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When Sheila E heard that the assassin group defected, her heart lightened, just a little. She hadn’t killed Illuso yet, but it would be easier to take him out now that they were not technically part of the same gang.
When the assassin group was later reinstated, in a higher position than they’d been in before no less, her heart twisted in agony.
What was the chance of her being allowed to kill Illuso now that his group had gained favor? What had they even done to gain the boss’s forgiveness? The boss didn’t forgive. It was unheard of.
She would have to go rogue herself if she ever wanted to bring justice to her sister’s killer. If the assassins had survived doing so, maybe she had a chance of living… but so far, they were the only ones she knew who had betrayed the gang and not been killed for it.
The assassin group reported more directly to the boss these days, so the need for a messenger was gone. Sheila E kept her work as a bodyguard, but rarely saw the gang headquarters. The highest ranking member she’d ever been in contact with was Mista.
She knew where the assassins’ headquarters were, but a direct attack on all of them was a bad idea, outnumbered seven to one. She wasn’t stealthy enough for a sneak attack…
Perhaps justice smiled upon her, or more likely took pity, because it was during one of her rare visits to the gang headquarters that she passed a familiar face in the hall and had to stop and do a double take.
Illuso looked at her over the papers he was holding. “There’s a mirror behind your head,” he said as she clenched her fists, “so I wouldn’t.”
Sheila E automatically turned to look. A portrait-sized mirror was on the wall on the opposite side of her to him. She knew better than to try to smash it.
They were alone in the hallway.
“What do you want?” she asked, trying to keep herself from snarling. Despite her work with the assassin team, she’d never spoken to Illuso one on one before.
“I don’t want anything from you. You’re the one who wants something from me. You’re Clara Capezutta’s sister, right?” he asked.
“You… knew.” All this time, he’d known that Sheila E was after him for revenge? And he said nothing about her being their messenger?
“You’re the spitting image of her,” Illuso said. “So you either think I’m stupid or that I don’t remember the people I’ve killed, and either way you’re wrong.”
She couldn’t deny that. He’d killed so many people for the gang that she assumed they all slipped his memory.
“The hell did scum like you do to get back in the boss’s good graces?” she asked instead, edging slightly away from the mirror.
Illuso considered that, before replying, “I can’t tell you what happened at your rank in the family. The closest I can come is to say that the difference between killing someone, and almost killing someone, is immense. Giogio could forgive me, but you never should.”
“I don’t need you to tell me that,” she said, trying to decide whether she’d ever get a better chance than this to kill him. Maybe, if she caught him off guard while he was still talking, he wouldn’t be able to get into the mirror… If someone came upon them fighting, whose side would they take?
“Everyone who’s ever been killed has somebody who wants revenge for them, no matter if they deserved it or not. You’re not the first one to hate me for what I did, and you’ve got the right to try to kill me. But I won’t lay down and die for anyone, even if I might deserve to.” Illuso let the papers he was holding fall to the floor. “If you want revenge, come at me. If you’d rather live, then just walk away: I’ll let you live.”
Take revenge, or live? Sheila E didn’t have to think twice about that. Voodoo Child formed in front of her almost in an instant. “You’ll regret what you’ve done!”
Man in the Mirror was there to answer it, Illuso already maneuvering to try to get around her to the mirror. “That’s what I thought you’d say.”
From what she knew, Man in the Mirror was a fairly weak Stand physically, only invulnerable once inside the mirror world because Illuso could leave others’ Stands behind. Voodoo Child could beat him in the normal world easily, and it was with that thought that she directed Voodoo Child to attack with full force-
-only to come to a screeching halt before the first punch landed at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. “What are you two doing?” asked a man, turning a corner to glare at them.
Illuso stopped moving as well, though he kept his Stand out. “Buccellati, sir.”
Sheila E went pale. This was not a good way to make an introduction to the second-in-command of Passione. “I was- We were-”
“Never mind, I overheard enough to get an idea.” Buccellati stepped in between their Stands. “If you’re going to try to kill each other, at least do it somewhere you won’t bother anyone else. You’re both free to do what you want, if you can deal with the consequences.”
Sheila E already knew what the consequences would be if she even survived fighting Illuso. “Yes sir.”
Illuso nodded. “I should be going back, anyway.” He picked up his fallen papers and, with a last glance her direction, headed out.
She glared at the back of his head as he left. She was going to kill him or die trying. As soon as she possibly could.