Not many people will understand the life we live, but that doesn't matter to me. I know for sure that it doesn't matter to any of my friends, the people who I now call my family. All of us are in this type of life because we have no other choice; nobody else in this city is has enough balls to take matters into their own hands. So we have to get down and dirty to protect the city from worthless scum that kill for fun and don't give a shit for anybody else. I have a big family to protect, friends I will give my life for since I know they will do the exact same thing for me. Most of my family sees me as the insane clown that doesn't give a fuck and does whatever I want, but I know much more. I show it when I am armed with nothing more than a knife, when one of my friends are being cornered, and when I have to take my role as the second in command. You may be wondering whom I am, well I mainly go by the name Delirious, and it seems to suit me in more ways than one.
~And oh well as I fell~
I awake from a loud banging and I shoot up in an instant, wielding my clip point steel knife tucked under my pillow, ready to stab the person in the heart. In a second, I am in a defensive stance, ready to strike like a cobra in the wild, my eyes searching for the target. Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I clutch the knife with white knuckles, but it's useless as I see my best friend standing in my doorway with a big fucking smirk on his face. One of these days, I will wake up before him and give that old man a heart attack that he seems to give me every morning. At least today, there is a good reason for him to wake me up so early, but usually it's just to piss me off. He lives another day then. I sigh heavily and toss the knife carelessly onto my bed, dropping my stance to pop various joints, "Bout fucking time Mr. Toonz. The sun's almost up." I tease him as I notice how dark my bedroom is, especially since we're on the east side of house on the mountain.
"Yeah, yeah Sleeping Beauty. Just be lucky that I woke you up, and didn't let Ohm or Bryce do it." Luke jokes as he turns around and I take this motion as to follow him out of the room, not caring about changing my clothes right now. I've lived with these guys for nearly 4 years, some less, but I'm sure we have all seen each other asleep at one point or another. Not to mention, there have been awkward moments where I've seen a few of the guys' stark naked, but we never speak of it. I find it as a private joke when I walk in on one of the guys in an embarrassing position, secretly recording blackmail if I ever need it. Although, I highly doubt that I will need to use for anything else other than drunk teasing, and even then, the others will probably not believe me.
I walk down the halls of the mansion our gang lives in at the top of the highest mountain in the City of Bellarimus. It's probably a little after six, so that means I still have nearly two hours to get ready before all of us head out to Falling City. As expected, I hear a lot of ruckus coming from the kitchen and living room, I guess I'm one of the last few up; otherwise, it'd be much quieter. As I walk into the humungous joint room, I see that everybody is eating breakfast besides Marcel and Nogla. With secretly calculating eyes, I scan each of the members to judge their mood today, only because today we have an important mission today. We're a discreet, infamous 'gang' in the City of Bellarimus, but we prefer to consider ourselves as shadow guardians instead. Sort of like a Batman, but with more freedom, better outfits, and a family that will never stray from our small pact.
My eyes immediately land on Evan, the boss of the gang, the man who also secretly owns my heart, although I would never tell him that. Evan is probably the biggest reason all of us came together to form BBS, and he is definitely the best choice for our leader, despite that there are older members. He is a tall, buff Asian with dark features and tan skin that is nearly flawless besides a few heroic scars in selfless sacrifice. He is well known for wearing a signature red jacket with two white stripes on the sleeves; like a red version of a Leon Kennedy jacket. When we go into combat, or whenever we meet for a deal, he wears a brown owl mask that veneers as his mascot. When the mask comes on, Evan is gone, and Vanoss rises to the surface, doing anything and everything to get the job done while protecting us. He also has an unusual overenthusiastic love for explosions, usually not taking the covert route and setting the world ablaze.
My eyes switch from Evan to the man sitting next to him, Craig, the mediator of the gang, giving peaceful advice on a situation so we don't always go guns blazing. He's the second youngest in our house, only a few months older than Bryce is, so he still has a naïve aura that makes other gangs less hostile at first glance. He's about an inch taller than Evan is, with light brown hair to match his cocoa brown eyes, which are usually hidden under a pair of sunglasses. Surprisingly, in our field of work, they never seem to interfere with him when we're in the middle of a fight, which is amazing to me. He's one of the only few in the group that doesn't put on a mask when we go out; he wants people to see who he really is since that's all he wants to be. He used to dress up in a suit, but found it an inconvenience and pointless, so now he goes with regular clothes that don't draw attention. He is a much better talker than he is a fighter, so we usually send him in with Evan, armed with close-ranged weapons.
On the other couch, Tyler, the sharp shooter in the gang and Evan's unofficial bodyguard, watches SpongeBob as well, but spreads out lazily. He is one of the best shooters in our gang; he typically uses a Johnson M1941 LMG as his signature weapon. He is the tallest in the entire gang at 6'5", which makes him nearly tower over me by a foot, and he likes to rub it in my face. He has short brown hair that contrasts to his brilliant blue eyes, natural skin, and he wears thin-framed glasses, even under his gear. He is also one of the few guys here that has a girlfriend named Kelly, she knows about him being a gang, and he is very protective of her. She works as a waitress for one of our favorite diners in the city, and she surprisingly supports Tyler being in a gang, even though she constantly worries for him. He visits her often and has made sure to teach her how to protect herself, just in case other gang members find out about her and tries to use her as leverage. When we go into battle, he wears a signature look: pink pig mask with a white helmet on top, his lucky white Wildcat shirt, and his white sneakers. He doesn't mind the spotlight on him, but his crude attitude sometimes gets him in trouble, though he has the skills to do with whatever comes his way.
Behind Tyler, sitting at one of the small round tables is Brock or Moo, he has a very strange nickname, but he is one of the nicest in the group. Brock is one of the best drivers in the group, which is why he is usually placed as a getaway driver, and he is the medic of the gang. He tends to our injuries most times, which makes him a vital asset, but he has taught the rest of us how to take care of small cuts and bruises. Also, he is one of the only two in the gang that is married. His wife works as a doctor, which is how he learned to be medic, and he visits her every day, no matter what happens. If there are injuries here that are very severe, he can call her in and she would fix them without question, then leave. He was dating her before he even became a member, so she knows about his role, and approves grudgingly, but allows him to continue. He is trained with weapons, but he is nothing special with them, so he sticks with driving rather than shooting. He also is also well known for purposely having a terrible fashion sense and for wearing an eagle mask during jobs. He is more of a guardian over the guys in the group, but the gang would be much more different without him.
Sitting with Brock at the table is Lui Calibre, one of the only few that don't have a codename since he's been in the gang business longer than any of us. Although, when he does require one, he goes by The Squeaker, due to his ability to mimic the voice of a child at will. He is the equipment specialist in the group since he is the best with a sniper, he knows how to control many different types of vehicles, and he taught most of us how to use weapons. He is barely a few inches taller than I am, but he is the second shortest in the group, which gives me comfort at my height. He has been in this business for so long that he has many contacts, which is where he gets our support. He's short, tan, styling his black hair in a man bun, and has the best shooting skills I have ever seen, and he still surprises me. When we go out for jobs, he wears his signature brown monkey mask that has a cigar poking out of its mouth, even though he doesn't smoke. He is the most skilled professional in our team, but he likes to play from a distance and with big machinery.
At the same table with Brock and Lui, Brian, one of our Irish recruits, eats his breakfast while enjoying a small conversation with them. He is tall with magnificent swept brown hair and with dull blue eyes that match his pale skin that gets easily sunburnt. He can handle himself well when he's calm, but on missions, he tends to get anxious and clumsy, which is why he mainly works as a dispatch. In the BBS HQ, he is able to keep us all in contact, scouting police radios for precaution, and traces our location. I wouldn't be able to do it, so I'm glad we have him on our team, even if he if he isn't a warrior, he is important. He is the only man in the group that is open about having a bi sexuality, although it is limited, but everybody accepts him. Although, he gets girlfriends often, but he never tells any of them his gang secret, which probably means he doesn't get to close to them. Like Craig, he is a better talker than fighter, which is why he mans the base, but when he does go into jobs, he has a signature look like everybody else. He has amazing voice acting skills, mainly doing Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonations, which is why he has a half-mask of the terminator. He is a bit of a bitch, but that's fine since he is a big talker behind a microphone, and he is very entertaining.
Sitting at our unofficial roundtable are the other half of my stealth team; first, there's Ryan, or Ohmwrecker. He is taller than the average height for a man, about the same height as Luke, but nothing to be overly impressed by. He has ruffled medium brown hair that looks styled that way, natural skin tone that is neither pale now tan, and hazel eyes. He doesn't look much of a fighter, but I can see him and his sharp eyes as a sniper and he can handle a gun well. Although, he is usually going stealth with me, he is also the main researcher in the group who gets blueprints of building, plans escape routes, and digs up any information he can. It's awesome, but he prefers going out into combat since he doesn't find research as entertaining as the action. He is known for wearing a gray bandana over his mouth with an Ohm symbol on it and wearing a gray hoodie with bunny ears. He is the oldest in the group, but one of the most perverted, and tends to give off the wrong perception to newcomers. He is a damn hard worker, one of my closer friends, and a masked sniper.
Next to Ohm is Bryce, like Lui, he doesn't go by any other names except for his real one and he is the newest recruit. He is the same height as Nogla, fighting for the second tallest in the group, which pisses me off to no end, but he is nice and doesn't rub it in my face. He has perfectly styled copper blonde hair, natural skin, and brilliant blue eyes that usually have contacts in; he doesn't wear glasses often. We recruited him not even a year ago because, even though he is young, he is a master of disguises and acts as a spy sometimes. He is a very fast learner and can pick up on things from memory very quickly, which is why Ohm introduced us to him, and he has many different skills. He is very sneaky as well, which is why I have him on my stealth team, not to mention he is a good shot and can handle melee. He talks a bit too much, but that is perfectly fine since there is never a dull moment with him, although he knows when to keep his mouth shut. I love having fun competing with him, which is usually my luck versus his skill, and he is another close friend. He is young but on an advanced path to success in this sort of business, and any other if he wished to do it.
My eyes circle back around the room, the land on my best friend, Luke, next to me, whom now I can get a better look at him. Cartoonz seems the most normal height, about the same as Kenny and being between Delirious and Ohm's height. He has a brown, fade haircut that slides down to a full beard, natural fair skin tone, and medium brown eyes. He is my absolute best friend in the world, known me since before I hit puberty, and dated my sister for quite a few years. When I joined, we started as a duo, never separating during jobs, but now we picked up Ohm and Bryce, which makes me happy. Besides Lui, he is the only pilot in the gang, and he knows how to repair a damaged one, so he usually helps Lui. We're an infamous duo in the mafia business with me: the psychotic clown that is like a son of Jason Voorhees, and him: the ferocious red devil that isn't afraid of anything. He's like an older brother to me that I would do anything for and I know he would do the same for me, which we have proven a lot.
Then the last person in the room is I: Jonathon or more known as Delirious, one of the deadliest killers in the group with a maniac laugh and disposition. I am definitely the shortest in the gang at 5'6" with pale skin, swift light brown hair, and dark blue eyes that look like the deep sea. I am sure I am the sexiest man in the gang, even with a deep scar across my left eyebrow; people seem to think it makes me sexier. Most people see me as a not very intelligent being with great melee skills, but I see much more than I show and only Luke knows it. I'm a few more have noticed my hidden talent as well, but he is the only one that openly expresses he knows and uses it to his advantage. My instincts are usually on point, surprisingly, and all the guys trust my gut without a second thought. I still can't believe there are people in the world that trusts me besides my brother, and I have to admit that I like it.
I scanned the room in a second, but to me, it felt like a few minutes as I got my daily analyses of the gang. Bryce holds out a plate to me with a pile of food already stacked and I sit at the table with my little stealth group. I am the second in command next to Evan, but I mainly do stealth work and so I do most jobs with Luke, Bryce, and Ohm. "Look who's finally up." Ohm says in a singsong voice, but I ignore him for the delicious crisp bacon in front of me made by Mama Moo. "You can take your time eating, the guys are swapping shower times, and some are just waiting until after we get the deal over with." Ohm informs me and I nod stiffly, not wanting to think about the mission that we have this morning. Like I said, we live in a mansion on top of a mountain, but we're smart enough not to keep our illegal collections in the house we live in. Instead, we have our main headquarters in an abandoned subway station that is closed off from the public and, thanks to Lui, only accessible to us. Our stash, like money, guns, drugs, anything we need to trade, we have separate warehouses scattered across the map. Lately, we've been making such a huge progress that we don't have the room to store everything, which is the reason for the deal we're making today.
"Evan wants to go over the plan with all of us before we take off to HQ." Bryce reminds me and I try to answer with my mouth full, but it just comes out as gibberish noises. The guys all laugh, as expected and pick on me harmlessly, our group quickly becoming the loudest in the room. Despite Craig and Evan watching SpongeBob on the flat screen TV at almost full volume, which is fucking loud with the home theatre setup. My stealth team and I spend breakfast joking around and accomplish in eating two plates of food each, I guess the boss will be sending us out for grocery shopping later this week. I wish we could have our groceries delivered to us, but we have to stay on the down low most of the time, which means all of us shopping for food at different times. We have a small army of hungry grown ass men in the mansion, so we eat a whole fucking lot of food, so we shop nearly every week.
"Hey, what's up guys?" Marcel calls out, walking into the living room with a grumpy Nogla following behind him. Some give out greetings, including me.
"HI MARCEL!" I yell from across the room before getting hit in the face with a biscuit from Ohm. "What the fuck was that for?" I question angrily and all the guys start laughing and thanking Ohm.
My eyes quickly scan over the two newcomers, starting with the other designated driver in the Group: Marcel or Basically. An African-American with mild anger management issues who has buzzy black hair and eyes dark as night. He used to be a part of my stealth team when we first started, before Ohm and Bryce, but when we started getting more people; he left. He works well under pressure, which is why he is one of our drivers, especially since he has great reflexes to lose tails and avoid accidents. He is the only other member in the gang that is married to a girl named Simone who works as a computer science teacher for a local middle school. They met a little after he first joined the gang, but she approves of him being in it since we are actually protecting the city. A little bird actually told me that Marcel is planning to move in with her, but he still wants to be a member without endangering her. It probably means he won't lose his signature dark brown monkey mask then, so he will be able to live two lives. He has the temper of a rhino, but we can handle his bullshit antics for as long as he can tolerate our bullshit.
Trailing behind Marcel with a mighty lion yawn is David, but we usually call him Nogla instead since it's catchier. He is the other Irish recruit besides Brian, but Nogla is taller than he is, he has bushy black hair, chestnut brown eyes, a shit beard, and he wears glasses. Like Brian though, he isn't the best warrior, although he has major luck on his side, and he operates as the other dispatcher. He is also one of the only members that don't wear a signature mask and instead has green as his signature color. He's had a few girlfriends since joining the gang, and has introduced a couple to the guys, but he hasn't had a deep relationship. Lately he has been asking everybody here if it would be all right for him to get a dog or two, but I'm not sure where that is going. Nogla is known in our gang for being the one that often doesn't speak English properly and having rage problems. It's fun to mess with him most times though, besides me, he is the other person in the gang to provide comic relief in stressful situations.
The noise quiets down a bit before we go back to doing what we were originally doing, which include my table talking about an old TV cartoon called Duck Tales, although Bryce is too young to understand what we're talking about. The time goes by fast after breakfast, each members goes away one by one to get ready for the job today and my table stands alone. After I finish my food, I set the plate in the sink before rushing to take a shower before all the hot water is gone. Although, I don't mind taking cold showers, sometimes I even prefer them over hot showers, but today I want a hot shower. After washing my hair and my body, I sneak into my room before any of the guys can see me running down the hall with only a towel around my waist. I dress in a slim, gray T-shirt that hugs tight against my chest and shows off my developed abs, a pair of regular black jeans, my sky blue Converse shoes, and my sky blue hoodie.
I'm painting my first mask on since we'll be leaving in ten minutes for HQ, a mask of clown face paint. It started as a joke to wear this when I first met the guys, but now I feel as if the paint is a second shield for when I meet strangers. I met the guys over four years ago, but I have known Luke since before I hit puberty, which is a fucking long ass time. When I met the guys, I didn't really trust any of them to stick with me, but they did, and it took quite a long time before I showed them how I truly looked. I used to wear the face paint to make them laugh, but when I meet new people, the others know to take it, as I don't trust them. I take one last glance at my clown mask before I place my signature hockey mask over it, letting Delirious rise to the surface. The Delirious that has no limits. That Delirious is a bloodthirsty psychopath who shows no mercy to his victims, and protects his family with everything he has.
I head down stairs in quick strides to find that everybody is already waiting for me, but none of them looks annoyed, so I'm probably not far behind them. Evan spots me and stands up from leaning on the wall and immediately everybody recognizes his professionalism. "Alright! We've been through the plan hundreds of times, but I want each team captain to tell me his side. Let's start with you, Lui."
Instantly, the second shortest in the group has all eyes on him and he responds calmly, "I'm going to be the only one taking point on airborne support. If things get messy during the deal, I'll be radioed in by dispatch and I'll take the attack chopper from Base Delta."
"Affirmative. Marcel?" Evan calls out and turns to Marcel's direction, all of our eyes following his.
"Brock and I are on getaway duty. I'll be going Black Alpha and he'll be White Beta. I'm stationed at the west exit for you, Mini, and Tyler. Brock will be two blocks out on the north side for the stealth team." Marcel responds, giving a brief description that Evan returns with a nod. "If dispatch radios us in, we'll drive to your current location to pick you up." Marcel finishes.
"Delirious, what is stealth team going to be doing?" Evan turns to me and my voice catches in my throat for a second as I meet his beautiful chocolate eyes.
"Got you, boss man." I say jokingly, releasing some of the tension of not responding immediately. "My stealth team will be scoping from across the street, ready to snipe any bad guys that attack. Bryce is taking north, Ohm is going east, Toonz is west, and I'll be in the south building. If the deal turns into mayhem, we'll make sure you three get out of the building before jumping in with Brock." I explain with a sickly twisted smile and I know he appreciates me preparing myself.
"Precisely. Brian, dispatch team?" Evan turns away and I feel heat rising to my face.
"Nogla and I are holding down the fort. We'll be tracking everybody's objective and keep you guys in contact." He says simply and I know that everyone has the plan down pat in the minds. Evan's just a big worrywart when it comes to the family, although for this mission, I can't but feel he has a good reason.
"Good. Everybody has the plans down. I'll be with Mini and Wildcat making the deal, we're relying on all of us. Now, let's head out!" Evan getting himself hyped up for the mission and we all cheer in agreement. We leave the house, leaving behind our true personas, and turning into the true guardians of the City of Bellarimus.
~I tried my best to carry on~