I do not own Voltron /Go Lion.
This is a modernized version of Voltron. Inspirations from The Black Donnelly's. Takes place in a fictional New York with a bit of a Sin City angle. Constructive criticism is welcomed, I may be insecure but I'm not a pansy. I pray that all will enjoy.
Chapter 1
February 2012
Everyone has baggage; 29 year old Keith Kogane came to terms with that, especially after the passing of his beloved fiancé a few years ago. Orphaned and alone, he decided to do what he did best, indulge his life into work.
Work was fulfilling enough, he busted almost 60 hours a week back-of the-house at a prestigious restaurant called Earth, Wind, and, Fire. The owner, Garret Lebouquet, to Keith's amusment, apparently was a major fan of the R & B group. As taboo as the title might have seemed to the manhattanites, it was indeed a 4 star worthy establishment where the best of the best were hired and the best of the best dined.
Mr. Lebouquet, as rich of life as he was; however, was beginning to lose the rich of his banking account The loan for his restaurant from Sarkens Corporation doubled in interest since the beginning of the year.
He was beginning to regret the deal he made with the corporation as many of his business peers were feeling. Sarkens Corp ate up Joseph Cortess's laundry service a few months ago. Poor Joseph and his children were practically destitute now. Judith Rosenberg of Floral Love hadn't been heard from since last December. Always the defiant character, never knew when to shut her mouth. Garret and his colleagues were beginning to see signs of Sarkens association with the underground criminal world of New York. Even with the law, poor Judith's search seemed to be in vain. Garrett knew they never had much of a backbone, especially when it came to money but this was a women's life for crying out loud.
To his dismay, he eventually had to declare bankruptcy and let go of almost 50 hard-working employees. The announcement was an emotional one for the 56 year old. The second time at the end of nights shift wasn't any easier.
He sighed, clearing his raspy throat, "Well chitlins, there's really no easy way to tell yous guys this so…..shit…here we go. I'm hoping that two weeks will give yous guys enough time to find new jobs."
Confused faces began to pop up amongst the servers and cooks. Some didn't catch on as quickly as others, Sven Holgerssen; however, didn't need a moment to understand his situation. He looked with a blank expression at his colleague Lance McClane. McClane usually the jokester in the kitchen seemed to be sharing the same feeling with Holgerssen.
Lebouquet finally continued, "Earth, Wind, and Fire had a good run all thanks to everyone in this room. I hope yous guys all felt the same. I never really had a family of my own but working with yous guys seemed to make up for that. I guess debts will do that to ya."
A girl dressed in black pants, a shirt, and apron like the majority of the employees stood up with a troubled look on her face, "Garrett, the hell ya saying. The place is closing?"
He sighed again, face saddening even more, "Yeah Jenny, Sarkens Corp is, scuse my language, a couple of greedy bastards. A lot of places are either shutting down or turning over to those bastards because of this. I'm so sorry yous guys. You all been great, any place would be lucky to hire ya. Now if ya excuse me, some Mcallan is calling my name."
Garrett headed to his office with his shoulders slump and a somber expression. It certainly explained his mood changed, usually a happy go lucky guy now a hollow shell of a man. He was strong though, Hunk knew this, his boss would surely bounce back like he always did.
The bulky brown haired man then looked at his co-worker Lance, "I'm more of a Budlight man myself. You in?"
Lance then looked at him, "You drive, hey Sven you in?"
Sven simply nodded and proceeded outside following Hunk. The slender chocolate haired chef then looked towards his superior and finally decided to approach him.
"Chef Kogane," Lance said.
"Chef Mclane, how can I help?" asked Kogane as he began storing his knife set.
"A few of us are going out for a drink, care to join?" Mclane asked.
As long as Lance had known the head chef he never truly had the chance of getting to know him. Keith seemed like a good enough fellow to him, always professional, polite, and humble to all he encountered. Lance figured it was now or never to finally bond with the jet-black haired man he had known for almost two years.
Keith paused in his task for moment, it seemed from what Lance could figure he was pondering the invitation. Kogane always had a reserved nature to him, it wasn't hard for Lance to figure that out. Finally from what seemed like ages of pondering, he picked up on his task of storing his equipment again and nodded saying, "Yea sure, where you guys heading?"
Surprised yet happy Lance replied, "O'Faulens Pub, you been?"
"Nah, but wouldn't hurt to have some company I guess," Keith replied finally finishing rolling up his knife bag.
"Nope, can't go wrong with company chef," Lance said while smiling.
O'Faulens Pub became a regular for the four culinarians the past two weeks. That fateful Saturday finally arrived for Earth, Wind, and Fire. Mr. Lebouquet closed the restaurant early around 8 P.M. for the "Closing Party", all the day shift and their families came as well, even a few regulars.
Garretts speech was more heart felt and uplifting this time. Like Hunk predicted, his employer was already pulling himself out of his own bitterness. Always a man to find fortune in his own misfortune Hunk thought.
Everyone began to talk about the good times and potential perspective job outlooks for them. Many mentions of Sarkens Corp personally offering jobs were brought up amongst the group. Some were even considering working for the bastards out of desperation. Bills were always an issue, and with taxes going up, lives were just becoming harder to bear.
This conversation happened to grab Garrett's attention though. "I understand if yous guys do take the jobs, but let me tell ya. Them people ain't to be trusted chitlins."
They all looked at him with sad eyes and nodded while giving words of comfort. One employee even asked, "What about your plans Garrett?"
Garrett looked at the short, young man with the glasses and replied, "Not a clue Pidge. What about ya kid? Ya still going to NYU for computer science?"
Pidge replied back as he plummeted into his chocolate cake, "I don't know. Going back to Wisconsin wasn't really part of my plan. I still have my TOPS at least."
"Good, get an education kid. Ya folks doing ok back home?" Garrett asked.
"Umm…I have no folks….actually, I was ward of the state until my birthday last year," Pidge said slightly lowering his head. This was always an awkward topic for him, but Garrett always showed respect towards him and respect was something a small young man like him rarely received.
"Sorry to hear that. Ya know us orphan Annies gotta stick together Pidge," Garrett said smiling.
"Damn right about that boss," Lance joined in putting one arm around Garretts shoulder and the holding pint of beer in the other. He then looked at Pidge, "You need a place to stay busboy?"
"My names Pidge, as you can see I'm no longer a busboy thank you," Pidge said with a grim look.
"Pidge, busboy, Pidge, busboy…mhmm, busboy suits you I think," Lance with a nasty smile.
"Leave the kid alone Mclane," Garrett intervened rolling his eyes.
"What, I'm just making polite conversation," Lance joked raising his hands in defense.
Hunk noticed his friend getting into his jerk mode and left Sven to quickly intervene. "You said you needed a place to stay…" he looked at Pidge.
Pidge paused for a minute, never liking being the center of attention. "Oh, um, Pidge. You can call me doesn't cover my room and board. Money's going to be even tighter now so…..yeah I guess I'm destitute."
"Naw kid, you're not destitute. We have a couch waiting for you at home," Hunk said. Hunk remembered that one point in his life when him and his mother lived on practically nothing, he had too big of a heart to see others suffer like him.
Pidge's face lit up, "You serious!"
"Yeah, why not?" Hunk laughed. He then turned to Lance, "Any objections pretty boy?"
Lance smiled at him "I was the one who made the invitation in the first place big guy, what about the Swede?"
"You know Sven," Hunk looked at the tall dark haired man sitting at the table next to them. He quietly drank a cup of coffee while Jenny sat beside him with her arm around him talking about her passion for Dolphins, oblivious to fact that he was staring off into space.
Lance looked with amazement and whispered to Hunk, "How the hell does he get more tail then me?"
Hunk shrugged with an amused expression, "Man's got class, what can I say."
The party continued till about 1 A.M. Everyone dispersed to either their homes or to spend the rest of their wages on booze and bars. Jenny kissed Sven on the cheek and squeaked "Call me!" leaving him, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Garrett the last ones in the dining room.
Picking up the last bits of mess the former staff might've missed, Garrett was about to call it a night when a group of men came in. Garrett called out while still focusing on the trash, "Sorry we're closed…forever," he laughed at his pun until he looked up at the group. A small group of men wearing black street clothes and hostile faces stared at him, the man in the front smiled and said, "Well, well. Garrett Lebouquet I presume?"
Garrett stared the group down, six men wearing red berets. Sven grabbed Hunk and Pidge, pulling them down under the table, Hunk whined, "The hell Sven-"
"Shh." Sven interrupted putting his finger on his lips. They continued sitting under the table listening to Garrett and the strangers. Sven prayed that Lance stayed in the john a little longer.
Garrett looked at the leader of the group, "You're here for the money."
The leader smiled, "Sharp bloke you are Lebouquet. Pay up?"
"As much as I'd love to compensate for yous hard earned labor gents, I'm afraid I'm dried out," Garretts toned seethed of spite and sarcasm. This did not seem to sit well with the leader.
His face wrenched of frustration, "Ms. Rosenberg wasn't able to compensate either Lebouquet,….you know what happened to her?"
"The hell gave ya the right to play God you worthless FILTH?!" Garrett anger bellowed out. He was beginning to lose his composure. He respected the now late Ms. Rosenberg, hatred was beginning to form on his face at the thought of those bastards laying a hand on her or anyone for that matter.
The leader then began to smile, "Mr. Sarken gives us that right."
Sven heard the cock of a gun sound and yelled, "Garrett get down!" Without warning Sven picked up the table and charged for the beret group. Hunk and Pidge quickly caught on and followed him pushing the table.
The leader shot and missed Garrett as he dived down for the moving table coming their way, "Shit! He's not alone! Kill 'em all!"
The fight seemed to last in a matter of minutes. All five berets were down, the last was the leader who made a dash for the back door. Sven was right behind him, the man made a detour to the kitche while Sven followed a few minutes later. Taking a deep breath he went into the dark kitchen. The man was nowhere to be seen, where was he hiding. Another cock of a gun sounded behind him, Sven closed his eyes, he knew he was bested.
"Don't turn around boy," the low, deep voice of the leader ordered him.
"What does Sarkens want with the businesses, the man has plenty of wealth and influence as it is?" Sven's Nordic voice never wavered, even with a gun to his head.
"It's not just the businesses boy. It's the city we want. You'd understand that if you had any brains you piece of Euro trash," the leader growled.
Sven didn't have time to respond when he heard Lance's voice, "Gun off the Swede dick face." A slight smile came on Sven's face, leave it to Lance. Before turning the leader grabbed Sven by the shirt and placed him in front of him, sticking the gun to the side of his forehead. "Christ, another one. Heh, I see you found one of my boys' guns. Well then, you like to gamble boy, we can gamble. Keep pointing that fffucking gun at me and I'll shoot your buddy. I won't go down without a fight…..you wanna keep gambling?"
Lance paused for a second and realized he had no choice. He sighed deeply as he lowered the gun to the floor. "Alright, let him go."
"You think I'm stupid you little bitch. Move or die," the leader viciously yelled.
"Okay, okay, I'll move. Just don't shoot him," he said putting his hands up. Lance was always a survivalist, this however was a position he never imagined himself to be in. First, he was in the bathroom jerking off to Katy something's voice on the phone. The next thing he knew, he hears gunshots and Garrett screaming bloody murder. Dropping the phone and running while zipping up his member before he could even reach his climax, he raced to see the commotion. A stranger in a beret went to attack him. Before the stranger knew it, he was on the ground lacking consciousness.
Shit, he thought, we're dead. Before he could turn, the leader yelped and was on the ground. The gun followed with its owner. Thump!
"You guys okay?" they both turned to see Keith Kogane standing over the beret stranger.
Lance responded while still stunned, "Yeah." Sven simply nodded, Kogane nodded back and finally headed to the dining hall with the other two following him.
"Where the hell did you come from chef? I thought you went home," Lance asked still stunned from the judo chop he witnessed his superior performed.
"I was but then I offered to clean up the kitchen for Garrett. Then, suddenly I hear shooting and yelling, then that asshole came in and….well you guys know the rest," Kogane replied, "What did they want?"
"They seemed to want either money or blood," Sven said. They made it to the dining hall and found Hunk and Pidge nursing and injured Garrett. Sven continued, "It looks like they got blood."
Keith and Lance could've sworn they saw water creeping up in Sven's eyes. They had to look away or else they would've done the same.
They went to the three joining them on the floor. Pidge, still a boy trying to be a man, held back his tears. He looked at the all four men, "It looks like they hit a couple vital organs, at least of what I could remember from biology. He's out of it, the ambulance is on their way but I have a feeling that they won't make it."
Keith and Sven bowed their heads, Lance began to shake. He went towards one the tables still erect yelling and threw it over. Garrett opened his eyes and looked up towards Lance, "That ain't gonna help ya kid."
Lance didn't say anything, still breathing heavily from his outburst he simply looked at Garrett. Garrett took a deep irregular breath, "Yous guys gotta go before the cops come."
Hunk looked stunned at Garrett, "What are you talking about boss?"
"If Sarken's got those bastards under his belt, he's got law under it to. Ya'd be convicted and barred in a minute, I don't think yous wanna be somebody's girlie boy," an unsteady chuckle came from Garrett's bloodied mouth. He continued, "Go to Corey Raible."
"Who?" Hunk asked.
"Corey Raible, he owns a hole in the wall on Arus St. Good guy, knew his partner Allen Raimon. Go to 'em, tell 'em everything. You can trust him," Garrett said this as his coughing continued to fester.
Everyone was speechless, looking at each other and then looking towards Keith. Keith realized even off the clock, he was still head chef it seemed. He felt reluctant about this role but then looked towards his dying boss and nodded at everyone.
Garrett continued coughing even more now, "Get out of here. Sirens are getting close. Ya all listen to me though. Yous take care of each other ya got it. You're brothers now, so don't go getting stupid on each other. I'll be watching, hopefully from above. Now get the fuck outta here."
The men looked once more at each other then their employer. They nodded and began to rise. Hunk was the last one to leave, still staring at the now lifeless body of Garrett Lebouquet.
So as you can tell there will probably not be any mecha lion or gigantic monsters. Though, I hope the sci f/action enthusiasts will be open minded to the characters relationships and setting.