I swear this update was not supposed to take as long as it did but unfortunately, my SR3 game disc gave out on me after nearly ten years of loyal service and halted any further progress on the story until I bought SR3 Remastered on my Xbox.
However, not long after getting the game, I got a gaming PC and pretty much abandoned my Xbox and further pushed this story down the list of my other stories.
As if the universe wanted me to continue this story, a notification pops up on my gaming PC that Epic Games was giving SR3 remastered away for free! So, of course, I downloaded the game and as soon as it was done, I began playing and recorded my gameplay, this time through my gaming PC and made working on the story so much easier and managed to finish what remained of the story in a matter of a couple of weeks.
Another reason I wanted to get this chapter posted ASAP is because I want to address the recent release of the rebooted Saints Row trailer.
I have to be honest, I am pretty disappointed and seeing that the trailer has more dislikes than likes on the Saints Row Youtube channel and the many reaction videos I have seen, I am not the only one.
I know when you do a reboot, you are basically reimagining the story and changes are to be expected but this looks nothing like the Saints games that we enjoyed playing.
The "Saints" don't look like badass gangsters. In fact, they look nothing like a gang but pesky kids at best. I don't mind the graphics in general. People claim it looks like fortnite but that is the least of my concerns.
What concerns me is the sanitization of Saints Row in this reboot. How are you going to make a game aimed at a mature audience but then cut out the adult themes that were a big part of Saints Row? Rim jobs is now Jim Robs and Freckle Bitches is now called FB's. I bet Rusty's Needle had a name change too because God forbid a violent video game with shooting and killing NPCs for fun offers a bit of clever adult humor.
However, despite what I saw with the trailer and how disrespectful Volition has been to fans who offered very courteous criticism, I am going to keep an open mind about this. I am going to wait until I see some gameplay. I don't want to judge the game based off of one cinematic trailer.
End of my opinion.
Here are the answer to reviews.
Bajor10- No, she doesn't. Everyone wants to do a pairing with Shaundi and while that's fine, it's too overused and I actually like Viola's character. I wish the game gave her more time but at least it gives me the opportunity to use my imagination when I write more on her backstory.
1Jesus- Glad you think the story is cool.
The PhantomHokage- Glad you like the story and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. I look forward to seeing your Saints row story when you get to posting it. I am honestly debating on whether I should kill Kiki or not. Kiki's death was pivotal to Viola's change in alliance but keeping her alive would be a nice change from canon.
Alright, without further ado, here is the third chapter. Enjoy.
The Demon Wolf of Steelport
CH.3
Behind Enemy Lines
It was not long before Silas and Shaundi caught the distant lights of Steelport while sailing through the air. Silas had Shaundi hold onto him tightly as he directed the parachute to the nearest building and land on top of it.
The landing was a little rougher than he wanted it to be but at least he did not have to roll on the ground with Shaundi still in his hands and accidentally hurt her. Something that he knew she was very grateful for.
Skidding to a halt on the gravel rooftop, Silas put Shaundi down, who looked relieved to finally be on solid ground.
Unlocking the buckles and removing the straps, Silas tossed the parachute pack to the floor and walked over to the edge of the high building and stared out at the city below to finally take a breather.
Silas stared out at the city below. He could not believe how much it had changed since he last came here. It was barely a town with a main street for shopping and a few neighborhoods with cute little houses and a steel mill on Magarac island just outside of the city where the men in town would ferry a ride and work in the mill. Now, the city was twice the size of Stilwater with amazing towering buildings in its expanded and illuminating Downtown district though the Steel mill seems to be nowhere in sight. What stood in its place was a towering statue of Joe Magarac towering over the star shaped island.
"I can see why you like heights so much." Shaundi said as she carefully stood to his left. She held onto his shoulder with a slightly firm grip. He knew she was not a fan of heights and what they went through was most likely her worst nightmare coming true but she still made an effort to stand beside as they looked down from a good three hundred feet above. "From up here, the city looks so beautiful and quiet."
Silas nodded. "Being away from all the noise of the busy city and the stress of being a gang leader is nice. I feel like I can think and relax."
Silas glanced toward Shaundi, seeing the distant gaze in her glistening eyes. He could see the tragedy and hardship of the day was taking its toll on her. It was understandable. He wanted to take a moment to take a breather and grieve but now was not the time. They were in enemy territory with no firepower and no manpower.
"I can't even imagine the hardship of what being the leader could be," Shaundi said to him. "It's a dangerous occupation and you have to ensure the safety of everyone—" Shaundi's voice was getting heavier with each word until she could no longer speak without the threat of breaking down in a fit of sobs.
Turning to her, Silas could see she was trying her best to keep her composure. The loss of Johnny was a heavy blow to the Saints. It was going to be hard on everyone but for Shaundi, it's clearly hitting her harder. Johnny was her mentor and he helped straighten her out to make her a more capable lieutenant. She owed a lot to him and now he was gone.
Silas could feel his emotions getting the better of him as well. What he was feeling was anger. A deep burning hatred for Loren and his Morningstar for taking away his best friend. The anger he felt toward Loren was nothing compared to the anger he felt toward himself. Johnny was right, they had gone soft. They were no longer a gang to be revered and were so caught up in their fame that they had not realized that another gang was sneaking into their own city and laying claim to it bit by bit.
Johnny. His second in command, his best friend was gone and it was his fault. If Silas had been more attentive to the gang part rather than the business part, Johnny would still be alive.
Silas shook his head and stood up straight. No. He cannot think about that now. Right now, he and Shaundi were in enemy territory with no backup.
The first thing they have to do is get some protection and then call the other Saints for reinforcement. Loren and his goons want a war with the Saints, then that's what they will get.
"Come on, climb on my back. Let's head down." Silas said crouched down so Shaundi can climb on his back.
Doing as she was told, Shaundi climbed on his back and held on tightly as he walked with ease to the edge of the building.
Silas could tell Shaundi was nervous about being so high but with him, she had nothing to worry about.
"Hold on tight." He told her. She nodded and wrapped her arms and legs tighter around his body.
When he felt she was secured enough, he crouched for a moment before lunging into the air.
Shaundi let out a shriek at the sudden launch and wrapped her arms even tighter around his neck. If breathing was a necessity for him, he might have passed out from her death grip but it wasn't and he found it a bit comical and allowed her to hold as tight as she needed to feel safe.
Not long after launching into the air did they begin to gradually descend toward the next building.
Silas readied himself and as soon as he got close enough, he dug his claws into the concrete wall of the building and made his way down to the alleyway.
Once they touched down onto the ground, Silas let Shaundi slide down from his back.
"Are you okay, Shaundi?" He asked her when he watched her hold on to the wall.
"Yeah, I'm just…" Shaundi took a long breath and exhaled. "...just not used to falling from such heights. I need to get used to it."
Silas nodded. Shaundi is such a tough badass who's willing to run through gunfire that he sometimes forgets that she is afraid of something normal as heights. God, is she terrified of heights. Tonight has no doubt been her worst nightmare come to life but he had to give it to her, she is handling it like a champ.
Holding out his hand, Shaundi took it and let him lead the way to the busy sidewalk to blend in with the crowd.
"What's the plan?" Shaundi asked him as she scanned the people around them.
"Find the nearest ATM and take out some money for weapons." Silas responded as he too scanned the crowd for any enemies. "If I can find a working one in this craphole area."
Shaundi must have noticed how lost Silas was as he looked around the businesses they passed in hopes of finding a bank that hopefully has an outside ATM for she grabbed his hand and took the lead.
"What are you doing?" He asked her as they weaved through the crowd, avoiding any contact with these...colorful characters.
"I know this city like the back of my hand." Shaundi explained to him. "I used to come here all the time for spring break when I went to college."
"Really? You spent your spring break here?" Silas asked her as he glanced at the citizens of the city. It was like Stilwater before he improved the city but worse. He could not fathom why anyone would spring break in this city when there are much better places.
"Well, aren't you being a little snooty?" Shaundi chuckled at him.
"I'm not being snooty." Silas argued in return as he stared at the city's population of homeless and prostitutes showing off to potential Johns, some even holding signs of what they offer. What the fuck is a feelboss? Silas did not even want to know. "I just think there are better places than Steelport to go for spring break. Like Mexico or California or somewhere else."
"This place was just as good as any of those places." Shaundi told him. "Besides, I wasn't really coming for the scenery but more for the drugs and partying so anywhere would have been just as good as long as it had an endless supply of beer and weed."
Silas smiled. Yup, that sounded like the Shaundi he first met. Going wherever the drugs and booze was.
"I'm surprised you haven't been here before, Silas." Shaundi said as they made a turn down another street. "Considering this city is not far from Stilwater."
"Oh, I have been here before." He clarified. "It's just been a long time since then and a lot has changed."
"Really? When?"
"Years ago." He answered her. Shaundi looked surprised at his answer.
"Can you be any more vague?" Shaundi chuckled. "You are over a thousand years old. Be a bit more specific."
Shaundi looked at him with interest that he could tell she wanted him to continue. Silas was not prone to storytelling about his past but the few times he does, his friends find it interesting with them wanting to know what life was like before they were born. It honestly makes him feel like a grandparent talking about his childhood.
"1950." Silas said with a more specific answer but he knew Shaundi was going to want to hear more. "After the war, I spent years traveling, going from town to town trying to lay low and I ended up here."
"You fought in the war?" Shaundi asked him with a shocked tone in her voice. "How were you able to even join? I mean, wouldn't the government know about your...condition?"
"Oh, they already knew." Silas informed her. "The government has always known about the existence of supernatural creatures and our whole hidden world. They just keep it a secret from the general population to not create mass panic."
Shaundi looked as if her mind had been blown at the information she was given. Her brown eyes were wide and her mouth slightly gaped. She even slowed a bit with her walking which caused Silas to stop walking as he waited for her to catch up.
"A deal was made that the government will agree to keep it all a secret and even live in harmony together as long as we, the supernaturals, come to their aid when called upon."
"And it happens to be every war?" Shaundi asked. "Talk about getting the advantage."
"Not every war." Silas clarified. "This one, the second world war, it was different. The men that found me and explained what was going on in Europe...they were worried and seemed desperate for help from the supernatural world."
Silas could tell that Shaundi was becoming more interested in the story but that was as far as it was going to go for that particular part.
"Anyways, after the war was over I decided to do some traveling. Stay off the grid and such. I really did not feel like matriculating back into civilization just yet and wanted to clear my head. Five years later, I was returning to the states and ended up here in Steelport. The little town that saw huge economic growth during the war due to the need for its steel. Even after the war, the US Military was asking for a high demand for their steel, and the steel mills needed as many people as they could to fulfill the high demands. The pay was pretty good."
Silas pointed over to the towering statue of Joe Steel out in the harbor.
"That was where the steel mill was when I worked there." A big earthquake had broken the landmass off from the mainland and formed its own island. Unfortunately, the steel mill had been destroyed and thus starting the chain of events that led to the prosperous city built on steel to deteriorate into an economic crisis as its main source of income was destroyed beyond repair.
"It was a good job too." Silas added as they crossed another street. "It was a tough but rewarding job and the pay was really good. My coworkers were also really friendly too. It was a great time for me."
"Why did you leave?" Shaundi softly asked him.
"The same thing that always happens when I stay in one place too long. People find out my secret and start to ask questions that cannot be answered."
That was the abridged version. She did not need to hear the full version today and he was not in the mood to go further down dark memory lane. The way this night was going for them, he needed to stay concentrated on the mission at hand and protect himself and Shaundi as they traveled through enemy territory.
Luckily, Shaundi's attention became focused on an ATM machine down the street that got her running and grabbing ahold of Silas' hand to keep up with her.
"Yes, it's working!" she cheered as she saw the bright screen illuminate for them. "You can never be too careful in places like this."
Silas stepped over and pulled out his debit card and slid it into the card slot and punched in the four-digit code.
"How much do you think I need to take out?" He asked while Shaundi carefully scoped out the area for any unexpected surprises.
"Well, we are going to need to get some weapons and definitely new clothes," Shaundi informed him. "This dried blood is making my skin itch really bad."
"So two thousand sound good?" He asked and began to type in the amount. "We're going to need to get some guns as well."
"Two-thousand dollars?" he heard Shaundi ask as if what he said was gross. "Two thousand doesn't even cover my shoe expenses."
"We only need essentials, Shaundi." Silas shook his head. He had to admit since Shaundi cut down on her recreational drug habit, she acquired a new vice in the form of shopping habit and shoes were her weed. God, did she have a lot of expensive shoes and she only wears them once. "Just enough to get us some weapons and a new outfit. Walking around a city in blood-spattered shirts is not doing us any help laying low."
"Ugh, fine!" Shaundi huffed and paced around while waiting for Silas to finish getting the money. "We better shop at a Planet Saints. I refuse to step into a Sloppy Seconds."
"Yes, your highness." Silas smiled and rolled his eyes as he confirmed the amount.
The smile on his face quickly disappeared when a message on the ATM screen popped up saying he has insufficient funds.
"What the fuck?" He exclaimed and repeated the same process again. Maybe it was a fluke? Damn machines are always messing up.
"What's going on?" Shaundi asked and moved beside him.
Again, the same message popped up on the screen when he typed in the code and confirmed the transaction. This can't be right!
Silas did not have to think too hard about why or how his account with millions of dollars is now empty. He could feel his seething anger rising, getting the better of his self-control that kept him from doing anything he would regret.
But Loren, that goddamn bastard refuses to stop kicking him when he's already down. The damage he has caused in just this one night was far worse than any other than what any other gang has done to him and the Saints.
The ringtone of his phone went off and Silas slipped his hand into the right pocket of his slacks and took out the phone. The number on the screen showed it was blocked but Silas had an idea who it could be and pressed the accept call button.
"The fuck you want, Loren?" Silas growled. Shaundi quickly turned to him, her face glowered with anger at the sound of Loren's name.
"Manners, Mr. Grayson." came the thick french accent of Loren through the phone. "The body of Mr. Gat will be a message for all who oppose the Syndicate. There is no mercy...only death. Do not mourn your friend, you will be joining him soon."
The phone call abruptly ended.
Lips quivering and chest heaving as his anger continued to get the better of him, Silas turned around and could see a worried Shaundi slowly backing away. Smart move on her part. He would never intentionally harm her, but there was no guarantee and his lieutenants know that and just to be safe, they keep their distance. As good as he is keeping his emotions in check, he is still a dangerous creature that should still be encountered with caution.
Huffing as he took deep breaths, Silas let out a loud angry lion-like roar and raised his fist and reared it back before turning around and punching the ATM with such force that his fist went through the machine, destroying it in the process with all the money it held piling onto the floor.
"Silas?" he heard Shaundi's voice but it sounded so far away. He stepped back when he caught a glimpse of her coming closer to him. He had to calm down if he did not want to lose control.
Taking slow deep breaths, Silas began to relax. His heart rate slowed back to normal and his body became less tense.
With one last exhale of breath, Silas opened his eyes and turned to look at a nervous-looking Shaundi holding a metal pipe in her hands. Silas was not offended by the sight, in fact, he appreciated that she was enforcing what he instructed his friends to do if he should lose control. Protect yourself above all else.
"Silas, are you good?" Shaundi cautiously asked him and remained at her fair distance between them.
Silas nodded his head and slowly walked over to her. "Yeah, I'm better."
Shaundi was still cautious, giving him a quick look-over before determining he was telling her the truth. When she felt comfortable, she dropped the pipe to the ground and stepped closer toward him.
"What the hell happened?" She asked him and looked at the destroyed remnants of the ATM machine.
"Loren." Silas said with a low deep growl that rumbled in his chest. "That bastard hacked into our accounts and took all of our money. He called to gloat."
"What?" Shaundi asked in shock. "Are you sure he got to everyone's accounts? I could have checked mine."
"If he got to mine, he got to everyone else." Silas sighed and crouched down and began collecting the twenty-dollar bills littering the floor. No sense in letting them go to waste now and they still needed cash to get what they required. It's been a while since he stole from ATM's but desperate times call for desperate measures.
"What does this mean?" Shaundi asked him. He could hear the worry in her voice and he could not blame her. This was making Silas worry as much as it angered him. Loren and his organization were hitting them hard and just as he thought they were done being pummeled, Loren hit them again.
Loren might be winning the battles right now but the war is still ongoing as long as he is still alive and able to fight. Boy, was he feeling in the fighting mood right now.
Everything Loren is doing, it might seem like a hard blow to the Saints, was only making Silas that much more determined to fight back even harder and there is a monster within him that is primed for a fight.
"It means we fight back." Silas told her as he handed her half of the cash and pocketed the rest. "Loren wants to challenge us then we give him a fight."
With a renewed rejuvenation and determination to fight, Silas marched his way down the street with Shaundi following close behind.
xXx
xXx
It did not take long to find a Planet Saints clothing store in this city. Being chain meant having multiple locations in different cities and with Ultor in the mix too much was a saying that was not in their vocabulary.
After parking the car they stole, Silas and Shaundi walked into the store. Thankfully, it was nearly empty due to closing time vastly approaching, leaving only the bored cashier to deal with them. Barely acknowledging the two and their blood-stained clothes, the young girl lazily welcomed them without a glance and flipped to the next page of the magazine she was reading.
Keeping their heads down due to the security cameras, Silas and Shaundi quickly skimmed through their respective sides of the store to get new clothes to change into.
It did not take long for Silas to find a suitable outfit to change into. Shaundi however, had gathered at least five outfits worth of clothing that she piled on top of a clothing rack as she continued to look for something to wear.
"Need I remind you that we are not on a shopping spree?" He quietly asked her as he passed by to get to the dressing room.
"Need I remind you that you let me freefall hundreds of feet in the air?" Shaundi snarkily responded back with a glance that told him to back off.
Silas sighed and shook his head. "Fair enough. I'll be in the dressing rooms." He did not wait for an answer and walked off toward the back of the store.
The clothes he picked were not too bad for a quick choice. He chose a black Crooks & Castle cap to cover his head and for the rest, a grey T-shirt and a black bomber jacket and blue jeans with black work boots to complete the ensemble.
He heard Shaundi finally announce she was going to one of the dressing rooms while he was changing which relieved him to know that they would not be in here much longer. When he was done, Silas opted to stay in the dressing room area to keep guard on Shaundi while she was changing.
"We should let Pierce know what's up." Silas said and took out his phone.
"I already texted him. He's bringing the crew." Shaundi said from her fitting room.
Silas appreciated her initiative. He just wished it was the same with changing her damn clothes. Honestly, what is taking her so long to find a quick outfit?
"How about getting guns?" He asked her. While his hybrid abilities made him a walking weapon with little to no need for such things, that part of him was still a well-kept secret from the general population and he wants to keep it that way.
"We should look for a Friendly Fire. Try to find one close by in your maps." Shaundi answered from her dressing room.
Silas did as he was told and found the nearest one. It was not too far off, just a bridge away.
"If Pierce is bringing the rest of the crew, then we're going to need more guns and Friendly fire isn't going to cut it unless we go to every gun store in the city, which sounds like a bitch to do." Silas said once he realized the problem.
"Well, there's a Guard Armory but that's ridiculous because any sane person would not pick a fight with the military."
Silas did not respond to Shaundi's comment because he was already coming up with an idea on how to do just that.
When he did not say anything, Shaundi peaked her head through the dressing room curtains, giving Silas a worried quizzical look.
"Silas, we are not going to pick a fight with the military!" She exclaimed with outrage at his idea. "You can't be serious!"
"Look, we need guns, they have guns. I don't see the problem." Silas replied as Shaundi returned behind the curtain.
"Getting shot comes to mind!" Shaundi said as she shuffled on more clothes.
"We just survived fighting while falling hundreds of feet in the air. I flew through a fucking plane."
"That was also a shitty idea!" Shaundi remarked.
"Whoa, Pierce, where'd you come from? I thought I was talking to Shaundi!" Silas said, hoping to get her motivated to agree to the idea. As much as he loves the guy, Silas knows that nobody, especially Shaundi, wants to be compared to Pierce. "Because Pierce, I mean that guy bitches about everything and—"
Silas could not believe Shaundi was being so against this decision. Whenever they deal with cops or other gangs, she is usually the one in front, causing the most damage.
To his relief, he heard the curtain rings scrape against the metal rod as Shaundi pulled them to the side, indicating that she was finally done changing clothes.
"Fine, we'll pick a fought with the military." She said with a roll of her eyes. "But if you ever compare me to Pierce again, I'll kick your ass."
Silas got a good look at her outfit and could not believe what she picked out.
"What?" Shaundi asked when she noticed his staring.
"Are you kidding me?" He chuckled. "You took all this time. Got a giant-ass pile of clothes, only to pick out the exact same outfit you were wearing."
Indeed, she had replicated the exact same outfit she was wearing earlier down to the accessories.
"It was a really nice outfit." Shaundi said with a shrug and walked out of the dressing room, leaving Silas shaking his head before following her to the cashier.
The young woman looked up from the magazine when the two walked up to the counter. At first, she barely gave them a glance before doing a double-take upon realizing who they were and sat up straight.
"Umm...you...you're…" the words sputtered but nothing cohesive came out.
Silas chuckled at the young girl's response to their presence. He was not enthusiastic about the fame but he enjoyed the fans and the support they gave the Saints.
"Yeah, that's us." Silas chuckled at the young girl's response to their presence. He was not enthusiastic about the fame but he enjoyed the fans and the support they gave the Saints. "How're you doing tonight?"
"Really good now!" she said with a big grin plastered on her young face. "Wow, I can't believe I am actually talking to Silas and Shaundi! How can I help you two?"
"How about ringing up these items for us." Silas said and handed her the price tags.
"I don't think you have to pay here." The cashier said to them. "You guys own the chain of stores so you get freebies whenever. It's on the training video we watch during orientation."
"Well, we like to support our business' any way we can." Silas responded as he took out his wallet and started counting out the twenty bills.
"I guess Pierce didn't read that memo." Shaundi muttered.
"Alright, the total comes out to five-hundred eighty dollars and thirty-two cents." the cashier read the price on the screen.
Silas handed over the ready wad of cash to the girl.
"Six hundred even." she said after counting the bills.
"You can keep the change." Silas told the cashier, getting a pleasant smile from her. "And can we have a bag for our other clothes?"
The cashier nodded. "Sure thing. Where are the clothes? I'll bag them for you."
Silas placed the pile of bloodied clothing from him and Shaundi on the counter. The girl's eyes grew wide at the sight.
"Um…is that…" she said pointing to a particularly gruesome red spot on the shirt that belonged to Silas.
"Uh…yes it is." Quickly, he took out his wallet again and counted some more twenty bills and handed them over. "Here's a hundred dollars. Do you think you can keep quiet about this?"
Nodding fervently, the cashier took the money and unfolded one of the bags and stuffed the clothes in them. Once she was done, she grabbed the hand sanitizer and wipes from the other side of the counter to vigorously clean her hands and any area the clothes touched.
xXx
xXx
"We're going to need a place if we are going to stay here a while." Silas mentioned as he slowed the car and parked it across the street from the Guard Armory.
"Already did it." Shaundi said after closing out on the messaging app on her phone and opened the door. "One of my ex's that I still keep in touch with has an apartment here. He's overseas right now and said we can use it."
That answered one question but Silas had another.
"Is his place big enough for the crew?" he asked as he got out of the car and closed the car door.
"Not exactly but I already offered it to Pierce and the boys." Shaundi said while readying her gun. "We can't exactly be choosy right now."
Silas sighed. He agreed with her statement. They were not in a position to be choosy about a place to stay. Silas made a mental note to himself to look for a bigger residence for them when he can.
"Alright, the guns should all be in that warehouse." Shaundi pointed to the building in the middle of the guarded armory. Very heavily guarded.
"Okay, maybe we don't go in guns blazing." He said as he counted the many guards pacing around the armory.
"Yeah, no shit." Shaundi scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Why, don't you compel one of them to attack the others as you did on the plane?"
Silas shook his head. "I can't. I need to drink blood for it to work."
"Then take some of mine." Shaundi said. She rolled up a sleeve and presented Silas with her right arm.
Normally, Silas would hesitate. Taking blood, especially the amount he needed to mess with someone's mind, would make the person he drank from tired. The last thing he needed was Shaundi to be lethargic while on a dangerous task.
"You sure?" Silas gulped down the saliva building in his mouth. He did not realize just how thirsty he was until he was offered a drink.
"I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't." Shaundi said with a playful snark.
Silas smiled and took her arm gently in hands. He could see the veins beneath her fair skin pulsing and pumping blood. It was moving faster now that he was going to take a drink.
Silas' facial features shifted as he bared his now sharp teeth. Looking at Shaundi, she gave him a quick nod before turning away. He appreciated the privacy.
He jabbed his fangs down on her arm as quickly and painless as possible. Shaundi let out a small hiss and her arm tensed at the bite but she quickly relaxed once she felt him begin to drink her blood.
Shaundi's blood was supple and tasted fruity. Like a refreshing taste of plum with hints of cherry. It was a common taste amongst the Type O bloods.
Silas was careful not to take more than what he needed and pulled away from her arm. Quickly, he pierced his thumb with his fang, puncturing the skin to release his blood and gently rubbed it on the bite marks, instantly healing the punctures he made and leaving no sign that he bit her.
"Are you okay?" He asked Shaundi.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Shaundi said with a small nod. Silas kept an eye on her for a moment to make sure she was indeed fine. It wouldn't be the first time Shaundi lied to him after he took some of her blood.
When she looked okay, Silas made his way down below and caught the nearest guard and compelled him. Compelling this guy was just as easy as the one back on the plane, maybe even easier. Once he gave the guard his demands, Silas set him free and watched him attack the others.
Most of the guards did not realize what was happening until it already happened. The guy was pretty efficient. Using his combat knife first to take down most of them. The silent kills allowed him to eliminate more guards without alerting the others.
While the guard was clearing out the warehouse, Silas and Shaundi attacked the guards shooting outside. Silas charged at them, grabbing two guards and held them up to shield him from the gunfire directed at him. Shaundi took a spot on the other side of the armory and began picking off the distracted guards.
Getting attacked from three sides, the guards stood no chance against them and were quickly defeated. Now that it was completely empty, Silas and Shaundi had the entire armory to themselves and began looking at all the artillery they could take with them.
"Jesus, look at the size of that thing." Shaundi examined the giant warhead conveniently placed outside of the warehouse. "This is a helluva way to end a gunfight."
"I was thinking the same thing." Silas said as he examined it closely. With it already secured and ready to be airlifted out, it was as if it was a sign that they needed to take it with them. "We'll take it with us."
"Yeah, right." Shaundi scoffed. When she turned to Silas and saw that he was not kidding, her smile waned. "Wait, you're not seriously considering taking this with us!"
Silas gave her a wink before turning away to box what they could take.
As much as he wanted to, Silas could not take everything in the armory so he agreed to take the weapons already crated and ready for transportation.
"Here's the weapons cache." Shaundi informed him of the area of boxed weapons. "And those look like UAV drone controls over there." she pointed to a shelf to what looked like a boxy three screened laptop.
"Look like UAV drone controls? Who says that?" Silas said with a snarky tone.
"Someone who is more tech savvy than you." Shaundi quipped back. Taking one of them, Shaundi turned it on and began typing something that Silas was not even going to try and guess what it was. "Seriously, you have the tech knowledge of an eighty-year old.
"As someone who is eighteen-hundred, I'll take that as a compliment." Silas replied with a smirk before returning to the crates of weapons and began taking them down. Once Pierce gets here, he wants to load these as quickly as possible before more guards arrive.
Silas may have spoken too soon. He could feel a small tremor under his feet and hear a faint rumble, almost like a small earthquake. At first he believed that's what it was but as it got louder, he could hear something mechanical as well.
"Oh no!" Shaundi said with urgency. "We got company!"
"What is it?" Silas asked and stood behind her. Looking at the screen, he saw what he was dreading. Humvees with more soldiers quickly driving toward them. Not just soldiers but tanks as well. A whole lot of them rolling toward the guard armory.
"Shit!" Silas exclaimed and pulled out his phone. "Pierce, where are you?"
"Almost there." Pierce said over the speaker. "I'm not going to be able to land until you guys take out those tanks. I can give you guys cover from above."
"Shit." Silas rubbed his hands through his hair as he tried to figure out how to get out of the situation. "Okay, that's fine. I have an idea."
"Shaundi, use the UAV drone controls to blow up those tanks."
"Look who's talking like a tech nerd now." Shaundi smiled at him and began typing on the keyboard. "Okay, I have access to the missiles. I can lock on the tanks and blow them up."
It was perfect timing. Pierce had flown in above the armory with three other helicopters and began taking all the attention of the soldiers by raining gunfire on them while Silas and Shaundi took care of the tanks.
"Awesome." Silas praised her as he began to hear the explosions of missiles hitting their targets. "Keep shooting as many as you can to keep them away from us."
"Pierce, I need you and one of the choppers to fly down to collect the weapons and the bomb." Silas said to his other lieutenant over the phone.
"THE WHAT?" Pierce shrieked over the phone. "Are you fucking kidding me? You want us to airlift a goddamn bomb? While we're being shot at?!"
"Less bitching, more shooting." Silas rolled his eyes at his lieutenant's incessant nagging.
Pierce was going to complain no matter what but at least he was reliable and would still do what Silas said. Sure enough, once the outside of the warehouse was cleared, two helicopters landed close by and four Saints jumped out to collect the weapons crates Silas had pulled out from the shelves.
"It's time to go." Silas said to Shaundi.
She nodded and launched one last missile before closing the drone control and ran alongside Silas.
The two choppers were doing a good job of distracting the remaining guards while the weapons were being loaded into one chopper and Silas secured the bomb to be airlifted with the other.
Once everything was in order, they loaded in the choppers and were lifted up in the air and out of the armory.
Silas and Shaundi grabbed a pair of rifles and quickly loaded them. The guards were not letting them leave that easily and took to the skies as well.
"Jesus, you'd think they stand down after having their tanks blown up and shit." Pierce commented over the comms as he flew at the head and Silas and Shaundi took the chopper close behind to provide cover for him while he carried the bomb. The military choppers were indeed coming in fast and shooting at Pierce's chopper.
"Fuck!" Silas exclaimed loudly. "They're trying to shoot the bomb!"
"Are you serious?!" Shaundi shouted. "They're going to try and blow up a bomb this close to the city? They're going to kill a bunch of civilians just so we won't get the bomb?"
"Does that really surprise you?" Silas shouted back.
Shooting them down was going to take forever. They barely took out one but the were still three more following them. Those choppers were heavily armored and they had nothing to quickly take them down.
Silas knew of a way that would help them out. It was risky but at least it would give them a chance of a successful heist.
Tossing the gun behind him, Silas stood up and held onto the side of the open doorway.
"Silas, what're you doing?" Shaundi yelled.
"I'm gonna give you guys time to escape." Silas replied to her. "I'm gonna jump on one of the military choppers and try to crash them."
"Absolutely not!" Shaundi yelled over the roar of the chopper. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Shaundi, you've known me for five years now and have seen what I can do." Silas smiled before he shifted his facial features. "Do you really think I can be taken down so easily?"
Shaundi did not answer. What could she say to counterargue? She has seen him do impossible things and survive impossible circumstances. They just survived a goddamn plane crash in midair with nothing more than a few bruises because of him.
Shaundi shook her head and sighed at her boss' brazen idea. "Fine! But you better get through it alive or I am gonna be pissed off at you!" With those parting words, she returned to shooting at the guards that were shooting back, taking out two before shooting at the chopper.
Silas gave her a toothy smile and shook his head. Taking a few steps back, he readied himself for the jump. Getting a running start, he jumped when he reached the edge of the doorway and launched himself out of the chopper.
The guards in the chopper Silas was aiming for saw him and aimed their guns at him. Silas' reflexes were much faster than them and their bullets and he managed to dodge them easily enough.
It always amused Silas to see the world in slow motion like it was right now. He enjoyed seeing the face of gunmen looking cocky and crazy as they shot at him thinking they had the upper hand because they had guns then their expressions slowly change to one of confusion and fear when they realize he has dodged every single bullet and was still coming after them. It never gets old for him.
Silas tackled a gunman when he landed in the military chopper and tossed him into the other that sent them rolling out of the chopper and landing on the street below.
With them out of the way, Silas made his way to the front and grabbed the pilot and tossed him out as well. With no pilot, the chopper began flying erratically in the air before Silas took control before it crashed into a nearby building.
Silas flew the chopper faster, getting it to catch up with the next chopper he needed to deal with. Seeing the chopper closest to Pierce spinning downward and crashing, this was the only one left to take down.
"Johnson, you're too close!" the pilot of the other chopper said over the comms. "You need to hold back!"
Silas took the opportunity to announce his commandeering of the military helicopter and took a headset from the co-pilot seat.
"I'm sorry to inform you that Johnson is no longer with us and took a swan dive out of the helicopter. Not too worry though, I have graciously took control of the vehicle."
"What the fuck!" the other pilot yelped. Before he could say anything, Silas took off the headset and flew beside that chopper and glanced out the window to see the enraged pilot shouting something. Looking a little further back, he saw the other two gunmen aim their weapons at him and began shooting at the chopper.
Silas flew the chopper closer to the other and once he was satisfied, he ran to the back and jumped out of the chopper, letting it spin and crash into the last chopper chasing after them.
His clawed hands grabbed the railing and Shaundi helped pull him back into the chopper.
Shaundi made sure the chopper she was in remained close by and Silas was grateful for that. When he jumped out, he thought his only option was to crash into a building since they were too low for him to land on the rooftop or to fall three hundred feet to the street below. Neither of them would kill him but they would certainly hurt and draw more unwanted attention on him and the Saints. Now they needed to be discreet as they traveled to their temporary hideout.
"Hoo...that was close." Silas sighed and leaned back against the wall of the chopper. "Thanks for sticking back."
Shaundi just stared at him with her glaring brown eyes. Before he knew it, she punched him in the face. While the punch was painful and Silas felt a sharp sting on his right cheek, Shaundi shook her hand as a painful hiss escaped her mouth.
Before he could ask what the punch was for, Shaundi pulled him in for a tight hug. Again, he wanted to ask for the reasoning behind her irregular behavior. Then he quickly remembered that Johnny was gone. Johnny acted brazen, much like he had done just now by jumping from one flying chopper to another and crashing them into each other.
He should have known better than to act bold and reckless. Reciprocating the embrace, Silas wrapped his arms around Shaundi's smaller figure and remained that way the rest of the flight to the apartment.
xXx
xXx
To say Shaundi's ex-boyfriend's apartment was small is a vast understatement. Silas' bathroom in his penthouse was bigger than the entire unit. The bomb could not even get through the doorway and had to stay on the rooftop, covered with a bunch of sheets. The crates of weapons took up most of the open space, leaving little room but a small pathway to the front door and living room to the bathroom and kitchen and finally the one bedroom.
The crew was put up in a motel until Silas could find a suitable for them and he and Pierce and Shaundi took the apartment. Pierce being the primadonna that he is, bitched about getting the couch instead of the bedroom. He wanted to check in to a suite but Silas told him they needed to be discreet right now and having a Saint check in to a fancy hotel in an enemy city was not the discretion they required at this time. He agreed to stay only if he got the bed but Silas made it clear that Shaundi was to get the bed while they took a couch. Pierce did not like that but gave in after a ranting monologue. It was a temporary arrangement anyways.
While they were inspecting and taking inventory of the guns and matching them with their ammo, Silas watched the news of today's events from the crashed plane and cargo and bodies that fell from the sky to the wreckage of the assault on Steelport's guard armory when Shaundi entered the living room.
"So, what's next?" she asked them, looking from Silas to Pierce while she waited for one of them to answer.
"What's next is you go back to Stilwater." Silas answered her question while he loaded the pistol in his hands.
"What? No!" Shaundi yelped and ran up to table Silas was using and picked up an assault rifle he had worked on and loaded. Something that he was regretted when Shaundi took it and waved it around. "This is my fight too!"
"Girl, you don't get messy." Pierce said nonchalantly. "Let us take care of business."
"Fuck you!" Shaundi snarled at Pierce, causing him to back away a few steps with his hands raised in surrender. Silas had to admit, it was not the smartest thing to say to Shaundi but he was right. This was too dangerous and he did not want Shaundi to get hurt or dead. Johnny was already a hard enough blow to the Saints, to lose Shaundi was even more unimaginable for him.
"I'm doing this for Johnny." Shaundi glared at the two of them. There it was. The reason she wanted to stay behind and he could understand because that was his reason as well. Loren struck a big blow to the Saints financially but it was the death of Johnny Gat and seeking vengeance was what was keeping him here in Steelport.
Silas could see tears beginning to form in the corners of Shaundi's eyes before she looked away. She hated showing her emotions. She felt it was sign of weakness despite Silas telling her otherwise.
Silas tried to say something to her but before he could, Shaundi tossed the rifle to him and stormed off to the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.
"I didn't mean to make her upset." Pierce said to Silas. He could see Pierce meant it. Most of the time, his lieutenant was unremorseful with his words and couldn't give a fuck with what people had to say but when it came to Shaundi, he felt bad. They all did. He, Pierce and Johnny always felt like big brothers to Shaundi and had this compulsory habit of protecting her. With her motivation to stay to get revenge for Johnny's death, made Pierce feel all the more remorseful for what he said. "I'm just trying to look out for her."
"I know, man." Silas sighed and gave Pierce a reassuring pat on the back. "Shaundi's been through alot today and I think its finally getting to her. She wants to stay busy to keep her mind off of the fact that that we lost Johnny."
Pierce shook his head. "Man, I still can't believe Johnny's gone. For as long as I've known him, Johnny's been this tough motherfucker. I never thought he could actually die."
Silas nodded. He felt the same way. Johnny survived just about everything thrown at him. Bullet wounds, stabs to his gut, you name it. There was nothing that a quick patch up and a case of beer couldn't fix.
Walking to the fridge, Silas took out two bottles of beer and handed one to Pierce.
"Johnny's favorite brand." Pierce smiled after twisting the cap off. "The man did like the cheap kind."
"He said as long as he could get more for his buck." Silas said, recanting what Johnny said about getting the bigger cases of beer at a cheaper price. Silas raised his bottle to Pierce's. "To Johnny."
"To Johnny." Pierce said and clinked his bottle against Silas'. Together they took a drink in honor of Johnny Gat. "A loyal friend anyone could ask for and a loyal Saint to the very end."
After a few beers, Pierce passed out on the couch. The man was a light drinker despite what he said. Silas didn't even feel a light buzz. His hybrid physiology enabled him to have a high alcohol tolerance. Normally, that was fine with him but tonight, he really wished he could be drunk.
Sitting alone, he could not stop the onslaught of images of Johnny dying. He felt like he failed his best friend and left him to die alone.
"I doubt there's even a body to bury."
Silas closed his eyes and exhaled a loud sigh. He recognized that cold malicious voice anywhere. Not this guy. Not now.
Looking up he caught sight of himself. The manifestation of his darker side, more specifically what he used to be. Daemon. Normally he is just the pesky voice in his head telling him to commit mass murder and feed off of the blood of anyone that he passes by and usually can tune him out but when he comes out like this, it becomes a little more difficult to ignore.
Silas should have known Daemon would make an appearance at this time. He loved coming around at low points. It makes him stronger and able to come out but still in an incorporeal form rendering him essentially physically harmless. Psychologically, however, he has all the power. He loved to talk and can do it all he wants.
Daemon was sitting casually on the couch next to Pierce's sleeping form, snoring away in his blissfully passed-out stasis.
"Gat's body most likely burned to ashes from the crash and blown away in the wind. Probably now in some dirty gutter full of trash and shit—"
"Shut up!" Silas snapped at Daemon. His anger was boiling within. "Don't you dare speak about Johnny!"
Daemon let out a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "You're the one thinking it. Remember, I might be your other half but I still know your thoughts and...feelings. Most of the time its boring, especially lately now that you've let yourself be swallowed by the big corporation but today...mmm...you really let loose. Killing those Morningstar dunces and that pathetic excuse of military guards. I haven't been this entertained in years. I almost thought I was going to be let out."
"That was for survival." Silas growled. It was hard trying to keep his voice low. He did not want to wake Shaundi. Pierce on the other hand, was a heavy sleeper and the beers he drank might as well be a tranquilizer. "I had to make sure Shaundi and I made it out alive to fight back at an enemy that attacked us first."
"Puh-lease." Daemon rolled his eyes. "I know you had other options but you wanted to kill them. You liked it even more when you compelled them to kill their own people. You always enjoyed taking someone's freewill. It was just as good as killing them. Well, almost. Nothing beats killing, especially when they give you a good hunt. Today was a very good hunt."
"I said it was for survival." Silas repeated, his voice got a bit louder than he meant. "I had to protect Shaundi. I could not let another friend die."
"There you go again. Saying another lie." Daemon responded with a wolfish grin. "You actually believe that you care for these people. These...humans."
"That's because I do." Silas said defiantly. "They're my friends."
"Silas, let's be real here. You can never truly be friends with these people." Daemon said and looked toward Pierce, placing a hand above him as if he was about to touch his shoulder. "To be friends, they would have to be your equal."
"They are my equals." Silas replied. He could not believe that Daemon would try to convince him otherwise.
Daemon shook his head. "You're their boss, Silas. They are your subordinates. This dynamic can never truly establish a healthy friendship."
"Great, just what I needed. A sadistic hybrid giving me friendship advice." Silas muttered and turned away from Daemon. He had enough of what he had to say and wanted to stop giving him any more power than he already gave him. Now was the time to banish him.
"It's true and you know it. In the furthest part of your mind, you think you are better than them. Hell, even they know it. It's why Pierce lets you talk down to him and Shaundi gave you her blood earlier without you asking like a submissive slave. She changed her life to be your bloodbag." Daemon replied to Silas' back. "And why Johnny died. He thought he was your equal and tried to prove it and got himself killed."
"Shut the fuck up!" Silas bellowed and turned to where Daemon stood only to find him gone and leaving Silas looking like a madman talking to himself. Silas was relieved that Pierce was a heavy sleeper. The same could not be said about Shaundi.
"Silas, what's going on?" Shaundi asked with a tired voice from the bedroom. Shit, he didn't mean to wake her up. He walked through the small man made walkway between the weapon crates toward the bedroom and carefully opened the door.
Silas found Shaundi propped up on her arm in the bed that took up most of the space in the bedroom. After rubbing her tired eyes, Silas caught a glimpse of them. They were red and puffy, signs that she had been crying. Damn, she probably cried herself to sleep.
"What's going on out there?" She asked him when she saw him standing in the doorway. "Were you yelling?"
"No I…" Silas quickly tried to come up with an excuse for the loud noise. "...I turned on the TV and...the volume was turned all the way up. Sorry...I didn't mean to wake you."
The excuse seemed good enough for Shaundi who just nodded.
"It's okay." she replied with a yawn and laid back down. "I wasn't really sleeping well anyway."
Silas nodded his head and leaned against the doorway. "Is there anything you need to help you sleep? Anything I can get you?"
"Yeah." Shaundi glanced over at him, propping herself back on her elbow one more time. "Can you lay down with me? Please?"
Silas did not hesitate to respond to her request. Nodding his head, he walked over to the bed on the side Shaundi scooted from to give him space on the bed.
He understood her motive. It wasn't a romantic gesture but a comfort one. Shaundi was hurting and bottled everything up to get through the day. Now it was all coming out and she wanted someone to be there to help her. She did not like to talk about her feelings but instead let her actions do all the talking for her. Silas has gotten pretty good at understanding her the last five years.
Once his body lay on the mattress, Shaundi moved toward him, laying her head on his chest and resting an arm on top of his stomach.
Silas wrapped his arms around her smaller body like a warm reassuring hug in the hopes that it would give her the comfort she needed. From her embrace and how relaxed her body felt against his, it seemed to be just what she wanted.
He had come a long way from the lone wolf who lived on the outskirts of Stilwater and avoided as much human contact as he could to now feeling the need to be there for the people that helped him bring the Saints back from the dead.
Daemon was wrong about him. What he had with his friends was not a relationship between a boss and his subordinates. He never thought he was better than them. Daemon claimed that he has some form of control over them but that isn't true.
"Pierce knows we talk shit at him for fun. He can take it." Silas thought to himself. "And Shaundi. She changed her life to be a reliant member, not to be my personal bloodbag. I would never take her blood, never even ask for it. And Johnny…"
Silas shifted a bit and let out a slow deep breath. As much as he wanted to blame Loren for Johnny's death, Silas felt he also had a hand in it as well. He should have been the one to stay behind. He could take the bullets and the punches and even the high fall from the plane. Johnny, despite his numerous escapes from death, was still a human being.
"Why didn't I stay behind?" The question loomed in his mind the rest of the night, making him feel guilt for not being proactive. It was nothing new to him. All he can do now is take the blame and avenge his best friend's death by getting the bastard that killed him.
xXx
xXx
So the Saints are finally in Steelport and are ready to take on the city. It's been a while since I played the game and what I do currently is enough to get what I need to write, which is basically one mission at a time, but I do believe that the next mission will be more of a tour of Steelport, if I remember correctly and then the one after that might be the one where they get the Penthouse so I am most likely going to combine the two missions together for the next chapter.