Written By: Armina Qi Saxton

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Chapter 4: Who Goes There?

It had been several hours since the sisters had shown up at their own party, both moving along the party-goers with at least two or more maids trailing behind them with items most everyone had two of already. They smiled falsely at everyone, eying those they did not like from across the room, and trying to overstep attempts of rabid fans making grabs at them. Security promptly whisked them away, a lot faster then the two had thought they would, and put them back in with the normal crowd. Had they realized the maniac expressions of some would have sent chills down their spines, their choices of clothing would have been much different then what they were currently wearing.

Still, they went around the room several times, making sure that most of those that were there had at least one of everything, even if they had pushed their party favors into the hands of another. Marie had seen more then a few pop their balloons and throwing the remains into the trash, where they thought it belonged, and the hats didn't seem to fair much better. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from shouting across the ballroom at those that had thrown these items away so carelessly. These items weren't expensive, but rather cheap knock-offs of what they wore and things that they had gotten for much less then they would have paid in any part of Gaia and her few outer territories.

The items that seemed to be the most in demand for partygoers, the items that sat in the small boxes that had velvet inside, were the halves of the same pin that the sisters wore. These pins were in the shape of a V that overshadowed a small H, glittering in the fair light of the ballroom. Despite that these items were clearly the cheapest of the party favors, and that the sisters only had a half of the pin in each box, the crowds of people went ecstatic over it. Hordes of people could be seen trying to find the other half to their pin, whether it was attempting to buy off boxes that the maids held or from fellow partygoers.

The sisters took note of some of the party-goers looks as they went by them, even those that paid no heed to them as they went on a quest to get the rest of their pins, eyeing some of them back with a fierceness that only some could give back in full. Others simply lowered their gazes when either sister glared their way, their eyes going back up to them once the two had left. However, there was one look they could ignore completely, one that stared at them from across the ballroom. Johnny Gambino watched the sisters move around, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his lips as his eyes move along with Anna and Marie's movements. He fought the urge to walk over to where they were and slap them across their faces more then once, even if it got him kicked out of the mansion. The looks on their faces would be enough for him, regardless of what they would do to him afterwards, whether it was a swift kick out or shackles to his wrists

The only two things that kept him from striking both of them multiple times, were the same things that loyally stayed by him. His supporters, surprisingly dwarfed by those that were oogling the sisters and those that were just happy partying, made a ring around him, as though they were his own personal bodyguard force. Some were standing, talking with those that were sitting about things that had happened, things that were happening, and things that they wondered would ever happen. Others had wandered away briefly, to dance and to get things to eat while others muttered their support as they left for the time being, to come back later and stay within the ring of others that shared the same goal: to bring Johnny K. Gambino back into power. There were a couple of Gaians that had fallen asleep right where they were, their backs leaning against the wall and heads laying upon the shoulders of others. He didn't want them to think that he would raise a hand to anyone where they could see them, especially two young women who could do more to him then he could do to them.

The other reason, was the boy that stood next to him, hands resting in Johnny's hand and head against his arm. Gino had remained quiet since they had entered the mansion, keep close to his father's side like glue, despite a few attempts by his father and others to dance. His eyes looked glazed over, his face as though he had no emotions stored inside him, and boy slightly limp. To those that didn't look close enough, or weren't one of the many that had stayed around the two, though there was something more wrong with him then loss of memory. There was nothing wrong with him, other then the weariness that he felt.

Johnny felt drained himself, his attention diverting away from the sisters for the time being. Earlier, he had felt so energized by the voices of those that still held a certain respect for him, despite everything that had happened before. There had been so many things that he wanted to tell these supporters, things that would contradict what they were saying about him. Some of it he had let slide, only because he didn't want others to know of what things that didn't concern the public. Yet, every time he did, he closed his mouth and let the thoughts go, figuring there was no point in changing another's mind. There was no need to give people any more reason to hate him, even if they would disregard his words of change.

There was a slight tug at his arm, Johnny looking down at Gino with a concerned look on his face. The boy had his eyes closed, his head still leaning against his arm but his hands were wrapped around h is father's wrist. Johnny nudged his son, Gino's head moving up and his purple eyes opening. He smiled weakly, not really intending on falling asleep at the Ball even though he felt like he couldn‘t keep his eyes opened. When they left for wherever they would sleep for the night, then he would get some rest and fall into a dreamless sleep. Until then, he would remain awake as best as he could.

"If he wants to be powerful again, why doesn't he do what he did before?" Someone asked within the ring of people that stood around him. Johnny lifted his head slightly, turning it around to try to locate the source of the voice. It didn't take him long to find the owner of the voice, who was being given looks and waves of hands to keep her quiet. There were a few sideways looks towards Johnny himself, looks that indicated that they were afraid of what would happen to them if he heard the words that the Gaian had spoken. He held no more power then Gino had memories, but he was still a person of big size and that was more then enough for people to hold their tongue in his presence. Intimidation was something that had come naturally to him, even at a young age.

His eyes moved away from them, his mouth moving open slightly. Truth be told, he had thought of something like that, trying to regain what he lost through what he had done before to get his riches and power. That had been hard work, when he was much younger then he was at the moment and ideas of what he wanted, even if those ideas were farfetched at the time. But, those thoughts had been before Christmas, when he did not have Gino back with him and the thoughts of regaining his past riches had all but been forgotten. Now they came rushing back to him, something that he wished he could have started much sooner.

"You are absolutely right!" Johnny shouted, his eyes lighting up with the idea. "Rather then spend time wallowing in self pity, I shall work to regain my power. If anything, I'll do it for Gino. His pour soul...."

He stopped just as quickly he had started, looking back down at Gino, who had let go of his wrist and had started to move away from his father. Others had done the same at the sudden outburst of the person that they supported, more then scared at the outburst then anything else. Gino still had the glazed-over eyes, his face still as lifeless as it had been just a few moments before but held a small spark inside of it. He was there physically, but there was no emotional comprehension on his face that tied him to his father. Johnny didn't know if it was because of the amnesia or if it was because of everything that he, himself, had done to the boy before Halloween. Regardless, he was going to get his son fully back to him once again.

"Who's with me?" Johnny asked his supporters, who started to look at each other with worry in their eyes. A few others had wandered over, to see what the commotion was all about and why the fallen man had started to raise his voice when he had been so quiet before this moment. "These Von Helson sisters cannot be good for Gaia!"

His voice was growing louder, so much so that a few others stopped by where the group of supporters were staring up at him, wondering what this man was thinking. Johnny found that he didn't care who heard them or what they thought, the mere thought that he could regain the power he lost so easily now was so loud in his mind. If the sisters heard him, or even thought to look in his direction, then all the better. That would give him enough reason to come face-to-face with them again and settle a score that had been years in the making and that he would not go down as quietly as they thought he would.

The worried looks around him soon became excited, as those that were sitting on the floor started to stand and chat between themselves in a quick manner. Several had started to gesture towards Johnny, having more then a gut feeling that something was going to happen during the Ball, more so then they did when they first entered the mansion hours ago. Others were not so sure on his rise back to power, asking themselves just how he was going to do it without so much as a handful of gold to his name. That didn't bother him as much as it had before, the mutters of his downfall and the accusations that he couldn't do it again. If anything, it helped him.

Those that were more supportive of him then others, those that were beginning to become more excited at the prospect that they could do something to help him, started to make offers that they wouldn't have made to anyone else. They offered what clothing they had on them, items that they had in safes back home that could be sold for thousands of gold pieces, what gold they had on them at the moment, and a few services that made Gino blush at the mention of them. Johnny waved those offers off for the time being, seeing the willingness to help a man in need in their faces. There was no reason for them to help him; if he could do it himself once before, then he could do it again.

There was a certain gleam in his eyes that left behind the dull look that had been in them before, one that told his supporters that, slowly, the old Johnny K. Gambino was coming back to them. The excitement in their voices as they chattered around him, the energy that came from their bodies, made him feel more alive then he had before. Even Gino’s face seemed to lift up from it’s gloom, despite his eyes still lacking the recognition in them. If his father could bring back those faded memories, then he wouldn’t need anything else that Gaia held in it.

It was only when a trio of partygoers wandered slowly by the increasing excited ness of the group, did Johnny's face turn from a hopeful look to an surprised stare. He did a double take as the three went by, his eyes darting down from their smug looks, to the pins that were upon their clothing. There was a recognition in seeing those pins, the same exact ones that the Von Helsons had always worn in public places. He knew what they were and how these three managed to get it without so much as a question raised to the hands that had given them the trinkets. Why was another matter, as only a small number of people inside the mansion knew anything about the Von Helsons; the rest held no protests at siding with those that had more money then they did and hallow promises that would never be followed through.

"I'll tell you what," Johnny said, turning back to his followers, who had noticed the quiet tone that had befallen him again. "I may have some small trinkets left over from last year. I'll try and get them to you if I can, but it's a long way back to Gambino Isle from here."

That was the truth; it was a long way from the city to the island. It didn't make it any easier to know that he would have to leave the Ball and take the time to go from one place to the other, and then back again with boxes of small, golden pins with the letter G upon them. He knew he still had some left, from when some had mysteriously shown up the year before without his knowledge. That had given him reason to suspect that someone in the Gaian population, someone that wasn't familiar with the layout of his former mansion, had broken into one of the hidden storage rooms, taken them out, and proceeded to give them to everyone.

Johnny had figured the mystery out eventually, the blame going upon his very own son. There had been harsh words said to the boy, but not to place blame upon him. No, it was more along the lines of having to wait until his father told him to hand them out to the Gaians that had gathered. It didn't matter, really, when the pins had been handed out; it was enough that his son had the nerve to go behind his father's back and do something that he wasn't supposed to do just yet. Despite his anger in his voice, there had been a certain level of proudness in his eyes that day, something that Gino had overlooked.

"For now, let's just spread my name. Let it be heard around all of Gaia in it's former glory!" He called to his followers, his grip on his shoulders strengthening. Cheers were given in response, something that made him beam. He had thought that there hadn't been anyone else in Gaia to give him support, the group around him proving him wrong. Until a way presented itself to get back to the island, telling everyone about his rise back into power would have to do for the time being.

****

If Johnny had thought that the sisters wouldn't have been able to hear his voice from over the crowded ballroom before, he did now as Marie looked over the heads of the crowd, her arms crossed over her chest. She frowned at the sight of the small crowd that had gathered around him, egging him on as he shouted things that she couldn't understand. It didn't matter what he was saying, but rather what he was trying to do. Credit had to be given to him for the ability to get some attention towards himself and away from the sisters, but it wasn't enough to deter everyone around them.

She didn't know how he had managed to get into the mansion, with all the security that was around. There had been checks and double checks of all the entrances to the mansion; even the front door had at least two armed guards standing there, keeping tabs on all who entered. Marie figured Gambino had come into the ballroom prior to the guards taking up their posts by the doorway, before they had the chance to kick him out. That was something else she had to give him credit for: keeping himself quiet enough to avoid enough detection by the sisters and security alike, unlike what he was doing now.

"Did you know you can make your voice funny if you inhale the stuff that's in these balloons?" Anna's voice asked from next to her. Marie moved her head away from Gambino and his followers, glaring at her sister who held one of the last blue balloons that they couldn't give out to the flocks of sheep. Anna moved a well-manicured hand over the balloon, Marie sighing and rolling her eyes as she turned back to where Gambino stood.

"I think we have more important things to worry about then what the inside of balloons can do to our voices," Marie said coldly, pointing towards the group of Gaians that were along the far wall of the room. Anna looked up from the balloon to see where her sister was point, her nails digging into the balloon when her eyes fell onto the one that was Marie's focus. Squeaks came from where her nails dug into the balloon before it popped, nearby Gaians jumping at the sound of the now deflated balloon.

The sisters ignored the looks the Gaians were giving them, Marie lowering her arms to her side as Anna gestured to a pair of security guards nearby to follow them. They started for the wall where their rival for attention stood, pushing past partygoers without even bothering to look at them. There was a hush that went around the ballroom, as nearly all those that were present moved their eyes upon where the sisters were going. Low mutters were heard as they moved out of the forest of people, some of which gladly moved out of the way while others had to be pushed away by the guards. Marie and Anna stood there, watching the surprised expressions of Gambino followers look up at them, not expecting the duo to have noticed their gathering.

"My my, what is this?" Anna asked, looking around at the faces of the Gaians. They had stopped what they were doing, looking as though they were deer caught in headlights. It took them a moment to regain the ability to move, as they made a path to allow the sisters a clear view of who they were really after. Johnny stood firm where he was, his hands upon his son's shoulders as he stared a deadly glare at the sisters. The feelings of hatred were mutual between both parties, despite the bewildered looks upon the other Gaian's faces.

"How dare you try and steal our thunder!" Marie growled at him. "Lets see how you deal with this, Gambino. Get him out of my sight."

She motioned to the two guards to take him away, smiling as sweetly and fakely as she could at Johnny's angry face. There was more then the reason of taking the attention away from the sisters, that made her gesture the security into this action. She didn't want him in the mansion to look through anything that could be used against them; both sisters knew that he was one of the two only other people in the mansion that knew the layout of it just as well as they did. If he got any evidence that supported the claim that there was a bigger picture then there already was, then they would be more then ran out of Gaia again.

They were glad that, as the security dragged Gambino towards the entrance of the mansion, that the group of followers had started to blend back in with the crowd. If they could forget about him long enough, then they would have a slightly bigger following then they already did. What they didn't know was, that forgetting someone like Johnny K. Gambino was harder said then done.

****

Johnny felt the strength of the two security guards in their hands along, as he was pulled towards the doorway of the mansion. He wasn't surprised that he was being thrown out of the Ball, none the least, but what surprised him was that Anna and Marie hadn't bothered to even attempt to take Gino away from him. The boy was following the guards as one pushed one of the doors of the front entrance open and proceeded to throw him out. Johnny stumbled backwards, Gino squeezing by the guards as he looked over his shoulder at them.

"I CAN FEEL IT! GAMBINO!" Johnny shouted into the mansion just as the doors closed in his face. He hoped that someone heard his voice from outside in the cold, where he now stood with his son. Gino moved his head from the doorway, shivering in the coldness that had befallen the mid-February day. His dead, emotionless eyes looked sadly at his father, who sighed and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Total comfort couldn’t be brought to his son, not when there was nothing in that comfort to help.

There was truth to his words that he had spoken only a few minutes earlier, as the two walked down the steps of the Von Helson mansion. He would get his power back, more so for his son then anything else. It pained him to see the look that was on his face, now that everyone else could see it as well. There would be conversations on how Gino looked at the Ball and to why he seemed so vegetable-like. Johnny knew that the quietness Gino showed to people was only because he was in a strange place, standing by a strange person, and attention being brought to him and he didn't know why.

There was a bright side to this, small as it were: this had given him the opportunity to go back to the island and get the remaining pins that he had himself. If the sisters could sway people by giving out cheep knockoffs, then so could he.