What's ironic about these two statements is that if Liu Xi wasn't already involved with Vinnie, she could be the person who saves Tom Black - from the world, and from himself. Pretty much the same way she saved Vinnie from himself - by picking on him incessantly until he realizes that she's actually helping.

Joking aside about that, though, Liu Xi does have a gift for helping a diamond-in-the-rough shine. I'm just not sure Tom Black would be willing to let her if she's already involved with and loyal to someone else, because he'd get a very limited return - he'd get only her friendship and possibly the trust of the Lair Legion.

Someone he might be able to relate to, though, is the Psychic Samurai. Like always, she's in that grey area between organized crime and the Lair Legion, but she manages to do so without losing the respect of either side. Maybe Tom might envy that a little, since he didn't really *want* to be a bad guy.





In that case, the answer is Frankie would probably wait to see who's winning. Then he'd made the decision to either ally with them, or cut them down, depending on how it affects his profits and sensibilities.

If Velma Klein goes on a crusade to rid the city of organized crime through death, though, Frankie may have no choice but to go on the offensive. Then he'd try more direct intimidation methods, possibly involving large explosions.








Note that I didn't say the Lair Legion. Yuki already knows that the public perceives her as an out-of-control and lacking respect for boundaries, and she doesn't want the LL to inherit her reputation. She would probably try to go and torture those responsible on her own, and keep the LL out of it. If she needs backup, she'd probably bring someone without a direct stake in the LL, like Sir Mumphrey or the Psychic Samurai.

Actually that could be an amazing good-cop-bad-cop routine, between Yuki and Chiaki. Chiaki just patiently asks questions while Yuki "accidentally" smashes the entire office one piece at a time. Yuki crashes in through the outside wall, while somehow Chiaki has an appointment and strolls right past the body guards and secretary.