Target 1

I remember a name, Allen, I think it was mine. I remember dropping out of college, attempting to make a living, and not succeeding. I resented that, regretted even. Allen had also died, by one of the most common killers in North America at the time, distracted driving. Allen wasn't even the one driving. Now I am Gabriel Rossi, I live with my mother as far as I can tell. I didn't gain any of her looks. She stood long and lean with platinum hair and hazel eyes. She claimed every morning that I looked like my father. Thick slightly curly black hair and violet eyes was his thing apparently.

I stared at the little wooden blocks that the nanny left me in front of. I was left to my own devices as usual, far too frequently for someone the age of 3, I suppose that the nanny thought everything would be okay so long as I was left in my nursery with all the toys I could possibly imagine. I wandered over to a toy rabbit that might as well have been the same size as myself. I looped my left arm under its arms and around its body. Something about this toy was oddly comforting. Looking around again making sure that I was really left to my own devices, I left to roam this massive house, I found myself in the personal library. I thought that to be a little ridiculous, having a personal library, but it left me plenty to read. Picking up and reading massive tomes almost the size of me and reading in a decently well lit out of the way corner. I have retained a decent bit of knowledge from what I assume was a past life. Allen may not have been studious, but he had a decent amount of myth lore, specifically Greek, as well as English fluency that I would not get here. Sense rebirth the Italian language became my new first language.

I didn't know how long I sat reading the tome, but I felt myself nodding off. I was in the process of moving the tome back, a slow process in my small size. When I heard screaming. Dropped my tome and did what any other child would do, or I hoped would, I ran over to the toy I had brought with me and hid. There was a great number of hiding spots in this house. I moved to the back of the library. Now one would think, why go to the back of the library when there is clearly no exit there, but there is. An old servants entrance was in the back. The servants had no use for them now, as there clearly was no need for such things in the society of today. However this left me with the advantage of using them to hide and or get anywhere without notice. Once safely behind the hidden door, I slid to the floor and curled up around the bunny toy.

I sat up with a start at the sound of gun fire, it sounded like it was very close. I felt my eyes go comically wide. I stayed staring at the back of the hidden door for what felt like too long. Collecting myself, I shuffled further down the hall hoping that I would remain in darkness if anyone opened the entrance.

"Where is my son?!" I heard a voice bellow. It was the loudest yell I had heard in my life and full of anger. I felt myself shake in my shoes, I thought about the events that happened so far. Gunfire and screaming happened, terrifying, more gun fire later, again terrifying, now a man yelling for his son was very very mad, also scary. While I was thinking someone entered the library. I felt myself go tense.

"That nanny is fired the moment I find my son, clearly not capable of taking care of children."

"Sir there is an open book here." I felt myself tense up. Fear flooded my veins and my chest heave with heavy breath.

"That is strange, a book on roman architecture?" I heard some shuffling and tapping on wood. I could feel my heartbeat in my ears now. I couldn't move, I closed my eyes tight and buried my face into the toy bunny in my arms, and prayed to whoever would listen that I wouldn't be seen. The knocking found the hollow sounding door for the servant hallways. When it opened I let out an involuntary whimper.

"Sir, it appears there are servants halls in this house, perhaps your son found a way in and is wandering in them?"

"Oh my poor son. Find him Sabino, I'll be fine. I'll see if there are any other rooms with these entrances." With that the two voiced people went their separate ways and one walking right passed me. I waited for what felt like hours before moving. How in the world? I stared at my hands. Soft light indigo fire lifted off my hands in fact all of me and my toy were covered. I felt my jaw drop. I watched as the fire dissipated into nothing. Mist flames? I was baffled. Allen knew something about these. Though it felt like nothing. There are five other types, sky, sun, cloud, storm, lightning and rain. Each had a different ability. Mist was good at illusions. I would have to find a notebook and write down what little I could remember from Allen.

I made my way to a more familiar space, the nursery. Granted the whole way there I had nearly gotten sick several times. The death that littered the halls was stomach turning. Men and women I had only glimpses of in my day to day life lay bleed out on the floors and slumped against walls and even more that I didn't recognize.

"Young master!" A voice I recognized gained my attention. A much older man, that I knew as the house's majordomo, Cosimo approached me from down the hall. He quickly picked me up. "Where have you been? we have been worried about you." Cosimo brushed a hand through my hair. He tucked my head under his chin, I suppose he was attempting to keep me from seeing well... The massacre that was left threw the house.

"I heard screaming and loud noises so I hid." I stated in a small voice. It wasn't that hard because honestly I was terrified. People are dead, a lot of people. I was contemplating if it was worth trying to find out why it happened was a good idea, really it wasn't. While I was lost in thought Cosimo started walking away, I didn't know where.

"Smart boy, you must be so scared." I nodded my head. Eventually after some staircases Cosimo came to a stop. "Inform the master that we have found Gabriel, also I want that nanny here now please." I huffed and squirmed in Cosimo's arms. This brought Cosimo's attention to myself, I quite frankly was too warm being held, I had a stuffed toy and an adult body heating my own now and it was too much. "I know you want down Gabe, but please hold out a little longer." I whined but stopped squirming. I liked Cosimo, he was far more competent than my nanny.

"Gabe!" the sound of my mother's voice made me turn, or attempt to, face her. I was quickly scooped up and held close. Her belly, large with pregnancy, got in the way so she had to hold me on her hip. "Oh my sweet baby!" She ran a hand through my hair, and checked me over, I assumed for any injuries. After she was satisfied that I wasn't hurt she pointed a finger at my nose. "Where have you been little treasure?" She spoke to me in french, granted I couldn't quite speak the language back but I understood fine.

"I hid when I heard screaming, and loud bangs."

"Such a good boy, just like mommy told you to do."

I watched as I sat with my mother as the two men from earlier, their voices I recognized, chewed the nanny out, in angry whispers. Well one did and the other stood calmly to the side. I have learned in watching this conversation that the one that was saying 'my son' is in fact my father. I would say he was tall but most people were tall due to my tinny height as a 3 year-old. He did in fact have the same hair as myself, or I should say I had his hair. He stood in a way where I couldn't see his eyes.

"Tell me about this toy, little treasure?" I rubbed my eyes a little, and then looked up at my mom. She looked a little sad, now as a lady that happened to be pregnant, that is not good. I leaned my head on her shoulder.

"This is bunny." Now I know that sounds un-creative but I was pretty sure that children don't actually name their toys anything other than what they are so bunny will work, it was a rabbit after all. "He makes me feel safe." I said with a big smile on my face. It wasn't untrue but it wasn't the truth either. The toy didn't make me feel safe, though it felt familiar, it seemed Allen had a toy like it at one point in his life. It felt nostalgic more than anything. I also didn't like acting like a child, most people around became uncomfortable when I didn't act like one.

This made my mother smile as she set me down onto my feet. My mother, and the servants around the house, all seemed put off when I was myself.

"I am sure bunny does. Let's show him to your father." She took my hand and led me towards the man who was yelling at the nanny. I sighed and pulled the toy closer to my chest. "My love, come away from the nanny and let the guards deal with her, come meet your son." The angry man gave one final glare at the nanny, said something under his breath and turned to face my mother. He smiled, it made his eyes crinkle. Violet like my own. I really did look like him. I did notice that he was a good half a foot shorter than my mother though. A thought that amused me. He strode over with confidence I rarely saw in anyone. He showered my mother in kisses that made her giggle before she playfully smacked his arm and told him to stop. I was sugary sweet, it almost made my teeth ache. After being chased away by my mother, he turned to face me. Kneeling down so that he could look me in the eye. He smiled at me, though it was small and didn't take up his full face it made his eyes wrinkle with joy. He took one of my hands in his. I didn't quite like the invasion of my person and wrinkled my nose, but didn't protest outside of that.

"Tell me little one where did you hide?" My father's voice was calm, it seemed like he didn't want to scare me for whatever reason. I wasn't foolish, something was going on outside of this mansion that came to the manor. Dealing with guns and seeing flames, I had no doubt that this was something connected to the Mafia. How those things all connected, Allen memories connected to these things, but they were old and fuzzy and felt unimportant to Allen. I didn't have time at the moment to deep dive into his memories. I wondered briefly if I could peg my good hiding skills with the toy I carried, but I pushed it aside. Succumbing to my fate and giving one last internal sigh I spoke.

"I hid in the hidden hallways!" I chirped with enthusiasm worthy of my toddler form. "Bunny helped protect me." I added as an afterthought and held up the toy and hid my face from view. This made my father cuckle.

"Did he now? Bunny must be very brave." I nodded my head in childish agreement. "Little one, how do you feel about going to school?"

I felt baffled, and I was certain it showed on my face. School at the age of 3? That was nearly unheard of. Though, I supposed it would be advantageous. I needed more information before agreeing.

"What do I get to learn at school? Is it more interesting than what I am learning now? Will bunny come with me? Do I get to learn music like mommy? Why do I need to go to school, are there not more competent people that can teach me that can come here?" I asked all my questions in rapid succession. It made my mother laugh at my father's shock to the sudden bout of questions.

"Ah, your mother did tell me you were an inquisitive one." He said with a sigh "You will get to learn a great many things, from how to defend yourself to how to control," he paused for a moment choosing his words carefully "Bunny. I don't think you will want to bring the toy with you little one. There will be much bigger children there that will take it as weakness and attempt to hurt you because of that. There will be many classes that are held at the school that I am more than sure you will find fascinating. If you wish to take a music class then we can get you into lessons immediately. There are a great many people that could teach you little one, but I fear, just like your nanny, finding good ones will be difficult. The School you will be going to will be very prestigious and have more than adequate teachers. As for why you need to go, you need to go to make friends and connections." patted my head. "You are my eldest son and heir to the Rossi name, all of these things are important." I sighed mentally, something I felt was going to become a bad habit. It seemed like I really was going to get involved in the mafia regardless if I wanted to or not. I had no doubt that this school was where a lot of mafia children went. I wish i could drink some tea.

"I suppose I can't find a reason not to go, but if I don't like anyone I reserve the right to leave!" I exclaimed. I wondered for a moment if the smile that came to his face was worth having to attend school with snot nosed, I mean children.