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The following fic, done by me, is based loosely on this picture. 3nodding
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When Gino woke up that fateful morning, he was still feeling guilty about what he had learned at the Trial nearly two weeks before. Yes, he had told Ian to go, and yes, he could understand Ian being a little jealous because Sasha's dating the younger Gambino. But to have that jealously based on the fact that it was Gino's FATHER who had forced Ian out of his family's business on the Isle...

He shook his head. "Enough! You'll only muddle your head," he muttered to himself, remembering how Moira used to pick on him for being so "emo" when he was younger. He got up to change into his clothes...but just as he was fishing in his drawers for fresh socks, his hand closed around his mask. Gino looked at it for a moment...remembering how, if it wasn't for those pills Dr. 123 gave him, he wouldn't have survived the Mansion fire of last Halloween. He would not have become the Masque and save Gaia from the rampaging holiday icons.

Well, and the Masque will appear again, only this time to show that he truly supports Ian, no matter what the rest of Gaia declared him to be.

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The Masque flew around the edge of the crowds, keeping safely out of site of the cameras, but well within hearing range of Cindy's blaring report. When he heard that Ian was declared innocent by a landslide majority, he smiled in relief as he saw the shopkeeper step out into the open, a free man at last.

Ian, you'll be just fine, then, the young man thought.

Then, as he began to circle around in preparations for his grand appearance, he heard a gun go off. His heart froze...as Ian fell on the courthouse steps.

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Gino suddenly remembers the man in front of him. The madman bawling with maniacal laughter...such evil, yet such grand aura of power. Only one man could be like that. And suddenly, Gino remembered the man, remembered his name:

"Father?"

The madman suddenly snapped out of power-ridded insanity. He whirled around and asked, "Gino?"

"Father!" Gino cried out with joy as he started running up to the other man. He remembered now; he remembered everything! This man, crazy as he is...this was his father, his family. This was the guy who cared so deeply for him, even with all his faults.

"Gino! My son!!" Johnny K. Gambino shouted with joy as he spread his arms to embrace his child and heir.

BLAM!!!

Gino froze as Johnny suddenly doubled over, groaning in pain. He glanced up only once at Gino...and the teen saw a small stream of blood run down from his father's mouth before the large man--the Most Powerful Man in all of Gaia--fall off his tower.

"Father? FATHER!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--"

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"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" The Masque's wail of despair rose over the silenced crowds "IAN!!!" He glided over the stunned Gaians--even past his beloved Sasha--and knelt beside Ian. "Oh, god, no! No, not again!" He cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. First his father, now the man who helped save his life and that of his beloved girl.

Thankfully, Ian was shot just below the collar bone--away from his heart--but the bullet had come out cleanly through the back, and it had struck a major arteary. The shopkeeper's face twisted in agony, whimpering from the burning pain.

"Hang on, Ian!" The Masque grabbed the edge of his powerful cloak, and started ripping the bottom half into long strips of black cloth.

"Ian! Ian! *woof-whine*" Rufus moaned as he nudged the poor man with his head. "Hang in there, Ian! The Masque is here!"

"Masque...Gino?" Ian quietly gasped. He slowly opened his eyes, tears on the edge of each.

"Hang on, Ian! Just hang on!" Gino sobbed as he started using the torn strips as bandages. He had bundled a pair of extra-thick strips as pads on both openings to help stop the bleeding, and then use the other strips to bind the wound. "I'm not gonna let you die! I'm not gonna lose you like I lost Father!"

"Gino! Ian!" Edmund came running up, holding his golden gun and keeping an eye out for the shooter as the paramedics followed.

"You're...saving me?" Ian asked.

"You saved my life before, and you saved Sasha from the flames. I want to repay the favor."

"...thank you," Ian finally smiled despite the pain. "I...I guess you're a better man...than your father."

Gino stopped in the middle of tying off the make-shift bandages. "...did you...really hate me?"

"Until I heard your testimony... Gino...I'm sorry...for being such a jackass. Sasha..." He swallowed. "Sasha's lucky to have a guy like you..."

"But...you're the one who had a crush on her all this time," Gino pointed out as the paramedics double-checked the make-shift bandages. "I didn't mean to steal her from you..."

Ian held up a hand. "She chose you, Gino...I understand...now. Thank you..."

"No...thank you...for being her guardian angel--OUR guardian angel."

Ian chuckled. "Funny...I thought the same about you just now..."

Gino smiled as Ian was loaded onto the stretcher. Everything was going to be fine now...