This chapter actually didn't turn out how I intended for it to be. I was going to write a completely different scene, which I guess I'll have to save for next chapter. I'm looking forward to writing the next one, actually. The last chapter and this one were pretty mellow and focused more on flashbacks, and I apologize if that bores you at all. Next chapter will hopefully be more of present time, along with a niiiice flashback~
(lol, maybe I was actually implying something there. xD)

Anyway, enjoy the chapter and PLEASE REVIEW!


After dropping Shaundi off after a night of violent escapades, Liz pulled into the garage of Shaundi's ex's loft. The place was a little too cozy for her liking, but without anywhere else to crash, it was the only thing better than driving a half hour to the penthouse. She turned her car off and shakily took the key out of the ignition before climbing out of the vehicle. After hitting a few strip clubs with her lieutenant, she had more alcohol in her system than even she was used to. Her normal stride had turned into a drunken stumble, and walking in five inch heels wasn't helping her at all.

She muttered every curse imaginable under her breath as she began the long trek up two flights of stairs to get to the apartment. The world seemed to be spinning around her, and her perception had been so skewed that she could no longer see straight. It was a feeling that was all too familiar for her.

After a good fifteen minutes, she jiggled the knob to the loft open. Although her attempts were futile, the door opened with ease. To her surprise, no other Saints had decided to crash there for the evening, so she had the place all to herself. She slammed the door and practically threw her purple Louboutin heels to the floor before collapsing on the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned the old television set on to lull her into a deep sleep. The waves of the snowy channels began to make her feel like she was standing in the rain, and suddenly, she began to fade away…


Johnny Gat was undoubtedly the angriest person in the world at the moment. The one thing that he had been dreading had finally happened, and he was absolutely livid.

Shogo Akuji had threatened him to the death at Aisha's funeral.

Veins were poking out of his neck and the hairs on his arms were standing straight up. He was ready to kill every last bone in that son of a bitch's body if it was the last thing he would do.

Unfortunately, even for Johnny, killing him wouldn't be as easy as it sounded. Just seconds before, Shogo had sped away on his custom motorcycle. It was obvious that riding away was his only option if he wanted to evade death.

The moment he saw the bastard leave, his heart skipped a beat. If he was allowed to get away, there would be no way to track him down. He would most likely fly back to Japan in a panic, and revenge would become too difficult to achieve.

He watched the man go through a red light and almost get hit by two large SUVs. The thought of him being struck made the angry man snicker a little on the inside. If that had happened, thoughts of retribution would have no longer been needed.

His head turned when he heard a matching cycle engine come roaring from the same direction as Shogo's.

Smoke from the recently fired guns began to clear through the rainy air as he watched Liz drive out of the cemetery on a dusty gray Kenshin. Her once neat cocktail dress was now soaked and ripped up the side from the long gunfight that they had just engaged in with other Ronin. Johnny looked down at his own tattered silk suit and cursed loudly, but the wind caught his words, making them lost in the madness. He looked back up at the Boss just in time to see her take the same path that Shogo had taken. She turned and glanced at him reassuringly. Her lips parted and she began to mouth something to him.

"I'll get him."


The many roses that had been placed on the casket had slid down from the impact of the heavy rain. Johnny stepped towards it and calmly put his colorful bouquet of roses back on the spot where they used to be. A profound sigh made its way through his lips, and he looked down at the shiny sarcophagus in sorrow. His feelings of anger had now been replaced with bitter remorse, and the sight in front of him made everything seem so much worse than it really was.

Johnny wasn't one to apologize to anyone, however, now wasn't the time to hold his ego in the way of anything. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and pounded his fist on the casket. Bits of thunder rolled in the background as he began to say the things he knew he should have said earlier.

"Goddamn it, Eesh…I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry…" he cried. Physical tears weren't running down his cheeks, but his emotions were coming out loud and clear. He looked around the cemetery in an attempt to find more to say. So much was caught up inside of him, and now was the last time he could ever say anything to her. Instead of ceasing his only opportunity, his mouth was numbed shut. He could not utter a single syllable.

His thoughts were interrupted by loud footsteps and the voice of a struggling Shogo Akuji. Johnny quickly regained his composure and stood up. He brushed the dirt off of his pants and looked over to see the bonehead of a man being restrained by Liz herself. She wiped a bit of blood into her shoulder and gave her best friend a hint of a smile.

"He's yours." she said simply. As if he was a child's toy, she threw him over to Johnny despite his vocal pleas. Shogo's face collided directly with Johnny's fist, sending him soaring onto the ground. He howled in pain and stared at the large man standing over him.

"Get up." Johnny sneered. The inferior man did as he was told and stumbled up. His mind was racing, and he thought of quick plans he could execute to make it out alive. His options were very limited, and making it out of this situation was almost literally hopeless. He looked over at Gat and sent his leg soaring into the air to smash into the gangster's chest. The kick landed flawlessly, but the force wasn't even close enough to knock down the Saint. Johnny grabbed his leg and snapped the bone in half, causing him to scream out in pain. Before he could hit the soggy ground, their heads collided, sending Shogo down onto the ground once again.

"Get up." Johnny repeated. The Ronin leader knew that fighting wasn't going to get him out of this. He did as he was told, and, in one final physical attempt, he sent his fist soaring into his opponent's face. From afar, the punch seemed to be perfectly aimed. In reality, it landed pitifully on Johnny's face and didn't cause a single bruise or scratch. The superior man just shook his head at the rival and threw the kind of punch that Shogo had intended to give him. For the third time, the Asian antagonist was disabled on the ground. The back of his head had smacked against a lone tombstone, and he realized that nearly all of his options had disappeared. The only way out of this now was to reason and apologize.

He had a feeling that wasn't going to work.

"P-Please stop…" he said pathetically. Johnny clenched his fists.

"See what happens when you fight someone who isn't stuck to a fucking chair? It ain't easy, is it?" he questioned. Shogo turned and gave the Saint a hellish glare.

"I didn't kill her!" he bellowed. Johnny didn't return the fierce look; he merely scowled and shook his head.

"You ordered it." Gat countered. He was beginning to get tired of the small talk.

Before he could comprehend what his own body was doing, his hands were around Shogo's neck, strangling him as hard as he could. Then, in an instant, he threw him directly into the tombstone he had been cowering into a few seconds ago. Despite the stone's thick structure, it shattered onto the ground.

Shogo made his concluding effort as he coughed up a large amount of blood. He was shaking and cowering, and a quick death was all he could hope for.

"I'm sorry…" he said cleanly.

"Apologizing doesn't bring her back. You could even let her have a fucking burial!"

Johnny made another sudden move and picked up Shogo's broken body. Despite the leader's cries for help, he dragged him over to the nearest open casket. The Saint rolled its current occupant out and clearly let the other man know his fate. Shogo only stared at the dead woman next to him for a split second before he was the one in her former resting place. He shrieked with horror before Gat slammed the box shut. His screams could barely be heard through the dense wood covering him.

Liz stepped forward when a shovel was tossed her way. She hadn't expected her second in command to react the way he did. Mixtures of shock and satisfaction swirled throughout her body as she looked down at the grave of the Ronin leader.

Regardless of how brutal Shogo's punishment had been, it was what he deserved, and it was also one of the most badass things Gat had ever done. Monotonously, she assisted him in lowering the casket and burying it by hand.

Once the deed was done, she threw the equipment to the ground and wiped her muddy hands off on her dress. She couldn't wait to peel it off when she got home; in addition to the rip that had occurred up the side of it, it was now beginning to rip near the waist. It was extremely uncomfortable, and the rips and muddy handprints made it even more unflattering than it should have been.

"You ready to go?" she asked quietly. Johnny looked up at the sky; the rain had just stopped, and a grey-blue sky was starting to appear from behind the clouds.

He dropped his shovel to the ground and began walking to his car in response.

Liz could only follow him.


The loud voices playing on the television began to lure a certain gang leader out of her deep sleep. It was late afternoon, and Liz had been sleeping for a little over twelve hours. Thankfully, this meant that she had managed to sleep through the massive hangover that she had had a few hours before. Her eyes blinked open and she sat up to look at the recognizable voice that was preaching on the news channel. Monica Hughes echoed through the speakers of the eighties television set, and the caption "Senate launches STAG initiative" was flashing below her. Liz rubbed her forehead and tried her best to comprehend what the woman was saying.

"While no group has taken credit for the attack in Stilwater, we have ignored its root cause. Gangs have been turned into gods in this terrible media culture of ours. Sociopathic gang leaders are now being proclaimed leaders by our youth!" she lectured. Applause followed every paragraph she read.

"Those who were responsible for this act of terror will be found and taken into immediate custody! To do this, we as a Senate have launched the STAG initiative to take back our streets and keep our children safe!" An even bigger wave of cheers spread throughout the Senate meeting, and Liz turned off the television in disgust.

She pulled out the phone to call her crew: it was time to figure out what the hell the STAG initiative was.