The sound of footsteps grew closer… Any second now, he would appear.
Maldo held his breath. All eyes were fixed on the door, waiting.
Suddenly, the man behind those familiar footsteps stepped in.
Maldo's gaze froze. Though the past had blurred, this face remained carved in memory.
But this particular face... he would never forget it.
"Enzo Vieri."
He is completely colorless. He has evil intentions!
I remember him clearly... more clearly than any other person.
I remember him more vividly than anyone else
Maldo looked at him with contempt, hatred seeping deep into his soul, as if his thoughts were stitching hatred into every line of his face.
"Listen, you filthy bastard… I don't repeat myself. The Don wants you. Now." Enzo said with foolish confidence, a crooked smile slowly spreading across his lips.
A dark aura emanated from Maldo. A thirst for blood, an overwhelming desire to kill... All of it surged violently whenever his gaze met Enzo's.
His fingers itched. His heart screamed. Revenge clawed at him.
But he held back choking the beast that roared within.
He turned to Sally. His voice softened a stark contrast to the storm inside.
"Sally… I'll be back. Stay safe."
Sally nodded nervously, and Maldo gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Then he turned calmly and headed outside, Luca following him like a shadow.
He passed by Enzo... without even glancing at him.
However, in that brief moment, a strange feeling swept over Enzo;
A sharp chill ran down his spine, as if something invisible had pierced his body and shaken his very being.
He stood frozen, but his eyes widened with terror he couldn't hide.
"What... what was that just now?!" he asked in panic, trying to catch his breath.
As they walked, Luca couldn't help but notice the dark gleam in Maldo's eyes. His sharp gaze.
"That bastard... He's one of the ones who hurt you, isn't he?" Luca asked, glancing at Enzo, who was walking behind them with seemingly confident steps.
"Yes... His name is Enzo. He's the lowest person in this place."
Maldo replied in a low voice.
They kept walking until they stood in front of the office door.
Maldo reached out his hand, opened it calmly and deliberately, then stepped inside, followed by Enzo.
There... Don Dante sat leaning back in his chair, slowly exhaling cigar smoke, his eyes gleaming with a chill that cut deeper than the smoke he exhaled.
On the sofa opposite, Daniel sat, hands clasped, a strange smile creeping across his face neither joyful nor mocking, but something deeper… something unreadable.
"Don, here's the idiot you asked for," Enzo sneered.
Don Dante sat up straight, as if his presence was complete with Maldo's arrival.
"You once said you'd do anything for me," he said to Maldo in a calm, heavy voice.
"Today… your first real mission begins. Prove your words weren't empty." He tossed a small weapon onto the table.
It was as if what had just happened was not a surprise to Maldo, but rather a moment he had been waiting for with heavy patience. He looked steadily at Don Dante.
"As you command, ... I will do my best."
He approached, grabbed the weapon firmly, then turned his gaze toward Daniel, his eyes calm but reading every color, every intention, in everyone around him.
Enzo, who had been standing confidently moments before, stared at him in astonishment, his eyes wide, as if what he had heard did not match the image he had painted of Maldo. He had not expected submission.
Daniel suddenly stood up and placed his hand on his chest. "I beg your leave, my Don," he said quietly.
Dante raised his hand in approval. But before Daniel left, his eyes met Maldo's for a moment, then he continued on his way.
Within seconds of Daniel disappearing behind the door, Dante returned to the matter at hand. "You will go with Enzo now. You have a task I want carried out with precision... and remember, one mistake will cost you dearly."
"Don't worry, I'll finish it perfectly," Maldo replied confidently, his voice calm but full of determination.
Over his shoulder, Luca appeared, smiling sarcastically, and pointed at Don Dante, saying, "This smoke ball... I can't wait to see him hang."
Maldo couldn't respond, but his eyes showed that he agreed. He raised his hand in a slight salute to DonDante, then turned with measured steps and left the room.
Moments later, he was surprised to find Daniel leaning quietly against the door outside. He raised his hand to his lips to silence any sound, then took a phone out of his jacket pocket.
"This phone is for you... Be careful that Enzo or anyone else doesn't see it, understand?" he whispered warningly.
Maldo took the phone and nodded. He had little trust in Daniel, so he agreed immediately without hesitation.
"Don't tell anyone about it," Daniel said, then began to walk away with quiet steps, like a shadow melting into the darkness.
Luca sighed lightly: "What a strange man."
Maldo smiled slightly, agreeing: "Yes... I've never seen anyone so strange."
He put the phone in his pocket and soon felt Enzo's footsteps approaching. Enzo opened the door and signaled for them to begin their mission.
Enzo and Maldo left the headquarters and got into the car. Enzo sat in the front, watching Maldo in the mirror with angry glances, as if his mere presence was a constant provocation.
They left the headquarters with steady steps. As soon as they got into the car, Enzo sat in the front, his fist clenched on the steering wheel, his eyes watching Maldo through the mirror. His gaze exuded anger and disgust at Maldo's presence.
Maldo, on the other hand, looked like a cold statue in the back seat, completely indifferent, his face devoid of any expression. He ignored the hostility burning in Enzo's eyes, as if it meant nothing to him.
The car took off and the city gradually receded behind them until they stopped at an abandoned, old, dilapidated building with cracked walls and broken windows.
Enzo took a file out of his bag, its cover bearing the symbol of a black rose, and held it up for Maldo to see.
"Our target will be five men... from the Trinity gang."
Maldo glanced at the photos. It took him only a few seconds to memorize the targets' features, then he closed the file without interest. He quietly opened the car door and got out before Enzo had a chance to say another word.
He gripped his weapon firmly and walked toward the building next to him. Luca had returned to his normal size and was moving lightly.
"It'll be a great hunt," Luca commented enthusiastically.
"You bastard! I'm not finished yet!" Enzo shouted sharply from behind them.
But Maldo didn't turn around. He didn't even give him a moment's attention, continuing to make his way inside.
This pleased Luca and satisfied his ego. "How wonderful! Provoke him more. I like that," he said.
Suddenly, in one of the narrow corridors that reeked of dampness and mold, a pale-faced man appeared, his eyes widening in fear when he saw Maldo. He quickly raised his weapon with a trembling hand and fired without thinking.
But time betrayed its laws at that moment.
Luca simply snapped his fingers, and the bullet stopped in midair.
It froze in front of Maldo, dangling like an insect caught in an invisible spider web, then settled motionless, glistening coldly in the dim light seeping through the cracked ceiling.
"Who are you?! What madness is this?!" The man gasped, taking a step back.
"Thank you, Luca," Maldo said gratefully.
"It's okay... I'm here to serve," Luca replied.
Leaving no room for further conversation, he raised his weapon and fired without hesitation.
Bang!
The man fell to the ground before he could complete his escape. His eyes remained open, frozen in bewilderment that he could not explain.
Maldo paused for a moment, glanced at the body, then continued on his way, passing by it.
"One down."
He walked until he reached an abandoned room with eroded walls, peeling paint hanging off them like worn-out limbs, and a floor covered with a thick layer of dust.
From inside, came the voices of four men, sitting amid the chaos as if in a haven. Their laughter was loud, their words chaotic, without any caution.
Maldo stopped at the door, clinging to the dilapidated edge and hiding behind it. He tilted his head slightly to peek inside, then smiled a small smile.
"Will you protect me again? I'm going to do something reckless," he whispered in a low voice.
"Of course... You fool," Luca replied cheerfully and sarcastically.
Maldo and Luca exchanged mischievous glances, a spark of defiance flashing between them, before the two stepped into the room.
The four men froze, their eyes widening as they unconsciously turned toward him, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. One of them whispered in surprise.
"A child?! Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Maldo... I'm a killer," Maldo replied in a manipulative tone.
"What! Do you expect us to believe you? Come on, go play somewhere else, kid." One of the men laughed sarcastically.
Everything happened exactly as he had expected.
He quickly took out his gun and aimed it at the man sitting by the window to prove to them who he was...
Bang!
The man fell out of the window and out of the building.
They couldn't believe what they saw, but they quickly raised their guns at him and pulled the trigger.
The shots once again stopped in midair.
A sly smile spread across Maldo's face as he watched the panic begin to show on their faces.
Yes, that's right! Everyone should be afraid of me. I must become stronger... He shook his head, his eyes never leaving them.
"Damn you, you bastard! Who... who the hell are you?" One of them stammered, terror gripping his body, and fired three more shots in quick succession.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
But they stopped in midair again.
The scene was completely incomprehensible to them. All they understood was that this was a child who was anything but normal.
He didn't give them a chance. Moving with lightning speed, he shot them one after the other with precision. Their bodies fell one after another, like dominoes.
Everyone collapsed in an instant. Maldo approached. He took down all five of them.
"Hmm, it's over," muttered Luca, who had already materialized and was sitting on Maldo's shoulder.
"Yeah, thanks to you," Maldo said at first in a grateful tone, "and also, my shoulder is not your home, you insect" he then scolded him.
He started to leave, but ran into Enzo in one of the hallways, searching through empty rooms.
Here, Maldo realized that this was his chance to get the upper hand and shake his pride.
"Yo! What are you looking for? It's already over... The five are down, you fool," he said.
Enzo stood frozen in place, unable to move, while Maldo rushed outside.
"What the hell am I hearing?! It's over that fast?!"
He couldn't believe it, so he ran to check and found that everyone had indeed fallen.
"Mamma mia! It's really over."
Enzo returned, still in shock, and they set off again toward headquarters. Victory was on Maldo and Luca's side.
When they arrived, they entered Don Dante's room together, where shock was written all over his face. This was the first mission to be completed so quickly.
"I can't believe it! It hasn't even been an hour." Don Dante said in surprise then added "Well done, boy. Keep up the good work."
Maldo didn't answer, lost in his thoughts.
I received my first praise from Smoke Hater... Although this praise is not honorable to me, I want it. More than that, I need it.