Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

HELLO GOOD PEOPLE and WELCOME to my BRAND NEW PROJECT.

As of recently, I have gotten deeply into the Unstable Universe/Unstable SMP the world's largest hardcore Minecraft server. I have seen most of not all of ParrotX2's videos on it, and am currently in the middle of watching Wemmbu's POV. I will move on to Flame but LEMME COOK.

RIGHT straight down to business.
*Rubs hands together aggressively*
This story is a huge step for me person. Some of you may know me as a person who starts writing Marvel fics then disappear for months! And rest of you ALSO know me for that!

I swear that I will do my best to post in good times. There will be gaps in chapters because I do write rather slow if I'm not suddenly inspired.

In fact, this thing right here is a place holder. Think of it as my introduction into this story. I will be posting the first chapter soon, I PROMISEEE.

I am multitasking haha, going between my MCU fics, and this brand spankin' new one!

This will be a challenge and directly lore conflicting because WE AUTHORS ARE ALSO PEOPLE AND AIN'T PERFECT.

But I will try to honor the UU timeline as much as I can. I haven't seen many fics about it, but I hope my contribution will be a good one!

My new idea (I updated adding this little part right here on November 15th, 2025) is that I will be creating my own arcs. SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT MWAHAHHAHA I can't tell for the moment if I will make multiple works for the different arcs, or have them all segmented in the same fic? That's a LATER issue as I am VERY VERY VERY early into this fic, actually like 3 chapters ahhhh BUT who knows where we'll go. We writers and readers go where no one goes, we slow for no one so get out of our way (iykyk the how to train your dragon reference COMMENT THIS IS BERK!!!)

SEE YOU ALL IN THE FIRST CHAPTER WOOOOOOOO
Please take care of yourselves I love you all!! Have a 👍 day, night, afternoon, wherever you are:)

ALSO here's my Tumblr for everything me!!! I reblog a lot of stuff I like, and soon I'll be dropping fic related things (character skin, head cannons, ideas, etc)
https://www.tumblr.com/wisdomsgemini

AND here's my discord for dm yapping just shoot me a DM and say you're from my Unstable SMP fic!!!
@gemithewis

ALSOOO MY STORY EMAIL!!! SHOOT ME THE SAME MESSAGE AS DMS
[email protected]

-Gemi <3

Chapter Text

Lamilik was utterly, and completely bored out of her mind.

She was following three gold trim officers across the vast Unstable. She assumed they were flying to wherever she was assigned, but you never know. Her line of dictated-endentured-life-on-the-lineship, listening is the only way you stay alive. That and being competent. 

It wasn’t too hard to figure out, even early on, how to survive in this place. People demanded respect, and earned it through fear. Ashswag built his empire off of the cycle, indoctrinating others and threatening whole civilizations. Based on snippets she had caught here and there, Ash had overrun over a quarter, if not more, of Unstable’s civilizations. 

One of them being her own home.

It struck her as pitiful. The never ending cycle of power that plagued this world. They were all under some semblance that they were free. Then again, Lamilik supposed she couldn’t be talking. 

Literally.

Thinking like she wasn't a part of the Mafia was more of a comfort strategy until she had to reach into her inventory to throw a splash of invisibility down. Lamilik knew that if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to redeem herself. Rumor has it that if a Mafia member is seen, they never return after being stasis-chambered. She hadn't seen it happen, but she believed it.

Their small group flew for what seemed to be thousands of blocks. They had crossed vast plains, jagged mountains, and an ocean that seemed to never end. It had been two and a half days of straight flight. Lamilik felt the heavy ache in her shoulders as she fired off another rocket. 

She had over a stack left from the four that they had each been supplied with. The lead Gold had a shulker box of them, so she just had to hope they were generous enough to lend her a stack or two for the flight back.

Assuming she lived that is.

The only briefing their squad had received was to “Gather vital materials. Commanding officer will have full details”

Real informative, wasn’t it?

Her assignment book didn't help either. It only gave her a light outline of what she was supposed to be doing. Following these Golds, and getting information. This was her usual role for most, if not all missions. In her sector, not much ever happened. It was in posts and bases near civilizations that had more action. Maybe the occasional silo.

The fact that she was going in almost blind- minus her briefing that had a very small amount of information- made her uneasy. Her assignment book was unfortunately inconclusive as to what their true motives were with this outing. So she stuck with her running theory of this being an intelligent mission.

It was peculiar though, that there were three Golds and not Irons. Usually, a mission squad would have one higher ranking and three lower ones. The idea of a Copper like her with a mission that needed mostly higher ups was sounding more and more like a death sentence.

Lamilik also technically didn't have one singular lead trim, as there could be three. But the current lead who was up front had the rest of the details as well as the shulker, so she supposed they were the designated Commander. 

They really needed to work on their organization systems.

They sped over a thick jungle. The canopy was so dense that she couldn't see the ground beneath. She smiled to herself as she watched a few parrots flutter among the leaf ceiling. Looking back up to check on her squad, she realized they were fanning out into a line. She tilted her body, and glided into the open spot on the right.

The forest started to clear, fading into a coastal biome. She couldn't tell if it was a river that was carving its way into the land, or it was the beginning of an ocean. It was at this time she desperately wished there was a map of their area. One that she herself had preferably. The water soon took up her entire vision, and she groaned inwardly.

If she had to fly over one more wither-forsaken ocean she was going to un-invis herself and end her suffering.

It didn’t take much longer however before she started to see ruins. They stabbed into the sky, decrepit spires looking ready to fall if a wind charge hit them. She could make out remains of what looked to be hot air balloons littering the ground. Their Commander suddenly dipped, breaking off from the formation and swirling down from the air to land on one of the ashen roofs.

The other two followed, banking and carving their own paths to the roof. She dived after them. Her stomach plunged as she stooped, and her vision went black at the edges as she pulled up sharply from the steep fall. She switched out her elytra for a chest plate as she landed. The tough netherite was a stark contrast to the velvety cloth from the moment before. 

Her foot skid on the slick wood, and she almost let out a cry as she regained her footing, arms pinwheeling and armor scraping. While a scream might not be identifiable enough to be trouble, she didn’t want any chances. She regained her balance, only to turn back and see the eerie and invisible look of one of the gold trims. Her face burned with embarrassment underneath the potion.

Lamilik’s own status as a copper trim helped her as much as bare feet to magma blocks. With three Golds all on this mission, them coming back successfully might give her a spot at promotion. The living area of the Irons seemed much better than the Coppers. They even carried better loot, and she could use all the items she got. The increased respect was appreciated as well. 

Besides her own experiences, Lamilik has seen conversations between other Mafia members. There was a mutual understanding that anyone below an iron trim was quite unimportant. Even in battles she was sent to be on standby for, No-Trims and Coppers were always targeted first.

Lamilik remembered one a few weeks ago. She couldn't remember who, but a company of Coppers and Irons led by a Gold was sent out for a raid on someone. Only the Gold, Iron, and first squad of Coppers came back through the walls of Mafia City. She was sitting in a postal launch tower closer to the fight that day, she spotted them flying back.

Promotion meant survival.

The other two Golds didn't seem to care at all at her slip, they both were speaking with signs up in front. The third however seemed to find her misstep interesting enough. Her anger simmered beneath her sweat slicked skin. She didn't exactly appreciate the silent gaze of some haughty trim who thought they had some rule over her.

Hearing a faint voice, her head instinctively snapped to the direction of the sound. It was coming from a large ruin that sat atop a hill. She glanced back at the invisible heads of the others, and spotted the lead trim drawing a spyglass. The voice died out as fast as it had appeared. The entire squad looked on for about 30 ticks more, scouring the terrain.

She took a look at her inventory. Lamilik had her normal set of standard weapons, enchanted netherite sword, axe, pickaxe, and shield. There were three pots, two were speed and the third was a turtle master. It wasn’t pretty, but she wasn’t going to bring her entire pot stash when there was barely enough to supply her for the stupidly common missions that needed them.

Lamilik also had enough signs for now. It was one of the only ways they had found to communicate with. It was so idiotic for them to speak with signs she mused, moving her ender pearls to a more reachable slot. Most of the Mafia doesn't even clean them up. They're just giving away their plans and conversations for the server to see. It's also so resource wasting.

Pitiful.

Speaking of signs, one was now placed on the ground a little off to the left. It read ‘There's people. Top of castle.’ 

She turned back to try to scan the ruins, looking for any movement. A wisp of hair hit her face from a northern breeze. It carried the smell of burning wood, and a sharp undertone of gunpowder. A flicker of movement drew her eyes, but it wasn't distinct enough to make a conclusion.

Lamilik about the story behind this place. It was something complex. There wasn't a major war that could've taken out this place, no, she would've heard about it. No one just blew up an entire civilization on a whim-

Actually, she took that back. People in Unstable would just blow up an entire civilization on a whim. Many being the very Mafia she was a part of. She doubted that theory as again, there would've been a commotion. Lamilik herself would've been involved as this place was close enough to pull her from her post. 

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and relishing the cool feeling that rushed through her nose and mouth. Her thoughts quieted as she simply stood there.

Something hit her armored back, and Lamilik pitched forward. She tipped over the roof, getting a view of the ground before forcing herself back. Spinning around, sword and shield raised, she glared at the gold trim who punched her.

They tilted their head, either in amusement or disgust. It was the same one who watched her as she stumbled earlier. She ground her teeth and held her tongue as they turned and shot back up into the sky. 

Taking a moment to aggressively shove her long hair under her helmet, not caring for the few strands that ripped, she switched back to her elytra and flew after the shimmering plates of her squad. She caught up to them in good time, and fell into formation. They flew over the absolutely violated kingdom village in a loose diamond. She took in the complete destruction as they were now at a much lower altitude than before, maybe just seventy blocks above the ground.

In some places they were around a hundred blocks above the ground because of the deep pits carved by TNT.

The buildings were almost unrecognizable. The sheer amount of the repeated structures was the only way she could guess at what they were. Hundreds of people had to have lived here. It stretched for chunks upon chunks of land. Maybe even as big as the lower tiers of Mafia City.

Their formation dipped down, tightening. If she moved the slightest bit to the left or right she would've clipped one of the officers. The thought tempted her, but she would have no idea how to defend herself. Back in the City, Lamilik and many other members were rotated in and out of training.

They had all been through the same routines. Formations, fighting, protocols, how to work in silence, how to do everything Ash needed them to. Hours and days of grueling work. Blood split alongside regeneration potions. Bundles of arrows lined up with fishing rods. The steady beat of synchronized steps reverberating off dark deep slate walls.

Messing up such a simple thing as flying formations was unredeemable and not the way to go for a promotion.

The voice became much clearer, and she was able to pick out some words such as “payment” and “threat” over the whistling wind. The commander tilted, angling their formation to land on the side of the sheer cliff. It sloped smoothly into what once was- at least what she assumed it was before it was blown up- grand elegant castle.

From here, Lamilk could clearly hear whoever was speaking and they wouldn’t be able to see the invisible people eavesdropping. She doubted that their presence would be welcome, anyone who was meeting in this wasteland of a place clearly didn’t want the public to hear them.

What a good day to be perma-invis’.

“-is the biggest threat to my empire. And, more importantly… the entire server. So, that’s why I need you to get rid of him, you’re the only one who can.”

Lamilik assumed that the person speaking was the ruler of this empire. The one that was blown to shreds for chunks away It was a male voice, so what, that would make him a king? How did they not attack this empire already? The Golds next to her seemed confused as well, which enforced her idea of this not being the Mafia’s doing.

“I know we’ve had our differences, but I’ll pay you as much as you want. I’ve been stockpiling gear for a while now a-and I can give you thousands of backup sets. I have multiple guards at my disposal. Just, whatever you need. As long as you get rid of Parrot, I'll pay you whatever”

Holy Notch this guy was rich. 

And desperate.

Was Parrot the one who blew up the empire? He had to be, or else he wouldn't have someone paying so much for him to be killed. She shifted her feet, taking advantage of the small block she was on. The gold trim next to her shifted uncomfortably, did they recognize the voices?

A silence stretched between the two speakers. It was as if the entire world was listening. The tension was palpable, between the people speaking above and between the invisible ones listening below. Lamilik quietly blew out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

“Consider it done.”

Oh shit. 

That voice. That was an unmistakable one. The calm, firm, and quiet air of someone who knows their worth.

She knew it. She had heard it. She remembered the pure dread that filled her body. His name haunted Unstable, one that if brought into the conversation everyone would listen. They would quiet down, and look over their shoulders.

That was Clownpierce. As in the most deadly person in Unstable, Clownpierce. And by the sounds of it, he had just been paid to kill someone named Parrot. One thing that kept every person on edge about him, was that once he had a target and a goal...

He never stopped. No matter what it took.

Chapter Text

The name the other man had mentioned rang a bell in her head. She quickly retrieved one of her older assignment books, which was dated about two months ago. Flipping through it, she skimmed the weathered pages. Coordinates, supplies, rotations, where was it?

There.

“Watch ParrotX2, avian hybrid with green coloration. Note that he has a parrot with him always. Beware as you watch him and note that he is an extremely intelligent and resourceful target. Keep your distance and report back in three days on his activity. His most common ally is Wifies and is a much better fighter than Parrot. If you draw the attention of Wifies alone, fight to kill. Leave ParrotX2 unharmed.”

Lamilik didn't know much about Parrot besides the facts she was given. That assignment clearly had more details than the one she was currently on. Then, she had ten pages worth of information. Right now, she has more like ten words. Her bunkmate in the post had been on a spy mission on Parrot before. At least she thought so; it was either that Kili was spying, or had to actually fight him. She cursed herself for her inability to remember.

The note on his intelligence intrigued her. Parrot had to have worried the Mafia Command in some way; they don't include facts like smarts on a whim and tell spies to ‘beware’. He must have been important to Command as he was asked to be unharmed. His ally as well, Wifies. If they were noted to be more skilled than Parrot, that had to mean something.

Well, hell, Parrot was having Clownpierce sent after him. He had to be good.

The gold trim closest to her crouched down to peer over her shoulder- as they were a block above her- to read the assignment book. She angled it a bit more for them to see. They read the small passage of information and seemed to turn it over in their head. 

They reached out a gauntleted hand, motioning for her to hand the book over. They weren't forceful about it, which caught Lamilik off guard. She handed the smooth book over, and with a nod, the gold trim stood.

They tapped gold trim next to them and passed them the book. They pointed to the commander and pantomimed passing it, and the second Gold passed it onto the commander, motioning more. They were asking if there were more assignments about Parrot. Their commander’s helmet bobbed in a nod, and they removed two books and handed them to the Golds.

The one who asked for her book earlier handed it back, accompanied by another nod. Lamilik nodded back and tucked the old assignment back into her inventory. It was humorous to watch other Mafia members communicate with each other in a game of life or death charades. Of course, she was only saying this as she didn’t even need to talk unless it was to report back or have the occasional conversation.

Lamilik guessed that with the proximity of Clownpierce and the ‘king’, they couldn't risk placing signs. Unfortunately, that also meant she couldn't ask for the new books on Parrot as signing was too vague. If the noise didn't draw the attention of the two above, it certainly wouldn't work in their squad's favor if the assassin found their signs. 

The location of the nearby Mafia post, which happened to be Lamilik's, could easily be found. Especially by someone such as Clownpierce. That was something she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

“Zam, how desperate does a person have to be to kill one singular person?” She heard him ask.

Zam. Empire. This was the Zam Empire. The castle they were at the roots of was the abode of Prince Zam. One of the richest people in the entire world. How idiotic did she need to be to not realize it sooner? 

Well, she supposed that he was one of the richest people in the world, seeing that his entire empire was shredded, she doubted that title would still apply to him.

“He’s ruined my empire, Clown, he-”

“It's Clownpierce.” He corrected smoothly.

Lamilik imagined Zam’s mouth clicking shut, stunned. Clownpierce's cold voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she allowed herself some pity for Parrot, who would soon have the man hunting him to the grave. The ease with which he corrected Zam could only've come from experience. She wondered if Zam frequently employed Clown. He certainly had the riches to.

“He ruined my empire, Clownpierce. You know how much of a danger he is. I will gladly find another person who can kill him if you retract my offer.” The prince said, his tone clipped after the correction. An undertone of bridled annoyance encircled his carefully chosen words.

“I follow through with what I say. Don't worry, Parrot will be gone,” Clown replied to the vexed ruler, “But first, I have some visitors to attend to. You didn't tell me you brought guests?”

Shit, shit, shit.

She scrambled off the cliff as she heard potions being thrown down. The three gold trims leaped away as well, firing off rockets. Their stealth mission was over; now she only had to hope Clownpierce wouldn't aim for her. 

Lamilik rose swiftly, one of the Golds alongside her. The snap of a crossbow drew her attention as an arrow whizzed by where she had just been. Panic bolted through her, and she silently wished for more luck. Tipping her body forward and diving, she shot right past Clown. 

The eerie and menacing smile grinned back at her, pearly white madness. The jester-like mask fit snuggly over jagged horns. Two crude ‘X’ marks were slashed where eyes would be. They fixated on where her own were, if the invisibility potion wasn't cloaking them.

“What are you doing here, Copper?” Clownpierce called, diving right after her.

She felt a sharp netherite clip her boots, and she fired off another rocket to put more space between her and the death sentence on her trail. 

Please say my squad didn't abandon me. She pleaded, pulling up abruptly into a flip to try to lose Clownpierce. A sword flashed in front of her face, and she gasped as she felt the point cut into her cheek. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, blotting out the pain. 

She pulled herself into a tight and dizzying corkscrew, barreling towards the ground. Lamilik glanced back for only a moment, and she was able to confirm that Clown was indeed still close. The roof of a dilapidated house came into view rapidly, and an idea bloomed in her head.

Blocking out the alarms in her head telling her to pull up, she leaned to the side at the last possible moment and shot right past the house. 

A rough screech of metal confirmed that her plan had worked. She had slowed him down by a few blocks. Those ticks were the ones she needed to get the hell out. Using all of her muscles, she forced herself to angle back towards the sky. Her boots scraped the ground, and she set off another rocket. Blurs of deep purple-ish black and glimmering gold zoomed past her, back towards Clownpierce.

Oh, now you show up? And now, when we have a chance to escape, we fly to our deaths; how lovely.

After a moment of deliberation on how much she valued her life, she groaned and turned around. She drew her sword, spotting the flashing gold trims maybe 40 blocks away. Fear made her heart pound, and her hands shake as she drew closer. Sounds of metal clashing against armor became audible. Taking a glance at her inventory, she felt resolve seep into her bones.

Maybe death wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe it just hurt in those few moments. Perhaps she’d get to see her friends who were once family before they were killed. She could be free; she could speak and talk freely. Maybe.

That was her reassurance. A simple maybe.

These were Lamilik’s thoughts as she landed, rolling to dispel some of the force from her hard landing. She sprinted the last few blocks and entered the fight. Immediately, she ducked to the side, avoiding an arrow. Instinctively, she tucked her head and let herself move. Carrying herself back to her feet, she saw Clownpierce throw down a potion. The yellowish liquid spread in an area of particles. They evaporated as their effect settled onto the assassin.

Gritting her teeth, Lamilik threw herself towards him. He sidestepped her slash and slammed the sharp edge of his sword’s pommel into her back. She staggered forward, and sheer muscle memory took hold as she raised her arm to block a strike. Her forearm screamed in agony as the strength-aided hit slammed into her own blade again, and again, and again. An opening let her retaliate.

“How long until your sword breaks?” Clownpierce taunted, avoiding her swing yet again.

His attention was drawn away from her as he was yanked back. The hook of a fishing rod was caught on the back of his chestplate, forcing him to be pulled away. Breathing hard, Lamilik took a chance and uncorked one of her speed potions. She drained the flask in three swallows and stored the empty container. Feeling the potion take effect over her body, she lunged back towards Clown. He didn’t see her until her sword swiped across his chestplate. It ricocheted off, barely leaving a scratch. 

Of course. Highest levels of enchantments.

She clenched her jaw in frustration, throwing an ender pearl when he turned to swing. She felt the freezing cold of teleportation wash over her body before rematerializing. Lamilik drew her bow and pulled back. An arrow appeared, and she fired. The projectile shot towards the grinning mask and just missed, only cracking the edge and leaving blackened edges from the flames consuming the arrow.

Clownpierce’s demeanor seemed to change in an instant. He threw down another strength and shot up into the air with an elytra. Lamilik stared as his demonic silhouette blocked the sun. A glimmering cutout of night. A shadow of Death's angel. 

He dove. Hard and fast, straight to the ground. Something bulky was grasped in his hand, and it looked like he was aiming to hit their commander. She turned, hurling an ender pearl to get away. She needed to move-

The ground exploded. The sharp crack of wood, metal, and bone shattering the air. A scream cut off after barely leaving an invisible mouth. Cobblestone flew in all directions, the edge of an already unstable house was blown and caused the structure to collapse. Clownpierce had a mace. The deadliest weapon for the deadliest fighter. An executioner’s arms to his council of judge and jury. 

She was thrown off her feet a moment before her pearl landed. She materialized on top of a roof, not too far from the now crater of their battleground which was now shrouded in a plume of dusk. A sharp pain lanced up her side, making her wince. Lamilik tried to breathe, but it only led to more agony. She had eleven more pearls left, less than she liked but more than enough to get away.

But were the others dead? If they were, that would be a gamble to come back to Mafia City; but if they weren't alive and she was stepping right into Clownpierce’s sword then what?

The pain in her side made another jarring appearance, making her kneel from the black spots floating in her vision. She definitely had a broken rib or two, which would make flying back a wonderful experience. Another crash made her jerk up, and she bit back a scream of pain.

She spotted a flash of gold in the shadow of an alleyway, and withdrew one of her few pearls. Teleporting the short distance, and ending up behind a house in the eaves. She came across a terrifying scene. One that froze her feet to the block she stood on in the shadows. 

Clownpierce had his mask cracked, a jagged line snaking its way in an arc along the side. He advanced on one of the Golds, she couldn't tell who it was, commander or normal officer. Their left leg was twisted in such a grotesque way, Lamilik had no idea how they weren't screaming. She watched as he knelt, sliding the tip of his sword under their chin and tilting their invisible face.

An arm snaked around her shoulders and dragged her back suddenly, an armored hand clamped over her mouth. She flinched, reaching for her sword.

“Don't make a sound. I'm one of the Golds, new commander, call me Jay. ” A voice hissed in her ear quietly, making her pause in shock of the name reveal and sudden appearance. She recognized it as female. 

After making sure Lamilik wouldn't try to kill her, Jay stepped away, and put a plated finger to her mouth, pointing to the other Gold and Clownpierce. Lamilik nodded, and drew her sword. She was going to turn back to ask about what their plan was, but when the newly-instated Commander picked a pearl from her inventory she could guess.

The odds weren't in her favor.

Her side throbbed. Her breaths were shallow, and her head was fuzzy with pain. Her hand shook as she lifted the sword. The shimmering chestplate that covered her torso had small fractures painted across it. Jay turned, tilting her head. Lamilik used the sign for a healing potion, pantomiming wrapping her wrist then drinking.

She hoped Jay had one, Lamilik wouldn't be too useful in a fight being slightly crippled. She couldn't tell if her ribs were broken, bruised, or simply battered. The pain made her think broken, which wasn't the best case scenario when going into a fight.

A pinkish bottle waved in front of her face, and she snapped out of her thoughts. Nodding a thanks, she uncorked it and drank deeply. The bitter taste hit her mouth hard, and she swallowed it back. The harsh bitterness faded away into something faintly sweet, and she felt the effect healing her battered body.

She ground her jaw as an intense prickling focused on her side, and for a moment it was like she was being stabbed by a million wooden splinters. The feeling was gone as fast as it came, and Lamilik could finally breathe. A lesser feeling migrated to her face, where Clownpierce's sword had cut her. Something that would certainly leave a scar. She strapped her shield to her forearm, and raised her sword.

Her commander looked back at her again, before throwing a pearl towards Clownpierce and the other Gold. 

Here we go again, Notch save us all she sighed inwardly, watching as Jay appeared in front of Clown, and blocked his sword with a loud clang. She winced as the blade just barely moved away from the injured Gold’s neck.

“Oh hello.” Clownpierce greeted, pushing the sword blocking his own.

Jay pearled, drawing Clown away.

The Gold on the ground slumped to the side and Lamilik lunged forward, gingerly catching them and laying them down. Their armor was almost shattered. Their right vambrace was cracked so deeply that one wrong movement would make it split off of them. A deep fracture branched out, scoring their chest plate. Taking a closer look at their leg she realized it was an awful dislocation. The sounds of fighting nearby reminded her that she didn't have much time.

Moving to sit right in front of their legs, she silently apologized before reaching for their dislocated one. They jerked as she took hold.

I'm sorry man, I really am.

Remembering the first-aid from their training, she carefully probed the limb. They slammed their fist into the ground, holding back their scream. She lifted it, and after trying different angles she felt it snap back into place. Their Gold went completely stiff under her hand, before relaxing. 

“Sorry.” She whispered, hoping that they wouldn't report her violation of the Mafia Code to Ash or another officer.

“Thank you.” She heard a rough voice rasp back at her.

Something clipped her shoulder and she spun around on her knees. A bundle of red sticks with a rapidly burning string sat innocently there. Lamilik panicked, dragging the wounded Mafia member beside her and bringing up her shield. She was late, always too slow, not strong, a liability-

The blast sent her spinning away to the side. Her ears were ringing, her body ached. Her armor and shield had protected her from dying, but the explosion still jarred her to her core. A slight burning sensation on her face tethered her to conciseness. A vwoop sound caught her attention, and she tilted her head with a soft groan. A few steps away, there were three fuzzy silhouettes.

Recognizing the curling horns, she rolled to the side and shot up to her feet, taking a few steps to steady herself. The curved smile smirked at her as Clownpierce shot forward. Lamilik lunged to the side, just barely avoiding the cruel edge of his sword. Her head ached, everything was fuzzy around the edges. She threw down her last speed potion, and took out her bow. Making sure her arrows were tipped with slow falling, she aimed at Clown. Her hands trembled. Firing, she watched as the arrow shot through the air and hit his armor.

While it wouldn't have wounded him, the effect should still hinder him. His mace was out of the picture for time being, which was a much better circumstance. Lamilik still had no chance of killing him as he was still a much more skilled fighter. But it was a much more even battle.

Jay came up behind Clownpierce, and slammed the side of her axe into his head. He canted to the side, thrown off balance. She threw two cobweb bundles down at his feet, sticking them to the mossy cobblestones. Lamilik, heart pounding, grabbed her shield and looked for the other Gold. There was no sign of them.

Surely the blast couldn't have thrown them very far? She thought, her search becoming more frantic.

A little ways to the right, there was a glimmer of enchantments in the settling dust. Glancing back at Jay and Clownpierce to make sure they were far enough, she pearled to where she spotted the shine.

Dread pooled in her stomach as she saw them against a wall. She dropped to her knees, placing her shield down. 

“Stay with me, come on.” She muttered, tilting their head to slide the helmet off. 

A gauntleted hand encircled her wrist, holding onto her tightly.

“Help me, please.” The raspy voice begged her.

Lamilk bit her lip, nodding. 

“I'll try buddy, just hold on. Do you have any health pots?”

The slight shake of their head made her heart drop. She didn't have any either, the only person who did was Jay. The only one keeping Clownpierce away from them. 

“I can't feel my legs,” The Gold whispered to her, “I can't.” Their voice rose in panic.

Lamilik shushed them gently, placing her hand on their shoulder. She was at a loss, there was no way to save them. No way to help. Even if she had a health potion, they didn't have the time for the accelerated healing to repair their spine. They had maybe two minutes at the most that Jay could give them.

“I'm gonna die, aren't I?” They asked, voice trembling ever so slightly.

She could only nod.

“Kill me, I don't want to die by him.” Their voice cracked at their request.

The sudden change opinion shook Lamilik. How quickly could one come to terms of their death? To face it with such swiftness and resolution?

“I can't,” She whispered back, “Don't make me.” 

Maybe at one time she wouldn't have had any trouble killing a Mafia member, but now she was a part of them. She was in the numbers, this was her squadmate. 

“Do you have an ender chest?” They asked her, coughing. A splatter of red painted the ground. Resolve trickled coldly down her spine, as she did indeed have an ender chest in her inventory.

She nodded, grabbing the small box. She placed it in front of the gold, and watched as they grabbed a dark sickly-greenish bottle. The murky liquid sloshed lazily inside the bottle. In an instant, she knew what they were going to do. A poison pot on their condition, is sure death.

They tried to uncork the bottle, but after watching them struggle she took it from them and unstopped it herself. She ignored the traitorous feeling in her, knowing that if the Gold in front of her took it then they'd be dead. She almost didn't want to hand it to them, but it was either die on their own terms or die to Clownpierce.

“Tell Jay I'm sorry, and tell her that, ‘the birds fly east at sunset,’ will you?” They asked Lamilik, letting go of her wrist to grab the poison.

Not knowing what the phrase meant, all she could do was nod. They lifted the bottle to their mouth, and paused.

“What's your name?” They whispered.

“Lami, what's yours?” She answered, giving them her nickname.

“Renny.” They replied, and drank before she could inquire about the phrase.

She watched, as the viscous liquid slowly drained. They gagged halfway through, and she winced. Nausea rolled into her stomach when the bottle was empty. It fell from Renny’s hands and shattered on the unforgiving rocks as they started to convulse. She eased them into their side, and placed their helmet beside them. Looking around, she found a large piece of cloth It wasn't much, but their body shouldn't be out in the open. She dragged it, laying it gently over their shaking body.

Lamilk stopped for a moment to look back, then pearled away. Tears burned in her eyes when she threw the deep greenish-blue orb. She took a deep breath in, and blocked it away. Hiding it brick by brick. 

They had a life, a story. Feelings and memories. Her heart screamed when she drew her sword.

It was their own choice, that potion by their request. It was their hands. Her head yelled back as she strapped her shield back on.

Jay and Clownpierce were now on a rooftop, heavy hits and quick movements keeping their battle afloat. Lamilik noticed that Jay was missing her helmet, and that her chestplate was deeply fractured. Clownpierce's slow falling was almost gone as the light particles were thinning out. Once he had his mace abilities back, they'd be no match for him. Even less so than they already were.

Lamilik pushed her grief for Renny away, and leaped through a shattered window. Inside was an absolute mess, wrecked furniture and a half crumbled back wall were all that she could make out at the moment. Locating a stairway that was somehow still somewhat intact, she raced up to the second floor. From there, she could hear the impacts from the weapons, each step rattling the rooftop.

“Do you really think you can win this? No helmet, cracked chestplate, you have to almost be out of pearls, no?” She heard Clownpierce ask, he barely even seemed winded.

Jay didn't reply, but she had to be near exhausted.

Lamilik prayed for flint and steel as she glanced at her inventory. Her grounded heart soared as she located the shimmering and matte combo. Looking above her, she noticed a few wooden blocks in the ceiling. They had collapsed just enough that she could reach them and the flames would spread to the rest of the ceiling. Hopefully, that would collapse it and give Jay the time she needs to escape.

She reached up on her tip-toes, and struck the flint and steel together. A few sparks flew but nothing caught. A rough impact on the roof made her flinch back, and the low laugh of Clownpierce made her heart jump into her throat. Jay didn't have much time. Come on Lami, lock the hell in. 

She struck them together again, and this time enough sparks landed onto the wood and caught. She blew on them lightly, stoking the small flame. The dry wood was consumed quickly, spreading and jumping between flammable areas. Smoke quickly filled the air as Lamilik haphazardly looked for an escape.

She found an opening and peaked her head out. It led to what was about a ten block fall, or the rooftop. She only had four ender pearls left, and decided to climb down to the cobblestone street. Stepping out through the hole in the wall, she held on tightly to the sides as the small ledge she was on was barely enough to keep her balance.

At that moment, the roof collapsed. She looked back, and spotted a flash of netherite come down with it. Taking no more time, she reached down to grab the ledge and flipped down and around. Her shoulders smarted as her weight jerked them, but she held on. Swinging for a couple of seconds, she let go and fell to the ground. Lamilik landed in a crouch, and stood to look for Jay. A shadow eclipsed her, and she brought up her shield instinctively.

Something that probably saved her life for the time being.

She was shoved back from the force of Clownpierce’s mace, her shield flying out of her hand. She grit her teeth, rage filling her as that stupid smile came into her vision from the dust.

“Lovely trick with the fire, I applaud you,” He said flippantly, spinning his sword in his hand, “TNT would have worked much better though, would've been more exciting as well.”

He rushed towards her, and she raised her sword. Their weapons clashed, blades crossed. They stood at a standstill for a moment, battling for control. Her blade started to inch towards her, her strength becoming overpowered by Clownpierce. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and she pushed harder.

Clown moved out of the way suddenly, sending her tumbling from her own force. She collided with something- or someone- and fell to the ground. Seeing the shimmering netherite, she realized it was Jay who she fell into. The other stood, bringing Lamilik up with her. A tentative hand on her back steadied her, keeping her from falling back again.

Clownpierce wasn't facing them. His plated back shown. He turned his head, glancing at them over his shoulder. His mask had a new fracture branching out from the other one. It was nothing major, not even close. A hairline of damage flaking out.

“Leave, and be glad that I don’t have the time for you.” His voice wasn't taunting like before. It was the same quiet and deadly air from his conversation with Prince Zam.

They scrambled away, Jay's foot caught on a something and she pitched forward. Lamilik grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. She stumbled again, fighting for footing with her shaking legs. Managing to snatch a rocket and take off. Lamilik followed, wobbling in the air slightly before tilting up and soaring away from the empire. In her peripheral she saw that Clownpierce was no longer in sight.

It hit then, with a burning intensity, that her squad was now two.

Jay shot ahead of her with a rocket, and Lamilik caught up to her. It was then she realized how badly her commander’s armor was damaged. The plates of her greaves were almost shattered. The sword attached to her hip was dulled. Lamilik’s own gear wasn't looking too good at all. She doubted that her armor or weapons would have lasted another encounter with Clownpierce. Even a short one.

Now, they would have to return to Mafia City and inform Command of their failure. How they lost their commander, and squadmate. How they blew a stealth mission, and alerted the deadliest fighter of Unstable. In some ways, Lamilik wondered if being killed by Clownpierce would be a mercy over what was to come during their return to the City.

Chapter Text

They flew fast, trying to get away from Clownpierce. They just needed to make some distance between themselves and the hitman. He had given them an escape and they sure as hell were going to take it. Lamilik's heart was pounding, she heard her blood rushing in her ears. Her arms ached from the fight, but at least nothing was awfully injured.

They shot over the razed land, the houses thinning as they left the Zam Empire. The structures went from crammed together, uniform, and common, to spaced out farmhouses that were all uniquely colored. She couldn't tell if these farms were apart of the Empire, or if they were just other people that took advantage of the empty land.

The flight turned quiet albeit the tension was still palpable. Lamilik and Jay glided through the air, each occasionally firing off a rocket. They had slowed their pace now that they were completely out of immediate Zam Empire territory. There was nothing to say, in all honesty. 

What were they to talk about? Their evident failure? Their impending doom? Nothing that they had to talk about was going to help them in either way. Speaking wasn't exactly a habit either, though, so go figure. 

She couldn't guess how serious their punishment would be. It was a fluke that Clownpierce would've been there. Lamilik still had no idea how he even knew the four of them were listening to the conversation. He had to have heard or seen them fly in. 

But he would've been facing away from their direction and speaking to Zam? Her head said.

Shut it. Her heart replied and

“How's your invis’ holding up?” Jay asked, finally breaking the quiet.

It was still startling to hear another Mafia member speak to her. Especially so casually. 

“I-it’s fine.” Lamilik stammered out after a moment, “I'll need to re-pot in a bit, though.”

“We should probably land and re-gear. The fight with Clownpierce probably drained both of us enough that we're uneasy.” She spat the hitman’s name out like a curse, which in some ways it was.

Lamilik nodded, turning back to look at the ground. Her inventory was never great to begin with, she had adjusted to the measly materials. With this mission, she was supposed to rank up to a Gold. She would've had clearance to the armory, instead of using what little supplies she had. This was supposed to get her out of the shit hole she has landed in. That would have to be an issue to deal with later however. Now, their only goal was to get back to Mafia City.

She noticed they were over the strip of coastal land that they had flown over originally. Jay flared her elytra suddenly, and Lamilik assumed someone else had shown up, and snatched her sword from her inventory, looking around wildly. It was then she realized that Jay was only slowing down to fly right alongside her. She tilted her head, glancing at the Gold, attempting to play off her reaction. Jay watched her curiously. 

Like before, she realized. This was the Gold who had watched her stumble and had initially asked for the book.

“How long have you been in the Mafia?” Jay asked, not unkindly, after an awkward pause.

Lamilik thought for a moment, and honestly had no idea anymore. The months blurred together after a couple, her guess would have to be around half a year. 

“About half a year I think?” 

“Ah, I see.” Jay nodded, glancing at the sword strapped to Lamilik's side.

“Have you spoken to anyone else before? Not through signs or notes, I mean really speaking to them.”

“No?” Lamilik snorted, wondering what the Gold was on about “We aren't supposed to, right?” She took a moment's time to take notes of her supplies.

Some pearls, a turtle master potion, fireworks, her assignment book, some clutter like paper and string. Mostly stuff that wouldn't help her mostly, minus the battle specific materials.

Jay chuckled, a sad undertone in the weathered sound, “Not all of us like these rules, even fewer of us want to fight for Ash,” the golden trim sighed, “Word gets around in the Mafia because we still speak.”

Lamilik turned the information over in her head. In a way, it made sense. Rumors and information had no way to be spread fast enough in books, signs, or even letters. Elytras could only take someone so far and so fast. Maybe she had just cut off the idea of speaking from her thought process, to make it easier to follow the rules herself.

“That… makes sense.” She replied, “Our information getting back and forth surely couldn't just be books and notes.”

“Exactly. I don’t blame you either,” Jay huffed, rising to angle herself more in the warm draft, “With all the snitches around, it’s near impossible to speak like this anyway.”

“Is most of the Mafia like this?”

“Not a lot are like this.” She said carefully, “At some point or another, people accept their fates and fall into Ash’s trap. They let go and let themselves stop fighting.”

Lamilik pondered the statement. She herself was in a careful middle ground. The Mafia raided and destroyed her home, but it also gave her a new one. Granted, it came with strings attached, but it was still a home. She didn't believe in Ashswag’s ideas, yet she still fought for him. She didn't have a choice, though, right?

“Don't go there, I know where you're going. We don't have a choice, none of us do.” Jay said gently. Lamilik's inner turmoil must have shown in her face to prompt her question.

“If enough of the Mafia don't agree with Ashswag, why hasn't anyone fought back?” Lamilik answered her.

Jay went silent, dropping their flight back into an awkward space. Lamilik was realizing this was a common pattern. The other thought deeply before she spoke, and it was odd. Perhaps she was hiding something, and that's why her words were so carefully plucked and used.

“We can't, too many people are scared or support Ash. The Diamonds, most all fight on his side. Most of the Golds do as well. The higher you get in ranks, the more support for the Mafia you find.” Her words were forlorn, a sugar coating over a sour meaning.

Their conversation fell once again. It wasn't awkward though. A shared bitterness was strung between them now, for their predicament and helplessness. Lamilik realized that they would have a long flight ahead if they retraced the same path they arrived on. It took multiple days to traverse Unstable to get to the Zam Empire. That was with a few re-stocks and some breaks between.

They flew hard now, spurred on by that dwindling source of adrenaline. 

 “I never asked your name by the way, did I?” Jay said suddenly, “It was a bit rushed when I introduced mine.”

“I don't think so, but call me Lami. You're Jay, no?” Lamilik already knew her name, but it seemed polite enough to recover her bases.

Or what she was taking as her base anyway.

“Glad to be on a tightrope of death with you, Lami,” Jay said, and she could hear the ridged smile behind the invisibility potion.

“Pleasure’s all mine.” Lamilik replied with a surprisingly light huff of laughter.

The grass turned to sand, which turned to an ocean. A warm draft rose off of the rippling surface, making both her and Jay rise up higher into the sky. The strong updraft was quite odd, and Lamilik wondered if a heavy storm would sweep its cloak over the area. She wasn't the biggest fan of thunderstorms, which was unfortunate, as she did enjoy seeing lightning crack its way along the sky.

According to a book she found in the Mafia City Library during a re-stock rotation for the outpost, she came across a book that spoke about weather. It was probably in there for fighting purposes, as many things in there were, due to the use of Riptide enchanted tridents. She didn't have one in her inventory, as they were rare for someone of her trim grade to have.

The book explained how different drafts coming from water sources could lead to weather patterns. If a lake were warm in a cold biome, there would be extra and unpredictable snow. The air felt ready to strike you; it probably was. That was the sign of thunderstorms.

It was a rather interesting book, Lamilik would admit. Reading was one of her favorite things before the Mafia became all she knew. When she tried to remember the feeling of relaxing and sinking into a world, she could only think of the moments of peace in the mess hall. The only time training rotations were given a break to eat and tend to their injuries.

It was an hour of tethered freedom. Sometimes, they'd be confined to the mess hall when there was an uptick in mission squads. Diamonds would be sent along with some Golds to watch the entrance to the mess hall to make sure that no one escaped with the squads flying out. Lamilik remembered once when another Copper tried to sneak out the window. They almost made it out, but we're caught.

They came back to the barracks that night with a cracked chestplate and no helmet. She could hear their ragged breathing and sobs that they tried to muffle. The day after they had longer and harder training hours, most all of them came back to the barracks with bloody cuts and blooming bruises.

Lamilik followed the commander as she guided them to the aforementioned archipelago. The air turned cooler, and as they lost the gentle updraft, it was slightly more strenuous to stay at their altitude. Her spine already felt strained, and her side started to throb. She grit her teeth, hoping they would be landing soon.

A faint sound that she couldn't discern started to echo. It didn't seem close enough to be a threat to them, but depending on what Jay thought their actions should be it may become a threat.

“Up, now.” Jay hissed, firing a rocket and shooting up into the sky. 

Without question, she followed and fired off one of her own. Climbing through a cloud, it took a brief moment of panic to find Jay, who was still moving skyward. Lamilik felt a tinge of curiosity mingling with fear prick her. What made them fly up so high? 

Did Jay see something that she did not? Lamilik didn't have bad eyesight, but there was no way something that sounded that far away could be seen, right?

The mechanical sound began to drill its way into her head. It was the droning sound of pistons and redstone. The noise was so immense that Lamilik could feel it in her chest. It reminded her of the mob farms in the underground portions of a large silo she was sent to guard. A place entirely run by redstone. 

The clanking and whirring passed beneath them, soon fading out as they distanced themselves. Jay didn't offer an explanation, and Lamilik didn't go looking for one. The archipelago that they were supposed to land wasn't an option now, and her fireworks were starting to run out. She had forty more, and she could extend that by having longer intervals between firing. It still wouldn't last her the rest of the journey however.

“My rockets are gonna run out soon.” She called up to Jay, who was now taking point in their two flyer formation.

“That island I was looking at had a bomber over it, there was no way we could land. I don't have clearance to re-stock in the silo here.” Jay replied, looking back at Lamilik.

“Don't Golds have access to all silos?” it was what they were told, and what was common knowledge. Golds were only just separated from Diamonds. It was a one trim difference. Something had to be extremely high up for them to not have the ability to access.

“I think the one back there was one of the high security silos. The ones that only Diamonds with special word from Ash can access. It's way above my trim level.” Jay answered dryly, bitterness coating her words, “There should be an open island soon though, you think you have enough rockets to last an hour and a half of gliding?”

“I should, unless we're chased.” Lamilik tried to joke, but it only earned a tense huff from the commander.

They descended, the ground coming back into view again. They were still over open sea, and the day was ending. The sky was beginning to be painted in slashes of pink and orange. They would probably land at the island then either rest for a couple hours, or keep moving to Mafia City.

Lamilik had never been in a squad this small. She had never gone on missions with such a high risk either. This was an Iron mission at the least. There were also three Golds with her, which should have technically accounted for her own skill. It clearly didn't, as it was only her and Jay returning, when it was going to be four

They had no idea what they were getting into. When they didn't know that two of them wouldn't be making it out of there alive. When they didn't know the information, they did now. When they didn't know they would be speaking to each other. Once for a goodbye, and another for escape. It was all a twisting and meaningless cycle of madness. 

“Where do you think they want us to report?” Lamilik asked, the sudden thought only now arriving in her head.

Jay didn't answer, for a moment. An uneasy silence fell over them with the question in the air.

“I think we should take this to the top,” she answered finally.

“The top? As in Ashswag’s castle, the top?” Lamilik exclaimed.

She caught the nod, and exhaled sharply. The cold air whooshed by, taking the breath and whisking it away. This was the bad thing about not having their original commander. The one who had their upgrade tokens, the one they were supposed to report to, and the one who had been crushed under a mace.

They were both so ending up in the Void.

(One hour later)

The ocean started to run shallow, and relief swept through Lamilik. She only had five rockets left, and if they flew for even ten minutes more she was going to fall out of the sky from pure exhaustion.

“Down here, there's a Mafia post that I do happen have clearance for.” Jay informed her, tilting down into a shallow dive.

Lamilik followed, relishing in the air rushing by her. The post was right up ahead, just a twenty block walk. Jay figured that they should walk in versus fly to the door so that she could talk to the guards much easier. They landed on rough grass, and pain shot up her leg as she landed. Her knee buckled and she tumbled to the ground.

“Lami?” Jay hissed, whispering with the proximity of other Mafia players.

“My knee.” She bit out, sitting up and stretching out her right leg.

She must've missed it with the healing potion, her knee was injured and finally gave out after the long misuse. That was a downside about healing pots. If you used them with minor injuries, the effect didn't always extend to small internal things. Her knee, luckily, wasn't dislocated or broken, but it just seemed heavily strained.

“I think I'll need a hand up if you don't have any more health pots?” Lamilik said to Jay, reaching a hand up.

“I don't, we'll have to get you a regen’ in the post.” Jay responded, taking Lamilik's extended hand and pulled her to her feet.

She wobbled for a bit as she balanced on one foot, but Jay moved her hand to rest around her shoulder. With most of her weight off her right leg, Lamilik could shuffle-hop the distance to the post. Her knee screamed at her, and she blinked back the tears that unwillingly sprang to her eyes.

The ground was thankfully flat, and it soon changed to paved blackstone. It scraped along her boots if she dragged them, producing an odd scratching sound. The castle-like structure loomed in front of them. Two No-Trims flanked the large arched entryway. When they reached, the one on the right stepped forward to meet them.

Jay squeezed her shoulder lightly before extending a hand to accept the note the guard had handed to them. Lamilik took a look around quickly, and to her dismay there was nothing to lean on. She steeled herself and took her weight off of Jay. The commander looked her way when she felt her move away, but didn’t give any other indication.

Jay passed her own note back, and the guard read it. They backed away, turning to hand the note to the other guard. They took a moment to read it, before jogging inside. It was odd how many hoops they needed to jump through to enter this silo. Normally, a Mafia member would just walk in with no questions asked. This time, it was like a chain of command that ran this place.

The guard who took the note inside reappeared and motioned them in. Jay nodded to them, and glanced at Lamilik, who waved her off. Her knee wasn’t as angry at her as before, but it was still rough to put weight onto it. Jay studied her a moment longer, then walked into the silo. Lamilik was thankful that she didn’t move too fast. 

Inside were chests, upon chests, upon chests, that all held items and materials. She could spot around five Mafia members moving around the main storage area in the middle. There were probably more that walked along the second floor deck, but were probably out of sight.

Most of the members in the silo were Coppers. There were a few No-Trims scattered about, but the glint of copper was easily more noticeable. A few turned to stare at Lamilik as she limped next to Jay, who just so happened to be the highest rank present. As a Gold, her position as an officer was a point of power.

They strode through the main area, and entered the back through iron doors. This was one of the bigger silos, and the living quarters for the guards with longer rotations were probably underground. Hopefully, that would mean that she would get some sort of potion soon and not be stuck as a cripple.

Jay stayed silent as they traversed the dimly lit hallways. They couldn’t risk speaking now, and they would want to stay on a handhold as they were already being dangled over the coals by their failure. An Iron passed by them, and they exchanged head nods. They seemed to double take once they spotted Jay’s trims, but didn’t stop to talk.

To lower ranks, the presence of a Gold was an unspoken agreement to not be a nuisance.

They came across another room, this one being much smaller than the one before. It seemed to be one of the guard rooms, as three bunks lined the back wall and various utilities were placed along the sides. Jay made a straight beeline to the chest in the far back, and opened it. While she rummaged around, Lamilik took the opportunity to take advantage of the enderchest.

Thankfully, she had supplies in there. Periodically, she could re-stock and rotate what she had in her chest. She would keep essentials, like armour, weapons, and battle kits, but would have to change blocks as she moved around. It was all based on information that cycled the posts and Mafia City. If more missions were being sent into the Nether, her restocks would change to Nether suited materials. Same with the End.

Someone tapped her shoulder, and she glanced up to see Jay holding a pink bottle out to her. It was a shimmering pinkish-purple. Lamilik took it gratefully, and unstopped it. She drained the overly-sweet tasting liquid. A warm feeling filled her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as her knee stopped throbbing.

Jay took the empty bottle from her gently and placed it into another chest. It would probably be recycled into another potion for later use. Lamilik reached into her enderchest and grabbed a replacement for her sword, which wasn't awfully damaged, but it felt good to have a new weapon. She also restocked on swiftness potions, filling her inventory once again with her measly potion supply.

A sign from Jay was placed next to her, and Lamilik closed the enderchest and turned to read the message.

'Going to speak with other members. We leave at dawn, rest, Lami.'

Breaking the sign and storing it with her own in her inventory, Lamilik decided to heed her commander's instructions. It was evening, and they were leaving at the crack of dawn. This would probably be the most rest she'd be getting for a while. She, along with most of the Mafia, were trained to work on almost no sleep. 

If they weren't trained, they got used to it. There were rounds of training in Mafia City that would keep them awake for days at a time. Two hours of sound rest was the most many of them got during that time period. 

Lamilik had learned how to sleep lightly, and while she knew it wasn't the way to function the best, it was the only way to stay functional in the constant work of the Mafia. She had maybe six or seven hours to rest like Jay had said.

So with that joyous thought, she decided to go find a spare bed to catch some needed sleep. Wandering out of the guard room, she took a left and strode down the hall. This seemed to be a Copper level silo, as it was mainly Coppers guarding it. Pulling up the mental schematic in her mind, she deduced that rotational rooms should be on the second level.

Lamilik began to makee her way back to the main storage area. The passageways were dark, and lit by torches widespread and evenly placed. The walls were non-descript, minus the texture of the dark stones. A low hum of redstone was ever present, an auto-sorting system presumably.

She turned a corner and almost slammed into an Iron who was turning into the hallway she was emerging from. Backpedaling, she dipped her head in apology and hoped the Iron wasn't stuck-up and gave her some peace. They seemed to glare at her, and she snatched her book from her inventory. Scribbling ‘sorry’ into it with a piece of wood with coal on the end,

She handed it to the Iron who took out their own coal to reply. They wrote something on the back of the page, and gave it back to her.

'Watch where ur going Copper'

Reeling back her anger, she nodded tersely and kept walking to the main area.

These trims and their egos, good grief. Lamilik sighed inwardly. If they used an ounce of that mindspace for productivity, they'd all be getting so much more done.

She crossed the enormous main room. A blade of sunlight cut through the door, shining directly into her eyes. Squinting and holding a hand up, she shifted to the side to not be blinded. It felt good though, the soft warmth sinking into her invisible face. Something reflected the rays up in front, sending an odd grayish reflection into the wall. 

Following the line back to the source, she felt her blood run cold. 

A diamond trim was standing near the door, arms crossed, and in conversation with Jay. A mace glinted menacingly on their back.

Fear instinctively took its hold on her. Diamonds were the highest rank someone could achieve in the Mafia. They were the ones closest to Ashswag, and were the ones who extended his hand when it couldn't reach. All of them had a mace, and all of them could use it effectively. They were the Captains of the Mafia. 

The tension from the Diamond being there didn't just seem to affect her. She spotted Coppers and Irons watching from the deck that wrapped around the inside marking the second floor. Lamilik hoped Jay was delivering the outcome of their mission to the Diamond in a way that would soften the impact of telling Ashswag.

Perhaps the Diamond would tell him instead of them telling Ash themselves.

She ripped her gaze away from the two high ranks, and found the iron door that would lead down to the majority of beds. Lamilik pushed a button to open the door and glanced back for a moment. The Diamond was watching her eerily, their cold and invisible stare searing nto her. She hurriedly moved through the door before it closed. It shut with a click almost instantly.

She didn't know if the captain was still watching her, but she wasn't going to find out. Jay would handle whatever they wanted, and hopefully get them out of the hot water a bit more. The worst thing happening now would honestly be random idiots attempting to raid the silo. That would certainly turn out worse for them than the Mafia, as the large number combined with a mace would certainly overpower whoever infiltrated,

The halls were quiet though, which was a blessing. The silo was quieting down, and guards were just rotating for night shifts. She passed a few small groups of other members, and offered a nod of acknowledgment. Most returned her gesture, but others were either too tired or didn’t care. Either way, it was just the usual.

She came across a door marked very helpfully with a sign reading ‘Rest Quarters’ and she almost leaped with joy. She entered the room, and was greeted with a much more dimly lit area. Bunks lined the walls, some normal ones that were stacked in two and others in stacks of three,

All of them had the same black sheets and pillows. A few other members were also in the room. They were scattered about, all either sleeping or getting ready to leave. Sleeping in armor wasn’t new to Lamilik. She slept more in it than out, even before she joined the Mafia. It was a rule enforced to keep them all ready to standby for a fight or any special occasion like that.

Taking a moment longer to pick a bunk, she chose the one in the far left corner with no one in it. She made her way over quietly, and grabbed the rungs to haul herself up and over the edge. It was an annoyance that most of the bunks didn't have ladders, especially when the people sleeping in them were battered and bruised every time they slept in them.

Successfully getting into bed, albeit after a few attempts, she put her helmet next to her and stretched out. Her head was pillowed on her armored forearm, and she felt the drowsiness hit her in an instant. She fought the feeling for a few moments, before finally giving in and closing her eyes. Sleep welcomed her with open arms and guided her into a land of skies, demonic clown masks, and an everlasting metallic taste in her throat.

Chapter Text

Hey!!! So, this isn't my usual update and I'm really on the fence about this. I genuinely am. This story has such a deep rooted place in my heart already, AND I DONT PLAN TO COMPLETELY ABANDON IT PLEASE but I don't see the engagement I really hoped for, and believe all of you who bookmarked and gave me kudos, it's amazing and I love you all very dearly.

I am too impatient, I want to write a collection of one-shots and post them as their own work. This plot, and storyline, it starts from a place so far back like yes it begins in the first main arc of the Unstable SMP but now with the Kings Arc starting I am really debating this. My issue however, is that a lot of the one-shot seems I want to write would eventually end up in my fic. I don't want to give y'all repeats, so here is my plan. This is urgent in my mind, and that is why this is my update (hopefully one for the story will be up tmrw!!!)

I think I will continue with this story, but also branch off and start creating a backlog of one-shots to fill in when I can't advance the plot (because we love writer's block 😁✨) I am at an utter loss on how to advance this plot, and I'm rewatching the Mafia arc SO MUCH NOW because I want to turn out good work. I want to give something that someone will love, and look forward to, and while it's not too too high up in the stats, that's okay!!! It's a personal thing I need to work on, results take time and effort, and dedication.

That was my main things, honestly just a self plug. If you see me gone from my weekly(ish) updates, maybe check to see if there's a new one-shot in the future!!!! Maybe I'll even take requests from here or my Tumblr!!!!

Thank you all so much for reading this, and I'm sorry if this is a false hope for another chapter. I AM working on a real update and I am abusing my insomniac tendencies so hopefully it's good!! I hope for it to be a longer one, but yeah!!!

Again tysm for reading this lovelies, I hope you have a MARVELOUS morning, afternoon, night, and day!!! Happy belated thanksgiving to all who celebrate!!!

Chapter Text

Lamilik awoke to a sliver of sunlight streaming in through the window. She turned to face the ray, warming her face. She lay there, testing her limbs slowly. Her body ached, and when she shifted, it felt like they were encased in obsidian. Her face smarted as she yawned. Wincing, she lifted her hand to her cheek, fingers brushing gingerly against her skin. They came away colored red. 

The flash of a sword flickered in her gaze, reflecting the sun's rays. A grinning mask flickered in the stained glass. 

She pushed herself up to rest on her elbows, shaking her head. The images cleared, leaving the room as it was before. Silent and filled with soft snores and breaths of other Mafia members. She glanced back at the pillow she had slept on. At least no blood had made it onto the scratchy material.

She grimaced as she craned her neck back in a stretch. Her hair streamed over her face, annoyingly tangled. She hoped there was some spare leather somewhere in the silo for her to cut another piece to tie her hair back. Fully sitting up, she let herself awaken completely.

They were returning to Mafia City today. They were facing Ashswag today. She might die today. She also might somehow earn a promotion in some miracle today. It was all up in the air until they reported back.

Lamilik slid her helmet on, pulling her hair to flow over her back. The ends pooled on the ground, purplish-pink strands knotted and messed up. Very few other Mafia members in the room were stirring awake. An Iron stood near the furnace, warming up some food, and a few Coppers were talking via paper across from the Iron. Carefully moving her limbs, she positioned herself with her feet dangling over the bunk.

Her shoulders, back, legs, and arms were all annoyingly sore. Moving would be an absolute pain in her ass, but she was used to it. Pushing off the edge, she landed on the hard floor. She hoped she didn’t look like she was wallowing through mud with how stiff she was. Leaning over, she stretched out her hamstring and arms. It was the best she could do; no potions would help something that was already being healed.

She rose, stretching her arms back. Her joints popped and cracked satisfyingly. She pressed her fingers, making each one crackle. Pulling her arm across her body, she stretched out her arms and shoulders, alternating after a while.

She pulled her inventory belt off the bedpost and snapped the belt across her waist. She adjusted the plates of her armor, making sure they fit snugly. Sleeping in the netherite was far from comfortable. But like many things, she was trained to.

Making her way over to the chest closest to her, she opened it and reached in for a water bottle. The cool glass brushed against her hand, and she snatched it from the jumble of materials thrown in. She unstopped it and drank deeply. It was refreshing, the cold liquid snapping her further awake. The bottle was almost empty when she set it aside, reaching in for a piece of leather she had glimpsed. A creak of wood made her glance over to the other side of the room. 

Other Mafia members were awakening, each going about their morning routines. Some dropped into workouts, others stretched, and some seemed to contemplate even getting out of bed at all. Lamilik winced as one member rolled completely off their mattress, falling from the top bunk to flop onto the floor with a crash of armor. A few snorts echoed around the room, and the poor Iron just threw an arm over their face.

It was a moment of camaraderie, waking up in places like these. The barracks, campsites, and outposts all held that similar feeling. They all didn’t know each other in the slightest, but they were all just reflections of one another, tied together by the feeling of being a part of something, of having a place somewhere. She hated to admit it, but it was one of the main reasons she hadn't fought tooth and nail to escape.

After Treseea fell, she drifted. The Mafia didn't find her until they broke into her hidden bunker, a day after the initial attack. After the trees had all been burnt, after her closest people were cut down or forced into invisibility and unforgiving armor. She remembered one of the youngest of their civilization, BeckyTron; he and his sister had been some of her closest friends.

She couldn't imagine them among the ranks. Lamilik refused to for her own fragile peace of mind. She denied the fact that one of them could be in this room with her and not know that the other could be dead. Their souls were so bright and too pure. They weren't fighters; they were just people who wanted a life together. Rose, who was the elder of the two, ran the main build team for Treseea. She, along with three other people, had constructed enormous and beautiful creations. The houses, bridges, plaza, and everything were all made by hand.

Her heart ached at the memory of them. A voided piece torn from her poorly stitched soul. Something forever a never-ending drop into nothingness. One that would never be traversed and only skated over. 

When the Diamond had ripped apart the door to her bunker like it was paper, Lamilik’s life from then on was run on adrenaline. Blurs and flashes mixed with crystal clear memories. The constant tenseness that never left her shoulders, the metallic taste of invisibility potions that had become as common as water, the way that her fingers couldn't remember how to weave and could only change grips on a sword, had changed her. Day in and day out, assignments, training, fights, scraped away at the thin layer of her sanity.

She pulled the leather scrap from the chest and used a pair of shears to slice a thin strip to tie her hair. She only cut one, as it usually lasted her a couple of weeks. She made her way back to her bunk, putting her helmet on the wooden bedframe and taking a seat to focus on tying the leather around her unruly hair.

A shadow moved in the doorway, and she looked up at the entrance, pulled from the task of her hair. A glimmer of gold shone in the doorway. Instantly, she tied a tight knot, ignoring the pinpricks of pain from pulling her hair, shot up to her feet, and brought herself to attention after snagging her helmet. With her hands fisted at her sides, back straight, eyes forward, and feet at a V, she dared not move. The Iron at the furnace was a replica of her stance, as were the other members who were scattered about the room.

The Coppers in the corner had broken their sign, all in a line and facing the officer. The Iron who had fallen off the bunk scrambled to their feet, their helmet slipping off their head to land with a dull clunk onto the floor they had just been before. The Gold made no indication of noticing the disheveled soldiers in the room and took out a sign, kneeling down to write something on it. They placed it on the ground facing the room.

‘Squad members for assignment E35764 follow.’ was scrawled in uniform dark handwriting.

That was her mission. The doomed assignment. Either this was Jay, or another gold trim sent to collect her.

Lamilik stepped forward, breaking her tense stance. She walked towards the door of the silent room. She felt the gazes of the other members drilling into her back. The Gold turned around, striding back and out through the iron door. Once their shimmering plates crossed the doorframe, Lamilik heard the room go back to its morning bustle as she exited as well.

Sunlight shone through the skylights on the ceiling and reached through the windows placed high up along the walls. The walls were spotted in light, the glare flashing in her eyes every once in a while. The Gold offered no further interaction, so she assumed it wasn’t Jay. She would’ve given her more information after leaving the rotational room, right?

They turned a few more corners. This was a different route than the one she had taken to get to the rotational. She made a mental note to remember the way as it seemed faster than her path. With the new information about Prince Zam, missions passing through the silo area would surely become more common.

The bustle of Mafia members reached her ears before they entered the main storage room. Chests opening and closing, the hum of the auto-sorter, clanking armor. The cacophony filled her ears the closer she came. The room came into view, just as packed as the night before.

Lamilik spotted another Gold at the door. Instantly, she clocked them as Jay. They had the same stance as she did, weight equal on both legs and arms crossed with a slight tilt. The way that her sword was strapped uniquely to her hip with leather and iron was a defining feature. The Gold who had accompanied her to the main room incline their head in Jay's direction. Lamilik nodded in return, and they turned to go about their tasks.

She made her way over to the exit, weaving between a few other Mafia members. Jay tipped her head in question as she reached her. Lamilik switched to her elytra in response, holding a few fireworks. Jay shook her head, pantomiming putting something into her pocket. With some hesitation, Lamilik replaced her rockets into her inventory.

Were they not leaving now?

Jay nodded to an Iron, who started guiding them down a hall. This one was identical to the other one Lamilik had used to reach the main room. The only difference was the few staircases they had climbed up. Jay passed a note back to her, and she took it.

‘They have a launcher.”

Excitement flitted into her as she tucked the scrap of paper away. Launchers were one of her favorite ways to get into the sky. Usually, outposts were the main places to have them, but with how busy this silo was, she wasn't surprised. They strode into a room, and the Iron pointed them to a tube-looking machine. There were many others, all labelled with signs.

They made their way across the room, and the charging of redstone drew her gaze. She spotted a Copper with an elytra stepping into the launcher. A moment later, with a whir of pistons and a whoosh of windcharges, they were shot up into the sky. A grin spread its way across Lamilik’s face, pulling at the gash on her cheek.

Jay tapped her shoulder, jerking her head towards their designated launcher. The Iron pulled a lever, and redstone hummed to life. A beam of sunlight sliced through the dimly lit room through a hatch that had opened. The iron door opener, and Jay stepped in. She gestured for Lamilik to also step in, which she did.

The door closed behind them, clicking locks sealing them in. An intrusive thought of this being an incinerator entered Lamilik’s mind. The whirring and humming grew louder, almost deafening. The hatch above them opened fully, and she barely had time to react before they were shot into the air.

The silo quickly grew into a speck as they rose higher and higher into the sky. Lamilik snapped her elytra open and located Jay, who wasn't too far off. She easily glided into formation. They started flying east, still high.

“How you feeling?” Jay asked, startling Lamilik from her silence.

Right, they could speak now.

“Sore, but not crippled.”

Jay barked a laugh, the rough sound lifting Lamilik’s mouth in a smile.

“Better than nothing.” She chuckled, taking out a compass and angling to the right a bit more, “We have a long flight, maybe eight hours if we're lucky.”

“Our luck is fumes if anything,” Lamilik muttered, earning a snort from the Gold.

As they flew above the clouds, sky colored in a portrait of beauty, she breathed in, soaking the peace into her bones. The quiet was a blanket of serenity, not harsh like a battlefield or ominous like a looted trial chamber. It was a natural silence, something that belonged. The air was crisp as it brushed past her nose and mouth, fresh and clean. 

“How long do we keep this heading? She asked, firing a firework to stay in formation.

“We're going this way for about two hours,” Jay called back, twisting to look at her.

“Alright.” Lamilik locked her sore shoulders, making sure she had enough fireworks. She had snagged some during one of their restocks, and with their altitude, she should still have some left over.

She realized how rung out she was from the mission. She needed to brew more potions, fully repair her armor and weapons, and her body was on the verge of collapsing. The fact that they were thousands of blocks off the ground kept her from closing her eyes and dropping out of the sky.

“What do you think happens to us when we get back?” The question had pressed on her mind ever since they started their journey back to Mafia City. They had discussed it briefly, but it was still something that hung over their heads, ready to drop at any time.

“Honestly, I don’t know anymore.” Jay said with a sigh, “I spoke to the Diamond at the silo who just rotated through Mafia City. Apparently, Ashswag has amped up everything.”

“Great,” Lamilik muttered darkly, trying to ignore how her heart rate increased, “Just what we needed right about now.”

“Have you ever heard of B.A.T.?” They angled slightly to the left, turning northwards.

The name was faint in her memory. To her knowledge, they were bounty hunters who had a vast amount of resources. In basic, as well as rotational trainings, they all received information about the main factions and groups on Unstable. B.A.T. was one of them, but what connection would they have to the conversation unless…

“Just the basics from, well, basic,” Lamilik responded, her curiosity peaking.

“Reports say that they joined up with ParrotX2 to take down Clownpierce.”

That was unexpected. It wasn’t surprising that Clownpierce had a bounty on him, but to have them join the guy who had the literal deadliest hitman hired to kill him? That didn’t seem elite assassin team coded.

“As in the person Prince Zam paid Clownpierce to kill?” 

“The one and the same,” Jay confirmed.

A strong headwind blew through their elytras, pushing against them. The powerful breeze made it harder to suck in a breath in the already thin air. Jay dropped, and Lamilik was quick to follow. They fell away from the current, skimming over the thick sea of clouds.

“B.A.T doesn’t seem like the team to give pity to someone and join up with them.” Lamilik mused, “They would take their attempt on Clown and get out of there. I’ve heard they run when something changes from their plans in the slightest way.”

“I’ve heard the same. I wasn’t too surprised, honestly. Their goals seem to be aligned enough. Parrot wants Clown off his ass, and B.A.T. wants him dead.” Jay pointed out, “ It’s not like they don’t have the resources either. They have a force of spies who are perma-invis just like us. You remember the uptick in rotationals around a month and a half ago?”

It was quite impossible to forget what Jay was asking about. Her entire outpost had been pulled back to Mafia City for training. Instead of their usual routines, they had been broken up with interrogations and harsh training regimes. Diamonds had personally been sent to beat the living daylight out of them. She had a scar on her shoulder that ripped across her back from a back-handed slash during a spar. 

“What’s not to forget?” Lamilik scoffed, “I’m pretty sure the entire Mafia came out with five more scars than they entered their rotational with.”

“Well, that’s from B.A.T., remember to thank them if you ever see them.” Jay huffed, firing a rocket so as not to dip into the clouds, “They have a massive force of invis’ spies that blend right in with the No-Trims. Apparently, by the end of that hell month, Ash had over twenty B.A.T. spies executed.”

“Twenty?” Lamilik exclaimed, “That many?”

“Probably more, they only weeded out that many. There’s bound to be more.” Jay admitted.

“Take the invisibility, they said, you’ll be untraceable they said.” Lamilik groaned.

Jay laughed at the comment, shoulders shaking. 

“He’s expanding our operations. I think something big is gonna go down soon, I wish I knew what, but that’s above my pay grade.” She laughed scornfully, firing off another rocket. 

“A Diamond told you all of this?” It was common for the Captains to ignore all the lower trims, like they were just dirt under their polished netherite boots. They even ignored the Golds, so one speaking to Jay like this was unusual in itself.

“I’ve been around a while.” Jay answered vaguely, “I’m up high in a lot of the systems, it makes it easier to glean information in our line of work.”

“God forbid we speak to our chain of command,” Lamilik said dryly. She heard Jay scoff from up ahead.

“I also figured out from the networking station back at the silo that they’re pulling the farther outposts in. I don’t know why, my intel was just reports on movement and supplies.”

“How far out?”

“Most of the outer ones near the Great Sea, are you posted?”

Lamilik’s current post was relatively close to Spawn, but occasionally, they’d be rotated around. Her main one was the Post Trident, which happened to be the major post on the way to the Great Sea. 

“I’m at Post Trident most of the time, but I’m on the reserve recon team. They send us anywhere to fill in.”

“Ah, I see. I was posted out there for a few months when I was an Iron.” Jay said, and Lamilik filed away the tidbit of information in her mental file labelled ‘Jay’.

“I’m not surprised that Ash started to pull the posts.” Jay admitted, dropping a gloved hand to skim the clouds, “The Mafia has been relatively quiet, all things considered. We haven’t overrun any major civs or run any large-scale things. But with Ash pulling people back to the city, it’s like the quiet before the storm.”

“What counts as ‘major civ’?” Lamilik asked, with a bit more vitriol in her tone than she intended, “Size, wealth, population, destructability? Amount of swords to break and shields to shatter?

Jay seemed to look at her with concern, thinly iced with surprise. Lamilik bit her tongue, looking away from her Commander and staring straight ahead. Tension took up the slack that their words had dropped. They flew in silence, occasionally firing a rocket. The sun still painted the sky in color, but instead of pinks and purples lining the edge of her vision, orange and red began to bleed into existence. 

“When.” The query caught Lamilik off guard for a moment. She knew what Jay meant, however. She hesitated to answer. “You said you’ve been in the Mafia for about half a year. What civilization were you in before that?”

The intensity of the question slapped her in the face. Jay had never been this keen on her before, just basic questions that came with being survivors heading to their death. Her words were almost fierce in their delivery.

“A tree civ’ thousands of blocks from Spawn,” Lamilik answered carefully, hoping the answer would satisfy her Commander. The mention of Treseea brought up memories she had worked hard to cover. She hoped her voice didn’t shake; weakness wasn’t tolerated in this world.

Jay went silent. It wasn’t her usual contemplative one; it felt heavier and burdened. Something felt instantly off, but Lamilik didn’t press. She’d be told when the time was right. Jay wasn’t even her friend. They were allies in this; she was her Commander, and Lamilik was just the other survivor of the squad. Their conversation would be mirrored with any of the other Golds if they survived. 

Bitterness coated her thoughts. She was simply an outcome of chance. Her entire survival was sheer dumb luck. She could have easily been the dying Gold who had drunk a poison bottle to end their misery. She could have been her former Commander, who had been crushed under a mace. It was the luck of the draw, and the house seemed to favor her.

They dropped below the clouds, a large plains biome blooming into view and spreading out and around. Bright colors of a flower field were tinted by the still-rising sun. Wild cows and sheep were specks on the grass, some grouped and others scattered in a constellation of nature. The smell of rain wafted up to Lamilik, hinting at a previous rainfall. Jay still hadn’t said a word and flew in a stoic silence ahead. 

She sensed that they wouldn’t speak for a while. Lamilik wondered if what she had said angered Jay. If it did, there was no way she was at fault. She didn’t even know the Gold; how could she have possibly known that her old home was a sore spot for a random officer who just happened to be on her mission squad?

Lamilik winced, rolling her shoulders slightly. She shook off the weird feeling of Jay’s quiet. If the Commander wanted to say something, she would have. All that was left to do was to hope her body pulled through to Mafia City. Landing face-first into the ground was not on her list of ways to go. Tilting slightly to the left to slide into an updraft, she let herself relax a bit.

They were in for a long flight home. 

A thick forest began to come into view. Stark white trunks of birch stood against ground that rose oddly; it was unsettling. Lamilik knew that it was all made by the early Mafia. Made by Ashswag and early members, some of whom had to make up some of the numbers of the diamond trims. She remembered reading a conversation left out in the open, talking about the early Mafia. The members who had conversed spoke about how they remembered how it used to be.

It was peculiar to Lamilik to think of a Mafia different from what she knew. One that wasn’t initially ruled by Ashswag, one that started as a team and not a vast army, and one that didn’t strive for world domination. The Mafia she had joined was the exact opposite. It held no similar aspects to the early Mafia, minus organization. Even that seemed to change over time as well.

The enormous, jagged archway that marked the main entrance to Mafia City was nearing quickly, the band of obsidian swallowing the color of the air around it. It wasn't an exaggeration. Anything of color in or around Mafia City was visibly duller than if it were away from the shredded area. They soared over the land that was blocks deep below normal land level. If the terrain were normal, the ground inside would be at cave level. 

Hundreds of chunks were terraformed and remade, thousands of blocks changed, and entire biomes were wiped. It was all done to construct the City of the Mafia. It was impressive to Lamilik, but to her, it reflected who the Mafia was at its core. Something that rose out of a bloodied chasm, rearing its ugly head and spreading its tattered wings. Something that made its nest of skulls, bound by souls that would never find peace.

As they approached the City, she could spot the glowing armor of guards walking the wall. The glare of Gold and Iron trims shone, even with the distance. She already knew what they held. Arrows tipped with slowness, weakness, glowing, and poison, all fired with enchanted bows and crossbows. She herself was just under the bar for the Outer Guard, her shooting scores ranking her as Reserve.

“Good luck, Lami,” Jay whispered, tilting forward before she could reply. Those were the first words she had said to her in the past few hours. They would also probably be the last, as the chance of them being on another mission was almost out of the picture completely.

She dropped, diving closer to the ground. Lamilik had no choice but to follow. They snapped up to shoot through the dark walls. Lamilik slowly felt resolve trickle into her bones. She was a Copper. Jay was a Gold. An officer and lieutenant of the Mafia. Ashswag was a calculated, ruthless, and cold general. His words were carefully selected, and his blows were heavy.

All things considered, he wasn't a bad general in the sense that he knew how to run things in his favor. He assigned missions himself; he didn't completely let the Mafia do everything for him, he personally oversaw executions, promotions, developments to the City, and kept in contact with trading partners. Lamilik herself had a mission book from Ash. 

It was her second one, a simple silo defense that went downhill and led to her being almost obliterated by someone named ManePear. If it weren't for the Diamond present at that exact moment, she doubted she'd be alive.

All she could wish for now was that she and Jay would both be let off the hook for the fact that Clownpierce was the one who fought them. It also wasn’t as if they were returning with absolutely no information. Parrot had been a previous target of the Mafia before, and having the information of Prince Zam hiring one of the most lethal hitmen to kill him? That was a sure-fire way to find Parrot himself. 

Granted, the squad that was unfortunate enough to inevitably receive the tracking mission would have to live and not perish in the crossfire of the hunter and the hunted.

They soared up through the shadowy air of Mafia City. The towering platforms that held different tiers of the city towered above them. Air traffic was slow, with there only being about ten people in the sky at once, it seemed. The streets were almost as quiet. It was around midday, and most members would either be out on missions or training. Anyone who was out around the city was probably heading to one of the aforementioned two.

 Sprawled beneath them was the No-Trim level. The City was organized by trims. It was split into five levels, the lowest being the No-Trims on the ground, and the highest being Ashswag’s castle in the stained clouds. Her own living area, the Copper level, was only a step away from the bottom. It did, however, get its own pedestal, which is what set No-Trims apart from the others.

It was commonly known by a few names, the titles being Zero Land, Trimopolis, or simply No-Trim level. Mafia members generally got the idea when speaking about it. Wide paths of trampled dirt snaked around the area, only broken by wooden houses that could hold eight members. Though, if need be, around fifteen could be resident with the right placements. A huge fortress took up the center of Trimopolis. She had never been inside it before, but it was mostly closed off a lot of the time.

Her own old house was across the City, in the shadow of the Diamond level. Inside was unforgettable. Cramped, musty, and laced with the constant chemical smell that permeated the lower city. Trimopolis was home to large invisibility factories. Redstone machines that made chests upon chests of different variations of invisibility stood tall and dark. They produced all the potions the city needed. Drinkable, splashable, long-term, short-term, all kinds. The Mafia had silos, but that was storage. These were pure manufacturing power.

Trimopolis also held the low-level prison of the Mafia. A small building that held identical cells. There was only one block, and that block had two levels. Last she checked– which was about three months ago– there were about twelve cells total. Each one was basic, with a bed and a crude version of a toilet tucked away in the back. 

Lamilik fired off a rocket, boosting her as she made her flight angle steeper. They were flying almost straight up, only tilted the slightest bit to cover the remaining blocks. They rose past the Copper District.

In the Copper District, her current place of stay, it was on a towering level, but it was only just above No-Trims. It was probably the one tier in Mafia City that had a generally agreed-upon name. The buildings were much more cared for, the sleeping area let you sleep, and their missions weren't told to them by a murky pond. It was a much more livable area. It wasn't ideal, however, nothing in this place was.

They went from cushioned floorspace to stacked bunks, from mud that would swallow their boots to cracked cobble that rolled ankles if someone wasn't careful. From absolutely low to just living, it was bare minimum to minimum. 

They flew up even higher, and now they were over Goldberg, which was the name of the Gold level made by the lower ranks. Lamilik called it that, and she guessed the Golds also knew about the mocking name. They didn't seem to care; they probably used the name as well. This was where you could truly live. Real houses, a citadel that marked a Gold-and-above clearance level armory, and she could just spot what looked to be a small colosseum.

Lower trims weren't allowed to mingle in higher areas. No-Trims and Coppers stayed in their areas, but Coppers could come down to Trimopolis while No-Trims couldn't come up. It was the same system for all the trims but Diamonds. They were allowed up if it was clear that they were reporting to Ashswag, though the system was obviously abused. Trims secretly mingled all the time.

An enormous castle loomed in front of them. Lamilik’s blood chilled, and her heart rate sped up exponentially. It was exponentially larger than the castles the Diamonds lived in that she had glimpsed before. The platform of the Diamonds was too far to see from their current position. With its platform being so high, it was almost impossible to properly see it without seeming suspicious.

The castle in front of them was built on a platform so large, it eclipsed the entire middle of Trimopolis. She could barely see the Copper District from here, they were so high. Jagged spires stabbed up into the clouds; they were the only feature she could see clearly. Jay fired off a rocket, shooting towards the archway that looked like a smaller version of the one to enter the City.

She swapped her elytra for her chestplate, looking up to lock invisible eyes with Lamilik. She motioned for her to land, a chopping motion onto a flat hand. Against her better judgment, Lamilik obliged. She landed with a slight run to dispel her extra momentum. Her legs popped with the sudden onset of her weight, but her knee didn’t buckle like her last landing.

Jogging back to Jay, who was staring into the garden that peeked past the deep slate walls, she gazed up.

And up.

And up.

The castle was staggeringly gargantuan. Ashswag’s Castle. They were here.