"Victim to the Streets"
Written By MissaSmoke
Rated M for violence, strong language, heavy drug use, and some crude humor and sexuality.
Author's note - This story is based on the TGS saga. It occurs after the events in "Tengu" and CSHayden's prequel/continuation of Tengu, "Ronin".
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----------Chapter 4 - Confirmations----------
-----Central Park, Manhattan, 2 A.M.-----
Chris and Zack stood side-by-side on the grass. They wore thick coats to block out the cold, and also, to conceal some "surprises." At one end of the park, Adam and Jackson looked on through binoculars, making sure the area was clear. Just then, Adam noticed movement in the nearby bushes. He tapped Jackson, and they ducked low, barely leaving O.E.'s eyesight before he stepped in front of them. Being as quiet as possible, they watched as O.E. looked around, and called out a name. A girl ran up to him, and they embraced. Just then, Chris and Zack gave a shout from where they were. O.E. waved, and they started walking towards the others. Grumbling, Jackson and Adam slowly rose to their knees, just enough to get a clear view with the binoculars. Adam checked his gun, to make sure it hadn't fallen. Jackson loaded his Uzi, and they continued to watch.
"So this is the girl."
Anna shook Chris's hand. She introduced herself politely, not wanting to make the wrong impression. "Hi. My name's Anna. I'm sort of... Omri's new girlfriend..." She blushed as she said that. The other guys noticed. "Well..." Chris began. "I'm Chris, and over here is Zack. And standing right next to you... is one BACKSTABBING SONOFABITCH!" He and Zack drew their guns, and aimed them at O.E. and Anna. O.E. growled, and stepped in front of her, not wanting her to be hurt. He readied himself for an attack, but he knew, along with Chris and Zack, that they could take him. Chris was silent for a moment, still pointing the gun to O.E.'s forehead. "Why..." he whimpered. Soon, he whimper became a roar. "WHY'D YOU TAKE THE JOB!" he yelled. O.E. slowly began to back away. "I only thought it'd be wise that I accept the job. After all, you would never have suspected, right?" O.E. snarled loudly. His eyes went from their oridinary color to a blazing white. A scream rang out from behind him. O.E. turned around, to see Adam. He had Anna in a chokehold. His pistol was aimed at her right temple. She gave a barely audible whimper, as tears began to stream down her face. O.E.'s fighting spirit disappeared in an instant. Frightened, he dropped to his knees. He began to beg for Anna's life. "You still haven't told me..." Chris growled. "WHY you took the fucking job..." O.E.'s fear was clearly visible now. His tears dropped from his face into the grass. He sniffled, and began to crack. "I took the job the night we were all shooting up. Two other guys had already offered their services, but I figured that if I was listed, they would probably drop the others, and come after you with me. I... needed that money" Chris chuckled. "It always comes down to the green. You were going to kill two of your best friends... for MONEY. Now, vengeance I can understand, but money... That's just fucked up." Zack tapped Chris. He had forgotten one important fact. They exchanged whispers, and Zack spoke up. "What about the other two guys? Did they get knocked off the list?" O.E. shook his head. "That means..." Chris began. As if to finish his sentence for him, gunshots rang out. Adam screamed as a bullet tore through his chest. Seeing his chance, O.E. grabbed Anna, and leapt into one of the trees. He spread his wings, lifting them both off the ground. Back below, The group was returning the fire. They had no idea where it was coming from, but whoever it was, they were good. Just then, Jackson saw a glint of light coming from the roof of one of the neary buildings. Using his binoculars, he zoomed in on it. There it was, an African-American with a high-powered rifle. "SNIPER!" Jackson screamed. Everyone hit the ground, just as another shot rang out. Chris heard the bullet hit the ground where he had been standing. they all tensed for a move. Chris motioned to the car, and they nodded. Another shot rang out, barely missing Adam's head when he ducked. With a loud grunt, Chris sprang to his feet, and made a beeline for the car. Everyone else, in a shock, did the same. Their screams could be heard throughout the park, followed by gunshots, as the sniper tried his best to pick them off. Suddenly, Jackson let out a scream. He fell to the ground, clutching his leg in pain. Everyone else halted. Chris spotted a red dot on Jackson's forehead. "GRAB HIM!" He screamed. He and Adam threw themselves at Jackson, pushing him out of the way just as the shot rang out. Knowing the sniper had to reload, They grabbed Jackson, and quickly carried him to the car. Zack fished the keys from Jackson's pocket, and unlocked the doors. Chris and Adam quickly set Jackson down in the back, and Zack started up the engine. Chris then remembered something. "POP THE TRUNK!" he called. Zack obeyed, and the car gave a slight 'beep' and a hiss as the trunk opened. Chris grabbed Jackson's customized M4, which had a sniper scope, along with a fifty-round mag, twenty more than the standard M4. Leaning against the trunk, he took aim. Using the scope, he found their attacker on the roof of a bank building across the park. Praying for a miracle, he squeezed the trigger. Loud machine-gun fire ripped through the night, causing sparks on the roof of the building. Through the scope, Chris watched as one of his bullets hit the man's hand. The spray of blood was his cue. He got off the trunk, and ran into the park. Taking aim again, he emptied the rest of the clip. When he looked through the scope, the man wasn't moving. Satisfied, he ran back to the car. They took off towards a local Walgreens.
"What're we doing here! Me and Jack are SHOT, man!"
"YEAH!"
"Shut up!" Chris commanded. "We're gonna do this shit ourself, man. PULL your shit together. Me and Z are gonna go in, and jack the shit we're gonna need. Then we're gonna go fix you up, all right? Now just keep pressure on them shits." Chris and Zack left the car running. They got out, and walked into the store. Chris motioned Zack to the Gauze and Bandages aisle, and Zack went to get the supplies. Chris walked into the medical kits aisle, and found a suture kit. Checking all around him, he wandered into the gift card aisle, where there were no cameras. He quickly detagged the suture kit, and stuck it inside his pants. Clearing his throat, he went into the ointments aisle. After scrutiny of the different ones, he found the one he was looking for. He detagged and stuffed the two small bottles of hydrogen peroxide. After this was done, he went to find Zack, who was waiting in the Medical Supplies aisle. "Which one of these do we need?" He asked, pointing to the multiple different rolls of Gauze and Bandages. "They're just flesh wounds." Chris replied. "Get those." He pointed to a pack of four large rolls of 'Sterilized Medical Bandage'. Zack stuffed them, along with a roll of Medical Tape. They were about to leave, when Chris stopped. "What's up?" asked Zack. "We need some needles." Chris replied. Zack understood. They walked up to the pharmacist, who was the only other person they could see in the store. Zack led him over to the ointments aisle, to help pick out an 'anti-itch cream'. Seeing this distraction completed, Chris quickly pulled his shirt over his head, and jumped the counter. Seeing the switchbox underneath it, he clicked the cameras off. He went to work, grabbing a box of syringes, along with two bags, which contained someone's painkillers. They were a Morphine solution, meant for injection. Each bag contained five bottles. He heard voices as Zack and the Pharmacist drew closer. Cursing under his breath, he quickly jumped back over the counter, not bothering to switch on the cameras. He straightened up, as Zack and the man returned. Zack held in his hand a box containing a tube of Benadryl. Chris and Zack left. Zack stuffed the Benadryl, saying it was for his own use. Shrugging it off, Chris paid little attention. They left, and Chris got into the driver's seat. He and Zack tossed all the needed supplies into the back. Chris put the car into second gear, and floored it. They sped off towards Staten Island.
-----The Black Crate-----
"What the FUCK happened here?"
The place had been ransacked. Everything was on the ground. The money and guns were gone. The drugs were where Zack had hidden them, proof that whoever it was hadn't bothered to completely comb the place over. Chris picked up a piece of paper off the ground, and called the others. The paper was a note. Chris began to read it aloud.
"My friends, I give my deepest apologies, and wish you well. As of now, we will be hunting one another, until one ultimately completes this grim task. Anna and I have taken the money and the guns. We left the drugs alone. She was against it. I did,
however, leave you a little surprise under the table. ---O.E."
Chris looked under the table. A cube-shaped object, with a series of numbers on it, was there. Chris quickly read the timer. "EVERYBODY OUT!" He screamed. He grabbed the drugs, and they all ran out of the crate. No sooner had they gotten away, did the crate explode. It went up in a ball of fire and smoke, taking the two crates above along with it. The four boys picked themselves up off the ground. Adam helped Jackson to his feet, because of his leg wound. "FUCK!" Chris screamed. He kicked the dirt in frustration. Muttering, he led the others back to the car. "Where do we go now?" Zack asked. Chris shrugged. He was all out of safehouses. Just then, it hit him. "Dude..." he began. "The Castle." The others were shocked. The shock itself was evident on Zack's face when Chris saw it. "DAVID XANATOS'S PLACE! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!" Zack exclaimed. Chris shrugged once more. "They said they'd protect us. Shit... That lady pig said they'd take out the killers! We'll go to her. She'll hook us up... Hopefully..." The others were silent. Quiet discussion revealed that it could be their only shot. Sighing, Chris started up the HoVR via remote, watching as the propulsion system lifted the car a foot from the ground. He opened the doors, and helped get Jackson and Adam into the backseat. He and Zack got up front, and he put the car on auto-drive.
-----The Castle-----
"...So, they're gonna be staying here with us."
Elisa paced back and forth between the clan and the four boys. Chris was busy stitching up Jackson's wounds, while Zack was helping Adam with his. The clan looked on in disbelief, wondering exactly what was going on. This feeling of uncertainity was also shared by the boys. Though preoccupied, they kept stern glances towards the members of the clan, expecting an attack at any second. Elisa stopped pacing.
"Well?"
Nobody moved. They had nothing to say to one another. Just then, Chris spoke up. "Can anyone get me a rag and some more peroxide? I need to clean this shit up." Angela sighed, and went to get the supplies. When she returned, she walked over to Jackson and Chris. She knelt down beside Jackson's leg, which had been propped up by a wooden stool. Jackson was scared out of his wits by the female gargess, who began to clean his wound. Chris patted him on the back. "Don't worry, man. She's here to help." Jackson calmed down somewhat, but he still retained his fear. Satisfied with her work, Angela examined the wound. She cleared her throat. "You need to give him additional stitches around the edges. Otherwise, the scar will have a gash in it." Seeing his mistake, Chris thanked her silently, and went back to work. Jackson groaned in pain when he felt the needle penetrate his skin. Looking at Angela, he opened his mouth to speak. 'Thanks' was all that came out, as he quickly gritted his teeth to take his mind away from the pain in his leg. Chris finished the stitching, and used his pocketknife to cut the thread. Jackson panted, trying to catch his breath. Zack came over with one of the bottles of Morphine. He filled a syringe with it, and administered it to a vein above Jackson's wound. Jackson calmed down almost instantly. The drug numbed his pain, allowing him to have peace. He simply sat back in his chair. Chris thanked Angela once more, and went to see if Adam needed assistance. Zack had stitched up Adam's wound. Adam had been lucky. The bullet had torn through his chest, near-missing his lungs and heart. Luckily for him, it had hit only flesh. Chris checked the stitches on Adam's chest. They were fine. He lifted his friend up, to check the stitches on his back. They, too, were acceptable. "Nice job." Chris remarked. He tossed his needle and stitching materials to Zack, who put them back inside the suture kit. "So.." Chris began. He faced the clan.
"Are we all right? Or do we got issues?"
The clan began a discussion among each other. When they were finished, they turned back. Brooklyn got up to speak.
"We're all right... for now... BUT, there's gonna be some rules."
Chris was all ears. He chuckled. "Hit me."
"First off, no guns. Give all of your weapons to us. WE'LL decide whether or not you get them back. Second, no drugs. Aside from the medical stuff you guys have, there will be NO illegal drug use in the castle. Give all your 'shit' to Elisa. She'll take care of it. Last but not least... We're all civilized here, right? Try to keep the peace. No fighting. I seem to remember the LAST time I got into a fight with you..."
Chris chuckled. "It's all good, home. Besides two things. First off, we ain't giving you all our straps. We're being hunted, which means we at least want a CHANCE of survival. We'll give you the autos and the semis. We keep the nines. Second, the drugs are gonna be split. We keep the morphine, and half our stash of the Drag. That's enough to keep my two friends over here chilled out until their shit heals. Aside from that, I'm keeping the weed...For a purpose which is entirely out of discussion." Brooklyn stroked his chin in thought. He maintained his eye contact with Chris, watching for any sign of danger. Finally, he agreed to Chris's terms. "But..." he stated. "No weed smoking inside. Take it outdoors." Chris laughed at this, and held out a hand. Brooklyn shook it, and the deal was official. Brooklyn helped move Jackson to a room where he could rest. Everyone else went about their usual business. Chris and Zack sat on the sofa, and began discussing their next move.
"So what do you think? Think we can trust these fools?"
Chris shrugged, and pondered over Zack's question. "I think it's the only chance we got." he replied, after a moment of thought. Zack sighed, and dug around in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He stuck one in his mouth, and sparked it up. "I thought we agreed that you would smoke outside?" Came Brooklyn's voice from behind them. "You said we had to smoke WEED outside!" Chris replied. He and Zack laughed, knowing that they had won. Brooklyn realized his mistake, but let it go. Zack took a long drag from his cigarette, and let the smoke flow from his mouth. Chris got up, and walked over to Graeme, who was busy at the computer. "What you doing?" he asked. Graeme took one look at Chris, and went back to what he was doing. "I'm scanning the web for any info about who's trying to kill you." He replied. Chris motioned for him to step aside. "Let me make it easy for you." He sat down in the chair, and went to work. He used Graeme's hacking programs to crack the contract site's Administrator account. Then, he opened the contract file, and scrolled down to the list of takers. His jaw dropped when he read the list over. Over five new names were listed. One of the names was crossed out. He guessed that meant they knew their hitter was killed. Sighing, he turned the seat over to Graeme. He was about to walk away, when Graeme stopped him. "Hey" The green gargoyle called. Chris turned around to face him. Graeme took a look at the screen, then turned back. "How'd you crack their firewall? They've got McAfee version five." Chris chuckled, and went back to the computer. He showed Graeme how he had rerouted the referer to broadcast the connection from the site's own location. It was pretty tricky stuff, but Graeme pretty much understood it. Back in the den, Zack was nearly done with his cigarette. He took the last two hits, and put it out on the stone floor. He tossed the butt into a trashcan near the wall. Kirin walked up to him. "I don't see how a single child can survive through so much pain." he stated, looking at Zack's multiple scars, focusing his attention to the wound from a few nights before. Zack noticed. "Well... It's not easy, I'll give you that..." He said. "...But it's just the way I grew up, you know, on the streets. You learn to like the pain." Kirin was dumbfounded. "But why is pain good?" he questioned. Zack chuckled. He had the perfect answer.
"It lets you know you're not dead yet."
-----The next night-----
Loud rap music blared from the boys' room. DJ Screw's "Southside Groovin'" seemed to be the track of choice, as it was on repeat, and had been playing for fifteen straight minutes. The door to the room opened, and smoke poured out. Chris stepped out, nodding his head to the music. He stumbled towards the clan's refrigerator. Once he finally reached it, he removed four Cokes, and started back for the room. It was obvious that he was high, and it showed. Brooklyn said nothing as Chris passed him, almost bumping into him as he did. He watched as Chris walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. The track immediately changed from 'Southside Groovin' to Eminem's Early 2000's diss to Benzino, "Bully." Brooklyn knew the song. He had heard it broadcast over the radio back when rap and hip-hop was the "in" thing. Nowadays, though, it was Goth and Metal music that attracted the masses. To see someone listening to rap was as rare as finding an endangered bird shot down in the middle of Central Park. Brooklyn respected it, though. It showed that some individuals chose to break away from the 'popular craze' every now and then. Brooklyn's ears perked up as the track changed once more, this time to Afroman's "Colt 45." He chuckled and nodded his head as the song came on. He began to sing along with it.
"Colt 45 and two zigzags, baby that's all we need--"
Brooklyn felt the four boys' eyes on him before he could even see them. He turned around to see four smiling faces, which burst into laughter as soon as he laid eyes on them. Using the remote, Zack changed the track to Chamillionaire and Lil' Flip's "Turn it up". He looked to Brooklyn. "What you know about that music!" he challenged. Brooklyn chuckled, and stood his ground. Zack shrugged. "That's what I thought. Come on, y'all!" He led the others back into the room, where they turned the music up louder, so that it shook the halls with its pounding beat. Brooklyn didn't mind. He was actually enjoying it. He called for them to change the track one more time. "California Love Remix" started up at Brooklyn's request. He was tempted to join them in the room, but his better judgement told him not to. Instead, he picked up a book he had been reading, and opened it on the sofa, while nodding his head to the familiar beat. After two lines of reading, his child side began calling to him. Showing little resistance, he dropped the book, and went into the room. The four boys cheered when they saw him. Chris turned the music down some. "So you finally decided to come chill with the kids?" he asked. Brooklyn shrugged. "When we were unfrozen, this was the kind of music everyone was listening to. I just kind of fell into it." Chris nodded his head, understanding. He turned the music back up. Brooklyn took a seat in an easy chair against the wall. He watched as the four boys went back to what they had been doing. Zack and Adam were piecing together some type of metal casing. Chris had a cigarette rolling machine out, and was filling it with bud. Brooklyn watched as he cored it, stuck in the paper, and rolled it around. When he opened it, he had a perfect joint. Chris stuck it in his mouth, and that was when he caught Brooklyn staring.
"What? Don't tell me you've never smoked weed before."
Brooklyn shook his head. "I've tried it before... A LONG time ago." Chris shrugged it off, and sparked up the joint. He took two hits, and passed it to Jackson, who was resting on the bed. Jackson also took two hits, before passing it to Adam, who repeated the process. Zack got it next, and took his time with it. He took two deep hits, before holding the joint out in Brooklyn's direction. Brooklyn was about to reach out for it, but stopped. What was he doing? Mumbling to himself, he sat back down. Zack shrugged, and held it out to Chris. Brooklyn then sprang from his seat, and snatched it from Zack's hand before Chris could. He put it to his beak, and took in a deep breath. He coughed violently, spewing up smoke. He had hit it WAY too hard. Chris gave him a pat on the back. He took the joint, and took his own hits. "Take your time." He said, in between hits. He handed the joint back to Brooklyn. This time, the aging gargoyle took his hits slowly, inhaling the smoke, and blowing it out through his nostrils. He didn't cough. Chris nodded in approval, and took the joint. He called for Zack to put "Colt 45" back on. When the joint came back around, Brooklyn refused it. He didn't want any more. The four boys didn't mind. They continued to pass the joint until it was finished. Brooklyn just sat there and watched, letting the music fill his ears. He knew that he had been against smoking in the castle, but what the hell. They were just kids. "STRONG kids..." he remembered, feeling the spot where they had cracked a few of his ribs the week before.
END
That's the end of Chapter 4! You probably know the address for comments or flames by now, but in case you don't, it's blazeybreele at gmail. com. Chapter 5 is coming soon! Please R&R!
"It's like a never-ending cycle, That just seems to come full circle, Everybody's gotta be so fucking hard. I'm not excluding myself, 'Cause I been stupid as well, been known to lose it when someone says something smart."
----Eminem