GTA: Liberty Through Agita
Mission One: Starting as Normal

As the taxi made its way, CJ leaned back into the seat, recalling the phone call that had brought him back from the East Coast.

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CJ had been relaxing at home. He had just gotten off work and was enjoying some downtime, an ice-cold beer in one hand, and the TV remote in the other. He had to admit that he enjoyed life in Liberty City. It had that certain appeal to him that made me resist urges to leave. Here he forged his own life.

Abruptly, the phone rings. CJ answers it. "'Sup?" He answers.

"CJ, it's Sweet!" came the voice from the other side. CJ grinned.

"Whassup, Sweet?" He asked.

"It's... It's moms." Sweet's tone was serious. CJ straightened up.

"Did something happen?"

"She's dead, bro." Sweet finally said. CJ was glad he was sitting down already. He knew if he had been standing, he would have staggered and fell.

"What? No... That's not right, nigga. You're joking, tell me you're mother-fucking joking?"

"No joke... For real."

CJ shook his head, trying to clear it. "Are you guys still in Los Santos... Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. Lates." That day, he sold his apartment, almost all of his belongings, and bought a plane ticket to Los Santos...
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The wail of a police siren and the flashing of red and blue lights cut CJ's reminiscing short. The taxi had only managed to get three city blocks from the airport before a police cruiser flashed its lights behind it. The police car wasn't trying to get at someone ahead of the taxi, so the cabbie obeyed and pulled over.

"Damnit. Not three minutes in and I'm already bein' harassed." CJ complains as he watches two policemen step out of the cruiser through the cab's rear-view mirror.

The driver of the police cruiser pulled out a megaphone, putting it to his mouth, "Passenger. Show us your hands." CJ recognized the voice instantly. It was Officer Tenpenny.

"Fuck. That hard ass is still around? I figured he'd be in a retirement home by now... Damn..." He obeyed, opening the door and putting his hands out.

"Alright. Now step out of the vehicle, slowly. Stop." Officer Tenpenny ordered as CJ complied, stepping out of the taxi and stopping when instructed. "Get down on your knees."

CJ did this as well, dropping to his knees. Tenpenny barked more orders through the megaphone. "Now, down on your stomach. There you go, that's a good boy." CJ laid face down on the ground, the second police officer coming up to him and slapping a pair of handcuffs on him. He frisked CJ, and found his wallet, removing it as well as the cash inside.

"Hey man! That's my paper! That's money, fool." CJ shouted.

"I'll take that Officer Pulaski." Tenpenny said, as the white officer handed him CJ's money.

"My money, man..." CJ said once again.

"What money?" Tenpenny said, pocketing it. "Pulaski, you see any money?"

"Can't say that I did, sir." He replied, smirking.

CJ squirmed, fuming. "That ain't right, nigga."

Tenpenny ignored this comment, walking right up to CJ and pulling him to his feet. "Welcome home Carl. Glad to have you back. You haven't forgotten about us, have you boy?

"Hell nah, Officer Tenpenny. I was wonderin' what the hold up was."

"Heh. Get your ass in the car." Tenpenny said, pushing Carl towards the police cruiser. Carl stumbled a bit, but didn't fall.

"Ease up man! Damn." He said, sliding into the back of the cruiser. Officer Pulaski and Tenpenny climbed back into the car, and drove off. The taxicab followed suit, leaving in another direction. CJ stared at it as it left his field of vision. "Hey, my bags man! My bags! Damn..."

The cruiser drives through the city, passing other vehicles and people on the street. Tenpenny drives, while Pulaski rides shotgun. CJ is in the back by himself.

Tenpenny speaks, "So, how you been Carl? How's your wonderful family?"

"Shit. I'm here to bury my moms. You know that!"

"Yeah, I guess I do. What else you got shakin', 'homeboy.'"

CJ turned his head, looking out his window. "Nothing. I live in Liberty City now. I'm clean."

Tenpenny chuckled, finding the thought simply too funny, "You clean? Nah, you ain't never been clean, Carl."

Pulaski holds up a 9mm pistol inside a sealed evidence bag. "Hmm... What's this now?"

"That is a weapon, Officer Pulaski, that was used to gun down a Police officer not ten minutes ago. Officer Pendelbury. A fine man, I might add. You work fast, nigga." Officer Tenpenny said, looking at CJ in the rearview mirror.

CJ snorted, made a face as if he had just bitten into something sour and old. "You know I JUST got off the plane."

"It's a good thing then that we found you and retrieved the murder weapon." Officer Pulaski said, resecuring the weapon.

"That ain't my gun!" CJ spat in his own defense.

"Don't bullshit me Carl!" Tenpenny said harshly.

"Yeah, don't bullshit him, Carl." Pulaski echoed.

"Man... What the fuck you want from me this time?" Carl asked, his shoulders slumping.

"When we want you, we'll find you. In the meantime..." The police cruiser pulls into a back alley, and stops, Tenpenny turning around to look at Carl. "Try not to gun down anymore officers of the law." The two locked gaze, and the cop smirked, a sly smug grin. He knew he held all the chips.

Pulaski hopped out, pulling CJ out of the cruiser and uncuffing him.

CJ looked away, looking around. He finally noticed where he was. "You can't leave me here! This is Ballas turf!"

"I thought you said you was innocent Carl? That you don't bang anymore?" Tenpenny said, laughing as he backs the cruiser out of the alleyway. In the passenger seat, Pulaski began speaking into the radio, but Carl couldn't hear what was being said.

"Damnit... Ah shit, worst fucking place in the world right now. Rollin Heights Ballas Country." He spoke to himself, spying a bike up ahead of him. "Better get the fuck back to friendly turf." He hops on the bike, and begins pedaling, heading for Grove Street, his old home...

Some time later, he arrives at Grove Street, hopping off the bike and walking it to a stop. He quickly stashes it next to his house, and enters.

Immediately upon setting foot inside, old memories flood back to him. Overcome with emotion, he can barely stand up right. He steps over to the TV, picking up the picture sitting on top of it. It was of his mother. He takes a step back with it in his hand, staring at it. Somehow, he finds a chair, and sits in it.

He hears quick movement behind him, and hears a voice say, "You picked the wrong house, nigga!" He recognized the voice as belonging to Big Smoke, an old friend of the family. He turns in the chair and tries to warn Big Smoke, but it was too late.

The metal baseball bat collides with his head. Blood sprays from his mouth as he goes down to floor, inky blackness enveloping him. Big Smoke had recognized at the last second who he had swung at, but by that time, the only thing he could do was try to not hit him so hard.

"Damnit... Why didn't you say something, CJ? Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up." Big Smoke says, although in his current state, CJ couldn't hear him...