I could hear Himchan’s screaming from inside the warehouse from where I was parked outside.  I can understand why he’s pissed and worried, but they are safe.  I won’t let anyone hurt them; they should know that by now.  And anyway, none of us are in danger of being killed by the Mafia I know that for a fact.

  “Would you shut up!”  I screamed as I yanked the steal door open and let it slam behind me successfully shutting him up.

  The four boys were all standing and previously pacing around the room.  They were currently all staring at me from the places around the room, eyes wide and fear clearly written in their depths.

  It was Zelo’s eyes that held the most feeling in them.  He was still wearing the blood stained shirt he had done the mission in and I knew he was the first one to see that the Mafia were a part of this.  He was the youngest and we all did everything we could to protect him, but this was something none of us could have guarded him from.

  But what made me snap were the tears threatening to fall in his eyes.  No matter how close I am to them as their friend, I still am their leader and I will not have them show this kind of weakness in front of me.  They are some of the most feared and well-respected gang members in the underground and learning I did something against the Mafia behind their back is making them so weak it ridiculous.

  I may be their friend, but this is a gang matter and I am the leader more then I am their friend right now.  I have to remember constantly that here, I’m the leader of this gang before I am their friend and they have to realize that too.  I know they understand that I take things seriously here as the leader of this gang, but I don’t think they understand just how serious this is for me.

  This is my life.  This is who I am.  I may act nice to them and treat them like friends when we aren’t here, but I am the leader of this gang above all else.  I’ve never had to show them the side of me that thrives in this world. The side of me that was born all those years ago when I first started out as a nobody in the large world of gangs.  I never had any reason to show them who I really was.

  Until now.

  Taking long strides over to Zelo I stopped in front of him and stared straight into his watery eyes.  I met them with a fierce glare as I raised my hand and brought it down across his face with all my strength.  Zelo’s head snapped to the side as he stumbled back in shock.  This was my first time ever hitting one of them outside of training.

  “Don’t you dare cry.”  I growled at him as he sunk to the ground grabbing onto his cheek.  “Don’t you dare show me your fear.”

  I will not have them breaking down in one of the most important moments of me being the leader of this gang.  There is more riding on this then they could dream of, more then just the Mafia to worry about in their cases.  They think they are in danger of dying, they think it’s their life they should fear for.  No, they have nothing to fear.

  I’m the one who should be afraid of death.  I’m the one who should be in tears that this deal was a bust.   But I will never be afraid to die, I will never cry over a deal going wrong, and I will never fear the Mafia.

  “Anyone else want to cry and hide?”  I said as I passed my gaze to the other three standing in the spacious room staring at me with large eyes.  They slowly shook their heads, not fully processing what they just witnessed.  “Good.”

  “Why did you do that Ashiya?”  Yongguk finally spoke.  I really didn’t want to hear my name from any of their lips right now.  It just showed how close I was to them.

  “I’m the leader of this gang, your leader.  I don’t have to tell you why I do things, do I Blue Fang?”  I said calmly as if the previous events didn’t just happen.

  “No, Boss.”  Came his pained reply as he looked down.

  I hate having to do this to them.  I hate that I have to act this way.  But I don’t have any other options right now.  I want to be their friend and to comfort them, but I don’t have the time right now to do that.  I have to figure out what went wrong and how the Mafia got wind out my little steal from them.

  The crate the shipment was supposed to be in was sitting in the middle of the warehouse’s open space where we usually trained.  The top was pried off showing the empty interior.  I have to give them credit for actually bringing the empty crate back with them. 

  Hopping over the edge of the large wooden box I looked around inside of it for the envelope I was sure they left.  They wouldn’t have been stupid enough to leave it sitting at the bottom where anyone could find it.  That letter at the bottom was the make anyone who tried to take this from me leave it and run for their lives.  I need to find the letter that was only for me to see, a letter just like was left in all the other crates I tried this on before.

  There it was, the letter I was looking for.  A small black flap was peaking out from behind a board.  Sighing I pulled the black corner of paper out so I held a regular sized black envelope in my hands.  This was either going to be some good news, or my death warrant.  Shutting my eyes I let out I tired sigh before climbing out of the crate, letter in hand.

  “What’s that Boss?”  Jongup asked me as he motioned towards the letter in my hand.

  “Nothing.”  I replied as I saw Himchan help Zelo off the floor who was still cradling his face where I hit him.  I know I should feel guilty, but I don’t.  They need to learn that nothing is easy in this world and that they need to listen to me if they want to survive.  I’m doing everything to keep them alive, they don’t know how much I have to do so that no one harms them.

  I’m protecting them like no one protected me.

  Steeling myself for what I might read I ripped the envelope open.  A black letter in a black envelope, most likely written on with silver ink; it was their style.  If I left a note it was on white paper with a spider’s web as the background written in red ink.  We all have our trademarks and that just happened to be mine and this theirs.

  Slowly I read the letter word by word, making sure I didn’t miss anything.

Black Widow,

 You are up to no good as always.  Always digging yourself into something you shouldn’t be in.  Last time it was our drugs, this time after our guns; but that wasn’t what you were after was it.  No, you are never after our supplies that were never you target it never has been.  How’s your gun working out for you?  That was the first thing you stole from us was it not?  It’s made from the best material out there, handcrafted by the most experienced gunsmiths in the world.  The only metal that will never scratch or break.  But you already knew all that didn’t you.  It was why you took it from us – from me. 

  You really should be a little more careful whom you mess with child.  We might not be so forgiving in the future.  Like every goddamn other time we still can’t touch you.  Your still being protected be people not even we can go against.  But be warned Black Widow, soon that protection will disappear and you will be ours to kill.

  A word from the wise, just because you are the leader of the strongest gang in the city doesn’t mean you can’t be taken down.  You should watch yourself kid, there is always someone out to get you and I’m at the top of the list.  I will kill you and everyone close to you when your protection runs out.

  Wishing for your death,

Viper

  I crumpled the black paper cover in silver ink up in my hands.  Viper, one of the highest ranked member in the Kareen Mafia.  He’s about four levels below the leaders of the Mafia themselves.  He’s got power and a grudge against me stronger than any other gangster out there.  From what I know about him he’s the one in charge of all their supplies and dealing with all that .

  I’ve been his number one problem for years now.  My first gun, the gun I always use and always have on me was the first thing I took from the Kareen Mafia all those years ago.  It was a one-of-a-kind gun that can never be replicated.  It’s as good as priceless and I took it from them right under their noses.  Right from Viper himself as he held it in his hand.  He’s hated me ever since then.

  I went by Black Widow even back then when I was first learning about all of this.  Back when I was a nobody and held no position in the underground.  That gun was what made me into who I am now.  That gun I took from Viper was what made me one of the most feared gangsters in Kareen.  That gun made me the leader of this gang. 

  The story of how I took that gun right from the hands of one of the strongest Mafia members spread throughout Kareen like wild fire.  Because news of an eight year old girl over-powering and out-smarting a Mafia member is a big surprise, and very entertaining in the underground.

  I wasn’t surprised to learn that someone was keeping me alive.  I suspected years ago that someone was watching my back.  I would probably be dead if it weren’t for whoever wanted me alive.  Viper would have killed me as soon as he found me; he probably would have hunted me down and killed me all those years ago when I made his name a laughing stalk among gangs.

  But I don’t owe this person my life, and I never will thank them for keeping the people who want to kill me away.  I’ve learned never to rely on backup; they aren’t always there to help you when you really need it.  Over the years with Yongguk, Himchan and Zelo I’ve started to trust that they would always be there to back me up when I needed them.

  Bur I can’t have them watching my back on this, not when it could put them in more danger than they already are.  Danger I’m trying to keep them away from.  I’ve put them in enough danger by befriending them and bring them into this world already; I won’t put their lives on the line because of my history with the Mafia.

  If I have to use force to keep them away from what I know is coming for me then so be it.  I would rather them hate me for my actions then hate me for causing their deaths.  If I have to hurt them to keep them away from this then I will.  I will not put the only people I care about in this world to their deaths for the crazy things I’ve done in my past and will continue doing in the future. 

  I’ve made my life like this, I’ve made myself into the person I am today and I have no regrets save one.  My only regret was bringing my best friends into this.  Using their weaknesses to make them the strong powerful boys they are today.

  This is my mess to deal with and Viper is my problem to get rid of.  For now I just have to make sure that the boys are safe enough and they don’t do anything to get themselves killed.

  “Boss, are we going to be alright?”  Jongup asked me as he looked at me with worry.

  I sigh so they all can hear me.  “We are all safe, the Kareen Mafia isn’t going to do anything to us so relax will you.  I wouldn’t have tired this if I knew we might die.  I’m not that stupid.”  Actually I am.  I did risk my life on this; same as I have with every other run I’ve done against them.

  “Are you sure Boss?  The Mafia never take kindly to gangs ding this.”  Yongguk voiced.

  I smiled at him softly, “They won’t hurt us, I know this for a fact.  Don’t worry about this guys, I’m not going to let anyone harm my gang.  I’ve kept this gang safe and intact for years with no problems that we haven’t been able to deal with.

  I know I’m a , but I have to know that Zelo is going to be okay.  “You going to be okay Zelo?”  I call over to him from where he’s sitting on the couch.

  He nodded as he held the ice to his face.  He wasn’t going to school for the next few days, that was for sure.

  Please don’t hate me guys.

A/N

Wow this story reached 100 subscribers!  I'm really happy that you guys like this story and I hope you will continue to like it as I move it along.

Thoughts on this mess of a chapter?  Anyone hate Ashiya at all?

I'd love to hear what you have to say and what you think of this crazy events.

Wynter