Marvel: Impregnation System

Meanwhile At Dracula's Former Castle,

"No, no, no, no, no!" 

A desperate, high-pitched shriek rang through the castle halls, sharp enough to pierce stone.

"All of it, the colors, the structure, and even the placement, it's all wrong!" Lilith shrieked, her face flushed and contorted into a manic glare, eyes wide with that wild, volatile frenzy only pregnancy could summon.

Her belly was enormous, beautiful in its swollen form, stretching her tight skin to its limits around Ricky's twins growing inside.

Even though she was the owner of her body, it felt as if she was a puppet to the ruthless hormones of impending motherhood.

"ARGH!" Lilith angrily stomped her foot, clutching her forehead as the cause of all this revealed itself to be Veredelt's ghouls.

Their forms were an ashen white, limbs elongated into thin, stretched frames, with long fingers ending in razor-sharp claws.

However, instead of the terrifying expressions one might expect, they actually looked frightened.

Glancing at one another as if genuinely convinced they had done everything Lilith had commanded and were confused as to why they were being yelled at.

"Listen up, you no-good, brain-dead corpses and listen well." Lilith laughed, though the sound was edged with mockery, her patience stretched as thin as a thread.

"I asked for oxblood red. OXBLOOD!" Lilith said in a slow, deliberate whisper before suddenly exploding in fury while focusing it all onto one single ghoul. 

It stumbled back, glancing nervously at its fellow ghouls, who quickly averted their eyes. 

The vampire queen followed, matching each of its retreating steps with a slow, demeaning stride of her own.

"DOES THIS LOOK LIKE OXBLOOD TO YOU?!" Lilith screamed, pointing sharply at the wall as the ghoul shivered, eyes flicking from the wall back to her.

"THAT'S WINE RED, THEY'RE NOT EVEN IDENTICAL!" Lilith roared, her red eyes glowing fiercely as they bore into the cowering ghoul in the corner.

"Ha~" Lilith laughed softly, pressing her hands against her pale forehead as she surveyed the gathered ghouls, watching their uncertain, hesitant faces.

"Get out." Lilith quietly said, completely exhausted by their complete lack of color schemes.

"I SAID GET OUT!"

The moment her voice dropped, the ghouls all funneled out from the nursery, scurrying along the walls and leaping through open windows, desperate to put distance between themselves and Lilith.

"Argh, it's all wrong!" Lilith hissed, kicking the rocking horse hard enough to send it flying out of the room.

CRASH

Veredelt approached the nursery, tilting his head as the flying rocking horse flew just inches past him before smashing against the wall and shattering into pieces.

"Hmm, that doesn't look good." Veredelt whispered, his gaze drifting back to the room where Lilith was already discarding everything that failed to meet her impossible standards.

"It's all wrong, it's-"

"Sniff*

"It's all wrong~" Lilith's anger softened into a plaintive whine as tears welled in her eyes. She sank down near the crib, cradling her swollen stomach with trembling hands.

Knock

Knock

Veredelt politely knocked twice at the doorway even though the door was already open since it felt only proper to announce himself before entering her moment.

Sniff

"What is it?" Lilith asked quickly, wiping her eyes and rising, suspicion sharpening her gaze as if expecting news from Veredelt.

"I've received word Ricky has-"

"Woken up?!" Lilith suddenly interrupted Veredelt, cutting him off as the old vampire simply smiled.

Though her eyes sparkled with excitement and hope, a small bit of dread lurked beneath that veil of happiness, a persistent voice whispering the worst in her ear while Ricky was off fighting Merlyn.

"Indeed." 

"HAHAHAHA, I KNEW IT!" Lilith exclaimed, wiping away any trace of sadness within her mind as a bright smile spread across her face.

"I knew it~" Lilith whispered warmly, rubbing her stomach and leaning her head on her hand, eyes slowly drifting towards the full moon outside the window.

Lost in a daydream, Lilith felt at peace for the first time in a long while as she looked on into the distance.

All while Veredelt watched her quietly, knowing full well that these violent mood swings weren't just caused by hormones.

In fact, the entire nursery ordeal was Lilith's way of coping.

Although it was surprising, given that Lilith was the proclaimed queen of vampires, it wasn't that she was avoiding her tasks, quite the opposite.

She had nothing to do.

Keeping busy had always been Lilith's way of coping, a habit rooted deep in her since childhood. 

It became increasingly obvious the longer one observed, but what Veredelt hadn't accounted for in his initial assessment was just how meticulous Lilith truly was.

When Veredelt abandoned his claim to the throne to serve as her advisor, he expected his new role would consume every hour with teaching and guiding Lilith.

So much so that he began putting several of his projects on hold, bracing himself for years devoted to properly teaching and guiding Lilith.

In fact, in his initial plans, he fully expected to spend the next five years instructing her before ever returning to his own pursuits.

Yet it turned out to be the opposite. 

From the moment Lilith took the throne, she worked tirelessly as the only day she ever allowed herself to pause was when Ricky came to visit her castle.

Within the short time that Lilith had taken the throne under Veredelt's advisement, they had already begun laying the foundation for the future of their race's kingdom.

However, their first move wasn't to expand deeper into the supernatural world.

They set their sights on the human realm, sinking their claws into it piece by piece.

They began by buying up crumbling noble estates across Transylvania, transforming ancestral castles into hubs for Lilith's future clandestine network of influence.

By the time human governments caught on, half of Transylvania's banking and export sectors were already quietly under their control.

However, what Veredelt hadn't expected from Lilith was how she easily compromised key political figures throughout the region.

From Transylvanian ministers to foreign diplomats, scandalous photographs, signed debts, and their darkest, most horrid secrets all dangled like puppets in her palm.

Now, Lilith had moved on to the next phase: leveraging those initial political gains to modernize their operations.

Both she and Veredelt planned to import American cars for her agents, outfit underground vaults with cutting-edge safes, and install telephones that would link her entire syndicate.

The problem, and the reason Lilith remained so fixated on the nursery, was that the next phase was in a current transition.

Stuck in the needless work that goes into carrying out her desires, forcing the entire plan to stall until the people she'd delegated to their roles managed it fully.

But the thing that made Veredelt the most amused was how Lilith had transformed their military, building something both grotesquely modern and eerily medieval. 

Where Dracula had simply divided his forces into low, mid, and high-ranking vampires, Lilith began building upon that structure to shape her vision for her kingdom's future military forces.

Low-ranking vampires, those freshly turned and still awkward in their immortality, were organized into infantry divisions. 

Gone were the gothic cloaks and ornamental blades; Lilith armed them with bolt-action rifles, smuggled Tommy guns, and the occasional crate of hand grenades lifted off Balkan warlords.

Mid-ranking vampires, creatures far more settled in their own skin and possessing impeccable strength, were, in some ways, a tribute to Ricky.

Lilith clad them in black plate armor, each set tailored to accentuate monstrous strength and the graceful cruelty of their bearing. 

Each so-called knight commanded their own squadron of ghouls, wielding control with absolute authority as a training ground designed to prepare them for the burdens of future leadership.

And then there were the high-ranking vampires, her true commanders. 

Lilith dressed them in uniforms reminiscent of the finest WWI field officers with tailored charcoal jackets with red piping, polished boots that gleamed like spilled ink. 

They wore ceremonial revolvers at their hips, though none truly needed them. 

They were the powerhouses of her kingdom and a precious resource, since it took centuries for a vampire to ascend to such a high rank, and they had to be protected fiercely unless their use was absolutely necessary.

Once the changes were fully in place, the vampires under Lilith grew noticeably more loyal.

Under Dracula, they had been little more than his minions. 

Now, they saw themselves as true citizens, real subjects under a firm, tangible rule which made it easier for them to embrace their roles.

But it was this seamless melding of the medieval and the modern that left Veredelt so amused and, in moments of quiet honesty, deeply impressed. 

Lilith had taken the old structures of vampiric society and evolved them, binding them with industrial discipline and modern logistics. 

Her growing armies were no longer just packs of ghouls or isolated lords waiting for Dracula's commands. 

Now they were a machine, one that could stand to grind whole human nations beneath its armored tread if left to its devices for long enough.

And at the center of it all, the very reason this fledgling nation existed, was one man.

"Ricky~"

Lilith's worry and dread for Ricky's safety had unknowingly propelled the vampire race forward just a bit more.

A development Veredelt couldn't help but find quietly amusing.

"Your Majesty, notifying you wasn't my only reason for coming," Veredelt said calmly, standing near the doorway as Lilith's head snapped toward him.

"Did Ricky ask for me when he woke?" Lilith asked, biting her lip, desperate for any excuse to leave the castle and see him.

"I'm afraid not," Veredelt replied, trying to conceal his frown with the coming words.

"It's about a deal I made with Ricky, one I still need to clarify." Veredelt said, his smile twitching faintly, clearly hiding something.

"Then, let us go-"

"I'm also afraid you cannot go," Veredelt said, shaking his head as he slipped into his advisor role as Lilith immediately stood, puffing out her chest.

"I am your queen-"

"And as such, you must attend to the Romanian delegates under your influence." Veredelt interrupted with that same smile, watching Lilith frown and cross her arms over her formerly puffed chest.

"I want you to fix this room-"

"Oxblood? I've already sent my intellectually capable minions to retrieve the color," Veredelt said carefully, watching Lilith storm past him and down the hall.

"If another ghoul steps into my precious babies' room and paints it any shade other than Oxblood, then I'll use their blood instead!" Lilith screamed, stomping down the hall while clutching her swollen stomach.

"In all honesty, I think that would be easier." Veredelt muttered, watching Lilith kick the wall and shattering it beneath her furious strike.

Sigh

Sighing heavily, Veredelt waved his hand as two ghouls peeked through the nearby windows to see if Lilith was really gone before hurriedly scurrying to clean the walls.

"Hey, vampire." Eric called out suddenly, earning a sharp side-eye from Veredelt as he glanced at the young black-skinned boy.

"Yes, dhampir," Veredelt replied deliberately, smiling back at the young boy who scowled but met his gaze.

"Ms. Rachael wanted me to ask if that jerk survived." Eric muttered, scowling as he remembered Ricky's stupid smirk while his hands brushed against Rachael.

"Is that so?" Veredelt pondered, rubbing his chin as he slowly stepped forward, passing Eric.

"Hey, where are you going?" Eric called out, watching him walk by with a mocking tone as the old vampire chuckled softly and shot him a sideways glance.

"To go tell her the good news myself."

Within the garden of Lilith's castle, bathed in moonlight, Rachael stood, cradling her swelling stomach as her swelling feet rested in a nearby puddle.

Vampire knights, clad in armor, stared through the darkness with glowing red eyes, having watched Rachael every second of the day.

It was precautionary since although she was under their complete protection, it didn't mean they forgot that she was a mortal enemy to their race.

Amidst the continuous glare of darkness, the pair of red eyes that had been fixated on her for the last six hours remained unwavering, silently watching the vampire hunter.

However, under that contentious glare, Rachael's head turned slowly, her gaze locking onto a nearby vampire knight. 

Unflinching under his intense scrutiny, her eyes began to glow a fierce golden yellow, a subtle flash of power in her werewolf form that made the knight recoil, momentarily unsettled.

But instead of pressing the advantage, Rachael let out a soft, knowing chuckle. 

Rachael turned her head just as the vampire knight prepared to lunge at her, but in that second another knight stepped forward, shaking his head to halt the attack.

She looked down at the water pooling around her feet, the ripples catching the silver glow of the moonlight.

Slowly, Veredelt's reflection emerged on the water's surface and when she finally lifted her eyes, there he stood while watching her with a calm, unreadable expression.

"Good news?" Rachael asked, forcing a calm smile, though her eyes betrayed her and locked onto Veredelt with pure anxiety.

"Good news."

SIGH

Veredelt's words made the tension in her shoulders melt away as she slowly closed her eyes, allowing a genuine smile to grace her face.

"I see, that's good." Rachael sighed heavily, resting her hands on her stomach with relief while Veredelt watched her silently for a moment.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Veredelt said, his red eyes keenly reading every nuance of Rachael's body language.

"Recommend what?" Rachael asked, opening one eye to see the old vampire staring thoughtfully at his sharp nails.

"Leaving here, in that state." Veredelt said calmly, easily reading that Rachael was already considering it.

"What are you-"

"It's obvious you're not comfortable here, in enemy territory I mean." Veredelt said, scratching at something on his nail before returning his gaze to her.

"But this is the safest place you'll be in your current state, aside from being with Ricky." Veredelt said, pacing in front of her as he tried to make his point clear.

"However, he's a trouble magnet, which is why I recommend you stay here until you've properly given birth." Veredelt pressed, a hidden urgency masked beneath his calm exterior.

"And Lilith would just roll over on it?" Rachael laughed, remembering they hadn't spoken since the first time she arrived at this castle.

"No, more like, she'll acquiesce." Veredelt rephrased, trying to put it more delicately as Rachael thought it over for a moment before shaking her head.

"I can't." Rachael sighed softly, watching as Veredelt slowly stirred his foot in the puddle.

"I made a promise to help Eric, and every second I spend here is another moment his master is out there-"

"Ms. Rachael." Eric suddenly interrupted, standing off to the side as Rachael turned toward him.

"Eric?" Rachael said in surprise, watching the boy slowly approach as he clutched his cap and edged closer.

"I-I don't want you to get in trouble." Eric said softly, staring down at the ground. He honestly didn't want Rachael to get hurt; ever since his master's situation, she had stepped in as a mentor, guiding and teaching him.

"Oh, Eric, come here." Rachael laughed, spreading her arms wide as Eric hesitated only a moment before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"You could never get me in trouble, ever," Rachael said softly, her motherly instincts flaring as she gently swayed Eric side to side. 

The boy clung to her even tighter, soaking in a comfort that had eluded him since he was a baby.

All the while, Veredelt quietly stepped back, satisfied that he had succeeded in his endeavor.

As Veredelt walked away from Rachel and Eric's embrace, the old vampire's smile slowly faltered, his crimson eyes drifting into the distance, unfocused and troubled. 

The shadows of the grand hall seemed to stretch a little longer around him, pulled thin by the weight of a single gnawing thought.

Because of one reason, one man, RickyLuciano.

If one remembered, the arrangement between them had been simple on its surface.

Veredelt would provide what he knew about Merlyn along with access to his coveted hordes, in exchange for a share of Merlyn's chimaera army and a chance to borrow from that maddening trove of research. 

And Ricky had honored it, technically. 

Ricky had stepped into Camelot and emerged the victor, which only served to prove that Veredelt's investment had been worthwhile.

Except, there was one small, troubling detail that clawed relentlessly at Veredelt's mind.

Ricky never called upon his undead horde, not once.

Instead, he fought alone, apparently raising his own horde, while Veredelt's legions of corpses waited at the side for a call that never came.

And that troubled Veredelt far more than he cared to admit.

Because in the long, winding corridors of his mind, the old vampire began to wonder whether this omission was deliberate. 

Whether Ricky had chosen, with that infuriating, loud confidence of his, to keep his true depths hidden.

To remind Veredelt in the subtlest, most unnerving way possible that he did not need him.

The thought of it left a cold pressure in Veredelt's chest, an almost childlike dread he hadn't felt in centuries. 

Perhaps he was being paranoid. 

Perhaps Ricky was simply arrogant, or reckless, or testing himself.

But perhaps, and this was the possibility that truly made his ancient bones ache, Ricky had already been playing a deeper game, one that Veredelt hadn't even begun to glimpse.

'I suppose delaying any further would only bring about needless worry.' Veredelt thought to himself, halting his quiet steps in the empty corridor.

With a flick of his hand, he summoned a green portal and stepped through, emerging into lands he hadn't set foot in since Merlyn sealed all the entrances.

Moonlight poured over him, bathing the old vampire in its pale glow as he turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.

'What a devastatingly beautiful sight.' Veredelt mused for a brief moment, his eyes lingering on the ruined, mythical city of Camelot.

Although the city was slowly being rebuilt at inhuman speeds, restoring it piece by piece to what it once was, it would never truly be the same.

Veredelt understood that all too well. 

Centuries of life had taught him such truths, which was why he took a moment to savor what Camelot was now, before resigning himself to what it would inevitably become.

Veredelt stood there for a moment longer, taking in the bittersweet sight, his ageless face betraying a shadow of something almost like longing.

'Listen, after it's all said and done, everyone's busy celebrating what would be our victory, and you just so happen to slip them away, I'll turn a blind eye.'

The nostalgia that had been forming in Veredelt's mind was completely washed away as he recalled those words from his original deal with Ricky.

But because Ricky had never actually called upon his horde, the old vampire hadn't felt comfortable making his appearance right after the battle.

That was why he held back and waited for Ricky to awaken, though even now, his guard was fully raised as he turned his head sharply to the side.

"Am I to presume you're Veredelt?" 

From the shadows, an undead figure clacked its bones as it stepped forward, robes draping its gaunt frame and slowly, it lifted its skull-like head to reveal Chuck.

The sole undead faithfully following Ricky's 'plan'.

"Presume?" Veredelt smiled widely, intrigued by the undead's choice of words as he slowly circled Chuck, who remained motionless.

"Am I to presume you are the undead Ricky raised, known as 'Chuck'?" Veredelt chuckled, tilting his head while his red eyes gleamed with fascination.

"You know, I've heard of Ricky's undead retaining their consciousness, but only from their previous forms of life." Veredelt wondered outloud, his red eyes gleaming in the night as they slowly stalked around Chuck.

"What fascinates me most about Ricky's undead arts is the revelation of you and the other one, Boney, is it?" Veredelt asked, placing a hand behind his back as he strolled casually over the dirt, as if on a midnight walk.

"You truly don't know who you are, do you?" Veredelt added, fascinated by Chuck's unfamiliarity, though the undead still felt completely known to him.

But Chuck remained silent, simply staring at Veredelt, whose smile only widened in response.

"Yes, I am Veredelt."

"I have been charged by my master to complete the deal." Chuck declared with a theatrical reverence, his voice carrying the weight of unwavering devotion. 

Every word dripped with loyalty, as if his very existence was bound to fulfilling the commands of the man he served.

"Well, lead the way," Veredelt said, gesturing forward as Chuck turned and began walking toward the field.

Veredelt's worries eased, replaced by curiosity at Chuck's confident stance. 

Although he was still on guard, he still followed the undead to a very deep crater, left from the fight with Merlyn, where a sizable pile of Chimera corpses lay.

If one remembered, in the immediate aftermath of the battle, the undead had gathered the remnants of Merlyn's enemy forces.

All eyes had been on the human armies, from the captain britain forces to the Golden Cloak.

However, that was for show, at least in Chuck's eyes.

Most of the time, almost instinctually, Ricky delegated a lot of the tedious tasks he didn't want to do or think about to Chuck.

They were mostly mundane tasks,things like mowing the lawn or housekeeping, which led Chuck to have configured the anti-barrier around Ricky's woman's houses.

One such task was Veredelt's deal, a responsibility Ricky had also entrusted to Chuck, just in case he forgot.

So, while everyone's attention was on the spectacle of Merlyn, the Captain's Britain's forces, and the Golden Cloaks being turned into undead, Chuck moved silently.

Commanding the low-level undead at his disposal, he executed Ricky's grand plan to the letter.

As a result, the crater was nearly filled with the Chimera's from Merlyn's army that Ricky hadn't turned as of yet.

"Marvelous," Veredelt murmured, slowly descending into the crater before kneeling beside one of the heavy infantry.

His hand reached out and grasped the limp corpse of a child still sewn into the monstrous form, utterly fascinated by Merlyn's twisted handiwork.

"This is a map to Merlyn's study. I trust you won't need an escort." Chuck appeared at Veredelt's fascinated side, handing over a hand-drawn map, incredibly detailed as Ricky would have wanted it.

Snap

"You are correct; I will not need assistance," Veredelt chuckled, snapping his fingers as a green portal materialized beside the crater.

From the portal, a bustling swarm of ghouls began to emerge, slowly crawling down and gathering the corpses of Merlyn's undead for further study.

And Veredelt did see, nodding to Chuck who understood who didn't need to spell it out any further. 

Even without unleashing his horde, Ricky had honored the pact, never once bending the rules of their agreement.

To Veredelt, it was a clear message about how he viewed their continued cooperation, and how any future dealings between them would be treated.

In good faith. 

Veredelt's smile softened into something more contemplative, the edges no longer sharp with amusement but lined with a strange, reluctant respect. 

For creatures like him, it was a rare thing to find someone who held to his word not out of naivety, but out of a genuine commitment to the deal.

It made Veredelt see Ricky in a new, almost honorable light. 

Not pure, certainly not noble, but possessed of a kind of internal discipline that set him apart from the usual swarm of opportunists and oath-breakers that cluttered their world.

And so Veredelt made a quiet mental note of that.

Not just as a detail to be filed away among countless others, but as something deeper, a sort of mark of what kind of man Ricky was. 

Or who he thought he was.

The sort who might be trusted to keep a bargain, so long as it was worth keeping and the sort who would expect the same unwavering standard in return.

It was a revelation that sent a subtle thrill through the old vampire, stirring possibilities he hadn't considered before about their future cooperation. 

However, there was one small, almost laughable problem.

Ricky had actually forgotten all about using Veredelt's horde. 

In truth, he hadn't even been aware of what Chuck was even doing behind his back. 

After the ordeal with Gaea, Ricky had sort of pushed Veredelt and all his schemes to the farthest, dustiest corner of his thoughts and then promptly left it there to rot while fighting Merlyn.

An honest mistake, something that happens to those like Ricky, who have so many tools at their disposal they don't exactly remember them all.

Yet none of that mattered to Veredelt. 

Because perception was often more powerful than fact.

All while Ricky, far removed from such philosophical musings, was currently singing in the mirror.

"Ba badda bum bum, boom boom." Ricky muttered, brushing his pearly whites while staring at his reflection.

He gave a subtle flex of his arm to the mirror before smiling even wider.

"God damn, that's some good definition," Ricky nodded, bragging to himself about himself before spitting out some of the toothpaste.

His eyes drifted to the side, catching sight of Morgana's mission status since he only managed to complete one bonus mission after that entire exchange with her.

[F*ck Morgana Until She Passess Out(Complete):

Reward: 50 Gacha]

Almost fitting this mission was for Ricky, since this time it was Morgana who passed out as the last time they slapped their skin together, he'd been the one knocked out first.

"Ugh~" Morgana whispered, holding her head as she slowly sat up, the moonlight casting a soft glow over her supple, naked form while the blanket draped over her slipped off gently.

"Well, if it ain't Sleeping Beauty in the flesh." Ricky laughed, turning toward her while completely naked.

"How long has it been?" Morgana asked, her eyes fixed on the night sky that was a darker shade than she remembered.

"Uh, probably like twenty-ish minutes or so." Ricky replied, a toothbrush resting at the corner of his mouth as he leaned forward, hands gripping the top of the doorframe.

Morgana's eyes widened as memories rushed back, her hand clutching her forehead while her gaze drifted off into the distance.

"You cut out on me right when we were about to go another round," Ricky teased, leaning his entire naked body forward, shamelessly flaunting himself to Morgana who let out a long, weary breath.

Sigh

The whole plan seemed as ruined as her bed frame, which lay in a splintered heap beneath the utterly destroyed mattress.

Her eyes drifted from the silk sheets, already stained with sweat and sex, down to her folds.

Still parted and leaking the glistening remnants of his cum, evidence of just how thoroughly she'd been used.

In a way, Morgana had gotten exactly what she wanted; with this much of his cum still leaking from her folds, it felt undeniable that she'd be pregnant.

Tying Ricky to her very womb, which in turn solidified her rule, Morgana had, in her own way, achieved exactly what she wanted. 

Allowing her to finally breath in her own castle, falling backwards while she closed her eyes and sank back into the bed.

Ricky raised an eyebrow at her tired expression, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth and leaving it in the sink along with another spit take.

Wandering over to the bed and with a casual plop, he settled down beside her, staring up at the ceiling alongside Morgana.

'Y'know what would be f*cking crazy romantic.' Ricky suddenly thought to himself, still staring ahead as he slowly slid his hand over to grab hers.

"Ha~" Morgana let out a weak laugh, her eyes still closed at his gesture.

Slowly turning her head, she opened them to find Ricky's stupid grin staring back at her, prompting her to give him a small, knowing look.

"I'm waiting, go ahead." Ricky said, shamelessly awaiting something as Morgana let out another laugh from his antics.

"For?"

"My thank you, for handing you the kingdom." Ricky teased, watching Morgana sit up with a cocky smile of her own.

"You mean the one where you destroyed half the famed city and its people?" Morgana shot back, watching him chuckle as he stared off into the distance.

"I did what I had-"

"I'm not judging you, just clarifying," Morgana interrupted, watching Ricky grow defensive over his victory until he suddenly fell silent.

"Hey, about Arthur-"

"It's fine-"

"No, c'mon, I know you didn't hate him cause you said last time-"

"IT'S FINE!" Morgana suddenly yelled, her eyes flaring with magical power before she quickly looked away.

"I am fine." Morgana repeated, steadying herself as if saying it aloud would soothe her.

Morgana moved to pull her hand away, but her body stiffened when she realized Ricky's grip hadn't loosened as her eyes locked onto his hold.

"I'm sorry." Ricky said softly, rubbing his thumb gently over her hand as Morgana let out a quiet, tired laugh.

However, it remained unclear whether Ricky's apology was for Morgana herself or for the brother he had killed.

"I'm sorry as well, for those that died in New York." Morgana said, turning her head away to hide the fleeting flash in her eyes, as if those words were nothing more than to get even.

But that subtle aversion, her calculated need to even the scales, was more than just strategy.

It was her way of coping, a way to grasp control when everything felt like it was slipping away.

"I wanted to do more but Merlyn trapped-"

"It's fine." Ricky smiled widely, echoing Morgana's earlier words, which made her return his smile as she crawled toward him.

Their hands slipped apart as Morgana moved behind him, her naked body pressing against his back as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as her perky breasts pressed gently against his back.

"That Frank Costello, were you close?" Morgana asked, leaning her body against his as Ricky absentmindedly fiddled with the pinky ring Profaci had given him.

"Yeah, the guy was like an uncle, maybe even a second father to me." Ricky sighed, his tone steady, masking the sudden wave of sadness that threatened to drown his heart.

It was as if he was drowning at that moment, forced to keep his head above water, that calm and composed on the surface, while beneath, a suffocating typhoon raged within his chest. 

The reminder of Frank's death just clawed at him, tightening its grip with every heartbeat, making it harder to breathe, harder to stay steady.

"Ricky?" Morgana's voice broke softly through the silence as she reached up to caress his cheek, noticing his gaze had drifted off into the distance.

"I just realized I've only met Frank's mother once." Ricky laughed softly, leaning his head into his hands as his fingers slowly slid through his hair.

"When?" Morgana whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"When I was at her grandchild's grave." Ricky said, lifting his head as a merciless look flickered through his eyes.

"The boy Dracula's son killed?" Morgana asked, familiar with the gossip swirling through the coven, rumors that followed Ricky from New York even when she was still hiding among their ranks.

Obviously, the rumors about him and Agatha were just the surface in the coven. 

The rabbit hole of his exploits ran deeper than even he realized, deep enough to touch on why he left New York in the first place.

Many truths came into sharp focus when they returned to New York after he had slain Dracula.

Rumors revealed themselves to the gossiping circles of the coven with some false while others at least partially true, especially regarding why he had left the city in the first place.

"Nah, that was Rocco." Ricky clarified, turning his head to catch Morgana tracing circles on his shoulder.

"Eddy was the one who survived," Ricky revealed, wiping his mouth as Morgana's eyes flickered with the memory of the other who had killed himself.

"Y'know, as we grew up, Eddy was always the chubbiest of the group." Ricky said, his voice trailing off as his gaze drifted forward.

"Guy would try anything, literally anything, I once dared him to eat a roach and then he ate like five." Ricky laughed, Morgana joining in as he fondly recalled the little stories that were often skipped over in his time with the gang.

"And-" 

Ricky fell silent for a moment, the memory of Eddy's gaunt form in that hospital bed weighing on him.

"And I just remember the look on my face when I realized he became the skinniest." Ricky said, smiling faintly, but his eyes were distant, lost in that haunting moment.

'You know, I never blamed you for what happened to me, right?.'

Those words echoed sharply in Ricky's mind, rippling through his thoughts as he recalled that final conversation with Eddy.

"I knew it too, when he asked me for those f*cking sheets I just knew it." Ricky laughed hysterically, as if it was the funniest joke in the world as he clasped his hands together before dropping them abruptly.

"I just didn't want to believe it." Ricky's voice dropped, licking his lips before ducking his head almost to give a quiet prayer.

"Ricky I-"

"But man, when I get back, Lucky's gonna give me hell for this." Ricky said, suddenly standing and clapping his hands, laughing off the heavy moment as if it had never happened.

Morgana sealed her lips, watching Ricky retreat into the bathroom, sensing it was best to leave the moment untouched.

"And your Luciano family." Morgana added softly, steering the conversation as Ricky reached for his toothbrush by the sink.

"F*ck, y'know, sometimes it feels like everyone's got a permanent stick up their ass." Ricky sighed, already dreading how much they'd hassle him when he got back.

"And believe me, they were just looking for any excuse to openly hate the coven, they hate everyone that ain't from Sicilian descent." Ricky muttered, shaking his head as he scrubbed his pearly whites.

"I mean, I get it, but at the same time, they can cast spells, so it cancels it out." Ricky ranted, shaking his head again and spitting before resuming his brushing.

"Y'know?" Ricky asked, his eyes still fixed on the mirror, voice casual but carrying a hint of something deeper beneath the surface.

"You know, that the coven can't-"

"Don't do that." Ricky suddenly interrupted, smiling as he wagged a finger at Morgana, who had suddenly changed her position to be lying sprawled on the bed.

"What? We're simply talking-"

"No, no, no, that ain't talking." Ricky chuckled, knowing exactly what she was doing since he had experience with it before.

"Raven does the same sh*t-" Ricky instinctively said, but his entire expression froze mid-sentence along with his toothbrush.

In this vast world Ricky now lived in, his approach to women came from a set of guidelines and experiences he'd picked up in his previous life. 

He was used to juggling multiple women at once, though now he intended to stay loyal to them in the sense he wouldn't just take off into the night.

One of those unspoken rules was simple: never, ever mention the name of another woman you're involved with when you're with someone else. 

It was a straightforward code Ricky had followed until this time, when the name slipped out unconsciously.

"Ah, so, what does Raven also do?"Morgana curiously asked, annoyance clearly seeping into her tone which she masked with a fake smile.

Sigh

Ricky sighed, ducking his head and holding either end of the sink since this wasn't just going to end with a laugh.

"Just to be clear, this is the Raven who had given birth to your child a week ago, correct?" Morgan rubbed salt in the wound, knowing full well of his relationship with her.

"Yes, that is her," Ricky said, turning toward Morgana with a salesman smile, who stared at him with a deadly gaze.

"What do we and Raven both do?" Morgana asked again, furthering her fake smile and stretching it from ear to ear.

"Morgana, listen-"

"What."

"Do."

"We."

"Both."

"Do."

Morgana abbreviated every single word, slowly uttering each one from her previous sentence as Ricky dipped his head a little lower with every syllable.

SIGH

"That thing where you try to steer the conversation to get what you want," Ricky said, holding up his hand, clearly annoyed when Raven did it and Morgana just as clearly annoyed at being compared to her.

"I wasn't doing anything of the such-"

"Oh c'mon, that's bullsh*t and you know it." Ricky scoffed, waving his hand as if to shoo her excuse away.

"Ricky, I was simply being present in the conversation," Morgan stated, holding up her hand to clarify as her perky tits jiggled ever so slightly.

"I'm just glad that I now know Raven is also a good listener." Morgana said pointedly, framing it exactly that way on purpose.

"Really good." Ricky laughed, winking at her as Morgana let out a laugh of disbelief at his shamelessness, clearly catching the sexual undertone.

However, instead of pushing it further, Ricky actually dropped it since he didn't care all that much about where the conversation was headed.

But Morgana did. 

In fact, she needed to know.

"Fine, I do want to ask you something." Morgana finally tore away the facade, her voice sharpening as she got straight to the point. 

All while continuing to stretch herself out naked on the bed while deliberately flaunting her body to keep his eyes on her.

"Knew it." Ricky said with a grin, pumping his fist in mock triumph before spitting out some of the toothpaste and setting the toothbrush aside.

"It is about the coven, and yes, it's about its continued relation to the Luciano family," Morgana said and as she spoke, her eyes drifted down to the sheets, her fingers tracing absentminded circles in the fabric.

"I already know what I'm going to do about them," Ricky said, stepping back to study his reflection in the mirror, then letting his gaze drift back to Morgana's naked body.

"Would you at least listen to my advice?" Morgana asked, her tone light, almost teasing, as if she wasn't entirely serious.

"Sure, why not." Ricky shrugged, leaning casually against the doorway, eyes lingering on her perky tits.

"You need to disband them," Morgana said genuinely, offering her advice to Ricky since it was the only option left in her mind.

"I know it's ironic, but after not only I, but Merlyn infiltrated them along with the rebellion, and now with the fragile trust they were just starting to build shattered, they seem like nothing more than deadweight." Morgana said lightly, her fingers tapping the silk sheets in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

"Yeah, I know." Ricky muttered, plopping down beside Morgana again, his fingers threading through her hair as she continued.

"Then you must know that letting them walk free is essentially putting Agatha's feelings over the clear benefits." Morgana said with an amused smile, sliding her hand out to gently grasp his.

"She is a phenomenal witch, one of the best I know, but she is not a suitable leader-"

"And I'm the bad guy when I suddenly blurt out another woman's name," Ricky interrupted with a laugh, kissing the palm of her hand just before she could seize the moment.

"I'll take the coven." Morgana didn't hesitate, getting straight to the point. Ricky tilted his head, thinking he'd heard wrong.

"You'll what?" Ricky asked, raising an eyebrow as Morgana placed her hand over her heart.

"I'll allow them asylum and-"

"Very generous-"

"Ricky, I'm serious-"

"So am I." Ricky said calmly, but there was no warmth in his voice. 

It was why Morgana stopped mid-sentence, her eyes following Ricky's hand as it silently moved to caress her cheek, gently turning her face until their eyes met.

"The coven is mine." Ricky said quietly, tracing his fingers slowly over her lips, that same knowing smile playing on his face.

"I have big plans for them, and the Luciano family. But I'm guessing you already knew that." Ricky's voice softened as he held her gaze, reading every flicker of emotion in Morgana's eyes.

"Morgana, I really do want to get closer to you." Ricky first started off, stating his intentions and what he desired for their continued relationship.

"You're just the right amount of sexy with just the right amount of kick." Ricky joked, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

"And if you ever need help, don't be afraid to reach out," Ricky finished the warm sentiment with a lasting, sincere look in his eyes.

"But you're pushing it." Ricky said with a laugh, stopping his fingers' gentle tracing of her lips before pulling her close.

"Am I not allowed to want more?" Morgana asked, halting Ricky before he could pull her into his embrace.

"Of course not, I'm not asking you to settle for less." Ricky replied, shaking his head as if to dissuade the thought. 

"I'm asking you not to take what's mine." Ricky's voice hardened, the calm beneath his words giving way to a steely edge that left no room for negotiation. 

Morgana was about to respond until she caught that look in his eyes.

The one that revealed that no matter where this relationship went, Ricky would always remain selfish to the core, unwilling to give up any part of what he claimed as his.

"Very well, however, there's still the matter of the coven members still here." Morgana suddenly brought up that glaring issue, watching Ricky pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Dammit, I totally forgot about that." Ricky sighed, pulling Morgana closer as she laughed, their bodies rolling together on the bed.

As mentioned earlier, though Ricky was incapacitated for the moment and couldn't leave, they were the opposite. 

Many of the coven members were filled with excitement and relief, eager to return home not only with a victory but also to finally lay their family members to rest in peace.

The coven members were too excited to remember where the Gold Cloaks had come from, and Alexander tried in vain to stop them as they all opened portals simultaneously.

But instead of warm welcomes, they were met with the cold, desolate silence of Staten Island.

Then the harsh reality hit them.

Hateful stares from the public, fueled by rumors spread by disgruntled Luciano mobsters branding them all as nothing more than rats.

They tried to explain themselves, but the crowd's fury only grew. 

Beer bottles flew as rumors spread that witches had kidnapped Ricky Luciano's children and the coven was blamed without question.

Though it wasn't reasonable, back then people feared associations more than they understood individuality.

To them, the Gold Cloaks and the coven were one and the same.

So, faced with the mounting hostility, the coven members who had fought alongside Ricky retreated back to Otherworld, believing he would make things right once he recovered, and had been waiting for him ever since.

"You think they can wait, maybe for a quick five minutes?" Ricky asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced down at Morgana lying on his chest as she immediately scoffed.

"You're a beast." Morgana said simply, shaking her head at this craven before poking his nose playfully.

"I have something better for you when you're finished." Morgana said slowly, her hand tracing a gentle path along his cheek.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Ricky replied, all while his fingers drifted over the curves of her body.

"Cedric."

Ricky's hand froze at the mere mention of that rat's name, his eyes suddenly flaring with a fierce intensity as the green light even started to shine on Morgana.

"Call it a gift, the least I could do for getting to be the queen of Camelot." Morgana said, waving her hand as if it were a fair trade. 

"Where is he?" Ricky asked calmly, turning his glowing green gaze on Morgana. 

The woman lying on his chest saw at once the fierce hate burning in his green eyes, no matter how calm his voice remained.

"In the dungeon, along with the other Round Table knights and Merlyn's daughter," Morgana mused, watching Ricky as he sat up. 

But before he could say anything, a different realization seemed to flicker across his face.

"Wait, didn't I destroy Arthur's castle? Where the hell am I?" Ricky suddenly blurted out, glancing around at the oddly familiar surroundings which revealed itself to be the very place he'd first banged Morgana.

"I teleported Castle Le Fey into Camelot and merged the remnants of Arthur's stronghold with it." Morgana explained, her voice almost casual, as if such feats were nothing at all.

"All with magic?" Ricky asked curiously, edging to the end of the bed to pull on a pair of shorts, while Morgana stayed nestled among the sheets.

"Well, I only constructed the general outline while I've got my undead handling the little details." Morgana said with a faint, amused shrug, clearly delighted by the subtle spark of appreciation she caught in Ricky's eyes.

"I'm too busy reconvening my people to pay attention to my castle since most of them were holed up in bunkers under Camelot. Half of them, at least-"

"How many times will I have to apologize for that?" Ricky asked, glancing over his shoulder at Morgana, who met him with a deadpan stare.

"Once would be nice." Morgana said flatly, still waiting for an apology for what she did to her people.

"Right?" Ricky joked, tugging on his pants and shirt before heading out of the room.

Morgana simply rolled her eyes at this, snapping her fingers as the bed completely changed, the stone bed frame repairing itself in an instant.

"Soon~" Morgana whispered sensually, her eyes glinting with a wild, almost unhinged light as they slowly lifted to the moon. 

Her hand drifted down to gently rub her stomach, a secretive smile playing on her lips.

Then, closing her eyes, Morgana finally let her mind rest, her body sinking into the bed after having her back thoroughly broken for the last couple of hours.

Meanwhile, Ricky stepped into the hallway and looked around, moving in a certain direction, guided by the subtle pull of his connection to the Ebony Blade. 

Before he went to clear things up with the coven, Ricky wanted to make sure the Ebony Blade wasn't acting weird or brooding over that whole situation with Excalibur.

However, the closer he got to the blade, a distinct sound began to creep into his ear,

Faint at first, then growing clearer as he approached a room where the ebony artifacts were neatly arranged in a perfect circle.

In the center, a high-functioning radio blared loudly, surrounded by the ebony artifacts standing as if alive, almost eager for what was to come.

"Where we last left off, Flash Gordon, young polo player, who with his friends, Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov was caught up in a thrilling adventure to the planet Mongo, where they battled the evil Ming the Merciless!" The radio blared, broadcasting the original Flash Gordon show and all its original thirteen chapters.

'Yes, tiny man in the box, tell us all about Flash Gordon and his adventures!' The Ebony Shield exclaimed eagerly, thrilled by the magical device about to begin its regularly scheduled program.

'MAN IN BOX, MAN IN BOX!' The Ebony Chalice celebrated, clapping his hands together as the Ebony Blade vibrated in response.

'Quiet, it's starting!' The Ebony Blade quickly yelled, silencing its siblings as all of the ebony artifacts immediately tuned in.

"On the planet Mongo, Flash Gordan-" The radio blared as the ebony artifacts listened intently but Ricky didn't interrupt; instead, he quietly backed away.

Ricky hadn't really thought about it until now, but the deal with the Ebony Blade was nearing its end. 

Although they had agreed to cooperate until Ricky could find a way to separate them, he now had a possible solution.

With Merlyn or even Morgana's help, Ricky could finally stand a chance at severing the blood tie the Ebony Blade held over him.

But there was one problem.

Ricky didn't want to give up an all-cutting sword.

'We'll worry about that later.'

Shaking his head, Ricky made his way toward the long spiral staircase, winding through the nefarious castle.

The place was as gothic as one could imagine with a dark, brooding fortress where skeletons gripped entire lanterns instead of candles light, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls.

But as he walked further, instead of meeting literally anyone, he continued to meet the unsettling silence that wrapped around the castle like a shroud. 

Simply put, the castle was dead.

Not just in the literal sense, but in spirit as it seemed to be completely devoid of any sign of life or warmth.

Ricky's footsteps echoed endlessly down the endless corridors, each turn revealing more empty chambers where vibrant life should have thrived. 

No flicker of movement, no whispers, only the continued cold gaze of skeletal sentinels watching silently from their perches.

"Where the hell is everyone-"

"LET ME PONDER, WAIT!" Alexander's voice suddenly screamed through the castle, making Ricky's head jerk around as he raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the unexpected outburst.

"Alexander?"

However, deeper within the darkened castle, Ricky descended another set of stairs and caught sight of a long line of light stretching across the floor.

Following the light, Ricky was met not with anxiety or fear from the covne, but with unexpected elation as he slowly walked into the dining hall.

Where a lively party was underway.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A warlock shouted, riding his broomstick upside down after finishing a pint of beer then downing the shot hidden inside it.

The coven members laughed hysterically at this sight, cheering and joining in the wild festivities.

Even some local tavern wenches and prostitutes had wandered in, straddling the laps of witches and warlocks alike, including Dexter, who had his arms full of not one, but two busty women.

"You're so strong~" Q girl giggled, her fingers tracing over Dexter's biceps as he flexed them to their absolute limit within her grasp.

"So strong~" Another purred, nibbling on his ear, making the man shiver intensely.

"Really? I'm barely even flexing," Dexter whispered, his face flushing from the strain of holding his muscles like that as the two girls laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction.

However, the main crowd had gathered around a table, bets flying as the coven members held up various trinkets to wager on the ongoing spectacle.

A high-stakes game of Go Fish.

Cheers erupted behind Alexander as the gerbil visibly sweated, clutching two cards with nothing in front of him. 

He shuffled the cards side by side with growing aggression, tension thickening the air as all eyes bore down on him.

"Let me think, I need to think." Alexander whispered, a drop of sweat slipping onto the table below as a soft, somber chuckle echoed from the other side.

"Take all the time you need, Alexander," Asteiron said calmly, raising his hand with a gentle smile to show he was alright with the pause.

Before the father of all Minotaurs lay a single card, face down, buried beneath a mounting wall of wealth.

When Alexander announced that Ricky had awakened from his sleep, the coven members didn't respond with worry, they celebrated.

From their judgment of Ricky's character, he was a wise guy, maybe a scumbag, but one who always looked out for his own.

After following Ricky into a battle against a literal demigod, the innocent coven members breathed a collective sigh of relief since they knew they hadn't done anything to incur his wrath.

That's why they were celebrating this joyous fact with a wild party, centered around one gerbil utterly obsessed with winning a single game.

Go Fish. 

Alexander's craving to win along with his inner gambler had turned the child's game into a ruthless, cutthroat ordeal.

At first, it wasn't that bad, the losses were manageable.

In fact, no one wanted to take his money outright; they respected his battlefield feats too much.

But his comrades couldn't say the same.

Once Asteiron and Bucephalus joined the table, they began challenging Alexander relentlessly, game after game.

Considering they were all equals, neither gave back any of their winnings, leaving Alexander buried in debt, around fifty thousand dollars.

It was actually impressive how Alexander managed to borrow so much money in such a short time.

However, it was a shame that it was all pushed into the middle, teetering on the edge of slipping from his grasp and into the hands of another, Asterion.

The Minotaur had been terrorizing the table. 

Though compassionate by nature, he was a beast when it came to card games, a hidden talent Ricky had unknowingly awakened in him.

Even Bucephalus squinted at Asteiron, watching the gentle Minotaur who had almost all of the steads' own money piled high in the growing mound.

"Whenever you're ready, Alexander, we'll start." Asteiron said calmly, his pairs neatly laid out to the side to reveal five books and three pairs arranged with care.

Ricky and the gang played Go Fish with their own twist on the official rules.

Essentially, everything was decided by points: a pair of two cards counted as one point, but if you managed to collect a book, a four of a kind, you earned four points.

Whoever had the most points at the end of the game is the victor. 

However, if someone manages to reach twenty-seven points out of the possible fifty-three, they win automatically.

Right now, Asteiron had twenty-six points just one pair away from an automatic victory.

It was why his eyes, along with everyone else's, were locked onto Alexander, who nervously shuffled his two cards.

The current score is as follows:

Alexander: 0 Points

Bucephalus: 11 (two books and three pairs)

Asterion: 26: (five books and six pairs)

"C'MON ASTERION, MAKE IT PAINLESS!" One of the witch bettors yelled, laughter bubbling through the crowd as everyone cheered along.

"THAT'S RIGHT, BUCEPHALUS! THE QUIET STEED WINS THE LOUD RACE!" another warlock shouted, throwing his money down on Bucephlaus, who just scoffed at the awful saying.

"Just accept it, Alexander. It's hopeless." Meanwhile, Alexander's bettors wore looks of despair, disappointed at the foolish choice to back this serial loser.

"I-I'm ready!" Alexander stammered, finally stopping the frantic rearranging of his cards and looking up with a resolute expression.

"Good, now," Asteiron said calmly, rubbing his finger over the back of a card without turning his gaze to Alexander and instead, he looked toward someone else.

"Bucephalus, do you have any threes?" Asteiron asked, watching as Bucephalus stomped his hoof on the floor in response.

Asteiron chuckled softly, not waiting for Bucephalus to hand over the card. 

With precise accuracy, he reached out and took the correct one himself from the four the horse held.

He flipped it over to reveal a pair of threes, and the crowd riding high on Asteiron's momentum erupted louder in applause.

"How could you let him win?" Alexander immediately blamed Bucephalus, who merely side-eyed his rider.

Suddenly, Alexander's face fell as a thought painted on the horse's long face struck him.

"Why did I bet that much money?" Alexander muttered breathlessly, collapsing onto the table as Bucephalus just shook his head in quiet disbelief at his rider.

The crowd continued to cheer as Asteiron chuckled, preparing to claim his winnings when someone approached the table.

"Congratulations." Ricky laughed, appearing suddenly beside Asteiron and instantly, the room fell silent.

The coven members all fell silent as the banquet hall abruptly descended into a pin-drop hush.

Though they believed Ricky would vouch for them, having waited a full week for his approval, the tension still hung thick in the air.

Asteiron slowly turned his smile toward Ricky, taking in the sight of his comrade standing with arms spread wide and an enthusiastic expression lighting up his face.

"WE DID IT!" Ricky roared, pulling Asteiron into a fierce hug while patting his back.

The previously quiet crowd erupted instantly, the coven members bouncing up and down in joyous celebration at Ricky's declaration.

Ricky laughed wildly, the thrill of victory coursing through him not just for the win, but that fact that he never got to properly celebrate it in Merlyn's face.

After everything Ricky had gone through and despite the heavy weight of his responsibilities, including his newborn son.

In that moment, only one thing truly felt right.

"WHO WANTS TO DO SOME F*CKING SHOTS!"

Author's Note: Ngl, mb guys. No excuses I just kept getitng high and pushing it off, I'll be better.