~~~~~~~~~~Bruce~~~~~~~~~
"Any luck?" I asked Leah who shook her head, yawning as she leaned against Jack who was equally as tired.
"Nope." She popped the 'p' before staring boredly out the window of our current hideout.
We'd been traveling around quite a bit before settling down for a while at an abandoned warehouse.
"Look's like we'll need to comb the streets here." I murmured.
We were looking for clients, searching for pay so we could stay on the move.
Leah and Jack groaned, both giving me the stink eye before I laughed sheepishly.
"Alright, alright, rest first."
The two nodded before retiring to a mattress on the floor and snuggling up together before passing out. I watched over them for a while, before falling asleep myself.
The next morning we all went out to scope out the town once more. I ended up in a downtown area, where most of the homeless people lived and tried gathering Intel. Most of the people in this place were very tight lipped about everything and I barely got any information for any clients for us. Some acted rather violently to my searching and others just simply ignored me.
I could tell this place would be hard to help...
Huffing in annoyance at the information I had gathered, or lack there of, I decided to take whatever cash I had on me and get my team some food.
"Welcome to Mc Donalds how can I help you?"
"Yeah can I get three Bigmac meals Large, one with a Diet, one with Sprite, and one with Coke. Then I'd like six strawberry pies."
After nabbing our order's I returned home and awaited my team's return.
They returned empty handed as well.
After we ate we decided to sleep and try again tomorrow.
...
...
The next morning I was awoken to the sound of the doors and sat up from my position on the mattress, yawning and running my hand through my messy hair.
"Wazz goin on?" I mumbled, rubbing my eye.
"Jenna!" Leah called urgently.
Startled I shot up and spotted Leah and Jack bringing in an injured police officer. I blinked in shock before turning to the two as they set the cop down on a run down couch.
"What the heck guys? I thought we said no cops?" I scolded them, scowling in annoyance.
"Believe it or uh not but he's a client." Jack mumbled, looking at me annoyed.
Yeah, he still had issues with me...
"Your a client?" I looked down at the cop. "What the heck happened to you?"
The cop groaned as Leah began trying to fix his worse wounds and I took this time to look over his now abandoned shirt for his name tag.
'Bruce Willson'
"So your name is Bruce?" I glanced over the roughed up cop.
"Yeah." He hissed when he moved wrong.
"I'm Jennifer. Jennifer Witwicky."
"Bruce Willson." He fully introduced.
"I see that, on your tag. After you rest a bit we'll talk." I informed him.
I walked off and Jack followed me, pulling me to the side.
"This might be a trap." I told Jack.
"It could... but he could also be a client." He mumbled. "We need the money.
"If we get caught?"
"if we do not and he genuinely needs help?"
I sighed, trying to ignore the funny feeling I was having towards this situation. "Alright."
"Hey."
We looked up to the cop as he staggered over.
"I'm willing to pay you big for this." He rasped. "I need your help."
I looked to Jack before to Leah and then to Bruce. "What do you need?"
...
...
...
"So your saying this place is FILLED with corrupt cops?" I asked Bruce incredulously.
Jack stood next to Leah, watching silently.
Bruce nodded. "Yeah... and because I'm not uh... up to par with their way of things... I apparently needed to be taught a l-lesson OUCH!"
"Hold still! Then it wouldn't hurt much." Leah snapped at him, annoyed at his constant flinches and hisses.
He wouldn't sit still long enough for her to help.
"So what exactly can we do to help?" Jack started.
"We could try weeding them out one by one." I muttered.
"That won't work." Bruce piped up. "They'd just immediately replace the one they lost. We need to catch them in the act."
"... Police scanner?" I suggested.
"Police scanner."
If we could use the police scanner we could try to catch them in the act, We could separate and quickly try to observe them as their patrolling out to their designated areas.
"I hate wait outs." Jack growled before Bruce pulled out a few police scanners that he had 'borrowed'. "Alright Brucey boy, You'll be staying here. One of us will be with you while the other two will be on the road listening to the scanners."
"Jack and I will be on our bikes scoping the town out. Leah you watch over Bruce."
"Right." Leah turned to Bruce, finishing up his wounds.
Scouting all day had gotten us more information then we thought it would. Jack and I had ended up following two different leads that ended up meeting in the same place! I started feeling apprehensive at first but I knew we needed the money.
So I tried to keep myself from feeling as skeptical as I was feeling.
I had to have just been feeling things.
Jack and I were hidden in the shadow's, our armor activated and guns (that conveniently came with the armor thanks to my rock shard) were ready to fire. There were four cops and three henchmen goon looking people. All were waiting around a box.
If I had to guess I could say it might of been drugs of some sort.
"They here yet?" Goon 1 asked.
"No." Cop 1 replied.
"When they gunna get here?" Goon 2 groaned annoyed.
"I don't know! Now shut up." Cop 1 growled, eyes sweeping around the area.
"Raz should be here within a half hour." Cop 2 replied after checking his phone.
I saw Jack stiffen beside me, and I looked at him confused.
...
...
"You have zhe stuff?" A new voice called as a man with seven men in black appeared. "I vould zhink zat you vould have been here a bit later zhen you are now. My apologies. So, vhere is zhe stuff?"
"Right here boss." Cop 4 responded, handing the box to one of the men in black.
The man, who I assume is Raz, opened the box and grinned. "Very good! Vell done!"
A man in black leans forward and whispers to Raz. "Is zat so? Vell, take care of it."
The man disappeared.
Where was he going?
My attention was pulled back to the group.
"So I hear zhat you have one last cop to get rid of, vhat was his name? Bruce?"
"Yeah, get rid of him and we'll have gotten the whole police station rigged with our men." Cop 1 snickered.
"Vhat happened to zhe others?"
"They were uh.. 'killed' in action." Goon 3 snickered.
"Very good! I am impressed vith you all. However, I only really have room for one more." Raz begins.
The three goons looked nervously at each other.
"Lets see. Enny, Minny miney-"
A gun fires and kills two of the goons, the one who Raz picked on 'MO' fell to his knee's in shock as his brothers were gone.
"Velcome to zeh Spades." Raz laughs as his men get rid of the now dead bodies of the goons, a bullet wound lay in the two goons heads.
As soon as they left I quickly motioned for Jack to follow me and soon we were racing out of there.
"I think we don't have enough information." I panted as we ran to our bikes.
Jack was silent.
"I want you to follow him. Get more information. Stay hidden. Jack, I mean it! I'll go back to Leah and tell her whats going on, keep me posted."
With that Jack took off.
I was worried about him, he was very off today.
Could he know that man? Raz?
When I returned home Bruce was talking with Leah about quitting the force and her asking him to join our cause.
Which was nice to have another person helping out but... I didn't think we would have the money to help him as well as ourselves.
I listened for a moment.
"Well... I don't know about joining a gang..."
"We're not really a gang. I know we seem like it but... We're just trying to help people like you and like Jack and I were like. Jenna was there for us during out darkest hour, we owe her our lives. Jack may not fully trust in her yet but I know he cares about her in his own way."
"If I were to join... I'd want to rid this town of the corruption." Bruce started.
I waited a bit longer before entering the room and explained what was going on.
"I knew it!" Bruce said standing up quickly only to hiss and fall back down.
"Idiot." Leah hissed, smacking him upside the head with her fist.
"OW! Do you hit all your patients?!"
"Only the idiotic ones who don't listen!"
"Who are you calling idiotic?! OW STOP IT!"
I smirked at the two before hearing a noise. What was it?
"What the heck is that?" Leah paused in her bantering.
Beep...beep...beep...beep.
"Bruce?"
I looked over at Leah's call and spotted something on Bruce's shirt... something blinking red underneath his cloths. It was a Cellphone...
Cellphones were tracking devices...and his cellphone was on a call.
Realization hit me and before anyone blinked my temper flared and I pinned him to the ground. "TRAITOR!" I snarled.
"N-NO! I didn't know I swear!"
"Do you realize how much danger you put us in!? You left your phone on! THEY HEARD US!"
A noise caught my attention, something came into the building.
Paranoid I looked all over, trying to find the source.
Especially when more sounds went off.
"Jen." Leah whimpered as she curled into my side. "I'm scared.
A body came flying out, slamming into the floor in a heap of limbs and blood.
"JACK!" Leah screamed, I had to hold her back as men surrounded us, guns pointed.
"Did you really think we would not have noticed you three? Entering OUR city, taking residence in OUR warehouse, and asking around like you have been. I can tell your all amateurs at this." The man began to laugh.
"Ngh." Jack groaned.
"Your little Jacky boy got his revenge I must say, Killed Raz in cold blood! He blew his cover for revenge. I'm disappointed in you Jacky boy." The man kicked him.
"Stop!" I shouted, only to be restrained a long with Leah.
"Let go!"
"Akule, Yurik, make sure they're properly secured."
The one known as Akule let out a devilish grin as his blade came near my face, Yurik did the same to the now crying Leah.
Bruce was looking at us guiltily and sorrow filled. "Ahhh Bruce, I warned you about trying to find outsider help. Now they pay the price! Not only because they are medelling in affairs their not welcome in... but because they are also the ones we've been searching for."
"They aren't apart of this!"
"Oh ho but they are. I know Jack personally you could say"
"Go to hell." Jack snarled.
"Jack!" I screamed as he went flying through the air.
"You thought you could escape us Jackie boy?" The Man walked closer, a sinister grin set upon his face. "Did you not learn your lesson? Was the face carving not enough for you?"
"Jack!"
"Heh." He chuckled as he walked over to Leah who's cries grew louder as she struggled against Yurik. "Perhaps, if we made an example of your girls..."
Another man was behind me, keeping me in place while Akule was running a blade across my cheek, not enough to cut but enough to intimidate...
"Your a fool!" The man laughed maniacally. "Not only have you failed in your attempts to save Bruce, Failed in hiding, but you came to OUR city like cows to the slaughter!"
I looked over to Jack on the floor as his eye's met mine, guilt and regret in them.
"AH!" I heard Leah squeak as Yurik nicked her.
"Not yet you idiotic Russian baffoon!"
I heard Akule growl in anger for a second before it was gone. I struggled some as I watched him walking over to Jack.
He gripped Jack by his hair and yanked on it to force him to look at his beedy black eyes.
"Your worthless boy." He hissed. "I should of taken care of you years ago."
"As if you had the g-guts to Allen."
The man, now known as Allen, sneered and shoved Jacks face into the harsh ground.
"Such bold words! Especially with your girl here. What was her name?" Allen sauntered over to Leah, putting his hands on her neck softly before running the other through her hair.
"Stop it!" I growled only to be hit in the gut by Akule who glared down at me.
"Ah yes, I remember. Leah." He cooed her name in a seductive tone causing tears to come from her eyes in fear.
This elicited a laugh from the man.
"What did he ever do to you!?" I shouted, ignoring the painful grip of Akule.
"What did he do to me? WHAT. DID. HE. DO?!" The man snarled, shoving Leah to the floor carelessly before storming over to me instead.
I yelped when his grip was harsh on my chin, I knew he left bruises. He shoved me against the wall, my head smashing into it harshly.
"Hmmm." I could feel his breath on my neck causing disgusted shivers to wrack my body. "How about we ask what HASN'T He done?"
He looked over to Jack who was trying to crall over to Leah only to have Akule kick him back and Yurik to laugh.
"Not only does he owe me money, not only has he stolen from me, not ONLY has he gotten my good men killed for his reckless behaviors, but he has done the worst thing possible."
"W-whats that?"
"He killed my wife."
I blinked, shocked before looking over to Jack.
"I didn't kill her!" Jack hissed.
"YOU DID!"
"IT WASN'T ME!" Jack roared only to be hit again by Akule.
"STOP WITH THE DAMN KICKING YOU IDIOTIC ORPHANED FOOL!"
I watched helplessly as Allen walked over to Jack with a new fury.
Akule had returned to guarding me.
"Why do you allow him to treat you so?" I asked.
"..."
"YURIK! YOU WORTHLESS GARBAGE!" Allen snarled as Yurik had accidentally let Leah go.
"I would never treat you with such dis-respect."
"..."
"Akule get your idiotic brother under control!"
"Akule, you and your brother." I started. "Join me and my cause."
Akule glanced over to me, then to Allen who was kicking angrily at Yurik who was just taking it.
His scowl deepened.
During his deep thinking I managed to crawl over to Jack, not knowing Akule was watching intently.
"Jack." I whispered as I brushed his hair out of his face.
He groaned in pain. "I'm Sorry Jen." He coughed. "I messed up."
"We all make mistakes."I assured him.
"I killed Raz." He began hoarsely. "I was so angry..."
"I know... shh."
"You were right... about this town being fishy... I s-should of listened." He growled in pain, the kicks he had received bruised up his ribs badly.
"I'll think of something to get us out... I will." I promised as I used my shirt to wipe at the blood on his face, he kept choking on it from his nose.
It didn't matter to me if my shirt was bloodied, I was more worried about my partner's pain.
"Akule had been watching us, I didn't know then, but he had seen a compassion I held for my gang, my friends. Yurik was as well, he wasn't as stupid as Allen thought he was, Yurik was playing them all. He wanted them to think of them as idiotic, they wanted to be underestimated... but with each hit and insult, with each put down from Allen, Akule and Yurik began to hate him."
"He changed." Optimus observed.
"He did, when he saw me trying to help Jack instead of punishing him for failing he saw the closeness of our team and how we cared for each other."
"LEAH!" Jack screamed as Allen pulled her up by her hair, knife to her face.
"I want you to watch this Jackie boy! I WANT YOU TO WATCH AS I CUT HER DOWN LIKE YOU DID WITH ALLAINA!" Allen shrieked with laughter, his knife nicking Leah's cheek.
"NO!"
"STOP! JACK! JACK HELP ME!"
"LISTEN TO HER SCREAM AS I BET YOU LISTENED TO ALLAINA!"
"STOP THIS!" I cried, hugging Jack to me who was struggling to get up.
His wounds were bad and he couldn't move much... But damned if he didn't try!
I felt a pulse around my neck, and looked down to see my shard reacting to my fear and sorrow. In moments I found myself surrounded by my armor, much to the shock of the rest. Quickly I activated my guns and shot around.
Killing the goons around us.
Akule and Yurik were last, they were trying to attack Bruce who had gotten free from his restraints when I shot the goons holding him.
I saw Allen pause in his ministrations, fury in his eye's as he watched the brothers 'struggle' with Bruce.
In his eye's they were worthless! ALL HIS MEN WERE WEAK!
Allen shoved Leah to the floor, small cuts on both her cheeks would need caring for later.
Luckily they were not severe and would, in my opinion, be small scars.
Allen then pulled out his gun and aimed for Akule. I looked back and forth, torn on what to do. There was goodness deep within Akule, I just knew.
I let my emotions go and acted on instinct, tackling Akule and taking the bullet in my arm.
"AH!"
And collapsed to the floor as a searing pain roared through my arm. I felt Akule grab onto me, his eye's were wide in shock.
Who could blame him? His victim just saved him.
Akule's eyes showed no more conflict and turned determined. He looked to his brother who had paused in fighting along with Bruce and nodded.
Yurik let Bruce out of his hold and glared at Allen who blinked in shock.
"You have beaten us for the last time." Yurik's thick Russian accent came, deep and strong.
"Now you will pay."AKules came next, his accent was more powerful.
Demanding.
I could tell Akule was the decision maker in his and his brothers relationship while Yurik seemed to be more of an action taker.
"Stay back!" I growled to them. "He's mine."
Akule looked at me, thinking to himself before making the decision, then he nodded to me and obeyed my demand.
Sirens alerted all in the building that Allen's back up had arrived. Yurik and Akule looked to each other next and both smirked.
"Lets have some fun." They said at the same time when they heard the Sirens.
"Be careful." I told them. "They may be corrupt cops but they are cops none the less. Their not as stupid as the goons in here."
"Hmph."
"You got it." Yurik smirked to me. "Boss"
Akule grunted in response before both left the building.
Leaving me with Allen as Leah crawled to Jack.
"You think your fancy suit could take me on?" Allen snickered. "Let's see who's the strongest leader shall we?"
I glared at Allen and he quickly pulled his gun out, firing at me. I dodged in time, rolling forward and using my foot to kick up and hit his gun out of his hand.
He was ready for me and had grabbed my leg. With monster like strength he threw me aside as if nothing and I landed with a yelp in a pile of scrap metal.
"Is that all you have girl? I'm disappointed!" He laughed, rushing forward.
I rolled out of the pile, just in time to see his foot smash where my head used to be. Quickly I rushed back to him, giving a hard punch to his face and sending him to the floor.
I couldn't tell who was hitting who anymore as we fought more and more.
A punch here, Kick there, leg sweep, back flip, dodge, get hit. Pinning each other before exchanging blows.
It was a never ending cycle.
I growled in frustration before looking over to see a crow bar laying near by as Allen pinned me once more.
This time he had my throat and I choked for air, kicking and flailing.
If I could just reach that bar...
just a
few more
inches...
I felt his foot smash onto my hand causing a scream to let out as pain erupted, throbbing.
"I don't think so."
"Leave her alone!"
Looking up behind Allen I spotted Jack using Leah as support with a furious expression. This cause Allen to look away.
That was a big mistake.
Ignoring the pain I reached for the bar and smashed it into Allens head, knocking him out cold.
Letting out a groan as the pain from my arm and bullet wound began to throb. "We need to get out of here."
"I got car." Akule's voice interrupted.
"What we do with body?" Yurik asked.
I looked over the unconscious body and a dark feeling came over me. I wanted him to pay, pay for what he did to Jack, pay for what he did to all the innocent people.
Pay for what he would have done to my friends.
"Akule, Yurik, where will you go?" I asked them.
The looked at each other, they didn't really have anywhere to go. "We will follow you."
"Follow you."
I turned to them "Please take Leah and Bruce out to the car."
The two nodded, I ignored the looks of Bruce and Leah as Akule and his brother took them outside.
The bodies of the corrupt cops were inside now, dead.
"You wretch!" I whirled back to see Allen getting up, Gasoline in one hand and a lighter in the next.
"No!" I looked around, there was gasoline everywhere! "JACK RUN!"
Allen laughed before lighting up the place, everything erupted into flames and I could only stare at the fire surrounding us, eager to engulf us.
"how did you escape?" Optimus's voice called me from my flashback.
"Bruce. He came back for us and dragged us out. Allen died in the flames a long with all his men. After leaving that horrid place we were able to track a goon that had escaped back to their hide out. With out their leader and most of their gang members they all scattered in a panic. We were able to use all the data and files they had at their base of operation and brought it to the public. The gang ended up being flushed out of town. Bruce decided to join us, giving us every penny he had to his name to help our group."
"I am sorry you went through all that." Optimus started.
"You are to kind Optimus, but I know you have been through even more. You and your people." I murmured as I stepped out of Optimus's alt.
"How did the others join?"
"After a while we grew more and more well known and word got out. That is where Anya and Nina come in. They heard about us through people and wanted to join our cause, we accepted them. Then Rochelle came, her obsession with weapons lead her to us. Her curiosity on the armor and weapons the cube gave us had lured her to us. She tried stealing the shard but it didn't work out. Eventually over time we accepted her into our ranks when we saw her skill. We knew we could use someone like her watching our backs. Finally there is Rae, former prostitute on the run from her pimp. She was a little to sly for them, always stealing her clients money with out them knowing, and stealing from her own pimp. We ended up helping her and she grew fond of us, changed her ways before asking to join us as well. We were constantly on the move, constantly watching for enemies and constantly busy with jobs and missions."
"Jenna."
I turned to the opening of the room, Sam stood there, regret on his face.
"Sam... How much did you hear?"
"Enough." He walked closer. "I-I'm sorry.." He whispered before hugging me.
Tears burned my eyes before falling out. "I'm sorry too... I wont ever abandon you again. I promise on my life."
"I'll hold you to that." He smiled lightly before pulling back.
"Thank you, Optimus, for listening,"
"Any time little one."
"Have a good recharge, giant one." I laughed before retreating with Sam to see where our parents were.
I felt better now that someone else knew of everything. Better that I let it all out. Optimus was a good listener, and did not judge me once.
I liked that...
Few this chap took me a bit to write.. I hope you all liked it! After this is Time inbetween movie 1 and 2 before I write Movie 2. Hope everyone likes the story so far!