Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row .
"Johnny, lay off," Dex hissed, running his hands up and down every inch of Gabriella's exposed skin, checking for any bruises. "Ahhhh, quit bein' a bitch," Johnny retorted off-handedly, obviously not fazed by Dex's brotherly-induced panic. Gabriella shivered as Johnny Gat's eyes cut to her face, staring at her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. By now, other gang members began to sober up (somewhat…) and crowded around Gabriella, making her feel claustrophobic. It was in this moment that she took inventory of her situation.
After barging into a Third Street Saints party, she managed to knock out 3 females. Aside from the hookers, she was the only civilian in the place, and police wouldn't raise a fuss if the gang members decided to take revenge for their fallen comrades. Even with her brother there, Gabriella didn't feel safe. How could she? Everyone was surrounding her and staring at her like some side show, and Johnny's unabashed, unwavering gaze didn't stop the butterflies in her stomach.
He was tall, head and shoulders above a lot of the gang members she could identify. His hair was raven black and tipped white, contrasting against his yellow-toned skin. "Asian maybe…?" It was hard to tell, but the red dragon tattoos that snaked up the sides of his neck added to her assumption about his heritage. Overall, not an unattractive man, to Gabriella at least, but she still found his presence unnerving. The way he stared at her, as if he was trying to decide to kill her then or let Dex and the others handle it, made Gabriella want to run.
In fact, this whole situation made her want to run! Gabriella cursed her bravado and the unbridled anger that got into this mess. An insignificant innocent amongst gangsters, she knew they could take her out and the police wouldn't care less about her. Hell, there was a graveyard just outside the church!
A voice broke through her mental diatribe. "What's your name, playa?" A tall, dark man stepped forward. A little shorter than Johnny. Not by much, he wore a black expensive leather jacket. It meshed well with his simple purple shirt and black pants. The only thing that looked expensive on him were the two gold chains around his neck. With a black leather ascot cap twisted backwards, he looked like any of the other members. Probably even less.
However, the air of power that surrounded him allowed Gabriella to distinguish him from the rest. How everyone regarded him, the way they moved around him, it was easy to see that he was in a position of authority. She also realized she had yet to answer his question.
"Gabriella…" Her voice cracked. Whether it was out of fear or because her throat was legitimately hurting, can be left to interpretation.
"For someone who looks like they ain't had to scrap, you fight well," the man nodded, beginning to stare at her with the same curiosity Johnny Gat had done, except his eyes didn't gave that devious glint. He almost looked…hopeful, and in the midst of this filth and disparaging environment, it was Gabriella's turn to be curious. She kept silent, unsure of how to answer to his statement. Gabriella didn't take much pride in what she did, and she was sure that this tall man would order her death at any moment.
Dex paled slightly, staring at Julius and nodding. "Yeah, she's aight…But now, she is leaving," he said quickly, jerking Gabriella roughly to her feet and trying to usher her towards the door. Gabriella planted her feet, not allowing her brother to drag her to the church's exit. Her interest was piqued. Not by the gang or the people in it, but in her brother's reaction to her being here.
Although he cared for her, it was rare if Dex ever put thought towards Gabriella's personal safety. Aside from advising her to stay indoors at night, he didn't make it his business to impose himself on her. He was a man unshaken, rarely losing his cool. And if he did, Dex certainly didn't show it to anyone. But he was in front of hardened criminals, cowering on her behalf. Did he not want her here because of the dangers that came with being around this rowdy bunch? Or did he not want his little sister cramping his gang lifestyle? Rather than rely on speculation, Gabriella wanted to test it.
"Well, I don't have to leave just yet," she shrugged and looked the man in the eye. "Maybe I could…hang…here?" It sounded more like a question than the powerful statement she wanted to give. How does one go about saying what Gabriella wanted to say?
"Hey, I know I just stormed into your gang headquarters and beat up three of your members, but do you mind if I chill here so I can piss off my brother?" With all her eloquence, that didn't exactly roll off the tongue.
"This ain't a clubhouse kid. You wanna stay here, you gotta be in," a tall, blonde white guy nursing a cigarette, spoke from the corner of the room. "Hell. No. Troy, we are not discussing this. Gabriella, go home." Dex glared at Gabriella, willing her to leave. "Why should I, Dexter?" Gabriella bucked up, staring defiantly at her brother. "It's not like home is any safer. Your little gang buddies came and shot up the house. What, scared that I might get my head blown off?" She sneered, satisfied with the frown that decorated Dex's face. She decided to continue, and twist the knife a little more. "In fact, I got kicked out of school because they think I am some sort of safety liability. So you know what? You can take your fake concern and shove it up your ass," she yelled, completely forgetting that there were other people in the room.
Silence.
The beating of hummingbird's wings would have been enough to break the quiet air.
"I like her," Johnny shrugged from a corner, smirking at Dex's speechlessness. "But if she wants to be one of us, she has to be canonized."
Julius chuckled and shook his head. "You don't think her knocking out three broads was canonization enough?"
"Nah, I have something more subtle in mind," Johnny grinned wickedly in Gabriella's direction. Judging by his demeanor and the bloodthirsty look in his eyes, Gabriella was sure that his "something" wouldn't be at all subtle.
"Johnny, she isn't going out and killing Benjamin King," Troy, the obvious voice of reason in the bunch, sighed in exasperation. "Look at her. Fists have nothing to do with guns. She wants to prove herself? She needs to go out and put in some work." Gabriella held in her snicker as she watched Johnny visibly deflate.
"This is not happening. Julius, you aren't seriously going to let her do this. Are we really that desperate for help that we would consider this bullshit?" Dex threw up his hands in obvious frustration. "We need all the help we can get, son," Julius shrugged and nodded to Troy. "Alright Troy. Since you're the one with the bright ideas, you take the kid out and show her the ropes." Julius turned away from the group and began to make his exit, three gang members in tow.
"Aight kid, time for you to buy a piece." Troy led Gabriella towards a shabby storefront, the flickering letters read 'Friendly Fire.' Gabriella could feel her eyebrows raise in skepticism. Would a store actually sell weaponry to a minor? It was common knowledge that Stilwater wasn't known for its morality, but Gabriella couldn't believe that an establishment would sell firearms to someone who didn't meet the age requirements and couldn't prove otherwise. A small bell chimed near the door, indicating their entrance into the storefront. The walls were lined with all manners of destruction: guns, rifles, grenades, and even a rocket launcher. A cold shiver vibrated against Gabriella's spine as she thought of the countless times people walked into the place to buy guns. Some for protection, others for devious activities. Activities should would soon find herself participating in. Was it all truly worth it? Her home being shot at, being kicked out of school, her brother…did all of that really warrant any of this? Gabriella concluded that, as Troy handed her a simple Vice 9, that she would find out.
After buying their weapons and ammo to reload, Gabriella and Troy slipped into his bright purple vehicle to go over their "plan."
"Here's the plan kid. We drive down the block and waste a couple of the vice kings in Mission Beach. After that, we head to Forgive and Forget, they will clean up everything," Troy explained quickly, already putting the car into drive and pulling into the street. "How will I know which guys are Vice Kings?" Gabriella stammered, unnerved by the lack of details that Troy wasn't giving. "Waste anyone in yellow," he said simply, making a sharp turn into a neighboring street, cutting someone off. "Look, I know this is your first time and all that, but you have to move quick. The car we're in ain't exactly conspicuous, so they might see us comin'. I pull up, you shoot out the window." The metal of the gun felt cool against heated, sweat-soaked palms, and Gabriella was almost positive Troy could smell the fear leaking from her pores. Fighting was one thing, but to take life in your own hands and crush it was something completely out of Gabriella's element. She felt Troy slow down and unbuckle his seatbelt. He switched the car to cruise control and rolled down his window. Gabriella quickly followed suit, pulling her own window down.
"We're rolling up on a group of them. Small, but it should give you enough experience to make Julius happy," Troy pulled up to the curb, about 50 feet or so away from their rivals. "Find the Vice Kings, and shoot," he commanded, waiting to see what she would do.
Gabriella's eyes quickly scanned through the somewhat empty sidewalks. Then, she spotted them. A group of three men stood on the corner, drinking and waving their guns around at random pedestrians. Their jackets were a bright, obnoxious yellow and Gabriella found herself getting annoyed at it. They were flaunting their status as the Third Street Saint's rival on their territory. They were treading on saints' ground, and they needed to be punished for their idiocy. Their flagrant disregard for the laws (if they could be called that…) associated with gang territory.
Gabriella leaned slightly out of her window, pointing her gun in their direction, zoning in on the head of one of the men. She squeezed the trigger and felt the magic happen. The once lifeless hunk of metal seemed to burst to life. She could feel the heat of the gun as the bullet exploded through the barrel. She watched in glee as the men stiffened at the deafening sound of the gun, then their horror as their homie dropped to the ground. The gray sidewalk was stained. No…painted red with his blood and brain matter. He was shot dead through the forehead, leaving the body practically headless. "Nice shot!" Troy exclaimed, leaning out of his own window and making quick work of the other two, taking advantage of their shock. Three dead bodies lay on the corner as Troy floored the gas, shooting off towards Forgive and Forget.
"So, how was that?" Troy grinned and looked over at Gabriella, who shaking slightly. "It…was awesome! I mean did you see their faces!" she laughed and ran her free hand through her hair, while her other hand had the gun in a vice-like grip.
As Troy paid for their sins at the drive-thru, Gabriella felt herself slip into thought. Her head felt light from her first kill, and she quickly discarded any feelings of disgust that might have tried to creep up. A couple of days ago, Dexter dropped the bomb that he was a Saints member and in that moment, Gabriella felt like her world was beginning to crumble. In a way, after he told her the news, she felt that he was already dead. How could he survive out in these streets Vice Kings, Carnales, and Westside Rollerz, and the police all after him? She glanced at Troy, who was trying to order a funbag at the Freckle Bitch's drive-thru, and she understood how. The people watching Dex's back could keep him alive. Julius was a more than capable leader who had managed to earn the respect of his gang. Despite Johnny being a bit of a head case, he doesn't look like the type to let his comrades fall. And Troy was more than competent enough to help. And now, Gabriella could try her best to look after Dex the way they looked after him.
"Maybe this gang thing isn't so bad. It's kind of like a family. A dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless...I guess."
She blinked and caught Troy staring at her, only to realize she hadn't stopped staring at him.
"What?" he asked, slightly muffled by the burger he had up to his mouth.
"Nothing," she turned to face her window and smiled discreetly.
Sorry for the extremely late update people! Finals was a real bitch, but I survived! :D *balloons and confetti fall from the sky* . right…so rate, review, and recommend =D I truly value your opinions!