Chapter Thirty:
Animals
Jasper pulled up to Outrun Hotel, noting that there was the rare instance of clouds in the sky. They were light cirrus clouds, but it looked incongruous for an NPC summer day. He didn't believe in omens, but it seemed ominous, especially the few cumulus clouds that cast a shadow over the sun. He cut off the engine and looked at Winnie. It was a long, terrifying look that he rarely gave, but it sent shivers down her spine. He took a long pull of his cigarette and blew the smoke in her face, a disrespectful gesture.
"What floor?" Jasper asked.
"Penthouse suite," she whispered, coughing, "Someone else was staying in it, but he kicked him out the hotel."
"Classy," Chanel droned.
"Let's go then," Jasper said, getting out the car. Rapier nudged Winnie and she stepped out, still quaking and shaking, crying as if she'd swallowed an ocean. Chanel reloaded the AR-15 and got out the car, walking down the long sandstone path towards the skyscraper of a hotel. Waiting near the entrance was Haze, Parker, Lil Pac, Barry, Glen, Indy and Sticks, all of them armed. Whereas Parker, Glen, Indy and Lil Pac opted for semi-automatic pistols, the rest had assault rifles with the exception of Sticks. He decided to carry a submachine gun, specifically an Uzi. Jasper gave them all a nod of acknowledgement, taking out his pistol as they walked through the front. As soon as he entered, his eyes burned like a gold fire. The lights surged and then burst and in the process, he shorted out the security cameras and any electronics in their vicinity. The people at the front desk lifted their hands up in surrender, eyes wide as they walked through. Parker winked at the girl by the phone and followed the crew. Jasper shorting out everything meant that the elevator would not work and so, they made their way up the stairs: all twenty-seven flights of them. Jasper zipped up them, reaching the twenty-seventh floor in only a matter of seconds. Lil Pac jumped from balustrade to balustrade, wall jumping his way up the stairs in a display of his excellent free-running skills. Glen darted up the stairs with Indy close behind, reaching the last floor in less than a minute. Rapier also jogged up the stairs, moving quickly, just behind Indy and Glen. The rest took the long way, but Chanel ran as well, jogging as fast as she could, never losing her breath. Jasper looked down the hallway and saw that there was only one suite here—the penthouse suite. There were three bodyguards in front of double doors that led into said suite, all of them human, wearing black shades and brass knuckles. Jasper zipped over to them, shooting one in the head and another in the chest. Before the third one could react, Glen had materialized seemingly out of nowhere and blasted him in the gullet. He clutched his throat and spewed up blood as he fell to his knees, wheezing. The one that Jasper shot in the chest weakly reached for his weapon but Jasper stomped on his hand, peeling his cap with a double tap. Rapier rushed through the hallway and kicked the doors down, gun pointed. His eyes widened when he saw a young boy sitting in the den area, looking panic-stricken and ill. Before anyone else could react, a black suited man threw some knives at Rapier, catching him in the chest. He staggered backwards, dropping his gun as he tried pulling the knife out. Jasper shot at him but the guard dove behind the couch and the boy began screaming, dropping to the floor and covering his head. Chanel caught up to them and ran inside, sliding onto the ground. By a hair's breadth she avoided another guard's sideswipe with the butt of their gun. She shot him in the leg as Jasper zipped in, grabbing the kid and getting him out of the penthouse suite. He handed him to Haze, who was still making his way up the stairs.
"Get him outta here," he said to an out of breath Haze.
"F-fine, f-fuck, d-damn! W-why y-you gotta s-short o-out the e-elevators…f-fuck man…" he said, grabbing Winnie's boy and heading back the way he came. Jasper zipped back, diving into the penthouse with incredible speed. He ran on the walls, avoiding the spray of bullets from the opposition. He leapt off the partition as if he was flying, distracting the shooter just enough for Lil Pac to catch him in the face, blasting his jaw clean off. Rapier clutched his bleeding chest, but got up anyways, providing cover fire for Chanel. She drove the butt of her AR-15 into the face of a goon trying to jump her. Sticks reloaded and began firing, shattering the glass vases and table in the process. He was shot back at, caught multiple times in the arm and chest. He screamed in pain, dropping his weapon and sprawled. Jasper reloaded and crouched behind a bullet riddled sofa. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he thought. He waved his hand, indicating to his crew to spread out, away from the doorway. Sergei finally came out, followed by six or seven people of his security detail. He had a pump action shotgun and shot Indy straight through the stomach, splattering entrails and blood all over the wall. He reloaded and aimed for Lil Pac, who was firing at one of his men.
"PAC!"
Lil Pac ducked without bothering to check why his name was being screamed. The shotgun blast took out half of the sofa's armrest. Sergei's security detail provided cover fire, shooting up the penthouse indiscriminately. A stray bullet caught Parker in the side, grazing him. But then more bullets got him, going through his lower back and shoulder. He pitched forward, bleeding profusely as he screamed for backup. Sticks began spraying, not letting up on his itchy trigger finger. He managed to catch two of them, turning them into shredded meat. Glen threw a knife at the head of one of the men flanking Sergei's left. With that, he vaulted over the settee and threw his final knife at an opp who was attempting to shoot Barry. Sergei hissed angrily and ducked, avoiding a knife whizzing by. He turned his head a full one-eighty degrees, able to eliminate his blind spot. He swiveled his body around like a machine and blasted Rapier in the torso who was attempting to rush him down. Jasper shot back at one of his men who'd provided cover fire, catching him in the skull and lunged at Sergei. The Drapion man whipped his tail around, sending Jasper flying into the mini bar, smashing it in the process. It was a painful ordeal and he felt his shoulder dislocate. Glen, however, backed him up, grabbing the shotgun from Sergei and firing off the final shot into the ceiling, leaving an unsightly hole. He swung the shotgun into Sergei's face, causing him to lurch backwards, but with little damage as those of his line had quite the defense. Sticks sprayed the final two men shooting at them, one of them catching Chanel right in the pelvis. She howled and doubled over, losing her footing and falling flat on her face.
"RAPIER! PARKER!" Chanel screamed.
Jasper got up slowly, in complete agony when he saw Parker bleeding out and Rapier struggling to survive. There was a huge gaping hole in his torso and he was wheezing, growing clammy and pale as blood soaked the floor beneath him. He looked around and saw that Indy was dead. The shotgun blast had torn up his insides completely and he bled out in a matter of minutes. Sergei was pinned down by Sticks and Barry.
"Lil Pac," Jasper grunted, "Bathroom…medicine cabinet…look for…full restores…revives…wha'ever you can find…"
Lil Pac listened without question and darted into the bathroom, scrambling around frantically. He found three full restores, but no revives and he sprinted out, leaping and bounding to Rapier first. He sprayed the wound, but it had no effect—it was much too huge. Lil Pac looked around and saw the shell of the bullet right beside Rapier, cracked and scorched. And so, without wasting any time, he opened the full restore bottle and dumped the entire liquid onto his wound, soaking it completely. Rapier collapsed, passing out from blood loss from two wounds, one minor and one fatal. Lil Pac couldn't wait, however. He sprung, vaulting over the settee and towards to Parker, who was quickly losing consciousness. He checked his wounds, the bullet in his shoulder was still there—a nasty slug, but the one that went through his lower back had gone through leaving a clean but horrible looking exit wound. As Lil Pac attended to a dying Parker, Jasper limped his way to Sergei, blood soaking through his sports jacket from crashing into the mini bar.
"Y'all niggas be makin' my life hard," he growled. Sticks and Barry forced Sergei to his feet and he stared at Jasper.
"You killed my sister," Sergei snarled, revealing his thin, venomous fangs. There was barely a mark on him.
"Yeah? Yo sister was a piece of trash," Jasper said, breathing heavily, "Ya whole family trash. Nigga, you trash!"
"Of course…you'll have your pound of flesh, I guess," Sergei spat.
Jasper lifted his gun and shot at the enormous windows that made up a huge portion of the penthouse. The glass was already cracked from the several bullets that had been flying, but still intact. It was built to take bullets, but now, it was at its limit. Jasper shot it out, emptying his clip in the process.
"Wait," Sergei said, realizing what was happening, "Wait! Wait! WAIT!"
Sticks and Barry rushed towards the shattered window and together, threw him out. He screamed as he fell, looking down at the faces looking up at him. He flailed in midair as he plummeted, feeling all the terror, pain and horror he caused to others. He stopped screaming when he realized there was nothing to be done. People outside on the streets gasped when they saw the body spiraling downwards in a full free fall. Sergei closed his eyes as the pavement came to him fast, the last thing he felt was his skull bursting against concrete. Jasper watched him go all the way down and sighed, exhausted.
Rapier slowly awoke in the back of Babylon Nights, feeling sore and horrible. His entire torso was bandaged and his chest was stitched up. He looked around and saw Chanel with a Nurse Joy, who'd finished removing the shattered pieces of bullets. Lil Pac dumping the full restore on him had been a smart move, keeping him alive just long enough to be treated properly. He could feel himself just at death's door and it was a terrifying feeling…exhilarating, but terrifying. Chanel looked at Rapier. She had stitches on her cheek and some bruising around her eye. His eyes roamed down her body and he saw where the bullet had gotten her, near her pelvis. It was somewhat healed, with a hyper potion, but the grisly scar was still there. She slid back on her black tank top and sat with Rapier. He didn't hesitate and sat up to kiss her. She kissed back, gripping his hand in the process. When he broke the kiss, he looked around to see where the rest of the crew was at. Parker was alive and using a walking stick for now, leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. Lil Pac was talking his ear off about how he saved his life and now he owes him, more specifically, him needing to plug his mixtape now. Glen had covered Indy's body with a tarp, sighing, looking disconsolate. Barry put a hand on Glen's shoulder, comforting him. Sticks was sitting with Haze as Chance was with Jasper, putting the finishing touches on the bandage around his arm and shoulder. Two dancers, who worked at the club, moved the duffle bag and attaché case filled with the powdered horse from the back of the sports car, putting the weight in a wall safe and the money in the floor, securing it. When they finished, they trotted out, heading to their dressing room to talk shop. Winnie was sitting with her son, hugging him tightly. The little seven year old was just a dark as his mother, with curly black hair and bright hazel eyes. Nurse Joy handed Parker some strong painkillers and gave him a kiss on the cheek before heading out. Jasper glanced at Glen and sighed guiltily. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, he thought. I need a fuckin' break. I really need a break.
"There," Chance said, securing the bandages.
"Good looks," Jasper thanked, flexing his injured arm just a tad. He got up, grabbing a bottle of Absolut from his stash and took a swig of it straight from the bottle. He walked over to Glen, passing it to him. The Greninja man took it without question, chugging down the vodka like if there was no tomorrow. He winced at the burn, but he enjoyed it, sitting by Indy's body and allowing himself to cry. Jasper slowly made his way to Chanel, who was sitting with Rapier. The Rapidash man decided to take a nap now.
"I'm too old for this fuck shit," Jasper said despairingly.
"Ain't we all," Chanel said, touching her bruised face, "Them niggas is not through with us tho. I did organize somethin' with Officer Jenny tho."
"You did?"
"Yeah," Chanel said, grunting as she got up, "500,000 a month, so she can just…pretend nothin' happening."
"She agreed to that?"
"Yeah," Chanel said, "That was way more than she was gettin' from wha'ever lil rinky-dink operation that was goin' on back in Los Lados."
"…You is amazin', Chanel," he said, patting her shoulder.
"Yeah, I know," she said, preening. Jasper nodded and walked over to Winnie, who looked relieved to have her son back. He looked down at her. The last time he saw her, her hair was black.
"Thank you," she said quietly, "You didn't have to get him back." She stood up, "His name is Javier."
Jasper looked down at the kid who smiled at him. He had a cut on his cheek, courtesy of Sergei. He knelt down at the kid, inspecting the cut and signaled to Lil Pac to get some antiseptic. The Pachirisu boy gave him the rubbing alcohol and he began cleaning Javier's cut. He whimpered, for it stung, but soon the pain faded and the cut was clean, ready to heal properly now. Jasper walked out with Winnie, escorting her to one of the empty booths in the center of the club, with her boy, letting her sit down. He went to the bar, collecting three glasses, a bottle of Ciroc and with some apple juice for Javier. He sat across from her, pouring Winnie and himself a shot and a glass of apple juice for her son. He slid the cups over and downed the shot as soon as Winnie began sipping hers.
"I never imagined you'd be this terrifying," Winnie said softly, "I remember you as that little playboy, lil' dope head, always getting into some shit…but never this kinda shit."
"That was damn near twenty years ago," Jasper said, pouring himself more Ciroc, "Yo hair was black not white."
Winnie chuckled, "Yeah…well…new me, new look, yeah?"
"Tch, I guess."
Javier sipped the apple juice and sighed, touching his face, feeling his cut. Jasper threw back the vodka and grunted, wincing ever so slightly at the burn. His eyes roamed over Winnie's body. She was chunkier than when he last remembered—rounded hips and a much heavier bust, probably pregnancy weight she never lost, but she still looked good.
"How you go from teachin' to trafficking?" Jasper asked, genuinely curious. It was such a bizarre leap and Alola wasn't known for having a large drug scene, although the local gangs, such as Team Skull, were known for selling and smuggling drugs in and out of the region. Winnie looked at Jasper, sipping her vodka coyly. She looked embarrassed to talk about how she fell into the whole drug scene, but she relented with a soft sigh.
"I was teaching a high school on Akala," Winnie began, "My home island. I decided…well…I have a masters so…might as well put it to use, right? I had a masters in anthropology and human relations with mons. It was…um…interesting."
"I'm sure you know alllll about human relations with mons," Jasper teased, sipping his drink.
"Yeah…I do," Winnie said, catching the joke, but she didn't particularly find it funny. "Nine or ten years ago, just two years before I started moving weight, um…I taught at high school that was predominately mon. My stupid ass family warned me about teachin' at said schools, ya know…they kept tellin' me that mons are… 'a spirited bunch.' It was stupid, speciest fuck shit to be honest. My first day teachin' there went kinda okay? It…um…the students were attentive and for the most part, well behaved. As the semester went on, even though those kids were definitely good kids, fights would break out every so often…and shit would just…go sideways, ya know?"
"So what happened?" Jasper inquired.
Winnie patted Javier's shoulder as she spoke, "Well, at the time I was married to this nice guy, human guy, his name was Asura Torres. He was a local, like me, and he was a nice, handsome nigga…but we…didn't get along. I felt…not happy with him. I didn't know what it was. I ended up…having an affair, with one of the seniors in the high school I taught."
"Oh wow," Jasper said, his eyebrows raised, "Damn bitch, the fuck was you thinkin'?"
"I wasn't thinking," Winnie said, recalling the student. He was tall, tanned and had gold eyes that reminded her of the sun. "He was descended from Blazikens—that type of mon."
"I see. And lemme guess, he knocked yo ass up."
"I don't know," Winnie said, "I think Javier is Asura's kid, but…I never really…got any DNA test. I was too scared to. And I'm still too scared to. That student ended up killin' my husband and going to jail for it. I couldn't raise a kid alone like this and I couldn't teach at any school anymore. So…someone from Team Skull told me, they'd be willin' to give me a job. And the job was, at first, to smuggle small amounts of weight in and out of Po Town. Then, it moved up and started moving big shit."
"And now you here," Jasper said. Winnie shifted closer to him, looking up at him. She was shorter than Jasper. You're just animals in human bodies, he remembered Dimitri saying. How true is that? How true is that…
"I missed you Jasper," Winnie said.
"Eh…" Jasper rubbed his head, "We had fun while back, ain't we? Ain't nothin' serious tho…you left and…yeah, that was that…"
"I didn't wanna leave," she said, shrugging. Javier leaned against her, yawning. He was trying to fight sleep, twitching every time he felt himself dozing off.
"But ya still left," Jasper reminded her, pouring himself more Ciroc. Chanel walked out from the back, helping Rapier, who was still recovering. He leaned against her and she smiled at Jasper, mouthing 'let's see how this goes,' at him. He raised a glass to her as she and Rapier went out through the side exit. Chance was the next one out, taking off his glasses and setting them aside. He sat in a different booth, calling to one of the bar hands to pass him a bottle of scotch and a glass. He lit a cigarette with his tail flame and put his feet up, wanting to simply relax now. Glen walked out next, wiping his eyes and discussing funeral arrangements with Haze. The Muk man excused himself briefly to get in a word with Jasper.
"Ay," Haze said, "I'ma take a week off… that good with you?"
"Yeah man, you earned it. All of y'all earned that shit. And…yeah, I ain't ever thanked you for havin' my back. So…yeah, thanks…and thanks for trustin' me enough to run this shit."
"Ay you a lot better than Leon," Haze admitted, "He ain't even know all our names. If you was holdin' shit down, R-Rummy and Chomp-Chomp woulda been alive." He gave Jasper a dap and bro hug, "Peace."
"Peace," Jasper said. Haze walked back with Glen and out of Babylon Nights. Shortly after, Lil Pac and Parker were walking together. They gave Jasper a nod of acknowledgement and left him to his devices. The last ones out were Barry and Sticks, who were locking up everything and securing the back. They waved goodbye to Jasper and he returned their valedictions with a nod of his own. Now it was just him, Winnie and Javier, with Chance in his own booth, getting drunk off scotch.
"You really have changed," Winnie said.
"Yeah…" Jasper replied, unsure. He checked his phone, texting Mardi and asking if she was okay. Eventually, she texted back, telling him that shit was fine and to pick up food. Javier was fast asleep on Winnie.
"How long is you stayin'?" Jasper asked, feeling a bug in the back of his mind.
"A few days…then I'm headin' back to Alola."
"Hmm," he sipped his Ciroc, "And you was stayin' at that bum ass motel off the freeway, yeah?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Iight, well, let's go then, you can't stay here," Jasper said, getting up.
"You're…tipsy and hurt," Winnie said, "You can't drive."
"Ion need to drive," Jasper said, "Yo Chance!"
Chance sat up, hiccupping. He was slightly buzzed, but nowhere near as tipsy as Jasper.
"Let's bounce, nigga, we droppin' Winnie and her kid back to the motel…what that shit called exactly?"
"Palm Inn."
"…Creative, iight, let's go, nigga, she can't stay here."
"Iight, iight, Arceus…" Chance groused, getting up and rubbing his eyes, "Comin'." Jasper escorted her out Babylon Nights, heading towards his pink Buick. He tossed Chance the keys and got in the front passenger seat, while Winnie and Javier sat in the back. Chance adjusted the rearview mirror and pulled out the parking space, rolling into the local roads and heading towards the freeway.
Winnie tucked Javier in bed in the other room, gently pulling the covers over him and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. She turned around and saw that Jasper was looking out the window, yawning. She stood next to him, wiping her wet eyes as she glanced up at the pensive Jolteon man. The sky was partially overcast now, but behind the shield of clouds, the sun was starting to sink below the horizon, giving the firmament a black-light glow. His left ear twitched when he heard her whisper something under her breath. He turned to face her, looking down. She's not all there, he realized. She was traumatized from her mon student, lost with her child, smuggling shit to get by. She was vulnerable. But she smells so good.
"T-thanks for saving my son…" Winnie said, "I-I'm sorry…for….tryna play you. I…was afraid for Javier, you know. You got kids, yeah? You'd do anything for them…"
Hmm…yeah… I would.
"So please…" Winnie said, "Don't like…shoot me in the head when you go. I promise not to snitch and I promise to be reliable. I'm just…afraid of Mikhailovichs…ahem…you know…they got their claws in everywhere."
"They ain't gon' have their claws here," Jasper said coolly, about to light a cigarette. Winnie stopped him and gave him a kiss. He kissed back, feeling that bug in the back of his mind grow larger. Stop, stop, stop, don't do this Jasper, don't do this. He felt his body respond to her touch almost instantly. The memories of their nights together flooded back to him like a dam breaking. Oh Arceus, fuck she smells good. He gripped her with his good arm, moving her against the wall. He kissed her back hungrily, as if he could consume her entire form. She kissed back, her hands gently touching his cheeks. He touched a breast, pulling her U-neck shirt down, revealing her bust. She moved her hands down, gently over his crotch, feeling him grow harder under her touch. Something in his mind told him to stop, but the mantra that he kept repeating had died somewhere. He could not conjure it at this moment. He was taken in by her smell, the feel of her soft body and the sight of her bust. They collapsed onto the bed together and Jasper slid down his pants as Winnie hiked up her skirt, revealing she had gone commando. Slow down, slow down, Jasper thought, but he couldn't slow down or stop. He touched her lips, feeling how wet she was. Fuck it. He fingered her and felt her body tremble against him. She moaned, gasping softly as he slid a second finger in her. She moaned his name softly and that pushed him over the edge. He pulled his fingers out and entered her, going all the way in her. His eyes turned gold the moment he felt how warm and soft she was. Winnie squirmed underneath him, letting out a soft moan. Her eyes were hooded and inviting. She wrapped her legs around him as he began moving with her. He began to speed up, feeling his power swell as the lights in the motel room started to surge and dim. Fuck it, fuck it, fuck it, I need this. I need this. I need her. I need this. He growled, moving faster in her. She bucked her hips against him, her heavy chest heaving up and down as he buried his face in her bust. Winnie gripped him, moaning in his ear. He couldn't stop now, even though in the back of his mind he knew this was wrong. He felt his climax building up and he was starting to lose a grip on his power. Steady, steady, don't shock her, don't shock her, hold back, hold back, hold back. He withdrew and came on her stomach, his eyes flashing a luminous gold as the lights surged once more. Winnie squeaked and covered her eyes for the flash nearly blinded her. When the lights dimmed, he rubbed her down, lustfully looking at her as she squirmed and moaned underneath his touch. When she orgasmed, her voice carried and her warm cum soaked his fingers.
"J-Jasper…" Winnie breathed out. She sat up slowly, looking at him. He stared back at her. Fuck, fuck, fuck…what did I do? I'm a dumbass nigga.
"Um…yeah," Jasper got up, pulled up his pants and zipped up his fly. He made his way into the bathroom and washed his hands, looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes were brown, but he could still see gold flecks in the irises. Winnie wiped herself down and walked over to him, looking sullen. Jasper closed his eyes, seeing her scent. It was light blue, like an ocean breeze. Winnie was not all there and he knew this. Pieces of her died in Alola, but pieces of her also died back in Los Lados. She was a smuggler who was desperate for something real, something familiar. Here I go…hurtin' another woman again.
"Winnie," he said lowly, "I'ma…see you again soon…"
"You're leaving…"
Jasper took a deep breath, "Yep…"
Winnie stared at him.
You're just an animal in human form. He lit his cigarette and put on his shades. Winnie looked crestfallen and deflated. Did she think I was gon' be with her? Jasper wondered. I would—but I can't, I ain't gon do none of that…
"You haven't really changed," Winnie said, upset.
"Eh," Jasper shrugged, reaching for the doorknob, "Winnie…I ain't even know you. And you ain't know me. I'm tryna be better. But you got yo life and I got mine. Maybe…another time…another life."
She sniffed, wiping her eyes, "Yeah…maybe."
He took a drag, "See you around." He stepped out, closing the door, feeling his heart sink when she heard her heavy, weeping gasp. It was not right. She's not all there. He went over to his Buick. Chance was sitting in behind the wheel, smoking. He checked his watch and then looked at him, lowering his shades.
"Really, bro?" Chance said, "Her? She's—"
"Yeah… she kinda crazy."
"I was gonna say fat, but whatever," Chance said, turning on the engine.
But I'm kinda crazy too
Just…feel…
What's the use?
Jasper leaned back in his seat, taking a drag. I just wanna feel. Chance drove off, heading back into the freeway. Jasper contemplated Winnie, remembering her distinct smell. When he closed his eyes, he could still see it—the pale blue wisp of smoke, lingering on his fingertips and all over the back of his car.
I just wanna go home.
"Chance," Jasper said quietly, "I ain't ever tell you…but, there only been one person I ain't never had to hold back with. Who I could just…let my power just flow free…"
"Yeah?" Chance responded sleepily, taking a long pull.
"Yeah," Jasper said, "Lakeda."
You are just an animal
In human form
They drove off, the sun dipping below the horizon in their wake.