Author's Note:

Research turned up way more data than I initially expected. The Mafia is thick with tradition, rituals, code of conducts and many more, which binds them and differs them from your usual organized crime group. Of course, my story doesn't need to be true to whatever source material there is out there on Mafiosi, but it's a neat idea to have them nonetheless.

Chapter 82: The Codes That Makes Us

Inner Feelings.

The winds of fate must really loathe Lord Amato. The day his class were there in the Doge's Palace for an excursion was the day explosives were set to go off. Gazing out the window and admiring the people in the streets turning away from us as we zipped by, I couldn't help but blame myself for putting Lord Amato at risk like that. Especially after that fiasco in the morning, I should have stayed and secured the perimeter, scanned the whole palace from top to bottom.

Unfortunately, the eying presence of the police meant none of that. Still, I should have stayed.

As the ride came to a smooth stop, I stepped out onto the asphalt road in my outdoor uniform. It bore similar designs to the uniform I use at home, with but minor modifications; leather boots, sleeves straightened and lengthened and the absence of a skirt, replaced by a pair of more movement-oriented pants made the whole outfit feel more like a suit than anything else.

As the rest of the contingent followed, my gaze fell upon the refurbished building in the distance. It stands as a testament of history for the city of Venice. To think it would end up a target for such acts of terror!

"The usual protocol, Kiera?" Dante asked out as he came to my side, eyes watching our surroundings like a hawk before moving to the trunk of the limousine. Priming our men with their necessary instruments, they lined up and awaited my command.

"Kaboom!"

A distanced explosion went off with a cloud of smoke rising from the main entrance of the Doge's Palace, catching us all by surprise! Immediately, another part of my heart sank and quivered as chaos spilled into my thoughts! Nevertheless, the emotions were pushed back for there was no time for distraction right now!

"Yes, let's move! Secure the perimeter, prep for extraction!"

At the very least, that was the plan. We took a few minutes allocating guards and redirecting the public, keeping them away from the Palace at all costs, when all of a sudden a sea of people flooded out of the main gates, weeping and flustered. The were pale-faced and ridden with shock. When one of the recognizable faces showed himself, I made my way towards him with haste, hoping for answers to all that's happening.

"Mister Russo! Mister Russo, if you could just lend me a moment of your time? I don't see Lord Amato amongst those making their way out of the Palace. Do you have any idea where he is?" I asked out, meeting the droning expression on his face. He perked up as soon as I mentioned Lord Amato, however.

"Y-You're asking about him? Why? Who are you?" For some reason, the man grew wary, as if reminded of an experience he would have rather forgotten.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat while calming my thoughts. Amato seemed to have instigated something within the palace. His homeroom teacher must have caught wind of it. Does it have something to do with the Famiglia? That would explain the fear eroding away at the man's expression. "You...could say we're like family to Amato. We were scheduled for a trip to the Doge's Palace, but there seems to be something wrong. Please, we need to know if Amato is okay." I gave out the explanation and the plead as soon as it came into mind, referring him to the various instrument cases we had on hand.

At times like this I'm forever grateful for the inventors of the olden days. Shaped after various string instrument cases, the public eye will never suspect that these guitar, cello and violin cases harbored shotguns, tommy guns and other lethal armaments. For their sake, I hope they never deem a need to open up one of our 'instruments'.

"O-Oh, I see...you're musicians...right, I don't know what I was thinking. I apologize for before." Mister Russo exclaimed as he calmed himself down, seemingly taken in by my words. "There were bombs, you see. They went off without warning-" He started rambling, before shutting up as a regretful look washed over his eyes. "A-Anyway, just trust me when I say you don't want to head into the Palace right now! Also, you'd be safer if you break all ties with the boy you knew as Amato Zanna!" He finished off with a warning before losing himself to panic and disappearing into the streets.

"That's not a good sign." Dante commented, before looking back towards the Palace.

"..." I had neither the reason nor the words to deny what Dante had just said, only growing more and more distraught.

What exactly did Lord Amato do in there?

"No matter, we're going in!" I roared, spurred on by worry.

"Wait, Kiera!" Just as I hauled a case of my own in hand, lining up alongside the men of the Zanna Famiglia, a familiar voice stopped us in our tracks.

Sergio appeared from the courtyard of the palace, crying out and making a dash towards us as soon as his eyes caught sight of me. Johann, Yoko and Miss Conti followed in his steps, along with a number of elementary school students. In Sergio's hands was that of a lifeless-looking girl unmoving. Wounds riddled along her pale skin, stained with blood. When my eyes looked towards Sergio on the intent of asking who and what, he responded by shutting both eyes as he turned to the sides.

In other words, she's already dead.

"Oi, Endoh! Why the hell are you carrying a dead body with you?! Where the hell is Amato?!" From behind me, Vito suddenly lashed out at Sergio as he handed the body over to some of the men who specialized in handling casualties. He was just about to turn away and give the details of the girl to the men, when Vito pulled him back, rather forcibly if I might add.

He's right, I don't see Lord Amato anywhere. Don't tell me he wasn't with them when they made their way out?

"Shitk."

Just as I was about to speak, a sword was drawn from its sheathe. All of the men were agitated by the sight of the black blade, but my command was given out just in time to stop them from open firing on the guy raising it against Vito. Even Vito himself, who saw the weapon coming, realized the guy was only doing it because of how afraid, how disoriented and how upset he was.

"...please...don't talk about President Adele like that..." Johann whimpered, his shoulders shaking with every word. Even so, his blade remained ever steady in his grip, the mark of a master swordsman showing despite the emotional trauma. It wasn't just him either. Sergio, Yoko and Miss Conti all bore the same distracted looks, zoning out from where they stood every few seconds.

"President...Adele?" I couldn't help but add on to his words inquisitively. There was a need for caution, even in regards to the words being said, because it seemed as though Sergio and the others might snap if we were to push.

After spending a few moments collecting his thoughts, Sergio broke out of his stupor with a staunch look of determination before getting Johann to lower his weapon.

"Adele Sienna is-was the name of the girl that was our class president. The girl who got to close too one of the bombs as it went off, and ended up dying because of it." Sergio gave out after a few seconds of silence, as his eyes looked to the corpse being transported away, his voice quivering as he touched on the cause of the girl's death. It must be terribly difficult for him to even draw it out from memory. "Amato ordered me to take care of Adele's...body. We made our way out of the palace soon after that."

"You left him alone in there?" I asked out, barely holding back the slight agitation I got from the notion.

"No! It wasn't because we don't want to, but because we weren't allowed to." Sergio replied, denying my accusation with an immediate protest. He seemed just as annoyed as I was, before his shoulders shifted and sagged and started his explanation.

"Bah ha ha ha! He's gone and done it now! Sealed himself to his fate by denying any outside help!" Vito was the first to react after Sergio finished with his explanation, breaking out in his incessant laughter while the rest of us could only look to the palace with uncertainty. Torn between the choice of abiding to the code of silence, or to ignore Amato's orders and give him the support he needs.

"Why...why did Lord Amato do that?" I couldn't help muttering to myself in denial.

"Why? Because he's an inexperienced, overconfident little twit!" Vito answered with a slew of insults, spitting them out as if he was just yearning to make his thoughts known, earning him a glare. To my shocking surprise, none of the men with us had anything to rebut. "Oh, you're not happy with what I'm saying?" Vito went on, seemingly spurred by my reaction.

"Look beyond your petty little crush on him, Kiera! Then you'll see that he's just a naive, emotional and reckless kid who just got his hand on some power that he himself probably doesn't even understand!" He ranted as he paced around and turned to the others, his point flushing my cheeks despite me burning up in anger. "That's right, I'm saying this kid's the boss only because of his blood and the work of his predecessors, that he practically got his throne handed to him! He's no boss-material...but he is a Mafioso. We all know he has stained his hand in blood, that there's no running away or going back to being a normal kid. Not anymore." Vito continued, his words slowly rallying the men to his side, to his view of the situation.

Sergio and the others, even those elementary school children hiding behind them, were shocked by what was said. Their complexion darkened upon hearing Vito proclaim the fact that Amato has killed before. It should have been expected, but I suppose it would have been difficult to believe Amato a killer if they weren't there to see it for themselves.

"And thus, he must live by our codes, abide by our laws. For without the rules that guides us, what are we but petty criminals..." Even Dante, who was silent throughout our argument, saw the logic in Vito's words and agreed, adding on to his words with those that makes us who we are. It was almost as if he speaking in reflection of himself.

He's right. They're both right. I know all of that...but...

"...he'll die." I muttered out in a soft voice, hoping no one would pick it up. Not even myself.

"Then so be it. It would simply mean the end of the Zanna Famiglia." Vito tossed out nonchalantly, almost as if he was already mentally prepared for such a tragedy. My eyes widened with shock when I realized just how little he thought of the Famiglia, the only place that took him in so many years ago. The only place he could call home.

My mind was clouded with worry, but I was also in deep contemplation. Vito didn't say all of that without reason. When was the last time I could say I had full confidence in Amato in regards to whatever he was doing? Should I be this worried over the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia? Fretting over his safety whenever calamity strikes? What does that say about his own capabilities as Boss, as a Mafioso, and a man of conduct?

It is exactly as Vito proclaimed. I had always let my emotions rule over my judgment when it came to Amato, always seeing him as who I wished him to be and not who he truly is...

"Heh. You've been wanting to get that out of you ever since you got back, didn't you?" The chaotic torrent of thoughts and emotions cleared as I got my priorities straight, throwing Vito a rhetorical question his way. I must have hit the nail on his head, because the Zanna Famiglia-appointed medic had no retort, only looking to the sides as he flustered in silence.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. Who am I to deny a Mafioso-no, the Boss the honor of taking out his mark? As you said, if he fails, it will only bring to light the fact that Lord Amato is arrogant, weak and vulnerable. Incapable of fulfilling his own promises, and unfit for the position of 'Boss'."

"Sigh, if he dies, then it will mark the end of the Zanna Famiglia, as per our laws." I finally declared after a pause, a notion everyone seemed to have agreed upon, no matter how horrible it was.

Locked in silence and stagnancy brought forth by Omerta, we of the Zanna Famiglia were lost. As my mind raced for our best options, a certain sound rang off in the distance. A sound no one in the Zanna Famiglia would ever deigned themselves happy to hear.

The galloping of horses were slowly cross-faded with the shrill sound of sirens going off. They were to be expected, but I didn't fathom they would arrive so soon! Immediately everyone started moving, but we were too late. From the streets, the Polizia di Stato of Venice appeared. Men on mighty stallions cleared the streets, ushering the way for the police cars and their trucks. Before long, the ever familiar march of the state police's elite units appeared, the black parade alongside the heavily armed anti-terrorism unit.

"Tch! The Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali, the Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza and the Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale of the Arma dei Carabinieri?!" Vito exclaimed with a mouthful, his fingers instinctively reaching out for his spetsnaz daggers before stopping as the whole of the contingent; All two dozen men or so, side-stepped into formation.

"It looks like somebody's been busy. Why didn't we hear anything about this?!" Dante cried out in frustration, his eyes staring down on the sea of uniformed men flooding in around us. He must be referring to the moles within the forces, of which we received no word. He was on edge, and who could blame him? The police outnumbered us five to one.

"So what are your new orders, Valkyrie?" One of the men asked out in a soft murmur as he lowered his lips to my side, for fear of the police catching wind of our conversation. There's too much heat! It caught me by surprise, and all thought processes grind to a halt as the groups of men sealed off the areas surrounding the Doge's Palace, trapping us behind the marked tapes as well!

"For now, stay your weapons and give no signs that you're Mafiosi! You all know the code!" I commanded, not just to the men at my side, but to the various groups I sent to secure the perimeter through a personalized radio transmitter/receiver Dante crafted sitting behind the ears. Signaling Sergio and the others back and conceal Miss Conti and the kids as best he could, I looked back to the overwhelming numbers of the police force.

Each of the men stood stoic in their duty, their faces hidden behind their masks and helmets. That was one of the reasons why they seemed so daunting. They looked more artificial than human.

"We shall wait, and allow none of these Polizia hounds into the Palace! I expect each of you to stave off ten of them, but none of you are allowed to fall lest the Boss weeps and mourns tonight!" I declared, hoping to rally the men as I took a stance. A subtle one but a stance nonetheless, dropping the double-bass case holding my machine-gun beside my feet.

"Polizia hounds, huh? Quite the name." A deep, booming voice retorted from behind the line of policemen, before they shifted to the sides with uncanny synchronization. From the space appeared a man dressed in a long, black coat, bearing the visage wizened by age and experience. His white hair were offset by the charcoal black patch over his left eye and the scars running out of the edges.

"Sir? Chief? What are you doing?! You don't need to be in the front lines like this!" One of the officers stumbled forth, breaking formation to persuade the man back, only to have him retreat with but a wave and a glare.

The Chief-of-Police? What's the head of the entire Polizio di Stato doing here?!

After receiving a beep from his walkie-talkie, the man's snake eye sharpened. With a soft whisper into the piece of equipment, his teeth closed to prevent me from reading his lips, the waves of men charged forth! The grunts in navy blue, those officers of the state police lunged at our group with pistols primed, taser-guns charged and batons waving!

"Augh!"

Collective cries of pain went off as the groups was halted, thrown to the ground and disarmed in an instant! All I did was watch for openings and striking fast at those aiming for us, twisting an arm behind the man's back and breaking the gun by smashing it into the ground before kicking him and sending him stumbling and crashing face-first into the asphalt! Vito and Dante kept their side in the clear with clean strikes as well, assaults into the police officers' necks and their solar-plexus, before ultimate locking their movements by overstretching out their tendons.

With his men swiftly brought down, the menacing chief stepped forth once more. Only after attending to those in pain did he send them back into file with a click of his tongue, before turning back to us more crossed than ever.

"Kiera De Luca, Vito Angelo and Dante Ignazio. Our files have little info on you despite the high-priority placed on your heads. If I might ask, may I know why you would obstruct our officers from carrying out their duties in the name of justice?" He asked out with composure, though each of his words bore weight.

"I have no idea what you're referring to, chief-of-police. We're merely musicians having our sectionals out in the courtyard, warming up before heading in for our performance. It seems to me it's your men who keeps barging into our practice." I replied with as straight a face as I could, picking up the case at my feet just as another wave of men sprang forth aiming to incapacitate us!

"Crack!"

Blood spewed forth from the poor man's lips as the officer was slammed in the face with the base of my 'instrument' case! After the second wave was thwarted, the chief stepped up again, as if he was trying to wear us down and make us talk.

Hah, he must not know the Mafia as well as he should!

"I see what you're doing. Omerta, huh?" All of a sudden, he casually muttered out the name of our code as if he just read my mind. As soon as he realized it, the droves of armed men stopped. "No one is to disturb whatever that's happening inside the palace, is that it?"

"Tsk!" I couldn't help but bite down on my lips after hearing him. Perhaps the title of Chief was rightly earned after all...

"No, it can't be!" Before we resumed the showdown between both forces, one of the more elderly member of the Zanna Famiglia cried out in denial. His eyes widened as hit struck by a painful revelation, his arms trembling as he stumbled back in his steps! "Pent-Pentito!" He screamed as if he's just seen the devil, slipping to the grip of terror.

Pentito?! Those ones who 'repented', betrayed the mafia and works with the police?

"Where?!" I roared out at the poor man, overtaken by the rush of adrenaline. I expected to see one of our moles having turned to the side of law, only to catch sight of the elderly man pointing towards the Chief! The black garbed devil was the one who was inciting such intense fear in the guy! "...who the hell are you?" I couldn't help asking out as I lost all composure at the madness of what was happening, the swear slipping out in the confusion.

"To think he's now the chief-of-police! The only man to ever betray the Zanna Famiglia, and lived because of his sheer tenacity alone.." The man who was just frozen in fear, started reading out his words like a passage.

"...his name is Baldassere Salvaggi, also known as King Savage-the right hand of the Zanna Ottavo!"

There's trouble for the Zanna Famiglia, it seems. Brought on by one of their own from the past! While Amato struggles with the situation inside the Palace, a face-off between the Zanna Famiglia and the police explodes right outside! As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and keep your eyes out for the next update to find out what's gonna happen next!

P.S. Glossary – If some of the Italian terms and names felt necessary, don't be afraid to tell it to me in your reviews!

Below entails some of the forms of law enforcement in Italy employed in this chapter.

Polizia di Stato – State Police. One of the national police forces of Italy. A civil force. Spearheads patrol duties and works alongside the Arma dei Carabinieri.

Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali - General Investigations and Special Operations Division. Known by its acronym DIGOS, it is an arm of the state police charged with handling sensitive cases such as terrorism, organized crimes as well as major offenses such as kidnapping and extortion. They have men specially trained for keeping a constant eye on national soil, constantly watching for any signs of crime growing from social unrest, political underground movements and sports-related violence phenomenons.

Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza - Central Operational Core of Security AKA the State Police's Elite SWAT unit. Known by its acronym NOCS, it is an arm of the state police charged with providing the on-field firepower and training to combat crime-operations and terrorist groups. They are proficient and known for their martial arts, HALO training(military free-falling), EOD training(bomb disposal) and SCUBA training. They have also trained with some of the most elite international units.

Arma dei Carabinieri – Arm of Carabiniers. One of the four Italian Armed Forces. A military force. Polices both military and civilian populations, working alongside the Polizia di Stato.

Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale - Special Operations Group AKA the Military Police's investigative arm and anti-organized crime/terrorism unit. Known by its acronym ROS, its main investigative service centers around dealing with organized crime, drugs and kidnapping as well as analysis. Their operations mainly entails undercover investigations, infiltrating gangs to investigate about narcotics, kidnapping, money laundering, and smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives.

Also, the terms and meaning of some of the Codes and Conduct upheld by Mafiosi that were mentioned in this chapter, including a deeper look into the one brought up from the chapter before.

Pentito – He who has repented.

The proper term for them is actually collaboratori di giustizia(collaborators with justice). These men are those who willingly betrays their Famiglias and collaborates with authoritative figures upon arrest, breaking Omerta and earning the scorn of his previous comrade-in-arms. They have become a pivotal part in the investigations into organized crimes and according to the Italian judicial system, they are able to obtain new name, new life and even personal protection from the police. This is mainly because the act of betrayal prompts his Famiglia to hunt down not just him, but all those related to him. This is also one of the reasons why a Pentito usually escapes abroad for the safety of his own life.

Omerta – The Code of Silence.

Never talk to authorities. That is the one rule all Mafiosi, no matter how corrupted, would willingly adhere to. It is a code of honor that protects the well-being of the Famiglia as a whole, strengthened by the deep-rooted sense of loyalty within Mafia society. To seek help from the authorities would mean the Mafiosi is too weak to handle his own problems, losing him respect, reputation and influence, key traits to ensure his Famiglia stays in power within his territory. It would also incite rebellions as well as wars between Famiglias because it shows the member as vulnerable, especially so when concerning a high-ranking member. The public of Italy also willingly adheres to such a code, for those who employs the service of Mafiosi for protection would not want the protection gone. This is one of the reasons why the Italian organized crime groups still persists despite centuries of efforts to wipe them out.