I.

Rain is pouring down once again. Garland City's streets are wet, moist and cold but for one man, it's as warm as it can get. There he is, sitting alone in his small, two person dining room, drinking his last bottle of whiskey. Or was it rum?! Whatever it is, it's wine for sure and it's really making this man tipsy. He was nearly falling off his seat when he shook his head and realized that he's not just drunk, he's wasted, severely intoxicated, drugged. It's his seventh bottle and it seems as if he still wants more.

"I am 50 years old. 20 years of police work. 20 years of alcoholism. 10 years of being unmarried. It has been 10 years since my wife left me and up to now, I still am not over her leaving me. The scent of her perfume, the kiss of her lips and the glossy touch of her red lipstick leaving its mark on my cheek on my collar and wherever it goes, the clicking of her heels whenever she comes home from work and the way she stoops down to kiss me when I'm reading my journals here. Gone! All gone! Marissa left me with nothing but a shattered heart, torn memories, a small apartment to live in, and drunken nights. When my dear wife left my side, I quit my job, moved into this dingy apartment, and drank every my pains away every single night."

The man slammed his last glass down and fell asleep on the table. 8 empty bottles of whiskey. Unbelievable!

"For 10 years, I've been sleeping drunk on the tables. Drinking doesn't wash your problems away, it only gives you the chills, makes you feel the thrills, then you buzz your head the next day."

Who is this man? What is his business around here? Well, this fella just happens to be Hubert Gorman…former Deputy Hubert Gorman. Back in the day, he was one of the leading cops around Garland City, he even garnered the "Cop of the Year" award for being the one to arrest the Dong Tong Gang and rescue the little girl who escaped their clutches, that little girl being the now 28 year old Jamie Taylor. Hubert could still recall the fearful look on the girl's eyes. The frantic and dreadful stare that she had all throughout the entire interrogation. When the criminals were finally captured, Hubert's pride, honor, and glory came. He was recognized for ending a decade's worth of terror in the city.

But this golden hearted cop is not all he seems. Beneath that homely, fatherly face and that warm, welcoming aura that enshrouds him lies a man of multiple sins and vices galore. During his stint as deputy, Hubert Gorman often drank in pubs and bars and womanized some time in his life, all this he hid from his wife. All those years he's been married to her, she never had a clue about what he's been doing.

Until once it came out! The once overly-hailed deputy has had his image tainted when the news of his womanizing and drunkenness especially during work hours has spread. Since then, Marissa refused to talk to her husband which eventually led to their divorce.

But enough about his background. His dirty past shan't be dug up anymore. Hubert just stays alone in his small and dirty apartment with no job, no Marissa, no nothing. And now, he's sleeping while still in deep wandering. Then he woke up, the bottle of whiskey still entwined between his callous and wound laden fingers. With stress and unknown anxiety creeping upon every bone in his body, Hubert stood from where he sat and groggily searched for the sink to puke his bile out. Outbalanced and dizzy, Hubert grasped on the sides of the sink and tried to purge the vomit stuck in his throat. Sadly, it wouldn't come out. He wasn't about to puke after all. Hubert pulled his head out of the sink and walked towards his small bedroom where he threw himself on the bed and stared at the ceiling with wide, open eyes. That gaze in his eyes told him that it wasn't bed time yet and there's still some time left to do something…fun.

"It was 10 in the evening. I didn't want to sleep yet. I knew there was life outside of this small crap house you call an apartment. I knew there was still something more to do than to just lie around and drink wine till I can't stand. "

Hubert then decided to leave the bedroom, leave the apartment and go out and have some fun. Yeah, that's it. Some fun. That's something he's never been able to have for the past few tumultuous years of his life. Storming out of his dingy apartment and barging drunk into his car, driving out at 10 pm, alone on the cold, damp, glistened-with-dew road. With eyes bloodshot, Hubert continued to stare at the lights in front of him, their swift rays lulling him to sleep. His red eyes were threatening to close and the moment that he does, you know what'll happen. Realizing this, Hubert pulled out some of the remaining energy drink that he has left in the drinks compartment and chugged it like a winner. This gave him the energy he needed to continue his drive and search for his rightful place.

"If people used to see me as someone who would side with the law, now they're seeing the other side of me. I'm not but a fallen angel who roams around hell amongst the devils, them waiting for me to let my guard down. And when I do, they'll devour every bit and piece of me till nothing is left."

It took Hubert some time to realize that he was nearing the place and he had to wake up if he wanted his car not to crash. Hubert shook his head and stroked the cold strands of his graying hair. He parked his car in front of Shady Lady's Bar where he sat on the driver's seat for quite a while and stared at the place itself. He thought to himself, what could he possibly get from banging a group of underage girls and going home equally drunk as when he was at home. Hubert examined the bar once more before stepping out of his car. He opened the door and placed the left foot on the cold stone ground before shutting the door and walking straight to the bar. Inside was the usual setting of not just Shady Lady's but practically every bar across America. Noisy, drunk, and horny, the men were cheering some girls on. Right from the very start, Hubert had a hunch on who owned the goddamn place.

"The music hasn't started yet, but I could already sense what was about to play. The girls haven't shown up on stage but I think I know who pays them the bucks that they need to live their everyday lives. KM13. The Crazy Gang 13. 13 boys-13 spoiled daddy's boys-who continued their daddies' legacies by making the town 3 times as worse at it already is. I've had several run ins with their dads and I must warn you, it's not a pretty experience. As my drunk eyes wander around the bar, watching every ray of light shine upon my eyes and blind me till I can't walk no more, I try to find my place around that place. Somewhere where I can just sit down, drink more alcohol and hopefully wash away my depressive dreams. I found some sort of cozy round couch round a round table with no men sitting in it. Solitude and serenity. Something that bars rarely have and it's just that something I found. Peace and quiet. It's kinda ironic that I went to a bar for some peace and quiet whereas I could achieve this at home in my room? If I wanted to drink alone I should've stayed in my dirty kitchen drinking every last bit of vodka there is. But I thought, never mind. I'm here. Suddenly, a skank-looking waitress of a girl approached my round table. I pretended not to see her as a way of saying "please leave me alone" but she just stood there…waiting for me."

"What can I get for you sweetie pie?" asked the young girl with that sweet tone in her voice. Hubert just looked straight but something in him wanted to look at the girl so badly. "Come on, honeybunch. You didn't come here for nothing now, did you?" asked the girl with frustration arising from her cute voice. Hubert finally looked at her, sensing that she's been standing for a considerable amount of time. The look of annoyance, depression, and a little bit of irritability was showing in his dark gray eyes. He wanted to growl, snarl, yell but didn't feel the need to do so. After all, he's dealing with a helpless little girl not a jerk of an old man. "I'll just get some lager beer, sweetheart if that's okay with you." Hubert replied with a tone of annoyed delightfulness. The girl nodded and walked away to get his drinks. Hubert's sarcastic smile faded into a dull frown which seemed to plunge deeper into his face. A few minutes later, the sugary waitress returned with a bottle of beer on her tray. She placed it down in front of Hubert who pulled out 5 bucks and handed it to the girl. As parting words, he said,

"There's your five bucks, sweetheart. Go buy yourself some candy." The young girl backed away in fright while holding the semi-crumpled dollar bill in her hand. "And while you're at it, get your dress back from Raggedy-Ann." Huber then turned his attention back to his drink. The bottle was sweating a cold sweat due to the ice. Hubert grasped this tighter and chugged it down his mouth, feeling its cold, icy-smooth, bitter rush down his throat and as he placed the can down, the lights began to dim down and there were some men cheering it on, probably because it turns them up. While Hubert is drinking his ice cold beer, a group of 5 boys with a young girl tagging along behind them. As Hubert can see from the side of his eye, one of the boys from the group ordered the young girl to do something for them. Hubert reckons it's asking her to buy them a drink or two. After a few money shoving acts, the girl slaps the guy's hand away and sits back down. This started the scene.

"I sat there in my misery, drinking beer and chugging each remaining drop of alcohol into my throat, I happened to have noticed some movement-violent movement-with my peripheral vision on my right. I could clearly see the girl being yelled at by the guy because she refused to buy him a drink or so. The men's voices were so loud but I tried to ignore them, after all they're none of my business. But then it started to get physical when the young girl threw tantrums and scoffed about. One of the guys-the tallest one-was pissed off at her act and began to physically assault her. He started by grabbing her hair, urging her to stand up. Once the girl was standing up, he yelled and bossed her around before slapping her face and punching her gut. That's when I took action."

Hubert noticed the commotion from the right side and tried to confront them. He started by tapping the man's shoulder and facing him.

"Dude if I were you, I'd put that fist down. I wouldn't want to get myself in a world of trouble." said Hubert calmly with his hands buried deep in his pockets. The man-introduced as Jaejoong-stepped forward and stared at Hubert, looking at him dead in the eye with a distance not so wide.

"But if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut." Jaejoong placed his hand inside his pocket and gripped on his switchblade. He pulled it out and flipped it open in front of Hubert hwo looked at it with plain boredom and childishness. Jaejoong grabbed Hubert by his collar and threatened to cut his cheek by placing the switchblade near his face. Still, Hubert looked at it with sheer boredom. Jaejoong removed the knife from his cheek and kissed it. "Cause I know who I'm dealing with." Jaejoong turned his back on Hubert and smirked. He called on the girl and ordered on her once more. This, time slapping her and hitting her head. Hubert tried to get involved but Jaejoong was just too quick. Just when Hubert was about to hit him with his fist, Jaejoong ducked down and pushed the middle aged man. The brawl was just about to start and everyone was staring at them, waiting for one man to make his next move.

Hubert made the first move, he punched Jaejoong in the gut while Jaejoong reciprocated with a kick in the thigh and punch in the jaw. The two men were soon brawling and before they knew it, Jaejoong's gang along with other civilian bargoers were trying to separate the two men and stop the fight. But Jaejoong's too strong. Just when his group mates were trying to stop him, Jaejoong broke free from their grip and attacked Hubert, threatening him to . However, the sneaky little girl snuck up from behind and gave Jaejoong what wrestling fans would call as a low blow. The fight stopped, Jaejoong fell to his knees in defeat, embarrassment, and pain and the rest is history. Hubert couldn't thank the girl even more. With this, the other members took the girl and brought her to the men's bathroom. What they did here will soon be revealed in the next part of the story.

II.

Cries, yelps, screams, wails, moans. All this could be heard from the men's bathroom in the bar. These noises belong to no one but Bettie Jane Lewis, the young girl who was being beat up in the men's bathroom by five guys for what? Publicly humiliating their leader by giving him a low blow. For The Scarlet Muscle, public humiliation is not an option. Hubert heard the commotion once again and rushed to the bathroom to have the fight stopped. He beat Micky-one of the members-on the back, thus distracting him. Micky shoved Hubert aside and screamed at his face.

"None of your business, old man! Stay out of it!" Hubert continued to beat him up and once he was able to pick Micky up, he placed the boy closer to his face and spoke to him in between gritted teeth.

"Well I'll have you know, son that I am a cop and I could have you arrested for what you're doing." the other gang members continued to abuse Bettie Jane but Micky started to sweat in nervousness. "I know you…"muttered Micky. "I know you goddamn well. You're Hubert Gorman. The retired cop." the mere mention of retired cop made his eyes glint in anger, his blood boil in madness, his perspiration pour in intensity, and his mouth shake in resentment. He wanted to crush the man in his arms. But he couldn't…so he just threw him on the ground and began a bathroom fight with The Scarlet Muscle. Fists and feet flew everywhere, blood splashed everywhere and as the men wrestled, Hubert muttered in between arms, "Little girl, go home! Run away! It's not safe here!" Bettie Jane remained on her spot and watched the violence happen before her eyes. Hubert peered through once more and said, "I said run along. Go home, baby, you wouldn't wanna see this happen" Hurriedly, Bettie Jane ran off outside the bathroom, only to be picked up by Changmin. Micky, Jaejoong and the rest of The Scarlet Muscle slumped Hubert down the bathroom floor unconsciously with blood pouring down his mouth and his forehead. The Scarlet Muscle, along with their young servant, rushed outside the bar and into their scarlet red car.

III.

The Scarlet Muscle took Bettie Jane back into their loft and in there, they continued to yell at her and torture her for the humiliation she has caused them and her dire refusal to do her job which is to follow orders.

The Scarlet Muscle by the way is another Korean Mafia known for committing similarly heinous crimes as the KM13. Garland City by the way is swarming with Koreans, thus the prominence of Korean gangs and mobs. Similar crimes such as those of murder, theft, slavery (be it labor or sexual), drug dealing and the like but unlike the KM13, they prefer a king's life, thus they kidnap little girls and turn them into slaves. A clear example of this is Bettie Jane Wilson who wasn't kidnapped but sold by her dad to make extra bucks for their family. Sadly, her father's hopes of rising above poverty never came true as the young girl never came back. Why didn't she come back? Because her dad was expecting money. And didn't she have money? Of course she didn't. The Scarlet Muscle made her work for long, hard hours with no pay and just tears, sweat, and blood. How painful is that?

In the bedroom where Jaejoong took Bettie Jane to assault and take advantage of her, screams could still be heard. Aside from laying his hands on the beautiful young lass, he took out his switchblade and scratched her face whenever she retaliated. Bettie Jane, however, tried in vain to still fight back and hopefully save herself. To no avail, Jaejoong got the best of her. Jaejoong beat her until she's bruised and cut. Bettie Jane was crying and begging Jaejoong to stop but the vicious gang leader wasn't just about ready to. Getting up from the floor and unbuckling his belt, he coiled the ends around his fingers and proceeded to whip Bettie Jane, leaving red marks on her skin. Bettie wasn't able to do anything but scream and yelp in pain.

"That's what you get for defying the orders of authority!" spat Jaejoong. His sweat and saliva was showering the place. With a pull on her hair, he lifted and sent Bettie Jane outside the door, literally throwing her and making her scramble on the floor. It was on that day that Jaejoong formally fired the girl and sent her packing. The moment Bettie Jane heard the words "you're fired", she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Is this a happy goodbye for her? True to what she was told, as so that she would not be accused of defying orders, she hurriedly stood up, despite sustaining some head-hits courtesy of Jaejoong and packed her things. She could feel her heart racing faster and faster by the minute and by the second. Bettie Jane stood up from where she was and ran towards the door. As if his rape wasn't enough, Jaejoong still gave her a gut jab along the way before opening the door and pushing her out. He locked the door and left the young girl to walk in the pouring rain at night all on her own.

Bettie Jane started her journey from The Scarlet Muscle's loft to home…where she belongs. With her backpack on her back and her heart heavy, feeling as if the world's on her shoulders, Bettie Jane prodded on the dark, cold streets, looking left and right for any signs of her home. Sadly, home is far from where she is.

Coincidentally, Hubert Gorman was driving along the road that she was walking on. Recognizing the girl from the bar earlier that night, he didn't want to miss the chance to strike a conversation with her so he pulled over and tried to ask her if she needed or wanted a ride.

"I see you're lost." he muttered in his cool, dark, baritone voice. "Can I offer you a lift?" he asked with unusual kindness in his voice. Bettie Jane recognized the voice and the face once she spun around. The car took its time to slow down before Bettie Jane stopped walking. She was still somewhat hesitant but judging by her current state, looks like she could use a ride. "Alright. But where are you going? I want to go home now." Hubert smiled and pushed the door open for her. "It's an awful late. You just tell me where your house is tomorrow and I'll bring you there. But until then, you just stay with me. I know a place where we can stay". Not bearing any malicious thoughts, Bettie Jane obliged and got inside the car. Hubert locked the door and they sped off. 'So who are you and where are you from?" Bettie Jane looked eerily at the mysterious stranger who beamed down at her and tried to save her life earlier that night. She didn't know whether to trust him or not. "I'm Bettie Jane Lewis. I'm from just around this city. Waldo Emerson Lane is where you can find my house to be exact. I've encountered you before. Just this night before I left actually. " Hubert's mysterious and shady exterior was shattered into a billion bits. He was recognized when he thought he seemed like air to her. Now he's sounding as if he's trying to impress her. "Yeah that's me." smirked a hopeless-looking Hubert. "Well don't be intimidated. They're nothing but a group of lost, lonely boys looking for someone small and pretty to bully around." Hubert snickered and said to himself, "The Scarlet Muscle…we've met once more." Bettie Jane looked at him and smiled.

"Who are you and what do you do?" asked the young girl, innocent curiosity showing in her bright blue-green eyes.

"I'm Hubert Gorman and I'm a retired cop. I've been married to a woman for 10 years then she divorced me. How about you? What do you do?" Hubert mocked the young girl's tone.

"I'm actually their servant. I was sold by my father and what I do is do things for them. Think of me as Cinderella." this made Hubert grin. A few wheel turns later, they're in front of the apartment. "We're here sweetheart. You can step down now."

Hubert and Bettie Jane stepped down the car and entered the house. Bettie, not having felt the homely feeling in a while, twirled around the small apartment like it was some whimsical wonderland. This made Hubert laugh even more. "Silly you! This is just a small apartment. Don't get too excited." Bettie Jane plopped down on the couch and sat like a child, swinging her legs back and forth. Hubert appeared from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate and his old polo. He handed the mug to Bettie Jane and wrapped the polo over her shoulders. This made Bettie Jane smile and Hubert more curious. He sat on the space next to her and began to strike a conversation with her.

"So your dad sold you to The Scarlet Muscle? How much were you worth?" Bettie sipped the hot chocolate with gusto despite sustaining minor tongue burns. "I was worth a lot." she said taking another sip from her mug. "A mighty lot at that, mister. You see, I wasn't worth a million, a thousand, a hundred or even a scent. But the mere fact that they took away my purity, my freedom, and my dignity, you could say that they bought me for a high price. Much higher than those bills they talk of." An uncomfortable silence reigned over them. Bettie Jane looked up at Hubert and finally spoke up. "I'm sorry for talking too much." muttered Bettie Jane. "I just want to express how I feel." Hubert smiled slightly. "It's nothing. You don't have to be sorry. I knew you were going to say it before you even opened your mouth." Bettie Jane giggled. "I love you." Now that's a bombshell. "Excuse me, what?!?" asked a confused Hubert. "I said I love you. Yes, you heard me right. I've been head over heels in love with you since you tried to save me earlier this night. You're the one I love Hubert…" Hubert felt a sudden rush of paleness and blood in his head. He could feel his brain being detached from its nerves and veins. He could feel his heart about to explode into tiny little bits with arteries and cholesterol bursting out. In short, Hubert was in shock. He didn't expect that a young girl whom he tried to rescue and now caring for would fall in love with him immediately. What the hell, he thought. She's just a young girl. At only 13 years old? Maybe she's just feeling a slight attraction or a crush as we would call it. But falling in love? Hubert wouldn't think so.

"Bettie, I want you to sleep. You see that room over there. You go over there and sleep. I don't want to hear any of your nonsense right now. I'm not in the mood for it." grumbled a grumpy Hubert. The mild mannered girl stood up from the couch and walked towards Hubert's bedroom. She brought with her the mug of hot chocolate which she took forever to finish and the polo that Hubert owned. Hubert trailed behind her and escorted her into his tiny bedroom. Bettie placed the mug atop a side table drawer and lay down on the bed. Hubert stood beside the bed and tucked her in with the blanket. Bettie looked at him with twinkling eyes that seem to say, 'I really love you, why don't you believe me?'. Hubert shook the thought off his mind and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You're just tired. Go to sleep now. Go ahead, shut your eyes. You're just tired." Bettie Jane smiled sheepishly and shut her eyes. She looked so peaceful and beautiful when she's in deep slumber.

Hubert went out of the room and sat on the torn and tattered couch. He contemplated things to himself and asked himself about what he's going to do with his life. He's fired, he's intoxicated, and now, he's at risk of being called a child molester since this child, namely Bettie Jane Lewis, whom he took home is madly in love with him and had just professed her love for him a while a go. Hubert couldn't help but pick up another can of beer in the fridge and gulp on it while the young girl sleeps. Suddenly, Hubert heard a cry from his bedroom. Knowing it was Bettie Jane, he dropped the beer can and rushed to her aid. Indeed she was crying. But he didn't know why. Hubert saw her, her eyes closed but tears running down them. Her face was pink and her eye bags were turning red. Hubert tried to wake her by yelling and yelling and shaking her until her eyes opened. Upon waking, Bettie Jane poured out more tears. Hubert embraced the girl and rubbed her back until she stopped.

"What happened to you? Did you have a bad dream?" asked Hubert with concern showing in his deep gray eyes. Bettie Jane couldn't help but throw herself at him once more. "I dreamt of them! I dreamt of them! They were going to kill me!" shrieked Bettie Jane. Hubert tried to calm her down once more and asked her who those people in her dream were. "The Scarlet Muscle. They're gonna hunt us down. They're gonna have you killed. They're gonna find me. They know I'm here." Hubert arched his left eyebrow and smirked. "'Fraid that ain't gonna happen, my dear. " said the retired cop. "I'm an ex cop. I'll take care of this." Bettie Jane sat down with her eyes fixated on the wall. "I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave this room anymore." she turned her sights on Hubert. "Hubert will you shelter me here for the rest of my life?! Please Hubert, please do it. I'm so terrified. I cannot even sleep well! How long have I been asleep?!" tears began to stream down her eyes as sheer randomness and slight insanity began to invade her mind. "You've been asleep for around 3 hours. Do you know what time it is?!" Bettie Jane clutched the blanket closer to her face like a little child. "No." she shook her head. "Well, it just happens to be one 'o clock in the morning. If you're not planning to get any sleep and if you're just planning to disturb me like you disturbed me last night this early morning, then I suggest you find your own place to stay and let me be the one to occupy that bed." Hubert demanded crankily. Bettie Jane bowed her head down in humiliation and desperation. She didn't know what to say or do next. "Oh yeah, and if you're wondering if you can stay here? The answer is no. I'm not letting some irritating bunny-voiced girl to live with me in this peaceful supposedly house of mine." this made Bettie Jane sulk even more. Her soft sobs made her shoulders shake and her body quiver. Hubert looked at the girl with sarcastic, evil eyes which mellowed down into sweet, caring eyes. "Alright. You can stay here for a week or so." Bettie Jane's dull face suddenly lit up and turned from pale white to rosy white. She crawled nearer to Hubert and embraced him. "Thank you." Hubert pulled away and talked to her seriously.

"Tell me the story of how you were sold by your father to The Scarlet Muscle." said Hubert.

"Oh well it goes like this. My father and I were experiencing real hardships. We had no money, no food, no shelter. We moved from apartment to apartment and dad had to work odd jobs just to get money. He then thought that he wouldn't be able to get enough money with just him doing all the work so he decided to make me work as a maid for another family. That's when he contacted the boss of the Scarlet Muscle, Larry Lee. Larry Lee agreed to hire me and promised my dad to send him my salary each time I earn something. Then I started to work for his sons, the Scarlet Muscle. However, it was far from what I expected…" Bettie Jane began to cry once more. Hubert held her hand and urged her to go on. "They would hurt me, punish me, torture me, take advantage of me and do all sorts of cruel things to me whenever I would do something wrong. Occasionally, whenever they feel like it, they'd just hurt me for no apparent reason." Hubert-who was absent mindedly staring at the window and pretending to be listening-suddenly snapped back into reality when he thought he heard something.

"Did you just say Larry Lee?" he asked in a trance. Bettie Jane nodded. "Yeah. Larry Lee. He's their boss and their dad."

"I arrested Larry Lee back in my prime. He was accused of child trafficking and had several accounts of child molestation and pedophilia. His sons followed in his footsteps several years later…" Hubert trembled. "But despite all this, that old man's a fuck of a fighter. He broke my neck several years back but I broke his ass. I broke his ass and sent it to jail." Bettie Jane's eyes widened with fear once more. "Actually, him and more. I had a lot of fresh catches during my prime. But the moment I was found out about…you know…I had a record of coming to work drunk, womanizing and the like…I was fired from the Police Squad and here I am, living on rents and doing odd jobs such as selling stuff in the morning." Hubert looked at her and bowed down once more. "Larry Lee was able to escape prison. He hunted for my house and once he was here, I was involved in a Herculean struggle with him. We brawled and wrestled around but when he pulled out his switchblade and stabbed my side, I was powerful no more despite having the upper hand during the earlier part of the match. However, with the help of my gun, I was able to slay him." She looked at him with fear drawn all over her face and her eyes. "Will they be able to find you?"

Hubert's answer?

IV.

A huge bang was heard on the front door. This made Bettie Jane more terrified thus making her embrace Hubert. Hubert in turn hugged the young girl and together they headed to the kitchen where Hubert's gun was hidden. He took it from the drawer and kept it in his pocket while embracing Bettie Jane. He headed for the door and leaned against it with his hand in his pocket clutching the gun. He was getting ready to fire the trigger at the door had it been the Scarlet Muscle knocking them down.

"Hey! Are you gonna open the door or are we gonna force ourselves in?!" yelled a voice from outside.

"Force yourself the fuck in if you can!" Hubert yelled back. He's trying to shush Bettie Jane who was sobbing like a faucet once more.

Another voice called in from outside, this time a different sounding one. "So you want us to bust our asses inside?!"

"Do so if you can!" yelled Hubert once more.

"Remember, you have something that's ours." yelled the other voice. This time, Hubert is positive that the Scarlet Muscle is indeed the ones knocking on their door.

"Who are you?!" he asked in deliberate ignorance.

"You know goddamn well who we are! You owe our father a lot!" Hubert is really positive that he's talking to the Scarlet Muscle.

"Try and bust in if you can!" he replied with the girl still in his arms. True to their words, the Scarlet Muscle suddenly broke into the house but were met by bullets and gunshots instead of a warm welcome. Hubert pushed the girl aside and told her to go lock herself inside her room. Bettie Jane hurriedly rushed to the door but Micky tripped her and grabbed her by the hair, threatening to

"We've been waiting for this all of our lives. You shamed our father. You took everything that meant everything to him!" yelled Changmin.

"You took away his pride, his glory, his all!" answered Xiah

"It's his passion, It's something he always wanted to accomplish, it'-" the bullet went throught Jaejoong's firm body, wounding him and weakening him.

"It's also his fault that he didn't teach his sons how to shut up!" Hubert blew the smoke off his gun. The other members readied themselves for battle. The men all brawled and wrestled just as Hubert and Larry did back in their day. Changmin and Xiah double teamed on the ex-cop but he still has some police action left in him. Hubert still knew how to throw a punch, kick about, and give a man one hell of a beating. With Jaejoong dead, Yunho, Changmin, and Xiah fought about with Hubert until they chased each other across the street. Micky took the girl and threw her at the backseat of their car before getting inside for a drive. He had something else in mind.

The fight was getting intense. Hubert got inside his car while the other boys got inside Yunho's car. Just like a movie, the two cars raced around the city with their respective drivers firing at one another. Hubert would occasionally look back and shoot the car, aiming for either the windshield or the wheels. The other car did the same to the latter however, since they're dealing with an ex-cop, it's not hard to tell who's dominating the chase. Unintentionally, Hubert remembered Bettie Jane. He recalled Micky pulling the girl and clutching, no choking her until she couldn't breathe. Realizing that Micky and Bettie Jane went ahead, he decided to just shoot the car up and look for the pretty girl. Finally, he found the car parked somewhere near a wasteland. Micky was standing near the wasteland with his strong arm wrapped around Bettie Jane's neck. Hubert saw all this and worriedly hurried. He stepped on the brakes and went down. Yunho's car followed sooner. Hubert was ready to face these men had it not been for Micky's objection.

"I have one more thing in mind." announced Micky Yoochun. "We're gonna make this bastard pay for what he has done to father." Micky clutched the girl even tighter. "Let's do it like this. How old is Bettie Jane Lewis?" Hubert furrowed his brows. "She's 13."

"13." Micky grinned. "She's a real beauty isn't she? I know you think so, too. You've been hiding her from us."

"What's your dirty plan?!" asked Hubert with that cold, icy voice.

"Dirty plan?! Ha! It's a fair plan you son of a bitch! Here's the deal. If you still want this beautiful little lady grow up to be a lovely young woman, I suggest you take that gun and shoot yourself in the head to end this meaningless life of yours and give chance to another."

Hubert's eyebrows furrowed even more.

"However, if you choose to be selfish and live up to your dying days, you know what'll happen to pretty Bettie Jane." Micky pulled out his gun and pointed it at Bettie Jane's head. Bettie Jane's cries became louder and louder. So loud it confused Hubert, prompting him to pull out his gun and hold it before his eyes.

"I'm making the wisest decision I've ever made." Hubert pointed the gun at his head and looked at Micky and the rest of the Scarlet Muscle in the eyes. He held it at this position until the boys were dazed and impatient.

"Just fucking shoot yourself already!" yelled Changmin. What they don't know is the Hubert's got another gun and he just happens to be clutching it right now. Counting one to five in his head, Hubert pulled out the gun and caught Micky off guard. He shot Micky's right hand, amputating him and dropping the gun, freeing Bettie Jane. He also shot and shot the other arm until it's laden with bullet holes. Bettie Jane collapsed to the ground but Hubert helped her up and tried to help her stand.

"Bettie Jane, are you alright?!" Bettie Jane was crying once more. Hubert scanned his gun and handed it over to the young girl. "Shoot 'em up, girl!" Bettie Jane stood up and with wobbly feet and straining arms, she stood with Hubert Gorman and together, they fired guns at the Scarlet Muscle who were firing at them as well. It wasn't soon before long, only Yunho was left.

Bettie Jane bravely for the first time stepped forward and confronted the abusive gang member. Yunho's legs were shaking like a newborn's.

"You know, life's like a boomerang." Bettie said reloading the gun. A look of beautiful maturity and redemption was on her face. "You throw it at someone, it comes back to you. That's the way it is with me, silly boy. You mess around with me, you'll be messed up in the end." Bettie Jane pointed the gun at him and just when she was about to shoot him, a long, shiny, silver sword came spinning from above, skewering Yunho's head, killing him for her. Bettie Jane's innocence returned to her face as she looked at Hubert and smiled at him.

"C'mon Hubert, let's go home."

Hubert smiled and chuckled. He and the young girl got inside the car and went to retire for the morning.