“Now this is what I like to see,” Masterstroke announced proudly, “you all sitting together in brotherhood, putting aside your differences for the sake of business.”

The cyclopean mercenary was directing his comments to an assemblage of criminal underbosses who made Paradopolis their home.

“That’s funny, considering your boss wants us to go to war against Akiko Masamune,” Tobias Porpoise noted.

The masked gangster known as The Mum agreed, “Right. What reason is there to fight her, when there is so much opportunity elsewhere? Flask and the Faerie Queen are gone.”

“Don’t think Masamune isn’t thinking the same way,” Copper Top observed.

“Here’s a man who’s got his head on straight,” Masterstroke clapped a gloved hand onto the shoulder of the Irish gangster as he walked around the table, “Pinky Tuscadero helped the Legion fight the Parody War to save her own skin, sure, but also because the Lynchpin and Camelia were on the other side. Now, with her two rivals out of the way, she can step into the power vacuum and become an even bigger bitch to you small fry.”

Diente Dulce’s pockmarked face reddened, “Man, you here to insult us or stroke us?”

“I’m here to tell you the score. You guys are small fry, little fish, as it were,” Masterstroke smiled at Porpoise, “But this is your town, so you’ve got the home field advantage. My boss needs you to show some onions and start standing up to Akiko and anyone else who gets in your way. In exchange you’ll get the support of the most well-connected criminal organization on Earth. Whatever you need: lawyers, guns, and money.”

“And what does Factor X get out of this?” Boris “Boss” Menchwelt asked, knowing that the Russian gangster normally eschewed confrontation among the illegal underclass.

Masterstroke shrugged, “A change in the order of things. Doctor Vasillych thinks it’s well past time for one.”

No one at the table could disagree with that.