"God damn it Ray, did you really have to pull out that knife?" Mikey scolded as he and Ray walked towards the abandoned playground where they knew the rest of The Wolves would be.
The playground used to be a place where the children in New Jersey could be care free and have fun while their parents could be care free as well and not worry about their kids getting in trouble. But because of all the violence that had been going on, parents didn't want their children playing outside at all and the playground had been abandoned ever since. It was now a place for gangs where they could have meetings, rumbles, or just to simply hang out. The bad thing about the playground, however, was no one really knew if it was vacant or not when they wanted it to be. So someone from a gang could walk into the playground when it was full of people from a rival gang and then get themselves jumped. But Mikey and Ray knew The Wolves would be there and no one else since Mikey told the guys to be there at around 10:30 a.m.
"I had to pull it out." Ray told Mikey as they continued their conversation. "Those punks were asking for it. They wanted to mess with us; I'm just giving them what they were asking for."
"But do you know how dangerous and risky it is to take a knife out? Being the pathetic morons that those guys are, one of them could've taken out a knife as well. Most likely a bigger one. And they might've actually used it on us."
"What, you don't think I'm capable of using a knife?" Ray asked in a tone that showed he felt offended at what Mikey just said. "You've seen me fight before Mikey; you know I'm tougher than any of those Fangs."
"I know you're tough." Mikey replied. "That's why I don't think you need that knife. Knives and guns are just for showing off. They never show you how tough you truly are."
"I need this knife though Mike. You know why."
That knife meant something to Ray because it was the same knife that had killed his sister Roberta.
After the guy who had raped her finished with his dirty deed, he had taken out a switch blade, popped it open, and then slit her throat. Roberta's throat and mouth dripped with blood seconds after that. She sputtered and coughed as more blood came out of her. Ray couldn't do anything but scream.
The blonde boy then got off of Roberta and told his friends who were holding Ray back to let him go. He fell to the ground; he was too shaken up to actually stand up.
"You think we should kill him too?" a pale boy with brown hair asked the blonde. "He saw everything. He might get the cops."
"I don't think so." the blonde stated while looking down at Ray and smirking. "I think he'd rather be with his sister."
The blonde boy then threw down the bloody knife to the ground next to Ray.
"You can keep that." he said. "A little something to remember us by."
Ray just sat on the ground speechless. He wanted to take that knife and stab that guy over and over, his friends as well. But he was too in shock to do anything. And by the time he had finally decided to use the knife, the three boys had already left. Instead of running after them, Ray decided to crawl next to Roberta who was now on to her last breaths of life. Ray placed her bloody body in his arms.
"R-R-Ray." Roberta stammered out.
Ray hushed her. His arms and clothes had started to get stained with her blood. "Don't waste your breath."
"I might as well. I-I'm about to go."
"Don't talk like that." Ray choked out. He tried so hard not to break down. "You can still make it."
Roberta just smiled up at him and very weakly shook her head. She suddenly started to wheeze and cough. She knew what was about to come.
"R-Ray, I-I l-lo-ve-"
"I love you too Robbie." Ray cried. "I love you so much."
"Th-that's g-g-good."
Not another sound came from Roberta. It seemed like the world had suddenly stopped and there was nothing but dead silence. Even the many tears Ray had cried were completely silent.
Ray had kept the switch blade the blonde used as a reminder of what had happened and to show that the world wasn't a safe place. He had hope to one day find the guy who raped and killed his sister and to use that same knife on him.
Mikey and Ray finally made it to the abandoned playground where they saw the rest of The Wolves.
Including Mikey and Ray and excluding Markus Starkman, there were seven Wolves. Skylar McCartney was the oldest Wolf since he was in his early twenties; he was maybe two or three years older than Mikey's brother Gerard. He was a tall male with shaggy light blonde hair that most of the time covered his green eyes. Like Gerard, Skylar had dropped out of high school during his senior year, but it was because so he could start a family with his then pregnant girlfriend who he was now engaged to and had a 4 year old son with. Jamie McGuire was seventeen like Mikey and was a slightly overweight young man with brown eyes that matched his tanned skin. His hair was in a buzz cut than in a long or shaggy style like the rest of The Wolves. Mick Larson was the youngest member. He was only fifteen but he was mature for his age. You could say he was the opposite of Jamie. He was a scrawny kid with coal black hair that went down to his shoulders and skin that was far from being as tanned as Jamie's. Mark Nichols was eighteen just like Ray. He was well built and with long and wavy light brown hair and a face that always had a form of facial hair on it whether it was a full on beard or just some stubble. Mark wasn't one to have a clean shaved face. Unlike his sixteen year old half brother Ritchie Sanders. His face was round and smooth like that of a child's. His wavy light brown hair was only shorter than Mark's by just a few inches and he was much more slimmer. He was the quietest one from the bunch next to Mick.
"Hey guys." Skylar greeted Mikey and Ray. "We saved a few cigarettes for you."
"Thanks Sky." Ray said as he grabbed a cigarette and immediately lit it up. "I've been craving one."
"I don't think you should be smoking that Ray." Mikey said concerned as if he were a parent. "It's still early in the day and this will be like your sixth smoke."
"Sixth smoke? Damn Toro," Jamie exclaimed. "It seems like there's never a time where I don't see you with a cancer stick in your hands. And you know they don't call them cancer sticks for nothing, maybe you should cut down."
"You know how stressed he always is." Mick explained. "Toro needs a smoke to relieve himself. My mom is the same way. Especially after she gets in a fight with my dad."
"Okay, I get how predictable I am." Ray snarled out. He then took a long drag of his cigarette. "Can we please just change the subject?"
"We actually do need to discuss some stuff." Mikey said. "Some important stuff."
"Shouldn't we wait for Markus?" Jamie asked.
At that, Mikey and Ray looked at each other and then to the rest with sullen faces.
"Markus won't be coming, unfortunately." Mikey stated as he bowed his head.
"What happened with Markus?" Mark asked as he lit up a cigarette for Ritchie and himself. "Did he have another fight with that bitchy aunt of his again?"
"We ran into two Fangs before we got here." Mikey explained. "Stuart Potter and Kyle Grass. They, uh, claimed that they ran into Markus earlier today and-"
Everyone just looked at him as a sign for him to continue. But he didn't due to him being on the verge of having a break down. So Ray finished for Mikey.
"Markus is dead." he said in an angry tone. He threw his cigarette butt to the ground and unnecessarily stomped on it. "Those assholes killed him." He was starting to break down as well.
"What the hell?" Jamie exclaimed. "How the fuck could they do this? We've never tried any shit like that and here they are with this bullshit."
"They're testing us." Skylar stated.
"What do you mean?" Ray asked when he calmed down from crushing his cigarette.
"We've never got in an actual rumble with the Fangs. They want to rumble. They want to rumble for the playground so that they can claim it as their own. And I think killing Markus was a way to show that we either give up the playground to them or it's our blood."
"So that's the way they want to do it huh?" Jamie said. "All right, they should come after us, let them try and stop us. Those damn Fangs can come and kill me next if they want."
"Mike, you're the leader." Mark stated. "What do you think we should do?"
"I already know what to do." Mikey replied. "It's a rumble they want then it's what they're going to get. We're not going to put up with the Fangs' bull any longer. We'll fight them, but not just for the playground, it's so we could also show them that we're not afraid of them and to show them what happens when you mess around with the Wolves!"
"Hell yeah that's what I'm talking about!" Jamie exclaimed.
"That's why I told the Fangs to meet us here around 2 tomorrow. We have to let them know that it's on."
"So we're really going to plan on having a rumble with the Fangs?" Mick asked.
"Yes." Mikey said. "If it's the only way for them to quit pushing us around then we'll let them know that we're here for them."
Tracey laid her head on Frank's sweaty bare chest as she and him continued panting heavily. She could hear his heart pounding hard.
"That was nice." Frank panted out. "But then again, it always is."
"And you actually have time to cuddle with me." Tracey said while giggling.
Frank giggled as well and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "You know that there's nothing I love more than having you in my arms baby."
"I know sweetie."
"Wait, what time is it?" Frank suddenly asked.
"I don't know, like 10:45. Why?"
"Shit. Babe I have to go."
Frank quickly got off of Tracey's bed and started to put his clothes back on.
"Again?" Tracey said obviously irritated.
"I told you that I would only get to be with you for like half an hour and then I had to go and meet Gerard and everyone else. I gave you more time than planned."
"Yeah because you lost track of time not because you wanted to spend more time with me." Tracey explained as she sat up and took out a packet of cigarettes from her night stand drawer.
"Aww don't be like that Trace baby." Frank cooed as charmingly as he could. "You know that I want to be with you as much as you do."
"It's the same thing over and over Frank. You come over whenever my mom is out of the house, we have sex for like thirty minutes- sometimes an hour if Gerard isn't pulling you by the leash- and then you have to leave. I'm sick of it Frankie."
"What are you saying you don't want us to have sex?" Frank asked.
"No, I love the sex." Tracey stated while taking a drag of her cigarette. "It's just that I don't think our relationship shouldn't be based on just sex. We've been together for like eight months now. When's the last time we went to see a movie together or just taken a nice quiet drive?"
"I know what you're saying babe." Frank said. "I really do. It's just that I've been busy since I've been with the Fangs. Look, I'll tell you what, how's about we go out and see a movie tonight?"
Tracey turned and looked up at Frank with hope filling up her eyes. "Really Frankie?"
Frank responded with a nod of his head. "You're right, I have been neglecting you and I'm sorry. And I would love to spend some more time with you."
"Aww, I'd love nothing more than that." Tracey said.
"Great. Now I really have to go babe." Frank bent down and gave Tracey a quick but full kiss on the lips. "Meet me in front of the theater tonight at around 7. I love you Tracey."
"I love you too baby." Tracey exclaimed as she gave her boyfriend one last sweet kiss.
Frank smiled at her and opened the door to let himself out. He walked all the way downstairs and ran into Tracey's older brother Bob.
Tracey and Bob may have been related but didn't really look much alike. Bob looked more like their father and Tracey their mother. Bob was rather large, had long blonde hair with a small beard to match, and baby blue eyes. Tracey was skinny with a pale complexion, pink cheeks and lips, long brown hair with eyes to match, and a bit of an over bite.
"How's it going Bobert?" Frank asked his girlfriend's big brother. "You know you look great today. Have you done something with your beard?"
"You done having sex with my sister?" Bob asked with his arms crossed and while giving Frank what seemed like a cold stare.
"Yes I am actually. We had a lovely time."
"Did you at least use protection this time?"
"Nah I forgot it at home. But I will next time. Listen I'm kind of in a hurry. So see you later Bobby."
Frank walked past Bob and let himself out. Before leaving, he gave Bob one last wave good bye while having a big smile on his face.
Like the Wolves, the Fangs had seven members in their gang. Gerard was the leader and the oldest since he was already twenty. He was slim with jet black shoulder length hair, hazel eyes, and a nicely fair complexion. Frank Iero was a short seventeen year old boy who also had hazel eyes, a big smile usually, and with dark shaggy hair that he liked to spike up sometimes. Alex Rosenberg was a skinny eighteen year old with bright green eyes, long strawberry blonde hair, and lips that were a little cut up due to being in a light scuffle with Mark Nichols and a busted beer bottle. Stuart Potter and Kyle Grass were both sixteen. Kyle was tall with blonde hair that was just a bit above his shoulders while Stuart had shaggy brown hair and bushy eye brows. Vick Shelton was eighteen and almost had the same features as Kyle but his nose was a bit bigger, his face more chubbier, and his eyes more smaller and they were blue instead of brown like Kyle's. Jack Nixon was seventeen with long black hair and bangs that would most of the time cover up his eyes so no one really knew how they actually looked. He had a pointed nose and hands that were dirty a lot of the time since he worked at the gas station with Gerard and Frank and didn't bother to wash his hands.
The Fangs were sitting on the sidewalk outside the local drug store. Gerard and Jack had just left there after paying for a packet of cigarettes and a few candy bars.
"What took you so long Iero?" Gerard asked Frank while offering him a cigarette.
Frank declined the cigarette by shaking his head. "I just left my girlfriend's place."
"You still with that Tracey chick?" Jack asked as he took the cigarette Frank declined. "Man dude, she's really cute."
"Jack don't you have girlfriend? Go check her out instead of mine."
"Yeah but Gina is on her rag right now so she's too bitchy for me at the moment."
"Looks like it's just you and your hand tonight." Kyle teased.
"You would know all about that wouldn't you Kyle?" Jack said. "At least I could actually get laid."
"We know all about that Jack." Stuart pointed out. "You tell us all about you and Gina all the time. In fucking detail!"
"I'm not as bad as Iero though. The guys a fucking rabbit."
"Hey I've only had sex with like three girls." Frank stated.
"One is being Ray Toro's sister." Alex said. "Man that chick was pretty smoking. No wonder that dude hates your guts man. Does your current girlfriend's brother hate you?"
"I'm not sure. He probably does since I like to brag about how I like to fuck Tracey."
"God you guys are a bunch of pigs I swear." Gerard mumbled as he took a drag of his cigarette. "No I wonder I drink."
"Yo, since we brought up Toro, Kyle and I ran into him and your brother Mikey earlier today." Stuart mentioned.
"What did they want?" Gerard asked.
"They want to meet us at the old playground tomorrow at around 2 in the afternoon."
"You think they want to rumble us Gee?" Frank asked.
Gerard took one last long drag of his cigarette before answering and then dropped it on the ground and stepped on it.
"Well whatever happens will be ready."
