know about the Guardians or crystals bonding their life force to others before I did it though. If I had I would have never given the necklace to Zen!”

Rosalinda scoffed. “That crystal would have found its way into Zen’s hands anyway one way or another. She is a trinity blood carrier and is more than worthy to carry an intergalactic crystal. I think that the only thing that you did right was choosing Zen above all others to carry that crystal Bernado.”

Bernado tapped his hands on the bottom of his raised foot. “Well, I have to be going then. A fine mess Luis left me to clean up as always. That overgrown toadstool of a son of mine needs to learn how to grow up,” he muttered standing and walking to the door.

“Zen and Isaias are waiting for you at the main gate Bernado,” Rosalinda said, smirking.

Bernado raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“Mother’s intuition,” she said grinning.

Carmelo smirked and held out his hand for her. She came without a fuss, still grinning. “Zen told me with her traveler abilities,” she said.

Bernado’s eyes widened and he nodded, walking out the door and leaving the two.