Stelm: Ok guys and gals this is a little project I worked on for a good little while. I already started it so the first few should come up fairly quickly. Be warned it is contains butt loads of awesomeness. The M is for some sexual content(none to graphic), blood, strong language, Drugs and Alcohol, violence, and did I mention butt loads of AWESOMNESS. Planning on doing a GTA fanfic because there are alot of bad ones (amongst some good ones). Already got the plot laid out for it. Might just try and use one of the existing cities and put stories beside it. Maybe a little callabo action. Please review it's what I eat in the mornings so... yah. Now on to the story. Enjoi!

Chapter I: Just Run

February 9, 1952, Unknown

My name is Atri... I mean… Willie Rocker I was born in Cuba year 1937. I saw one of my old family pictures yesterday. Made me think. I didn't remember much about my hometown except that we had it pretty bad. Then one day my dad decided we should move to United States. Away from the grime of Cuba and the racism of the south. To start a new life in America, more specifically in Empire Bay. Never in my life had I seen anything so beautiful, never so big, it seemed perfect. It was only until I saw my new "home" did I change my mind. The American dream looked more like a Negro nightmare. My father started working at a dock not too far from where we lived for one mister Elroy Tussle who had worked with the National Association for the advancement of Colored Peopled. Dock work looked worse than yard work, a life we thought we had escaped. In the end most of the money went into his cocaine addiction. One day when as my ma was walking me to the candy shop a group of armed robbers ran towards us. My mom and me ran though a few alleys before one of the men caught her. By time the police had shoed up the Italians had filled her with lead. The police shot one of the guys but the other three got away. Times were sad then, nobody to hug when I was sad or mad. Really an empty existence. Eventually my pa sent me to school to learn proper English which I sure as hell wasn't going to do that in a neighborhood full of illiterates and Geechees. One walk from school made me see how close we were to Greenfield Academy, it also made me see two guys named JeVonnnie "Vonnie" Nicholas and Martin "Marty" Santorelli getting beat up by some other neighborhood gang. After I rushed to help them out I earned their respect and was accepted into there now three man gang. Over time we began to be best friends. It was the summer of 1950 when we hijacked a truck filled with fine leathers. One our way to drop the goods of to a man named Kenny we were stopped by a cop who wanted to check Vinnie's license. He was age appropriate but when he asked for us to give him the key we ran. Marty was the only one that got home free. Vinnie got caught first and I got caught a day later. The courts proved us too strong and young to rot in jail so we were sentenced to three years in a free labor program that would send us to work at different workplaces. Including agricultural areas, docks, warehouses, factories, and mining sites.

"Ey Willie wait up!"

"Come on Vonnie they found a new spot. I wanna get there before those chinks do!"

"Fuck that dig site Mister Telleser wants to see both of us!"

I didn't have time for games. He had pulled a few jokes on him before and they laughed but now wasn't the time. He and I both knew that a new dig site had the possibility of containing a lot of coal to take out. The faster we took it out the sooner we could let the late guys come and scrape the bit of coal so they can take a break. At least until one of the "specialist" blow up another mine for us to do the rest.

Jokes were sparse however in a place as dim as Sussex New Jersey. With the air as toxicated as it was a laugh could turn into a deadly cough in a half a second. The work conditions was nowhere for a normal kid. Guys like me and Vinnie could tough through it though, we always did.

In reality though I didn't want to go dig out anything. All I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep even if I got trampled one by a bunch of heavy men with boots in the process. Sweat as soaking my overalls, and was painted on my face. All the cold did was freeze it and make it even more dangerous to stay still and chat. The smell was the worst; it almost made me want to throw up on myself. I knew the last thing I ate whatever it was smelt better than how I smelt now. Plus his food was probably warmer than he was.

"What does he want?"

"Does that even matter let's just go to his office."

I turned around to see a muddy Vonnie wearing his usual overalls and brain bucket with a headlight. I hadn't seen Mister Telleser in two months. The man never called anybody in his office unless they were being questioned or being set free. I knew not to get my hopes up. It never had done me well before.

I didn't want to test his patience so I ran as fast I could to Vonnie who grabbed my shoulder before I could start past him. "What the hell?"

"I got a free pass Willie! A free pass!"

"What you sayin' Von?"

"Remember last month when they split us into groups?"

"Yeah you were in the group that went to Lost Haven to work in the docks for some labor union guy. While I was sent to slave away in a graveyard in Texas."

"Well while I was working for them a guy named Vito…well he came by. He started some big gunfight and I helped, big time. Anyway the few weeks they let me stay I kept in contact with the guy. I snuck out to help him with more sensitive stuff too, says he trust me real good now. He gave me two stun dart guns and 250 dollars and made me promise to get out of Jersey the 9th of February. Today!"

"250 dollars?"

"I know right! Just grab the guns and we'll split the cash later."

"Hold up. How did you get the guns in here anyway?"

"A guy who said he was with Vito smuggled it in. The security guard with the dead eye."

"So we really gonna do this?"

"Now or never."

Money was in my mind. A lug of cash like that could last a long long while. Getting out was gonna be hard but he had never had money like that ever.

"Hey before we do anything where's the money?" I asked and Vonnie pulled out two rubber band held small stacks of green. One was obviously smaller than the other.

"Whose getting the smaller one?"

"You. I got to make ends meet. I owe this guy a big favor."

"Not really we only have one and a half more years. Besides why is he giving me all this why don't you do this alone?"

"Because I can't leave without you. You're my one and only true friend Will, don't forget it." Vonnie said convincingly while putting the cash back into his overall pockets.

"Okay so what after we get out?"

"We play smarter next time around. Where those checks come from there's bound to be more."

It took me a while to think about it. They had already been passed 47 times by passing miners, but who was counting? It was getting to be sunset too; a quick move and they would be home. Wait, home was miles and miles away.

"One last question how the fuck are we going to get home after this."

"We got a ride, it'll pick us up at 8 sharp. It'll be a black coupe. You got it?"

"Yeah go pass the guards shoot a few people and leave, good plan." I said and we both laughed for a bit then Vonnie got serious again.

"No these guns aren't set for kill. They stun. The patrols have been fixed so as long as we stay out the light we will be alright." Vonnie said as he pulled the guns out of his sleeve. He looked around and pulled out the check he handed a gun and a check to me. I stuffed the check in my left pocket.

I took while to examine my stun gun as Vonnie and I decided to hide out in the bushes. Most of it was iron and the handle was some sort of leather. It looked like one of those dart shooter guns.

An hour or so later it got dark and I latched the stun gun on my pickaxe handle and kept my shovel in its place around my back just in case I needed a clean knockout. I looked up and down the snow white trail and saw nobody passing through. The miner's who had passed us were taking a while. I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. I just had a feeling that we had forgotten something.

"Ok Willie go straight for the gates. There's a hole on the left side of it. Just crawl under and we will be home free. If Marty can go down shooting we can go down stunnin!" Vonnie said louder than expected as he dashed forward.

I followed him dumbly tripping a few times off of the slippery snow. The spotlight was a way off of us and we seemed to make no noise as we scurried through the incoming trees to get closer to the gate. It seemed to happen so fast. It thought all was going well; we were going to be home free.

That as until I heard a snap and a loud bark. A streak of black went out in front of me and came down on Vonnie. It was only until I got a grip on my gun did I see what was happening. A dog had spotted us and was ripping Vonnie leg to shreds. I fumbled getting my gun out and dropped it. The noise turned the dog to me and I lugged my shovel out from its holder. The dog was charging at me when I swung at the shovel seemed to collide perfectly with the beast's big black head.

The monstrous thing was thrown a few meters off but got up as if the blow was only a minor action. After a second of getting his bearings the beast started going for me but I reached my gun before it got a few feet too close. I fired it and unlike other guns it was silent and as the dog got to my feet it went still and I walked over it to tend to Vonnie's wounds.

"Don't go out on me Vonnie! I got some wraps in my overall pocket just let me get it real fast like." I said before I saw a bright light in the distance. It seemed to start to creep our way and I knew what it was automatically. I acted on instinct and I put the heavy kid on my shoulders as I carried him into the bushed where the light passed over us.

As I lay him back on flat land I noticed putting him in the snow was the worst idea ever, his leg looked more messed up now than it did before. I got out the extra wraps I had that we usually used to secure our load when it got too full. I wrapped it around his right leg seeing as the left was fine and tried getting him up.

"Thanks man but we really need to get going."

"Why the rush? Don't you think I like jumping in cold bushed with a musky kid like you?" I said making him laugh as we made our way to the fence.

I pushed Vonnie through first and some of the bandage ripped. When he dragged himself to the other side he cried out loud it looked like it hurt really bad. I made way through as well the fence scratching my back a little as I rushed to fix his bandages up. As I was doing so a light was bathed on us. It was coming from the road. I didn't know who it was but I didn't care I just helped Vonnie get up and opened the back door to put him in and I opened the front door.

"Are you the driver?"

"No I'm the fucking delivery man. Of course I'm the driver! Now get in!"

"Y-yes sir. B-but m-my buddy here got pretty f-f-fucked up by a dog."

"Ah shit, I just got this car. Charlie's gonna be pissed! Just sit him in the back. I'll get him to one of our guys. Empire Bay here the fuck we come." The man said a little too energetically as I let Vonnie lay across the seat in the back and let myself sit into the front. The man began to go past the obvious speed limit five minutes into the trip and a few more minutes later I was knocked out.

It was only an hour or so until the driver who I had learned was a guy named Tony dropped me off minutes later I found myself walking ten blocks up the road to get to Kenny's place. He lived in a house unlike most of his employees, and instead of it being raggedy, unstable, and worn it was made with brick, guarded, and clean. When the guards saw my face they seemed to turn gray, the palest they could get. I knew my way around so I entered the house with silence nobody stopped me they let me walk on through.

I had told Tony to drop me of there because it as the only place I knew to go. He had supplied Vonnie, Marty may his soul rest in peace, and me for years with things to do. From stealing cars to protecting the few prostitutes he had on the streets. Plus he kept us well fed and clothed. He also kept my dad on a steady supply of cocaine that he dwindled down just a little bit every time my dad needed a fix. Kenny told me it was easier to quit that way. He was like family.

Once I got into the room with Kenny I stopped dead in my tracks. The man was wielding a shotgun and it as pointed dead at my face. "You com ina' here to take ah me down Willie? I'm ain't no crackhead! I'm ain't no stupid! I'm Imma, I will I will shoot!"

"One I'm not going to take you down your like family." This made his shotgun's barrel go down just a little.

"From what I've heard you've at least tried the trash." I said causing a little laughter from behind me, a stern face from Kenny.

"Three if you were stupid you would have been playing hoops with halo's right now." I said coldly as Kenny's overly stern facial expression relaxed.

"For the fourth ting' if you shot me my dad would do as he said himself, 'Shoot your mother fuckin' Lights out!' I said finally causing the man to throw his shotgun on the desk and smile his five o'clock shadow dancing and with no time to spare he came and grabbed me in a brotherly type way I guess.

"I heard you killed some wayside bastards! Please tell me they been shitten me." Kenny said letting me go for a second as to not embarrass himself in front of his men.

"Who the fuck told you that?"

"The news, they been saying you left the scene once you and some other cracker murdered a pit full of coal miners."

"Damn…Damn Damn!" I roared angrily as I paced the room. Shit just got way too real.

"What happened?"

"We were the last people to get there. We were always in charge of opening the shafts when people got in and out. Sometimes the sulfur from the stuff we use to blow the mines up with in the first place leave some sort of air. The shit will kill anything in the area, poison them. It was all our fucking fault. We were the skinniest guys in the camp. Everybody else was too big to try to crawl through!"

"Damn kid you need to calm down. Now what did you need? If you want I could give Captain Davado a call and set us up."

"Didn't even know that crooked bastard was still in force, but call him anyway see what he can do." I said a calmer than before.

"By the way your dad gave me a message to send to you when you got back in. Said where he was going he couldn't mail it." Kenny said pulling out an envelope and handing it to me.

I flipped the letter open and read it in silence.

Dear Son,

Your time in the mines has separated us in more ways than one. I want you to know that I love you and that there are already a few black higher education schools are ready to give you a free pass. You should feel happy son most black teenagers don't even get into elementary school without being kicked out. All you need to do is serve your last year with a good note and you will be on your way to Florida. It also saddens me that I will not be able to be there for you when you are set free. It is another business trip. Kenny bought an apartment on Sand Island that you could use when your time is up. The warden wouldn't give me knowledge of where you were going but they promised to tell me so I can mail you there in the times ahead. Love you son, be good.

P.S. The Palm City Steeds won last night, go figure. Couldn't see most of the game though because they SHOT THE LIGHTS OUT! Your brother got 15 points and 14 rebounds; he said he was going for a visit soon.

The last part left a smile on my face although the letter in itself was sort of depressing. I read the note over and over again the P.S. part making me laugh every time making the bombers around me look at me strange. I knew my father meant every word of the letter, that's what made it so great, so rejuvenating.

The higher education part kind of got me nervous. What if the school decided to change their mind because I had ended up in hard labor because I jacked a truck? The murder charges would make it dangerous anyway. Damn, I needed to sleep take my mind of the killing. First I needed somewhere to sleep, a nice clean place where snitches where few and gangsters were many.

"I do need a house though. Under somebody other than my name on it."

"Sure man I got yah, here's the keys. Apartment 223 Misery Lane. It's my ole place." He said as he went through his desk, and after a few seconds he got out a pair of keys throwing the ring into my hand.

I smiled and shook his hand as he shook his nappy stringy hair shaking like a mad dog. As I left I saw a few familiar faces. It was good to know the Bombers were still the same group of strong black men I had rolled with years ago. They waved me off and I walked my way to my new home.