3. Who's Better?

Author's POV 

His boots tapped aggressively as he walked on the marble floor. A deep breath fanned the air and he finally opened the door. 

"Not happening!"

He declared while standing in front of his father firmly. 

Damian looked up from his file and acknowledged his presence. 

"Oliver!"

He looked at his son. The tall, strong and built man. He couldn't feel more proud, his children have grown up into big men. 

"What's wrong?"

Oliver was not looking happy, his deep blue eyes were mad. 

"We are not kids anymore, Dad... I hope you understand that we are now capable enough to handle the responsibilities alone."

He sounded disappointed. 

Damian placed down the file and gestured for him to sit. 

"No, I need to go somewhere... I don't have time to sit."

Damian sighed and got up. 

"Why are you mad?"

"Because you don't trust me enough to give the responsibility to me and only me!"

He stated. 

"Be clear about whatever you want to convey."

Damian stepped back from him and placed his hands in his pockets while looking at him sternly. 

"You know what I am talking about... I am capable enough to handle the responsibility of the deal, yet you ordered Arthur to accompany me... I don't need him everywhere and he doesn't need me anywhere. Why do you always want us to pair?"

He wasn't happy about the decision. 

"Because you two are brothers."

His father declared. 

"And I have noticed that recently you two have started drifting away from each other... What's wrong with you guys?... You two don't want to work with each other at all... You two are twins, no one should be more comfortable with you other than Arthur."

"We are triplets, Dad not twins... Have you seen Rosetta tagging along with us?"

Oliver argued back. 

"And our birth condition doesn't define our lives... We are individuals despite being triplets... I am an individual and I don't want Arthur to interfere in deals which I am looking after."

"Is that how you two are going to handle the business?"

Damian asked in disbelief. 

"The whole knight empire is on your shoulders and you two don't even want to tag along?" 

"It's not like we don't tag along, it's just that we don't want you to treat us as one person because we are not."

He was firm with his statement. 

Damian didn't like his attitude but he was willing to handle the decision gently. 

"Brothers are for life, Oliver... I want you both to become each other's strength. There shouldn't be any competition within you two. You two are knight brothers. Look at Romano kings, they don't even breathe without each other even when they are from different fathers."

Oliver took a deep breath to control his annoyance. No matter what, he can't be disrespectful towards him father. 

"If Arthur is going there to handle this deal then I won't and if I am going there then he isn't. My decision is final."

Damian nodded, realising that he is not going to give in this time.

"Fine! You two make your decisions... There are two important deals. One is here and for one you have to go to the wonderwoods... Decide who's going where."

Oliver knows that his father is not that simple. He always has something behind his decisions. 

"Thanks for understanding."

He decided to believe him and turned around to leave. 

"But"

Damian made him halt. 

Oliver smirked, he was never wrong about his prediction and he was right this time too. His father has a condition. 

"But?"

"If anything goes wrong then I'll take it as a failure and will confirm that you two brothers need each other... After that you have to do the work together."

His father's signature smirk was challenging. 

"Challenge accepted, Dad..."

His smirk deepened as he walked out. 

Oliver went out to find his brother and finally found him in the training ground. He was between the fight with his bodyguard. 

Oliver admires the way Arthur is focused and dedicated to take the legacy of his mother forward. He is the face of the strength of knights now. 

He grabbed the gun and fired it in the air knowing that he was not stopping soon. He has the strongest bodyguard and they have been training with each other since childhood. The benefit of having a childhood friend as a bodyguard is, he will always be loyal.

The gun shot was the indicator to stop the fight. 

Arthur stopped and glared at Oliver. 

"I am not attending you until I finish my fight."

Oliver is a little free spirited but Arthur isn't. Oliver will smile at you at least once but Arthur will never. The former might forgive you but the latter would never. Oliver is a little soft and Arthur is equally harsh. They are brothers but their nature doesn't match. 

"Fight? I saw you playing with the kid who is less skilled than you."

Oliver mocked. 

"Fight with someone who matches your level."

"Come inside the ring then."

Arthur challenged. His grey eyes told him that he isn't messing around. He is just like his mother. Strict and determined. 

Oliver took off his leather jacket and entered the ring. The fight started and both were equally good.

"Shit, call Jack or Rose... No one is winning, they both won't stop and will get hurt..."

Arthur's bodyguard ordered one of his men. 

They both have inherited the sharp mind of Damian and the toughness of Rose. No one was going to stop until one of them was dead. 

They grabbed the throats of each other and were finally interrupted by Jack. 

"Enough both of you, how many times have I told you that you two are not fighting?"

He scolded them. 

Jack is Rose's childhood friend and he has a big share in training her kids in martial arts. 

"Next time, brother..."

Oliver smirked while wiping the blood from his lips.

"Maybe we'll find out who's better."

Arthur just moved his injured wrist. 

"Why were you here?"

Oliver grabbed his wrist and checked it for injuries. 

"I am going to wonderwoods, your wrist is injured. I can't risk you going there with an injured hand. You handle the deal here."

Arthur nodded. 

"I am not in the mood to travel either... All the best!"

Oliver nodded.

"To you too! See you." 

He grabbed his jacket.

"Get that hand fixed."

"And you fix your mouth."

Arthur mocked. 

Oliver chuckled.

"Your bad luck, not happening."

Jack shook his head at them and went to Damian who was watching everything. 

"I don't understand them. They care for each other and still they don't want to work together. They are not going to share anything and it's going to be a problem, Damian. Your empire is going to get split."

Damian released a worried sigh. 

"That will happen for sure but I want it to split on good terms. I want my sons to work and thrive together. I want them to become each other's strength, not competition."

"I agree with you." 

Jack nodded. 

"People now know that you have the strongest heirs in the mafia world. Your side is strongest with skilled fighters and powerful families. I have got the news that these two are on our enemies targets to make you weak. You need to be careful." 

"I know!"

Damian agreed.

"I hope something happens which binds them together, they will be inseparable after that."

"Then get them married to one girl."

Jack suggested and Damian frowned at him. 

"Are you out of your mind?"

He scowled. 

Jack shrugged. 

"Common in mafia... Think about it." 

Damian stood there as Jack left. He was in deep thoughts. 

"If that really happens then God saves the girl who has to marry them."

He shook his head amused.